Rated T for language, even though I toned it down best as I could :P
It was just another normal day in the Hyuga household. Hanabi was idly flipping through the channels on the television, for lack of anything better to do. Hinata was in the kitchen, humming to herself as she diced vegetables for their lunch, their maid having taken sick leave. Neji was at the local supermarket, picking up some groceries. It was just the three of them in their part of the Hyuga compound; Hiashi had left the village to attend to some urgent business.
"Hinataaaaa..." sighed Hanabi, groaning as she flopped sideways on the couch, her blue-black hair spilling over the armrest.
"Yes?" she called, still focusing on the knife in her hands, a blur of shiny silver.
"I'm booored," she whined, staring at the screen of the brand new LCD, letting the remote fall through her fingers to the floor.
"Then come here and help me with lunch."
Hanabi stared at her sister, wondering if spending so much time with the Uzumaki kid had given her brain damage, before she deadpanned, "I'll pass, thanks."
Hinata smiled slightly. At least she'd tried.
"Well, what's on the T.V.?"
"News," she groaned, "Boring, boring news."
"About what?" she asked. Maybe if she kept Hanabi talking, the younger girl would get tired and slink off to her room.
"Some guy's holding up the local supermarket. He has a gun and stuff."
Hinata's eyes widened, "What?!"
She dropped the knife on the counter, rushing over, "Which market? What's going on? How many gunmen? Are there hostages?"
"Geez, don't get your knickers in a twist," said Hanabi, rolling her eyes, "It's not like anyone we know is in there. Besides, what could you possibly do?"
Hinata ignored Hanabi, staring at the T.V. screen, her hand held up to her mouth, lavender-white eyes wide with panic. The woman reporter was standing in front of the market, talking continuously as she gestured to the fleet of police cars that surrounded the building.
"It seems that there are two men inside the building, both armed with guns," she said severely, "From what we know, they currently hold a group of twenty-one people hostage. Two gunshots were heard earlier, but as of now we cannot tell if anyone has been wounded. Their purpose is unknown."
Hinata blinked as the woman continued to speak. Her brain seemed to slow down; she could not seem to process anything that the reporter said. Hanabi's words drifted back into her sluggish mind.
It's not like anyone we know is in there.
Neji.
"Hanabi," Hinata said, in barely a whisper. Her sister looked up, raising an eyebrow.
"Hmm?"
"Stay here and finish up in the kitchen, okay? I'm um... I'm going to take a walk."
Hanabi frowned, "What, one minute you're chopping vegetables, and the next you suddenly decide to take an afternoon stroll? Hell, I'm not going to -"
"Just do it, okay?" she snapped, causing her younger sister to recoil. Hinata never snapped. Something was wrong.
"Is everything...okay?" Hanabi asked tentatively, now sitting up.
Hinata nodded, looking stiff, "Yeah, I'm just...feeling unwell. From being stuck in the house all day. I'll go get some fresh air. Do the vegetables, okay?"
"Fine," she shrugged, staring back at the T.V. She may have been younger, but she was intuitive enough to know when to stop asking questions.
Hinata walked out of the house sliding the door shut behind her as she shrugged her jacket on. The moment she got out, she checked to see that she wasn't being watched, then mounted her bicycle, pedaling like crazy onto the road and in the direction of the supermarket.
Is Neji in there, as a hostage? What if he's the one that got shot? What am I going to do? What if he's really badly injured, and the gunmen won't let him get medical help? What if-
She kept pedaling, feeling the burn in her thighs and calves. Her heart was pounding in her chest, not from exertion, but from terror at the thought that something could have happened to her cousin.
Please let him be okay. Please, please, please, please, plea-
Her train of frantic thought was interrupted as a loud horn sounded a few feet away. Her head snapped up, and her eyes widened in horror at the sight of the blinding headlights of the truck. With a shriek, she swerved sharply to the left, crashing into a cluster of bushes just as the truck drove past.
She whimpered as she sat up, feeling the scratches along her arms and face sting. Slowly, she stood, and picked up her bike. With dismay, she noted the handle had broken. She sighed. How on earth would she get to the market.
She walked towards the road, looking around as the cars sped past. She held out her hand, signalling, hoping for a lift. She knew her father would have a heart attack if he saw her waving to random cars like a street urchin.
