Merry Christmas One and All! My God, it's been more than a year since I've updated this sorry and to all my lovely and loyal reader, I thank you for waiting! My life has been so hard since my last update. Between school, getting COVID for the second and third time and my emotional health, things have been rough but I wanted to get this chapter up in time for Christmas, so consider this my Christmas gift to all of you! I'm off from school for a month or so, so I'm hoping to get at least another chapter or two in before college starts again. So before I let go, be sure to read my Author Note at the end. With that said, enjoy!
Some time had passed since the invasion and the funeral, the villagers were all working together to repair the buildings and shops that had been destroyed during the battle. Normally the process of rebuilding the village would go faster but due to the number of injuries and deaths, most of the shinobi were off on missions left and right, leaving the non shinobi to take care of the damages. And after a few days of helping with the repairs and missions, some of the genin went back to their training.
Everyone was so busy getting things back on track that they didn't notice two black cloaked figures had entered their village.
"Haah!" Hinata cried out as she lunged at Neji.
In the main training area of the Hyuga estate, Hinata and Neji faced off in a sparring match. Since the talk with her father, things did change for the better. She was allowed to train in the main area freely, observe her own sister's training and even participate if she wished.
Things at home were going well and she should be happy but...
A hard strike from Neji brought her out of her thoughts as she gasped in pain, skidding across the ground a few feet from where he stood.
Neji dropped his stance and walked over to Hinata as she rubbed the area he had just struck "Are you alright?"
"Y-Yes, you just caught off guard." She replied, the pain was starting to ease up.
"While I'm glad you're not too hurt from my previous attack, I was talking about your state of mind."
She looked up at him as he crossed his arms and closed his eyes.
"This is the third time I've struck you down. Usually you're more of a challenge than what I've seen today. Did something happen recently?"
"N-Nothing happened, Neji." She said, reassuringly, "Perhaps I just need to go for a walk and clear my mind."
Before he could stop her, Hinata was already in front of the gate "Please inform father that I'll be out for a while."
With that said, she closed the gate and quickly made her way down the path, wanting to put a good amount of distance between her and the estate. When she was far enough, she sighed and continued to walk aimlessly with a troubled look in her eyes.
Did something happen recently?
She thought back to the last time her team met. She and Sasuke stood to the side as Naruto was begging Kakashi sensei to teach him the Chidori technique.
(Flashback)
Hinata watched as their sensei tried to explain that Chidori wasn't really suited to her blonde teammate.
"You and Naruto are so amazing." She said,
Sasuke didn't turn to look at her but he was listening.
"In just a short amount of time, you two were able to learn amazing jutsu that saved us from Gaara. I really have to work hard to catch up to you two." She smiled as she watched Naruto try to gather chakra in his hand.
"I...didn't do anything...in the end, it was all Naruto..."
Hinata's smile faded as she heard the envy and rage in his voice, she glanced at him and silently gasped as the glare he sent Naruto's way portrayed the exact emotions she guessed and more.
(Flashback ends)
Hinata hugged her body, attempting to comfort herself. Things had not been the same with Sasuke since the exams ended. He spent most of his time training and the times he wasn't training, they were on missions or if she brought him food because she knew he was missing meals . He would also try to distance himself from others. He never tried with her but she was still worried. He was...darker now.
(Flashback)
Sasuke was standing right in front of her with Orochimaru biting down on his neck. She stood there in shock and disbelief at what had happened. Sasuke had just saved her by using himself as her shield "S-Sasuke..."
After letting go of him, a black mark appeared on Sasuke's neck.
Hinata watches as he holds his neck, grunting loudly in pain "Sasuke!" Without realizing she could move again, she grabs hold of him as he sinks to his knees. She looks over to Orochimaru, her eyes showing tears of anger and sadness "W-What have you done to him?!"
"I just gave him a little parting gift. Very soon, Sasuke will seek me out and desire my power."
A dark purple chakra swirled around him, marks covering the right side of his body and the menacing look in his sharingan eyes "Hinata...who did this to you?"
"S-Sasuke, those m-marks, t-this chakra..." Hinata said getting some of her nerve back "I-It's from that-"
"Don't worry, I'm alright. It's only the power flowing through me" He clenched his fist "In fact, I've never felt better. He gave me this gift and he made me understand what I am. I'm an avenger, to follow my path I must have power at any power at any price even if it means being consumed by evil."
(Flashback end)
The grip she had on herself tightened at the memories. She needed to find Sasuke. She had to see him.
Hinata looked up at the sky, her thoughts and heart in turmoil.
Sasuke, what path will you follow?
In an isolated area of the village, the sound of lightning hummed through the air followed by the destruction of a boulder.
Landing on his feet, Sasuke panted as he looked at the damage he just caused. He had been practicing his Chidori ever since Kakashi ditched him early and after he was the one who called him.
I wasn't...I wasn't able to do anything.
His thoughts went back to when he went after Gaara. When the sand ninja took on his monstrous form, he couldn't make a dent in him...but Naruto was. That day, he made more clones than Sasuke had ever seen him make before. And because of the combined assault, he manages to damage half of his form. Then when the Shukaku was released, Naruto countered by summoning a giant toad. Despite the fact that Gaara was his opponent and that he was the one who went after him, in the end, it was Naruto who saved the day. And that added more fuel to the fire raging inside him.
Naruto just keeps getting stronger and stronger. Compared to him, I...
Suddenly the memory of his brother's sharingan eyes appears in his mind. He scoffed angrily and with a battle roar, he continued his training. Unknown to him, a certain bluenette had hidden herself a few feet away, watching him.
Hinata knew she had to stop him. Although his hands have gotten used to the Chidori technique, it still took a great deal of chakra to perform this technique a number of times. And from what she can see, his chakra was running low and pretty soon he wouldn't be able to move.
"Who's there?" Sasuke said as he sensed another ninja nearby. He glared at the direction the presence was coming from.
Hinata flinched, once again she failed to see what was happening in front of her because of her thoughts. Now she's busted.
She sighed and came out into the opening. Sasuke's hard expression softened at the sight of her.
"How'd you find me?" He asked.
"Byakugan." She simply replied, pointing to her eyes.
He shook his head, scolding himself a bit for asking an obvious question.
"Are you ok?" She asked, looking at him.
The Uchiha paused, biting the inside of his cheek before answering "I'm fine, just blowing off some steam while training."
Hinata approached him "You know, talking also helps blow off steam too. I'd be happy to hear whatever's on your mind."
"Not this time it won't." He said before turning back to the boulder. But before he could do anything, he felt her smaller hands hold back the arm he uses for the Chidori.
"C-Can you at least try?" Her expression showed her concern "You have so much adrenaline pumping through your veins, you can't feel how low your chakra is. If you keep this up, you'll collapse!"
