UCHIHA SASUKE I
There was a cut on his chest.
It ran from the bottom of his collar bone to just underneath his left pec. Sasuke looked at for just a split second before ducking underneath the swing of the Hellcat's fists. He pushed it away and sliced downwards at it. Sasuke cursed silently as the Matron Hellcat sidestepped and dashed towards him. It was fast. Faster than Sasuke could actually keep up. Nonetheless, Sasuke raised his Nodachi in anticipation and deflected the attack to the side. Keeping the whiplash under control Sasuke spun off to the side and left a clean slice on the Hellcat's body.
Sasuke acted quickly. Two more Hellcats had shown up and even with the help of Konohamaru and Ino, it would be a nightmare to deal with all three of them at the same time. He was good yes. But Sasuke wasn't that good. At least not yet. It was possible that it could be done. But not without severe casualties. This trio consisting of himself, Ino and Konohamaru was the best team that he had in the three years that he had been doing this. And Sasuke would be very surprised if Yami was considerate enough to give him more teammates that weren't just dead weight.
So with that in mind, Sasuke lunged forward, and swung his Nodachi in a wide arc horizontally. It cut into the Hellcat's thick, almost leathery skin with ease. The Uchiha scion git his teeth and cleaved through the entire upper body of the alien. Even with all that done to it, the alien monstrosity grinned at Sasuke with black, rotten teeth as it reached out with its hand to grab his sword.
"Tch." Sasuke reached into the holster into his pocket. He hated having to use the Oberon Gun. They were insta-kill weapons that only Tier 1 monsters and aliens could survive. And Matron Hellcats were far from being Tier 1. They were on the bottom of Tier 2. Source? Himself. They were far from the most dangerous entities that Sasuke had dealt with. Of course, he hadn't fought a Hellcat, much less a fully grown one, in over…two and a half years? Regardless, Sasuke was rusty. But not stupid.
With a pull of the trigger, the monstrous humanoid cat alien exploded in a shower of black blood, rotten innards, flesh and hair. However the head was still intact. And as long as it was still together, the Hellcat would be able to regenerate. With a grunt, Sasuke swung his sword upwards, cleaving the head in half.
Across on the other platform, Konohamaru was struggling to keep himself out of harm's way whilst the two girls were running for their lives as the heavily armed and armoured Hellcat set its sights on them. And to top it all off, they had no weapon. Ino's had been left behind when she had been clothesline through several buildings and Sakura's broke. If only Sasuke hadn't been so careless.
Before the Hellcat with a sword for an arm could end Konohamaru's pitiful life, Sasuke leapt across to the other side of the train platform. He swung his sword at the Hellcat's torso and cut it in half. Twirling around, Sasuke dropped the Oberon Gun at Konohamaru's feet. Without any further ado, Sasuke charged at the leader of the Hellcat's. Or the one he assumed was.
Before Sasuke could move another step, the leader was upon him and smacked around to the side and into the platform wall. Konohamaru hid behind a broken down pillar. Sakura and Ino had dropped down onto the railway and were cowering behind the wreckage of the train. A chill went down Sasuke's spine as the remaining Hellcat laughed.
Or what it probably thought was a laugh.
Sasuke had heard many disturbing things in his life. The sound of people choking on their own blood as they got eaten alive by monsters. The sound of children crying out for their mothers as they were tossed into the mouth of a multitude of monsters.
This was up there.
Quickly prying himself from the wall Sasuke took some time to observe the being standing arrogantly in front of him. It was unlike the others before her. The other two were covered in hair and thin, built like a runner. This one, the leader, looked like a giant bodybuilder. Huge biceps, noticeable abs that doubled as armoured plates. Her neck was as thick as her head and her thighs were as large as its own head. She spread her arms and her gleaming golden armoured plates looked impenetrable.
"You're not like the others."
A chill ran down Sasuke's spine as the Hellcat spoke to him. Its voice was nothing like he expected. It was deep and baritone and sounded like an amalgamation of every male figure of authority in Sasuke's life. And that pissed him off more than anything. The Hellcat grinned toothily and spread its arms mockingly.
