◊ (Chapter 28: An Invasion) ◊ - Edited Version
¤ (Wedding Day) ¤ - ∆ (Uchiha Estate) ∆ - Φ Uchiha Sasuke Φ
It seemed like a year would never pass. It seemed so long until I would get married to Sakura. It seemed like forever but it was only a year. I waited forever, but I knew was someone who was a little more than anxious. Her name starts with a T and ends with an N and has one vowel in it and it's an E. She is 17 years old and she's been waiting for two years to get married to her partner, closest friend, and lover. They loved each other from the beginning. I've always wondered why her lover who's name has the letters N-E-J-I in it hadn't married her a year ago.
He refuses to answer it. He says that it's a problem with his life. Tenten said it's because Neji hadn't set in place in his life, and that she's fine with it but now that's in place she's so extremely happy even Neji can't help but smile. She reminds me of Sakura.
Talking of my fiancée, Sakura is a bundle of happy. That's Sakura's phrase, of course. She is running around and dancing around the estate. I hope she does know that she has to go to the church and get ready.
"Sakura, you need head up to the church, to get ready." I told her.
"Okay Sasuke, I'm leaving, bye." I nodded and smiled as she ran out of the door.
"Worried?" Neji asked from behind me. Neji and I have that in common; we show up behind people and cross-question them.
"About her, not really," I said sort of laughing.
"You're generally worried."
"Why would you think that?"
"Because, I'm not stupid." Neji answered.
"What does that have to do with anything?" I asked.
"You're afraid you're going to hurt her, aren't you?"
"Huh?" I asked.
"You've always thought of Sakura as something delicate and gentle. Something you've vowed. If you were every the one to hurt her, what would you do?"
"I don't know what you're talking about Neji, that thought hasn't crossed my mind since a year ago." I was lying and Neji knew it. Sakura was like a little child, she was very fragile, weak sometimes and very jumpy.
"Sasuke, you have to understand that she's sixteen, legally an adult. You can't treat her as a child or your marriage is already going to be pathetic. You have to be able to protect her and love her all the time."
"How do you know this stuff?"
"I took the last year to make sure and I knew that about each other."
I smirked. "So that's why, you didn't get married."
"Yeah, Tenten said it was fine and was rather glad to not be rushed if we weren't 100 sure this would work out. I always loved Tenten, but I like you for a long time was scared to lay a hand on. It upset her, quite a bit."
"What did she do?"
"She encouraged me."
"How?"
"She told me 'Neji, I'm your fiancée. I love you and you love me right, (I nodded). I am your., I belong to you. You can't be afraid of me. You know what your family needs from you and I. You know that you can't be afraid of me to meet your family's expectations if you stay scared and shy. I will not force myself onto you but I'm telling you. You have to straighten your mind out.' It was the only time she was ever serious like that with me, the first time that she gave me advice. She was right. After that, I nodded and took her into my arms and held her there. She was so happy, that's why I had to take a year to make sure everything was understood."
"I see." I answered.
"You want to make her happy right?"
"Of course,"
"And you have a clan to revive right?"
"Yes,"
"Then don't think twice about it, she's yours as Tenten told me. I hated that more than anything."
"Hated what?" I asked.
"Owning her,"
"What do you mean?"
"There are some clans like mine, the Uchiha and other rare clans like that, and Sakura's and Ino's as well as the Hoshi were. They all believed that the girl was the possession of the man, 'do with her whatever you want, she's yours to do what with you want'. Ever wonder why the girls were worried about their wedding?"
"I didn't think of it like that." I answered.
"Exactly," Neji answered to me. "You and I weren't exactly taught by parents how to act towards girls, we took to what was around us, and I really didn't know what to do for a while; especially my feelings toward Tenten."
"So that is really going on today?"
Neji simply snorted. "Ask Hinata what her father told her she was supposed to live her life like."
"But as the heir shouldn't she be the head?"
"Yes, but in honor, her husband is above her in all other manners, except the family."
"But aren't you taking over for?" Neji nodded.
"Naruto and I plan to change many things about the Hyuuga and I plan to put that on our agenda." I added.
"There was a long period of time where Tenten believed that. She was to be used and that's all she was good for."
"Why?"
"It was about two years ago. She doesn't like me talking about it but at the moment after an accident it was all that showed up in her mind."
"That's horrible."
"Luckily Sakura never got those ideas in her mind. Since neither of your families is alive, that has that consideration. She also didn't have a clan enforcing that. Tenten has sat through many dinners where that's how they talk. She's been very upset when she hears that but she holds it in, I know it."
