I do not own naruto.
Tobirama shoved his hands in his pockets as he strolled through Suna. He didn't very much like the chill the night had here; it gave him a bad feeling. He could see his breath before his eyes, this was much like the December nights in Konoha; but this was suna. Every night was like this in Suna. The cold brushed across his exposed skin and his mouth twitched into a grimace. The people crowded through the streets tended to avoid him, they knew he wasn't from suna.
He closed his eyes and released his sensory chakra, he was searching for Hinata. She had wandered off and he had no idea where she had gone. It wasn't so much that he was worried about her, it was nothing like that. He was curious as to where she had gone. She was a childish one, she held herself above others from what he could see. She was argumentative and annoying, and even so... he couldn't find it within himself to let her succumb to the darkness around her like he wished he would. He found Sasuke first, it wasn't uncommon for those two to be found together but even though her chakra seemed off. He vanished in the familiar yellow flash of the flying Raijin.
He landed beside Sasuke, who was panting with his hands on his knees. One eye was closed while the other was swollen and red as if he had been punched. Hinata looked slightly disheveled, but he could tell she was hurt. They were in the kazekage's personal training grounds; that's why it had been a bit of trouble to find them. "Are you going to give up yet, Sasuke? I already told you how this here, will end." she snapped and Sasuke grinned and stood once more. "You know I don't back down in a fight. Not even to a girl." He said and flickered before Tobirama's eyes, much to his surprise.
Hinata didn't move, not even as Sasuke's blade sliced right through her. Thing was, Sasuke's blade didn't slice through her; nor was Sasuke wielder of the blade. Hinata had turned the tables on him; much like Itachi had turned the tables on Deidara in making Deidara use his own weapon on himself. The dull end of Hinata's blade made impact with Sasuke's stomach and his eyes went wide in surprise. "Funny how the Genjutsu you attempt to use on one person, can be used on another." Hinata said simply and Sasuke grinned when he stood back up.
He shrugged and his shoulders popped loudly. Hinata rolled her eyes as he lunged for her again, neither of them were taking the other seriously. Hinata dodged off to the side and landed on the tiny oasis that Gaara had so he could work with attempting to mold wet sand to try and gain the upper hand with Hinata. Hinata frowned when she saw the reflection on the surface of the water. Her chakra dissipated and the water she had made rise fell back to the pool of water by her feet. "I'm done here..." she said and began to walk away. Sasuke frowned and ran to follow her while Tobirama stood there, baffled by what had just happened. One moment she had been more than ready to drown Sasuke... the next... she had lost all motivation.
His brows furrowed and he fisted his hands as he leapt to catch up to them, she had most likely heard the conversation between Naruto and Gaara. He landed beside her and he saw the glazed over look in her eyes. "Hinata, what are you doing?" he asked and she looked up and her eyes were wide in surprise, but she wasn't looking at him. Goose bumps coated her arms and a chill went down his spine like an icy hand trying to pry it from his being. He felt goose bumps rise on his arms as heard the voice of the woman. Her voice was eerie, haunting even.
"Oh death... ohhh death. Won't you spare me over another?" she sang, her creepy voice hovering over them like a frozen wind. "but what is this that I can't see with its ice cold hands taking over me? When god is gone and the devil takes hold, who will have mercy on your soul?" she sang and he could feel the taunting tone in her cold eerie voice. He knew Hinata could hear it too. Her voice gave him chills; he had never heard a voice so vile, so evil. "No wealth, no ruin, no silver, no gold, nothing satisfies me but your soul." She sang; the taunting tone thickening. His eyes slowly turned to take in her haunting image.
Her cold, dead pale lilac eyes were enough to give him chills, but her entirety was vile. Her cheekbones hollow, her eyes sunken in, her stature was thin and apparently malnourished. "Who are you?!" Hinata yelled, snapping out of her stupor. He looked over to her to see the same look dwelled in both of the women's eyes. The look of sheer hatred burned within their eyes. "I... am Hanabi Hyuuga, don't you recognize me sister?" she asked in a childish tone, a wicked smirk on her lips. "You are not my sister, my sister is not a vile creature like you!" Hinata snapped and the woman laughed, a hand over her mouth while her dead white eyes glimmered with humor.
"Oh... yes! That's right! I killed her!" the woman laughed and Hinata flickered right before Tobirama and Sasuke's eyes. Her katana flew from its sheath and the woman grinned. "I see you want to die too!" she giggled and held up a hand and Hinata flew backwards into a wall. The foundation of the building crumbled around her as she attempted to stand. "What are you!?" Hinata screamed and the woman laughed. "I'm free, I'm the one that got away. The final experiment. My name is Death and your end is here." the woman laughed and lunged for Hinata who fluidly dodged every hit the woman threw at her. "So, you're one of Orochimaru's?" Sasuke asked as he kicked the brown haired woman away from Hinata.
