An Attempt of Freedom
Sakura
Naruto, Sai, and Sasuke all try to push each other over in an attempt to get closer to Sakura. Her previously closed eyes fly open and she gives them all a startled look.
“What?!” She exclaims.
“I don’t know how it happened. But Hanabi is back. You guys can now proceed with the mission without worrying about any casualties. And be quick about it. This time clock…it’s not slowing down,” Shikamaru says in warning.
Sakura looks at her companions. They all seem desperate to hear the updates, but instead of giving them, she closes her eyes and focuses on the voice in her head. The knowledge that Ino is with her, even if it's just through her sensory skills is comforting.
“No. Hinata traded herself for her sister. Now, the mission includes stopping the moon and rescuing her,” Sakura explains. “I’m finally recovering from healing Sasuke. We should be ready to move out soon.”
“Healing Sasuke?” Shikamaru questions. “What’s happening? Is Naruto alright? And where’s Hinata?”
“We’ll get her back,” Sakura insists. “We’re all alright. Just..buy us some more time, Shikamaru.”
Even in her head, his sigh is deafening. “Fine. But, hurry Sakura. We’re all counting on you.”
She bites her lip. “Yeah. I know.” Then, the connection fizzles out.
“What is it? What happened?” Naruto asks as he basically throws himself over Sasuke’s back. The Uchiha swats his friend in an attempt to get him off, but Naruto continues his clinging. The two boys appear to be twelve again, and despite the terrible anxiety that’s building in Sakura’s gut, she can’t help but smile.
“Hanabi’s back in Konoha. With Neji. It seemed like whatever Hinata’s doing is working,” she explains.
Sasuke finally shoves off Naruto and crosses his arms. “Of course it is. She wouldn’t just leave without having a plan. She’s smarter than all of us.”
“No, she’s not,” Sai says, remaining annoyingly honest. Sasuke reels around on him, his eyes glazed over in anger. Sai raises his hands in surrender. “Okay, she’s definitely smarter than Naruto. And maybe you, Sasuke.”
Naruto opens his mouth to protest but quickly closes it. Then, he gives a small nod, agreeing with Sai’s observation.
“She’s incredibly smart,” Sakura confirms. “But even she can’t do this by herself.” She looks down at her gloved hands and pulls them into fists. Her strength has finally returned to her.
Sai and Sasuke have been spending almost all of their free time scouring the skies for any sign of Toneri’s base. And they found it. The four of them know it won’t be an easy infiltration. But none of them seem to care. Not only is their planet at risk of destruction, but Hinata’s life could be in danger too.
Naruto’s face breaks open into a smirk. “Then what are we waiting for?”
—------------------------------------------
Sakura thinks flying on one of Sai’s weird jutsu birds is already scary. But flying on one while futuristic time beams are constantly getting launched at her? Even scarier.
Luckily, Sasuke and Naruto knock away most of them with their own techniques, but Sakura's grip on the bird grows even tighter.
She knows something is wrong. The clock on her hand is still moving, but that’s not what’s making her anxious. It’s Hinata.
Toneri is throwing everything he can at them, which is to be expected. But where is Hinata in all of this? No way she’d let him attack them. So, she’s either unaware, unconscious…or worse.
Sakura’s dangerous thoughts are interrupted as a heavy blast smacks into her bird. She lets out a yelp as she begins to fall toward the faraway ground. There isn’t a way to survive this massive of a fall. Even if she were to open her seal or the gates, the impact will squash her before she gets a chance to regenerate.
Sakura lets out a frustrated sigh. What a lame way to go. She hopes they tell Neji and her family it was more heroic.
Before she can completely accept her fate, a pair of hands grab her, and stop her momentum. Her back rests against something warm and she blinks in surprise.
“Can't give Hinata another reason to hate me,” Sasuke says with just a hint of concern.
She scrambles out of his arms and holds onto the feathery neck of his summon instead.
“Thanks,” Sakura mutters breathlessly. She’s too in shock over the fact that she’s no longer plummeting towards the ground to heed that it was Sasuke who saved her. “But she doesn’t hate you.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” Sasuke says as he sends a wave of lightning into one of the oncoming enemies. “Hang on, we’re almost to the castle.”
“I can help!” Sakura tells him as she rolls her shoulders forward.
“Not yet. Save your strength for Hinata. I have a feeling she’ll need it,” he says.
Sakura lets out a huff and hunkers closer to the bird, hoping that somehow, he’s wrong.
Hinata
The next morning, when Hinata tries to open her eyes to gaze upon the face of her beloved sister, she can’t.
She raises her hands to her eyes and feels thick bandages. Hinata inhales a sharp breath and sits up from the plush bed.
“Hanabi?” Hinata whispers. He took her eyes. He must’ve. But did he take her sister?
