Ch 42 Hinata Alone
Hokage Tower, day three of the Forest of Death
"So Orochimaru has returned." Hiruzen said.
"I can confirm it for myself," Anko said. That Hiruzen could believe, judging by how the woman looked. "Believe me, I tried to take the snake bastard down. I really did."
Hiruzen shook his head. "That was incredibly foolish of you, Anko," he chided the woman. "You may have been his apprentice, but he is beyond your level. You should have known that."
Anko remained silent for a long moment. Hiruzen knew she wanted to argue the point, but she couldn't come up with a good argument to refute his point. "Someone had to face him," she said in a low voice.
Hiruzen nodded his head. "I did not say he should have gone unchallenged," said he. "Only that you should not have faced the man alone."
Again, the silence from the woman was telling. "So, what do we do now?" Another Jōnin asked. "Do we keep looking for Orochimaru, and what about the Chunin exams?"
"Simple, I say we cancel them," Anko growled out. "Tell the brats they have better luck next time."
"It would be a bad idea to hold the exams while a known criminal is running around the village," the other Jōnin in the room said.
"All the more reason to go after the former sannin," a second suggested. "If that snake bastard thinks he can slither back in without getting his head stomped on. He got another thing coming."
"But this could raise an issue with the other villages," a third stated. "They might see it as Konoha trying to pull one over them."
Hiruzen had closed his eyes, thinking over his options, and even his shinobi deliberated among themselves. Certainly, it would be the safest option to cancel the exams now, given the threat his former student posed. If something happened because of Orochimaru and it was found out that Konoha had stood by and did nothing. Hiruzen didn't want to think what kind of repercussions that would have. Especially in light of what he knew was already coming.
But at the same time, these Exams were too important to cancel. If they did cancel, it could be seen as a sign of weakness and invite what he was trying to delay. Hiruzen took a deep breath. At times like this, he wished he had never taken the hat.
He breathed out, knowing what his choice would be. "We will proceed with the exams as they are," he said. "We cannot afford to show any sign of weakness. Not now, not ever."
"You can't seriously consider this?" Anko protested. "One of the most dangerous criminals in the elemental nations is running around the village, and you want to hold a schoolyard test?"
"Anko I understand your feelings about Orochimaru," Hiruzen said, giving Anko a stern look, telling her he would not take any argument. "But we cannot afford to show weakness while the eyes of the world are upon us. All of you in this room know what is coming. These exams are too important to cancel. Then there is my former student's threat to consider."
Anko had a look of anger on her face. "You can't take his threats seriously," she spat out. "That snake can't possibly destroy the whole village. He can't be that powerful."
Hiruzen fixed his stare at Anko. "Orochimaru may be many things," he started. "But one thing he is not is bluster. If Orochimaru believes he can destroy Konoha, then it may well be in his ability to do so. All things considered, I believe going forward with the exams is our best option."
Anko looked like she wanted to say more, but the stare Hiruzen had fixed her with kept her silent. After a second, the purple-haired woman tsked and turned around. "Fine, but I still say this is a mistake," she started for the door.
"Where are you going?" A Jōnin called to her as she reached the door. "The Hokage has not dismissed you."
Predictably, Anko flips the man off. "Unless you're volunteering, I'm off to kill something." Then she slammed the door behind her.
The Jōnin that had tried to stop Anko turned to face Hiruzen. "Hokage-Sama."
Any protest from the man was stopped with a wave from the old Hokage. "Let her go," he said. Hiruzen knew Anko meant well and would need time to cool. Pity the fool that tried to get in her way. "We have much more important matters to discuss. While we are going forward with the exams, that does not mean we will not be taking precautions. I want security in the village tightened and double the patrols around the village and its perimeter. I also want surveillance of visiting teams to be increased."
"You suspect that another village might be aiding Orochimaru?" One Jōnin asked.
Hiruzen shook his head. "No, but nothing should be ruled out," said he. "However, Orochimaru is a snake through and through. If he sees an opening, he will slither his way in. We will not take any action, but we will keep an eye on any would-be ally. Understood?"
"Hai!" Everyone in the room said.
"Then everyone is dismissed," he said. "I will issue further orders once I have convened with the council." With that, everyone in the room filed out the door.
Once alone, Hiruzen sighed tiredly and leaned back into his chair for a second. Then he stood and turned to walk up to the window overlooking his beloved village. "I said everyone was dismissed," Hiruzen said after another second to gaze out the window.
"My apologies, Hokage-Sama," Itachi said, emerging from the shadows. "I had concerns I wanted to discuss with you."
Hiruzen closed his eyes. He had his suspicions on what those concerns would entail. "The issue with Orochimaru is being handled," he said. "You don't have to concern yourself with the safety of the exam participants."
Hiruzen was met with silence from the young Uchiha scion. "Hokage-Sama, may I be allowed to speak freely?"
Hiruzen smiled. "Speak your mind, Itachi."
"That is easy for you to say, Sarutobi," Itachi started. "Your brother isn't the target of an infamous criminal."
"Now, Itachi, Orochimaru could be after any," Hiruzen knew it was a flimsy argument, and Itachi called him out on it.
"I know about the team that was supposed to be watching Team-11," said Itachi. Hiruzen winced. The bodies of the Jōnin assigned to watch Team-11 had been found near the entrance to the Forest of Death. Judging by the expressions on their faces, they had died, never knowing they had been in danger. "Then there were the reports of certain chakra being felt."
Hiruzen nodded. "Naruto tapped into the power of the Kyūbi," he said. "It seems his training has progressed well."
"Naruto would not have used that power lightly," Itachi stated. "Not against another genin team or even the wildlife in the forest. We made sure that whatever the genin teams faced there, they could handle it. For Naruto to have used that chakra, his team would have faced a truly powerful opponent."
"In other words, Orochimaru," Hiruzen said. He pulled his pipe out. Lighting it, he took a smoke from it. "I know you are concerned about your brother Itachi. But these exams are bigger than him. You know that."
Itachi was silent for a second, thinking about what the old Hokage said and what he meant. "He's my little brother, Hokage-Sama," he said. "I want to protect him. Knowing that a man like Orochimaru is after him. It."
Letting out a cloud of smoke, Hiruzen interrupted the young man behind him. "I know," he said. "But what would you have me do? Pull your brother and his team out of the exams? You know how he would feel about that."
"But he would be safe," Itachi said softly.
"He is a shinobi," Hiruzen pointed out. "Safety was never going to be a part of his life. You can't protect him forever, Itachi. At some point, he has to grow on his own. He and the rest of his generation have already grown so much." The smile on his face was a proud one. Watching the current generation of genin had been a privilege Hiruzen never thought he would live to enjoy. It gave him hope for the future of the village he loved.
However, his smile also had a sad note to it. He knew that sooner or later, the current generation would be forced to grow more.
Hiruzen heard the tired sigh from the Uchiha man. "I know," Itachi admitted. "I'm proud of my little brother. He has grown so much in the past few years that it's hard to imagine him as a grown-up now. Seems like just yesterday, he was a little toddler waddling up to me with a happy coo." A small chuckle was let out by the man. "Now I'm starting to sound like my mother."
Hiruzen's smile grew. "Your brother will be okay," he said to calm the young man. "He's more capable than you think and has a good team. Right now, our focus should be on stopping whatever plans my former student has."
"Hokage-Sama, can you grant me a request?" Itachi asked.
Hiruzen already had an idea of what the young Uchiha would ask. "Go ahead."
"I would like to be a part of the team watching Team-11," Itachi requested.
"Granted," Hiruzen said. "But remember, you're there to watch. You can't interfere unless."
"Unless the team is in imminent danger beyond their ability to cope," Itachi finished. "I know."
Hiruzen nodded. "Then you may go," he said. A moment later, he could no longer feel the young man's presence. Hiruzen smiled as he looked over the village. He knew dark times were coming for his home, but he knew the village would be in good hands.
