November
She always wondered what it was like.
Swimming in her fantasies, rather than drowning in reality.
But unfortunately, she had to be a practical person. There was hardly ever a time for dreams and fantasies. The exceptions being only at night.
Because if she did focus on dreams rather than the present moment, then today's goals would never be accomplished.
At least, that's what Neji used to say. To focus on her own good.
"Nee-chan!"
Hanabi barges in without warning like the demon she was. Hinata frantically slams the journal shut and hides it with her arms, crouching over her desk.
"What have I told you about knocking!?" she scolds her pesky little sister, discreetly sliding the journal to the far end of her desk.
"What?" The younger Hyuga questions, crossing her arms, "You hiding something from me?"
"No, Hanabi," she sighs, rubbing her temples, "We had this conversation..."
She watches Hanabi close her bedroom door, then skip her way over to her bed, her lucky charmed kunai twirling in her hand. "Are you reading Neji's journal again?" she questions knowingly.
Hinata whips her head in shock before an irritated expression quickly takes over.
How does she-
"Why were you in my room!?"
Hanabi scoffs. "Answer my question first!"
"Hanabi, I've told you about this already! Snooping around in my room and looking through my belongings-"
"Sure. Your belongings-" Hanabi mutters, rolling her eyes.
"Stop," Hinata says with a defeated sigh, sitting up straight. "You don't see me going into your room and invading your privacy, do you?"
Her little sister only gives an evil smile in return.
In this entire world, Hinata trusted her little sister dearly. But even she can be a little invasive at times. And as she sits there on the edge of her bed, loftily swinging her legs with brown pigtails resting on her knees, she briefly wonders just how much trust she put into her, knowing that Hanabi can often be a sneaky little thing.
"As you shouldn't be." The younger Hyuga smirks playfully, testing her patience even more.
"Hanabi, I'm serious. Stop snooping around in my room when I'm away."
"Yeah yeah yeah, fine. I get it already. I didn't come in here to argue with you, though." She watches the once playful expression on her face turned solemn, her thin brows knitting into a frown.
The atmosphere in the room quickly shifts. She doesn't like where this is going.
"Nee-chan...that night at the conference, you know, with your sudden outburst and everything..."
Hinata inwardly cringes at the memory.
"It was so unlike you."
Her eyebrows raise at her sister's statement.
What was that supposed to mean?
"...I get it, okay? The frustration. The elders. Everything involving Neji-san and the branch members...it hurts inside." Hanabi's head hangs low, her eyes concentrated on the ground before her. Her next words are stated firmly. "But you shouldn't get involved."
Affronted, Hinata turns away in her chair, her back facing her sister. "Is that all you came to say?" She utters calmly.
"Don't turn your back on me! I'm saying this for your own good!"
"For my own good, huh?"
The phrase is starting to haunt her now. Hinata's eyes flicker towards her late cousin's journal.
"Yes," she hears Hanabi behind her say pensively, "I agree with father on this one. For now, I think you should leave everything to him. He's wiser and has more knowledge than us...he knows the elders better than we think."
"And we don't!?" Hinata stands up, pacing around the room. "We know what the elders are like. We have a say in matters that are equally important as father's."
There's a tense pause in the room, and she turns to Hanabi when she doesn't respond, expectant.
The younger Hyuga's eyes are steady. "...But you're not the heiress anymore."
Hinata comes to a halt, her feet glued to the ground.
Like an arrow, Hanabi's words pierce straight through her heart, and she loathes the feeling completely. Because why .
Why did it still hurt to hear?
Her little sister was correct. She's not the heiress anymore. Hinata has come to terms with that. She was never one to dwell on that matter...but it was a curt reminder of the failure she always thought herself to be. And with that, Hinata could never seal that feeling off, even if she tries to reason with herself that she has come to terms with acceptance.
Staring pointedly at her sister, "I understand that , Hanabi-"
"Then what's your deal all of sudden, huh?! Why now do you choose to reclaim your lost title?"
Her throat constricts painfully as she purses her lips together. Hanabi was really pushing it today… it left her feeling hollow inside.
Her sister was blunt after all. There was no use in getting angry at her.
She watches the flickering expressions on Hanabi's face contrast from one another. There were so many in one. Guilt. Frustration. Anger. Regret. Each emotion colliding with one another until she watches Hanabi turn away, facing the windowsill.
"I...I'm sorry," she murmurs, "That was a low blow-"
"Did father set you up to come here and say this?" Hinata interjects, "Because if so-"
"No!" Hanabi says standing up, leaving her kunai on the bed. Now she's the one pacing around. Her hands were frantically in the air. "Fine, forget your rebellious phase! Let's talk about how distant you're being. You haven't been at the table for any of our meals for a straight week! You haven't talked to your father at all!"
Actually, he hasn't spoken to me.
