Minato got to work early the next day to go over what he was going to say to Hiruzen. After his talk with Hinata, he went over the past events in his head and cursed himself for not following through with that off feeling he got during the investigation of Shisui's death. He trusted The Third Hokage and took his word for it, but he should've remembered the man also had to be a politician, just as Minato himself was required to be now. He should've pushed more.
He also wondered if not pushing Hinata to reveal her so-called source was the right choice, but ultimately there was nothing he could do about it now. If she picked up on someone watching her, then she would completely stop anything she wasn't supposed to be doing. He just had to trust that she knew what she was doing. She wasn't the type to be reckless with the lives of those she held precious to her. He had to have faith in that right now.
"Minato-kun, you're here earlier than usual. If I remember right, you went home quite late last night," Hiruzen said as he went through some papers in a folder he was holding.
"There is something I must discuss with you without the presence of anyone else," Minato said, cutting right to it. "It is…something I've had on my mind for quite a while now."
Hiruzen put the documents down. "What is it?"
"It's about Itachi," he said. "I have my doubts about him having killed Shisui, and even his reason for leaving."
Hiruzen remained quiet for a moment. "What I am about to tell you is something only Itachi, Jiraiya, and myself know. I was hoping for it to remain between the three of us for a little longer, but I know how sharp you are. It was only a matter of time before you came to me."
Minato nodded. "I got it."
After a big sigh, Hiruzen looked directly into his eyes. "Itachi Uchiha is acting as a spy for Konoha. He ran off after it was clear that he was going to be blamed for Shisui's death. I don't believe he had a hand in it either," he explained. "Though, these last five years he has had a difficult time getting us information, he has managed to keep the Akatsuki away from our village and the surrounding areas. He is an incredible asset, Minato-kun."
Minato maintained his bearings. "Why was I not informed of this the moment I took the hat?" He asked.
"The less people know, the safer it is for Itachi and his family."
"Do you know who killed Shisui and for what reason?"
After a moment of silence— of hesitation, he shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I've been doing my own investigation but there have been no leads since his body was discovered," he said easily.
Minato knew that was a lie, but somehow he felt he shouldn't mention Danzo. If he risked doing so, it could alert the man he was wanting to investigate. He wasn't sure what side Hiruzen was truly on if he covered up something as serious as the death of a very elite ninja and was currently protecting the person who was the possible cause. It was a tangled web and he needed to start unraveling it.
"I shall help in your investigation, then," he said.
"If you find the time, then please do so. Unfortunately, I could only begin my own investigation after retiring from my position."
Minato nodded stiffly. The Third Hokage was right. He barely had enough time to see his family. The only reason he was even eating was because Kushina or Naruto—and his friends—would bring him lunch. He sometimes went longer than he'd like without a proper bath. Taking on this new investigation was going to require his complete attention, and he didn't have the time for it.
"Would you mind if I take home with me any files you have available on it?"
"I'm afraid that I have no official notes. Keeping files on it risks someone else getting ahold of it. I keep a sealed scroll of all my findings that only I can open. I suggest you do the same. I will let you see it one time in order to copy my current notes," he replied.
Minato nodded and pulled out a special scroll. He didn't know how he could possibly investigate this on his own time, but he was going to do his best to come up with something. He took a seat at his desk and let Hiruzen open his scroll before he began to copy everything as neatly as he could. He thought about asking his right-hand man, but considering that this directly involved the Uchiha Clan, he couldn't risk Fugaku finding out about something like this until he was positively sure. He wasn't going to do that to his friend.
After finding out everything known from everyone other than Itachi, he truly felt for the young man. Forced to give up his life and flee from what he had been conditioned his whole life to protect and be loyal to, Minato couldn't imagine having to do it. And yet Itachi had done it without any hesitation and skillfully as well. Itachi truly was a hero of Konoha. His heart went out to the current Uchiha Heir and what he's had to endure since the events of that night, since the death of his cousin. No doubt, he was the person Itachi was doing this for. Him and the generations after him.
Itachi Uchiha.
That kind, young man.
Sasuke met Hinata outside of her compound gates. It was a little earlier than usual but they both seemed to have the same idea.
"It's early," Sasuke said, raising a brow. "Were you just going to wait here all this time if I'd come at my usual time?"
"I was going to ask you the same thing."
"I asked first."
Hinata giggled. "I was actually going to watch the sunrise while waiting. I haven't gotten the opportunity in a few days."
"So I take it you finally slept well?" He asked.
She nodded. "Yes. I was just having strange dreams that were making it difficult to remain asleep," she said. "But I believe it was just because of how hard I was studying medical books." These lies were coming easier to her than she would like. As a shinobi, it was understandable to lie but she had always chosen to remain truthful and she had planned to continue to do so when it came to her comrades. That is, until Itachi had gotten involved.
"Don't push yourself too hard, okay? Or if you're stuck on something and need someone to vent to, I'm here. So is Naruto," Sasuke said, quickly adding Naruto.
She thanked him with a kind smile. "Let's get Naruto since we're both early."
"I thought you wanted to watch the sunrise?"
"I do, but Naruto should be included since you're here now," she replied. It was obvious she was still nervous about Naruto being angry with them, despite him having been fine the night before. By the end of the night, he was even laughing. Sure, he didn't look at Sasuke much nor did the smile reach his eyes completely when he looked at her, but he was fine enough to Sasuke.
It was different for Hinata. Naruto had always been kind to her, even when everyone else either ignored her or actively made fun of her for her eyes and her last name. He had always treated her equally and made her laugh with his antics in class, and more so after they all began training together. He had become such an important part of her life and she couldn't imagine losing him due to her duties as an heiress…she didn't want to imagine it.