"All the others are…weak and spineless. You are different. Stronger. Faster. More intelligent." Sasuke charged forward. He lifted his Nodachi up in the air and swung down at the Hellcat as hard as he could. The Hellcat took a step forward and blocked the swing with his arm and the grin on its face only grew. "You humans. Even the slightest perceived slight at your person is more than enough to set you off. It's what makes your kind so interesting and amusing to watch."
"And your kind will be dead soon if I have any say in it." Sasuke growled, pushing off and unleashing a barrage of swings and thrusts. "I'm the most dangerous Hunter in the world." That I know of. "You think that you can scare me? I've faced Vampire and Demon lords before."
Again it laughed. "Humanity is a crossroads and your kind doesn't even know it. I feel pity for your kind. To have only just reached enlightenment just at the end of their cycle in the universe. But, I don't feel sorry for you. You so called Hunters of Peace have destroyed my kind. You have destroyed our way of life, our habitats, and our children. The most I will ever feel for your kind is pity."
It was Sasuke's turn to laugh. "Why would I need the pity of something that's about to be dead? I don't care what happened to you. It's not my job. My job," Sasuke dug his feet into the train platform and began to push the Hellcat back gradually. "Is to survive. And if I have to kill every single one your kind, children and all, I will do it."
"Nothing I didn't already expect from a heartless human like you." The monster bit back, pushing back as well until Sasuke couldn't force him back any longer. The beast let out a low hum. "It seems that we're at an impasse here. Your friends aren't holding up so well." A chuckle passed through it's maw as Sasuke strained his neck to look. Seeing an opportunity the Hellcat struck first.
Sasuke however, spun around and kicked it in the stomach. "Do you think I'll fall for something like that? I've seen enough people die because they were worrying about others." He pointed his Nodachi at the Hellcat.
"You really are despicable. Even for the standards of your kind." It shot back at him as they clashed once more.
"I wouldn't say despicable. Selfish more like. I'm worth more alive than dead. And I can't exactly save the world if I'm truly six feet under. If it means sacrificing others so that I can live another day, then so be it." Sasuke replied ducking underneath a hammer fist. He let out a frustrated groan as his sword bounced off of the Hellcat's torso.
"Then you shall be the first to die." Sasuke lifted his Nodachi and blocked the Hellcat's downward smash. The ground shattered underneath. The supports of the floating train station creaked and sounded like they were about to snap in half. The Hellcat laughed and began to push backwards. Sasuke dug his feet into the ground.
"Big talk coming from someone that's about to be dead." He replied and kicked the Hellcat in the side. Sasuke quickly looked for his companions for just a split second. He saw a lock of Ino's platinum blonde hair peeking out from a battered support pillar. He assumed that Sakura was hiding behind her and Konohamaru was nowhere to be seen. In front of him, the Hellcat lunged forward. The monster's claws dug into the floor as Sasuke sidestepped and swung his sword at the Hellcat's legs.
As soon as Sasuke's Nodachi made contact with, the Hellcat, spun around on the spot and swiped at Sasuke. The monster swiped at him with such force, that Sasuke could feel the wind ripple across his face and through his hair. He took a slight step back and began to slash back and forth at the Hellcat. At the same time, Sasuke saw a piece of blue cloth fluttering in the wind out of the corner of his eye. It was Konohamaru's scarf.
Sasuke jumped over to the top of the overturned train and kept the Matron at a distance. Meanwhile, Konohamaru dashed around and hid behind a fallen over vending machine. Reaching a hand into his utility belt, Sasuke grabbed a handful of smoke pellets. As the Hellcat charged at him, Sasuke threw the smoke down and under the cover of the smoke, made his way over to Konohamaru.
The brat looked terrible. His entire body was covered in a myriad of dust, blood, dirt and soot. His battle suit was ripped all over and the lower left pant sleeve was ripped entirely off. Hanging limp against Konohamaru's body was his arm as Sasuke could see a compound fracture right at his elbow. A long horizontal cut was present on Konohamaru's forehead and a small piece of rebar was in his leg. He looked at Sasuke.
