Restoration Book 3/3: Hinata's Fate

Chapter 9

The further we walked in the underground tunnels, the faster my heart beat in my chest. The small glass vile that held the one and only Gosei plant we have was in the front pocket of my jeans. My hand kept reaching down to feel for its shape against my upper thigh, terrified it'd somehow fall out and all hope would be lost.

Naruto was up near Sasuke, doing his best to annoy the Uchiha man in an attempt to keep him distracted from the fact that Sakura was very much in danger. He, and the others who'd witnessed her fighting to keep control of her own body, said she'd muttered threats against herself, meaning the thing inside her intended to dish out punishment for what she'd done.

I personally hadn't gotten a look at her since she was long gone by the time we found Sasuke and the others, but Ino couldn't seem to stop herself from worrying aloud. "Kiba said she threatened to kill herself if they tried to make her hurt us. You don't think she'd actually do it, do you?" Every time I got a grip on my overwhelming emotions, she'd say something like that and I'd return to trying not to burst into concerned tears.

My very first female friend could very well die in the next few hours, especially if they immediately enacted their retaliation for her disobedience. The thought lit a fire under my steps and I'm sure the others were thinking the same thing because our pace was gradually increasing despite no one saying anything.

Nearly an hour passed before we came to a stop under a metal ladder that led up to the surface. Sasuke immediately grabbed onto the first bar and I hissed just loudly enough that my voice would carry to his ears as I carefully made my way past everyone in between us, "Stop, let me look first!" A sharp intake of breath shot past my lips as I activated my Byakugan and looked up at the tall ceiling. No one made a sound as I searched the area.

A handful of inhabited humans were traveling in a group further down the block, but they were headed in the opposite direction of where the sewer grate was so as long as we were quiet, they wouldn't turn around to look at us. I relayed this information to the group before gesturing for Sasuke to lead the way.

We're going to need every single advantage we can get during this mission, so I kept my eyes' skill activated. All those headaches and short-term blindness scares were worth it in the long run because it's become incredibly easy for me to use my Byakugan for long periods of time.

No one needed to say anything when we got to the surface. Our weapons were drawn and at the ready as we traveled low and slow through the back alleyways toward the center of town.

I wordlessly joined Sasuke and Kankuro at the front so I could scout ahead for the group. Naruto and Kiba were right behind us, followed by those that'd come here with us from the haven in Konoha. Ino, Tenten, Neji, and Sai brought up the rear.

It took nearly an entire additional hour for the town hall to come into my enhanced vision. The crowd of inhabited human beings surrounding the building was much larger than I anticipated. I guess I couldn't really believe Shukaku's warning until I saw it with my own eyes. If there weren't a thousand of them, it had to at least be close to it.

We were crouched behind an abandoned semi-truck as I tried to find the safest route. After a few moments of desperately searching the area, I felt a tap on my shoulder and looked back to see Kiba point in the direction north of the town hall. We were standing southeast of it. My eyes darted to where he was pointing and I had to cover the lower half of my face to muffle the gasp of shock that escaped.

At the very furthest point of my vision I could see the rest of the reinforcements from Konoha swiftly making their way toward the center of the city. Heart pumping wildly in my chest, I formed a plan, eyes darting around to make sure I knew where everything and everyone was.