Here's the next chapter :D pleasepleaseplease review or comment, I love hearing feedback.
"Soft kitty, warm kitty
Little ball of fur,
Happy kitty, sleepy kitty
Purr, purr, purr."
-'Warm Kitty'- Penny & Sheldon from 'The Big Bang Theory'
The sky above their campground was just turning from black to grey with the first hints of sunrise when Hinata awoke. Turning to her left she saw that Sakura was already out the tent so she followed the pinkette's example and emerged herself. Sakura and the others were in the process of gathering their things and TenTen was dousing the fire with a small container of water collected from the stream. Hinata quickly moved to gather her things together as well and in five minutes the entire group was prepared to continue their journey.
Sakura was standing by her pack at the far edge of the clearing, staring out into the forest before them with a look of worry and concern. Wondering what was on her friend's mind; Hinata made a beeline for her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Sakura-chan, is something wrong? You look troubled."
The pinkette broke out of her daze and turned her gaze upon her friend, smiling lightly. "Of course, Hinata-chan. It's just, I feel like we should be on our guard today. I mean, more than usual."
Hinata's eyebrows furrowed slightly, perplexed. "Why is that?"
Shino, who was packing up the last of his things a few feet away, picked up his travel pack and placed it securely upon his shoulders before walking over to the chatting pair of females.
"I feel Sakura is right in her assumptions. This morning my insects have picked up a trace of two formidable chakra signatures. However, they are quite faint. They must have either come by this way a very long ago or masked their chakra with much skill. It was almost untraceable."
Hinata nodded in understanding. "So... could your insects trace the chakra signatures to anyone specific?"
Shino shook his head gravely. "No. They can only pin chakra signatures to those they have previously come into contact with."
"Meaning the chakra signatures belong to people we have most likely never met before, right Shino-kun?" the ninja in question merely nodded his head once in confirmation.
Sakura suddenly cut in. "Wait. Did you just say those chakra signatures were almost untraceable?"
"Yes."
She began to smile in confidence as she spoke, reaching in her back pocket and coming out with a pair of worn black leather combat gloves. She pulled them on and cracked her knuckles, the surprisingly loud sound echoing throughout the area around them. "So... that means they can still be traced. Correct?"
"My insects can try, yes. But leading us to the pair themselves is an unlikely scenario."
Sakura waved a hand. "Details." She turned to face the rest of the group who had been listening to them talk with half an ear. "Listen up, guys. Shino may have a lead to the pair we're searching for. His insects have picked up on two faint chakra signatures belonging to a pair of formidable shinobi. I think we're best to check out the situation before moving on, in case it does lead us to our prize."
Shikamaru looked to the sky for guidance and sighed unenthusiastically. "Fine, it's not like we have any better leads to go off of."
"Woof! Woof!" Akamaru was sniffing the ground but suddenly started barking in a wild frenzy. Kiba's attention was stolen immediately and he listened to the ninja dog with utmost concentration. After a minute or so, he went to his travel pack and flipped it open, riffling through its contents before uttering a curse.
"Nande?" Naruto inquired.
Kiba looked around and growled. "The shirt is missing."
Naruto frowned. "What shirt? You're wearing one right now."
"Not my shirt, you baka," Kiba snarled. He glared at the blonde with vehemence. "I'm talking about Itachi's shirt- the one Sakura gave me so Akamaru would have his scent to trace. He just told me he sniffed the same chakra signatures that Shino's bugs detected, and there were traces of it on my pack. Akamaru says there's a trail leading through the forest, going south."
Naruto's eyes widened. "What? Then what are we waiting for? Let's get started already and look!"
For once, no one complained against the blonde's suggestion. The group took off with Kiba and Shino in the lead, Akamaru and Shino's insects guiding the way through thick foliage and underbrush. Ino got smacked in the face with various forestry by Naruto tramping through the evergreens with solid determination called him multiple names in retaliation. He didn't respond to her prodding but continued marching forth, looking all around him for any possible signs the two members of Akatsuki were anywhere nearby.
