(A/N: Does anyone else find it amusing that Hinata is 5'3", Deidara is 5'5", and Itachi is 5'8"? I'm 5'4", so I'm almost as tall as a mass-murdering ninja. (:
On a side note, I'd like to apologize for something. In chapter 12, I forgot to add Deidara's verbal tics to his speech, so he seemed relatively normal without his "un, yeah, hm, or mm"s. I have gone through and fixed it, so there shouldn't be any other problem until I go through this and re edit XD
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.)
Mysterious Captivation: Chapter 13
As Tsunade entered her office, she asserted, "I am going to assume that you haven't written a mission report up yet." The two healthy members of the rescue team followed closely behind her.
"No, we were more worried for Neji's safety than writing, Baa-san!" Naruto claimed, wondering what had happened to change the once-Hyuuga heiress. It wasn't the first time he'd wondered since leaving her in Akatsuki, and he knew it wouldn't be the last. "We have to go back! This time, we'll be more prepared! We can't just let Hinata stay there with those monsters!"
"She made her choice, Naruto. She nearly killed Neji-kun," Kakashi stated calmly. "Hinata is not coming back. We warned her that she would be classified as a missing nin, should she stay. As a coward, she threw her kunai at the one who would least expect it, nearly killing him, and forcing us to leave instead of fight. The girl you knew is gone."
"We still need to get her back, though. What if she does something they don't like, and they decide to kill her?"
"Naruto, she made her choice. The young woman I knew was a logical thinker. She took into account all the different scenarios that she could think of, and picked the one she thought most possible. You forget that she helped out in the hospital under me for several years. I had just agreed to help her learn medical jutsus before she fell ill," Tsunade explained at the boy's confused look. "As I'm not her, I don't know exactly what she was thinking when she attacked Neji, but a little over a month does not change the basis of one's personality. Whatever she was thinking, Hinata had a good reason for what she did."
Kakashi's one visible eye narrowed for a moment, going unnoticed by his pupil. Tsunade wondered what he was thinking.
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"Our hideout has been compromised. We will be moving to another safe house by the end of next week. It will be the one we have discussed previously, in Kaminari no Kuni*. You are dismissed," Pein ended the meeting and watched as several of the Akatsuki members released the jutsu that had allowed them to be at the meeting while their physical bodies were far away.
The man with the many piercings turned to his wife. "Konan, with our organization's new member, our teams will have to be restructured. The only one without a partner is Zetsu, but there's no way the Hyuuga girl could hold her own against him."
Konan sighed, looking at her husband. "We should give it a little time. Leave the teams as they are, and wait to see how a medic nin would best fit in the organization. But we should wait and see how the others interact with her before we place her."
Pein sighed. The two were alone in the room now, so he allowed his sigh to be heard. "As usual, the logically illogical one," he smirked, watching as Konan allowed a slightly pink tint to color her face.
"Shut up."
"Make me," he chuckled, closing his eyes. The chuckle died shortly after he heard her spin on her heel and walk away. "I was only kidding," he nearly pouted until he realized that the blue haired woman had never left.
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"How are we going to move out of this building in a mere week?" Hinata asked the dark haired Uchiha as they left the room together.
They were on their way back to their training session, which had been interrupted by the call to the meeting.
"We will have our business partners come by to help us transport our furniture, but each member is responsible for taking his or her own possessions. Like Deidara with his clay toys, you with your books on medical jutsu, and I with my scrolls. We will each be responsible for taking all of those ourselves. For now, though, we need to get back to work."
Hinata chose not to comment on his insult toward Deidara's jutsu, if only to keep the peace. Itachi probably doesn't even realize he said it. Hinata sighed silently. "Okay, Itachi-san,"
He had been showing her the proper way to heal a cut, by bringing the muscles and blood vessels back together, instead of just healing the skin above it.
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"Neji-kun, you allowed Hinata to hit you with that kunai, didn't you?" The copy ninja asked from his place on the window sill of the hospital room.
The moonlight, in the waning crescent stage, shone dimly behind him. It was after visiting hours, and no nurse was going to enter this room to check on the young man within for another few hours.