Forest of Death
Hinata let out a tired breath as she lay Naruto down next to Sasuke. She had found a small, well-hidden cave and brought her unconscious teammates here. She didn't have the strength to carry them, so she had to make two trips for the boys.
Looking for a safe place had not been easy either. She had constantly kept her Byakugan on to keep a watchful eye on the boys as she looked around the forest—a drain on her chakra reserves, to be sure. Thankfully, she had found this place relatively quickly.
Looking at her teammates, Hinata was glad they were mostly all right. The worry was still there, seeing as she had no idea what Orochimaru had done to them.
Both boys had new seals on their bodies, each doing something different. With Naruto, she had some ideas. Another seal had been placed over the one that kept Kurama inside of him. Whatever kind of seal it was, it messed with Naruto's chakra flow. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that it was an odd-numbered seal over an even-numbered one.
As for the seal on Sasuke's shoulder, she couldn't understand what that thing was doing. But she knew it was bad news, judging by the icky purple chakra from it. Maybe once Naruto wakes up, he can have a look at it. He understood more about seals than her.
Hinata let out a tired sigh. "That's if he even wakes up," she said lowly. Then she shook her head and clapped her hands on her face. "No, I can't think that way. I must be strong for them. I have to keep them safe."
Hinata always felt she was the weak link on the team. She could never quite keep up with the boys. Naruto and Sasuke were amazing in their own way. Especially Naruto he always worked so hard for everything, and no matter how many times he fell, he always got back up. Naruto inspired her and made her feel she was not a failure and could be something.
Hinata looked out across the forest. Now, she had a chance to prove to herself that she wasn't a burden to her teammates. She would protect Naruto and Sasuke and prove she deserved to stand beside them.
Making sure her teammates were well and okay, Hinata walked away from the cave. "I'll protect them," she promised. She had a lot of work to do.
"So, that's our target," Zatzu said. "He doesn't look like much to me."
"And by the looks, he's down and out," Kin said with a smirk. "And so is blondie. All we have to do is get past the girl. Easiest mission we've ever had."
Dosu nodded. "I wouldn't be so quick to write the girl off," he said. "Look at her eyes. She's clearly a Hyūga. We should be careful with her."
Kin scoffed. "That little thing? She looks so shy and meek I doubt she could even hurt a fly, let alone one of us. I bet she's been coasting off the success of her teammates. Let me deal with the little girl if you're so worried about her. I'll show her what a real kunoichi looks like."
"Not that we have much to worry about, to begin with," Zatsu pointed. "Hyūga are all Taijutsu specialists. I don't think they could handle our sound attacks very well."
Kin shrugged her shoulders. "Either way you slice it, this girl won't be much of a problem," she said. "Once we get past her, we'll have a clear shot at the Uchiha." Then she started to chuckle. "Imagine that, beating a Hyūga and a Uchiha at the same time. Orochimaru-Sama will be pleased."
Zatsu smirked. "He might even replace the Sound Four with us as his bodyguards."
Now, that sounded good to Dosu. Under the bandages covering his face, a smile was forming. Everything they did was for Orochimaru. He was their savior and master. A chance to please the snake sannin was not an opportunity they would pass up.
"We'll wait a little longer," Dosu said. "Once the cover of night falls, we'll strike." His subordinates nodded at him. His smile grew. Like Kin said, this would be an easy mission. He didn't know why Orochimaru wanted this Uchiha Sasuke dead, but he would do as his master commanded.
Looking at the one thing standing in the way of completing his team's mission, he knew his caution was unwarranted. The Hyūga girl looked nothing like what a Kunoichi should. The same could be applied to all the Konoha genin he had seen. How Konoha ever became the strongest hidden village with people like that was beyond him. But soon, Konoha would be knocked off its throne and brought low. Its so-called 'Will of Fire' would be put out.
Oto would be heard throughout the world.
Unknown
Sasuke felt himself falling and falling. Where am I?
He opened his eyes to see the hazy darkness surrounding him. What happened?
The last thing he remembered was fighting against Orochimaru. He was doing something, trying to protect something or someone. The memory was hazy in Sasuke's mind. An image of the snake sannin biting into his shoulder was all he could conjure up of the memory.
"Pathetic," a voice called out to Sasuke through the darkness.
Sasuke looked around the darkness, trying to spot the source. "Who said that?" He asked. "Where are you?"
"You're pathetic," the voice mocked him. "You couldn't protect yourself. What made you think you could protect your friend? You're weak." The word friend came out as a venomous spat from the voice.
Sasuke clenched his fists. His memories were returning to him now. Naruto. He was trying to protect his friend, Naruto. "Who are you?" He asked. He was still falling through the darkness, but somehow, he never got the sense that he was in danger. Am I dreaming?
"Is that all you can do? Ask questions. No wonder you're so weak," the voice continued to mock him. "You hold yourself back, deny your hunger for power, and protect others."
"And what's so wrong with that?" Sasuke twists around in the air, trying to face the source of the voice. "Naruto is my friend and teammate. Why wouldn't I try to protect him? He would do the same for me."
The voice tsked. "Weak and stupid," it said, or he. Sasuke could not shake the feeling that the voice sounded familiar to him. "Of course, the underling should protect his superior. But you don't have to. He is just a tool to be discarded, as is the girl."
"Hinata?" Sasuke asked.
"Everyone and everything around are tools to be used, rid of the moment they have served their usefulness. All for your true desire."
Sasuke was getting fed up with all this cryptic talk from the voice. "Who are you? Show yourself?"
The voice laughed at him like it was amused, infuriating Sasuke even more. "Who am I?" It asked him back. "You should have figured it out by now. But I suppose you can't be a little slow. Considering the company, you keep around."
"Stop insulting my friends," Sasuke shouted at the voice.
"Why should I?" The voice asked him back. "These are your true thoughts, after all. Feeling you have even hidden from yourself. I should know."
That was when a figure appeared in front of Sasuke. If Sasuke had not fallen, he would have taken a step back.
The figure smiled at him. He was steeped in shadow, with strange markings all over his body. But Sasuke would have recognized that face anywhere. He saw it every time he looked in a mirror.
The other Sasuke smiled at him. "Now Sasuke Uchiha," he said. "I have something to show you."
Seal
Kurama held back his frustration as he watched the outside world, unable to do anything. He couldn't even reach Naruto because of what that blasted snake did.
Even with the boy unconscious, his eyes could still function, which offered Kurama a continued view of what was happening outside. It was a nice relief for the fox since he feared the eyes would drop, and Naruto was unconscious. But like when Naruto went to sleep, the eyes still functioned and remained on whatever path the boy last gave them.
How all that work was still a mystery to the Biju. Even if he had been to create the Futogan, the inner workings of the ability were a mystery to Kurama. All he really knew was that it worked. Something he would never admit to his container. The boy already had enough quips for the fox, and Kurama didn't want to deal with anymore.
"Though I would give a lot if it meant talking to the kit again," he said aloud. Kurama looked through Naruto's eyes and watched as the events in the Forest of Death played out. More specifically, he watched Hinata guarding the unconscious forms of Naruto and Sasuke. A smile formed across the fox's face, a rather scary sight if someone else were to see it.
Another thing he would hand to Naruto. The boy had chosen well in his selection of mates. Hinata may be meek and soft, but Kurama could see she had an inner strength that many people lacked. Even some Biju lacked. And her eyes were set solely on Naruto. Now, if only the dense boy would realize that and his feelings for the girl. But Kurama was not going to ask for too many miracles; besides, he was already making good progress.
Kurama chuckled to himself. At the very least, he would have some good material to hold over Naruto later in life. Then Kurama turned his attention to Sasuke, and the smile vanished from his face.