"Man, it would stink to be her." She answered.
"Yeah, I really try to stay away from those kinds of things unless they're required. But we can't for very long since they're required for the heads, and we will be today."
"Yep, well shall we head to the church to prepare as well?" Neji nodded and we left.
∆ (Church) ∆- Φ (3rd Person) Φ
"Hinata, are you feeling alright, you look tired?"
"No, I'm afraid I sense something extremely strong around us." Hinata warned them.
"No way, this is the center of the city; they'd have to get through the city first." Ino said happily.
"But, it's possible." Tenten said. She suspiciously grabbed a ton of kunai and a scroll and stuffed them in her overlay pouch. All the dresses had a place to store important things within them since they were kunoichi; they were allowed to buy special protection equipment so they could protect themselves like their wedding dresses.
"It's smart to just be ready. I know we should be safe, but I feel I'm not." Sakura started laughing about Hinata's comment.
"Don't worry Hinata,"
"Why shouldn't I?"
"Because if you have forgotten our four husbands are the top 4 ninja in all of Konoha, along with the others we have in attendance, everyone of power and importance is in this room, the Hyuuga Clan, the former Hokage, our parents, our sensei and others. This is the best place to be." Sakura explained.
"I guess you're right but isn't it a stupid thing to put all these people in the same room at the same time?"
The all stopped and ran out of the building with just their normal clothes on and they were surrounded with Sound Ninja. "I knew it," Hinata said feeling scared.
"Attack," Orochimaru yelled. The girls pulled out a ton of weapons and attacked, the offended and attacked; Ino and Sakura on defense while Hinata and Tenten were on offense.
The four girls themselves had taken down his whole army sending him back into his tree. "Wow, you girls have gotten rather extremely good in my long years of absence. I guess I'll be back after I take someone, and something." He jumped down, grabbed Sakura and disappeared. The girls ran off but another man grabbed Hinata, Ino and Tenten. They were to be hostages, again.
¤ (Meanwhile) ¤∆ (In the Forest) ∆
"I can't believe they got to the church, we use to be so much stronger." Sasuke yelled in anger.
"It's fine; don't worry about it at all Sasuke. It will be taken care of." Neji said jumping beyond, the fought with tons of enemy and took on every jutsu that was aimed at them with no effect.
After fighting for nearly 4 hours, the two were extremely tired. Moreover, where were Shikamaru and Naruto you may ask? Let us see.
∆ (W/Naruto) ∆
"Hello soon to be new hokage." A voice said. Naruto quickly turned around to see Orochimaru sitting in the couch Tsunade had people sit in who were talking to her.
"Orochimaru," Naruto said angrily.
"What you need, you ask." He said.
"I asked you no such thing." Naruto answered confused.
"But that's what all the other hokage said before I killed them. I just expected you to, were you going to?" Orochimaru asked.
"No, I know what you need. You wish to kill me and conquer Konoha. Right?" Naruto asked.
"Yes, you've become wise, haven't you, Naruto." Orochimaru stated.
"I guess I have but you're not very creative on what you do. So why would I ever guess wrong that way?" Naruto replied.
"Fine, smart young hokage; but what are you going to do to stop me." Orochimaru asked.
"This," Naruto took a leap at Orochimaru and they had each other's throat with a kunai, and had cut the others' throat. Orochimaru being snake like only had one passage unlike Naruto had two, making it easier for him but still he was in pain.
He fell over onto the floor and Naruto put a cage around Orochimaru and passed out.
∆ (W/Shikamaru) ∆
"Man, this is troublesome." Shikamaru said running from the sound Nin who were attacking him. "All I wanted to do today was get married, was that too much to ask?" He yelled.
"Yes it was because we have the four boys' fiancées." A Nin said. Shikamaru angrily attacked them, and hit all their main weak point causing them to fall to the ground.
"That's it, when I do anything I'm going to make sure it's not troublesome." Shikamaru answered.
"Do what you like but there will always be trouble, especially from us." A sound Nin said.
"Fine, then to save me trouble I'll just have to eliminate you." Shikamaru answered taking out about 30 people and ran through the forest to a point where they guys all agreed they'd meet up if there was trouble.
Shikamaru saw in front of him Neji and Sasuke who were fighting. Shikamaru sprinted forward and took out the remaining Nin.
"Shikamaru, have you seen the girls? We've checked everywhere." Sasuke said.
"No, they have them." Neji nodded and he ran off moments later followed by Sasuke and Shikamaru.
"Have any of you seen Naruto?" Shikamaru asked them.
"No, last time I heard he was in the Hokage's office, setting up." Sasuke said.
