Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto Masashi
Chapter 1- Versus
Kakashi unclosed one eye and saw the light gently filtering through the half-open windowpanes. The soft, golden rays painted the room with warmth, creating a tranquil ambiance. From the snug corner of his bed, he could see through the gap: the leaves of trees were rustling, and the tiny creatures were out and about, their movements creating a gentle symphony of nature.
This was the Konohagakure he had always known: the familiar buzzing and chirping of the morning, and the comforting aroma of homemade ramen from the kitchens of neighboring houses wafted into his nostrils on the morning breeze, wrapping him in a sense of belonging and tranquility. It wasn't like those days during missions when the weight of the world pressed on his chest, and time was a rare luxury.
He felt oddly grateful.
Something inside him was not functioning normally, and he realized it. Ever since Naruto came back, he saw how strong his former student had become—not far from outshining himself, now that he thought about it.
Kakashi had always excelled in missions—thriving in the ANBU and earning a formidable reputation in the region. He was accustomed to the constant hum of activity, always having a mission, a target, or a goal to occupy his mind.
But with his students being trained by the Legendary Sannin and his own abilities reaching their peak, there was nothing much to strive for anymore. Except for the occasional dangerous S-rank missions and his beloved Icha-Icha book collection.
And his budding interest in observing Team Eight.
Kakashi drew a dry smile, his unmasked face bathed in the gentle sunlight. He pulled himself deeper into his blanket, reluctant to leave its comforting embrace but too restless to linger. Slowly rising from his bed, he set his blanket aside and sat down, facing the large mirror opposite his bed. Shirtless, a visible scar marred his left eye. He could have it healed in the infirmary, or by Sakura's skilled hands, but he chose not to.
The scar was a constant reminder of Obito, a bittersweet tribute that he wished to carry with him, perhaps for the rest of his life.
Even with the knowledge that a long life was unlikely for a Shinobi, he took solace in the love he had experienced from his parents, Sensei, and teammates. Though they were gone, he remained, determined not to let anyone else die in his watch.
At least not anymore.
His chain of thoughts was interrupted by repetitive knocks on his door. Quickly donning his mask, Kakashi wrapped himself in his robe and made his way to the door. As he opened it slightly, a messenger Shinobi stood before him.
"Kakashi-san, I have a message for you from Godaime Hokage."
"What is it?"
"Godaime wants you to attend her office immediately for a new assignment."
"Another mission, eh? Okay, I'll be right there."
"Did Hinata want to kill me using those water senbon yesterday?" Shino asked almost tonelessly. His usual frown deepened, crinkling his forehead. The three of them were sitting in line on a piece of log in their standard training grass, enjoying their lunch.
Soft cotton flowers lingered in the air around them, carried by the playful wind. Kiba observed them, swatting his hand to keep them from drifting into his open bento box.
"And you thought Hinata wasn't capable of killing you, eh, Shino?" Kiba said teasingly as he ate another piece of onigiri. Rice grains clung to his grin, and he seemed thrilled with the idea of Shino getting killed by Hinata.
"Of course Hinata was capable of killing me. But why would Hinata want to kill me? We're supposed to be comrades." Shino said sulkily. He poked at his bento, his words echoing the way he'd grumbled when Naruto returned to Konoha after three years and failed to recognize him.
Hinata smiled, the gentle curve of her lips a hint of amusement.
"We are more than just comrades, Shino-kun."
"But it hurts to know that you wanted to kill me," Shino said again, the crunch of his bento under his teeth a counterpoint to his words.
"I wasn't trying to kill you, Shino-kun. The water senbon was just targeted at your Tenketsu points like in acupuncture-where tiny needles are used to paralyze people for a short time. It was the only way I could defeat you, well, the only way I could think of…" Hinata said hesitantly. Her voice trailed off, then picked up again. "The Jyuuken I used wasn't the high impact one – only small pressure was used because if it was used full-force, it could have injured you seriously. But yesterday, it wasn't you – it was a shadow clone. I wonder why you didn't use the bug clone as usual..."
