Chapter 17: Of Turmoil
"No matter where I went, I always knew my way back to you. You are my compass star." – Diana Peterfreund, For Darkness Shows the Stars
Hinata
"Ah, you're Hiashi's eldest daughter, right?"
Ao speaks too casually, too coolly as if nothing is wrong, continuing to fill this void of silence between them when Hinata doesn't immediately respond.
"So, what do I owe the pleasure of this encounter? Especially snooping in on my assembly team meeting at a time like this?" He further probes, eyes narrowing just slightly at her posture.
Her stance is one of someone about to attack, ready to kill even.
Hinata straightens, knuckles turning a hot white in building frustration while burying down the thoughts that further question if this was the right decision to make.
With his byakugan eye and level of experience, nothing about fighting him will be easy.
"...You should know why I'm here. It's in regards to what you did before in the past to my clan that's brought my footsteps to you now." Hinata finally speaks, pearl orbs hardening when Ao has a flicker of confusion in his eyes.
He doesn't know what she's talking about.
Slowly, but surely though it eventually clicks and so too does his blue eyes darken.
"Huh, I didn't think the main house of your clan even cared about the ones from the branch side. The ones who are forever doomed to serve the first-born until their dying breaths. In that regard, maybe I saved that lone Hyuga's life from living a life essentially enslaved-"
"His name was Hideaki!" Hinata sharply cuts him off.
Ao arches a brow and Hinata pushes on, words spilling out faster.
"He had a name; it was Hideaki Hyuga! Don't act as if you know our clan or cared about his life before you killed him!" Hinata spits.
Ao pauses, watching the rage dance in her eyes. "Well...this is a first. I've studied your clan to know enough Hinata. Did your Father Hiashi ever bother learning Hideaki's name? Of all the friends and close allies he had that he left behind when he went into war that didn't die with him?"
Hinata clenches her teeth and Ao grins, knowing lighting across his cobalt orbs. "You care more than past Hyuga I've clashed with and met...perhaps to your own detriment."
He pats then at his covered eye, expression becoming serious once more. "This isn't like the wars of past, we are on the same side now facing a shared enemy you realize."
Hinata doesn't respond, moving up her palm creating a burst of electricity that nicks right past Ao's ear before he can move out of the way. It singes the tree right by him, gray film of smoke moving up into the air.
The shock in his gaze says it all and Hinata can't help the grin edging up her lips. He only knows about her in name alone and not of any of the abilities she's mastered.
She dodges the blast of water he sends back at her, force strong to crack the tree she had been leaning against into jagged pieces.
"You're right, I don't like to fight. However, this is war now and I must do my full diligence as a kunoichi to aid in the efforts. When this war ends though, I want the eye you stole from our clan returned."
Ao scoffs, waving off her demand. "War is a cycle, the peace we may or may not get after this is only temporary. What makes you think I should give back an eye that Hideaki knew full well he could lose when he faced me anyways?"
Fury swirls at her, rising up in her gut like the heat of a flame. She takes in a slow breath, waiting until these knots slowly unwind them themselves from her throat and this urge to attack passes.
When it's gone she is left with the sour taste of smoke and bile resting on the back of her tongue, she's been here too long. Neji has most likely already turned back for her at seeing she hasn't followed...
"You will. This isn't something I will back down on." Hinata finally says.
Ao looks thoughtful at that, stepping forward to pat her shoulder. She winces and immediately jabs at his hand making him move back, his fingertips are just as icy as his new look of understanding.
"You should save all this energy of yours for the battlefield. Naruto I'm sure would agree with me, right?" He murmurs by her ear before heading back for headquarters.
"...Good point. I suppose you only brought up his name knowing that I love him. And I suppose as well war has already taken most of your own loved ones to make such a comment." Hinata remarks to his retreating back.
Ao doesn't respond, but she can tell by the stiffening of his back just slightly her words have hit their mark.
'Ao, from all the research I did on him doesn't have any close family, friends, or even loved ones.' Hinata muses.
Her head twinges in ache dwelling on it, taking back to the trees.
"Lady Hinata, don't fall behind like that! It's bad enough these Zetsu can disguise themselves as us on top of this talk of a greater beast in the works based on reports being spread around each division." Neji scolds her.
Neji's light reprimand quickly turns into one of concern along with questioning where she went and she musters up the excuse she was talking to another division leader (true enough) before forcing her mind to re-focus at seeing the swirls of White Zetsu swarming below.
"I'm sorry, I let my emotions get away from me for a moment." Hinata voices softly, looking at him directly to show she is being honest.
She thinks of Naruto's warm grin, bright cerulean eyes that can light up a room and sighs.
For men like Ao, war and missions are their lifeblood. It's what's hardened them into the people they are today with death as a looming companion for so many years. However, there must be something that can appeal to his empathetic side, to remind him of the good that's still in this world...
