SHIBARI: Bound

Chapter Warnings: Violence / Language / Mature Content

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. That belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. Thank you for your life's work.

Music:

'(1.1) Kochetkovv & Zaini - over u

Note: Chapter 1 - 4 YouTube Playlist link included in my profile page.

Chapter 1

Masked

'(1.1) Kochetkovv & Zaini - over u

3 weeks earlier

Smooth steel glinted in the light of the full moon. Perched at the top of a tree in the quiet forest, she gracefully unsheathed a sword from where it rested on her back and reflected the light off her blade into the expanse, signaling her position. Although the byakugan afforded her the ability to see exactly where her teammates were, they did not have the privilege of her specific kekkei genkai. Another glimmer in the distance across the field, to the left and right. She descended into darkness.

A small hut in the middle of the open field appeared unassuming, but the number of rogue ninjas guarding the domicile said otherwise. Holding the wakizashi down at her side, she stealthily approached the edge of the forest where a guard stood watch. Slitting his neck and pulling him into the shadows unnoticed was a simple task. She extended her sword arm and with a flick of her wrist, she cleaned the blade before putting it away.

Dojutsu enabled, she darted across the lawn and scaled the short building pausing briefly with her hands gripping the fingerholds above her. And… now. She vaulted over. A fleeting look of surprise appeared on the man's face before she stopped his heart mid-jump with a gentle fist and quietly placed his body down. It didn't take long for the other rooftop sentry to notice his partner was missing. The man quickly formed hand seals, inhaled sharply, and placed two fingers near his lips. His eyes widened as she appeared in front of him, his hand forcibly shoved against his mouth. Her head tilted to the side. He swallowed the giant fireball and smoke crept out from his orifices. The chakra flow to his heart was stopped before he knew what hit him and his knees buckled. Sorry.

She flipped backwards off the roof and landed in a crouched position directly in front of the entrance. Raising from her position, she sensed Shino as he calmly approached and nodded to her. Her chin lifted in greeting.

He lifted an arm and a handful of kikaichu flew from his sleeves towards the walls. Hinata peered at him curiously from behind her porcelain mask.

"Genjutsu," he replied in a hushed whisper.

She turned her head back to the building and shook her wrists out before calmly placing her palms against the structure.

"Fox?" He asked with a hint of a warning.

She smirked though he couldn't see it and responded in kind with a low, calm lilt in her voice, "Beetle." Purple chakra began to surround her extended appendages before enveloping her hands with bright flames.

"Fox!"

She laughed loudly at the impending commotion and pointedly ignored her friend. This is going to be fun.

Kiba released the ninja whose neck he'd just broken. Akamaru was at his side, transforming out of his man-beast clone mode.

"Dog!" Called a shouted whisper.

Kiba lolled his head to the side to see Kankuro gingerly bounding towards him. Kiba snorted from behind his mask. "Took you long enough!"

Kankuro's painted face cringed, "Tch. Whatever." Kankuro had been assigned to their 3-man team as their fourth and squad leader. It was out of the ordinary to have foreign shinobi lead, or be led by, a team of Konoha ninja, but this situation was unique and could have many implications. Although it was generally a time of peace and the Allied Nations remained peaceable since the 4th Shinobi War, after what happened a year ago in Kumogakure with the Raikage and the last jinchuuriki, tensions were high. Without Naruto, relations began to fray with even their closest ally, the hidden sand village, Sunagakure.

Kakashi, who was now officially Hokage, viewed the secret infiltration operation as a good opportunity to strengthen their political ties with the Wind village. Gaara, the young Kazekage of Suna, reached out because Konoha had the best sensory trackers known in the lands and this mission demanded precision.

Gathering at the back entrance of the small shack in the forest clearing, Kiba and Kankuro were readying for the next phase in their plan.

Kiba stood at one side of the door and Kankuro got situated at the other, kunais raised and tipped at the edge of paper seals protecting from intruders.

Kankuro looked at Kiba and began, "On three. One. T-"

BOOM!

A visible shockwave rippled outwards from the house and the two men flew back, landing on the grass with dull thuds.

"What the fuck was that?" Kankuro yelled as he clamored to his feet. "Did we do something wrong?

Kiba sat up on his elbows in shock, eyeing the flames licking the structure. Understanding filled his features as he tilted his head back, squeezing his eyes shut in the process. He let out an exasperated sigh. "Not again." He groaned and stood. "Let's go!"

