AN: don't own NAruto and Cie. Sorry for long wait, but I'm tired and have a lot of work now.
chapter 9: blood and water
/// Hinata POV///
In a deaf rail, I see the young ninja falling to ground. Her face reflects her suffering, she doesn't understand. She doesn't understand that she is dying. Was she unaware of the power of Byakugan? Undoubtedly not. But she lent the ear to those which said that I was weakest of my clan, that I was worth nothing, and she believed to be able to beat me. Poor woman. If only she had earlier realized her error, I would have let her leave without killing her. But it's already too late for her.
She was a young hunter of deserter, avid to prove her strenght. I must admit that she did a good work of investigation and research. She succeeded in finding me. For the first time since nearly one year, a hunter of deserter found the place where Itachi and I spent the night. But she made an error. She saw that I was alone. SHe thought that she could kill me.
Oh, I recognize that she didn't have much of another choice:
If she had left to seek reinforcements, we would have left before her return.
If she had waited until I fall asleep to attack, she took the risk to see Itachi arrives . And she would never have tried to fight against Itachi.
If she had waited until the others membres of her teams joins her, we would have already left too.
There remained to her only two options: to try to beat to me now, or to admit her failure.
This last choice was the only viable one. But to agree to see our escape after having passed so much time to seek us, to agree to have failed in her mission, it was too hard for her. Then she made the fatal choice.
She attacked me.She had prepared the ground very well: she waited until I take a shower, she prepared traps and jutsu in advance and took me by surprise.
I was wounded, at the beginning. Her kunai sliced the skin of my chest, it's only by reflex that I don't have had the heart transpierced . I didn't say by chance, I said by reflex. Reflexes acquired gradually since my escape of Konoha.
The hot water of the shower continued to run throughout our combat, involving with the blood which ran from my wounds. The red net of blood slipping on my skin gave her even more energy to beat me, She really believed to be close to the victory.
Naked and disarmed, streaming of soap, the wet hair falling on my eyes, I really resembled an easy prey. She thought that the narrowness of the bathroom would give her the advantage: my movements would be blocked, while her weapons would reach me easily. What a lack of judgement! it's in the close fight that we, Hyugas, are most frightening.
Did she think that I had forgotten the specific style of combat to our family when I left the village?
Did she think that I was satisfied to dodge her blow?
Each one of my gestures sent insidiously my chakra inside her body, reaching her lungs, destroying them gradually.
Now she lie on the ground, unable to breathe, a slow and painful death by smothering. I don't want to let her suffer. I take her kunai and I open her throat with only one gesture. She stops suffering. Her red blood runs out on the white tiling, mixing with water and the soap. I look at the red and the white to mix, to intermingle... like Itachi and me. It is beautiful. A little morbid, but beautiful.
Crime. It's my life.
I don't even need to raise the eyes to know that Itachi is behind me. I feel it, I know it. He knows that I have felt his presence. He saw me fighting this girl. If I had been in danger, He would have killed her himself, but he doesn't have needed it. He needs it seldom. I can protect myself. I want to protect myself.
No need to speak, we know that we must flee. In a few seconds, I am equipped, and we run in the night. One minute later hardly, I see, far behind us, the other hunters deserter arrive at our refuge. They will find there only the body of one of theirs. Her name will be engraved on the stone stele. And others ninjas will be still launched to our pursuit, but it doesn't worry us. When we are together, we are strong.
When you are with me, Itachi, I am strong. Since we are together, I feel strong. I didn't become stronger, I became only aware of my capacities, of my own force. I am not any more afraid of using it. I am not any more afraid to disappoint. I found my way. And as strangely as that can seem... It's with you that I follow the best my way of Shinobi.
Woman of the shadow, assassinates, hidden, invisible, achieving her missions without showing her feelings.
I feel true ninja, isn't it strange?
Lost in my thoughts, my step slowed down. Itachi turns over and looks at me. His face is impassive, but I can read in his eyes that he feels anxious. He must wonder if my wounds are more serious than their appearance suggest. I smiles to him under my mask. He's reassured, but slowed down nevertheless to remain on my level, to help me if I need help. I am the only person in the world for who he worries. And I am the only person in the world who worries for him.
We continue to run, to advance.
The world is vast.
The hunters will not find us.
end of chapter 9
I wanted to describe a combat with Hinata. But i'm not totally happy about how this chapter goes...
