Chapter Text
In a secluded cluster of trees, near the border of the Land of Fire, Naruto clung to a skinny branch, scanning the horizon. After Kakashi summoned him hours ago, he immediately departed the village, sparse supplies in tow, with only the moon rising at his back. What he planned to do wouldn’t take long: head near the Land of Hotsprings and scan the region for any strange chakra discrepancies.
“Seems like a fool’s errand, if you ask me,” Kurama grumbled from the depths of Naruto’s mind.
Naruto gazed at the ground before him, rocks illuminated yellow by the Nine-Tails chakra flooding through his veins. His pupils were slits, the telltale sign of the sage mode. However, he couldn't sense anything amiss in nature. The theory was that he could pinpoint the locations of the God Tree fragments with his abilities.
“Shut up, if Sasuke says something is out there, then it is,” Naruto said. The letter from his best friend sat crumpled in his pocket; it had arrived to him via hawk earlier in the day, smelling faintly like Hinata’s perfume.
“Hyuga?” Kurama asked, his voice suddenly softer. “What about her?”
Watch it, Naruto thought, followed by Kurama’s laughter reverberating in his skull.
“Hope they’re behaving, eh?”
Naruto snapped the tree branch in half and crouched on the forest floor. Though he valued his relationship with Kurama, he hated that his insecurities sometimes leaked through their connection.
“Shut up,” he said again, “I’m going to meditate.”
He leaned against the thick trunk, sighed, and crossed his legs. All other thoughts glided out of his mind: Sasuke and Hinata, Kurama’s laughter, and the white eyes of the Otsutsuki waiting to suck him in.
*
It was easy for Hinata to subdue Haru. The man had no formal training other than using his voice. The extent of his vocal abilities, however, was unknown, so Sasuke shoved a ball of wrist tape into the man’s mouth. The happy crinkles at the corners of the man’s eyes unnerved him, almost as much as the fake-Hinata in his dream.
Real-Hinata paralyzed Haru with her fingertips and tied his arms to his sides. Excessive, but likely necessary. She was finishing up subduing his legs when she turned her eyes to Sasuke. He couldn’t read the emotion there; was it relief, sadness, anger, fatigue, or a mixture of all four?
“Do you want to interrogate him here?”
Haru looked between the two.
“No, let’s go home.”
Home. It felt weird to call the place where his family’s legacy died ‘home.’ Sure, it was where his closest friends were, and it was the one place Itachi had committed atrocities to protect. But what was Konoha to Sauske, truly? He shook his head; not the time nor the place to consider his position. His head pounded and his eyes burned from his Rinnegan usage and he would likely use up the last of his chakra to get them to Kakashi instantly.
Or, a sly part of his mind thought, they could take a hawk, giving him an excuse to have Hinata touch him again.
Sasuke’s sigh shot out his nostrils like an arrow. Hinata snapped her head to him.
“What is it?”
“Nothing.”
It definitely was something, though Hinata couldn’t begin to understand it. A thousand thoughts swirled through her head, the most prevalent being she’d have to go and face her family again, Naruto, and other aspects of her dull life. With Sasuke, she felt a sense of purpose. Maybe it was because their mission had grown vastly more important over the past 48 hours. And, she reasoned, she would miss spending time with her new friend. She doubted he’d approach her on his own and without the guise of a mission.
The mission. Wait, something else nagged at her brain. They were forgetting a very vital piece of the puzzle. She could almost taste the answer, but he scurried ahead before she could grasp it. Sasuke had likely forgotten, too. What was it?
A twig snapped nearby and the thought slammed into Hinata’s head with such force: the God Tree root.
Before she could voice her thoughts, a familiar melodic voice echoed off the trees.
It’s time to sleep, your thoughts we keep, fall right into the deep.
They repeated over and over, the sluggish tempo almost seductive.
Hinata looked around in panic and stuck her fingers in her ears while Sasuke drew his sword.
Kiku appeared then, her frail body glowing like a distant star. She took one look at Haru, gagged and bound, and focused narrowed eyes on the shinobi. Her wrinkles were more prominent at night. Shadows grew on her face as she sang louder, fighting past a cough, and stopped Sasuke in his tracks. His sword wobbled then fell.
