Chapter 29: Destitute Hearts

Ichiraku's Ramen, 5:00 am

Naruto stretched quietly, making sure not to disturbed his lover's slumber. He stared into the face of the girl, smiling gently. Hinata lay next to him, still in her kimono, her face wet with tears of happiness.

Naruto brushed the dark indigo locks away from her face. Kissing her forehead he rose silently from the window seat, and tip toed to the door. He glanced one more time at the young girl, and then closed the door. Walking up the stairs he allowed his thoughts from last night to float around in his head.

What would they do now? Would Hiashi come after Hinata again? Where in the world was Neji-

Damn! Neji! Where has that bastard been?! I didn't even see him at the wedding…did something happen to him? Did Hiroshi…no…I can't think like that. First I have to think about Hinata. Yea…first Hinata and then everything else.

Naruto grabbed his jacket, and it slipping on his shoulders exited the ramen shop. He stood in the middle of the near empty street observing the few shops that were beginning to open. He turned right, walking towards Kakashi's favorite book store and then turning down an alley.

Eh…what is that smell? Smells…like something is burning…

Naruto began following the smoky scent…unaware that he was coming closer to the worse scene he would ever witness in his life.

It's coming from…the Hyuga Compound! What's happened?!

Naruto picked up the pace, his fear and anxiety pumping him on. The smell…that was the smell of burning flesh. That was the smell of death.

And now death was before him. He couldn't breathe…his mouth had never felt so dry.

Smoke still framed the sky in a horrid cloud and the air around him so thick he coughed.

No…no…no! No! No! No! Please….no! This can't happen! This wasn't supposed to happen!

The Branch Compound had been reduced to nothing but ashes and charred debris. The outline of what once was large home to many people now lay in ruins. He wanted to scream…he wanted to yell. He wanted to tear his hair out.

"No…no…no!" Naruto turned to see the very person he would have never wanted to testify.

Hinata stood her arms at her sides. Tears so large Naruto could barely see her eyes.

"Hinata! What-what are you doing here!" Naruto ran to her. Hinata shrank back, covering her mouth with her hands.

No! Hinata why? Why did you follow me?! Why?! Hinata!

"No!" She screamed. She ran towards the compound.

"No! Please no!" Naruto grabbed her hand, pulling her back.

"No! Hinata! No!"

"Let me go! Naruto let me go! Now please!" Hinata struggled frantically against him. Her small arms reaching…reaching towards her home. Her family.

She bit Naruto's hand and ran when he released her.

"Damn it! Hinata don't go in there! Hinata!" Naruto ran after. He started to choke as he breathed in the air. Inside what used to be a compound nothing but ruins and ash.

"Hinata! Hinata!" He called after her. He blinked trying to clear his eyes of the still hot smoke.

Damn! Damn! Damn it!

He coughed violently, covering his mouth with his jacket called her name again. He ran around the scorched side of one house, and saw a figure sitting there.

"Hinata!" Naruto ran to her. He stopped. She was holding the body of what appeared to be a small child. She rocked back and forth. Her lips moving, but no sound came out.

Naruto could feel himself losing control. An anger he tried to so long to ignore was begging, pleading to be let loose. He sank to the ground, wrapping his arms around her.

Words…really were unnecessary. Words couldn't bring them back. Words couldn't undo the damage that had been done.

"Love breeds sacrifice. Sacrifice breeds hate…and hate breeds war."

Hinata stopped rocking.

She tightly grasped Naruto's arm that was circled around her chest. He wanted to tear himself apart when cold tears trickled down on his now blackened skin.

"I…hate… him." The words barely a whisper, but Naruto heard them.

"I hate him." Hinata gagged out. Her words hardly audible from her weeping. Naruto's heart dropped. He knew those words… words of revenge. Those were words of one who would travel down the path that led to destruction.

Hinata…

She gently laid the child down. Naruto gathered her in his arms.

She buried her face in his neck.

--

"What… is this?" Neji touched his cheek. Clear liquid fell from his eyes.

Tears…

And suddenly…his chest felt massive. Like a large weight had been thrown and now he was sinking under an abyss. He sat up as pain surged through his chest.

"Why…does my heart feel…as if it's being torn apart?"

--

Hinata in is his arms Naruto walked through the living hell. Everything had been leveled.

He covered Hinata's head with his jacket, and continued walking through the wreckage. Burned bodies, small and large jutted out from under the rumble, some even in what used to be the small walkways between the houses.

Who had done such a thing? Who in their right mind would…?

Naruto maneuvered his way back to the singed gates. He slowed his pace when he noticed a group of people had begun to assemble outside the compound. They pointed and some even tried to go in.

Naruto ran behind a wall. An ANBU black op was pushing the crowd back, ordering them not to come any further.

Shit…what are they doing here?

"Naruto…you can put me down now." Hinata said. He nodded setting her down softly. Hinata peeked around the corner.

"Come on Hinata. We're leaving now." Naruto pulled her away from the quickly growing crowd.

They ran through the scorched compound trying not to inhale the scent of death around them.

Hinata could feel her tears burning her eyes. Her throat was dry and her legs felt heavy. They stopped when the reach, from what Hinata guess was the south wall, next to the horse stables.

"Naruto-kun this way!" She looked around. Five ANBU guarding the exit in the stables. Naruto nudged her.

"Well?"

"There are five ANBU…around the stables. It looks like they're studying the ground there. If we take that way we have to run fast. It leads to the outskirts of the forest."

Naruto nodded.

--

They slowed down to a light walk. Naruto held Hinata's hand tightly. His anger rose again when he heard her quiet sobs.

Who the hell did that?! I'll kill him! I'll kill them all!

Suddenly Hinata stopped. She was staring ahead at something, her face withered in disbelief.

"Hinata-chan? What's wrong?" She broke away from him and ran towards the opening clearing.

"Hinata! Come back! Someone might see you!" He ran after her. Stepping through some bushes his eyes seemed to be glued on to the site before him.

Hinata leaned down. She picked up a forehead protector…tracing the line that crossed the Konoha symbol.

"This…was Neji-niisan…this was his…"

"I'm surprised you found me." Naruto and Hinata turned away.

Before her…was a person she had never met. Because those eyes...those were the eyes of a true murderer...not her protector.

Three chapters in one day! This was a surprise for you all because I wanted to update as many as I could before I leave :). Aren't I a considerate author? lol...now that I think about I got a request from a friend for a Gaara one-shot. I still haven't finished it....lol.

This chapter...this chapter...made me weep, literally. Why do I have to write such sad things? Why?! But I hope you all keep enjoying the story and please review! Please...if I receive flames tell me what I can do to make the story better :)...I'm so hating Hiroshi right now and I'm the one who created him! Argh! I hate myself!

P.S. The next chapter * SPOILERS * will be in Hanabi's POV!