I sat on the bed at the inn as I watched Sasuke pack a few items into his knapsack. What the bishop told us last night kept me awake as I continued to wonder what unspeakable damage Lord Toneri bestowed upon these people. The fact that he is indeed evil did not shock me in any shape or form since he threatened to erase my family from existence. He has much to gain from the Hyuga clan, so his adamant betrothal to me is not something I would find as odd behavior, yet threatening a village and the bishop, no less, to the point of him being afraid to speak makes no sense. What does he have to gain from threatening a village in the Land of Iron into silence? It certainly has no correlation to my clan, which makes me wonder if he has something bigger planned…
"You've been staring in my direction for the past several minutes. Do you have something to say?" said Sasuke with a snarky attitude.
I ignored his attitude and said "I am just thinking about Lord Toneri and what he plans to do with my family. Whatever it is, I can only leave my imagination up to unveiling his intentions."
"Doing that will get you nowhere. The only way to find out is by going back to the Leaf Village to see for yourself."
"The Leaf is a long way from here," I said. "With my twisted ankle, I can only go so far on my own."
Sasuke stared at me for what felt like hours as he contemplated a matter in his head.
Once I felt uncomfortable enough to the point of fidgeting from his intense gaze, I asked "W-What?"
"I need to resume my mission, but I can't bring myself to leave you here in your condition, especially with how you're dressed. You'll either die from hypothermia or get sexually assaulted."
I became flustered. "S-S-Sexually assaulted? How dare you! Just because I am a woman does not mean-"
"It isn't because you're a woman. It's because you're a woman wearing a red kimono that shows anyone that notices you your assets. I most certainly noticed," he admitted. "You may be strong, but you can't defend yourself when you can't even stand on two feet."
"I understand the self-defense aspect, but a gentleman should not be staring at my 'assets'," I said.
"Your body has changed a lot since the last time I saw you, Hinata, and I can't help noticing." Sasuke zipped up his knapsack. "Also, I'm not a gentleman."
Hesitantly, I asked "You… You have not thought of me sexually since we have been travelling together, have you?"
Sasuke put on his bag, extended his hand to me and told me "I know a medical ninja near here that can fix up your ankle. After that, you can return to the Leaf."
Wearing the astonishment on my sleeve, I looked up at Sasuke who wore an unreadable expression. Learning this made me fear riding on his back because now I wondered what perversion would be coursing through his mind when I press my body against his as he holds onto my bare thigh for additional support.
"Despite what I revealed to you, I would never harm you," he said. "I'm not desperate like most of the men in this village. If I want to relieve myself, I can simply visit a brothel."
I tightened my lips. Sasuke has given me no reason to distrust him so I took his hand, using the support he provided to stand up from the bed. We went through the routine of him kneeling so that I can ride on his back before we exited the inn and soon, the village. Like he said, the village that the medical ninja lived in was not far from where we once were, taking us merely three hours to reach it. Once we arrived, it was apparent to both of us that no people were walking about. It resembled a ghost town.
"Is it always this desolate?" I asked.
Snowfall has been heavy these past few days, however, since last night, it has not snowed. Observing our surroundings, it is obvious that no one has wandered through this village within the last twenty-four hours, seeming as there are no footprints in the snow and firewood near each house remained untouched. They are covered in snow and some firewood looks as though someone had begun to chop it but then abandoned it.
"No, it definitely is not," said Sasuke. "Use your Byakugan to see if anyone is still here."
I activated my visual jutsu and began to survey the houses. I found that all of the villagers resided inside of their homes and I even located the medical ninja due to the unique chakra network system. I also identified that the medical ninja is an elderly woman.
After I deactivated my Byakugan, I said "Everyone is here and unharmed, including the medical ninja."
"Good," was all he said prior to walking towards the kunoichi's home.
Instead of knocking politely, Sasuke pounded on the kunoichi's door.
I said "You are going to scare her."
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Nothing can scare this woman."
He pounded on the door repeatedly until the medical ninja swung open the door in irritation, allowing the snow stacked up at her entrance to fall inside of her home. Once her eyes met Sasuke, she frowned. She said "I had hoped that you would not come back here."
