TimeShifter: Oh, I have plans and back story for everything. Speaking of, watch how many times characters say something to come bite them later.
samueltm2: Thanks, I'm certainly trying.
Chapter 9:
Yumiko's Nightmare
Neji deactivated his Byakugan. He didn't have the chakra to sustain it, but he found no reason to keep it active. "Though Tenten and I won't be rejoining the battle anytime soon, our opponent has internal injuries. I doubt he can even stand without feeling intense pain." He let out a satisfied sigh. As in his battle with Hinata in the exam where they both became chunin, he had to simply outlast his opponent.
He turned his attention to his teammate. She was grinning ear to ear, proud of their achievement. In spite of himself, a slight grin found its way to his lips. As much as he wanted to help Naruto pound some sense into whoever was in charge, he felt a certain satisfaction in at least eliminating one of their opponents from the fight. Sure, he wasn't dead, but he did require medical attention.
After a moment, he eyed the portal Saiga drove them threw. As if reading his mind, Tenten answered the unasked question. "I'm sure they're fine, Neji." He looked at her, hardly surprised. On the contrary, he knew how well she could read him. "Chouji's strong, and Suichi-san's a fine samurai."
He nodded. "I have no doubt." He sighed. "However, their opponent is a Hyuuga…" He was interrupted by their opponent's laughter. "What do you find so funny?" His eyes narrowed when he caught the appearance of Saiga's eyes for the first time.
The ashen green eyes held a glint of mirth. Though he could no longer fight back, he knew the Hyuuga his target was referring to. "Okaa-sama won't lose to some fat kid and a samurai!" Further words disappeared into a fit of laughter before his eyes rolled back, and darkness overcame his vision.
Tenten shook her head. "He's hysterical. The damage to his body and blood loss must have gotten to his head 'cause he's rambling nonsense." She shrugged her shoulders. "Besides, how can he call a Hyuuga 'okaa-sama' if he has that Hyouton kekkie genkai?"
Neji rubbed the bridge of his nose to fight the chakra headache. "I don't know how, but his eyes seem to have been affected by the Byakugan. I think it may be only physical appearance, but his irises were enlarged…and pupils nearly invisible."
Her eyes went wide. "You think?" He nodded in response, and she brought her hand to her chin in thought. "Well I suppose, but why didn't he use his Byakugan?" She knew how big of a help it would have been in a fight. Though they knew of the weakness, they didn't necessarily know how or where it would manifest in Saiga.
He shook his head as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't know, and I don't really have any theories. We'll just have to make sure Saiga is 'escorted' back to the village when we return to properly investigate." He smirked. "I have a feeling Shikamaru may be feeling things become more 'troublesome' very soon."
She had a good laugh to his joke while Shikamaru suddenly sneezed back in Konoha.
Chouji had come a long way in the years. His friends helped him build his confidence, and his family taught him how strong he could be. He still knew fighting a Hyuuga was a difficult task. Their juuken could render chakra unstable, and the Byakugan saw things with frightening clarity. So why was the match so even?
Suichi was a well trained samurai. He had learned to harness his emotions in order to fight to the best of his capabilities. Even if he would feel anger later that he recognized her voice as belonging to the one who killed his brother Daikichi, he still logically understood what kind of opponent they were up against. So why was he still a threat to her?
Yumiko had over a hundred years of experience as a warrior. She was confident in her abilities and her intelligence. However, she lacked the creativity and mental flexibility required to invent her own techniques, like Hinata, or duplicate techniques she knew yet never would be taught, like Neji. If she had known those facts, they would have been unimportant. She was sure she could easily win. So why wasn't the fight already decided?
To an outside observer, the fight was might appear rather tame to be between two ninja and a samurai. Yumiko was in a standard juuken stance, carefully watching her opponents. Suichi stood defensively beside his ally, wondering if he might come up with a plan. Chouji resisted pulling out the green soldier pill for a quick advantage. He knew the situation wasn't desperate, but he wanted to hurry up.
She threw herself confidently into another string of attacks. She used her agility to try weaving around the samurai's defense. When his face wrinkled at the sound his swords were making, an expanded limb sped towards her. She was forced to jump back only for another expanded fist to intercept her path.
Knowing she'd be in trouble if she simply dodged, she twisted. His fist barely grazed her, but she was able to grab his wrist guard. She smirked in anticipation as he retracted his fist. She used her juuken to aim at several of his tenketsu before the samurai interrupted.
As Chouji rubbed his sore arm, Yumiko turned her full attention to Suichi. With venom in her words, she tried her hand at psyching him. She needed them to lose confidence. "My danna-ichiban…" There was obvious distaste at the mention of her first husband. "…was a skilled swordsman. Even if I hated his guts, I can respect what he taught me about swords."