Hinata shakes her head. "Father and I will talk it through eventually. We always do. You have nothing to worry about. "
"And yet I constantly worry over you. Where do you go, nee-chan? Since you've been avoiding the compound now. I know you take walks sometimes at night and wander...but you're gone. You're never really here ."
I always come home at a reasonable time , is what Hinata wanted to say.
"Again, Hanabi," she sighs, tired of this conversation, "There's nothing to worry over. I'm fine, okay? I will talk to father if that's what you want. I just need to figure some things out first."
"And what exactly do you need to figure out, eh?"
She pauses. Various things to be precise. To name a few: herself, her future, her relationships. ..A little bit of everything?
"Myself," she concludes.
"Fine. Okay. Go and figure yourself out then. But I am curious about your whereabouts sometimes...you know. Where do you go? Have you been taking care of yourself? Where have you been eating?"
"I...t-that's not-"
"Wait...don't tell me. You've been eating at Naruto's place?"
?
"...How do you know that?"
Hanabi's eyes widened. "I didn't. I actually made that up...or so I thought!" Hanabi points an accusing finger, "So you are seeing him!"
Gods kill me now.
"As friends ." Hinata hisses, gently pushing her towards the door. "Listen, I'm grateful you care about me, and I will certainly take your words into consideration...but right now, I want to be alone in peace ."
Hinata lets go of her until she is outside the door. Hanabi looks up at her with narrowed eyes, her hands on her hips. "Fine! Don't think this conversation is over, !" And then Hinata watches her storm down the hall.
Sighing, she closes her room door.
She thought that at least Hanabi would understand. But not even her little sister believes in her. And who was she to say that she didn't? Maybe at some point, she did, but the influence of the clan was too strong for her mind to bear.
She walks over to her bed and plops straight down, sighing in it's warmth.
And so the thought deepens... how can one girl change an entire clan?
Maybe she should drop it. It was for her own good.
...
For my own good.
Hinata frowns to herself, annoyed by that statement.
What does it even mean- her 'own good ?'
To stop moving forward in life, to hold herself back and stay in a fallen heir's place...was that her own good?
And how did the conversation go from stopping her 'rebellious phase' to being in Naruto's apartment? Sighing, she presses her face deeper into her pillow.
Speaking of Naruto...
She lifts her head towards the open closet door. There, a segment of the once vibrant red scarf, now faded and scraggly, hangs off the top shelf. It had holes and smelled of harsh winter nights and old dirt, but it was a piece of him that she kept, no matter how shabby it was.
She needs to get rid of it.
She's accepted the fact that she can be his friend forever. It's all she ever wanted in the end anyway. To be close to him, to stand by his very side. She already has that. She's satisfied.
I'm satisfied.
But that damned scarf-
It will forever remain an emotional connection to him, and leaving it in her closet to rot away on her shelf did not sound appropriate.
She frowns, hugging her pillow in thought.
The most appropriate way to get rid of it is to hand it back to him.
Lavender eyes squint even tighter.
...No it wouldn't?
Oh, but it would.
She would hand him the scarf, but not her feelings that came with it.
The more she thought about it, the more it started to gain some sort of logic. She can find closure this way, and tell him it was a present for the Rinne festival…
Once that happens, maybe then she can focus on truly important matters. For instance the future of the clan. She doesn't care if she isn't the heir anymore. She will bring change to her clan. In Neji's name, she will.
And so it's been decided.
This red scarf will be the closure she needed.
She and Kaito stand on the balcony of the Academy watching over the horizons. They were sent to the academy to help out for the day since they were low on Jonin.
Right now is break time.
Below them, she can hear the screams and squeals of children, and the boisterous voice that is Naruto's.
She's aware that Naruto comes to the Academy at times to teach sparring lessons. It warms her to think about it.
Beside her, however, she can feel the tensity radiating off of her acquaintance.
The two men's relationship...it was strange, to say the least.
She clears her throat, wanting to ease the tense feeling inside of him.
"So...about Neji," she began, hoping to kickstart a conversation, "How did you meet him?"
Kaito stares at the blond for a little longer, before his golden eyes turn to meet her lavender. She watches his facial features soften.
"He and his team were on a retrieval mission, from what I can remember. Something about a medical plant and whatnot. Nothing too special. I remember him asking me questions and stuff...A very composed guy one can say. You can tell under all of that stoic demeanor he has a caring heart."
Hinata smiles sadly, recalling the time when her cousin helped a temporarily blind, incompetent version of herself. She liked the way Kaito spoke so respectfully about him. It was refreshing to hear.
She chuckles gently, "He was a big softie underneath it all."
"Yeah...his other teammates were...weird, to say the least. Except for the girl. Yeah, I would say she and Neji were the normal ones."
Hinata nods. She silently doesn't agree with him because she knew that Lee and Gai were special in their own way.
"I'm assuming that your village is quite resourceful." She continues.
"Yeah...I grew up in a small village on the skirts of Waterfall country. I wouldn't say it was small, but like, you know, your average village."
