It was the breeze of the late summer evening that cooled her feverish cheeks, kissing them until the tears dried and her eyes

It was the rain that woke her.

Hinata stared at it, past the folds of a jacket that smelled of someone familiar, and the warmth of that someone’s arms around her. Her pale eyes glistened like the water that dropped from the heavens, the mist of it splashing against her face despite the jacket that covered her almost completely.

But she was too tall, and held in his arms her legs (shoeless, she noted) were soaked in the water, the cold liquid sliding over her smooth skin, to her heel, dripping off gently.

The cold was soothing, numbing her burning flesh… Kami-sama, it felt like fire.

She was on fire.

Her whimper drew his attention down, his soft breath against her face, and instinctively she tucked her face against him, any part of him, breathing him in as rapidly as if he were her oxygen and she was in danger of suffocating. Her fingers, once limp and hanging tightened around his clothes, fingernails digging into the material fiercely.

The sound of the rain was deafening, louder even than the sound of cars passing by. The flash of their lights made the darkness of her tightly closed eyes explode with angry light that made her throat choke on sounds, half wails and whimpers that made Sasuke’s grip on her tighten, his arms pulling her closer still.

“Hinata-“ his voice was soft, so soft she could hardly hear it from the sound of the pounding rain. It tickled her face and ears as she turned to look at him.

Focus… focus on him…don’t think, don’t breathe, don’t be… it’s okay, focus on him, on him, nothing more…

Her eyes took him in hungrily, the sheer need there making him take a slow breath to control whatever emotion rose to meet her expression.

“I…” she began, her voice a delicate fragile thing like the downy feathers of a newborn owl. “I’m… b-burning….S-sasuke….”

“It’s a fever.” He explained it gently, softly, as she tucked her face against his neck again, her body shivering violently against him.

He said nothing else, cradling the most important thing in his world to his chest as they waited. On either side of him officers stood, just for show. It was unlikely Itachi would be attacking in such a public place. The hospital ambulance entrance was hardly a deserted area in their city.

The street beyond was busy, a hubbub of rushing cars and black umbrellas against the darker gray of soaking buildings. The black pavement glistened with the falling rain, a heavy torrent that had appeared from nowhere and in the distance the rumbling thunder echoed. It was the sound of a hungry beast prowling and it made a shiver slide its way down his spine cruelly.

Damn you, Itachi…

Hinata’s soft lips against the vital vein in his neck made him freeze, very aware that she could feel each rapidly speeding heartbeat from the touch. Her fingers had yet to release his shirt and though she had asked no questions since waking he knew it was partly from the disorientation. Passing out from exhaustion did that.

The doctors had been adamant that all she needed was some food, bathing and rest. She had been under a lot of stress.

It had taken some forceful convincing but Kakashi had managed to get them to let her go home. It was a good thing also, that they had eventually agreed, because Sasuke had already taken her in his arms and with the determined expression of an arrogant Uchiha began to exit the hospital.

It would have been chaos if they had tried to stop him. Mainly after the little stunt the reporters tried as he approached their rabid crowd waiting at the end of the hall….

The hum of a car sliding to a stop at the curve drew Hinata’s pale eyed gaze from under his jacket for a moment, staring at it through the haze of her burning. Things were so confusing and the sound of the falling rain was so thunderous she could hardly understand the words being spoken as Sasuke put her inside, trying unsuccessful to pry her fingers from his clothing. In the end he ended up sliding in quickly afterwards, complying to her crawling back onto his lap like a shivering fearful pup, eyes glassy.

The driver said nothing though his eyes glanced nervously back more than once on the review mirror, studying the pale young man and the girl who clung to him with a mix of curiosity and worry.

It didn’t take a genius to know that the girl was not well. Dark circles hid under her eyes and her face was flushed pink from a fever that was driving her into a state of half consciousness, staring off into space with her head pressed to the young man’s chest, listening intently to the heartbeat there.

In the car the rain was not as loud, she needed something else to drown out the voice of someone she loved very much telling her to leave, possibly forever. His heartbeat drummed, not as chaotically as the rain had, but a steady pulsing throb that echoed through her entire mind, jarring the memories like a house of cards falling apart, unable to focus.