Suichi narrowed his eyes dangerously. "It is improper to disrespect your danna-san." He kept his attention on her even as she chortled. He felt no need to lower his guard against such an opponent. He carefully addressed his ally. "How's your arm?" He knew juuken by reputation only, but he knew ninja required chakra to fight effectively. As a samurai, he was never taught to mold chakra; though, he knew his clan at one time was respected for a kekkei genkai.
Chouji rubbed his arm a couple more times. "I'm fine." He swept his arms out to a ready stance. "She managed to numb my arm for a second, but she totally missed shutting down my tenketsu." He smirked. Her aim wasn't even half as good as Neji or Hinata's. It made things easier, but he still couldn't be haphazard. A passing juuken strike could still numb or paralyze. A good hit could do much worse.
He looked around the room. If it were larger, he could easily expand his entire body or use other techniques. As it was, he had to stick to taijutsu in combination with expanded limbs. It was not a situation he wanted to be in. He could rely on his ally for defense and distraction, but their opponent had an advantage he didn't know how to overcome.
Yumiko charged in again. With the Byakugan, it was impossible to get dizzy. She wanted to observe them for a moment, so she watched them. It gave her a psychological edge. Her first target didn't move in time, and she easily pumped chakra through her juuken strikes into his shoulders. The samurai managed to hold onto his daishou as his arms fell limp against his body.
Suichi gritted his teeth as he held in a scream. His shoulder muscles were torn by a direct attack, and his usefulness came to an abrupt end. He jumped back and leaned against a wall, doing his best not to disgracefully drop his treasured weapons. He bowed his head as he spoke his apologies. "I'm sorry Chouji, but it seems I have become a burden."
Yumiko didn't skip a beat and moved onto her next target. As he dodged and parried, he responded to his ally. "Don't worry about it." He didn't want to admit it, but he was surprised they'd lasted as long as they had. He saw her come in to pump excess chakra into his lung, so he threw a punch with an expanded hand.
She was forced to jump back, but she was more confident in a one-on-one fight. Knowing the dangers of edged weapons, she wanted the samurai out of the way first and foremost. To her, the Akimichi was far less a hazard. She pressed her attack. She knew she had better speed and agility. His raw power didn't have the finesse to keep up with her for long, so she only awaited an opportunity.
She ducked under a heavy jab, and he retracted before an upward thrust took out his elbow. She tried to close some distance, but he pounded his fists to close off the path. She jumped back, and he pounded the ground again to throw up some dust. For a moment, he had forgotten what he was up against, and she capitalized on that mistake.
As he charged forward, she stumbled backwards in feigned befuddlement. As he emerged from the dust cloud, she gawked at him. As realization entered his eyes, it was too late. An uppercut met his jaw before she twisted and sent an elbow into his gut. As he was recovering his composure, she entered a flurry of juuken strikes. Her tenketsu aim was nearly nonexistent, but the law of averages was in her favor. As she threw more and more strikes, she hit more and more tenketsu and started to whittle down his chakra supply.
Yumiko stood over Chouji with breathing slightly heavy from exertion. She smirked as she looked down her nose on him. His body was bruised and battered, and his chakra system was a mess to say the least. It wasn't the most artful of victories, but she was the one walking away.
She turned her attention to the samurai who was barely standing. Her expression was murderous as she stalked closer to him. "Kumorigachi Suichi of Housekiyama, you value tradition more than family. It's no wonder Daikichi-danna came to me."
Though weakened, he was still proud. "You killed my otouto! How dare you speak of him, especially in such a manner! He was happy with his tsuma and sochi." He gave her an icy glower as she invaded his personal space.
She wrestled his wakizashi from his forced grip. "You knew nothing of Daikichi-danna. He wasn't happy with that forced marriage." Her hatred for arranged marriages was obvious as she plunged the wakizashi into his bicep before he could retort. The edge barely missed his bone, but it scraped along making the pain that much more unbearable. She sounded unnervingly calm as she leaned in close and almost whispered into his ear. "I understand him, and he loves me."
He managed not to scream, but his face contorted in agony. As she continued talking about his brother, he grew more enraged. "Are you saying my otouto cheated on his tsuma?!" He didn't know how, but he was going to make sure she didn't get away with insulting his brother's honor.
She chortled and shook her head in disbelief. "'cheated'? How can you say he 'cheated' when he never even loved that woman in the first place?" She noticed his expression and how anger clearly overcame his pain. With a widening smirk, she wrestled his katana from his grip and plunged it into his side, purposely avoiding his organs while delivering maximum pain.
Yumiko was impressed when Suichi still didn't cry out his obvious pain. It had to be excruciating. She leaned back to admire her work and continue gloating. "I also 'disrespect' my danna-ichiban because I didn't love him. I was forced to marry him, and I was forced to bear his children." She emphasized 'his' in such a way as to imply she took no responsibility for them, as if he owned them.
