J3F\\\ Journey of the Three Failures
Chapter Five
Yo!
I know I said this one would be "Dawn of the Red Moon," but by the time I'd written out the ideas things had stretched on way longer than I thought they would. So I cut this chapter in half (really this time, instead of cutting it halfway down the page into part 1 and part 2). I will tell you I originally planned for Akatsuki to appear at the end of this chapter, but now it will be at the end of the next chapter. So if you were looking forward to Akatsuki, sorry!
A few notes:
-I was fleshing out the outline when I thought of something, and I think Tsunade will play a role in the story after all.
-I DO NOT know anything about how Itachi is innocent or whatever! (And please don't tell me!) I try to avoid reading spoilers. Sorry, but he'll be a villain when he appears.
Congrats to Datubaman, the first (and almost only) person who answered what a quasihemidemisemiquaver is! It's a 1/128th note in music. I read that it's usually called a 1/128th note in America, but that wouldn't sound as cool! ;)
And finally, thank you for reading and reviewing! A huge thanks to elongation for a huge and helpful review! I'm not saying I don't appreciate the shorter reviews – I appreciate all of them – but someone who actually answered all my questions from the AN at the end just had to be mentioned! Thanks all!
Disclaimer: Yep, I own NARUTO. What? No, of course I don't own NARUTO! Where'd you get that idea? What, you mean you actually believed me? (rolls eyes)
Journey of the Three Failures
Chapter Five: Missing Ninja
Hanabi ハナビ
"So then, just gather up your chakra, concentrate on where you're going, and…" I saw in the corner of my eye as the pink-haired kunoichi materialized beside me with a pop. "Of course, it'll start to come naturally with enough practice… Hanabi-chan?"
Kiba sighed. "But it looks like all Hanabi feels like focusing on is the Land of Snow." His puppy whined in agreement.
No… not nearly that far north… I somehow knew.
Something plopped onto my shoulder. "Huh? Oh, hey Aka-chan," I said, removing my gaze from… What was I looking at? Generally the sky to the north. The little dog began licking my cheek.
"Don't scare us like that," Sakura berated gently.
"I guess I sort of … zoned out…" I said as I glanced again in the direction. An abrupt wave of dread chilled me, and my mouth fell open as a breeze rolled through the wasteland.
"Woah, let's not start this again!" Kiba said, waving a hand in front of my face. I shook my head, and he continued, "What's wrong? If your chakra's running low, tell us."
"No, it's not that…" Shaking my head again, I formed a hand seal. "I'll try the jutsu again. I'm sure I can get it right…"
"It'll be dark soon. We can keep working on it maybe another twenty minutes, but then we've got to head in for curfew," Sakura said. "Remember that it's a chuunin level technique, Hanabi-chan. You've got good chakra control, but when Shikamaru taught it to us even we couldn't all get it in one day."
"I have to try, though," I said. "I don't want to go one more day as the only one who can't shunshin!" I focused my chakra. I don't want to just sit here. I want to be able to help them...
/I was alive. But I didn't know how. Had I activated seals? Had I… killed? It was all a mysterious little blank spot, a blur. All I knew was that there was blood. Blood. So much…
The steady sound of sandals striking against the street was barely audible as he swore and muttered under his breath. I opened my eyes. "K-Kiba-san…"
He looked down at me. "Don't worry. You're okay now."
At this, somehow, I felt kind of safe. Safer than I'd felt… since Nee-chan left.
I managed a small, grateful smile as the dark world blackened again.
I next woke on a bed in an unfamiliar room, waking to the sound of quiet talking. The smell of blood no longer plagued my lungs and nauseated me; my hair and body felt clean. I was clothed in a slightly too-big pair of pajamas. Moonlight streamed through an open window, and I could see in the gentle glow two people, one seated at the edge of the bed, and another near the wall.
"Thankfully she didn't have any serious injuries," a girl's voice whispered, "but I don't see why she's fainted."
"She wasn't hurt badly," Kiba agreed, "I think she's hemophobic."
"How awful… she must be traumatized…" She turned her head and gasped.
"Hey, you're awake!" Kiba said.
"How are you feeling, Hanabi-chan? Are you comfy?" the girl – Sakura, I remembered, as how could one forget? – asked sweetly.
"Mm-hm," I answered quietly, giving a slight nod.
Kiba (making no effort to speak softly, as Sakura had) demanded, "Who did this to you?! If it was that Neji, I swear–!"
"Kiba," Sakura intervened, "Obviously she's been through a lot; let her rest."
"I'm f-fine now," I said, finding my voice shook. "A-and, it wasn't exactly d-done by Onii-san… He took over the cl-clan, and sent some Branch Hyuuga after me…"
"Kuso! The dirty coward! When I get my claws on that teme–!"
"Quiet down!" Sakura urged before looking back to me. "Now Hanabi-chan, if there's anything we can do for you…"
"Well…" I sat up, wincing slightly. "There is one thing. You could let me join your group."
Kiba shook his head. "Hanabi-chan, for the last time, I'm not letting you get involved in this!"
"Too bad – it looks like Neji thinks I'm already a part of it, which means now I need your protection as much as you need each other's. But if you train me, I won't be so much of a liability… Or are you going to send me back to the Hyuuga?"
"You go looking for trouble or what…" he sighed, shaking his head. "Little brat's right. We leave her alone now, there's no telling what could happen to her…"\\\
I worked my chakra to move in the way Sakura's had. Gather my chakra… concentrate on where I want to go… and now–
There was wind in my ears, and the distance jumped instantly nearer. I almost stumbled, disoriented, as I found myself standing on a fallen tree. I blinked, and then whirled to see the two dumbstruck genin standing twenty yards away.
I beamed, waving happily as I called out. "Sakura! Kiba! Told you I could do it!"
Lee リー
"I'll bet with Orochimaru's takeover, those five were the first to bow down," he finished with a scowl.
"I see..." I said, poking at the wood in our fire with a stick as I mulled over what Naruto had learned; after Naruto had defeated him, Sasuke had for some reason offered to tell him all he knew about the village, and brought a shadow clone as up-to-date as he could on all that was happening. A short while after Hinata had woken, he'd started recounting what he'd learned. The shocking news had left us all silently contemplating.
This… it changes everything, I concluded finally. "At least, we are quite fortunate to have left the village when we did."
"Why's that?" Naruto grumbled snappishly, "Our friends are getting ready to fight in a civil war that we helped start, and meanwhile we're hiding out here in the middle of nowhere."
I frowned at his tone. "I did not mean it that way. 'Sandaime-sama's' very presence protected us; it was due only to his inactivity that things became so out of hand, to the point that we were beaten and eventually paper-bombed. Just imagine what would have happened if we had been in the village when the sannin revealed the Hokage to be dead. You probably would have been sought out and done away with at the first opportunity."
"I… I guess you're right. Sorry…"
I nodded. "For now, we must determine our next move. It seems that the Land of Fire is no longer the safest place we could be… Still, we must do anything we can to help the village. What do you make of it, Hinata-san?"
She looked up, startled; she had been gazing at the fire, a slight look of perplexed wonder on her face barely discernable in the waning sunlight. She shook her head. "Naruto-kun, Lee-kun… First, there's something I have to tell you – something I'm not sure even Sasuke-san knows about."
"What is it?" Naruto asked curiously.
Her face was grim as she gazed down into the crackling fire, all but glaring at it. "Neji-nii-san told me… that in a little over a year, he will allow Orochimaru to take over his body and u-use it as a vessel for his soul. He said it would … sustain Orochimaru's immortality."
"That's sick!" Naruto shouted, while my mouth fell open in disbelief.
"You say he plans to allow the monster to do this…?"
Her hands curled into fists, clasping the knees of her pants as she lowered her head. "Yes," she hissed through her teeth, "and I tried to talk sense into him … I tried to defeat him … I tried. I'm at the strongest I've ever been. I f-fought harder than I ever have before, and still I was no match for him. He was toying with me the entire time, beating me to a bloody pulp without even trying…"
"But you lasted on your own against him, and are not even badly wounded," I pointed out, "That must count for someth–,"
"I can't make any sense of it," she said, that mystified expression again crossing her face. She put an arm across her body, gingerly laying the hand over her ribs. "I know several of my ribs were broken three hours ago, but they only ache badly now. My side was bleeding heavily, and my shoulder was torn almost to the muscle, but most of the wounds have already visibly begun healing, and I don't even feel like I've lost any blood–!" A terrified expression had begun crossing her face as she tumbled over the words; she stopped abruptly, as though fearing she had said too much. "What I'm saying is I was mortally wounded; by all rights I should be… But that's not the point! I was virtually powerless – helpless to stop him!"
