(A/N):
Thank you for all the lovely reviews.
Such a beautiful, blooming rose,
There is no reason to be shy,
So, why let your petals close,
When the sun is low in the sky.
- Kelly Deschler
/ /
It had been sunny that day, just plain hot.
Hinata had been sweating profusely and she had only just been exiting the Hyuga compound! However, the extreme heat did not deter her good mood as she would finally be reunited with her beloved teammates.
Lately, life had been a bit of a blur, separating the trio. Of course branching out and taking interest in different things was to be expected when they got older. Still, that didn't mean Hinata missed her beloved boys any less, and Kurenai sensei of course. Whenever she was free, they weren't and whenever they were free, she wasn't. Fortunately that was not the case today as Kiba and Shino both had the day off from missions, Hinata did not have medical training today nor any missions, and Team Ten had volunteered to watch the baby so Kurenai was free as well.
Hinata grinned brightly, but almost instantly it was to disappear.
"Hinata!"
She turned around just in time for an exhausted looking Sakura to approach her. Her signature pink hair was in disarray and she looked rather distressed.
"Sakura-San" The dark haired girl greeted her fellow kunoichi politely. The pair had grown to be really good friends after Naruto's return, but that didn't make the pink haired kunoichi any less intimidating to her.
"No need to be so formal Hinata" Sakura replied instantly. In turn Hinata nodded and waited to see what the other girl wanted.
"I need a favor, Hinata. I'm leaving for a month long mission today and I need someone to er.. Stay at my house and take care of it while I'm away" She mumbled looking rather nervous and oddly enough putting emphases on the "take care" part.
"Uhm- Sakura-San w-w-why-" She started, stammering, obviously intimidated despite Sakura's own nervousness.
"Great! Thanks Hinata!" She beamed not giving the Hyuga girl a chance to finish as she was off in a blur.
"B-but Sakura-San I-" Hinata called after her weakly before giving up with a small sigh and continuing her walk toward the training grounds, a lot less chipper than when she first set off.
There was smoke & debris everywhere, but for someone with a kink for explosions Deidara was used to it. His new partner, Tobi, not so much.
Which explains why the little runt practically fled the scene whenever Deidara's more powerful clay creations got involved. Either that or he just didn't understand real art.
Deidara really hoped that wasn't the case.
He didn't bother wasting his precious time searching for said nuisance of a partner either. He knew somehow Tobi would find his way back. Despite his obliviousness, and as creepy as it sounded, he always did.
A simple assassin mission, one that required stealth that Deidara did not have the patience for at the current moment. That and he was not expecting the target to start heading so deep into enemy territory, and not just any enemy territory, the fire country of all places. Right after he had captured the Kazekage, their most valiant allies leader.
He knew he had to end things quickly, so a few clay spiders later & they were as good as dead.
It was careless of him, he knew, but he simply did not care. Now that he thought about it he wasn't so keen on heading back to base just yet.
So with that in mind he wandered the forest aimlessly , but constantly on guard. He was weary, but that was to be expected in enemy territory.
He wasn't crazy, just craving danger.
However, he was sourly disappointed he noted when he realized he was walking in circles and had yet to be engaged by an enemy. Had they even detected him yet? Was this was how Kohona operated now? Sure he had suppressed his chakra, but only slightly.
Konoha has surely fallen off a bit.
"Che, typical, hn" He scoffed, opting to finally head back to base in mild disgust.
Until a small cabin caught his attention.
Hinata sighed in discomfort at the disdained glare she received from neighbour's as she neared Sakura's front door.
Sakura had once lived in a small apartment in the city, but the building had burned down, though they had yet to figure out how.
Many of the apartments occupants had chosen to pack up what little they had left and move with relatives, while others, such as Sakura herself, had taken lodging in small cabins in the woods near the village. It was a bit dangerous living outside the village but Sakura insisted she was fine and told her friends not to worry as she was capable of taking care of herself. They didn't doubt her as she was a formidable kunoichi, however they knew she was using her apartment burning down as an excuse to further isolate herself and mope over Sasuke's defection away from the pitied glances of her loved ones.
