The Ballad of Hinata
Hinata, Sasuke, Kiba, Sakura
Rated T
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of its extensions, and I don't own Disney's Mulan.
The Ballad of Hinata
Chapter 12
Sasuke stared into the fire where he and his troops had decided to stop when it had become too dark for them to continue traveling. They were close to the bottom of the mountain and to the emperor's palace and should reach it at best near sunset the next day. However that was not what he was thinking of. No, he was instead thinking of the young woman he had left up the mountain.
Hinata, her name was Hinata. She had lied and infiltrated the army, pretending to be a man and train like one all to save her father, Hyuuga Hisahi, one of the greatest war heroes known in history. But even though she did it for a good cause, he felt betrayed. He had thought Hizash—no, Hinata, was special and understood him. He had never felt so close to someone else before. And though he wouldn't admit it, he had fallen for Hizashi. Sasuke had no preference really as to gender for a romantic partner, because he was more into character and he had liked Hizashi's. But now knowing Hizashi was really Hinata, a young girl that had deceived him, he wasn't so sure anymore. He couldn't even be certain if Hizashi's character was really Hinata's true character, that that was who she really was as a person.
Truthfully upon learning she and Zen were women (whatever Zen's real name was), he should have killed them. By law, he should have and Ebisu encouraged it. But he couldn't bring himself to kill them, couldn't bring himself to kill Hinata. Maybe it had been the truth he had seen in her eyes as she pleaded with him to believe her, but it didn't matter now. He spared her and her friend, the Akatsuki army was no more, and that was that. He personally would have liked to finish Itachi himself, but what's done is done. His army prevailed, and all because of the Hyuuga up the mountain.
Someone sat down next to him and he looked over to see Naruto sitting next to him, staring into the fire as well. With a grunt he asked, "What is it, Uzumaki?"
Naruto was quiet for a moment before saying, "I understand finding out Hinata and Sakura were women must have been quite a shock, but I'm glad you spared them."
"She saved my life, I spared hers. A life for a life, I repaid my debt, nothing more."
"But you can't deny that she was great."
"She lied and deceived me. I have no room or patience for a traitor."
"Hinata isn't a traitor, and you know that. You know what I think, teme? I think you're hurt more so over the fact that you have feelings for her and you'll never get to explore where you guys' feelings for each other will go now that the war is over."
Coal black eyes looked into azure blue as Sasuke asked, "She likes me?"
Naruto grinned and said, "Of course she does, but she's also aware that you'll never want her, at least not as herself. She, Sakura, and I all know that you were attracted to her other persona. Even so, Hizashi and Hinata are one in the same, their character is the same. The only thing that's different is that Hinata is a woman and Hizashi is a man, and that's really where your inner conflict over the situation is."
"So you just accepted it when you found out?"
"Yeah. Of course I found out Sakura was a female first and they're some of the toughest girls I have ever met. They had way more determination that anyone in the army. You saw it too, especially during training. Even when you had told Hinata to go home thinking she was the weakest link, she persevered because she knew she had it in her to be strong. And when she got that arrow she showed everyone, including you, that she was tougher than anyone else. And if it weren't for her crazy idea in causing an avalanche that killed the Akatsuki army, we would all be dead."
Sasuke knew Naruto was right, but he just couldn't accept things just yet; it was still too much of a shock to him. He quickly dismissed himself and entered his tent, lying down to rest for the night. He looked over to where a katana blade rested, the katana belonging to his brother that he had found upon leaving the two women up the mountain. It rested next to his own, the Uchiha family katana his father had given him before leaving him to train his troops. He sighed before turning over, falling to sleep, but sleeping restlessly.
It was midday the following day, and the mountain was quiet covered in snow. The snow covered battlefield, as a result of the avalanche, sat ever so silent and cold, not a single bit of it undisturbed. However, it soon became disturbed when a body suddenly rose up from the cold snow, shaking off the white substance. Red eyes with black tomes looked around at the snow, taking in the carnage buried around him. Eyes narrowed before he held his fingers to his lips and whistled, the sound shrill and loud.
Around him bundles of snow began to rise up until eight more people were standing with him, all of them wearing the large black cloaks with red clouds; Kisame, Konan, Deidara, Sasori, Kakuzu, Hidan, Zetsu, and Tobi. When it became apparent their leader Nagato also did not survive the avalanche with the rest of the army, they all looked to the still figure looking at them with his red eyes.
Itachi stared back at what was left of the Akatsuki before nodding and turning to head down the mountain, heading for the city that was located below, the others following him while silently acknowledging him as their new leader.
Hinata, Sakura, Kiba, and Shino all stared at the nine figures as they ran in the snow down the mountain. They had been alerted by the shrill sound of a whistle while packing to head back home and went to investigate. They were surprised to see an Akatsuki member standing in the snow that looked like an older version of their captain. However they were more surprised when more of them popped out of the snow. They didn't see the leader and assumed him dead, but it was apparent Sasuke's look alike was the new leader as they followed him. Sakura looked a bit beyond them down the mountain and to see the city, knowing that was where they were headed.
"They're heading for the city," Sakura said.
Hinata watched as the Akatsuki soon disappeared out of sight, all of them moving pretty fast on foot. Biting her lip she thought for a bit before running for her horse, grabbing the reins and swinging herself onto her animal and steering her horse towards the city. As Sakura went to do the same Kiba asked, "And just what do you think you two are doing? Home is the other way."
"We've got to do something, and they're going to need our help. As far as Sasuke and the others know, all of the Akatsuki are dead and are going to tell the emperor and everyone down there as such. We need to warn them that some are still alive and going to be in the city," Hinata responded.
"Didn't you just see them, though? They popped out of the snow like fresh daisies and wildflowers!"
Sakura nodded and said, "Yeah, we saw."
Hinata looked at her little guardian and asked, "Are we in this together or not?"
Kiba looked at the young woman Lady An and Hizashi had sent him to protect, seeing the courage and determination in her that she and her father had trouble seeing in herself. She didn't even know it, but she was becoming the leader Hiashi didn't think she could be. With a smile he grabbed Shino and quickly climbed to sit in front of Hinata on her horse before saying, "It's time to open a can of Akastuki ass whooping!"
Sakura shook her head with an amused smile as Hinata laughed before nudging her horse with her heel and the two of them ran down the mountain on the backs of their horses, hurrying to reach the city in time.