Chapter Text
Sakura
Exhausted. That’s the only word that comes to her mind when Naruto asks her how she feels.
She has given almost every single ounce of her chakra to Sasuke Uchiha. Toneri did something that left him nearly dead. And of course, she was the only one who could help him. So she did. But now, she wants nothing more than to curl up in her corner of the cave and fall asleep.
But she can’t. Because Sasuke still needs constant chakra transfusions and her best friend is in the clutches of a skinny little alien.
So instead, she rests her back against Naruto’s as they both sit a few feet away from the still-sleeping Sasuke. Sai is out patrolling the sky searching for Hinata, leaving the two to wait anxiously for his return.
“How could she just leave us?” Naruto asks painfully. Neither of them has been talking about Hinata’s decision to go with Toneri. It was too painful to picture. Until now.
“I don’t know. He probably gave her some ultimatum or something like that.” She responds tiredly. Sakura hasn’t slept more than a few hours at a time in days. If she had the energy, she’d be crying or yelling or up there looking for Hinata with Sai. But she doesn’t. Even keeping her eyes open is painful.
She’s grateful for Naruto’s warmth and support. Being left here with Sasuke without him would be less than pleasant.
“I should have stayed with her!” He exclaims. “This would have never happened if I forced her to be next to me.”
“Yes, it would’ve. Sasuke didn’t leave her side. And look at him now.” She says quietly. But she can’t blame Naruto for feeling guilty. She does too. She was put in charge of this mission. Kakashi and Neji and the entire village trusted her to succeed. But she failed. Her team is scattered and the clock on her hand still counts down.
Naruto gets up and Sakura slumps against the moist ground in his absence. He gives her shoulder a reassuring pat.
“You’re an incredible person, Sakura-chan. Thank you for taking such great care of Sasuke and Hinata. They both mean so much to me.”
She gives him a weak smile. “I know. And even though I think Sasuke’s annoying, I won’t let anything happen to him,” she reassures.
Naruto gives her a hard nod. “I’m going to look for Sai. The second he finds out anything about her, we need to be ready to move. That means rest, Sakura. You need it.”
She gives him a lazy shrug and watches him walk towards the light. Sakura groans and lays her head down on the cold stone. She misses Neji and Lee and Guy. What would they do if they were here? Lee would be shaking her shoulders and insisting she get up and keep fighting. Neji would find some brilliant way to give her some of his chakra in order to recover. Guy would lift her over his head and start completing reps with her body weight. The thought makes her snort.
Sasuke shifts next to her. She watches him wearily, allowing herself to close her eyes for a few seconds at a time. Maybe she should sleep.
“Hinata,” Sasuke whispers. She cracks a single eye open and sees him twitch. He lets out a snarl and sits up, one eye red and one eye purple. There is fire that dances across his fingertips and Sasuke looks at her with anger.
“Where is she?” He demands.
“I don’t know,” Sakura replies with a sigh. She’s far too tired to deal with his unnecessary rage.
“You're useless,” He says as he pulls himself from the ground.
She turns away from him, tears hot against her cheeks. Sakura knows her own exhaustion is causing her emotion to run rampant, but his words still hurt.
He steps over her and moves towards the mouth of their shelter. Sakura keeps one cheek pressed against the stone and she investigates the clock on the back of her hand.
Despite her heavy eyes and exhausted body, she pulls herself upwards. Her hand digs into the pouch on her back and she grabs her summoning scroll. She releases some food and caffeine pills and swallows them without water. Then, with another sigh, she curls back into her ball and lays lifeless.
Sakura knows that eventually, the pills should kick in. But until they do, there’s nothing wrong with a little rest. She closes her eyes once more and pretends she's back at home in the Hyuga compound, surrounded by blossoming trees and being held by Neji’s gentle arms. She remembers the condition she left him in with a heavy heart. He was hurt. And he still wanted to send her away.
