2/6/25

Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. A lot has been going on, and I have been extremely tired. I didn't want to throw this chapter out without having it right. I don't feel as if I accomplished it, but it gets to the point and we can move on from here. Apologies for how short it is too.

On another note, I'm no longer living in a tent. We are in a home now, and currently are working on needs.

Thank you all for reading and liking the story. It makes my day :)

3/9/25

I went over this chapter and added minor things to the end. Mostly, Hanabi's kunai.

Disclaimer: I did not create Naruto or World of Warcraft, both are under the rights of their respective owners.

Chapter 5: Long Night

Two armies stood in opposition. Banners of red and gold with the Tenseigan lotus symbol flapped in the wind of one army, as the other flags, green and gold, bore the insignia of the crescent moon and circle. Dust blew into the air, tensions thick, as the Tenseigan weapon, mounted on a rolling pedestal, towered over the people on the side of those with the moon banners.

Those with the red flags roared and charged forward. A man who stood before the opposing army lifted his arm and said, "Tensaigan, activate!"

The golden sphere crackled and gave off an eerie metallic ring. White energy illuminated the sphere. The light brightened, for a beam of energy to shoot from the Tensaigan toward the rushing army. Within a blink of an eye, they were decimated — killed within the blasts.

"What the hell," murmured Naruto as he looked at the dead scattered along the ground. He tried to move, but couldn't.

"Naruto," Hinata said, her voice echoed and soft. "I am projecting my thoughts to you, this memory, so stay calm."

"Your thoughts?" Like Granny Rabbit?

"I can do this with my Deadeyes." Hinata replied. "This is what I saw."

The dead faded as mounds appeared with an obelisk behind them. He was back in the crypt. The graves vanished one by one, replaced by people — the souls lost to the Tensaigan. The man from the crypt appeared, centered among the hundreds of people that stood within the chamber. He walked toward him.

"We are the descendants of Hamura. We belonged to the main branch of the Otsutsuki Clan." The descendant stopped before him. "The side branch annihilated all of us after they misinterpreted Hamura's Celestial Decree. Toneri is the remaining descendant of the side branch. By using the Tenseigan, he brought you back to this world and placed a barrier to keep you from returning to the one you call home. Toneri intends to destroy the world by employing the power of the Tensei Eye energy vessel to plummet the moon into the earth."

Naruto said, "No way."

"Byakugan Princess, you are this world's hope to stop Toneri, and destroy the Tenseigan," the old man said.

The clan members who stood at attention, abruptly moved to take a knee. The descendant even moved and bowed when an ancient appearing man walked toward them.

The elder was in pale robes, his hair silver and thin, as horns were upon his head. His robe exposed the magatama marks on his chest, as his face was wrinkled from age. Behind him, floating, l was a ring of black spheres — truth seeking orbs.

"Hamura Otsutsuki," Hinata said.

The old man nodded, "My blood runs strong in you, my descendant. You have awakened your Byakugan beyond what I expected. The world you were brought from is a place of hardship and war . . . It has hardened you."

"What must I do to save this world?" Hinata asked.

Hamura nodded. "You must destroy the energy vessel. Be warned, for it is cursed. Only one of my bloodline can destroy it. Any other who tries will be killed, as the Tensaigan will extract and siphon their chakra until none remains."

"So I will have to destroy it with my chi?" Hinata asked.

Hamura nodded. "Byakugan Princess, do not let the world my elder brother created be destroyed." Hamura's eyes shifted, and Naruto felt them on him.

This is a memory, so he can't see me, right?

"I see you scion of Hagoromo . . ." Hamura smirked, for his visage to become stoic. "Help her save Hagoromo's world, your world."

Naruto said, "You have my word."

The memory became obscured by jade mist. He found himself staring into Hinata's eyes. Her pupils — that were lighter in color than her irises — were defined. The veins were bulged at her temples with her active Deadeyes — which if he hadn't known about the Byakugan prior, he would have said her eyes looked dead too. Especially how beneath her eyes were dark and swollen from lack of sleep.

Hinata blinked, the veins around her eyes relaxing to return to normal. Her pupils vanished and her eyes returned to their faint lavender hue. She looked absolutely exhausted.

"Sorry to spring that on you like that, Naruto. I thought it would be easier to show instead of tell," Hinata said as she rested her hand on her forehead. She sighed. "Can you set me down? I need to meditate on this."

"You need rest," Naruto stated, letting her down. "Sleep, ya know."

Hinata half-smiled as she sat on the ground. She grabbed her gourd and uncorked it. "I'll be—"

"We need you at full strength, Hinata. Just a few hours is all I'm asking. We'll get this figured out," Naruto said as he knelt before her. "Sleep, and I'll debrief the others."

She sipped on the brew. "Hmm, you won't take no for an answer, will you."

"No."

His expression was serious. Hinata nodded.

