Time Skip: 1 Year
December 25, 2012
Dear Mother,
I miss you so much! Why did you have to leave? Why couldn't someone else have taken your fate? I feel all alone even when I'm surrounded by my peers. But let's not dwell on that now, shall we? No, we should talk about the current situation.
I'm so sorry I haven't been to the shrine to see you, but I have been helping the Kazekage rebuild the sand village from the after effects of the war with Madara, even though the war didn't reach that far into those lands. The Hokage and the council deemed it a B-rank mission to help the sand village with their low food and resource supplies.
The mission was a huge success! But I think the village elders did this type to mission to further strengthen the alliance between the leaf and the sand village.
But everyone is well, everyone…well, but me it seems.
Oh, I almost forgot, I did it mother! I finally did it. I confessed to Naruto, you know the boy I always spoke to you about. During the battle with Pein, Naruto was having a hard time defending against the akatsuki leader but I managed to help Naruto just a little bit with my very own secret jutsu I had been working on. Right before I was savagely attacked by Pein I was able to confess to Naruto my feelings. I don't remember much after that moment, all I was told was that Naruto transformed after he saw what had happened to me and that everyone had thought I had died after that brutal attack from Pein.
Thankfully and now I think that, unfortunately I had received some sort of medical attention, according to Sakura it had been very a very brief healing session since I was still in a critical condition but that brief encounter stabilized me enough to have survived.
Even after all that though…it seems he only has eyes for Haruno Sakura. He even told me during this very mission that he is only interested in pursuing a relationship with Sakura and that it wouldn't be fair to me because he anly saw me as a very good friend.
I only responded to that with tears in my eyes and a huge lump in me throat, that I wished them both all the happiness and luck in the world. The stuttering was actually very minimal as I spoke to him, to my surprise. But even while and after I told him this, I wondered to myself: 'Why can't he see through this fake mask and smile that I have now? Is he really that clueless or does he refuse to see the real me or the way my heart is breaking?'
Please answer me honestly Mother, but am I destined to be alone always?
Will no one ever see through this mask and smile that hides my true self? It seems that way, doesn't it?
I must stop here but I will tell you more once we arrive to the village.
Good night Mother.
With always much love
Your daughter,
Hyuga Hinata
Hinata's POV
I read the letter once and re-read it one last time, before throwing it in the small fire I had started to prepare some dinner. I looked to the night sky for any sign of acknowledgment from my mother. This has been my weekly ritual since I was a young child. I believed that writing to my mother and then burning the letter so that my mother would be able to receive it. Even now, that I am 18 years old and know better, I can't help it. This seems like the best way to express myself to at least one person, who I know will listen and understand me. As I continue to finish the dinner I had caught in the nearby river, I sigh out loud and glance at my surroundings to briefly scan for any enemies.
After dinner, I took a small walk around the area we had decided to set camp on, to familiarize myself with the surrounding area and vegetation. I returned to the small space I had claimed for myself away from the others. I just finished organizing my sleeping tent and was checking the supplies in my bag, when I overheard Sakura yelling at Naruto, again to leave her alone. I just sadly shake my head and take a calming breath.
Everyone is starting to prepare themselves to get some sleep. There isn't any need for anyone to take night watch duty since Shino is here. So I look at the flames before me intently to avoid anyone from trying to speak to me.
When I feel a migraine headache wanting to take hold of me from staring at the bright flames for so long, I just lay myself down on the soft grass and look to the night sky and the beautiful stars. I realize that the others are probably all resting peacefully by now, since there is no noise except for the sound of the roaring fire in the center of the camp and my small campfire (near my sleeping area) and of course the slight snoring of my teammates and the other ninjas that are accompanying us.
My eyes slowly start to grow very tired and my body starts to feel very lethargic, I would even say that my mind started to feel sluggish. 'Was this a genjutsu? No it couldn't be. No one could have broken through the very well-trained night watch bugs that Shino has around the entire camp and even some of the surrounding forest. Those insects could rival or maybe even out-class the best Anbu level guards that Kages themselves use.' I thought to myself.
As my body and mind seem to shut down, I hear a very faint almost non-existent sound to my left near the edge of the clearing. As I try to focus my few remaining senses in that general area, I see a hunched shadow looking right at me. But for whatever reason I don't feel threatened at all, just a very small amount of fright.
A few questions run through my mind at very fast speeds: 'Who is that person? Are they friend or foe? Is it just one or a whole team? Are we going to die here? Why isn't the person moving? Why are they staring at me?'
As I realized that the strange intruder was in fact, only staring at my general location since I had secluded myself from everyone, I felt a huge sense of apprehension, my heart started to race and my breathing became very much labored. 'Not now, Hinata! Not at a time like this!' I thought/yelled to myself. 'I must not hyperventilate or else I will faint.'
Intruders POV
As I was heading back to the village to report to the Hokage the success of yet another well executed mission. I saw the faint light of a campfire not too far from the river route I had decided to take to avoid using any of the main roads and routes. As I landed near the edge of the clearing, I realized I had made a very faint noise. Must have been from the small injury I had received during my latest mission.
'I should have paid a little bit more attention during that last assassination mission. That stupid guard shouldn't have been able to sense me coming at all!' I reprimanded myself. 'So much for wanting to ask the Hokage about starting a deadly elite stealth force unit to take on the big S-rank (which I refer to as the SS-rank) missions that even normal Anbu wouldn't be crazy enough to take.' I slowly shake my head as I berate myself again.
As I slowly make my way towards the edge of the campsite, I realize that I had been spotted. I was pretty sure that even with that not so stealthy landing from earlier, and it being quite a bit from the actual campsite, I shouldn't have been spotted or at least I should have been overlooked.
But as I look at the person that not only heard me but was able to pin-point my exact location, I realize three very important things.
