Summary: The fear held deep in her eyes sparked his curiosity. Her quiet, timid, antisocial attitude pulled him in. The soft sound of her voice got him hooked. And the endless tears is what drove him off edge. When her past finally catches up, he was determined to keep her by his side and alive, even if she didn't ask for it. His cold hand gentle cradled her warm face, drawing their bodies closer. "My, beautiful Byakugan Princess,"
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, if I did, Neji Hyuga would be here and mine ;-;
Prologue
Her knees dropped like stones to the ground, bruising even further. Her chest was on fire, heart beating hard against her rib cage as she gasp for air. Long hours had passed as midnight came sooner than expected.
She was face to face with darkness. A cold breeze sweeping over her burning skin sending tingles through every inch of her being.
She leaned on the base of a thick Tree, swallowing hard. The harsh wood prickling into her raw back but having more scars was the least of her worries. Her eyes fell shut, his screams finally left her ears- meaning she got some distance between them. But even so, she needed to move. She still wasn't safe but her sore legs screaming for a quick break made her stay rooted to her spot. Just a small rest. Just enough to catch her Breath-
"Hinata!"
She took a sharp breath, fear crawling down her spine to the very core. Her hands covered her ears timidly as she dropped to the ground in habit. She couldn't tell if that was real or if her mind was just playing trick again.
Flashes of past events swarmed through her mind, forcing a breathless cry to break through her lips. Wiping at her never ending tears, she stood on shaking legs. One small step at a time she took. Her mouth was dry, her throat was scratchy from her recent screams, and ever part of her body felt like lead.
Stopping at another tree, her desparate eye's grew a small fraction as she took in her surroundings. From the little she could see throughout the pitched Black forest, her mind didn't recognize the path but she didn't have any other options. Pushing her weight off the Tree, her bare feet trudging ever so slowly.
All the new mysterious voices that laid deep within the forest, the sounds increasing in her ears made her nerves jump. Never has she been open to this before and it scared her to no end. The slightest noise would make her whimper, a harsh movement, mind set on her nightmare, believing he'd jump out of the bushes and attack. She would always give a look over her shoulder in habit and in fear.
A rustle of dead leaves picking up in the wind, her white orbs following after the trail. Her heart would love to believe the wind was showing her the way to a better life as it gave a loud whistle.
Innocence at its peak, she trudged faster, wanting to keep up with it. Only, when her head rose toward's the sky as the wind grew louder, more harsher around her, the leaves twirled around her before everything grew quiet, the leaves dispersing.
The small hope died within her little heart, making it ache worse than before. Rubbing at her eyes, she finally noticed her surroundings. She was in an open field. As a tear rolled down her chubby face, the thick grass that tickled her feet shine brightly at her. Slowly, she lifted her head up towards the dark skies once more, to find she wasn't in much darkness as before.
The only light given was from the full moon above her. It was so huge this time around. It was mesmerizing. It had been so long since she's seen one so full and bright.
"Hinata..."
"Don't you dare run from me dammit!"
She broke out into a sprint. Pushing through the pain deep inside her, she blinked the remaining tears away. Just the sight of the white orb above gave her motivation. She wanted to see another night where the moon would shine brightly at her. Not chained or forced into darkness with no light for who knows how long. Without the torture and misery. This was just one foot out of the door. Now was time for the other, to finally be set free! Her mind screamed, striving for her to keep going. To move faster and to get away alive.
Using her arm's as a shield as she pushed past many bushes and branches. The small scratches did nothing to her.
"Hinata!"
Another cry passed through her lips as panic began to take over again. This time she knew this wasn't just another figment of her imagination. His voice was closer than before. Changing course, she turned left.
Half of her mind told her to keep going, but the other half screamed for her to stop and give in. It was too late to turn back. Once he finds her, she knew she wouldn't see the light of day. Ever. He had warned her, but this was her possibly only chance of escape. She couldn't be his prisoner any longer!
They had screamed for her to stay, to obey him in fear for not just her life but their own. But her mind was set. She refuse to give in!
