DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any other characters belonging to the Anime series. However, I do own the characters that were created by me – they will make their appearances in the later chapters.
Summary:Sakura and Tenten – both FBI Agents – are on a vital mission to eradicate one of America's largest and most feared Mafia Gangs. Sakura has no memory of her past. What happens as she finds the missing pieces when she encounters the mesmerizing, drop-dead attractive, Sasuke Uchiha, leader of the gang?
WARNING: This Fan-fiction contains VERY explicit content in later chapters. If sexual content, mild violence and aggressive language bother you, then it is advised that you discontinue reading this fiction immediately.
NOTE: 'Inner Sakura
'Thoughts' (Except for the short preface at the beginning of each chapter & Flashbacks)
Narrator's POV
Author's Note: This Chapter is dedicated to my beloved friend, FreakyDeirdre, whose help I greatly appreciate. Arigatoune, tomodachi… (Thank you my friend).
CHAPTER TWELVE
Tears don't fall…
She gazed at the beautiful tulips and the other flowers in between from her bedroom window. She loved how they would be moved by the wind. 'The wind,' she thought, 'so free…' She admired the wind because of that. It was able to do many things. She hated not being able to defend herself; she hated having to always depend on Neji or Naruto. She felt entirely helpless. She was Hinata Hyuuga, the eldest daughter Hiashi Hyuuga, leader of the former most feared Hyuuga gang and therefore she believed that much more was expected of her.
"Stand up, Hinata," Hiashi commanded his thirteen year old daughter.
Hinata struggled to get onto her feet once more, her body trembling. As she made a move to stand, her knees faltered in their stance and once again, she fell to the floor with a loud 'thud'.
"Hn, it's only the first Martial Arts training session for today and you're already revealing the weakness within you. It's a shame to call you my daughter, Hinata Hyuuga," Hiashi said before turning to leave the room, "You have fifteen minutes to rekindle yourself before we begin again."
Hinata did not move from her position; she just stayed there on the floor. She cursed herself for being so weak. A lone tear ran down the side of her face. Why was she so weak; so incapable? She expected more of herself; her father expected more.
'I'm the Hyuuga heiress for God's sake! Get up!' she yelled at herself inwardly. And slowly she hoisted her body with her hands to the floor, then her knees and then…she fell again. Now the tears were flowing out uncontrollably. 'What is it that I lack?!' she screamed at herself mentally, 'Why am I such a disgrace?!' Her ears were pressed to the floor, her head facing the opposite direction of the entrance of the room. Her body was still as the she cried. She felt the vibrations of the footsteps as someone entered the room.
"Get up, Lady Hinata," said a smooth God-like male voice. She made no move to obey the command, though she recognized the voice.
"Neji?" she questioned his presence.
"Lord Hiashi is in the midwife's room with Lady Hanae (Hinata's mother) – she's giving birth to the child," Neji explained, "I've been sent by your father to supervise your training."
She knew that when Neji said 'supervise' her training, he meant that he was her new opponent. Neji Hyuuga – the unrecognized prodigy of the Hyuuga gang. Hinata believed that Neji would someday surpass her father in Martial Arts and other means of fighting and defending. Neji was a genius of the Hyuuga family. Though, she did not envy him for that, no. Hinata respected him. Neji's parents had died when he was younger and her father adopted him; treated him like his own son. But still, even at the age of fourteen, Neji never forgot his place and rank in the household, no. He never could accept Hiashi as a father. Neji thought it would be disrespectful to his own father, knowing that Hiashi and Hizashi never saw eye to eye.
Hinata tried once again to stand up, mustering every ounce of confidence in herself as she hoisted her body with her arms and knees. Neji simply watched his cousin and made no move to help her. Hinata inhaled when she finally stood up. Her stance faltered again for a bit, but not too much and she did not fall this time. No, she did not want that to happen in front of Neji. She always felt inferior to him.
"Hn, shall we begin?" Neji said as he got into position. He stood still with his legs apart, one behind the other – a gesture which told Hinata to launch the first attack. She knew the body language of Martial Arts so well seeing that she had been training with her father since the age of four. She charged directly at Neji and launched a punch towards his chest but he was able to counterattack by using her move to his advantage – he averted his stance so that Hinata would miss, then gripped the hand which she was using to launch her blow, lifted her body into the air and then slammed her onto the floor. She winced in pain. Neji stepped aside.
