𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐀 𝐇𝐘𝐔𝐆𝐀 𝐓𝐖𝐈𝐍

Getting Sasuke Back, Pt. 1

The Leaf had summoned Hanara for a solo B-rank mission to the Sand. It was fairly simple: give a scroll to the Kazekage's Council. It was only B-ranked because of what was inside the scroll. Nothing had happened, and she was on the last day of her three-day travel back to the Leaf with Temari, Gaara, and Kankuro accompanying her because they were sent to help them with rebuilding. It was only fitting. They were the most crucial point of the invasion.

---

"It's a messenger hawk from the Sand!" Temari said, pointing at the hawk that was heading straight for them.

Hanara grabbed the scroll from the hawk and stared at it confusedly. 'I gave them what I had to. Do they need Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara?'

"Lady Tsunade has a mission for us and the Sand Council agreed to send the three of you," Hanara said urgently, her disbelief rising with every word she read, "At around 3 am this morning, Sasuke Uchiha left the Leaf to go to Orochimaru. Sakura Haruno witnessed his departure and attempted to stop him, but failed. Lady Tsunade sent Kiba Inuzuka, Naruto Uzumaki, Choji Akimichi, and Neji Hyuga with Shikamaru Nara as their Chunin leader at 7 am and wanted 3 Sand Genin and myself to provide backup. They left the village through the north gate and are heading towards The Valley of the End. She'll be sending some medical ninja as backup."

'Sasuke left the village? Was running into Itachi that traumatizing? He didn't even do anything! ... or maybe that's why? He's upset that at the Leaf, he hasn't gotten as strong as Itachi was at his age?'

"So retrieving Sasuke Uchiha is our mission?" Kankuro asked.

"Yes," Hanara nodded.

"Any additional information?" Temari asked.

"Orochimaru has valued kekkei genkai highly," Hanara said, "In fact, I remember that Lady Hinata and I were warned to stay far away from him as children because of our Byakugan. He has most likely sent the very best to watch Sasuke because he is the last Sharingan wielder. They will probably have high ranked sound-based techniques and/or fatal kekkei genkais. My Byakugan's range is about 50 meters so if you have any techniques that can allow you to track any further while moving you should use them."

Temari and Kankuro stared at Gaara.

"My Third Eye technique does not give me x-ray vision and is disorientating for me to use while running," Gaara rasped.

Hanara nodded and silently activated her Byakugan, "Let's go!"

The first sign Hanara got that proved that they were going in the right direction was when she spotted Choji and another big dude with a Sound headband lying on the ground through her Byakugan.

"No. No, no, no, no. Choji, you didn't..." she mumbled, eyes wide, "You know the risk..."

Because Choji was lying down and was thinner than she ever saw him. The only thing that could cause that were the Three Coloured Pills of the Akimichi clan.

"What happened?" Temari asked.

"They've split up and Choji used one of his clan's secret techniques to kill his opponent. The only problem is... that technique is dangerous. If he used all of its stages, there's a high chance that he'll die. I- I don't know any medical techniques..." she bit her lip, "I hope the medics have a Nara with them. It's the only way he'll survive."

"Forget about that now." Temari demanded, "Didn't you Leaf ninjas get emotional training? Focus on the mission! You can still help everyone else."

Hanara sighed and nodded, "Right."

About half an hour later, Hanara spotted another battle zone with her Byakugan.

'A spider-like dude that's fighting with chakra-made weapons. I can see why they left Neji to fight him, but it doesn't seem to be going his way. Spider Dude is chucking spiders at Neji while Neji's defending. This is why I told him to learn long-range jutsus, but no. 'Gentle Fist is enough,' he said. I better go help. The Sand Siblings won't be able to move as quickly as we were before, but they won't get lost. They should be fine.'

"There's a battle going on at about 30 meters west from here," Hanara informed her teammates, "I'm the only one out of the four of us that can counter the opponents jutsu so I'll be going there. I'm sure that the remaining three members of Shikamaru's squad are travelling north towards the Land of Rice Paddies. Once I'm done handling this one, I'll go after them and get them caught up with everything."

"Right," Kankuro nodded.

And with that, Hanara left her group.

As Hanara ran towards Neji, she watched as Spider Dude slowly got the advantage and figured out the Byakugan's secret blind spot. Her speed increased as she watched Spider Dude's chakra network activity skyrocket and spit out arrows aimed at Neji's blind spot. Neji dodged it slightly, allowing the arrow to hit a less vital area, but with his low chakra levels, it didn't seem like he could do it again.

'Come on, Hanara! You can make it in time!'

She didn't. She was seconds too late and watched in horror as a second arrow pierced through the bottom of Neji's stomach area along with the chakra-made spider silk-like thread.

"H-Hanara?" Neji forced out.

"You don't need to do anymore, Neji," Hanara growled, putting a hand on the thread, "That Spider Man won't know what hit him."

'Gentle Fist!' Hanara thought, sending a huge pulse of chakra through it, 'That'll have him right on death's doorstep.'

"H-Hana, I won't make it," Neji said between coughs, "F-Find Choji a-and t-tell Shikamaru, K-Kiba, and N-Naruto that I leave t-the rest of it to t-them."

"No! Medical ninja are coming after us as we speak, you'll still make it! You have to, Neji!" Hanara insisted, her voice cracking.

"Heh," Spider Man scoffed as he held himself on a tree with his threads, "I knew that shot was meant to kill him."

"You're one to talk," Hanara snarled, turning around, "I damaged nearly all your internal organs. I'm surprised your mouth can move. You'll pay for what you did to my brother, you bastard."

Hanara got into her Gentle Fist stance and ran straight at him, "8 Trigrams, 64 Palms!"

She attacked him faster than she thought possible and once she was done, Spider Man could barely move. Marks across his body slowly retreated into the three tomoes on his neck that looked similar to the ones Orochimaru had given Sasuke.

"I- I can't channel any chakra," Spider Man exclaimed, "It doesn't matter what you do to me anyway, you just want Sasuke, don't you? Well, you won't get him. He's Lord Orochimaru's next vessel, and he's gone to him willingly."

"We'll get him back," Neji forced out, "There is someone t-that will b-bring him out of the darkness."

"Didn't you hear me? You won't-"

"We will," Hanara said firmly, "Because he brought my brother, someone that I thought hopeless, out of it, too. Sadly, I don't trust that you're not a threat yet, so..." Hanara trailed off and pulled back her right arm, and mercilessly struck him in the heart, killing him.

'He can't hurt Neji any more, now.'

Neji broke into a coughing fit, spitting out blood.

She turned to Neji worriedly, "Please, just hold on until the medics come. I- I don't know what I'd do if you died, too."

'I wish I knew medical ninjutsu or at least enough for first aid... I feel so helpless.'

Neji forced a smile, "Hanara, go on. I'll be fine."

'Right. It's like Temari said. I won't be doing anyone any favours by sitting here and thinking worriedly about Neji and Choji. The least I can do is help do what they were hoping to achieve.'

"I'll go to Shikamaru and the others and try to help. The Sand Siblings are trying to join them." Hanara told him.

'Don't die, Neji... Please, I just got the happy you back. I can't lose you again,' she thought as she ran after the rest of his squad, determinedly ignoring the silent tears that were making its way down her cheeks.