Chapter Three: You either die a hero…
Sasuke felt panic raise within him as his airways were cut off by Kyuubi's death grip – but it was Naruto's fingers, clawed as they were, that were digging into his neck; red eyes that were not Naruto's were embedded in that once care-free face and Sasuke could see nothing of the friend he had killed. Oh, how he loathed himself for doing such a horrible thing – maybe, if Naruto had killed him, this wouldn't have happened.
He deserved to die for what he did.
He deserved it for murdering the first and only true friend he ever had. For not being strong enough to avenge his family. For handing, on a silver platter, the only person who would give up their own life to save him, Naruto, to this monstrosity.
Sasuke deserved to die.
He caught a brief glimpse of his sensei, who was standing on top of the building across the street, and cowering behind him was his other teammate. Sakura looked like a frightened child, too young and naïve to understand what was happening around her. She hid behind their sensei and for some reason Sasuke felt gland. Kakashi-sensei would protect her, Sasuke knew he would.
As for the copy-nin himself, he looked as if someone was ripping his heart out, because his students – his precious, annoying, endlessly competitive, always bickering duo – were now participating in a life-or-death battle with each other. Was he doomed to watch as the murder one another, as more of his precious people are ripped away from him? Sasuke had already killed Naruto, in a way, even if the hyperactive blond was still alive. Kakashi wondered how much of Naruto was left in this demonic parody of his student.
Now, though, it was Sasuke's turn to die.
Kyuubi grinned as Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut, withering uselessly in his chock-hold. How pathetic. Kyuubi tightened his hold on the boy's neck, and a trickle of blood dripped down the Uchiha's exposed neck, mixing with the sand on his black shirt.
Maybe he should snap the brat's neck? The Fox wondered, amused. He heard the kit scream, both in rage and helplessness before desolving into a desperate mess,begging him to spare his teammate. Kyuubi decided against snapping the Uchiha brat's neck – that was far too easy and far too quick for his taste. Better let him suffer.
As the Fox pondered this, he did not notice that sand had started crawling over his hands, barely skimming the surface of his skin – but then, it dug into his torso and arms, pushing him away like an invisible hand, knocking him away from his prey.
Sasuke fell to the ground, crashing to his knees as his palms hit the ground, barely able to keep him from falling face-first. He tried to gulp in as much air as he could between the hoarse coughs which wreaked his pale frame.
Sasuke didn't notice when Kakashi crouched next to him, and tried to fight the hand on his shoulder until he realized it was only his sensei. He saw Kakashi's face as if through a thick fog, murky and blotted. The man said something Sasuke didn't quite catch, since his world was starting to dim and tilt at strange angles before everything disappeared into a black void.
Sand swirled in circles on the ground, flowing and rising in waves. Gaara glared from his perch on one of the buildings above Naruto, who looked deranged and anything but the boy Gaara had fought against not so many months ago – the vessel of Shukaku looked quite menacing in his own right.
Kyuubi chuckled where he lay on the dusty road, before pushing himself up and standing. He brushed off the dirt off Naruto's orange jumpsuit, still chuckling lowly – it made the hairs on the back of the Konoha nin stand on edge. Kankuro and Temari were also uneasy – they knew all too well how things went down when Gaara let Shukaku out, and this guy was much, much stronger. Gaara only narrowed his eyes, but said nothing – he knew better then to agitate the Demon Fox.
Kyuubi's chuckles grew into a full-fledged laugh. Everyone tensed and Gaara looked at Naruto's jonin sensei, Hatake Kakashi. They shared a long look, before Kakashi nodded, speeding off with his unconscious student. He went immediately to one of the ANBU captains, telling him that the Hogake requested for all the ANBU squads and Konoha nin retreat. The man argued, but Kakashi's patience had long been cut short by the day's events, and no man was foolish enough to bring the wrath of the infamous copy-nin upon themselves. Kakashi himself, sighed in relief – they had bought his lie, more or less. The Hogake would understand... eventually, if he survived this... or if Tsunade didn't kill him herself. Still, it was necessary.