Loath as he would admit it, but the boy was among the few Uchiha he liked. He still had a strong distaste for the clan as a whole, but the boy and his brother were at least people he could respect (the same could be applied to Shisui). Which was why the seal on his shoulder worried the Biju.
Whatever Orochimaru had done, whatever that seal was, Kurama knew one thing for sure. That seal was bad news all over. Even in his own seal, Kurama could feel the vile chakra coming from that thing. Kurama felt there was more to that seal than he was seeing, and none of it was good news, not with that snake involved.
Once Naruto woke up, Kurama would advise him to have a look at the thing. Movement on the outside stole away Kurama's attention. Hinata stood up, pulling out a kunai. Kurama's eyes narrowed. Whatever good luck the team had on their side seemed to run out.
In the field of vision, Kurama could see three figures emerging from the trees.
Real-world
Hinata was caressing her hand through Naruto's hair when her instincts snapped to attention. Someone was here. Quietly, she activated her Bykugan to see who was coming and where they were.
A frown tugged at the corners of her lips when she saw three figures standing in the forest right in front of the cave. None of the trio had a leaf band on them. She did, however, recognize them, the Oto-Nin.
Pulling her hand away, Hinata stood up and faced the three. Pulling a kunai out, she shouted at the newcomers. "I know you are there."
The Oto-nin did nothing for a moment, almost prompting Hinata to speak again. But the three shinobi walked out from the thick line of trees and into the clearing in front of the cave.
"So, what they say about the all-seeing Bykugan is true," one of them said, a bandage boy with a hunch to his back.
"Though not as good as we thought it would be," the girl of the group commented.
Hinata deactivated her Bykugan and glared at the trio. "What do you want?" She asked the trio. It was a dumb question. She knew what the three were after and was prepared to give the trio one of the two Earth scrolls in her team's possession. Though not without putting up a good show.
"Now, shouldn't that be obvious?" The other boy said with an arrogant smirk. The girl in the group pulled out a scroll with the heaven kanji written on it.
Hinata narrowed her eyes at the trio. They had just given away a vital piece of intel. A mistake that had Hinata on edge. The kunoichi pocketed the scroll, smiling at Hinata. She knew what Hinata was thinking.
"Oh, you don't have to worry about your precious little scroll," she said, crossing her arms. "We're here for something different."
Hinata kept her eyes narrowed at the trio but made no other move. The Oto trio took that as a sign to continue. The bandaged boy stepped up. "All we want is your teammate over there." He nodded towards the cave.
Hinata's grip tightens around the kunai. Her thoughts had instantly gone to Naruto. Reflexively, she stole a glance from the boy and quickly looked back at the trio, seeing the smiles on their faces.
"The other one," the Kunoichi said. "We could care less about your boy toy."
Hinata fought back the redness threatening to overcome her face. "What do you want with Sasuke?" She asked.
The Oto Kunoichi shrugged. "I wouldn't know," she said.
"All we've told was to go after Uchiha Sasuke of Team-11," the bandage boy explained. "For what reason we could care less. We have our orders."
That confused Hinata. Did someone want the trio to go after Sasuke? But why? "We'll even trade for the boy," the bandaged-nin offered. "We know you have an earth scroll; thus, all you need to pass this exam is a heaven scroll. Am I correct?" Hinata narrowed her eyes, wondering how they knew what scroll Team-11 had. "So, here's the deal. Let us take the Uchiha, and we will hand over our Heaven scroll."
"But wouldn't that put your team at a disadvantage?" Hinata probed. "You need the heaven scroll to pass the exam. And an earth scroll."
The bandaged-nin shrugged. "We can always get another one," he replied. "All we want is your teammate. So, do we have a deal?"
Hinata had a thoughtful expression on her face. "One last question," she responded. "When you said you had orders to go after Uchiha Sasuke. What did you mean?"
The other boy in the group grinned. "We're going to kill him," he said so casually it was like he was observing the weather. "What else would we do with the brat?"
Hinata nodded. She had everything she needed to make her choice. Though truthfully, she had already made her choice a long time ago. The bandaged-nin took a step towards the cave. "So, do we have a deal?"
Hinata responded by throwing her kunai at the Oto-nin. The bandage-nin stepped back as the kunai was buried into the ground right at his feet. "I see," he commented, looking at the kunai. "Kin, you handle the girl. Then we go after the Uchiha."
The Kunoichi, now named Kin, smiled, walking up to the cave. "Well, I guess you do have some spine. Congratulations, you're not some worthless, pretty face on the team."
Hinata pulled out another Kunai and started to walk out of the cave. Once she was a few feet away, she assumed a fighting stance.
Kin continued to walk up to Hinata. Her hands were out in a fighting position. "I guess it's time to see what Konoha kunoichi can do. Not that I've impressed with what I've seen so far."
Hinata kept quiet and continued to stare at her opponent. Just a bit further, and she would be positioned. Her opponent, Kin, smirked suddenly as she stopped walking just two steps away from a patch of dirt.
Kin ran a hand through her long black hair. "Did you really think I wouldn't notice?" She asked in a taunting voice. She pointed to the patch of dirt in front of her. "Let me guess, you wanted me to walk right onto that?"
Hinata shot the kunoichi a glare, giving her the answer she wanted. Kin started to laugh. "Like I was ever going to fall for that," she said between chuckles. "But I suppose the effort was there. Did you at least put something sharp at the bottom, or are you tree huggers so spineless, you wouldn't even let a trap do the dirty work?"
The sound of something creaking in the air stopped Kin from laughing. She might have noticed that the kunai had vanished from her hand if she had not laughed and insulted Hinata.
Something swung through the air. Something large and heavy. Kin had enough time to turn her head around to see a large log swing her way. The log struck her in the head, causing a small explosion, but not an explosion of red.
Hinata twisted around just in time to parry a fist strike from her opponent. Kin now had an irritated look on her face. Hinata smiled at her. Naruto had taught a few things about setting up traps. One of those lessons was that it was not the trap in front you had to worry about. It was the second one behind it that would get you or our intended target.
Hinata's trap wasn't quite behind the first, but the lesson still applied. Kin threw another fist at Hinata, sweeping her leg out to strike her side. Hinata parried the first attack and quickly grabbed Kin's leg just as it would have struck her.
Hinata channeled her chakra in her fingertips. She shot her hand out to close off the tenketsu points in Kin's leg. The Oto kunoichi quickly realized what was happening and pulled her leg out of Hinata's grip. But not before Hinata managed to close off two tenketsu points.
That was about when Kin tried to distance herself from Hinata, clearly knowing that a Taijutsu battle with a Hyūga would not end well. However, Hinata pressed on with her advantage. She got in close, forcing the other Kunoichi into a close-quarters battle. Hinata was nowhere near her cousin's level, but she was still considered proficient in her clan's fighting style (more than proficient; Hinata didn't realize it then).
Kin was hard-pressed to fight off her Hyūga opponent. She was smart enough not to try and block Hinata's attacks, instead focusing on deflecting the palm strikes where she could and evading when she couldn't.
By the time the Oto kunoichi had pulled herself away and put some distance, she was mostly okay. However, Hinata closed off a few of her opponent's tenketsu points.
With her Bykugan active, she could see which points had been closed off. One in the right shoulder, two in the left arm, and one in the side near the abdomen. Not enough to cut off the flow of chakra anywhere, but her opponent would feel some change in her chakra flow.
Kin was examining her left arm, where the tenketsu point had been closed. "So that's what it feels like having a tenketsu point closed off. Stings like a bitch." Kin glared at Hinata. "But too bad that's all you'll be getting over me."
The Kunoichi reached into a pouch. Hinata prepared herself for whatever her opponent would pull out. She didn't relax when she saw Kin pulling out a handful of senbon. Her spares with Haku had taught her never to underestimate the needle-like weapons.
