When Sasuke walked into his home, Mikoto was sitting at the kitchen table with a blank look in her eyes. Though he would miss his mother, he knew he wouldn't miss that vacant look. He took off his shoes and walked toward her.
"I'm home, Mother," he said softly.
She blinked and then looked up at him before smiling. "Welcome home, Sasuke," she said. The smile never reached her eyes anymore. He just wanted her to smile at him like she truly meant it.
"I have to pack for a mission. Will you help me?" He grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. "I have to leave in a couple of hours."
Mikoto's gaze quickly changed to worried. "A mission? Why are you leaving so suddenly?" She asked as she followed him upstairs, worried.
He ignored the pang in his chest at the tone of her voice. "Our team was promoted to chuunin, and with our mission intake still being the same, they're sending me on one alone. Don't worry though, it's just a small escort and bodyguard mission. I don't know how long the client is going to want to keep me though, so I don't know when I'll be back," he explained easily. Lying to his mother was easier than it should've been.
"But you just… came back from one," she added sadly.
"I know, but it's my duty as a shinobi to go where I'm needed. I'll be back before you know it, Mother," he said, smiling back at her, hoping to reassure her. He was afraid of how she would react when he didn't come home until he had Itachi thrown over his shoulder. He couldn't ask Kushina to check in on her this time. He would just have to hope that any of them would think of his mother when he was discovered missing.
He hoped.
"I understand. Let's get you packed up, then," she said eventually after watching him take out anything he would need. He watched her back as she went into his drawers and closet for clothes and just stood there. He wanted to remember his mother the way she used to be, before. He needed to convince himself she was going to be okay without him for a little bit.
He stood back as she packed his clothes into his backpack, smiling at the way she hummed to herself as she did it. It was enough to hurt him. He walked up to her back and hugged her, leaning his cheek against her shoulder.
"Sasuke?" She asked, her tone concerning once again.
"I just hadn't seen you in so long. I missed you," he said. "I wanted to give you a hug before I left again."
Mikoto rubbed the arms wrapped around her middle as she chuckled. "You're always going to be my little boy, aren't you?"
Sasuke smiled wider, ignoring the stinging in his eyes at her affectionate words. If only he could've found someone to make him stronger here within the village. If only Minato hadn't been poisoned. If only he'd been a prodigy like Itachi. If only his brother hadn't left. If only Shisui hadn't died. If only… If only.
When she saw him off at the front door, he kissed her head. "I love you, Mother. Tell Father I'll be back soon."
She smiled brightly, much brighter than he'd seen her in a while, and he hoped he could remember that exact smile on her face if it ever became too difficult. "I will. I love you, too, sweetheart." But he didn't know if she would talk to Fugaku, as he hadn't seen his parents speak in years.
He waved to her one last time before walking out of the door without a single look back. He feared if he did, he'd abandon his plans altogether. He reached up and untied his forehead protector before shoving it in his back pocket, out of sight. He wouldn't be affiliated with the village anymore.
He only had one more stop, as much as he wished he didn't have to. Despite being angry at her, he wanted to see Hinata before leaving. He had hurt her earlier with his words to Naruto, but hearing her still defend him and say she deserved to be treated in such a manner didn't sit right with him. She hurt him, but she didn't deserve his wrath. His brother had clearly manipulated her, especially since she was so quick to see the good in others. Especially people she had been close to, such as Itachi.
He was nearly at the Hyuuga compound when he saw her leaving by herself. Her father rarely permitted her to be out after dark and he wondered where she was going. She was wearing her normal shinobi attire but her hair was down. It flowed down to her thighs and he briefly wondered if she was ever going to cut it—he loved her long hair, but also understood the impracticality of it. He easily followed her down Konoha streets, still bustling with families and laughter and the occasional drunken yell. It wasn't hard to admit that he would miss the familiarity of it all. He grew concerned when they were heading into the park, the same one they had passed through on their first official date.
Suddenly, he thought back to his promise. The one that had come so easily to him, at the time. It was very easy for him to promise that he'd never leave her as Itachi did, but now he felt like a fool with his backpack filled and their ninja way betrayed.
But he had to do this. Maybe she'd come to understand one day.
Slowly, she came to a stop, keeping her back to him. They were now between two street lights, in the dark, with nothing but the full moon aiding their sight. "Are you leaving?" She asked. "Are you…going to Orochimaru?"
"Yes," he said, his voice steady and sure. "Why are you out at this time?"