He took Sakura with him, and though the girl followed with little protest, the look of resentment still crossed her face. She was so confused, poor, little, naïve Sakura, too innocent to understand how some things worked in the world. She just wanted her Naruto back... just like she did Sasuke – even though it was on the verge of impossible. Sakura didn't understand how the world worked.
Iruka ordered Hinata to go with Kakashi as well, and the girl stuttered and asked what would happen to Naruto. With forced calm Iruka told her that things may not work out for the best, in that soft, reassuring voice of the teacher of soon-will-be-genin. Kakashi sometimes wondered how Iruka could pull that off. If only he was as half a good sensei as Umino Iruka. He shook himself, not the time Kakashi – save students now, sulk later. But Kakashi wouldn't leave Iruka here to die either.
He tried to convince the older man to come, but Iruka was stubborn, and it was the one trait he and his former student shared, Kakashi thought irritably. It was too late already though, because though Kyuubi's was busy entertaining himself by mocking Gaara, he was still very aware of everything around him – the diminishing number of shinobi in the street included.
This caught the demons eye. He smirked "Ah, I see. Your trying to protect these people." he said to Gaara, chuckling darkly, but soon he burst out into full-fledged laugh "What do you wish to achieve, vessel of Shukaku? Do you honestly care for the lives of these pathetic humans?" Gaara said nothing, but his scowl had deepened and there was a glint of something sinister and not quite sane in his eye, something that screamed to brake out – but Gaara held it in with all his might. He would not let Shukaku out in the middle of a crowded street, full of shinobi and, more importantly, Naruto's precious people.
Kyuubi's fanged grin only grew. "I see," he said in mock thoughtfulness "Then lets test that caring side of yours, shall we?" not a moment after he said those words, a catastrophe broke out – one without rhyme or reason or pattern, but somehow Kyuubi was in control of the situation, Kyuubi was always in control – he was unbeatable – and no pathetic vessel of the half-assed One-Tails would come near to touching him!
It happened all too fast.
"Iruka watch out!" But it was too late. Chakra, so intense it was actually as solid and as deadly as a katana, slammed into Iruka's torso. Blood slurred, erupting from the wound and forming a pool around the lifeless body that hit the ground.
There was an unearthly howl, part triumphant, part grieving.
And as Umino Iruka's spirit faded, dead before he even hit the ground, something in Uzumaki Naruto died as well.
His body was not his body, when suddenly, it is. His vision was swimming and he was terribly disoriented. He tried to make sense of the world around him, but was unsuccessful.
Then a face swam into view – pale skin, pale green eyes with flaming hair and a bloody mark on his forehead. Naruto's stomach sunk.
Gaara looked almost exactly like the time he had beaten him during the Invasion and they had both crumbled to the forest floor, exhausted. There was a big difference though, because Subaku no Gaara was still standing. He'd gotten stronger.
His sister, Temari, stood behind her younger brother. It was the first time Naruto had seen the girl so petrified – though she hid it well, but her frightened eyes revealed what her rigid fighting stance did not. Temari had lived with her unstable brother for years, ever since that damned Yashamaru had tried to kill him. Sometimes she admired him for even standing up to the Jinchuuriki, but more often then not, she detested him for making her brother the way he was.
But now Gaara was becoming human, and she wasn't sure what to think about that.
Naruto, on the other hand, had submitted to the monster within.
Gaara looked at him, as if silently asking something. Naruto didn't want to hear it, would he understand, anyway? Surely, he would. Gaara had lived this way for a long time, he knew the feeling.
But when Naruto looked at the sand siblings now, the three of them mending fences ever so tentatively, he wondered if he could really live with himself if he ruined Gaara's second chance by trying to save himself.
He ran, ran with all the speed of the remnants of Kyuubi's chakra – he left broken and betrayed faces of his once friends and the hateful and vengeful ones that cried out for retribution. They'd never made a difference between the monster and it's keeper, and Naruto wondered how defined those boarders were anyway.
