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Dragonheart	By : UmbreonMessiah Category: Naruto > General Views: 1644 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 18
- 19
- 20
I want to thank
everyone for sticking with Dragonheart for over a year. The ride never gets any
less exciting, and every chapter brings me closer and closer to the exciting
expos�. For those of you wondering, the Dragonheart Website HAS moved, and is
now located at �dragonheartonline,freehostia,com�. Just replace the commas with
periods and paste into your web browser. I hope to revive the community before
it totally dies!

Anyway, enjoy chapter 18 as best you can!

Dragonheart

Chapter 18

The earth shook violently under
the collapse of the thick black pillars, scattering dust and tree limbs about
the forest. The spectacle could be seen from miles around as the great towers
pitted and fell, tumbled across one another and crushed the flora beneath them.
Such a catastrophe lent itself to a set of dominoes, each huge structure
toppling the next one it hit until none were left standing. Each piece of the
faux-forest came down thunderously upon the true woods, scattering seeds and
foliage across the battered terrain, securing the future of the area amidst its
own destruction. Even after the calamitous display ended the world continued to
rumble, ending only after several moments of tremors and aftershocks.
The sight was enough to pause the
tension in a small blue bubble that stood in the middle of a great clearing in
the deep forests of the Fire Country. Two combatants, trapped within a strange,
glowing barrier, were shocked into motionlessness and speechlessness. Their
eyes became so firmly trained on the scene that nothing else around them
registered. Naruto, who had been kicking and squirming all of five seconds ago,
was amazingly silent and observant during the fiasco. There was an awkward
stretch of silence that followed until the captured boy found the words to
express his thoughts.
�S-Sugoi�� the blond gasped.
�Sakura-chan�she did it!�
The raven-haired girl inside the
flowing shield turned her head in the direction of her lover�s voice, her own
speech catching in her throat. �S-Sakura-chan�?�
Naruto�s face was curved in a
smile so large it nearly stretched beyond his whisker marks. Though the
mist-eyed girl was unaware of the circumstances of his happiness, the mere
sight of the young man smiling made her hopes soar. She had been afraid at
first, especially with the way that Sakai had been threatening to end Naruto�s
life. Yet now, seeing him happy, allowed all the doubt to simply disappear into
thin air.
Sakai!
Hinata spun around, pulling
herself into a ready stance. She had been so absorbed in the goings-on that she
had forgotten all about her enemy. It was a mistake she could not afford to
make. Had she been in the presence of her father or Neji, she would have been
scolded horribly. Had she been on a real mission, it probably would have cost
her allies their lives.
Yet this lapse in judgment had
cost her nothing. She whipped around to face Sakai only to see him staring
vacantly in the direction of the collapsing ebony spires. At least, she assumed
he was staring. It was difficult to tell what the teenage boy was thinking
thanks to his lifeless, colorless eyes. His body continued to tremble long
after the event had passed, consumed by forces that even Hinata�s Byakugan
could not see. Sakai�s fists clenched and unclenched with no set pattern, his
hardly trimmed nails digging into his flesh tightly in a mix of rage and
anxiety.
Without warning his head snapped
back in the Hyuuga girl�s direction. Merely catching a glimpse of the center of
Sakai�s ghostly eyes made Hinata�s body jump in fright, along with making her
knees feel weak. She recovered quickly enough, but was shocked that merely
trading glances with the young male would be enough to affect her so deeply.
There was something very unsettling about the knife-haired boy�s ability to
chill her with such little effort.
Something inside her itched. She
couldn�t place her finger on what it was, however.
�So that�s how it is?� Sakai
questioned. �You mean to tell me that the short-haired girl could defeat
Katai-sempai? Is that the kind of ludicrous thing you want me to believe?�
Hinata stood perplexed. Sakai�s
actions were highly unusual, as though he were actually blaming them for the
destruction of the throng of black diamond pillars. Then Hinata realized that
he actually was blaming her and
Naruto for it. It was hard to judge thanks to the nature of his gaze, but he
seemed quite upset. Was he accusing them of having used genjutsu to trick him?
Was his anger even directed at them? What benefit could be gained from the
situation? Why was he so upset?
�Yeah, that�s precisely it��
Naruto grunted as his body was squeezed. The part of the barrier that held him
captive seemed to constrict more tightly the angrier Sakai became. �Something
wrong with your vision? �Cause from what I just saw, it looks like Sakura-chan
just beat the hell out of your
precious Katai-sempai, asshole!�
There were many things wrong with
Naruto taunting his captor in such a way. First and foremost was the fact that
Naruto was completely unaware of the real outcome of the battle of which he
spoke. His confidence in his teammate was incredibly high however, which could
excuse that solitary slip of the tongue. What was truly a stupid idea was
taking a shot at something his jailer felt very strongly about. The chakra
encasing his body tightened suddenly, squeezing him violently and causing him
to cry out in pain. Hinata rushed to the side, pressing her hands against the
wall in an attempt to reach her lover.
�You do not seem to understand
your situation,� Sakai hissed. �Do you honestly think me to be fooled by this
nonsense? This�mirage you�ve put before me?�
�As if I could do pull something
like that off!� Naruto�s voice began to thin out as the air was pressed from
his lungs. Another moment of this and he would pass out.
�I think I should warn you that I�m
not amused. Do you understand that there is no way that Katai could lose to
your little girlfriend? Does that register with you, Demon Child?!�
Sakai felt a jarring sensation
explode from his stomach. His rage had left him wide open to Hinata�s furious blow,
designed entirely to have him release his hold on Naruto. Sakai relented, but
not due to Hinata�s attack. As with her previous blows, the full force of the
Jyuuken strike was absorbed by the thick layers of chakra that filled Sakai�s
body. It wasn�t a fluke or simply circumstance, either. Sakai had developed the
technique for pressing his excess energy into thick layers against his skin to
prevent heavy trauma to his body long ago. It was a jutsu he was very proud of
and thankful for having made. Instead of being incapacitated, the clear-eyed
boy simply stumbled back a few steps and loosened the bonds that held the
Jinchuuriki to his chakra dome.
�I don�t have any idea what�s
going on,� Hinata said, �but your fight is with me, not Naruto or anyone else!�
On the outside Hinata was strong.
On the inside, she was in turmoil. Time slowed as all her thoughts and feelings
caught up with her, crashing down on her like a tsunami. When had Katai become
a part of this? Why was he fighting Sakura? How far had they all traveled from
the village? Where were the other kidnappers? Why was Naruto the only one to
have found her? Why was Sakai using Naruto as bait? Why was Katai�s potential
failure such a blow to him?
The probable answer to the last
question made sense to Hinata. Sakai had called Kongouseki Katai his sempai.
That meant he had a great deal of respect for the rock-bodied young man,
perhaps more than a simple student/mentor relationship generally allowed. She
had never seen Katai in action, but had heard that he was truly marvelous to
watch in combat. Practically indestructible. If all of this was true, then him
being upset over Katai�s presumed defeat made sense.
