Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Chapter Three
10ShizukaYuukiMistress10
He was very fast. That was to be expected, coming from a Hyuuga. But his jabs and strikes never missed. They always landed on their target. Which, in this case, happened to be Hinata.
But she couldn't let Tamagi outshine her in front of Danzo. It was an insult to Danzo's harsh training methods, and the day-in, day-out suffering she had to endure.
Hinata, being a Root member, which was far more challenging in comparison to Konoha's standard Anbu Black Ops, endured rigorous training and trails.
She would not be taken lightly.
Even with her injuries, and knowing she'd made a bad start, Hinata still managed to pick up her speed, until they were fighting on an equal level. At least that was what she had thought, when—
It came out of nowhere. His hand had disappeared… and when she least expected it, his blow sent her flying across the room until her body collided with the ground in a sickening thud.
Blood dripping from her mouth, Hinata lay slumped on the floor, her body bruised and battered. At least three of her vital chakra points were completely blocked. And she could see through her Byakugan that there also appeared to be some internal damage done to her organs.
"Get up." Danzo ordered harshly. He looked stern, unforgiving, and her recent performance certainly had done nothing to affirm his judgement that she was the right person for his "task".
He would still take his chances with her, however...
Hinata managed to raise herself into a sitting position, quickly pressing a hand imbued with green healing chakra against her stomach to make standing up less strenuous.
Slowly and shakily rising to her feet, the Hyuuga heiress fixed her eyes on a stoic Danzo and a judgmental looking ex-Hyuuga.
"You see, my Hinata… You will only get one chance to render your target useless with Koryoku. If you miss, that will be the end of you." He paused, eyeing her intensely. "Of course, I can't allow that to happen so shortly after acquiring a weapon as invaluable as you. So, you better learn how to strike and never miss."
Hinata nearly flinched. When had her life become a disposable element of Danzo's arsenal? And how long would she have to train like this until she was ready to face off Danzo's assassination target?
Without her consciously being aware of it, her hands began to tighten into fists, her nails digging harshly into her skin, nearly bruising it.
"I promise to learn how to never miss, Danzo-sama." Hinata said, her translucent gaze hardening. "Whatever the cost may be."
"That's good." Danzo said, immediately impressed by her determination. If he had caught wind of this Hyuuga girl's potential sooner, he would've hired and trained her as one of his Root members years ago.
Danzo turned away from them, heading towards the exit. He stopped to speak just before he reached the shoji sliding door.
"Now I have other matters to attend to. Resume your training."
Hinata watched Danzo go silently.
~.~
Sasuke Uchiha scoffed, as he kicked off the corpse hanging on the edge of his blade. He was taking part in some kind of caged ring fighting, in a dodgy area of some random village. So far, he'd beaten a total of two opponents. It had been over in moments. Hadn't even required him to activate Sharingan.
The scowling man who was in charge grudgingly passed over a small bag of coins to Sasuke for his victory.
After getting a taste of the thrill of battle from executing those rogue bandits yesterday, Sasuke had decided he needed more. These ring fighters mainly consisted of inactive shinobi, most of them drunks and criminals with nothing better to do with their lives. They would suffice for the time being. And Sasuke needed the money after giving away the remainder of his savings to those orphaned kids.
His thoughts suddenly diverged to much darker themes.
In battle Sasuke felt fierce. Invulnerable. He supposed he had an unfair advantage over his opponents, even without the use of his Sharingan. He was a prodigy by birth, of course. But sometimes, just sometimes, Sasuke let them slip past his defences, allowed their blade to slice a part of his flesh, allowed their fists to break some of his bones.
Because it helped him to remember that he was mortal. And some day, all of his suffering would end in a most likely painful death. At least he would know what it had felt like for Itachi in his final moments… A dying light in this cruel world. And a slow and painful death…
Sasuke hadn't deserved a loyal brother like Itachi. Nor had this world.
Sasuke was dimly aware that perhaps Itachi had been too loyal. The village he had wanted to protect so dearly viewed him as nothing more than a cold-blooded criminal.
The anguished younger Uchiha refused to allow himself to believe that he could possibly be mourning his brother's death.
No, Sasuke wasn't mourning.
And yet, infinite possibilities flooded his mind at night, when he finally let his guard slip in the few moments before sleep took hold. Realities where Itachi hadn't perpetrated the Uchiha massacre… How would Sasuke have turned out then?
It didn't matter.
Sasuke's onyx eyes darkened.
Only his current reality mattered now.
He turned away from the fighting ring, about to leave the sketchy premises. The sun had gone down long ago and the sky was an unforgiving blanket of darkness.
"Let's attack that bastard together…"
The whispers amongst the crowd of low-life ring fighters behind him filtered through to his ears.
Sasuke stopped in his tracks.
If they thought they could take him down by ganging up together, they would be in for an unpleasant surprise.
"Now!" One of them screamed. This was music to the Uchiha's ears.
Sasuke let them think they had caught him off guard. He even let one of their blows land on his body. Before they could get another chance to assault him, Sasuke decided it was time to bury them in the ground.
His Kusanagi blade flashed in a wide arc.
And their blood spattered the air. The lucky ones were dead before they hit the ground. The unlucky ones had the misfortune of gazing into his terrifying scarlet and black eyes. Screams filled the air. Cries from men who hadn't cried since they were born.
There must have been a dozen of them.
When Sasuke sheathed his weapon, none of them had air left in their lungs.
The Uchiha Survivor had no idea what he should do next. Join the Akatsuki? Put an end to Danzo and his tyranny? Destroy the Leaf village?
That would all be decided very soon.
~.~
A month of rigorous, relentless training had passed and Hinata was finally beginning to make progress with her training instructor Tamagi Hyuuga. Danzo's presence had been oddly missing since, and he hadn't summoned for her again in person.
