Hello! It was so much fun writing this chapter! Tons of action! Well, at least I think so. But it also took me longer to edit because I wanted to make sure the fight scenes were clear and you would all understand what was happening. Let me know if it all just reads like gibberish.
I hope both the NS and NH fans are enjoying the story. I can't wait to reveal more of the inner workings and twists for both canon and fanon.
If you have time, or are compelled to please leave a review or write me a private message. I'd love to get some feedback. And if you have already done so, please just know how much I truly appreciate it!
Alright, enough of that mushy stuff, hehe, on to the story. Here is Chapter 7 of The Other Ones.
In a great arc the metal of Hanako's blade swung down. It was aligned perfectly with the center of Sai's chest plate. It would only take moments for a lung to fill with thick red liquid and Sai to die drowning in his own blood. But the blade never made it to it's target. It hung in the air shaking against an invisible force. Hanako's blue eyes searched wildly for what was restraining him but he could not move an inch.
"That's a bit much don't you think?" A bored voice spoke from behind him. Shikamaru walked up to his companion and placed a hand on Sai's shoulder. With a single pulse of chakra the pink haired boy's genjutsu was broken. The tree that was binding Sai disappeared from view and the artist was set free. Sai shook himself and thanked the other Konoha nin.
Both older men looked at the intruder trapped in Shikamaru's shadow technique. The boy flexed his muscles testing the hold of the shadow but it would not give. "That was a pretty impressive display." Shikamaru admitted. Sai said nothing. Neither did the captured young man.
"You've got some skill. Your genjutsu seemed spot on. Almost as good as Kurenai's." Shikamaru continued.
"I learned it from my mother." Hanako corrected venomously.
"And who might that be?" Shikamaru asked.
"You should know, you have my sister as your prisoner. Though I'm sure you must think she's just a lunatic." Hanako hissed.
"So you say Sakura is your mother too…" Shikamaru stepped up to the boy, just inches from him. But it wasn't a threat, the older ninja was looking at the boy, studying him. "You look a lot like your sister." A flash of warning sparked in Hanako's eyes.
"They're twins." Sai informed.
"Interesting." Was all Shikamaru had to offer. "Let's get him back to Konoha." He finally ordered after looking the boy over once more.
Without prompting Sai opened a scroll and began to paint at an incredible speed. Two giant birds lifted from the pages and stood waiting to be mounted. Once the trio was seated the ink birds flapped their giant wings and soared above the treetops. All the while, shikamaru held tightly onto Hanako with his shadow jutsu.
Sakura tried to shake the feelings that clung to her after her meeting with Hanami. The young girl was having a very strange effect on her. And not for the first time, Sakura wondered what power was at play here. Sakura chastised herself for letting her emotions steer her thoughts yet again. A level head was needed to sort this all out, even more so since the implications were so damaging. She lifted her fist and paused just for a second before knocking on the Hokage's door.
A stiff, "Come in." was heard through the thick wood door.
Sakura pushed open the door to her childhood teammates office. "Naruto, I - Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude." Sakura said awkwardly, seeing the couple locked in an embrace.
"It's no intrusion." Hinata answered from beside her husband.
Sakura looked at Hinata and gave a shy smile in response. The Hyuga's eyes were a little red. The ex-heiress had been crying. Sakura peared at the Seventh with a questioning look, wondering if it was in fact a very inopportune time for her to be there.
"It's okay. She knows about the girl Hanami. And that any connection to us is impossible" Naruto explained. Sakura sighed in relief.
"Hinata, you should know that Naruto and I… I mean… we never… would never-" Sakura was cut off.
"It's really okay, Sakura." Hinata reassured. "Naruto has just finished explaining to me what is going on. We'll all get to the bottom of this." And to emphasize her words Hinata walked around the Hokage's desk and placed a gentle hand on the pink haired woman's shoulder.
Sakura smiled at the other woman. "Well then, I guess I should tell you what we have figured out. Hanami's brother is hidden-" Again the medic was cut off.
"Brother?" Hinata interjected a little shocked.
Naruto rubbed the back of his head and answered, "Yeah, I forgot to mention that part. There might be another one. We just haven't found him yet." Hinata only nodded slowly, determined to not let anything set her off balance. She had decided already to be completely supportive and trusting of her husband.