As much as Sasuke wanted to deny, she was right. As his adrenaline started to wear down, he felt the exhaustion and fatigue of having low chakra. He felt like his knees were about to buckle if he kept this up.
He sighed in defeat.
Once again, Hinata gets me to take a break.
Sasuke led her to the nearest tree and sat down, leaning against it. He felt Hinata sit besides him but said nothing. Both just sat there in silence, one of them wondering if the other was willing to talk.
After another minute of silence, Sasuke said "I couldn't do a damn thing when we faced that sand ninja."
Hinata watched as he clutched his teeth, looking at his hand with anger and disappointment in his eyes "But Naruto...he was able to do what I couldn't. He just keeps getting stronger and stronger and I...I feel like I'm far behind him and I can't stand it!"
He hated it. He hated the feeling of being inferior. He was reminded of his past failure, if he had been stronger, then maybe his clan would still be...
Sasuke's thoughts stopped when he felt Hinata's hand in his. He looked at her as she looked back at him. In her eyes, he could see that how he was feeling now was something she's used to.
"Sasuke, I understand what it feels like to be far behind and so does Naruto. You are the strongest among us, you had the best grades and were the top ninja back at the academy." She pressed her lips together as if she was back then. "When I looked at you, I used to think that I would never reach your level, that I was nothing compared to you."
"Hinata..."
"Naruto is the same in a way. He would train day and night but in the end, he still couldn't beat you."
"But it's different now. You and Naruto are stronger now..."
"Because of you." She finished.
Sasuke furrowed his brows in confusion. He thought about what Hinata said. It's true, because of their rivalry, he and Naruto have always competed, pushing each other to be stronger. Part of him was pleased that he was the inspiration to his team's hard work. But their aims were different, so different. The idea of looking at Naruto's back as he was ahead of him made his blood boil. But...
She smiled at him, giving his hand a squeeze "You may not see it but you inspire us to train harder. It may be a rivalry for Naruto but for me..." She blushes, ducking her head "I-I hope to stand by your side as an equal."
As he looked down at Hinata trying to hide the rosy color of her cheeks, he felt his rage die down a bit.
Hinata was different from them. He wanted her to succeed in everything she did. To him, if she walked ahead, it meant she was out of her shell even more than before. It meant she would speak even more confidently, she would fight harder and...she would smile more.
He reached under her chin and tilted her head to meet her eye. "You already are."
She could feel her face getting warmer as she looked into his eyes. They showed her that he really felt that way and it caused her to smile.
"T-Thank you..." She whispered "I'm so happy you believe and trust me enough to be your equal."
The young Uchiha furrowed his brow again "You didn't think I trust you?"
"No, that's not what I meant. I know you trust me to watch your back on a mission but this is the first time you talk about what's actually bothering you. I'm happy you trust me with this kind of stuff as well."
"Hinata..." His expression turned serious, his tone sincere "I trust you more than anyone, I mean that."
"Sasuke..."
"In fact, I trust you so much that there's something I want to show you."
She tilted her head curious.
Hinata was silent as they were walking down a familiar road.
This is the road that leads to the lake.
She thought Sasuke wanted to show her something she must have missed the last time she was there but that idea left her mind as he led her past the lake and farther down the road. From a distance, Hinata could see buildings from behind a stone wall.
This must be a district, but if it's this far out from the village then...
She froze as the answer was barely hanging onto the entrance.
A blue banner with a red and white fan as its emblem. The symbol of the Uchiha clan.
"Come on..." She turned to him, his expression she couldn't read "Let's go."
Hinata walked behind him as they made their way down the main road, taking in the home of what was once called the most powerful clan in the Leaf village. Her heart ached at the site.
All these buildings and homes, there must have been so many of them. And now they're all gone.
She faced forward, looking at the back of Sasuke's head. Tears welled up in her eyes.
He's the only one left, all his people, his family gone. It must have been so painful and so...so...
Lonely.
"L-Let's go back." She whispered.
The young Uchiha stopped and turned to her, surprised to see her close to tears.
"Hinata, why-"
"You don't have t-to do this..." Her voice breaking a bit "Being here, it must bring back such painful memories. I-I don't want you to suffer if it can be avoided."
She began to turn back the way they came but Sasuke grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him. He looked down at the young Hyuga, her expression showed how surprised she was at his sudden action but he focused on the tears that were ready to fall down her face.
You even cry for me...
He gave her hand a firm squeeze before leading them further into the district.
"S-Sasu-"
"I'm fine as long as you're here."
Hinata felt like she was suffocating due to how full her heart was at that moment. She wanted to leave for his sake but knowing she could help him just by being by his side made her so happy.
They traveled further and further until they reached their destination. In front of them was a large wooden shrine.
"A shrine?" Hinata asked after looking at it.
"Yeah, this is Naka shrine." Sasuke said as he led her inside "This is why we came."
As big as it was outside, it was even bigger inside the shrine, Hinata could only imagine how many Uchiha's could fit in here. Then a thought comes to mind.
How did-
Before she could finish her thought, she felt Sasuke pull her into the main hall. They went to the far right of the hall and stopped. Sasuke let go of her hand and lifted the tatami mat out of the way. Hinata's eyes widened as she saw a stone covering with the Sharingan in the middle and was encircled with seal formulas.
Sasuke performed a sequence of hand signs then the ground shook beneath them. The stone covering emerged from the ground revealing a pathway leading underground.
Once the entrance was open, he lit a torch and turned to her "Follow me closely and watch your step."
As they slowly descended down a long staircase, a strange feeling washed over Hinata. It felt like whatever was down there was connected to her in some way but she could also feel that whatever was there was ancient.
Soon they reached the bottom and Sasuke stopped her.
"Give me a sec." He said.
She watched as he went further into the room, then stopped. From where she stood, Hinata could see that Sasuke was standing in front of some kind of stone. He lit two larger flames sitting on the ground, soon after the room lit up and her eyes widened as she took in everything. The space was large, maybe even larger than the main hall of the shrine above. She could only imagine how many people could fit in there.
"Sasuke, what is this place?"
The young Uchiha stared at the stone for a moment before answering "This is the hidden underground meeting room of the Uchiha. The shinobi of my clan held only our important meetings here, away from the wandering eyes and ears of the village."
He gestured her over and with a slight hesitation, she complied. Standing side by side with him, Hinata looked down at the stone tablet in front of them. Despite being in good condition, she could tell that it was very old. There was a passage engraved into the stone but she couldn't read it.
"This tablet..." Sasuke said "Has been here since the beginning of the Uchiha clan. It holds a secret that we keep safe, only those with the sharingan are able to read what it says. However to the best of my knowledge, no one in my clan has been able to fully decipher it."
