Ready for the next installment? Here we go then!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!
Once again the backstory is in FIRST PERSONand the rest of it is how I regularly write. Just to avoid confusion.
Chapter 10: Hyuga's Insight
"She's alive? Yes, I'm aware that this isn't according to plan. It's bad, I know. Would you shut up already? Quiet! I need to think." The pale man pinched the bridge of his nose and tilted his head back with a sigh, his eyes sinking closed as if they weighed too much to keep open. "Are you sure it's her? He was supposed to have disposed of her before all of this happened. What? He died how? The world's going to hell." And I'm likely behind it all. Orochimaru grinned at the thought.
"Sir, have you ever taken into consideration that maybe your team is a little hazardous?" The voice crackled out over the phone.
"Yes you idiot! That was the point, after all. I need to keep them under surveillance and this is by far the most efficient manner to do so."
"They're killing all of your competition as planned then?"
"Of course. Only the real threats. Can't have them going all over the world offing hundreds of people who have ever said something about my company. That'd be ridiculous." Orochimaru twirled a long strand of his dark hair around his fingers and swung his bare feet onto the top of the desk in front of him.
There was a momentary lapse, and Orochimaru feared that maybe he'd been hung up on before the voice came back and asked in a minute whisper, "Are they suspicious? Has she ratted me out yet?"
The snake-like man scoffed loudly. "You ask that as if it's going to happen. Under my watch, nothing is going to go wrong. Have faith, man!" He inspected his nails, the phone held between his pale-painted cheek and his purple silk-clad shoulder. "If someone does get just a little bit too nosy I'll be the first to hear about it."
"Alright. Don't get cocky." And then the line suddenly went dead.
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The doors to the dining hall burst open, startling those inside at the sudden intrusion. "Welcome, welcome home my dears!" Orochimaru bowed deeply with flourish, his hand across his waist in a distinctly western manner. "It's been far too long comrades." His accent made him very nearly incomprehensible.
He made his way across the room and settled into the seat at the head of the table, laying out his briefcase in front of him. "Tell me now, the mission. Success I presume." He motioned to one of the servers that was standing beside the kitchen door to bring him something to drink.
Kiba kicked Shikamaru under the table fiercely, stunning the young genius into a semblance of being alive. Shikamaru wiped inconspicuously at the small puddle of drool by his elbow and cleared his throat to speak. "Yes, the mission was a complete success. No one suspects a thing and the problem was eliminated." His head fell back down to the table, but he kept his eyes half-lidded to watch the rest of the meeting with thinly veiled interest.
"Do I get to keep the gun?" Kiba crammed another bite of bread between his lips and didn't bother swallowing before continuing, "Because that thing shoots like a dream." Neji smacked him upside the head, and the older brunette managed to at least look apologetic.
"Of course Kiba-kun! The weapon is yours. Just try to be discreet if at all possible." The server finally returned and poured red wine from the flask into the cup in front of their employer, then disappeared once again into the back of the room. "I've heard some exciting news." Orochimaru interlaced his fingers together in front of him and rested his elbows on the table, facing each of his male guests with an overly cheery smile.
The room was silent as everyone waited for the man to continue, until, realizing he probably wouldn't without an inquiry first, Shino piped up. "News?" He rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses.
Orochimaru's smile spread even wider than before and his eyes narrowed. "Someone brought back a war prisoner." He scanned over the small group of people sitting on either side of the long table. Aburame, Hyuga, Uchiha, Nara, Inuzuka, the little deaf kid who's name escaped him... Wait.
"Sorry we're late!" Naruto bustled into the dining hall, the doors opening so fast and hard that the doorknob on the left one managed to get stuck in the wall. "I got lost a few times." He pulled a small woman into the room with him, releasing his grip on her wrist when Neji glared at him harshly. The obnoxious blonde toddled around the table and chose the empty seat beside Sasuke before settling down.
Neji made his way to his cousin and led her to the seat to his left, pulled the chair out for her, and pushing it in once she'd sat down. He settled back into his own chair and smiled at her soft-spoken word of gratitude. She turned a bright eye on their host, who seemed to have fallen into a routine of twitching, smiling, and sipping on his drink in a nervous manner. Her lower lip found its way between her teeth and got caught there.
"Hello dear, we were just talking about you." Hinata's face turned a pretty shade of pink, and she lowered her gaze to the dark cherry-wood of the table in front of her.
"You were?" Orochimaru barely heard her over the sudden chaos coming from the kitchen behind him. He was watching her intently, the smile having never left his face.
"You're a hero young lady." She turned her head to face him and he took another sip of wine. He leaned forward onto the table, and Neji gripped her hand beneath its cover. "I know all about you." Servers hurried into the room and began distributing supper to the guests.
