(AN: So. Yesterday I fell UP two completely different flights of stairs. The first time, I bruised my left shin. So, thinking I'd be smart, I tried to run up a wooden set of stairs with a handful of candy wearing only socks (can you sense the sarcasm? I obviously wasn't thinking at all!) and slipped, bruising my right shin and scattering my candy all over the place. ): I also hit my upper arm, but that doesn't hurt as much. I have a lump on both of my shins (which just so happen to enjoy running into things). Oh well. At least tomorrow is President's day and I don't have to go to school. (: That's an upside to every day. Haha I'm gonna let you go on and read now, rather than continuing to complain about how I use my shins for everything and didn't realize it until I bruised them both. XD
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto…)
Mysterious Captivation: Chapter 22
He kept glancing down at his partner. She had lain on the blanket which she'd packed with far too little protest. She was either exhausted, which he didn't doubt too much after her lack of sleep during the past week, or she was more frightened of him than he had thought. It could have been a combination of both, but he was unwilling to admit to himself that he had frightened his partner as badly as that.
She wasn't asleep. He knew that for certain. She didn't look relaxed in the slightest, and her breathing had yet to deepen. A frown marred her lips, and her eyebrows were drawn in a worried expression.
He sighed quietly, turning back to his work. He bent down, grabbing another branch from the pile they had gathered earlier. Using his height to his advantage, he draped it over the large roots of the tree Hinata had found earlier. The work was menial, but he welcomed the chance mindlessly work.
He was no longer sure of the time, though if he had to guess, it was getting close to sunset. The clouds overhead were shifting with the rapidly blowing wind, blocking most of the sun's rays from reaching them.
It wasn't raining, and it wasn't completely dark yet, so he figured he had a little bit longer to work. The storm was approaching quickly, though, and he was certain that the temperature was below freezing. The chill of the air as the wind blew through the roots was dangerous, especially without the comfort of the fire they dared not make. The elements would have blown the embers away and started a forest fire, and because they were under a tree, it would be very difficult to keep those embers contained. With the storm coming, they would also have been unable to ventilate the smoke from under their crude hut.
Even once Kisame finished covering the gaps in the roots, it would only get slightly warmer. It would still be close to freezing, no matter what they did. The lack of wind would be appreciated, but the air would not warm overly much.
The moment he realized that Hinata's breathing had slowed drastically, he looked over to her. His lips pressed tightly together when he saw the pale skin of her shoulders and noticed the shivers racking her body.
The Hoshigaki made quick work of the rest of the cover, then crossed to his bag to take out his extra blanket. He knew it wasn't what she was used to, but it would have to do.
The rough but warm, oceanic blue fabric of the wool blanket stretched the full length of his body, so he knew that it would help warm his partner.
He draped it over her, pulling her own blanket to her chin also, and returned to his pack. Her breathing faltered for a moment, and he wondered if it was because he had added sudden warmth or it was the heaviness of the fabric. Either way, he was glad she would be much warmer.
He wasn't going to be able to sleep because he had to keep watch, but he would need to stay warm, so he took a blanket for himself from his bag, and zipped it back up. Crossing to the spot closest to the trunk of the tree, he sat on the dusty, dead grass, and leaned against one of the strong, exposed roots. He allowed his eyes to close, concentrating on his surroundings, and was careful not to allow his drowsiness to interfere with his guard duty.
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It's so cold. She thought, shivering. Once more, she felt Kisame's eyes drift toward her. He knows I'm awake, so why is he staring? She wondered almost as often as he stared.
Shivering, she finally forced herself to relax and breathe deeply in an effort to make him think she was asleep and hopefully stop staring. She let her frowning mouth drift upward into an ambivalent expression, and forced the wrinkles caused by her furrowed eyebrows to ease away. She shifted her arm, and nearly growled when a freezing gust of wind brushed past her newly exposed shoulder.
She shivered again, hoping he still thought she was sleeping and that it didn't ruin her plan.
She heard his breathing falter for a time so brief she thought she may have imagined it, and then heard him pick up the pace to enclose their shelter.
After an indefinite amount of time, she heard him unzipping his knapsack, followed by the sound of fabric brushing against fabric.
She shivered again, feeling goose bumps rise on her arms as her body tried to hold in its warmth, despite the futility.
She nearly jumped and opened her eyes when she felt him approach and drop his blanket over her. As it was, her breathing hitched. Stunning her further, she felt his huge hand pick up the blankets and draw them up to her chin.
When she felt him leave her side, she allowed the ambivalent set of her mouth to rise into a small smile. She guessed he had been worried about her, but wasn't sure how to show it with her awake and fearful of him.
It didn't alleviate her fears of him completely, but the recognition of the Hoshigaki's kindness made her much more comfortable with falling asleep. Now, rather than acting the part of relaxed and asleep, she could feel herself slowly falling into the abyss of dreams.
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Kisame startled slightly. It had begun to rain several hours ago, but he heard the rain begin to slack off a little. It had turned to snow, and he had been watching through a small gap in a leaf he'd pulled aside.
