Disclaimer:I do not own Naruto or any of its respective characters. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only. (Mostly my amusement.) However, if I DID own Naruto, it would be called "Neji and Hinata: Byakugan Babies Galore!" That has a nice ring to it...
Author's Note:Let me start first by thanking everyone who has read and reviewed Possession, especially those who reviewed the previous chapter. I was so down on that one because I had a really hard time writing it. Your encouragement is much appreciated, and I am so glad you all liked it. Now, let me apologize for taking so long with this update. Because the last chapter was such a pain, I decided to take a week off without even thinking about the story. Usually, I begin the next chapter as soon as the current one is posted, but since I could feel a major burn out coming on, I thought it best just to take a break. I was right, as this chapter flowed much better, and I finished it in about three days. So, there you go! I feel refreshed, and my mind has it all plotted out to the end. Everything starts coming together now. Enjoy, everyone, and don't forget to leave me an awesome review!
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Possession - Chapter Thirteen
Tomomori's blade came crashing toward her, and she rolled to the right to avoid the strike. Hinata looked up through the haze of unbridled fury, the kunai clenched between her teeth slick with the moisture of her breath. She had only two left, and the other was clasped firmly in her left hand.
Tomomori looked her up and down. "So eager, koishii." His lips curved into a cruel smile. "Perhaps you would like to have another kind of weapon between those luscious lips."
She flung the kunai in her hand, and it soared past her enemy, severing several strands of dark hair as he ducked down. She frowned. Though she had not been aiming for him, she couldn't help but hope he would be struck dead.
The kunai tore through the knot-work behind him, and it unraveled. The pikes that had been secured against the wall, fell in a wide arc. They sliced through the air, before landing in a pile of metal and splintered wood. Tomomori, however, was not the mess of severed limbs that had flashed through her mind after he'd opened his filthy mouth.
The elder stepped out of the corner that he'd managed to escape into. "Clever girl," he said. Then he paused, tearing a strip of cloth from his sleeve, and wrapping it around the gash in his right arm.
Hinata smirked. So, he did not come out unscathed, after all.
"Seems you're full of traps today," he said, completing the makeshift bandage.
She took the last kunai from her mouth, squeezing the hilt in her trembling fist. Tomomori approached, footsteps heavy, creaking the fractured wooden planks beneath him. Hinata scanned the room. Her Byakugan was weakening, pulsing in distortion every few seconds. She heaved the thick air into her lungs, struggling against her erratic heartbeat. She would not give up. As long as there was life in her, she would stand, and fight– and kill him.
"Slowing down, I see," Hinata forced herself to speak, straightening her spine despite the violent thrusts in her chest. "Perhaps you are too old for this profession." She focused chakra into both of her hands, and subsequently, into the weapons therein. "Or maybe," her eyes narrowed, "all those years siting on that cushioned council seat have softened you."
"Afraid not, koishii. I'm hard as a rock." He swept the hair from his eyes. "But, you'll see that soon enough." He stood tall, projecting his arrogance toward her. "I can tell, you like it rough," he grinned. "But don't worry, I won't leave any scars."
"Shut up!" Hinata shrieked. She threw the kunai, and a thin thread of chakra trailed behind it. Tomomori deflected the projectile with his sword, then rushed at her. Hinata leapt backward, pulling her left hand behind her. The kunai curved around, streaking toward the traitor's back. Hinata planted her feet, then spun on her heel, reaching out with the Leader's sword. Steel met steel, and sparks flashed in the darkness.
Tomomori bore his weight onto her, and she was pushed to the floor. The kunai she'd thrown and redirected sank into him, right where his blind-spot would have been if he had the Byakugan.
"Aaaargh!" He screamed. He pulled away from her, and she scrambled to her feet. Tomomori reached around for the kunai, then Hinata sent a burst of chakra through the shimmering thread, bringing him to his knees.
"Submit!" She demanded, then shocked him again.
"Bitch!" He fell on all fours. Saliva seeped from his mouth, pooling onto the floor. "This is nothing! You can not hold me like this!" Again, her chakra sizzled through his body.
"Submit!" She repeated. Hinata sent a steady stream flowing into him. Her chakra buzzed around his body, casting an eerie blue glow in the dojo.
Tomomori clenched his teeth, sneering as he planted one foot on the floor. "You think this will stop me?" He braced his weight with a hand on his knee. "As I told you before," he planted his other foot, and Hinata stepped back. "Your pathetic chakra is nothing compared to the fire of the Caged Bird Seal!"
