---ooo---

Hysteria

"The problem we face has reached a new plateau, my friends. Lives depend on these recent events and the situation has a high possibility of escalating into something we cannot handle. In fact, we're not entirely sure we can handle it now. This meeting has been called with this in mind, and is now open to discussion and argument."

Tsunade took a deep breath, regarding the men and women seated at the table. At the other end of the table sat one that wasn't actually there at all. Delphi watched quietly from her virtual seat, recording and analyzing data. Among the leaders of Konoha sat Orochimaru, the Four House Heads, and Kakashi from the Royal Guards. The rest were an assortment of prominent business leaders and politicians. Tsunade couldn't help but think of how rumors spread among these dignitaries as easily as it spread among high school girls. She was there to quell rumors and perhaps work on a solution. This was not a matter to leave people in the dark about. Well, at least not these people. The population would have to wait. Deny information to gather it, avoid hysteria at all costs, and all that other sociopolitical propaganda.

Nodding softly to Delphi, Tsunade sat back to watch the holo-projection in the center of the table. A sphere with a 360 degree view of a scene played out in high-speed. "At 1500 hours two days ago, this scene was captured by one of my idle subsystems, monitoring the lightning storm over the Fourth Quadrant forest." Delphi tapped a virtual pencil against the hardwood table. She'd chosen a dignified image of a graying, yet graceful woman of 50. "I cannot imagine why my system did not notify me of the massive amounts of chakra being expelled at the sight, and it was by pure chance that I happened to glance over the files for evaluation." The image showed a tiny pinprick of red light flicking around a bulky blob of shifting sands. Lightning strikes momentarily flooded the room with an unearthly blue-purple color, then cleared to displayed three tiny human forms below. Then the camera moved away from the scene, as if it hadn't seen anything unusual. "It was tracking lighting strikes, and was set so that it would look for damage. Had I seen this live, I would have been able to zoom in, but no details are visible as it stands." Delphi glanced to Tsunade, who nodded.

"Delphi's being blinded?" The youngest among them spoke. Uchiha Sasuke, the only living member, and therefore Head of, the Uchiha House. "How is that even possible?"

A business man with a long, fuzzy white beard scowled slightly. "It's not possible, that's the problem. Delphi is a living brain, a living consciousness. She's not a computerized AI that can be tricked with codes and hacks."

Delphi shifted in her chair, to show she was uneasy, but the movement was more for the sake of the congregation than for herself. "I'm aware of what I can and cannot do. And so is Master Uchiha. However, I can be tricked, but not by such things as powerful coding. There is the possibility that my very tissue is being...tampered with." She stared levelly at all of the gathered.

They all knew what that meant. Lab assistants, tissue tenders, and nutrient producers were all on the payroll of everyone in the room. The problem would have to be internal to be feasible. "Perhaps we have a traitor," Delphi said softly.

Slowly, all gathered glanced around. Who's Judas? All employees were carefully monitored by Delphi and by the organizations. One or the other could be tricked, but the window grew incrementally small when you tried to trick both. And to be untraceable in such actions, it would be nearly impossible. So it was highly possible that it was one of the gathered that had committed treason in some way. But so far, no one was willing to give up their secrets.

Tsunade let it all play out, then she nodded to Delphi again. "There is another problem, and I think you all noticed it." The holo rewinded and then stilled on the giant blob of sand. It had been highlighted, and the image blown up so that it would stand out more clearly. "Any ideas?"

One by one, the committee began to murmur. "That's..." Araika Uzumaki spoke now, face slightly pale. "That's the Legendary Sand Beast. Shukaku. But...that's a myth!"

The others slowly realized this as well. "If that's a myth, than what's it doing lumbering around in our forests," growled the LumberCo. head at Araika. "That's not an imaginary boogeyman tearing up that old building.

"Perhaps we should examine this a bit more closely," intoned Orochimaru, garnering attention in his own special way, without once raising his voice. "I believe that the Uzumaki House is a tad quick to jump to conclusions."

"I agree," said another. About half of the room nodded in agreement with the Orochimaru.

"Has the Regent seen this?" Orochimaru said softly, this time looking at Tsunade, the perpetual smirk more antagonizing now. "Tell me you've at least made an attempt to contact our leader."

Tsunade's jaw set, and her mouth grew into a straight, tight line. That man irked her above all others. Her one time childhood friend. "Of course...I've made an attempt."