In a cold, dark cellar Temari grunted audibly in irritation. She was thirsty, weak, and pissed! Really, really pissed off. She had been restrained with chakra cuffs and tied to an uncomfortable wooden chair. Even though the cellar offered no light, they had the audacity to blindfold her too! When she got her hands around whoever was dumb enough to attack her in her sleep, they would pay dearly.

She tried to swallow to ease the dryness in her throat. Her sandy blonde hair, which, in normal circumstances, would be neatly separated into four ponytailed sections, now hung limply and matted against her sun kissed neck.

It had been days since her disappearance and although she had been given water at fairly regular intervals, she'd only been fed once or twice. Her captors might entertain biological breaks if she complained loudly enough, but even that wasn't guaranteed. When she'd tried to escape twice, that ended badly, and she now sported several cuts, bruises and a couple fractured ribs. Her right eye was grotesquely swollen, along with her bottom lip.

Now she was simply biding her time. Conserving energy. Waiting for her brothers to arrive.

When the loud explosions started overhead, she lifted her head towards the source in the darkness and smiled.

There were sounds of a scuffle. Pounding, the clang of metal against metal and shouts. Her heart pounded in her chest, anxious to join the action and terrified for the safety of her comrades.

She winced when the cellar door opened, and she was momentarily blinded with piercing light and heat. Much to her surprise, the figure she observed there was petite, feminine, and Konohan.

Wordlessly, the fox masked ANBU slashed at her binds freeing her from the chair before moving to her back. Temari then heard a clink and her chakra cuffs fell away from her wrists. She immediately felt her shoulders slump and she let out a deep sigh.

A firm but dainty hand gripped her upper arm, and she was hoisted to her feet. "Can you walk?" The shorter ninja asked.

Although everything hurt, she nodded and responded, "Let's get the fuck out of here." Her body may be broken, but her spirit was not.

(FLASHBACK)

(9 months earlier)

Kakashi sat at his desk in the Hokage tower, amusedly eyeing the dark haired kunoichi standing before him with a dark uncovered eye. "Hinata," he started, "do you know why you're here?"

The girl warily gave the masked man a once over, gauging whether the question was rhetorical. When she was met with silence, she huffed and carefully, almost defeatedly, explained. "Look, if this is about the incident in the grass village last week, I swear, it was not our fault!"

Wait, what?

"Kiba had no idea that girl was the daimyo's niece…" she continued. Kakashi felt his eye twitch and sat in stunned silence wondering what Team 8 had gotten themselves into again. He frantically waved both hands in front of him while Hinata continued her attempt at damage control through averted eyes.

"… and we offered to pay for the damage to-"

He cleared his throat interrupting her train of thought. Her pale gaze snapped up to meet his. "Hinata, what are you talking about?"

She paused and delicately arched eyebrows raised. "Ehhh… apparently nothing." Taking a moment to regain her composure she pondered, "Why am I here Lord Hatake?"

"Again Hinata, no need for that. Just Kakashi will do." Kakashi smiled from behind his black mask. "Mei reached out again." He paused, waiting for a reaction. He continued, "She wants you to officially transfer to Kiri for a permanent apprenticeship with her. It seems you've made quite the impression."

Hinata's eyes widened almost imperceptibly, and she hummed her response.

"Hinata, would you join me?" He stood from behind his desk and motioned for her to follow him to the open window. His fingers interlaced behind his robed back and he stared out across the rebuilt village, waiting patiently for her to join him. When he felt her presence, his shoulders relaxed, and he spoke sedately. "Humor me if you will. Can you tell me if we have any visitors at the gate?"

"Of course, Lord Hokage." He chuckled at her continued reverence but said nothing. She pushed chakra into the veins along the edges of her orbs that stretched towards her jaw, triggering her bloodline limit and focused. "It appears Lady Kurotsuchi has just arrived with Akatsuchi. I believe she has a gift for you." Hinata made a curt giggle she attempted to stifle it with her hand.

"Is that so?" Kakashi asked intrigued, to which Hinata smiled and nodded once in response. "I see. And what of the Hokage Monument? Any activity going on there?

