A/N: I'm sure I told you, but I deviated from canon immensely (then again, this started in 2013, so...).

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XXXX

Chapter 20:

Obscurity

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"When she embraces

Your heart turns to stone

She comes at night when you're all alone

And when she whispers

Your blood shall run cold

You better hide before she finds you."

-Ice Queen by Within Temptation

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XXXX

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When she was little, Hinata discovered Danger came in all sizes and forms.

Though her Father had warned her that Danger was always near, Hinata never imagined how true those words were, or how soon they'd become her reality.

One had arrived when she was just three years old. With a deceptive smile and claims of peace between Kumo and Konoha, he'd made his way into the Leaf Village that welcomed him. He was Danger in the flesh, and swift to infiltrate the Hyuuga compound to rob the gift bestowed upon her by her ancestors.

Another one had approached persistently, ominous and undetectable by man, at the age of five. It'd invaded the Hyuuga House with a sickly mist and seized the beloved Matriarch of the clan of Byakugan wielders. With the mysterious illness spreading through her bloodstream, the Head's young wife was lost to the living within a few months, leaving her daughters and a grieving husband behind.

A third –but not last– was the one that sprouted from a seed of contempt.

Her cousin's warm eyes turned cold and murderous. Curiosity and friendliness promptly morphed into hatred and disgust, sentiments that would haunt her at night and steal the colors of the sky.

Living in a house in which her Elders looked down at her with secret agendas became the norm; it was impossible for her not to feel the distinct weariness of prey. With the protection her Father had one day given her replaced with icy contempt, Hinata met the dread and malice that lurked in the company of loneliness.

When she became a kunoichi, Hinata realized Danger didn't drift unaccompanied. She came to know that along with it, sensations of fear in all stages bloomed in the darkness of uncertainty. Kurenai-sensei, a master of ill-nature genjutsus, had taught her so.

Thus, it was understandable to say she understood Danger and its many implications, like agitation, like fear. She was familiarized with most of them. However, when the last drop of tranquilizer was evicted from her system and nonexistent eyes opened to black surroundings in a hospital room, Hinata became highly aware of just how threatening the fear Danger brought was.

It controlled.

Fear manipulated her every move, her very breath. Fear made a person weak; it annihilated from the inside, tearing everything apart, numbing the brain and the heart. With her ability to retaliate attacked, she was almost defenseless.

Fear...was a menacing thing to encounter.

Now, with her vitality gone and her lips stiff, all she could think in response to Shikamaru-kun's words was, "No."

How could the Captains assume putting her and that...that thing in the same room would be rational?

Distantly, she felt herself retreat both in mind and body, her pseudo eyes guarded with apprehension.

"Hinata-san..." Shikamaru, for his part, halted, biting down a sigh.

He'd known this wouldn't be easy on her. Yet, knowing hadn't eased delivering the displeasing news. He didn't think he could bear watching her in the eye as he, however indirectly, sentenced her to a fate none of them wished for. To make her stand face to face with one of those wraiths? Shikamaru was having a hard time accepting that.

The Uchiha remained quiet, yet his hold on her fingers tightened ever so subtly.

But the familiar trepidation that began its rapid musical hunt once again was untamed. It insisted in awakening memories she'd fought tooth and nail to forget, to misplace, to completely eradicate.

Sliding over her skin like some sort of slick matter, it demanded to be felt; it was ugly and twisted in its foreboding persistence.

"Hinata-san," the Nara started anew. He knew there was no way he could save her from any of this. The only thing he could do was prolong the situation, to give her a few days to get used to the idea. That was all he could risk with a madman in the loose. "...I'm sorry," and he was, "but these are our orders."

And just like that, a second shock settled on her shoulders suffocatingly, shaking the walls of her self-made barricade.

No.

She...she wasn't ready for an encounter with one of the assailants that sought her destruction. Despite battling this panic before and pushing the cruel memories in order to face her Nightmares with a brave front, she was still affected.

Terror –to her dismay and misfortune– could remember, and gods, did it remember well.

The soothing darkness that she'd finally encountered vanished its protective layer on her senses, leaving the armor she managed to acquire brittle with oppression. Painfully, she felt Misery and Horror sink their voracious teeth into ivory skin.

"We'll be leaving right away," Shikamaru was still talking, but she failed to discern his voice.

A rush of panic had taken over her ears.

"The rest of the main Team headed west. They'll set camp and await us. The backup Team must have reached them by now. The plan is for us to take several detours before we reach our destination."

No longer did his mouth form real words, no longer could she sense his chakra humming near her own. That had faded, replaced by harsh whispers and greedy hands on naked hips.

The voice lacked a face and a name, but not a mocking mouth with vile lips.

Recalling the features of her abuser had never been something she'd found entertaining, but she knew it was necessary. Tsunade-sama had told her as much.

The pain, anger, and grief lingered, but detailed facts were tossed away, hidden under piles of inferiority and disgrace.

This, though, wasn't the past where tiny blades controlled by a sick monster had inserted so much damage into her body. She was no longer staying in that cold and wet chamber where drink and food were absent and her blood-bathed body was tied to a lab table like a dissection in macabre display.

There were no bands around her ribs squeezing her lungs, no leather belts trapping her wrists and feet. There was no blade slowly cutting the inside of her thigh and no fingers carving her gifted eyes from their sockets.

All of those factors were no longer in her vicinity, and yet, she could sense them all. Hinata could almost swear they recoiled inside her flesh, twisting like worms seeking the surface.

The biting fear that shook her didn't take long to shift into something smoldering hot and overwhelming, chaotic in its purest form.

If Hinata were to give the revolting anger a flavor, it'd be elementally bitter.

Who would've thought hatred possessed a taste.

Uchiha Sasuke must have, for his features twisted when his eyes flickered to the suddenly somber Hyuuga. His perceptive gaze dimmed.

"...Get out."

Shikamaru was too startled to be offended. "What?" His stare could only be described as incredulous in response to the abrupt order.

Sasuke merely leveled him a long look, clear impatience and something else – something lethal – taking root in his stoic orbs. "I said, get out."

Against his will, an unpleasant chill ran down the Nara's back.

He couldn't avoid wishing Sasuke would put his mask back in place. Uchiha-bred features were unbelievably threatening. The fact that Sasuke held an uncanny resemblance to Uchiha Madara with his lengthening, unkempt hair wasn't exactly reassuring.

Ungodly clan-related appearances aside, he wanted to protest. Just what was the Uchiha thinking?

That plan only lasted a moment against Sasuke's silent resistance. That, and Hinata's white-knuckled grip concealed by Sasuke's bigger hand didn't escape his instant notice.

"Tch." Irritated, the strategic Jonin scowled but turned to leave. This was a quick reminder as to why he'd never liked Sasuke much, if at all.

Aside from his thorny personality, the Uchiha's unpredictability and mute insistence to work alone were elements that constantly spoiled the genius's plans.

Shikamaru was willing to cave this time, but only because of his comradeship with Hinata. He'd leave them alone for a few minutes. After that, all bets were off.

"Make it fast. We're behind as it is."

Not expecting an answer and not receiving any, he left as swiftly as he'd arrived, although prominently more sonorous. The echo of his footsteps was loud to her ears, like a hammer hitting steel.

XXX

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With the Nara gone, Sasuke closed his eyes for a moment before making his way to his belongings.

When Hinata managed to speak, she was the most unsettled by the calmness of her voice.

"It's quite an ugly feeling, isn't?"

Sasuke remained quiet, the task of returning all the items to his backpack an excuse to keep him occupied. Hinata, though, was accustomed to deal with the muted responses men emitted. Her unmoving Father was an excellent example of that. She was certain, then, that he was listening.