"Is that all from the great Hyuuga Heiress?" Neji asked, coldly. Hinata said nothing.
"Hn, this training session is over," he stated before leaving the room.
Hinata cursed herself, thinking that she was too hasty when she made her move. Why? Why was she so weak?
Crying and just lying on the floor would do her no good, she knew that. So, Hinata got up, despite the pain, and made her way to her room where she showered and got dressed. She was a little glad that her father would be busy for most of the day since her mother was in labor. Her mother, Hanae Hyuuga was pregnant with another baby girl. The thought of her becoming an older sister was thrilling. But would she be forgotten when her sister was born? Would her father neglect her if he found that her younger sister was stronger? All these questions clouded her mind and it did not take long for her to become frustrated. She heard her stomach growl. Of course she would be hungry, especially after such training.
As she walked down the sun-lit corridors to the kitchen, she was stopped by one of the maids.
"I'm sorry for interrupting, Lady Hinata, but I was told to inform you that your mother has given birth to a healthy baby girl. However, there were some complications and the doctors were only able to save the baby. I'm sorry, Lady Hinata," the maid said before leaving Hinata alone in disbelief. Was this how it felt to lose someone – the feeling of a sudden emptiness? Was this how Neji felt when he lost his father? Hinata's back hit the wall and then her body slowly slid down. She hugged her knees as she cried silently. She could not believe that her mother was gone…forever.
She had suddenly lost her appetite, her mouth was dry but she was not thirsty. Very soon her father arrived home with a small pink bundle in hand. Hinata swallowed all of her emotions at the sight of her forever-stoic father. She could not tell if he was affected by her mother's death in any way. His ability to hide emotions was flawless. He beckoned her to see her little sister. She looked up at her father with a questioning look. She did not need words to ask him what the name of her new sister was.
"Hyuuga Hanabi," Hiashi stated.
Hinata nodded and followed her father into the baby's room where he laid Hanabi down in her crib. It was only then she was able to get a good look at Hanabi Hyuuga. She was tiny; her eyes were closed and she was completely pink yet cute. She looked so delicate; as if she would break if handled carelessly. Then she realized something. Hiashi was surprised to see Hinata walk out of the room without warning. But he did not question her, nor did he think she was jealous.
Hinata ran to the place she thought he would be. And as expected, Neji Hyuuga was there, in the back porch, meditating as usual. She took a deep breath in before proceeding towards him. But before she got any closer, she stopped. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be concentrating.
'Should I bother him?' she questioned herself inwardly.
"You're here which means there is something you need. I suggest you spit it out and not waste my time, Lady Hinata," Neji said, his eyes still closed.
"I-I…Neji…c-can you train me? Please!" she begged. Her request caused Neji to open his eyes. He looked at her with a stoic expression; one that would have beaten Hiashi's.
"Now why would the Hyuuga Heiress want to be coached by one of the gang's commoners, son of the 'traitor'?" Neji asked.
"Brother, this isn't about what has past. I don't look at Uncle Hizashi the way my father and the rest of the gang does," Hinata said to him.
"Then why? Why did you choose me of all people?" Neji asked again.
"Because I need to become stronger…to keep what's left of this family…my sister…to protect her," Hinata said, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Very well then, I'll train you, Lad-" he said, but Hinata cut him off, "No Neji, just call me Hinata…we're like siblings and…I hate that term."
Now, Hinata was not trying to become strong because of fear that her father would neglect her or that she would be forgotten since Hanabi entered her life. No. She wanted to be able to protect what her mother left behind…
Hinata felt a pair of arms slither around her waist. Naruto pulled her closer to him, so her back was now against his chest.
"You okay?" he whispered into her ear and she nodded.
"No you're not," he contradicted, "You're spacing out a lot. Hinata, don't lie to me. What's wrong?"
Usually this would be the part where she would suddenly breakdown, crying, but she did not. Neji had taught her better. She sighed.