It strikes him, as if a sword had wedged itself into his chest, that he is truly alone now. No Sasuke. No Retrieval Team. No comrades or allies. No Tsunade-baachan or Pervy Sage or Kakashi-sensei or Iruka-sensei or Sakura-chan or Sasuke-teme. Just him, and his own demons.
A strangled scream tares itself from his throat, desperate and crying out for someone to love him – a mentor, a teacher, a friend, a family – but no one answers. No one in Konoha hears his cries.
Hinata felt beyond broken. There was no real word to describe how deep the misery she felt was. She had cried, cried with everything she was and everything she had lost. By the end of it, there were no more tears leak from her pale eyes.
She went back at the ruined hospital, with no particular thought behind her path – except the desire to be reassured by a familiar face, before even that was taken away. There a good portion of the outer wall blown out on the east side of the building, just a few levels beneath Neji-niisan's room. There was derbies all over the place. When she entered her cousin's room, she was shocked to find someone already in there. But it wasn't Neji's teammates or sensei or even anyone from the clan come to finish him off ."W-What are you doing here?" she asked shakily.
The Sound-nin didn't say anything, and his cold, calculating gaze, which peeked through the eye-holes of his mask, unnerved Hinata. She wondered briefly how he got there, but then mentally smacked herself because there was a giant hole in the wall just behind him and the village had been in shambles all day – it was relatively easy to sneak in at a time like this.
But then the position the enemy nin fully registered, sending alarm bells off in Hinata's head. The Sound-nin, was leaning over the side of Neji-niisan's bed, a scalpel in one hand, and holding one of Neji's pale eyes open with the other. Hinata felt cold dread seep into her very bones. "You want to steal Neji-nisan's eyes?" Hinata realized suddenly, like a ton of bricks had just been thrown on her back.
The Sound-nin crackled at her pitiful whimper "What does it look like I'm doing, little Hyuuga?" he stepped away from the bed then, and, almost as an afterthought, did something completely unexpected. He removed his mask – so Hinata could see the satisfied leer that adored his visage. Pale white hair fell around a sharp face as Kabuto pushed his glasses into place.
He smiled a smile that was an unsettling mix of false and slyness, and Hinata realized too late what she had said. "Neji-nisan, huh?" Kabuto asked. Hinata stepped back, unsure of what to do. The Sound-nin continued on with his taunts, sounding more and more amused by the second "Oh? What's the matter? Running away? Aren't you going to try to save Neji-nisan?"
"I- I'll protect Neji-nisan!" the words were out her mouth before she even comprehended what she was saying. It was impulsive, that desire to protect someone precious to her, but that did not stop her from shaking like a leaf.
Kabuto chuckled, obviously revealing in her fright.
Swallowing her uneasiness, Hinata tried to put up a brave front, but could not stop the stutter from making itself known "W-What's s-s-so fun-ny?"
"Oh nothing," Kabuto grinned evilly "I was just wondering who you were protecting your niisan from – me or your own family?" the words cut Hinata like a jagged blade, and for a moment she was numb, before hurt and helplessness overwhelmed her mind and she felt hot tears sting her pale eyes, and covered her eyes with her hands in an attempt to hide them. She made a futile attempt to stop them from falling, but they did anyway. It wasn't true! she wanted to say that so badly, wanted to believe it herself – but she knew that that was a false hope.
Kabuto's expression had gone blank, and his dark eyes seemed both annoyed and slightly exasperated "Oh you poor, little princess. Did life pamper you that much?" his tone was full of mock-compassion, which only made Hinata cry harder, stuttering incoherently to herself."How pathetic you truly are, how weak – I see why some of the Hyuuga wish for your demise." The last part made Hinata freeze, and tentatively, she looked up from her hands. Her eyes were wide when she asked, breathlessly "W-What?"
