Journey of the Three Failures Chapter 14: Crimson Wave, a naruto fanfic

J3F\\\ Journey of the Three Failures

Chapter Fourteen

Hello!

Thanks for your awesome reviews Yarram, chibi heishi, Redroseblossom, narutos vixen, Omega the darkness, Dominican Kitsune, soundless steps, SaphireShade, Monte-chan, Kuchiki May, ComicXArena, HINAXNARU4LIFE, Kage James, The Absurdist, Rena-san, Cybergades, and loughlin!

Not much to say this time…

Hey, something recently occurred to me – calling Guy 'Maito Gai' would be the equivalent of calling Lee 'Rokku Rii.' Lol. Yep, anyways…

Okay, something a little strange – Chapter Four has 200 fewer hits than Chapter Five, and Chapter Eleven has almost 200 fewer hits than Chapter Twelve. How does that work out? Do people reread some chapters, or skip to chapters based on name, or the previews, or just 'things are boring now, maybe if I skip ahead it'll be more interesting'? XD I don't get it…

Chapter song! (I might do this every now and then, if I know a song that just really fits with it) "Everyday" by Carly Comando. There are no lyrics, it's just a piano piece, but it's really beautiful! You can youtube it!

WARNING: Violence! I wouldn't say M-rated, but this chapter has strong violence. If you don't want to see it, skip down to the second section that's from Naruto's POV. If you PM me I can send a summary of what happened.

Disclaimer: I didn't own NARUTO a week ago, and I still don't own it now! Amazing how that works!

Journey of the Three Failures

Fourteen: Crimson Wave

Part One: Minagoroshi

Naruto ナルト

It hadn't taken long, after coming up with the Kageken, for me to realize just how much potential it held. I'd also understood that I would more than probably need it some day down the road. That's what I'd already told myself, but theory and practice were two different things.

With a cold sickness in my gut, I turned to see one among another group of stunned shinobi recover to throw three kunai my way. I raised my arm, eyes trained on the projectiles as I swatted the air with my knife. The three kunai were deflected five yards away from me.

I focused on the frontmost shinobi, guessed the average neck height – and my knife sliced the air. Just like that, ten more – dead.

"Hold your positions!" a man barked as the shinobi wavered. "Spread out and–!"

I lunged, knife pointed forward. Twenty yards from me, the man sputtered and fell, blood gushing from a vital point in his abdomen. I stood there, shocked at my own decisive move.

Though too terrified to speak now, the troops seemed to come to a silent consensus – and begin to close in on me from all sides.

Heart racing, breath fast, I yelled out and swung my arm. Six – dead, throats slit.

I secured the kunai's handle in my teeth and filled my hands with eight throwing stars. I crossed my arms and swept them out, and though I didn't release the weapons eight clones that appeared a short way in front of the enemies I was facing did.

Kageshuriken!

Sixty-four shuriken blasted into the line, seemingly from nowhere. As the nearest halted or fell, others behind them raced by unfazed.

I turned to my right, sweeping that hand out; shuriken peppered my foes. I turned and repeated with my left, whirled to 'throw' with my right again, and again with the left, over and over again. Oto and New Oto-nin dropped like flies, but even as they were furiously beaten back by the hail of shuriken the sheer mass of them drew steadily nearer.

Five shinobi raced forward in a line, stacked one behind the other. I flung all eight shuriken aside – as in every direction there were enemies – and hopped toward them, dropping the knife from my mouth into a hand that smoothly caught it already drawing back. A sharp, lunging slash – and the multiple Shadow Blade created the illusion of a single invisible force stabbing straight down their line, spearing through the side of every neck. Then I jumped as the remaining ones converged, Shadow Swapping twenty yards off and twenty more, landing outside the group again.

The nearest detected and charged toward me with no hesitation, and the ones that were armed drew shuriken. I didn't give them a chance to attack.

Kage Ninpou: Shadow Mapping.

My arm drew back, and in the instant before the strike fifteen clones flickered in and out of existence around and throughout the well-scattered group approaching. Gritting my teeth in concentration on the flood of information, I slashed. Though scattered, I knew their positions; ten of the nearest shinobi fell as ten throats were simultaneously hit.

My hand darted into my tool pouch and withdrew a string of paper bombs, ten evenly spaced on a thread my armspan long and tied to a kunai. I spun once and held the hand out beside me; the wind held the string up in front of me, and a one-handed seal was formed as the tags flapped in the icy breeze. I glanced toward the thirty or so who had stopped approaching at the sight of the tags.

Shadow Explosion.

No movement linking was required, so only a memory of pain rather than the real thing would be caught when fifteen shadow clones suddenly interspersed in the crowd–

BOOM!

The shunshin! My eyes moved from the dust cloud, and I leapt aside as a ninja tried to strike from behind. The kunai was thrown, and as I jumped back a handseal bade the tags explode.

I landed in a crouch. Twelve chuunin raced to surround me. I scanned their faces, fearful faces cold with somber resolve, as I got myself to speak.

"You're all that's left, right…? Why don't… Why don't you run away?!"

"Chikusho…!" a New Oto man growled. I recognized with detached interest the drunk who'd thrown shuriken at me when I was six, and just a few months ago ambushed me at Ichiraku.

"We follow orders," a kunoichi hissed through her teeth. "This mission was too important to screw up. Already we are dishonored. Better to fight here than meet a traitor's death at Orochimaru-sama's hands!"

Two fingers of each hand crossed in a seal at the beginnings of movement, as they ever so slightly shifted in preparation to attack.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu."

Twelve clones appeared and engaged them individually.

The one directly in front of me – at a good moment I lunged from my crouched position and Shadow Swapped. The knife was buried in the kunoichi's stomach.

The blade was pulled free as eyes landed on another bunshin. The beginning of a slash, and then my body was there, and my knife hacking open a side.

Striking upward from low without a moment's pause, I switched with another. Knife slammed into the juncture of the neck and underside of the jaw, and warm liquid sprayed heavily onto my face and arm.

Diving forward, and switching as a kunoichi stabbed for a clone's gut. Hand on the wrist, knife between the eyes.

Here – a blade run across the middle. A pierced vital point on the abdomen. Another. A slit throat. A quick downward stab behind the center of the clavicle.

The last three copies had been dispelled by now. The knife lashed, I Shadow Swapping to close range. As the shinobi barely jumped back in time the knife tip was thrust out sharply. A clone's Shadow Strike caught him between the shoulder blades, and with an expression of shock he went down.

A four foot Kage Kawarimi moved me from the path of a water missile. With a dagger in hand the attacker leapt toward me, and I leapt toward him. When we were six yards apart my knife cut the air three swift times – three sharp, calculated strikes.

My foot lightly met ground as a heavy thud of dead weight sounded behind me.

The last, the New Oto man yelled with rage and launched himself toward me from behind. A deep breath was taken – and sharply I turned and lunged from low, clearing six yards in a flash. The kunai was plunged deep into his gut, and he lurched to heave blood onto my back. I stepped aside to let him fall.

"K-kuso… bakemono…!"

A frown deepened on my face, eyebrows drawing together. My mouth opened and closed in search of words.

"…I'm sorry."

"I'm s-sure you are … bloody e-executioner…!"

And he fell still.

My teeth clenched, unclenched, and clenched again.

The long puddle at my feet was noticed; remains of a water jutsu. The former Leaf chuunin was lying across it, and I was standing in it. A reflection was seen against a dull grey sky, like me but very different, staring back with a lost expression on his face. His hair was messy, familiar blond spikes speckled lightly with curious splashes of streaked purple, and matted in one place with blood not his own that also had streaked down one side of his face, a massive scar of crimson. Whisker markings were sharply defined, and he sported pointed nails and canines. And his half-closed eyes were a piercingly fearsome red violet, a purple situated well nearer red than blue, as was the light aura enshrouding him.

The aura faded, and eyes became a less intimidating indigo, and in a moment a few more things changed back. The stranger in the water was indeed me, I thought with some senseless, half-hearted disappointment. For a few weary seconds I stared, and glumly my forlorn face stared back.

"You look like an old man," I muttered as the New Oto-nin's spreading blood finally reached and blotted out my reflection.

I turned around, and thudded to my knees, and puked my insides raw.

Lee リー

Do not stop.

Tak-tak-SLSSH! Fwo– SKRSH!!

Do not think.

THOP– snickt! Tak-smat-thud-CRAK!

Just keep moving.

"AAAGH–!!"

SHLUGK!

Kill.

Kin-kin-SLSH-kin–!

Kill.

SHRRK!

Kill!

"DEVASTATION!!!"

Agonized screams tore into the air as I barreled through the crowd, blades flying, mowing them down one by one. A five second burst, and at least twenty more were down – on the ground, bleeding, dying.

It was as though I were outside my body, watching a puppet as someone else, some abhorrent brute, tugged and twirled masterfully at its strings. There was no time to think. No – I had decided it was not the time to do so. If I thought, I would pass out, or cry, or vomit. So I did what I knew how to do, and I fought. It was not hard. I simply kept moving. It was all I could do to keep going, keep killing.

I shoved my chakra into the blade. It smashed deep into another enemy, spattering my face with blood.

I realized I had not blinked in a while. I briefly shut my eyes, wrenched the katana free, and in a flash of speed had slashed the one I heard coming from behind. I flipped the katana in my hand and swiftly lunged back to the side, thrusting the blade to hilt through another's stomach.

I swept the sword out, whisking the fresh blood into a nearby man's eyes. As I lunged the other blade swung around and accelerated, the edge meeting his neck dead-on tremendous force.

A shivery twinge inside of me.

And then I jumped without warning toward another, knocking his head with a hilt and stabbing down from high with the other hand to plunge the tip down behind the left ridge of his collarbone.