"The snake bastard? Yes... but I take orders from a higher being. He set me free! He told me... Kill Hyuuga. Kill Hyuuga to bring down the kage! The Uchiha was right, killing Hyuuga seems to screw with the mind of the kage and make them scatter. Scatter like little bugs." The woman cackled and Sasuke tried to hit her but Hinata tackled the woman to the ground and it seemed like Hinata's fists wouldn't stop, they didn't stop until the clone exploded beneath Hinata.
"Such rage!" the woman laughed and lunged at Hinata who swung her arms around behind her with a wicked smirk. "I will destroy you, with the clap of thunder.... You will die!" Hinata screeched and crossed her arms over each other in front of her. Two kirin circled in the sky and flew through Hinata to hit the woman. Sasuke and Tobirama barely had time to avoid the lightning before it made contact. The blinding light faded and Tobirama returned to the area. The woman was clearly injured but Hinata was worse off. The woman had activated a curse seal and now resembled that of a shinigami. She had pale skin, jagged teeth, spiky hair, clawed hands, and wings. The curse mark that crawled up her neck and across her face only enhanced this terrifying appearance. She looked absolutely demonic.
"Well, this little meeting was fun! Ja ne! Hyuuga! I will come for your eyes too!" she laughed and Hinata forced herself to stand. She ran at the woman but Tobirama rushed for her and grabbed her before she could touch the woman. "Just remember what I said, poor pathetic little Hyuuga." She cackled as Tobirama rolled across the ground with Hinata in his grasp. When they stopped rolling, she shoved at him trying to get him away from her. "Why did you stop me?" she sobbed angrily, her eyes filled with angry tears. "She was going to kill you." He said simply and Hinata continued to beat her fists against his chest angrily. Soon enough her anger dulled out and her hits became nonexistent.
"Why did you have to stop me... this was my only chance... I could have given my family their honor back..." she sobbed and he stood. "There is no honor in dying prematurely, and that is exactly what you were about to do." He snapped and she looked at him with shocked eyes as Naruto and Gaara landed beside them. "What happened?" Naruto asked and Hinata looked at him. "I fought her..." she said and Naruto's eyes went wide. "What the hell Hinata?!" he growled and she looked down at her hands. "I wanted to kill her and take Hanabi's eyes back..." she said softly and Naruto's glare softened. "What did she say?" Sasuke asked his brow furrowed.
"I can't kill her alone, someone has to help me kill her." Hinata whispered and Naruto frowned. "Then we will help you." Naruto said and she shook her head. "It can't be just anyone... I don't know who it is... she just taunted me and said I'm just as weak as I've always been. She told me I would never get any stronger unless I let him help. Who the hell am I supposed to ask to help me?!" Hinata snapped as she forced herself to stand. "Perhaps... you should think it over for a while. Maybe if you think it over you will realize who needs to be there to help you..." Gaara said and Hinata frowned but still nodded.
-:-:-:-:-:-:-
Hinata had been silent the entire trip back to the village, then when they had arrived she had vanished not long after Naruto and Sasuke had finished the paperwork on the treaty. Tobirama had gone home before they had begun dealing with the paperwork, so of course he wouldn't have known where Hinata had gone after they had finished. Yet... for some reason, Sasuke was at his door asking where she was. "Listen kid...I have no idea where she is, and I am not going to seek her out for you just so you can go on with your foolish attempt to falsely try to claim her heart. I don't like you, it's common knowledge that I dislike Uchiha, but you in particular really annoy me." Tobirama sighed and Sasuke scoffed audibly.
"It's only because you know that it is you that has to help her kill Orochimaru's little toy." Sasuke scoffed and Tobirama raised a brow. "Why do you care so much? You saw cleavage and instantly wanted to chase her down, why would you care who has to help the ungrateful little brat kill the death wannabe?" Tobirama scoffed; his arms crossing over his chest with annoyance clearly etched into his features. Sasuke smirked and fell into a more relaxed stance. "That's it, isn't it? You do care you're just putting up this wall to keep her out." Sasuke chuckled jabbing a finger into Tobirama's chest.
Tobirama grit his teeth and grabbed Sasuke by the collar of his Black shirt. "Listen here kid, you don't know what shit you are stepping in, so back off. Her best interest is not mine, I honestly couldn't care less what she does, but if she turns out like you did, Tsunade promised me an express run straight back downstairs. I really don't plan on going back down there, the real hell is worse than anything you could ever describe to be a hell on earth. You wouldn't last a day down there. You want to know the one thing that had saved me from my extended stay down there? Edo Tensei. That was the only thing that pulled me from there." Tobirama snapped and Sasuke's features became angered.