“She’ll be spending the day in Konoha, saying her goodbyes. Just as we discussed. Then, once she’s back, we’ll be wed,” Toneri tells her. His voice is extremely close to her and Hinata reaches out a shaky hand. It grazes cold skin.
Toneri grabs her hand and holds in between his own. She fights the urge to pull away. To Hinata, touches are sacred. Hugging Sakura or pinching Hanabi’s cheeks is a way she can show her affection without having her stubborn, stuttering mouth get in the way. But Toneri touches her so openly. Not with affection. With possession.
“You’re bringing her back here?” Hinata asks quietly.
“Of course. She is special to you, just as you are to me. I won’t doom the second to last noble Hyuga to a condemned life on earth.”
Hinata thinks of Neji and finally, she yanks her hand away. “But you’ll doom the rest of them,” she says bitterly.
“It’s the will of Hamura,” he responds gently. “Someday, you’ll understand. I’ll help you understand.”
Hinata has dealt with bullies her whole life. She’s been belittled, mocked, and pushed around by far too many people. But Toneri is the worst kind of bully. He’s not outright mean. Instead, he’s blinded by his own righteousness.
But Hinata has overcome men who want power before. She’ll do it again.
“Thank you for helping me,” Hinats responds, forcing the bitterness to leave her voice.
“No,” he says as he moves closer to her. His cold hands cup her face and Hinata freezes. She can feel his chakra. She can feel the power it holds. And worst of all, she can feel the presence of her eyes. Of her Byakugan. “Thank you, Byakugan Princess. You made a sacrifice that I’ll never forget.” She feels his breath against her lips and she shivers. “With your eyes, I’m unstoppable.”
Her eyes. The prize she has worked so hard to keep safe. The prize so many of her ancestors have died for. She knew he would take them. It was the price she was willing to pay in order to save Hanabi. But the knowledge of their absence is one of the most painful things she’s ever dealt with. Not only did she lose her sight, but she lost her identity as a Hyuga, as a ninja.
Hinata’s whole body tenses at the thought. Toneri believes he has won. He believes that now he has stolen her Byakugan, he can wield her power. But she can’t let him.
Without her Byakugan, her Gentle Fist technique is almost useless. But Kakashi Sensei didn’t work with her day after day on her lightning release for nothing.
She just needs a distraction. A way to steal back her chakra without being too obvious. And then, she’ll blast the both of them with enough electricity to hopefully stop their hearts. She can’t let him use her eyes and destroy the earth, even if she has to destroy herself.
Her original plan to destroy the Tenseigan must be abandoned. She knows she could find her way back to it, but without the precision of her Byakugan, any strike she plans to make may be too weak. So killing Toneri is her next best option.
“I’m surprised you’re awake after such an intensive procedure,” Toneri says delicately.
It’s now or never, Hinata thinks to herself. She leans her face further into his hands and gives him a smile.
“Well, I woke up expecting to see my sister one last time. And…well…you.”
His thumb stops its pointless caress of her cheek and she can tell she’s stunned him.
“You wanted to see me?” He asks.
“I did. I do. You’re going to be my husband, Toneri. I wanted to try and memorize your features.” She moves her hands up, letting them trail against his chest before setting on his cheeks, the same way he holds her. She hopes he takes her shaky hands as nerves and not disgust.
“I shall describe myself to you. Every day if you wish it,” he says pleadingly.
Hinata has never flirted with anyone. But she has spent the past few years watching Neji and Sakura to have a good enough idea of how to do it. So, she moves one hand up and traces his lips, his nose, and finally…his eyes. Her eyes.
“No need,” she whispers. “I’ll just have to get used to feeling you.”
Toneri lets out the slightest noise from her words, and she leans in closer.
For the first time today, she’s glad she cannot see. She doesn’t have to gaze upon the wretched man in front of her. Instead, when Hinata tilts her own head up, she pretends it’s Sasuke who holds her. It’s Sasuke’s dark eyes she traces, Sasuke’s black hair she feels tickling her arms. It’s Sasuke’s battle-scarred hands against her face, Sasuke’s breath mixing with her own.
The second she feels Toneri’s nose bump into hers, she tightens her grip on his face and takes a deep breath. The familiar rush of her own chakra races down her arms and into her body.
“Hinata,” Toneri warns, “let g—‘’
But it’s too late. Hinata blasts them both with enough lightning to fry an egg. She directs it all towards his eyes, towards his source of stolen power.
The impact makes them both scream in pain and Hinata flies backwards, smacking into something hard and sharp. She knows the smell of char comes from her own skin, but the warmth of blood on her side is new.
Toneri wails on the other side of the room, cursing her and screaming about his eyes. Her breathing goes rapid when she realizes he’s not dead.
Hinata’s head spins as she lifts herself up, brings her hands to her face, and sends waves of fireballs in the direction of his screams.
She must kill him. She must she must she—
Something crashes against her skull, and she slumps over. The last thought her barely conscious brain summons is of Sasuke.