Great Ninjas Don't Make Great Parents
Chapter 34: Curse of Memories
Hinode had never let her Sharingan work so hard in one day. Keeping an eye on Shisui and Yakko while fighting off eight Root agents was taxing already, but the other fight that was going on was what she was more anxious about. There was no possible scenario that she could imagine where Shisui loses to Yakko. But every time she looked, it was clear that Shisui was still holding back.
She had shouted several times, but he seemed not to listen. With the ruthless way that Yakko fought, Shisui couldn't spare his concentration.
Then, after she pushed back the Root agents far enough with the Great Fireball, she turned and saw Shisui falling to his knees. Weapons were pierced into his body, and as tears welled in her aching eyes, he fell lifelessly to the ground.
Hinode heard herself cry out his name. He didn't get up. Yakko, on the other hand, opened a large scroll and laid it on the ground. She began to roll Shisui's body onto the scroll. The color red stained Hinode's view, and warm fluids dripped down the corners of her eyes.
"Don't touch him!" Hinode screamed as she darted towards Yakko.
But more Root agents got into her way. She didn't bother to count how many there were. She produced fire on both fists and didn't even notice that the flames were black. One shinobi attempted a Water Release technique on her, but the flames burned even the water. The black flames raged, and with one swing of her fist, the Root agents in the path of the flame disintegrated at the same time their screams were cut short.
The remaining few enemies backed away at the sight, all except for Yakko. When the blonde turned to look at Hinode, her expression was unreadable. But Hinode was not really looking, as she kept her eyes on Shisui. The color of his chakra was barely visible to her eyes.
Then, a man swiftly landed in front of Hinode. She didn't think twice before swinging her fist at him. But as her forearm came into her view, it melted off onto the ground.
Hinode halted at the sight; she looked to her other arm, which had melted off at the elbow as well.
Shimura Danzo, Hinode said to herself as her gaze traveled up the man's robes. It was him, all right. But before she could take a good look at his face, her right leg melted and she dropped to her left knee.
Genjutsu! Hinode thought as she looked down at her leg. Her own Mangekyo Sharingan spun and the black flames formed into giant claws from the tips of her elbows. She pushed herself up with one claw and reached for Danzo with the other. The man leapt away just in time from the all-consuming fire.
Hinode bent her knees to leap after him, but a hand grabbed her left ankle. She looked back and she froze.
Shisui was holding her ankle, still bleeding from all the attacks he sustained from Yakko.
Hinode bit her tongue; it was Genjutsu again, but it was unlike anything Itachi showed her. How could Shimura Danzo perform such a high level genjutsu that even she couldn't deflect? Even though she had just obtained the Mangekyo Sharingan, she couldn't break out of the illusions. At least, she could tell that she was under the effects of Genjutsu, and she had no choice but to break away with force.
She jammed her claws into the ground and pulled hard, but the weight on her ankle increased as she pulled. Another hand had grabbed that ankle. She shouldn't have looked back, but she did. It was Obito; one half of his body was completely destroyed.
"Help me, Hinode," the illusionary Obito said, pleading with one eye.
Hinode felt queasy.
"You've become useful after all, Uchiha Hinode."
Danzo's voice sounded next to Hinode. A little too closely. He'd performed hand seals before Hinode turned back, and a giant hand of wood grabbed hold of Hinode's body. The wood drained Hinode's chakra, and her black flames subsided. She tried breaking through the wood with physical strength, but it didn't budge. She felt powerless and exhausted.
All Hinode could do was glare up at him. "Let Shisui go!"
"How demanding for a traitor," Danzo raised an eyebrow and said with fake amusement. "Though from an Uchiha, it's unsurprising."
His fingers inched towards Hinode's left eye. Just as they touched the skin of her eyelids, she heard the cry of a flock of birds.
"Chidori!"
Danzo backed away at the crackling sound of lightning. The speed of Kakashi's Chidori was not to be taken lightly; part of Danzo's sleeve was burnt into ashes.
Kakashi did not attempt to finish Danzo off. It was too risky; he didn't know what kind of techniques Danzo had up his sleeves. Plus, Kakashi did not want to experience Genjutsu that even Hinode couldn't deflect.
