Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto Masashi
Chapter 1- Versus
Kakashi unclosed one eye and saw the light stream through the half-open windowpanes. From the snug corner of his bed, he could see through the gap: the leaves of trees were rustling, and the tiny creatures were out and seizing their day.
This was the Konohagakure he had always known: the familiar buzzing and chirping and the smell of homemade ramen from the kitchens of neighboring houses brought to his nostrils by the morning wind. They made him feel at ease. This wasn't one of those days during missions where he had to wake up in a foreign land with his chest feeling heavy-as the hours ahead were carefully planned and strategized, and he had too little time for himself.
He felt oddly grateful.
Something inside him was not functioning normally, and he realized it. Ever since Naruto came back, he saw how strong his former student had become—not far from outshining himself- now that he thought about it.
Kakashi had always been good in missions—did all too well in ANBU and had earned a formidable reputation in the region. He was unaware of anything unexpected because there was always something to keep his mind occupied—a mission to accomplish, a target to assassinate or, on a more general scale, a goal to achieve.
But with all his students being trained by the Legendary Sannin and his prowess reaching its limits, there was nothing much to look up to anymore. Except the occasional dangerous S-rank missions and his Icha-Icha book collection.
And his budding interest in observing Team Eight.
Kakashi drew a dry smile, his unmasked face heavily illuminated by the sunlight. He pulled himself deeper into his blanket, too snug to get off but too perky to laze around. He slowly raised his body, set his blanket aside and sat on his bed, seeing himself in the large mirror opposite his bed. Shirtless, there was a visible scar imprinted across his left eye. He could use the infirmary, or in the least, Sakura's healing power, to permanently erase the scar—but he'd rather not.
A sore to the eyes, it remained something that reminded him constantly of Obito, and it should remain so, perhaps for the rest of his life.
Even with this notion that it was probably preordained that he would not live a long life—as most Shinobi did not—at least he knew that at one point in his life, he was loved by his parents, Sensei and teammates. And while they were gone perpetually and he still lived, he wouldn't let anyone close to him die in his presence.
At least not anymore.
His chain of thoughts was interrupted when he heard repetitive knocks on his door. Immediately donning his mask, Kakashi wrapped himself in his robe and advanced on the door. As he opened it slightly, he saw that it was a messenger Shinobi.
"Kakashi-san, I have a message for you from Godaime Hokage."
"What is it?"
"Godaime wants you to attend her office immediately for a new assignment."
"Another mission, eh? Okay, I'll be right there."
"Did Hinata want to kill me using those water senbon yesterday?" Shino asked almost tonelessly, frowning a bit more than usual, it seemed. The three of them were sitting in line on a piece of log in their standard training grass, enjoying their lunch. Soft cotton flowers were lingering in the air around them, carried by the playful wind. Kiba observed them; however, he struggled to avoid them from entering his Bento box.
"And you thought Hinata wasn't capable of killing you, eh, Shino?" Kiba said teasingly as he ate another piece of Onigiri, seemingly thrilled with the idea of Shino getting killed by Hinata.
"Of course, Hinata was capable of killing me. But why would Hinata want to kill me? We're supposed to be comrades." Shino said sulkily, which reminded Kiba of the way Shino sulked when Naruto didn't recognize him as the vivacious blond boy reappeared in Konoha after three years of absence.
Hinata smiled.
"We are more than just comrades, Shino-kun."
"But it hurts to know that you wanted to kill me," Shino said again, slowly munching his Bento.
"I wasn't trying to kill you, Shino-kun. The water senbon was just targeted at your Tenketsu points like in acupuncture-where tiny needles are used to paralyze people for a short time. It was the only way I could defeat you, well, the only way I could think of…," Hinata said hesitatingly. She then continued,
"The Jyuuken I used wasn't the high impact one-only small pressure was used because if it was used full-force, it could have injured you seriously. But yesterday, it wasn't you-it was a shadow clone. I wonder why you didn't use the bug clone as usual..."
Shino looked over and saw Kiba throw him a meaningful smile.
"I sent all my bugs to scout around the woods yesterday," Shino answered nonchalantly.
"Why, were you looking for anyone in the woods?" Hinata asked ignorantly.
