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:Hey, everybody! I'm getting back into the swing of writing. Wow, I love it! So, here's the next chapter. I hope it does the rest of the story justice. I want to thank everyone who has ever reviewed Possession. You are my inspiration, the very reason I keep writing this, and my other fics. Please, keep the reviews coming, even if it is only to tell me to get off my butt and update already. You guys are awesome, and your humor never ceases to amaze me. So, with that, here is your update. Enjoy!
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Possession - Chapter Sixteen
The lash whistled through the moist air, parting the wind in one swift stroke. It sliced through Tomomori's clothes, and equally, through what was left of the skin on his raw and bloodied back. He wasn't dead yet, but only because he'd managed to wriggle a hand between the wire noose and his own throat. He hadn't given up yet, but only because Hanabi's kunai lay embedded so tauntingly close to his reaching fingertips.
The lash cracked threateningly as she snapped it back. "Listen, Tomomori-san. That is the sound of your life slipping away, the very last sound you will ever hear." She flung the whip, and it tore through his flesh, once again.
The wire cut into his hand and throat, and his strength was draining away. Was this the end of him? Was he also fated to fall to the youngest daughter of Hyuuga Hiashi? It just wasn't right! After everything he'd done! He wheezed in and out, straining to keep his lungs filled with air. The pressure in his head was numbing, and his body felt more like dead weight, than hardened muscle. He craned his neck, grimacing as Hanabi prepared the next stroke of the whip. Her moonlight eyes reflected hatred, and the satisfaction only his torture, and subsequent death could ensure. What a cruel twist of fate, indeed.
Hanabi carefully removed the stray strand of brown hair from her eyes, then pulled the whip tight between her hands. "I'm tired, and I'm ready for this to be over," she said. Then, she flung the lash, and it wrapped around Tomomori's legs. She wrapped a foot of the whip's length around her hands for leverage, and tugged, strangling him.
She pulled until her feet dug trenches in the soft soil. She pulled until not a single sound could escape Tomomori's lips; and then, she pulled some more. She pulled, and pulled, and pulled; and the Hyuuga elder's vision strained, and then, went completely white...
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Lady Hyuuga fluttered through the garden like a butterfly of the night, trailed by her new Branch leader, two new attendants, and Konoha's Copy-Ninja. Her arms were folded together within the sleeves of her silk kimono, and the Leader's sword hung from her waist in a way that was both beautiful and terrifying. All the Hyuuga watching from beneath the eaves of the buildings lining the garden, knew she had used it to spill the blood of their relatives, and knew also that its thirst had not yet been quenched.
Tension coiled around her and her retinue, and would not be released until the doomed barricade of the Branch House had ended. Of that much, they were certain, for Lady Hyuuga, it seemed, was cut from the same cloth as her father; and his father, and his father's father.
"Hinata-chan?" They listened as the Copy-Ninja addressed their Leader in a less than appropriate way. "Just what are you planning to do when we arrive at the barricade?"
She did not answer, and they would have been surprised if she had. It was obvious what was going to happen. Dozens of pairs of reflective, white eyes followed them as they walked the garden path. Those who had betrayed the village, those who had aligned themselves with Hiashi-sama's murderers, where going to die. It was that simple, no exceptions. She was out for blood, and who could blame her?
Hyuuga Neji kept the proper distance of two paces, as he trailed immediately behind her. There were new rumors surrounding he and the Lady, as it seemed they were not on such good terms, lately. The Hyuuga wondered what it could be this time, that thrust their already torrid love affair into the throes of agony. The two of them were the only ones who really thought it a secret. The whole Clan had become aware of their mutual attraction long ago, before the trials of life had stripped them both of their innocence.
The Lady and her retinue came upon a small gathering of women and children just before reaching the Branch House. The women bowed and the children scurried behind them, as they parted for their Leader's passage. The Heiress and the prodigy had been caught hundreds of times over the years, in many a compromising position, though they never realized how often the Clan had looked the other way. How naive they were, back then.
"Hyuuga-sama," Neji's harsh, yet reverent voice carried to all curious ears. "The majority of the elders are being held in a tightly guarded structure on the far east side of the compound. They are completely separated from all others, and are awaiting the arrival of the Godaime's ANBU, and Morino Ibiki."
