Author's note: Attention to all of those who think Hinata may have acted weird and out of control in this story. Yes, she has. I know you're all used to her being shy and all, but having this intimate scene with Kiba was part of my plan. How will she react after this? Will she consider pursuing a relationship with Kiba? That's what I wanted to inform you. Hinata is still Hinata, despite this story being M rated and having major mature and sexual content. And trust me, even Kishimoto himself did various experimentation with the characters' personalities, though Hinata was not one of them. For those of you who are uncomfortable reading about lemon, I suggest you to not read. I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.
Chapter 14: An Unexpected Proposal
In the gardens of the Hyuuga clan, Village Hidden in the Leaves, Land of Fire
The night had arrived in the Leaf Village, but not everyone was sleeping. Some were still up and doing business as usual. Among those who were up was Hinata Hyuuga. The young bluenette was now sitting on a bench in the Hyuuga clan's personal gardens and she had been doing that for a long time now. Hinata was currently in deep thought at the moment and she had a reason to be so.
Ever since the date with Kiba, which had resulted in them being very intimate and sexual to one another, Hinata had not been feeling like herself. The young woman was not sure about how to tackle this feeling. She had always been curious about what it meant to have sexual desires. But now, she no longer held such interests. Hinata felt so much conflicted in her mind right now. After Kiba left her, she had participated in a meeting with her clan.
During that meeting, her father Hiashi had strictly told him not to marry someone from any other clan. He had decided that if Hinata was to be married to someone, it would have to be a pure Hyuuga. But it was his threat that made Hinata very worried.
"I do not want you to get intimate with Kiba Inuzuka. He is not to be nowhere near this property and you! The same goes for the rest of his clan of mutts!" Hinata recalled how strict Hiashi had told her. "If I catch you and that miserable worm engaged in any kind of activity, he will suffer the consequences! Do I make myself clear, Hinata!?" the warnings from her father kept hanging in her mind as if a ghost was possessing her mind.
Hinata sighed deeply and faced the ground with her bright eyes. "Why…...why did it have to end this way?" she wondered while starting to feel sad on the inside. "Why did I have to fall in love with Kiba so early? Was it because I was…afraid of being left alone?" Hinata continued to question her recent behavior, especially when it came to love.
True, Hinata was always known to be a shy and reserved lady. But yesterday, she did the unthinkable and had sex with Kiba. But how would this go from now on? Would it be better if Hinata had never started developing these feelings towards Kiba and keep focusing on winning Naruto's heart? Hinata felt as if she had dragged Kiba into something he did not deserve to be in. In fact, the young bluenette had started to realize something: her desire to know more about sexuality had somewhat destroyed her independence. Yes, she never really wanted to experience sex. She only desired to feel real love.
"I think I may have made a mistake engaging in this activity with Kiba…...look where that got me now…or where that got Kiba…...I feel like an idiot right now" Hinata said while feeling insecure about herself. "I never really thought about the consequences of such relationship. My naivety got the best of me and it completely ruined my self-awareness" she then realized as tears slowly started to drop from her eyes.
The young Hyuuga-heiress was now starting to realize that she had chosen to find love the wrong way and that it had led to terrible results, not just on her part, but also on Kiba's part. Thinking about what mess she had caused made Hinata cry, and she sobbed while holding her hands onto her face. If only she could go back in time and undo all those mistakes of hers.
"Why are you crying?" Hinata stopped sobbing when she could hear an unfamiliar voice calling to her. The bluenette moved her hands away to see a tall man standing right before her. Hinata snapped as she saw him standing so close. It made her almost falling off the bench, yet she managed to climb back on it. This man had pale skin, shaggy white hair, attractive facial features, and six magatama designs tattooed on his collarbones. For some reason, his eyelids were closed. His choice of clothes was also unique to Hinata's standards. He wore white, high-collared kimono with a black obi, over which he wore a pale green sash tied at the right shoulder. Beneath his robes he wore black fingerless gloves, long black pants and black shinobi sandals. This man was someone Hinata had never seen before.
"Who a-are…you!?" Hinata asked while glancing up to the man. But she felt even more shocked by the fact he was able to bypass the security around the Hyuuga mansion. "And how did you manage to get pass the mansion's security!?" she wanted an answer from him, starting to feel intimidated by this man's posture.
So far, the man never opened his eyes. He also remained still and didn't move a muscle. "My name is Toneri Otsutsuki" the strange man finally introduced himself before taking small steps towards Hinata, who remained seated on the bench. "And I have come for you, Hinata Hyuuga" he then told her.
Hinata was utterly stunned to hear what this man's intention was. "Y-You have come for me? B-But I don't even know you" the Hyuuga-heiress said, her heart pounding faster as she took notice of Toneri's steps. "W-What is it you really you want from me?" she then asked, this time feeling very insecure about this man.
"You don't have to worry, Hinata. I mean you no harm" Toneri assured her. The young man even began reaching out his left hand to her. "Please, come with me. It is what is already written in the stars above us" Toneri told her, once again asking for Hinata to come with him.
The young bluenette was feeling uncomfortable with this. She was thinking about confronting whoever this man was. But she stopped once she heard a familiar voice calling to her. Hinata snapped as he realized who that was.
"Lady Hinata!" the voice came from the young clansman named Ko Hyuuga. He had once been a caretaker for Hinata when she was just a young girl. Ko had managed to get a glimpse of Toneri standing not far from the Hyuuga-heiress. He immediately rushed to save her, even activating his Byakugan. "Who are you!? And how dare you set foot in the Hyuuga clan's personal gardens!?" he demanded an answer from Toneri while charging towards him.
Hinata snapped in fear when she saw this. "KO! GET AWAY FROM…." The young woman was interrupted as she saw Toneri point his right hand towards Ko.