She wanted to laugh at how he could be so nonchalant about going to a known criminal who killed their Third Hokage, to learn from him. It made her angry that her faith in him wasn't enough, and it probably hadn't been enough for a while. Slowly, as she saw his drive and anger increasing, her surety that he wouldn't leave to seek power began to dwindle. She kept lightly blowing on the flame to keep it from going out, but Sasuke himself had just poured water over it with that one word.
"I just…had a feeling tonight would be the night that I—we lost you," she admitted quietly, correcting herself. Sasuke easily caught this, causing his anger toward her to flare up once again, but he swallowed it as best as he could.
"You lost me the day Itachi came to you and you said nothing."
Still, she kept her back to him. "I'm sorry. He made me promise and I was bound by my word."
"I know our nindou is to never go back on our word, but I'm your fiancé. Not Itachi. Not anymore. I should come before him," he pointed out. "I suppose we're even now. We've both gone back on our words to each other."
He saw her flinch before she eventually turned to face him. He wasn't surprised to see her eyes void of any tears, but part of him wished she would cry for him. "I know why you're doing this…and I understand."
"Do you?" His feet stayed planted as she walked closer to him. When she was in arm's reach, her familiar scent washed over him and he thought back to when Itachi had him pinned to the wall. As much as he loved her scent, he was slowly growing to hate the way he associated it with that memory.
"I do," she said with a nod. She reached up and touched his face with both hands and he looked down at her injured arm.
"I'm sorry for hitting you earlier when you were just trying to help," he muttered as he kept his eyes on it.
She shook her head with a wry smile. "Don't be. I shouldn't have tried to touch you so casually when I knew how angry you were at me." Then, as if remembering she was doing just that, she suddenly pulled her hands away. Sasuke didn't try to stop her, even though part of him wanted to.
Against his better judgment, he leaned forward and touched his forehead to hers. "I'll be back with Itachi. I don't know how long it'll take."
"I know it's not important to you right now, but…our marriage contract. It'll probably be voided," she explained.
He nodded, the action causing her head to move as well. "I know." His eyes widened slightly when he saw the tears gather in her eyes and her lip quivering before she bit down on it to control her emotions. Seeing that made him happier than it should've as he was the one causing it. "Your Elders may want to send you out of the village, so try to talk to Minato-sensei about entering Naruto as a candidate. Talk to the Nara, the Aburame, and even the Akimichi, and Inuzuka. Don't let them win and send you away. Fight."
Hinata looked up at him with wide eyes, shocked. Sasuke had always been so possessive, and hearing his willingness to suggest other clans to marry into felt like a knife to the heart. "But—" I want you to be my husband, she was desperate to say, but she held back.
"Hinata. I will no longer be eligible, and our relationship was always one-sided anyway. Maybe you would've grown to love me one day, but it's better this way. Now I'm the only one who has to live with the pain," he said.
She clenched her fist into her pants, out of sight, at the thought of Sasuke thinking that she held absolutely no feelings for him. She had finally admitted it to herself, but it was now too late. Right? "No, I—"
"Don't say empty words," he warned sharply, cutting her off and then stepping back as he looked deeply into her eyes. Hinata turned away, but he still caught sight of the tears that fell. He reached out, wanting to comfort her but he refrained, dropping his hand back to his side. "That would only hurt us even more."
Hinata couldn't say the words she wanted to, how she truly felt about him. It would be selfish, wrong, and manipulative to say now. Sasuke was going to physically bring Itachi back home, and she had her own mission here in the village. It wasn't about them or their feelings. It was much bigger than that. Maybe one day she could tell him, but it just wasn't meant to happen now.
"Thank you, Hinata, for being…who you are," Sasuke said, his voice suddenly right in her ear. She gasped and spun around, catching his arm in a tight grip as she activated her byakugan on pure instinct. He wasn't really that surprised. She had almost always been evenly matched with him their whole lives. He was proud. Despite it all, he was proud.
"Have more respect for me than to just leave me out here," she said, her gaze hard. "If you want to leave, you're going to have to run."
He couldn't help but smirk proudly. "I suppose you're right." Slowly, she let go of his hand and he disappeared into the wind, but she was still able to track him with her doujutsu. If Orochimaru was involved, then she knew he had to have done something to push him over the edge today.
Kakashi had talked to him earlier as well, and Hinata knew their sensei was good with his words. So Orochimaru must've sent his own people to convince Sasuke. As her eyes landed on four foreign chakra networks just outside the village gates, she knew she was correct. She needed to warn Minato-sensei.
