Chapter 6: disappearance

The news was propagated in the village at a fulgurating speed, and the ninjas precipitated at Hokage’s room to obtain confirmation.

Hinata disappeared.

While distributing the places of research between the different Ninja, the fifth Hokage tries to reconstitutes this strange disappearance.

Hinata, Kiba and Shino were training in one of the practice field  close to the forest. All was well, Kiba and Shibo knocked on the wooden barrels , Hinata had sat down a little to rest. Then Kiba had seen that Hinata wasn’t here any more.He was’nt worried first of all, she could be further in the clairiere or sitted hidden by a bush in the shade. But after 20 minutes, he still didn’t see her, and he decided to go to research her with Akamaru... But Akamaru didn’t manage to find the trace of Hinata,  even starting from the place where Kiba had seen her for the last time. .  but in the place, there was. .
Kiba: "Shino! Comes! Look atthat !"
By ground, there were deadened insects.
Shino:"they are the inscet which I always hang to the hood of Hinata.. . "
Kiba: "That’s strange . go towards the left,  I go right, we return here in 30 min."

after half an hour of unfruitful research , Both boy anxious for their friend runs to Hokage to announce the news.

The heiress Hyuga  disappeared.

All the forces available were used to seek her, the forest was squared thoroughly, they sent spies in all the other villages ninja, they tested the divination, all. But Hinata was untraceable. Not the least trace of her.

She had literally volitilized.

The teams of research returned unsuccessful ones after the others. Hokage put Hinata on the list of  disappeared Ninjas. But Kurenai refused to stop researching and she obtains from Hokage the direction of the investigation on the disappearance of Hinata.

For a few years already, Kurenai had felt that Hinata hid something, without never obtaining the least answer of tough girl. But her intuition tell her that this secrecy had a bond with her strange disappearance, and that it went up at many years.

Then Kurenai begin  the long work to question ALL people having known Hinata since her birth.
She learned by the Hyuga parents that Hinata had become indifferent to her family, and that she had agreed to seek a husband. But by questioning Hanabi skilfully, Kurenai had learned most important. After having promised to keep silence, kurenai obtained from Hanabi the conversation that she had with Hinata:

"Hanabi, I would be sad to leave you, but that will arrive one day. One day I will leave with a man whom I love, one day I would not be anymore in this house, in this family. But it is not to obey our Father, or our clan. I will do it for me. To live the life that I would have chosen myself, and where I will be recognized and loved by somebody. I will leave from here to find happiness. Hanabi,do you understand me?"

And Kurenai understood that she had found the reason  of the disappearance of Hinata. But who? Who was this man for whom Hinata had abandon all without hesitation?

Kurenai submitted her report to Hokage in the greatest secrecy and research took another turning. One don’t seek only  Hinata, but also a man she would have met a few years before.

She thought of Naruto in first, but he is always in the village and didn’t know where was Hinata. The man we search undoubtedly doesn’t live in the village, but he came one time, said Kurenai by reading the archives of the village of the last years.

While turning over the pages quickly, she found the page where the first examination of Chuunin  that Hinata had passed were write.

Preliminaries: Hyuga Hinata vs Hyuga Neji. Winner Neji, Hinata in a serious state, hospitalized for one month.

The memory of this combat came back to the memory of Kurenai by reading these words. Hinata impressed everyone with her determination and her courage at this time, and without acting in concert,  all Jounins had jumped to protect her in the end. Not because she was the heiress, but because she had the heart of a great shinobi.
Kurenai concentrated again on her task, and noticed a small tear on the edge of the page she held, as if somebody had handled violent the archive. It intrigued Kurenai, these archives are seldom consulted. .
The Jounin concentrated her chakra and made a series of sign. Now on the page in front of her, the prints of fingers appeared clearly. Kurenai recognized her, that of the archivist, a chuunin...and...the prints of

Kurenai: "it is not possible!!"
She ran in another ray and caught the thick register of sought Ninjas , then she compared the prints... No possible doubt. The criminal of class S and ancient ninja of Konoha, Itachi Uchiwa had consulted this page and had closed violent the archive. What did it mean?

And Kurenai remember that the attack which destroted the eyes of Neji Hyuga had took place the same day as the day  Jounins had fought Itachi close to the village. Until now, there was no reason to connect these two évenements... But today, Kurenai had understood that the attacker of Neji was Itachi, and that he had acts as reprisals for Hinata.. all seemed clear now.
In one way or another, Hinata and Itachi had met and had fallen in love. Itachi, in love? Itwas hard to  believe, or at least, he had an interest to protect Hinata. And Hinata maintained the secrecy even if Itachi was a criminal... Misery! since years Hinata protects a criminal! And now adult,  Hinata leave to join him... Hinata... you could not love a good boy, no?

