TimeShifter: Do you still like Momiji? It's hard writing a three year old... Anyway, I hinted at Hinata seeing mana when she, Neji, and Kanaeru were watching Naruto spar with Gayt. Next batch of questions shall be foreshadowed to death until actually revealed (later arc). I'm looking forward to Hanabi as well (hinthint*winkwink). Oh, I won't ruin your moment... Ignore my shifty eyes...as I direct you towards the answer to the familiar woman in the following chapter. Oh, I couldn't find the pack/back mistake. Then again, I got a strangely heavy workload the past two weeks... Anyway, I enjoy extensive reviews. They tell me where I need to work on transparency and where my skills work best. I do love my cliff hangers...
samueltm2: Oh, I'll be giving hints as to what might happen on Naruto's return... I'm evil have actually planned the next arc extensively.
kageshishi: Thanks, I've been meaning to get back to that... Honestly, I don't know how I mixed up that name...
Chapter 15:
Ill Intentions
The middle aged, treacherous shinobi formally of Kumo approached their newly redefined treasure trove. The female spoke first. "It seems our quarry is far more valuable to us than a simple paycheck, Kinofuji." Her voice croaked with age and a seductive undertone.
The man responded with a raspy, agitated voice. "Who'd a thought we'd find an unmarked Hyuuga this far without escort, eh Tsutsuji?" His brow furrowed further, only serving to mirror his tone. His form was rigid, already hardened by some armoring Doton technique. Otherwise, he was plain to look at with graying, brown hair and aged, yellow-green eyes. His earthen robes covered his lithe features.
Hinata's attention was transfixed on the woman. She felt a fear awaken that she hadn't felt since she was a child. Her appearance was unmistakable. With the exception of her magenta-colored eyes and feminine figure, she was the spitting image of the man who had very nearly kidnapped her when she was a child. "No!" She chided herself. "I will not be crippled by fear!"
Though Mizukura heard the woman speak, he couldn't see her around the approaching man. He didn't have the object-piercing sight of the Byakugan. Instead, he readied his stance and drew his two-handed katana. "Hyuuga-sama, what are your orders?" He was used to giving orders, but a hired shinobi had precedent command.
She shook herself from her stupor. "You have command of your men. They have done well to maintain order, so far." She paused to fully assess the situation. In numbers, they had the distinct advantage. In training, their enemy likely held an edge. Though traitors to their village, they were obvious war veterans. She hated to admit that she didn't know who held the real advantage.
She found some reassurance. She had a garrison to back her up whereas she could see no other chakra signatures nearby to backup the duo. She molded a little extra chakra to stretch her perception, just to be sure. "They are only two. While I fight one, distract the other." She narrowed her eyes as she watched the assailants
Kinofuji ran through some hand seals before touching his hand to the ground. He was obviously an accomplished Doton user. If he resorted to such techniques first, it was likely his chakra nature. "Not good, he naturally opposes me." Hinata remembered Kakashi's explanation. "Just as the earth drinks and absorbs water, so does Doton naturally soak up Suiton."
Tsutsuji molded her chakra for some unknown purpose. Deciding to concentrate on the unknown factor, Hinata tried to read her tenketsu nature. It wasn't a difficult prospect for the Byakugan, and most Hyuuga disregarded such extraneous sensory input. However, it best served her to know in her current situation. Katon dominated her tenketsu.
Hinata wasn't giving up. She knew her skills had improved over the years, and her opponents were taking the garrison of soldiers far too lightly. With her Byakugan, she already knew several of Shion's personal guards were capable of molding chakra, including Mizukura. Besides, she wasn't a scared, little girl. As she easily slid into the primary juuken stance, she steeled her resolve. "I won't lose. I can't lose!"
Her eyes narrowed as her vision blurred for an instant, and she watched the Katon user race through hand seals. Molding chakra, she prepared her own technique. Carefully, she relayed a command to Shion's captain of the guard. "When they attack, rush the man with his hand to the ground. Keep him occupied." She had no time to await his reply.
Tsutsuji took a deep breath. "Katon: Endan!" She smirked as the plan fell into place. Her confidence only grew when the pale-eyed girl expelled chakra through her tenketsu in order to accelerate a spin into the famed Hyuuga defense. "Hurry Kinofuji, before our prize burns to ash!"
With a nod, he rushed the stunned soldiers while molding chakra. As he completed his first hand seal, his eyes widened, and he turned back to his partner. As he was about to rush to her fallen form, he was forced to roll away from the sharp edge of a katana. He did not escape unscathed as a sleeve fell to the ground revealing a shallow gash across his bicep.
Jumping into a fighting stance, Tsutsuji gingerly placed her hand against her cheek. She knew the damaged tissue would show signs of bruising soon. Her scornful glower fell upon her attacker, a confident Hyuuga in her battle-ready stance. "How did you escape Kinofuji's genjutsu?"
Deciding it was a good time to imitate her father and cousin, Hinata puffed her chest as she haughtily looked down her nose at her opponent. "The all-seeing Byakugan won't fall for such illusions." She didn't want to admit that even more powerful eyes would have fallen under such a powerful technique if not trained properly. She had Kurenai to thank.
