"Woah! That was so cool!"
Sasuke and Hinata whip around at near light speed, and come face to face with--
"Maruu!" Hinata exclaims, "W-what are you doing here?"
"I saw you leave after Mr Sasuke, and wanted to ask you if we could go shopping, so I followed you. Did I do something wrong?" Maruu responds, innocently. Why couldn't anyone just call him his first name?
"N-no, I was just surprised that's all. But next time you shouldn't leave without one of us with you. It's dangerous, OK?" Hinata berates. Now she sounded like a mother. It was kinda nice actually. At least Maruu had some sort of normalcy around.
"Mhmm, but how did you do all that stuff. You were so awesome with the cool swords and purple lions!" Hinata looked slightly puzzled at the 'purple lions', but after a gesture from him, she realised what the girl was referring to.
"It's called Ninjutsu. Ninjas use it to protect themselves, among other things. We were training so she can get stronger," Sasuke tells Maruu, placing a hand on Hinata's shoulder.
"Mother always kept me away from Ninjas. She said they were a bad influence on me, but I think she was wrong, they're awesome!" Maruu shouts with glee. Sasuke had to agree with her that ninjas were probably bad influences on young kids. Especially ones who had led a bad life like he had.
"Some are good and some are bad. You should still be careful," Hinata added.
"I'd love to be as strong as you two are, and help mother with her travelling," Maruu says, smiling sadly.
A thought ran through Sasuke's mind, but he didn't know if he could deliver on it, or that Hinata would agree. He normally wouldn't care for permission, but Hinata had grown on him lately and he'd rather not see her disappointed.
"Sasuke-kun and I could teach you when you're older, if it's something you'd still want to try. As a gift," Hinata asks out of the blue. It makes Sasuke recoil slightly in shock. Did she read his mind?
"Really that'd be the best present ever. When, when?" Maruu replies, excitedly.
"Well, we'll have to see. I'll think of something another day," Hinata says, "Sasuke-kun, is that alright with you?"
"Y-yes. Believe it or not, you read my mind," Sasuke stops at the stutter, "You seem to be rubbing off on me, Hyūga"
Hinata giggles at him, and nods in affirmation. "Good"
He lowers his voice to a mere whisper, only loud enough for Hinata to here. "It would have to be near the end of our time here, or if she comes with us, we will have more time."
"With us?" she whispers back, concerned.
"If she has no relatives in the Mist, then she will be put forward to a orphanage when we leave. I don't want that to happen, and we can ask her if she wants to tag along. Of course we'll have to tell her of her mothers fate beforehand. Who knows, maybe she'll have extended family elsewhere?"
"I hope so. But I agree with what your saying. Thank you," Hinata utters.
He raises his voice again in a commanding tone, "Right then girls, we should head back to the house. I have a scroll we need to read and reply to."
"Scroll? Who from?" Hinata questions, tipping her head to the left. God, she looked so cute when she did that.
"Kakashi. Mei gave it to me. Come on, let's get a move on," Sasuke answers, heading off and walking past Maruu. He sees Maruu grab Hinata's hand and can't help himself but smile at a certain impossible dream.
It was just gone midday. Possibly one or two pm. The streets were fairly bustling with shoppers and workers. He even spotted the miners from the poker game looking at him in distaste. The mist still surrounded the village in a thick blanket; the lights had to be on almost all the time just to allow people to see clearer. Sasuke wondered how the citizens managed it. He much preferred the Leaf to this drowsy place.
Turning the door knob, Sasuke entered their current abode. His stomach growled at the smell of food and he gave himself up to it. He had eaten rations most of his life, so he had learned to appreciate a good meal.
Sasuke opened a random cupboard that was located at the top most level, and scoffed at the sight. Inside, were a few cups of Instant Ramen. He closed the cupboard again. Sasuke didn't want to remind her of Naruto just yet. She didn't need a distraction from her training. He especially didn't want her to talk about him when Naruto clearly didn't care much for her. Sasuke suppressed his jealously, mentally kicking himself.
Hinata and Maruu let themselves in moments later, missing his selfish act. He opened up the fridge and found some tomatoes. That would do. They were his favourite food after all, besides Rice Balls. He yanked out the container, closing then fridge behind him. There were thirty, ripe, red tomatoes staring at him ready to be eaten. Sasuke ripped off the plastic top, and shovelled as much as he could into his mouth. Hinata was smiling at his devouring of the tomatoes. She and Maruu helped themselves to the ones he left behind.
Sasuke then flung himself onto the leather sofa and crossed his legs for a more comfy position. Withdrawing the red scroll, Hinata came to sit crosslegged next to him.