"…the butterfly. I sent the bugs to scout for a butterfly. I thought you deserved a rare butterfly as a gift for all your progress so far."
"But Kiba-kun also wasn't there."
"I..uh...went to answer the call of nature in the woods," Kiba answered falteringly.
"But it was more than half an hour."
"It was a big call. What can I say, eh?"
Hinata burst into laughter. "You are so gross. I want to wash my hands. Both of you wait for me, and we shall continue training when I come back, right?"
"Sure."
They both watched as the Hyuuga girl strode to the river.
Hinata had gotten taller over the years and grown long hair, but still, they didn't make Naruto notice her.
'Naruto is stupid,' Kiba thought. 'Three years of training with Jiraiya-sama, and you'd think he'd gotten any wiser.'
"For someone who talks a lot, you're a terrible liar, Kiba," Shino voiced unexpectedly, breaking the silence.
"You were too, bug-freak."
"I wouldn't have done it if it weren't because of Hinata. Killing a guy because of her was much easier than lying to her like what I have done just now."
" Are you kidding me? Lying to Hinata about me crapping in the woods-tell me if anything beats that. Hinata will never look at me romantically because of it, ever. "
"So I'm taking over from Kurenai to watch over Team Eight until she delivers her baby."
"That's correct," Tsunade said from behind her desk.
"Have they been told?"
"That's why I called you. You are to meet Team Eight and tell them about this new formation. Aren't you going to ask why we chose you instead of Yamato?"
"If it's not a bother, why me instead of Yamato?"
"It's a personal request from Hinata's father."
"Hiashi-sama wants me to watch over his daughter? That's strange."
"Hiashi-sama demands that Hinata be guarded and trained by the best Shinobi in Konoha for the time being because he is worried about some affairs that have stirred in the Lightning country. Do you remember Hinata was once kidnapped by the lightning Shinobi because they wanted to steal the secrets of the Byakugan bloodline?"
"Yes, I do. It cost the life of Neji's father to reclaim her from the Lightning Shinobi."
"That's right. It seems there has been news flying around that the Lightning country is once again eyeing Hinata. "
Kakashi paused; visualization of the man Shino and Kiba killed fluttered in his mind.
'Could it be that the man was from Lightning country?' Kakashi mused. 'Organization. He came from an organization, it seemed. And if he were from Akatsuki, he would have worn the signature Akatsuki robe. Akatsuki had always been proud of their uniforms; they would commit heinous crimes under the bright sun wearing one completely devoid of fear of being recognized nor seen.'
"Byakugan, one of the oldest, primary bloodline abilities, has been one of the emblems of Konoha's might for a long time. We can't let the Lightning country steal its secret. I want you to be in charge of Team Eight until we are sure they are no longer interested in Hinata, or at least until Kurenai regains her strength," Tsunade continued resolutely.
"I don't think Hinata can't take care of herself," Kakashi replied. "She's much stronger now than three years ago—but it's your decision. I have one request, though."
"What is it?"
"Send me out to an A-rank mission with them. I need to assess their capabilities and orchestrate a plan to fortify them."
And I need to find out which organization that man was from.
"Done deal," Tsunade answered.
Pieces of the puzzle were still scattered. The web of the maze was intricate. Kakashi found that he had always been the one to put them together and disentangle it ultimately.
Occasionally, he would return to Konohagakure for reasons he had been hiding for a long time. Nothing was there for Uchiha Itachi; the whole abandoned Uchiha compound in the village had been left empty and ghostly.
Even Sasuke had left Konoha for training with Orochimaru of his own accord.
But still, Itachi came to visit Konoha in discretion. If just to remind him of his duty, if just to desperately retain what little was left of his sanity, to keep his disguise of appearance and mannerism as a member of the Akatsuki.
Itachi was tired, he wanted for it to end, but there was no turning back.
He sat by the rock beside the river, watching the water flow endlessly, letting the sight calm his senses. Closing his eyes, images of the past came flooding into his mind.
Itachi had just finished an ANBU mission. Too tired to go home, he decided to spend his time beside the river. If he had gone home, his father would have laid more obligations on his shoulders. Sometimes, the older man forgot Itachi was only a teenager.