They eventually happened across a clearing that was spacious enough but quite a bit smaller than the one Hinata and her comrades had taken up residence in the night before. There were no signs of human life in the area, but to a shinobi that meant next to nothing.
Shikamaru stepped forward. "Is this where the chakra signatures lead?" Akamaru woofed in confirmation and was currently sniffing at a fallen log that was covered with Shino's investigating insects.
"Woof! Woof woof!"
Kiba stared at his dog with much interest. "Is that so, boy?"
"Woof!"
"Nandayo?" Ino inquired.
Their chakra, whoever it was, is a lot stronger. They weren't attempting to mask their chakra, and judging from the strength and freshness of it, they were only here until quite recently."
"So... does it belong to Itachi and Kisame?" TenTen asked. Both Shino and Kiba nodded their heads.
"Most likely," Kiba confirmed.
"Cha!" everyone turned around and stared at Sakura in slight confusion. The pinkette growled. "That stupid, pompous, idiotic jerk Uchiha! I'm gonna knock his block off!"
Kiba laughed slightly. "Eh... ne, Sakura. You're on Team Two... your part of the mission is to battle with Kisame, not Itachi. We need to bring him home alive as well, remember? Mission orders straight from Hokage-sama."
She deflated a little, but it was easy to tell Sakura was still fuming- fury was rolling off of her deceivingly petite frame in waves that could sink ocean liners. "Well, then... there's always time for that during interrogation."
"We seem to have run into a problem."
Everyone looked at Shino, preparing for the worst but hoping for the best.
Chouji was the one who spoke up this time. "What's wrong, Shino-san? I thought we had their trail."
The bushy-haired ninja shook his head. "Yes, we did have their trail. The two chakra signatures are present, but in the surrounding area there is no sign of it whatsoever- it is as though they suddenly disappeared, leaving behind no trace at all of where they could have gone."
Sakura scowled. "So, what then? They stole back Itachi's shirt to leave us stranded without any leads and then used a powerful transportation technique to get away from the scene so they can continue on their arbitrary Akatsuki adventure of annihilation? Those fucking assholes."
Hinata blinked. No one said anything. Akamaru sneezed. Shino's insects crawled up his pant legs, presumably returning to their master hive to rest.
Ino eventually shrugged. "Well... they are evil. That's the kind of thing that we should expect, coming from the likes of them."
"Shut up, Ino-pig. You're not helping the situation."
"I know that, billboard-brow. I'm being realistic."
"Oooooohkay," Kiba interrupted before a catfight ensued. "How about we just continue the way we were going until we reach Kumogakure. That's where the Hachibi is, right? In the Raikage?"
"Yeah," Shikamaru interjected. "But the Hachibi isn't the Raikage himself, it's his younger brother and that's gonna cause problems. Big problems. Especially since he's the Raikage's fighting partner and essentially his right hand man."
Naruto was awed. "Whoa," he said. "Does that mean I'll get to meet another jinchuuriki and be able to train with him and stuff? Cause that'd be so awesome!"
"Naruto!" Sakura scolded, none too gently. "Now isn't the time to start fantasizing about hanging out with a bunch of jinchuuriki, we're on an S-ranked mission to capture one of the most feared shinobi of all time!"
Naruto's excited expression became crestfallen at her harsh words. Although Hinata agreed that now was not the proper time to be thinking about unrelated training, she still felt the pinkette was being a little rude.
"Ne, Sakura-chan, maybe you should calm down a bit. I'm sure Naruto meant no harm towards the mission-"
the pinkette turned to her, emerald eyes burning with anger. "And how do you know that? With Naruto's ridiculously thick skull he's just gonna run off and do it anyways, placing all of us in danger!"
"Hey!"
Sakura and Hinata looked at Shikamaru along with everyone else.
"Everyone here needs to relax." He gave Sakura a stern and unyielding glare. "Especially you."
She opened her mouth to protest but Shikamaru cut her off before she could say anything in retaliation.