Kurenai saddened by her discoveries submitted her report to Hokage and the Hyuga family. The hyuga refused to believe in the deductions of Kurenai, or at least refused to admit it... Hinata has hurt their prestige in a spectacular way. But Hokage was of the same opinion as Kurenai, and Hinata was placed on the list of criminal Ninjas.

chapter 7:finally...!

 In fact, it relates to the same event as the chapter precedents... but seen by Hinata...

It was one day like the others for me, as always: get up, eat, go to mission, then training. I do all that like an automat. I wait.

While we train close to the forest, Shino, Kiba and me, I often look, with my Byakugan,at the clearing where we met for the first time, Itachi and me... and it's also the place where we meet again a few years before. Each time I look at over there, I hope to see that his silhouette wearing blacks clothes show... but I don't see anything. I am patient. I wait.

And when I see a large black coat show and  sit down on the trunk in the center of the clearing, it take me a long time to realize... that HE had returned!!!! Yes, it's him, it's really him, he comes finally to seek me!! I act as if I'm tired and want to  rest a little farther in the forest. It's good, Kiba and Shino don't look at me. But I know that they are really good to find people.... I takein a pocket one of my preparations containing plant. When I open it, an unperceivable, odourless and invisible gas goes out. I see the dear bug of Shino falling to ground, inanimate. I also know that this gas will make my odor fade. Now I can disapear in a bush and  run towards Itachi.

The 500 meters which separate me from him seem too long, I am  happy, so happy! I jump in the clearing, he doesn't start, he heard me arrived. It's him, it's him, I see on his face that he is happy to see me again. The moment aafter, we are in the arms one of the other. It's good to be joined finally together!! He also, I feels it, waited this day with a patience and a hope similar to mine. But, a little too early for my taste, we separate. He takes in his bag a large black coat similar to his and he surrounds me with. A straw hat moreover, and now we resemble each other both, two ghost with buckled faces. His Kunai notches my frontal headband. Now, I am not anymore a ninja of Konoha. I am free. I am with him. Then we leave in silence.

Not a word was  pronounced since our reunion, and we continue to conceal us while we run through the trees and the bushes, reserving our energy and  our breath for running. I know that it's necessary to put the most possible distance between the village and us, and as quickly as possible. But I worry about the traces which I will possibly do... no, I don't need to worry, Itachi erases the little trace which I leave, and my odor is still masked by my gas. We run a long time, the night fell for a long time and I start to feel tiredness. My rhythm slows down and my steps are less precise. Itachi stops and climbs on a released rock a little further. He sit down and beckons to me to join him.
Hinata: "Itachi, I am sorry..."
Itachi: "It's nothing. Rest."
I pose my head on his thigh and I falls asleep quickly, wrapped of black, while he watch for the forest around us.

Before the dawn, he awakes me and we exchange our places. When his head is posed on my thighs, I feel my heart beat faster and a strange feeling  invade my belly... he's so beautiful, so peaceful when he sleeps... Hum, I must watch for the forest, if enemy come, and not look at him........... With the byakugan, I can make both!!
Then I look at him, I detail his face that I didn't see since a so long time. He still changed. The last time that I saw him, he was a teenager, now it's a man. Nothing of the delicacy of the features of childhood remains anymore, replaced by a hard and sharp-edged face. Only his long lashes and his fine eyebrows attenuate his killer beauty . His skin is smooth and a few hauled, undoubtedly because of his ceaseless travels... he had a very white skin before... He's so beautiful... I play with a wick of hair, fascinating, careful not to awake him. I love him.

We leave again with the rising of the sun, after having eaten a little. It's there that I realized that I hadn't carried anything, not bag, not luggage, I don't even have the bare essential.... so much better. I feel freer.... and on the first occasion, I will remove of my old coat and my old shorts. I am dreadful inside. I want to be beautiful, now.

Several days at this rate took us along far from the country of fire. We slow down and take a more normal rate. I take his hand and we walk both a whole day, almost in silence. The words are useless to understand each other.

The evening, He drag in a hotel to sleep, and we take our first hot meal since my escape. When we go up in our room... I understand that there is only one bed. Only one great bed. A bed for two.... We will spend the night together.

I disturb and I reddened with this idea. Then my heart starts to beat... oh...I want....!! I hear the bolt to be closed behind me. I  turn over and I cross his glance. It burn... it burn me. It burn my fear.