"Very good, Branch House," she answered smoothly. Many of the Hyuuga were taken aback, for never had they heard her address Hyuuga Neji as anything other than niisan. Even Branch leader would have been appropriate, but Branch House? He must have done something absolutely heinous to deserve such a slight from the sweetest girl the Clan had ever produced. Come to think of it, that might explain her severe and critical treatment of him since they were discovered together in the garden, along with Hatake Kakashi and Uzumaki Naruto.
"Hyuuga-sama?" The prodigy questioned.
"What is it, Branch House?"
Neji hurried closer, leaning toward her ear. "Are you certain that you want to do this?" He glanced back at the Copy-Ninja. "With so many witnesses to the Clan's affairs?"
Hyuuga-sama turned her head to face him, staring straight into his pale eyes. "I want them to see. All of Konoha will know the wrath, and the justice of Hyuuga Hinata." Her eyes shone like frozen diamond, carrying the weight of the Clan. "This is only the beginning, Branch House," she whispered. "You did promise to stay by my side." A small smile curved her lips. "But, if you can not handle the rigors of your current station..."
He bowed, falling back into place, immediately. "As you wish, my Lady," he insisted. It seemed his position as Branch leader was a precarious one, and the Hyuuga wondered why.
Soon, they were upon the front entrance of the Branch House, where all loyal Hyuuga shinobi were gathered. They came to stand before their Leader, each bowing to the petite kunoichi.
"Hyuuga-sama," one of them greeted; the same one who had informed the Lady of the situation nearly an hour before. "The seven remaining elders are hide behind these walls, along with the ones who have chosen to side with them. There is no where for them to go; no way to escape," he said.
"Incorrect," Lady Hyuuga spoke, while gliding forward to touch the thick, wooden double-doors, no doubt reinforced from the inside. "There are but four elders within." She grazed her nails across the wood. "Three have already escaped, and are far from here." They all watched her sword hand grip the hilt of the blade at her side. "I failed to kill one of them in the dojo, and the other two have taken Hanabi."
A collective gasp was heard around them.
"We must organize a rescue– " the shinobi began.
"No," Lady Hyuuga severed through his words like a sword across her enemy's throat. "If she is dead, then she has been dead for some time now." She turned, walking away from the door, to stand beside Naruto, who had been awaiting her arrival. Earlier, she had asked a favor of him, and he complied, spying on the traitors using his clone jutsu. "If she lives..." Her eyes rested upon the kyuubi vessel, and some of the tension eased from her shoulders. "If she lives, then the ANBU will bring her safely back to us."
Naruto slipped a hand in hers. "Hinata-chan," he said, and many Hyuuga eyebrows were raised. "They're all holed up inside a back room." He laughed. "If they stay in there any longer, they'll end up gutting each other," he said, in reference to the traitors' lack of morale.
Lady Hyuuga seemed to perk up at this. "We mustn't allow that," she smirked, slightly. "Not while the crimson thirst of my blade is still unslaked." She yanked her hand away, leaving the orange-clad ninja with a dumbfounded look on his face. "Branch House!" She summoned Neji, and he knelt before her in an instant.
"Hai, Hyuuga-sama!" He answered.
She peered down at him for what seemed like an eternity, face shrouded in a veil of indigo. "Alone, shall you enter." The frost in her voice bit into the flesh of all present, and an eerie silence fell over the Hyuuga. "And, alone, shall you return." She unstrapped the Leader's sword from her waist, holding it out for him. He raised his head slowly, meeting her hard, vengeful gaze. "Kill them all," she whispered. "Every... last... one."
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The two young, Main House shinobi wove deftly through the trees, following the obvious trail of the injured Branch elder. They'd been tracking him since witnessing his escape from the dojo, and had seen what he'd done to Lady Hyuuga. The only reason he'd gotten away, was because they were more concerned with the well-being of their new Leader, however, when Hatake Kakashi informed them of her stable condition, they sped off in search of the half-dead man.
He had been easy enough to track, what with the blood littering the crunched leaves and broken twigs. Hinata-sama had done a number on him, they could tell. Neither of them had seen the wound, but from the way he'd doubled over, they knew he had precious little time.