"It sets a crushing pressure...right...here," she placed a trembling hand above her bosom, tone soft but colored with an edge that made her sound surprisingly dangerous. She swallowed with difficulty, fighting the immense obstacle stuck in her windpipe. "It's such an ugly feeling," she said again.

Sasuke stared straight down, sight unfocused. He wondered if she knew he had let that same ugliness dwell and grow within him from an early age.

Probably, since not once had he been discreet about it.

Securing twin straps on either side of his lean waist, he picked his coat from the rocky ground.

"Come here."

She did so mechanically and without hesitation, for she knew exactly where he stood; his chakra, although subdued, was an unresisting hum that was quick to find.

When she was within a foot of distance, he slid the oversized jacket over her small shoulders for a second time that day.

Hinata blinked slowly. "Uchiha-kun?" she questioned uncertainly. "Isn't this yours?"

"You need it more than I do," he pointed out with a disdainful glance at her ripped shirt. "I'm not exactly giving you a choice either. Just accept it and give thanks."

Still reluctant but resigned, she relinquished.

"Raise your chin." Not taking his eyes off her, he pulled on the zipper until it reached the bottom of her nose.

Folding the collar so her mouth was visible, he regarded her fondly before continuing. She just looked so unbelievably small. To care this deeply for someone...was a strange experience.

"Do you still feel pressure on your chest?" His thumb grazed the side of her neck in a whisper of a motion. He felt the slight throb of her pulse, a hypnotic vibration dancing under a thin layer of porcelain skin.

She nodded slowly, leaning on the warm brush of his touch.

"Is it burning?"

Now she looked somewhat taken off guard.

Sasuke couldn't help but feel grim amusement. "Do you know what that is? What it means?"

"...It feels like...like anger, resentment, just stronger." She clutched her throat, her frown pained.

"Silly Hinata," he said quietly. "That feeling you're beginning to carry is hatred."

A long pause engulfed them both.

"H-hatred?" she eventually repeated, hushed.

"Aa." His tone couldn't be more casual. "You've felt it, haven't you? Just lurking around in the depths of your mind, getting stronger by the day."

Her next silence consisted of soft pants that became agitated the longer she thought.

In an unconscious gesture, her fingers buried themselves in the thick fabric that smelled just like him.

"This hatred of yours is justified, I don't think anyone but you understand just how much." His lips were a thin line, but Sasuke would finish what he'd started. "But, never forget that hatred tends to grow and evolve. It makes us destructive. It impulses us to break things and provoke chaos so that we can mirror the world that's dying inside."

Untangling her fists from the coat, he tugged on her gloves, slipping each of her thin fingers into their corresponding place.

"It makes breathing impossible; it hinders the ability to think. Sleep seems to flee in its presence. Don't let some daydreamers fool you into thinking that being like this is mysterious and interesting (1). They're far from genuine reality. There's nothing romantic or novel about it. This hatred is putrid and dark, and most of the time, endless. No one can save us from it. No one can pull us out unless we do it ourselves. It's a sensation that grows when we feed it, something that makes a monster out of us all."

He adjusted the sleeves a bit forcefully, and she let him do it without a complaint. Not for the first time did she wish to see the expression on his face as he spoke of things he had never verbalized before.

"You're right, Hinata; it's an ugly feeling. It's twisted, and as a result, we become just as deplorable, unable to care for others, unable to care for our own selves because the source of our hatred has our undivided attention."

His work done, he let go of her wrists, but Hinata's fingers hooked to his own, hanging by a fragile touch.

"What do I do with it?" she whispered thickly. "Tell me, you who knows of this, what must I do to stop it from growing?" Every day, it seemed to pulsate with growing intensity, stubborn in not letting her be, an embryo of distilled fury that sought blood, and discord, and above all else, dark retaliation.

His movements stopped.

Just when she was beginning to think he would leave it at that, he resumed.

"Would you believe me," he asked slowly with wry humor, "if I told you that not even I know the answer?"

She felt her lids close, remembering the last time he answered one of her questions in such a manner (2).

Sasuke, she thought, an unceasing pain that wouldn't – couldn't – be disregarded carved in her chest.

"Your situation differs from mine," he went on, suddenly wanting to remove the bandages that wrapped around her plastic eyes. He wanted to see her face without barriers, to bear witness to her pinched features. "But know this: it never goes away. If it doesn't drive us mad, it embitters us, content with at least swallowing a part of us it can't get anywhere else." His exhale was echoed with a shaky sigh of her own. "It stays, delighted in at least blending with the background." Like a dormant seed destined to one day grow and come into fruition.

Hinata heard his words and recognized them.

It'd always been obvious to her that despite the long years, Uchiha Sasuke still hated. Hearing him admit it, however indirectly, made her ache.

To think that his darkness was gone was laughable. To know that resentment and a pure, harvested enmity still remained – a perturbing power in his mind, a bloody entity in his life – hurt ardently.

"Even if you kill your enemy, grief remembers the things you've lost." Although that didn't mean he wasn't going to rip the monster that had inflicted so much pain in her life to shreds. "Are you still paying attention, Hinata?" Sometimes, it was difficult to tell with half of her face covered.

"I am." How could she not?

She remembered, she resented, and she loved. It was frightening, really, the intensity of one's feelings and how deeply they could breach the frontier between logic and unreasoning. Between sanity and madness.

Taking the last step, she circled her arms around his waist bravely, pressing her cheek to the firmness of his chest.

"Thank you."

Sasuke didn't return the hug. Instead, he placed his own re-gloved hand on top of her head. "I've no idea what you're saying," he denied, attempting to deliberately arrange the mess that was her midnight hair.

She chuckled faintly, savoring for the time being his addictive warmth. "Earlier, you didn't have to be so harsh with Shikamaru-kun, you know."

And just like that, he knew the doll would endure.

He rolled his eyes, following along. "I wasn't. Just trying to drive a point home."

"He could have stayed."

No, he couldn't. "I'm a private man," he said, finally giving up on the tangle that was her mane. He opted for tucking a few stray strands behind her ears.

"But it must be very cold outside," she insisted, slightly distracted by the caress of his hands.

He thought that she may have a point. As a matter of fact, he wholly acknowledged that she did, but really, did it look like he cared about the Nara?

Sasuke was certain he absolutely did not.

"It's cold here," he stated. "He's a Jonin. He'll live." The Nara had reached them just fine after all.

That warm chuckle again. "We should keep going."

"Yes."

But it was a while before she let go.

XXX

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Although the storm outside hadn't decreased in its roar, it was now blowing in the opposite direction.

"It's heading to the southeast," Shikamaru noted. Great. Using Sasuke's hawk summon would be close to futile now.

Seemed like he didn't have much of an option here.

"Hinata-san." Before saying anything else, though, he wanted to ask something.

The kunoichi, dressed in a coat that was most definitely not hers, turned to him. "ANBU-san, what is it?"

Shikamaru rubbed the tip of his now flattened and awkwardly-frozen ponytail, utterly ignoring the embarrassment he felt at being addressed in such a strange manner.

"Can you run?" It was because he acknowledged her strength that he dared to hope.

Hinata looked surprised by the inquiry. Nonetheless, she tapped the snow with her steel-toe boots and said, without a hint of doubt, "I can."

"Good." Shikamaru avoided looking at Sasuke for self-preservation.

He was still having a hard time imaging both of them together (Ino was going to lose it when she found out), but he didn't need his neurons to inform him that the Uchiha was sort of...protective.

He guessed Hinata had the eerie ability to arise that in even the unlikeliest scum the Earth had to offer.

If he thought about it from a broad perspective, it was kind of disturbing, to be honest.

"So this is what we'll do," Shikamaru said, raising his voice to be heard over the wind. "The storm will take care of erasing our prints, but I'm not taking any chances. I need you two to veil our chakra and make trails."

