Chapter 9:
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Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he watched Hinata take off with Kyuubi. He had a sinking feeling in his gut that something was wrong.
"What's going on?" Neji asked.
"I don't know for sure. She was just standing there, and then Kyuubi-sama came out of nowhere claiming that it had some prior arrangements with your cousin, and then they both left." Shisui said as he returned to the group.
Neji didn't look convinced. That couldn't be true. His cousin hadn't said anything about this to them. And she also wouldn't just leave a respectful group of guests.
"You've spent enough time around it to know how pushy Kyuubi-sama can be," Shisui said without missing a beat.
"While I respect everything Kyuubi-sama has done protecting us and the village, it seems to forget common etiquette," Hiashi said, stating what was on everyone's mind.
"I'll make sure to remind it that it can't go off doing as it pleases," Sasuke agreed, as he waited around, knowing that Itachi and Shisui were having their private conversation in their landscape as Sharingan eyes were active.
"Shisui, tell me what happened." Itachi asked, while inside the private dimension of Shisui's eyes.
"I'm sure it wasn't me. I think someone else scared her away," He then went on to describe the look in Hinata's eyes as she made her decision to go with Kyuubi. It was a look of fear, but it was also something else. Something that made him think she had dealt with a Sharingan user before. He had seen that look before, in the eyes of his other victims. But in her, it was a look of fear, but it was also a look of determination that she will not go down, and sought to escape.
"That doesn't make sense," Itachi said. "I don't recall any of our clansmen going after a Hyuga before."
"Yeah, that's what I wanna know. It'll be a problem if this comes out and places a rift between both clans. I'll stay here and keep an eye on Neji and his family," Shisui said. "You two should go and find Hinata."
"Will do."
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The air crackled with tension as they followed the path Kyuubi had taken. As they neared the village's gate, no one could sense an eerie disturbance that hung in the air as the Hokage asked several Shinobis to explain what they had witnessed.
"Yeah, I thought it was strange at first, but I saw Kyuubi-sama with a young woman on its back. Is everything alright?"
Itachi stepped in, with his Sharingan active, turning everyone's attention away from what Sasuke was about to do. Sasuke's eyes flashed as he channeled his chakra, summoning his Susanoo. The colossal warrior emerged around him, towering over the Village's gate with its ethereal presence. Its azure armor shimmered with the intensity of a thousand suns, reflecting the unyielding determination in Sasuke's gaze.
With each intricate detail, the Susanoo manifested its indomitable power. Its towering form exuded an aura of invincibility, its ethereal wings outstretched as if ready to soar through the heavens. The armor, adorned with intricate patterns and adorned with the Uchiha clan's symbol, it radiated an energy that would've struck fear into the hearts of even the most formidable opponents.
As Sasuke commanded his Susanoo, it responded with grace and precision. Its movements were swift and fluid, mirroring the unyielding spirit of its master. It unleashed bolts of energy that should've decimated anything in its path. He sucked his teeth.
"It won't budge."
Itachi turned away from the Shinobis he had compelled, and sighed, joining his brother's side. The earth trembled slightly beneath the Susanoo he had summoned. However, its blade sliced through the air, further revealing the barrier they could not undo. And at the core of this magnificent construct, he finally felt an unparalleled surge of hopelessness coursing through his veins. He had known of Kyuubi's barrier before, from stories Lord Minato had told him. But to witness it hold up against his strength, just what kind of contract could negate the power of their ancestor?
"Nii-san…"
"I know." Itachi said, as if finally realizing the same thing.
The Susanoo roared defiantly, reminding them of a testament to what was supposed to be their indomitable will. That no challenge was insurmountable, and that they will prevail. But Sasuke let go, willing away his rinnegan along with the unshakeable Susanoo. When an unstoppable force could no longer move through an immovable object…this was a problem…
For the longest time, they had believed they were strong, completely unmatched, until this barrier proved them wrong. Kyuubi, for some reason, has finally decided to show its true strength. This meant that this whole time, it had been playing the game of a docile fox.