"Fully?"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed sharply, his fist tightened as he spoke "I once asked my brother if he could read it and said only part of it. After I got my sharingan, I came here to see if the bastard was lying to me but he wasn't."
Hinata looked at him and saw the same rage in his eyes when he thought of the man who killed their entire clan. Hoping to take his mind off Itachi, she placed a hand on his shoulder and asked "I know it's not my place to ask and I wouldn't blame you if you didn't answer but what can you decipher so far?"
But he didn't say anything and when she went to apologize, he said "'Seeking stability, one god was divided into yin and yang, these opposing two acting together obtain all things in creation.'"
Hinata stared at him for a moment and he clarified "That's all I can read and I still don't know what it means."
They both stood there, thinking about it but neither of them could come up with an answer. Sighing, Sasuke relit the torch he came with and put out the other two.
"Ready to go?" He asked, holding out his hand again.
She nodded, taking his hand and letting him lead her back to the surface. During their ascent, she thought back to all that's happened. Through the chunin exams and now, she and Sasuke had learned a lot about each other and their clans, she felt closer to him and it made her so happy. Still...
"I...didn't do anything...in the end, it was all Naruto..."
Hinata's smile faded as she heard the envy and rage in his voice, she glanced at him and silently gasped as the glare he sent Naruto's way portrayed the exact emotions she guessed and more.
She bit her lip and firmed her grip as she remembered that look he had. Things may be great between the both of them but would it be enough?
After sealing the underground entrance, the two left the Uchiha district and made their way back.
"Let's have a training session with everyone." Hinata said suddenly.
Sasuke looked at her, a bit off guard to her sudden idea "What?"
She looked up at him and smiled "It's been a while since the four of us trained together, what with the chunin exams, the battle and the repairs to the village. I mean we do meet for missions but..."
It may have been a suggestion on the outside, but inside it was her attempt to try and get things back to normal. Before the battle, before the exams...before Orochimaru.
Sasuke thought about it for a moment. If he was being honest, he'd rather continue his training alone. There was still this anger and uselessness inside him as he wanted to let out. If it was just them, he'd be more open to the idea. But with Kakashi, who ditched him earlier, and Naruto...
Sasuke shook his head and turned to answer but one look in her eyes told him if he refused, she'd be gravely disappointed.
I guess I could deal with them for an hour or two...
"I'll go see if Kakashi is free." He said.
Hinata's eyes lit up as she nodded "A-And I'll get Naruto! Thank you!"
He couldn't help but smile, "Yeah."
They agreed at a meeting point then went in separate directions. Hinata jogged to Naruto's place, happy that her first step to getting back to normal was going well.
How sadly she was mistaken.
"Naruto?" She called knocking on the second door.
She arrived at her blonde teammate's home moments ago and knocked on the outer door. After no response, she figured he couldn't hear her and opened the door, leading to the second door that led inside the apartment.
"I guess he's not here." She said, heading to the exit "Maybe he's at Ichiraku."
Just when she was about to leave, the door suddenly opened from the side, causing Hinata to lose her balance a bit, lucky strong firm hands steady her just in time.
Once she got her footing, Hinata looked up to thank her savior but was cut off by an urgent looking Sasuke.
"Hinata, Where's Naruto?!"
Confused about his behavior, She asked "Sasuke, what's-"
"Is he here?!" The young Uchiha quickly passed her and started banging the door "Naruto! Are you in there?!"
This behavior was starting to concern her. True, it wasn't the first time she saw him in such a state. However, by the look she saw in his eyes, whatever it was hit him harder than all those other times and it scared her.
I don't understand, we just left each other a short time ago. What could have happened?!
"Sasuke, please calm down!" Hinata said, pulling him away from the door "Naruto is not home, I checked."
"Damn it!" He cursed, before he started making his way out.
"Please wait a minute!" She quickly got in front of him "Sasuke, what happened? Weren't you going to get sensei?"
Sasuke quickly moved around her "Hinata, I have to find Naruto now!"
"Why though?!"
"My brother is after him!"
Hinata's blood ran cold after that, both from what he just said and that it was the first time he yelled at her.
Sasuke instantly felt guilty as he saw the shocked and slightly hurt expression on her face but he needed to go. Every second that he was looking for Naruto was another second Itachi was closer to his friend, if he hadn't already gotten to him.
But he couldn't just leave like this, so he placed his hands on her shoulders, inwardly sighing in relief that she didn't flinch at his touch after his outburst, and looked her in the eye "When I arrive at Kakashi's place, I saw him unconscious in bed, surrounded by jonin of the other teams. When I asked why he was unconscious, none of them would answer. Then another ninja came and said that Itachi Uchiha had returned and he's after Naruto!"
As she processed each word, her blood was colder and colder. The same man said to be responsible for the massacre of nearly the entire Uchiha clan is after her friend.
"If Itachi finds Naruto, then he's dead! I won't let that happen!" Sasuke strongly claimed, letting go of her shoulders, ready to leave.
She held onto his arm, stopping him "I'm coming with you."
"No!" Sasuke exclaimed, panic clearly heard in his voice.
It was bad enough that his sensei was injured and his blonde friend was being targeted by the man he once called brother. If he found her, he found out she was his teammate and how much she meant to him...
"Sasuke..." Her gentle but firm voice brought him out of his dark thoughts "Listen to me, I understand why you say no but I'm going. With my byakugan, I'm our best chance of finding Naruto quickly. You know that."
He paused, conflicted. She was right, with her Byakugan, the chances of finding Naruto quickly shot through the roof but still could he really risk her safety for this. Glancing at her, he could see the fear in her eyes but he also saw resolve. Whether or not he said no, she was still going to follow him.
Sighing deeply, he grabbed her hand as they started running in the direction of Ichiraku. "You stay close to me and if I tell you to run, you run."
"Only if the situation calls for it." She whispered to herself.
And only with you and Naruto by my side.
They soon arrived in front of the ramen shop. Hinata looked for the sight of Naruto's orange colored clothing but found nothing.
"He's not here." She said,
"But I bet he was earlier." Sasuke lifted the flap and looked at the shop keeper "Old man, Naruto stopped in here today. Do you know where he went after he left?"
"Oh sure, Naruto..." The shop keeper, Teuchi, thought for a moment "That's right, let me see, now. He met Master Jiraiya here around noon..."
Hinata's eyes widened when she heard that name.
Master Jiraiya?! Could he mean...?!
"They had a little bit of ramen, then they said they were heading off somewhere." He continued.
"Where to?!" Sasuke replied, impatiently.
"Now that I think of it, I believe he mentioned that outpost town a ways out from the village. Yeah, and then he set out with Master Jiraiya."
"Jiraiya?" He said confused, not recognizing the name.
Hinata stepped up "Sir, when you say Master Jiraiya, do you mean Jiraiya of the legendary Sannin?!"
