Everything felt unreal to Hinata.
It was so quiet. Everyone was just waiting.
Horrible images flickered into view, and then phased out again, rippling across the great curtain of distorted light. The wavering structure became gradually less opaque.
The captive girl was emotionally exhausted. She hated feeling so hopeless. In books and movies, she had always thought that it might be wonderful to be the damsel in distress. It wasn't. All she could do was hope for that happy ending.
Each beat of her heart served as a timepiece, marking the time until Naruto arrived. It should be soon now, judging by the impatient whispers she heard. Her arms were aching fiercely, as the chains did not allow her feet to reach the ground. Faint sounds grew slightly louder. Indignant cries could be heard, followed by muffled thuds and the sounds of small explosions. Out of the corner of one eye, she could see guards roughly shove over-eager elders and dignitaries back into the shadows.
Shaking her head about violently, and sticking her tongue out, Hinata tried to get the gag to slip off of her mouth. No such luck. Kisame had tied it too well. Like many of the other ninjas in her year, she carried a small knife-and-file tool in the sole of her boot. That wouldn't do her any good trussed up like this.
Certain smells in the room grew stronger. An odd moist and tacky wind began swirling about the cavern, making the torchlight dance, come close to going out, and then reform. A feeling of pressure pushed against her ears, as if she had swum deep down in some vast body of water. A huge roar sounded. Hinata closed her eyes and gnashed her teeth, unable to place her hands over her ears. The sound seemed to be coming from behind the amorphous barrier.
She wanted to run. She wanted to hide. She wanted to put her head down between her legs and make it all go away. But, the cruel shackles bit into her wrists. The unyielding chains showed no sign of weakening. Hadn't her entire life been confining enough!
Just at the limits of her hearing, she thought she heard Naruto's voice.
"I'm stuck! Shit!"
Was she imaging it? Her heart beat faster. Her eagerness grew, then fell flat. No. her spirits rose at first until she realized how great a danger he would be in. She wished that he wasn't there. How could he possibly rescue her from this situation? It wasn't as if he were up against Kiba or Neji. The stories she had heard about Kabuto, Shukaku, and a transformed Sasuke were nothing compared to the Demiurge, Akatsuki, and the elaborate traps they had set.
"It looks like he's here." It was Kisame's voice in her ear. "I bet your heart is all aflutter. Ahhh. Young love. So touching."
Hinata didn't pay much attention to her cruel tormentor. Something else had caught her attention. She blinked rapidly, wondering if the bright flare of the torcehs had affected her vison. Small dancing balls of light zoomed about the darkened passageway, dipping, diving, soaring, and rising, and then making their way out into the cavern itself. Some hovered temporarily, and then shot off like small comets.
What Akatsuki and their shinobi henchmen members had prepared? Might it be a manifestation of the Demiurge's power and a sign that the horrid creature was about to cross over into this plane?
A number of small explosions rang out, illuminating small areas of the cavern near the entry shaft. The site of the detonations was too far away to make out precise details.
Multiple voices cried out "1000 years of pain!" That was followed by a large number of explosions and the sound of moaning men. That was Naruto's voicemagnified many time over He must have used the Kage Bunshin and some kind of explosive seals. Hinata didn't know just what she was feeling at the moment. Her thoughts and emotions were scrambled even further when the great roar assaulted her senses again.
"Did you think I would simply rush into your trap?"
Hinata swallowed hard. Would Naruto's brash and confrontational nature get him trapped out on that Great Seal?
"You must think I'm some kind of an idiot!" Naruto's voice echoed about the cavern beyond. "Idiot…… idiot…… idiot…… idiot……"
"I think I like that boy," Kisame said, chuckling. He began unwrapping Sameshade. "I hope I get the chance to kill him."
"Yes." A deep voice was projected from points unknown. "We thought just that. After all, you did come…."
Hinata shook her head, hoping to get Naruto's attention. That last comment would not sit well with her beau. If only she could warn him somehow about the trap.
"Katon Karyuu Endan." Hinata knew what would be coming. If Naruto placed the fire correctly, he would get a view of the Seal. She watched as a wide stream of flames lit up the darkness, forming a huge wall of writhing fire. The grand design on the cavern floor was clearly visible. He must be able to see it now.
"Oh crap. What the hell does that f-cking thing do?"
Hinata felt her face going warm, a real feat considering that she already felt hot from the nearby torch flames. Sometimes Naruto's language got to be… colorful.