"I'll rest." She drank more of the sake.

"Promise?"

Hinata swallowed and pursed her lips. "I will sleep," she drank more sake and then raised her gourd at him. "I promise, in honor of the Jade Serpent."

"Let's find someplace safe. You can use my bedding," Naruto said as he raised to his height, and then held his hand out to her.

Hinata grasped his hand, and he hefted her up to her feet. She took another long drink.

"That man called Hinata, Byakugan Princess," Shikamaru said as he looked up into the false night sky.

The ruins around were dimly lit by the faux stars and moonlight as a cold wind blew, billowing steam from Shikamaru's cup. He surveyed the abandoned village as Sai sat on the top ledge of the balcony.

Shikamaru sighed. "There's no doubt now—"

"That she is Hinata Hyuuga," Sai intoned as he stared out into the night. He looked at Neji who leaned against a broken archway. "Something happened to Hinata with that orb of light. Did anything happen to you, Neji?"

Neji remained silent for a moment, before he pushed off the wall and walked closer to them. "I saw that man in a vision." He crossed his arms, visage pensive. "He showed me what he witnessed before his death."

"How the branch house massacred the main house?" The three ninja turned to Naruto when he walked up to them.

Neji asked, "She told you?"

"Hinata showed me," Naruto said as he stopped before them. "She can transmit thoughts and memories with her Deadeyes, like—"

"Kaguya," Shikamaru said as he narrowed his brows. "Troublesome."

Naruto glared at him, "Hinata's nothing like her." He then turned to Neji and scowled, "You need to talk to her. Everything she's said, Neji, about her not being from here—"

"Is true, I know," Neji interjected. He cast his gaze to the cobblestone floor. "I will talk to her tomorrow, and tell her what I know of her disappearance and what I am allowed of the clan." He raised his eyes back to Naruto. "As a branch member, I can only reveal so much to her, Naruto. It's not my place, in the main branch's eyes."

Sai asked, "Where is Hinata now?"

"Asleep. Sakura is with her." Naruto bounced his focus between the three of them as he said, "We have to find Toneri. Not only does he have Hanabi and Hinata's apprentice, he's in control of a weapon that'll destroy the world if we don't find it in time."

"The Tensengai." Neji said. "The energy vessel is called the same thing as Toneri's eye dojutsu. I don't know much about the dojutsu itself. Only what I've read in archives." Neji's brows narrowed. "Hiashi gave me access to them only a few days ago." He looked at the others. "He knew. Perhaps not about Hinata, but he knew Hanabi would be targeted. He left shortly after with guards to handle clan matters, and before the kidnapping and this mission, had not returned."

"Don't you think that's something you should have pointed out to Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto bluntly asked.

Neji looked at him, "It is a clan matter, not a village matter. Everything that the Hyuuga do isn't taken before the Hokage, Naruto, it's something you wouldn't understand."

"I get clan politics," Shikamaru said, then blew on his drink. He sipped on it. "If you had your suspicions then, you could've said something, especially when you requested to join the mission. The leader of the clan being missing is kinda a big deal, even in times of peace."

"Hiashi can take care of himself." Neji's tone became spiteful, "I only requested to join, because it is my obligation as a branch member. Hanabi is the heir, and I am sworn to protect the main house. Not willingly joining would have shamed me and questioned my loyalty to the Hyuuga."

Naruto sneered, "Your clan sucks."

"Thus my destiny," Neji replied.

"Don't start spewing that crap," Naruto grumbled as he turned and crossed his arms.

Neji's brow raised, "I was being sarcastic."

Naruto deadpanned, "You still need to work on that too."

"What a drag. Stop messing around." Shinkamaru said as the three other ninjas looked at him. "With what information we gathered we know that what is happening with the moon is Toneri's doing." He showed them his hand.

Their world was illuminated on his palm, where around it were orange glowing numbers, with some that had dimmed.

"Armageddon is getting closer, and we only have days left." Shikamaru clenched his fist. "He's using this energy vessel, the Tenseigan, to manipulate the moon to destroy the earth. He kidnapped Hanabi and took her eyes to awaken a dojutsu called the Tenseigan. Whether his eyes are awakened to their full potential or not, we don't know. That's probably why he hasn't fully attacked us yet, and why we still haven't found where he is."

"He has to recover," Sai said with a nod. "Wait for the eyes to fully mature and sync with his chakra, from what Hinata said."

"Right," Shikamaru replied. He sipped on his drink and looked out into the night again.

Neji tapped his fingers along his crossed arms, "He brought Hinata here from another world, for a reason. According to the vision I saw, she is the only one capable of destroying the energy vessel." He looked at Naruto. "I assume it's because Hamura's blood runs strong in her, given she has unlocked abilities of the Byakugan that none have that I know of."

"Your point," Shikamaru inquired.

