Chapter 4: Power.
A/N: I know guys, I know you must be thinking why is the author uploading the chapter again. Well that's because I mostly like to write at night and I do a lot of mistakes while finishing a chapter because I get sleepy. So I had noticed in the morning that I had a lot of mistakes and not only that I forgot to add some essential plots in the story. Therefore, I had to re-write again. I am such a dumbass.
It is my request to all of you please read this again. Hehe. I will try not to write chapters in a single sitting from the next time because it always happens. Also if you find something missing in the story, remember it is a canon-diverging fanfic. Some things might confuse you for example Danzo is the Hokage and the Uchihas die at a later timeline in my story so you will read about that in my future chapters. Everything will tie up at last and yes this fanfic is fast moving so better buckle up.
This is one of my favourite fanfics that I have written. It will be very action packed with very intense drama ahead. I have written this after such a long time. The upcoming chapter would be bangers.
4
"I want my answers first" Naruto spoke annoyed. Oh no, he wouldn't let Sasuke Uchiha in peace, especially not after the stunt he pulled off. If anything Sasuke needed to be truthful because keeping secret at this time of war may as well cost them their lives.
Kakashi had brought a chair to the front and offered the shy Hyuga to sit down but she refused to leave Sasuke's side. She tugged at his shirt's end so hard that she might rip it. She shook her head haphazardly declining the kind gesture and rather seemed sacred being in the presence of so many people all at once after a millennia.
Sasuke sighed and then quickly struck Hyuga's neck rendering her unconscious. She fell into his hands like a lifeless marionette. Everyone watched his action in alarm.
"Teme? What was that for?" Naruto was so mad that he looked ready to attack him any next minute but Sasuke ignored his hyperactive friend and placed the now comatose girl on the chair. She sat almost in the middle surrounded in a circle as if the occupants in the room were protecting her. Nobody could figure out what should they do with her?
They were overjoyed to finally reunite with their long lost friends- first Sasuke and then Hinata but one was now declared a criminal and the other was deemed a danger to the world. They could not return to Konoha even when so many wish for them to come back safely.
They had been searching for Sasuke since he left the village and even when he expressed that he has no desire in their homecoming, they never ceased looking for him. Nobody understood his reasons to join hands with a traitor like Orochimaru and then the tragedy that befell on the Uchiha clan. It was all too sad and greivous. Everyone believed that the Uchihas were cursed.
On the other hand, when Hinata was kidnapped they were once again thrown in a whirlwind of chaos and guilt. Orochimaru was a plague who needed to be eliminated fast. He already got his hands on the Sharingan and now the Byakugan too. The world feared Orochimaru's growing power.
Kiba and Shino had lost their teammate. Neji had lost his little cousin. Team eight and Team Gai always stood by, supporting each other. Later team ten would also join in their mourning because even they had grown closer to Hinata who always babysat Kurenei's daughter with them. Naruto noticed it only when she was gone that Hinata was an imminent glue holding everyone together. Crazy how he missed out on that.
Konoha never stopped looking for these two. Their friends never stopped looking for them.
"Would you answer?" Naruto huffed, his eyes fixated on the young Hyuga's face. She looked nothing like the girl they recognised back then.
"What do you want to know?" Sasuke finally accepted his defeat. How did he even think that Naruto would leave his ass just like that? The blonde had always been nosy.
Naruto came straight to the point unlike others who always sugarcoated things. He was never one to beat around the bush as he considered Sasuke more like brother than friend. They weren't related by blood but they were indeed tied to each other by emotion.
"What are we dealing with? What are you hiding?" The loudmouth asked the same questions floating around in everyone's mind. "Lastly what are these experiments we are talking about?"
The last Uchiha tilted his head to the side, his hairs hiding the shame apparent on his face. He had no option but to accept the crimes he had committed during the tutelage of the infamous sanin.
"Orochimaru had different experiments performed on the children of powerful clans carrying potent kekkei genkai. Sometimes the clan itself provided him with a ward or sometimes Orochimaru would kidnap those he wanted"
He knew he was spilling the dirty beans but there was no point in holding back anymore. More than few times, Sasuke himself was given the task to abduct innocent children from their homes, many of whom now dead. He too is to be blamed because of his involvement. Once he reveals his secret, he knew he would piss off his team mates even more because he kept them in shadow for years. He continued nonetheless.