"Great work, assholes. All that work for nothing! Pathetic!"Naruto laughed loudly. Hinata tried to catch his attention again.
"Actually, it is quite a master work." One of the Nine called out. "You will end up out there, one way or another. Trust me."
"It would be much simpler if you just walk on, of your own accord." Another Akatsuki member said. "Torches!" Following that shouted order,numerous unseen people began lighting great torches and bonfires. Soon, the great cavern began to take on more form.
A tall man in a fanciful robe strode towards Naruto. He raised his hand, stopping the advance of the troops that were fanning out across the entranceway. "So you are the young man we have all heard so much about. Obviously you are, as the presence of the Nine Tailed youma has spurred our great benefactor to singing."
Hinata almost wet herself. The horrible soul-wrenching bellow that rang throughout the cavern almost brought her to tears. She was stronger stuff than the wekest of the soldiers, some of whom collapsed to the ground, twitching.
"Let's get down to business, why don't we. We have what you want. You have what we want. The best trades are always born form that happy coincidence, are they not?" The tall man said matter-of-factly. "All you need to do is step onto the great seal. After that, we will release the girl. You have my word of honor."
"Nnn DnNnDnT NnRtKn" Hinata tried to shout, to no avail.
"Did you say something?" Kisame tapped his horrid weapon against one of the stone columns, shaving off a few tips of Hinata's hair in the process.
"It's really not that hard of a decision to make, is it?" The tall man asked. "You know that we have you. There is no way for you to escape. So, we will get what we want eventually." He waved his arm towards the platform Hinata was on. "If you do as you are told, you win the girl's freedom. She does mean something to you, does she not?"
"Itachi," Kisame said. "Do you want to bet how he ends up out there? I bet they beat the brat senseless and toss throw him out there. He's not stupid enough to trust our snooty companion at his word, is he?"
Hinata realized that Itachi had been standing on her other side. The darkly handsome young man did not answer. He simply watched as the drama unfolded.
"Of course you'll let her go," he said in a sarcastic tone of voice. "You'll let her go on the Seal. Or maybe you'll let her go outside and get killed by all those troops. Hey, maybe you'll let her go into the grasp of the thing making that damn noise. But, she's a shinobi of the Leaf. Like me, she'd die before giving you assholes what you want. It's our Ninja Way."
"Hah! I really do like that boy!" Kisame said, laughing. "I wish I thought of doing that. The sanctimonious bastard had this coming for some time."
"It's certainly in keeping with the boy's character," Itachi ventured, sounding bored.
Hinata wondered what Naruto had done. It must have been something dramatic, maybe even crude, to draw the kind of response it had.
The tall Akatsuki member shouted across the great expanse, giving orders.
"Kill the girl!"
Those words echoed in Hinata's ears, seeming to grow louder in intensity. She swallowed hard. Her eyes went first to Kisame, and then Itachi. The hideous man smiled and shook his head ever so slightly, but did not raise his fearsome weapon. Itachi's face didn't change at all.
A number of ninjas broke away from the poorly visualized groups at the fringe of Hinata's vision. They headed in her direction, one drawing a long thin sword from his scabbard, and the other taking out a wickedly sharp hachiwari. Hinata closed her eyes. She spoke a muffled prayer of thanks, especially grateful that she had been gifted with a chance to spend time with Naruto. She would not waste her last moments mourning the opportunities that never came.
Itachi raised one arm above his head. Kisame smiled, and then began moving Sameshade in slow lazy arcs. A group of ninjas broke away from larger clustered groups, making their way to the sides of the platform. The other advancing shiniobi slowed their advance, their postures wary. They looked back at their leaders.
"Itachi. What is the meaning of this?" The tall Akatsuki member called out loudly, outraged. He pointed to a number of high-ranking soldiers, who went on to shout orders to unseen archers and halberd men. Spear bearers took out long scrolls of concussive seals and began wrapping them around their weapons.
"It is nothing to concern yourself with," Itachi answered in a relatively calm and quiet voice. "I merely disagree with the decision to kill the girl. She may still be useful."
Hinata looked over at the Uchiha ninja. Just what was he up to?
"Since when do you make the decisions for the Nine of us?" The man called back, seconded by another Akatsuki member standing nearby. "Are you turning traitor, Itachi?"
"I am working towards the same goal that I set before. I have not shown a change of heart." Itachi's vague answer had had Kisame grinning. "There may indeed be traitors amongst our group, or in the large and unnecessary number of men you have brought into this."