"He's going to be fine. He'll get over it," Sasuke said after a few moments of walking in silence.
"We're not just going to sit back and let him deal with it all alone. At least, I'm not," she argued. "He's our best friend and our teammate. He needs to trust us and right now that trust is fragile because we had to keep something from him."
"All right, I understand," he sighed. "You're right."
Ever since that evil aura he felt from his friend, he felt on edge. Something was off with Naruto but he couldn't pinpoint it. He thought to ask Hinata about it but something was stopping him. He didn't want to needlessly worry her if he had truly been seeing things and was just terrified of Naruto's wrath. Thinking back to it, he sighed. He had been mostly truthful with Naruto last night but he had only denied one thing he was called out on: his happiness to be engaged to the girl walking next to him. He wasn't going to apologize for it, however.
He reached over and took hold of her hand, slipping his fingers between hers and holding on. Hinata looked over at him in shock before relaxing with a soft blush on her cheeks. With how early it was, they didn't have to worry about anyone seeing them. They would let go before they got to Naruto's road, just in case.
They walked in silence the rest of the way.
"Oh, hey, you guys are early!" Kushina said when she answered the door.
"We were going to watch the sunrise and we wanted Naruto to come," Hinata explained. "Is he awake yet?"
"He'll love that! Yes, he's awake. You know how energetic he is. Come wait for him in the living room. He'll be down in a minute." Kushina let them in and guided them to the living room, even though they had visited on multiple occasions. "Would you like anything to eat?"
Sasuke looked at Hinata before shaking his head. "No, thank you, sensei," he replied.
"You sure? Kakashi isn't going to be meeting you three for a while."
"Yes, we're sure. We're going to be training vigorously in the meantime as well," Hinata assured her. "I think Kakashi-sensei will show up earlier than usual as he wants us to rack up a lot of D-rank missions before asking for a C-rank."
Sasuke scoffed. "More like he just wants us to constantly one-up the other rookies," he sighed. "Sensei, has he always been this competitive?"
Kushina laughed. "Oh, definitely! Normally, it's a quiet competitiveness, but he can get serious if the circumstances are right."
"Mama, who're you talking to?!" Naruto yelled as he rushed downstairs in his pajamas and cap. He peeked into the living room and chuckled sheepishly. "Ah… hey, guys. What're you doing here so early?"
Sasuke gave him a nod in greeting before avoiding eye contact. Hinata smiled widely at him. "We wanted to watch the sunrise with you!" She exclaimed.
Naruto's eyes narrowed before he crossed his arms over his chest. "Don't invite me if it's because you feel guilty or something. You two can go on a date without me, you know." Kushina wanted to scold her son for being so rude, but she couldn't blame him for the emotions he was feeling so she stayed silent and watched the interaction.
Hinata quickly stood up. "We're not doing it because we feel guilty," she said softly, afraid Naruto was going to get mad if she sounded defensive. "I woke up early to watch it, but then Sasuke had also gotten to my home earlier and we didn't want to leave you out of just relaxing together. We're—we're a…team, right?" Her gaze went from her feet and slowly up to meet Naruto's.
At the look in her eyes, Naruto deflated and any anger he had was gone. "Yeah," he replied. "We're a team." Hinata's smile of relief made his heart pound and he tore his eyes away and focused on a family photo that was taken just after Minato had become the Hokage.
"Go get ready or we'll miss it," Sasuke said suddenly. "We'll leave without you." It sounded stilted but he was doing his best to be normal with him.
Naruto huffed. "Hinata would never leave without me. Right, Hinata?" He said smugly.
Hinata giggled. "Right!"
Sasuke looked at her in disbelief. "You'd choose him over me?"
"If you're going to be mean, then yes," she replied instantly. Sasuke scoffed, but Hinata ignored him, turning back to their blonde friend. "We'll be waiting here for you, but please try not to take very long. I really want to watch the sun come up."
He saluted her. "Yes, ma'am!" And then ran off to get ready.
Hinata sat back down next to Sasuke, who seemed to be pouting but she paid no mind to it. Kushina, having watched the entire interaction, smiled warmly at the Hyuuga Heiress. She thought things were going to be more difficult or strained between them, but the young girl was doing her best to ensure they stayed as a team. Looking at the Uchiha, she could tell he held genuine feelings for her but she didn't seem to. She didn't seem to be interested in anything other than training, studying, and being a loyal shinobi. For now, she could rest easy about it.
Kushina turned and left the area after waving goodbye to them and getting started on making breakfast for herself. Not too long later, she heard footsteps rushing down the stairs and into the main room.
"I'll see you later, Mom!" Naruto yelled out. She didn't get a chance to respond before she heard the door slam. She smiled to herself and continued cooking, knowing then that they were going to make it work.
Though there was tension in the air, the silence between the three young shinobi wasn't awkward. Because of this, not one of them felt the need to talk to fill it and they continued on to the training ground. They shot to the top of the tallest tree and made it just in time to watch the sun begin to slowly peek out from the horizon. The three sat side-by-side, with Hinata in the middle as usual, and just watched. Hinata had that same look in her eyes that showed she was seeing something that didn't seem to have anything to do with what was in front of her or out in the distance.
Naruto went back and forth between looking at the sunrise and looking at the sunrise shine against his teammate's face. Occasionally, he would catch Sasuke doing the same thing and made eye contact more than he would like but they both continued on like nothing happened. He was still upset about the information everyone was told yesterday evening, but other than the knowledge nothing else had changed between the three.
