Hinata sat on a rock in the middle of an open area of the forest. It was nighttime at this point as she focused on the scarf in her hands. Lightning bugs surrounded her, emitting a natural and beautiful light as they did so. She heard footsteps but knew who it was without having to look up. He seemed to have stopped at the edge of the clearing, most likely using a tree as a means to rest upon as he did so. He had gone over his plan with her, and she found herself thankful that he was allowing her this time to handle it on her own for a short time before the others charged in. A bird flew in a circle around her before landing on a nearby tree, eyes closed as if it was taking in the world around it. Yet, she knew that it was there because of Sasuke.

Hinata decided to look up at Sasuke, seeing that he was looking off toward the water, his face just as neutral as ever. Butterflies that were entirely lit up danced around him, none of them seemed bothered by the humans nearby. His features changed depending on where the light hit it, each second different depending on the bug's location to him at the time. She looked back down at the scarf, the one initially meant for Naruto. She was nearly done, but now she didn't have the desire to give it to him as she once did. Recalling her fear of rejection and fear that she wouldn't be good enough for him. Then her family and the council took that choice away from her and she was married off to someone else, ironically being his best friend.

"You know, when we were younger, you annoyed me." Sasuke said, earning a frown from Hinata. "You were too shy, and your stuttering bothered me."

"Good to know." Hinata murmured, staring at the scarf, eyebrows furrowed.

"I've changed my mind over time, though. You've gained confidence in yourself as a kunoichi and your loyalty to everyone around you is admirable." Sasuke shrugged, glancing her way before continuing. "I've not been the best person to you and I'm making a promise to you now. I promise to be a better person and friend to you, Hinata."

Hinata looked up at him, seeing that he was looking at her, and she felt a blush rise up into her cheeks. She bit her bottom lip and nodded, unsure of how to respond to such a statement, but she trusted him. Never had she thought of him as someone who didn't keep their word, but perhaps someone who was fighting a rather large internal struggle. After all, he was allowing her a chance to do this on her own and had already prepared the others. Hinata had been thankful that he was willing to do this for her and hoped that she wouldn't let the team down. She nearly giggled as she recalled him stating she was stubborn, a smirk on his face as he did so. She supposed he wasn't entirely wrong with such an assumption.

However, she felt he had a long way to go to earn her entire trust given that their relationship had been volatile. Hinata couldn't understand just why he was hot and cold, even if she knew why. It bothered her, but her focus was on Hanabi and that was where it needed to remain for the moment. She focused on the scarf, knowing that at the moment it was the only thing she could control. Hinata took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling as she did so, hoping that it could calm her nerves. Something told her that Toneri would be coming for her soon, but she wasn't sure when.

"Are you alright?"

She looked up to see Sasuke's full attention on her, nothing giving away how he was feeling, but his question took a moment to register. Yet, she found that she couldn't find the words to respond and after a moment he made his way closer to her. The butterflies fluttered away from his feet, moving around him almost in a circle. It gave off a rather ethereal look and she noted that a few seemed to be moving from her the closer he got. He stopped when he stood a foot away from her, watching her intently and a brow raised in question.

"Nervous, I suppose." Hinata finally managed to state.

"Just remember the plan and know that I'll be with you every step of the way. You won't be alone. When you feel you found what you are looking for, I'll come for you." Sasuke said simply.

"I know. I have it in my pouch." Hinata looked down at the pouch in question, as if thinking something was going to move when she did.

He nodded at her response, and it was then that a ripple made its way toward the water to her right. They both turned toward a sound to see Toneri on a platform as it lowered toward the water and in their direction. Hinata immediately stood, feeling anxiety settle in her chest. Glancing at Sasuke, he looked over at her and nodded, his slight attempt at soothing her nerves. Taking a breath, she waited and Toneri's platform stopped a few feet away near the shore. He held out his hand to her and watched her intently. She turned toward Sasuke, giving him the scarf in question, knowing that he would keep it safe should something happen. He looked shocked as he took it, but didn't move further as she reached out to take Toneri's hand.

