(A/N: Hahahaha! I'm on time! :D I truly hope you all have been enjoying this story so far! I've enjoyed writing it, but I'm running out of ideas. We're drawing near the end of the story, so other than changing the pairing, I'm willing to hear what you guys would like to happen with all the loose ends that I named in the last chapter. If your ideas are plausible/genius/absolutely amazing, I'll use them to the best of my abilities. (: Aside from that (not that any of you could possibly care about this; you can go ahead and skip ahead if you'd like) I am the luckiest girl on the face of the planet! (: I've found the ONE guy at my school that acts like a gentleman and treats me like a precious treasure. 3 I am beyond excited, and I feel over the moon about him! (: I just wanted to share that with yall, and let you know that he's the one that made sure I actually got this done instead of being easily distracted and losing my trains of thought. So thank my amazingly wonderful boyfriend!)

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.)

Mysterious Captivation: Chapter 27

The moment the words left Kisame's mouth, he realized that Hinata's eyes had gone wide, and her face had lost all color. "I'm so sorry, Kisame-san," she whispered, just as his eyes registered her misshapen shadow.

He made an attempt to look down at his own feet, but found that he couldn't move his head. "What's going on?" He demanded.

"You're caught in Shikamaru-kun's Kagemane no Jutsu," a voice explained from the shadows before Hinata could even open her mouth to speak. Following the voice, a man with white eyes came into view. Hinata's father, Kisame thought with a silent growl. They caught up to us faster than we thought they would.

As the second figure stepped from the foliage, the shadows compelled both Kisame and Hinata to move forward, toward the Konoha ninja. Though both of them fought the shadows, the Nara was strong, and neither was able to break free.

Kisame's mind raced to find some way to escape the grip of the younger man's jutsu, but he could think of nothing. He and the ex-Hyuuga woman could wait and see how long it would take for him to run out of chakra, but that was an indefinable amount of time, and he didn't want to risk it. Aside from that, he'd never encountered this type of jutsu before, so he was unsure of how to counter it.

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Hinata could see Kisame trying to work out a way to break free of the jutsu. She shook her head, knowing that there was no other way unless Shikamaru ran low on chakra. She turned her Byakugan back on him; his chakra was still running relatively strong.

Her face fell into a blank mask as she realized how to get out of the situation. She refused to allow her eyes to shine with tears as she opened her mouth to speak. "Hello Shikamaru-kun, Hiashi-san. It's been a while."

"Don't act like you've done nothing wrong, Hinata. You're a missing ninja, and now you're a murderer," her father spat.

"I'm a wanted ninja now?" She asked, needing to be sure before she began.

"Of course you are!"

Shikamaru watched her suspiciously. Hinata knew that he knew that she knew the answer to her question, and was wondering where she was directing the conversation with her father.

She made a sound as though she was thinking, when in all actuality, she was gathering her courage to speak. "Okay. If I agree to go with you willingly, then you'll let Kisame-san go," she said, beginning her bargain.

"No," Hiashi flat-out disagreed.

"Why not? I am much more valuable to the village than him. I am an unmarked, main branch Hyuuga, a traitor to Konoha, and I killed one of your ANBU. He is of no relevance to your village, merely a pest to you people. He's from Kirigakure, so let them deal with him. I have always been a woman of my word, whether Konoha ninja or Akatsuki, so if you let him go, I will willingly return to Konoha," she explained, her voice coercive but monotonous.

The Hyuuga Clan leader opened his mouth to speak, but before he could answer, Shikamaru agreed. "Fine. I'll let him return to Akatsuki, but only on two conditions: that you will stay in Konoha once we bring you there and that he will leave us unharmed until we get there. We will not get through the gates only for you to disappear, and we will not let him go only for him to turn around and attack us."

Hinata sighed, but met his gaze instead of looking to the ground as she was so tempted to do. "Logical as ever, Shikamaru. You have my word that your two conditions will be met."

Shikamaru's eyes left hers, swinging to the large man beside her. "How do we know you'll agree to and follow through with these terms?"

For a moment, she watched Kisame merely glare at the younger man, but finally he spoke. "You don't. You have no reason to trust me, but I will agree to them anyway."

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Nodding slightly, trusting his instincts, Shikamaru withdrew his shadow. Neither of the Akatsuki ninja left their spots, but they both adjusted their stances more to fit them, rather than him.

Hinata's posture was slouched, in defeat, he supposed.

Kisame's was aggressive, but he didn't attack. He merely turned to look at the much smaller woman beside him. It may have been his imagination, but the Nara thought the stare to be accusatory.

Hinata took a small step forward, but the Hoshigaki caught her arm. A meaningful glance between them was enough to stop her in her tracks. "Come on, Hinata-san. We need to get back to the village and tell Hokage-sama what happened to the Hyuuga's supplier."

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"May I have a moment? I won't ask to be alone because I know the policy, but I would appreciate it if the two of you would give us a bit of space," she said, drawing deeply from all of the knowledge that Itachi had imparted upon her so that she could face her father and friend without crying or showing weakness.

Shikamaru nodded to her, then motioned for the Hyuuga leader to step back a short ways.

