A World Without You
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Prologue
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Her long hair breezed slightly as she softly landed on top of a water tank. The chosen building, perhap the tallest one of all, increased her area of sight. Her midnight blue hair glowed raven underneath the scrutiny of the moonlight. As she observed her surroundings, small clusters of dotted lights from businesses or residences, created a bright hue. It lit the path for anyone still awake, strolling the streets at night. Hinata backflipped off the water tank, landing back on the rooftop of the nearest building, right next to her client.
"So, what do you think?" Her client asked, while looking around the village.
Hinata fixed her loose hair behind her shoulder, crossing her arms against her ninja flack. Her Anbu tattoo was visible.
"This village is parasitic. There are too many skyscrapers." Too many lights lit at night. There's not enough shadow for stealth.
"Like I said, I hired you because the target is Nenma. He deserves it for leaving you." She added, crossing her arms.
The conversation was already behind, discarded inside Hinata's mind. Hinata turned to look toward a general location. Nenma lived in a very guarded area. To the east, there were too many buildings. Same with the West.
"My route of escape will have to be north, it's closer to the forest. If the mission is successful, that is where we'll meet. If I don't make it to you, then it's back to the inn."
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With the moonlight shining down a path, and the city lights guiding her Byakugan through the night, Hinata sped, arms outstretched as she landed safely onto the rooftop. Her high heels were always laced with chakra. It was the only way she could perform all kinds of acrobatics. A Shinobi should aim to cause the least amount of structural damage, it was just pure etiquette, But Hinata quickly found out that the men of the rain did things differently, as she side-flipped to avoid the torrent of arrows flung her way. Leaping backward when the arrows exploded.
While the Shinobi reloaded, she tossed the looted artifact into the air, her hands nimble as she sealed it inside a scroll, before the next round of aerial assault.
Hinata wouldn't have accompanied Tenten on this mission if she had known it would cloud her mind, a result of spending each day in the Village of Rain, reconnecting with an old classmate who had chosen to live away from his birthplace.
Hinata dodged the boulders that were shot her way, which had been lifted and ripped straight from the ground. If Neji was here, he would've teased them over the damage done to their local bridge, as she evaded multiple attacks.
As the small bridge collapsed into the river, Hinata fell along with it, skidding fingers running through the disturbed body of water as droplets of water splashed onto her mask. When the structure stopped falling all around her, she rose up from her knee and adjusted her Anbu mask, her visible eyes moving from left to right, counting in cycles and calculating the odds of escaping, whether from below or above.
Hinata raised her eyes towards the sky. Nenma had arrived and raised his mask, looking down her way. At a drop of the first rainwater, the village guards all moved in at once, as he stood back and watched. The river waved violently as a group of Shinobis had her surrounded.
Spiraling, the whirlwind she created stopped each weapon thrown her way. She twisted once more and sought to escape when the guards had every right to be enraged, though it was her client who they had every right to blame. When it seemed like Nenma was not about to join the fight, she could finally focus on the motions happening all around her.
Fists were redirected.
Their kicks never connected.
The cycle repeated from the start, as they kept on going and going, until finally they pulled back for a battle plan.
"Master Nenma, why aren't you helping us?!" An exhausted Shinobi called out.
Hinata's eyes widened behind her mask, as she finally understood that it was him that was letting her go. No matter, she used whatever grace he was showing her, to finally escape, as it was now obvious what was stolen had no meaning to him.
The mission! Her mind reminded her, the voice in her head taking Tenten's likeness.
Hinata folded her arms over her chest, and cut the chakra flow to her heels. She sank right away, diving into the water, her hair fanning out like the crown of an aquatic betta. If the cold temperature of the water shocked her body, it didn't affect her speed as her fingers knitted together, forming signs, with muted chants, creating a large mirror of ice, cloaking her in. She was as invisible as the water, an ice mirror that the light finally couldn't reach.
Hinata re-emerged out of the water with a gasp, all the way down the other side of the river. For once, as planned, she traveled north until she reached Tenten at their meeting destination, the forest. Hinata landed on a tree, her Byakugan watching the guards retrieve.
