Drip
The room was silent, except for the sound of her breath and the occasional drip of water.
Drip
Time passed slowly, or so it seemed. How long had she been here? Where was here?
Drip
The cold damp air had no motion. The smell of sulphur mixed with that of the stale musty atmosphere. There was another odor too, one that filled her with shame and embarrassment. There were no pots, buckets, or recesses in her dark cramped cell. When nature called, she had no choice but to answer.
Drip drip
Reaching her hands out again, Hinata rubbed them along the chill and rough metal bars. Trapped. Trapped like a bird in a cage. She pushed herself away, and then tripped, stumbling backward. The stone of the natural cave around her was brittle, crumbling at her touch. But, the brick, mortar, and rocks of her man-made cell wall were firm, hard, unyielding. The pile of sticklike objects in one corner was accompanied by something dry and leathery. There was also something that felt a great deal like hair.
Drip.
The droplet of water ran down her face, following a course her tears once blazed. The taste was strong, with the tang of some unidentifiable mineral. At least she was unharmed, physically. She was worried and afraid, but not in pain.
Drip
She wished for even the smallest spark, the most miniscule bit of light. The utter darkness weighed upon her spirit. It was worse than just an absence of light. Somehow, it felt as if she could hear, smell, taste, and touch the darkness.
Drip
Hinata's stomach grumbled. Her throat felt parched. She had not eaten anything for more than a day, and that had been a small bowl of rice grabbed on the run. Nor had she had anything to drink, with the exception of the small trickle of odious liquid that ran down the rear of her unseen enclosure, in ceaseless obedience to gravity.
Drip
The silence pushed in upon her senses. Every so often she called out, just to hear the echo. Afraid that she might drive herself to madness, she quietly talked to herself, feeling the need for a human voice. No one had spoken a word to her. Not during her abduction. Not during the blindfolded journey. Not when she had been dragged down into the bowels of the earth. Not after she had been thrown in her small space.
Drip
"I wonder if I'm here for the reason that Jiraiya spoke of. I was afraid when I heard those words. But, because I was with Naruto, I did not let it worry me. When I could not see him any more, I pushed such thoughts from my mind. Should I have been more careful? Was there anything I could have done?" Hinata swallowed hard. She knew that she was in danger. That was bad enough. But, if she was being used as bait, that meant that Naruto would be in danger, too.
Drip drip
"Will Naruto come for me? I know that he would want to... and I... I want to see him again. There is something I wanted to tell him." Hinata's hand slid across the rocks beneath her. She bumped up against something, setting it to rocking. Running her fingers over it, she gasped. It was a human skull. Those other mysterious objects were all that remained of some other poor captive. "N-N-Naruto-kun…."
Drip.
The frightened girl wanted to bring her hand to her mouth. She dare not do so after touching what she did. "If Naruto tries to rescue me, they will capture him too, and they will do terrible things to him" She hung her head. If her boyfriend came, what would happen to her if he were captured? And, if he never comes, what then?" Something scurried quickly across the ground near her leg. She squeaked in surprise. The small intruder… a rat... did the same, and then left through some small space, accompanied by the sound of falling pebbles.
Drip drip
Naruto might not be able to come. Who knows what his master might do to keep him from danger? Would he even want to come, after the things that her father had said and done? How could the Hokage or the other Legendary Sannin allow that group of criminals a chance to gain the thing they desired? What would she do, if the situation was reversed? As much as she had made Naruto a part of her life, even before he truly realized that she existed, could she walk into a certain trap, intent on rescuing the boy she loved? She wasn't certain. And while she admitted to herself that she loved Naruto, she had no assurances that he felt the same way. How could he? They had only been dating for a short while. Before that, she had been someone he had respected, a girl who strove to better herself despite the obstacles that Fate put in her way.
What good would it do him to care about her? How could he feel anything but sadness and pain, if the two of them would never be allowed to see one another again? Hinata clenched her fists tightly. She smacked one hard against an unseen metal bar, bruising her flesh and tearing free a shallow flap of skin. She could feel her hand tingle, and recognized the sensation of blood welling in her wound. It wasn't fair. None of it was fair. She had tried to grow stronger, and managed to do so. She kept her hopes up, and when she had gathered enough courage, sought Naruto out. With luck and perseverance, she won the chance to earn his affections. But, when things were looking up, her father stepped in, ripping her world up into little pieces. Her missions after that had gone poorly, and she had exposed herself and her team mates to unnecessary peril. She had become cold and inconsolable. And she had ended up here.
