Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 19: Distance

Naruto had always known that silence was heavy, but he had never experienced such a weight as the silence after Tsunade had given Hinata her diagnosis. After Hinata had awoken and gone into a full-blown panic, Tsunade arrived and tried her best to digest what Hinata was telling her. Hinata had immediately gone back into surgery with Tsunade to remove the cataracts that had formed and to see if anything could be done to restore her sight. Naruto was there when Hinata was being wrapped up by Shizune. Naruto noticed that Tsunade was exhausted so he tentatively brought in a chair for her, hoping that he would be allowed to stay. Tsunade took the seat with a grateful glance to Naruto.

"Hinata-chan, there is no easy way for me to say this, but there is clinically, nothing wrong with your eyes. There is no reason that I can see for the cataracts to have formed, after we remove the bandages, we'll see if any of your sight has been restored, but I will warn you that for some reason your chakra is simply not flowing into your eyes. It's a dead zone." Naruto watched as Hinata's hands grasped the blankets tightly. Silence stretched on for several tense moments. Tsunade waited patiently for Hinata to say something. Finally, Hinata spoke, or tried to. At first, after the long hours under medical care, her dry throat only rasped. The blue-haired girl took a few more silent moments before clearing her throat.

"I suspect that it has something to do with the seal they put on the Main House members." Tsunade appeared as confused as Naruto felt.

"What seal?" Shizune brought Hinata a cup of water. She cringed when she held the cup out to Hinata out of habit, but the girl was none the wiser. Tsunade took the cup from her student's hand and carefully placed it into Hinata's pale hand. Hinata took a grateful sip of the water before continuing.

"It's a clan secret. All of the Main House members have a traceless seal on them in case they should ever be captured or killed. The Byakugan cannot be removed from a live or dead Main House member. Of course, that does not deter people from trying to take it, but the clan wanted to be secure in knowing that it could not be attained from the outside."

Tsunade absorbed the information. "Your heart must have stopped at some point and the seal activated based on that." The terrible realization appeared on her face.

Hinata hardly responded to that, she instead continued telling Tsunade what she knew about her predicament. "The seal was created and implemented after my attempted kidnapping by Kumo. I overheard that the seal was created in the Land of Hot Water briefly before the seal was brought to the compound. Of course, it has none of the extra capabilities that the Caged Bird seal has. I don't know anything more than that, unfortunately. It is a well-guarded secret. I don't honestly know what the cost will be to me now that I have told you." Hinata took another shaky sip of water.

Tsunade sighed and rested her head in her hands as she studied Hinata closely. Naruto noted that she looked like she was heavily contemplating something. She hesitated only a moment more before she spoke gently. "Hinata-chan, your father isn't going to be hurting you anymore. I'll be removing you from Hyuuga custody." Hinata inhaled sharply. The cup of water began to shake more prominently in her hand.

"But-" Tsunade tutted.

"I'm sorry, but I wasn't asking. Your sister told me everything that I wish you had told me yourself." Hinata flinched from the gentle reprimand. "I'm removing you from the clan because I know you would never do it yourself. I understand that you may be angry with me, and I'm willing to shoulder that, but you almost died today. Actually, I don't have any idea how you didn't. I will not be directly or indirectly responsible for your death at the hands of your own family. We'll figure out the specifics later, for now, you need to rest." Hinata pressed her lips together. Naruto could sense her frustration, but he could also sense her overwhelming exhaustion. Tsunade stood, pushing the chair back as she made sure that she was steady on her feet.

"Naruto and the two ANBU guarding the door will be staying here with you tonight." Naruto watched as Hinata stiffened at the news; his stomach turned at the sight of her unease. "Nothing will happen to you tonight. I will speak to you in the morning." Tsunade turned to the blond that stood behind her. She pointed a long nail at him. "Do not keep her up late." Naruto nodded his agreement. Shizune offered a soft farewell as she put Tsunade's arm over her shoulder and made sure to guide the tired woman out of the room. The door shut with a resounding click. Hinata still sat stiffly on the bed. Naruto, for once, did not know what to stay.

