NOVEL NEXT Chapter 127: The Negotiations Were Short
"We've done as you asked," said C calmly. "Now, would you kindly unhand the Raikage?"
Three figures appeared in the shrine's entrance— the still Transformed Karin, the extremely bewildered Tsuchimikado and, of course, Hinata, who was dressed in a pure white bridal kimono. It didn't look as if they had been harmed, but Sakura would reserve further judgments until Neji had returned.
"I'll release the Raikage once we're out of the village," replied Sakura coldly. "Naturally, you'll allow us free passage out of Kumogakure, but bear in mind that we've got a Hyūga clan member with us— follow us too closely, and I won't hesitate to do what I must…"
Neji was still unaccounted for, but Sakura had faith in his abilities. With all of Kumo's available manpower gathered here, she had no doubt that he'd find his way back to them…
"You need to give us some guarantee that you won't simply kill him once you're out," said C, shaking his head. "You need to show us some sincerity."
Among the five great shinobi villages, Kumogakure was by far the most shameless— despite their great military strength, they liked to resort to below the belt schemes, though they didn't like to admit it.
'We don't kidnap little girls under the pretence of peace talks,' said Inner Sakura mockingly. 'And even if we do, it's because everyone else is already doing it!'
Kumo-nin liked to assume that shinobi from other villages acted just as dishonourably as they did— Kumogakure was indeed very good at projecting its faults onto others!
"You'll just have to take my word for it," said Sakura dismissively. "You have a lot more to lose than we do, because even if you kill us, Konoha has many more geniuses to spare!"
Compared to the barren wastelands where talent goes to die (read: Iwagakure), geniuses were a dime a dozen in Konohagakure. Of course, Sakura valued her own life much more highly than A's, but the Kumo-nin didn't need to know that— they only needed to think that she was a loyal child soldier who would not hesitate to give her own life for the village.
"Sakura-chan…?" came Hinata's trembling voice. "Is… is that really you?"
"It's me," said Sakura comfortingly. "Come on, let's go home, the nightmare's almost over…"
Hinata, Karin and the perplexed Tsuchimikado began making their way towards Sakura, but as they drew nearer, Sakura caught a glimpse of Hinata's face under her bridal veil… as well as a pair of beautiful blue eyes.
"What have you done to her?" hissed Sakura, cold fury creeping into her voice. "What have you done with Hinata's eyes?"
There was something terribly wrong with Hinata: she had pupils!
"If you're asking for their return, then I'm afraid that's impossible," said C, nonplussed by Sakura's anger. "The young lady's Byakugan are no longer in the village. One was destroyed, and the other is currently implanted in the eye socket of one of our shinobi."
Sakura glanced in Karin's direction, but she shook her head slightly. Thanks to the Mind's Eye of the Kagura Jutsu, Karin was basically a human lie detector— and according to her, C was telling the truth.
"What do you mean, destroyed?" Sakura shouted. "How!?"
"You should know that better than us!" spat Darui. "It was your ANBU who destroyed it— killing five of our shinobi in the process!"
It was Danzō's Root messing things up again!
'It might not have got destroyed,' said Inner Sakura thoughtfully. 'I'm sure Danzō would love to add an extra eyeball to his collection...'
Every year, despite Root supposedly getting disbanded after the Uchiha massacre, the Root would forcefully recruit shinobi from Konoha's various clans, though Danzō particularly favoured the Aburame. Only one clan was exempt from this practice— the Hyūga clan. The Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal couldn't compel a Hyūga clan member to swear fealty to Danzō, because of the existence of a much bigger fish!
Indeed, if it hadn't been for the Caged Bird Juinjutsu, there would have no doubt been a spate of Hyūga clan members disappearing under mysterious circumstances after the Uchiha massacre— Byakugan were incredibly useful in a spymaster's line of work.
"Then who's got Hinata's other eye?" asked Sakura. "Who!?"
"I know, onee-sama!" said Karin helpfully. "They gave Hinata's eye to some guy named Dodai. He's leading an expedition against the rogue shinobi raiding the Land of Lightning's west coast— I heard the blonde guy bragging about it to the other nobles!"
"Why in the world would you tell them that, dear!?" whimpered Lord Tsuchimikado.
C shot the Tsuchimikado couple a dark look.
He hadn't been bragging, per se— rather, his various speeches had all been part of his pitch to the surrounding lands' nobles; to convince them to invest more money into the Hidden Cloud! But now, the Hidden Leaf's agents would know exactly who to target in order to get Hinata's eye back!
'Dodai,' said Inner Sakura thoughtfully. 'Doesn't ring a bell, but we can't afford to wait for his return or go off looking for stray eyeballs.'
The arm that Sakura had shoved through the Raikage's ribcage was beginning to fall asleep.
"Fine, you can keep Hinata's eye— for now," said Sakura spitefully. "Clear the way out of the village, but I'd better not see anyone following us— or else."
"Naturally," said C, nodding curtly. "This is an embarrassing situation for us as well— the fewer people who see you walking through our streets with the Raikage in such a sorry state, the better."
"Blackout protocol it is, then," sighed Darui, before turning to a few Kumo ANBU to issue some orders.
And so, before the Kumo-nin's hatred-filled gazes, Sakura hefted the Raikage's heavy body onto her shoulder with difficulty, despite her extraordinary strength. Making sure to keep her right arm phased through his upper body at all times, Sakura started slowly making her way towards the exit; along with Karin and Lord Tsuchimikado, who was on the verge of a mental breakdown.
'Something's not right,' said Inner Sakura suspiciously. 'I didn't see the two Jinchūriki during the negotiations. Where were they?'
Sakura voiced her observations to Karin.
"They both left the shrine through the back door; a few minutes after onee-sama took the Raikage hostage, I think," answered Karin. "I can't feel them right now, but I've memorised their chakra signatures, so I'll know if they come within ten kilometres of us."
A few minutes of ninja running later, the lifts they had taken up to the village were finally coming within sight, but as they approached their destination, a dark figure stepped out of the shadows of the lift's control room…
"Neji-nii-san!" exclaimed Hinata tearfully. "You really came for me…!"