"But we will. Hanami pointed us in the right direction. Ino is trying to get ahold of Sai and Shikamaru left awhile ago." Sakura informed. "It took quite a bit of effort to get the information out of her though. I'm not entirely sure that it is accurate"
"Perhaps if these children are as confused as you say we must treat them with a bit more compassion. Aren't there any measures we can take to make them more comfortable while keeping the village safe?" Hinata directed to the two former team 7 members.
"The more answers we get, the more we will be able to ease our hold on them. But we still aren't sure what kind of threat is around us." the Hokage explained.
"Perhaps a little trust would go a long way." Hinata surmised.
"Ino has spent a lot of time with Hanami and thinks she is harmless, but I'm still don't think it's time to let her have free range, especially when she is so confused." Sakura confessed. "But I'm sure there are things we can do to make her more comfortable and more forthcoming with information."
"You and Ino do what you think is best." Naruto said.
"I think compassion will go a long way for these children." Hinata said with a soft smile on her face. "We should try trusting them first."
Suddenly there was a burst of energy as a chunin stampeded through the hokage's door and up to the desk.
"Seventh! Shikamaru Sensei says he needs you at the interrogation office. He's just arrived with a captive that attacked Sai!"
The three adults from the Konoha 11 looked at each other before disappearing in a flash.
"Nako!" Hanami shouted in surprise and relief as her brother was marched in by Shikamaru using his shadow technique. The young girl, who had been reading on her bed, sprang to her feet and ran up to the barrier. The book was forgotten on the ground, laying in a heap. The siblings immediately began to study one another. Each one searching for any wounds or signs of trouble. Hanami pushed herself against the barrier to get as close to her brother as possible. Hanako pushed against the shadow technique but to no avail.
As he was being ushered into his own chamber like prison Hanako asked, "Are you okay? Are you hurt at all?"
"No, no, I'm fine. I mean I was injured in a fight but they healed me." Hanami answered her brother's concerns. "But everyone else seems to be confused or under some sort of jutsu. No one remembers us!" She then turned her attention to Shikamaru. "What are you doing to my brother? Why won't you let us go? We aren't the enemy!" Hanami started to shout as she worked herself up into a fever of angry emotions.
"Calm down, Hanami. I'll explain everything. I'll get you home. I promise." Hanako insisted as he was locked in the room besides his sister. The two gravitated towards one another. They stood by one another, on either side of a clear barrier, looking out at their captors.
Sai and Shikamaru looked right back at them. Now that the twins were next to one another it was clear their resemblance, not only to one another but also to their alleged parents.
"The Hokage is on his way. He'll decide what kind of threat you are. We'll go from there." Shikamaru informed the twins. It was though Shikamaru had summoned the hokage because at that moment Naruto walked in, lead by Ino, and followed by Sakura and Hinata.
"Dad! Mom!" Hanami cried out. Then her blue eyes fell across Hinata and she bowed slightly, "Lady Hinata."
More than one person was shocked by Hanami's greeting. The room froze as each person seemed to be working through their own thoughts.
Hinata was the first to break the silence, "I'm sorry, do we know each other?"
Hanami groaned, "Not you too. Does no one remember us?" The young girl almost seemed desperate for some sort of acknowledgement but none of the adults before her could give her that. The girl's sad eyes went from person to person until they connected with Naruto's. Blue eyes seared into his, longing for him to recognize her. Naruto almost wished he could, just to ease her suffering, but the warning in his head forbid him from complying.
"Dad…" Hanami whimpered.
"They're not our parents." Hanako said sternly. Everyone's attention, including his sister's, turned to the pink haired boy. "We don't know any of these people." He said as he glared at each of the curious eyes before him.
Grunts and bellows could be heard as the two young teams of Konoha ninjas sparred one another. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio was having a hard time fighting against the two prodigies. Sarada and Bolt were a tight combo of young fighters that were well versed in defending one another while alternating attacks. So even though it was two versus three, the duo had the advantage.
Sarada jumped off the back of one of Bolt's shadow clones to release an aerial strike of her family's fire technique. A raging ball of flame poured from her mouth and covered the training grounds like a blanket of fire.
ChoCho shielded her teammates with her engorged body. The fire resistant armor she wore across her back took the brunt of the attack. But as the girl covered her teammates it gave Bolt time to circle his opponent with clones.
But it wasn't over just yet. Beneath ChoCho, Shikadai sent tendrils of his shadow jutsu through the ground like tiny serpents. When they reappeared they speared the shadow clones through different parts of their bodies. They disappeared one by one with a cry of anguish. The two groups of fighters faced each other in a stalemate.