Shino looked over and saw Kiba throw him a meaningful smile. The buzz of a trapped insect echoed the smirk on Kiba's face.
"I sent all my bugs to scout around the woods yesterday," Shino answered nonchalantly.
"Why, were you looking for anyone in the woods?" Hinata asked, her innocence a sharp contrast to the smirk lingering on Kiba's face.
"…the butterfly. I sent the bugs to scout for a butterfly. I thought you deserved a rare butterfly as a gift for all your progress so far."
"But Kiba-kun also wasn't there."
"I..uh...went to answer the call of nature in the woods," Kiba answered falteringly, his cheeks flushing.
"But it was more than half an hour."
"It was a big call. What can I say, eh?" He coughed, trying to cover the awkwardness.
Hinata burst into laughter. "You are so gross. I want to wash my hands. Both of you wait for me, and we shall continue training when I come back, right?"
"Sure."
They both watched as the Hyuuga girl strode to the river, the rustle of leaves under her feet blending with the water's soft murmur. Hinata had gotten taller over the years and grown long hair, but still, they didn't make Naruto notice her.
'Naruto is stupid,' Kiba thought. 'Three years of training with Jiraiya-sama, and you'd think he'd gotten any wiser.' His eyes stung with a hint of sweat.
"For someone who talks a lot, you're a terrible liar, Kiba," Shino voiced unexpectedly, breaking the silence.
"You were too, bug-freak."
"I wouldn't have done it if it weren't because of Hinata. Killing a guy because of her was much easier than lying to her like what I have done just now."
"Are you kidding me? Lying to Hinata about me crapping in the woods—tell me if anything beats that. Hinata will never look at me romantically because of it, ever."
"So I'm taking over from Kurenai to watch over Team Eight until she delivers her baby?"
"That's correct," Tsunade confirmed, the papers on her desk rustling under her shifting hands.
"Have they been told?"
"That's why I called you. You are to meet Team Eight and tell them about this new formation. Aren't you going to ask why we chose you instead of Yamato?"
"If it's not a bother, why me instead of Yamato?"
"It's a personal request from Hinata's father."
"Hiashi-sama wants me to watch over his daughter? That's strange."
"Hiashi-sama demands that Hinata be guarded and trained by the best Shinobi in Konoha for the time being. He is worried about some affairs that have stirred in the Lightning country. Do you remember Hinata was once kidnapped by Lightning Shinobi? They wanted to steal the secrets of the Byakugan bloodline."
"Yes, I do. It cost the life of Neji's father to reclaim her."
"That's right. It seems there has been news that the Lightning country is once again eyeing Hinata."
Kakashi paused, the image of the man Shino and Kiba killed quivering across his mind. The man's cold eyes, his unmarked clothes...
'Could it be that the man was from Lightning country?' Kakashi mused. 'He came from some organization, that was clear. If he were Akatsuki, wouldn't he wear their signature robe? Akatsuki prided themselves on their uniform, brazenly committing crimes in broad daylight.'
"Byakugan, one of oldest, primary bloodline abilities, has been one of the emblems of Konoha's might for a long time. We can't let the Lightning country steal its secret. I want you to be in charge of Team Eight until we are sure they are no longer interested in Hinata, or at least until Kurenai regains her strength," Tsunade continued, her voice firm.
"I don't think Hinata can't take care of herself," Kakashi replied. "She's much stronger now than three years ago—but it's your decision. I have one request, though."
"What is it?"
"Send me out on an A-rank mission with them. I need to assess their capabilities and orchestrate a plan to fortify them." Kakashi's fingers tightened slightly on the edge of Tsunade's desk.
'And I need to find out which organization that man was from.'
"Done deal," Tsunade answered.
The puzzle remained incomplete; the maze still twisted before him. But as always, Kakashi felt the familiar weight of responsibility settle on his shoulders, the drive to piece together the fragments and unravel the mystery.