He swept his sword forward, and a blaze of white charka engulfed the Hyuuga Leader. Her thread snapped, and she was thrown against the wall by the blast.
"You're not the only one with impressive chakra control," he shook off the effects of Hinata's attack, then stalked toward her. "I'll admit, I never expected such an advanced technique from the likes of you, however..." he loomed above her as her body convulsed beneath him. "I've learned to expect the unexpected."
He raised his sword, ready to pierce through her with his blade. Hinata's eyes snapped open, and her heel collided with his manhood.
Tomomori wheezed, as he grasped his throbbing member. His eyes bulged when he saw the slight smile on Hinata's face. Lady Hyuuga ran him through with the Leader's sword– then he smiled, before exploding in a puff of thick smoke.
Hinata coughed, rising to her feet. She pressed her heel against the log, yanking her sword free of the dead wood, when she heard the whir of shuriken slicing through the air. She dove out of the haze, but was caught, twice in her lower back and once in the thigh. She rolled onto her back, forcing the shuriken even deeper.
"Aaah!" A sob tore out of her. She brought the blade to her face, just in time to deflect the two kunai sailing toward her. The spasms in her chest were almost unbearable, and the tightness was like a vice on her battered heart-muscle. She clutched herself, tears falling freely now.
What could she do? How would she survive this? She had known that the odds were not in her favor. Her Jyuuken was abysmal, so she had not even tried to use her Gentle Fist, relying instead on traps and her keen observational skills. But she was running out of ideas, while he just waited her out. The bastard had stamina, and she was after all, just a weak little kunoichi.
Hinata sank her teeth into her lower lip, until the familiar, metallic taste filled her mouth. No! She would not give up! Not now! Not ever!
Adrenaline surged through her, and she sprang to her feet. She arched her back until her hands were planted on the hard wood, avoiding the sword stroke aimed at her pale throat. Hinata jutted her leg up, connecting her heel with Tomomori's face. She twisted her body, and sent him skidding across the floor.
She wasted no time before sweeping her sword forward, shooting an arrow of blue chakra straight at him. It hit the mark, sinking into his right arm. The appendage seized up, and he dropped his sword. When she stood, Hinata buckled under her own weight. She looked down at her thigh, and the shuriken embedded within her flesh.
So much blood...
She took a slow, deep breath, needing to calm her racing heart. If she didn't, it would pump her life-force straight out of her severed artery.
Tomomori arose, cursing his shaking arm. "You don't look so good," he smirked.
Hinata yanked the shuriken out of her thigh in one smooth, careful motion. She flung it back at him, then immediately shoved the heel of her palm into the wound. He dodged effortlessly.
She was bent over awkwardly, with her left hand holding her right thigh. She had to fight to keep her body still, as she searched for a tourniquet. Nothing. There was nothing she could use. She could feel the blood pouring out of her, and her heart clenching just as erratically as before. Tomomori's right arm lay limply at his side, but in his left hand, he clutched a kunai.
Hinata's vision faded, then came back again, blurry and distorted. She blinked through the sheen of tears, but found no focus. Her head pounded from the strain of her Byakugan, and finally, she released the bloodline limit. She glanced down at her sword as she leaned forward, slightly. There was no way she could fight like this. Her eyes met Tomomori's murderous glare. Her only option was to escape. But how?
"Oh, I see the wheels turning in that pretty little head of yours," he inched closer. He was still wary of her. She was glad of that much, at least. "You aren't going anywhere, Hyuuga Hinata."
She was starting to feel light headed, and her stomach was so queasy. It was getting harder to breath, and she wondered why she was still trying to stay awake through the numbness creeping into her extremities. The pain in her chest began to ease, so she limped to the side, trying to avoid the dark shape in front of her. She knew it was Tomomori, but she couldn't tell how close he was anymore.
"Koishii," his voice sounded from behind her. Hinata whipped around clumsily, her sword flailing in all directions. It was so heavy. She could barely grasp the hilt in her slick hand. Tomomori caught her wrist, squeezing until her delicate bones gave way.
"Aaah!" She screeched, dropping the Leader's sword. He held her with his left hand, for his right arm still dangled uselessly. What happened to the kunai he'd been brandishing? Hinata collapsed, as the last of her strength and adrenaline faded. She managed a glance down at her torso, having felt a sudden warmth spreading there. She found his missing kunai– protruding from her side.
Blood... So much blood...
Tomomori caught her as she fell, then laid her down on the floor. He ripped the kunai out of her, holding the bloodied weapon high above his head. He smiled down at her.
