Chapter 3
"You haven't touched your food, my dear."
Hinata flinched at the closeness of Prince Orochimaru's voice to her ear. "Oh! Ah, please forgive me, Your Highness. The night is just so entertaining I can hardly remember to eat for the wonder of the distractions." She hastily shoved a bit of cold potatoes into her mouth, humming happily as she chewed. "Delicious!"
He smiled in that oddly serpentine way; thin and wide with no merriment reaching his yellow eyes. "How wonderful. Please don't forget to imbibe on the wine as well. It's imported all the way from the Land of Waves. Perfect coastal climate for grapes."
"Indeed," she murmured, watching him gesture with long, pale fingers for a servant to pour her another generous goblet full of strong alcohol. She had been pretending to drink it, not wanting to lose her head on this important night.
Thanking the servant politely she glanced at her Ladies-in-Waiting: Tsunade, Ino, and Ten Ten. They were all rosy cheeked and swaying to the music, either perfectly portraying a drunken glow or actually well on their way to being absolutely sloshed. Hinata couldn't tell.
Inwardly sighing she scanned the room, mentally checking off her associates as she spotted them. The minstrel Kiba was meandering around the room, flirting boldly with everyone as he strummed his beloved cittern, but actually acting as a lookout. Shino, her faithful guard, had managed to obtain the post by the exit which led to the maze of hallways which eventually led to the treasury vaults. He was stoic as a statue, immoveable from his place. And finally she found Neji. Tall and regal as ever as he wove through the crowd in her direction, a pink haired woman hanging daintily onto his elbow.
Wait, pink hair?!
Rising abruptly from her seat, Hinata nearly toppled her chair, causing Prince Orochimaru to blink up at her in surprise. "Oh, e-excuse me," she stuttered. "I need to use the ladies room." Not waiting for a reaction she turned and descended from the dais table into the crowd.
Colors and loud laughter engulfed her petite stature as she was devoured by the mass of mostly drunken revelers. Some moving to the music and others stumbling about arm in arm. Hinata hopped on her tiptoes, trying to get a bead on Neji where he had stopped to talk to Kiba.
A man backed into her, nearly spilling his wine down her dress. Twisting out of the way she tripped on a woman's absurdly wide skirt and nearly face planted into the folds of someone's ghastly brocade cloak, when a pair of sturdy arms suddenly darted out and grabbed her.
A pair of blue eyes the color of the summer sky sparkled inches from Hinata's face. Eyes she saw in her dreams every night, week after week, month after month. Aching for the day when she would be reunited with them again.
"Naru—" she started to whisper.
"Ahem!" The eyes rapidly backed away and Hinata finally got a full view of the person standing before her. The name died on her lips as shock washed over her face. Oh, it was definitely Naruto. Even in the most horrid looking deep orange paisley satin gown she had ever seen, with all his hair hidden in an escoffion, she would know him anywhere. Despite expecting this disguise she was still speechless at his outrageous appearance.
But he was here. He was here!
As her silence lengthened his bright expression grew tight. Clearing his throat harshly he shifted restlessly in the viselike corset. Hinata's brain was overheating, unable to decide how to react to this sudden and absurd reunion. Her heart ached to embrace him, yet her arms refused to budge. Her gaze landed on the garish shade of lipstick painted on his frowning lips and finally…she cracked.
Her snorts could hardly be muffled by her hand. Soon her shoulders were shaking with the effort to suppress her giggles. Naruto's tense face melted into amusement, his own mouth beginning to twitch.
"This was your idea, Princess," he whispered, bending down to make sure only she could hear his low voice. The heat of his breath hit the shell of her ear and her skin erupted in a vibrant blush bright enough to rival his own painted lips.
Gazing up into his eyes, she let her hand fall from her mouth, and instantly his own fell to her lips. "I missed you," she whispered, the longing in her voice emphasizing the complex emotions behind the simple words.
He sighed harshly, gripping her hands and squeezing them tightly. "Hinata, you have no idea."
Her heart thrummed with anticipation, but just then the music changed. Kiba began to lead the dancers in a particular song which was 'the signal'. Hinata straightened, reminded of her mission and the importance of this moment. "It's time, follow me."