Sakai stood tall and shook off
what little damage Hinata�s attack had done to him. He had no time to feel hurt
or languish in mild prickles of pain. Much more important and distressing
things demanded his attention. His eyes once again trailed the horizon,
searching this time not for the mark of his superior, but for the remains. Not
a single ebony peak was left in the dense forestland, making everything around
Sakai feel empty in a way. His denial had been vicious, but part of him had
already accepted the truth. It was impossible for him to know for sure, but
that made very little difference. Somehow, Sakai simply knew that Katai had lost, even if he was a loss as to explain how.
The thought of Katai having been
killed sent a flurry of rage, sadness and disappointment through Sakai�s
otherwise lifeless body. That anger would be the fuel he would use. He would
focus his attention on the task at hand. He was a shinobi. More importantly,
Katai would have done the same. A new force drove the spectre-like teen�s
objective.
That new force was revenge.
This is what it comes to? Sakai wondered. Such a thing�I never imagined it could happen. The only person
Katai-sempai ever feared was this blond boy�and yet it was that kunoichi that
finally defeated him? Perhaps we have underestimated Konoha�s shinobi all this
time�
Sakai sighed deeply, putting
Hinata on guard once again. He shook his head slowly before turning his pale
vision back on the young girl, drawing his hands upward toward his face. Chakra
began to gather in his fingertips and cascade about his body as he forced it
into the ground, keeping his sight trained fiercely on his opponent.
�So be it,� he muttered. �Since
you seem to lack it, I will show you respect for Katai-sempai�through vengeance
if I must!�
The ground around Hinata erupted
in dozens of thick blue tendrils, swirling around her in a dance choreographed
out of anger. Hinata�s feet moved with grace and speed, shifting her out of the
road of each lashing tentacle of energy. Though all of her dodging was
improvised, each swing of her arms and tilt of her upper body seemed planned,
exuding the aura of dignity and beauty that a true dance possessed. A slow
rhythm formed out of nowhere, a waltz with a never-ending triple beat that set
the pace for the battle. Each step was glorious to behold, the lithe kunoichi�s
body slipping between arcing strikes and rampant swings. No matter how hard
Sakai tried to hit her, he met with failure.
Finally he made but a single slip.
A single missed note in a long melody, a single step misplaced in a long tango.
That created Hinata�s opening, one she exploited without a second thought. The
kidnapped girl curled her fingers into a readied palm before thrusting her arm
toward the gap between Sakai�s vines of chakra, expelling a sharp blast of her
own power through her hand.
�Hakke Kusho!�
The harsh blast of pure energy slammed
into Sakai, pushing his body across the dried grass and loose earth. Instantly
his attack faded, leaving Hinata alone once again on her side of the field. She
resumed the standard Jyuuken pose before Sakai had come to a stop, standing
tall against Hinata�s defiant attack. Once again the young man seemed largely
unaffected by her attacks, though his clothing did not fare as well. The
hanging threads of navy blue fluttered in the small breeze, torn and ripped
from Hinata�s powerful ranged strike. His shirt was almost entirely ripped down
the middle, leaving more of his skeletal body on display than the Hyuuga
heiress cared to see. The strange symbol engraved on his chest seemed to
shimmer slightly, drawing her Byakugan-laden gaze back to his chest for but a
moment.
How can he simply stand there as if he hasn�t been hit? Hinata
wondered. No human can simply shrug off
everything. There�s got to be some trick to this�something I�m not seeing!
Hinata�s mind raced even during
the small amount of downtime she had. She knew she would need to use all of her
abilities, including her thoughts, in order to defeat her current opponent. The
concept that there were things even the intoxicating full sight granted by the
Byakugan could not see was not a new concept to the Hyuuga clan. It was a
reality they had had to deal with for many long years, despite the dojutsu�s
legendary status. Yet Hinata�s growing distress was not born of that lack of
sight. Her concerns were fixated on figuring out the riddles presented to her and
saving Naruto from his current predicament. The latter alone was enough to make
her fight at her maximum.
Sakai�s hand flew forward
awkwardly, his hand clenched in a tight fist. Hinata�s reactions were stalled
by her thoughts, leaving her helpless to avoid the large pillar of azure light
that struck her directly in the face. The furious blow sent her tumbling back
into the barrier, impacting on the humming blue wall with a loud smack. Her
insides jostled as she ricocheted off the immaterial surface and collapsed face
first in the dirt. The air rushed out of her, leaving her sucking for breath as
she tried to right herself. Sakai had not faltered in taking advantage of the
moment and launched another lash her way. Hinata�s body, though winded, refused
to allow itself to be struck by Sakai again. She rolled to the side at the last
second, hoping to avoid the incoming attack. Two separate bodies of chakra met
at the edges of Sakai�s barricade and melded flawlessly, the thick pipe that
had been used to attack Hinata flowing seamlessly into the dome that surrounded
the fight.
Another thick shot of chakra flew
out of the ground at Hinata with but another thrust of Sakai�s palm. The
white-eyed girl drew in a deep breath and finally regained her lost oxygen,
using her newfound breath to propel herself into the air. Instinct made her
reach for the tool pouch that was no longer there, leaving her stranded in
mid-air with no weapons other than her fists. Her circumstances became even
more desperate as yet another whip of blue energy flew out of the ground at
her. As before, Hinata�s options were limited. With no other avenues she thrust
another wave of chakra from her palm at Sakai. The Hakke Kusho surge flew
straight through the winding blue light at the wraithlike ninja, only to be
stopped a mere inch from his form by a sparkling cerulean wall. Hinata landed
with a soft thud as Sakai lowered his arm, causing the softly radiant divider
to lower back into the ground.
�Nothing short of impressive,�
Sakai commented, his hollow voice drifting through the air. �I see why you were
choice number two.�
�Number�two?� Hinata wondered
aloud.
Sakai�s answer was to clench and
unclench his right fist, summoning another mass of chakra behind him. With an
open palmed, underhanded swipe, five separate sapphire fingers shot out from
the earth at Hinata, each one assaulting her from a different angle. She didn�t
hesitate, spinning her body quickly to deal with each winding wisp as it closed
in. The first two were dealt with flawlessly, a single Jyuuken blow causing
them to scatter into the air. Her lithe frame slipped away from the next two
strikes in one movement, allowing her to cut the tendrils off at the head with
dual knife hand strikes. The fifth finally evaded her guard and struck her
across the back, sending her forward into the dirt roughly. She stopped two
feet later, grime and bruises coating her body in various places. She was on
her feet quickly, giving a harsh shout at her minor failure.
�Yes, number two,� Sakai replied
impassively. For a moment it appeared as though he would say more, yet his lips
stayed tightly shut after only three words. Hinata felt rage bubbling within
her stomach, causing her to grit her teeth. Through it all, one simple thing
became clear.
Being on the defensive would not
work for her this time. She would have to go on the attack if she wanted to
win.
