"C'mon! Let's get to the next stall already!"

"Naruto, if I've said it once… Please… slow the hell down!"

Naruto's bright orange and blue tones went to food stalls to mask displays to game booths with all the reservation of a rampaging bull. Sakura panted heavily while her pink hair bobbed along after him.

"C'mon, Sasuke, let's do something already!" Naruto pointed to a display with targets and cheap rubber kunai to throw.

Sasuke turned his nose up at the childish display. "I'm good." He kept up with Naruto using repeated iterations of shunshin no jutsu, muttering something about practice.

Sakura caught up again as Naruto paid and began somewhat messily applying the kunai to the white humanistic outline. "Aren't you cold, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura was wearing longer clothes under her dress, but Sasuke and Naruto were in their usual light clothes, although Naruto's jumpsuit was at least more suitable for the chill.

"Not if I apply my fire chakra," he replied, dodging one of Naruto's wider flails.

"Isn't that… kind of… dangerous?" Sakura huffed. "What if you run out of chakra?"

"I won't."

"And you keep using that… that annoying technique Kakashi-sensei always uses to get out of our reach…"

"Do you have a name for that 'annoying' technique?"

"Of course I do! How many books and scrolls do you think –" Sakura began with uncharacteristic snippiness when outside her notice Naruto launched at Sasuke with a glomp but landed on Sakura when his initial target had flash-stepped behind her. "Ack, Naruto – can you calm down already? And get off me please."

Naruto gave a 'hum' sound next to her head. "…Do I have to?"

"We've pretty much been running around the entire day so I would be grateful if you'd let me have a moment's rest," she replied through gritted teeth.

"But you're nice and warm," Naruto cheered cheekily.

"Then wear some warmer clothes!" Sakura barked, clouds of vapor forming from her mouth.

Naruto released her and skipped to another stall. "Sorry, I've just never been to one of these festivals before, y'know? I mean, not really," he said as he adeptly wove around the crowds.

Sakura waited to follow him this time. She was still tired. "He's been awfully clingy with us lately, don't you think?"

"Can you blame him?" Sasuke said evenly.

"No, I guess not…" Sakura replied quietly.

Sasuke glanced at her disheveled and wind-swept appearance. Cold sweat had appeared on her brow, and he noted that, while clearly exhausted, she'd managed to keep up with him and Naruto for the entire day for the first time.

He then thought back to her snap at him a moment ago, so different from those idealized feminine facades she'd always approached him with, between the altered pitch in her voice and the weird way she'd draw her arms and legs together before flipping herself on a dime to beat on Naruto. To Sasuke, it had all been so obviously not who she was. "You're better this way," Sasuke said suddenly.

"Huh? What's better?"

Sasuke ignored this. "Look, he's waiting now." He jerked his head to Naruto waving in the distance.

"So he can listen to me," Sakura muttered.

"You go on. I'm done for tonight." Sasuke swiftly turned around to leave.

"Eh? B-But, Sasuke-kun…" Naturally, this still disappointed her.

"Later." They had been training or otherwise 'running around' as Sakura put it for the whole day, but that wasn't why Sasuke was tired.

He'd walked around the place for a few minutes before sitting down against a tree on the edge of the path, where he closed his eyes and meditated his fire chakra for warmth.

He'd tuned out the noise of people for several minutes until, underneath the current, as soft as the evening wind and hidden but noticeable to him, a familiar voice was calling.

"…Hanabi, stay with me please…"

A reply came. "But I see them!"

Sasuke opened his eyes to watch Hinata trail after a young, unmistakably Hyuga girl, both clad in the striking yukata and warm haori only nobility could wear with ease. A planned outing then, unlike Naruto's spur of the moment decision. Sakura had complained about not having a yukata with haori, he remembered.

Hinata followed Hanabi towards his direction. Sasuke stood up, causing Hinata to notice him despite chasing after her sister.

"Oh – Sasuke-kun!" She stopped obligingly while still keeping Hanabi within her view.

He nodded in greeting to her.

"Um… I'm surprised to see you here."

"Naruto's idea. Sakura didn't mind either."

"Oh I see, have they gone home now?" Hinata looked around anxiously.

