When Hinata, Naruto, and Jiraiya got to the little village the Sannin had mentioned, he had found them an inn to stay at.

"You're not seriously tired already are you?" Naruto asked incredulously.

The man handed Naruto one key and Hinata another. "I got Hinata her own room. Here's the plan: Hinata and I will go around the village looking for information. Naruto, you'll stay in the room and focus on meditation. It's important for learning the new jutsu."

Naruto groaned loudly. "Aww, c'mon! I don't want to be stuck in a room while you're both out actually doing something!"

"Naruto, meditation is very important," Hinata stressed. "This is going to be an amazing jutsu and you need to be ready for it."

With a dramatic sigh, Naruto gave in and they parted ways. Hinata and Jiraiya went out into the village. Though she wished she could've grabbed something to eat first, she decided not to complain and follow the older man.

"How are we supposed to gather information about Tsunade-sama?" She asked.

Jiraiya stopped walking and turned to her. "I'm going to give you some information about her and I want you to take it from there. Consider this training for you, too," he explained though his eyes weren't on her. She followed his line of sight and raised a brow when she saw him ogling a woman standing by a stall just up ahead.

"I see. Please tell me what you know." She ignored the fact that his mind was completely elsewhere.

"Well, she has a very bad gambling addiction but not much luck. She also has a taste for plenty of alcohol. As for physical features, she probably has the largest breasts in the whole nation, so pay attention to that. Now, you go on your way and we'll meet up at the inn later." Then, Hinata was standing by herself, the gray-haired man already by the woman's side.

She sighed exasperatedly before turning around and going in the opposite direction. Hinata decided to check the local gambling houses and talk to the owners before going into any bars or taverns. Knowing that she was too young to enter legally, she used the transformation jutsu to pose as an older woman in civilian clothing.

Naruto had been studying the scrolls given to him for about an hour when there was a knock on the door. He got up from his bed with a heavy sigh.

"Please tell me you already found her so we can focus on this new jutsu," he said as he unlocked the door and opened it. Instead of coming face-to-face with his master, a man in a black cloak with red clouds stood before him. When Naruto looked up at the man's face, he instantly recognized him as the older Uchiha.

Naruto was able to register the serious look in his sharingan eyes and that Itachi Uchiha hadn't come to catch up and return to the village. Slowly, Naruto closed the door and calmly locked it before taking a step back. A second later, the door was busted down by another man wearing the same cloak though his skin color didn't appear normal and Naruto likened his appearance to that of a shark.

"Crazy to think that the source of immense power is being held within a child," Kisame said, looking down at the boy. Naruto glared but said nothing.

Itachi stepped forward. "Naruto, you're coming with us," he said. Naruto noted that his voice sounded deeper and void of emotion. As though he was only a stranger to the man standing before him and it hurt. It hurt to think that those years they all spent together were nothing now.

"Itachi…what are you doing?" Naruto finally asked. "We're—this…it's not you." He knew they were there for the tailed beast inside of him. "Don't do this," he said, pleading with his eyes.

"You're coming with us," Itachi repeated. Kisame grabbed Naruto's arm and dragged him out into the hallway.

"Get your freaky blue hands off of me!" Naruto exclaimed, pulling his arm out of his grip.

Kisame sighed. "He's just gonna cause us trouble. How about I just take a foot or leg?" He asked. Itachi tilted his head, focused on something else. Kisame took this as an affirmative and went for his sword. But then Itachi spoke suddenly.

"It's been a while, Sasuke," he said. Naruto turned around, seeing his moody teammate.

"Uh," Naruto began haltingly, "I found Itachi." Sasuke glared harshly at his brother with his doujutsu activated. He wanted to attack him and hug him at the same time, but defeating him and bringing him back home was his priority.

"You know this kid, Itachi? Looks just like you," Kisame asked.

"He's my younger brother," Itachi replied, turning to Sasuke.

"Finally. Now, I can bring you back home!" Sasuke declared, building chakra to his hand. The Chidori came to life and Itachi tilted his head. The jutsu seemed to be injuring Sasuke's hand with how powerful he was making it but it didn't seem to bother the younger Uchiha. Faster than even Naruto had seen him move, Sasuke was lunging for his brother, thrusting his chidori forward.