Mock surprise dictated her answer "Oh? You don't know, do you? Well, then let me explain, little girl. Your Clan is very traditional one, isn't it?" without waiting for an answer, he continued "And you see, it is tradition that the eldest son inherits the title of Clan Head – but when only female children are born, like in the case of you and your younger sister, the eldest daughter inherits all the power, while the younger will form yet another Branch family."
Hinata had already known that, it was another thing she felt terribly guilty about – that Hanabi would one day wear the Seal of the Caged Bird on her forehead just like Neji did... because of Hinata. She swallowed, pushing the guilt away as much as she could. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"It has everything to do with this, because, you see, if the eldest daughter doesn't not suit the Elders' fancy – they can rid themselves her." Hinata's eyes widened – disown her? Yes, the thought had occurred to her in the moments of darkest despair – but her Father would never do that to her, would he? "Tell me, what do you think would happen if someone assassinate you?"
Hinata felt her heart stop. No... "T-they wouldn't." she stuttered, but her mind was rapidly going blank.
The sound-nin chuckled, sounding amused "No? I honestly think they would. Everything for the sake of the Clan, isn't that your mentality?" he asked, his voice adopting a mock-thinking tone. Mock, mock, mock – that's all anyone ever did, and it hurt – oh, how it hurt! Hinata could only shake her head. This couldn't possibly be happening.
She could practically feel the smirk forming on the man's face. "Ah denial, such an amusing thing." Hinata wasn't listening though, her brain still not fully comprehending the earlier statement. It felt like someone had thrown her brain into a tempest – but no matter how much she wanted to deny it, she knew what the Clan Elders were capable of.
She gulped back her sobs "They, they..."
"Think about it carefully Hinata-sama," the sound-nin instructed gently, suavely "They think your weak, and no one want's a weak heir." That was the final straw, because in the next second Hinata was on the ground, sobbing and broken. She could take it anymore! Why couldn't reality just leave her alone?
"Heh, your not even worth killing." She heard the sound-nin say and then there were footsteps, but she couldn't tell if he was returning to the bed Neji lay in or if he was headed for the hole in the wall. Whatever his path may have been, she stopped him.
"You." She uttered the word with as much force as she could muster, she had to be strong, had to ignore the bitter salt-water running down her cheeks and the hitch in her breath as she spoke.
The sound-nin stopped, and stood there for a moment, as if deciding on whether to humor her or not, finally he turned "Yes, little girl?"
"Make me stronger." By the tensing of the man's body, and the stunned silence, she knew she had taken him off guard. "What?" he questioned, and he was unable to fully cover his surprise. Hinata bit her lip, before repeating herself, it was like ordering a death sentence "Make me stronger." Hinata repeated, pale eyes steely "I want to be strong."
There was a second in which all was still, before the nin burst out laughing "And your precious nii-san?" he asked when his crackles died down.
She narrowed her eyes, though she knew it was not as impressive when her eyes were red-rimmed – not that her normal glare was worth anything. "You won't touch Neji." she said firmly, with more confidence than she thought she possessed – because it was true, she would make herself strong to protect her precious person.
When she met Kabuto's gaze, there was a sadistic smirk on his lips, but his eyes held nothing but satisfaction, maybe even a twisted glee. "No," he drawled, eyeing the girl in front of him, as if she were a piece of meat, or a new specimen in his lab – which she soon would be, she had no doubt about that. "I don't think I will."
Hinata felt slightly nauseous by now, but she pressed on "I have only one condition."
Kabuto raised an eyebrow, and the condescending was clear in his voice "Oh? What is that?"
The Hyuuga girl took a deep breath "I'll work for Orochimaru, and I'll be your lab rat if needed, but in return you'll restore Neji's eyes sight." she paused. "I know you have the knowledge to do it." Because he had to, because Neji couldn't stay blind forever and it wasn't fair and she had to make everything right again.
Kabuto smirked, Hinata's fantasies served to his advantage, after all. "I'll have to do some experiments first."
There was a pause, because Hinata knew what he had planned for her, but at the same time, she didn't really care about what happened to her.
There was an air of finality when she finally spoke her answer "So be it." The words seemed to have been set in stone from that moment on.