Hinata burst through Minato's bedroom window, surprising the Hokage before he calmed at seeing her. His guards had seen it was his former student and hadn't tried stopping her, though they were curious about her going through the window.
"Hinata? What are you doing here?" He asked. "And through the window." He certainly didn't mind, but he hoped his surrounding guards didn't do this for everyone.
Hinata took her shoes off quickly, kicking them onto the roof before rushing into the room. "Sensei, Sasuke has left the village," she said.
His eyes went wide before he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers. "I see. To join Orochimaru?" He looked up only to see her nod.
"I couldn't stop him." She bowed deeply. "I apologize. Four people were waiting for him outside of the village, so preferably a team of five would be best," she informed him.
He shook his head. "Don't worry. I'll gather up a team to retrieve him."
Hinata's head shot up at this. "Please. I'd like to request that—" Her eyes went down to her injured arm and knew that requesting to go would be childish. She wasn't help to anyone as she was. She would only slow them down and be a hindrance they would need to protect. She knew there was no way Orochimaru wouldn't plan for anyone going after Sasuke. "...that you send Naruto. He might be the only person who can get through to him."
Minato smiled at her with something akin to pity, but also pride at her realizing that she was in no position to go. "I'll have a team assembled at the gate in thirty minutes. Unfortunately, all the experienced Jonin and chuunin are away on missions, but I have someone to lead in mind already. You'd better get home, Hinata-chan."
She shook her head. "I'll see them off, at least," she said as she sat back on the window sill. "I'm sorry that I couldn't…" Her voice trailed off, unable to voice her regrets.
"Did something else happen, Hinata-chan?" He asked, sensing the new emotion in her eyes. Heartbreak.
She shook her head. "I'm okay. Thank you. Please forgive my impertinence." Hinata slipped out of the window and grabbed her shoes before rushing to the village gates. She hoped the thirty minutes passed without issue as she had left her family compound right through the front door. Her father could show up at any minute.
"Sasuke-sama," Sakon spoke as Sasuke was a few miles out of the village. The previous four Oto nin who had thoroughly kicked his ass were now kneeling on their knee in respect.
Sasuke raised a brow. "What is this?" He asked tiredly.
"It had been decided that the moment you abandoned your village, you would become our new leader. Please forgive the impudence we displayed earlier," the two-headed man said. Then, they all bowed.
Sasuke smirked. "I don't care about any of that. We'd better get going," he said, walking past them. "We could have some unwanted company following after us."
"You didn't take care of everything?" Tayuya asked, her voice having a hint of annoyance but a look from Sasuke quieted her down. She was meant to follow him, not question him.
"My teammates. We've been evenly matched since we were five," he explained. "One has a broken arm though, so she shouldn't be too much of an issue. The idiot blonde, however, is a different story at the moment."
"Right. Let's get going then, Sasuke-sama," Jirobo agreed. They took off into the trees at a fast pace. The Oto nin seemed pleasantly surprised that they didn't have to slow down at all so he could keep up. He was certainly faster than reported.
"When we're out of range of Konoha, we'll stop and go on to the next step Orochimaru-sama gave us," Kidomaru announced. Sasuke nodded but said nothing as they continued leaping through the trees.
Naruto was woken up by his mother. "Naruto, get up. You're being sent out on a mission," she said as she pulled his blanket off.
At this, and the seriousness in her voice, he quickly got out of bed and began dressing in his mission gear. "Do you know what it is?"
Kushina hesitated for a second before nodding. "Sasuke has left the village to seek power from Orochimaru. You need to go retrieve him," she said.
Naruto froze, goosebumps prickling all over his skin. "What?" He said, barely above a whisper. "When did he leave?" Now, he was moving even quicker.
"About ten minutes now. Shikamaru will be leading your group. He's currently out now gathering any genin and chuunin who are available, so get ready and meet him at the gates. You're leaving in twenty minutes."
"Right." He tied on his headband and rushed toward his parent's bedroom where his father spent all of his time now. "Dad, I'm gonna be heading out now. Don't worry, I'll bring that bastard back home."
Minato smiled proudly at him. "Be careful." Then Naruto ran back out of the room. "And listen to Shikamaru!" He yelled after him. While he was a Chuunin now, Shikamaru still had a higher IQ than anyone in their grade. He scored the highest in their class in terms of IQ. Hinata was second and he felt frustrated that he hadn't been able to put her on the team, but he didn't fault the Hyuuga for that. She had been injured protecting Tsunade and aiding Naruto in his fight against Kabuto.
