Hey everyone I'm back. I know that it's been forever again and I'm sorry. Please understand though that it's finals week so I have been busy like crazy with this end of semester bullshit. On the bright side I should have an enormous amount of free time this summer so hopefully that means lots of regular updates! Anyways, I'm glad to see you all loved the last chapter so thank you for the support! As repentance for taking so long I have a short Omake at the end so enjoy!
Okami Cage: I was going to answer your first question later on but it isn't that serious in my opinion. Yes, technically Jihibiki and Renge are Naruto's blood relatives. You say you're getting mixed signals about Sasuke? Good. I personally don't like the guy, I find him annoying and whiny. However, in this story I plan on making him different so stay confused lol. As for the last question about the Diamond Prison Jutsu: The sky is the limit with this jutsu. You can form a shield barrier; make spiked weapons, blades, kunai, anything. I hope that answers your questions!
Last time: Jihibiki and Naruto have been training for a now. Over the course of the week Naruto has been trying to learn the Diamond Prison Jutsu which involves the mastering of Earth, Wind, and Fire nature manipulation. Also, Naruto has begun to learn the Space/Time jutsu that his father was so well known for. However, Naruto's lack of progress has slowly been eating away at him and finally comes to a head with Jihibiki. In a show down between the two Uzumakis, Jihibiki finally asks the question that has been eating away at Naruto. Why won't you accept that you love Hinata?
On to the story!
Chapter 21: A Game of Shadows
Naruto's eyes widened slowly at what he had just heard.
"W-What did you just say?" he whispered quietly.
"You heard me, Naruto." Jihibiki said seriously, staring him in the eyes. "You won't admit that you've fallen in love with her."
Naruto's mind was sent reeling as he stumbled back away from Jihibiki. His throat began to constrict and he could feel his legs starting to shake.
"Th-That's not true!" Naruto said shaking his head. "My feelings for her are only in a friendly way!"
"You shouldn't lie to yourself, Naruto." Jihibiki said bluntly while taking a step forward. For every step Jihibiki took forward, Naruto took one back.
"Why are you denying what you feel?" Jihibiki asked.
Naruto couldn't come up with an answer to what Jihibiki had asked. His mind couldn't think straight. It was a clashing storm of emotions inside of him.
"What do I do? What do I think?" Naruto asked himself desperately as the battle raged on inside of him. "My mind is telling me that it isn't true, that what I feel is nothing more than a deep caring for her at the most. That there's nothing there, but my heart…"
He trailed off as his hand came up and clutched his chest.
"My heart is telling me that it is true…That she is the most important and precious person to me. It says that I need her! I want her! I love her!"
"Naruto."
Naruto looked up at Jihibiki through tears he didn't even know he was shedding.
"I know that you're confused right now and that's okay. Love is…well love is a tricky thing to make sense of." Jihibiki said reassuringly. "But you've got to stop lying to yourself. It's obvious that you care deeply about her and you know that. So why are you trying to stop it from happening? You know that you love her."
Naruto's jaw clenched for a moment before he opened his mouth to answer. However, before he could say anything he saw flashes of Hinata again, bloody, broken, and dying in his arms. The tears renewed themselves and his legs finally gave out as he slumped to his knees.
"I know I do." Naruto whispered quietly.
"What?" Jihibiki asked surprise.
"I know that I love her." Naruto said again quietly. "I've gone most of my life without feeling love. It wasn't until I met Tsunade-baachan that I really began to feel what it might have felt like."
His hand clutched tighter over his chest as he did his best to suppress a sob before continuing.
"After Pain's invasion it was all I could think about. The fear I felt when I saw her jump in to save me. The happiness I felt at just hearing those three words from her. The full unbridled rage I felt when I thought Pain had killed her…"
Naruto looked up at Jihibiki.
"I thought about it all replaying it over in my mind. Minute after minute, hour after hour, day after day I thought about it!"
A heavy silence fell over the two of them as they stared at each other before Jihibiki finally spoke.
"Then why do you still fight it?"
"The images…" Naruto answered quietly. "…The visions…the dreams…" Closing his eyes he clutched his head. "I almost lost her once; I don't want to lose her again…I'm afraid that when the war starts I won't be strong enough, just like you said…I'm afraid that when it starts, she'll die because of me."
Jihibiki walked forward and kneeled down in front of Naruto.
"Naruto look at me." He said placing a hand on his shoulder.
Naruto looked up at him no longer worried about the wet streaks that ran down his face.
"Fear is something that we must all over come." Jihibiki said quietly but held firmness in his eyes. "It can cripple us, cause us to do irrational things that we normally wouldn't do, but it can also serve a useful purpose."
"What is it?" Naruto asked not even bothering to hide the pleading in his voice.
