Disclaimer: Don't own, NARUTO!
A/N: Exactly 6 days later, I have updated! This Chapter is just so I know everyone who is reading this is up-to-date with all the information if could possibly find on the Village of the Mist! Sorry for swapping between "Kirigakure" and like, "water country" I do it, coz, like, I forget the Japanese names! Enjoy!
Chapter 4; Revelations of The Village of the Bloody Mist
That night, as Hinata was trying to get to sleep, she heard a soft knock on the door to her room. She slipped out of bed, and over to Sakura, who had awaked at the sound. Sakura frowned, the pointed to her eyes, then to Hinata, indicating her to use Byakugan. Hinata complied, and turned to the door.
She saw a chakra signature, with millions of blots swarming around the systems, and a second chakra signature, which was ever so slightly different from normal, but Hinata could never figure out why. She changed her vision so she was looking at their faces, before deciding they were the real thing.
She swiftly stood to open her door to Yamato and Shino. They entered with sombre looks on their faces, and sat on the floor in the dark, indicating for Sakura and Hinata to join them.
Without any explanation, Yamato created a dome of wood over their heads, and lit a candle, placing it in the centre of their circle.
"What's wrong father?" Sakura said, her tone concerned, already in disguise mode. Yamato sighed, looked around at the three Chuunin before continuing.
"Nothing's wrong, per se, but, I have important information and warnings that I must depart…About the Water Country" he said. Hinata's fear came rushing back to her, of the rumours she'd heard about Kirigakure. "Now, listen carefully as I tell you this. Sakura, you'll already know some of it, but I'll say it anyway. This information is what we've picked up here and there, with reports and word-of-mouth"
"As you all know, Kirigakure is nicknamed Village of the Bloody Mist, as their Barbaric Genin Selection Exam, left the children as fierce, ruthless Shinobi. This exam was a fight to the death between the children with the other pupils that they had worked beside for years. Now, you really need to know the history of the Country of Water" he said, and sat back against his wood.
"For years, the country had had endless civil wars, ninja against ninja, and fights in the street, violent destruction. Any Ninja with a bloodline technique, like Haku who you encountered Yuuna, were used as tools in these wars to bring countless deaths, because a Kekkei Genkai is an incredibly strong technique. As the wars waged, people began to fear them, and blame those with a Kekkei Genkai for the wars, accusing them of starting it. And long after those wars were settled, every clan in the Mist that held a Kekkei Genkai had to hide the truth of their blood, for fear of being killed" he said, and Hinata frowned.
"Why, I-if the wars happened b-before their t-time, would they still n-need to hide it?" she asked, looking around at them all, from Sakura's sad face, her eyes lost in memories, to Shino's stoic expression, a glare glinting off his glasses.
Yamato sighed, before answering, "Because, Kimi, their Kekkei Genkai is so powerful, that if you or Neji were to go up against the Kekkei Genkai that Haku had, you'd both have to work very hard to keep up, and actually win against it. They simply feared the strong" he said, before glancing at Sakura. Sakura didn't interrupt.
"If they found someone with a bloodline technique they were to be instantly killed" he concluded, and Hinata gasped.
"That's not the worst part, Kimi" Sakura began, "Haku told us, that he had displayed talent, and his father had found out about him and his mother's Kekkei Genkai. His father killed his mother, and when he tried to kill Haku, Haku lost control, and blacked out. When he awoke, Haku found he'd killed his father, and all the other Ninja who had been there. He was left unwanted to wander the streets" Sakura said, sadness evident in her voice.
Yamato nodded, and continued; "So, even after the civil wars, things like this still happened. Later on, Zabuza appeared. He was training to be a Ninja, and he was all set to take the Genin exam, but failed the preliminary, which meant he couldn't become a ninja. After that, he went berserk, and killed 100 of his peers. The tradition was abolished after that incident, and Zabuza was forever called "The Demon of the Mist", and he was instantly given the title of a ninja, and continued to climb the ranks" he said, his face crumpling into disgust, and his tone becoming dark.
