Disclaimer: I do not own the series, Naruto, however, I do own the Naruto plush, a Gaara plush, and…a SASUKE one!! WHAHAHAHA!
Call It Fate: Part IX
They made it without further interruptions, hiding within the blistering sandstorm of the village. Protected both by the small windshield Temari had made, but unexpectedly, with help from Gaara as he deflected the sand from piercing them.
Sasuke frowned. Where were they to go? They were now currently, in the middle of the Sand Village, and if they haven't noticed it yet, once the sandstorm dies away, they'll be left open.
The blonde woman leading in front suddenly turned into a discrete alley, sliding her hands across the rough clay surface of the building.
"Here!" She exclaimed as she pushed in a small section as a door slid open.
The five of them ran in as the door slid shut behind them again. Dust rose from where they trampled as Temari switched a small lamp on as they headed down the narrow path, into a secluded room.
"Stinks in here." Hanabi muttered.
Neji kept his own comments quiet. It smelled like decay…a musty odor. His eyes narrowed as he glanced at a splattered watermark on the wall of the room next to him. A dark maroon, almost black color.
Blood. Dried Blood.
He glanced sideways at the other man.
Sasuke noticed it too, beside him on the other side was something of the similar, but the most surprising was the reaction of the red head in front of him, who had seemed to be frozen in place.
Gaara's eyes were wide as he took in the dim surroundings. Overturned and partially destroyed furniture. Blood stained walls. Broken lamps…
This is…
This had been where he was confined as a child…away from all others before his aunt had taken him in.
His eyes trailed up to meet his sister who gazed at him with hidden terror. They knew what this place was, and what it was to him. However, there was no other safe site within Sand territory that the Cloud would not know of.
Gaara's existence had to be hidden until he could control his powers, however, that never happened and instead, he was let go, as the mentally unstable person he was.
He didn't want to be here.
He never wanted to see this place again.
His fingers twitched. He wanted to destroy it, to get rid of it. It held too many memories, too much pain.
The black haired girl behind felt his distress. Hanabi didn't know him very well, be he didn't look very stable as he stood there and stared at an empty wall. He was starting to tremble now.
Whether she knew him or not, she couldn't let him go crazy on them at a time like this. He was an ally and she had to find her sister.
Reaching out, Hanabi laid a hand on his shoulder, gently squeezing it, she looked up at him.
"You okay?"
He glanced over at the younger woman briefly before shrugging her off and striding off to the farthest corner.
She frowned.
Fine then
He was even more unreasonable than Neji or Sasuke-kun! Picking out the other corner, she sat directed across from him.
Once in awhile, she had the initiative to glance up at him. His red hair contrasted greatly with the pale skin and the blue eyes. The black rings around his eyes were intriguing too.
He looked just like a little child. A spoiled, bratty kid whose mad at something. But…she really didn't want to be seen like that either. And in her circumstances, she was looked upon like that.
Hanabi didn't want to be seen as someone else's annoying little sister—but she didn't want to seem like a cold-hearted brat either. Hinata's critical condition a years ago made her realize that. When Hinata had been confined to the hospital room, no one visited her except her teammates, until one day she decided to come and accidentally overheard Kiba and Shino…talking about her unkind family. She wanted to change that now.
Hinata was a highly respected and reserved ninja. Sometimes she wished she had the intuition and compassion as her sister. Maybe then, she could've figured out what was wrong with the guy. He looked a bit weird…acted a bit weird…but that wasn't revolting or anything. It made him more…interesting and mysterious to her.
Hanabi gazed back up at him, but as it was, Gaara caught her and she turned away quickly, embarrassed.
He stared at her awhile longer, just to see if she would look back. And she did, for a second before she realized he had caught her once again.
"…What…?"
She blushed. He had noticed!
"Nothing," She mumbled, shaking her head and buried it in her arms. He didn't pursue further, but resumed staring at the ground.