Drip drip
"Why?" She took a small roll of bandages out of her coat pocket and tended to her injury. "Why did this have to happen? Why, father?" Her thoughts went back to her ceremony. It had been a momentous day. Foolishly, she had hoped that her family would accept Naruto. Neji did. Why shouldn't the others? Happy to be part of her father's world again, she had worked hard to learn the nuances of the Tea Ceremony. Head held high, she had recited the ritual words in front of the Hokage, a small feeling of pride buoying her in a way she had never felt before. Filled with a heady mix of fear and surety, she had stepped out in her kimono for the world to see. For Naruto to see.
"You, of all people, are not welcome here on this day!" Hiashi pointed to Naruto. "Leave immediately." The guards shouted instructions to the crowd. Startled guests began moving away from Naruto, clearing an avenue for the proscribed exit. Neji stood by Naruto's side.
Her world had shattered like a fragile pane of glass with those words. The pieces were still there, and a skilled craftsman could have taken them and put things back together.
"Now, daughter!" Her father had turned to look at her. "Right now! Do not dare shame me and the clan in this manner. You do not know what is at hand here. I have no obligation to explain it to you now."
The pieces had broken into smaller fragments, scattering across the floor of her heart like sharp grains of sand. Her pleas had gone ignored.
"If you take one step off of the estate, do not bother coming back." Her father's words to her caused the crowd to go dead quiet. She froze. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. Her father had disowned her once. Was he ready to do so again? Had her hopes all been for naught? "Furthermore, you are henceforth forbidden to associate with that young man. Heed my words. That decision is final!
The pieces of her life had been at risk of blowing away forever, caught in a gust of injustice and bad fortune. A tear ran down her face, invisible in the darkness. That first time, her initial reaction had been shock and disbelief. Now, it was pain and loss. What had she ever done to deserve any of this? Why was it wrong to be shy and quiet, while everyone else competed to see who could speak the loudest and longest? For what reason was she denied the things that so many other girls foolishly took for granted?
Drip
There was the faintest of noises, so far away that Hinata wondered if she was imagining things. Was it just wishful thinking? There was no sign of fighting or a struggle. It couldn't be a rescue, could it?
"Why? Why are you doing this to your daughter? You cast her out once before, just because she wasn't as talented as you had hoped." Naruto looked at her. He then switched his gaze over to her cousin. "Neji was treated poorly enough, despite the sacrifice your twin brother made for you." He glared at her father. "But, why do something worse to your own daughter?" Naruto's robes began to flutter slightly. There was no breeze. "Old Lady Tsunade, you know my dream. You valued it once, because it echoed those you heard before. I thought that the Hokage was supposed to protect the peoples' dreams. Hinata has a dream."
Her heart fluttered like a small caged bird as she spoke those words to herself quietly. If she hadn't come to love Naruto before, those words would have pushed her past the brink. He had stood up for her in front of her father. In front of her clan. In front of everybody. But, that had only angered her father more. He went on to say things that he shouldn't have.
"Yondaime died to save us all. He was a great man, one we all loved. He gave his life to seal the monster in that baby, but not before my father... mother... and older sister died fighting that beast!" Her father clenched his fists. "You are that monster!" Her father's shout stunned the crowd. "You are Kyuubi!" She couldn't grasp what he had meant at first. But, Naruto's look showed that her father spoke the truth. "They never should have let you live!"
Drip
Kyuubi. The Nine-Tailed demon that had caused Konoha such grievous harm. The Hyuuga clan's greatest tormentor. The scourge of so many lives she never had the chance to know. Her Grandmother and Grandfather. Her aunt. That terrible beast had also cost the village one of its greatest ninja's... the Fourth... a man whose leadership would have brought about great prosperity and peace. Naruto was that beast.
"No. The beast is in him. He was just a baby. He didn't do anything wrong." Hinata felt tears streaming down her face. Thinking what Naruto's early life must have been like had her clutching her arms tightly around her knees as she rocked back and forth. "He always tried to win everyone's attention, even though they hated him. He fought to save the village."
He was a good person. Someone else might have turned evil, after suffering the way that Naruto had. A different boy might have tried to use that demon to his own selfish advantage. Not him. He just fought to get stronger.