Pulling it out again, I threw one sword and sprinted faster even than it flew. The blade I held impaled a shocked kunoichi's heart, and I grasped the flying sword as it caught up, leapt backwards whilst spinning my body, and slammed the edge down upon another foe.

Two shinobi and a kunoichi leapt toward me at once, from three different directions. Extending both katana out at my sides, I spun on toe to my right; both arms were folded in, my right in front of me and my left behind, and I pushed an inch or two off the ground as my spin sharply jumped in speed. Whirling swords deflected the chuunin's weapons and landed a few slashes and cuts on all three. Halting, I ran swords in a flash of metal across two throats and through one lung before they could recover.

There could not be many left now. I could not see them, but I could barely sense them nearby, all hiding behind the trees. The moment they all revealed themselves to attack, I sprang to the treetops.

Blades flying again, I shot across the branches; great swathes through the trees were stript bare of leaves.

Art of the Hidden Leaf, I thought, and invisible with speed in a swirling rain of dancing leaves, I ran Infinity's Blade through them, swiftly, systematically, one by one.

The last one dodged, and then dodged again. But there was not time to be wasted, so as he leaped away I swept my katana twice through a pattern and pushed them to high speed.

I turned to the panting Oto-nin. He stared with fear in his eyes as the blades blurred to a ring of flashing silver light, which I aimed so that through my eyes he was central within. Chakra rooted my feet to the earth, for the speed of the blades was such to actually create a forward pull.

I lunged toward him, pushing off with the chakra in my feet.

The shinobi closed his eyes.

As I reached him the circle of silver contracted, drawn inward into a single blinding sphere of light, directed toward his torso.

Infinite Devastation: Cannon.

With a vicious shredding noise, he was thrown ten yards before thudding limply to the ground. His middle was a mess of blood, wild crimson slashes starring outward from it. He had died in an instant.

A trail of blood streaked upon the ground before me, a trail of shredded leaves behind, I dropped the katana and swayed, holding my head and shutting my eyes against the bodies strewn around me, against the mixture of fresh green leaves and fresh crimson blood that coated the earth. Kozue Kuri… would be proud…! I whimpered at the thought. I realized I was crying. My stomach churned sickly, but I fought it down and with much effort controlled myself.

It was not time to think yet. The others needed me.

Already having decided which was more likely in danger, I picked up the katana with hesitant hands and bolted off through the trees.

Hinata ヒナタ

There was pain. I was aware of it, but it wasn't distracting – and it wasn't about to stop me.

There was also rage. An insurmountable, all-consuming inferno of fury at the ones who had tormented me – at all who ever had tormented me.

And so there was joy – ecstasy. The addictively exuberant thrill that flared with every pathetic life I crushed, with every sweet drop of lifeblood I liberated from their veins.

My ears twitched. I whirled to my left, ducking forward so that a lunging man's sword pierced only the air behind my neck. His eyes grew in the brief moment I held his gaze, glowering up at him from the corner of my sight – before I lashed my right arm around, carving lines up his stomach, chest, neck, jaw, sending a spray of crimson shooting into the air.

I turned around. Claws aglow with darkness, my hand plunged, as a knife, through a woman's neck. She dropped dead, and I pounced to thrust my left hand now clear through a man's abdomen. He loosed a pitiful, gurgling cry, and I turned my arm and wrenched my hand free in a shower of blood. Cocking my head, I swept the arm out so that scythes of darkness blasted away a nearby few approaching from my side.

I leaned back very slightly, and a fist from my right passed in front of my face. The man was preparing to strike with his other hand when I latched my teeth onto his forearm, biting hard, and he screamed in agony as I growled and crushed his arm in my teeth. Without releasing, I shoved the palm of my hand into his face. With a sharp CRACK he went down.

My eyes snapped wide as a spearhead suddenly protruded two feet out from my stomach.

Black was tossed from my gaping mouth as I was thrown a short yard forward. Then without a pause I caught my footing and whirled to slash the man savagely from hip to shoulder, growling as I did so, though I sneered as he died with utter shock plastered on his face.

"What the devil–?!!"

One crushing hand easily broke the end off behind me as the other pulled out the spear in front, and I jumped to smash the solid shaft to pieces over a woman's head. I shredded blindingly through several others, piercing and slashing and breaking and stabbing in a frenzied, gleeful high, slicing a bloody trail of death through the crowd.

One managed to capture my arms, hooking his own under them, and another enemy in front of me attacked. Pulling the one behind with me, I lunged onto the stabbing dagger and turned my head to bite into her throat and tear. I shivered in pleasure at the rich blood spilling into my mouth, and then jerked to headbutt the one behind me. His hold loosened, and I grabbed his arm; snarling, I flipped him over myself and slammed him into the ground, and I could feel him break as the earth crackled violently under his back, as a fountain of crimson erupted marvelously from his mouth.

Another man grabbed my arm and thrust a knife into my belly. With an angry cry my free hand flashed out, ripped a gaping gouge across his throat.

Grunting, I pulled knife and dagger out of myself and cast the weapons to the ground, much preferring the supreme raw power of my hands, my claws, my fangs. In a blur I lunged under a punch, my hand lying on his chest as I flowed past. Bringing my arm forward, I pushed the grown man off his feet and slammed him to the ground as I fell. He could only loose a pained wheeze before I lifted my hand and brought it down, crushing his breastbone under my palm easily as if it were made of glass. The earth crackled, and I grinned hugely when a satisfactory spurt of crimson shot from his mouth.

Pain thunked into five places on my back. I turned and glared murderously dead into the attacker's eyes. The woman flinched, instantly dropping another handful of shuriken, and after a moment of paling and trembling she turned and ran. I gave a fierce, contemptuous growl, and covered thirty yards in a moment, pouncing, knocking and pinning her to the ground. My hand landed on the back of her neck and squeezed, and she screamed piercingly until I pressed and finally crushed.

I vaulted from the path of an arrow and dashed on all fours before rising to run my claws through the shooter's throat. Blood rained and splattered as I raked a nearby man's abdomen and punched a hand through another's, and when I was slashed by a blade from behind I turned to cut a woman down with a ferocious backhand. Just as she fell a man raced from behind her, an outstretched arm whacking strongly into my face as he passed. Thrown onto my upper back, I rolled up and onto my hands and rammed a foot into his spine. He shuddered and began to fall, and at incredible speed I darted around and in front of him to lock my hands behind his head and smash my knee into his face. He dropped at my feet, very much dead.

I chuckled, smiling as I looked up at two kunoichi and a shinobi standing not ten yards away. I sank into a crouch, one hand on the ground, and licked a rich medley of blood off my claws, staring intently and innately roaring with laughter as they quite clearly feared for their lives. The one in the middle, quietly sobbing and hyperventilating – she looked ready to faint. I smirked dangerously and growled:

"I smell fear."

She turned tail and ran.

"No, don't–!" The man was silenced as I sprang, slashing his throat open in a smooth motion as I passed. Another bound, and I was on the coward's back. She screamed, and a wail of "Onee-san!!" reached my ears from behind as I raised a hand up and smashed a fist into her head. I hopped nimbly to the ground as she crumpled, lifeless.

"Damn you!!"

A toothy sneer on my face, I dodged with ease outside her punch and lunged at her from behind. My arms wrapped firmly around her, and she shrieked in terror until I sank my teeth into her neck and tore. The girl fell forward, thudded to the ground in front of me, and as the blood pooled out I threw back my head and howled with laughter.

"H-Hi– HINATA-SAN!!!"

I promptly recognized my name – and for no reason other than that my attention had been caught I raced toward the boy, a hand drawn back. He gasped, and I thrust my hand for his chest.

Pain stabbed into my hand when it was five inches away. Outright agony sliced into my fingertips as they neared him, and I felt my entire hand was ablaze and if it was not then it certainly would be if it got any closer to him. The heart of my being screamed 'danger,' and I jumped away with a screeching yell, landing on all fours but for keeping the hand gingerly off the ground. Lips drawn back from my teeth in a snarl, I growled lowly at this one that I hadn't been able to kill.

Maybe there was a reason for that?

No, that was idiotic. There could be no reason I wasn't supposed to kill him, and even if there had been it didn't matter now. My growl escalated as the remaining others whispered nervously in awe, some slowly backing away a few steps.

"Hinata, what … are you doing? Look at yourself – You are dripping with your own blood!"

Tail dipped down, my ears lied low on the crown of my head. Why couldn't I kill him…?!

"Calm down, Hinata-san! I will not hurt you!"

"Rrrrrrrrrrr…"

"I will not hurt you, and neither will they. I – I will protect you with my life! I am here… So you can change back now, Hinata-san."

I snorted. "Can take care of myself…"

"What is wrong? Do you not trust me? Do you … even recognize me anymore?"

In all honesty…

"No."

I sprang furiously, and could manage no more than to slash at his shoulder. He yelled out, and I yelped as in the instant of contact invisible waves of flame blasted up my arm.

"Get her!!"

Two hands firmly grabbed and tried to break my tail. They failed to break it, but, discovering with a start that it was extremely tender, I howled out in pain.

Two swords plunged through my abdomen at diagonals, one entering at my front left and exiting at the right side of my back, and the opposite for the other. At first I thought it was that boy, who somehow I knew used swords, before I opened my eyes to see him standing a few feet in front of me, clutching his shoulder, horror on his shocked face. Two men in front of me were the assailants.

"Hinata!"

The swords slid out, and I sank to my knees.

"She's… not dying, is she?"

"Doesn't look like it. I'll get her throat, and we'll see if the bitch survives that." I was about to move when my tail was bent again, forced painfully, and I stiffened with a stifled cry. The man lifted my chin, exposing my neck, and laid his sword against it. "You know where little demons go, don't you–?"

