Forget Me Not

Summary: After a mysterious attack on Konoha, the one man who knew the attackers loses all recollection of the event. Left to heal in the Hyuuga compound, under the care of a young girl, can the daughter of the clan leader revive his lost memory? Hinata/Kakashi.

Disclaimer: Misashi Kishimoto and me are tight. He would have let me have the characters if I asked. I just thought I'd be nice and let him keep them. I regret it every day…

A/N: Hello all!

We are the Mysterious Members, but seperately I am known as Emerald Elf-Slytherin707 here on fanfiction, and my associate here is Jaggarte. J and I will be taking turns writing the chapters, and this is the first ensallment, which I wrote.

The story will be a Hinata/Kakashi fic (my first het! As I am a yaoi writer by nature), we're aiming for about 20 chapters, and they could get pretty lengthy. Sorry I made this first one so short, but Jaggarte is working on the next one, and believe me - J can waffle on.

Anyway! On with the story.

Kaishi: A new beginning.

Chapter 1: Kaishi

White.

That was the first thing he noticed.

A blinding, opalescent white - overwhelming his senses, as he struggled to push through the haze that shrouded his mind.

Then it was the noise.

The scrapping of metal wheels, falling of footsteps on the floor below, snippets of the voices that spoke above him, behind, surrounding him.

"The blade... too deep-"

"-Shut up!... Have to get him... immediately!"

The sensation of movement rattled every nerve in his body, the speed with which he traveled, immobile, further distorting his impaired sense of reality - but he was unconcerned. The never-ending white continued to swim around him, and he was lost to it, as the voices began to fade away - and for one moment, he ceased to exist.

Before a sudden pain rocked his being.

He might have cried out. All he knew was the sudden intense thumping of his heart, and the rush of adrenaline, as his eyes shot open - and had he stopped breathing for a moment?

The swirl of the colours, the confusion, and the sudden volume to which the voices had risen around him, all served to send ricochets of that intense pain piercing through his body – as he felt the point of a needle drawing out of his chest, where it had been plunged.

The white was gone now, replaced with the uncomfortable sensations of his body - the soreness of his eyes, the ache in his muscles - as he found himself without the will to move.

"Where..." Was that him speaking? It might have been his voice, except it sounded so dry and hoarse - and he hadn't spoken, struggling as he was to recover any memory of his whereabouts. "The attack..."

"Kakashi," A face so close to his, their expression endlessly relieved, gazing down to him as they spoke a name he didn't recognize. "The assault on Konoha has ended, you were injured-"

"Kakashi," A woman's voice this time, and another face, stern now, booming from above him as it seemed to demand his attention with an urgency he could not relate to. "Who was it you saw? Who was attacking us?"

The crash of doors sounded behind him, and his heart was pounding, the creaking of the wheels as they suddenly stopped still - and he supposed that he must have been laying on his back, on a table most likely - and he was in a hospital room.

The hospital... because he had been injured? The pain...

"Hurts..." He rasped.

The woman who had spoken growled under her breath irritably.

"Tell me who it was, Hatake!"

Blearily he shifted his gaze over to her, and her expression was furious, as she then grabbed his shoulder - sending sharp pain shooting through his chest, and he shouted with agony.

"Tsunade!" Another voice seemed to reprimand her, and yet it took a moment for her grip on his shoulder to loosen, ebbs of pain continuing to flow through him. "His heart is going to stop if you do not-"

"Fine. Prepare the anesthesia." She continued to grumble, and then her presence seemed to drift away from him - and he had to strain to hear the last of her words. "Any information we loose is on your head, Hiashi."

The colours were slipping away from him again then, the pain numbing, and his fear ceased too with the pounding of his heart; the voices dulled until he could no longer hear them - slow at first, and then suddenly, he was gone again.

But the familiar, comforting white did not return.

She had to hurry.

The damage had been done, Konoha was recovering, and the clan was sent into a confusion of turmoil – as the great congregation room was filled to bursting with the angry voices of a thousand white-eyed men and women.

