I like this chapter better than the first, though I suck at fighting scenes. Any tips would be helpful and gratefully accepted. Please review!
Chapter 2
'You'll only end up hurting yourself, you know?'
Funny how this line continued to haunt her, after all these years.
Hanabi stood in front of her sister's grave, closed her eyes, and remembered.
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- 7 years ago -
She activated her Byakugan, slipping effortlessly into a ready stance. Hinata mirrored her move.
"WOOF!"
"..."
"WOOF! WOOFWOOFWOOF! WOOOOOOOOOF"!
"….Kiba, keep your mutt away from me."
Ever since the day she furiously dragged her sister away from the Hyuuga compound, Hanabi had spent her weekend afternoons training with Hinata. She never taunted her again, and she wondered whether that was because she couldn't bring herself to hurt Hinata more than necessary, or because Kiba and Shino were always present when they were together. The 2 had appeared every time Hanabi brought Hinata to the isolated, pockmarked clearing near the woods where she trained with her own team, sometimes training themselves, sometimes merely lingering near the edges, keeping an eye on Hinata.
Though nearly 2 years had passed, she had never really forgiven Kiba for his words to her that day. The Inuzuka, however, had seemed to have forgotten everything, and had reverted back to his usual cheerful self around her in a matter of weeks.
Kiba glanced over to where Akamaru was running giddy circles around Hanabi. She was focusing the full, terrible force of her Byakugan on the white fluffy blur at her feet and Hinata was giggling, poking the animal with her toe experimentally.
"It likes you, Hanabi." Hinata's stuttering had finally stopped a year ago, though sometimes she reverted back to her old habits when she was in particularly stressful circumstances. Hanabi had noted, with an annoyed frown, that these circumstances seemed to include whenever Shino took off his heavy jacket and shirt, which was getting rather frequent due to the oppressive summer heat. Stressful indeed.
Kunoichi have no place in their lives for silly crushes she had thought, and thanked heaven she was nothing like her sister.
Kiba grinned and whistled to his partner. "Oi, Akamaru! Stop flirting with the girls, you little bastard!" He grinned cheekily at Hanabi. "Can never resist the pretty ones, eh?."
"..."
Kiba wilted a little underneath the blinding white glare. "I was just joking." he muttered, turning away and heading back to stand next to Shino, Akamaru close at his heels. "That girl is as cold as a fish." he complained.
Shino said nothing and stepped smoothly out of the way as a kunai embedded itself in the wooden post a hairsbreadth where they stood. Kiba cursed and turned around, growling, but stopped short when he saw the faint flush on Hanabi's cheeks before she swung her long, dark hair in front of her face and spun around to face Hinata.
"Hey, Hanabi-chan -'' Goofy smile stretched wide across his face, he leaned casually against the post. "- are you getting tired already? You look kinda flushed."
Hanabi frowned, furious at herself. How DARE he –
" Hinata! Hanabi! Behind you! Hi-"
Huh? Hanabi turned around, briefly noting that Shino sounded more panicked than she had ever heard before.
And then 4 shadows dropped down besides her, and suddenly Shino was next to her, and Hinata was screaming, and screaming, and –
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Hanabi could feel the tears building up behind her eyes and she squeezed them tightly shut.
7 years had passed. She hadn't cried then, and she wasn't about to start now.
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"Hinata!" Hanabi screamed as she felt 2 pairs of arms grab her. She twisted free, preparing to strike at her attackers. Kiba was by her side in an instant, Akamaru lunging at the throat of one of the black-clad men, knocking him to the ground. The 2 of them fought the remaining man, Hanabi paralyzing him with a few well-placed jabs to his tenketsu, Kiba slashing his throat viciously with a kunai. The man managed to land a solid blow to her chest before he died and she fell to the ground, gasping for breath, -
"Hanabi!" Kiba bent down next to her but she pushed him away, struggling on to her feet.