"Seize him!" Toneri spoke out firmly and something happened to Ko. The young man found himself getting attacked by people dressed in black garbs which covered their bodies. Ko was caught by surprise as those stranger ninjas pinned him down, eventually holding him as a hostage. Toneri took notice of Ko and the power he possessed. "Keep him alive. I require his Chakra" the young man commanded his servants and they obeyed his command.
"HIS…...CHAKRA!?" Hinata was outraged over what she heard from Toneri.
Toneri approached Ko, who was being held hostage by his servants. The mysterious man created a green orb that floated above his right hand. He moved his orb closer to Ko, who desperately tried to resist this action.
"You sick bastard…YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS OUTRAGE!" Ko yelled at him, only to feel himself getting weaker by the minute. His bright eyes even started to feel tired and there were little signs of energy in that man's body.
"While I am at it, I may as well pass on a little message to your fellow Hyuugas. Let them know that I have come here to claim what is mine" Toneri said as his green orb continued to absorb chakra from Ko. "They are all to come out here and listen to my declarations and demands!" he then concluded before he dismantled the green orb.
As soon as Toneri was finished, Ko fell onto the ground unconscious. He did not say any word as he was lying on the dirt. Hinata was utterly shocked and angered at the same time. She glanced at Toneri, who had just returned his focus on her.
"You…YOU MONSTER!" Hinata yelled at him in anger, going as far as to activate her Byakugan. She even prepared her Gentle Fist Art stance, facing Toneri with gritting teeth. The young bluenette was willing to fight him. "How dare you do this to Ko!? You'll regret it!" she snapped at him, feeling a fire burn within her.
Toneri simply glanced at her with a deep frown, indicating that he knew that Hinata was planning on fighting him. "Why does this man matter so much to you? After all, he is nothing but a mere servant" Toneri told her as honest as he could.
Hinata felt anger for a long time. She could not stand when somebody was badmouthing an honest Hyuuga like Ko. "Don't you ever call him that! He's not a servant!" she snapped and began charging straight towards Toneri, who remained still doing nothing. "Eight Trigrams Air Palm!" Hinata exclaimed while she moved her right handpalm towards Toneri's face. But before her attack could even land, Toneri grabbed Hinata's arm, this stopping her attack. Hinata was stunned over seeing how fast the reflexes of this man was.
"Please, don't do anything foolish such as this, Hinata. I would rather not resort to violence with you" Toneri spoke up, his grip on Hinata's right arm firm and tight. "But if you insist on being so stubborn, then you leave me no choice. You are coming with me, one way or another" the young man then issued a threat to the Hyuuga-heiress.
Hinata was amazed and scared at the same time by how firm Toneri's grip on her arm was. But she now realized that this man was indeed dangerous. "L-Let me go" Hinata told him yet he didn't respond to her. She felt more frustrated by the minute. "I said let go of me, you monster!" she said trying to lose herself from Toneri's grip. But it didn't work.
"I cannot let go of you of" Toneri spoke up, glancing at Hinata with his closed eyelids. "You and I are destined to become married. Our marriage will herald a new era for the Otsutsuki clan" he then told her.
The Hyuuga-heiress stopped resisting and glanced at him with an outraged expression. She could not believe what he was saying to her. "Me marrying you? I don't understand!" she snapped at him.
"You don't have to understand it, Hinata. Our marriage has been foretold since ancient times" Toneri told her.
"Hinata!" the male voice came from Hiashi Hyuuga, who was now being accompanied by other important members of the Hyuuga clan, including Hinata's younger sister Hanabi and clansmen like Hoheto and Iroha. But once the clan head saw Toneri holding her daughter's right arm, he was shocked. "No…it is….you" Hiashi said, his voice filled with fear.
Toneri took notice of the group of Hyuugas arriving in the gardens and he let go of Hinata's arm, taking steps towards the group. The pale-skinned man even formed as smile in the process. "Ah, I see that you have received my message. The strongest of the Hyuugas: Hiashi Hyuuga and his youngest daughter: Hanabi. I have been expecting you" Toneri said, his statement directed towards Hiashi and Hanabi.
The middle-aged man scowled from what he was seeing. "I was told in my dreams about you…...last descendant of Hamura Otsutsuki. I first refused to believe the visions you have me, but now…you are here on Earth…." Hiashi noted lowly, even though he was furious on the inside. "Now explain yourself! Why have you come here!?" he demanded an answer out of the mysterious man.
Toneri's smile immediately changed into a deep frown. "Isn't that an ignorant question for you to ask of me? You know very well why I have descended upon this world. I have come here to take what is rightfully mine and fulfill the lifelong wish of my ancestor: destroying this world!"" he told the clan head and the Hyuugas around him. Toneri clenched his fists. "For too long, mankind has avoided punishment for their arrogance! But I will see to it being delivered! None of you can avoid the judgment you have been given!" the mysterious man added loudly to his dark proclamation.
All the Hyuugas were shocked to hear what came out of that man's words. It became abundantly clear to them that he was someone who had to be stopped. Otherwise, he could become a danger to all hidden villages, if not the entire world.
"If all of you look up to the dark sky, you will see a crescent moon. That is the same crescent moon that will destroy this world and everything that infests on it!" Toneri told them while pointing a finger up towards the bright moon. "Even now, I alone have the ability to move the entire Moon, as well as cut it into half. I have done it. I will use the Moon's other half to destroy the Sage's world as punishment for weaponizing Chakra!" he then continued with this dark proclamation.
Hiashi had enough of hearing this nonsense. Without warning, he charged towards Toneri, activating his Byakugan in the process. The head of the Hyuuga clan was determined to put an end to Toneri. "YOU SHALL NOT THREATEN US!" Hiashi yelled as he prepared to land an attack on the mysterious man. But before he even knew it, Toneri vanished from his sight and it astounded the middle-aged man. "WHAT!? WHERE DID HE…" he wondered in outrage.