Hinata�s stance shifted ever so
slightly, putting her weight on different points on her body than usual. She
had been practicing and practicing for a moment such as this, ready to lash out
with a strength she had been building for years on end. Normally fear would
have stopped her. However, in the last few months of her life, fear had lost
its iron grip. It trailed behind her now, trying desperately to catch up as she
faced the opposite direction, standing in the light of her friends and love.
And one of those was in danger of
being taken away from her.
The young heiress�s eyes flashed
momentarily as her form vanished from sight. Naruto stopped squirming and Sakai�s
emotional shell cracked slightly once more in a startled gasp as she
disappeared from view. She materialized above him, all her weight thrown behind
a flying palm strike. The intense, chakra-laced blow fell short of its target,
blocked by another hastily summoned wall. For a moment she remained suspended
in the air, her veined eyes staring through the barrier at her opponent, and
through his skin to his chakra circulatory system. He was nothing but a diagram
to her, a puzzle with holes she had to plug. She alone possessed the power to
finish that puzzle in a single turn.
Gravity set in and Hinata�s legs
met ground. She backed off immediately, watching the wall fall as she
retreated. Dust scattered mildly at ankle height as she dug her heels into the
soil in order to stop, leaving only seven feet between herself and Sakai.
Another storm of blue flew out of the ground at her, thick tendrils crashing in
on her petite frame from all angles. She waited just long enough for every cord
to be within her reach before activating her absolute defense, her invisible
blades of chakra slicing each and every swiveling blue mass as it rushed in on
her. Hinata was moving as soon as the last strand was cut, hoping to catch the
stoic shinobi off guard with her rapid, agile movements. A finger strike landed
just off the side of a blue pillar that had been pulled out of the ground,
which caused her second attack to be thrown off balance. She recovered just in
time to avoid his counter attack, flowing underneath a wildly thrown azure arc.
The momentum her dodge imparted upon her allowed her to twist her body around
his, coming out of her deft maneuver while facing his back. Both her palms
struck him hard, firing a lush wave of chakra at his body. Despite his minor
stumble, the young man looked largely unaffected by the blow, leaving Hinata to
bite her lip as a pillar of blue light slammed into her stomach and flung her
against the barrier once more.
�Red met beige as Hinata found a small quantity of blood rise into
her mouth. She coughed and spat the metallic flavoring out of her body, feeling
her body reel from the furious blow. She was vaguely aware that someone was
calling her name frantically. After a moment to regain her composure, she
realized that it could only be Naruto. Without even moving she could see him,
writhing and struggling against the contracting sinew of Sakai�s chakra, his
bones popping and cracking lightly under the pressure. She knew it was all an
act to egg her on, to make her fight when she didn�t want to. Not that she
truly had a choice in the matter.
That was when a peculiar thought
arose in her head. Her last thought had left something of a bitter doubt in her
mind. None of this truly made any sense at all. All chances of escape had been
lost when the dome had closed over her. Naruto had shown promise in being able
to break Sakai�s protective jutsu with his own powerful attack, but the eerie
enemy ninja had made short work of that. Which was the part that didn�t sit
well with Hinata. Sakai had the ability to crush Naruto and end his threat
instantly. So why was he so happy to simply keep the boy as a prisoner? It
didn�t make sense. If the ghostly warrior believed he was going to win, then
after defeating Hinata he would most likely have to deal with Naruto. That
didn�t make any sense. Naruto would be enraged if she were beaten. He would
fight back with everything he had to keep Sakai from taking her away. He would�
It finally hit her.
It was a trap. It was all designed
to make either her or Naruto lose their cool, and call upon the power of the
Kyuubi. It explained why Sakai had referred to Naruto as a demon child, and it
explained why he was torturing both her and the blond. For some reason or
another, he was trying to draw out the red chakra both of them had. He wanted them, either of them, to call
upon the demon�s chakra. The only question Hinata could not figure out was why.
It doesn�t matter why, she said to herself. All it means is you can�t give in and use it. You never wanted to in
the first place, remember?
Hinata realized his trap was doing
double duty on her. She honestly hadn�t even considered using the demon�s
chakra until put in this situation. Now it was all she could do to remember she
shouldn�t. The tense air tugged at her mind as she kept a close eye on Sakai,
measuring him and his intentions as she continued to stare into the flowing
blue wires that made up his inner body. It hadn�t been easy so far, so why
would this be any different?
Another swing of blue made her
duck and roll to the side. Even though the action had started again she was
still contemplating, still thinking. She could keep dodging and rolling all she
wanted and it probably would not make even the slightest bit of difference. She
had begun this fight with a distinct worry that her opponent had immense skill
in chakra manipulation. The more she had battled him, the more she realized
that he also had to have a massive store of chakra as well. She did not toss
the possibility out the window as most other people had. After all, she already
knew one person with a level of chakra that was as close to infinite as one
could get. Things like this were possible. The issue became that if he truly
did have a nearly infinite level of chakra, then he could do almost anything
with it and could last for a very, very long time.
Which meant that Hinata really
only did have one option.
The white-eyed girl rushed
forward, bringing her arms up in preparation. She was once again reminded of
her restricted range when three separate ropes of chakra descended upon her,
cutting off her straight run towards Sakai. She pivoted on her toes to avoid
the first, spinning her body away from the crushing downward impact. The second
came at her from the side like a right hook, curving inwardly to strike her in
the stomach. The lithe kunoichi stopped her spin abruptly with her other foot,
digging the blue geta into the ground and forcing her body into an incredibly
graceful and marvelous cartwheel, slipping past the second attack by a hair�s
breadth. The third was far more direct, homing in on her with its bludgeoning
tip in a straight flow, flying straight at her head. When both her feet were
planted once more she threw her body back, her upper half landing on palms bent
behind her head. Her raven locks arced skyward under the force, fluttering
violently in the gust that accompanied the clubbing chakra that zoomed past
her. When the blue weapon faded she quickly kicked herself back up and resumed
her charge, the entire escapade having taken less than ten seconds.
Though he looked awkward and slow,
Sakai was anything but. Quick motions from his wrist and fingers called random
pillars and blocks of chakra out of the ground, each one surfacing with the
sole intent of blocking off Hinata�s advance. When the maze of solidified blue
was finished he went on the attack again, this time throwing four large
tendrils at her. Each squirming mass sifted through the blocks like a serpent,
tracking her down as she darted between the avenues given to her. She
sidestepped the first one, bringing her hand down on it in a fierce chop that
was bladed with her own chakra. She found, much to her own dismay, that she
could not cut through the larger constructs as she had done the smaller ones,
their resilience granted most likely from some other force. Forced to duck
between two other pillars to avoid being lashed by the extreme appendage, the
young woman found herself caught between two oncoming attacks at once. She
quickly leapt upwards and split her legs, catching the two opposing walls nearby
with her feet and keeping her body suspended above the ground. The two
wriggling masses collided, exploding in a wondrous show of blue light that she
quickly escaped from, dropping from her makeshift perch as soon as the coast
was clear.
