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:Warning: Blood... and lots of it. Well, people. I think this is the second to last chapter of Possession. I hope I've done a good job of tying up all those loose ends. I do want you all to have some amount of closure, although I still plan to write a sequel. So, please don't hesitate to tell me what you think. I'm sorry it took me so long, but it's a good chapter, so I think it will have been worth the wait. Quality before quantity, right? Right? hehe
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Possession - Chapter Nineteen
Her bloody fist burst through the Hyuuga's torso, tearing his flesh and splattering his guts all over the green grass. She withdrew her arm, then leapt backward over the shinobi who'd been stalking her. When she saw him below, she grasped his face on both sides, before twisting his head clean off. Once her feet touched down to the earth again, she flung the head so hard that it caved in the chest of the shinobi who'd received it, sending him skidding across the ground.
"Whoa!" Naruto dodged the man while blocking the kunai thrust of another Hyuuga shinobi. "What the hell are you doing, Sakura?" His opponent sliced at him again, and the Kyuubi vessel wove between the strikes.
Haruno Sakura, face as hard and cold as a block of glacier ice ran forward, intent on as many kills as the night would provide. Her furious cry sent shivers down Naruto's spine, and he leapt aside, allowing the kunoichi to do whatever dark deed compelled her.
Sakura let her chakra flow into her right hand, where she gathered it for one devastating blow. The shinobi turned his kunai toward her, slashing downward. She blocked his attack, then clutched his throat in her left hand, while her right sank deep into his stomach. Then, she released the chakra.
The Hyuuga hissed in pain, and the veins surrounding his eyes burst just before the rest of his body exploded in a shower of crimson rain... and large chunks of flesh.
"Gross, Sakura!" Naruto wailed, ducking back under an awning.
A sheath of thin, blue chakra sizzled around her, evaporating the blood before it could touch her. "Princess," her jade eyes were hollow orbs, burning with the hurt and resentment of a woman scorned. "Princess!" She screeched, slamming her fist into the earth. The shock rippled through the saturated ground in wave after relentless wave. "He doesn't love me," she whispered. "He never did." Her gaze landed on Sasuke as he sailed along on her destruction, slashing and gouging the various arteries of his two miserable opponents.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The Uchiha's hands formed the seal of the jutsu he knew so well. "Fire Style! Fire Ball Jutsu!" The flame exploded from his mouth, engulfing three more worthless traitors. Their crisp, charred remains fell to the ground in a sickening crunch. Soon, he met Sakura's baleful stare, then turned his attention toward the five others gathered around Hinata.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hyuuga Hinata held her niisan's kunai in front of her face, carefully unraveling the red ribbon wrapped around its hilt. Nine feet drifted to the ground before her chakra flowed through, making it taut and sharp. She never dreamed she'd be using her secret technique for the first time against her own shinobi. However, that was no deterrent for the tenacious kunoichi.
The first attack came from a thrown kunai, which she deflected easily. The second was a flurry of shuriken, and she twirled the ribbon in graceful loops, stopping them in an invisible chakra wind. When the first shinobi lunged at her, Hinata hopped back and the ribbon trailed after her. He ignored it to his misfortune, as he didn't live long enough to see much more than her peaceful, smiling expression.
Hinata filled the ribbon with chakra in such a way that it became an extention of her own arm. It coiled around his throat, leaving a clean cut all the way through, and when she released him, he staggered forward, before his head slid to the ground. It was then that the four remaining ninja retreated slightly, unsure of how to approach her.
"That's it. Just back off." Sasuke dropped down beside the Lady. Hinata was still surprised to find him here, as well as Sakura and Naruto. He looked at her, Sharingan spinning hypnotically.
"S-Sasuke-kun..." She was locked in his gaze. "What are you d-doing here?" He smiled, putting himself between her and her enemies.
"Saving your ass, Hyuuga," he smirked.
She blinked several times, burning with the fire of her will, before shaking her head clear of his manipulative spell. "I am displeased, Uchiha," she spat with a malevolence so thick, the current subject of her ire took a defensive step backward. Sasuke hadn't at all considered the possibility that she didn't need to be saved, and was reduced to wordlessness before the authoritative aura she exuded.
"Hyuuga-sama!" The Lady's Branch guards rushed toward her in neat formation, threatening Sasuke off with razor-sharp pikes.
Hinata glared a lethal dose of poison deep into the Uchiha's cavernous orbs. "Stay out of my affairs." The warning was sweet, simple, like so many other times when he'd tested her mettle. He would either heed the warning, or suffer the consequences. She cared little either way. Her gaze then returned to the malignancy that had spawned from her Clan, both Main and Branch House alike. "Surround the traitors." These were once her people, but no longer. The Leader cast them off, along with the husk of the naive girl she'd once been.
