Disclaimer: I'm just a lonely dreamer, I do not own Naruto. But please enjoy my wishful thinking.
Watching as the bandits happily made their way back to the main road, abandoning their little crime scene, the tall young man shook his head at how disgraceful some could be. Very few people seemed to hold honor among their daily lives. The tall raven haired young man stepped out of the shadows and made his way toward wreckage that the pitiful bandits where responsible for. Bile rose to the back of his throat at the sight before him. A female close to the young man's age laid half naked, face down in the debris filled mud puddle, not breathing.
Four Years Later
"Naruto, wanna buy me lunch?" The tall blond bomb shell pouted, ruby lips parted as her bright glacier blue eye's held her award winning 'puppy dog' look.
Naruto's jaw dropped as he took in the hot blond attached to his arm. Ino's seductively eyeing her prey as she pressed herself closer to the tall orange clad nin. Batting her long eyelashes, Ino slowly closed the distance between them.
"Ino-pig! Hands off Naruto!" Sakura's hushed shouts could barely be heard over the loud clacking as her clenched fist screamed to be heard and feared.
"Forehead! Chill I was just checking to see if he was worthy to have a girl like you. And he passed." The tall slender blond chuckled nervously, trying to reassured her pink haired friend as she cautiously separated herself from the already taken man.
"Thats not what it looked like from here. More like she was checking his worth under the covers to me." A cold spiteful tone interrupted the two kunoichi's glares.
The three leaf nin all spun around to face the owner of the voice. In the far corner of Naruto's favorite ramen bar, sat two strangers of whom had been originally over looked. The owner of the cruel comment, a tall young man, sat across from a slender female.
The tall man shifted in his seat to eye the three leaf nin better. Long locks of crimson tip raven hair fell behind his shoulders revealing his alluring appearance. Slightly angular and long sun kissed cheek bones twitched as deep honey hazel gold eyes narrowed at the two kunoichi who's gasps could be heard. The scowl that seemed to permanently reside on his long ruby lips couldn't even taint his heavenly beauty. His traveling companion had to suppress a grin. This was a typical response.
"Are you applying that I'm a whore?" Ino snapped at the vile stranger once she seemed to have found her voice again.
"No. You did that quite nicely all on your own." The man's bored demeanor only pissed the blond kunoichi off even more then his words. Ino's fingers twitched in anticipation to rid this foul man of the smirk he now wore.
Ino charged at the pathetic man who dared to insult her, kunai out, yearning for his blood. As the blond launched herself at him his smirk only grew wider. His response to her was something akin to a small child rather then an armed kunoichi in the mist of an attacking directed at him; never flinching or showing a sign that he even cared.
The blond never made it to her destination. All three leaf nin's shock were etched clearly across their bewilder faces. The companion of Ino's attack had the blond's free hand wrenched behind her back, both legs locked and forced against their table. The kunoichi's blade wielding hand betraying its owner. Three drops of blood trickled down Ino's long neck as her kunai begged her flesh for entrance.
The petite female traveler, Ino's frighteningly quick captor, had over thirty single braids wove in and out of the seven ponytails that stretched from the base of her neck, into a straight line to the crown of her head. The odd female's hair cascaded over her left shoulder and down to her hips. Successfully hiding her behind a long wall of teal hair. At the base of the strange mohawk a dozen sakura flowers covered her royal purple hair ties. Only her companion could see the glee in her shocking pink eyes. She was highly enjoying herself.
"Now, lets play nice." The stranger whisper in a sweet and innocently child-like voice. "I know my dear friend here can be a pompous ass sometimes but," Pausing long enough to chuckle, the thought of him not being an ass, was hilarious. "I assure you after time he kinda grows on you." A wicked smile curled her delicate soft pink lips, leaning further in so that she was inches away from her prey's ears. "If I let you go, promise you'll play nice? I would hate to put you in a time out." The odd female chuckled loudly as she taunted the girl held helplessly in her grasp, her overly sweet tone still lingered in the air.
Too stunned to form a complete thought Naruto and Sakura stood, slacked jaw watching the scene unfold. This odd female seemed to have pinned Ino in under a second. Quietly pondering, Sakura wasn't quite sure who was faster, Rock Lee without his leg weights or the stranger. Before either one could jump to their friends aid, her captor had already release her, taking her spot across from her male companion once again.