"So you're using her to get what you want?" Sasuke snapped and Tobirama released the raven haired male. "You don't get it do you? In all reality, I'm the one being used! I couldn't move on, my soul was caught in the darkness between heaven and hell! Every time I saw someone go by they were going straight through, never pausing. They were all just moving on... Do you have any idea what it's like? Being stuck, suspended in time for all eternity, seeing all those happy souls move on to be with their families? I was stuck there, never to see my older brother... never to see my mother. Instead I got to see my father for what felt like years, and I pray that Satan continues burning his soul..." Tobirama snapped and Sasuke grit his teeth.
Sasuke couldn't comprehend the darkness of that level. He could see the rage that burned within Tobirama, though... and that rage felt familiar, it felt like anger of betrayal. "I see..." Sasuke muttered and turned on his heel, he wasn't going to bother talking to Tobirama any longer, the man was obviously angry, there was no doubt about that. But Sasuke could tell that deep within Tobirama, he didn't want to let Hinata fight that woman alone. He wasn't the person you should really refer to when seeking advice or trying to find out someone's feelings, but he knew Tobirama wasn't as uncaring as he put himself off to be. He was off in a daze when Hinata had bumped into him.
He blinked and reached out to grab her but she seemed to just ghost by without even recognizing that she had run into him. He didn't like this one bit. He frowned and jogged over in front of her. "Hinata." He said, his voice sharp. He dull eyes met up with his and he blinked as she giggled. "oh hell Hinata..." he sighed as she grinned up at him. "You had me worried for a moment... I thought you were zombified or something... but nope... just drunk..." he sighed and rubbed his brow.
"Drunk is better than dead, you know." She said and he sighed. "Yes I know. But drunk is not what a good shinobi is." He sighed. He looked at her and he flinched at the way she was looking at him. "What was that boy? Who are you to even begin to be a judge of character? At least I didn't run off to be some perverted ass snake's butt buddy." She said and he rubbed his face with both hands exasperatedly. "Are you fucking kidding me!? Four years Hinata! Four years! And you still have to pull that card? Damn it all." He snapped and she snorted loudly.
"See, even you know you were his bitch." She laughed and patted him on the cheek gently. "Damn it... follow me." he sighed and she snorted arrogantly. "I can find my own damn way home, thank you very much. I was on my way there when you decided to distract me." she snapped and he sighed. "Who did you go drinking with? You're obviously not smashed enough." A familiar voice sighed from the wall nearest them. "Kakashi!" Hinata chirped and he offered a wave. "Tsunade-sama, don't worry! I didn't leave her behind. She is in the Hokage office... making it a nice big mess that Naruto will clean." She said and Kakashi smirked.
"So Hinata-chan, would you accompany me for a drink?" Kakashi asked and before Sasuke could sputter a reply Hinata looked at Kakashi and narrowed her eyes. "I don't drink with old perverts." She said simply and she smirked in victory as the air rushed from his deflating ego and he slumped over. Sasuke smirked and opened his mouth to speak but ended up with an Icha-Icha novel shoved in his mouth. "Eat smut body guard. I can handle myself thank you." She snipped and shoved her hands in her pockets and started down the street. "Tell Tobirama don't wait up." She said and Sasuke blinked.
"I don't plan on waiting up. You're coming with me.... Now." he said and she whirled on him. "Oh really, would you like to attempt to force me?" she asked and Sasuke cringed. Kakashi blinked and shook his head. Oh... this wasn't going to end well. "I don't have to." He said and in a flash Hinata was slumped over on the ground. He hefted her onto his shoulder and nodded at the two standing there in surprise. "Hm... so he can get the drunken Hinata to go home. That's a first..." Sasuke said and Kakashi smirked.
"Apparently, I misjudged him, I figured that would become an all-out drunken Hinata battle royale like it usually is... I think I need a drink... that looked like it really hurt." Kakashi said and Sasuke pushed the oncoming shiver back within him. "Yeah, I'm up for one. That's definitely going to leave a bruise in the morning. She's lucky nothing broke... I've knocked people unconscious with lighter hits than that.... but that there was harsh." Sasuke said and Kakashi nodded as they made their way to the nearest bar, only to be surprised when they walked into the bar.
