SweetStealer: YAY! New chapter! I can't believe I've spent most of my time on this fic. sweatdropx10000
Itachi: Lighten up, already.
Sweets: Ok. I'm already on like...my ninth chapter, which makes me wonder why the hell I'm not posting more...
Hinata: She doesn't own Naruto.
Notes: Deidara is a guy in this fic. Sasori is not the hunchback, but in his human form. Everyone might be slightly Ooc in the future. GOMEN! Enjoy!
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Chapter 4: The Rupture
"So Itachi-senpai just picked her up, hnn?"
It was cold. The wind whistled through an open window above a motionless figure whose body played hide and seek with the shadow and moonlight. The room was ominously dark. Outside, it was a cold clear night. No one was out and the wind swept over a seemingly empty building that creaked and moaned with every gust of air.
Hinata groaned and tried to curl into a tighter ball. Her head hurt and she kept her eyes closed, yet activated her bloodline gift.
She had been tossed to the side, like a rag doll, while Kisame and the two unknown figures were huddled around a small lantern which spread light around the room with what little pathetic rays it had.
The two new figures were not facing her and she couldn't see their faces. She kept as still as possible, straining to hear more of the conversation that was apparently caused by her. How strange. In the Hyuuga household, everyone wanted to avoid her and ignore her...but now...Now she was talked about a lot. The very center of the unwanted attention.
"She's quite pretty. A Hyuuga if I'm not mistaken."
It's that voice from the window ledge.
Hinata began to shiver from his remark. She didn't like it at all. The voice was deep, soothing and almost...parental. But it still had a hidden edge to it. A cautious one, yet very indifferent and uncaring.
"She's an unmarked Hyuuga. She must be worth a lot, yeah? Does Itachi-senpai plan to sell her?"
Hinata closed her eyes and bit back a retort in defense for not only herself, but for Itachi.
"You're starting to sound like Kakuzu." Kisame snapped.
Who's Kakuzu?
Hinata felt a pair of eyes travel over to her. She cringed as she heard someone get up and walk over to her. The swish of the black and red clouded cloak sent shivers up her spine as she tried to make herself disappear.
They know I'm awake.
She felt a warm hand on her shoulder. The soothing voice was talking to her!
"I'm sorry, did we scare you?"
Hinata, realizing that this was not a gruesome dream, but harsh reality, opened her pearly eyes and ventured to look up. Her vision was hazy, but that was soon corrected.
She gasped.
This man...he was handsome. Hinata began to blush, even in the dangerous situation she was in. His dark, crimson hair...his golden eyes, his soft smile. However, the tail at the back was a curious sight that made Hinata's eyes grow wide in wonder, not fear. How enrapturing! He was indeed, a beautiful sight in this rather dark room.
"Hello there." he whispered to her.
Hinata suddenly remembered that he had a companion. A companion that liked to scare the living daylights out of people. Where was he? But more importantly...where was Itachi?
Where was her protection?
She still found herself unable to break away from the man's gaze. She began to feel slightly uncomfortable with the close proximity that they were in and tried to back up against the wall.
The man frowned slightly and reached out a pale, ivory hand. Shadows danced over it, as Kisame moved the lantern closer to himself. Hinata was fully awake now and her eyes were finally able to take it all in. She stared at the man and then at his hand.
Suddenly, a kunai came whizzing past, making the red-haired man gracefully withdraw his hand. Hinata looked around. Then she saw him. The man who had surprised her.
He was as beautiful and as sleek as the crimson haired man. His blonde hair fell over his left eye, leaving a certain mystery about him. His eyes looked like a dark cerulean blue in shadow, but Hinata guessed they would be like crystal sea water in the light.
He was slender and about as pale as Itachi and the other, but there was something about him...the way he talked, the way he carried himself.
Confidence?
Arrogance.
"Sasori-senpai, what are you doing to her?" the blonde growled, almost protectively, though he was the one choking her only a few hours before.
Hinata met his gaze shyly. He smirked at her. The red-head, Sasori, sighed and replied,
"I'm trying to make friends with her."
"It looks like you're scaring her."
This came not from the blonde or from Kisame, but from a dark figure in the shadows. Sasori remained where he was, but the blonde hastily stepped back in order to let the figure through.
"Itachi-sensei." Hinata breathed.
Itachi didn't look at her as he walked past. He cast a glance at Sasori, who was cornering Hinata, and the slender youth, who was smirking.
"What are you doing here, Sasori," he said quietly. "Deidara."
Hinata looked at the men in front of her. Four deadly, indifferent assassins.
Was it unusual was it that she, the heir to the Hyuuga Clan, a well behaved, timid little girl, was running with a pack of wolves?
Wolves that were patiently waiting to tear you to bloody shreds or sell you off for a handsome price?
I am not worthy. I am property.
Itachi dropped two bags of money of the floor. Hundreds of coins dropped onto the ground with a tiny 'plink' and rolled off in all directions. Hinata watched the money catch and reflect the little light and roll off into the dark corners of the room.
She heard something else. It sounded like something dripping. Hinata stared at Itachi's hands.
Water?
Slowly, she shifted over to where the small pool of dark liquid had collected when Itachi had walked past her. She curiously dipped her fingers in the pool.
