Tear tracks still glistening down her cheeks, Miyuki sprinted from the Hyuga compound. She rounded the market corner, passed the now-empty stalls and kept going, her Byakugan vision scanning constantly to make sure no one was nearby to see her go. The night air was cold and the wind whipped strands of her light brown hair out of her messy bun and into her face, but she didn't care. She had to get out of this vile place.
She had barely taken enough time to grab a pack of basic supplies, her healing herbs and poultices, her leg holster and scrawl out a parting letter to Neji which she hid in one of his jutsu scrolls. He'd find it eventually. Then she'd left. There was no one else to say goodbye to, really. She'd thought about saying hasty farewell to her younger "siblings" at the orphanage, but that would just make them confused and upset, and they might alert someone. No one could know she was leaving until it was too late.
She entered the business district and kept going, but stopped running on the ground and started leaping from rooftop to rooftop, leaping higher and higher on taller buildings until she made it to the faces of the Hokage monument. She hated those faces. The monument gave most people the feeling that the previous hokages were always looking down and watching the village, protecting it, but to her it seemed like a bunch of dead and useless leaders who watched the suffering of her people every day and did nothing. Panting and furiously swiping away more tears, she used bursts of her chakra to scale the monument until she stood at the very top.
Finally she stopped running and collapsed to her knees. Looking over the village, she felt like screaming curses until her voice broke, but instead she just sobbed. Hot, angry tears scorched her freckled face and fell like heavy rain drops on the dirt. Throat constricting and every muscle in her body shaking, she scrambled back to her feet and wiped away her tears once more.
Doing her best to stand straight and proud, she took one last look at the village that housed her clan, where she had lived a life of hell for nineteen years. Tonight marked the end of that life, and the start of her life. Right there on that spot, looking toward the clan compound, she vowed not to rest until she achieved her goal.
Justice, for herself and every branch member that ever had to live under the boot of the main family. And justice on the village that had so blatantly allowed it for generations.
And with that final thought, she sprinted off the side of the monument and into the forest.
.
.
The first sensation Itachi felt when he saw her was intense annoyance. He only had about seven more minutes on watch before he would wake Kisame to take over, and here came this girl, sniffling pathetically and stumbling around in the dark, right towards their camp which sat not fifteen feet below his position in the trees.
Although his pride would never allow him to admit it, Itachi was tired and dealing with a lost little Leaf-nin was the last thing he needed right now. Eyeing her trajectory from atop his tree branch, he determined she would reach the outer perimeter of their make-shift camp in under ten paces, which would activate a high-level genjutsu trap that he personally designed. He relaxed as she took the final three steps and froze and he felt the silent activation of the genjutsu. By now she would be completely trapped inside the worst fears her mind could conjure. Sighing, he leapt gracefully down from the forest canopy and stood behind her, waiting patiently for her petite form to buckle under the jutsu and pass out, allowing him to dispose of her interference once and for all.
Much to his surprise, he saw her shoulders twitch as she effortlessly shook herself free of the illusion he specifically crafted to be inescapable and whirl around to face him. Her pale, bloodshot gaze looked up to meet his own slightly widened crimson one.
"Of course, a Hyuga." Itachi mentally grumbled as the woman's face tightened in recognition of his own tell-tale eyes and signature Akatsuki cloak. "Even so, that jutsu shouldn't have been escapable even by one of their clan…"
Flooding her system with chakra, the veins around her eyes bulged as her Byakugan awakened, and she raised her chin fearlessly, her shining tears and bold resolve mixing to make her stare one of cold, iridescent ice.
The corner of his mouth twitched, resting a cruel smirk.
"Either the little Hyuga is completely ignorant, or she has a death wish."
The Mangekyo Sharingan spun to life.
.
.
Itachi winced, deactivating his Sharingan altogether. "Well, both her Byakugan and genjutsu resistance is strong, that much is certain." he reasoned to himself, glancing down with ebony eyes at her unconscious body. "It took more time and chakra than I anticipated to force her mind to submit."
"Hey Itachi, sorry I think I overslept by a few minutes. We can switch now if you-"
Kisame's gravely voice interrupted his thoughts. "Who's that?"
"A Leaf-nin. Hyuga."
Kneeling to observe her, Kisame checked her supply pack and weapons pouch. "Senbon, kunai, bunch of herbs and little bottles of who-knows-what… well well, Itachi, look at this." He reached around behind her waist, untying her hitai-ate and handing it to his partner. It's engraved surface had been ruthlessly slashed across the Leaf insignia, recently by the looks of it. There were still metal shavings in and around the gash.
"Looks like we've got ourselves a little rebel." The larger man stood.
Itachi inclined his head slightly, nodding.
"You know, since we have to kill her anyway now, I bet the Leader or Kakuzu would find a good use for those rare eyes of hers."
"No." Itachi replied, kneeling and using the back of his fingers to brush aside her bangs, revealing the dark green markings of her brand, emblazoned across her forehead. "She is a branch member. Her eyes will be sealed upon death and be of no use."
Kisame sighed. "Ah. Well I guess that's that then." he paused. "Unless… should we bring her back alive? She might know something about the jinjuriki, and if not I guess any current information on Konoha could be considered valuable."
"Hn."
"... that a yes?"
Itachi sighed again. Apparently this woman's one-time aggravation would be turning into a longer vexation. He was getting a headache. He turned away and began striding towards the dying embers of the campfire, planning on finally getting some rest.
"You are carrying her."