"Every nation wanted to dig the secret of their bloodline and use it to the maximum potential so they would deliberately meet Orochimaru. The leaders of such influential clans then made a deal with that snake to offer a child, if he in return gives them a weapon to terrorize the other nation. In short they wanted to become all powerful"
Everyone's eyes grew larger except his stoic look alike, Sai who was already familiar with the ways of this cruel shinobi world. It was not news for him.
"Its human trafficking" Sakura whispered horrified, her eyes then darted towards Naruto "They want to use children like guinea pig and hope to turn them into killing machine just like jinchurikis"
That statement made Naruto visibly uncomfortable as he had a first hand experience with being misused as an asset for a village. "So Orochimaru had experiments done on you and Hinata too"
Sasuke nodded simply explaining even further. "Orochimaru had a desire to live forever but till then he discovered it, he needed a host. I was supposed to be his host as his interest in my sharingans grew. However, you see I had no intention of giving up my body so I sliced him up"
Kakashi smirked behind his mask at that, "Good job on that"
The Uchiha was unfazed, not really caring because it was so easy to kill that ill snake. He was already dying. It was true that he had decided to join Orochimaru on his own will but it wasn't all for power. It was also because he wanted his father's and brother's acknowledgement but it was for nothing. They were all dead now. So better focus on what was in front of him. There were a lot to deal with, one of the problems involved the Hyuga girl.
"Though I don't know what experiments he had been performing on the Hyuga because he didn't tell me anything besides something about the Otsutsuki clan"
Naruto's eyebrows dipped down, "Otsutsuki clan? What clan is that? Kakashi sensei, have you heard about it?"
Everyone's eyes were on the jounin who tapped his chin with his index finger, deep in thought.
"Hmm let me see" Kakashi searched every page of his memory but he couldn't turn up with anything. "Nope. Nothing. Never heard about such a clan"
How is that possible that no one has heard about a clan that gained Orochimaru's attention? They must be powerful, right?
"Could it be that it is a very old clan?" Sakura chimed in.
Sasuke pressed his lips. "He said that it is an alien clan if that make sense. I mean I don't k now how much truth it holds or Orochimaru was having one of his senescent breakdowns"
"You say an alien clan?"
A very deep voice bounced off the walls of their hideout and the one who had been quite for so long finally spoke up. Sai had been observing everything since the start of all this commotion but felt the need to put forward his valuable info.
Sasuke raised his brows. He had not bothered to waste his time on his rip off with a crop top because frankly he had no relation with the weirdo. They were strangers but he remembered that this boy had called him 'pretty' after they were introduced. Regardless to say, Sasuke kept his distance.
"I think I had heard Danzo once speaking about a clan that came from moon and we all are its descendants" The stoic emotionless boy added.
"Danzo! You worked under him" Sasuke narrowed his eyes, his fists tightening.
Naruto squared up before the Uchiha could do any damage. "Relax he is our friend"
Sasuke spat, "Naruto you are too gullible. Always believing in the wrong people"
But of course that would never deter the war hero "Just like I believed in you?"
The temperature in room dropped and the atmosphere became heavy. The tension was so heavy that you can feel it weighing down on everyone. The two rivals cum friends held a staring match off their own and before things could get messy, Kakashi like a good sensei interrupted breaking them apart. It is like Kakashi had only one job that is to clear up crap.
"So umm when do we know that these experiments of Orochimaru succeeded?"
Sasuke jerked as if he was avoiding this question like a plague. Maybe he has been. He sighed once again. "The tell-tale sign of that is none of these experiments would have heart-beat. That is when you know Orochimaru succeeded"
Sakura turned her head towards him like she knew something was up. Her deep forest eyes held a fear that Sasuke knew too well but he hoped she would keep quiet and not say it loud in front of everyone. He begged her with his eyes and trusted she would comply.
"Is it true Sakura?" Kakashi asked for her confirmation.
"Yes, the subdued had no heartbeat. Medically you can call them dead, zombies even" Sakura spoke softly but everybody heard her loud and clear.