"I see…" Tsutsuji looked over to see how her partner was fairing. He was surrounded by a group of soldiers, but he was locked in combat with one in particular. He looked to be their captain by her estimates. "His jutsu was specially crafted for your famed Byakugan. I see we underestimated you." She did not mind admitting that. She wouldn't relax her guard again.
Hinata carefully eyed the carriage. The Katon technique her opponent announced was not the one used. She didn't recognize the hand seals, but the genjutsu hid its true form. She took stock of the situation. Whereas she was good on chakra, her opponents both used powerful techniques. They still had more reserves, but their chakra control was less precise than hers. If she could keep the battle at her pace, she knew she could win the day.
She watched her opponent tentatively edge forward. One step then two steps, they carefully watched each other for any reaction. When she noticed the magenta eyed woman mold chakra to her throat, she prepared for another Katon technique. Then the woman just…vanished. With wide eyes, she barely managed to dodge an attack from the side and jump away. "How did she do that?! I didn't even sense her!"
Tsutsuji clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. She hadn't expected her quarry to dodge her attack quite so easily. She smiled. "At least she couldn't get one of those juuken strikes against me!" She reveled in the small victory and wind whipping around her to cool her skin.
As she molded her chakra to strike again, she smirked as she watched the young girl tense. "There's no way this brat can figure out what my jutsu does." Once again, she disappeared from the girl's vision only to barely miss delivering a powerful blow. The smirk grew on her lips. The frantic effort to dodge was sure to wear their quarry down. "Now Kinofuji just has to accomplish our primary task. Then, we can return to Kumo in triumph!"
Hinata carefully studied her opponent. "That's twice now… It's too fast to be Shunshin, but it's impossible to just…vanish like that. I've got to figure this out, so I can help Mizukura-taichou." Deciding it was futile to remain on the defensive, she decided to rush her opponent. Again, she lost sight and sense of the magenta eyed woman only to barely dodge.
Tsutsuji nearly snarled as her attack went clean over their quarry's head. She jumped away as the girl came out of her roll and attempted two disabling juuken strikes. "This brat's good. She's agile and obviously well trained in her family's taijutsu. With three of my attacks, I haven't landed a single blow!" She paused as she jumped back to avoid a fatal blow to her chest. "She has excellent chakra sense…"
Though normally quiet and patient, even Hinata was growing frustrated. Her opponent had greater chakra reserves and an odd technique. Though it obviously drained her opponent, it didn't seem like it was enough. She pressed her attack, hoping to gain ground and an understanding.
An untold distance from Konoha let alone Hinata's struggles, a masked figure practically skipped along the empty street. He didn't care that it was raining, and the eye visible through the one hole in his mask looked particularly giddy. The few who ventured to look his way immediately could tell where he was going. They also knew exactly what position he held and who he was.
He was the newest member of the high ranks of Akatsuki, Tobi, and he was heading to a location dedicated to serve the needs of those exalted figures.
As he entered, he greeted the shop owner in that idiot's voice everybody knew and either loathed or secretly loved. He made a beeline to a particular nook to open a passage only he knew about. He needed to visit the forbidden tower without attracting undue attention. With other members of Akatsuki in the village, he couldn't get in his usual way. They'd detect his chakra, and he wasn't keen on revealing his identity just yet.
He created a Kage Bushin to act independently while he was conducting business. The replica maintained the idiot visage as it scoured the store for any useful weapons or replacements to spent kunai and shuriken. The real deal climbed into the secret hallway to ascend the tower of the villagers' god. Oh, how he loved playing with the ignorant masses.
Once he reached the top, he removed the skip from his step and approached the two figures. A woman approached and politely bowed. She directed him towards his intended target. The man didn't bow, but he addressed him more respectfully than anybody else. "I'm surprised to see you here. I thought you'd be annoying your new 'partner' because of how amused it makes you, Madara-sama."
Tobi reached up to his mark and removed it. He remained in the shadows as his powerful eye fell upon his subordinate. "Now is not the time, Pein. I thought you were taking Konan to bring down Konoha and retrieve the Kyuubi." Despite his normal idiot guise, the powerful man was quite calm as he spoke.
Pein politely bowed his head. "I apologize. After my fight with Jiraiya and our misinformed siphon of the faux bijuu, I needed time to recover. As I had to replace and repair bodies, the progress has been slow." He paused. "I also need time to prepare for such a delicate operation. Konoha is among the major villages, and even I need time to prepare for such an operation."
Madara nodded. He could be reasonable, and he fashioned himself magnanimous. "Kumo is moving to have a Council of Shadows. I hope to have one piece removed before then. They are sending an ambassador to Konoha because I had Sasuke-kun attack one of their shinobi."
Pein was silent for a long moment, pondering Konoha's former shinobi. "If the summit goes well, it will make our movements difficult. Because of Jiraiya's death, Konoha's Kage knows where we are. I see why you asked me to move against one of the main villages."
