- Pluck -
Part II
Chapter 18: But Compassion Overpowers
Companion song: We Take Space by The Dawdler and Saturnine by City Girl
Ex?
Hinata?
It was always bright in Sun, but that evening, the forever shine of the place was dim and confused, like that of its king.
Was it an hour ago when Sasuke had come to his office to spout things that made no sense? Less than that? Either way, his words wouldn't leave Naruto's head. They echoed again and again, bouncing off the walls of his skull, creating a massive headache between his temples. His lips pulled into a frustrated sneer as she pushed away from his desk and snapped back the thin curtains on the window behind him, giving him a clear view of the mighty gates of the portal in the square of Sun 1. The city was quiet as his people slumbered, but their king stayed awake as the evening hours ticked by. He had papers to read and events to see through. He didn't have time to waste. Sleep was a luxury that his status and money could not buy; he needed to get through one more stack, then he could succumb to that much needed slumber that hovered in the corners of his eyes.
But he couldn't. His focus was gone, replaced by -
"You're still pretending you were never engaged to Hinata?"
Nonsense. Utter nonsense that he shouldn't give the time of day.
But -
"It makes me wonder if you ever really loved her in the first place."
Loved?
Naruto has known both Sasuke and Hinata for a long while, and never in his life has he ever hinted to either of them that he had loved or was in love with her - because he wasn't. Ever. She was his friend. That was it. And he's made it awfully clear to Sasuke that his sights have been and will forever be on Sakura, so he hadn't a clue where this was coming from.
For a moment, he had wondered if it was because Sasuke was still interested in Sakura. There had been a rather long period of time where it had been back and forth between the two; Sakura had been in love with Sasuke for nearly a decade, and for a while, it was clear Sasuke felt the same way but never pursued a relationship with her. That had hurt Sakura terribly, and she had finally moved on to be with him. When Sasuke was finally ready to reciprocate Sakura's love, they were already engaged, and that had caused a strain on both sides of the party for a while. Maybe that strain was still there. Maybe Sasuke still hated him for that. Maybe this was all some ruse to confuse him.
But that didn't sound like Sasuke.
Because no matter what, they were still friends. Brothers, almost.
Brothers didn't do that to each other.
But you knew he still had feelings for her, Naruto thought, fingers curling into the curtain, and yet you still proposed to her.
Brothers didn't do that, either. So did he really have the right to get angry over all of this if Sasuke was really bringing up Hinata to frustrate him and muddle his relationship with Sakura?
His gaze lifted from the portal to the sky, where the silver outline of the moon could be made out in the distance. But . . . Sakura had moved on, and Sasuke had plenty of chances. No one should be expected to wait forever, right?
His head throbbed and ached, and his tongue clicked against his teeth as he turned away from the shining city. Nothing made sense. He shouldn't have kicked Sasuke out so quickly so he could hear more about all of this and make sense of was he thinking? Why was he -
"My Grace." A maid cracked open the door and peeked inside, eyes flittering over the messy stacks of paper on his desk before turning to him. "His Highness has come with news of -"
"Let him in," Naruto said, waving a hand her way as the other pinched the skin between his brows.
The maid nodded and pushed the door open, and a cool, calming wave of air swept through the blazing office as the Moon King stepped in, a folder of something wedged beneath his arm and his cape gliding with his every movement. His silver eyes that matched the foggy outline of the moon outside the window did not catch the brightness of the room, instead shadowed in something as he made his way to Naruto's desk.
"You're up late," Toneri said, his half-hearted attempt at small talk not corresponding with the dour dimness of his face.
Naruto settled behind his chair, not in the mood to sit. But he still managed a smile as he said, "You know how we are, Toneri. Always busy."
"In this case, I'm glad for it." He removed the folder from under his arm and held it in front of him. Not out towards Naruto, just . . . forward. "It would be best if you were awake for this. It's Hinata's family." His mouth moved to continue, but now words left him. Instead, he stopped, his gaze trailing every line and crease in Naruto's expression. The folder dropped an inch in his hold as his frown turned from serious to concerned. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Naruto said with a grin, nodding towards the folder. "Go on. You said this was about Hinata's family? Did they find them?"
But Toneri didn't budge as he pulled the folder to his side, nearly hiding it under his sweeping, white cape. "You're distracted," he mused, pulling a nearby chair over so he could sit. A clear sign to Naruto that he wasn't about to let this slide. "I need you to be completely focused with this, and clearly, you are not. Did something happen?"
Beads of sweat formed on the back of his neck as Naruto's grin faltered. "Nothing big - it's just something Sasuke said a bit ago." Toneri's gaze narrowed, which coaxed a nervous laugh from Naruto's lungs. "You know how he is - same ol' thing that's been happening since we were kids. It really isn't anything -"
"Did he come to discuss Suigetsu?"
Fuck. "You . . . ." He nearly had the mind to ask how the hell he figured it out so quickly, but it was pretty obvious. Sasuke has been an issue Naruto has discussed with Toneri multiple times, and because of recent happenings, Suigetsu has been a hot topic between them, as well. It wouldn't take much for anyone to put two and two together. "You're . . . way too smart, sometimes."
Toneri only replied by saying, "I'm assuming he protested against the sentencing."
"More than that," Naruto said. "It wasn't just the sentencing and Suigetsu - he also brought up Hinata." Toneri's head tilted to the side, as if confused. "He thinks I'm doing all of this for her - and, I mean, I am. That bastard deserves to pay for what he did to her. But Sasuke thinks it's more than that."
