Dreamcatcher

By Airyo

The Breakthrough - 5

"How do you feel about the Chuunin exams?"

Hinata thought for moment before answering. Itachi often threw odd prompts at her on their morning runs. She suspected it was in preparation for her future status in clan politics, but her thoughts could only circle around how Itachi had only promised to teach her until she made Chuunin.

"For the purpose of showing our power, it is a fine ruse," she said flatly. "The best and the brightest are paraded out, and in doing so, help intimidate the other villages. However, the psychological advantage is small when compared to the kind of pressure and exposure our Genin are…"

Itachi chuckled but did not look back at her. "The beginning of a fine analysis, but allow me to rephrase my question - do you feel ready to take the Chuunin exams?"

"Oh." Hinata blinked. Itachi had pulled a few steps ahead, but she didn't need the Byakugan to discern the tension in his shoulders. His ponytail swung with his gait - right-left-right. It was hard to look at his back and she looked to the ground instead, focusing on the steady left-right-left of her feet. The easy rhythm they shared had fallen out of sync, and she felt like she was simultaneously too fast and too slow to try to match up to him. Even her breath felt off, heavy and harsh in her throat.

Itachi wouldn't have worded his question the way he did unless he was certain of her ability. "Do you feel ready?" as opposed to "Are you ready?"

"Physically...yes?"

It was the wrong answer, if there was right one at all. She could feel him pulling away even more.

"You need not worry about the emotional aspect. Ibiki, the Head of Interrogation, has requested for your promotion. He seeks to use your unique ability to delve further into the psyche of our worst enemies. Of course, this also keeps you from the worst of the main-field violence. You talents are more aligned with their work..."

He sounded as if he was lecturing on the advantages of using linear algebra to calculate optimal kunai trajectories. Throughout his entire speech, he did not look back. Would not look back.

That was not Itachi. That was not how he spoke, not how he felt. Not with her. It was a cold, calculated act to close himself off from her, as if it would prevent their relationship from affecting her decisions. He was trying so hard to give her independent choices, tried to minimize the impact he had on her life.

He was the very axis of her new world. The only way to remove his influence was to destroy everything she was. Was that on purpose? Hinata put on a burst of speed and grabbed Itachi's hand. He let her pull him to a halt, but remained facing away from her.

"Look at me, Itachi," she said. Her voice shook - not with timidity, but anger. Wrath heated her like fire and she delighted in the flash of panic in his eyes when he turned. "Your are my mentor, my teacher. But that was always a secondary role. Right? Because on the battlefield, I can never be your equal. And yet..." Her courage burned out too quickly, and her grip on Itachi's hand loosened.

"Hinata..."

"And yet...I want to stay by your side..." she whispered. Her gaze dropped to their hands. "Not as a soldier but as myself."

There was a pause. Hinata wondered if she had overstepped herself.

"Good." Itachi stepped close, intertwining their fingers as he pressed his forehead against hers. She closed her eyes in relief, reveling in his closeness. She could feel the soft puff of his words against her face. "Forgive me. I had to be sure."

Hinata frowned as she pulled back so she could look Itachi in the eye. He was being suspiciously vague. "Sure of what, exactly?" she pressed.

Itachi swallowed before answering.

"Sure that our relationship's foundation mutually extended beyond our clans' meddling."

It took her moment to sift through the overly formal language.

"You're insecure?!" Hinata shut her mouth with a soft clack of teeth, mortified that she'd blurted it out. But Itachi didn't contradict her.

He wanted to be sure she loved him.

Hinata stared into his dark, solemn eyes, fighting the strangest urge to punch him for being so...so...

"Stupid. You stupid, stupid man," she murmured, not trusting herself to speak in a steady voice when her heart felt so full of light. "I love you. If I wanted your clan and that kind of drama, I'd have gone after Sasuke." Itachi looked disturbed by her suggestion, but wisely stuck to the issue.

"I have no excuse - please forgive me."

"On one condition," Hinata said, lifting one finger to gently prod his chest. She smiled sweetly. "No more experiments nor tests. Next time just ask me."

Itachi blinked, and then nodded. He hoped it was just a trick of light. Because for one terrifying moment, Hinata's smile had eerily resembled his mother's.

AN:

I was really excited about this chapter….but I don't know what happened at the end here. Blame Mikoto.

Regarding Hikaru's sentence - one reviewer mentioned it was strange that she got off so lightly. Itachi likely pulled some strings to help her out (for Hinata's wellbeing, of course, not Hikaru's). She'll be monitored very carefully, but a Mindwalking Byakugan-user is kind of useful. Inoichi would surely make sure she's good, too.