She nods some more, her gaze involuntarily shifting to the blond below.
"The village became a hell hole after that," she hears Kaito speak beside her, "It's rather depressing how a prosperous village can fall with time. Over the years, each war caused immense destruction until it became a wasteland. It's still a village today, but to me, it's a village that became lost over time."
She turns to look at him.
"...that does sound rather depressing."'
"Yeah," he chuckles a bit, his eyes flickering through what appears to be memory, "but ever since I moved here to Konoha, I feel at ease. It feels like I have a purpose in life rather than wasting it away in some ghost town."
"I'm glad you feel happy here." She smiles at him.
He smiles back. "Me too."
A flickering gleam on metal distracts her momentarily. On his right sleeve appears to be a clan symbol. It was a circle with a triangle inside of it. She thinks it's a very simple design.
"Is that your clan symbol?" she notions towards his shoulder.
"Hm?" He looks in the direction of her eyes. "Oh, yes! Do you like it?" He asks, rubbing at the material.
"I think it's nice. It has a very...minimalist design to it."
"Does it now? Yeah, well...my clan were practical people. We always kept things simple...never wanting to over exaggerate things and etcetera."
Were, he says?
She decides not to press on it.
"You can say that about the Hyuga as well," she begins while toying with a lock of hair. "Our compound was rebuilt with minimalistic aspects to it, although it kept its traditional touch."
Below them, they could hear a yell.
" Okay everyone, let's get into position! "
Looking down from the balcony, she watches Naruto shift into a different power stance, the students then following after him.
Her eyes soften at the sight, a mechanical smile tugging at her lips.
"What's he to you?"
Her smile drops, along with her stomach.
She stands up straight, her blood turning cold at the unexpected question. Well, that certainly came out of nowhere.
He's watching her carefully when she turns towards him. "...What do you mean?"
"Uzumaki-San down there. What is your relationship with him?"
Her gaze shifts between him and the enthusiastic blond below.
There's no other emotion to his voice but sheer curiosity. She gulps. Her throat feels dry all of a sudden. "Um… I don't see how that's important-"
"It's just a question, no need to get worked up over it." He calmly interjects.
Of course, it was just a question to him but it sounds like an interrogation to her.
"We're friends. Close friends."
He purses his lips with a nod, amber eyes looking keenly down at the war hero. Again, she found it a little odd- their little...dispute. If anything, she thinks he and Naruto would make great friends. Kaito is a good person to talk to. And she wishes Naruto could see that too.
"How close?"
She frowns at him. Why does he want to know? "Again...I don't see how my relationships with other people concern you," she states cautiously.
"Woah there," he raises his hands in defense with a nervous chuckle, "Getting a little defensive here are we?"
She pauses, suddenly aware of the way her tone sounded. Could this get any more embarrassing?
Her cheeks redden in apology, "I-I didn't mean to, um-"
"It's fine," Kaito assures, "I guess I shouldn't be prying into your business right? We barely know each other, after all."
She nods, agreeing with him.
"...But I want to get to know you," he states cooly, looking into her eyes intensely. She feels a little on edge now. "Better than I know you even now?"
Her eyes narrow in thought.
Was he… hitting on her?
"We should have dinner sometime..." he says casually, and she doesn't miss the way his eyes skid briefly to Naruto before looking back to hers, "...and hopefully with zero interruptions."
She's not looking for a relationship right now. But maybe she can indulge herself in some type of distraction for the time being. If she truly got over Naruto as she claims, then she could go out and spend her time with other people, right?
That doesn't sound like a bad idea at all.
... Maybe she could test herself. To prove to herself she can date other people. And it was foul on her end to lead her acquaintance on. As if he were some experiment, a suitable subject.
It was foul indeed. But nobody will ever know what she was thinking these foul thoughts. So in that case…
"Alright. Dinner sounds nice."
Getting ready for her mission was rather rough this morning.
Not only did she run into a rambunctious Hanabi that started to plague her with questions on her next whereabouts, but she ran into her father on the way out.
Out of all the people that live in this compound, her father!
Well then. That settles it. The Universe was a certified Hinata-Hater.
"Hinata," he nods, his usual stern look plastered on his face. It was a casual greeting, but she couldn't help but notice the dismayed undertone...
She nods back, inching her way towards the main entrance. "Father."
The most infuriating part about all of this was the awkward silence between them.
He stands there a little bit longer than expected, before uttering the words 'be safe on your mission.' He then walks away into the dark void of the hallway.
She quickly scurries away.
Walking into the Hokage's office and seeing his face gave her soul a jumpscare.
Kakashi was there too, but Naruto was sitting at the Hokage's desk, in the Hokage's chair, with a gigantic smile plastered on his whiskered-face. The sixth Hokage was relaxing on a small loveseat, his head buried in a book.
Since when was there a loveseat-
"Hinata! We've been expecting you!"
"I like the enthusiasm, Naruto." Kakashi says behind his book, clearly uninterested, "Keep it up."