The other two serpentine bulks
flanked Hinata much like the first two had, attempting to pin her between each
other. Hinata was not complacent enough to think Sakai would fall for the same
trick twice, and instead used one of the pillars she was caught between as a board,
vaulting off it just as one of Sakai�s attacks closed in. She flew over it,
landing in a small space free of obstacles or traps. She took but one moment of
stillness to find her quarry, taking off in his direction briskly. Her lungs
began to burn gently from exertion as she picked up speed, followed on both
sides by her ghostly pursuers.
The first strike came from her
right as Sakai�s tendril crashed through the maze, breaking down the
obstructions in its path with no effort at all. Each piece of chakra it blazed
through was added to its own mass, making the great tendril larger and larger
as it approached. There was very little room for Hinata to escape, as the
second flailing tentacle to her left began its attack as well. At the last
possible moment she did the unexpected and stopped completely, letting the
smaller strand smash into the ground just ahead of her. Sakai instantly lost
sight of the Hyuuga girl in the cloud of dust his missed assault had kicked up,
and therefore did not see Hinata scale his other glowing arm. She leapt from it
as quickly as she could, veering down on her aggressor with hands at the ready,
her pale eyes staring righteous fury into the empty pools of his soul.
A veritable briar patch of blue
erupted from both the ground and Sakai himself, catching the airborne kunoichi
completely off guard. She was struck in the left shoulder, her body wheeling
off to the right as she fell towards the ground. She met the earth with a
vicious smack, her entire body jumping from the impact. Another spat of blood
watered the grass in front of her before she rolled backwards to avoid the
dangerous growth of azure energy. Once on her feet she could see the
complicated design the ingenious male had created, a thicket of wild beams and
thorns that been sculpted completely out of his chakra in less than a second.
It retreated suddenly, leaving the frail-looking shinobi wide open for attack.
Hinata took the sporadic defense as the result of poorly and hastily shaped
chakra and forged ahead, driving at Sakai with her left palm.
Her hand slapped against a thick
wall, her eyebrows furrowing in aggravation as her kidnapper summoned yet
another perfectly crafted defense. She rolled around the structure to deliver
another blow, her right hand racing outwards with but two fingers extended in a
sharp, knifing strike. Sakai rose and curved his hand to intercept, a great
pool of energy gathering in his own palm as he deflected the pinpoint attack at
the final moment. That same hand curved and pointed two fingers skyward, a
surge of chakra exploding out of the earth at Hinata�s feet. The agile girl
dove to the side, avoiding the well-aimed attack and throwing herself on the
offensive once again. Three lightning fast blows were blocked by another thick
partition, sending her into a flurry in an attempt to land at least one decent
hit. Either a swell of cobalt power or an energy-laced hand diverted each
blindingly quick assault from its target. The frustration began to build within
her, her rage turning into fuel as she tried harder and harder to land that one
successful attack.
Finally, after what seemed like
hours of failed attempts, a solitary finger strike made it through Sakai�s
defenses. The wild thrust met with his elbow joint, sending a sharp spike of
chakra through his skin. The erroneous blow was so powerful that it cut into
one of the weaker parts of his inner shield and delivered a pinprick directly
to the tenketsu located there. The ghost-boy cried out, his body stumbling
backward slightly as he felt the numbing tingle from Hinata�s attack, swiping
at the enraged inheritor with a wide club of chakra. The swing caught her in
the side and sent her to the ground, giving Sakai a moment to recompose
himself. With a grunt he forced a wave of chakra against the closure and popped
it back open, his arm exploding in pain momentarily before returning to normal.
He had been well aware of the dangers his target possessed, including her
uncanny ability to see and strike at his chakra points. It was that unique
character trait that made him glad he had such amazing control over his body�s
own forces.
Hinata charged in again, her palm
headed straight for Sakai�s exposed face. This time she was sure she had him,
the element of surprise bringing her attack within inches of success. It was
simply not the case however, as a whirling mass of chakra appeared before his
mug for but a split second, acting as a momentary shield. Hinata cursed under
her breath as she brought herself around for another attack, aiming her palm at
this stomach this time. Sakai was far more prepared for the second swing,
summoning a more reliable barrier to protect his body. Hinata continued to
circle him, taking shots at his openings only to see them close before she
could make contact. Another dance began, this time with Sakai as its center as
Hinata continued to flow about him like water, punctuating her graceful
movements with sharp, insistent stabs of her hands. Immovable walls that kept
phasing in and out of existence, living only as long as their owner willed them
to, stayed each pinpoint blow.
From the sidelines, Naruto
remained too entranced to even fight against the tight grip on his body.
The procession came to an abrupt,
unforeseen stop as Hinata�s foot slipped on the blood she herself had spilled upon
the grass. Her glorious movement, stopped by the small oversight, was the only
opening Sakai required. His hand thrust forward, sending a flush of chakra from
his arm straight toward the battered girl with the intent of slamming her
against the barrier for a third time.
Much to his amazement however,
Hinata did not allow herself to become subject to that treatment once again.
The beleaguered kunoichi forced her body upright and jumped into the air,
flipping over Sakai�s body to land behind him. His outpour of chakra continued
on its crash course, splashing off the dome and drizzling away into the air as
he tried in vain to spin around in time to form another wall.
�Hakke��
Naruto�s eyes had gone wide long
before Sakai�s did. Hinata had assumed her position even before Sakai had
swiveled on his heels, bending low to the ground with her left leg forward and
her arms outstretched parallel to that. It was the stance Naruto had seen years
before when he had faced Hinata�s then-fatalistic cousin in the chuunin exams.
The blond could hardly believe what he was seeing.
Sakai hardly had a chance to
hardly believe it.
��Rokujuuyonsho!�
Hinata�s body became the paramount
of the Hyuuga family�s strength. Before the blade-haired kidnapper could react,
two blazingly fast jabs struck him, one above the heart and the other just
under his ribs. Hinata�s form twirled on her feet and delivered four more
strikes to Sakai, these ones even faster than the two previous. Her body
shifted and turned once more, sending eight rapid blows into his upper body.
Another graceful full rotation brought her back to him, this time firing off
sixteen lightning fast attacks into him. His body began to slide backwards
under the tremendous assault of the Hyuuga clan�s powerful taijutsu, his lips curling
in pain as Hinata continued with her liquid grace, stabbing her fingers into
him in a flurry of thirty-two vicious hits. With a shout she spun around one
final time, her hands moving faster than even her own eyes could follow as she
littered his entire body with the final sixty-four-point assault. The final
strike hit him with surprising force, sending him flying away from her and into
the side of the dome with a sudden cry of pain. He slumped off his own barrier
and coughed, red color staining his lips and the grass, revealing what was
perhaps the only human quality he seemed to possess.
�It�s over now,� Hinata said
firmly. She could see with her eyes that the technique had been done
flawlessly. Every single tenketsu in Sakai�s body was firmly closed. Even with
the amount of chakra he had he would not be able to reopen them all in time.
That process would take time�time he didn�t have.
