She turned around, the road ahead barely visible but she could see a silhouette in front of her. Hanabi yelled out, asking the figure to wait for her, as well as who they were. The long flowing hair was unmistakable, as well as the slender frame and the playful laughter that seemed to echo along the street; the person was her sister.

"Hinata! Wait, please, don't leave me behind." She reached out, trying to run faster but it felt as though she had been stagnant all along. She watched with pain filled eyes as the figure got further and further away.

Waking up with a start, Hanabi gasped and looked around, making sure that she was safe. The sound of thunder rocked through the house, shaking the foundation and rattling her bones. Running a hand over her face, she reached for the bedside lamp and turned it on. It took a few minutes for her to get up, the darkness from beyond her windows letting her know that it was still very much night.

Throwing her sheets to the side, she got up and went to the bathroom to wash her face. Staring at her disheveled self in the mirror, she groaned and wet her face once more. A very strong sense of dread had been getting to her for the past week, and her dreams would be the same; she would be chasing Hinata but never catching up.

Hanabi hadn't told anyone about it simply because she didn't think it was that important. It was just her anxiety getting to her as weeks turned to months since she's seen her sister.

Walking down the stairs whilst tying her hair into a bun, she noticed the light on in the living room and got curious. Peeking inside, she saw Sasuke laying there with a hand thrown over his face. Had he not gone home when he said he would?

Approaching the sleeping man, she poked his cheek a few times, hoping to wake him and remind him to go home. He had stopped by earlier that day to have a few drinks with Neji and her father, of course, she wasn't allowed to join at her young age. She figured that he had gone home since no one said anything, but he was most likely wasted.

"Of all days you decide to be a heavy sleeper, it's tonight." She mumbled and stood up straight.

Just as she was about to turn and leave him alone, his phone vibrated against the coffee table. She waited a few seconds, not knowing whether to let it go to voicemail or not, but seeing Jiraiya's name flash on the screen, she picked it up. It was nearly one in the morning, what would the man possibly want?

"Sasuke." Jiraiya spoke up.

Hanabi walked out of the living room, standing in the hall as she cupped the mic of the phone so she was able to speak without being too loud. "This is Hanabi, he's asleep right now."

"Oh…You're her younger sister."

"Is something wrong with Hinata? Did you find her?" Hanabi spoke quickly, pacing the hall as she waited for him to stop laughing nervously.

"I think it's a better idea to put Sasuke on the phone."

"I told you that he was asleep. Besides, if it has to do with my sister, then I am obligated to know." She glared at the front door, imagining the older man in front of her. "You can't keep me in the dark, what's happening with my sister?"

"Hanabi, is it? Please, hand the phone to—"

The beeping of the phone cut the call short. The screen turned black as the dead battery was put on display. Cursing under her breath, she clenched her hands and was about to return the device to the living room but as she turned around, she walked right into a tired and annoyed Sasuke.

"What were you doing?" He asked, snatching his phone out of her hand. He didn't bother to look at it, knowing that it had long since died.

"You got a phone call." She answered simply, pushing past him. "I answered it because you weren't waking up."

"Who was it?"

"You can check when you charge your phone. It seemed urgent." She said, the annoyance on her face was barely disguised as she flipped on the lights in the kitchen. "You should also go home since you're awake now."

"I will be." He didn't care for her attitude, or the lack of communication between them. He was too tired to care. "Tell your father and cousin that I left."

"Whatever." She mumbled.

Sasuke lingered for a few seconds but left her alone in the kitchen. Collecting his things, he slipped on his shoes and left the house quietly. Standing on the porch, he squinted and focused on the heavy rain that seemed to silence the noise in his head.

Lifting his sweater over his head, he ran to his car and cursed under his breath as he struggled to open the door. Finally getting in, he flung his sweater over the passenger seat and sat there. Staring at the hood of his car, watching the raindrops splash all over. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and leaned over the steering wheel.

He was still somewhat tipsy and very tired.

Listening to the rain, he was startled by the loud sounds of thunder accompanying a flash of lightning that illuminated everything within the car. He looked at his rear view mirrors and turned around quickly, swearing that he saw Hinata staring back at him.

Her eyes were puffy as if she'd been crying, her lips quivered and her hair was matted to her face.

It was a rainy day much like this one, a day he remembered very clearly. She had cried, her tears mixing with the rain as she stood in the street holding her chest as if her heart had been broken into a million pieces. He came for her because she called for help.

She was hurt, and scared. It was a terrible breakup and he was there to pick up the pieces like he always did.

Blinking again, the illusion disappeared as he stared at himself in the mirror. Rubbing his eyes, he started his car and backed out of the driveway. He would call whoever was looking for him in the morning, right now, he was a mess of feelings for someone he found himself missing every passing day.


She swore that she was dead.