Instead, Kakashi turned the other way while Danzo looked down to check his arm. He used a sword that one of the Root agents dropped earlier and slashed the wood that was binding Hinode. Her eyes and mouth were wide open with shock as she dropped into his arms, but he didn't wait for her to say anything before bolting for the exit. Behind him, he could hear Danzo ordering Root agents and Yakko to pursue them.
"Kill them if you have to!"
Kakashi ran at his fastest speed while carrying a struggling Hinode. And when Hinode struggled, it was like trying to hold down a mountain boar.
"Kakashi! Let me go! Shisui is—" Hinode cried as she tried to climb over his shoulder.
"No!" Kakashi said hotly. "You didn't listen to me, so I'm not going to listen to you!"
That shut her up good. Her weak hands lingered around his neck. Kakashi made his way out of the hideout and into the woods before it. And it was only then that Kakashi noticed the blood that oozed out from Hinode's eyes.
"Kakashi, I…" when Hinode blinked her eyes open at him, they were a different patterned Sharingan than she used to have. "I couldn't save Yakko! And Shisui came and... I shouldn't have… I should have… it should have been me..."
"That's enough!" Kakashi's grasp tightened at Hinode's incoherent words. "I'm still mad at you, but… I understand how it feels to wish you had died in someone else's place."
Hinode got quiet again. She didn't retort, and she slumped into his arms. The Wood Release had drained a lot of her power and all of her struggling earlier was all just adrenaline. Plus, the Genjutsu that Danzo had her under was catching up to her.
"I'm sorry."
It was all that she could manage to say.
Kakashi didn't want to just leave Shisui behind either, but it was already too late. If he was even half a second too late, Danzo would have killed Hinode. That was why he charged in there with Chidori, and he would admit that they got lucky that Danzo was, for some reason, more concerned about his arm than the fact that they were getting away. Perhaps Danzo believed that they couldn't get away. Using the Chidori in combination with Sharingan took a lot from Kakashi, and now, the Root agents were creeping up behind him.
He counted the sound of footsteps behind them; there were at least ten of them. He could possibly take all of them, especially when Yakko was already heavily injured when he arrived. But not while having to keep an eye on Hinode. He was sure that Yakko would sweep Hinode away as soon as she found an opening.
He had no other choice if he wanted both of them to get out alive. He suddenly stopped running and put Hinode on the ground. Before Hinode could question him, he bit into his thumb, and Hinode realized what he was doing.
"Kakashi, don't you dare!"
Ignoring Hinode, Kakashi put his palm on the ground and two clouds of smoke rose up beside him. Two ninja hounds appeared from the smoke, one a small pug and the other a giant bulldog. The pug looked at Kakashi with a deadpan look.
"Kakashi, what the hell is this?"
"No time to explain, Pakkun, just get her away from here!" Kakashi picked Hinode up again despite her protests and threw her at the bulldog. "Bull, catch!"
The bulldog named Bull opened his slobbering mouth and caught Hinode like a frisbee. Surprisingly, his bite was gentle enough that Hinode wasn't hurt at all. Pakkun, the pug, sensed the urgency in Kakashi's voice and started running alongside Bull. Kakashi, on the other hand, went back to where the Root agents were coming from.
"Kakashi!"
Hinode had no words to shout besides Kakashi's name. Panic washed over her as Bull and Pakkun sped off and she was unable to see Kakashi in just a few seconds.
"Where to, girl?" Pakkun asked as he ran just a bit ahead of Bull.
Hinode's mind raced. She had to get help and come back for Kakashi, but who? Sure, Guy and Genma were strong, but against Shimura Danzo? It was too dangerous. Danzo was somehow using Wood Release, and he had Uchiha-level Genjustu prowess, and he was neither Senju or Uchiha. How was that possible?
Yakko… Yakko wanted her Sharingan as well. It must have been Danzo's order.
The Hokage. Could he be of any help? Hinode wasn't sure, but she was sure of one risk. Running to the Hokage would be anyone's first choice, and Danzo was surely already on his way there. Danzo would either kill her before she could step foot into the Hokage's Residence, or he would turn her as a traitor.
