Closing In

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Most of the villagers were tucked in bed, while Kurama kept itself in a state between awareness and meditation, tuning its senses to the village's barrier that was connected to him, keeping track of anyone that enters and exits the village. When the sun slowly began to rise, it stirred from its spot, glancing down towards the window Neji had left open. It climbed down the rooftop, and inside. Neji had been awake at the time, reading a book in bed.

"Kit, do you ever sleep?"

Neji shut his book and got out of bed. Kyuubi won't tell him why it's been following him around for the last couple of weeks. But whatever the reason, Neji presumes it was not a good one. Does this have anything to do with the mission his cousin got assigned to?

"As I've stated before, you should relax. Your clansmen are happy to have me around. You're kind of making the Uchiha clan nervous and jealous that I've taken to guard you at all times."

Neji eyed him as if asking again, why?

Kurama's slit-cross eyes darted to the window and lowered its body as if ready to pounce at something. Its nine tails moved, the shadows creating all kinds of shapes, before fanning out into the shape of flames. It didn't know what to make of Nenma's return.

"Hmm, 'something wrong?" Neji asked.

An inaudible sigh escaped as it finally loosened up.

"Would you look at that, it seems like your wish is about to be granted. I'll be out of your hair soon, Kit."

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Hinata entered her home, the same way she had left, stealthily and silent. She doubted her family knew that she had returned, and decided to let them know during dinner. She checked her clock and let out a contemplative hum, walking silently down the halls to her chamber, while mentally going over every important detail worth mentioning on the mission report which was due by the end of the day.

With the journey still fresh on her mind, she touched the door to her room and slide it open, freezing upon seeing that Kyuubi was already there, laying down in the middle of her bed, tails eagerly waving as it expected the full breakdown of her journey, and her prompt return.

"Kyuubi-sama, why are you-"

"I'll keep my end of the promise. But in the meantime, at the very least, a verbal report would do just fine. Isn't that a fair thing to ask?" It took a step forward and hopped off her bed, then up to her desk. "For starter, why is Nenma Uzumaki back when he holds a responsibility and a title of power in another village?"

She touched the side of her arm as she leaned against the door.

"You're questioning me about a decision that was made by our Hokage. I wasn't there when it was decided."

"You can still tell me everything else. Was the mission completed? How many pieces have you found?"

"Um, again, Lord Sasuke asked me to direct you to him,"

"You humans make it hard to do my job sometimes." It complained as it aimed towards the window before leaping out of sight.

"Wait! Why is Menma being back a problem?" Hinata called out, realizing she must be really tired since she had accidentally butchered Nenma's name.

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Being back home, the pace of life felt slow and relaxed, as opposed to the Rain Village. The least striking thing about his home was the architecture. The streets are narrow and winding, lined with trees and flowers. The lush green hills and valleys had a flock of messenger birds that sang as he walked home.

Nenma stepped to the side to allow a merchant's cart by. He raised his hoodie even further, avoiding the familiar faces of neighbors who had stopped being friendly to him after Sasuke had accepted the title of Hokage.

He looked briefly over his shoulder and saluted no one in particular. He had only been back home for a few minutes, but on his shadow were already dozens of Anbus, and wondered how many of them had been his colleagues. He fondly remembered spending a lot of his time terrorizing them. They had been so interesting because unlike him, they seemed to have an appreciation for the simplest things in life. He wonders briefly if they still felt the same way since nothing in the village had changed. He'd have to do his best to behave.

Nenma stopped in front of his childhood home and glanced up. The design of his home was modeled by a Hyuga architect who wanted to share the essence of having a Byakugan. The rotunda almost accomplished it as the second floor had the best view as the window faced every direction. The mahogany wood that made up the rooftops didn't look old or worn out. It was like the place hadn't aged or deteriorated, from the smooth concrete exterior painted a pastel yellow, to his mother's favorite evergreens and hanging plants.

"I'm home," He murmured to no one as he took a few steps to the door and stood in front of the entrance. His index finger paused before he could ring the doorbell. His hair stood up, and he shrieked when he heard his mother's voice yelling at his dad inside.

On second thought, an inn sounded like the best option right about now.

Nenma turned around with his hands inside his pockets. Big mistake, because before he knew it, he felt the air leave his lungs when he was ambushed from behind, and got sent rolling away across the front yard. After recovering, he saw his mother standing in front of him, with her cheeks puffed out.