"Hinata-san," Neji spoke up, breaking the silence, "Where would they most likely hold her?"
"We have not exactly confirmed where she is," Sasuke interjected.
"Of course we do!" Hanabi stood up abruptly, catching the glances from everyone, "She's missing from the Leaf, her bracelet was found on the border of Leaf and Sand, and there were two dead Cloud nins found in Konoha the morning of her missing. Don't tell me the Cloud just decided to send two random nins in for no apparent reason!"
Sasuke sighed and looked away. There goes his hope that Hinata hadn't been dragged into the mess here.
"If she's here," Gaara spoke up monotonously, "They'll most likely hold her at the main underground base."
"M-Main underground base?" Temari inquired, "It's a maze down there though! Even I haven't been all the way through. How would—"
"I've been in their prison hold."
Her ears perked up at the noise outside. Staggering to her feet, Hinata ran towards the door, hoping to hear of the action outside.
The Byakugan eyes were able to pick up heat censor movements outside her door…or more like going right past her door. Many ninjas were passing by, the remaining Sand and the many-transferred Clouds, commanded by a voice outside.
Someone approached her door and she immediately ran back, setting herself as far as possible.
A Cloud nin stood before her smirking, "Alright little lady, it's time for you to do your part."
Hinata growled and activated her Byakugan, but then resisted and deactivated. She was in a base full of enemies. There was no point of fighting back with such odds.
The nin stepped behind her, inching a kunai at her back as he tied her hands behind her. They made their way out the room and down a corridor, past the one where the many shinobis were gathering.
"What's happening?" She heard herself ask.
She wasn't expecting an answer, but got one anyway.
"Gathering forces for the invasion of Leaf."
Invasion…Already?! Konoha…it's not ready for that yet. How long have I been in there?
"And…what am I to you guys as of now?"
He smirked, "We're transferring you to the Cloud Village."
Alarmed, she stopped in the corridor, "N-Nani?!"
The point of the kunai pierced her momentarily and she winced, "Keep moving," He growled.
A swirl of sand sprayed across the room as the four inhabitants raised their arms to cover their face.
"They're gathering," Gaara stated, "It's almost time for them to move off to the Leaf."
"That's sudden," Hanabi mused, "They've barely resided in the Sand long."
Neji smirked, "I guess they want the Leaf that bad. A little too rash. We'll have to go back now and gather our forces for defense back at Leaf, don't we?"
"How about Hinata?" Sasuke interrupted, "Is she here?"
Gaara glanced at Hanabi, and hesitated, "Hai."
The girl lunged at him, "Well? What else?!"
"She's being taken back to the Cloud," Ignoring the girl grasping his shirt he continued, "It's easier to get her once she's out of the Sand Village. There's only four Cloud Chuunins escorting her."
Temari sighed, "Then we'll have to split up into three groups."
"Three?" Neji asked, "Why three?"
"One to find your friend, one to go alert the hidden Sand base, and one back to the Leaf."
"I'll get Hinata," Sasuke crossed his arms.
"So will I," Hanabi added.
"No," Neji frowned, "Hanabi-sama will have to go back to the Leaf."
"What?! She's my sister! I'm getting her!"
"I'll go with Uchiha," Gaara intercepted, looking at the Hanabi, "You get back to the Leaf."
Neji nodded, "You, woman, you're going to the Sand base." He gestured slightly at Temari.
Temari snorted, "I resent being addressed like that but I'll go."
"The Sand base would be Konoha's first line of defense, wouldn't it?"
She nodded.
"Then I'll go with you," Neji answered quickly, not letting her a chance to argue back. As much as he didn't like sending Hanabi back by herself, going to the Sand's hidden hideout would be a lot more dangerous.
He turned to the black haired girl, "Hanabi-sama, can you make it back to the Leaf by yourself?"
"Hmph." She glared at Sasuke and Gaara.
Temari smirked, "We'll take it as a 'yes'."