To him, the insult was obvious. It could be said that he valued tradition, but he valued family more. He was certain his brother loved his would-be bride. Though arranged, they spent a lot of time together before the marriage. They even had a child, a son! To think he took no responsibility for his own offspring…it was something he couldn't forgive even his own brother for. "You dare insult the dead?"
She was no longer amused by his ignorance, and her dry tone reflected her tedium. "The man I killed wasn't Daikichi-danna." She shook her head to the pitiful sight before her. The samurai still wore a look of defiance, and he obviously didn't believe her statement. "You're in such a pitiful state. I can finish you anytime I want." She paused as if in thought. "In fact, I'll let Daikichi-danna send you off with his love."
She chortled so loudly that he couldn't respond. He angrily watched as she casually strolled in the same direction Kanaeru and Gayt were headed in, completely ignoring the helpless shinobi lying not too far away. Oddly, he felt he could only hope they had rescued their friends. If he remembered correctly, they were two shinobi going by Naruto and Hinata. He turned his attention to Chouji. Though he was pinned to the wall, he couldn't help but worry about his ally. "Chouji, are you all right?"
He stirred where he lay. "Yeah…somehow…" He tried to sit up but only managed to roll his head. "I don't think I can move, though." He quickly analyzed his condition. Based on what he could feel, he probably had torn muscles and ligaments, fractured bones, and a few internal injuries. His chakra was also shot.
"You heard what she said?" He nodded in response to the samurai. "Do you think you can recover by the time she gets back?" He noticed the look on the teenager's face. "As much as I hope our friends can handle Yumiko and whoever may be left, we must assume the worst to prepare ourselves." As much as either hated to admit it, they had an agreement.
It was a few minutes later when Shino and Ino rushed into the large room, and Chouji had passed out from the pain. They immediately took note of their surroundings when they noticed the living room area looked like the sight of some battle. There were craters dug out of the floor and walls. In one crater, they noticed their pleasantly plump friend. Pinned to the wall by his daishou, they noticed Suichi. Ino rushed towards them while Shino took a slightly slower pace.
When Ino reached Suichi, he indicated Chouji. "I think he needs more help than me. Just get me down. I think I can tend to my own wounds for the time being." She nodded and cooperated. As soon as she sat him against the wall, she rushed for her childhood friend. The samurai watched as he rubbed his numb wrists which finally had feeling returning to them.
Her hand became aglow in green chakra as she analyzed her chubby friend. She blinked back tears at his condition. They had a mission to accomplish, and his injuries weren't life threatening. She wasn't skilled enough to do more than ease the pain and make sure he could walk home, but she was going to make sure she did what she could.
"Chouji will be fine." They were simple words, but Ino appreciated what Shino was trying to do. She smiled to hide her pained emotions. She smiled to concentrate on her friend. She nodded as she put her medical training to work. Noting her condition, he turned to Suichi. "It would seem the mission you sponsored was more than you bargained for."
Suichi let out something between a chuckle and a groan. He wasn't lost to the irony. He thought he could handle the bandit situation himself and only called on Konoha to investigate…and to cover in case his emotions over his brother's death interfered with serving his daimyo. If he'd known, he might have hired a jonin or two. "I'm sorry your friends had to get mixed up with this. My arrogance blinded me to the true dangers."
Shino raised a brow ever so slightly. "I was not insinuating fault on your part." He left their companion to mull over his words as he turned his attention to his colony. A few sentinels had returned with word, and he was not enjoying the news. Kiba, Akamaru, and Lee were hurt. Neji and Tenten weren't much better off, and a hostile was heading towards another to fight their two remaining allies.
Gayt launched himself at his opponent. Daikichi was taken aback by the odd approach. The heavy sword was still leaned against his shoulder. The samurai wasn't surprised long as he was soon shoulder tackled, and he hit the wall behind him hard enough to expel air through gritted teeth. He barely reacted in time to roll away from a hammer punch.
Daikichi eyed his armored opponent as his gauntleted fist sliced through the granite wall. His eyes then narrowed as he noticed the sword was still leaning against his shoulder. Deciding it wasn't a coincidence, he notched an arrow and let it fly. His face contorted into surprise as the sword cleanly sliced the arrow in half.
Gayt didn't say a word as he put his massive blade on his shoulder again. He almost lazily walked towards his adversary. He tapped his sword once; his opponent flinched. He tapped it again, and the samurai notched two arrows. The kousotsu gripped his sword in two hands and held it perpendicular to his body as he broke into a run.
The arrows were aimed well, but the first bounced worthlessly off a plate of armor. The second, however, managed to embed itself into a joint. Daikichi didn't have time to celebrate as he was quickly forced to dodge. He was thrown off balance and mercilessly spun as the massive blade sliced into his side. He held the wound for a moment to analyze his condition.
Gayt stood with his back to his opponent for a moment, allowing him to recover. When the smell of blood wafted his way, he slowly turned to face the bowman as he rested his sword in place once more. "It is curious how you learned to expel chakra without molding it first. Apparently, you've also severely overestimated its usefulness as a defense."