"I know this is a very important mission, the first S-ranked mission for some of us." He sent Sakura another pointed look at this statement, to which she flushed slightly in either anger or shame. "It's a big job, and it may sound impossible to complete. It will be a very difficult time for all of us, but arguing and complaining is no way to help the situation. Everyone here has been picked to go on this mission for one reason and one reason only- you are the best suited candidates for this task. We all know Hokage-sama isn't one to do things half-assed. She has assembled the best team possible that has the highest chance of success considering the circumstances and our capabilities as individuals and as a group. Have faith in yourselves and your team-mates. Without trust and faith we will all fall on the battlefield in front of Itachi and Kisame, if not beforehand. Be on your guard. Believe in your team-mates. And most of all do not fight. That is the worst thing that you can possibly be doing right now."
Sakura looked only slightly shamed now, staring at her ninja sandals like they were the most interesting thing in the world, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"Do I make myself clear?"
Mostly everyone nodded or uttered a verbal agreement.
Shikamaru watched Sakura closely. "Sakura." The pinkette slowly looked up and met the Nara's unyielding stare. "Do you understand?"
She hesitated for a moment and then nodded in confirmation.
"Good. Now let's move out."
Off the trail and back on the proverbial road, Hinata and her comrades continues flash-stepping through trees and such until they reached the borders of Yugakure at around noon. It was here that Shikamaru called for everyone to come to a halt.
"Just ahead is the borderline between Fire Country and Yugakure. Beyond that, we have only to pass through a small strip of Frost Country to reach our destination in Lightning Country. After that it should be about a day's travel to reach Kumogakure. I would like to reach the border of Lightning Country by nightfall. Is everyone prepared to set off once more?"
"Hai!"
"Okay then, off we go."
They trailed through Yugakure without any trouble but stayed as far away from Otogakure's borders as possible, just to be safe. Frost Country proved to be no issue whatsoever, and by sunset they had made it in to Kumogakure without a hitch.
Kumogakure proved to be much less forgiving when it came to flash-stepping through trees- the foliage here was much sparser than it was back home, but that was to be expected when taking into consideration they lived in the Hidden Leaf Village. They instead travelled stealthily in an orderly fashion over rocky terrain until they arrived in a small village only about an hour or so into Kumogakure but appeared harmless in nature- what few streets there were, were bustling with villagers who were making last-minute purchases of everyday items and foods. Some vendors were already packing up for the night, bidding good night to their friends in the process.
Shikamaru turned around and faced his team-mates. "We'll find a motel or something for the night. Tsunade provided us with immense funds for the length and troublesome qualities of this mission and the cost of sleeping on a bed instead of the forest floor will be a nice change. But don't get too used to it; we will be frugal with our expenses."
Travelling down the main street of the village Hinata noted that most of the houses looked the same; small stone houses which required actual doors instead of shoji screens like the houses back in Konoha. Each one was home to small families or elderly couples, all appearing to be satisfied with their lives. Shadows cast across the street and beyond as the sun finally submerged under the horizon and night came upon them, bringing with it a slight chill to the air that seeped through the thick lavender fluff of her coat and bit into her arms ferociously. Hinata rubbed at her arms absentmindedly as she continued searching the area with her Byakugan for any signs of danger.
"There is nothing that indicates malevolent activity in this area. We should be safe." Shikamaru nodded. He could also feel that the village they were in was a peaceful one lacking in terms of formidable auras and ruffian shinobi and thieves.
They continued to stroll down the dirt road before them until a building considerably larger in size than any of the others surrounding it came into view. It looked to be at least four stories high and there was a small mob of civilians milling around just outside its front doors. The group walked up to where multiple people stood, talking amongst themselves and looking down at the ground repeatedly. Upon closer inspection, Hinata realized they were looking at not the ground but a cat.
A fully grown midnight black cat. A male. And it was severely wounded.
Or so she thought. Stepping through the small crowd of onlookers she knelt down by the cat's side, slowly, so as not to disturb or frighten it. The animal before her watched her keenly, his sharp grey eyes staring intensely into her own and watching for any sign of evil intentions. Hinata gained the unnerving suspicion that the being before her was incredibly intelligent.
