Author: Angelic Warrior
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
-
The wind whistled as it flew by the campsite. It was sharp and chilly like Death's grip. The campfire gave a weak crackle and pop every now and then. Thin streaks of clouds slowly enshrouded the lazy moon.
It was finally the sixth shift. Naruto yawned as he poked out his head from the tent's entrance. Scratching his head, he stuffed his feet in his boots and shuffled out towards the dimming campfire. His wake up call had been very upsetting. Naruto was in the middle of a fascinating dream when Akamaru bit his arm. Now, grumbling by the campfire, Naruto attempted to recall his dream but unfortunately couldn't recall a single detail.
"Stupid Akamaru…Even though I can't remember, I know that dream was good."
Naruto's blue eyes flickered in the firelight. The hypnotic sight made him recall his sole purpose of coming here. Sure he liked ramen, but there was another reason he sought the mermaid's help. Unconsciously, he touched his abdomen with his right hand. Thought lines creased his forehead.
"Yo, Kyuubi…it's okay, right?" Naruto said out loud. If someone had been around him at that time, they would have thought Naruto was crazy, talking out loud to himself.
Inside Naruto's leaky soul chamber, an entity stirred from its weak slumber. Its bright red-orange fur bristled in alertness. Letting out a low growl, the nine-tailed demon fox replied:
If that is what you want. What you do is of no concern to me.
"You probably want to be free, right?"
Who wouldn't? Kit, you came here with a decision made already. Why the doubts now?
"I can't believe I'm actually going to say this but…I think…I might miss you being here if you were gone. You were always here even though I didn't know of your existence in me until I was twelve."
Naruto threw a stick in the dying campfire. The blaze revived itself, sending more pale gray smoke into the starry sky.
"You are, to me, a monster that destroyed my childhood…"
I didn't choose to get sealed in you.
"…an unlikely mentor but a good one…"
I lived over a thousand years.
"…a lifesaver…"
Your body is also mine. If you died, I would too.
"…and a good friend. Though you were really evil and mean to me during the first couple of years I learned about you."
I'm still evil, but the word 'evil' has many definitions.
"Right." Naruto smiled. "I forgot."
The wind blew again, this time bringing some sand in its currents. Naruto shielded his eyes and waited for the wind to die down. After a couple of seconds, the sand disappeared from the wind, but the wind continued to blow in Naruto's direction this time bringing a metallic scent.
"It that…blood?" Naruto sniffed the sea air.
Smells like blood but it isn't human.
"I'm going to go check it out." Naruto wrapped a cloak around his body. He grabbed a stick, wrapped it with some rags, and lit it on fire.
Naruto didn't walk far when the smell got stronger. His nose was enhanced courtesy of the demon within him. His blue eyes slowly turned crimson as he searched the beach. About a hundred yards from him, his 'night vision' revealed a figure lying on the beach next to a large rock. Running towards the figure, he tripped on a smaller rock and fell on top of it. His hand felt something soft and warm.
"Uhh…" the body groaned.
Naruto jumped at the groan. It was a girl! He moved his torch closer to the girl and saw her facial features, and unfortunately for her, the rest of her body.
"She's naked!" Naruto blushed furiously, yanking his cloak to cover her body.
The kyuubi snickered.
"The smell is coming from her. Kyuubi…is she injured?" Naruto asked.
He planted his torch in the sand near the unconscious girl. Gulping, he closed his eyes as he lifted the girl up and fastened the cloak around her. His hand felt wet near her head and by the torch light, he saw blood.
"She's injured. I need to get some help." Naruto hoisted the unconscious girl and ran towards camp as fast as he could.
-
Before That…
-
"Hinata-sama! I'm so sorry!" Sakura clutched the bars of the cell.
"Sakura-san! Let go before…"
Z-Zap!
Hinata closed her eyes as Sakura retracted her grip. Sakura frowned as she inspected her slightly raw palms.
"The walls and cell bars are reinforced with chakra this time. Better not touch it." Hinata said sadly.
"Why this! This is absurd! You only just activated your Byakugan. There's no way that will get you sentenced for seven years in the Above," Sakura angrily shouted.