Hinata opened her arms, the warmth of the sun being absorbed by her skin as she embraced it with gratitude. It had been a long time since she felt the sun on her face, and water underneath her. She was floating in the water at the beach. She could see the shore, and a small gathering of people. Sasuke, her father, younger sister, Neji, her friends and Naruto. Most of all, she could see her mother standing there with a giant smile on her face. These were the people she missed.

Standing up, the sand under her feet cushioned her steps as she waved enthusiastically. Each step felt lighter, the waves around her pushed her softly, leading her to the shore. Once she arrived, everyone stopped smiling, staring at her in fear.

"What's wrong?" She asked, looking at herself in confusion.

They could not hear her. In fact, her voice came out very muffled, as if her head was held under water.

"Guys?" She watched as they took a step back in terror as she reached for them. "Guys, it's me, Hinata." Her lip quivered.

Holding her throat as it tightened, fear filled her system as she panicked. She couldn't breathe! Coughing violently, her eyes widened as water poured from her mouth. It clogged her nose, drenching her once more, her hair was matted to her face, her skin turned a sickly purple as marks appeared on her skin.

No! No! She's supposed to be dead! She's supposed to be in heaven!

The marks crawled up her arms, needles stuck out of her skin, the syringe filled with multiple liquids. Hinata continued choking, watching as her body contorted in painful ways.

She could hear crying, but it wasn't her own. Turning around, her world went black.

Karin sat in front of the incubator Hinata floated in, her hand pressed against the glass as she apologized over and over again. She looked around desperately, trying to find the controls for the device but it was no use.

"I'm so sorry!" She yelled as she pounded on the glass. "I'm sorry."

The door opened and Kabuto walked in. He watched the woman with pity, rolling his eyes as he approached her. She shrugged him off, her anger barely disguised as she kept shouting for Hinata to wake up. Grabbing her harshly, Kabuto pulled Karin as he led the way out of the room.

"You promised! You said you wouldn't do anything to her!" Karin thrashed in his arms, kicking her feet.

"There was a change of plans." He muttered, feeling frustrated as she made it harder to keep her in place. "Stop your fucking wailing!" He pushed her harshly into a table filled with random liquid.

Screaming in pain as some of the contents covered her arm, Karin watched in horror as her skin turned red before darkening. "Stop it!"

He stood there, watching as the chemical burn travelled up her arm. "Why should I?"

"Please, I'm sorry." She cradled her arm, at any slight touch blood began to pour out. "You have to stop it!"

"You've been here for years, Karin, you should have known what would happen to her." His steps were slow as he approached the medicine cabinet to grab some things, loving the way she cried for help.

"You promised! Lord Orochimaru promised that nothing would happen to her."

"Is it because she was your friend? But wasn't everyone else you led to death? Or is she different?" He took out a vaccine. "Why should I give you this?"

"Hinata doesn't—"

He gripped her hand, ignoring the blood that coated it. Administering the vaccine, he pushed her away again. "This is the little thing Hinata helped us work on, you're the first one to try it."

Karin watched carefully, not believing him, but as her skin began to heal itself faster than ever, she was shocked. It knitted itself back together, her skin cells shedding and rebuilding over and over again to take care of the burn.

"This is—" Karin covered her mouth quickly. Turning away from him, she hunched over and heaved as she threw up. Blood poured out of her mouth with no signs of stopping.

Her stomach twisted, eating itself quickly. She couldn't say anything, her arms gave out, making her fall in her own blood.

Kabuto frowned, watching as she choked on her blood. Her eyes bulged, and her face turned a bright pink before she stopped breathing. Standing up, he kicked her body angrily. "Shit, it didn't work." He looked back at Hinata's floating body, "why did it work on you?"


Jiraiya pulled out a cigarette and lit it. A raincoat did nothing to shield him from the pouring rain. It was advised to not be at sea because of the storm but he couldn't exactly sit idle. He needed to confirm his research. Puffing out the smoke, he squinted in an attempt to catch a glimpse of what he had come out to see.

It took a while, a few minutes and the help of the lightning, before he saw the silhouette of a rather huge building. He crossed his arms, eyeing the structure from far away.

"It's been a while." He muttered, putting the cigarette away. He made a commitment to not get addicted, so a few minutes of smoking was all he needed. His eyes narrowed as they got closer to the island.

"Hey! Is anyone else coming out here?" The captain of the ship yelled over the whipping wind.

"A friend, and a few others, yes!" Jiraiya nodded. "You can return to the mainland until then, I'm sure they'll arrive within a day or two depending on how determined they are."

"It's really dangerous out here, the last person I serviced here hasn't been found."

Jiraiya nodded in understanding. "It's probably because they live on the island."

"That can't be possible, no one has gone there for as long as I've rode these waters."

"You'd be surprised." Jiraiya pulled out his phone and dialed a familiar number.

It rang for a few minutes before there was an answer accompanied with a few curses and a groan.

"It's—"

"I think we might have found a lead."