By then, his father was standing outside the door, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. He didn't fault Kushina for being furious. Her son had left the village without saying a word to her or anyone else. She had been so worried sick when she found out, but had respected his decision regardless. But still, she couldn't believe that he would just up and leave without a second thought. She knew that he was upset about not being nominated Hokage, but that didn't give him the right to just disappear.

"You-You think you can just leave and come back without a word?! You're no son of mine, you delinquent wanna be!" She thought back to all the times she had sacrificed herself for her son. She had raised him well, and he had been a blond ball of joy until his hair turned dark.

Nenma was back on his feet. He was ridiculously taller than her now. Sticking to his plan, he bowed apologetically before her, ready to explain himself away.

"Hey now, darling, yelling at him isn't going to help with anything…" His father said, coming to his rescue. His soft-spoken words seemed to have some kind of effect, but his mother still couldn't bring herself to smile. Of course, she couldn't. He knew he wasn't the greatest son. But leaving randomly, only to show up at their doorstep like this, was not feasible. "So son, why are you back?" Why now, was the unsaid question.

"Sasuke dragged me back." Kushina narrowed her eyes and could tell there was more to it than that, or maybe she just didn't believe his explanation. Still, he threw an arm around his mother's shoulder and grinned widely. He wasn't going to be a coward now and let himself be intimidated by her. "I'll explain everything inside,"

Kushina tossed a look over his shoulder, finally noticing the Anbus nearby.

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Sasuke slept through the morning, stirring on the sofa when he heard someone knocking on the office's door. He hummed in his sleep, forcing himself up when his brother called out to someone.

Then the door opened and closed. Shisui's voice was too energetic as always as he spoke over Kyuubi's and Itachi's voice.

"Yo!"

Drowsy and half-asleep, Sasuke's eyes remained half-closed while Shisui cut across the room. It didn't feel condescending when his cousin patted his head. When he stopped greeting him, Sasuke fell back on the sofa, completely out again. Shisui left Sasuke alone as he addressed them.

"Did I miss the mission recap?" He asked.

"My little brother passed out as soon as he got back," Itachi replied as he got up from the Hokage's chair, keeping his gaze ahead, toward the afternoon sky. He then glanced at his cousin from the corner of his eyes. "Shisui, I think it's best if you get him home. The way he is now, who knows when he'll wake up. Mom and Dad will be happy to have him back." Itachi spoke in a form of serenity, as if his younger brother hadn't told him that his current mission has a big impact on their lives, or perhaps their world.

Kyuubi internally hisses. He hadn't been present when Sasuke had returned. And the way things were going, it sensed something looming and festering. A guardian's biggest enemies, after all, were secrets.

Sasuke was pulled to his feet by Shisui, his mop of hair moving and falling forward, covering most of his eyes as he leaned most of his weight on Shisui's shoulder.

"Hey now, just what the hell got you so tired?" Shisui complained to Sasuke halfway.

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It's late, Hinata deduced when there was very little light shining inside her room and her walls were no longer capturing golden hues. She stirred some more and moved the blanket to the side and got up. Mentally going over every important detail worth mentioning on the mission report. It was due by the end of the day, and she was grateful to her past self for getting a head start.

However…

"What is wrong with me? Treating the Hokage like he's my next target is not any way to build a professional or even friendly report." In hindsight, she finally understood why Nenma had intercepted her advances and pulled her away. He had probably assumed she had intended to assassinate or retaliate against their Hokage.

The fact that Nenma had to step in…

She felt herself physically cringe for behaving in a way Anko-sensei would not approve of. It was never this hard when she was around Neji. Because with Neji she is a version of what her clan had raised her to be; Not herself.

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Nenma shoved his hands inside his coat pockets and stopped to enter a supermarket. After securing a basket, he took out the shopping list his mom had written, taking a single glance at it before putting it away. Shopping was such a drag, but he was only doing it because he had talked his mom into making all his favorite dishes after receiving another beat-up, for not returning her letters.

He clicked his tongue when someone recognized him as they exited the supermarket.