"FATHER! BEHIND YOU!" Hanabi yelled in shock, but it was too late. Hiashi felt himself getting attacked by Toneri from behind. Toneri put his handpalm on Hiashi's back, thus sending shockwaves throughout his body. It was extremely painful for Hiashi to feel and blood sprouted out from his mouth and nose. The powerful head of the Hyuuga clan fell powerless before Toneri. But he was still breathing, yet critically injured. The Hyuugas were horrified from seeing this pain Hiashi was in.
"FATHER!" Hinata yelled out in outrage over seeing the condition her father had been reduced to. The bluenette glared at Toneri, her bright eyes burning with anger. "YOU BASTARD!" she yelled out towards him and was about to charge at Toneri in anger, only for somebody to grab her from behind, thus holding her hostage. It was two servants of Toneri. As she was held by them, Toneri walked towards her, creating a green orb above his hand once again. He was now intending on absorbing her chakra.
Hanabi, who had been devastated by seeing her father reduced to this, quickly took notice of Hinata getting captured. The teenage girl knew that her sister was in trouble and ran straight towards Toneri furiously. "YOU WON'T LAY A HAND ON MY SISTER, YOU FILFTHY SON OF A….." Hanabi stopped as she could spot Toneri turn around to block her way. But he was also moving towards the teenage girl.
Hanabi was paralyzed when Toneri suddenly put his left handpalm on her face. She couldn't move a muscle against him. Toneri never let go of Hanabi. "This should silence you for a while" he said before sending shockwaves throughout the young teenager's body. Hanabi immediately sprouted out blood from her nose and mouth and she fell powerless on her back. The teenage girl had now lost her consciousness, with her orange kimono getting covered in blood.
"HANABI!" Hinata cried out in distress when seeing what Toneri had just done to her younger sister. Tears were streaming from her bright eyes.
The Hyuugas clansmen were once again horrified by Toneri's actions, especially since he was willing to do attack a young teenager. "Lady Hanabi…" Iroha uttered out, his bright eyes focused on the lying girl covered in blood. The other Hyuugas were doing the same thing. But many of them soon felt enragement taking hold on their minds, their Byakugans being activated in the process. Iroha led the charge. "YOU WILL DIE, DEMON!" Iroha yelled in anger while leading the Hyuugas.
"KILL THAT BASTARD!" Hoheto shouted as he also charged towards Toneri.
But the group of Hyuugas were in for a surprise when men dressed in black garbs suddenly appeared before them, blocking their way to Toneri. It was apparent that they would be taking care of the Hyuugas as their master had called for their aid.
"Take care of those Hyuugas. But don't kill them. I need them all alive!" Toneri commanded his servants and they obeyed without question. The man with the closing eyelids then refocused his attention on Hinata, who was struggling to free herself from the clutches of his servants. Even now, she was more distressed than ever. Toneri held his green orb close to her and soon, Hinata stopped resisting. "I will not steal everything from you, Hinata. As my future wife, you will need all this extraordinary power. But now, rest easy and embrace your future on the Moon" Toneri told Hinata as she became weaker by the minute.
As Hinata started to lose her consciousness, Toneri felt satisfied. However, the pale-skinned man felt something coming towards him and it turned out to be true. Disintegrating his green orb, Toneri used his right elbow to block the incoming attack from his right side. The one who had done that was Naruto, the blonde-haired man furious over what he was seeing.
But Naruto was not arriving alone. Even now, Tsunade, Kakashi, Sakura, Shikamaru, Lee, Tenten and Chouji had now arrived at the Hyuuga clan's personal gardens, hoping to assist the Hyuugas against these interlopers.
Toneri fixed his glance upon Naruto, who had already jumped backwards and landed on the ground. His blue eyes were filled with determination. "Who the hell are you!? And what have you done to Hinata and all the Hyuugas!?" the blonde-haired man demanded an answer out of the pale-skinned man.
"I see" Toneri noted as Naruto glared at him. "You must be the infamous Naruto Uzumaki, carrier of the Nine-Tailed Fox: Kurama. I am humbled to finally meet you in person" Toneri then spoke to Naruto, recalling all the things he had heard from him.
Naruto had to admit he was stunned when he heard that this stranger possessing knowledge about his reputation. However, he quickly narrowed his blue eyes, not willing to let Toneri's words persuade him.
"Spare me your bullshit! What the hell do you think you're doing in the Leaf Village!?" Naruto barked at him.
Tsunade, Kakashi and Sakura appeared at his side, with the Hokage taking the lead of this group of Leaf shinobis who had arrived to help the Hyuugas. "It's useless to hide your motivations from us. Your speech was so loud that we could hear every sentence in it. That alone is enough to confirm that you are a madman" the Fifth Hokage told Toneri sternly. "And from the looks of it…...you have done something to Hinata, Hanabi, Hiashi and Ko. You'll pay for that!" she said after getting a glimpse of the current conditions of Hinata, Hiashi and Ko.
Despite hearing that they knew about his plans, Toneri didn't seem to mind. "Hmmmm. If you heard me, then you all know what the future holds for you. It is bleak as darkness itself" Toneri told them while stretching out his hands so that the moonlight reflected on his sleeves. It was apparent that he wanted to show them the crescent moon above them. "Gaze above you, dwellers of this world! With each second, the Moon moves closer to destroying this pitiful world! Such will be the punishment on mankind!" he then boasted out proudly.
"Destroying the world with the Moon!?" Naruto stated the sentence in utter disbelief.
"Have you lost your mind!? How in the world can you do this!?" Kakashi asked out to Toneri. "Why do you seek to end mankind when they have just achieved peace in a long time!?" he asked one more time.
Before Kakashi could even receive an answer, something else happened in the skies above the Leaf Village. From what the shinobis of the Leaf could see, it looked as if a swarm of flying giant birds. But there was more to these birds. They were mounted by Toneri's puppets. These riders were preparing to mount an aerial assault on the Leaf Village.