Her years of tracking were hard to ignore and Sasuke's exasperating habit of staying out of any radar remained formidable to this day.

With disgust, he wiped the snow that kept slapping him on the face to no avail. He'd removed his mask to tie a scarf over his mouth and he was starting to regret his decision.

"You know what to do, Hinata-san."

Behind the white gauze that accentuated her incapability of sight, both men could sense her determined gaze. "Leave it to us."

XXX

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"Do you think they'll be here soon?"

Yamato's dark eyes shifted from the report he was reading to the broad back of Uzumaki Naruto.

From that angle and donning that black uniform, the young shinobi managed to look older to his ANBU Captain. His blond hair, a little longer than its usual length, brushed the collar of his thermal turtleneck. With him looking like that, Yamato couldn't help but be reminded of the Yondaime Hokage.

"Tai-chou?"

"Ah, sorry. What was that?"

Naruto glanced over his shoulder and repeated his question.

"Oh. Well, I'm not entirely sure, but my estimate is that of two days."

"Two?"

"Yes, we're a little far from them. This winter storm wouldn't have caught up with us had we not engaged in battle."

Grim at the memories that emerged, Naruto became quiet, thoughtfully observing the healed tips of his fingers. With Kurama's chakra, the frostbite that inhibited him quickly disappeared, to his nose's fortune.

The others weren't as lucky as the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki.

Ino, who had helped care of those affected by frostbite, now slumbered in the next room, a result of her exhaustion. Hana's dogs were by the foot of her bed, a mass of massive fur cuddling close for warmth.

Naruto was just glad the backup Team had arrived at the end of the fight. For them to be exposed to so much danger would've been a disadvantage on the mission's manpower.

Thinking about the "trees" they had gone through made the Uzumaki shiver, the sensation of serpentine legs tickling his flesh. At first, it hadn't occurred to him that tundra-like climates lacked trees. It wasn't until he had crossed the so-called forest that he'd noticed that the branches he'd mistaken for wood were actual bones. Whether human or animal, Naruto hadn't stopped to find out. He hadn't had the time.

Nonetheless, now that thinking was in abundance, he couldn't stop the flash of images arriving uninvited. And the smell. Its horrid ghost still managed to upset his stomach.

Those bones...he wondered if the tribes he heard Sasuke talk of were responsible. Tribes and clans, after all, behaved differently due to their unique customs. Besides, the Shinobi Alliance didn't extend this far north, so he couldn't be sure.

It was a mystery.

A mystery he was more inclined to avoid, however, lay within the scroll Sai and Kiba's sister were guarding three mere doors down.

Large and tinted a menacing black, the scroll looked innocent enough for an inanimate object. What made it threatening at this point wasn't its prospective abilities of sealing, but what it currently retained within.

To think creatures like the one incarcerated right now existed. Knowing for sure that more like those were after Hinata made his flesh crawl.

Of the many indescribable things Naruto had seen in his lifespan, no word befit the wraith-like figures that had lured the Team into the unholy artificial forest.

Naruto then knew he wasn't getting any sleep that night. Not with that thing at such close proximity.

Hell, just debating whether the other three Shadows had been really annihilated by the Team's attacks made the hairs at the back of his neck stand on an end.

Somehow, Naruto's gut warned him against feeling too confident.

The female Captain also stressed the importance of being on guard at all times.

Speaking of the other Captain...

"Ne, tai-chou?"

"Hmm?" At this point, the older shinobi sat with his head thrown back, eyes closed. Fighting, healing himself (thanks to his kekkei genkai), and maintaining a house over their heads had to be taxing.

"Who's the Captain anyway? I know she's Shino's mum, but this is the first time I see her."

A single dark brown eye peered at him."She doesn't behave like the Aburame clansmen, does she?"

Naruto couldn't agree more. "Compared to Shino, she's...loud. Though both of them are scary as hell," he mumbled, unhappily.

Yamato laughed almost wryly. "Naruto, have you ever heard of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist?"

The blond's eyes were blown wide. Now his entire attention was upon his teacher. "Y-you can't be serious! Are you saying she's one of the Legendary Swordsmen?!"

"Yes," he replied way too nonchalantly, "and no."

"...Eh?"

Yamato's grin was pure evil at the prospect of withholding information. Naruto's bafflement only added to his merriment. "You'll have to ask her yourself. I doubt she'd want me telling her story."

"But–" Naruto vehemently began his protests.

"No buts."

The blond fell on his back, deflating into an angry pool of boiling goo. "Argh!" he ran his hands viciously through his hair, impatiently pulling at the roots.

What was up with people always keeping him out of the loop? Was it a conspiracy? Was he not trustworthy enough to be told things? Was that it? Curse his notoriously big mouth.

"Keep that up and you'll be bald by the time you reach thirty," was the airy comment.

Naruto pouted but let go of his hair. "You know how scary asking would be, right?" Asking her anything always gave him the sense he was nearing an imminent death.

Yamato's uneasy chuckle was sufficient to answer that question. You've seen nothing yet, Naruto. Nothing yet.

"There's no way she'll tell me, is there?"

"Does that mean you'll give up?"

"O-of course not!" Give up? Give up?! Him?

Naruto was biding his time, it's all.

Suddenly, the door opened.

And speak of the devil.

Naruto straightened when he saw who it was. "C-Captain!"

"We have a problem."

XXX

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This is a problem, thought Senju Tsunade for the nth time, a red fingernail between her teeth.

"...And the individual that caused this, originates from my village?"

Terumi Mei, the Yondaime Mizukage, looked on, green eyes fixed on the same scene Tsunade beheld.

A gravely injured Hyuuga Neji laid on his back, his body inked with medical seals. Located in the middle of a circle encased by a connecting square, the young male was almost bare, his once long hair now cut unevenly short. If not for the shivers that occasionally racked through his muscles, Tsunade would have thought him dead.

"Yes." Honey eyes reflected the light of medical ninjutsu provided by the four medics at each of the square's corners, her lips pulled in.

For a second time in his twenty-one years of life, Neji was hanging on by mere threads.

This...was bad. It complicated so many things. Her fists shook just thinking about the repercussions this entitled and how it'd affect the two Teams out of her village's walls.

She'd sent another team on the way, of course, but she couldn't help but feel she'd fall short somehow.

Mei observed her co-Kage from the corner of her eye, a frown marring the beauty of her features. For weeks, both of them had kept in contact through messages, discussing, theorizing, planning. When the Senju had told her of an obscure Kiri Clan being involved in the murder of Hyuuga men, and lastly, the kidnapping of the Clan's heir herself, she had been absolutely livid.

Considering that any kind of assassinations between Elemental Villages was punishable by law due to the breaking of the peace treaty, her anger was more than understandable.

How dare this Clan – as remote as it seemed to be – place the entire Water Country in line for war?

Her ire had turned to puzzlement and shock when she was told said Clan was not even supposed to exist. How, exactly, was she supposed to deal with something as baffling as that?

She had ended up putting one of her most loyal Elders in charge of her Village and come to the Leaf, searching an answer when it was obvious Kiri's libraries and history offered none.

As luck would have it, in the middle of her meeting with the Hokage, the news of an injured squad coming through the gates had arrived.

For it to be Hyuuga Neji's couldn't be a coincidence, Mei thought. This was to serve as proof of what was happening.

"I'll be looking more into it, but I promise nothing. As much as I'd like to help, the Kirigakure before I came to rule it not once enforced the keeping of records. It's shameful to admit it," she continued, "but it's what it is. The history we possessed was either stolen or destroyed in the last Civil War. Little remains."

Tsunade was well aware of that. "I appreciate your help. Whatever you find, no matter how insignificant, can make a difference."

