A couple of days later, Hinata stood in front of the Hokage with her team, nearly dead on her feet. After her discovery the other evening, she not only lost her appetite but could not sleep. Thankfully, her sunglasses kept the dark circles and bloodshot eyes out of view. She knew Sasuke and Naruto—and probably Kakashi—were aware of her current condition, but they didn't mention it.
"Hinata? You with us?" Minato asked.
Hinata blinked hard to rid the sleepiness, but it barely helped. "Yes, Hokage-sama," she said.
"Are you okay? Can you still see or has it gotten worse?"
"I still have my vision. They're just a little sensitive and my father doesn't want me to have to wear these on the day of the announcement," she explained. Minato nodded in understanding.
"Well, there's only one D-rank mission left. No one else wanted it, so you three will have to do it. The Daimiyo's wife, Madame Shijimi, recently lost her cat Tora around the area." At the sound of this, Hinata perked up and thanked the Gods that they could do a quick mission and maybe she could nap for a few hours before training.
"Leave it to us, Hokage-sama!" Hinata said, surprising her teammates.
"Hinata!" Naruto whined, "I heard that mission really sucks!"
Hinata smiled at him, calming him quite a bit. "We'll finish this quickly."
She sounded so confident that neither Minato nor Kakashi had the heart to tell her that this was a reoccurring mission and every genin hated it. Once he had the scroll, Kakashi led his team outside after saying their thanks.
"You seem pretty confident that this mission is going to be easy," Kakashi told her.
Hinata shrugged, a shy smile on her face as she looked up at him. "Sensei, would you mind if I took a quick nap before training after we complete this mission?" She asked.
"So that's what it is," Sasuke hummed. "Didn't sleep last night?"
"I think I managed to get a few minutes. My brain just…wouldn't stop."
Kakashi put his hand on her head, patting it. "I don't mind. That's if you three manage to catch that cat in time," he said. The trio could tell he was clearly amused but didn't let it bother them. Once they were outside, Kakashi handed them radios to keep in communication and they quickly put them on.
"Naruto and one of his shadow clones will take the west and south end of the village, Hinata will take the east and that portion of the surrounding forest, and I will search this area. As soon as the cat is spotted, radio it in, and we'll flank it," Sasuke said. They agreed while Kakashi stood off to the side to watch them work. He wasn't worried about their ability to work together, but he was curious to see how long it took them to catch that cat.
Hinata reached into her pouch and pulled out a jar. "I'm confident we'll complete this mission in no time. I made this the other night and I have tested its effectiveness." She opened the jar and scooped up a generous amount into her hand. She slathered it on Sasuke and Naruto's hands before rubbing the rest into her own hands.
"What is this stuff?" Naruto asked, sniffing it curiously. "It smells good!" Sasuke, trusting Hinata's word, rubbed it into his hands without complaint or question.
"It attracts cats," she said, a proud glint in her eye. "We each have a photo of the cat and can use that to identify it out of the other cats that will inevitably show up."
Sasuke smirked. "Genius. How'd you know to make something like this?" He asked.
"Neji tells me many stories of his missions and he especially complained about this one. I had all the herbs needed to make a lotion that would attract felines," she explained. "Because of this, we'll only need to walk about the village and wait for it to come to us."
Kakashi chuckled. "Well, you certainly have a reason to be confident now. If you can find the cat within two hours, you'll have broken the village record that was set a year ago by your cousin, Neji."
Hinata's eyes glinted. "We'll do it within the hour," she responded. While she and Neji were almost evenly classed, it was that almost that kept Hinata training as hard as she could for as long as she could. In the past, she hadn't really seen him as a rival and that still holds true. She didn't want to beat him, she wanted to be equals.
"Then we better get started," Sasuke said. "Let's go!"
At that, they turned and walked in separate directions, toward the locations given. Hinata activated her byakugan and scoured the village little by little for any animal she could find. She was confident that they could break the record.
"Why couldn't you sleep last night?" Kakashi suddenly asked from beside her. She was not terribly surprised to see that he had tagged along with her instead of either of her teammates as they got along better. Though she was strictly focused on her task, Hinata's mind flashed to the image of Danzo's arm and her hands began to shake just a bit. This didn't go unnoticed by Kakashi.
"I've just been doing some research and my brain kept thinking of different theories. It was too loud to ignore," she answered. It wasn't a complete lie as she had thought plenty about Itachi's illness, but it definitely wasn't the truth either. She couldn't risk being too open about it to Kakashi as he was perceptive and clever and if he got suspicious, then she didn't stand a chance. He was once in the Anbu for a reason.
