Hinata opened her eyes first. The sun wasn't out yet, but it was starting to get light outside showing that daylight would arrive soon. Her first official day back from the mission and to wake up not in the swamps and on edge felt odd to her. It felt surreal and this was probably the main reason they did not send ninja's to go undercover for reconnaissance for so long.
Hinata stretched a little and remembered that she was without clothing. She also remembered Naruto and Sasuke were beside her absent of their clothing as well. Hinata traced over every fine detail on their bodies, the birthmarks, the freckles, the scars, the muscular definitions of their bodies.
How scandalous.
Sasuke had her in a protective embrace. She felt like a teddy bear honestly. He had her in an extreme cuddle position and she knew that if he woke up like this or if anyone were to catch the infamous 'cool' Uchiha Sasuke like this he would probably burst into flames.
Her mind started to wonder off into the memories of last night. She loved every minute of it. Last night was a needy night. They all were needy. The three of them wanted and needed to reconnect and it was killing them to play the tip toe game just because they were out on this mission. What if everything ended horribly and they all died. They'd go with regrets and that wasn't fair.
Sasuke last night was so open and vulnerable. He actually pushed out an apology when he was able to connect with Hinata. He apologized for doubting her skill against Zetsu. Hinata understood. She understood Sasuke and Naruto were just afraid. Afraid of losing her, just like she was terrified of losing them. They were different with one another last night, last night was an experience that they all weren't used to, an experience of exposing their fears between one another.
Last night was nothing but silent pleas, moans and ecstasy. Silent climaxes. Everyone covering the others mouth to keep from being loud and unprofessional. It wasn't fair, but it was going to have to do while they were away from home. Honestly it was probably the hardest Hinata had ever orgasmed, just the thought of having to be quiet or they would be caught. Naruto and Sasuke made sure to store this information for later.
Now with morning rising and it being a new day Hinata could tell Naruto was absolutely exhausted. He was out like a log making deep breathing sounds. He had drifted away from Hinata and Sasuke and was soundly hugging a pillow knocked out in a deep slumber. Hinata smiled at this. She would massage his back or something of that nature, but she didn't want to wake him. However, she did want to get up and shower before anyone woke up for the day.
Hinata tried to gently wiggle her way from Sasuke's grasps and was finding it quite difficult to shimmy out unnoticed, "Hn. You know I'm not really a morning person. Just lay here a few more hours until one of us gets up." Sasuke didn't open his eyes or anything, but he did pull Hinata tighter to him to show that he wasn't in the mood for her to try to move anymore.
Hinata was going to rebuttal that she wanted to shower before everyone got up, but she was slightly startled when Naruto just hopped up. He sat up and immediately started to stretch his tired limbs. Hinata heard pops here and there and immediately regretted not giving him a massage.
"No need for all that. I'm up."
Naruto spoke with a yawn. He then stood up and picked up disregarded clothing from the night before and gave Hinata hers. "Here. Pick out some clean clothes too and I'll do us something better. Hot springs are here. They have men, women and even private ones. I don't mind paying the couple extra coins for a private one."
A hot springs sounded amazing. She hadn't had one of those in SO LONG. Naruto saw the sparkle in Hinata's eyes and smiled at her appreciation of the little things.
Sasuke's hold on her loosened and he sat up himself and stretched his limbs, "Okay fine. I'm up."
Naruto couldn't help but laugh at this.
The three let everyone else know about where they were going and Hinata was grateful to see that checking in and getting a private sector at the hot springs went by fairly easy.
Looking at the fresh clean springs for some reason made Hinata's mind drift over to the swamps. The swamps were chilly, slimy, thick with all types of bacteria and overall not an enjoyable place to be in. Hinata was still upset with the fact that she basically got chased and forced to take refuge in the swamps.
Like an animal. Hinata was never the vengeance type, she never thought like that. So dark and not understanding, but after her experience with Zetsu, she wanted some type of satisfying retaliation. To feel at least an ounce of her dignity was restored.