One would expect with everything going on right now, the Hokage would be on high alert...
Hinata raises a brow in response. The scene before her is...unconventional.
"I'm giving out mission reports today! Well ah, yours is the only one on the roster," He says lifting the paper, pointing to her bolden name, "But I still got to give out a mission, and yours is the first one!" He beams at her while sorting through the mountains of papers on the desk.
She smiles at him, her muscles relaxing. He's cute-
In a friendly way, she reminds herself.
She decides she wants to play along for his temporary position, and she bows as she keeps eye contact with him, her midnight hair cascading over her shoulders.
"I'm honored, Hokage-sama, " she smiles at him as she keeps eye contact with blue. Although now she kind of regrets it.
Her words… they came out a little more... sultry than expected.
The ruffling of papers stops.
Maybe she was hallucinating. Maybe she wasn't. But she saw it. The hardening of his form but the softening of his eyes. It was weird, to say the least.
He only stared at her for a fracture of a second. But why did that second feel like a million lifetimes, including a thousand millennials…
From her peripheral vision, she can see Kakashi lower his book, an unimpressed brow standing tall on his face at the scene before him.
"You should be," the Uzumaki says loftily before scanning the papers again. "So, Hinata Hyuga…" he looks over his (well, Kakashi's ) desk, his fingers folding over one another like he was about to give her the most important speech of her life.
"...I'm sure you've heard of what's been happening for the past several weeks."
She has. Almost all jonin are aware of the increasing number of missing documents. Some of them had vital information, and some of them were insignificant as a speck of dust. Nonetheless, more and more scrolls started to disappear. Not to mention the heightened security.
In the beginning, she thought it was harmless theft. Just some amateur thieves trying to make some money in the black market...
"We tried reaching out to other nations for this matter," Naruto continues, "But even our messenger hawks have been shot down. Two in a week."
...But now the problem doesn't seem so little anymore.
Her eyebrows contort into a frown. If they're trying to reach out to other villages, then that meant-
"Your mission is to travel to the Hidden Sand and deliver the documents at hand." She nods. It's a simple mission. Yet it felt so crucial and carried a lot of weight on her shoulders.
"It should take you no more than a week. And make sure you hand it to the sand siblings directly, y'know."
Her lavender eyes narrow into a quandary. "How can we be so sure to trust that other nations are not taking part in this?"
"I trust Gaara," the blond says with certainty, his voice firm, "after everything we've been through, the peace between us and the Sand wouldn't crumble that easily. It's not an alliance that they would just throw away."
He has a point there. There was peace among the five great nations now. She feels bad for even thinking of such. "Of course, my apologies for thinking about such circumstances."
"Nah, you have a good reason," He chuckles, looking down in thought. "I'm just biased about my friends. I believe in the good in them. The good in everyone...I can't even imagine any of the nations committing these types of crimes against one another."
"That's understandable," she murmurs, also deep in thought.
"So that's that!"
That was it?
"That's all?" she questions incredulously, wanting to make sure.
"Yep!" he chirps happily.
Next to her, she hears the Rokudaime clear his throat. "Well, if that was me in the chair, I would've provided you with more information. But given the circumstances, I'll permit it." He smiles behind his mask and she nods. "Besides," Kakashi puts his book over his heart. "This is a special moment for my student. And I think he did a wonderful job."
Was he even listening?
"Awe Kakashi-sensei you don't have to flatter me, y'know," Naruto shrugs off, but Hinata can tell he's delighted inside. Naruto turns back to her, "Anyway, here."
He hands her the material, and she secures it in her pouch. "Thank you."
She was almost out the door until Naruto called her name somewhat urgently.
She turns back, concerned. "Yes?"
"Return home safe, okay?"
...His choice of words. They poked at her emotions.
The caring tone in his voice made her heart squeezed in a way it should not have.
She gives him an affirmative nod in return, ignoring the troublesome feeling inside of her.
"I will."
Journeying far out into foreign territory was always something she loved to do.
Whether it be a mission or Hyuga clan business, getting a taste of fresh air outside of Konoha was refreshing.
It was her second day traveling, and she spent some time at an inn. It was a nice and traditional place. The breakfast served was nice. And they even had an indoor sauna, not that she went or anything.
Her father would probably love it here.
A few hours later, and she's still leaping throughout the trees. Dusk has broken through the once pale blue sky.
She needs to pick up the pace. At night, dangerous temperatures will rise.
The feeling of rough bark beneath her soles keeps her energized. The sound of cool wind whispering in her ears pumps the little adrenaline she has in her veins.
She could tell she was deep within Waterfall country by the imminent weather change. The weather felt colder than Konoha's. Nightfall was lurking around the corner as well, so she needed to hurry to the nearest inn before her body freezes all over. In the direction she was headed, it was a tiring eleven kilometers away.
She sighs. An absolute joyride this will be.
