Chapter Twelve
Naruto chased after Hinata as she ran up the mountain trail, admiring the view from behind. God bless whomever came up with yoga pants! "Keep up, Naruto," she called back over her shoulder. Naruto had run this course hundreds of times, but this was something altogether different. Having a partner is a blast, even better with her!
The few times he'd run the mountain trail with Dad, Naruto was left in the dust. Dad was still the world's fastest shinobi. As for Grandpa, despite his good overall health, the old man's knees kept him from traversing the mountain trail non-stop. While three years at Mount Myoboku had been incredible, the last two days with Hinata had put the experience to shame. At first, Naruto had worried the Toad Sages would object to her being here. Gamakichi and Gamabunta were tickled to death at their new guest, sharing more than a few embarrassing stories from Naruto's time away.
As they reached the top of the mountain, Naruto heaved up a wooden platform they had used to share the peak for their balancing exercises. She balanced on one half, and he balanced on the other, each needing to hold statue still to prevent the setup from falling. Hinata, after years of dance and gymnastics practice, was a natural at holding still and balancing precariously solo. It only took a few attempts before they got the hang of the process as a team.
I wonder how far along we'd both be if she'd been along the first time. Before Naruto left around three years ago, Hinata had floated the idea of coming with. At that time, it had been deemed impractical. She was the Hyūga Clan leader and needed to be present; he was the Hokage's son and had no such requirement to stick around. While she had trained with Kakashi and others while he was gone, her chakra mastery was still limited compared to his own. Although, she did show potential. As Naruto felt the flow of nature chakra around him, the slightest tickle of nature chakra gathering near Hinata hinted she was beginning to open her eyes to the greater level of chakra around her.
Balancing here, on the edge of the world, her chakra made everything brighter, and Naruto felt more focused than ever. She was the missing piece that completed his puzzle. If Naruto had connected to nature before, this was immersing in it completely. When we get back, Dad and I need to have a serious chat about making her training here a regular thing.
A distant thunder shook Naruto from his meditative focus. He opened his eyes, sensing beyond his field of vision. Dad had arrived via his Flying Thunder God technique. Why would Dad be here all the sudden? Naruto searched in his heart for any innocent explanation – maybe he was feeling nostalgic, maybe he missed them and wanted a surprise visit. Dark tendrils of worry began climbing up Naruto's back as his mind shifted to the reality that Dad wouldn't be here with good news. Dad's chakra signature was heavy, ominous.
"I felt that," Hinata said with her own voice deep with concern. Naruto turned his eyes to see her Byakugan active.
"You've started to sense emotion through chakra?" Naruto asked, amazed. It took a year to even to sense a signature, much less make any sense of it.
"I sensed it off you," she explained, "Our linked chakra makes me quite sensitive to changes in your emotional state." Hinata focused into the distance, "Your father has a terribly long face," she turned her head to Naruto, "Either something bad has happened or is about to happen."
Cold beads of sweat dripped off Naruto despite the cool temperature at this altitude. Now was not the time for bad news. There was a major bust going down in a week, he'd had the closest thing to a romantic weekend ever with Hinata, and there is a damn war about to start! As Naruto and Hinata dismounted the balance platform and stored it, he could sense the grey waves of worry emanating off Hinata. A selfish part of him wished they could run away and hide in these mountains, safe from the horrors of the world outside. Your village needs you, and your father needs you. Quit being a wuss!
"Race you back down!" he took off for the hut that was home for the weekend. Despite lacking any desire to face what awaited, Naruto made record time with Hinata hot on his heels. Dad wore his traditional field uniform, sans Hokage jacket, as he stood at the finish line. His eyes were closed, and Naruto guessed Dad's mind was working in overdrive despite the meditative calm on the old man's face.
"Dad!" Naruto shouted as they approached.
"Son," Minato nodded somberly then balked, "Hinata!?"
Naruto bowed, hoping to assuage Dad's potential anger, "I should have asked you first, Dad, I'm sorry. The Toad Sages said it would be fine."
"I don't care, right now," Minato raised a hand to cut him off. "Son, have you been here all weekend?"
