CHAPTER TWENTY
Retrieval Part-1
"Seriously, how did you get it like this?"
Tenten's question was directed at Hanabi, who was sitting on a mat between her legs for her to braid her long hair. The trio of Tenten and the Hyuuga sisters were seated under a cherry blossom tree in the Hyuuga estate that snowy night, chatting away.
"What are you feeding your hair Hanabi?"
"Good genes I guess" Hanabi proudly replied as the older girl continued twisting her hair to form a large french braid.
"Done!" Tenten declared. "Lets see how you like it" she handed Hanabi a mirror to look at herself. The young girl studied her reflection for a few seconds then handed the mirror back to Tenten.
"Sub-par. You can do better"
Hinata gave a tired sigh as Tenten bowed her head dejectedly. "Hanabi, Tenten spent so much time braiding your hair, be grateful"
"But it's just not very good?"
"Oh my goodness, not even a love life will make you develop a smidgen of kindness will it?" Hinata scolded her sister who had turned red with her remark.
"A love life?" Tenten perked up. "Hanabi, you sneaky little vixen…."
"D-don't listen to Hinata! She's just…..drunk!" Hanabi almost shouted her response.
Hinata laughed and leaned into Tenten with a hand covering her whisper.
"I saw her kissing Konohamaru"
"No way!"
"Hinata! I told you not to tell anyone!" Hanabi rose to her feet with her hands clenched in balls by her side. Hinata could only laugh while Tenten faced Hanabi with a wide grin.
"I'm so happy for you Hanabi! So, how long has Sarutobi Konohamaru been your boooyfriend?" Tenten poked Hanabi with her finger as she stretched the last word in her question, making the Hyuuga turn even more red.
"You're so annoying Hinata" Hanabi faced her side with her arms folded.
"This is why father doesn't love you"
Tenten and Hinata broke into laughter at Hanabi's remark, then the former produced a bottle of liquor from a summoning scroll.
Curious, Hinata took the bottle in her hands. "Do you just carry these around with you Tenten?"
Her friend just shrugged. "I like being prepared"
She retrieved the bottle from Hinata and opened it, taking a swig and passing it to the Hyuuga.
"I know you're a lightweight Hinata, so don't overdo it"
Hinata accepted the drink with a small frown. "Come on, I'm not that pathetic at drinking…..I can handle it" She took a long swig from the bottle and then slowly handed it back to Tenten, gently rubbing her eyes and shaking her head as she did so.
"Aaaand you're drunk….." Tenten broke into laughter watching Hinata struggle to focus her eyesight
"I didn't…..I'm not drinking…. Tenten"
"Damn right you aren't" Tenten broke into another laugh then paused, shifting her gaze to Hanabi, then to the bottle in her hand, and finally at Hanabi again.
"Hmm?" Hanabi looked at Tenten handing her the alcoholic drink in confusion.
"It's a special occasion, so I'll you let have some"
"No….NO T-T-TENTEN!" The two girls turned to Hinata pointing at Tenten, struggling to steady her hand.
"Hanabi is too old!"
Tenten broke into another fit of laughter and handed Hanabi the bottle, ignoring Hinata's slurry protests. "A little sip won't kill you….look at it like dipping your toes into the water" she winked at the teenager as she took nervously took the bottle.
"You're a bad influence auntie Tenten" Hanabi remarked with a sigh, and lifted the bottle to her lips.
"Hahaha!" Tenten laughed as Hanabi's face squirmed at the taste of the liquor, gagging and clasping her chest.
"How do you enjoy this? It tastes like acid!"
"You-you're just too….fruity to get into it, sis" Hinata giggled at a confused Hanabi
"What are you-"
Hanabi was interrupted by the sudden appearance of a dark, swirling portal in front of them.
"Sasuke?" she said under her breath, but the person that stepped out of the portal was anything but the Uchiha.
Wearing a white coat and a pair of black trousers and sporting a curved horn that wrapped itself around his forehead, the strange figure inhaled deeply before speaking.
"Earth realm…..how pleasant"
Tenten bolted to her feet, holding two kunai in her hands. "Who are you?" she asked the man.
"There you are, Tenseigan" Isshiki made his way towards Hinata without bothering to address the people near him. He stopped in his tracks to catch a kunai thrown at him in a hand, then slowly turned to face Tenten.
"Do not interfere, insect" then he continued making his way towards the young woman who was wobbling on her feet, struggling to focus on him.
Another kunai flew towards him, harmlessly swatted to the side by Isshiki's hand. Emotionlessly, he turned to look at the person that launched them at him.
"Stay away from her!" Ten barked at him, summoning a sword from a scroll and readying a fighting stance. Meanwhile, other members of the Hyuuga clan had begun to arrive on scene.
Isshiki looked around at the growing crowd of shinobi around him. With a tired sigh, he raised his arm and pointed it at Tenten.
"I warned you"
In an instant several black rods materialized from seemingly nowhere, impaling several Hyuuga shinobi gathered around.