On the opposite side of the river was where he first saw her. She washed her face; the sunlight glittered like diamonds in the water that dripped from her chin.
She saw him and greeted him.
It grew into something more profound in the months after. On some nights, he would spend hours laying his head on her lap, and she would hold him close to her heart.
At one time, she became his lover.
And he loved her. But his love for his village was greater.
"You're crazy! Stay away from me!"
The voice screamed in echoes. Itachi strengthened his grip on the katana in his hand.
"How could you do this to me, to your clan?" She had yelled frantically as he followed her to the river.
He had discarded his emotions; he did not want to tell her any reason. There was no honor in what he was doing, and he knew it. So he advanced on the girl, whose face was brimming with tears.
He quickly activated the Mangekyou, planting visions in her head. Within a minute, he put his katana to slit her throat, and she fell into the pool of her own blood.
The sound of dried leaves being trodden broke Itachi's chain of memories. Right at the spot where he first saw his dead lover, a svelte figure slowly materialized.
Itachi whispered his lover's name.
Hinata dipped her hands in the river, washed the remnants of rice off her fingers, and then splashed the water on her face. It was crystal clear; she spent seconds looking at the reflection of herself on its surface-the person staring back at her that she had tried to accept all her life.
"I have been a burden for so long," she whispered secretly. "Kurenai-sensei, Shino-Kun, and Kiba-Kun. Without them, I'd have hurt myself a long time ago."
"And what would you be doing to repay them?" A clean, calm voice interjected.
Hinata immediately looked behind and saw a brooding figure above her. Clad in the Jounin's vest, it took moments for her to register the spiky white hair and masked visage backed by the sky of blinding white. For a second, Hinata had mistaken him for God.
"Kakashi-sensei? That was pretty swift. I… didn't hear any movements."
"That's what we have to work out. You have to be more aware of your surroundings, Hinata," he answered with assurance.
Hinata was still looking up at him, kneeling. She perceived how his uncovered eye was looking at her, and it was of fathomless black.
"Um… We?" She said, puzzled.
"Yes. Let's go to your teammates. I have something to tell the three of you."
"So, are we clear of the new instruction?" Kakashi uttered animatedly; his perceptible eye seemed to be smiling in tandem with his invisible lips.
Kiba seemed to be the happiest with the new arrangement.
"I have no objection; in fact, I'm looking forward to training with you, Kakashi-sensei," he had said exuberantly, while Akamaru, on the other hand, looked sleepy-sitting beside the log, hardly lifting its eyelids.
"I am in no position to object to any orders from the Godaime," Shino had answered precisely, still seated on the log, his expression destitute of emotion. Kakashi thought that Shino would be a problematic Taijutsu opponent because lack of expression made one's movements unpredictable—and it would be tough to decide what type of short-range attack to be used against him.
"Good." Kakashi's gaze then switched to Hinata, who was standing beside Shino. "And what about you… Hinata?"
Hinata looked blurry before her lips drew a nervous smile. "Anything you say, Kakashi sensei." Kakashi noticed the tinge of pale red emitted by her cheeks as she uttered her words.
"So everything's okay. I've observed the three of you, and I have no doubts about your physical capability. The Godaime will be arranging the four of us to an A-rank mission tomorrow, so I will let you off early to pack your stuff for our mission. However, I need first to assess you, and the test is to evaluate your defence against genjutsu-type attack. The three of you must detach yourself from my genjutsu. Has a genjutsu attacked any one of you before?"
"Me, none that I can recall," Kiba replied.
"Me neither," Shino added.
"Uhm…I've never encountered a Genjutsu attack before," Hinata said shyly.
"Exactly as I'd thought," Kakashi commented. "Then three of you, go hide in the woods, scattered… because I don't want any of you to help each other this time. Meaning, use your effort to dodge, or if you have come into contact with my genjutsu—try to break free from it. Are we clear?"
"Yes," the three members of Team Eight answered in unison.
"Then, move… right about… now," the Jounin directed. The three disappeared, but Kakashi sensed their chakras and knew precisely where they were heading.