This made the young Uchiha turn to her "Hinata, you know who this guy is?"
"I only know him based on what I've heard. I have no idea what he's like or what he looks like." She said, turning her attention back to the chef "Is he the same person?"
He smiled "That's right, the very one! Now, if you want to find him, you're looking for a great big old fella with a head of white hair."
"A big guy, white hair." Sasuke repeated, looking toward his teammate "Hinata, you think you can find them with this info?"
"Maybe, but it'd help more if I had more to go on." She admitted.
"I can help with that." Teuchi's daughter, Ayame, spoke up "Master Jiraiya has wild hair tied in a ponytail. It reached all the way past his waist. He has these red lines under his eyes that run down his face and wart on the left side of his nose. Oh and when I saw them leave, I saw this large scroll he carries on his back." She finished, looking at the teens "Will that help?"
The young Hyuga smiled, "Yes, thank you so much."
"Let's go!" Sasuke quickly left with Hinata right behind him.
The two quickly passed through the village and into the forest. Hinata could see the anger and worry on Sasuke's face but she could feel most of it was anger.
"We need to pick up the pace! If Itachi gets to them, those two are dead!" Sasuke said, his speed increasing.
Hinata had to pour a bit of chakra into her feet to keep up "Sasuke, slow down! Naruto will be fine, he's with Master Jiraiya!"
"Who exactly is Jiraiya? And what is a Sannin?"
"Master Jiraiya is one of the Three Legendary Sannin. The Sannin are renowned ninja hailed as the greatest of their time. They are on a whole other level from jounin, in fact they're said to be nearly at the same level as a Kage. So if it's true that a Sannin is with Naruto, we have nothing to fear. He'll be able to defeat him." She explained.
"Except that right belongs to me and me alone!" Sasuke angrily proclaimed as he sped up "And now's my chance, I'll end Itachi once and for all."
Hinata stopped running and it took Sasuke a few moments to notice she wasn't following. He turned to her, disbelief, worry and fear was all he saw in her eyes as she looked at him.
"Hinata, come on-"
"Sasuke, was this really about saving Naruto or your agenda?" She asked softly.
He stared at her with a stoic look on his face "Both."
"But Sasuke-"
"That man murder my entire clan, Hinata. The same clan he hailed from, the same people he called family, he killed!" He snarled as he remembered the day found the fallen bodies of the members of his clan "Since that day, I vowed to avenge my clan. It's why I train every single day and push myself past my limits, so that when the day comes, I'd be ready. No one can or will stop me from achieving my goal."
Sasuke turned his back to her "Now come on, the longer we sit here, the closer that bastard gets to Naruto."
Hinata watched as he ran off, her heart hurting the further he went. Sasuke was normally more rational than this. But he becomes blinded with rage whenever it involves his brother. She understood why he had to do this, but to do it now...
"I just gave him a little parting gift. Very soon, Sasuke will seek me out and desire my power."
Her eyes teared up as she quickly followed after him, staring at him back when she came up behind him
Sasuke...
A single tear ran down her face.
How far are you willing to go to avenge your clan?
Soon after, they arrived at the outpost town Teuchi told them about.
"This is it." Sasuke said, looking around "Hinata, where should we start?"
The young Hyuga was still uneasy about this but answered "The center. If I'm in the center of the town, I'll be able to find them better."
"The center is normally where most businesses are. So we'll need to go where there's a lot of people." Sasuke grabbed hold of her hand and led them into town.
Sasuke stopped in front of a local "Where can we find the town center?"
"Town center?" They echoed, confused before a thought came to them "Oh you mean where all those inns are, right?" Then pointed in the direction "Just go straight down this street and make a right."
Sasuke pulled Hinata away immediately after, but not before she said a quick thank you. They followed the directions and soon they came to their destination. It was as the locals said, on either side of the street, there were lots of inns, shops and eye-catching attractions.
"We're finally here." The black haired turned to the bluenette "See if you can find them."
Hinata fisted a hand to her chest, the uneasy feeling turned to nervousness and worry. She wanted to find Naruto but she also didn't want Sasuke to do anything dangerous.
"Hinata..." The desperation in his voice matches his expression, an expression he never let anyone but her see "Please…"
She looked at him for a moment before making the necessary hand signs "Byakugan!"
She activated her Kekki Genkai and looked around town. She scanned inn after inn, looking for Naruto's blonde hair and orange clothing and Master Jiraiya's long white hair and the large scroll. She saw some people with white hair, some with blonde hair but they weren't them. Then she looked into an inn further down and gasped.
"What?!" Sasuke asked "What do you see?!"
Through her eyes, she could see Naruto by the open door of his room looking up at two tall figures in black robes with red cloud patterns on them. The first was a taller of the two, a man with pale blue shark-like skin with six black markings on his face and shoulders, that appear to be gills, and razor sharp teeth.
Her eyes widened as she took in the appearance of the second figure. He had fair skin with long, pronounced tear-troughs under his eyes. He had jet-black hair that was pulled back in a low ponytail and his face was framed with center-parted bangs that extended to his chin. It was like she was looking at an older Sasuke. What truly confirmed it was his eyes.
"The sharingan..." She whispered.
Sasuke's eyes steeled as he heard her "He's there, isn't he?"
Hinata hesitated before giving a slow nod "Naruto is on the third floor with your brother and another man. It looks like they just arrived."
"Good work, now stay here and wait for us." Sasuke ordered.
Hinata looked at him as if he asked her to bring the third Hokage back to life "You can't be serious?! Sasuke, Itachi is an S rank rogue of the Leaf and we don't know anything about the other ninja with him besides the fact that he's a rogue of the Hidden Mist village."
"All the more reason for you to stay here. I'll go kill Itachi and save Naruto."
"B-But..."
"Just. Stay. Here" He said, his tone telling her the conversation was over.
She wanted to argue, wanted to stop him and make him see reason but it was no good. He went inside before she could stop him.
She couldn't just stand there and do nothing. She needed a plan and fast.
I must find Master Jiraiya!
There's no way he could beat them. Sasuke's anger and hatred towards his brother blinded him from seeing that. And even if Naruto joined him, even if she decided to join in, it wouldn't do any good. They may have had them out numbered but they were out matched. Three genin couldn't take on two S class rogues.
But a Sannin could!
She activated her byakugan again and quickly looked through the entire town.
Master Jiraiya, where are...There!
She saw him, a tall, well built man with long white hair reaching below his waist and a large scroll attached to his back, drinking with a beautiful woman beside him.
With her chakra fueling her foot, she ran to them as quickly as she could.
"Master Jiraiya!" She called.
Jiraiya paused from his drink, both of them watched as the bluenette came to a stop in front of them. He observed her for a moment, his eyes widened a fraction at the sight of her eyes.
The byakugan? What's a young Hyuga doing here?