Hinata couldn't believe it. Even after he'd killed all his friends, they had still let him become one of them?? But, she couldn't think on it longer, because Yamato had continued;
"Now, don't misunderstand, it was perfectly acceptable for a child to kill his friend for the sake of becoming a ninja back then. But, they didn't want a repeat of Zabuza; the number of children becoming a ninja would dramatically decrease if out of 100, only one would become a ninja instead of 50. So, the Mizukage abolished the practise. Zabuza went on to become and ANBU captain"
"That was when Zabuza became a Missing-Nin. He had gathered forces inside of Kirigakure, a mixture of ANBU, Jounin and Chuunin, and planned to overthrow the Mizukage. The reasons are unknown to us, and it would be unwise to ask anyone. Henceforth, Zabuza became a Missing-Nin when his plans failed, and I assume his companions were killed. He was planning on attacking again, and was getting money from everywhere when you met him Yuuna. Zabuza was also one the Seven Shinobi Swordsmen, of whom Hoshigaki Kisame was also a part of, before joining Akatsuki. It's also wise, not to mention him" Yamato said, while idly scratching an itch on his forehead.
"Now, to the point, I wish to warn you of something. But first, does anyone know of the Kaguya clan?" he asked, looking around. Shino nodded, but Hinata and Sakura shook their heads. "I didn't think so. This clan was renowned for their bloodthirsty quality. They were beasts. They'd wander places, with no tactics, or goal, they simply wished to kill, and kill they did. They had a unique Kekkei Genkai, which enabled them to manipulate their bones at will. The Sole survivor of that clan was Kimimaro Kaguya. He was a member of the Sound village, and worked directly under Orochimaru, and was the one to battle first Naruto, then Rock Lee, and Sabaku no Gaara in the mission to save Sasuke" he stated, and waited while that information sunk in.
"His clan was inherently powerful, and won every bloody battle. That was, until they challenged Kirigakure. They wandered into battle, as always, blood thirsty, and with no tactics to speak of. That clan was entirely eradicated, leaving one sole survivor, who was Kimimaro, who would've succeeded in killing Sabaku No Gaara, if he hadn't died from a disease that was eating away at him" he said, and looked at them all. Hinata stared at him, stricken. Defeated Gaara and Lee that easily even when he was seriously ill? And the mist wiped out an entire clan?
"So, I'm warning you of the unimaginable strength of the Water Country. Its military force is not one that would be defeated easily by Konoha or Suna, or even both put together. They are not blood thirsty, or looking for war. If that was so, they'd have already attacked Konoha, or perhaps The Hidden Village of the Cloud. No, they're just a force to be reckoned with, which has a bloody past and brutal Ninja training" he concluded and looked at all three of them carefully, his story finally making its point.
"I'm also warning you of the Amaya Clan. If they have the strength to keep that country in check, then those people in that other room are not to be messed around with" as he said this, his eyes flickered to Hinata, and she felt her face flush with shame at what she'd already said and done to Kosuke. "Those men through there, with their light-hearted attitudes are not their real selves, that attitude is just because they are free, momentarily, from the pressure of clan life in Kirigakure. As we get nearer to the Water Country, do not expect them to be the same people" again, he looked at Hinata.
"They have to be strong in their country, and being happy is not something that they will allow themselves. Now, I'm sure you're aware of Kosuke's temper" at this Hinata and Shino nodded, but Sakura seemed unaware of Kosuke's other side.
"Yes, well couple that temper with Jounin class skills and a killer intent, and you have one dangerous man. Whatever experience you've had with him so far, you can forget it. Any preconception you have of him must be forgotten, and you are to form new judgements, of them both. They are ruthless warriors once we cross that border, and don't forget it" he finished, and looked around at them. They stayed silent, thinking over everything they've been told.
Yamato's wooden jutsu slowly retracted, with small creaks, and the occasional crack of the wood stretching. They were once again in the girl's room, and the chill stole their heat away, and extinguished their candle.