"Hinata-chan, I-." He started slowly.

"Naruto-kun. What. Happened?" Naruto recoiled. Hinata's voice was cold, in a way that he had never heard it before. Especially not directed at him.

"Hinata-chan, it's such a long story. You need to rest."

"P-please." Hinata braced herself, cursing her stutter. Her fingers curled into the blanket covering her legs, some fibers came loose in her hands. "Don't keep this from me. I need to know." Naruto tried to swallow the lump forming in his throat to no avail. He guided himself softly into the chair next to her bed.

"Hinata-chan, a little more than three years ago, I died. There's a being that lives inside of me that offered me a chance at life again and I took it." He took a deep breath. He was trying to only tell Hinata what she needed to know, but even still he knew that it was a lot to hear. From what he could see of Hinata's face, there was little change in her expression. "Your father killed you. Right in front of your little sister." Hinata slumped at the confirmation of what she already suspected. "It was too late by the time I got there, you were already dead. I knew he was going to do something drastic and I didn't want to believe you when you told me that you never wanted to see me again. I put two and two together when I realized that he's been hurting you. I was on my way to do something- anything to keep what happened from happening, but I was too late." Naruto felt his heart contract painfully at the memory of seeing a devastated Hanabi crying over the limp body of her sister, and a dazed Hinata looking unsure of what was happening and what she was seeing. He remembered how curious and confused her eyes had looked when she saw him standing before her in a way that he had never appeared before. She had not recognized him as who he was, she had thought she was hallucinating.

"When I saw Hanabi holding you, and your spirit outside of your body, I just… I couldn't do it. I couldn't let you go. Much less pass you along. You're one of my precious people. I couldn't just let you die." Hinata's head swam with all of the information and all of her roiling emotions. There were so many questions. She didn't quite understand anything. It was all so confusing and wrong. Her world had completely changed in an instant. Hinata knew she should be grateful to Naruto for saving her life, but it was just all so much to understand. The pale girl jolted when she felt Naruto take her hand, there was an unmistakable strength to his touch that she hadn't felt before. It felt like his energy was flowing directly into her, feeding her system in a way. She could feel some of her own sputtering right back, although she was unable to control her own chakra anymore. The sensation was intimate and too much for her. She pulled her hand away from him, touching it with her cold, untouched hand. For a stinging, disgusting instant, she was grateful for the fact that she couldn't see the hurt in Naruto's expression.

"I think you're right, Naruto-kun. I need to rest." Naruto didn't know what he had expected, but it definitely wasn't for Hinata to pull away from him. It had hurt more than it should have, but Naruto knew that he couldn't press Hinata further at the moment. He stood and gently adjusted her bed so that she was lying down flat. She mumbled her thanks hesitantly before turning to face away from him. Naruto watched her with a heavy heart as he sat back in his seat. He knew he wasn't going to be doing much sleeping, so he settled for watching as Hinata waited for tears that didn't come before falling into a restless sleep.

In the morning, Tsunade quietly entered the room to check in on Hinata. Naruto was jostled from the light sleep he had been slipped into when Tsunade pushed past him to lean over Hinata. The still sleeping kunoichi had shifted onto her back in her sleep. As though she sensed a presence, Hinata reached up in a feeble attempt to defend herself, startled into consciousness. Tsunade gently wrapped her hands around the girl's wrists.

"Shhhh, Hinata-chan. It's just me."

"Tsu-Tsunade-sama. I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for. I'm going to unwrap your eyes now. We'll see if any of your sight has returned. Naruto watched with bated breath as Tsunade deftly unwrapped Hinata's head. When the bandages were off, Hinata tightened her eyes with a brief, desperate prayer before she blinked them open. She visibly slumped, as her gaze remained unfocused. Naruto could see that Tsunade had done a masterful job returning Hinata's eyes to the opalescent brilliance they had been before, but from the way Hinata chewed her lip and shut her eyes to keep from crying, Naruto knew that she was still sightless. "Nothing?" Tsunade's breathless question was the only thing that cut the silence. Hinata shook her head and a tear slipped out from beneath a closed lid. Tsunade sighed heavily.