"Maruu. Sasuke and I need to look at this super secret message, ok? So if you have a shower and get dressed we can go out shopping after. Sound good?" Hinata says softly.
"Really! Cool, we can buy new dresses and-" the rest cut off short as Maruu slammed her room's door shut, and started a shower. Hinata really knew how to talk to Maruu, that was for sure.
"You're a natural with kids," Sasuke spoke.
Hinata blushed softly on her cheeks, "Thanks."
"No problem,"
Sasuke unfurled the scroll in his arms, and Hinata scotted a little closer for a better view. The scroll was decorated with a gold banner on either side of the writing, and leafs littered the top. The writing was undoubtedly Kakashi's as he had always had sloppy writing. Too lazy he supposed. Underneath it, stood a proud, red wax mark, jutting out in the symbol of their village. It was definitely a real letter and not a forgery.
It read, 'Well done on your recent mission, Sasuke and Hinata. The Mizukage tells me your help is much appreciated, and you preformed well. Your next mission seems to be a underground ring, though I'm not sure if you've completed it yet, the messenger birds are a little slow. Anyway off topic. The next point I must address is Hinata's two year restriction. Since she has a limited time, I've had to split your mission into three parts. Firstly is the Mist where you currently are. You are to help out there for eight months before moving onto the Sand, where missions will be mostly helping the villagers. This will last six months, and finally is a small settlement near the Leaf village for six months. Then you both must return before you, Sasuke, make your decision to leave again, and carry on with your quest. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but I'm sure you'd like to visit anyway. Kakashi Hatake, Sixth Hokage'.
Sasuke looked closer at the scrolls writing, re-reading the same line over and over again. Hinata only had two years before she had to return? Why?
"You never mentioned a two year restriction," Sasuke spoke, making Hinata look at him sympathetically.
"I-I'm sorry Sasuke-kun, I just f-forgot to mention it. My father wants me back eventually to help out with the clan," Hinata reasoned, flustered.
Sasuke sighed audibly. He should have known Hinata would have to return to help out her clan, after all, they were her family. Why would she want to stay with him forever?
Sasuke felt a coldness in his heart take over suddenly. Two years he had with his precious Hyūga. Two years.
'I will make the most of it,' Sasuke promised himself. He would train her to be excellent at every type of ninja art she could preform. He would open up to her more, and in return learn more about her. Perhaps he could do more fun stuff with her that didn't involve fighting and training. Yes. Thats exactly what he would do!
Two years. Eight months in Mist. Six in sand, and six in a Fire Land settlement. It was doable. He just hoped the time wouldn't fly by, unable to be grasped by him. Losing Hinata suddenly felt incredibly difficult.
"I understand, Hyūga. We'll just have to make the most out of it. Your training will be more vigorous and start again tomorrow in preparation for the underground ring," Sasuke muttered.
"Y-yes, Sasuke-kun," Hinata affirmed, "What are you going to do now?"
"Write up a response and give it to Mei. Have fun with your shopping trip. Try not to get to worn out, bright and early tomorrow," he smiled, rolling up the scroll and hiding it again.
"I won't," she smiled back, and ran off for a shower.
Hinata
One hour later, and both Hinata and Maruu, were out on a shopping spree. The Mizukage had given Hinata a hefty amount of spending money, on top of the ryo they had received from completing the 'Bandit Raid Mission'- as Mei called it.
Hinata was wearing her normal ninja getup, but had been persuaded by Maruu to buy some dresses, and more casual attire. Possibly even some makeup. Maybe not. That didn't go down too well last time.
Maruu was wearing a blue skirt, a white jumper, and some black boots. Her hair was no longer dirty and showed off Sasuke-like hair with it's out-of-place, but pretty, white streak, in her fringe. Her complexion was still pale- like Hinatas own- but that was common from people who lived in the Mist where it wasn't sunny often.
Dresses were Maruu's favourite attire as she bought three of them all brightly coloured, whereas Hinata only bought one black, strapless dress. They mostly focused on casual attire which could be worn whenever they weren't doing anything; like waiting for a mission. They even bought clothing for Sasuke. It was mostly black and dark blue due to his obsession with dull clothing, not that she blamed him, it suited him well. Hinata also bought a black beanie with the letter 'H' on it to keep her ears more warm. It was her favourite piece she had bought. Lastly they entered a ninja tool shop, to which Hinata got a custom kunai for Maruu so she could practice with it for the future. Hinata didn't buy anything in the ninja shop, nothing could top Dawn.
