So I was at camp for the past three days so I apologize if I haven't updated this story in a while! Anyway… here is the last chapter of Figures in the Night! You know, I always pictured Hinata and Sasuke as older in this story. How old do you picture them as?

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She wakes and is instantly filled with dread. Today they will begin searching for the Bikochu. She has told her angel last night in the forest. Surrounded by butterflies he had refused to hide. She does not know why. Better to come back, she thinks.

"Come on Hinata!" Naruto yells. She sits up and goes outside. The day is beautiful and she is met with the smell of food. She isn't hungry. Kiba looks at her and she tries to avoid looking at him. Her angel told her Kiba loves her and she sees it now for herself. She feels guilty for deceiving Kiba because she does not love him like that.

"We will search the entrance of the forest and move in toward the middle. The Bikochu is gray and beetle-like with a long snout and long thin legs. They are small." Shino tells them. Kiba hands her, her breakfast and she thanks him. He blushes. They finish their meal quickly and Shino leads them into the forest. They walk past the glade where the butterflies are and she looks at it longingly. She wished that that moment with Sasuke had lasted forever.

They begin to search, Naruto looking under every bush and behind every tree. "This one?" he asks.

"No."

"This one?"

"No."

Hinata wanders a little ways away from Naruto and Shino. She will look here. Halfheartedly she cries, "Byakugan!" and her kekkei genkai flares to life. She can see everything- her friends searching, bugs moving, plants swaying…and a figure hurdling toward her? She leaps out of the way just in time and the figure twists in midair and lands lightly where she has just stood. Heart pounding, she lowers herself into a fighting stance. This is no one she knows, her Byakugan tells her. A few kunai goes towards her and she blocks with her own. They crash to the forest floor and dead silence fills the space. Her instincts tell her to yell for help like she always has in the past. Not this time, she thinks. She moves into position. "Shugohakke Rokujūyon Shō (Protection of the Eight Trigrams Sixty Four Palms)!" She cries. It is the move she has practiced the night her angel found her. It isn't perfect, but it will do. This time, she will protect her friends. She moves her arms and blue chakra flows slivery smooth. Fiercely she drives the other ninja back away from her and all she is protecting. She sees the figure use a hand sign and she falters. What will this ninja do? How does she know her jutsu will work against another? The figure summons a giant bee, its stinger deadly sharp in the light. It flies towards her and sends a stinger at her. She deflects it with effort and sends it flying back at it. The bee falls back, nearly killed by its own weapon. It sends another and then another. She can feel herself weakening with every blow and knows that it will last not much longer. A bead of sweat runs down her cheek. Her arms ache. And still she goes on. Her legs ache and she fears she will give in to the pain.

Suddenly she gasps. No, she thinks. Not now. "Sasuke." She whispers before she falls. She waits, waiting for the impact. But it never comes. Exhausted, she opens her eyes. The first thing she sees is midnight black hair (Sasuke's she notes). His arms are around her shoulders, gently supporting her. His eyes flare with the Sharingan.

"Sasuke?" She turns her head. Naruto, Kiba and Shino are standing, staring. Sasuke doesn't look at them. Her angel stares straight ahead at her attacker.

"Naruto," he says without taking his eyes off the ninja. "Take Hinata and stand back." Naruto is still in shock, she sees, but he obeys, taking hold of her and holding her close. Kiba moves to help but Sasuke stiffens and he moves back. She doesn't want to let go and clings to him. "Hina love, please go." He still does not look at her, but his voice, she hears is on the verge of anger and pain. With all her will, she loosens her grip and allows Naruto to carry her to safety.

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He has never felt as agonized as the day his family died. His Hinata, his love was in danger! He did not want to let her go either. Naruto will take care of her, he told himself fiercely. Focus on the attacker. He straightens and stares straight at the ninja. The bee that had attacked his love has gone. His love has unknowingly defeated it. He should have been there to help her from the start. Yet he knew that it had been right to let her win this battle. The ninja however is his.

The ninja summons another bee, hands a blur.

Sasuke crouches over and cries a single word, "Chidori." Blue crackles and birds sing. He runs toward the ninja, a black blur against the forest green. He feels the power flow off him and knows he will win. He lifts the energy and meets the bee in midair. "Chidori!" he yells. The bee falls and he keeps going. Sharingan and Chidori ablaze; with deadly grace does he kill his foe. He lands, a deadly beauty. His love runs towards him and he opens his arms wide for her.

Suddenly joy gives way to pain and he doubles over.

"Sasuke!" he hears both Naruto and Hinata call. He can feel Hinata's slight touch on his burning skin and that is all the comfort he needs.

"Sasuke," she whispers, a sort of strangled sob. Through the pain, he can feel an energy form in his gut. No, he thinks. He knows that the curse is upon him again. He clenches his teeth against the feelings this energy stirs. Pain… hate… suffering… death… ruthlessness, rushes past his eyes. If he looses this inner battle, he might strike at the ones he loves. Through his pain drenched eyes, he can see her face. White orbs, dark hair, crystal tears on her cheeks. He tries to wipe them away. With great effort, he lifts his hand. It is covered in black marks, he sees. She takes his hand.

He fights harder. The pain slowly dies. Soon it is gone and he is left, breathing ragged.

"Hinata?" he asks weakly.

"I'm here." She answers.

"Sasuke," Naruto's voice is soft and uncertain. "Is it really you?"

"Baka." His voice is faint even to his own ears. Over Hinata, he sees the blonde ninja smile.

