Hinata sat on the edge of the small bed in her new room at the inn, the quiet of the night offering little comfort. Her fingers absently traced the hem of her sleeve as she replayed the earlier confrontation with Naruto in her mind. The pain in his eyes, the anger in his voice, and the sheer frustration she felt—it was all too much. Yet, as much as her heart ached, her resolve had only grown stronger. Something was wrong, and she needed answers.
As the clock struck midnight, Hinata slipped silently out of her room. She clutched the folded piece of paper Sasuke had given her, its creases worn from her nervous fingers. Following the directions carefully, she found herself outside the village limits, where a dimly lit inn stood against the backdrop of shadowy trees. The air was cold, and every step toward the building felt heavier than the last.
She approached the innkeeper, a tired-looking woman with graying hair tied back in a loose bun. "I'm here to visit the guest in room four," Hinata said softly, trying to keep her voice steady.
The woman eyed her for a moment before nodding and gesturing down a narrow hallway. Hinata thanked her and made her way toward the room, her nerves tightening with every step. When she reached the door, she hesitated, her hand hovering over the wood. Taking a deep breath, she knocked softly.
The door creaked open, revealing Sasuke standing in the doorway. His expression was unreadable, as always, but his dark eyes seemed to pierce straight through her. Without a word, he stepped aside to let her in.
Hinata entered cautiously, her hands clasped in front of her. The room was small but tidy, with a single low table in the center and cushions on the floor. A small teapot and two cups sat on the table, steam curling into the dimly lit space.
"Sit," Sasuke said simply, motioning to one of the cushions. Hinata obeyed, lowering herself onto the floor with practiced grace.
He poured her a cup of tea and pushed it toward her. "Drink. It'll help with the nerves."
Hinata accepted the cup with a small nod, wrapping her hands around the warm porcelain. The silence between them was thick, but she found it hard to break, her mind racing with questions she wasn't sure she wanted answers to.
Finally, Sasuke spoke, his voice low and even. "You probably already suspect this, but Naruto isn't the same person you've known all these years."
Hinata's grip on the teacup tightened. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Sasuke leaned back slightly, his eyes narrowing. "He's unstable, Hinata. I'm sure you've seen glimpses of it—the anger, the recklessness. But you don't know how far gone he really is."
Hinata's heart sank at his words, but she shook her head. "Naruto's been under a lot of pressure lately. He's—"
"Don't defend him," Sasuke interrupted sharply, his tone cutting. "You're not doing him any favors by pretending everything is fine. You've seen it, haven't you? The way he's been sneaking off, hiding things from you. The way his temper is always ready to boil over."
Hinata looked down at her tea, her reflection rippling in the surface. She didn't respond immediately, but her silence was answer enough.
Sasuke leaned forward, his gaze intent. "Naruto isn't just keeping secrets. He's walking a dangerous path—one that could lead to ruin, not just for himself, but for everyone around him. You need to stop turning a blind eye."
Hinata's head shot up, tears welling in her eyes. "Do you think I don't know something's wrong?" she said, her voice trembling. "I've seen the signs, but I didn't want to believe it. I thought I could trust him… that he'd tell me if something was wrong."
Sasuke's expression softened slightly, but his voice remained firm. "Naruto isn't the kind of person to admit weakness, not even to you. Whatever he's planning, he thinks he's doing it for the right reasons. But trust me, Hinata, the road he's on leads to darkness."
Hinata's hands trembled as she set the teacup down. "What am I supposed to do?" she asked, her voice barely audible. "He's… he's the man I love."
Hinata stared at Sasuke, her hands trembling slightly. His dark, unwavering gaze felt like it was peeling back every layer of her defenses. The tension in the room was suffocating, and her heart pounded with unease.
"How long," Sasuke began, his voice calm but cutting, "do you think Naruto has been interested in you?"
Hinata blinked, caught off guard. "I… I'm not sure," she stammered, unsure where this was going. "We've been close for a while now, and—"
Sasuke leaned forward, cutting her off. "No, Hinata. I don't mean when he started liking you. I mean… how long do you think Naruto has been stalking you?"
Her breath hitched, and she froze, the weight of his words sinking into her chest like a stone. "S-stalking?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
The room seemed to shrink around her as she processed what he'd said. She could hardly believe it, but the question had shaken her to her core. Her mind raced with flashes of memories—moments she had brushed off as coincidences, the way Naruto always seemed to know where she was, the times she had felt watched but had dismissed it as her imagination.
Sasuke didn't elaborate further. He simply sat back, his expression unreadable as he let the silence hang between them.
Hinata gasped softly, her hands flying to her mouth. The room spun as doubt and fear seeped into her mind.
…
Naruto stood in a dark, damp room, illuminated only by a flickering lantern. His blue eyes, now tinged with red, glared down at Kiro, who was tied to a chair. The young man's face was bruised, and his breathing was labored. Blood trickled from a cut on his cheek where Sasuke had struck him earlier.
"This is all your fault," Naruto snarled, pacing back and forth like a caged animal. His voice dripped with venom, and his fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles were white.
Kiro, despite his injuries, managed a weak, defiant glare. "You're crazy," he spat, his voice hoarse. "You're worried about the wrong person."
Naruto stopped in his tracks, his head snapping toward Kiro. His chakra flared dangerously, making the air in the room feel suffocating. "What did you say?" he growled, his voice low and menacing.
Kiro took a shuddering breath, his gaze locked onto Naruto's. "You're so busy obsessing over me and Hinata that you don't even see what's really happening. She's not meeting me behind your back… she's meeting someone else."