"What the hell…what are those things!?" Shikamaru asked while looking up to the skies.
"It's an entire army of…...giant, flying birds" Chouji remarked from what he was seeing. But the chubby man could notice the riders mounting them. "Wait! Those flying birds are mounted! Look closely!" he said to his comrades.
"They're headed straight towards the Leaf Village!" Lee yelled.
The riders turned their attention on the Hyuuga mansion. They began firing beams from their hands. But other riders soon jumped off the birds and began launching attack on the Leaf Village.
"Damn! These bastards are planning an invasion!" Tsunade cursed before turning her attention to Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi. "I'll have to head back to the tower and call for an emergency meeting about this attack! In the meantime, we also need to mount a counterattack against these invaders before they gain a foothold on the village!" she then told them.
Kakashi nodded his head in return. "Good idea! It's best if we make sure those who can fight are notified about this. And more importantly, something is odd about these men" Kakashi noted as he held an arm belonging to one of these black garbed men. Those around the masked men became shocked. "These aren't living humans, Lady Tsunade. They're puppets!" he told her.
"What? Puppets!?" Sakura exclaimed while looking at the men dressed in black garbs, as well as the flying birds and their raiders. "Then those giant birds must be puppets as well! But who's controlling them!?" Sakura asked while feeling distressed over seeing them so endlessly.
Naruto fixed his glare on Toneri, who was still standing near Hinata. "I think we all know the answer to that, Sakura. And he's standing over there!" he told them. His friends understood what he meant. It was Toneri who was controlling those puppets. "We must act! If we stop him, those puppets will no longer work" the blonde-haired man declared.
"NARUTO, WATCH OUT!" Sakura said and pulled Naruto away from getting blasted by the enemy flyers. The other Leaf shinobis were forced to do that as well. The flying puppets were shooting to form a line that separated the Leaf shinobis from the Hyuugas.
Many giant puppet birds began descending upon the Hyuuga clan's personal gardens. One by one, the Hyuugas were loaded upon the birds. Even Toneri had found himself a bird, while carrying an unconscious Hinata with her. The man with the closed eyelids glanced down upon the Leaf shinobis as his bird took off.
"NO! THEY'RE TAKING HINATA AND HER FAMILY!" Sakura yelled in shock as she could see the Hyuugas on the flying birds.
Naruto saw this and became enraged. "NO! GET BACK HERE, YOU BASTARD!" yelled in anger while he summoned a couple of Shadow Clones to his side. He was now preparing a powerful Rasenshuriken to throw it towards Toneri. "WIND STYLE: RASENSHURIKEN!" he yelled and threw it up in the air. It headed straight towards Toneri and his bird.
However, Toneri took notice of the Rasenshuriken heading towards him and he created a forcefield of Chakra that protected him from the incoming attack. As powerful as the Rasenshuriken was, it was not enough to break Toneri's forcefield. Naruto snapped in anger as he saw this.
"YOU WON'T TAKE HINATA AND HER FAMILY!" Naruto yelled at Toneri. "GIVE THEM BACK!" he did it again.
Toneri felt like he was high enough for him and the other birds to fly away. However, he wanted to leave the villagers of the Leaf a final message before disappearing. "THERE IS NO HOPE FOR YOU, VERMIN. IN ABOUT FEW DAYS, I WILL DESTROY THIS WORLD FOR THEIR ARROGANCE. THE FINAL WISH OF MY ANCESTOR WILL BE DONE! AND IF YOU THINK YOU CAN STOP ME, THEN COME TO MY REALM! I WILL BE WAITING FOR YOU TO ARRIVE ON THE MOON, WHERE I CAN KILL YOU ALL AND MAKE AN EXAMPLE TO ALL THOSE FOOLISH ENOUGH TO STAND AGAINST TONERI OTSUTSUKI! ENJOY YOUR FINAL DAYS, WORMS! FOR THE END OF THE SAGE'S WORLD DRAWS NEAR!" he bellowed while finishing this speech of his.
As soon as Toneri was finished with his speech, a bright light erupted in the sky and it blinded all the shinobis before them. It was apparent that Toneri was also using the power of the Moon itself to blind these shinobis. Whatever it was, it was a perfect tool to keep them distracted while he was taking the Hyuuga clan away. Or perhaps a better term for that would be kidnapping. He had gotten what he had wished. What happened next, only time could tell. Because the end of their world was near.
The next day, at the Hokage Tower
Kiba Inuzuka was running furiously in the hallway. Akamaru was following his partner with a hint of worry, which was unusual for a dog like him to do. The young man of the Inuzuka clan had heard it all, about what happened in the Leaf Village during the night. While he was sleeping during Toneri's infiltration, he had been awoken into battle when puppets invaded the village. He and his family had been forced to defend their home from the invaders. The defense was successful.
But the rude awakening from the invaders had not been the one to trigger his anger. It was something far more serious and personal. Kiba busted the door to Tsunade's office and angrily entered, with Akamaru tagging along. The young man was pissed and there was one man he was after. "WHERE'S THAT SORRY SON OF A BITCH!?" Kiba yelled, demanding to know where Naruto was. Inside Tsunade's office, all of Kiba's friends were inside as well. They were stunned to see Kiba's outrageous behavior in front of the Hokage herself. But Kiba didn't seem to care. He eventually found Naruto standing beside Sakura and Kakashi. Anger boiled inside of Kiba, so he walked towards the blonde-haired man, ready for a confrontation. "YOU FUCKING PIECE OF…." Kiba was held and prevented from going to him by Shino and Chouji.
"Woah, easy there, Kiba! Take a chill pill!" Chouji said, trying his best to prevent Kiba from reaching Naruto. "He doesn't listen to me! You think you can help me, Shino?" the chubby man then asked the man with sunglasses
Shino was frowning by seeing Kiba's impulsiveness getting hold on him. "Stop acting ridiculous, Kiba! It's not Naruto's fault!" the dark brown-haired man told his impulsive teammate while trying to make him see reason. "Hinata's abduction is no one's fault! You know that" Shino added, yet Kiba was too stubborn to listen to reason.
