"You fucking bitch!!"

SLAM.

"N-Naruto! I didn't…"

WHAM!

"Shut the hell up!"

Hinata cowered against the wall. She had been talking on the phone with Neji, her close cousin, and when she said "Love you, too" in the closing, Naruto accused her of cheating on him. He wouldn't be reasoned with, and he hit the girl repeatedly, slamming his fist to the side of her head. Grabbing her throat, he lifted her of the floor and pushed her against the wall. His icy blue eyes were so filled with rage that she could swear there was a demonic red tint to them. He squeezed, and she choked, clawing at his hand. He pulled his left arm back and punched her in the gut. Hinata tasted blood. She slid down the wall, sobbing. The blonde scowled.

"Worthless…"

Grabbing a fistful of her waist-length hair, he drug her out to his car, throwing her into the passenger seat. He slammed the door behind her. Opening the garage, he got into the driver's seat, ignoring the loud sobs of the bruised girl next to him. Starting the car, he left, driving into town.

Hinata begged him, tried to reason that it really was her cousin, and that she was faithful to him. Naruto wouldn't hear any of it. Finally, he couldn't take the sobbing anymore. He glanced over. The girl wasn't even buckled in. Without taking his eyes off the road, he leaned over and opened the door. Hinata stared fearfully at him.

"Wh-what are y--"

She didn't get a chance to finish her question because Naruto took a hard turn, and the door swung open. He pushed the girl out of the moving vehicle and on to the sidewalk. The skin came off her arms. By some sort of miracle, she had not hit her head. A kindly old lady stopped, in a panic, and went to her aid.

"I'm fine…"

Hinata stumbled away, bleeding, and limping in one leg. To get out of view of the public, she went into an alley to get her bearings. After a few minutes, she managed to get a hold of her sobs and take a look at the damage. The skin on her arms had been ground off from the impact, and she could already the yellow ghosts of beginning bruises. Suddenly, a hand clamped over her mouth from behind. She screamed into the flesh covering her lips. A strong arm clamped around her waist and she was pulled against someone's body.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you…"

She stopped screaming and cried silently, dragged further into the alley. The man shoved her up against the side of the building, behind a large dumpster. Taking an old bandana out of his pocket, a make shifted a gag and fixed her with it. She struggled, but stopped when she felt the point of a knife against her back. The man sliced upwards, slicing through her blouse and bra.

"There's a pretty girl…"

She cried harder and creamed against the gag, trying to break free. Her unusual violet eyes were filled with terror when the much stronger man used the knife on her pants. She was going to be raped. He pulled one of her arms around her back, immobilizing it. He brought the other to his crotch, and she kicked out, and was rewarded with a slap. She continued to scream.

-

Shino was running late. He spent more time working on the painting that morning, and lost track of the time. With is duffel over his shoulder, he carried his portfolio, three large paintings inside. He painted nature, mainly insects. But, in his spare time, he liked to paint fantasy, usually pixies, beautiful women with wings. This latest one, the one Shino was working on this morning, was one of those. But for some unknown reason, he couldn't get her to look right.

It was already late in the evening, the sun just going down over the city. Shino left his apartment and set out towards the art museum. His thoughts drifted back to the painting, not knowing what he could do to make the girl come alive.

He shifted the weight of the portfolio to the other hand. The movement broke his train of thought and he focused on where he was going. His studio apartment was only a few blocks away from the art museum, so he often opted to walk. There was a show tonight, and he had to get there if he was going to have enough money to get by another week. As he passed an alley way, the sound of a muffled girl's scream stopped him dead in his tracks.

Shino blinked. He could investigate, and make sure no one was hurt, or he could act like he hadn't heard anything and continue on his way. The other pedestrians parted around him; they hadn't heard anything. Throwing caution to the wind, he slung the portfolio on his back and stepped into the alleyway.

-

Hinata screamed out again. The man had used the length of her hair to his advantage, knotting it around her wrists. His pants were gone, and Hinata could feel him poking at her. She gritted her teeth and scrunched her eyes shut, knowing it would be painful. She heard a second set of footsteps running up, and she figured it was an accomplice. Hinata put her head down and awaited the worst. The man, who was about to stat, immediately halted. She heard the new voice.

"What the hell is going on here!?"

She turned to look at him, but the grip the rapist had on her hair prevented her from looking. She heard fumbling, like he had a lot of objects with him. Her attacker let go, and she heard him pop open his jackknife.

"Big mistake, buddy," she heard the grating voice threaten.

She dropped to the ground, she turned her eyes to the commotion. Her attacker had pulled his pants back up, and was advancing on another man, taller than him but looking petrified. From the accessories he was carrying, Hinata deduced that he was a painter. She watched as he dove into his duffel bag, backing away from the knife that was being pointed at him.

"Dammit.."

She heard him curse. He had a tube of paint in his hand when he pulled his hand out. She had guessed correctly. The first man laughed, and she could make out his features. His hair pointed out in the back, and fell down in the front, more at the sides. In her terrified state, she loosely connected the resemblance to some sort of chicken.

"What are you going to do, boy? Paint me?!"

He scoffed once again raising the knife. The second man, with the sunglasses, unscrewed the cap of the tube. In a firm voice, he answered.

"That's exactly what I was planning."

Holding the tube out in front of him, he squeezed it hard. With how close the attacker was, he hit his target. A stream of bright violet paint shot out of the tube, blinding the malevolent chicken-haired bastard. He yelled out, hands immediately going to his eyes. The artist swiped the jackknife in the confusion, grabbed the front of his shirt, and pressed it against his throat.

"Give me one reason why I should let you live, asshole. Who are you?"

The man suddenly cowered when he felt the blade on his neck. But he decided to call the artist's bluff. Hinata watched in fear, hoping she would be forgotten in the shadows. The shock was beginning to set in.

"Uchiha. My first name doesn't matter. And besides, Fluffy, you don't have the guts to kill me. You would have done it already."

Breaking free of his grip, the Uchiha fled, wiping violet paint out of his eyes. Hinata looked up at her savior, he was tall, pale, and wore sunglasses. The full effect of her shock set in, and she passed out.

-

Shino leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. Shit…

Tossing the knife away, he turned his eyes to the broken girl in front of him. He went over and knelt beside her. She looked unconscious. He turned her over. His anger rekindled. Whoever this woman was, she was in a poor state. Still, he should see if she was awake.

"Oh my Kami…Hello? Are you alright!?"

Shino cursed himself mentally. Of course she wasn't alright. He had walked in on a rape. She looked like she got into a serious fight as well. Shino knew he couldn't leave her here, and that he would never make it to the art show. This was a priority. The sight of her broken nude form sickened him. He slid the duffel and portfolio off his shoulder, and took off his large green jacket. Retrieving the knife, he sliced the knotted hair at her wrists, freeing her. He laid the jacket down and placed her in it. She looked so small and fragile. Shino slid her arms through the sleeves and zipped it up.

He shook his head. He never understood why some people did such sick things. Putting the portfolio and duffel back on over his t-shirt, he knelt down and hoisted the woman up, in a bridal carry. He took her home, not even thinking twice about the art show. People stared as he carried her down the street. He tried to ignore them. Reaching his apartment block, her took her into the elevator to his floor. Somehow, he managed to get his door unlocked. Going in, he kicked the door shut behind him. Standing in the middle of his studio, he finally looked at the girl he had rescued.

"Well, now what?"

It was going to be a long night.