"They're probably still around. I was gonna head home. The three of us have been doing things since morning."

Hinata's pearl eyes glanced to Hanabi quickly and then stared at him for a moment and widened in understanding. "You feel… tired?"

"Yeah. They're both loud and like places like this," Sasuke glanced around to the crowds of families and off-duty ninja.

"Yes, yes of course… Kiba-kun is like that too. I won't keep bothering you then, please excuse me." Hinata turned towards Hanabi.

Sasuke thought a moment, then held up a hand. "…You're not a bother. It's fine you want to… talk, for awhile."

Hinata looked back at him in concern. "Are you sure? I-I mean, I know it feels with crowds…"

"…Yes, I know you do," Sasuke muttered petulantly. "But you're not like Naruto and Sakura. I said it's fine so it's fine."

Eventually, Hinata nodded, and smiled.

"Hinata-nee-sama~ what's keeping you?" Hanabi bounced over, then froze as she eyed Sasuke much more brazenly than her sister would. She'll have to learn to look at people more inconspicuously, Sasuke thought.

"H-Hanabi, this is Sasuke Uchiha. We were classmates at the academy. Um, Sasuke-kun, this is my little sister, Hanabi."

"U-Uchiha?" Hanabi gawked and stiffly schooled her posture and face. "I mean – It's an honor to meet you, Uchiha-san."

"Just call me Sasuke," he said quickly. "I don't usually care for formality. It's all pretense."

Hanabi looked at him curiously, like what he said was a sudden revelation. Her face broke into a grin so wide it would never be seen on her sister. "Then just call me Hanabi, okay, Sasuke-niisan?"

"Hn."

"Oh, I know that sound! Dad does that a lot. And grandpa. And Neji-nii."

"H-Hanabi, Sasuke-kun may be okay with it, but you should address your family better," Hinata said, considerably less sternly than she would have liked.

"It's fine, it's fine," Hanabi leaned forward, "they're all at home anyway 'cause they're boring," she whispered loudly to Sasuke.

Hinata's face lost a few shades of color.

"Hey, I heard the Uchiha were awesome, is that true?"

"H-Hanabi!"

"It's okay, Hinata," Sasuke replied. The girl amused him. Sasuke looked down at the child. "We were the best."

"Dad says Neji-nii is the strongest up and coming Hyuga, and that he's even better than most of the adults too. Are you stronger than him?"

Sasuke smirked at her. "I've wondered that myself. But he lost to Naruto, who's my teammate, and I'm stronger than Naruto is."

"Woooaow so cool!" Hanabi chirped. "But you know, Neji-nii's been training really hard since then! Hey the Hyuga name means 'the Sun', what does the Uchiha name mean?"

Sasuke looked around until he spotted a stall, grilling eels over coals. "Look over there. What's the owner doing?"

Hanabi squinted and resisted using her Byakugan. "I guess he's using the fan to keep the fire going?"

"That's right," Sasuke turned around and pointed his thumbs to the symbol emblazoned on his back.

"Ah~ I get it, like 'Uchiwa' right?" Hanabi said gleefully.

"He controls the fire, and so do we."

"And you have eyes too? Like we do, I mean?"

Hinata bristled and looked between them frightfully, opening her mouth to scold Hanabi again.

Sasuke knelt down so that his black eyes looked straight into her white ones. He blinked and the red of the Sharingan glinted in the dark.

Hanabi's wide eyes gazed in wonder, and she grinned again. "That looks so cool! It's actually like, different from your regular eyes! The Byakugan's lame, it just looks the same as our normal eyes."

"That makes it harder to tell when it's being used," Sasuke chided, "and you might say the Hyuga's eyes are always interesting, while mine are normal unless the Sharingan is on."

"Sharingan," Hanabi parroted, delighted. She looked back to the gaggle of Hyuga where Natsu was. "I'm gonna go with the others now, okay Hinata-nee-sama?"

Hinata gave a small sigh, perhaps in relief. "Okay Hanabi. Have fun and listen to Natsu-san even though Father's not around."

"'Kay~," Hanabi drawled at her. "Sasuke-niisan," she whipped back to him. Sasuke had forgotten how energetically young kids acted. "Let's play sometime – and by 'play' I mean 'fight'."

