Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Ghostly Eyes ❯ Kashghyu N'ga vs. Hyuga Hinata ( Chapter 21 )

      There is a tool that, depending on how it is used, can turn the tide in almost any situation. Those who lack this tool often have great difficulties in life. But those very difficulties create that tool. Those who possess it, but forget to use it, doom themselves to repeating mistakes made once before. However, for those who both possess and correctly use it, no obstacle is too great.

     The name of that tool is experience. Yuhi Kurenai was using it to the best of her ability now. Remembering his penchant for the leaf shuriken technique, Kurenai had spent her watch learning its basics. That had served her well, allowing her to wound her enemy in his upper-left arm and the right side of his gut.

     Experience was serving her yet again, as her foe had ignored the pain in his arm to bring it up and perform hand signs. Hand signs Kurenai knew. Hand signs Kurenai herself had performed. Da Iri’ga was selecting a technique Kurenai was very familiar with. Which meant she knew just what to do about it.

     Kurenai watched as her enemy appeared to vanish with the blowing of the wind. He had performed a Genjutsu to make him seem invisible. At this very moment, he was creeping up behind her. She knew what he was likely to do, and did nothing to stop his approach. As expected, a tree seemed to sprout of the ground and wrap its branches around her. With the Jubaku Fuusa illusion in full effect, Kurenai knew her moment had come.

     She knew of two ways to stop this technique. The most basic, and one that generally worked for most Genjutsu, is to hurt or injure herself in some way. The pain, even from something as simple as biting her lip hard enough to draw blood, would make her re-focus on reality, breaking the illusion. However, she had another plan in mind. One she had learned from a previous failed attempt at this very Genjutsu. An idea that, if successful, would make the battle hers.

     The second option was the use of a Genjutsu-Kaishu. A counter-illusion. It would throw the illusion back on the user, causing him to be trapped in a tree awaiting death. When performing this technique, Uchiha Itachi had had the aid of the Sharingan, Kekkei Genkai of the Uchiha clan, to aid him. Normally though, it wasn’t that simple. One needed to have some familiarity with the illusion being used to be able to reverse it.

     As a Genjutsu specialist and a user of this technique, Yuhi Kurenai possessed that familiarity.

     She focused her chakra in such a way that it would influence the illusion. Hand seals were not needed for this move. Which was fortunate, as the illusion kept them pinned down. When Da Iri’ga appeared, seeming to come out of the tree, Kurenai made her move. The Genjutsu-Kaishu took effect immediately. No sooner had Kurenai done it than Da Iri’ga was held fast by his own tree.

     Kurenai smiled at the shock on his face. Obviously, he had never witnessed such a counter. It’s possible he was even one of only a few Nimmori who knew the technique at all. Having never experienced such an occurrence, he was caught completely unprepared. Kurenai wasted no time in pulling out a kunai. She didn’t want to give him time to recover from his surprise and break out of the illusion.

     It was just as she raised the kunai for the final attack that she heard the scream from above.

     “ Damn you, Naruto-kun!!” Hyuga Hinata yelled, “Stop making me remember!!!”

     Naruto stood there, dumbstruck. Had Hinata just said what he thought she had?

     As though the shout had served as a trigger, the tree-mark on her forehead began to glow a pale green. Naruto watched as the glow began to spread along her head, gradually covering her body. As soon as it stated, the glow faded, revealing several symbols painted on Hinata’s skin. Some were kanji, others Naruto didn’t recognize. Hinata remained where she was, kneeling on the ground. She didn’t move, nor did she seem to notice the changes on her body. It seemed she was too wrapped up in her own pain and memories to care.

     “Hinata…” Naruto said, taking some tentative steps toward her.

     “Stop looking like me…” she said, barely above a whisper. Not really sure what else to do, Naruto complied. He dropped his illusion, returning to his normal form. He also dispelled all of his Hinata-formed Bunshin.

     “Hinata,” the girl twitched when Naruto spoke her name, “We gotta leave.”

     “Leave… 221; Hinata repeated.

     “Yeah, before the geezer over there gets any ideas about stopping us.” Naruto said.