Giving a soft smile Jihibiki spoke. "It can serve as motivation. It can push us to overcome any obstacle, to drive through and persevere. Fear kept in check can be the force that allows us to continue on and not falter. Do you know why?"
Naruto shook his head.
"Because just a tiny bit of fear can remind us that if we don't keep trying, if we don't keep pushing and striving to become better, then it may become a reality."
Jihibiki's gaze hardened not at Naruto but at the words he spoke.
"The reality is that this world is going to go to war. Hinata, you, and everyone else will have to fight to preserve the world you live in now. She may die, she may not, but let me ask you this one question."
Peering into Naruto's eyes and searching his heart he asked, "Would you want Hinata to fight alone and maybe die, or would you rather be by her side and keep her safe?"
Naruto's eyes widened for a split second before they took on a steely glint and narrowed.
"There's the look." Jihibiki thought as he smiled inwardly.
"Now that you have your answer," he said as he stood up and offered out a hand, "how about we work on your nature manipulation."
Naruto wiped the remnant tears from his eyes and grasped his hand firmly. Walking back towards their tree Jihibiki broke the silence one more time.
"Oh, one more thing Naruto."
"Yeah, Jiji?" Naruto asked.
"Be a good lad and never hit your grandpappy again, okay?" Jihibiki said as he rubbed his jaw absentmindedly.
Naruto shook his head with a smirk and rolled his eyes.
Neji made his way through the halls of the Hyuuga compound after receiving a summons from Hiashi. It was a peaceful morning; the cool air of autumn was slow to warm leaving just a hint of chill in the sunny air. There was a faint smell of frost that had blanketed the ground earlier in the morning mixed with the scent of the fall flowers that were in bloom in the Hyuuga's gardens. Yes, these were the kinds of mornings that Neji loved to wake up early and meditate for a few hours. Unfortunately, those mornings now seemed like a thing of the past.
Now there was a tension that filled the air at the Hyuuga compound. A sort of stifling thickness had fallen over all of them keeping many on high alert and causing nerves to shorten. Although almost nobody knew what was truly going on, many were starting suspect that something of great significance was about to go down. Even Hanabi was beginning to notice and had asked on quite a few occasions what was wrong with everybody. Neji always changed the subject but he knew that he wouldn't be able to for much longer. His only hope at this point was that he and Hiashi would be able to solve the matter peacefully and quietly without anyone the wiser.
Finding himself in front of the Hiashi's office, Neji gave a brief knock and waited for the command. When he received it he slid the door open and stepped.
"You summoned me Uncle?" Neji asked as he closed the door behind him.
Hiashi looked up at him and Neji could see the toll that the past week had taken on him. The man looked as if he had gotten little to no sleep at all. Late nights combine with early mornings along with the stress of a possible coup d'état inside the clan was wearing on the Hyuuga leader. Nodding briefly, Hiashi motioned for Neji to sit. Once Neji did he began to speak.
"Neji, I trust that you remember that our meeting with the Hokage is today?"
Neji nodded and waited for his uncle to continue.
"Before we meet I want you to find Hinata and fill her in on what is happening. As the clan's heir I want her to attend this meeting and therefore she must be briefed beforehand."
"Understood, Uncle." Neji said with a nod.
"I do not know if Renge-sensei has told Hinata about what has been happening but that is irrelevant. Find her and fill her in if she needs to be." Hiashi ordered.
Neji nodded once more and stood. "Do you know where I might find her?"
"She is checking out of the hospital today. If you hurry you might be able to catch her before she leaves." Hiashi offered.
"I'll start there then." Neji said as he gave a short bow and headed towards the door, but just as he reached for the door he was stopped by Hiashi's voice.
"This does not mean that I have not been made aware of you being pulled from interrogation duty of the prisoner we received a week ago."
Neji tensed as he awaited his doom. He had not told a soul about what had happened.
"However now is not the time to discuss such things. Be sure you focus Neji, we will talk about what has happened when we get back from the meeting with Tsunade-sama." Hiashi finished looking down at a paper on his desk.
Neji released a breath he didn't know he was holding.
"Understood, Haishi-sama." He said quickly as he opened the door and left in a hurry.
Walking at a brisk pace, Neji left the compound and headed towards the hospital. While his entire outside was a calm demeanor his insides were a storm of emotions. His mind absentmindedly slipped back to the memory of his conversation with Ibiki.
(Flashback)
Neji found himself in Ibiki's office and standing in front of the towering man as he sat at his desk. A quick glance around the room showed just how much of a Spartan life style the scarred man lived. The bare essentials were all that graced the man's office except for a fancy glass bottle of sake and a bright pink shrub in the corner of the room. That utterly confused Neji to no end.