Drip drip
While her first reaction to the truth had been one of disbelief and fear, Hinata had not been willing to give up on Naruto. Not during the ceremony, and not after.
"Naruto-kun... I love you..."
She had called that out, not caring who heard her. But, there had been no reaction from the one that she cared so deeply for. He had been running. No doubt he never heard.
"He would never give up. So, I didn't."
Hinata had tried to sneak notes to Naruto, but her father's guards had been adept at blocking her subterfuge. Not wanting to get her friends in trouble, she refused to drag them into her schemes. She had opened her heart to Kurenai-sensei. She had told her to have faith. Determination and a strong heart had changed her life once before. Who could say that it wouldn't do so again?
Drip
The feeling of desolation threatening to suffocate her will, Hinata grabbed the bars and pulled with all of her strength. She might as well have tried to jump up and catch the moon in her hood. She wasn't strong enough to bend iron or fracture stone. None of the jutsus that she knew could have any positive effect. She considered transforming into something small like a fly. But, in a place like that, there might be something larger laying in wait, like a spider or bats. Besides, darkness was darkness, no matter what form she took on. Even if she were to tranform into a bat, she had no idea which way to go.
"I may have to try it anyway."
She doubted that anyone would simply let her go. If they were going to use her as bait for Naruto, maybe it would be best that they could never show her to him. Were she destined to die anyway, what difference did it make if she died or became lost forever?
Drip
Hinata though back to her abduction. She had wondered what was going on, when a large number of family guards had rushed past her and out into the courtyard. The sounds of a quick but vicious battle could be heard, as sentries and fighters shouted warnings to the Main family and to their fellow retainers.
"Could it be Naruto?" She had asked herself. "Has he come to take me away?"
It was not him. Before the blinding cloud of smoke enveloped her, Hinata had fought a brief but valiant skirmish of her own, using the Gentle Fist to the utmost of her ability. It was useless. The man she faced was not ordinary shinobi. Even kaiten proved ineffective. Before she knew it, her world had gone dark.
It was still dark. Sitting alone in silence, Hinata knew that the men must have been sent by Akatsuki. It may well be that one or more of the Nine had taken part in the raid, seeing how swiftly the confrontation had turned to their advantage. It would take a lot, merely to surprise the Hyuuga clan, especially since her father left everyone at alert, fearing that a certain young ninja might seek to spirit his daughter away. It would take even more to defeat the clan warriors, strong in their home environment.
Regardless of the particulars, she had been kidnapped. She wondered what her father would be feeling.
Drip drip
"What would Naruto do, if he was trapped in here?" Hinata stretched her legs, wanting to fend off a cramp that kept threatening to grab hold. "Might he find some way to break out? Could he escape?"
Yes. Naruto would find a way, if he was left guarded in the same fashion. Because of the power at his command, he not be left alone in such a simple situation. The enemy was exceedingly clever, and was probably very well prepared. Akatsuki would have the necessary restraints to hold Naruto.
"Don't come, Naruto-kun. Please, don't come." Hinata coughed, the cold tickling her throat. "Save yourself." The next words she spoke were near inaudible. "I love you."
Drip.
The noise was growing louder. The faintest bit of light could be seen, if she stood at just the right angle. There would be something more than a drip to listen to, at least for a short while. But, was that a good thing? Was someone coming to question her? Torture her? Take advantage of her? Hinata shuddered. There were worse things than being alone in the dark.
Someone gasped in pain. The sound of a body stumbling against the passageway walls echoed in her direction. A jangling chain rattled, and she heard the faint swishing noise of a moving torch. The light grew brighter and brighter. It wasn't much, but she found that she had to shield her eyes. Pressing her face against the bars, she wanted to see what was going on.
A brutish man in scale armor pulled an elderly man along by his beard, paying no heed when the prisoner cried out, stumbled, or fell. At one point, the man was dragged across the ground, before a handful of hairs tore away from his chin. No words were spoken. No explanations were given. The jingling of keys preceded the sound of a rusted cell door opening. In the brief time she had light, she was able to make out the appearance of her fellow unfortunate. His robe lay in filthy tatters. His hair was matted against his bruised and swollen head. There were no shoes on his feet, and no coat wrapped around his torn garments. His eyes looked sunken, and his hands trembled continuously.
