Kiyohime Ch. 2

Summary: Wherever there are mononoke, he follows. When his path collides with a certain kunoichi, and she becomes a vengeful mononoke's target, can the two defy the fate foreseen for them? KusuriurixHinata, slight Onesided ShionxNaruto, HinataxNaruto.

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I don't even fully own my Mac yet. What makes you think I'd own Naruto and Mononoke? If I did, this shit would be canon.

Kiyohime
Ch.2

  "Hinata, how far until we get to the border?" Kakashi queried to the kunoichi. Hinata activated her Byakugan and squinted towards a distance no one but her could see.

  "Nine, maybe ten kilometers," she responded. "And.."

  "Ah, I know."

  Kakashi had his team and charge slow their walk to a halt. All five of them were alert. The copy-nin motioned several hand signals to the other three shinobi and immediately they scattered except for Hinata and the medicine seller.

  "We are... under attack, it seems," the painted man casually observed.

  "Y... yes. We are. Two cells of ninja from an unknown country... probably a small one. We are t-to assume they are after your goods, Kusuriuri-san," Hinata informed. "I have been assigned to protect you l-lest one of them gets passed the others," she finished.

  "Ho? All that was gathered with a couple of hand motions? Then let it be so," the man lowered his medicine box off his shoulders and proceeded to sit on top of it. He saw no further use straining his back when no ground was to be covered at this time.

--

  "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto shouted. Several clones sprang forth from a cloud towards one of the cells. Two clones formed a rasengan in mid-air and aimed to thrust it in the middle of the leader's face. As soon as it landed, his corpse was replaced with a chunk of splintered wood.

  "Che!" one Naruto spat. He dispelled himself and the original was immediately informed of what transpired. He ordered the rest of his clones to pan out and search the vicinity.

  A gloved hand pulled a container from his satchel and opened a bottle of ink with dangerous speed. Sai's motions with his brush were quick, efficient, and deadly. With a flick of his wrist he had drawn a full scroll's worth of lions.

  "Ninpou: Choujuu Giga," he said softly. His ink lions burst forth from the page and leapt off the tree top from where he sat. They roared ferociously and assaulted two ninja. Must be greenhorn chuunin, he thought while they unsuccessfully tried to fight off the beasts.

The other two were not as gullible. One evaporated most of the pack with a well aimed katon jutsu while the other showcased his mastery of taijutsu by smashing his creations back into puddles of ink. Sai looked on unfazed and painted a hawk on a fresh scroll. He reactivated his jutsu and jumped off the tree top and onto the now mobile piece of artwork. He skillfully dodged a fireball and aligned himself with the setting sun. Using it to his advantage, he flew in front of it and while they were blinded, he launched a barrage of kunai at their forms. Not one to smirk, he let out a content sigh when he heard metal hit flesh followed by groaning and the sound of bodies hitting the ground. One cell down.

  Two of the four men from the remaining cell had Hinata and the medicine seller in their sights. They rushed forward, but were stopped when an avalanche of orange descended upon them. They disappeared amongst the heap of clones, only to be thoroughly broken and bruised once five Narutos finished the Uzumaki Naruto Rendan.

  Sai gave an exasperated sigh as he witnessed Naruto's damage below him. That Naruto, he thought, he's too showy with his clones. What a poor excuse for a shinobi! He circled around the area on his animated hawk. No sign of the other two remaining ninja were found. He'd spot a couple of Naruto's clones searching within the trees more in depth, but it appeared they didn't have much success, either. Kakashi-senpai was also nowhere in sight. Sai assumed he was in position.

--

  Hinata saw them coming before they arrived. They had cautiously avoided Sai-san and Naruto-kun and they were quickly headed her way. She sank into her fighting stance. From behind her, she heard the medicine seller give a sign he was interested in what was happening.

  "Ho?" he mused. "Do you sense something, Hinata-san?" he said with mild bemusement.

  "Yes," she replied. "Two enemies e-evaded the offense." She raised an open palm up. "T-they're coming."

  Two figures jumped forth out of the bushes with impeccable speed, but the Hyuuga was not one to be ambushed. She grabbed two shuriken from her holster and flung them at her adversaries, and they nimbly dodged her attack. She pushed her weight to her feet and launched towards them, her hands taking on a familiar glow.