Ibiki poured himself a cup of sake and inhaled deeply with closed eyes before downing the cup. After a satisfied sigh he set the cup down and leaned back taking in Neji.
"Let me guess." Ibiki said after a moment. "Why the shrub?"
Neji let a ghost of a smirk grace his lips but he did nod. "Well it is probably the biggest mystery about you at the moment."
Ibiki snorted. "It just so happens that the shrub has extracts in the leaves that produce a very potent truth serum."
"Then why do you keep the flowers? They are obviously unnecessary." Neji asked raising an eyebrow.
Ibiki shrugged. "A man has to have some sort of an outlet, I just so happen to enjoy horticulture."
The image of Ibiki in a sunhat, gloves, and garden shears in hand sprang to the front of Neji's mind but he quickly suppressed the thoughts.
"Is there any particular reason that you called me here?" Neji asked.
Ibiki took his time pouring himself another drink before sitting back and studying Neji. For a moment, silence was the only thing that was shared between the two. Finally, after a minute or two of staring Ibiki broke the silence.
"Tell me Neji, do you love your village?"
Neji was slightly taken aback at the question but he answered the question quickly. "Of course I do, I would do anything for it."
Ibiki stared at him for a moment.
"Anything?" he asked. "Even if you knew that what your village asked of you was wrong? Maybe do something that was morally or ethically questionable?"
Once again Neji was surprised at what he heard.
"Then it would depend on the circumstances." Neji answered stoically.
"What circumstances?" Ibiki fired back.
"If the village were to ask me to do something, say kill someone that I saw as innocent, then I would have to question on what grounds does it constitute that an innocent man has to die." Neji said.
"Go on." Ibiki simply said.
"If the man posed a threat to the village, even if he was innocent, then I would have no qualms killing the man." Neji explained. "I am a ninja, the line of ethics and morals will be blurred at one point or another and I will be required to enter a grey area so to speak. I understood that when I became a ninja. While it may take some time to recover from having to take an innocent's life, I understand in the end that I did it to protect my home, the village, and all the people within it's' walls."
"And if the man was innocent and posed no threat?" Ibiki asked.
"Then I would not take the mission." Neji said simply. "I would have to question the decision of the person that tasked me with fulfilling the mission. Are they corrupt? Are they seeking revenge? What ambitions are they trying to exploit through me? I may be a ninja and I may have to take another's life, but I will not have the blood of the innocent on my hands without a logical reason."
Ibiki nodded at what Neji said. He was quiet for another moment before he asked another question.
"Would you ever betray your village, Neji-san?"
Neji was in shock at what he had just heard and it quickly turned into outrage that he would be asked such a question. However, before Neji could voice his disapproval of the question he realized something.
"This isn't just a conversation." Neji thought carefully as it slowly dawned on him. "This is a psych evaluation. He's testing me…"
"I would never betray my village." Neji stated firmly.
"What if the village betrayed you?" Ibiki fired back.
Neji took a moment to chew over the question. As he did, Ibiki eyed him closely taking in every detail.
"Then it really wouldn't be betrayal on my part now would it." Neji said looking at Ibiki after a moment.
Ibiki went to say something but Neji cut him off with his hand.
"Do not misunderstand what I say, Ibiki-san. If I were to be betrayed by my village I am smart enough to know that it is not the village that betrayed me but the people in power that did. The villagers are innocent and often ignorant to the matters pertaining to ninja."
"So you would seek revenge then?" Ibiki questioned.
"No." Neji said bluntly. "They say when you dig a grave for revenge; you best dig a second for yourself. I would not seek revenge for being wronged. Rather, I would seek retribution."
Ibiki seemed to analyze what Neji had said. Once again a silence fell between the two as Ibiki sat there scrutinizing Neji. Neji simply stood there impassively and stared back at the scarred mountain, silently daring him to question his loyalty again. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity Ibiki nodded with a sigh.
"Please forgive my questions Neji-san, but one can never be too cautious."
"It is understandable, Ibiki-san." Neji said, then as an afterthought added. "What was that all about anyways?"
Ibiki gave him a look that said 'don't-play-stupid.' "It has come to my attention that you have been spending an unusually large amount of time with our new prisoner."
"Well I knew they wouldn't stay blind forever." Neji sighed inwardly before speaking.
"I was simply trying to gain her trust so I could get as much information from her that was the most accurate as possible."
"The video tapes from the prisoner's cell say otherwise." Ibiki countered.
Sitting up Ibiki gave Neji a hard look. "Don't play dumb with me. You may be a Hyuuga but there is a reason that I am the head of the Interrogation Department."
Knowing the gig was finally up and he had been caught Neji gave a heavy sigh.
"It is true that I have begun to feel a sort of attachment to her." Neji admitted.