Easily, Itachi caught Sasuke's hand, the jutsu careening through the walls of the inn, leaving it exposed to the sun. "It seems Kakashi taught you his signature move." He pressed Sasuke's wrist back, causing the Uchiha pain.

"Sasuke!" Naruto called out, then he turned to the older Uchiha. "You turned into such an asshole, Itachi!" He mustered up his demon chakra, impressing Kisame.

"So that's the tailed beasts' chakra, how delightful."

"Naruto, run!" Sasuke called out, fighting against his brother's grip. Itachi, without looking, pushed Sasuke's wrist and broke it, causing him to yell out in pain and collapse onto the ground, holding his arm.

Naruto glared and bit his thumb. Sensing what he was about to do, Kisame pulled his Samehada out and cut through the orange chakra of the nine-tailed beast, causing it to disappear.

"What the hell? Why can't I feel it anymore?" Naruto asked, trying not to panic.

Kisame raised his sword. "My Samehada eats chakra, absorbing it." Then he looked back at his partner. "Forget his leg. I'll take an arm so he can't use any more annoying jutsu." He swung the sword down.

"Naruto!" Sasuke choked out.

With a burst of air, the sword was blocked by a toad and Jiraiya appeared behind Naruto with an unconscious woman over his shoulder.

"Try to trick me with a woman under genjutsu? I'm smarter than that," Jiraiya said. "And you should really leave innocent people out of this."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "I tricked you into training me by turning into a half-naked woman, Ero-Sennin. I don't believe you at all."

Jiraiya sighed. "I really wish you wouldn't call me that in front of enemies."

"If they tried to distract you and keep you away, then they obviously know who you are and what your career is, ya' freakin' pervert!" Naruto exclaimed. "We have bigger fish to fry at the moment than your dignity!"

Jiraiya set the woman down to the side. "I know your objective is to capture Naruto for his tailed beast."

"I see. So you're the reason Kakashi was aware," Itachi said. "It's true. We're here to take Naruto; he's a priority for the Akatsuki. And we're going to have him."

"You're not taking him anywhere," the older man said. "I guess it'll work out perfectly to take you both down right here and now."

"You can kill the fish guy, but you leave Itachi to me," Sasuke said as he got back up onto his feet.

Itachi briefly looked back at him. "You hold no interest to me. Leave." Sasuke growled as he raised a fist and went for him. With little effort, Itachi kicked Sasuke in the chest, sending him flying back far into the adjacent wall.

Naruto clenched his fists. "Itachi!" Before he could retaliate, Sasuke yelled.

"This is between me and my brother, Naruto! Stay out of it!"

"How do you expect me to do that when this is the second time he's had you on the ground?! We promised we'd do this together!" Then Hinata entered his mind and he whipped back around to Jiraiya. "Where's Hinata?"

"We went our separate ways just after leaving the inn," he replied. "She should be out gathering information."

"You better hope they didn't do anything to her," Naruto said seriously.

Sasuke got up and ran for Itachi again. "Come on!" He yelled.

Itachi's gaze went hard. "We'll fight then," he said. He caught Sasuke's fist before delivering a punch to his face and then a knee to the stomach before ending it with another kick that sent him flying back into the same wall.

Jiraiya tried to intervene but was stopped by Kisame. "That fight's none of our business," he said. "You heard him. It's just a little family reunion."

Behind him, Itachi wasn't letting up. The ground was littered with small puddles of Sasuke's blood. The only thing the younger Uchiha could focus on was how nothing had changed. How he still felt like that seven-year-old boy. How he didn't seem any stronger than before. He wondered how he failed so hard in his objective. How he could fail himself and his mother?

Itachi picked Sasuke up by the collar of his shirt and pressed him against the wall. "Is that all? Is that all you have? All these years and you seem to have done nothing." Then Itachi leaned in closer. "You're still weak."

Just then, Sasuke got a whiff of a familiar scent. He looked over Itachi's shoulder and didn't see Hinata, but it also smelled as though she should be standing right in front of him. He looked up at Itachi with wide eyes.

"That… scent," he mumbled. It was lavender and vanilla. His favorite scent. Hinata's scent. All over his brother. "What did you do to her?!" He felt anger that he hadn't in a long time building up in the pit of his stomach like a fireball rearing to go, burning.