Hinata was also able to get a look at parts of her room, wishing perhaps that she hadn't. There was more than one petrified corpse in her oddly shaped alcove. She had no desire to examine the dead, lacking curiosity about who they might have been.
When the other cell door slammed shut, the keys sounded again, and the jailor headed back the way he came. The light gradually faded, leaving total darkness in its wake.
Drip
The silence stretched on. Hinata could hear labored breathing and an occasional moan. She blushed when she heard the man relieving himself. She wanted to talk to someone. Perhaps the man would know what was going on.
"Sir?" There was no answer. But, the moaning stopped. "Excuse me…Sir…." A faint scrabbling noise was heard, and then an inrush of breath. It sounded as if the man were moving slowly towards the front of his cell. "My name is Hyuuga Hinata." Hoarse breathing was followed by a series of coughs. "I was kidnapped and brought here against my will. No one has told me anything."
There was more coughing. The man spoke. "I know why you are here (Cough cough). That I do." The sound of wheezing followed. "Poor child." Hinata waited for more. It was long in coming. "We are here for different reasons (cough). But, we are here for the same general purpose (cough cough cough)." Hinata pressed against her bars, wanting to hear more. The man sounded like he knew what was going on. "Poor girl. Poor old man. Poor world."
"Sir, may I ask who you are and why you are here?" Hianata asked.
"Yes, you may ask." The man laughed a sickly laugh, coughing a few more times as a result. Hinata waited, biting her lip. There was no reply at first. The man's breathing was ragged. He began to moan again. Eventually, he spoke again. "My name is not important. Few will remember me when (cough) I'm (cough) gone. That is the price of being a recluse and expert in esoteric matters." The man took a deep breath, and then spoke louder and stronger. "I chose the wrong subject to learn about. The truth is a frightening thing."
Hinata sat down again. The lack of food and water left her somewhat dizzy.
"Some truths should be buried away for good, never (cough) to see the light of (cough cough) day." There was a horrendous noise, as the man worked his throat. A hacking noise was repeated again and again, along with an awful rattling in the elderly man's lungs. "There are things more dangerous than the truth and true facts. Half truths. Fragments of facts. They can lead to mistakes. They can prompt men to take risks that should never be taken."
"Sir?" Hinata wondered where this was all going. She was concerned that the man might be crazy, or at least not in his right mind.
"I worked so hard. I thought I was so very clever. I dug up facts that had been long forgotten. I sought clues that no one remembered how or why to seek. I traveled to places I didn't belong (cough) and opened things best left shut (cough cough cough). There was a spitting sound. "I pieced together more than others had done before me. For that I was tracked down... trussed up... and taken away."
"What does that have to be with me, Sir."Hinata tensed up.
"You?" the man sighed. "You are here because of the boy. They are after the boy because of the demon. That demon is the reason. But, not for the reason that most people would suspect." The man chuckled for a few moments. "Even a majority of the new converts to this over-zealous cause don't know the true reason. Poor misguided fools. They will stand by and cheer, not realizing they are applauding the destruction of the world as we know it."
"They do not want to use the Nine Tail's power?" Hinata's eyes widened.
"No," The man spat again. "Not at all. They have no need for that power. They are playing around with something far more dangerous. Those stupid pathetic idiots! I tried to tell them, but they will not listen. Like I said, a little knowledge (cough) is a treacherous thing!"
Hinata sat quietly. She began to feel very uncomfortable. Her legs were shaking. She could feel her heartbeat speeding up.
"I should start from the beginning, keeping things as simple as possible. Where to begin? Let me see. Throughout history, men have tried to place labels on things, trying to make sense out of things they couldn't understand. They wanted answers. It didn't matter if those answers might not be right, as long as they had answers. They needed to explain the weather... the night... the coming of the morning light... life... existence after death... everything."
"OK…" Hinata felt like some kind of response was necessary when the man stopped.
"Different names were given to the same inanimate objects. Assorted names were given to the same animals. Not surprising, various names were given to the same beings. There were things that were not gods, but were called gods or heralded as deities. There were entities that knew nothing of man's existence, but were worshipped fanatically by men." The man wheezed horribly again, and then coughed hard to clear his throat. "I need to skip ahead some. Are you following me?"
"Yes, Sir." Hinata still didn't know what the man was trying to get at. She would need to be patrient and bide her time. It made no sense to ask any more questions at the moment.