Kakashi eyed her for a few moments before looking off to the side awkwardly and clearing his throat. "I'm here if you need to talk," he said haltingly.
Hinata glanced over before giggling. "No need to strain yourself, I'm okay." In the corner of her vision, she saw a cat heading their way. It looked to be sniffing the air, no doubt smelling her, so she came to a stop and waited. "There is a cat heading our way."
They waited for a few moments before an orange cat appeared from around the corner. She was a bit disappointed but couldn't help but smile when the cat began rubbing against her leg and meowing softly as it purred loudly. She took out the lotion and opened it before taking a small dollop and putting it on the side of the street and out of the way of foot traffic. The cat turned its attention to the cream and she and Kakashi continued on their way.
"So it really does work," he admitted.
"Were you doubting me?"
He shrugged. "It just seemed too good to be true. I take it your medical research is also going well?"
Hinata sighed softly. "It is, though I am now studying how to identify certain diseases and it's proven to be difficult," she stated. "It's especially difficult when you only have a couple of symptoms and don't know what else could be a symptom that you've seen." She thought back to the way Itachi held his arm on his coat. Was that a symptom?
"Are we talking about anything specific?"
She shook her head. "No. Just scenarios."
Suddenly, Naruto came on the radio. "Got the cat. This stuff totally works, Hinata!" He said, his voice noticeably smug even though the static. Hinata focused her attention on Naruto's location. "Meet me in front of the Hokage tower." Hinata and Kakashi were instantly taking off in that direction. She could see Sasuke heading that way as well.
They stood in front of the Hokage fifteen minutes after first getting their assignment. Minato and the rest of the workers seemed to be greatly shocked and they held their heads a bit higher because of it.
"Wow, that wasn't very long at all!" Minato laughed. "Looks like you three have beaten Team Guy's record. I'm not sure anyone else can beat fifteen minutes." They bowed to their Hokage with gratitude. "Would you like me to search for another mission?"
Kakashi spoke up for the team. "Actually, we're going to begin our training now. That was my deal with them." Hinata softly sighed in relief.
"Ah, well, have a good time training," Minato said with a proud smile.
When Team 7 got outside, Sasuke and Naruto patted Hinata on the back.
"We hold a record now!" Naruto exclaimed. "You're the best, Hinata!"
"We're already making our mark," Sasuke added. "Smaller stuff now, but we'll accomplish bigger things in the future. Together."
Hinata smiled at them both. "We'll even make Kakashi-sensei famous!"
The Jonin raised a brow. "Oh? Well, sorry to disappoint, but I'm already pretty well-known in the shinobi world."
"What are you known for?" Sasuke questioned.
"You'll find out in time."
Sasuke rolled his eyes but said nothing more. He turned back to Hinata. "Are you going home to sleep?"
She shook her head. "I'll sleep on the training grounds. There are plenty of trees for shade." She felt her feet dragging as they walked in that direction. She would prefer her bed, but the training grounds were closer.
"I can carry you," Naruto said from her other side. "You look like you're going to fall asleep at any moment!"
"No, I'm okay. But thank you," she said sleepily. "We're almost there."
Kakashi watched her from the back, his brow knitted in concern. He didn't completely believe her explanation earlier but he didn't want to pry. Hinata was an open book, but she also kept things hidden well. He trusted her to know what her limit was and to know that he and her friends were there to support her.
When they arrived at their training area, Kakashi was instantly holding Hinata in his arms as she had begun to fall from exhaustion. Sasuke, only a second behind him, growled in frustration. The sensei smiled apologetically as he fully picked up the Heiress and carried her to a shady spot under the nearest tree.
"I've never seen Hinata this tired before," Naruto muttered as he took off his jacket.
"She's been working hard lately," Sasuke replied. "She gets so caught up in what she's doing sometimes."
Kakashi laid her down and stepped back as Naruto moved to her side. He put his jacket over her head before carefully removing her sunglasses. He stared at her sleeping face for a few moments before fully covering her face from the light. Sasuke, having seen the emotion on his friend's face, looked away with guilt. He knew he was going to have to have a talk with Naruto today.
Having spent the last week struggling with whether or not to set aside his duties as the Clan Heir and tell Naruto what the announcement was about, he had come to a decision the night before. Despite how much their friendship meant to Sasuke, he needed to be able to set aside his emotions and act like a Clan Head. He needed to show himself and everyone else that he was going to take responsibility by doing what needed to be done, even if the cost was great.
Kakashi glanced between the two before focusing somewhere out in the distance with a silent sigh. With the Hyuuga-Uchiha announcement tomorrow, he felt himself on edge about the future of his team. They were so close that this sudden announcement was going to feel like a betrayal to Naruto, and Kakashi wouldn't blame him. He understood the difficult positions Sasuke and Hinata were in, but he also sympathized with his hyperactive student.