Itachi looked directly into his eyes. Eyes so void of… everything. "Such a lovely scent, isn't it?" He pulled a small jar out, one different from the one Hinata usually used. One devoid of the Hyuga crest. "It was made specifically for me."

And just like that, water had been dumped on that fire and Sasuke's body went limp with shock.

Hinata had gone into every gambling house and bar she could find, and despite not finding the Sannin, she did find a trail of disgruntled owners the woman was apparently in-debted to.

"I see," she told the bar owner, who had spoken of seeing the woman and her companion within the last two weeks. "Did you happen to hear her mention where she was going next?" She asked.

The owner thought for a moment before shaking his head. "No, but I think her friend said they needed to continue going west, or something like that. I couldn't tell you anymore," he replied.

Hinata bowed her head. "You were very helpful. Thank you very much." The man waved at her as she left the establishment. Now that she had gotten some useful information, she could return to the inn with progress. She went behind the building where she had just existed and released her transformation jutsu, returning to her regular height and self.

She looked into her wallet and decided to pick up food for her and Naruto as she knew Jiraiya most likely wouldn't return to the inn until well into the night. She looked around for a ramen shop but was stopped by the sound of a loud boom. Civilians on the street began running into shops and houses to take shelter. Hinata activated her doujutsu as she broke out into a sprint. Her eyes widened when she saw the location of the explosion and Itachi holding Sasuke by his arm before breaking it.

She picked up her speed as the building came into sight and Sasuke was pinned to the wall by his elder brother. She ran into the inn and up the stairs into the hallway. As she rounded the corner, she froze at the look on Sasuke's face, because it was as though his whole world had just fallen apart. Judging by the injuries on his face and the blood coming from his mouth, Hinata concluded that Itachi's strength was still too much for Sasuke.

"Itachi-san!" She called out, causing the two brothers to look over at her. The look in Sasuke's eyes could only be described as heartbreak. She looked down at the jar of her special salve that she had given Itachi and looked back up into Sasuke's eyes.

"…Why?" Sasuke asked quietly. He couldn't quite believe that the girl he loved was still in contact with his brother. That she was giving him her own medical supplies. That she had kept it all from him. Like he was nothing but a joke. Like their whole relationship had been nothing but a joke.

Hinata couldn't stop the tears from filling her eyes but she wiped them away before they fell and said nothing. She looked at Itachi. "Release him," she demanded. "Or I will fight you."

Itachi stared at her for a moment before turning back to Sasuke and tilting his head. Sasuke's eyes went wide before he let out a blood-curdling yell. Hinata wasted no additional time and went for Itachi with her byakugan activated. Itachi let Sasuke drop and caught her by the wrist. She released chakra from it, numbing his hand, and then thrust her palm forward to deliver a vacuum palm. Itachi swiftly moved to the side and swiped at her legs, but she jumped and avoided the kick.

"Stand down," Itachi muttered, but she didn't listen. She couldn't back down after seeing what he'd done to Sasuke.

"Hinata!" Naruto called out as he ran toward her to back her up, escaping past Kisame. The man ran after him and Jiraiya used the opportunity to cast his own jutsu.

"Ninja Art: Toad Mouth Trap!" The inn's hallway suddenly began growing pink and squishy, causing everyone to stop.

"What the hell?" Naruto questioned.

Jiraiya smirked. "I just summoned the esophagus of the giant toad of the Mt. Myoboku rock cave. He's pretty sensitive so be sure not to upset him," he said. "Pretty embarrassing for such top wanted criminals to be reduced to toad food."

"Come, Kisame," Itachi said. Kisame wasted no time in running toward his partner. Hinata reached out for Itachi, grabbing his wrist and squeezing it tightly. He pulled out of her grip and looked at her eyes so soft that she could identify the pain, and she knew then that doing this had hurt him more than she'd ever understand.

"Naruto, Hinata, don't move!" Jiraiya called out. As the two Akatsuki men ran past her, Hinata kept her eyes on her feet, not feeling like she deserved to look at her best friend who was unconscious on the floor beside her.

