"I think we stop too much..." Minako mumbled, irritated.
"I'm sorry, but we can't travel during the night." Daichi stated.
Minako growled. "Whatever."
She strolled out to the outside of the cave and sat on a rock, watching the sun go down.
"So, Hibiki," Daichi called, walking over. "what is it you're always scribbling down? You only seem to do that when you're around Minako."
"You only see me writing when I'm around Minako because you only care to notice at that moment." Hibiki sighed. "Besides, it's none of your busines - once again." Hibiki cleared his throat as he shoved the pad of paper into his pocket. "Why is it whenever you look at Minako you're always sighing, always dazed, always distracted by her beauty yet you refuse to notice Lira looking at you?"
Daichi was taken aback as his eyes darted between Lira and Minako. "What are you talking about?" Daichi yelled while trying to compose himself.
"Your immediate response proves I'm right, now we can all live happily ever after. You can stop dreaming of somethign that won't happen, start looking where you ought to be - somewhere where you could actually start a relationship with someone more of your league, and Lira can stop hurting over the fact that she knows you'll just get hurt." Hibiki raised his eyebrows before turning and heading for the exit.
Daichi tried to ignore Hibiki's comment as he walked away.
Uchimii walked up to Hibiki and growled. "Why does she talk to you and not me?"
"You approach her wrong. Your actions automatically cause her to be offensive. Your attitude makes her sick, and she knows whatever is going to come out of your mouth is going to displease her greatly." Hibiki replied. He sighed as he looked out through all the tree's. "The forest is an eerie place at night; can be quite dangerous." He breathed in deeply and calmly let it out again before smiling at Uchimii.
Uchimii hissed at Hibiki before walking off; he knew he was right, but hated to admit it.
Hibiki chuckled lightly as he began to walk into the dark, shadowy forest.
Minako was watching the sky in curiosity before someone passed her. She looked down to see Hibiki walking off. "Wh-where are you going, Hibiki?" She asked calmly. "It's dangerous alone."
"You're concerned?" Hibiki asked and shrugged. "There is nothing to worry about. I'm going to...take care...of something." Hibiki turned and continued down the path he was headed. "I won't be too long."
Minako shifted awkwardly on her rock as she watched his figure disapear in the dark. "But... he doesn't seem... very skilled." She mumbled to herself.
'This should be good.' Hibiki said as he approximated that he was a mile from where they set came. He shrugged his bag off his back and quickly rummaged through it, pulling out an odd scroll; the scroll was jet black with three seperate tails, red, white, and blue. He laid it out gently on the ground, carefully place the tails equal distances away from each and then stood up. He looked stared down at the scroll and slowly began to preform hand seals. By the fifth seal, he repeated the process over but with quicker movements.
Hibiki stood with the his hands locked in the position of the last seal and his eyes were closed.
When it seemed like minutes had gone by, the scroll finally bursted into a cloud of smoke and left an odd looking beast behind. With a massive head, massive body but short legs, the beast stood just as tall as Hibiki. It's eyes were closed as it stood in front of Hibiki with its head lowered. Its tail waved furiously behind it as it waited for Hibiki to open his eyes. Reaching into his pocket, Hibiki pulled out an envelope that he had put the paper he had been writing all along in and held it out to the beast; his eyes were still closed.
The beast opened its eyes and took the envelope into its mouth, still waiting for the moment that Hibiki would let his guard down and open his eyelids. Hibiki breathed in and calmly let the air out again. "Go." He whispered gently.
Hibiki waited a minute after he knew the beast had left and finally opened his eyes. He picked his bag up and slung it over his shoulder before heading back for camp. 'That thing is starting to become unstable, persistant thing it is.' Hibiki shook his head. 'I'm going to have to teach it a few more lessons.'
"Mother!" Minako had slipped into a sleep again, and began crying in her sleep. She jerked and screamed as she laid against the wall of the cave.
"Minako!" A voice came to Minako and she was being shaken awake.
Minako's eyes snapped open as several more tears fell down her face. She stared wide eyed at the person who had woken her.
"Are you alright?" Daichi spoke softly, concern making his face wrinkle.
Minako blinked up at Daichi. She turned her head and nodded. "Yes."
