Aftermath…
Hinata: Naruto-kun?
Kakashi: Where the hell is he? Team 7 find Naruto now!
Chapter 8,
The Pain of Defeat
-
"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura cried out, running over the bodies of hundreds of dead Oto-nin as she rushed to reach her teacher. The scarecrow glanced at his student weakly as he stood up, using a chokuto as a crutch. Sakura didn't question where the pure white sword had come from, slipping under her teacher's left arm and supporting him.
"Sakura, where's Sasuke and Naruto?" Kakashi asked, the chokuto vanishing in a poof. Placing his hitae-ate over his eye once more, Kakashi allowed his student to lead him, the pair dodging the dead bodies littering the ground. It was almost sad to see the horrified determination in Sakura's eyes, as she continually steeled herself against the horrific sight.
"Sasuke-kun is in hospital with severe chakra burns and chakra depletion. Naruto hasn't been seen since the finals." Sakura replied sorrowfully. Kakashi's eye hardened, but he said nothing.
'Naruto… stay safe.' He thought, ignoring the pit of despair within him.
-
"Hokage-sama!" Hiruzen let a weary smile grace his face as he limped out of the Hokage's box in the Chunin exam stadium, the Tsuchikage in tow. Both aged men could see the destruction that had occurred, and neither particularly wanted to be the first to examine it. Glancing back into the box, Hiruzen was surprised to find the Yahiko was already gone.
"Looks like those Suna and Oto bastards did a number on your village, Hiruzen." The Tsuchikage stated gruffly. "I have to admit, it was ingenious using the Chunin Exams as a cover."
"It also broke just about every international treaty in the land." Hiruzen retorted darkly, curbing in his anger at seeing his village, his prized jewel, in such a state. "This means war."
"I know. Iwa has your back, Hiruzen." The Tsuchikage sighed, sitting down by a piece of rubble as the ANBU scurried to form a guard for the pair.
"I have to admit, without your help, I think I would have used the Shiki Fuin myself." The Hokage stated, grinning slightly. The Tsuchikage sent a grin right on back.
"We'll have to thank this… 'Yahiko' the next time we see him. That cloak seems eerily familiar."
-
"Hinata-chan, wait up!" Kiba cried, running through the streets with a kunai in hand. "Kurenai-sensei wants you to search for survivors with your Byakugan." Hinata nodded at the weakened boy, forming the ram almost absently.
"Byakugan!" She cried. The sight that greeted her newly enhanced vision nearly made her throw up. Bodies littered the street, and blood and gore was sprayed across the walls and ground.
"Hinata!" Kiba cried, as the girl slumped against a wall, breathing hard and turning her Byakugan off. "Are you…?"
"So many dead." She whispered. "Even children…" The pair stayed there, silent, for a long time.
-
The next few days were incredibly hard on the Konoha Genin. Lee had been forced to fight in the invasion, regardless of his injuries, due to a surprise attack on the hospitals children's ward, and was now in intensive care. Tenten was found bloody and unconscious in the middle of a bloody field of dead enemies, but was released from hospital the next day, after it was found that very little of the blood had been her own. Neji, on the other hand, had been in the thick of the battle in front of the ninja academy, fighting to protect the children and ninja's in training that had no idea what was happening. Nonetheless, he suffered minimal injuries.
Shino was uninjured, although he had been recalled to his clans compound to help repair the damages. Shikamaru was fresh out of hospital, having suffered a broken arm during the invasion. Ino and Sakura were relatively unharmed, although they were very disturbed at the battle that had taken place, and Choji simply continued to munch on his chips, despite three broken ribs and a broken ankle from Baika no Jutsu over-expansion.
Kiba and Hinata had made it out of the battle uninjured, but exhausted, both helping with the rebuilding effort. Sasuke was still in a coma, having completely exhausted his chakra. He was stable, however, and expected to leave the hospital in a week.
Yet no one had seen hide or hair of one Uzumaki Naruto. It was a week later that an official mission had been issued to locate Naruto's corpse for the mass burial service.
-
"Hinata-san…" Shikamaru spoke up, holding up a small block of rubble whilst the teenage girl pulled the fallen corpse out from beneath it. "You must stop thinking about him. He's gone."
"I won't give up." She bit back sharply. "Not when he never gave up on me. I was a hopeless teacher, but he never gave up on me, and I won't give up on him!"
"Hinata-san, this attitude of yours is self destructive and painful…" Shikamaru started, but Hinata cut him off with a wave of her hand, shouldering the dead body.
"No more, Shikamaru-san. No more." With that, she walked off, dumping the body at a mobile morgue to be identified.