"Hinata-san, you have improved greatly in just this short time…"
"But in the time I have, he's improved more!" she cried, looking up with tears in her eyes; whether of sadness or anger I could not be sure. "It's starting to look even more like I'll never catch up! And here you talk about helping the village, but what the heck can the three of us do?! Neji was right all along, and I was an idiot to fight it, a complete idiot blinded by hope!! We're not destined to ever be anything more than three failures–!!"
In a sudden move Naruto was standing before her, holding her up by a fistful of the neck of her shirt. A fist was held threateningly close to her face. "Don't you ever start talking like that!"
"Naruto!!" I reprimanded sharply, standing. He shot me a look as Hinata glowered at him, her teary white eyes narrowed in an eerie, seething stare.
"There's nothing we can do," she growled slowly. "We're three stupid failures who deluded ourselves into thinking we would ever be anything different. We're in over our heads–"
SMACK!!
I could see the bruise already forming on her cheek as she turned her head back to him, stunned.
"So what do you plan to do, Hinata? Cry and mope and prove that guy right? The minute you start thinking that way is the minute you'll lose everything. Have you forgotten? We made three promises when we came together – the three things we stand for and believe in, and swore we'd all live by. To quit now, just 'cause it's tough… to quit now would be to tear down our nindo for good. If we live up to the name failure now, we'll never be able to succeed at anything else ever again!"
"…N…Naruto-kun…" Her pale eyes closed a few seconds, and her teeth ground together. Then she stepped forward and threw her arms around him as she bawled into his chest. "I'm s-sorry! I was b-being f-foolish!"
"No, you weren't," Naruto said when he recovered his voice, and he soon returned the embrace as I walked up, laying a gentle hand on Hinata's shoulder. "I know this must have been hard on you. I'm the one who should be apologizing; that was way out of line…"
"Naruto-kun, Lee-kun … can you…?"
"We have already forgiven you, Hinata-san. I believe what is most important is that you have not lost sight of your way. Right?"
"Right," Naruto agreed with a grin.
The two separated, and she smiled slightly, nodding.
I looked to Naruto. "But… there is one thing that has been bothering me."
"Huh?"
"Just think – I defeated Tenten, and you Sasuke, and I am positive that had not Neji's power been artificially enhanced by … whatever that was," I turned my head to Hinata, "you and I would certainly have fared better against him."
"What do you mean?" Hinata asked.
"If we could go toe to toe with them, what exactly is it that makes them "geniuses" and us "failures?" What makes them so supposedly superior to us?"
"I can't believe you haven't figured it out yet. Isn't it obvious?" Naruto began. "Being as strong as them isn't enough. We started at the bottom and never had any natural talent; things never came easy to us, and they probably never will. We're failures – and to escape that label we'll have to work twice as hard as anyone else – until we're twice as strong!"
I smiled. "It takes a true genius of a failure to become as great a ninja as any other! We shall work to be the very best ninja we can be, so we can return and help our village!"
Naruto nodded. "And Hinata-chan's going to take her clan back from that jerk – after she kicks his a–!"
"Naruto!" I snapped.
Hinata blushed and nodded, but her face was still troubled. "But … you do realize I have a t-time limit now, d-don't you?"
"Time limit?"
She sighed. "My little sister, Hanabi, has never thought very much of the idea of being clan leader. Still, I couldn't bear the thought of her receiving the Branch Family seal. Before, my plan was to return a leader who could be followed – a leader who could finally banish the curse seal forever – or not at all. But all of this changes everything. I don't have nine years to become stronger before Hanabi-chan is made leader; I don't even have three years before Neji-nii-san is old enough. I … I refuse to lose him to Orochimaru – so all I have now is one year to become strong enough to defeat him … just one…"
"And what happens then?" Naruto asked.
"Th-then… Then, I'll officially challenge h-him … for the position of h-heir and temporary leader of our c-clan…"
She was uncertain; her eyes were big and fearful with anxiousness.
"Hinata-chan," Naruto said, "Relax! You won't have to return by yourself, you know!"
"That is right!" I assured her, "We will be right there with you! Maybe then we can even meet up with Sakura-san, Shikamaru-kun and the others!"
"Th-thank you both…" she whispered.
"Okay!" Naruto said, "We have a new plan!" He turned and walked over to where my backpack lied open on the ground, and began rummaging through it.
"Naruto-kun?" I asked. "What…?"
He swept out his arm; something glinted in the firelight, and I snatched my reddish Leaf headband from the air as Hinata caught her own. Naruto was tying his hitai-ate around his forehead as he turned around and walked toward us.
"Our village has been taken over. Have you two realized it yet? If what Sasuke said is really true, then the three of us might be the only free, loyal Leaf shinobi left. I'm done hiding; it's not my style anyways. We have to show that Konoha is still alive, and we'll need to locate the prisons where they're keeping the jounin and Ero-sennin and bust them out! Then we'll take back the village – and Hinata'll take back the Hyuuga Clan and save her cousin!" He held a hand out in front of him. "Sound like a plan?" he asked with a grin.
Hinata and I smiled, both putting on our headbands before placing our hands over his.
We will work hard, never give up, never go back on our word… and save Konoha!
Naruto ナルト
Exhausted and sleepy, we soon prepared to turn in for the night. Hinata changed into night clothes in the tent, while Lee and I changed outside.
"Hey, Bushy Brow?" I whispered when we were alone.
"What?"
I took his shoulder and steered him away from the tent. I glanced back a moment before asking, "Does it seem like Hinata's been acting a little strange since she woke up?"
"Strange how?"
"I don't know, just sort of … off, anxious, preoccupied, y'know?"
"Well, I believe she has gone through quite a traumatic ordeal today… I highly doubt what she told us was close to the whole story, but I am positive that whatever happened, it was by far more physically and mentally trying than our battles."
"You're probably right there," I said frowning. "Man, I don't even know why she cares about saving that creep. I don't like it. He got her doubting herself, questioning her own nindo… She was so shaken and uncertain…"
"Neji has definitely changed, but Hinata-san knows him better than either of us. If she thinks he is worth saving, we should trust her judgment."
"I guess… But something else is bothering me, too. See, when I found you guys and Neji…" I described what I'd seen, and when I finished Lee was eyeing me oddly. Suddenly I found a hand on my forehead. "What?"
"Perhaps you took a rather hard blow to the head, Naruto-kun."
"Wha– I'm serious, I'm sure I saw it!" I argued quietly – though in fact I really was considering that perhaps my eyes had deceived me. "What about her injuries?" I'd been able to quickly wake Lee; as he had put a blanket around Neji and tied him to a tree, I had a shadow clone check Hinata for serious injuries, administer first aid, and, of course, well… change her into dry clothes. After the doppelganger had reported the extent of her wounds, it dispelled itself, and out of respect for the kunoichi I had hurriedly shoved its memories away. Then, after carefully bundling Hinata in a warm blanket, Lee and I (both fairly beaten up as well) had taken turns carrying her as we spent the next two hours distancing ourselves from the tracker team.
Then, oddly enough, she had woken as we were taking a break, slowly sat up, and complained only about a strong sleepiness and several bad aches.
The kage bunshin had reported cracked ribs, a badly slashed shoulder and forearm, claw wounds in her left side and across her back, a broken nose, a fractured wrist, and countless scratches and bruises.
So why had her most serious injuries apparently begun mending within a few hours of rest, leaving her able to stand, and even walk short distances, independently?
"This probably has something to do with how she healed so fast, I'm sure of it…"
Lee nodded. "So it would seem she has not told us everything. Whatever it is, we should not question her; if she wants to, Hinata will tell us if and when she is ready."
"I guess you're right," I agreed.
"I'm d-done!" Hinata called in her soft tone. We soon finished changing and entered the tent.
Warm inside my sleeping bag, I lied awake for several minutes. Lee's breathing was soft and steady, meaning he had fallen asleep; I could hear that Hinata on the other hand was breathing fast, turning over every once in a while. Maybe she's having a nightmare? I considered waking her, but eventually decided to let her sleep.
Stop getting distracted, I berated myself, closing my eyes again. Come on now … focus.
"You called, overgrown fox?"
"Stupid rat…" the demon snarled, glowing red eyes narrowed as its massive claws shot angrily through the bars of its prison. I was unfazed by this; I knew it couldn't reach me. Our greetings aside, Kyuubi got right to business. "I must tell you what happened earlier. Listen carefully, if you are able to focus long enough…"
I had to bite back the automatic witty retort; scowling at the kitsune, I crossed my arms. "I'm listening."
"When you fought the Hyuuga boy, he disrupted your chakra flow. Do you remember what happened to you afterward, brat?"
"How could I forget… So, the same thing happened again today?"
"Not quite… When my chakra first went out of control with the sudden absence of your own – and of the protection it provided you – both your chakra network and the seal binding me within you were badly damaged…"
"The seal?!" I shouted, taking a step back, "You mean–?!"