"Wait."

Hinata turned, not expecting him to say something. He walked up to her, his brows furrowed as if confused and lifted his hand to her. He had set the scarf on the rock she occupied moments before, so when his hand moved toward her face, she felt a poke on her forehead. Moving his hand away, his index and middle fingers were the only ones that stuck out and Hinata immediately moved her hand to cover the spot, lips parted in confusion.

"Remember what I said." Sasuke stated, his eyes then darting for Toneri. "You are my wife, after all."

"Well, it looks like she's making the choice to marry me." Toneri smirked, pulling her toward him and wrapping his arm around her. "She won't be yours for much longer."

Sasuke stepped back and the platform rose, and he immediately activated his sharingan, sensing the butterfly in her pouch wake up from what he would consider a nap. It's face went toward the opening of her pouch, looking out and getting a view of where they were going. It was then that Sasuke saw Toneri stealing Hinata's chakra to force her to pass out. Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he knew that she would be okay while the butterfly was under his genjutsu. And knowing that his statement got under Toneri's skin was exactly what he had intended.

"If Hinata-chan gets hurt, I'm kicking your ass, Sasuke-kun." Sakura stated, her back against a cave that they found nearby, the fire they had in the middle giving her green eyes a more sinister appearance. "I mean it."

"I know." Sasuke stated but left it at that. He had nothing else to add and ended up staring at the flames, feeling the warmth dance on his skin as it did so. He thought back to the plan, mostly allowing Hinata the chance to look around where Toneri was hiding, find Hanabi, and possibly this tenseigan that had been mentioned to them. None of them really had any idea what it was aside from that it was a weapon of some kind. Shikamaru and Sasuke had discussed that it was why he kidnapped Hanabi and that it would be a kekkei genkai of some kind. The question was if it would be on par with what they knew about the rinnegan, which could make things far more difficult than they should be. And with knowledge that there was someone who held advanced technology running around was also something he had not forgotten.

"What a drag." Shikamaru stated out loud, heaving a sigh. "We have two different people to keep an eye out for and yet we are stuck here."

Sasuke snorted, realizing that he and Shikamaru had similar thoughts about their situation. "I was just thinking about that as well."

"Do we know who it is we are dealing with?" Neji asked, looking between the two.

"He's a Hyuga is what has been stated by the very few who have noticed him. It happened during the war." Sasuke responded. "Kakashi was talking about it while I was on my atonement journey."

"So, we are stuck dealing with a relative of Kaguya and someone from the future who is a Hyuga." Shikamaru added.

"Do we know why he's here?" Sakura asked.

"We don't, but Kakashi had a hunch that he was collecting something that was endangered or extinct in his lifetime." Shikamaru answered, glancing over at her. "And we know his hunches are usually correct."

"I guess the biggest question right now is if this tenseigan is in history books and if this Hyuga is aware of it. Because if he's coming back in time for things that don't exist for whatever reason, who's to say he won't come after it?" Neji thought out loud, earning a look from everyone.

"I wouldn't think that it would be common knowledge outside of us, though." Sai frowned. "Unless someone leaked that, but I don't think any of us would."

"That's assuming that Toneri doesn't die here and is not given the chance to share that knowledge." Neji offered. "Both of them are a wildcard and one of them we are assuming won't harm Hinata or Hanabi."

"I don't think he'd harm Hinata as he wants to marry her, so I want to assume he won't hurt Hanabi and risk her changing her mind." Sakura leaned her head back against the cave wall as she began to think out loud herself. "What we have learned is that Hinata is called the Byakugan Princess and that Toneri knows about it and wants her for that reason. Hanabi would have what we would consider a pure byakugan and, while I fear this to be the case, probably had her eyes stolen to create the tenseigan."

"Which is similar to the Uchiha. I have the eternal mangekyou sharingan because I implanted Itachi's eyes. I don't doubt that the byakugan is vastly different, but it isn't something that your clan seems to be knowledgeable about."