Naruto faced his rival with a smirk. "Wanna spar?"
Sasuke cracked a smile and turned around to go to the center of the training grounds with Naruto following behind him excitedly. Kakashi took a seat next to Hinata's sleeping form and pulled out his orange book, flipping to where he last left off.
Hinata was forced awake by a dream of Danzo coming after her with his deformed arm while Sasuke turned his back on her after having learned of her meeting with Itachi. She awoke with an alarmed shout, pulling the jacket off of herself roughly and getting into a defensive stance while ignoring the pain the daylight caused her eyes. Kakashi, who was still sitting next to her, jumped slightly in surprise while Naruto and Sasuke were instantly at her side. Sasuke put his hand over her eyes as Naruto grabbed her sunglasses.
"What's wrong?" Sasuke asked worriedly.
Hinata put on her eyewear before shaking her head. "I—I just had the strangest dream," she replied, her voice slightly shaking from fear. She shut her eyes tightly but couldn't get rid of that image of Danzo in her head. Her skin prickled with goosebumps in disgust as she thought more about what that man was hiding. Kakashi narrowed his eyes in suspicion but said nothing while her teammates fretted over her.
"What was it about?" Naruto asked.
Hinata shook her head again, vehemently this time. "I don't…want to talk about it. But I'm okay."
Sasuke and Naruto shared a look but the former nodded. "Okay. Did you want to spar or something?"
She dusted herself off and picked up Naruto's jacket and then handed it to him. "Thank you," she said. "I need to get some studying done at the library, actually. Is that okay, sensei?" She asked Kakashi.
"Yes, that's fine. I guess we'll end training here for today. Tomorrow, there will be no training or missions as Sasuke and Hinata will be preparing for a big day," he explained. He stood up and put his book away. His pupils bowed, "I'll see you three tomorrow at the announcement." And then he disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Hinata turned to her friends. "I'll go on my own from here. Have a wonderful rest of your day," she said with a shaky smile.
"Yeah, no problem," Naruto said.
Sasuke regarded her for a moment before nodding and then she was off.
"Well, I guess I'm gonna get some ramen and then head home to help my mom," Naruto said. "See 'ya!" Just before he could run off, Sasuke caught him by his collar.
"Wait. I…actually have to talk to you about something."
"Um, okay. What is it?"
Sasuke avoided eye contact. "Let's go for a walk first."
Naruto, though thoroughly confused, agreed and they began walking aimlessly through the village. He could tell his friend was nervous and that was rare for Sasuke. His shoulders were rigid and he was avoiding looking at him. It made Naruto uneasy. Sasuke, to his credit, was trying his best to seem like there was nothing wrong.
It wasn't long before they found themselves at the same lake they frequented together.
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Naruto asked as they walked down toward the deck.
Sasuke took a deep breath. "It's about tomorrow's announcement," he said after a minute of silence. He couldn't tell Naruto exactly what was going to happen, but he could express how apologetic he was.
Naruto grinned. "It must be something super important to hold such a big thing!"
"Yes," he agreed. "It's extremely important to not only my and Hinata's families, but to the village as well. I just…want you to keep that in mind when you hear it."
Naruto paused, turning away from the water to face Sasuke with a serious but confused expression. "It's something big, huh?" Sasuke nodded. "I get it. So long as it doesn't make things harder for my dad!" He joked.
The Uchiha couldn't bring himself to smile. He looked seriously into Naruto's eyes. "I also want you to know that I am sorry. Truly. I wish I could tell you so you're not caught off guard, but I am bound by my duties."
Naruto was now completely confused and refrained from making a joke due to the genuine guilt plastered on his friend's face. "There's nothing to be sorry about, Sasuke," he said, hoping to comfort him.
The smile he received in return was a tortured one, taking him aback. "I don't think you will say that after tomorrow. I…have to go now. There are some last minutes preparations I have to go over with my father." He turned and began walking away.
"Sasuke, wait!" Naruto called out. "What exactly is being announced tomorrow?!"
Sasuke didn't stop or look back. "I'm sorry. That's all I can tell you."
Naruto didn't try to stop him again as he thought about what Sasuke could possibly be sorry for. It wasn't something the Uchiha said lightly as he was a proud person and rarely felt like he was in the wrong—unless it was something extremely bad. Naruto suddenly felt more anxious than excited about tomorrow. He had been looking forward to seeing his best friends in their formal clan attire as there hadn't been an opportunity for that before.