Knowing the boy was feigning sleep, Kakashi fully entered the room.
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Hearing the soft shink of metal against metal, Neji's eyes flew open. He raised his hands in defense, crossing them in a standard kata of blocking.
"Answer my question," Kakashi demanded, slipping his kunai back into his pouch. "You have nothing left to hide behind,"
"I did allow it," the chocolate haired Hyuuga admitted stoically, meeting the copy-nin's gaze and dropping his eyes.
"Why?" The simple question caught Neji off guard, making him wonder whether the silver haired man was there on Tsunade's orders, or out of his own curiosity.
"Hn," He realized he was too exhausted to deal with an interrogation at the moment. Maybe that was why Kakashi had chosen to come now.
"You really should answer my questions, or I'll have to go to Tsunade-sama and report your treason," Kakashi light-heartedly remarked, sounding as though he were telling a humorous story instead of spelling out Neji's possible doom.
"I was a Hyuuga far before I ever became a ninja. I became her protector at age four, my first mission, and graduated from the academy at age twelve. I was forced into servitude to her, and even though I hated her and everything she stood for, she was still as kind to me as she was to everyone else. Even after I tried to kill her in the chunnin exams. Is it any wonder that her happiness would come before even my life?
"Did you know that sometimes, if I catch her off guard, or approach her without her notice, she still flinches when she sees me? I know it's an unconscious gesture, but I would do anything to make her base fear of me go away. Tell Tsunade-sama what you'd like, but it won't change the fact that I will do everything in my power to keep Hinata-sama safe and happy."
"I think that's the most I've ever heard you talk, Neji-kun. And you still care for her, even though she tried to kill you? That doesn't sound like you at all."
"I knew she would. I could see it in her eyes far before she even made the gesture. It was like she was asking permission, so I accepted. I needed to atone. Now that you have whatever incriminating information you may have wanted, I would like to rest. Leave, Kakashi-sensei," his voice dipped with respect as his eyes shut and his head fell back upon the pillow.
That said, he heard Kakashi's shuffling feet as he moved closer to the bed. Whispered words and a puff of smoke were all was left showing that the copy ninja had been present. "I would have done the same."
Eyes opening slightly to the now-empty room, Neji sat and wondered what that boded for his future.
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"Good job, Hinata-san. You've picked up on this very well," Itachi complimented, feeling that she deserved it for the hard work she had put into their training session. It had continued until she could no longer focus her chakra as intensely as needed. She smiled gratefully up at him.
They left the training grounds and settled into the lounge, ready for a break.
Hinata looked longingly at the small easel in the corner of the room before an inscrutable look passed through her eyes. "What happened to that picture I painted back when I first arrived here?"
A small look of confusion touched Itachi's brow. "I'm not sure what you're referring to, Hinata-san."
Her look cleared for a moment. "I see. Then that means one of the other members took it. Maybe Deidara knows."
The Uchiha man hummed doubtfully, "Hm, maybe."
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"I have put a lot of thought into saying this, Tsunade-sama. I think that we should do as Naruto says and hurry back to their base."
Tsunade made to interrupt her, "But-"
"Wait. This is not a request to rescue Hinata-chan." Tsunade's mouth closed and she gestured for Hinata's sensei to speak. "We should attack the Akatsuki with all that we have. Now that they are aware that we know where their hideout is located, they will likely abandon it. We should attack while we still know where their base is located," the beautiful kunoichi made her point.
Tsunade folded her hands under her chin in thought. "Your theory is probably correct. How do we know that they have not already moved?"
"What harm is there in checking? If we go and no one is around, we can destroy what was left behind so that they cannot go back for it. If they are, we can fight and weaken the Akatsuki even further. We have nothing to lose and much to gain," The dark haired kunoichi gestured to the sky, showing their possible gain, before her crimson eyes met the Hokage's golden ones.
"I see your point and agree with you." Tsunade nodded. "I'll speak with my advisors, and based on our decision, I may be calling in our fastest ANBU squads."
"You know most of the rookies will want to go along, my team included, just so that they can see Hinata-chan again."
