Hinata pulled herself up onto small flat area that allowed her a break from climbing up the mountain ninety degree cliff. She took a deep breath then leaned over the side grabbing Youga's hand and pulling him up to sit next to her on the cliff. Even though she was the one with the ninja training, she was huffing and puffing while Youga inspected the next part they would need to climb up.
It most be from climbing so much in the past. Hinata stood up and walked up next to him. She gave him a nod and they continued up the mountain. They had been making good time and soon they should be up, then over and on there way down the other side in no time.
They pulled themselves up onto what looked like a path that could lead the rest of the way around or up the mountain. Taking advantage of this discovery they used it to rest there arms and legs of climbing and just walk, rather then climb. As they walked a woman's scream filled the air.
Hinata looked around not finding anyone which meant it most of been further down the path. Taking off at full speed, she left behind Youga. Coming around the bend, Hinata saw two rogue looking people standing over a woman on the ground who seemed to be unconscious. "Don't you touch her!" Yelled Hinata as she approached.
The two criminals looked at Hinata with confusion. With them distracted the woman popped up slicing through there chest and back with a sword she had hidden in her clothing. Hinata looked surprised at the girl. It would appear the girl was never in any real danger; it most of been a trick for the criminals.
The girl got onto her knees and started searching through the men's things looking for valuables. It would seem that she was more the thief then the men on the ground right now. Hinata took a step toward the woman and she looked up at her.
"Well hello there." The woman stood up smiling, not a smile one would give right after killing two people, but a smile you would give meeting a long time friend. "What you doing all the way up here?"
Took the words right out of my mouth. Hinata ignored her thoughts and addressed the girl in front of her. "I'm making my way to the Iron Country. I have someone I need to meet with." Hinata refused to say anymore. The girl had no right for the full reason she was going. The girl walked up next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Hinata looked at the hand worried.
"Are you traveling alone?" She said, the smile was still plastered on her face. She probably planed on killing her and taking her belongings as well. Hinata looked up at the girl and shook her head.
"No, my friend is close behind and should be here any minute." Hinata hoped knowing there was another person would encourage the woman not to try anything. The woman placed her hands behind her back.
"Well I hope you make it to the Iron Country then, a lot of criminals out here, as you can see." She made her way to a path that lead to the lower sections and disappeared down them humming. Hinata watched with confusion as the girl dissapered down the path. As she did she heard the hurried foot steps of Youga coming up behind her.
"What happened?" He said as he spotted the bodies of the thiefs laying on the ground not to far away. Hinata shook her head still thinking over what exactly had happened.
"Some woman tricked them into thinking she passed out. When I arrived they got distracted and the girl killed them with a sword hidden in her clothes. Then she asked me a couple things and…just left." Hinata looked at him and shrugged.
"Well let's not bother with things that doesn't concern us. Get out the rope in your bag. Up ahead is a part of the earth that's been ripped open from a earth quake. It stretches for miles in both directions. It gets wider every year and this should still be the safest ploff her bag placing it on the ground she quickly opened it. Her hand moved quickly searching through the bag but then gasped in shock. "What is it?"
Hinata stood up holding the bag as she stared inside. "It's empty." She turned the bag upside down and shook it, but nothing fell out onto the ground. The bag remained flimsily like a useless object.
"I had a feeling that would be the case." Youga closed his eyes as he thought. "The woman stole your equipment." Hinata's eyes grew wide and yelled at the top of her lungs.
"WHAT?!" A hint of a growl was in her voice and a need for revenge for being tricked so easily by this woman. If anybody had seen her, that knew her, at this moment nobody would recognize her.
A couple hours later the two made there way around a town searching for the woman. The town was built into the side of the mountain and the sun was dieing fast. Hinata looked out at the sun setting. One day gone Hinata sighed and continued looking and couldn't find the woman so they decided the best thing to do was to settle down in a inn.
Once they found a very nice one, the Inn Keeper welcomed them. As the Inn Keeper went on and on about this and that, Hinata saw a small book on a table. She flipped through the pages before quickly pocketing for future use.
