DISCLAIMER: This story is solely written for fanservicing. All known characters and plot lines belong to Masashi Kishimoto and the publishers of the Naruto series. I am merely a fan who wishes to write her alternate story to the Naruto manga. The title "In The Name of Life" is taken from Joe Hisaishi's soundtrack of the film 'Spirited Away', by Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. This fanfic is not intended for lucrative purposes.
In The Name of Life
Chapter VI
I'm standing on a stage
Of fear and self-doubt
It's a hollow play
But they'll clap anyway
~Arcade Fire
She witnessed Naruto being injected with a sedative to calm his behaviour. The last time she had seen him lose control like that was when Pain had attacked Konoha and she decided to protect him. It was a sight she had never wanted to see again, and this second experience proved to be just as raw. Last time, she had lost consciousness, but now Hinata saw how uncontrolled Naruto could get. Every shinobi hid a dark side within, and Naruto's was the possession of the Kyūbi. She did not feel intimidated by the dark power that resided within Naruto. Nevertheless, it frightened her how much he had to suffer for being a Jinchūriki.
Seeing Naruto so broken apart killed the last remains of innocence that were in her heart. They were in the middle of a war, where good, close friends died at every corner. Despite believing that this war was different because the shinobi villages were finally under the Shinobi Alliance, Hinata still had to accept that pain was unavoidable. They were no longer children under a jōnin's tutelage to become the greatest shinobi; they were grown-ups. Grown-ups who fought for a better future, who fulfilled their prophecy of killing while protecting a greater good.
It hurt her to see Naruto feeling so destroyed. He lay on a bed beside Neji, who was already gaining back his consciousness. The Uzumaki boy, however, had his eyes fully opened and was staring at nothing. He seemed more lost than ever. Kiba had taken Akamaru, Karui and Kurotsuchi from the tent in order to find some extra medicine that could help their Division, as well as to look for two well capable jōnin who could watch other Naruto until he was emotionally stable. Her teammate knew that she could watch over her cousin and the Jinchūriki in their absence; Kiba –and Shino, too— never doubted her abilities.
Hinata neared Naruto's bed and knelt at his side. Since his bed was comprised of a thin futon laid on the ground, she had to shift her position in order to maintain a close contact with him. Slowly, she reached out one of her arms and cautiously started stroking his blond hair. It was soft, bright and messy. She quickly remembered their last talk back in Konoha, after he had returned from the Land of Iron with the decision of killing his best friend. The blush in her cheeks was more controllable now, though, due to her constant watch over the tent. Nevertheless, Hinata only wished that she had spent more time with the boy before the fighting began.
Her hand moved from his messy hair to his cheek. It was cold, rigid, and paler than his usual tanned colour. She touched it with the back of her hand, trying to appear as soft and comforting as she could. In fact, this was the first time she had ever felt so intimate with Naruto; their usual encounters were more talk rather than physical contact. She wanted to embrace him and rock him in her arms, to whisper in his ear and say that everything was going to be fine. Even though she was not sure how to properly do it, she was going to try and sound as comforting as she could. Her words would be lies, though.
With Sakura's abduction, Naruto's team was completely broken. His best friend had departed three years ago, and now his other best friend had been kidnapped by the enemy. She imagined losing Shino and Kiba, and she automatically felt a giant stone getting thrown inside her stomach. The fear of losing one's close friends was greater than the fear of losing one's life. She unconsciously looked over at her Neji's calm body and knew that her love for her friends was just as strong as her love for her family.
"Hinata..."
Naruto was finally making eye contact with her. Hinata was surprised at his consciousness coming back, but decided to take slow steps into bringing him back to his normal state.
"Naruto-kun, how are you feeling?"
She tried to sound as mother-like as she could. It was difficult since she's been lacking a mother since Hanabi was a toddler. Nonetheless, she was sure that Naruto did not know how a real mother acted like either. That thought disappeared from her mind as Naruto was holding her hand, which was still stroking his cheek.