One, it is a female ninja or kunoichi.
Two, it is a HYUGA kunoichi.
Three, it is THE Hyuga Hinata, the heiress of the Hyuga clan.
If it had been any other kunoichi of the village hidden in the leaves I would have been dismissed just as quickly for the lack of being attacked or having made any sort of contact. Unfortunately, most if not all of the kunoichis tend overlook many things, especially if they have other things on their minds. But since this the Hyuga clan heiress, Hinata, I wouldn't be surprised to have been attacked as I was making my way towards her camp. As many in the Anbu are aware of how many kidnapping attempts this one girl, no not girl, this one woman has had to endure in her short lifetime. So naturally, she would have trained to not underestimate any enemy or overlook any disturbance whenever she was outside the village. Thankfully, I had the mindset to cast a paralyzing genjutsu on everyone in the surrounding area, in case it was an enemy camp I came into contact with.
But as I look at her stiff prone body, I realize three very important things.
One, she is not wearing her bulky coat.
'I repeat she is NOT wearing that hideous bulky coat at the moment so that leaves very, VERY little to the imagination! Oh, but that can be fixed so that NOTHING is left, if you know what I mean! Dear kami, she is a beautiful angel, no...no not an angel, she's a fucking gorgeous goddess!' My inner self yells out with stars in his eyes and doing Guy's good guy pose. 'Man, I am such a closet pervert!' I think to myself shamefully. 'I probably shouldn't hang out with Kakashi-sempai for awhile...eh, who am I kidding, that so isn't gonna happen anytime soon. We're like two peas in a pod and it doesn't help that we're house-mates.' I smirk at that thought.
Anyways back to the very, VERY important things…
Two, she is staring right at me. 'That is just a huge blow to my earlier thought of well-executed missions...this is basic stealth that is taught in the academy to all ninja!' I reprimand myself yet again.
Three, she is starting to hyperventilate! 'Kuso! I have to do something now!' I think as my mind races.
I react without thinking, one moment I am crouching down observing the camp and any ninja and then I am standing up from my hiding spot for just a brief moment. I hear a gasping sound from her, that I swear sounded like if it were to be her last dying breath. In the second that I heard the sound of that gasp, my body got a jolt of electricity and involuntarily moved. Next thing I know, I am kneeling on the right side of her body trying to assess the situation.
She has this distant look in her eyes, as if she's not completely all here. This kicks me into high gear and I gently take her in my arms to get her into a semi-sitting position. I realize as I hold her in my arms that she isn't that heavy at all, her head looks to be in a very uncomfortable position,so I end up maneuvering it to the crook of my elbow and then rest it up against my chest. 'I can bet she is hearing just how much the image of her struggling to breathe is affecting my poor heart at the moment.' I think to myself as I breathe in slowly to control my racing heartbeat.
I realize that she is slowly losing conciousness and she's still gasping for air. With what I imagine is the last of her strength and breath, I manage to hear her utter to me, "please...don't...hurt...them." I gently squeeze her body to me and gently reply," don't worry I promise I won't ever hurt you." She gently shakes her head and slowly states her question to me, "my...friends?" I continue to squeeze her soft cool to the touch body to my warm chest and gently nod while replying,"I won't hurt your friends either," as I gently smirk at her.
Her eyes flutter closed after that.
My smirk turns into a genuine smile at her peaceful face, "at least not right, now. My little angel-goddess." I mutter into her soft lavender scented hair.
Hinata's POV
As I continue to feel my lungs gasping to take in a normal amount of oxygen, I realize the intruder has taken stand; he seems to tower over me, he must be at least 6 feet tall and is of a stocky-athletic build. Yes, the intruder is definitely male even from this distance I am able to distinguish that. But what made both my heart and stomach lurch was that in that brief moment he hesitated after he stood up. I also noticed that his eyes had changed to a blood red color.
'No, it can't be that traitor Uchiha Sasuke! What is he doing here and what could he want from me?' I asked myself. But as I go over the small details my mind had processed, I realized that this person couldn't be Sasuke (A/N: too tall to be him!) so maybe his S-rank criminal brother, Uchiha Itachi?
As I ponder the identity of this stranger, I fail to realize that he's not standing across from me at the edge of clearing anymore but kneeling on the right side of my body. My vision starts to fade and I notice that my lungs and body aren't getting any of the precious oxygen they desperately need.
Next thing, I realize is that my body is getting lifted off of the ground and I'm in a semi-sitting position now. I feel my head droop down towards my chest in a very uncomfortable and slight painful position. But before I can voice out any objections or complaints I feel as the stranger shift his arm so that my head is in the crook of his elbow and my head is resting up against his chest. I can clearly hear just how fast his heartbeat is racing beneath my ear, the sound is oddly quite soothing in a way.
As I start to lose conciousness, the only thing on my mind is...my friends and their safety.
With the last of my strength and breath I utter, "please...don't...hurt...them." I feel as he gently squeeze my body to his and then he gently replies to me, "don't worry I promise I won't ever hurt you." I gently shake my head as the migraine headache returns and I ask a simple yet short question to him, "my...friends?". I feel as he continues to squeeze my cool body to his comforting warm chest and I feel him gently nod his head while replying to me, "I won't hurt your friends either." I manage to see him smirk at me since his face is so much closer to me.
My eyes flutter closed after that and I'm greeted in darkness.
I thought I managed to catch him say something that sounded like,"at least not right, now. My little angel-goddess".
'Angel? Goddess? I think he's got me confused.' I think to myself before the darkness completely envelopes my mind.
To be continued…
What do you guys think so far? Should I continue this story? Any suggestions, friendly comments and even flames are welcome. I promise there won't be any hurt feelings; I need to grow as a writer so all and any reviews good be great. =D