Tsunade warily observed the petite woman. "I fail to see your point."
"You should refrain from telling them of our endeavor until after, or if, it has been implemented. That would prevent any unnecessary disturbances in the village while the ANBU teams are gone."
"That is what I planned to do. You are dismissed."
Kurenai nodded, hands on her hips. "And may I assume that I will be going on this mission also?" She asked.
Tsunade's eyes widened as she leaned back in her seat, nearly laughing at the woman's tenacity. "No you may not!" She exclaimed. "You have your son to think about!"
"I also have my former students." Tsunade saw the torn feelings in the younger sensei's eyes.
"If this happens, I'll send Kakashi and Jiraya. Would that make you feel any better about this?" Tsunade offered.
She watched the relief play out in the crimson eyed woman. "Yes, thank you, Tsunade-sama," she said as the once-Yuuhi woman turned and left the office.
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"Hinata-san, do you need some help packing, hm?" Deidara asked, swiping his bangs out of his eyes the moment that Hinata called for a pause in their training.
He watched as she moved across the courtyard, lightly stepping off the small pond. They both moved toward one of the surrounding walls to lean back and rest for a moment.
"Not really; Itachi-san has helped with most of it already. He told me that we have to carry our own items, and I don't own very much. All I really need is a knapsack in which I can store my clothing and toiletries. I already have the small bag for my journal and clay sculptures. Although, I suppose I would appreciate some help with finding a larger bag." Hinata smiled, panting slightly as she daintily wiped her forehead clear of sweat.
"Can do, Hinata-san!" The blonde smiled, leaning closer to the slightly smaller girl. "Do you want to cut training short to go find one, yeah?" He asked enthusiastically, more than willing to spend time with her without having to focus on teaching.
"Sure!" The petite Hyuuga smiled, eyes narrowing in proportion to her growing smile.
The two sat for a moment longer, mostly to let Hinata catch her breath, then stood and moved away from the clearing.
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Feeling weary from her harsh training schedule since joining the Akatuski officially, Hinata hadn't wanted to get up as quickly as they had, but she would deal with it. It was necessary for her to do so in order to gain strength.
I wonder if Tsunade-sama will actually send some teams here to try to fight us before we move. She idly wondered, riffling through her past experiences with the Hokage of Konoha.
"Hinata-san, I think I may have an extra bag in my room," Itachi said, approaching them from the other end of the hall.
"Why are you here?" Deidara demanded, and the Hyuuga watched as he immediately moved himself in between the Uchiha and herself.
"She asked me to help her pack earlier. I knew she would need a larger bag for clothes and such. I came to tell her that I could help with that," he stated simply, expression never changing from that of mild annoyance.
Stepping around Deidara's instinctively protective arm, Hinata spoke, "Thank you very much, Itachi-san. We were just on our way to search for a bag like that," she smiled tensely. Wearily, she wondered how she was going to put up with them when they were all in the same vicinity.
"You're welcome, Hinata-san," Itachi accepted. "How has your physical training been?"
"She's been doing remarkably. You're pushing her too hard in her medical training, though. She hasn't had the energy to fight even near the length we normally do." Deidara spoke indignantly before the Hyuuga woman could even open her mouth.
She put a soft hand on his arm. "Healing is my main priority, Deidara-san. It is the reason I have been accepted into the organization. I need to learn all I can with all my energy as quickly as possible. I know my limits, so please, allow me to reach them. Uchiha-san trusts me and my abilities," the midnight haired girl added, knowing that if his rival could, then he would do the same.
She sighed as Deidara carefully looked her over, as if worried me might find a sign on her body that she was pushing herself far too harshly. Assuming he had found nothing, she relaxed slightly when he spoke, "It's not that I don't trust you, un. In fact, I trust you more than anyone else I know because I know who you are, yeah. You told me that you'd never quite healed from the injury from your cousin, so I just wanted you to be safe. You know, in case you couldn't feel it, yeah." His eyes looked softly down at her as his fingertips raised and lightly stroked her bangs. Not for the first time, she wondered why he only ever allowed his fingertips to come in contact with her.
