Hey guys! Another Monday, another update ^_^ I hope you all had lovely weekends. So sorry about two cliffies in a row, but I hope you enjoy the thirteenth chapter!

No anons, no shout outs, so let's get the dislaimer done and then get on with the next chapter!

~BlacRoseDragon13

*Disclaimer* I do not own, nor claim to own, any aspect of Naruto in any way, shape, or form. This is merely a fan work, and I receive no profit.

Chapter Thirteen

The bottom of Hinata's world fell out from beneath her. Her lips and eyelids trembled as she fought to keep her composure. Her...father? Why would he know about the plot to kill her? And if he knew something...why had he never told her? "W...why?"

"That must be asked of him, not of me. I really am sorry, Hinata san, but it is not my tale to tell."

Sasuke looked at her silently, expression blank. He had heard at dinner about Itachi invading her room the same night as the massacre, and she hadn't said why he was there. He now knew that it was because she herself didn't know. Knowing settled into his stomach, and he felt pity for her. It was going to be a difficult truth to swallow.

"Perhaps you should wait until you get some rest to ask him," Itachi suggested. "Having heavy discussions when one is tired usually makes them spin out of control. Emotions are more difficult to manage when suffering exhaustion."

Hinata barely heard him. A terrible feeling had settled in her gut, but she couldn't quite connect the dots. "I...I don't think I would sleep..."

Itachi's brow knitted in concern. "Hinata..."

"Aniki is right," Sasuke supplied quietly.

"No...no. I d-don't want to wait any longer," she said firmly, jaw set. "I'll see you tomorrow, Itachi san."

Before Itachi could say another word, she disappeared. A small spark of panic coursed through him. "Follow her," he begged his brother, giving him a pleading look. "If things get out of hand, you must help her."

"Hn..." Expression determined, Sasuke ran from the room to tail the heiress, remaining just out of sight as she rushed home.

Otousan, she thought as she ran, ignoring looks from passersby. What have you been hiding from me?

The lights were still on in the Hyuuga home, and Hinata rushed in with her shoes still on. Hiashi was seated at the dining room table, sipping a cup of tea. He raised his eyebrows at her accelerated entrance, but after the last few days, he didn't bother to question it.

"Why?"

The demand cut through the air, and the man felt the heated determination behind it. Pausing, he set down his cup and regarded his daughter fully. "Why what?"

"Why...did Uchiha Itachi try to kill me eight years ago?" She didn't stutter, her urgency keeping her words steady.

"How would I know that?"

"He told me to ask you – that you knew. So tell me, Father. Why?"

Hiashi's face hardened into a scowl. So...the Uchiha had pointed the finger at him, had he? He refused to admit it was the truth – that the blame was to be put on him. But if he didn't tell her, he was sure that she would demand the truth from Itachi. Giving her a stony look, he said through gritted teeth, "Because it was I who asked it of the council."

The air in Hinata's lungs disappeared, and she tried in vain to draw a breath. Her father...had asked the council...to have Itachi...kill her? Tears pooling in her eyes, she whispered once more, "...why?"

"It is true you have had your successes, Hinata. Bringing back the Uchiha brothers is by far your most prestigious triumph. But you are still weak...you always have been. Even when you were a child, I could see that you would never be able to take my place as clan head – that you would never become the heiress I needed. Your little sister had far more potential than you, but clan bylaws prevented me from naming her above you. The right always falls to the eldest...no matter their weakness. My duty as clan head is to produce a worthy heir to take my place, but that code made it plain that only you could succeed me. The only way I could legally have Hanabi take your place...was by having you killed."

A trembling hand found its way to Hinata's lips as she felt nausea crash over her, her knees weakening as each word served as a blow to her soul. He wanted her to die, all for clan politics? Suddenly she knew all too well Itachi's feelings. Sacrifices for the good of the clan, for the good of the village. Only this time, she was the sacrifice – tossed aside to make way for what others thought was right. Her entire body was numb, and it took all of her strength to remain standing. "But...y-you denounced me...you took my title and gave it to Hanabi chan anyway..."