Hinata shivered. Her little courage was quickly fading, and a niggling thought appeared in the back of her mind.
"Why d-do they n-need us then?" she asked in a whisper. Yamato looked at her, and gave a pained expression.
"The threat is within their own country, so alerting their own ninja of a danger will only lead to a full blown civil war again. And that isn't where the Water Country wants to go. So, instead, they have bodyguards secretly placed. And if we die and they catch the perpetrators, they our lives were a distraction to catch the enemy, and then no one need ever know. But if we die, and they go uncaught, they can just say we were Konoha spies, and that their own enemies did a good job, and they'd still have a clearer idea of who to look for" he paused, his eyes casting down to the floor.
"It's a win-win situation for them, and our sacrifice for the police force of Kirigakure will mean nothing. It'll ensure, however, that Konoha is forever on good terms with the sheer strength of the Water Country's Military" he finished, and stood, grabbing the candle. Yamato seemed unable to speak any longer, or perhaps he didn't want to. Shino and Yamato left the room silently.
Hinata heard Sakura release the breath she had been holding and mumble something about going back to bed. Hinata crawled into bed, but couldn't sleep, and after she heard Sakura's steady breathing, she slipped out of bed, and onto the balcony.
Once in the cool night air, with the sound of the river, and the faint smell of Gun powder and food from the festival, she felt her heart rate slow, and her insides unclench. She took a deep breath, and reached back, untangling her hair from the viciously tight plait Sakura had put in. Her long silky hair tumbled out of its binding, and was caught in a gust of wind, that made it flow, and the breeze caught the hem of the nightie Hinata wore for bed in the summer, when the nights were warm and stifling.
"Yamato is a wise man" sounded a cool, but hard voice from behind her. Hinata nearly died of fright, her heart thundered away in her chest, and she drew her arms in around her, as she turned to see Kosuke sat idly on the railings around her Balcony.
She began to panic, wondering if he had heard what Yamato had said; well, he obviously had. Kosuke was just sat, staring out across the town, his face relaxed, but his eyes hard. He took a deep intake of breath, and turned his steely gaze on her. She felt the blood rush to her face, and she gripped the railing in front of her with fear, images and pictures of carnage rushing in front of her eyes.
But, as her gaze connected with Kosuke's and she suddenly remembered the previous night. He'd smiled, and laughed, and had been easy with her, expressed his dislike for being treated the way he did back home, and his support for her. But she also remembered the anger, and his fierce expression, and that coupled with Yamato's warnings, forced her to asses his personality again.
"You don't have to be afraid of me Hinata-san, I won't hurt you without reason" he said, and her mind began to list the reasons of why he would want to hurt her. Her mouth had stopped working, she could only stare at him, and she could see his annoyance beginning to build.
"Will you stop staring? Its getting annoying!" he said angrily, but with a hushed voice, and fluidly left the railing and was stood about 3 feet in front of her in the blink of and eye. Hinata merely stood looking at him, before forcing herself to slowly lower her eyes to the floor. She let go of the railing, and clamped her hands together, her breathing erratic and her heart beating fast.
Kosuke let out a small tut, as he watched the pathetic woman. Him and his father had heard every word, and had decided that Yamato had had every right to say that. They were not offended by his cautious attitude, but this girl was cowering in fear, like he would strike her down for simply being involved in the conversation. He gave out and exasperated sigh, and pinched the bridge of his nose, placing this other hand on his hip.
"No, Hinata-san, I'm sorry, I mean, you can stare...if you want, I really don't mind! I…" he ground to a halt, as her head shot up to look at him, her now Icy blue eyes filled with confusion as well as fear. "I mean, we're a freaking team, if we can't trust each other, who the hell can we trust?" he said, hoping she would stop being so afraid. He didn't want the people who were charged to protect his life to be afraid of him. Although, he still wasn't convinced at their strength.