She watched as the vehicles sped by, none of which acknowledged her. She sighed, leaning back against a tree and covered her face with a hand. What did her position and background matter on the streets of Tokyo?
"What's a pretty girl like you doing out here all alone?"
Her eyes flew open. She hadn't noticed the man stop by her on his fancy motorcycle. He looked around twenty-two and was, in Hinata's opinion, pretty handsome. He had short, silver slicked back hair and violet eyes, and wore an open leather jacket to reveal his bare toned chest, and faded blue jeans. He was also wearing some sort of rosary, which surprised her. He didn't seem like the religious type.
She stared, "Y-You'll help me?"
He smirked flirtatiously, "If you'll let me."
"Oh, thank god," she said, hopping onto the back of the bike.
He raised an eyebrow, "Wow, usually it takes me a little longer to get the girls to climb on."
"To the Ayuzawa market," she said, "Please hurry."
He turned to look at her, his expression incredulous, "What the fuck? Hey, listen, I ain't your fucking taxi -"
"Hurry!" she shrieked, wrapping her arms tightly around his torso, "Please!"
He stared at her for a second, raising an eyebrow at the desperation in her voice, then rolled his eyes, "All right, all right. Don't get your panties in a knot."
As they sped away, her face turning pink at his crass words, she couldn't help but wonder what her father would say.
"We're here," he said, rolling his eyes as he stopped in front of the market.
She got off the bike slowly, blushing, "T-Thank you...Do I pay you?"
He stared at her incredulously, before giving her a tight-lipped smile, "Nope. Just doing the lady a favor. I'm Hidan, by the way."
"H-Hinata Hyuga," she said, "Pleasure to meet you."
"Pleasure to meet you too, though not exactly the pleasure I had in mind," He turned to look at the fleet of police cars and reporter vans that surrounded the market, ignoring Hinata's now crimson face.
"Hey, Munchkin, I don't think you'll be doing much shopping here," he noted, glancing back at her.
"I'm not here to s-shop," she mumbled, looking away.
He raised an eyebrow, "No shit? Are you a part of the group that's holing up the damned place?"
She shook her head, "M-My brother's in there. I wanted to see if he's alright."
"Hm? And how are you going to do that? These motherfuckers ain't going to let you in, that's for sure."
She squeaked slightly at his swearing, "I-I don't know. I need to see if he's alright."
A grin slowly spread across his face, "So, what you're saying is, you need to bust in there."
She bit her lip, but nodded.
He cackled, "Then why the fuck didn't you say so?"
He turned off his bike, walking away, "Come on, Munchkin!"
She nodded, hastily following.
"What are we doing?" she asked, as Hidan lead her to the back door, where lesser police cars were parked, milling around, tense.
"Just go with it, okay?" he said, before dragging her roughly towards the door by her arm, causing her to yelp in pain.
"H-Hidan-san," she whimpered, "Y-You're - "
"OI!" roared one policeman through a megaphone, as the others turned to Hidan, their guns at hand, "You can't go in there! An let that girl go!"
"Oh, yeah?" he taunted, pulling out a gun and pointing it at Hinata's neck, "What makes you think I can't go in there? You know who the fuck this chick is? What do you say to me separating her body from her head, eh?"
The policeman's eyes widened in horror.
"Sir, you have fourteen guns aimed at you! Leave that girl alone! Her status doesn't matter here! Do not take an innocent life!"
Hidan cackled, while Hinata shivered at the feeling of the cool metal against her neck.
"Oh, yeah? Her status doesn't matter? She's a fucking Hyuga, you dumbass! Now how about you let me in there, eh? Even if you do shoot me, it won't be before I spatter her blue blood all across the pavement."
The policeman hesitated, his gun still aimed at Hidan. The silver haired man rolled his eyes.
"What, you think I'm bluffing, asshole? You think this gun's filled with fucking blanks, man? Shall I fucking prove it to you?"
"No!" said a policewoman, eyes wide, "No. You can go inside."