She would try to push the thought of Zetsu and the swamps out her mind and enjoy the hot springs. To be able to put her feet in the hot water was heavenly and at the same time painful. Her skin wasn't going to heal overnight, and she still felt like her skin was going to fall off her body every time she cleaned it. She didn't really want to treat her skin condition at this point in time because she needed it to be a bit hardened for the battles that awaited them.
When she sat in the water it hurt at first. It burned. The pain went from a screaming unbearable pain like yesterday to a dull ache. Pain wasn't something foreign to her and the fact the water was cleaning her instead of infecting her gave her a soothing peace of mind. It was especially more relaxing with the fact that she was with her two special people.
Sasuke easily sunk himself in and he looked at Naruto a little annoyed as the blond was acting a little dramatic about the heat. Sasuke told Naruto he was a moron considering it was Naruto's idea to come to the hot springs. The two men went back and forward until Naruto got comfortable with the hot water temperature.
Hinata looked at the two with a calming amused smile. She then took her hands out the water to stare at them. It more than likely wasn't the best thing she should have done because her hands that were already beginning to prune reminded her of the swamps. How when she was certain she was alone she would look at her pruned, peeling hands. The pain that it caused her and how she had to ignore it.
She didn't know what upset her more. Being made a fool out of. Almost not making it back to Naruto or Sasuke, or the fact she now looked like the walking dead.
She wasn't much into her looks ever so she would assume it was the fact she almost didn't make it back to her loved ones and the pain she had put them through. She knew she hurt Naruto and Sasuke and last night she wanted to do nothing else but to prove to them that she missed them maybe even more. That she loved them and that she needed them more than they could ever think.
Still, lately, especially in the swamps she couldn't help but let her mind wonder. Would she have been more successful if she still had her ROOT mentality and if Lord Danzo was still alive? Hinata was sure she wouldn't have ran. She would have stayed, and she would have FOUGHT. Was she getting weaker? How was she supposed to face Zetsu with such a weakened and frightened mind frame.
Konoha ninja she was afraid. ROOT ninja, she had no fear. Now back as a Konoha basic ninja she suffered from her fears again. Fear of dying, fear of failing, fear of losing a loved one. It was all making her so WEAK. She HATED IT.
"Hey."
Hinata stopped looking at her hands and snapped out her downward spiral by hearing Naruto call out to her. "Oh…I'm sorry. Did you say something?"
Naruto made his way over to Hinata. He approached her so they were face to face. He took her hands that she was looking at and held them. He lifted her hands back out the water so she could see them as well. Her skin was still so sensitive so to feel Naruto's hand holding hers felt nice.
"No. I didn't say anything. I just thought I'd snap you out of whatever dark hole you were trying to crawl in."
Hinata puffed her cheeks at being caught and turned her head away from Naruto. She looked at Sasuke who looked to be half asleep, but she could see his eyes were half opened as he leaned against the ledge of the hot springs and stared at her intensely. More than likely upset that she was trying to fade from them as well.
Naruto tugged on her hand a little to get her attention, but Hinata was still being stubborn. "Hinata…you didn't lose. You didn't 'lose your touch' either. If you ask me you reached a new level of being creepy. You're not a coward. You did the right thing. If I'm being honest I wished you did it 30 days earlier, but I understand the circumstances."
Hinata still said nothing to him. She felt as if she failed. Like she needed to be rescued. She felt so…WEAK. Just thinking about how she sprinted for miles on end for salvation made her feel like Lord Danzo would be ashamed of her.
"Hinata. Stop acting like a baby."
Hinata and Sasuke turned their heads to Naruto taken back by his blunt words. He was giving Hinata an amused look but at the same time she could see he was getting annoyed. Getting upset.
"You want your 300? You want to prove to yourself that you haven't lost your skills because you have 'feelings' now? Then fight. Get your body weight back up. Train. Fight, and WIN."
Naruto had his piercing gaze settled on Hinata. His eyes danced with passion and Hinata had never seen him look so…dark. So passionate about taking a life. If you could say Zetsu was a living form.