Naruto leaned over discreetly, or as close to it as the large orange-clad man could manage, to Sasuke and mumbled under his breath, "Pedophile." The Uchiha discreetly choked on an ice cube.
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"So, you're staying right?" Naruto sat down on the large wrap-around couch and bit into the loaf of bread he'd lifted from the kitchen. Hinata nodded with a small smile and the rest of the group shuffled into the living room of the apartment-like section of their headquarters. Each young man selected the seat they deemed most comfortable, with only one minor altercation taking place.
Kiba wound up on the floor with a pillow and a growing bump on his head, although a few moments later Hinata sat down on the sofa behind him and ran her fingers through his hair absentmindedly. He forgot all about sitting on the love seat where a smug-looking redhead had laid down with a blanket.
"Hyuga-" Shikamaru started, only to stop himself when both Neji and Hinata turned their almost-white eyes on him in an eerie stare. "Hinata," He started again, "Would you be willing to tell us a little about what happened to you?" Silence invaded the room as he asked the question they'd all been dying to since they'd arrived back at the compound the night before.
Neji placed his hand on his younger cousin's shoulder in assurance. "You don't have to." She shook her head and stared down at her knees, her gaze faraway from the rest of the room.
"It's fine, I don't mind." Hinata schooled her expression to remain blank, but there was a tightness around her lips and a depth in her eyes that none of the young men missed as they settled in for her explanation. "It started the day my uncle was murdered."
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I buried myself deeper under the weight of the clothing above me, the threat of suffocation far less than any other at the moment. Tears rolled down my face silently as I struggled to fight the trembling that desperately wanted to overtake me, but I knew that movement would be dangerous.
Uncle Hizashi, where are you?
There was another rumble of thunder outside the window, and rain began to pour through the open window above my head. More tears spilled from the corners of my eyes and I bit my lip to fight back a whimper, choosing to let my nose run rather than sniffle. Heavy footsteps bounded down the hallway towards the room I was in, slowing as they approached. The door creaked open and I held my breath.
Why me? I shut my eyes.
Flashback~
"Uncle Hizashi!" I dashed towards the normally stoic man, grinning as he bent down slightly and put one arm around me, my own around his shoulders.
"It's a pleasure to see you again Hinata." Hizashi looked up at the car that I had darted out of over my shoulder. Empty aside from the driver. "I see your father didn't make the trip with you."
I released the man and stepped back, shaking my head. "Father had to work. He said it was important."
His eyebrows knitted together and he thinned his lips. "I see. Please, come inside then and get settled." He offered his arm to me, and I grasped it lightly as he led me up the few steps and into the home I was quite familiar with. The simplicity of the decoration was a distinct reminder that Hyuga lived here, and I smiled at the thought.
I pulled my suitcase down the hall behind me as I headed to my room, my uncle having gone off to his office to finish his business for the evening so he could be available for supper later. I wheeled my bag over to the bedside and sat down myself, letting out a small sigh in relief.
The large window was open beside my bed, letting in what little sunshine the overcast day had to offer. I sat back further on the twin-sized bed, kicking my sneakers off over the edge onto the cream colored carpet. The walls were a light blue, almost reminiscent of my eyes and the ceiling was white. Sheer white curtains billowed on either side of the window as a gust of wind blew through the courtyard behind me, brushing a few pages on the desk to the floor in the far corner of the room. I stood and popped my back, then began the slow process of unpacking.
About an hour later, I heard the call to dinner come down the hall and I set the book I'd engrossed myself in onto the stand beside my bed. Making my way to the kitchen was a little more difficult than I had remembered it being, but after only one wrong turn in the enormity of my uncle's estate, I found my way to the dining hall.
"Hinata, how nice of you to join us." Hizashi teased, and a pink blush dusted my cheeks. The plates had already been set, and I made my way around the overly large table to take my place at my uncle's left. The seat across from me, however, was empty.
"Is Neji still at school?" I asked as I made headway into the bowl of soup that was in front of me.
"Yes, he will be for a few more days. You'll be gone by then unfortunately. I know how well you two get along." I nodded, too absorbed in my meal to do much of anything else.
Hizashi scraped what was left of his plate onto his fork and lifted the utensil to his lips. My uncle had always been a fast eater. I pouted. The advantage of getting a head start on me also accounted for something in this matter. He pushed back his chair and stood, placing his napkin on the table.
"If you'll excuse me, I have a few more things to attend to before I retire for the night. Have a pleasant evening Hinata." I smiled gently at him and swung my feet under the table, my toes just barely scraping the ground. It's really no fun being twelve. He left the room, and silence filled the once pleasant, albeit formal, atmosphere. I continued my meal in silence.