"It looks like one of them had a brilliant idea to search the inn," Hinata commented, yet didn't notice how Tenten smirked right next to her. Veins residing, Hinata shielded her eyes as though she had been the victim present when the inn exploded. Hinata turned slightly to look at Tenten, with arms crossed. "I should've known something was up when you went on a rant about the useful mechanism of your explosive tags,"
Tenten blinked innocently, even though she had made sure it would not be traced back to her. She grinned. "Hinata, you didn't notice I was setting up traps because you were on Nenma-Nenma land." Her brown eyes were sharper than a blade.
Hinata motioned to the fire engulfing the inn. "And your answer is a bonfire? You know how Onii-sama feels about these kinds of things." When Hinata tossed her a scroll, her brown eyes sparkled even in the night. "Don't look too happy. Nenma, he lied. There was no map. It was a relic I managed to snatch."
She clicked her tongue. "Damn him. He knew I would bring you here to try and steal the map. I can't believe I didn't see it. That weirdo probably just wanted to see you." She felt dejected. She had been looking forward to adding another rare weapon to her collection. "So, if it's not a map, what did you steal?"
"A woven image of Kyuubi. Even if it's damaged, it has partial information encrypted. I think someone out there might have the other half of the tapestry."
"Then let's hand it over to our Hokage. Our village guardian might want to know about it."
Hinata looked away. After all the trouble she went through to acquire it, it would be a waste, wouldn't it?
Tenten hated that look, when Hinata would tap her chin in a contemplative manner. Perhaps rethinking everything, perhaps rethinking nothing at all. She heaved a sigh.
"Let's analyze it first. Aren't you curious about our village's guardian,"
"No. Not really. Wait, hold on-"
"Tenten... you're the only person I told about my visions of Neji. If my visions are true, I have to do something to stop it from happening. If it's okay with you, I'd like us to take some time and re-examine our findings before we hand it over. Perhaps I'll be able to use it as a bargaining chip."
Her friend tossed the scroll back her way, as though it was a time bomb or weapon of mass destruction.
"No no no. I have a bad feeling about this idea. I know I got you involved, but Kyuubi has guarded our villages for hundreds of years. This feels wrong. I cannot risk the blame or responsibilities should it decide to punish us over this."
"That's fair. Then as far as I'm concerned, you were never here."
"Then I will see you back at the village. But be prepared. I'm asking Lee to join us on our training."
Hinata didn't like this, didn't like this one bit at all. "Why…?"
Tenten's eyes trailed to the torn fabric on Hinata's leg, and the open wound that was staining the bandages wrapped around her. No way, when had she gotten this wound. It must've been the damn adrenaline. Hinata looked away, perhaps she needed to increase her speed. Training with Lee it is.
Tenten didn't need to say anything further.
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The chilly breeze jump-started her morning, waking her up from another nightmare, with goosebumps rising against the thin blanket. After a hot shower, Hinata slipped on her sleeveless turtleneck, and scratched her side, feeling a patch of dried skin on her tattoo. Her remedy was within arm's reach. She applied some salve on the Anbu tattoo, switching to peroxide when working on the wound that one of Nenma's guards had inflicted on her. She flinched as it stung. The pain was Justifiable. But what is this sickness? A sickness so unfit for words. A sickness that she disguises as love. The very reason she had to let Nenma go. Nenma would've never understood her. She lowered her leg, the pain no longer tying her mind to the mission to the Rain village. As far as she was concerned, Nenma no longer exists. She continued to get ready, bandaging her leg while thinking about her vision, which has now become nightmares.
"Why is Onii-sama dying in battle when we're not at war…?"
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Training with Neji was the highlight of Hinata's morning. It made everything about her day better, the same way Hanabi's bentos accomplished the same.
Clan meetings with her uncle had the opposite effect.
Even after her clan's freedom had been secured, the world had long ago made her a skeptic. Sure, they were free, and their seal had been lifted. But sometimes there was a subtle tension lurking in the air. But her nomination to lead the branch members made her father feel like everything was on track. Feeling good, mostly about themselves, as it was their chance to fly.
After training, Hinata straightened her jounin flack and followed Neji as they headed towards a daily clan briefing. Always there to soothe the branch members and their temperament. His voice lulled them to remember that one day, he will use his influence to move their settlement to a more enriched location, on land that's as fertile as that of the prestigious Uchihas.