"What do we do when we find him?" The youngest shinobi asked. He had graduated from the Academy only recently, and looked toward the older ninja, his brother, for guidance.
"Hn," the other said. "Drag his sorry ass back to Hyuuga-sama, what else?"
"Yeah, but," the younger ducked under a branch. "She probably wants him alive. What if he bleeds to death?"
His brother rolled his eyes. "So, he bleeds to death. So what."
"You don't get it," they hopped over a rotted log. "Do we give him medical treatment, or do we let him bleed to death before Lady Hyuuga has a chance to kill him herself?" His brother looked pensive. "I for one, don't want to have to save his life, but I really don't want the Leader to be angry," the young one finished.
"I see your point," his brother said, as visions of Hyuuga Hinata's diamond glare affixed to his thoughts. "But, let's worry about what we can control. Hyuuga-sama will probably be upset no matter what happens. In the meantime, let's just bring the bastard back, dead or alive."
"Right," the younger answered, and the two Main House shinobi continued on Tomomori's trail.
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Hanabi pulled, and pulled, and pulled. And then...
The kunai whizzed toward her, and the youngest daughter of Hyuuga Hiashi released the whip, flipping backward to avoid the razor-sharp blade.
"Who's there?" She called out to the darkness, and the rustling leaves. Before her, out of the trees, came a tall, well-built shinobi; an ANBU... of the Cloud.
She stepped back. This wasn't good, not at all. Hanabi slipped her hand into her pouch, fingering what was left of her ninja tools. Four kunai, sixteen shuriken, and three paper bombs. Not much of an arsenal to fight an ANBU with, but she would make due. She had no other choice.
This hadn't turned out the way she'd planned. Damn! She had such rotten luck!
"You wanna fight?" Hanabi provoked, pulling one kunai from the pouch, and settling the hilt in her firm grip. Then, she activated her Byakugan. Perhaps this was a bad idea, but she certainly wasn't going to run away. Not without her corpse, that is. She cast a glance at the disfigured body of Hyuuga Tomoyuki, laying sprawled out on the rotting leaves of the forest floor. She still had to bring one of those twins back to her sister.
"Not at all, little girl," the tall ANBU said, in a way that belayed the smirk on his lips. "We just want to escort you back with us."
"Yeah, right," she said, circling to her right. She saw the other one behind her, and his vain attempt to set up an ambush. Or, at least she hoped it was a vain attempt. These were ANBU, and they couldn't be that stupid.
"Come quietly," the ANBU said, "and my comrade won't have to hurt the old woman.
On the other side of the small clearing, the other ANBU revealed himself, and the traitorous hag as he dragged the old woman by her stringy, grey hair.
Hanabi let a smile slip past her Hyuuga mask. What a sight she was, small and shivering with fear.
"You think I care about that witch?" The young, Hyuuga kunoichi took a defensive stance, kunai ready to deflect any projectiles. She took a brief moment to watch Tomomori's weak struggling, as he hung from the tree. He was still alive? Just what would it take to kill that bastard?
The tall, Cloud ANBU began his approach. "I see you have been busy here, Hyuuga-hime," he gestured toward the corpse, then to the man hanging by a bare thread of life. "You have much skill, for one so young. The Raikage will be pleased."
The shinobi flung a shuriken, severing the wire connecting the elder to the tree. Tomomori fell to the ground, wheezing as he slowly peeled the wire out of his bloodied throat. Hanabi grimaced. All her hard work... for nothing!
"Bring it, then!" The kunoichi spat.
Two ANBU, and one of her. Even if escape had been on her agenda, it might not be possible with such elite shinobi. But, Hanabi was not afraid. She was a Hyuuga, and the Hyuuga were not cowards.
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Neji stood before the door to the Branch House. Inside, his own relatives awaited their demise. This was what he wanted, he told himself. All he ever wanted was to be Hinata-sama's right hand. Now was his chance, perhaps the only chance he would ever receive.
His Lady stood behind him, watching as he unsheathed the Leader's sword. She had given him the blade for the sole purpose of ending the lives of the Hyuuga inside the Branch House. He would do it. Yes, he would. That was her will, and her will was the law.
