Postby uc pseudonym » Fri Jul 01, 2005 12:22 pm
This update will have to do both for this week and next Monday. I apologize; this file is an older version of this chapter, but it is the only one to which I have access.
Chapter Sixteen: Waste
Sighing, Hinata rolled to her side. She had never anticipated that they would have such problems. Though she didn’t know everything about the situation, she thought that she had a basic grasp of what had to happen and what they were trying to do. Their opponents were somehow directly involved with Ragnarok Incorporated; it should be a simple matter to find out who they were and take them out.
Getting into the city had been easy. It was a very different environment then even the massive shinobi villages, much more hostile and bleak. Though Ino and Sakura had been eager to take advantage of the larger shopping selection, they’d actually remained largely focused on the task at hand. Matthew and Sasuke had set up some basic battle plans, and everyone was on edge and prepared for a confrontation. But they had never anticipated what would happen next.
Nothing. They’d arrived in the city and promptly been overwhelmed by waves of inactivity. There had been no immediate attacks, and she hadn’t been able to sense anyone following them, either. Furthermore, asking questions about Ragnarok Incorporated had accomplished nothing.
Their opponents were hidden and evidently not interested in showing their faces. After some time of frustrated research, Sasuke determined that they would wait for a proper attack. As he had put it to her, their opponents seemed determined to destroy them and would eventually take the opportunity. A decent strategy, but a very annoying one. Could they really do no more than just wait for trouble to come to them?
Closing her eyes, determining to relax, Hinata tried to fall asleep. Tonight was a disturbing night.
The massive building loomed at one end of the village. It seemed to intimidate the nearby houses, all of which were set some distance away from its foundation. Sand swept past it, sliding off the walls that had been designed to weather storms without a scratch. Around the entire building rose a thick wall, making the house appear more like a fortress.
One figure was slowly walking toward the house, nervously sliding two kunai against each other, producing a slight rasping sound. Despite all his training, he couldn’t completely bring himself to do it. Oh, he would eventually move physically, but his mind couldn’t grasp the enormity of his actions.
It was never a commonly written law, but everyone in the Village of the Hidden Sand knew that the Kage’s house was off limits. The best Jounin dropped by when they had official business, and in times of war it became a center of activity, but most of the time no one dared go near it unless they had a good reason. Only three people other than the Kazekage were allowed to come and go freely...
But he was going to enter tonight. He was going to do a lot more than that. After breaking through the defenses he would kill that sniveling, uppity Leaf shinobi and then put a kunai directly through the skull of that b**** herself. The thought of Temari dead made him smile slightly. That would be the true moment of his triumph, when he finally received justice for the terrible slights she had given him.
Of course, his action would accomplish far more than his personal needs. These new people... they had ambition, and he liked what they saw for the future. A new world without higher ranked ninjas lording it over the lesser, with everyone equal except for a few to keep order. After sending this terrible message to the Kazekage, he would be one of those few.
Ah, yes, the death of his very sister would hit him hard. As soon as he came home, because he was always mysteriously gone nights of a full moon, he would want to retaliate. But who was there for him to fight? Then the final axe would fall...
Grinning just slightly, the shinobi slipped his special weapon down the sleeve of his coat, gripping it carefully. This was going to be a great night. Looking back up at the gate, he began walking forward casually, as if nothing at all was wrong. He could already see the guard lounging lazily in his chair.
What he did not see was the man standing on the edge of the roof of the house itself. Dark eyes surveyed the man approaching the house for a moment, then closed. The next instant the man vanished.
“I swear, I have a very important scroll to deliver to the Kazekage,â€