Hinata yelled, “Sasuke, cover your ears!”
But it was no use. He fell to his knees.
Hinata uncovered her ears and slammed her palm into Kiku. The singing cut off abruptly— like a bird shot by an arrow—but the little music Hinata was exposed to had dulled her senses. She sat there, Kiku’s lifeless face staring at the stars, her mouth agape in an eternal song.
No no no no.
But there wasn’t time to waste because another villager could be heading toward them at any moment. Hinata leapt to Sasuke, still on his knees before her. She slapped him, startling him awake, but his eyes were still hazy.
Then, a tenor voice rang out, near where Haru had been tied up.
It’s time to sleep, your thoughts we keep, fall right into the deep.
The song vibrated into her heart and very bones, and there was nothing she could do to stop the darkness that enveloped her in a warm embrace.
*
Sasuke couldn’t remember the last time he was so at ease. No sense of not-belonging, no exhaustion to fight through, no unending anger. It was like he was a child again, in school, his only worry was whether or not his big brother Itachi would have enough time to spend with him.
“Sasuke?”
It had only been a few years since he had last heard that voice, without malice and the promise of violence.
“Itachi?”
Sasuke's body was lighter as he stared at his dead brother. He cleared his throat as he stared, his higher pitched voice catching him off guard. He flexed his left arm in novelty. His hand was smaller too, his perception lower to the ground. He was in the body of his child self.
Itachi looked younger, too. The weight of the clam massacre didn’t cloud his eyes as he sat near the kitchen window. All else was quiet, save for the birds chirping outside their childhood home. Inside, everything looked just as he remembered, down to the scratch in the floor when he’d dropped a kunai. His father had berated him endlessly until Itachi had stepped in—
“Is something troubling you?”
Where could he start? Sasuke could list off a number of things, from his current mission to the shitty construction of Sakura’s couch.
Instead, he said, “Is this a dream?”
Itachi’s smile was so wide his heart hurt. He blinked away moisture clouding his vision, threatening to fall down his cheeks, when Itachi said, “I suppose it is, but that doesn’t make it any less meaningful.”
“Is this really you?”
“I think you know the answer to that.”
Did he? Sasuke had seen a lot of things in this world, so possibly getting a visit from a spirit wasn’t so farfetched. Then again, he could count on his mind to come up with something so vivid.
Itachi frowned. “Or maybe not. I’m simply here for you, Sasuke.”
“For what reason? To tell me about the Otsutsuki? I already know everything I need to know.”
Itachi shook his head. “No, but I know the turmoil you feel when it comes to home and the people you love.”
Oh, that.
In his child voice, Sasuke said, “My time away from the village wouldn’t be like the last time. You don’t trust me?”
The last time being when he abandoned his team for Orochimaru’s so-called training. He could practically feel the snakes slithering over his body.
“I do, but I also think you’re denying yourself good things. Good relationships. And all because of your past. I think you need to forgive yourself. Your friends have.”
Sasuke sighed and sat on a cushion his mother had embroidered with red birds. He stared outside the window, and it reminded him of something he saw recently. He scrunched his eyebrows, racking his brain. It was that restaurant in Tsukinome, when he and Hinata had sat by the window. Orange sunlight had caused her hair to glow. Only now, Itachi sat before the window, his inky strands absorbing that light.
Itachi tilted his head. “And then there’s that.”
“What?” Sasuke’s heart pounded so hard his hands shook and it surprised him. The dream felt so real that he could feel blood rushing through his imaginary veins and the heat in his cheeks.
“Let yourself feel.”
Sasuke sighed, frustrated over the insightful yet vague answers. Get to the point!
“Do you mean the Hyuga?”
Itachi laughed, a sound long-forgotten in the dark fog of his life. As if his vocal chords were rusty, the sound was throaty and brief. Dark eyes crinkled at the corners.
“If that’s what you thought of immediately, then yes.”
Sasuke stared down at his child's toes. He certainly felt small, like the younger brother, after that trick.
“What about Sakura?”