Maybe then he will return that eye without the need for further bloodshed.
'He won't do that.' Her colder thoughts hiss, but she buries them down this time.
The latter option is too grisly, too dark to bear right now in seeing the fighting and skirmishes they approach.
"It's fine as long as it doesn't happen again. More importantly, you see those chakra signatures in the forests to the northwest?" Neji questions and Hinata activates her byakugan at his gesture.
'Naruto is there.'
Not one of his numerous clones or a Zetsu attempting to pose as him; it's the original. Her mind races then with the further consequences of going outside their assigned squadron, stomach fluttering when Neji already sees the decision she's made in her eyes.
She twists her feet towards said direction, no matter the greater danger.
-X-
Sasuke
"Where were you Sasuke?!"
Karin pouts, pink of her lips smeared with the crimson of dried blood. Moonlight pours in from the open windows from a break in the clouds and he sees then her nails have been bitten down again to the quick, a habit she only does when particularly stressed or frustrated.
Nonetheless Sasuke doesn't answer her, obsidian trailing instead around the hideout making sure all supplies and gear is still in place since his absence. He can't stay here, not with the knowledge so many prominent dead shinobi of the past have been resurrected.
Itachi is surely one of them.
At his lack of a response Karin scoffs, brushing a hand through her messy locks. "You went to see her, didn't you? And you didn't even kill her..."
Suigetsu lets out a howling laugh behind them jolting her, appearing from out of the shadows. "Ha, you owe me that 1000 ryo or however much you've been hiding around your room Karin! Told you he would go to visit her!"
Karin digs what remains of her nails into his hair making him change back into water, upset in her expression swiftly changing to rage. "Asshole, we made no such bet! Don't listen to him Sasuke!"
"Both of you knock it off!" He states harsher than he intended startling them into silence.
They don't even have to say Sakura's name, there is no other reason for him to have left so abruptly.
'Yes, if it comes to that Sasuke. I'll kill you if I must.' Sakura had said it without stutter, calm resolve.
And so her steely verdant eyes continue to frustrate and enchant him, a loop he couldn't bring himself to burn away in the darkness of his flames.
The only way to stop it for now is with more distractions, keep building up the power in these eyes until nobody stands in his way. He makes his way out of the hideout with just a few sets of extra kunai and shuriken, ignoring Karin and Suigetsu's questioning of where he is going next. The scent of rain builds in the air as he heads out, clouds overhead the coal-gray of a coming thunderstorm.
He passes through a thicket of trees, wrinkling his nose at the odor of blood coating the field a few meters ahead.
A mass of pure white creatures hover over the corpse of a young man and he's reminded of the murmurings he heard around the medical tents before he encountered Sakura.
'These White Zetsu can make themselves look like anybody. That's how they've been killing people off so fast!' He recalls one of the nurse's muttering.
So this is what they looked like so up close.
"You. How have you not been killed yet?" One of them questions, showing off his razor sharp teeth at seeing his arrival.
Another looks in his direction from the commotion, expression equally annoyed. "Doesn't matter. You won't be able to kill us when it's only you alone here."
'Good. About time I use these eyes for multiple people at once.' Sasuke chuckles lightly under his breath.
Susanoo burns at their skin instantly, turning their bodies to ash until nothing remains startling them all. He pins the last one standing down into the dirt, he isn't sure if these things can even feel pain, but the way it's eyes glisten brightly in alarm makes his grin widen.
None of them had even gotten close enough to leave a mark.
"You're going to tell me what your exact plans are for this war." He mutters before casting the humanoid into a genjutsu.
"You won't...be able to stop them." The Zetsu croaks out before going silent when Sasuke slashes at it's neck.
'Eye of the Moon Plan? Tobi?' He doubts even Sakura or any of Allied Nations know about this information yet.
Before he can dwell on it more though he picks up on another person deeper into the Woods. Rain beats down on him as droplets slide down his hair and cheeks, cold and biting at his skin.
'Someone else is here, they didn't launch in to attack me though.' Sasuke frowns, moving in.
He looks at the outline of their body as he gets closer, the faint musky scent they give off that reminds him of days long since past...
'Itachi?' His stomach twists, pushing the thought down to not jump to conclusions.
Whoever it is takes him through twisted vines and slick branches, it's dizzying and maddening and only makes him want to pursue and burn off his path until he has no other means of escape.
"It'd be wise for you to stop following me little Brother." And Sasuke freezes.
It really is Itachi he's been following this whole time.
Black feathers flood his vision from all angles before he can speak: his signature crows and Sasuke momentarily pauses, clenching his teeth.
When he gets out of the flurry he sees Itachi has moved towards the openings of a cave below. He frowns as he peers at the man he approaches, Orochimaru's second in command. Kabuto has mutated his body since he last saw him, skin now like the silver-gray scales of the snakes Orochimaru was so fond of.