It was thick, red and sticky. Hesitantly, Hinata look over to where Itachi was whispering to Kisame, and her eyes found their way to his hands.
They were bathed in blood. It was a thick, vulgar substance that sent her back to the wall with horror and fright coating her milky eyes.
Itachi finally acknowledged her and approached her. Sasori got up, and stepped back. He watched her with cold eyes and smiled wickedly as Itachi bent down to look at her eye-to-eye.
His fingers touched her cheeks, then her chin, then her neck. That crimson ribbon was spread all of her anemic, yet dirty face. She didn't move. She didn't even dare to breathe. She could taste blood, someone else's blood, on her lips. It tasted cold...metallic and-
Sweet?
Itachi drew lines on her cheeks, as if he was painting them.
Hinata's voice had failed her a long time ago. Her astonished, terrorized eyes were wide with absolute fear.
"It's just blood. Nothing more, nothing less."
These words made her slump down against the rusted wall and stare at him with lifeless eyes. She finally understood what the blood on her face meant, what tasting the blood meant.
There was no turning back.
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Hinata had missed the sun. After days and days of endless shadow and gloom, there came a small break in the clouds. She had spent her days watching the people pass by freely, and some had stared at her, thinking they had seen a ghost of a young girl sitting on the window ledges of the abandoned apartment building. Unknown to her, she became the talk of the town.
Hinata had been cooped up in that old abandoned building for about six days with nothing to do but watch and wait. Sasori and Deidara stuck around only in the afternoon, and Itachi and Kisame went out to kill and get food. Sometimes, Itachi didn't come back at all. This went on for six torturous days.
Six days and six nights of silence. Six days and six night of waiting. Six days and six night of wishing...and wondering.
"What's going on out there?" she whispered as she stared out into the small city.
Sighing, Hinata turned away from the window with a wistful expression on her pale face. As she curled up in a dark corner of the empty white room, she felt a pang of hunger in her stomach. Her hands felt their way to the spot and she knew she was getting weak. She growing thin with anxiety and hunger.
Yes, Itachi brought home money every now and then. Last night, the money had a dark red fluid on it and Hinata dared not to touch it.
Assassination money.
She did not know what became of the money. There was some food, but Hinata was tortured with it. Cruelty came in many forms, especially to a hungry girl like herself.
He's diciplining me.
Itachi order her not to eat until the rest had finished. Sasori would occasionally slip her food, since there was not a lot to eat when all four of them finished. Kisame and Deidara ate in front of her just for spite. Hinata nearly cried when she saw Itachi swallow the last of the provisions. Often, there was none left for her, save the small meager bits of bread and honey Sasori slipped her.
As the days wore on, Hinata began to lose feeling. She began to lose a lot of things.
When she pricked her finger on the razor sharp glass on the broken window, there was no sting. She did not cry when Kisame would brush past her and the Samehada would scrape her arm. Even Itachi's daunting would not make her expression change.
She became empty, almost automatic.
The only thing Hinata felt was her loyalties changing. Her admiration began to shift dramatically.
Itachi was losing her to the Scorpion of the Red Sand.
"Hinata."
Speak of the devil.
Hinata looked up, startled. She blinked her large, ivory eyes and became rigid as Sasori walked around and crouched in front of her. He surveyed her with golden eyes and then gave a weak smile. As beautiful as he was, Hinata found herself wary and cautious around him. He smiled at her too easily.
"We found a bath."
Looking down upon her wretched, filthy hands, Hinata got up slowly, even though she was eager to sink into water, be it hot or cold.
"Will you follow me?" Sasori asked, holding out his hand.
There was a hesitation. She began to reach out her hand, but she slowly withdrew it. Sasori smirked.
"Good. Don't trust us."
Hinata nearly stopped breathing. Itachi had said the same thing, not too long ago. It made her all the more inquisitive.
Sasori stood to his full height, knowing it intimidated her. Hinata shrank back into her little corner, her mind going blank.
The puppet master suddenly swooped down, gathered her up into his arms in a rather uncomfortable and odd position and carried her off. Hinata clutched at his shirt, as she was afraid of free falling onto the floor. Her dirt smeared legs dangled over his cloak and she constantly felt herself sliding.
Get off me. Let me go.
Suddenly, she was released into the air and she landed in hot water. This was her bath. She was so surprised, she stayed underwater for too long and Sasori had to drag her back up, coughing and gagging the whole way.
"We got you new clothes, so you can get rid of those."
Sasori pointed to a corner where a pile of girl's clothing was seen, folded neatly on a wooden chair. Hinata's fingertips found their way to the edge of the bathtub and she watched as Sasori turned to leave.
Abruptly, her hand shot out of the water and grabbed the man's cloak, as water dripped down the length of her arm and down to her wrists. Sasori turned to look at her.
"A-arigato, Sasori-san." she whispered, inaudibly.
Sasori unwound her fingers from his cloak, gave an empty smile and walked off, slamming the door as he went.
Hinata sank into the bathtub and watched him leave, the lonely feeling creeping up into her chest all the while.
She began to cry.
Her heart felt like it was breaking.
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Sweets: Ooh. Oh well. Thanks for reading! Review please!