What Happens Next?
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. Well I think everyone knows that this is going to be a Rescue Mission chapter. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.
Siren's Call: For those interested, I finally updated this one. It's a crack Sasuke x Hinata story.
Chapter Notation: This is not the end of the story. But this is the battle chapter. I feel like battle scenes are my weakest point. But at its heart, this is a story more about romance than fighting ;)
Chapter 17
The next day Hinata watches in fascination. The two Clans really couldn't be anymore different for how they prepared for battle. The Hyugas had a strict hierarchy and proper protocols in place. The Uchihas, well it seemed like they might have some sort of protocols in place. No one was confused. But largely it seemed to be every man or woman for yourself. Apparently, they largely left it up to the individual to prepare for battle in the best way he or she knew how.
"Izumi, you are staying here. You are pregnant. There is no way that I am allowing you to charge off into battle, when you are expecting!" Itachi says and Hinata watches as the two Uchihas prepare for another type of battle.
The bluenette had always known Itachi to be a rather mild tempered man. His wife was clearly the more feisty of the two. But this time, it looked like the elder Uchiha brother was going to try to put his foot down.
"I'm not going to just sit around and wait while our Clansmen and Clanswomen are in danger! You can't seriously expect me to do nothing!" The beautiful woman protests.
"You're pregnant. I can't let anything happen to you or our baby. Please Izumi, for once just listen to me." Itachi says.
"Please tell me you aren't going to be that difficult." Sasuke whispers to Hinata, sneaking up behind her and wrapping his arms around the Hyuga Heiress.
"What do you mean?" She asks in confusion.
"When you're pregnant. You won't try to put yourself in harm's way like Izumi. She's so stubborn." He murmurs and places a soft kisses to her cheek.
Hinata blushes a deep shade of red. Pregnant?! Instantly her mind flashed to images of the actual conception.
"Obviously that wouldn't be for awhile yet." He murmurs into her ear and she nods shyly, cuddling into him.
Sharingans flashed. Uh oh. This fight between Izumi and Itachi was about to get vicious. Thankfully, Mikoto walks over and drags her daughter-in-law off. The Uchiha Matriarch was heard muttering something about protecting her grandchild.
"Oh good God, Sasuke is actually the mellow one." Hiashi says and smacks his forehead.
Hinata giggles. Hiashi and Fugaku blow their whistles. They had little "necklaces" on them. The necklaces were actually just a bit of chain with a whistle on them, it was just easier.
"ALRIGHT EVERYONE! We are moving on out. I have gotten the location from Kita and Hanabi. Some of you will stay behind to protect the children and the elderly. Those of you who have been assigned to this task, already know who you are. Everyone else, we are leaving to rescue our kin!" Hiashi says and Fugaku nods in agreement.
"They will be sending reinforcements after us." Fugaku says and the two Clans head off.
It was truly a strange sight. To the other citizens of the Leaf, it looked like a parade or something. But all the people in the parade were clearly marching off to battle.
Sasuke walks by Hinata. The two walk hand in hand. He shoots a reassuringly look at Itachi. He knew how much his elder brother was worried about his wife. If Sasuke was in his position, he didn't know what he would have done. But he knew that Itachi was right. He was too valuable in a fight to leave behind.
"She'll forgive me eventually." Itachi says and his brother nods in agreement.
"I'm sure she will. She just wants to help. She's worried about them. That's all." Hinata offers.
"Thank you, Hinata." Itachi replies simply and the strange procession continues onward.
Fugaku frowns as he walks next to his wife. Their Clan had been pushed to their limits. Even after resting for awhile, he knew none of them were at 100%. Mikoto had retired from active duty, after she became pregnant with Itachi. But even she had been roped into helping the Police Force after the Jutsu took effect. He couldn't help but worry for her.
"Fugaku Uchiha, I see that look. I will be fine. I might have been off active duty, but that doesn't mean that I have grown soft." She says and kisses his cheek reassuringly.
"I know that. It's just only the Hyugas are going into this fight at their best. I worry for you and the rest of our Clan. We are going to be battling the entire Sound Village. This will not be easy." He murmurs.
"Neither was getting your attention, but I managed that." She says with a smile and remembers how.
Mikoto had only been a Genin. Fugaku was five years her senior and at 17, already a Jonin. Mikoto was at one of the Uchiha Clan events. She was so excited that day. She couldn't wait to tell her parents the good news.
"Father, mother, my Sensei registered us for the Chunin Exams." The brunette says and smiles brightly, positively beaming with happiness.
"Is he crazy?! You're only 12." Her father says and Mikoto frowns.
Her father thought she was too young to be a Chunin. He didn't think she could do it. That hurt. That really hurt.
"She's the same age I was when I became a Chunin. The girl knows how to throw a fireball and throw kunais like the best of them. She's an Uchiha. She'll be fine." Fugaku says, not even bothering to look up from his sake.