A kunai flashed past both of us. There was a cry behind me, and my tail was released, and I lashed my claws across his neck. The other swordsman I raked deeply across the abdomen, and finally I whirled, enraged, to knife claws blazing with darkness through the chest of the one behind me, who had let go due to the kunai in his shoulder.

Another man yelled as he came charging in and punched me in the stomach. Not moved an inch, I chuckled lowly at the pathetic strike, and he swung a fist toward my head; I leaned sharply into it, and he broke his hand on my forehead. He yowled, and my claws shredded over his ribcage. Another punched, and I grabbed the arm and swung a fist down on his shoulder. He jerked, screaming in agony as he was broken, and in an instant my elbow was crunching into his throat.

"Why won't you die?!"

My claws caught a sword that swung down above my head, and a knife was lodged in my back. The sword rose off my claws, and while ducking under a slash at my neck I placed hands on the ground to smash my heel into a jaw behind me. I felt the sword thrust down into my back, saw the tip burst out a few inches above and slightly to the left of my navel – and lunged forward unaffected even as I hacked out blood, knocking the man to the ground, straddling his sides.

Me, DIE?! My clawed fingers grasped at the fleshy sides of his throat, dug, scooped, and tore away.

I rose off him already launching myself toward another, but moved at such speed that I couldn't stop when she raised a weapon. A knife slammed into my chest.

No, not into, against. It couldn't pierce my sternum. And my hand promptly speared her chest and slipped out again.

I raised my arm against a sudden fireball from the side, and my aura flared to somewhat shield me – like I could be defeated by own element! My mouth opened, and as I began exhaling through it a rolling sphere of fire collected within it. I turned to face the attacker as her jutsu ended, hurling from my mouth a stream of pure crimson red flames that swallowed up the woman and a shinobi standing nearby.

There were nine left. Nine remained – nine more bodies brimming with warm blood that needed to be spilt. I raced thought them, and the world blurred madly with speed; my claws found flesh and tore. I slew them as I had all the rest, in a whirling frenzy of pain and rage and joy, until there stood none else to slay.

Surrounded by death, the last standing in a lifeless sea of blood, I trembled. My shoulders shook – and with twice the ferocity of ever before I unleashed a long and passionate roaring cry of might into the sky.

Fourteen, Part Two: Bloody Waves

Naruto ナルト

Tak-tak-tak-tak–

"Huff… h-ha… huff… gh…!"

Hurry… Gotta hurry!

I could almost sense where she was, and I knew something was wrong. Up ahead – though it had settled a minute ago, murderous intent … and darkness. My stomach clenched at the plain wrongness of it.

I jumped onto a rooftop, crossed it, and pushed off toward another. Or I tried to, but my knee popped painfully and I slipped. The fox chakra had helped it, but it had only just healed and quickly. My feet hit the ground, and I toppled over.

"Gr…!" I pushed to my feet and bolted down the road.

I'm coming. I'm almost there!

"Lee!" I cried as I spotted him, lying down behind the wreckage of a house on the outskirts of town. I flickered to his side. The boy looked pale, and was gasping raggedly for air, his face flushed. His left hand was pressed against his shoulder, crimson as the small puddle pooled around his arm. I reached toward his forehead; he was burning up.

"Oh, Lee, are you okay?! What happened?"

"I am … sorry – I c-could not stop her…"

"What're you talking about?"

"She is strong. And… she did not … know who I was…" His eyes were squeezed tightly shut.

I sucked in a breath. "Hinata…?"

"I am not sure … even you can g-get though to her. I barely m-managed to slip away; she tr-tried to…!"

The wound on his shoulder. Claw marks.

Teeth clenched, I took off the orange top over my blue sweater. "Okay – save your strength." I coaxed his trembling hand from the wound, flinching at how deep it looked, and wrapped the shirt around it. I guided his hand back. "Press this to the wound."

He nodded slightly and cracked his eyes open. "Naruto… It looks bad, but I am fine… She does not give any indication of it, but Hinata-san is in far worse shape than I…!"

"Wh-what?" I gasped.

"G–ga–k–ki–i!"

I looked up as a choppy but familiar voice found my ears.

"Dumb dog – is that you?!"

"Go," Lee whispered.

Nodding hesitantly, I ran thirty or so yards to a building that had been blasted down. There were piles of wood and rubble strewn about in and behind it, one of which was a pile of ash with only a little wood remaining, and on that piece burned an orange flame with a curious, flickering black heart. How long has he been holding on…?!

"W–oo–d–!" The word was butchered in the air.

"R-right!" I hurriedly gathered more wood from the wreckage and threw it on top of it. Him. "What happened to Hinata?" I asked, sending out two shadow clones and flinching at the drain of chakra. "Her chakra signature feels…"

It was clearly growing easier for him to talk now. "She lost control. She was pushed too far, and transformed early."

"How's that even possible?"

"It's something of a secondary state of the curse seal, and through using the mark so often in training, she inadvertently unlocked the ability to trigger it early."

"I thought y'all trained to control this!"

"Survival instinct and anger overcame her judgment – she can't control herself when she's wounded and in pain, and I couldn't either. Her spirit, incredibly … is somehow even more powerful than mine. In that state she doesn't even need to stop and focus on healing; to an extent, her body will regenerate itself even if she doesn't do a thing. Combine that with her bloodlust, and she's entered a reckless rage, rampaging with little regard for herself – but even she can only be stabbed so many times–,"

"S-stabbed!"

"A blow to the heart, head, or throat would have done her in, same as anyone. And for that reason those were the only attacks she consistently bothered to avoid."

The shadow clones I'd sent out ran back with armfuls of hay to toss on the kindling, and as the fire reached out and spread hungrily, the blackness grew within it. I inhaled, struggled to build up a little wind chakra, and blew out a gentle but distinct gust of wind, and as the flames reared to sufficient size the half-dispelled wolf pulled the rest of his spirit into the medium.

"Her body … has transformed into a lethal weapon," Kurogiba said soberly as he took form. He strode past me, heading beyond the building, and I followed.

We came upon the field, and my eyes grew wide as my breath caught.

"A proud piece of work for Orochimaru, wouldn't you think?" he said quietly, grimly sarcastic. "A weapon of incredible power, swiftness, and endurance. Driven by rage, both difficult to break and self-repairing, and even so more violent the more damage it takes. Practically invulnerable to pain that would debilitate others, and able to keep fighting no matter how broken it's become – to continue fighting to either triumph or death."

My head slowly shook. So much death… so many mutilated bodies, gory and gruesome, as if each had been specifically destroyed in whatever way might spill the most blood. Some with wide open eyes, still with expressions of shock or pain glued to their stark faces. In a daze, I walked past the wolf.

"Just imagine what Orochimaru could do with ten, or twenty such weapons."

Unblinking, I stopped. Twenty yards further, in the midst of the scene of slaughter, she sat facing partly away from me. A humanoid figure covered in a down of short, snowy fur striped with black. Two furry ears sat erect atop her head, matching the tousled raven hair from which they poked. The curved fingers of the hand I could see seemed shorter, or perhaps just a bit thicker – all the sturdier to tear and slash – and her claws larger, defined further than the usual mere sharpening and prolonging of her nails and shaped in a deadly curve. A truly tiny-looking form, she was on her knees, back hunched over, head low, feet pointing outward behind her. I noticed that her feet too had changed – the heel had shifted a few inches upward in a way that made it seem less pronounced, and her instep seem slightly more long and slender above the thick, padded ball of the foot and shortly clawed toes. Her head moved very slightly, as if shifting or adjusting, and I felt a prick of surprise upon first noticing the nearly ankle length, silky-looking black tail as it flicked gently along the ground, from her left side to the right.

Then I heard a small, pained moan, and I saw what was at her mouth, and I realized what she was doing, and my jaw fell in horror.

Her hands were practically smushing the arm into her face. Its wrist was tilted stiffly back, the fingers curled, the hand trembling steadily, and when my eyes followed the line to spot the Oto kunoichi lying on the other side of her my heart pounded so hard I felt sure the girl could hear it. The woman was still alive – her twitching eyes showing their whites and her mouth gaping in a soundless scream, skin deathly pale, as she sobbed and shook and gasped and grunted, squirming feebly for her life.

She's drinking … her blood…

"…Hinata…?"

The black wolf-ears twitched. Her jaw shifted briefly back and forth, caused the arm tightly locked in it to move very slightly, as a revolting contortion of a teething puppy gnawing at a chewtoy – and with it a gut-wrenching noise, a fleshy, crunchy wetness met my ears. The arm dropped limply from her teeth and thudded to the ground, the wrist torn up messily and coated in dripping red blood. Her tongue rolled across bloodstained lips as Hinata purred a small, pleasured sigh and tilted her head toward me.

My heart fluttered as serene, milky white orbs fell on mine. For an instant I forgot that this being, neither human nor wolf, was my friend and that she wasn't herself. Her clothes were worn, and her fur was matted wildly with streaks of black and crimson, the latter of which had thoroughly dyed her hands and forearms, but this only served to add to the surreal mysticism of her essence. For an instant she was some exotic, pristine young goddess of wolves, an angel of death, lithe and dangerous and beautiful.

Then her half-shut eyes widened, and her lips parted, and she said very slowly, like it took an effort to speak:

"Ki…tsu…ne…"

And abruptly I feared for my life.

I flung myself to the side, and four powerful lines opened on my upper arm.

What…?

"Behind you!" Kurogiba yelled.

I turned my head and Shadow Swapped three yards. Hinata's hand slashed through a shadow clone's neck.

"Wait, h-hold on–!"