"K-K-Kimi…" Hinata finally stuttered out. Kosuke lowered his hand in surprise; this wasn't exactly the response he'd hoped for. "My n-name is K-Kimi…" she said again, her breathing becoming normal, as she recognised the Kosuke from the clearing, who smiled at the stars while thinking of his brother. He blinked, and then smirked, before shaking his head.
"She Who is Without Equal (A/N; the meaning of Kimi), fits you perfectly, Kimi-san" he said, and turned away from her, muttering under his breath, before easily leaping to the next balcony. She watched him go, as he jumped with minimal effort, and tried to gauge his ability. But, a single jump doesn't tell you a lot.
Hinata stayed glued to the spot as he disappeared silently into his room, before shakily making her way into her own room. Once inside, she leaned against a wall, and slid down it, having a mild heart attack. Good lord, I can't believe that just happened! I can't believe he heard everything we said! Oh no, they're probably going to hate us after this!! Hinata thought to herself, as she picked herself up, to collapse into bed.
Hinata was awakened the next morning by Sakura throwing things at her, shouting merrily for her to get up. Obviously, Sakura wasn't so fazed by prophecies of Doom. Hinata slowly dragged herself out of bed, and into the shower.
As she returned, a hyperactive Sakura had packed all of their things away, made their beds, prepared breakfast and was ordering Hinata to let her plait her hair again. Or maybe Sakura reacted to Prophecy's of Doom by doing things?
Sakura and Hinata met the rest of the Team outside the hotel, Sakura saying a cheery good morning to everyone, but only getting a cheery response from Asa-san. After that, the conversation went down hill.
They were walking in a field, and Hinata was enjoying the freedom. Her head hurt where Sakura had almost pulled her hair out getting the plait tight, but it stayed nicely. She shifted her bag higher up on her shoulders, and adjust the straps, before activating her Byakugan, and searching the area momentarily. She had taken to doing this every now and again, but only when she was sure she felt no presence, and Shino had given her the all clear. She merely wanted to check the status further afield, for waiting ninja, or further back, for anyone following them. So far during the journey, no one had challenged them. As she was doing this, she listened idly to conversation.
Sakura and Shino were deep in conversation about bugs being used in medicine, and Shino was telling Sakura how well a bug could extract poison very easily from the blood. Kosuke and his father were talking about someone called Tsuyu, and Yamato was walking beside her.
Just then, Asa suddenly turned to Yamato, and stated;
"So, Yamato, how did it go last night, did you manage to scare your team half to death with scary prophecies of Doom?" he asked cheerily, and Hinata realised it was spooky that he'd used the same phrase that she had. His challenge to Yamato, however, came as no surprise. She deactivated her Byakugan for a second, to watch the various facial expressions.
Yamato looked positively alarmed, for a split second, before he gave a small smile.
"You're not angry with our, frank, rudeness? I realised late last night after I gave the, er, "prophecy" that I had forgotten to warn you about my foresight abilities" he said coolly, and then smiled as Asa shook his head, and just shrugged.
"You have a right to be cautious" he stated simply
"Wait, scared half to death? My team? No way" Yamato said proudly. Hinata however, flushed a dark red colour, catching Kosuke's amused gaze. She quickly turned her Byakugan back on, and zoomed in randomly on a forest, not expecting to see anything. What she did happen to see, however, made her stop in disgust.
Everyone was instantly alert when Hinata had stopped walking, and zoomed in on the horrible scene. She gasped, and shut her eyes, causing Sakura to go quickly to her side, demanding to know what she saw.
"I-I-In the f-forest, a-a g-gang, a-a-and, a w-woman, a-and a y-young girl!" she stuttered out, almost sobbing. Everyone instantly knew what she was saying. The towns around here were rough. And it was not uncommon for a woman to be attacked by gangs of men.
Yamato took hold of Hinata's shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "Is there anyone one else around who might see us?" he asked calmly. Hinata quickly checked, avoiding looking at the morbid scene ahead, before shaking her head. "Good, now let's go" he said, and they all took off running towards the forest, and in aide of the women.