"Naruto, I'm just a little traumatized by what happened a few hours ago," she lied.
Naruto parked his black Porsche Carrera GT in the parking lot of the Pharmacy. Then he got out of the car and walked over to the passenger's side and like a gentleman, he opened the door for his girlfriend to exit the vehicle. Hinata blushed slightly as Naruto planted a soft kiss on her forehead.
He had taken her to the pharmacy to get some necessities. While Hinata scanned the shelves for what she needed, Naruto did some shopping in the men's section as well. He looked out the show window and saw two suspicious men approaching the pharmacy, dressed in all black. He knew what they were looking for…or rather – who they were looking for. Neji told him about that some years ago. Immediately, Naruto walked over to Hinata and whispered into her ear, "Go into the ladies' room and stay there until I come and get you." While he said this, he put the packets of condoms which he had picked up earlier into the basket which Hinata carried containing all her items. Hinata obeyed. She new what the situation was, without Naruto having to tell her.
Naruto looked at the two men with glaring eyes. They were pretending to look at things on the counter where the clerk was. One of them had gotten a call and answered his phone…
"…we'll be there in a short while…"
That was all Naruto could make out. Then, the two men left the pharmacy just as they had come in. Naruto sighed in relief…
Hinata's eyes were wide with fright and shock. The hand over her mouth made it almost impossible to breathe. Then a man's voice said into her ear, "If you want to live, you will do as you're told. Is that clear?"
She nodded, her sight blurring from the tears welling up.
Naruto sighed before turning around and barging into the ladies' restroom. 'At least I didn't have to make a scene,' he thought.
"Hinata, it's okay now," he said out loud as he scanned the room. To his horror, it was empty.
"Hinata?!" he shouted and there came no reply.
Frantically, he started searching each cubicle only to find vacant ones. He growled with anger. Then he noticed the broken metal louvers (windows) – big enough for two people to fit through.
"Fuck!" he cursed and sped out of the restroom and pharmacy.
He did not expect that they would plan this so thoroughly, especially since he and Hinata had only been in the pharmacy for less than ten minutes. That was, unless the guys were following their every move. But now, he did not care about that. Now, he needed to find Hinata. He promised her that he would protect her and Naruto was not one to go back on his word. Everyone in Onikage knew that.
Naruto fought his way through the new entrance that was made – the broken louvers. What he met at the other side was an alleyway. He looked around at the walls. Naruto remembered something when he watched the news on television this morning. It was informed that due to frequent burglary occurrences, cameras were put up in alleys. Naruto could tell that the Pharmacy was monitoring the surveillance in the this alley, so he swiftly made his way back to the Pharmacy.
"I need to see your surveillance tapes now!" Naruto practically shouted at the pharmacist.
"I'm sorry; I'll need to see some form of ID indicating that you're –" The man was cut off.
"I DON'T GIVE A FUCK! RUN THE TAPES NOW OR I'LL FUCKING HELP MYSELF!" Naruto argued while simultaneously pulling out his hand gun. The pharmacist wasted no time and did as Naruto said. Thankfully, after viewing the tapes, Naruto got a good look at the number plate of the vehicle Hinata was being carried in and the direction they headed off to.
'BR 4310…black Range Rover' Naruto made a mental note of the plate and left the pharmacy with haste. He had every intention to kill those men as he drove at a very high speed. He knew that very soon the cops would be on his tale. But thankfully he invested on this car – his Porsche – to outrun the cops. He ignored the other angry drivers as he slimly made his way through the light traffic…until he saw the vehicle he was looking for. Now he lost his conscience; he did not care about the innocent.
Now completely speeding through the highway, Naruto formulated a plan to get Hinata back. It did not take him long to get close to the black vehicle nor to compose a plan. He drove past the Rover and when he found that it was close enough, he turned the car in a peculiar way to block it. When the driver of the Range Rover saw Naruto's actions, he stopped his vehicle a little less in advance to avoid a full crash into the Porsche. But that did not prevent them from being hit – from behind, the cars of other citizens who were driving at unstoppable speeds hit the Range Rover. The hostage holders were now boxed in. Naruto scrambled out of the car with his gun and ordered the men to get out of the car with their hands on their heads. He presented a fake FBI badge to the half- hysterical citizens and Hinata's kidnappers.