Occasionally, he would return to Konohagakure for reasons he had been hiding for a long time. Nothing was there for Uchiha Itachi; the whole abandoned Uchiha compound in the village had been left empty and ghostly.
Even Sasuke had left Konoha for training with Orochimaru of his own accord.
But still, Itachi came to visit Konoha in discretion. If just to remind him of his duty, if just to desperately retain what little was left of his sanity, to keep his disguise of appearance and mannerism as a member of the Akatsuki.
Itachi was tired, he wanted for it to end, but there was no turning back.
He sat by the rock beside the river, watching the water flow endlessly, letting the sight calm his senses. Closing his eyes, images of the past came flooding into his mind.
Itachi, fresh from an ANBU mission, the tang of iron still clinging to his skin. Too weary to face his father, too weary to face another burden. The river called to him, a rare moment of solitude beckoning.
Yet, it was the hint of movement on the opposite bank that held his gaze. A girl, washing her face, sunlight catching like diamonds on the water droplets beading on her skin.
She saw him, smiled.
In the months that followed, that smile became an anchor. Nights spent with his head in her lap, the gentle pressure of her fingers against his temple a lifeline.
At one time, she became his lover.
And he loved her. But there were other loves, monstrous and distorted, that consumed him.
"You're crazy! Stay away from me!" Her voice, once filled with warmth, now cracked with terror. He gripped his katana tighter, knuckles whitening.
"How could you do this to me, to your clan?" She was a frantic blur of motion now, retreating towards the river.
The Mangekyo flared, a grotesque kaleidoscope of illusion in her tear-streaked eyes. He advanced; the air thick with unspoken betrayal. A flash of steel, a choked cry, and she crumpled, staining the river with her life.
The rustle of dry leaves shattered the memory, a harsh counterpoint to the river's song. Where his lover had first appeared, another figure materialized, wary and graceful.
He whispered his lover's name.
Hinata dipped her hands in the river, washing away the rice, then splashed cool water on her face. Her reflection shimmered in the crystal-clear depths – the face she'd struggled to accept.
"I've been a burden so long," she whispered. "Kurenai-sensei, Shino, Kiba... without them, I would have fallen apart."
"And how will you repay them?" A cool voice pierced the quiet.
She whirled. A figure loomed above her, clad in the somber green of a Jounin. For a startled moment, the blinding sky behind him made him seem unreal, his one visible eye a fathomless dark. Kakashi.
"You were silent. I didn't hear you approach, Kakashi-sensei."
"That's what we'll be working on. You need to be more aware, Hinata."
Kneeling, she tilted her head in confusion. "We?"
"Yes. Come, let's rejoin your teammates. I have news."
"So, everyone understands the new arrangement?" Kakashi's tone was deceptively light, his visible eye crinkling as if in amusement.
Kiba beamed, Akamaru snoring beside him. "No complaints here! Looking forward to it, Kakashi-sensei."
Shino, ever stoic, gave a precise nod. "I will follow the Hokage's orders." Kakashi made a mental note: Shino's lack of expression would make him unpredictable in a fight.
"And you, Hinata?" His gaze settled on her, and she felt a warmth creep into her cheeks.
"Whatever you say, Sensei."
"Good. I have faith in your abilities. Tsunade-sama is assigning us an A-rank mission tomorrow. Get your gear ready, but first, a test. Defense against genjutsu. Have any of you faced it before?"
Kiba and Shino shook their heads. Hinata's voice was barely a whisper. "N-not that I know of."
"Just as I suspected," Kakashi murmured. "Scatter into the woods. No helping each other. Focus on evasion, or if caught, breaking free from my illusions. Understood?"
"Yes!" they chorused.
He watched them vanish, their chakra signatures shimmering through the trees. Then, with a prickle of unease, he sensed it: another presence, vast and unfamiliar. A jolt of realization struck him. They were all in danger.