"Do you think?" A voice asked from the forest. It was Hinata. She was limping below them; they jumped down and ran to her.
"Hinata, what's wrong with you?" Neji asked holding his cousin in his arms.
"I managed to escape to give the news of where they are, what their plans are and where the others are." Hinata said, barely being awake.
"Can you heal yourself?" Sasuke asked, knowing full well how Sakura and Hinata were the top med-Nin anywhere.
"No, it's a broken bone. I can mend it to a sprain but beyond that, no. If I took it any farther then I'd be shortening my life span. I'll be fine just, help them." She answered.
"What were you saying about Naruto?" Shikamaru asked.
Tears were falling out of her eyes, they knew full and well this wasn't good news but neither was the invasion, the deaths, the attack, the whole entire fight; it was definitely not good. "They're trying to take Konoha out, and taking out a new Hokage is the first step." Hinata was crying even more now.
"What should we do?" Shikamaru asked.
"What do you mean, what should we do?" Neji said with a smile. "I'm sure Naruto would be laughing at you worrying about him, about now Hinata. Have a bit more courage. He's infused with the fox and he's the number one ninja around. If he can't take care of Orochimaru, no one can. He's hokage for a reason."
"I know but had you heard the plans, you'd be worried too." Hinata said.
"What are they planning to do?"
"Kill the nine tailed fox," She said and burst out into tears.
"Hinata, the fox was killed years ago." Shikamaru answered
"No, they sealed it in a newborn child, Naruto." Neji said. He was never sheltered from the truth, he had known for a while now, 5 years about; since the first Chuunin exam.
"What?" Shikamaru asked.
"No, Neji's right. The nine-tailed fox was sealed in Naruto when he was just a few days old. If they're bond is broken, Naruto could die. Orochimaru knows how since the seal was fixed by Jiraiya. And, anything he knows Orochimaru knows."
"So then someone has to invert the seal, to differential the pattern so Orochimaru can't." Hinata explained.
"But the seal works on a principal of complete trust; it would be disrupted if it's inverted by anyone other than someone he trusts." Neji explained.
"But how did Jiraiya fix it?" Shikamaru asked.
"He did it while Naruto trusted him, Naruto was relaxed. He called it a trust exercise and that way he allowed him. Orochimaru will just break the seal, not invert it."
"How do we stop this?" Sasuke asked.
"There's no need to, I'm fine." Naruto said walking to the forest one hundred percent okay and fine.
"Neji?" Hinata asked and he nodded.
Neji hit a weak point on Naruto and he fell down. "Two Byakugan and a Sharingan and you think you could trick us?" Neji asked.
"That wasn't the plan, this was." He ran at Hinata but Sasuke and Shikamaru ran in front and took the person down.
"That was close." Neji said.
"Why do they need Hinata?" Shikamaru asked.
"I'm not sure either; I think its many reasons. They think you wouldn't fight if they had us. If Konoha has fewer defenses and they wouldn't risk our safety." Hinata answered them.
"Then we have to get the others back first." Sasuke advised.
"What do we do with Hinata?" Shikamaru asked.
"Leave her with us," A female voice said from out of the forest. It was Temari, Gaara and Kankuro.
"We thought you might need some help, since you have helped us out on many occasions." Kankuro said.
"Thanks," Neji picked up his cousin and handed her to Kankuro. Hinata looked worried.
"You're sure it's them?" Shikamaru asked. Neji and Sasuke nodded.
"Kankuro, take her to Tsunade. Have her heal Hinata's leg then you and Temari along with Hinata, help Naruto. Hinata remember to make sure to invert the seal so it's stronger and only you can break and invert again. Understand?" Neji said finishing his orders.
"I'm going along with you guys." Gaara said.
"No, they need you in Konoha; thanks for the help but I think between the three of us, who ever is guarding the girls isn't stronger then Orochimaru." Sasuke answered.
"True," Gaara responded. Then the Sabaku Trio and Hinata were gone, in that few seconds.
"Let's go," Sasuke said, the other two nodded and they ran off. They fought through many people and with extreme force and determination, they stopped.
"Where are we going, Hinata-san forgot to tell us where the girls were." Shikamaru said annoyed.
"She didn't have to, she came south, and so they're north. Of course, they'd be in the main tower in the Forest of Death." He answered.
"Why in the world would they bring him there?" Shikamaru asked.
"I'm not sure but I think it has to do with the defenses." Neji said.
"I agree," Sasuke said.
"So we all are prepared for a grand fight when we get there, right?" Neji answered smirking. They all nodded.