"Are you sure?" Daichi asked. "I was awaked by your screaming."
Minako nodded meekly still not looking up at him. "S-sorry... I'm fine."
"Do you need any company? Should I stay out here?"
Minako now looked up at him and glared through her tears. "No."
"D-do you have any idea where Hibiki is? He isn't sleeping, and he isn't out here..."
Minako shook her head. "No. I haven't seen him." She lied.
"Where did he go?" Daichi turned around to look out into the forest. "This is rediculous! I knew I couldn't trust him!"
Minako sighed deeply, pulling herself to her feet. "Calm down. I trust him. I'm sure he's just taking a walk. Some people feel best at night." She said simply, her eyes looking out to where she last saw him disapear.
"Easy for you to say, you're falling for that man! I don't see why - he's a smart alec!" Daichi squinted, waiting to see if he could see any movement. "I'm going to have to go looking for him."
Minako grabbed Daichi's shoulder. "No. Just stay here. And I'm not 'falling for him'. I don't even know what that is, so get your panties out of your ass and go back with the others. You put me on watch, not yourself." Minako stated coldly.
"Aparentally you're not the best - no offense - but how would he have got past you without you seeing him? There is only one entrance and exit to this cave. I have to go look for him, he's my responsibility, unfortunately."
Minako growled up at Daichi. "He got past 'cause I let him! Now go back in the cave!" She ordered, her eyes narrowing.
"You said you didn't see him."
"See who?" Hibiki asked as he emerged from the tree's.
Minako's eyes followed to see Hibiki. She let go of Daichi's shoulder and went into the cave calling back, "If I'm so bad, you take over, Daichi."
"Thank you for your help!" Daichi said and turned to Hibiki. "Where were you?" He asked.
"You're my mom now, huh? Funny, I remember my mother being a beautiful woman, her IQ being far higher and those beautiful eyes that could captivate you so easily."
"What-? No! You're my responsibility, I-"
"I already told you, I am not your responsibility. If you have any problems, I said to take them up with the Kazekage, not I. I had something I needed to do, and it's finished."
"Which was?"
"It is a disgrace to tell another man like you." Hibiki shrugged and began to walk into the cave.
"Was it-"
"If you must know, I was-"
"No, no! That's alright. I understand." Daichi scratched his head. "Just let me know when you're leaving so I can keep track of everyone."
Hibiki shrugged before jogging to catch up to Minako. "Hey."
Minako looked back to Hibiki and gave a weak smile. "Hey."
"Didn't worry, did you?" Hibiki smirked.
Minako looked at him oddly. "W-worry? You mean about you? N-no." She lied. She slid down a wall of the cave and sat down looking at her hands. 'That dream... was worse then normal...'
Hibiki stopped in his tracks and looked down at Minako. He gracefully slipped to kneel in front of her and took one of her hands to kiss the top of it. When Minako only looked at him, he reached over to grab her other wrist, turning her hand to kiss the top of it as well. "Everyone cares about you, you know."
Minako's eyes widened. "They... what?"
"They care for you. They want to see you happy, but they don't know how to approach you because they're afraid of you."
Minako sighed. "Then w-why do you try?"
"I try because my understanding is far greater than theirs. I try because I don't see the monster that has consumed you like they have. I try because I see a beautiful woman trying to break free from the box she is contained in... I try because I've seen so many things, I know of a lot of things, and I have tried a lot of things; and I try because I know. Never do I know unless I try to try and know."
Minako lowered her head as tears began to fall down her face. 'W-why does he understand me so well?'
"Minako...You're not alone. There are others trapped as you are. I am trapped. It does't seem so, but I'm stuck in this endless cycle that I need to preform and I can't escape it. Sometimes it gets to me, sometimes it makes me lose control, and sometimes I just cannot bear it." Hibiki reached out and gently rubbed Minako's cheek with his thumb. "I hate it because...because..." Hibiki lowered his head and pulled his hand back. "Sometimes, I cannot control what happens to others."
Minako pulled her hands to her face as she cried even harder. "H-Hibiki..?" She asked, choking on a sob.
"What?" Hibiki asked as he looked back up to Minako's face, wet from tears.
She looked up to meet his gaze. "Th-thank you..." She whispered, trying to wipe her tears.