Kakashi reappeared at a corner in the woods, about twenty feet from the intruder. His gaze wandered and interlocked with an Akatsuki robe quivering in the distance – its crimson clouds seeming to drip against the pale green of the leaves. Kakashi knew instantly; it was an old junior of his—back in the days when he was still serving for ANBU. He avoided his eyes from contacting Itachi's own eyes.
"It's been a while, Kakashi-San," a voice rasped through the air, the faintest hint of amusement cutting through the thick silence. A man's silhouette moved behind a large tree, as insubstantial as a shadow. "Seemingly, we still have some unfinished business to be settled."
Kakashi stared at the still body of the famous, or rather, the infamous S-rank criminal—the great Uchiha Itachi—and tried to be calm. The damp earth beneath his sandals felt cold and unyielding. He could not call for backup now; Itachi would start attacking his new students if he left.
"What do you want, Itachi?"
"Straight to the heart of the matter, I could use some entertainment."
"What do you mean?" A drop of sweat broke from Kakashi's forehead, the bead rolling down his temple like a tear.
"If things hadn't gone the way they had…." Itachi said dully, "I would have become an instructor too."
It was as if, all of a sudden, time had gone still as Kakashi focused on listening to the words carried by the wind, the rustle of leaves a deafening roar in his ears.
"So let me test your students with you."
"Leave them alone; you're fighting me."
"This is a fight, Kakashi-san. Just the prospect is different. Instead of losing yourself, you get to lose somebody else if I win."
"Itachi—"
Kakashi's words were cut short as Itachi disappeared, the air rippling with his absence.
Desperate, Kakashi teleported himself to the middle of the woods to ample space. He then performed a series of hand seals, the movements sharp and precise.
"Kuchiyose No Jutsu."
As he patted his palm on the ground, a diagram emerged, and a trove of dogs appeared in front of him. Their leader, Pakkun, greeted its master with a low whine.
"I need you guys to help me. To find my new students from Team Eight and bring them to a safe place in the village as fast as you can."
"Affirmative. But before that…" Pakkun paused, its nose sniffing the air, whiskers twitching with unease. "Whose massive chakra is it in the woods?"
"It's Uchiha Itachi's."
Pakkun visibly tensed.
"Okay. Be careful, Kakashi."
All dogs then sprinted sparsely into the woods—searching for members of Team Eight. Kakashi then performed another hand seal, his left hand raised as his index, and middle fingers touched his mouth while his right hand was raised up in the air. The scent of wet leaves and fresh loam sharpened with an almost metallic tang.
"Ninpou: Kirigakure No Jutsu."
The woods now were laden with heavy fog. It was completely useless against Itachi, but Kakashi had hoped the mist would limit the movements of Team Eight members. Pakkun and the horde of dogs he had summoned could sense them better using the sense of smell and get them out into the village before Itachi could get to them. Kakashi steeled himself, the mist swirling around him like a shroud.
And then, Kakashi disappeared into the forest. His main concern remained on Hinata.
Kiba was perching himself on a tree branch when substantial mist began to dawdle in the air, the clammy tendrils twisting around his ankles and obscuring his vision. It had also been virtually ten minutes since Kakashi had given them his instruction. He had travelled as far as the middle of the woods: where the bushes were bulky and thicker, their overgrown branches scratching at his skin, and where only the sound of crickets twittering and frogs croaking could be heard. The dampness seeped into his clothes, and the sudden chill in the air made his teeth chatter.
Kiba disliked cramped, cold spaces – especially foggy areas. At that moment, he felt a surge of gratitude for Akamaru sitting beside him, the dog's fur a comforting warmth against his side.
"Wonder how bug-freak and Hinata are doing, because unlike me, they don't have you to accompany them," Kiba ranted, patting Akamaru's head with a smirk. "Kakashi-sensei must be treating this test seriously, eh, Akamaru? He's making it as tricky as he could."