Daikichi scowled. "It's the ultimate defense for my marksmanship!" His scowl deepened when no retort was made. "I may not be able to mold Hyouton like Saiga-kun, but I've learned a lot from him. I can't mold chakra, but I can lace the air with what my body naturally produces. Anything that uses chakra is susceptible to it!" He was sure of it. He was even going to use his technique to defeat his brother.
Gayt wondered if he might smirk to psych out his opponent before his next words. "As I said, I am immune to chakra. My body doesn't produce any." He lunged forward again, only this time his sword trailed him in preparation to strike.
Daikichi was caught off guard by the kousotsu's words. "That's impossible… How can a person not produce even a small amount of chakra?" Though lost in thought for a second, he quickly came out of them when his body instinctually reacted to the danger. He was able to sidestep the lunge and lash out with his bow.
Gayt swept his sword up to parry the bow, but Daikichi quickly brought the other end up. The swordsman recognized the quarterstaff maneuver and easily caught the bow in a gauntleted hand. His grip was firm, and his opponent couldn't easily escape. "I'd wager you've guessed the implications. Prepare yourself." He raised his sword high before quickly slicing downwards.
The bowman was forced to release his weapon and jump back. He watched as his opponent callously threw it to the side. Without it, he was going to have a much more difficult time avoiding the massive blade, and its weight made it more dangerous. "He said something about a Fuuin 'stabilizing' him… What could that mean?" He felt he was missing a vital clue.
Gayt rushed forward once more to deliver a crushing, diagonal slice. He watched as his adversary twisted around the strike and attempted to send a powerful elbow strike to the joint barely exposing his neck. He released his grip on his massive sword just long enough for it to carry its momentum into a flip. When he regained his grip, he continued to carry the blade's momentum into a reverse stab aimed for Daikichi's gut.
The scenes containing Naruto, Hinata, and Tsume merged as Rikka's eyes went wide and she fell to her knees. Her jaw was slack as her mouth hung open. Tears stung her eyes. For the first time in her decades of life, she felt like crying. She felt the need for a shoulder, a warm body. The presence of her father, Masato, was dead. He gathered all his chakra into one final explosion, and his passing was clear in her mind.
The three captives watched her anxiously, not knowing how to respond. Naruto and Hinata felt some empathy for the young-looking girl. They had no idea what her true age was, but they saw a frightened, eight year old child. Tsume was far more cautious. She may have never met a Kagennotsuki, but she had heard of arguably the most powerful clan in Wind.
The scenery changed around the three captives, and their captor seemed to disappear into the new backdrop. They were surrounded by buildings in a city they barely recognized. Naruto and Hinata knew it was Konoha from little more than instinct, but Tsume felt her chakra sense tell her the flow was the same as where her body was.
Slowly, people appeared on the street. It was strange to the captives because it was as if a still image was slowly being populated by people frozen in time. The last group to appear was Yumiko and three others. She didn't look well as she had bags under her eyes, and her face was droopy from exhaustion. She held a child unfamiliar to them, a small boy with silver-white hair. A toddler girl, not much older than the held child, tugged at her dress as she nervously sucked her thumb, and her hair was raven black.
The baby boy and toddler girl appeared to be her children, and a man who appeared to be her husband stood at a merchant stand as he haggled over prices for some fruits. It was when they noticed the man haggling that they noticed the scene was playing out before them like some ancient video file. Naruto and Hinata even recognized the sword strapped to the man's back. It was the sword made famous by Hatake Sakumo.
Hinata turned to Naruto as she had noticed something. "N-Naruto-kun, this is when Konoha was new." She pointed out the symbol of the First. "These buildings can't be more than a few years old, and these symbols prove Senju Hashirama is Hokage." She had no idea why Rikka would suddenly be showing them these images.
He blinked as he bent at the waist to check out the symbol. He recognized it from lessons in the academy, but he'd forgotten the details. "Eh, it is?" He chuckled as he embarrassedly rubbed his nose. "How does that girl know about this, then?"
Tsume pointed out Yumiko. "You notice how the scene is focused on her, Naruto-sama?" She sent Hinata a glower. She had immediately recognized her competition. However, it was more important to figure a way out of the genjutsu, so it was only passing.
Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I saw her earlier." A bit of venom mixed with his words, but he controlled it well. Both girls noticed however. He blinked as he noticed something and, curious if anybody else had, pointed it out. "Hey, Yumiko has eyes like Hinata and Neji, but those children don't. They are hers, right?" He was honestly curious.
Hinata thought about his question for a moment. "Yes, it would seem they are…" She paused. "It's possible the Byakugan wasn't passed to them. It's rare, but there are cases where it wasn't inherited." She pointed to the sword on the man's back. "Do you recognize that, Naruto-kun?"