Itachi catches me by the size and kiss me with passion and I answer him in the same way. With frenzy, we strip ourselves mutually and we fall on the bed, making squeak the springs. Kisses, carresses, he bites me, I moan from happiness. His back is so muscular under my hands. His body is so hot, so strong against me. I camber myself under his hands, I quivered under his kisses. I feel drunk, it's so good... all my senses are on fire... aah, yes, come... I shout by feeling him come in me, I am so happy... more...more ... my cries punctuate each one of his movements until the paroxysm of our pleasure.

Then we collapse, breatles. He attracts me against he chest and whispers me. "usually I don't hear you much, but when you shout... you don't do it halfway." I smile and I fall asleep, the head against his chest. I am his.
 

chapter 8: Reactions

This chapter is a succession of very short scenes, which happened  after the disappearance of Hinata, seen each time from a different point of view.

HATRED
A clearing strewn with crater, burst trees, remains of rock and stones scattered with tens of meters, this spectacle of desolation surrounds a young man. It breathe heavily, exhausted, but his anger always intact . His black hair is in disorder, his clothing dirty and torn, his hands covered by blood, bruises and cuts strew his arms and his legs. But what is more choking is his face. A face devastated by the anger and the hatred, deprived of any beauty. A face of wild beast in the medium of which two red eyes shine of a wild glare. Sasuke Uchiha.

For several hours, he striked on this piece of forest, breaking, exploding all that he can with his most powerful attacks. Now, he runs almost out of chakra, but his hatred is so strong that it maintains his sharingan active.

A few hours ago, Sasuke learned that his brother had returned to seek Hinata and that he had taken her along with him. Since, the rage and anger submerge him. He doesn't think any more, he doesn't reason any more. The thought are hustled in his head without fixing :

It's impossible, brother doesn't love anybody! he never loved anybody! He's a killer without feelings other than hatred.
This girl is weak, one of most pathetic of the village! what attracted him in her?
Why did he take her... and not me. why she's more important than me for him?  why my brother never care of me? Why does he care of her?
HE said to me that  force came from hatred, always... and he has a weakness
a weakness
I am stronger than my brother. I don't love anybody.
Itachi has a weak point.

Gradually, this idea succeeded in take root in the spirit of Sasuke. And he calms down gradually. Itachi has a weakness.... hatred starts to take a cold and solid form inside Sasuke. A weakness, a place which will make him suffer.
You, brother... this girl will suffer... I will kill this girl... I will kill this girl and to let you live...  see her dying...  suffer from her absence... suffer from impuissance... I will return to you all  that you gave me, Big brother.
Sasuke walks with a calm step towards the village. His goal is fixed. His breathing is quiet while he goes along the small way, he step is firm, his face found again his sharp-edged beauty and his impassive.

His eyes are red, three black spots dance around his iris.

MEET
In the peaceful park of the Hyuga residence, a girl walks seeming decided. She knows where she goes. HEr skin is slightly hauled, her eyes are brown dark as her short hair.She breathes energy anddetermination. But this determination disappears to leave place to concern when she reaches finally a rock formation on which a young man sat. She stops, quiet. He didn't heard her  arriving. She details the calm face of her friend and teammate... and much more for her that she  dare to acknowledge ... The eyes closed, the hair released, his great face revealing a black seal... She loves him.

Tenten: "Neji..."
The young man turns his head in direction of the voice of Tenten. He doesn't see her, but he feels her soft odor and hears the noise of her steps approach. She sat near him, arranging to pass very close to his shoulder.

Tenten: "Neji.... how are you?... I want to say... now that you know whom..."
She doesn't dare to complete her sentence, but he does .
Neji: "now that I know who make me blind. And why."
A short  moment of uncomfortable silence make Tenten be agitated  a little.
Neji: "that doesn't change anything for me"
Tenten: "Neji?"
Neji: "that didn't return the sight to me to know it and that will not return the sight to me to avenge me."
Tenten; "I, I am sorry, Neji, I didn't want to....."
Neji: "It's nothing...... don't  you think that a little ironic? I have undergoes myself the side effects of my past hatred for the principal house and my revenge. Who could have guessed that the weak, timid, nice and pitiful Hinata can be the lover of one of the largest criminal of this village? That a complete village of Shinobi didn't discover anything before it's too late?"
Tenten: "Hinata was always discrete, nobody never paid attention to her...."
Neji: "and I was tallest of the idiot to avenged on her, whereas I didn't have any reason to avenge  in reality"
Tenten: "You aren't an idiot, Neji!! you are a strong Shinobi and I admire you much!"
The girl hesitates one moment, looking at the closed eyes of the young man.
Tenten: "I admire you much, Neji. In spite of your handicap, you didn't give up, you succeeded in becoming Chuunin, you  find another style of combat, and you are become again as strong as before!"
Neji: "But if you aren't  my  eyes, Tenten, I wouldn't succeed. Tenten, say me, how are your clothes today?"
Tenten: "I have black shorts, and a blue shirt, with Chinese collar and without handle."
Neji: "you must be very beautiful. I imagine you very well. But I imagine you with the face that you had formerly, it must have changed a little now. It must be even more beautiful."
Tenten:"... Neji... I... ... I have  short hair now..."
Neji: "Eh? for a long time?"
Tenten: " one week...."
Neji: "you didn't said it  to me...."
Tenten; "Sorry, I didn't thought ..."
Neji: "May I... touch your hair?"
Tenten: " euh... yes... yes."