Her hard, diamond glare searched her shinobi through the many facets of her life's experience. She'd been so reluctant to accept that the Hyuuga were nothing more than an empty shell, fooling themselves into believing tradition alone could save them from their self-inflicted stagnation. And here was the result of that stagnation; a people divided, a family torn asunder. The previously serene mask which had so complimented her features, was now replaced by an expression revealing the totality of her disgust. Hyuuga Hinata had believed in family once; in beautiful fairy tales of unconditional love, even despite the constant onslaught of reality. Families were fragile things, so breakable, impossible to sustain for any lasting period of time. But the Hyuuga had survived this long...
"Hyuuga-sama! What shall we do?" The cheif guard brought her back to the immediacy of the situation. The men under his command loomed forward, weapons held at the ready. The Hyuuga shinobi, who were little more that fodder for the beast of vengence now, crouched amongst one another, backs together in anticipation... and then, Hinata realized that family and Clan were two entirely different things.
The ice around her heart hardened, swallowing her whole, transforming the hot rage into cold indefference. Then, she smiled.
"I really don't care how you kill them, but... whoever makes it rain blood like Haruno Sakura did, gets one wish. Whatever you want. I give you my word."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Uchiha Sasuke watched, awed, dazzled and sublimely frightened by the skill exibited by the kunoichi he'd known as Hinata-chan, who'd somehow become Hyuuga-sama over the course of this tumultuous night. Her movements were sleek and sinister, graceful and greusome; pretty... and perilous. She was everything he'd drempt of in that dark corner of his mind, the only one still standing within arms' length of sanity. She was so close, and yet... His onyx eyes sought Sakura out of the crowd behind him. He found her staring with a puzzling expression on her face.
Sasuke seethed when he finally registered her expression. She was laughing at him!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Sakura."
The pink-haired kunoichi snapped her head around to the voice of her old teacher, whatever dry amusement she'd felt about Sasuke's misfortune forgotten. "Kakashi-sensei," she whispered.
"Save it," he dismissed any attempt to avoid the lecture that would begin with him, and end with the Godaime. "Such savagery has no place on the battlefield. I thought I taught you better than that," his characteristic slouch did little to shorten the stride of his legs as he approached her. "And I know Hokage-sama taught you to control your strength."
She shirked away from the truth in his words, appalled by her actions and lack of restraint. Though, technically, she'd done nothing wrong, she knew Tsunade would be livid. Then, she pondered what Shizune might say.
Sakura looked down at the ring on her finger. That stupid ring she'd desired so much. She grasped the platinum band between two fingers, twisting and twisting, while she stared at the square diamond set within. A 'princess cut', they called it.
Princess... Hinata... This was Hinata's ring.
Sakura bit the inside of her cheek, supressing a vulgar curse bubbling to the surface. If only she'd stopped to consider it for a moment. Sasuke hadn't changed at all. He was still carelessly tugging on her heartstrings, yanking her up and down like a yo-yo. And she'd fallen for it... again. She shudderd violently. Her bruised ego would mend in time, but her heart?
Shino...
And why couldn't she stop thinking about Shino all this time? Her brow furrowed in a painful scowl. Why did she leave Shino in the first place? They'd been together for four years! They were happy! Contentedly awaiting...
Sakura's eyes nearly burst from her skull when the the epiphany final struck; that one sordid truth that had eluded her these last few weeks. Seeing him with Hinata just now, the slow, forboding way he had approached her, and how the Hyuuga's eyes had glazed briefly. It wasn't beneath him, she knew that.
The cherry blossom's quivering lips pressed together in disgust. Sasuke had used the Sharingan on her!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The first thing Hanabi noticed was the thundering headache spreading out from the base of her skull, then the familiar caress of the wind against her skin as she hurtled forward. Her hearing finally returned, and she was suddenly aware of the beating heart beneath the chest her cheek was currently pressed against.
She gasped, and her stomach lurched out of her gut with the gross realization of life. She was alive. She was really alive. Then, her still foggy eyes found focus on the shockingly familiar face above hers. She swallowed, trying to moisten her too dry throat, having remembered everything...
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Flashback
"Hanabi-sama!" The young boy ran after her, pitifully winded... yet still approaching. She dashed to the right, and as he attempted a similar manuver, ended up tripping over his impractical Hyuuga robes. The boy toppled over, and had a good long roll in the dirt.
Hanabi skidded to a halt more gracefully than expected in her equally impractical kimono, and dainty sandals. "Ha, ha!" She mocked, wiggling dramatically. "Hataro-kun is so clumsy!" Then, she continued on in a masterful assault of vocabulary that had her father, and every other man grinning with shocked amusement, while the women covered their ears and mouths in terror. Hanabi smirked. How she loved when otousan smiled like that. If only he would smile more often...
"Hanabi-sama!" Hataro shouted. He'd gotten back on his feet. "You shouldn't say things like that in front of your father! What kind of lady will you be with that kind of mouth!" He went on. "You should say pleasant things, and not so loud!" With each word his anger and volume rose. "And stop pulling my hair!"
"Stop bossing me around!" She countered.
"Stop acting like a baby!"
"Stop bossing me around!"
"Stop being mean!"
Hanabi took a menacing step toward him. "Don't tell me what to do!" She screeched.