"You put your judgment ahead of mine? Ahead of the group as a whole?" The Akaktsuki leader's voice grew slightly shrill. Archers zeroed in on Itachi, Kisame, and Hinata.
"You have never heard me say any such thing," Itachi relied. A group of soldiers with large shields went to stand in front of Hinata. "I think you grow distracted at a perilous time. Our great benefactor grows eager. The boy we wanted stands before you. What good will bickering do? Are you going to throw everything away, on the verge of our great triumph?" Itachi turned his back on the other member of the Nine. He walked over speak with Kisame.
With Kisame's attention diverted, it was time for a certain soldier to make his move. Slowly, his actions blocked from view by his shield, the middle-aged man placed a key into Hinata's shackle, unlocking it. He then placed the key into the girl's free hand. He traced the symbol of the Leaf onto her palm, and then hefted his shield, resuming his role as a soldier.
Hinata's eyes went wide. Konoha must have been able to infiltrate the conspiracy at some point. The soldier who handed her the key must be a spy. If she could somehow manage to make an escape, would Naruto be able to do the same? Her spirit began to strengthen.
"You are foolish, Itachi, if you think that you can do something on your own." The tall Akatsuki member turned back to face Naruto. "But, he is correct in one thing. We should proceed with things before the Great Onebecomes displeased with us. "
With both shackles open but not entirely off, Hinata scanned the area around her. How could she get through all of the gathered soldiers? How long would Kisame and Itachi be out of view? Looking over at one cowled shinobi, she wondered why he somehow seemed familiar. A lock of black hair stuck out from the fringe of the man's hood. His face was not visible to her.
"Young man, we made you an offer and you refused it. Itachi's ill chosen actions will merely delay matters for the girl." The tall man's words were barely audible to Hinata. She strained to hear what was being said. "You declined. It's time that we dealt with you."
A trumpet sounded. Hinata could hear the sound of troops moving into action. "Naruto-kun," She whispered. She made certain that her wrists were held just right, so the open shackles still supported her weight. It was very painful, but she could deal with the discomfort. Now was not the time to make a move. She could hear Itachi's voice as he walked past the platform.
"Kisame, it is time to begin the countermeasures. Subtly." Itachi motioned to another Akatsuki member who nodded. "Have the shinobi disrupt the technicians working on the barrier jutsus. Their leaders are somewhat distracted at the moment. Hinata looked in the direction that Kisame stared off in. A number of ninja's were lugging huge scrolls to certain points at the seal's periphery. They began unrolling the lengthy parchments.
Kisame raised his sword, and then dipped it sharply. Barely seen, shadowy shapes headed towards those diligent shinobi. But, their actions had not gone unforeseen. Groups of opposing soldiers and ninjas moved to intercept. A small skirmish threatened to break out. Across the seal, a larger fight was taking place. Naruto must be fighting the men sent to capture him.
The outermost ring of the grand seal began to glow and pulsate. Chanting grew louder and louder, and a number of technicians began working long sweeping hand seals. Hinata's eyes bulged. Her throat grew tight. Her limbs began to tremble uncontrollable. Something was pushing through the barrier, at small points where the very fabric of existence seemed to rip or spread apart. There were three sharp points. They were huge, even when viewed on the scale of the great cavern. Those points were curved. They shone with an unearthly radiance, as if lit from within. Claws! Those were humongous claws. The Demiurge was gaining access to this world! The roaring noise repeated, again and again, growing in intensity, if that was possible.
"Kisame. See to it yourself. Taking out one or more scrolls ought to slow things down considerably. Don't fail." Itachi looked perturbed. A single drop of sweat seemed out of place on his perfect temple. He began to work hand seals, intending to make efforts against a group of shinobi heading in his direction.
Kisame smiled a hideous smile and then flashed from view. A terrible gurgling scream could be heard. One large scroll, torn and spotted with great streaks of blood, rolled out into the seal.
"You. Tell the handlers to bring in the item." Itachi called out to one particular ninja. "There is no time to waste." Itachi created a large number of exploding clones to grapple with the shinobi intent on stopping him.
Something struck Hinata in the back of her head. Blood began to run down the back of her neck; but, it wasn't her own blood. She had been hit by a part of a dismembered warrior. Biting her lip, she fought the urge to put a hand up to her hair, needing to maintain the illusion that she was hopelessly bound. She almost dropped free anyway. A flight of arrows headed her way. The shield bearers managed to deflect all but a few. None hit her.
