Role Reversal

Author's Note: I want to try out something a little different. In this story, the Uchiha Massacre never happened. Instead of Sasuke being the survivor, Hinata is. I wanted to explore how big a role circumstances play in a person's personality and a progressively darker Hinata. If any of that bothers you, you might want to turn back now. For those of you still here, I hope you enjoy this story and reviews are always appreciated.

Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no profit off of any of my stories.

Chapter 1

Sasuke remembered the day when his childhood abruptly came to an end. Children were innocent and didn't really understand the concept of death. Most couldn't imagine themselves dying or any of their loved one's dying. Their innocence had a way of bestowing a mirage of immortality upon their loved ones.

Sadly, that's all that it was. A mirage. An illusion that one day would be shattered by reality. The reality of what it meant to be a ninja. Death had a habit of embracing ninjas at far younger ages than it did civilians.

"Oh God! Oh God!" Sasuke heard a woman chant over and over again in horror.

Sasuke was only twelve, but he wasn't an idiot. Something horrible must have happened for someone to speak in that tone of voice. That terrified and aghast tone of voice.

Curious, he follows the way that woman had come from. The Hyuga Estate. That wasn't a surprise though. That woman was well known as being a friend to the Hyuga family.

"HELP! SOMEONE HELP!" Sasuke called out desperately, few minutes later.

The beautiful grounds of the Hyuga Estate where no longer green. They were red. Blood red and dozens of corpses littered the place.

Some had been granted the mercy of a quick death and others had obviously fought. Some bodies had been sliced up beyond recognition and others looked as though they might merely be sleeping.

"It's alright, Sasuke! Just stay calm." He heard a familiar voice say, behind him.

Sasuke turned around and breathed a sigh of relief. It was his brother. Itachi. Surely, Itachi would know what to do.

"I'm going to check for survivors! Itachi, maybe some of these people aren't dead. A few don't have any marks on them." Sasuke told him.

He hated how his voice came out. It sounded as though he was pleading with Itachi to tell him that was indeed the case. Itachi could do anything in his mind though. Well almost anything.

Itachi Uchiha was the Pride of their Clan. He was the heir. He was an exceptionally skilled ninja who had been a Jonin for years and he was only seventeen. (Little did Sasuke know at the time, but he was also an ANBU Captain). Despite all that, there was one thing that even he couldn't do. Itachi couldn't bring back the dead.

"I will check, Sasuke." He assured him.

They both knew that Itachi wasn't going to find a survivor in that pile of corpses, but his older brother would check to soothe him anyway. That and he had to confirm their deaths for the Leaf's records. Their bodies would have to be properly buried, if nothing else. The village couldn't afford too let that many Byakugans fall into the wrong hands.

With that thought in mind, the young boy raced inside the house. He heard the sounds of incoherent sobbing and rushed towards them. If he had been older, he would have been more cautious. Right now though, he just wanted to help any survivors of the Hyuga Massacre.

"Hinata?" Sasuke called out softly, when he came across a girl hyperventilating and sobbing.

Sasuke tried calling out to her three times. It didn't work. She was there and yet not. That scared him more anything. More than the dead bodies. More than the fact that the killer or killers might still be nearby. It was terrifying.

He winced and knocked her unconscious. It was a mercy, really. If she kept thrashing around like that, she might hurt herself or others. Clearly, the girl needed medical help and he was going to get it for her.

"Don't worry, Hinata. It's going to be okay." He said as he Flickered out of the grand estate.

"Sasuke! Who do you have in your arms?" Itachi called out as more and more ninjas were arriving on the scene.

Most of them belonged to the Military Police Force. Any other time, Sasuke would have laughed at the sight of so many Uchihas on Hyuga Land. Not today though. Today, had to get his friend help.

"It's Hinata! She needs a medic!" Sasuke shouted at him in a panic.

"It's alright. It's alright. I got her, son. I'll take the girl to the hospital." Fugaku said as he walked over to Sasuke and scooped up Hinata in his arms.

"I'm coming with you. I can't leave her alone, after all this." Sasuke whispered and Fugaku merely nodded as they took off for the hospital.

That had been years ago. Sasuke was now sixteen, but that day was forever burned into his memory. It was like a brand as potent as any Curse Seal that the Hyuga Clan had once used on their Branch Members.

"Sasuke, don't torture yourself. I know what you're thinking about and it won't do you any good. There's still a little bit of time left. There's a chance that she might be found before it's too late." Itachi tells him.

"I know. I can't help it though. I was the one who found her. I should have realized what was going on." He mutters.

That's when Sasuke feels Itachi poke his forehead and he grumbles. Damn Itachi. This really wasn't the time for the odd, but affectionate gesture.