Although the Hyuga shifted focus, her body stayed still. "Not really, just-" Alerted by movement and a light twinkling sound, she caught Kakashi's wrist which hovered near her navel. The abrupt halt triggered the soft jingling. She sought out his dark eye for an explanation. With Kakashi's free hand, he gently pried her fingers from its grip and turned the palm face up. In it he placed two silver bells connected by a string. Her gaze flickered curiously over the trinket before looking back up to the silver haired man questioningly. She twisted her torso to face him a little more fully and stepped back on one foot. His hands returned to his sides, but he remained close enough to her that she could feel the warmth he radiated and smell his natural musk.

He explained, his voice laced with earnestness, "Since your promotion to Jonin last year, all your missions have been executed flawlessly, you have the best byakugan range in your clan, and now we are receiving official transfer requests for you from other Kage.

"You understand war, you know loss, and you've suffered. Yet through all this, you remain dedicated to your friends, your family and to your village. I have watched you persist and grow, and while the Mizukage's offer is generous, I'd like to give you something else to consider. I would like you to join the ranks of ANBU as part of a special unit.

"You would report directly to me, and only to me." Then the weight of the moment shifted as Kakashi's visible eye closed cheerily with his hidden smile and he piped in, "And you'd be saving me a lot of paperwork and a likely headache from your father."

Hinata stood in stunned silence. This was not something she expected. She struggled with crippling self-confidence in the past and worked past as many faults as she could, but still, she did not feel worthy of such an honor. She wrapped her fingers around the bells and hugged her waist. She lifted her other hand and placed a finger to her chin thoughtfully. Lazily eyeing the copycat ninja she responded with a smirk. "If you make the same offer to Shino and Kiba, I'll think about it."

The young Hokage couldn't help his grin. "Playing hard to get Hinata?" He tsked jokingly. "Did you know Shino was once a candidate for ROOT? Knowing how well you work together I was planning to approach him anyway. Kiba on the other hand, may not have the right… disposition, for this line of work. Besides, what makes you think I'm willing to play ball?"

The ex-heiress raised her eyebrows at him. "You already are. And as far as Kiba goes, I'm sure Hana would be extremely appreciative of your offer and may be willing to… reciprocate the favor. I'd also be willing to return the favor," she suggested in a hush as she leaned forward and cocked her head slightly.

Kakashi felt heat rise to his cheeks and he scratched the back of his silver-white hairline, laughing nervously. "And… ummm… how e-exactly do you plan to return said favor?"

In a low voice she purred, "I'll make sure Hana never finds out about a certain hidden stash of novels in the bottom right drawer of your desk… or the one hidden in your robes at all times." She grinned widely and leaned back on her heels, crossing her arms under her voluptuous chest.

He paled at her words but was inwardly proud. Clever girl. "My, my, Mei taught you well…" He squinted as he thought aloud. "Alright you've got yourself a deal."

"One more thing," she added, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "I get to pick out my own mask."

(END FLASHBACK)

It had taken a week for the two Sand jonin and three Leaf ANBU to make it back to Suna. Although, Hinata trained as a medical-nin for a year following the war, there was only so much she could do for Temari. She could heal the bruises, mend her bones, and reduce the swelling, but recovering from the fatigue and malnourishment would take time. The infections required medication. And though it slowed them down, Temari's pride wouldn't allow herself to be carried for the duration of their journey.

On the return trip, they had been attacked. They retaliated and left unscathed and then they were attacked again. Kiba's usually loud and confident demeanor was solemn. Akamaru had suffered a broken paw in battle and Kiba was stabbed in his haste to aid his aging canine companion. Kiba's situation would have been critically dire had Hinata not been at his side immediately to protect and then heal him. Although the companions were physically intact, the mood did not lighten. It put everyone on edge. Shino's kikaichu buzzed with the weight of it, but he remained ever stoic. Kankuro, uncharacteristically, managed the tension by fussing over his older sister.

After thoroughly reporting back to the Kazekage, Gaara insisted the ANBU team remain for a couple of days for rest and mission related inquiries. The days passed quickly. The team would wake up, eat breakfast, meet with the young Kage, and spend the rest of the day awaiting orders or training at the indoor training grounds specifically reserved for the Sabaku siblings.

Although Hinata wanted to check on Temari, she could not risk revealing their identities. Upon being discharged, they headed back to Konoha before the sun rose. It would take 3 days with rest and the desert was more tolerable before the sun hit its zenith.

