Hey, hey!
Didn't think I would make it tonight for my upload. Stomach virus has gotten me :(
But, I couldn't just not post! Lol, it's the stubbornness in me while I suffer XD
Anyways. So with this chapter it is not any Sakura and Ino. Some Itachi and Sasuke moments, but mainly Akatsuki time. So without further wait, I hope you enjoy this chapter.
"The Hyuga traitor-turned murderer and the nine tails host."
Pain walked around Naruto in a circle silently as Konan spoke. She spoke of Naruto while looking at Hinata. Naruto kept eye contact on Pain the whole time he walked, and his eyes would periodically trail over to Hinata.
Never for long though because he was sure this man was itching to just end him and extract the nine tails immediately.
Konan caught the glances Naruto was giving Hinata and tilted her head. The look a lover would give his life source. This young man loved this girl deeply. He needed her. She was his world. How lovely. "Why are you here? Surely a princess like yourself doesn't belong here. With a monster like the nine tails too. You're ruining your reputation even more by being around him."
Hinata's eyes widened slightly at the insult towards Naruto. Many thoughts were running through Hinata's mind. How did these people know already about the Hyuga massacre. Did the leaf village really just cast her away as the person that massacred her clan? So quickly?
The most important matter was how they were belittling Naruto. They had no right to talk about him like that. "Don't…don't talk about him like that. Please."
Pain stopped walking around Naruto immediately, and Konan's attention on Hinata focused. Konan hid a smile that was creeping up on her face at the spunk and could quickly see that the two loved one another. That was very much obvious the moment she saw them. She was his life source and he was hers. In such a cold world the two found one another. It reminded her of her younger days a little.
How far would this Hyuga young woman go for her lover though? Konan went pretty far for the people she cared about. So far that her angel wings became paper thin.
Konan reached a hand out to touch Hinata's cheek. The dark haired kunoichi said nothing to the enduring touch. "Woman to woman. I respect that. Still. Why are you here? Why do you want him to die?"
Hinata closed her eyes at hearing this. Her fist balled up and she tried desperately to control her breathing. She DID NOT want to be here. She most certainly didn't want Naruto to die. This was all HER fault and she would blame herself every day for dragging Naruto into her families affair.
Konan looked at Hinata with a platonic face. She could see the emotions just oozing out of the young Hyuga. So young. So broken with life. Konan wondered. Did the Hyuga know what it felt like to lose someone of importance to her?
If this young woman was to make it here. If by some miracle Pain decided not to kill the Uzumaki young man right here and right now. This Hyuga would have to toughen up. Whatever happened during that Hyuga massacre, she was going to have to face it. Endure it. Move on, because nothing she does now is ever going to change the past.
Hinata squeezed her eyes tighter, "What do I have to do for him to live? What can I do for you? Is-is it money you need for your activities? My…fam…I have the money if you need it. You've may have heard already of some of the businesses and manufactures attached to my last name. The name Hyuga runs far and can give you materials that you didn't realize you needed."
Konan looked at Pain and watched as his eyes left Naruto and gravitated to Hinata. He looked amused at her words. She was smart. She must have been a Hyuga that lived without that caged bird seal he's heard about. She was a wealthy one. An aristocrat.
He continued to survey Hinata. She didn't carry herself that way. Nor did she look it. Sure she had the properness of a noble woman. The dignity. However, one could tell she was a fighter. She had toughen skin and frost in her eyes from taking lives. Lives other than her families. She could be of use. Especially since she was right. The Hyuga name still did carry its weight. Even if she was a wanted ninja for the Hyuga massacre, she was still a Hyuga. One without the seal, she could open doors for him in gaining connections and needed logistics.
As strong as she would be in the networking side. The young Hyuga wouldn't fit in. She couldn't hold her own against the rest of the Akatsuki unless she had someone there with her 24/7 to protect her.
"What can you do for us Hyuga? So, you're saying to protect this nine tails host you would do what we tell you? Problem being, you're weak. There is nothing you can do for us…yet."
Naruto narrowed his eyes at Pain. His eyes went to Konan when he felt that she was staring at him. The way she looked at Naruto was basically telling him to not talk. Don't say a word back. If he trusted his female companion this much and really loved her he would let her fend for herself at this moment.
Hinata opened her eyes and dared to look at Pain, "Yet? So there is a chance. When can I be of use?"
Pain tilted his head at her. Still amused at the lengths she would go just to postpone a somber ending she couldn't prevent. "So you're serious?"
Hinata spoke to him unnerved, "Very."