"Tenten!" Hinata screamed as she watched her friend tumble to the ground in pain with a metal rod sticking out of her abdomen. Satisfied, Isshiki continued making his way towards Hinata who had readied her battle stance.
"Stay back! Don't come any closer!"
The man kept on walking towards her without changing his pace.
Her mind raced as she thought of something to do. Isshiki was clearly out of her league, but she wasn't going to let him simply have his way with her. Furthermore her family was in danger and she had to protect them as the daughter of the clan heir. Activating her Byakugan, Hinata knew deep down she had no chance, especially in her tipsy state. Glancing to her side, she suddenly realized she couldn't locate her sister's anymore….
[Eight trigrams: Palm rotation]
Right as Isshiki was almost in arms reach of Hinata, Hanabi dropped from the tree branches above and deployed the palm rotation technique around herself and Hinata, sending him flying away with great force. Isshiki crashed into the snow and dirt, skidding along the ground to a stop before slowing levitating back to his feet.
"Hinata! Hanabi!"
The pair turned in the direction of the voice calling them to find their father, Hiashi Hyuuga accompanied by 5 other clansmen.
"Father!" Hanabi called out to him as Hiashi and his men positioned themselves around Isshiki in a circle.
"You dare trespass in my home and attack my family, you vile creature!" Hiashi growled at the intruder in their midst. "You will pay for your crimes evildoer!"
Isshiki floated high into the air and looked down below at the people gathered on the ground.
"Why don't you creatures ever listen?"
Hinata's eyes widened with fear as she saw him raise his hand and point it at them below.
He's going to kill everyone, she thought, looking around at the people on her side.
Her father, Hanabi, Tenten, her clansmen….they were all going to die in a few moments unless she did something…
We're all here for you, it's our duty. You're not just our friend, you're also a shinobi of Konoha
Naruto's words from a few nights ago repeated in her mind as she lowered her guard and stepped forward, arms raised.
I'm sorry, but I'm not letting everyone die because of me
"Wait!"
Isshiki looked down to single out his target stepping forward with her hands raised.
"You're here for me, right?"
Hanabi watched her sister surrender herself to the stranger with a shocked expression
"Hinata….what are you doing?"
Hinata ignored her and stepped forward. "I surrender myself to you, take me"
"Hinata! Get back here this instant!" Hiashi ordered his eldest, not believing the sight of her surrendering to the enemy.
"No father" her reply left him stumped for words. "Everyone here will die if I don't surrender, and he will have his way with me regardless, I won't let all of you sacrifice your lives for my sake"
Hinata steeled herself and walked closer to Isshiki, who had begun to float back to the ground.
"Bearer of the Tenseigan, you come willingly to me?"
Hinata walked up to him and knelt to the ground in a bow. "I yield, but please, spare these innocents, they are not who you seek"
"No way….Hinata!" Hanabi raced towards her sister, ignoring the screams from her father calling her back. Hinata raised her head at Hanabi's voice to spot her running towards her, dojutsu activated. She looked up in time to spot Isshiki raise his hand towards Hanabi and felt her body go cold. Hanabi was going to be upon them in a moment, and Isshiki was definitely going to kill her….
[Eight trigrams: air palm]
Hanabi felt herself pushed backwards, crashing into the snow. She picked herself up and felt her heart break as she saw Hinata facing her, her arm stretched outwards with an open palm.
"Sister…." She took a step closer to Hinata in disbelief but her elder sister prepared to repel her again.
"Get back Hanabi" Hinata said firmly, her focus on Hanabi unflinching. She tried her best to remain defiant in front of her sister but overtime cracks began to show in her demeanor.
"Hanabi, don't come any closer!" Hinata shouted at her sister who had dropped to her knees, a tear falling down her cheek.
"All of you, stay back!"
She turned to Isshiki behind her and pleaded with him again. "As I said earlier, I surrender. Take me with you, but spare these people, please!"
Isshiki looked down at Hinata, then raised his gaze to Hiashi.
"Your terms are acceptable" He grabbed her hand with an iron grip and turned around to a portal that opened behind them. And as quickly as he had arrived, he was gone.
With Hinata.
"Wake up psycho, dinner time"
Two prison guards walked up to maximum security cell 98 and looked up at an overhead security camera. A moment later, the door to the cell rolled open, allowing one of them to step inside with a food tray.
"It's your lucky day Mikasa, look what I brought"
He dropped the tray to the floor and slid it towards the bed with a kick.
"The ninja hounds weren't feeling too hungry today, so we decided to do something nice for you sweetheart" He grinned mischievously as he watched the tray of half eaten dog food skid to a stop in front of Mikasa's bed.
Her very empty bed.
Smugness replaced with fear, the guard called for his partner.
"Rengoku!"
The red-headed man standing outside the cell bolted inside and froze. He quickly reached for his radio, almost screaming into it
"Code red in MS 98, Mikasa's not here! She's gone!"
A voice responded from the radio
"I'm sorry could you repeat what you just said?"
"Dammit, you want me to spell it out for you? KUROSAKI-IS-NOT-HERE! The bitch has escaped!"