Suddenly there was a great rumbling around them. Each young ninja looked about to see who was responsible for the mini earthquake. Most looked to Sarada, expecting her to be enacting her mother's brutal strength and amazing chakra control, but when they saw her she was only standing with her sharingan activated, searching as they were. The real Bolt ran up to her side and asked, "What do you think it is?"
"I don't see anything." She answered. "Could just be an earthquak-" An explosion rang out. It shook the very air and knocked the Konoha ninja's back. Bolt was the first to recover, jumping up to his feet. Before him was a blast zone of destroyed training grounds. And in the middle of the blast was a glowing box.
"What the hell?!" Chocho cursed as she rolled to a sitting position.
Inojin was several feet away, bleeding profusely from a cut above his hairline. The blood dripped down his face in a thick stream. Shikadai was at his side helping him to his feet.
Rubble from the explosion littered what remained of the training ground. Sarada was laying with the debris but still had her eyes locked on the wooden crate pulsing with Chakra.
All five of them watched as the box landed softly on the ground. It began to shake wildly, thrashing around the small crater created by the explosion. Strings of chakra appeared from the box plunging into the surrounding ground. Each string snaked its way through the ground, wrapping itself around equipment and trees.
"Stay clear of those!" Bolt barked at the others. As he said it, the strings began their pursuit of the teens. Each of the ninjas dodged the offending strands by leaping from ground to treetops. Shikadai helped Inojin with his escape, supporting him under one shoulder.
"Sarada!" Bolt yelled out.
"I know!" Sarada answered. Her eyes were glued on the box and the strings squirming from it's core. But search as she may she could not find a human source to the chakra emanating from the crate. "There's nothing! It's just like the attack from before!" She shouted so the entire group could hear.
"Ahhhhhhh!" A ragged scream filled the air. Chocho was falling from the tree that she had just been standing in. She plummeted towards the ground. Before Sarada could jump to her friend's help she was also knocked forward by an invisible force, which felt like a foot smashing into her lower back. Her chakra grip on the branch she was standing on faltered and she too hurtled towards the ground. Before she became very intimate with the ground Bolt caught her mid-air. He landed in a cloud of dust but only had a moment before he leaped to the side, dodging a chakra tendril.
"Someone is here. Attacking us, but I can't see them!" Sarada shouted so Bolt would hear her as the wind rushed past them.
"It's the same as last time. It's just like my dad said. They couldn't see the enemy either. We'll have to focus on using defence techniques." Bolt said skipping away from another rope of chakra. When he found a moment of reprieve he placed Sarada on her feet.
"Inojin!" Shikadai screamed. Bolt and Sarada looked at the two boys across the field. Shikadai held both of Inojin's arms but a tendril had wrapped itself around the latter's ankle. It pulled and twisted on Inojin's leg, yanking him from Shikadai's grasp. Without warning, Shikadai was knocked back. He flew through the air until he landed hard against the earth. Inojin smashed into the ground only moments later.
The captured boy clawed at the earth as the chakra string pulled him towards the center of the crater. Bolt pounded towards his friend and with a chakra blade made to cut the string, but when the blade touched the string it soaked up the chakra and made Bolt go weak in the knees. The young Uzumaki's chakra was being stolen from him.
Sarada started to sprint to help the two boys but as she stepped forward an invisible force collided with her jaw and sent her flying in the opposite direction.
With all the force he could muster, Bolt pulled himself and his chakra blade away from the parasitic thread. Instantly he felt his energy return to him. "Don't use chakra!" He commanded. And then cut the string with a regular kunai, freeing Inojin. The pale blonde haired teen writhed on the ground. "Sarada! I need your help! Inojin is injured!" He took a step towards his fallen comrade but was stopped by an invisible knee connecting with his stomach. Bolt doubled over in pain. Through gritted teeth he demanded, "Show yourself, coward!"
The only answer he received was another strike to his face.
"Not our parents?" Hanami whispered confused and depressed. She looked up at her brother sharply and through blurry eyes, "What does that mean? What does any of this mean? Tell me what's happening!" She demanded her brother as panic set in.
Naruto stepped up to the twins, "That's something we would all like to know."
Hanako just glared at the hokage.
Sakura tried, "We know this has been difficult for you and your sister. But we can't help you unless you tell us what is going on. We have to start somewhere." Sakura pleaded with the young man.
While his eyes did soften, Hanako maintained his glare when he looked at Sakura. "It's nothing you have to worry about, Uchiha Sakura." Hanako spat.