Pain looked at Konan again before speaking, "We would have to get you two to a level of usefulness for us. The nine tails host is already where I can use him strength wise, but you. You require work. That would put my mission on hold to get you up to par. Why do all of that when the nine tails is right here?"
In a bold move Hinata stepped in front of Naruto. She continued to eye the evil man known as Pain, "Naruto is more than just the jailer for the nine tails. Him alone could bring down a village without the nine tails. He's special and he can come up with clever battle tactics without much time. You need that. You need more bodies to aid you, because other villages, specifically Konoha has eliminated many of your members. Konoha cannot stop Naruto. To achieve your mission you need that village out of your way. Naruto can do that. We…can do that. We can destroy whatever you want. If…you help us."
Naruto's eyes widened at Hinata's words. Days ago Hinata was a walking zombie. Depression was littered all over her. All she wanted to do was turn herself in and just give up on life. Konoha was all Hinata knew and her allegiance would never leave from her home village.
So now Naruto didn't know if Hinata was faking it just to get their foot in the door for the extra protection. Or if she really was just now seeing things differently. Seeing things how he was seeing them.
Naruto loved Konoha. He really truly did. He loved his friends. The people he viewed as family. It was just some things. Some things one could not easily forget. The look of utter hatred the civilians and the childhood that him and Hinata were just supposed to forget was not an easy thing to do.
He had questions too. So many questions.
He didn't hate Konoha, but he was confused. What is the appropriate feeling he should have exactly for Konoha at this given moment?
Naruto was burning holes at Hinata right now. The massacre was solely Hinata's decision. What was happening within her clan lead to their ultimate demise. Them leaving the village. Naruto wanted to do for Hinata. He didn't have to, but he loved her and wanted to. Them coming to Akatsuki, Naruto wasn't so sure what it was that led him here. He just knew it was the right choice.
Hinata for sure didn't want to come here in the beginning. He talked her into doing it. They met Itachi and they could have left, but something happened. It was like all the raw emotions from Naruto were rubbing off on Hinata. It was like she could sense that he was in just as much turmoil as her.
Hinata was doing this for him and was going great lengths. Just for him.
Pain looked at Hinata for a moment before a dark grin covered his face, "Konan will train you. You. The loud boy. I will be personally working with you. Believe it or not. We have more in common than you want to accept. I will grant you all the protection you need, but when you fulfill your duties to me then the both of you will sacrifice yourself together. Deal?"
Naruto wanted to roll his eyes to the naïve man, but instead he gave Pain an intense stare as he agreed with his flawed plan, "Deal."
It has been knocking on a year since the Hyuga massacre and to everyone's knowledge Naruto and still Hinata haven't left Amegakure. To everyone's surprise there hasn't been anything major happening with the Akatsuki. No attacks or anything. Did Naruto not approach them? What was happening over there.
Sasuke sat against a tree in the training fields. His brother not far from him picking up their training equipment. Sasuke watched Itachi silently and his mind trailed off to when he first saw his brother walk back into the village.
He was torn between fighting his brother or just yelling all his pent up frustrations upon Itachi. He couldn't believe he was seeing Itachi again. Not the Akatsuki Itachi, but Konoha's elite Uchiha Itachi was walking through the gates of Konoha.
Years. YEARS. Of anger. Depression. NIGHTMARES. Itachi caused ALL of this upon Sasuke. Just for Sasuke to realize Itachi was going through the same thing alone himself.
Sasuke knew that Itachi was always the prodigy of the Uchiha clan. Their father's pride and joy. Itachi was a family person. He wasn't ever a horrible brother. Never a spoiled child. Itachi was a good person. Someone that Sasuke looked up to and loved.
WHY. Why couldn't Itachi tell him from the very beginning what was happening?! Why did Itachi put all of this burden on himself. The pain. The heartache. Itachi ruined Sasuke's life. He ruined both of their lives.
Sasuke was a different man now though. So when he saw Itachi come into the village four months ago he didn't go into a rage. He just wanted to talk to him. He needed to understand.
That's what they did too. After interrogation and medical screening with Tsunade and being cleared. Exonerated and cleared for everything that pulled Itachi down. Sasuke and Itachi talked. As a man Sasuke didn't want to admit he cried, but he did. So did Itachi. Their lives were ruined. Their clan was gone. Their parents. Itachi's chance at a normal life. At this point, all they had were each other for their families legacy.