"Did they really take away Sakura-chan?" he asked, dismissing her worries. Feeling a lump on her throat, Hinata nodded while still keeping eye contact with the boy. His eyes went back to a darker shade of blue, hollow, sadder. She wanted to apologize immediately, but Naruto continued speaking, "She is my best friend, y'know. We were not on the same page at first, but after all these years we've grown to love each other like siblings."
Hinata hadn't realized that her eyes were moist. Did Naruto's feelings really affect her that much? She felt his pain so easily... He started to get worried at seeing her tear up, and with one of his hands, he caught the few tears that had escaped her eyes, "You don't need to cry, Hinata. You are strong, and I will protect you with my life because you're one of my precious people," he added a grin. Only that it was dulled by the reality of their situation.
Her bottom lip was already trembling. This situation was so unfair; Naruto was the one who needed comforting, not her. She was good friends with Sakura, but not to the same degree as Naruto or Ino. Hinata always stood in the sidelines, watching the girls of the Konoha 11 chatting with other young shinobi, enjoying their youth. She, on the other hand, only wished that Naruto stood beside her at all times and could share every breathing moment. Life had been so unfair for the both of them that no one could understand their struggles.
And that was when Hinata did something she had never had the courage of doing before. Yes, she had already confessed to Naruto, so he was aware of her feelings in their relationship. However, professing her love was nothing compared to wrapping her arms around Naruto, weeping for him, showing him that she was always going to be there for him. His body tensed up a bit due to the physical contact, but he gradually relaxed until he fully let her embrace him. Hinata could not be any more thankful; albeit the pain that came with war, there was still some room for affection. Even if it was one-sided.
"I p-promise you, N-Naruto-kun, we will g-get her back," she blurted out, coming back to her signature stuttering. Naruto separated from her arms until they could look at each other in the eyes, "We will not give up until we find her, that's our nindo," she whispered.
And something, a flash of light that went through Naruto's eyes, something that she could not quite understand, changed his expression. It was a sign that she has never seen before, like something that they were both deprived from. It was a strange feeling, the one that was found in Naruto's eyes. He was seeing her differently.
"Thank you...," the words were so quiet that she barely caught them.
Her lips unconsciously formed a small smile. It was similar to the one she showed while she was fighting Pain. A true, pure, sincere smile that spoke a thousand words. Naruto was the kind who liked to talk a lot, whereas she tended to stay quiet. This smile was her way of showing Naruto how much he meant to her. She wished she could tell him how much she loved him again, but it was a little out of place at the moment. Hinata stood up and decided to check up on Neji. Naruto decided to lie down again and stare into the nothingness, and remained quiet as she knelt beside her cousin's futon.
She noticed that Neji's eyes were half way open, as if he was adjusting to the light. His head tilted towards Hinata as she removed his hitai-ate. The curse mark of the Hyūga clan was all too visible, but she covered it with her hand in order to check up on his temperature. She was no medic like Sakura or Ino, but she knew basic medical procedures. Neji let out a quiet groan showing that he was still in some pain. Hinata was worried that he was going to remain in the Medical Division; he was needed in the battlefield. Not because she needed his protection, but because he was an essential fighter in their Division.
Her father had granted him the honour of representing the Hyūga family in the Shinobi Alliance. That was a huge step for the modernization of their traditions; the elders opposed her father's decision at first, but he argued that Neji had proven to be the right candidate due to his intelligence, strength, and prowess with the clan's techniques. If only he hadn't been branded as a child... Hinata was aware that Hanabi was going to inherit their father's place among the Hyūga, but she was exempted from received the same seal as Neji due to being a woman. It was rather sexist, Hinata thought, but she would never say that to anyone because she lacked confidence. She would remain quiet, blended in with the rest of her relatives in their new compound.
"I'm proud of you," Neji's words startled her.
They were so sudden, but the tone of his voice proved that he was being honest. His eyes were now fully open, and they were staring at her with sibling-like affection. Although they were just cousins, Hinata felt that their bond had grown stronger, like two siblings who've had to struggle together.
"I t-thought I was going to lose y-you," and the tears were falling down her cheeks for a second time. The fear of losing her cousin... she did not want to feel it again. It was rather interesting, she was inside a tent with two of the men who meant the most in her life, and all she could do was show her hidden emotions through tears. She felt overwhelmed.