"And don't you dare leave any ounce of hope that Zetsu's alive. The way you're so upset, you better destroy that thing. I see you're upset. That it's tearing you apart. So instead of putting all this energy sulking and drifting away, put it into Zetsu. Got it?"
Hinata closed her mouth. She didn't realize earlier that she had it hanging open. She knew Naruto was a passionate man. He was a passionate fighter and he put his all into everything he did. She also knew Naruto wasn't someone that liked to take a life. If the situation came to it she was sure he would do what would be needed, but she never took him as someone that was passionate about it.
Maybe her assumptions of him from the very beginning were wrong. That would mean Naruto was her only target that outwitted her. She watched as Naruto gave her a heated stare.
"What did you expect Hinata? How did you expect me to feel? You've been gone, with no communication with us for two months. Then when I see you, you're not in good shape. That thing hurt you. Pushed you to your limit, that almost broke you. Zetsu did something to you that ME and SASUKE are supposed to protect you from. I know you can take care of yourself, and you DID. Still…I wasn't there for you. You were alone, and I know you at least once were scared. So I want you toobliterateZetsu. I want this whole Akatsuki organization GONE. So, I don't want to see anymore pouting Hinata. Don't sit around and sulk…do what you have to do. Oh, and Hinata. This is the last time I'm saying this."
Hinata nodded her head immediately and a light blush covered her cheeks. She could blame it on the heat of the springs if Sasuke and Naruto decided to tease her later. Naruto squeezed her hands a little to show how serious he was before slowly letting them go and relaxing back in the water himself. His eyes never leaving hers and he watched how she started to gravitate to him on her own.
Sasuke looked on at this before leaning his head back to rest on the edge of the hot springs. Naruto reeled Hinata in hook, line and sinker, "I told you Naruto wasn't nice, Hinata. Do you really think he forgave me so easily for leaving the village and becoming a criminal?" Sasuke smirked at Hinata's doe eyed face before closing his eyes.
Really. Naruto wasn't at all that forgiving. Yes, Naruto wanted Sasuke to have his freedom, but Naruto also put the idea in Tsunade's ear for heavy extra duty. For Sasuke to be watched heavily around the clock and for Sasuke to go through intense psychological therapy. Honestly, people really thought Sasuke did all this willingly?
No. Sasuke just learned over time that Naruto loved him, but Naruto also hit harder than him and that Naruto could be just as devious as himself.
Naruto sat beside Sasuke and watched as Hinata followed him and sat on Naruto's lap and the three sat there in a comfortable silence. Sasuke had a feeling that Naruto was going to find a private place sooner or later and let it out on Hinata. Overall Naruto was pretty calm this whole mission considering what was at stake and that Hinata was exposed to danger.
Naruto was a hot head and at the same time he was someone that kept many things in. If you pissed him off he'd be ready to fight you. If you hurt him emotionally he would carry that sorrow to the grave privately.
Naruto. Sasuke. Hinata. They didn't do sorrow and emotions. They were not raised or born in a time for such things.
Sasuke and Naruto were one in the same and yet different at the same time. Sasuke kept emotions in and spiraled down. Naruto just put a mask on and kept pushing through life. Sasuke hated that mask and Naruto hated that Sasuke and Hinata could see through his mask.
Hinata was a touchy subject for both Naruto and Sasuke. She exposed them. She was the first to bring out Naruto's feelings for Sasuke and POKE at him about it. She was the one to tell Naruto that she was going to kill the people he loved and almost ripped Sasuke's heart out in front of him. At the time Naruto absolutely hated the ground she walked on and at the same time loved her to death.
He loved the old, new and whatever else Hinata.
He loved that she could be her around him and he could be him around her. Even when they 'hated' one another they were very much themselves and honest around one another.
Naruto could be the nice hyperactive Naruto and the…not so nice-dark Naruto that only her and Sasuke has seen.
So, it was no surprise to Sasuke that Naruto was going to express himself sooner or later with Hinata before he burst into flames from emotional turmoil. Those two months were a torture for him and Naruto. Along with that, Naruto and Sasuke were slowly finding out it was as painful for Hinata as well.
