Okay... I was kind of disappointed with the amount of reviews I got last chapter- and I really was hoping to get over 200... Airyo resigned. I guess this story and my morale for it is hitting an all time low. There is a scene of your choice, whoever writes the 200threview. Thanks to Darth Taisha for Betaing!
In Health
Scrolls and books lined the shelves in a mess of ink and parchment. Hinata looked ahead almost in wonder, at the expanse of the library. It seemed like an endless labyrinth, one that she could easily get lost in. If it wasn't for her Byakugan, that is. It wasn't like this in Konoha - there everything was relatively new, especially after the fire that burned down most of the ancient books some twenty years ago.
But she wasn't here to fool around, and she didn't have the time to stay in awe of the artifacts around her. No, she was on a mission - one that was steadfastly becoming more and more important to her. The 'H' section. 'H' standing for 'Healing', of course.
She rummaged through the different sections, searching for one with specifics of ocular and lung diseases. Heart diseases, liver problems, stomach sickness... eye health. There! Checking to see if anyone was nearby, and discovering that no one was, she hurriedly activated her Byakugan. The overload of information caused a headache immediately. She could now see through the many books, and search for the title that seemed most appropriate. A high level of concentration was required to scourge through the layers upon layers of lettering and characters. Finally, some fifteen minutes later, she discovered a title that seemed promising: Healing the Eyes and Eyesight.
Memorizing its location, she quickly deactivated the strenuous Byakugan, a migraine pounding against her head. Her hand reached for one of the thicker scrolls, grabbing it effortlessly. It was rather heavy, she mused silently. She propped it against her shoulder, aiming to go to an empty table.
The library in Iwa was quite... deserted, in all actuality. Hinata expected it to be teeming with people, like the library in Konoha, but it was the complete opposite. That was why she had absolutely no problems finding a table in a quiet section of the library. As there were no people around, Hinata deemed it safe to use her Byakugan. Besides, with the disguise on, people shouldn't be able to detect its usage, anyway... but it was better to be safe than sorry. It was the reason for being so cautious previously.
Her line of vision expanded, and suddenly, she was privy to the knowledge in the whole scroll. The migraine worsened, but her will and concern for Itachi's well-being kept her going. The chapter titles all blurred into one, until she found a particular section that captured her interest. Chakra system behind the eyes, it read, and it was then that Hinata succumbed to her pain, having her eyesight go back to normal. She flicked through the information, finding the section that had caught her attention.
There, it showed an intricate diagram of the chakra pathways behind the eyes, in particular. It also showed (a little further down) some... blockage. Yes! Hinata's eyes widened... this was exactly what she needed! To her disappointment, however, it didn't show how exactly to heal them.
In desperation, despite the headache that she garnered, she switched on her Byakugan, staring at the page, trying to detect a hidden message, or anything... anything that could possibly help Itachi. Strangely enough, she did find a something. Underneath the diagram, there was a text written in invisible ink.
"The destruction of the eyes' chakra pathways could only be healed by an outside source. The Eyebright herb, if made into liquid, may help ease the access to the pathways," Hinata murmured aloud, reading the strange text. Underneath there was a signature reading H.H. in a curvy and neat handwriting. That was... weird, to say the least. H.H. were her own initials, as well as the initials of most of the Hyuuga (who died... Hinata made sure of that).
That was not the only strange coincidence. The Eyebright herb was a plant known only to the Hyuuga, one that was found in Judgment Valley. Judgment Valley was a perilous place that held dangerous unseeing foes, and it was located in the south of the Country of Fire (at least a week away from here). She had read about it in her mother's medical books. So... what was this secret message doing in the library of Iwa... of all places?
She had no time to ponder upon this, however. She had almost mastered the healing technique anyway, so if this herb would help the procedure, she would make sure to get it. Anything to help Itachi. Now... how to ask Itachi to do this without making it extremely obvious?
It was apparent that he didn't want her meddling into his health problems, especially by the way he reacted to her questions yesterday. He didn't want her to know of his disease. So she must craftily work around that fact, and drag him to Judgment Valley. On second thought... there wasn't really a need to make him come along, was there? She could go just fine, by herself. Yes... that was what she would do.
