Yes, darn school. It's 3 am and I haven't done my homework yet! Yikes! xD Well it's just so hard staying away from this fanfic. Here's chapter ten =3 Thanks for waiting!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto and the Naruto characters.

Chapter Ten: No Turning Back

Over the next few days, Hinata traveled in silence, still grieving over her fiance's death. She wanted to blame someone other than herself but she knew that it wasn't anybody's fault but her own. If she hadn't over reacted and ran away after seeing Naruto kissed the pink girl then she would have never been kidnapped by the Akatsuki and Naruto wouldn't have been so badly injured. She was supposed to be married by now, she was supposed to have a happily ever after with the prince of her dreams and perhaps with a child or two. But now, it was not possible. With her guilty conscious, she finally gave up the dream and hope of returning home to Konoha. Perhaps it really was best if she didn't come back. After all, her father didn't want her and her cousin and friends were probably tired of watching over her and babysitting her. Yes, from this day on, Princess Hinata of Konoha was dead, along with her beloved Prince Naruto. Yet, her heart ached because it could not agree with the thought of never returning to her home.

"A-Ah -choo!"

Hinata turned her gaze towards the man walking beside her. He sniffed and groaned before holding in another sneeze. "Hidan-san? A-Are you alright?" she asked, her voice was raspy and her throat was sore from crying so much. Hidan let out a low grumble in reply and kept walking. Hinata looked down, feeling more guilty. Even though Hidan was immortal, that didn't mean he was immune to disease. It was because of her, he was starting to become sick and was getting worse each passing day.

"Kakuzu-san?" she softly called out. Kakuzu looked down at her with his ghostly green eyes. "What?" Hinata gave a quick glance at him and then down at the dusty path beneath their feet. "C-Could we s-stop a-at the next t-town we come b-by? W-We should let H-Hidan-kun rest b-before he becomes worse…"

"There's nothing fuckin wrong with me!" Hidan growled, gently bonking Hinata on the back of her head before turning away to sneeze. Kakuzu sighed irritably. "Fine… but you will be the one to take care of the dumbass, Hinata, since it seems like you are the cause of this. Also, you will be owing me the money we spend at the inn." Hinata nodded and smiled up at Kakuzu, thanking him softly. However, she was wondering how she was going to repay him back since she never worked for money before. There was no way she was going to actually and try to steal from someone so the only choice she had was to find some work outside the Akatsuki.

The three kept on walking and walking and eventually, they reached a large waterfall in a forest. Kakuzu pointed to the large waterfall and looked over his shoulder, looking at Hinata and Hidan who didn't look so good. "We'll have to stay here until the dumbass here gets better." Kakuzu kept on walking and Hinata tilted her head with confusion on her face. "Wh-Where are you going, K-Kakuzu-san?" He didn't answer her so Hinata only followed after him and the sluggish Hidan. "Stop talking so fuckin loud~" Hidan whined, rubbing the sides of his forehead. Hinata apologized and offered herself to help him walk but he tried shooing her away. "Woman, I c-can take care of…sniff… myself!"

Hinata left Hidan alone and was a bit reluctant to keep on walking when Kakuzu suddenly jumped into the water and then walked right into the waterfall. He didn't come back out and soon Hidan followed after with a long chain of curses coming from his mouth. Hinata stood there and blinked her eyes several times, finding herself alone. "K-Kakuzu-san? H-Hidan-kun? Wh-Where are you?!"

"Just get in here, idiot!"

The young woman flinched at Kakuzu's harsh voice and didn't delay any longer and jumped right into the water. She let out a tiny squeak at the sudden change of temperature and moved herself towards the waterfall. As she walked through it, she held her breath and shut her eyes tightly until she no longer felt the pressure of the harsh, icy water falling on top of her head. Now all drenched, the three of them continued their way in the water until it got shallower and then continued their journey on land.