"What is this? Zombie apocalypse?" Naruto's good humored joke seemed a bit dark for others to enjoy so everybody ignored it. Sasuke rolled his eyes at his team mate who could crack jokes even at a time like this. Only Naruto could be this idiot.
"However, this isn't it. These experiments usually lose all of their past memories"
Now they feared for the worse. What kind of experiments were these? And how did others let Orochimaru go this far? That man was a crazy scientist.
"How many have you guys captured and where are you guys taking them?" Sasuke asked, a hint of anxiety playing on his face.
"Danzo has requested to seal these experiments and bring them to him" His former sensei answered.
"Fuck!" Sasuke cursed. "Fuck this!" He hit the wall beside him hard enough to leave a dent. "This is all wrong"
"What do you mean Sasuke?" Naruto questioned confused with everything. "Stop speaking in puzzles"
"Naruto you idiot! Danzo is collecting them so as to use them in war. His ultimate dream is one nation that is Konoha taking over the world" The Uchiha was angry how could they not catch up on that evil man's plan.
"WHAT?!" Naruto raised his voice.
"Think about it. Why would he seal them instead of killing them?" Sasuke tried to show them, piecing everything together.
Naruto quickly turned to his other friend Sai, the former black Anbu who didn't answer immediately but took his sweet ass time.
Sai then nodded, "He is right dickhead"
Naruto kept his mouth shut after that as his eyes became lost in some dark thought. Sasuke would have asked what he was thinking but now he already many of such thoughts in his own head.
"Wait!" Sakura butted in. "They could be killed? We were informed that these experiments could only be sealed and not killed"
Sasuke's eyes darted to the side. Good question. Sakura was attentive as always. She never missed out on anything. "They can be killed by only one way but the method is though. However, its still possible to kill them"
His hands now rested on the head of the Hyuga's chair as he remembered how he had tried to kill her earlier. It would be better if he wouldn't tell them about it or Naruto would loose his shit.
"Now as far as the Hyuga goes, we don't know what experiment was done on her. The only ones who know are Kabuto and Karin but I don't know where both of them are currently"
"Karin, the one with red head?" Naruto muttered. Sasuke's mouth hung for a minute and Naruto took it as a yes. He scratched his whiskered cheeks. "Well she is currently in Konoha being interrogated. We had stumbled upon her in the nearby forest and captured her"
Sasuke doesn't understand if he should be happy or just frustrated. Happy because at last he found out the exact location of the red headed kunoichi or be disappointed that she is in Konoha where he couldn't reach by himself.
"We need to get her out. Only she could tell us more about this Otsutsuki clan and what does the Hyuga have to do with it" He had expected a backlash from his team but instead they looked ready to hop in the mission with him.
"Oh yes! Finally some clue to get by" Naruto was enthusiastic. "I was so tired of all this dead end for nothing and you teme are just as clueless as us"
"Whatever" The Uchiha brushed him off.
Naruto walked back to his original position with his hands behind his head but not before looking over to the Hyuga girl one more time. He seemed interested in the girl, happy to see her or was it just his imagination. Was Naruto close to her? None of his concern because the girl doesn't even remember the Uzumaki. She was more likely scared of Naruto, if anything to go by.
Sasuke lifted the weightless body of the Hyuga in his arms and instructed Sakura to help him. "Sakura, I need you to check up on her"
"Hai" Sakura answered stunned but quickly stood up to help the poor girl.
Nobody said anything, not even Naruto who looked a concerned. Sakura was nervous, her head racing all over the place. How should she approach Sasuke with the questions she has?
She bumped into Sasuke who had suddenly stopped to open the door to another room. The room where they had kept Sasuke earlier.
He didn't address Sakura's clumsy walk or he just tried to look past it. Who knows?
He laid the girl there on the same bed where he had rested. The bed sheet was still crinkly. The girl's long hair spread around her like a veil, some of them even escaping the horizons of the bed. They looked so stark against the white sheet. Inky purple tresses somehow looked healthy even though she was deprived of nutrition since the longest time.
"Sasuke? I need to ask you something" Sasuke knew what she would be asking so he gave her his full attention.
"When we found you, I thought you were going to die because your pulse rate was 40 but I had noticed it wasn't changing even after you recovered" Sakura had her hands rested on her chest clutching it in a death grip.