"Hanabi-chan," her father silenced them both with the mere utterance of her name. "I am sure Hataro-kun is only concerned for your wellbeing." His eyebrows rose as he turned to the boy. "Am I right, Hataro-kun?"
"Um... yes sir, of course, Hiashi-sama," the young Hyuuga answered with a bow.
"Well, then," Hiashi grinned, unable to control his mirth. "You should listen to him, Hanabi-chan. He has made some impressive points." Quite a few actually. "Run along now. You too, Hataro-kun." He paused. "And please, no more fighting."
Hanabi grit her teeth, but answered in a pleasingly respectful tone. "Hai, otousan."
End Flashback
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The young kunoichi snapped her head toward the wind, and her rescuer looked down at her. She couldn't look at him. She'd been such a fool. If not for him and his brother... would she have walked away from that fight? She shudderd, only to feel her savior's arms squeeze her tightly. Probably not. She probably would have wasted her life over a fucking dead body.
Her eyes eased back as she slowly tilted her head toward him. His hair was like ink, deep and black, rising and falling with the wind. It was shorter than most Hyuuga, falling just past chin-level, and as he angled his head down, she caught sight of his smiling lips, while her cheeks flushed with embarassment.
He always had the same smile, goofy and serious all at once. She followed the trail his nose led up to those bright white orbs, which were so safe and comforting. Her teeth started to chatter, so she clenched her jaw. Looking at him now made her wonder how she'd forgotten in the first place.
Steeling herself against the twisting in her stomach, Hyuuga Hanabi turned to face him fully as the Main House boy continued to distance them from the battle. She bit her lip, choking back a painful sob. It had been a long time, made to seem even longer by circumstance.
"Hataro," she whispered finally.
The boy's smile expanded, and his eyes were lit with joy. "Hanabi-hime... you remembered."
"I never should have forgot," she pouted. "I'm sorry, Hataro."
He grinned from ear to ear. "Hanabi-hime remembers me!" He cheered. "And she's not pissed! I'm so happy!" Then he winced, and she realized he was holding her partially with his broken arm.
"You idiot!" She yelled. "You shouldn't be putting any weight on that arm!"
Hataro laughed nervously. "Well, since Hokage-sama's ANBU caught up with us, I had a little time to make a splint, so... it's really not that bad, Hanabi-hime." He continued to speed down the narrow trail.
"But--"
"You didn't look very comfortable slung over my shoulder," his brows creased a bit, conveying his worry. "It's no trouble, I promise."
"But, the pain..."
"It's fine. I'm a ninja."
"So am I," Hanabi protested.
"You're not a ninja yet, Hanabi-hime." And she scowled, because technically he was right. Hataro's cheeks took on a rosy hue. "But anyway, I'll kill anyone who tries to hurt you, Hanabi-hime."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Flashback
"Hanabi-sama!" Hataro shouted.
The cretin's arm drew back as if he were actually going to strike the princess... so Hataro struck first... and Konohamaru stared up at him from the ground, nose red and swollen.
"What was that for!?" Konohamaru wailed.
"What do you think it was for?" Hataro sneered.
The less than honorable grandson frowned, glancing at Hanabi, only to find her tongue protruding forward. "Fine," he said, fuming. "I get it. But she started it!" He got to his feet.
"She usually does," Hataro replied. "That's still no excuse. Now get out of here before I forget who you are, Konohamaru."
"Sheesh," Konohamaru huffed, dark eyes narrowed at Hanabi. "I'll get y--"
"Going?" The older Hyuuga interrupted with a smile. "Yes," Hataro threatened with the kindest expression Hanabi had ever seen. "Yes, you will."
End Flashback
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hanabi rolled her eyes. "Aside from your Jyuuken," she poked a little fun, "you haven't changed at all, Hataro."
"No, not really," he smiled. Did he ever stop smiling? "I'm still hopelessly devoted to Hanabi-hime." Now it was Hanabi's turn to blush... and she did, even through the disasterous-looking face.
"What's with this hime business?" She hissed. "You're supposed to call me Hanabi-sama."
"You don't like it?" He looked disappointed.
"Well, I..." She hid her face against his chest noting as his head tilted lower, for she felt his breath running through her hair. "That's not the point," was her muffled reply.
"Then, what is the point, Hanabi-hime?"
Did he actually sound mature for once? Or was that just her imagination?
"Hanabi-hime?"
Must have been her imagination.
"Hanabi-hime?"
He won't stop.
Hataro leaned forward, offering a quiet whisper. "Hanabi-hime?"
"Hyuuga Hataro..."
"At your service, Hanabi-hime."
She whipped her head around. "Stop calling me--"
"I love you," he confessed suddenly, and her face went white as a sheet. "There was a moment..." He paused, breathing deeply, while Hanabi clenched her fist. "There were a few moments back there when I wasn't sure if we'd make it. Having survived, I can't live another moment without you knowing how I feel."
Oh, Gods... What was he saying?
"I don't expect any reciprocation. In fact," he pouted. "I highly discourage it. I'm a shinobi of the Leaf now, and it would be improper to persue a student..."
