Second chapter: Messenger of Destruction

It was a dark day in the Konoha Village. It wasn't raining yet, but the clouds were clinging so closely to the ground that it was obvious the rain would come and very soon. People were trying their best to avoid getting wet and were rushing through the streets to finish whatever errand they had. The dark grey clouds gave a low rumble and some people looked up to the sky thinking if there would be a storm.

A young woman could be seen walking in the restless street. She had her hood cast on her face so no one could see what she was thinking. But even if the hood was pulled down to her shoulders the white eyes wouldn't reveal anything. Wouldn't or couldn't. The woman hurried her pace to get home before the storm would begin. She pulled her coat tighter around her form to escape the cold. Turning around a corner she heard someone calling her name. She instantly raised her head and her muscles tensed; she was obviously nervous about something. The voice was muffled because of the strong wind.

"Hinata-sama!" came the calling again, this time it was a little closer. The woman, Hinata, saw a dark figure before her. She burrowed her eyebrows slightly. What could bring someone to her in this weather? She judged the form in front of her and came to a decision that the figure didn't mean any harm and was seemingly waiting for her to come closer. She walked towards the figure, lessening the gap between them.

"What brings you to me in this weather?" she voiced her thoughts aloud, straightening her somewhat slumped form. She appeared to be tall, taller than an average woman.

"Th-there is bad news, Hinata-sama. Please come with me quickly." Now Hinata noticed that it was a man. She heard his voice trembling. Was it from running, or was it something else? Fear, perhaps?

"Alright", Hinata replied, without too much hesitation. "I'll come with you if you tell me where we have to go and what does it have to do with me."

"Uhh- Right. We should go to the Hyuga residence and there you will learn the details." The man turned on his heels and gestured that Hinata would follow him. " I'll tell you this: it's going to be a war." They both fell silent. He gave Hinata time to recover from the shock of the word 'war' but when Hinata almost instantly gave him an affirmative reply it was he who got startled.

Hinata sensed his tensed form and easily guessed the reason. "Why waste any time here when something as important as this is going on?" Her eyes examined the man. He nodded and started to walk again. Hinata followed a little behind, wondering what was going on.

They walked in silence for a while and Hinata heard the man murmuring to himself. She didn't express her thoughts aloud but inside she was trying to get some sense to it. What on earth was going on? She had asked that several times already but she didn't have any answers.

"Umm", Hinata began softly, "do you happen to know what I have to do with this affair?" Her hands straightened her thick pullover absent-mindedly. Even though she was surrounded by different people all the time, she still felt uncomfortable around them. Maybe it was because she never opened up to anyone. She was silent and well-mannered with others and that side of her had became a mask she wore almost constantly. Hinata had been taught to be that way ever since she was born.

"I'm afraid I don't. The elders just sent me to find you and they didn't tell me anything else." The messenger was obviously in great uneasiness. No wonder, thinking about the situation.

"Then could you at least tell me your name?" Hinata demanded.  She was annoyed with his vague answer, which caused her to be a little quick-tempered, something that was out of her docile character.

 "Kakyo", he answered shortly. He was only beginning to calm down after he had heard about the approaching war so he greatly admired her self-control. Or maybe she just locked her true confusedness inside and let her outside stay cool and composure. He didn't know anything else about this mysterious incident than he had informed Hinata-sama. He was wondering what the elders had been discussing about during the time he had spent on searching her -and maybe they still did and made decisions that Hinata-sama couldn't disobey. He was glad he wasn't in her place because when he had listened to the elders' speaking it sounded serious-- very serious.

Kakyo and Hinata kept on walking through the dark streets. It had begun to rain lightly but the wind had disappeared. The streets were almost empty and only few passer-bys could be seen running hastily away from the rain. It was strangely quiet and calm. Calm before the storm.

