The smoke from the vast number of torches had Hinata coughing.
Heart aflutter, she looked around the enormous cavern, looking at a scene that would have conjured up images of hell in primitive man.
Huge pit fires had been dug throughout the subterranean expanse, each burning huge amounts of coal, coke, or wood. Massive pyre-like pyramids of logs had been drenched with oil and set ablaze. Countless pitons were hammered into the rock face, providing anchor points for a staggering number of crude oil lamps. Candles of all sorts gave off small wavering flames that looked like the eyes of myriad evil beasts.
Where there should have been complete darkness, a flickering red glow painted everything. Where there should be only stone, dust, and cave life, there was a veritable village, complete with huts, tents, water carts, and cooking areas. But, those structures were being broken down and carted away.
Hinata gasped. Walking behind the ugly hulking Akatsuki member, and passing by a series of massive natural pillars, she gained an unobstructed view of the cavern floor. A large number of shinobi were painstakingly creating an immense seal of sorts. The level of intricacy alone had Hinata's eyes swimming. At one time in the past, she had seen the complex seal created to help save her cousin Neji when he returned badly injured from his fight with the Sound ninjas. That had been nothing compared to this.
Could she do something to disrupt the enemy's plans? What could she possibly do? She was on her own, surrounded by a small squad of guards. The evil looking man with the huge wrapped weapon on his back did not seem the type to be taken off guard. Similarly clad men were not too far away, supervising various tasks. She felt so very weak with fear and worry. She pictured Naruto. She remembered the numerous times that she had seen him fight against difficult odds and win. The times he did not win, he was at least able to walk away with his head held high.
She would try! Inspiration hit her. If the seal could be disrupted, it would need to be redone. If the lights around it were extinguished, they would need to be relit. Such actions might only serve as a delay, but a delay might prove useful, maybe even critical. Kaiten. She would run out into the seal, and create a tremendous whirlwind of force, doing whatever damage she could. For Naruto. For everyone.
Up until now, she had been treated much like she had once looked and had long felt: a small timid girl, who just happened to be a ninja in training. Perhaps because there was no place she could go, Hinata had not been bound, drugged, or beaten to the point that she couldn't offer any resistance. That was their mistake! Using a particularly forceful attack, Hinata pushed two guards away from her, Gentle Fist strikes to the heart area putting them out of action. With a nod to her contest with Naruto, she transformed herself into an eagle, jumped upward, and flapped her wings furiously.
Landing near the center of the seal, she resumed her normal form. Now she would…
N… o… w………s…h…e……..w…o…u…l…d…
N………. o………. w…
N…
Hinata couldn't move. Something unseen was restraining her. Not only couldn't she move her limbs, she also found that she couldn't close her eyes, cough, or talk. She was barely able to keep breathing. The seal served as some kind of trap. A snare! She knew what a fly must feel like, caught in a spider's web.
A shouted order went out. A number of ninja crafting the seal took every possible precaution, as they made their way out to Hinata, scrolls clenched between their teeth. Even knowing the exact nature of their creation, those men could only move slowly and with great effort. Roughly grabbed, Hinata was taken away from the seal and thrown hard to the ground. Looking up, she saw a hideous smile on the face of the sharp-toothed Akatsuki member.
"That was very brave. I didn't think you had it in you. Had you planned to do the Heavenly Spin? No doubt. That would have been clever." The horrid man's words were nonchalant, as if he were discussing every day events with a friend. But, his eyes took on an unearthly look in the cavern light, as he brought around his great weapon and unwrapped it. A number of the guards stumbled backwards in fear. "Samehade… rough skin… the sword that rips." The Akatsuki member smiled, showing his weird and frightful teeth. "Samehade isn't used to cut people; rather, it slices them to pieces!"
Hinata couldn't help herself. The first thing she did, now that her body's muscles could work again, was tremble. That sword was hideous. She could only imagine what those wicked looking projections could do to her. This must be the man that Kurenai-sensei and the other jounin had faced.
"As one of the seven best swordsmen of the Mist, I would have little trouble slicing the meat off of your pretty little bones. But, what would that leave for later?"The man chuckled, his face a horrible mask of emotions. "I made promises to a number of people, and I always keep my word." The ninja slowly brought his sword towards Hinata. She took a step back, but was restrained. "I wrote the note that was sent to that boy, Naruto." Kisame laughed. "I was particularly pleased with the wording. By all accounts, it was effective. Spies have caught sight of the fool heading in this direction." The man smiled. "We can't have you doing anything disruptive. That means that you get a chance to see one of the unique properties of my sword." Samehade was roughly struck across Hinata's side, without any motion intended for rending or flaying. Slowly, she felt her chakra draining form her. "We need you alive… for now."Kisame pulled back his sword, stood it on its butt, and then began re-wrapping it. "Bait isn't merely used to bring fish to the part of the pond you are in. It is used to get them on the hook. But I would keep one thing in mind….."