"Please...Please save Naruto and Sasuke!" She pleaded.
At the mention of Naruto's name, he was up on his feet "How do you know Naruto? What's going on?"
Hinata quickly explained that she and Sasuke were Naruto's teammates and how they came to town to warn him and Sasuke's plan to kill Itachi.
"And these men are with them now?"
She nodded.
"Damn it!" He cursed, paying for the drinks. He turned to quickly apologize to his date when he noticed something familiar in her eyes. He sighed, disappointed in the woman and himself "Why genjutsu?"
Hinata watched as he quickly undo the genjutsu and haul the unconscious woman over his shoulder "Let's go."
He moved through the street quickly and she did her best to keep up.
"But won't she get hurt if we take her along?" Hinata asked.
"A beautiful woman like her, unconscious in the street? That spells trouble in itself. Besides, I'm more than capable of protecting her and three kids. But what I want to know is what that Sasuke kid is thinking?! Kid's not even a chunin and he believes he can take down a foe that an experienced jounin couldn't defeat?!"
She bit her lip in worry.
Please...please let us get there in time.
Naruto still couldn't wrap his head around what just happened. One minute, he was in his room, sulking about being left behind by the old Pervy sage and the next, he was standing outside of his now destroyed room with a weird shark looking guy, who wanted to chop his legs off, and Sasuke's brother, who had a tight grip on said boy's wrist after easily diverting his Chidori.
Sasuke made another attempt to hit his brother but Itachi simply tightened his grip, snapping his wrist. Sasuke screamed in pain, collapsing to the ground.
Naruto's eyes widened at the crumbled form of his friend and snapped "All right, that's it."
He focused on the concentration of his chakra, so much that he was filling the air with the Nine-Tails Fox chakra. Biting his thumb, he made the signs "Ninja art: summoning-"
"Too slow!" The shark man said, bringing his sword down cutting through the chakra.
Naruto gasped at the loss of connection to his chakra.
I-I can't feel my chakra!
He tries again and again but nothing comes.
Damn it, Damn it! What the hell is going on?!
The shark man rested the sword on his shoulder and snickered "Sorry, kid. My blade, Sharkskin, cuts through chakra and devours it."
Naruto watched in disbelief as the bandages around the sword moved as if a beast was underneath, eating away at his stolen chakra.
"We don't need the hassle of you potentially trying to whip out any more jutsu," The blue skinned man said, lifting his sword"Forget the legs, perhaps I ought to start with those arms of yours."
Naruto tries and tries but still his chakra refuses to work.
Damn it, why isn't it coming?!
"You're wasting your time." The man lightly sang, lifting the sword above his head and bringing it down toward Naruto.
Just then, a puff of smoke suddenly appears, surrounding Naruto. When the sword hit, instead of hitting its intended target, it hit something hard.
"What the?!" Shark-man exclaimed as the smoke started clearing, revealing his sword had hit the armor of a large toad that was defending Naruto.
Then another cloud of smoke appeared behind him and a familiar masculine voice voice was heard. Naruto turned around and saw Jiraiya posing behind him with his unconscious date draped over his shoulder. "You two don't know me at all, do you? Should have done your homework! Jiraiya, the toad sage falls victim to no woman's charm! When you reach the stature I have, the ladies kneel and worship at your awesomeness!"
He was met with silence after his dramatic entrance. People around him were either unfazed, unamused, or in pain.
"Don't give me that! One wink from a pretty girl and you're turning into a mountain of mush, Pervy-Sage!" Naruto yelled, calling him out on his bluff.
Master Jiraiya rubbed the back of his head while looking sheepish. "I really wish you wouldn't call me that in front of other people."
"Are you kidding me?! We've got worse things to worry about besides what these guys think of you! Get with it, Pervy Sage!"
"Didn't I just ask you not to call me that?!" The Sannin cried.
"Please! It really isn't the time for this!" A feminine voice from behind him said.
"W-What the..?!" Naruto glanced to the side and saw Hinata coming into his view "Hinata?! What're you doing here?!"
"Naruto, are you ok?" She looked him over before looking at the rogues in front of her and gasping at Sasuke's crumbled form.
"Sasuke!" She tried to move towards him but a large hand on her shoulder stopped her.
"Don't be too rash." Jiraiya said, pulling her back to his side "I told you before to stay near me at all times."
"I-I know but…". She looked back at her injured teammate.
"I'm the legendary Toad Sage, I'll have things under control soon enough."
"Not unless you see a pretty housekeeper walk by, you Pervy Sage." Naruto muttered loud enough for them to hear.
"AGAIN AND AGAIN! I'VE ASKED YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT, YOU LITTLE DEVIL!"
The shark began to chuckle, his teeth sharper than knives, "Whatever name you go by, Master Jiraiya, I must say, you're something of a disappointment. It's almost impossible to believe that you are one of the three Legendary Sanin."
"Uh, don't be fooled by appearances, or anything this little squirt might say, " Jiraiya laughed lightly.
The blue skinned man ignored him and continued to say "So, you managed to release the genjutsu we cast on her, eh?"
Jiraiya's eyes narrowed as his facial expression showed his displeasure as he removed the young woman from his shoulder and placed her onto the floor, setting her unconscious body against the wall, "What kind of coward would do something like that? Using his Saimingan to inflict an illusion jutsu on an innocent woman, all in order to separate Naruto from me."
Naruto's eyes widened.
T-To separate us? But why?
"I know he's the one you're really after," Jiraiya announced.
"That explains how Kakashi found out. Now I understand, he learned it from you." Itachi said "You're right, Naruto is the prize the Akatsuki are after and we will have him."
Naruto backed up a bit, his expression shows his fear and confusion.
W-What's going on?
Seeing this, Hinata inched closer to Naruto, keeping her eyes on the enemy, trying to think of a way to get both Naruto and Sasuke out of this.
Then Gama, Jiraiya summoned, vanished in a puff of smoke.
"No way you're getting Naruto" Jiraiya spoke as he glared down at the two rogue men.
Itachi's gaze remained unwavering, "We'll see about that."
Jiraiya raised from his kneeled position "Actually this is all very convenient, I can eliminate you both at the same time."
"Stay out of this," Sasuke huffed gruffly as he raised to his feet "The only one who's going to eliminate him... is me!"
Everyone all turned their eyes on the panting Uchiha.
Jiraiya observed the look in his eyes.
So that's it. Revenge.
"Sasuke…" Hinata whispered in concern as she looked at his eyes. The glare he had was filled to the brim with anger and a deadly sense of revenge made him act upon instinct instead of wits.
"Go away, " Itachi replied, unamused. "You don't interest me at the moment."
Sasuke clenched his fist in anger, "Well get interested!"