"GET OFF ME! I'M GONNA FLATTEN THAT ASSHOLE TO A PULP!" Kiba yelled and he glared at Naruto, who so far, glanced at the brown-haired man with a sympathetic glance on his face. But that didn't stop Kiba from wanting to confront him. "And people call you a hero…" the brown-haired man muttered lowly.
"Kiba…you're not the only one who's upset about Hinata being captures" Naruto told him. "I am that too, believe me" he added while hoping to make Kiba see reason.
Kiba gritted his feral teeth in anger. "Don't push it, Naruto! Just because you're some hero who stuck up for an ex-criminal, you think you're fucking special!? FUCK YOU AND FUCK HIM!" he yelled at Naruto while indirectly mentioning Sasuke.
Hearing this made Naruto snap and he actually felt offended when hearing this. "Hey! You take that back! AND LEAVE SASUKE OUT OF THIS!" Naruto barked back, with Sakura and Kakashi trying to prevent him from going at Kiba.
"OH? THEN I'LL LEAVE YOUR BOYFRIEND OUT OF THIS, YOU FAGGOT!" Kiba then hit back, this enraging Naruto further.
Naruto could not stand back and let Kiba badmouth his friendship with Sasuke with such disrespect. He proceeded to confront Kiba, only for Sakura and Naruto to hold him back.
"Calm yourself, Naruto" Kakashi told his student while never letting go of him.
"Yeah, you're better than this!" Sakura pointed out while fixing her emerald eyes on Kiba. "And you! How dare you badmouth Sasuke!? Apologize for what you just said about him, Kiba!" she then demanded an apology from Kiba.
The brown-haired man was not feeling like apologizing and it made him only more dismissive of Team Kakashi. "Like hell I'll do that! You and that fudge-packer you're holding onto are too fixated on helping Sasuke, more than you are on helping those who really need it!" Kiba then spat out towards Sakura and Naruto.
Naruto felt himself getting very pissed over hearing Kibas badmouthing not just him, but also his girlfriend. It made him lose cool. "WHO'RE YOU CALLING A FUDGE-PACKER!? I DARE TO SAY IT IN FRONT OF MY FACE AGAIN!" the blonde-haired man yelled while shouting at the top of his lungs towards Kiba.
The two hotheaded shinobis were on the brink of fighting each other. Hadn't it been for those restraining them, things could've get very ugly. But both Naruto and Kiba quit their heated argument once Tsunade raised her voice, loud enough for everyone in the building to hear.
"ENOUGH OF THIS FOOLISHNESS!" Tsunade said, her voice so loud that it made everyone not speak a word. All eyes were on the blonde-haired Hokage as she sighed deeply after using her strict voice. "Everyone, calm down. What happened to the Hyuugas was very tragic and unfortunate. None of us had expected a man like him to be pulling this on the Leaf Village. And just when we had gotten over the terrorist act at the Aburame Clan Wedding" Tsunade explained what she thought about this situation.
"Lady Tsunade, is it possible that this could have something to do with the Crimson Dragon?" Shizune asked the Hokage while trying to be respectful towards Tsunade as possible. "I'm not saying it's the truth, but considering that we were making preparations to combat these terrorists, perhaps this Toneri Otsutsuki used this opportunity to infiltrate the village" she then told the Hokage what she felt.
Tsunade closed her eyes while thinking about it. "Although we can't take this suggestion off the table, I find it very hard to believe that a trio of terrorists would assist a man who desires the end of the world. But then again, yesterday's attack and the one at the wedding does have some similarities. Like, specific clan they were targeting" the Hokage stated her opinion on the matter.
"But that's the least of our worries" Kakashi spoke up while facing Tsunade. "Tsunade, from what this Toneri Otsutsuki said, it sounded like he really was planning on destroying the Earth. Even now, I have begun noticing the Moon up in the skies" the masked man informed her while taking a glance outside the window.
"I know. And it will only be a matter of time before the other Five Great Hidden Villages will take notice of this as well" Tsunade said while closing her eyes to think. "I'm afraid that we'll have to notify the entire shinobi world on what happened here in the night. I have sent messengers to both the Sand and Mist Villages. But we'll have to reach beyond our allies in the Triple Entente. The Cloud and Stone Villages must be informed" the Hokage concluded on what to do now.
Many of those shinobis standing before them were surprised to hear her suggestion. "But Lady Tsunade, are you sure that the Cloud and Stone Villages will agree to have a talk with us? They've been isolating themselves ever since the war ended" Shikamaru asked her, feeling uncertain about whether this would work.
Tsunade fixed a determined glance on Shikamaru and all the other young shinobis who stood before her. "Isolated or not, we still have to reach out to them. At threat like this is more than enough for them to set aside their stubbornness and pride" the Fifth Hokage told Shikamaru while making sure the others were listening to what was being said.
Naruto had to grin when he heard the Cloud Village being mentioned. "There's no wat that the Cloud Village would ignore a threat like this. Heck, I can even send a letter to Killer B and inform him about what's transpired" the blonde-haired man told them while recalling the Jinchuuriki of the Eight-Tailed Ox: Gyuki. Even after the war had ended, Naruto had still kept in touch with Killer B. "But problem is, Octopops doesn't' spend much time in the Cloud Village these days, ya know. From what I've heard, he's determined to become the famous rapper in the world" Naruto then spoke up while sweating a little when thinking about B's current whereabouts.
Shikamaru cooked an eyebrow when hearing this. "Seriously? Isn't he supposed to be one of the Cloud Village's main protectors?" he asked Naruto.
"Let's just say that B possesses the same stubbornness as I do" Naruto quickly replied, not knowing how to respond to Shikamaru's question with a concrete answer.
