Hello. im sorry i haven't updated. life has been crazy busy and I've got my Manga to draw. I'm not especially pleased with this chapter and seeing as how I haven't read or watched Naruto in ages I've probably got some minor details wrong. I suck at fight scenes. . Gomen. Please enjoy this though and i will try and start on chapter 8 soon :) (oh yeah sorry the endings kinda spazzy .

Chp. 7 The mockingbird

Hinata

Hinata lay on her bed staring up at the ceiling. If she concentrated she could hear the faint rustle of the trees outside and the beautiful melody of a mockingbird, the nights musician. For a while she listened to its song, enraptured. The mockingbird was by far her favorite animal, she remembered reading about it in a book when she was younger. It was a sin to kill a mockingbird, that was what the book had said, "Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corn cribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."

She listened for a moment longer, and was about to close her eyes when she heard it. 'Clack, clack, clack' the mocking bird sung in its tuneful voice, turning the sound into something so beautiful she almost didn't recognize it for what it was. almost, years of being a ninja had taught her to listen for these things and to know them immediately. It was the unmistakable sound of ninjas pouches clacking against each other.

Hinata swallowed, suddenly very afraid,a thin line of sweat trickled down her forehead. The mockingbird was a copy bird, it mimicked noises that it heard and turned them into a song, if they were musical enough, and the steady, only slightly altering rhythm of two pouches clacking together seemed musical enough for this mockingbird. 'clackety, clackety,clack. it trilled merrily. Hinata slid out of bed and began to pull her ninja clothes on, sure, it could just be a hyuuga guard patrolling the compound, but something deep inside her, some unknown instinct was screaming at her that it wasn't. She could virtually feel the bad aurora spilling into her bedroom like a poisonous gas cloud. Just then there was a screech and the mockingbird was cut of mid note.

She barely heard the thump as it hit the ground, dead, but there had definitely been a thump. It's a sin to kill a mockingbird' She wondered how long it would take her to run for it and alert the guards, but even before the thought had crossed her mind she knew, knew that if she did she wouldn't stand a chance against whatever, whoever was out there. Her fingers closed around a kunai and she stood waiting in heavy anticipation, her ears strained for the faintest sound, and then, there it was, 'clack, clack, clack' a shiver ran down her spin and her grip tightened. They were here.

She heard the whistle of the shruiken flying through the air, long before the glass shattered. A thousand tiny pieces of glass rained down on the room, each as delicate as a silver petal. The sight would have been almost beautiful if it wasn't for the ugly hunched shape, now crouching on the windowsill. The shape lifted it's head and through the slit in the balaclava she could see his leering smile, for it was definitely a man.

'Would you be so kind as to come with me?' he asked politely. Hinata blinked, she hadn't expected such a gentle voice to come from such a large man.

'N- no! what do you want?'

'You'

And all of a sudden ten kunai were spinning towards her from different directions. He's so fast! She nimbly dodged them and sent 12 of her own around the room, hoping to catch him. But they simply struck wood or the floor, Standing very still Hinata concentrated on her surroundings, hoping to sense where he was. He moved so fast that he was almost a blur. What strange chakra, he isn't from Konoha I'm certain, perhaps a hired shinobi?' THERE! Hinata struck out with her palm and sure enough there was a gurgled cough, and a splatter of blood. One vital chakra point down.

'Not bad'

Hinata stared as her room melted before her eyes, flames were licking every corner, and in the middle was a screaming Naruto.

'NARUTO KUN!' Hinata tried to run towards him but it was like running through tar, every movement was slow and painful. 'NARUUUUUTOOO'

But Naruto was oblivious, his clothes and hair were alight and his arms, legs and face were covered in grotesque burns. His large blue eyes were filled with tears of pain.

{Naruto? Whats happening? Think Hinata!! Think}

All of a sudden a familiar gentle voice was whispering into her ear.

'You can save him, go to the window'

For some reason Hinata trusted that voice, it sounded caring, she was sure it would help her. Looking around she spotted the window and began to run towards it, the tar like substance that had been holding her back, melted away as she came closer and closer and....

Darkness.