Persue? Hanabi's eyes were about to pop out of her head!
"But I intend to wait for you, so..." He grinned, eyes sparkling with excitement. "On the day that you graduate, I'll be there to take you out on a date!" He announced.
"Hyuuga Hataro!" The now thoroughly shamed kunoichi grasped onto his ink-black hair, yanking one good time to shut him up, while he slid to a halt. "I don't wanna go on a date with you! You're a lame, goofy little troll!" He was rubbing it in, gloating at the fact that she'd forgotten him! Hataro burst into a laughing fit, which only made her angrier. "Stop laughing!" She demanded.
"Hanabi-hime, did I embarass you?" He tried to contain himself, but the red heat racing through her skin was diminishing her death-glare's potency. "I apologize." He looked ahead, forcing a veil-thin mask of calm upon his face.
Hanabi squealed; a vicious, ear-peircing sound. "Hataro! Take me home!"
The young ninja grinned at her words. It was what she used to say when she was tired of playing, or losing the game, or in over her head with whatever trouble she'd gotten them into.
"As you wish, Hanabi-hime," he answered proudly. He would deliver her home safely. He could do that much.
Hanabi fidgeted in his hold, wrapping a few strands of his hair around her index finger. "You said Leaf ANBU were back there?"
"Hai," he answered, taking notice of her currently gentle twisting. "They're going to save him." His brother was still fighting, buying them time.
"I hope so," Hanabi gave his hair a quick yank. Hataro had always been there for her in the past. And how had she repayed him for his loyalty? She'd cut him out of her life, only to be suckered into the Council's inept plans. If she'd had Hataro by her side then, would she have been manipulated so easily?
The kunoichi looked up at his determined face.
"They will," he answered, and the conviction in his voice was all the proof she needed. The past couldn't be changed, but now that he was back in her life... She held to him tightly as he propelled them into the foliage. Now that Hataro was here, Hanabi wouldn't have to be alone anymore.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Elder," the Main House ninja dragged the old woman into the trees. The Cloud ANBU had abandoned her when the bombs started going off, so he'd had the quick opportunity to get her into hiding.
"You..." She strained to look up at him. Long black hair, bound and braided over his shoulder. White, angry eyes. "Keishou... is that you?" Her eyes filled with tears.
The shinobi scowled. "No, great-grandmother," he forced through clenched teeth. "Keishou is dead. I am Hisoshou, your other great-grandson."
Damned hag still hadn't let go of his bastard older brother. Keishou got what he deserved. If he'd been the one to catch him, it wouldn't have been a quick death, and he would've sliced off a hell of a lot more than Neji did.
"On your feet." He pulled her up to lean heavily against a tree. "By my authority as a shinobi of Konoha, and as a loyal protector of Lady Hyuuga..." He snatched a rope from his pouch, then bound her wrists behind her back. "You are under arrest, for your traitorous plot against the village, as well as the murder of Hyuuga Hiashi."
"Wh-What plot?" She strained. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Hisoshou tied her to the tree, leaving just enough slack for her to sit. "Don't play dumb, elder," he spat. "I often wondered why you never noticed so many forbidden Hyuuga scrolls were missing from your study." His eyes glinted cruelly. "One evening, while I was rummaging through our Clan's secrets, I heard voices approaching, and grew curious."
The old woman's eyes pulsed with shock, and whatever strength she had left was drained from her body.
"I had my answer soon after, as it seemed you were too busy planning a coup to notice someone was swiping the forbidden arts." He smirked. "But that other scroll you had seemed pretty important..."
She sagged, spent and empty. "You... It was you..."
"Yes, elder," he cooed. "I stole your plans, and after I took care of those goons you sent after me," his mind recalled what might have been his end, had the Copy-Ninja not been lurking around. "Hokage-sama was promptly notified." Hisoshou smiled, thoroughly enjoying her discomfort. "Hyuuga-sama would like to punish you, I'm sure. So, for the time being you're under my protection." He crept back toward the clearing. "Now, all I have to do is retrieve your accomplice..."
"No..." The hag whispered. "Don't go... don't go out there. You'll be killed."
"Always so supportive, great-grandmother," he sneered. "Any more words of encouragement?"
"Please, Hisoshou..."
"So, you do know my name," he glared back at her. "Surprising, since you never payed any attention to me-- or Hataro." His face went completely blank. "Even if you never looked my way, it was unforgivable to ignore Hataro-kun." Then, he shudderd with fury. "Such promise. So much more than Keishou ever had."
"I'm sorry," she bowed her head, eager to escape his frosty glare. "I-I'm so sorry..."
"Just be quiet," he answered, creeping farther away. "You can tell Hyuuga-sama how sorry you are when this is over."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The sight, smell and sound of the blood pouring down all around her, calmed Lady Hyuuga in a way that nothing else had. She exhaled, and could feel the wrathful weight rise from her shoulders. And when it was lifted, her fatigue became apparent to all who had witnessed her ascent.
