Let's see where this one goes. Hopefully, I won't disappoint.

Kudos to Kibachow who gave me this amazing idea!

I just want to find it

I just want to see, What the moon's shining on

And I just want to know, What the day is running from

Sasuke clutched his cloak tighter as snow blew on his face and he struggled to keep his eyes open. The winds howled loudly against his ears but he trudged on towards the dim light far away. On his travels, Sasuke had encountered all kinds of weather, but this snow storm had taken a turn for the worst. Yearning for a warm meal and comfortable bed, he willed himself to continue on to the oasis. It was a pit stop he had to take if he was to survive.

Based on his knowledge, the small village of Kiyoko was not frequently visited by shinobi so he didn't have to worry about any assassination attempts. While he had helped Naruto save the world from Madara and Kaguya, his past transgressions were too much for many to forgive. Team Seven and Taka were the only ones who didn't cower in his presence or give him a dirty look. Yet he wished they hadn't forgiven him so easily, particularly Sakura. She had taken the brunt of his cruel and harsh words, not to mention the attempted murder. Disturbingly, she still proclaimed her love for him and that's when he decided to do the kindest thing he could. He told her that he could never return such feelings for her. "You deserve more than what I can give you," he explained. Undeterred, she begged him to take her with him. But he reiterated that he needed to do this on his own, much to her dismay.

Frankly, he didn't know what he was looking for. At first it was to find what had made Naruto such a firm believer in peace. Of course he knew it existed but he disagreed with Naruto on how the world could live in such an age when there was still so much hatred. Keeping an open mind, he first traveled to lands where he had done so many wrongs. Coming to terms with his past was crucial to his redemption. But as the months turned to years, he started to become disillusioned. It was cruelly apparent that he was never going to redeem himself; he's gone too far down the road of damnation.

Sasuke felt like a wounded animal, dragging its way to shelter; except there was none where he could live in peace. His former village didn't strike him as any kind of sanctuary; it was there where his whole life changed. The one place that held some semblance of familiarity was still tainted by its history, the still unresolved issues regarding his clan's massacre. Kakashi, advised by the council, stressed that it would cause unrest and suspicion amongst the remaining clans. The new era of supposed peace could be threatened by the revelation of the reason behind the slaughter of his family. It was insulting and until the truth about Itachi came out, he would not live in the village that condemned his clan to death.

The last time he had stayed there longer than a day was when he was recovering from surgery. He had given in to Sakura's plea for once and obtained a prosthetic arm like Naruto's. The moment he was given the go ahead, he left the hospital and out of Konoha's walls.

While thinking back to his past life, Sasuke had finally made it. He frantically knocked on the front door and then stepped back as to not intimidate the residents. The door slowly creaked open, revealing an older man. "Yes, can I help you?"

Sasuke lowered his scarf. "May I stay here for the night? I will compensate you. I just need some shelter from this storm." He reached in his pocket and slowly pulled out his pouch. The man thought pensively for a moment and grimaced as he looked behind him.

"My house is pretty small. I don't have a spare room, I'm afraid." In all honesty, the older man did seem genuinely remorseful. His green eyes looked away shamefully. "I do have a small shed in the back but it's full of junk. I don't think it'll be very comfortable to sleep in."

Not wanting to take his chances outside, Sasuke insisted the shed was fine. The older man ushered him inside insisting he should at least eat a warm meal, slightly faltering when he noticed Sasuke's sword. "Are you a shinobi?" he asked.

"I was." The man closed the door a bit apprehensively. "I'm just a traveler now." Sasuke looked around and realized just how modest the small home really was, raising an eyebrow when he nearly stepped on a stuffed bear.

"Ah. Were you in the war?"

He frowned, and lowered his head wrap a bit to hide his Rinnegan. "I'd rather not talk about it."

The older man coughed and apologized. "Sorry. Well, all we have to eat tonight is cabbage soup. Not much grows around here this time of the year but it fills the stomach."

"Anything is greatly appreciated," Sasuke replied. He waited until he was told to sit down.

"By the way, name's Masao." A door opened and soft footsteps made their way to the kitchen. He turned to acknowledge the newcomer, a young woman. Her dark eyes widened and she tensed when she saw the visitor.

"Harumi, this young man is a traveler and will be staying the night. I didn't catch your name, what was it son?"