"Back there you said that you know the experiment is complete when there is no more heartbeat or even past memories left" Her eyes met with the black one, colliding like a starburst. "When you woke up, we talked about some of the things that you claimed you can't recall"
He didn't know how to break this to her. "Sakura I had experiments done on me but they will never be successful because Orochimaru is dead. Remember I was supposed to be his host and I believe the missing gaps in my memories would soon fill in"
He left the part out that Orochimaru could be revived again because he still lived in him. He lived in every one of his experiments and that is why it is so important to eliminate these rats otherwise their master Orochimaru would crawl back from the hell hole. The sanin was clever enough to leave his part breathing in every one of his pupil.
Clever bastard.
Sakura seemed satisfied with his response and took a sigh of relief. "I was so worried for a moment there"
She laughed it off but Sasuke looked at her seriously and pointed her towards the sleeping figure of the girl.
"Could you check her heart?" and then it hit Sakura like a brick. He wanted her to check if Hinata had any pulse as the girl clearly had no mark of injury. In fact, she looked the healthiest among them all. Sakura's eyes were now doe like and her hands trembled with nervousness. She might not like what she would find out soon but she has to know. They have to know what they are dealing with.
Her own heart fluttered against her rib cage as she neared the bed where the doll like figurine of her childhood friend laid. She raised her palm near the Hyuga's chest, her hands glowing green. Her unique chakra quickly enveloped her fingers which were now placed flatly between the generous breasts of the young girl.
Lub dub.
Lub dub.
Lub dub.
But that was her own heart making the noise which she could hear in her ear. She couldn't hear nor feel Hinata's heart beat against her own.
There. Was. No. Pulse.
She gasped in dreadfulness, the air in her lungs leaving.
"No" Sakura shouted not believing herself. "This can't be"
That was all the answer Sasuke needed.
Crack.
Before any of them could react, the Hyuga had awakened and in a fast motion dislocated Sakura's arm that was on her chest. She was too quick for both Sasuke and Sakura to retort.
She jumped on the bed, her bluish hair rising with the burst of purple chakra. Her eyes glowed like two moon, shiny like heavenly bodies. They looked nothing like the Byakugan.
Sasuke now stood between the two girls. The medic trying to supress her scream of pain as her eyes watered. Hinata had dislodged her ulna.
Sakura was caught off guard. She didn't expect Hinata to wake up and attack her like that. Was it the same Hinata from their childhood? She didn't seem like the friend she knew back in their childhood. The Hinata she knew wouldn't hurt a fly.
She looked estranged like a wild animal ready to hunt and devour her. She appeared bloodthirsty same as the other experiments they had caught. Her canines grew in size and her skin becoming paler than before. Her hairs were turning grey and a small protrusion like horn grew on the right side of her skull. If somebody is to look at her now, they wouldn't believe that it is the Hyuga heiress who was classified as weak. This right here was a clod bloodied killing machine, an invention of Orochimaru. Is she now one of them?
Hinata bared her teeth at them.
"Stop it! She is a friend. She wouldn't hurt you" Sasuke had his arms extended to protect his female team mate. The two doujutsu users glared at each other, Byakugan clashing with the Sharingans and then just like that everything stopped.
Hinata's chakra died down like an extinguished flame and she seemed like the scared girl moments after she entered their hideout. She turned back to normal again and looked at them innocently before the door to the room was thrown open. Naruto walked in with others to check up on them.
"What just happened? It was such a large chakra burst that it shocked our system" Naruto exclaimed hurriedly and then noticed Sakura painfully holding her wounded arm with tearful eyes and red lips.
"Who did that to you?" He reached her in a second.
"It is nothing. I am fine Naruto please leave you are scaring her" Sakura pushed Naruto towards the doorframe.
Naruto didn't understand at first but then he saw how Hinata had her head impaled in Sasuke's chest as she hung awkwardly from his stretched arms. He left without a word, sadness dancing in his gaze.
Sasuke tore the girl from him and held her at arm's length as the Hyuga was a mere baby and he was a new mother. He looked scared he would drop his child.
"What should we do now?" Sakura enquired knowing this new information had to be relayed to others.