"We're at war, people die all the time," Neji continued, finding her hand and holding on to it, "Still, I am proud of how much you've grown, Hinata. You could keep up with me while we were surrounded by an army twice our size. If your father had seen you, he would've been just as proud."
And your father would have been proud of you too, Neji-niisan, she thought. The words never came out of her mouth; they have never talked about their fathers' relationship, and Hinata doubted that they ever will. With the help of his arms, Neji sat up until he was at the same height as Hinata, trying to shift around in order to find comfort in his futon.
"Who attacked you?" Hinata asked before she could stop herself. It was a sudden question, one that should not be asked right after the victim had gained back consciousness. Neji took a few moments before he could answer, and judging by his expression, he was trying to remember the events that led him to his attack.
"I was guarding the post when a kunoichi from Iwa came. I could not recognize her suspicious behaviour as we had just met. She told me that I had to guard another side of our camp, one that was farther from the Division. She said she knew her way there, so she directed me to where I was attacked. I remember turning around to see how far we have gotten from the camp, and then I faced once again. Only that instead of having the Iwa kunoichi in front of me," Neji's shoulders tensed up, "there were five White Zetsu clones."
His hands unconsciously went to his eyes, as if he was trying to protect them, "They said they wanted the Byakugan. One of them said it would be a nice present for Uchiha Madara, and that he would expand his collection," Neji shuddered on his last sentence.
"Is he trying to collect every clan's kkekei genkai?" Hinata was surprised at her unusual calmness.
"No, Yakushi Kabuto. He is with Madara plotting something," he informed her, "I fought them all, and it was one of the longest battles I have ever been in. They seemed to give up once they saw the seal in my forehead, commenting that they had wasted their time with one of the unnecessary Hyūga members. They... they left me there with no chakra to cure my injuries. Sakura knows how to treat the Byakugan well, but I overheard of her disappearance. She... she was an essential shinobi in Konoha."
Hinata's previous calmness was tossed aside as she adopted a frightened demeanour. This war was worse with every new discovery of the enemy's plans.
"Naruto-kun found you when he joined our Division," she said, trying to forget the comment that Zetsu made about Neji's status and Sakura's recent disappearance.
In that moment, Hinata felt someone kneeling beside her. It was Naruto, who had left his futon and was now listening to Neji's story. Neji, on the other hand, seemed to finally notice the third party inside the tent. He and Naruto held eye contact for a few seconds before any of them spoke.
"I owe you my life, Uzumaki Naruto."
"You're a friend. That's what friends do," the Uzumaki responded lightly.
Naruto saved one of Hinata's precious people. It was about time that she should do the same for him. The plan came into her mind like a lightning bolt, and she was not going to back down. No way, she thought, not after Naruto had been giving his all during the war.
She was going to devise a plan for Naruto. Because that was what friends did; they helped each other out, they protected one another, and they brought happiness and love. She was going to fulfill her duty of protecting whatever was precious to Naruto.
Hinata waited until the boy was able to exit the tent with the company of two jōnins. She turned to Neji, who was trying to stand up in order to walk again, and she spoke.
"We are going to go rescue Sakura," her voice sounded determined. Neji contemplated her for a few moments before nodding his head. He was well aware of Hinata's love for Naruto, and her dedication to the boy. Hinata was glad that he was going to help, "I am going to need you to help us escape. You are going to activate your Byakugan to make sure no one is following us."
Was she being out of character? The Hinata who everyone knew would stand on the sidelines and let the stronger shinobi do all the work. But this was war, and war meant acting like an adult. She was no longer the sixteen year old unconfident kunoichi, who developed at a slower pace than the rest of her comrades. She could now realize what her identity meant; she was Hyūga Hinata, daughter of Hyūga Hiashi the clan leader, and a Konohagakure kunoichi.
She was going to act accordingly as a brave shinobi, and as the strong daughter her father always wanted. Naruto made her take these desperate measures; he was the reason why she almost died during Pain's invasion, and he was the reason for the sudden appearance of her leadership and bravery.