And though Rock Lee's surgery had gone well, he was resting and would be in no condition to fight so soon. He would've been a terrific asset as well.
He had faith in whatever team Shikamaru managed to gather up, but he was still incredibly worried about the men that Hinata had warned him were protecting Sasuke.
"Hinata-sama," Neji said, running up toward her. "What are you doing out? It is nearing midnight."
"The full moon is keeping everything very well-lit," she said, hoping to reassure him.
"Does Hiashi-sama know?" She shook her head and he sighed. "Very well." Behind him, Naruto, Shikamaru, Choji, and Kiba and Akamaru were running up toward them. "Shikamaru gathered us to go retrieve Sasuke."
Hinata bowed deeply to all of them. "I wish I could be of any help, but I'll have to settle for waiting for you all to come back to me safely," she said. "Thank you. And congratulations, Shikamaru, on your promotion." It took her longer than she would have liked to notice the flak jacket he was now donning. Neji did not wear his flak jacket, but she had congratulated him earlier, along with Shino before the bug user left on a mission with his father.
Naruto walked up and put a hand on her shoulder. "We'll bring that idiot back, don't worry."
"Thanks. We got this," Shikamaru added. "Having you with us definitely would've been ideal though."
"Shikamaru's right," Kiba sighed. "You three are weirdly strong."
"I failed to stop him, but maybe you'll have better luck," she said apologetically. "You all have to come back alive. I don't know anything of the four people with him, but I know that they will be as twisted as Orochimaru himself since they follow him."
Naruto reached down and grabbed her hand before squeezing it. Hinata understood what he was not saying and nodded. She watched as Shikamaru devised a plan in the dirt before they took off out of the village gates and into the trees heading in the direction of Otogakure.
She watched them before she couldn't see them anymore and looked down at her arm with annoyance. Too often, during huge battles, she was getting injured and unable to be of use when she was needed. It was frustrating. She looked down at the plan Shikamaru had drawn out in the dirt and clenched her fist. A medic ninja would've been essential in a mission such as this one.
"You're not going with them?"
Hinata turned around to see Tsunade. "No. With my arm, I'd only be a hindrance."
"How mature of you," the Sannin said.
"Is there anything you can do to speed up the healing process?" She asked though she wasn't expecting an affirmative.
"Well," Tsunade said, causing Hinata to look up at her with hopeful eyes, "I do, but it's pretty painful. Are you sure it's something you want?"
Without hesitation, Hinata nodded. "Yes, Tsunade-sama. I can't leave my comrades to fight alone, and with how Sasuke is now…Naruto will need help," she answered.
Tsunade nodded in the direction of the hospital. "Let's go then. I'll send word to your father. Just be warned though, the effects will only last a few hours, and then I'll have to remove it."
"Remove it?" She asked.
"You'll see," the blonde said as she led her toward the hospital.
All Hinata could do was trust in the Sannin, and she had no doubts in her mistress.
"Neji, how far are they?" Shikamaru asked.
"They're still quite a ways off, but it seems as though they're stopping for something," he explained as he focused on what the group was doing from miles away.
"Stopping for what?" Naruto questioned.
"I…don't exactly understand what I'm seeing, but it seems they're just talk—Sasuke just swallowed something and is now being put into a box." Naruto and Shikamaru shared a confused look. "And they're sealing it up. Whatever he took, it was causing him immense pain."
"What the hell?" Kiba muttered. "Sasuke's doing all kinds of weird shit today, huh?"
"They did some sealing formation on the box he's in," Neji further explained. "I've never seen it before."
"Either way, now that Sasuke is in a box, we just need to retrieve it from them and bring it back to the village. Then we can tie him down if we need to," Shikamaru stated. "Easier said than done, but I'm sure our team can manage."
"I just wish we had more people," Naruto sighed. "We need all the help we can get."
"We just have to work with what we have now," their leader assured him. "Let's pick up the pace."
"Right!" The team exclaimed in unison before charging chakra to their feet and zipping through the trees. Though Naruto had to hold himself back from leaving his team behind, and it frustrated him. But Shikamaru was their leader and he needed to follow orders.
Hiashi walked with a quickness he hardly used through the hospital corridors until he got to the room number where he was told his daughter was residing. He slid the door open, causing it to bang. "Hinata, what is the meaning of this?"
Hinata and Tsunade turned to look at him before his daughter's eyes went to the floor. "Hello, Father. I'm hoping to get your permission to undergo a quick surgery that will heal my broken arm temporarily."