The battered shinobi did not
reply. He simply rose to his feet without using his hands, a motion that
traversed into the realm of disturbing as his frail-looking arms wobbled back
and forth as though he were some sort of zombie. Hinata dared not look directly
into his eyes as he turned his face upward, afraid that the illusion of his
undeath would be complete if she stared at those empty orbs. He stood as
straight as he could, blood dribbling down his lip softly as he twisted his
face into an unnerving smirk.
That was when the forest behind
them exploded into flames.
Three heads spun around as quickly
as possible to take in the sight of shattered trees and billowing smoke. The
line of trees that all of them had exited not long ago lay in ruins, turned
into nothing more than fuel for the blaze that had mysteriously consumed them.
Her vision raced throughout its incredible range, searching for the cause of
the inferno. Sakai seemed to be doing the same thing, but at a slower pace, as
though he already knew what had caused it. Naruto struggled to see anything,
his body stuck facing away from the blaze as he tried his hardest to turn his
head and see.
�Wh-what the hell is going on?� he
shouted hoarsely, his lungs continually being squeezed by his prison.
Hinata would have answered had
shock not prevented her from doing so. She had found the source of the great
fire floating in the sky, hurling another ball of fire at the ground, causing
another explosion to rattle the woodland. She could not believe what she was
seeing however, as the only thing that could describe it was a beast of legend.
�A�A dragon!?� she gulped, not
realizing her voice had squeaked the words out.
�It seems Yakusho-kun decided to
not pull his punches,� Sakai muttered. �Truly a terrifying sight.�
�Y-Yakusho�?� Hinata gasped,
turning around to face Sakai. �H-how did you�what are you talking about!?�
Sakai kept his eyes focused on
Yakusho�s draconic form, eyeing the way the powerful shinobi hurled balls of
flame into the forest. He seemed to ignore Hinata even when he began to speak
to her again, keeping his eyes focused on the sky.
�He truly is quite strong. Even
with my limitless potential I doubt there would be much I could do against a
force such as Yakusho�s.�
Hinata seemed lost. She could not
seem to grasp the implications of Sakai�s statements, even though the reality
was well within her reach. Much like Naruto she did not want to believe the
truth. Her hands clenched and unclenched, trying to put tangible meaning into
her feelings.
As if things were not hectic
enough already, the ground shook furiously once again. Hinata�s eyes swerved
around once again, this time to bear witness to the sight of a giant, armored
creature coming into existence, wielding a giant lance as it stood down the
floating dragon that was apparently Yakusho. This seemed to shock even Sakai,
who stood back slightly at the sight.
Then his lips curved into a smile.
�Then again��
�Keep your eyes on your enemy!�
Hinata snapped, her cheeks flushing as she realized she was reprimanding the
young man for something she�d been doing just a moment previous. �You aren�t in
the position to take me idly.�
Sakai turned his head back down to
Hinata, glaring right through her with his vacant eyes. �Are you referring to
the way you�ve sealed my tenketsu? If so, I feel that I should inform you that
something as trivial as this does not guarantee your victory against me.�
Lifeless arms slowly floated
upwards from their limp position, pressing into the skin around the symbol on
the shinobi�s chest. Sakai grunted softly as he pushed his fingers against the
small icon, the inky design flashing out sprinkles of blue and red. The entire
area inside the dome shook violently then depressed, as if some sort of giant
hand was attempting to crush everything within it. The small fingers of the
symbol began to spread out wildly, branching and wriggling off in various directions
across Sakai�s skin. With every inch they claimed Sakai�s face scrunched up
more, as though the growing of the seal caused him great pain. The strange
lines continued until they were on every inch of his visible skin, crawling
right past his face and sliding over his palms and fingers. His squirming ended
as the blackness stopped growing, his contorted face relaxing as he flashed
another wicked grin.
The shockwave that followed
slammed Hinata against the barrier fiercely and even caused the wind to be
knocked out of Naruto�s lungs. The gust of energy fluctuated and flared,
blinding Hinata�s wondrous view with spiraling wisps of blue. There was very
little she could do against the force, the waves of power continuing to flood
and explode from the epicenter, keeping her pinned firmly against the walls of
the battleground. As the great squall of energy began to die down, Hinata
peeled herself from the shimmering divider and walked towards where she had
once stood, returning to a ready stance. She would be prepared for whatever it
was that Sakai had up his sleeve.
She could not possibly have
prepared for what she saw.
The frail, ghostly frame that had
once been Sakai had disappeared in the thunderous display of raw might. What
stood in his place now had much more tone and muscle to it, filling out the
confines of what was once a loose and wavy shirt. All alone his body the great
lines of black that had consumed his body had turned blue, glowing the color of
pure chakra. His body shimmered and glowed softly, giving a radiant aura around
him that made him seem more godly than deathly. His eyes were firmly shut,
placing him against his own shining backdrop like some great picture from
centuries ago. His eyelids slowly began to peel back, causing Hinata to gasp at
the state of his once-bare eyes. For unlike before, they were now ablaze in
azure, chakra burning out from his irises in long streaks.
Despite all of the changes his
body had undergone, Hinata was not scared by his altered state at all. What
truly scared her was the sight of his tenketsu opened once more, his system
roiling with more chakra than any normal human being should ever have been able
to have.
�H-how in the�?!�
�I told you,� Sakai sneered, his
voice dripping with malice, �that nothing as trivial as closing my tenketsu
would guarantee you victory against me.�
Hinata felt her body thrown aside,
tossed across the dirt and into the wall of the barrier once again. The only
thing that differentiated this attack from the others was the heat that was spreading
across her arm. Her mind registered it as the blazing heat of a deep wound,
something she had not experienced during the entire fight. As she stood up she
gripped her arm, feeling blood pouring out of the gash on her arm. She looked
at the wounded appendage and saw the red liquid drooling straight down to her
hand, dripping off onto the grass and soil in small droplets from the edge of
her fingers.
�In case you were wondering about
my miraculous recovery,� the glimmering young man chuckled, �it is indeed due
to the symbol you saw on my chest. It is an ancient demon-hunting technique
used by my clan to store exceptional levels of chakra for heated situations. As
things stand, I am now in possession of five months worth of chakra. That
amount of energy was enough to forcefully re-open my tenketsu as soon as it
entered my body. I was able to use the jutsu because it is triggered by
emotion, not chakra.
�And, just in case you weren�t
aware�the reason you�re bleeding is because I�ve grown tired of this game.
Either submit now or I will force you to with more violent means.�
Thanks to the Byakugan, Hinata
actually could see the worried
expression on Naruto�s face, his form still pinned to the wall behind her.
�You son of a bitch!� Naruto
shouted. �Let me out of here! Leave her the hell alone! What, don�t want to
fight someone who could kick your ass?! Show some balls, you slimy jackass!�
Naruto was attempting to draw
Sakai�s attention away from Hinata. He was trying to protect her in the only
way he could right now, and Hinata couldn�t have felt happier about it. The
only problem that remained was that taunting Sakai would not help the
situation. As it stood, the kidnapper had shown his disinterest in taking
Naruto on in any form of combat. He was also quite determined to make sure
Hinata submitted to his will and went along with his plan. He was even ready to
use means that would put her life in danger to do so. She was quite convinced
there would be no other way out of this except to fight. Hinata gritted her
teeth against the pain and resumed her fighting pose.