"I want the girl! Get her out now! I want her unharmed!" Naruto commanded as he pointed his gun at them.
The guy wearing the shades nodded to one of the other men, indicating to obey Naruto. The man released Hinata from the cuffs which bounded her hands and feet and then removed the tape which covered her mouth. Hinata stepped out of the vehicle and the man resumed his place with the other guys, his hands on his head.
"Get in the car, Hinata," Naruto ordered firmly, not taking his eyes off the three men before him.
"I want all of you to disarm yourselves of your weapons – toss them into the vehicle and lock it, NOW!" Naruto ordered. They complied.
"Now throw the keys here," Naruto said, stretching one arm out. The man in the shades threw it to Naruto who then said, "Someone, call the police!" A man nearby said that he already did that and not long after a few police cars had arrived at the scene. Naruto told the chief that he needed to escort Hinata safely to her family and the chief took the job of escorting the criminals to the station instead. Hinata had never seen this side of Naruto. This Naruto was cold. He did not even use his signature 'Believe it!' after his sentences. Throughout the entire ride home, Naruto was quiet. That was not a good sign, but Hinata let him be. He still needed to get himself contained. There was more to his bad side…much more – Hinata could tell; and for once, Hinata felt…afraid of him.
Naruto knew that Hinata was lying about what bothered her, but he let the topic go. He noticed how tense she had become when he locked her in his embrace; and he knew why. He brought his lips to her ears and bit her ear lobe, gently. A small blush was painted across Hinata's face. Then he whispered into her ear, "I promise that you'll never see that side of me again; I won't do anything to hurt you, Hinata. I would rather die."
Those words were so…warm. At least it was to her. She turned her body around, still in his embrace, to face him. She looked directly into his sea blue eyes – the ones she would often get lost in; the eyes she loved as much as she loved the person who possessed it. Then slowly she stood on the tip of her toes and brought her lips to his, meeting in a searing and passionate kiss. Everything they needed to say to each other was unraveled in that small act. Then they broke apart, but their gazes were still fixed upon each other's. There was silence between the two. Naruto was still holding her and after a few seconds again, he broke the silence.
"I love you, Hinata Hyuuga."
"I love you too," she whispered before giving him a peck on his lips.
"There's something I need to do…I'll be back," she told him and he nodded. Hinata left the room shortly and made her way down the corridor. She wanted to become strong. If there was anything she could do to fulfill that promise she made to herself long ago, she would do it. She wanted to be able to defend herself and from there, she would learn to protect others as well. Neji had taught her hand-to-hand combat, but that was not enough. She knew one person that could help her. She took a deep breath in as she turned to face the door – Sakura's door. She exhaled and then knocked three times.
She did not have to wait long for it to be answered.
Hinata noticed the surprised expression on Sakura's face when she saw her.
"Hinata…what are you doing here? Is there something you need?" Sakura asked with concerned eyes.
"I'm sorry if I interrupted anything and yes, there is something I need," Hinata stated.
"Sure, anything…what is it?"
"Can you teach me how to use a gun?" Hinata asked.
Tenten woke up with a very queasy stomach and a very nasty headache. She tried to remember what had happened last night, as she ran into the bathroom. She had very little, vague memories of everything that occurred after she went to the bar. From the minute she hovered over the toilet, her stomach began to feel even more nauseous. She felt as if her stomach was doing a million summersaults in all different directions.
"Oh fuck! I hate hangovers!" she cursed under her breath which, not to mention, smelt disgusting – like the mixture of alcohol and other things! After barfing, almost everything out, Tenten brushed her teeth and left the washroom. When she got outside, she saw Neji at his desk with the monitors already up and he looked as if he was viewing something. He was not moving a muscle.
'How much has he done without me?' Tenten asked herself mentally.
"Good morning, Neji," Tenten greeted groggily.
Neji stood up and acknowledged her presence without facing her.
"I'm sorry about last night I sh-"
"There's no need to apologize, Tenten," Neji cut her off firmly then turned around and handed her a glass of water and two pills.
"Take these. They'll ease your pains," he stated and then went on to explain.