How could I have not sensed them? How could I have let myself be distracted –
She ran towards where Hinata and Shino were fighting the 2 other ninja.
Hinata was down on the ground, bleeding from a deep gash on her thigh. Shino was trying to reach her but his opponent was too strong, and soon he was also knocked down by a sharp blow to his chin –
- Hanabi grit her teeth and rushed at the man currently pinning down Hinata.
"Hanabi, no! Hanabi –'' Kiba felt a sharp pain in his shoulder and cursed, jerking the kunai out his flesh before turning around to see Akamaru, bloodied and broken, held by the nape of his neck by the first ninja. His eyes narrowed dangerously. "You bastard! I'll show you not to mess with my dog –''
Hanabi knew she could not last long. She was not as skilled as her cousin Neji in the Gentle Fist method of fighting, and she was tiring fast. Shino was barely managing to keep the other ninja from attacking her and Hinata.
Her opponent shot out his leg, tripping her briefly. Her eyes widened –
She had not been able to anticipate the blow –
"Hanabi!" Hinata screamed and she jerked her head up, breath catching in her throat. The ninja had raised a dagger and was smirking, preparing to slash down –
And then Hinata was in front of her, back facing the ninja, arms outstretched in front of Hanabi.
"HINATA!"
Hinata arched backwards from the blow. Hanabi saw the steel come out through her chest, crimson blossoming over her jacket. She saw the blade slash downwards and out, and she stretched her arms out to catch her sister as she fell -
- but Hinata was jerked backwards, eyes wide and unblinking as the man grabbed her by the throat and pulled her close to him, cursing.
"You weren't supposed supposed to kill this one! They want the Hyuuga heiress back alive –"
Hanabi found herself unable to move. She was numb all over, staring horrified at the limp body of her sister.
Hinata...
"I know, damnit! She might not be dead yet – "
The enemy ninja's voices drifted over her but she wasn't listening. Her whole world was focused on the ugly gash through Hinata's chest and her eyes followed the rivulets of blood as they ran down and dripped thickly next to her own hand.
"We have to go now, the other shinobi will be here soon – " Hanabi looked to her right. Shino was lying on the ground in front of them, both legs twisted unnaturally beneath him, a dark pool of blood and dead insects spreading underneath his coat. " – what do we do with these two?"
The man holding her sister glanced contemptuously at Hanabi. "Leave this one. If her sister is dead they might want her instead, later. Take the other one. Where's Yishiro – we should take the dog boy too –"
Hanabi heard an anguished howl and running footsteps.
The other man blanched. "The dog boy killed Yishiro." He picked up Shino and slung him over his shoulder. "We should go now. Just leave him, we don't' have time to deal with another one of these brats."
Hinata was flung over his shoulders next to Shino. Her killer bent down next to Hanabi, eyes glinting. "Until next time then, little girl." His voice was low and rasping, coarse as sandpaper. He smirked cruelly. Hanabi flinched.
And then they were gone, and Hanabi was left sprawled out on the ground.
She reached a hand out slowly and dipped her fingers in Hinata's blood, tracing dark lines on the ground. She ignored Kiba when he reached her, breath ragged, choking sobs racking his chest.
Hinata...
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Neji, Tenten and Lee had been sent to retrieve Hinata and Shino.
Kiba and herself searched far and wide, hunting desperately for clues, for any signs that they were alive. But it was as if they had vanished off the face of the earth.
7 years after they were kidnapped, Hyuuga Hinata and Aburame Shino were pronounced dead.
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Hanabi bent down and placed a white daisy on her sister's empty grave.
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She stiffened when she heard someone approach from behind.
"All alone at this hour?"
That voice –
She turned around slowly, lower lip quivering slightly.
"Good evening –''
That smirk -
"….little girl."
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In case there is any confusion about their ages, at the current time of the story (seven years after the kidnapping) Hanabi is 19, while Kiba, Shino and Hinata would be 24.