Hinata shook her head of such terrible thoughts about her friend and quickly formed the seal to open the door in efforts to get away from Sakura's glaring neighbors. They obviously did not like ninja.
Once in the safety of the quaint cabin she immediately set to work on making tea. While the water boiled she swapped her heavy coat and mesh undershirts for a simple white t shirt.
She had used quite a bit of chakra working on Genjutsu with Kurenai Sensei, but she wasn't quite tired enough to sleep just yet, so she gathered Sakura's tea set and her freshly made green tea and set it on Sakura's small Kotatsu table on her back patio.
'Oh wow, it's b-beautiful!' She thought in astonishment when she caught of Sakura's small garden.
A giddy smile graced her features and she just couldn't help herself, with a small, excited squeal she grabbed the green watering pale and opened the little while gate leading to the garden.
It appeared barren, the cabin did, until his ninja senses kicked in and alerted him that it most certainly was not.
'Finally' The blonde thought bitterly, slipping around the back of the worn little cabin.
His senses were on high alert. The first thing he noticed was the smell; tea and whatever open Forest smelt like. The second was soft humming and Deidara instantly concluded the woman occupying the small cabin, he noted wearily, was a defenseless civilian. However, her chakra signature told a different story.
Upon reaching his destination Deidara noted several things.
The girl could hardly be considered a woman as she barely looked eighteen, and the Kunai pouch on her right leg confirmed his suspicion that she was indeed a shinobi.
He also noted wearily that she was a Hyuga, if her pupil-less, off lavender eyes were any indication.
He pondered briefly if it was a trap, because what was a main branch Hyuga doing all alone out here? She would surely have some sort of guardian or teammates.
'Perhaps a solo mission' Deidara offered, but still it did not add up.
'Whatever' He thought briefly, he was not here to solve the Mysteries of Konoha he was here for a fight.
With that in mind he slipped his hand into his own Kunai pouch with his signature maniacal grin.
Hinata knew she was not alone.
There was a dramatic, dreadful change in the air and one had to a fool not to notice. That, and she had sensed their chakra.
Whoever it was, they were powerful and that made her shudder slightly. She was miles from the city, surrounded by civilians, with little to no chakra, and an unknown enemy was closing in.
Things were looking rather bleak for her, she noted wearily.
She tried to think of a plan, a diversion, something . However, she was no master strategist like Shikamaru nor was she quick on her feet like Neji.
'T-think, think' she scolded herself mentally. She was allowing herself to get distracted, which was not a good sign in impending battle.
However, when the first Kunai whirled past her, her enemy made the decision for her; she was on the defensive.
Several more followed and she was on her feet in an instant.
An instant too late.
It didn't occur peculiar to her that all of the Kunai had missed landing into the earth beneath her feet .. That is until she noticed the paper bombs attached to them.
Luckily she was able to use a substitution justu in time. However, she noted miserably , he had just incinerated Sakura's garden.
She really wished she could activate her Byakugan, but she knew that if she did whatever small amount of chakra she did have would dwindle very quickly.
"Hmm, substitution justu? That was no fun Hyuuga-San"
Hinata blinked once, no twice. It seemed she just couldn't catch a break today.
"Mama!" A small raven haired boy exclaimed tugging at his mother's dress insistently.
"What is it Kint dear?" His mother snapped, hands on her hips, as this was the fifth time he had interrupted her gardening.
"Isn't that lady Sakura's garden over there?" The little boy, Kint, asked pointing rapidly at the house a ways away from theirs.
The woman glanced abruptly in the direction of their neighbor's, a one Sakura Haruno, the Hokage's apprentice, garden only to do a double take.
It was on fire.
People called her a bitter, tart, but there was a reason she was hesitant to live next to ninja.
"Come on Kint, get packed. We're off to grandmas for the rest of the week" She ordered sternly.
Kint was off immediately, bounding into the house in his excitement. Yoko, his mother, sighed bitterly.
"Damn ninja" She muttered sourly, glancing back at the incinerated garden before storming into her home to pack for a long journey.
Even at her best she knew she wouldn't be able to defeat an Akatsuki member. Surely she was to die today, if the maniacal grin the blonde man was donning was any indication. Until then she would defend herself as best as she could.
