Hinata calmed her breathing as she stood infront of the waterfall behind her family estate, practicing her water based techniques. It always calmed her after a troublesome day and today was no different. The position of clan head and all of the responsibilities that presented themselves with it. Naruto had essentially left Hyuuga affairs within the Hyuuga affairs.
Meaning essentially that she had to oversee the reconstruction herself.
She sighed, when a rustle in the leaves to her right was heard she took a stance with the Juuken. "Who's there?"
She recognized the intruder. "Shino?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. What the hell was her former classmate doing here?
Her question was answered as he held up a small jar. "The bug colonies of my clan suffered casualties. I've been assigned to help…recruit some more."
"Oh." She said simply. As an awkward silence descended upon them she resisted the urge to shuffle from foot to foot.
Finally after several seconds she spoke. "Do you need help. My byakuugan can find the bugs faster maybe."
He pushed his glasses up and she twitched in annoyance. 'Incase you didn't notice Shino, it's the middle of the night, there's no need for glasses.'
She didn't say this and merely kept quiet.
Finally after a moment he spoke. "If it is not too much trouble."
She smiled and nodded.
Near Suna, the group of Gennin, civilians and some Chuunin and Hyuuga main branch members that had managed to escape the massacre trekked through the dune sea of wind country.
Hana was carrying a small child that had collapsed from exhaustion, they had been moving for three days straight, they were exhausted both physically and mentally. Ino, who hadn't stopped crying was being helped by Shikamaru, while Chouji and Sakura helped the civilians as best they could. The chuunin were infront and the remaining main branch Hyuuga were covering the rear, keeping their Byakugan's active in order to make sure no pursuit parties caught them by surprise.
Suddenly however, the sand seemed to sprout up in a great wall to the rear, right and left of the group, the civilians panicked, the ninja drew their weapons, but all eventually found their eyes on one Sabaku no Gaara, who stood at the only opening available to them.
"Konoha Shinobi." He spoke, his voice calm and collected. "You have some explaining to do."
Meanwhile, somewhere in the forests. A young girl staggered across the foliage, her form covered in sweat, blood, dirt and leaves. Her hair, matted against her forehead in deep red and brown, showing the dried blood on it.
She held crystalline blue eyes her right arm was twisted at an awkward angle and her breathing was labored.
Every step she took was more painful than the last, as if someone was taking fire and running it up her leg each time her foot touched the ground.
Her lungs burnt like the flames that had consumed her mother. Each movement brought a sharp pain that coursed through her arm with every abrupt movement it made. Like the blade that had cut down her father.
She tripped and collapsed, no longer having the strength to stand, she merely lay there, as her breathing became shallower and the edges of her vision darkened. Dark…like the black void one stared at when they looked upon him.
Her head throbbed with pain, as if someone was pressing down on her skull with crushing force…like the gauntlet that had crushed her brothers skull.
She blinked, and as she opened her bleary eyes again, a dried leaf- colored a fiery orange red fell before her.
Red…like the eyes of the demon that had taken her family.
As her eyes rolled to the back of her head and her consciousness finally left her, she barely heard a faint call of 'Tsunade-sama' before…nothing.
.
.
.
‼️If you want to access to more than 400 advanced chapters, wait no more and subscribe to my Ko-Fi, where you can buy books in completely downloadable PDF format.‼️
☕️ko-fi.com/skyarc☕️