"The best kind of play," Sasuke agreed.

"You promise? Don't go easy on me, being the family heir is nothing special, but I'm just as strong as Hinata-nee-sama is."

"Sure kid, get stronger and come find me." Without thinking about what he was doing, Sasuke reached out and poked Hanabi's forehead with two fingers. "Until then."

"'M not a kid," Hanabi muttered, but grinned and skipped away.

Hinata watched her until she made contact with Natsu, then turned to Sasuke. "I'm sorry about that, Sasuke-kun. Thank you for… indulging her."

Sasuke just stared at his two curved fingers, frowning.

Hinata fidgeted at his silence but did not understand the meaning of what he'd done.

Sasuke scoffed. "Let's go," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Hinata had to jog in her sandals to catch up to him. "U-um, go where?"

"Around, wherever. I just like walking."

They did just that, going nowhere in particular. Neither spoke further, and Hinata grew anxious, wondering if she should try and make conversation. That was what other people liked to do.

Sasuke had seemed lost in thought, following her pace by a hair's breadth.

Hinata remembered then, that Sasuke wasn't other people. He was fine with the silence, and so was she, Hinata realized. She smiled to herself.

Sasuke meanwhile, contemplated Hanabi, so much more rambunctious than her older sister. She's talented, but not as much as Neji, Sasuke thought. Her name means 'fireworks', fitting. She's less interested in formality with her clan, but always addresses Hinata respectfully. He thought back to her parting comment. She only brushes off being the heir because she thinks it makes Hinata feel better about being passed over, but it's obvious she takes it and her training to be such very seriously, even if she'd rather be doing things other kids do. I wonder what happened to choose the succession. It's probably not something I should ask about. He sighed imperceptibly.

After a couple of passes by the park, Hinata spoke up. "Hey Sasuke-kun, I haven't eaten in awhile," she pointed to one of the food stalls.

He looked up and over from her to the takoyaki stand. "I don't need anything." He walked with her up to the stand anyway and raised an eyebrow at the stack of boxes Hinata began procuring.

"Thank you, sir," Hinata said politely to the server and handed him some ryo.

"Sure thing little miss Hyuga!" he said jovially. "And how about for – "He looked Sasuke up and down with a pause. "A-ah, young master Uchiha!" He quickly gathered up bundles of Takoyaki. "What can I get you? Name it, free of charge."

"I've eaten, thanks," Sasuke said simply, grabbing Hinata's boxes while she put her purse away.

Hinata was, however, very confused by their interaction and came to follow Sasuke as he headed to a bench.

"Now there's something you don't see every day," the server could be heard saying behind them while he scratched his head.

Hinata joined him on the bench and accepted the boxes but did not open them yet. She stared at the ground, then turned to Sasuke. "…Is everyone in the village like that?"

"Pretty much," Sasuke said evenly. "I'm the last Uchiha. It's to be expected."

"That doesn't mean… but it's not right," Hinata protested softly. It's like they respect him and the Uchiha name but are afraid somehow, like they're always walking on glass around him.

"Naruto's had it worse from them. This isn't so bad. Your sister's different, at least."

Hinata found she had nothing to say to that. She opened her boxes and ate quickly, something Sasuke again raised an eyebrow over.

Hinata patted her full stomach after finishing and she sat back for awhile. Sasuke began to relax a little as well, returning briefly to meditating his fire chakra to stay warm.

After several minutes of digesting Hinata sat up and looked around the park. She got an idea. "Sasuke-kun," she began. "Did you ever do the um… 'ninja eye spy' game when you were younger?"

He opened his eyes. He had. It was something his family had done as a method of preemptively training their dojutsu at an early age. It had never occurred to him that the Hyuga had done it too, but it made sense, especially thinking back to Neji in the preliminary match. "…Yeah. You saying you wanna give it a go?"

"Um… I know it's kind of childish now, but…"

"Nevermind that. It sounds interesting. Pick a target then, thirty seconds, normal eyes only."

Hinata felt a bubble of glee as she quickly scanned the people around without using her Byakugan. She zeroed in on an elderly man sitting by himself further away. "Okay, on the bench at seven o'clock."