With a heavy sigh, he looked at his friend. Toneri wasn't the kind to soften his words for the sake of others, so he could trust that what he would say would be the truth. Which was exactly what he needed, because even Naruto was confused about everything. So much was twisted up inside his head. He couldn't make things out anymore, couldn't distinguish truth from lie, reality from story.
"Was I ever . . . engaged to Hinata?"
Toneri stared at him for a moment, as if to really take in his question.
"Engaged?" he repeated, voice low. "To Hinata?"
Naruto gave an awkward smile. "No, right?"
"You've always been in love with Sakura," Toneri said, gaze landing on the band around Naruto's left ring finger. "Why are you asking me this?"
"Sasuke was telling me I was."
"Were you?"
"No." No way. He'd know if he did. He loved Sakura. Hinata was only a friend. He never . . . ever . . . . "Right?"
"I've never heard of an engagement between you and her." Toneri glanced back, towards the door. "Unless you hid it from me like you're hiding your engagement to Sakura from the others."
"That's because she was sick. We didn't want to keep people waiting until she was well enough for the wedding."
"Then did you ever have feelings for Hinata?"
He thought back to day one, when he met her - somewhere. He couldn't remember where. He was young and she was younger - by a year, maybe. Her eyes still looked like the very moon she lived on, but her neck was flawless, without the deep, cutting lines of gills. He had been excited back then because he had grown up for most of his early childhood without friends, but he wasn't in love. He was too young to even know what love was, probably. And years down the road, when he was going to school as a prince, she would come to visit and ask him about his studies, and he was still not in love with her. And a few years ago, when he was appointed his kingship and crowned in this very castle, when she had been the first to fly up to him and congratulate him with a hug and a peck on the cheek, he -
He . . .
Well, he didn't love her then.
Right?
Well, obviously. He's never been in love with her.
But his heart was pounding when he thought about it, and his back was covered in a layer of sweat, making his silk tunic stick to his skin. Didn't that mean something?
"No."
Surely, it didn't.
But as if hearing his frantic heartbeat, Toneri shot him a skeptical look.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
Lungs on fire, Naruto's gaze turned heavy as it pinned him down. "You think I'd give up on Sakura like that?"
At that, Toneri tried to smile, if only to lighten the mood. "You seem confident in that fact, so why even ask me?"
Naruto sighed. "Because I don't know why Sasuke brought it up."
"To create trouble?"
"But for what reason?" The lines in his palms burned, and he curled his hands together. "And why would he bring Hinata into it? Why would he make up this elaborate story that can easily be refuted?"
There had to be a reason. Sasuke wouldn't just waste his time on stories just to get under his skin - even if he was pissed, which he clearly was. Suigetsu's sentencing was something they obviously did not see eye-to-eye on - which was another thing Naruto found odd. Sasuke didn't shy away from violence and justice. His teammate had just backstabbed him and left a nasty name to linger on the Guard for a while. Sure, he didn't have to be overly pleased with the situation, but outright fighting against it . . .
But you can't blame him, he told himself, frowning. They were teammates for years. Friends, even. Of course he'd be upset over it.
A piercing pain shot through his skull. He leaned into his chair, letting it take most of his weight as he pressed a hand to his temples, pleading for his racing mind to calm and for the pain to disappear. He was aggravated and frustrated. This was helping no one. He needed to calm down and focus.
Focus.
But should personal feelings really get in the way of duty?
No. Definitely not. As a king, he knows well the importance of sacrifices. He couldn't afford to let his emotions and feelings get in the way of what needed to be done, and Sasuke should understand that.
Suigetsu was not innocent. Beyond it, actually. He needed to be punished properly, and this was the way to do it.
Is his death the only way to punish him?
It has to be. Because he dragged many people down with him. Sasuke, the Guard, and even Hinata. Innocent Hinata who had nothing to do with anything. There was a stalker out there trying to capture her. Suigetsu was only pulling her closer to their clutches. He can't be forgiven. Never.
But . . .
"Him suffering isn't necessary, it's cruel."
Cruel.
It was, wasn't it? There were other ways beyond killing him - and in the slowest, most painful way, at that. Lock him up for a couple years, maybe. Have him work out of it via community service. That would be enough, right?
No. The air felt hot and heavy. His head was throbbing. It has to be this way. I'm doing this for Hinata.
But Hinata -
"The Moon Witch isn't happy about this at all."
Didn't even want this in the first place.
So this wasn't for her. Not at all. This was for Naruto, for his selfish thirst for revenge. He wanted Suigetsu dead and gone because he knew if he ever looked at his face again, he'd never be able to forgive himself for putting Hinata in danger. Because he had, hadn't he? He made Suigetsu her bodyguard. He trusted her with him.
This was his fault, and to run away, he had -
"Naruto."
Oh, Gods, he had -
"What are you -"
"Toneri" Yanking himself off the chair, Naruto tumbled around the desk, fingers gripping the side as he tried to keep his balance. Oxygen wasn't reaching his lungs. He could barely breathe. What was I thinking!? "I need your help. Please. I can't fix this without you."
Silver eyes widened a fraction as Toneri sat forward in his chair, reaching out for Naruto, as if to catch him if he fell. "I don't understand."
"Suigetsu, Toneri," Naruto huffed, pulling away from his outstretched hand, instead rushing over to pull on his robes. "He can't die. I can't let them kill him. You can stop the process, right? You will, right?"