Sasuke felt as though he was falling and falling and falling for hours until he finally hit the ground with a sudden thud that knocked his breath out. Then he was standing before his loved ones as he tried to catch the wind that was knocked out of him. His parents, his sensei, his best friends, and his classmates were all standing in a line. One by one, starting with his classmates, he saw them disappearing in battles, being killed and not being able to help them.

When it came to Naruto, he broke out into a run, arming himself with a kunai but his aim was off and he missed. The man killed Naruto, his blood splattering on the ground in front of him. He looked down at his hands, wondering how he could possibly miss as he was an expert when it came to handheld weapons.

"Naruto!" He cried out. Then Hinata was in front of him and he reached out for her. "No!" He couldn't do anything as she tried defending herself from enemy ninjas and was ultimately taken down by a barrage of kunai. Slowly, her blood ran toward him in a puddle and he felt his blood run cold.

"See, Sasuke," he heard Itachi say, his voice ringing out around him. "You're too weak. You'll never be able to protect your loved ones." Sasuke yelled as Naruto and Hinata were taken down in front of him again and again. "For the next 24 hours, you will be subjected to the results of your weakness."

"No!" Sasuke screamed, his throat straining and his voice cracking. But he went unheard as their deaths replayed over and over again, still too weak to stop it. He never once noticed that he never saw his parents' death and what that could've meant, too overcome with the emotions of seeing Naruto and Hinata constantly taken down in front of him.

While Jiraiya and Naruto dealt with the black flames left behind, Hinata tended to Sasuke, her glowing hands on his head. She broke his arm back into place and did her best to ease the pain of his broken ribs. Physically, he wasn't too bad. But he seemed to be caught in a genjutsu that Hinata couldn't break him out of and she worried about what that would do to his mental state.

"How is he?" Jiraiya asked.

"I can't seem to break him out of this genjutsu," she replied worriedly. She pulled her hands back and pulled the Uchiha into her arms, burying her face into his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she whispered desperately.

Naruto turned away to give her privacy, then squinted his eyes when he saw a figure approaching in the distance. "Is that… Guy?"

The taijutsu specialist appeared before them. "I take it Itachi came through here," he said as he looked over Sasuke.

"Unfortunately. Their target is Naruto. How did Sasuke know to come here?" Jiraiya asked.

"Someone let it slip that Itachi had been in the village to him and he took off. He knew where your first stop was going to be. I'm afraid he looks to be in the same condition that Kakashi was left in as well," he explained.

Hinata and Naruto immediately turned to Guy. "Sensei, too?" She asked. She turned back to Sasuke, noting the void look in his eyes, and held him again. "We need to find Tsunade-sama much quicker now. She's possibly the only one who could heal them, and Lee-san as well."

"She's right. I was hoping to stay here tonight but we need to get a move on," Jiraiya sighed.

"Hinata," Naruto said, causing her to look at him. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"We make the Akatsuki's lives harder like we will with Orochimaru." She knew Itachi had to do what he did, but she didn't agree with him being so harsh. She understood he had a role to play, but she couldn't stand seeing Sasuke so hurt when all he had been trying to do was bring his brother home.

"Then we're on the same page. Pervy Sage, you're going to need to take my training much more serious from now on," he said, looking at his master. "They're after the tailed beast inside of me, and I need to be able to protect myself and the people I care about the next time they come around. I don't know what they plan to do with tailed beasts, but I know it's not good."

Hinata put Sasuke's arm around her shoulder and lifted him by his waist. "We need to get him seen by medical."

Guy took him. "I'll take him back to the village. You three just go find Tsunade," he said.

Jiraiya stared at Naruto for a moment before nodding. "Very well. I'll teach you that jutsu on the way to the next village. Go get your things." Naruto ran off. When he turned back to Hinata and Guy, Sasuke was on the man's back and he was handing her two green suits that were similar to the one Guy and Lee wore.

"I like your goals and the fire in your eyes!" He declared. "This suit helped Lee get stronger and it will help you both, too! Plus, it's absolutely stylish."

Hinata took the suits and bowed. "Thank you, sensei," she said. "I'm sure these will come in handy. And I believe Naruto will be especially excited."

Guy looked at Jiraiya and nodded and then he was off.