Hinata's legs were shaking, but she held her stance. She brought the hilt of Neji's kunai to her heart. Held it there. Her ribbon swayed gently in the breeze, while a few red droplets splayed across her form.
She heard another scream as her guards impaled the final victim. They hoisted him up onto their pikes, then ripped him open from navel to throat, heaving his split body through the air to loose his blood upon the earth. And it fell, glistening red and beautiful. The kunai slipped from her grasp then, and Hinata reached out, palms upward into the edge of the down pour.
It felt hot. It felt alive. She gasped and her vision blurred. Hinata closed her eyes and peace overwhelmed her senses. It was done. Vengence was wrought. No more killing, no more blood... No more death, no more love, no more hope...
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Neji ushered the children out of the rubbled filled front doorway of the Hyuuga Branch House, and onto a bloodsoaked scene of carnage the like of which hadn't been witnessed in generations.
Blood everywhere... Body parts... Pieces of people... Burned people, and one man twitching from some kind of electricution. And when he laid eyes on Hinata-sama, drenching her hands in the crimson storm, looking as frail and lovely as a porcelain doll...
His mother sucked in a breath as she exited the Branch House. "Neji..." She whispered. "Wha--"
"Do not speak, okaasan," he said. "Take the children to a safe place." Then he turned away from her, running toward his beloved.
The Branch leader could see that his Lady needed him, that her limbs were calling out for support. But Hinata-sama could not lean on just anyone. Not like this, not before the eyes of the Hyuuga. Not while her entire Clan stood witness. So he called to her, and watched as her small, weak countenance was struck with vigor at the sight of him. Her eyes widened, and a sparkle that had been absent gleamed with life.
"Niisan..." She answered. "Niisan..." And fell into his arms.
Neji found orders flying from his lips like lightning bolts, organizing the mess he had walked into. Doing it all while moving Hinata-sama back toward the Main House. The Hyuuga trailed behind them, particularly six familiar... bloody... branch guards. But not because of him, he could see that in their eyes. Their loyalty was to the Lady.
Just what had happened here to inspire them so? What extraordinary thing had she done to secure her place so thoroughly?
He noticed the Lady's attendants digging in the mud, pulling up a length of red ribbon attached to a gleaming kunai. "You!" He called to one of them. "Bring me the sheath," he said, gesturing his head toward the Leader's sword, then slid the blade into it upon presentation. The girl bowed to him as the other caught up, and they both followed the Lady, as well.
"Niisan..." Hinata whispered.
He led her throught the garden, noting as his relatives began to peel away from them, attending to his orders or their own concerns. But those guards still wouldn't leave.
Neji stopped, sweeping Hinata up into his arms. "What?" He demanded of the men, still not turning to face them.
The chief guard bowed. "Please excuse us, Hyuuga-san," he said. "Might we have a word with the Lady?"
"As you can see, the Lady is in no mood for words. Neither am I, so if you have nothing else to do, go burn those robes and take a bath."
"Niisan!" Hinata snapped. Neji looked down at the Leader, and found her frowning with displeasure. "I will hear what they have to say," her voice carried a warning.
Neji huffed and rolled his eyes, then tunred to glare at the men.
"Arigatou, Lady Hyuuga." said the cheif, and they all prostrated themselves. "You gave us your word, and we have reached our descision."
"Yes, I remember," she answered. Neji saw her clutch onto the fabric of her kimono, struggling with the tension in her exhausted body. "Tell me," she whispered. "What is it that my loyal guards desire?"
There was a tense pause, made even more tense by Neji's impatient growl.
"Hyuuga-sama, we humble Branch servants desire no less than the total abolishment of the Caged Bird Seal."
Hinata shivered in his hold, while Neji stood there, shocked to the core. She had given her word?
The Lady took a deep breath, then said, "That, I can not do--"
The guards raised their heads defiantly. "You gave us your word, Hyuuga-sama!" The cheif pleaded. "We did what you asked! The proof of this is the stain of blood soaking our beloved Leader's hands!"
Hinata brought her still slick hands to her face, examining the redness she had so sought after. The blood of her own.
"Back on the ground!" Neji shouted. He eased Hinata to the ground, placing her in the care of her attendants. Then, the Branch leader stepped toward the guards. "How dare you raise your voice to Hyuuga-sama, filthy vermin!"
"But this is an injustice!"
"Cease your bickering!" Hinata hissed. "If I am interrupted again, you really can kiss our deal goodbye, Branch House." Her eyes narrowed at the guard, and all of the men obeyed. "The abolishment will come, but not now." Her face was stern. "It is too soon. There are things which must be done first." Then, her gaze sharpened. "Things which require the Caged Bird Seal."
None of the men could speak. None of them could believe what she'd just said.
"My Lady?" One of her attendants spoke quietly, while gently shifting Hinata's weight onto herself. "Might we get you back home now?"
"Yes," the Leader answered. "Of course," and was led away by the girls.
The cheif guard huffed. "She's just like her father..."
"Still insulting Hinata-sama?" Neji growled again.