Sakai�s burning eyes narrowed as
he raised his glowing palm, focusing his nearly limitless energy before
clenching his hand. The air around the Hyuuga heiress exploded with flares of
energy, several winding, sharp-ended ribbons of energy flying out of floating
masses of chakra. Much to his words, these reinforced tendrils were shaped most
brutally, prepared to tear into her flesh. Hinata spun wildly, pressing her
form up against the barrier�s wall as five spears zoomed right past her. Each
sticker was thrust violently into the earth instead, tossing up small patches
of dirt as they drove into the ground. The future head of the Hyuuga family
gulped loudly, realizing the assault could easily have skewered her. She
summoned her courage once again and darted out from behind the failed attack,
racing straight towards Sakai with determination in her eyes.
Sakai seemed much more cautious
now, leaping away from Hinata�s rush before summoning up his defense. It was
something that Hinata noted quickly, just before backpedaling away from the
chakra spines that jutted out of the earth towards her. The razor-sharp strands
stopped just a few inches away from her face, leaving a bead of sweat to trail
down her cheek before they dissipated. She glared back at Sakai and his
taunting gestures, only to see a blur whiz right by her. Her other arm exploded
in painful heat as she was cut once again, blood spraying across the grass
before gently rolling down her skin. Hinata cried out in surprise and stumbled
backwards, forcing her focus on Sakai.
�Are you ready to give up yet?� he
asked. �Or shall I simply keep cutting you until you have no other options?�
�Go fuck yourself!� Hinata spat,
her cheeks threatening to turn pink in embarrassment. Cursing was certainly not
her thing, yet the words had left her lips regardless.
There was a shaking somewhere in
the forest behind the kunoichi. She realized that it was probably the battle
between the giant creature and what was apparently Yakusho. She had no time to
figure out the particulars, especially not with Sakai out for blood. They would
have to wait for afterwards, if she was even conscious then.
If she was still alive then.
Hinata tilted her body to the
right as a shaft of chakra flew out from behind Sakai, its tip missing her by
barely an inch. The spear of light twisted upon itself and turned around,
coming straight back at her. She was running towards Sakai even before the
piercing beam had bent, giving her the perfect opportunity for a full on
assault. Once more Sakai kept his distance, leaping backward to give himself
time to construct a suitable defense. Hinata decided to split his attention and
ducked to the side, letting Sakai�s attack rush past her. In order to prevent the
bladed spear of chakra from impaling himself, Sakai was forced to disperse it,
scattering the gathered power into the air.
Hinata struck like lightning,
ripping through her opening to deliver three quick strikes to her opponent.
Sakai reeled this time, crying out as her Jyuuken attacks cut through to his
insides. It was clear from the damage he took that whatever force had been
protecting him previous had been vanquished with the activation of his new
power. It was also clear that no matter how hard she tried, she could not force
his tenketsu closed due simply to the sheer amount of chakra being forced
through them. It was the equivalent of trying to stop water from coming out of
a tap with just one�s fingers.
Her time to contemplate such
things drew to an abrupt close. Another crazed thicket of chakra was created
straight from Sakai�s overflowing body, his burning eyes fixating on her
angrily as cerulean nettles and spears erupted from his form. Hinata felt the
ends pierce and scatter her skin, blood spraying out across the green grass and
Sakai�s navy blue uniform. She felt the iron taste stain her tongue before she
was flung away, landing harshly on the ground. Her body was opened in several
places now, blood seeping through her dark clothing and making it cling to her
body sickly. Hinata was vaguely aware that Naruto was shouting, but could
hardly make out the words with the ringing and wetness in her ears. She was
hardly surprised that she had to wipe a stream of blood out of her eye when she
finally managed to stand.
It was then that the sky exploded.
Where once two great creatures had
been fighting in the woodlands now stood a giant pillar of flame. The fires
whirled in a cyclone, consuming the battlefield they had been summoned to,
racing upwards into the sky as they sucked the world dry. The great spiral
continued for several minutes before finally dying out, leaving a slightly
singed raccoon in its wake, yet no sign of the dragon that it had once been
fighting. It was a true spectacle unlike anything the kunoichi had ever seen.
It was then that Hinata realized
her fight had been put on pause by the show. Even Sakai seemed transfixed on
the events, his lip quivering slightly as the flames died. She was unsure as to
just what had captivated the young man so much, but she was not about to let a
perfect opportunity escape her. She charged ahead, leading with her right palm
as she prepared to strike Sakai in the back of the head, hopefully finishing
him off in one blow.
The glowing ninja was not quite as
absorbed in the view as he appeared. At the last moment he spun around and
knocked Hinata aside by batting her hand aside and throwing a punch to her
face. She found her footing just after rolling across the dirt, glaring at
Sakai once more as he turned to face her directly.
�Did you see that tornado of
fire?� he cackled, his burning blue eyes flaring up. �That was Yakusho-kun�s
most powerful attack. An attack that could even kill Katai instantaneously�an
attack that nothing survives!�
His eyes turned back to the sight
of the slightly charred raccoon, his breath gathering in a sigh. �And yet�this
is the second time something has survived it. Most�unfortunate. Yakusho-kun was
supposed to be our best�what a shame, he will be most displeased with his
student.�
More and more questions surfaced
as Sakai�s taunt changed into a miniature monologue. She began reeling with the
possibilities of what he had said. Sure the raccoon had survived, but what
about everything else? What if someone else had been there at the time? Hinata
was sure Naruto would not have been the only person to chase after her. How did
Sakai know Yakusho? Did that mean that Yakusho was one of them?
Then a particular question stood
out in her mind. Despite all others it continued to reign supreme in the
muddled mess of her mind, asking itself over and over and over. Finally she
could not take it and wetted her lips, standing tall against the glow of her
enemy.
�Who is this �he�?� she said
calmly. �Who do you work for?�
Sakai reeled his head back and stared
into Hinata with his blazing pupils, chakra leaking straight into the air as
his mouth crooked into a devious grin. �That information is none of your
concern. Relax though, you will learn of it soon enough!�
The kunoichi�s voice raised in a
harsh scream as blood gushed out across her shin. She pulled herself free and
slumped forward just in time to dodge the remainder of Sakai�s sneak attack,
which had been made out of the chakra from the barrier. Her leg bled profusely
as she tried to stand on it, rolling down her foot and geta to stain the
ground. That injury would cost a great deal of her dexterity, rendering her
nearly useless against Sakai�s incredibly fast and erratic attacks. With a yelp
she launched herself forward, ducking under more sharp worms as they hurtled
towards her. Desperate, she crawled away as the spears swirled around and came
at her again, rolling away on her stomach to avoid them as they crashed into
the earth.
She stood up slowly, gritting her
teeth against the searing pain in her left leg. He was trying to cripple her,
not kill her. She was worth nothing to this man dead. That meant that no matter
what happened, as long as there were no mistakes, she would remain alive. Yet
Naruto would probably not share that good luck if things came down to it. She
shook her head and growled. Why was she thinking about this? She had to win,
regardless of what would happen if she lost. There wasn�t any other option.