Without waiting for her to invite us inside, Sasuke let himself into her home. Since I was on his back, I had no choice but to enter as well. I told the woman upon entry "I am so sorry for the intrusion."
She closed the door, preventing the cold air from also intruding. "I expect this from Sasuke. You don't need to apologize for him; it's a waste of breath."
"We're wasting time," said Sasuke. "I need a favor from you, Tsumiko."
"If you're injured, go somewhere else. You can die out in snow for all I care," said Tsumiko.
"Do I look injured to you?" snapped Sasuke. "It's for her."
I pulled back the poncho to reveal my bandaged ankle.
After glancing at my ankle, Tsumiko glared at Sasuke and told him "Sit her down on the bed."
He obeyed.
Once he stepped away, the medical ninja began to inspect my injury. Upon inspection, she made me wince a few times from either gripping too hard or by turning it a bit too much, but once she finished she diagnosed me of having a twisted ankle.
"If it took her that long to figure out that you have a twisted ankle then I think we need to find someone else to have a look at you," said Sasuke.
He offered to me his hand so that we could leave, but Tsumiko smacked his hand away. She said "You won't find another healer in the Land of Iron. Don't endanger this girl's life just because you're stubborn."
He and Tsumiko stared at one another for quite some time before Sasuke said to me "I'll be back."
"W-Where are you going?" I asked as I handed Sasuke his poncho. Since I was inside of a warm house, I figured that Sasuke would need it more right now.
"To figure out what's going on in this village," he said.
He put on the poncho, closing Tsumiko's door behind him with a slam loud enough to make me flinch.
The old woman sucked on her teeth before pulling up a chair in front of me from the kitchen. She sat down on the chair, taking my ankle in her hand again.
"Did Sasuke wrap this?" she asked.
"Y-Yes, ma'am," I said.
"For a man with one arm, he did a good job."
As she started to unravel the bandage, I asked her "I-I do not mean to pry, but what is your relation to Sasuke? You both seem very… resentful towards one another."
"Sasuke… He killed my son last year," she said.
My eyes widened. "Your son?"
"Yes, though it isn't like he killed him without a reason. My son was involved in a conspiracy against the Land of Fire; more specifically, the Leaf Village. Sasuke discovered the conspiracy, slaying all who were involved; my son included. All the members lived somewhere here in the Land of Iron, but my son was the only one from this village. I don't know about the other families, but Sasuke found out the identity of my son and came here to tell me that he wasn't coming home."
"I'm so sorry," I said.
"Don't be. My son was always a rat and he always got involved in the wrong crowds no matter what I told him… My son had that coming."
"Then why hold so much distain towards Sasuke?" I asked. "If you know the truth, why hold it against him?"
"When you become a parent, you'll understand," she said.
Tsumiko tossed the bandage into a nearby trash can, revealing my swollen ankle. Now that the tightness of the bandage was no longer around it, my ankle felt as though it was throbbing and every touch felt hyper-sensitive.
The old woman created a few hand signs to conjure a portion of concentrated chakra to her hands. Upon release, her hands glowed green and she applied the concentrated chakra to my ankle, causing me to, slowly but surely, feel relief.
Medical ninjutsu may look easy to perform, however it is known to be difficult. The one to perform the jutsu must have extensive control of their charka and a complete understanding on the chakra network system, especially since the user must use their own chakra to heal their target, which can take hours given the extent of the injury. There are many forms of medical ninjutsu ranging from simple healing, to removing poison, to performing surgery, to using it as a weapon, such as concentrating chakra to unleash monstrous strength or creating temporary blades made of chakra. Many underestimate the uses of medical ninjutsu, so when faced in combat with a medical ninja, they are often thrown off guard.
Knowing that this will take several minutes, I asked Tsumiko "I understand why you feel hate for Sasuke, but why does he despise you?"
"He doesn't. He knows how I feel about him so he treats me with equal measure. Sasuke is a good man… I just can't bring myself to get past that he killed my son," she admitted.