     “He won’t…” Hinata muttered, looking at the old man, “The Ki’ge is in the midst of the chant that will bring the Goddess here… he can’t stop or the ceremony will fail. He wants very desperately for it to succeed.”

     “Then let’s go!!” Naruto told her. He walked up to Hinata and grabbed her arm to pull her to her feet. Hinata pulled away from his grip, crawling backwards away from him.

     “Stay back, Shee’nboie!” she hissed angrily. Her anger was just as suddenly replaced by a nervous stare. Naruto could see it in her eyes, it was clear she wasn’t certain about what to do. Kurenai had warned him about this.

     “Should you succeed,” Kurenai had explained when Naruto filled her in on his plan, “Hinata will likely experience her real memories in a rush. All of them almost at once. This is likely to place her in a state of psychological shock. A conflict between her real self and Kashghyu N’ga.”

     “What’ ;s that mean?” Naruto had asked.

     “Best-case scenario, she’ll enter a state of catatonia, meaning she won’t move, speak, or react to anything. We can deal with that later. If that happens just grab her and go. More likely, however, she’ll be very confused. Torn between one self and the other. It’ll be your burden, in that event, to bring her back to her senses and convince her to become Hyuga Hinata once again.”

     In other words, he had to try and talk her back to earth. He could do that.

     “Hinata, it’s not safe here.” Naruto told her, “We need to leave right now.”

     “He needs me…” Hinata said, looking at the old man “The Ki’ge… he said only… only I can help him bring the goddess to this world…”

     “By sacrificing you!” Naruto told her. When she cringed he realized he’d screamed that part. Naruto stepped back and shut up. The last thing he needed to do now was panic her. She was too close to that as it was. Naruto, very slowly, walked up to her and kneeled down in front of her.

     “Hinata,” he said, looking her in the eyes, “We can not stay here.”

     “But if I go… I’ll let him down…” Hinata said, “I’d let my people down.”

     “Hinata,” Naruto said, growing frustrated, “these are not your people! Me, Kurenai-sensei, Kiba, Shino, your clansmen… we're your people! We all came here to get you!!”

     “Why…” ;

     “Why?! How can you even ask that! You’re a Shinobi of Konohagakure! A comrade! We can’t… won’t leave you behind!”

     With that Naruto grabbed Hinata’s wrists and pulled the girl to her feet. To Naruto’s surprise, she began to struggle violently.

     “Let go, Naruto-kun!” she yelled, “Let go! Unhand me, Shee’nobie!!”

     Wit h that Hinata kneed Naruto in the stomach. As Naruto staggered she pulled back out of his immediate reach.

     “I am not Hinata!” Hinata shouted, “I am not that girl! That weakling! I’m not! I’m… I…”

     Hinata suddenly sank to her knees and held her head. Naruto heard her as she suddenly began to cry.

     “I don’t want to be Hinata… I don’t want to be a weakling…” she moaned, “Why did you make me remember, Naruto-kun? Why are making me remember my weakness…”

     “Hinata …” Naruto said as he stared at the very confused girl before him. He walked over to her, slowly, carefully so as not to accidentally scare her again.

     “Hinata, listen to me. I came here to rescue you. You! Hyuga Hinata! Not Cashew Naga or whatever. And I’m gonna do it. I don’t care if I have to carry you outta here kicking and screaming I’ll do it!”

     “Naruto-kun…& #8221; Hinata said with a sniff. Naruto actually felt a bit of relief when Hinata smiled and blushed slightly, “You actually came here… to rescue me?”

     “Of course I did!” Naruto answered.

     “Thank you…” Hinata said, taking Naruto’s hand into hers, “and… sorry.”

     “It’s okay.” Naruto said, “You don’t gotta apologize because I got pulled into this, too.”

     “Yes… that as well.”

     “Huh?” Naruto realized just a moment too late just what Hinata meant.

     Hinata’s grip on Naruto’s hand suddenly tightened. Her other hand shot out and grabbed Naruto’s arm. Before he could react, she had begun expelling chakra from the pores in her body and spinning. Naruto could do nothing as Hinata spun him around with the Kaiten. When she finally let go, Naruto was sent flying away. As he passed the edge of the plaza and began his descent to the ground below the only thing he could do was scream Hinata’s name.