Her opponent threw the senbon, and they landed on the ground around Hinata's feet. Hinata looked at the thin needles, noting the bells attached to them. Had those bells somehow thrown her opponent's aim off? Hinata quickly discarded that possibility. Whatever function those bells served, Kin purposely aimed for the ground.
Hinata looked back at the Oto-kunoichi. She decided she needed to deal with her quickly. Then, she could figure out a way to handle her teammates. Hinata took a step forward, and that was when a wave of nausea came over her.
Unknown
The streets were empty. Everywhere Sasuke looked, he could find no one. He knew where he was. He had walked down these streets all his life. They were as familiar to him as the back of his hands were.
Sasuke Uchiha was back home in the Uchiha district. The night sky hung over his head. That aspiration of himself had brought him here, for what reason he didn't know. But whatever that thing wanted to show him, he knew he would not like it.
However, Sasuke knew he had no choice but to see the thing through. He had long since figured out he was unconscious and was in some type of strange dream. A part of whatever that snake freak did him, he had no doubt. The aspiration was in control here, a fact that reminded the young Uchiha a little too much of a certain demon Yakumo had to deal with once.
Speaking of young, Sasuke looks at his tiny hands. Again, for whatever reason, the aperation had chosen to stick Sasuke in a younger body. About five or six years old, if he had to guess.
Sasuke continued walking through his home's empty streets, looking for any sign of life. A familiar face, a small animal, heck even the sound of an insect chirping would have set Sasuke at ease. But there was no sign of life anywhere. There were no people around, none of his family that he could see. Even at night, Sasuke should have been able to see someone walking around. The silence did help to calm the young Uchiha.
Sasuke tried to stay calm, but he couldn't help but feel a rising sense of dread. After what seemed like an eternity, Sasuke found himself standing in front of his house. Sasuke had his shaking hand over the doorframe.
"Well?" he heard the other Sasuke say. "Are you going to open it?"
Sasuke glanced around, trying to catch sight of the thing. But the apparition stubbornly stayed in his peripheral vision. "What are you trying to show me here?" he asked the thing. "Why did you bring back the Uchiha district? Why is it so empty?"
The apparition smiled. It was a cruel, twisted thing that brought a shiver to Sasuke, seeing something like it on his face. "Just open the door, and you will see." The apparition vanished from the corner of Sasuke's mind.
Sasuke looked back at the door he stood in front of. For a fleeting moment, he was tempted to turn back. But curiosity and dread got the better of him. Plus, he knew that even if he turned around, he would face his home again or something else. The apparition was in charge here, so if it wanted to show him something, it would, and there would be nothing Sasuke could do to stop it. Best to face whatever the thing had in store for him now.
With a trembling hand, Sasuke reached for the door and opened it. Sasuke soundly found himself inside the living area of his. He hadn't had a chance to step inside his home. The door slid open, then it was gone, and the world had shifted around him.
Again, Sasuke saw that his home was empty, just like the streets of the Uchiha district. Sasuke searched every room of his house: the kitchen, the halls, his room, Itachi's room, and even the bathroom was empty. Like with the district outside, no matter where he looked, he found the house empty.
"What is thing trying to show me?" Sasuke muttered. He was walking to the one place he had not searched. With each step, Sasuke felt his dread rising. He saw strange shifting shadows along the halls and in each room he passed. He saw figures silently screaming as they were cut down by something unseen.
In front of him, the hall seems to stretch on and on. His destination, the door to his parents' bedroom, always felt like it was just out of reach. Sasuke didn't know why he had chosen that room for last. Every time he thought about checking there, a sudden spike of dread had him looking elsewhere. But now it was the only room left in the house. The apparition was putting on a show for him.
Sasuke gulped as he finally reached the door. Reaching his hand out, Sasuke felt his body going ridged. He slides the door open.
Again, the world around him shifted, and he found himself in another part of the house—a small audience chamber. But this time, Sasuke was not alone. His parents were sitting on the floor, smiling at him.
"Sasuke, you're home," his mother said, opening her arms wide.
"We've been waiting for you," Father said.
Sasuke smiled, feeling an overwhelming sense of joy coming over him. He ran up to his parents to hug them. Then his steps grew heavy, and he slew down. Fear washed away his joy as he saw a tall, shadowy figure appearing over his parents. The figure raised a blood-soaked blade over its head.
Sasuke shot his hand out, screaming at his parents to look behind them. But no sound came out of his mouth. The figure swung the blade, and crimson splashed into the air.
Sasuke cried out in terror as his parents' lifeless bodies fell to the ground. He ran up to the bodies and fell to his knees in a pool of red. He cradled his mother's body in his arms. "Mother, mother!" She still had that smile on her face.
Sasuke looked up at the figure standing before him. "Why?" He asked the shadowy figure. "Why?"
The figure turned to face him, red eyes with strange black lines staring at Sasuke. The shadows fell from the figure's face, allowing Sasuke a glimpse at the being that had murdered his parents. Sasuke gasped and almost recoiled back when he recognized the face.
Itachi stared at him with a cold face. "Foolish little brother," he said. His was barely recognizable, especially with how cold it sounded. This wasn't his brother. There was no way this was Itachi. He would never do this. "Let me show you the true meaning of power."
The Itachi thing stared directly into Sasuke's eyes, the strange lines in his lines spinning around. In that instant, Sasuke was forced to watch helplessly as Itachi murdered his entire family. Male, female, old, or young, none were spared the cold gaze of Itachi as he slaughtered them all. It was a nightmare Sasuke could not wake up from.
"Why?" He asks as he sees Itachi cut one of his younger cousins. "Why are you showing me this? This never happened."
The apparition appeared next to Sasuke. "Surely, you must have known this would have happened," the thing said. "Had your clan not pulled away from its plan to usurp the village."
"But Itachi would never do this," Sasuke shouted at the apparition. Sasuke tore his eyes from the slaughter to glare at the other version of himself.
"And how certain are you of that?" The apparition said to him, a twisted smile formed on its face. "Many things could have happened that night, and this is one way it could have played out. And there was nothing you could have done to stop it. You were as weak then as you are now."
The world shifted around Sasuke. To his relief, he no longer had to watch his brother killing everyone he knew. But he was treated to a fresh new horror as he glimpsed images of his clansmen turning on one another. It was a nightmare he had had since the night of the Uchiha Betrayal.
"Weak. Powerless." The apparition said. "All of this happened because of you. Because you could sate your lust for power." More images flashed before Sasuke's eyes. The time when Yakumo had been kidnapped. When the Edo took over Sasuke's mind and forced him and his friends to endure a nightmare, when Izumi was killed, all the times he had felt so helpless and powerless.
He was forced to see the alternative ways they could have ended. Yakumo was torn away from Sasuke as he died. Yakumo being fully taken over by the Edo, and Sasuke was forced to watch as she went on a rampage in village after village.
Sasuke wanted to tear his eyes from it all. But he could not. "Why are you showing me this? What are you?"
The apparition's smile grew, and for a second, Sasuke thought he saw another face under its face. Pale skin and yellow eyes stared back at him. Then it was gone, and Sasuke stared back at his twisted reflection. "I am the truth—something you have been denying yourself all your life. You are weak, Sasuke Uchiha. You delude yourself into thinking you are strong. You think just because you are around others, you can decide your fate."
Images of Naruto, Hinata, Yakumo, and the others appeared around Sasuke. They all were smiling at him. Sasuke tried to reach out to them, but they all vanished. "You think you can keep them safe? But the reality is very different. Time and again, your weakness has brought disaster to your friends and family." The events of Sasuke's past play out on a loop. "What is to stop history from repeating itself? You are as weak now as you were back then." More events played out in front of Sasuke. A mission gone wrong, with Naruto and Hinata staring up at him with lifeless eyes. Yakumo snatched away into the shadows. The Uchiha compound set to flames. One by everyone Sasuke ever knew was taken away from. All because he was powerless to stop them.