Murderous eyes drilled through me, and I flinched. A hand plunged toward me neck, and before I could react – it swung wide and high, piercing only the air above my shoulder. She jumped as Kurogiba came headbutting in, and swept an arm out; we leapt apart to narrowly dodge blades of darkness. I Shadow Swapped in a rapid backwards zigzag as she leaped and slashed, leaped and slashed, feet barely seeming to brush the ground as she flowed through alternating strikes without pause. I was dodging blindly in a pattern, and focusing on nothing more than the effort of creating each clone and successfully switching with it, so after eight failed strikes she anticipated. Not aiming for where I was, she spun her body sharply a few times in the air, and before I caught it I substituted – and Hinata was at my side, parallel to the ground and lashing a savage heel back into my stomach.

My eyes bulged, and a freakin' lot of blood sprayed from my nose and mouth as the wind swept from my lungs in a wheezy yell. I substituted backwards two or three times as I went flying, and then rolled and tumbled until I managed to keep my legs under me and slide, leaning forward with one hand brushing the earth, on my feet. Coming to a stop, I grunted through clenched teeth and sank to my knees, an arm folded across myself. My – ribs! I thought, lurching to retch another several droplets onto the ground. Raising my head in a moment, I saw Hinata standing on all fours, a feral snarl on her face. I pushed to my feet.

"Look at me, Hinata! I'm your friend!!"

"Rrrrrrrr…!"

"Snap out of it! Me, and Lee, and even Kurogiba – we're all here for you now. The battle's over – you're safe!"

"That isn't going to work," Kurogiba said bluntly as he loped up to me. "She's drunk on pain and rage and bloodlust; you're words don't mean a thing to her, nor does she have a clue as to who you are or what you mean to her. Since we're not aiming to kill her she'll fight until she's completely exhausted or you die, whichever comes first – though I doubt you could last long and if you run she will find you."

I frowned at his matter-of-factness. "So what do we do?"

"I need to get close to her and talk her back."

"You just said that was pointless! If it's not, then why can't I do that?"

"Look, I know you and the pup are close, but it'll take the bond of the familiar to bring her back this time. Her spirit is too powerful for me to force her to change back if she's actively resisting, but if we can talk some of her back to the surface, and I'm able to get inside her head…"

"Okay, fine – but it doesn't look like close range is gonna work out, not to mention I can't see her sitting down to listen."

"Though you've noticed, haven't you? She can barely stand to touch you. Her attacks are repelled from your heart, and look – she's favoring the leg she kicked you with. It's probably why she hasn't attacked again."

I looked just in time to see her gingerly touch her right foot back on the ground, tail almost straight back behind her and ears flat as she growled at us all the while.

"And," he went on in a low voice, speaking quickly and quietly, "Lee's shoulder was also slashed, though hardly a single one of the soldiers lying around here has a nonlethal injury. Unfortunately, that's probably not due to her willpower or his skill."

"If not, then what is it?"

"She mentioned to me yesterday she'd gotten something to protect you two. What was it?"

"To protect us? All she got were these good luck charms," I pulled it from the neck of my shirt, "and she's wearing one, too."

"That's it."

"Nani?"

"Hers is stainless steel. Yours and Lee's are silver."

"Silver?"

"She has a strong aversion to it in her normal state. In her present form, it should be excruciating for her to lay a finger on you while you're wearing that. The scrawny mutt thought ahead on how to repel herself from you in case just this scenario occurred."

"Hinata…"

"Listen up. I have a plan."

He whispered quickly into my ear what I needed to do, and I nodded. "Got it."

"Then let's go."

I struggled to build up a good amount of chakra. Uma, Tatsu, Tori, Saru, Inu, Hitsuji! Wind Style: Air Bullet!

A sphere of compacted air went hurtling toward her. She lowered her head – and her glowering eyes didn't blink as it broke with a crack of energy against her forehead. Black matted her fur, running in a trail between her eyes, to one side of her nose, and down to drip off the top lip of her open mouth as a sphere of light took form inside it.

Without … handseals…?

A crimson ball of flame barreled my way, and I lunged aside. She next sent blades of darkness racing toward us at incredible speed, and I substituted to the left as Kurogiba blazed to the right. We circled around her until the three of us were aligned, the wolf and I both twenty yards from the girl.

–"She may hesitate on which one to attack. That's when you'll get her fired up again."–

I formed the sign of the ram. Okay, fox, how about helping me out here?!

I couldn't draw on too much of its chakra, but it was enough. The violet aura blazed lightly from my body. "Think you're cool just 'cause you glow?! Show me whatcha' got, wolf!"

She hissed in fury, and blurred toward me.

–"If she thinks you're down, she'll jump."–

I flopped onto my back. Hope that was convincing.

With a ferocious cry, she leapt toward me, glowing claws drawn back.

I shoved back to my feet, yanking the diamond-shaped pendant off my neck and extending my arm to hold it out in front of me.

Hinata's eyes grew as they took in the glinting pendant dancing at the end of the chain in my hand.

Her striking hand snapped away, and she leaned back awkwardly for a clumsy, off-balance landing upright before me.

Fearful eyes didn't leave the softly jingling trinket as I slipped to the side.

And Kurogiba's front paw met the back of her head as he swept from the sky, slamming her solidly into the ground.

Hinata ヒナタ

THAM!!!

"Uhhn…"

I blinked as my vision refocused rapidly. I was stuck. My cheek was being pressed hard against the ground. The wolf had caught me. I couldn't move. I couldn't move! No! No, no, NO!! I struggled and kicked furiously, pushed my hands against the earth, and I raised my head an inch, and two–

"Brat, the tail!"

"Got it!"

I yelled in outrage, falling still as he grabbed my sensitive tail and bent it painfully.

He shuddered at my cry. "Sorry, Hinata!"

"Don't try to be gentle. You won't really hurt her."

"Kill you… I'll KILL YOU!!"

"And don't you think you've done enough of that today?!" the wolf barked. "Was brutally slaughtering dozens of Oto-nin not enough – now you feel the need to kill your allies, too–?"

"If you're 'ALLIES,' then why the hell are you HURTING me?!!"

"Self defense, perhaps? You've tried to kill both your friends in the last twenty minutes – we shouldn't take any chances."

I drew in a breath of relief as my tail was released.

"Brat–?"

"It feels too cruel … and she won't trust us if she feels threatened. Besides, I can't stand bringing pain on the girl I love."

I gasped sharply. Something oddly pleasant stirred in the back of my mind, a fleeting glimmer underneath the pain and the rage and the thirst for death. And jumping into opportunity, the wolf's mind plunged into my own – surging in and latching onto the distant light before it could be lost again and more quickly than I could kick him out.

My breath caught.

"I've got you, koinu. Your spirit is both strong and pure; so long as the tiniest piece of you can be made to resurface, you can overcome anything that attempts to suppress it.

"K-Kurogiba…sama…!" I grunted out, voice tight as creeping darkness tried to reclaim what little had escaped it. The wolf held firm, shielding the ounce of light. All the while my head felt like it was splitting in two.

"Remember, the darkness isn't you. It's nil but a parasite meant to consume you, to control you. Choose your human form, and return to it. So what if there is still a lot more darkness? It's nothing against the power of your will."

I grunted again. The light grew stronger.

"That's it, my friend," he coaxed gently, aloud as well as within our unified minds. "Come back. I'll help you."

What followed I don't fully remember. At some point I yet again loosed a powerful roar; with Kurogiba's help and a tremendous combined effort, though somehow at the same time easily, I flushed all the blackness from my mind. Dark energy exploded from me, filled my sight everywhere, and my roar gradually became a scream as my body painfully underwent a changing and cracking and shifting and popping back to normal.

Eventually Kurogiba's paw released me, and as his mind gave a brief caress and pulled away I realized he had stayed completely with me the entire time, and thus shared the burden of every last hurt of the reverse transformation.

I heard him walk a short distance behind me and say something to someone who said something back, but I grasped none of it. Once I rose shakily to my knees, filled with pain, the full capacity of my mind was occupied with struggling to register the scene of carnage around me.

Though unlike last time, I promptly recalled every disgustingly ecstatic second of it.

Naruto ナルト

"Don't," he said as I took a step. "Give her a minute."

"Kurogiba – I listened to you to help get Hinata back to normal, and it worked. Thank you. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go comfort my friend."

He looked away and nodded wearily, not looking up to arguing or much of anything at the moment. I hesitated a second longer and started slowly toward Hinata.

The girl was on her knees, facing away from me – almost in uncanny resemblance to when I'd first gotten here. But her hair was its familiar midnight blue, and her bare feet perfectly normal and human; and under the cool, dulled light from the grim sky, an assortment of streams of black and splattered streaks of crimson stood in vibrant contrast to her pearly skin wherever it was exposed. Her clothes were in fact in tatters, torn and pierced and slashed in countless places; one pants leg ended messily just above the knee, apparently lost to fire, and a good half of her shirt was missing or shredded beyond proper concealment. It hadn't been distracting (if it had, I wouldn't be here) when she had been covered in fur and intent on killing me. More importantly, I could tell a bare shoulder was ever so slightly trembling, and as I stopped behind her I realized she was being shaken by hushed tears.

My blue hooded jacket, though a pullover, had been almost completely split up the middle when grazed by a slash. Shortly I tore it open the rest of the way to the bottom and then the top, so that I could now slip it off.

A growl sounded behind me, and I turned partially to see a New Oto-nin who'd regained consciousness, probably one among very few left alive, sitting up and looking about himself in utter shock at his fallen comrades. Kurogiba bristled behind the man, and I spotted Lee, though with great difficulty, hobbling slowly up to the wolf's side. The man's eyes fell on Hinata and I, and he shivered.

"J-just what… What are you?" he croaked.

What are we…? My half-lidded gaze drifted into the clouds. A fat droplet of water landed on my forehead even as the dingy blanket broke up in some places. It was raining. Though the sun had just started to peek out, it was raining. My lips parted soundlessly. What were we, really?