"I had hoped to steal you away," he whispered. "But you're more trouble than you're worth, little kunoichi."
Hyuuga Hinata was fading away, so she didn't resist the glimmering steel sailing toward her. She was not afraid to die. She was a shinobi, and had guessed that her death would be a bloody end in service to Konoha. Of this she was correct. However, she was surprised; surprised that her final thoughts would linger on the man she was so sure that she hated.
Hair of darkest, deepest brown. Eyes of the whitest, purest snow. Skin as pale as her own, like porcelain; and a smirk that set her senses blazing. Neji. Niisan. Her cousin. Her friend. Her lover. Her protector; keeper of her heart and all its secrets. She exhaled. What would he think when he found her lifeless corpse?
As she waited for Tomomori's blade to pierce through her chest, Hinata found that it was not so difficult to forgive him, after all...
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"Hurry now!" The hag called back at the two trailing behind her. They had no time to waste, yet Hanabi-sama kept slowing them down. Stupid little brat. What was she trying to do, get them caught?
She looked back with her Byakugan, and saw the girl staring blankly at Tomoyuki. Something wasn't right here. There was no emotion in her dull eyes, but there was tension– and something else...
The old woman's attention was torn from them, as she detected a familiar presence just ahead. She halted, throwing her arm up to signal the others. Her heart began to race. Hyuuga Neji was in the compound!
What was she going to do? If he was here, then surely he knew everything! She felt the panic rising. She could not let him find them!
The hag shooed her two charges into the trees. Neji was Hinata's faithful hound. No matter what the circumstances, he would always fight for her. Her sunken eyes widened, as an idea formed in her mind. But, what if he had nothing left to fight for?
She grimaced, while forcing her arthritic hands into the complex motion of seals. Her plan would buy them time, at the very least. And a little more time was all an old woman could ask for.
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Hyuuga Hanabi crouched low, concealed behind a leafy bush with Tomoyuki by her side. His incessant shaking was grating against her nerves like nails screeching on a chalk board. She could hardly stomach the sight of him, covered in her father's blood, stinking like the rotted corpse he would soon be.
She peered through the leaves, watching the hag as she cast the genjutsu. She activated her Byakugan, searching ahead for whomever had caused the bitch elder to prepare the trap. Neji? Hanabi frowned, narrowing her eyes into razor slits. What was that old crone trying to do?
Hanabi pulled all of the senbon from her pouch, along with a length of wire twine. She crept forward a bit, tying the twine around two sturdy branches of the bush. She pulled several feet of thin wire from her pouch also, tying one end to the middle of the twine, and drawing it back taut. She secured the senbon in a bushel against the twine, aiming the needles for the area specified by the old woman's genjutsu. Finally, she tied the other end of thin wire to a kunai, and waited for the hag to fall to her knees, after her expenditure of energy. When the elder lay panting on the ground, Hanabi flung the kunai, pulling the wire across her senbon's line of fire. It connected with a tree on the other side. Her trap was set. All Neji had to do was trip the wire.
She crept back toward Tomoyuki, and waited for the hag to return. Her lips curled upward, just a little bit. What ever the filthy crone had planned, it wouldn't last for long.
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Uzumaki Naruto ran along the rooftops of the Hyuuga compound. He really had no idea where to look for Hinata, since he had never actually been inside the gates before tonight.
He leapt over the gap between buildings, and kept running, all the while scanning the ground for any familiar figures. He'd seen throngs of Hyuuga scurrying about, chasing each other with pikes and other weapons. All hell had broken loose in this god forsaken Clan, and he hoped with all of his being that Hinata wasn't caught in the middle of it.
As he scanned the ground below, a blur in the distance caught his eye. He squinted as he picked up his pace. Who was that? Long hair, arms trailing behind in the usual shinobi fashion... He growled. It was him!
"Hyuuga Neji," Naruto spat, surging forward with inhuman speed. His features began to change. His teeth sharpened and his eyes tinged red. Claws formed where his nails once were. He bared his new fangs, as his vision tunneled in on the Hyuuga genius, running with no regard to his back. "Finally," he growled. Finally, he would get what he deserved.
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Neji ran into the garden clearing, and stopped when his eyes fell upon the small shape laying motionless in the center. Her clothes were torn, leaving her body exposed to the chill of night. His face drew back in horror. White and red. White skin– red blood. His stomach lurched into his throat, and his whole body quaked.
Blood... everywhere... So much blood!