Sasuke did not want any of that to happen. He wanted to keep his loved ones safe. He wanted the power to protect them. Unknown to him, the apparition was smiling at him. "But there is a way you can change that. A way you can save them."
Sasuke looked at his dark reflection. "What?"
"Take what has been offered to you."
Forest of Death
A wave of nausea fell over Hinata that almost had her collapsing to her feet. "What?" She asked, seeing her vision blurring. She looked up at her opponent or opponents. She saw three of the Kunoichi smirking back at her. "Wh-what did you do?"
The Oto kunoichi started to walk up to her. "Oh, you haven't figured it out yet?" She asked in a derisive tone. "Here, I thought you, Hyūga, are supposed to be a clan of prodigies. But I guess I'll have to spell it out for you."
Hinata clenched her hands into fists. She tried to focus on the Kunoichi and took a step forward to meet her challenge. Only for Hinata to fall to her feet as a fresh wave of nausea overtook her. Her hands were holding her up from the ground as she felt bile building up in her throat. She kept the stuff down and away from her mouth with some effort. Hinata looked back at the Kunoichi.
"Sound is a funny thing," Kin said as she took another step toward Hinata. "We never really think about all the stuff we hear around us. How they can have an effect on us. Sounds can calm and soothe us. They can scare us or even make us cry. Some studies say that at certain wavelengths, sounds can make a person physically ill, and that is what I've done here."
Hinata glances over at the senbon with bells attached to them. Listening closely, she could hear them ringing faintly, but how could they still be doing that? They had been lodged in the ground, meaning the ringing should have ended shortly after. "The bells," Hinata said loud enough for her opponent to hear. She glances up at the Oto-kunoichi, who is now standing over her.
The Oto kunoichi mockingly smiled at her. Then she delivered a swift kick that had Hinata falling to her side. "You two take care of the Uchiha," she shouted to her teammates. "I'll ensure little Miss Princess doesn't get in the way. Oh, and knock off Blondie as well. Might as do the whole team in."
Hinata's eyes widen. She crawled to her stomach and grabbed the Oto Kunoichi by her leg. "I won't let you hurt them," Hinata said, powering through the nausea.
The Oto Kunoichi looked down at her with surprise. Then, her foot slammed down into Hinata's hand. "Well now, it looks like the little bitch does have some fight her," she said cruelly. "You might be more fun to kill than I thought."
The kunoichi twisted her foot into Hinata's hand, causing a choke of pain to escape from her lips. But she quickly bit down on the noise, some small part of her would not give this woman the satisfaction. Another hand grabbed onto her opponent's foot.
The Oto kunoichi's face grew more cruel. "Still think you can fight?" A fresh wave of nausea came over Hinata as the bells rang. Hinata continued to ignore it and grabbed her opponent's leg tighter. "Worthless little thing. What makes you think you can do anything? You're nothing more than a worthless little princess. You're more likely to drag your teammates down than to save them. So, save us the trouble and die already."
She may have been right. Hinata had never been as good as the others. She was not as strong as some like Sasuke and Naruto were. She wasn't as smart as Shikamaru or Sakura. She was not the prodigy of the Hyūga clan like Neji is.
For much of her life, she had heard the whispers behind her back. How the clan actually viewed her.
"Weak."
"Too soft-hearted. She will never be clan head."
"She can't even beat her own sister. How worthless can she be?"
"The Hyūga will have no future with her."
"A failure is always destined to be a failure."
Kin's foot rose from the air, breaking free from Hinata's grip. The bells continued to ring causing the nausea to remain. Hinata knew she was weak. She knew she was a failure. Hinata's hands tightened to balls of fists.
Flash appeared in Hinata's mind. Naruto smiled at her. He had been the first to believe in her, the first solace Hinata had found in this world. "Naruto, he believes in me," Hinata whispered to herself.
Where others called her weak, he called her strong. Where the elders saw a soft-hearted girl, Naruto saw kindness. He believed in her and gave her words of encouragement that reached her in ways no one could. He had been like a light to her.
Then, after him came Sasuke and all the others. Sakura, Ino, Choji, Shikamaru, Shino, Kiba, Yakumo and Haku. They were all her precious friends, and they all believed in her.
Hinata smiled. If so, many could see something in her. Then maybe, just maybe, she wasn't as much of a failure as she thought she was. And now her friends were in danger.
The Kunoichi's foot came down on Hinata's neck. The air was filled with the sound of wet squishing sound. Time seemed to freeze as Hinata gazed at her opponent. The Oto Kunoichi had a look of shock on her face as she could not process what had just happened. Unable to realize there was now a kunai buried in her foot.
Blood dripped down from the blade and splashed Hinata's hand, who was on her knees. "I am Hyūga Hinata," the girl said shakily, rising to her feet powering through the nausea. "I am not weak. I am not worthless. I am a member of Team-11." She let go of the kunai and assumed the fighting stance of her clan. Her Bykugan blazed to life. She could see her opponent's chakra network as she stumbled back. She could see where all her tenketsu points were. "And most importantly, I am someone worthy of respect!"
That was when Hinata went on the attack. Hinata closed in on her stumbling opponent.
"Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms."
"Two palms."
"Four palms."
"Eight palms."
"Sixteen palms."
"Thirty-two palms."
"Sixty-four palms."
Hinata's final attack had come close to her opponent's heart. One strike would have stopped the Oto kunoichi's heart. But she wanted her to live, knowing she had lost to someone as worthless as Hinata. So, she diverted her attack and closed off a tenketsu point close to the heart.
The Oto kunoichi stood there for a second as Hinata stared at her. Her arms were out, ready to deliver more blows to the Oto kunoichi. But that would be unnecessary as the woman crumbled to her knees and then fell over.
Privately, Hinata would admit some small part of felt vindictive pride as seeing the look on the Oto kunoichi's face. But Hinata was not going to allow herself to enjoy her victory. She turned to face the other two Oto-Nin going after her teammates.
Both boys had stopped and had looks of shock on their faces. "Stay away from my teammates," she said.
"Well, shit," the taller boy said. "She actually got Kin. What now?"
The bandaged Oto-nin shrugged his shoulders. "Doesn't matter," he said. "This time, we both take the girl down. After that, we finish the mission."
The taller Oto-Nin smirked. The pair started to walk towards Hinata, each taking a different side. With her Byakugan active, Hinata was able to keep track of the two. "I won't fail here," she said. Not when her friends were in danger.
However, she could feel the weakness in her legs. With the Oto Kunoichi down, Hinata could no longer hear the bells ringing, but the effects they had remained. She noticed the taller Oto-Nin giving her a cocky grin.
"Well, Kin might have failed, but she at least did a number on you," he said. He held his hands out. The other Oto-Nin raised his arm. It had a strange metal gauntlet on it. "Let's finish this quickly, Dosu. I'm getting bored."
Hinata held to her ground firmly. Even if she wasn't feeling well right now. Even if the last thing she needed to do now was fight, she would. "I won't give up. Not when everyone is counting on me."
"Brave words for a stupid girl," the bandaged Oto-Nin said. "But don't worry, you won't live long enough to see your failure."
Both Oto-Nin stepped towards Hinata as she readied herself for the fight. Luckily for her, fate would be smiling down on her this day. There was a blur within Hinata's field of vision that Hinata almost chalked it up to the nausea.
The blur, however, stopped right in front of Hinata and morphed into a figure. Hinata deactivated her Byakugan and smiled at the green clade figure before her. "How youthful," the boy said. "Fighting for your teammates, even as you are on your last legs. I can expect no less from another Konoha shinobi." The boy turned his head to face Hinata. He smiled at her widely enough that Hinata thought she saw a gleam from his teeth.
"You must be Hinata," the green clade boy said. "Neji says much about you."
Hinata nodded. "And you're Lee, one of Neji's teammates," she said. "He talks about you, too. Sometimes." He didn't have a lot of nice things to say about the boy. But it was clear he respected him.