Sasuke looked over. "Thirty seconds starts now."

The mental clock ticked away while each of their eyes darted across the man's features, no matter how unassuming or hidden by shadow. Worlds of information came through their minds, though how different each was they did not know.

"Alright, you start," Sasuke said when time was up.

Hinata cleared her throat. "His body shows signs that he was quite muscular when he was younger. He was recently widowed – poor man – because he still has a mark where his ring was. His hands have no calluses but have specific and old burns and knife cuts. He wasn't a ninja. He labored hard at being a chef instead."

Sasuke gave a 'hn' that ruffled Hinata thoroughly. "Good, but he was a ninja, if an unorthodox one. He didn't fight directly but probably made poisons, medicine or otherwise did chemistry and plant work, which would have involved travel and gathering with a fit body. The rest of the work shows on his hands."

"But what are the odds? Isn't a normal chef more likely?" Hinata argued.

"Look at his ears. There are markings from wearing a forehead protector."

Hinata looked, and almost let out a curse. "Maybe he became a chef after he retired? Many ninja retire early."

"Perhaps," Sasuke said nonchalantly. "I'll pick next."

Hinata huffed. "Thirty seconds," she reminded him.

Sasuke copied her from before and identified a teenager grumpily running one of the other food stands while his father worked busily behind him. "The seller at the yakisoba stand, three o'clock."

Again they took in as many sights as they could before the thirty seconds were up.

"You first this time," Hinata told him as was fair.

He nodded. "A normal civilian, had plans to go out around the festival with friends but was made to mind the stand by his old man instead. He's irritated and is itching to leave, his eyes keep looking out in the streets."

Hinata smiled. "Not with friends, with a girl."

Sasuke continued staring at the stand.

"He was fingering something small but bulky in his pocket, like a jewelry package. It's her present. Winter's coming soon, it's the romantic season."

"…I don't believe you."

"W-What? Just because he's not doing it right now-"

She was interrupted by a bang as the teenager slammed the counter with his fist. "Dammit Dad I'm going to find Kokoro-chan and you ain't stopping me!" The young man vaulted the counter while his father shouted after him. A few people clapped until the old man glared at them.

After awhile Sasuke looked down and rubbed his head, saying nothing.

Hinata burst into giggles that sounded like chimes. Sasuke wondered privately how many times she'd ever laughed like that.

Soon after, they returned to aimless wandering and companionable silence. Hinata had a smile on her face, but the hand that Sasuke had used to poke Hanabi's forehead began to itch and make him think back again.

"Um… I think things are winding down, and I should get back before my Father retires for the night…" Hinata offered to him.

Sasuke, who had mostly been looking down at the ground, turned his eyes to her. "…Yeah. Making him upset would be unnecessary." He paused and looked down again. "…You didn't just kill that Sound ninja because your lives were on the line."

Hinata's breath caught in her throat.

"You didn't want Hanabi to face a terrible burden. You were protecting her innocence as much as you could, so that she could keep on being a normal child. Even though she's grown up without your mother."

"…Yes," Hinata said quietly.

"And even though she now bears the weight of the Hyuga clan heir in your place. So that she can be a different person to how you were. A stronger person."

"Yes."

Sasuke was silent. When he met her eyes again Hinata felt tears approaching at his look of utter defeat. "…Hinata, you're a good sibling."

And Sasuke began walking home once again. On his door he would find a note from Kakashi for their first mission in a long time, as would Naruto and Sakura.

Hinata ran back to the family compound, yukata and all, with quiet tears. I should have stopped Hanabi… I shouldn't have let him be reminded of it all… I'm so sorry Sasuke-kun, it's my fault…

Naruto yawned loudly to the chill morning sun, leaves briskly crunching on the road underfoot.

Sakura eyed his maw with equal tiredness. "Naruto, quit doing that, it's going to make me… me…" She raised her hand to her mouth and scrunched her eyes as she failed to suppress her own yawn.

"Hwah… sorry, Sakura-chan. We haven't gotten up this early for a mission in a while."

Sakura wanted to raise the point of how they'd stayed up at the festival playing around at the stalls but could not bring herself to. Because she was too tired, of course.