Now, however, ice was raining from the sky. The shards pelted their fragile shelter, and Kisame was grateful that they had opted to stop under a tree rather than attempt to set up tents with their covers. The tree's roots were much sturdier than any tent he could have constructed, and the shelter it provided was much safer.
Rather than leaving the leaf pulled away from its brethren, Kisame replaced it and leaned back once more. He allowed a curious glance at the sleeping Hyuuga, wondering not for the first time how she was still asleep with all the noise of the woods.
A bright flash of lightning lit the small shelter as a crash of thunder interrupted his ponderings, also startling the girl from her sleep with a gasp. The storm was directly over their heads now, as there was little time between the light and the sound. Perhaps it was a good thing that the noise had finally woken his partner.
"Morning, Princess," he uttered, grinning in a shark-like manner.
She gave him a small smile from where she had slept. Though she was almost within his arm's reach, he refrained from reaching out to pat her head as one would a younger sibling. "It's still night, Kisame-san," she demurred. "You should have gotten me up earlier so you could get some rest and I could keep watch," she admonished him in a motherly tone.
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"Nah, I'm used to even less sleep than this. On missions, sleep is a luxury I usually don't make much time for. With this storm, though, I have a feeling we'll be trapped here for a while. You should try to get a bit more rest. I know you're still exhausted, Princess."
"Why do you call me that?" She finally asked; it had been a question she'd wanted to ask for a while, but had never felt she had the time. Sitting up, she prepared to listen to his story. She untangled herself from her own blanket, preferring to sit on it and wrap the one Kisame had given her around herself because of its warmth.
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He watched her carefully for a few moments, trying to decide whether he wanted to answer her. Finally, he glanced down at his clasped hands in his lap and answered. "It used to be a joke between Itachi and me. When you first arrived in the Akatsuki, you played the part of damsel in distress very well, just like a princess. You were the heir of your clan, and your mannerisms spoke highly of your upbringing. Itachi commented that you acted like a spoiled princess, and I agreed with him." He watched as Hinata opened her mouth to speak, but held up his hand. "Let me finish before you say anything, okay?" He ordered, watching as she nodded.
"I had said the something of the like to Itachi when he first joined up with us because of his aloofness and disposition. He was something of a prince, spoiled into thinking he was the most powerful person in the world, and outwardly very cruel. He seemed the sort of prince who was raised in royalty without the compassion of a queen." He thought back on his first meeting with Itachi, wondering how he had never seen the false bravado in his eyes, the depth of his sadness about killing all the Uchihas.
A toothy grimace twisted his features as he continued, "Had I known then what I know now, I never would have said that to him. It was all a mask he put up to appear stronger to Akatsuki than he really was at the time, so that we would think twice before picking fights with him. From what I know, no one ever did challenge him.
"After he was forced to spend a week as your caretaker, his attitude toward you changed drastically. We called you Princess behind your back because Itachi saw something of his old self in you. He could see your insecurities, but he could also see your potential. Your first week with us, it was an insult, but the nickname's meaning shifted meaning to show Itachi's favor toward you."
He looked up to see Hinata's reaction, noticing the tears that shimmered in her eyes during the next flash of lightning. This time, it took the thunder several short seconds to reach them, meaning the storm was passing over them in a somewhat timely fashion.
"I never knew. You two have referred to me as such since my first days in Akatsuki? I don't understand why you never called me that to my face," she said, sniffling and lifting her hand to her eyes. "Itachi never said a word about it."
"I didn't expect him to. He was a proud man. Sometimes, he had too much control over his emotions and expressions for his own good. Unless he was absolutely sure that he could trust you beyond any doubt, he never would have told you."
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Hinata nodded. Kisame had given her a lot to think about, but her mind was still sluggish with her previous chakra exhaustion. "I think I'll take you up on your offer to let me sleep more. Are you sure you don't need to do so, also?"
"I'm positive. Just rest, Princess."
"Thank you, Kisame-san. I appreciate it, and the blanket you gave me. Would you like it back now?" She asked, lifting it from around herself and holding it out to him.
"No, you're the one going back to sleep. You need to stay warm."
She nodded, then laid back down. Turning on her side, she whispered a quiet "Thank you," and curled up to return to sleep.
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Having finished his ramen, the man paid and left the stall. His wooden sandals clacked each time he took a step, and his light green eyes narrowed as they met with the sunlight outside. Brushing his light brown hair out of his line of vision, he smirked to himself, though it was a wide grin that was plastered to his face. This is way too easy. Someone should have noticed me by now. He thought.
Almost expecting someone to appear in front of him after that thought crossed his mind, he stepped out into the street.
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"Tsunade-baa-chan! I heard that Sasuke's back!" Naruto shouted the moment he'd heard that woman call him into her office.
"I have heard rumors of him being sighted around our walls, but there have been no concrete reports. Nor could his showing up be a coincidence. He's probably heard that his brother is dead, and is seeking vengeance against our dead Gazelle," the blonde, heavily endowed woman at the desk explained. "This does not bode well for us."
"Why not? Baa-chan, I'm sure that if I can talk to him, we can catch him and make him stay!" Naruto shouted exuberantly.