"Hinata." The young girl looked at him. "Are you okay?" He didn't want to outright say that he knew Itachi was her source, but he also didn't want her to think she was alone at the moment. Having to see the older Uchiha be so ruthless with his own blood probably affected her deeply.

"Yes, Jiraiya-sama. I wasn't hurt. I'm thankful you came in when you did," she replied, not giving anything away. And Jiraiya had to hand it to her, she was strong. Physically and mentally. He was impressed. Had he not been aware of her involvement, he probably wouldn't have suspected a thing.

"I see. Should you need to talk, I'll be here," he assured her. "I know that guy used to be engaged to you."

She bowed her head. "That was a long time ago, but thank you."

Naruto came running out with his backpack. "Did you manage to gather any information, Hinata?"

She nodded. "She's been through here, but it was around two weeks ago. She left many owners angry, but I did hear that she planned to continue heading west," she explained. She handed one of the suits to Naruto. "Guy-sensei gave these to us. He said it helped Lee-san grow as strong as he is now. We should wear them while training."

Naruto had been as excited as predicted and eagerly took it. "I can't wait! We'll be matching, too!"

Jiraiya grimaced. "Are you sure you actually want to wear those? Even Guy looks kinda dorky."

"If they help, then who cares?!" Naruto laughed. He rolled the suit up and put it into his backpack. Hinata folded hers and did the same.

"I guess. Let's get going then."

When nightfall came, they made camp near a river on the way to the next town.

"Hinata, you brought your own tent, right?" Jiraiya asked.

"Yes." She pulled out a scroll and unsealed the materials for her tent. "I also have an extra one in case either of you need one."

"I got one, but thanks, Hinata!" Naruto said. "Who's first on watch?" He asked.

"I'll take watch tonight. You two get plenty of sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day of training!" Jiraiya set his pack down and headed for the trees before either of them could say another word.

"I have some instant ramen if you want some," Naruto offered.

She pulled out two rice balls. "I'm okay. Thank you." They ate together in silence.

"I'm worried about Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei," Naruto sighed after he finished eating. "I didn't think Itachi could do something like this, but he did kill a lot of Konoha shinobi."

Hinata stayed quiet. She couldn't think about the horrible things Itachi had done to secure his undercover status or she felt she would waver.

"To think he'd do that to his own brother," Naruto continued. "He really is a different person now. Even if Sasuke does bring him back, I don't know if I'd truly be able to accept him."

Suddenly, Hinata stood up and smiled wobbly at Naruto. "I'm sorry, but I'm very tired. I'm going to go to sleep now. You should, too." She wasted no time in going into her tent and shutting it tightly, not giving Naruto another chance to speak and leaving him briefly confused before he understood that seeing Itachi again must have really affected her. He let her go.

After she laid on her sleeping bag, she allowed the reality of the situation to sink in.

Sasuke knew.

He finally knew the secret she had been keeping for months.

She saw in his eyes that she had broken his heart and his trust. He was never going to trust her again. He was never going to smile at her ever again, that one smile she realized was different from his other ones. He was never going to hold her hand. He was never going to hug her. He was never going to…love her ever again.

This time, she couldn't stop it. She couldn't stop the tears that fell when she realized he wasn't going to love her anymore.

Because, finally, she realized it. And she could admit it. She loved him. She really loved him.

She wanted so badly to keep her distance from him because she returned his feelings. She kept that wall up because she feared him leaving her, just as Itachi did. She didn't want it to hurt that much more, but it still did. It hurt like nothing she'd ever experienced before. When he kissed her in the Land of Waves, she became aware of her own feelings that had been brewing all that time. When he took her on those dates, they were the best days she had had in a while. But she couldn't act on it. She didn't want to get more romantically invested.

She pressed her face into her sleeping bag and sobbed quietly. Mourning the pain of causing the man she loved heartbreak. Of betraying him.

Jiraiya had taken a quick restroom break near the stream and was returning to his post when he spotted Hinata kneeling beside the water, splashing water onto her face. He hesitated a moment before walking up to her.

"Couldn't sleep?" He asked, causing her to jump. She looked back at him with a face dripping with water and eyes red and swollen, and he suddenly couldn't tell whether all of it was water or if tears were mixed in.

She quickly turned her face away, no doubt trying to keep herself looking as composed and elegant as an heiress should be. "Ah, I was just—it's getting a bit warmer this time of year," she said.