"Father knows of my encounter with the humans. That alone can send me up to the Above for fifteen years. Therefore…seven years aren't that bad."
"Seven years is a long time. The last time I heard of an encounter case, the humans were killed. No one was punished. We can send the ANBU to kill those humans like the previous time, that way you'll be spared, at least for the encounter."
"I didn't want them to be killed. That's why I took the punishment."
"What!" Sakura shouted.
Already forgetting about the chakra enforced cell bars, she grabbed at them again. Hinata closed her pale eyes and cringed just before Sakura gave a small whelp at the burning pain. Hinata opened her eyes and saw that Sakura's palms had begun to form some blisters. Sighing, Hinata reached for her special ointment and smeared some on Sakura's raw palms.
"You really shouldn't forget your first lessons," Hinata said soothingly as she capped the lid of the jar. Sakura grumbled something incoherently under her breath.
"There, as long you don't burn yourself again," Hinata peered at Sakura while bandaging her palms, "it should heal by dusk."
"Thank you, Hinata-sama." Sakura said.
The water's current suddenly changed, indicating that someone was approaching. Sakura stiffened and subconsciously moved in front of Hinata. Hinata reached between the bars and put her clawed hands on Sakura's shoulder, reassuring her that it was okay. Sakura turned around and saw Hinata. Her green eyes grew teary at the thought of seeing her for the last time.
"Pl…please don't go…Hinata-sama…let me stay with you." Sakura sobbed.
Sakura hadn't cried in years. She thought she had forgotten the pain of crying; the burning eyes, the lump in the throat, the squeezing chest, and the agonizing heart-- it was all too real and familiar. The last time she cried was when the other mermaids had bullied her by yanking out her tail scales.
"Nah, nah…Sakura, you don't look so well. Let's help you."
A group of mermaids surrounded her. Some even began to take out a nail file to sharpen their claws. Six-year-old Sakura shifted slowly backwards until her back hit the wall. Her green eyes grew wider as they peered into the other eyes sensing their desire to see blood. The leader, Ami, dropped her nail file and licked her sharpened claws.
"Sakura-chan…your complexion is so pale today. Didn't they say in history that bleeding was the cure for all illnesses?"
"Um…I believe I'm quite healthy today," Sakura said, trying to keep the fear out of her voice, but she could not stop the involuntary shudders.
"Don't act so brave, we know you feel sick just as we are disgusted that you are among us," Ami sneered.
"B-brave? I'm not brave…" Sakura said, using her peripheral vision to seek an opening to escape. There wasn't any. The mermaids surrounded her.
"You dare talk back to me!" Ami shouted and slapped Sakura's face.
The slap stung. On her face, three scratch marks appeared. Ami's claws were really sharp. Sakura whimpered.
"Oh my…I just scarred your cheek." Ami faked sincerity. The others laughed.
Sakura reached for her cheek. It was getting numb. Did Ami poison her claws? Sakura gritted her fangs. She couldn't stand this treatment anymore. Before anyone could react, she scored a slap on Ami's face.
Everyone gasped. Ami stared, shocked. After a few seconds, Ami let out a chuckle. The other mermaids murmured amongst themselves as to whether she had snapped or not.
"No one touches my face but me…No one, not even my own parents hit me, but you dared and did," Ami said coldly. "You two!" Ami shouted at the two mermaids closest to Sakura, "hold her down. I'm going to give her God's punishment!"
Instantly, Sakura couldn't move; the two mermaids had pinned her against the wall. Ami swam closer to Sakura, grinning like a maniac. Without warning, she dug her claws into Sakura's tail and yanked out four scales.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Sakura screamed.
"There…I feel much better…but my cheek still stings…hmmm…what shall I do?" Ami sadistically peeled off some skin on Sakura's scales, using her claws like tweezers. "I know!" Ami bopped her hand, "why don't you all enjoy the fun?"
Instantly, like a pack of hungry wolves, Ami's friends dove in, yanking out her scales.
"KYAHHH-…" Sakura bit her lip to prevent her from shout out in pain. No, she wouldn't give them the pleasure of her agony.