"We are…"

A bittersweet victory, huh? I mused darkly, lowering my gaze as the brightening world was sprinkled with rain, sieged by shadow. I took a gentle, deep breath as a crisp, wet breeze stirred the cold air. My eyes held the shinobi's wearily, and I knew my face was expressionless and dull.

"…three failures."

With that I turned my back on him.

Kneeling down, I carefully draped my sweater around Hinata's still-trembling frame. Then my arms went on to lightly embrace her shoulders, and my cheek rested at the back of her neck.

"Sshhh… It's over now. It's over…"

And indeed, it was. The battle, our innocence, and our old lives – all of it was over.

I shut my eyes as Hinata's wails of distress sounded over the roll of the mourning rain.

Hinata ヒナタ

When we at last dragged ourselves to the center of the ghost town Wave seemed to have become, leaning on each other for support, we were altogether ready to pass out. Those who happened to be peeking from windows must have spotted and managed to recognize three battered, unsteady figures shambling up the street, for they began to pour from the buildings and houses they'd taken shelter in, first a few, and then, as more looked to see what the fuss was over, several. Someone began barking orders and yelling for a doctor. People streamed onto the streets in full disregard of the light rain, worried or stunned or apprehensive or joyous, but the lattermost prevailed as Naruto managed a weak grin and shaky thumbs-up. Then Lee collapsed on my left, and with his sudden limpness I instantly dropped, and on my other side Naruto fell to the ground right along with us.

I had no clue how long it had taken us to walk here, and it occurred to me that for the entire few miles I had just been walking, not really thinking about much of anything at all. I wondered idly how we'd gotten here, who'd been guiding, or if it had been a feeble combination of all three.

My body felt like one big pain; I made no effort whatsoever to get up, nor did the others.

That's right; we're safe now, aren't we…?

My arms draped heavily over Naruto's and Lee's shoulders, and theirs weighing limply across my back, I let my eyes droop shut. Finally the utter fatigue caught up to me in full, and though it was the day of the full moon I miraculously fell into a short but restful sleep.

When I woke it was late afternoon, and Kiri-nin were there. In a group of at least thirty the Mist had not one medical ninja, and so Naruto had struggled to heal us as best he could; and I cried in relief when I learned he'd been able to fix up Lee's shoulder wound and, thanks to him and a Nami physician's stitchwork, he would be left with at most a scar.

Already the Mist group had gone to take account of what remained of their intended invaders, which likely explained why, though clearly quite thankful, most chuunin and some jounin kept eyeing us warily and not so discreetly. The captain, who had to be in his late thirties at least, said it was like nothing he'd ever witnessed, and though meant as commendation it threw dark clouds of painful silence over our heads. Wave didn't even know what to do with all the bodies – two hundred and sixty-seven, apparently – and the Mist opted for a burial at sea, slow ferrying work that for sanity's purposes we did not attend.

As we would later know, the rough total of Oto- and New Oto-nin that had attacked Mist that day amounted to a thousand six hundred – not including our two hundred and sixty-seven – all sailing in from different launching points around the island-centered village. Luckily we had come against a relatively inferior group with only four original jounin commanders, which the Mist interpreted to be a sacrificial force (for the vast majority, likely unknowingly) meant to charge in head-on and die while the bulk of the stronger forces struck from the rear. But as it turned out, Sound's not-so-surprise attack was in fact destined to fail before a single Oto-nin could sight the village walls. They had retreated from Mist's might with extensive losses, the complete failure a staggering blow that would leave the Sound reeling – and deter future attacks – for a good while.

Unfortunately for the three of us, there would probably be hunters on our tail very soon.

As per the nukenindo's standards of measurement, the feat of extinguishing so many lives so quickly inadvertently lifted us to a pinnacle of renown among other nukenin. And as we would learn, a brief but nasty side effect befell the Wave not long after we moved on. It was the result of tides and of dumping so many mutilated bodies at sea, and a touch that caused the tale to spread all the faster.

For three failures had turned this place into a Land of Bloody Waves.

Fourteen, Part Three: Aftermath

Neji ネジ

"You manage to fall into enemy hands. When I find a use to be made of it, you instead flee and return to me only to feign ignorance of your crime. And now your carelessness has ruined my strike on the rebellion…"

His gaze stabbed down into my own as he stopped pacing in front of me. Though he showed no outward sign of it, I knew the man was livid. I bowed my head in shame.

"I'm sorry, my l–,"

SMACK!!

My breath caught even though it had been expected. Quietly I opened my eyes again, though I did not bring them to meet his gaze. Pain throbbed hotly in my cheek.

"Please forgive me…"

"I seem to recall someone promising that he wouldn't disappoint me again…"

"I'm s-sorry, Orochimaru-sama," I whispered, a tremble of frustration in my voice.

A hand lifted my chin, and there was a mild gentleness in his eyes, looking down his nose at me, as I met them. "There, there, Neji-kun… You know you are very important to me; irreplaceable, in fact. However…"

Golden eyes turned just cold enough to send a shiver down my spine.

"All the same, I'm afraid this cannot go unpunished…"

Lee リー

The Mist captain fingered stubble on his chin as he eyed the two of us in contemplation. We were in a small room of Wave's town hall; Hinata, however, had been too exhausted to come to this small meeting.

"Tell me, then, why such a request?"

Naruto looked to me, and I spoke.

"Instigating a war was likely Orochimaru's intention…"

"So what," the second-in-command barked, "you want us to just do nothing and–?!"

The taichou's flat hand rose, silencing his subordinate instantly. "Continue."

I nodded. "Should you retaliate by engaging in warfare with New Oto, it is certain that no matter the outcome the other nations will become embroiled in another Great War. That is nigh unavoidable when two of the Godaikoku conflict directly."

"I understand your reasoning, but the fact is Konoha can't be allowed to get away with this. To not respond to a deliberate attempt at invasion, an infraction of treaty–,"

"Not Konoha."

"What?"

"You called New Oto 'Konoha,'" Naruto pointed out. "There's a difference."

"Excuse me; but they are the same village, simply with a change in name…"

The boy shook his head, hand moving to his forehead for emphasis. His thumb and forefinger framed the side of the metal plate which bore the mark of the Leaf. "We're not Sound ninja, are we? We're Leaf ninja – and in the village there are plenty more New Leaf ninja persevering in a revolt against Sound. Last we heard the rebellion was still going strong, and they're at the brink of civil war."

"Civil war? So New Sound is actually a village divided?" the second-in-command said, eyes narrowed.

I nodded again. "That is correct, and is why we ask you to wait to take retribution on Oto. Rather than risk the outbreak of a world war, allow New Konoha to fight New Oto for now; New Otogakure no Sato has taken a blow, but if I am not mistaken, so too has Kirigakure. Which brings us to the other request I am afraid we must ask of you."

"What is it?"

"Technically, New Oto is in fact not bound to the treaty between Leaf and Mist. Though supported by the daimyo, it is a usurping state that is being resisted by what remains of the true Konoha. So when the time comes, as we essentially qualify as New Konoha shinobi ourselves – we ask that the Mist will aid New Leaf, its ally by treaty, in overthrowing New Sound."

A silence dragged between us, during which time the captain's strong eyes held my own. He smirked.

"I'm in favor of it. This will certainly be proposed before our council; you don't have to worry about that."

I bowed hurriedly, reaching to grab Naruto's shoulder and force him to incline his back as well.

"Arigatou gozaimasu."

Hinata ヒナタ

Some of these … may leave scars… I thought morosely as I examined my torso in the mirror. From above my navel to below my breast, on my arms and shoulders and back and a few on my legs, my body was marked with so many marks, lines, mostly healed punctures that a few hours ago had been gaping and gushing. One of my hands moved to just below the center of my ribcage, where laid a mark that would probably have looked less severe now had not I ripped that spear out of myself so carelessly. I prodded lightly at it, and sucked in a breath, eyes watering as I flinched in pain.

Kuso! What the heck are you complaining about? Plenty of those Oto-nin would have loved to get off with just a few scars!! But now no matter how hard I scrub, my hands reek of blood!

"I sh-shouldn't even be alive…!" I whimpered, lowering my shirt.

"That's enough of that!"

I jumped when the wolf's voice boomed through the door. When had he gotten back?

Sheepishly I trudged to the door, blocking out the frantic psyche that attempted to link with my mind.

"Koinu, what the hell are you doing in there?!! If you don't open this door right now–!!"

The door was unlocked and opened with a 'click.' Kurogiba had been prepared to knock it down in a wild panic, and met my glum eyes with suspicion.

I showed my empty hands. "You don't need to worry; I wouldn't think of doing that. I shouldn't be alive, but that doesn't mean I wish I wasn't."

Calming, he rested his muzzle over my shoulder to nudge his warm cheek against mine. In a brief gesture I nuzzled my nose fondly against his neck before he pulled away.

"Are you ready to go?"

I looked down. "I'm scared," I admitted. "I d-don't want to… Could we see if we can f-find some aconite growing around here–?"

"Listen to me. What happened earlier was the result of an unstable power reacting to a young girl's pent up pain and despair. It was an exceptional situation that drove you to such savagery. Now that you have released most of what accumulated during and before the battle, it should be even easier to control yourself. Now let's do what we know how to do, and have a nice, healthy hunt, ne?"

I sniffled, managing a weak smile. "Hai."

"You can't afford to skip this moon, either. Get some fresh meat in you, let that seal lose a little strength – trust me, in the morning you'll feel rejuvenated. Some of those wounds should finish healing up, too…"

"Right…" Looking to my feet, I noticed a small rag he must have dropped. "Is this it?" I asked, picking it up, and he nodded.