"We don't have much time to plan things out." Sasuke said. "So listen closely alright? I'm going to lead that thing over to center of the metro platform and when I do, I want you to distract it for just a moment. Drop a pillar on its back or shoot in the leg or something. Just distract it. That'll be all I need to kill that monster and end this mission."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure you idiot." Sasuke spat out. Without another word, he turned around and scrambled to the center of the station. Shooting out of a thick cloud of smoke and aiming right for Sasuke's head was the Hellcat. Rolling to the side, Sasuke stuck his sword into the monster's gut and dragged it across the entire body. It made a large cut across the side and the monster bellowed. Sasuke quickly swung downwards and cut the monster's arm off and kicked it back against a wall.
Konohamaru fired a quick shot at the Hellcat. The projectile homed right into the monster's right leg causing it to explode into bits. As the leg began to regenerate, Sasuke was already upon it and thrust his sword into the monster's head. The monster swung at him wildly. For a good twenty seconds, Sasuke circled around the regenerating monster, dodging whilst striking at every possible opportunity.
With a loud growl, the Hellcat lunged and Sasuke dove to the side. He narrowly missed being cut in half. Quickly, Sasuke righted himself up and raised his sword. The sharp claws of the Matron clanged against his blade. The sound echoed throughout the abandoned station. Seeing an opening, Sasuke went on the offensive.
A slash at the shoulder. Several quick thrusts to the gut. A quick swing at the neck. Sasuke was slowly driving the monstrous humanoid cat backwards. For a split second, Sasuke's eyes were drawn to the many screens above the platform. Arrival times. A quick shot from Konohamaru sent the Matron into a stunned state. Whilst his opponent was dazed, Sasuke gazed up at the screens and looked for the fastest arriving train. There!
Dodging to the right, Sasuke kept himself at the distance. He need only distract the monster for another thirty seconds. Konohamaru lined up for a better shot. Hiding behind a few pillar with her gun raised was Ino. The Matron shook itself out of its stupor. With a roar, their battle resumed.
Sparks flew as Sasuke's sword scraped against the Matron's chest. It left a superficial scar that was already healing. Another slash left a long gash along the side. And a downward slash lopped off the creature's arm.
"Sasuke!" Ino shouted over the sound of her guns firing. Some of her shots bounced off of the Matron's thick plates and others landed in other wounds. "We only have two minutes left!" She reported back, glancing at the device on her wrist.
The Uchiha gave her a quick nod. He dodged a sloppy swing and spun around, slicing at the Hellcat's quads. He then swung his sword at the nape, cutting it open. Sasuke looked to the left and the right and saw a train quickly approaching. With a grunt, Sasuke dug his Nodachi into the neck of the Matron Hellcat and pushed until the head came off. As the monster began to regenerate, Konohamaru fired one last shot into the torso causing it to explode.
A moment of silence spread throughout the destroyed subway. Sakura and Ino peeked out of their hidey-holes and took a look at the slowly regenerating legs. Before Sakura could scream, Sasuke looked at her and put a finger against his mouth.
"Good job." He muttered and kicked the legs of the monster into the path of the braking train. "Don't just stand there. We need to move. We can't afford to be seen."
Konohamaru's leg had seemed to have healed and the girls came out of their hiding spots. Sakura let out a yelp as remains of the final Hellcat were crushed underneath the train. They quickly followed Sasuke onto the top of the train station.
For a moment, the four of them sat there in silence. Already, Yami had begun the process of teleporting them back to the gymnasium. A blue glow appeared around Konohamaru as his fingers slowly began to disappear.
Sasuke took a moment to look at himself. He was clad only in bottom half of his combat suit. The top half got torn off during his pursuit of the Hellcat horde. He was careless and let them rip his armour apart. That would not happen again. The two Uchigatana he had been using had shattered immediately against the armour of the Hellcat. He would have to be more careful next time. Yami would not be so generous the next mission.