She only ever encountered him once before. His light purple eye's forever permanent within her mind. She would always remember that day of their first encounter. It was also the first time she ever grew a little rebellious. So uncharacteristic of her to do. But those three minutes was quickly shot down as for punishment- intense pain. A hand subconsciously touched the top of her ear where the metal rod sat.
The pain was unbareable. She cried for hours. Days even. With the other captives, chanting their opinons of her in her ear of her stupidity hurt her deep. More hatred grew over time as all was punished for one's mistake. She didn't mean to. They had to know that.
That night, as she cried silently to herself in her stationary corner, she made a vow to herself to never act upon that burst of rebellious feeling again, especially if someone else's life was on the line.
Selfish and rebellious. Those two words was not what she want people to think of her.
Yet here she was, disobey orders again. She couldn't determine whether she was brave or stupid as they called her. Probably the latter. She wanted to believe both as she knew what would happen if she were to get caught, but that wasn't the goal. But remembering an old story told within the camp many times, gave her hope. It helped put on a bitter smile secretly each dreadful day, imagining herself in that situation. Why couldn't she set herself free as well? Be the next freed victim to escape and make it out alive? And if she were to accomplish her goal, she would come back for them. She just needed a little faith...
She hadn't put much thought into how it was going to get done, more of daydreaming of the end result of when she did make it out.
Her mind could only think of the possible plans a child could create with little knowledge of her surroundings. She merely relied on her pure gut when it was time, and she thanked the heavens once her feet touched the outside grounds.
And here she was now.
Running for her life with no sense of direction, but grasping as much freedom as she can nonetheless. Even if it was for a mere ten minutes, freedom never tasted so good!
Was she brave, or just utterly stupid? She guess the answers would reveal itself if she makes it out alive or not.
Her foot caught a fallen Branch, and she was sent tumbling down a steep hill. She couldn't tell whether she was still rolling or not because everything was still spinning.
Many cuts and bruises sat on her skin. Her arm's and legs sprawled out against the ground. She squeezed her eyes shut completely, small groans and whimpers echoing into the night at the intense pain in her head. A small voice screamed in her mind for her to get up and keep going but she couldn't. Her body wouldn't let her. Every muscles throbbed with new found pain. If she was to stand, she would collapse on the spot.
Her nails weakly clawed at the dirt, assuring herself she wasn't dead just yet. Her mind lost within pain, she almost missed the sound of footstep's stepping on leafs nearby. She sobbed softly, a tear rolling down her dirty, bloody face. No..This couldn't be it. Her life couldn't end like this. Not when she made it this far!
A whimper escaped through her bruised lips. "I-I can't..give up.."
A sudden sting in various of places seem to be kicking in at the moment, growing more unbarable to handle. There wasn't anyone around for miles, she realized. Deep inside laid broken pieces of hope in her heart. Another tear made it's way down her face, both sending a small wave of warmth and burning sensation from a gash.
If she could just make it..She could possibly save the lives she sadly left behind.
She didn't know for how long she laid there, but the very moment she opened her eyes, she was staring death in the eye. The pain in her chest increased, concluding she stopped breathing altogether. Her chest screamed for her to breathe but the fear was much stronger.
His demeanor never gave away his true intensions, his true feelings, but his eye's told the complete opposite. That was one thing she loathe about him. He could hide his irascible nature well, fooling all eye's around him.
If she could, she would crawl away from his heated glare. She wanted to cry out, bang her fist deep into the ground in anger. But she just laid there, a weak mess before him.
His body towered over her like a building, sheilding her from the only light given in the dark forest.
The tears was endless as her sobs grew volume.
"Please...No!"
His hand reached to grab a fist full of her ragged shirt, yanking her up to be nose to nose with him. Her feet dangled off the ground. Her hands weakly gripped his wrist, not even fully coming around it.
She blinked hard, endless tears falling down to his very skin. The small droplets gave him this strangely warm feeling that he couldn't shake off, but did ignore as the wind was quick to cool him.
She choked desperately as her air supply was cut off when his hand circled around her neck.