As he performed his Shunshin No Jutsu, his heart skipped one beat, and his eyes widened as he perceived another figure with a massive amount of Chakra in the woods—and the Chakra didn't belong to any of his new students.
An instant's epiphany made Kakashi realize that the four of them were now in grave danger.
Kakashi reappeared at a corner in the woods, about twenty feet from the intruder. His gaze wandered and interlocked with an Akatsuki robe quivering in the distance. Kakashi knew instantly; it was an old junior of his—back in the days when he was still serving for ANBU. He avoided his eyes from contacting Itachi's own eyes.
"It's been a while, Kakashi-San," a voice greeted in the air as a man's silhouette moved faintly behind a large tree. "Seemingly, we still have some unfinished business to be settled."
Kakashi stared at the still body of the famous, or rather, the infamous S-rank criminal—the great Uchiha Itachi and tried to be calm. He could not call for backup now; Itachi would start attacking his new students if he left.
"What do you want, Itachi?"
"Straight to the heart of the matter, I could use some entertainment."
"What do you mean?" A drop of sweat broke from Kakashi's forehead.
"If things hadn't gone the way they had…." Itachi said dully, "I would have become an instructor too."
It was as if, all of a sudden, time had gone still as Kakashi focused on listening to the words carried by the wind, filtering any other sounds in the place.
"So let me test your students with you."
"Leave them alone; you're fighting me."
"This is a fight, Kakashi-san. Just the prospect is different. Instead of losing yourself, you get to lose somebody else if I win."
"Itachi—"
Kakashi's words were cut short as Itachi disappeared.
Desperate, Kakashi teleported himself to the middle of the woods to ample space. He then performed a series of hand seals.
"Kuchiyose No Jutsu."
As he patted his palm on the ground, a diagram emerged, and a trove of dogs appeared in front of him, and the leader, Pakkun greeted its master.
"I need you guys to help me. To find my new students from Team Eight and bring them to a safe place in the village as fast as you can."
"Affirmative. But before that…" Pakkun intervened, its nose sniffing the air."Whose massive chakra is it in the woods?"
"It's Uchiha Itachi's."
Pakkun was silenced.
"Okay. Be careful, Kakashi."
All dogs then sprinted sparsely into the woods—searching for members of Team Eight. Kakashi then performed another hand seal, his left hand raised as his index, and middle fingers touched his mouth while his right hand was raised up in the air.
"Ninpou: Kirigakure No Jutsu."
The woods now were laden with heavy fog. It was completely useless against Itachi, but Kakashi had hoped the mist would limit the movements of Team Eight members, so Pakkun and the horde of dogs he had summoned could sense them better using the sense of smell and get them out into the village before Itachi could get to them.
And then, Kakashi disappeared into the forest. His main concern remained on Hinata.
Kiba was perching himself on a tree branch when substantial mist began to dawdle in the air, almost blinding his vision. It had also been virtually ten minutes since Kakashi had given them his instruction. He had travelled as far as the middle of the woods: where the bushes were bulky and thicker, where only the sound of crickets twittering and frogs croaking could be heard. Even the temperature was giving the impression that it had dropped an apparent one degree or two.
Kiba disliked cramped, cold space-especially foggy areas. At that moment, he felt grateful he had Akamaru sitting beside him.
"Wonder how bug-freak and Hinata are doing, because unlike me, they don't have you to accompany them," Kiba ranted, as he patted Akamaru's head with a smirk, "Kakashi-sensei must be treating this test seriously, eh, Akamaru? He's making it as tricky as he could."
Akamaru woofed almost soundlessly, its tongue swaying rapidly while Kiba continued his rants.
"How was it again to theoretically deflect a genjutsu? Um, upon coming across a genjutsu user, if you're alone, flee. And if you still come into contact with a genjutsu user, cancel it before it takes on full effect by disrupting the flow of Chakra in your body. Am I correct?"
Once again, Akamaru woofed in verification while Kiba began to rest his back against the tree trunk and added, "sounds much easier said than done, but no worries because all we have to do is avoid confronting Kakashi-Sensei. And even if I still get affected by his genjutsu, unlike Shino and Hinata, I am not alone. You'll be here to tap on my shoulder to consciousness. Aren't we great, Akamaru?"