The Hyuuga prodigy turned to peer into the pearlescent eyes of his Leader, his beloved. Flanking her on either side, were Hatake Kakashi, whom he'd noticed had some surreptitious interest in his Lady; and Uzumaki Naruto, whom he knew was currently involved with her.
The sight made him sick, but there was little he could do. Hinata-sama had chosen them– over him.
Neji handed the sword sheath to one of Hinata-sama's new attendants, and the girl brought it back to the Leader. "I am ready, Hyuuga-sama," he said.
"Very well," she answered, stepping forward. She stroked the wooden doors with her palm again, feeling the smooth texture. "There is much weight blocking these doors. Even without the Byakugan, it is obvious." Hinata turned and glided away from the doors. "Come, Branch House," she commanded.
Neji followed her away, curious as to her intentions. It wasn't long before she summoned five Hyuuga shinobi to kneel before her.
"Open those doors," she whispered. "You have sixty seconds."
Immediately, the five shinobi rushed the doors, striking furiously with their Gentle Fist. Slivers and chunks of wood flew through the air, and Neji, in a move that would have been presumptuous in any other situation, stepped in front of Lady Hyuuga, shielding her from the splintered barbs.
All the Hyuuga watched as the door, and the objects behind it, were reduced to a fine dust. When it cleared, and the shinobi pulled what was left of the doors from their hinges, they backed away, clearing a path for their Leader, and Branch leader.
The cousins who had once been lovers, approached the rubble, side by side. They stopped just before the entrance, turning to face one another. Their words were low, for their ears only, and the spectators strained to hear what would forever be a private moment.
"Hyuuga-sama," Neji began. "Are you certain about this? There are many lives inside of here."
"It must be done. The law must be obeyed," she answered.
"But..." He was desperate. "They are my family."
"They are my family, as well. We are all Hyuuga."
"Isn't there some other way?"
Her head hung low. "I wish there was," she whispered. Then, her eyes rose to meet his, sternly. "But, if we can not enforce the law, the Hyuuga will fall, just as our enemy so desires."
Neji sighed, releasing the tension, and the emotion from his mind and body. He would do this, and he would accept its implications. Hinata-sama was now Hyuuga-sama, and he was her right hand. Thought the decision was hers, the blood of their Clan was his sin to bear, and bear it he would.
"Do this for the Clan." Her voice was so small, he wondered if she'd heard it herself. "Do this for me, niisan."
His breath hitched, and his heart began to pound anew. Niisan. She called him niisan. That one word wrapped around his heart, binding him forever to her will. Whatever she wanted, whatever she desired, it was hers, of only she would call him niisan again.
He loved her so much, wanted to be with her so badly. "As you wish, Hinata-sama," he said. She slipped him a small, sweet smile, like the ones she gave so freely when they were children. Perhaps there was hope. Perhaps the rift between them could be healed in time. Her smile changed, right before she shoved him inside. Perhaps he had a long way yet to go.
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Hinata turned away from the rubble, as Neji disappeared inside the foyer of the Branch House. She held the sword sheath between tight fists, as she was met halfway by Naruto and Kakashi-sensei. Kakashi looked just as bored as ever, though she knew there was much thought beneath his mask. Naruto, however, looked like he'd been punched in the face.
"Hinata-chan?" The kyuubi vessel asked. "You're not really going to have all those people killed?"
She looked at him as though he'd sprouted a second head. "Of course, Naruto-kun. It is the law." She was surprised by his question, but ever more so when he refused to let it go.
"You can't be serious!" He waved an arm in front of her face, and Kakashi put a hand on the boy's shoulder, squeezing until he had his student's attention. Naruto stared at his sensei, while Hyuuga shinobi surrounded Hinata.
"Calm down, Naruto," Kakashi advised, turning his attention to the many narrowed, white eyes around them. "You really shouldn't act so indecently toward Hyuuga-sama." A few grunts of approval were heard, and the shinobi stepped aside, just a little bit.