In a few minutes, they reached the end of the cave behind the waterfall and Hinata was amazed to see a small village. Her mouth lightly hung with awe as her eyes, amazed by its secrecy and beauty. "W-Wow, a v-village behind a w-waterfall!" she whispered loudly in excitement. One thing that she liked about being a part of the Akatsuki was that she got to travel and see different things each day, something that she couldn't do when she was the princess of Konoha. "There's nothing special about this dump." Kakuzu growled as he continued to lead the way into the village and through the streets in their drenched clothing.

"Where's the fuckin damn inn?! Hurry and find it, mother fucker! A-AH-CHOO!"

Hinata frowned and rubbed the older man's back, trying to make him feel better. "P-Please wait a little m-more, H-Hidan-kun." Poor Hidan, she thought. There were heavy bags and dark circles near his eyes and he was paler than she was yet his eyes were red. I-I'm going to nurse Hidan-kun back to his healthy s-self! Hidan looked at Hinata and was about to say something but no words left his mouth. Instead, his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fell forward. Luckily for him, Hinata was there to catch him although she was having a difficult time staying on her feet with him unconscious. S-So heavy!! "K-Kakuzu-san! H-Help! Eeek!"

With a small thud, Hinata fell backwards with Hidan in her arms and on top of her. They were still both very wet but she could feel the heat coming from his body. H-He's getting a fever! Of course he would get a fever, he hadn't been resting properly and they had been sleeping outside with nothing but their clothes and a fire. She felt incredibly guilty now and was even more determined to make Hidan feel better. "K-Kakuzu-san! A-A little help, pl-please?"

"Lady Hinata?"

Hinata froze for a bit, wondering why Kakuzu was calling her "Lady".There was then a shadow over her and she looked up with wide eyes and she tightened her grip on Hidan. Were her eyes defective and playing tricks on her again?! Standing above her was a man with thick black hair and light skin wearing a black long-sleeved turtle-neck shirt, dark blue pants and sandals. He was carrying several bags but the most noticeable feature of this man was what on his face, dark shades.

"Sh-Shino-kun?!"

Was this possible? The man above her slightly nodded his head and then took a step back, looking ahead of him. Suddenly the weight on Hinata was gone and she got back up on her feet, turning her head towards Kakuzu who had Hidan's arm around his shoulders. "Hinata, quit fooling around," he snapped but before he could turn around and leave, Shino called them out to wait.

He walked over to Hinata, dropping his bags and placing his hands on her shoulders, receiving a growl from Kakuzu. "Lady Hinata… What are you doing here and with… them?! Did they hurt you?" He then hugged her, despite her drenched clothes. Hinata felt her cheeks heat up as she hugged him back, it was the first time she hugged Shino and it felt like the first embraced she had ever received in years. Sure Tobi hugged her all the time but it was only for a split second.

"Please keep your distance from her, brat," Kakuzu warned before trying to urge Hinata to follow him. "Wait… Lady Hinata, come with me. You don't have to stay with them… I'll take you to my place," Shino said softly.

Hinata held her hands in front of her chest, her heart beating fast. "I-I would l-like that b-but I-I can't leave… Kakuzu-san and H-Hidan-kun. H-Hidan is s-sick a-and we n-need to get h-him some m-medicine…" Shino looked hard at Hinata through his dark shades and then averted his eyes to Kakuzu and Hidan, chills going down his spine. He didn't know what to say at the moment. Should he allow them to come as well? That's the only way to talk to Hinata….

"Fine… Follow me."

Shino grabbed his things and turned around but waited for Hinata to walk with him. She pleaded with Kakuzu for a moment but he agreed to come as well. After all, he wasn't going to have to spend his money on renting a room at the inn. When they reached a small house, Shino immediately led them to his room. It was small and plain yet it was a very comfortable room. "He can stay on my bed but clean him up. There's bathroom just across the hall." Hinata placed her hand on Shino's arm and thanked him while Kakuzu muttered something incoherent and dragged his partner into the bathroom. Shino smiled weakly at her. "I'll be right back… We need to talk once everything has been settled down." He quickly left his room to put the groceries away, leaving Hinata all by herself in Shino's room.

