Sweet, Innocent Hinata-Chan (COMPLETE!!!!!)

With Tsunade's blessing, the girls headed towards the mountain pass: Hinata leading, followed by Sakura, Temari and finally, TenTen bringing up the rear. The weather was mild until they were an hour into their trek. Soon, harsh winds began roar and snow began to fall. Hinata continued walking, determination in her eyes. Somehow, she was completely unaffected by the cold, harsh winds. She turned around, seeing her comrades and knew the same didn't apply to them. TenTen was rubbing her arms while trying to keep her balance, whereas Sakura's head was completely down, looking at the ground. Temari had taken the rear and was enlisting the help of her enormous fan to keep the wind from blowing towards them as much as she could.



"Hinata...! How much further?"



Hinata didn't really know why, but when they reached the second ridge, she realized they were only a few more minutes away.



"Not much longer, I promise!"



When the wind slowly began to die down and the blizzard had all but stopped, the vision for all four girls became clearer. Hinata stopped, realizing they were standing on the edge of a cliff. When the clouds dispersed, Hinata and co all looked down, a small gasp escaping TenTen's lips. Sure enough, hovering beneath them was the desecrated village of Yukigakure. While most of the old huts had been covered by snow and weathered due to time, there was a single hut that seemed to be almost untouched by time. From the overpass, Hinata could see something all the way at the end of the village, resembling a shrine and not too far from that, looked to be a larger hut that overlooked the village almost the way Tsunade's did. While the girls stared in awe, Hinata was filled with a sense of familiarity.



"Hey, look....!" Temari pointed.



In the village beneath them, they could faintly see a trail of smoke coming from a small hut; the same hut that seemed to be the only sign of life.



"Let's go!" Hinata said.



The girls continued down the mountanious path for another two hours or so before finally reaching the shattered gates of Yukigakure. The wind whistled eerily through the old town, yet it was serene...quiet and peaceful. Hinata activated her byakugen, scanning the area for a moment. She could sense human life in that very same hut they'd seen from the overpass. They headed in that direction, not bothering to knock upon arriving there. Slowly, they slid open the door to what revealed itself to be an inn.



"Look at this place..." Temari said with a whistle.



"It's in good condition so someone HAS to live here."



Hinata silently agreed with Sakura as they continued walking through the hallways. It wasn't until they realized TenTen wasn't following them anymore that they became nervous. They turned, noticing she was standing in front of an open door, a frozen expression on her face.



"TenTen-Chan...? What's wrong?" Temari asked in slight irritation.



When TenTen didn't answer, the Suna girl stalked over to her and huffed.



"What the hell is so interes...."



Temari's eyes widened when she realized what it was she was staring at. Sakura and Hinata followed suit and walked over to the girls...but the sight they were beholding sent their hearts into their throats and their minds in panic. There, attached to the wall by some means of binding, was Neji, Shikamaru and Sasuke.



"SASUKE-KUN!" Sakura yelled.



She ran towards the water-like orb that encased Sasuke's naked body within it, only to be met by a barrier so strong, it sent her flying backwards with a blush flash of light.



"SAKURA!"



TenTen grabbed her before she collided with the rest of the group. Sakura winced, looking at her hands and feeling them burning. Summoning her chakra, she began slowly healing her wounds. The girls slowly entered the room with caution.



"Wh...what the hell happened to them...?"



"I thought you'd never arrive, but goodness me, we didn't know the final Gonnin would be female."



The girls turned around, ready for battle only to see a curvacious blonde with stunning amber eyes. She smirked a little.



"So, which one of you is the final Gonnin?" she asked.



Without hesitation, Hinata stepped forward, pulling down her black hood.



"I am! What have you done to the other Gonnin?!"



"We only did what was asked of us..." another voice chimed in.



Before Temari could even blink, the presence behind her jammed two fingers into her spinal cord. Temari's eyes widened as everything went black and the floor rushed at her.



"Temari...!"



TenTen hurried to Temari's side, glaring at the sandy-brunette standing over Temari.



"Nice to meet you, my name is Tenchi..."



"You bitch...what have you done to Tem...?"



TenTen's question was answered when Temari sprang up, grabbing her head. She grit her teeth as tears began spilling down her face before letting out a blood-curdling,



"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.....!!!!"



TenTen jumped backwards, surprised at Temari's outburst. Temari dropped to her knees, grabbing her head and screaming hysterically.



"DON'T! Please, don't do it...! I'm sorry...! I'll be good, I promise!" she shrieked.



Hinata and her fellow teammates were horrified by what was happening to Temari. Tenchi took advantage of TenTen's alarmed jump backwards by kneeling down to Temari's level where the Suna maiden had been all but reduced to a shivering, terrified little girl. Tenchi slowly licked the side of Temari's neck with a grin.