Ino looked to be in high spirits despite her injured appearance. The band keeping her hair into a ponytail had been lost during the mission and her hair flowed freely down her back. It was dirty and there were several spots dotting with blood. Most of her suit was torn and ripped. The entire left sleeve had been ripped off and numerous cuts were present on her arm. A large patch was ripped off of the stomach and there formed a bruise. It was large and about the size of a bodybuilder's forearm. Sasuke noticed the small hole in her shoulder. Probably the result of rebar flying through as Ino was sent flying through several buildings.
Her friend, Sakura, on the other hand was just a little bit better. Parts of her suit were torn, but otherwise was intact. The girl's face was covered in dirt and debris. Part of her hair was covered in black blood. A result of blowing an entire Hellcat into smithereens point blank. Despite this, she had a small smile plastered on her face. The two friends were sharing a small laugh.
As he himself began to disappear, Sasuke took a look around. Already, Yami's influence could be seen. The buildings Ino was thrown through were already fully repaired and looked as if nothing had happened. Glancing down at the metro station, the derailed train was gone and presumably on it's to its next stop. All the damage that their battle had caused was gone.
There were many things that Sasuke had seen during his three years of doing battle. Be it vampire lords, minor demons and legendary mythical monsters and sometimes even aliens. But still, seeing Yami at work was the most unbelievable thing he had witnessed. Or rather, seeing the result of Yami's work. He had seen small towns get completely demolished. And always, at the end of the day, it would be as if nothing had happened. The buildings were untouched. The people had their memories wiped. Nothing had ever happened.
Sasuke closed his eyes and when he opened them, he was greeted by the sight of the Gymnasium in Daikanyama. He took a look around. Sitting in the corner closest to the exit was Konohamaru. A bored looked on his face. In the center of the room, Yami glowed bright red. Light streamed from a couple of windows and illuminated the tiny gym. Yami projected two beams of light. One pink and the other yellow.
Slowly, Sakura and Ino reformed side by side and at the same time.
"Woah!" Sakura said, looking down at herself and at Ino. She then took a look at Sasuke. "What the hell? You guys look untouched!"
A smile was on Ino's face. "That's the power of Yami for you. Now we have to wait. Yami has to debrief us before we can go." Sakura nodded and for a moment, silence washed over the entire room. The red light in the center of the gym grew even brighter.
Thy worthless worms have survived. It seems a rewards is in order. But first, to tally up the points. A robotic sigh echoed throughout. And to no one's surprise, Cheater over there got over a hundred points. Konohamaru let out a grunt and glared at Sasuke. Alright everyone, let's give Sasuke a hand for being so great! Taking away the bosses so that his teammates won't ever get any points, what a great guy! Isn't he so great!? Sasuke rolled his eyes
It wasn't his fault that everyone only ever go after the small fry. Perhaps they should learn how to steal kills. Sneak in at the last moment and get the finishing blow. That would certainly increase their point total. Next up is, to my utmost surprise, Sasuke's Biggest Fan with over 50 points! And to think that I've only just ruined her life. Yami said with a laugh. She projected all of their faces against a wall. Underneath their faces were their totals. Total kills, kill assists, and points. And now, everyone congratulate Sakura for stealing the most kills! Sakura looked away from the projection.
It was true that Sasuke killed most of the monsters that got in their way. But he let her kill the first Matron that they saw. He left it barely alive and all Sakura had to do was point her Zephyr Gun at it and shoot. But Sasuke did wish that she was more useful. Well, since Sakura did survive, there was a chance that she could grow to be a serviceable hunter. Especially if she could actually listen to him. Unlike Konohamaru.
And both the Little Brat and Miss Piggy only got twenty five points. What a great point total. It makes one so jealous! You totally weren't just baggage that Sasuke had to carry around on his back. Hey, Sasuke, let me ask you this. Does your back hurt from having to carry this sorry lot? Yami's laugh always sent shivers down Sasuke's spine. Even after all these years. It was if she was trying to sound like what she thought humans sounded. Now my lovely little hunters, what shall you do with these points? Will you upgrade your armour and get those new armoured plates? Or will you try your luck on the Weapons Gacha. Who knows? Best not to wait for all my stock will soon be sold out.