"Neji-niisan, I know you're not f-fully recovered, but I don't know w-who else would help me," the stuttering came with her fear of not being able to handle all of her new decisions. Feeling with Naruto in order to rescue Sakura was walking straight into the wolf's mouth, of going against the plans of the whole Shinobi Alliance. She was going to take the risk because of Naruto, because she loved him and seeing him near breaking point was too painful.
Hinata heard someone come inside the tent, and whens he turned around she saw Kiba staring and the Hyūga cousins with a questioning look. He took attention of Hinata's determined expression, and due to their many years of being in the same team, he instantly knew that she was planning something. Akamaru took his usual spot beside his partner, and they both looked at Hinata, waiting for her to speak.
"K-Kiba-kun, I need your help. Yours too, Akamaru."
She explained them her impromptu plan, and they gave her some feedback in regards to what could be improved. In the end, Kiba and Neji helped her organize one of the riskiest actions she had ever taken in her life.
They had to wait until the sun was setting. Kiba had informed Naruto that Hinata needed his help in something, and the boy easily fell into the trap. He was brought inside Neji's tent once again, with the two jōnin walking behind him. Kiba had insisted them that they were no longer needed, as Naruto was now surrounded by three close friends who could control him if he were to go on another emotional wreck.
Hinata's heart was beating frantically as she was standing beside Neji. His Byakugan was already activated and so was hers. Naruto looked at the two cousins with a questioning expression. He'd been brought back into the tent on their request, but not fully aware of what was needed of him. Kiba, who was standing behind him looking at Hinata and Neji, gave them a small nod before exiting the tent.
Then, loud barks were heard from the outside, startling Naruto. Hinata glanced over at her cousin, who was seeing the same thing she was. Kiba had been successful in pretending that Akamaru was attacking him uncontrollably. Many medic nins were surrounding the pair, not really sure of how to treat Akamaru's wild behaviour. He was on top of Kiba, barking loudly. No one else but the Inuzuka clan and Team 8 knew that Kiba and Akamaru pretended to fight all the time as a way of distracting the opponent.
"What's happening! Is that Akamaru!" Naruto was about to exit the tent, but Hinata caught on to his arm. He looked back at her confused, and she doubted if they were able to carry on with the plan.
"Hinata, now!" Neji's order brought her back to reality. There was no time to doubt her thoughts; she needed to act fast.
With the Byakugan on, she saw how Kurotsuchi and Karui were making their way to Neji's tent. Neji pushed them to the back side of the tent, while he made signs with his hands and ordered Hinata to leave immediately. Hinata, trying to ignore the uncontrollable beat of her heart, took Naruto's hand and ripped open the back of the tent with a kunai.
"GO!"
After Neji screamed his command, Hinata did not look back. Behind the tent, there was a rock mountain that they had to climb. She quickly told Naruto that they needed to climb up the rock and began to do so herself. She ignored his questions and kept climbing. With chakra gathered in her hands and feet, they were able to make it to the top of the mountain in no time. Hinata, who arrived at the top first, waited until Naruto caught up with her and once again took his hand to drag him away from the Medical Division.
She could see that Akamaru and Kiba had caused a stirrup down in the camp. There were several shinobi who were trying to separate them. Karui and Kurotsuchi were now with Neji, which made her run faster. They were getting near them, finding out her impromptu plan.
The Kages were going to be furious; her father was going to disown her. It didn't matter, though, because she was going to reunite Naruto-kun with his friend.
They ran and ran and didn't stop running until they were far away from the Land of Lightning. She was glad of Naruto's unnatural speed; they were able to get away from any shinobi settlement in no time. He kept asking for answers, though, which unnerved her. Hinata decided to abruptly stop once they reached the southeastern side of the Land of Frost. The landscape was still made up of trees despite the country having the reputation of cold weather. She looked for a place that seemed adaptable for a rest before she turned to look at Naruto.
He was confused, she knew, wondering why in the world someone like her would want to run away with him when there were two dangerous shinobi controlling a whole army that was meant to capture him. This was probably the worst idea she'd ever come up with. Naruto was going to hate her for taking him away from all the action and the Kages' protection. They were going to die in vain. They were—
"Hinata, did you... why did you do this?"