"Damn...sounds pretty bad...But, no matter how much she fights, she won't be able to escape those shinobi's grasps."



Temari's head jettisoned upwards as a stream of vomit violently came from her mouth.



"TEMARI-CHAN!"



Hinata charged at Tenchi, making her quick jutsus.



"PROTECTION OF THE TRIGRAMS SIXTY-FOUR PALMS!"



The byakugen at full power, Tenchi and Richi watched as blue blades of chakra headed towards them. Richi smirked, more than ready to intercept the attack.



"STOP, YUKIKAGE!" a voice yelled.



Smoke filled the room, leaving all in it's presence coughing and trying to see. Hinata felt someone's arm wrap around her waist, blowing her off of her focus, leaving the blue blades of chakra whipping around frantically.



"Who are...?!" Sakura heard Hinata yell.



"Hinata-Chan...?!" TenTen.



"OW! GODDAMMIT SHE GOT ME!" Tenchi yelled.



When the smoke eventually cleared, TenTen had Temari in her arms at a safe distance. The Suna girl was passed out, more likely from the shock of the nightmare she'd been forced into. TenTen reached into her bag for a brief moment and grabbed a small, blue bottle. She threw her head back as she swallowed the green liquid inside before locking her lips with Temari's. Temari twitched once or twice as the bittersweet liquid slowly entered her body. TenTen broke the 'kiss' when Temari began coughing. She bolted up, panting hysterically, looking around and for a quick moment, made sure all of her clothing were still on her body...



"I...I'm not being...?"



"TEMARI-CHAN!"



Temari was more than surprised when the pigtailed girl wrapped her arms around her body and whimpered a little.



"Are you okay?!"



"Y...yeah. Yeah...What's that taste in my mouth?"



"A special medicine to bring your body out of a genjutsu..."



Sakura looked around while TenTen helped Temari collect herself.



"Hinata-Chan...?"



Sakura noticed the girls, Richi, Tenchi and Hinata were all gone! Sakura kneeled down, seeing a part of a torn, pink kimono sleeved draped in blood.



"Well, one of them was injured by Hinata's attack..."



"But WHERE IS Hinata-San?" TenTen asked, helping Temari stand.



Hinata distinctly remembered hearing Hinata talking to someone else...Probably the person that had smokescreened the entire room. Sakura hurried over to Sasuke's water-like tomb, but remembering what happened to her hands earlier, didn't touch it.



"There's GOTTA be something we can do to wake them up! SASUKE! SASUKE UCHIHA WAKE UP!"



TenTen looked at Neji, noticing he was wrapped up in what looked like yards and yards of ribbon.



"Right! I'll get you free, Neji-Kun!"



She grabbed a scroll from within her heavy black jacket and twirled it around before it turned into a Japanese, double-ended sword. She charged at the barrier, aiming straight for his wrists. She collided with the barrier, but did not relinquish her hold on the end of the blade. She groaned, trying to fight against whatever magic this was. Her brown eyes widened when she saw the ribbons around his wrist shred completely. Neji's left arm was free atleast.



"I...I did it..." she said, almost completely drained.



She dropped the blade, smoke coming from her hands. She winced, looking at Sakura for assistance and Sakura quickly used her medical knowledge to heal TenTen's hands before wrapping them in thick, white bandages.



"There...! Try it now! These bandages are infused with the strongest chakra and nothing can penetrate their power."



TenTen took a deep breath before picking up the blade. She took a stance and closed her eyes, centering her chakra.



"NOW!"



She charged at Neji, swinging her blade so rapidly, Temari and Sakura barely saw it move. Temari was more concerned she'd lop off Neji's man-marbles the way she was swinging. The barrier was obviously taking it's toll on the blade as it slowly began to crack.



"NEJI! COME ON! JUST A LITTLE LONGER!"



TenTen smiled sucessfully when the blade shattered, but it's pieces worked with her helping to shatter the ribbons. She dropped the handle and grabbed the naked Neji as he fell forward, completely unconscious.



"Neji...! Neji-Kun...?"



She put her ear to his heart and sighed.



"Atleast he's breathing...But why hasn't he woken up yet?"



Temari sighed a little and shuddered.



"Remember what that blonde bitch said?"



Which one, TenTen wanted to reply, but she decided to take it seriously. Temari sighed, looking at Shikamaru who remained suspended by the red smoke.



"This Genjutsu is powerful...They play with people's fantasies and dreams. Obviously...these boys are willingly staying within the boundries of the dream world..."



Sakura watched as Temari clenched her fists and yelled,



"BAKA SHIKAMARU! YOU'D RATHER STAY IN A DREAM THAN BE WITH ME?!?!"



"Temari, calm down! Let's work on getting them HOME first! Then we can worry about waking them up." Sakura sighed.