All three leaf nin's silent pondering came to a halt when Kiba came barging in, pale and in shock. His normal jubilant expression absent and instead replaced with one of somebody who is mourning somebody close.
Quicker then Ino's little warning, the two travelers made their escape, leaving the three leaf nin's to greet their distort friend. The dog nin never suspected that anyone other then his three friend had been inside the ramen shop.
Still gasping for air, Ino made her way back to Naruto's side.
"Kiba what is it? You look like you just saw a ghost?" Naruto shouted concerned for his friend, the odd pair completely forgotten.
"I think I might have." The dog nin mumbled more to himself then his three friends.
"I was returning back from a mission and I caught an odd scent in the air. It lead me hear. It was......" Kiba trailed off. He was fully aware of how they were going to react, but this time was different. This time he was sure.
"It was Hinata." Kiba's whispers barely made it to Naruto's ears.
"Kiba, honey, we've been over this. Hinata is dead. Has been for four years. I really thought you were getting better. Its been almost two years sense your last break down." Ino's comforting words slowly turned into nothing but whispers of pleas.
"No! She went missing and we gave up! Her body was never recovered." Kiba shouted, all of his pent up anger, hate, hurt, fear, guilt, frustration all resurfaced and aimed at the tall blond. The shouts and pleas continued in the shop about the missing nin.
The odd couple continued on their way to an empty alley. Chuckling lightly over the shouts that could be heard from the four leaf nin.
"You must have been really enjoying yourself if you forgot to warn me that Kiba was headed in our direction." The female chuckled as they turned the corner. She was hoping to bypass the dog nin as long as possible. She would rather the fewer people know and he was one of the few that would be able to ruin that plan.
"I didn't forget. I wanted to see your response." The man replied in the same monotone that he used with the blond bimbo in the ramen shop. A small smile played up on his lips, showing his true emotion on the situation; amusement.
"You know, Charming, I think you're a bigger ass then I give you credit for." With that, the gap between them closed, pinning him to the brick wall of the alley. Pulling a hidden senbon out of her teal mohawk, easily the petite female jabbed the needle through his flesh and into the bone of his right collar bone. Pressing her soft pink lips against his ruby red ones, blue chakra slowly began to leave his body through his parted lips. Pale fingers traced the curves of his muscular frame, five soft glowing fingertips found the center of his abdomen.
As she altered his chakra pattered, her thoughts slipped from the present.
"Your pathetic and weak. You should have died with the rest of the leaf shinobi scum." The taller man spat between clenched teeth. The shattered shell of the weak and hopeless females despair kicked in, curling herself tighter into a fetal position. A desperate attempt to shield herself from the taller man, her captor. Tremors shook her broken body as his glare intensified.
The poor girl hadn't eaten in two weeks. Her savior refused to feed a weakling such as her. She couldn't even feel the pain that he caused her as he drew her blood, let alone care enough about her usual meek and nervous demeanor, abandoned.
"There was no point in sparing your disgraceful life. You can't even feed yourself let alone defend, your worthless." Her cruel captor knelt down, food clutched in one hand, just out of arms reach of the disgraceful wench. The other hand held a kunai to her throat. "I'm not here to save you. It's time to grow up, this life you've chosen to live is far from the 'fairy tales and happy endings' you've convinced yourself that you live in. Hime, I'm not your prince charming."
"Charming, huh?" The badly beaten female chocked out, voice raspy from lack of water. A painful hallow and humorless laughter echoed through out the pitiful camp. "Well thanks for informing me. I would have hated to have confused you for some one else."
Hinata had finally expected death and could care less of the wrath that her captor was capable of. The skin and bones, the ghost of what Hinata once had been, laid under her captor, fear no longer had a hold of her. If he wouldn't end her life then fate would. Hinata was on her death bed and she knew it. The next statements slipped through her cracked lips. "And here I thought you where an ass."
"You filthy whore! How dare you call-" Before the shrill redhead could finish her rant, Hinata's captor silenced her with a glare.
Hinata closed her eyes, awaiting death. Not in fear but in peace. She had finally spoke her mind with out fear of repercussion. A small smile played of her bloody lips, she was finally free. What a shame, it only took death for her goal to be reached.