Moving at full speed, they should make it to their destination by noon. They decided to share a room for the night in a little village along the desert border. The economy here was dependent on the pockets of visiting travelers and was a common stop for shinobi and civilians alike. Dressed casually, Hinata picked up a few souvenirs and headed out to meet her male colleagues at a local bar that was popular for their unique assortment of cactus-based food and alcoholic beverages.

Sitting at a wooden four-top towards the back of the dimly lit establishment, Hinata impatiently strummed her fingers on the surface of the round table and watched as Kiba flirted with their waitress at the bar.

"You know, staring at him isn't going to make him come back any faster," Shino said coolly.

"I'm hungry," Hinata whined, her eyes fixing on the posture perfect ninja. "And he's coming in between me and my ability to eat." She puffed her cheeks, and the dark-haired man responded with a small but genuine smile at her. Shino had always been quiet and reserved, but he was fiercely dedicated to his friends and his brilliance could almost rival Shikamaru's. Over the years, his spiky dark hair had been tamed and he now wore it with the sides closely shaved and the top length held back in a bun. Hinata was one of the honored few to ever see him without his sunglasses and know he hid beautiful gray eyes that were able to see in the darkness and were sensitive to light.

"He'll be back soon," the Aburame promised. "We both know his appetite can rival Choji's." At this, Akamaru picked his head up from off his paw with an agreeable huff before resting it back on the floor.

Hinata looked down at the massive, white furball fondly.

"Something is off with him," Shino remarked as if he were discussing the change in weather. Using his index and middle fingers, he slid his dark glasses back over the bridge of his nose, watching as the young woman gave the large dog a couple of loving pats on his side before sitting straight up again. "Have you noticed?"

Returning her attention to the Inuzuka, she gave him a once over and despondently shrugged a shoulder and shifted her focus to the liquid concoction in front of her. "It's not just this mission either," she said quietly.

"Talk to him. You're the only one who can."

As if on cue, Kiba strolled back to the pair with a fanged grin, followed by their blonde waitress. She was burdened with an assortment of dishes. Against her protests, he carried the second tray holding a fresh batch of alcohol which he handed out as skillfully as a dealer tossing cards at a blackjack table and offered the tray back to the impressed server. Kiba plopped down on his seat, loudly pounding a fist on the table.

"Even when I'm not around, I'm the most interesting thing to talk about? That's really sad." He smirked with his head tilted and tugged an ear- a reminder of his supernatural hearing abilities. "So, what do you want to talk to me about?"

The departing waitress blushed at the tall brunette as he gave her a wink. Leaning forward to take a swig of his drink, he slammed the pint glass hard when he finished it all in one go. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he signaled the golden-haired beauty for another round and raised his eyebrows at his teammates.

"I haven't even finished my first drink Kiba," Hinata complained in between bites of her cactus seasoned fowl on a skewer.

The Inuzuka twirled a lazy finger forward in a circular motion and lolled his head at her. Shino, not to be outdone, started taking larger sips from his own cup.

"Keep up Hyuga!" Kiba challenged.

She stared at him pointedly and then gave in. "Fine." She gulped her drink imitating Kiba's actions from earlier while the canine lover beat the table with his fists in rapid succession. Her glass hit the table just in time for the server to return with another set of drinks. Kiba signaled another round immediately and Hinata gave the girl an apologetic look, who smiled and shook her head playfully in response.

Shino chimed in, "We should pace ourselves. We still have a job to finish and we have no idea if we will encounter more… unwelcome guests." Undetected by onlookers, Shino released a small group of insects to set up a perimeter around Team 8, disrupting noise waves emitted from their conversation while enabling the four shinobi to hear their environment clearly.

Kiba rolled his eyes then leaned on folded arms propped on the table. "So," he started, with his face tilted towards their female teammate, "what did Gaara want?"

"Nothing, just mission stuff," she blew it off but was greeted with skeptical looks and awkward silence. Sighing she relented, feeling the pressure of accusing eyes that she was unable to meet, "W-well, I guess he wanted to tell me that he knows our identities and will keep it safe." She mentally slapped herself for her stutter. It was an annoying habit she'd suffered through adolescence, and she worked hard to correct it for years.