Let's not get ridiculous, she chided herself as she reached out and placed a gentle hand on the wounded animal's flank. She allowed her medical chakra to slowly seep into the cat's system and began to examine the damage that had been done.
The diagnosis was in fact quite simple to conclude. There were multiple deep gashes on the animal's legs, causing a couple of tendons to be severed and rendering the cat unable to walk with the use of its back right leg. Much of its fur was matted in blood and the cat looked like he was about to kick the bucket from sheer exhaustion. It was then that Hinata made her final decision, she was going to tend to the cat until it was fully healed.
"Hinata. What are you doing?" Shikamaru inquired as the indigo-haired female gently scooped up the animal in her arms. The cat wriggled around a bit, trying to get free before soon discovering he would be unable to escape of his own accord and giving up. Hinata smiled as his stubbornness. She then set her eyes upon the Nara before her, blazing with determination.
"Ne, Shikamaru, what does it look like? I am taking it upon myself to see to it that this cat is properly tended to."
Shikamaru's eyes bugged out slightly in a rare display of shock which Hinata would have found amusing under different circumstances. He quickly composed himself, however, and uttered a single word.
"No," he deadpanned.
Hinata felt an unfamiliar curl of irritation unfold in her stomach. "And why not? He will hardly affect the mission."
At the mention of a 'mission', the group of gathered civilians quickly dispersed to go about their own business or go home, and in either way avoiding the nine ninjas present.
"We don't have time for this," Naruto whined childishly. "It's just a cat. They're everywhere, what makes this one so special, Hinata-chan? We have to find Itachi before he finds the Raikage's brother, and the way we're travelling that's only gonna take a few days at the very most. We don't have time to turn our motel rooms into an animal hospital."
Hinata ignored the blonde's complaints and turned her attention on the pinkette that was standing near the front of the group. Sakura was a refined medic, so she should be able to understand the want to heal all injured beings, having displayed such a notion countless times in the past herself.
"And you, Sakura-chan? Where do you stand on this?" Hinata's eyes penetrated Sakura's and silently willed the pinkette to say the right thing. However, luck was not on her side.
The pink-haired kunoichi stood before her with an expression which both offered understanding of wanting to help an injured soul and the dominant knowledge of mission priority holding strong above all else when the time called for it.
"Gomenasai, Hinata-chan. This mission is one of the utmost importance and at a time like this I'm afraid I can't support your decision to shelter the cat- we have to be on guard at all times and I don't know about the others but I won't be the one to be brought down because of an animal. I also won't let soft-hearted decisions become the downfall of my team-mates and comrades and lead to further anguish for Sasuke-kun."
Hinata chose not to say anything in response to her statement and glanced over at Shikamaru and the others. Like herself they were staying silent, obviously not expecting such a reaction by the head medic of the team but acknowledging the logic in her words. Ino was frowning slightly at the back of the pinkette's head, her arms crossed over her chest. Chouji was watching the black cat in Hinata's arms with a look of that's so cute. Naruto was already prepared to settle n for the night; rummaging through his backpack and taking inventory of how much ramen he had left, and was completely ignoring the situation at hand.
Shikamaru was still sending Hinata a cautious look of warning. She resisted the urge to curl her lip slightly at their ridiculous mistrust of an innocent animal and attempted to quell the rising irritation in her voice as she spoke next. "What now?"
"Do you really want to distract yourself with animals on an S-ranked mission? Sakura has a point. This mission is dangerous enough as it is without having to worry about nature taking its course."
Hinata held the cat a little closer to her chest, as if she were protecting it from the Nara's words. The animal in question stiffened and then squirmed about with great vigour, trying to get itself released from her gentle clutches. Hinata merely rearranged the cat in her arms so it couldn't effectively move any of its limbs but so that its wounds remained untouched. The cat hissed slightly, almost half-heartedly, before falling silent once again.
"Ne, Shikamaru, I wouldn't have thought you to be so uncaring over the fare and well-being of others."
Shikamaru frowned, slightly offended.