Which to Sasuke made it ten times worse.
Hinata turned and hugged Naruto, which he gladly returned. Her cheeks that used to be chubby and soft were hollow now, but he still enjoyed having her embrace him. After a few moments Naruto realized she had fallen asleep. He could imagine with the lack of sleep she had gotten while gone that her body was screaming for her to make up for lost sleep, food and whatever else she deprived herself from.
Which explained last night's behavior. Naruto thought back to how she initiated sex with Sasuke. How shocked Sasuke looked and how overall Hinata needed that night as much as him and Sasuke did.
Just the very thought of Hinata out in unknown territory reverting back to old cold-blooded habits. She had to resort to whatever skills she had to track the Akatsuki down and she had to resort to old habits to separate herself from reality and study them. All the way to the point that she was trapped in a disgusting swamp laying there seeming dead to the world. It made a dark feeling stir inside Naruto.
Pulling himself out of dark thoughts, Naruto also noticed that Sasuke was knocked out sleeping as well. His head that was resting on the edge of the springs had tilted to the side a little and his bangs were resting on his face. He was breathing deeply and sunk a bit further in the water showing he was in a deep sleep.
Naruto remembered how much Sasuke and Hinata enjoyed the heat, no wonder they fell asleep fast.
Sasuke was a night person so him getting up early in the morning was purely him wanting to spend time with Naruto and Hinata.
Sasuke would never voice that though.
The next two weeks went by faster than what Naruto had expected. A lot of training, intel exchange, and planning went on. A lot to force in one's head in a two week time frame.
Especially for Naruto. The plan unfortunately was built around Naruto's family background to be successful. It was really all Itachi and Kakashi could think about that would hold Obito steady for a long period of time. It was no way they could estimate how well Obito's Sharingan was to Itachi's or Sasuke's. Obito had the Rinnegan now, he was a force to be reckon with and the best way to deal with him was to seal off his chakra.
Not too many families out there that were known for the strong seals.
Tsunade, Kakashi, Jiraiya's old notes, any and every one that knew something about the Uzumaki and Namikaze pitched in to find the best sealing tactic that Naruto could learn in a short amount of time that was still powerful enough to seal Obito.
Naruto was stressed to say the least. He was stressed and terrified that he was going to get everyone killed because now was not the time to screw up around the Akatsuki. Naruto took training to a highly serious level and all but secluded himself from everyone as he trained. The only time he would be around people during those two weeks was if he needed help with the seals or to sleep in the room he shared with Sasuke and Hinata.
Like Hinata said her weight improved just as fast as she lost it. She was still incredibly thin and was probably 115 if she was soaking wet. Still she got her glow back and could train up to par again. She did a lot of studying on the notes she had taken while on her mission and Kakashi would make comments on who he didn't know was more serious, Hinata, Sasuke or Naruto.
Itachi and Sasuke busied themselves with studying more of Obito. Itachi told Sasuke it was important to know why Obito chose this path and Sasuke would argue that it didn't matter. He was a dead man now. The only thing that mattered was how to go about taking the overpowering man down. Itachi was a family man, he didn't like the fact there was a family member still living and Sasuke wanted nothing more than to eliminate Obito from this world.
Sasuke liked to point out that Obito didn't give two shits about the Uchiha clan, Itachi or him. Whatever reason Obito did what he was doing was all personal. He was going to use Sasuke to his advantage if Sasuke stayed with Obito. In Sasuke's eyes, Obito was nothing more than the enemy. He had a family in Konoha. Hinata, Naruto were apart of Konoha and that was where they were going to be a family. Obito wouldn't get in the way of that. So Sasuke would train as hard as possible to be ready for battle against his estranged family member.
In reality they were all busy. No one from back home knew of this mission. No one from other villages and nations knew about this mission. Everything was under wraps and it was important to successfully complete this mission. Everything was at stake.
The only time Naruto, Sasuke and Hinata had time for one another was at night time. It annoyed Naruto to the extreme because he was not a night owl at all. Sasuke and Hinata flourished and he was sometimes on the cranky, stressed side.