Lee's smile grew, and he started to talk like an excited kid. "Really?" He asked. "What has my eternal rival been saying about me? How strong I am. How youthful Gai-sensei and I are. Please tell."
Hinata started to chuckle nervously, seeing the twinkle in Lee's eyes. "Ahh, Lee, don't we have more important things to worry about?" She asked. Hinata gestured to the Oto-Nin facing them.
"Yes, we're still here," the bandaged boy said, irritated. "Just who the hell are you? Another of you Konoha freaks?"
Lee frowned as he turned his attention to the Oto-Nin. "I am Lee of Konoha," Lee introduced himself to the enemy. "And today, I will be your opponent. I will show you how bright my flames of youth burn."
"Flames of youth?" The taller Oto-Nin questioned. Then he shook his head and held his hands out. "Whatever, you spandex freak. How doesn't matter how many of you tree-huggers show, we'll beat you down and show you what Oto can do."
"Then I accept your challenge," Lee said with convection.
"Be careful, Lee," Hinata warned the older boy. "We don't know what they are capable of. But they're anything like her," she looked at the Kunoichi on the ground. "They'll have sound-based abilities."
"Sound-based, you say?" Lee asked her. "Then I look forward to overcoming the power of sound."
"I'll help you," Hinata said, taking a fighting stance. Now that she had some backup, she could focus on one opponent.
"Not to worry Hinata-San," Lee said. "I can take both opponents at once."
Hinata looked at the boy with surprise. "But," she started.
However, Lee cuts her off. "You're in condition to be fighting right now," he said. "And besides, you have your teammates to worry about." He nodded his head towards the unconscious pair in the cave.
Hinata wanted to argue, but she knew the older boy was right. She bowed to Lee. "Thank you so much," she said. "If we get out of this, I'll find a way to repay you. I promise."
"No repayment is necessary," Lee said. "Just keep your teammates safe, Okay?"
Hinata nodded and darted past the boy, making a beeline for her teammates. The bandaged Oto-Nin ran up after her. "Where do you think you're going?" He shouted as he swung his gauntlet arm at Hinata.
A green blur appeared between Hinata and her attacker. Lee shot his leg out, deflecting the blow from the gauntlet. Then a fist shot out towards the Oto-Nin's chest. The bandaged boy used his gauntlet to block the attack. "How unyouthful," Lee said. "Attacking your opponent from behind like that."
"What kind of Shinobi are you?" The bandaged Nin responded.
"The youthful kind," Lee replied.
Hinata continued to run for her teammates. Just as she got to the mouth of the cave, she felt a powerful gust of wind slamming into her back. Hinata was sent flying into the cave and past her teammates.
Landing on the ground, Hinata turned around to see that she was a few feet away from Naruto and Sasuke. Then she looked out the cave to try and figure out where the attack had come from.
The taller Oto-Nin had his hands as he smirked at her. Then he fired another gust of wind from his hands. Hinata threw herself at her teammates to shield them from the attack. She winced as the gust of wind slammed into her body. Then she pulled out and threw three kunai at the Oto-Nin.
In response, the Oto-Nin fire yet another gust of wind, deflecting the kunai. Hinata assumed a fighting stance in front of Naruto and Sasuke. Lee shot for the second Oto-Nin, but the bandaged nin intercepted him.
Another gust of wind slammed into Hinata. But this time, she had been prepared for that attack and planted her feet firmly into the ground. The attack still buffeted her, as she felt like a thousand whips striking at her.
"Oh, got a good footing on you, don't you," the second Oto-Nin said with a sadistic grin. "And here I thought a stiff breeze could blow you over. I guess I'll have to try a little harder."
Another gust of wind blew over Hinata, and this one was stronger than the last. Hinata slid back a couple of inches but still held firm on the ground. The Oto-Nin continued to walk towards Hinata and the others, all the while firing out gusts after gusts of wind.
Hinata saw that the shinobi was somehow firing them out from his hands. She activated her Byakugan to see what was going on. She gasped when she saw the metal rods in the young man's arms. That couldn't be anything natural, and she doubted a kekkei genkai was responsible.
She saw the Oto-Nin smiling at her. "Finally noticed?" He said. He held his hands up, admiring them. "A gift from our master, they're called Air Cannons. These puppies allow me to fire powerful gusts of wind. With just a little bit of chakra, I can create a light breeze." He pointed his hand at Hinata, firing another wind attack at Hinata. But she wasn't buffeted by a strong gust of wind. Instead, her hair was blown up by a light wind. "Or I could knock down a whole tree." He pointed his other hand in another direction and fired at a tree. A section of the tree shattered as the bullet of compressed air hit it. Then he points both his hands at Hinata. "So, just do yourself a favor and step aside."
Hinata buried her feet into the ground and started to channel chakra to her feet to keep her rooted in the ground. "I will not step aside," she declared to her opponent.
The Oto-Nin smirked at her. "Have it your way," he said. Then he fired his air cannons.
Just as the air bullets reached Hinata, she spun around, creating a blue sphere around her. "Heavenly Spin!" The air bullets impacted the dome of the chakra and were quickly dissipated. As she came to a stop, Hinata saw the look of surprise on the Oto-Nin's face.
"How did you stop those?" He asked. "My air bullets can't be stopped. What was that technique?"
"My clan's ultimate defense," Hinata explained. "The Heavenly spin, with it nothing will be able to touch me. You can't hurt me or my friends."
"Your clan's ultimate defense?" The Oto-Nin repeated. Then, a malicious grin spread across his face. "Alright then, let's put that thing to the test. Let's see just how good the Hyūga's ultimate defense is."
He fired his air cannons, and Hinata spun around. The attack was dissipated by the blue dome. But Hinata did not stop spinning as more air bullets were fired her way. The Oto-Nin continued to walk towards her, his grin growing with each step he took.
More air bullets came for Hinata, forcing her to continue using the Heavenly spin. After a short while, the Oto-Nin stopped a short distance from Hinata and fired shot after shot at the Hyūga Heiress.
Hinata frowned. She had hoped her opponent would have gotten close enough for her to engage him in taijutsu. She couldn't close the distance either as the nin was unleashed with a barrage of air bullets. A dome of chakra stopped each attack.
It didn't take Hinata long to realize she was in trouble here. The Heavenly Spin was the ultimate defense the Hyūga had created. It had saved the lives of clansmen more times than anyone cared to count. However, there was one downside to the technique. It consumed a lot of chakra. No matter how good of a defense the technique offered, it would have been useless if Hinata had not had the chakra to use it. It did not help that she was still feeling lightheaded from the effects of the bells.
And Hinata, even with her fine control, was quickly burning through her reserves. With each spin, each dome created, Hinata was burning herself out. Each spin was getting weaker and weaker, and all the while, the air bullets they were deflecting maintained their strength.
Something that the Oto-Nin seemed to notice, judging by the look on his face. "Your technique is good," he said. "Really good. But tell me, how long you can keep this up?" He fires another air bullet. Hinata stopped the attack with a spin. She was breathing heavily now.
"How many more times can you use that thing?" Another was fired and deflected. Hinata felt her legs wobbling under her. "Before you give in?"
An air bullet slammed in a Heavenly Spin. But this time, Hinata could maintain the spin, allowing a gust of wind to hit her. Thankfully, the spin had still weakened the bullet, reducing the strength of the attack.
Hinata fell to one knee, breathing heavily as sweat dripped down to the ground. By this point, Hinata's Byakugan had been deactivated. She didn't have the chakra to keep it on. Hinata heard footsteps coming for her.
She looked up to see the Oto-Nin walking towards her. His air cannons pointed directly at her. Hinata stood to her feet, pulling a kunai out and forcing herself into a fighting stance. "I can't fail here," she said. "I won't let you hurt them."