"That's my line," Mei corrected firmly. "Had you not contacted me about this matter, I wouldn't have known anything was going on at all. The history of Kiri is a long and bloody one, and yet, no one ever thought of noting it down instead of passing it down orally." She tsked.

Once she returned to Kirigakure, she was going to make the Keepers work to their very marrow.

"I hope the records we had here help you in finding clues."

"Oh, I'll make sure that happens," the woman assured, pushing a thick lock of chestnut hair behind her shoulder, her thoughts on the documents received earlier that night. "I, for my part, hope the Byakugan Clan won't have to endure more meaningless deaths. He's the Hyuuga prodigy, isn't he?" she said, nodding with her chin at the young brunet.

"He is. His uncle, the Head of the Clan, will attempt to kill me when he finds out about this, I'm sure." There was no touch of humor as she said this, just a steady resignation.

"Oh?" Dramatic confrontations did always entertain Mei.

The royal arse is protective of his heirs, despite appearances.

"It's also my wish for the heiress to regain her sight," Mei voiced suddenly. "As the best medic in the Ninja World, I ask, if I may, that you do everything in your power to make sure that girl gets better."

Surprised, Tsunade looked away from the procedure for a moment. "Why is that?" Something told her it wasn't only good wishes the Yondaime was handing out.

Green gem-like eyes brightened considerably with bloodthirstiness. "Why, I hope Hinata-hime gets to butcher this lunatic bastard, of course. I may have yet to meet her, and she's blind, but," her smile was anything but sweet, "it's never a good idea to underestimate a kunoichi. Hell, after all, has no fury like a ninja woman wronged (3)."

XXX

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Watching Hinata run wasn't exactly a normal experience.

Sasuke thought he ought to be used to abnormal by now. Before, when he'd taken her out of the hospital for the first time, she'd ripped more than a few trees from their roots with a single air strike. To this day, that image still managed to surprise him. That was a technique she'd never used in his and the dobe's presence. As far as jutsus went, for her to prevail in taijutsu was completely understandable.

Such art in destructive ninjutsu was not.

To be able to mold and use her chakra with relative ease was as advantageous as it was deadly. Sometimes it was easy to forget she could kill with a well-placed brush of her fingertips.

Now, as they took cover from the nastiest blizzard of the day, Hinata knelt on the frozen terrain, her hands engulfed in a blue so bright it was almost white.

Emerging from her chakra were thin, electric-like threads, their hum of energy overtaken by the roar of winter's winds.

As a lightning element user, Sasuke wondered at the nature of her flow. Seeing such display gave him final proof to back up a theory.

"I designed this after Shino-kun," said Hinata, keenly aware of the weight of his inquiring gaze. Albeit stated softly, her words managed to reach his ears without a problem.

"Designed?" he repeated slowly, as if he hadn't been caught staring.

Shikamaru, once more against his better judgment, tuned into their conversation, curious at its content.

Witnessing Hinata control a conversation was rare. To see Sasuke's lips moving was a miracle itself.

"Mhm. One of his jutsus consists of chakra webs; they act as a snare and attract all kinds of insects to him. He keeps a collection," she explained, adding the last bit like some sort of an essential afterthought.

Sasuke's brows arched high, his mind painting an unsettling picture.

"Instead of webs, I mold my chakra into sets of strands that extend for a few kilometers."

"...Kilometers?"

Chakra residues could stretch that long?

"Kilometers," she was brisk to assure.

Hn. Impressive.

"What does it do?" He doubted she collected insects like her Aburame teammate. And if she did...he wouldn't know what to possibly say in response to that.

"It throws enemy ninja off by creating pseudo paths."

"...Each strand creates a diverging trial, doesn't it?" Hinata's lips quirked, signaling a confirmation. "That way, even if they realize they're going in the wrong direction, it won't be easy for them to find the right one."

"Something like that," she agreed vaguely, giving him the impression that there was more to it.

Sly doll.

"Shino-kun and Kiba-kun both helped me develop it." As gentle as her smile seemed, he detected a hint of intent curving at the corners. "Father and I perfected it months ago. It has yet to fail," she added, dusting the pads of her knees as she stood, the light of her technique finally fading away.

Although he knew of Aburame Shino and Inuzuka Kiba, he wondered what kind of team was Team 8 when those previously mentioned and Hinata were put together.

"Oi, Hinata."

"Yes, Uchiha-kun?"

"Tell me this; lightning. That's your chakra nature, isn't it?"

"It...is," she confirmed. She tilted her head to the side in question. "Fire and lightning, to be precise. Um, why do you ask?" She was a bit lost at the change of subject.

"...It's been on my mind lately, it's all. Makes my head hurt sometimes."

Shikamaru tried and failed to hide his shock. Makes his head hurt? Pondering about Hinata's chakra nature was giving the Uchiha migraines?

The Nara was having a pretty hard time capturing such an impossible scenario.

Hinata, to his complete surprise, wasn't encountering this particular problem.

Her form stiffened ever so slightly. "Oh," she breathed softly. "I see..."

Did she really? Shikamaru thought in disbelief, no pun intended. Because he wasn't seeing anything. At all. It was obvious he was missing something big, something those two had decided to keep between them.

"We could discuss how our chakras can be similar, if Uchiha-kun wishes," she proposed kindly.

Sasuke regarded her as if contemplating. It was pure pretend, but Shikamaru couldn't tell. Sasuke was a good actor even without trying. "That'd be helpful."

"Once we have a few minutes?"

The word 'alone' hung silently in the air. Shikamaru wasn't so oblivious as to not catch it.

"I'd appreciate that."

Appreciate? I'd be surprised if he knew the meaning of the word.

"We should continue," Shikamaru declared when he'd had enough.

"Hai."

"...Aa."

XXX

.

"You're tense."

Sai didn't bother to look up. "Shouldn't I be?" he asked sincerely, most of his attention on the immense scroll a few feet away.

Yamanaka Ino sat beside him and handed him one of the two cups of tea in her hands. "Here."

He took it cautiously, his slim fingers loose. "It's not poison, is it, beautiful?"

"Oh, stop it," she growled darkly, still somewhat upset at the true meaning behind the 'nickname'. "Don't make me regret not adding some real toxins in there."

"I thank you for the honesty," he bowed his head.

"I wish I could say the same thing," she retorted, finding the gesture mocking.

Sai's lips formed one of his unnerving smiles. "Are you complimenting me?"

"In your dreams!"

This is what I get for volunteering myself for watch duty, she thought furiously. This guy always had a knack of pissing her off on a good day.

Sai glanced down at the steaming drink in his hand and gave her a nod nonetheless. "Thank you."

Half of her wanted to say, 'I said that wasn't a compliment!' before she realized he was sincere and had taken the first sip. Goodness, this boy.

"Hmph." She tossed her nose high in the air. "You're welcome."

With that out of the way, her sky-colored eyes fell on the object she avoided looking at since her arrival. She made a face, unhappy at being one of the sensor ninja in the Team.

Why did it have to feel so damn dangerous when it wasn't chakra she was facing? It gave her the creeps. Oh, why, why, why had she felt compelled to give Hana-san a break? She was aware the Inuzuka was tiring, but that scroll was just too unsettling. It was beyond her understanding how Sai could just sit there, handling the feat like it was a walk in the park.

She couldn't resist stealing a quick look at him, whose only give-away was the slight rigidness in his shoulders. The fact that he hadn't denied not being tense was also kind of comforting.

"Ne, Sai."

"Mm."

"Did you ever think things like these existed?" she asked, morbidly curious.

"...Not at all."

"...When Tsunade-shishou and Shizune-senpai told me about these Shadows not having chakra, I almost doubted them," she confessed quietly. "I thought they wouldn't feel like anything to a sensor ninja like me, but I was wrong." So very wrong. "Their presence is worse than killer intent."

