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X. The last show - hours to freedom.

Hinata didn't fall asleep again that night. Too many emotions, too many thoughts. If she were at Hyuga manor... No, she wasn't there. And the place, where she actually was, had nothing in common with the place she would call "home".
   
No matter how many years would pass, she kept longing. Hyuga family was far from being perfect, but there were people, who cared abot her. But now? They were just a memory.
   
The Byakugan princess had seen them during her sleep couple of times. Mostly, Hinata had to live her nightmare over and over again. The memories of the most tragic of nights hunted her, turning each night into agony. But, things changed.
   
Sasuke... He changed them.
    
No nightmare could terrorize her with him by her side. The past and was easier to accept, when she looked into future's eyes.
    
He was her future.
       
Hinata couldn't say no for such invitation.
   
But...
     
Did they really have a chance? Or was it just the illusion?
              
    
The morning didn't bring any answers to these questions. Either another.
   
The last night spent in that bed.
     
Hinata couldn't sleep for long, thinking about what would happen in next hours. The last time of slavery, the last show.
   
It made her look on things differently. Freedom would not be a dream anymore. They finally managed to survive to see that day, she hoped. Still, there was the most important battle on their way.
      
All they had to do was fight with all their strenghts to see the next sunrise.
     
    
The woman had never looked forward to something that much.
    
      
...
       
      
That time, guards hadn't destroyed the Circus tent during the night out of fear - Nishimura would have no mercy on them. It had to be perfect, as it was his last chance to recieve support from the sponsors, who hadn't quited after the last show. Sasuke was sure that Itachi's team found perfect time for their move, even if things hadn't come exactly as they planned (what was his fault too). He visited snake's tent to prepare everything, but the biggest of obstacles Uchiha faced was the lock. It was a very complicated mechanism that included the blood seal, similar to the summoning one. He tried with his own, with a mere result. Hiroto couldn't help him too - before they put him in the cage, they had given him a heavy sedative. They could only guess, whose blood it was - that day the old Nishimura wasn't present, so...
    
" That bastard. " — Sasuke hissed suddenly.
     
After the day, when Uchiha had crippled him, Goro had spent all weeks in a hospital. There was no possibility to take his blood without leaving the camp. Of course, he could try to sneak out to the interrogation place, but It was far and there was no chance to come back before the show. But then,
It enlightened him. There was another way.
    
It didn't take him long to find her. Hinata was worried, when he took them to his caravan, not saying anything in the meantime. After locking the door, Sasuke turned to face her.
     
— These bastards found the way to seal the lock with blood. Only the person, who closed the cage can open it. And It's probably Goro.
    
— Oh shit. — in normal situation, Uchiha would be astonished hearing Hinata curse for the first time, maybe even tease her about that, but It wasn't the right moment. —  There is no much time left, later it may be too late... What are we going to do?
    
— Do you still have clothes from that day? Maybe something stayed on.
   
— I... I do. — she said with sad voice. — I... I had no idea what to do with them. I didn't want to wear them again. I buried them by the forest, I can show you.
     
— Hn, I hope something is still there. Or, we'll have a huge problem.
       
       
During the diner, they sneaked out to search. Hinata was sure, where she left them. She wished not to see these things again. Of course, as a kunoichi she was used to the view of blood, but these clothes reminded her of that day. The day, when on her eyes guards hurt Sasuke and made him do these horrible things to protect her. The woman could never forgive them that.
    
After ten minutes of walk, Hyuga stopped. Her gaze was like under the fog, but face stayed indifferent.
   
— It's here, Sasuke-kun.
   
But he didn't start digging in the ground as Hinata expected. Uchiha softly lifted her chin, watching the woman's face with a frown. He found the way to cross their gazes. Sasuke didn't ask, because he knew. And he blamed himself on that.
     
— I'm sorry, Hinata. For everything.  — he finally said.
    
Hinata took his face in hands and placed a kiss on man's forehead. After exchanging nods, he came to work.
    