She was Konoha. She was strong.
Four wisps of chakra materialized
in front of Sakai and flew out at his command, twisting in a corkscrew as their
pointed tips raced at Hinata. Her only option was canceled when she pivoted on
her injured leg, the searing pain halting her escape. Three of the tendrils
pierced her body, two lodging themselves in her shoulders and the other one
catching her just under her right rib. Her sensations were assaulted, consuming
her mind in pain and dizziness as she was twisted and spun towards the edge of
the battlefield just before crashing into the barrier. Her body shook in a
violent cough, which spewed blood down her chin and dark top, trembling weakly
as she tried to breathe. She was aware that her blood was all over the place,
while also being vaguely conscious of the fact that she was pinned to the wall
of the dome. Her eyesight was blurred from the fierce blows, her Byakugan
deactivated out of pure shock. She could make out muffled noises and blurred
figures, one of them walking in her direction. She was certain that was Sakai,
which meant the strangled cries had to be coming from Naruto. She tried to
react, tried to respond. But her body remained idle, unable to fight against
the chakra that stuck her against the wall.
Even with her senses failing she
could make out Sakai�s approach. The soft thump of his footsteps against the
grass and the pale glow his form radiated were impossible to ignore even in her
level of stupor. As he drew closer her mind began to right itself, the blur
beginning to vanish and the sound coming back into focus. She could clearly make
out her attacker�s bulk and the swiveling blue lines that traced his body from
head to toe. He was upon her, she was certain, but her head was still slightly
fogged. A sudden pressure encapsulated her throat, slamming her head back
against the blue wall behind her. She could make out the fact that the shouting
had increased in pitch, but other than that she could barely see more than a
few feet ahead of her. That was all the field of vision she required to stare
directly into the burning eyes of her aggressor, her form trembling as she
drank in every last inch of his terrifying, now-demonic features.
�Were you not worth all the
effort, I�d have already killed you,� he stated plainly. �Don�t get a swelled
head about it. I�m only maintaining his orders.�
His fingers tightened around her
neck, cutting off the flow of air. She panicked, trying to raise her arms to
fight him off. Her appendages would not respond, hanging limply at her sides as
she was strangled. He wouldn�t kill her, which she knew. But if she was
unconscious again, then it didn�t really matter. He had won this fight and
whatever happened afterwards, she would be powerless to stop. Naruto could be
crushed to death after she was beaten. They would take her for whatever purpose
they wanted, leaving her friends and love behind to die.
I won�t let it happen�
The grip around her throat
tightened, forcing the air from her and clouding her eyes. She tried to gasp,
but found that not even the slightest wisp of air could make it past Sakai�s
iron grip. Her consciousness began to pale, drifting away into nothingness.
I won�t let it happen�
Naruto cried out, struggling
against his tightening bonds. Sakai was wasting no time. He would crush Naruto
and have Hinata under in just a moment. He wanted to leave as quickly as
possible and get back on his way. This mission was already in enough jeopardy.
He didn�t want to ruin it anymore than it already was. Plus, that blond haired
child had been marked a great threat. He would have to be killed sooner rather
than later anyway.
I WON�T LET IT HAPPEN!
Something dug into Sakai�s wrist
powerfully, crushing the skin and threatening to break through into the bone.
The usually stoic shinobi cried out from the sudden pain and released her neck,
looking down to see one of Hinata�s pale hands wrapped around his arm. Her
fingers however, did not look at all like they had moments before. Her nails
had extended, giving her digits the appearance of ragged claws. Something
around her seemed to burn, giving off a wave of malevolence and rage that Sakai
had never experienced before. It was a moment before he realized it was coming
from the chakra encircling her body.
It was another moment before he
realized that that chakra wasn�t her own.
Hinata�s body ignited in a flash,
crimson energy wafting off her extremities and smoldering angrily across her
skin. Another clawed hand reached up and grabbed Sakai by his elbow, snapping
down viciously on the joints and pressing into his skin roughly. He felt his
bones on the verge of breaking as Hinata raised her head, her bloodshot
Byakugan eyes glaring at him with deep rage. What was once pale lavender orbs
now churned with hellfire, creased and red with violence bred solely out of the
soul. She snarled at him, baring her canines, which had grown into easily
perceptible fangs.
�I won�t let you win,� she hissed
in a growl Naruto had heard once before. �You�ll let Naruto-kun go�or I�ll kill you!�
Sakai was flung quite a distance
by his arm, landing solidly against his own blockade once more. The pale cylinders
that had kept Hinata pinned dissipated as he lost control over them, allowing
her to drop to the floor once more. She barely stood, getting up slowly as the
red chakra flicked off of her body like an open flame. As she stood up, her
face twisted into an angry scowl as the Kyuubi�s chakra worked its magic. The
bleeding wounds and open holes on her body began to close up rather quickly,
the massive regenerative powers of the demon fox�s essence working to aid her.
In moments she was completely healed, each lesion completely sealed, marked
only by the streams of blood that had originated from them. Thanks to the power
she had tapped into, she had gone from crippled to full power in a matter of
moments.
Yet for some reason, Sakai had
never looked happier.
�I�d like to thank you for finally
summoning that wonderful demon
chakra,� he coughed, rubbing blood off his lips. �I can now finally end this
with little to no effort.�
Sakai�s arms spread out to his
sides, an enormous amount of chakra gathering in his fingertips. With a wide
swing, strands of energy flew from his hands and draped over Hinata, covering
her in a light blue net that Sakai held in his hands. He looked ecstatic as he
tapped into his lineage and focused his power through the strands, preparing
them for their intended purpose.
�Let�s see how you do when I use
your own demon chakra against you! Akuma Fuuin Jutsu! Hikari no Tsubasa!�
The strings of chakra that Sakai
had thrown over Hinata�s form flashed as he focused his power into them. Sparkles
of light rushed through the thin lines, covering them in a glittering aura. A
tension seemed to fill the air as the small ropes dug into Hinata, going past
her earthly body and into her chakra. The powerful energy latched onto
something roughly before Sakai grabbed the small tendrils and yanked them from
her, taking a giant body of red with them.
A giant body of red that
dissipated almost instantly.
Sakai froze, his furiously
scorching eyes widening in shock. He was at a loss for words, looking between Hinata�s
body and the tips of his chakra ropes in disbelief. His jutsu had obviously
failed somehow, but just how was not in Hinata�s ability to understand. She
continued to stare at him with her reddened eyes, assessing her newfound
situation with a bit of a twisted smile.

On the sidelines, Naruto stared on
in confusion, the crushing of his prison momentarily halted by Sakai�s shock.
He was at just as much a loss to explain what was going on as Hinata was. Any
confusion he had was quickly dismissed as the dark, bellowing voice of the
Kyuubi arose in his mind.
It figures�out of all the things,
our vixen survives on a technicality.