He nodded. "Yeah, Kakashi-sensei has a sword just like that." He paused to think for a minute. "Wait, I think he mentioned it was a memento of his dad's…" He crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head to one side to think hard. For some reason, something clicked. "Wait! Do you think that's, like, an ancestor of his or something?"
She smiled and nodded in agreement. "That's what it seems to be…" She had to think on that, too. If the images before them were true, then Kakashi may be a distant relative to the Hyuuga. If they were seeing the early days of Konoha, it might have even been before Madara's betrayal.
Tsume decided to interject a question she was sure was on all their minds. "Okay, but why are we being shown these images?" She found herself mildly satisfied to hear her fellow captives' sighs as they tried to figure out that answer, too.
They didn't have to think long as Rikka appeared behind them and spoke through her mind. "Okaa-sama's nightmare…" They looked at her questioningly. "You're going to be my otou-sama, so I don't mind showing you this." She didn't add on how he might see Konoha as trash. His strong will made even her question that idea.
The scene fast forwarded over a year in the span of a few breaths. They were standing in a rundown warehouse. Yumiko and a cloaked man seemed to be bartering something. She held a newborn child, and he seemed awfully interested in the infant. He placed a book down on a nearby table. They seemed to have reached an agreement. She held the infant up to him, and he etched a seal over the infant's chest.
Rikka was still behind them and finally spoke up. "Okaa-sama was furious over her arranged marriage. They disowned her when her children did not possess the Byakugan, so she bartered her third child for a chance at revenge." She watched the infant as he started to wail without a care.
They watched as Yumiko walked out of the warehouse with the book and infant, uncontested. Hinata and Tsume narrowed their eyes as they realized the implications. Naruto spoke up. "Hey if she bartered her child, wouldn't the man want him?" He didn't like the idea, seeing it as the ultimate act of betrayal. However, 'trade' seemed to imply both parties got something out of the deal.
Rikka scoffed. It wasn't because of Naruto's question or ignorance. It was because of whoever that man was. "He used a Fuuin on the child, and he grew up to become the first War Hawk of Konoha. He may as well have founded ROOT, like Danzo did some years later, because he made okaa-sama's revenge that much more difficult. The only good thing to come of the interaction was the book of kinjutsu…and immortality."
Naruto gawked at her at the mention of the forbidden and disgusting forbidden technique. It reminded him of somebody he hated and could never forgive, Orochimaru. She wasn't done, however. "You won't make the same mistake as otou-san, right? You won't die and leave me and okaa-sama alone, right?" She was sure her brothers could manage. After all, Basuto got to say his farewells to his father, and Saiga was unlikely to have to watch his father die.
Naruto was beside himself. On one hand, he didn't want to make the seemingly young girl cry. On the other, he was finding he had no fond emotions for Yumiko. He couldn't figure out what her game plan was, and it certainly didn't help they seemed to want to torture him to get him on their side. He sighed. "Listen, I'm not gonna die before I become Hokage."
She brightened up, but he quickly shot her down. Hinata's face brightened with his every word…as did Tsume's. "I'm going to get there on my own strength, and nobody's going to stop me. I'm not doing some crazy immortality jutsu 'cause it reminds me of that creep Orochimaru. I'm also not becoming somebody's father just yet! I'm not ready, and it's most certainly not going to be with somebody who reminds me of Orochimaru." He noticed her face fall and tears sting her eyes. "You seem like you're good, though a bit misguided. Why not let us out?"
His question never reached her ears as she was clutching her head and nearly screaming. She pulled herself into a near fetal position as she fought the pain wracking her body. Her captives didn't know what to do as they watched her. Each had empathy for her in the state she was in, but each also wanted out of the genjutsu.
Halfway down the hall to help her beloved Daikichi, Yumiko stopped dead in her tracks. Her heart rate increased, and she was forced to lean against the wall for support. She wiped her brow as fear then rage filled her eyes. She feared for her beloved Masato. She raged at his death. Her breathing became shallow as a transformation overtook her body.
Her skin became ghastly pale before chakra erupted from her body with enough ferocity to billow her clothes and hair. The chakra arched back to her as it caught her elemental affinity of lightning. It was like an armor of Raiton erupted around her. As her breathing and heartbeat returned to normal, her Byakugan flared.
She almost felt her heart drop when she saw Daikichi's bow easily caught by the armored behemoth. In a burst of speed propelled by her chakra and elemental affinity, she easily crossed the last remaining distance separating her from the battle between swordsman and bowman.
She froze as blood and gastrointestinal juices splattered outward from the sword thrust. Her latest husband regurgitated all over his opponents backside as he involuntarily leaned forward. The tip of a massive blade emerged like the tip of an iceberg from his back. His spine was barely missed, and the damage was immense.
As if possessed, she charged wildly into the room. Her strikes had no form or reason. She simply aimed to deal as much damage as quickly as possible. Her juuken strikes were sloppy, and they seemed to carry chakra differently. After several horribly wide swings, she managed a solid blow to Gayt's chest.