The whisper that he would think her bothersome lingered in her head, like the other voice that told her it was her fault again. There were many voices, all of them whispering insistently so much so that she could not tell them apart, they were one giant crowd screaming a thousand things at once, and all she could do was stare, and watch and listen to the hiss, like the static on a radio set or the roar of a full stadium.

She was glad she could not understand most of it, the bits she could made her fingers tighten around Sasuke’s clothing, her breathing coming in short gasps as the sound of the voice faded into the darkness and left her with the roar of many others she could not grasp. It felt…numb.

Sasuke said nothing, studying her fingers, one of her hands in his, the other in a furious grip on his shirt. The trembling of her body would have been obvious to him even if she weren’t clinging to him, but it was the heat that worried him. It was coming off of her, her flesh not the soothing calmness that it had been even just the night before, like the way summer rain was supposed to be.

His eyes flickered to the window where the storm continued to worsen, darkening the sky prematurely into a deep night.

First he had to take care of her… then he had to deal with the rest.

As the car slowed down in a red light he noted all the dark passing shapes, their hidden faces under umbrellas and hats, coats soaked through with water from the heavens. In the distance the clouds were beginning to thin, the color of the setting sun starting to tinge even the darkness with a bright orange that would deepen into red. If it continued it would look as though the sky could rain blood. He swallowed, the thought was not comforting.

His gaze lingered on that image, straying for a moment down to the trembling body in his arms. She had been dealing with a storm far worse than his own, for far too long already. She had proven to everyone that she was strong, stronger than him, certainly.

But the rain kept pouring, and she was beginning to weaken. A mind can only take so much. The test had to stop, the entire thing had to stop.

It was just a matter of figuring how to get ‘out’ of the storm… that was all.

From where Kakashi stood he could see nothing more but the taillights of the vanishing taxi amongst the falling rain. The red was a glare, like a monster’s gaze on him in the darkness so remarkably impenetrable in the late evening.

It seemed strange that the rain would have come so rapidly and already he could see traces of the clouds moving away, drifting with the cold wind that tugged on their fluffy albeit angry bodies. He eyed the sky with a wary expression, not really thinking about it anymore, more concerned with the young man he had left in the care of the detective inside.

Neji Hyuuga was a pile of threatening nerves. The collapse of his cousin had done nothing to lighten his already foul mood and the detective in charge of the investigation was not exactly a man with careful tact.

Which, Kakashi thought, was a disgusting personality to have when being a detective… perhaps he could stretch his infamous reputation so far as to suggest things into the Commissioner’s head.

Before his thoughts could continue in such a way the sound of the automatic doors sliding open behind him made him turn, eyeing the young girl who approached him with slight wariness.

Ino Yamanaka had changed much since he had last laid eyes on the blonde, from being the obnoxious loud mouth student flirt to the furious hurt thing that walked towards him slowly, hands balled into tight fists at her sides and a cell phone peeking out of the purse slung on her shoulder evidently having just been used to contact family. Or so he hoped, he needed to get her out of the city.

He felt like he almost needed to get ‘everyone’ out of the city. Itachi was a more frightening prospect than he liked to admit to anyone except himself.

Though, at that very moment, Ino Yamanaka looked like a frightening prospect of her own.

Blue eyes surprisingly flat and full of a cold steel he did not like his once student stopped in front of him, arms crossing across her chest allowing the rain to pour down over her head in buckets, plastering her cascade of blonde hair to her head and down her back.

Automatically the teacher extended the umbrella he held in his hand to cover her even though she was a few steps away from him, surprised slightly as she took another step away.

“Iie. Arigatou.”

It sounded somewhat like “Fuck you.” despite the politeness.

“How are you feeling, Yamanaka-san?” Kakashi replied cheerfully, like they weren’t standing outside of the back of the hospital hiding from a rabble of rabid reporters waiting for a bloody traumatizing story.

And like she hadn’t nearly been killed a few hours ago.

“You knew about this.”

Obviously they were not about to stay on topic. Frowning slightly Kakashi let the cheerfulness drop, much faster than he would have had he had a least a dozen cups of coffee that day. As it were he had been spending his time running around talking to Asuma and then trying to find Sasuke all day. There had been no time to stop for a quick Starbucks on the way. And, sadly, all Asuma offered was green tea.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” If the line could have been any more cliché it would have made a camera crew and a soap opera director jump out from hiding spots as he said it.

As it were it only made him wince and Ino’s eyes narrow.