The Inn Keeper walked up to a door. "Allow one of my slave girls help you with what you need." He opened the door and the woman standing there was the girl from earlier. Hinata's eyes widen at seeing the woman with her head bowed. When the woman looked up her own eyes widen in shock and surprise.
"You!" Hinata pointed at the woman. The Inn Keeper and Youga looked at her confused. The woman ran over and placed a hand over Hinata's mouth and laughed.
"Here, right this way to your room." She pulled a struggling Hinata down a hall and a confused Youga right behind. They came to a door and the woman pushed it open quickly letting go of Hinata. Hinata pushed away then glared at the woman.
"What's going on here?! Why did you steal my stuff!" Hinata yelled at the woman. The woman put her hand over Hinata's mouth again who growled in announce. Hinata was getting really tired of being pushed around. She quickly bit her hand and stepped away from her making sure the woman couldn't do it again.
The woman winced then glared at Hinata. "Please don't yell. If they find out that I was out without permission I will be greatly punished." The woman's eyes held real concern and Hinata slowly calmed down and gave the woman a nod. Youga, who had been watching the entire time finally spoke up.
"So you're the woman who took our equipment. For what reason did you need them?" Youga said as he sat on one of the coats on the floor. The woman seemed to show my concern then before in her face then let out a loud sigh. She leaned back against a wall behind her.
"As you already know I am a slave for the owner of this Inn. When my parents couldn't pay for there bills, because the taxes of the country is so high, under law they had to give up there oldest child to the one who they owe. I was forced to be given to the owner. Now I sneak out at times and steal things and hope to some day buy my freedom." The woman was staring at her feet now.
Hinata had been watching the woman. "But if your able to sneak out why not just run away?" The woman's face grew sadder. Hinata looked the girl up and down and noticed the bruises on the girl's hand. The girl probably had been forced to work harder then she should of in her life.
"If I had run away then my family would have been to blame and them would have been punished and probably be made into slaves." Her voice was full of sadness and Hinata felt bad for the girl and her anger towards her earlier. "So I'm forced to steal people's things." The girl shook her head and looked at the two. "Is there anything I can get you?"
Youga and Hinata shook there heads as they didn't know what to say. They didn't have the time, or even the ability to help this girl like they wanted. The girl bowed and soon left for them to soak in there thoughts. Youga and Hinata didn't speak the entire night as they eat some of there rations from Youga's back pack. Tomorrow they would sneak a time to ask where there equipment might be, if she hadn't sold it yet.
As Youga slept on one coat Hinata stared at the ceiling from her own. She sat up and lit a candle next to her. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the small book that she had gotten from the table of the office where they talked to the Inn Keeper. She read it the entire night and the next day they packed up there things and went to see the woman and Inn Keeper.
Standing next to the desk was the woman staring at the floor with her sad face and the Inn Keeper sitting in his seat. "I hope you had a nice night." The Inn Keeper said with a big smile. Hinata took a step forward almost directly in front of the desk.
"Yes we did. And there is something I would like to discuss with you." Hinata saw the woman make a question glance at her but quickly looked back at the floor to not get in trouble. "It concerns this woman's slave statues." The Inn Keeper's face became wrinkled in annoyance as to why one of his customers would dare question something like that. Even Youga stared at her back in confusion as to why she was doing it.
"And what would that be? Has this girl said something she isn't allowed to?" The man stood up and slapped the side of the woman's face. The woman yelped in pain and fell onto her knees. The man grabbed her hair and went into to give her another slap when Hinata grabbed his hand.
"If you place another hand on my slave I'll have to take it up with the authorities." Hinata held a serious look that she never held before. It held authority and showed she meant business. The man's face became confused.
"What do you mean your slave? I received this slave through a debt. She's mine!" The Inn Keeper raised his voice in defense. Hinata put her hand in her pocket and pulled out the small book she had read last night. The Inn Keeper looked at the small book in her hand and knew what it was right away.