After the war, she went as far as designing and brandishing self-imposed seals for months to prevent poking her fingers together, wringing her hands and stuttering. The deactivated tattoos still adorned her wrists as reminders. There were moments still where she fell victim to her quirks. Mostly it was when she felt highly flustered, though these occasions had become rarer and rarer. Her voice dropped to a hush, "…and he said he wants to be friends…"

After a moment of understanding passed, a loud howl of laughter escaped from Kiba. His shoulders rolled forward, long brown locks falling on broad shoulders. He held his stomach with one large hand while wiping away a tear with his other. "Right Hina," he said between laughs, "Friends." Shino, as Shino does, remained aloof.

Receiving his next glass, Kiba watched as the waitress gave him lustful looks and headed for the back door. He nodded with a wolfish grin, then proceeded to down his drink, announcing, "Well, I'm planning to make a new friend myself now. I'll meet you guys back at the room later- don't wait up. And hey, keep an eye on Akamaru for me will 'ya?" He stood and turned to leave but was stopped by a delicate hand on his arm.

"We still need to talk." Hinata's voice was stern, but her gaze was beseeching.

His features softened as he looked between his comrades and admitted, "This will be my last mission on Team 8. When we get back, I'm going to request my old rank and station."

"Kiba no, you can't!" Hinata argued pointlessly, a hand balled across her chest as if to quell the painful clamping of her heart. Upon seeing the steadfast resolve in his silence, she searched his eyes and meekly implored, "Why?"

"Akamaru is getting old. He shouldn't be out here playing ninja hound like a young pup anymore. I want him to enjoy the rest of his life in peace." He looked sadly at his large, furry companion who was happily scratching at his collar before turning his nose up curiously towards him.

"What about Kuromaru?" The kunoichi offered. Akamaru sired the male pup within months of returning from the war. The offspring looked exactly like the large dog, except for a black patch of fur encircling his right eye. He was now an experienced jonin level ninken, surely worthy of ANBU status.

"As long as Akamaru is around, I can't replace him. He's part of my pack, Hinata. Just like you and Shino. You're all irreplaceable. I just can't." His eyes entreated for her to understand.

Seeing her lips pull down but make no gesture of willing acceptance, he gently pulled her into his chest, entrapping her in tanned, muscled arms. He wistfully murmured in her ear and caressed her silky locks, "You've always been too good for me, Hinata."

It was a flickering moment he selfishly stole, but one he had desperately needed. He glanced at the other member of Team 8 and moved to hold Hinata at arms-length. Shifting a solemn gaze between them, he stated with finality, "I've made my decision. Thank you both for having my back all these years."

Focusing intently into pale lavender depths, he added, "You're stronger than you think you are, Hinata. I hope you know that."

"Kiba…"

Without another word, Hinata felt her dark tresses shift with a gust of air. Kiba was gone and Team 8 was completely undone.

#####

A/N: First, I want to say thank you for giving this story a chance. Second, I feel like I need to explain myself. Naruto is my FAVORITE character in the show. I cried when I wrote the flashback scene in the prologue.

I first came up with this idea while watching the war arc. I was becoming discontent with the direction Kishi was taking the story (namely Neji dying and also Sasuke ending up with Sakura because I feel like that relationship is unhealthy). My mind began conjuring up a way that Neji could have lived AND saved Naruto, which is how I described in the Prologue, with the exception of Naruto's fate.

Hinata is my favorite female character in the show. Unfortunately, I don't feel like she was written to her full potential and was done a disservice (especially in Boruto). So, I also began to think, realistically what could have possibly changed in the Naruto timeline to give other characters the opportunity to shine, for Neji to live and for Sasuke and Hinata to end up together. The only thing I could think, was Naruto had to be out of the picture. Hinata and other characters are there to support him. The only way to grow, is for the taller trees to make way for the sunlight to reach the seedlings below.

This chapter and the next chapter is mostly focused on Hinata and her relationships with the people closest to her. Sasuke will make his first appearance after next chapter.

This is a SLOWBURN romance. It has 3 arcs that will be divided into 2 or 3 books. This arc will have NejiHina. There will be other Hinata pairings to compete with Sasuke (Gaara coming in the next arc) and there will be Lemons. This is not a harem or smut fic. I've never written lemons before this fic and want to keep it focused more on emotions than physical aspects.

The title SHIBARI is not intended to refer to the BDSM act. It is used in the more in reference to emotional bondage. The book was originally called "Bound" but I didn't think it conveyed exactly what I wanted and looked up Japanese binding and voila! Perfecto.

Please leave a review to let me know your thoughts, if you liked it or not, constructive feedback appreciated.

LEA