The policeman looked at her, "Hatsuki-san, what are you - "
"Masaru-san, that man is holding the daughter of Hiashi Hyuga hostage. I suggest we just let him In. She is only his ticket into the market, nothing more. If he had a personal grudge against her, he would've killed her a while ago. But, at the same time, he won't hesitate to shoot her now," she answered tersely, lowering her gun but not taking her eyes off Hidan.
"Oh, you're good," grinned Hidan,"But I'll be going now. Come on, kid."
He dragged Hinata to the door, his gun still leveled at her neck, pushing it open with his back and taking a couple of steps backwards before kicking it shut again. He let her go, but didn't put away the gun. She stared in horror at the way he carried the firearm with such ease.
"Y-You were carrying a gun?" she whispered finally, "W-What...What was wrong with doing things p-peacefully?"
He shrugged, "Don't doubt my methods, kid. You wanted to get in, and I got you in. Problem?"
Her eyed widened, "B-But couldn't we have just t-talked to someone?"
He stared at her skeptically, twirling the gun expertly, "Do you really think they would have let you in by just asking?"
She swallowed, and looked around. The lights were mostly off, except for a couple of flickering tubelights near the Breakfast foods section. The whole place looked deserted, but in the silence, they could hear faint voices. She looked up at him with a sigh, "I suppose not...Thank you."
"No problem," said Hidan, "Now shall we go find that brother of yours?"
She nodded, and the two began to walk towards the voices, through the silent market.
Neji Hyuga glared at the man that had a gun leveled at his forehead, never once flinching.
"You people are idiots," he said bluntly, looking between the two gunmen. The first one snarled.
"Oh, yeah, Hyuga? And who's the one with the gun?"
"The fact that you posses a firearm does not affect your being an idiot," he said, "Sooner or later, help will come, and you will both be thrown into prison. It is your destiny."
"Destiny?" cackled the second man, "Who gives a shit about destiny? Your destiny -"
He waved his gun around dangerously, gesturing to the crowd of twenty one people, all of whom shrunk back, except for Neji.
"- is that you're all gonna die, if you don't listen to me."
"P-Please," sobbed a woman, arms wrapped around her stomach, "I'm p-pregnant..."
"You think I care?" demanded the gunman.
"What do you want?" asked a young man who had his arm around the pregnant woman, in an attempt to console her.
The gunmen both paused, frowning slightly.
"We...we're not - " began the first, uncertainly.
"We're following orders of our boss," interrupted the second.
"Future boss," corrected the first.
"So...holding up this market is like an interview to get into some criminal organisation?" asked Neji, raising an eyebrow.
The first gunman smirked, "You're a smart kid. I almost - "
He stopped, frowning, "...Did you hear that?"
His partner paused, "Hear what?"
"This, you son of a bitch," called a voice.
The second man whipped around, just as a gunshot echoed through the air, causing the hostages to shriek and huddle together.
The gunman stared down at the patch of crimson that blossomed on the front of his shirt, before falling to the floor with a crash.
All the heads swiveled to the silver haired man who cradled a gun in the crook of his arm.
"Y-You shot him!" shrieked a voice from behind him.
He turned, and shrugged, "Munchkin, the bastard was going to shoot somebody, and we came here to get your brother, so I was just taking a necessary precaution."
He turned to face the hostages, smirking, "The name's Hidan. Pleasure to meet you all. This lovely lady here is my partner-in-crime, Hinata."
Neji's eyes widened in horror, and he stood up, looking at her strangely.
"Hinata?!"
The girl stepped forward and took one look at him, before she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she sobbed into his chest, "N-Nii san...I-I though y-you were dead..."
He stared down at his little sister, before sighing and returning the hug.
"No, I'm fine. But what are you doing here? What would Hiashi-sama say to see you in the company of a common hooligan? How - "
"Hey," snapped Hidan, "I resent that."
"Well, this is all very touching," snarled the remaining gunman, who had been bent over his partner's dead form. He leveled his gun at Hidan's head, "But I'm afraid I'm going to have to kill you now."
Hidan rolled his eyes, "Oh, for the love of Jashin, would you just shut the fuck up before I shoot you?"
The man's eyes bulged, "You dare - "
The hostages shrieked as another bullet shot through the air with a loud bang, embedding itself in the man's shoulder.
"What is wrong with you?!" cried one man, glaring at Hidan.
He shrugged, "The guy was pissing me off."