"Unless it's kept between the clan elders and clan leader. I don't see Hiashi-sama giving that information to Hinata or Hanabi until they become the leader, unless the clan isn't aware at all. It could be specific to Otsutsuki." Neji closed his eyes. "If it's as powerful a weapon as it's being made out to be, I doubt it would be common knowledge."

"Hinata didn't seem to know anything about it, which tells me that you are right in assuming that these two don't know much about it." Sasuke responded.

The conversation died down, Sasuke still not given the knowledge from the butterfly, which stated that whatever was going on wasn't done yet. With such a genjutsu and one he had practiced only a few times, the genjutsu dissipated once the role had been fulfilled, similar to a shadow clone of sorts. Sasuke leaned his own head back, eyes closed as he did wonder if Toneri and this unknown Hyuga would merge at some point and if they would have to take both of them on. The situation seemed to be something he could see happening and he hoped that everyone was prepared for when that moment came. Usually anything like this wasn't his problem but given that he was forced into a marriage and his wife was a big part of this, it was officially his problem.

"So beautiful." Toneri said as he watched Hinata sleep, having laid her down to get rest. "I want to get to know you better."

He managed to get into her head and was able to see something, but the image was interesting. Toneri had hoped that her thoughts would somehow be on him, though he would internally admit that he didn't know much about humankind. They were destructive and full of hate, which is why he had to make the choice to destroy them and start over. Hinata would be the woman to start over with, create a new world and future filled with peace and tranquility. She held the very genuine kindness that he wished would befall such a world. Yet, her mind didn't showcase him and somehow that made him feel a sense of anger. No, one was an image of someone he didn't know. Blonde hair and bright blue eyes, someone who looked as kind as she was, but something about him seemed off. The other he instantly recognized. Dark hair and mismatched eyes stared back at him.

"Why are they on your mind?" Toneri snapped, knowing that Hinata couldn't hear him. "Who is the one on the left? Who is he to you? And your husband won't be on your mind for long. Neither of them will."

He turned and left the room, holding a hand over his eyes as he used his memory of the castle to guide him to his room and sit in a chair. The pain in his eyes was something he knew about but was still just as annoying. Toneri had been alone most of his life, having only the marionettes that his father had left here after his passing. Hanabi had been an annoyance and full of attitude, so having her in a deep sleep made her much more tolerable. Hinata was vastly different, kind and the fact she came to him willingly had made him feel as if she felt something for him. She had accepted his proposal after all. Yet, she laid there, unaware of the turmoil in him as her mind was torn between two men, neither of which were Toneri. Was he doing something wrong? Perhaps she would make him a scarf and with that she would begin to think of him more. Maybe giving her something she seemed to enjoy would bring them closer.

Hinata's eyes opened, peering up at the ceiling for a moment before sitting up in an unfamiliar bed. She peered forward, the room was not something she had ever seen before, and it took her a moment to register that it was fairly large. The bed, while unfamiliar, wasn't uncomfortable and she wondered if it was why she felt more rested than she had in a while. Getting up from her bed, she walked over to a nearby window that had yellow bars across it, but the outside world before her was not one she had ever come across. The sky registered that it was nearly nighttime, but that was the least of her worries.

"Where am I?" She whispered to herself. "Toneri's castle…"

Eyes widening, she knew the first thing she needed to do was find her sister. In a rush, she ran through the door that led to the room she was in, leading out into what looked like a sitting area, but she didn't pay it any attention as her sights were set on finding Hanabi. Quick look around told her Hanabi wasn't here and so she activated her byakugan. Seeing her sister, she took off once again through a door similar to the one in her room. Sure enough, the moment the door opened, there lay her sister. Yelling her name, she ran to her side, noting the bandages around her eyes. Fear gripped her and she brought her fist to her chest, knowing exactly what had happened.

"Her eyes. He took them." Her eyes softened as she took in her sister's appearance, recalling what Toneri had said to her. She knew before this that he took her eyes, but to see it in person brought in a new emotion. Her eyes were taken because they came from Hamura Otsutsuki, which would allow for him to gain the tenseigan, though she knew it to be a weapon on its own. However, she was uncertain of its location, and she knew that was her next task.