"Takeshi," Sasuke lied. He tried to smile at the woman but she narrowed her eyes at him. Dinner was quiet and Sasuke could tell that his presence wasn't welcome. The older man was still frightened to have him inside his home while his daughter refused to acknowledge him. His offer to help clean up went unheeded and he made his way to the back door when Masao called him back.

He rubbed the back of his neck, nervously. "Sorry about that. It's just that Harumi has a thing against certain shinobi. We've seen our share of bad men who terrorize civilians." A sudden cry from nearby drew both their attention. Harumi rushed out to the room and closed it behind her. "No worries, it's just little Kouto."

"Your grandson?" He questioned where the father of the child was, but didn't want to pry. Perhaps that's why she didn't like shinobi. Sasuke wouldn't say that all shinobi were honorable; the fallout from the war had given some a sense of entitlement and that meant civilians were sometimes thought below shinobi.

Masao smiled wistfully, "Yes. But the poor little guy has been suffering from a slight fever. Thankfully he's out of the woods now."

Sasuke nodded and put on his cloak. "I won't be a bother any longer. I'll be heading to the shed now."

Looking around, Sasuke began to move things around so he could get a decent night's rest. As he put a box of tools in front of a cracked window, he saw Harumi's silhouette behind a curtain. She was rocking her son back and forth, causing him to think back to his own mother. Regardless of the role she played in the Uchiha rebellion, he could never hate his mother. It was her love for her family, like all Uchiha, that drove her instincts and ambitions sometimes to a fault. Shaking his head, he put another box on top, blocking his view and the cold from entering.

Over the course of the night, the storm had dwindled substantially. Sasuke rubbed his eyes as the sun's rays seeped through the cracks in the walls. He walked out and made his way to the house. As much as he just wanted to leave and continue on his travels, he did promise to pay them back for their hospitality.

Harumi opened the door; the good weather didn't improve her mood. If anything, she looked more frightened than ever. Sasuke realized he must've exposed his Rinnegan and quickly adjusted his head wrap. She jumped back when he reached in his cloak; Sasuke handed her a few coins from his pouch. She looked at the ryo and back at him. "It's for the meal and housing. Tell your father I appreciated it."

Sasuke walked away, welcoming the solitude. There were moments he wanted to have company but many times reality showed him that he was still unwanted.

She let out a sigh of relief after closing the door. Even if Kouto had actually slept through the night, she doubted she could have gotten any rest. The mere thought of Sasuke Uchiha being so nearby had caused a shiver down her spine.

Masao adjusted his glasses. "Harumi, did that fellow leave already? I wanted him to at least eat breakfast."

"He said he was in a hurry. But he did give us this." She handed him the money. "I'll make us breakfast after I checked on Kouto." She smiled for the first time since the traveler arrived but her hands still shook from seeing his Rinnegan. The last time she saw those eyes, she nearly died.

She went into her room where her son slept. The baby's cheeks were still slightly too pink, but his temperature had gone down. Kissing Kouto on his forehead, she thanked her lucky stars that Sasuke had gone away. Out of all the people she could have encountered, he presented the most danger to Kouto's life.

When he didn't seem to recognize her, she thought he was pretending to be oblivious. Yet he could have easily taken care of Masao, there was no need to play the role of an appreciative guest. Trying to figure out his plan, she kept guard the whole night. Lying in wait, anticipating him to burst out of the shed and attack. Did she think she stood a chance? Not really but she would put up a hell of a fight and lay her life for her son.

"Harumi, I'm hungry!"

She chuckled at how oblivious Masao was to the situation. "Alright, I'm coming," she got up and left her son to slumber. Before leaving the room, she went into her dresser and pulled out some eye drops. Rubbing her eyes would only worsen the strain from wearing her contacts all night, and she put two drops in each eye.

.

.

.

(Five years later)

The bell signaled a new customer and the plump woman welcomed him to her store. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Just looking around," Sasuke replied.

"Well let me know if I can help you."

He walked around, putting miscellaneous items in his basket. The main things on his list were some ointments for his wounds, which happened frequently. There were incidences when some shinobi figured out who he was and wanted Sasuke to answer for their misery. Many times he had nothing to do with it but he was still vilified for his actions before the war. Still wanting to atone for his time as a fugitive, he let them get their hits in but nothing fatal of course.

Figuring he had enough items to last him until the next town, Sasuke stood in line behind a woman and child. The small child sneezed and Sasuke moved away in disgust. His movement caused the little boy to look at him with his dark grey eyes and smile. He waved and Sasuke waved back. The one thing that he liked about children was that they were too young to know who he was or what he did. It was their parents that were the problem, evident by his mother turning him around away from Sasuke.