He skidded back, taking his sword with him. As his sword slid out of his adversary's body, he fell to his knees. His body was already in shock as Yumiko wrapped her arms around him. He was already going pale as he was rolled onto his back, but he was still a ways from death. Daikichi slowly raised a hand to stroke her cheek. "My beautiful, don't cry."
Gayt always held respect for his opponents, so he stood back to allow the two a temporary solace in one another. With his free hand, he examined where he was punched. "That punch actually did some damage, but chakra enhanced punches should be meaningless." He paused to listen to Star. "Yes, I am aware she can use Fuuin." He bowed his head as if to send a glower. "She uses kinjutsu, too? She may be a difficult opponent." It was not a statement he made lightly, even privately to his longtime companion.
She managed a smile before gently taking his hand and putting it over his wound. "Hold your hand here, danna-chan." He weakly nodded but obeyed. She slowly stood, sending a glower to Gayt the entire time. She didn't feel the least bit intimidated by his calm demeanor. "You… Are you trying to take away my Daikichi?"
Gayt did not respond, and she continued her tirade. "Are you trying to do what they did?!" She had extra emphasis and venom on 'they', and she continued to add it. "They tried to take my first, true love from me. Oh-ho, but Basuto took care of them. Basuto took care of them, but…but…" She launched herself into a pitiful attack with an anguished cry.
Gayt simply sidestepped the first few strikes. He was surprised, however, as he could feel them as they moved past him. When one of her strikes brushed his armor, he was further astonished to be driven back. He looked at her and took note even as she charged in once more.
She swung; he dodged. She swung again; he parried. She launched and uppercut; he ducked beneath it and hammered and elbow into her side. She coughed up spittle as she took several steps back, and he felt pain as electricity surged over his body. He was in shock for almost a full second before he recomposed himself and observed his latest adversary.
"She is a shinobi, therefore uses chakra to attack. I can tell she is not trained in the use of mana nor has used it thus far. This is a most interesting conundrum." He looked to his sword. "Any ideas?" He paused to listen, and the massive blade changed color to match chakra's representation of lightning, purple. "Ah, she is well versed in Fuuin. I can see that matching affinities will afford us greater defense, but we must break through hers."
"My nightmare…" He blinked as he looked to his adversary. "My nightmare…" He didn't know what she was talking about. "I will make you live my nightmare!" She spread her arms out, and chakra surged over her body. Her Raiton intensified, and arcs of electricity lashed out of her body at irregular intervals.
He didn't like the glint in her eyes as she turned to Kanaeru. Worse, he didn't know if he liked the look in his master's eyes. She seemed eager to get back into the fight in spite of the injuries to both her shoulders. The lightning which seemed to be making an armor for Yumiko brightened and gathered in the palms of hands as she pointed them to the other woman.
"They wanted to take everything from me, leave me with nothing. Now I'll show you my nightmare!" Lightning erupted from her hands without as much as a hand sign or call. It simply obeyed her will as it arched in preparation to strike. Yumiko grinned wildly as the mass of electricity prepared to impact Kanaeru.
The sumitsuki smirked as her chains surrounded her. Sure, her Doton was weak to Raiton, but combining her elemental affinity with her chains while still in Sanban no Kyuubi bought her the time she needed to get out of the way. She was surrounded by a dome of chains and hardened rock.
Yumiko scoffed when she saw the earth spring up to defend her target. Her lighting ball easily punched through it. She was left speechless when she saw nobody was on the receiving end of her attack. She turned to Gayt when she heard a shuffling sound. She was just in time to see her target fall to her knees, and the chains were receding to a more normal shape around her right arm.
She was surprised and in no way pleased. They had to experience her nightmare! She was forced to marry her first husband. Her second may have been saved by Basuto, but he died in the failed invasion of Konoha alongside sound shinobi. She felt her third pass away in a desperate battle, and her fourth was knocking at death's door as he lay on the floor. They were going to experience her nightmare!
Tsunade was pleased with Inoichi's progress. He'd already been at it for several minutes, and he hadn't met with the same sudden end as the last time. He was still meeting resistance, and he was having some difficulties. However, he was holding on. It also helped that mental distractions were cleared from the room. As much as they wanted to help, Kankuro and his genin were more a bane than a boon.
Sasame was keeping a steady eye on Tsume. They needed any early warning they could get. She was sweating more heavily than she should have been, but it was likely a sign of some mental exertion. She was in no pain, obvious or otherwise. It seemed as if the person behind the strange genjutsu only wanted Inoichi out. Did that mean Tsume was a nonissue for them?