"But I was forced to give it back when you made chuunin," Hiashi muttered in reply. "Pressure from the council increased, and I had no choice but to return your heiress status. Ever since then, I have been trying to find other ways to circumvent those laws...but our ancestors were keen in their writings, and I have yet to find an answer."

"Would you still have me killed?"

He only stared.

She expected rage. She pictured herself screeching as she launched across the table to wrap her hands around his throat, demanding him to beg for mercy and forgiveness. She would tear the compound apart as the lie her life had been truly sunk in. But instead, she just stared back. She felt nothing but complete and utter disappointment.

"If you want me gone," she murmured, her hand falling back to her side. "Then I shall leave. Cut me off from the clan...from everything. I w-won't ever look back. Make Hanabi chan your heir...or even Neji nii san – he's strong, and wise. If you can't find a way to remove me...then I will remove myself." Her face settled into one of quiet determination. "Give me time to find a p-place to live...and put my things...and then...I will n-never return."

Hiashi bowed his head slightly, brow furrowed as he thought. "I have seen nothing preventing you from walking away..." he murmured. "That just may work. If it does, I will do as you wish. All of your possessions and money will be yours to keep...but once you secede from the clan...you will never again be welcome."

"It would appear, Father, that I have been unwelcome for quite some time." With that, she turned back around and headed for the door, never looking back.

She was just outside the compound gate when she felt someone fall into step beside her. Glancing over, she saw Sasuke, face carefully blank.

"I'm sorry."

It was said plainly, but it broke the dam nonetheless. Hiccupping, she launched forward and embraced him, burying her face into his chest and sobbing. The sudden contact made him tense, but slowly he wrapped his arms stiffly around her, trying his best to comfort her. He had never liked it when girls cried.

They stood in silence, in the middle of the street, in near-darkness save for a far-off street lamp. Sasuke had his eyes closed, listening to the sounds of her crying. Her father had tried to have her killed, all to change clan politics. The resemblance to the Uchiha tragedy was uncanny, and the boy had to wonder if perhaps Fate did exist – tying her, his brother, and their clans all together in such a tangled, bloody web.

"I...I'm s-sorry," she said after several minutes. Backing away from him slightly, she wiped at her tear-stained cheeks with the sleeves of her jacket. "You don't want to s-see me like this..."

"I don't blame you," he murmured in replied, watching her. She was still sniffling heavily, wiping away tears that were only followed by more as she tried, and failed, to regain her composure. "That was one hell of a truth to learn."

"I...I understand...w-why he tried to do it...but..." She shook her head, teeth clenched together in an effort to stop her crying. "He's my father...he...h-he..."

He watched her for several more minutes as her emotions continued to run rampant. Once he figured she wasn't about to stop, he looked over to the side and said, "You can come stay the night in the Uchiha district. There's no way in hell you're going back there."

Taken aback, she looked at him with puffy eyes. "I...w-what?"

"Unless you have somewhere else you'd rather stay – with the dobe, maybe. But if you want, you can crash in one of the houses – it's not like there isn't enough room."

Sniffing a few more times, she murmured, "O...okay..."

Without waiting any longer, he turned and started walking back to his family's land, not looking back to see if she was following.

She trailed behind like a kicked puppy, hugging her arms around her middle.

Passing through the compound gate was like stepping through a portal in time. An unsettling silence blanketed the grounds, and even her footsteps seemed muffled. Cold breezes tickled her skin, making her shiver. Nothing had been changed or touched in eight years – the obviously lack of use made the district look like a photograph untouched by time.

The house Sasuke disappeared into was a bit bigger than the rest, and she figured it was the one used by his family, as his father had been clan head like hers. She paused on the threshold, and jumped when he called, "Just get in here already."

The floors creaked with disuse, marking each step she took. Dust covered everything except where Sasuke had stirred it, which mostly only applied to the tracks upon the floor. An oppressive air hung around them, and Hinata's ears rung in the absolute silence.

No wonder neither brother really wanted to return.