"I think we have your order in the back. Just let me check, okay?"

"That's fine. I can come back later." She grabbed her son and tried to rush out. Her son nearly tripped on his feet but she picked him up.

"It'll only be a minute, Harumi…" the shop owner said. But she was already gone. "Strange girl."

Sasuke paid for his items and walked outside. Kiyoko looked so different the last time he was here, but then again it was a blistering storm that welcomed him before. New buildings and businesses had sprung up, and it was nice to see some villages begin to stabilize after the war. He had come across ghost towns or run down villages still in conflict over resources. This wasn't the best village in terms of economy or resources, especially when compared to Konoha or shinobi villages, but it wasn't on its dying days.

At least there was an inn this time, having a room for himself with an actual bed would provide the comfort he sorely needed. He thought back to the old man and the hospitality he received. 'Come to think of it, wasn't his daughter named Harumi? Maybe I can repay their kindness with meal.'

There were decent restaurants around and if she didn't want to come, then he'd still have a nice lunch with the old man. Sasuke scoffed inwardly; the growing loneliness had made him so desperate for company. A few months ago he had nearly rejoined Taka but he still felt incomplete and left. As pathetic as he considered himself to be, Sasuke still headed towards the small home on the edge of town.

He looked at the home, the only thing that looked still like it did years go. He knocked and there was no answer. Sasuke waited a few seconds before knocking again. No one came to the door and he walked to the side of the house. A glimpse inside proved they still lived here; he could see a picture of Masao on a nearby table.

'Maybe they left.' It wasn't like he needed to leave anytime soon. Sasuke figured he could catch them later and began to walk way when he heard a small crash coming from inside the shed. He turned his head and went to investigate thinking the old man was out back. "Is anyone back there? Masao?"

The silence was unnerving and Sasuke slowly unsheathed his sword. "Come out." He'd look foolish if it turned out to be a cat but Sasuke learned to never lower his guard and uncovered his Rinnegan. "The longer you keep me waiting, the worse it'll be."

His heart pounded in anticipation as the doors slowly opened. It wasn't that he was frightened, it was just that the thrill of a fight always got his blood pumping and his Sharingan activated in response. His grip on his weapon relaxed when he saw it was just the woman from the shop. "Harumi?"

She walked out in the open. "Yes?"

"Why didn't you just some out when I asked the first time?" He rolled his eyes. "I could have hurt you by accident. What were you hiding for anyways?"

"Can you put away your sword?" She wrung her hands nervously. "Why are you here?"

He shrugged, hiding his embarrassment. "I was just in town and wanted to see your father. Is he around?"

Her eyes lowered. "He passed away a year ago." Masao's death weighed heavily on her. Not only had she lost a very precious person but it had an alarming effect on Kouto. Sasuke being so close to him during this strenuous time could only end in tragedy.

"Oh."

"Y-yes so if that's all-" There was another crash from inside the shed. A small boy came out running and took off his shirt.

"There's a spider on me! Mommy, kill it!" Sasuke looked on in amusement as he ran around and Harumi tried to assure him he was okay. "I'm sorry I couldn't stay quiet, I got scared," he sniffled. Sasuke raised an eyebrow in confusion. The little boy looked at him and his eyes widened. "Mommy look! He looks just like me."

"Why don't we get you cleaned up? I think we can tend to the garden tomorrow," she responded. "Do you want me to make you some cookies? We can go to the lake later as well."

Kouto looked behind her, still interested in Sasuke. "But look! His eyes-!"

"It's not polite to stare, now come along," she insisted. "This nice man has to go home."

Sasuke took it as a sign to leave and he picked up his bag. It was a shame that he hadn't made a return trip earlier and now had no reason to stay longer.

"Not the weird purple one! The red one!"

"Kouto! Stop!" The desperation in her voice was obvious.

Sasuke looked back at them and the small boy smiled. "See it's now black. But when it was red it was like when mine go like that. Mommy, maybe he can help! Do it again, mister." As he activated his Sharingan, the boy pointed at him in excitement. "See?"

"They aren't the same at all. Go inside now, Kouto!" She ordered.

Dropping his bag, Sasuke looked at the increasingly nervous woman. "Why don't you show me, kid?" He asked the little boy while keeping eye contact with his mother. "Show me your red eyes."