"It wasn't meant as an insult," the guard replied in a huff.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sakura stared at Sasuke. Sasuke stared at Hinata's back as she was led away. Kakashi-sensei stared at the bloody scene before them, and Naruto... Well, Naruto raced the Hyuuga Leader all the way back to the Main House...
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Thank you," Hinata said to the two Main House girls as they reached the wreckage of the double-doors. She smirked, remembering how satisfying it had been to blow the doors off their hinges-- right in front of her father. Her eyes burned. Not now, not yet. She just couldn't cry yet...
"Hey, Hinata-chan!" Naruto's seemingly boisterous voice caused her to squeek in surprise.
"Naruto-kun," she said, turning to face him. "W-Why are you still here?"
"Well," he folded his arms across his chest. "I saw how you looked at Neji... and how Sasuke-teme looked at you... and well, you probably don't need someone like me making your life worse than those two will." He turned his nose in the air.
"Naruto-kun..."
The Kyuubi vessel laughed, a sound so insincere that Hinata's stomach started to turn. "Sasuke's not giving up on you," he said. "It used to irritate me... but I guess it pisses Neji off more, huh?"
"I... don't know what to say, Naruto..." Her head hung down, concealing the confusing emotions that were too plainly written on her pallid face.
He shrugged. "Don't," he answered, lifting her head up. "Just smile, Hinata-chan." Naruto brought himself closer. "All this killing... it's not like you. It doesn't fit, ya know?"
The Kyuubi vessel reached out behind her, grasping the knot at the back of her head, loosening and releasing her hitai-ate. It fell from her forehead, and he retied the metal plate back around her throat. Naruto then placed his hitai-ate against the warm, smooth skin of her forehead. A gesture of comfort, one that they had shared many times before. They remained this way for an undetermined time, just staring into eachother's eyes, white melding with azure blue... then he kissed her quickly on the lips.
Hyuuga Hinata blushed bright, ripe tomato red, while Naruto gave her his biggest foxy grin.
"Naruto-kun..." She blushed.
"See ya 'round, Hinata-chan!" The blonde poofed away, leaving the Hyuuga Leader speechless once again.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Hey, Sasuke!" The Uchiha glanced back at Sakura as she stormed toward him. "You're a low down, filthy, pustule of a man." She reached out, grasping his collar and pulling him in close. Her eyes were a peircing green, concentrated solely on him. "You used your Sharingan on me..." She growled.
Sasuke's anger flared, but was extinguished by the brutal left-handed punch to his jaw-- a blow so heavy that it left a small, diamond-sized indentation in his cheek. Then, Sakura flung him away, and he settled into dirt, staring up, shocked into silence.
"Do you see this?" The Haruno held out her bejeweled hand, while the diamond sparkled in the first twinkling of new light over the horizon. "This," she smiled sweet and cruel, "is mine. You gave this ring to me. You put this ring on my finger. And yes, you will meet me at the altar." Her evil gaze seared through him as she knelt down, leaning over her fiance. "There is no turning back, Sasuke-kun," she spat. "Believe me, if there were I'd have shoved this ring down your throat."
"Sakura..."
"You ruined my life, my happiness. And now you're going to replace that happiness with security." Her hollow eyes sucked him in, revealing a glimpse of the Sakura who dwelt inside. "You will provide, Sasuke. You will do your duty."
Haruno Sakura stood then, stepping over the Uchiha as callously as he had done to her, leaving him to reflect upon the path he'd chosen. But, once she was gone, Sasuke smirked.
"We'll see, Sakura," he whispered, pulling a small jangling silver bracelet out of his pocket. Sasuke stared at the charms, especially the tiger hand seal. He'd often wondered why someone like Hinata-chan, who believed Fate, hadn't figured out that Fate had a plan for both of them. This bracelet was proof enough.
There was a reason for the bird seal charms, and each of the others. Only one seemed out of place. He gently touched the tiger seal with the tip of one pale finger. The tiger hand seal, the core of the Fire Ball Jutsu.
He laughed, brazen and haughty. "We'll see..."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Hey, Sakura-chan?" Naruto called to the cherry blossom. He jumped down from the tree he had poofed into just a moment before.
"What, Naruto?" Sakura seethed. She was still glaring a tunnel in the back of Sasuke's head, still twisting that infernal ring.
"So what are you gonna do?" He inquired.
"About?"
"Come on, Sakura. We both know what Sasuke's gonna do. So, what are you gonna do?"
She swallowed a hard lump. "I'm going to bash that pretty face in if he ever looks at Hinata again!" She shouted for all the hear. That was the easy part. The hard part... "But he's mine now, and I'm not letting go."
Naruto scoffed. "You never learn, eh?"
"Sasuke is Sasuke." And she couldn't begrudge him that... ever. She wouldn't have left Shino for anyone else, and besides... if there hadn't been lingering feelings... she wouldn't have left Shino at all. She bared her teeth when the Uchiha turned around, catching her gaze again. Unfortunately for Sasuke, that didn't mean he was totally off the hook. He still hadn't paid for using his jutsu on her so recklessly.