"Believe me, mortal brat, if I could have escaped from this place I would have long before now, and I wouldn't bother waiting to consult you beforehand… The seal is currently weakened to a point that I could likely take over your very being at this moment if I so pleased… but your keirakukei is also currently damaged to a point that should I do so, my chakra would quickly kill you. Your chakra network and the seal were further injured today, when I was forced to save your wretched life... With the seal in this state, I can no longer control the chakra I lend you; with your chakra network in its damaged state, I fear that my power, used again, would most certainly prove lethal to your vulnerable, fragile body…"
"Okay… So what do we do to fix this? What now?"
"Both will heal in time … but until you recover entirely on your own, my chakra can only harm you. For the time being I must sever our link – cut off all my power from you. I'll be sitting in darkness and silence for a while, so I won't enjoy this any more than you will… Try to stay alive without my help for the next month or so, will you…?"
I snorted. "I never need your help," I declared. "You don't have to waste your time worrying about me."
"I should hope so… I have no intentions of dying any time soon. So … farewell for now, boy…"
"Yeah. See you later."
I woke up in my sleeping bag – and found myself crushed under a breathtaking wave of fatigue.
Sleepy… I thought, and my eyes dropped shut.
I was out so immediately that I didn't have time to notice one of the tent's occupants was mysteriously absent.
Hinata ヒナタ
My throat burned, my lungs burned. I kept running, fearfully, tirelessly, compulsively. Why, I wasn't sure; to where, I didn't know. Somewhere, anywhere. Away.
Yes, away! Away from them! Fast, faster, hurry! Can't stop! Running out of time!
Something bad was about to happen.
Fire shot up my legs at each rapid, fleeting footfall. Left, and right, and left, and right, hitting the earth, again and again and again. I barreled through the forest, trees flashed past in a blur of dark, murky color, impossible speeds. My hands, they were changing. My whole body was changing.
My foot, caught on gnarled roots. I tumbled to the ground, rolled once, kept running.
It ghosted across the back of my mind that I was now on all fours. Did that even make sense? Was it called running anymore? As with several other things, I didn't know, didn't care at the moment.
Pain. I fell abruptly, and arm reaching across myself to grasp at a point on my neck. My knees and elbows, my forehead crashing to the earth, my back arching as a strangled, alien cry left my throat. I grunted and rolled onto my back as my neck throbbed.
Breath leaving my mouth in short, frosty gasps, my eyes grew as they took in the full moon glowing above. A terrifying energy surged from the two black diamonds on my neck, and my mouth flew open in a scream.
Neji ネジ
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!"
"Get a hold of yourself!"
"Let go of me!!"
"Ack–! Kuso, can't you move any faster?!"
"I'm trying!"
"Get off!!"
"NO! Hurry, Tenten – I can't hold him forever!"
"I can't find it!"
"Curse it – he's starting to transform! Look harder–!"
"Get AWAY!!"
"Oof!"
"Are you okay?!"
"Just find the medicine!"
"H – here it is!"
"Speed it up! I can't hold him down!"
"LET GO!!"
"Darn it, sit still, Hyuuga! Here, hold his mouth open!"
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME?!"
"He won't stop thrashing!"
"Calm the heck down! We're trying to help you!"
"Stop yelling at him!"
"RRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!"
"Just give him the stupid pill!"
My mouth was forced open. Something small landed near the back of my throat.
Ulp.
"…Well? What's happening?"
"I think he's calmed down… Yeah, you can let go of him. The transformation's reversed."
"Hey, Hyuuga…? How do you feel?"
"…I………"
"Catch him, he's gonna–!"
THUD.
Hinata ヒナタ
I woke with a start, covered in cold sweat. Puzzled, I stared for a long moment at the sky above.
It's dawn…
When, check. As for where…
I sat up, blinking slowly. "What hap–?" I froze, unable to make sense of what I was seeing. I sprang to my feet and swept my eyes in disbelief over my surroundings.
Countless fallen trees littered the area, some of which appeared to have been violently, angrily demolished, reduced to the jagged, broken wood that was strewn about everywhere. I trembled as I recognized claw markings in some trees.
Shivering, I activated my Byakugan.
"AUGH!"
Trees-destruction-stream-rocks-sun-birds-rabbit-snow-wolf-blood-earth-insects-mountain–
TOO MUCH! my mind screamed as my Byakugan failed painfully. Holding my head as the world flickered, I staggered a few steps and regained my balance. It had flooded me with far more insight than I was accustomed to, overwhelming my senses.
Among the chaos I had glimpsed a random trail of focused destruction and devastation, but that was the least of my concerns. I looked down at myself in shock. My clothes, my nails, my hands, I could feel it even on my face. My skin further paled at the foul taste in my mouth.
Blood. Except I was quite uninjured.
And most horrifying of all, it smelled. Good.
My teeth began vibrating uncontrollably. The overpowering stench filled my nose at each breath – why was my nose so sharp?! My neck throbbed, and my hand flew to hold the curse mark, the seal that had somehow been contracted from my cousin. My breath came in short, terrified little gasps as I began to walk forward. I wanted to be away from here.
Crimson in the corner of my vision caught my eye. Quickly starting to feel very ill, I turned toward it and hesitated; then, unblinking with dread, I started toward it. I soon wished I hadn't.
Oh my –
I grimaced, clutching at my stomach and taking a sudden step back. I tore my eyes from the motionless hare and began to turn away, only to crash to my knees and vomit helplessly.
I stood shakily after panting for several moments. I thought to bury it, but in one glance I knew I couldn't take it. I ran sobbing from there as fast as I could.
Stopping at a stream, I first furiously cleansed my mouth, and then cleaned myself up. Then I continued toward camp, where the others would be waking up soon.
…Thank goodness … I was nowhere near… Naruto-kun and Lee-kun…
I didn't know what had happened to me, but I realized I had some explaining to do within the next month. Next full moon, I would have to ask them to bind my hands and feet, tie me to a tree, something, to keep this from happening again.
Neji ネジ
"…Then, I prepared to take Lee's life; however, in an extremely unanticipated move, Hinata activated the Hyuuga curse seal to interrupt the attack and immediately incapacitate me," I continued, staring at the floor in thought.
"And then…?" Lord Orochimaru asked, though more curious than impatient.
I frowned. Indeed, what then? It was like there was a gaping hole, a curious blank spot in my memory. I knew the nothingness was there – I knew something was missing – but no matter how hard I tried, no matter how long I prodded at the hole until I gave myself a headache, I couldn't draw anything new out of it. I hadn't been unconscious; I had been awake, in pain, been speaking to someone, but I knew little else.
"I think… She deactivated the seal almost immediately. But the Blood Seal somehow reacted to the caged bird seal, and tried to kill me…"
"You make it sound as though the seal has a will of its own," Orochimaru drawled, raising an eyebrow.
"It did," I answered automatically, "I can't explain it… That force, the pain… Maybe not the seal itself, but something was intent on ending my life." It was unnerving, it was illogical, but I knew it was true. I looked up at the Hokage; his face was fierce, mind racing behind his golden eyes.
Something … or someone.
"Orochimaru-sama…?"
"Impossible…" he whispered to himself, dismayed, "Could it be that it actually holds some degree of influence over…?" He trailed off and shook his head. "Please continue…"
My eyes narrowed a moment, but I answered, "I can't remember much of what happened next…"
The man's hands, resting on his lap, lazily met in a seal. "Take your time…"
Things I already knew were resurfaced by whatever jutsu he was using. Excruciating pain. Talking to someone – though about what, I couldn't begin to fathom.
"I was in pain … and certain I would die soon…"
A fragment of emotion – it was so powerful I couldn't comprehend how I had let it slip away. Whatever had been said, something in it had made me feel at ease. For the briefest moment – a moment that had been reality and not a dream – I had felt happy. Truly, deeply, happy. What was it…?
–"I forgive you!"–
There!
Gone.
No… What was it? Whose voice… Kuso! I let it slip away!
"I think I spoke to someone … but I don't know who."
My life, fading. Sight, darkening. Voice, weakening. Body, numbing. But still, the seal attacked me – furiously, relentlessly. I had screamed. And…
I closed my eyes in concentration.
And at some point, I had smelled the blood, very close, very near my nose. Blood that smelled very like my own, but also different. The strong scent was overpowering, irresistible.
Then, miraculously, a burst of inspiration had struck me. Suddenly and without warning – the way to save both our lives. I didn't know how I knew it, I didn't know where it had come from, I didn't know how I knew it wouldn't kill her too. I simply knew.
Before I could think twice I had bitten hard into her neck. An escape from the pain, a way to ensure we both lived. It was the most important thing – my life was important to her, hers the world to me.
When the burden was cut, I pulled free from the seal's weakened hold.
…Wait. 'Her?' Who am I even talking abou–?
Gone.
Not again! Darn it, focus!