Death had yet to take her. Instead she was graced with half of a loaf of bread colliding with her sunken face. And with that the young man left the clearing, leaving the Hyuuga heiress forcing every last bit of bread down her throat and a very pissed of redhead.
Hinata was ripped from her thoughts of the past as the rest of her traveling party arrived.
"You know, if I didn't know any better, I would think that you two actually enjoyed kissing each other." The blond snapped between clenched teeth, distain clear in her voice.
"You're only jealous." Stepping away from the brick wall, Hinata released the tall stoic man from her hold and stacked over to the intruder, a mischievous smiled tainted her sweet lips. "It's only natural to be. I know you want me." Hinata taunted the blond, seconds away from pouncing.
The blond flushed, retreating to the far corner, hands raised as if surrendering to the quickly moving petite female. The distance only grew shorter with each step Hinata took, finally having her pinned, unable to move. In a blink on an eye a senbon needle was seen protruding through the blond's collar bone.
"You're next." Hinata whispered seductively to the corned blond, lips a few inches away. After a few minutes Hinata stepped away from the uncomfortable female.
"You know, no matter how many times I've seen that, I still think it's the hottest thing I've ever seen. Hinata-chan, I'm ready when ever you are." The youngest of the group stated as lusted filled his deep emerald eyes.
Amused at his response, Hinata smiled sweetly at his eager face. They've already been over this and it wasn't going to change. Stalking over to his tall slender form, Hinata impaled both his shoulders with four senbon needles. A smile played on her lips as realization kicked. He wasn't getting a kiss instead he received a chakra infused palm to his abdomen.
"That's not fair." The disappointed young man loudly pouted.
"We've already been over this. Hinata doesn't need to preform that....... kiss on you in order to temporary alter your charka. Plus it's very painful." The sulking blond snapped at the whinny brat.
"Karin, have you ever thought maybe its just you. Sasuke never seems to share your dislike for Hinata's kiss. Maybe she purposely causes you pain because your a bitch and its fun." Suigetsu taunted.
"Did you at least get what I asked?" Sasuke inquired of the three that had interrupted Hinata in altering his charka.
The tall blond perked up as she handed the requested supplies to the leader of their little dysfunctional family.
Reaching across Sasuke, Hinata snatched the bag out of Karin's outstretched hand.
Before Karin could form a snide comment on Hinata's rude behavior, Sasuke was already speaking.
"I thought I made it perfectly clear on how you were suppose to look." Sasuke's deadpan tone had Hinata chuckling. She, as well as the rest, could tell he wasn't all to please with Karin's choice.
"I... Well.... Well I though blond was a little more fitting." Karin muttered, eyes looking in every direction other then Sasuke's honey hazel eyes.
"You look like Ino. How is that 'more fitting'? You know very well why that isn't."
Karin chose not to reply. He was correct, she knew why he demanded that she change. But she couldn't help but feel the resentment as she formed the hand signs to do so. The long indigo hair forced shivers down Karin's back. She hated this look, she looked like-
"Na, I think Karin looks better as a blond. She can't pull that color. Hinata looked better even when Sasuke refused to feed her." Suigetsu replied almost as if he could hear her thoughts.
Changing the subject Hinata quickly informed them on why they needed the supplies. The ingredients would assist in throwing a curve ball into their scent, causing their scent to change, to be off. Karin's look was more of an added safety line just incase the Inuzuka's caught ahold of her scent. From afar karin could be easily mistaken as Hinata's double however up close was a different story. Upon seeing the new comer most would just figure it was Kiba just being hopeful.
Pulling out a paper bag, Hinata pored the freshly cut herbs on their unworn clothes. Closing the bag, Hinata shook the contents, while Sasuke handed each person a rag, a bottle of lemon extract and a pouch of cinnamon. Rubbing the lemon oil coated rag over every ounce of visible flesh and the cinnamon on the soles of their sandals and their hair.
