Shogi

The sun hung low over the vast forests of the Land of Fire, casting long shadows across the dense trees. The air was thick with the scent of pine and earth. A faint rustling could be heard through the underbrush as a solitary figure moved quickly and silently through the woods.

Hinata Hyuuga, now clad in the dark uniform of the ANBU, was a far cry from the shy, timid girl she had once been. The harsh training, the unrelenting missions, and the oppressive weight of serving under Danzo had transformed her. Her Byakugan, once a symbol of her pride, now felt like a burden as she used it to track enemies and eliminate threats without question. Her once gentle nature had been suppressed, buried under layers of duty and punishment for disobedience.

She had never wanted this. She had never wanted to become a tool of Danzo's secrets. But the cold reality of her situation had long since erased any hope of escape. She was bound to her fate, unwillingly serving a man who saw her as nothing more than a piece of meat. Even her own father did not care about her unconventional career path, it was uncommon for the child of the leader to be thrown in a division as ruthless as anbu.

Today, her mission was one directly ordered by Danzo: she was playing as his hunter within Konoha's boarders, getting caught means death. It was the sort of task that she had carried out countless times. But as she moved through the forest, something in the distance caught her attention—a familiar figure.

She paused, her heart skipping a beat. She recognized him immediately.

Naruto Uzumaki.

It had been 3 years since he left the village to go on his training trip with Jiraiya.

He was standing by a small stream, his orange jumpsuit stark against the greenery. His blond hair was wild as ever, and his blue eyes were locked onto a scroll, his brow furrowed in concentration while Jiraiya was busy scribbling in a notebook, probably more notes for his perverted books

Naruto’s eyes flickered over the trees as if he sensed something. His gaze locked with hers, and for a moment, time seemed to stop.
Yeah he'd recognize that shade of midnight blue anywhere

"Hinata?" he called out, his voice filled with surprise. "Is that really you?"

Hinata froze. Her heart pounded in her chest as her Byakugan flared up instinctively. She'd been made, something which was absolutely unacceptable in the division. She quickly scanned her surroundings for any potential threats, but all she could see was Naruto—Naruto, who was looking at her with confusion, concern, and a hint of something else that made her feel vulnerable.

It had been a while since she had seen him. The last time was when they were both younger, before she had been thrust into the dark world of the ANBU. She hadn’t expected to run into him, especially not while on a mission.

"Ouch why'd you hit me pervy sage!" he whined as he rubbed the back of his head

"You can't go around calling the anbu by their real names you idiot, now go apologize to her!"

Naruto’s gaze moved over her,he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck "I'm sorry Hinata, I just got excited, haven't seen anyone from the village in almost 3 years ya know"

She sighed and allowed herself to relax a bit before she removed her mask and approached him

He glanced her over, a furrow forming between his brows. It only took a few seconds for his eyes to widen in recognition of something that made his stomach drop.

“Hinata… What happened to you?” he asked, stepping closer with an urgency in his voice. “You're hurt, was it from your mission? Are you ok?”

Hinata’s heart clenched. She instinctively tried to hide the more visible injuries, but it was no use. Her ANBU uniform was tight around her body, accentuating the scars and bruises that marred her skin. They weren't from missions, they were a mark of the pain she had carried in silence, because if she didn't it would just be someone else from her clan in her place

“I… I’m on a mission right now,” Hinata said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. She felt the weight of her words, the lie hanging heavy between them. She couldn’t tell him the truth. Not now.

“You don’t look like you’re on a mission, you look like you're just getting back from one!” Naruto said, his voice a little sharper now. He could tell something was off. "What’s going on, Hinata?"

Hinata looked away, her gaze dropping to the ground. The shame, the guilt, the fear—it all rushed to the surface, threatening to drown her. She had never wanted him or any of their friends to see her like this. She had always been the one who admired his strength, his determination, his unwavering belief that things could get better. But now, she was just a broken shell, someone who was forced to do things she never imagined she would do.

“Please don’t ask,” she said quietly, her voice soft but steady. "You won’t understand.”

Naruto took another step forward, his hand outstretched, but stopped when he saw her flinch. He hesitated, his brow furrowing in confusion.

She stepped back, her Byakugan flaring briefly as she instinctively prepared to defend herself. Her posture was defensive, closed off. She had to keep her distance. She couldn’t let herself get too close to him again. Not when her world was so dark and twisted.

“I have to go,” she said, her voice breaking as she turned her back to him. “It’s not safe for you here.”

Naruto didn’t move at first, his eyes full of pain and confusion. “Hinata, wait—!”