"Sasuke…" the baka he sees is close to crying. "You idiot! Where the hell were you? Sakura's been so worried!" Naruto explodes.

"Naruto." His love says. "Help me." And that is the last he sees before he falls into black.

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It's been a day since Sasuke rescued her. He has rested unconscious since then. She has not left his side. Only Naruto she will move for. Not Kiba or Shino. They are concerned she sees. More for her then for Sasuke she knows. They look at her across the way- she can feel their stares.

"Hinata," Kiba starts. She sees Shino shake his head and Kiba falls quiet.

Her eyes feel red and swollen and she is tired. The sun is setting, night is falling, but she will keep awake until her angel wakes. She must know that he is alright. She closes her eyes and takes a calming breath. It doesn't work. On her eyelids she sees her angel doubled over in pain. She opens her eyes, her heart pounds.

"I will sit with him now." she tells her friends. Only being near him can comfort her in a time like this. She enters the tent and calls softly to Naruto, "Go and rest." He nods. He knows what she wants and she knows that even though he does not want to leave her angel's side, he will for her.

"Thanks." He murmurs. She turns to look at him.

"No Naruto, it's you that needs thanking. Sasuke thinks of you as a brother and I am only someone he just met." She tells him.

"Don't say that Hinata. He loves you." Those are the most sincere words she has ever heard him speak. How does he know? He reads the question in her eyes, "I saw it in his eyes." She nods. Maybe, she thinks silently, if I had never fallen for Sasuke, Naruto; I might have truly loved you. Naruto leaves the tent and she goes to kneel by her fallen angel.

Cracks of the setting sun fall on her angel's beautiful face. She takes his hand and holds on tightly. "I love you." She whispers. A crystal tear falls down her cheek… and is gently wiped away. She lifts her head with a start.

"I love you too." Her angel, she sees is awake at last.

"Sasuke," she whispers. She sniffs and he draws her into a tight embrace. Safe in his arms, she lies there wondering what she would do without him. "What happened?" she instead voices.

He sighs. "When," he pauses. "Remember the Chunnin exams?" She nods. "That day in the forest, Orochimaru gave me this." He draws away from her and shows her the mark on his neck. She nods again. She had glimpsed it when they had met in the forest, yet had not wanted to ask about it. "Now every time… well almost every time I fight, it flares up. He's been calling me to him." He looks away from her. "That's why I left."

"Naruto said you left to get power." He smiles, "Is that what I said to him? In a way yes. Do you know what happened to my clan when I was little?" She nods for the third time. "My brother killed them."

"Naruto told me." He looks down at her in surprise. "While you were unconscious." She adds.

"My goal was to kill him, take revenge and restore my clan.' He continues. "I thought I would need Orochimaru to do that. The night I met you, my world was turned upside down. All thoughts of revenge left my mind. And now that I've seen Naruto again…" He shakes his head. 'That baka forgives me. If he can, why can't I? I haven't completely forgiven my brother yet, but for now…" He shrugs. They fall into a silence.

"How will you stay a ninja if you have that?" She asks, waving her hand at the curse-mark.

"That's the problem. A ninja of Orochimaru's said that I'm dying… slowly," he adds, seeing the look on her face. "He said I use it recklessly. I'm bound to him, Hinata. I'll need Orochimaru's help to control it." A sudden thought fills her mind.

"So you'll leave." She doesn't mean to make it sound so harsh and full of sorrow.

He bows his head, "Yes." A pause and then, "I don't want to, but if what this ninja says it's true… I might die." He looks up at her. "I can't leave you." His voice is tender and she feels a tear wet her cheek. He'll leave, if only for a little while, she realizes.

"I love you." She says again as pain fills her.

"And I too my love." He holds her and kisses away her tears.

"I don't want you to leave…" She whispers.

"I know."

"But it's for the best. Come back to me… I'll be waiting." She finishes. He nods.

"I promise. I'll always think of you every day. I'll always be waiting to come back to you." He tells her and she knows he means it.

"What shall I tell Naruto?" she asks.

"He knows." Her angel tells her. "I told him before you came in."

"I thought you were sleeping." She says.

"I wanted to wake for you." He says guiltily. She smiles.

"Thank-you; and what of Shino and Kiba? What shall I tell them?"

"I think they will understand. Kiba loves you," he says. "And with love comes respect and letting go. I'm not one to talk but I'm sure he will help keep everything a secret. Shino… I don't know him well, but he will decide what's right I'm sure."

"Everything will work out." She assures him. He kisses her forehead.

"One more night?" he asks.

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He wakes early. It's time to leave. He slips on his clothes as quietly as he can so he won't wake his love sleeping beside him. He doesn't want to leave her, but he knows he has to. He'll hold on to the memories they shared and he'll harden his heart. She will not be a weakness to be used against him. I love you, he tells her silently. He bends down and kisses her lips gently. I'll be back my love. Whether it takes half of my life to return, I will. I know you'll wait for me forever… He lets his thoughts trail off and with that he leaves the tent. He passes the sleeping forms of Naruto and the rest outside and slips into the trees. He glances back and then with a shrug, he starts forward on his journey.

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She wakes to an empty bed. She can still feel the warmth- he hasn't been gone for long. She draws the blankets up over her bare shoulders and rolls onto her side, hiding the tears that roll down her face. He's gone, she tells herself. But he'll be back. I'll wait for you forever, she cries silently into the early morning. I know you'll wait for me too.

End of Part One