“She’s lovely, and I know you care for her. Either way you choose, I don’t think you’d be doing anything wrong.”
“That’s easy for you to say! You never liked anyone like that.”
Childish, but the words spilled out before he could stop them. He wanted to sink into the floor, into the cushion, and fly away with the birds. Itachi raised his eyebrows.
“Are you so sure?” Itachi’s easy smile felt patronizing.
Admittedly… “No,” Sasuke said, puffing up his chest to look taller. “I’ll try to take your advice, but I’m in a bit of a tricky situation right now.”
Wait, he was asleep? How else would he be dreaming? He needed to wake up before Haru got anywhere or Hinata got hurt. Who knew what the hell was happening in the conscious world.
“I need to go,” Sasuke said. He stood up and moved for the door, sure that exiting would allow him to wake up.
However, when he stepped outside in his dream world, he stumbled on the edge of the earth. The birds still chirped, the sun still shone, but his home was suspended on a cliff. The drop below was endless and dark.
“How do I get out of here?” His voice rose higher, heart pounding harder.
Itachi sighed, approaching from behind to peer over the edge. “I’m afraid I haven’t figured that out yet. I’m a bit limited as I am, but I won’t be leaving until we solve this. It’s quite complex, eh?”
Sasuke’s stomach had already fallen down the cliffside.
*
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.
Hinata’s eyes stirred, enveloped in the darkness of her lids. She saw hues of orange and purple as raucous laughter rang in her ears. She wanted to open her eyes, to see what that ruckus was, though recent memories halted her: tying up Hau, killing Kiku, and Haru somehow freeing herself. Then everything went black.
Now, she needed to assess.
First, her arms were stiff at her sides. Thick ropes dug into her flesh, and though it hurt, she could easily free herself. A thin rope around her ankles had even more give. Her back was against something hard, and she sniffed, noting a woodsy scent paired with a familiar soap. Sasuke?
She tilted her head to the left.
People chattered. Then there was the thumping, as if someone was hammering something. Each thunk struck a nerve in her chest.
She tilted her head to the right.
Barely perceptible, another person— definitely Sasuke— breathed steadily.
From his breathing pattern, he had to be in a deep sleep. That was troubling, but she didn’t have any doubts she could get them out. She just had to make sure no one knew she was awake so they wouldn’t sing again.
Once she determined no one else was close to her, and wouldn’t be able to see the veins form around her eyes, she activated her Byakugan.
She and Sasuke were tied to one of the unlit bonfires, this one in the center of a pentagram. To the left, a villager was nailing two straw dolls to a tree. Thin, dark thread wrapped around the heads. It had to be their hair.
All around them, people milled about, some stopping a few feet from the platform to gaze at the shinobi. Many spat, others frowned and scurried off in fear, as if Hinata or Sasuke would jump out at them.
Well, it was a fair assumption, but Hinata needed to be careful.
Haru was nowhere to be seen, but where was Kiku’s body? There! In the very back of the village, near a poorly built part of the fence, was Kiku, lying prone on a cot, with a featherlight pulse. A few people tended to her, but they were distressed.
Hinata almost sighed in relief at her not being dead, but she might as well have been with the way her heart struggled. Her chakra reserves were also nearly drained. Hinata’s were much better, but that didn’t save her quite yet. Her next moves would have to be precise, quick, and most importantly, effective.
Don’t forget!
Hinata scanned for any chakra anomalies, anything that looked like the severed root of the God Tree. It wouldn’t be able to remain in the village, that was for certain.
Bodies and bodies littered her vision, some with large amounts of chakra, some with abysmal reserves. She needed to look past them, find something that might be missed at first glance.
There.
It was a whisper in the night air, as if beckoning her with its last breath. The withered root— which looked more like a stick— exuded a greenish color, slightly more teal than the blue-toned chakra she observed in most people. It was also in a carved out space beneath the earth— no, it was a well in the back of the village. A few people meandered around it, seemingly blissfully unaware of what lay below them.
An odd place to store something, but from everything she had seen so far, these villagers probably hadn’t had many challenges in recent years. Sasuke was probably the most powerful being they had encountered in a while.