"These are the laws of this country is it not?" Hinata held the book up as if the man hadn't seen it but she knew he could before. The man gave Hinata a glare as he gave a quick nod as for a response. "Well then, it says in here if a person saves another person they are in there debt. Also if that person is a slave, the slave becomes your slave." Hinata's eyes didn't leave the man's.
"I don't care what that book says. I won't allow it." The vain in the man's forehead pulsed and threatened to blow. Hinata's grip on the book tightened as she narrowed her eyes. "We could always ask the authorities to sort it out." Said Hinata, she hopped this threat would solve everything, if the authorities got in involved they would wonder why a leaf ninja was in this country.
The man sat down in the chair and placed his fingers again his forehead rubbing the skin out of stress. He let out a loud sigh and waves his hand. "Just get out." He looked at the woman. "All of you, just get out." The woman gasped and ran over hiding behind Hinata. Knowing the woman wanted to leave as soon as possible they quickly left the Inn.
Once outside the woman hugged Hinata and even though the woman was a bit taller she cried into her shoulder. Hinata did the only thing she knew what to do in this situation and that was pat her back. When she was finished she took a step back and whipped her eyes.
"Thank you. So much." She smiled and Hinata returned the smile. "Right I expect you would like your things back. I'll take you to them, oh great mistress…uh actually I don't know your name." The woman gave Hinata a questioning look.
"I don't exactly know yours as well. But my name is Hinata Hyuuga." Hinata smile grew and the woman's eyes widen. "Oh my! A Hyuuga? No wonder you were able to out smart that big oof." The woman said excited and even started shaking Hinata's hand. Hinata just kept smiling a little flustered by being embarrassed about her name. If the woman had seen her fight when she was young she probably wouldn't be so excited.
"My name is Savory, it's a pleasure to actually be able to talk to you in the right way." Savory laughed at her own joke and continued to walk as her and Youga fallowed close behind. "I hide the stuff I hadn't sold yet in a cave. It's hidden by bushes so it would never be found." They walked far outside of town into a forest that covered most of the mountain.
They continued walking until Savory started pulling aside these huge over grown bushes and revealed a large cave. She gave Hinata a wink and slipped inside with the two close behind. Different types of items littered the cave, sacks full of who knows what and even two or three carts probably from merchants. Savory picked up one of the sacks and slowly walked back over to Hinata.
Savory held it out and Hinata took it opening it to find all her missing equipment. Hinata looked at Savory and smiled. "Thank you." Savory laughed and shook her head. "There's nothing to thank me for, I should be saying I'm sorry." Hinata laughed with her then they both looked at Youga.
He rolled his eyes at them. "You girls just do what you want while the man stays back and just watches." Savory laughed and took a step toward him. "Where is this man you speak of?" Savory and Hinata laughed together and Youga pouted.
"What will you do now, Savory?" Hinata said as they finally stopped laughing. Savory looked at her and gave a smile. "Well I was thinking if it was possible to go with you?" This made Hinata gasp. "But what about your family?" Savory shook her head. "They should be fine and if I did come back they could have more mouths to feed. I'll visit them sometime but for now I'm going to hang out with you." Savory placed her hand on top of Hinata's head and started giving her a nuggy. "Hey hey! Ow that hurts. Hey stop it." Savory laughed as she continued to do it.
She might of acted innocent and sad back at the Inn, but her true side is a real tom boy. Hinata laughed as after Savory finished giving her head a nice rubbing, her hair stuck up in many places. The three laughed at each other and Savory placed a sister like arm around Hinata.
At the bottom of the mountain in a lake something disturbs the fish and other animals that call this place home. The surface of the lake was still, not even the breeze made the peace of the lake broken. Then bubbles floated to the top breaking this peace until a hand reached up out of the lake. Like clawing there way up a cliff this hand pulled the rest of its body up and out of the surface.
The figure looked around and then let out a dark chuckle. "She should be here very soon." He grinned so wide that his sharp teeth shined in the sun light. "I'm going to have a little fun with this one. Hehehe." His hand reached back and grabbed the sword on his back.