Underneath her lavender vest was a black thermal to keep her warm. A beige cloak surrounds her entire body like a loose blanket for more coverage. Her bag with the message inside was secured tightly around her waist.
She was used to the cold, but the roaring winds of a prowling winter was something different , something that even her cold-resistant skin couldn't bear.
Once she arrives in wind country though, Suna's sunshine will greet her with sunburns while the sweltering heat and endless dunes welcome her with sweaty arms.
An even greater joyride that will be.
Regardless of that, It's a simple mission that will be done in no time.
Her throat feels tighter, the perspiration of her breath like smoke in the air.
For some odd reason, she felt tired. There was no change in her chakra patterns, though. Nothing she couldn't detect, at least.
So she moved quickly.
Begrudgingly, she pushes her body a little bit more. She was close, but not close enough.
A gentle snap stops her straight in her tracks. Instantly, her byakugan is activated, scanning the area for any signs of danger. And yet, she sees nothing.
It was strange. Because she made sure to check the surroundings before she left the inn.
She turns and sighs, deactivating her bloodline.
Paranoia.
That's all it was. Especially with all the thefts going on lately... She assures herself that she's getting worked up over nothing. She leans against the tree trunk sighing, the branch underneath her feet supporting her weight.
It was only paranoia. Her anxiety.
There is nothing to worry about.
That is until the piercing metal of a kunai slices the bark of the tree next to her face. An explosive tag connected to it.
Instantly she dashes from the tree, the loud explosion rippling through the air as smoke surrounds the area.
She doesn't have time to steady herself until another explosive kunai hits the tree she's landed on. That one explodes. And she's quickly on the next tree. But that one explodes too. Another one hits the next tree, and the next one after…
Sweat begins to drip down her forehead as her body intuitively moves its way through a mess of bark, trying not to get herself killed.
Realizing this isn't working, she heads towards the forest floor, fleeing the scene above her.
There was just no way...
Her byakugan… What was wrong with her byakugan?!
She activates her bloodline again, only to freeze in her tracks.
The forest floor was surrounded by hidden tripwires.
The chakra masking it was flaring uncontrollably. But there was something off about it...something she couldn't explain.
Slowly she looks down to her feet. One more step and she could've set one off. Her blood immediately turns cold, her steps slowly backtracking.
Nothing was making sense.
I would've sensed the chakra beforehand-
Then why couldn't she?
Instantaneously, all of her senses go on high alert. Like the flip of a switch, all awareness of the surrounding area goes from dark to light.
...It was as if every sense in her body was delayed.
And her byakugan- something was distorting it. She can still see the surrounding area, but she couldn't see anything further than six kilometers now.
She can't move forward, or else she will trip. She can't maneuver through the trees without getting blown to pieces.
There was only going back.
More explosive tags erupt in the trees above her, and a faint ringing sound starts to fill her ears.
For the first time in a while, she feels frightened. She was practically on a minefield.
Chunks of branches fall around her and she accidentally inhales soot. The feeling of a million wood particles flares in her throat causing violent coughs to erupt, making her stumble backward.
And that's when she felt it- there were chakra signatures charging at her.
Chakra signatures she never detected.
An ambush!
She ran in whatever direction there wasn't immediate danger.
It was unbelievable. She was still in shock about her byakugan. Her senses- they were delayed.
She was a sensory ninja for the Gods' sake and she couldn't-
A kunai whizzes forward behind her. She ducks, catching and throwing it back into the direction it came from.
She heard a subtle grunt-
They're closing in on me.
She's running like her life depends on it, a clear opening of the trees coming into her line of sight.
There!
Heading towards that direction, she re-activates her byakugan to check the premises.
She couldn't see anything but a large river. This was her last resort. So she darts in that direction, quickly reaching the clearing.
Chakra pools to her feet, the blue aura clashing with wetness as she runs. Though the more she pushed her body, the more tired she felt. Like something was weighing down on her entirely.
She strains her mind in thought while she runs.
Was it poison?
It couldn't be, though. Impossible.
She was never in contact with anything she could've deemed poisonous.
She felt her footfall grow slower and slower. And she wanted to scream at herself, scream at the universe for letting this happen. Her body was beginning to ache. Her legs felt like they were on fire. The flames from her legs spread to her chest. And now she can't even breathe without feeling the burning sensation in her lungs.
Never before has she felt so weak until now.
She's still running when she feels it. A throbbing feeling coming from her blind spot. Her arm reaches behind her, her hand grabbing onto the handle of a kunai.
Still running, she pulls it out, releasing a harsh wail from her throat.
She can feel the blood dampening the spot, the dull ache in her body intensifying.
Numerous footsteps clashed with water behind her and she could only think of one thing.
Fight until the end.
No matter how weak she felt. This was her shinobi way.
Turning on her foot, she dodges the first body that tries to come at her, swiveling around the other bodies that fly at her next.