The Oto-Nin smirked at her and fired his cannons. The air bullets knocked Hinata from her feet, and the kunai was tossed from her hand. She landed just a couple of inches away from her teammates.
Hinata pushed herself up and faced the Oto-Nin walking towards her. Looking past him, she saw that Lee was trying to get her. But his opponent, the bandaged nin, was holding him off with that metal gauntlet.
Hinata looked at her opponent. She took a shaky fighting stance. "I'm sorry, guys," she whispered to her teammates. "But this is all I can do." She would protect her teammates to her last breath.
Her opponent raised his hands at her. Looking at his expression, she knew he would finish her off now. "Naruto, Sasuke, Hanabi, mother, and father. Everyone, please forgive me."
However, before the Oto-Nin could attack her, a dark, oppressive aura was felt through the area. Hinata turned her head and gasped when she saw Sasuke standing up.
Strange black marks had appeared across his face and neck, down to his shoulder. The purple chakra was leaking out from the marks, like water leaking out from a damn. But what shocked Hinata the most was the expression on her teammate's face.
Anger was etched on Sasuke's face. "Hinata, who did this to you?"
Earlier, Sasuke's mind
"What could you offer me?" Sasuke asked his dark reflection.
The other Sasuke smiled. "Power," he said. "I can give you the power you so desire. I can give you the power to do what you please. If you want to protect your friends, it will be done. You want to rule over this pathic village, they will make you King. But most of all, I can give you the power to surpass your bother.
"Itachi?" Sasuke questioned. "What does he have to do with this?"
"I know you are jealous of your brother," the other Sasuke answered. "Itachi, the prodigy of the Uchiha, loved and adored by everyone. He even has you wrapped around his finger. Some would even call him the second coming of Madara. All of which is rightfully yours."
"So, what?" Sasuke argued back. "I'm proud of Itachi."
"Proud or jealous?" The other Sasuke commented. "We both know the answer, but you refuse to look at the truth. Itachi has everything you desire, and now I can give you the chance to take it all. Soon, everyone will praise you. They will worship the ground you walk on and call your Madara's legacy. You will even be able to stop more tragedies from unfolding."
The images of the past flashed through Sasuke's mind. All his failures, all the times he felt helpless. "Power is the only virtue in this world, Sasuke. All you need to do is take it."
Sasuke balled his hands into fists and turned away from the dark reflection. "Someone already tried offering what you're selling," he said. "And I'll tell you what I told them. Screw off and leave me alone. I don't need your power; I'll work for my own."
A disappointed look appeared on the reflection's face. Then, it quickly vanished. "No matter," it said. "You'll eventually face the truth. And when you do, you will seek him out." An Image of Orochimaru appeared in Sasuke's mind. He was smiling with his hand extended out. The world around Sasuke started to vanish.
"But for now," the other Sasuke said as it faded away. "I think a little taste of what you're missing out is in order. After all, there is someone who needs you right now."
A flood of darkness washed over Sasuke. He woke up.
Reality
Sasuke opened his eyes with a gasp. How long had he been out? Where was he? And? And what was this feeling he felt?
Sasuke stood up, looking at his hand, and saw strange black marks across it. A purple haze was coming out from his hand and arm. Sasuke didn't realize it, but he smiled like a crazy man.
This feeling he felt, it was like floating in the air. Like he could do anything and nothing in the world could stop him. He felt powerful, he felt complete, he felt.
Sasuke saw a figure from the corner of his eyes. He looked over and felt his eyes widening when he saw a battered and beaten Hinata standing in front of him. Sasuke's anger exploded, and he felt a rush of power.
Hinata turned her head around to look at him. Sasuke saw the look of surprise flash across her face. He also saw all the scratches and bruises she had. "Sasuke?"
"Hinata," Sasuke said. "Who did this to you?" His eyes went past his teammate, where he saw another shinobi standing in front of the cave. His arms were extended out with his hands opened. "Was it him?"
"Sasuke y-you're up," Hinata said. Sasuke heard the tremble in her voice.
Somehow, it felt right to hear it coming from her, but in the back of his mind, he felt it was wrong. "Was he you that did this to you?" Sasuke walked up to Hinata to get a closer look at her injuries.
Hinata looked at Sasuke for a moment, the fear in her eyes evident. But before Sasuke could repeat his question, Hinata nodded slowly. Sasuke turned his attention to the shinobi in front of the cave. "You take care of Naruto," Sasuke said as he started to walk towards the enemy shinobi. "I'll handle this loser."
He heard Hinata calling out his name, but he ignored it. The shinobi seemed to recover from his shock and grinned at him. "So, you're finally awake," he said. "Good, I can get this thing done."
Sasuke wasn't going to hear any more of it. In a blur of motion, Sasuke appeared right behind the shinobi. "What the? Where did you?" The young man got his answer as Sasuke grabbed his arms and twisted them around to his back. The enemy shinobi turned his head to look at Sasuke. "How did you get behind me?"
Sasuke smirked at the Oto shinobi. He tightened his grip on the enemy's arms, causing him to cry out in pain. "Awfully proud of these arms, aren't you? He asked. Looking at them now, he could see the metal rings in the palms of his hands. Were these the things you used to hurt my teammate?"
"Let go of me, and I'll show you what they can do to you," the Oto-Nin responded.
Sasuke took that as a yes. He tightened his grip on the arms, putting enough force that he started to hear the bones creaking. Then he began to pull. The Oto-Nin cried in pain as he tried to break free from Sasuke's grip. But to no avail, Sasuke held tightly to the boy.
"I wonder what will happen if I were to pull them off," Sasuke said with a sadist smile. The power that was pulsing through him felt so good. He relished the chance to test it out.
The Oto-Nin's cries of pain echoed through the forest. "Please don't," the Oto-Nin begged. "I need them."
Sasuke slammed his foot into the shinobi's back and applied force. The sound of creaking and popping bones reached Sasuke's ears. The Oto-Nin continued to groan in pain. He had stopped his struggling, overpowered by the pain to do anything else.
"Now let's hear them pop," Sasuke said in glee. That was what happened. Sasuke heard a loud pop as he pulled on the enemy's arms. He hadn't ripped them out like he had hoped, but he had pulled the arms out from their sockets in the shoulder, rendering them useless. Someone could pop them back into place, but if Sasuke had his way, the boy would never get the chance.
But Sasuke knew he had other things to do. So, he swiftly broke the arms and let go of Oto-Nin. The boy crumbles to the ground, whimpering. Sasuke rolled his eyes and turned to the remaining Oto-Nin, a bandaged boy with a hunch to his back.
He was fighting another shinobi wearing green spandex, the latter of which seemed vaguely familiar to him. Sasuke ignored him to turn his full attention to the last of the Oto-Nin. The bandaged boy was looking at him in fear.
Sasuke smiled and charged at the boy. The Oto-Nin didn't have enough time to react as Sasuke appeared before him. Sasuke pulled his arm back, pulling his hand into a fist, and then he shot it out at the bandaged shinobi.
Sasuke's opponent raised an arm to block the attack. He was wearing a metal gauntlet with holes in it. The Oto-Nin was forced to one knee as Sasuke's punch connected with his metal gauntlet, cracks appearing on its surface.
Shock mixed in with the fear as the bandaged shinobi struggled to get back to his feet. A swift kick to the chest sent him rolling across the forest floor. He came to a stop a couple of feet away from Sasuke.
Sasuke turned his head to look at the green clade shinobi behind him. The boy gave him a wary look as he held himself in a fighting stance. For a second, Sasuke thought about attacking him, but then he noticed the Konoha headband wrapped around his waist.
Sasuke shrugged and turned his attention back to the Oto-Nin on the ground. He would deal with the other boy if he tried anything. The Oto-Nin tried to get up from the ground, but a foot to the side, his face held him on the ground.
