Alright folks this is the Last Chapter for Skipping the Rift. Since I didn't get alot of review and stuff I'm ending this fic here, as I think anymore would lengthen it beyond what the initial story was. Don't flame me for how this ends, it was the only way I could see it ending and I truly belive I ended this fic right.
9: Fallen
Hinata was staring at her hand. For some reason, despite the news she had just received she became completely enamored with the wrinkles in her palms.
"We took everything into consideration," Tsunade, current Hokage of the village, herself was standing in her hospital room personally giving her the information. "However you did break the law and you will have to suffer the punishment."
"I understand." Hinata replied, her pale white eyes still fixated on her hands.
"You have two days before your sentence is carried out. Feel free…" Tsunade paused, noting the trouble look on the young woman's face. She looked lost and confused. She had seen this type of thing before. PTSD was common amongst ninjas who returned from mission that were considered extremely dangerous. There was also survivor's guilt, and the shame that she had inadvertently caused the death of one of her close friends. Tsunade could diagnose all this with just one glance.
"Hokage-sama," Hinata finally lowered her hand as she turned to finally face her superior. "M-may I see someone? I-I have someone I want to talk to."
"Sure, I can allow that. But just one person."
"Figures I find you here." Abarame Shino said as he stepped through the flaps of the ramen shop. He found Naruto sitting on a stool, half bent over a bowl of ramen. Naruto didn't answer him as he took a seat on the stool next to him.
"What will you have today sir?" Ayame, the current owner of Ichiraku Ramen wiped her hands with a damp cloth.
"Udon noodles please." Shino said. Naruto lifted his noodle bowl up and drank the last bits of the noodle stock.
"Thanks for the meal." He said, placing a few coins on the counter as he stood up to leave.
"Wait." Shino seized him firmly by his wrist. "I don't blame you for Kiba's death. Nor do I blame her. However I do wish to know how she is."
"They're not letting me see her." Naruto sighed as he sat back down. "I tried visiting twice now, but the ANBU guards kept kicking me away. I'm really worried about her; since I'm pretty sure she's miserable."
"I see." Shino said as Ayame placed a giant soup bowl in front of him.
"That poor girl." Ayame said, catching both Shino and Naruto's attention. "It's that Hyuuga girl right? I heard that whole story about what happened. I think it's a shame they're going to execute her. I say they're punishing the wrong person."
"Execute?" Naruto stood up suddenly, knocking Shino's noodle bowl into his lap.
"Yeah, they just made the decision this morning. I overheard it from the guys that guard the Hokage's mansion. Seems as if her father is to blame for the whole mess, which she probably would've gotten off with a slap on the wrist, however since the Inuzuka clan demanded repentance and backed the Hokage into a wall."
"Goddammit!" Naruto screamed as he rushed off to give the old lady a piece of his mind.
Neiji nodded to the two ANBU guards as he stopped at the door he had been directed to by the medical officer sitting at the front desk of Konoha's hospital.
"I was summoned by the Hokage." He said and the two guards stepped aside allowing him entry. He stepped into the room finding his cousin lying on her back on a hospital bed. Her left arm was resting on her chest inside a sling. Her eyes appeared closed, and he silently watched the slow rising of her chest to see that she was indeed sleeping.
He honestly felt sorry for the poor girl. Though ostracize by her own father as the Hyuuga family failure, Neiji knew she was almost trying her best. Not just to prove that she wasn't a failure, but to prove that she could withstand anything he threw at her. Just like children she only wanted her father to acknowledge that she was precious to him. And now, looking at her, Neiji saw that despite her efforts, she had truly failed.
"You bastards let me through!" Shouted a familiar voice from outside. Neiji turned to investigate the sudden commotion outside.
"Neiji-nii-san." Hinata's low voice stopped Neiji as he near the door.
"The Hokage said you wanted to see me." Neiji fixed his cold eyes on his cousin. She was forcing herself to sit up.
"Hai." She nodded meekly. "I would like you to pass a letter to someone."
"You called me over to be a courier? You really are selfish." Neiji said coldly. He watched her cousin hang her head and squeeze her eyes shut. It wasn't until she wiped at her eyes that he noticed the wrinkled envelope in her hand. He silently walked to her bed and extended his hand. "If this is your last request I'll do it."
"Nii-san." Hinata looked up at him with grateful eyes. She placed the letter in his hand and he walked away pausing as he reached the door.
"Hinata-sama,"
"Yes?"
"Nothing."
When Neiji stepped into the hallway four jounin's were dragging Naruto down the hallway.
"You bastards let me go!" He screamed over and over. "I gotta see her Dammit get off me!"
"Wait a moment." Neiji called down the hall and trotted over to Naruto. "Let him go."
"Neiji!" Naruto wasn't happy to see him, but the expression on the young mans face was still thankful. Naruto shook his fists at the four jounin's as they released him from their grip.
"I come with Hinata-sama's final request."
"Final request?"
