I have returned! I hope you enjoy the new story and I hope you review. As always, I don't own Naruto. -Love, Leyla10

Chapter 1: Among the Living

There he stood, once again, staring upon death. Hands at his side, breath steady, mind numb—there was no need for alarm. Death was his companion. He knew it well.

Tsunade's hands dripped crimson tears, soaked with the blood of his fallen comrade. His lifeless body was unresponsive to her desperate attempts to restore life.

She worked fervently, passionately, blindly.

Sasuke felt the urge to reach out and slap her, slap her into understanding that it was a futile effort. Naruto was dead. He was dead from the beginning…from the moment they became friends, from the moment they became brothers. He was dead because wherever Sasuke went, death followed. No one was safe. His family, his friends—it was destiny.

Tsunade let out what looked to be a gasp.

Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

He could not hear her sharp intake of air. In fact, he couldn't hear anything at all. He could not hear Sakura's shrill screams. He could not hear the words of comfort Kakashi whispered into his ear. He could not hear the sound of his heart beating against his chest.

He lifted his hand to his chest to ensure that his heart was still functioning as it should, hand grazing the soft cotton shirt he had haphazardly pulled on earlier that night. His hand rested there for a moment before he felt a sturdy thud emerge from the stillness. Sure enough, he was alive. Ever a loyal friend, death passed him over…again. Warm blood still coursed through his body. Air still flowed through his lungs. He would still see the sun rise in the morning and the stars glitter at night. He was still roguishly handsome. He was still a genius shinobi.

He was still damningly alive.

And upon realizing this, only one thought passed through his mind.

His eyes hardened, his fist clenched, and he muttered chillingly:

"Who did this?"

Despite feeling warm, Hinata's body trembled.

Her sister held her tightly, rocking her steadily back and forth, combing her fingers through her long, damp hair, interpreting her shivers as a sign of coldness.

Hinata melted into Hanabi's loving arms, eyes wide and expression blank. A frigid drop of water fell from the ceiling and onto her wrist. She let it run its course freely, down the back of her hand and the length of her fingertips before finally falling upon the decomposing, wooden floor below.

The Hyuuga cellars were centuries old, buried deep beneath the Hyuuga compound and accessible only to those bearing the name Hyuuga. Upon arriving home, frantic and in disarray, Hinata was met by her father and cousin. Worried looks passed between the two men as she hysterically explained to them what had transpired that night. Soon after, she was ushered into the cellar…into hiding.

Neji attended to the two girls dutifully. Though, duty aside, his earnest desire was to help his cousin. There was little he could do though. There was little that she'd let him do. Her clothes bloodied, he had offered to retrieve her some clean ones. She had refused softly, inexplicably. He had offered her some hot tea to calm her nerves. But again, she declined his help. He had offered a whole host of hospitalities, but she was resigned to refuse them all.

Defeated, he sat upon a large barrel of wine, one leg propped against it and the other resting upon the floor. He had recently returned from some Hyuuga function with Hiashi, formal black robes still adorning his body. He looked handsome, handsome to the point of absurdity given the situation. It was the one thing Hinata could always count on though that Neji would always appear to be pristine and collected, even when the situation was desperate. His face never seemed stressed, nor riddled with lines of worry. His body language was always smooth and confident. Yet, tonight, his poised demeanor was betrayed by his fingers, which uncharacteristically fiddled about.

"Are you cold," he asked for the third time that night. Hinata's trembles had not escaped his notice either and he longed to rid her of any discomfort.

She shook her head. "I'm not cold," she whispered. "I'm warm."

"You're shivering," Neji replied softly.

Hinata's eyes narrowed. "Am I?"

She hadn't realized the small tremors shaking her body, but it didn't matter. Nothing, no sign in the world could convince her that she was cold. She was warm. He was cold. His hands were cold. His lips were cold. His eyes, his beautiful blue eyes that were the warmest eyes she had ever beheld in her entire life, were cold. She was certain that she could never feel that cold. She was certain that she had never known coldness before that night. No, she was not cold. She was alive. Naruto was dead.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Hiashi-sama," Koi tapped sheepishly upon the door to Hiashi's study. "You have a visitor at the main gate. Nara Shikamaru."