Sasuke ran to attack him head-on, his fist balled and ready to knock him out. But, none of Sasuke's actions bothered Itachi as he swiftly kicked his own brother down the hallway of the hotel.
Hinata gasped as Sasuke's back collided with the wall.
"Sasuke!" She and Naruto cried.
Naruto glared at the older Uchiha and started charging at him "Damn you lousy-"
Hinata followed behind him "Sasuke, hold on-"
"No, Hinata! Don't you and Naruto butt in, this has nothing to do with you!" Sasuke yelled.
Both teammates stopped in their tracks.
Though he was telling the truth, her heart ached at those words "B-But…"
Itachi's eyes moved from the two back to his brother.
Sasuke slowly rose from the floor, using the wall as support, "I've lived my whole life for this day, this moment. This fight is mine!"
With his Sharingan reactivated, he charged at Itachi again, he threw a punch at him but Itachi blocked with his own hand, then threw a punch of his own at Sasuke's face, sending him flying down the hall and slamming against the wall once again.
"Sasuke!" Hinata cried.
"Sasuke," Naruto mumbled this time, his eyes widened in shock.
The younger Uchiha grunted in pain as he tried to sit up "Not...finished. This fight is mine."
Itachi's eyes narrowed, "So be it."
When he heard that, Jiraiya's eyes widened and he moved to help but the blue skinned man blocked his way, raising his sword "You heard him, old man. This fight is none of our business. Let's let the two of them sort it out."
But his words like everything around Hinata sounded fade as she focused on Sasuke. As she watched Itachi slowly making his way toward Sasuke Her heart racing in fear, her breathing increasing and her eyes starting tearing up. This was her fault. It's her fault.
She had to fix it.
Hinata quickly pulled out kunai knives and threw them at the shark man.
Jiraiya and Naruto gasped as the sudden action occurred.
He laughed and blocked them with his sword "In case you've forgotten, I'm an S class ninja, it'll take more than-"
A familiar sound cut him off. As he listened, he recognized it was the sound a paper bomb made before it exploded. He looked at his sword and was surprised to see two paper bombs on it.
"What?!"
"Cover your eyes!" Hinata yelled at Naruto and Jiraiya.
The first one exploded causing a blinding light to envelop the group.
"Gyaah! Damn brat got me with a flash bomb" the shark man yelled as his vision became blurry from the light. Before he could get his bearings straight, the second bomb went off. A regular paper bomb. The blast not have damage the sword but the force of the explosion made him stumble a bit which give Hinata a chance to slip past him.
"No, come back!" Jiraiya ordered.
"That little!" The blue skinned angrily growled as he looked at the blurry kunoichi running past him.
"Hinata!" Naruto exclaimed, about to follow her lead but was pulled back "Let me go, Pervy Sage!"
"Have you forgotten it's you these criminals are after? You are to stay at my side during this fight!"
"But Hinata! Those guys will-"
"I'd like to think that he's smart enough to realize that turning his back on a Sannin is a fatal move."
Said man growled as he quickly looked back at the two in front of him. but smirked, "It's fine, I'll let Itachi handle her."
Hinata charged towards Itachi and threw shuriken at him. Turning slightly, he simply stepped to the right, dodging them. He saw her pull out a kunai and turned around fully, thinking that she was planning on stabbing him full force.
However, Hinata was not that reckless. She knew she had no chance of beating him alone, whether with a head on approach or not. But if she could stall him, it would give her a chance to get Sasuke out of there. So, while she had Itachi focus on the kunai, she quickly reached in her pouch and threw smoke bombs, covering half the hall with thick smoke.
"I-I can't see anything! What's going on?!" Naruto exclaimed as the smoke covered his and Jiraiya's view of the other three.
The shark man chuckled.
She's trying to escape with the little Uchiha. The smoke is so thick, I wouldn't be able to see them. Nice try kid, but that was useless against Itachi. If anything, he'll just humor you to see what you'll do.
Hinata activates her byakugan, she sees Itachi has stopped and rushed forward. She channels chakra into her feet and climbs the walls to the ceiling, passing above his head. Once she was close above Sasuke, she jumped down onto her feet and quickly knelt in front of him.
"Sasuke, it's me." She whispered, getting his attention "We have to get out of here!"
Sasuke wanted to catch Itachi by surprise. Letting him think his last attack rendered him too weak to stand, but then smoke appeared, blocking his view of Itachi. Moments after, to his surprise, instead of his brother, Hinata appeared in front of him.
He shakily lifts his head, "Why are you…here? I told you not to butt in."
She looked him over quickly and noticed that his right hand had minor burns on it and his wrist was broken. Thinking back to the large crater in the wall, it dawned on her what occurred before she and Master Jiraiya arrived.
Chidori, the most powerful jutsu in Sasuke's arsenal, was easily stopped by his brother.
Knowing this, she grabbed Sasuke's arm, putting it over her shoulder.
"Stop!" Sasuke angrily whispered to her "I'm not running from this. Take Naruto and get out of here!"
"I won't leave you!" She whispered back, her voice cracking as tears filled her eyes. "Please Sasuke, understand the situation you're in. Chidori is the strongest jutsu you have and he managed to stop it, now your wrist is broken meaning you can't perform hand signs. You'll get another chance, I'm sure of it but not today."
Sasuke gritted his teeth in rage. Even if what she said was true, he wasn't going to run. After that day, Itachi disappeared. No one had any information on his whereabouts since then and now after six years, he resurfaced. He was not going to wait another six years for revenge.
"Kisame." Itachi called.
The shark man, Kisame, chuckled again "Yeah, yeah I know."
Jiraiya readied himself for anything.
Kisame gives a powerful swing of his sword, toward Itachi's direction. The power from the swing causes the smoke to disperse, revealing Sasuke and Hinata in the middle.
"N-No…" Hinata shakily whispered.
"Sasuke…Hinata…" Naruto said.
Itachi looked at the two for a moment before making his way toward them. Hinata gasped, her hand trembling on Sasuke's arm. What could she do? Master Jiraiya already had his hands full with Kisame, keeping Naruto out of his reach and Sasuke, despite his stubbornness, was unable to fight. Going over all the facts in her head, Hinata had only one option left. She steeled her nerves, taking Sasuke's arm off her shoulder and laying him against the wall.
Sasuke watched her, confused by her actions. Why was she letting him go when she was so insistent on leaving. Unless…
"No…"
He looked at her in disbelief as she placed herself in front of him, her byakugan activated and in a fighting stance.
Itachi looked at the girl in front of him. He could tell she was afraid of him, it was obvious with the light tremble of her hands and the look in her eye. However there was also determination. She was going to protect Sasuke, no matter what.
I wonder…
He glanced at his brother, the sheer look of disbelief and fear for the girl in front of him gave him his answer.
From across the hall, Jiraiya and Naruto watched as Hinata readied herself for an attack.