A little hesitant, Neji tighten the hand in direction of Tenten.With the end of the finger, he feels the heat of her skin. His hand goes up gently along her face to await her fringe of brown hair, then to pass in the medium of the short wicks which slip between his fingers. If Neji could see , he would see Tenten reddening more and more. he would also see her smiling.
Neji: "They are very short... that must suit you well."

Neji don't withdraw his hand from the hair of the girl, and now his other hand moves towards her, reaching her cheek initially, then going down  along her neck and her arm to reach her hand. The contact of the hot hand of Neji on her make the heart of Tenten beat  even more quickly. Tenten closes her eyes and turns a little the head to put her cheek in the hand which played with her hair.
She is so happy, she would like stay that lastslonger time....But she doesn't dare to say  anything , fearing of breaking the charm of this moment.
She is surprised by lips being gently posed on her, a first once. She has a start and the lips move away, the hand against her cheek starts to move. Then she catches it. She catches the hand and put it against her cheek, her eyes always closed. In the black, she feels the breath of Neji to approach again. And embrace her, gently, delicately initially, then more insistent. Tenten answer with the vitality which characterizes all her gestures. And soon they are kissing passionately.
A fugitive thought crosses the head of Tenten: Not need to see to kiss.
 

RESONNANCE

Again, I observe the face of my father, while I train in the dojo and while he looks at me. He  doesn't see me. His eyes with white pupils are fixed on me, but he doesn't see me. It's not me whom he sees. He is elsewhere.
When Hinata was proclaimed criminal, when he knew that she had left to join Itachi, Father  was in anger, he refused to believe it, he was indignant. But now, I see , he suffers. He thinks of Hinata. When she was here, nobody saw her, nobody didn't pay attention to her. But now, that she isn't here any more, she takes twice more place. She invades all. I see her in the glance of people, they think all of her. They all miss her . My father misses her.

I am a little jealous. Everyone now pay attention to her , and I am a few neglected.
I am admiring. Older sister wasn't afraid of nothing, leavi,g to live the life which she wanted. she become fugitive, she loves an assassin, she doesn't have anything... but she is happy. She is so strong. I hope that when I would be older, I would be as strong as he and than I will become happy too.

I miss her. Sometimes, evening, when I know that everyone sleeps, I cry. I feel alone, she misses me much too. And now, Father misses her. It's strange, I never thought that it could happen one day, and I don't think that Father thought he would miss Hinata. It's the case. He's surprised. And even more sad, because he wasted the years when she was here. Now that she left, there remain to him nothing other than regrets.

Father is so sad. If Hinata saw Father like that,  yes... she..., she would undoubtedly do that.
I surround my arms around his size and I tighten myself extremely against him. To heat him, to comfort him, without words. Hinata spoke little.

He's surprised but I will not release him before he's better. Suddenly he take to me under the armpits and raises me like a small girl before tightening me against his chest. As when I was child.
We miss Hinata much.

HAPPINESS
Quietly sat on a red tiled roof, I look at stars shining. It's one night without  moon, my preferred nights . The weather is fresh but two large black coat with red clouds wrap me, then I don't feel cold. And the coat of Itachi holds me still hotter than mine. Without moving, I let my glance, carried by the force of Byakugan, crossing the tiles and  plunging far in the imposing masonry. I locate him, shade among the shades, progressing silently in the corridor, all in black clothes. Me too,  now I am all in black. I exchanged my formless coat and my shorts  against a combination moulding without handle, going up to my face. Only my eyes are not covered by fine black fabric. I have also long black gloves. I resemble a panther, Itachi said to me. And he likes it.