"You are aware of the proper protocol involving this type of scenario then?" Ibiki asked.
Neji nodded. "Person in question is given a psych evaluation and if deemed fit for duty then they are relieved of duty and put on temporary probation."
Ibiki nodded at that. "Correct. Now I have found you in perfectly mental health and since you do not work here in the I.D. you will not be put on probation."
At this Neji rose an eyebrow.
"In other words, since you do not work here your services are no longer needed. You may return to your team and begin regular missions again." Ibiki explained.
Neji was silent for a moment before he nodded and turned to leave. When he reached the door he stopped and looked back at Ibiki who was now staring at another glass of sake.
"If I might add one more thing before I leave, Ibiki-san?" Neji asked.
Ibiki gave a curt nod.
"It is in my opinion that Karin is just an unfortunate girl that was at the wrong place, at the wrong time, and did what was necessary to survive. She is just as dangerous as a newborn child. Given the opportunity I believe that she would be more than willing and happy to settle down and serve this village."
There was a silence between the two one last time before Ibiki looked up from his glass.
"I'll take it into consideration." He said. "Goodbye, Neji-san."
"Goodbye, Ibiki-san."
(End Flashback)
Neji should have known better than to try and hide something from the Interrogation Department, even if he was a Hyuuga. Ibiki was a smart man and like he said, there was a reason he was the head of the I.D.
"I do hope that Karin-chan will be okay though." Neji thought to himself.
Shaking the thoughts from his head, Neji focused on the task at hand and continued his search for his cousin.
Hinata and Renge had just checked out of the hospital and were making their way through the streets to the Hyuuga compound when they came across Neji. While Hinata was happy to see her cousin she could instantly tell that he was there for business and not to check up on her.
"Neji-niisan," Hinata greeted with a small smile and nod. "It's nice to see you again."
"Hinata-sama, Renge-sama." Neji said with a respectful bow.
Turning slightly towards Hinata, Neji spoke. "Hiashi-sama has requested that you attend a meeting with him and the Hokage. The meeting is in thirty minutes so I will escort you there and fill you in on what is happening."
Hinata couldn't help but feel a wave of slight apprehension was over her as she glanced over at Renge.
"If you'll excuse me sensei?" Hinata asked.
Renge chuckled and gave a small smile. "Don't worry about it dear, it's understandable. I'll get a hold of you after the meeting."
Hinata returned the smile with a small one and then looked at Neji. "What is this about nii-san?"
Neji glanced around before giving her a serious look. When they were younger it would have caused Hinata to probably shake with fear but now she could tell it wasn't directed at her but at the topic of discussion.
"It's about matters that involve the clan." Neji answered.
Hinata's entire posture did a complete 180 in the span of one second. Her face suddenly hardened and her eyes narrowed. Looking over at Renge she addressed the aged Uzumaki.
"Renge-sensei, I would appreciate it if you would accompany us to the meeting as well. Also, if possible could you please get the same message to Naruto-kun and Jihibiki-sensei?"
Renge smirked. "Of course dear, it will only take a moment."
Taking her finger, Renge placed it on her necklace and channeled some chakra through it.
"They'll be here in a few moments." she chirped happily.
"Hinata-sama," Neji said gaining Hinata's attention, "Hiashi-sama requested that I get only you for the meeting with the Hokage."
"I understand that nii-san." Hinata said evenly leveling him with a stare. "But as heiress to the clan I have deemed it necessary for Jihibiki-sensei, Renge-sensei, and Naruto-kun to be at this meeting as well. I don't care what my father said; I am not so short sighted as to turn away from help when it is there and being offered."
Neji tried, oh he tried so hard, but in the end the only thing he could do was let his jaw drop as he stared at Hinata.
"Is this the same Hinata?" Neji thought amazed. "She's only been with Renge-sama for a week and there's this much of a difference in her personality!"
"You're mouth, nii-san." Hinata said.
Neji realized it was still open and quickly shut it getting a snicker out of Renge and a sweet quiet giggle out of Hinata.
"You have changed, Hinata-sama." Neji said looking at his cousin curiously.
Hinata nodded before glancing over at Renge. "I know, and I have Renge-sensei to thank for it."
Renge gave Hinata a smile and Neji was about to speak when there was a bright flash and the sound of familiar voices. Turning around, they saw the backs of Naruto and Jihibiki a few feet away from them as the two of them stared down the street.
"Well now that we're all here we can go." Renge said with a smile catching the attention of the new arrivals.
"Hey Renge-baachan, Neji!" Naruto waved happily at the group.
His smile stayed there until it fell on the last member of the group and it instantly left.
"Um…hey, Hinata." Naruto said awkwardly as he looked off to the side and rubbed the back of his head.
"H-Hello, N-Naruto-kun." Hinata said meekly as she held her hands to her chest.