"It was a hare, deep in the forest you three camped in before coming here," he said as I deeply inhaled the undeniably nice scent of the splotch of red on the cloth. I knew he had given it a minor injury to get the strong sample of its scent; it would be easier to get me under control, to get accustomed to the state, if I started out with something to focus on.

"I've got it," I said, its distinctive smell easily memorized.

"Good. Let's go… And, pup?"

"Huh?"

He didn't meet my eyes. "I know it's a lot to ask … but please don't think too poorly of Okaa-sama. Her sole interest was in your survival…"

"……I understand."

Naruto-kun…

"…H– hey, Hinata-chan," he said, stopping a few yards away.

"Hi…"

The hallway was silent for too many seconds. He tentatively spoke.

"Have you been … crying?"

I nodded.

"Oh… Well, we've all been through a lot today, y'know…? But you'll be okay, right?"

I nodded again. "I'll g-get through it, eventually… What about you?"

"I think I can make it… I mean, the most important thing is we still have each other. We just have to put it behind ourselves and move on, y'know?"

"Hm…"

……

"Tell you what, I'll meet you at the bridge," Kurogiba said behind me, and promptly passed us both and continued down the hall.

…When I pecked his cheek then – was it just a few hours ago? – It was in a blaze of confidence. A naïve promise that after the battle, once we survived to win and see each other again, maybe we could share a real…

"So, you're going, e-eeto…"

"Hunting?"

"Yeah, that's where you're going?" he said awkwardly, clearly afraid of sounding insulting.

"Yes, i-it is…"

"Oh, well … sorry to hold you up. Have… fun?" he stumbled with uncertainty.

Uncomfortable, I blushed. "Yes, it is e-enjoyable…" I poked my fingers together, biting my lip. When was the last time I'd done that? "Then, I'll see you tomorrow!" I squeaked, walking hastily by.

As I was passing him he began to turn.

"Hinata…!"

His hand met my arm, and I flinched sharply away with a tiny, squeaking cry. In the instant of contact – the shrieking pain of so many ghostly blades penetrating my flesh once more, of bludgeoning globes of iron pounding me into submission – the magnificent taste of hot, luscious blood spurting into my mouth, caressing my tongue as I crushed an arm in my jaws or tore out a throat – the distress at a lustful hand fervently kneading my breast while I was forcibly made to cooperate with a rough, passionate kiss – a torrent of phantom sensation and emotion, like a lightning strike up my arm.

My recoiling didn't go unnoticed, and I almost grimaced as I met again a pair of hurt purple eyes, shocked as though I'd just driven an icy senbon through his heart.

"I-it's… It's not your fault…" I whispered, trying to lower my hand, to stop cradling it so protectively close to my quailing body as if he had hurt me. Except it did hurt; where his fingers had met my skin a thousand frozen needles seared agonizingly, only just beginning to dull to a throb. I tried not to focus on it, and with a trembling word and an apologetic smile I fled.

"Gomenasai…"

I understood. I couldn't touch.

Lee リー

"Naruto-kun?"

"Go a-a-away!" he wailed between sobs.

"What is wrong?"

"N-no-thi-thing!"

"Then why are you crying?"

He yelled something unintelligible.

"What happened?" I tried.

"I do-don't kn-know!!"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Mmeh…" He shook his head slowly.

Eyebrows drawing together, I sat down next to the bawling boy and wrapped my arms around him. Without hesitation he hugged me back, howling into my shoulder.

"You did not cry yet, did you…?" I asked softly, patting his back. "I did, and I believe Hinata-san has as well. It is alright…"

It pained me to see the fearless knucklehead like this, but when it came down to it he was, indeed, a thirteen-year-old boy. One could not always hold it in, and accepting this was not weakness – it was emotion, and it was human.

"There…" I consoled with a sad smile, stroking Naruto's blond tufts gently while he continued to bawl. "It will be okay. Let it out…"

Hinata ヒナタ

Fog streamed from the sides of my mouth as I raced through the cold night air in rapid, powerful strides, hands, then feet, then hands, then feet, ghosting over the forest floor.

Smell – close. It was close.

'See it?' thought the wolf beside me.

A short, low growl rose up from my throat as my sharp eyes spotted it through the moonlit darkness. My limbs propelled me even faster in excitement, and the wolf was left behind as I cleared distance rapidly. It sensed me – was trying desperately to escape. It wouldn't.

I sprang strongly upward, shooting a great distance forward to crouch briefly on a tree's trunk. I sprang again, soaring in an arch, my back pointed momentarily toward the ground – then hands and feet nimbly met another trunk.

Prey!!

'Make it clean…'

Springing off at an angle, I shot as a bullet to the earth, the outstretched hand that I landed on snapping its neck between palm and ground, so that it died swiftly and would have no pain.

My feet and other hand landed, and strong claws tore across the skin, raking, grasping, ripping away. With a snarl of success I snapped and swallowed voraciously, rejoicing as I sank my teeth into the night's first kill.

Neji ネジ

–"Neji-sama, Lord Hokage requests your presence."–

Such was all that I remembered this morning. Blurred remembrance of torturous genjutsu were the most I could manage to procure when I focused hard enough; and so painful were the very memories that I swiftly allowed them to escape me again. Apparently I had taken the pill to prevent transformation not long after the punishment, and then been brought here to wake in the familiarity of the Hyuuga estate.

I felt oddly refreshed this morning, considering, lighter and sharper and strangely at ease, as though a pressure that had been coiling and twisting slowly within me for weeks on end, no, months had been dispelled. Probably for this reason I was in a fair mood as I strolled my clan's estates, despite–

"Neji-sama!"

What is it now? I wondered with the briefest hint of a scowl.

"Yes?" I said calmly as I turned to greet the middle-aged Hyuuga striding up to me. He bowed slightly and handed over a paper.

"These five are unaccounted for, sir."

I studied the names shortly, a furrow in my brow. "Lost in the attack? I had no knowledge Hitaka was fighting…"

He shook his head. "No, no – they were gone this morning, their rooms empty, and it's been confirmed they did not exit through the gates. An investigation is getting underway."

"Good. Please proceed," I said, and he strode off.

I looked again at the paper. Hm… These five…

"Neji-sama!!"

I whirled at the urgent cry. "Yes, what is it?!"

"She's awake, and she has important news!"

My heart jumped with the slightest unease as I watched Hitode walking up, his mother's arm draped across his shoulders. Hireiki… the one who had been found unconscious the day before, and, according to our medics, had injuries with signs of…

"Oba-san," I nodded in greeting, "It is good to see you've regained consciousness so soon. But judging by your urgency, I assume it's as we feared…?"

Hitode nodded, while Hireiki spoke very weakly. "It is her, there's n-no question… and it's possible that she has discovered her p-power… She did this to me in two strikes…"

"I see…" I said. "This is a major development, yes, but not so immediately imperative that you should be out of bed. Hitode, you could have sent for me to come to her, or simply delivered the message yourself."

"U-understood, sir," he said, blushing slightly.

"Very well; be sure your mother gets her rest, will you?"

"Hai!"

I watched as they walked off.

So it really is true, and the Main House has been concealing it for eight years… I mused. She's the one.

A Hyuuga with an ability that, no matter what breeding efforts were made in the past, might be born into the Main House once every one hundred or so years. The one with a power that, when honed properly, could take life with a single touch, a far deadlier combination of Byakugan and Juuken. A walking, breathing legend in the in the making, per se; inheritor to the art and legacy of a line of heroes a step above a mere clan leader.

This might explain the reason Hiashi had been so desperate to have his second daughter succeed him, a key reason he had so quickly turned his back on the failure that was his first born.

It was also how she, filled with adrenaline, pain, and fear, had killed the Hyuuga I'd sent after her those few months ago – without activating a single curse mark.

Now standing against me was the true Hyuuga prodigy, blessed with talent and supposedly destined to surpass all others…

So that little firecracker … is the Lightning Hyuuga.

Hanabi ハナビ

"Long time no see."

I yelped and looked to see him sitting comfortably on the branch I was passing under. He swung off it and landed soundlessly at my side, hands slipping into his pockets. I sighed and continued to walk.

"I saw you the other day, Sasuke-san, and should the double slash triple agent really be walking around here without an escort?"

"War's just been declared; should you?"

I shrugged. Okay, so that kind of made sense…

"I hear that you practically forced them to let you join, you know."

I scowled. Straight to the point, as usual.

"So after they took you in and trained you all this time, you're just gonna drop it," he said flatly when I didn't speak. "What a waste of their time–,"

"I know, okay! It's not like I planned this from the start!"

"So on the off chance that the next time your friends are in trouble you won't be able to help them, you're giving up? 'Sorry, but I change my mind now'? Even after you saved Sakura and Kiba yesterday…" He shook his head. "I guess you're not as devoted to your goal as you first seemed. Where'd all that resolve even come from to begin with?"

I froze in my tracks.

–Hinata-nee-chan… When you come back, I'll be strong like you. The next time you need me, I'll be able to go with you and help… I promise!–

"Something wrong?"

"O-oh my gosh…!" I whispered, tears pooling up in my eyes. "How could I forget…?"

"There you are! …Hey, what are you doing without an escort?!"

"Hanabi is my escort."

"Pfft…" I wiped my eyes and looked at Kiba as he approached, glaring lightly at the Uchiha.

"Yeah, whatever…"

"Then what's up, Inuzuka? Were you looking for me, or the little Hyuuga?"

Kiba blinked, and seemed to remember something. "Hanabi–!" He scowled. "It's weird… Let's just say some guests are here to see you, shall we?"

"For … for me?"

My pulse quickened as I entered the large, earthen room. Sure, the walls were practically lined with blatantly armed and hostile New Konoha-nin who didn't take their eyes off the outsiders, and none of the five had ever been particularly nasty toward me or anything, but still… Lately it seemed encounters with my family family had a tendency to be unpleasant.