Hinata hadn't returned home after the attack, and Hanabi was beginning to get annoyed. The Clan was putting a strong front for the village, making battle plans with the Hokage and his council and her sister had just wandered off. Sometimes, Hanabi really wondered how Hinata could call herself a Hyuuga.
She sighed, her father had asked her to find his eldest daughter, and Hanabi was not one to disappoint. On the streets of Konoha, where Leaf shinobi were still dragging away the corpses as well as washing the blood away and the civilians were trying to repair damaged buildings, she met Neji-san's teammate – the odd one, with big eyebrows and a turtle-head hairstyle – sulking on some stairs. Maybe he knew where she could find Hinata?
"Hyuuga-san," he greeted when she came close. Hanabi nodded at him, a slight frown on her face. "Have you seen my sister, Hinata, Rock-san?" she asked politely.
Lee shock his head, a bit shocked about being called 'Rock-san', most found his family name quite funny, but the Hyuuga had said it with such seriousness that he began to wonder what was actually funny about it. "Perhaps she's in the hospital." Lee suggested, and a slight wince crossed his face. Visiting Neji, he though bitterly, wondering morbidly how long his friend still had in this life.
"Perhaps," Hanabi agreed, before striding down the street. Lee blinked "Hey! Wait for me!" he chased after her, and soon they were walking side-by-side to the hospital.
They arrived soon enough, climbing up the stairs to Neji's room. Lee was appalled that no one had bothered to move his rival to another room – the far looked like it could cave in on itself! What the hell were they thinking when they just left one of their patients in a potential death trap? "No point in moving a dead-man, besides to the graveyard." the nurse had said, and even though she didn't seem too happy about the whole ordeal, neither was she that bothered by it. She was probably just unnerved by the Hyuuga's decision, but accepted it without a fuss – med-nins were just as used to death, maybe even more, as the seasoned shinobi.
The room – which had a hole the size of an ox, for Kami's sake! – was empty. Lee frowned "Maybe we got the wrong room number."
Hanabi shook her head, though she too, was frowning "It's the right room." There was a pause "Byakugan!" she shouted, and her pale eyes roamed the empty room, then, as she was turning to see if they were anywhere within the hospital, Hanabi's eyes landed on something in the far distance through the giant hole. Her frown deepened, before her eyes widened and a split second later she was racing out the hole and across the rooftops of Konoha, shouting "Rock-san! Follow me, quickly!" Lee complied with a bewildered look, but by Hanabi's tone he could tell the situation was serious.
They jumped across streets and Lee realized suddenly that they were nearing Konoha's Gate. Had Hanabi seen someone there that could be a potential threat? He got his answer when they came up close – all ninja personnel was either dead or unconscious, laying listlessly on the ground in pools of their own blood.
Hanabi however, didn't even pause, continuing her pursuit of only what she could see. She quickened her pace, and in turn, Lee did the same. Suddenly, Lee saw two forms crossing a clearing, and instantly knew they were their objective.
Lee dashed across the clearing, circling it with all the speed he could use without causing any strain on his still sensitive legs. He cut off their path with a few well aimed kunai, and went to hit the one closest to him – a man, by the looks of it – in the side. His attack was deflected, and Lee was thrown back, landing on his feet a few feet away from his opponent.
That's when he realized who they were. His eyes widened, the man he had just attacked bore a hatai-ate with the symbol of Otogakure on his mask, but the person beside him, shockingly, was Hyuuga Hinata. Hinata herself looked torn, but there was something both determined and frightened in her eyes. Lee's eyes traveled over her shoulder, where a head of silky black hair lolled on her shoulder. Neji. Neji. Neji was here, Hinata was carrying him, she was taking him somewhere. Lee's eyes snapped to the sound-nin as the realization struck him – no, I... I must be wrong, there's no way... Lee thought in denial, stunned, before a enraged voice broke him out of his stutter.
"How can you do this, onee-chan?!" Hanabi demanded "How can you betray our clan like this?!"