"S . . . Stop it?" Toneri stood. Slowly. We don't have time for this! "But you -"
"I know what I did!" His fingers struggled to fasten to buttons on the front, and he eventually said fuck it as he left it his robes unfastened. In one, large stride, he was across the office and tugging at Toneri's cuff, begging him to just move. "But it can't be like this. I can't kill him. This is wrong."
Toneri's cape flexed as his wings seemed to adjust against his back. Naruto was dragging him to the door, wings already out and flooding the room in a new, brighter glow.
"I thought you were doing this for Hinata."
Huffing again, more so out of frustration than lack of air in his lungs, Naruto managed to get them both into the hallway. "I wasn't," he said, catching Toneri's startled gaze. "I never was."
Finally, the everlasting light of Sun 1 got caught in those moonish eyes, bringing ferocious, overpowering gold to his irises. His lips pursed, then relaxed, then opened as he mumbled, softly, "Alright."
And with that, two, mighty pairs of silver wings stretched out from the cover of his cape, and both kings flew down the hallway and towards the portal's gate.
His katana was up, then it was down, then -
"Sasuke!"
He did what he was trained not to do and stopped, the lightning of his blade buzzing a few, mere inches away from the spot between Suigetsu's shoulders. His gaze snapped up just as Naruto flew in, the glowing, subtle form of the Moon King right on his heels. Naruto's feet barely landed on the ground when he rushed to his side and grabbed his katana, pulling it and his arm to the side. Blue eyes snapped to the side, coaxing Toneri to drop to his feet, as well, and move to inspect the unmoving, unconscious body of Suigetsu.
"Can you do it?" Naruto asked, grip tightening on Sasuke's wrist.
Toneri dropped to his knees, his white robes stained from the blood of the place as his delicate, flawless hand traced the gaping wounds on Suigetsu's back. After a moment, he nodded, then said, "Get him out of here."
Naruto took Sasuke's shoulder and pushed him towards the doorway, but his brilliant wings did not fold, nor did his blue gaze leave Toneri's back. "I'm right here with you," he said as Sasuke, dazed, plodded to the hallway. "Just try."
It was bright, then dark, then cold. Something hard and tall was pressed against his back. The blade of his katana dimmed and flickered, and soon he lost strength in his fingers and dropped it to the ground. His legs followed suit, giving out without a second's notice. Everything was spinning. Everything was loud and screaming. Blood covered his hands, his clothes.
People were dying - Itachi was dying.
Itachi.
"Sasuke, are you still out there?"
That was his brother in there. He was dead. He killed him. It was either that or the wings, and no one survives wings. No one.
"Shit."
It was bright again. When he turned his head and looked down the hallway, he saw Itachi's body. Corpse. Just a pile of ragged clothes and ripped skin and gushing wounds. His wings were out and free, untouched by the ugly blood surrounding him in a deep lake. His legs were broken. He had fallen. And no one can get back up without wings.
"Hey, hey!" The light forced his head forward. It was so bright. He couldn't see. "Sasuke, snap out of it. We're in the Guard. Toneri's helping Suigetsu. Itachi is -"
"Itachi." His voice was barely there. It was a miracle he could speak. But he recognized that voice. It was Naruto. That was Naruto. Why was Naruto there? "Is . . . he dead?"
"No! Itachi's fine, and Suigetsu's will be, too. Oi, Sasuke. Look at me."
He was alive.
But relief didn't wash over his body and calm his muscles and cool the lava in his throat. Instead, he still saw the corpse in the hallway. A lie. An illusion. That wasn't real. Itachi was alive. Naruto said he was.
But there was still screaming, still blood.
Stop it.
Sasuke gritted his teeth, and the light wafted.
Stop it!
His neck snapped back, cracking his skull against the wall he was pressed against. He did it again and again, trying to get the lies out of his head. Something soft and firm squeezed between his head and the wall - a hand. Naruto's hand. And when Sasuke's eyes finally adjusted to the light, he could see him knelt before him, eyes looking like cracked glass. His shoulders shook as his knuckles were pounded again and again into the hard wall.
"It's okay," he whispered, which was somehow louder than the screaming. It made sense, Sasuke supposed. Naruto was always the loudest. "Just breathe, Sasuke. Don't hurt yourself. Itachi will kick your ass if you do." A bit of tension left his back, allowing him to relax his spine and slump a bit. His neck was sore, but unmoving - as was Naruto's hand, which still stuck to the back of his skull. "I'm so sorry. I should have listened to you. Now you're going through all of this again."
He didn't know what that meant - or maybe he did. It didn't matter. Everything was hazy and dark. His chest was on fire, and Sasuke took the next few moments to suck in gallons of air.
When he calmed down and his head cleared, he was able to look past Naruto and see inside the room. Toneri was hovering over Suigetsu, eyes shut tight as a third pair of wings were ripped from his back. The ones from Suigetsu's were gone, leaving behind two, large holes.
When Naruto followed his gaze, his entire body fell with a sigh. "He made it."
...
Naruto had called for the doctors, and from what Sasuke could hear, they were able to patch up Suigetsu relatively quickly. Something they wouldn't do to a dead body. Which meant he was alive.
"They said he might be in a coma," Naruto told him, knelt down to Toneri's level, who lay on that blood-soaked mattress, eyes barely open. There was a bucket of water next to him, which Naruto dipped a rag into before he moved to clean the feathers of the new pair of wings sprouted from the Moon King's back. "I guess it's expected for what I made him go through."
"And His Highness?" Sasuke asked, rubbing a hand against his temples.