Akamaru whined, a low rumble in his throat, as Kiba continued his rants.
"How was it again to theoretically deflect a genjutsu? Um, upon coming across a genjutsu user, if you're alone, flee. And if you still come into contact with a genjutsu user, cancel it before it takes on full effect by disrupting the flow of Chakra in your body. Am I correct?"
Once again, Akamaru woofed in verification. Kiba began to rest his back against the tree trunk, the rough bark digging into his skin, and added, "Sounds much easier said than done, but no worries because all we have to do is avoid confronting Kakashi-Sensei. And even if I still get affected by his genjutsu, unlike Shino and Hinata, I am not alone. You'll be here to tap on my shoulder to consciousness. Aren't we great, Akamaru?"
Akamaru woofed again, but this time the sound was sharp, almost a warning. Kiba's nostrils flared as he inhaled the thick fog.
"You smell them too, eh buddy?" Kiba spoke in a hushed tone. "There are many other dogs in this area, eh? And they smell familiar. This can't be in any way-a genjutsu. Even I can tell real smell from illu—"
"Ah, you're here," a voice cut through the clammy silence. Pakkun emerged from the swirling mist, and Akamaru barked, a mix of surprise and recognition.
"Pakkun?" Kiba's voice held a hint of disbelief.
"I'm sorry to disturb you here, but this is an important instruction from Kakashi. You are moving into a secure place in the village immediately—there's a dangerous Akatsuki member here in the woods.""Really? Who is he?"
"Uchiha Itachi."
"Really? This isn't genjutsu?"
"Do I smell like genjutsu?"
Kiba sniffed at Pakkun.
"No. Uh… what about Shino and Hinata?"
"My friends are searching for them. The Aburame boy would be easier to spot—since I saw his bugs flying around while I was searching. But we are having some problem with the Hyuuga girl."
"Look, I'm not worried about bug-freak because I know he's going to be good. About Hinata, if you guys can't find her, I'll go and find her myself."
"Kakashi is searching for her too. Better one with Sharingan eye to stumble upon Uchiha Itachi than you, don't you think? We have no time to lose. Best move now."
"Okay, but if later on, you guys can't locate her still, I swear to God I'll get back in here," Kiba muttered the oath before getting himself onto Akamaru's back. "Let's go, Akamaru."
"Sure. Sure." Pakkun replied with a sigh.
The three of them escaped the misty woods in a split second.
Hinata activated her Byakugan when the mist started to thicken around her, a cold tendril snaking around her ankle. Though rotating around the blind spot, her vision was blurry because of the profuse smog, the air feeling heavy and damp against her skin.
She applied a little more chakra to her eyes, the familiar prickling sensation behind her browbones a sharp contrast to the clammy fog. Her sight sharpened to the point that she could see even the microscopic particles of dried leaves below her, their edges glittering faintly in the dim light.
If she could avoid an encounter with Kakashi-sensei, if she fled fast enough and kept her distance, she reckoned she would be able to survive the test without having to come into contact with or deflect the copy-nin's genjutsu.
Letting her sight travel, Hinata became a little excited when she saw Kakashi hide behind a tree about 30 feet from the spot she was standing, his masked face barely visible through the shifting mist. A small smile jerked on her lips; as she teleported herself feasibly farthest away, the air rushing past her ears in a disorienting whoosh.
She had separated herself about 100 feet from him—but as her vision toured in her precautionary attempt, a prickle of unease shivered down her spine. She decided to deactivate her Byakugan to save some Chakra. She then looked at the space surrounding her for a few seconds, her heart pounding uncomfortably in her chest.
It was then that her gaze intertwined with a pair of eyes in the shadows, their pale glint cutting through the mist. When their gaze met, she saw the eyes turn a dazzling red; with three small dots circling the irises, like drops of fresh blood.
"Sa…Sasuke-Kun?" she uttered in fright, her voice barely more than a strangled whisper.