“Why did you and Sasuke return so randomly, sensei?” she enquired softly, eyeing him with distaste. “You think we’re all blind don’t you?” she continued, before he could even formulate a half assed reply.

“You think we can’t see? You think that maybe, just maybe, we haven’t all been asking the questions that were so obvious this entire time.” Her blue eyes brightened for a moment with tears that she didn’t bother shedding. The rain was doing enough crying for the whole planet at that moment.

Kakashi’s frown only deepened slightly, a gnawing sensation beginning in his gut.

Was she speaking the truth, perhaps? Had he really lost his touch so much that he didn’t think the students would wonder about a random blind boy arriving at their school and then vanishing…

…leaving a broken girl behind, no less…

Ino said nothing more, but continued to stare as her old sensei’s expression went through several metamorphic changes from puzzled, to worried to frightened, ripping a cell phone from his pocket so fast his hand hurt.

The girl turned away at the sight of it, a growl of frustration straining through her vocal chords at the rude motion. How dare he…? After everything, how dare he?

She didn’t have to deal with this- as a matter of fact, she wouldn’t. Standing on her toes she waved a hand at the stream of passing cars when a taxi came into view.

“Taxi!”

“Matte!” Kakashi hissed, dragging her hand down sharply as he held the phone to his ear, making her rip her arm away with a hiss of her own to match. “Don’t touch me!”

“Wait half a moment, Yamanaka.” Kakashi snapped, a tone of voice she had not heard making her freeze, staring at him with surprise blatantly blooming on her face.

While the blonde took the time to process he sudden switch in character Kakashi listened intently to the phone as it rung and finally picked up, Asuma’s voice drawling out a lazy “Hello?” that did not match the anxiety in the sensei’s reply.

“Asuma! Its Kakashi-“ he said, cutting off sharply as his friend interrupted.

“Is she okay? Are they okay? You left in such a hurry-“

“Will you shut up and listen for a second?” Kakashi snapped, then lunged to grab Ino’s arm again as she moved to get into a taxi, earning a growled curse that did indeed sound much like her earlier thank you from the irritated girl.

“Hello? Kakashi? I’m listening now, talk, damnit.” Asuma grunted, slight worry showing through his usually lazy mumble.

Instead of replying Kakashi focused on pulling Yamanka backwards from the open Taxi door, waving the puzzled driver away. “It’s all right! Sorry, I’m her teacher, don’t worry! You keep going now, go on, bye bye!” he grunted, trying to control the vicious cat-like thing the blonde had become, struggling and kicking and hissing swear word after swear word in rapid biting snaps.

“…what the hell? Kakashi? Kakashi, what is going on-?”

“Can ANYONE shut up for a moment?!” Kakashi finally shouted, holding the phone with one ear before slipping his arm under Ino’s and pulling, dragging her own backwards at a painful angle that made her stop squirming at once.

Though the repercussion for that was a very loud very furious curse and then the worried slow glances of people driving by.

Not to mention hospital staff peeking from the doorway, heading in his direction as he spoke.

Neji and the other girl, Tenten among them.

I am going to die.

“Ino.” Kakashi hissed, ignoring Asuma for a moment. “Listen. You were right, I did know all along, and for your sake I hope you do exactly as I say. I’m going to let go of you and you’re going to stand there and not move and inch because the man hunting for Hinata may already have the scent of you on his nose. I’m trying to save your life, so sit your butt down on that dry curb over there and shut up.”

The speech was longer than he had anticipated, giving him no time to listen to an agreeable reply from the blonde before the sliding doors opened and Neji stormed outwards, growling. “What is going on here?” he snapped, the moment Kakashi let go of the girl and she stumbled upright, panting slightly.

Asuma had helpfully done as told and shut up, instead listening to make out the vague voices over the phone on the other end.

“Nothing, I uh…” Kakashi began, watching Ino rotating her shoulder slowly to loosen the pained arm before giving him a filthy look that would make milk turn instantly sour.

“Kakashi-sensei…was doing me the favor of teaching me some self defense moves in case that man comes back again.” Ino replied so calmly it sounded more suspicious than not. Her blue eyes met every single gaze that studied her, including Neji and Tenten. “It’s all right.” She stated again, as if to re-enforce the obvious.

Slowly a few of the security officers as well as the hospital staff turned back, giving the duo a few careful glances as they went. Tenten and Neji however remained, looking at Ino expectantly.

