Hizashi's throat was sore from screaming. FATHER…FATHER…Father…father…ther… Aki's voice rang in his ear. He had let his child be taken. What kind of father is that? What was worse, he let the person that nearly took his son escape as well. Hizashi, the kinder twin could not take another's life, he merely put him at a near death experience.
"Hizashi," The shinobi that Hiashi killed lay at his feet. The exterminated one had his mask off. He had bandages wrapped on his head and an eye patch that covered his left eye. His head protector told them that he was from the Hidden Cloud Village or Kumogakure. "Hiashi, what do you think they'll do with Aki?"
Hizashi knelt down to pick up his slightly injured son, "I am not sure, but one thing for certain is, we cannot let Neji remember this day." Hizashi stared up at the sky, "They were close – so close – after all. Losing a sibling is an unpleasant thing." Hizashi glared fiercely at his own mirror image. "Horrid." He turned his back on Hiashi and walked towards their mansion.
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"EAHHHHHHHHHHEAHHHHHHHEEEHEEEEEEHAHHHHHHH!" Miles away the ninja carrying Aki sped towards Kawa no Kuni. "DADDY! NII-SAN!" Aki bawled louder each time.
"Shut up kid." The person flicked his or her little cloth and struck Aki on her face, which only resulted to further blubbering. Aki tried to push herself from the person's arms, but he (or she) held on fast.
Finally, Deidara started to lose pace. An ancient fortress like building came into view. Deidara spotted Kisame several meters below her. He was angrily looking up.
Deidara landed with a little thump and set Aki on the ground. She looked at Aki as if to say, Stay there you little freak! Kisame growled furiously, "That bitch's father nearly KILLED ME!" He advanced on Aki. Aki raised her arms in of her in a way to block any incoming attacks.
"Leave the kid alone Kisame!" hissed Deidara, "Never mind her father, it is just natural instinct to attack someone who is trying to get to their kid. Just like our third partner." Curse your weakness Cloud Ninja.
The two S-class shinobi ranted for several minutes…
Several minutes later…
"You two never shut up." Deidara and Kisame did shut up though. In the tree above them, stood a person. His long black cloak was adorned with boastful red designs. His hair was a grayish black and his eyes – his blood red eyes – bore into their minds.
"Uhh…" Deidara thought for a moment, "OH! Hey Itatchi, I just came back, the little girl was a sort of nuisance."
Itatchi leered, "Little Girl, eh." The Uchiha leapt from the tree and landed in front of Deidara, "Where?"
Deidara looked about her.
(AN: Hey, again. Welcome to Chapter 5! Anyway, you know how in anime when they're missing something, they outline it in dotted lines? Well just imagine that for this, because that's what I'm imagining! Except, well, it's hard to outline a person… Review please! Oh, and also, I don't know what should happen… Please give me some ideas; this story is going no where!)
"EH?" Deidara grew in a panicky state. "She was just right here! Kisame, you saw her right. She was wearing a long t-shirt and pants and she was wearing martial arts BLACK BELT!" Deidara looked at Kisame for support, "DAMMIT!" He disappeared in a rocky whirlwind.
Itatchi stared blankly at the ground, "Kisame, he wants to see you."
"He? He who?" Kisame's eyes widened until they almost popped out of their sockets, "Why? What does he want?"
Itatchi eyes stayed on the ground, "Go on!" Kisame tottered away. Itatchi too left. And when his presence was gone, the spot where Aki lay, burst into flames.
The smell of morning wafted through Aki's nose. She placed herself under the roots of a beech tree and she could feel the warm moss on her bare hands. The ground trembled slightly, but she paid no heed. A few rocks fell on to her head. She peeked out from under the roots and listened. A slight "swish" and then a "pock." Swishpock… Swishpock… Swishpock… Swishpock…Hand signs.
Aki felt her body rise. Actually, the roots were rising. Aki tried to run for it but the roots came around and wrapped around her waist. Aki screamed, and pounded on the wood that bound her. The roots twisted onto her wrists and soon she couldn't move at all. "WAHHHH!"
"Wow, you're a little cry baby aren't you." Aki became silent for a moment long enough to see that it was Deidara talking. "I spent my free time chasing you down instead of having fun." One of the roots that Deidara controlled came round and slapped Aki on the face. It left a deep red mark that soon began to bleed. Aki whimpered.
"Let me GO! WAHHHHH" Aki cried and cried. Deidara lost her patience. She directed a tree root to cover Aki's mouth and another to slowly wrap around her neck. Deidara sneered.
"Can't cry much now, can you." The tree roots brought Aki closer to Deidara until their noses almost touched. "Well. That's too bad isn't it?" The roots tightened and suffocated Aki's little body.
"MmmMMm.HM! Mmhh!" Tears strolled down her cheeks.