"There's more to it." Madara practically cooed. "The time will soon come for me to dump my Tobi façade. When we've finished gathering the bijuu, the shinobi world will finally fall to shambles. The peace you wanted will be at hand. Akatsuki will rule over the new order, and war will be no more."
Pein's stoic expression never left his face. "By your will, I shall ensure the Kyuubi is returned and that Konoha feels true pain. The Council of Shadows won't have the chance to learn what Konoha knows."
Madara smiled as he returned his mask. "That's good to hear." He was about to turn around but pretended that he just remembered something. "Oh, send me and Kisame to talk to Sasuke-kun. I need to tell him of his failure and to hunt down Kira Bii for embarrassing Akatsuki." He chuckled darkly. "My 'partner's' too boring for this assignment."
Pein nodded as Madara left. He turned to Konan. "Have you prepared everything I asked?" She nodded. "Good, we shall leave as soon as preparations are complete. We still need to set up when we arrive, so we won't be taking any chances."
Shikamaru narrowed his eyes as a particular cloud passed. "Why is it whenever I decide to enjoy my favorite pastime?" He knew his question was rhetorical as he turned his head to observe his 'guest' on the roof of the deciphering building. "What do you want, troublesome woman?"
Temari ignored his rude comment with a half-hearted sigh and shrug. "Men, they never learn." She walked up to him and crouched down. After wrapping her arms around her knees and feeling comfortable, she asked her question. "Aren't you supposed to be downstairs helping decipher Jiraiya's coded messages? I thought the whole point was to learn more about Akatsuki and their movements."
"What do you think of Naruto?" He observed her body language. She tensed, and he interrupted before she could respond automatically. "I've read what we've managed to decipher, and I've had my suspicions for a long time." He paused. Her shoulders stiffened further, and she was about to retort. "He's a lot like Gaara, but we were fortunate. He never went psycho and killed villagers."
She took a deep breath. She couldn't trust assuming how much he actually knew. From experience, she acknowledged that Naruto would want his privacy maintained. With a smirk, she managed to relax and release a quip. "Oh, he's certainly better than you, lazy. Sure, he might not be as smart, but he's strong and doesn't mind taking risks."
He narrowed his eyes and turned back to the clouds. "He also defends his precious people as if they were his last possession in this life." He didn't like being compared to Naruto; it wasn't fair to either of them. "He may be a hopeless, troublesome idiot at times, but he's easy to understand and like."
She looked at him carefully. "What do you actually know…? No, more like how long have you actually known? You don't have simple 'suspicions' or you wouldn't be bringing this up." Sometimes she hated to admit it, but she knew him too well.
He eyed her carefully. "The truth is…my team and I have known for a while now. I talked to them about what happened during that whole chunin exam debacle, and we all came to an agreement. I think the mission against those immortals cemented everything." He paused as a passing cloud reminded him of his dearly departed sensei. "Naruto and Gaara are really two peas in a pod…"
She looked down, dejected. "Do you hate him?" She wondered how much he knew or had figured out. Worst of all, she feared what might happen if the naïve blond were deserted by his precious people.
"You kidding me? …that idiot?" He almost laughed. "It's too troublesome." He reached out to 'grab' a passing cloud striking a vague similarity to a cigarette lighter. "He's going to be Hokage someday, dattebayo." He earned a swift slap upside the head for that phrase, and he was quickly rubbing the sore spot.
She rolled her eyes seeing his antics. She knew he said what he did on purpose. She knew it was in honor of his friend and in recognition that he was going to help fulfill the idiot's dream. "What are you going to do about this whole mess, then?"
He pulled a slip of paper out of his vest and handed it to her. As she unfolded it, he answered. "I'm going to help him hunt down the man who killed his sensei and then help him end Akatsuki. It's as simple as that."
As she looked at the paper, she wondered why he gave it to her. "Isn't this the first message you guys decoded?" It was an odd message about fake bodies or something. It was interesting that the obscure message about the supposed leader of Akatsuki lead to a breakthrough in understanding the cipher to the rest of Jiraiya's works.
Shikamaru nodded. "Jiraiya's code really is troublesome. So far, we've found three different ciphers. In one message, he's able to tell us several things. The first cipher was relatively easy, and that message said we were looking in the wrong place. The second cipher Naruto accidently gave us, and it said something about the real body being elsewhere. The third cipher was a private message for Hokage-sama…"
Temari's eyes went wide. "I didn't hear anything about that!" She was surprised and almost outraged. "How could I be left out of the loop?!" She closed her eyes and counted to ten to calm down. "Well, what did it say?"
He shook his head. "Sorry troublesome woman, but it was a personal message. I wasn't even there when they discovered it, and they weren't about to tell me its contents." He figured a little white lie couldn't hurt. Besides, it quieted the troublesome blond woman, and the short message was very personal.
"I always loved you, Tsunade. I'm sorry."
Naruto was tense, and he couldn't explain it. It was certainly not helping his training. "And I just figured out how to remain completely motionless!" It was hard enough for the ever excitable shinobi without unusual distracting thoughts. Besides, that old toad sage had complimented him on how perfect his senjutsu transformation was.