Their expectations were not fulfilled however, as the blonde turned and stumbled over to the nearby curb, setting herself down with a deep sigh as she buried her face in her hands tiredly, absolutely silent.

Kakashi stared, surprised by the exact follow up on his orders.

“…so. You.” Neji pointed out with a jut of his chin. “You and I have some talking to do.”

“Do me a favor.” Kakashi cut in quickly, lifting a finger to stop him. “Let me take this goddamn call.”

Without bothering to wait he turned, sighing into the phone with his back to them. “Asuma. Listen. Do you know where Hinata lives?”

“Took you long enough. My ear was growing attached to the damn phone. Yeah, I know where she lives… Why?”

“I sent Sasuke and her home- as in her home, but it’s suddenly occurred to me-“

“…are you stupid, or rusty? Wait, no that equals the same thing. Kakashi, what is wrong with you? He’ll go there first-“

The old sensei pressed a finger to his temple lightly, closing his eyes for half a second. “Yeah. I’m under a surprising amount of pressure. You’re not exactly helping. So. Just go check it out for me.”

“Fine.” The answer was short and irritated, drawing a sigh from Kakashi that was a mix of relief and slight wariness. “Get on with it then. You need to get there before Sasuke and Hinata do.”

“I live five minutes from her, I’ll call her phone if something’s up.”

Without another word he hung up.

Slowly Kakashi turned to face the trio of impatient gazes ready to meet him, surprisingly confident in his sudden actions. Yes, what Ino had said was right… he knew all along, and he had not thought they would have seen it. He had underestimated someone who wasn’t even his enemy. How much worse could the damage be if he had underestimated Itachi?

“Is Hanabi all right?” he muttered, getting right down to business as he approached them, tucking his cell back into his pocket.

Tenten blinked, then nodded slowly. “They sedated her for a while, she was having too many outbursts and they were worried that she wouldn’t sleep or go into shock again.”

“Good, so you all have a few hours rest then. Ino, do you live anywhere near Hinata?” he continued, without even pausing to flinch at the idea that little Hanabi was sedated like an animal.

The blonde stared at him for a long second, one hand holding up her chin. She was soaked through, her clothes sticking to her annoyingly, but it was her stare that had the most impact. It was flat and decisively condescending.

“No.”

“Good. Take Tenten with you and go back to your apartment, pick some things up and then go to your house.” He pointed at Tenten who started, then frowned.

Neji finally snapped, stepping between the pointing teacher and his un-titled girlfriend. “Kakashi.” He growled, stepping into the teacher’s space to point out he meant business. “What the hell are you-“

“I’m trying to save all your lives, damn it. And if you two don’t listen to me now, you may regret it later. It’s not a horrible request, now is it? Go have a godforsaken sleep over for all I care, just stay away from the hospital, Hinata and Ino’s house.” He finally grunted back, his tone less calm, more demanding yet panicked.

Ino turned slowly to Tenten while the two men in their midst stared daggers at each other.

“…I… I did hope you’d be staying with me today.” Tenten began slowly, walking over to her friend and extending her hand. “We might as well go then- Neji-kun?” she sighed, watching him turn, jaw set. “You’ll stay with Hanabi?”

He nodded briefly, noting the dark circles under both the girls’ eyes and their slumped figures. Whatever the hell Kakashi was rambling about it had some merit to it. They should stay together at least for the night.

It was just aggravating having that blasted smug looking idiot tell them what to do like a sergeant.

As the girls drifted back into the hospital to collect Tenten’s things Neji turned back to said sergeant with steel in his eyes, a very decisive expression most people didn’t like to face.

Kakashi stared right back, undeterred. “You had better be ready to explain, Kakashi.”

“Oh you’d better be ready to take it all in, Neji.” His old teacher grunted, shoving past him onto the sidewalk, umbrella in hand still. “You and I are going for coffee and a long talk. Come on. Move.”

The Hyuuga stopped, frowning. “Demo- Hanabi-“

“She’s in a hospital full of people, sedated. I think she’s about as safe as can be for the moment, not to mention half of the police force in the city is having coffee down the hall from her room, so let’s just get this over with, please.”

Kakashi also didn’t mention the fact that two of his very own special guards were walking around the hospital slowly, looking like fathers about to have babies or worried relatives of sick family, melding into the crowds like iguanas, though perhaps more dangerous.