"You're a monster!" exclaimed another.
"Fuck you," snapped Hidan irritably, "I just saved your fucking life. How about a little gratitude?"
"H-Hidan-san," mumbled Hinata, "Shooting them wasn't really necessary."
"No?" he asked, stroking his chin, "Well, not my loss anyhow. Jashin-sama will be pleased."
He turned back to the hostages.
"Alright, I want all the women and kids to stand up," he called, and they shakily followed his orders, looking around fearfully.
Neji noticed his eyes roving over them, and stepped forward, eyes narrowing in fury. Before he could say or do anything, Hinata pulled him back by the arm, shaking her head, "It's okay. He won't hurt them."
"Well, I think I've got myself a decent sacrifice here," he murmured, almost to himself, "Alright, all of you, get out of here. The door's that way."
They stared, blinking. Neji included.
"...What?" one teenager finally asked.
"Didn't you hear me?" he asked, rolling his eyes, "Get out. Oh, and leave your purses or whatever. I'm running low on cash, and I'll need new clothes after my ritual. You can keep all the cards, though. Too much of a hassle."
The teenager opened her mouth to speak, when Hinata mumbled, "J-Just...do as he says."
All of the quietly took out their purses and wallets, pulling out only their identification, leaving everything else. They then headed towards the exit, slowly at first, before most of them broke into a run.
Hinata stood, watching them leave, before sighing, turning to Neji to find him watching her, a slight frown on his face.
"Hinata, go with them."
She shook her head, "I...I think I should stay... I'm obligated to..."
Hidan grinned, "Quite the partner I've got here."
Neji opened his mouth to speak, but Hinata shook her head again. She would answer his questions later.
Hidan turned to the remaining men, nine people who eyed him warily.
"Alright, ladies, let's see what we've got here..."
The blue haired woman stared at the contemplatively at the laptop screen, frowning slightly.
"Something's happened," she said finally, turning to her orange haired partner.
He walked towards her, looking at the screen over her shoulder, "What happened?"
"One candidate is dead, the other is injured," she said, "Another gunman has appeared on the scene. Half the hostages have been freed. He took their money before they left."
The man took her seat as she stood up, staring at the scene.
"...Do you want me to exterminate him?" she asked. He looked at the scene, at the man who looked so arrogant as he waved his gun around.
"...No," he said, "Let's see how this pans out."
"You," said Hidan, gesturing to six men in general, "You guys don't look like you have much on you. I'm guessing you don't earn much either. Yeah, I'm pretty sure. Leave your wallets, get out."
The six of them acted quickly, dropping their belongings and scampering out.
Hinata looked at him, "Hidan-san...What are you doing?"
"Hold up, Munchkin," he said, eyeing the remaining three, "These motherfuckers look like real sinners, don't they?"
"I-I can't tell..." she mumbled, as Neji's grip around her shoulders tightened.
"Yep, they definitely are," he nodded, "Look at those suits, the watches. Now I'm going to need new clothes after my ritual, so all three of you, I'll need you to give me yours suits, your watches and your wallets. Everything."
"What?!" asked one man, "Why were the others let go so - "
"Just thank Jashin-sama I'm not blowing your brains out, you bastard," he said, rolling his eyes.
Hinata frowned slightly, unsure what Hidan meant by the constant references to a ritual and Jashin-sama.
"I don't give a damn as to who this Jashin - " one man began, just as a bullet whizzed through the air, embedding itself in his stomach. He stared down at his abdomen, his eyes wide. Hinata shrieked as the man then collapsed to the ground clutching his stomach. Neji pulled her protectively behind him, pulling her face to his chest, as he watched the man shudder on the ground for a few seconds before going still.
"No one," said Hidan, his voice now steely, "And I mean no one...insults Jashin-sama."
He turned his icy glare upon the two other men, "Any questions? I can't use this asshole's clothes anymore, but I suppose he'll be a good sacrifice..."
The two men looked at each other, before simultaneously proceeding to strip down to their boxers, laying their expensive suits, watches and stuffed wallets on the floor.
Hidan smirked, "Good. Now scram."
The men were out of the market before Hidan had the time to change his mind.