"You can stay in Itachi's room," Sasuke offered, gesturing to the stairs. "There's no water or electricity, of course, so you'll have to make due. But at least you won't have to deal with your family tonight."

Though Hinata wasn't sure if a haunted compound was much better, she replied, "I understand...thank you."

Sasuke showed her his brother's room, and then went into his own and shut the door. Luckily there was just enough moonlight to see by, and she opened the blinds the rest of the way to illuminate the room further.

His room was spare. Nothing was out of place, and it looked more like an office than the bedroom of a thirteen year old boy. The bed was still made, a desk clear of anything save for a picture obscured by dust. His dresser drawers were all shut, as well as the closet, and nothing hung upon the walls except awards the boy had earned: medals, certificates, and even an ANBU mask. She stared at it, remembering that he had in fact been bare-faced when she saw him despite being garbed in the standard officer gear.

Feeling extremely nosy, she inched toward his desk and picked up the frame. With her sleeve, she cleared the dust with several swipes of the fabric until faces looked back at her.

Fugaku was stern-faced, arms crossed over his chest as he stared into the camera. Mikoto was smiling gently, her hands resting on a much younger Sasuke's shoulders. Off to the side, almost like an afterthought, was Itachi. His expression was unreadable. It almost looked as though he was glaring, but as she looked closer, Hinata saw he looked more like he was thinking something unpleasant that made him grimace. He looked to be about thirteen, and with slight horror she wondered if he was contemplating his clan's fate.

She put the photo back down with a soft click of its feet, and made her way to the bed across the room. The blankets were dusty, covering the mattress entirely. After considering it for several moments, she reached forward and stripped them off, putting the bundle down at the foot of the bed. Coughing lightly in the stirred dust, she removed her jacket and sandals, having been too distracted to do so at the home's threshold. Still dressed in her shirt and pants, she gingerly settled down on the bare mattress, curling up slightly as she faced out into the room.

Sleep was not likely to happen, but she did her best to push out any thoughts of the truth she had learned that night. Itachi was right – facing it when she was so tired had been unwise, and now she would only get more exhausted being unable to sleep. She stared out the window at the round moon outside, trying to clear her head.

By some grace, unconsciousness somehow found her, drowning her in a deep sleep devoid of dreams. Shadows shifted in the room as she slept, ethereal fingers reaching to skim over her like curious children inspecting a sleeping stranger in their midst. She did not feel them, not even twitching in her deep oblivion.

.oOo.

"Oi...Hinata...get up."

Groaning lightly, Hinata slowly cracked her eyes open and tried to focus. She eventually was able to see Sasuke seated backwards on the chair in front of Itachi's desk, arms crossed over the top. For several moments she just stared, mind blank and unsure where she was or why. But yesterday slowly trickled back into her head, starting with the morning, carrying on through the day, and then stopping at last night.

Oh yeah. Her father had tried to have her killed.

Crushing emotions flowed over her, and she tightened her body into a smaller coil, burying her face in her hands as she struggled to remain above water.

Sasuke watched her in silence. She was trembling again, but not making a sound. Memories of doing the same during the days, weeks, months after the massacre flooded his mind, and he shut his eyes, bowing his head slightly. He knew that crushing betrayal, that feeling of complete loss. Her family wasn't dead, but they had left her in another way, and he had to wonder which was worse.

Silently, he left the room and headed downstairs, starting to make a basic breakfast. Having been through what she was suffering, he knew what she would need: someone to coach her through eating, making sure she kept up her strength when all thoughts of living were temporarily forgotten under the weight of loss. Once finished, he carried up her portion to his brother's old room.

She hadn't moved.

Setting a cup of tea on the desk, he squatted beside the bed, holding a bowl of plain rice in one hand. The other he used to gently shake her shoulder. "You need to eat something," he stated plainly. "I know it's the last thing on your mind, but trust me – you've gotta keep up your strength."

Her trembling lessened, and she slowly revealed her face. "W...what?"