Kiba paced the edge of the training field, a whirlwind of nerves, as Shino materialized before him, seemingly out of the humid air.
"Finally! Did you see Hinata?" Kiba pressed, barely waiting for Shino to adjust his dark goggles.
"My bugs tell a different story. An Akatsuki member stalks the woods, and Kakashi-sensei ordered a retreat. He's rallying his dogs to flush us out." Shino paused, a sliver of unease cutting through his usual calm. "I didn't see Hinata."
Kiba hated that sliver of doubt. "We have to go back. Pakkun brought me here, but he raced off for reinforcements. Hinata could be in trouble." Kiba felt the words rasp in his throat. Akamaru, ever attuned to his master, whined and shifted on restless paws.
"I know," Shino said, his voice tight. "But we can't."
"Hinata, man! Don't you care?" Kiba's voice cracked, desperation edging into anger.
"With my life. But we can't act like idiots right now. Kakashi-sensei is on it, and he's got his hounds too." Shino wouldn't budge, but Kiba's glower spoke volumes. The boy was a second away from charging back into the trees.
"Look, I left bugs behind as scouts. They'll find Hinata and report back. Then we move," Shino relented.
"Suddenly, Mr. Common Sense is out the window?" Kiba scoffed.
"I made a guy explode because of Hinata. You think I won't risk it again? Right now, we need to trust her, too."
"What's that mean?"
"She'd be crushed if she knew how we're acting. Like we don't think she can take care of herself. What was all that training for?"
Kiba's retort fizzled out. "I just... don't want to see her hurt."
Shino shoved his hands deep in his pockets. "Me neither. But for now... we have to believe in her. It's all we can do."
Hinata started to see the trees surrounding her melt—like freshly drawn paintings smeared by a wet brush. Even the ground she was standing on began to ripple, the earth beneath her feet turning to quicksand. Her heart pounded in her chest, a frantic drumbeat that threatened to drown out all other sounds. She tried to focus on the flow of chakra in her body, but her thoughts scattered like startled birds.
A pair of Sharingan eyes… She clung to the memory like a lifeline as she sank deeper into a swirling vortex of phantasmagoria. Voices slithered into her ears, whispers that clawed at her resolve.
You don't fit to be a ninja. You're too gentle. The words stung, each syllable a tiny, venomous barb.
You're a shame to the Hyuuga. How are you supposed to lead the clan if you're so weak? The voices were relentless, twisting inside her head.
"Go away," she pleaded, her hands flying to cover her ears, the futile gesture doing nothing to silence the onslaught.
She saw a body sprout from the ground, rising like a grotesque flower pushing through the soil. It was a head—a face contorted in cold fury, framed by long ebony hair and a pair of blazing Byakugan eyes.
No matter how hard you try, you will never change. This is your destiny. To be weak!
"Neji…nii-san?" Hinata's voice cracked. A wave of nausea washed over her, threatening to drag her down into a pit of despair.
You're a liability to your teammates. Would you rather see them die trying to protect you? You don't fit to become a Hyuuga matriarch. Why didn't you stop trying already? Her father's figure materialized, as rigid and unyielding as a tombstone, his hands clamped over his abdomen like a fatal wound.
"No..." Hinata's voice weakened, a desperate plea against the rising tide of doubt and self-loathing. "I've worked hard. I've changed," she said, the words more a prayer than a statement.
We would rather have Sakura than you. She's strong, unlike you. Her teammates never had to watch over her. Shino and Kiba materialized before her, their faces twisted in disgust. Tears prickled at the corners of Hinata's eyes, hot and shameful. The voices must stop.
She had to stop this genjutsu. Kakashi-sensei didn't have a pair of Sharingan eyes. He only had one with a scar. She clung to that fact, a tiny anchor in the storm.
"What would you be doing to repay them?" His voice echoed in her memory, a spark of defiance in the darkness.