He tried to deepen his concentration. The slab of rock he sat on didn't as much as sway atop the massive spire. He knew why he was tense. Throughout his training, he always had something to think about. He was always moving forward and learning something new. He was past that. He knew how to gather sage chakra, which felt vaguely familiar to Gayt and Star.
He also managed to derail his normally hyperactive nature. Unfortunately, the latter was coming back to bite him harder than ever. He was finding it hard to sleep at night, and not for lack of fatigue. A certain pale-eyed, dark-haired girl was on his mind. He didn't know when it started exactly, but he knew what event finally hammered the question in.
"What is Hinata to me?" She admitted to liking him in a dream. He only realized how real the dream was later, but it still seemed surreal. Had it happened when she lifted his spirits on the training grounds before his match with Neji? No, she was the weird, dark girl on his list of precious people at that point. Could it really be?
He didn't realize how distracting his thoughts were until he felt an unnatural spike in his chakra, and he almost cursed his misfortune. He tried to get his sage chakra under control but overcompensated, and he felt a heavy thwack over his head. As the natural energy was expelled from his body, he attempted to rub the forming welt only to realize too late his own detriment.
Before his slab of rock could fall to the ever present danger in the craggy pass, he was caught by the long tongue of his latest sensei. He looked nervously below as he was hoisted to a new slap atop a new spire. If there was one thing he knew, it was that he couldn't let himself be distracted.
"What's the matter, tadpole?" The sagely toad spoke kindly as he reprimanded his newest apprentice. "You haven't done that in a while." He wasn't expecting it and almost hadn't reacted in time.
"Ah, I'm sorry Fukusaku-sensei." The young man was obviously frustrated. "My mind was wandering, and I lost concentration…" He felt little truth in his words. He was concentrating just fine, but it was on the wrong subject.
The elder toad saw the tumult of emotions in his apprentice's eyes. "Emotions can be a powerful tool, but they can just as easily work against you. You have to confront them and understand them." He sighed. "You show more promise than I've seen in decades, but you have two factors working against you."
Naruto nodded. "Yeah, stupid Kyuubi won't let us merge. Though, I'm not sure I mind all that much. It's kinda crowded in my body already." He paused to grouse and cross his arms over his chest, an odd endeavor at his precarious perch. However, his slab hardly moved much to his sensei's amazement. "I think you said the second obstacle was my emotions…"
Fukusaku shook his head. "That's not exactly right. The second obstacle is actually a proper outlet for your emotions. They're too bottled up, mostly by your lack of understanding. Is there something you want to discuss?"
The blond immediately blushed. "No, I'll figure it out on my own." He thought he heard his tenant bellow laughter but pushed it aside. "The stupid Kyuubi can't talk to me unless I'm in that weird mindscape…or dreaming…or in a genjutsu…" Besides, he actually wanted to figure things out on his own.
The toad elder sighed and shook his head. "At least the tadpole's coming along well. A few more days of this practice and we'll try merging again. If we can't figure out a way around his problem with Kyuubi in time, it might be impossible for him to face that…abomination. I hate to say it, but Minato-chan might have caused considerable harm with his Fuuin."
He observed his pupil for a few moments before returning to his own meditation. The son of the Forth Hokage was a genius in his own right. He was free-natured and flexible, able to easily read a situation and flow with the battle. He exhibited the best and worst traits of his primary chakra nature, and he was so young to have mastered senjutsu as completely as he had.
The boy was most definitely as described. Uzumaki Naruto was the number one, hyperactive, knuckleheaded and surprising ninja.
Unbeknownst to either, he had one more surprise up his sleeve. He couldn't place his finger on it, but he felt something was up with Hinata. He just felt it was why she was on his mind, and he couldn't shake his anxiety.
As Hinata charged her opponent, she molded chakra to her open palm. She was intent on finding the secret of her opponent's odd technique. As she thrust her hand forward to deliver a paralyzing juuken strike, she again witnessed her target mold chakra to her throat before vanishing from senses.
Her eyes widened as she realized she couldn't parry in time. It would cost her precious chakra, but it was better than a dangerous shoulder wound. She molded chakra to her tenketsu and quickly positioned her body to spin. Her lithe form allowed her to easily fall into Hakkeshou Kaiten.
Tsutsuji groaned as yet another attack was foiled. She grunted as her body fell against the rotational defense and was thrown clear from her target. As she reached her apex, she straightened her body and managed a midair spin. She managed to land on her feet; though, she skidded a good distance back. Slipping back to her battle stance, she winced from the pain in her arm.
Noticing her opponent's reaction to the defense, Hinata didn't waste time in filling the air with shuriken. The implements of death soared straight for her opponent who quickly switched weapon hands. If there were one absolute among shinobi, they were resourceful. Nonetheless, it was a distraction she was going to capitalize on.
Tsutsuji's eyes widened as she watched their quarry's rapid approach. Molding chakra to her throat, she prepared her technique one more time. With a steady hand and calm mind, she deflected each sharp instrument before activating her technique and rushing her unsuspecting prey.
Hinata noticed something after her opponent seemingly disappeared. She never saw the shuriken actually fall to the ground. The magenta eyed woman deflected them and disappeared while they were still in the air, but she was attacking from behind while they lay motionless on the ground.
