PART 7
Everything was dark. Water dripped slowly in a corner, but in her mind, it was blood dripping.
They had separated them, placing each in a dark dungeon with chakra absorbing cuffs.
Her throat was dry and she felt dead. Pain and horrible memories racked her brain, and she screamed in agony.
The scream echoed in the empty dungeons, slowly fading, never reaching Sasuke.
XXXXXXX
"Tsunade-obaachan!! Why do you have to lock them up?! They weren't themselves, it's not their fault!!" Naruto cried in fury.
Tsunade eyed him seriously and answered, "That's the reason, Naruto. They're changing, and soon the people around them will be in danger."
Naruto couldn't answer and clenched his fists. Tsunade continued, "The council has agreed, and many of your colleages have agreed."
Naruto stared in disbelief at his friends who wore guilty looks on their faces. With a cry of frustration, he stormed out of the office.
Rock Lee, who had been against the restraining of Sasuke and Hinata, spoke urgently to Tsunade.
"Tsunade-sama, please don't do this. Neji-kun was my best friend, and I feel responsible for Hinata's well being. They shouldn't be locked up like that, it's inhumane!!"
"Lee, this is for the good of every-"
"But not for them!! They will be fine together, they heal each other!! If you separate them like that-"
"Rock Lee!! I'm sorry, but this is necessary."
He looked down in sadness, and turned to leave. Tenten worriedly followed him.
XXXXXX
Screams erupted from his throat. Blood!! Blood!! Make the pain go!!
A bored voice called, "Uchiha, you got a visitor."
Sasuke didn't look up. He heard footsteps then, "Sasuke!"
Empty eyes looked up and met bright blue ones. Naruto grabbed the handle bars and yelled, "God, what have they done to you?"
Sasuke restrained the urge to kill and croaked, "Where's Hinata?"
"She's also in the same condition as you. And she's always screaming your name."
The half-dead boy said nothing but continued to look at the ground. Then Naruto was forced to leave, leaving Sasuke in loneliness.
Screams then continued to fill the dungeon, and he cried out blindly, "Hinata!! HINATA!!"
XXXXXXXX
She was on the stone ground, her tears soaking her face. So much pain, and where was Sasuke?
"S-Sasuke…S-Sasuke," she whispered hoarsely. His own name seemed to relieve some of her pain, but it wasn't enough.
Images of her past drowned her, and she cried out. She clutched her head in pain, and tears streamed down her pale skin.
OOOOOOOOO
Naruto listened. There were no more screams, from either dungeon. What had happened?
He checked on Hinata first. She had her back against the wall, and her skin was pale. "Hinata!"
She looked at him, and the breath was almost knocked out of him. Her eyes. So empty, so cold. Like it was made of nothing. It seemed to stab him endlessly. So accusing.
He couldn't take it, and dashed of to check on Sasuke. His eyes were the same. So pained, just like hers.
Naruto escaped to a bright place, although he didn't know where he was. How could the world be like this? Why do Sasuke and Hinata have to face this pain? Haven't they suffered enough?!
OOOOOOOO
She had given up. She had no strength left. Hinata felt that she was nothing, had nothing. She couldn't see Sasuke anymore, and the past haunted her endlessly. She longed to see blood spilled onto the stone walls that imprisoned her, but she just couldn't do it.
The prison swung open, and she snapped her head up, and her eyes widened.
Uchiha Sasuke stood before her covered in sweat, panting heavily. "S-Sas-" But he swept her into his arms and held her tightly.
He cried over her, and whispered her name over and over. His tears couldn't stop, and neither could hers.
Their lips pressed against each other, and they savored the taste they hadn't tasted in so long.
Sasuke drew back and placed a hand at her cheek. "Let's get out of here. To another village, because we have no place here."
Hinata was quiet for a while, thinking about those who had been good to them even though they had betrayed the village: Naruto, Lee, Tenten.
She finally decided, "Alright, I guess we have no choice. But shouldn't we tell Lee-kun? He's been like a brother to me since Neji-nii-"
The disowned heiress froze. She remembered seeing Neji's face amon the flames that day when those strange men attacked.
Sasuke tried to distract her by saying, "We can tell Lee, but no one else. Let's go."
He snatched her wrist and they disappeared into the shadows.
They got to their house to pack clothes and equipment. As they hurriedly did so, Hinata asked, "How did you escape?"
"The cuffs weakened slowly, and I summoned a snake with the little chakra I had left. It freed me, and I freed you."
Suddenly they heard bells in the distance: their disappearance was discovered. They evacuated the house, and went to Lee's house. In Hinata's hand was a tiny scroll. In it was:
"Lee-kun,
I'm sorry for troubling you all this time. I'm really thankful to you, for you have been like a brother. Please don't worry about Sasuke and me. Konoha is no place for us, not after what has happened. Perhaps our paths will cross again.
Hinata"
Laying the letter on the pillow, the dark couple left the village again. This time permanently.
In the forest, Hinata spoke silently, "Sasuke, you, too, have recently had a strange longing for blood, just as I have. Why do you think this is? Do you think it has something to do with those men in masks and black kimonos?"
Sasuke nodded grimly, and replied, "We need to get to their leader. Whoever it is may have the ability to resurrect. Have you been having any strange dreams lately?" He spoke as he thought about the strange dream he had that night (refer to chapter 1).
She nodded, and described them. "It's always dark, and then all of a sudden, Neji-nii appears and he smiles so cruelly to me. Then you appear on my other side, your back to me. I reach out to you and cry out, but you never hear me, and continue to walk, disappearing slowly. But Neji –nii was right next to you and there was blood everywhere. Your blood. That's when I woke up."
She looked so pained speaking of her dream, so he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and held her tightly.
"We'll defeat their leader, whoever it is. We'll stop this blood lust." He kissed her tenderly and for the while, they left their miseries behind them.