Nodding to herself, she shut the scroll, intending to bring it back to its original position. The research didn't take as long as she thought it would - it only took her around half an hour. Oh, the joys of the Byakugan - she would be stuck with this horrendous headache for the rest of the day. After she put the scroll back, she sought to search for Itachi, not wanting to activate her Byakugan and re-aggravate her migraine.
To her surprise, she found him in the 'F' section. Not bothering to wonder what he was researching, and knowing that he felt her presence, she tugged on his arm. He snapped the book shut, his blood red eyes rolling towards hers, one of his eyebrows raised in a question.
"I have... to go… somewhere." she stated vacantly, unaware of how else to word her sentence.
"And?" his eyes were curious, but his face was blank. Although his body was (forcibly) relaxed, Hinata could tell he was tense by the way he strained his neck.
"I'm leaving," she muttered.
His features hardened, and that was the first time she saw a glint of anger shine through his eyes. That was, before he became completely emotionless, and that worried her more.
"You think I can just let you leave?"
It was calm... too calm. His voice was too steady, and because she knew him like she did, only she could tell the passive and seething anger he hid behind it. "Well, if you do, you're mistaken. Do not forget, Akatsuki still do not trust you. I shall escort you, to wherever you are going. This business of yours better be important... as it forsakes a mission." Without her knowledge, he had put up a sound barrier around them. It was beyond Hinata how Itachi always managed to think of the details.
"You are free to join me." she said coolly in retort. She knew that Akatsuki did not trust her (even though more than a year had passed). She then turned to leave, knowing that Itachi would follow her. There was no need to go back to the hotel, since they carried their necessities with them.
Leaving Iwa was easier than getting in (meaning that it was disgustingly effortless, because it was easy to begin with). No guards stood in their way, and they were able to stop the genjutsu once they were at the outskirts of Iwa. But it was then that Itachi's seemed to draw a line, his patience running out. "What is our destination?" he demanded, his voice cold and careless.
Should she answer? Well, since she didn't find the harm in it and since he would see it anyway, she decided she should. "Judgment Valley, it's just south of the Country of Fire." She watched as he tried analyzing her answer. Chances were, he'd never heard of the place before in his life - which was normal, since it was known only to Hyuuga (mostly).
He didn't ask anything else, so Hinata took off running (south) with Itachi following. The silence between them was frosty. It was obvious that Itachi was angry at her. Hinata wondered why he didn't use Sharingan to knock her out. He could have done it, judging by the way he disapproved of her escapade. But then again, were you allowed to attack your own partner? Although Hinata was sure that Akatsuki would be against her for this. She shook of her wandering thoughts, and instead focused on making her feet run faster. The faster she got there, the faster she could heal Itachi.
They travelled for approximately eight days (they took a one day detour to circle around Konoha) stopping four times every two days (three times for food, and they slept once every two days). By the time they even reached the area where the Valley was, Hinata felt like she was dead on her feet.
"You should rest," Itachi muttered, creasing his eyebrows. "I do not know why you were in such a hurry, but you will get nothing done in the state you are in."
Hinata couldn't help but agree. She was abnormally pale, and had large black rings around her eyes due to the lack of sleep. This passed week, they had not talked more than strictly necessary. Now that she actually thought about it, it was the first time she and Itachi 'fought'. And, ironically, it was for Itachi (without Itachi knowing).
Together, they set up the tents, in a practised harmony. Itachi set up the fire, while Hinata still had a couple of rabbit carcasses that they had hunted yesterday. She cooked them slowly over the fire, seasoning with a couple of stray herbs she had stored in her baggage. Since they were so close to the valley- probably going to find it tomorrow, in fact (what with Hinata and her Byakugan) - it was about time to tell Itachi of the enemy.
Hinata had read about it only once, by coincidence. Eyebright was guarded by strange four-legged humans that had given up their eyesight. Supposedly, they were very hard to kill, and even a Jounin had to be cautious while taking them on. However, their weakness was that they could not leave the mist that surrounded the Valley.
"Itachi." Hinata said, her eyes boring into his. "A sound barrier, please."
Itachi complied with her wishes, reinforcing the perimeter around them, making sure that no one could eavesdrop on them. He then nodded at her, signalling that it was okay to speak. "This Valley that we are going to... holds very peculiar enemies."