"Uchiha?" Hanami said puzzled.
"It does concern us." Naruto spoke, demanding the twins attention with his tone of voice. But he remembered his wife's words and spoke calmly. "This is our home and it's been attacked. We are just as confused by the occurrence as your sister. And while it seems like you are upset with us, we don't know why. If you'd be willing to share what you know we can start to fix the problem."
Hanako just stared at Naruto processing his words.
"Nako…" Hanami whispered trying to urge her brother.
The young man took a deep breath before he started, "My sister and I are from-" Just as he was about to finally explain the building shook with a terrible tremor. Dust sprinkled down on the group from the ceiling and the ground rumbled.
"It's just like the explosion from before." Shikamaru informed the group.
"Another attack." Hinata worried.
"Let's go everyone, we'll finish this later." Naruto commanded.
"No!" Hanako yelled. "You have to take me with you!"
Naruto stared at the boy in disbelief. "You honestly think we'd-"
"I'm the only one that knows how to deal with this threat. I've fought him before. You just lucked out last time. You're going to need me out there to stop this guy!"
Hanako and Naruto stood staring at one another from either side of the barrier. Naruto saw something in the young man's eyes, conviction. And though he knew it was risky he decided to move against his better judgement. "Let him out."
"What?" Ino said out of shock, but moved to open the cell anyway.
Hanako waited on the other side finally looking at Naruto without complete disgust on his face. When the barrier was brought down and Hanako stepped free he looked back at her sister.
"She'll stay here. It'll be safe for her." Naruto explained. And it will help guarantee your cooperation.
"Don't worry." Hanako said to his sister without breaking eye contact with her. "I'll be back for you and we'll go home." The twin sister just nodded in response trusting her brother fully.
"All right, here we go. Sai go ahead and get us an aerial view. Shikamaru go get the Anbu defense up and running. You boy, are with me. Sakura you gather your medic team in case we have more injured. Ino you stay here with the girl. Hinata, you get the people to safety if they are in harm's way." Naruto appointed each person a task.
"Perhaps," Hinata started, "I may stay with the girl."
Naruto looked at the Hyuga like he was seeing her for the first time. But he did not have time to argue and knew that his wife meant well. "Fine. Ino, you take care of the villagers. Everyone move!"
Each person took off in their own direction to complete their tasks leaving Hinata and Hinami behind.
"Why don't we go somewhere a bit safer and more comfortable." Hinata said with a smile.
"Bolt!" Sarada screamed as she watched him skid across the dirt on his face. She wanted to run to him but Inojin laid in her arms already. Though she was pumping healing waves of chakra into his body the boy was still thrashing, murmuring incoherent nothings. She tried to hold him down as she watched the blood bath before her.
Chocho's arms had been dislocated and hung uselessly at her sides. She still stood between Shikadai, who was cutting strings like a mad man, trying to protect him from an enemy she could not see.
Shikadai's ankle was broken, Sarada could see that with her sharingan but he still dragged himself across the field. His shirt was soaked with his own and Inojin's blood.
Bolt was taking the brunt of the attack. Everytime he called forth a shadow clone it disappeared almost instantly from some unseen attack. "Fuck!" Bolt cursed as yet another shadow clone turned to a puff of smoke. He took his last five kunai in one hand. With a flick of his wrist he sent them flying in a wave around him. One of them ricocheted off something metal. Perhaps the enemy had blocked it with a sword. "I've got you now bastard!" Bolt screamed as he swung his leg in a great arc to cover as much ground as possible. Leg connected with leg and whatever was attacking Konoha fell hard on it's back. Bolt jumped to the spot where the impact had been but as he careened towards the spot he was knocked back yet again. He twirled through the air hitting the ground every couple of feet until he was caught. Bolt looked up to see his father hovering over him. "Dad…" he managed to get out before coughing up blood.
"Sai! Get the kids out of here!" Naruto shouted to the heavens. Only a moment later five birds appeared and soared towards the ground. In their giant claws they picked up ChoCho, Inojin and Shikadai. Both Sarada and Bolt waved away their birds.
"I'm staying." Bolt demanded.
"Me too!" Sarada agreed.
Over Naruto's shoulder came the sarcastic voice of Hanako, "Why bother, you'll only get in the way." Both Sarada and Bolt looked at the newcomer. He stood just to the side of Naruto looking over the battleground. "What a mess."
"Who are you?" Bolt asked clearly annoyed and then spit out a glob of blood onto the dirt.