"In the various planes and realms, there are beings whose attention should never be attracted. In the past, some tremendous entities have indeed taken note of mankind's existence. It is complicated and so very hard to explain." The man was silent a while, mumbling incoherently to himself. "I will start again. There are many different kinds of demons. There are things that are much like demons in some ways, but also greatly different in others. Sometimes, the distinction is merely academic. Few creatures of that sort have any reason to care about humans. They may see men as food. They may see them as toys to play with, or pests to exterminate. They may see them as something beneath their notice."
The man paused again. The subject matter had Hinata hugging herself tightly. As a young child she had heard countless stories about demons, spirits, and ghosts. She had found it hard to sleep at night.
"To some creatures, the people of this world are seen as an annoyance or an affront. Unlike the weaker demons, they cannot be summoned against their will. They cannot be controlled. I told those idiots that, and they assured me that they understood. But, they still think they can deal with such creatures. Do you see?"" The man sounded agitated now.
"No… not really…" Hinata didn't want to sound stupid or ignorant, but the man hadn't been as cohesive as she would have liked.
'What about Naruto-kun and Nine Tails?'
"I know too much. I guess I take too much for granted." The old scholar coughed again. "let me try another way. More cults and religions have grown up around imagined or mythical beings than have arisen in connection with entities that actually exist. The advocates of those false religions have created endless stories and legends. They cite prophecies of their own making. They gather like-minded followers, establishing their ideas of truth through sheer numbers. Each subsequent story becomes more and more convincing. Eventually, the adherents swear that the truths can be traced back to the creatures themselves, or to their trusted servants."
"I see." Hinata wondered if Akatsuki had done such a thing, or were adherents to some ancient religion.
"The Brotherhood of Light has sought out every prophecy related scroll that they could get their hands on, long before I was even born. The criminals who call themselves Akatsuki have done the same, obtaining documents that they kept hidden from the remainder of the larger organization. The scrolls that they obtained are ancient, from before recorded history. They see that age as proof of their validity. But, men long ago had the very same flaws that men have today. The prophecy that the Nine are so enthralled with is one of the few that is based on creatures that actually exist. However, the beings are nothing like their manuscripts suggest." The man was wracked by coughs again. He could be heard falling heavy to the ground. "Fools. I am the biggest fool of all. I gathered the facts that they incorrectly use to support their views. If only I had known beforehand, I would have destroyed my records, even though they were the work of a life time."
"Why Kyuubi, sir? Why do they want the demon?" Hinata asked. She heard the man struggle to his feet again.
"Be patient, young Hyuuga. I may be an old man, but I will get to that. First things first. There was on one plane of existence an entity called Monad. It may have been an exceptionally powerful demon, or a type of creature we have no name for. In some of the more recent myths, Monad has been called Amaterasu; but, those descriptions of the being are entirely shrouded in fiction." The man sniffled hard, coughed, and then spat. "In some fashion, that being… called by some Iota, Yod, Proarkh, Urizen, or Aiwn telos… came into existence. He created the Aeons. Most authorities believe that they were lesser demons. There were thirty Aeons, going by the name of Ennoea, Nous, Aletheis, Zoe, Henosis, Mixis..."
Hinata found herself nodding off to sleep. She pinched herself hard. She wouldn't be able to remember all thirty names if it would save her life.
"Monad himself served as one of the two initial Aeons, forming a pair with the next Aeon he created, Ennoea. Over time, that pair gave rise to other pairs, who went on to produce more pairs. The Aeons (cough cough) worked in male-female pairs called syzygies. They inhabited some place or thing referred to as the Pleroma or The Region of Light (cough cough cough).
Hinata bit her lip. Aeons. Pleroma. Syzygies. It was so hard to follow all this. She smiled for one brief instant, imaging what Naruto would do if he were forced to listen to this fractured discourse. She herself would never use such words. She realized that the silence was growing lengthy. She heard the sound of snoring.
"Where was I? Was it Monad?" The man sputtered, one of his coughs waking him back up. "I should probably say that the name Monad had been used many times, for different things. It is mentioned in the alchemical texts of Hermetica, with part four called 'The Cup of Monad'. There's more. The Monad is the Chinese symbol for duality. I shouldn't leave this out either. In non-standard analysis, a monad consists of all numbers infinitesimally close to a specific number. In music, a monad is a single pitch class. In category theory…"
"Ehem." Hinata cleared her throat. "Kyuubi, Sir…" Enough was enough. She needed to get things back on track. He would just say that she would have to wait to hear about Kyuubi. Oh. That was the word she needed. "Aeons."