Silently, Itachi joined me. He killed his prey. He finished his work. We can leave. Without a word, we go down from the roof and we disappear in the streets. Tomorrow we will be far, very far. Nobody will know who is the murderer. Nobody will stop us.
After tomorrow, we will reach one of our hidden houses, where we will be able to rest and love.
Then we will leave still elsewhere. We travel all the time. Our home, it's just us two, we are without fastener. We are free.
The next mission, Itachi said to me that he will let me work.

chapter 9: blood and water

/// Hinata POV///

In a deaf rail, I see the  young ninja falling to ground. Her face reflects her suffering, she doesn't understand. She doesn't understand that she is dying. Was she unaware of the power of Byakugan? Undoubtedly not. But she lent the ear to those which said that I was weakest of my clan, that I  was worth nothing, and she believed to be able to beat me. Poor woman. If only she had earlier realized her error, I would have let her leave without killing her. But it's already too late for her.
She was a  young hunter of deserter, avid to prove her strenght. I must admit that she did a good work of investigation and research. She succeeded in finding me. For the first time since nearly one year, a hunter of deserter found the place where Itachi and I spent the night. But she made an error. She saw that I was alone. SHe thought that she could kill me.

Oh, I recognize that she didn't have much of another choice:
If she had left to seek reinforcements, we would have left before her return.
If she had waited until I fall asleep to attack, she took the risk to see Itachi arrives . And she would never have tried to fight against Itachi.
If she had waited until the others membres of her teams joins her, we would have already left too.
There remained to her only two options: to try to beat to me now, or to admit her failure.
This last choice was the only viable one. But to agree to see our escape after having passed so much time to seek us, to agree to have failed in her mission, it was too hard for her. Then she made the fatal choice.

She attacked me.She had  prepared the ground very well: she waited until I take a shower, she prepared traps and jutsu in advance and took me by surprise.

I was wounded, at the beginning. Her kunai sliced the skin of my chest, it's only by reflex that I don't have had the heart transpierced . I didn't say by chance, I said by reflex. Reflexes acquired gradually since my escape of Konoha.
The hot water of the shower continued to run throughout our combat, involving with the blood which ran from my wounds. The red net of blood slipping on my skin gave her even more energy to beat me, She really believed to be close to the victory.
Naked and disarmed, streaming of soap, the wet hair  falling  on my eyes, I really resembled an easy prey. She thought that the narrowness of the bathroom would give her the advantage: my movements would be blocked, while her weapons would reach me easily. What a lack of judgement! it's in the close fight that we, Hyugas, are most frightening.
Did she think that I had forgotten the specific style of combat to our family when I left  the village?
Did she think that I was satisfied to dodge her blow?
 Each one of my gestures sent insidiously my  chakra inside her body, reaching her lungs, destroying them gradually.

Now she lie on the ground, unable to breathe, a slow and painful death by smothering. I don't want to let her suffer.  I take her kunai and I open her throat with only one gesture. She stops suffering. Her red blood runs out on the white tiling, mixing with water and the soap. I look at the red and the white to mix, to intermingle... like Itachi and me. It is beautiful. A little morbid, but beautiful.
 

Crime. It's my life.

I don't even need to raise the eyes to know that Itachi is behind me. I feel it, I know it. He knows that I have felt his presence. He saw me fighting this girl. If I had been in danger, He would have killed her himself, but he doesn't have needed it. He needs it seldom. I can protect myself. I want to protect myself.

No need to speak, we know that we must flee. In a few seconds, I am equipped, and we run  in the night. One minute later hardly, I see, far behind us, the other hunters deserter arrive at our refuge. They will find there only the body of one of theirs. Her name will be engraved on the stone stele. And others ninjas will be still launched to our pursuit, but it doesn't worry us. When we are together, we are strong.

When you are with me, Itachi, I am strong. Since we are together, I feel strong. I didn't become stronger, I became only aware of my capacities, of my own force. I am not any more afraid of using it. I am not any more afraid to disappoint. I found my way. And as strangely as that can seem... It's with you that I follow the best  my way of Shinobi.

Woman of the shadow, assassinates, hidden, invisible, achieving her missions without showing her feelings.

I feel true ninja, isn't it strange?

Lost in my thoughts, my step slowed down. Itachi  turns over and looks at me. His face is impassive, but I can read in his eyes that he feels anxious. He must wonder if my wounds are more serious than their appearance suggest. I smiles to him under my mask. He's reassured, but slowed down nevertheless to remain on my level, to help me if I need help. I am the only person in the world for who he worries. And I am the only person in the world who worries for him.

We continue to run, to advance.
The world is vast.
The hunters will not find us.

chapter 10 and following