Sasuke was still as protective—only now did Naruto understand why—and the blonde still made jokes that made Hinata laugh. She didn't walk any closer to Sasuke or give him any special attention, she was just Hinata as usual. She treated them the same and equally. It was becoming apparent to him that the marriage between the two truly was just political, at least to her. Sasuke yesterday had admitted that he held romantic feelings for the heiress but it was obviously something the dark-haired boy struggled with.
"This is nice," Hinata hummed softly, happily. "Just being like this." Sasuke hummed in agreement.
"Yeah," Naruto replied, smiling at her. "Thanks for coming to get me." Hinata turned to him with her own smile, nudged his shoulder with hers, and he knew they were going to be okay. His heart was going to take some time to heal, but he had his friends by his side.
"You three ready to get some missions done?" Kakashi suddenly called out from under them. Neither boys were shocked that Hinata didn't hear or sense him coming as they had grown used to it. Unless she was training with her doujutsu on, she never felt him coming. They all hopped down and bowed their heads in greeting. "Let's head to the Hokage tower and see what they have."
"You're much earlier than we were expecting," Hinata said, amazed.
"I like to do things people originally expected of me after they give up on expecting it," he said with a shrug.
"That's a weird power to want to have over people," Sasuke added.
Kakashi walked behind the trio and was pleasantly surprised that they seemed to be getting along as well as usual. He had been afraid of the announcement driving a wedge between them and destroying their hard-earned trust, but looking at them now he knew there was a reason they got along so well. Maybe it was Hinata. Maybe it was the brotherly bond Sasuke and Naruto had not admitted they have. Maybe it was Naruto's maturity. Maybe it was all three. Whatever it was, he was just glad his first team hadn't gone down in a burst of flames.
"Hm," Minato hummed as he looked over the list of D-rank missions available. "There's dog-walking, picking up a child from school and escorting them home, and then there's yard work for an elderly couple. Everything else has been taken already."
Kakashi looked over at his students. "What do you three think?"
"Would it be possible to do all three?" Sasuke asked. "Those missions are relatively easy to do if we manage our time right, and that's not something we have trouble doing."
Minato thought for a moment before shrugging a shoulder. "I suppose there's nothing wrong with it. Just remember to finish it all before five. If you three manage to complete all three, I'll be very impressed," he said.
Naruto grinned. "You should already be super impressed with us, Dad," he said. "You trained us, you know!"
Hinata sighed softly. "He's the Hokage when he's in office, Naruto." She turned back to Minato and bowed. "I apologize on his behalf, Hokage-sama."
Minato chuckled. "I don't mind, Hinata-chan. It's okay, but she's right, Naruto. If I have very important people coming to meet me, it's best to be formal, okay?"
Naruto waved him off. "I know, I know. I got it."
Kakashi walked up and grabbed the scrolls. "We'll get started on these now, Hokage-sama."
"Good luck!" He called out as his old students left.
"Naruto, don't be so informal with your dad in front of his colleagues," Sasuke said. "It's going to be hard for them to respect his position if his own son doesn't seem to."
"They'll respect him either way," he said. "He's the Yellow Flash and he's already earned it. Besides, I'm his biggest supporter." The smile on his face was so big that Sasuke didn't have it in him to argue.
When they got outside, they each opened up a scroll and read over the guidelines before switching scrolls until they all read each one thoroughly.
"The woman who requested her dogs to get walked wanted it to be done just before lunch while the elderly couple requested that their yard work get completed by lunchtime," Hinata said. "The civilian school gets let out at two."
Sasuke nodded as he looked over them again. "The yard work isn't all that much either. They just need their grass cut and the garden tended to. Naruto and I can cut the grass while Hinata deals with the garden."
"The woman has four dogs," Naruto said. "She requested that we take the dogs around the village at least twice. Which means we'll have to be at her house by ten."
"It's doable," Hinata said. "We'll have almost four hours."
"Let's get going then," Kakashi said before disappearing in the blink of an eye. They all shared a smirk before racing off after him. Kakashi easily beat them there but they were getting faster. "If you happened to need any help, I'll be relaxing under this tree over here."
The genin rolled their eyes before walking up to the house and knocking. They were directed to the tool shed and left to their business with a genuine smile of thanks from the couple. The yard was a bit bigger than they expected but they weren't at all concerned about it. They were going to follow their plan.
Hinata took the garden tools and got down on her knees to get to work on trimming, pulling, watering, and planting. Naruto and Sasuke had a bit more of a difficult time as there was only one lawnmower and a weed eater, but they made it work. Naruto got the edges while Sasuke started mowing the first half of the yard. Kakashi watched from his spot under the tree and smiled with satisfaction at the determination of the team.
They occasionally spoke when needed but worked in silence most of the time until their tasks were finished. They were about to leave when the woman came out with an apologetic smile and a list in her hands. They instantly knew where this was going.
"I'm so sorry, but I completely forgot to put grocery shopping in the request. Would it be possible to ask you here?" She asked. They looked to Kakashi, who just shrugged and left it to them.
Hinata stepped forward and took the list and money the woman was holding out. "Yes, we can do that for you, so long as you don't mind us delivering your things after one."
"Thank you so much, sweetheart! You three are nicer than the last three we got," she said as she held Hinata's free hand and clutched it tighter than a woman her age should have been able to.
"We are here to help you however we can, ma'am," Hinata said in response. "We have to leave for another mission now, but we'll be back at the scheduled time." The woman waved them off before returning inside.
"You're going to fit it in between our lunch break and picking the boy up?" Naruto asked.
"Yes. The list isn't very long so it shouldn't be a problem," Hinata said as she read through the paper in her hands. "They're very kind people."