I quickly scanned over faces as I walked, Sasuke and Kiba calming, protective presences at my sides. On my left, the youngest – a slightly chubby boy of only ten, though surprisingly level-headed and serious for a kid. His hair was in a neat bun, and I was surprised to see the symbol of New Oto adorning his forehead; he hadn't been a Leaf ninja, anyways…

Hyuuga Hitaka… What's a child doing here? But what were any of them, for that matter?

To the right, a spiky-haired, persistently cheery and energetic fellow – even in a room full of enemies – and somehow at the same time as looking inexplicably somber as the rest, wore a chuckly sort of smile that set his face aglow. A white streak to match the eighteen-year-old's twinkling eyes had been dyed into a few spikes of dark brown hair.

Hikujaku… I guess he's okay, if not a bit … weird.

After the clan nonconformist, in the front and center of their line, stood a tall, sturdy-looking man with short black hair. He was a skillful warrior in his thirties, and…

Hiryuu-oji-san – he's a full-out jounin! Anko-sensei and the others are here, but if he does pull anything they might have trouble taking him down…

The fourth, a kunoichi in her early twenties with a stern but pleasant determination on her face, nodded slightly as I met her gaze. Her long hair was gathered in a single braid. I remembered…

Harumi-san! My heart fluttered warmly. She came that time after I… when I thought no one would – she's the medic who came and saved Nee-chan…

And finally, a fifteen-year-old girl (or was she sixteen yet?) with dark hair hanging just past her shoulders was fighting not to fidget, utterly conscious of the hostility around her. Her mouth was a forced straight line as she determinedly held a cool look even though she was ruffled.

Hiyuki… She was friends with Nee-chan, right…?

I stopped a few yards from the five Branch Hyuuga, each of whom wore the mark of New Oto on their foreheads. Just as I nervously opened my mouth to say something, they simultaneously sank to their knees and bowed deeply to me, gesturing total submission.

Wh-what?

"It is good to see you are healthy, Hanabi-sama," drifted powerfully from Hiryuu's lowered head. "Especially during these times when most of our brethren would wish it otherwise."

I hadn't been treated like – well, a Main House Hyuuga, in a while. It took a moment of fumbling for words before I recalled and spoke. "R-raise your heads… please."

They straightened their backs but rose only to their knees, and promptly they removed headbands, baring their curse seals. Then, as they were weaponless, they ran fingertips that glowed with chakra once across their hitai-ate, deftly etching a faint but clean line through each New Oto mark.

"Understand that I do not often break a pledge of undying loyalty and allegiance, but in this case there is no alternative," Hiryuu said smoothly. His gaze turned to Anko, who stood with other shinobi ready to attack. "Might you lower your weapons? The lady may subdue us at whatever moment she so pleases."

Anko frowned. "Hanabi, do you know them?"

"H-hai…"

"Can they be trusted?"

"I… I think so," I said honestly. A few warily lowered their kunai, though still holding them at the ready.

"Why have you come here?" I asked, digging out a long unused degree of strength to pour into my voice. Hold on, is that how I always used to talk? It sounded just a little… snobbish.

Hiryuu met my eyes. "As you know, our honored Grandfather, the All-Seeing Lord Hyuuga Hikaru, is the oldest and wisest of the clan. He selected the five of us whom he knew would listen, and he has imparted on us his guidance."

"Hikaru-sama sent you…?" I asked incredulously. The entire clan called him Grandfather, and all spoke of him in the highest respect. He was neither a member of the Main nor the Branch, in a neutral category all his own, and as per custom he typically remained distant from clan affairs; and if I remembered right, he was Okaa-san's great-grandfather (though of course he probably had hundreds of great-great-grandkids running around – okay, maybe not that many, but a lot). "But why…?"

Harumi picked up. "The All-Seeing One predicts great ruin to befall the Hyuuga, resulting from Neji's rule. Our only hope, he says, lies in a day ahead when the one of pure spirit and rightful blood will challenge him. He believes that person … is you, Hanabi-sama."

Ch-challenge … Neji…? "But people usually listen to Hikaru-sama, don't they?" I asked as my stomach helpfully decided to take a try at twisting itself into knots. "Are you the only ones he's told – has he not spoken out…?"

Hiyuki nodded quickly. "He has made an effort to be heard – and Hikaru-sama's words have begun to stir dissent in a minority of the clan. Indeed, likely the only reason he's not been imprisoned is that, superbly gifted as Seer, he is of honorable status. An open act against one so revered might prove harmful to Neji's image. Still, the fact that he does not act against him shows that even Neji still respects him to some degree…"

My knees were shaking. I shook my head slightly. I didn't like this – I didn't like being smack in the middle of clan conflicts, warily hated by some, feared and revered by others… I liked it here in New Konoha, where I was just a normal kid!! "I can't – I can't fight Neji!"

"Can't you?" Hiryuu asked calmly, raising a brow.

"That's crazy! Let him have the clan; I don't want it! Neji's a genius, a monster, and I'm just a kid! He'll kill me–!!"

"You've not been told, have you?" Hiryuu interrupted my hysterics. "That you, Lady Hanabi, are successor to the legacy of the Lightning Hyuuga?"

I felt a huge, invisible fist slam into my gut. The room swayed, and I sank to my knees.

"My lady!"

"Hanabi!"

"I'm fine…" I muttered, gawking at the floor as confused whispers flitted between the New Leaf shinobi. Me? I'm a…?

"Be strong, Lady Hanabi," the young Hitaka said in a gentle voice. "Take strength, and lead those of your people who will follow. You're not alone."

"He's right, you know," Hikujaku said, shutting his eyes with a quick nod as he grinned good-naturedly. He laid a fist over his heart and dipped his head with a flourish. "We intend to train your young but capable self in the Gentle Fist; we'll make sure you're ready when the time comes. In the meantime just think of us as your most humble servants, here to guard your life with ours."

Hiryuu nodded. "The future of the Hyuuga may be riding on your shoulders. That is why…" He bowed low again, and the others followed suit. "Lady Hanabi, we are here to serve you – you, the true leader of our clan!"

I was conscious of the rest of the room staring at me, and I blushed. Looking down at hands clasped in my lap, I hid my face behind a curtain of hair. So I represent some beacon of hope to much of the clan… the clan Nee-chan wants so strongly to protect… My shoulders gave a little shake. Aw, what can you do?

I needed to be strong, after all… For my Nee-chan, for my Leaf-family, for my family-family…

I raised my head and got to my feet.

"I … I will stand up and lead you. I shall fight."

Hinata ヒナタ

"So … how'd the hunt go?"

We were in the hallway again; I'd caught Lee this morning to ask him to send Naruto this way.

"It went well," I said softly. "It was a lot easier with Kurogiba-sama's help, and this morning I woke up really refreshed…"

"That's good… And h-how're your injuries?"

"They healed well…"

"Hm…" He was silent for a few moments. "Hey… Lee told me about your … touching problem, y'know? I'm sorry about yesterday; I didn't know then…"

"It's okay," I said quickly. "A-actually… That's sort of why I wanted to see you…"

"Huh?"

"I'm nervous … my pulse is quick even while we're standing this far apart. My body wants to run away, but in my mind I know you…" I fumbled around for words. "Naruto-kun is someone I know and trust with all my heart. I know I don't need to fear you… and I know I needn't fear I'll hurt you. I'll get past this … I just wanted to take the first step." As if to emphasize this, I took a small, difficult step toward him. "Because if I can't trust the boy that I love, I'll never trust anyone."

"Hinata…" He whispered as I walked toward him.

My heart thumped loudly as I neared, pulse quickening with each passing step. It became very difficult to draw breath. I stopped when I was quite close enough to touch him, my shaking body shrieking for me to get away, to turn tail and run screaming and crying to safety.

No! I wasn't in any danger, and neither was he.

"D-don't move t-too quickly, okay?" I said, almost at a whimper. "I just want to try something…" And I brushed very, very well…

"Hinata, are you sure? You're uncomfortable; We can wait–,"

"No – we c-can't wait…"

I bit my lip, trying to get myself to move. He wasn't wearing the silver anymore (he and Lee both had since switched them for the steel ones that matched my own) but it felt as if he was – like something terrible would happen if I got any closer. My skin tingled at our proximity, and my heart thudded against my ribcage. I felt suffocated.

"Hinata…"

I threw my arms around him, resting my head over his shoulder, and held him tightly. The effect was instantaneous; my stomach clenched up, my body went rigid, and my eyes snapped shut as my mouth popped open in a soundless scream. The torrent of sensation crashed and slammed through my mind, and the world blurred for a moment as my body blazed with steady agony. Too much contact all at once – I flinched away to separate our bodies again, though my arms remained determinedly draped over his shoulders.

It's all in your head… You can do this! I thought, even as my arms and hands burned intensely. I felt small and naked … vulnerable … weak…

"Are you alright? Should I…?" He spoke quietly, standing perfectly still.

I gulped. This was Naruto-kun, and he would never bring harm to someone he loves. "Yes."

Very slowly, very carefully, his hands drifted toward me. They rested a reassuring few moments on my sides, and slid delicately around my waist, like I was something fragile and might easily be broken. I sucked in a breath, and shut my eyes as my respiration continued in tiny, shaking gasps.

"Hinata–?"

"K-k-keep going…"

His arms fully encircled me, a strong, gentle cradle, while my own slipped snugly around his neck. As we embraced, sharing the warmth of our bodies, I tentatively opened my eyes to see his face a very short few inches in front of my own. I gave a soft gasp as warmth dusted my cheeks.