"Amazing," Neji thought to himself. "One minute she is so sure and confident in herself and the next minute she's back to a mess when Naruto is around. Which reminds me…"
Neji looked over at Naruto to see the blonde looking anywhere but where Hinata was standing.
"I've never seen him act like this before." Neji thought while studying Naruto.
Renge was thinking the same thing and shot her husband a glance. Jihibiki simply gave a smirk and a slight nod of his head giving Renge all the answer she needed. A huge grin broke across her face as she happily clapped her hands together gaining everyone's attention.
"Well everyone, let's get this meeting over with."
"Um, what's going on exactly?" Naruto asked as they all began to move together.
"We're about to have a meeting with Hokage-sama and Hiashi-sama." Neji answered.
"I see." Naruto said intelligently causing Jihibiki to face palm.
"Things must be getting pretty serious then if Hiashi-kun has finally gone to Tsunade-chan for help." Renge said.
"They are, but we will discuss that behind closed doors." Neji said after a short look around them.
Everyone else nodded and continued on towards the Hokage tower in silence. However, no noticed a shadow slink away from a nearby building and down an alley.
Hyuuga Gourzi was a patient man; he had been all of his life. He had been patient when he was passed over the first and the second time to become a councilman. He had been patient when Keimei had chosen Hiashi instead of him as her husband. He had been patient when he saw how weak the heiress to the clan was. He had been patient when his plans to rid the Hyuuga clan of its heiress failed. He had been patiently waiting for the dark contact from outside the village, Zetsu, to bring his plan to fruition, but now…Now all of his dirty little secrets were about to be brought to light. Now all his hard work was about to become undone and for the first time in his entire life, Gourzi had lost his patience.
Balling his hands into fists, Gourzi stood up from his seat shaking in rage. The shadows played across his face in the dimly lit room that was the secret meeting place of the elders. Looking around he felt his rage grow more and more. Even though he came from the prestigious Hyuuga clan he had spent almost his entire life in the shadows. The shadow of Hiashi, the shadow of the elders, and the shadow of the woman he loved. When he really thought about it, all that Gourzi knew was the shadows. He had been waiting to exact his revenge on the Main Branch for years; hiding, waiting, and planning for the perfect time to cripple them and take control. But now his plan was falling apart, all of his hard work was crumbling right before his eyes.
Eyes still wandering around the room, they finally came to rest on the spy that had just relayed him the message. Gourzi knew he had to come up with some way to stop the meeting. He had to do something, anything to keep Hiashi and the others from voicing their suspicions.
Taking a shaky breath to try and calm himself he spoke.
"I don't care how, I don't care what it takes, just stop that meeting before it happens. The Hokage cannot be allowed to find out what's about to happen. If she does, then all of our work will be for not. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, Gourzi-sama." The spy said with from their bow. "What would you have me do?"
After another moment of thinking and pacing he spoke.
"We need to send a message to Hiashi: keep quiet if you know what's good for you. Tie his hands so he can't do anything."
Gourzi paused in his pacing and turned to his spy. "Kill Hyuuga Hanabi. That should get the message across bright and clear. Afterwards report back to me. There is a loose tongue amongst us. We have to find them and stop the leaking of anymore information."
"If it is what you wish then I shall carry it out." The spy said from his bow.
"Then get going!" Gourzi barked.
The spy stood up quickly and left leaving Gourzi alone in the room.
"Not this time Hiashi." Gourzi seethed in rage. "This time I'll be the one to come out on top!"
Taking a moment to collect him, Gourzi then exited after the spy. In the corner of the room hidden by shadows a dark figure morphed out of the shadows and seemed to survey the room.
"This idiot is going to ruin everything. Looks like I'm going to have to break my cover if this operation is to be salvageable." Zetsu said irritated as he sunk back into the wall.
Sasuke was alone in his room sitting upright and in the lotus position on his bed. It had been a week and he had come to the conclusion that Sakura was truly a miracle worker. He could feel his brother's eyes adjusting and slowly but surely syncing to him and his body. That wasn't the only difference he felt either. His chakra reserves felt as if they had expanded. Not only that, but his chakra potency felt stronger as well. However, what had Sasuke the most excited was that today was the day that the bandages finally came off and he would finally see the world for the first time with his new eyes: his brother's eyes. All that was left now was for Sakura to arrive and give the final okay that the wraps were ready to come off.
He heard the door open and Sasuke's attention immediately focused to the person entering the room.
"Good morning Sasuke-kun." Sakura's gentle voice called out as she moved towards him. "How are you feeling today?"
"I feel fine Sakura. Can I just take the damn bandages off now?" Sasuke said trying his best to hide the excitement and hopefulness in is voice.