From the looks of it, there were about three of them. Each of them was covered in layers of clothing that hid their faces. Only their eyes show.
She jumps backward, creating some space between them. But they quickly surround her.
Switching into a defensive stance, she easily dodges the first one that launches towards her.
But the spot where the kunai was previously lodged starts to burn, and her eyes close briefly at the overwhelming pain.
Her body felt completely drained. Her vision was beginning to blur.
One of the bandits tries to aim for her side, but her body instinctively shifts forward as she sets her targets on the one in front of her. She was successful, hitting multiple series of tenketsu points in their chest with incredible speed.
She watches the widening of their eyes and the quick grasp of their chest. They were suffocating by now.
In her byakugan peripheral, another bandit tries to aim for her side. Her body intuitively shifts, sidestepping them. The bandit aims a kunai at her, and she blocks it with the one in her hand. She brings her leg up, side kicking them into the other bandit behind them. She watches them collide with each other.
She turns back to the one in front of her. His body was paralyzed in the water.
Good.
There was no Jutsu at play here, only taijutsu.
She can feel her chakra draining at a fast rate, and she wants to think that she can make it. That her body will magically heal so she can wrap this up and continue with the mission.
Oh , how she desperately wants to hope.
But when she felt another sharp pain in her blindspot hit deeper than last time, she thought the opposite.
The blue aura disappeared from her feet, and the freezing water engulfed her body. For a moment, she lets it happen.
The gradual sinking of her body. It was peaceful. Quiet.
She was so tired. Her eyelids were struggling to stay open. Her chakra didn't feel so alive anymore.
The excruciating pain she felt all over was nothing compared to the bone-chilling water.
Her body was floating in blue.
Drowning in blue.
The last thing that she sees is blue .
And with that, she caved into the pain.
She deactivated her byakugan and closed her eyes.
She awoke with a start.
Sharp inhales of crisp air stings her lungs breathless. Her head ached like hell and her skin tingled all over. She takes another deep breath before her head starts to pound.
Her nerves send light shivers everywhere to her body. It was the worst feeling ever. Alongside heartbreak, of course.
"You're finally awake."
She flinches at the unknown voice and attempts to quickly turn her neck, only to end up crouching over in pain. Her head was throbbing. It felt like someone was punching her in the same spot, over and over again…
Old and brittle vocal cords fill her ears.
"It's okay, dear. Relax."
Her breaths grow even heavier.
Where the hell is she?
A sharp pain courses through her head, and she clutches her head. Fingers digging deep in her scalp until she couldn't feel her nails anymore. Her breath hitching from the pain.
"You need to lay back down. Get some more rest."
"H-how long…" the words struggle to come out.
Her throat hurt. It was also painfully dry. Her vocal cords sound strained. She doesn't sound like herself. "How long have I been…"
The unknown woman comes closer to where she was laying. She was an elderly woman. Her slender fingers have aged with time, and she gently holds Hinata's head up, tilting a small bowl full of water towards her lips. "Drink it, dear. You sound like death."
Hinata's too tired to pull away, so she obliges. The strange woman pulls away again, and she's left feeling confused. She tries her statement again. "How long?" Her ears for some reason are constantly ringing. The pain is aching in all directions.
The lady chuckles at her consistent behavior.
"Well, when my husband found you, he told me he was unsure of how long you were lying there…on the ground." Her voice sounded frail and thin, "It was dark out. Freezing temperatures. We weren't sure if you were going to make it. Your chakra was non-existent when he found you. So he thought you were dead. But your pulse was still there...truly remarkable."
The woman cups her face, inspecting her eyes. "You've been out for two weeks."
Water must still be in her ears. Maybe her hearing was going out from last time... Or maybe she couldn't hear her over the loud ringing sound that's playing over and over again in her mind.
Because surely that didn't sound right.
...Two weeks.
The woman lets go and Hinata looks down at her body as she fully sits up. She was in clothes she was unfamiliar with- old beige rags- the lady changed her. Heat spreads across her cheeks from the thought.
But a more frightening thought takes over.
Two weeks. That means-
"You kept going in and out of sleep. You probably don't even remember, but there were some nights when you would start violently shaking. Other nights you were as still as a crane. Your chakra levels... as my husband said were completely non-existent. We think you were suffering from hypothermia. But that doesn't explain anything."
That's not even possible. Non-existent chakra. I would be dead- I should be dead...
She doesn't even know what to think anymore.
Only that this was bad news.
Very bad news.
It took her about a day and a half to reach the borders of Waterfall country. She was so close…
It took everything in Hinata to keep the tears at bay. "…Where am I?"
"You're in the land of waterfall country dear..in a distant village."
Who are you? She wants to say but refrains herself from asking.
"The village you are in now…life is lost here…"
Life is lost here .
She knew that already. On the way to Suna, many small villages were still recovering from war. Kakashi had an ANBU waiting at the gate, providing her with extra details before she fully departed-
Wait...the mission!