"Peculiar... in what way?" Hinata struggled of a way to explain the situation to him, without completely giving away her purpose. Itachi waited for her to speak, slowly taking an elegant bite of his now-cooked rabbit.
"They are... guarding the herb that I seek. They have given up their humanity, and their eyesight. They walk on four legs and are immortal. However, they survive on the mist that surrounds the valley; if they stray away from the mist, they die." Hinata listed all of the facts she knew. Itachi listened carefully examining the information he was given. He then reached to a conclusion, opening his mouth to speak.
"If that's the case, all you need to do is get rid of the mist. You could easily do that, if I'm not mistaken. As can I, with my fire." Yes, Hinata had thought about that... but what if the Valley was too big to be covered? Then again, this was Itachi (and her) that they were talking about. He could probably do it by himself, no matter how large the distance.
"That's a good idea," she nodded in consent. Most of Itachi's ideas were good. They both fell silent, and Hinata awkwardly finished her meal. Itachi extinguished the fire, and they both went to bed (in the tent). Hinata fell into an uneasy sleep, which quickly evolved into a nightmare.
She was in a dim room with three men, only one of which she recognized. Pein was bowed to them both, his Akatsuki ring glinting in the candlelight. "Preparations are being made. As is progress." to Hinata, it looked like... a report. How queer. Wasn't Pein the leader of the organization?
Her head swivelled towards to two strange men, trying to observe them. The one on the left had more of a malicious presence, his hair a coal black, jagged and spiky, falling to his waist. The male next to him had short hair, and the right side of his face was messed up. Their eyes were an identical black colour, and Hinata was suddenly reminded of Sasuke and Itachi. They looked like... them. Like... Uchiha. But that was impossible. It was common knowledge that all of the Uchiha were killed by Itachi personally.
"That is good. Well done, Nagato. At the rate we are going, our goal shall be reached within mere years." the one with the long hair spoke. His voice sent shivers down Hinata' spine... and not many things frightened her the way his voice did.
The short one, who Hinata had identified as a lackey ordered, "Dismissed." Pein, or Nagato, or whatever his name was left, leaving behind the two strange men. Hinata glanced around the room, observing her surroundings. There was a calendar near her (or her presence, or aura, or whatever she was) that read a week before the present date.
She didn't know why, but she had a feeling that this really had happened before. "Mada-" the lackey didn't get to finish his sentence, as the longer haired man raised a hand to silence him.
"I sense a presence," he hissed, his black eyes darting around to room. The lackey's face twisted in confusion. The former male's hair flared. "Begone!" Just as the world turned black, Hinata could have sworn that she saw the lackey's eye (the right side of his face being messed up) flaring up into a twirling Sharingan.
And that was when Hinata found herself waking up, greedily gulping oxygen, sweat running down her face. The next moment, Itachi was by her side (she had probably exuded an irrational chakra) all of his anger momentarily forgotten. He gave her a flask of water, his hand soothingly rubbing her back. "What happened?" he urged, and the calm aura that he was radiating was infective.
"Nightmare," Hinata muttered, and that answered everything. It did, in a sense. Her nightmares were abnormal, even by her and Itachi's standards. He nodded, a thoughtful look lingering on his usually blank face.
"What about? I've heard that nightmares could be intuitive, and predictive of the future."
Hinata's eyes grew cloudy as she tried to find the words to describe what she had seen."Pein... was bowing down to two strange... males. It was curious... I honestly thought that they were Uchiha, for a second." Iif it were anyone else, they would have yelled out an 'impossible', in a convinced tone, but Itachi was Itachi, and he was known to look at all of the variables.
"We'll have to look at the Uchiha archive, and check for any Uchiha that have gone missing over the years. It is possible, although highly unlikely." Hinata was satisfied with the answer. Itachi stood up, looking over his shoulder at the sun that was peeking at them from the edges of the trees. "Although I suppose that it's time to leave."
With a nod of agreement, they packed up their equipment, and were on their way, breezing through the trees. That was, until Hinata stopped Itachi, gesturing to her eyes. "I need to find the location with my Byakugan," she informed, sitting down on the branch in a meditative position, "it might take a while."
Itachi joined her as she closed her eyes, before activating her Byakugan. Her veins bulged, and she was a picturesque sight of a grotesque beauty. It took her approximately half an hour to pinpoint the exact location of the Valley; it being much further than what she was accustomed to. It was at least three kilometers east from where they were now.
