Gift of Divination
Chapter 10
Blizzard
Sasuke had been assigned the second quarter of the night. He settled at the entrance of the dim grotto, his sword resting upon his crossed legs. The snowfall had ceased a while ago. He could see patches of the starlit sky in-between the wispy clouds.
Behind him, everyone was asleep.
Yet the night was restless. The wind carried the whispers of the forest. From a hill to his right, he heard the frost-fringed pines mocking the bare oaks, creaking and rustling their evergreen arms.
An owl hooted indignantly. Had its prey scurried out of its grasp?
Something small and grey shot out of the treeline. It was closely followed by the frantic flapping of a tawny bird. With a swift swoop, the owl seized its runaway meal. Snowdust scattered in the air as it took off again, triumphant. It veered around and flew out of sight.
Not much entertained Sasuke afterwards. He pulled his talisman from beneath his collar and studied the round object. It had belonged to some uncle of his, whereas Itachi, being his elder brother by five years, had inherited their father's talisman.
With his thumb he stroked a minuscule scratch on the scarlet gem. It had appeared after his outburst with Hinata. She had fainted, and he had had to carry her to her room …
They had been accusing each other's families for their fathers' demise. Reflecting on it now … could their clans have made peace and avoided the conflict?
Such naive, wishful thinking he had.
Sasuke gripped his blanket tighter and leaned forward. There was a slight throb in his head, and a sting in his back. A grimace contorted his features.
The talisman emitted a reddish glow. The faint light pulsated like a dying star in the dark.
He had to resist the pain.
It felt like a thousand needles were piercing his upper back. His head was sore from the incessant ache.
A gasp slipped past his lips. His breathing grew shallow, ragged. He squeezed his eyes shut, forcing himself to ignore the agony tormenting his body and mind.
He looked at the talisman – it was glowing bright red.
Ever since the incident at the river, where he had almost drowned, these painful episodes had crept up on him..
Crack.
Another, deeper fissure appeared on the gem. Sasuke's conscience was slowly slipping away.
"I have …," he was telling himself, "to stay … awake."
His body convulsed in anguish. His back was burning hot.
Despite his resolution, Sasuke could no longer oppose the pain. With a low sigh, he gave in to the darkness.
.
.
.
Sasuke knew not for how long he was unconscious. With a rough shake he was brought back to his senses. It took him a few moments to recognize his surroundings, for his mind was still numb.
"Hey!" said the one shaking him. It was a furious Kiba. "You bastard—get a grip! Hinata, she's gone …"
A scowl appeared on Sasuke's face.
"Hinata…?" he repeated. He looked outside and, in the moonlight, he saw a set of footprints going towards the treeline. He glanced back inside the grotto. Hearing the commotion, the other two Uchiha were already up. The horses neighed nervously. Haru and Akamaru were awake but drowsy.
Hinata was …
… Where was she?
Realization struck him then.
"The fuck is wrong with you? If you were tired, you could have told one of us."
Kiba got to his feet and pointed at the forest.
"There's her scent in that direction. I will go and find her."
"No – I'll go," said Sasuke, standing up and tying his katana at his waist.
"I'm the only one here who can locate her quickly," retorted Kiba, annoyed. "If you went, you would take ten times longer."
"I said I'll go," replied Sasuke, the cold sensation of guilt sinking in. He stepped closer, locking eyes with the determined Kiba. The latter's eyes widened for a second.
Then, a blank expression fell over his face.
"Alright," said Kiba in a monotonous voice. "I'll stay."
Sasuke was surprised by this sudden change of mind. His eyebrows furrowed.
"M – Master!" said one of his clansmen. "Your eyes … they changed."
Puzzled, Sasuke unsheathed his katana and peered at his reflection on the smooth metal.
No longer were his irises dark. They had turned blood-red. He blinked.
They were once again black.
He had no time to spare and think about this.
"Let's go," called Sasuke. His clansmen followed him into the forest.
Fortunately Hinata had left a single trail behind. It was evident that she knew where she was headed.
Sasuke lost track of the distance they covered. The further they went, the colder became the air. He had to duck and dodge low branches and high bushes that barred his way.
Finally they reached the edge of a clearing. Sasuke signaled to the other two to standby.
Alone he emerged into a foggy clearing. The footprints continued up a gentle slope.
Sasuke looked up.
Hinata was standing at the foot of an immense tree. Her head was tilted upwards, gazing at the moon.
He took a few steps, but soon halted. His foot had bumped against something. Looking down, he noticed the wooden handle of Hinata's weapon, discarded in the snow.
"Another human?" said a languorous voice. It belonged to Hinata, yet it was so uncharacteristic of her. Sasuke eyed the girl with suspicion.
"Why don't you come closer?"
With a flick of her hand, snowdust rose from the ground. It encircled Sasuke and propelled him forward.
He landed heavily before Hinata.
"What happened to you?" said Sasuke, breathless. He sprang to his feet, and lunged at the girl.
"Not so fast."
