Dreamcatcher
By Airyo
The Guardian - 1
The Mangekyou had oddly little effect this time.
"Strange," Itachi said with a slight frown. He surmised that Hinata was more affected by wide-area genjutsu and sent her home to rest. "Don't want to disturb your rest too much," was his justification. Hinata blushed and nodded and obeyed.
The nights were invading sooner and sooner, and the street lamps were little defense against the dark. A shadow flickered out of the corner of her eyes. Hinata sped up, rabbit heartbeat fluttering at her throat. A friendly ninja would be projecting their chakra, and civilians were easy to detect.
But she couldn't track this visitor.
She caught a glimpse of movement again. Hinata broke into a run, wind whipping her hair against her face. She could see the side gate of the Hyuuga walls. Hinata flared her chakra, desperately hoping someone was near to feel her signal.
She reached the gate, but her trembling hands made it impossible to jam her key into the lock. She made the mistake of looking back.
Light glinted off a long blade, blue and deadly.
"NO!" she yelped, pushing him, rejecting him. The attacker slashed at her face. She fell back, ground jarring her wrists painfully.
The world turned pitch black.
She was still aware, but her eyes had failed her. Hinata curled into herself, and she heard movement. There was a grunt of pain, and then sounds of fighting - fists against flesh, metal against mettle. There was a thump - someone's body? - and then silence.
She heard approaching footsteps.
"Hinata?"
Itachi.
Her heartbeat pulsed at her injured wrists. She forgot how to breathe.