My eyes snapped open. "I bit Hinata," I whispered in a moment. "On the neck – and I gave her some of the Blood Seal…" I guess that would explain this lonely black diamond on my neck… But… but it didn't make any sense! Why would I have felt a need to protect her wretched life?! I shook my head.
"You're certain of this…?" Orochimaru asked, his expression unreadable.
"Not at all sure. I can hardly remember any of it clearly."
"Hmm… To think it may be possible for it to be passed between two of the same blood," he muttered to himself with a look that said he was lost in thought. "How unanticipated…"
"Orochimaru-sama?" I said quietly, frowning.
"How interesting it's becoming… this curse mark I created with the blood of a demon…"
"Milord," I interrupted his musing, "Your words suggest you are amused by these discoveries. Do you mean to say I am a mere test subject?"
"Kukuku… And what, Neji-kun, might you be planning to do should I answer the affirmative…?"
He's testing me! I realized, cursing my rashness.
"…Nothing," I answered, lowering my head. It wasn't as though I would be able to do anything about it.
He chuckled again. "The seal has been tested before… I simply never imagined what you've described was possible. It was unexpected, I will admit… but you need not fear, as I have no intentions of allowing you to die now. Remember, Neji-kun, I need you."
I bowed my head.
"Now, finish your report."
I had woken to find myself being carried by Sasuke, who had promptly dropped me none too gently and accused me of causing the mission's failure; he claimed if I hadn't taken my time 'messing around' we could have captured the three easily. I had silenced him by asking, if he had the power to bring suffering on the one on whom he sought revenge, what would he do? He had answered in biting sarcasm that it was perfectly easy to believe that 'that shy little dork with the stutter' had indeed horribly wronged me in the past. I'd shot back that he didn't know anything about it, and after several seconds of glaring he'd turned his back and opted that we make camp for the night.
And, still silently fuming over the confrontation, I had managed to forget that it was the night of the full moon. Sasuke and Tenten told me the next morning of how I'd gone berserk in the middle of the night, and they'd had to force me to take the pill I'd quite completely forgotten about…
A startling thought occurred to me. If my cousin truly did have perhaps two-thirds of my curse seal, then…?
I didn't have time to think about that right now. "By the time I woke up, it was dark and we were within Oto no Kuni. We were quickly found and given medical treatment at a base. The rest I believe you already know; we stayed the night and two more days to rest and recover before setting out for home. The rest of the trip was uneventful."
"I see… And I presume nothing of significance happened on the night of the full moon…?"
"I took the pill that Yakushi-san prepared, as you instructed. I was restless, but no transformation occurred."
I didn't know what possessed me to lie to him. Could it be that I didn't quite trust Lord Orochimaru? Would he be amused to know the reason for the bandages on Sasuke's fingers? Would the knowledge that I, so cool and controlled, had fallen before his mark and utterly lost my senses – that in another minute, I could have killed my teammates – prove entertaining to the man?
…Was the Hokage hoping I realized how dependent I was on the pill he would provide me with once a month – the pill that kept this mark's most fearsome power at bay?
"Neji-kun…"
"Sir?"
"You would do well to work on your lying… the next time you intend to hide something from me."
I gasped.
The door behind me slammed open with a thud.
I closed my eyes. "...You don't know how to knock, Uchiha?"
Hands in his pockets, my raven-haired subordinate walked in and stopped beside and a bit behind me. He didn't bother bowing to the Hokage, as he never did. His persistent scowl was present as he half glared at Orochimaru, something blazing behind his dark eyes.
I glanced over his posture, his face, reading him with the most minimal of efforts. Just as I thought.
Orochimaru chuckled, seeing it as well. "Ah, Sasuke-kun… What brings you?"
The genin's eyes shifted to me a moment, and then back to the sannin. "I'm here to take you up on your offer."
I stood, turning to face him. "Oh? I thought you'd decided you didn't need Orochimaru-sama's aid."
He glared dangerously at me, and I gave the slightest of smirks. I suppose I really must thank you, Uzumaki … for knocking some sense into him.
"So, you're absolutely sure now? There will be no turning away or backing out. Think very carefully, Uchiha, before you tell me you're ready to go through with it."
He didn't hesitate.
"I am. I'm ready."
Orochimaru snickered a moment, a grin just barely revealing his teeth. "Excellent," he hissed viciously as his golden yellow eyes sparkled with excitement. "So, after I reincarnate myself into Neji, his body shall serve as my container while I train you, Sasuke, into the ultimate vessel. And then, once you have killed Itachi … I can have you."
Hatred blazed in his Dark eyes as Sasuke slowly nodded.
Hinata ヒナタ
One week had passed. It was time to continue training.
I struck the tree with a simple palm. Left, then right.
The gash in my side, healed. A partially dislocated shoulder, incredibly, healed. Claw cuts on my cheek, three pale, barely visible lines. Numerous scratches, bruises, fractures – gone. My shoulder, torn to the muscle, mending nicely. Several cracked ribs and a broken nose, remarkably near complete recovery. My heart, not giving me any trouble – though I wasn't about to risk pushing it.
Left… Righ– pain, a small sting.
Four parallel slashes across the back of my forearm – very unhealed, and frequently aching.
Left… Right.
With an enormous and steady flowing of energy, much of the healing had occurred within a day of my receiving the mark – after which, it seemed, an appropriate level of weariness had come smashing into me. At first I had hardly been able to walk, and not at all for a good distance, but slowly my strength had returned.
Left… Right. I winced slightly.
I couldn't just sit around any longer; I had to do something, even this light exercise. After all, I had a mission now.
I added chakra to the strikes, an action that came naturally with years of practice. I flowed through the movements.
Left… Right.
I blinked.
…Right.
I panicked.
Right.
I went into denial.
Right.
No. No, maybe with more chakra–
Ri– Sting.
From the beating I'd taken, I was not most impeded by broken bones, or even greatly impaired by renewed heart issues, which would heal completely in time so long as I was careful.
I struck again, trying a bit more chakra, rewarded a bit more pain.
No. No, seriously. Moisture spilled from my eyes. It can't…
No, the most permanent and debilitating of the punishments that resulted was the severing of my chakra network to my right arm.
NO! I struck harder–
"AAAAAAAHHH!!"
–And fell to the ground as my knees gave out, clutching my arm close to my body and writhing and kicking madly.
I had lost the use of my dominant arm in Juuken.
"Naruto-kun!! Lee-kun!! HELP!!"
"Hinata!"
"H-Hinata-san, what–?!"
"It BURNS!!"
I could no longer channel chakra to one of my limbs.
…Sniffle… Gasp, sniff. My eyes closing, teeth grinding. "Wh-wh-why…?"
"Shh… There, it'll be okay, shh…"
"………"
As far as a shinobi career went, I had effectively been rendered a cripple.
"…KUSO!!"
A jumble of severed chakra lines rearranged into a tangled in a mess – I suppose that was a good way to sum up what I was looking at. I closed my eyes with a sigh as I let my Byakugan fade.
"…So?" Naruto asked in a moment, fearing he may sound rude.
I shook my head, my gaze intent on the ground. "It's l-like … as if my chakra network's been cut off by a blade, literally burned and scarred. There are f-four distinct, thin severing lines that cut across my arm, but one would have been enough. My chakra can't get past the first c-cut; it's acting almost as if a barrier…"
"Hm… So the chakra lines have already reconnected themselves?" Lee inquired.
I nodded.
"What does that mean?" Naruto asked.
Holding my arm in front of me, I pulled the jacket sleeve to my elbow to expose the four dark claw lines. I stared a moment at the scars, the first of which lied at about a third down the back of my forearm, and the last one very near my wrist. I placed a finger near my elbow.
"…Normally, a chakra line here would run down the forearm, run a course through the hand … and then double back on itself, running back up the arm and to the body." I traced the route with a finger as I spoke. "But now, the same chakra passages that w-would go to my hand have been severed, along with the lines that would return chakra from the hand. So…" I moved my finger from elbow to hand, "when these lines were blocked, unable to send the energy they received from the body…" I traced from hand to elbow, "and these lines emptying as they suddenly stopped receiving chakra…"
He understood. "So the chakra built up, spilled over, and was picked up by the lines that bring it back to the rest of the body, right…?"
"Right," I said – except 'spilled over' and 'picked up' made it sound too neat. That burning I'd felt after Neji slashed my arm, though I hadn't known it then, had probably been chakra building up behind the sudden blockage until it ruptured the keirakukei lines, bursting from its designed passageways in places it wasn't meant to; the lines had started reconnecting within a minute of being severed as the loose chakra was drawn to the 'returning' chakra lines, allowing the circulation to resume.
At least they reformed quickly… I thought.
The explanation had been perhaps the best and the worst thing for me at the moment; while a mundane speech on something referring to the workings of the keirakukei, something I had an extensive deal of background knowledge on, was something that required just enough thought to take my mind off of my new handicap, it didn't quite help that I was describing the very injury to a point that clarified how near hopeless its recovery was.