Hinata placed a hand over the left side of her chest, her heart had been pounding against her chest the whole time. All sorts of questions and mixed feelings were tumbling down on her and she didn't know what to do about it at the moment. It wasn't long before when Shino came back in the room but was now fumbling through his closet. Since when did Shino-kun live here? she thought as she watched him pull out three robes and three towels. He handed her the smallest robe and then a towel and then went to the bathroom where he handed the robes to Kakuzu.

There was a loud knock and a female's voice called out for Shino. Hinata closed Shino's door and quickly stripped out of her clothes, including her under garments. She dried herself and slipped on the robe which was a bit big on her but other than that, it was perfect. Before anyone could come in, she tied the robe's sash around her waist tightly, making sure that nothing was revealing. Just in time, Kakuzu came in with a cleaned up Hidan. "Take care of the dumbass," he ordered as he dropped the unconscious Jashinist onto the bed before leaving.

It took almost a good half hour for the three Akatsuki members to get settled in and once they were dried and wearing robes, Shino brought Hinata and Kakuzu to the living room where a dark haired woman was sitting on the couch patiently. "Auntie… I apologize for the trouble but thank you for allowing them to stay…" The woman shook her head and gave a pleasant smile to Shino and her guests. Hinata stared at their hostess, admiring how graceful she seemed to be. Her black hair was down and flowing, her skin was slightly tanned, and her body was petite and was neither thin nor thick. As for her eyes, they were pale and pupil less.

"Th-Thank you for your k-kindness, ma'am. I-I am Hinata Hyuuga and th-this is K-Kakuzu… Th-The other m-man is H-Hidan b-but h-he's not feeling so well…" she said softly as Shino motioned her and Kakuzu to sit down before leaving to get some tea. The lady smiled which made Kakuzu twitched. Did this woman not know who he and two other people in her house were? "I am Reiko Tachibana… Hinata… She was right, that name really does suit you." Hinata blinked and soon guessed what Tachibana-san was talking about but before she could say it, Reiko did. "Yes… I know your mother. In fact, I'm her sister… How is she and your father?"

Hinata flinched at the question and immediately cast her eyes down, almost in shame. "I… I wouldn't know b-but my m-mother is dead…" Reiko's warm smile faded away and she looked down at her lap, letting out a silent "Oh". "At least… she is in Heaven now, watching over her beautiful daughter."

"T-Tachibana-san…"

"Please just call me Reiko or Auntie, Hinata-chan."

"Auntie… Y-You say th-that you're m-m mother's sister but what a-are you d-doing here and not in Konoha?"

"I… ran away. The elders didn't like the idea of me wanting to be with someone who was not a Hyuuga… but… I am happy here living with my husband and with Shino-kun… Hinata-chan, how is your father doing?"

As the two ladies conversed and Kakuzu was sitting with his eyes closed, Shino arrived with a tray of tea cups and a tea pot and set it down on the table they surrounded. He immediately poured all of them some tea before taking his seat beside Hinata. "I don't kn-know wh-what's going on in Konoha right now… because I-I'm no longer the pr-princess… M-My f-father disowned me and n-now I'm a member of the Akatsuki."

Kakuzu let out a "mmhmm" to show that he was pleased, Reiko showed no discomfort with the fact that she was housing criminals, but Shino choked on his tea. "Hinata, what are you saying? Lord Hiashi did not disown you!" Kakuzu set his tea cup down and turned his green eyes to Shino. "In fact he did. Hidan and I were the ones who tried giving Hinata back but she was rejected. The man said that Hinata was not needed."

