Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Diplomacy ❯ Gentle Leaf Fist ( Chapter 16 )

     < i>“Okay, Firecracker, listen up because there’s not much time to explain.”

     Chie had just grabbed Hanabi in the field, and was running into the woods with her. Towards the foliage covered pit Hinata had chosen as a hiding place.

     “Chi-n-” Hanabi said but Chie cut across her.

     “We’ll hide you someplace even the Byakugan can’t spot you. Your sister an’ me are gonna take those two on. But there’s no guarantee we can win.”

     “No w-”

     “We sent a message for reinforcements but we’re not sure it’ll get where its supposed to. So once the coast is clear, it’ll be up to you to get back home and tell everyone you can what’s going on.”

     Chie quickly skidded to a stop on the grass, and, before she could protest, Hanabi had found herself shoved into a hole in the ground. Chie came in right after, and began creating a clone out of water in her canteen. She was still speaking as she worked her jutsu.

     “We’ll keep them busy as long as possible, even beat ‘em if we can. But don’t assume we’ll win. Complete your mission and get us help!”

     “Chie!” shouted a voice.

     Hanabi activated her Byakugan and saw Hinata arrive. Hanabi watched as her sister created a clone of Hanabi out of leaves, just as Chie had with water. Chie and her fake-Hanabi emerged from their hiding place. Both Hanabi clones climbed onto the backs of their creators, and with no words exchanged between them, Hinata and Chie set off in different directions. Not long after, Kiriko and Taiki leaped past, completely ignoring the hidden Hanabi and going after her sister and her friend.

     Hyuga Hanabi leapt through the trees. Her pace was slow, as she had yet to get much practice in this particular art, but still faster than moving on foot through the uneven terrain. Her path was long, a she had chosen a path far from any traps Kiriko might have set-up in preparation for her and Taiki’s plan. But she was determined to get back as soon as she could. She might not be a Genin yet, but Hanabi had a mission, and she swore she’d see it though.

     She used her Byakugan, but had no idea what was going on in the fighting right now. Hanabi had gone too far, and now Hinata and Chie were beyond her range. Instead, she focused on seeing what was ahead of her, so she could proceed somewhat faster. She was so intent on looking in front of her, she realized too late what was coming behind her.

     A man, moving far faster than Hanabi was, approached from behind. Hanabi barely saw the kunai thrown before her body reacted. She leapt to the side, off the branch she stood on and to the ground. She landed on both feet, facing towards the source of the attack.

     “Very good, Hanabi-sama.” said the man as he leapt down to greet her. Taiki had a grin on his face, as though he was sincerely pleased she had dodged.

     “Taiki!” Hanabi growled.

     “No more ‘nii-chan?’” Taiki asked, “Where are your manners?”

     “Where’s Nee-san!” Hanabi demanded. Before she’d gotten too far, she had seen Hinata fight Taiki while Chie battled Kiriko.

     “Dead.” Taiki replied, “And, as time is short, you will be next.”

     “No!” Hanabi gasped, more for his response about Hinata than her own fate.

     “I would have preferred to let you live, to be honest.” Taiki said, pulling a fresh kunai from a pouch, “Kiriko wants her retribution, however, and, to be quite honest, she’s more important to me than you are.”

     It happened in a flash. Hanabi saw most of the movements, but Taiki was simply too fast. He rushed at her, brandishing the knife to be sent into her heart. Before she could react, he was just a step away from her. He plunged the blade forward. Hanabi shut her eyes, braced for what was coming. Her eyes shut, she never saw what happened. Instead she heard only Taiki shout in surprise and something big and heavy hit the ground and slide.

     “What?!” she heard him shout.

     Hanabi’s eyes shot open. The knife lay on the ground before her, unused. Taiki was off to the side, picking himself up off the ground. Hanabi turned to her other side, what she saw made her shout with joy.

     “Nee-san!!”

     Hinata stood there, breathing heavily, her Byakugan flaring. She appeared hurt, but she wasn’t dead, as Hanabi had been told.

     “How?!” Taiki roared.

     “Your attack…” Hinata said between breaths, “I… blocked it!” Hinata then took a deep breath and called out to her sister.

     “Hanabi!!” Hinata shouted, “Get out of here! I’ll keep him away!”

     Hanabi turned to obey, but as she turned found herself unable to move. Looking straight ahead, she saw Taiki looking directly at her.

     “No!” Hinata cried as she rushed to stand between her sister and the would-be assassin.