Hinata rubbed her eye, and turned her head towards Tsunade, not even trying to pinpoint her location. "Tsunade-sama, have you moved forward with removing me from the Hyuuga?" Tsunade sighed again.

"Yes. I signed the paperwork this morning. You are now no longer a Hyuuga." Naruto hurt for all of the bad news that Hinata was receiving. He felt unendingly guilty for it all. "The Hyuuga obviously did not respond well, but I will worry about that. They are also not so happy of the heavy fine they have incurred at Hiashi's blatantly abusive use of the Cursed Seal." Naruto didn't quite know what Tsunade was talking about, but he didn't want to interject. "There is no need for me to keep you in the hospital any longer, you will be discharged in the morning. I notified Kurenai of what happened last night and she immediately offered her home for you to stay in indefinitely." Hinata nodded at that news. Naruto suddenly felt a pull that he cursed Kurama for. It was a terribly inconvenient time. Hinata's sudden gasp shocked Naruto. He watched her carefully. Hinata's head immediately snapped to where he sat although her eyes were not able to focus on him. Naruto found himself frozen to his seat, but the effect lasted for only an instant. Not quite understanding what was happening, Naruto stood abruptly and followed his duty out. Tsunade called after him in confusion.

"Naruto? Where are you going?" Naruto didn't answer as he rushed out.

Naruto rushed back to the hospital after he assisted the spirit in passing. It had been an old man, and the process was quick and painless. He, as always, felt dirty after. Once at the hospital, he found Tsunade helping Hinata out of her bed. Hinata had bandages wrapped around her eyes again, and her cloak from Mariko was draped across her shoulders. When Naruto entered the room at a full sprint, the Godaime narrowed her eyes at him. "Where the hell did you go?" Naruto had no reply for her. She stared at him suspiciously. Finally, she scoffed. "Well good thing you're here now, I need you to walk Hinata to Kurenai's house. Kurenai is ready to receive her. ANBU will be escorting you as well, to make sure that none of the Hyuuga try anything." Naruto stepped forward and gently took Hinata's hand. He gently took her arm and hooked it with his. Hinata shivered at his touch and he wondered if their connection felt like it did for her as it did for him. Tsunade placed a hand on Hinata's shoulder.

"I'm going to figure something out. You're going to get through this. Just rest for the next few days, and I'll tell you as soon as I have a solution." Hinata nodded and smiled in the direction of Tsunade's voice. Naruto noticed the way the Hokage's smile was tinged with sympathy as she gazed at Hinata's wrapped face. After gently pulling Hinata's hood over her head, Tsunade sent the two on their way.

The walk through the town was slow and silent. People looked in questioning at the odd pair traveling through the middle of town. Naruto was unsurprised to see the large number of villagers who still shot disgusted looks his way, but he also noted that they scrutinized Hinata with intense questioning. Naruto pulled Hinata a little bit more into his side, but Hinata resisted, trying to maintain a bit more space between them. Naruto's heart ached, but he allowed her the space. He felt lucky that she wasn't completely pushing him away. She mumbled an apology, and Naruto couldn't find his voice to answer. Finally, they got to Kurenai's home. The woman lived in an apartment complex that was filled exclusively with Jounin from Konoha's forces. Naruto wasn't surprised that there weren't any locks to the complex. Anyone foolish enough to break into a complex filled with Konoha's highest trained shinobi were likely to figure out why it was so easy to get in. Naruto guided Hinata to the elevator for what was probably Hinata's first elevator ride in a long time. The silence was getting unbearable.

Kurenai opened the door almost as soon as they knocked, her eyes were red-rimmed and it was clear that she had been crying and perhaps had not slept the night before. "Oh, Hinata-chan." In a rare show of unadulterated affection, Kurenai pulled Hinata from Naruto's grasp and into a fierce hug. She released Hinata a few moments later, pushing her hood off her head and taking the young girl's hands as she turned her sharp gaze onto Naruto. "Thank you for bringing her to me. Would you like to come in?" Naruto noted the way Hinata instantly stiffened, and Naruto grimaced in disappointment before he responded to Kurenai.