Switching tactics, she parried with two fingers instead of a full palm strike. The change up threw the older woman off balance for a moment, but she pressed her attack anyway. The lavender eyed girl managed to suppress a smirk. "Neji-niisan was right. Waiting to press juuken's greatest advantage is most efficient."
Tsutsuji didn't understand the change in parrying strikes, but she figured she could press the advantage. A full-armed strike was certainly stronger than two, little fingers barely grazing her in time to throw off the trajectory of a punch. As she continued, she felt like she was slowing. She attempted to retreat with eyes wide of realization.
Hinata was not letting her target get away with only a few tenketsu closed. She decided to pull a page from her cousin's book. "You are within my divination. Hakke Rokujuuyonsho!" It was a bit dramatic and would cut her chakra reserve, but it would take one combatant out of the fight. She also knew whatever the weird technique her opponent was using was worth taking out completely.
Tsutsuji held her breath. She knew she couldn't escape what was coming. She didn't mold chakra for her technique. She had tried when she dodged, and nothing happened. She braced herself for the pain which almost immediately ensued. Her body flared as she was cut off from her chakra. As she fell boneless to the ground, she could only watch as their quarry turned to her partner. She couldn't even call out.
Hinata made a beeline towards Mizukura and Kinofuji. She wasn't sure how long the captain of the guard could last against a full-fledged shinobi. Demons had no ninja village; though, some of the daimyo priestess' personal guards came from villages with hidden techniques. Those traditions, however, could not hold a candle to the full might of even a regular shinobi from one of the major villages.
As she approached, she evaluated the situation. More guards were either dead or incapacitated. They weren't casualties of any Doton technique. They majority were asleep under a genjutsu or suffered from electrical shock and burns. She was expecting exactly what she saw. After Kinofuji utilized a genjutsu, she took a closer look at his tenketsu. His primary chakra nature was Raiton.
She felt confident she could handle both missing nin if she handled them carefully and smartly. The woman seemed like the primary attacker in the partnership. The man used an armor technique to throw off any such perception. As she approached, she observed how accurate her prediction was.
Kinofuji was skilled with genjutsu but little else. His taijutsu was so sloppy most advanced guards easily held their own. His ninjutsu was only strong enough to incapacitate or eliminate the less seasoned warriors. Against Mizukura, his combination of skills only just kept him alive.
Mizukura was a surprise to her. He was strong and agile, and his grace with the two-handed katana belied his age and build. He appeared to be in his early twenties and lean but thin. Though he was no samurai, he still dressed as one. He was a smart and capable leader, and his men responded to that.
Deciding she had time to catch her breath and come up with a plan of attack, Hinata took an opportunity to duck behind a bolder. Kinofuji might not be as strong a melee combatant as Tsutsuji, but he was still a veteran warrior. A direct confrontation would prove dangerous at best, and he still had that genjutsu that would have fooled her Byakugan.
She was nearly home free. She just had to incapacitate one more enemy before binding both. It would be best to question them for their motives before handing them over to Kumo. She hated to admit it, but it was better to have the Raikage owe Konoha a favor than seek continued animosity.
Taking a deep breath, she prepared to run around the bolder and approach Kinofuji from behind. Before she had the chance, she noticed something very odd. Unlike her battle with Tsutsuji, her vision was blurred just like when…the genjutsu was activated at the beginning of the conflict.
She quickly went through the steps Kurenai taught her and freed herself from the enemy technique. She was glad she did. As soon as she was freed, she saw her remaining opponent standing over an unconscious young girl, ready to plunge a dagger into her heart. "Momiji!"
She didn't know how; she didn't care how. Somehow, Momiji was taken from Shion, and she was being held at knifepoint. A quick sweep with the Byakugan revealed the daimyo priestess to be in perfect health if unconscious from a paralyzing genjutsu. However, she was moving long before that. She pumped more chakra to her legs than she thought she knew how.
Kinofuji was not about to kill such an innocent, sweet girl!
As she raced forward, killer intent and rage boiled forth. No innocent should have to suffer like that. She thought about how many times Naruto might have felt like that. How many times had he been threatened for something he had no control over? She had somebody to protect right then, and no time or distance was going to keep her from accomplishing just that.
Kinofuji never knew what hit him. His mind flirted with unconsciousness as his head rolled. He felt like he was surrounded by something cold and damp. No, he was sopping wet, and he was freezing. He opened his eyes, suddenly fully alert of his surroundings. He was keenly aware of an important fact. A very, very angry young woman was standing in front of him with hands outstretched and glowing, lavender eyes.
Hinata cracked a sinister smirked. "He attacked the girl. We should kill him." Her tone of voice was as dark and baleful as her expression. Inside Hinata's head, a debate raged on how to deal with the latest opponent.
"We need to keep him alive for questioning. We don't know if he's worth anything to Kumo dead." A voice filled with the anger of righteous furry reasoned, but it was gentle enough to fit the normally shy girl.
"No! We have another one we can question! Just a little more… Just a little more…" As she spoke, the water encompassing the opponent slowly crept further up his form. It was at his collar, his neck, and finally his chin.