"Why? Why bring the one person who can ruin and destroy what you are trying to do here?" Neji said.

Sai shifted on the ledge and said, "Perhaps he is attempting to make an alliance with her?"

Naruto frowned, "When that puppet of Toneri showed up, he said he'd come back and would want her answer then." Naruto propped his arms behind his head. "I'll ask her after she wakes up what that was about."

"There's a lot we need to talk to her about," Shikamaru said, then sipped on his drink. He looked at Naruto. "I'll let you take the lead on that, since you're already friendly with her."

Sai said, "Extremely friendly."

"Shut up," Naruto grumbled as he let his arms down.

"What does he mean by that?" Neji asked, uncrossing his arms.

Naruto scowled, "It's just Sai being Sai."

"He was putting his clothes back on when I found them—"

"He was putting his clothes back on?" Neji said as he looked at Sai then to Naruto.

"I didn't even remove my shirt, asshole! I got hurt and she healed me! I was trying to see my back!"

Sai smiled, "Then why did you both jump when I found you?"

"You just appeared, that's why!" Naruto shouted, his fist clenched and shaking it at Sai.

Sai gestured to Naruto and said, "You were sitting awkwardly with her earlier on her lion-dog—"

Naruto's eyes widened as he said, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm worried about nothing," Neji bluntly said as he crossed his arms and shook his head.

"What the hell does that mean?" Naruto said as he turned to Neji.

"That you're an idiot."

"What the hell did I do?"

Smirking, Neji said, "Clearly nothing."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Shikamaru shook his head and sipped on his drink. "This is going to be a long night."

The euphoria of a perfect full night of sleep was something Hinata hadn't felt in years. She'd only slept a couple of hours before she startled awake, sweating as the nightmare faded along with the distant echoes of thousands of screams. Phantom pains raced down her back and shoulder as her skin prickled. The heat of the flames on her skin and stench of burning flesh faded as she sat up and looked around the room. Hinata wasn't in Darnassus trying to save as many night elves and other races who called the massive tree their home. This was a dimly lit room, within the moon, on a whole other world that was different from the one she had grown to know.

She sighed and rubbed her hands over her face. So many different things haunted her. One of the toughest and burdensome lessons Hinata learned during the War of Thorns was that she could not save everyone.

"You didn't sleep enough."

Startled, Hinata turned to the voice. Neji leaned against the wall near the window, his gaze peering out into the night.

"I'll sleep when I'm dead." Hinata shook the numbness from her fingers. "So, is it your turn to baby sit me?"

Neji turned his face to her, "Obviously."

"You don't like me much," Hinata intoned as she found her gourd and swirled it. She frowned, feeling it was empty.

"I don't know you, to know if I like you or not, Hinata."

"At least you are truthful and blunt. I like when someone gets to the point instead of beating around the bush." Hinata stretched and sighed, "Ugh, I feel as if I've been hit and trampled on by a kodo."

Neji said, "I don't know what that is."

"Mmm, well for context sake, it's a large reptilian beast that stands seven to eight feet tall, has a massive girth, and has a thick leathery hide rather than scaled. Their eyes are small, feet massive, and their tails short and thick. Some have horns on their snouts that hurt like hell when it hits you." Hinata looked at him. "Some even have glands that produce an electrical charge, which also hurts."

"Sounds like you learned all of that from experience."

"Indeed, among many other things."

Neji tilted his head, "You are different from what I remember of you."

Hinata stared at him as her stomach twisted and became heavy. "You remember me?"

"Vaguely," he said.

Disappointed, Hinata said, "Same. I don't remember much at all. Even when I meditate on it, nothing much comes to me." She looked away from him. "I can't remember my parent's faces. Only recently when I was caught within the genjutsu did I remember you. We were very young and had sparred." She glanced at him and shrugged. "You beat me."

Neji looked back out the window into the night. "You were timid and gentle natured. Not the right mold for the title they wanted you to uphold."

Hinata tapped her nails on the gourd and asked, "What title?"

"Heir of the clan," Neji stated."The next in line to lead."

"Oh." She pursed her lips and tucked her bangs behind her ear. "Byakugan Princess makes a little more sense now I guess."

The room became too quiet as they sat in an uncomfortable silence. Hinata studied Neji for the moment. Watching how he stared out the window with a distant expression on his face and even within his white eyes.

"Neji?" When he looked at her, Hinata asked, "Are you my brother?"

His brows raised. "No. Your father and my father were twins."

Hinata frowned, "They were twins?"

"My father died two years ago. During the Fourth War."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

There was a war here recently. Ironically a Fourth War . . . "Do you know what happened to me? How did I become separated and lost from our family?" Hinata asked.

Neji bowed his head and said, "You were abducted when you were three years old by what was an enemy village at the time. When no leads were found, it was believed you were dead, or worse."