It was annoying being back, as everywhere he went he sensed a wave of pity aimed toward his parents, for having a son that had turned out this way. He glanced behind him when the door slid open, with no one in sight. Shrugging his confusion away, he turned back to look ahead, only to find Kyuubi sitting inside his shopping basket.

Nenma almost jumped as its eyes stared at him the same way they always did. Empty and bored. He tried to mirror him, burying his surprise as he returned the look with a nonchalant one.

"Ya! Do you want to talk to me here when there's Anbu following my every move?!"

"How curious. Why would they do that? Who sent them after you? And why am I being left out of the loop ever since Hinata brought back the tapestry?"

Nenma frowned. "Listen, I'm going to be around for a while, so we'll have a chance to talk. But right now is not really a good time. I need to have all the facts before I make that kind of decision behind Sasuke's back."

Its eyes seemed to beam at those words. "Then I'll hold you to your promise. But don't let me down, kit. You were always my favorite one."

Does Kyuubi play favorites?

Okay.

Uh.

That's concerning.

Nenma chuckled nervously as he scanned around the empty aisle of the stores to see if there had been any other witnesses. By the time an employee popped their head around the corner to greet him, Kyuubi had already disappeared.

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"Hinata, I have to say, I'm very impressed with what you've accomplished. Allying with Kyuubi is no small feat." Her uncle praised her over dinner.

Yikes. She hadn't thought that her family would believe her to be involved in some cunning form of politics. They believed having Kyuubi's attention on them was an expression of blatant favoritism. As if Kyuubi was granting Neji blessings should a situation arise if the village ever needed a new Hokage.

"Um, thank you uncle."

His father smiled at her.

"I bet it was a difficult situation to get Lord Sasuke to agree to an audience, but I believe it was the right one."

"Is that what you were up to when the sky had turned red, cousin?" Neji asked. He still didn't know what to think.

" Kyuubi-sama got easily angered at first, so you see I made some mistakes during the meeting that might've put some villagers at risk. As you can tell, it wasn't easy, but I knew it was the right thing to do." After saying this, she was pretty much in the clear. I mean, it was true. She had deceived a Demon…

She almost felt bummed out, though, because her cousin continue to look at her with those eyes, the same ones that questioned and analyze.

Kyuubi had followed him everywhere, nonstop. How does he know if it was not just spying on him as a form of background check? I mean, he is betrothed to one of Sasuke's beloved cousins. Neji looked away and returned to his dinner.

"Whatever. I'm still proud of you~" Hanabi gushed out.

"Thank you. That means a lot to me." Hinata said, trying not to falter under all these undeserved complements.

She did not deserve them at all.

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Shisui bit onto a piece of meat on a skewer as his eyes trailed up to the signage above his head; The Hyuga clan. He took a second and third nibble as he contemplated something. After swallowing a fourth piece, he turned back to Itachi.

"Just what exactly are you trying to do? You stopped being an acting commander the moment little Sasuke was back,"

"Shisui, are you doubting me? I'm his brother and advisor. I doubt he'll fuss over my decisions while he's peacefully asleep." Now that Itachi knew what was going on, he thought to trim and cut loose those threads that knew too much. Hinata was still in possession of part of the tapestry. Someone so close to his cousin's future husband had no business in getting involved in something like this. His little brother was always too soft to do what was necessary.

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Sasuke jolted awake when multiple paws swiped at his face. Though Kyuubi didn't do any damage, he still felt the intent.

Ugh. He felt drowsy. He had been asleep for most of the day. What time is it? Never mind that. Sasuke remembered his head hitting a cushion a few times today. He had overused his powers too much to his liking during his journey and had not been able to fall asleep easily with Nenma making jokes all the time about taking his eyes while he slept. He wiped a sleepy tear at the realization he had spent almost his entire journey awake.

Sleeping in truly sucks as a Hokage. He didn't look forward to the sheer amount of work waiting inside his office.

"Where's Nii-san?" He asked Kyuubi's silhouette that hid behind a curtain.

"He went to visit the Hyuga clan, with Shisui. Why?"

Sasuke fixed his hair out of his way and narrowed his eyes.

No, he was probably being paranoid. There's no way his big brother would make important decisions about the village, without him, right? He's probably visiting the Hyuga clan to follow up on the pending dinner celebration.

Still, if that was the case, it'd be impolite to not show his support. He fixed his eyes on an empty part of his room. With his Rinnegan active, he passed through a portal, bridging the distance between home and his brother.