Hinata forced her eyes open. The harsh, white light of the genjutsu world pierced her vision.
"Kakashi-sensei?" Her voice was a hoarse whisper.
"You have to be more aware of your surroundings, Hinata."
"Disrupt the flow of chakra…" She murmured, a thread of determination weaving through the fog in her mind.
A strange new strength began to unfurl inside Hinata, its source a mystery even to herself.
"I must deflect this genjutsu…" She steeled herself, filtering out the barrage of voices, honing in on the ebb and flow of chakra within her body. The Hyuuga were known for their unparalleled chakra control - a legacy suddenly burning with fierce purpose.
She meditated, gathering her chakra toward her eyes.
Byakugan! Her vision sharpened, the world snapping back into focus. She halted the flow of chakra swirling within her, imagining the invisible threads binding her to the Sharingan. With a surge of will, she latched onto those threads, feeling a dash of control over her attacker's chakra.
Using the precise control that enabled her to create Senbons from a puddle of water, she severed the flow within her attacker's eyes. His focus wavered, the Sharingan momentarily disrupted. Openings appeared in his Tenketsu, pathways vulnerable to her own chakra. Hinata pushed, the flow of her energy a relentless tide surging into those fissures, breaching his defenses, breaching his mind.
Visions flooded her senses, a fragmented glimpse into her attacker's memories. Images of pain, of loss, of a relentless darkness that mirrored her own deepest fears. The onslaught buckled her knees, forcing her to the ground, a sob tearing from her throat.
Uchiha Itachi saw flashes of her in his memory, sharp as shards of glass. Her wide, terrified eyes burned into his mind – he had glimpsed that same terror when he first met Uchiha Madara, when the monstrous plan to extinguish the Uchiha clan took root.
He saw her again, a small figure in the crimson-stained night, witnessing his bloody rampage. The stench of iron clung to the air as she watched him slit his lover's throat, the gentle gurgle of blood a gruesome counterpoint to the rushing water of the river.
The Hyuuga girl saw Sasuke's tears splash against the floor, heard his desperate pleas echo in the darkness of that cursed night. She felt the crushing weight of his despair as Itachi plunged him into the torturous depths of the Tsukuyomi.
And she saw the glistening track of a single tear as he turned away from Sasuke, leaving behind his parents' lifeless bodies. The image seared itself into her memory with the brutal force of a branding iron.
She saw everything. And in seeing, she stripped him of his carefully crafted façade. The guilt he'd carried, a leaden weight in his soul, now felt impossibly heavier.
She had plunged too deep into his sea of introspection, unearthing his deepest, darkest secret—a truth that scorched brighter than any Sharingan. It was a knowledge she couldn't carry.
A knowledge that demanded her life as payment.
When Kakashi rushed to shield Hinata, Itachi's hand was already on the hilt of his katana, the steel glinting coldly in the dim light filtering through the trees.
"Leave immediately, Itachi. My backup will arrive here any minute." Kakashi's voice was low, a dangerous rumble beneath the stillness of the forest.
Itachi remained impassive, his face a mask veiled in shadow. With chilling calm, he took a step forward. "I'm sorry," he replied, his voice barely a whisper, "but the girl must go."
"I can't let you take her away." The air crackled with unspoken threats.
"I have no other choice, Kakashi-san."
"Then you'll have to send me away first." Kakashi's gloved hand moved to uncover his Sharingan eye, the crimson pinwheel a stark splash of color against the muted tones of the forest. He took a step forward, mirroring Itachi's movement.
The wind whipped through the trees, carrying the faint scent of rain and the metallic tang of fear. Behind Kakashi, Hinata crouched, hands pressed to her head as if shielding herself from an unseen blow. Muffled sobs echoed through the clearing, and Kakashi felt a pang of anger at her obvious pain.
"Then you, too, have left me with no choice." Itachi's voice was like the low rasp of a blade being drawn from its sheath.