It was so painful when each scale was yanked, and some blood would leaked out, making the surrounding water around her cloudy pink. Their claws would dig into her flesh to take out the scales. Sakura may have prevented herself from not screaming but the tears of pain were flowing freely. It wasn't long before they were bored, since Sakura kept the screams to herself. After some teasing about how the water around her now matched her pink hair, they would swim away, taking the stolen scales and melting each one in the underground magma reservoir.
"Sakura-chan! Look! Now I know where you got that weird hair color from!" Ami laughed, clutching her stomach. "The water was your dye! Get it?"
When no one laughed, Ami would glare at everyone, and soon, all the mermaids except Sakura would laugh. Many were doing it half-heartedly. Sakura felt so drained and her whole tail felt inflamed. Each wound pulsed and stung.
"Poor Sakura…we should help with her recovery. After all, it's hard to swim missing nearly half of your scales." With her claws, she picked up handfuls of scales and smiled.
Sakura prayed that they would leave right now but that didn't happen.
"I know of an underground reservoir that can increase the healing process! Aren't I a good friend? All we need to do is burn them and your scales will be back in a few days. Let's do it, girls!"
"No!" Sakura weakly yelled.
Ami and her army picked up the fallen scales and swam away with it. Sakura panted, now fearing the worst.
When the last of the bubbles from the mermaid tails disappeared, Sakura felt the cracked dam holding her tears burst. Hot tears trailed down her cheeks as she let out a loud mournful wail. She clutched her chest, feeling it constrict, tightening. She let everything out, banging her fist at the wall. So what if she caused another injury? It didn't matter. No one cared. No one acknowledged her presence. She was all alone in the dark blue sea.
"Why…why…Why doesn't anyone care about me?" Sakura howled.
For days, Sakura endured the stinging pain while praying that her scales would grow back faster. If the bullies had left the scales after their torturing, she could have re-attached some of them. However, they burned them and by doing that, they prolonged her recovery.
It wasn't too long afterwards that she met Hinata. At first, Sakura thought she was just like Ami but her actions proved that this was untrue.
"D-dear god! What h-happened? Are you okay?"
Sakura opened her eyelids. The first things she saw were pure black eyes staring at her face. She felt her forehead being touched against the stranger's.
"If you are here to take more of my scales…scram. I don't even have enough to swim properly," Sakura dully said.
"T-take your s-scales! Why w-would I do th-that!" the black eyed mermaid swam back in shock.
Sakura had a better view of the visitor now that she wasn't looking into her face. The mermaid was really pale, with shoulder length dark hair which contrasted with her skin. Her eyes were pitch black, and yet sincerity and compassion were visible in them. She had a pearly white cloth tied around her chest. When Sakura looked at the mermaid's tail, she felt tears arising once more. Her own tail looked like trash while the other mermaid's seem to gleam in the weak sunlight. It was smooth, clean, everything--that was not Sakura's tail.
"Y-you are running a d-d-dangerous fev-ver. I-If you'll l-let m-me…I-I can treat it f-for y-you." The mermaid stuttered as she twiddled her index fingers shyly.
Sakura barely heard what she said. Her mind was so cloudy that she only registered the word 'fever' and 'treat'. Too tired, she just nodded.
Hinata immediately applied first aid to Sakura, though some of the wounds had signs of infection. Sakura's face had a purple tint. Hinata recognized the poison in her skin.
"P-please bear th-this…it'll be p-painf-ful but it's necessary," Hinata said.
Sakura nodded, too tired to complain. Her body felt hot and her head felt cloudy. Hinata took out a small knife and slit Sakura's cheek a little. Sakura winced but what surprised her was what happened next. Hinata pulled Sakura's face closer to her and with her lips, she went to suck the poison out of the cheek. Spitting the blood into a shell container, Hinata sealed the slit wound with her ointment. In a few seconds, Sakura felt her head clear. Her cheek wound felt minty cool and she felt comfortable.
"Y-your fe-fever was caused b-by the p-poison. Y-You'll be a-all right n-now…" Hinata gently stuttered as she proceeded to apply some anti-infection healing ointment.
"Who are you?" Sakura whispered.