Deidara Iwa
Every shinobi and most citizens knew of the famed man who had so boldly kidnapped the Kazekage. From what Hinata had heard he was a flippant, pyromaniac with mouths in .. Odd places.
It almost seemed laughable, but anyone wearing a black cloak with red clouds was no one to bat a lash at.
He didn't have a murderous intent radiating off of him like other missing nin she had encountered, but she supposed it was because he was actually expressive. Even if it was a hysterical grin that only an insane person could bare.
"What do we have here, hmm?"
In the blink of an eye he was in front of her.
Her first thought was that he was going to snap her neck, the second was that he was going to shove a bomb down her throat.
Funny the things you think about right before you're about to die.
He reached out and almost instantly she was back into defense mode, ready to dodge whatever attacks he could throw.
She must have went slack jaw when instead of attacking her like she thought he would, he reached for her as of yet untouched cup of tea and took a long swig.
"Hmmm, Green tea, not bad, but I prefer Chai" He smirked.
Immediately, shuffling at the opening of his Akatsuki cloak caught her attention. She blanched considerably when she noticed the hand sign he was making, but it was already too late.
'A paralysis jutsu'
Now she was immobile, unarmed, and alone with an Akatsuki member, an unpredictable pyromaniac at that.
The odds were not in Hinata Hyuga's favor.
"Hm, that was easier than I thought" He quipped pushing her into a sitting position, disposing of his cloak then making himself comfortable across from her.
"So, what is your name Hyuga-San? Hmm"
Had she not been immobilized she would have given him an indecorous look, or maybe not. This was an Akatsuki member and of course, she was not so brave.
"Oh right, the justu! Man that blow to the head must have been harder than I thought" He muttered more to himself she noted, before making another hand sign.
'B-blow to the head?' She thought dumbfounded.
For someone who had just been in a fight he appeared rather unscathed, as in no blood, no wounds, nothing. In fact he looked rather pristine. This sent a sense of dread down her spine, reminding her just how dangerous he really was.
' And unpredictable at that too' She added wearily.
He was just so casual about having tea with his enemy, so close to said enemies village that had a bounty on his head that she forgot, almost.
He reminded her of an evil Naruto, or maybe it was his blonde hair. Suddenly a thought struck her; what would Naruto do if he saw her in this position? She had long since gotten over her crush, but she still held him in high regards and respect.
What would any of her friends do if they saw her like this? Of course she couldn't do anything now since she was paralyzed, but she definitely had plenty of opportunity earlier to do something, anything. Of it most likely would have proved ineffective, she was a mere chuunin and he an S ranked criminal who had successfully kidnapped the kazekage for Kami's sake!
"Now, how about that name, hm?" He prompted grabbing a cup and setting it in front of her, filling it hallway with green tea, as if she could actually drink it.
"M-Momo, Momo H-Hyuga" She stammered the first name that came to mind. Of course she could not claim anything else other than Hyuga because of her clearly visible eyes.
"Hm, Momo Hyuga" He reiterated, speculative at best. He didn't buy it one bit she could tell, but he appeared to be going along with it. If she could, she would let out a long withheld sigh of relief.
There was a small pause in which she tried to with go blinking as not to miss anything, and he casually sipped on his tea, looking almost contemplative. Hinata thought it to be an act, because, really, there was nothing contemplative about him. She watched in utter disgust and slight awe as the palms on his hands licked the outside rim of the tea cup, and she noted momentarily that Sakura was going to need new tea cups.
The small peace, Hinata noted bitterly, only lasted a mere five minutes before apparently a thought struck the blonde as he jumped slightly before a calculating smirk graced his features and he leaned in rather eagerly.
"Ne, Momo-chan"
The slight twitch of her lips let him know she was listening, although she'd rather not be.
"What are your thoughts on art?" He askedcasually with a steady grin as if inquiring of the weather.
However, it did not go unnoticed to her the small clay spider crawling atop her tea cup, but by then it was already too late.
You see Hinata Hyuga was to learn a valuable lesson. She would soon find out that wherever one Akatsuki member went, the others would soon follow .
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(A/N):
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