Naruto looked down at Toneri, then back up at him, smiling. "He'll survive. Not like he's done this before."
That bleeding back shifted as the Moon Man, in a hoarse voice, replied, "Let's hope I won't have to do this again."
Sasuke opened his mouth - to thank him? To offer assistance? But before he could, a flock of Guards rushed past the open doorway, weapons drawn and shining in the hallway's light. One of them stepped in and said one name that made Sasuke blood turn into ice.
"Juugo."
Fuck.
Sasuke snapped his head towards Naruto, the action sending his mind spinning and skull pulsing. "Are you angry?"
"Huh?" was the Sun King's eloquent reply.
Pushing off the wall, he went to grab Naruto's shoulder. "Calm down," he hissed, to both of them. "He can sense your anger."
Naruto dropped the rag in the bucket and gave him a stern look. Stern. Not enraged. Not boiling with fury. "I ain't angry, Sasuke."
It was true. But he didn't have the time to find out who it was. Wings snapping out, Sasuke flew down the hallway and raced towards the main hallway. Colors were rushing past him. His stomach was twisted in knots, and he could barely see forward. But he got there - and upon his feet finding the ground, he saw chaos.
The Guard was a mess of thrown furniture and ripped draperies and cracked walls. Weapons were broken in half. People were thrown feet into the air. There was yelling and screeching and snapping and growling. The cacophony made his ears ring, and Sasuke grit his teeth as he tried to focus.
Because in the middle of the mess and fury was Juugo - changed and morphing, scales taking up half his body, claws protruding from his fingers, veins coiling in his arms. His eyes were wild and wide, like an animal, a beast.
He was losing control.
"Sasuke!"
Karin's yell shot like fire through his skull. She was next to him, grabbing his arm.
"You need to hold him down," she said, voice barely over the roar of the place. "I can calm it if I can reach him, but you have to stop him, first!"
He could smell blood. He wasn't sure if it was because of Juugo or because Suigetsu's still stained his senses. But it didn't matter. He leapt into the air, avoiding flying furniture being thrown this way and that, and lunged down at Juugo, lightning cracking around him. He dived into his back and knocked him onto the floor, then pinned his hands against his arms to keep them from flying about and grabbing him.
Juugo screeched, teeth bared and sharp. It was hard to keep him down, but just as Sasuke was losing his hold on him, Karin ran in and grabbed Juugo's chin. Every muscle in his body tensed and vibrated. He tried to snap out of her hold, but his pinned position on the ground kept him from moving too far. As Karin sucked the power out of his body, Sasuke checked the area and made sure no one was around to disturb her.
He felt the body beneath him shrink and relax, and when he looked down, Juugo had transformed back to his regular self. He was panting - so was Karin, who collapsed back, struggling to keep her eyes open as she waited for her strength to come back to her. Sasuke waited a second more to make sure things were calmed down, and when he saw Juugo's eyes shut, he got off of him and sat next to Karin.
"Who was it?" was her weak question.
His arms had tensed up, and he massaged his fingers into his shoulders. "I don't know."
"His Grace?"
"You saw him?" He supposed it made sense. How else would the Sun King have known where Suigetsu was being held? "No, it wasn't him."
She sighed. After a few minutes of silence, she regained enough strength to sit back on her arms. Guards were beginning to swarm into the area, most working on cleaning up the place as some took Juugo and dragged him to the medical wing. One of them approached them and asked if they needed help. Sasuke waved him off, knowing Karin just needed time to breathe.
They both did.
"And Suigetsu?" she eventually asked.
Sasuke looked at her. "Alive."
Her lips bit together, and she nodded and closed her eyes. "Good."
...
"Go make sure Juugo's alright."
She wobbled up onto her feet, clearly pushing herself to stand. Sasuke stood with her, frowning. "Got plans?"
"I need to be there for . . ." Her voice dipped, "Ino."
Wait. "They're starting tonight?"
"I'll make sure it goes smoothly," she told him, gesturing down the way, towards the medical wing. "You focus on Juugo, alright. You've obviously been through enough, already."
He couldn't find his voice until she was already gone.
Tch.
Rubbing the back of his neck, which still ached, he gave a fleeting glance down the way she took before turning and stepping over broken tables to get to the where Juugo was being inspected.
"Are you ready?"
It was dark and late, but Hinata wasn't even close to being tired. Her eyes were heavy and sore, but not from lack of sleep, and her legs could barely hold her up as she stood from her futon. Suigetsu was set to die that late evening. Was he dying now? Was he already dead? Either way, she wanted nothing more but to curl up in that small, vacant cell and wallow, alone.
Well, not alone.
She wanted someone in particular to be there with her, but he was gone. Busy. Probably dealing with the dying or dead Suigetsu like he said he would.
But it was clear that day that what she wanted would not be granted, so no protests left her trembling lips as she stumbled over to the cell door Shizune held open for her. She'd barely been given enough time to process everything when she was told she would be visiting Ino that evening for her first attempt at getting her memory back. The slug in her step as she walked by Shizune's side down the hallway was due to an indescribable fear. This was what she wanted - she wanted to get her memory back. But she was scared something would happen if she did; like this person she was now would change into someone different. Would she still be Hinata from Ocean after this, or someone completely different?
It was hard to tell.
But she swallowed down this fear and kept moving forward, ignoring that unsteady tempo in her chest.
They turned a corner and were met with five Guards rushing past them, looking worried about something. Hinata watched them over her shoulder, then looked at Shizune, who seemed as startled as she was.