"S-sorry! I-I've forgottent to in-introduce mys-self. I'm Hinata."
"Hi..nata-san…thank you."
Since that time, Sakura was forever grateful. Hinata, being the first one to show kindness to her, was placed in a special area of her empty heart. They became fast friends and Ami didn't bug her anymore. Later Sakura found out that there was another mermaid that scared Ami off. But that's another story. Being with Hinata didn't get her bullied and in return, Sakura decided to be her bodyguard. It was then when she found out that Hinata was royalty and an outcast.
"Let me be your bodyguard, it's the least I can do," Sakura pled.
"You can't!" Hinata said. After some time with Sakura, she stopped stuttering around her.
"Why not!" Sakura asked. "It's of my own freewill. I want to protect you."
"My father will be very angry. I'm…not worthy of having any one to protect me."
"That's not true!" Sakura harshly grabbed Hinata's shoulders. A piece cloth fell. "You, out of everyone I know, are worth protecting!"
Sakura blinked and noticed the fallen cloth. She picked it up and felt its smooth texture. The colors swirled in the fabric and soon camouflaged with her claws.
"This is…Cami-bric," Sakura slowly said.
Hinata gasped and realized that there was nothing covering her eyes; she quickly shielded her face from Sakura's view.
"Hinata-san, why do you have this? Are you hiding something from me?" Sakura grabbed the 'skin' colored cloth and turned around.
"Please don't look at me and give me back the cloth," Hinata said, blindly reaching for the cloth.
"Are you okay, Hinata-san? Why are you covering your eyes?"
Sakura pulled Hinata's arm down. Sea-green eyes met pale white lavender ones. Sakura gasped. Hinata saw the cloth on Sakura's claws and quickly grabbed it when Sakura was in shock. Hinata tied it around her eyes, making her pale eyes appear coal black. Sakura blinked.
"You…are, Hinata-san…no…Hinata-sama! You are a Hyuuga! You are royalty and yet…you never told me." Sakura quickly bowed but her tone of voice held a hint of betrayal.
"Sakura-san. I don't want others to befriend me because I'm royalty. Please don't jump to conclusions; let me explain…"
Sakura from then on wouldn't take 'no' for bodyguarding. She also told Hinata to be true to herself and not to hide her true identity. Hiding would only make herself look weaker in Hinata's father's eyes. Sakura also refused to call her 'san' anymore but instead 'sama,' which made Hinata blush for a while.
After such a past together, how could Sakura let go of Hinata now? She was supposed to protect her but now she couldn't. Her pent up frustrations finally burst and she cried.
"Sakura-san. Don't cry. Seven years really aren't long and also…you should leave now. Ano…if you can, Sakura-san, won't you look for me when I'm sent up?"
Sakura froze. She whipped her head in Hinata's direction. Hinata answered her shocked features with a melancholy smile.
"Y…you know…?" Sakura whispered.
"Yes. I always knew you. From the moment I sucked the poison out of your blood that day, my suspicions were confirmed. But don't worry, I didn't tell anyone." Hinata glanced at the entrance. "Sakura-san, leave now! It's an order!" Hinata pled.
Sakura gave Hinata an assuring nod and then left.
"You aren't the only one here," Hinata whispered after Sakura left. "There is one more just like you."
-
"Commence trial and punishment. Hyuuga, Hinata, are you absolutely certain you will take your punishment rather have the ANBU erase the humans? Speak your case."
"Y-yes. I'll r-rightful-ly take my p-punishment. S-spare the h-humans please. It was m-my f-f-fault as s-s-seen in the rec-corded images. I will dutifully c-carry out my p-punishment."
"Understood. Punishment lasts for seven years. Case closed. You may depart at midnight after Wound Infliction."
"U-un-derstood." Hinata gritted her teeth to mentally and physically prepare herself for the pain in the torture chamber.