"As heartwarming as your care is, Deidara, I need to see the Hyuuga girl in my office. Now," Pein ordered, ghosting up behind Itachi and scaring the two youngest ninja. Itachi merely stepped out of his way, gesturing at the scene with mildly apparent disgust.
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"Neji, are you awake?" Naruto nearly shouted, slamming the door to the side and waltzing into the room.
Blearily, he opened his pupil-less eyes. "I am now, you idiot."
"Good! I was hoping you would be," the loud blonde let out a small, oblivious smile, not realizing, or not caring, that the Hyuuga man had, in actuality, been sound asleep.
"Why?" Neji asked the question, despite knowing that he would probably immediately regret it.
"I just overheard Kurenai-sensei talking with Tsunade-sama! They're going to send some teams of our fastest ANBU, along with Ero-sennin and Kakashi-sensei, to attack the Akatsuki base before they can flee!" The young man nearly whined in panic at the thought of being left behind.
However sleepy he had been before Naruto explained himself, Neji was wide now awake and feeling the same as the blonde. How could he have let his cousin stay with murderers, especially when he had known in the back of his mind that this would happen? "Are you going to try to stop her from sending them?" Neji asked, tamping down his panic in order to speak normally to the brightly colored blonde man. He wouldn't let go of his pride long enough to show such a weakness.
"I can't do that. Not after what Hinata did to you. I'm going to convince Tsunade-sama to let me go with them. I need to fight your cousin to knock some sense into her!" He exclaimed, earning a scolding from a passing nurse for him to "Quiet down or get out!"
Closing his eyes and rubbing the bridge of his nose, Neji sighed and forced his body to relax. "Naruto, this would probably be best left to the ANBU. They would get rid of the Akatsuki much more efficiently than you could, and Akatsuki are trying to capture and kill you. It just wouldn't make sense," he tried, talking the boy down from his anger, or savior-complex, or whatever it was.
"But-"
Neji interrupted him, "No. If you think logically about it, Naruto, there will be nothing you can do to convince her to change her mind. You won't go on this mission," Neji paused for a moment, watching the young man's face, then continued. "Do you think you could ask your sensei to visit me after you leave? I need to speak with him. After all, I know my cousin better than anyone else in the Hyuuga Compound, so I might be able to give him some pointers that he could share with his teammates about fighting Hinata-sama."
The Uzumaki's eyes hardened upon hearing her name, but widened when he still addressed her with the same suffix he always had. "Why do you still call her that?"
"Call her what?" He asked in genuine confusion, not realizing the suffix he had added to her name out of pure habit.
"Sama. Why do you still call her that, even after what she did to you?"
The chocolate haired, hospitalized man's eyes narrowed in thought. "I don't really know. Old habits die hard, I guess," he gave the excuse, knowing that it was both true, and a half truth all at once.
Looking at the prostrate young man carefully, almost suspiciously, the orange clad ninja finally nodded his head, agreed to find his sensei and pass the message, and left the room. This time, the door slipped silently into place.
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Hinata followed Akatsuki's leader down the hall until they arrived at a rarely-used wing. He spun on his heel, immediately halting the young Hyuuga woman in her tracks.
"How did you manage to get over your cousin's possible death so quickly? I was fully expecting you to be incapable of anything but crying for the next few weeks," Pein growled, looking the midnight haired woman directly in the eyes.
"I-I spoke with Itachi-san, and h-he helped me w-with the worst of the p-pain. M-My cousin told m-me he would somehow s-send word to m-me to tell me whether or n-not h-he l-lived. His t-teammates were good p-people, so I h-have some c-confidence that h-he lived," she admitted her uncertainty, and her much larger confidence than she would have expected.
"I see. And when word does not come that he survived? What will you do then?" The leader harshly questioned, needing her to be prepared for what might occur in the future.
"Th-Then I will plead w-with you to r-rid me of that memory. I kn-know there will b-be no way for me t-to live with that," this was the first time she had spoken aloud that she knew of his jutsu, and she was unaware of the way that man would take her knowledge.