"What about--"
"Don't say it," she snapped. "I won't dare go crawling back to Shino now, after what I did to him." Her stomach roiled at the thought of the bug shinobi. "He wouldn't take me back, anyway," she whispered.
"I don't know. You guys are really close."
"We were close," she said. "It's over now." Then, she craned her head back at him. "Anyway, Naruto. What's the deal with you and Hinata?" Her smile was cruel and morbid.
The Kyuubi vessel gave a nervous chuckle, while scratching the back of his neck. "Oh, that? Well... we broke up."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Sasuke."
A long pause.
"Kakashi-sensei."
So, Sasuke wanted Hinata afterall. This was getting far too complicated. He felt sorry for Naruto, because he and the former Heiress had truly cared for, and wanted to be with one another. Unfortunately, circumstances got in the way. But with Sasuke... The Copy-Ninja sighed. Sasuke had already ruined one happy relationship, and he'd be damned if he let the Uchiha cause anymore trouble for the new Hyuuga Leader.
"Gather your teammates and report the the Hokage. Now," he order. Sasuke flung the hair from his eyes, staring off in the direction they'd seen Hinata go earlier. "There is no place for you here, nothing left for you to do, and no one waiting to see you. Get going, or I'll make the report myself."
"Hn," was the only reply given as Sasuke sauntered toward Sakura and Naruto. He didn't look upset. Was just as stoic as ever, but the tension in his shoulders belayed the unease coursing through him. Kakashi didn't feel sorry for Sasuke. He'd made his own bed. Now, he would have to lay in it.
Kakashi sighed again.
Speaking of beds... and laying... The Copy-Ninja started toward the Main House. He had his own plans, which were in need of careful tending...
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The Leaf ANBU decsended from the foliage onto the scene below. Chaos. That was the only word to describe what lay before them.
An already putrid corpse, eyes gouged from the head. That must be the kill belonging to the young princess. They scanned further, and under a still twiching summoned worm corpse, they found the unconscious form of one Cloud shinobi. He was alive, which was good news for Hokage-sama and her interrogators. The ANBU continued their search, looking for any other bodies or signs of life.
"There!" The commander rushed forward, having spotted a subtle rustling in some leaves at the forests edge. They both came upon the chuunin, who was surprisingly uninjured and soundly asleep, captured in some high-level jutsu.
"It's going to take a while to figure out what happened here," the commander said.
"At least this one's alive. Perhaps he'll have some of those answers," the subordinate replied.
"Right. You take care of our hero here. I'll grab that one over there," the commander gestured toward the unconscious Cloud ANBU.
"What about the body, and the other two Hyuuga we didn't find?"
"Long gone by now, if they have any sense." He walked back over to the worm and its master. "Once we have the living secured, we'll send someone back for the corpse."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The old hag lay limp and exhasted in the hold of the surviving Cloud ANBU, while her Branch House cohort continued his insane babbling, practically being dragged along. Something had snapped in Hyuuga Tomomori, something crucial.
Such weakness. How had she ever been fooled by this man and his brother? No, that wasn't entirely true. She'd fooled herself long before their persuasive words had led her away from her duty. And, so here she was, being spirited away to Kumogakure, to serve their Raikage in his next assault against Konoha. Well, she was a shinobi. She didn't have to make it easy on them.
Though her face didn't move, inside she was smiling with glee. No one had noticed when she'd cast the genjutsu that pitted Cloud against Cloud. No one had realized that the worm was struck down, not by the blow of a young, arrogant Hyuuga, but by the hand of its master's own comrade. When Hisoshou awoke, perhaps he would be thankful, perhaps not. She simply couldn't lose another child.
She heard the raspy voice of the Cloud kunoichi demanding answers for her team's failure. They had not captured the princess. And though they had her, and undoubtedly would find some satisfation in that, they also did not capture the Byakugan. This wasn't the first time she'd been taken by the enemy, and it certainly wasn't the first time an enemy had tried to procure the Byakugan from her. She was a kunoichi after all, had once been an ANBU herself, so she knew how to handle her enemies, even these...
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hataro leapt down to the earth, slowing his pace as the Main House came into view. He'd done it. He'd protected Hanabi-hime, safe-gaurded her life and brought her safely home. Now, all he needed to do was find the Leader. Then, he winced, trying his best to keep the pain from slipping past his tightly pursed lips. His arm was nearing its last ounce of strength, and he really needed a medic.
"Hataro, let go!" Hanabi shouted suddenly. She wriggled out of his arms, forcing him to relenquish his hold. She ran ahead with all her might, for there in the distance was the Leader.
"Neechan!" Hanabi wailed. "Neechan!"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hinata nearly tripped over her own feet in her effort to leap from the steps of the Main House. She stumbled forward, but caught her balance just in time for the small, hot-headed kunoichi to send her flying backward.
"Neechan!" They fell toward the steps, caught and held upright by the Lady's attendants.
"My Lady!" The girls gasped.
"Hanabi..." The siblings grasped onto one another as Hinata whispered her sister's name, over and over again. "Hanabi... Hanabi..."