"When my clan...died, I was taken to the hospital the next morning after passing out all night," he replied calmly. "For a long time I didn't want to move, eat, or sometimes even live. But those damn nurses shoved food down my throat and kept me alive. This kind of betrayal...it breaks you. Trust me, I know. So...I'm not a nurse, but I will cram this rice in your mouth if I have to."

Hinata stared at him, slightly confused. "Why do you care?" she mumbled.

"I owe you a lot." Admitting it was a blow to his pride, but he decided to shift his priorities for a bit. "I'm not about to let you do this to yourself. Besides, I have a feeling my brother would kill me if I let anything happen to his precious Hinata."

The girl just continued staring. His words made sense – he knew what she was facing, in a way. She was emotionally unstable, and he was going to make sure she didn't break completely. He said it was because he owed her, but even if he was trying to begin repaying his debt, he was being...gentle. For him, anyway. It wasn't something she imagined him doing, at least not that soon. He...

Slowly, she uncurled herself and shifted, sitting up against the wall and letting her legs straighten out over the mattress. She still felt dead to the world, and her eyes were dull, but she moved her gaze to Sasuke. Silently, he handed her the bowl and chopsticks he'd brought with him, which she accepted. Breaking the utensils apart, she murmured, "Itadakimasu..." before bringing a clump of rice to her lips. Take, chew, swallow, repeat. Her body settled into an autopilot until every grain was gone. By then, Sasuke had fetched the tea from the desk, and traded it for her bowl. Sipping it slowly, she watched him take the dish out of the room, his footsteps loud in the silent house.

What was she going to do now?

Her clan was her family – everything she had known for the past sixteen years. Sure, she and her father had never gotten along..she had had squabbles with her sister...and she and Neji had only been patching things up for about three years...but they were still her blood, her kin. What was someone worth when they lost their family?

Now I know what both Sasuke and Itachi feel...alone without a clan...but...mine isn't dead – they just wanted me dead...

The thought was still searingly painful. Her own father...the only parent she had left...had tried to have her killed. He didn't want the scandal of just sending her away, or just denouncing her – he had wanted to end things permanently.

Mother...what would you say to him now?

Now she had no home, and would only have the few possessions she held personally as well as the money she'd been saving. Sure, she earned a bit from missions...but would she be able to support herself? Living at home she had no idea what went into keeping up a home: food, power, water, rent, and more. It felt so overwhelming...

Sasuke chose then to return. Seeing her thinking, he asked, "Do you want go see Itachi?"

Itachi. The thought of seeing him again stirred something in her. She nodded, grunting slightly as she worked her way onto the floor, standing shakily. The Uchiha offered her her jacket as she maneuvered her feet into her sandals, and she accepted it wordlessly. Together, they left the house and compound with a strained silence between them.

Itachi glanced up as the door opened. It was nearly noon, and he had been worried for Hinata ever since she stormed out of his room the night before. Seeing her standing once more the doorway brought him some comfort, but not when he saw the dead look on her face.

She knows.

Gently, he offered a hand to her. Resolve broken, she sobbed sharply as she ran across the room, ignoring his hand and instead wrapping her arms around his torso tightly.

"Oh, Itachi kun..." she said quietly, burying her face in his chest. "W-what am I g-going to do?"

Itachi's eyes shut tightly as he returned her embrace, resting his chin atop her head, barely noticing the more familiar honorific. Tremors coursed through her as she cried again, tears staining his hospital gown. How much he had prayed she would have just left the question unasked – it would have saved her so much pain. But he realized it was a truth she deserved to know.

"Hinata san...I'm so sorry..." he murmured against her hair. A sense of formality kept his own honorific for her the same. "I'm so, so sorry."

"Now I'm all a-alone..." she mumbled. "I have n-no place to go...what am I going to do?"

"You're not alone," he corrected, stroking her head comfortingly. "I'm certainly not going to abandon you. And he may not admit it, but Sasuke is here too. Which brings me to my first question...why is he here with you?"

"I followed her like you asked," the boy answered, avoiding Hinata's inquiring look. "When she came back, I told her she could stay in the compound, so she did. Hope you don't mind, I let her use your old room."