Over the course of the next three days, Sasuke trained her overtime. He worked her more than ever, leaving her gasping for breath after every spar. They rigorously practised their swordsmanship until she was ready to drop dead. She learned new blocks, when to dodge when you can't block, and when to strike at the perfect time. Sasuke was right about watching your opponents eyes and movements more than the sword blade; it revealed inner thoughts to her and she picked up on when Sasuke was about to use a certain manoeuvre. Hinata could read him fairly well now, though she knew if he was really trying, he could cut her down with ease. It frightened her slightly. His speed was unmatched due to his lifetime of hard training by a particular Sanin.
Sasuke also schooled her on ninjutsu because her tijutsu was 'perfect' according him, and her genjutsu was practically useless in the face of his. Ninjutsu was easier to get the hang of because of her excellent chakra control and ability to apply new ideas to existing ones. Her lightning release was getting better, and easily taking over as her more dominant affinity. Sasuke was currently teaching her Chidori, but she hadn't quite got the hang of it yet. She could push the chakra out and light it, but she couldn't shape or control it very well. The best she could make was a small jolt of electricity in her palm that ectrocuted her slightly. Her fire affinity was coming along ok, and she had successfully able to create a 'chunin sized' fire ball jutsu, which made her incredibly proud.
Sasuke had also offered to show her Kirin, to which she quickly agreed. They had to leave the Mist incase they scared the villagers into insanity. It was a amazing display of power. The thunder cloud allowed static electricity to build up and allowed Sasuke to direct it with minimal effort. The result was a giant dragon that broke through the cloud cover to strike the ground at near light speed.
During her rest periods, Hinata would home school Maruu as she had never been enrolled by her mother. They went through Maths, English and Science. Along with the basic subjects, Hinata also tutored her on chakra control and the types of jutsu, so that she could get a feel for it for the the future.
For now, Hinata was confident with her abilities for tonight's raid.
11:30.
Hinata and Sasuke meet up with three Mist Anbu on seemingly random roof. All three of them wore a black cloak with hoods up. Under the hoods were three unique masks concealing their identities. One was a Dragon with a blue stripe on the nose, one was a Cobra coloured green, and the last one was a Chicken which Hinata heard Sasuke stifle a mocking giggle at. She took to calling them their animal names.
They stood on a simple flat top building that gave them a good view of their surroundings. Their team was currently stalking a man in a white suit that intelligence said was headed to the underground ring. The man looked to be in his thirties, and wore a smug grin. On each arm, blonde women clutched on to him giggling at a joke he was telling.
The dark sky was barely visible under the thick fog of the mist, and lamps were lit up everywhere so that people could see the surroundings.
Hinata, Sasuke, Dragon, Cobra, and Chicken, lept over roof tops trailing their unsuspecting man. Hinata's eyes narrowed in disgust at the careless man. How could someone participate in something like this?
Eventually, the mysterious man halts in front of a house and knocks on the letterbox. Moments after, the door opens up letting the rotten man inside. The house looked nothing special. Just a normal family home with two floors. Hinata switched on her Byakugan with a quick redirection of chakra.
Looking through the walls made Hinata feel slightly queesy. Inside, surprisingly, stood just one chakra signiture staying still. The chakra pathway wasn't very developed.
"One signiture. Could be a bouncer?" she puts out there.
"One?" Cobra asks suprised.
"The man must have already entered the ring. We need to hurry. I'll get inside the house and take out the guard. Follow just after," Sasuke commands. Satisfied nods all around. He disappears with a 'whoosh' and the next moment enters the house in the blink of an eye. Sasuke's speed startles her. She refocuses her Byakugan on Sasuke.
She sees the bouncer react violently at the sight of Sasuke, before falling limp to the floor when looking at Sasuke's Sharingan. The bouncers chakra is visibly disturbed and blocked near the brain. Visual genjutsu was definitely scary.
"The guard is down. We can follow," Hinata relays. She leaps after Sasuke, moving at a slower pace than him. The three Anbu follow, all slower than her.
Inside, Sasuke was busy dragging the unconscious body from its original spot, to a storage cupboard. A bucket was on a table stuffed full of ryo.
"Hyūga, check beneath us," Sasuke says.
She reactivates her Dojutsu and looks downwards. She stumbles softly. It felt like being on top of a incredibly high building, looking over the edge. Hinata recoils slightly at the sight. Darkness everywhere. Nothing showed up, no chakra, no people, nothing. She had never experienced that before.
"I can't see anything. It's just black, sorry," she tells him.