Naruto felt his consciousness
swerve, turning away from the battlefield to look inside itself.
What do you mean?
You don�t get it? The
demon fox chuckled slightly, flaring within Naruto�s soul. That technique he just used was
meant to rip out the demon within and use its chakra to supplement his own. It
would turn him into a superhuman�if it had worked.
But why didn�t it?
The only thing I can guess is
that because she does not technically have a demon within her, like you, that
the jutsu is completely ineffective.
Naruto took a moment to absorb the
information before speaking again, his subconscious-self holding his head.
What were the chances of that?
I�d say about fifty-fifty.

Sakai snorted as he withdrew his
coils of energy. This had been an unforeseen hitch. He had known that there was
a chance � there always was one � that Hikari no Tsubasa would fail. It was
meant for full-fledged demons, not Jinchuuriki. This girl was neither, so it
made sense that the jutsu would have an even bigger chance of failing. Somehow
though, those thoughts did not comfort the demon hunter. He was now in a very
compromising position against a fully healed opponent. In the back of his mind,
he realized that he would have to throw caution to the wind to survive.
A moment later, he realized that
might not even be enough.
Hinata�s claws swung by his face
in a reddened blur. They missed his throat only because he had taken a step
forward, lowering his head in preparation to attack. His mind reeled at the
kunoichi�s newfound speed, unable to keep up with just his eyes. She lashed out
again, swinging her opened palm in a wide arc laced with bloodstained energy.
Sakai braced his arm with chakra and deflected the blow, his bones shuddering
under the force. Hinata was now unimaginably strong on top of incomprehensibly
fast. For but a moment she was death incarnate, come to claim its next victim.
The noise that came from her lips
sounded about as human.
Another thicket of chakra exploded
from Sakai�s body, his last second defense activating for the third time that
night. This time Hinata was not caught by the sudden art, leaping away and
holding her ground some ten feet from the demon hunter. The space was all Sakai
needed for now, giving him the room and precious seconds to think of what to
do. His mission still stood. Yet as things stood, it was becoming harder and
harder to fulfill that goal.
If he couldn�t fulfill it, he
would just have to think of alternatives.
Hinata was on the move again. With
the Kyuubi�s chakra influencing her, her body became nothing short of a
powerhouse. Dust, grass and chunks of soil flew into the air as she bolted from
her standing position, shooting straight at Sakai with her claws poised. The
boy swung his arm and sent a blade of chakra out of the ground at her, which
she promptly rolled right over. Her body twisted in midair as she cleared the
obstacle, landing in a low crouch that allowed her to pick up speed once more.
Sakai�s expression slowly changed from worried to frightened as he began to
throw every single lance and tendril he could at her, creating a plethora of
deadly attacks that rained down from the sky at her. Each and every one of them
was dodged or sidestepped, lessening her pace by just enough to allow him to
keep summoning impediments. Even as spikes and spears swirled and crashed into
the earth around his target, Sakai knew he could only last so long.
He finally slipped, a single shaft
of light missing its intended space by a foot. Hinata slipped through the
opening, punishing Sakai for his mistake. Her form took to the air in a
marvelous display of strength, each clawed hand coming down to rip his head
from his shoulders. Even as she descended the shinobi was defending, bringing a
hand across his body in order to call out another spear of energy. Time slowed
into individual heartbeats, the sound thumping of the organ acting like a
metronome, the only beat of time followed as each warrior readied what would be
the final, fatal blow.
The next moment, a large puddle of
blood lay at Sakai�s feet.
Above him, impaled on a crooked
cerulean spike, was Hinata.
�You should have stopped while you
had the chance,� Sakai muttered indignantly. �Now I�ve failed my mission.�
His mock form of elation fled in
the very next heartbeat of time. His instincts should have sensed that
something was amiss. He had heard no screams of pain, no shouts of shock and
hatred. Yet for that split second he had remained ensconced in his victory. So
much so that the words that sounded not from in front of him, but from behind,
chilled what remained of his frozen soul.
�Don�t ever underestimate me!�
Sakai�s face turned around,
staring straight into the reddened eyes of Hyuuga Hinata, just as the body on
his spear of light exploded in a thick cloud of smoke. Sakai�s eyes widened as
they grasped the truth of the situation, as well as the terrifying mass of red
chakra in Hinata�s right hand.
To the side, Naruto could not help
but feel pride at what Hinata had learned while training with him all those
months before.
�Nobody threatens Naruto as long
as I live,� Hinata seethed. �I will make you pay for what you�ve done!�
There was no time to defend.
Hinata was too close for any sort of reaction. Her hand, alive with demonic
energy, sailed straight into Sakai�s chest, pressure expanding in a wide ray as
she released the attack.
�Zankoukuuken!�
The clearing, forest and sky were
suddenly drowned in a sickening crimson glow as the Kyuubi�s chakra exploded
from Hinata�s palm. Thick waves, tendrils and wisps of the demonic chakra
sailed through the woods and air, toppling trees and scorching the landscape.
All about the haunting light was a horrible, pitched noise that imitated the
howling of tortured souls and the cackle of death itself. The immense flood of
chakra that escaped the single blow blinded the world, leaving it all blanketed
in a stupefying red light.

Naruto came to moments later,
staring up at the starry night sky. The prison, which had been made for him out
of chakra, was gone, along with the barrier that Sakai had created. A deep
breath was all the confirmation the blond needed that he was no longer bound,
filling him with a deep sense of relief. That relief was momentarily replaced
with fright as he realized he had no clue what had happened after Hinata had
used that terrifying attack. He sat up as quickly as he could and searched what
remained of the clearing for his lover.
Hinata lay relatively where she had
stood when she had attacked Sakai, crumpled in a soft pile of her own hair. She
looked unharmed for the most part, which was enough for Naruto to regain his
respite. He made his way over to her cautiously, keeping his eyes open. There
was still no sign of Sakai, which made the boy edgy. He did not want to lose
Hinata now that he�d finally gotten her back.
Just before he reached the
unconscious girl, his foot stepped into puddle. Immediately Naruto�s mind
realized something was not right with that, and forced him to take a step back.
There should have been no water left in the smoldering remains of the clearing.
Suddenly afraid of what it might have been, Naruto tried to keep his head from
tilting downward. Tried, but failed, as his eyes took the daring measure and
beheld the puddle before him.
A moment later, what little food
Naruto had left in his system found itself upon the desecrated earth. What he
had stepped in was not a puddle, but rather the soft skin of the demon hunter,
floating in a small field of the kidnapper�s liquefied remains.
How in the hell did she do that?! Naruto�s frightened mind
screamed.
�NARUTOOOOO!!!!!�
The shout brought Naruto out of
his frightened reverie. He looked up wearily to see Tsunade, followed by a
throng of Konoha Jounin, racing towards him. A faint smile etched itself onto
his features as he crawled over to Hinata, stroking her pristine features.
His questions could wait. For now
at least, the nightmare was over.

��Don�t
forget to visit the Dragonheart Website at �dragonheartonline,freehostia,com�.
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