Naruto's eyes narrowed, his mind racing. "What are you talking about? Who?" he demanded, stepping closer.
Kiro smirked weakly, his defiance sparking in the face of Naruto's rage. "A guy with dark hair, dressed in black. He attacked me before you showed up. Then, they made plans to meet at midnight without telling you. Guess you're not as important to her as you thought."
Naruto froze, his breathing heavy as Kiro's words sank in. His heart twisted painfully, and his rage bubbled over. He grabbed a kunai from his pouch and drove it into Kiro's hand without hesitation.
Kiro screamed, the sound echoing off the walls, but Naruto didn't flinch. His red eyes glowed with fury as he leaned in close, his voice a dangerous whisper. "You're lying. Hinata would never do that."
Kiro gritted his teeth, sweat pouring down his face as he managed to choke out, "Then why don't you go find out yourself?"
Naruto's hand trembled as he pulled the kunai out, blood dripping onto the floor. His mind swirled with conflicting emotions—anger, betrayal, and a gnawing sense of doubt. Without another word, he turned and stormed out of the room, leaving Kiro slumped and groaning in pain.
…
The room felt stifling despite its simplicity, a single dim lantern casting flickering shadows on the walls. Sasuke's gaze was steady, his sharp features softened by an unusual tinge of concern.
"How do you think this mission was even assigned?" Sasuke began, his voice calm yet laced with an edge that made Hinata's chest tighten.
She blinked at him, confused. "What do you mean? Missions like these are routine, aren't they?"
Sasuke shook his head. "Not this one. It wasn't assigned—it was forced."
Hinata frowned, her pulse quickening. "Forced? I don't understand."
Sasuke leaned forward slightly, his onyx eyes locking with hers. "Naruto threatened the Hokage, Hinata. That's why this mission exists. That's why you're here with him."
Hinata froze, the teacup slipping from her trembling hands and clinking against the table. "No," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Naruto would never do that."
"Wouldn't he?" Sasuke asked, his tone almost pitying. "Think about it. Think about all the times he's acted out of line, all the things you've ignored because you love him. You must have seen glimpses, even if you didn't want to admit it."
Hinata's breath hitched as his words sank in, her mind flashing back to moments she had brushed aside: Naruto's possessiveness, his anger, the strange sense of unease that she had always pushed away.
"He... He wouldn't," she said, though her voice wavered. "Naruto's kind. He's selfless. He—"
"He's obsessed with you," Sasuke interrupted, his tone blunt but not unkind. "And obsession can twist a person. You don't see it because you don't want to."
Tears welled up in Hinata's lavender eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "Why are you telling me this? Why now?"
Sasuke hesitated for a moment before replying, his voice quieter. "Because I've always been worried about you. I knew how deep Naruto's fixation ran, but I didn't realize how dangerous it was until Daiki."
At the mention of Daiki, Hinata stiffened. The memory rushed back in vivid detail: Sakura's concerned voice, the whispers of Daiki's disappearance, and the lingering feeling of someone watching her. Her breaths came faster, shallower, as the pieces began to fit together in her mind.
"Daiki…" she whispered, her voice trembling. "He disappeared after that party. You're saying… Naruto—"
"Yes," Sasuke said, his voice firm but not without sympathy. "He killed him, Hinata. And Daiki wasn't the first. All those suitors who never made it to Konoha? All the times you thought you saw someone following you? It was always Naruto."
Hinata's world tilted, the room spinning as the truth clawed at her. She clutched at her chest, gasping for air as panic overtook her.
"I... I didn't see it," she choked out, tears streaming down her face. "How could I not see it?"
"Hey," Sasuke said softly, moving to her side. He hesitated before placing a hand on her shoulder, his touch gentle but grounding. "You couldn't have known. He hides it well, even from you. But you have to face it now."
Hinata's sobs quieted slightly as she tried to steady her breathing. "I don't know what to do," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
Sasuke's grip on her shoulder tightened ever so slightly. "You don't have to decide right now. Just... take it one step at a time. And remember, you're not alone in this."
…
Naruto stood in the doorway of Hinata's new room, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The moonlight streaming through the window illuminated the pristine, untouched bed, the neatly arranged belongings. It was empty.
Kiro's words echoed in his mind, each one stabbing at his heart like a kunai."She made plans to meet at midnight without telling you. And the man she's meeting… he has dark hair, dressed in black. That's all I know."
The room mocked him with its silence, its emptiness a cruel confirmation of Kiro's claims. Naruto's hands curled into fists at his sides, his nails digging into his palms. His chakra flared uncontrollably, a dangerous, simmering red that cast ominous shadows on the walls.
"She's not here," he muttered to himself, his voice low and trembling with rage. "She's not here because of him."
His mind raced, torn between heartbreak and fury. He could see it so clearly now—Hinata sneaking out to have a rendezvous, lying to him, betraying his trust. The thought was like poison, spreading through his veins and clouding his judgment.
"Damn you!" Naruto growled, his voice rising into a snarl. He slammed his fist into the wall, cracking the wood and sending splinters flying.
His gaze fell on a delicate ribbon lying on the floor, one of Hinata's. He picked it up, his fingers trembling as he held it tightly. The warmth of his love for her warred with the fiery anger threatening to consume him.
"She'll come back to me," he whispered darkly, his voice thick with emotion. "She always does."
Naruto's red-rimmed eyes glowed faintly in the darkened room as he stepped back into the night, his chakra pulsing with a sinister intensity.