Neji said the only way he could let Hinata go without him is by having Sakura go with her. But now, guilt weighs heavy against her heart. If Neij was here, she’s almost positive Hinata would’ve never gotten taken by Toneri.
“Maybe I am useless.” She whispers, squeezing her hands against her chest. But just as she’s about to slip further away into herself, the thought of her team rouses her once again.
She’s not useless. Sakura single-handedly changed the tides of the war by summoning Katsuya. She saved Neji’s life, helped save Naruto’s life. And now, Sasuke is recovering. Not because of himself. Because of her.
She shoves her hands in the dirt and pushes herself up.
“Hey!” She shouts at the retreating Uchiha. He turns slowly, his face twitching in anger at her outburst. “You don’t get to talk to me that way.”
“You lost Hinata. I get to talk to you however I see fit.” He retorts.
Sakura leans forward and shoves his chest. She’s so weak he barely even stumbles. “I didn’t lose her! And neither did you! Hinata chose to leave us. So stop blaming me!” She swats his head. “And stop blaming yourself!”
He lets out a huff. “I thought she’d finally understand how I felt. It’s been–” he squeezes his eyes shut, “years of me holding everything in. She gave me courage to let it all out.”
“She does understand, dumbass. That’s why she left.” Sakura rolls her eyes. “You’ve been gone for the past couple years. And before that too. But I haven’t. I’ve watched Hinata do everything in her power to protect you. Then and now. Just because she left doesn't mean her intentions are any different.” Sakura looks down at her own feet. “She’s protecting us. In the only way she knows how.”
“Well I want to protect her.” Sasuke says, still too dense to understand what Sakura is trying to say.
“Me too.” Sakura reiterates.
Sasuke heaves a deep sigh. “Good. Because after everything you’ve done for me and for her…I can’t imagine doing this without your help.”
Sakura lifts her chin, surprised at his sudden half-compliment.
“Then let’s go look for her.” She says as she nods her head.
“Agreed.” He replies as he turns back around towards the open mouth of the cave. “And Sakura?” His head turns and she’s able to see the outline of his face. “I don’t think you’re useless.”
“Good. I don’t either.”
Hinata
Hinata wakes up with a start. She raises her arm forward in defense, but there’s no danger in close proximity. In fact, she’s comfortable in a plush bed in the middle of a lavish room. She runs a hand down the satin red blanket and takes in the antique decorations. Gold and silver trinkets adornish the shelves, and there’s even a elegant chandelier that hangs in the middle of her high ceiling.
Hinata throws the blanket off and wraps Sasuke’s haori tighter around her. This will be the last gift she ever receives from him and she’s determined to keep it close. He had opened his heart to him, something Hinata didn’t think was possible. And she left him anyway. Hinata shakes her head. She has a job to do.
After activating her Byakugan, she quickly seeks out her baby sister. Hinata pushes through another large door and gasps at the sight. She draws closer to Hanabi and kneels next to her bedside. Hinata grabs her sister’s hand tightly in her own. After activating her Byakugan, she’s able to see that her sister is healthy, just asleep.
It looks like Hinata surrendered herself just in time. Hanabi’s eyes have not yet been scathed. The impication makes her frown. By sparing Hanabi, she’s sacrificing her own dojutsu. Yet again, even though the price is heavy, it’s worth paying for Hanabi’s safety.
She feels Toneri before she sees him, and Hinata debates throwing herself over her sister protectively. But the white-haired space shinobi doesn’t seem like he poses a threat. Instead, he stands in the doorway, wearing a ghost of a smie.
“You found her,” he says quietly.
“I did,” Hinata replies cautiously. “She’s unharmed, just like you said.”
“You can trust me, Hinata. I would never do anything to intentionally hurt you.”
“Besides take my eyes,” she argues.
Toneri smiles again. “You won’t need them anymore. Once I’m your husband, I’ll take care of you.”
