Title: Shut your Mouth and Open your Eyes

Pairing: Sasuke X Hinata

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, etc. (shall apply to ever chapter)

Synopsis: Nearly killed on a mission, Hinata is saved by the last person she'd even suspect, Sasuke. Lacking the will to report their encounter, Hinata's true intentions fade to grey when she must return Sasuke's favor.

(1/2/09) A/N: I rewrote this after I accidentally deleted chapter 3 from my computer. Reviews?

"It's better to burn out than fade away," Kurt Cobain

Chapter One: Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner

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He'd been killed.

No, that description of his fate is far too general. The victim's spine, the entire vertebrate; had been ripped right out of him; the cadaver, albeit bloody, left to decompose on the forest's floor. Standing still out of sheer horror; I didn't need my byakugan to realize the murderer was still in the vicinity.

Even as a well-rounded ninja, I always lacked the steel nerves needed to handle such gruesome situations. So at the time, I couldn't help but let the jeopardy of my own well being-preoccupy my mind. So much, in fact, that when the real threat approached me from behind, delicately brushing his blade against my jugular; I found myself unprepared.

"What a pretty young thing," he muttered into my ear; and I took note of his voice, it possessed a shrill, well defined timbre.

"Didn't your daddy tell you it's not safe to wander in the woods alone?" My father told me to pulverize scum like you; but I dared not to utter such a phrase.

With his weapon still pressed dangerously close to my artery, the attacker began to reach under my Shinobi gear, his coarse, calloused hands brushing my warm, alabaster skin. Oh God - ran through my head. This wasn't going to happen to me; or was it?

Slowly moving my left hand, which had been free from harm, I attempted to reach my distress radio, if only I could send a signal...

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, love."

And in one swift movement, he slashed my right cheek. Wincing in pain, I could feel warm, crimson liquid hemorrhaging from my face.

"Red suits you well, don't you agree, love?" At that moment, I wouldn't have been surprised to learn he was death personified. Well, if that were the case, wouldn't he rather engage in a peaceful game of chess?

"Now, where were we?" Pinning my body to the ground, he brought his mouth to my neck. Viciously sucking on my skin, I shuddered as bruises formed. Though I knew I'd regret it, I decided to play into his game. It was the only way.

As his hands dug into my back, I could feel him pushing against my legs. In a risky moved, I reached for my distress radio, while pretending to disrobe myself. SOS, it was my only change.

"I love it when naïve sheep try to outwit a fox."

And just like that, he jammed his weapon into my chest. Though my gear took a decent portion of the impact, the blade had penetrated my armor, and without proper medical attention my future was looking grim.

Wait... I could see a figure, it was another Shinobi, I was sure of it. Closing my eyes, as my body was slowly engulfed by fatigue, I noticed a slight abnormality. His eyes, they were red as my blood.

"I'm alive," was the first though to register in my mind. Jolting upright, my hands reached down to my abdomen, and I ran my index finger across my solar plexus. No injuries, not a medical dressing on me. Though my thoughts may have been foggy, I was able to realize the situation was not quite right.

Was I dreaming? Observing my unfamiliar surroundings, I highly doubted that possibility. Bringing my knees to my chest, I realized I'd been brought to a deteriorated cabin; it's corroded wood likely contributing to the room's musky oder.

"Hinata, I hope everything is to your liking," a distant voice stated. Wait, how'd he... Gazing up in awe, my ivory white eyes reflected vermilion.

It was... "Sasuke...?" Tilting his head, my former classmate smirked in acknowledgment.

"You...you were the one that saved me?"

"You seemed to be having so much fun with your 'playmate'. Unfortunately, when I tried to join in, things didn't go so well..."

So he had been the one to save me. Of course, once I had that established, my thoughts quickly drifted to his motives.

"But why?" That answer, however, didn't come to me for a long time.

"Kabuto, he healed your wounds. You lost a significant amount of blood." Nodding, I could feel myself fluster. He's the enemy now; if my superior's were here, they'd want me to eliminate him. Why did he save me? What purpose did I serve to him? As a sinking feeling developed in my stomach, I slowly figured out why. My byakugan.

"Orochimaru will never obtain the byakugan; even if I must destroy myself to ensure so!" I never assumed I'd resort to such a thing, but my bloodline was on the line, and I couldn't bring shame to my clan. I had to protect it.

"Don't jump to such ridiculous conclusion. Orochimaru has nothing to do with this." In a blink of an eye, Sasuke materialized beside me. "I saved you out of my own will, now don't make me regret my decision." Instantly shutting my half-open mouth, I bowed my head.

"I fully understand, Sasuke-sama."