That didn't help with her stress at all, and unconsciously, her right hand sunk into one of the inside pockets of Sasuke's cloak and grasped the thin handle of the dagger. Her dagger, apparently. The one given to her from -
"You're holding it wrong."
Neji.
She didn't know when he showed up, but he was there, wafting to her right, face transparent and hair flowing. Those silver eyes looked natural in the dim hallway light, like they belonged in darkness - which made sense. They were Moon eyes, after all.
"Remember what Sasuke told you." His gaze sunk to her pocketed hand, as if seeing it through the fabric of the cloak. "Wrap your thumb around the side. It gives you more control."
Hinata did so automatically, feeling silly, for some reason. Shizune's pace had slowed, and she knew they were approaching where Ino was being held. Sasuke had given her the dagger just in case Ino tried something - so would she? WOuld there be a fight? Was all of this some sort of ploy to get her memory wiped again?
But she didn't remember anything. Except for Suigetsu, but . . . .
And, well, she was learning new things. She was learning about Sasuke and the Guard and her relationships with kings, so maybe all of that would be wiped.
But Suigetsu seemed to trust Ino, and Sasuke trusted Suigetsu, so this should be fine. She would be fine.
"You can do this," Neji told her, moving a little closer to her, head dipped slightly to bring his gaze on her level.
Her right hand slipped out of her pocket to grab his arm, but her fingers went through him. Right. "Don't leave this time," she told him, ignoring the confused look Shizune shot her. "I want you here."
His brows crinkled as he looked down at her outstretched hand. Almost every inch of his body hummed as he seemed to contemplate something, and after a dip in his shoulders and an airy, inaudible sigh, he moved his arm into her grasp, as if she was actually holding him.
"Alright."
They stopped in front of a door as Shizune worked to unlock it. Hinata smiled at her cousin, and like a mirror, he smiled back.
...
The cell Ino was held in looked like Suigetsu's . . . .
Try not to think about it, Hinata, she told herself, blinking her eyes to keep them from tearing up. It wasn't the time. She had to focus on other things right now.
Like the two people who were already in the room.
One of which looking like she belonged anywhere but there. Her hair was long and made of pink blossoms that cascaded down her back, the tips just brushing against her ankles. Her emerald eyes soaked up all the light from the overhead lantern, hiding nothing as they flashed upon landing on Hinata. Did they know each other? For obvious reasons, Hinata did not recognize her, but the look she was giving her made her feel like there was something between them.
The other one sat on a sitting cushion, blonde hair in a tangled nest around her shoulders. She was dressed in the same garb Hinata and Suigetsu were in, and her wrists were weighed down by heavy, metal cuffs.
Was that -
"Let me keep the introductions short," Shizune said, gesturing a hand towards the pretty, pink one. "This is Lady Sakura Haruno of Forest 3. She used to be a therapist here at -"
"Used to be?" Sakura mused, an odd twinkle in her eyes. "Shizune, you wound me. Once this wedding business is out of the way, you can expect me back in that cafeteria, flipping through papers in one hand while eating that heavenly pasta in the other." Her laugh was light and fluttery, like a feather. It didn't fit the atmosphere at all. "And I know who you are, Hinata Hyuuga. Or should I still call you Moon?"
Moon? That was similar to Sasuke's odd nickname for her. Did he and Sakura know each other, or did just random people give her such names?
"U-Um." Her voice was weak and cracking. Blushing, gaze bowing, she continued, "Hinata is fine . . . Lady Sakura. You - you said we know each other?"
"You're dear friends with my fiance, Naruto Uzumaki." Naruto was her fiance? If she was Naruto's ex, then wouldn't Sakura not like her? But . . . she called me his friend, so perhaps she doesn't know of our previous relationship. "You helped me a few weeks ago under the alias of Moon. I couldn't possibly understand why you would hide your identity from me . . . but I digress. This woman here is Ino Yamanaka, the one who will be aiding you in regaining your memory."
All eyes fell on Ino, who looked at Hinata with an almost ashamed twist to her lips. The weight in the cloak's right, inside pocket vanished immediately, and Hinata felt her fear of the woman evaporate. Nothing about her screamed evil or violent. If anything, she seemed more petrified than Hinata had been.
"It won't mean anything," she mumbled, "but I'm sorry for all I've done to you, Hinata. Please be patient with me as I try to right my many wrongs."
She looked at Neji, who didn't seem skeptical or worried, and smiled. "Thank you for helping me with my memory."
"This will be a long process," Shizune piped, gaining everyone's attention, "and one that will not be discussed beyond these walls." She looked at Sakura, who nodded before excusing herself. Hinata felt a gaze linger on her back, but when she looked over her shoulder, Sakura was already out the door. "The stalker cannot be aware of Ino turning to our side, so we must commence as if she is a true criminal. She will be held here for the following months, not allowed to leave the captive wing of the Guard, and shall be watched closely. There will be designated times where you, Hinata, will be allowed in to have pieces of your memory stitched back together - but please remember this. We must be subtle. Ino will only be able to give you memories one at a time as to not arouse suspicion, and outside of these walls and with people who are not apart or aware of this process, you must act as if you still have no memory of anything. Do you understand?"
Her heart was racing and her throat dry, but she nodded.
"There are certain memories that will be tricky," Ino added quietly, as if scared to be heard by someone outside those thick walls. "There's a lock on what I will be allowed to give back to you, so even after this entire process is finished, you will not have all your memories still."
"But most of them," Shizune assured, "which is better than nothing."