"Your clan," Hinata whispered, as if unsure of her own words and bit her lip nervously.
Hanabi stared disbelievingly at her "What?"
"Your clan," Hinata repeated, her voice steadier than before "You're the Heiress now, isn't that what you wanted?"
Hanabi blinked, dumbfounded "But, Hinata-neechan–"
Hinata didn't want to hear whatever Hanabi had to say, and she could predict most of the monologue – she couldn't stand to hear it, now of all times. "And besides, even if I had stayed, the outcome would have been the same."
Hanabi frowned, tone angry "What do you mean?!"
"Why now Hyuuga-san," said the sound-nin, speaking for the first time. "You belong to such a prestigious clan, you simply must have heard of assassinations done for heritage rights." The voice was sly, sending shivers down Hanabi's spine, but the words shook her even more. She bit her lip, before shaking her head viciously, yelling: "No! That's not true! Oto-sama would never do that!"
"Some might have thought that when he scarified his own brother to save his own life." Kabuto said coldly.
Blazing white eyes turn to bore hole in him "He didn't do that!"
Kabuto smirked, that infuriating, self-assured smirk that made self-doubt sprout in you despite you best efforts – and that silky, suave voice serenading you with lies and half-truths "Are you sure about that?" He purred at the seething Hanabi "I mean, isn't the Branch Family required, though I do think the precise word is forced, to do everything the Head orders them to?"
Hanabi's anger vanished in favor of a shell-shocked silence, and the emotion on her face could be only described as pure disbelief, and denial "No, that's not..."
Kabuto's smirk only grew, he had already won. "Really? Because I'm pretty sure that's required of slaves."
Hanabi's anger returned ten-fold "My family is not slavery!" she screamed. She looked highly offended and like the only thing she wanted to do right now was to drive a kunai straight threw Kabuto's throat.
Kabuto was completely unfazed by her fierce glare though "No, your family is the Head. And I don't believe you've ever called your Aunts, Uncles or Cousins by their family titles. You don't truly consider them family, you know you don't." he said in a taunting tone, but it was light, like this was all a joke to him. Kabuto chuckled darkly "How ironic, the Clan most famed for their eyes can't even see what's in front of them."
Then he erupted into action, and two kunai were sent in Hanabi's direction. She deflected one, but as she tried to deflected the second, the explosive tag tied to it exploded and she was set flying. Her back hit a tree, where she slumped to the ground, her skin blackened with burns of various degree. She grunting in agony, feebly pushing herself up, before collapsing back to the earth again. Hanabi didn't make a effort to get up again.
Kabuto sprinted towards Lee, who was more prepared than his younger counterpart. Kunai clashed, and explosive tags went off, but Kabuto didn't manage to land a single hit – and it was obvious that Lee was slowly gaining the advantage.
Kabuto growled, fed up, and made a quick set of hand-seals. Nothing happened, and Lee kept fighting, but then his movements began to slow, and he felt something wrapping about his limb, constricting him. Kabuto physically pushed him against a three, and Lee thought it was probably so he couldn't jump backwards if he managed to brake free of whatever was holding him, and with Kabuto up front, his movability was greatly constricted even without Kabuto's jutsu. His breath caught.
"Long range chakra attack," Lee breathed, trying to struggle free to no avail. Kabuto only glared, but there was a whisper of a smirk in his expression "Stop squirming bushy-brows, I've just disabled your chakra network."
Lee blinked, before a feral grin spread across his lips "Ah, so in that case." He threw his legs back, and they made contact with the bark of the tree over his head. Lee used his momentum to spring towards Kaboto, punching him in the face before the other had time to react. He bounced away, and took a fighting stance a safe distance away.
Kabuto stared, bewildered "H-How did you–?"
"Heh, you can't disable someone's chakra flow if they don't have one!" Lee gloated, a smug grin on his face.