After a moment they reached the Hyuga residence's main gates. Hinata looked up to the wall and saw a guard hovering over the edge. What a strange position, she thought, when the guard suddenly fell down. Beside her Kakyo darted to catch the falling guard, but Hinata was faster. She caught the guard just before he met the ground, softening his landing. Hinata was shocked; had the man been sleeping or had he just collapsed? She took a quick look at him and her eyes widened. The guard had blood trickling down his chin and his face was cold to touch.

Hinata looked to Kakyo who had come to kneel next to the guard who was now lying on the ground. He, too, was quite startled. Hinata quickly examined the guard to see what was wrong. Maybe the guard had just gotten ill and vomited blood. But that didn't explain his closed eyes and cold body. Then Hinata saw bloody marks in the back of the guard. He had been stabbed.

There were five clean jabs in his back and one in his shoulder. Now Hinata knew that the guard hadn't just fainted. He had been murdered, but for what reason? And who had done it? Was it just a warning? But why had the murderer killed an innocent guard who had done nothing but his work?

Hinata's and Kakyo's eyes met and Kakyo said, "We'd better get him to the elders. Maybe they can say something about this."

Hinata nodded and got up. She helped Kakyo to raise the dead guardian to his shoulders. Luckily, one other guard came to open the gates so they got inside the residence. The guardian didn't ask anything but it was clearly visible that he was shocked at the sight before him. It could have been anyone of the guards or anyone in the whole residence.

They got inside and the guard who had escorted them left to do his errand outside. Silently, Hinata gave him a word of courage, hoping that the accident wouldn't repeat itself in this evening.

 Kakyo and Hinata walked down the corridor that would take them to the elders.  Kakyo, with the body on his shoulders walked ahead and Hinata followed.

They reached the door to the conference room and opened it slowly. They were greeted silently by the gazes of the elders. Hinata closed the sliding door behind her when they stepped inside. Kakyo dropped the body carefully to the ground and brought his eyes questioningly to meet the elders. They didn't speak anything for it was clear to the elders what had happened.

During the silence in the room Hinata had time to observe everyone in the room. There was the Hokage -Tsunade, her father -Hiashi, one older man whose name Hinata didn't know and several Leaf-Jounins.

She suddenly felt faint and she had to kneel down so that she wouldn't fall. She got the feeling that she had seen this before. Everyone was deadly serious and the atmosphere was suffocating. Images were spinning in her head vividly and she fell down clutching her head. She remembered.

She heard voices in her head. They were muffled as if coming from far away. Her head ached sharply and she tried to shake it off but she found that she couldn't move. She took a deep breath and tried again but the pain in her head just increased. Only then she noticed that she couldn't see anything, only blackness circled around her. The blackness had shades of dark grey and dark blue in it.

Once again Hinata found herself wondering what was going on when she heard the voices again. She tried to focus in listening. At first the headache attacked her with full force but then it decreased and Hinata could hear the voices clearer.

"That's why the Branch Families exist." Hinata heard a voice say. "We will have to hand over Hizashi's body in place of yours." Hizashi… Hinata thought about her uncle who had passed away when she was still a very young girl.

"Hizashi has already agreed…" the same voice said. What? Was Hizashi alive? Hinata was so deep in her thoughts that she missed the next part of the conversation. Then she snapped out of the almost trance-like situation she had fallen in to hear a little more:

"Hand over Hyuga Hiashi's body." What? What is happening?

"You must have the heart to let go of even a sibling to protect that blood", the same voice kept talking, "and that's the destiny of those born as Hyuga."

Hinata's eyes shot open. She saw Hokage bent over her. Her eyes darted to meet hers and then she quickly broke the contact. Hinata saw her father standing a little farther and his expression was on of sorrow and guilt.

She stood up shakily and bowed to the Hokage. Then she walked to stand next to Kakyo and the dead guardian.

"Well, then", Hinata began. "I'd like to hear more about these… confusing events both Kakyo-san and I have gone through."