Of course. Hinata knew that.
But it was still a hard pill to swallow that she would never be able to remember everything.
"Is that truly a bad thing, Lady Hinata?"
Next to Ino's side stood Neji, who had his arms crossed and eyes narrowed with thought. He looked so concentrated, Hinata was almost too distracted to hear the title he added to her name. Almost.
She gave him a confused look, unsure what he could possibly mean, and he rolled his shoulders. "There are some things that are just better to not remember."
Is one of them you? She wanted to ask. Because he was so distant, and scared to even be near her. Like he would hurt her. Like he would frighten her. And if he was one of those things better left forgotten, wouldn't that be exactly what he felt?
"I want to remember as much as I can," she said to both him and Ino, "no matter how painful."
He frowned while Ino gave a small, unsure nod. "Alright," she whispered, "because it will be painful."
...
"Sorry I'm late." The cell door creaked open, allowing Karin entrance. Her clothes were lopsided and hair unkempt. She took off her specks to clean the glasses with the hem of her white blouse, then pulled them back on. "Something came up. Are we ready?"
Ino nodded, and everyone turned to Hinata.
"Yes," she said before she could second-guess herself.
Karin walked over, black heels clicking against the stone floor, and pulled a key from slack's pocket. She bent over and took Ino's cuffs in her hand, but paused to catch Hinata's gaze.
"Tell me if she tries anything," she said. "It's important we be cautious here. If you feel she's not doing what she is supposed to do, tell me, and I will stop her."
"A-Alright."
Karin turned away and worked on unlatching the cuffs from Ino's wrists. The clicking of metal took up Hinata's entire universe, and for a moment, it sounded like the door behind her was opening. She snapped that way, hoping it was Sasuke - because she wanted him here. If they weren't on such a tight schedule, she'd even ask to wait for him. Because he had to be coming, right? She never asked him to, but he was always there when she needed him.
This was one of those times.
But he didn't come.
The door stayed shut.
When she turned back, Ino was rubbing her bare wrists, and Karin situated herself on the side, ready to intervene if necessary.
It was time.
Ino's gaze turned navy as her white fingers flexed, and Hinata felt her spine straighten. When she felt a thumb press against the side of her head, she locked eyes with Neji, and he sunk to her side.
"I'm here," he said, voice as cool as whatever was being pushed into her skull. "I'm not leaving."
She was too scared to move, to breathe, to speak.
"Tell me what you want to remember," Ino said.
And she said what should be expected.
"Sasuke Uchiha."
...
She didn't think anything would come of a simple request -
"They'll come to you out-of-order."
Until the cell was replaced by forest life. Her hands hurt. Her knees hurt. It was humid and her hair was in her face and -
And there was lightning sticking out of the back of a corpse.
"If I had known you wanted to get killed so badly, then I wouldn't have followed you."
She was thrown into a chair, spine cracking against the back. Her dagger was thrown at her, its blade pointing in her direction, as if to pin her against that chair. She hurt badly. Her head was spinning. The air was nothing but heat and blood and static -
And then there was Sasuke.
Face stickered, eye glaring, he was seething. She didn't have to see him to feel it. And after he threw her into the chair, he dropped a burning corpse onto the table next to her. A girl. The one he killed. The one he had sunk his katana into right before her eyes.
He killed her.
Sasuke Uchiha killed her.
So what if he tried to kill -
"Oi, Hinata -"
"What's happening to her?"
That voice. His voice. He was here.
The murderer. The killer.
She snapped away from Ino, toppling back, into a pair of hands that caught her shoulders. Hands that smelled like blood and burned with electricity. When she looked, he was there, face not nearly as stickered, but eyes still slitted and sharp.
"Y-You killed her." She lurched forward, trying to get as far away from him. She didn't look away for a second, terrified he'd try something if she did. Her back met the cold, hard wall. She was cornered. Trapped. "Why did you kill her!?"
His gaze went wide. "Moon Witch -"
And then he pounced, like a monster. That lightning blade that had killed many before shot past her and sunk into the wall mere millimeters from her face. Her eyes stung as electricity poured over her face, making her skin numb and on fire at the same time. Ribbons of smoke wafted around them. Her clothes were seared. His eyes were dark and haunting and serious. He was going to kill her. He - he was going to kill her!
"Don't touch me!"
She tried to push him away, but he was too strong.
He caught her.
He hated her.
Hadn't he told her that before?
"Ino, keep going!"
There were others, so why weren't they helping her?
"It's okay."
Suigetsu?
He was there, pinned against the wall, too. Battered and bruised. Grinning.
Hands grabbed her head and pushed a freezing force into her head. The lightning left. Suigetsu disappeared. Everything was cloudy, and when she fell forward, those same hands from before caught her.
"I've got you."
It was him, but she wasn't scared.
Images and colors flashed before the dark canvas of her eyelids, and she let them sweep her away.
...
"This is Sasuke Uchiha."
She was six and still learning to fly when the dark boy with bright wings came to - to somewhere. A dim, silver place that seemed familiar. There were people there, people she knew, but she couldn't see them. They were out of focus, distant.
But she saw him.
His bangs were long and needed a trim, and she could tell he wasn't used to the length by how he was yanking at them. The sky was dark and stars surrounded them, but neither one of them looked tired. If anything -
"Good morning, princess."
"P-Princess?" Her voice was small and light, like any child's would be. But Sasuke's wasn't. His was sure and pointed. Dull. Bored. "But I'm not -"
"Aren't you?" He didn't wait for her to stop talking, which she knew was rude, but she didn't have the gall to say as much. And based off of how he looked at her, he must have expected as much. "Naruto always calls you that."