"You shouldn't even be out of the house, and yet you expect me to say yes otherwise?" He scolded.
"Father, please. I need to help my comrades," she explained.
Hiashi looked to Tsunade for a better explanation. "The Uchiha has been taken. A team consisting of three chuunin and two genin were sent to retrieve him. Hinata here would like to assist. We've also sent word to Suna, asking them to send along any strong shinobi they can spare."
At hearing of Sasuke's kidnapping, his eyes widened. "Has Fugaku-san been notified?" Then he remembered the man had been sent on a mission out of the village. "I assume a message has been sent after him, then." Tsunade nodded.
"Father, please," Hinata asked again. They didn't have time to stand around discussing anything. She needed his permission.
Hiashi sighed. "What is this surgery?"
"I will open up her arm where it is healing and slap a piece of metal around it. She'll still feel tender in that area and her body could reject the metal, but it's a way for her to assist, at least as a medic," the Sannin explained. "Remember, Hinata, a medic must be the very last person to die on the battlefield. You are never to fight on the front lines."
Hinata bowed her head. "Yes, Tsunade-sama. I understand."
"Good. Hiashi-sama, your permission?"
"I give you my permission," he said after a pause. "Hinata, we will discuss your behavior once you rescue Sasuke," and then the Hyuga Clan Head left, closing the door behind him much softer than he'd opened it.
"You're father is more understanding these days."
Hinata smiled. "He and Uncle rekindled their relationship a few years ago. I believe that helped."
"That's good to hear. Now, let's get started. I cannot put you under because the effects of anesthesia will have you drowsy long after you've woken up. I will give you the best painkiller that I can, but you will still feel incredible pain. And should your arm take an extremely powerful hit, it would bend the metal as well as your bone. Now would be the time to back out."
The Hyuuga shook her head with no hesitation, but Tsunade could see the anxiety by the way she began sweating. "No. Let's begin as soon as possible."
Tsunade smirked proudly before ushering Hinata to lie in the hospital bed and then wheeling it out through the hallway and toward a surgery room. Another nurse met them at the scheduled room.
"We'll take great care of you, Hinata-sama."
Hinata could only smile as she feared her pounding heart was too loud to speak over. As a shinobi, she was taught to handle pain, but the idea of someone opening up her body and putting metal into it while she was awake to watch and feel was jarring. She was going to do it no matter what, but the idea of going through such pain while awake was terrifying.
For Sasuke, however, she would gladly do it. And to help her comrades, she would endure even more.
Rock Lee had been walking in the hallway of the hospital when he heard Tsunade explain the surgery Hinata was about to go through. His jaw nearly dropped at how far and how much pain she was willing to put herself through to be of use to her comrades. He looked down at his healing leg and knew he needed to be much more serious.
When he had been asked to go, he declined thinking that he would only hold them back. If Hinata could push through a metal plate being wrapped around her broken arm to forcefully keep it together, he felt he could deal with a bit of leg and spine pain.
"Lee?" He heard. He turned around to see Sakura holding flowers. "Is everything okay?"
He nodded. "Yes, my Dove." He reached out and stroked her cheek affectionately, counting himself as the luckiest man in the world when she blushed and gave him a loving smile. "Do not worry."
Sakura pulled out a small container from her ninja pouch and held it out to him. "Tsunade-sama wanted me to give this to you. It's a special medication she makes or something." Lee took it and smiled at her brightly.
"This will help me immensely! Thank you!" He stared down at the bottle and put it in his pouch. "I will go back to my room to rest now. It is very late; I would hate for your parents to worry."
Sakura gave him the flowers. "I told them I was coming here when I realized I forgot to give you the bottle of medicine. I'll be back tomorrow afternoon to see you." Shyly, she looked around before stepping closer and kissing his cheek.
Rock Lee let out a giggle as his face went bright red. He still wasn't used to being in a relationship. "I look forward to it!" He watched her leave before pulling the bottle of medication out and staring at it.
Hi! I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter, which kicks off the final arc of this story! I'm so excited to share the rest of it with y'all as well as more parts that take place in this universe. Earlier this month also marked two years since r3dx and I started planning this story! It all started with a phone call that lasted five hours. It was so fun and exciting! We're excited to start working on more. As of now, however, I'm still on a break. I'm crocheting something for a birthday party and then I'll dive back into it :)) Anyway, we hope y'all are looking forward to this arc and the end of the story!
-hina
NEXT UPDATE: 04/27/24