Genre: Action/Angst/Drama/Romance
Pairings: Eventual NaruHina, SasuSaku, NejiTen, ShikaTem, ShikaIno, possibly others.
Summary: During the 3-year time skip, when the Chuunin exams are held for the second time, the lives of the Konoha Genin, especially that of Hyuuga Neji, are thrown into disarray by the appearance of a girl with luminous white eyes, carrying the name of Hyuuga Suzuki. Exactly WHO is Suzuki, and how will the Konoha gang, especially Neji and Hinata, deal with the seething hatred she holds for the very clan from which she takes her name?
Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own Naruto, so stop your whining. If I owned Naruto, Sasuke wouldn't be such a dick to Sakura, Neji would be mine, and Naruto would notice that Hinata's nuts about him.
Ghost-White Eyes: Prologue
Konohagakure no Sato, 11 years ago
His footsteps pounded against the limbs as he fled through the trees as silently and as quickly as he could. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he reached a hand to his side, grimacing as it came back stained with vermilion. He swore silently under his breath, frowning as he felt his strength ebbing away slightly with the slow but steady trickle of crimson that oozed from the deep wound beneath his ribs.
Dammit, looks like it nicked an artery. It's bleeding badly, I don't have much time.
He trained his eyes ahead, on the rain-soaked tree-branches and trunks that rushed past, molding chakra to his feet to keep a grip on the slippery wood. He couldn't fail. Not this time. There was too much at stake, too many lives that would be altered forever if what he carried fell into the wrong hands. He reached one hand into the inner pocket of his black vest, feeling for the scroll that was hidden. He sighed in relief to find it still there. Landing on a tree branch, the dark-haired man leaned against the trunk, breathing hard. The side of his vest was stained red, and the water from the rain had mingled with the blood, leaving a trail of red down the side of his leg. He grimaced, holding one hand over the wound.
There's no time to do anything about it. And it's too deep. I'm losing too much blood.
He wiped dripping bangs from his eyes, blinking to clear his vision. Glancing behind him, he concentrated his chakra and stretched it out, sensing for his pursuers. He hissed angrily at what he felt. They were still there, all right. Six of them in all, all moving at a quick pace. He wiped his forehead, hitai-ate scratched from the impact with branches, before leaping off of the tree branch and continuing on, picking up his pace. As he ran, he half-turned and tossed a flurry of kunai behind, explosive tags attached to the ends.
Maybe that will slow them down? Probably not, but it can't hurt. Almost there…. I have to get this scroll to her. It's her only hope to get beyond her destiny.
His eyes watered slightly at the thought of the wife and child he would leave behind. It wasn't really a question in his mind that he wouldn't survive his self-imposed mission. He was no medical specialist, but he had seen enough wounds to know that he was bleeding to death as he ran. And even if he didn't die from the loss of the life-giving fluid, when his pursuers caught up with him they would invariably kill him. And the death that came from their hands, while certainly swifter in it's deliverance, would be far less gentle then the slow loss of consciousness that clawed at his heels. Reaching the edge of the forest, he dropped to the ground and ran, ignoring the explosions that echoed behind him and told him that his pursuers had reached the exploding tags he set for them. Up ahead he could make out the outline of a small house with a light burning.
Please, please don't see me! They can't know about you. If they do…if they saw you….
He stumbled as he landed; narrowly dodging a flurry of shuriken flung his way. He spun, coughing up blood as an open-palm strike landed in the center of his chest.
Dammit, he got me good with that one. Not that it really matters, as much blood as I've lost. But still…. they're not going to get it so easily.
The battered man stood his ground as the six figures dashed out of the trees to ring themselves loosely in a circle around him, effectively blocking him from moving anywhere. One of them stepped forward, eyes narrowing.
"Ochiba(1). That which you have taken does not belong to you. Return the scroll to us at once, accept your fate, and we may spare your life. Do not, and you will die here today."
Another of them stepped foreword, this one a woman. She brushed her long braid over her shoulder and clasped her hands in front of her, a pleading look in her eyes.
"Ochiba-kun, please listen to them. They WILL kill you if you resist. Now just hand over the scroll and come back with us. I'm asking you as a sister, please. Don't do this."
He looked into the woman's eyes, the same as his own eyes, which were starting to cloud over. He wobbled slightly on his feet, the blood loss finally beginning to take it's hold as was evidenced by the puddle that had collected at his feet, the blood mingling with the torrential rain and winding along the ground in thin trails as it mixed with the runoff from the grass. He sighed, shakily assuming a taijutsu stance and shaking his head.
"You know I can't do that, Hotarubi(2). This is something that I have to do, no matter what the outcome is. There are those who need this information more then you do."