Sai took another small sip, the lemon flavor of the hot beverage dancing on his tongue. "I've never encountered anything like them," was his input.

"No kidding," she snorted. "They were quite the unpleasant surprise. Has the, you know, scroll moved or done anything weird?"

"You mean if there's been activity?" Sai supplied. She nodded. "No."

Ino let out the air in her lungs. "Huh. That's good, though, right?"

Sai, however, seemed thoughtful. "Depends."

"...Now you're pulling my hair." What do you mean 'depends'?

He blinked. "I've done no such thing."

For crying out loud. "That's an expression, you fool. Forget it. Just tell me what 'depends' means in this situation."

Sai shrugged coolly. "Exactly that. Having no activity either means the seals are working and the Shadow is still within, or the complete opposite; the seals have utterly failed and our prisoner is gone."

A vicious shiver raced down her back. Oh, please let it be the smaller of the two evils, she thought with a hint of despair. Her hold on her cup tightened excessively.

"Oh," he voiced suddenly, his eyes growing big. "So it was the latter, after all," he said rather calmly.

Wait-

"It's moving."

She raised her head sharply. "W-what?"

And true enough, it was. Starting slowly, the scroll trembled before falling and rolling to the side.

Ino jumped, quickly backing away. Sai followed, a notch slower. He was still unruffled.

"I think you jinxed it, beautiful."

This jerk.

If not because dread was beginning to accumulate in the pit of her stomach, she would have flipped him off. As it was, her fear only seemed to amplify the bizarre movement.

Like pulling an attached string, the scrolled slammed against the nearest wall.

Ino almost let out a startled yelp.

What the-!

It continued to jerk, almost angrily, the loud smack of thick parchment against wood drowning the room with an uncontrollable beat. The pulse of raw energy knocked on her senses like a physical force rupturing through a membrane. Its intent, albeit soundless, was clear; it craved to devour her and swallow her whole. Its aura suffocated her; it was truly something she'd never experienced.

Ino gritted her teeth at the ferocity. Despite the lack of chakra emitted, her entire skin was ready to peel itself off her bones. "W-what do we do?"

But Sai was silent, his endless black orbs glued to the erratic motions. Thrashing back and forth, the scroll appeared possessed by an invisible being.

With no other option but to wait it out, Ino braced herself for an attack that never came. As suddenly as it began, the scroll lost all its spirit, hitting the floor with a loud and dull thud.

"What...in..hell was that," she gasped when she regained her bearings.

"Hmm," Sai placed a gloved finger on his chin. "That's a first."

You don't say.

The door opened. Standing in the threshold was a disheveled blond Jinchuuriki.

"Hey guys, Hinata and the others, they –" He paused. "Ino, you okay?" The girl had lost all color and her stance, as if ready to head to battle, was shaking.

She looked at him, both glad for his arrival and a bit lost. "Naruto...didn't you...didn't you just hear the slamming?"

Now there were two confused blonds. "What slamming?"

"T-the scroll!" she pointed at it. "Out of the blue, it just started moving and hitting the wall. Isn't that why you came?"

"Uh, no." His blue eyes were large with alarm. "Tai-chou woke me up to tell me Hinata and the guys were on their way from the surface. I-I thought you'd like to see her, so I came to...to pick you up so by the time she got down here, we'd be there. But I guess..." he trailed off for a moment, blinking. "I guess you guys had something else going on too."

"So you didn't hear...anything?"

He shook his head.

Ino and Sai shared a look, hers bewildered, his calculating.

"Naruto, you said Hinata was on the surface, right?"

"...Yeah."

Slowly, she turned to the scroll.

It sat on the corner, still pretending to be innocent.

Ino wasn't convinced. She wondered, really wondered, if its reaction to Hinata's proximity meant their host wasn't as imprisoned as they'd wanted to believe.

When Naruto led the way down the hallway, Ino followed, her lips pursed, her eyes cold.

XXX

.

"This should be it."

Hinata and Sasuke halted, their breaths a white cloud of air lost in the equally pale and vast surroundings.

"There's nothing here," Sasuke noted, eyes scanning the plain clearing. Aside from frozen ground, the landscape laid bare except for a few feet of fallen flakes. "Are they underground again?"

"Most likely," Shikamaru mused, his mood improving now that they had reached their destination after almost three days.

Curse the Land of Iron and curse the Team for being almost at its North-Western border.

"I think...someone is coming up," Hinata suddenly mentioned in a quiet murmur.

Shikamaru and Sasuke looked down at the undisturbed snow. Hinata mutely pointed to their right, still facing forward.

"Though you took longer than I thought, I'm glad you finally made it," a female voice they'd come to recently distinguished spoke from the targeted spot. A head of white-blond hair rose from the ground, the frozen crystals giving way to a human being. Brown eyes regarded the group of three with sharp focus behind a bunny mask. "An in one piece, too. Good."

"Captain."

She nodded in greeting. "Follow me."

XXX

.

Stepping into a room warmer than the last made Hinata deeply aware of just how cold the journey had been.

Her nose tingled, fighting to dissipate the stubborn cold. Her cheeks hurt, the blood in them burning abnormally hot. Overall, her entire body felt the contrast in temperature and was not happy at encountering the drastic change.

She couldn't deny, however, how glad she was at the opportunity to step out of the winter snow. That gratitude died quickly when she recalled what else currently resided within the subterranean house.

"Take a seat," Mitsuki said as she turned to face them. "Yamato-taichou and I have some things to discuss with you all."

Said male Captain was already there, looking at the trio as they took random seats, their expressions flat. "I see you've made it. That's good."

Shikamaru accentuated. "Sorry for being late. The weather was...troublesome," he grimaced, his mask resting on his lap. Both of his hands massaged his cheeks in an effort to return sensation to his face.

Yamato was sympathetic. "The fact that it's winter and we're at the North hardly works in our favor," he responded, dismissing the apology.

"The initial plan was for us to move South, actually." Mitsuki's input made several gazes fall on her.

"It was?" Shikamaru undid what was left of his ponytail. At this point, he was starting to think his hair would freeze and break before the week was over. "If being here during winter causes a disadvantage, why move North?"

Sasuke didn't voice it, but he wondered as well.

Yamato and Mitsuki shared a look.

Sasuke had had enough of this ridiculous secrecy. "Withhold information at your own peril," he said darkly. "I have no problem extracting it from either of you through any means necessary."

He, an individual with a scarce sense of humor, was very serious. His eyes promised a new definition for the word 'drastic', his tone a degree of finality that was unsettling.

Shikamaru for once was in agreement and happy to not be at the receiving end of his glare. Gods, the Uchiha could glare.

Everyone in the room, sans Sasuke, jolted when the female Captain committed the unthinkable, and laughed.

Shikamaru couldn't help but stare in slight disbelief. Yamato's sigh tasted of exasperation mingled with a touch of resignation. Hinata simply wished to witness the scene with her own eyes to see what was so hilarious.

"Oh," Mitsuki chuckled. "You're cute sometimes, Shinobi-kun."

At this point, even Hinata held her breath, unsure of the Uchiha's reaction. She very much doubted a repeat of a few days ago, in which she herself dared to call him such.

Sasuke, an individual with the capacity to kill with a look quite literally, did his best to suppress any optical murders, no matter how well-deserved. Luckily for her, and unluckily for him, he couldn't afford to lose any of the information that madwoman possessed.

Threatening, however, was something he could still do.

With a hiss of metal, the tip of his katana made a hazardous appearance. "Speak."

Yamato's shoulders tensed. "It's time to tell them."

"Yes, I know. Shinobi-kun's just fun to tease." She pretended to wipe a tear. "Look at him; he looks deadly."

His deadpanned expression didn't change, but Sasuke was starting to grit his teeth in seething impatience.