She can't be here any longer. Two weeks have already been wasted!
The mission was supposed to last for only a week…
Three days to get there. Have a rest day. Three days to get back.
Gods…
She slides her hands over her face. Her body felt cold all over.
If she had been gone for two weeks then...
The village…
And even worse...her clan .
They're probably worried about her, wondering where she is. Or maybe they probably sent out a search team for her. And just the thought of them seeing her in such a state was slightly embarrassing. She can picture it now- how they'll be sure to report back to the Hokage who then reports to the elders , who will then report to her father of her failure.
It couldn't get any worse than this.
She remembers when one of the elders called her a damsel in distress during her fight with Pain for Naruto. ' A flower to be trampled on' if she recalls correctly.
Which is everything that she's not . She worked so hard. So, so hard to get rid of that notion . Only for something like this to happen.
She needs to complete her mission. No matter how complicated it might be now. But when she tries to get up, her breath hitches in pain, halting her movements.
The old woman chuckles at her ministrations, picking up used bandages on the floor and throwing them away.
"You were almost frozen when he found you. You're lucky he came across you." The old lady mumbles, staring into her eyes. "Blue-ish skin. Drenched clothing. Non-existent chakra...you are a living miracle..."
Hinata doesn't respond.
"My husband thought about it," the lady continues, "And to him, it seems as if forbidden play is at work here. He's only heard tales from previous shinobi before him about this particular case. He thought that type of jutsu had long been sealed off from the world...but apparently not."
Hinata's too distraught, too caught up in her own thoughts to even listen to her rambling.
She blankly stares back at the woman.
Two weeks...two weeks.
Every bone in her body aching. She looks down at the comforting layers covering the lower half of her body.
"I want to thank you for the hospitality," her voice sounded scratchy as she strains herself to speak. "I appreciate you and your husband dearly, but I need to go. I hope you understand...may I have my bag-"
"Your eyes."
My eyes…?
"They look familiar." She calmly states.
Hinata's stomach drops in fear, her shoulders tensing to a square.
"I can tell from your original clothing that you're a shinobi."
The entire time she was listening to this mysterious woman speak, she never once questioned if she were in danger.
Though to be fair, she didn't feel any hostility coming from her. She thinks she should still keep her guard, even if this elderly couple seems harmless...
But what if...
What if they use her weakened state to their advantage?
Will they gouge out her eyes, and implant them into their own-
And yet that wouldn't make any sense. She helped her...nursed her back to health...maybe they had an ulterior motive?
"You need to rest. You can get back on your feet in a day's time." The old lady snickers, walking over to a wooden shelf in the corner of the room.
"Forgive me for being rude, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Hinata." she gently nods at her, forcing her lips to pull into a smile.
...Maybe it was the medicine speaking for her because now did she just realize she told the mysterious woman her actual name. Internal facepalm.
"Hinata…a very pretty name for a very pretty girl." She flashes a crooked smile, the wrinkles in her eyes intensifying. She walks over to her, handing Hinata her black pouch. "I am Lady Yoshiko. My husband and I live in this very home you're in."
"Thank you for your kindness," Hinata says, taking in the new information. Opening the bag she begins to feel for the scrolls...only for her to not feel anything .
The scrolls...
They were gone.
Her heartbeat begins to pick up, threatening to jump from her itchy throat. This only makes her head spin even more.
They were gone.
The scrolls- the very thing she needed to protect.
Gone.
She pushes the bag away.
Her heart was jumping out of her ribcage now, her breathing growing rampant.
"Are you alright hun?"
She didn't even notice when the old woman beside her sat down in a chair, a bowl in one hand and a wooden spoon in the other.
The noises in the room become distant, her vision going blurry through unshed tears.
The scrolls were gone. She was injured in an unknown village. In some stranger's home. This can only mean one thing-
I failed.
The mission was unsuccessful. A complete failure.
Rivulets of tears stream down her face. Her insides are completely hollow.
Counting to ten, she deeply inhales, then exhales. It was a feeble attempt to calm the storm brewing inside of her.
When heavy pants slow into calm breaths, she gently straightens up and takes in her surroundings.
The room was dim with candles lit everywhere. The woman- Lady Yoshiko, had her resting in a futon. The walls in this place were dark. Beside her was a cloth with a variety of medical things on it. The medication looked outdated. Or maybe it was authentic...
"You mentioned that life was lost here..." she turns her head, eyeing the way the candle wax drips onto the bare floor.
Lady Yoshiko looks up at her for a moment before going back to stirring the contents in her bowl. "Ah, yes. Surprisingly enough, some people still live here. Many people do. This village was once…prosperous. Sure, it rains a lot, and our days are filled with grey and vain, but we make the best of it, and the little that we have. This village has been constantly degraded by war, and over time…little by little, it soon became nothing but a wasteland for the unstable. And there's your selection of normal civilians..." Lady Yoshiko grimaces. But Hinata notes the sad edge to her voice, and she doesn't press any further.
