Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
Call It Fate: Part XI
"Nngh…" A pale woman turned over on her side, opening her eyes slightly, adjusting to the lighting of the room. The window had been left open and the sun was blinding her.
"Nnghh…" She flopped back down, covering her head with a pillow and curling up into a ball on her side.
"If you wanted the drapes to be closed, you could've asked," An amused voice broke the silence as she felt the light in the room dim.
"Sa…?" She was too tired to finish off his name, but she knew that it was him by his voice.
"Umh," The corner of the bed dipped down as someone sat there, "How are you feeling?"
She glanced at him before looking around the room.
One bed, a desk, a closet…nothing special.
This wasn't her room.
"Where…?" She inquired, although she already knew.
"My apartment," He stood up, "Hungry?"
She nodded and staggered up too, trying not to fall back down from the head rush.
Sasuke reached out one hand behind her back to steady her. Hinata could feel her cheeks color from being so close to him once again.
What's this feeling…?
It was nice.
It was a nice, peaceful feeling…like something she could depend on…at times when the village itself was at a state of frenzy.
Funny how they look at it…he had been through almost everything with her—her mother's death, her demotion, her kidnap…
Reaching out tentatively, she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest.
"…Thanks…for everything…"
She could tell he was smiling too, but the way he let out the half chuckle before encircling his arms around her and lowered his head. Hinata could feel his breath on her neck.
This…this…
The whole formation of how they were, was placing together like her dream from earlier…
Hinata blushed and pulled away abruptly, "I-I…bathroom…" And she tottered off, leaving a smirking Sasuke standing near the bed.
She closed the door of his bathroom and leaned on it.
Oh my gosh…I-I…almost…
Splashing water on her face, Hinata sighed. Yes, she wanted it. She wanted him. But was it the right time…? Was it all because the village was in a state of confusion? That she needed someone to lean on, lo and behold, she went towards the attachment with the most obvious bachelor?
She had felt a spark too, when she first met Gaara during the Sand's intrusion for the scroll. But that…was soon overlapped…
Was this…just a stage…?
And Sasuke…
Is he just going through a stage too…? That he just wants someone for this time of chaos…?
She sighed and exited the bathroom, meeting the amused face of Sasuke.
"W-What…?"
He shook his head smirking, "Nothing. Let's go." Sasuke leaned down quickly when she wasn't expecting it and gave her a small peck on the cheek.
"W-Wha…?!"
By the time she composed herself, he was already half way out the door, smirking.
Maybe you'll realize with time…Hinata…
"It's so quiet," Her lavender eyes searched around before laying back on him.
His dark hair grazed the tree branch as he crouched down to listen for invaders coming their way.
Hinata leaned back on the tree trunk, "D-Do you think it's over…already?" Her hair stuck to the sides of her face as sweat beads rolled down. The katana she strapped on her back was starting to initiate its weight on her sagging shoulders.
She had gotten her hair cut before the invasion started to make it easier on her movements.
Which had been a good idea.
It had been barely three days after she recovered from her exhaustion when the signal was lighted as the first groups of Cloud ninjas were spotted within range.
Sasuke made his way over to her and sat down, letting his legs dangle off as they stared at the pink sky. The forest was dimming, which could be an advantage to them with Hinata's Byakugan. More shadows fell upon the trees and bushes, covering up the dried blood and limp bodies lying on the ground.
"I…hope it is…" He glanced up at her and smirked, "You desperately need a bath, Hina-chan."
She blushed at his new name for her, "N-Not like you don't need one either!"
Sasuke focused back ahead as he sniffed the air and smiled slightly, "I guess you're right…"
He leaned to the side, resting his head on her legs. Her face colored slightly as she sat down and wrapped her arms around him, leaning her face into the crook of his neck. She was sick and tired of this.
She closed her eyes and sighed. Resting in an area with enemy dead bodies wasn't exactly the best place, but they were both exhausted and lost from the other two members of their team…for about a week already. She liked his company, but just not in these circumstances. She'd rather be working somewhere in the hospital. The battlefield was just not her place. Hinata gazed down at the figures below.
Not a body was moving around them.
"Barely Chuunin level…"
"There's…more coming this way," She glanced in the direction the previous team had came from, "Another eight."
"Shit," He cracked his knuckles.
He could feel his strength diminish slowly, he was running out of Chakra, and could tell that Hinata was on the same boat. Her breathing was more labored and she used a tree to lean against in between the next fights.
Have to get back to Konoha…at this rate, neither of us are going to make it…
Should he just tell her to follow the path and get there first, and he'll hold them off? That way, at least one of them would survive.
At the noise, he turned to glance at her.
Pulling the string away from her, Hinata set forth of weaving a web of thin wires in the direction that the Cloud team was coming towards.
"We have approximately a minute before they arrive."
He nodded and quickly went back to his perch as she sunk into the shadows of the trees.
She held her breath as she crouched in the shadow of a huge pine. Her capacity was running low and they've been fighting since daybreak. Hinata glanced at the cold body lying in front of the tree. The guy whom she had slammed against the trunk in one solid hit. Had cracked his skull, messed up his nerve ends, and snapped his spine. Not to mention the large burn in front where her palm connected.
Ugh, stupid…
She had used too much in one blow. She should've conserved it.
A small whoosh in the trees signaled the entrance of the first Cloud nins, and immediately, her traps went off, exploding from tree to tree.
Two down…
Using the ground as a spring, she lunged towards the nearest enemy, raising her right leg, delivering a roundhouse that sent him spinning backwards.
One grabbed her from behind as a mass of kunais flew down from the top. Hinata quickly spun around, grabbing the nin behind and stabbed him in the stomach with a kunai as she fell onto her back, using the half-dead nin as a shield. The kunais from above speared straight through him likes pins through a cushion and he coughed up blood as a last sigh of life all over her face.