Feeling like nothing was getting done, Yamato took reign. "Hinata-san?"

The indigo-haired Hyuuga tilted her head in his direction. "Hai?"

"What do you know about your cousin's whereabouts?"

Her back stiffened. "Neji-niisan?" she echoed, warily.

"Yes. Were you aware," he asked calmly, "of his involvement in this mission?"

If the weather hadn't frozen the blood in her veins at this point, his question came pretty close to accomplish the seemingly unnatural feat.

"...No."

Suddenly, many things made sense. His Father's plan. Neji's mission. His long absence. A place in which she was safe, miraculously found, a place she'd never heard about.

It wasn't hard to understand why. Neji would have known she'd object. She refused to place him in danger, and yet, he himself had walked the path she had denied him.

As for her Father, he needed someone loyal to him -to her,- to be able to place duty above anything else, while simultaneously being skillfully fit. That person was, undeniably, her Neji-niisan.

"He only hinted at his departure." The idea of his mission involving her predicament had occurred to her briefly, but she'd dismissed it so vehemently, hoping to be mistaken. "I see Father kept the details to himself."

"Hiashi's an idiot," Mitsuki mumbled, crossing her arms.

Hinata's mouth dropped in surprise. No one had ever insulted her Father so blatantly. She found herself tightly conflicted between amusement and indignation.

"The reason we're going North without giving you precise coordinates isn't our fault, you know. It's that Hyuuga's."

"What do you mean." Sasuke lowered his sword, his frown never leaving his otherwise impassive front.

Mitsuki leaned her back against the nearest wall, contemplative. "The place is like a Hyuuga estate, from what little I've gathered. I imagine it's less taken care of since according to Hiashi, the place rarely has visitors. The location is, as you can probably guess by now, one of the Hyuuga Clan's secrets. Unlike their compound in Konoha, this place has been left on its own for a long time. Not only that, but it's hidden in a place where only the Byakugan can see through. Hinata-chan's cousin was to serve as guide."

Sasuke glanced at the quiet Hinata, trying to read her silence at the news.

Slowly, her lips moved. "So that was the place Father had in mind."

"Do you also know of it?" Sasuke couldn't help but ask.

"Them."

Everyone gawked at her with inquisitive eyes. She could tell by the pressure that seemed to push on the crown of her head.

"Aburame-san speaks singularly, perhaps because Father insinuated a singular existence, but my clan has several of those to serve as refuges or supply storages. In my life, I've only been to two."

To Sasuke, her words made perfect sense. He wondered why the possibility hadn't occurred to him before. The Hyuuga was a powerful and old clan, and just like the Uchiha had a supply shop with Neko-baa and Tamaki, it wasn't surprising to hear that they did too (4).

"Their locations are kept a secret for several reasons," Hinata continued, not only arising inquiries in Sasuke, but in everyone present. "Now it's understandable why we'd move up here, among other things."

"So one of these...estates...was also in the South?" said Shikamaru, fatigued.

Two of them. Between the Land of Rivers and Sunagakure, thought Hinata, her memories of long, arduous training with Father fresh in her mind (5).

"If that's the case," Yamato said, "its proximity to Kirigakure would be too inconvenient. The Northern one is safer."

"Hyuuga-sama refused to unveil this information, but you're telling us now, ahead of time. That can only mean one thing," drawled the Nara, rubbing his temples. Why were things this complicated? How annoying. "Something's gone awry. Am I wrong?"

The lack of response was his answer.

Hinata's hands clenched into fists, but her words were steady. "Neji-niisan was attacked, wasn't he."

Yamato almost didn't have the heart to admit it out-right. He could read her distress reflected in the line of her mouth. He was afraid she'd bite the inside of her cheek hard enough to call blood. He swallowed yet again another sigh and answered shortly.

"Yes."

Hinata hung her face and tried to conceal her trembling hands.

Nii-san.

Why had he done it, why?

That time at the hospital, when Ino had left them alone, had he come to say good-bye, in his own way? Had he known, then, of the things that were to come, of the insane danger he'd placed himself in?

It saddened her to realize that he must have. Neji was no fool after all.

"Where is he?" she asked. "Where's Neji-niisan now?"

"He was taken back to the village for medical attention," informed Mitsuki. "One of his teammates survived the attack, and was able to return to the village with Neji-san." She found it wise not to comment on his delicate state.

Telling Hinata about the extent of his injuries would only distract her and distractions often resulted in casualties. That was definitely something they didn't need, especially when such rates were already high.

"Tsunade-sama will take good care of him." It was the only comfort he could provide to date.

Just like she took care of me. "Nii-san, he's strong." She knew that more than anybody else.

He would pull through. She had to believe in that. The idea of losing him was simply devastating.

Her belief was so rooted Sasuke had to look away from her, the memories of his own brother awakened once more.

"Since we don't have our guide, we'll await the Hokage's instructions. If we fail to receive word in two days, we'll scan the area and attempt to find the Hyuuga estate on our accord. Hinata-chan, Shinobi-kun, you'll stay with Yamato-taichou in this room. Make sure to rest well – Taichou, that goes to you too; it's my turn to keep guard. Stay warm and ready for anything. Don't go anywhere alone, and make sure to tell me your positions if you and your companion happen to relocate. I don't care if it's only for a restroom break, I forbid any of you to wander on your own. Is that understood?"

XXX

.

"You're not resting."

Sasuke's right eyelid lifted deliberately. "Says who?"

Hinata's mouth twitched into a small smile. "Having your eyes closed doesn't count," she said.

He peered in her direction, suspicious and amazed all at once. "You could tell?"

Their voices were quiet, whispers lost in the air over their heads.

From the inside of her sleeping-bag, she nodded. "Mhm. Yamato-taichou's aura...differs from yours. My instincts say he's asleep, but you..."

His gaze narrowed tentatively, inspecting her face for clues from across the space dividing them. If he were to reach out, he could easily run his fingers through the careless sea of navy spreading on the white of her pillow. The bandages were gone, but her eyes were firmly shut.

He ran a lean hand over his unmasked face and huffed. "What, are you an animal now?"

It was almost impossible to swallow the laughter that wished to bubble to the surface at the familiar sound of indignation, but Hinata managed.

"Your instincts have become sharper, haven't they?" He'd noticed. Of course he had. It was difficult not to observe her quick and abnormal reactions to diminutive outside stimuli.

"...I think so," she admitted softly, thoughtfully. "It seems I can tell when someone is approaching. Their energy – mostly chakra – gives them away. However, I can never tell whose it is. It's...hard, to identify individuals." Except for you, she wanted to add but didn't, her embarrassment keeping her quiet. The small part of boldness in her hadn't reached that point yet.

Sasuke listened to her explanation, a frown creasing his forehead. "I see." He sort of didn't but attempted to. His frown smoothed. "Are you a sensory ninja, Hinata?"At this point nothing would surprise him.

Her answer came instantly. "No."

"If you aren't a sensor nin, then the only explication for your ability, if we can call it such, is but a result of your blindness."

Ah, now her pseudo eyes were on display. "Do you think my other senses are getting better to compensate for my lack of sight?"

Sitting up in a feline-like motion, he scratched the back of his neck, unused to the prickle of his lengthening hair. He'd have to cut it soon or tie it up. "Don't you? It makes sense, though. Aside from your normal senses, you must have possessed good intuition, to begin with. Probably because of the use of your Byakugan from an early age and your ninja training."

"Therefore, that intuition is now...this new-found aptitude?"

"Bingo." He smirked fleetingly at the doubt in her voice.

Well, she was hardly to blame. What he proposed was a bit of a strain on the imagination, after all.

"From what I've seen, it looks like the attention you used to put in your eyesight is being focused on this intuition instead."