"How were you supposed to know? You may have been the one to find her, but you weren't on her team. Your access to her was rather limited at best. The two of you and Naruto were close as children, but you were assigned to different Genin Squads. It's only natural that you weren't be around her as much to observe her behavior. You wouldn't have had a chance to see the warning signs. Don't blame yourself, my foolish little brother." He says.

"Wait. You aren't seriously blaming Team Eight for this, are you?!" Sasuke demands in outrage.

"No. I'm not. I know how heartbroken they were by her leaving the Leaf. I know that they tried to stop her. Sasuke, what would you have done, if you had been in her position?" Itachi whispers softly.

Sasuke sighs as he ponders that question. As much as he hated to admit it, he would have gone with Orochimaru too. He would have done anything to avenge his family, but that didn't mean that he was going to let that snake lay his filthy hands on her.

"You're right. I understand why she left, but we still have to find her. Time is running out." He whispers.

Meanwhile Hinata was training to use a new weapon. A whip. It had the advantage of being out of Neji's reach. It would be a useful one.

Unfortunately, learning to use a new weapon meant fighting with someone else who could use it. In this case, that meant Orochimaru and he wasn't holding back.

"AHHH!" She hisses in pain as the lash bites into the skin of her arm.

Damn it. She should have dodged that. Orochimaru had drawn blood. That meant the fight was over. He didn't want to do any permanent damage to his next vessel, if he could help it.

' "You did wonderfully. It's hard to believe that was your first time." The Sannin coos at her.

"Again. I need more practice." She says determinedly.

She didn't care how much it hurt. Hinata needed to get stronger. She needed to get stronger as soon as possible. The Hyuga Heiress couldn't afford to waste anymore time.

Neji had slaughtered their entire family. He'd kill again. She was the one who had to stop him. It was only fitting really.

"Hinata, do you really want to scar that pretty little skin of yours? That's enough training for today. Besides, I don't want you to become seriously injured. You'll be of no use to me, if that happens." Orochimaru says casually.

His tone might be casual, but the implication wasn't. Hinata knew what happened to people who were no longer useful to Orochimaru. Very bad things. Unspeakable things that still haunted her dreams every night.

There were days when the images of her family's bodies and Orochimaru's victims mixed together. Indistinguishable from one to the next. Well save for the eyes. Her family's lavender orbs always stuck out.

"I don't care what happens to my skin. I need to kill him. Every minute that we waste is another minute that he's out there. Another minute that he's growing stronger." She seethes at him.

Hinata hadn't know what hatred felt like before that day. She hadn't known what it tasted like. It was an all consuming feeling. It burned like acid and spread like poison.

There was only one cure. Neji's death. Justice. Justice for her fallen Clan. She'd deal with the consequences later.

"Don't worry. I made you a promise and I intend to keep it. Well as long as you keep your end of the deal. The time is running out. I will need your body soon. That means that your training is about to intensify. I do hope that you aren't going to get any foolish ideas about backing out of your part of the deal, once you have what you want." He coos at her as he caresses her cheek.

Hinata snaps. His touch made her feel dirty. It was one thing to live in the Sound and to be his student, it was another to have him touch her outside of training.

That was something that she couldn't allow. She reacted on instinct. The Hyuga woman grabs him by the hand and slams him over her shoulder. She slams him hard into the ground.

"My, my. Such a feisty princess today. Though the rabbit should really know better than to challenge the snake." He says as he flickers and soon reappears behind her.

Orochimaru throws a blow to the back of her head. Hinata goes flying several feet back and crumples onto the ground. She winces as she gingerly touches the back of her head, only to find that her hand was now coated with blood.

Orochimaru might not want to mar her "pretty little skin," but apparently the back of her head was not to be given such consideration. That just made her hate him more. The only person she loathed more than Orochimaru at this point was Neji.

"You don't get to touch me. Not like that. I agreed to be your vessel. That's all." She insists as she stubbornly rises to her feet.

Orochimaru hadn't really made any secret of the fact that he desired her in more ways than one. She might have left the Leaf an innocent girl, but she wasn't anymore. The way his eyes followed her was disturbing for more than just one reason.

"That's true. It is a shame. You really should at least let Kabuto take your eggs beforehand. At this point, I can't possibly allow you to carry a pregnancy to term. That's really the only other way your Clan will survive. Well unless Neji has sired some children without our knowledge." He muses.

"Never! I'd rather die! I'm not going to leave the fate of my children in your hands and his." She snarls at him.

Before that tragic day, she had been a shy and innocent girl. Hinata had even stuttered and always tried to make everyone happy. That innocence had been beaten out of her a long time ago now though.

Her innocence and her fears. Gone was her stutter, replaced by a snarl. That was the only way to protect yourself in the Sound really. Behaving like an animal.

"Very well. It's such a shame though." Orochimaru says with a sigh.