Sasuke walked with a trudge and a hunch in his back. His eyes looked swollen and were narrower than usual, something Sakura managed to notice through the fuzz.

"Sasuke-kun, you look tired too. Was everything okay after you left the festival?"

He did not look her way or otherwise acknowledge her. When he spoke, she had to strain her ears to hear him. "…I just didn't sleep well. It happens to everyone, sometimes."

"O-oh. I guess that's true."

Ahead of them, Kakashi was humming a classic Hidden Leaf tune.

"There's nothing more annoyin' in the morning than a cheerful person," Naruto muttered.

"Now kids, don't hate me just because of my age. You see, as you get older you find yourself needing less sleep," Kakashi said as cheerfully as he could, just to irritate his students further. "Isn't that right, Shibuki-san?"

"Y-yes, I believe I have heard that and factoring in my own experience…" The boyish-faced ninja with long dark hair, a blue tunic and the headband of the Hidden Waterfall replied nervously from behind him, leaving the sentence trailing.

Naruto yawned again, which made Sakura scowl. "What rank is this mission anyway, if we're goin' outside the village?"

"Naruto, didn't you pay attention to the briefing?" Sakura sighed.

"I might have dozed off."

Kakashi cleared his throat. "Well Naruto, it seems you can tell this isn't a D-rank mission. That's good, at least. So then, would you say this is a C-rank mission?"

Naruto scratched his head.

"It's a B-rank," Sasuke said shortly.

"Yes," Kakashi said. "An escort implies combat, which begets at least a C-rank. Our friend Shibuki-san here, however is a ninja."

"Combat involving ninja is at least a B-rank," Sakura said in realization.

Shibuki shivered at the discussion.

"Eh? You cold, mister?" Naruto asked.

"N-nothing I can't handle," he replied quickly. He made a Tiger Sign and with a short whoosh he was cast in a thin, invisible coat of chakra. "See? That should take care of it."

"Oh! Was that the thing you showed us before we left, Kakashi-sensei? That we use to keep warm?"

"Good of you to remember, Naruto," Kakashi said. "A simple technique – not even a jutsu, more like an exercise of chakra – that ninja use for protection from the elements. It has its limitations, though, so don't rely too much on it. Keep those cloaks on."

"Sensei, what about our mission to the Wave?" Sakura began. "That was supposed to be a C-rank, but…"

"Well, have you checked your village coffers lately?"

"Um, well we haven't had any missions lately so…"

"I wasn't being critical, Sakura. But there you'll find you've received some retro pay from that mission."

Naruto's eyes lit up with ryo signs. "How much?!"

"I believe it was around one million – split between each of us, of course."

"So that's…" Naruto started counting on his fingers.

"Two hundred and fifty thousand, Naruto," Sakura said quickly, for she was also going dizzy over the amount. All of their D-rank missions combined had not been close to it.

"That amount would be… A-rank?" Sasuke said slowly.

"Yup," Kakashi said easily. "If you recall, the Wave could not afford to pay for anything above a C-rank. The punishment for mission fraud is normally quite severe, but with Gato out of the picture and the bridge completed, they've been doing quite well and were happy to reimburse us. So, congratulations you three, you've got one A-rank mission on the docket, a feat few chunin could even lay claim to, let alone genin."

Shibuki had listened with interest. "You kids had a trick mission? Wow, you must have had a hard time. I don't think I could handle something like that…" He wrung his hands and looked at the ground in thought.

"What's a trick mission?" Naruto parroted.

"What many ninja call a mission where the rank increases due to unforeseen complications or otherwise. Most clients know better than to try and commit robbery from a ninja village - let alone from one of the Five – so usually these cases aren't the fault of the client. Wave was a different matter, but everything worked out, hm?" Kakashi shrugged.

"Smaller villages like mine more often have to deal with these kinds of missions because it's harder for us to enforce mission rankings or hunt down rogues," Shibuki spoke up. "When I hand out missions I check them very carefully, but even so I tell my forces to pull out quickly if such a case happens."

"Shibuki-san, you mean you administer missions in the Waterfall?" Sakura squinted at him more critically than she might ought to have with a client.