Palms became enshrouded with sky blue chakra as she thrust her left palm to the younger looking one's chest and spun counterclockwise aiming to land her right palm into his back. Her Byakygan caught the oncoming kunai with the attached exploding tag from who she assumed was the leader, so she leapt backwards several meters closer to the medicine seller. The other man was too injured to escape, and was soon caught up in the explosion after he had a sharp kunai embedded into his back. Miraculously he survived the blast, but with a swollen heart and a punctured lung, he wouldn't be getting back up. Not today.

  Hinata kept herself in front of the medicine seller who did not seem concerned in the slightest regarding the battle. She even saw him pull out a long silver pipe and enjoy a smoke. In her disbelief, she missed the leader pull out several shuriken but noticed when he threw them. Kaiten can't be performed with Kusuriuri-san nearby, she thought. It's only used to protect one person. She took a few steps back, getting closer to the man, as to not leave him out of her Shugohakke jutsu and focusing her chakra, Hinata waved her hands up and down, side to side, diagonally, repeatedly, and with such furious speed streams of chakra formed around her and the medicine seller. Wisps of smoke became entwined with the chakra. As the shuriken bounced off her shield, she pondered the smell of the smoke. Slight incense, but very earthy. She inhaled and felt her surroundings run more slowly while she kept moving at a normal pace. Finally, the rain of shuriken ceased and Hinata saw her opening.

  By the time the leader realized shuriken would have no effect on the kunoichi so long as she had that defensive move, Hinata was too close for his comfort. He saw her lower her stance before she uttered softly, "I'm sorry, b-ut this is the end for you."

  Hinata altered her stance and curled all her fingers down except for her pointer and middle. "Jyuukenhou, Hakke Rokujuuyonshou," she said, almost apologetically. With lightning fast speed and precision, she struck the man twice in the chest. "Nishou!" She then spun clockwise and landed two more strikes, "Yonshou!" Four more strikes, "Hashou!" Eight more strikes, "Juurokushou!" Sixteen more strikes and the blood started to drip down his mouth, but Hinata kept going, "Sanjuunishou!" She could see his heart frantically trying to pump more blood, despite being overworked and swollen. The last thirty-two strikes were her most shaky, but she managed to land them. "Hakke... rokujuuyonshou!" The leader tried to scream but only coughed up more blood before he fell backwards and twitched slightly in a vain attempt to get back up. The hitai-ite he wore like a bandanna slipped off with a clatter. Finally, his heart beat for the last time and he ceased moving altogether.

  Byakugan deactivated, Hinata gave a sigh of relief.  The medicine seller was unharmed and appeared to be enjoying himself. He gave her a small smirk, and she took it as a sign of gratitude, and hopefully, approval with the competency of her job. She returned the smile with one of her own. Sai flew in on his hawk and jumped off before it dispersed back into ink. Naruto also returned, rubbing his shoulder in satisfaction all the while giving his trademark wide grin.

--

  The last two ninja Sai had hit as well as the one of the two beaten up by Naruto's shadow clones regrouped. Using a camouflage jutsu, they realized the kunoichi hadn't spotted them, so they concluded she had deactivated her doujutsu. One gave the motion to attack and they set off.

  Hatake Kakashi was waiting for them the entire time. His hands burst forth from the ground beneath them and he grabbed their ankles.

  "Doton: Shinjuu Zanshu no Jutsu!" Kakashi yanked the two ninja as hard as he could and pulled himself from the ground. He squat down in front of them and tapped their heads, which were the only parts of their bodies above the dirt. "Tsk, tsk," he scolded before looking over his shoulder. The last ninja recognized Kakashi almost immediately. The copy-nin's eye seemed to smile as he loomed his way towards the shaking adversary.

  "And now for you," the silver haired jounin said while a crackle of electricity formed around his left hand.

--

  Kakashi casually met up with his team, brushing the excess dirt off his sleeves.

  "Well, that takes care of that," he said casually. "Shall we keep going? I hear there is a very nice inn on the outskirts of the Wave Country. If we pick up a little bit more speed, we should be there before the sun sets," he continued, his gloved hand placed over his forehead as he searched the skies for clues of the time.

  The medicine seller slid off his cabinet, but before he could lift it onto his shoulders, his polished box was off the ground and on another's back.