"I cannot imagine how hard it must be to interact with the man that took your son's life and I will not attempt to imagine, but you are correct – Sasuke is a good man. Please try to understand that he did not do what he did out of malice, but to protect his home. I am not saying that you should forget what happened, but can you at least try to forgive him?"
"Easier said than done, girl," she said.
She finished healing my leg, motioning me to stand up. According to Sasuke, it has been almost a week since I last walked, so, with the aid of Tsumiko, I stood up from the bed. The coldness of the wooden floor sent shivers up my spine when my bare feet met it, though it did not discourage me from holding my own. Once Tsumiko felt as though I would not fall over from merely standing, she released my hand, encouraging me to take a few steps forward.
I did as she gestured, feeling no pain whatsoever in my left ankle, and after I gained enough confidence, I decided to walk around the small space of her home to get used to the feel of walking again. It did not take me long to relearn how to walk and once I finished practicing, I smiled at Tsumiko.
I bowed before her saying "Thank you so much! I cannot repay you for helping me."
"You don't need to repay me. It's what I do," she said.
"Even so, I feel as though I owe you something."
"If you're so insistent about it, I'll think of something," she said. She then stared at me, observing me. "You must be close to that boy."
"Sasuke?" I asked. "We did not speak to one another in our youth, however, we grew up in the same village. We are not friends, yet we have a connection since we come from the same place. He took care of me when I was vulnerable, and if the time should occur, I will do likewise."
"He seems to care for you quite the sum. I have seen women here fawn over him, but he did not pay them the slightest bit of attention," she said. "You are the only girl that I have seen him interact with, and with such kindness and gentleness, too."
"Many people misunderstand him, even in our own village. Sasuke is kind. It is just that when his mind is set on completing something, he does not let anyone get in his way."
She smiled at me with a knowing glint in her brown eyes. "And yet, he put everything aside to assist you."
"He just wanted to get me back on my feet. Once he returns, we will part ways."
"Oh, girl, you have much to learn about men," she said.
Confused, I said "Huh? I do not-"
From behind me, Tsumiko's door opened, letting in the cold air.
Unprepared for the bitter cold, the wind blew past me, whipping my hair and the loose parts of the kimono around like mad. To acquire some warmth, I crossed my arms over each other and kept my face from looking in that direction. Soon, the door closed and the air abruptly ceased. Feeling a presence behind me, I turned back to find that Sasuke had held up his poncho to shield me from the remaining air invading the house.
"That was quick," I said to him.
"Getting answers was easy," he said.
He then handed me a knapsack and a pair of shinobi boots. I peered into the bag to discover clothing along with a coat.
"T-Thank you, Sasuke," I said with as much gratitude as I could muster.
He gave me a crooked smile as a response.
"So, you found everything you were looking for? Good. Now you can leave," said Tsumiko.
"Before we leave, I have to ask you a few things as well," said Sasuke.
"Like what?" she asked bitterly.
"How long has it been since the villagers have been getting sick?" he asked.
"Is this part of your mission to protect the Land of Fire, or are you just being nosy?" she asked.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Everything I do is to protect the Land of Fire. I would not ask you questions to peek my own curiosity."
"Of course not," she said in defeat. "The townsfolk began falling ill almost a year ago. It stopped for a few months, but then they began falling ill again just recently. I've been doing the best that I can to keep their conditions from becoming worse, but there's only so much I can do as the sole medical ninja in the country."
"Do you know what's causing the illness?" asked Sasuke.
She appeared to be thinking when an idea suddenly came to mind. She said "This might sound ridiculous, but ever since those people came here with that weird contraption, the villagers started getting sick."
"What people?" asked Sasuke.
Tsumiko shrugged her shoulders. "It was four men. I don't remember what they looked like."
"They brought in a weird contraption?" I asked.
"It looked like a giant, golden sphere. They put it in the cave at the village's peak," said Tsumiko.
My heart stopped.
"A g-golden sphere?" I said.
Sasuke looked at me. "You seem to know what that is."
"Weeks ago, Lord Hokage sent Kiba, Shino, and I on a mission to the Village Hidden Among Dreams. There, we found an energy vessel that matches the description of the sphere that Tsumiko provided. The sphere took energy from an unknown source to power a weapon that did damage unlike anything I have ever seen. If the same phenomena is happening here, we need to stop it at once," I said.