"Damn it" Jiraiya started forming hand signs.
"Too slow!" Kisame cut him off swinging his towards him and Naruto, causing Jiraiya to stop and grab Naruto, pulling him away. The sword landed where the blonde once stood, leaving a large dent in the floor.
Naruto stumbled against Jiraiya and looked up at him, watching him glare at the S class ninja in front of them.
"Like I said before, this is between them. If the little brat wants to get in the way, let her. It makes for little entertainment before getting the fox."
Jiraiya cursed himself for letting things get this far.
Hinata bit her lip as the older Uchiha moved closer.
"Hinata, are you insane?!" Sasuke exclaimed angrily with a hidden tone of fear in his voice "I told you to take Naruto and run!"
"I'm sorry but I can't just leave you. We either leave together or fight together."
"This is not your fight! Please, just go!" Sasuke was terrified for her. She was a few feet away from the man who took everything from him. If he took Hinata too, it may be too much for him to bear.
Itachi now stood in front of the two, staring down the little Hyuga in front of him " I have no business with you, so I'll only give you this chance to step aside. If not…"
"I-I won't run." She said, her voice shaky but full of conviction "This is my business because Sasuke and Naruto are my friends. If I leave, I'd become even worse than scum."
Itachi's eyes widened only a fraction before returning to his stoic look "Very well then."
Hinata tensed, bracing herself ready to attack, only to find the wind knocked out of her as she soared across the left side of the hall a second after. Her body slammed into the wall, coughing up blood as her mind registered the pain searing in her abdomen. The sounds of Sasuke and Naruto shouting her name was all she could hear before collapsing on the floor.
Everything around Sasuke faded away as he watched Itachi slam his fist into her abdomen, the force causing her to fly past him. His blood ran cold as he watched her slam into the wall. He couldn't hear Naruto shouting her name or see him struggling against Jiraiya to get to her. He couldn't hear Kisame mocking her for getting in the way or see his brother straightening up after sending her flying. As he watched her collapse, he felt something snap inside him. The word 'hate' was too kind for what he felt about his brother. He positively, completely and utterly loathe him.
"You…" He looked up at him, his eyes flashing darkly as he lunged at the other Uchiha, roaring "DAMN YOU, YOU BASTARD!"
Itachi slammed his knee into Sasuke's abdomen, causing him to cough up a good amount of blood.
How?
He was then kneed hard in the chin.
Naruto's whole body trembled slightly as he watched Sasuke take the beating.
Itachi then strikes him hard in the abdomen.
All these years, nothing has changed! How can it be?!
"He'll show him no mercy." Kisame said, a glee in his tone as he watched.
They watched as Itachi finally stopped his assault and Sasuke fell to the floor.
What have I been doing all these years?
Through his pain, he looked in the direction where Hinata landed and saw her fallen form shaking. He couldn't believe this was happening. He thought he was prepared to take on his brother and end it all. But he couldn't and because of that the person who managed to bring a bit of light into his life was in pain.
Was it…Was it all for this?
He was shoved against the wall after Itachi grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt. His hands were encircling his neck's base.
"You're still too weak," Itachi muttered. "You don't have enough hate and you know something, you never will."
Itachi's orbs slowly opened his eyes, using his sharingan to trap Sasuke in a genjutsu,
Within the jutsu, Sasuke was reliving the night his clan was murdered over and over again. He was screaming both in the genjutsu and reality.
"Isn't that heartwarming? Using Tsukuyomi on his own brother." Kisame said, smiling as he heard the screams.
However his screams stopped as he clutched his teeth, muttering a name.
"H-H-Hinata…"
Itachi paused at this development.
How could he be…?
A shuriken was lodged in his brother's left forearm as he cast a quick glance down at it. The wire was wrapped around the ninja tool, which was covered in chakra. Hinata was standing up with one hand on the wall, supporting herself as the other channeled chakra into the wire, when he looked up.
She knew she couldn't get close enough to break the genjustu, so she channeled a big amount of chakra into the shuriken. A clever one, this girl. However…
Hinata kept her eyes closed, she couldn't risk falling into his genjutsu. No when Sasuke needed her to get him out.
"You're wasting your time." Itachi said "As clever as this trick is, it'll take more than that to break my genjutsu."
His eyes briefly widened as she murmured something to him while tilting her head in his way.
Itachi slowly lifted his other hand towards her…
"No way in hell!" As he dashed along the hallway, Naruto yelled. His best friend Sasuke was harmed and under a jutsu as a result of him doing nothing to assist Sasuke. He had no intention of allowing this man to harm Hinata, who was putting her life in danger for him and Sasuke. "Stay away from her!"
Kisame quickly went under the blonde. Fortunately, Jiraiya got there first. He did a rapid jutsu that stopped them in their tracks as the wall was completely covered in flesh.
Hinata slowly opened her eyes as she felt the hard ground beneath her hands and feet start to soften. Her face fell into a surprised frown as she noticed that everything around them had been enclosed.
Naruto perplexedly peered around "What the- what's going on?"
"Ninja Art, Toad Mouth Trap," Jiraiya answered.
Itachi lowered his hand as a wall of flesh surrounded Hinata.
Sasuke was slowly swallowed by the flesh, which caused Itachi to let go of the boy.
"You've both just been swallowed by the Mountain Toad! Welcome my friends to the belly of the beast! He has a very sensitive digestive tract, so be careful not to upset him. Not the most glorious way to die, is it? It must be humbling to know that you've been reduced to toad bait."
Naruto was particularly impressed by the jutsu after hearing Jiraiya's speech: "Whoa, I'm not liking this at all."
Jiraiya hadn't moved from his position, "Naruto, Stay still. Just remain calm. trust in my jutsu."
He raised his voice a bit "Hinata, I need to remain still and be calm. I won't let anything happen to you or Naruto."
Although Hinata focused on Sasuke, she listened to him "Y-Yes!"
"Kisame, come," Itachi called after assessing the situation he and his partner were in.
Kisame pulled his feet out of the flesh enveloping them, and he picked up his sword as well, "Easier said than done."
When he finally yanked his sword from the flesh, he ran down the hall as he and Itachi fled the scene.
"It's useless!" Jiraiya proclaimed "The ninja hasn't been born who can survive this powerful stomach."
At the point when they turned the corner, Hinata saw the flesh encompassing her, pursuing the rogue ninja. She thought it would catch them, but then she saw an explosion that shook the entire area as black flames shot out of nowhere. To keep herself from falling over, she knelt on the ground. Next thing she heard was Naruto and Master Jiraiya rushing down the hall.
Hinata gave a sigh of relief seeing that they were both fine. But as they investigate the mysterious flames, she rushed over to Sasuke.
