The Kumo nin cursed as he repositioned his grip on the bag that held the Hyuuga girl. He wanted to hit the child until she stopped crying and calling for her mother and father but he didn't want to damage the merchandise.
He stopped in a clearing and dropped the bag; the girl inside crying out in pain from the fall. He reached in and pulled the little girl out by her hair. "Shut up or I'll cut your tongue out before I cut out your eyes!"
The child whimpered and screwed her eyes shut.
The nin was merciless in terrifying the child. "And after I cut out your eyes, I'm going to sell the rest of you to people who really don't care if their 'employees' have eyesight or speech…and neither do their clients."
The enemy nin was so intent on terrifying the four-year-old, he didn't notice two shadows in the forest.
Then the two shadows moved.
The enemy shinobi gasped and choked as he was enveloped by something that began to itch. He was then struck by something sticky then another powdery substance. His eyes burned and began to water. He dropped the girl to try and clear the powder and muck from his eyes but then he screamed as he felt something slash across his legs.
He fell to the forest floor and realized that he couldn't move due to the fact that his hands were stuck to his face and there was ninja wire around his legs. He was able to look through his fingers in time to see two small shapes dragging his prize into the forest. He started scream at them to 'get back here.' Then the itching really set in. He wanted to scream from the pain of it. He writhed in the leaves and the dirt trying to relieve the pain but it didn't help. The itch so consumed him, he never noticed the larger shadow that landed quietly next to him. But he stopped when he heard the voice and when he managed to look, all he saw were red and black eyes.
"Foolish Kumo nin. Did you really think that you were going to get away?" The soft laughter was merciless. In the distance there was a howl of a dog. "Normally, I would drag you to T & I myself but there will be others who will be here soon. So I will leave you to their less then tender mercies. But to make sure that you will be here when they arrive…" A kunai swiftly cut through the Kumo nin's hamstrings. "Now, I must go. I need to make sure that three very frightened children make it to safety."
The Kumo nin could barely concentrate from the pain and the itching but he watched as the shadow disappeared. Three children? Three? Children did this to me?!
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A crowd of Konoha shinobi burst into the clearing lead by Hiashi Hyuuga and closely followed by his twin, Hizashi. Tsume Inuzuka, who had been visiting Hiashi prowled the edges of the clearing with her companion.
"Someone get me a light!"
Light flared and Hiashi looked around frantically.
No Hinata.
He focused in on the Kumo nin. He stalked a few steps forward to the writhing man. "Where is my daughter?" he growled.
The nin didn't answer him but continued to wriggle on the ground. Hiashi snarled and reached for the man but he was stopped by Hizashi. "No, brother. He's covered in…something."
"It's itching powder, glue and some sort of dye." Called Tsume.
Hiashi looked closer. The nin was covered in leaves, dirt and small branches but he could see pink underneath the filth. The man's hands were obviously stuck to his face. He could also see a glimmer of ninja wire around the man's legs.
Hizashi picked up a fallen branch and moved the nin's leg into better view, ignoring the man's whimper of pain as the ninja wire cut deeper into his skin. "Look here." He pointed to the man's ankle. "He was slashed with a kunai here and across his hamstring. The hamstring cut is clean and precise but the one across the ankle…clumsy, inexperienced."
"You're saying that he was attacked by someone who then made off with Hinata?" Hiashi ran a hand through his hair. "Who."
Tsume laughed. "I think if you turn your eyes to the Uchiha main house, you will find your answer."
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Mikoto grumbled to herself about the person will the appalling indecency to be knocking on the door in the wee hours of the morning. She removed the Seals and flung open the door to see the Head of the Hyuuga on her doorstep. "Hiashi?"
Hiashi bowed to her. "I apologize, Mikoto, for coming at such a time. But I'm here to retrieve Hinata."
Mikoto blinked. "Hinata-chan? Why would you think she was here?"
"Because Tsume's nose said that she was with your two youngest and my Byakugan confirmed that she was here."
"Why would my boys take Hinata?" Mikoto was more than a bit confused but she stepped back and gestured Hiashi inside.
The man smiled at her. "They didn't 'take' her per se…they did take her back though."
"Explain!"
The Hyuuga clan head explained what they knew and what they had surmised. "The boys need to practice their kunai work. But they did very well considering they're four and they were going against an experienced nin. The hamstring work, though, was someone older. Someone with a lot more training."
Mikoto sighed. "It was probably Itachi or Shisui. They both have just returned from missions. I guess whichever one it was felt it was better they follow the children then to make sure the Kumo nin be taken into custody. Especially if you weren't that far behind."
Hiashi nodded. "That's what I think as well. He just made sure that the Kumo nin couldn't get away and then followed the children."
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Mikoto and Hiashi walked quietly to the bedroom and opened the door. The moonlight streaming through the window was enough for them to see the three children piled together on one bed. Hinata in the middle, tears still staining her cheeks with Naruto and Sasuke on either side, partially covered in leaves and dirt but with their arms over the girl in protection.
Mikoto smiled. It was a precious sight. She wished that she had a camera to be able to show it off but she didn't think Hiashi would feel the exact same way. She stepped close to the bed and ran a hand across Sasuke and Naruto's heads. But as she moved their arms away from Hinata, they woke.
"Shhh. Don't wake her." Mikoto cautioned the boys as they bolted upright when she carefully picked up the girl and handed her to her father. Hinata wrapped an arm around his neck and snuggled into his shoulder. Hiashi held her close; closer than the most precious jewel.
"Mother…there was a bad man."
"We got the bad man really good, Mama!"
Mikoto smiled at the two of them. "I know. Hiashi-sama told me. I'm proud of you. But go back to sleep and we'll talk about it in the morning."
"'kay." Naruto flopped back down and was soundly asleep.
Sasuke managed to be somewhat politer. "Goodnight, Mother. Goodnight, Hiashi-sama."
The two adults walked quietly out of the room and towards the front door. Hiashi bowed to Mikoto. "I'm sure Ibiki will be sending Inoichi to talk to the boys in the morning."
Mikoto laughed softly. "It won't be the first time."
"The Uchiha have my deepest appreciation."
"You're welcome." Mikoto hesitated for a moment then spoke. "Hiashi, in a few days, bring Hinata over so that she can play with the boys. I think they'd like that and to also know that she's safe."
Hiashi nodded. "I'll do that." He stepped off the front porch and into the darkness. Mikoto could see him joined by his twin as they exited the property.
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Ibiki stared down at the gods awful mess that had been presented to him. An unpleasant but familiar aroma reached his nose. "You're supposed to shit yourself after you meet me." He glared at the forest muck, glue and two powders littering his nice clean interrogation room. "Someone get me a damn hose!" He shouted. "I'm going to have to clean this idiot up before I can get started questioning him!"