But she was already gone, vanishing into the trees with a speed that belied the sorrow in her heart. Her footfalls were quick, muffled by the forest, and in seconds, she was out of sight.

Naruto stood there, staring at the spot where she had disappeared. His heart ached, and for a moment, he was frozen, unsure of what to do.

“Pervy sage” he said softly, turning to the older man. “What… what happened to her?”

Jiraiya looked up, his face unreadable. “Some things, kid… some things aren’t always as they seem. People change but not because they want to, but because its the only way to survive”

Jiraiya had seen the pattern for decades, joining the anbu, worse yet the root, basically sucked the life out of anyone who joined. Hinata was just another victim of the village.

"You know kiddo, its my fault for not teaching you better, being Hokage isn't all glitz and glamour, sure there's a great deal of physical strength involved, but there's also the darker political side....you're going to see and hear about a lot of stuff that'd make your stomach churn if your become Hokage, and a lot of it would be a pain in the ass to resolve"

Jiraiya laid a gentle hand on Naruto's shoulder "You can't save everyone kiddo, no matter how hard you try"

"Huh what'd you mean pervy sage, I'm still gonna save Sasuke, now I'm just gonna save her too"
He watched his student with a big stupid grin on his face, but not the kind that reached his eyes
Oh what he would give to preserve the young boy's innocence and golden heart

Jiraiya went back to his 'research' before something dawned on him
Her warning "It's not safe here"
He knew she was working directly under Danzo, his spy network called her the "Little Hunter"....who the hell was she order to kill within Konoha's borders?

"Kid I've got great news! It's time we head back to Konoha!"

----

Hinata sat still in the shadows, hidden deep within the dense woods surrounding the hideout. The moonlight filtered through the branches, casting an eerie glow over her face. Her eyes—those eyes that had always been so gentle—now seemed like windows to a place full of sorrow and conflict. She clenched her hands into fists, the pale knuckles standing out stark against the darkness.

"Who the hell are you looking for Hyuuga?"

The voice came from behind her, just as she expected. He was still as cocky as she remembered 

"I'm obviously looking to catch a pigeon for dinner Sasuke" she said sarcastically

He scoffed as he pulled out his sword and placed the ice cold blade against her pale white neck 

"If you're here to carry me back then you're out of luck Hyuuga" 

She rolled her eyes at him "I've been sent to find you and kill you"

"The Hokage's an idiot, why would she send one person to kill me? She should know better by now" 

"Lady Tsunade doesn't know about this, I've been sent by Danzo...besides Lady Tsunade doesn't want you dead, she just wants you apprehended."

"So how do you plan on killing me?" he pressed on the blade harder, blood began to trickle down her neck

"Haven't I been hurt enough already" she stated dryly. His eyes softened and a wave of panic passed through him before he went back to his stone cold demeanour. Any normal shinobi would've missed it, but not her 

"I'm not here to kill you, heck I don't even think you should come back to the village right now. I'm here to warn you, Danzo has some weird obsession with the Sharingan, he'll come after you for your eyes. Also I think he had something to do with what happened to your clan but I haven't found solid proof yet"

"I don't care about that, Itachi killed everyone himself!" he shouted, pain still lingering in his voice

Hinata exhaled sharply and took a step forward, her heart beating loudly in her chest, his blade cutting deeper into her neck. 

"You don't need to do this, Sasuke," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "You don't have to do all this just to kill him, its not too late for you to start over"

His eyes flickered with a mixture of surprise and something deeper—something more painful. The flash of recognition was fleeting, replaced by his usual indifference.

Sasuke scoffed, the faintest trace of bitterness creeping into his voice.

"You're just as weak as the rest of them," he said harshly

"I don’t want to be weak," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

For a moment, Sasuke didn’t speak. He studied her, his gaze softening, just for a brief second. Then, as quickly as it came, the moment was gone.

"Then you need to stop letting others decide for you," he said, his tone more serious now. "And you need to stop hiding behind that mask of obedience. You’re better than that, Hinata."

Her heart raced as his words hit home. The weight of his words, the weight of her own choices, pressed down on her like a thousand stones

"I'm not sure I can stop," she confessed, her voice trembling. "I don't know how."

Sasuke’s lips curved into a small, almost imperceptible smile

"You start by making a choice," he said softly. "And then you live with it."

Hinata closed her eyes, letting the moment settle in

He removed his sword from her neck and pressed his finger against her skin where his sword cut. He tucked her hair behind her ear and leaned in "If you ever want Danzo or your grandfather dead then you know where to find me. I've already ruined my life, don't ruin yours" 

And just like that he was gone

She passed her hand around her neck and sighed

Now she had to figure out what to report to Danzo when she got back