Chapter 20: A Dream in Silence
"Are you afraid?" Itachi asked Sasuke. Outside the storm had gotten worse, four year old Sasuke only nodded. The lightning scared him and the thunder made him tremble. Climbing under his brothers covers Sasuke sought refuge from the storm.
"There is nothing to be afraid of." Itachi told his little brother who clung to his side. The thunder and lighting only made Sasuke cling a little to his brother. Itachi sighed in annoyance at the actions of his younger sibling.
"It's just lightning and thunder." Itachi said the annoyance clear in his tone.
"No it's not, that Inuzuka boy says its angry monsters that eat little boys whose names are Sasuke!" Sasuke informed his older brother, slightly worried that Itachi did not know this.
"The Inuzuka boy lied to you." Itachi told him.
"Why would he tell me something so mean?" Sasuke asked.
"Because he's mean." Itachi replied, stating what was the obvious.
"Oh." Sasuke whispered.
There was silence for awhile and Itachi had almost fallen asleep when Sasuke spoke again.
"Are you ever scared?" Sasuke asked softly.
"No. Go to sleep." Itachi responded irritated that he was being deprived of sleep.
The thunder and lighting kept on rolling, finally Sasuke fell asleep and so did Itachi. Just like now Sasuke was asleep, except in a barrel.
Outside the barrel Hinata sat, scared and shaking her eyes shut and knees drawn. She was attempting too meditate, just like Shino taught her.
She tried to pull up a happy thought and relieve it, she had one but it wasn't that happy.
She was eight years old and sitting on the swing by the school doors. Naruto sat beside her, their legs and sides touching, Hinata had never felt so safe. They sat there in silence till someone pushed on the swing, knocking Naruto off. Hinata had nearly fallen off but someone clutched the back of her shirt, keeping her from falling.
"Hey!" Naruto screamed turning as he scrambled to his feet. There stood Shino one hand keeping Hinata still.
"There is no need to hog the swing, Naruto." Shino reprimanded.
"I wasn't hogging!" Naruto screamed back.
"The swing is built for one and one only." Shino stated.
"We were sharing." Hinata whispered.
"Is that true?" Shino asked her, his voice gentler now.
Hinata's answer was a nod, "then I apologize Hinata." Shino answered.
"I'm sorry." Hinata whispered. The reality of the situation setting in, she was sorry. And now she was alone, trying to remember how she got here in the first place.
It was an easy answer and it was one she did not want to think about.
Kiba was terrified for his teammate; he looked at Shino who remained so calm. He sometimes envied Shino, but that was a secret. That even Kiba himself was loath to keep.
He would get Hinata and everything would sort itself out it had too. Sasuke had run off to gain power; Hinata had been dragged along as a hostage.
Naruto was determined to bring Sasuke back, he was his only friend, sure he had always had Kiba, Shikamaru and Chouji to play with, but Sasuke was different. There was an understanding, that both of them were alone, and lost.
Sasuke understood, or at least Naruto thought he had.
"Neji are we near them yet?" Naruto asked.
"We are close I can see them." Neji answered and Shikamaru nodded, waving his hand for them to stop.
"Traps." Shikamaru stated.
Kiba sniffed the area, "there everywhere, we'll have to go around."
"There are webs set around some areas." Shino stated as a bug quickly crawled under his skin.
"A web?" Kiba asked. Shino nodded, there was a spider up ahead that Shino's bugs were anxious to eat.
"Where is Hinata located?" Shino asked Neji.
"She's beside a barrel that Sasuke is inside." Neji answered.
"Sasuke's inside a barrel? What the hell is he doing inside a barrel?" Naruto asked
"I don't know, we'll ask when we get there." Kiba answered.
"You're cousin must be so terrified! Her flame of youth must flicker wildly in fright!" Lee told Neji. Who merely glared at him. If Hinata was not dead then he did not want to hear about it.
"She's alive, lets get them and go, I'm missing my soaps." Neji whispered to Lee. Who nodded, it was very important that they return to the leaf in a timely fashion, the fate of Mercury was at hand, and lee and Neji never missed the live action sailor moon, if they did, it was not a pretty story.
So Gai taped the episodes for them. Just incase and this looked like it was going to be one of those cases.
A bug crawled along the collar of Hinata's jacket. Kabuto looked at the girl, as the bug crawled on her. He then looked at the spider among them, and smiled. This was going to be an interesting day; he looked at the barrel and smiled wider.
"Sasuke-kun's and Hinata-Chan's friends are near, go greet them while we wait." Kabuto told the four who stood there and nodded.
Hinata looked up at Kabuto. "Scared Hinata-chan?" Kabuto asked her.