Danzo had baited Hinode to infiltrate Root by letting her and Yakko meet. He had lured her there so that he could incriminate her, and he got Shisui as a bonus. Even if she tried to explain this theory to Hiruzen, Hiruzen would trust Danzo over her, that was undebatable.
Who else? Who else could she trust?
Itachi.
"Head to the Uchiha Compound," Hinode said to Pakkun. "But quietly."
Kakashi's ninken ran through the alleys of Konoha all the way to the Uchiha Compound. The sky was grayish blue; it was going to be morning in two hours, tops. Danzo would want to take care of things before daybreak.
Once they were in, they walked at a brisk pace as Hinode whispered the directions to the clan leader's unit. Bull released Hinode from his mouth when they arrived, and Hinode motioned for them to wait. Hinode sneaked around the house and crawled towards Itachi's room next to the backyard. Quietly, she looked through the window; it was completely dark inside, and a futon had not been laid out on the floor. Itachi was nowhere in the room.
While Hinode wondered where Itachi could have gone, footsteps approached her from the corner. A voice made her flinch just as she moved her foot slightly to escape.
"What are you doing here, Hinode?" Fugaku walked towards her along the veranda.
Hinode couldn't think of a lie as her mind was jumbled by all of the events that occurred within the last few hours. All she could do was stare at Fugaku with dumbfounded, wide eyes. Fugaku, of course, found Hinode's lack of words to be strange, but as he came closer to her, he noticed her battered clothing and her scrapes and bruises.
"What happened?" he asked with a frown.
Hinode couldn't tell him. "Is Itachi home?"
"He reported to the Hokage's office a few hours ago," said Fugaku as he took a few steps forward. "What business do you have with him at this hour? Itachi has been acting strangely these days; and now that you're here, you and Shisui have been acting strangely too. What is going on with you three?"
Hinode bit her lower bit; Itachi had gone to the worst place imaginable. What if he ran into Danzo? Surely, Danzo wouldn't dare to do anything to the heir of the Uchihas? Would he? If he caused harm to Itachi, the Uchihas would not hesitate to revolt. In fact, the Uchihas would revolt tonight if they found out about Shisui.
"The arsenal you need to fight against Root is right here..."
Hinode's head whirled towards the trees behind her. She had heard an unfamiliar voice. Or was it just in her head? Had she gone mad after the night's events?
As delirious as she was, the voice was right. Konoha's finest fighters were all around her. Although they had never really thought of her as their own, they would not be against her if she needed help fighting against Danzo.
But that would jump start the coup and that was not what Shisui wanted. Or what she wanted. Or Itachi.
"Hinode?" Fugaku called, seeing Hinode's breathing become faster. He did not even need to use Sharingan to know that her chakra was all over the place.
"What are you waiting for? Don't you want to save Shisui and your dear friend?"
Save two of the most important people in her life, or go against what she believed in? What about the children of Konoha? The village could not survive another war so soon after the Nine-Tails Attack.
"What is more important to you? The village or Shisui?"
What a useless question. Of course it's…
"What would your mother want?"
Hinode choked on a sharp breath. She looked around her again, frantically, but by the looks of Fugaku's face, there was no one around. She held each side of her temples with her palms and closed her eyes, and tried to shake away the image that the voice put in her head.
She and her mother were in a clean and white hospital room. It was the day that Shisui was born. Byakue had gently handed the baby to Hinode, and Shisui giggled at his big sister.
Hinode looked up at Byakue with glee, and Byakue returned the sentiment with her kind, beautiful smile. Then, Byakue smoothed her daughter's hair with her slim fingers and said:
"Take care of Shisui, okay?"
.
.
.
"Hinode, can you hear me?" Fugaku's voice sounded just inches above Hinode's head. He placed a firm hand on her shoulder.
"Fugaku-san," Hinode looked up at Fugaku suddenly, "Wake the clansmen. Shimura Danzo and his associates have taken Shisui. We must fight back."
Fugaku widened his eyes at Hinode. It was the most serious he'd ever seen Hinode, but it was too peculiar. Her dark eyes and tone of voice were emotionless. If Shisui was really in trouble, he couldn't imagine her to be so calm. However, she was acting a little distraught earlier. Perhaps something had pushed her over the edge.
