Use Me - Prologue
Summary: She was so useless, holding everyone back when they would do so much better without her there to mess things up even further.
Hello there! Yes, I made another ItaHina fic when I'm still working on the one; but, they need more fics, wouldn't you agree? So please, pet the little plot bunny and give it many cuddles so it continues to grow and distract me into a wonderful... something.
Warning: disturbing imagery
Her breath is coming fast as she hops from one branch to the next.
She was just heading back to Konoha, but she knew if she glanced over her shoulder to see Kiba or Shino she would likely end up meeting Kurenai's gaze as well. Something she didn't want to do right now, given how the mission had gone.
Hinata had messed up, again. While Kiba and Shino, hadn't. Kurenai had only told Kiba to calm down a few times when he was being particularly energetic when their task had called for a much more calm environment. Something she should have been able to do just fine, but... she would just not be getting a completed mission under her belt to add to her ninja sheet today.
She could count how many missions she had completed on one hand, and all except one were the simplest of tasks. While Kiba and Shino continued to build up their record. It was a good thing they weren't judged as a squad for those or they would be in the same position as her... Well, not quite the same position as her. Their parents loved them and cheered them on when it came to their ninja tasks.
Her father spent so much time with Hanabi that she could only hope he wasn't noticing how far she was falling behind in her squad-mates efforts.
Her pace slowed for a second as that thought filled her mind. She knew it wasn't something a genin should think; her trail of thoughts were completely inappropriate, but it just kept up popping into her head. How she could slip so easily in and out of the Hyuuga compound not because she made the conscious effort to remain unseen, but because no one noticed her.
With Hanabi as heiress why would they look at her? The fallen heiress. Who couldn't even complete a C-rank mission. Hopefully the news of her failure didn't travel too fast this time.
Hinata dropped from the trees and onto the road leading into the village, sprinting forward past the open doors. She didn't waste anytime, taking the shortest paths possible to the Compound, eager to get into her room and just hide from everyone. No one bothered her when she was in there, probably because it would take too much effort. Effort they didn't want to waste on her, just to tell her what she already knew.
The moment her feet came in contact with the pebble path in the Compound though she could feel her father's gaze on her and she could feel her own eyes drift to her feet, movement already slowing.
He knew, of course he did. Why else would she be rushing towards her room, but to get away from whatever had gone wrong now.
Still, he didn't say anything, and when she felt the heavy weight of his gaze slide off her she sped up just a tad, now walking at a brisk pace. She almost didn't see the person ahead of her because her gaze was still on her feet. "Watch it." Neiji's voice nearly slid into her like a knife. "Aren't you home early? I thought you had a mission." After practically spitting at her for getting in his way Neiji walked past her.
She wished her cousin would just pretend she didn't exist - like her father - instead of commenting on the obvious.
Hinata held her breath when a sob tried to slide it's way up her throat, almost breaking out into a run once again as she hurried down the path to the screen door leading into her room. She tugged it open with one hand, closing it swiftly behind her as she could feel her eyes stinging now. They had to be bright red, even though she hadn't even cried yet. But she could feel her chest heaving beneath her as she slid down to the floor, her legs collapsing beneath her seconds after she had entered the room.
With a muffled sob against the wood floor she crawled over to her futon, rolling onto it to bury her face into the pillow. It was now that she let the tears slide down her cheeks as she gasped against the pillow, muffling her voice.
It was pathetic. This whole situation was pathetic. She was pathetic.
She had been heiress to the clan years ago, but they had been taken away from her by her own sister, because Hanabi was more suited to the role. Her grandfather had pointed it out just the day before she lost her title, saying Hanabi should have been born first so they hadn't wasted time trying to train her for the position. And it was because she lost that fight that her father hardly ever spoke to her now.
He spent every waking moment with her sister when he wasn't taking care of clan duties. All those things she should have been helping with. If she weren't so useless.
Her squad would have access to missions more befitting of their status if she wasn't in it. She kept dragging them down, slowing their process as ninja. The chunin exams were approaching soon and Hinata believed Kiba and Shino could make it, but they needed her to enter with them as well or else they couldn't go. If she did enter then... she could screw up this opportunity for them.
Not that they would get angry at her for saying she wasn't ready, but... that was just worse. Even if they cheered her on in various ways she didn't deserve it for all the trouble she has created for them.
Which wasn't even including her sensei, Kurenai. The jounin that her father had asked to train her so many years ago. So that maybe she would make some progress. But had she really gotten anywhere? Yes, she was genin now, but she would likely stay one for the rest of her life.
Completing only D-rank missions - and only half of those given to her, if that - would hardly benefit the village. She was a waste of resources for them. Every single person she came across... she could barely ever do something right. So why was she even here? If she knows al of that then... shouldn't she just leave? Not that anyone would notice she was gone.