The man with many piercings narrowed his eyes, nearly glaring at her, but she stood her ground and continued to meet his eyes. She was frightened, but determined in her plan. "I see. And you believe that will be the most beneficial to our organization?" He questioned, to which she nodded. "Then so it will be."
Hinata stood completely still, wondering if he was trying to trick her, or if he truly meant what he said.
As if he were reading her mind, he assured the younger woman that he was dead serious.
The inner machinations of Akatsuki are still as much a mystery to me now as they were when I first arrived here.
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Later, he would tell Konan that he gave in to her question-riddled statement because the young woman reminded him of her, when they were younger. But for now, he allowed a small smirk onto his face and lead the way silently back to her two overprotective ninja friends.
I would never allow that jutsu to be done on Konan, though. We have been through too much together to change anything about us.
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Neji kept his eyes and ears figuratively open for the rest of the day, despite the strong urge to sleep and recover fully.
Finally, around three o'clock, he realized that the Hatake nin would not enter the hospital until after visiting hours were over and the nurses would not check on him for a long period of time.
Upon that realization, he allowed himself several hours of slumber. If not to heal, then simply to pass the time until dinner, when visiting hours ended. After that, he would have only a few hours to wait until he expected the copy nin would arrive.
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As he had expected, the silver haired man arrived at his window nearly one hundred and twenty minutes after visiting hours had been declared over.
"You wanted to discuss your cousin's fighting style with me?" The man simply questioned, fully entering the room through the window.
Neji rose from his faux-slumber and sat up in his bed, wincing mentally. He turned to face the direction of the window. "No," he replied. As though knowing that Kakashi would not question him, he continued to speak. "I want to ask a favor of you."
"You don't have to do that. I won't tell Tsunade-sama that you purposely failed the mission." Kakashi said lightly, but fell silent as though he realized Neji had already known that.
"I would like to borrow one of your summons," his request was made, simple and effective.
He watched Kakashi's brows furrow, curious as to what the older, once-ANBU was thinking. "Where would you be sending my dog, and how quick would he need to travel?" The man was now all business.
"I need to send him into the mission field that we left."
The Hatake's eyes widened, then narrowed, as though searching the younger man's face for a clue as to what he was thinking. "Her?" He simply questioned.
The chocolate haired Hyuuga nodded. "Her,"
"Pakkun, then. You have to come up with a good cover story, should you be caught," the copy nin's eyes narrowed, almost as if he were smiling. "After all, you are the genius."
Neji scowled as the older man summoned the small, fleet-footed dog to the room.
"Pakkun, my friend here would like you to deliver a message to one of our former villagers, Hyuuga Hinata. The message will be from Hyuuga Neji, who is over in the hospital bed. It will be taken directly to the Akatsuki, so you need to decide if it is worth the risk. Will you do it?"
The small, brown dog looked up at his summoner. "Is the message to an Akatsuki, or to a prisoner?"
"One of the members, the now-deserter Hyuuga Hinata."
"I'll do it," the summoned dog replied after a few moments of silence, perhaps remembering the sweet girl she had been.
"Aa," Kakashi agreed, telling the two males goodbye as he leapt from the sill of the window and into the night.
"I want you to tell Hinata that I'm alive, and take this," Neji said, offering the dog a small circle of cloth with the Hyuuga symbol embroidered on it.
"Is that all?" Pakkun questioned, as though wanting to be sure not to have to repeat the trip.
"Almost. Please let her know that I forgive her and hope she forgives me."
The dog nodded, the fled the village under the cover of darkness.
(A/N: It's DONE! I had such a hard time connecting the down time between the mission failure report and the decision of attacking the Akatsuki, and the favor that Neji asked of Kakashi and Pakkun. Yall have no idea how much I struggled. Well. My cousin does. I ranted to her and asked her for advice sever [hundred] times and must have gotten annyoing, but she still listened. XD Thank goodness. I don't know if I could have finished this without my amazing cousin, Samantha! Wonderful person, she is. (: Anyway, not much more to say, other than I hope you liked this chapter of MC, and please review and come back for the next one in three weeks!
*Kaminari no Kuni – Land of Lightning)