Hiashi stood, maintaining the air of nobility that seeped effortlessly from his pores. He had been expecting this visit. He was prepared for this visit. He smoothed out his stately, formal robes and inhaled deeply.

Though he loved his village, he loved his daughter more.

"Remember Koi, nothing is wrong." Hiashi placed a firm, reassuring hand upon Koi's shoulder. "Your face must tell that story at all times."

Koi nodded, attempting to compose his grieved facial expression.

"Tell Neji it's time," Hiashi commanded plainly as he headed towards the courtyard.

The Hyuuga leader passed through his home, beautifully adorned and rich with history, knowing that he would not be sleeping there tonight. He would be arrested, maybe for conspiracy, maybe for murder itself. It did not matter. Tonight he would not be acting as the head of the Hyuuga clan. He would be acting as a father.

Reaching the open air of the courtyard, he noted how humid and thick the atmosphere was. It was a physically uncomfortable and ominous summer night. And the moon was high and full in the sky. His eyes fell upon Nara Shikamaru, accompanied by a group of masked ANBU, hardened expression gracing his typically bored face.

"I've heard the news," Hiashi called out as he approached. "What is to be done about the Hokage's death?"

"You mean his murder," Shikamaru replied, accusatory tone unmistakable, though masked beneath a bored drawl. "I'm surprised you didn't feign ignorance of his dying altogether."

"That would be a foolish lie," Hiashi replied, brow unwavering and unaffected by Shikamaru's implications. "Trust me Nara, I will be making no foolish mistakes tonight."

Shikamaru scoffed. "I told Tsunade-sama as much, yet here I am."

The young shinobi shifted, preparing to play a game that he was certain was going nowhere.

"Hyuuga-sama, we're here to search the premises."

"Are you?" Hiashi countered. "What reason could you possibly have to do so?"

A knowing smirk crossed Shikamaru's lips. Hiashi played his role well, believably. It was no surprise to Shikamaru though. According to his father, the Hyuuga leader was quite a Shoji tactician himself, thoughtful and steady. The two aged men rarely played together, probably because the Hyuuga felt that he was so far beyond the Nara's station in life. Be that as it may, Shikaku never referred to Hiashi in a disparaging way. Quite the opposite, he spoke of his goodness and his unwavering integrity. The only fault Shikaku saw in Hiashi was that the village came third in his list of priorities. Other than that, Shikaku respected him, and therefore, Shikamaru respected him as well.

"You know as well as I do that we're here to search for your daughter Hyuuga Hinata." Shikamaru let out a labored sigh. "She is wanted for the murder of the Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto."

"What?" Hiashi's face hardened.

"I told you that we're here to—"

"Get off my property."

"Hyuuga-sama, we—"

"Must I repeat myself," Hiashi interrupted again, fuming. "I have no time for your idiotic blathering. To think that Hinata is even capable of such a thing is foolish. You spit upon my daughter's good name. I will hear none of it. And furthermore, I will not also allow you to defile my good home with your disrespect and insolence."

"We are prepared to enter by force," Shikamaru countered.

Hiashi couldn't help but to chuckle.

"You may try," he smiled wryly, confidently, "but doing so would be a mistake. My daughter has not returned home tonight. I have no knowledge of her whereabouts, but I can assure you that she is not here. So you see, your search would be fruitless." Hiashi sighed audibly. "But I know you will not take my word for it, so allow me to offer a more persuasive reason why you should get the hell off my property."

Hiashi leaned forward to look the young shinobi in the eye, a threatening glean reflecting from his own. "The shinobi base in this village is 35% Hyuuga. I know you're a skilled strategist, so consider well what this village would be without the Hyuuga clan, without 35% of its most skilled ninja. The leaf has been a good home to us, but I make you one guarantee Nara. If you enter my home tonight, the Hyuuga clan will exit this village forever."

Shikamaru smirked. It was such a Hyuuga move, the gall, the absolute arrogance of it all.

"Tsunade-sama thought you might respond as such." Shikamaru replied blandly. "It is your right to protect your home, but it is Tsunade's right to arrest whomever she wishes. For that reason, we're placing you under arrest for conspiracy to kill the Hokage."