"What about Hinata? We still don't know what happened to her!" TenTen argued.



TenTen jumped backwards a little as Sakura made a familiar jutsu sign before putting her fist to her mouth and blowing out flames.



"YEOW! Where'd you learn that...?!" Temari yelled in panic.



"Sasuke-Kun. Now...if this stuff is even similar water, it will boil and burst when heated to extreme levels..."



"Um...is that such a good idea...?" Temari chimed in.



Sakura repeated the jutsu and was soon blowing a spiraling geyser of flames at the water. After the fourth time trying, Sakura panted.



"DAMN this thing is persistent!" she said, as she dropped to her knees, panting.



"Maybe I can help..." Temari said, hand on her hip.



She grabbed her large fan off of her back and fully opened it. TenTen STILL wasn't comfortable seeing that thing, especially since she'd once been on the receiving end of it's abuse...But, she knew what Temari was trying to do.



"Sakura, use your fire jutsu thingy or whatever and heat up the end of my fan, then stand back..." Temari smirked.



Sakura did as she was told, heating up the fan until it was pure red. Sakura moved and Temari charged at the orb of water, slicing clean through it. Sasuke's naked body emerged, a gooey gunk around him, but that didn't stop Sakura from pushing past Temari, dropping to her knees and embracing him tight.



"SASUKE-KUN!"



Atleast he was alive...That's all she wanted. The girls spend the next hour atleast trying to free Shikamaru.



"And this guy calls US troublesome..." TenTen said, dropping to her own knees and panting.



"It's smoke, so I don't understand why wind won't just make it go away!" Temari glared at the bindings.



Sakura sat backwards and stared at Shikamaru, trying to figure out why nothing was working. It WAS just smoke, right? Her eyes widened when she saw a small rift in the smoke surrounding his body. A thin, red string followed along of the smoke's path...



"I'VE GOT IT!"



Her outburst startled the girls to say the least, but Sakura looked very confident.



"Temari, TenTen, you guys have got to work together!"



Temari and TenTen looked at one another before nodding.



"What do you want us to do?" TenTen asked.



"Temari, use your fan and send a wind towards the smoke. TenTen, you quickly follow him by just using a kunai and slicing at Shikamaru's torso."



"WHAT?!" Temari raged.



"Just trust me!"



TenTen took her position behind Temari who warned that if she cut Shikamaru's stomach, TenTen would be shown a completely new way to use her weapons...and not in a good way. Temari charged, taking her fan and swiping at the smoke, followed directly by TenTen who smirked.



"I SEE IT!"



She cut the thin, red string and watched as his entire body fell towards the ground, freed finally. Temari caught him before he made impact and hugged his head to her chest happily.



"Shikamaru..."



The boys rescued, the girls discarded their heavy winter wear to dress their naked men. Temari was revealed to be wearing a mini-version of her black kimono which stopped at her thighs with a red sash around her waist, but she was grateful for the long sleeves to keep her arms warm. TenTen took the white ribbon from around her neck and wrapped it at the end of Neji's hair and smiled happily. She then adjusted her own hair, letting it fall into just two, simple pigtails that curled from being in buns the entire time. She stood up, wearing a black, sleeveless Chinese-style shirt with a pair of matching capris pants. After adjusting her giant scroll on her back, she was ready to go, noticing Temari adjust likewise with her huge fan. Sakura finally finished getting Sasuke dressed and revealed the more-moveable outfit she'd been wearing beneath the heavy jacket and pants: A simple pair of black pants and a long-sleeved, turtleneck sweater.



"Alright, are we ready?"



"I don't think we should leave Hinata behind. Who knows what trickery those bitches pulled while we were all blinded!"



Sakura looked at Temari and sighed.



"We...we have to get back to Konoha. I know it may seem cold-hearted, but wasn't our main reasoning for doing this to retrieve the other Yonnin? We have them, so why risk their lives any further? Hinata-Chan is strong...I know she is and she couldn't become Hokage or even Yukikage material without being so."



Loading the boys on their backs, the girls realized they had no other choice BUT to leave Hinata behind and get the boys to safety. As they left the village, they stood at the ridge overlooking the village before sighing and heading back down the road to their long, but much awaited return to Konoha. The trip seemed to take longer than before, but upon reaching the warm, sunny Konoha, they were instantly greeted by crowds of cheering people including their friends. The girls enjoyed the praise and it even boost their egos a little to know that they, the kunoichi, had completed the mission that the rescued shinobi had failed. They quickly hurried to Tsunade's who placed them in separate hospital rooms after bathing them and checking their wounds. Tsunade walked into her office, the girls following behind her. She sat behind the desk and looked at the anxious women.