She made a face, her nose lightly scrunched up. "Is that even physically possible?"

"Being physical isn't everything," he alleged. "Haven't you learned that by now?"

Ah, he was right. She felt a light blush paint over the tips of her ears.

"Speaking of which," he continued lazily. "The nature of our chakras –"

" – is something we can discuss another time," she interrupted him gently but purposefully. "We should probably repose while we can. Aburame-san said we could meet with the rest of the team afterwards if we did."

Puzzled but patient, he followed the subtle direction of her blank eyes without craning his neck.

Hn. So the Captain was beginning to stir and listen, if he hadn't already.

Sasuke hadn't realized until she pointed it out. In his defense, animal perception was necessary to tell, and this ANBU Captain wasn't just any shinobi. Even Sasuke could tell his caliber was high.

"You should be tired by now, right?" she whispered.

A cunning sigh. Not that anyone could distinguish. "Perhaps," he allowed, a red hue taking over the black of his iris. "Before that, however – "

He reached out, grabbing onto the edge of her bag, and pulling her to his side, a confused stare meeting his efforts.

" – can I kiss you?"

"...Haa...?"

Haa?

On the other side of the room and with his back facing them, Yamato's last bit of drowsiness evacuated.

He stiffened.

Sasuke seemed unconcerned with his single audience. "What's wrong, Hinata? I thought you liked to kiss me."

Yamato didn't have to open his eyes to know the girl was beet red. Not like he wanted to open them in any case.

"U-Uchiha-kun, d-don't say those things! S-Someone might hear!"

"Hn, I fail to see how that's their business, but...I could speak lower, if you want," he offered after a fast second of consideration.

Yamato was expecting the girl to a. stutter, b. faint, or c. all of the above.

The last thing on his mind was for her to calm down and say "Yes, that...that sounds good" in acceptance.

"So," his voice was husky. Too husky. "Should we begin?"

Yamato had definitely not signed up for this.

.

"Uchiha-kun, what did you do?"

Hinata was no fool, but she had to ask. Yamato-taichou's sudden consciousness had vanished without a trace. In its previous place, the Hyuuga could sense a steady flow of chakra that oddly enough, protruded from the Uchiha's eyes. "Are you...Is your Sharingan on?"

Ah, he was caught. "I had to get him off our backs."

"You placed him under a genjutsu?" She sounded incredulous.

"He was eavesdropping." Sasuke shrugged, omitting the part where he explained how he'd used the Captain's hearing sense to his advantage.

But that was a poor excuse and Hinata was already rising to a sitting position. "Uchiha-kun," she chided.

Sasuke cringed.

"He won't be in pain, will he?"

Of course that was the primordial question here. She was so predictable sometimes.

As for that information, Yamato-taichou was likely to suffer in silence and die from shame. Aside from that, "Of course not."

"Huh." She wasn't entirely believing him. She was perspective.

If she were to be aware of the things that were transpiring inside the genjutsu, she'd be scandalized.

Sasuke didn't think it too bad, in all honesty. Having Yamato listen to them kissing, however made up, was hardly the worst thing that could happen to the man. Sasuke had no ill-will for the male Captain, so in his opinion, that was but a small mercy.

"Oi, Hinata."

She blinked curiously. This was the second time he called her out. "Yes?"

"Can I try something?"

Dark blue brows arched questioningly. "Try what?"

"Something."

She smiled indulgently, biting her lip. "Won't you tell me?"

No reply.

"So stubborn," she mumbled what was supposed to be an insult, yet the affection she held for him was clear.

"I'll be taking that as a yes."

Her amusement was cut short when a cool finger tilted her chin up.

Oh.

Oh.

Blind orbs widened. "Uchi – omph!"

A part of Sasuke had missed this, his mouth against hers, his hands covering her skin.

How long had it been? Three, four days? It didn't matter. He wanted to clear the space between them and pull her close and closer.

"You. Smell. So. Good," he murmured between kisses, his nose brushing against the soft crease of her cheek. The scent of faint vanilla was tantalizing.

Hinata had never been so grateful for having the opportunity to shower before bed. After days on the snow, mud, and freezing temperatures, she couldn't really complain about smelling, but feeling the stickiness of her after-run sweat penetrating through her clothes for days was hardly invigorating. She'd have to thank Yamato-taichou later.

"Your hair..." she said.

"Hm?"

"It's –" she sighed into his mouth. He was distracting her. What was she even saying again?

She felt thick and long strands at the nape of his neck. They were silky and she was quickly growing to like them.

That was it. His hair.

"It's getting long."

"I'll cut it," he said carelessly, having more important things to do.

"Don't." She ran a single fingertip down his blistering throat. "I-I like it long." She gripped a fistful as if to prove it, and pulled without thinking. The single action made Sasuke hiss.

A sharp warm pooled below the band of his sweatpants. An empowering, hot, and no longer foreign heat that was starting to drive him to the edge with a need he wouldn't ask of her. Not yet.

"You do?"

"Mhm."

"Must be a Hyuuga thing," he laughed breathlessly, grounding his teeth at the throb in his pants and hoping Hinata didn't notice. It was a struggle just to regain some air in his lungs.

She reddened. "B-Be quiet, you!"

He merely kissed her again, his objective clear; to lock her mouth to his. She was soft, hot, and wet. Yielding under his lips, giving and receiving with enthusiasm.

He was sure to kiss slowly, patiently, just to make it last as long as possible.

She loved the cool and burning feel of his tongue languidly tracing her lower lip, the sound of tender flesh overlapping one another a distant sound to her ecstatic mind.

Something was watching.

Her teeth knocked accidentally against his, breaking the spell.

"Hinata?" Noticing her alarm, Sasuke straightened, instant cold eyes meticulously searching for anything out of place.

She startled, the hold on his hair faltering. "Something – someone – is here, but..."

But it was only them and a K.O Yamato in the room; Sasuke hadn't stated otherwise and she knew no one else had entered.

The goosebumps covering her skin disagreed. Like warning bells, the excess of blood in her ears told her something was amiss. Something...was very wrong.

"I don't like this," she confessed with a touch of exasperation. Being unable to see and use her Byakugan was a big disadvantage. If only the blackness of her lack of sight could aid her.

Sasuke didn't mind her inability to seek for things hidden, however.

"Be my ears and radar, and tell me what you're sensing." He could be the eyes and the manpower if any sort of attack was in order. As stated previously, she was times better at perceiving chakra than the former Avenger.

At this point, he was seriously beginning to assume everyone in the Hyuuga Clan had some sort of advanced sixth sense. The way she sensed things was starting to get uncanny, her accuracy at detecting malice great. He couldn't help but be remained of Karin and her supreme censoring abilities.

"This...feels just threatening. No warmth, no cold, nothing. It's like there's a gap where no gap should exist."

He observed her with something resembling wonder. He, unlike her, sensed nothing. "Is it near? Can you pinpoint it?"

Her brow wrinkled deeply. "It must be close, but," she sounded conflicted, "its presence comes from everywhere."

It was oppressive and vague. Its nature both frustrated and terrified her.

Could it be nothing but a premonition? As likely as that sounded, Hinata had experienced too much to brush it off as a simple coincidence. She would never commit that mistake again.

Especially not now when even Neji-niisan was defeated in battle.

As quickly as it came, it vanished like smoke.

"...It's gone."

Sasuke's hand on the small of her back was reassuring. "How far gone?" he was careful to ask.

"I can't sense anything anymore."

Both were silent for a minute, processing what had happened.

"Let's go to sleep," Sasuke finally decided, pushing her indigo curtain back. "Yamato will be up in a second. He'll manage the guard."

She nodded, knowing perfectly well he was only saying that for her benefit. Nonetheless, the wariness took a while to wash away.