-
Such was Hinata's attitude towards the announced death of Uzumaki Naruto, the newest Chunin of Konoha. The mass burial was held the following week, without Naruto's body ever being found. Now, however, 3 weeks later, Hinata received a very strange letter…
-
Hinata-san
You may not recognise my writing or name, but I know you, if only by proxy. My name is a secret, but I am known by the alias of Pain.
This letter is not a social one. I have heard from one of my many associates that Konoha is currently searching for the corpse of one Shikotsumyaku no Naruto. I believe I can be of service to you in this aspect.
Contained herein is a C-ranked mission to the land of Ame. Please show it to your Hokage. Contained within the mission scroll is authorisation for one Hyuuga Hinata and any two other associates to enter Amegakure no Sato. I hope that you accept this mission, and have a safe trip.
Pain
P.S. One of my associates would appreciate it if your partner for this mission were one Uchiha Sasuke. I must admit, I know not why, but I would appreciate the thought.
-
"Hmmm…" The Hokage sighed, examining the scroll in his hands. He could feel the unease of the girl before him, fidgeting slightly at every scan of a line the Hokage made.
"Hokage-sama?" Hinata asked tentatively, stiffening as the Hokage stopped moving. With another sigh, he looked up from the scroll, a frown on his face.
"Tell me, Hinata, do you know the implications of this scroll?" Hiruzen asked, a frown on his face. Seeing the girl shake her head, the aged Hokage continued. "When a nation claims to have information on a missing shinobi of another nation, they are obliged by the Third Treaty to acknowledge that said shinobi is safe and would be returned to his sovereign nation, provided the two nations are not at war. Amegakure has implied that they know exactly where Naruto-kun is, but have made no effort to give us this information."
"I don't understand." Hinata admitted. Hiruzen sighed, looking all eighty-two of his years.
"Wars have been started over such incidents, Hinata. The fact that this scroll specifically asks for you only aggravates the situation. I must think of the good of Konoha, not just its citizens. Sending you on this mission is tantamount to committing an act of war on the Land of Steel. Amegakure has long since been forbidden from interference in ninja matters. This mission is the equivalent to a declaration that we recognise Ame as a ninja nation, a violation of the Fifth Treaty." The Sandaime explained. Hinata frowned.
"But, what about…" She started. Hiruzen shook his head.
"Hinata, I cannot give you this mission as the Hokage of Konoha." He stated, placing a note in her hand. "Good day." Hinata nodded, giving a curt bow and walking out the door, her heart in her shoes. Opening the note, her face contorted into a relieved smile.
This is a black-ops operation. Take Uchiha Sasuke and make your way to Tanzaku Town. Your contact will meet you there.
Mission Code 698-7621-A34-B991
Burn this note after the cooperation of Uchiha Sasuke has been obtained. You will lead in matters of travel. Uchiha Sasuke will lead in matters of combat and ninja special ops.
-
"Excuse, me, is Uchiha Sasuke here?" Hinata asked softly, watching Kakashi drill a group of Genin. Said Jounin barely turned to regard her as he shouted off criticism to the Genin, his regular orange book nowhere in sight. Hinata's eyes locked with that of Kakashi's for several moments, before absently catching a misaimed shuriken between his thumb and index finger without turning his head.
"Uchiha Sasuke…" Kakashi echoed. "I've heard a lot about you, Hyuuga Hinata."
"Gomen, but I have a mission for Sasuke-san." Hinata stated, her voice wavering under the scarecrow's scrutinizing gaze. Kakashi continued to stare, before nodding.
"He is in Training Ground 7, by the memorial stone. Hold your head high." Kakashi whispered, lifting Hinata's chin with a hand. "He wouldn't want you to be sad."
"We won't ever know, will we?" She retorted softly. "Arigato, Kakashi-sensei."
The scarecrow could only watch the sad girl make her way to the memorial.
-
The memorial stone was little more then a large stone tablet, listing the names of every single ninja to be killed in action. His name wasn't on this stone, thanks to the prejudice of the village against him. He didn't even have a grave to remember him by. The injustice of it all made Sasuke question just what it meant to be a citizen of Konoha. Was he that prejudiced, too? Would he abandon the next person to be offered as the villages sacrifice as well?
He wasn't sure he wished to know the answer to that question.
Sasuke didn't even move as he heard the crunch of grass behind him, as soft footsteps made their way towards him. The person stopped barely two feet behind him, staring at either him or the stone, which he didn't know. He didn't care, either.
"We might have found his body." A soft voice whispered. Sasuke flinched, turning to face Hinata, his Sharingan activated on instinct.
"Naruto?" He questioned. Hinata nodded, handing him a note.
"We have a mission, Sasuke-san. I'll meet you at the north gate in a hour." Hinata replied, turning on her heel and walking away. Sasuke scanned through the note several times, his Sharingan fading back out of existence once he was certain the note said exactly what he thought it said. Forming a short seal, he burned the note, before making his way back home.