Wordlessly the Hyuuga cousin finally stormed forward after him, brow furrowed with rain and worry that pounded on his head with equal mirth.

Yes, he’d better be ready…

It was the breeze of the late summer evening that cooled her feverish cheeks as it passed through the window, kissing her face until the tears dried and her eyes began to slow their river of sadness.

The softness of the bed was appreciated, a comforting cloud, one that felt familiar, melancholy nostalgia to remind her things could be good… though it also made her wonder if they could go back to that distant past.

The sun was gone already, hidden under the mountains, but it’s light still lingered out over the sky, touching the coming darkness and the clouds that were lingering over them making it light up with violent purples and reds that made her draw in a slow shaky breath.

The red was so deep, so sinister. The red was like blood.

She could hear Sasuke’s voice beneath her, on the second floor of Kakashi’s house, the depth of the silk melody strained as though it were ripping while he argued with her old sensei Asuma.

She could not hear the words but she knew what they were, mostly, closing her eyes slowly as she lay, her small hands still stained with the tears she had been shedding since being carried out of the hospital in Sasuke’s arms.

The lights of the cameras had blinded her as they began to flash, the sight of the sobbing fallen artist making all the reporters hungry for more news that Sasuke promptly did not give. Under police escort they had been driven away, Hinata cradled in Sasuke’s arms like a child.

The world had faded, nothing but a mess of colors and sounds, only the distinct words from Hanabi’s lips echoing shrilly in her head, a broken record she could not turn off.

“Get away!!”

Her body began to tremble again, and she could feel the pressure start in her chest as though something heavy were sitting on her, squeezing the air from her lungs, making nausea rise in her throat.

…Kami-sama…Oka-san…oh please…

The thought never finished itself, lingering on the edge of confusion and hurt she could not name, no words to decapitate the emotion, no way to define the sensation of fire in her chest. She did not know what she would ask God or Mother. All she knew was that she hoped they were there… listening to her half sobbed lamentations.

Whatever they had found in her apartment, she did not care… Sasuke’s expression had been strained when he picked up her cell phone and listened to Asuma’s urgent orders. But she knew it had not been someone else, thanked be Kami it had not been another corpse.

That was enough, it was all she had needed to know.

The sound of the door opening made her close her eyes for a moment, the image of the dark sky lingering in her mind’s eye as he approached, his presence much like the sensation of a Ghost or an imaginary being lingering in the corner of her consciousness.

She would never admit it but she almost expected him to vanish, to have never been there at all. Perhaps she was going insane and pretending that he had returned with the other piece of her heart. The vital part she had handed him on the day he left.

But no, his fingers tracing the dried salty path down her cheek, lingering near her lips and then down her neck made her reach up instinctively, taking his hand in her own, fingers fluttering weakly with the lack of strength.

Where had all her determination gone? Had she shed it with her tears perhaps? The unstoppable torrent of anger and sadness had left her so very drained, so empty.

“…Hinata…” his voice trembled, and she opened her eyes slowly, staring first in slight surprise at the sight of the moon beginning to make itself known in the sky. Slowly she raised her gaze to him, pale eyes still wet and rimmed with soaked lashes.

He was pale, she always seemed to forget how pale he was, but in the twilight between day and night it seemed more obvious. His skin was almost translucent, her faulty thoughts about him being a ghost suddenly not so silly as she watched him, dark eyes accented with worry looking at her, lips pressed into a thin line.

That is what an angel looks like…when it knows not what to do…

He didn’t say anything as he picked her up, ignoring the slight whimper in her voice. It might have been in protest or in pain, for her body ached, or perhaps it was her controlling the tears starting again, but her arms wrapped around his neck none the less, face buried against his neck, breathing him in as if he were an anti poison she needed to devour.

She didn’t even flinch as they entered the bathing room at the end of the hall. She had seen it before, Kakashi never used it, and the maids only cleaned it once in a while for it was usually untouched. The tiles on the floor were pure white, the walls made of smooth stone she could not name, and no mirrors anywhere. Only the old fashioned tub near the window centered in the room, filled already with warm water and something that smelled distinctly of flowers and bright summer days.