That's right. He and Naruto were friends. She's heard him talk about Sasuke a few times, but she never would have guessed he was anything like this. They were almost opposites. How did someone as nice as Naruto become friends with someone like Sasuke?
"Y-You can call me Hinata. I'm just a normal person."
"That's a lie," Sasuke said, wings out and stretching.
She blinked. "Huh?"
"If you were normal, you'd be able to fly by now."
She wasn't sure how he managed to know that piece of information, but she was embarrassed, either way.
"I'm just no good."
He snorted. "You lie a lot."
Before she knew it, he grabbed both of her wrists and shot into the air. She yelped, her own wings struggling to keep up with his speed. Her left lagged, and she felt unbalanced and awkward in the air.
His grip on her tightened. "Straighten out, Princess."
"That's not my name," she yelled over the howling wind, "and I can't!"
"Yes, you can. Everyone can."
He didn't slow, instead dragging her further into the air. She looked down at the silver ground and gulped, heart leaping out of her chest. Biting her lips together, she tried to pick up the pace. The muscles in her left wing screamed, already tired, but she ignored it and flapped as quickly as she could.
"I'm going to let go," he told her when they were too high up.
She gasped, fingers struggling to grasp the sleeve of his shirt. "Don't!"
But he did, without falter, and when she fell to the ground -
Wait.
She was . . .
"I-I-I'm flying."
She was stationary, but her balance was good and she wasn't falling. Her back was sore, but that wasn't anything when compared to -
"I hate people who don't try hard enough."
Sasuke's dark eyes danced like the stars around them as he flew up to her, matching the tempo of her flapping.
"So I guess I don't hate you."
And it was then she understood how Naruto could be friends with such a boy.
...
Then she was eleven, in a sunny place that just felt normal.
"What a poor thing."
But the talk of the place was, of course, Sasuke Uchiha.
"It's just him and his brother now, isn't it?"
Or rather, the tragedy that surrounded him.
"It's been a month, but he's still like that, isn't he."
It was mostly gossiping grown-ups, but Hinata knew the kids at school were avoiding him, too. No one knew what to do or how to act around him. They treated him like a monster.
"Who could have done such a thing?"
Hinata hated it.
"Will you SHUT UP already!?"
But Naruto hated it more, enough to give the adults on the other side of the street a mean glare. They scowled, probably thinking him as nothing but a rude brat, but they left quickly, and Hinata sighed.
"Gods, no wonder he still feels like shit. It's like all the universes have nothing better to do but gossip and talk shit like that."
It had been a month since Hinata had seen Sasuke Uchiha, a month since news came out that his parents were murdered in the very hallway of his home. Naruto could only tell her so many stories of how he was holding up - and behind his grin, she knew he was just as worried as everyone else.
"Will he come?"
"Of course," he said, without hesitation.
But he hadn't come before. Whenever they tried to meet after school, Sasuke would never show up. For good reason, of course, but Hinata had some doubt in her mind that he'd ever show up today.
And yet -
"See, look! It's him and S-a-Suk-raaAaa-!"
And when she looked, Naruto was right.
Sasuke was there, with - with someone walking at his side.
He looked pale and sick and tired, but not on the brink of death, which Hinata was sure was how he felt. There was still purpose in his stride.
This was the first time they were all together in a while.
And like the adults, Hinata wasn't sure what to do, what to say, how to act.
"You're late, bastard!"
But Naruto did. He always did.
Sasuke's flat expression tilted a bit as his lips pursed. "You're too loud."
"Hey, it didn't bother you before!" Slapping a hand on his friend's back, he laughed and shoved him forward. "Come on. The palace just got cleaned, so the floors in the ballroom should be ready this time!"
Sasuke grumbled, "So annoying."
But even so, he followed them to the sunny palace, and Naruto had been right. The ballroom floor was bright and shining, and when they had opened the door, a maid had walked over to tell their prince that extra soap had been added.
Everyone worked quickly to pull off their shoes. With sock-clad feet, one by one, they went onto the floor, giggling and wobbling as they slipped around the place. Naruto was already twirling around, having more experience with floor-skating than all of them combined. Someone else found their confidence, as well, and as they commenced in a race around the large room, Hinata pulled her arms away from her body, knees shaking.
"Easy." Her left foot slipped on a rather soapy patch, but her arms were caught by Sasuke. "It's just like flying. Find your balance first."
Flattening her feet on the floor, she did just that, and when he let go of her, she was able to stand upright and push herself forward. Slowly, of course, but Sasuke didn't rush her like he did last time.
"Thank you."
"I didn't do anything."
He stayed by as Naruto raced past them. She watched and laughed for a moment, then looked at Sasuke. His gaze was bowed, his expression troubled, and she knew he was replaying it in his head again.
"I know you might not want to," she said, pushing herself a little closer, "but you can talk about it if you want."
His eyes smoldered. "Like you haven't heard enough of it already."
Her shoulders fell. "Naruto's acting like he always does, but if you want to talk, he'll listen."
He sighed, then screwed his lips together. "I know."
"Whatever you want, Sasuke."
"Right now, I just don't want to think about it." He finally lifted his head and gestured to Naruto, who had lost control of his speed and went flying into one of the walls. "This is fine."
She smiled, worried, but only nodded.
"Princess, race me next!"
That familiar, Sasuke smirk that she hadn't seen for ages stretched across his face as she slipped past her to help Naruto back on his feet.