Hinata nodded her head once in a brief bow of acknowledgement before raising it once again to face him off. "I understand your worries and concerns over this mission. However, I cannot stand by while anyone, animal or not, suffers. I spoke an oath to save lives wherever and whenever I could." At her last sentence Hinata sent Sakura a brief but slightly accusing glance which the pinkette caught before she slanted her eyes away, slightly guilty. She then turned her gaze back to the Nara. "Regardless of the situation at hand, I will heal this cat. It will not take long. We are in a stable, secure village which you said yourself holds no traces of malevolence. I believe out of the course of this mission, this is the safest time of all to enforce my duties as a medic to a creature other than my team-mates."
Shikamaru opened his mouth, obviously to protest, but she cut him off. "I will not have it any other way. I am doing my job just as you are doing yours; do not deny me my rights."
He sighed and consented. "Very well, then. How troublesome."
The nine ninjas trekked en masse into the motel- it was large but quaint, well lit and nicely decorated with pictures, flowers and other various knick-knacks. Hinata found herself greatly appreciating the décor which she found suited the styles of Konoha and therefore reminded her of home. There were a cluster of tables in the far corner of the bottom floor, surrounded by various table games, a poker table, a barista and a jukebox nestled against the wall which was emitting a soft and familiar tune which she remembered hearing in her younger years. An older man was mopping the floor off to her left, humming along to the tune being played.
Ino had cast a genjutsu over the cat in Hinata's arms, rendering it invisible. The cloak she was wearing, identical to everyone else, covered her completely and so nothing came to be of suspicion.
They were issued three of the largest rooms- one to be shared by the four girls, the other two to be split up among the boys and Akamaru. Shikamaru passed Hinata the key to the room she was to share with her fellow kunoichi trio and bowed her head a little in thanks.
All three rooms were on the third floor. They managed to pack themselves into the surprisingly large elevator, and precisely thirty-seven seconds later the bell dinged and the doors whooshed open. The boys headed for their rooms, talking loudly and occasionally laughing along the way. Hinata pushed her key into the slot of the door located three down on the right side of the hallway and turned it, effectively unlocking it. She then turned the doorknob and let go as it opened on its own; showing the four pairs of curious eyes their accommodations for the night.
Their room was large. Before them was a sizeable sitting room, complete with a big television and an exceptionally comfortable looking sofa. To the left she could make out parts of a small but efficiently designed kitchen. Ino, who had already traversed down the hall, called out the presence of a luxurious bathroom off to the left of the hallway. Beyond that were two bedrooms holding double beds, matching bureaus and small televisions of their own.
Everyone gathered in the living room. "So... where are we all gonna sleep?" Ino asked. Tenten shrugged.
"It really doesn't matter to me," she said. "As long as I have something soft to sleep on, I'll be happy." She turned to Ino. "We could just both share a bed each. It's not like it'll be super awkward, considering we're all friends."
Sakura bit her lip. "Actually, guys... I'm not in the mood to sleep in the same room as anyone tonight." She caught Ino's look. "Not that I don't want to, per se... I just, I've had a stressful day and I'm getting really worked up over Itachi-" she spit out his name- "and I just need some time to myself. Is that alright?"
"No, it's fine," Ino reassured her friend. "I guess Tenten and I can just take the other bed. It's no big deal."
Tenten frowned and turned to the indigo-haired kunoichi. "But what about you, Hinata? You must want to sleep on a bed too." Beside her, Ino cursed at her temporary lapse in remembrance and grimaced an apology to Hinata, who merely smiled.
"Truth be told, that couch in the living room looks even comfier than either of those beds. I'll be perfectly fine, don't worry about it," she smiled.
Sakura frowned, feeling a little guilty about her earlier behaviour and words to her friend. "Are you sure? If you want the bed I can sleep on the couch instead, since I'm the one who's being stubborn about this."
Hinata shook her head. "No, it's okay. You guys go sleep; I have some medical requirements to attend to." She looked down into her arms and didn't see anything- only feel a weight in her arms. Ino cursed and quickly performed a small string of seals, causing the cat to come back into plain view.
Hinata smiled again. "Arigatou, Ino-chan. The sooner I can see this cat, the sooner I can begin healing."