"No thanks, Kurenai-sensei. I need to uh… handle some things." Kurenai nodded, and Hinata visibly relaxed. Naruto wondered how distance would affect them, and he was prepared for the consequences of leaving Hinata's presence. He only hoped that any negative effects were not reciprocated onto Hinata. She had dealt with enough. Naruto stepped back, directing some words to Hinata. "I'll see you tomorrow, Hinata-chan." Hinata nodded slightly, her grip on Kurenai's hands was tight. The older woman looked worriedly between the two teenagers, confused at the clear feeling of tension that she was sensing. She knew of her student's affection for the blond teenager that had delivered her, so she didn't understand why Hinata seemed to be deflecting Naruto's doting behavior. It was downright uncanny. Naruto turned and rushed away. As he went, he waited for any negative signs of the separation. He was simultaneously relieved and disappointed that there were no apparent adverse effects of being away to the spirit that he had bound himself to.

As soon as Naruto left, Kurenai guided Hinata into her apartment and to her kitchen table. The woman had quickly prepared some tea in silence and settled the steaming cup in front of Hinata. Kurenai fought the urge to put the cup right in her student's hand, but she didn't want to offend Hinata about her delicate situation. Hinata seemed to do fine carefully using the heat radiating from the tea cup to find it and take a tentative sip. Even without Hinata's normally expressive eyes visible, Kurenai could tell that Hinata was crestfallen. Kurenai gently offered her ear.

"Do you want to talk about anything, Hinata-chan? I honestly don't know what I can do but listen." Kurenai waited patiently as Hinata sat in silence. Finally, the former heiress took a deep breath and spoke barely above a whisper.

"Everything has changed, Kurenai-sensei." Kurenai's heart hurt for the girl in front of her who had lost everything so suddenly. "I'm lost, and hurt. I feel confused and betrayed. I've never felt as truly useless as I feel now." Kurenai didn't know how to help. She joined Hinata in her feeling of helplessness.

"Is there anything I can do?" Hinata smiled a tragic, soft smile.

"You have already done so much for me, Kurenai-sensei. I couldn't possibly ask you for more. I think I need some rest. And to think." Kurenai nodded, cringing when she remembered that Hinata was unable to see her. Hinata took another slow sip of the tea in her hands. With one hand she traced the bandages covering her eyes. Hinata had been without her sight before, but this was different. There was a sickening finality that she felt and combined with her inability to mold chakra, she felt even more useless. She tried to grapple with the reality that she may never return to active duty again.

She thought of Naruto and how he had saved her. Hinata struggled with being grateful to him for whatever he did to save her, but she was also incredibly confused. She had accepted her death. She had resigned herself to her fate, and she was happy that she had managed to spend her supposed last moments saving the life of her sister. She wasn't angry with Naruto about saving her. That would have been cruel. She wasn't disappointed that he had saved her either, that wasn't quite the right emotion. Hinata took a long slow sip of the tea, feeling it warm her from the inside out. She tried to pinpoint some of her feelings. She was grateful to be alive, that was her strongest emotion. Hinata was also somewhat relieved to know that she would never again have to suffer at the hands of the Clan. However, on the other side of that same coin, Hinata felt like she had failed her clan yet again, and that she had especially failed Hanabi.

Hinata knew that Hanabi's perception of her family was shattered forever as she had witnessed Hinata meet her supposed end at the hands of their father. Further, Hinata had been removed from the Clan before things could take their course, leading to what felt like unfinished business in her wake. She was disappointed that she would never be able to change her clan from the inside out as she had sworn she would from when she was very young. There were so many unfulfilled promises and duties left behind in the clan that she was no longer a part of, and Hinata hurt for it. Most of all, Hinata was terrified of the fact that she had left Hanabi behind, completely and utterly alone. Hanabi was a dour child, the only person who held her affection had been her sister, and she had made no friends. That had never been what she wanted.