"He didn't answer."

"Not as of yet."

Again, the room murmured and whispers rippled. Delphi was the one to quiet the mutterings. "The Regent perhaps sees it fit to let us handle it. Historically, the Regent would not answer if the situation is not grave enough. Or perhaps there is an edict in the works at the moment. No one can say what the Regent thinks, or speak on our leader's behalf."

"Thank you, Delphi," Tsunade spread her arm out to change the scene, but Delphi did it for her. She nodded her thanks. "I would like to remind the congregation that Delphi is much, much older than any of us, and that it would be prudent to listen to an objective and wise voice." The Holo changed again, this time into a diagram of statistics taken from readings of the camera recording. "Again, due to the fact that Delphi is blinded to certain criteria, this information was not privy to us for nearly a day. However, Delphi was able to gather and average the information. Around the time that this...unidentified object or organism appeared, chakra levels spiked unnaturally high. There is a slight problem. The energy increase is correlated to the large creature, but the bulk of the reading was of this smaller, red object...here." The holo zoomed onto a small, humanoid red blur, trailing a crimson tail like a comet. "This is the main source of the reading. This small red dot." Another nod to Delphi. "I'd like to show you another image not taken during this time."

Araika and Sekkun both drew a harsh breath as a video of their adopted son, coated in trailing red chakra, jumping from a truck roof through a Falcon windshield.

"First of all, I'd like to state that secrets are very, very damaging to the integrity and structure of Konoha." Tsunade fixed the Uzumaki House with a glare. "Now, you best start explaining why it is you instantly jumped to the myth of the Bijuu, O House of the Fox."

---

Drawing breath sharply through her nose, Hinata gently felt the healing cut under her hair, wincing slightly. She could still feel the grit of sand everywhere, even after successive washings. Sighing, she glanced at herself in the mirror. Stepping to her room, she pulled a blue tanktop, a short skirt, and some sneakers. Blue socks to go with the blue shoes, of course. Frowning, she tugged at the clothes as she regarded herself in the mirror. Doing a small turn, she gave herself a quick look over. "Mm, wonder if it's cute enough," she mused, before turning a faint shade of pink. "Oh, who cares," she chided herself, and shook her head slightly.

"Madame?" A butler rapped softly on the door. The AI recognized him and granted access. "Madame, I have your meal." Carting in a tray of food, he bowed. "All you requested. Have you had a change of mood lately?" The butler glanced down at the food. Two hamburgers, a bowl of macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, a glass of milk, a bottle of wine, and a glass of orange juice. "You've always preferred...a higher taste."

She fixed him with a look. "Lumi, honestly, I just feel like eating something different, is all. No need to psychoanalyze my food."

Lumi grunted softly, then smiled. "Ah, do you mind if I take a cheese sandwich? I haven't had one since childhood."

Hinata giggled, and rolled her eyes. "Taking away food from a growing girl's very mouth? Fine, fine, if you must." She flicked her wrist playfully at her long time friend.

The old gentleman smiled, picked one up, and bowed out of the room. "Ah, all too true, Madame. Enjoy." The door clicked behind him.

Sighing, she waggled her head. Then, as if remembering something, she started. "Oh. AI, lock door. No access." A click, and the door sealed. "AI, open wall panel. Passphrase: Brilliant night sun."

Another click. This time, a section of the wall pivoted, opening into a dim-lit interior. Pushing the cart through, she glanced at the bed set against the far wall. No windows here. This was her hidden weapon room. She knew full well what she was doing would send her father into an early grave. Or her. The Shinobi were a fighting group, and not to mention a revolutionary group. He'd have to kill her with his own hands to absolve the family name if anyone discovered her connection.

Pulling up next to the bed, she glanced at the huddled form beneath it. "Not awake yet, huh?" she whispered with some disappointment. After the fight with Gaara, she'd dragged Naruto's prone body all the way home, recovering her car, and transporting him silently through the house. She'd tended for the massive gash, and wrapped him in bandages as best as she knew how. She even tried some healing techniques, but it was the most she could do without alerting the world to the fact that she'd smuggled something potentially dangerous into the City, not to mention the House. Throughout it all, he hadn't woken up. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, she tried one of the hamburgers, then set it down. "Mm. How can people eat this?"

Setting her hand on the lump beneath the blankets, she shook him softly. It took her a full second to realize that there was no breath in the lump. Or bones. Whipping the blanket off, she inhaled sharply. Pillows. "Where...?"