"It's kind of hard but I'll try-"

"Kouto!" His mother glanced at him, hoping he'd obey or that it wouldn't work, "Stop playing around and go inside."

But the delight from meeting someone like him caused Kouto to ignore her. "Don't get mad if I can't, okay? But it's true!"

Sasuke nodded and watched as he concentrated. Nothing happened for a few minutes. "S-s-see? It's just a joke. Now if you'd just go-"

Kouto groaned and put his hands on his head. He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth before relaxing. Just as he was about to open his eyes, his mother stepped in front of him. "Sweetie, your eyes are normal," she said in a quivering tone. "It's not nice to play jokes."

"But-!" he protested.

"Step aside and let me see," Sasuke ordered. He unsheathed his sword once more as a means to intimidate, nothing more. Yet Harumi remained still and stood defiantly between him and her son. Her dark eyes quickly narrowed at his mismatching ones. "Now."

"Don't hurt my mom! Please!" Kouto cried. "They're red I swear! I can feel it!"

His heart dropped when the little boy peeked from behind her long skirt. Only one of his eyes was visible because he was still behind her but Sasuke could see the tomoe pattern within his now red eye. "How?!" He demanded to know. Sasuke was the last Uchiha and hadn't impregnated anyone as far as he knew, he was always safe. The age of the child meant that the possibilities were narrowed down to a select group.

"Who is this child's father?!"

Harumi took a deep breath. Suddenly there was a burst of chakra radiating from her. Her dark locks swirled around as blue lion shaped chakra swallowed her fists. "Leave please," she begged. The veins near her temples bulged and Sasuke scowled.

"A Hyuuga?!" He snarled. His mind raced with conceivable answers. Was Konoha still operating in secretive ways? Did they use a sample of a fellow clansman and inseminate this woman to create a new branch? But why was she so far away? If it was Konoha, they'd keep her inside the village walls.

Maybe it wasn't the village but the Hyuuga clan that was solely responsible! "I'm going to take you in and expose that disgusting clan for everyone to see."

"I'm not going back and no one is taking my son away from me," she replied. She moved into a defensive stance yet there was no hiding the distress in her eyes. "I've fought men like you before." Visions of Pein flashed before her eyes and she took another breath. Ever since he knocked on their door years ago, she had nightmares of this moment.

"You've never fought anyone like me, I assure you." Sasuke took a step forward.

"No! Please, I'm sorry!" Kouto sobbed. "I don't mean to look different. Don't hurt her please! Go away! I'll never do it again, I promise. Just leave us alone!"

Sasuke sighed as he saw the tears streaming down his cheeks. "I can't do that, you two have to come with me to Konoha. I'll take care of you, Kouto. No one's going to hurt you. Her clan will pay and you won't have to worry about them."

"They don't know about us. If we go back, they'll either brand us or kill us," she increased her chakra flow to her fists, "And I'll kill whomever I need to keep him safe, that includes you."

He couldn't sense any deceit in her words but he still had to know who the father was. Sasuke thought back to everything he knew about the clan. Hyuugas were notorious for keeping the bloodline clean so unless two branch house Hyuugas managed to run away and have a kid, something highly unlikely, she was from Konoha. He couldn't see a seal on her forehead so that meant she was from the main branch. "Who are you?" he asked.

There were only two females relatively close to his age from the main house. One was Hanabi Hyuuga who was still back in Konoha as far as he knew. He had seen her walking with Neji after leaving the Hokage's tower earlier this year. The other one had disappeared before the start of the war according to Naruto. He didn't put much thought into it back then since he didn't really know her but now it was becoming evident who stood in front of him. "Hinata Hyuuga."

Her eyes slightly widened at the mention of her real name. "I'm the woman who is going to kill you if you don't leave now."

"What happened?" Sasuke asked. The meek little Hyuuga he remembered didn't show any signs of being a distinguished shinobi and he considered her to be a pushover, a disgrace to her clan. However, he couldn't picture her willingly allow herself be used as a breeder for someone's twisted goals. "Who did this to you?"

"Don't take another step. I won't let you kill him," Hinata said before launching into a series of attacks. Narrowly avoiding them, he jumped back. Kouto was stunned to see his mother contort her body in ways he never knew. She moved like the warrior in the play his grandfather would always take him to see during the harvest festival.

"Who are you talking about?! Who's his father?" Sasuke avoided another swing of her fist, just slightly. "Did Madara… hurt you? Was it Obito? I'll help you, just tell me." Hinata didn't reply. She didn't know who these men were that he mentioned all she was concerned with was creating distance between him and Kouto.

