Yugito Akkipuden Episode 25: Three Years Ago
WARNING: All Jutsu are in Japanese with the English Version in parenthesis.
Author's Note: Hinata stopped Yugito from releasing Kurama. The mother and daughter use their time to catch up and then Hinata tells her what really happened that dreadful day, three years ago. Meanwhile, the Allied Shinobi Forces make their way to the Kirigakure! Find out what happens in this chapter!
~Just outside the Kirigakure
Darui and a large garrison of Allied Forces Troops have just arrived on the Land of Waters shoreline. He had his foldable Cleaver Sword on his back, outside of his haori, and held by a single white strap over his right shoulder and had the handle of his weapon on the right side of his back. Everyone in the garrison began running behind Darui.
Darui (calling out, while running): Alright! We'll break off into three teams! One team will circle around the village and wipe out any patrol squads! The other two teams will be with me! When we get to the Kirigakure, we'll split into two teams and sweep each half of the village and work or way to the center, forcing the enemy into submission! Our primary goal is to find Bee, Midori and Yugito! Am I understood?
Allied Forces Garrison: Yes, sir!
~Yugito's Subconscious
Yugito and Hinata were laughing and giggling with each other.
Yugito (laughing): Do you remember that time went to the Hokage Mansion and forgot to put his pants on?
Hinata and Yugito laughed together.
Hinata: Or the time when he was so tired, he began sleep walking?
Yugito: Yeah! He went all the way to the Sunagakure and woke up wondering where he was and how he got there!
The two laughed again. Hinata looked at Yugito and smiled.
Hinata: You know Yugito; I sure have missed out on a lot. Look at you, you're a woman now.
Yugito: I've become a Toad Sage too, Mom!
Hinata: Just like you're father?
Yugito: Yeah! I haven't really mastered it yet, but I did become a Sage.
Hinata: That's great, Yugito. I remember when you were a little trouble maker in the Ninja Academy.
Yugito: Yeah… I was a bad kid. Always late for class.
Hinata: Hm.
Yugito looked at Hinata in confusion.
Yugito: What's wrong, Mom?
Hinata: There's something I want to tell you. I wanted to tell you how I die three years ago.
Yugito was quiet. She didn't know if she should say something or say nothing at all.
Hinata: I'm not sure where to start, but since I'm on a time limit, I guess I can't give you every single detail. Let me think…
~Just outside of the Kirigakure Gates, Three Years Ago
Hinata was with five other Hyūga clansmen in a carriage lead by a horse.
Hinata (voiceover): It was three years ago, and myself along with five other Hyūga clansmen were on a mission to the Kirigakure. Naruto had recently appointed me as an Ambassador because he felt that I would be a greater help to the village. We had received Intel that the Kirigakure was harassing smaller Nations for supplies. We were sent to have a conference with the Mizukage and the Village Elders. Since we have the Byakugan, our Village Elders thought it was best for us to go since we could see if they were trying to pull anything.
Nobu Hyūga: Hinata-chan.
Hinata: Hm?
Nobu: Did Naruto agree to you going on this mission.
Hinata: No, but it wasn't in his control. The Village Elders selected me because I have one of the strongest eyes in our clan. Why do you ask?
Nobu: I don't think Naruto would've let you come on this mission if he had power over it.
Hinata: I don't think so either. But, I think it's for the best.
She smiled at him and he smiled back. The Kirigakure opened the village gates and horse pulled the carriage into the village. The gates slammed shut behind them and the horse continued on.
Hinata (voiceover): The village seemed to be normal; children were playing, merchants were selling and citizens were running their average, everyday errands.
Tohaku Hyūga: Everything seems to be on the up and up.
Nahoko Hyūga: Key word there; "seems".
Rintaro Hyūga: Nahoko is right. They could be trying to make things seem normal so we wouldn't suspect anything.
Nobu: Anything can happen. Stay alert.
Hinata (voiceover): The horse pulled the carriage all the way to the Mizukage's Mansion and stopped. Once we all exited the carriage, the villagers all greeted us very formally. We had to be professional, so a few greetings to the villagers and it was off to the conference room. Once inside, we began making our way to the conference room. The Mizukage had guards that were leading us.
Unkei Hyūga: Thank you gentlemen, for leading us that is.
Kiri Guard 1: Of course. Anything for the Allied Shinobi Forces.
Unkei nodded and everyone continued following the guards.
Hinata (voiceover): Once we got to the conference room, the guards stood on either side of the door and let us in. We all got to our seats and sat down.