Hinata's legs gave way. She fell to her knees. Nothing on this earth could have made her look up into that man's face at the moment.
"A lot of damage can be lived through. A lot of pain can be survived." Kisame's laugh came out like a short explosion. "We have some fine medical ninjas with us today." He looked at the guards. "Bring her. No more mistakes. Take the two fools who were defeated by the girl and dispose of them."
Hinata was becoming more worried by the moment Naruto was on the way. There was no way that he could know all of the things that the old man had told her in the dark. That great seal would do to him what it had done to her. And, if that one Akatsuki ninja was unbelievably strong and fierce, what could they be like together as a group? She set her jaw. Whatever it might cost her, she would try to call out to Naruto if he came into the caverns. She had toprevent him from reaching the seal.
Looking around the cavern some more, she focused on one of the well lit areas, a spot they seemed to be heading for. There were a fair number of distinguished looking men and women there, dressed in their finest robes, faces flushed with excitement and expectation. She recognized one. He was an elder from Konoha! That woman near him, she had been a guest at her father's house once, as part of the city council! The two of them were talking to others as if among equals. The style of dress that some of the men and women wore marked them as being from different villages. Some clothing was so unique, that it suggested distant origins.
Traitors. No doubt they had been swayed by false prophecies or promises made by the Nine. Maybe they thought that they could be part of some New Order. But, if the elderly scholar had been right, there would be no New Order. There might be no order at all. There would be chaos. Death. Destruction. Extinction.
"Keep her here for now. I will return shortly." Kisame walked off.
While the uneasy men kept a close eye on Hinata, the one council woman walked over, to speak with her, accompanied by the elder. "Hyuuga Hinata?Are you a member or our sect? I had no idea that we were initiating children…." The look on the woman's face was shocked but friendly.
"She is not." The elder looked up at Hinata, showing no sign of being surprised. "Her presence here serves our greater purpose. With my assistance, the Nine were able to spirit her away from her home. She plays a great role in our endeavors. The young man we await is coming on her behalf."
"I see." The woman nodded her head. "The young man with the Nine Tails. The great offering that we will hold up to the Source."
An elder from another village walked up and joined the group. Others followed suit. Hinata realized that these people had to be high up in the conspiracy, to know the true purpose for Kyuubi's presence. Soon, the well-dressed and immaculately groomed gaggle of dignitaries crowded away Hinata's guards, forcing the soldiers to walk nervously at the crowd's periphery.
"You don't realize the great honor that had been imposed upon you, young lady." A man with floor-length orange robes bowed to Hinata. His garments were garnished by a repeating motif of a rose at the center of a cross-like design.
"Yes. Your name shall go down in the great work that we will one day write. None of this would happen without you."A middle-aged woman with graying hair reached out to touch Hinata. Her scarf bore a broach with a bejeweled skull and bones.
It seemed that many of the congregating men and woman wanted to run there hands across Hinata's hair… brush against an edge of her sleeve or hood… or squeeze her hand. The whole situation was surreal.
"Better things are coming. Such wonderful things." The tall and spindling man wore a floppy hood decorated by squares and compasses. "All of the filth and imperfections will be swept away."
"No," Hinata said. "You are wrong." She wondered if she could convince any of the men and women to help her, if she could get them to see the truth.
A number of the gathering mob gave Hianata a condescending sniff or a self-righteous smile. Others had a paternal or matronly look, wanting to show the young girl the error of her ways. "Wrong?"The councilwoman asked, fanning herself. "Oh my, I'm afraid not. The people we are dealing with do not make mistakes. Most assuredly not."
"Well, young lady, just what do you think is so wrong? Is it wrongto enlighten the masses, getting them to reject the domination of superstition and prejudice." The elder acted as if he were speaking to a young child.
"No. But…"Hianata couldn't finish her thought.
"Sweet child, I know it must be hard for you to accept your end. But, it is for the betterment of all. Surely you can see that!" A buxom woman touched Hinata's cheek. "Men today are little more than beasts. Sexual license… pornography… violence… immorality… all of that will be stripped away." As she said that, she struck a pose that best showed off her ample cleavage.
"That's not…" Hinata was cut-off again.
"Did you want to have children one day?" A middle-aged woman asked. "I have a wonderful boy I cherish above all else. Is it wrongfor me to want a better world for him? His father was a ninja like you… a man of violence…a tool of those who want only to maintain the brutal martial environment. He's dead because it was his duty to die.How many other boys have to grow up without a father?"