His breath hitched beside her. She waited, hoping he would give her some sign of awareness. Then, he sighed, his eyes rapidly moving behind his lids. Still in a dream.
No matter, she could get this done in minutes. All she had to do was wait until no one was looking….
Chakra burned into the ropes tying her hands. It was easy enough to rip the rest of the cords around her body. She leapt from the bonfire and sprinted toward the north. Silence followed her, but she kept her version at her back, heart racing as she monitored the villagers celebrating with flowers and bottles around Sasuke.
Above her, the moon was high in the sky, not quite its zenith, but gazing at her in its half-open state. So, it had likely only been an hour. What had happened in that timeframe? She shuddered at the thought of the villagers violating them, but so far, despite her tiredness, her limbs were untouched and her thoughts were getting clearer by the second.
Hinata struck the pressure points of the people standing near the well. A few old women, a man, and a child. They fell to the ground with quiet thuds, asleep to the world.
She didn’t give herself a chance to feel guilty as she climbed down the walls of the well, clinging to the stone with her chakra. She only had enough space to spread her arms before her; she doubted Sasuke could comfortably fit.
Murky cold water met her toes as she followed that beam of chakra, glowing brighter and brighter as if it sensed she was near. Come to me, give me your blood.
Before she fully submerged herself to get to the bottom, she took out a piece of cloth from her thigh pack (which had been stripped of its weapons) and wrapped it around her hand. Holding her breath, she dove into the depths, swampy plants caressing her face and six–legged critters fleeing from her.
*
“The only way out is to cross the abyss,” Itachi determined. He and Sasuke sat at the edge of the door, feet dangling over the porch as if they were casually dipping their toes into a lake. They had tried leaping out the windows of the house, breaking holes into the roof, and going out the back door. But every time they tried, they were dragged back inside the walls. Almost like a mother protecting their children from outside dangers.
The fifty-foot abyss before them looked like a grotesque smile, mocking Sasuke. He threw a pebble at it.
“And we’re no better than civilians in this dream,” Sasuke observed. No chakra, no jutsus, and no superhuman strength to propel them forward.
“Correct,” Itachi said, then, “we’re relying on our minds. I believe this slumber you’re in is meant to test your will.”
“And I would bet most people failed quickly, doomed to stay for eternity,” Sasuke said, but he wasn't like most people.
Itachi nodded, gazing at his brother with a small smile. “What do you think would happen if we tried to jump?”
Sasuke bit his lip. In his small body, it would likely be impossible. His legs were far too skinny and weak. “I'd die?”
Itachi stared down the cliffside. “I suppose we could try climbing, but,” he looked Sasuke up and down, “I worry about your upper body strength.
Sasuke sighed and put his head in his hand. When he had explored Kiku’s mind, he’d gotten what he’d wanted through sheer force. What had he done then? He closed his eyes and sat back, small fingers gripping the lip of the doorframe behind him.
If he was to be confined to the depths of his mind, then maybe he had to focus. He would get out of this place. He just needed a bridge of some sort to get him across and into the light beyond. Brick by brick, he visualized the structure forming, wide and sturdy.
“Oh,” Itachi breathed.
Sasuke opened his eyes and frowned. A bridge had spread out before him; if he lowered himself on the porch, his dangling feet would meet brick.
“That was easy. I wish I had thought of it sooner,” Sasuke said as he jumped up. He began to run across the length— is Hinata okay?--- but stopped. Itachi had not moved.
“What is it?”
His brother sighed and shook his head. “I’d hoped we would have a little more time.”
“Oh,” Sasuke said this time, arms dropping to his sides. He had said his goodbyes to his brother in the real world years ago, and now, Hinata was waiting for him, so he hadn’t thought to say goodbye again.
Sasuke smiled up at his brother and moved to hug him, but froze. In his hand, Itachi spun a kunai, sharp and glistening in the fake sun.
“I’m sorry,” Itachi said before he swung his kunai like a scythe.