Deactivating her blood limit, she sluggishly got to her feet. That was... more exhausting than what she originally calculated it to be. Itachi helped her get to her feet, holding her hand. "Perhaps it would help if we exchanged chakra." He suggested, looking at her blankly. "I have not done this before, but if we are to be engaging in battle later today, it would help for us to be in our top conditions." As usual, he was the epitome of logic.
Holding out her hand, she silently agreed to his proposition. She surged her own chakra, ready for when Itachi clasped onto her hand. When he did, she was greeted by a surge of warm, steady chakra. Sure, usually she could sense the chakra... but now, she could feel it. There was something slightly sensual about the way his chakra mingled and replaced her chakra. Her eyes darted to Itachi's face, determined to see his expression.
What she saw surprised her, to say the least. There was a glazed look in his half-closed eyes; a slight pink tinge to his cheeks. His other hand went to pull his hair back, creating the opposite effect of what was originally wished for (in other words, he messing it up). If this was how the normally blank Itachi looked... she wondered what she looked like. But everything ended sooner or later, and she pulled her hand away the moment she felt completely energized (of course, prolonging the moment as long as she possibly could).
"Are we... ready to go?" Hinata's voice sounded oddly husky, even to her. She turned her body to face towards the east, and away from Itachi.
"We are." Itachi's voice was- by far- huskier than hers. But she had no time to dwell on it as they were soon gone, running like the wind.
It took only a couple of hours to reach the destination that Hinata had in mind. It was easier now that she had a complete mind-map, thanks to her Byakugan. By midday, they had arrived to a large valley, surrounded by the mist. That was... it, she just knew it was. Especially when she checked it with her Byakugan and confirmed it by the strange chakras on the prowl below.
"This could deter my plans," he mused quietly, and she noted as usual, Itachi had activated a sound barrier around them.
"What do you mean?" Hinata asked, slightly distracted. Although she knew that whatever Itachi was talking about was blindingly obvious... probably.
"I will not be able to use my fire if we are to retrieve herbs. It would destroy the herbs. It is only up to you and your water manipulation."
Hinata winced. The valley was large... enormous actually. But, for the sake of Itachi, she could do this. Besides, she had killed her family, of course she'd be able to condense the mist and carry the liquid outside of the valley so she could collect the herbs.
But it'd be better if she was sitting down. So she sat, her eyes glazing over as she concentrated the water. It took all of her focus to even begin to convert the water... let alone move it all away. It didn't matter, at any rate... she only needed to feel the water.
It took her many hours, and a lot of energy to start and condense the mist into water. She was hazily aware of some fighting going around her (Most likely, it was Itachi protecting her from the creatures). Once the water was condensed, she breathed a sigh of relief, now fully aware that the fighting around her had stopped. But she was still unable to relax, and she was positively panting by the time she had carried the mass of liquid away from the valley... and more importantly, the herb.
She looked over to Itachi, noting that he too, looked tired. "Maybe we can exchange energy again?" She asked hopefully, too exhausted to remain emotionless. He quickly obliged, holding her hand. The flow of energy this time was stronger, and she enjoyed it to its fullest. It took much longer to replenish her energy this time; the sun was setting by the time they had finished.
Hinata wearily stood up, looking at the valley for the first time. It was utter chaos; damaged, charcoal carcasses lay on-top of each other, enclosed by the odor of blood and death. The dying rays of the sun only added onto that scene, especially when it created the mirage of the extracted water being a ruddy red. Hinata directed her eyes away from the torn up, mutilated bodies, choosing to search for the Eyebright that she had come for.
Pulling Itachi along, she descended into the field of rot, hoping to find the one thing that would help heal him.
Eh... I didn't end that chapter too well. Anywho, like I said, quite disappointed by the amount of reviews. I have A TUMBLR, LINK IN PROFILE, CHECK IT OUT PLEASE. Sheesh. Glad that's out of the way. Oh, and the 200threviewer can choose this: either a scene of their choice, or a spoiler for future chapters! Their choice.
I'm Betaing a story, it's called For Only Him, by Gaara's-Hina-Chan. It's an ItaHina, obviously.
Review, Review, please Review,
Aurora0914-chan!