"What are you sorry for?" He mutters to himself as he continues watching his friend's back get smaller and smaller until it disappeared out of sight.
At the library, Hinata was pouring over different books and jotting notes down in her notebooks. So far, she had not made much progress in figuring out how to help Itachi, but she wasn't going to stop trying. If Itachi had to fight someone as disgusting as Danzo, he needed to be in full health. At every small sound she heard, she wanted to activate her doujutsu to make sure it wasn't one of Danzo's men. She was paranoid that they had figured out she used her eyes on him and saw his despicable secret.
She tried to keep herself calm as she flipped through page after page after page in several different books. Every few minutes, she kicked herself for not being more thorough in checking her old friend. She needed more than kidney and lungs. Way more. She sighed and put her head in her hands to try and organize her thoughts for a moment before they became too overwhelming.
"Is there anything I can help you with?"
Hinata jumped and looked up to find her sensei standing in front of her with an easygoing look as usual. She smiled and closed her notebooks. "No, I…This is just something I'm doing for fun," she said.
He raised a brow. "If you running yourself into the ground is your idea of fun, I'd hate to see what isn't."
She let out a breathy laugh that sounded more like a sharp exhale. "This is something that I have to figure out on my own."
Kakashi nodded and looked around at the books scattered about the library table. "Are you doing something you shouldn't be?"
"No. This is something I absolutely should know if I wish to be a useful medic." A brief moment of silence passed between the two before she spoke again. "You trust me, right, Kakashi-sensei?"
"Out of you three, you're the one I probably trust the most," he answered with no hesitation.
"Then please trust that I will come to you if things become too difficult." He nodded again and smiled at her before turning and walking away, leaving her alone again.
She returned to her books with a surge of energy, determined now that she knew how much Kakashi trusted her. Someone had her back, someone who could keep secrets and be discreet should she have to disclose any information. If things got too dangerous for her and her family, she had Kakashi. She would tell him anything and he could continue on should anything happen to her.
Yes, she had someone she could trust.
When Naruto arrived at his house, he was pleasantly surprised that his father was home.
"Welcome home," Minato said. Naruto jumped into his father's arms eagerly as it had been a few days since he had come home. He had only seen him when getting missions.
"You're home!" Naruto cheered as Minato spun him around and then put him down.
Minato chuckled at his son's behavior. "That's right. I have to start getting things ready for tomorrow's celebration. And so do you! They're your best friends, after all."
Naruto frowned as he remembered Sasuke's words. "Actually, can I ask you something?" Minato nodded. "I just talked with Sasuke and he was being really weird."
His father became concerned. "Weird how?"
"Well, he was telling me he was sorry about tomorrow, but I don't get what he means. Do you know specifically what the announcement is?"
"I do," Minato admitted easily. "But I cannot tell you. Neither can Sasuke and Hinata. I hope you understand that."
Naruto growled in frustration. "I'm tired of these crappy clan rules!"
Minato smiled sadly down at his son and put a hand on his shoulder. "Whatever happens tomorrow was something that was put in motion years ago. It's something they have no control over," he explained.
"It's going to hurt me, isn't it?" Naruto asked. "I don't know how, but that's the feeling I'm getting."
"...It might, but you're strong and understanding and I know you'll overcome it." Minato put his hand on Naruto's head. The young boy could do nothing but nod.
Standing out of sight in the hallway was Kushina, eyes filled with tears as she thought of how heartbroken her precious son was going to become tomorrow afternoon. She wanted to protect him from it, but it was something he was going to have to experience and get through. It was a part of life that she couldn't shield him from.
At the Uchiha district, Sasuke was finishing up washing dishes from dinner and going out to check how the laundry was drying outside. His mother sat in her chair near her dead garden and stared out into nothing. It wasn't the kind of staring that Itachi or Hinata would do. This stare was hardly full of life. By this, he knew today was one of her bad days. As he walked past his mother, he reached out and squeezed her shoulder, causing her to look up at him in surprise as if she was just barely seeing him. She gave him a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes anymore and didn't say a word before looking back out…into nothing.
Sasuke swallowed the lump in his throat and kept his emotions in check as he gathered the laundry. He never once felt his mother's eyes on his back and feared that he never would again, not until he brought Itachi home. As he was folding everything, he glanced over at her again and could see more wrinkles on her face than ever before. She'd aged so much the last five years that he felt she was just going to wither away right before his eyes without a moment's notice.
When everything was folded in the basket, he balanced it on his hip and gently took his mother's hand. "Let's go inside, Mother. It's getting too dark out here," he said.