She threw the dead body to the side and rolled into a crouching position.
Not enough chakra…
To her right, another one was coming.
Sasuke leapt off the branch as soon as he saw Hinata come from her spot. The Cloud nin that had sent the kunais at Hinata was still floating in the air momentarily and has not sense him behind yet. He spun in the air and delivered a kick, which she saw and tried last minute to protect her face from.
The Cloud nin flew towards the tree, but then exploded in a cloud of smoke.
Kage Bushin…Shit…
He glanced down at Hinata, who was fighting the only other moving figure in the area.
Where is she…?
Out of the corner of his eye, Sasuke noticed that she wasn't using her Byakugan…must've ran out of Chakra like he did. He stopped using his Sharingan awhile ago.
If there's more…we're screwed
Taijutsu alone won't get them through if they were to meet a formidable opponent…
Which he sensed was the ninja that had sent out the clone.
For some unknown reason…he could not track her presence.
"SASUKE!!" He heard Hinata scream.
The wind behind him shifted slightly and his eyes widened. As fast as he could, Sasuke lunged forward, twisting in the air to face behind him.
He saw Hinata kick her lifeless opponent to the ground and run towards him pointing.
"A little slow now, aren't we?"
Shit
He spun around and raised one arm, blocking the kick that was for the middle of his spine. His feet touched the ground and he slid backwards from the power of that blow.
Sasuke stopped, one hand grazing the ground while the other reached back behind him at the pouch. Hinata was in her stance right beside him.
The Cloud nin landed on the ground lightly, flicking her orange hair behind her. The pale skin on her arms and face were flawless.
Hinata's eyes widened.
Not a single scratch…or trace of blood…
This wasn't like the Chuunins that Sasuke and her had breezed through…this girl was the same level…and they were both exhausted…
The girl slid into her own fighting form and before Hinata could count to three, she attacked.
Hinata pivoted, at the same time, raising her right leg to roundhouse, which connected with the girl's right arm. Moving quickly, she followed through and lifted her left leg, delivering a high back kick, which sent the Cloud nin to jump backwards.
The Cloud nin had not retreated because of Hinata's kick, but rather the kunais that were sent her way from Sasuke, who was crouched behind Hinata.
He grimaced at the movement. His side throbbed with unbearable pain.
Sasuke glanced up to catch a glimpse of Hinata going all-out Taijutsu with the Cloud nin.
Shit
He had to do something to help her. But he could barely move his legs anymore. They felt like jelly now. He was going to pass out anytime.
…No…
He couldn't just leave her all alone.
Hinata slammed against the tree trunk from the effect of her punch. A kunai flew at her, puncturing right through her left shoulder and right thigh, hitching into the tree.
She let out a little shriek of pain as she felt the warm liquid pour out from the wounds and stain her clothes, and as much, the tree trunk.
She braced herself with the tree and glanced up at the Cloud nin racing at her…with a katana in hand.
…No…
Using her right hand, she reached down and pulled out the kunai from her thigh. In her mouth, she could taste the metallic feel of blood as she bit her lip from the pain.
…Crap…
She wouldn't be able to move from it.
…Here goes…
Timing herself, once the girl was within range, and out of range of dodging, Hinata reached back with her right hand and pulled out her own sword and thrust it forward.
It pierced right through the other girl's heart…just barely through to the other side.
Hinata gave a gasp of surprise at her own unprotected left side, where the Cloud nin's sword should've punctured.
Oh my gosh…Sasuke…
She let go of her sword, not caring as the Cloud nin doubled back as she pulled out the kunai stapling her back, ignoring the rush of pain, as she caught the falling man in front of her.
The sword had gone all the way through him, although it missed his heart.
I…I…
She had to take it out…somehow…
Gathering the small amount of Chakra left in her into her hands, she proceeded to remove the protruding sword.
His heart rate was declining fast, and she worked faster, trying not to jiggle the sword, or it might damage other organs.
She threw aside the bloody katana and lifted up his shirt to inspect the fatal wound.
It was deep…
He was losing blood quickly.
Most people…die…from stomach wounds…
She couldn't though…
She couldn't let him die…
Not so soon…not now…
Hinata only had a little Chakra left after the removal of the sword, but she worked with it anyway…
If…If I can't heal him fully…I can at least…stop the bleeding…
She choked back a sob. She didn't want to be here alone…alone with all the other dead ninjas. Hinata wanted him to live…to live with her. Her own blood loss and dizziness was no concern as her shaking hands tended around his bleeding torso.
…all this blood…
She wasn't afraid of it…
Then why did she shiver like so, just staring at it?
Hinata was afraid…afraid not of the blood…but of Sasuke dying…of him leaving her…
The scenery around her started to dim.
I-It's night already…?
Her head felt heavy, but the dim glow of her hands kept her working at the wound. Her movements seemed more sluggish…and the world around her seemed to blur.
Keep him alive…just keep him alive…
When she had fallen over, she could barely feel the pain from her shoulder and legs…but only the cold night wind against her moist bloody back.
Keep him alive…
She heard and felt the slow thudding of his heart near her ear.
"…please…"
End: Part XI
Aiyaa…I though I would never finish this chapter. But hey, I did! pats myself on the back
Well, people, you've been with me throughout this story greatly, and it saddens me much to say that, the next chapter is probably going to be the last.
Well, review please!
For Plum Pocky, you are very welcome to add it to your SasuHina community…and btw, would anyone want to enlighten me on what the C2 thingies are? They're like unused buttons on my screen, and I am utterly confused of their functions and purpose…haha
Ame