After explaining, it only left it all the fresher in my mind. As far as chakra usage went … my arm was a stump.
"Hinata-san?"
I'd been silent too long. Standing, I walked ten yards to a nearby tree. "…I want to give it another shot."
"A – Are you sure that's a good idea?"
I have to try… Clearly attempting a quick burst of chakra had been a mistake; I would feed the chakra slowly instead. One inch – that was all I wanted. If my chakra could travel an inch past the first scar, then there was hope.
I rested my palm against the trunk – for stability if nothing else – and focused a long moment. Then I pushed my chakra against the invisible barrier.
It was immediately met with resistance; the chakra was stopped, as if by a firm wall. An uncomfortable tingling sensation resulted as I pushed against this wall.
Come on… Focus…
I channeled more chakra to the damaged lines. It began to seep through the wall, finally passing through it.
A sharp pain stabbed up my arm, and I flinched. My left hand flew to cover the scar.
F-focus…
Slow and steady, I sent more chakra down my arm to push it into the old passageways. It began to burn.
I grunted as I felt my chakra passing through the barrier at a crawl. The pain sharpened.
"Hinata-san, maybe you should not…"
"Just a … l-little more…" Perhaps an eighth of an inch remained. My eyes moistened.
The two were standing now, and had moved slightly closer.
"Stop it!" Naruto said suddenly, "Don't try to force it – you'll just hurt yourself more–!" He was silenced by Lee's hand on his shoulder as the older boy shook his head.
Sweat dripped from my chin as I took in shuddering gasps of air. I realized I was shaking.
Almost… there–! My chakra flared unexpectedly.
Pain.
The world flashed blindingly white, and by the time the glaring nothingness faded I was crashing face first to the ground.
And they were beside me again, Naruto helping me up and, after a moment of uncertainty, holding me close to himself in an effort to comfort me. Letting all the misery out, I sobbed into Naruto's shoulder as he whispered and consoled, and Lee patted my back softly.
"I-it's n-not f-f-fair…"
"I know it's not. But we're here for you."
Naruto-kun, Lee-kun… You…
The clan, my father – how would my own family have reacted? First and foremost, it would be my own fault for allowing myself to be injured. Then I would be looked at with piercing white eyes full of contempt and disgust as I was told of how pitiful a failure I was, how I'd finally doomed the clan for certain, how I would never be strong – and then left on the cold, hard ground to cry alone, suffering in isolation, my misery heard by few, cared for by fewer.
But these two – two I'd hardly spoken a few words to in my life until seven weeks before – did nothing but believe in me. These two, who were so different from each other and myself, yet so similar in regards to what we shared. The two so often headfirst and vigorous to the end had shown their gentle sides to me without hesitation. These two, more than anyone else, could wholly and completely understand.
Thank you…
"I-I'm sorry," I said softly as we began to head back to where we'd made camp. A first-quarter moon hung in the night sky; I'd spent the last hour trying to cry out all the despair and frustration. "I made s-such a big f-fuss, and you…"
"Don't worry about it, Hinata-chan," Naruto said, "It was okay to take all the time you needed to. It's not healthy to keep all that bottled up inside you, y'know?" Lee nodded in agreement.
Indeed, it's not… I looked down at the thought of my cousin, so angry and confused that he could soon become unsalvageable, beyond my reach, too lost in darkness for the brightest light to find him. I realized that all these years he had never had a shoulder to cry on. Or wanted one.
"Well, I'm beat. I think I'll turn in–,"
Lee suddenly barred Naruto's way into the tent. "Not without washing up, Naruto-kun," he berated. "Nice try."
Grumbling, Naruto set out through the trees toward a nearby small lake. I couldn't help a small giggle at his stubborn pout.
I was about to enter the tent to wait when Lee stopped me. "Hinata-san," he said, and I turned to face him. He wore a serious expression. "Please forgive me."
"F-for what, Lee-kun?"
"I kept Naruto-kun from stopping you before, because I knew you would need to see it for yourself before you could ever begin to accept it. I knew that in your position … either of us would probably have done exactly the same."
"I understand, Lee-kun."
"So then, Hinata-san … you do understand that your arm will most likely never be healed completely, if at all…?"
I didn't respond for a long moment. "…Yes," I said quietly.
"Please, do not look so down," he said with a sympathetic smile. "Honestly, I think you are looking at this the wrong way."
"What do you m-mean?"
His tone grew more serious, and he held up a finger. "There is something you can still be very grateful for. Your arm – aside from the chakra network, it still has complete functionality and mobility, correct?"
"I… I guess it does…"
"Right. You still have your arm – make good use of it. Now listen to me, Hinata-san. A true genius is the shinobi who weathers all obstacles that come his way, and does it smiling. Do you see? If you never stop believing in yourself and do all you can with what you do still have, you may just be able to turn this disadvantage into a blessing!"
"L… Lee-kun…"
"Then the joke will be on them, will it not?!" he exclaimed, closing his eyes and flashing a thumbs-up as he gave a gleaming smile.
"Lee-kun…"
"I have faith that you CAN find a way through this! Will you do it, Hinata-san? Will you look up and forge your path onward into a brighter tomorrow, embracing the blazing springtime of your youth?!"
"…L-Lee-k-k-kun…" I sniffled, my head down as my shoulders began to tremble.
"Uh… I – I am sorry. I did not mean to–,"
I grabbed him in a hug, which he returned after a moment of surprise. "Thanks, Lee-kun," I whispered.
After several seconds we separated, and after a few exchanged words (and another thumbs-up) he left to join Naruto.
That meant more to me … than you'll ever know.
Hope – that was all I needed right now.
Hanabi ハナビ
I stayed a bit in front of Kiba as we walked. He would not permit me to follow behind him, preferring I remained entirely in his line of sight at all times. After all, he'd teased – though we both knew it to be true – he couldn't be too careful with the easiest potential target.
Beside me, I knew Shikamaru remained as passively alert as the dog-nin beneath his bored demeanor. Though he wasn't outwardly attentive, I knew better than to think any detail within the small building could go unnoticed by our chuunin "squad leader."
Leading our formation was Sakura, hiding her unease and fear (for I knew even they had to be uneasy) as expertly as the others. I made an effort to look as calm and cool as them, to be just as simultaneously relaxed-and-cautious as the three, but I felt both foolish and certain I wasn't quite pulling it off.
Kiba grabbed my hand; I looked up at his slight scowl, and then followed his eyes to the silent Oto-nin standing in a corner not far away. The smirking man was leaning against the wall, arms crossed. His gaze shifted from Kiba to me, and after a moment of leering the man sharply produced a dry, harsh growl of a barking hiss from his throat, in imitation of some sort of monster or demon I guessed little kids were supposed to be afraid of. The jounin only gave another toothy smirk as I was unfazed, but Kiba shifted his posture slightly. Twin growls of warning issued from the throats of the boy and the puppy riding atop his head.
Shikamaru, having seen the exchange, put a hand on Kiba's shoulder. At a curt shake of the former chuunin's head, Kiba steered me by my shoulder to slowly continue after Sakura. He glared to kill at the man another moment even as we walked, and then looked ahead again as Sakura selected a few potatoes and put them into a small basket.
"We almost done yet…?" Shikamaru drawled, even his voice casually masked in the utmost boredom.
The girl nodded. "Yes, this should be enough."
We walked to the check out counter; the friendly shopkeeper was, well … vibrating, I noticed, but I couldn't figure why. He pretended to just see us when Sakura began emptying the basket onto the counter.
"Uh-um, h-hello, how may I help you k-kids?"
Sakura looked at him oddly. "How much will this be?" she asked in a polite voice.
He studied each of our faces an overly long moment in turn, before a trembling had pulled a paper from his apron. After spending another moment of scrutiny on it, he flipped the paper in his hand to allow us to see it – or at least, he attempted to, as the flyer slipped from his fumbling fingers. The hand stiffly smacked down onto the paper in a flash as he smiled nervously. The paper was caught face up on the counter to reveal some familiar faces, each captioned with a name. Dozens of other names were listed in the bottom portion of the page: 'Suspected Resistance.'
In an instant, I saw the shopkeeper's eyes flicker to the corner of the room.
Sweating now, he forced through his tense, fake grin, "I'm afraid I must ask y-you to l-leave immediately. I am not per-mitted to sell to you s-scoundrels."
"What?" Kiba asked, disbelieving, "Old man Ringo, not you t–!"
Shikamaru's elbow jerked into Kiba's stomach so sharply that he grunted. As I understood, I realized his interruption had come too late.
I looked back to see the jounin in the corner grinning merrily, his shoulders shaking. The shopkeeper, now in an all-out panic, looked wide eyed at the man in pure terror, which only served to further entertain him. Smiling broadly, he closed his eyes and shuddered with suppressed snickers. "Never sold to 'em in your life, huh?!" he shouted as he burst out howling in a sick laughter.