The teenager didn't know it yet, but that was when Mikoto fell in love with him. He was going to be her husband one day. Most people would later think it was just a crush. But what an Uchiha woman wants, she gets…eventually.
"Mikoto, are you sure, this is what you want?" Her father asks gently and she nods determinately.
It took her six fucking years to get his attention! But finally, she became a Jonin and she had a plan in mind. Fugaku was friends with Minato. Minato was dating Kushina. Kushina was her best friend. One day Minato had let it slip that Fugaku was apparently a leg man. She could work with that!
"Fugaku, could you hand me the medium sized female Jonin pants? The small is well too small." Mikoto says from behind a changing stall at the Uchiha Police Force building.
"Of course." He says and slides them through the curtain.
He had no idea who he was dealing with. Mikoto swept her foot underneath his, causing him to stumble into the stall with her. He got an eyeful of Mikoto standing only in her Jonin vest and a pair of lacey red panties, with her legs on full display. And the rest was history…
"I still can't believe you actually did that. You have to be the sneakiest woman that I've ever met." He mutters and Mikoto giggles.
"Do I even want to know what you two are referring to?" Hiashi inquires as they flit off.
"No. No, you most certainly do not." The Uchiha Patriarch replies as they race off.
Soon enough they arrive in the Sound. Thousands of Byakugans activate at once. Since their jutsu allowed them to see through walls, it was a relatively simple matter to determine where their family members were being held. Getting them out of there alive, not so much.
"We got company." Shisui says as the Sound Villagers head outside.
"Surround the village. Make sure there isn't an area that they can slip away from.' Fugaku barks out and the Uchihas and Hyugas rush off to do exactly that, surrounding the Sound in a giant circle.
"GET THEM!" Orochimaru hisses once he realized what was going on.
He knew that it was going to happen. Those damn brats must have made it back to the Leaf Village somehow. He didn't know how. But now they had a serious fight on their hands.
They did have one advantage though. The Uchihas weren't at their best. So he signals for his villagers to target them first. They would be the easiest to deal with.
"Hinata, stand back." Sasuke says and the bluenette does as he asks.
Sasuke quickly summons Aoda. He sends the massive snake hurtling at the Sound Villagers who were closest to him and his kitten. He wanted to save his fellow Clansmen and Clanswomen. Then they could go home and Sasuke could explore that touch me everywhere option.
"Aoda, take out as many as you can. You can kill." Sasuke states and he charges up a Chidori, going flying at one of the Sound Villagers.
Fugaku was decidedly less flashy than his youngest son. He was relying on good ole fashion taijutsu. He slams his foot into the ribcage of a Sound Villager. A sickening CRACK is heard.
"Not bad." Hiashi says as he forms a rotation and sends the ninjas who were trying to surround him flying.
Hinata takes advantage of the chaos. She darts inside the building where the Uchihas and Hyugas were being housed. That's when she realized she wasn't alone. Kabuto was there.
"You really didn't think we'd leave the place, completely unguarded, did you?" He asks.
"I don't want to have to hurt you, but I will." She says and Kabuto smirks lunging at the bluenette.
"I'd rather not hurt you. Your eyes are too valuable to do so without cause. But I'm afraid I must extend the same invitation to you. Maybe I can talk Orochimaru into letting you and Sasuke have a room together. It would be quite interesting to see what a merger of the bloodlines would be like. As I recall, the two of you are rather…close." He says suggestively.
Hinata was surprised at the sound that left her lips. It was nothing short of a snarl as she attacked him with the Gentle Fist. Soon they were trading blows as the battle waged on outside.
"AHHHH! Fucking coward." Sasuke hisses as he whirls around to face the ninja who stabbed him in the back.
"A ninja should expect the unexpected." He smirks and was pleased to see the kunai was still jabbed into the Uchiha's back.
"Are those going to be your last words?" Sasuke growls and hurls a fireball right at the other man, burning him alive.
Mikoto casts a genjutsu. The ones who were caught in it, thought they were being burned alive. But unlike Hyugas, she didn't have a nearly 360 degree range of vision. So she didn't see the attack coming. A Sound Village slammed a sword into her side and the grass was soon coated with blood.
"MOTHER!" Itachi cries out and races towards her, when he saw the Uchiha Matriarch go down.
"You should be more worried about yourself." Orochimaru hisses at him and itachi glares up at that snake.
Itachi had growls at the Sannin. This was the last time that the older ninja would be allowed to threaten his family (and the Hyugas). He couldn't allow this psychotic ninja to live. He needed to end him, before his child was born.
He was a prodigy for a reason. He knew that Orochimaru would never give up. The man was obsessed with the Sharingan and all other bloodlines. Someday, he might come after Izumi and their child directly. He couldn't allow that. He would end this now.