Stealing through the crowd, she led him by the hand so as not to get lost. As they wove their way towards Shino, she noted all her old friends of the Merry Men each dutifully engaging in their roles.
Neji and Sakura were distracting Prince Orochimaru with some kind of political discussion. Sasuke glared at them, knuckles white on the knob of his jeweled cane as he stiffly endured a very flirtatious bombardment from Sheriff Karin, while Suigetsu scowled and tried not to stare.
Shikamaru was hanging back in the shadows, hiding behind his open fan but following them with his dark eyes.
Lee seemed to have forgotten all about his true purpose and was dancing as though the party was thrown just for him, laughing boisterously as he repeatedly swapped one partner for another while constantly exclaiming, "what a merry song!"
Shino offered them the barest of nods as Hinata and Naruto passed by into the hallway. Their steps quickened as they put distance between themselves and the banquet, eager to get on with the plan. But they paused to duck into an alcove and wait for the rest of the Merry Men to join them.
Naruto pressed himself against the wall while Hinata peeked back to see if they were being followed. The cold stone did little to cool his heated person, swathed in too many layers of fabric as well as suffocating anxiety. This was not exactly how he had imagined reuniting with Hinata. He was hoping for more of a heroic rescue. Bursting into the castle, sweeping her off her feet and carrying her away.
Licking his lips, he rubbed the back of his hand over his mouth, tired of the waxy feeling of the lipstick and too stressed to care about his disguise. He knelt down to check the blades he had hidden under his skirts, wishing he didn't have to leave his bow and arrows in the carriage. Hopefully Kakashi wasn't having any problems over in the stables, and would be able to meet them at the agreed upon spot as they escaped.
"I think we're clear," Hinata sighed as she turned around. Naruto looked up from his kneeling position, but was unable to hold her gaze, and instead refocused on his fidgeting.
"I brought an extra knife for you, if you want it," he offered, pulling a sgian-dubh out of his stocking and offering it up to her.
"I have some weapons," she answered proudly, and with a flick of her wrists produced two silver and lethal looking slender blades from her velvet sleeves.
Naruto laughed nervously and let his hand fall, "Oh, of course you have everything you need. What was I thinking—"
But before he could tuck it away in embarrassment she gently grasped his fist, pulling his hand and gaze back upwards. "But I'd love to accept this," she said softly, "I always treasure anything you give me."
Releasing his hand she shyly pulled up her gown, baring an expansive amount of leg that had Naruto's eyes widening. He swore her voice changed to a tone softer than the silk of her exposed chemise as she gathered up the layers of her dress in her arms and hesitantly asked, "Would you help me hide it, p-please?"
Blinking several times, Naruto simply nodded, not trusting his voice as he shakily reached out and tucked the sgian-dubh into an expensive looking garter around her shapely thigh. He cleared his throat harshly, daring to allow his rough fingertips to dance along her soft skin. "Does that feel—I mean—is that o-okay?"
"It's perfect," she smiled gently, and he could feel his heart beginning to melt. His eyes snapped up, the tenderness he could read in her silver gaze made the separation of the long months start to evaporate. When she looked at him that way, hope sparked again that they could rekindle what had once burned so brightly.
His hand wrapped tightly around her bare flesh, a tsunami of words which had been harbored for too long starting to spill out in a rush. "Hinata, I was thinking that after—"
"Okay, we're here," Sasuke's sharp tone cut through the profound moment, killing the mood in one swift strike. Naruto stood abruptly, unsuccessfully covering his frown while at least being able to cover Hinata so she could adjust her attire.
Taking no notice of their awkward fumbling, Shikamaru flipped his fan over, refolding it and pressing a small button that released a blade from the handle. "What a pain," he grumbled. "I thought the Sheriff would never let you out of her sight, Sasuke."
The Uchiha shuddered, making the necklaces he wore sparkle in the dim torchlight. "I don't know how women put up with that kind of flirtation. It felt more like sexual harassment than a compliment. Ugh, let's just get going." Unsheathing the long rapier hidden in his cane he glanced around. "Where's Lee?"