"What if killing him threatens diplomacy?"
"Who cares about Kumo anyway?!"
"Are you angry at him or that woman?!"
The yellow-green eyed man only saw a long pause as the spiteful and indignant personalities silently argued semantics. "Oh, you're just giving me reasons to kill them both!"
"Wait!" Kinofuji was beyond confused. He could understand her escaping his genjutsu. He could understand her beating his partner. The crazy act, however, he was not buying. Was she really talking to herself about 'reasons' to kill him?
On the plus side, time was all he needed to mold chakra to form a Doton technique. He knew it wasn't his primary chakra nature, but it was better than staying stuck. "Why are you defending that creature?" He needed to buy time any way possible.
Hinata squeezed her hands into fists, and the water constricted around her target. She felt his sharp intake of breath through her link to the Suiton. "Oh, stop struggling fish. If anybody is a 'thing' to be killed here, it's you."
The gentle yet indignant personality decided to respond. "On that, we can agree. However, we can't kill him."
The malignant voice grumbled but conceded. "Fine, we kill him after we get some answers."
Hinata closed her eyes and heaved a heavy sigh. When she opened her eyes, the glow had receded slightly. "What is your mission?" Her voice was almost normal, but it was obvious just how angry she was. She was almost fit to be tied, and the former Kumo shinobi knew it.
She didn't like it when he straightened his shoulders and formed his lips into a tight, thin line. She controlled the Suiton to cover his face. For a moment, he just held his breath. A confident smirk crossed her lips as his body soon told him he needed oxygen. When he struggled against the tight grip of her Yakedo technique, she removed the Suiton from his nose and mouth only. "You were saying?"
Kinofuji resisted spitting at her feet. "I have my own pride as a shinobi! I won't…" He was cut off by a strangled noise as the Suiton covered his offending orifice once more, and he struggled to breath through his nose.
Hinata almost laughed. She had control of the situation. As her Byakugan was still active, she could watch her captive while Mizukura retrieved his partner. She was amused that the captain of Shion's guards felt he had to tie up the helpless magenta-eyed woman.
She returned her attention to her captive and again released his mouth. "I'm not all too concerned if you die. You're target was obviously the girl as the daimyo is unharmed. Maybe…" Mizukura was surprised as Tsutsuji was wrested from his grasp by a glob of water. "…now you'll be more talkative."
Though conscious, she couldn't fight her captor's powerful chakra nature technique. With her tenketsu closed, she was powerless to do anything. Her eyes went wide as her entire body was covered by the Suiton and breath stolen from her. Her eyes pleaded to be released.
Hinata returned her attention to her breathing captive. "You're traitors to your village, so I doubt they'll much care what happens to you." The evil look on her face did not belong there. As bubbles escaped from her breathless captive, she patiently waited.
Kinofuji couldn't just let Tsutsuji die, especially in such a humiliating manner. Even if he had pride, the young Hyuuga looked dead serious. "We were asked to kill the creature…" The Suiton constricted around him. "…the girl by a village in Demons. They apparently fear her ability to…communicate with creatures of the forest."
He yelped in pain as the Suiton further constricted around his hapless form. "See, that wasn't so hard." Hinata cooed. She motioned Mizukura towards her captives. Her chakra was running low. Normally, the spiteful personality could play a bit longer, but she'd used a large chunk of her reserves in the first fight and in dispelling two genjutsu.
"Tie these two up so they can't use jutsu or clever tricks to escape." She quickly ordered Shion's captain of the guard as she fought both fatigue and signs of it. "We'll decide what to do with them later." The spiteful personality actually tried to sound more like the normal, shy heiress.
"You stupid Hyuuga brat!" Tsutsuji yelled in fury. She was already tied; though, her restraints would have to be reworked to prevent any shinobi techniques. "It's because of your clan my otouto and true Raikage are dead!" She couldn't stand being defeated by her hated enemy and ultimate quarry.
"Quiet Tsutsuji, we're at their mercy." The yellow-green eyed man spoke solemnly to his partner. He couldn't figure an easy way out of their predicament, and surrender would at least keep them alive until he could. He was glad to see his partner take his advice.
Hinata really didn't have time to contemplate what the magenta eyed woman said. Mizukura finished tying her partner up as she finished her outburst. She released them as he finished reprimanding her. She fell to her knees and flirted with unconsciousness for a moment before falling face first.
Mizukura caught her before she could take a dirt nap. He heaved a sigh of relief after checking her pulse. It was as steady as her breathing. Rolling her onto her back, he looked to Momiji lying not too far away. He narrowed his eyes as he pondered finishing the duo off himself. However, his concern for the girl and young woman outweighed his desire for revenge.
He quickly took control of the situation by ordering his most accomplished troops to escort the prisoners to an easy location to watch and replace the simple ropes with manacles designed for shinobi. He was not about to take chances.
With the first task at hand complete, he sent men to care for the wounded and awaken those still trapped under genjutsu. He personally saw to Shion's revival. He had to ensure her safety above all else, and he also wanted to show her Momiji's security. He explained the situation and events that were missed.