She took his hand and let him guide her to the kitchen table where she'd stay until he took her to her bedroom and tucked her in. He would give her a kiss on the forehead and a bright smile that he was hurting him to fake and then he'd shut off the lights and leave the room. He would stand outside of her door and clench his fists as he listened to her quietly sob. That is what he would do tonight, and so he did his best to drag these moments out, to prepare himself to hear his mother's heartbreak more and more with each day that Itachi didn't come back.
Once the laundry was all put away, he went into his father's office and sat across from the man who didn't once ask how his wife was doing or seemed to even care about her anymore. Sasuke longed for them to split. Maybe his mother would be happier.
"Is your clothing for tomorrow hung up and ready?" Fugaku asked.
"Yes, Father."
"Tomorrow afternoon, we will make our way to the Hyuuga Compound and practice the announcement. We want you and Hinata to be in perfect sync. Are there any questions?"
Sasuke looked to the side. "Is Mother going to be attending?" He asked.
Fugaku stared at him for a moment. "She is. This is your big day that will only be second to your wedding. She would not miss it."
"I just…haven't seen her ceremonial clothes out."
"The seamstresses are adding a last-minute design to it, but it will be ready by the time we leave," he assured his son. Sasuke only nodded and said nothing more. Fugaku set his work aside and straightened his back. "Sasuke, you've done well taking care of your mother these last few years. I know I haven't been around much due to my duties as Clan Head and Head of the Uchiha Police, but I know what you do for her. I'm proud of you, son. I know it hasn't been easy seeing her like this and having to do a lot of housework on top of your missions and training."
Sasuke bit the inside of his cheek. "She'll be okay again once I bring Itachi back," he said, his brother's name coming out like acid.
Fugaku sighed. "I don't know if he ever is going to come back, Sasuke. And I don't want you saying anything like that in front of your mother. It would only give her hope and I don't want her to be crushed if it doesn't happen."
Sasuke gaze hardened as he looked up at his father. "He's coming back, father. Even if I have to drag his battered body back here." His father was shocked to see the pure determination in his youngest's eyes. Sasuke truly believed what he was saying.
He knew about the deal Itachi had made with Sasuke. About learning the truth of what happened to his cousin by beating him in a battle. About how much that drove Sasuke to push himself every day. About how much it was hurting him on the inside. About how terrified he was that he may not be as strong as the conviction behind those words. About failing his mother. About failing Itachi. But mostly about failing himself.
"Get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day," was all Fugaku could say. "I'll take your mother to bed, so don't worry about that."
Sasuke hid his surprise well and bowed before leaving the office. He gave his mom a kiss on the forehead, told her good night, and that he loved her. She was zoned out but he convinced himself she heard him before turning around and heading to his room with nothing but the silence of a once-lively home that had become nothing but a house.
When Hinata returned home, she went directly to her room to change into her training clothes and then to her greenhouse.
"Hinata!" Hanabi called out. Hinata turned to smile at her sister. "Will you come to watch me train?"
Hinata's smile turned apologetic. "I'm sorry, but I have some work to do in the greenhouse. Next time, okay?"
Hanabi pouted. "Well, can I come after my training is finished?"
"I'm afraid not. I'm working on something very important," she said. She didn't want Hanabi around any kind of medication she was working on for Itachi. The less she was involved, the safer she'll be from Danzo and the danger Itachi brought with him. "But I will watch you train tomorrow, okay?"
Hanabi huffed. "But you're going to be so busy tomorrow, sister! You won't have any time for me at all!"
Hinata put her hand on Hanabi's head, ruffling her hair similar to what Shisui would do to her. "I'll always make time for you."
Her sister's face lit up. "You promise?!"
"Of course! How about we wake up extra early so I can watch you longer?" She suggested. Hinata was exhausted but she didn't want to let her sister down. Her sister was much more important than sleep.
"Aw, I hate waking up early!" She whined.
Hinata bit back a laugh. "Those are my terms," she said. Her sister eventually sighed and relented before letting her return to her original tasks.
As she walked through the garden, she clipped a few flowers she was going to need. During her studies, she had come up with something that could possibly help Itachi's lungs, at least. She had yet to find something for his kidneys or that was effective for both organs. Once he returned, she could figure out the rest from there.
In the distance, a young shinobi had his eyes on her, watching her carefully with dead eyes…
We hope y'all enjoyed this chapter! Next one will be the announcement and a bit of the aftermath. Does anyone know who could possibly be watching Hinata from the shadows? Let me know what y'all think 3 I'm posting this a bit earlier since I've been sleeping before midnight. I also have to wake up early tomorrow for my birthday.
-hina
NEXT UPDATE: 07/15/23