"Still dancing," Sakura snickered as she pulled on a pair of tight, black leather gloves. "But it's fine. If Kakashi runs into trouble, Lee should be able to handle the guards and clear a secondary escape route for us. His fighting moves are as 'merry' as his Carole."
Her astute green eyes bounced between Naruto and Hinata, who were noticeably quiet. "Everything okay?"
"Fine! Absolutely fine! F-Follow me, the vaults are this way," Hinata answered hurriedly, then turned and rushed into the darkness of the far corridor. Sasuke stared after her, eyebrow quirking before glancing at Naruto. The blond coughed awkwardly, scratching his hair under the stiff escoffion before just chucking the thing on the ground and darting after her as well.
The group proceeded with the utmost stealth, following Hinata through a labyrinth of hallways. Lower and deeper into the castle they descended, snagging torches from the wall as they went. Soon the fine carpets had given way to stale straw, and the air had turned moist and cold.
"Wait here, let me go first," Hinata finally whispered, coming to a stop just before turning down another corridor. Naruto's throat tightened as he peeked around the corner to watch her march confidently up to the pair of guards standing on each side of a heavily barred door.
"I've come for the crown," she announced with an air of stern authority, as though she was simply declaring her intention to go for a stroll. "Prince Orochimaru is ready to make his announcement of his intended coronation, so he wants it quickly."
The two guards looked at one another and then back down at her diminutive figure. "We were told it would be the Sheriff who would come fetch it, and to not allow anyone else in there."
Her back stiffened, stretching to her maximum height as she somehow managed to seem as though she were looking down her nose at the two huge men. "She is indisposed," Hinata's voice dripped with haughty disdain. "Suigetsu had to assist her to her quarters to sleep off the night's drink. Prince Orochimaru entrusted me with the task. Now hurry up before he gets impatient! If you are that worried about a simple woman like myself, you should be terrified of his temper!"
That spurred them into action, and while they both turned to unlock and lift a massive wooden bolt from the door, Hinata spun around and waved the rest of them onward. No sooner had the guards removed the beam than Naruto and Shikamaru knocked them both out cold and Sasuke swept into the chamber. His teeth ground together at the sight of all his family's treasures and valuables, plus much more, stolen and hoarded by Prince Orochimaru until the moment the vile usurper dared to declare his intentions against the absent King Minato. Intentions he apparently meant to commence with tonight.
Sakura pressed rags to the guards' faces, laced with a sedative that would keep them down for several hours. The others moved in an organized frenzy, gathering everything from jewels and coins, to vases stuffed with manuscripts. Anything they could carry was packed and shoved into arms and skirts and bodices.
After stuffing two bags of coins into his bosom, Naruto paused at the sight of The Royal Crown, the single most valuable object he had ever laid eyes on in his entire life. The massive red jewel on the front was The Kyūbi Diamond, said to have been harvested out of the hardened molten lava flows which poured from the hellish lair of the ancient, demonic nine-tailed dragon itself.
"Let's move!" Sasuke called out, throwing a heavy sack over his shoulder. "Kakashi should be at the back gate by now, we have to go."
"This way!" Hinata swept out the door and they followed her again, Naruto jamming the crown onto his own head before grabbing two creepy looking Egyptian statues that looked as if they were robbed from a pharaoh's tomb. The need for speed was overtaking their sense of stealth, and by the time they reached the rusty hinged door which led to the stables, they were all panting from running with their burdens.
The horses were stamping with impatience as well, shifting in their places hitched to the carriage. Kakashi snapped his book shut and hopped down. His mask was pulled up but the amusement was still very apparent in his eyes. "Look at you all, my cute little thieves committing felonies like it was nothing."
"It's not a felony if it was mine first," Sasuke snapped, shoving his burdens into the trunks on the back of the carriage. Kakashi chuckled, but stopped short when he saw the crown on Naruto's head, his eyes widening as if he had just seen a ghost.
"What?" Naruto asked defensively, "I ran out of hands."