"The gate has been compromised, we must take action-!"

"-Yes, yes, but Konoha has ANBU to take care of that! The clan needs to concentrate on our own borders-"

"-And what of those of us that are both a member of this clan, and an ANBU of Konoha, Gorou? What do you suppose-"

"- Of course we must serve our duty to the village! But our loyalties lie with the clan! We must protect the main family-"

The girl hesitantly made her way through the rowdy crowd, mindful of every step, as she weaved through the groups, both standing and sitting, of enthusiastically arguing elders. The children had long been put to bed, and only those of age, only those who could fight and had fought, were now present; as verbal war raged within the Hyuuga complex.

"-It is not that simple! We cannot expect the Hokage to accept our reluctance, even in the name of the clan-"

"-But we can send those of the branch! Let them focus on the village's needs, while the rest of us here-"

Suddenly, the sound of a large gravel falling on wood at the front of the room ceased the overlapping arguments – startling the girl, as the group at large turned to gaze at the man that stood before them; his eyes, the same as their own, imploring their undivided attention.

"My lords and ladies," The man's voice was deep and calm as it cut through the room, and all turned to face him - he was the leader of the clan, after all, and it was his word that they had been waiting for.

A moment of silence reigned, as the last of the room's whisperings died out, and the long-haired man raked his gaze over the occupants of the chamber. When he spoke again, his voice carried over the room unchallenged.

"I have surveyed the aftermath of the battle." He announced, his tone serious and demanding. "Konoha has taken much damage, and the assistance of the Hyuuga will be needed."

The girl shrunk back in one corner of the chamber, as the voices of the crowd picked up again at the man's words, many pleading for their leader's understanding, some rising from their seats and crying out for the man's attention.

"But, my lord!" One loud voice spoke from the back of the congregation room as they stood, one arm raised. "In a time such as this, where our opponents are unknown, should we not focus instead on the preservation and protection of the clan?"

Many shouts, both in agreement and argument, followed – the noise of the room peaking – before another stood and spoke over the rest.

"The clan is undeniably the priority, but we are citizens of Konoha! We are loyal to the Hokage! It is not as though the enemies are at our gates!"

Even louder voices, more prominently of disagreement now, gave spark to the air, as angry shouts were exchanged – only to be silenced when the leader, raising his hand calmly to quiet them, redirected their attention once again; and the girl gave a sigh, as she was relieved by the sudden quiet.

"All of these things are correct." He placated the room, "But until any attack is made directly against the Hyuuga compound, we must make Konoha the point of our focus. Our enemies will come to be known in time." Little challenge was made against these words, except for the few expected scoffs, and when once again it was silent – the man continued. "Furthermore, we have a duty more important than that of our assistance to Konoha."

An element of surprise rippled through the crowd, and the girl peered up to their leader with a bashful curiosity.

One hand rose into the air questioningly, a soft feminine voice following. "What could be more important, my lord?"

The stoic man took a moment to reply, his tone gathering influence. "A jounin, injured in battle, has been placed in our care." He announced, as whisperings of intrigue erupted. "It has long been the custom of Konohagakure, that the most powerful clan would house the weak and injured of the village's elite. With the fall of the Uchiha clan some years ago, we must take up the mantle."

Enthusiasm was given in response to these words, nods and 'here, here's from the great majority, and man was pleased.

"But who is it that we house, Lord Hiashi?" One man asked, and all eyes turned in wonderment to the man.

The girl strained to peer over the shoulders of those before her, as a silence swept over the room, and her eyes locked onto those of her father for the first time.

Hiashi smiled proudly, his back straight, and shoulders squared.

"Hatake Kakashi."

A/N: Terribly short, isnt it? Don't worry, my chapters being too short will soon be the least of your problems. 'o.o

Anywho, I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of the story to come, and any suggestions, questions, or messages of burning hate can be sent in review form!

Over and out.

-Emerald-