After dinner, I meandered through the house, intent on finding my uncle to ask about his collection of books. I was in desperate need of some new reading material.
Thunder crashed and roared outside the building and I caught occasional glimpses of lightning flashing in the windows of the hallway. I truly loved the rain. The general feeling of peace it always brought afterwards, and the fresh smell that accompanied it. Everything always felt cleansed after a storm.
Finally, I located my uncle's home office and I rapped politely on the door twice. When there wasn't an answer, I tried again only louder this time. After a few seconds, there still wasn't a reply. I turned the knob and pushed the heavy wooden door inward just an inch and peeked through the crack, then promptly threw up all over the floor.
The entire room was painted in red. Blood dripped from the ceiling onto the desk where papers were being ruined and the screen of the laptop glowed brightly from behind a layer of the drying liquid. The carpet was stained all over, muddy shoe prints tracking from the open window behind the desk. I glanced down and covered my mouth, tears welling up in my eyes. The prints stopped at the threshold of the door, one large shoe beside the other as if the man- because they were clearly too big for them to be a woman's -had stopped to choose which direction to take after he'd left the room behind. The floors of the hallway had been wiped clean in either direction. Where was my uncle?
I took a step back, and promptly ran in the direction of the basement. There were bodies of servers strewn throughout the halls as I fled as quickly as my feet would carry me, carefully avoiding any puddles of blood that would leave tracks behind me. I needed to hide.
End Flashback~
I bit down on the knuckle of my finger and attempted to go even deeper into the already tight fit inside the laundry basket hidden in a tiny nook of the room behind the washing machine.
The heavy footsteps came closer and I could hear the man breathing. I tasted blood.
"Come out, come out wherever you are." His voice was gritty and deep, dragging out the words as if playing a game with a small child. He took a few more steps and I clenched my eyes shut, tears and snot and sweat all mixing together on my face. I was going to die.
The footsteps shuffled to a stop a few feet away from me, and the man chuckled quietly from deep in his chest. "C'mon girlie, I don't got all day." I detected humor in his voice and bile once again rose in my throat. "Your uncle's dead. Ain't no use in hidin' anymore," The man continued shamelessly. Something crashed across the room, and I suddenly realized that he'd thrown the dryer. I knew I was going to hyperventilate any second now.
The man dragged the washing machine out of the way, and suddenly I found myself airborne. The basket rolled to the concrete ground with a thud, but I somehow managed not to make a sound. I peeked through a small gap in the basket and nearly gasped; this man was enormous! His skin appeared grey in the low lighting, but his hair was a very distinct blue. He had his back turned toward me.
I suddenly realized that he'd pulled out his cell phone and was chatting away quietly to someone.
I pulled myself from my hiding spot silently and got to my feet, cradling my suddenly pounding head. My fingers came away bloody and if the dizzy sensation was of any importance, I deduced that I likely had a concussion. I slipped a little farther into the back of the basement and located Hizashi's tools. Suddenly, I didn't really need to know the exact purpose of a tire iron; it didn't really matter.
I crept up behind the giant man, long metal rod in hand, my bare feet silent on the hard floors. I gathered all of my adrenaline-provided strength and swung at his head. I was rewarded with an impossibly loud crack and a few drops of blood falling to the ground. His cell phone hit the ground and the rest of him followed shortly after. I set the tire iron down gently, wary of making too much noise in case he'd had a partner.
I scrambled for the phone on the ground, praying it wasn't broken. Tears leaked down my face and I dragged my bloodied sleeve over both cheeks. I'd never been so relieved to hear a dial tone. I dialed the emergency line and held the receiver to my ear, doubting that whoever picked up would be able to understand me through my sobs.
"Hello?" I jumped.
"Hello?! I need help, my uncle's been murdered and the killers are still in my house." I whispered as loudly as I dared.
"Miss, I need you to speak louder. I can't understand you."
"There are-" A laugh behind me interrupted me, and suddenly the call was dropped. Thunder crashed in the distance.
"There are what?" The man at my feet stirred. I dropped the cell phone and made a grab for the tire iron, only to be restrained by the owner of the second voice. I struggled in his hold, but despite his smaller stature he was still far stronger than I was.
"Damn bitch," The man-mountain complained from his place on the ground. He pushed the tire iron to the far corner of the room and somehow managed to make it to his feet, although he did wobble a bit. "Sure we can't kill her?"
"No, we cannot." I bit the dark-haired stranger's arm and his grip on my bicep tightened painfully. He leaned down to look me in the eye. "Do not make me take that back."
And suddenly, everything went black.
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End Chapter 10
1. Hell yeah! The next part of Hinata's story will be in chapter 11, so stay tuned to find out more.
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