"Alright! Enough of this chit-chat bullshit!" the angry voice of Kiba could be heard in the entire office, if not in the entire Hokage's Tower. The young clansman of the Inuzuka clan was still feeling very angry over this situation. "Honestly, I could care less about the Stone or Cloud Villages, let alone the world getting destroyed! Hinata's been captured for God's sake!" he then exclaimed out of frustration.
Shino frowned when seeing his teammate act so impulsive. "We are all aware of that, Kiba!" the man with the sunglasses sternly told his teammate, thus forcing Kiba to focus his attention on him. "All of us know that Hinata and her family are in grave danger. Who knows what this madman has in store for them" Shino expressed his worried about Hinata's captivity.
"SO WHAT ARE WE ALL STANDING HERE FOR!? I'M GOING ON MY OWN TO FIND…" Kiba was about to turn around and walk away, only to receive a hard slap on his right cheek by someone he had never expected to be given from. It was his own teacher: Kurenai Yuhi. The shinobis around them were stunned to see the crimson-eyed woman to this to someone like Kiba. He simply glanced at her with eyes of surprise, rubbing his sore cheek. "Kurenai-sensei….what are you doing…" the young man uttered out lowly while glancing at Kurenai.
"DON'T GIVE ME THAT LOOK, KIBA! YOU KNOW DAMN WELL WHY I DID THIS!" Kurenai openly lashed out against her impulsive student, who was taken aback by this kind of behavior. Kurenai gritted her teeth in irritation while facing Kiba. "YOU THINK THAT YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO'S UPSET WITH HINATA BEING KIDNAPPED!? YOU'RE AN IDIOT! AND A SELFISH NARCISSIST!" Kurenai then yelled out more slurs towards Kiba, who only stood and listened to what his teacher said about him.
"Kurenai-sensei seems to have a point" Kakashi suddenly spoke up, standing beside Kurenai. "None can dispute the fact that you want to save Hinata. But you're not alone. Many of us want to. She and the Hyuuga clan are part of the Leaf Village. I take it you have an idea on how to solve this, am I right, Lady Tsunade?" he explained before looking up to face Tsunade.
Tsunade could not help but to form a smug smile as she heard that question. "Damn right, I have. But I'll have all of you standing in here know, it's gonna put your lives to the test, just like the war" the Hokage revealed to them, her smile never fading away. "But with so many heroes like you, we'll have to give it a shot! The fate of our world hangs on us who have first been told about the Moon crashing towards it" she added to her explanation.
"What's the plan then?" Naruto asked, feeling very tempted to know what Tsunade had in mind.
The Fifth Hokage suddenly rose up from her seat while Kakashi and Kurenai both stood by Shuzune. Tsunade fixed a determined glance on all those young shinobis who were present in her office. "With careful planning and thinking, I have decided to create an expedition that will journey to the Moon and put a stop to this genocidal man and his plans! However, this expedition can also be called a retrieval team, one that will rescue the captured Hyuugas before they suffer a terrible fate by whatever means!" Tsunade told them loudly and determined at the same time. But she was not finished yet. She even glanced specifically at Naruto, who in turn was surprised when he felt her gaze land on him. "Naruto, you will be the captain of this expedition. You along with Sakura, Shikamaru, Chouji, Lee, Tenten, Kiba and Shino will journey to the place we suspect hides a secret portal to the Moon. Our sources tell us that an unfamiliar source of Chakra being located in the underground of the Land of Fire. It must've been there were Toneri and his servants used to arrive on Earth" the Hokage then informed him of his responsibilities while making sure the others were listening carefully as well.
Naruto had to admit he was stunned to hear that he was being appointed to the be the captain in this mission. In fact, he didn't even know what to say in return. However, he soon understood the gravity of this situation and why he had been chosen to lead the expedition.
Grinning cheekily, Naruto simply gave Tsunade a thumb up in return. "Don't you worry about this, granny. If my leadership is required in this daring mission, then I'm willing to accept the responsibility as captain" he said before turning around to face his crowd of friends standing there. "Come on, guys! Let's not go and save the world as a lone individual. Let's save it as a team!" he then tried to raise their morale. To Naruto's own surprise, it helped. Many felt very motivated about this mission.
Tsunade and those standing with her smiled as they could see how determined Naruto was in leading this group of young shinobis. "We're glad to see you're up to this, Naruto. But we still are missing three more members of this expedition. They will become responsible for communicating with us while on your mission. In other words, you could call them your communication unit" the Hokage told Naruto, who seemed very curious to know what this meant.
The door to Tsunade's office soon opened and in came three veteran jounins who were known to have served the Leaf Village with honor and dignity. It was Aoshi Yamashiro, Raido Namiashi and Genma Shiranui. But joining them was also a young woman dressed in a long white shirt, with a light blue collar, a short black skirt, dark stockings and open-toed boots. She had orange eyes, blonde hair tied up to a heart-shaped bun and wore red glasses. The young woman smiled at Tsunade as her gaze met the Hokage's.
"I apologize for keeping those three waiting, Lady Tsunade. But I just had to reveal them our latest invention" the young woman said.
Sakura immediately recognized that woman. "Hey. You're that astronomer who participated in a meeting with me and Lady Tsunade not long ago. It's nice to see you again" the pinkette said.
The astronomer smiled at Sakura. "It's nice to see you too, Lady Sakura" she told her before refocusing her attention on Tsunade. She approached her desk and performed some hand seals. All the shinobis gathered around to see what it was that the astronomer had made. From what they could see, it was a small clock that was lying on her handpalm. "We managed to finish the research just as you requested. All the other clocks have been sent to the other Five Great Hidden Villages as you requested. They will be sent directly to the Kages" she then informed the Hokage about a process.
"Excellent. That will help them ease their fears about not knowing how long it will take before the Moon falls" Tsunade noted smugly.
"What kind of clock is this?" Lee asked, curious to know what it was.