The old man whimpered and shrunk away, and appeared to be clinging to the countertop for support. "J-just go aw-way, please go away…" he said in a small voice.
Kiba was shocked. "Old man, I – I'm sorry–,"
"Get out!!" Ringo screamed at him, and we hastily complied, bolting through the shop door. I activated my Byakugan with a few seals as we ran, scanning around us as well as I could with my still developing range.
"Is anyone following us?" Shikamaru asked as we sped down an empty alley.
Kiba sniffed at the air a moment. "Not that I can smell–!!"
The Nara abruptly turned, and in the next instant had slammed Kiba's back against a wall.
"Are you trying to get us all killed or what?!" he demanded furiously.
Pinned against the wall, the Inuzuka stared at the normally impassive boy. "I–,"
"Growling at a Sound jounin?! What the heck were you thinking?! Before we could blink, he may have killed one of us on a whim!!"
"But–,"
"I don't care if he was taunting you! We're on thin enough ice as it is, so do us all a favor and stop being so frickin' impulsive!!" he screamed, shoving Kiba away. He stumbled a few steps, but stayed on his feet; Shikamaru turned away. "…Let's go."
We took off again, running in silence.
…Poor Shikamaru-san is already starting to crack under the pressure. The Oto ninja haven't been openly hostile toward us yet, and even though the five of us never have been caught or witnessed doing anything suggesting of rebellion, I'm sure they know good and well what we're doing. So if they're not arresting us for it … we're probably examples. And that means that they're aiming to break us … s-slowly and painfully.
Hinata ヒナタ
"And … there," I said as I finished wrapping my right arm in the fashion Lee had taught me. I looked over my work with a contented nod; I'd finally gotten it down, and it had taken only a few minutes to bandage my arm from mid-finger to the elbow, neither too tight nor too loose.
I looked up with a start as someone began banging excitedly on the door that went to the room the boys were sharing. I got up and opened it, and Naruto's hands were immediately on my shoulders – causing my cheeks to warm considerably.
"Today's finally the day, believe it!" he exclaimed. Even struggling with his first cold – yes, ever – couldn't put a damper on his mood.
I processed the words in a moment. "You mean…?"
"Yes," Lee confirmed, securing his headband around his waist as he came up behind Naruto, "the man has been spotted heading toward the town, and is expected to reach it within the next ten minutes. Are you ready, Hinata-san?"
I smiled back. "Hai!"
"Okay – Achoof! – Let's go!"
We left the inn we were staying in, and led by a young man down quiet streets, streets that had recently and hastily been emptied, to the point the missing-nin was expected to arrive. Our escort, who looked to be Lee's age, watched in fascination as we quickly set up a simple trap that was meant to be more distracting than damaging. Naruto and Lee talked enthusiastically, pumped up and eager to test their strength against the rogue chuunin thief.
It had been over two weeks now since the encounter with Neji and the others, and the three of us had spent the time mostly resting and recovering, as well as gathering what little information we could on Konoha. Lee had been to first to realize that if we were no longer going to make any special effort to hide our identities, our "poor, wandering orphans" disguise could be discarded – meaning we didn't have to be cautious about buying ninja supplies, and could get better clothes and shoes than what we'd been wearing the last few weeks. But to get supplies and clothes we needed money, something we were running low on.
Bounty hunting had been Naruto's idea.
We'd been in luck to come across this large border town. Upon our arrival three days ago, a number of things had happened. First we were halted by a group of armed men. After they learned we were Konoha ninja, we'd been quickly welcomed and soon found ourselves presented before the town leaders. Their situation had been explained, and we accepted an offer to capture a chuunin-level Iwa rogue, a nukenin, who had been terrorizing and stealing from the town. We were provided a free stay in the inn, and would be given a reward when we succeeded in detaining the criminal.
Easy enough; Lee for certain was well above genin level already. The three of us against one chuunin would make for a quick win, a 'piece of cake' as Naruto had called it.
So here we were, lying in wait for one Kozue Kuri.
We had most definitely not planned to lie in wait for one Kozue Kuri and two dozen bandits.
"Are you certain?!" Lee gasped, staring at the approaching mob of specks on the horizon.
I nodded, flinching as my Byakugan failed suddenly; the other two were too focused on the group in the distance to notice. "Hai, I counted at least twenty."
"No, seriously!" Naruto said, whirling to point a finger at the young man, "You guys didn't feel any need to tell us this?!"
The boy smiled sheepishly. "Oh, you mean no one mentioned it to you?"
Naruto sighed, hanging his head. "I thought the reward was high for one chuunin… Actually it kind of sucks for one chuunin and twenty bandits…"
"Please help us – we need you, courageous Leaf shinobi! You're not going to abandon us, are you…? You're the only hope we've got!"
"Yeah, yeah, save your sweet talk. We're not going anywhere."
Lee ordered the boy to go somewhere safe. After we quickly altered our plan, I jumped to a rooftop and lied down to hide. Naruto, a few yards from the road that lead into the town, curled into a ball and transformed into a rock, while two kage bunshin did the same on the other side. Lee hid atop a building across the street from me.
In another few minutes the bandits were coming into clear view. In the lead walked a tall man who appeared to be seventeen or eighteen, and walked with a cocky air about him and a laid back grin on his features. One side of his face had a mess of scars running down it, and a patch covered the eye. A light stubble covered the man's chin, and short, spiky black hair stood on his head. He wore a long sleeveless black coat open over a white shirt, dark blue pants, black fingerless gloves, and two long, sheathed swords strapped across his back. Finally, the bandana around his neck bore a metal plate; a slash ran through the insignia of two overlapped stones engraved into it.
I gulped. S-so, that's our missing-nin. Kozue Kuri. From looks alone … he s-seems pretty rough… I shook my head as the man and his gang – consisting mostly of archers and other weapon users who were older than their shinobi leader – moved into position, oblivious to Naruto and his clones. My trembling hands formed a seal. He's nearing the tripwire. If we're going to time this perfectly, I'd better start–
"Achoo!!"
…………
"Did that rock just–?"
IToriTatsuInuHitsuji! I rushed, Genjutsu: Imprison!!
The bandits looked around in confusion, and began pressing their hands against invisible walls around them like mimes. Terrified, they panicked and started shouting out all at once.
"What is this?!"
"Where'd you all go?!"
"Let me out!!"
"Can anyone here me?!"
"What's going on?!"
Kuri had turned, inches from springing the trap. "Oi, what's happened to you?!" he demanded. He formed a sign. "K–!"
He whirled to block Lee's flying Konoha Senpuu, and at the same time three large rocks exploded into their true forms to start taking down the sitting ducks.
Genjutsu: Imprison, I thought, sweating in concentration as I held the hand seal. A simple illusory art, like almost all genjutsu it's most effective against someone who's never been exposed to one or taught to detect one. Even so, sheer numbers…! The seal throbbed faintly, as if offering its assistance. I harshly declined. Hurry, you two!
I chanced a look at Lee and Kozue to glimpse them in heated combat; Lee was on the defensive from the man's swords, which were now mere blurs of flashing silver.
He's easily pushing Lee-kun! Such speed… This man's no chuunin–!
"Well, well," a voice said next to me. "Someone thinks she's a clever little…"
I shoved back and to my feet, avoiding the large katana that plunged into the roof. A foot flashed up, and pain exploded across my face.
I bounced once, tried to grab at the roof's edge, slipped and fell to the ground.
Lee リー
I winced, holding the cut in my arm. That was too close. If I had not moved in time…
"You are good," I conceded, eyes narrowed.
Kozue chuckled. "I'll admit you're the best workout I've had in a while, but I've gotta say I'm disappointed. I was so excited when I thought I was getting ambushed by some tough rogues, but it turns out they're hardly rogue ninja at all. Nothing but a bunch of wet-nosed brats."
"We will see about that. You would not do well to underestimate me, or either of my comrades for that matter," I declared boldly, taking my stance.
"Oh I wouldn't, would I?"
The world flickered, and I found myself bent over a large fist in my abdomen, struggling to breathe.
"That's funny," a voice whispered in my ear, "'Cause the way I see it, you're nothing but a funny-looking little kid playing at ninja. You three thought you could take me out, did ya?"
My jaw – pain. More whiteness. Lying on my back.
"Brat, do me a favor, will ya? Don't insult me by calling yourself a missing-nin! It's an embarrassment just to share the category with weaklings like you!"
I felt a pressure on my chest, restricting my breathing.
"Let me tell you something. A real missing-ninja exists to fight and to kill. Those seconds of combat, the blinding speed where anything can happen – that rush, that thrill, is what we LIVE for!!"
STOMP!!
"AGH!"
