Amnesia | Naruto Fanfiction

16. Opened Eyes

Hibiki delicately traced her pale fingers along the white flower that was lying in the elderly lady's grasp.

  How could such an innocent soul be murdered in cold blood?

  At first, the idea of referring to the woman as "baasama" was strange to her. She found no reason to respect her to such a high degree. But after learning of all the struggles the woman went through as a kunoichi, Hibiki began to admire the woman. Her dream was to become a gardener and own a flower shop, and she was able to do that.

  However, she was not able to enjoy that dream for long.

  Now, her dreams were lying in her cold, dead hands, never having the chance of expanding into something so beautiful and magnificent.

  For Hibiki, time began to slow down. She didn't want to leave the woman's side - rather, she didn't want to do anything.

   But her death was another reminder that she failed to save someone that she was close to.

  Gathering all of the strength in her body, Hibiki shakily stood up. She couldn't feel any tears form - the disbelief was still too strong.

  'Baasama... I promise I'll find the attacker. This has gone too far, and I wish I could've prevented it sooner,' Hibiki thought. She clenched her fists by her sides as she looked at her surroundings. How many steps did she have to take in order to find the attacker?

  Not too many.

  She sensed a faint chakra behind her. Suddenly, Hibiki took a large step to the right, narrowly avoiding the kunai that was aimed at her head. She pivoted on her right foot, facing the direction in which the kunai came from. There, she could see someone cloaked in black. Their entire body was covered, so Hibiki couldn't identify the attacker. However, the murderous intent was obvious.

  Hibiki stood in front of the elderly woman's corpse, forming a defensive position. She pulled out a spare kunai from her weapons pouch, holding it close to her chest. The air was tense between the two. She could feel her breaths slow down, and her body becoming looser. For some reason, she didn't feel afraid. It was surprising to Hibiki, but she didn't bother with that fact. Her mind was on the battle itself, and she could feel a new emotion in her body.

  It was nothing but determination.

   As if on cue, the cloaked figure came hurdling towards her. Their movements were quick and agile, like the wind. It was difficult to pay close attention to them, but Hibiki did everything in her power to not lose sight of them. Suddenly, the figure pulled out a kunai and had it pointed straight at Hibiki. But before they could stab her, Hibiki was able to deflect the attack, knocking the metal weapon to the ground.

  In turn, Hibiki lunged with her weapon, but the attacker was able to stop the kunai with their bare hands. Their grip was firm and strong, and it was no surprise to her. The figure twisted Hibiki's arm, forcing her to lose her grip on the kunai.

  Before the attacker could land a punch, Hibiki was able to get out of their grip by kicking their left knee. She could hear a crack in their bones as they released her. Hibiki jumped away, but the figure's speed eventually overpowered her.

  Their right fist collided with her skull, and she began to falter in her movements. Hibiki felt dizzy and uncoordinated, and her movements became sloppy. The two were caught in a parry of kicks and punches, and Hibiki realized that she was no match for them. Their punches came at a rapid pace at her, and despite how hard she tried, most of the punches would make contact with her head. There was a constant ringing in her ears, and she could hear the blood rush through her head.