It took some time but, the two were at an understanding now. Sasuke understood Itachi and Itachi always understood Sasuke. When Sasuke was frustrated with certain things he would go to Itachi and the two would train or spar together. Today in particular Sasuke was just frustrated with the lack of an update on where Naruto was and what he was doing.
"Why exactly did you push for Naruto to stay in Amegakure? It's been almost a year since he's left, and we haven't gotten any more leads since you've come back to the village."
Itachi looked at Sasuke from the corner of his eye for a moment before he looked back at their equipment. "He wanted to stay with the Hyuga woman. Since that was the case, Amegakure was the best move they could make."
Sasuke looked at Itachi skeptical. There was something he wasn't sharing, "What is it? What is it about this Hinata that everyone is so defensive for? Tell me. Do you think she is guilty for the Hyuga massacre? Maybe I will understand better if I got your perspective."
Itachi looked a little shocked at Sasuke's words. He didn't think Sasuke would ask for his personal opinion so soon on such a touchy subject about the Uzumaki and Hyuga duo.
The fact Sasuke valued Itachi's opinion after everything that has happened between them meant a lot. "I don't think she's guilty Sasuke. Not even if she did take the life of even one Hyuga. Last time I saw her. I could see the familiar look in her eyes that I once had. She's miserable. Broken. Your friend is all she has at the moment that is keeping her intact."
Sasuke didn't know Hinata. He didn't know Hinata like Naruto did. He didn't know Hinata like Sakura did and he basically felt like everyone knew Hinata more than he did. So he couldn't make an assumption. Last time he did that Sakura almost had a mental breakdown.
"You know Sasuke. Before me and Naruto departed he told me I should come back to Konoha. That my brother needed me. So your friend hasn't steered the wrong way, but he is just as lost and broken like his female companion."
Sasuke looked at Itachi confused, "What are you saying? Naruto wants to be out there? That he WANTED to leave? That he WANTED to be in Amegakure all along? That he always wanted to leave the village?"
Itachi held his hand up to stop Sasuke from spiraling into a fit, "Not always. This was not always a hidden agenda of Naruto's that he never shared with you. I am sure the Hyuga massacre, how the Hyuga's treated him and Hinata along with long hidden animosity he's felt for years is what pushed him into this direction. I don't think he cares where he's at right now as long as the woman he cares about is safe."
Sasuke ran his hands through his hair in frustration. He noticed it was getting late and he was supposed to be having dinner with Sakura. She was trying out a new recipe. "Almost a year and no contact from him what so ever. Sakura is depressed. She's lost someone that was more than a friend. This Hinata had become a part of Sakura, now she's missing her piece. The Hokage is on everyone from Naruto's circle ass still. Like we magically know what he's doing."
Itachi looked at the sky and contemplated if he was going to join Sasuke for dinner or migrate over to Kakashi's and dine in for dinner. While spending time with Sasuke was much needed and enjoyable, he knew Kakashi was pretty good in the kitchen and Itachi didn't feel like cooking tonight.
"Before I leave you to your night brother. Just be mindful if you come across Naruto again. You see, I don't believe he will be as relieved to see you. You're a threat to him now. I say this because realistically, the only reason you would see Naruto is to take away someone precious to him. Remember that."
"You're pretty."
Konan frowned at Tobi as he touched Hinata's hair, "Don't touch her." Tobi looked at Konan and frowned, "Aww! Why not?! You touch her hair all the time! You can't be the only one that gets to touch her!"
Hinata proceeded to ignore the two as she seemed to be scribbling some things down in a notebook. Hinata was so much calmer compared to when she first entered the Akatsuki lair. Her true personality shined now, and yet it was still a mystery. Enough to still make the people around her crave to know her more. Know what's going on in her head.
Hinata liked to write all the time. Little notes and ideas for certain projects and missions. Escape routes that she knew in and out of villages. Primarily Konoha. She didn't care what Tobi was doing because he knew the rules.
He could touch her hair but that was IT.
He was only able to touch her hair simply because Hinata was too nice. Naruto didn't want Tobi to touch Hinata at all, but she felt 'bad' for the misunderstood man. So she let him touch just her hair and that was it.
"Tobi look." Hinata had showed her scribbles from her notebook to Tobi and gave him a small smile, "Do you think this idea would work? Quick. Swift and little to no chances of problems happening."
For some reason Hinata liked to share her work with Tobi. Nobody really knew why. Hinata just always included him in everything. It made Tobi happy and feel special so why not right? Tobi took the notebook and looked at the work. Hinata tilted her head and stared at him sharply while he intently staring at her work. It was odd, Tobi was really taking the time and giving his attention to look at it too.