Ino's cheeks flushed slightly red with embarrassment as she slapped a hand to her eyes, effectively covering them from her view at Hinata's teasing words.
"Eh... you're welcome, Hinata-chan. I don't know what's gotten into me, but I've been so forgetful these past few days."
Sakura sidled up to her blonde friend and placed a slender hand on her purple clad shoulder. "Oh, is that so, Ino? If you want, I can take a look and see if something is wrong."
Ino sent the pinkette a sidelong glance. "Sakura, you do remember I'm a medic too, right? I'm just not as advanced as you or Hinata... but I think I'm skilled enough to be able to tell if there was something actually wrong with me." Sakura sighed theatrically.
"Then as a medic, you know how intricate and hard to detect and diagnose some medical issues are. So sit down and let me see." Ino grumbled something unintelligible and sat down on the sofa. Sakura stood over her, a hand on her forehead and the other lingering just behind her left ear. Her hands began to glow green and for a couple of minutes all four kunoichi said nothing, intent on the situation at hand. Finally, five minutes later, Sakura pulled back, the chakra covering her hands dissipating until there was none left.
"Ino, I found the problem."
The kunoichi in question snapped her gaze up to meet that of her pink-haired friend, her expression incredulous, appreciative and a bit worried. "Really? What is it?"
Sakura sighed, her expression falling from triumphant to grave. Ino shifted in her seat, agitated, and Hinata twiddled her thumbs like she used to when she was a genin. Tenten merely stood beside her in silence. "Well, you see, the issue at hand isn't something that can be fixed. It is a permanent state of being."
Ino paled at the implication of her words. "But... Sakura. What is it that's... wrong... with me."
Sakura laced her hands together in front of her and tilted her hair slightly to one side. "Oh," she said, a small smile forming on her lips. Ino's stare became slightly wary due to her change in expression. Hinata could feel something bad was about to happen. "It's quite a simple diagnosis, really." The pinkette's eyes closed, smile still in place- if anything, it grew larger. "You... are blonde."
Hinata sweatdropped.
Tenten blinked, then sighed quietly.
Ino froze for a couple of seconds as what she just said sank in. then she jumped up, her fists raised and her face contorted into an expression of absolute fury. "What?! What did you just say? I can't believe you, Billboard-brow! You actually had me worried about my health. How could you do that?"
Sakura merely raised her hands in front of her in a pacifying gesture as she spoke. "Ne, ne, Ino-chan, I was only joking around. You're really actually quite smart."
"Smart? I'll show you smart, you..."
Hinata tuned out of their argument and strolled to the other end of the room, the cat still in her arms. She placed him down on the floor and he lay there- tail twitching, eyes glowing, claws extending and retracting. She pulled her travel pack to her and rummaged through it for a moment before pulling out a small medic kit Sakura had bought for her for her birthday. It was fully packed and held everything she would need and more.
Next she dragged over a small, low set table and covered it in a folded and quartered small fluffy blanket she had found earlier in the bathroom. She then picked up the cat again, gently, and placed him on the blanket with his injured side facing closest to her. The cat before her lifted his head and attempted to get up. Hinata pushed him back down gently and stroked him once from head to tail.
"Please be calm, little neko. I mean no harm to you; I will only be healing your wounds. Now be still and I will commence." The cat obeyed her words and made himself comfortable on his soft blanket, not moving a muscle. Hinata began by cleaning the wounds, carefully extracting entrapped debris and disinfecting them before applying a cooling antiseptic salve. The cat seemed to calm under her touch, relaxing at the minutes ticked by. She capped a small container of salve and put it back in its proper place within her kit before rolling up her sleeves. Lavender chakra surrounded her hands and she applied it to the cat, healing his wounds until there was not even a scar to indicate injury.
To ensure for absolute certain the cat's injuries would heal completely, she pulled out a herbal cream which Sakura herself had made to promote skin health after injuries and applied it to the affected areas. She had just pulled out a roll of gauze when Tenten approached her and sat down on the opposite end of the table.