Hinata pulled away from Neji to look at him, her eyes full of tears,"Hidan-san! Why-"
"Don't, Munchkin. Some things just need to be done. The man was a real shit anyway, right down to his core."
"What do you mean when you talk of rituals?" Neji broke in, before Hinata could protest again. He wasn't taking any chances when it came to his cousin. He may agree with Hidan about the dead man being 'a shit' but that doesn't mean he agreed with his means of dealing with people like that.
The silver haired man turned to him, and shrugged, "I perform a sacrifice in the name of Jashin-sama. It's a religious thing. Now, you and Munchkin stay here. I'm going to find somewhere I can perform my ritual."
Hidan turned, violet eyes raking the store before spotting the injured gunman who had been slinking away during their exchange. He smirked, cocking his head slightly. He lifted his gun, aiming with ease and fired a shot.
The gunman jerked forward, a vivid spot of red appearing on his back, then dropped like a stone. Hinata whimpered, and Neji clenched his teeth, biting back words. It wouldn't do to antagonize a trigger-happy delinquent with a gun.
Hidan contemplated his last kill, then shrugged, looking bored. He pocketed the gun and bent down, grabbing the dead gunman and the other suit-clad businessman by the collars and began dragging them towards the store rooms.
"Why do we have to stay here?" demanded Neji.
"I need privacy," called Hidan, "If you two leave,the police will storm the place. So stay until I'm done. Help yourself to a beer, make yourselves comfortable."
Neji sighed, leaning against a shelf, while Hinata, after a moment's hesitation, perched herself on a counter, still looking traumatized.
"...How did you get in?" Neji asked finally, looking at his little sister.
She smiled slightly, "Well..."
Hidan winced as he stared at the bloody knife in his hands, pressing one man's now crimson shirt to the wound in his abdomen as he staggered towards the Frozen Foods section, hoping for some ice.
"That hurt..." he whined to himself, pausing and leaning against a shelf. He stopped, frowning as he felt a soft vibration from the pocket of his new pair of dress pants. He pulled his mobile from the pocket, flipping it open and pressing it to his ear.
"What do you want? I'm busy," he barked, not bothering to check the I.D.
"Hidan, of Yugakure," said a silky voice. He narrowed his eyes.
"Who the fuck is this?"
"I have a job offer for you, Hidan. One I think you will not refuse..."
Hinata licked her ice-cream contentedly, now more at ease after coming to terms with the violence she had witnessed earlier, as she finished telling her story.
Neji stared, unblinking, at his little sister, before asking, "You did all this for me?"
"I thought you were injured," she said shyly, "Or dead...So I had to see if you were alright."
He looked at her curiously, before breaking into a warm smile. "Thank you, Hinata."
She blushed slightly, opening her mouth to speak, just as she spotted Hidan staggering towards them. Her eyes widened.
"Hidan-san!"
He winced, realizing how bad he looked, holding a bloodied shirt to his abdomen, while his arms were covered in wounds.
"I'm alright, Munchkin," he shrugged as she took a step forward, her lilac orbs showing her concern, "No need to worry about me. Now you two go through the front door. I'll go through the back."
"There are policemen at the back door," said Neji immediately.
Hidan nodded, "I know...That's been taken care of...By a colleague."
Neji opened his mouth to ask more, before deciding not to, "Come on, Hinata. Let's go."
She turned to Hidan, biting her lip, unsure of what to say.
He shot her a crooked grin, "Go ahead, Hinata. Maybe I'll see you another time, eh?"
She nodded, "Take care, Hidan-san."
The journey from walking out of the market to the hospital was a blur. Hinata could not remember how one moment, there were people yelling that the last hostages had been freed, and the next, she was sitting on a single white cot in the hospital as a doctor examined her for signs of shock or injury. Her father burst in three hours later; having heard what had happened, he had taken the first train back home. Hanabi was with him, and had proceeded to scold Hinata thoroughly for attempting what she did until their father shushed her with a firm look. Neji also strolled in a while later, after getting his own check up done. The four of them went home together that evening, somehow having bonded over the strange experience.
When she woke up the next day, there was a note on her dresser. A small black card, with a red cloud on one side, and the words "Thank you" in white on the other.
Hinata never saw Hidan again.
What did you think?
This was incredibly fun to write :P
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