She projected on the wall two separate screens. One was for weapons. And the other was for armour. Unlike the armour however, where whatever you got were guaranteed to be better than what you had, the weapons "Gacha" as Yami called it, had a chance of getting you a worse weapon. Sasuke was content with his armour. But he definitely needed new weapons. The Titania Nodachi was one of the best weapons there was. Well, one of the best common ones. But Sasuke needed a long range weapon.
Oh don't go hoarding your points like that Miss Sakura! Here, since you're a newcomer I'll be generous and give you a free pull! With a guaranteed Ultra Rare Weapon! Is that enticing enough for you? Surely it is. Sasuke rolled his eyes. He turned to look at the girl.
"Just do it. Otherwise you won't be of any use in the next mission." Sakura looked apprehensive. She looked towards Ino who nodded in confirmation.
"Alright, I'll do it."
Wise choice Cherry Blossom. You know, perhaps you should have waited for the Proto Excalibur rate-ups. Hehe. Sakura shook her head and did her best to ignore the voice. Sasuke looked around and noticed that Konohamaru had already left. He shook his head. That brat had over a thousand points. More than enough for ten weapon summons. Then again, he no doubt had kept that Ultra Rare Sieglinde rapier. And that was all he needed.
A brilliant circle of light appeared a few meters away from Sakura. Oooh, I wonder what weapon you'll get! Maybe you'll get a little rinky-dink dagger to shank people with! Or if you're lucky enough, you'll get Galatine or a Yew Bow. Oh, it's so exciting I can't wait! The outline of ten weapons began to form. Most of them were glowing blue. Common. And one of was glowing red. Ultra Rare.
As soon as the light disappeared everyone's eye were drawn to the spear sticking out of the ground. It was long. Over two meters at least. It was the colour of blood. Glowing runes ran along the side and it exuded an aura of death. Ooh, Gae Bolg! Named after the legendary spear of Cu Chulainn! You've certainly pulled a great one there! Yami taunted. Oh it should easy for a master of the spear like you to wield isn't that right?
Sakura ignored her and went up to the spear and pulled it from the ground. She looked at it with reluctance. For a moment she stood there like a statue. Sasuke had to admit, Sakura did look kind of cute. But only the way a girl wearing a skin tight outfit holding a weapon could. Sasuke shook his head. He turned to his screen. To his right, Ino had already once again upgraded her armour. This time, increasing her the speed at which she can move. Not once had she spent any of her points on the Gacha.
"Don't worry about the other weapons." Sasuke told her. "I'll store it with the other ones here." Sakura nodded. But instead of immediately leaving, she stayed behind with Ino. "What are you waiting for?"
"I want to see what you get." Sakura smiled slightly. "You whale."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. Whale? If that was the case Sasuke would have spent as much money as he could to pull Excalibur. But alas, that was not how it worked. He turned to screen. Projected on the screen were a multitude of weapons. Now, Sasuke could either waste ten points for a single try. Or he could use a hundred to get ten at once. His luck had never been that good though, so Sasuke wasn't exactly expecting anything.
Oh, you're gonna do a multi summon! What a great idea Sasuke! Yami's robotic voice took on a bit of emotion. It's not like you only got a bunch of common weapons the last time you tried this. But who knows, maybe you'll get lucky and pull that ranged weapon you've been looking for. Perhaps you'll get Gandiva! Hah. It's only fitting for you oh Awarded Hero.
"Tch. Just do it already. We've wasted enough time as is."
Ufufufu. You're no fun Sasuke. Very well, one Multi Summon for you. Please do be salty. Let the salt flow through your veins and swallow you up in despair! Ufufufu. Sasuke rolled his eyes. That familiar circle appeared. Then the circle did something that Sasuke had only seen happen once before. It turned from white, to red.
Stuck in the ground was not one, but two glowing red weapons. What!? You…You cheated! You're a cheater. Like always! It was only the third time that Sasuke had heard Yami get so flustered. For once her monotone voice had some emotion in it. Well hopefully it's one of the bad Ultra Rare weapons. It would only be fitting for you!