  "Hey, hey, Kusuriuri-niisan, I'll take care of his for you! Ooh, it's kind of heavy. But I'm strong, so it'll be okay!" Naruto fussed with the medicine box as its contents clinked and rattled inside. The man gave an exasperated sigh. He wasn't one to argue, but rather let people make their own mistakes. He politely thanked the blonde boy who seemed to be doing a grand job of carrying his luggage. He must still be full of adrenaline from the fight. No doubt he'll be sore in the morning, though, he thought with mild amusement. I should make him a paste when we arrive at the inn, he finished while stroking his chin.

--

  "The Great Naruto Bridge?" Sai looked up at the sign above him and sighed. Hinata's eyes widened in awe for her hero.

  "N-naruto-kun! This bridge is named after you?" She looked at him with wide, admiring eyes.

  "Ho?" The medicine seller also cast a glance towards the ninja clad in orange.

  Naruto scratched the back of his head and blushed. "Yeah, I guess so. Tazuna-ojiisan was the one who worked on this bridge. Heh, doesn't that take you back, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto turned to his elder while retaining his wide, glowing grin. Kakashi smiled in return, or at least his single eye signified he was smiling under the mask.

  "Yes, well, it's a shame this inn is on the other side of the Wave Country from where Tazuna and Inari-kun live. It would have been nice to visit. Unfortunately, we don't have a whole lot of time. Let's keep moving." Everyone nodded in agreement as the group made their way to cross the bridge.

--

  The eastern coast of Wave Country approached the team's horizon line. A well-kept two-story inn sat on a small hill, and was delicately landscaped with pomegranate trees and various flowering plants. The scent of sulfur indicated there were onsen available somewhere on the premises.

  "I'm going to go inside and try to get us two rooms. You guys can wait here--or not," Kakashi stopped as Sai and Naruto walked into the lobby of the inn completely disregarding the jounin's request.

  "I think I shall stay here and... examine the flowers. Hinata-san, will you join me?" the medicine seller requested. Hinata nodded and followed the man, who now had his medicine box returned to him. "These pomegranates look ripe. I hope the innkeeper doesn't mind if I take a few. It's good for treating joint aches and swelling." He picked a pomegranate and pulling a small knife from his sleeve, he scored it and pried it open. The fruit leaked a bit, and he held up half to the kunoichi in offering. She blushed and took it as they sat underneath the tree and enjoyed their evening snack.

--

  "What do you mean there are no rooms left!?" Naruto yelled. Residents who were in the lobby turned to stare at the blonde haired boy and the two men who were with him. The innkeeper scratched the back of his head and several strands of his loosely kept teal hair stuck out as he glared at the loud customer. He unsuccessfully tried to hide the annoyed twitch in his eye.

"I mean we are full. Packed for the next week," he responded, his voice seething with and frustration.

  "But we're on a very important mission! Please!" He glanced at Hinata and the medicine seller who walked into the lobby. "My wife!" Naruto pointed to Hinata, who froze in her place. "My wife is pregnant and she needs a room! Please!" The indigo haired kunoichi's face turned as red as her pomegranate stained fingers, and she cast a glance to the medicine seller, mouthing, 'Do I look pregnant!?' to him.

The medicine seller idly rubbed his chin and glanced elsewhere, a sign he wanted nothing to do with this conversation. He knew when to keep his mouth shut. Women were fickle creatures, and when it came to questions like that there was no right answer. Sai and Kakashi also picked up on this and followed the painted man's example.

  Naruto grabbed Hinata by the wrist and pulled her towards him. He snaked an arm around her waist and rubbed her stomach. "Yes, yes! We're expecting a boy! And we want little Minato-chan to grow big and strong! But my wife needs a warm place to stay for the night for his sake! He-aah, Hinata? HINATA!"

  Hinata had fainted in his arms.

--

  Upon seeing Naruto's "wife" faint from what he assumed to be a rough pregnancy, the innkeeper relented and allowed the group to stay in his master bedroom for the night. This room was much larger than the average room in his inn. When Kakashi inquired where the innkeeper would sleep, he waved it off and said he would set up a futon in the lobby. The man then set out to pull more futons from storage.

  "We really appreciate it, uhm," Kakashi began.

  "Zakuro," the man finished. "My name is Zakuro," he smiled. Hinata noted that while he was an older man, older than Kakashi-sensei based on his appearance, he was an attractive man, but not in the traditional sense. He had tan skin with teal blue hair in a low ponytail. His scruffy facial hair added to his ruggedness, and had eyes that reminded her of heliotrope. His most peculiar feature, she decided, were his sharp, pointy teeth.