With Hinata unconscious, camp set up, and nervous troops in relative safety, he found the luxury to mull over the words the female captive spoke just before her male partner basically told her to be smart. He didn't know all the details, but he was intelligent enough to put two plus two together.
Because of Shion's powers, there were always several captains of the guard in waiting. Those men were always kept up to date of current events in Demons and important intelligence from abroad. As allies of Fire, they knew of the feud the Hyuuga had with Kumo. A noble clan does not soon forget a political plot to capture their young heirs.
It was something he learned only after becoming a captain in waiting two years prior, but disputes and possible problems in diplomacy were part and parcel to his duties should his services become necessary. As fate would have it, his services became necessary shortly after a certain young blond shinobi from Konoha saved Demons, and subsequently the world, from certain doom.
Mizukura almost kicked himself. His thoughts were wandering. If he remembered correctly, the plot was subverted by the head of the clan. When the failing made it back home to Kumo, political turmoil threatened civil war. In the end, the Raikage at the time was usurped by a younger, more charismatic leader.
Obviously, some in Kumo held resentment towards the Hyuuga for the fall of the old regime. He could only speculate they made her a new target for glory, revenge, or some other nefarious plot. He heaved a sigh. "I didn't join the daimyo's court guard for this…"
Tsutsuji held a glower as she looked to Kinofuji. "She's a Hyuuga! How could you lose to her?" She was obviously furious. When he didn't answer, she continued her tirade. "You even failed to fulfill our contract! Now we're stuck in an enemy camp, and we'll probably be escorted to Konoha where we'll be tried and executed!" She was livid.
He sighed and spoke carefully. "My genjutsu should have worked on her. I can only guess she's had an extraordinary education in genjutsu." He paused for a moment. "Besides, she's incapacitated for the time being. We should watch the regular soldiers for an opportune time to escape."
She exhaled sharply. "And how long is that supposed to take?!" His expression told her he didn't know. She was not satisfied. "We were so close to recapturing my otouto's honor…"
"Calm yourself, Tsutsuji. We'll have our chance." A sinister smile spread across his lips. "We'll be able to march back to Kumo with our heads held high under the true Raikage's banner."
An almost gleeful glint appeared in her eyes. "Ah yes, I can imagine it." She closed her eyes and tilted her head back. "We'll have the Hyuuga girl for embarrassing us. We can either take her eyes and kill her to experiment with or give her to our sochi"
Though shackled, the treacherous duo remained patient as they discussed plans for escape. Their guards were just outside hearing range for their whispers, but they were certain eyes were on them. They were careful, and they would bide their time.
Hiashi glared at the man sitting across the table from him. He was a young man from a noble clan of Iwa, and he was next in line to inherit headship. The Hyuuga patriarch wasn't settling his expression into a glower because he disliked or distrusted the young man. His expression wasn't stern because he felt insulted.
He was wondering if the fates were actually conspiring against him.
The young man was the eldest son of a shinobi who 'defected' to Konoha. It was more accurate to say his father was disowned for a battlefield failure and fled to another village where he never divulged valued secrets. The worst they could say he did was set up the shortest lived restaurant in history.
Hiashi allowed his gaze to fall back to the parchment lying in front of him, ready to be signed. Really, the proceedings were moving along far too easily and far too smoothly. Not being the learning experience he had expected for Hanabi, he released his daughter to entertain herself.
"They really aren't unfair trade agreements." The young man, Shoka Yashiro, finally spoke up after a long silence. His chestnut brown hair was the spitting image of his father's, but his bluish green eyes were likely his mother's. He was plain to look at, but his skills in diplomacy were not to be trifled.
"No in fact, they are more than fair." Hiashi acquiesced. "I have to wonder…" He paused to gauge his counterpart's reactions. "…if there might be a catch." He had expected to be in Suna for many weeks or even months negotiating and renegotiating trade deals. Though he might be spending a month, give or take a few days, he was spending far less time with merchants he thought he would have the most opposition with.
Yashiro smirked. "No, there's no catch. You sign there, and Iwa promises not practice unfair trade agreements with Suna." He paused to watch eyes narrow on him. "Besides, we set this all up for the explicit purposes of calling out a representative of Konoha to a neutral location to discuss and even negotiate trade deals between our villages."
Hiashi was at a loss. He was certain resentment still existed between the two villages. Even if they didn't get along, normally they set up trade agreements and routes in peacetime. There had been no trade between Konoha and Iwa for over a decade. He had to question that fact. "Why the sudden change of heart? We've been trying diplomacy for years."
Yashiro sighed and leaned forward. "We've recently come across some information of mutual concern, and we've also recovered a few items we felt necessary for any such talks."
Hiashi raised a brow. He was curious. "What information and items are you referring to?"
Yashiro held a package out to the Hyuuga clan head. As the pale-eyed patriarch received it and opened it, he answered. "Actually, we've been ignoring a lot of trade requests over the years because we couldn't return certain treasures of war. We felt you'd make demands of reparations, considering how soundly you won against us."