Sasuke blinked. "Apparently it didn't hurt that much... or work that well." Sasuke said and Hinata turned to see them standing there, but the damage had already been done. She had already force fed Tobirama a full bottle of beer. He was currently coughing between glares at the woman on the barstool. "Hey... I'm the genjutsu queen." Was her only explanation. Sasuke sighed and gave Tobirama a pity filled glance. "Poor bastard, you've been duped." He said and Tobirama glared at him.
"I'm going to kill you all in the morning... for now... might as well run up her tab." Tobirama managed with a barely noticeable smirk. and Sasuke blinked. "Damn there is something really wrong with both of them..." Sasuke said and Kakashi nodded. "But hey...if the two grumps can be grumps together happily then that's less grumps we have grumping around." Kakashi sighed and Sasuke blinked. "That really shouldn't make any sense at all but in all reality it makes absolutely perfect sense..." Sasuke said and Kakashi nodded as he watched Hinata force yet another bottle of beer towards Tobirama's mouth. Tobirama of course was resisting the best he could but it was hard when she was on the bar shoving with every ounce of strength she had...
"Ah... what a fun night this will be, huh Sasuke?" Kakashi asked but noticed Sasuke was looking towards the door where a frantic Naruto had just snuck into the bar and hid. "Ah! Ino-chan! Naruto ran the other way! He didn't even come in here!" Hinata yelled at the angry blonde woman who smiled and took off running back out of the bar. Naruto made his way to the bar and sighed in relief. "What was it this time Naruto? Shikamaru bring his brats over and run off?" Sasuke asked and Naruto grimaced.
"No... but Tsunade obviously drank way too much and is using Ino as a stay at home nurse, on my behalf... Ino wanted me to stay and help with granny but uh... barf really isn't my style." Naruto said and Hinata snorted. "I told her she couldn't win." She laughed and everyone turned to her. "You out drank Tsunade?" Naruto asked and Hinata rolled her eyes. "It isn't like I haven't done it before." She snorted and Sasuke began leaning closer to the blue haired woman. "Anyways... Hinata-chan... I meant to ask you earlier... but..." Sasuke began but a foot found its way to his face. "No. I don't date. I really don't date perverts... that's really quite the problem you know." Hinata said as she reached behind her to grab a bottle of vile smelling dark brown liquid.
She took one whiff of it and shuddered in disgust. Her eyes landed on Tobirama who had just gotten over the last alcohol attack. He cringed when he smelled it. "Drink up ya dinosaur!" she laughed and forced the bottle to his lips. When she had forced Tobirama to drink the entire bottle she jumped up to stand on the bar and yelled a victorious 'Yosh!' the group then proceeded to laugh at Tobirama's misfortune. Despite the insanity of it all, it was a much needed reprieve from the anger and stress that the young woman usually radiated. The entire group could see that much.
Tobirama could even see that much, which is why he was playing along with her little game of get the previous Hokage drunk. He felt bad for her in all honesty. Not that he would ever admit it to the brat, but he did. He watched as she smiled, an actual true smile. He had to admit that it was a welcomed sight on her. It fit her features much more than the hatred and rage did.
A chill swept over the bar and Hinata's eyes went wide as her eyes focused on something in the doorway. "F-father..." she whispered and hopped off the bar. Tobirama watched her carefully for a moment, seeming to catch the sudden change in her demeanor. "Hinata..." Tobirama called and stood to follow her out of the bar as she quickly left.
Naruto and Sasuke realized a bit too late what had just happened. One... Hinata ran out of the bar without paying for her drinks... and two...Tobirama had followed her out, meaning that those two were obviously not going to pay for the large amount of booze they drank. "Damn it all!" Sasuke yelled and Naruto's head hit the bar. "Those two are so much more trouble than they are worth." He whimpered and Kakashi laughed.
"Well, that's what I thought of you two... but it seems it all turned out pretty well in the end. Maybe those two just need some time, you know?" Kakashi offered and Sasuke glared at the large empty bottle of rancid smelling whiskey. "Yeah or they just need to drink themselves to death already..." he snapped and Naruto whimpered again. "If I pay for that... Ino will skin me alive..." he whimpered and Sasuke looked at him in surprise. "You don't expect me or Kakashi to pay for it do you?" he asked with a glare.
"Shut up... both of you. I will pay for it, sheesh. Whiny boys." Sakura's amused voice came from behind them. "Seems like you two are having some trouble with them huh?" Sakura asked and Naruto nodded. "They are reckless, suicidal, a danger to me, a danger to each other, a danger to themselves and dammit they are the worst behaved shinobi I have." Naruto complained. "Uh huh... I see. But Naruto... did you ever once think that maybe that's how Tsunade thought of you and Sasuke? But mainly you...?" Sakura asked and Naruto pouted.