"Of course I don't mind. Thank you, Sasuke, for not leaving her alone."

"Hn..."

"He's r-right," Hinata said softly. "Thank you, Sasuke kun."

He didn't question the added honorific either, still avoiding her gaze.

Calmed down a bit at both brothers' words, Hinata looked up into Itachi's face. "Do...do you mean that? That...I'm n-not alone?"

"I will not abandon you," he said again. "And there are your other friends, your teammates. None of them are going to let you go through this alone. You have many allies, Hinata san. They – we – will not leave you."

His words brought Hinata comfort. It certainly didn't make the pain disappear – that would take time, and lots of it – but it did begin to cool the flames of betrayal. Giving him a shaky smile, she leaned back against him, silent and still.

The three remained frozen for what seemed like hours. Their trance, however, was broken when the door opened. All three heads turned to look, and saw the Hokage enter.

The blonde blinked a bit, only mildly surprised at Hinata and Sasuke's presence. "Well, Itachi, I have good news. After our tests this morning, you've been cleared for discharge. You'll still be a bit weak, but all you need is rest, which doesn't require hospitalization." She noticed Hinata's upset state, but didn't mention it. "So, I'll get an apartment lined up for you and your brother once I leave. Until you both start missions again, you'll be supported by village funds. It won't be anything fancy, but it'll be a place to start."

"Thank you, Hokage sama," Itachi replied graciously, bowing his head in respect.

Nodding to him in return, as well as each of his guests, Tsunade left without another word.

"So...you're getting an apartment?" Hinata asked. "That's g-good."

Itachi looked down at her, face thoughtful. "Yes, we are...Tsunade sama agreed to give us a place just outside the Uchiha district to call our own until I get back on my feet, and Sasuke gets reinstated as well."

"I see..."

"Hinata san...if you'd like...you could stay with us."

The girl paused before looking up at him again. "I...you'd let me stay with you?"

"Of course. There may not be much room, but we would both," he said, accenting the word, "be more than happy to give you a place to stay."

Slowly, a wide smile broke out over her face. "I...I would like that, v-very much!"

"Good – it's settled then. Once I get released, we'll look everything over and determine what needs to be done."

Happiness fluttered in Hinata's chest. She would have a place to go, and with Itachi no less! Squealing, she once again embraced him, knocking the air from his chest as she held him tightly. "Thank you, Itachi kun..."

Above her head and out of her line of sight, a small blush bloomed across the bridge of his nose. Sasuke, however, caught sight of it and smirked. The younger brother was quite aware of Itachi's true motivation, and he marveled at his older brother's guile. Taking a bad situation and using it to both of their advantages...he truly is a genius...not to mention a lucky bastard.

Eventually a nurse came in and told Itachi he was free to go. She supplied him with a basic shinobi outfit of a dark grey tee and matching pants. His sandals were still intact, but his clothes had been torn, burnt, and bloodstained beyond repair, so he accepted the replacements eagerly. All together, the three left the hospital and met up with the Hokage, who was in the lobby down below.

"I'll show you which apartment is yours," she said, walking alongside them. "Not many others live there given the building's proximity to the Uchiha grounds, but you won't be alone."

"Hokage sama," Itachi began when she had finished. "What would it take to have Hinata san also stay with us?"

The blonde tripped slightly, stopping abruptly. "What? I mean, I thought there was something going on between you two, but isn't that a bit fast?"

Hinata colored darkly while Itachi protested, "That isn't what I meant. Hinata san had a falling out with her father last night, and has been cut off from the Hyuuga clan."

Tsunade's amber eyes widened. "What? Why?"

The older brother's eyes darkened. "She learned the truth behind my failed assassination: Hiashi was the one who convinced the council to send someone to kill his oldest daughter to remove her as heir and allow Hanabi to take her place. It was near the time the council assigned the slaughtering of my clan, so they appointed the task to me, under the guise that I was out to create chaos in the other clan."

Slowly, the Hokage's expression changed from shock, to anger, and then to sadness. "Oh, Hinata...I'm so sorry. I never knew...just like the Uchiha tragedy..."