"This is the Armageddon Countdown Clock" the astronomer revealed while holding it up for everyone to see. "Recently, me and my colleagues had discovered how quickly the Moon had quickly begun to fall from its orbit. We saw this as very strange, yet we never paid much attention to it" she explained before looking out towards the window and up to the sky. "But with what happened yesterday, and that this Toneri Otsutsuki had power to control the Moon to crash on Earth, our concerns grew wider" she then told them.
"So basically, this clock serves as a countdown to Earth's destruction?" Shikamaru asked the four-eyed woman who nodded her head as a yes to his question. "Woah, then it's a good thing we have those" he remarked.
The astronomer adjusted her glasses. "Yes. But we made these clocks specifically for the Five Kages and their most trusted assistants to use" she explained before glancing at Naruto. "However, I actually made this clock for your expedition to have, Naruto. Since you have been tasked to stop the Moon from crashing upon the Earth, you'll need this to get an overview of the countdown. I have decided to give this to the second-in-command of the expedition. Who has been chosen for that responsibility?" she asked the blonde-haired man while holding the clock in her hand.
Hearing this made Naruto ponder. He did not expect to appoint someone who could assist him with coordinating the expedition. But on the other hand, it sounded reasonable, given that it would help strengthen the teamwork between the members.
"I haven't chosen my second-in-command yet. But since this mission is sure to get tough along the way, I choose Shikamaru to be my second-in-command" Naruto revealed while glancing at the head of the Nara clan with a smile. Shikamaru snapped as he heard what Naruto just said. He even pointed his finger at himself as to indicate why he was to be his second-in-command. "Come on, Shikamaru. You know very well why I'm choosing you. Past experience as leader of the group. Are you gonna continue to mope about the fact how troublesome it is?" Naruto then asked Shikamaru while justifying his reasons for naming him his second-in-command.
Shikamaru couldn't help but scoff at what Naruto just told him. "You're saying that I'm gonna chicken out? Don't be stupid! I did promise dad that I would become your advisor in the future, didn't I?" the man with the ponytail told him while scratching behind his neck. "Fine, I'll take the job. But just don't expect me to do all the work for ya, Naruto. You're the captain here" Shikamaru added, accepting Naruto's offer for the role.
The astronomer smiled and eventually put the clock on Shikamaru's right handpalm. "Then you may have this. Remember, you have to look at it often to see if you have enough time or not. And you don't have to worry about destroying it by accident. It's unbreakable" she explained the most important details of the clock.
Shikamaru continued to glance down at the clock, admitting to himself that it was quite an impressive invention. Even Chouji, Kiba and Lee had come up to him in order to get a better peek at the clock. They too were astounded by its design.
Naruto was joined by Sakura, and the pinkette felt happy on Naruto's behalf. He had now been appointed captain and it sounded amusing for Sakura to know that her boyfriend would be leading this expedition. Sakura also realized that her healing abilities would be useful for this mission, in addition to her strength of course.
"Okay! You all know what your mission is" Tsunade spoke up in order to get everyone's attention. "While this may be as challenging as the war, your efforts are greatly appreciated, even from us in the Leaf Village. The same thing can also be said for those from the other hidden villages" the blonde-haired woman spoke up, trying to raise the morale in the expedition.
Naruto merely chuckled mischievously in return. "There's no point in telling us that, Grandma Tsunade. We all know what we stand up against. We'll head to the Moon and stop it from crashing, as well as saving Hinata and her family from captivity. And I promise you: we will make it back here alive. Believe it!" he exclaimed with his usual high morale by his side.
Tsunade, Kakashi and the others mused to themselves when seeing the enthusiasm in Naruto's expression. It reminded them about the kind of guy he had always been, even before he became a hero among the Leaf shinobis.
"Then your daring rescue mission begins now. Onward to your destiny, Moon Expedition!" the Hokage then commanded the group she had gathered to save the world, as well as rescue the captured Hyuugas. But they needed to hurry, as it was not so smart in wasting precious time.
Later, at the gates of the Village Hidden in the Leaves
Kiba and Akamaru were walking now on their way towards the village's main gates, hoping with rendezvous with the other members of the Moon Expedition. The brown-haired man was carrying a backpack. Because of his family being busy with stuff related to the security of the village, Kiba didn't bother to say goodbye to them, not to mention that his family would be notified about this from Kurenai-sensei. All that mattered to him right now, was to save Hinata.
As he kept walking, Kiba immediately felt angry on himself. "Fuck! I shouldn't have been sleeping during the night! If I had known about this invasion earlier, I could've protected Hinata from being captured!" he angrily said, with Akamaru trying his best to avoid getting hit by him. Right now, Kiba was filled with so many angry emotions. However, not all of them were angry, as some were that of sadness and distress. "Hinata…please….please be okay…" Kiba uttered out those words lowly.
"You know, it's not your fault that she and her family got captured, Kiba" the voice came from none other than Shino, who had apparently been waiting for Kiba to pass by him in the streets. Nevertheless, Kiba simply ignored his teammate and proceeded towards the main gate. The man with the sunglasses sighed deeply when seeing that Kiba had returned to his usual stubborn attitude. "Why is he still that stubborn?" Shino wondered to himself before joining up with his aggressive friend.
So far, Kiba did not so much as look at Shino. His feral eyes were concentrated on the main gates. As the two teammates got closer, they could see that all members of the Moon Expedition were present and ready to go. This only meant that they were only waiting for Kiba and Shino.
Shikamaru took notice of their arrival and nudged Naruto with his left elbow. "Alright, captain. Looks like the two remaining members have showed up. That means we're all set to go" he told Naruto.
The blonde-haired man saw Shino and Kiba and smiled. "Great. Then we're almost ready" Naruto said before turning his attention over to Raido, Aoshi and Genma. "How's the communication devices? Are they functioning well?" he asked them.