Hinata took another sip of the tea. She could feel Kurenai studying her carefully. Under that piercing gaze, Hinata delved into one of the darker recesses of her thoughts. There was a tiny, miniscule part of her that felt undeniably insecure. She hated that part of her. That mildly jealous part of her that tore into her about Naruto's reasoning behind why he had saved her. One of his precious people, he had said. A selfish part of her wanted to know if Naruto would have saved her if she had been anyone else. If she had been Sasuke, or Kakashi, or even Sakura. Hinata inhaled sharply with disgust at herself. 'Of course he would.' Hinata berated herself. She was lucky to know him, but when it came to all of the people he held dear, she should know better than to think she was special. Hinata's mind swirled with her relief, disappointment, insecurity, and apprehension. She pushed the negative emotions away as much as she could, but they crept back into her jarred consciousness. The blue-haired teen suddenly placed her cup down with a sharp 'clack' and stood. Kurenai watched her with widened eyes. "Kurenai-sensei, is there any way that you could guide me to the couch so that I might rest a bit." Kurenai stood as well.

"I'll take you to my bed." Hinata shook her head.

"Please, Kurenai-sensei, I would not feel very good if I put you out of your bed. The couch will be more than enough. "Thank you for your hospitality."

Kurenai watched Hinata worriedly, but she stood to help her to the couch. Hinata was acting strangely. She had never seemed so closed off before. It was alarming to see the way she was coping, or not coping with her situation. Kurenai took Hinata's elbow and guided her to the couch, gently pushing her back until the backs of her legs touched the soft cushions. Hinata sat herself down and then used her hands to familiarize herself with the dimensions of the furniture. With a soft thanks to Kurenai, Hinata lay down.

"Let me know if you need anything. Okay, Hinata-chan?" Hinata nodded to Kurenai's request, and the older woman retreated not knowing what else there was to say to her beloved student.

Naruto walked back to his side of town slowly. As he got further and further away from Hinata he was surprised that there were still no noticeable changes to how he felt. It was as though he was constantly dully aware of Hinata's consciousness. He could vaguely sense her turmoil, but it seemed that there was a disruption in the connection and his read on her was only cursory. Naruto sighed and rubbed the back of his head. He could feel a headache start to invade and he hadn't even been certain that he was still able to get headaches. Naruto briefly called out to Kurama, but it was quickly made apparent that the fox was still ignoring him. Naruto exhaled harshly again. He wanted to put his head through a wall, but he knew that wasn't a smart choice at all despite the comfort he thought unconsciousness might bring him. Naruto was so distracted by his thoughts that he nearly ran into Sakura.

Sakura looked as apprehensive to see him as he did her. She stared at him briefly, taking in his haggard appearance. "Um. Did you end up fixing things with Hinata? I tried going in to see Tsunade about everything, but Shizune told me she was really busy." Sakura noticed the way Naruto's face fell. He looked to the side, eyes clearly showing his hurt.

"I tried fixing things with Hinata-chan, but I think I only made things worse." Sakura felt the heavy silence between them. She wasn't quite certain what to say. She realized she didn't know how to be emotionally supportive for Naruto. She had never really tried before. The pink-haired girl decided that she needed to start somewhere. She owed Naruto and Hinata that much.

"I'm sure it's going to be fine." Sakura cringed. That wasn't the most helpful thing she could have said. Naruto chuckled at that, but the smile that came to his face didn't even come close to reaching his eyes. He couldn't even look at her.

"I hope so, Sakura-chan." Silence continued to divide them. "I need to get going." Naruto said abruptly. He felt like he needed to be alone. "Can you make sure that you tell Baa-chan about what you saw when you get the chance and she's in? I'm sure she's going to need as much proof as possible." Sakura was about to ask what Tsunade needed proof for, but Naruto started walking away, and the kunoichi wasn't certain that anything she could say would improve his mood. She soon figured out why.