The door to the room slowly clicked shut. She spun to see to blazing eyes staring back in the dim room. "N-Naruto? What are you doing?"

Naruto stepped forward, eyes flicking up and down, as if assessing her. His mouth opened slowly into a smile, revealing fangs. "Oh, good morning." His voice dipped into a two-tone quality, as if there another voice speaking behind his tongue. "You bandaged me up, right? Hinata Hyuuga, yeah?" He nodded, stepping closer, molten eyes flickering to blue, then back

"You...you don't seem to remember very well. That chakra hasn't been flushed out of your system yet." She smiled nervously as he stepped right up to her. Hinata could feel his breath, hot and ragged. "H-how do you feel?"

The smile turned into a long grin. "Warmmmmm..." This time, his voice thickened and remained so, the grin turned malicious. "You're into him, aren't you? Heh, how amusing. Ya know, I don't usually go for humans, but this kid's mind is polluting me, or something." He reached out and grabbed her arm.

"Wh-what are you doing? Let go!" Trying to wrench away from his grip, Hinata winced at the grip. It felt like iron. "You're not yourself. Lie down, Naruto."

"I'm afraid Naruto's absent at the moment, girl." Pulling her towards himself, the Kitsune smiled from behind Naruto's face. "I can hear your heart. You're excited." A rough hand pulled her against his body, warm, hard muscle against softer flesh. "You're body doesn't lie like your lips do."

She stiffened as she was pulled into a harsh kiss, bruising her lips as his burning skin caught hers. Hinata squeaked, trying to pull away. The arms released her, allowing her a quick run to the door. Locked.

"Oh, come now. Tell me you didn't enjoy it. You stare, you blush, you stammer. Heh, the child is, of course, consciously oblivious." This time, he grabbed her from behind, his arm grabbing her wrists and holding them behind her back. Pushing Naruto's mouth beside her ear, he chuckled softly to her, tongue lightly touching her earlobe. "I'd say his heart is currently distracted by another. I, on the other hand, am not. I never knew humanity had a good side, but I do believe I've found it."

"H-humanity? Where's Naruto? Bring him back!" she gasped softly, unable to turn her head to look at him. He had grabbed her chin, and was tipping her head from side to side as he inhaled at her neck, her hair. Every time he touched her, a bolt of electricity seemed to arc from his flesh to hers. She couldn't help but shudder. "P-please stop."

"Very well, deny it." The Bijuu did not release her this time. "I doubt I'll be here for much longer. But my seal is weakening. While we wait for it, I'd like to try something? A little experiment that'll remind you that I'm never far enough away."

Pain suddenly flashed behind her ear as a fang pierced the skin. A tiny rivulet of blood ran down the side of her neck and into the hollow of her clavicle. Slowly, the Bijuu dragged his fang down, down, to the nape of her neck, where he sank his teeth in without hesitation. Hinata struggled fiercely, inhaling through her nose in sharp intakes as he withdrew from the bite. Slowly, he dragged his thumb over the wound, and watched as a small fox shaped tattoo-like, black insignia formed from the bite mark. "There. Now, you are bound to me and the kid. When we feel pain, you'll feel pain. You'll be able to sense where we are. Distance isn't an option. If we die, the mark'll disappear, and the bond is broken, but I'm immortal, and I need to keep the kid alive." The gravelly voice began to waver and weaken, fading in and out. "You won't forget me now."

He let go of her, then stepped back, staggering, as the chakra finally escaped Naruto's body. Bonds cost energy. There was a dull thud as a limp body hit the ground like a sack of meat.

Slowly, Hinata brought her hand up to the fox-scar. It didn't hurt anymore. Fingering it, she winced.

This was not a good omen.

---

The winds had picked up during the meeting. Now, they screamed among the narrow spaces between skyscrapers and picked up paper and other trash to stir it idly before casting it against some obstruction. Sasuke leaned against the railing of the balcony, watching the world eighty stories below with a cool detachment. The sun was setting rather unspectacularly, slipping down under the wall beneath artificial clouds. But at the very last moments of its daily life, it spewed brilliant color over all the fluffy clouds, splashing them with deadly blood-reds and bruised purples. The tomoes in his eyes spun idly, staring uncaring, his mind lost in thought. "Stop sneaking around," he intoned almost beneath his breath, as if it were a careless thought thrown at the wind.