"The citrus acid in the lemon with help eliminate any unique scent one might have. The cinnamon is just an added precaution. The Inuzuka clan, especially Inuzuka Kiba, are highly sensitive to cinnamon. It can easily cause him a great deal of pain if he is exposed to a high amount. Chances are, the smell of it will have him subconsciencly veering away. The trail left in the air and ground, will be the strongest. Now for your clothes. The Inuzuka's aren't the only ones we must be careful around. The Aburame's Kikaichū feed on chakra they will be able to track as well. These," Hinata held the paper bag, so all could see. "Will assist with that, along with the your new chakra patterns. Here." Hinata's bored tone resembled the lazy shadow nin's, as she tossed each outfits to their owners.
Upon finishing Jugo's chakra patterns, Hinata began her trek to an appointment that she had made four years ago. Sasuke was the first to follow.
"Hime, in a hurry?" Sasuke asked, an eyebrow rose as he address the stoic female next to him. He was the only one that was capable of calling her that with out repercussion.
Sighing Hinata eyed the man next to her. He looked nothing alike the Sasuke they all knew. None of the group looked like themselves. Hinata was the closest though. Only her hair and eyes where altered. But that seemed like enough in the Ichiraku shop. A little part of her was sadden by the lack of response from people she had once viewed as friends. Well at least Kiba had yet to forget her.
"You may not view this place as home, but I do. And yes I am anxious, Charming. Its been four years." The tone to her reply held no sorrow.
This was not the same Hinata that had left four years ago. The seventeen year old Hinata may have grown into a much stronger Kunoichi then the Hinata during the chunin exams but she was still weak. The old Hinata wore her emotions for all to see, for all to use for their own benefit; an open book. This Hinata however was different. She seemed indifferent but her eyes held a different story only a few could read. Sasuke was one of the few who could pinpoint perfectly what she was feeling, and vise-a-versa.
The small group slowed to a stop as they entered the hokage tower when three Anbu surrounded them. If any of them where intimidated be their new guess, none showed.
"Can you please inform the Hokage that her appointment for this afternoon as arrived. Mission completed." Hinata informed the AnBu in front of her in a withdrawn tone; detached.
The man in front of her cocked his head, the bird AnBu mask gave nothing away as he studied her.
From head to toe, this female was completely odd and yet very familiar. The top of the petite female's teal mohawk reached just above his shoulders but her outfit contradicted that, appearing that she had length to spare. The slits that ran up the length of her hips of her light lavender knee high dress revealed royal purple pants, hemmed with the same sakura blossoms that decorated her mohawk. Two long lilac ribbons on each side, crisscrossed from the beginning of her ribcage down the length of her side, pulling the fabric over her womanly curves perfectly. Three additional ribbons slung around her waist tied at the base of her hips creating the illusion of an never ending height.
Her bright pink eyes held an odd excitement which threw off the aloof expression. There was something odd with her soft ivory complexion almost like.............
Hinata was aware who he was. Lets see if her nii-san could keep to the privacy that his new job demands.
"Yes, right this way." The AnBu clad in a pig mask stated in a bored voice as he nodded in the direction of Lady Tsunade's office. The third followed behind Hinata and her group while Neji faded into thin air. No doubt he went to inform the Hokage who was on her way.
Tsunade perched against the door frame waiting to see if the Hyuuga's information was accurate. She prayed that he was. The medical phoneme had held herself personally responsible for the death of the young Hyuuga heiress's life. For four years she had regretted her decision. The tempo of her heart sped up as the echos of the new comers grew louder.
"Yes, it is I. Trust your ability in sensing chakra. You know as well as I do, one can not change their chakra signature. Even identical twins have a slight difference in their chakra flow. To each are as difference as another. It is truly I," Hinata smirked at the blank look upon the older blond's face, and formed a few hand signs. "Hinata" Soft lavender eyes locked in on the solo AnBu that refused to leave along with his fellow AnBu who had escorted them.
"Nii-san" Hinata bowed, a real smile graced her lips. She may have changed, became somebody completely different, but she still loved and missed Neji. He was one of the few family members who understood her and attempted to get along with.
Hinata's ability to pinpoint her cousin had pulled the Hokage out of her initial shock. Taking a seat at her desk, Lady Tsunade motioned for them to take seat as well.
"I assume you will explain why you failed to report back after your caravan had been attacked. And who your friends are." The blond stated, adopting a business like tone, fingers intertwined underneath her pale chin as she waited for answers.