Hinata came to them, looking Naruto straight in the eyes. "Perhaps you should leave now, Naruto-kun," she said. "I appreciate all you have done for the Clan, but," she looked away. "This is only the beginning. Lives will be lost. Blood will flow." She turned back toward him, catching his azure eyes in her moonlit, diamond glare. "Then, the interrogations will begin."
"But, they're your family!" He pleaded.
"They are traitors," she countered. "There is no place in the Hyuuga for ones such as them."
Naruto's frown was deep. "Have you no compassion? What happened to the Hinata-chan I used to know?"
She tried to speak, but words would not come. Her mouth just hung open, as hurt played across her face. He was right. What had happened to that Hinata? Kakashi-sensei knew, but still, she could not bring herself to tell Naruto.
She jerked her head away, letting anger fuel her response. "I am the same Hinata I have always been. But now, I am also Hyuuga-sama. I will uphold the law of this Clan, wether you agree or not."
"I won't be a part of this," Naruto told her, folding his arms across his chest. "You do know what the villagers will say, don't you?"
She knew. How could she not?
"Naruto," Kakashi squeezed the demon-boy's shoulder harder. "It isn't your place."
"They'll say– "
"It is just like the Uchiha Massacre," she cut him off. Yes. That was exactly what they would say, and they would look upon her as a tyrant. But, the Hyuuga would be purged, and the Clan would fear her wrath, as much as they respected her mercy. It was the only way– the only way.
"Then, you know why you can't do this!" He pleaded again, gripping her hands in his. "It will follow you for the rest of your life!"
Naruto was so innocent. She hated hurting him like this, and hurting him was exactly what she was doing. He would never forgiver her, and she would have to live with it.
"That's enough, Naruto," Kakashi interrupted. The Copy-Ninja yanked his student back. "It's time for you to report to the Hokage. I'm sure she'll want to hear all about how you disobeyed her orders."
"But, Kakashi-sensei!" He whined.
"Do it," the jounin ordered, looking at a forlorn Hinata. "You'll have plenty of time later to discuss this," he said. "In the meantime, Hyuuga-sama has to be strong. She must not second guess her decisions." The little kunoichi looked into his good eye. "You are nothing more than a distraction, right now."
"Come on, sensei! You don't seriously expect me to leave now? Someone has to talk some sense into Hinata-chan!"
Kakashi pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "Hyuuga-sama?" He inquired. "Perhaps you could arrange an escort?"
Before she had a chance to reply, three Hyuuga shinobi stepped forward. "If it pleases, Hyuuga-sama, we would be happy to see our honored guest to the gates."
Hinata sighed. "Very well," she acknowledged, and was thoroughly saddened to see her friend dragged off, kicking a screaming.
Kakashi came to stand beside her. "Hinata-chan," he whispered, and she peered up at him. "He'll understand. It might take him a while, but he'll realize that your duties and priorities have changed."
All she could do was stare at Naruto, as his figure shrank on the horizon. "I hope so," was her only reply.
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"Hey, up ahead!" The younger shinobi yelled to his brother. His Byakugan wasn't as developed, but he could see the chakra signatures of five individuals. There was a skirmish, and three of them didn't look so hot.
"I see them," the older one said. They picked up their pace, dodging branches and leaping over stumps and boulders. "Cloud ANBU, and they have Hanabi-sama!"
The younger ninja's eyes widened, and his teeth clenched tightly. "No..." He forced through a scowl. "Hanabi-sama..."
"Hurry up!" His brother called. The older ninja was ahead of him now, kunai drawn in anticipation. He recognized the others, as well. Their original target, Tomomori, and their own great-grandmother.
"Is that who I think it is?" The young ninja asked.
"It is," his brother answered.
The boy could feel the blood rushing through his veins, bubbling until it seemed to boil. "What did they do to her?" He seethed. "An old woman like her... What threat was she to them?"
"Don't know," his brother said. "But don't let emotion cloud you judgement." They were almost there, almost ready to strike. "Do not forget that she betrayed the Hyuuga, and the village."
He also drew a kunai from his leg pouch. "I won't," the boy said, but as he stared at the frail image of his great-grandmother, sobbing and broken on the cold forest floor, he couldn't shake the feeling that he didn't care.
End Chapter Sixteen