"I'm alive, neechan. I'm okay," the younger Hyuuga whispered back. Hanabi bit her lip to keep the sobs at bay. Never had she thought that one day they would end up like this. Holding one another, crying away their grief. It was a sad sight, and Hanabi was glad there weren't many Hyuuga around to witness it.
"Hanabi-hime?" She heard Hataro's uncertain voice calling behind her. "Hanabi-hime, why are you crying?" He stepped up to them, offering a low bow to her sister.
"I'm not crying," she wiped her face on her sleeve. "You're imagining things, Hataro."
"Hataro?" Hinata was surprised and pleased all at once. "I remember you," she said. "You used to keep Hanabi-chan out of trouble."
"Or in trouble, depending on how you looked at it..." Hanabi rolled her eyes.
"And, you protected her tonight, didn't you?"
He was nervous, and it showed. "Hai, Hyuuga-sama," he answered. "I did the best I could."
"Which is all any Leaf ninja can do," the Leader replied.
"Hyuuga-sama."
Hinata's mouth fell open at her younger sister's use of her formal title. "Y-Yes?" She stuttered.
"The traitor, Tomoyuki, was executed by my hand. The other one... I tried to kill him, but--"
"It was much more important for Hanabi-hime to remain safe, so my brother stayed behind to finish the job," Hataro cut in.
Hinata smiled a serene, peaceful smile. "Good work, Hanabi-chan," she said. "You'll be a ninja yet."
Hanabi grinned with forced arrogance. She certainly hoped so.
The Leader then focused on the genin before her. "And your brother?" She questioned.
Hataro looked away, no longer strong enough to meet that diamond gaze. "I do not know, Hyuuga-sama," he explained. "I directed the Godaime's ANBU to the scene, however..."
"Hokage-sama!" A shout from the path leading to the front gates of the compound. "Hokage-sama has arrived!"
Hinata immediately stepped away from them, gliding forward to greet the leader of the Leaf Village. Tsunade looked just as exhasted as she felt, while Morino Ibiki just looked like he always did-- ready, willing and able to inflinct the most heinous torture imaginable.
"Hokage-sama," the Hyuuga Leader bowed graciously.
The Godaime nodded. "What's the status here?" She demanded.
"All is well within the Hyuuga," Hinata answered.
Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "Any my prisoners?"
Now, Hinata stood straight, staring the Hokage straight in the eye. "You will have to speak with the Branch leader about the details, but I know they are secure, and await your arrival with much chagrin."
"Branch leader?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "You wouldn't be talking about my other prisoner, would you?"
"What prisoner would that be, Hokage-sama?"
"Still insisting upon his defense?"
"His life is mine," she answered.
"Just make certain he's in my office tomorrow morning when you make your full report," the sannin barked. Then, she sighed. "Where is Shizune?"
"Right here, Tsunade-sama." Shizune exited the Main House, still wearing her surgical coat. The jounin couldn't bring herself to look at Hinata before speaking again. "I need to confer with you about the test result, Tsunade-sama."
Both women watched a dark mood settled over the Hyuuga Leader. "Then I'll leave you to it," Hinata said, turning to enter the house.
Tsunade refrained from ordering the girl back, since she knew Hinata had been through such a traumatic experience, but to say she was upset was a gross understatment. "How am I supposed to find my prisoners now?" She wondered aloud.
"I will escort you, Hokage-sama," Neji's voice grated against the Godaime's ears, and her eyes widened at the sound.
"You!" She accused, with one mere word.
"Hai, Hokage-sama," he answered. "I am the Branch leader."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"So..." Hanabi sat on the roof of the Main House, Hataro by her side, a fresh splint binding his arm. She leaned into him, and somehow he managed to wrap the broken appendage around her shoulders. "What's going to happen now?"
He shrugged, as the white light of dawn cleansed the land, and the air around them. Hisoshou still had not returned. He was worried. They both were.
"You should go to the hospital and get a cast put on that," she nudged him.
"I'm not leaving," he said.
"You know," Hanabi began, "if something happened to him, they'll take him to the hospital." She peered up at the boy. "Don't you think you should be there already?"
"But--"
"Let me put it to you this way," she grasped onto a lock of smooth black hair. "You're going to go get your arm fixed. Now."
"But the women already gave me a new splint," he protested, remembering the group of Main House ladies who'd been so grateful for his hand in Hanabi's rescue, that they'd taken it upon themselves to see to his... discomfort. His arm was still throbbing from all the pulling and prodding. He most definately did not want to go to the hospital, only to have that happen again.
Hanabi yanked down as hard as she could. "What was that?" She questioned. "I didn't hear you right."
"Alright!" Hataro wailed. "Alright, I'll go! Just please stop, Hanabi-hime!"
The kunoichi smiled triumphantly, while Hataro grasped his burning scalp. "Let's go, Hataro-kun," she cooed, then jumped down from the roof.
Hyuuga Hataro rubbed the sore spot that probably wasn't going away. Ever.
"Hanabi-hime remembers me... I'm so happy," he reminded himself.
End Chapter Nineteen