"Makes sense. That's how they've kept it hidden for so long. Must be seals stopping sensory ninjas. We'll just have to go in blind," Sasuke
"But... where's the entrance," Chicken asks, making Sasuke raise an eyebrow at him that said 'seriously?'
Sasuke walks over to the bouncer's previous standing place, near the bucket. He bends down and grasps the carpet, pulling it back with a flick of his wrist. Underneath revealed a trap door with a string attached to it. He turns around, eyeing Chicken with a smirk. He then pulls it up showing off a set of wooden, creaky stairs heading down towards a tunnel.
"Hyūga, and I will take point. You three take up the rear. Stay on alert," Sasuke orders. He claps his hands together and looks at her, before motioning towards the hole. She gulps, suddenly feeling nervous. Going in prepared was one thing, but going in blind was another.
Sasuke then rises to his full height and strolls over to her.
"It'll be fine. You're strong, remember that, Ok?" he says, taking her right hand in his left.
She smiles warmly at his concern. "Thanks, Sasuke-kun." He smiles a rare smile back.
As they descend into the tunnel, the Anbu follows after them on their heels. The stairs creak at their every step, that it feels as though they will fall through it. They come to the bottom after around ten stairs. The tunnel was about two people wide, and seven foot high. Torches lined the walls every ten meters or so, giving off an eerie atmosphere. They continue to follow the tunnel along.
Sasuke's rougher hands were still encasing her softer ones. It gave her a warm feeling, and made her feel far safer. After all he made a promise to everyone that he wouldn't allow harm to befall her. Sasuke didn't seem fazed by their rare contact and continued to stare ahead. A blush touched her cheeks, but the darkness concealed it thankfully. Never had she held a boys hand before, but she crushed the thought; it wasn't the time for it.
Echoes of their every footstep assaulted their ears incessantly. The fire crackling from the torches lashed out at them. No one spoke a word, they were all to busy searching for any sign of life.
Suddenly cheering and applauses rushed up through the tunnel. She could see Sasuke grin maliciously, at them finally finding what they had been looking for.
Rounding a corner, they come to a stop. Hinata gasps audibly. The tunnel opened up into a huge cavernous coliseum. Rows of seats lined the surroundings. A bar could be spotted way off on the left serving many drinks to chuckling men. Drugs were being passed around like snacks at a picnic. It was a horrific sight.
In the middle of the coliseum was a raised platform surrounded by a bottomless pit as protection. Hinata could see small seals lining the platform, probably to restrict movement or something. On the platform an old man with grey hair stood waiting patiently for the noise to cease.
The man coughed incredibly loudly and it rung out across the masses. He must be using some kind of jutsu to enhance his voice. The seated men and women didn't stop abruptly, but they quieted down somewhat.
"I suppose that's the best I can ask for," the old man coughed again, "Now, I'd like to thank everyone for making it tonight, it's been a rough year, but today marks the twenty second auction. Let's get this party up and running!"
A huge thrumming of clapping filled the cavernous room. Whistles were ringing out across the crowd. Some even shouted for it to hurry up.
Rage filled Hinata to the tipping point. How could anyone enjoy this! It was disgusting! Similar emotions ran through the rest of her group.
"We should intervene now!" Hinata exclaimed. She looked at the others for support. They avoided her gaze.
"We should wait, then go in. Find the captured ninjas, and remove anyone with ties to the underground ring. Then I'll collapse the cave. Agreed?" Sasuke asks.
"That would be a better plan," Dragon says, breaking his silence.
"Fine," she seethes.
"Ladies and gentlemen, our first batch of ninjas," the announcer thunders. The crowd erupted into applause again.
The old man weaved a sign and the platform started rumbling. Two equal sized platform raised up on opposite sides of the main platform. On the smaller platforms, two ninjas were raised up. On the left side, was a blonde girl wearing simple purple clothing with a white belt. On her forehead was the symbol for the sound village, but it had a slice through it like Sasuke's. So she was a rogue ninja. She looked scared but determined. On the right side, was a older boy wearing blue robes, and had a staff on his back. He had brown hair and stared at the girl intently as if he was trying to kill her with his gaze.
"Begin!" the announcer screamed, and backed off.
Hinata's eyes widened in shock. She realised what was going to happen.
It was going to be a fight.
Shorter chapter, but the next one shall be a lot longer. Sorry for the wait I had a lot of things to do. There will be a lot of time skips over the next lot of chapters as writing over 2 years might take a while. I have the rest of the story plot figured out and I hope you enjoy it. If anyone wants to give Maruu a special ability for when they decide to train her, please put a request in the reviews. Thanks~UE