"Since you have no idea of what happened last night about the mission, I shall fill you in. But if you make any wrong move again, I'll be sure to see to it that your punishment is relentless, regardless the fact that you're the sister of Sasuke's wife. Understood?" Neji said coldly. Tenten gritted her teeth behind her lips and forced a nodded. Who did he think he was to pose such a threat?
'A fool,' she thought. Neji began to explain and she listened, intently.
"Last night I was able to hack into Doragon's Surveillance system and we now have audible access to their security cams. The three monitors I've put up have covered every inch of the mansion and compound. It seems that we are in luck – the leader of Doragon is having an engagement party for his daughter, Hotarubi on the Tuesday of next week. That will be our break through. I've already arranged for our names to be on the guest list. Yours, as mentioned before, is Hanako Hyuuga. Mine remains the same. That is all."
"Won't they suspect something? I mean To the FBI, the Hyuugas are popular…seeing that you are famous in the gangster world as well…" Tenten said.
"Yes, they know of me as well as the other Hyuuga members. But they as well as Orochimaru have no clue that I'm with Onikage," Neji answered.
"I see," Tenten stated, "…so the leader is having an engagement party for Hotarubi – the girl who Karin handed the disk to. Neji I don't have anything to dress for the occasion."
"We're in Japan, we'll find something," Neji answered sternly. He too had not packed anything to suit the engagement party. The door bell rang and Neji got up to see who it was.
"Hyuuga-san, I've been told to inform you that your black Lamborghini Gallardo has arrived. It's in the hotel's garage," an elderly man said before handing Neji the keys. The hotel butler bowed respectfully before leaving. Neji turned to Tenten.
"How are you feeling?" he asked the woman. Tenten had to admit that she was shocked by his inquiry. Who was he and what had he done to Neji Hyuuga?!
"It was a simple question, Tenten. Did you not hear me?"
"Um…sorry…I'm fine now, thank you," she replied, embarrassed. Neji walked over to his suitcase and pulled out his towel and a new set of clothing.
"Good to hear. You can use my car to get what you need for the upcoming event. There are still some things I need to clear up with the surveillance," Neji said to her. Tenten nodded and checked his suitcase when he was out of range to find that he did not have any suitable clothing as well. She noted his shirt and pants size, and then changed into clean clothes while Neji bathed.
Tenten had no idea as to what women in Japan wore at engagement ceremonies. So, practically, she was aimlessly walking through the streets with no clue of what to buy. Almost most of the women's clothing was traditional Japanese ones. One store caught her eye – "Kamikaze". As she entered it, she could not help but be taken aback by the different types of kimonos and the different colors there were. But still, she was unsure of what would suit the occasion best. So, she decided to ask the shopkeeper who was a young Japanese woman.
"Ohayou gozaimasu (Good morning)," Tenten greeted the woman, "Anata wa eigo wo hanashimasu ka? (Do you speak English?)" Tenten was now thankful that Tsunade sent her to Japanese classes when she was much younger.
"Yes I do," the woman replied in English, "Is there something you need help with?"
"Um…yes, there is," Tenten said, "I'd like to know…what kinds of outfits do women here wear for engagement ceremonies or anything of that sort?"
"Well, most of the women wear traditional kimonos or yukatas. But foreigners such as yourself tend to wear what they prefer, really," the woman said. Her English was not all that fluent and her words were not properly pronounced but they were understandable.
"Arigato gozaimasu," Tenten said to the woman and continued to browse through the store. There was no way Tenten would wear a kimono; at least…not a completely traditional one. She looked through the different sections of the store, scanning the clothes with respect to their colors. She loved the ones with the dark colors. It was then, she came across an unusual outfit; one that was quite different from the others and she fancied it a lot. It was a beautiful and elegant kimono top with a lovely pair of matching, flared-out pants. The color of the rich, silken garment was dark blue with a mixture of dark purple. That was what she wanted.
Tenten had gotten Neji a tuxedo at the same store as well. When she returned to her hotel suite, she was surprised to find Neji absent and a large sketch of a plan of what seemed to be a mansion was on their bed. Had Neji done this while she was gone? She wondered. Just then, the main door to the room opened and Neji walked in with a tray of food in his hands. He set the tray on the table.