Tsunade still hated not knowing what was going on. She was used to having shinobi in the field without any form of contact, but she had the perfect messenger lying on her couch but out of commission. She wanted answers, and she wanted them quickly. She was surprised when his facial expression changed and instinctively called out. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"
He smirked. "Nah, I'm fine. I met some stronger resistance, and I think the person on the other end is in some pain." He didn't say so, but he thought he heard a girl scream out in abject pain. Having a daughter, it made him sick to the stomach to listen to it. He knew it wasn't the worst he'd experienced diving into a person's mind, but it most certainly wasn't or would ever be pleasant.
It was several long seconds later before anybody said anything else, and it was Inoichi. "Ah, there we go." Tsunade and Sasame remained silent in suspense. With a final surge of chakra, he broke the mental chains of the genjutsu only he could see. The smirk on his face broadened as he confidently announced his victory. "It was a hard fought battle, but, in the end, nobody can beat a Yamanaka at mind games."
Tsunade rolled her eyes and was about to say something when Tsume shot into a seated position. She touched her face in surprise as she looked around the room. She actually fought back a smile when she realized she could see the world as she was used to. Oh, it was nice to see Naruto's face, but it was much better to see the world as only a Tomoyuki could.
As she was reacquainting herself with the world, Tsunade decided she needed answers. "I know it may be rough, but I need answers." The girl's attention was quickly riveted to the powerful leader's serious voice. "You've been under an enemy genjutsu for some time now, and I'm certain I need to know what's going on. Is my team safe, and do I need to send out a recovery and backup team?"
Tsume nodded her head. "I don't know who, but there are injuries. I sensed a person and animal in serious condition. I don't know how bad, but they definitely need help. Naruto-san's fine, and I saw Hinata." She paused for a moment to think. "I think somebody's chakra disappeared, but it was unfamiliar… The person could be dead, out of range, or very good at hiding."
Tsunade sighed. She didn't like the implications. She snapped her fingers, and two ANBU appeared flanking her. "Tell Shizune that she's cleared to go. Their destination is…" She paused as she looked to Tsume. The young girl responded by pointing in the direction she could feel Naruto. She almost sighed when she recognized the direction. She didn't like how right her suspicions were based on Shikamaru's advice and earlier comments by the young sand nin. "…Housekiyama."
The ANBU disappeared without a second's hesitation. Tsunade knew she could trust Shizune and Sakura to get the job done. Now she just had to deal with the home base for them to return to. "Sasame, I need you to prepare emergency rooms at the hospital. Inoichi, get Ibiki and Anko here immediately. I also want you to find Shikaku and Chouja and head to the gate."
They nodded their affirmatives and quickly left. With only Tsume left in her office, she turned to the young kunoichi. "You're friends were worried about you. I want you to reassure them you're fine, but I also need you to relay information to me." She sighed. "Your teammates even tried to threaten me, little punks." The young girl giggled, and the blond sannin smiled. "Go on; tell Kankuro and your friends you're fine. Naruto'll be fine until you get back.
Tsume hesitated for a moment, but Tsunade used her trademark glare to make her cry out in fright before leaving. Of course, it was a mildly frightened sound as glare was mostly used to intimidate her into realizing it was best to follow orders. The sannin sighed and looked in the direction the team in question was. "Naruto, you better get back here soon with everybody safe in tow."
Shino looked up when another sentinel returned. He watched it intently to gather the information it had to relay, and his brow arched well above his sunglasses. Suichi noticed the bug user's expression and spoke up. "Is something wrong, Aburame-san?"
He nodded. "Your adversary is experiencing Yakedo." His brow furrowed at the implication. He lifted his hand to tell the sentinel to return to reconnaissance duty, and it reluctantly obeyed. It was scared for, to him, obvious reasons.
Suichi was curious and awaited further explanation. When none came, he prepared to speak up but was interrupted. Not even looking up from operating on Chouji, Ino had something to say. "Oh Shino, what's Yakedo. I don't believe I've heard of that jutsu before."
His first response was to nod. It was understandable that they hadn't heard of it. "My apologies." He paused to collect his thoughts. "It is not a jutsu you would have heard about. We're not even sure if Yakedo is it's its proper name. My team and I have only experienced it twice, and we call it that because it burns through chakra at an alarming rate as it combines and recombines with the user's elemental affinity. We've also only ever seen Hinata use it when somebody actually managed to incite her ire."
"Eh?" Ino was confused. "Is it part of her kekkei genkai or something? I didn't think the Byakugan could do anything like that." She could almost feel Shino's frustration. She'd also never heard him talk so much, but she figured he probably spoke a lot more around his teammates anyway.
"It is unknown. As I said, we have only ever seen Hinata use Yakedo." He paused as he thought back to both occasions. "If it is part of her kekkei genkai, it may be either very rare or unwanted. It took everything we had to contain her until her chakra was depleted."
Chouji chose that moment to show he was still alive. "Well, what are you waiting for? If this Yakedo's as bad as you say it is, maybe you should go help Kanaeru and Gayt. Suichi-san and I are fine for now." He noticed the look in his childhood friend's eyes. "It's okay, Ino. I've walked away from worse than this, and her aim isn't nearly as precise as any Hyuuga we know." He chuckled a moment before he realized the pain it caused him.