"They all will," Hinata said, clenching her fists. "The demon that will come into our world won't care about children. It will kill everyone."
"Posh!" The elder from Konoha shook his head. "That is nonsense, my dear. The Light is no demon. He is a god. Those of us here will be passed over, due to our redemption. Surely you can see a parallel in your own life." The man pulled a large cobweb off of Hinata's clothing. "Your father took you back into the Hyuuga clan. You had redeemed yourself in his eyes"
"The Demiurge is not a god." Hinata straightened her shoulders. She felt like shouting. No one was going to believe her. "You will all be amongst the first to die. I spoke with a scholar who knows the truth!"
"How vulgar, to use such a hideous name." One woman with too much make-up looked as if she were inclined to strike Hinata with her fan. "How utterly blasphemous, saying that about the One."
"Many men claim to know the truth," the elder said, calming the woman. "How is it that a child like you knows to believe, while we do not? Surely you can see how foolish you sound."
Hinata watched as the guards began dispersing the crowd. She would try one more time. "Kyuubi is a creation of Achamoth. She was created at the same time as the Demiurge. But, she tried to help men. The Demiurge thought that he had done it all, and grew angry when he found out she had worked through him. Not able to strike back at her, he will settle for the demon. But, he won't stop there."
"Ridiculous." "Preposterous." "Poor deluded child." The sect members all laughed amongst themselves as they walked away. Another voice spoke from behind Hinata, causing her to jump. "You know, you were simply wasting your breath. It's time for you to come with me." The large ugly Akatsuki member was back, but he hadn't been the one who spoke. The man by his side was strikingly handsome. Something about him reminded her of someone else. Those were the eyes of the Uchiha clan. That must be Sasuke's brother Itachi.
"It was stupid trying to convert that bunch of fools." Kisame smiled a hideous smile. "It's much simpler to convince people to believe what they want to believe."
"Those men and women have contributed to our work in their own way," Itach said as he turned and motioned Hinata to follow. "But, their usefulness is at an end. They no longer matter."
"You are Sasuke's brother….." Hinata blurted that out, wincing after she did.
"Hmmm?Yes. But we will not speak of him. At first, he was a disappointment to me. Now, he simply has no meaning whatsoever. You, on the other hand, do serve a purpose." Itachi looked over at his hulking companion. "There is something else that we need. Is it secure? If not, we may need to find some way to abort the proceedings."
"I have seen it. Our expert has verified its authenticity. We will know with absolute certainty when the fox demon grows nearer." Kisame answered. "To think we are dependent on something out of a child's tale about kitsune. That continues to amuse me no end
"As it pleases you." Itachi said flatly. "The others will be wanting the girl in place." Having said that, Sasuke's brother disappeared in the midst of a growing exodus of workers and soldiers.
"Come on. We have a special place prepared for you." Kisame pulled Hinata roughly along. "It's rather melodramatic, I suppose, but that will help keep certain fools and idiots satisfied."
After traveling through a number of darkened areas, Kisame and Hinata made their way to a large platform had been carved from the native rock. Between two huge roughly-hewn pillars, a number of chains hung. "Here we go. Best seat in the whole house. No matter what ends up happening, you'll get to see it all!"Kisame laughed. "Let's see if these fit. Only the finest craftsmanship, I assure you. You will be the envy of all of the other girls." He closed a large metal shackle around one of Hianta's wrists with a loud clack. "Wonderful. They came as a matched set." The cold-hearted ninja closed the other shackle. "I hope you did all of the things in life you wanted to…." Laughing, the coarse and brutish man left Hinata alone.
Chained between the two pillars, Hinata could look out upon the Great Seal. Beyond that, she could see the distant light of the cavern's opening to the outside world. It would be difficult for anyone to reach her without treading upon that seal.
A shout went out. Crews of men and women rushed around dousing the large fire pits and smaller sources of illumination. Soon, it was impossible to make out the Seal any longer. A ring of large candles still remained at its periphery, but those slowly went out one by one as the ninjas standing near them completed their tasks.
Hinata took note of the teams of shinobi near the candles that remained lit. Close to each candle, an upper level ninja knelt with a scroll in his or her mouth, hands making complex motions. Behind each, another ninja stood, working a different set of seals. A third person was waiting in the wings, ready to step in when one of the other two tired or began to falter. Striding purposefully behind them all, barely visible to Hinata, were shadows in fancy cloud-marked robes kept a close watch over the proceedings. The Akatsuki members.