"Not so fast, Itachi." The tension shattered as a new voice cut through the air. Yamato, clad in Jounin vest, strode into the clearing, eyes locked on the intruder – who remained as unreadable as a stone.
"Tenzou…" Kakashi's greeting was a breath of relief.
"I've come to help, Kakashi-senpai." Yamato took his position at Kakashi's side.
"Thanks."
"We wouldn't let you mess around with Hinata either," Kiba's voice echoed, brash and determined, as he emerged from the shadows riding his massive white dog. Shino followed, silent but deadly, a swirling cloud of insects buzzing a chilling warning.
"Kakashi-senpai, I will take over from here with Kiba and Shino. Please bring Hinata to the hospital immediately," Yamato instructed, his voice low and urgent.
"You sure you can handle him?" Kakashi's gaze flicked to the impassive figure of Itachi.
"I will try my best. Team Gai is also on its way here; they will arrive any minute. Hinata looks like she's hurt badly. Trust me; I will take care of Itachi. If Itachi wants to kill her, then it would be safer if you were the one to bring her to the hospital."
"Okay then. I'll leave him to you. Good luck, Tenzou." Kakashi gathered the frail, trembling form of Hinata into his arms and vanished from the mist-shrouded clearing. As he leapt through the trees, he could feel her body shuddering against his, a chilling echo of his own terror.
Kakashi had a nightmare in the daylight once. It was him being stabbed with blades inside Itachi's Tsukuyomi.
Itachi knew a protracted battle against these Konoha shinobi would be a reckless waste of precious chakra. He remembered Tenzou, his old ANBU counterpart, a skilled captain. He remembered the two boys who wielded a formidable blend of Inuzuka and Aburame techniques. Worse, his own chakra still churned uneasily, a lingering nausea from the Hyuuga girl's disruptive intrusion into his mind.
It was a grave mistake, underestimating her. A mistake he would now pay for dearly. The girl knew his motive, his plan—secrets that could unravel years of painstaking effort and shatter his ultimate goal.
The scent of damp earth and pine needles filled his nostrils, a stark contrast to the turmoil brewing within him. He could not risk a confrontation, not now, not with so many skilled shinobi arrayed against him. He would leave Konoha for now, but he would return, and the girl would pay for her meddling.
It should be simple, he thought, his fingers tightening on the hilt of his katana. Simple, like the cold memory of his lover's lifeblood draining away, staining his hand and staining his soul. Yet, a flicker of doubt lingered, a persistent whisper echoing the Hyuuga girl's terrified eyes.
"So much… blood..." Hinata whimpered, her voice a ragged whisper against the sterile white sheets of the hospital bed.
"We've given her a tranquilizer, Kakashi-san, but it doesn't seem to have any effect. Therefore, we decided to use a stronger drug to calm her," the doctor suggested, his voice tinged with concern.
"That's not for me to approve. I'll go inform her father so he can make the decision." Kakashi turned to leave, the scent of antiseptic sharp in his nostrils.
"Hiashi-sama won't come," the doctor replied, his voice heavy. "You're wasting your breath if you try to talk to him."
Kakashi froze, a cold fist clutching at his heart. "How'd you know?"
"We've been attending to Hinata for years. She would hurt herself during training with her teammates, ending up here. We tried calling her family, but Hiashi-sama made it clear—the hospital could decide freely on whatever treatment we deemed necessary. He never visited, not once."
Kakashi stared at the frail figure on the bed, her restless movements and tortured murmurs a stark contrast to the stillness of the room.
"What kind of things have you had to put up with all this time, Hinata?" Kakashi asked silently.
The question remained unanswered as twilight emerged, casting its orange rays on Hinata's face through the large glass window.
Twilight crept in, casting long shadows across the room and painting Hinata's face in hues of fading orange. Beads of sweat glistened on her forehead, her damp hair clinging in dark strands to her neck.
Kakashi could only imagine the visions she had received, and then he decided to stay with her for the night.
To be continued.