The mood in the entire room suddenly shifted. Even though Sasuke couldn't see, he could practically feel Sakura fold her arms and stare at him.
"Now Sasuke-kun we talked about this." Sakura said in a sweet manner that for some reason seemed to promise imminent pain. "Sakura what?"
"…"
"Sakura what?" she asked again.
"…Sakura…chan…" Sasuke said somewhat robotically.
"And what do we say after requesting something, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura said as she approached Sasuke.
Once again, Sasuke got the feeling that Sakura now had her hands on her hips.
"…"
"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura said with a sickeningly sweet tone.
"…No…" Sasuke said.
It was now a battle of wills between the two. Ever since Sasuke fell into Sakura's care she insisted on him using –chan with her name. If that wasn't bad enough, she also refused him help if he did say please and thank you; something he had never had to do in his life! It had taken her five days to break him and use Sakura-chan. Though the name still sounded robotic and ground out when he said it she still accepted it as a win. The polite mannerisms on the other hand, well they were still a work in progress.
"I won't ask again Sasuke-kun." Sakura said as she cracked her knuckles.
Normally this would not affect the Uchiha. He would simply scoff at the threat and then return one of his own or just inflict pain. However, Sasuke learned very quickly that he wasn't the only that had changed in the past three years. The first time he had scoffed at her threat she blasted him in the ribs breaking two in the process. In his defense though, he was blind and still weak from the operation. Regardless, Sasuke quickly found out that Sakura had changed and while the girl still swore she loved him, she was no longer the push over, do anything he said kind of girl. The worst part of it all: he secretly found it refreshing.
"May I please take off the bandages now, Sakura?" Sasuke sighed in defeat.
"Sakura what?"
"Sakura-chan." Sasuke said through clenched teeth. Honestly, he could have sworn the girl did that just to piss him off.
Sakura smiled to herself happily as she did a victory dance on the inside. Setting it aside for the moment though, she bent down and placed her hand to his temple as she began to run diagnostics on him.
"How do they feel? Any pains or pressures?" she asked intently as she took a seat in front of him.
"Like I said before, they feel fine." Sasuke said as he sat still for the pink haired medic. "There's a constant throbbing of chakra around my eyes but it isn't painful. It's like they're excited and want to be released."
Sakura seemed to think for a moment but then shrugged and accepted what he said.
Sitting back in her seat she said, "Okay then, go ahead and take them off. But do it slowly, you need to be careful and give your eyes time to adju- Hey!"
As soon as Sakura gave the okay Sasuke had ripped the bandages off and opened his eyes. Even though he was in a dimly lit room, the light that flooded his eyes was still too much causing him to snap them shut from the sudden pain. What followed quickly after that was what felt like a mountain crashing into his nose that snapped his head back and bounced it off the wall behind him.
"Ugh, what the hell was that for Sakura?" Sasuke said angrily holding his now broken nose.
"What the hell did I just say?!" Sakura shouted as she grabbed Sasuke by the front of his robe and hoisted him up to her face. "I said slowly! Slowly! Listen to what your doctor tells you!"
With an irritated sigh Sakura dropped Sasuke back on the bed and took a seat in front of him.
"Cover your left eye and open your right one a quarter of the way. Let your eye adjust to the light and when it has, then open it half way." Sakura instructed.
Sasuke hesitated for a moment but then complied. The next hour was spent with Sasuke getting his eyes adjusted to the light of the dark room, something that was tedious and somewhat frustrating to him. After he was finally done Sakura gathered up the bandages and rewrapped his eyes.
"Why can't I leave them unwrapped?" Sasuke asked disappointed that he had to cover his eyes again.
"Two reasons." Sakura said simply. "One is because your eyes are still healing. If I wasn't here to apply constant medical jutsu then it would take a month for your eyes to recover normally. Also, your eyes aren't ready for brighter light, you could barely stand the light in this room and there isn't even that much here. You need more time to heal which means more rest. As it stands you should be able to use them by the end of the next week."
"And the second reason?" Sasuke asked realizing that she had only given one.
Sakura smirked. "The second reason is because you're an idiot and I can't trust you to not try and activate your Sharingan. If you were to do so now, there is an extremely high possibility that the chakra pathways around your eyes could rupture and then you would go blind."
Finishing up wrapping his head, Sakura put a hand on Sasuke's chest and pushed him down onto the bed.
"Rest now," she ordered, "that's what your body needs and I know that you're exhausted from that exercise."
Sasuke simply grunted but complied with what she told him to do. Once he was situated he heard her get up and begin to leave the room.
"Sakura-chan, aren't you going to fix my nose?" Sasuke asked confused.
He heard her footsteps stop at the door for a moment.
"No." she said with that same sweet tone. "Let it remind you what will happen next time you want to try and go against my medical advice."