"No, it's not that," Kakashi studied him, his head tilting to the side and a wicked gleam appearing in his eyes. "You just…remind me of someone I knew."
"Run now, talk later!" Shikamaru commanded, clambering into the carriage. Naruto shrugged and turned to grab Hinata, making sure that in the cramped confines of the small transportation, she was nuzzled next to him. And just him.
Hoofbeats sounded behind them and everyone held their breath for a moment, fear piercing their collective guts as two men leading several horses galloped hard toward them out of the foggy night. Hinata leaned forward to see who it was, then sighed harshly in relief. "It's the Stablemaster Gai and my carriage driver, Sai. They're allies with the Hyūga. We're still good."
Sasuke pounded on the roof of the carriage and at Kakashi's command it lurched forward. The group jumbled together, the men struggling out of their dresses and the women stripping out of the more excessive layers of their gowns until they also were prepared to move and fight with as much grace as any man in tights. Naruto squirmed to get the strap of his quiver of arrows around his shoulders and kissed his bow in gratitude.
"God I missed you," he gushed to his weapons.
Sakura snorted as she tied back her hair. "Shouldn't you be saying that to Hinata?"
Hinata squeaked, fumbling with an especially dangly earring she was removing and trying to stuff into her corset. Naruto grinned at her, pulling her into his lap and readjusting the crown on his head. "Oh I got more than that to say to her," he chuckled, enjoying the bright red flush that was creeping across her chest and up her neck.
"What a pain," Shikamaru groaned again. But suddenly they were all thrown forward into the wall when the carriage abruptly came to a harsh stop.
"Woah, woah!" Kakashi was yelling. "We got a situation out here! The gate is blocked, they've dropped the portcullis!"
Naruto twisted and stuck his head out the window, eyes going wide at the chaos that greeted him. "Holy fuck," he whispered.
The carriage had circled back to the front of the castle, where the gate to the bridge which was the only way across the massive moat offered their best escape route. It was also where they were supposed to rendezvous with the rest of their comrades. But instead of quietly awaiting their arrival, the rest of their accomplices were engaged in a ruthless fight with the castle guards.
Without waiting another moment, the group in the carriage burst out into the courtyard and charged, escalating the fight into a full blown melee. Clanging metal and shouts rang through the air. Torches were being used as makeshift weapons, and random piles of hay and debris were quickly catching fire. Lee, Neji, and Ten Ten were all fighting back to back, somehow displaying a coordinated attack and defense as if they had been teammates for years.
Sasuke and Shikamaru each disarmed the first enemies they faced, ripping their swords and shields out of their grasp and claiming them as their own. Grabbing the harnesses of the extra steeds Gai and Sai had brought, they hopped on horseback and began plowing into the throng of guards, cutting them down left and right.
Tsunade had managed to wrench Suigetsu's claymore away from him and was wielding the massive thing as if it were a mere saber. Behind her, Karin was stalking out of the shadows, a spear gripped in her hands, ready to stab Tsunade in the back. But Sakura was faster, cracking the shaft of the spear in half with a single hand, then sinking a trio of poison tipped needles into the Sheriff's neck. The woman collapsed in an inglorious heap. Distracted by her defeat, Suigetsu was immediately smashed over the head with his own weapon. The two were left in a worthless pile as Sakura and Tsunade fist bumped each other and leapt back into the fight to create more carnage.
Naruto climbed atop the carriage, unleashing a hail of arrows upon the reinforcements that were appearing in the windows of the castle and aiming to pick off his friends. From his perch he was able to spy a man high up on a wooden walkway who was guarding the winch for the gate, keeping it closed and trapping them all in the castle courtyard. He aimed, widening his stance and compensating for the wild rocking of the carriage as the horses reared and bucked against their harnesses.
TWANG!
His arrow hit the man in the neck, and he toppled to the piles of crates below. Launching himself from the carriage roof, Naruto landed astride one of the horses and used the blade in his boot to cut the animal free. Screaming like a berserker he galloped through the fight, dodging spears and arrows, until he reached the courtyard gate.