A week after her arrival, someone at the Jounin compound saw Hinata with bandaged eyes getting guided out and about the compound for some sunlight. After that, rumors quickly spread about the compound and into the town. There were whispers that she had been injured on a mission and had finally been banished by her clan. Some said that an outsider had finally been successful in stealing her eyes, and her family had left her disgraced. A particularly vile rumor stemmed from the fact that a couple of people had seen her altercation with Naruto at Ichiraku and that Naruto remained the village pariah. Since the two hadn't been seen together in several days there was speculation that Naruto had retaliated after she had yelled at him to leave her alone and hurt her. In all renditions of village speculation, it was starkly obvious that Hinata had been abandoned.

The first day that Hinata had heard people shamelessly gossiping as they passed by Kurenai's open window, Hinata had been deeply hurt. She had cried herself to sleep that night. After that, however, she was quick to internalize the gossip and bitterly turned on herself for failing the clan. Kurenai noticed that after one night of tears, Hinata had returned to the reserved stoicism that she had displayed since arriving at her home. The morning after the red-eyed beauty had heard Hinata's muffled sobs, Kurenai noticed that Hinata ripped her bandages to shreds. After that she left her eyes uncovered. Kurenai would never admit it, but she found Hinata's empty gaze deeply unsettling. The empty stare was only amplified by the sudden change in character of her student. Kurenai hadn't seen Hinata smile in days, and she slept excessively. Kurenai tried to engage her, but could hardly ever get a response. The older woman felt some frustration at not being able to help, but at the same time she knew that she was not able to understand the complete shakeup that had taken place in Hinata's life.

What had surprised Hinata more than anything, however was Hinata's complete lack of desire to see any visitors. Naruto came the day after he dropped Hinata off, but Hinata refused to see him. He left, very obviously saddened. The next day, Shino and Kiba arrived after having heard the nasty rumors floating about the village. Hinata refused to see them as well. Kurenai though she noticed Naruto hanging around the compound a couple of times, and during those times Hinata seemed a bit more energetic, but almost as though she sensed him, she would retreat away from the windows. After a week, Kurenai was growing anxious to do something, but she could simply not figure what. Her answer came when Kiba and Shino showed up again. Hinata stayed seated on the couch, she had not been eating much, and her energy was low. Kiba and Shino's gazes lingered on their teammate as they spoke to Kurenai.

"Hey, Kurenai-sensei. Hey, Hinata-chan!" Hinata bowed her head in acknowledgment. Kiba wasted no time in telling his teacher why him and Shino had come. "We came to take Hinata-chan to Tsunade-sama on her orders." Kurenai's eyebrows knit together. She worried that Hinata wasn't feeling up to it physically and emotionally, but she hoped that it would help. Hinata had stiffened but other than that, there was no indication that she had even heard them. "Has Tsunade-sama informed you of everything?" Kurenai didn't bother whispering, Hinata didn't seem to flinch at the mention of her condition and situation. Days of hearing cruel gossip and assumptions from villagers passing by had hardened that delicacy. Kiba and Shino nodded in reply to Kurenai's inquiry.

About two days after Hinata had been remanded to Kurenai's care, Tsunade had called most of the Konoha 11 into her office. Team Guy had been out on a mission since before the incident, so they were not included. As Naruto stood in front of the Hokage, he wondered how Hinata's cousin might have reacted to the news, or even if he would have already known. The last he had known about the relationship between the two cousins, it had been strained at best and definitively hostile. Kiba and Shino looked antsy and occasionally threw glares towards Naruto, but they didn't want to jump to conclusions about what the meeting was about, or about their friend. They had tried speaking to Hinata that morning, but Kurenai had firmly turned them away without a word of news. Once everyone was assembled, Tsunade spoke.

"You may have noticed that within the last couple of days there have been rumors regarding your friend and classmate Hinata. I'm saddened to inform you that Hinata was the victim of a very serious infraction at the hands of the Hyuuga. It is not my place to inform you of the details of what happened, I will leave that to Hinata. However, I must inform you that Hinata has been removed from the Hyuuga Clan by me. Contrary to the obnoxious rumors that are going around this village, she was not injured on a mission, she still has her eyes, she was not banished from the Hyuuga in disgrace, and Naruto did not hurt her." There was a degree of tension that was released as a common exhale from some of the young shinobi in the room besides Sakura and Naruto. Naruto tried to not let their doubt in him sting.