Opening the door she stepped out saying one last thing. "I'll stop in later to check on you Sasuke-kun."
With that the door closed and Sasuke found him alone once again. Something he was glad of because of the small smile that had broken out across his face.
"Damn woman." He thought to himself. "Since when did you grow up to be so bossy?"
Madara was sitting at his desk looking over a map for the upcoming war. However, he wasn't truly looking at the landscape rolled out before him. No, his thoughts were on that snake of a man Kabuto and what he was truly planning. He had just gotten done with his encounter with him and he was unnerved slightly by what he saw. While it always helped to bolster his army of zetsu clones with reanimated corpses, where he found the DNA for him he had no clue whatsoever. His plan had been going along perfectly without a hitch but now…now he was starting to collect too many factors, too many unknowns to account for and he didn't like it one bit. There was only enough room in the shadows for one person and he'd be damned if it wasn't him.
Zetsu's presence appearing behind him brought him out of his thought.
"What do you have?" he asked.
"It would appear that Sakura has no intention of spying at all. From what I've seen she is simply here for Sasuke and Sasuke alone." Zetsu said.
Madara's eye narrowed at hearing this. "Keep an eye on her regardless. I refuse to believe that she's just here because of that brat."
"Oh? You think she has a hidden end game?" Zetsu taunted lightly. "And all this time I thought it was just for love."
"Just keep an eye on her!" Madara barked back annoyed. "I'm already debating on whether or not to simply kill her."
"Oh I wouldn't recommend that." Zetsu said chidingly.
"Why so?" Madara asked turning around to look at Zetsu.
"It's rather obvious that Sasuke has begun to develop an attachment to her. There's a strong possibility if you kill her we'll lose him." Zetsu answered.
"I will not wait on that spoiled brat hand and foot!" Madara said, his voice rising along with his frustration. "Keep an eye on the girl. I want to know everything she does."
Zetsu's smile never left him as he began to sink back into the floor. "Things are really startin' to get interesting around here."
Hiashi was sitting patiently in the reception area waiting for his daughter and Neji to arrive so they could have their meeting with the Hokage. What he hadn't expected was the two to be joined by Naruto, Renge, and Jihibiki. The surprised flicked across his face for a brief moment before he stood up and approached the entourage.
"Renge-sensei, Jihibiki-san, Naruto-san." Hiashi said with a short bow. "As much as I appreciate the concern I requested that Neji only bring Hinata and nobody else."
"I did as instructed Hiashi-sama." Neji said catching the clan head's attention. "However, I was overruled."
Hiashi quirked his eyebrow for a moment and then shifted his gaze over to Hinata who blushed slightly.
"It's true father." Hinata said quietly but boldly. "Naruto-kun and the others are willing to help and it would be foolish to refuse it. That's what we're here to ask Tsunade-sama for anyways right? We know that we can trust Naruto-kun and the others so there is no reason to refuse their offer."
"That is true." Hiashi said with a nod.
He was proud that Hinata had finally stood up against one of his orders. He had been waiting so long for her to finally find her confidence and assert herself.
"However," he continued shifting his gaze over to the three non-Hyuugas, "while it is appreciated and it is true that I am going to ask Hokage-sama for help I was hoping to employee the expertise of the ANBU. Forgive me, but the Uzumaki's aren't exactly known for their subtlety. You people have a tendency to make a scene."
Renge huffed and folded her arms while looking away. "It's not exactly like it's the women's fault that the clan is like that."
Naruto had the decency to smile sheepishly and rub the back of his head while Jihibiki looked away and began whistling a tune.
"Regardless father, their input could be valuable." Hinata spoke up once again and getting a nod from Neji as well.
Hiashi couldn't help it as a small smile graced his lips. "Very well then, let's get this over with."
Getting a nod from Shizune that they were cleared to enter, Hiashi opened the door and led the group into Tsunade's office. As they entered they were greeted with the sound of a crash and a frustrated yell.
"God damn you spawn of Satan! Go back to the black pitted hell from whence you came!"
"Oi, baa-chan! Everything okay in here?" Naruto yelled boisterously walking through the door.
Hiashi looked like a mix between dumbfounded and horrified, Hinata did her best to suppress a giggle, Neji rolled his eyes, and Renge and Jihibiki both snickered loudly.
"You!" Tsunade said looking up from the mountains of paperwork that surrounded her with a crazed look in her eyes. "You're Hokage now, I resign effective immediately!"
Naruto, not missing a beat, let out a whoop while fist pumping.
"Tsunade-sama." Hiashi said paling slightly at the idea of Naruto taking control of the village. "Might you possible handle one last task before giving the reins over to Naruto-san?"
Tsunade glared at Hiashi before motioning around her desk. "Is it going to cause any more of this?"