Taking a deep breath he steeled his nerves, pulling his feet from the stirrups and planting them on the saddle, carefully standing up upon the horse's back. With perfect timing he leaped from the horse's back and grabbed onto the heavy chains that ran vertically alongside the massive iron portcullis. Scrambling up them with the nimble agility of one who had lived for years in the forest. He breached the walkway and yanked on the winch. With a loud clang the gears began to groan and rattle, and the opening to their freedom gradually opened.
He turned and immediately began scanning the fight below for Hinata. But, of course, she was holding her own down in the chaos where she had teamed up with Ino. One soldier after another tried to grab her. But every time she managed to twist away with that unearthly flexibility which was unique to her fighting style, following up with a powerful kick that one would never expect from her petite frame. As he watched, she moved on the offensive and corralled an overwhelmed soldier through the gates, smashing him in the helmet with a roundhouse and sending him splashing over the side of the bridge and into the moat below. Naruto was blatantly admiring her skill when he was distracted by a furious scream.
"ROBIN HOOD!" Prince Orochimaru screeched from the top of the castle stairs. His hair and eyes were wild as he zeroed in on Naruto, a crossbow clasped in his pale hands. "That's my crown you piece of shit!"
"Then come and get it ya poxy-phony-wanna-be king!" Naruto taunted back jauntily. But it was more bluff than he cared to admit. He was out of arrows, and completely exposed atop the narrow wooden walkway. He looked around frantically for something nearby, perhaps an arrow from the enemy? But there were none stabbed into the wood within reach. All he saw was how worryingly close the fire was creeping to the wooden floorboards where he stood. The thick smoke was starting to burn his eyes as he searched for a way to escape.
He eyed the distance to the ground; his lofty position was at a dangerous height. Below, there were nothing but unfavorable landing surfaces, all of which guaranteed a broken limb. Prince Orochimaru was already loading his weapon, Naruto didn't have time to scramble down the wall without stupidly exposing his back. The rest of the carriage horses were not war trained, and in their terror had taken off across the bridge and tore through town, so even a leap onto its roof wasn't an option. Naruto's only chance of escape from the crossbow's aim was to jump into the icy moat water and hope he made it to the opposite bank before he froze to death.
Praying this wasn't the day his legendary luck gave out, Naruto took a deep breath and braced to jump. But suddenly his leg gave out, sinking through the weakened planks of wood and trapping him like a fish in a barrel. His eyes widened in panic as he yanked and twisted, pain shooting up his leg. Prince Orochimaru cackled, teeth bared in a grotesque grin as he raised the crossbow and took aim.
"Out of luck at last, eh Hero?" he spit out.
Sweat poured from Naruto's face. He pulled the knife from his free boot and started hacking frantically at the wood, desperate to get free, to live, he had to live, he had to…
"NARUTO!" Her voice reached his ears above the cacophony. He looked down and his mouth fell open.
It was almost in slow motion. Hinata charged, ripping an arrow out of the body of a dead guard, running up the back of another, sprinting over the teetering towers of crates as though they were steady as solid marble stairs. Leaping into the air, dress and hair dancing around her like a goddess taking flight, she reared back. With a shout of effort she hurled the arrow at him with perfect accuracy.
He knew exactly what to do.
It happened in a blink. A catch. A nock. A draw.
A pull of the trigger. A snap of the bowstring.
A heartbeat.
Two arrows sailed through the night, one launched from a man trapped atop a collapsing walkway, the other from the crossbow of an obsessed prince.
In midair, just a few meters and milliseconds from Naruto's head, the arrows collided, and exploded. Splintering into a hundred pieces, they fell harmlessly to the stones below.
Prince Orochimaru blinked, his hands falling to his sides in disbelief. Fury twisted his features, veins bulging at his temples. "NOOOO—
His ferocious cry was cut off, along with his head, severed in one powerful stroke by Sasuke's blade. The Uchiha loomed over the usurper's body, breathing heavily with the efforts of his fight to reach the horrid man and the surge of adrenaline at finally having his revenge. He spit upon the corpse, then turned to face the mass of warriors below, raising his sword and his voice.
"The Prince is DEAD!"