"Let's get to the next spot," Sasuke said. "It's just down the road." When they arrived, they could hear the dogs barking wildly in the house from outside.
"I don't suppose you have something to calm dogs down, do you?" Naruto sighed.
"I'm afraid not. However, if I recall, Kakashi-sensei is very good with dogs," she replied.
"Oh, I'm not helping you three with this," Kakashi said as he flipped to the next page of his smutty book. "Good luck. I'll be waiting around here." Then he was gone.
"Figures," Sasuke spat. "He's honestly useless sometimes."
"It won't be too bad," Hinata said, hoping to calm his agitated mood. "We all have to be calm around them or they'll notice our moods and it will affect theirs."
They knocked and when the door opened, the dogs quickly shot out with their leashes dragging behind them. The woman yelled out but the dogs were too excited to listen to her. There was a large dog, two pugs, and one medium-sized dog. Hinata quickly grabbed the two pugs while Sasuke and Naruto got the other two.
"Thank you," the woman sighed in relief. "I have an important meeting to go to at noon, so I ask that you return before then."
They bowed their heads and got to walking. Hinata walked the two pugs, Sasuke walked the medium-sized dog, and Naruto walked the larger dog. Surprisingly, despite how excited the large one was, Naruto was doing an excellent job and keeping him mostly controlled.
Halfway through the walk, Naruto sighed loudly. "Do you two wanna spar today after missions?" He asked.
"Definitely," Sasuke replied.
"I actually want to do some more studying in the library," Hinata said. "I'm making great progress, so I want to finish this project as quickly as possible."
"Will you spar with us tomorrow then?" Sasuke asked. "Or do you want me—us to come with you?" Naruto glared at Sasuke for that small slip-up but let it go rather than starting a fight about it.
She shook her head. "You two would just be very bored and lose out on some physical training. I'll be okay on my own."
"What are you working on anyways?" Naruto questioned.
"Ah, well, I'm just working on being able to identify diseases of certain body organs and making medications for them."
"What made you want to do that?" It was Sasuke's turn to be confused.
"It's a good skill to have, especially as a medic-nin," she explained, which was true but wasn't exactly the reason why. She didn't want to let anything slip, especially in front of Sasuke.
"Well, okay. Good luck," Sasuke said. She smiled in thanks and they continued with their mission. When they returned, the woman thanked them with a tight smile and they were off. Hinata turned on her byakugan to locate their sensei while Sasuke and Naruto waited next to her. She paused for a brief second when she saw him standing in front of the Memorial Stone he once told her he often visited.
"We finished earlier than we thought, so why don't we get the grocery shopping done?" She said instead of disclosing the Jonin's location. They easily agreed and didn't pry when it was obvious she wasn't going to say anything.
Naruto took the list out of her hands and looked it over when they got to the store. "Milk, bread, eggs, cheese, four pounds of chicken, flour, some condiments, and some water," he mumbled. "I'll go to the cold section and get the milk, eggs, cheese, and the chicken." He took a handheld basket and went off.
"Let's go get everything else," Sasuke said, grabbing another handheld basket and nodding to the other side of the store. He wasn't sure if Naruto had done that to be considerate or if he hadn't really thought anything of it, but he wasn't going to waste this time alone with Hinata.
They leisurely went through the aisles and grabbed what they needed. Sasuke held the jugs of water while Hinata took the basket, even though she told him she was fine holding the jugs. He was doing his best to be a gentleman and Hinata couldn't help but giggle at that. Sasuke did cute things sometimes.
They met back at the checkout and loaded everything up on the counter for the cashier. The cashier smiled specifically at Hinata and Sasuke. "Congratulations on your engagement," he said happily.
The two heirs straightened their backs just a bit and bowed their thanks while Naruto turned away and rolled his eyes. They waited patiently as everything was scanned. Hinata paid while her teammates bagged everything. Kakashi was waiting for them outside and they all walked together back to the elderly couple's house. Hinata slowed her walk down to be next to the silver-haired Jonin, confusing the other two but they said nothing and let her walk behind them.
"Are you okay, sensei?" She asked quietly.
He raised a brow. "Yes. Why do you ask?"
"I saw you at the Memorial Stone."
"You were spying on me?"
"I was looking for you after our last mission," she explained. "I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable."
He chuckled, putting his hand on her head. "I'm just kidding. Thank you for asking. Some days are harder than others."
"Will you tell us about it one day? About those names?" She asked.
"One day," he agreed with a wistful tone. "One day."
After they finished delivering the groceries and taking the massive amount of 'thank-you's' from the couple, they decided to eat at a sandwich shop. Naruto grumbled about wanting ramen but Sasuke easily won that argument when he pointed out that they ate there more than anywhere else.
Hinata smiled at their bickering and her heart felt lighter because of it.
"Hinata, tomorrow we're going to be working more with strategy and genjutsu, so you'll have to be here for that," Kakashi said when they were leaving the Hokage tower. Minato had been very impressed that they had completed all three and even two extra ones—the grocery shopping and waiting at the child's house for over an hour for his mother to show up. He hadn't been completely surprised but he still liked to praise them as often as he could.
"Yes, sensei. I think everything should be mostly done by tonight anyway," she explained. "I'll see you three tomorrow!" She called out before going in the opposite direction.
"You guys don't think she's working herself too hard?" Naruto said as they watched her go.
"She knows what she can handle," Sasuke replied, though he wasn't too entirely sure of his words. Hinata liked to push herself, and she sometimes didn't know when to stop.
"Sasuke's right. You two were going to spar, right?" They nodded. "I don't think you two really need me there for that. I'll be heading out as well."