“I want you to bathe, and eat something after, okay?” his voice was soft as it whispered in her ear, caressing the soft delicate skin beneath her jaw with his lips. “You’ve been trembling as though from the cold for about an hour.”

Hinata blinked then, realizing she was shaking as he said it, her hands trembling as they clasped around his neck tightly, knuckles white from the tension.

However the idea of being alone only made her hands tighten, eyes clenching closed at the fear that would grow in her belly like sickness.

What a coward she was proving to be…

“…Iie, o-onegai, Sasuke don’t…” she stopped, breathless with the tears working their way up her throat. “…please don’t leave me alone, I beg of you…”

He lowered her feet to the floor as she spoke, reaching up to unclasp her hands from around him gently, eyes closed as well in an attempt to remain calm, to keep the raging heartbeat in his chest a secret.

“Hinata.” He breathed, glancing up to see her cheeks bright with redness, but her eyes filled with desperate tears, her hands gripping his so tightly it almost hurt.

“I’ll be just outside.” His voice was firm although his gaze flickered to the window, making sure the lock was in place and there were curtains there to close.

Hinata followed his eyes, jaw tightening painfully as she figured out what he was doing.

“…w-what did he…?” she paused again, swallowing hard and blinking with equal effort to banish the blurriness of her gaze.

“What did he do at my house?”

Sasuke did not reply, letting go of her to walk towards the window, letting the blinds slide down and cast lines of shadow and moonlight across the tiled room, Hinata’s pale eyes lit brightly by a single strip of light, glittering in the semi darkness.

He paused in awe of her for a moment, breathing in sharply at the look she was giving him, unsure of what it meant.

“We’ll talk about it afterwards.” He replied simply, walking past her slowly, pausing to press his lips gently to her forehead, breathing in the familiar scent of lavender, this time mixed with the salt of tears.

Resigned Hinata shivered, nodding slowly.

“Hai…”

It would have to wait.

“…you’re telling me…” Neji began slowly, closing his pale eyes for a moment to remain calm. Perhaps if he wasn’t staring at the face of his current object of hate he’d be more likely not to commit homicide.

“You’re telling me, that my little cousin is in love with the brother of a mass murderer- a mass murderer who has already killed my uncle and nearly killed Hanabi?” at this point his eyes flickered open without his accord and he stared at the impassive expression of Kakashi, sitting across from him in the diner table, a cup of coffee untouched in front of him.

The old teacher’s eyes looked seriously over the rim of his jacket at the young man, half understanding his confusion and distress, half guarded against his sure anger.

“…I’m afraid so.”

“Fuck you.” Neji hissed rapidly, leaning forward to whisper the words, the pronunciation of each like knives being shoved into Kakashi’s torso. It almost felt like physical blows, making him close his eyes to receive the sensation.

“You let this happen-you might as well have orchestrated the whole damn thing. She didn’t have to help him.” He whispered furiously, his hand suddenly snapping out like a snake to snatch Kakashi’s shirt, dragging him in so their faces were inches apart.

For a moment the two men stared at each other, even though Kakashi’s hands remained limply in his lap, looking back at him regretfully.

For he was right.

“I am terribly sorry.” He replied softly, slowly letting each word linger in the air, the bitter taste of it leaving his mouth almost inducing him to gag.

“You don’t know what sorry is until she dies.” Neji hissed again, throwing him back against his seat, his hands sweaty and fisted as he settled back into his own chair.

“Sasuke is an idiot for returning, Kami-sama himself help him if my cousins die.” Neji growled. “I will hunt him down myself.”

“There was nothing to be done about Sasuke returning, Itachi had already targeted Hinata and your family, his return might have even prevented another death-“

“Except for the fact that my little cousin is the hospital right now accusing her sister of abandoning her he’s done no wrong then.” The Hyuuga retorted quickly, venom dripping from every word. His dislike of Sasuke Uchiha had intensified into a severe hatred, drilling into his body the way pain did, waves and endless waves of it, almost making him sick.

This whole situation was making him sick.

“Do not blame Sasuke.” Kakashi snapped finally, making the eldest of the Hyuugas smirk mirthlessly at him in defiance, though he said nothing.

“Sasuke would kill Itachi right this moment if he had the chance.” The teacher continued coldly, the calculation in his voice making the very air cold. “If the Uchiha brothers are ever in the same room one or both will die, I can guarantee you that. There is no chance for a trial, or any such legal nonsense, the police are wasting their time. Should they capture Itachi- and this is unlikely enough as it is, Sasuke will find a way to slaughter him whether in government custody or not.”