Sakura had been informed of the situation when she had told Tsunade what she knew and she never thought for a moment that Naruto would have hurt Hinata. "If you should catch people, even civilians spreading slandering rumors about her or Naruto, I will advise you to correct them politely but firmly. She is currently residing with Kurenai and although it appears that information got out already, I would appreciate it if you tried to keep it to yourselves. The rest of what happened to Hinata is for her to tell, but I advise you to be courteous and respectful of her privacy. This is a difficult time for her. You are dismissed."

Everyone walked out looking very upset. Ino, Chouji, and Shikamaru looked deeply saddened by the news. They could only imagine what it would be like to be removed from their clans. Kiba and Shino looked absolutely mortified, they whispered quietly to each other. Naruto only felt heavy. He had been more tired than usual for the last couple of days. He realized that being apart from Hinata was taking its toll on him by sapping his energy. Other than that mild change, he had not felt any difference. However, his own guilt about the situation was weighing on his mind, and he had no idea how to remedy the situation. Kurama was still ignoring him, although he occasionally heard disgruntled grumbles from the fox when he was out passing people along.

Naruto had thought to try and speak to Hinata again, but he worried that she would rebuff him, and he wanted to give her space. Although to soothe the dull exhaustion he felt by being away from her, he would wander by Kurenai's home.

Now Naruto stood, waiting for the rest of the team to arrive. Tsunade sat across from him, using the awkward silence to finalize some paperwork. They both knew that it would be a while before the other team members stepped into her office. After a couple more minutes of tense silence and signing the last of the papers in front of her, Tsunade took a deep breath and fixed on her eyes on the haggard boy in front of her. He didn't even appear to notice her stare. Finally, she cleared her throat. Naruto was startled into meeting her sharp honey-colored eyes before they softened as they looked back into his.

"Have you spoken to Hinata-chan?" Tsunade's heart ached for Naruto when she saw the look on his face as his gaze immediately fell to the floor. She saw a muscle in his jaw tense before the blond slowly shook his head. "Really?" Tsunade couldn't hide the surprise in her voice.

"She doesn't want to see me." Tsunade grimaced. She realized that she should have asked the question before she arranged the mission as she had. Tsunade sighed.

"I'm sure that she does want to see you. There's just so much that has changed in her life. I'm sure you must understand." Naruto's stormy blue eyes peered into hers sadly.

"I know that she's going through a lot. So, I'm giving her the space she needs. But that doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt." Tsunade offered a sad smile which Naruto tried to return before he went back to despondently staring at the floor. The Godaime was truly worried. She had never seen Naruto appear so deeply saddened. She hoped that the blue-haired girl would soon come around, although she also did not want to pressure her. Tsunade's thoughts turned bitter, however, as she realized that discomfort was going to be inevitable on the upcoming mission. Before she could say anything else in an attempt to soothe the blond before her, a firm knock caught their attention.

"Come in!" The door opened, and Shino walked in. Naruto immediately searched behind Shino for the energy he could sense straining feebly to reach him while his poured out like a steady stream. He saw her as she walked in. He could tell from the way she chewed her lip that she was made nervous by his presence. He resisted the urge to rush forward and take her from Kiba's arms, but he worried that she would reel back from him, perhaps even hurting herself in the process. He wasn't certain that she wouldn't, and he simply did not want to cause a scene. Naruto watched with his weary blue eyes as Kiba led Hinata into the room with a grip that was uncharacteristically tender for the usually feral young man. Akamaru slowly padded behind Hinata, as though he was ready to catch her against his thick body if she were to fall backwards despite Kiba's arm gently wrapped around her waist.

"I'm glad you all made it safely." Tsunade's voice was quiet, despite her usually brash demeanor. Hinata attempted a small smile at the sound of Tsunade's greeting. Naruto searched Hinata's face for any sign of pain or discomfort. He noticed to his dismay that the only thing that truly caused her discomfort was when Kiba pulled her to stand between him and Naruto. She subtly leaned away from him as though she could sense him.