Kiri Guard 2: Mizukage-sama is handling a small issue with one of the villagers in his office. He'll be with you in a matter of minutes.
Hinata: Thank you for letting us know.
Kiri Guard 2: You're welcome, Hinata-sama.
He closed the door. Nahoko activated his Byakugan and glared at the guards outside the door. They were standing on either side of the door, like normal.
Hinata: Do you see something, Nahoko-san?
Nahoko: No. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Unkei: I thought the Mizukage would be waiting on us instead of us waiting on him.
Nobu: He can't control when villagers have requests or issues. He has to attend to them first, us second.
Rintaro: I agree with him.
Hinata (voiceover): As they were talking, I noticed a slight draft in the air, but the room had no windows.
Hinata: Excuse me, but does anyone else feel a draft?
Everyone looked at her in confusion.
Hinata (voiceover): As everyone was staring at me, a light green mist shot from the air vent behind Unkei.
Hinata: Ambush!
Everyone looked to where Hinata was pointing and the mist engulfed Unkei, Rintaro, Nahoko and Tohaku. They inhaled the mist accidentally and immediately began choking and holding their throats. Hinata and Nobu, who were on the other side of the room away from the mist, used their shirts to cover their noses.
Nobu: We need to get out of here!
Hinata: Hakke Kushō! (Eight Trigrams Air Palm)
Hinata blasted a hole in the wall and the two jumped through it. They both decided to activate their Byakugan.
Nobu: Which way is best?
Hinata looked left and right.
Hinata: They have guards coming from both sides! We have to go through the wall!
The two aimed a hand at the wall.
Hinata and Nobu: Hakke Kushō!
They blasted a giant hole in the wall and jumped through it. They were back into the village and began running along the rooftops. Before they knew it, Kirigakure Jōnin were hot on their trail.
Nobu: Kiri ninja are coming up in front of us too! We need a way out of here.
The two landed on a large rooftop and before they could jump to the next building, Kirigakure Shinobi were all around.
Nobu: Dammit… They got us trapped.
Hinata: Stay calm. We'll have to fight our way through them.
They both got in the classic Jūkenpō (Gentle Fist Art) fighting stance, facing back-to-back. After a few seconds of silence, the enemy all dashed at them at once. Hinata and Nobu began striking the enemies in the tenketsu (chakra point), paralyzing them. Hinata blasted away a group with her Hakke Kushō and Nobu did the same. The two broke away from their back-to-back strategy and began taking every opponent head on.
Nobu went on to getting in the stance for the Hakke Rokujūyon Shō (Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms). He then began striking several opponents in the vital organs rapidly, killing dozens of men. A large group surrounded Hinata at once and all jumped at her together, all with weapons in hand.
Hinata: Shugohakke Rokujūyon Shō! (Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms Guard)
She executed her defensive technique, rejecting any attack they were going to do.
Nobu: Hinata-chan!
Hinata: What is it?
Nobu: They keep coming! Before long–
Hinata: We will fight to the last breath!
Hinata (voiceover): Nobu and I were trying our best to fend off as many of them as we could. But they had the entire village coming at us. Some off in the crowd activate the Hidden Mist Jutsu to hinder our vision. Luckily, they didn't know it wouldn't work on our eyes.
Kiri Ninja: Kirigakure no Jutsu! (Hidden Mist Jutsu)
Mist quickly overwhelmed the area.
Nobu: The mist… It can't fool us! Hinata!
Hinata: Yes!
Both of them got into the Jūkenpō stance.
Nobu and Hinata: Hakke Hyaku Nijūhachi Shō! (Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms)
Each of them quickly went around, attacking dozens of men left and right, dodging attacking and swiftly executing the technique. Once they both were finished, they went back to the back-to-back formation.
Nobu: How are you holding up, Hinata-chan?
Hinata: I'm fine. What about you?
Nobu: I'll be fine.
The two went off to continue the battle. Archers appeared on distant rooftops and be raining arrows down on the area. An arrow was on a direct path for Hinata's blind spot, the small spot just above her first thoracic vertebra on the back of her neck. He quickly ran over to her and pushed her out of the way. He activated the Jūkenpō Ichigekishin (Gentle Fist Art: Body Blow), which deflected the oncoming arrow. He turned to Hinata.
Hinata: Nobu!
Nobu: Don't worry about it! Urgh!
Another arrow had been shot at him a lodged through the blind spot, going through his neck and getting stuck halfway. He fell lifelessly to the ground with an arrow in his throat.