"She's barely got the balancing down, Naruto. Race me instead."
...
Age nineteen, everything was happening at once.
"Open it, open it!"
Pushing away Naruto, scowling, Sasuke tore open the envelope and pulled out a single, folded piece of paper. His eyes skimmed the first few words, and then he dropped it to his lap.
"Well!?" Naruto barked.
Sasuke handed her the piece of paper, and when she unfolded it to read it, Naruto rushed over to her side.
"I was accepted," Sasuke breathed.
Hinata gasped as Naruto grinned. "You're gonna be a Guard!" He jumped to his feet, ripped the letter from her hands, and ran down the hallway of the manor. "I have to tell Ku-S-rr-aassuu!"
Hinata laughed as his yells boomed through the manor, and when she looked back at Sasuke, he was quiet and still. Stunned, probably. Leaning over, she tugged at his sleeve, and he blinked and looked at her.
"You did it," she whispered, smiling. "Congratulations."
And when he smiled, it was probably the first, genuine she had ever seen. The last few years had been torture for him, but he got through it, somehow.
No.
Not somehow.
Because he was her friend, Sasuke Uchiha, one of the strongest people she's ever known.
He deserved this, and she was glad he got it.
...
Years later, the roles were reversed, and when he walked up to her at the bar, his eyes were trained on the band on her left ring finger.
"Congratulations."
He pulled out the stool next to her and sat down. The familiar face of the bartender turned his way, then pushed a drink his way. Sasuke didn't have to look to know what it was. He lifted it to his lips and took a sip, gaze still focused on her.
In the background, she heard Naruto laughing. There was a group surrounding him, patting his back and congratulating him, as well. The room was full and busy, but Hinata didn't mind it.
She was glad he was happy.
"He nearly stopped breathing half-way through," she told him, leaning over the bar a bit.
Sasuke blew an amused sigh through the corner of his mouth. "We practiced it at least a hundred times."
"I knew you had something to do with it. 'I want to ask you something,' he told me. If it were just him, he would have gotten straight into it without giving me a second to process things." She laughed and smiled at Sasuke, hoping he had an inkling of an idea of how absolutely ecstatic she was. He probably didn't. It was beyond words. "I knew that was your doing."
He took another sip of his drink to hide his smirk. "I guess we both proposed to you, then."
She kicked the leg of his stool, and a small laugh escaped him.
"But . . . now it's your turn, I guess."
At that, his spine straightened, and he gave her a look.
"I'm not so sure."
"She likes you, Sasuke," she told him, voice low and soft, not wanting to pressure him. "And we both know I'm well aware of how you feel. What's stopping you?"
He placed his glass down, lips pursing.
"I'm just no good."
She sighed, leaned over, and grabbed his wrist.
"Liar."
...
It was all slamming into her skull, one by one, without mercy.
And she remembered everything about him.
She remembered his birthday and his favorite color. She remembered how when he would soar through the skies, he would always breathe in through his nose and out his mouth to get as much air as possible.
She remembered how he would fly her to school when they were little , at the request of his mother, of course; but didn't complain terribly often, especially when she was finally able to keep up with him. She remembered how, when they were teenagers, they would go to a pastry shop that she and Naruto liked, and he would always get the same, plain rye bread to eat.
She remembered meeting him again in that same bar, remembered plucking his face for the first time, remembered how he nearly died in Sand 1 to save her. She remembered "Good to see your blindness hasn't changed" and "You have my word" and "When we first met, I had told you that not all of Forest had weeds" but -
But . . . no confession.
No announcement of love.
Not even a speck of evidence that he even felt that way about her.
Because . . .
Because he didn't.
And she -
"Are you alright, Moon Witch?"
Oh, Gods.
She had said -
"I'm in love with you."
To . . . him.
When she tried to pull away, his hold on her shoulders tightened.
Shizune and Karin were close by, watching her closely, while Ino had her back collapsed against the wall, sweating and tired.
And Sasuke -
"I-I'm okay."
She wasn't so sure what he was doing, what he looked like, what he was thinking.
"I remember . . ."
Because there was no way she could ever face him again.
...
"I can walk."
"You're barely able to stand, Moon Witch."
He took her into the hallway shortly after she had come back from the hurricane of memories that engulfed her entire being. His left hand held her right arm. It was warm. She was warm.
She was so embarrassed.
"I'm alright."
He scoffed. "What are you trying to prove, here?"
It was humiliating. She had latched herself onto him for the past few days, and he had obviously been uncomfortable with it. But she had been so sure -
"Can't you . . . let go of me, please."
His fingers stiffened, then loosened, then released her. Her legs were ready to give out on her, she pressed her left shoulder against the wall and tried to find her balance.
How pathetic. How shameful.
What was she doing?
"Tell me what's wrong."
He didn't know? Wasn't it obvious?
"I remember."
He stepped closer to her, and she bowed her chin. "It looked painful," he said. "You were screaming."
With her head at such an angle, she saw the cloak covering her entire body. His cloak. His.
I shouldn't have this.
With trembling fingers, she unlatched it, pulled it off, and handed it to him. "It's yours," she whispered. "Take it."
He did, barely.
"Moon Witch."
"Can I please go back to my cell?"
"I came," he said, standing in front of her, keeping her from continuing down the way. "I was there. You weren't alone."
Is that what he's worried about?
Her hands covered her face, which was hot and red. Like the rest of her.
"I know." But I wish I was.
Chapter 18 - End