The urn had shattered, sending tiny fragments of glass splintering throughout the perimeter. Like shrapnel, the projectiles struck with an underestimated force, injuring those unfortunate enough to be near the scene. The wind, unusually strong for such a balmy day, carried the ash away; however, the putrid scent of human remains still lingered.

I had witnessed the scene from a hillside, yet I couldn't believe the culprit of such blasphemy; a young girl. Her eyes, dark and calculating, didn't seem to pick up on my observations, so I continued watching as she revealed a flute from her sari.

With her long, scrawny fingers, the girl gracefully procured a tune; one that drifted like the ash she dared to scatter.

As she continued, serpents, which are plentiful in Sound, began to gather. Slithering in unison with the music notes, the snakes lurched forward. They were dancing.

Transfixed by the performance, it took me a few seconds to realize she'd stopped. Not only stopped, the girl had disappeared and the snakes dispersed.

"Hello? Uh.. girl?" With my eyes, I could spot her sneaking into the nearby brush,and I found myself following girl. She seemed so innocent; untouched by the perils of Sound. I wanted to know her secret; that of survival.

Unfortunately, no such discourse could ever occur. There were things not even my Byakugan could decipher.

I'd caught up to the girl, however, when she opened her mouth in protest, and intriguing tongue spilled from her lips. Unlike the nigh-lyrical tempo of western speech, this language was entirely different; exotic.

"It's no use," A male voice stated in the distance. I knew it was Sasuke, even before I used the Byakugan.

"The girl isn't what she appears. She's a djini from the Great Deserts of the Middle Lands. Given as appeasement to Orochimaru by a local Feudal Lord."

As a child, my father would tell me stories before I drifted to sleep; and I'd cherish every tale. The one involving wish-granting specters had become a favorite.

Eying the girl, I knew there was no-way she could be such a being. Impossible. For starters, where was the magic lamp?

"Do you think she'd grant my wish to go home?" Sasuke's eyes flickered red as he took my hand and lend me back up to the hill.

"Don't go thinking you can leave here without any consequences." Had he threatened me?

"I'm a Leaf-nin; I have no purpose for being here. Yeah, so you saved my life, that doesn't mean I'm bound to you like that girl to her master." Covering my mouth, I inwardly embraced one of my few outbursts. Perhaps the situation had done some good for me..

"You'll be permitted to leave when it's the correct time. For now, just enjoy the afternoon's abnormally mild weather; Sound is such a cold place." In so many ways...

Leaving me alone on the grassy hill, I leaned back and watched Sasuke run off into the horizon.

It was as if Sasuke's departure was some sort of signal, because seconds after he left, the girl, I mean dijini, approached from behind.

"Do you understand me?" She didn't reply; however, her clear, precocious eyes analyzed my own, as if she could see through me like how I could 'literally' see right through her.

Sighing, the dijini bowed her head and uttered ".لا أفهم" At the time, I assumed she couldn't understand me... somewhat ironic, since now I know she knew me better than I knew myself.

"Hinata-san, you have still neglected to explain the full circumstances of your occupation in Sound," the ANBU interrogated; unrelated, he is quite handsome behind that required mask of his.

"They didn't experiment on me, or hold me down and extort Hyuuga secrets, if that is what's concerning you."

Behind his mask, the ANBU furrows his eyebrows, before forming a sly smirk. "I see, well I guess you'll have no problem explaining said details to your father." Now that's a conversation I'd 'never' like to experience.

Maybe I should have stayed a hostage.

"I'd like to speak with Tsunade-sama, if you don't mind. In fact, I'll 'only' disclose my experience with the Hokage."

Though his visibly annoyed face is shielded behind a mask, his trembling hands make his temperament quite obvious to the other ANBU in the interrogation, who've apparently decided to remove him from the room. It's a shame, too, he was the only eye-candy left.

"So," raising an eyebrow, I challenge the remaining ANBU, "will you get me the Hokage, or not?"

Nodding among themselves, they apparently come to an agreement. "We're going to leave for now, see what we can do for this 'special' situation."

Exiting the room, the ANBU do not neglect locking the door, to my displeasure.

If anyone else had experienced what I had, ANBU wouldn't have reacted to this extreme. I guess, since I changed so much since then, it raised some sort of alarm; as if Orochimaru replaced me with a doppelgänger or something.

I wonder when they'll just accept that 'I' was my own catalyst, and not some harrowing ordeal, 48 hours of torture thing.

Through the walls, I spot the ANBU approaching, with someone else accompanying them. My father.

I hope they don't expect me to go on while he's in the room, 'cause then I'll be forced to censor the good parts.