Yo! Had a passing fancy to do another story, so here it is! I plan on this being a 'take the edge off' story, with much shorter chapters and the like. So enjoy my flight of fancy!
Oh, right, there will be some... colorful... language throughout this plotline, so keep that in mind.
disclaimer: I don't own anything in the 'Naruto' series, just the stuff in this plot. Enjoy!
The air in the bar was choked with cigar smoke and the smell of alcohol. It was a lazy afternoon; pals shooting pool and playing poker to burn the day away. The dim light amplified the atmosphere of the inherent seediness of the room as the inhabitants discussed various matters between rounds.
The mood took a different turn as the doors opened to reveal the silhouette of a woman. The sight of a member of the opposite sex in such a place caught everyone's attention for a moment, and held onto it as the young woman strolled casually to the bar and took a seat.
"Afternoon, miss," greeted the bartender. "Red letter day to see a woman around here. What'll it be?"
The blue haired woman smiled. "Just a scotch on the rocks." The drink was poured and set down in front of her. She took a sip and pulled out a photograph.
"Don't think I've seen you before. You new to these parts?"
"Yeah, just passing through."
"What brings you by? Business?"
She twirled her drink. "Of sorts," she flicked the photo towards the man. "I'm actually looking for this guy. You seen him by any chance?"
The older man took a close look of the aging photo. His eyes widened as he recognized the deep blue eyes and springy blond hair of the subject. "Woah, missy. You after the bounty on this guy?"
"Yeah," she lied. She learned to never reveal the truth, as it took precious time to explain her situation. "So, any news on him?"
He shook his head. "No ma'am. Glad to say I haven't."
The man sitting next to her seemed to have a different opinion. "So lady, you after the bounty on Uzi?"
She turned her gaze towards the man inside her sunglasses. "Yeah, what of it?"
The drunk turned to a group occupying the table behind them. "Hey guys! This little lady says she's lookin' for Uzi! Looks like we got another bounty hunter in our den!"
The men set down their cards and stood to intimidate her. They began to babble useless drabble in an effort to antagonize her.
"So this little thing thinks she can take our prize?"
"Thinks she can take on Uzi himself, eh? Looks like we should learn 'er good…"
"Let's show her some 'hospitality' boys… be gentle though, wouldn't want to break a nail…"
The closest man took a swift boot to the family jewels. Another thing the woman learned was it was always best to use the cheapest shots to subdue an enemy, especially before a larger fight.
"Harry! You bitch!" One guy pulled a large knife out of his pocket and rushed her. "You're going down!"
The blue haired bounty hunter dodged the knife and slapped the man on the abdomen, causing him to double over. She moved on and elbowed the next man in the neck before he could react. The man from the bar tossed a knife at her only to see her catch it by the handle and throw it back, sticking it in the man's leg. She turned to meet the last two men standing and poked the nearest in the neck with a finger. As he fell to the ground, she ducked under the bottle the last man swung at her head. She shot up from her low position and struck the man on the chin, causing him to fall backwards onto the floor. His head slammed onto the floor, knocking him out cold.
She pulled a wallet from the drunk and tossed it towards the barkeeper. "Sorry for the mess. This should cover the damage and the drink." She headed for the door.
"Hold it, you bitch!"
She turned to see 'Harry', the man whose boys met her boot, pointing a pistol at her.
"You're gonna pay for that!" He fired.
The woman dodged the bullets in a zigzag pattern. She could clearly see the disbelief in the man's eyes even through her sunglasses. She grabbed the gun and sent the man flying into the heavy bar table. She emptied the firearm and tossed it on the floor.
"You should know who you're dealing with before acting," she said coolly. She lowered her glasses to her nose so the man could see her eyes.
"Oh, shit…" the man was shocked. "You… you're… her! You're…"
Her pale lavender eyes shone brightly in the dim light. She smiled. "Yeah, the 'White Eyes of Death', Hinata Hyuuga." She turned on her heal and left the bar.
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She walked down the road of the downtrodden town, steel-toed boots clicking with each step against the sidewalk. Her thick beige trench coat fluttered in the breeze, revealing her pistol and several clips. She looked down to button her garment, as it was a cold day, and saw her frayed weapon pouch from Konoha.
"How long has it been?" She thought as she passed wanted posters on the street. Each and every one of them had snapshots of now infamous 'red eye' people; all deemed criminals for one reason or another. She continued down the row of extensive posters until her eyes caught one in particular: the red-eye Naruto 'Uzi' Uzumaki.
"It's been a while, Naruto," she thought as she laid a gentle hand on the poster. "I hope you're still alive…"
(flashback)
Hinata was exhausted from her trek through the forest. The moon was her only source of illumination, and she dared not stop lest she be found or loose his trail. She continued onward despite her lack of breath.
She heard the news several hours ago. Naruto had been forcibly removed from the village by its citizens and several notable shinobi. Those responsible agreed that no one should be told of the deed, as the third Hokage would intervene immediately to return the young blond boy. Their plan had worked for a full day before the Hokage took notice of the lack of the village's prankster and his absent antics. Hinata only knew of the circumstances due to overhearing an ANBU relaying the order to find the boy to a jounin in the street.
She immediately raced home and packed everything she thought she might need, which didn't amount to much. Her mind was in a panic and her eyes were blurry from tears as she 'liberated' some weaponry from her family arsenal and stuffed it into her weapon pouch. Before she even knew what she was doing, she had snuck out the front gate (somehow) and was wandering aimlessly, searching for her source of inspiration.
That first night, she wondered why she was doing this. "Surely the ANBU would bring him back safely," she thought. "But then, they might be the same people who sent him away…" She wracked her mind that night to find an answer to it all.
She had only known the boy for a short while, but he already meant the world to her. She took inspiration from his outlook on his miserable life, something she wished that she could do as well. She eventually cried herself to sleep and awoke a few hours later.
She picked herself up and continued her search for the young Uzumaki. There she was; Hinata Hyuuga, ten years old, setting out on her journey through life.
Write a review if you want. Should I continue this? I think it could almost work as a oneshot...