"I'm not sure that you could, Naruto. Listen to me, and if you don't hear anything else that I tell you, hear this: Sasuke only wants revenge against Gazelle for killing his brother right now. Gazelle is dead, so he will want to find Hinata. We need to lead him to the Akatsuki so that he'll destroy it instead of us. Do you understand?"
She watched Naruto's jaw drop, and knew the moment he began to speak that he didn't agree. "We can't send him to Akatsuki to kill Hinata! If he finds out that she loved his brother, he'll torture her before he kills her, and whether she betrayed us or not, I don't want two of my close friends to have to fight to the death with one another!" His passionate speech didn't sway the Hokage, despite his sound reasoning.
Hers was more founded, as usual.
"Naruto, think about it. If we somehow get the word out that Uchiha Itachi was killed by Gazelle, and Gazelle was killed by Hinata, how do you think he'd react? He would search out Akatsuki, and kill everyone who was in his way to get to her. From what you described, the criminals are rather attached to our little traitor, so they'd defend her with their lives like Itachi did." She saw the moment that he understood her line of reasoning.
"So that way, he would have to kill most of the Akatsuki to get to her. And if that happened, he would probably end up wiping out a fair number of them before he was killed, or even all of them. It would be like he was helping us out, instead of trying to destroy us," Naruto affirmed with a decisive nod.
Tsunade reciprocated the movement, and then ordered him not to tell any of the Konoha shinobi, but if any strange civilians seemed curious, no matter what they looked like or how they acted, he was to explain the details of the battle to them.
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Just as the storm began to lighten up, Hinata shifted from her quiet place beside him. Her breathing didn't change, but she was awake. "Kisame-san, would you like to rest for a little while?" She asked him. "I know you haven't slept at all tonight. I'll keep watch for as long as you need."
"Nah, I'll be fine, Princess."
"But you need to be at your best if you're going to protect me and cover my back while I kill the target," she quibbled genially, rolling over to face the man in question.
"I could protect you from a fat old man if I was asleep during the attack. Besides, the storm has let up quite a bit. It should stop snowing soon," Kisame predicted. "We should go ahead and pack the blankets back up. As soon as we're done with that, we'll leave, snowing or not."
Hinata sighed, knowing that she wouldn't win the argument, and nodded. She stood from her makeshift bed, folded both blankets, and gave the thicker one to its owner. "Thank you very much, Kisame-san, for lending me your blanket." She bowed her head slightly, holding said object out to him.
"Of course. I didn't need it, and there was no reason to let you freeze."
After a few more exchanges of pleasantries and such, the two peeled back the branches from their provisional hut and stepped into the surprisingly bright sunlight. "I thought you said it was still storming?" She said, implying with her tone that she was really questioning him.
"It was dark. I thought that the sunlight would trickle through the branches and leaves more than they did," he admitted in a tone that would have been sheepish had he been anyone other than the Hoshigaki she knew.
Together, they covered the fact that they had slept under the roots the night before, and then began their long trudge through the newly icy treetops. The ex-Hyuuga heiress made sure to take extra care while traveling by tree branches, knowing that she didn't want to fall and look like a fool on her first mission with her new partner.
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His next stop, after the Ichiraku ramen stand, would have been the tavern had it been later in the day. However, he doubted that there were many people getting drunk in the middle of the day, so he would have to wander the village for a few hours to try to pick up some information.
He smirked when he saw that Naruto had decided to slow down, but still walked with his trademarked swagger and smile. His cerulean eyes seemed to catch on Sasuke's light green ones, and the Uzumaki moved to approach him. "I'm sorry about nearly running over you earlier," he said, "but I'd just heard that one of my best friends was back near the village. I had to go talk to the Hokage."
"That's okay. I understand how lonesome being without one of your friends for a long period of time can be." Sasuke reassured his once-best-friend-and-rival. "If I may, who is your friend?"
"Just a fellow ninja. I'm Uzumaki Naruto, and I'm gonna be the next Hokage! Who are you?" He enthusiastically publicized, shouting more at the sky than speaking to the Uchiha.
"Hotaka Fumio." The two young men shook hands, smiling as they did so. "Hey, I heard someone say something about a Konoha ninja being killed a little while ago. Does that happen often?" He inquired.
"Actually, no. But this ANBU, Gazelle, I think was her mask, was killed by one of our own. She's a traitor, S-class missing ninja. An ANBU cell was sent out to capture her and kill her companions in Akatsuki, but none of them returned." Naruto leaned forward, motioning for Sasuke to do the same. "Don't let anyone know that I told you this, but Hyuuga Hinata is the traitor. She ran off with Uchiha Itachi, and when Gazelle killed him, she flew off the handle and killed Gazelle in response."
Naruto straightened up once more, knowing that, should this civilian be Sasuke, he had just sent his best friend to his possible doom. He may have been the sixth or seventh person Naruto had talked to, but it didn't make sharing the information, or the thoughts behind sharing, any easier.
(A/N: So, here's the next chapter. Not much to say tonight. I hope you enjoyed it, and please leave a review to let me know whether you did or didn't!)