Shino growled and tightened his grip on his cup. "Shino-kun? What's wrong?" Reiko asked in concern, wearing a frown on her face. "Did this man have white hair slightly passed the shoulders and a white horse?" he asked Kakuzu, expecting the worse. "Yes." Shino slammed his cup against the table, causing both of the women to flinch. Both never expected the young man to do something like that since he usually had a better control over his emotions and was a quiet young man. "Hinata, I believe that Akiyo is plotting something against the Hyuuga clan," he said lowly as if he didn't want anyone to hear.

"Akiyo-kun? Why would he do a thing like that? H-He's one of th-the most nicest p-people I know," she stuttered, unable to imagine her older cousin doing something horrible. "He's one of the most twisted and sickest people I know," her friend replied, receiving a dramatic gasp from Hinata. She was shocked that her best friend would say something like that about a person. "Who… is this Akiyo person?" Reiko asked hesitantly.

Shino turned his head and stared at the woman who had nursed him back to good health and has been good to him ever since. It almost frightened him of what this woman would do once he told her what truly happened to him. Around the living room there were photographs of Reiko with her husband who undeniably had a great resemblance to Akiyo. During his stay here, Shino had figured out that Akiyo's parents were still alive and kicking unlike what the Hyuuga elders had said and that they were in fact Reiko and Ayumu Tachibana. However, Reiko and Ayumu did not know that their son was alive, just as their son didn't know they were alive. The Tachibana couple had been so kind to him and treated him as if he was their own child so it bothered him to see them hurt.

"A-Akiyo is m-my cousin, Auntie. H-He's a good p-person e-even though th-the elders d-don't seem to like him as much a-as I do."

"What does he look like?" Reiko was desperate and it showed. She no longer held her graceful posture and was fidgeting. Hinata was probably the only one who couldn't take a hint and continued on talking. "Mm… H-He has really p-pretty hair, almost as nice as N-Neji-kun's. I-it's white like the snow and h-his eyes a-are a pale blue. In fact, h-he looks like that…man in that picture." Reiko turned her head and looked at a wall where a picture of her with her husband was hanging. She slowly moved her hands towards her face and covered her mouth as her eyes began to sparkle. "Oh if only Ayumu was home!" Reiko was full of relief and her heart was rejoicing at the fact that the son she was forced to leave was still alive. The woman completely dismissed the fact that Shino didn't like Akiyo. She then turned her eyes to clock and gasped. "It's almost dinner! Hinata-chan, Kakuzu-san, please make yourselves at home."

Once Reiko left, Shino turned to Hinata and Kakuzu, frowning at them. "Hinata… Akiyo is the reason why I'm here and you're not the princess. He's been deceiving everyone. I don't know what he's planning but I have a feeling that Neji-san and your father are in grave danger." Hinata shifted around uncomfortably. She wanted to believe Shino since he was her best friend but Akiyo was her cousin and he had always been sweet and kind. Shino placed a hand on Hinata's shoulder and Kakuzu glared at him for touching an Akatsuki member. "He pushed me off a cliff, Hinata."

"He did? I-It must've been a-an accident…"

"We fought against each other. He's not as weak as he's been showing to everyone. You have to believe me, Hinata. Please… Let's go back to Konoha together and stop him."

Hinata shook her head and shrugged her friend's hand off of her. "I-I'll believe you that A-Akiyo-kun did something to you since K-Kakuzu seems to agree with y-you and you're my b-best friend but… I won't be going back to Konoha!" She got up on her feet and ran back to Shino's room, closing the door behind him. Why was this happening? Why did Shino have to say something like that?

Hinata walked over to the bed where Hidan was nice and warm and still sleeping. She sat down on the edge and closed her eyes, sighing deeply. Go back to Konoha… Just when she decided that she was dead to Konoha, another chance of going back just popped up in front of her. It rekindled the hope of going home and she hated that but her mind was made up. She was not going back to Konoha and that was final. "Hidan… I'm so confused…"

"When are you not fuckin confused?"