"We'll see you tomorrow, sensei!" Naruto called out. Kakashi waved and then vanished. "Let's go." They silently walked to the training grounds and anticipated their spar.
Hinata was making her way to the library when she sensed a malicious aura coming from the alleyway she was about to pass. A pair of hands shot out and she instantly smacked her palm against each wrist in a quick blur of motion and quickly rounded the corner with her palms up to fight. She came face-to-face with Sakura and Ino and slowly put her arms down.
"What…?" She began asking. Ino was looking down at her wrists in pain and she moved over to unblock the chakra pathways. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was you two."
"We need to talk to you," Sakura said, her eyes hard and accusing. Hinata immediately knew where this was going. "You told me that Sasuke-kun wasn't the person you're engaged to."
Hinata stepped back once Ino could move her hands again. "Yes, I remember," she said. "I knew this conversation was coming." She bowed her head. "I apologize for seemingly misleading you."
"I thought we were friends, Hinata-chan, but you lied to me."
She shook her head. "I didn't. Not at the time, and you never once asked me again," she replied. "Originally, he was not the one I was meant to marry."
"Then who was it?" Ino asked.
"It was only five years ago that Sasuke became the Uchiha Heir, yes?" She didn't like talking about what her life was originally meant to be like. It made her feel guilty. "That means—"
"You were meant to marry his older brother," Sakura finished with a small gasp.
"Yes. I'm truly sorry for this, but this marriage is going to help our families and the village. It is very important that it happens. I didn't do this to hurt either of you or the people who think fondly of him," she explained. This was the default answer and the same one they had given Naruto, the one that was given to them so long ago.
"So there's nothing that can be done about it?" Ino asked. "We're just supposed to…accept it? Just like that?"
"I'm very sorry," Hinata repeated.
"Do you even like him?" Ino prodded.
Hinata thought for a moment. "He is one of my best friends. I think I'm very lucky to be able to have a friendship with my future spouse, not too many heiresses have such a luxury. I don't think of Sasuke romantically, but that doesn't matter in a political marriage. We get along and are part of the same team. We can work together seamlessly to bring our clans to a better future."
Ino and Sakura's mouths fell open at this and they suddenly felt for both Hinata and Sasuke. They were just kids tossed into this political game and expected to just accept it or be forced to marry someone they don't know. Either way, they were meant to be pawns to their own clans. Ino felt lucky that her clan, while noble, wasn't so important as to dictate who she married and Sakura, having come from a civilian family, certainly didn't have these troubles or any idea of what being part of a family like that was like.
"Hinata-chan…" Sakura mumbled. "You're—you're both so strong to be able to do something as important as this for the sake of your clans!"
Ino nodded. "I'm still hurt and a little upset, but I understand some of the life you two have to deal with and I don't envy you. I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions, Hinata-chan."
"Yeah, I'm sorry, too. I should've just asked you genuinely instead of coming at you hot."
Hinata stared at them for a moment before tears sprang to her eyes and she smiled widely. "Thank you so much…for understanding. I really did not want to lose any friends due to this."
Sakura put her arm around her shoulders. "It'll take some getting used to and I can't promise that I won't still be all over Sasuke-kun when I can, as old habits die hard, but we're okay."
Ino lightly punched her arm. "Yeah. We're okay."
"Thank you," Hinata repeated.
"We're going now. See 'ya later, Hinata-chan!" Ino said before they ran off. Hinata watched them go for a moment before letting out a sigh of relief. She had been wondering when they were going to confront her—when any of Sasuke's admirers were going to ambush her, but she had been hoping for Sakura and Ino before anyone else. They were the most likely to understand, especially Ino as she was part of a clan.
When she got to the library, she greeted the librarian and went to her usual spot in the back by the medical books. She picked out the ones she was currently working with and took out the scroll that held all her work. On the off-chance that someone tried to see these notes, she never made any references to what exactly it was that she was looking for. If they wanted to know that, they would have to go into her brain for that information.
She opened her journals and the books and dived right back into her work. When she was completely focused in a place she was relaxed in, the outside world didn't exist to her and she contributed this fact to the reason she had not sensed the boy approaching her until he was right in front of her table.
She looked up at him and blinked. "Hello," she greeted with a polite smile. "Is there something I can help you with?" The boy was just slightly taller than her with short black hair, dark eyes, and extremely pale skin. Her brain seemed to think he and Sasuke's facial features were similar, but she shook that thought away. They held themselves differently.
"Hi," he said, a smile plastered on his face that Hinata didn't seem to buy. "I was just wondering what you were working on. I've seen you in here a lot lately going through these same books, and I've just been curious."
Hinata looked down at her books and notes and then back up at the boy. "I haven't seen you here before," she observed.
"You didn't seem to notice I had been standing here for a little while," he said, amusedly. "I also tend to get caught up in my studies."
"What do you study?" Hinata asked curiously.
"Human behavior and emotions," he replied. "What about you?"
"I study medical books and scrolls."
"Oh? You're a medic ninja?"
Hinata blushed shyly. "Ah, I'd like to be, but I'm still very much in training."
"Are you working on anything specific?" He asked.
She looked down at her books again. "Yes, I'm currently going and studying different diseases for each organ and how to properly treat them. I'm just trying to gain more knowledge and to challenge myself as well."
"That's very admirable."
"Thank you. That's very kind of you…" Then she paused. "I'm sorry, but I haven't gotten your name or properly introduced myself. I am Hinata Hyuuga."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Hyuuga-san. I am Sai, no surname."
She held out her hand for him to shake as there was a table between them and it didn't feel right to bow to him for some reason. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Sai-san." Sai stared at her hand for a moment before looking back up at her. "You don't like to shake hands?"