"Please, don't say that to me." Hibiki murmured and reached up to help wipe away her tears.
Minako leaned forward and rested her head on his shoulder. "Y-You're so warm." She murmured to him.
Hibiki awkwardly wrapped his arms around her torso. "I wonder why." He muttered sarcastically under his breath.
Minako laughed softly as she pulled away to search his eyes. "You know... you know so much about me... but... I know nothing more than your name..."
"What more is there to know?" Hibiki laughed.
Minako smiled meekly. "I dunno?"
"Well, what do you want to know?" He asked.
Minako shrugged. "Why were you put on this mission? I know you are not from the Sand."
"I was actually born on the outskirts of the leaf village, farther away from here, but not too far. I was taken from my parents when I was eight years old and ever since then I've been working for a...I'd rather not explain the man. Through resources, the Kazekage agreed to have me on this mission."
"Oh." She said simply. 'So... is that why he can figure me out?'
"Like you, my mother is no longer here on earth. She didn't die giving birth to me, but she was-" Hibiki shuttered at the thought, immediately trying to dispose of the images flashing through his head. "Nevermind." He growled.
Minako tilted her head as she reached up and rested her hand against his cheek. "You don't have to tell me, it's alright." She said with a small smile.
Hibiki closed his eyes and breathed in to calm himself. He reached up and placed his hand over hers. "I was eight years old. It wasn't the first time a raid had happened; it occured once when I was five as well, but this time they came for something else. My father was out in the field and my mother was cooking super. Aparentally they had ambushed my father first and then they came from my mother. She was able to hide me in the kitchen cupboard and through the slits I watched as the men raped her and slice her open from the navel to her ribs." Hibiki leaned his head into her hand. "My father had always protected her since she had no ninja skill at all. Her parents hadn't allowed her to enter the academy. My father was older, and decided he would settle from his time on the ANBU force, he protected my mother..." Hibiki opened his eyes and looked sorrowfully into Minako's. "My father trained me, taught me all I needed to know, but I had treated it like a game. I didn't take it seriously and because of it, I had to watch my mother being murdered."
Minako was speechless as she looked at Hibiki. "I-I'm s-so sorry... Hibiki." She whispered.
"Nah, don't be. I was naive then and I refused to listen to my father's wisdom." Hibiki sighed. "I can always see my mother alway looking into my eyes, her hands gently wrapped around mine as she pleaded for me to listen to him." Hibiki pulled Minako's hand from his cheek and folded it into a fist as he placed his lips over her knuckles.
"Like I said, you're not a longer." He muttered against her flesh.
Minako lowered her head as she sighed deeply, her eyes falling shut. "Not alone... but still feared." She mumbled sorrowfully.
"You and me both." Hibiki chuckled. "But feared differently. Do you fear me?"
Minako lifted her head to stare into his eyes. "Not at all."
"No matter how much I know about you? Even though I can somehow calm you down? Even though you find me mysterious?" Hibiki had leaned forward slightly so that he was mere inches from her face.
Her eyes searched his face. She shocked herself as she spoke, "If I feared you for those reasons, then it wouldn't make sence for you to even be able to look at me."
Hibiki analyzed her words carefully as he searched her eyes. "Then it makes sense that there is no fear present between the both of us but exists around us." He whispered.
Minako nodded. "Yes."
Hibiki grabbed her face with both of his hands and searched her furiously. She seemed to be completely different than every other girl he had met; why was she so different?
Minako stared at Hibiki with confusion. "What's... wrong?"
"Nevermind." Hibiki mumbled and released his grip.
Minako leaned forward and kissed Hibiki's cheek before smiling sweetly and standing up to walk back to kick Daichi from her job.
"Why the change of heart?" Daichi asked and turned as he yawned. "Thank you." He mumbled as he returned to his bed to sleep the rest of the night.
"What are you doing?" Daichi asked as he noticed Hibiki on his knee's facing the wall. Hibiki only chuckled in response.
"Aparentally we all need sleep." Daichi shrugged and continued to walk.
Minako returned to her post and stared at the sky once again. "Mother... I may... understand." She mumbled, a smile tugging at her lips.
AN: Yay! :3 Cutteee!
XxSoulNoteWritterxX