Still, that was the time they had to connect with one another and Hinata made up for it by riding him until he went insane. Naruto would often think to himself that 14 days hardly made up for over 60 days.
Especially when after those two weeks their lives were at stake.
After their two weeks of prepping and training the plan was to send Itachi and Hinata out scouting first. To pinpoint where every remaining member of Akatsuki was. The two older siblings proved to be stealthier than the others and would be able to maneuver around Zetsu.
The abilities to remain platonic and silent were a skill that almost all ninja's carried, but it was a skill that these two almost mastered. That and it was good to have a senior like Kakashi in the rear with the original team seven. They were the muscle after all and were the ones needed heavily in the final moments to take down Akatsuki.
They followed Hinata's theory that since Zetsu discovered her and knew that she knew it's time pattern that it would switch it up. Hinata was delighted to see that she was right.
The duo stopped just at barely at a ten mile distance when they both sensed Zetsu's presence. Hinata was able to located Zetsu and was able to inform that it was simply scouting the area.
While Itachi could not see Zetsu. Hinata saw it perfectly well with her advanced eyes. How Zetsu walked. How Zetsu always mumbled gibberish and talked to itself.
The lack of it's heart.
Hinata's eyes widened for a moment when she caught something different. Itachi noticed the very slight difference on Hinata's face and how she flinched slightly. He looked at her as anger took over her features and she almost growled.
"You should go back Itachi-san."
This let him know everything was not okay. They might be compromised already. Which let him know that Zetsu was waiting for this moment all along. Zetsu wanted Hinata to find it, it was fishing her out specifically.
"What do you see? If we have to fight Zetsu, then that is what will happen."
Hinata gripped the bark from the tree they were secured in, "If you stay to fight that will raise alarm to the remaining Akatsuki. The others will never know that we're in danger in enough time."
Itachi frowned at her not answering him, "If I leave, there is a high potential you will be out numbered. I am not worried in the slightest that Zetsu can be taken down easily. What is Zetsu even saying?"
Hinata didn't say anything for a moment, too busy deep in thought. Running scenarios in her mind. Right now would be an amazing time to be a Nara. "I got you."
Itachi gave her a confused face, "What?"
Hinata pulled out her kunai and looked to be ready to move, "I got you. I got you. You're all going to die. That's what Zetsu is mumbling right now…Zetsu knows that we're out here. It doesn't know where though. If we both leave we'll lose Zetsu's track and it'll notify Obito. If either of us make a shadow clone to leave here Zetsu will pinpoint us for sure and follow us. If I stay I can make sure Zetsu doesn't run off to inform the other Akatsuki members."
Hinata finally looked at Itachi, "The purpose of this mission is the element of surprise to avoid a war and innocent people dying. We cannot miss this opportunity. A lot of lives could be saved Itachi-san. If you stay and fight I know you will be victorious, but you risk alerting the other Akatsuki members. Kabuto could start the reincarnation sooner and things could spiral downhill from there."
Itachi frown at this. She thought so fucking negative.
While Itachi was sure the team would understand. He was positive they wouldn't be happy about him leaving Hinata behind. Especially Naruto and Sasuke. His brother would hate him all over again. She did make valid points though. Zetsu was trying to fish them out.
What the hell is that thing? How was Zetsu able to figure them out immediately?
"It won't take me long to get back to the others. Hang tight for an hour. That's all I'm requesting. Me and Naruto need to switch places so we can execute the plan in its original format as best as possible. Hang tight and don't do anything stupid unless Zetsu attacks you. Got it?"
Hinata stood down slightly and nodded her head, "Yes. I understand."
She made sure Itachi was a safe distance away before putting all her attention on Zetsu. It still stood in the same spot unmoving and she was sure Zetsu was trying to pinpoint where she was. She practically made her body camouflage into the trees as a way to fade into nothing and buy herself more time for Naruto to get to her. She noted Zetsu even started to walk further in the direction she was in. Still talking to itself.
How did it know?
What WAS this thing?
"Hehehe! I'm going to find you Hinata, and I'm going to kill you!"