Akamaru woofed again, but this time it was more informingly than affirming. Kiba began to sniff in the fog.
"You smell them too, eh buddy?" Kiba spoke in a hushed tone. "There are many other dogs in this area, eh? And they smell familiar. This can't be in any way-a genjutsu. Even I can tell real smell from illu-"
"Ah, you're here," a voice addressed from behind the thick veil of mist. Pakkun emerged, and Akamaru woofed with enthusiasm.
"Pakkun?" Kiba was baffled.
"I'm sorry to disturb you here, but this is an important instruction from Kakashi. You are moving into a secure place in the village immediately—there's a dangerous Akatsuki member here in the woods."
"Really? Who is he?"
"Uchiha Itachi."
"Really? This isn't genjutsu?"
"Do I smell like genjutsu?"
Kiba sniffed at Pakkun.
"No. Uh… what about Shino and Hinata?"
"My friends are searching for them. The Aburame boy would be easier to spot—since I saw his bugs flying around while I was searching. But we are having some problem with the Hyuuga girl."
"Look, I'm not worried about bug-freak because I know he's going to be good. About Hinata, if you guys can't find her, I'll go and find her myself."
"Kakashi is searching for her too. Better one with Sharingan eye to stumble upon Uchiha Itachi than you, don't you think? We have no time to lose. Best move now."
"Okay, but if later on, you guys can't locate her still, I swear to God I'll get back in here," Kiba muttered the oath before getting himself onto Akamaru's back. "Let's go, Akamaru."
"Sure. Sure." Pakkun replied with a sigh.
The three of them escaped the misty woods in a split second.
Hinata activated her Byakugan when the mist started to thicken around her. Though rotating around the blind spot, her vision was blurry because of the profuse smog.
She applied a little more Chakra to her eyes, and her sight sharpened to the point that she could see even the microscopic particles of dried leaves below her. If she could avoid an encounter with Kakashi-sensei, if she fled fast enough and kept her distance, she reckoned she would be able to survive the test without having to come into contact with or deflect the copy-nin's genjutsu.
Letting her sight travel, Hinata became a little excited when she saw Kakashi hide behind a tree about 30 feet from the spot she was standing. A small smile jerked on her lips; as she teleported herself feasibly farthest away.
She had separated herself about 100 feet from him—but as her vision toured in her precautionary attempt-she decided to deactivate her Byakugan to save some Chakra. She then looked at the space surrounding her for a few seconds.
It was then that her gaze intertwined with a pair of eyes in the shadows. When their gaze met, she saw the eyes turn a dazzling red; with three small dots circling the irises.
"Sa…Sasuke-Kun?" She uttered in fright.
Kiba was pacing the main entrance into their training grass restlessly when Shino appeared out of thin air in front of him.
"Finally! Did you see Hinata in there?" He hastily asked Shino, who was fixing the position of his goggles.
"My bugs told me an Akatsuki member is roaming around the woods, and Kakashi-sensei has summoned his dogs to find and get us out. That was why I immediately left the woods," Shino paused, "unfortunately, I didn't see Hinata."
There was a hint of uncertainty in his voice, which Kiba disliked.
"Man, we ought to get back in there. Pakkun took me here, but he's gone to the village to retrieve some backup. At this rate, I'm really worried about Hinata." Kiba replied, unsettled. Even Akamaru seemed fidgety –as it was dear to Hinata too.
"I'm also worried, but we can't go in there," Shino decided sternly.
"Dude, it's Hinata in there! Don't you care about her?" The dog boy complained almost frantically.
"I care about her with my life. But we can't make any decisions lacking in a common sense now. By all means –I'm sure Kakashi-sensei is trying his best to discover Hinata. He had also summoned his dogs to seek her, " the hooded boy replied calmly, still not changing his mind. Kiba was silenced, but the expression on his face told Shino he had not entirely dropped his intention to reenter the forest to hunt for Hinata. In fact, he looked like he was going to storm the forest any second.
"Look, I also left some of my bugs to reconnoitre the woods; if they find her, they'll get to me straight away. Once we identify her whereabouts, we'll get back in there," the bug-boy finally acquiesced.
"You don't mind ditching your common sense, then?" Kiba shot.