"I see you're back," he acknowledged.
Tenten brought out the tuxedo she had bought and handed it to him. "Here, try it on. If it doesn't fit, I'll change it as soon as possible," she told him.
While he changed in the bathroom, Tenten helped herself to some breakfast which Neji had provided. When he came out, Tenten hated to admit that she could not keep her eyes off him. He looked…absolutely stunning. The black color of the jacket and pants made his pale complexion stand out beautifully. Neji was flawless.
"You look charming, Hyuuga…except for one thing," Tenten said and Neji gave a questioning look.
"That black forehead band doesn't go with the outfit!" Tenten pointed out. He always wore the forehead band for some reason. She walked over to him and raised her hand to remove it, but Neji gently stopped her by holding her wrists. Tenten noticed the way he did this – so tenderly; almost as if he was afraid that she would break. She remembered that when she had first encountered Neji – when she had her back injury – he could not care less about her pain. So, why the sudden change in attitude?
"It is family business…the band is there for a reason," Neji said in a calm tone before releasing her hands which fell to her sides. After he got out of the tuxedo, he explained the plan of the mansion (A/N: that's a simple sketch of rooms in the mansion). After constantly monitoring the different rooms, Neji was able to make a clear view of exactly where the rooms were situated.
"I should warn you," Neji said, turning to face Tenten once more, "should there be anywhere you'd like to visit, I'll have to accompany you. I promised Sakura; though I didn't think my company was necessary until I saw that Orochimaru is here as well."
"What! He knows where I am?!" Tenten asked, horrified.
"No, it seems that he had gotten an invitation for the ceremony," Neji replied.
"I see," Tenten said, putting her hands on her hips.
Tenten was still in disbelief of Neji's strange behavior, but decided to let the thought go. She took up another dango and sunk her teeth into it, enjoying the new taste.
Sakura handed Hinata the other gun.
"I want you to try what I demonstrated before with this gun, now," Sakura told the pale eyed beauty. Hinata nodded and took the gun into her hands. But before she could even aim, Sakura stopped her.
"My phone's ringing…I need to take this call. Let's continue tomorrow instead, okay?" Sakura said. Hinata agreed.
Sakura left the room as she answered her phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Sakura, it's me. How are things back at home?" Tenten asked.
"Everything's fine Tenten. And I doubt you called to have small talk, so let's cut the crap – there's something you wanna tell me so spit it out," Sakura said. Tenten chuckled.
"You know me too well. Neji found out that Orochimaru is here in Japan," Tenten revealed. She explained all the plans Neji made and even why Orochimaru was in Japan. Sakura also took the time to angrily argue with Tenten about calling Orochimaru – a careless mistake.
Kabuto looked up at the man standing before him. "What is it Yuri?" he asked, "I trust that you have great news."
"As a matter of fact, I do, Kabuto," the man said, "The women and children have been smuggled safely to Russia. Only two out of the thirty-five died during the trip."
"Two less does not make such a big difference. Well done, Yuri. Now here's your other task," Kabuto said, handing Yuri three pictures of three young girls, "These fine girls are all students of Harvard University. They live alone. I want them brought here to make up the other batch of sex slaves, understood?"
Yuri nodded his head with a smirk on his face. "Is it alright if I have a little fun with them first?" Yuri asked Kabuto.
"No, if they are still virgin, then I want them to stay pure…they'll be auctioned for a great deal if that's the case," Kabuto said sternly. When Yuri left the room, Kabuto chuckled. Life just seemed so easy…and money seemed so easy to come by…
Okay, so as promised – Chapter 12.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed Chapter 11.
This means that my total reviews should be upped to 200 for this chapter. I noticed that I was one review short – I only got 14 reviews. Since this is the first time, I'll let it go. (15 reviews or you'll get an overdue update).
NOTE: Very soon I'll be posting up some drawings of the characters of Quantum of Memory. The pictures will be on my Deviant Art profile. I promise to put the link on my profile and inform you when I do.
Chapter 13: July 3rd 2009.
Laterz!
--Isabella Meredith Winchester.