As they neared, Kosuke, who was leading the group, made a hand signal for the rest of them to hold back, and quickly dropped his bag, and disappeared altogether. The rest continued running, Asa quickly scooping Kosuke's abandoned bag, towards the screams and jeers, and stopped on the edge of the clearing. What they saw made Hinata's stomach turn.
A group of ten men, and a woman about 25, and a young girl, only 12 or so, were being brutally beaten and raped. Their blood splattered the ground, and the men, each carrying a weapon, be it a chain, or a stick, laughed, and jeered loudly at the women's feeble attempts to resist, get away, or scream. Their weapons were covered in blood. Hinata heard Asa mutter "bastards…" beside her.
Kosuke suddenly reappeared in the thick of the group. His eyes were closed, his face stoic, his hand gripped the hilt of a sword, and he had an ANBU mask, featuring an owl, but it was pushed to the side and out of the way of his face.
The men's cries and jeers suddenly stopped, and there was dead silence in the clearing, apart from the women's pitiful crying. Kosuke's eyes slowly slid open, and his face twisted into a fierce glare as he literally growled at the men. The gang was frozen, but they regained sense, and tried to escape. Kosuke let out a bone-chilling war cry, and disappeared for a second then reappeared back where he was, his sword in his hand, and stained in fresh blood.
He lifted the sword, and flicked it down to the ground, causing an arc of blood to fly through the air, before replacing it back in its sheath. The men, who had stopped in their escape, suddenly has gaping wounds, and all at once they fell, blood spurting from them, as they all landed on the floor in unison with a dull thud.
Sakura was the first to react; she dashed out to help the women, easily throwing the bodies of the men aside. Kosuke handed her his mask, which she quickly strapped to her face, to hide her identity. She easily healed the naked bodies of the women, and Hinata hurriedly shrugged off her pack, grabbing some clothes and appeared behind Kosuke in the blink of an eye.
His bulk easily hid her petit form, as her turned to face her, and took the clothes she handed to him for the women, as their own clothes were torn, filthy, and stained in blood. Once the women were healed, and everyone else was hidden, Kosuke and Asa proceeded to ask them questions. This time, Asa was wearing the mask, which he removed half way though, so the women thought he was the one to heal them.
The rest of the team and Hinata were hidden in the undergrowth, and she shifted slyly towards Shino, and then gripped his arm for support. She'd seen some terrible things, but, this was by far one of the worst. This made her sick to the stomach, leaving her shaky and uneasy, and Kosuke's war cry still resounding in her mind. She always hated seeing people hurt in front of her.
She realised now the strength of Kosuke, and that his ANBU status, made him stronger that Neji, possibly even stronger than Yamato, Kurenai or Kakashi. And Asa was his father; he probably taught Kosuke how to fight. Words from the previous night suddenly ran through her mind; the words of Asa from the restaurant.
"Whatever you do in Konoha to get information out of spies, is probably what our guards do to pass the time...You girls will be raped as soon as they look at you…" she just couldn't comprehend what evil people would do as soon as they were allowed to do it.
She watched as Asa and Kosuke came over to them, both girls were unconscious. "We need to make a detour" Asa said, his voice sombre. It was odd to hear him sound so sad. Yamato nodded in understanding, and no one raised any objections. After they'd visited the girl's hometown, they'd arrive at the port to take them to the Water Country, where even more terrifying things were said to await.
Well, Another chapter down! And THANKYOU VERY MUCH TOO; WINTER MISSION! Lol, thankyou for reviewing Chapter 3, I appreciate it! And, all shall be revealed. This, I can now reveal, is kinda like a prologue story, to the original idea I had for this. But, I made up and entire story for before hand, so, I decided to make it a reality! I've got 8 chapters drafted out, and they just need refining! So, yeah, keep reviewing!
Goodbye too Winter Mission.
Ilse.