"What kind of a question is that?" Naruto asked, "I've been here since Friday night."
"And you never left?" Dad asked curtly.
"Dad, I don't know Flying Thunder God Technique like you. The nearest outpost is almost a week's hike in good conditions, and I haven't been back to the village, either," Naruto shook his head, wondering what the hell was going on and what had Dad so badly on edge.
Dad nodded, calculating in his head, "And you can verify that," he turned to Hinata.
"Yes," she said without hesitation.
Dad drew in a deep breath and held it several seconds before letting it go. "We have a major crisis back home, and we don't have long to defuse it."
"What kind of crisis, Dad?" Naruto crossed his arms.
"Someone impersonating you attempted to assassinate the Raikage two nights ago. While he and B are inclined to believe you're innocent in private, the Raikage has issued an extradition order for you."
"For what?" Naruto balked.
"Six counts of first-degree murder, violating the peace treaty among the villages, assaulting the Raikage, and a few things more," Dad ticked off on his hands.
"That's crazy!" Hinata protested, "Naruto has been here with me the whole time!"
"I know that, and I get the feeling whomever is setting this up doesn't know that."
"You have a plan, don't you?" Naruto pointed a finger to his father.
"It sucks, but yes," he shook his head, "By the treaty that ended the Second Shinobi War, any shinobi accused of such a violation is to be incarcerated in Hozuki Castle."
"Blood Prison! Lord Fourth, you can't seriously be willing to send him!" Hinata screeched.
"Whomever came up with this plan, maneuvered well," Naruto shook his head as he turned to Hinata, "If Dad refuses to send me, it is a violation of the treaty amounting to an act of war." Hinata's eyes grew impossibly wider as the realization set in. "If I go, I'm a prime target. If Dad refuses to send me, the other great shinobi villages have every reason to make war with us. If I hide or run, I'm a wanted fugitive internationally."
"Indeed," Dad nodded, "So, that brings me to the important part. Normally I'd risk the ire of the other villages…"
"But?" Naruto and Hinata said in unison.
"Two things: one we have reason to believe Sasuke might be at the Castle," Dad threw the wildcard on the table. "We're not sure if he's there willingly or unwillingly."
"So, get everyone together and lock down the castle; we'll search it inch by inch," Naruto balled his hands into fists, ready to tear the place apart to find his friend.
"Another complication," Dad shook his head, running fingers through his golden mane.
"You gotta be kidding me, this gets worse?!" Naruto gasped.
"Certain people, all with reasons to kill you, have been spotted at the prison – namely Orochimaru, Obito, and the former head of the ANBU."
"Danzo," Hinata said grimly, "You think this is a plot to get Naruto for revenge or something else?"
"Maybe both; I haven't ruled out that there are several competing plots at work," Minato said, "but in either case, they have the Box of Infinite Bliss."
Cold blanketed Naruto, and he sense the same thing with Hinata. "I thought that was just a ghost story you told around the campfire, Dad."
"It's real?" Hinata gasped in horror.
"Very real," Minato said grimly. "And this takes priority over everything. The box being found in general is an emergency; Danzo, the Akatsuki, or anyone hostile having possession of it has potentially world-ending consequences."
Naruto swallowed a heavy lump in his throat. Depending on the campfire story being told, the box predated the village by hundreds of years, maybe longer. Most versions of the story claimed it would grant the wish of the person strong enough to open it. At a campfire with Gamabunta about a year and half ago, Naruto learned an entirely different, bowel-emptying, version. The box was something of demonic origin and contained a hellish beast that swallowed whole villages and laid waste to armies. So bad was the chaos it wrought that the combined armies of the warring states villages suspended their endless conflict to seal the box and hide it away – only after it had destroyed more than a dozen villages and devoured millions.
"Lord Fourth, there has to be an alternative," Hinata protested, on the brink of tears, "If they get their hands on Naruto, Kurama's chakra might be enough to open the box!"
"I figured that as well, Hinata," Dad nodded. "Our plan is to let Naruto be taken and infiltrate the prison ahead of his arrival."