"How's he doing?" she asked, petting him briefly. Hinata smiled at the weapons master's obvious love for animals and answered briskly.
"Well, he must have gotten himself into one nasty fight... the skin all around his flank was shredded and sliced through. It was hell trying to properly mesh his skin back together in a way that wouldn't cause him discomfort in the future. I took the liberty of applying extra remedial creams and antiseptics, though. He's as good as new." She pulled free the end of the roll of gauze and began wrapping a back leg with the utmost gentleness. Tenten looked on, gaze curious and observational.
"You've really excelled, Hinata. To think you're also a medic-nin like Sakura, and just as skilled... I'm happy for you."
Hinata smiled graciously. "Arigatou, Tenten-chan. It means a lot to me to hear you say that." The cat below her huffed with irritation at being confined to his lying position for so long. "Don't worry little neko, I'm almost finished here."
"Ne, Hinata-chan... how do you feel about this mission?"
The cat's ears twitched at the sound of her voice, but he otherwise remained still. Hinata watched her friend over the table and pursed her lips slightly, pausing in her work. "What do you mean?"
Tenten hesitated before answering. "I mean... how do you think we'll manage? We're chasing after two S-class criminals; tasked with killing one and dragging the other one home against his will. He... Itachi killed his entire clan, well, except for Sasuke. But look at him now, he's a complete mess. I'm actually surprised he hasn't already defected from the village in order to settle the score for himself."
Hinata frowned, fingering the gauze she held in her right hand with her left before continuing to wrap the wounds before her. "Well, I suppose the best chance we have is to follow Shikamaru's formation and hope it is effective." The cat below her turned its head and stared at Hinata, its eyes speaking of untold intelligence. She ignored him for the moment and continued talking. "S-ranked criminals... I believe nothing is completely black and white in the shinobi world. Everyone acts according to their personal convictions; what they feel to be right or wrong. The only problem is that everyone has a different idea of what is right and wrong. That's the only real reason why people still war against one another."
Tenten remained quiet, staring at Hinata intensely. Hinata could feel that her friend was taking in what she was saying and considering it greatly.
"As for the massacre-" the cat tensed under her hands and Hinata stroked him absentmindedly- "Many people believe his crime to be unjustifiable. What he did... it was indeed heinous and brutal."
Her friend scoffed. "Tell me about it," she muttered.
Hinata swallowed lightly and began wrapping once more. "I come from one of the biggest clans within Konoha, like Itachi. I know firsthand just how deceiving and manipulative situations can become if they are not handled properly. Even so, the clan looks out for itself first before taking the village into consideration. In a clan you are a member first and a shinobi second. That is something I was never entirely comfortable with. Take my father for example- he stripped me of my status as heiress and a Hyuuga merely because I lacked the proper outlook to train efficiently due to the fact I was always put down and ridiculed in light of my younger sister's prodigious abilities."
Tenten watched Hinata carefully, leaning forward in her eagerness to hear her friend's next words to what she was about to say. "So, what are you saying, exactly? That you believe Uchiha Itachi is an innocent man?"
Hinata didn't answer right away, cutting the length of gauze, splitting it and tying it securely. The cat, however, didn't move a muscle and remained in place, watching the Hyuuga intently. Her eyes clouded over slightly as she reached out and stroked his head a single time. Her eyes never left the cat's as she spoke. "That is not directly what I'm trying to say, but it is a very real possibility. How many times have you killed for the greater good? We all as shinobi must do so at one point or another. I love Konoha. If I detected a threat to my home, I would eliminate it before damage could be caused. We all fight to protect what we cherish most."
"You think he killed his family to save the safety of the village? Why would he do such a thing?"
Hinata shrugged. "That I cannot tell you, for I don't know myself. The third shinobi war ended around the time we were born. That means Itachi would have been only a young child, exposed to death, despair and loss. It would most certainly have been a traumatizing and life-changing experience. On top of it all, Itachi is clan heir. That means clan pressures and wills would be pressed directly upon his shoulders. Something about the massacre doesn't make sense. I only want to find out the truth behind what really happened."