"But a rogue ninja who can't act in an instant, who can't keep up with that rush, never lives very long. The truth is, whenever one missing-nin crosses paths with another he either kills … or gets killed!"
"N-no…" I croaked. "I am not dying h-here… You cannot defeat me…"
"Hate to break it to you, kid, but you're already defeated." He raised his sword. "I guess you could call this the way of the nukenin. So, for the coup de grace…"
"LEE!!" Naruto screamed. I turned my head, and could see Naruto trying to fight his way toward me; but, try as he might, there were too many enemies, and they looked to be tougher than your everyday thugs.
Hinata's genjutsu… Was it interrupted? What happened to her?
"Hinata-san…"
"Hm? Worried about your little friends even now? A missing-nin only worries about watching his own back, little man. Those bandits? Nothing but disposable pawns. In this world a "friend" weak enough to get killed doesn't deserve to be your friend."
"N-no…" I whispered.
"But you don't have to worry – I'll see to it personally that you're reunited soon enough!"
"I will not … let it end like this."
The katana plunged down.
And pierced the earth an inch from my left side. A kunai in my right hand had diverted the blade.
"We are not ready to die now!" The kunai slammed deep into his ankle. Roaring an obscenity, he stepped away to release me; I grabbed the hilt of the sword next to me for support, pushed off the ground with my feet, and launched a heavy kick at his face. The blow landed solidly, throwing him several yards.
Back on my feet, I whirled as I pulled the sword from the earth, twirling it in a hand a few times before tossing it to the other hand.
"You will NOT hurt my FRIENDS!!" I growled angrily, testing the katana's weight with a quick practice slash at the air as I assumed the Goken stance, blade in hand. "I will not let you!!"
Hinata ヒナタ
"You're kidding me, right?!" Kozue Kuri demanded as I backpedalled, parrying and blocking his sword with a pair of kunai. I crossed the knives above my head to catch a downward, one-handed strike, and grunted in effort as I held the sword off.
"When you think of a missing-nin, you think of someone deadly and menacing!" he taunted, swiftly drawing his second sword with his free hand and stabbing for my unguarded abdomen. I jumped away into an attempted backflip, but my handspring came off unbalanced as I accidentally used chakra in my left hand, while I could not with my right. I twisted awkwardly, managing to land on my feet, and stepped away from a fierce slash with no time to spare as I drew two more kunai knives. With blinding speed the tip of his sword poked through the loop at the end of one of the kunai and flicked it away, before the katana's hilt sharply hacked at the other knife to disarm me.
He'd at some point put away his left hand sword, and his now free hand grabbed my right wrist. His right hand moved across his body, and he flipped the sword around so that his thumb was on the opposite side from the blade. My eyes widened as I thought him prepared to impale me.
"Please – you're not even worth wasting my blade on!" he shouted as he slashed my kunai pouch to spill its contents onto the ground, flipped the katana again as he pulled the sword away, pulled on my captured wrist – and thrust the hilt hard into the side of my ribcage, a few inches below the underarm.
My body shuddered violently and twisted away in reaction as he released me. I flinched as the heel of his foot punched into a point on the top of my foot, and was neither able to retreat nor defend myself against a series of rapid fist jabs to my abdomen and sides.
The blows suddenly became more varied. A hit to the windpipe. A kick in the shin. A fist to my right cheek. A fist to the left. A hand on my back – a crushing knee in the stomach.
Stunned and winded, I was beginning to fold double when Kuri lifted me by the neck of my jacket. I closed my eyes.
He's too fast … too strong…
The mark pulsed. For a moment I was actually tempted. The milky eyes of a motionless hare crossed my mind. I shoved the disgusting energy away.
I felt a hand on my chin; he turned my head one way, and then the other, as if in observation. "What a joke," he growled, "So you think you're a rogue ninja? You're a bit too tiny and cute and cuddly to be any kind of ninja, little girl. You should be at home playing with dolls."
He dropped me, but I fell only a moment before a large foot slammed into my midriff.
My back connected with a wall fifteen yards away. My knees thudded to the earth, and I fell boneless to the ground as my senses started to desert me.
"So, they thought they'd hire some little weakling ninja brats to take me out," the missing-nin said as I heard him walking toward me.
I've got to do something … quick… I was on the ground, lying half on my right side, my shoulder, with my arms in front of me. From the sound of his voice, he was approaching somewhat from behind me. For a moment I wiggled my fingers, my toes; I could move.
"They won't make that mistake twice," he went on. He was less than ten yards away.
I moved my arms closer to my body; from where he stood, it would probably appear I'd folded them across myself in pain. In actuality, I was removing my hands from his view.
Mi … Hitsuji … Saru … Ne … Uma … Tora.
"When they see your corpses, they'll know not to pull something pitiful as this again!"
Now!! Byakugan blazing, I rolled left to face him, pushing off the ground and unleashing the technique in the same motion.
Fireball Jutsu!
Kuri's eyes widened – then he was engulfed in flame.
The fireball wasn't half as powerful as I would have liked, but close range alone allowed it to somewhat damage him, stunning the man if nothing else. Before he could begin to recover, my left hand flashed to his shoulder and jabbed with two fingers. As he gasped at the tenketsu's closing, I struck out again.
"Juuken!" I cried as my palm raced for his chest. His eyes closed as he tried to back away, teeth gritted as he braced himself for pain.
THUD.
……………
My heart plummeted into my stomach.
That's the…
…wrong hand…
"Stupid brat!" Kuri roared, raising his sword.
My mouth fell open, eyes wettening in terror. I froze up as the blade sliced through the air, falling toward me.
The katana was gone abruptly, and I saw it flipping through the air behind him before it clattered to the ground.
Kuri blinked. "What the f–?!"
"TAKE THIS!!" screamed a blond haired blur as it shot past me, driving its shoulder into the large man's gut.
He landed in front of me as Kuri staggered back. "N-Naruto-kun," I whispered, eyes big as a gentle pinkness dusted over my cheeks.
"Leave it to me!" he growled, glaring at the Iwa rogue as he formed a seal. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
Easily one hundred solid copies appeared – then I watched in confusion as Naruto dropped gracelessly into the dirt. All around shadow clones swayed, staggered, or stumbled before all at once popping out of existence.
"Naruto-kun!" I cried, instantly at his side and helping him to sit up. His face had turned a sickly pale, and his wide eyes were beginning to glaze as he gasped weakly.
"I u-used … t-too much-ch chak-ra…" he rasped out, sweating profusely and trembling at odd intervals. He was going into shock.
"Well, sucks for you," Kuri said, and I looked to see the ruthless rogue towering above us with a smirk, his katana in hand and rising above his head, glinting in sunlight.
The sword flashed down.
I pulled Naruto in close, turned my back, and put my body between my friend and my enemy.
Lee リー
I advanced at full speed, swinging the sword at Kozue Kuri before he had a chance to remove the kunai firmly lodged in his ankle. Teeth grinding, he blocked the heavy strike with his own blade. An instant later I was attacking again; his eyes widened the smallest degree as his blade barely diverted the stab in time.
Faster! I must move still FASTER!!
I forced him onto the defensive, and he backpedalled clumsily as he blocked a number of rapid-fire attacks, his one visible eye squinting at the pain in his ankle. My heart pounded in the rush, the insane speed of it all. I feinted, and observed his reacting in an instant. Here it was. The battle was mine for the taking.
I slammed at his left with all my strength. I felt his arm shatter under the flat of the blade.
He backed away. I was on him in an instant.
As he blocked a swing from his right, he pushed the blade away as he turned his own sword and stabbed toward me. My empty right hand moved as if to block the incoming sword, and without thinking about it I found the sword leaving my left hand, my right catching the hilt. I thrust hard to the right, deflecting his attack with enough force to thrust his arm across his body, and at the same time my left foot connected with his side.
A grunt of pain was escaping his lips as my foot returned to the ground, and my right shot up to follow through with a tremendous kick to his face. I turned again as my right foot landed, and with blinding speed my left's heel crashed sharply into his right wrist as he threw a desperate stab. The kick smacked his arm high, leaving him wide open and off-balance.
NOW!
The moment my foot touched earth, I stepped into a jump. I swept the sword in my hand left, cleanly hacking Kuri's katana free of his weakened grip.
His weapon went flipping through the air.
I returned to the ground, sliding smoothly into a crouch, right arm still extended across my body.
Kozue stared wide eyed after his flying sword – almost appeared to be reaching for it – in disbelief that he'd been disarmed.
I twirled the sword in my hand, so that the blade now pointed opposite of my thumb.
His eyes began to drift toward me.
My left hand clapped onto the end of the hilt as I lunged forward.
Kozue Kuri's katana plunged into the earth.
My katana plunged into Kozue Kuri.
Naruto ナルト
"Uhn–!!"
A grunt of surprise, of pain, a sharp exhalation – then she went limp against me.