The girl 'eeped' and turned her head, seeing that he was awake. She had forgotten that all of the Akatsuki members were light sleepers and it seemed that Hidan was a light sleeper even when he was ill. He sat up and yawned before Hinata pushed him back down on the bed. "What the fuck are you doing?" he sniffed. Although he was in a good mood at the moment, he felt crappy and sluggish. "Y-You have to rest more, H-Hidan-kun. Dinner w-will be ready soon…but do you w-want anything to drink?"

Dinner? His stomach growled and she giggled. "Nah… I'll wait. So where the fuck are we?" he asked as Hinata covered him with the blankets. This was nice, having Hinata take care of him like this. It took away some of his stress. "W-We're at… my aunt's house. M-my friend Sh-Shino is here too… Hidan-kun? I'm sorry about making you sick… I-I promise to make you f-feel better."

Hidan grinned at her as he began to think up of many ways to tease her and make her uncomfortable. "Will you do anything to making me feel fuckin better?" She nodded and he opened his arms wide. "Come closer then. It's been awhile since I've fucked anyone lately." Hinata turned bright red and she immediately stood up, her heart pounding against her chest. "W-We're at someone's house and y-you're on my fr-friend's bed!" she squeaked. Hidan raised an eyebrow, curious about the choice of words she used. "Oh? So if we were somewhere else with no one around, you'd be willing to fuck?"

Hinata gasped and he was trying very hard not to laugh at her reactions. They were comical and absolutely hilarious to him. "N-no! I-I'm not going to h-have intercourse w-with you! Anything but that!" Perhaps she should think about what to say first before actually saying it because she could see that Hidan was probably thinking of other embarrassing things. However, he sighed and just motioned her to come closer. "Fine but just fuckin come and lie down with me. It's ridiculously fuckin cold but first get me some damn tissue and something to spit in." Hidan sniffed and then coughed, trying to get rid of the phlegm that was stuck in his throat.

Once she grabbed him some napkins and the trashcan, Hinata hesitantly laid herself down beside him and she tensed when he had wrapped his arms around her. "Damn… You need to fuckin eat more, you're hella skinny, seriously." Hinata apologized and he pinched her on the side, punishing her for saying sorry when she didn't mean it. Hidan scooted closer to Hinata and rested his chin on the top of her head. The heat radiating off of her was nice and comfortable, making him feel better. He closed his eyes and unconsciously rubbed the side of her arm. I guess I know why Itachi fuckin likes Hinata. Lucky bastard. Hidan had to admit that he, too, was starting to like the Hyuuga girl. She was fun to mess with and boss around unlike Tobi who liked to bounce around all over the place and annoy the shit out of people. Although her crying slightly annoyed him, he had gotten used to her stuttering and kindness. It made her unique and dare he say it, cute. Although, he couldn't really think of her as someone he would really lust after.

Hinata listened to Hidan's rhythmic beating and found herself becoming more relax the longer she stayed next to Hidan. By the way he was holding her and stroking her arm, it made her feel needed and appreciated, something she hadn't felt before. It had been a long day so Hinata closed her eyes and snuggled against Hidan, trying to get more comfortable before falling asleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"How are you feeling now, Akiyo-san?"

"I'm fine, Shizune… but please just call me Akiyo."

The head nurse nodded and smiled sweetly at her only patient, Naruto had been released and was taken back home by his father. She was sitting on a chair beside Akiyo's bed, holding a book against her chest. Over the past few days, Akiyo's wounds recovered and he had regained some of his strength and sanity. He was smiling again and that made Shizune happy.

"Here, drink some more water." She set the book aside, picked up his glass of water, and stood up. She leaned towards him and placed the cup to his lips while one hand was beneath his chin to catch any spilled water. He slowly drank and when she pulled away, she noticed that there had been a trail of water from the corner of his mouth. She apologized and grabbed her handkerchief, wiping the side of his mouth clean, her eyes concentrating on his cheek.