"Lord Minato had always told us that Kyuubi can prevent enemies from exiting and entering the village. Do you think it sees us as an enemy?" Sasuke asked.
"I think Lord Minato was misinformed about Kyuubi's true power. And so were we."
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"Hey Blue, do you know what makes me the village's guardian?"
Deals and contracts were meant to be straightforward exchanges. Yet Hinata found that in a very short amount of time, the balance had been tipped in Kyuubi's favor; The moment it had exposed such damning information. She had not asked to know. Did not need to know… Perhaps it considered it a payback of some sort, or maybe she was just not good at this at all. Now, there was no peace of mind when it came to knowing more. At least that's how she had chosen to see things at that time as she paused to catch her breath while glaring at the barrier ahead. Her attempts at leaving the Valley of the End were thwarted by Kyuubi's will. She understood this was its way of letting her confirm the validity of its words. But the only thing this seemed to confirm was she might be in over her head.
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Sasuke's onyx eyes narrowed as he spotted a lone figure standing amidst the giant statues of an unnamed Uchiha and a nameless Uzumaki. It was Hinata, her delicate frame seemingly fragile against the imposing backdrop. Itachi's Sharingan activated, analyzing the situation with precision and care. Where was Kyuubi?
Without hesitation, Sasuke charged forward, his speed a blur as he closed the distance between them. Right away, he could see the conflicted emotions swirling within her.
"Hinata, are you alright?" Sasuke's voice was a mix of urgency and concern as his brother continued to inspect the scene, before calmly approaching.
Hinata turned towards Sasuke, both in fear and relief. "Sasuke, I..." her words trailed off as she struggled to explain the events that had transpired.
Was she okay? She thought something bad was going to happen to her, and that's how she had ended up here in the first place. And now she wishes she hadn't taken Kyuubi's offer, which had been masked as help.
Itachi crouched down, holding out a blue flame as he hovered the light over Kyuubi's footprints. There were no signs of battle. However, if they were out here on a stroll, why would Kyuubi leave her stranded and alone? His eyes trailed back up towards the statues, before turning to Sasuke, and shaking his head 'no'.
"I take it your little stroll was cut short." He said with relief.
Her eyes locked with his. "Stroll?"
"Shisui told us. Or was it not a stroll?"
"Ah. Right…"
Itachi straightened back up and made his way towards them.
"Hinata, is it? We haven't had the chance to work together since my brother inherited the title. I'm Itachi Uchiha, good to finally make your acquaintance."
Was he just being humble, or maybe something else? Didn't he know that he didn't need to introduce himself at all? Even the dirt living beneath a rock knew who he was. There was even a bridge named after him. And yet, for some reason, Hinata pictured him to be slightly different. Itachi Uchiha seemed to like to keep a low profile despite his title of a hero in some places in the world.
"Um, it's nice to meet you. We haven't crossed paths, probably because I've only served Lord Minato in the past, then moved on taking on unofficial solo missions assigned through personal requests." She explained.
"Hmm, did you have something against my little brother inheriting the village?" Or was it Nenma Uzumaki that she wanted to follow?
Sasuke tossed him a look. He had not expected his brother would blatantly ask Hinata where her loyalty truly lies. Aren't you taking this conversation a bit too far? He seemed to ask his brother with just one look when they should be asking about Kyuubi instead.
"It was nothing personal. Those kinds of working arrangements aligned better with my schedule back then. But Onii-sama will not be needing me so much anymore…"
"Then why don't you sign your name back to the group active in our roster?" Itachi's eyes seemed to say something else.
"I don't have any incentive to do that when I'm currently on a mission formed by a contract," She said, the reminder mostly aimed towards herself that she has to see this through. However twisted it was, Kyuubi had been kind enough to show her the way of this world. Or at least, who ruled it? Though it claimed to be hopelessly trapped, Kyuubi could choose to hold them hostage.
Itachi's obsidian eyes suddenly got quiet, silencing his emotions until it was just a deep vacuum of space as he sent a blank look Sasuke's way. He was tagging out of this one and was now leaving Sasuke to deal with the interrogations. His dark eyes were a crimson shade of red when he disappeared into a portal of his own making without waiting for them.