"Nobody you should concern yourself with." Hanako responded before stepping out in the field. "Just cut the strings while I take care of this asshole." Then the pink haired boy turned away from them and stared at the chakra box still glowing in the middle of the small crater.
"We should come up with a plan first. We can't see this guy. We'll need to work together." Naruto said helping his son to his feet.
"That's funny coming from Konoha's number one most reckless ninja." Hanako laughed. But it wasn't his words or familiarity that shocked the father and son. It was his eyes. When the pink haired stranger turned back at them he had gone through an all too familiar metamorphosis. Hanako had entered a perfected toad sage mode. Surrounding his eyes were red markings that extended down his face and touched his collar bones. His eyes, once a crystal blue, were now as pink as his hair.
"How?" Naruto asked, forgetting to hide his surprise.
"Clones of course. I had them hidden in the Valley of the End. Didn't know when I would need one. Good thing old man Sai didn't find those." Hanako explained, not really answering Naruto's question.
"That's not what I meant! How do you know-"
"Oops, sorry old man, time to fight." And without warning Hanako swung out a fist that collided with nothing but what seemed like air. "Back again, asswipe?" Hanako spoke to thin air. Hanako pulled out a kunai and swung it up in front of him at head level. It swept through the air without making contact with anything.
"Why don't you come to this side and fight for real?" Hanako yelled. He then dodged, rolled against the ground, and began to sprint about the field with his blade held high.
"What the hell?" Bolt stammered.
"My thoughts exactly, but we better cut those threads before we ask any more questions." Naruto said dashing to the first string. "Don't use chakra when cutting them!"
"Yeah, we figured that out the hard way." Bolt answered cutting his first thread. Sarada was already getting started on the opposite side of the field.
While Naruto worked he kept an eye on the pink haired wonder. He watched as the boy soared through the air, as sparks filled the air when metal struck unseen metal, and he watched as the boy danced around keeping his attacker away from the working trio. The tactic only worked for a second though. Now that the strings were being cut at an alarming pace the enemy turned their attention back to the box. Sarada was the first to be attacked. She soared through the air until her back collided with a tree and she yelped out in pain. She landed in a heap at the base of the tree. Hanako was at Bolt's and Naruto's side in a flash. "Damn." he cursed. "He won't leave you guys alone and I can't do any real damage unless I cross over." He then turned his attention to Naruto. "Don't break the box until I'm back over here. Do you hear me? I can't leave my sister on this side." And without explanation Hanako took off again. He leapt, one step, two, and then vanished.
"What?!" Bolt exclaimed exasperated.
Naruto tried to reach out and sense the chakra of the mysterious young man but he picked up nothing. There was no sign that he had ever existed at all. Until there was an inpact a few meters from the Uzumakis. Then a tree was cut in half and the top half toppled to the ground.
Suddenly Hanako reappeared by Sarada. He picked her up and vaulted away before the area was disintegrated. "Dick move!" He shouted over his shoulder. Naruto looked the young man over, he was bleeding from a cut on his brow and there seemed to be significant bruising to his right side but other than that he looked to be in good shape. Naruto watched as the boy placed Sarada on the ground, turned on his heel, and faded from view again.
"This will go faster with a few shadow clones."Naruto said and summoned a half dozen to his side. Each of the Narutos began to cut the strings. Then, as Naruto was leaning down to cut yet another tendril, Hanako was knocked back into view. He careened through the air and smashed into the side of the crater. In the space before him there was suddenly a figure in a blood red cloak. The red cloaked figure pummeled Hanako deeper into the compacted earth. A sword sung as the enemy pulled it from its sheath. Before the killing blow could be made Naruto was charging at the figure with a rasengan in hand. But the fighting couple disappeared from view again before Naruto could do anything. He stood waiting, watching, for someone to reappear again. But there was nothing, just a long silence as his son and clones finished cutting the strings. Time past by and Naruto wondered if he shouldn't just end the charade by destroying the chakra box despite Hanako's pleas.
With a burst of energy, Hanako tumbled into existence again. "The box!" He yelled.
Naruto, like so many nights before, crushed the box.
"Where is he?" Naruto asked, still scanning the area.
"Trapped." Hanako answered, out of his sage mode, and breathing hard, exhausted. "Trapped on the other side."
((So? What did you guys think? Was the action good, bad, too over the top? And Hanako with that Sage Mode, am I right?
Let me know and I'll see you next time for chapter 8!))