"Prestigious," One would repeat with a scuff, though she felt like they meant to say pretentious. So very pretentious.
When Hinata glanced at the time, she sent Neji a nod, a cue he understood. She took one last sip of water, and smiled, lowering her Anbu mask, leaving the meeting early because they both had things to do, and she had her part to play. Their schedules had been arranged like this, fitting for her, because she would follow Neji anywhere. But for that to happen, first she must keep him safe.
She finished styling her hair into a bun as she made her way to the exit.
Hinata pushed open the gates, shutting it behind the mansion, falling into step next to Tenten, her childhood friend. The pace of their walk almost mirrored each other, something Hinata had subconsciously picked up by growing up around the weapon mistress.
"Where's Lee?"
"On a mission. Do you still have the scroll?"
"I thought you said you wanted nothing to do with this." Hinata said.
"I know. I can't offer you weapons, or aid, but I can give you a few ideas,"
Their childhood training ground was the best place to relay private information to each other. As Hinata listened, she tossed weapons at a practice dummy, wanting to ask questions, biting back her tongue when she almost believed Tenten's idea to be deprived of sanity. When Tenten finished debriefing her idea, she took a sip of hot tea, before closing back the lid to her thermal flask. Tenten knew it was easier said than done, since the Uchihas don't let anybody close to the nine-tail fox, and their Hokage made sure it stayed that way.
"Arranging a one-on-one meeting with Kyuubi it's unlikely." Though Hinata was just about as thrilled as Tenten, her expression remained vacant. "But we have something in our possession, something the Kyuubi might need, so-"
Tenten spun around and flung a weapon her way, landing on a target that stumbled onto the grass. The poor squirrel would have easily been someone's familiar. Better safe than sorry.
"Hinata, from now on, no more talking about this in public,"
Hinata gave a firm nod, using her eyes as magnifying glass as it zoomed into the Hokage's tower. She had been patient for weeks after analyzing the tapestry to her heart's contempt. But Hinata was inclined to believe it was finally time to act.
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One of the Hokage's clansmen led her to him. Hinata recognized Lord Sasuke right away. He was up on a hill, standing underneath a tree with shedding autumn leaves that matched the disarray of colors on his white and orange cloak. When he smiled, it excited the air around them as the branches began to dance, the leaves floating, shedding like confetti that lingered on his dark hair.
She immediately made a face behind her mask as she was searched and patted down. The valuable scroll was removed from her person, before being handed back to her. She exhaled calmly, wiping the sweat that had gathered at her palm, just from nerves alone, as Hinata came to a conclusion on her own. She must not fail.
"Don't mind the extra security. I do that to any Shinobi that came from Lord Minato's ruling," Before Minato Uzumaki had retired, their respectful Lord Fourth Hokage had made it a point to keep previous Anbus' identity a secret.
"I understand,"
"Anbu, will you reveal yourself to me?"
Hinata stepped forward, removed her mask, and bowed on one knee, reintroducing herself to a very reserved classmate from her genin days. Sasuke, who was finally able to put a name to her face, grinned, holding back any comments because he was probably not allowed to compliment her in any way, as anything regarding Hinata had a way of making it back to Neji somehow.
"Hinata, it's been a long time. Why are you here?"
"I've come to discuss an important matter with Kyuubi-sama," Hinata motioned to a scroll. "The artifact in my possession, if it's legitimate, it's about our village's guardian,"
"Good. So you brought it with you."
"Yes."
"Alright then. Kyuubi." Sasuke called out. His voice befitting the way he looked.
The nine-tailed fox poked its head out from the tree he had been staring at. With an annoyed expression, the nine-fox tail scurried and ran up to him, climbing up his shoulder, and settling around him like a winter scarf. Sasuke touched its orange fur as if it were the softest thing in the world.
"Your discovery has come at a perfect time," When Kyuubi is bored, Sasuke is used to its musing, which always leads to exhausting conversations that dance close to nihilism. But lately, Kyuubi was concerned nowadays with the reason for its existence, though it was an entity that might be as old as the creation of time. In his opinion, their guardian was a little bit on the foolish side sometimes.
"Come closer," The nine-tailed fox instructed.
Hinata went along with it with a smile, summoning the artifact before handing it over. As Sasuke reviewed the damaged tapestry, the fox frowned on his shoulder.