"Do you understand what you're saying?" Fugaku asked. Although he should have been more pleased that Hinode seemed to be siding with the Uchiha clan, the sudden change in her was alarming.
"Yes," said Hinode. "Konoha is not a village worth living in without Shisui."
Fugaku's lips pressed together tightly as he tried to put more thought into the situation, but a scream in the distance startled him. Both he and Hinode's eyes darted towards the direction of the scream, and soon enough, more distinct screams followed. As the voices became gradually closer to Fugaku's estate, the words also became more audible.
"Itachi, what is the meaning of this?!"
As soon as Fugaku heard his son's name being mentioned, he ran towards the house for Mikoto. Hinode lingered in the yard for a few seconds before moving her feet. She walked past the front of the house, when Pakkun and Bull rushed towards her.
"Hey, something crazy's going on out there!" Pakkun said to Hinode. "I smell so much blood! Some guy named Itachi is on a killing spree and heading this way!"
Hinode looked down at Pakkun without a hint of surprise on her face. "Use my scent to find my house. There is a young boy there…"
"Are you staying?" Pakkun frowned. "Hey, what's going on with you?"
"I'm staying," Hinode answered only the first question. "Go find the boy and leave."
Though they hesitated for a moment, Pakkun and Bull eventually listened and left. Hinode then continued making her way to the front gate. As she stepped through, a clansman was just around the corner. He limped towards her with a hand to his bleeding stomach.
"He… help…"
A shuriken flew from behind Hinode's head. The blade brushed past the side of her ear and straight into the clansman's forehead. Hinode watched as the shade of his eyes turned from red to black, exactly the same way Shisui did.
When she turned around, she saw Itachi perched atop a wall opposite of his house. The painted clan symbol on the wall had a crack in the middle. It didn't look like the byproduct of a fight, but Hinode knew that it was Itachi who did it.
The crazed look in his Sharingan was evidence enough.
"Itachi," Hinode touched the side of her ear and brought her fingers to her face. Blood dripped from the top of her fingers to her palm. "What have you done?"
"Hinode-san," Itachi said shakily, but his hand that held the bloody sword was steady. The blood, undoubtedly, belonged to his parents. "You're rounding up the clansmen to start the coup d'etat?"
"Is that what Danzo told you?" said Hinode. "That Shisui and I betrayed the village? And you believed him?"
"By the looks of it, you did have conflict with Danzo and his men," Itachi's eyes narrowed as he scrutinized Hinode up and down. "No matter your reasons, you went behind my back, and dragged Shisui along. You knew that this would jump start the coup d'etat and you still went. How are we going to repair the situation now?"
"There is no repairing this corrupted village," Hinode said coldly. "You want to murder the entire clan to stop the coup d'etat? Suit yourself. I'll find my way to get Shisui back."
"Hinode-san, Shisui is dead!" Itachi exclaimed. "Your Mangekyo Sharingan is proof!"
Hinode did not realize that her Mangekyo Sharingan had been activated since she laid her eyes on Itachi.
"I… looked up to you, Hinode-san," Itachi raised his sword towards Hinode, his voice sounded hurt. "But I won't let you go and drag the Uchiha name down further."
"How ironic," Hinode smirked and took a step towards Itachi. The blade of his sword was barely an inch away from the tip of her nose. "Because if you want to stop me, you'll have to kill me."
To be continued.
Author's Note: Sorry to leave you guys hanging for so long! Real life and writer's block has been a challenge. As I've said before, the plot has changed a lot since I first drafted it and I apologize if things are a bit messy now! I promise things will become lighter after this part!
A few things I want to make clear (though they might be spoiler-ish):
1. Itachi has actually cracked under pressure in this fic. There is no scheming to make Sasuke the hero or anything.
2. Hinode was under Genjutsu in the last bits of this chapter. By whom? I think you all know.
3. I know that MS has unique powers for each person, but I am not a creative person lol. So one of Hinode's powers is Amaterasu, if you have not guessed from 'black flames.'
Lastly, on a very personal note, here's a life update that no one asked for: I'm going to be a mom!
It's part of the reason why this update came so late because things are just crazy for me right now. Though I have less and less time to write, I'm still writing because it's fun for me. So I apologize again for slow updates, but I'm very very excited!