"Hinata-chan you're so smart! How did you find out about these secret tunnels within Konoha?! I would have never guessed these to be at those locations!"
Hinata smiled as she took the notebook from Tobi. 'I never said it was Konoha's tunnels. So he already knows about them.'
"When I was a ninja there of course."
She continued to write in her notebook and paused for a moment to look at Tobi as he kept staring at her. "Do you miss it Hinata-chan? Does it make you sad?"
Hinata continued to smile at Tobi. He didn't believe him to be sincere. She felt as if he was making fun of her situation. "I'm sad that they made me do what I did. There is nothing to miss anymore Tobi…What about you? Do you miss your home?"
With that Tobi stopped talking to Hinata and shrugged his shoulders. He made his leave to go bother someone else now. Probably Deidara. Hinata's eyes slowly watched as Tobi left and was out of ear shot. She turned to look at Konan who was watching Tobi as well, "You feel it as well Hinata?"
Hinata's smile stayed on her face. As calm and beautiful as ever, "Yes. Tobi is something to watch out for. His soul is black." Hinata went back to scribbling in her notebook as she sat on an empty table in the meeting room. She was waiting with Konan for Naruto and Pain. "Will me and Naruto be given our first mission Konan-sama? I believe we are ready. We have been training for some time."
Konan hummed at Hinata's sweet, soft voice. "We need to start setting everything up. You were right. We need to ensure other powerhouse villages don't intervene with our main plan. We need them weakened and taken down. Konoha ninja's have taken down Hidan and Kakuzu. Sasori has been eliminated in Suna. Deidara is barely in commission and fixated on the Uchiha's. That being said, Cloud village is where you and Naruto have been assigned. Prove yourself worthy from this challenge and we'll assign you Konoha next."
"Cloud and then Konoha? Starting us off with hard and then easy Konan-sama."
Hinata turned her head to the direction of Naruto's voice. She smiled sweetly at him and he returned the affection with his own smile. "Nata." Hinata blushed at the name and this seemed to fuel Naruto to go on, "I sensed Tobi was around. Is he still faking stupid and touching your hair?"
Naruto strolled close up on Hinata. He looked down on her while she was sitting on the table and gave her a smoldering look. Hinata looked up at him and hummed, "Yes." Naruto placed his finger under her chin and his eyes traced her lips, "Doesn't he know?"
'What I do when someone touches you.'
Hinata blushed at his words. Naruto loved to make her blush. Hinata didn't have that nerve wrecked look on her face like she did when they were younger. So her calm, womanly face with an alluring blush looked sexually appealing to Naruto. She was always appealing to Naruto and it just made him savagely possessive.
"Cute."
Naruto grumbled at hearing Konan and separated from Hinata. "Sorry… So! Cloud village huh. I think I can come up with something for Cloud. They do have Killer B and he is an insane trump card for them. However, if we start now we can put enough strain on the village that when we do attack they'll be too weak to do anything. Sometimes you can't just go in with raw strength and think that's always going to get you a win."
Hinata smiled at Naruto. He's come so far with strategizing and overall building himself up to be more than what people fear him for. Naruto was very smart. Even the way they escaped in the leaf village. How Naruto utilized his clones to mix up the time frame of when they had actually left the village.
Pain worked with Naruto a lot. In the beginning Hinata feared that he would just extract the nine tails from Naruto and move on with his ultimate plan. She was wrong. It was weird a little how Pain just kind of took Naruto in. Like he saw something in Naruto that he didn't see before.
He shared with Naruto that he once knew an Uzumaki. Was good friends with him and gave Naruto some knowledge of what an Uzumaki was really capable of doing when it came to their massive amount of chakra.
Now, if you saw Pain then you would see Naruto. They were always beside one another and the same could be said about Hinata and Konan. Hinata was a favorite of many of the Akatsuki members. It drove Naruto insane, so he preferred Hinata to always be around Konan.
Konan would remind Naruto that Hinata was more than her looks. She was beautiful and deadly. Her deadly demeanor is what drew people around Akatsuki to Hinata. Still, her beauty was an added bonus.
Pain seemed slightly, if at all amused by the three people in front of him. A rare sight to see from him. "What is the time frame that you need?"
Naruto looked at Pain and thought over his leaders question, "What time frame do you need it done in? Give me that time sensei and I'll make it happen."