Tenten nodded. "So you suspect conspiracy."
"Yes." Hinata shook her head. "I know it's a hard idea to fathom, but every village has done things or is doing things that they are not proud of. Konoha is no exception. I'm not questioning my loyalty, but it's disconcerting to think our leaders or their partners harboured ill intention towards our village."
"You do hold some valid points. But how exactly do you expect to get the answers you're looking for?"
Hinata merely smirked bitterly. "I don't know yet. Perhaps if we succeed in bringing Itachi back, we can finally find out for ourselves. But I have a feeling things wouldn't be nearly so simple. Why else would he evade our search parties for ten years and going?"
The brown-haired kunoichi shrugged. "Guilt and shame can become very strong and haunting emotions. Maybe he couldn't live with facing Sasuke knowing he killed their parents, family and friends."
"I suppose that such is the life of a shinobi. At least, in Itachi's case."
Hinata glanced over Tenten's head, where a mounted clock ticked repetitively on the wall. "Kami, it's getting very late. We should sleep while we still have the time to do so."
Tenten nodded her agreement and stood up. "Hai. Oyasumi nasai, Hinata-chan."
Hinata smiled. "Oyasumi nasai. I'll see you in the morning."
After Tenten left, Hinata picked up the cat and placed him on the couch before curling up beside him. "Little neko, you're all patched up now. I will leave you here with me to rest the night. In the morning I will remove your bandages and you can roam this village once again." She stroked his sleek head and settled down to sleep under a thick, patterned blanket.
Itachi waited until Hinata fell asleep before jumping to the floor in complete silence. Absentmindedly, he noted his leg and torso were feeling much better- the Hyuuga girl had a way with medical jutsu. He padded to the apartment door, noting it was closed and locked. Masking his chakra, he concentrated.
"Transformation jutsu!"
His cat form grew and stretched into that of a human, fully clothed in his trademark Akatsuki cloak which was patterned with red billowing clouds. The front door, as he could now tell, was protected in a barrage of traps- ones he could easily undo, but he would rather not waste time if there was a quicker exit. He glanced around the motel room and noticed with satisfaction that the indigo-haired female had forgotten to close the window before retiring to sleep. A foolish move on her part, but convenient for his current situation. Striding with lethal silence towards his escape, he perched briefly on the windowsill, casting a final glance around the room and allowing his eyes to linger on the admittedly beautiful kunoichi who had so tenderly seen to his wounds and healed them to perfection.
He jumped.
Landed without a sound. Double checking to make certain his chakra was masked and no trail would be left behind, Itachi ran for twenty-three minutes amongst nondescript, bland terrain before arriving at a rocky cliff which hid his partner. Strolling with catlike grace to the back of the rocky outgrowth, he entered a small cave- the end of which was illuminated with the soft orange glow of a small and smokeless fire.
Kisame looked up, noting his partner's presence with a slight grin. "Back so soon?"
Itachi sat down opposite the blue-skinned shinobi. "Evidently. Transformation Jutsu Technique was executed without fault and the mission was a success."
"I can see that." The ripped part of Itachi's shirt was stained with blood, but all of it was old. The skin underneath was flawless once again with the aid of what could only be medical jutsu.
The Uchiha before him merely folded his hands and rested them on his lap, leaning forward slightly and watching the flickering flames. Kisame frowned.
"You know, Uchiha," he said, wiping his large hands on the lap of his ninja pants. "This little scheme of yours took a lot of time and effort to execute."
"I am aware. However, such sacrifices are essential if you wish to gain the upper hand in battle."
Kisame rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, kid... whatever." He picked up a black pail that was sitting on the rocky ground beneath him and tossed it over the flames, where Itachi caught it swiftly.
Itachi raised an eyebrow, unamused. "What do you wish for me to do with a pail?"
Kisame grunted. "I expect you to make yourself useful and get me some water and a cleaning cloth. Samehada's still covered in your blood."
This chapter turned out to be a great deal longer than the others. I would apologize, but I believe long chapters to be a good thing. I hope you guys enjoy it;
Please review :)