"I already caused a guy to blow himself to bits because of Hinata. Do you think I am not willing to risk myself once more? But right now, we ought to trust Hinata too."
"What do you mean?"
"She's going to be sad if she knew what we did. It's like we doubted her ability to watch out for herself. What do you think she trained all this time for?"
The dog boy was running out of words and finally calmed. "I just don't want her to get hurt."
Shino placed his palms inside his pockets, "me too. But right now, let's just believe in her. We have no other choice."
Hinata started to see the trees surrounding her melt—like freshly drawn paintings washed with the current of water. Even the ground she was standing on; had started to feel shaky. Her heart began to beat rapidly as she tried to focus on the Chakra flow of her body.
A pair of Sharingan eyes… She endeavored to think as she sank deeper into a puddle of phantasmagoria. Voices were whispering in her ears; they were the voices of the Devil.
You don't fit to be a ninja. You're too gentle.
Voices.
You're a shame to the Hyuuga. How are you supposed to lead the clan if you're so weak?
"Go away," she pleaded, her hands raised to cover her ears.
She saw a body appear from the ground, sprouting like a seed planted in the sand. It was a head of a person—with long ebony hair and a pair of angry white eyes.
No matter how hard you try, you will never change. This is your destiny. To be weak!
"Neji…nii-san?"
You're a liability to your teammates. Would you rather see them die trying to protect you? You don't fit to become a Hyuuga matriarch. Why didn't you stop trying already?
"Otou-san!" Hinata snapped as her father stood with both hands clamped on his abdomen, cold and rigid like a giant block of ice.
"No..." Hinata's voice weakened. "I've worked hard. I've changed," she said, more to convince herself than anybody else.
We would rather have Sakura than you. She's strong, unlike you. Her teammates never had to watch over her.
"No, Shino-Kun… Kiba-kun…" Hinata's tears began to tumble as she saw both her teammates standing before her. She closed her eyes. The voices must stop.
She had to stop this genjutsu.
Kakashi-sensei didn't have a pair of Sharingan eyes. He only had one with a scar.
"What would you be doing to repay them?" His voice was playing in her head.
Hinata opened her eyes. The sky was blinding white.
"Kakashi-sensei?"
"You have to be more aware of your surroundings, Hinata."
"Disrupt the flow of Chakra…" She murmured.
There was a new strength creeping inside Hinata, and she had no idea where it originated from.
"I must deflect this genjutsu…"
She worked to filter all the voices that spoke to her. Focusing on the flow of Chakra in her body, she remembered that the Hyuuga had always been known for their unrivalled ability to control the Chakra.
She meditated and then gathered the Chakra toward her eyes.
Byakugan!
Her sight seemed to whet; everything seemed to be clear in front of her as she halted the flow of Chakra in her body. She imagined some tiny strings were binding her eyes to the pair of Sharingan eyes before her. She then began to connect to the Sharingan eyes and found that for a second, she had had control of her attacker's chakra.
With the skill that enabled her to create Senbons from a water puddle, she had ceased the course of Chakra in her attacker's eyes.
Her action had caused her attacker to stir. As he tried to assemble Chakra into his eyes, some openings began to form in the Tenketsu points inside them. But it was a disadvantage for him –because Hinata's chakra inexorably flowed straight into them, sending it directly into the attacker's brain. She entered his storage of memory.
And visions.
They were the outburst of images that sent Hinata kneeling on the ground.
Uchiha Itachi saw her in his memory. She was standing near when he first had a conversation with Uchiha Madara, about the whole plot of extinguishing the Uchiha clan.
He saw her looking with fear as he slaughtered everyone who carried the Uchiha blood in their vessels. That blood-stricken night. She saw him slit his lover's throat at the river.
The Hyuuga girl saw Sasuke cry on the floor, begging for his mercy.
She saw him possess Sasuke with the Tsukiyomi.
And she saw him shed a tear as he left Sasuke on the floor, near his parents' beaten body.
She saw everything.
She didn't leave him with any options now. He had carried the memory with him the whole time; it had weighed him down with guilt that even he could barely bear.
She had plunged too deep into his sea of introspection; she had discovered his deepest, darkest secret.