Hinata could definitely sense him. She could feel the energy rolling off of him in waves, so powerful that it felt like heat, warming her and she almost thought she could see it in a way. It was moderately alarming to her, considering that since she had lost her sight, her days had been filled with darkness. Tsunade watched the encounter with her observant gaze, missing nothing, including the way that Shino and Kiba exchanged a worried glance. The Hokage cleared her throat. "I'm glad that you all have made it in front of me. I called you here because I have decided to send you on a mission that could prove to be very valuable to the village, and especially Hinata-chan, here." Tsunade watched as Hinata tried her best to focus her eyes as near to where she suspected Tsunade to be as she could. The look on her face was clearly curiosity. "I'm sending you four to the Land of Hot Water to search for the creator of the seal that has somehow altered Hinata's eyesight. I hope that you will find them and bring them here." Tsunade extracted a prepared scroll from her desk. "This is an invitation to Konoha with the promise of a life for them here. Konoha is in sore need of Fuinjutsu and Juinjutsu experts and if we can acquire a true master, it would not only be great for you, Hinata-chan, but it would also be great for the village."

The Hokage grimaced before she spoke again. "If I'm being honest, I am sending you with the intention of getting your eyesight back, Hinata-chan. Which is the only reason you are going to the village with Kiba, Shino and Naruto. I'm hoping at the very least, the creator of the seal will be able to restore your sight even if they are unwilling to return with you. The added benefit of the village gaining a sealing expert is the only way that I could get the council to agree to this mission at all, seeing as you do not have the funds to pay for this mission, it required me to get this approved as a mission on behalf as the village, which is why you will also be going, despite your inactive status." Hinata nodded her head. She knew that since she had been emancipated from the Hyuuga her funds would be cut severely and being faced with the possibility of not having any way to earn her own living was troubling. Hinata was grateful for the Hokage's support, but she worried for when the goodwill would run out and she would only feel like a burden. Still, the young girl refused to allow herself too much hope.

"The actual creator must be quite the recluse, but there are murmurings in the spy network of the possibility of a family that have sealing techniques passed down within the family residing in or near a town called Ginzan. There isn't much more information available than that, and the Hyuuga refused to tell me more. Unfortunately, that is within their rights as the seal falls under secret clan techniques. You will leave early in the morning tomorrow." Tsunade took another pause. "Now, Hinata-chan. I need to speak to your teammates. Since you are going on this mission more as a client than as a ninja, I do ask that you please step outside." Hinata stiffened at the request, a look of disappointment on her face, but she allowed Kiba to gently lead her outside to a seat not too far from the Hokage's door. When Kiba returned to his place in front of the desk, Tsunade spoke again.

"You three will have a great responsibility on this mission. This escort mission will be more difficult than most because you all have emotional investment in the person that you are protecting, but I implore that you not let your emotion cloud your judgment. Fight fierce, but fight smart. Hinata-chan was- IS a capable ninja, but right now she has lost so much and she cannot fight for herself. People may still target her outside of this village because she still looks like a ninja, but I do not want her put in harm's way again. Finally, I don't think I need to remind you three of this, but among Hinata-chan's special people, you three are probably the most dear to her. For this reason, I know that you would do anything for her, but I also know that even in her weakened state, she would not hesitate a single moment to protect you. Do NOT let it get to the point where she needs to do that. I hate to say it, but in her condition, she will not survive if that happens." The three young men standing in front of her flinched at the sound of the harsh reality. "I don't want her getting her hopes dashed, but there is a possibility that the original maker of the seal will choose to not help you. If that happens, be prepared for the fallout. Even I do not know how Hinata-chan would react." Tsunade motioned for Kiba to bring Hinata back in. He did so promptly.

"You will have a total of two weeks to get to Ginzan, find and convince the seal crafter to either fix Hinata-chan's eyes, or return to the village. If you cannot do any of those things, then you are to return and we will seek out other remedies. You are dismissed." Naruto watched as Kiba and Shino walked out with Hinata in tow. He hesitantly walked out behind them, maintaining space.