"Nii-san, did you truly intend on doing this without me?" Sasuke asked, while his presence was shrouded in determination to get an answer.

Shisui could tell from his tone that his little cousin was annoyed with them, which was truly a first. His hair moved in the wind when he turned to fully face Sasuke. You snooze, you lose! Shisui almost wanted to joke, but couldn't, not when Sasuke looked this seriously determined.

Before Itachi can follow up with an explanation or denial, the gates to the Hyuga mansion open up. Dozens of men quickly lined up and greeted him with respectful bows.

Shisui's eyes widen, clearly impressed. Wow. How respectful. Way better than their clansmen, who still battled to view Sasuke this way. Way to go, little cousin!

Hinata almost dropped her chopstick. Her uneasy feeling was confirmed when a guard barged in during their family dinner and announced that three known Uchihas had arrived.

"Well, let's go inside," Shisui said while grinning, immediately cutting through the tension.

Sasuke walked ahead, his cloak lazily swaying as he moved through the crowd. As Itachi and Shisui followed, he politely acknowledged all the greetings of "Good evening, Lord Hokage!" as he walked past all the guards.

A short feeling of satisfaction does sneak inside his heart, to have his big brother there to witness all of this alongside him. He tossed a smug grin over his shoulder and could tell Itachi almost wanted to flick him on his forehead to force him back to humble humility.

"In-laws, what a pleasant surprise." Neji's voice cut through the commotion as his father and uncle trailed behind him. Hinata had not joined them, choosing to listen in, while nearby, leaning against the wall of a corridor.

She took a peak from around and found it almost too surreal to finally meet the person Sasuke holds so dear.

Why was Itachi here? In her musings, she had thought she was safe and guarded until Shisui just smiled and waved her way.

Her eyes widened and in her sixth sense, an alarm went off at being greeted by someone as infamous as Shisui Uchiha; Itachi's cousin, best friend, and right man, or was it the other way around?

Calm down, she said to herself to calm her nerves as she moved away and out of sight.

"With Sasuke's prompt return, we thought why not schedule a festivity of some sort. My cousin wants everyone to meet her future husband." That was likely Itachi speaking.

She softly brought down a fist into her palm. That's right! She should not be nervous about any of this! After all, Shisui was Neji's future in-laws. Hinata backtracked her steps to reveal herself. But before she could make it around the corner, Shisui had wandered off to greet her.

Before she got the chance to glance up and meet his eyes, a presence appeared between the two of them, forcing her to look down instead.

"Hey kit, sorry I'm late for our evening stroll around the village,"

The two had no prior plans. Hinata had meant to avoid the village's guardian as those had been Sasuke's instructions since they had gotten back.

Hinata smiled softly as she bent down. "Kyuubi-sama! Haha, there you are! We might have to wait because Lord Hokage-sama is here,"

Kyuubi's plush-like body began to expand and contort, its muscles swelling and its fur taking a more demonic hue. its claws and teeth became more elongated and razor-sharp as the surrounding air crackled with malevolent energy.

"That kid won't mind. Hop on!"

And before she knew it, Hinata was reaching out, everything happening too fast for her to double-guess her decision.

She approached Kyuubi's left side, using its fur as reins, holding it firmly before climbing on, sitting on her side due to the strains of the kimono. Kyuubi decided to play nice and not curse her for choosing to secure herself by hugging its vulnerable neck.

Her heart began to race out of fear for not thinking of what this would mean in advance. She looked away when she caught sight of Sasuke staring up at them, as Kyuubi zoomed past a few structures and then aimed towards the sky.

Kyuubi glanced over its shoulder.

"Are you alright, kit? Shisui's eyes almost got you back there if I hadn't come through,"

"I'm okay," She said, even though her brows were contorted in pain as she gritted her teeth. Her skin felt like it was a little too close to fire just by being this close to Kyuubi's fur. Kyuubi continued the trip silently, its fur whipping around and slapping her in the face. She eventually loosened up her hold and lifted her head, slowly opening her eyes to be met by the scenic lights of their beautiful village and home.

She blinked when they seemed to get closer and closer to the village's gates, passing Anbus and guards who waved politely their way. They don't seem to know anything yet, at all.