"But I don't get it... why do they hate each other so much? They have everything in common... she used to adore him but now it seems like she hates his guts." Naruto whined. Sakura rolled her eyes. "Hm... just like you two. Maybe that's just how they show each other they care... maybe they have to get a little dirty to show they are friends." Sakura offered and Sasuke snorted.
"Oh no... she hates him... and me now... but who cares, we have booze!" Sasuke chuckled softly and Sakura gave him an agitated look. "Ignore him, he's drunk." Kakashi said and Sakura sighed. "Go home Sasuke, you're beyond drunk bro." Naruto said and received the middle finger from Sasuke. "Alright. I think that one is settled. Let me handle the whole Hinata and Tobirama drama crap. I can beat some sense into them. I'll do it in the morning when they are not so drunk..." Sakura sighed and Sasuke snorted loudly. "You think you can land a hit on Hinata?! Not a chance, she's crafty. She will stomp you." He laughed loudly only to receive a fist to the head. "Shut the hell up Baka!" Naruto urged and held hands over his own head, fearing the pinkette's wrath.
-:-:-:-:-:-:-
Tobirama felt the chill as he approached Hinata. She was hanging upside down from a tree talking to herself it seemed. He got closer and he saw a figure at the base of the tree, he looked much older than she did; so, he made a guess that he was a relative who had escaped the massacre from death. "Hinata..." he called out, and then the person at the base of the tree stood. "Tobirama Senju." The man said and now Tobirama felt a sickening chill grab at his bones. The man was not human, he was see-through.
"You're dead." Tobirama said and the man nodded. "Yes, and so were you." The man said and Tobirama nodded. "I was brought here to help her with something..." Tobirama said and the man nodded. He looked like a brown-haired male version of Hinata with more of a stern aura to him. "I see. Take care of my daughter, would you? She needs a little push in the right direction." He said and Tobirama nodded. The man flickered back over to the base of the tree where Hinata was talking to him as if he had never even spoke to Tobirama.
Tobirama made himself visible to Hinata, who then dropped from the branch and frowned at him. "So now you know... as if it matters. This is my father and before you-" she began but Tobirama wrapped his arms around her and her eyes went wide. "T-Tobi... rama..." she stammered as his embrace tightened around her. "I know how it is... to lose your family... to lose them in war..." he said and her eyes began filling with tears. "I know how it is to be hunted for your jutsu. I know how it feels to be the one looked down on because you are different... trust me... I know." He said and she couldn't find the words to say, much less the air to breathe.
"I know how it feels to lose loved ones. I lost all of my brothers in war... Hashirama... Itama... Kawarama... my father and older brother were sought after because they used the wood style, jutsu thieves killed my father, but his jutsu was lost with him. My mother... she... she was lost to jutsu thieves as well, but for the water manipulation jutsu she held... My family was hunted and slaughtered... because they were different and held immense power." Tobirama said and Hinata's eyes squeezed shut and she bit her lip.
Hinata gripped his shirt tightly in her hands as the tears threatened to fall. "You can trust me, Hinata... you can tell me anything. I'm not evil, I'm just grouchy." He said, trying to get a smile from her as she cried. She let out a half sob half laugh and he frowned. "If your brother could see you now..." her father chuckled and Tobirama looked up at him. "He would make fun of me and call me names, typical of an older brother." He said with a smirk as Hinata slipped away from him.
"I have to go Hinata, my time here is limited, but let me offer what I can before I leave." Hiashi said and Hinata smiled at her father. He hovered over to Hinata and hugged her. "Keep him around, he may prove to be useful." Her father whispered before he became glittering dust in the wind, just as Hanabi had. "How about we head home before we die of combination alcohol poisoning and cold." Tobirama offered and Hinata wiped away her tears and nodded. "I hope you know, this changes very little. You dinosaur." She muttered and he smirked. "Oh I know, I figured your father would love seeing a little bit of affection from the two troublesome shinobi. It's tough love you little brat." He chuckled and she smirked.
"As usual, there's no love better than tough love; because either way, love hurts." She laughed and he ruffled her hair much to her dismay. "Glad you think so brat." He said and she rolled her eyes. "So... is the fridge empty again? Because if it is... you are filling it up this time." She said with a yawn and he rolled his eyes. "I highly doubt either of us will remember half of this conversation, unless we die during the night due to the sheer amount of disgusting whiskey you made me drink." He said and she snorted. "I'm with you on that, but you see... I had already opened the bottle and I sure as hell wasn't going to drink it." She said and he sent a glare her way. "Brat." "crabby old geezer." She snapped and he smirked, maybe fighting with her wasn't so bad after all.