Akiyo gently grabbed her wrist and locked his eyes with hers but she didn't look back for a few seconds. "Akiyo? What are you-" Her heart skipped a beat when he pulled her closer and kissed her on the cheek. It was quick but sweet and gentle and brought warmth all over her body from head to toe. She looked at him and he was smiling sheepishly. "Sorry, I couldn't help it. You haven't been smiling for these past few days so when you did now, I couldn't resist. You're really beautiful when you smile, Shizune." The nurse smiled brightly, thanking him for saying something so sweet. He then removed the blankets off of his lap and got off the bed, surprising her. "Akiyo! You should rest more!"

He turned to look at her and flashed her a charming smile. "I'm fine now. Seeing your smile gives me a lot of energy… Plus, I have some work to do. I'll try to come by later." He left the hospital wing and headed for his room, smiling and greeting anyone who walked by. Everyone seemed to move on despite the loss of their princess and no one suspected him for Hinata and Shino's disappearance. No one was going to stop him because it would be too late once they would find out what he was going to do. They were going to die before they could stop him.

Once he entered his large bedroom, he locked the doors and went to his closet to changed out of his robe. As he changed, he looked down at his body which was covered in scars from the wounds he had given himself. It frightened him a little that he was able to do that to himself and still survive despite the large amount of blood he had lost. When he was dressed in a white buttoned up shirt and formal black pants, he walked over to a life-sized mirror. Instead of seeing his reflection, he saw a young woman with silvery blue hair that reached the floor, cold blue eyes, and pale skin. She had a curvy figure and had a large chest that was covered by the flowing white kimono she was wearing.

"I see that you have recovered well, Akiyo," the woman greeted, her voice was whispery and bone chilling. "Isn't it wonderful?"

Akiyo frowned and glared at the woman in the mirror. "There's nothing wonderful about almost dying," he snapped. The woman chuckled lightly and stepped back a bit, making Akiyo's reflection show up. She moved behind him and placed her arms around him, resting her hands on his chest. Akiyo took a glance down, unable to see any hands or feel her touch. "Keyword: almost. I know it's hard for you, Akiyo, but trust me. I've given you a taste of what being immortal is like but I can make all the pain go away. Isn't that what you want, Akiyo?" Her voice was enchanting and her blue eyes were alluring, he couldn't say no to her. "I can cure your body… make you strong… Even stronger than your cousin and your uncle… I can make you immortal and your dear beloved Shizune immortal too if you want but time is running out, Akiyo. You only have a few more years to live."

Akiyo looked at the woman with sad eyes. "Wh-What am I suppose to do now? Do I have to kill more people?" he asked softly. The woman gave him a puppy look and rubbed his chest. "Yes… Don't you want to make the Hyuugas suffer for all the nasty things they've done to you?"

"Y-Yes but I don't want other innocent people to-"

"It's not your fault that you're different from them, is it?"

"No… Well I don't-"

"They've always looked at you differently, haven't they?"

"Yes…"

The mysterious woman unwrapped her arms from him and stood close beside him, looking into his eyes intensely. "Why should you suffer when all these years, you've been nothing but a good boy? They deserve death, not you. Your uncle and the elders killed your parents when they've done nothing wrong. When you're in pain, they don't care. They're only keeping you here because they know that your fragile body will die in a few years. They want you to believe that you're really a part of this clan when you're really not. Everyone knows who Hiashi, Hinata, and even Neji are but what about you? You're just as good as Neji is and your from a lesser branch as well yet no one who lives outside of this place even knows. Who. You. Are. Trust me, Akiyo… I can and I will help you but for now, you must endure all the pain. Once I'm free from this curse, you'll never have to be in pain ever again."

Dun. Dun. Dun! Well, I gotta go do my homework now! Thank you for reading and being so patient! Mwha! ^o^