"No," Hiashi said shaking his head. "If handled correctly then should be barely any paperwork if any."
Tsunade's eyes narrowed as she took in the group before her. "This is the most random group of shinobi I have ever seen together. What's this about Hiashi?"
"Please understand that I tried to manage this as best I could Hokage-sama." Hiashi said with a tinge of humiliation in his voice. It actually caused everyone to become slightly uncomfortable.
"But this involves my clan and quite possibly the safety of the entire village."
Tsunade could feel her stomach sinking as Hiashi spoke and the looks from the others didn't help at all either. Tsunade sat up in her seat and steepled her hands together in front of her face before speaking.
"What's going on, Hiashi?"
Hiashi was about to answer when they all heard frantic shouting coming from the other side of the door. Everyone turned around in time to see a Hyuuga Branch Member burst through the door with a frantic look on his face.
"Hiashi-sama!" The Branch Member shouted gasping for breath.
"What is it?" Hiashi said trying his best to ignore the rising ball of fear in his stomach.
"It's Hanabi-sama!" the Branch Member said breathlessly. "She's been attacked!"
There was a loud gasp before one of the figures shot out of the room. The only indication of who gasped was the flowing, long, midnight blue hair that flashed in the doorway before it was gone.
Omake
Renge gave Hinata a smile and Neji was about to speak when there was a bright flash and the sound of familiar voices. Turning around, they saw the backs of Naruto and Jihibiki a few feet away from them as the two stared down the street.
"They must have just left the hospital." Jihibiki said glancing over his shoulder and looking up at the building behind them, completely missing the group they were looking for.
"Seriously jiji, you need to frickin' narrow that jutsu down." Naruto complained. "This whole needle-in-the-haystack bullshit is getting old."
"Well I'd like to see you do it." Jihibiki huffed as he crossed his arms and looked away.
Naruto growled at the jibe but ignored it. "Come on, let's go find them. If they just left the hospital then I hope Hinata-chan is okay."
At hearing this Hinata's eyes widened and cheeks instantly flushed bright red.
"Oh I'm sure it won't be too hard to find them." Jihibiki said off handedly as they started to walk.
"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.
A shit eating grin spread across Jihibiki's face as he held up his hands. "Come on Naruto, how hard is it to pick out the figure that Hinata-chan has?" As he said this his hands started making an hourglass shape. "Nice long hair that ends right above that sweet sweet hinny, curves that just won't seem to quit and not to mention that chest that's just beg-"
The rest was cut off as Jihibiki found himself smashed into the ground by a metal staff.
"Ya know," Naruto said absentmindedly as he twirled the staff lazily in his fingers, "I can see why Renge-baachan uses this. It's so effective."
Pointing the staff at Jihibiki Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Don't ever talk about Hinata-chan like that again or else I'll tell Renge-baachan."
Jihibiki sat up and crossed his arms looking away again.
"I'm not touching, I'm just looking!" Jihibiki pouted. "It's the same thing as window shopping!"
Suddenly a sense of dread and foreboding washed over Jihibiki followed by a sudden shiver that ran up his spine when he heard a voice answer him.
"Is that so Jihibiki?"
Jumping up and turning around slowly the two men found Hinata, Neji and Renge all staring at them. One with a beat red face, one looking extremely pissed, and the last one wearing a sickly sweet smile on her face.
"Oh…good luck with that one." Naruto said giving Jihibiki a reassuring pat on the shoulder before quickly leaving his side.
"N-N-Now R-Renge dear, y-y-you know I w-was just j-j-joking." Jihibiki stumbled out as he raised his hands defensively.
"Is that what you were doing?" Renge asked as she started walking towards him still wearing that unnerving smile. "Well if that was the case, then it's okay I guess."
Quickly looking around for an exit and finding none, Jihibiki's eyes began to water as he say the last chapter in his life quickly coming to an end.
"What's the matter dearest?" Renge asked as her wooden staff appeared in her hands. "Is something troubling my oh-so-loyal husband?"
"R-R-Renge, pl-please s-s-st-stop!" Jihibiki begged.
"Not a chance." Renge said lowly as the smile dropped from her face causing Jihibiki to freeze in fear.
With an angry yell Renge descended upon the pervy Jihibiki and all through the village the sounds of girly screams could be heard.
It was on that day that multiple reports flooded the Hokage tower of an apparently small injured animal somewhere in the vicinity of the hospital that was making quite a racket. Multiple genin teams were scrambled to find the poor thing and put it out of its misery. It wasn't until several hours later that the Konohamaru Corps stumbled upon a beaten, bruised, and bleeding Jihibiki lying under some bushes next to the hospital whimpering to himself and holding his Uzumaki family heirlooms between his legs.