He ran to her. "Hinata-sama!" Neji lifted the limp body into his arms, clutching his beloved close against his chest. "No! Hinata-sama!" He buried his face in her hair. "It can't be... No, please Gods, no!" He sobbed into her, completely unashamed, and unaware of the Kyuubi vessel closing in on him.
He stared into her grey, lifeless eyes. "How?" His teeth clenched down. "Who?" He seethed. The rage burned inside him, scorching from the inside out. Electric blue chakra sizzled around him, engulfing him, and the corpse in his arms. "Why!?" He howled to the waning moon.
"You sick bastard!"
Neji turned his feral eyes toward the previously unnoticed shinobi. "You..." He hissed. He had not seen Naruto since that fateful hour two days prior, when he'd caught the demon vessel kissing his beloved. The Hyuuga prodigy could not control the tremors racking his body. As he stared into equally feral eyes, all he could think was how fitting it would be to rip out the heart of the man who stole Hinata-sama's away from him. If it weren't for Naruto, he never would have hurt her, and never would have been absent from her side. He released a strangled growl. If it weren't for Uzumaki Naruto, Neji never would have lost the one person he loved more than his own life.
He laid the corpse out on the soft ground, and stood, Byakugan focused intently on the boy with the burning, red chakra. Naruto stared at the body for several moments, seething as Kyuubi's chakra flared around him.
"How could you," Naruto wrenched.
Neji did not answer. What did it matter if the fool thought he was the one who killed Hinata-sama? She was dead. Nothing mattered anymore.
"She was special to me," the blonde stepped forward. "How could you do that to a sweet person like Hinata-chan!?" His fists balled tight. "Did she mean nothing to you? I thought you were supposed to protect her!"
Neji looked down at the form at his feet. "I was. And I failed," he whispered. He met Naruto's intense stare. "So, now what, demon-brat? You going to punish me? Kill me?" He fell into the Jyuuken stance. "Come on. I've nothing left to live for anyway."
And so began the battle over the life– and death of Hyuuga Hinata...
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Hanabi stalked her prey like a lioness. Tomoyuki was in a daze, shivering and mumbling to himself. The hag was out in front, scanning ahead. She reached into her pouch, resting her small hand on a single kunai. Now was the time. She could wait no longer.
"Hanabi-sama!" She heard the hag call out to her. The old woman waved her hands in the air, the signal that she'd found the Cloud shinobi. Hanabi grimaced. Foolish woman. She had finally told her everything, along with some lie about wanting to save Konoha from the curse of mediocrity. She'd said that was why they'd betrayed the village, though to hear her spin it, the Hokage and her loyal shinobi were the real traitors. Yeah, right.
Hanabi had pretended to agree, and promised to come along. The bitch elder would indeed give the Byakugan to the enemy, but it would be her own eyes that they took back to Kumogakure.
"Hai, honorable Main elder," the young kunoichi called back to the traitor, sliding her hand out of her kunai pouch.
The old woman rushed toward her. "They are just over that hill," she said, panting heavily. Tomoyuki tripped over a root, falling to his knees. "Get up!" The hag demanded, tugging on his arm.
"You go on ahead, elder," Hanabi urged her forward, smiling. "We'll be right behind you."
The hag stared into the child's eyes. "You are sure, young one?" She was frightened, as well she should be. The Cloud were not known for their mercy, especially after such a botched attack. But, if she didn't know that already, then she truly was a fool.
"Yes. Just hurry," she pushed her on her way. It didn't take much coaxing before the old woman was struggling back up and over the hill. Hanabi activated her Byakugan, watching the doomed woman scurry toward her demise. She smirked. Now, she was alone with her prey.
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She opened her eyes to darkness swirling all around her. Her head throbbed, but the pain in her heart had somehow eased. Her breathing was shallow, and she could not move. Hinata turned her head from side to side, taking in her surroundings. She was still in the dojo, but she was alive... and Tomomori was no where to be found. She tried to sit up. Did he spare her life? She coughed. Unlikely.
She heard a stirring nearby, and a shuffling before she felt strong hands pressing her back down onto the floor.
"Hold still, little cherry," a familiar voice said. But, it was different somehow; tinged with– concern?
"Who– " She began, but was cut off by a finger pressed to her lips.
"Shhhh," he said. "You're very weak, Hinata-chan," he re-positioned the crude pillow beneath her head. "I'm sorry it took me so long to find you."
"Who?" She repeated, pushing his hands away.
He chuckled. "I think you'll be just fine. Luckily, you weren't beyond my rudimentary medical skills." He leaned over her, staring into her glazed, white eyes.
