There was a strange rumbling.
it vibrated through her, like the ground was moving. She wasn't sure which way was down or up, or even if she wasn't under water. It felt like she was floating but it didn't feel like anything at all. She still had arms, Right?
She twitched her fingers, or, at least she thought she did.
She couldn't tell.
But she did hear a faint scraping noise-kinda like twitching fingers.
She was blanketed with a sort of numbness, the kind where it was hiding extreme pain. Her heartbeat was in her head. Each breathe was congested and she was confused. She wasn't sick. But she was twisted in a weird way, like she had been thrown and skidded on her side. The angle was pressing down on her chest, and each breath was a uphill battle. It didn't help wherever she was was stifling, with no breeze or fresh hair. It was sticky and hot.
She wrestled sluggishly with her eyelids, who refused to open.
The rumbling was still going on, and she could now make out a distinct clopping through the static.
Her breathing quickly as she struggled with a once simply task before she stopped briefly.
What would she see when she opened her eyes?
The static was still there, but was clearing a bit. She felt her arms and the tingles in her hand from where she was laying on it. She cracked open a lid.
As she suspected, she was in some sort of enclosed space. She could faintly make out cracks of where the enclosed space seams were. It seemed to be an reinforced cargo carrier. Her hair spilled over her shoulder and swayed with the rocking of the container. Was she on a boat? The clopping noise was louder than ever. Horses.
...
Was she being smuggled out of Konoha!?
That made no sense! Would she be a ransom hold? Sharingan hunters or something? For a moment she was worried the massacre had started, despite all her precautions. That Root agents had started it. But if they had, she would be dead too.
Dead like uncle Akira.
Oh god.
He was dead.
She started shaking harder, despite the stuffy air.
"Miko? Miko?" A small voice through the static.
She choked and coughed on her tears and turned her head towards the voice. Was she hallucinating.
A figure which blocked out part of the crack was in the corner of the box. It was huddled as small as possible, as though trying to shrink and disappear. They called out again. How did they know her name?
"Who is it?" She rasped.
"It-it's me, Hinata."
!
Hinata!?
Why was she here!? Was she kidnapped because of her eyes too or because she was with Miko? And why were they dressed up as Konoha shinobi? As a disguise because that could be taken many ways...
"Are you okay?" She whispered hoarsely.
"Are you? You got knocked out. We didn't."
"We?"
"Shikamaru's here too."
God damn it.
"Is he okay?"
"Yes. He got tired and fell asleep."
Well, good to know somethings never change. She peered around the box and saw another small shape huddled to her left.
Akira changed, from alive to dead-
"Do you know who kidnapped us? Can you use your special eyes?" She whispered.
"I have. Were on a caravan going through woods. I don't know where they're taking us." Hinata got up and crawled over to Miko, crying. She gathered her in her lap like how they did when they were kids.
"I'm scared." Hinata whispered.
'I know, I know. I'll get us out of it."
She will.
She had to.