"Right, straight to the point, I see", the Hokage said. She was astonished by Hinata's acting but continued, "That's not so like you, Hinata-san."

"I- I think I have endured pretty much evading for this evening", Hinata replied with a hint of surprise towards herself for being so impolite to the Hokage. Her hands twitched and it was a sign that her old habit was creeping back to her. The desire to pull her fingers to cover her eyes was almost overpowering but she stifled the feeling and her hands remained near her sides.

"Alright, then. I- we will tell you as much as we know about the situation. I assure you, we will be totally honest and won't leave anything out" The Hokage looked at everyone in the room. "Hiashi-san, will you tell her, or will I do it?" Tsunade asked turning to Hinata's father.  The Hokage appeared to be about in her twenties but behind her mask she was well above sixty.

Hinata's father was silent for a while, pondering what to say and then answered. "I think we should wait for Neji-kun to arrive before we start telling them anything."

Hinata was surprised to hear the name of her cousin. "What does this have to do with Brother Neji?" she asked.

"Be patient, Hinata", her father said quietly. "You will learn everything once he comes."

Just then the door slid open and a man stepped in. He was well built and his long, black hair was in a ponytail. His milk-white eyes stared at everyone in the room absorbing everything but giving nothing in exchange. His eyes swept past the dead guardian without a flicker and then he finally settled his gaze upon Hinata, who tried to pull away from the glare but found that she couldn't break the contact.

Hinata blushed fiercely and stammered her greeting quietly. "Brother Neji… Y- you came…" Hinata could have kicked herself. Why did she always get so nervous around brother Neji? It was as if she was a fly in a spider's web, she couldn't do anything but watch as he devoured her. She hated herself for that.

"Obviously", Neji replied grimly. "What is it that needs my attention?" He turned his mirror-like eye to the Hokage and Hiashi, ignoring Hinata.

"Many things would require your attention but this is one of the most important ones, if not the most important."

The Hokage continued. "Yes, this matter also needs Hinata's attention. As you have been told, there will be a war." The room fell into an uncomfortable silence and some people exchanged quick glances. "The guard who was not murdered by accident", the Hokage pointed at the forgotten body on the floor. "It was by chance, however, that he was in their sight to be used as a warning." There was no mercy in her voice.

"In who's sight?" Hinata asked. She was wondering if the discussion she had just a while ago remembered had anything to do with this.

"Fine. I see you cannot be distracted. I'll get this straight. The Cloud Village has announced that they will start a war. If we don't give Hinata-san to them", the Hokage told with a hardened voice. She was clearly serious about this.

"What?! Why would they want me? I'm not a good ninja, I don't have any influence over people-",

"And you have the Hyuga ability, Byakugan." Hinata had started to decline frantically but was cut off by the Hokage who added, "And you are the heir of the Hyuga clan."

"Oh. I guess… I see", Hinata said softly, understanding, feeling a tinge of bitterness at this true statement.

"One more thing." The Hokage was hesitant to tell Hinata those words that would crush her. "The Cloud Village wants you dead."

A choked silence filled the room.

Hinata felt herself drown. This wasn't reality.

This wasn't happening.

This couldn't be happening to her.

Neji was looking at her and for the first time in her life she didn't notice. Her widened eyes stared blankly to the space. Neji saw her lips forming words, but the movement was so small he couldn't discover what she was saying. He let his eyes sweep past her to meet the eyes of the Hokage. Her expression was so serious she couldn't be joking. Not that he thought she would.

"Now, now, Hinata-san. There's no need to worry. Of course we won't give you to them", the fifth Hokage comforted Hinata. Hinata closed her eyes to recollect herself. When she returned to the current situation she opened her eyes and let out a sigh of resignation.

"This kind of situation has happened before, right?" Hinata was thinking about the discussion in her memory, even though she couldn't understand why she remembered it so clearly.