Some behaved like rabid animals. Some behaved like cornered animals. Others behaved like scared animals. It didn't matter what kind though. No one accepted like a normal person here. Herself included.

Hinata couldn't wait to see the light leave from Neji's eyes. Once that happened, she could leave the Sound. The Leaf might or might not be a possibility by the time she was done, but she wasn't going to come back to the Sound Village. That much she knew.

"Better my Clan die out than be at the mercy of the likes of you." She hisses.

"You are rather vicious today. Are you upset that your little friends almost found you last month? It's touching that they haven't given up looking yet. Well at least not all of them. It was your former teammates, I believe. Yes?" He inquires sweetly and Hinata winces as she remembers that encounter.

"Follow the trail, Akamaru!" Kiba's voice called out.

Hinata swore rather colorfully under her breath. It was yet another bad habit that she had picked up in the Sound Village. Foul language. Hyugas weren't supposed to curse, but she did anyway.

"Hinata!" Kurenai beckoned her desperately.

That tore at Hinata's heart. She loved her former teammates, but she couldn't go back to the Leaf. Not yet. Not until he was dead!

"GO AWAY! I can't go back! Don't make me hurt you!" Hinata said as she stumbled over a rock.

She fell over, but quickly got back up. That was just long enough for her team to catch up though. Hinata was forced to fight them.

Akamaru's fangs and claws. Kiba's brute strength and stamina. Shino's cunning and insects. Kurenai's Genjutsus. They all fell before her as she locked up their chakra points.

It wasn't an easy battle. By the end of it, she was covered in scratches, insect bites, bruises, and the scars of the Genjutsus that Kurenai had thrown at her. Her saving grace was the fact that none of them had been aiming to kill her.

That night, Hinata returned to the Sound and cried herself to sleep. That was a turning point for her. She learned that if she really wanted to avenge her family, she was going to have to bury her emotions. At least for a little while.

"That's none of your business!" Hinata says as she attacks him with her own whip and training resumes, despite Orochimaru's protests.

A few days later, Team Seven heads off on an Escort Mission. It was a B Ranked Mission. Certainly, it was potentially dangerous. Though they all knew the truth. There was no need to send out all of them on this mission.

It was an insult to their abilities really. Any one of them could have performed this one on their own. Sasuke thought as much, but it was Naruto who made his protests known as they headed off.

"I can't believe they sent us all out on an Escort Mission. That's so overkill." Naruto grumbles.

"Excuse me. You do realize that I can hear every word that you're saying, right?" The Noblewoman asks.

She was a typical noblewoman, Sasuke supposed. Beautiful long blonde hair and chocolate brown eyes. Her pale blue kimono was made of the finest silk and suited her willowy frame well.

There was no doubt why she was being escorted to another village. The woman was likely trying to land a husband. Most likely a prospective match had already been arranged and they were meeting for the first time.

"Oh! Right! Sorry. It's just a bit frustrating, you know?" Naruto asks sheepishly.

"No. I quite prefer to have four skilled guards instead of one." She retorts huffily.

"Our apologies, Lady Kiara. Rest assured that we will get you to your intended destination, safe and sound." Kakashi says smoothly.

At the moment, Sasuke was glad that Kakashi was their Sensei. The man could be very charming when he wanted to be. He wasn't really sure how much patience for the Kiaras of the world, he really possessed. Pampered Nobles were so annoying.

"Naruto, don't be an idiot. There's a reason why Tsunade is making sure every squad that goes out of the village is armed to the teeth." Sasuke whispers to him a few minutes later.

"You don't really think that we are going to run into any Sound Ninjas, do you?" Naruto whispers back as Lady Kiara walks up front with Kakashi and Sakura.

"It's a possibility. Orochimaru is going to need a new body soon. He'll want to make sure nothing interferes with the transfer. That includes Leaf Ninjas. It's possible that he'll assign some of his villagers to attack any Leaf Ninjas that they see on sight. He'll want to distract us and stall for as much time as he can get." The raven haired ninja reasons.

Sasuke sees Naruto pause as the blonde considers his words. His teammate obviously saw the truth in them because he nods a few seconds later. He nods rather determinedly.

"We're going to get her back. Don't worry. We'll be watching her pick wildflowers by the river again, really soon!" Naruto promsies him with a sunny smile.

Sasuke returns it with a small one of his own. His Clan, Hinata's family, and the rest of the village hadn't approved of their friendship in the slightest. Naruto was the Jinchuuriki. He was the son of the Head Family of the Uchiha Clan and Hinata was the Hyuga Heiress. Those three children should never mix with each other, but they had.

Well most of the time, Hinata had kept him and Naruto from killing each other more than anything else. Still she had loved those wildflowers. They suited her. Sweet and unassuming.

"Yeah. You're right." Sasuke agrees, hoping that would indeed prove to be the case.