An icy feeling wrapped around his ankles. His body stopped at an arm's length from Hinata. An insolent smile adorned her lips.
His feet were trapped in ice.
"Move, and your legs will break in half."
There was a rustle from behind Hinata. Alarmed, she turned around in time to see the other two Uchiha charge at her.
"Pests," she muttered.
Gone was her playful tone. A somber look fell over Hinata's features.
Her hands were at her sides, palms up and fingers curled stiffly. Particles of frost and snow formed and swirled in her hands.
In a swift motion, she raised her forearms in front of her, crossed them, and slashed through the air.
Two rows of gigantic icicles erupted from the ground. Giving no time to react, the razor-sharp tips charged at the approaching men. They impaled the two Uchiha clansmen, brandishing them in the air like limp puppets. The ice had pierced through their throats and chests.
They were dead in less than a second.
Hinata's pearl-white eyes peered at Sasuke's horror-struck face. He struggled, pushing his legs against the jagged rim of the ice. His teeth were clenched, his eyes full of fury.
He saw none of the unaffected innocence that Hinata usually displayed in her demeanour. Something had taken control of the girl.
Was it a spirit? If so, what of Hinata's soul?
"Who are you?" hissed Sasuke. The thirst for vengeance dripped off each word and came out in wisps of white breath. His irises held an eerie glow.
Hinata let out a scoff.
"It matters not," she replied. "I only sought this."
She pulled the hairpin out of her hair and showed the gem to Sasuke.
"It seems like to have fallen in the wrong hands," she said, scornful. "I—"
She paused abruptly, a grimace twisting her face.
"Get out!" she cried, breathless, both hands pressing against her temple. She fell to her knees, her head shaking from left to right.
"Inochi! How … how vile, how could you? Just – get out of my head!"
Inochi?
His eyes swept over the icicles. He dared not let his gaze linger over his fellow clansmen.
What an ill-suited name she bears.
"You're a snow woman, aren't you? A spirit of winter."
"Silence!" shouted the girl, her eyes haggard. She stumbled back up, her hands shakily reaching behind her for support, and leaned against the tree trunk.
"As you deduced, I am Inochi, spirit of the cold season. For so long," she was now saying, "so painfully long … I waited for fate to bring me what I most desired. I won't allow mere mortals to interfere."
"What are you talking about?"
"This girl," she said, pointing at Hinata's body with the hairpin, "has in her possession a precious jewel with unimaginable powers. We of the unseen world have heard of it, as it belonged to one of our kind. Any wish can be granted with this gem … against an equivalent price.
"Mine is simple. I wish to bring my dearest Sakura back among the living…"
Sasuke felt he knew whom Inochi was referring to. He had overheard Hinata and the dog boy mention that name to Itachi. She was a spirit residing at the Inari shrine before it was raided by people after Hinata's life.
His legs were numb from the ice trap. He had to stall her, at least long enough for him to think of a strategy.
"Aren't you a spirit yourself?" said Sasuke. "What good would come from such a wish?"
"Her soul was never meant to become one of us. She was as human as you are. Centuries prior, before this land was thrown into chaos by greed and wrath, fate brought me to a young girl with gorgeous green eyes, daughter of a minor feudal lord. Among all those of your kind, only she could see us, the unseen of this world. She didn't fear me. She sought to befriend me. She enjoyed my company, and I enjoyed hers.
"But fate works in … infuriatingly mysterious ways. Just as she was blooming into a splendid flower, my tender cherry blossom was cruelly cut off her branch.
"She was promised to a rich nobleman, and their marriage which would elevate the status of her family. The fox could no longer approach her then, so I was content as well and thought not much of it.
"On their wedding day, everyone was revelling, and her husband's guards were drunk and barely awake by the doors. Soldiers from a rival clan, who were after new territory, seized this occasion to invade the palace. The men were beheaded on the spot; with the women, the despicable soldiers took their time.
"Sakura … she knew she would not escape. So, to preserve her honor, before the invaders could reach her, she grabbed a sword and took her own life.
"Her death occurred in spring, when my powers were at their weakest. I could only collect a drop of her blood with the hope of bringing her back to life once more.
"Meanwhile the filthy kitsune, smitten with Sakura, exterminated the soldiers. He used his powers to trap her soul in its current state – a lowly spirit disguised as a kitsune. He destroyed any chance of reincarnation for her."
The wind was rising. It stirred up the snow into a wild, violent dance around the clearing.
Hinata closed her eyes.
Sasuke saw something detach from her body. It was Inochi, revealing her true form at last. A wispy silver aura surrounded her figure. She stepped in between an unconscious Hinata and a surprised Sasuke. The hairpin was floating above her raised hand.
"Before you arrived, I tried to use the gem but failed. So I decided to pay a visit to the Hyūga clan. I heard their leader is now Hinata's cousin. I suppose he will bring better results than this exiled heiress."
With that, she spun around. A flurry of white dust enveloped Inochi, and she was gone with the wind.
I forbid you from following me. I will know, and I won't spare your lives a second time.