"We're going to rescue Sakura-chan."
Tsunade was drunk.
She got drunk whenever someone close to her died or went missing. She remembered all the sake she drank when Dan died, when her little brother died, when Jiraiya announced that he was leaving her. And now, she was drinking because there was no other way of coping with the pain of losing another important person. Sakura, her little Sakura, had been abducted. By none other than Madara and Kabuto. And she knew where her apprentice was. She knew Sakura was alive. But she had to wait for all the Kages to assemble in order to announce her findings.
It was rather useless, she thought, waiting for all these shinobi who weren't familiar with Sakura. She could be out there with Shizune, forgetting that there was a war going on because the third member of their woman trio was kidnapped and that was what mattered the most to her. Tsunade was old, sick and tired of losing those she loved.
Her teammates were gone, her family was gone too. She considered every member of Konoha to be part of her precious circle, and that was why she had sent all the civilians along with those from smaller countries into the refugee camp. They could not be exposed to Akatsuki's cruelty. She wanted to keep as many people alive as she could.
But this was war, and those who were in the frontlines were meant to die. Sakura included. She doubted she could ever see her young apprentice's face again, and wished to summon Shizune just so that she could take her of her drunken state.
Geez, the sake was not strong enough for her! Where did A keep his liquor in his office? He most likely needed some as well due to his role as the highest decision maker of the Shinobi Alliance. After Orochimaru's attack three years ago and Pain's recent attack, Konohagakure had lost the status of the most powerful village of the Five Great Shinobi Countries. It meant that her say in foreign affairs was not as influential as A's; however, judging by her current state, it would be better if they just locked her up in a cupboard.
The memory of Kabuto's words came back to her mind whenever she put her drink down, so she kept swallowing the liquid in order to forget the fear she felt. It was ridiculous; she was the Hokage, a Sannin, the first Hokage's granddaughter and the best medic nin in the Five Great Countries, but she could not handle the pain of being at war. She never could and she never would.
As she sat on A's chair, looking through the windows that spread from one side of the room to another, she contemplated the newly arrived troops. They were young boys and girls who had just passed their Chūnin Exams and were therefore capable of fighting in the war. It wasn't a good sign; it meant that their numbers were decreasing against Madara's ever growing army. These kids –because they were kids, after all—were probably just as afraid as she was during her first war.
She remembered looking at Jiraiya and Orochimaru back and forth, feeling empowered by their presence. They used to be such a strong team, but not strong enough to last until old age. Sarutobi worked with his original teammates, the elders, until his death. She never got a second chance in reuniting the Legendary Sannin, and neither would Naruto in reuniting his team. A shinobi's life was rather depressing; it came with killing and being killed, a cycle that never ended until someone stabbed you in the heart.
A sigh escaped from her lips at the realization that she had just finished her third bottle. It was a good thing that she had brought her own supplies from Konoha. She told herself that there would not be enough liquor to cure her pain in the Shinobi Alliance headquarters, and she had been right.
With a slow pace, she stood up from A's chair while holding on to his desk, and searched around his office to see if he did have a hidden supply of sake. If anyone had found her in that state, they would have expelled her from all the meetings because of her behaviour. How deviant, to indulge in one's temptation just once during the war. She was sure that there were many shinobi fulfilling their own wishes before they were killed in the battlefield. After all, all the Divisions had male and female soldiers.
Ugh, a migraine was making its way. How frustrating. She needed Shizune, Shikaku, someone who knew how to treat a drunk Tsunade. She needed Sakura, who took care of cleaning after her mess whenever she went on a drinking binge. But Sakura was gone, she had to remember, and there were slim chances of getting her back. Poor Naruto, she felt his pain very well. He's been losing his loved ones ever since he took his first breaths. His parents, best friend, master, and now the abduction of his other best friend? No wonder why the kid let the Kyūbi take control of him.