"That's crazy!" she shouted.
"Hinata, wait," Naruto hoped playing along with the plan might assuage her. "I'm not thrilled with this, either, but this might be our best bet to retrieve Sasuke and stop whatever this mess is." Naruto locked eyes with his father, "You think if we do this right, we can stop the coming storm?"
"Anything is possible, but Himawari said the events that lead to the Fourth War were unpreventable. Even if this isn't one of those events, you must agree, the Satori getting out of the box could have serious consequences involving the war. If released before the war, it could seriously weaken all the villages, and leave us vulnerable to whatever is planned. If opened during the war, our enemies would have a weapon of mass destruction capable of changing the tide of battle at an instant."
"So, I get taken and what next?"
"Hinata infiltrates the prison while I stall with the prison officials in Kusagakure, trying to negotiate your release," Dad turned to Hinata, "Once you secure Naruto, you two try and locate Sasuke and the box while reinforcements show up."
"How long will we have to play cat and mouse?" Hinata asked.
"Three, four days at most." Dad replied.
"I still don't like this," she said.
"Hinata, we're in a rock and a hard place," Dad said. "I can't maintain the charade of not knowing where Naruto is for long without raising suspicions. So, here is the plan," Dad told them the plan, and they agreed, reluctantly.
As Father disappeared in a flash, Naruto stood frozen and numb. Hinata's warm hand on his shoulder rooted him back in reality. "We could run, try and wait until this thing blows over," she said.
"Our village needs us," Naruto said, "Besides, if we run, we might only be creating bigger problems down the road." Naruto placed his hand under her chin, looking into her tear-stained amethyst orbs, "I don't want to go, either."
"But you'll be in danger!" she sobbed, burying her face in his chest.
"I'm more worried about you," Naruto let his own tears run, "Not going means putting our future at risk," he ran his hands up and down her back. Naruto pulled back slightly, again staring her in the eyes, "What kind of example would I be setting four our future…" he paused, accepting his destiny, "… our children someday, If I ran and hid when the village needed me? We're shinobi Hinata, danger comes with the territory."
"I still don't like it," she stared at the ground.
"I promise, when this is over," he again held her close, "I'll make this up to you."
"Ichiraku's, my love?" Hinata managed a slight laugh through tears.
"As much as you want," he tilted her head back, "your wish is my command." Naruto kissed her with deep, desperate intensity. He always knew things could go bad; so, he always treated each kiss like it would be his last one. When they broke, he breathlessly asked, "You ready?"
"No, but let's get this over with!"
They didn't even bother retrieving their overnight bags. Gamakichi reverse summoned them back to the village in front of the swing that hung from the tree on the Academy grounds. A half dozen military police and Fugaku and Itachi Uchiha were waiting. "Lord Uchiha, what is going on?" Naruto feigned ignorance.
"Come quietly, Naruto," the elder Uchiha said. "You're under arrest."
The weight of the Hokage's jacket bordered on intolerable as Minato sat in the heavy office chair. "Come on, Dad! I swear I was at Mount Myoboku all weekend! I couldn't have done anything!" Naruto played the part of the innocent man wrongfully accused on all levels. The sour turning of acid in Minato's gut only intensified with each plea of innocence. My boy, I promised when you were a baby that I would keep my mistakes small and do my best. Please let this not be a fatal mistake.
"I'm sorry, Naruto," Minato tented his hands, "but we are treaty-bound in circumstances like this," Minato scanned the room, eyeing Kakashi, Fugaku, Yamato, and the two retainers from Kusagakure sent to transport Naruto to the prison.
"WAIT!" the doors burst open, startling everyone in the room, "Lord Fourth," Sakura dragged Hinata into the office, "You can't send him! He's innocent!"
"Sakura, I have no doubt, but until this matter is resolved…"
"GODDAMMIT LISTEN!" the young kunoichi roared. "I have a witness that places Naruto elsewhere at the time of the assassination attempt!"
