Embers (A Naruto Fanfic Book 2)

Chapter 16

The gates of Konoha loomed before us, and I felt relieved.  Itachi and I traveled in silence, only stopping to rest when I felt him slowing down.  I knew I was pushing him to his limit, but his strange actions made me feel awkward.

We nodded to the gatekeepers and headed straight to Minato's office.  I didn't bother to knock and walked straight into him, having an altercation with none other than Danzo.  They both looked at me in shock.

I ignored them.  "Mission success.  I'll see you around."  I strode back out and past Itachi.  "Later, Itachi."  He stared as I left him at the door.

I was frustrated but didn't know why.  Having nothing better to do, I went to the waterfall and laid in the grass.  I closed my eyes, hoping to sort out the tornado of questions.  I opened my eyes when I felt someone standing above me.  "Yes, Isamu."

His concerned expression caused me to sit up.  "Lord Hyuuga demands you do the test, now that you've returned."

I sighed.  "Persistent bastard, well I have nothing better to do so..."  I stood and followed him to the compound.  Hiashi stood waiting with Hanabi, Neji, and my little Hinata shyly standing a bit behind them.

He glared at me.  "You left."

I shrugged.  "Something important came up."

He frowned.  "We do this today then. It has been delayed long enough."

I sighed.  "What is this exactly?"

He smiled triumphant.  "The three will spar, and the victor is your student."

I rubbed my face in impatience.  "That's not how this works. Not just anyone can learn this.  Even you know that."

His expression dropped.  "You will train the victor."

I rolled my eyes.  "How about we cut the crap, Hiashi.  You spar me, and whoever wins chooses my student."

He hesitated before his expression hardened.  "That's..."

I glared at him.  "Unfair?  Just like those three sparring.  Neji wouldn't harm anyone from the main branch while Hinata wouldn't harm her little sister."  His frown deepened.  "At least if it's us, there is no holding back."

He took his stance.  "Then, let's see who is better."

I gestured for him to come for me and stood casually.  "We already know."  He dashed toward me, and I dodged.  I knew I was within his trigrams, and he rotated.  I jumped out of range and clicked my tongue.  "Now, we will have to do better than that."

His anger grew, and our dance began.  He would attempt to strike only to be evaded.  He tried to hit my chakra points only for me to intercept his arm.  I trailed my fingers up it severing his chakra flow to that arm, rendering it useless.  I jumped back and tilted my head as he charged again.  I spun and released a single chakra thread that slashed his back.

He stumbled to his knees.  "Stop this."  He turned and glared at me.  "You won't win Hiashi even you know when to admit defeat."

He struggled to his feet and took a step forward, to which I sent a thread through his leg and cut through its chakra flow.  He grunted as he took a knee.  "Hanabi, she will benefit from your training."

I shook my head.  "Just as you failed, she will, too."  He looked up in shock.  "Her chakra isn't fluent enough, just as yours isn't. She's your child, through and through."

His fury grew.  "Then who? Hinata? She's weak and doesn't deserve to be in the main family."

I tilted my head and then looked off into the distance.  "You said something similar about me, funny how the tables have turned.  I will train Hinata, and she will exceed your expectations just as I did."

He stood swiftly.  "Then take her.  I will place the cage seal on her, and you can do whatever you please."

Even I was shocked by what I did next.  My hand was crushing Hiashi's throat as I held him against a tree.  "If you dare... I promise that I will destroy you from the inside out.  Starting with putting you in your rightful place."

Hiashi was clawing at my hand, struggling for air.  "Kunoichi!"  I felt hands pull me back, and I turned on them.  Aya and Ryo held their hands up in surrender.  "You can't kill him.  Please calm down."

I glared at Hiashi and smirked.  "Be glad they saved you."  I turned from his horrified face and stalked past the duo.

They weren't far behind.  "Hey, not to interrupt, but that guy is fighting, the one who brought you here first on a cliff. He's against the one you had us trailing.  It isn't looking good."

I faced them.  "Where?"  I barely heard the response before I dashed in their direction, but they were gone.  "Dammit."  I went at full speed, redirecting my steps. The wind felt as though it was cutting where my skin was bare.

Regardless, I was too late.  I came upon a scene that broke my heart.  I watched as Shisui ripped out his eye and handed it to Itachi.  The ringing in my ears prevented me from hearing what he said, but I saw when Itachi turned to leave, tears of blood streaming down his face, and then when Shisui tossed himself from the cliff.

I didn't think, only reacted and dove down after him.  His peaceful face pissed me off.  I tightened my arms to my side and reached him.  I effectively punched the expression of his face before clinging to his waist.  I created a barrier, which I slanted toward the cliff, and when we hit it, we roughly slid into the cliffside.

I tried to catch my breath as I had the wind knocked out of me on impact.  When I did, I punched Shisui in the face again.  "I don't know what it is about you Uchiha and fucking cliffs.  But so help me, the next one that throws themselves off one, I'm killing."

Shusui clutched his face.  "Chihiro, why?  You don't understand."

I resisted the urge to punch him again.  "Whatever end you think this is, you're wrong.  First, I'll get your eyes, then I'll kill that bastard."  I took off a glove and placed two fingers on his head.  "Until then, sleep."

He instantly lost consciousness and I created another barrier to slide us to the ground.  Aya and Ryo were there waiting.  Aya began to heal him.  "What will you do?"

I sighed.  "Where's Danzo?"

Ryo shifted uncomfortably.  "He went back to his hideout."

I nodded.  "First, I get the eye from Itachi, then Danzo."  He dies... tonight...