"D-Dammit!" Kabuto swore through gritted teeth. Lee pounced, aiming a well placed kick to Kabuto's shoulder – Kabuto, on the other hand, smirked. His hand caught Lee's foot, and he held it by the ankle, his nails digging into the flesh, ripping the green fabric of Lee's jumpsuit. Lee screamed, falling to the ground, the nerves in his leg were on fire, and it felt almost like Gaara's sand was crushing him again.
"Lee!" Hanabi called desperately, renewing her feeble efforts to get up, but it was in vain, Lee couldn't get back on his feet anymore.
Beaten and bloody, the younger Hyuuga tried to consult her sister one last time "Onee-chan! Please don't do this!" Hanabi screamed in desperation. Hinata looked torn, a silent anguish in her pale eyes."We can work something out! The Clan would forgive you and – "
Kabuto sighed, cutting her off "Do you honestly believe that?"
The young Hyuuga gritted her teeth "It's because of Neji that your doing this, isn't it?!" Hanabi asked her sister bitterly – of course, her sister had always been so concerned with their lesser counterparts! "He's a dead man either way, why do you insist on–"
"On what? On treating him like a fellow human being?" Hinata burst out suddenly "Like I care for him? Well, I do! He's just as much as my family as you or Oto-sama! Maybe more!" Hinata shouted, her eyes began to burn, but she held her tears back – if she broke down now, everything would be over. "You call me "onee-chan" because you feel obliged to, but tell me, is there any fondness behind that honorific?" her tongue felt too big for her mouth, her mouth filled with something bitter and her throat was tight, but the shocked look her sister was giving her told her everything she needed to know. It still hurt, like someone had suddenly decided to use her chest as a target for shuriken practice (haphazardly thrown, like when she was back at the academy – even then, she couldn't do anything right).
"That's what I thought." Hinata's eyes softened, her usual gentleness resurfacing briefly "Goodbye, Hanabi." And with that, the elder sister jumped into the canopy of the trees, her petite silhouette soon lost in the darkness of the night. Kabuto followed soon after, a triumphant smirk on her cruel features.
"Hinata, wait!" Hanabi yelled, trying desperately to activate her Byakugan in an attempt to track her sister's movements, but a sharp sting in her right eye stopped her. One of the burns was too close to her eyes, if the blood-vessels around her eyes raised she could potentially damage her nerves "D-Dammit!" Hanabi cursed, before twisting so she could see her immobile companion "Rock! Lee! Wake up you knucklehead! Lee!" but the boy remained on the ground and did not answer, suffering in his own anguish. Some time later, which felt like an eternity to Hanabi, Lee managed to gather enough strength to maneuver himself back to his feet – well, foot, since he was limping, badly. He helped her stand, and she was ready to force herself to spring after Hinata, before he took her by the shoulder and told her that she was already too far away to track – he didn't mention that they had no chance of stopping them either way, in the condition they were in, they both knew. Still, Hanabi screamed at him, and they argued, but, him being in a better shape than she was, Lee managed to drag her back to Konoha. Hanabi snapped at him, protested and cursed (and didn't give a damn about the Hyuuga's famed calm!) and Lee didn't even try to defend himself. She had lost a sister. Lee had lost his rival, and, arguably, his best friend. The rest of the piggy-back ride was spent in sullen silence.
The world was peaceful and calm, unnervingly so, and was unheeding of the distress of it's occupants.
Lee's thoughts have taken a more somber path than usual and his mind was heavy with the many painful truths the world had slapped his face with. Even Sakura's slap hurt less than this.
How could Hinata do something like this?
The name and the action didn't click in Lee's head. One was good and innocent, almost too much for a shinobi – for a person, really – and the other an ugly, vile act of sheer betrayal. He couldn't make the connection between the two, that were as different as night and day, and he had no particular desire to do so, anyway.
Life had turned itself upside-down and he was powerless to stop any of it: powerless to save Neji from being blinded, from his own family; helpless to save Chouji, who had died fighting for his comrades; useless in the fight to prevent Hinata from deserting the village (and it was almost like she took Sasuke's place by doing so); insignificant in the fight against the possessed Naruto.