"When I signal you, follow me swiftly." The Konoha spy spoke close to Hinata's ear when he leaned over to shield her. "There are a number of concealed tunnels leading outside. One is nearby. Be vigilant!"
Hinata tried to stay calm. She couldn't afford to let her emotions run away with her. If a chance arose, she couldn't afford to miss it. A group of fighters loyal to the main group of the Akatsuki members made a staggered and well planned approach towards Hinata, Kisame, and Itachi. The young woman clenched her fists impotently. If only she had chakra. Ever fiber of her being was calling out 'kaiten!' Some of the soldiers carried big iron truncheons, commonplace jutte. Others had chain whips and Kusari, sickles on long chains.
"Advance!" Itachi's voice rose above the growing din of battle. Ninjas with large metal fans, similar to tessen, moved to disarm the approaching adversaries. Halberd men flanked the foe, looking for weak points in their line. A large number of throwing spikes, wickedly sharp and weighted, began falling amongst the onrushing soldiers.
Numerous jutsus were being worked by both sides. There were too many to follow. Hinata had long since lost track of Naruto's location and any actions he might be undertaking.
With a deft economy of motion, barely bothering to look at his targets, Itachi broke large stalagmites free from their anchors, sending them hurling into his unfortunate enemy. Pushing a lock of hair out of his face, he frowned, and then set a whole score of pitifully screaming men ablaze with the Fire Dragon Flame No Jutsu.
At the same moment, Kisame returned, an eerie glow in his eyes. His great rasp of a sword swung in a fierce flat arc, tearing off limbs and leaving large gashes in chain mail and breast plates. A long string of blood splashed across Hinata's face. Soon thereafter, fighting to keep her composure, she caught sign of movement. The hooded shinobi. She recognized him. Uchiha Sasuke.
"Brother, your time has come." Sasuke used a jutsu to clear the area of soldiers and shinobi battling Itachi. The look in Sasuke's eyes had Hinata feeling numb. It was a cool soulless look, much like his older sibling's.
Kisame began to move towards Sasuke, but Itachi's glance stopped him. The look he turned on his brother was one of total disregard and disdain. "So, you embraced hate and spite, clinging to your pathetic life, just as I had told you to." He knocked away a thrown spear. "Everything I told you, you took as truth. Everything I demanded, you tried to fulfill. You have always hated me. You have always wanted to be stronger than me. Even so, I did you a favor. I removed the things that held you back. The whole point of being a ninja is to push oneself to the limits, even if it means sacrificing friendships. Once the barriers of parents and a peaceful life were gone, you began to realize your true potential."
"I never hated you before you killed our parents!" Sasuke sent a huge our-bladed shuriken buzzing across the cavern, taking down a number of approaching troops. "I never wanted to be greater than you. I wanted to be your equal. I wanted to be just like you!" His rage had him shaking. "I wanted father's approval." He clenched his fist, remembering the genjutsu Itachi had shown him, depicting the way that his brother had killed their parents.
"This grows tiresome," Itachi said. "You once clung tight to those useless things. Perhaps you are afraid to let go now." He nodded. "The mangekyou sharingan. I see. I killed dear cousin Shisui to get mine. Who did you kill? I would have thought you would have killed that idiot boy who we lured here today." He motioned to Kisame, who moved to attack a group of lesser ninjas. "I suppose I can do you another favor."
"I never asked you for any favors," Sasuke said, now advancing on his brother. "I have no desire to end up like you. I will follow my own path to power."
"I never told you why I killed our clan, did I?" Itachi loosened his robes some. If you guessed it was to test my strength, you would be correct. If you were inclined to believe that I hated them all, especially our father Fugaku, you would be correct again. But, there was something more."
Hinata stared at the two brothers. A space had been cleared around them by the surging mass of fighters on both sides of the Akatsuki power play. She couldn't imagine the horror that Itachi's words implied, thinking about her father, Hanabi, and the Hyuuga clan. She never wanted to feel the kind of pain and obsession that must be torturing Sasuke.
"What?" Sasuke's voice was barely audible. He couldn't help himself. Despite the years of hatred and his single-minded quest, he found part of him listening to his older brother, as if he were about to pass along something of great value to his younger sib.
"It was Orochimaru who eventually brought me into Akatsuki. He told me of a certain Brotherhood, one bent on ruling everyone and everything. He spoke of a great Destroyer, a man associated with snakes. At first I thought that he meant himself, but he was too busy perfecting his metampsychosis technique. Later, I believed that he meant me, but I had no desire to fill such a role. Being a kind-hearted brother, I thought of you."