"Here." Neiji slapped the wrinkled envelope into Naruto's chest and then walked away. "I suggest you go home. You're going to just make it worse."
"What a rip off." Ino sighed as she downed another cup of sake. "To go through all that trouble just to bring her back and they end up wanting to kill her."
"Now, now," Shikamaru blew smoke from his mouth. Ino poured herself another shot of sake, emptying the bottle on the table. "She broke the law. There wasn't anything anyone could do to save her. As troublesome as those laws are, we all choose to live by them. Now those of us who did not wish to become shinobi's had plenty of opportunities to simply quit."
"Well, I don't believe she really had a choice." Chouji said in-betweens bites of fried pork. "I think Hinata was kind've forced into it. You know, everyone knows her father hates her, and considering her personality she'd want to do her best to impress her father."
"Wow," Shikamaru leaned back in his seat. "I'm impressed Chouji, where'd you learn so much?"
"Did you forget?" Chouji snatched Shikamaru's unfinished bowl of rice and ate it like it was the last rice bowl in the country. "I'm a ninja."
"Still," Shikamaru took another drag of his cigarette. "It sort of seems like a waste that Kiba sacrificed himself for nothing."
"Speaking of that, when is his funeral? I haven't heard anything about it." Ino spoke up as she ordered herself another bottle of sake.
"Its tomorrow. Then the next day, they're going to execute her."
"Ouch." All three friends stopped what they were doing.
"Can't she appeal? You know, try to get a trial?" Ino asked.
"Doubt it." Shikamaru shook his head. "It's pretty much cut and dry."
"Then it really was a waste to bring her back." Chouji pushed away his stack of bowls and plates. Suddenly he wasn't hungry anymore.
"Naruto?" Kakashi had been strolling through the streets, hand in his pocket, nose deep in his new book Icha Icha Fukushusha when he spotted his former teammate leaning against a wooden fence a ripped envelope at his feet and a letter in his hand. His face was covered in tears.
"Kakashi-sensei," Naruto looked up at the older ninja with wavering eyes.
"Is it about Kiba?" Kakashi shut his book stepping to join Naruto against the fence.
"No," Naruto shook his head and handed Kakashi Hinata's letter. The Jounin read it carefully and quickly. Had he not suffered the loss of all his good friends, he himself would cry.
"Well, this surely is difficult." He shoved his hands in his pockets. "She broke the rules, and she broke probably one of the worse rules ever. I know the Hokage tried everything in her power to save Hinata. However it's just the nature of the beast I suppose."
"But I don't understand what I'm supposed to do after reading that!" Naruto placed his hands over his face as he leaned his head back. "I know I can't stand by and let her get killed for nothing, but I know that this is the code which we all have sworn to live by. This isn't fair Kakashi! This isn't fair! If they kill her Kiba and Akamaru died for nothing. My whole mission was for nothing!" He was crying now. Naruto dropped to his knees, his hands gripping his hair now. He was trying hard to not scream out loud.
"I know it's hard." Kakashi sighed. "But there are rules put in place for us for a reason. We're tools Naruto. Don't forget this reality. At the very least you should go to her execution as stand by her to the very end. I know you wouldn't want to watch her die, but it's not all about that."
"But still," Naruto cried. "What does being Hokage mean if you can't do anything? This wasn't her fault. Why is she being punished?"
"You'll have to let it go Naruto. Everything's already been decided."
"But Kakashi," Naruto looked up at him, sobbing. "Weren't you the one who said the ones who break the rules are trash, but the ones who leave their friends are worse than trash?"
"That I did." Kakashi nodded, suddenly remembering an old image of a younger Naruto being tied to a pole.
"So what do I do?"
"My advice." Kakashi sighed. "Is to become trash."
Sakura was sleeping when someone pounded heavily on her window sill. She slowly took the kunai she kept under pillow into her hand as she carefully lifted her head to see who was disturbing her sleep.
"Sakura, wake up." Tenten's voice came through the glass, and Sakura immediately sat up and pulled the window open.
"What the hell? You know how late it is?" Sakura yawned angrily. "What do you want?"
"Get dressed and meet at the memorial in ten minutes. I'll explain everything there." With that Tenten leapt away into the darkness.
"The hell?" Sakura shook her head as she lay back down on her bed, pulling her blankets over her head. "GODDAMMIT!" She screamed at herself as she hurried to get herself dressed.
It was the first time, in a long time that they all had gathered together in one area. They were all huddled together around the memorial stone. A stone that held the names of some of Konoha's greatest heroes. Naruto was sitting just above it, staring into the wind as they all stood silently waiting for the last person to show.
After ten minutes had past, Chouji opened up. "I don't think he's coming."
"Good, I didn't count on him anyway." Naruto said as he leaped down the monument to join his friends.
"So tell me Naruto," Shikamaru yawned angrily. "What is it that you had to tell us that was so important that you dragged us all out here in the middle of the night?"