Luckly, before burying the clothes, the woman put them in a foil bag, so the ground hadn't soaked the blood from them. After they opened it, there was an awful stink coming from inside. It could work.
    
Sasuke was about to go back, but eventually, Hinata stopped him. Her head was low, the hand holding him was shaking.
    
— We... We would have no chance to meet before It all starts. Sasuke... I... I love you... I... Don't die tonight. Without you I...
    
He didn't let the kunoichi finish, closing her in tight embrance. She couldn't help the tears running from eyes, the cry shoke her whole body. Hinata wanted to take him, run as far as they could, prevent him from was going to happen.
    
Then, she felt his tears wetting her neck.
  
Sasuke was scared too. He couldn't hide that, run away from that. Not anymore.
     
He took her face in hands and looked, just like he tried to keep in memory every detail of skin, memorize all silver shines hidden in lavender eyes. Sasuke knew that he would never want to stare into someone else's, kiss other lips than hers. There could be noone beside her. Never.
          
— I love you too, Hinata. And I won't let any of us die tonight.
      
Then they kissed as if it was the last time.
         
            
...
          
         
Hinata came back to her caravan. The sun was setting behind, It's burning red and orange light were hanging on walls and furniture. Hands were clenched in fists, teeth grited.
     
She could not agree on that fate. She had to protect her friends. Protect the person she loved.
        
After opening the closet, between the clothes, she felt It. That was the right time.
     
Byakugan princess kneeled by the desk, pushed It aside with ease. Then, she noticed the hole she made couple months earlier. The perfect place to hide things. A thing.
    
A box. Hinata promised herself to open it that day.
     
Fifteen blades. Each from different show. Each for every shinobi slave. Naruto had to forgive her that, It was the only way.
    
But under them was hidden something much more important. A little thing, her masterpiece. Hinata spent so many nights working on that, sacrificed so much to collect pieces. She managed in time.
     
The mechanism. The right key.
     
She took it in hands. How much freedom can weight? Surprisingly, not that much.
     
With a short movement, Hinata pressed it to the left bracelet and felt burning heat. Heard cracks and then...
    
It fell down.
     
The Byakugan Princess would never be on someone's mercy again.
     
    
After she had released her friends from chains, Hinata sneaked to the tent of serpents. Few months pasted since her last visit there, she had no time for that. She was greeted by familiar hisses, but soon these stopped. Then, the voice sounded from the darkness:
   
" I'm glad to see you again, Byakugan princess-s. "
       
" It's good to see you too, Hiroto. " — Hinata responded with a soft smile.
      
" The ss-special one managed to open my jail. " — the great snake said.
     
" I'm so happy for you. You can leave now, join your family. "
     
" There are ss-still things to do before I leave. "
    
" Oh, I'm sorry. " — The woman corrected herself.
    
The woman came closer to the cage. Now, It was just a glass terrarium, easy to break from. The huge serpent looked at her with pair of shining, emerald eyes. She laid her hand on a wall without fear. Hiroto had been her only friend for such a long time. She still had so many things to tell him, but all she could was...

" Thank you for all these things you've done for me. I wish I could give you something, but... "
     
" No need, princess-s. You've already did. "
    
These words confused her, but she said no more. Hinata knew that was probably their last meeting and, surprisingly, she was glad. Hiroto recieved the real chance to be free again. He had family to go back to, the new start. It was his choice to wait. She had no idea why, but decided not to ask.
   
But still, there was the last thing she had to ask Hiroto for.
    
" When he'll come here later... Please, tell him to use that on the bracelets. And that I... "
     
" You'll tell him that tomorrow by yourself. " — It stopped her.
     
" But... " — she turned the gaze from the serpent.
    
" Don't be afraid, Byakugan princess-ss. There will be tomorrow for two of you. I can promis-sse you that. "
     
Hinata looked back at Hiroto, but these eyes said no lies. A deep sigh left her mouth and then, the words:
   
" I want to believe that, Hiroto. "