The woman's lower lip trembled as she lowered her hands, fisting them by her sides. She bit her lip, obviously trying hard not to cry. One of the other members of the six shot her a stern glance.
"Hotarubi-san, now is not the time for foolish emotions. We must complete this mission, for the good of the clan as well as for the safety and security of Konoha. That scroll must not fall into anyone's hands. Do not worry. I will kill him, and spare you having your older brother's blood on your hands."
The man who had spoken stepped in front of her, taking a similar fighting stance. He narrowed his eyes at Ochiba's swaying figure.
"Ochiba-san, this is the last time I will ask you to return what is mine and offer you the chance to end this without the loss of your life."
Ochiba shook his head. He was through with running away, with giving in and deferring to those who claimed dominion over him. Steadying his stance, he gave a weak smirk. He was dying, that much was obvious to him. But even if he was to die, at the very least he wanted to die in his own way, by his own choice. Not because someone else willed it.
"No. I refuse to yield to you. Even if it means my death, I will not submit."
The other man nodded slightly.
"That is what I expected you to say. Very well. Goodbye Ochiba-san."
In the small house on the hill, a lone female figure crouched huddled in a corner, clutching a small child to her. Her long chestnut hair fell around her face, shielding violet-hued eyes that brimmed with tears threatening to join the ones already sliding down her cheeks in thin rivulets. She shuddered as she heard the sounds of clanging steel outside, clutching a dark-haired child closer to her chest and trying to shut out the sounds. The child struggled, trying to get free of the restraining arms that bound her.
"Okaa-san, Otou-san is in trouble, we need to go help him! Okaa-san! Let me go, let me go! I have to help Otou-san!
The woman let out a choked sob and only held the child tighter. Her petite frame shuddered with the sobs she was struggling to withhold as she shook her head.
"No, you can't! If they find us…if they know about you…. then everything your father worked and fought for would be destroyed!
The child however, didn't understand her mother's tears. And how could she? She still belonged to the world of childish dreams and hopes, where good triumphed over evil and justice held that good men and women were rewarded while bad ones were punished. In that world, there was no understanding of insurmountable odds, no comprehension of the fact that, as a three-year old child the small girl would be no match at all for the opponents she so desperately wanted to face. And so neither was there the self-control to stay quiet when the sounds of battle gave way to the tortured screams of the man in the clearing. Her eyes widened, filling with tears as she struggled harder against her mother's arms, fighting to free herself and run to the father she adored.
"Otou-san, Otou-san, Otou-san!"
There was a final tortured scream from outside, then silence. Outside, the man who had spoken eyed the body on the ground in front of him. He shook his head slightly and stepped forward, searching the pockets of the now-dead man. He stood up again, hand gripping a black scroll edged in a silvery-gray colour and sealed with a red cord. He turned to his companions and nodded. They vanished into the forest, leaving the prone form behind. In the house, the girl's eyes widened as her mother broke down into sobs, arms wrapped around her daughter with a vise-like tightness. Even a child of only three could understand what that last scream, combined with her mother's reaction, had meant. A scream echoed through the house, thankfully unheard by those across the clearing.
"OTOU-SAN!"
Present-DayEyes opened, taking in the ceiling above them. It was the same ceiling they saw every morning, with the same patterns of cracks and inconsistencies. A hand reached up and brushed dark hair out of the same eyes, slipping back to massage the temples of the figure on the bed. The eyes trailed across the room to the calendar on the wall, a date circled in red. Carefully, the Genin counted the red X-marks that counted up to 8 days before the circled date.
Eight days….
Hands gently caressed the outside of a faded and tattered scroll. The figure looked at the calendar again, eyes narrowing slightly.
Eight days until I can finally begin to avenge you.
Carefully placing the scroll in a locked drawer, the figure stood and headed out of the room, grabbing an onigiri from the kitchen table and stuffing it in their mouth, door slamming behind.
Chapter One Preview – It's been nearly 2 years since Sasuke and Naruto left, and the remainder of the Konoha Genin are anxiously awaiting the upcoming Chuunin exams. Just like the last time, ninja from many other villages will be gathering with them to test their skill and show their pride in their country. While the majority of the Rookie-9 prepare themselves for the exam, Haruno Sakura wrestles with her own fears and reluctance to face the memories she has of the previous abortive Chuunin exam. Will she be able to overcome her memories and move forward to become stronger or will she remain forever trapped by the memories of Sasuke and the war with Suna and Oto that led to the fracturing of her safe and secure world?
Author's Notes:
1. Ochiba means "fallen leaves"
2. Hotarubi means "firefly's fire/light"
Before you go complaining about how we don't know who Ochiba or Hotarubi are, that's part of the plot. You'll find out who they are eventually.
Please read and review, you KNOW the little purple button wants you to push it...