More that ever, Rock Lee felt worthless, and no amount of training and pep-talks could banish the knowledge that this was only the first step down the bloody and traitorous path of a shinobi.
For the first time, Lee began to question his dreams.
Two days later, news of the fight, and the Hyuuga Heiress's defection, had spread through the village like wildfire that none could contain. The Hyuuga were defaced, and lost much of the villagers' support and their influence within the Hokage's Council.
It was one of the biggest scandals in the history of Konoha.
Tongues blabbered on non-stop, mouths barely closing as the news was devoured by curious and gossipful villagers. The shinobi only sneered at such behavior, few were saddened by Hinata's departure, fewer cared except to slit the now-missing-nin's throat.
All and all, it was a sad affair.
Team Eight had withdrawn themselves from society after the ordeal. It must have been painful for them, to hear from the great vine – the town gossip, of all things! – that their beloved teammate – sweet, naïve, innocent Hinata Hyuuga – had ran off to join their enemies.
Kiba had screamed in denial, snapped, cursed and remorselessly broken the nose of the man who delivered the news. Shino had looked ready to feed the miserable fool to his insects.
No one had spoken to the two since, in either respect of their loss and recovery or because most were uncaring and disdainful of such a weakness in their ranks. Still, the genin were young and inexperienced, and time would harden their heart – if they lived that long, that is.
Nara Shikamaru, at his young age, was already hailed a genius, even though he had let a comrade die in battle, basically gave another his death sentence (before his desperate cousin dragged him to their enemies for help), caused said girl's deflection from the village and released a fucking Demon Fox set on annihilating everything he loved!
Shikamaru couldn't, for the life of him, understand Hyuuga Hinata's reasoning – but if he had to hazard a guess he'd said it was a mix of desperate hope and that quiet love the girl held for those close to her. The naïve little girl she was, she most likely thought that this was the best option she had.
Maybe she was right, Shikamaru thought bitterly. Bitter. He was barely fourteen-years-old and he was already bitter. The only consolation he might have had was that he was a fast learner, but experience did not prevent death, nor did it stop his comrades, teammates, friends from falling in battle all around him while he stood helpless. It wouldn't prevent future betrayals and separating paths, only warn him with vague signs of things to come. He was better off as an ignorant kid than a genius, Shikamaru decided.
Shikamaru wasn't an experienced leader, but he was a genius, and more often than not he really hated that title.
Missions keep pilling up after the whole fiasco with the Fox – with Naruto – and there was talk of a possible attack now that the villages defense was weakened, or a possible alliance to ward off a common threat. Shikamaru's heart broke a bit every time he used that word – threat, Baiju, Enemy, Monster – for the cheerful, enthusiastic outcast he had known in his youth, but over the months the feeling faded, lingering only as a bitter taste at the back of his mouth.
Konoha had managed a speedy recovery after Kyuubi's attack – many were in panic, many had fled the village, those who remained knew all to well there was nowhere to hide.
In the coming years, Shikamaru would become one of the Hokage's advisers, and his wit and intelligence served the village well when they form the alliances needed to fight the Demon on the loose and the growing threat of Otto (that remains sourly their own).
Shikamaru had grown numb over these last ten years – he was now a renowned strategist, a genius, a hero (somehow he always thought of a blond whirlwind that deserved that title more whenever someone says it – but that memory has faded in the face of new dangers and grief). Shikamaru felt detached from his own body, like he's here but not truly where he should be.
His mind was as sharp as ever – sharper now, honed by years of experience (meaning mistakes mostly, but none as grievous as the first) – his perception was always spot on, he was famed, bathed in the glory of one who shoulders a great burden of so many lives.
Shikamaru feels numb to the world, his glory a pretty word on the lips of passerby, as he thinks of times now long past as he tries to reach for something he has already lost.
You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.
AN: One more chapter to go - which will be up in a month or so. Ah, I can't believe I'm finally going to finish this! It's been lying around for so long!
Care to leave me a review, please?