"Chouji!" Ino leaned over him as she used her medical training to analyze him again. She sighed in relief as she realized he hadn't agitated anything. She almost smiled when she realized his condition had improved from when they first found him. "You need help, and I can't just…"
He silenced her with his intense gaze. "Ino, your help is much more necessary elsewhere. Please, help our friends. We don't know if Naruto and Hinata will be able to free themselves, so maybe your help will make the difference. I'll be here when you get back, promise."
With tears stinging her eyes, she stood and turned her back on him. "I heard you! You promised me!" She practically stormed up to Shino and pushed him to make him start moving. "You heard 'em! We need to go rescue our friends!"
She heard her childhood friend painfully chuckle in the background before they disappeared through the portal they felt chakra spike from. "Go show 'em why you don't mess with Konoha!"
To Gayt, Yumiko was in a blind rage. For no rhyme or reason, she focused her efforts on harming Kanaeru. He was able to stay a step ahead of her, but her Byakugan made things difficult. He also didn't like the fact that she was covered in Raiton. It was a bad match for his master's Doton. Though he was on the defensive, it was clear to him she was frustrated.
Yumiko didn't understand it. She couldn't see Gayt's chakra pathways. She could read his movements because she could see the complex Fuuin etched into his armor. She also saw the odd colors emanating from his massive sword. In her enraged state, she was more interested in harming Kanaeru to make him feel her nightmare. She also wanted to make his sword sing out in pain for what it did to Daikichi, but she couldn't get a bearing on its stress points.
Gayt and Yumiko were engaged in a complicated dance. She fought to get around him and to Kanaeru. He used his sword to parry her blows and strike when he could. Neither was able to strike the other, and their lightning bursts canceled each other out. It appeared to be an even as mana matched off against chakra. While Gayt's lack of chakra gave him a certain edge, Yumiko was able to make up with that with knowledge of Fuuin and kinjutsu.
Yumiko jumped back to give herself some room, and Gayt observed her for a moment. She drew a symbol in the air which he quickly recognized. He quickly eyed his massive blade. "I hope you're ready for this, Star." He hefted his blade, so he could point his forefinger, middle finger, and thumb at the enraged Hyuuga. He imagined Star lining up with the plane of his arm. "Hibana Yari."
A massive dragon made of electricity sprang to life from the symbol Yumiko drew. It charged towards Gayt and opened its giant maw in an obvious attempt to swallow him whole. From his fingertips, a spear of electricity struck out to intercept the massive attack. His primary goal was to lessen its strength, so it was incapable of harming Kanaeru.
She awoke to the sound of battle. In her groggy state, she wasn't sure where she was. She was familiar with the sounds of Raiton. Nobody could mistake the claps of thunder in such a setting as anything else. The smell of air strongly heated by Raiton charged chakra was unmistakable, and it seemed to collapse on the suddenly cooling vacuum differently.
She had to ask herself a very, simple question. Why was she awakening to the sound of battle? She felt so rested that she could have sworn she had awakened in her nice, comfortable bed. Oddly, the thought made her feel nostalgic. A thought occurred to her. She hadn't been away from home for that long.
Her eyes widened in realization. She had been kidnapped by Hyuuga hiding in some cavernous mountainside. They had even gone so far as to pose as shinobi from distant Kumo. She looked around, wondering if Naruto might be nearby. She blushed furiously at the thought of sharing a room with her childhood crush. She was disappointed and relieved to find him nowhere in the dimly lit room.
Hinata climbed out of the bed she'd been in and stretched her protesting muscles. She didn't know how long she had been out, but she felt she needed to find Naruto. If he was there, she was certain Konoha had found out and sent a rescue team. If he was part of that rescue team, she was afraid they might all have been captured just like her crush.
She was awfully worried about the sounds of battle coming from down the hall…
I wasn't even sure this update would make it. There are two reasons. One, I'm in a fun and difficult class involving rendering, and the rendering software is making life difficult for me. Still, I'm trying. Two, my Internet was on the blink last night. I thought I was going to be done before 2:00 am MST, but then my DSL went all weird on me. I spent an hour and a half getting it from not working to mostly not working. Needless to say, my ISP got a not-so-happy call from me. Next time I know I won't have time, I'll at least write an omake or something and postpone the update by a week.
As a warning, there will be NO update, omake or otherwise, the Sunday after Thanksgiving. I might release a project I've been working on the past few months, but I'm going to be too busy to have a full chapter completed in two weeks.
As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.
Story Word Count: 8,020
Story Page Count: 16
Terms and Jutsu:
tsuma - wife
sochi - son
Yakedo - Burn: In rare cases, a Hyuuga may experience Yakedo where their fine chakra control combines with his or her primary elemental affinity to create an intense offensive defense. More to be revealed later.