Her face fell. Wait a minute. What if Sasuke believes that this is her betraying him? If so, she's so going to die this time, for sure. And since that fate is sealed, she might as well know where it's going to happen.

"Where are we going?" She asked as Kyuubi made it past the village's gates.

"You'll see soon."

Maybe Kyuubi is the one she should be wary of…

"Are you going to kill me?" She asked.

"Hey Blue, do you know what makes me the village's guardian?"

"Huh? Um, you protect us?"

"That's right. So I want to show you something very few people know."

"Why me? Why not Lord Sasuke?"

"Because that kid isn't as gullible as you. Which is a good thing this time."

She burnt a bunch of holes through its head. She could tell she wasn't being complimented.

"Why is no one following after us?"

"They would if they could. When I'm in my right state of mind, I can control anyone too close to the barrier, and right now, we just past one. Sasuke knows not to chase me. He thinks something like that might put your life in danger."

What should she say? That she's glad it has thought that far?

She glanced behind her, seeing several shadows of Anbus standing tall, on top of the village's gate.

"So am I in danger?" She asked but was met by silence.

Oh well. It mattered not. Whether she was with Kyuubi or goes back. She's dead either way. Her expression looked desolate as she glanced up at the stars.

"We're here," Kyuubi announced, and she was immediately happy to hop off. Her knees gave in as she touched the ground.

Hello Earth. How happy she was to be able to feel it before dying. She ran her fingers through the grass in mournful regret. At least her last words to her family were along the lines of "Thank you." As of right now, they have the best version of her inside their mind. It won't be so bad.

She glanced at her surroundings. The giant statues of an unnamed Uchiha and a nameless Uzumaki will be the only witness. The Valley of the End, where the fate of the ninja world has been decided on more than one occasion hundreds and hundreds of years ago.

"Why did you bring me here…"

"To show you something," It said as it tried to walk a few steps across the river and past the statues. However, it was repelled back.

"Lord Kyuubi-sama, what was that? Are you okay?" She asked as it had been thrown back, and into the river. It swam up to the surface and stuck its head out, before walking back out and onto the surface of the water. "What happened?"

"There's a limit to the distance I can be away from these two statues. I, myself, am trapped here. Bound to never leave this village. Maybe that's why whoever created this situation gave me the power to keep everyone trapped inside of it, should I wish it. But why would I ever want to subject anyone to that? That's why I sent Nenma on a very special quest."

Her eyes widened. "Does Nenma know…?"

"That's right. But I can tell something within him has changed. He's working with Sasuke, and you're all keeping secrets. Hinata Hyuga, would you tell me what happened on your trip?"

"If I don't, are you threatening to keep me trapped inside forever?"

It laughed. "That's quite the imagination you got there,"

It turned away, shrinking back to a height many would find cute and endearing.

"Kyuubi-sama, the truth is, we're just as lost as when we first started. The tapestry hasn't revealed much to us." Her statement was not entirely false. As she looked into its eyes, she just hoped she hadn't accidentally chosen death.

"I see, that's a shame." Kyuubi turned away, "Just know that whether is in fifty years, or a hundred years from now, it's all just a few minutes to me. Unlike you, I have the patience to wait it out-" Kyuubi paused when it felt multiple attacks to the barrier, as it held Itachi and Sasuke inside. "I'm heading back now before everyone starts to panic. Would you like a ride home?"

Kyuubi could tell she wasn't trying to be polite. "No thank you, I think I'll stay here for a little while longer."

"Suit yourself," It replied, as it let the barrier down to allow Sasuke and Itachi to pass through, breaching past the village's gate.

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My lazy outline for this chapter:

Sasuke was exhausted when he got back. Nenma was taking a breather and was secretly happy to be back home, he missed his mom. Hinata was filled with cringe and regrets for being a weirdo during her trip. Then there was Itachi doing what he thought was best after Sasuke briefed him in on what happened in his journey. Then there was Shisui, having a cameo only for the reason that I like him.

Then it is revealed Kyuubi has been trying to break that contract that bounds him to the village, because who wouldn't want freedom? Hence, that's why Nenma has been interested in researching the demon-sealing technique. But they're still in the dark about these visions they've been having.

It shouldn't have taken me this long lol sorry for the wait and thank you for giving it a read, reviews and all!