Hinata wants to argue, but instead, she bites her tongue. She must act the part. For Hanabi’s sake. Her dreams have been informing her about some type of weapon. An ancient one, hidden in the kingdom that’s responsible for the moon’s descent towards the earth. The tenseigan. She must find it and destroy it. And soon. Or else, she’ll have to do it without her Byakugan.
“Toneri,” she says quietly. “My sister. I want her to see her to return to our village and clan. At least, for a little while.”
Toneri tilts his head at her words. “If she is to return, I cannot guarantee she’ll be able to come back, Hinata.”
“My cousin,” Hinata begins, not having to fake the emotion in her voice. “Neji. I miss him terribly. And if–since I can’t come back–I don’t want him to be alone.”
“I fought your cousin. He is quite formidable.” Toneri pauses and raises his pale hands in the air, almost as if he’s praying. “I told you no harm will come to your sister. And I mean it. Tomorrow, I’ll allow her to go back to your world to bid farewell to your cousin. And after, I’ll bring her back here. Because I know it’ll make you happy.”
Hinata lets out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Toneri. It will make me happy.”
He gives her another nod and exits the room. Hinata knows that the second Hanabi is brought back to Konoha, nobody will allow her to leave again. And while the prospect of her absence terrifies Hinata, she forces herself to be okay with it. All will end well. As long as she completes her mission.
————————————
Hinata spends the rest of the evening hanging around Hanabi. She’s determined to memorize every detail about her. Losing her vision doesn’t scare her. There are many other ways she can enjoy the world. But losing her Byakugan? The way she navigates life as a shinobi? That’s what terrifies her. Then again, if her plan to destroy the tenseigan goes the way she wants it to, she doubts she’ll live long enough to learn how to navigate life without her dojutsu.
Unwillingly, her thoughts turn to Neji. Once, as a girl, she overworked her Byakugan to the point of blinding herself. And it wasn’t her father who cared for her. It was Neji. She misses him terribly. But she’s glad he didn’t come. Having to leave him along with the others would’ve been even more heartbreaking. The others…
Hinata swallows back a sob. Sai and Naruto and Sakura…she left them all. Her best friend, the person she has turned to for the past seven years of her life. Hinata didn’t even get to say goodbye. She wonders if Sakura hates her. She wouldn’t be surprised if she did.
“Hinata?” A voice calls from the doorway. Hinata shifts her shoulders slightly, angling herself in front of her sister. Toneri gives her his typical eyeless smile. She shivers. “I’m going to sleep. Tomorrow…we’ll discuss your eyes.” She watches him basically float down the hall with a wrinkled nose. He’s so weird. And uncanny.
Hanabi shifts in her sleep and Hinata moves a strand of hair out of her face. She knows she needs to get Toneri to bring her back to earth. But how does she do that without raising suspicion? She knows there’s a way…she just has to think of it.
After a couple more hours of sitting with Hanabi, Hinata decided to try her luck and locate the tenseigan. If Toneri wants to take her eyes tomorrow, it’s now or never.
She sneaks down the hall, making sure to be as silent as possible. But her feet arouse no suspicion, and soon enough, she’s outside the massive stone castle. The air moves around her unnaturally as she jumps from large stone ramparts and walls. Eventually, her Byakugan points her into the direction of a cavern. Her fists tighten as she notices the giant looking yellow orb.
“The tenseigan,” she whispers. Part of her craves to call upon her Twins Lions Fist and tear into the weapon. But she can’t. Not until Hanabi is safe. So instead, she measures everything about the room. From the steps it takes her to get to the tenseigan, to the cracks and divots in the nearby stone. She walks the path multiple times until finally, she can do it with her eyes closed.
After, Hinata jumps back to the castle, sneaks past Toneri’s hallway, and closes the door behind her as she gets to Hanabi’s room. She lets out a sigh in relief and slinks back down in the chair next to her sister. Despite the hopeless emotions she felt this morning, Hinata is determined. She has a plan to save her sister and her planet. And she cannot fail.