"Girls...while I commend you on a job well done, I have to be honest...The damage done to the Gonnin seems to be irreversible."



Sakura fell backwards in the chair, her eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.



"Are you serious?"



"That CAN'T be true!" Temari yelled, slamming her hands down on the desk.



Tsunade looked at Temari who glared at yelled,



"IT'S JUST A STUPID FUCKING GENJUTSU! HOW CAN IT NOT BE REVERSED?!"



She turned to storm out.



"The hell with this, you can't wake up Shikamaru, I'll do it myself..."



"AND risk damaging his mind, Temari." Tsunade said, unfazed by her little performance.



Temari stopped, her hand on the doorknob. She grit her teeth, her entire body shaking.



"Wh...what can we do? Would these boys rather stay in a fantasy world...?"



She sighed, resting her forehead against the door...Would Shikamaru really prefer being with a dream than her? Was she really that bad...?



"Temari-San, I understand you were exposed to some of their jutsu as well." Tsunade stated bluntly.



Temari nodded, locking her brown eyes with Tsunade's own.



"Are you certain it's out of your system?"



Temari put her hand to her heart with a sigh.



"I'm positive...It was because Hinata-Chan blew the girl's focus."



"Hmm...So, Hinata stayed in Yukigakure?"



"Well...we had to return to Konoha to make sure the boys were safe and..." TenTen began as if she were going to get punished.



"A wise choice, however, by leaving Hinata there, you've exposed her to elements she isn't familiar with...However, I commend you. You ladies did well, so as a reward, take the day off and rest up."



Tsunade stood up with a smile.



"I am very proud of you all."



The girls could only smile as they headed out of her office. Sakura, however, remained, looking at Tsunade...



"What of Naruto? With those injuries and even with Kyuubi's powers, he shouldn't have been able to move like that."



Tsunade sighed a little and walked over to the window.



"You girls completed a three-day mission in just one, so we really haven't heard anything from the the ANBU assigned to track him down. With his injuries, we know for a fact he couldn't have gone very far."



Sakura accepted this information before excusing herself. The hallways of Tsunade's office and the clinic were illuminated with the orange and red rays of the dying sun. Sakura herself, couldn't believe they'd made it back so soon. She walked to Sasuke's room where she saw him laying there, a white kimono covering his body while a heart machine monitored his strongly-beating heart. His face was very peaceful, when usually, he looked pensive even when sleeping. Sakura pulled up a chair beside his bedside and sighed a little bit.



"Sasuke-Kun...I don't know if you can hear me, but...Please,"



She reached for his hand and whimpered a little. Standing, she placed his hand to her stomach.



"...We both need you, Sasuke-Kun...Whatever this fantasy, you must not stay there! We need you HERE!"



She fell crying onto his chest in the hospital painted a beautiful orange color by the setting sun. She looked out of the windows with a small sigh, seeing the mountains in the distance. Everything seemed to be falling apart so quickly, but at the same time...There was a small twinge of faith she continued to feel in her own, beating heart. Wiping away her tears, she took Sasuke's hand once more and sighed, resting her head on the side of the bed. There, she dreamed of the future her child would have...Her eyes quickly opened when she realized something: There had already been a child left in her care. There was a child who needed her...She released Sasuke's hand, promising that she would return. By the time she reached Ino's home, the moon was already roving across the sky. Ino offered Sakura a hug, knowing her friend needed it more than anything. When Sakura held the sleeping Hikaru in her arms, she nuzzled the baby in her arms and whispered,



"I'm so sorry, Hikaru...I'll protect you. We all will until your mommy and daddy come back..."



Sakura fell to her knees, whimpering as she swore, this child would be safe and protected until Naruto and Hinata returned. The baby was almost a month old and had barely any interaction with his own parents. Wasn't he lonely? Ino stood in the doorway of her flowershop, staring up at the darkened sky.



"Where do you Naruto-Kun has gone?" The blonde asked to no one in particular.



"Probably...to find Hinata, especially if Kyuubi has any say in it."



Ino seemed a little surprised by the comment as Sakura stood up.



"Why would Kyuubi care?"



"Because as far as legendary beasts go, Kyuubi and Byakko go back the furthest."



Ino shrugged, explaining to Sakura she didn't understand, but it was best if they left it at that for the night. Ino hugged her friend and kissed her 'Honorary Nephew' before sending the twosome on their way. Sakura headed straight for Sasuke's hospital room. Sakura borrowed a blanket and bottle from the hospital's pediatrics wing and sat by Sasuke's side the entire night, her arms around Hikaru. She drifted off to sleep, dreaming of her own daughter playing with Hikaru...Maybe, they'd even fall in love, but Sakura giggled a little. She looked out of the window with a sigh and whispered,



"Come home, Naruto-Kun...Hinata-Chan...please, come home."