Gaara started for the exit, "They're all gathered at Western side, so it's safe to go back to through the way we came from. As for Hinata, I know a way that we can cut them off."
Much to her aggravation, she was once again, lifted over the shoulder of another ninja.
My back is going to hurt after this…
Hinata frowned and watched them make their way out of the Sand. There was nothing out here. Except dry and dead earth and trees. The other side of the Wind Country, facing the Fire Country…was a whole desert…sand and only sand. However, this end of it was…like a dead forest or something.
The earth was dry and cracked, and she could see a somewhat large crevice to her right.
There were only four Chuunins coming with her.
Easy enough.
She'll wait until they're far enough from back ups, and then she'll launch her own little attack.
The village disappeared from the horizon quickly at the speed they were going.
Immediately, she drew back her elbow sharply as it made contact with her carrier's skull with a sickening crack. Swinging herself off his shoulder, she jumped far away from the other three as they came towards her.
She had no time to untie the ropes around her legs and arms.
"BYAKUGAN!"
She placed both palms forward at the Chuunin coming straight at her. He took the full force of the impact and flew backwards. Throwing herself backwards, she flipped away from the attacks of the other two.
Exerting chakra through her palms and directing it at the ropes quickly, she broke the ones binding her hands.
Using handseals, she created herself a distraction.
"Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"
Reaching down, she tore away the ropes holding her feet together. Something alerted her and she looked up, just in time to dodge five kunais coming her way.
The three Chuunins came at her again and she readied herself for the last kick.
Unfortunately, they all fell down, limp, before they could reach her.
"Really reckless, Hinata."
She recognized the voice immediately, "Sasuke-kun!"
After her solitary confinement, meeting anyone she knew, she would've been glad and hugged them. Even if it was Neji-niisan.
Sasuke colored slightly at her throwing her arms around his neck, but wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on top of her head.
"You okay?"
She nodded in response, blushing slightly. It felt…nice…being in his arms for the first time. Hinata wasn't the type to throw herself so readily to anyone…but alas she was overjoyed that she wasn't making her way back to Konoha alone.
Just then, did she realize who was standing behind him.
She greeted him, embarrassed about her outburst, "A-Ah, thank-you too, Gaara-san."
He grunted in response.
"We have to get back to Leaf now," Sasuke pulled away and took a hold of her hand.
"Ah! The Cloud is planning to take over both Leaf and Sand," Hinata remembered from a conversation she overheard.
"What?" Gaara turned slightly around.
"Leaf may be their target, however, they want this whole territory out to the sea where the Mist is too. As much as I heard."
Sasuke squeezed her hand gently.
She looked up to see his eyes full of concern.
Blushing slightly she nodded.
"We'll have to get back to Leaf as quick as possible then," He shot a look at the other man, who had been watching the exchange carefully, "Lead the way."
Gaara tore his eyes away from Hinata and nodded, taking off.
They were both so similar…
Anyone could've gotten them mixed up if they hadn't looked closely.
The other one…Hanabi…was making her way back alone.
It hadn't taken as long as he thought to catch up with Hinata. They had barely been outside of the village when they caught up to her.
He sped up as he sensed the other two did too.
Maybe we could still catch up to her…
End: Part IX
YAYY! With a bit of delay…[[drum roll]] Part IX is finally up! Part X would be a bit delayed too, since as the summer concludes itself slowly for me, with two weeks left, my mom has decided, in her rightful mind to take me on a trip out of state and be back the day before my wisdom teeth gets pulled out…
DAMN
Haha, well, I'll try to get working on it soon…I'm just making this all up as I go…; more reviews would get me to start working sooner [[wink wink]]
For Lin/Akiko…it's just gonna be a BIT of GaaraHanabi - bear with me, I think it might be a bit cute. The deranged psychopath and the rash abrasive girl. Hrm, not bad.
Thanx lots for all the others who got me this far too! Ame-chan loves you all!
Ame