     “Come, Hinata-sama. Do you truly think you can defeat me as you are now?” he asked as he revealed his Byakugan, “I can see right through you. Your heartbeat is erratic, and your chakra is hardly flowing at its greatest efficiency. I assume you managed to channel chakra to the veins in your chest, to soften the effects of my blow. I can see it wasn’t fully effective, and I bet old injuries are being aggravated as well.”

     Hanabi looked at Hinata with her own eyes, and saw Taiki was correct. Hinata was having trouble breathing. Plus her heartbeat, as well as the chakra flow in her torso, weren’t right. Hinata was hurt… yet…

     “I won’t stand down.” her elder sister said defiantly, “I won’t go against my word! I will not allow you to harm my sister!!”

     “Hmph” Taiki snorted, “Broken body, whole spirit.” he let out a sigh, “Truly you are the worst type of enemy… Very well, I’ll finish you first. This time I’ll be SURE to kill you!”

     He charged, again utilizing amazing speed. This time, however, Hinata was ready and able to defend herself. Hanabi watched as, in the instant between Taiki’s charge, and his reaching attacking distance of Hinata, her sister crouched down and kicked straight up, hitting Taiki in the gut. The older ninja staggered and leapt back. It was then Hinata did something unusual.

     Hanabi and Taiki watched as Hinata kicked off her sandals and proceeded to tear the sleeves off the yukata she had been wearing. She then took a crouching stance unlike anything Hanabi had ever seen practiced by Jûken users. Taiki had apparently never seen it either, as he raised an eyebrow at the sight. But he didn’t waver. Despite the strange stance, he attacked once more.

     Attempting to land an open palmed blow on Hinata, his hand shot downward where the girl crouched and planted it firmly on the dirt where she had been moments before. Looking up, he saw Hinata had made a quick leap straight up. Her leg shot out, catching Taiki in the face.

     Instead of getting up, Taiki rolled to the side to evade a batch of Hinata’s leaf shuriken. He got back to his feet and charged Hinata again, only to suddenly halt when something grabbed him from behind.

     Hanabi watched in awe as the leaves that had flown past Taiki formed themselves into a clone of Hinata. Taiki, focused on the real Hinata, had noticed the change behind him too late. The Leaf-Hinata held him fast as Hinata took the offensive.

     She ran at Taiki, palm open as she aimed a blow at his right pectoral. An attack, Hanabi knew, would debilitate his breathing if successful. It was not to be, however, as Hinata’s attack was wasted on a large stone that suddenly appeared in the leaf clone’s arms. The clone immediately dispelled and shot outward behind Hinata. Taiki aborted his attempt to attack Hinata from behind. Hinata meanwhile turned around, somersaulted, and sent a kick upward. Again, towards Taiki’s chest. Wide-eyed, he parried the kick and put some distance between them.

     “Jûken through the feet…” he muttered, “Unusual, but not unheard of.”

     Hinat a struggled for every breath, as she stood facing her cousin. Though injured and aching, she didn’t allow it to affect her. Taiki had taken a defensive position. Hinata knew her latest gambit had taken him off guard.

     The Taijutsu style she utilized was one learned among the Nimmori. She had only learned its basics while there, but in recent months had trained to refine it. Unfortunately, the style in itself proved to be somewhat mediocre compared to the many other styles seen in Konoha. Based more on agility than power, it incorporated various acrobatics and nimble movements. However, the style was only good in relatively confined areas, such as caves, tunnels, or thick forests. In an open field or man-made arena, it was far less useful.

     Hinata had worked with it anyway, and while training with her teammates had discovered how to combine the Nimmori style with her clan’s Jûken style. The result was a new variation of Jûken, which allowed for more versatility in situations the Nimmori Taijutsu worked well in. The fact that the style was mostly original also proved useful. Just as it had Taiki, it threw off an enemy by catching them with an unknown.

     Hinata again took a fighting stance. But not the crouch, which enabled her to spring up in nearly any direction to evade an attack. Instead, her new stance put her feet forward, her body turned to the side, able to twist her body left (with her upper body) or right (with her lower), should any side was movement become necessary.

     Still, Hinata was nervous. If her idea had a flaw, it was the simple fact that she had yet to discover all its flaws. She had only recently begun trying her new style in practice, and had yet to attempt to use it in a real battle.

     All the same… Hinata thought, It is my only chance. To match him at pure Jûken is impossible. He’s far more advanced than I, and I’m now too injured to fight at my full strength, anyway. My only hope is to use something he doesn’t know, has never seen or heard of. My own creation: Jûhaken, the Gentle Leaf Fist!!