"Lord Fourth, PLEASE!" Hinata begged, tugging on Minato's heart strings. The girl was like his daughter, and the mere thought of doing something like this in front of her, even scripted, was hateful. "Please," she sobbed, "Naruto was with me all weekend! He took me to Mount Myoboku Friday night and we only just got back when he was arrested; he couldn't have done it!"
"Yeah Dad," Naruto raised his voice, "She's my witness!"
"Then your stay at the castle will be brief as soon as Hinata's statement is taken as evidence…"
"FUCK THIS SHIT!" Naruto roared as he began making his hand seal, "Shadow clone jutsu –" Naruto's attempt at a jutsu was cut short by Captain Yamato using wood-style release to form a cage around poor Naruto. Minato almost relented, but Naruto gave a nearly imperceptible shake of the head – he was committed.
"I'm sorry, son," Minato placed a seal paper on the impromptu cage. If the Kusagakure shinobi inspected it, the seal would appear like a standard chakra seal to prevent Naruto from using anything to escape. In reality, the seal would break in the event Naruto made any credible effort to escape. The situation in the prison was unknown, and Naruto would need to escape the second he was inside. Please be right about this! Minato reached in and pulled away his son's forehead guard, the metal on his skin froze Minato like ice.
"Dammit," Hinata screeched, "you're just going to let them take Naruto like this without a fight, you junkless pussy!" Hinata got in Minato's face.
"You're walking damn close to cooling your heels for insubordination, Hinata," he growled in response. The others expertly wore stunned expression at the display of animosity.
"Insubordinate! I'll show you insubordinate, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Hinata slapped Minato across the face with enough force to jerk his head askew. The sting of her attack sent pain shooting all the way to his toes.
"GET HER OUT OF HERE! BOTH OF THEM!" Minato barked. Yamato, Fugaku and Kakashi snatched Hinata and Sakura by the shoulders. Sakura moved like a ragdoll in shock, while Hinata kicked, screamed, and struggled every inch to the door. Minato was ready to throw up at the display. "Are you two finished?" he stared at the Kusa shinobi.
"We'll be off with the prisoner," they said as they dragged a wordless, crying Naruto from the room.
As the doors closed behind them, Minato sank into his chair, deflated. For a short moment, he buried his head on his desk, and heaved several deep breaths. Even staged, the act of letting his son get taken stung almost as badly as Hinata's slap. As he composed himself, Minato sat up, pulling open a desk drawer, and extracting the picture frame from the drawer. In it was a photo from the future. Naruto and Hinata, much older, sat with their two children as Jiraiya, Tsunade, Kushina, and he gathered around. Please tell me I did the right thing; please tell me I haven't put this in jeopardy.
A knock at the door caused Minato to jerk his head away from the photo. "Asuma?" Minato stowed the photo back into the drawer.
"Hey, I know you got a lot going on boss," the gruff shinobi spoke with a toothpick from his mouth. After a decade of smoking a pack a day, Asuma still struggled to keep the bad habit at bay.
"You have no idea," Minato shook his head, "send me a report when your team gets to Suna."
"Will do," Asuma said as he turned to leave. "Hey, Lord Fourth…"
"Yes, Asuma?"
"When I get back," Asuma turned back toward Minato, "Well, can I get your advice on something?"
"Of course, what's up?"
"Kurenai and I are expecting; she's probably due just before Naruto's birthday."
"Congratulations," Minato felt some of his depleted energy return. "I assume you have questions about being a father?"
"Especially after losing my father," Asuma nodded.
"We'll talk," Minato smiled, "Now, you'll have to excuse me," Minato stood and made his way to the side entrance to his office as Asuma exited. The door led to a simple interior conference room. Inside, Yamato, Kakashi, Hinata, Itachi and Sakura stood at the far end of the table. "Do you think they bought it?" Minato asked.
"They haven't made any attempts to deviate from the main route out of the village, nor have they tampered with that seal you put on Naruto's box," Captain Yamato nodded with keen intent.
"Are you sure we made the right decision?" Hinata asked. Hinata's tone sat between anger and concern. For sure, she believed there had been an alternative. Maybe there is, maybe there isn't. Right now, you have to stop second-guessing yourself.