There was a soft grunt of disappointment, and an upside-down pink head poked over the bottom edge of the balcony. Standing parallel to him, Sakura watched the world from her inverted position before flipping onto the side of the balcony and then beside him. Chakra evaporated from her feet as she joined the Head in his quiet no-longer-solitude. "You always now," she groaned without looking at him.

"You should know by now, Haruno," he says simply, without feeling. Now, the city seems to awaken, and fall asleep all at the same time. The sun disappears altogether, and the lights of civilization begin to flicker into being. Street lights, neon lights, car lights, apartment lights, billboard lights, and a thousand others blink awake like eyelids opening from a startling dream. "Anyway, there are complications now."

"I know," sights Sakura, turning her back to the world and directs her attention on her cold friend. "We heard. Bijuu, a compromised Delphi, traitors, silent Regents, and on and on, and on. This is the most exciting thing to happen in current history." The wind buffets them both for a moment, and her hair whips around. Pushing it from her eyes, she waits for the wind to abate, staring at Sasuke. "This will help us. What's the Eye say?"

"We will become active as soon as we acquire Naruto's allegiance. But there's a time limit on that. We'll eventually have to act without him if he doesn't turn." Blood red eyes flick towards jade green. "And if he doesn't turn, he's a wildcard and must be eliminated." As easily as they look, the eyes slide away towards the darkening sky. Stars have begun to appear again

At this, Sakura frowned, crossing her arms over her chest, trying to catch her friend's elusive glance. "He'll turn. I'm confident in Hinata. She's got a lot of hidden strength, especially when challenged."

"She's attracted to the idiot," Sasuke spit over the balcony in derision. "He'll probably have more sway over her than she on him. She's also as see through as crystal. There's no deception in her, and therefore, will never make a truly good shinobi. She is too easily read."

"I disagree," laughed Sakura. "She's got more than it takes to be a shinobi. Hidden strength is hidden, you see."

"You didn't come here to chat with me, Sakura," Sasuke said abruptly, ignoring her searching eyes. "You're rather easy to see through as well."

That shut her up for a moment. Slowly, she smiled, a thin, sad little smile. "Well, actually, I came to see how you were. You seem...disaffected nowadays." Setting a hand lightly on his shoulder, she bit her lip. "When you helped form the team, you were full of passion for this mission. We're fighting for our freedom, you know, and now..." She trailed off, shrugging. "You're not fighting for freedom anymore."

Flicking her hand from his shoulder, Sasuke finally turned towards her. "If you're worried about me, stop. I still fight for the same reasons."

"You're fighting for revenge, Sasuke!" cried Sakura suddenly, before her features took on a pained expression. "Revenge against a brother that may or may not still be alive. And it's tearing you apart from us. From...me."

Anger twisted his face suddenly, and he got right into her face, the lines around his mouth hard, the tomoes in his eyes swirling madly. "From you?" he hissed. "Sakura, I'm going to tell you now what I've told you a thousand times over. Drop it. 'We' aren't going to happen."

She flinched, perhaps from his intense proximity, perhaps from his words. She wasn't sure herself. Suddenly, she was breathing hard, nostrils flaring. "Then don't do it from us. Do it for you." Her eyes, wide now, flicked over his face, boring holes into his eyes. The wind kicked up again, and her hair fluttered about again. "You're in a cage, Sasuke," she almost whispered, voice barely heard over the wind. "You're beating at the walls, and all you're doing is tearing yourself apart."

He raised his hand, and she flinched again. But his hand stayed raised. There was no blow. "You have no idea what you're talking about, Haruno. Stay out of my affairs." Brushing past her, he turned to leave, but stopped at the door. Without turning, hand on the door, his voice softened. "Forget me, Sakura. This infatuation's doing you no good."

Sakura sat out in the window long after the door had swung shut, leaving her alone. Fist pressed against her teeth, she bit down on her knuckle and hissed harshly. But there were no tears.

Thank God there were no tears.

--------

Hullo, hullo. Yes, it's late. Yes, it's sort of cop-outy. But there's gonna be a slight lag in the pace, due to...lack of inspiration. I write the beginning and ending of the stories, then sorta slack on the middle. So, I'm trying to make the middle strong through inspiration. Yes. Yes indeed.

Anyway, today's title? Hysteria by Muse. I likes teh Muse.

-Raz