"The location of where my training would have been was never revealed to me, as you are aware. I was unable to meet with my newly appointed sensei due to that. As for the guard who sent word that all had die, was incorrect. As you can see, I am fully alive." Hinata waved a hand in front of her, drawing attention to the obvious, that she was anything but dead.
Hinata reached into her pocket, pulling out her hitai-ite and retying it around her neck, a smirk in place. "I'm a leaf shinobi, an attack from disgraceful bandits is a pathetic excuse to fail a mission. Which brings me to your next question, I would like to request a temporary visa for my friends. They are the reason as to why I'm here today. They rescued and nursed me back to health after the guard, my escort, assumed I was dead." Hinata's lack of proper honorific, stuttering and usual meek demeanor had both her cousin and Hokage shocked. They were both unsure if the change was for the good.
"We can discuss their visa at another time. I would like to evaluate your progress first, along with your friends abilities, before then. But first I think your family would like to see you." The calculating look in the blond's gold eyes soften as her sentence came to the topic of family.
"I would rather not, if you don't mind Tsunade-sama. But I would rather keep my appearance unknown for just a little bit longer. Considering that they assumed I was dead, I doubt they are in need of a heiress that bad. And for the loving family moment, Neji already knows, thats all that whom I wish to share with at the moments. I will reveal myself sooner or later, at that point I will answer the demands and quietly take their verbal abuse. But until then I would rather enjoy my free time."
"You definitely are not the same shy, bashful, stuttering Hyuuga that left my office four years ago."
Hinata's eyes drifted to the long scar across her right palm at Tsunade's mention of stuttering.
Pinned to the tree, tears fell from Hinata's bloody cheeks as Sasuke continued to jabbed his thumb into a deep gash on her right palm. "You are no longer the Hime of your pathetic world. You will not speak, if you can't do so with out stuttering. Do you understand Hyuuga-sama?" A sneer on his pale lips.
"I said do you understand?" Sasuke snapped impatiently, aware that she was refusing to talk instead of losing the annoying habit.
"Y-y-ye-ye-yes." Hinata whimpered.
"Stuttering is a sign of weakness. Its a wall you hide behind when your nervous, a tick. Just like how you fidget with your fingers." Sasuke jabbed his thumb once more into her wound. "Are you weak?"
"N-n-n-n-no"
"Are you weak?" Jabbing his thumb once more into the opening of her flesh.
This went on for several weeks until Hinata finally lashed out, weakly attacking Sasuke. Fed up with his cruel ways. Needless to say during her rather colorful statement on what he could do with his "are you weak" questions, her stuttering was no where to be found.
Blinking twice Hinata brought herself back to the present.
"Well yes. That was the point of my four year training, was it not?" The confusion in her voice was the only reason as to why Tsunade remained calm. Hinata honestly seemed baffled on why that was not necessarily a bad thing. If that was anybody else she would have most likely lost it, causing yet another hole in the wall.
"Yes I believe you are correct. Would you also like to keep your presence unknown to the rest of your friends." Tsunade inquired, attempting to remain calm.
"Yes please." Hinata's wide smile and gentle demeanor to her question had Lady Tsunade relieved, maybe the change was not as negative as she originally thought.
"Well then, please introduce me to your acquaintance so that we can arrange your assessment." The business tone back in place as they moved along to the next thing on the table.
Hinata smile, turning she pointed to Jugo. "The tall red head is Akemi and," Turning slightly Hinata's finger came across Suigetsu "This is Umi and the lovely lady that will be helping me with keeping Kiba at bay for just a bit longer is Akane"
Turning back to face Lady Tsunade. "And Shunsuke is the one to my left."
Lady Tsunade quietly nodded with each person had been announced, Neji on the other hand eyed them all suspiciously. He did not trust them and he was going to find out which one cause Hinata's change. Not even her father's cruelty had altered her to this degree. But she did seem happy. Not the same joy that his innocent little cousin once radiated with, but joy nonetheless.
A/N:
I apologize now if I offend anybody, there will be some character bashing, but only from other's pov. Not the author of this silly fanfic's pov. And yes I know that my time line does not quite fit with the whole pein's attack. I'm just going to pretending it never happened.
I'm really trying to keep everyone In Character, other then Hinata, of course. But if I fail please do let me know (along with why you think so). Thanks!
Please review! And let me know if its worth continuing.