"I have seen countless energy vessels around the world throughout my two-year journey and I haven't found a way to destroy them. There's nothing we can do right now," said Sasuke.
"I can destroy them," I said. "I destroyed the vessel at the Village Hidden Among Dreams. Surely, I can destroy this one."
Sasuke masked his surprise. "Before we attempt that, you said the vessel was taking energy from an unknown source? How are you so sure that it was officially destroyed?"
"Not only was it taking energy, it was also distorting my Byakugan. Once I broke the vessel, it stopped pulling energy into the weapon and my Byakugan began to work," I said.
"You searched the village earlier for the villagers and found them. That tells me that your visual jutsu is working properly, but you didn't see the energy vessel?" asked Sasuke.
I shook my head, causing my long hair to jostle. "I can try again."
Sasuke stared at me, contemplating something. Once he made his decision, he told me "Get dressed and meet me outside."
He did not give the chance to respond; he had left the house.
"Good luck with him, girl," said Tsumiko.
I offered her a wry smile before I removed the clothes from the bag.
Inside of it, I was provided with a light lavender sleeveless kimono styled blouse and a purple obi that I could use to tie my shirt together to prevent it from opening. I also received a pair of dark navy shorts, high-thigh stockings, and pair of shinobi boots. After I dressed myself, and draped on the long cream colored coat that covered my entire body, I carefully folded the kimono and placed it inside of the bag.
Just before I exited the house, Tsumiko said "I thought of something that you can do to repay me for healing your ankle."
"What is it?" I asked.
"Destroy that energy vessel and find out who's doing this. This can only spell a recipe for evil intentions."
I nodded my head. "You have my word. Thank you again for helping me."
She smiled sweetly at me. "Be safe, girl."
I met Sasuke outside by the large well at the village's center. When he turned to face me, he looked me over with an unreadable expression and said sincerely "This is much better."
"It feels much better," I agreed.
"The cave is up north. It won't take us long to reach it, but we should make haste; I don't want it to become nightfall. The last thing I need is to stay over the night here with Tsumiko."
"A-Alright…"
I followed behind Sasuke to the cave sitting at the peak of the village to the north, reaching it in approximately twenty minutes. I quickly learned that there was not much to the cave seeming as there were only a handful of tunnels leading to the same spacious area, and at the spacious area rested the energy vessel.
It was identical to the one at the Three-Head's Prison – a floating golden sphere with an eight-pointed star-like symbol at its core. Unlike the first vessel I came across, I did not need to use my Byakugan to see if it was emitting energy; I could feel it all around me.
"Is your vision distorted when you activate your Byakugan?" asked Sasuke.
I unleashed my kekkei genkai trait, focusing my vision on the floating sphere. When I stared directly at the sphere, my sight becomes hazy, yet when I look around it, I could see streams of energy being pulled in from outside of the cave into the vessel just like at the Three-Head's Prison. I could not tell precisely where the energy was coming from, but when I looked through the buildings back at the village, it appeared that the energy is coming from the people.
"How far is your Byakugan able to see?" asked Sasuke.
"Over twenty kilometers," I answered.
"So, that means you can see the village…"
"Yes, and it appears to me that the vessel is siphoning energy out of the residents. I can only guess that is how they are all sick."
"If the vessel is siphoning energy, what is it going to use the stored energy for?"
"I do not know. Whatever it is, it cannot be good," I said.
I approached the golden sphere, activating my Gentle Step: Twin Lion Fists technique, which morphed my wild chakra into lion-like heads around my hands. Rushing forward, I sprung into the air, crashing down on top of the vessel fists first. Seconds after landing safely on the ground, the energy vessel began to crack and soon broke, dispersing into golden dust that scattered all over the cave.
Sasuke rarely exhibits emotions outside of irritation, and this just so happened to be one of those rare moments. He looked genuinely impressed with my work.
He said to me "Yeah, you have change a lot since the last time I saw you, Hinata."
I smiled.