Hiashi looked at the lost heirloom for a long moment before returning his gaze to his counterpart. "The Third never asked for such considerations. However, such a gesture only enhances your position." He paused, halfway between pocketing the family scroll and returning it.
"Oh, don't hesitate to take that." Yashiro smiled at the powerful man's hesitation. "It's yours regardless of the outcome of our talks." He politely bowed in response to the noble head's grateful bow. "We have more to return, but I'd like to further our economic growth as well. You can understand."
Hiashi set his eyes on his counterpart's. "Does this have to do with the information you came across?" Even distracted, he had a keen mind. He remembered each topic they had discussed, and he wanted to know exactly what was on the mind of any diplomats he was dealing with.
"Ah, you have a sharp mind for detail." Yashiro's smile almost slipped. "As I said, the information if of mutual concern. Actually, I imagine Kage from each village is interested in it." He paused and leaned in almost conspiratorially. "Akatsuki…"
Hiashi involuntarily felt a sharp intake of breath. The mentioned organization was most certainly a mutual concern. Each major village had at least one bijuu thanks to Konoha's First. It was a foolhardy belief in a balance of power. If rumors were to be believed, almost all bijuu had already been captured.
Yashiro took the older man's silence as permission to continue. "This organization has S-class criminals from every nation, great or small. I hate to admit it, but they're a common threat. I wouldn't be surprised if some high-level meeting among our leaders were to convene just for them."
Hiashi nodded. He could agree to the assessment. Akatsuki was a big enough threat for the entirety of the shinobi world. It wasn't a problem for just one nation. They'd even killed Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin. He also didn't miss any hidden meanings. "You mean to strengthen our villages through economic and diplomatic ties." It wasn't a question but a blunt statement.
Yashiro nodded. "You can't argue how much we can gain from all this." He sounded excited. He knew his ideas wouldn't fall onto deaf ears.
Hiashi leaned back and scratched his chin. The young man was eager and genuine; he'd give him at least that much credit. He returned his attention to the parchment. There was nothing contained therein which would harm Konoha or her interests. It was also only the beginning of trade negotiations with Iwa. With a light breath, he applied his signature.
Yashiro's smile beamed as he stood to shake the Hyuuga patriarch's hand. Though the gesture was not reciprocated, he continued unabashed. "You won't regret this. Iwa will honor our end of the bargain. We can discuss the exact details later. Shall we reconvene after you finish dealing with Suna merchants?"
Hiashi nodded. "That sounds agreeable." He was interested in talking with his trade partners in Suna. He wanted to ensure the uninterrupted flow of goods between villages. Their economies and, as Yashiro put it, diplomacy depended on honest handling of merchandise. They couldn't afford slipups at such a crucial time.
Elsewhere in Suna, Hanabi decided to observe her peers from another village. She wasn't sure she liked the genin who escorted her father and her to Suna, but they weren't necessarily bad. They were…unique, maybe a bit eccentric. She sighed and rolled her eyes remembering their antics.
The boys were obviously infatuated with the girl. The girl was obviously more interested in, well, her sister's crush. The group dynamic was thrown off a bit with the emotional angst, but unrequited love was the least of their concerns.
From what she observed, they still needed plenty of training before they were ready for any advancement exams. Too often, Tsume had to try playing peacemaker between Mori and Hishu. Too often, Kankuro had to stop the former girl from beating latter boys.
She couldn't deny their combat skills. They were probably top tier among genin ranks. They at least had the modesty to realize their jonin instructor was holding back against them. Their forms showed their inexperience, but they followed any instructions to practice the basics without complaint.
After their practice, Kankuro let them do as they pleased. Hanabi was surprised to see Tsume approach her. "Hey…" The girl with eyes like melted chocolate greeted. "Want to see the greenhouses. They have the most fragrant flowers you'll find!" She knew what to expect from the boys.
Mori sighed as quietly as he could. He knew her lack of sight enhanced her other senses, including hearing. "I'll see you guys tomorrow. I need to see the weapon shop about my Karasu." He wasn't telling a lie at least. He needed to constantly keep up with his stock of weapons for his puppet.
Hishu cringed and took a step back. "What's with girls and those stupid greenhouses?" He couldn't understand how anybody could stand what he saw as boring stuff. "I-I'll see you guys tomorrow, too. I gotta get home for some family training. Later!"
Tsume stuck her tongue out at her retraining teammates. They could be annoying sometimes. She turned back to Hanabi with a wide grin awaiting an answer. The young Hyuuga girl finally answered. "Yes, I think I'd like that."
I'm sorry this release is late, but login and submissions were down Saturday through Monday 'for a few minutes' due to some 'technical glitch' in the system. Yeah, anyway I had to reupload this chapter a few times and skim through to find any new technique names and/or terms I used. I hope I caught them all... Two seems a little low to me for some reason.
As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.
Story Word Count: 8,021
Story Page Count: 17.5
Terms and Jutsu:
Katon: Endan - Fire Release: Fireball: A low to medium level technique, Endan relases a large ball of fire to incinerate its target.
sochi: son
Edition 2.0: Some rather large typos have been brought to my attention, and they are fixed.