Hinata (voiceover): The arrow pierced straight through the back of his neck, killing him instantly. Using my Byakugan, I saw that the arrow had shattered the top of his spinal cord, which is the reason it killed him instantly. He was like a brother to me, and now he was gone.
Hinata: No!
Another barrage of arrows came her way. She looked at the arrows with a deadpanned face mixed with a little anger. With her eyes narrowed, she got in position to do another technique.
Hinata: Hakkeshō…
The arrows got close to her and she began spinning at extremely high velocities while expelling chakra from every tenketsu in her body. The high velocity spin began deflecting the arrows away in all directions, killing Kirigakure troops as the arrows ricocheted.
Hinata: Kaiten!
Hinata (voiceover): It was my first time executing the technique. I had been training to do it for years and I wasn't able to do it correctly. Although the technique tired me out, I wasn't prepared to give up. Your father would never give up, so how could I?
Hinata stopped spinning and dropped to both knees, catching herself by putting her hands out in front. She was breathing heavily and her heart was racing too fast.
Hinata (voiceover): Using the Hakkeshō Kaiten put an enormous strain on my body. But I wasn't thinking. Rage was going through my mind; the determination to survive was second. I planted one foot down and got myself to one knee. The Kirigakure Shinobi began surrounding me once again. Everyone had ninja tools and swords out, ready to kill me. My body couldn't physically go on, but my willpower said otherwise.
She managed to get herself to both feet and stood up straight. She then got back into her Jūkenpō fighting stance.
Hinata (thinking): Naruto didn't marry a quitter… That Hinata died a long time ago!
She then went to getting in the stance preparing for another Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms.
Hinata (to herself): Jūkenpō…
She then lunged at the Kirigakure Shinobi.
Hinata: Two palms! Four palms! Sixteen Palms! Thirty-Two Palms!
Hinata (thinking): Naruto has tons of things to protect! He'd never quit!
Hinata: Sixty-Four Palms!
Hinata (thinking): He wouldn't run and hide… He wouldn't cower!
Hinata: One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms!
She delivered a flurry of powerful hits to the multiple opponents.
Hinata (thinking): He'd stay and fight to the end! He'd proudly die in the line on duty, protecting everyone he loves and cares about! So I will do the same! I will protect Naruto as he has protected me and Yugito!
Hinata: Hakke Ni Hyakugojūroku Shō! (Eight Trigrams Two Hundred Fifty-Six Palms)
She delivered a second One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms, creating a new technique that consists of two hundred fifty-six consecutive hits, to the enemies that surrounded her. After she delivered the last hit, she backed away and got back in her Jūkenpō stance. Every single enemy she hit fell to the ground simultaneously and she once again fell to the ground; this time, she was too weak to catch herself and laid out on her stomach. She used her forearm to try to get herself up. She looked up and saw that she was once again surrounded.
The Mizukage walked through the army of men and stood a few feet away from her.
Hinata (breathing heavily): *huff huff* You…
Mizukage: Yes, me. I've been going over this strategy for a while now, but I was hoping your Village Elders would've sent your sister instead.
Hinata: Hanabi… isn't stronger than me… I'm stronger than her now!
Mizukage: Oh? Is that so?
Hinata: You… were hiding and waiting for your men to weaken us. If you wanted us dead, you should've come out here and fought us like a Kage would! Mei would disown you as her little brother if she were still alive…
Her words angered him and he kicked her in hip, which sent her tumbling and sliding across the rooftop for a few meters. She lied on her back and wrapped her hands around her stomach in pain. The Mizukage walked over to her with his Mizu no Tsurugi (Water Katana) in hand. He stomped down onto her stomach to hold her still.
Mizukage: This is it for you, Hinata Hyūga.
Hinata (thinking): I… can't move… I drained all of my chakra and wore out my body with that last attack. I'm sorry Naruto… I'm sorry Yugito… I'll see you two soon enough.
She closed her eyes and a gentle smile came across her face. A few seconds later, the Mizukage aimed the Water Katana over her heart and brought it down with a lot of power.
~Yugito's Subconscious
Hinata's story touched Yugito's heart and tears were flowing steadily down her cheeks. Yugito was looking Hinata in the face while Hinata was looking down with her eyes closed. When she looked at Yugito, she too felt the need to cry. She stood up and helped Yugito to her feet.
Hinata: What you did was foolish.
Yugito was confused.
Hinata: It was foolish, irresponsible, silly and crazy to think you could go to the Kirigakure and kill the Mizukage.
Yugito looked down in humiliation and embarrassment.