"Sasuke, can you hear me?" She called, looking into his eyes. They were empty and emotionless. "Sasuke!"
"H-Hinata…"
She smiled slightly, tearing up as he called her "Yes, it's me."
"Hinata, Hinata, Hinata…"
Tears fell as she realized he was still trapped in the genjustu. She reached into the flesh and touched his arms, channeling her chakra into him but no matter how much she poured, he still didn't wake up.
"Oh Sasuke…"
She caught him as he fell and held him tightly as the flesh began to push his body out. She was so focused on him that she didn't notice Naruto coming toward them.
As he saw one of his comrades battered and rendered unconscious while the other was sobbing and closely hugging the other, Naruto knelt next to her and scowled.
What did he do to him?
Jiraiya disarmed his justu and stood by them, looking down at the team.
Before anyone could say anything, a kunai flew by and struck the wall, surprising them.
"Dynamic Entry!" A familiar voice yelled.
Gai-Sensei then emerged and kicked Master Jiraiya in the face, sending the latter flying in response.
Master Jiraiya grumbled as a bruise started to gradually show on his cheek. Gai-Sensei explained what had occurred and immediately apologized for his error.
"Never mind that now," Jiraiya grumbled. "We've got to get Sasuke to the medical corps at once! He's badly beaten up, his arm is broken, and he's knocked out by whatever jutsu that was that Itachi used on him."
"G-Genjustu."
Everyone looked at Hinata but her gaze was still on Sasuke. She had stopped crying but her eyes held sadness and regret as she stroked his cheek. She hadn't let him go, not since he fell in her arms.
"Sasuke told me once that the sharingan can produce powerful genjutsu. I-I tried to free him but…"
Naruto looked towards her as she tightened her hold on Sasuke's limp figure, "Pervy-Sage is Sasuke gonna be alright, though!? Isn't he?"
Jiraiya's face grew stern, "Physically, yes. But I am worried about what may have been done to his mind."
Hinata once again teared up "This is my fault…"
Naruto looked at her, shocked "What are you talking about?! You didn't do anything wrong! Hell, you even put your life on the line to save him!"
She shook her head "But I'm the one who let it get this far."
She ran a hand through his hair as she explained "I noticed there was some tension in the team after the chunin exams, so I suggested that we go and train with you and sensei."
So that's why he came looking for Kakashi. Gai thought as he listened.
"After Sasuke told me what he heard while visiting sensei, I convinced him to let me come because I thought we were going to go and save you.."
The two adults looked at her with sympathy as she trembled from holding back her tears. "Even after he told me what he was really doing, I still helped him find Itachi. H-He looked so desperate and I-I…"
Naruto clenched his fist, he hated seeing her like this, thinking that all of this was her fault, "Okay! Pervy-Sage, it's time for a game plan, starting right now! I admit I let those goons scare me a little but that's over! No more running! After all, it's us they're after, right!? It's time we give them what they want!?"
"Nice speech, kid," Master Jiraiya replied. "But, I'm afraid you would stand a chance against them. You're not in the same league."
Naruto turned to him, ready to protest but Jiraiya continued "What would have happened if Hinata hadn't gotten me and I hadn't shown up, huh? It took all I had to get them away from you."
"Is that right?! So, what are you suggesting?! That we just do nothing?!" He asked, angrily clenching his fist "Sit here waiting for them to hit us again? What kind of strategy is that?!"
"Just be quiet!" Jiraiya ordered firmly.
"But!"
"Naruto…"
The blonde looked down at his bluenette friend, her eyes finally off of Sasuke and looking at him, pleading "Sasuke and I came here to stop them from taking you. Please, don't let this all be in vain."
Naruto felt his whole body tremble in frustration. He wanted nothing more than to go after those bastards and teach them a lesson for hurting his friends. But with Hinata and Pervy-Sage saying otherwise, he turned his head away from them in anger and defeat.
Jiraiya sighed "Hinata, I owe you an apology. I know you came to me to stop all of this but I thought it was best for Sasuke to fight his own fight. I see now I should have intervened sooner."
She shook her head "The way he was acting, I don't you could have stopped him if you wanted to. Still, I thank you for saving us in the end, Master Jiraiya."
Despite her not meaning for him to feel guilty, He felt worse when she thanked him.
Gai-Sensei sighed, "This is obviously the same sort of jutsu that was used against Kakashi. We won't know when he'll come out of it."
"What?1 You mean when Hinata said that Sasuke told her Kakashi sensei was in bed, they did the same thing to him too?!" Naruto asked.
Gai said nothing as looked at Sasuke's limp form. He pictured Lee in his hospital bed "There's nothing worse than seeing your students fall in battle. It's like losing little pieces of your soul."
"Gai sensei" Hinata said softly as she looked at him in understanding.
"We need a supreme medical specialist, a master of healing arts, and soon," he announced.
Jiraiya nodded in agreement, "You're right, and the woman you're talking about is the one we've come to find."
Gai and Naruto gasped in shock at Jiraiya's words,
"The woman?" Gai repeated.
Naruto looked at him "Huh?"
"The woman…" Hinata softly repeated and gasped as she realized who he was talking about. She turned to Jiraiya, wide eyed.
"You don't mean…" Gai said
Jiraiya chuckled, "Yes! That's exactly who I mean! Another of the Legendary Sanin! The queen of slugs and elixirs: the gambling fool and mistress of the healing arts, Lady Tsunade!"
Hinata's eyes widened more at his confirmation. He and Naruto were going to look for the woman who could heal anyone, she could save Sasuke and Kakashi sensei and fix Lee. She gently laid Sasuke against the wall and got up.
"Master Jiraiya!"
The males looked at her, she stood tall and ready with her eyes filled with determination and conviction.
"Please allow me to come with you on your quest to find Lady Tsunade!"
Hello again! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I think I'm a bit rusty from not writing for a while but I still hoped you liked it. Now I have two things I need your help in. One: Now that Hinata is going with them to find Lady Tsunade, I think she should learn a new technique. I will be having Jiraiya teach her walking on water but she needs something else. I trying to decide from her learning Tsunade's amazing strength from watching her and Naruto fight or something relating to her byakugan and chakra nature (fire and lightning). I'd like you thoughts and ideas on this but NO second stage of her byakugan (that comes in Shippuden).
The two issue I have is a pairing for Naruto: You guys already know this is a Sasuhina fanfic, so basically Naruto and Sakura are no with their canon partner. But I've been wondering should I pair Naruto up with Sakura or should I pair him with Ino? Just so you know, I am not ruining Shikatema pairing, so please don't ask. It's been on my mind for ages now but I want your opinion on this, so I'll be posting a poll. It'll be up tonight and ends on Jan 7, 2023.
So that's all I have for this time, again thank you for your patience and sticking with me all this time. I'll try and get started on my next chapter for all of you! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!