"Good morning."

A voice behind her brought her out of her thoughts and she turned to see Toneri looking at her. His eyes were much brighter than anything she had seen and to know they belonged to Hanabi brought forth many emotions. He continued to eye her curiously, a small smile on his lips as he stood in the doorway to Hanabi's room. Hinata didn't move her eyes from him, but the intense feeling of disgust was evident.

"I'm very happy that you understand how I feel, Hinata." The smile never left his face as he gazed upon her.

Hinata said nothing, merely looking at him, but everything about this situation didn't sit right with her. He asked her to follow him, wanting to show her around the castle, which she knew was exactly what she needed to do. She put her hand on the pouch at her waist, knowing that the butterfly inside was awake, but would remain hidden. Eyes looking through the small opening that would allow it the chance to see what she saw. Hinata followed Toneri, looking back at Hanabi a final time before doing so. They eventually came across a line of people, most looking like children. One woman stood in the middle of them, giving a slight bow as they came closer.

"Lady Hinata. Welcome to the castle." Her voice seemed kind, but Hinata felt that something was off about her, even the children beside her.

"Welcome." The girls said in unison, bowing their heads as well soon after.

"Are there only puppets in this castle?" Hinata asked Toneri as she continued to follow him.

"They're marionettes that were left here by our ancestors. Since my father died when I was young, I lived in this castle all by myself." Toneri responded.

Hinata felt a stab of sadness for him, realizing just how lonely that could be for someone to grow up in such an environment. To only be surrounded by what he referred to as marionettes as company. It explained a few things for her, such as how he seemed unsure of how to interact with others. Perhaps that is why he was taking her coming here as a sign that perhaps she truly did feel something for him, even if she had made her intentions clear. Her focus was on her sister, but to know that she was in the presence of someone who was so alone, that part of her that she had always been made to feel bad for. Her kindness toward others, even those who are the enemy. Everyone had a story and Hinata was someone that internally prided herself on giving everyone a benefit of a doubt. Perhaps Toneri wasn't any different. Was it possible she could persuade him to change his intentions? Could she help him to see the beauty in the world and cease his attempt at blowing it up?

He led her to an area that reminded her of a chapel, entering the fairly large room and she took her time looking around. Greens and golds were the colors that stuck out the most with the decor. As they looked around, Toneri stated that this would be where they would get married and fall into a deep slumber until the earth stabilized. Hinata was caught off guard instantly, turning toward him.

"That's impossible." Hinata's voice came out harsh, but she wasn't able to keep her annoyance to herself. "The moon would also be destroyed, right?"

"Not to worry, this castle is protected by a very powerful chakra. Strong enough to move the moon. It's the power of the Otsutsuki treasure, owned by the suffering of my clan." Toneri responded, looking at her before setting off to leave the chapel.

"Where would this treasure be?" Hinata asked, a strange feeling that he was referring to the tenseigan and to know it's location meant that they could destroy it before Toneri could use it.

"Well, that, I cannot tell you." He had paused, his voice holding a sort of tense tone behind it.

"May I please return to my room now?" Hinata asked, realizing that she would need to locate it on her own. "It's cold outside."

"That's because it's dusk here all year long." Toneri had started to walk away and then stopped, turning toward her. "Oh, I almost forgot. Would you knit me a scarf?"

"What?" Hinata furrowed her brows in confusion. A scarf?

"Knit a scarf just for me." Toneri pushed with a small smile on his face, but then it faltered when she gave no response. "You won't?"

"If that is what you want." Hinata said, closing her eyes and feeling defeated. His focus being on a scarf she had been working hard to make Naruto and ended up giving to Sasuke instead.

"Really?" His eyes lit up, the smile back on his face. "This pleases me. Thank you."

Hinata couldn't respond, knowing that he would want to see her working on the scarf in question, which would hinder her ability to go searching around the castle. She had material on her, and perhaps she could take the time to make Naruto a scarf as a thank you for being someone she could look up to. Determining that to be what she would do, she still felt slightly defeated. Then she heard Toneri grunt with pain and looked up to see that he was covering his eyes with his hand.