He ignored her and moved forward past the glowing red mist that the weapons exuded. His eyes were drawn to a bow right in the center of the circle of weapons. It was a double curve bow with innumerable strings. Sasuke lost count after thirtieth string. One of the strings in particular caught his attention. Whilst the others were glowing silver, there was one that glowed white. Pure white. Sasuke lifted it up. It was heavy. Very heavy. As a test, he pulled on multiple strings. Multiple glowing silver arrows appeared.
"What the hell? Sasuke stop that! I can't see!" Ino called out, shielding herself from the intense light the strings had been emitting. This bow…There was no mistaking which bow this could be. An innumerable number of strings, double curved, extremely heavy, and a singular string that stood out above the rest. There was no doubting it. This was Gandiva. The Legendary bow of Arjuna. Or so Yami would claim.
The other glowing red weapon was stuck to the ground by its point. It was a western longsword. It had a golden hilt with a perfectly round diamond for the pommel. There were engravings on the hilt. One of them looked like a tooth. Whether it was human or not, Sasuke couldn't tell. Sasuke took a look around. He had summoned a Super Rare weapon as well. A Viviane Nodachi. To confirm his suspicions on the identity of the weapon, Sasuke grabbed the Nodachi and held it steady.
"What are you doing Sasuke?" Sakura asked, her eyes full with wonder at the sight of Gandiva. The Uchiha raised the sword and brought it down upon the Nodachi. And upon contact, the Nodachi shattered. The Longsword ripping through it like butter. So this was indeed the weapon he thought it was. Durandal. The sharpest sword in all existence.
Oh that's just not fair Sasuke! You know what this means right Sasuke!? You've used up all your luck! Just watch, next mission you will be the first casualty!
"Such confidence you display. But I wonder if that will come true." Sasuke muttered to himself. Now that they had seen what Sasuke had gotten, Sakura and Ino left. Gae Bolg turning invisible in Sakura's hands. After they left, Sasuke cleaned up the gymnasium for the next mission. He felt tempted to ask Yami when that would be. But Sasuke knew better. He would not get an answer from Yami. At least not a straight or reliable one. He couldn't leave Gandiva here nor could he leave Durandal here. Unlike Gae Bolg, he couldn't make it invisible. Well, he could, but he'd only be able to do it to one or the other. But not both.
With a sigh, Sasuke walked out front. The Gymnasium was located in Daikanyama. And it was early morning. But there were still people around that could see what it was that he held in his hands. To remedy this, Sasuke raided the gym closet for a large gym bag. Actually, two large gym bags. He placed both legendary weapons within separate bags, put some clothes on over his suit and made way for his apartment in Yoyogi.
It was a gift from his brother. And still to this day Itachi paid for his rent. But that would change as soon as Sasuke graduated and found a good job. His parents had been pushing for him to become a politician like his father. Or at least do what Itachi did and become a lawyer. He had moved out at the suggestion of his cousin Obito. A slight frown formed on Sasuke's face. That was the last thing that Obito had said to him before he died. He had wanted Sasuke to be whatever he wanted.
Look where that got his cousin. Dead. Sasuke wondered if Obito met the same fate as he did. Serving a sadistic, omnipotent ball of light. It was certainly possible. But Sasuke wasn't too confident in his cousin's ability to survive something like this.
Sasuke caught a cab to Shibuya. It was early in the morning, so traffic hadn't reached its peak yet. The cab driver shot a bewildered look at the bag containing Gandiva as the car seemed to get much heavier. The Uchiha shot him a look and the driver didn't make too much of it.
He quickly went to his apartment and dropped the two legendary weapons off. He would back to do some tests on them later. But first he had someone to meet.
As soon as he left Shibuya Station, the building of Hikarie entered his view. It was multifaceted building. There was a large shopping mall. It was around eight floors if Sasuke remembered correctly. It also had a theater and with event spaces. There were even some museums within. As a kid Obito and his girlfriend Rin always insisted on bringing him along with them to the Skyscraper.
But that's not what Sasuke was here for. He wasn't there to reminisce on old times.