At this Neji paused, frowning at the teacher mildly. “…he does not sound stable at all- more reason for him to stay away from my cousin.”

“Tell me, Neji-san.” Kakashi retorted thinly, frowning at the coffee cup in front of him. “Should Hinata die, how far will you go to avenge her?” his eyes flickered up to see Neji’s face close, a book slammed shut.

“…this isn’t the same situation yet.”

“No?” Kakashi scoffed. “You know nothing of Sasuke. The reason Itachi is a serial killer is because of what he did to his own family- to Sasuke’s family.” He shook his head at the young man before him, unimpressed by his lack of understanding. “His mother, his father, anyone who he saw day to day at his own house was slaughtered, he was left for dead. Sasuke has had more than enough reason to ache for his brother’s death this is simple the cherry on the giant sundae.” He scowled then.

“…why are you telling me any of this now?” Neji growled plainly, hands tight around his mug. “The police would have done it themselves anyway.”

“Nonsense. I’m telling you because there is the chance that you and your family will need to disappear. Itachi is still making moves, but he’s getting too close. I’m not going to risk it. I’m preparing relocation plans for all three of you as we speak.”

“Why don’t you just hand him your godson and let them fight it out the way Sasuke wants to so badly?” Neji finally shouted, standing up.

The waitress and a few other late patrons of the little diner glanced their way warily, confused by the sudden ruckus.

Kakashi frowned up at the Hyuuga, drawing a few rumpled bills from his pocket to pay for the untouched coffees at the table.

“You don’t get it, do you?” he whispered, throwing the money down on the table. “He’s not after Sasuke anymore, Hyuuga.” He growled, leaning in for a moment, eyes flashing cold fire.

“He’s after Hinata… and once an Uchiha sets his mind on something, he’ll die trying to get it.” His gaze defied the young man before him, daring him to contradict.

“We’ve got a nightmare ahead of us, so you’d better scrounge up the little bit of courage and patience you’ve got left, Neji-san. I’m going to need you to cooperate, don’t make me give orders for you to mysteriously vanish without your consent, is that clear?”

For a moment the Hyuuga came to the quick realization of who he was dealing with, the tone of a commander had taken over Kakashi’s voice and considering the serious coolness in his gaze he was not lying.

Without waiting for a reply the teacher turned to head towards the door, pausing with it open for Neji.

“Move, boy.” He growled, nodding towards the dark street outside. “You and I have some planning to do.”

And though the word boy made Neji clench his teeth in frustration he obeyed, stepping outside into the night sky with his hands clenched into fists and a frightening feeling flowering in his gut.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out when things are way over his head.

The warmth of the water had seeped into her bones and made the trembling seize, at least from the cold.

Hinata stared dully at the floating bubbles around her, watching them swirl with mixing colors in the dim light of the bathroom, the sound of the rain coming back pelting the little window with it’s fingers the only sound aside from her breathing and the murmurs from downstairs.

She hadn’t known what to do with herself when Sasuke had exited the room, trembling in the cold tiled square for a few minutes before coming to the realization that she had to remove her clothes and then stumble into the water.

The trembling of her hands had gotten so bad that the obstacle of removing her bra had taken a few minutes on it’s own, but in the cold of the room she realized that the burning of her flesh was slowing down to a smoldering simmer.

She was no longer on fire… at least not anymore.

Breathing in slowly Hinata lowered herself down so that the water lapped over her mouth and nose, tickling her cheeks, her hair floating like spilled oil across the water’s surface.

The room echoed, not with any noise she made but with her thoughts, silent agonized screaming from one area to another.

The screaming tended to have words, she had stopped paying attention to them, and began to focus on their spelling, their texture, their colors. How would the words look, if she took a brush to them?

One would be red, smooth, silk…it would wrap around something and it would strangle, and tighten and cling and it would kill.

Another would be velvet, warm velvet against sweaty skin, with sharp edges and a painful aftertaste.

She closed her eyes then, standing up and letting the water splash down from her body in rivulets. Slowly she climbed out of the tub, finding it easier than getting in since her body was no longer shaking, at least not as often.

From time to time she would be overtaken by a terrible trembling that made her unstable, but she knew where that came from.