Naruto lowered his gaze for a moment, and then looked each and every one of his friends in the eye. Shino, Ino, Chouji, Sakura, Tenten, Fuzzy-brows and Shikamaru were all glaring at him angrily.
Finally after a short pause he looked up at everyone. "Listen, what I'm about to ask you is very dangerous. So if you are uninterested in possibly screwing up the rest of your life please leave now, and on your honor never mention this meeting again. So before I tell you what I'm planning you gotta agree to it first."
"Naruto what the hell are you talking about?" Ino whispered, almost shouting. "I don't have time to play games like this, just tell us that you're planning on stopping Hinata's execution already."
"Ino?" Naruto gawked at her as if she'd just figured out he was wearing teddy bear boxer shorts.
"Look, I'm not stupid. I'm a ninja okay?"
"So then?" Naruto looked at all his friends and they all acknowledged what Ino had already said.
"When a comrade is in trouble, you help them out." Shino as if there were no repercussions to the action they were about to partake in. "It's what comrades do.
"Besides, we all weren't about to let you go out with a half-ass plan." Shikamaru said, pulling a sheet of paper out of his pocket. "I'd already drafted up a plan myself, however I hoped Neiji would be here, but since he didn't show, I'll rework the plan and have it for you tomorrow. I already have all the information regarding the location and the times, and the guard roster."
"Shikamaru, are you a mind reader or something?" Naruto smiled completely feeling overjoyed at the amount of support he was getting.
"Nah, I'm not a mind reader." Shikamaru smiled. "I'm just a ninja. A very stupid ninja at that."
"Don't worry Shikamaru-kun." Lee said. "We are all stupid ninjas at this point."
"Retards even." Ino said.
"Alright then, everyone, we meet again here after Kiba's funeral. Leak none of this information out, I only want us to know about it." Shikamaru reached in his pockets for his pack of cigarettes, but then after some thought, put then back in his pocket. "I think I'll finally quit smoking." He said to himself as he walked away, revising his plan.
The next day for Hinata came and went uneventfully. Again, no one from her clan visited her. Only the guards that brought her, her meals for the day and then nothing. Not a note, a letter or anything. She sat in the far corner of her cell, having been moved shortly after Neiji's visit, and stayed there unmoving for the remainder of her time. She sat with her knees up, her face buried between her arms and legs. Bugs had come into her cell to devour her food.
But she didn't care. All she could do was sit and bide her time and wait. She bore no grudges towards the Hokage, or anyone else. She had made a choice, and knew what consequences that choice brought with it. Ultimately, everything was her fault. Her own weakness that brought about the death of her friend, her unborn child, and hers. Three lives wasted away because she could not bring herself up to stand up for herself. It was funny how fate often worked against you. But that was alright; as long as Naruto got her letter…everything would be alright.
Dear Naruto,
For many years I've watched you from afar, wanting to tell you so many things but was to afraid, too shy to even tell you. There were many letters I wrote, hoping that I could give them to you, but found myself keeping them, for fear of rejection. I'm not sure if I'll ever get a chance to tell you all those things I wanted to. To hug you, and kiss you, and to let you know that you weren't always alone when we were younger. You had an angel watching over you, silently giving you strength from afar. It's unfortunate that I was too weak of woman, both then and now to tell you with my own words how I truly felt. I beg of you to not hold any grudge against me for Kiba-sans death. As the only thing that I can truly and countless draw inspiration and pride from, having you be upset or angry with me is a fate worse than the one I'm about to face. Though I'm sure you won't even notice me gone, I'll always be with you some how, watching you, cheering you on. There are lots more I want to say, however I don't think I have enough time to write it all down. Just please whatever you do, as my final request, I beg that you keep this letter with you at all times, just so that if I can't be with you in spirit, that my last words be with the person whom I admire and love above all else.
Hinata.
Naruto read the letter to himself one last time as he stuffed it inside the pocket of his jacket. There was no turning back now, as they all had decided on their plan. There was nothing left but the execution.
"Everyone here?" Naruto asked, and got enthusiastic response from all his friends. In unison, they all grabbed their Leaf forehead protectors and defiantly tossed them away. "Alright, Operation Skipping the Rift begins!"
They all leapt away in different directions, scattering themselves to the winds of Konoha. Naruto was the last one to leave, knowing full well the action he was about to partake of was damn near treason. He didn't care. If anything, the village had already hated him once, why not make them hate him again? This time, they would have good reason. A reason better than being the container for a Nine-tailed Demon fox. No, they were gonna hate him for being the shinobi who saved his friend, defying all the laws he was taught to die for.
He wasn't a tool to be tossed away, and neither was Hinata. And once he rescued the damsel in distress, he'd tell her…tell her how much she touched him. How he was sorry that he had his head too far up his ass to notice the angel pushing him along. As he leapt towards his destination, there was only one thought in Naruto's head.
"If breaking the rules will make me trash," He to himself. "Then I'm going to be the biggest piece of trash there is!"
THE END
TO BE CONTINUED IN KONOHA CIVIL WAR