Standing in front of a KFC was a teen around Sasuke's age talking to a girl. "Naruto." Sasuke called out. Naruto turned around and gave Sasuke a smile. His hair was glistening with gel as his locks of hair stood out like spikes. Frankly, he looked like an anime character. Then again, so did Ino. And so did Sakura. Naruto's blue eyes and tan skin made his stand out from the rest. He looked like a foreigner as opposed to the son of the most famous politician in Japan.
"Are you Sasuke?" Hinata asked. She stood next to her long-time boyfriend and future husband. Sasuke looked at her and scowled. Everything about her set off his battle instincts. From her strained smile to the well-hidden insanity of her eyes. Her pale skin was caked with makeup. And he could see the outline of a gun handle within her bolero. And if Sasuke was right, then the three men in black suits around the area staring at them were her bodyguards. Sasuke doubted that she needed them.
"I'm fine. I'm sorry for my tardiness. I had important business to take care of. Now, can we get going? I have a job interview later on today and I would rather not have to go through rush hour traffic to get there." That was a lie. Sasuke had no intentions of getting a job. At least not yet. And maybe not ever. Especially not if Yami was involved. She was not one to share her toys.
"No problem. This won't take long." Naruto said. The three of them left Hikarie and began to make the short drive over to Yoyogi Park. Underneath his clothes, his black suit was almost unnoticeable. Like it had become a second skin. A shiver surged down Sasuke's spine as Hinata smiled that icy smile of hers. There was something off about that woman. And he wondered if Naruto knew it. Or if his childhood friend was just that dense.
It wasn't like Naruto was stupid. Naïve, yes. Stupid no. He was smart in the sense that he had the wisdom of experience. But this was a different matter. Hinata was the daughter of the Hyuga Corporation. A company that may or may not have ties with the Rakuzan Syndicate. The largest organized crime group in Japan. Even more than the Yakuza. There were rumours that Hinata's uncle was one the Rakuzan Syndicate's leaders or that he might even be the leader.
Hyuga Hinata was not someone that Sasuke wanted to mess with. Not because she could kill him, oh no, she wouldn't be able to. But because doing so would paint a target on his family. Well it would have, if the Uchiha didn't already. Their families used to ties back when Sasuke's grandfather was still alive. But Sasuke's father cut off all ties and denounced the Hyuga family. And if that didn't paint a target on the Uchiha's back then this definitely wouldn't.
Sasuke silently cursed himself. Yesterday before the mission Naruto had called him. The moment he did so, Sasuke was suspicious. Naruto wasn't one to call or even text. He preferred to speak in person even if it meant travelling halfway across the city. So why would he be calling Sasuke now? As it turns out, his girlfriend had wanted to send Sasuke a message. Hinata wanted to have a meeting.
An Uchiha meeting with a Hyuga? Certainly that wouldn't end well. But it wasn't like they could kill Sasuke. If Yami could repair entire towns, she could do something like wipe the memories of anyone who saw him in action. But of course, where would the fun that be, she would say. And if the three black tailgating cars were any sign, then Sasuke didn't like where this was going. Why did he accept Hinata's offer again?
A sigh passed through his lips.
"We're here." Hinata said, exiting the car. As soon as Sasuke exited the car, he was greeted by the sight of three men in black suits. All of them armed with handguns. There was a fourth one behind him with a sword. Probably a katana. "Don't mind them. Father says they're for my protection. I find his lack of faith in me to be quite disheartening. But alas, I shall make do with what he has given me." A sickening smile was on her face as she looked back at Sasuke, her hands intertwined with Naruto's.
"Don't fall behind Sasuke." Naruto said, walking away with his girlfriend. Sasuke sighed and grunted as one of Hinata's bodyguards bumped shoulders with him as he passed by. The bodyguard shot him a look and flashed the blade of his katana. The Uchiha rolled his eyes and continued forward into the park. His phone buzzed. It was a message from Itachi.
Hey, meet me after your interview. We need to have a talk.
What about? He texted back. Itachi didn't respond. Yet anyways. With a sigh, Sasuke pocketed his phone and followed Naruto and Hinata's trail to a gazebo overlooking a small lake. Hinata sat down at the table within the gazebo and invited Sasuke to do the same. Her four guards were positioned not too far, but not too close either.