"I won't be sure until after we get Naruto back here safely," Minato shook his head, nerves still frazzled. "Kakashi, get Kushina here; we need to maintain the illusion that this was a surprise."
"And what am I supposed to do?" Sakura asked. Her green eyes swirled in confusion. Having only just had the others explain to her what was happening, Sakura had sincerely believed Minato was handing Naruto over to Kusakagure willingly.
"Discretely get the remains of Team Eight, Team Guy, and Sai here and briefed about the situation. I'm declaring an emergency; no one leaves here until after we get Naruto back and the situation resolved. Everything from here forward is top secret. Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir," the group answered in unison.
"Hinata," he turned to the Hyūga Clan leader, "meet me at our rendezvous. Let's get our boy back!"
Hinata raced from the Hokage's mansion, mind still processing the mess that had landed in her lap. At least some part of her prayed this was a nightmare, and she would wake up in a cold sweat in Naruto's arms at their safehouse. Yeah, maybe this is all a dream, and Uncle Hizashi will greet you at the house. Maybe you'll wake up and still be twelve years old and Father will still be the clan leader! Live in reality, girl!
The gate guards didn't hesitate in admitting her. Soon, she strode past the main atrium, past the courtyard with the memorial reflection pool, and into the main section of the house. Before she knew it, Hinata had arrived at the doors to her room, and she forced her way through, making a beeline for the false panel that hid her ANBU gear. Hinata stripped out of her outfit quickly donned the black jumpsuit and flak jacket. The mask was about to slide into place when a familiar presence tingled in the back of her neck. "Hello, Father," she said without affect.
"Hinata, I didn't want to believe you were an ANBU, even after seeing it with my own eyes," Father's voice was deep with concern.
"I am a reservist, actually, I'm actually a full-time KIB agent," she hoped he'd let the subject drop.
"Hinata, you are the leader of this clan, and there is no direct heir to replace you," Father began.
"Don't try and stop me, Father!" Hinata cut him off. "Naruto is in grave danger. Hell, the village, maybe the whole world is in mortal peril right now!" She heaved, "And I can do something about it!"
"And I wish that you do so, and be safe," Father said unexpectedly.
"Father… I…" words failed Hinata as confusion scrambled her thoughts.
"Hinata, when I was not much older than you are now, I watched my cousins and my friends all go off to war while I was made to stay here. I had to steal my brother's identity papers to see any frontline service."
"Then you understand why I can't stay and let someone else take care of it," Hinata strapped on her mask but didn't pull it over her face just yet.
"I know you love Naruto…"
"The future of this clan rests with him, Father."
"I know that; I hoped he might have seen fit to keep you out of trouble," Father crossed his arms.
Hinata sighed deeply, "I don't have time to explain it, Father, just know that he didn't cause any of this!"
"I believe you," he nodded somberly, "Bring him back safely, Hinata, but don't do so at your own expense. Tell him I need to have a long chat with him when you get him back."
Hinata brought down her mask, becoming the ANBU she was. "Good luck," father called behind her as she entered the closet and entered the secret passage that exited down the nearby storm drain. Hinata exited, by now the late afternoon sun was dipping lower on toward the horizon as she proceeded out a secret exit in the village barrier used by the ANBU.
The sun was threatening to dip below Sunset Hill west of Konoha when she reached Minato standing atop the hill. Despite his immaculate appearance in his Hokage's jacket, Uncle Minato also wore a mask of weariness. Hinata, herself, felt it in the pit of her stomach, wondering what curveballs awaited them once they arrived at their destination.
"You ready?" Minato asked, offering a hand. If he held a grudge for her slapping him extra hard, he didn't show it.
"Yes," She took his hand, and there was a brilliant flash of light, even through closed eyes. When they opened again, Hinata observed the peculiar location. Hozuki Castle rose like a foreboding shadow blocking the already fading light. "So, this is it?"
"Yeah, hell on Earth," Minato said in a gruff tone. He signaled for her to follow him.
As they walked toward the castle, cold pinpricks covered Hinata's skin – the entire place screamed, "Go away."