It was when her mind lingered on a name, a brother’s name.

Stowing the thought away Hinata grabbed a towel, pressing it to her face and beginning the slow careful process of drying. Everything was slow and careful now, properly done and methodical. Her entire mind focused on just the one thing.

Nothing else mattered, at least for a moment, just one moment.

There was a shirt she recognized as Sasuke’s sitting neatly folded on top of another pile of towels and a pair of brand new pajama pants, also men’s. They would be too big and swallow her whole but the thought of his smell and familiarity around her made her drag the objects up more eagerly than she had done anything in days.

Trembling she pulled herself into the clothes, braiding her hair as she walked slowly back towards the door, eyes lowered to the ground until she caught sight of the door frame.

On the other side was Sasuke.

She stared at it for a moment, focusing once more on just one thought.

Sasuke.

Don’t cry… if you find out it was all a dream… and he never came back- or never existed in the first place.

Her eyes lingered on the doorknob, still and silent.

“I’ll be right outside.”

Maybe he wasn’t. She didn’t trust any of her thoughts anymore. Was that the prelude to insanity? Severe paranoia?

Her hand didn’t shake as she turned the door knob, but her heart was doing odd twisted things in her chest that were more familiar but disgustingly painful still. There would be no getting used to the feel of having her entire existence threatened by the presence or lack of presence of another.

If she ever got out of the mess she was in, she’d paint something about relationships.

The hall was dimly lit, but his figure seemed bright anyway, leaning against the opposite door, staring off to the right for a moment until he realized the door was open.

In that moment on stillness she could see the frown on his face, slight and still beautiful, his eyes which she had yet to get used to reminded her briefly of the hot coals over campfires, dark and yet heated on the inside.

But the image fluttered and faded like feathers against the tough tug of a breeze as he registered her presence, a careful anxious expression straining to control his features as he approached, taking her face in his hands gently.

Her skin was smooth, and warm still from the bath, the smell of soap and gentle jasmine tingeing her usual lavender. She was no shaking, and though she was warm she was not burning.

And, more importantly, she was looking at him, directly.

And she was actually seeing him.

Her eyes didn’t fill with tears, even though it felt like her heart did, at the sudden relief that no, she had not been imagining him all along, she hadn’t been dreaming and though the dream was really a nightmare he was in it… she would have almost preferred the nightmare if he really wasn’t there in her reality.

But he was, there holding her face in his hands staring, as if searching for something.

“How are you feeling?’ he asked slowly, stowing away all startled replies to the nerve wrecking intense stare he was receiving. Hinata was not one to be commonly intense, and rarely nerve wrecking.

“…I’m….I’m glad you’re….here.” her voice was whisper thin as she stated it, with as much conviction as a sleepless hungry frightened girl could without crying.

“I’m glad y-you came back.”

He stared some more, lowering his hands down to his sides for a moment as she continued to study him, finding that little whisper of doubt that she knew was in his mind, and had unconsciously picked up on. The need to run away again, maybe taking his brother with him.

It’s all my fault. The whisper said in his head. I did this to her.

“Don’t leave me again.” She did not stutter that time.

He said nothing for a moment, and though she could see the thoughts shooting like stars through his black sky gaze she didn’t know what they were, only that they were there.

He nodded however, once. A brief slow movement before pressing his lips to hers and sending her dark dazed mind into an explosion of fireworks.

It drowned out the voices, silenced the screams, it wiped away the paintings of the words and more importantly it made her heart ache.

A different kind of ache, one she could stand, and for a moment nothing else truly mattered, because she was still alive.

Itachi had not won yet.

HOLY. CRAP.

I am the most sorry person on the planet… I cannot believe that I left you guys hanging for so long please don’t stone me to death!

I was actually in the heaviest block I’ve experienced in some time while writing this. So it’s crappy, I know. It’s also a little rapid and uneventful, I know that too. But the next one is better.

… you still all love me right?

Aside from having a full time job now, studying Japanese, preparing for the three day novel writing contest and a half dozen other things I’ve tried hard to focus on this too.

You can understand why it’s taken me so long, right?

But do not worry! I have come back! It seems as though the block is gone and though the Hinata/Sasuke characters feel a little unfamiliar to me (I’m sure you noticed weird things going on) I’m getting it back.

Please be kind…

Leave me some love, ne?

-inky