Her squad could get a new better teammate that didn't screw up like her. Kurenai could teach a genin actually worthy of the name, and her clan... they could keep living as if Hanabi was her father's first child.
She slowly sat up, rubbing at her eyes and glancing to the screen door that would lead outside. Her room was now bathed in darkness. It would seem she had been in here for a few hours now, not that anyone had come and knocked on the door that was facing the hallway. Dinner time had probably already passed.
Everyone should be asleep then. No one would see her go.
Hinata pressed a hand to her damp pillow, sighing softly as to not put too much pressure on her throat. How red were her eyes now? Should she even bother trying to hide the fact that she had been crying if one of her clan did see her going outside? Not that they would follow. She could just be going to the training field, for all they knew. Not that she could ever recall it helping her.
Yes. She should just go. No one was going to stop her, but she should still keep to the shadows just in case.
Hinata stood up, brushing the tears off her cheeks with her hands before she walked over to the screen door, slipping it open to step outside before sliding it closed behind her. This would be better for everyone, she was sure of it. This would benefit everyone.
With a sharp intake of breath she took off, jumping over the compound wall and running through the alleyways she had used earlier that day to go towards the entrance to Konoha. She wouldn't use that though, ninja were stationed near the entrance at all times, cataloging who went in and out of the village.
So she picked a spot a few meters behind that very station and climbed up the wall before throwing herself over and into one of the trees. The moment her shoes hit the bark she took off, pushing herself to go even faster.
The moon was dark as she moved through the tree tops, the dark green of the leaves blurring all around her. She felt like a bird, flying through the forest, looking out for the two statues that would tell her when she had come to the edge of the Fire Country.
She wasn't sure where she would go when she crossed over, but she would figure it out later. As heiress she had learned a few things that someone might be interested in, and she could be useful to them.
Although... she stopped for a moment, reaching up to grab the headband secured around her neck. She wouldn't need this wherever she was going, especially since she was leaving. Honestly, she should have gotten rid of it sooner, but she might as well do that now.
She wasn't too far from the village still, but she doubted anyone would find it within a few hours. Really she just needed to cross the boarder before then, before anyone realized what it meant.
Hinata undid the knot at the back, slipping the headband from her neck and letting it fall through her fingers to the forest floor below. Before it even hit the pile of leaves she resumed her running, pushing herself even further.
She let her chakra run rampant through her body, pushing herself until she was going as fast as she could possibly go, and then keeping that break-neck pace.
Each breath of air was hurting as the sky began to grow lighter. The sun was rising, but she could hear the rush of water ahead of her. A loud chorus that slammed into the rocks below. She didn't have to look to know that a statue was situated on either side of the waterfall, standing guard over the border.
She wasn't sure she had the energy to spend looking at the statues. What she needed to do was cross the river; and then she could rest.
Hinata focused her chakra to her feet so she could dash over the surface of the water, her vision growing darker with each step. Her whole body was beginning to hurt as her chakra began to drain from the rest of her body, leaving her muscles aching. But even when her foot landed on the smooth stones next to the river she continued to run forward, getting further and further from the border until her vision faded to black and she didn't even feel her body hit the dirt beneath her.
She feels heavy, like her body is sinking into the earth, past the layers of dirt and into the mushy mud beneath. When her fingers twitch though they aren't encountered with a thick slime, but something soft to the touch, dipping down when she presses her fingers against the surface.
It's with a groan that she opens her eyes, shutting them again within the next second. Her entire body seems to be aching, her muscles practically screaming at her as she regains consciousness.
After a moment though she forces her eyes back open. She recalled being in a forest when she collapsed, not a room, not laying on top of a bed, and she especially didn't recall the figure that had been sitting on the chair, looking at her.
Hinata's breath nearly stopped when her white eyes met red ones, three black tomoe resting within the iris. Only two people possessed those eyes, and she couldn't think of any reason why Sasuke would be here. As her gaze moved over the man, she could feel a cold shiver run down her spine, but... Just what was Itachi Uchiha doing here? Why was she in a room of an inn in the first place?
He still wasn't saying a word, just staring back at her...
Her skin seemed to be growing colder from his heated gaze. Just why... Why was he here? why was she here? What was going to happen to her? Was he expecting her to say something? To know why she was here?
With her heart beating faster every passing second, struggling to get a breath of air in she launched herself from the bed, landing on the floor with her knees curled into her stomach, forehead pressed to the hard wood. A flare of pain is racing out from every cell in her body, but she ignores it, raising her voice as much as she can manage to plead, "Pl-please, use m-me. I'll d-do anything you-u want, s-so please-se," her voice is cracking even more than usual, as her throat feels raw; like it's been awhile since she's used her voice.