"… Is Itachi the father?" Hinata slightly faltered and Sasuke looked stunned. Before he could confirm anything, he felt intense pain on his shoulder. Hinata had landed a hit when he lost focus. Sasuke groaned in pain.

"Run, Kouta!" she screamed. "Get as far as you can. I'll find you later just keep running!"

Sasuke staggered a bit before he created a ripple around them and the portal sucked them all in. As she regained her senses, Hinata tried to push herself up and felt sand beneath her. It was obvious they were no longer in Kiyoko. He had somehow taken them to some desert, an environment not found anywhere near the village. The country itself was mainly covered with rocky terrain; its border composed of a rocky mountain range, effectively hindering communication with other nations which is why she made this her new home.

Her eyes looked around the barren landscape for her son who now stood beside a crouching Sasuke. He was inspecting the boy's eyes and face. Hinata felt her throat tighten up. "Please don't hurt him. He's just a boy."

Sasuke stood up and stared hard at her. "Is Itachi the father? Tell me."

"He's just a child," Hinata begged, almost sobbingly, "I don't know where he is but don't hurt my son. He's not responsible for anything."

Now confirmed, he looked at his crying nephew and Sasuke felt sick. He gently pushed him towards Hinata and he watched as they hugged. Hinata held him tightly but kept her eyes on him as if waiting for him to strike them down. Much to her surprise, he only reopened the portal.

.

.

They were home but she didn't feel safe. Having exerted herself, she didn't know how much she had left. It had been so long since Hinata had activated her dōjutsu. Kouto sat next to her on the couch while Sasuke paced back and forth. His cries had quieted but his Sharingan was still vibrant.

"Okay," he leaned against a wall, "Okay. Kouto go wash your face." The boy looked at his mother pleadingly. "I won't hurt your mom. You need to calm down or else your eyes will start to hurt."

Hinata felt her heart race as he slowly moved away but put a brave face to assure him everything was going to be okay. When the bathroom door closed, she looked back at Sasuke. "I promise you I don't know where Itachi is. I haven't seen him since…I can't help you. Don't hurt us."

"Tell me how this is possible. Itachi never… What happened?" Sasuke ran his fingers though his hair in frustration. Why would he be willing to die if he had a child? "Did he know? Did he…" he swallowed thickly. "Was it forced?"

Hinata shook her head and he felt some of the weight fall from his shoulders. He didn't really know Itachi, one moment he was a monster and the next he was a hero who let himself be vilified for the sake of the supposed greater good. There were things he unboundedly had to do in order to be in a criminal organization such as the Akatsuki but something like rape was still unforgivable. Hearing his brother still had a sense of honor made him relax, even if it raised more questions. "Is this why you left all those years ago?"

"Yes," she whispered. "Are you looking for him?"

"No, I know the truth about why he had to do it. Itachi and I have settled our issues," he added cryptically.

Hinata grew nervous; she didn't know what he meant. The only thing she ever associated Sasuke with was his thirst for vengeance for the massacre of his clan. But the Itachi she had gotten to know didn't show her an ounce of malice. He had saved her.

"Did you kill him?" It was almost a whisper; Hinata didn't want to anger him but needed to know Itachi's status. She often wondered if he would reappear and how he would react to Kouto. These fantasies often ended happily.

Sasuke clenched his jaw. "He died a hero." He didn't want to tell her everything and felt the sickening feeling grow as he tried to explain this to the mother of Itachi's son. "Itachi helped us greatly during the war. I owe everything to him."

"He's dead," she said, as if confirming it for herself. Images of the stoic yet kind shinobi who showed her mercy and kindness flashed before her. "News from the outside doesn't really travel here. All we knew was that the world was saved. Aside from Naruto, no one's service was really pointed out. At least I can now tell Kouto, his father died a hero," her voice cracked and she blinked back tears. "Are you going to take us back to Konoha?"

"No," Sasuke took off his shirt as he examined his throbbing wound, "I owe it to him to keep you two safe."

"Why?"

Sasuke grimaced, and it wasn't just because he had pressed on the burned skin. 'Because Itachi sacrificed everything for me? Because I killed him?' "Because he's my brother and that boy is the only family I have left, and he cared for you too so I will as well." But Hinata still didn't trust him and he could see it. "I'll allow you to lock most of my chakra points, just enough so I'll be completely defenseless. Will that show you I don't want to hurt you?"