And she must die because of it.
When Kakashi rushed and stood to cover Hinata, Itachi had already unsheathed his Katana.
"Leave immediately, Itachi. My backup will arrive here any minute."
Completely unfazed by the information, Itachi stayed impassive and moved a step forward.
"I'm sorry," he replied slowly, "but the girl must go."
"I can't let you take her away."
"I have no other choice, Kakashi-san."
"Then you'll have to send me away first," Kakashi uttered, raising his gloved hand to uncover his Sharingan eye as he moved a step forward.
The forest was dark and mystifying; the wind kept wafting as the cover of Itachi's bamboo hat undulated. Behind Kakashi, Hinata was shielding her head with both hands, trying to avert something from entering her brain, while she cried mildly. Kakashi could see she was in immense pain.
"Then you, too, have left me with no choice."
"Not so fast, Itachi," another voice interceded as a man clad in Jounin vest entered the scene. He was Yamato, the new captain of Team Seven. He immediately stood beside Kakashi, his eyes not escaping the intruder—who remained unperturbed.
"Tenzou…" Kakashi greeted.
"I've come to help, Kakashi-senpai."
"Thanks."
"We wouldn't let you mess around with Hinata either," Kiba said without prior notice, riding a big white dog as he came into the picture. He was followed by Shino, who didn't say a word. Instead, his bugs initiated to swarm the area—a clear warning of his presence.
"Kakashi-senpai, I will take over from here with Kiba and Shino. Please bring Hinata to the hospital immediately," Yamato instructed whisperingly.
"You sure you can handle him?"
"I will try my best. Team Gai is also on its way here; they will arrive any minute. Hinata looks like she's hurt badly. Trust me; I will take care of Itachi. If Itachi wants to kill her, then it would be safer if you were the one to bring her to the hospital."
"Okay then. I'll leave him to you. Good luck, Tenzou."
Kakashi reversed his steps and gathered Hinata- almost unconscious- into his arms before exiting the scene. As he jumped to leave the forest, he could feel her body shake with dread—it was as if she was having a nightmare in the daylight.
Kakashi had a nightmare in the daylight once.
It was him being burned in black flames inside Itachi's Tsukiyomi.
Itachi knew it would be a waste of his Chakra to fight the Konoha Shinobi. He remembered Tenzou as his counterpart in ANBU; he was once a captain to ANBU mercenaries from both the Inuzuka and Aburame clans. And his Chakra was stagnant-the aftereffect of the girl's intrusion in his internal Chakra vortex.
It was a grave mistake on his side to have tested the Hyuuga—he had underestimated her severely, and now he had to pay for it.
The girl now knew his motive and his plan and might leak them to the world. It would cause years of his effort to waste, and his ultimate goal might never be achieved.
But he wouldn't risk himself fighting the Konoha Shinobi now; they were many and skilful enough to defeat him. With that, Itachi decided to leave Konoha, but eventually, he would return to be rid of the girl.
Itachi thought it would be much simpler—as he had slaughtered his lover once.
"So much… blood..." Hinata whimpered, lying on the hospital bed.
"We've given her tranquillizer, Kakashi-San, but it doesn't seem to have any effects. Therefore we decided to use the stronger drug to calm her," the doctor suggested.
"That's not for me to approve. I'll go inform her father so he would make the decision."
Kakashi was about to leave when the doctor intervened,
"Hiashi-sama won't come. You're wasting your breath if you try to talk to him."
Kakashi halted. "How'd you know?"
"We've been attending to Hinata for years. She would hurt herself during training with her teammates and be admitted to the hospital. We tried calling her family to come to visit, but Hiashi-sama said the hospital might decide freely on whatever we should do to help Hinata. He never came to visit her, nonetheless."
Kakashi paused and observed the girl who was still listless in bed.
"What kind of things you had to put through all this time, Hinata?" Kakashi asked mentally. The question remained unanswered as twilight emerged, casting its orange rays on Hinata's face through the large glass window.
Tiny drops of sweat formed on her forehead, and some of her hair seemed plastered to her half-wet neck.
Kakashi could only imagine the visions she had received, and then he decided to stay with her for the night.
To be continued.