"TAKE THAT!" One of the Hyugas cry out.
The sounds of battle ring out. Swords, kunais, and senbon were flying everywhere. Itachi was sure he even saw a few axes and knives. The names of various jutsus were flying and most of the Sound was on fire, thanks to Uchihas using their trademark attack. The Hyugas were doing their deadly, graceful "dances" with their gentle fists.
It was so chaotic, it was difficult to tell which side was winning. But there was a lot of blood on the grass and more than a few collapsed bodies that were no longer moving. Whether they were Uchihas, Hyugas, or Sound Villagers, Itachi didn't know.
"Itachi! Get him! I'll get mother to safety." Sasuke calls out and races over, scooping Mikoto up in his arms and darting off quickly.
The elder Uchiha brother and Orochimaru attack each other. Itachi dodging the tongue sword that the elder ninja tried to use on him. He activates his Tsukuyomi. Soon Orochimaru's cries of agony run out.
Sasuke wasn't sure what Itachi was doing to Orochimaru inside that imaginary world, but clearly it involved torture. Those screams that the Sannin was making, would likely haunt him the rest of his days.
"Don't worry, Sasuke. It's not as bad as it looks." Mikoto assures her son and Sasuke could only look down at his mother in disbelief.
Not as bad as it looks?! He was carrying her and his hands were now covered in blood just from that. He whisks her outside the village and stops when they were at the top of one of the trees.
Quickly, Sasuke tugs off his shirt and uses it as a bandage. He wraps it tightly around Mikoto's injury. He then opens his ninja pouch and takes out a few blood replenishing pills.
"Such a clever son, I have. Always prepared." She says with a smile that turns to a grimace.
"Yeah. Just take it easy. Reinforcements will be here soon. I expect they will have a medic with them." He tells her.
Mikoto nods. She had had worse injuries. But she understood how bad it looked. She certainly wasn't foolish enough to rush back onto the field. But Sasuke was needed.
"I'll be alright, Sasuke. You're needed down there. Go." She tells him and Sasuke promptly tells her, that he wasn't going anywhere.
She smiles. He was a clever boy, but he was also infuriatingly stubborn sometimes. He got that from her.
Meanwhile back with Hinata, she forms some shadow clones. It wasn't her trademark style. But it would be damn useful in this case. She has the clones search the place and work on freeing the kidnapping victims.
"Clever. But now I'm just going to have to kill you." Kabuto says as he attacks Hinata, his hand glowing and he slams it into her shoulder.
He had been going for her neck. But she had managed to dodge slightly at the last second. If she hadn't, he would have torn right through her jugular, instead of her shoulder.
"Orochimaru used to have better tastes in minions. Didn't anyone ever tell you not to hit a woman?" Kenji asks once free and in the hallway.
He sends a kunai flying at Kabuto, who had turned his head instinctively when someone addressed him. The kunai lodged itself right in his left eye.
"That's why I love this man. He never misses." Aiya says with a smile and sends a fireball flying at Kabuto who was now howling in agony.
Aiya's eyes widen in horror, when she saw Hinata's shoulder. She rushes over to the poor girl and catches her, before she fainted from shock. The other Uchihas and Hyugas have a similar reaction.
"Who is the fastest one here? She needs to get medical attention immediately." Kenji demands.
One of the Hyugas quickly grabs Hinata and darts her outside. He had to get her to the Leaf as soon as possible. That's when he smirks. He could see that the reinforcements were arriving. One of them had pink hair. He knew that it had to be Sakura. She was a medic.
He races over there with Lady Hinata in his arms. The woman would be able to help. The young Hyuga man knew that she could.
"My Lady was injured. Please help her!" He says.
Sakura's eyes widen. That looked really bad. She nods and quickly takes Hinata away from the other man and darts off with her in her arms. The pink haired woman leans over and begins conducting a healing jutsu as the battle really heated up.
Itachi releases Orochimaru from the jutsu and shoves a sword straight through his heart. He as a pacifist by nature. So it disturbed him that the man's death brought him so much satisfaction. He'd worry about the ethical implications of that later though.
"ALRIGHT! LET'S GET THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD. SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" Naruto calls out and thousands of clones appear.
Naruto had been on of the reinforcements. The clones quickly help the Uchihas and Hyugas in the battle. Other Leaf ninjas such as Shikamaru also helped. He used his shadow possession jutsu to hold people in place while Kabuto attacked. Choji was rolling around in a giant ball, knocking people over. Shino's bugs were swarming Sound Villagers. It was truly a madhouse.
The battle raged for hours. By the end of it, Mikoto had gotten looked at by a medic. There were hundreds of Sound ninjas that lay dead or critically injured. Almost no one on either side, made it through without some kind of injury though. The medics that had been brought, were working double time.