"Aww…" Deidara directed a tree branch to wipe Aki's tears away, "Don't cry. It's going to be okay, we won't hurt you…" The tree's roots squeezed the air out of Aki, her whole body throbbed with pain. The tree branch around her neck pulsed eagerly. Deidara smiled again. The tree roots rose through the air until Deidara was just a little dot, it then contracted dangerously, loosened and let Aki go. As she fell through the air, a gush of wind came by and slowed her fall. Deidara frowned, Aww… I wanted for her to die; now I have to carry her back to the base.
Aki struck the ground. Deidara casually walked over to her and said, "We won' hurt you…"
Aki's vision faltered, everything grew muffled and blurry. The world was almost all black.
"We won't, at least, not yet…" And then, everything was black.
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"The Cloud Shinobi leader tried to abduct our children?" Hiashi repeated this line very dully, as if he didn't believe it.
The Conference in the room was held at midday. Many Jounin and leaders of each clan attended.
"The Cloud Ninjas are very upset about their leader." Hokage-sama remarked. The murmuring grew louder, "Hiashi, in return for the death of their leader, they have demanded a corpse… your corpse." The Hokage looked into Hiashi's eyes.
"There's no choice then… If my life will save the village…"
"Hmmm," Hokage stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"Hold on Hiashi, the advanced blood of the Hyuga clan is a valuable trump card to this village. Protecting that has always been the duty of the main family." One of the Hyugas answered.
"..yes but before that duty, if the village is drawn into a dangerous war…"
"I know. That's why, the Branch family exists."
"!" Hiashi stared at the member of his clan.
"We will have to hand over Hizashi's body in place of yours."
"! No!" Hiashi cried pitifully.
"Oh yes, but Hizashi has already agreed." The member of the clan smiled maliciously.
Hiashi gaped at his brother. Why? This is my responsibility. Hizashi gazed emptily back.
"Why? But they want the secrets of the Byakuugan Abilities. With Hizashi, once he's killed, that ability will be sealed! I do not see the cloud shinobi being satisfied with that."
"Heh. That may be their true intention, but their demand was simple; Hand over Hyuuga Hiashi's body-" He paused for a moment, like he was letting the words sink through the twins, "- If we act like we've agreed and hand over Hizashi's body, which is a duplicate of yours, they should not be able to complain any further."
"…" Both brothers did not say a word.
The silence was finally broken when Hiashi protested, "…But…"
"Hiashi, the time has come when… each generation has protected the Hyuga blood in this way… You must have the heart to let go of even a sibling to protect that blood, our blood. That is the destiny of the main family, and to all born under the Hyuga name."
Everybody was silent.
"..pff. What happened to the always confident Hiashi-sama?" Hizashi smirked towards his pair.
"This is VASTLY different from anything in the past, I can't so easily…"
Hizashi rushed forward and carefully pressed two chakra points in Hiashi's body. Hiashi thumped to the ground and lay there for a while, thinking.
"Guh.. Hizashi you…"
"Please let me go."
"Y-you have Neji, why for the ma-main family do you choose death?" Hiashi's voice trembled, like he was about to cry.
"That is incorrect." Hizashi knelt down beside his brother, talking to his ear, "I have always hated the main family, and honestly I still do. That's why, it's not for you as a member of the main family. I want to die and save you as my brother. I have given myself, for the first time, the freedom to choose."
The Jounin in the room were speechless. They stare in utter amazement at the two brothers.
"I have only shown my ugly side to my children, Neji, Aki. Yet here, I finally understand my own will. So please, tell this to Neji," Hiashi closed his eyes, thinking of his brother's words, "That I am not being killed to protect the main family, but to protect him, my brother, my family, and my village. I am choosing death with my own will."
"Choosing death is freedom?" Hiashi gasped out some words
"Brother… I wanted just once to disobey the Hyuuga destiny. I wanted to choose my own destiny. That is all." Hizashi stood up and cleared his throat. He walked casually out the building with two escorts.
Hiashi lay on the ground for a while, thinking of his brother's last words.
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The wind ran between the son and father, and along with it, a few leaves. They flew in the pattern of the wind. An inescapable path led by the wind.
"Neji," Hizashi stared glumly at his son. Neji looked at his father with so much glee and excitement. Hizashi wished that he had at least some good news to tell his son.
"Neji, you must live. You are a man loved by the Hyuuga talent, even more than anyone in the clan." Hizashi chuckled silently at his son's bemused facial expression. He stroked his son's head, "I wish I could've born you into the main family."
Another gush of wind came by. Neji stared at his dad, was he hinting something. It was like he was. As Neji stood there, it seemed like one second his father was right beside him, happy, and always there, and when the wind came by, his memory, faded away.