"Oh! I'm sorry, I've just never done it before." He reached out and shook her hand firmly. "It's a bit strange," he observed as he stared down at his hand. "Do many people do this?"
"There are some who only shake hands with others. Then there are those who do so in certain situations, and those who do not do it at all. It just depends on the person," she clarified. "I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable!"
Sai tilted his head. "No, I don't believe you did," he said. He glanced down at her notes and books before smiling what she deemed to be a fake smile. "I will let you get back to your studies. It's been a pleasure, Hyuuga-san."
"Yes, of course. Maybe we'll run into each other again." She smiled politely at him and watched as he walked away. When he was out of sight, she waited another few moments before relaxing her shoulders just a centimeter at the sound of the library door closing. She didn't know what to make of this boy who seemed to approach her out of nowhere. He seemed…lost and confused despite holding himself very well. His fake smile, too easygoing tone, and how curious he was in her studies, it didn't feel right.
Moreover, she hadn't heard or even sensed him. She originally thought that maybe it was due to the tunnel vision she got with her research, but something told her she shouldn't dismiss it. It lingered in her mind, even as she went back to her books and scrolls.
Sasuke and Naruto stood across from each other in their fighting styles.
"What are the conditions?" Sasuke asked.
Naruto shrugged in reply. "Let's just try not to kill each other."
The Uchiha raised a brow. "Is this just something you're doing to prove you're a better suitor for Hinata than I am?"
Naruto glared. "Not everything is about you, Sasuke. I just want to fight, and here you are."
"Well, whatever then. Let's get started." Sasuke barely had time to finish before shuriken came whizzing through the air toward his face. Sasuke barely dodged them, dropping into a low squat as he glared back at his friend. It was clear to him how serious Naruto was being and he wasn't going to hold back.
Three Naruto's charged for him and he easily kicked them back, causing them to pop.
'Wait…All three popped.'
Suddenly, Naruto was behind him, punching him in the back of the head and causing him to hit the ground. Sasuke quickly caught himself on his hands and kicked back into Naruto's chest, sending the blonde flying back into a tree.
"You've gotten faster," Sasuke smirked. Naruto didn't even crack a smile as he rushed Sasuke once again. It was easy to tell he was angry, Sasuke wasn't oblivious to it, but it was making his fighting sloppy. He was going to easily block, but was caught off guard by him vanishing before him. Sasuke cursed himself and jumped forward to flip over Naruto who was now behind him.
No, he concluded, his fighting only seemed sloppy. Naruto was surprisingly adept at reading battlefield conditions and quickly thinking of a counter.
Sasuke finally rushed forward, having finished observing Naruto's fighting, and they engaged in fighting with so much strength that it didn't take long for bruises to bloom across their arms and legs. Sasuke managed to break through Naruto's defenses and land a punch on Naruto's nose, causing blood to flow down. The blond didn't let that stop him and quickly countered with his own kick to Sasuke's gut.
"Definitely gotten stronger, too," Sasuke hissed, spitting blood. "Or maybe it's just because you're mad."
"You think I'm mad?" Naruto stated, finally speaking. "Mad doesn't cover it, Sasuke."
"Then what does?"
The fight suddenly just left Naruto and his eyes narrowed with sorrow as he glared at the ground. "I—Hinata, she just…she's amazing," he said quietly. Sasuke barely heard it over the breeze.
Sasuke put his fists down and walked a few steps closer, but didn't close the distance. "I know."
"She's so strong and smart and loyal," Naruto continued. "Deep down, I knew I never had a chance, but having it finalized hurts more than I thought it would."
"Maybe if," Sasuke began, "she hadn't been born a heiress, things would've been different."
Naruto let out a strangled chuckle. "Those words aren't as comforting as you think it is."
"Nothing I say can possibly make it better," Sasuke pointed out. "But I don't want this to come between us, so what can I do?"
"Just…give me some time, okay? We're fine. We still have to make history, right? That's what we're gonna do!" Naruto said, forcing a large smile on his face.
Sasuke couldn't help but grin. "This part of you has always been my saving grace," he admitted. "I trust you, Naruto, which is why, should anything happen to me, I want you to stay by her side."
Naruto's eyes widened. "You—you trust me that much?" He asked, his fists clenched as he tried to will his tears away. "But why?"
Sasuke tilted his head. "You're my best friend, loser. There's no one I trust more than you and Hinata."
The other boy let out a watery chuckle. "There's no one I trust more than you and Hinata, too," he replied. "Thank you."
Sasuke pulled out a kunai and held it up. "Now, let's get back to sparring."
Naruto pulled out his own, the tears gone and a smirk on his face. "Fine by me."
They met in the middle with a clash of kunai.
In the shadows, Sai bowed to his master, the fake smile he had plastered on his face dropping into nothing. "Danzo-sama, I have made contact with the Hyuuga Heiress after following her the past few days."
Danzo hummed. "And what have you found on her?"
"She seems to be a normal kunoichi who studies and trains very hard every day," he replied.
"And what has she been studying?"
"She informed me she has been working on her medical ninjutsu and studying more on different diseases of the body."
"Disease?" Was there perhaps someone she knew who had a disease she was trying to cure? "Did you happen to see what books she had?"
"Yes. She had different books on the heart, kidneys, lungs, pancreas, and so on. There seemed to be very many different organs. Shall I continue watching her?" Sai asked.
Danzo shook his head. "No, there doesn't seem to be anything she knows about Itachi, nor does it seem like she's interested in knowing more about me," he observed. "For now, we'll leave it. Your skills are better suited for this other mission I have lined up for you." He tossed the young boy a scroll, who caught it easily. "You're dismissed."