Why would the Hokage order a Genin and a Chunin on a black op?
-
Hinata let out a sigh as she waited at the north gate, garbed in a black sleeveless shirt and ninja slacks. Her headband was nowhere in sight, hidden away in a loose floorboard within the teens bedroom. No one could be allowed to know she was a Konoha-nin, not on this mission. She raised her head as the somewhat heavy footfalls that belonged only to a relaxed Uchiha Sasuke approached her, the teenage boy wearing a black mantle over a white sleeveless shirt and light grey ninja shorts. The pair nodded to each other once, before walking right out the gate, pausing only long enough to flash their ID at the Chunin gate guards. They had barely gone fifty metres before Hinata led Sasuke off the dirt path and into the forest, the girl easily picking her way through the thicket.
Sasuke remained silent for the next hour and a half, as Hinata worked her way through the forestland of Hi no Kuni, until finally, to Sasuke's relief, she led him to a river.
"What are the specifics of the mission?" Sasuke asked, as Hinata used her reflection in the water to place a pair of blue contact lenses in her eyes.
"Amegakure no Sato has more or less stated that they know where Naruto-kun's body is. Our objective is to obtain the body and return it to Konoha." Hinata answered softly, blinking multiple times. "We are to make our way to Tanzaku Town, where we will meet our contact. From there, I believe we will be making our way to Amegakure."
"I see." Sasuke muttered. "Well, you are the leader in matters of travel, so lead on." Hinata nodded, a small smile on her face.
"Arigato, Sasuke-san." She whispered, leading him up the river.
-
It was a long day, the pair making their way along the riverbank towards the northern border of Konoha. Neither said a word, unable to think of a way to broach the silence without it feeling awkward. It wasn't until the sun was setting against the horizon that Sasuke finally spoke up.
"We should stop here for tonight, Hinata-san." He stated softly. Hinata came to a halt before him, nodding absently.
"Your right." She admitted. "I just…"
"You wanted to get to Tanzaku as soon as possible. It's alright, Hinata-san." Sasuke finished. "I'll set up some tents." Hinata nodded again, fishing out a scroll from her pants and unsealing some cooking ware.
"I'll cook, then." She muttered to herself with a small smile.
-
The trip passed in silence for the most part. They met no one, for they stuck to the river and stayed away from the path. On the fourth day of travel, Hinata took Sasuke away from the river, leading him through the forest towards the border.
"We're almost there, Sasuke-san." She had told him softly. That was the most she had said to him that day.
It was only now that he was alone with Hinata that he was truly able to see the influence Naruto had over her. Naruto was her source of confidence and courage, the person she had chosen to love. Without Naruto, she would have neither courage nor confidence, and it showed in her every action. She couldn't hide the shivers of fear that ran through her every time she looked in a small, circular locket, which Sasuke assumed, contained a picture of Naruto. She still hoped that Naruto had continued to live, even against all odds, but Sasuke no longer allowed himself to cling to that hope.
Instead, he'd merely added Orochimaru and the bone user, Kimmimaro, to his list of people that he needed to kill. It wasn't for his own peace of mind, but for Naruto's memory.
It was now nightfall on the fifth day, and Sasuke had joined Hinata by the small campfire she had made to cook the evening meal.
"Do you think he made it?" Hinata asked suddenly. Sasuke flinched, his gaze meeting her own.
"I don't. I think that, if Naruto had made it, he would have tried to contact Konoha by now." Sasuke answered.
"What if he was unable to? What if he was injured?" Hinata pressed. Sasuke shook his head.
"Naruto was missing for two weeks before Ame declared they knew where his body was. Allowing for the four days it takes for a messenger-nin or a message bird to reach Konoha from Ame, I would gather that they had only just located and positively identified the body themselves. It's possible that Ame took Naruto with them and attempted to treat his wounds, knowing that Konoha may not have been able to, and that it took that long for Naruto to finally die." Sasuke explained, his voice remaining level. Hinata shook her head.
"I don't want to believe he's dead." She growled, fiercer then he'd ever heard her. "…But it's hard to keep hope. It's been three weeks."
"Hopefully this 'Pain' will have some answers." Sasuke replied darkly. Neither said any more then that, falling into silence as they ate their dinner.
-
Two days later the pair had arrived in Tanzaku Town, Sasuke quickly leading Hinata to a hotel. He wasn't going to risk their cover by staying at one of the ninja inns, no, Sasuke led her to a small, rundown little motel near the gambling district, driven almost to bankruptcy by the casinos.
"It won't be five stars." Sasuke stated. "But it will be adequate. We can't let anyone know you're a Hyuuga."
"Why? I'm wearing…" Hinata started, but Sasuke shushed her with a finger.