"It's a start," she admitted.

"Besides, if I wanted to do anything, I'd have done it already." He groaned as she began to immobilize him. He staggered to a nearby chair. "At least you didn't go for the kill."

"Don't tempt me."

.

.

Kouto opened the door and was glad to hear his mother's voice. He was scared the bad man would hurt her. He swore to prevent his eyes from ever changing again. Once his eyes returned to normal, he figured he wouldn't make the man mad again. Running towards her, he was shocked to see her helping their attacker.

"I wish he would have known about Kouto, maybe things would have been different," she said. Hinata looked up to see her son staring at them in confusion. She was finishing up bandaging Sasuke's shoulder using his newly purchased supplies as he told her the truth about the Uchiha massacre. It was a brief explanation but she assumed he didn't want to keep reliving such a traumatic event. Looking at her son, she wished things were different for everyone.

'Maybe there would have been a different outcome if Itachi had the will to live.' Sasuke thought.

"Is the bad man leaving now?" Kouto asked and stood at the doorway.

Sasuke shook his head. "No and my name is Sasuke."

He ignored him and pulled on his mother's skirt. "When is he leaving, mommy?"

"Kouto, come here," she placed her hands on his small shoulders and he looked at her real eyes. The ones she only ever showed him. "This is Sasuke. He's your uncle."

He looked at Sasuke skeptically. His mother had never lied to him but the man didn't look like grandfather or his mom. He had seen siblings fight but not like what he saw them do. "Then why was he trying to hurt us? What did we do to him?"

"Nothing. It was a misunderstanding, I'm sorry," Sasuke apologized. Yet his nephew scowled at him. "How can I make it up to you for making you cry?"

"I didn't cry! My eyes just hurt!" he claimed. He pouted as the man began to smirk. "Stop laughing at me!"

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Mommy, can he leave already?" he huffed.

Hinata bit her lip. "I'm afraid he's going to stay at least overnight."

His eyebrows furrowed at the news. "Why?"

"I can't move much," Sasuke explained. "Your mom saw to that rather eagerly." Kouto scrunched his face and poked him in his shoulder causing him to hiss. "Please don't do that again. It hurts."

Hinata pulled her son away just as he was going to do it again. "Why don't you wait for me in the kitchen? I'll get started on your cookies in a little bit okay?" Her son glared at Sasuke before walking away.

"There's still a lot we have to talk about," he told her as soon as Kouto was out of range. "I have questions."

"I know," she replied. "But I'm going to pretend for a little while longer. There have already been so many changes for him. I just want this day for us."

"I understand." Sasuke grunted as he tried to stand. "Can you help me lay down on the couch, at least?"

Struggling with his weight, she plopped him down. Her hair ticked his face as she adjusted his position. "If what you say is true, then I'll tell you everything you want to know." She stood up and glanced back to where her son went. "But if you lied…"

"Mommy!"

Hinata gave Sasuke a knowing look before going into the kitchen, leaving him to come to terms with all this information. A small piece of his brother lived on and the proof was there inside that modest kitchen. He listened as Hinata and Kouto chatted, giggles erupting from him every now and then caused a stabbing pain in his chest. Sasuke knew what that all familiar feeling was; he had been struggling with how to deal with guilt for years.

A nagging thought lingered in the back of his head as soon as he realized his brother had unknowingly left behind a son. While Itachi had an illness and planned to die, Sasuke still played a role in his demise. His hands were drenched in his brother's blood; he had driven Itachi to the point of chakra exhaustion allowing for the illness to finally take over. If he had told Hinata off the bat, she might've have struck his heart without hesitation. He would have to admit to it eventually but as Hinata said, things could wait. Right now, he was just concerned with making sure they felt safe with him.

He closed his eyes and tried to see the other side to this revelation. He could make it up to at least some people he wronged. "I'll protect you," he whispered. His lips formed a broken smile, "This time I'll protect my family."

AN: Cue Mushu gif. I live! And this time with a long Sasuhina story. There will be obvious alterations to canon (duh) but I'll try to keep things relatively clear. There will be explanations as we go on. I don't have as much free time as I did when I was writing Buried Desolation so don't expect quick updates like that. I'll write when I can but I do have a general outline which is still changing as I get inspiration. I'll continue with Indigo Chronicles in between just to keep my mind from going stagnant.

Thanks for reading!