"You are correct, young lady. I believe I was talking about Aeons, was I not?" The elderly scholar paused, trying to remain awake. "Sophia was the last of the Aeons to come into being. Unlike the others, she had a burning obsession. She wanted to know The SourceShe felt compelled to comprehend the nature of her own creation. Seeing what she thought was a different light, and thinking it might be The Source, she drifted away from the Pleroma, not realizing that she had been fooled by a reflection of the Pleroma's light. We could certainly use some light down here, couldn't we young Hyuuga?"
"Yes," Hinata said. She was happy just to have someone to speak to at that moment. That was even more important than light.
"Sophia was lost. She felt a great need to return to her home. In her great longing, strong and twisted passions prompted her to emanate without the other member of her syzygy. That unsanctioned act brought something into existence. That thing has been called The Fool by some, and The God of Slanders by others. Neither name has any bearing on the abortive and accidental being known properly as..." The man paused, as if he were too frightened to continue. "…The Demiurge."
Hinata found herself holding her breath. The way the old man spoke that last name had the hair on the back of her neck threatening to stand on end.
"Some sects came to believe that the Demiurge created this world. He did not. "The scholar made another horrible wheezing noise, fighting to take a deep breath. "Other cults view him as their one god, or the highest deity among many deities. They are also incorrect. There are those, in contrast, who view him as their great evil or devil. That is much closer to the truth."
Hinata trembled. Was the Demiurge the creature that Alatsuki was interested in?
"So many myths and falsehood have sprung up over time. There are those who call the Demiurge by the name of Susanowo, claiming that he fought a Serpent that had devoured eight daughters. After killing the Serpent, Susanowo was supposed to have discovered the Kuzinagi sword inside of it. Balderdash!" The elderly scholar actually sounded angry. He cursed for a full three minutes without stopping.
Hinata thought of the Kuzinagi sword. The Grass-Cutter Sword. It was the one that she had heard about from Anko. It was a great blade that Orochimaru could bring forth from within him. It was strange, the way that certain items can be talked about in different stories, just as the old man had said before.
"Do you know anything of Mazdean philosophy, miss?" The scholar sounded as if he doubted many people would.
"No, sir." Hinata replied.
"I shouldn't expect you would.The Demiurge has character traits similar to Ahriman in that philosophy. But, I digress again. My apologies. I have been through a great ordeal, and my mind is not what it once was." He coughed again, less dramatically this time. "Sophia's act actually created a second being at the same moment. Achamoth was her name. A Lower Wisdom, not fit to be a true Aeon, Achamoth has been forgotten, even though she was the one that had tried to help mankind long ago." The man paused. "I had found word of her. A few others have as well. Those misguided fools in Akatsuki came to know of her through me. That is why the Kyuubi is important to their plans." The man's voice was brittle with self-reproach and loathing.
"Sir?" Hinata grasped the fabric of her coat tightly.
"Achamoth longed to join the Aeon in the Pleroma, but that would have thrown things into imbalance. As a result, she was exiled, sent to the same plane as the Demiurge. After that, the Aeon erected a great barrier around them. Achamoth and the Demiurge were capable of acting on a multitude of planes, but could not visit all planes in physical form. In the worlds closed to them, they sought to influence events by means of agents they created." The man paused for a while, and then sputtered again. He had drifted off again. "Achamoth was frustrated. Some would say agitated, tormented by her own great passions. She was very much alone at first, as she made every effort to hide herself from the Demiurge at first. At some time in ancient history, she caught sight of early man. Not caring who had created the humans... or whether their creator would take offense at her meddling... Achamoth wanted to experiment with our fledgling race. It would give her something to do. But, she found out that could not directly interact with matter on our world. There was a creature who could focus his energies on our earth, even though he was prevented from stepping forth onto it."
"The Demiurge?" Hinata guessed.
"You are correct," the scholar said. Somehow, Achamoth managed to work through the Demiurge, without that demon realizing that he was being manipulated by the will of another. Not certain why he had done what he did, the Demiurge was pleased with the changes that he wrought on our distant ancestors. He came to view them as an offshoot of his own perfection. The great creature was not pleased when he found out that he was mistaken."