Looking warily at Hinata, Sasuke sat down. Naruto sat across from him. The two were whispering to each other underneath their breath. With a smile, Hinata turned to face Sasuke. Sasuke wanted nothing more than leave at that moment. The sly smile on Hinata's face spread whilst Naruto looked a little nervous.
"Now then. Do you know why I wanted to have a meeting Sasuke?" Hinata asked. She then chuckled at her own question. "Of course not. We've never even met before so why would you? But our families have ties with one another as well, do we not? Our grandfathers were once on the same side. But your father decided otherwise."
"Why am I here wasting my time?" Hinata's eye twitched a bit. "Listen, I don't care about your ties to my family. I don't care what connections we had in the past. And I don't even care what dirty practices your family has. Just leave me it out it. Trust me on this, I won't be any help to you."
Hinata laughed. "That's not what this is about. You see, you don't get a say in whether or not you have anything to do with this feud. Because guess what? This little family feud is no longer just that. Your father declared war on my family for their "criminal" acts. And by war I mean he condemned my uncle and proposed that my father be forced to sell the company."
"And what does that have to do with me?" Hinata glared at him. "It's not my fault your father's a scumbag. I don't care what happens to you or your family."
"Sasuke!" Naruto interrupted. "Hinata is innocent here. If her father sells the company everything they have will be gone. Their money, their reputation, maybe even their homes. " Sasuke had to laugh.
"Innocent. I knew you were stupid, but I didn't think you were blind. After all, you've done some dirty work for the Hyuga have you not Naruto?" The blonde froze. "I know that you'd do anything for your future wife. What you see in this crazy bitch I don't know. But for you sake, I'll humor you. What is it that you require of me?" Hinata glared at him.
"Okay. I want to talk to your father. And I need your help in that matter."
"Oh yeah? And what are you gonna do if you get to that point? Beg him not to oust your father from his company? Suck his dick to gain favour from him? You clearly seem like a person who doesn't care what happens to anyone else as long she gets what she wants." Hinata snarled at him. "I'm only telling it as I see it. And besides, your family has the backing of the Rakuzan Syndicate. It's not like my father can force yours to do anything more than just sell the company. Well…I suppose that the military could get involved."
"There's no way that the Rakuzan Syndicate can stand up to the full force of the military."
"I won't be too sure about that. Ask the Cartels." A growl escaped the girl's lips. "So is that all you wanted to ask me? Permission to see my father? What a joke. I'm out of here." Sasuke stood up. None of Hinata's bodyguards moved. They hadn't moved at all since the meeting began.
"Wait," Hinata called out. "Let's make a deal."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow and looked over his shoulder. "I'm listening." Whatever offer she was about to make Sasuke would reject immediately. Unless of course she made him an offer that Sasuke couldn't refuse. But he doubted that. There was nothing Hinata had that he wanted. But he would listen. For now.
"Here's what I'm proposing. If you can somehow convince your father to not declare war on my family, I will not only pay you as much money as you want, I will never make any contact with you ever again."
"Money? Listen, I have no need for money. That much you should know. But that last part is rather tempting to say the least. Okay, let's negotiate here. In exchange for not having our families go to war, you'll give me the most expensive car you own as well as ten million yen and we will never interact with one another ever again. How does that sound?"
"I'll pay you out of my own bank account. Ten million is chump change. And that car is as good as done." Hinata sighed. "So we have a deal?"
"Hm. Yes, I suppose so. I'd shake your shake if I wasn't in such a hurry. But I must go now. If you have any more questions have your little fox here ask me. And maybe I'll give you an answer."
As he passed by the bodyguards, Sasuke had to stifle a chuckle. They all had dumbfounded looks on their faces. No one had ever talked back to their mistress like that before. And anyone that did was as good dead most likely. Sasuke's mind went back to the text that Itachi sent him. No doubt it had something to do with what Hinata had just told him. Perhaps Itachi could explain the situation better than Hinata.
But first, he had some weapons to test.