"Where is the rest of the scripture?"
"I'm holding onto the other half," Hinata said.
Sasuke raised a brow, unamused.
"Kit, withholding information from your Hokage is punishable by law," The fox barked out.
"Lord Sasuke has met my clan leader. He discourages handouts or charity, and encourages trade," She said to the tailed fox.
"And what would you want in return?"
She could ask Kyuubi to watch over them, and not let the branch fall into the same fate, the despair of being enslaved again. They had picked her as a leader because they expected this of her. But she was not a singularity. She fell to her knees, gripping the grass.
Onii-sama needs me! It's the kind of thought process she had entertained, even though she felt no satisfaction. Feeling dissatisfaction because of the lack of euphoria. But that's exactly how it worked. He needed her, and she would not allow anyone to get in the way of her family. She will not allow it if it means something might get in between Neji and her. She will even rebel against death. Every action she'd taken, she'd only taken to protect Neji, since all she could think of were the dark visions she'd been having lately. He has to live. He will survive. She'll protect him!
With both knees touching the ground, and her hair almost touching the grass, Hinata held back a tear from escaping.
"Kyuubi-sama, please protect Onii-sama! Be his guardian!"
"I protect everyone from foreign threats." The guardian tilted its head. "Is the Hyuga clan leader in danger?"
"That, I don't know for certainty."
"Intervention of any domestic kind isn't part of the clause, but consider it done. Humans don't live long anyway." The nine-tail fox leaped from Sasuke's head, onto her shoulder. It withdrew a claw, marking the side of her neck as if sealing a contract. "Now, kit, I want you to show me the other half of the tapestry,"
Onyx-colored eyes lingered curiously on her as she swallowed.
Ah, so that's how it is.
"Kyuubi, she doesn't have it," Sasuke said with so much certainty that it threatened to rewrite reality.
Suddenly, orange and red rays of dawn masked the sky, with supernatural colors that anyone would attribute to an apocalyptic event. Hinata shielded herself with her arm and braced herself as she looked up to the sky, as the fox grew exponentially in size. Even if she were to die, the contract should not be able to be broken, right?
The fox expanded, almost hesitant at first, before each of its tails grew more and more like demonic tendrils, bursting with an insurmountable amount of power. Frustration is hidden rather well behind Sasuke's eyes, as he had thought this would be a simple meeting, and the Hyugas were known to supposedly be professional. But to con a demon. Not the smartest thing to do.
When the fox growled, its voice sounded like a scream inside their head. Sasuke sighed. Their guardian was easily triggered by the falsehood of any kind.
Hinata stared in awe, frozen, as rumors, myths, and stories became true before her eyes. Kyuubi, their guardian, was really a demon. Its anger bathed her body in light as the physical structure surrounding her got destroyed by the heavy gravity of its massive body as it went for a grab.
"Wretched woman! What have you done?!" An Uchiha clansman yelled her way as she struggled to free herself from Kyuubi's paw. Sasuke stood back and observed as his clansmen tried their best to hold the beast back. Their efforts, however, were quickly swatted. Their Chidori techniques were put out, never given a chance for it to connect the attack.
"Oi, big orange stain, you swore to my ancestors to protect every Leaf Shinobi. Give her back. It's not her fault humans are so foolish or irrational." Sasuke called out, knowing its mind was too far gone by now, as the fox kept demanding answers through a blind rage none understood. Sasuke started to see why Itachi had feared what would happen when the beast was unhappy.
When logic and diplomacy failed, Sasuke leaped into the air, seemingly teleporting her out of the demon's grasp, and retrieved her to safety.
"Enough. Everyone stand back," Sasuke said calmly, leaping and landing in front of his clansmen. He removed his Hokage cloak, flinging it over to a family member nearby. With one rinnegan active, he summoned his Susanoo, wrestling their guardian back into submission, the fox form, quickly losing height until it lay passed out in the middle of the destruction it had created. Sasuke picked Kyuubi from the ground, holding it in one arm as though it were a plush toy.
Sasuke sighed, turning to walk towards a petrified Hyuga. She probably didn't know how lucky she was that Neji was a respected friend of his, or he would've had her in jail for something like this.
"Hmm. You have a lot of explaining to do after our guardian wakes up."
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Thank you for reading !