"Hinata!" Sasuke cries out and rushes over to her, once he saw that Sakura was leaning over her.
"It's alright Sasuke. Her shoulder injury was bad. But she's stabilized now. She'll be fine." Sakura tries to reassure him, but Sasuke wasn't having any of it.
Hinata pulls Sasuke down for a rather heated kiss. It made even Sakura blush. She knew that the Uchiha was going to lose it, if he didn't get some form of reassurance that she was alright.
Sasuke eagerly returns the kiss. Sakura wisely decides to leave the medical tent and give them some privacy. It looked like they had both forgotten she was even there.
"How is my daughter?" Hiashi asks when he notices Sakura leave the medical tent that Hinata had been in.
"She's much better now. Don't worry. Um Sasuke is taking care of her." The medic replies.
Hiashi shakes his head. In this context, he didn't want to know exactly what she meant by that. Though he could speculate some educated guesses. He had approved of the courtship. That didn't mean he was eager to walk in on her daughter and her future lover, being that way.
"Yes, well I'm certain she is in good hands now. What about Mikoto Uchiha?" He inquires.
"Oh another medic was looking at her. She lost a lot of blood. But Sasuke got her to safety earlier. She says he gave her some blood replenishing pills. So I expect she'll be fine. Last I saw, Fugaku was visiting her." She replies.
Hiashi nods. Well that was to be expected. He sighs in relief. The battle could have gone so much worse than it did.
Meanwhile in another medical tent, Fugaku was with Mikoto and Itachi. He didn't like the fact that she had gotten injured. But in a battle that brutal, it was to be expected.
"You did well, Itachi." Fugaku praises his eldest son.
"I did what anyone would have done. I protected our family. He never would have stopped, if he had been allowed to live. I eliminated the threat." He states.
"Where is Sasuke?" Mikoto asks softly.
"He's with Hinata. She was injured during the battle. It's not fatal. But he got scared pretty badly by it. I doubt he's going to leave her side anytime soon." Their son informs them.
Fugaku nods. Well that was to be expected. At least their families were all now free again and once everyone was stabilized enough to move, they could all go home.
"I imagine you can't wait to get home and see Izumi." He offers.
"She's likely still going to be very irritated with me. I will never understand why she insists on putting herself in harm's way in her condition. But yes, I want to see her. That way I'll know that she's alright. That our child is alright. I hate being from her when she's expecting." Itachi says with a sigh.
"Your father was the same way with me. Don't worry, I'm sure she will forgive you." She says with a giggle.
"Forgive me?!" Itachi asks in disbelief.
Fugaku shakes his head in amusement. He gives his eldest son a look that told him quite clearly, just to go with it. Men simply would never be able to understand women. There was no point in even trying.
Itachi saw that look. He sighs and decides just to go with it for the time being. He nods his head in agreement.
Elsewhere, Naruto heard that Hinata got hurt. Wanting to check on his friend, he finds her medic tent. He blinks when he got there. Looks like Sasuke was taking that whole kissing it better thing seriously.
Sasuke was relieved. Hinata was alright. Her shoulder injury had been taken care of. She'd be alright. He moans into the kiss when he felt her tongue move against his.
"Sasuke." Hinata squeaks when she suddenly breaks the kiss and blushes ruby red.
"What's wrong?" He asks in confusion.
"H-ello, Naruto." She mumbles quickly and Sasuke looks around.
Sure enough, there was Naruto. He was standing outside the medical tent. No doubt he had gotten an eyeful of them kissing. He'd never live this one down.
"Hey, Hinata. I see that you are feeling better. I'm gonna just go and let you two, you know…whatever it is you are doing." The blonde stammers.
"You are SUCH a loser." Sasuke mutters and rolls his eyes.
"Stop being a bastard! I didn't mean to walk in on you two. Jeez, you should really let her rest before you jump her like that. But I guess that this means I can tell Sai and Ino you guys are official. They don't need to keep meddling." He says happily.
Sasuke twitches. He didn't like that Ino and Sai had decided to meddle in their love lives. Even if they had ended up together anyway, that was their decision. They didn't need "help."
"You might want to go, Naruto. I don't think Sasuke is too happy about the matchmaking attempts and he's right. I know you guys were just trying to help, but still. It's not nice to try to trick your friends." Hinata chides him gently.
"Yeah. I'm gonna go. You two have fun! Oh and don't forget to name the baby after me, if it's a boy!" He says cheerfully and darts off before Sasuke could strangle him.
Sasuke shakes his head in disbelief. Only Naruto. He really was such a loser. But that didn't matter. What mattered is that Hinata was safe and they did have a little bit of privacy.
He smirks and decides to take advantage of that. Sasuke captures Hinata's lips with his own. The two soon resume their passionate kissing, both just happy to be with their most precious person and with the knowledge that their families were safe once again.