*
It took all of Hinata’s might to ignore how gross the bottom of the well was. Murky and foul, she was grateful for her Byakugan so she wouldn’t have to open her eyes. It also didn’t help that she had to dig to reach the root, mud collecting under her fingernails. Worst of all, she was quickly running out of air. The thought of water getting into her lungs, then having to cough it up, propelled her forward.
Finally, her covered hand connected with wood. It fit neatly in her palm. The light surrounding it blinked as if it was thanking her. As she swam upward, she wrapped her cloth around the piece and shoved it into her pack.
Once she emerged from the well, her mind was clearer than it had been when she first entered the village. Sato, Haru, Kiku. She recalled the faces of every villager she encountered. Moments they had plucked her hair from her head.
Maybe the root fragment caused the kekkei genkai to be ineffective, but that was something she would discuss with Sasuke later.
Sasuke.
Villagers were crying out near his body, fearful that the woman beside him had escaped. Hinata pumped her legs as hard as she could, though her exhaustion was weighing. The foul water covering her from head to toe was just the rotten cherry on top of everything working against her.
A crowd closed in on Sasuke, some slapping his chest while others tried to hold the assaulters back. Did their behavior solely come from the fact that she escaped? Villagers wailed, bared their teeth, and let growls rip free from their throats. Though Hinata had qualms about hurting civilians, she let them go as she carved through the crowd. Bodies flew through the air and she winced as they hit the ground.
Sasuke’s head hung low, his hair curtaining his face from view. Hinata pushed it out of the way as she said, “Sasuke, wake up.”
She sliced through his bindings with her chakra-infused hand, all the while yelling at him to wake up.
Sasuke’s face crumpled, his mouth forming a deep frown. A tear escaped his eyes, which he was determined to keep squeezed shut.
In his mind, Sasuke was dodging and weaving to avoid Itachi’s strikes. They had been at it for what seemed like hours. Whenever Sasuke gained ground and neared the end of the bridge, Itachi was there, aiming to end his life again.
It had all seemed hopeless— this mind prison was designed to keep him in forever, and Itachi was the last of the illusion’s safeguards, it seemed— but then a voice rang through his head.
Sasuke, wake up now.
Itachi stumbled, the kunai dropping from his hand and into the abyss. The house behind them faded into darkness and the bridge shook, bricks dropping into nothingness. Sasuke sprinted toward the end, his small legs burning with the effort.
Hinata?
He was almost there— his toe nearly scraping the dirt on the other side— when Itachi tackled him. They wrestled against the bricks, arms scraping against the rough surface. Something hit Sasuke’s chest, knocking the air out of him.
On the outside, Hinata swiped away a few more villagers, though their numbers were dwindling. She plugged gauze in her ears and shoved some into Sasuke’s. When her palm touched the bare skin of his cheek, he jolted.
Itachi froze then scrambled away. His eyes disappeared first, then his head followed by the rest of his body. Sasuke sat there as everything crumbled around him. Then, feeling a sensation similar to taking flight, he opened his eyes to meet the moon. No, those were Hinata’s eyes staring at him with all the concern in the world.
“Can you walk?” she said. At least, that’s what her lips formed. He could barely hear shit! He had gone deaf!
His limbs weighed as much as a mountain. It took all his energy to shake his head. He also tried to lift his hand to his ears, but Hinata stopped him. With a single motion, she backed into him and wrapped his arm around her front.
Hinata took a deep breath as she hauled Sasuke, her own body bent to accommodate his weight. She concentrated her chakra to her legs as she ran, fearing that she would stumble before they were free.
In the distance, there were the gates, standing tall like her savior. It was surprisingly easy to cross the threshold. Few followed her, but even in her physical state, she was faster and stronger. Others remained behind, howling and screaming nonsense.
Hinata didn’t know how long she ran for, with Sasuke on her back, but she didn’t stop. Dark clouds formed in her vision, but she pushed through, straining to see even with her Byakugan. Right then, finding shelter was optimal.
“You smell like shit,” Sasuke mumbled. She would have missed his words entirely if not for him pulling the gauze out of her ear. His cold fingers trailed down her neck, leaving goosebumps.
She deigned not to answer. A small rock formation had appeared in the distance. It was a small cave, mostly uninhabited save for a family of rabbits.
