Hope And Faith

Change

It has been four months since he was back in the village and things was getting slightly better. His former companions had mostly adapted in the peaceful life and visited from time to time. There were two things that bothered him. The one was pushed in the back of his brain. The other was something he met almost every day. Hinata was gloomy. The last few days she wasn't herself. Always distracted by thoughts that he didn't know. By now he considered her a friend like Naruto. He saved him from the darkness and she gave him hope for the future. So when he walking down the stairs and heard her voice coming loud inside her house he stayed to listen.
"Shikamaru I told you no million times already."
"Hinata you know I would not discuss this if I thought you were not the right choice".
"Oh you sound like him".
"Hinata I'm your friend. You know I care about you. But also I respect you and I have seen first hand what you're capable of. Please reconsider."
"I will not. And I don't want to talk to advisor Shikamaru anymore. Only my friend."
"I will drop this for now"
"Not for now me Shikamaru. You will drop this for good. I made my decision a lot time ago."
Shikamaru exited her home and saw a glimpse of Sasuke.
"It's rude to eardrop you know."
"I... I wasn't"
"Okay"
"I was worried because I heard her yell. That's all".
They continue walking down the stairs when Shikamaru stopped.
"So Sasuke have you understand Hinata's strength yet?"
"I haven't spar with her?"
"I'm not talking about that. Thought she's  had grown even stronger after the war".
"So what are you talking about?"
"Do you know that Hiashi wants to make Hinata heiress again?"
"No"
"I figured. She doesn't talk about that".
I used to be the heiress of the clan you know. Hanabi's words played through his head.
"So?"
" Hinata rejected his offer. He propose this to her every couple of months and she denies every time."
"But you want her to be the heiress".
"Yes".
"Why?"
"I will tell you when you have an answer to my previous question."
He wanted to go back to check she was okay but he had an audience with Kakashi about the other matter that bothered him.

_____

Kakashi was covered in scrolls but when he entered his office he raised his eyes to look at him.
"Always a pleasure seeing you. What is it this time". Sasuke looked at him annoyed. He was not in the mood for games.
"Okay. Okay. Stop the death glare. So you  request an audience with the Hogake. So formal".
"I wanted to be done right".
"So I'm your Hogake and not your sensei?"
"Exactly"
He thought this through many times and this was the best course of action. He wanted Kakashi to talk logical like the Hogake and not like a sensei trying to protect his student.
"So what's your request?"
"I want to know where Itachi is".

Before he leave the village for his long journey Kakashi had called him for dinner in his house. The dinner was somehow awkward and was obvious that Kakashi had his mind elsewhere.
After they ate Kakashi had two glasses in front of them and a bottle of sake.
"I wanted to talk to you about something."
"I figured. I hope you don't want to confess to me or something."
"It's serious".
The pass on his smug comment and the tone of his voice made him shiver.
"I'm not scared easily"
"I know".
"Tell me."
"Itachi is alive".
Sasuke's mind couldn't comprehend the information. He thought he heard wrong. His mind went from blank to overthinking.
"Is this some kind of sick prank?"
"No".
"I swear Kakashi I will kill you."
"It's the truth."
"How are you sure? How...?"
"Cause I wouldn't share this with you if I wasn't sure."
"But this can't be. I killed..."
"I saw him".
"What? Where how is this even possible?"
Then Kakashi told him how Itachi had left a trail of information for Kakashi to follow. How he investigated this for months to be sure that this was what he thought it was. How he went and met him. How he told him that Nagato on his last breath as reanimated gave Itachi back his life.
"Where is he?"
"I can't tell you"
"What? What gives you the right?"
"My love for you and the care I feel for Itachi."
Kakashi never spoke to him like that. He was stunned.
"I wanted to share this with you. I told Itachi I would. I also told him that is safer for both of you to let the time pass till you meet again."
"Who else knows?"
"Noone".
"Why?"
"Because Itachi deserves to live".
"Why won't you tell me?"
"I will. Eventually. But I want you to be safe. To be sure that noone cares of the missing nin Sasuke Uchiha anymore. That no eyes are on you. Then I will tell you. I can't risk the lives you both are leading right now." Not criminal. Kakashi chose his words carefully. He cares more than he should.
"I want to ask you to listen to me. Just this once."
"Okay". I will not risk your life again brother. I took it once. I'm not going to make the same mistake again
Then he drunk all the sake in Kakashi's house one minute crying, the other laughing.