"Ah, you made him mad. I don't often get to see that."
That didn't sound good. Was she going to be okay?
Sasuke's chuckle seemed to lighten the situation.
"Don't worry, though, Nii-san will get over it once he reads the mission report." Sasuke glanced over at her with worry when his words seemed to invoke a certain kind of look. "Hinata?"
"Lord Sasuke…the truth is…everything is messed up. More messed up than we thought."
"What do you mean? Tell me everything."
With a deep breath, Hinata began to recount the unexpected encounter with Kyuubi and the subsequent reveal it made at the Valley of the End. As she spoke, Sasuke's expression darkened, and his eyes narrowed in contemplation. When Hinata finished her tale, a heavy silence descended upon the two. The revelation of Kyuubi's true intentions and the secrets that had been kept weighed heavily on their minds.
This didn't bode well and went way beyond what Sasuke had observed. So the nine-tail fox was at its limit and wasn't happy. Aside from seeking the answer to its existence, it's also trying to rebel and abandon its role because it wants freedom.
"You should probably keep that out of the report for now."
"Why?"
He shook his head. "It's not every day that Kyuubi takes an interest in revealing the truth to someone. But you're not just anyone. At least not anymore. Whether you like it or not, Kyuubi has now made you a part of this. I think it's time for you to pick a side. And if you choose to place your faith in me, I promise you don't have to worry about everything else. I'm going to the Moon Village soon with Nenma, and we'll find a way to fix this."
Nenma, right. It's not that she forgot to tell Sasuke that Nenma had known about it the whole time. Or that she wasn't special, because Nenma had been the one Kyuubi originally entrusted its true will to. If she were to reveal that to Sasuke, there is no telling of how he would react, because, until this day, she did not understand how someone like him could go from a gentle Hokage to the walking embodiment of death. The grim reaper, Nenma had called him…
Sasuke had yet to earn her complete trust. But to even get there, or rather, before getting there, she wanted to know more about him. She thought back to all those times when the two had been left alone by Nenma. In hindsight, she should've used the time to get to know him better. But how could she, when she had been so caught up and distracted, to the point that the annoying aching associated with her cousin would go away when Sasuke was around? She had been too consumed by the realization that the visions and nightmares would stop when Sasuke had slept nearby.
"What do you say?" As she stared at his hand, she wondered how many lives he had slain.
"Lord Sasuke, why did Nenma call you the Grim Reaper?"
Yikes. She should probably leave a clone again, shouldn't she? Sasuke just stared at her for a second, and salvation came in the form of his smile. If she had looked closer, she would've noticed the sadness behind his stare.
"What are you insinuating, Hinata? Only those closest to me get to know that sort of thing." She pouted, suddenly concerned with the most trivial things, like the revelation that Nenma was indeed closer to Sasuke than her. His smirk gave away into a smile, this one seemingly more real than any other before it.
"So, what do you say?" When he drew closer to emphasize his point, it had Hinata both blinking and agreeing. And why did his voice suddenly have to be so deep?
"Okay."
"Good. Then let's head back." She leaned away before she could continue to be swallowed by the orbit of his stare. And after retrieving away from him, she was reminded that it made no sense to give him an answer just yet. At least not until she finds out what Nenma's side of the story was in all of this.
"Sorry, what I meant by that, is that I'll give you an answer only if you decide to show me what kind of person you are. So...I want to go to the Moon Village with you and Nenma. Or do you protest that?"
He hummed thoughtfully while looking at her properly. He didn't understand what she was going on about, because he believed in just a few weeks, he already knew enough about her to trust her. It was probably the curl of his lips and the playful smirk, as he tilted his head that convinced her that there was a point in the two spending more, and more, and more time together.
He clasped his hand.
"Hn, have it your way. But I warn you, you won't learn anything new because you already know everything you need to know. I'm still the Hokage, you know," And reading between the lines, she tried not to let that get to her.
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