Jiraiya crouched next to her and put a hand on her back. "Look, I know the past day has been pretty rough, but you're doing exceptional," he told her. She kept her eyes on the flowing water and said nothing. "I didn't want to say anything with anyone else around, but you're not alone in this."

Hinata finally looked up at him with an unreadable expression. "What do you mean?"

"Minato requested me back for a reason other than training Naruto. He needed help with looking into some shady stuff in the village that was brought to his attention from an unknown source with an unknown source," he explained, saying it without saying it.

Her eyes widened before her shoulders slumped and she let out a soft sigh. "Did sensei tell you?"

"Not at all. I just put it together." Then he turned to water the stream. "Do you know what my job is?"

"Author?" She replied.

Jiraiya chuckled. "Well, yes, but aside from that." She shook her head. "I gather intel from other nations. I stay updated on everything in the shinobi and diplomatic world. Unofficially, I'm known as the Spymaster of Konoha."

Hinata remembered Itachi speaking of a Spymaster knowing his role in the Akatsuki and nodded to herself. "So then you know everything."

He shrugged. "I try to stay up to date. But I will tell you this," he sighed, "he doesn't like hurting people but he will do it to ensure that the village stays safe. More importantly, that his brother is safe…even if he has to be rough sometimes."

"I understand that. It's just hard to see in front of me."

"It hardly gets any easier. Your cover was blown to Sasuke because of that salve you make. You made a mistake, and now you have to deal with it. All of your choices will have consequences. You have to analyze everything when you're undercover," he explained. "But you're still young. You'll learn these things."

Hinata, though ashamed of her mistake and the problems it has caused, took the criticism in stride. "You're right. I will be more careful in the future. Why are you…teaching me this?" She asked.

"Well, if you're interested, I need someone to take over this position after I get too old to do it?"

"I didn't know it was an unofficial official position," she hummed. "Who was it before you?"

"Danzo Shimura," he answered. Hinata's eyes shot to him immediately. "But the position was passed to me when he got injured and couldn't continue."

"I see," she said, thinking about what that could possibly mean and if it could be useful. "Who else knows this?"

"The Third did and his officials." He tilted his head. "Anything coming to mind?"

She shook her head. "Not yet."

"So, are you interested?" He asked.

"I don't know, Jiraiya-sama. I'm going to be Clan Head with Sasuke and working as an official when Naruto's Hokage," she said. "I couldn't just leave."

"Well, just think about it. It wouldn't be happening for years anyway. Something could change."

"Sasuke could break our contract, but then I will be married off to another noble family. It would bring shame to my family if two brothers broke their contract with me, even if Itachi-san had his own reasons. I can't bring shame to my clan."

"Man, I don't envy you being from a noble family. Sounds like it's the worst," Jiraiya admitted. "Even having a title like "The Legendary Sannin" comes with its own trouble. Perks are nice though."

"It's the same way with being from a well-known clan. It has its pros and cons. I will think about your offer, but I can't guarantee anything. I hope you understand," she spoke.

"I do. Having a Hyuuga Spymaster would be awesome, though," he laughed. He stood up. "Get going back to bed. You'll be helping Naruto train tomorrow."

She followed him as they went back to camp. "How so?" She questioned.

"I hear you're an expert in chakra control. He's gonna need guidance like that."

Hinata perked up at hearing this, feeling useful…and like she hadn't completely ruined everything. During this trip, alongside Naruto learning a new jutsu, she also wanted to create another one. One tailored to herself.

Just before she went back into her tent, Jiraiya stopped her again. "There's something else I want you to think about," he said, his voice just barely a whisper. She waited for him to continue. "I want you to think about spying on Danzo yourself."

Hi! We hope y'all enjoyed this chapter. It's one that I've been excited to post ever since I wrote it nearly a year ago. Please let us know what you thought about her secret finally being revealed and her true feelings :)) This is the last chapter in the arc, so, as always, we will be taking a week break before resuming with the next arc. Currently, I am a chapter or two away from completely finishing part one of this story! We've posted an excerpt from our next Sasuhina story on our Tumblr so check that out if you're interested

-hina

NEXT UPDATE: 03/09/24