Hinata finally turned her back to her once-comrades. "Kisame-san, I'm so sorry. You are the more useful to Akatsuki, and it was the only way to free us from the Kagemane no Jutsu. Please don't be angry with me," she said, finally allowing the tears to fill her eyes.

Knowing that he was conscious of the eyes still watching them, Hinata knew why Kisame kept his voice low, and raised his arm only slightly to wipe away one of the tears. "I could never be angry with you, Hinata-san. I'm just worried. What if they torture you? I know you won't give us up, and that's what makes it so difficult to leave you to them."

"Don't worry about me. I don't think I'll be tortured until they know what to do with me. If word gets out that I'm back, they can't torture me without making the Hyuugas look bad. But this isn't why I asked for privacy. I want you to pass on a message for me."

"To Deidara?" Kisame threw out a guess and watched her nod.

"And Sasuke-san."

"Of course, Princess."

She smiled mournfully. "Tell Deidara-kun that I love him, that I'm sorry I couldn't be there, and not to be mad at you because there was nothing you could have done. And let Sasuke-san know that I've been captured, please."

Kisame nodded, agreeing. "I know we'll all miss you. But know this: we'll come for you. I know Deidara won't let this go. Sasuke probably won't either. I promise, one way or the other, we'll come and get you back."

Hinata shook her head doubtfully, but motioned the Konoha ninja back to them. "I'm ready to leave for Konoha now," she said, steadfastly staring in the direction of the village, not meeting the eyes of her captors or her partner.

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"Farewell, Princess," Kisame couldn't resist adding before he turned and made his way away from the three others.

Knowing that he needed to be as quick as possible to get news back to Akatsuki headquarters, he made his way through the icy wind, taking the most direct route to Kaminari no Kuni that he knew.

It was almost ironic. The cold swirling around him didn't usually bring him great discomfort, but he missed the warmth that his partner's presence typically provided. She was the best that the Akatsuki had, and he had just lost her.

Hinata could put herself aside and kill during a mission thanks to Itachi, but still be warm and caring when in the presence of friends. A ninja like her was one in a million, and he had just let Konoha take her back.

The worst part was that he couldn't go back and rescue her.

Well, he could, but he knew it wouldn't please Hinata. He knew that she would love to return home to Akatsuki, but she must be taken to Konoha. She wasn't a criminal at heart.

And he had lost her. Deidara was going to be furious with him.

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Hinata expected to be taken back to the village in uneasy silence, but the first thing she was met with was a curious stare and a slap on her cheek.

She fell to the ground reeling from the force put behind it, and knew that she would have a bruise there later. Gingerly, she cupped her cheek and stood, keeping silent through it all.

"How dare you leave my house and enter the Akatsuki?" Hiashi hissed.

Hinata stayed silent, wondering if he was going to hit her again. She had promised that neither she nor Kisame would attack them, but had forgotten to bargain for her own safety until she got to the village.

"Answer my question!" Her father demanded.

"Take a look at the way you treated me, then answer it yourself," she answered disrespectfully. It felt great to be able to finally stand up to her father, no longer worried about what would happen to her.

To her satisfaction, her father continued to fume, but got a far-away look in his eyes as he did what she ordered. All the anger seemed to drain away from him, along with all the color in his face.

From that moment, he didn't so much as meet her eyes for the rest of the day.

As they made camp that night, it was a relief for Hinata to be able to sit by a fire. The day had been long, frozen, and unpleasant, as she traveled silently with her quiet companions. They had obviously believed her about not fleeing or fighting because they did not tie her up or put chakra draining cuffs on her.

Shortly after they had eaten a scanty meal of fish that had been caught from a frozen river nearby, Hiashi spoke. "I am going to turn in. Shikamaru-kun, you have first watch." Hinata watched as he stood, entering the tent that had obviously been Shikamaru's, but was recently designated for the men.

Hinata stood to do the same, quietly telling the Nara of her plans and bidding him a quiet goodnight.

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However, that didn't stop Shikamaru from trying to start a conversation. "You're different, you know."

He watched as she froze mid-step. He could hear the self-depreciating laughter in her voice when she shook her head and spoke, "Yes, I know."

"Come back for a minute," he ordered, expecting her to meekly obey.

She turned to look at him for a short moment, then he was met with her back once more. As she was walking to her father's tent, recently designated for her, she threw over her shoulder, "I agreed to go back to your village willingly, not be your slave to order about as you want," she scowled at him, lifting the flap of her tent and zipping it shut with finality.

Shikamaru sat; he puzzled for a few moments over the change he knew had taken place within the young woman. He wondered what had happened to her since they had last met and she had been shy and obedient.

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Hinata flopped back on the bedroll she had been given, wondering how her life had changed so drastically. Delicately, she lifted her hand and felt the spot hen her face where her father had slapped her.

She wanted to lay her face in the mat and cry, but knew that she could do no such thing. She didn't want to return to Konoha. She had been happy with the Akatsuki, especially Deidara, and Konoha had already hurt her beyond forgiveness.

They killed Itachi.