Konan hummed at the way Naruto spoke to Pain. In the beginning Naruto immediately pointed out that he didn't like Pain. The criminals in Akatsuki weren't people he respected, and Pain was a vile, evil man. Now look at them. The best of friends. Now Naruto only held mild anger in his eyes at Pain instead of all the time. Amazing what could happen in privately over a few month's time span.
Pain eyes slowly dragged over to Naruto, "One month. Make it happen."
Naruto just grinned as a reply.
"It doesn't seem like something the Akatsuki would be a part of Lady Tsunade."
Itachi and Kakashi were summoned to the Hokage's office to discuss Cloud Villages sudden economic collapse.
Tsunade sat in her seat and rubbed her temples, "The village computer systems over there are constantly crashing. They literally are relying on ninja's to act as the whole villages communications system and to do daily operations. Their power system is all out of whack. Which is horrible with the blazing heat of summer approaching and no one can cool themselves. They can't get any machinery functioning for daily operations and again have to rely on ninja's to basically function their village. It is too cost effective and people are losing money, can't pay their bills and to make it worse their trade routes are getting attacked heavily recently."
It had to be the Akatsuki, but yet it wasn't connecting to them.
Itachi listened intently to Tsunade and based on his dealings with Akatsuki it just wasn't connecting. "Akatsuki is a power force. They're about bombarding their way in and taking what they want. This is a bit too…savvy for them. Maybe another terrorist organization in emerging?"
Tsunade sighed as she tapped her nails on her desk, "Yeah. Well now their Raikage is requesting man power from their 'allies' until they can figure shit out. Like we're all not walking on egg shells at this point with one another. There is still heavy tension between all villages, but now we have to put that aside and work together."
Kakashi knitted his brows together at hearing this, "So where are most of their ninja's?"
Tsunade cringed at having to repeat the information given to her from the Raikage, "They can't send their Chunin and below outside the village to gather resources and investigate because the rogue ninja's taking advantage of the collapse would tear them to shreds. Also the Chunin are needed for the busy work around the village since their power sources are on the fritz. So they're sending the stronger out the village and yes that includes Killer B. Reason why they are requesting for immediate assistance."
Kakashi and Itachi looked at one another before looking back at Tsunade. The older Uchiha voicing his concern, "Doesn't this all scream a trap? Killer B isn't in the village as of now. He is one of the major trump cards of that village. With him far away the village is open season at this point. There is only so much the Raikage can do in the weakened state his village is in, and if you are correct and it is the Akatsuki. Then they will more than likely overpower and crush him before he had an appropriate chance to retaliate."
That's what he would have done.
Tsunade grumbled at them. Yes. She knew that. She was sure everyone knew that. Reason why so limited help was replying and being sent to Cloud. It was a clear, well planned trap.
"I mean honestly I don't want to send anyone, but that's not how treaties work. Minimum everyone else is sending 2 of their ninja's so that's what I will be doing. I can't afford to send you both, but I was aiming for you Kakashi and Sasuke. If you decided to take Sasuke's place Itachi than I wouldn't send Kakashi and honestly I don't know who I would send with you as your second."
Tsunade held her hands up as if listing off reasons why Itachi had to stay, "I can't send you and Sasuke because you two are the last Uchiha's. I don't want to send my elite Jonin and risk losing people that I might crucially need in case the same shit happens to us. Sakura is someone I can't lose. We need her medical knowledge and she is pretty much my protégé. Shikamaru and Guy. I can't lose them either. Can't send Hyuga Neji with you because he's the last Hyuga at this moment. I have to look at this from a strategic and a political perspective. So best case is to send Kakashi and Sasuke. They also have the highest possibility of coming back."
Tsunade never thought she'd be saying that about Sasuke.
Itachi nodded his head in understanding. She basically had him here today to let him down nicely that his brother was going on this sketchy mission. Tsunade knew Itachi would worry and possibly oppose it. So she wanted to give him the time and respect to explain it to him. "I understand."
Tsunade looked out her office window for a moment before she looked back at Kakashi and Itachi. "Kakashi. Just because I have a feeling. You keep a look out for Naruto and Hinata. Something's shifting and I don't really like it."
Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I really wanted to get it out.
This chapter lays a different perspective for Akatsuki now that Naruto and Hinata is there. Especially when dealing with Obito.
Next chapter will be a lot of Naruto and Pain. How Naruto has worked to control the nine-tails and about how much of a threat Naruto now is now. Whether or not his new power gained will be for the Akatuski's gain or not. Also a lot of Hinata and Konan bonding! Just because I think they make a cute miserable friendship.
Until next week!