"What is worse than death here?" Hinata asked.

"Your Byakugan extracted and its secrets revealed," Neji replied. "It was highly coveted by other villages due to the power it holds."

"Was?" Hinata coached as she knelt up and kept her eyes on him.

"Since the war, Konohagakure and Kumogakure have become allies. Sixteen years ago, we were enemies." Neji shifted his stance, turning to her. "It was your third birthday when Kumo ninja came to the village to sign a peace treaty. Though it can't be proven, it's believed the treaty was merely a feint to abduct you. When you weren't found, and the Kumo ninja who took you also turned up missing, the villages fell into an impasse. Vindictive and shameless as Kumo was then, they withdrew and denounced the missing shinobi and marked them as nuke-nin — enemies to their own village. It wasn't known what happened to you or even them."

"That explains why you were cautious about me. I could have been an enemy."

"Technically, you still can be." He crossed his arms. "There are too many scenarios to what could have happened for any trust to have been established when you suddenly appeared."

"I understand," Hinata said with a single nod. "Can you tell me about our family?"

Neji shifted again, his visage stoic, "The Hyuuga are similar to the Otsutsuki. The main house runs the clan, whereas the branch house serves the clan. All Hyuuga are born into a set destiny. To either lead or follow."

Hinata frowned. "So the Hyuuga are segregated as the Otsutsuki . . ."

"Yes and without permission from the main house, I cannot reveal much else. As a branch member, it is not my place."

"How obtuse," Hinata scowled.

Neji looked at her, "Incredibly."

Hinata frowned and swirled the gourd, hopeful it may have magically refilled. It hadn't.

"Nothing can be simple, can it?"

"No," Neji said as he uncrossed his arms. "There is also the concern of Hanabi, your younger sister. She is the current heir. Clan politics would pit the two of you against each other. Then again, with as long as you have been missing and how you are not trained in our techniques, they possibly may not accept you."

Not accept me?

"I didn't think this would all be so complicated," Hinata intoned as she looked at the floor. She clenched her fist on her knees. "I am no heir, and I will denounce it if I must."

Neji pursed his lips as his brows narrowed. "You never wanted to be the heir if I remember right." He pushed off the wall. Stepping closer to her he said, "I don't know what happened to you, but perhaps you got your wish in a way."

"Possibly . . ." Hinata opened her hip pouch and pulled out the small kunai. She ran her thumb along the metal, to then hold it up for Neji to see. "Is this Hanabi's?" As Neji stared at it, Hinata held it out to him and said, "I found it before reaching the portal entrance."

Taking the kunai, his expression softened and he shook his head as the dangling ninja toy swung in the air. "Treating her kunai as a toy . . . Yes, it's hers."

"What is Hanabi like?" Hinata asked.

Neji nodded and knelt near her as he kept his eyes on the kunai. "Hanabi is observant and follows the ideals of the Hyuuga. Because of what happened to you, Hanabi has been guarded and has endured harsh training. She understands what is expected of her as the heiress and acts accordingly. At first glance she appears prudent and arrogant, but," He held up the kunai and softly smiled, "As you can see she is still a child. When the clan's back is turned, she does have a joyful and kind demeanor."

Hinata nodded. She set her gaze on the lamp. "My mother?"

Neji kept quiet for a moment. "She died during Hanabi's birth." It was like a knife twisted in Hinata's chest and her mouth went dry. "And my father?"

"Hiashi, your father, is the clan head. He is stoic, severe, and will protect and defend our clan with his life. Though I do not agree with him most of the time or see eye to eye with your father, I understand his nature and the sacrifices he makes," Neji said with a scowl.

None of this is what I expected at all. Hinata kept silent. After a few long breaths she let out a sigh. "I guess we will see what happens when I return with you to your village."

Neji nodded. "That we will." He stood, holding out the kunai. "Hold on to this. Give it to her when you meet." When Hinata took the kunai back, Neji went to the door. "Get more rest. You promised Naruto you would sleep, and he takes promises seriously."

"As do I, and I promised him I would sleep," Hinata said as she laid back down in the bedding Naruto provided her. She snuggled into his pillow and mumbled, "He has a nice scent."

"I'll be sure to let him know," Neji said as he left the room.

Hinata frowned as she turned over, unable to sleep. The things Neji revealed to her only troubled her. Her mother was dead — the person she truly wanted to meet and wrap her arms around was gone. As for her father . . . she bit on her bottom lip and pushed back the tingles of doubt that crept within her heart. I have a sister though, and she is someone I can possibly connect to if none of the others will. Clenching her fist over her heart, Hinata closed her eyes.

"Jade Serpent, guide me. Black Ox, grant me fortitude. White Tiger, give me strength. Red Crane, help me hold onto hope . . ."

It took a while for Hinata to fall back to sleep. When she did, memories didn't haunt her as she slept.