"Y-yes, I know I'm not much, but I'm the village leader, which is why I was away conducting affairs and am offering the Leaf this mission."

It was to Sakura's further consternation that he meekly accepted her attitude.

"Couldn't you have brought your own ninja for an escort?" Sasuke asked.

"I'm afraid all of my best ninja are away from the village on a more critical matter. Normally I would have been fine on my own, but since your village's invasion many countries have been on edge from what the Sand or Sound will do next, as well as the status of current alliances. I'm quite able to pay your rates, of course."

"Ah…" Sakura realized. "We're allies with the Waterfall, but the Sand and Sound were also our allies… what are their current relationships with the Leaf?"

"Active conflict with the Sound," Kakashi said, "though we haven't seen hide or hair from them since. Seems Lord Hokage managed to injure Orochimaru quite severely. As for Sand, that is still up in the air. Our intel says that the Sound had proposed the assault, but that they also killed the Kazekage. They're far worse off than we are right now, so at the very least we don't expect any more trouble from them."

"That's Gaara's dad…" Naruto muttered. "Damn… what's gonna happen to him?"

"I'm afraid the minor villages are often locked in their own conflicts," Shibuki said solemnly. "I only inherited the position as village head because of my father, the previous leader, who died defending us from a skirmish. He's a hero, and I love my village, so I accepted the position, but there are still better ninja than me who could have…" He trailed off again.

"Hey yo, Shibuki-san, none of that!" Naruto pounded his chest. "I hear ya, your dad sounded like he was great. I got a friend who you kind of remind me of, an' she's really tryin' hard to change herself and get stronger for her family and her friends! You gotta keep it up!"

Sakura had been surprised that Naruto had suddenly addressed their jumpy client with a proper honorific, then considered who Naruto might be talking about, but was still too tired to dwell further on it.

Sasuke just thumbed his chin and smiled underneath his hand where no one could see.

Shibuki just rubbed his head. "I-I see. I appreciate that, Naruto-kun."

Naruto's tiredness was forgotten as he bounded ahead of the on the path. "Heh, don't mention it. You seem like a swell guy, so once I'm Hokage, you can count on me for anything you need!"

Shibuki blinked, then stifled laughter out of sight.

"Eh? Oi, what's so funny?" Naruto fumed.

"Naruto, stay in formation," Kakashi called lazily.

Hinata went over her thoughts again before quietly knocking on the sliding door to her father's office.

"Come in," he spoke from within.

Hinata softly stepped in and sat down on the tatami before Hiashi's desk, where he was drafting a letter. Hiashi did not need to look up to recognize his elder daughter's footsteps. "Before I ask what has brought you here, Hinata, I want to ask how you think Neji has been doing?"

Hinata was mildly startled. "Oh, um – we ran into each other this morning, he greeted me, and his eyes looked well. I've also seen him meditating in the gardens. I know he's been hurting for a long time, so if he's doing better, I'm happy for him."

Hiashi looked up at her carefully. "And you do not hold the fact that he nearly killed you against him?"

"I… I guess that puts me on edge, but I don't want things to be like that between us. We were in earnest combat, and I was the one who kept pushing him to attack. I did that because I wanted us to fight honestly, not as enemies. H-He's family!" she all but squeaked out the last part.

Hiashi was quiet for a moment. "It relieves me to hear that, Hinata. The Hyuga have sacrificed many things in its days. Neji's father – my brother – was one of them. I have always deeply regretted his circumstances. I will have to tell you the details of that matter, but that is not why you've come to my office, is it?"

Hinata had to regain her line of thought following this distraction. She cleared her throat. "Father, well… I've been learning a little bit of ninjutsu from… Sasuke Uchiha."

If he'd been caught of guard by this, even Hinata could not pick up on it. "You two were classmates at the academy, yes?"

"Y-yes, although we didn't really talk back then…"

"I see, and what techniques has he taught you?"

"F… Fire Style jutsu, sir…" Hinata said meekly.

"Raise your head."

Hinata did so.

Hiashi threaded his fingers and leaned forward. "Did he teach you the Goukakyu?"

"H-how did you know?"