A few moments later, her bosom rose with an even respiration.

XXX

.

When Sasuke stepped out of the room, Naruto was already waiting in the hall. Sasuke wasn't surprised.

The blond saw him, and smiled an impish grin. "Um, I know we're not in the best of terms right now, but...thank you for taking care of her."

"I didn't do it for you." Sasuke wasn't trying to sound so cold, but his blunt honesty left a lot to be desired.

Naruto's face that had seen better days, soured. "Jerk. Would you have done it if I asked?"

Would he? Sasuke opted for crossing his arms over his chest. "What did you come here for?" he retorted, eyeing him without interest.

He'd felt the restless blond walking back and forth outside the door. Sasuke would have happily ignored him, but he could only stand this annoying pace for so long before snapping.

"...I guess I was curious about how you guys were doing?" he chuckled, uncertain. "Heh, actually, I have so many reasons I barely know which one to give."

A dark brow lifted, silently announcing that the Uchiha wasn't satisfied with such a vague and pathetic excuse of an answer.

The Uzumaki was so in sync with the brunet he instantly knew Sasuke's insulting train of thought. "You bastard," he growled. "It's the truth. What, you want me to lie and tell you about something I can't even put into words right now?"

"...You're absolutely correct," Sasuke conceded after a short pause. "That'd be far too convenient."

Stomping on the urge of sticking his tongue out childishly, Naruto huffed instead. "Teme urusai."

Sasuke easily brushed him off.

"But you know," he continued, this time quietly and with none of his usual intensity, just a touch of...nostalgia. "You've kinda changed, Sasuke."

Sasuke gave him an odd look.

"It's true!"

"I don't know what you're talking about." And he didn't. Not really. Another part of him mocked him for being wary of what the blond could suddenly sputter.

His wariness wasn't in vain, he came to find as Naruto spoke.

"Don't pretend like you haven't noticed," Naruto said with annoyance. "Just before I left for Iwa you were this reclusive, too-good-for-Konoha-and-the-world bastard." A wry grin tilted his mouth. "Now you're hardly alone; you're always with her."

Neither of them needed to specify an identity.

"Ever thought that's because this is a mission, dobe?" Sasuke decided to point out the obvious. He hid nothing, but he didn't have to explain his actions to anyone. As much as an impulse of his told him to tell him Hinata was his, he knew that piece of information would bring more trouble than it was worth. Trouble he didn't need to deal with right now.

"I'm slow, but not blind," Naruto tried to correct him. "I liked to think that your darkness was gone, or, if not gone, then at least retreating. But that was just wishful thinking. When I talked to you, I could feel the unrest in you, this itching to just...disappear. Even though you stayed in the village, you ached for release. For me, this village means everything I want to protect. For you, this village is like a prison. It roots you to the things you cherished, but..." He trailed off and Sasuke had the distinct feeling this conversation had a point. Whatever point the Uzumaki was aiming to convey was destined to be personal.

Again, he wasn't wrong.

Swallowing thickly, the blond balled his fists, unable to look up from the wooden boards. "But, those things are no longer here. Only memories enchain you, and it's not enough for you. I know what the village Elders forced Itachi to do. I know. That's why I can't blame you for feeling like you do. That's why I've tried not to push the issue and let you be. I think that was the right and wrong thing to do. Your darkness kept on increasing; you were more bitter by the day. But then." His eyes seemed to flash with something unspoken. "But then Hinata appeared. I would bring her along to train, and although you were still an arse, you began to show different emotions." Now he finally glanced at Sasuke accusingly. "Not all of those emotions were good, mind you, you big imbecile, but they were better than your stupid and gloomy-as-hell silences."

"Is there a point to your babbling?"

"I'm not babbling!"

"Naruto."

"Fine, fine." He shifted his weight uneasily. "Just...please answer me truthfully, okay?"

Sasuke's charcoal eyes met a shade of vulnerable blue.

He was sure half his soul had left him by now just by the number of sighs the blond had forced out of him. "Dobe, just ask."

The blond seemed to brace himself, before finally asking with a seriousness Sasuke had seen only a few times before, "What's Hinata to you?"

XXX

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The second time she awoke, the feeling of being stalked was stronger. It could no longer be denied that there was a presence aside from hers in the room. The frigid atmosphere felt tense, predatory in kind, and Hinata felt herself become the reluctant target of blood-lust.

Slowly, her chakra reached out lightly, prodding, seeking for the things she could no longer see. The warmth of her very blood deserted her when she found Uchiha-kun's previous spot vacant and cold. He was gone.

Her eyes were gone.

Pulling her lips in, she loosened her shoulders subtly, her face morphing itself into an expression of serenity.

Although fear was a capricious thing demanding acknowledgment, she refused to feed it any longer.

It was time to bring all of this to a stop.

"...I'm afraid you are not welcome here."

Her words were steady, defiant, anger and loathing hidden behind a thick layer of false mannerism.

There was no response.

The longer the silence stretched, the longer a logical part of her informed her of her paranoia.

This logic was erroneous; Hinata knew better. Her senses were screaming, tearing, wailing. They were a flare alight with polished instinct.

This twisted feeling...she'd felt it before, more than once.

It made her absolutely sick.

"Such politeness," came an entertained voice slow in enunciation. "The Hyuuga truly have poise. Magnificent."

In a split second, Hinata felt the rivers of blood that were her veins turn painfully to ice.

With a sweet smile that didn't match the malice in her green eyes, bloody scarlet lips uttered a single greeting that would unravel a pandemonium.

"Kon'bawa, Hyuuga-hime."

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XXXX

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A/N: Don't kill me. Just send your threats through the Review option.

It's been a while, so references:

1. Sasuke's referring to his fangirls' view of his stoic demeanor.

2. A reference found in Chapter 8: Fear.

3. I know the saying, but stick with me on this one, okay?

4. You remember Neko-baa and Tamaki. Cat grandma and Cat Lady that marries Kiba? And the Uchiha store at the abandoned city?

5. Reference to Ch.10 or 11. Recall Neji was with his Team? Also, Heiress training with Hyuuga Hiashi, aye. I've told y'all about it too.

As for being late, school, life, friends. I'm playing volleyball again. I need a new laptop. I've read too much Haikyu! and Ghost Hunt in order to numb some set-backs I had in 2016. I almost broke my ankle yesterday too. The pain is real lol. I gained a new sibling, and guess who babysit him for the last four weeks I've been off college.

Warning: My next semester will be 17 credits plus work and daily life. I apologize in advance.

As always, this story is only possible due to your support: RadicalDame1412, feedthegrimmjows, theordinaryone, Music Lover Always, sasuhinacanon, Guest, Harukasa, AraelDranoth, esther82, HM, Mace Garzandu, holycahooy, angelogarza229, Nanda lucis, Tummywubz, naniche, Genaveive, Haruka2007, Pookie Luffs Sushi, duskest, jemxmarcial, Dalisay08, wolf-enzeru, 21me21, Moonacre BunBun, Xuka, NothingNooneZero, msdgl, jessica-semnadaprafeze123, Eimeren914, 10ShizukaYuukiMistress10, xHinaLovex, hyuuga nala, marii, anon, ClassySassyFunkyFresh, marlen 19mana, forgetmenotlovely, Megingjoro, Duchess23, Lushca, Tellie T, in your dreams as well, Saki-Hime, mangetsu no hime, Cat Beats, hime23, NanamiYatsumaki, Andreia453, TheValkyrieGladiator, umnia, SasuHina fan, Darth Lelouch, & R-daisy.

I want to reply to each of you separately. You're such a wonder to me.

P.S: 800 reviews already. 'o' Thank you so much for waiting! Your attention is highly appreciated.

As for marii: The answer to your question is yes.

1.16.17

revised 5.18.19