Sasuke peered at her from the sides. "First and foremost bring this girl some clothes"
Sakura jolted her head in Hinata's direction and only now found her naked body at display under Sasuke's cloak. She reddened visibly.
"Of course" She left the duo to fetch some of her clothes.
Sasuke couldn't believe what he saw. Was that the power of something unknown because he was sure it wasn't Byakugan?
This girl holds something powerful in her possession.
He smirked.
She would be his key to achieve that world peace or maybe world domination.
Konoha
"Would you speak girl?" Ibiki threw a bucket of cold water on her but the female didn't budge. Orochimaru's had trained her well if she could easily take his intimidation this well. The question is for how long though. She already looks tattered and falling off her chains to sanity.
The girl kept quiet, her blood red hued hair sticking to her figure. "You are so adamant. Who are you protecting? Your master is already dead. Speak up"
Ibiki eyed her when the exposed shoulders of the girl started shaking and then he could hear her laughing like a maniac. She threw her head back and continued her act of mockery.
"You think Orochimaru is dead. He will return" Something akin to shiver ran through his spine. He couldn't believe her because she might be lying. Many a times the minions of such 'all mighty and powerful' would create fear in the hearts of people by using their master's name. It is how they honour their master's legacy.
"Poor girl has lost her mind. People don't just return from dead"
Karin lifted her face and looked him dead in the eye, "Then let's just say Orochimaru-sama was built different"
"You do know that your punishment would be reduced to nothing if you would corporate with us" Ibiki folded his arms done with today's interrogation. He doesn't get paid enough for all this nuisance.
Even Inoichi didn't find much information through his mind invading jutsus. Some kind of seal blocked him from penetrating the girl's conscience. It was probably Orochimaru who had performed some kind of jutsu to protect the girl from such invasive methods of extracting secrets.
"Its not like you aren't speaking. It's just you aren't speaking fast enough" Ibiki found it odd that even after suffering through all their torture, the girl had kept quiet but then one day she demanded that she was ready to speak to Danzo. They doubted she would try some trick but she refused to speak otherwise. So Hokage was called in and she filled them in with some useful data especially about the Uchiha.
"I will speak when I wish to" The girl smiled lopsidedly.
"Well in that case, I have a better way of tormenting you. Guess what I found" Ibiki clapped his hands and some injured men were brought into the room. They seemed to be on the verge of death.
"I had done some digging on you and I found out that you don't like when strange men bite you"
Karin's face paled. She never liked when they would leave her drained of chakra and men in general brought repressive childhood memories to the forefront. When she was with Orochimaru, the most he would make her do was help in his experiments along with Kabuto. Yes, she was still expected to heal but nobody would take advantage of her more than mere healing in fear of master Orochimaru's anger.
"Bizarre phobia for someone who can heal others through her body. Enjoy giving Konoha men the service you once gave to Orochimaru" Ibiki waved at her, leaving her in the dark basements.
"You bastard! I will personally kill you once I get my hands on you as soon as he comes to rescue me" Karin screamed, her eyes looking murderous.
Ibiki stopped and smiled at her, "He as in Orochimaru? He is dead. Nobody is coming to save you. You will rot here unless you open your mouth"
"No you baka" Karin ran her tongue on her dried lips as she was even denied water. "He as in Sasuke. He will come to rescue me"
"Sasuke? Sasuke Uchiha?" Was this some kind of joke? If it was, then he would have to say it was in bad taste.
"Well if he wants his head chopped off only then he would take a step in Konoha. He is a wanted man in the whole shinobi world" He then laughed at her, mimicking her the same way she had been throttling some minutes ago. "Keep dreaming! Your pretty lover is not going to risk it" and with that he shut the door.
Ibiki walked off to take a break while ear shattering screams could be heard accompanying with skin breaking off.
Soon Karin wouldn't be left with any chakra as she has to feed dying men who will suck the life out of her.
Such cruel fate.
Guys, so many people follow and favourite the stories but only few of you comment and leave reviews. I always see the same people reviewing and I have to say I love it when I see their name, some of whose names I have memorised. Please it would be so nice, if you all review though, good or critical whatever. It doesn't matter but what matters is I want to see you taking time to write something about a story you just read. See you again.