After a pause, he replied. "It is not a matter of knowing. That technique was the Uchiha right of passage. Their children were only allowed to wear the family crest once they could successfully perform this technique."

Hinata reeled from the implications.

"Had he taught you any other fire technique – of which the Uchiha have many – I would not be terribly interested. Tell me, there is a reason you have approached me on this, yes?"

Hinata gulped. "In the village, I started to notice that people… always treat him very carefully. They offer him anything he wants, but they hold him at arms length. It's like… like he's a dangerous animal, or something," Hinata finished.

"And you thought I would know more about this?"

Hinata could think of many different reasons to come to her father about the Uchiha, but forced herself to give the concise answer. "Yes."

Hiashi folded his arms. "Hinata, how long did it take you to perform the fire jutsu he taught you?"

"Um… a few days of practice, I suppose." She said with inquisition.

"Sasuke's brother, Itachi, successfully performed Goukakyu when he was four years old, in a single try."

Hinata's breath hitched.

"When he was in the academy, it was discovered that he had been skipping class by using Kage Bunshin no Jutsu to attend in his place while he went off to train much greater techniques. He was swiftly fast-tracked to graduation, his teacher saying the academy truly had nothing to offer him."

"B-But, Itachi-san, he –"

"Yes, yes. Sasuke was only eight years old when Itachi murdered the entire family in a single night. Sasuke was found unconscious from the effects of genjutsu and did not awaken for several days."

Hinata nibbled her lip in agitation.

Hiashi leaned forward. "Hinata, Itachi was hailed as a genjutsu genius, which is augmented by the power of the Sharingan. The Hyuga do not focus on genjutsu because it is nearly impossible for it to deceive our Byakugan, but some of us think that if anyone could, it would be Itachi. Sasuke's objective is to kill his brother and avenge his family, is it not?"

"Y-yes."

"Everyone knows that Sasuke is gifted, but most are doubtful that he is capable of overcoming his brother, who has both vast experience and unparalleled talent. Frankly, it is suicide. Of course, it is also thought that only the Sharingan could overcome another Sharingan in direct confrontation, so if Sasuke cannot do it, then who could? Itachi is still young, he well have a long reign as a rogue."

"F-Father, but why do the villagers treat the Uchiha like this? They helped found the village!" Hinata burst out.

"Calm yourself Hinata," Hiashi breathed. "Listen closely. We advance our Byakugan through careful training, meditation and concentration. However, the Sharingan is different. It's power does not come on its own, nor will training increase it, of course experience using it is still relevant. They are seen as a stoic or even callous people, like we are, but this is a façade."

"A… façade?"

"Yes. In truth, the Uchiha are highly motivated towards their loved ones. The Sharingan is a mirror that reflects this. It is not training that brings out the Sharingan, but trauma."

"S-Sasuke does have his Sharingan. I've seen it…"

"It may very well have been granted to him on that terrible night. Tell me, how many tomoe markings did his eyes have?"

Hinata thought back to their spar, where their eyes had flashed dangerously at each other. "…Two, in each one."

Hiashi nodded. "The Sharingan develops in stages, from one tomoe to three. With each, it gains more abilities than before, but that path is not easy for an Uchiha to bear, furthermore…"

Hinata leaned forward. "Y-Yes?"

Hiashi looked at her sternly. "What I am about to tell you, you must never reveal to anyone, do you understand? That is the least we can do to respect what is left of our fellow Noble Clan."

Hinata's hands shook nervously. "Of course, Father."

"The Uchiha are as ancient as we are. There have long been rumors that the Sharingan goes beyond those three tomoe. I admit, I did not put much stock in them myself. But before you were born, during the Third Great War, I saw it for myself."

"What… What happened?" Hinata could do little more than listen in anxious terror.

"Sasuke and Itachi's father, Fugaku. He had not yet become head of the clan. We had been sieged on the northeast front by the Stone for days. A boulder from a giant Earth Style jutsu suddenly fell upon Fukagu's best friend since they were boys. The Sharingan could not have seen it coming, for it cannot see the future, as many think it does. I had seen, with my Byakugan, but I was too far away to warn them or stop it." Hiashi thumbed his eyes, a sight of regret Hinata had never seen on him. "And then, Fugaku was in unbearable anguish. He could not stomach the sudden and tragic loss. Then I saw something I doubt anyone has. Intense spiritual energy bloomed in his brain. It traveled along his optic nerves, burning as it went. I could hear him screaming." Hiashi sighed deeply. He reached for a pot and poured Hinata some tea.