This time, the following silence stretched on for a long time. The man had fallen soundly asleep, and did not respond to Hinata's entreaties.
Drip
Feeling alone again, she found herself thinking about her life. Her earliest memories brought a smile to her face, despite her surroundings. She spent time thinking about her mother.
Drip drip
Not surprising, Hinata also thought more about Naruto. Her thoughts focused on their more recent time together, before the incident at her ceremony.
Drip
They had been so close to kissing. So very close. But close didn't count. She had been close to other things in her life, too. Hinata had started off as the Hyuuga heir, until her timid nature and lack of drive soured her father to her. He had disowned her, handing her over to Kurenai to train. While she was no longer in line to be the heir, she had been accepted back into the family. Time certainly brought changes, good and bad.
Drip.
If she survived this whole terrible incident, she would go on living, with Naruto in her life or without. He had taught her that much. She would never do less than she could, not after watching his struggles for so long. Sitting there in the dark, she made a decision. Life was too precious to waste. She had followed the rules. She had tried to fit within the framework of her clan. It left her miserable. Should she make it home alive, she would do whatever she could to see Naruto again.
Drip
"Huh… what… where am I?" The sickly scholar woke up again. After he regained his orientation, and Hinata reminded him of his tale, the man picked up the story where he had left off. "The Demiurge grew to hate Achamoth, infuriated by her interference with himHe came to view mankind as a reminder of his imperfection, blaming them for Achamoth's manipulation of him. The Demiurge created Archons to do his work on our world. They sought to destroy man. Their sole purpose was to bring misery to all. The legends, prophecies, and tales that grew up around their early actions led The Brotherhood of Life and others to mistakenly believe that powerful beings had intended to purge civilization of its imperfections for the good of mankind."
Hinata found herself nibbling on her fingernails. She stopped.
"Achamoth created a number of demons from her own substance, sending them to battle with the Archons after usurping the Demiurge's power one final time. Time passed. Her offspring were triumphant. There are no more Archons. But, the demons that she created had arisen from her darker emotions. When their natural enemies were gone, the need to destroy still remained. After Achamoth lost all ability to influence events on our plane, the demons that she created went on to plague the very humans that she once tried to help. Monad and the Aeons found out about the demons and worked to counter them by granting access to other demons that might stand in their way. Those are the creatures that humans can form contracts with to this very day."
Hinata nodded. She remembered Gamarraki's summoning, and the poor beast's run in with the hot ramen pot.
"The members of Akatsuki have found a way to breech the Barrier that Monad and the Aeons once created. They mean to bring the Demiurge to our world, furthering what they believe is its grand design for mankind. In their mind, they will take their place as the exalted ones. They expect the great being to purge the world of all that is corrupt, ill-made, and wrong." The man sounded as if he were about to sob. "Fools! I tried to tell them the truth, but they only hear what they want to hear."
"And Kyuubi…" Hinata swallowed hard. She found it difficult to speak.
"The Demiurge cannot be summoned like the lesser demons. It can only be enticed, or prompted to act on its own accord. Akatsuki found the key from me.Damn my prying eyes and wagging tongue!" This time, there was sobbing. "The Demiurge was never able to destroy Achamoth. She fled him, going to places unknown. But, the creatures birthed from her substance still exist in one form or another. They could serve in her place, quenching the Demiurge's thirst for vengeance."
Hinata knew where things must be going. She felt numb, realizing the role that she might play in things.
"The Kyuubi is one of the demons that Achamoth brought into being." Those were the last words the man spoke while Hinata remained in her cell.
Hinata heard a sound in the distance. Someone was coming. More than two people, this time. They were moving at a much brisker pace than the others had. The light grew bright again. Peering through her bar, she saw a number of soldiers with torches step aside, creating a space for a large and ugly man to pass through. Hinata gasped. The man's eyes were so beady. His teeth were sharpened to points. Scars decorated his face, almost reminding her of Naruto's markings. There was a forehead protector on his head. The symbol for the Country of Rain, wiith a deep horizontal gash across it. The great robe the man wore was decorated by cloud-like symbols.
"Bring the girl. Her time is near." With those words, the man turned and walked away.
The soldiers opened Hinata's cell, grabbed her roughly, and took her up the passageway.
The sound of coughing followed them as they walked.