twenty-six.
Itachi hated wasting time.
The night was only just beginning and yet the minutes felt long—too long. They descended from the tree line like dying leaves, sprinting through the field and toward the cave that served as the fortress' escape route. It would lead them directly inside. According to their spies, it had been decades since it was last used, so it should be safe for entry.
But the Uchiha didn't really care. All that mattered was getting to Hinata before the night dragged on, before the fights escalated and she would be lost in the midst of the chaos. This was fear, and he hadn't felt this strongly for a long time now. So he ran ahead of his team, his ponytail whipping behind him and the cold air biting into his skin. Not that he cared. Not at all. Hinata was his priority.
He blinked. No—peace was his priority.
Just as the cave shifted into view, a second flare lit up the sky, igniting a fire in his heart.
"The princess did it," one of his men breathed in disbelief.
Itachi twitched. "Of course she did," he snapped, glaring at the Anbu with vehemence. She was a stubborn, little girl after all. She didn't fail anyone—not even herself.
"I apologize, sir."
The Major directed his eyes at the sky. "Stick to the plan," he reminded them before they were finally enveloped in the darkness of the cave.
.
.
The banging startled her. It was a series of loud, disgruntled slamming that got on her nerves and struck her as annoying. But she remained quiet and ignored it. They would enter the control room soon, and Hinata wasn't about to get caught now. With the grace of a butterfly, she swiped the remaining scrolls off the table and stuffed it under her shirt.
"Who's there?!"
Hinata wiped her bloody palms on her pants.
"Someone blow up this door!"
She leapt up onto the table and into the vent, hoisting herself up once more and covering it back up with the cover. Just as it clicked shut, metal exploded and men ran into the room. She blinked at the sight. There was a lot of them this time.
An itch told her to fight them all.
No, she reminded herself. She was not a lone-wolf anymore. She had orders to follow. She would not disappoint Shosa, never in a million years. Not now. Not ever.
She crawled her way back to the weapons room. Everything spun from the smell of blood and she left stains wherever she went. Memories of a clear, blue sky and the smell of the ocean devoured her like a hungry monster. She remembered her small room where she had a dirty futon and nothing but weapons to play with. Blood was not all unfamiliar either—she grew up with it. She was used to ignoring the call of the birds wishing to play with her as she trained all day beneath the blazing sun.
The blood might bother the others—it might even upset the Major. But not her. Rather, it was a comfort, because she knew then that she would have a delicious meal at the end of the day and cleaner clothes to sleep in. If she didn't do anything, if she complained about the smell or the stains, then she would be punished.
So she did not mind being dirty.
Not at all.
a/n: aaaah, I'm sorry for the late update. School got really busy and October was a horror. But here you go! I'm afraid it's fairly short. But I hope you liked it anyway! I'm sorry for any mistakes you find uwu I usually miss some and notice them when I read them again a few days later. As always, thank you for the reviews! I appreciate them a lot :)