It was a sad reality for many small villages like this one. The aftermath of war...
"It's a walking landmine now. Gangs and bandits control what they can. People still believe that the village can revert to its old ways…but I know that this will never be the case. It's a beautiful ruin, now." She smiles a sad and knowing smile, only thinking of memories Hinata thinks are precious to her.
Why call it a ruin if people still live here...
She doesn't say anything else and lays back down, her head pounding in her ears. The documents were stolen. They- whoever she was ambushed by- took the scrolls. The mission is forgotten now.
She failed, and she's lying here injured in a stranger's bed, in a random household, in a fallen village...
Worrying was pointless now. She looks at the woman beside her.
She felt lost, just like this village. She is lost. Literally.
She needs to distract herself.
"How long have you guys been together? You and your husband..."
"Hm?… Oh! The old man and I? Well...we've been together for so long now. I think we're in our fiftieth year."
Hinata's eyes widened, "...That's a very long time."
"Mhm. He was a shinobi when we met. I was a civilian woman. Still am, although he's been retired since the second ninja war."
That...was a very long time ago. Hinata knew very little about the second ninja war. Only that it devastated alot of small countries. Perhaps this one as well. She hears Lady Yoshiko clear her throat. "Do you have a special someone, dear?"
She pauses, not expecting the sudden question.
"No, I do not."
"Oh but you're so pretty!" Her brittle voice chuckles, "Is it the shinobi life that's stopping you?"
Hinata thinks about it for a second. "I suppose it is...yes."
"Oh my. Even pretty girls like you don't have a special someone, hm? It's a lonely world after all."
She's too tired to feel offended, so she agrees with her.
"In the end, it always was."
"...Unfortunately so." The old lady hums as her attention turns to the bowl in her withered hands, blissfully ignorant to the true meaning in Hinata's words.
She leans back on the futon, her head still aching. Although from a different type of pain.
It has always been a lonely world. That she knows. But Hinata left out a crucial part of that statement. It was only a lonely world for people like her .
For the unrequited lovers who loved too much and for the dreamers who never slept.
If it were truly a lonely world like the old woman claimed, then she wouldn't be nearing her sixtieth year with her husband. They wouldn't have grown old together to see the infinite wrinkles orbiting around their loved one's olden eyes. They wouldn't have experienced the memories that painted their youth with rainbows and grey. They wouldn't have this house together, or their little garden.
Hinata knows that she could find love again. Then maybe, perhaps, she would no longer be a part of this lonely world. That in the years to come, her restless heart will finally settle into a steady stream of contentment with whatever man the universe will give her. Maybe then she could enjoy the life that she deserves .
And yes, it does sound brash coming from her. But just this once...she will allow herself to indulge in such thoughts. For reality is lost here in this fallen village, and considering her current predicament, it felt anything but real.
Speaking of this village...
"You mentioned that the village was full of gangs and bandits. Do they control the village?"
Lady Yoshiko sighs, stirring the contents with a little more force.
"You wake up from the dead and bobard me with questions," she sighs. Hinata apologizes. Lady Yoshiko shakes her head, "Not exactly. You see, there is a government here, albeit a small one. Through multiple wars, our government became corrupted. There are some good leaders, but a handful of bad ones. You see, I think the bad leaders just let these criminals in. And said criminals just walk our grounds as if it belongs to them. Just shameful if you ask me."
Hinata looks down in thought. Could her ambush be connected with gang activity? Assuming that the fallen village is not far off from where she was found...and the fact that their government is corrupt...then maybe…
Maybe she shouldn't get ahead of herself. There's not enough evidence.
But the bandit that attacked her-
Lady Yoshiko…she mentioned forbidden play. She was probably referring to a forbidden jutsu that must've been performed on her...hence why she was still alive. The scrolls that were being stolen- one of those scrolls, if she recalls, was the scroll of seals. A scroll containing many forbidden techniques...
Granted, this was a far stretch. But she couldn't help but wonder...
Could there be a link of some sort?
"I'm assuming there's a different system here then, one that doesn't follow the way of the shinobi." She questions further.
"Hmm. Not anymore," she watches Lady Yoshiko carefully, noting the sudden dullness in her eyes. "We have a small military, but it only serves to protect those in power. We are on our own. Which is why many of us claim the village has fallen. Shinobi are not shinobi anymore."
Hinata looks down in thought.
"I must say though, there is some shady stuff going on behind closed doors lately. It's a nagging feeling that I have."
Hinata whips her head up, before wincing in pain. She forgot about her headache. But her curiosity was piqued.
"...Shady as in how?"
Lady Yoshiko chuckles. She stands, placing the bowl in Hinata's lap. "You shinobi and your sense of justice. It never fails to amaze me."
She walks towards the door in the room. "That there in your hands is a serum. Rub it on your back wound. It should heal completely in three days."
The old woman makes her way out, closing the door behind her.