"Hinata, in the event you and Naruto need to evade through the forest, be wary of the main trails," Minato said as he guided her through the woods, maintaining a careful distance from the marked trail, "Most of them are boobytrapped or heavily patrolled."
"How do I get in?" she asked, the extreme sensation of cold continued to traverse her body.
"There is a sewer access that drains out up ahead. I had to use it once on a covert mission for Lord Third back in the day."
"Drains where?" she asked.
"The prison is built on a specially designed rock outcropping overlooking an inland sea – the only significant body of water in Kusakagure," he said in hushed tones as they navigated the brush. "Several powerful jutsu users create swirling whirlpools constantly to turn any escape attempt into suicide missions. All prisoners are brought in and out via special boat that can navigate around the whirlpools.
"What about the land connection?"
"Heavily boobytrapped and guarded; it's a designated kill-zone to anyone not clearly allowed in or out."
"So, even if I can get to Naruto, I have no means of extracting him on my own," Hinata let some of her acid bite into the plan's flaw – they were going to have to make a break and somehow stay concealed until rescue arrived.
"I'm going to try the diplomatic route, but…" Minato hushed suddenly, freezing in place, "Oh shit!"
Hinata stepped around him to see what happened, and she felt hot bile threatening to run out of her throat. The clearing in front of the drain was choked with dozens of corpses. Some wore prison clothing or the remnants of old mission gear. Others wore tattered guard uniforms or were stripped bare completely. Everyone showed clear signs of violence: some executed, others clearly having defensive wounds.
Hinata activated her Byakugan, searching for even the slightest signs of life – none to be found. "Lord Fourth," she beckoned him over as she moved toward a prominent group of men in formal robes.
"The Kusakagure Council," he inspected the dead men, "and prison warden Mui."
"The damn fools must have been played," Hinata said, eyeing the bizarre sight.
"Kusakagure suffered greatly in the Third Shinobi War," Minato confirmed, "These men would have done anything to see it remade, like offering to open the box if they handed Naruto over after his arrest."
"Now that Naruto is on the way," Hinata choked, "they were no longer useful." Hinata scanned the prison with her Byakugan. Several areas were distorted, but she could see some prisoners were still clearly incarcerated; however, most of the shinobi at the guard posts had their village forehead guards scratched through. "The Akatsuki hold the prison; I see several areas that are distorted to where I can't get a clean view of what they're hiding."
"Distorted even to Byakugan," Minato said, "must be important."
She nodded, "What are your orders, Lord Hokage?"
"Do whatever you have to infiltrate the prison and protect my son. If you can, rescue Sasuke and try to keep the Akatsuki from opening the box."
"Whatever I have to do?" Hinata asked sharply.
"Hinata," Minato stared with the same brilliant blue eyes he'd given Naruto, "Everyone in that castle, other than you and Naruto, is expendable. Lie, cheat, murder," he paused, raising a hand for emphasis, "kill everyone in the castle if you have to. Do not let them get my son, nor use him to open the box! Do you understand?"
"Affirmative," Hinata nodded, "How soon can I expect relief?"
"The prison caravan is under constant surveillance. If it deviates from its path, we'll intercept it. Otherwise, it will take three days for them to get here with Naruto," he said. "I'll be back with reinforcements by then. Can you hold out that long?"
"Yes," Hinata said with firm conviction. Three days was a long time to hide and watch, but she'd endured before, and she could do so again.
"Good luck, daughter," Minato disappeared in a flash.
"Thank you, father," she said to the fading light. It didn't take long to open the sewer grate and climb into the fetid tunnel. As she reached the end, she reached a central drainage chamber with a series of ladders and catwalks. The way up would be treacherous, but she'd manage. She would rescue Naruto, and she would protect her village. She mounted the first rung of the first ladder and began to climb.
Author's notes: Hello everyone. Thank you as always for reading. If you're reading at the time of publication, I hope you're having a great holiday season! I hope you all are remaining safe and healthy wherever you are in the world. I hope to see you all in time to start a new year. I am grateful to everyone who has made this story what it is: from readers, to those leaving reviews, and to my long suffering muse - my wife. Thank you all!