I wondered yet again, had I not panicked and fled, had I accepted his confession that night in the treetops, under the cloudy, starlit sky, and let the two of us become as just a little bit more than friends … would he have kissed me then? If not then, then by now? Probably – but it was too late to wonder now, I found even as I felt that Naruto-kun would have saved my first kiss from being one that had been stolen – the lewd, forced thing that it was and would always be.

But with Naruto it would be beautiful – perfect. I already knew. It would be tender and gentle. If he might communicate even half those indigo pools' fond warmth through his lips…

"Am I hurting you, Hinata-chan?"

My mouth opened. I was still filled with sensation, yes… but it was good. Shocked, I told him the simple truth.

"No…"

Let me have a redo…

Our faces grew near.

And I'll just pretend that my first…

My eyes slipped shut.

Is here and now, with you.

Our lips met in a sweet, affectionate kiss.

"I'm not sure about this, guys…"

"Oh, stop that! It is saddening, yes, but we have already agreed on it!"

"Meh… Whose idea was this again?"

I shook my head with a slightly sad smile. The three of us were outside of the village, at a fork in the road that came west from the bridge. We had said our goodbye to Tazuna, Tsunami, Inari, and Wave; Naruto, Lee, and I wore our own backpacks, each fully stocked with supplies. I pulled the rhombus trinket from the neck of my shirt, nodding for the boys to do the same.

"Say this pendant represents strength in unity. We've only gotten so far by sticking together all this time, but we can't keep leaning on each other forever…" I looked down. "The security of being in a team… in a way, it's allowed us to grow lax as we depend on one another. Even though we might be formidable combined, you have to have realized that alone we're not as well-rounded as we could be…"

I unclipped my necklace and held out the diamond-shaped charm by its side; the others joined theirs to it, and with a click the hexagon with an inscribed triangle was formed; the kanji 'team' was engraved in the center of the completed pendant.

"We'll go our separate ways for now, training in solitude. We learn what we can and search for Tsunade-sama, yes; and we also build up our own power and learn to control it. Then, once each piece has been honed and refined individually, let us reunite as the whole … a team powerful enough to save the Leaf."

With no more words than these between us, we split the pendant apart.

"Man…" Naruto fingered the small fleck of purple in his hair, a streak mostly hidden by his hitai-ate, which had appeared yesterday and partially filled a spike near his right ear. "I gotta say, I'm really bad at making campfires, y'know? I mean, Hinata-chan always used a mini-fireball to light it…"

"Covered!" I chirped with a thumbs-up. "I packed you some matches, but eventually you need to practice using the flint, okay?"

He mumbled a complaint and pouted jokingly, causing me to giggle.

"Aw, will Naruto-kun be lonely without us?" Lee teased, slinging an arm around the grumbling boy's shoulders. He then sobered up. "But I, too, will really miss you both…"

I nodded, and, with some hesitation, stepped up to them. It wasn't difficult to share a group hug – not with the two who I realized had during our time together, quite literally, become my best friends in the world.

"S-stay safe, y'all, okay…? And Bushy Brow, don't overdo it to wh-where you hurt yourself…"

"Naruto-kun, bathe every day! And brush your teeth! And do not forget to f-f-floss!!"

"If ANBU hunters come after you, it's okay to run th-then, okay? Goodness knows we all h-have the stamina…"

All our eyes were watering when we separated. Lee gave a smile and stuck out his hand.

"Remember to always work hard!" he said.

Hesitantly I placed my hand atop his, with only a slight tremble. "To never give up!"

His hand covering mine, Naruto finished off, "And to never go back on our word – 'cause that's our ninja way!"

Together our three hands sank, rose, and separated again.

Naruto ナルト

POOF-POOF-POOF-POOF-POOF–

It really was fun to Shadow Step in the treetops.

Until you–

"Wah!"

A shadow clone popped up above a branch further ahead than the one I'd missed; I swapped places with it to land safely on the branch, stumbling a moment before catching my footing.

"Phew… But I guess that's what I'm working on…"

Jeesh, the forest is freakishly quiet…

I tipped forward, swinging so that I hung upside-down on my feet, facing the way I'd come.

Of course you can't see them anymore, so what are you looking at?

'Who knows?'

F#&$! What're you doing in my head?

'Thought I'd say hi, and congratulate you on the show yesterday. It was quite nice to watch–,'

I shoved the fox out of my mind. Get back in your cage, fleabag. And for the record I don't plan to make a habit of relying on the part of the Kageken that's soaked in blood…

I'd get stronger … so I wouldn't have to resort to it, at least not often. And I'd grow strong enough to save Ero-sennin, and Kakashi-sensei, and all the rest.

Lee リー

"Hah…" I was panting lightly as I stopped. I suppose that will suffice for a morning run…

Unconsciously I found my gaze had wound up facing the way I had come. They are miles away by now…

"Stay well, both of you…" I shook my head. Those two had grown strong – very strong, in fact. Not to say I intended to allow either to surpass me in this time…

I unsheathed a katana, tilting the sword so that I saw a slice of my reflection.

Kozue Kuri… Again I have killed with this blade, but I have kept to my word and not done so unnecessarily. And though I have accepted these blades and made them my own, I still have not learned how to handle them properly in the most basic ways…

Form – that was what my swordsmanship lacked. They were not simply big kunai, after all. I would master the way of the sword.

The wind blew, and I looked up to see thirty leaves dancing in the air.

I grinned.

At this moment…

Before they hit the ground!! I thought, and with sword in hand I charged.

Hinata ヒナタ

"Say … since you're here … want to carry the backpack for a while?"

"Oh, so that's why you summoned me?"

"N-no!" I said as we walked, side by side, along the river.

"Then you're already lonely, that it?"

I blushed. "We haven't really been apart … not since we left the village…"

"…I'll take the bag."

"Huh?"

"Give me the stupid bag!"

I brightened slightly. "Thanks – friend!" I said, emphasizing the word and bumping my shoulder lightly against him.

It won't be so bad … at least I have Kurogiba with me. I'll grow strong enough to help my friends, and to save Neji-nii-san from Orochimaru. And Naruto-kun, Lee-kun… When we meet again, I'll have learned to control my curse–

The wolf bumped his shoulder not-so-lightly against me, knocking me off the path and into some bushes.

"Hey!"

"Don't start going all lovey-dovey. You're still a scrawny mutt."

Disentangling myself from the branches, I took a bound on all fours and sprang to throw my arms around his neck.

"Quit trying to be so cold! I already know there's a soft spot deep down in there!"

"Hey, no hugs – no hugs!"

"That tough guy front is all an act!"

"What am I, a teddy bear?!"

He leaped toward the river, lost form, and reformed on the bank.

SPLASH!

"COLD!!"

"Serves you right!!"

"You're mean!"

"Thank you for noticing, and I will not carry the bag!"

"What?!"

"Drop and give me twenty!"

"Why?!"

"Thirty!"

"That's cruel!"

"Fifty!"

"One! Two! Three! Four!"

Yeah… At least I had Kurogiba…

"I can't hear you!!"

"TWELVE!!"

"GOOD! Now start over!"

"HUH?!"

"One hundred!"

"ONE!"

Believe it or not, the future was looking up.

ナルト / リー / ヒナタ \ ハナビ \ ネジ

End Chapter Fourteen

Naruto: Say it…

Neji: No.

Hinata: Please, Nii-san?

Neji: I said no.

Lee: Come on, please…?

Neji: You cannot make me–!

Naruto: Say it and I'll give you five dollars!

Neji: (whips out bow and arrow) Sacred Arrow – Hit the mark!

Hinata: Did you get it on tape?

Hanabi: To ebay we go!

(static–)

Naruto: Yatta! After half a year we're back, stronger than ever and armed with NICKNAMES!

Neji: Nicknames?!!

Naruto: NICKNAMES!!! Evildoers beware, for we are the Purple Fox–!

Lee: The Green Beast–!

Hinata: And the Black Wolf Fang… Come on, guys, seriously?

Lee: No, no, no! That was not good at all!

Naruto: Come on, Hinata-chan, let's hear it for spirit!

Hinata: Spirit?

Naruto: Spirit.

Hinata: S-spirit…

Naruto: Spirit!

Hinata: Spirit!!

Lee: YOSH! Now we are ready!

Neji: You people…!

Hanabi: Are complete morons!

Lee: And Naruto-kun has become quite the little charmer! NaruHina shall ensue!

Hinata: L-L-L-L-Lee-kun–!

Naruto: What the hell?!

Lee: Ah, the beauty of young love!!!

Neji: Oi, this preview is too long!

Hanabi: Next up, Chapter Fifteen: Six Months' Time kicks off Part II! Don't miss it!

So obviously there was a little silliness in the preview as well as in the 'omake' this time XD

Minagoroshi= massacre, slaughter

See, doesn't "Everyday" just fit with it? The song's beautiful, and slightly dark… specifically, I think it goes well with the 'bittersweet victory' scene where it starts raining.

Those five Hyuuga - they didn't each get a description because they'll be super important or anything... I had already thought of names, and kind of just made up actual characteristics on the spot so all their descriptions could be in one place. :)

Many of you probably have figured it out, but so far only one person has actually given a correct guess as to how Sasuke's lying skills work! Good job!

How was the chapter? And the battle scenes? How about the description of Hinata's 'curse seal level 2' – what, did you think she would actually become a wolf or something? It's just a curse mark, I think that would be a little too far ;) Had anyone figured out ahead of time what the purpose of the pendants was? What did you think of the Hyuuga Clan drama, with Hanabi and the Lightning Hyuuga legend and the Seer's prediction and the Brach defectors? Was the NaruHina moment nice ;) ? And did anyone see a team split-up coming? Anything here or anything else – please tell me what you thought of the conclusion!

You there! Huh? Oh no, the one sitting next to – yes you! Review! Please?

XD Well, see ya later!

:o)Hinata0321:o)