"So it seems my luck only continues to grow, both Uchiha brothers have come right to me!" Kabuto beams as he looks up at them properly.
And Sasuke notes as Kabuto licks his lips that his eyes have moved past Itachi straight towards him alone.
-X-
Sakura
"What happened?" Tsunade whispers tightly, voice thick with growing impatience.
Even with having healed her injuries she can see in her eyes something big has happened, pain she can't hide so easily no matter how much she's perfected keeping a mask of indifference.
"Sasuke, he came by the medical tents." Sakura finally grumbles out knowing there is no point in hiding it from her master.
Tsunade's eyes widen briefly, clicking her tongue and Sakura can picture she would be reaching for one of her sake bottles if not for war surrounding them.
Amber orbs look her over up and down, questioning silently why her injuries aren't more extensive. "And it seems he didn't kill you."
Sakura snorts, crossing her arms. "Well, he underestimated me. I bit his hand before he could do anything while he banged on my head...err it's a long story. Don't look at me like that; it makes sense if you were there!"
She feels the beginnings of heat burn at her cheeks at Tsunade's continued flat look, she's making the wrong assumption going by that expression.
Tsunade straightens up with a nod and wave of her hand before she can finish, not wanting to hear the rest.
They're bigger matters at hand now anyways.
"Sakura, there's something I need to give you before I go off to fight with the other Kage." Tsunade begins, moving for her medical bag.
Sakura follows her gaze, brows furrowing as she draws out a syringe and tiny vial from one of the bag's pockets. The liquid within them are a foggy gray, nothing like any of the medicines either of them have ever administered before.
"I've been working to perfect this for a long time now though I had dared to hope for a time it would never need to be used. Though when Jiraiya didn't come back from facing Pain...I knew I needed to kick in to high gear finishing off this research. It's crazy to see how strong the Akatsuki have become since then, hell all that's happening in the world is crazy right now." Tsunade explains quietly, shaking awake the memories before they can start to ache.
Verdant eyes soften, taking in the stack of notes she pulls out as well from the bag. Just how long has she been working on this project? As far as she knows, this is her first time sharing this information with another person.
'These are detailed accounts of studying the human body close to death and after death. What happens to the body as it starts to shut down in cases of infection or severe trauma.' Sakura reads before her stare drifts back to the hazy vial.
Where did it's role come in?
"Sakura, I know I'm asking much of you again, but there are two major things I need you to do in order to hopefully prevent this war from going on any longer. I'm basing this all on a hunch and while I know I don't have the best record when it comes to luck, I think I'm truly on to something this time based on the success of experimental trial runs." Tsunade breathes out as Sakura focuses back on her.
A smile rises upon her lips, tapping at faded to newer cracks along the oakwood of her desk. "I can tell this project has tried at your patience at times as well."
Tsunade scoffs, brushing at said marks as if they were dust. "The main goal was reached and that's the most important thing!"
She holds up one finger then and Sakura leans in. "Number 1: This vial I've created can speed up aging at a cellular level by years in a matter of hours once injected. It works in an opposite fashion of my Creation Rebirth technique in that cells damaged by the injection can't be healed or recovered properly. Once infected, the dead and weakened cells will multiply to the point said person's organs start to shut down around the 3 to 4 hour mark in what a normal human would've occurred naturally in decades." Tsunade begins.
'It will make them too old and feeble to fight.' Sakura concludes, maybe in combination with her poisons it could slow them down even further.
She points her finger to Sakura then and her eyes sharpen. "I want you to hold onto this syringe and vial and when the opportunity comes, use it against whoever it is that is capturing all the Tailed Beasts like this. The reason behind why this war started in the first place."
"Me?" Sakura asks, her chest clenches as her heartbeat starts to rise.
"Sakura, I believe in you. I've taught you everything I know and you've added to it. Shit, you just told me you nearly bit off the Last Uchiha's hand, now that's a far cry from where you were when I first took you on as my student!" Tsunade chuckles.
"This is different!" Sakura sputters.
Amber orbs harden then. "No, it isn't. I can't predict what will happen to me while fighting with the Kage. It stands to reason based on updates from Inochi and Shikaku that Madara is among the resurrected shinobi. The man who held a rivalry with my grandfather Hashirama, the one that you've read about during all your history lessons back at the Academy is someone who we'll have to face!" Tsunade snaps.
'You won't die My Lady, I won't even let you elude to the very thought!' Sakura frowns, hands patting gently at her balled up fists.
She relaxes them just slightly and Sakura blows out a breath. "And the second thing?"
Tsunade nods, the ground beneath them quaking before she can speak. A plume of tan dust erupts into the sky and Sakura winces at hearing a scream pierce the air in the distance.
They both need to get going soon.