The bandaged shinobi looked up at Sasuke with fear in his eyes. Sasuke smiled down at his opponent, enjoying the sight. Then he pressed his foot down on his head. "No, please," the bandaged shinobi started to plead. "We give up. We give up. You win."
Sasuke didn't want to hear any of it as he continued to apply pressure to the side of his opponent's head. In the back of his mind, Sasuke heard a small voice telling him to stop. He ignored that voice and pushed it away.
"No, stop it," the Oto-Nin. "Stop it. We give up. You can take our scroll. Just take it. But please don't kill us."
Continued to ignore the Oto-Nin's pleas for mercy. After a moment, Sasuke started to hear a creaking noise coming from the downed shinobi's head. Just a little more pressure and his head would cave in.
The voice in his head cried out again. Telling him to stop, this was not him. He would have ignored that as well if a pair of arms had not wrapped around his body. Sasuke turned his head and was shocked to see that Hinata held him tightly.
"Sasuke, please," she said, the tremble in her voice causing Sasuke to falter. "Just stop. Let them go."
Sasuke didn't know what to make of it. The trembling in Hinata's voice, the way her body was shaking, and the fearful look in her eyes. Sasuke stopped pressing his foot down on his enemy's head. He looked down at the whimpering form of the bandaged Shinobi and saw the cracks in his gauntlet. And he realized what he had done, what he had almost done.
Sasuke took his foot off the shinobi and took a step back. The black marks across his body started to recede. Sasuke almost stumbled as Hinata was still holding him. The Oto-Nin shakily sat up and looked at Sasuke. Now, for the first time, he could see how terrified his opponent was.
The Oto-Nin pulled out a scroll with the kanji for heaven marked on it. He laid it on the ground at Sasuke's feet. "Just let us go," he said. "We won't bother you again. I promise."
Sasuke nodded at the Oto-Nin and allowed him to collect his teammates. A short while later, the Oto team was gone. While all that was happening, Sasuke kept replaying the events in his head. He felt disgusted with himself.
"Thank you so much again," Hinata said to the other Konoha shinobi, Lee he thought. "Without your help, we might have never been able to drive those Oto-Nin away."
Lee gave her a bright smile. "Not to worry, Hinata-San," he said. "All I did was help a fellow Konoha shinobi. To leave you on your own would have been most unyouthful."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow, unyouthful? What was that supposed to mean? "Well, thinks anyway," Sasuke said. "Now, I think it would be best if you left now. Before the rest of your team shows up."
"Sasuke." Hinata chided him.
"No, he is right," Lee said. "Neji-San would insist that we fight you and take your scrolls. I find such behavior most unyouthful, not when your team is so weak now."
"Oh," Hinata said, tapping her fingers together. "Then thank you again. I don't know what I would done without you."
Lee nodded. "Again, no thanks are necessary," he responded. "You did well to protect your teammates. Your fires of youth burned so brightly that it almost brought me to tears. Neji-San was wrong about you, Hinata. You are strong."
Hinata blushed. "Th-thank you," she stuttered out.
Sasuke smiled. "He's right," he said to his teammate. "You kept me and Naruto safe and faced down those Oto creeps by yourself. You're stronger than you think, Hinata, and I'm sure Naruto will agree with me when he wakes up. So, thank you for keeping us safe." And for stopping me, he silently adds.
Sasuke was surprised that Hinata's face was not a bright shade of red by now. She just had this small smile on her face. "I just wanted to protect you guys," she said. "You and Naruto have done so much for me. I. I wanted to do something for you."
Sasuke shook his head. "It's not about that," said he. "We're teammates and friends. We do things for each other, not because we have to, but because we want to. You don't have to worry about paying me or Naruto back. Just do what comes naturally to you."
Hinata smiled and looked away as a shade of red came over her face. "I'll remember that."
Sasuke nodded at her and turned his attention to Lee. He raised an eyebrow at seeing the thick stream of tears coming down his eyes. "Such a display of youth," he cried. Then he raised a fist into the air. "YOSH, I swear by my life as one who follows in the ways of youth. I shall strive for the same level of camaraderie with my teammates that you guys have. Failing that, I shall run a thousand laps around the village walls on my hands. Failing that."
Sasuke glanced at Hinata as the green-clad boy wanted off on his weird tangent. Hinata shrugged. She was just as taken aback. Come to think of it, Konoha did seem to have more than its fair share of weirdos.
Sasuke looked back at Lee, who was now finishing with his tangent. "Now, I must be off," Lee said, turning around. "Now, farewell Hinata and Sasuke. I look forward to facing you in the finals of the Chunin Exams."
"And I look forward to facing you," Sasuke said with a smirk. Strange as the boy was, Sasuke could tell he was strong. He wondered just how well he would stack up with someone like him.
Lee nodded, and then he was gone with a burst of speed. Sasuke looked at Hinata. "You should get some rest," he said, seeing how tired she was.
Hinata looked like she wanted to protest. But then she stopped herself and nodded. "Well, you be alright by yourself?" She asked.
Sasuke nodded. "If not, I can always wake you," he said. The pair started to move towards the cave. "Try to get some rest. We can move out first thing in the morning. Hopefully, Naruto will be back up by then."
Hinata nodded. Together, they enter the cave. Hinata lays down next to Naruto. Sasuke smiled; he had always thought those two were good together. "I meant what I said," he said as Hinata closed her eyes. "You are strong, Hinata; don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
Hinata nodded, and she fell asleep. Now that he was alone, Sasuke looked out into the forest and frowned. He placed his hand over the seal on his shoulder. He could still hear the whispers in his mind—promises of power, of glory.
"I won't let you win," Sasuke said quietly. "No matter what, I'll do things my way."
Dosu cursed to himself as he carried the prone form of Kin. "Just what was that guy doing with a curse mark?" He asked. "Does Konoha have its own version of it, or did?" Dosu fell silent as he did not like the implications of finishing that thought.
He heard a growl next to him. "Those tree-hugging fuckers," Zaku said. "The next time I see them; I'll make them pay for what they did to me."
Before Dosu could say anything to his team, another voice called out to the trio of Oto shinobi. "I very much doubt you will get the chance." A shadowy figure appeared in front of the trio.
Dosu's mind went into a fight or flight response for a second. Then he recognized the figure and felt himself freezing up. "You're here?" He asked.
The figure narrowed his eyes at Dosu. "Of course I am," he said. "Orochimaru-Sama charged me with watching you three. To make certain that you carried out your assignment."
"But we did carry out our mission," Dosu said. "We fought the Uchiha boy as Orochimaru-Sama told us to. But he was stronger than we had thought. He had a curse mark."
"Of course he does," the figure said. "Orochimaru-Sama marked the boy himself. He has a vested interest in him."
"Then why send us after him?" Zaku asked.
"Wasn't it obvious?" The figure mocked the three. "You were meant to test the boy and bring out the power our master gave him. For that, your mission was a success."
Zaku gritted his teeth. "You call this a success?" he held his arms out or tried to. "That bastard broke my arms."
The figure snorted. "A small price to be for success," he said. "Congratulations, you have completed yet another mission for Orochimaru-Sama. Now, you get to complete another."
Dosu's mind instantly reacted to the tone of the figure's voice. But his body was a second behind. He felt something slamming into the back of his head, and he fell to the ground.
The last thing he saw was the foot of his attacker. "Not to worry," the figure said. "I won't kill you. Our master needs the three of you alive." Then Dosu blacked out.
The young man stood over the three unconscious forms of what had been team Dosu. He shook his head. How three weaklings like them would be useful to Orochimaru was beyond him. They couldn't handle one lousy genin.
Sasuke Uchiha. That name burned at him; Orochimaru thought he would make a better candidate. But he would prove him wrong. He was the better choice between the two of them. And he would have a chance to prove it soon enough.
The young man smiled. Sasuke Uchiha would die by his hands, and soon after, the rest of the Uchiha clan would pay.