They continue on with their journey. Sasuke decides to go on up ahead to find a place to make camp. That's when he heard the sound of running water and goes to investigate.

Warning Waterfall Scene

Sasuke was right about the water. He stumbles upon a waterfall, but he wasn't the only one who had done so. A woman was there.

She had his back towards him and was clearly bathing. A slender back with creamy skin and midnight blue tresses. His view was somewhat obscured by her position, but she was obviously a rather curvaceous woman.

"Damn it." He mutters under his breath.

The last thing that he wanted to do was to get caught staring at a woman while she was bathing. It wasn't like he had been intentionally spying on her. He had just stumbled on her!

"It's not very nice to stare at a woman like that." He hears a soft voice say as a kunai goes whizzing past his ear.

"I didn't mean to stare! It's just that I wasn't expecting to see anyone else here." He defends himself as he jumps back.

A kunai. That meant that this Siren was definitely a ninja. Wait. Midnight blue hair and a kunai. He couldn't see her face yet, but things were starting to fall into place. Could this really be Hinata?

Before he could really ponder his new theory for long, he feels himself get slammed to the ground. His chakra points had just gotten locked up. That definitely wasn't good, but it did answer his question. She was definitely Hinata.

"Sasuke?" She asks in surprise, after pinning him to the ground.

"Yeah. It's me. You got well…bigger." Sasuke says.

Everything had gotten bigger. Particularly areas of the body that he knew that he definitely shouldn't be looking at. She was an enemy ninja. He really should know better than to be so easily distracted.

"So did you. If you're here, I doubt that you're alone. Who else is with you?" She demands, holding another kunai by his throat.

"Doesn't matter. Get dressed. You're coming with me. We're going home." He says.

He sees Hinata pause. She was clearly thinking about it. What happened next, shocked him.

"Alright. I'll think about it. After I get dressed though." She mumbles shyly and blushes.

"That's…fair." Sasuke says as she gets off of him and then he politely turns his back towards her.

He'd already gotten more than an eyeful, but really it was the principle of the thing. He didn't want Hinata to think that he was some Jirayia Knockoff. That would just be humiliating.

End of Waterfall Scene

That hadn't been the wisest move that he'd ever made. He could feel the second that she decided to attack him. The woman was going to attack him while his back was turned.

In his defense, Hinata was Hinata. He should have known better, but he was so used to seeing her as shy and quiet girl. A girl who wouldn't hurt a fly. That was probably why he had trusted her so easily. Maybe, Itachi was right. Maybe he really was his foolish little brother.

"Alright. I guess you want to do this the hard way. That's fine by me." Sasuke says and as her hand goes to lock up his chakra points, he grabs it and sends her flying.

Hinata smashes into a tree. Sasuke winces at the sickening cracking of the mighty pine tree that was heard, but he knew that Hinata would be alright. She was a ninja. She'd certainly survived worst than that in the past and with any luck, would continue to do so.

"Owe." The bluenette grunts as she stumbles to her feet.

"I wouldn't have hit you, if you didn't try to attack me from behind. You've spent way too much time in the Sound Village. Their dishonorable tactics are starting to rub off on you. That doesn't matter now though. You can go home, Hinata. We'll find a way make Neji pay, together." He tells her.

Hinata bites her lower lip. She wanted to believe that and she knew that Sasuke was likely sincere in his declarations. Unfortunately, she couldn't do it.

She wasn't going to put him or anyone else in danger. If that meant that she had to hurt him to get him to back off, that's' what she'd do. Hinata couldn't afford to be weak. Not anymore.

"Would you still want me back in the Leaf Village, if you've known all the horrible things that I've done? I'm not the same girl that left your village anymore." She tells him.

"Hinata, we're ninjas. We aren't bakers. There's scarcely a ninja who ends their career without any blood on their hands. Whatever he made you do, whatever he did to you, doesn't matter." Sasuke tells her as he walks over to her and embraces her.

The bluenette sighs as she allows the comforting touch for a moment. Clearly, he wasn't trying to seduce her. That didn't mean that didn't feel nice though and the significance of the moment wasn't lost on her. This was the first time that a man had ever really held her like this before. (Well at least one who wasn't related to her.)

"It does matter. I'm sorry, Sasuke. I can't let anything stop me from killing him. He'll hurt other people, if I don't and I don't want anyone else to get hurt fighting him. This is my fight. Not yours. If I have to, I'll kill anyone who stands in my way. Don't make me do that." She whispers to him as she locks up his chakra points.

Sasuke was strong, fast, smart, and had incredible chakra reserves. None of that really mattered though. Not when his charka was locked up. He went down like anyone else.

"Hinata!" He groans out in pain.

"Stay down. Don't make me kill you. Your teammates will find you soon. Sakura will know how to unlock chakra." Hinata says as she leaves behind one very furious Uchiha.