Looking beyond those men, she watched as soldiers and squads of ninjas headed outside, their instructions and order of placement called out by older men in fine armor and plumed helmets. The elders and other excited onlookers were in the process of being shepherded into small areas away from the great seal, congregating in spots that would not be visible from the entryway to the cavern.
Soon, the only bright light was in Hinata's area. No doubt her captors wanted her to be highly visible. The heat from the nearest tapers caused sweat to roll down the sides of her face. The bright and flickering flames of the largest torches made it difficult to look in their direction for long. Her vision was distorted with rings of light and a rim of blurriness, limiting the directions in which she could look comfortably.
The hairs on her body all began standing on end. There was an almost electric feeling building in the air of the huge cave. There were odors that she recognized: sweat… smoke… burning wood and oil… even fresh cut flowers. Those were soon supplanted by odors that she had no desire to put a name to. There was a growing sense of dankness. Pungent and acrid odors had her wrinkling her nose. A number of times, she came close to retching.
Hinata could hear nothing but the chanting of the ninjas or the hissing and popping of the nearest torches. Still, her ears felt an intense pressure for some reason. Staring straight ahead, she saw a huge area of the cavern wall begin to shimmer ever so slightly, looking like something that she should be able to make out, but was just beyond the range of her vision.
"I almost forgot something." Kisame stepped out of the growing darkness, a long rag in his hand. He used that to gag Hinata, so that she could make any noise louder than a muffled cough or gurgling. "Don't worry. It will all be over soon." With a rude and sarcastic laugh, the ugly man was gone from sight.
The cold metal biting into her wrists, Hinata hung her head. Maybe she should have found some way to kill herself. But, that probably wouldn't have accomplished anything. They would have hung her body up here anyway. And, she had been told there were powerful medical ninjas around. One of them could likely animate her body ever so briefly, enough to convince Naruto that she was still alive.
In any case, there was nothing she could do now but wait. The seconds began to drag on, feeling like minutes. The minutes seemed to last an eternity. Alone, afraid, and heavy with regrets, the Hinata thought about a myth she had once read about.
At one time the only mortal beings on the earth were men. Some Giant had made them, and a goddess had breathed life into them. But, the chief god did not care for them.
One day, the Giant was trying to solve a quarrel that was raging between the gods and the men. At a festival, the men were going to sacrifice a bull for the first time. They asked him which parts of the bull should be offered to the gods and which should be eaten by men. The Giant decided to play a trick on the highest god.
He killed the bull, skinned it and butchered it. He split it into two portions: in one he put the best, lean meat. In the second he put bones followed by a thick layer of fat. The being offered both to the god, so he could take his choice. The god looked at both portions: one looked good, but was rather on the small side. The other was much larger and covered in a layer of fat which the god thought must cover the best, tastiest portion of meat. He chose that one. When he realized that he had been tricked, he was furious.
He took fire away from man so that they could never cook their meat or feel warm again. The Giant reacted immediately, flying off to a certain Isle, where he knew the smith of the gods had fire. He carried a burning torch back to man. The head god was enraged. He swore vengeance and started making an evil plan.
The ruling god set the smith the task of creating a clay woman with a human voice. The other god did as he was instructed and created a masterpiece. The goddess who breathed life into men was convinced to breathe life into the clay woman. She taught the woman how to weave and clothed her. Another deity, the goddess of love, made her beautiful. The gods taught her to charm and deceive.
The chief god was pleased with what he saw, but he had not made her for his insatiable pleasure, he had made her as a trap. He sent her as a gift to a certain man. The man ignored his brother's warning, fell in love with the woman, and married her.
The high god, pleased that his trap was working, gave the woman a wedding gift of a beautiful box. There was one condition however. She was never to open that box.
For a while the woman and her husband were very happy. The woman often wondered what was in the box but she was never left alone, so she never opened it. Gradually, over time, she began to wonder more and more about what was in the box. She could not understand why someone would send her a box if she could not see what was in it. It became very important to find out what was hidden there.
Finally she could stand it no longer. One day, when everyone was out, she crept up to the box, took the huge key, fitted it carefully into the lock and turned it. She swung up the lid to peep inside, but before she realized it, the room was filled with terrible things: disease, despair, malice, greed, old age, death, hatred, violence, cruelty and war.
She slammed the lid down and turned the key again, keeping only the spirit of hope inside.
Hinata closed her eyes for a moment. Two large tears ran down her cheeks. A great desolate sadness welled up in her heart. In a sense, she may well be destined to witness the opening of a terrible box. Who knows just what terrible things would be loosed on mankind.
There might well be nothing left this time.
Not even hope.