"That's a lie!" Sasuke's eyes looked wild. "You did not kill our entire clan because of me! You did not murder our parents to make me strong enough to be your tool!"
"You can believe what you want," Itachi said, sounding as if that meant absolutely nothing to him. "You found your way to Orochimaru. You have learned to summon Snakes, have you not? I can see that look about you. It matters naught. Akatsuki found different legends to pursue. As did I."
Hinata bit her lip. She felt tears come to her eyes. Her eyes on Sasuke's face, she saw him struggling with hurt and denial.
"You can also thank me for the cursed seal, I suppose." Itachi sent more explosive clones into the fray. "I think that Orochimaru once thought that he could defeat me, and gain the Uchiha blood limit through my body. I showed him the error of his ways. That left you. It gave him reason to seek you out after all. I doubt that he will be interested in reviving our clan, as father would have wished. Can you ever forgive me, dear brother?"
Hinata cringed, only barely refraining from ducking down behind the nearest shield. Another flight of arrows had been sent in her direction. Barely visible ninja, iron Shuko claws on their hands, had climbed up on the wall behind her. They had thrown a number of kunei at the same time, before being spotted and attacked. Only the spy's alertness saved Hinata. A number of blades bit deep into the soldier's shield.
A thumping sound began to fill the cavern like the beat of a gigantic heart. No. Like the beat of multiple unbelievably large hearts. The claws had pushed further past the barrier. Soon, the distal part of a scaly slime-covered limb reached into the vast cave. Great blobs of indescribable matter fell off the immense arm, splashing onto one unlucky soul. The screaming man ran blindly, his skin melting from his splattered face.
Despite the great risk from the struggles around them, a number of the elders and important personages ran out near the edge of the seal. Most prostrated themselves on the ground, calling out supplications to the being they viewed as a god. Some wailed terribly, or anointed themselves with sacred liquids. Others stared at the hideous monstrosity with a look of rapture on their faces. Some of their number were struck down by stray arrows, spears, and shuriken.
Itachi moved abruptly, tossing black flame at Sasuke. His younger brother was no longer there. A heart-wrenching scream of utter pain and anguish had Hinata looking up towards the roof of the great cavern. Sasuke was descending, transformed. His face looked bizarre and oddly decorated. Great wings protruded from his back. One hand glowed and crackled with an unbelievable amount of visible chakra. To Hinata, it sounded as if the entire area was filled with birds.
Someone tugged hard at her sleeve. It was the Konoha spy. "Time to go. Now! We must hurry. There may not be another opportunity!" The man headed off into the furious melee, ducking under a number of attacks.
Hinata flicked her arms, dropping out of the open shackles. Rolling out of the way of a pair of sweeping butterfly swords, she followed in the running man's footsteps, knowing there was no time to put ointment on her raw wrists. She dropped to her knees. A larger curved sword spun past, just over her head. Watching in disbelief, she saw it return in its flight like a boomerang, burying itself up to the hilt in the back of an unsuspecting warrior.
She began running again, her eyes alert for even the slightest hint of danger. There. Ahead and off to one side. A dark opening. It must be a tunnel entrance. Almost stumbling over a dead body, Hinata made her way to the tunnel, rushing into the darkness. She would have given anything for a torch. Her wish was prophetic. A number of ninja's carrying torches and small oil lanterns ran into the crooked shaft, kama and manriki in their hands. They were faster than she was in her current condition.
"H-u-r-r-y!" The spy ran back to assist her. Taking his hand out of his pockets, he tossed a number of egg shells at the feet of the pursuing shinobi. Each released a great cloud of blinding chemicals, sending a pungent odor of pepper up and down the narrow tunnel. Hinata coughed. Deciding to act in her own defense, she took a handful of tesubishi out, tossing the wicked caltrops behind her. Those ought to have the enemy stepping lightly for a bit. A number of additional eggs passed over her head.
"Hold your breath and run!" The spy had good reason to say that. The fragile shells broke open, releasing poison gas into the passageway. Tearing off a piece of her clothing, Hinata placed it over her nose. She ran as fast as she could, the men pursing her falling to their knees, coughing and cursing. Intent on following her guide, who held a small light in his hand, Hinata did not glance behind herself again. If she had, she would have run with new urgency.
Kisame had broken prematurely away from his earlier contest.
He was chasing after her.