Sasuke groaned as she deposited him against the wall of the cave.
It was shallow, only about ten feet deep. Still, it would do for the night. She stretched her arms and took note of her body: everything hurt and her tongue was like sandpaper in her mouth. Earlier, she had seen a stream bubbling nearby. Fresh water called to her through her exhausted haze. She rolled her shoulders and moved toward it, but—
“Hinata,” Sasuke called out weakly.
She answered him with a blank gaze.
“Come here.”
“But, I smell…”
Sasuke laughed— which sounded more like a huff— and his head fell against the cave wall. “Please?”
Goosebumps danced up and down her back. The agony in his voice was almost heartbreaking, but he wasn’t visibly injured, so she said, “I’ll be right back. I promise.”
Her trip to the stream was brief. It moved in a slow trickle, but she managed to lather enough soap into her hair and clothes to get the stench off. She shivered as she walked back to Sasuke, whose eyes followed her like a predator tracking prey. Even in his weakened state, he was intimidating.
That feeling didn’t go away as she sat next to him, eyelids growing heavier. She was finally able to breathe and address the impending back soreness, but his eyes burned into her, setting her nerves on edge.
Finally, he broke the silence. “I saw Itachi.”
Hinata’s eyes shot open. “What? Where?”
“In that dream I had. I was just a child and he wasn’t much older. It would’ve been nice but…. It felt so real…”
He trailed off, lost in images of Itachi trying to kill him, then in the cracks peppering the dark boulders that made up the cave. His vision blurred, and for a moment, he feared he was going blind. Or maybe he was dying; a painful gash made its way up his chest and into his throat. Surely, he’d been stabbed or kicked somewhere. However, he didn’t feel anything amiss as he dragged his hand over his middle. He swallowed and stared at his palm.
Hinata covered it with her hand, fingers dancing over the coldness and the calluses. “It wasn’t real. Whoever you saw in that dream, it wasn’t your brother. I promise.”
She was right. He had made peace with his brother. Whatever was in his mind wasn’t Itachi, it was an illusion. Still, why did it evoke such pain in him?
“Sasuke-san,” Hinata whispered.
When he returned her gaze, she grasped his shoulders and pulled him into a hug. Then she did something even worse: she threaded her fingers in his hair and began rubbing small circles. All he could do was sit there, nose in the crook of her neck, chest pressed against hers. He was sure that this would only make him feel worse— he hated hugs— but then the gash in his chest closed. His eyes dried up and breathing became a little easier.
Then that lovely smell of lavender and vanilla cradled his nostrils. He dug his nose in deeper. Much better than the swampy smell from earlier.
Finally, he wrapped his arm around her middle, anchoring her in place. Whatever it was, he needed her to stay there.
It was an accident when he brushed his lips against the soft skin of her neck the first time. But he reveled in the feeling so much, he did it again, slowly savoring the velvety smoothness. Little bumps broke out on her skin and she whispered something.
“Hm?”
“That… tickles.”
What would she taste like, he wondered? Would she be as sweet and comforting as she feels?
He opened his mouth and pressed his lips to a spot just beneath her ear. When she stopped breathing, he pressed the tip of his tongue to her flesh, admiring her soft gasp.
Maybe he could push it further. Sasuke trailed his nose up her neck to her cheek then stopped at the corner of her mouth. When he parted his lips again, she put two hands on his shoulders. When had she moved them from his hair?
“Sasuke-san, it's not the time.”
“Hm?”
“You’re tired and not in your right mind.”
Oh, she was right. His eyelids had gotten heavier, his limbs tingly. Sleep had to be the answer. He retreated, falling into that intoxicating scent.
Hinata was trapped. Sasuke was snoring against her neck. She wriggled under his weight, but he was so warm, and her scalp was so cold from that quick wash. Wasn’t it summer? Why was it so cold in that cave? If she was in a better state, she’d start a campfire and maybe roast a rabbit or two. Those poor rabbits. At least they had fur…
She hadn’t realized she’d fallen asleep until a gruff familiar voice echoed off the rocks.
“Hinata-chan? Sasuke?”