Hiashi almost choked on his breath. Why did she ask such a thing? Nobody had mentioned the situation very much like this since the day the truth about the day had been told to Neji. It had been the exactly same situation as this. If they made the same decision as seventeen years ago they would send Neji to his death. But now Hiashi didn't want either of them to die. He would give his own life if it would save them.

"The same exact situation." Hiashi's answer was straight and harsh, clearly showing that he had nothing else to say about it.

"I… I remember it", Hinata said softly. "I remember what happened after that discussion though I don't know why. Maybe I heard you talking and listened to you. You don't have to speak anymore, father, for it clearly pains you."

The fifth Hokage coughed. "I will not allow the same incident to happen as it did seventeen years ago. I thought it would be the best if Hinata-san went hiding somewhere far away."

"I still don't see what part I play in this", Neji said aloud. He was starting to get tired of the event. It brought back too many painful memories for him.

"Ah." The Hokage turned to Neji. "This is where you step in. You will be Hinata-san's guardian. You two will get away from the village and the fewer people know about your leaving the better. Nobody will know where you two will go, not even us. That place is for you to decide. I would rather have a war against the Cloud than give Hinata-san over. But I'm afraid that my single opinion in the case of war wouldn't matter since my responsibility is the whole village and I can't sacrifice all these people for you…"

Neji hadn't had time to decline being Hinata's escort but he surely wasn't going to hide. He took a quick glance at Hinata and saw her looking at the Hokage. They would have to talk. He couldn't refuse being her guardian so if he would have to do that he would do it his own way.

"When will we leave?" he asked.

"As quickly as possible. The Cloud Village might be on their way anytime. You should leave at night and in silence so that people wouldn't see."

"This case is finished, we will leave immediately."

"Huh? Now? Why so soon? Couldn't we at least wait 'til tomorrow?" If Hinata would have to leave, she would do it as late as she could. She wondered Neji's attitude towards this. He sounded as if he was earnest to leave! But he hated her. Why didn't he try to refuse being her guardian?

"Like Hokage-sama said, there is no time." Neji wasn't going to just sit there, letting others decide. It was time for him to make his move. If Hinata didn't get a word out of herself, he would have to do that. "We will leave tonight. And now we will have to go to discuss about our hiding place."

"Okay", Hinata said meekly. She wasn't a person to defy the commands of other people.

"Well. I bid you farewell, then." Neji turned to walk out of the door and waited for Hinata outside.

"I- I should probably go too…" Hinata cast a look at her father who she wouldn't likely see ever again. She started to walk towards the door when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Hinata turned around to see her father behind her. His eyes were full of sorrow. He spread his arms to hug Hinata and she accepted the gesture of comfort and hugged him tightly. She felt his silent tears and looked up to his eyes.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry for everything I've put you through, my dearest child", he said softly. "I'm going to lose my other precious person…"

"Father, don't talk like that. You know I will return." Hinata tried to encourage her father and herself, too.

"You should leave." Hiashi turned around and hid his tears. He would have to be strong. He had to protect the last precious persons he had.

Hinata nodded silently, a little hurt for his cold shoulder. She walked through the sliding door and when she was turning to her right her arm was captured by a strong hand. Neji had pulled her out of the light to a shadowed corner. They kneeled down and looked at each other.

"We won't hide and you know that", Neji said without hesitation.

Hinata nodded, she had anticipated this. I won't hide anymore.

"What should we do, then? Should we go and assassinate the person who wants me dead?" Hinata suggested.

To her surprise, Neji nodded. He had been thinking about that solution, too. The journey to the Cloud Village would be long and dangerous, but he didn't care. He wasn't going to be hiding in some cave eating berries for the rest of his life.

"Then. We should go packing. Let's meet at the main gates after fifteen minutes. And make sure nobody sees you." Without another word, he left.

Hinata went to gather her belongings, nothing but the most important ones: a water bottle, clothes if the weather changed and weapons; a myriad of weapons. When –not if but when- the enemies attacked, she wasn't going to surrender.