The door opens before Itachi can reply - if he had even planned to - and she hears a voice that sounds like a growl. It would remind her of Kiba if it wasn't so deep. "Anything? Well, isn't that promising for the future. In a few years an offer like that might actually be in demand." Or if the words weren't said in such a suggestive way.
Her gaze flickers to the other man that has entered the room, having closed the door behind him after coming in. Hinata's eyes widen even further at the blue tone to his skin and... were those gills on his neck? He was wearing the same flowing black robe as Itachi, with the red clouds highlighted in white. So he had to be another member of the Akatsuki.
She moved her gaze back to Itachi quickly, about to speak when his own voice made her go silent. "We're here for your head. You ran away from the Hidden Leaf Village two days ago and a member of your clan asked us - the Akatsuki - to hunt you down and bring back proof of your death. Do you understand your situation now?"
For a moment she couldn't speak. She had expected to never be welcome back in the village again after she ran away, fleeing the Fire Country, but she hadn't expected for her own clan to put a hit out on her. Which one of them had done it? No, no, that didn't matter. As long as it wasn't her father - and she refused to believe he was capable of doing this - she didn't care. It was perfectly clear why the Akatsuki had been contacted, as they were a criminal organization that dealt with swift and silent assassinations for a pretty penny. How much money had been offered?
Hinata shook her head swiftly. No, that was something else she shouldn't concern herself with. Her clan could be only after one thing if they - one of them - had sent the Akatsuki after her; her eyes. She wanted to believe they would leave her alone after anything, but evidently they didn't think she would be able to keep the secrets of the byakugan to herself if she were captured or... a number of things. The sad thing was, they were probably right. With her mediocre skills she couldn't run from any interested parties for very long once they knew about her leaving the safety of the village.
She could feel tears stinging at the corners of her eyes once again, in what felt like hours, but she knew it had really been days since she had cried in her room. Itachi had just said as much when he told her why they were here, answering any questions she may have had.
But... she didn't want to die. She had left to be of use to someone, that wasn't her clan or village. Someone that could find a use for her...
Hinata swallowed hard, trying to soothe her throat so her stutter wasn't so bad when she spoke this time, "D-dont. Please don't k-kill me. I can be us-useful to you! I pr-promise! I'll do whatever you w-want! J-just don't kill me! Whoever it was that ask-asked you to kill me is just w-worried about the eyes falling into the hands of K-kumo! That's a-all they're worried about! So please just use me!"
Her words are met with silence and after a minute of silence she slowly raises her head to look up at Itachi and the blue-skinned man. The beating of her heart is filling her ears though, as they continue to just look down at her. As if expecting her to start screaming again, to continue begging for her life in the only way she knows how.
"Should I just slit her throat now? Before anyone comes to see what all that screaming was about?" Her eyes widen, realizing her mistake too late as she stares at the blue-skinned man. She shouldn't have yelled, but how was she suppose to keep quite when they were here to kill her?
A whimper slipped past her lips and she directed her gaze back to the floorboards. This was it. She had run from everything just to die here. Hinata squeezed her eyes shut, sure that huge sword on the man's back would be cutting through her neck in any second.
"Wait, Kisame." Her whole body stilled when she heard Itachi speak. Was her head going to stay attached to her shoulders? She could hear the Uchiha get up from the chair, moving closer until she heard his voice again, "Look at me." After a second had passed she slowly lifted her head, to see him squatting on the ground in front of her. His fingers raised from his side then, hovering right under her eyes, too close for comfort. "If you scream I have no use for you. Understood?"
Her eyes widened. What? "You... you are going to use me?" she murmured, staring back into his own eyes.
"If you don't scream," he repeated and then the tomoe in his eyes began spinning and she couldn't find the strength in her to look away.
Outwardly nothing changed, she was still in the room at the inn, but she could feel the charge of chakra in the air. She knew he had just drawn her into a genjutsu. That it wouldn't benefit her to struggle within it. He had said he would use her after all, the only thing she had to do was not scream.
Hinata opened her mouth to ask what he meant by such a request when his fingers raised up and she see them drawing closer to her left eye. She immediately clamped her mouth shut as those fingers extended, sliding right into the socket along her eye, forcing it's way in as she felt it brush up along the bone in her skull. Her skin was tearing, but she bit down on her tongue to keep the scream down as he pressed further into the flesh.
A hardened form of chakra cut away at the optic nerve holding her eye in the socket with a twist of his fingers. It sent a jolt of pain coursing throughout her head, before it began to resonate in her skull, pounding over and over again as he closed his fingers around the eye.
Her stomach flipped as she felt him draw her eye out, holding it in the palm of his hand, before he went to extract the other one as well. She kept her lips closed firmly, trying to close the muscles along her throat so not even a whimper would slip out.
It's not real. It's not real.
It's not real.