Besides, she wouldn't be welcomed back by anyone. She was a murderer. She had killed an important village supplier, and an ANBU member. She would be a criminal in the eyes of the villagers, and if she was even allowed out on the streets by the Hokage, then they would surely ridicule.

She wasn't sure she didn't just want to spend the rest of her life in jail.

She closed her eyes, willing thoughts of the future away from her and concentrating on her surroundings. Hoping to calm her racing, panicky heart, she began practicing a trick that Deidara had taught her in one of their training sessions.

"If you ever find yourself in a situation where you feel like you're about to panic, just breathe deeply in slow, even breaths. It's also handy for helping you clear your mind to fall asleep. Just focus on your breathing, but don't ignore your surroundings. Close your eyes, listen to the things around you, and think of breathing while you allow your ears to observe for you."

Hinata allowed a small, sad smile to grace her lips. She would probably never get the chance to see him again. Whether Kisame said that they would come for her or not, Leader-sama would never allow them to risk the organization to rescue a small, nearly useless girl from a village many hours, if not a whole day away from the hideout.

Instead of dwelling on this thought, she put to practice what he had taught her. Her breathing slowed, and she allowed her consciousness to focus only on breathing and listening.

The sounds of the night were comforting, despite the chill that had begun to creep into her tent. The wind rushed through the trees, lending to the groaning of the snow weighing down their branches. Since there was very little wildlife out and about in the snowy night, she took pleasure in the peacefulness brought on by the wind alone.

Soon, her breathing evened out naturally and she fell into a light, fitful slumber.

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Deidara paced back and forth across the room throughout the story. His voice was low and deadly as he spoke, spinning to face the blue-skinned man. His blonde hair flew with the movement. "What did you say, Kisame?"

"Hinata-san allowed herself to be captured in order for me to escape. She bargained her freedom for my life." Kisame made an unpleasant face, then continued, "She also told me to let you know that she loves you and is sorry she didn't get to come back to the hideout with me."

"How could you let her do that?" Deidara nearly shouted. "You were her partner because we all knew you would protect her with your life and not let her get caught! What were you thinking?"

His mind raced as it tried to take in the loss of the young Hyuuga woman. She had been an important piece of his life, and now she was gone. He couldn't do anything to help at the time of her capture. It just made it worse that the best friend of his worst enemy had been the one to tell him of the disaster.

"Deidara, you forget yourself," Kisame coldly responded. "You aren't in charge of this organization, and I'm not the one that 'let her get caught'. She gave herself up. You're not the only one who cares about her, and if you would listen, you would know that I plan to go and get her back. Whether or not you're invited is entirely up to you."

Deidara froze.

"You mean that we're going to return to break her out of Konoha?"

"I mean that I am. I don't know if you're going," The Hoshigaki taunted, smiling in a cruel joke.

"I am coming with you to get her. I couldn't do anything to protect her when she got captured, so I'll protect her with my life to rescue her," Deidara stated firmly, nodding his head for added emphasis.

Deidara watched as Kisame nodded. "We need to plan the rescue, and I have to meet with Uchiha Sasuke in exactly one week. He will help us rescue her, also. If only because he feels the need to know what happened to Itachi."

At that, Deidara frowned. "That means we have to leave Hinata in the clutches of our enemy for over a week! We can't wait that long!"

"We have to."

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They made it to the village gates. Finally, Hinata thought to herself. She didn't know how much longer she could take the oppressive silence and accusatory stares.

As she was led through a lesser populated section of Konoha, Hinata wondered why they were bothering to keep her return a secret. Everyone would know before the end of the day, no matter what was ordered or done.

The Hokage Tower came into view after much too long of a walk, in her opinion. She was led up the steps and told to wait by the guard at the door of the Godaime's office. Her two captors entered the office, presumably to let the Hokage know of the events that had transpired.

"Where are you going to put me?" Were the first words that left her mouth when she was led into the Hokage's office several dozen minutes later.

"I've already had some of the guards go down to the maximum security facility to prepare a cell for you. I'm not quite sure what we'll do with you, but if you'll give us some information, I can ease your punishment significantly." Tsunade's golden-brown eyes bored into Hinata's pearly ones.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not at liberty to give you any information that you don't already know," the ex-Hyuuga replied in a stone-cold voice that would brook no arguments.

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"You're positive about this?" The blonde Hokage asked, hoping she could intimidate the young ninja that she once knew.

"Absolutely."

"Then your stay in the dungeon will be rather short. We'll have you in for interrogation at the end of the week." Tsunade's eyes narrowed, believing that her statement would break the young woman before her.

"Fine."

Leaning back in her chair, Tsunade was silently impressed with the ex-Hyuuga heiress. However, being impressed did not mean that she would go easy on the younger woman. "Take her to the dungeons, Shikamaru," she ordered.

"Yes, Hokage-sama." The Nara turned away from Hinata and gestured for his once-friend to precede him.

(A/N: Ah, another chapter done. I can't wait to hear all of your ideas, and I'm looking forward to writing the next chapter! (: I hope yall enjoyed this one, as well! I think I'll keep it short tonight, so good night, and have a wonderful evening!)