"Fine." Hiashi replied plainly. "My home is still off limits to you."

He approached Shikamaru as he relinquished himself into custody.

"Next time," he whispered in Shikamaru's ear, "we don't need to go through the formalities. If your true intention is to separate me from my daughter, just do so and arrest me without the bullshit."

Shikamaru smirked. "Hai, Hyuuga-sama."

Warm air whipped past Hinata's flush face. It was a cursedly humid night, a night that would be better spent dipping in the cool waters of her favorite lake. But that was not an option now. Now her only option was to run. Konoha was no longer safe. Her home was no longer a refuge. So she would have to endure the harsh traveling conditions, pass through hell itself, to get to safety.

Her breath was ragged and her heart beat erratically as she jumped from limb to limb.

"Faster Hinata-sama," Neji beckoned her from ahead. "We must hurry."

"Hai," Hinata replied breathily as she struggled to match Neji's pace. She was a shinobi, her fitness was typically unaffected by such thick air. However, given the circumstances, tonight was a different story.

As she and Neji departed the compound, it appeared that they might make it out without being discovered. Unbeknownst to the villagers, there was an escape passage hidden deep below the village stemming from the Hyuuga compound and extending beyond the village's outer limits. The Hyuuga's extraordinary eyesight allowed them to access the trails with pinpoint precision. Any other shinobi attempting to phase through the ground to access the trails would eventually find themselves lost, trapped beneath thousands of feet of rock and earth.

Neji and Hinata had used the trails to escape. When the trail ended, they phased above ground and set a maddening pass to completely exit the fire country. They thought they had made it. Then they realized that they were being followed.

Hinata had noticed first, her range being superior to Neji's.

She stopped, dismayed.

Neji stopped as well, face still composed and unwavering.

He grabbed her, and, uncharacteristically, hugged her tenderly.

"This is what I'm here for, to protect you," he murmured into her ear. His grasp tightened. They lingered for a moment, appropriate words escaping them. She clung to him, taking in his scent as if it were for the last time, not wanting to release him into the dangers of the night, dangers that she herself had caused.

"Neji—"

"Go Hinata-sama," he interrupted her, trying to make their separation as painless as possible. "Run to safety. Believe in yourself, you'll make it out of this."

With that he turned, still wearing his formal black robes, fine black fabric lofting up in the wind behind him. Before Hinata could realize it, he was gone. He was gone to face whatever threat was approaching. She cursed herself. Remorse filled her soul as she contemplated the things Neji would have to endure to protect her. Now she had to get away successfully. If she failed, his sacrifice would be in vain.

She set off in the opposite direction of Neji, attempting to keep the pace he had set before. However, despite herself, she could not. The stresses of the night and her altered mental state caused her heart to thump viciously against her ribcage and labored her breath to the point where each intake of air was accompanied by a twinge of pain. And it was unmistakable…

…her pace was slowing…

An hour passed.

Then two.

The border to the fire country was approaching. Though it was not her final destination, it was some small comfort that she had made it thus far. It inspired her to push on, to run harder. She could see the border in her mind's eye.

'I can do this,' she encouraged herself. 'I can…'

Suddenly, she stopped.

Her eyes widened.

Her breath hitched.

Her head hung low.

She realized there was no point in running anymore. Someone was coming. He was coming. Her cousin had failed. A ninja strong enough to defeat Neji, she had no chance.

She stood, frozen. Her hair was matted to her skin, the humidity causing thick beads of sweat to roll down her flush skin. Her jacket was still covered with Naruto's blood, though it was no longer a deep shade of red. It had dried into shades of black. Her eyes were empty. Her mouth was taut. What could she feel at this moment? What should she feel?

Slowly she turned around.

Her eyes met his.

He approached her slowly, eyes as empty as hers.

"I didn't kill him," she murmured softly.

She felt a kunai plunge into her left shoulder. She didn't react to the pain. She didn't react to the adrenaline telling her to run. She only murmured again.

"I didn't-"

"Defend yourself Hyuuga," Sasuke interrupted, leering at her, Neji's blood splattered upon his shirt. "Or you'll die."

Review Peeps!