Hinata was currently at the end of one of her training sessions with Tamagi, dripping with sweat from head to toe, but she had seen signs of improvement in her performance today, occasionally being able to predict Tamagi's powerful blows and sometimes catching him off guard with her own hits.
As Hinata bowed to Tamagi thankfully, his seemingly icy and disapproving features suddenly softened.
"You have progressed nicely Hinata-sama." He said.
"Thank you, Tamagi-sama." Hinata acknowledged, blushing slightly.
"Only a few Hyuuga have ever managed to learn your forbidden technique, albeit in secret, over the last few centuries. I'm impressed, Hinata-sama."
She had made it clear to him she would be referred to simply by her first name. She was glad that they were able to speak with each other informally like this.
"And those that did succeed in learning the devastating technique are now long dead. It's no surprise to me that the daughter of the Head of the Hyuuga Clan was capable of learning this."
Hinata protested immediately. "I learnt it completely by mistake, and would do anything now to reverse my actions."
However, she knew it was too late for that. Even if she decided to back out now, Danzo would hear nothing of it.
"The Hyuuga Clan blood runs strongly in your veins, Hinata-sama. I know that working for Danzo is different, but never forget that."
~.~
It was later that evening when he finally summoned for her.
Something felt different this time… Hinata was sure of it.
There were no shadows standing sentinel in the corners of the room.
It was just her and Danzo.
"You summoned for me, Danzo-sama?" Hinata said curiously, barely able to keep the nerves from affecting her speech. Why had he summoned for her this time? Had he decided that she was the wrong person to carry out his mission?
Danzo closed his only visible eye. His build towered over her from where he stood just meters away.
"I'm going to reward you for your training just this once, my Hinata. Tamagi has informed me that you are almost ready. So, I'm going to tell you who your assignation target is."
Hinata froze.
Danzo's eye finally opened.
"He is unhinged and must be taken down soon, before he threatens the peace of the Leaf village. He turned on his master, Orochimaru, and murdered him in cold blood. But he didn't stop there. Itachi Uchiha was his latest casualty. The news was very unsettling. This boy has clearly veered off the rails of sanity and of all physical limitations. He must be taken out, and fast. He poses a higher danger to everyone the longer he remains alive."
"Uchiha Sasuke." Hinata breathed immediately, as it dawned on her who Danzo referred to.
Although she was not one to curse, Hinata nearly swore.
Why did it have to be him? Hinata didn't think, despite all her training with Tamagi, that she would even be able to make a scratch on Sasuke.
Danzo neither confirmed nor denied it—his expression remained unchanged—but he slowly passed Hinata the Bingo Book he had been holding.
Hinata finally looked down at the Bing Book in her hands. The obsidian eyes of her assassination target stared back at her challengingly.
:: O :: BINGO BOOK :: O ::
Basic Information:
Name: Sasuke Uchiha
Criminal Rank: S-Class
Status: Active
Team: Haruno Sakura (Former), Uzumaki Naruto (Former), Hatake Kakashi (Former)
Alliances: Orochimaru
Bloodline Limit: Sharingan, Mangekyo Sharingan
Criminal Biography: Defected the Hidden Leaf Village and became Orochimaru's apprentice in pursuit for power. Following this, Uchiha Sasuke attempted to kill his former teammates and comrades during close encounters. His recent battle with his brother Uchiha Itachi saw him as victorious. He is known to have currently murdered one hundred and ninety-six ninjas.
Hinata subconsciously found herself transfixed by Sasuke's image on the page. His harsh, graceful features. His intense obsidian eyes, almost piercing through her soul. Slightly spiked raven-black hair framing his face. And that shadow of pain and torment which always hung over his features…
Hinata abruptly closed the Bingo Book, and met Danzo's cool gaze.
"I believe that you are almost ready, my Hinata."
She had to take down Sasuke Uchiha with Koryoku.
Hinata forcefully removed any thoughts of doubt she'd previously had. Somehow, the knowledge that she had her forbidden technique to wield as her Trump Card comforted her.
She would be at the advantage. He'd have no idea just what she was capable of.
Hinata would take away Sasuke's ability to ever use chakra again, before swiftly ending his life.
~.~
That night, Hinata was unable to sleep.
She had been provided her own bedroom to sleep in, inside Danzo's underground headquarters. All Root members were provided with accommodation as well—a modest room with all their basic needs catered to. For most of them, this place was home.
But Hinata's dark thoughts plagued her.
Naruto and Sakura will never forgive me…
Would the Hyuuga heiress really be able to do it?
…Kill Sasuke Uchiha?
The once happy child had changed dramatically after the massacre of his Clan. Surprisingly, Hinata could remember the days when Sasuke used to smile as a young boy in the Academy. They had barely spoken to each other back then, even during the Chunin exams, however, they had been distantly aware of each other's presences, being from noble Clans. Hinata had been a weak girl back then… She had definitely also changed dramatically since...
In some ways, was Hinata really any different to Sasuke Uchiha now?
Suddenly, all the past victims of Hinata's forbidden technique flashed before her eyes.
The startling clarity and vivacity of their pained expressions without their chakra…
…and yet Hinata couldn't imagine Sasuke joining them too.
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A/N: Hey guys! I hope you all liked this chapter! As the plot now begins to thicken, we're getting closer to the eventual encounter between Hinata and Sasuke! :)
Thank you guys for all your kind reviews and letting me know your thoughts. I really appreciate your continuous support because I am genuinely so fully focused on this story and I have really high aspirations for it to be the best SasuHina fic that I've ever written. Haha I know. Nothing's impossible though... :o
See you!