"Are you alright?"

"It's fine. It's a sign that the byakugan is maturing into the tenseigan. It will subside with time, but I'm going to go lay down for a while." He began to walk away, leaving her where she stood.

The memory of the vision, of those bowing to her, her friends and family are why she continued on. Homura having been the one to ask her to save the earth is why she needed to do this. Hinata took the chance to go check on Hanabi once more, sitting on her bedside and grasping her hand. She vowed to destroy the tenseigan and as if on cue, Hanabi's grip tightened slightly, giving Hinata pause before she smiled warmly at her. It was at this time that the butterfly's eyes returned to normal, and Sasuke watched as Sai created their way toward the castle with the flick of a paint brush.

A/N: So, I'm going to straight out ask that we don't use the review page to argue. I want to clarify that I don't mind if someone writes that they dislike the story, regardless of the reason, they have a right to do so. That said, I have a right to respond to it or not. I usually do, but I also know when to cease. I believe that the issue in question has been resolved at this time. I do want to clarify that I appreciate those who support me as it means a lot to me, but don't feel that negative reviews will deter me. My writing isn't going to be for everyone, and I publish fanfiction knowing this. I know that the crackship is one that can be seen very negatively, and my plot may not be for everyone. And that's okay! However, I reserve the right to shrug and continue on and that's what I'm doing.

And in case any of my SasuSaku story followers are here, I plan to do an entire rewrite, which is why I haven't updated it just yet. As it's based on a more actual real-life situation, I wanted to give it justice and feel it was rushed and not a lot of what went on was detailed or given time to shine. So please know that is in the works once health issues settle and I can give each chapter I have up the time it deserves. And to warn you all, there are dark things I debated on adding in initially, but feel like for plot reasons, it is needed. So, beware of that.

Now for my update shout-outs and anything I need to respond to!

Tnkstar - Glad that was a part you enjoyed!

Azkipi - There is always a method to my madness when I write, but I understand what you mean and we will see what plays out for our lovely duo! And perhaps Toneri as well!

I-Love-Trunks-1 - Yay! I'm glad those stuck out to you and that you enjoyed them!

Vchristell - The SasuHina will be coming! Promise!

Huaniri35 - Thank you for the support. It meant a lot. 3

Guest - Thank you for the support!

LaCrazyWriter - I'm so with you on that and I've been researching as well, but I do feel like I'm missing things as well. I'll have to research a bit more and see what more I can find. I felt the same way. To me, when Naruto/Hinata became a thing, that seemed to be the entire plot and it just sort of left a lot of interesting plot points without a bow on top, if that makes sense.

Heart-Fatu - (sorry for the long response toward you, you can focus on the first and second paragraph, or whatever you feel like I suppose lol). I can understand that that part can be taken a bit skeptical. I was seeing from the standpoint of psychology and with that being desperation. I have a few friends who have a similar personality to Sasuke. And with them I tried to get their take on how it could be, and we boiled it down to desperation and feeling hopeless/stuck. And so, one can react that way from that alone. Again, doesn't mean that my take on it was perfect or that it isn't just cringe at the end of the day, but explaining why I went that route. And if you have other ideas for that part that I can share, let me know. I didn't mean to make Sasuke so OOC and I may go back and take a better look at some point for that, too. But I hope my explanation helps some to see where I was trying to go with it.

I have not! I just looked to see if I followed any of their stories and don't, but I can definitely take a look. I'm curious what parts that were the same, though. Do you remember the specific story? I'll never say no to SasuHina.

And thank you! I always appreciate the support, but you gave my take on it. I don't mind people who defend authors as I do get the warm fuzzies when it happens but prompts like that don't bother me. Unless it's situational where I feel a need to say something for others, just as the readers for my stories do for me. And typically, the only reviews I will moderate are very specific and I don't acknowledge them aside from laughing when I see it and moving on. Lol. Outside of that I thank them for their time and wish them well on finding a story that fits their needs.