Sai bowed his head and vanished in a quick blur.
Danzo sat on the information he had received for a moment before tossing it away. It seemed the Hyuuga Heiress would not make a good bargaining chip to use against the elder Uchiha. For now, he would have to continue secretly gathering enough strength to take him out himself.
Right after dinner, Hinata excused herself to the greenhouse and pulled out her notes before getting to work with her herbs and flowers. She had figured out a few pills that could possibly help Itachi, but she wouldn't know for sure until she did a full checkup on him. She was finishing up packing the pills when she felt off, much like before when Itachi had first visited her. Because it was nighttime, the only thing lighting up the greenhouse was electrical and she quickly shut it off and waited.
She activated her byakugan to check her surroundings but found nothing so she kept it active while she worked and waited. It wasn't too long before she saw something in the range of vision and opened the greenhouse door for her visitor to get in with no hassle.
He was inside in a flash. "Hinata-san," he said. "You knew I was coming?"
She nodded. "I had my doujutsu on." She shut the door and turned to him with a soft smile. "How are you feeling?"
He nodded. "I am well," he replied. "Have you talked to Hokage-sama?"
"Yes," she replied. "I told him about your mission but not about Shisui. If I revealed too much, he would have people watch me and those people would probably be Uchiha members. We cannot trust whoever is still in the Anbu as Danzo still has connections with those people."
Itachi regarded her for a moment. "You have discovered something."
"Itachi-san, have you been killing any of the Uchiha members that have been sent to recover you these past five years?" She asked seriously, looking deep into his eyes.
"I knew people had been sent after me, but I only evaded them. I have made no contact with them. Why do you ask?"
"Many members have gone missing or have been found dead with their heads missing. I had a meeting with my father in which he explained this, something your father has told him personally."
It didn't take long for Itachi to connect the dots. Someone had been tracking these Uchiha ninja down, taking them out, and framing Itachi to incite fear among the ninja and anyone privy to knowledge of the Shinobi.
"That…That isn't all," Hinata continued, hugging herself with shaking hands. It was clear to him that she had discovered something that truly disturbed her. "I saw something that I needed to tell you about before I told the Hokage."
Itachi moved closer and put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm listening," he said gently. His voice strained as he hadn't used such a gentle tone since he left the village, but Hinata needed this.
"I ran into Danzo one evening when returning home from the library. We stopped and made conversation. As I was walking away, I used my byakugan to check him out. I wanted to see if he had Shi-kun's eye where his bandages are."
His gaze hardened. "What did you see?"
Hinata shook harder and she looked up at him, terrified. "His—His arm has three Sharingan in them. After the meeting with my father, I instantly knew that he had something to do with your clansmen going missing."
Itachi stepped back and turned away as he absorbed this information. He felt anger like he hadn't since Shisui's death and he worked to steel himself. "Did he see you do it?" He asked curtly. "I'm sure I told you that he has people following around after him. They could've seen you."
She shook her head. "My eyes were slightly strained, so I was wearing my sunglasses. There is no way they would have seen it."
"That doesn't mean he hasn't set his sights on you. Hinata-san, you must be careful," he said, his voice short. He was angry but it was out of worry and she knew this well.
"Possibly. But I am not reckless or stupid, I will not do anything that is going to jeopardize my friends and family," she said confidently.
He turned back to face her once again and nodded. "I know. Has the engagement to Sasuke been announced yet?" He asked suddenly.
Hinata nearly got whiplash by the sudden change of subject but managed to nod. "Yes, it was yesterday. We took some photos." She moved to her desk and picked up a frame she kept there before handing it to Itachi.
He stared down at the photo and fought back a smile. She and Sasuke stood together closely in immaculate attire with gentle smiles on their faces. His brother had grown into his features and though his eyes seemed harder, he still had a soft side for the young girl standing in front of him.
"Are you happy?" He asked, handing the photo back.
She nodded. "I'm just happy not having to keep it from Naruto anymore," she smiled. "Would you like to keep it?"
He shook his head. "It would be troublesome if it was discovered by any of my partners," he explained.
"I'll save you a copy for when you return home." He nodded but said nothing else. "May I ask you for a favor?"
"What is it?"
"May I perform a physical on you?" His eyes slightly widened at her question. "I'm afraid I won't know exactly how to help you unless I know most, if not all, of your symptoms," she explained.
After thinking for a few moments, he shrugged off his cloak and took a seat. "Very well." He reached into his back pouch and pulled out a journal. "I kept a record of anything I was feeling. I know you understand this, but I must ask you to never share this with anyone else."
She nodded and set the journal aside. She activated her bloodline and slowly went over his body with her hands glowing a deep blue, taking notes every so often. Afterward, she checked on his joints. Next, she checked deeper into his eyes.
"Itachi-san…how much can you see?" She asked hesitantly.
"I almost never deactivate my doujutsu," he replied. "I'm sure you are aware of how damaging that can be."
"Why?" She asked though she was focused on pouring her chakra into his eye vessels.
"I live a dangerous life, Hinata-san. I must always be on my guard." He closed his eyes as he felt relief behind his constantly aching eyes.
"Is that a little better?" He nodded and she couldn't help but smile at how relieved he looked. "This will not help your lost eyesight return. I have been working on eye drops that help with eye strain but I'm afraid it is still being tested. Once I have all the problems solved, I will save some for you."
"You've been very busy," he said simply. "I am most impressed with how far you have come in your medical studies."
She blushed. "Thank you." She stepped back. "Please remove your shirt."
He slowly opened his eyes. "Pardon?"