Hinata: But, you did it because you wanted to avenge me and put an end to this war, which would be an enormous help to the Allied Shinobi Forces. You also did it because you wanted to prove yourself, that Naruto's daughter isn't weak and vulnerable. You wanted to protect Sakura-chan's son from any further danger. And that… is why I'm proud of you.
Yugito smiled and wiped the tears away.
Hinata: Anytime you do what you think is right in order to protect the ones you love, I will never be upset with you or try to hold you back.
Hinata's body began to turn a lighter color and fade away. Sparkles began escaping her body and flouting up into the air.
Yugito: What's happening, Mom?!
Hinata: My time is up… My chakra is running out.
Yugito looked sad to find out her mother was going away again.
Hinata: Hey.
She lifted Yugito's head up.
Hinata: Keep your chin high. That's one thing Naruto taught me.
Hinata smiled at her. Yugito hugged her once more before she disappeared.
Hinata (fading voice): I love you, Yugito. Remember, I will always be a part your heart.
And with that, she faded away.
Yugito: I love you too…
She closed her eyes and began thinking and taking in all of the information she had just received.
~Kirigakure, Mizukage Mansion
Yugito began deeply concentrating and once she opened her eyes, she was back in the overly large room that she and the others were battling the Mizukage in. She could see Hayate, Seiji and Han Lee's bodies on the floor, lifeless. The Mizukage was rising from the ground as well.
Mizukage (thinking): The power of the Nine-Tailed Fox… She smashed a hole in the room and my Ocean Release was countered. I'm tired of playing with these kids.
Yugito was standing alone with her eyes narrowed at him. She clinched her fists tightly and then created several Shadow Clones. The Mizukage created his Mizu no Tsurugi once again.
Yugito and her clones dashed and him and began attacking simultaneously. He chopped through two of her clones, causing them to poof away. A surprise clone struck him from behind. Luckily, his water shield defense stopped the attack. As he turned around to slice that clone, another cloned kicked him in his back, but the water shield caught it and defended against the attack. Although it successfully defended against the initial attack, the force from it sent him tumbling across the floor. He recovered and put his hand on the ground to stop sliding.
A clone came from above and attempted to rain down a Rasengan on him. He quickly jumped to the left and dodged it. A clone that had a running start jumped up and went perfectly horizontal and dropkicked him. The water defense didn't react fast enough and she kicked him in the center on the chest with both feet.
Mizukage (thinking): Urgh! My water shield's speed is decreasing! My chakra is reaching its limit!
He crashed against a wall while sliding on his back. He coughed up blood and held his chest.
Yugito Clone: Hrrrggghh!
She came down with a finishing punch. With the little stamina he had left, he jumped to the side and barely evaded the punch. The strength of his punch crushed the floor, creating a small creator. He managed to stand and began defending himself with his Water Katana. After chopping down a few clones, one caught him with an unexpected uppercut. His body went vertical and he was about to land head first on the stone floor. As he was falling, he could see Yugito with a clone dashing at him.
Yugito: This is it for you, Mizukage!
The Mizukage thought back to saying that to Hinata before killing her three years ago.
Yugito: Fūton: Rasenshuriken! (Wind Style: Rasen Shuriken)
Yugito's clone poofed away. As Yugito came at him with the Rasen Shuriken in her right hand and aimed at him, he could see Hinata standing on the right side of her, helping her with the final blow, only she wasn't really there. They both had the same facial expression; anger, determination, payback.
Mizukage: Ugh!
She caught him upside down and in midair with her father's powerful technique. The impact was incredible and she pushed full force, driving the Rasen Shuriken into his torso. Once she pushed hard enough, the Rasen Shuriken sent the Mizukage spinning off into a wall. The jutsu was "attached" to him and exploded against the wall. At the same time as the explosion, the Mizukage let out a shout of defeat. Yugito fell to one knee and began breathing heavily.
Yugito: I… We did it… We beat him…
She looked to her right and saw Hayate. He was drenched in water and lying on his back. The Mizukage's extremely dense Umiton must've drowned him. Her vision began getting blurry as she took steps toward him. Right before she could get to him, she collapsed to her stomach.
Yugito: Ha–… Hayate…
She slowly crawled on her hands and knees to the right side of him. Went she got close enough, she let her head fall onto his Flak Jacket; she was lying sideways on her right side as if she were in bed. With her left hand, she gently touched his face. She rubbed from his forehead, which was missing his forehead protector, down his cheek and to his chin. After that, her arm went flaccid and dropped to the floor. She closed her eyes with her head high on Hayate's chest.
~End Theme