"It was part of my mission, and another black ops assignment that was never meant to be revealed," Itachi explained.

"So...she's really banished from the clan?"

Hinata nodded slowly as Itachi replied for her, not trusting herself to speak. "Yes. Hiashi has agreed to let her keep her possessions and funds, but she has been completely removed from the clan. If he really does go all out legally, he will even take her surname from her."

Tsunade shook her head in disbelief. "Politics," she said, spitting the word like poison. "Some people will go to any length. Well, it isn't any problem for Hinata to stay with you. However, I'll make sure I get a bigger apartment – the last one was barely big enough for two, let alone three. Let me pull some strings when we get there, and everything should work out just fine. And Hinata," she added, looking sternly at the ex heiress. "If your...father gives you any trouble...just tell me, and I'll make sure you get what you need."

Eyes tearing up, Hinata nodded. "Thank you, Hokage sama..."

After exchanging words with the landlord and explaining the situation, Tsunade managed to get the three young people a large apartment, the penthouse at the top of the building.

"I don't know if we really need that much room," Sasuke muttered, following at the end of the group while they climbed the stairs.

"You should be thankful Tsunade sama did anything for us at all," Itachi murmured back. "She's doing a lot for us, and we should be grateful."

"Hn..."

Unlocking the door, Tsunade let the three inside. "Here we are," she said, brandishing one arm as the door opened. "Your new home!"

Hinata looked around, wide-eyed. It was large and open, and brightly lit with summer sunshine streaming through the windows. Thought it was scarcely furnished, it was beyond her expectations. Nowhere near her clan's homes, but it suited her. As Tsunade explained things to the brothers, she silently began looking around, eventually coming to stand before one of the large windows.

"Unfortunately, this place is more expensive," the Hokage said gruffly. "As such, we won't be able to pay for it for as long as we had planned for the other apartment. How soon can you and Hinata start missions again, Sasuke?"

"Whenever you need me," the younger brother replied. "But I won't speak for Hinata. She's been through just as much as we have – you'll have to ask her."

"I'm fine," she said from across the room, drawing everyone's gazes. Her own was still caught out the window, her face schooled into a mask like she had learned from her family. But they're not my family any more...now...my friends will be my kin. "Maybe just a few more days, b-but nothing more than that."

"Very well," the busty blonde replied. She had seen how Hinata had grown, and she believed the girl knew her limits. "You have until the end of the week. Come Monday, I'll begin assigning you new missions. Normally I'd like to put you through tests to gauge your rank, Sasuke, but for now we'll just call you a chuunin until you can take the jounin exams. I'll skew your team a bit – you and Naruto will be a squad with Kakashi, while Sai and Sakura will join Yamato. But the exams will be here soon, and honestly I have a feeling you'll make ANBU easily. You and Naruto are on higher levels than you're being given credit for. Itachi, once you recover, you'll be back in the corps as promised. For now though, just focus on resting and getting better."

"Yes ma'am," Itachi replied. Sasuke just nodded, while Hinata remained silent.

Giving them all one last look, Tsunade gave Itachi the keys and left, shutting the door with a soft click.

For a moment, no one moved. But Itachi turned from the door, sighing deeply. Sasuke looked expectantly at him, while Hinata finally looked back from the window to do the same.

"Welcome home," he said quietly, smiling softly.

Sasuke smirked, offering only a short, "Hn..."

"It's good to be home..." Hinata replied, doing her best to smile.

Dun dun DUN! Hiashi, you bastard...I've never liked him, and I looove using him as an evil scapegoat. Anyway, I realize that it may have been a bit obvious to most of you, but I thought it was a good twist XD And now, Hinata and Itachi have a very good excuse to begin letting their relationship grow, which I'm sure all of you are eager for ;) Things have certainly changed for all three of our now-clanless shinobi. And they aren't done changing yet!

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, my lovelies – I'll see you again on Friday! I do hope that those of you who have the time will drop me a review – they make me smile :D

Until later!

~BlackRoseDragon13