"H-Hinata?"
Had she just…?
She had moved so suddenly, cupped my head in her hand, pulled me in close to cradle me against herself.
She shielded me … w-with her own body…?
"Hinata! Say something! Please!"
She didn't respond. I turned my hazy, blurred sight on the one responsible, glowering as hard as I could at Kozue Kuri, only to be met with a surprise.
Standing above us was a human shaped block of stone. The right arm was down, extended across the body; in that hand was a cracked rock shaped like the hilt of a sword, cut off at only an inch of "blade."
"Earth clone…?" I gasped as it crackled and crumbled to the ground.
"Uuuhh… Itai…"
"Hinata?" I said, looking at the girl in my arms.
"Stop crying … Naruto-kun… 'm still h-here…" she mumbled weakly, her words a bit slurred. "Just a l-little woozy, is all…"
"Crying? Who?" I said, managing the smallest smile. "So you're a-alright?"
"Something heavy just broke across m-my back … but other than that, I'm g-good…"
"That's a relief…" I said softly as my vision blurred up a bit more. Quickly losing the ability to sit up, I found myself falling back.
I noted that my head was not on the ground, but rather resting on something; a hand, I realized. And a warmness lying across my body … her arm.
Hinata-chan is very near…
I don't think I mind actually… it is pretty cool out here…
Yes… maybe that was why I felt so comfortable…
My eyes drooped shut.
So Bushy Brow was fighting the real guy… For the iwa bunshin to revert … he must've taken 'm down… We made it through after all…
This established, I sighed and finally let unconsciousness claim me.
Lee リー
Kozue Kuri, former jounin of Iwagakure, stared for several moments at the katana hilt protruding from his stomach.
"Kuso…" he gasped, unblinking in shock. "And here you told me … not to under … estimate…"
The man crashed to his knees, spewing out so much blood that I shuddered. H… He is not getting up… I realized, and something, something terribly cold, and hard, and heavy, seemed to drop into my gut.
He chuckled weakly. "Y-you should see the stupid … look on your face… What's the matter, kid? Am I your first?"
I gulped, shivering slightly; I felt very cold. I nodded numbly and tried to find my voice. "H-h-hai."
"Heh… Guess I knew I'd be s-stopped someday … just never thought it w-would be at the hands of some amateur b-brat…" He coughed, the chilling, hacking sound of something tearing apart. "…You took my sword and made it your own, and with my very blade have stained m-my blood and taken my life…"
Glazed eyes blinked slowly, continuing to lose focus as his bloody mouth slowly moved.
"…They're yours now, kid… Don't … embarrass … me…"
With that, Kozue Kuri fell and died.
I stared for a long and noiseless minute. Then I lowered my head in prayer.
I sighed dejectedly, frowning as I looked at the cross constructed of wood that stood in the ground. The town had refused to have the Iwa missing-nin who'd terrorized them buried in the cemetery where so many of his victims lied.
A cool zephyr washed over the small hill as nightfall continued to approach, rustling leaves in the chestnut tree above and causing the long grass to sway and roll like a sea of gentle green waves.
"Let us be heading back now…" I said quietly to the two. We each sported our own collection of fresh bandages, as we'd been gladly tended to for our fairly minor injuries.
"Lee…" began Naruto, whose arm was draped across my shoulders for support.
"Hm?" I mumbled.
"How many push-ups did you do today?"
"I lost count around four thousand…"
"And how many squat jumps?"
"Two thousand six hundred and–,"
"And how many hours did you spend beating up that tree?"
"Perhaps four…"
"And how long are you planning on sulking?"
There was Naruto, brutally straightforward as ever. "Naruto-kun…" Hinata said quietly.
"I've taken a life, Naruto-kun. Kozue Kuri was an awful person. He took advantage of the Leaf crisis and took pleasure in using his abilities to raid a defenseless border town full of civilians. Even so, I have done something horrible… What if those things he said turn out to be true? What if … What if I end up like him?"
"You're not the same as him," Naruto said firmly. "He was a coward who killed innocent people for enjoyment, and you killed him to protect us and that entire town."
"That does not make it okay to kill!" I looked down. "And … I am scared. What if it is only a matter of time before we, too, fall to this so-called 'way of the missing-nin' in order to survive? Could that be the price of growing stronger? As we become more powerful … will we forget all about our village, and eventually begin to distrust and fear one another?" My knees were shaking harder than they had in a long time. "You two – y-you are like a younger brother and sister to me now, but can we be sure we will feel the same about each other in the future?! I – I am beginning to wonder if we can handle this!"
"That's about the stupidest thing I've ever heard," was Naruto's blunt reply. "What are you, starting to believe in Neji's destiny talk or something? We could never turn our backs on Konoha. We're three of a kind, after all – I think it's a pretty safe guess to say we'd no sooner turn against each other than we would the village…"
"How can you think that so easily? How is it that you can be so assured of yourself?"
"Because the three of us already have our own nindo. 'Nukenindo?'" He snorted. "We have our own road to follow, and I'd like to follow it without wondering where fate wants us to go. For all I care, fate can go sit down and shut up."
"Naruto…" I said, and then looked again at the grave as we fell silent.
"…Lee, you only did what you knew you had to do," he said eventually, and paused. "…And if you'd done it a second later, th-then…"
I felt a small shiver, and in the corner of my eye saw his head turn slightly toward Hinata. After a timid moment she hesitantly slipped her hand into his, gently caressing it to comfort the shaken boy.
The Hyuuga girl's soft lavender eyes shifted up to me. "I think Naruto-kun is right – you have nothing to be ashamed of. That you're tearing yourself up so much over this should be proof enough that you're nothing like Kozue, and you never will be."
"…I guess you are right," I gave in, seeing there was some truth in the words. We remained silent for several minutes more.
"Hinata-san," I said finally, "will you help Naruto-kun?"
"U-um, s-s-sure," she stuttered softly. She took his arm around her shoulders to support the boy, still weak with chakra exhaustion.
I held the two large katana by the black leather straps on their sheaths; I had intended to leave them at their owner's grave, but…
My hand slowly moved to the hilt of one of them, the fingers closing around it and pulling to expose a few inches of the blade; it shone brilliantly in the light of the setting sun.
These swords… they have taken many lives, and have no doubt been bathed in the blood of countless innocents… Still…
I lowered the katana back into its sheath, and in a moment arranged them so that they were strapped in an X across my back.
"Lee-kun…?"
"Lee, what're you doing?"
"…I am…"
From now on, these blades will not kill unless absolutely necessary. I will learn to wield them effectively, but in my hands they shall no longer take innocent lives.
"I am honoring Kozue Kuri's final words. These blades … belong to me now."
ナルト / リー / ヒナタ \ ハナビ \ ネジ
End Chapter Five
Naruto: Alright! Now that we've rested and recovered, it's really time to get in gear for some high quality training! Let's go, team! Time to give it everything we've got! But while we're at it … where to now?
Hinata: It's… calling me…
Naruto: Did you say something, Hinata?
Hinata: Huh? N-no, nothing…
Lee: Next time, our bond grows still stronger as we continue in our travels! Hinata-san is lured by a mysterious force?! Naruto-kun reads a book!! (WHAP!) Ouch!
Hinata: W-wait! Who are these shinobi, and what do they want with Naruto-kun?
Naruto: Whoever they are … they look deadly.
Lee: Next time for real! Chapter Five: D–!
Neji: (screams and jumps behind Naruto) HELP!
Naruto: What the…? Hey, butt out of our preview!
Neji: The readers want to kill me!!
Naruto: Yeah? (rolls up sleeve) Well not only the readers! We're the last people you should be hiding behind!
Neji: Gasp! E-even my own costar?!
Lee: (punches his hand) Co-STARS!!
Hinata: Hey, come on … c-calm down you guys…
Hanabi: Well, now that we've all completely screwed up the preview and the fourth wall… Next time! Chapter Six: Dawn of the Red Moon!
Finally broke the pattern! This chapter is shorter than the one before it!
Originally, the battle was going to be a fairly short, basically filler scene against a random missing-nin. But obviously that idea got changed a tad bit…
I hope I had you on edge wondering which was the real missing-nin and which was a clone ;)! Did the frequent use of 'right' and 'left' in Lee's battle get annoying, or did it help visualize what was happening? Or did I totally lose you in that last fight scene?
I know I probably got a lot of people annoyed that I pretty much had Hinata "magically heal" in a few days, but it will be explained how that happened (probably in chapter seven). There have also been a few hints about the curse seal in this chapter, but it'll go more in depth later.
There were several questions about how Neji could give Hinata the curse seal; I hope this chapter clarified that he didn't inflict the seal normally, but instead more like infected her with it. Why he did it will probably also be detailed in chapter seven.
How was the chapter? What was good, what was bad? Please let me know what you thought!
Laters!
:o)Hinata0321:o)