She did not touch it.

"I held my position, for somehow I could not bring myself to approach. But I remember great storms of fire, searing through the enemy forces with a laser-like precision. Some of the soldiers we found did not die, but appeared to have been bombarded with mentally devastating ocular genjutsu. Lastly, a towering, ethereal skeleton, concealing Fugaku in a cage. It's spiritual energy was so strong the chakra was both visible and rendered solid, and it had his distinct color, a deep burgundy." This time, Hiashi poured himself some tea, and the pot was nearly empty. He took a long sip.

Hinata had not noticed, but a line of tears had appeared on her face.

"That is the legacy of the Uchiha. They love fiercely until they writhe in the agony of loss. That emotion builds a chakra no one else can, manifest as a legendary dojutsu, which prior to then had not been seen since the Era of Warring Clans. Fugaku had always been a serious and composed shinobi, but quick enough to smile among friends. I did not see him smile after that, except on occasions with his family. I don't think anyone but me had seen firsthand, but after examining the battlefield whispers floated about. 'Fugaku of the Wicked Eye', they called him. And this was in no way the beginning, for the Uchiha had been feared for generations, even if the people did not know why. The Second Hokage knew, however."

"N…Nidaime-sama…?" Hinata stammered.

"Yes. He had seen the Uchiha fight for longer than anyone, from long before the formation of villages. He came to respect many of the Uchiha, but it was clear that he intended to keep their emotional power under check. He made many policies that were unfavorable to them, appointed them in charge of the police force while the ANBU remained under his control. He even approved the emotional control that we teach shinobi in your academy textbooks. It was not simply for Konoha; he wanted the Uchiha tamed."

"I… but the Hokage is supposed to… to…" Hinata felt dizzy.

"Hinata, drink some of your tea," Hiashi ordered.

Hinata did, and her breathing slowed.

"Yes, Lord Second was still our Hokage. Above all, he wanted the Uchiha to be useful to the village. On his final mission during the end of the First Great War, he sacrificed himself to hold off Cloud's strongest shinobi while the forces under his command escaped. In his squad was the renowned Kagami Uchiha, a widely respected and fiercely loyal shinobi. In the same squad was Hiruzen Sarutobi, whom was given a battlefield promotion to the Third Hokage by the Second himself. Despite what had happened to him and the enemies he slaughtered, Fugaku remained a stable and composed shinobi who desired peace after the war as much as the rest of us did." Hiashi finished off his tea. "Itachi, too, was an exemplary shinobi. Respectful, thorough, trusted by his comrades. Remember that, Hinata. I do not know why he did what he did, but I doubt he could have if he did not also experience that madness which could advance the Sharingan to a ludicrous degree. Perhaps, in his time here, he came to view the shinobi world itself as futile."

Hinata bit back a lump in her throat. "But Sasuke-kun's not like that! I know, he's very sad, he doesn't really smile, and he's always trying to get stronger but… He's still a good person!"

Hiashi held up a hand to her outburst. "I agree, Hinata. The fact that he taught you a technique so important to his family's legacy, I believe, tells me that much. Do not waste his gift. But I must tell you," Hiashi began strongly, almost pleadingly. "Sasuke has lost everything. I am certain he refuses to get close to anyone, for fear of it ever happening again, and I doubt he knows, but he is wise to do this, for even I fear what he may become if it does."

That one came out a little long, but I got pretty into that last scene. Again, sorry for the wait. I'm working again, so things get stressful. I need to bring myself to write more often, because it really is nice to do.

We'll probably move away from Hinata for awhile, since I'm planning to do Waterfall (and ignoring a lot of the OVA in the process) and then Itachi, then Tsunade. As for Danzo, what he's up to will become clearer soon, and let me say again that people often misinterpret his character, so see if you can expect it.

Until next time,

Iggy