She opened the door of one of A's office furniture, but only found scrolls and scrolls of useless seals, contracts, agreements, testaments, whatever. The Shinobi Alliance only needed Bee's and Naruto's faces as a symbol for their unity, not a bunch of shit signed on paper. However, she thought, Naruto's persona was currently deeply affected by Sakura's disappearance. It could make the Alliance appear weaker, so the Kages had to make a decision, and quickly.
"So all the rumours they make about you indulging in a bottle of sake are true."
With an annoying expression, Tsunade turned to look at the office entrance. A was standing there, watching her roam around his personal documents with his usual furrowed brows.
"We all deal with pain differently," she responded.
Tsunade tried to straighten up but almost lost balance. With a quick move, A brought his office chair to her side and she once again sat down. Lazily, she started fiddling with her feet as a bored child who was about to get an adult talk. Her head tilted from one side to another, it felt heavier than usual. Maybe it was due to the alcohol, or due to the burden she had to carry as a Kage. What a pain. And Naruto wanted her position? The boy did not know what was coming.
"You're right. I just came back from destroying one of the many unnecessary rooms we have in his building," A said as he took another chair and sat in front of her, "and I didn't use the door, either."
She offered him the bottle in her hand. It still contained some sake. A contemplated it for a bit before taking it from her hand and taking a sip. He settled it on the table without letting it go, as if he was trying to keep it away from Tsunade's grasp. It annoyed her; she wanted to cover her pain, dammit!
"In my office," she started, "I have a hidden door on my ceiling. It leads to a small den where I have every type of sake found in the Land of Fire. Shizune and Sakura are the only ones with access to it, and whenever I feel like... like indulging myself, I have to devise a plan where I can steal their set of keys without them noticing," A raised an eyebrow at her unusual story, "Shizune is so used to all of my tactics that it is rather impossible getting the keys from her. Sakura, on the other hand, she's learned quickly. I would say that she almost knows every trick under my sleeve."
And despite the war going on outside, despite Naruto's desperation, she let out a soft chuckle at the thought of her apprentice's learning abilities. "Such a smart girl..." But Tsunade would no longer be able to get the keys to her secret den from Sakura, because Sakura was not with her anymore. She should have kept the girl by her side, constantly monitored. She knew that Sakura could fight for herself –hell, she was her apprentice!—but to Tsunade, the girl was still a child.
"C was captured with her," A took a longer sip of the bottle after he spoke. His lips wrinkled, trying to adapt to the burning feeling of alcohol going down his throat. She guessed that he was not so keen on drinking, "Also a medic nin, and an excellent sensor. One of my closest shinobi. I never got to teach him, but Darui recommended that he should be kept close to my personal team. Darui's my right hand man, just like Shizune is yours," A settled his only arm on the table, tapping his fingers, "And he was right at recommending the boy; never seen so much talent in another sensor type. A little too arrogant, but he backed up his arrogance with his cleverness."
It was funny how the two most powerful Kages in all of the countries had lost their young companions to the hands of the enemy. Obviously, Madara and Kabuto were going to extract information from them. Tsunade knew that their methods were merciless; they were most likely going to kill Sakura and C, and then cut them in little pieces and spread them around the Five Great Countries in order to distract the Alliance.
"They won't give any information," A said. They would die before betraying their comrades.
"So young and full of talent. I guess that we are getting old, Raikage-sama. We're outliving the future generation with this war. If anything, it should be us, the old ones, who are fighting in the front lines."
She wasn't sure why she was speaking out her mind. Perhaps because she and A shared the pain of losing one of their very best while trying to deal with a Jinchūriki and an army of 50,000 shinobi. They would hold the most responsibility if something were to go wrong in the war.
"We must take the burden that young shoulders cannot bear."
A responded by taking another sip of the drink. Tsunade's cheeks were coming back to their original colour. She was finally sobering up, and the conversation was making much more sense, "You may think that I will not remember talking to you about how much we will miss our young companions, but I will," Yes, because Sakura meant a lot to her, and she was sure that C was just as important to the Raikage.
"C wasn't very fond of Konoha shinobi anyway," A said, "You tend to be too emotional —powerful, but emotional."