Her vision slowly began to clear as he hovered above her. She took in the sight of one eye, black as the night enshrouding them, and the other, a stark contrast. It was scarred. It was red. It was the Sharingan.
"Kakashi-sensei," Hinata breathed in relief.
"That's right, little cherry. You're safe now," he soothed.
"But, how? I should be dead."
Kakashi smiled through his mask. "Hokage-sama sent me, along with a care package," he held up the small medical box. "As long as you keep still, you'll be fine. I'm taking you to the hospital."
"No!" She protested. "My Clan!"
"You'd be surprised how well they're taking care of things for you, Hinata-chan." He helped her to sit up a bit. "You have some very fine men and women serving under you."
"But– "
"You won't do them any good if you bleed to death," Kakashi said, sternly. "The hospital. Now."
She could not argue with the man who had saved her life. "Hai, sensei," she answered. He bundled her up in his arms. "My sword," she reached out for the blade, laying sheathed next to her place on the floor. He picked it up as well, handing it to her.
"Ready to go?" He asked.
"Hai," she smiled at him.
Kakashi walked outside, leaping onto the roof with practiced ease. Hinata was quiet, clutching onto the jounin's vest. A sense a dread welled up inside of her when she realized he hadn't informed her of the events after she'd passed out.
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Flashback
Tomomori slashed downward, kunai gleaming in what little light was present in the dojo. Hinata closed her eyes in anticipation of her painful death. Seconds passed, and she felt nothing. A strangled scream sounded, and the ping of metal hitting the hard wood caught her attention. She opened her eyes to see her enemy grimacing, struggling with his limp right arm in an attempt to pull another kunai out of his left wrist.
He stumbled forward, tripping and falling toward her. Her hand found the kunai he'd dropped before she realized she had even moved. As his weight came crashing down on her, she felt his flesh give way to the sharp blade.
More red warmth pooled onto her, as she caught his wide eyes in her own diamond glare. "Farewell," Hinata whispered into his ear. "Until we meet again... in the next life..." Then her eyes closed, and she felt nothing.
End Flashback
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"Um... Kakashi-sensei?" Hinata broke the silence, as the elite shinobi carried her across the rooftops of the Hyuuga compound.
"Yes, what is it, Hinata-chan?" He answered, eyes focused ahead. He kept his hitai-ate pulled up, so his Sharingan was visible, even in the darkness.
She took a deep breath. "What happened, sensei? What happened to Hyuuga Tomomori?"
Kakashi glanced down at her. "That man, you mean?" She nodded. He grunted, before speaking again. "I don't think you should worry about that right now," he turned away again.
Hinata frowned. "Kakashi-sensei, I need to know," she nudged him.
Hatake Kakashi looked visibly uncomfortable. His jaw clenched, and his muscles tensed around her. He glanced at her again.
"He got away," the jounin answered, finally. Hinata seethed in his arms. She began to tremble, and her heart started racing again. Kakashi felt her ire rising, so he stopped running. He held her firmly against his chest. "Calm down, Hinata-chan," he said. You are my first priority. I had to let him go." He paused. "Your injuries," he looked her straight in the eye this time. "You would have died."
"I was prepared to die!" She yelled at the man holding her.
"Then, who would lead your Clan?" He asked, pointedly.
Hinata clutched the sword in her hands so tightly that her fingernails began to bleed. Her tiny body was racked with sobs, as tears of woe and frustration poured from her pearlescent eyes.
"I don't know," she cried. She looked up at the Copy-Ninja. "Was it all for nothing? Everything I did and tried to do?"
"No, Hinata-chan," Kakashi stroked her hair. "You did what you had to do, and your actions have cemented the bond between your family." He hugged her tightly. "Just think what would have happened if you had not taken control of the situation. You didn't fall apart, Hinata, because you are strong." He leaned his forehead toward hers, until his hitai-ate pressed against her own. She saw him smile through the dark mask. "And your people know that."
She calmed down a bit. "But there is so much more work to do."
"Of course," the jounin said. "But, you are alive, and who better to complete that work than the Lady who started it in the first place?"
After a few more minutes, she regained control of her faculties. "You are right," she said. "I am the Clan Leader now." She wiped the moisture from her face. "I will do what is right for them."
"Yes, you will," Kakashi agreed. "And they will do what is right for you." He leapt forward again. "Now, let's go. I don't want Hokage-sama saying I slacked off on my mission." He winked at her. "Do you?"
Hinata giggled. "Oh no, Kakashi-sensei. I would never want that."
End Chapter Thirteen