"Tanzaku Town is frequented by Kiri and Kumo Oinin. Believe it or not, this place has the greatest concentration of foreign ninja of anywhere in Hi no Kuni. We need to stay low profile." The exchange finished, Sasuke walked into the dingy place and hired a single room, stating he wasn't letting Hinata out of his sight until they had met their contact. And thus, the days passed slowly.
-
He wasn't sure how they had talked him into this, but here he was, Akatsuki mantle and all. The straw hat kept not only the sun out of his eyes, but the gazes of others from his face. Still, he wasn't a missing-nin, and Akatsuki hardly expected his loyalty over that to his village, so the agreement would work itself out.
It really wasn't too hard to locate Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuuga Hinata. Even if the heiress had used contact lenses, she had neglected to change her body shape or physique. Sasuke hadn't applied any form of cosmetic changes at all, defeating the purpose of hiding in plain sight.
Then there was a creek of wood. Glancing up into a nearby building, the Akatsuki-nin saw a pair of ghouls, the Kiri form of Oinin. Letting out half a breath, he vanished from existence, leaving behind only a puddle of water.
Neither Oinin knew what had killed them, even after the fact. A pair of small, harder then steel spikes where jammed in between the third and fourth ribs, aimed upwards. There wasn't a chance in hell that he'd missed their hearts.
Not for the first time, he was thankful for the mantle. Akatsuki mantles were so useful.
-
Three days had passed, and Sasuke was getting impatient. Having finally gotten tired off the bad inn food, he had taken Hinata with him in search of a decent tavern, and find one he did.
Now there was the simple problem of the massive, white haired man sitting in the corner, grinning lecherously as he scribbled in his notebook. The man had taken only one look at Hinata, however, before pointedly looking away, although he kept stealing glances at her throughout their meal.
It didn't take long until Sasuke had enough, making his way towards the man with murder in his eyes. How dare he disrespect one of the two legacies Naruto had left upon the world! He didn't even get a word out when the man spoke up.
"Ninja code alpha triple six." He whispered pointedly. "Grab the Hyuuga girl and sit down." Sasuke's eyes flashed dangerously, but he complied, retrieving Hinata, who came without complaint. Once the pair had sat down, the white haired man began speaking. "Now, as you are no doubt aware by now, I'm your contact. My name is Jiraiya, the Gama-Sennin."
"What now?" Sasuke asked pointedly. Jiraiya sighed, clasping his hands together.
"I am to escort you to Amegakure no Sato, where you will spend two days negotiating with this 'Pain' for the release of Naruto's body." He stated, handing a scroll to Hinata. "Those are the terms we are willing to offer to 'Pain' in return for Naruto's body. If you can get it for less, then please, by all means do so. I will pick you up at noon on the second day and escort you back to Konoha, with Naruto's body or without it."
"And if Naruto-kun is alive?" Hinata asked. Jiraiya frowned, pointing at a small seal on the paper.
"Have him draw blood and place it on that seal. If he's really Naruto, then the seal won't react. We can't risk Naruto returning and finding out he was really a sleeper agent." Jiraiya explained. "Any other questions."
"If we are captured?" Sasuke asked. Jiraiya chuckled.
"Then you are expected to commit kamikaze, through any viable method." He answered sadly. "I'm sorry, but the council doesn't really care for any of Naruto's friends."
"Council?" Sasuke pondered. "What do they have to…?"
"Specifically, the civilian council. As much of the Shinobi Council was killed during the invasion, we currently have a small vacuum between the previous council and the next one where the civilians hold all the power. That is why you have been given two days. In a week there will be a meeting to announce the new Shinobi Council and all amendments made without its approval can, and probably will, be repealed. The trouble is, if Naruto's body is brought back before the new council is made, he will probably be desecrated." Jiraiya explained.
"And if he is brought back alive?" Sasuke asked, dreading the answer even though he didn't expect to see the Shikotsumyaku user alive again.
"He will probably be executed." Jiraiya finished.
-
The trio left Tanzaku Town the next day, heading to the northeast. Sasuke had to admit that Jiraiya, by all means, was a genius of the Shinobi arts, but his perverted tendencies kept him from asking for any advice. He was quite amused, however, by Jiraiya's reluctance to use Hinata for his 'research', almost going out of his way to leave her alone.
It only took two days to reach Amegakure. That was when the real fun would start.
And that is the end of that chapter. Its short by about a thousand words, but this part of the story is going to be a little (…) slow. Kudo's to anyone who can work out who the Akatsuki member was. Your only hints are that it wasn't Pain and it was someone from the show (not an OC and actually alive at this point).
For the record, just about any shinobi worth his salt would know of the heirs and heiresses of the major shinobi clans of a village. Thus, Sasuke and Hinata's appearance isn't exactly secret knowledge.