Seven hours later…
Hinata weakly left the chamber. Her limbs still felt the effects of the genjutsu placed on her. Her mind was put to the very limit nearly shattering her soul. She fainted sixteen times, ten less than what an average prisoner could handle. Her first experience prepared her a little but the effects were still horrifying. Each illusion was molded for the individual. The specialists would cast the worst nightmare onto the victim died repeatedly until the victim dies from of it. Hinata was ordered not to be killed so the specialists placed a different dream on her. It was a dream of loneliness when the mer-people she cared for sacrificed their lives for her sake.
"Hinata-sama, you look thirsty. Have a drink." The mer-person slit their wrists and held it out to the shocked mermaid. "You are royalty after all."
"Hinata-sama, are you hungry? You can eat my heart…" That mer-person ripped their chest and pulled out their still pumping, steaming heart. "Is it fitting for you, Princess?"
"Hinata-sama! Look out!" Sakura shouted as she shoved Hinata aside. A spear that was launched, directed at Hinata now implanted itself in Sakura's forehead.
Hinata shook uncontrollably as blood drained from her face. Tears streamed out of her eyes as scenes flicked past her, each more horrifying than the previous. She slumped to the ground in shock. When another scene of Sakura's sacrifice flashed past, she clutched her head screaming.
"STOP IT!NNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Hinata shouted continuously for seven hours.
Hinata struggled to keep consciousness. It was finally over and yet it wasn't. Just one more and it would be over. Hyuuga, Hiashi came over with a stony expression on his face. His ivory eyes pierced into the hearts of mer-people and stared into his daughter's heart. His heart slightly cringed seeing the effects of the psychological torture inflicted on his eldest daughter. He remembered Hinata's screams and it still throbbed in his heart.
"Father…" Hinata weakly addressed.
Hiashi blinked. He had Hanabi now so why was he still worried about this weakling? He cast his feelings aside.
"Turn around," Hiashi said. Hinata obeyed.
With his claw, Hiashi dipped it in a timer ink. Timer ink, when tattooed on the flesh, will gauge the amount of time the magic will last when cast on the individual. Hiashi pushed up Hinata's long hair to reveal a pale neck. He saw the gills on the side quiver slightly. With a deep breath, he plunged his dipped claw in the nape of her neck.
"Uhmph…" Hinata grimaced.
The ink immediately spread from Hiashi's claw to form a circle. The circle blossomed from the circumference with ancient writing and inside the circle, the kanji for 'human' bled. The number 7 appeared right below the circle ending the spell. Hiashi withdrew his claw. The transformation would begin very soon.
"Father…" Hinata croaked.
"My last piece of advice, swim fast," Hiashi said emotionlessly. With a swish of his tail, he left and everyone else followed.
Hinata closed her eyes in defeat. He didn't care for her at all. The back of her neck pulsated and Hinata fought the urge to touch it. Suddenly she gasped. Her claws and fins were slowly shrinking. Her white eyes opened with realization. She was going to turn human down here at the heart Atlantis, which was over 50,000 below sea level. No one was going to help her because she was now neither mermaid nor human, and their law didn't cover her anymore.
"…swim fast…"
Hinata dug her fingers in the water forcing her way up. Her tail thrashed shooting jets of bubbles behind her. The water pressure was beginning to affect her now as her ears popped.
I won't make it! Hinata thought as her scales slowly floated away from her tails.
Hinata glared at the tiny stream of light that penetrated the ocean. It was still about 295 meters from the top and her gills were pinching closed. Knowing this was the last chance to breathe, Hinata took a deep breath just as her gills folded shut.
Air! Hinata mentally screamed as blood pounded against her eardrums. Can I make it?
At the surface of the ocean, a storm raged. At the campsite, it was quiet as Naruto grumbled, stumbling towards the campfire.
Hinata thought her tail had snapped, split into two. The sudden burst of pain released the stored air in her new lungs. Kicking her new legs, she burst though the ocean's surface with a loud gasp. Before she could think, a gigantic wave slammed into her, knocking her breath out. The mini tsunami picked her up and tossed her into the air. When the unconscious Hinata flew in the air, her head slammed against a rock on the shore. The storm immediately quelled as blood started to stain the soaked sand. All became silent.
Hinata-sama, I wish you the best of luck… An air spirit whispered and with its wind, it carried the scent of blood to the person of Hinata's destiny.
-
To be continued.