"Sure, we've got clear signals in the village. And we'll also have that in the Land of Fire" Genma said as he was checking on his communication device, which almost looked like a backpack, considering that he, Aoshi and Raido would have to carry them like such.
"But we're still not certain whether we'll be able to communicate with Tsunade once we're in that place were the portal is expected to be found" Raido pointed out while he was checking on his device. "But then again, I think the clock we were given will definitely become of great use to us. Try not to lose it, okay Shikamaru?" he then began speaking to Shikamaru.
He only rolled his eyes when hearing this. "Of course, I won't. Geez…." Shikamaru said while hearing what Raido told him. "Like it or not, this journey's gonna be one hell of a drag" he then muttered to himself.
Tenten and Lee were having their own talk about being chosen for this expedition, with Tenten feeling somewhat disappointed for some reason. Lee could notice it.
"I'd hoped that things in the world didn't have to get so serious all of a sudden" Tenten said, remarking how much of an effect this had on the world. "It looks like we'll have to postpone our date. And I had been looking so forward to it" the brunette then pouted about not being able to go on a date.
Lee simply held his hands on Tenten's shoulders and it surprised her. The man with the goofy eyebrows simply smiled at his girlfriend. "I feel the same way you do, Tenten. I'd also hope to have this date. But when trouble like this emerges, we have to compromise" Lee explained it to her. "And besides, we can just view this mission as a date. I mean, at least we get to spend time together while we're out" Lee then told her.
As much as ridiculous as it sounded, Tenten could not help but to laugh sweetly at her boyfriend's statement. She held her arms around Lee's waist, her eyes glancing up to his. "You really make this sound tempting, Lee. As a matter of fact, I could've said the same thing" Tenten said before her smile soon began forming into a frown. "But amidst all this, it just doesn't feel right" she admitted to Lee.
"I know that too, Tenten. We face a tough challenge in this mission" Lee said before leaning down towards his girlfriend to give her forehead a kiss. Tenten felt turned on when he did that. After finishing the kiss, Lee started to gaze into her eyes. "But I also know that it's too early for us to fall into the pits of despair. We have barely begun the journey. But believe me, Tenten. I will make sure that we both make it out of this expedition alive" he then made a promise to her.
Feeling very turned on and enamored about Lee's promise to her, Tenten immediately kissed him on the lips. Lee was caught completely by surprise in this kiss, yet he felt obliged to respond by kissing her back. The couple made a quick embrace before ending it to focus on Naruto, who had called for all members of the expedition to have a quick gathering before setting off to their destination.
"Alright guys. This is it. Even now, I can notice how the Moon have started to show more of itself in the skies. All of you can see it if you look up" Naruto told the expedition members while briefly looking up in the skies. "We got plenty of time, but we better not waste it. The Earth's life is at stake here. But let's not forget about the Hyuugas who have been captured" Naruto added to his explanation.
Chouji was feeling concerned about the Hyuugas. "I'm starting to feel worried about the safety of Hinata and her family. You think that Toneri-guy will keep them alive while having them in captivity?" the chubby man questioned Naruto.
Naruto closed his eyes to think for a minute. "I don't know, Chouji. But given what that bastard did to Hinata's dad and sister during the night, I'm positive that he has no qualms in killing them. That's why I also think we should not waste time with regards to this expedition. We have to save Hinata and her family from whatever the hell Toneri Otsutsuki's plans are" he gave Chouji his answers, while making sure everyone else, especially Kiba, were following him.
"While I know that Hinata is shy, I know for a fact that she will be brave amidst this captivity" Sakura suddenly spoke up, recalling how she always knew the bluenette's personality. "This Toneri views Hinata and her family as possessions. That man's logic is beyond twisted. I can't wait to punch his smug face" Sakura then noted with a smug smile.
"Hinata's not a possession!" the angry voice of Kiba could be heard. "She's a living person who has right to decide what she wants! If that son of a bitch does as much as harm her…...I'm gonna fucking kill him!" the aggressive man then said, feeling anger towards Hinata's abductor.
Naruto could see the anger hanging on Kiba's face and it was apparent that he wanted to punch the living hell out of Toneri. Truth be told, Naruto also wanted to do the same thing, especially since he had kidnapped a friend, as well as attacked villagers of the Leaf without any mercy. The blonde-haired man turned around to face the path towards their destination. The time for reaching the Moon had come.
"Then what are we still standing here for!? The world needs us! Because of the Shadow Squad being out in the sea, we will be the ones answering this call for help! Let's move out!" Naruto commanded and ran off his spot, with the rest of the expedition picking up his pace quickly. As they ran into the woods and jumped from branch to branch, Naruto was being reminded about Sasuke, especially since he had brought up the Shadow Squad. "Even though they weren't in the village, the Shadow Squad will be notified about the events soon enough. But on the other hand, they may have already started to notice something amiss with the skies, especially since they can see the Moon clearly from the seas. I hope you and the others are doing okay out there, Sasuke" Naruto thought, realizing that he and the others who were out in the fields would soon realize that the countdown for the world's destruction had just begun.
To be continued…..
Authors' note: That was a great chapter. We got to see how Hinata had been starting to reconsider her behaviors. But she was also captured by Toneri Otsutsuki, alongside her family and clan. As I stated before, I wanted my version of Toneri to be more ruthless and devious, which is why he wants to capture all the Hyuugas and make them his slaves. The Moon Expidition is being led by Naruto, as I didn't want to make repeats with Shikamaru being the leader. And while this story may be similar to The Last: Naruto the Movie, I will try to make my own version of it. And let's not forget about the Shadow Squad and the three hooded dragons. Toneri may be a major bad buy, but so is the Crimson Dragon and his cohorts. The next chapter will take our focus back on the Shadow Squad, as they are about to find the Island of Tides, only to notice the Moon falling as well. However, that does not mean their mission will be cancelled, because something else drives them to continue the mission.