"Number 2: I want you to investigate into the cause behind these resurrections of dead shinobi and if possible, put a stop to it's user for good."
Sakura quiets, taking in both objectives. "I can't just leave Lady Shizune alone to manage the medical tents. We were shorthanded even before the war started and the injuries and the dead get worse with each passing day."
"Only if you truly find a substantial lead, then Shizune can take over for a period of time in helping at the medical tents. Don't forget we have medical nin from every nation aiding us as well. I'm not saying you completely abandon your duty as a medical kunoichi Sakura. This is if you know for sure who is causing it and can help put an end to it." Tsunade reasons back.
"I'll have to leave the tents in order to complete both tasks, when an opening arises you will be with me to help do the injection." Sakura decides leaving no room for arguing over her choice of words.
Tsunade rolls her eyes, moving to stand and pulling her into one last affectionate hug. "Don't you do anything stupid, I need you at your best on the battlefield!"
"Same to you My Lady! Maybe after this is all over we can go out for drinks or gamble; it can be your choice!" Sakura suggests.
Tsunade squeezes her just a bit tighter and Sakura feels her nod against her cheek.
"I'd like that."
-X-
Naruto & Hinata
"I've been waiting for this moment for so many years now." Tobi relates, halting B and Naruto right in their tracks.
He gestures towards the revived jinchuriki behind him each perched on a different branch, just like them they will soon fall and he will have finally captured all of the tailed beasts. He snaps his fingers in command, Roshi starting things off unleashing a barrage of molten rocks melting every tree in their way.
"You're only delaying the inevitable from occurring, no matter how much you block me." Tobi mentions when Naruto tries to pounce him head on, Yugito moving in with the piercing long nails of her claw creation.
"Well, we're not the staying on the defensive you hear, it will become clear once this forest is leveled!" B calls back avoiding her scratches before transforming into the Eight Tails.
Naruto twists his body to look back at him, arching a brow. "You're...You're not Madara like you've said before, are you? I looked more into the Uchiha clan in Konoha's Central Library a long time ago you know when trying to find stuff on my own family. The body that was never found beneath those rocks..." He trails off and Tobi scoffs.
He knows or at least is far too close to the truth. Everything he learned about Naruto Uzumaki didn't include him being the studious type.
'Two more people are coming.' Tobi senses before he can respond, clicking his tongue as silver hair comes into view from out of a thicket of ashen leaves.
"Of course, Kakashi. And Gai tagged along too." He mutters under his breath.
Back in their days of youth he always seemed to show up at the very last minute, the hero that won over so many of their peers becoming a pillar of admiration and love.
Including for Rin.
"What are you muttering about to yourself over there?!" Naruto questions and Tobi narrows his eyes at his sarcastic tone.
"Having a smart mouth even leading up to your death." Tobi muses, ordering the others to close in to provide enough distraction to Kakashi and Gai. Two more people in addition don't matter, not when Utakata coats the area with sticky acid and Fu temporary blinds them with her powder.
His hand strikes forward then prepared to warp Naruto away, pushed back by a sharp gust of wind.
"You will not lay a hand on Naruto." Neji states calmly as the air clears, palms up and ready.
Naruto blinks, perplexed.
'Neji is here?!'
He feels Hinata's hand intertwine with his before he can fully turn, lilac to blue. "I'm here too Naruto."
Happiness envelops him before turning to ice. Hinata and Neji came here to help him, clearly knowing who he was facing...
"We're not going to repeat history here Naruto." Kurama grunts before his thoughts turn darker.
Tobi laughs at the appearance of even more reinforcements, so bitter and wild-sounding from his usual façade of indifference.
"Ah, so your lover came here to rescue you! Once I kill her in front of you, you'll understand my way of thinking." He remarks.
Rage flashes in Naruto's eyes and Hinata purses her lips in alarm, this sudden coldness in his eyes isn't from Kurama's influence...
"You won't be getting anywhere near Hinata or anyone of the Allied Forces again." Naruto responds callously.
He cracks his knuckles then, fully intent on killing him here and now in what remains of this forest.
Tobi simply hums, straightening himself; the glint in his eye promises he's going to make this hard for him.
"So be it." He mutters.
-x-
I know a lot of you have asked me about what Neji's fate is going to be and...it's a secret lol! I've promised before I won't follow canon 100% and after dancing between varying ideas I have finalized what I will do in regards to Neji and other future scenes in the war. I like the final idea I've come up with based upon re-watching the war arc that I feel is plausible and won't drag things out. Keep in mind though this is still a war and it's unrealistic for death to not happen; that's all I'll say without giving away anything else! Send your thoughts!
It's also my birthday weekend (well technically it was on Wednesday, but I'm celebrating it now), reviews would be lovely as I try an escape all this rainy weather!
Enjoy. Review. Favorite. Follow!