Tsunade smirked at the light conversation. It was far away from talking about the Alliance's next strategy. It was like talking to an old friend about one's day to day life without much to worry, "Yeah, and the Kumo nin are pretty happy about being the most influential now. The cargo that came with managing the most powerful shinobi village is off of this woman's shoulders," she pointed at herself with her thumb, "Don't take the power too lightly, Raikage-sama, it may cost you another arm."
"And it may cost you all your wrinkles, Hokage-sama."
For a moment, Tsunade wished to be in a casino, gambling away her grandparents' fortune while Shizune took care of Tonton. She wished that Jiraiya had taken the post of Hokage; he would have been a better leader than her. He would have gained the men's trust with his mighty abilities and the women's good sides with his charms. He would have known how to stop Orochimaru before the Uchiha boy absorbed his power, and definitely before Yakushi Kabuto merged his cells with the Sannin's.
She felt almost completely sobered up, which was a good sign since they were about to have a meeting with the other three Kages. Finally, she stood up without the need of holding on to A's table. The Raikage was observing her recovery with a raised eyebrow, as if he was wondering how such a powerful woman could drink herself to oblivion when she had so many responsibilities. It was a question that Tsunade did not even have an answer herself.
"I think you're sober enough to put up with all the shit from the leaders, am I right?" A held out his only arm as a way of inviting her to exit the office by his side.
However, just as they were about to step outside of his office, two Suna shinobi appeared in front of them.
"Hokage-sama, Raikage-sama, there's been an emergency," said one of them.
A and Tsunade looked at one another, their relaxed personas were immediately replaced with the face they put on during their formal duties. "What is it?" A asked while Tsunade bit the inside of her cheeks. She could only predict the worst.
"Uzumaki Naruto and Hyūga Hinata have escaped. They're heading to the Mountain's Graveyard."
"Naruto..." Sakura whispered in her half-sleeping state.
She sat with her knees held near her chest, wrapped in her arms, thinking. She thought about her memories with Team Seven, her training with Tsunade-shishou, the many outings she had with the girls back in Konoha. Life for shinobi was never easy, but it had been easy for her. Now, though, reality had slapped her in the face harder than usual.
One of Zetsu's clones had paid them a visit just a moment ago, sporting a cruel grin in his white skinned features. It frightened Sakura. She knew that the worst was just about to start.
C touched her arm lightly, as a sign of moral support. No, she wasn't alone in this. She still had the allegiance of a stranger, a stranger that she chose to trust fully because of his hitai-ate. It was time to prepare, because Zetsu had something planned for her.
Sakura was about to get tortured. The way Zetsu's clone grinned at her was enough evidence. She wasn't going to let him break her, not yet. She was still a loyal kunoichi, to her village and the Alliance. That loyalty wasn't going to be broken in only one torture session. It didn't matter what happened, she wasn't going to spill any information.
There were worse things, like losing all of her loved ones and falling into darkness, she thought. Sakura wanted her inner self to keep her away from reaching that point. She just wasn't sure if there was enough strength in her mind to avoid the final breaking point.
And here is the seventh chapter! The wait was longer but hey, this is the longest chapter I've published so far. Don't worry, I have LONGER ones waiting. If you wanna read them, send a review ;)
Gah, I suck at persuading you to review... I'm really happy with everyone who has added this story to their alerts and favourites, it really encourages me to keep writing. However, I would love to read more feedback :$ Just one or two lines!
Anyway, what did you think of the chapter? We see three main points of views. The last part with Sakura was something I added last minute, as a prelude for next chapter's. Please don't hate me for messing up with her mind. She's the most human out of all the characters so I'm using normal human reactions to torture and war for her character.
Leave a review, please. A review makes a happy writer, a happy writer writes more and updates faster :3
And happy belated Canada Day and Fourth of July to all North Americans out there. Fireworks were fucking-tastic, even though the rest of my week has been like a roller-coaster with the finalization of my long-term relationship. But I shouldn't bother you with my problems.
I'm starting summer school this week, so I don't know how my writing schedule will work. Nonetheless, I am not dropping this story!
Sincerely,
MSM
Ps: if you find any inaccuracy or mistake in my writing, please let me know in a review so that I can fix it :) kaybye!