Hinata giggled. "I have to check you for any marks. I will not leave any stone unturned if I can," she said.
Though he felt slightly awkward, he shrugged off his shirt and set it on top of his discarded cloak. He felt uncomfortable as her eyes slowly raked over his body, checking moles and bruises left over from recent battles. When she got to his back, she hummed and wrote something in her notes. He suppressed a jump when her palm rested flat in the center of his back.
"Just breathe easily. I'm checking to see how lungs are," she explained. "Now, take a few deep breaths."
Itachi did so and only managed to get through a few before he started coughing. He covered his mouth and tried to remain quiet but the coughing wouldn't cease. Hinata rushed to see him, her eyes concentrated on his chest for a few moments before putting her hands on him and easing the pressure that was tightening his lungs.
"Thank you," he gasped softly. He had been sick for nearly a year now and he was relieved to be getting some rest from even a little bit of the pain he was experiencing.
"Of course," she smiled. From her pouch, she took out a senbon and began testing his nerves. "Let me know when it begins to feel painful."
In the arm she noticed he would rest on his cloak, his nerves seemed to be lacking as well as that side of his back and chest. She kneeled down to check his legs and found them in perfect working order. As he had always been very fast, more so now, she expected nothing less.
"Your lower body seems to be fine," she said. "If I worked in a lab, this would be much easier." She would be able to test his blood and his urine but she was going to have to work with what she had.
"You don't have to do all this, Hinata-san," he assured her.
"No, I can't just let this go on. If you're going to return to us—to Sasuke—then you have to be as healthy as possible," she responded. She smiled up at him from her kneeled position. He reached out and put his hand on her head, smiling at her almost as kindly as he used to. She resisted the urge to hug him tightly and stood up instead.
"Have you gone on any challenging missions as of yet?" He asked.
"We have completed nearly twenty-five D-rank missions, but we are hoping to go on our first C-rank soon. Kakashi-sensei is very confident in our skills, as is Hokage-sama." She reached into a hidden box in her greenhouse and pulled out a couple of pill bottles before going back to her desk and packing up the ones she had finished making when he showed up.
"I'm sure you three will succeed in whatever mission comes your way," he said, watching her closely. He could not accept the fact that the tiny Hyuuga Heiress was, essentially, his doctor and as thorough as she could be with her job. She had grown into a beautiful young girl and he was happy that she had someone like Sasuke by her side, and Naruto as well.
"Thank you." She handed him the three unassuming bottles. Normally, she put either the Hyuuga Clan symbol or the village insignia on it, but she knew that would be too dangerous for Itachi to carry on him. "I made three different medications for you to try. I ask that you record any side effects you have. I don't know how long it will be until we see each other again, but I will make more and keep them hidden in here in the same spot you saw me get these from."
He took the bottles and looked at them closely and noticed they all looked completely different, much to his relief. He knew she did this so they were easy for them to identify.
"Take one daily for one month and then continue the cycle until you find out which one seems to be working for you the best," she explained. "If you experience any allergic reactions, stop taking them and discard them."
He couldn't stop himself from chuckling. "You very much sound like a doctor," he explained when he saw her confused expression.
She exhaled a laugh. "I suppose that is what I am at the moment." Turning back to her notes, she nodded to herself. "With the information I gathered, I should be able to make medication that could help you more than these could. I'm sorry I can't do more right away."
Itachi shook his head and grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently. "You're doing more than enough. I am in your debt, for risking your life and for helping with my medical condition."
Hinata squeezed his hand harder than she meant to, but she was physically trying to stop herself from hugging him. He returned the pressure. She looked at different points on his face to burn it into her memory. Most of the memories she had of him were from a different time, when he was a different person, and she wanted to secure this Itachi in her memories as well. Though some of his traits remained the same, he was much more hardened and had a harsher voice than she was used to. She needed to accept the Itachi who sat in front of her.
"I must be leaving now," he said as he slowly let go of her hand and slipped his shirt back on before putting his cloak back on. He pocketed the bottles and stood up, towering over her.
"What shall I do about Danzo?" She asked, genuinely worried and also wanting to keep him from leaving. "Should I tell Hokage-sama of my findings, the arm?"
Itachi thought for a moment before shaking his head. "No. Keep this a secret until I can figure out who he is working with to acquire these eyes."
"From how the chakra network around the arm looked, I believe it's a skilled medic," Hinata said. "It is very difficult to rewire the network like that."
"I see. That is very useful information. Thank you, Hinata-san."
"Itachi-san," she said softly. He turned back to look at her. "Please, take care of yourself. I will…miss you very much." She couldn't look at him so she kept her eyes on his feet. She stayed unmoving when he stepped closer. He tipped her chin up with his fingers, causing her face to go a pretty red as she was forced to look up at his face and into his eyes.
"Hinata-san. I'll be back." They stared at one another for a moment before she blinked and he was gone. She let out a breath she wasn't aware she had been holding and fought the blush off her cheeks.
Itachi had certainly grown up into a good-looking man and Hinata couldn't help but acknowledge that, but she needed to rid those thoughts from her head. The business they were taking care of was life-threatening and she needed to focus on that rather than his soothing voice, dark eyes, and good looks.
Turning the lights back on to the greenhouse, she sat at her desk and began looking through the notes she had taken and the journal he had given to her. It was time to get to work.
This concludes the Team Kakashi Arc! We hope you enjoyed it and will stick around despite the hiatus we will be taking 3 What did y'all think of this chapter? Please review and let us know! Thank you to everyone for following/favoriting this story and our profile. It means the world to us :) For any and all updates concerning Team Harmony, follow us on Twitter
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NEXT UPDATE: TBA