  Zakuro set up the futons and pulled out a large screen to divide the master bedroom in half. "I'm quite sure the married couple need their privacy, right?" he said with a smirk. Hinata ducked her blushing face behind Kakashi and the medicine seller while Naruto rubbed the bottom part of his nose with his index finger as a sign of embarrassment. "Dinner will be ready in about an hour and will be served in the lobby. Feel free to look around the place." After he set up the screen, the man left the room without turning back.

  "Well, he seemed to have warmed up to us," Kakashi thought out loud. "We might as well see what we have here. Maybe we can take a nice soak in that onsen after dinner."

--

  Several residents opted to have their dinner in the lobby. Whole cooked fish lay on the table as well as plenty of rice, fruits, and liquors. Naruto was elated to discover that shrimp ramen was also to be served. Kakashi had Sai keep an eye on Naruto to prevent him from getting his hands on the sake or the plum wine.

  The background chatter filled the room as everyone gathered. The team dined in silence for the most part, but the medicine seller felt eyes watch him from beside his seat. He was very much aware Naruto and Sai were observing him but he wasn't sure why until Naruto opened his mouth, a shrimp tail sticking out after rolling around in his trap.

  "Hey, you smile a lot, Kusuriuri-niisan," he said with a funny look. "It's almost creepy, you know."

  "He's not smiling, Naruto-kun. It's an optical illusion due to his face paint," the artistic ninja informed. Sai lay down his chop sticks and dug through his back pouch.

  "Optimal... illusion?"

  "Optical, Naruto," corrected Kakashi. "Basically, it shows you things that aren't really there."

  "That's right," the medicine seller confirmed. "These days, I need to dress up in order to make a sale. I don't mind at all, though."

  "Ah, ah! You're an interesting man, Kusuriuri-niisan!" Naruto gushed, spurting a bit of shrimp broth on the white tablecloth. The medicine seller cringed a bit as particles of food landed on his kimono. He made a note to try to get the stain out tonight.

  "Unfortunately, I'm an uninteresting human," the mysterious man replied while flicking the particles off him with his long painted nails. Kakashi, Hinata, and Sai let out light chuckles while Naruto looked back at him with a blank expression. Ah, he didn't get it, he thought.

  "Here we are," Sai said to no one in particular. "Hinata-san, will you help me?" He licked the tip of his brush and dipped it in a capful of wisteria ink.

  Hinata, being obedient by nature, did as Sai asked. Sai took her chin between his index finger and thumb and tilted her head towards him. Hinata tried to turn away, but his grip held. Instead, she settled for averting her eyes and tried to suppress her blush by thinking of other things, such has her father's icy, stern face. She shuddered when she felt Sai's brush against her upper lip. Pink dusted her cheeks as she remembered he had licked the brush earlier. An indirect kiss, she concluded.

  "Finished," Sai said casually, while putting away his brush and ink. Hinata glanced at her reflection in her teacup and saw Sai had painted her upper lip exactly like the medicine seller's. "Ah, now, Hinata-san, look up and don't smile," he ordered. She did, and Naruto, Kakashi, and the medicine seller looked up at her. "Now, smile." Her lips turned upwards in a small smile, but the paint made it look like a devious grin. Naruto grinned widely in return.

  "Now, Hinata-san, purse your lips."

  "Wh... what?" She whipped her head around and stared at Sai, her eyes wide.

  "I meant smile," Sai said, not looking at her, but sporting a playful smile of his own.

  "Hinata looks cute like that," Kakashi complimented.

  "Hey, an old man like you shouldn't be saying such things to a girl like Hinata, you pervert," Naruto elbowed Kakashi, who, he noticed, hadn't eaten a single thing on his plate. Kakashi laughed in response and turned his attention to Zakuro, who was on his second cup of sake. He seemed to be enjoying the events transpiring in front of him.

  "Zakuro-san, thank you again for letting us stay. So, you manage his inn by yourself?" Kakashi inquired.

  Zakuro slowly put down his empty up and nodded. "Mmm. My wife died of an illness about twenty years ago. It was her dream to open up an inn, but I never had the time. So in her honor, I retired from active shinobi duty to fulfill her dream," he said all the while staring at his cup.

  The medicine seller felt a rattle come from the third drawer of his cabinet. He narrowed his eyes, but not a single person noticed.