Part Two: The Search

Chapter Nine

She didn't know how long she had been at it. Hou-ou's fire was eating at the ice as much as it was eating at her. The glacier was a more formidable opponent than Hinata had first thought. She had imagined it to be like ice cream melting in the sun, but a glacier was not ice cream and Hou-ou was not the sun. Although, Hinata supposed, the Phoenix, if she tried, could probably burn as hot as the sun.

"Here, Hinata-chan," Tsume-sensei said softly. "You should take a seat."

Her pupil-less eyes flickered to the snoring Shikaku-sensei and knew, in the deepest of her heart, that her Shikaku-sensei was not sleeping. She knew, in the deepest of her heart, he was watching her, gauging her, testing her.

Therefore Hinata would not sit. She would stand beneath her Phoenix, feeding waves and waves of chakra into the great firebird until the ice was gone, until the Tiger was free, until Hinata had nothing left.

Because, she knew, this was a test of stamina, of chakra reserves, of perseverance.

Tsume-sensei seemed to know this as well, sighing before leaving Hinata alone, standing for hours on end. The contemptuous look the Inuzuka shot at the Nara was not lost on anybody's part, not even Hinata's.

Anko-sensei seemed to share her feelings, playing with the blow torch while eyeing Shikaku-sensei's ponytail much too avidly. Even Shibi-sensei's kikaichu were running slightly agitated.

The only one who wasn't the least bothered with Shikaku-sensei was Jiraiya-san. He was standing to the side, observing the Hyuga carefully. He was both perplexed and impressed by her.

"She can just..." he trailed, frowning, "keep going?"

Tsume-sensei nodded. She should know. She had been the one to train Hinata in her stamina.

Hinata blinked when a particular drop of sweat rolled over her eye. At the beginning of this endeavour of hers, she had been having fun. She had found it beautiful, how the red of Hou-ou's fire seemed to spark blue against the glacier, like a small private fireworks show. She had thought it lovely how the gentle glow of the light seemed to light up the cave, the faces of her senseis, the silver in Jiraiya-san's hair. She had wondered at the warmth of the flames and cool of the ice, how two opposites could fit together just so.

But that had been hours ago.

That was before Hinata started to sweat, before her muscles groaned, before the chakra being taken from her started to burn in her veins and strain her heart and lungs. It was all pretty and innocent before she had to grit her teeth, dig her feet in and clench her fists, putting all that she was and all that she thought she could ever be into violent flames that didn't seem to be affecting the ice at all.

"Okay," Jiraiya-san said. "Enough."

Hinata jumped when the Sannin threw several kunai at the ice, each carrying an exploding tag. Several things flashed through her head before the kunai hit. One: the blow back was going to hit her. Two: the collusion would collapse the cave. Three: the Tiger was going to be harmed.

She rushed forward, but it was too late, the kunai hit and the tags went off with a hollow bang. Hollow bang? She had expected a loud boom, if anything. She stumbled to a stop, surprised she hadn't been blown back or that the cave hadn't collapsed. Stopping Hou-ou's flame for a moment, she found that the Tiger had not been blown to pieces, rather only several chunks of ice had been shaved off. It made defrosting easier.

She looked to Jiraiya-san and saw his wolfish grin.

"You didn't expect me to bring the whole place down, did you?" he snarked jovially.

Hinata was stunned. He had wonderful control even with his exploding tags.

"Don't scare her like that, you pervert!" Anko-sensei screeched into his wincing ears.

Hinata ducked her hide her smile before setting Hou-ou back to melting the ice. Finally, in what seemed like forever, the ice seemed to be decreasing. From where she stood, squinting to fend off the Phoenix's bright flames, she could see white fur begin to emerge from the ice. Slowly, a paw was revealed, a size that could crush a house easily.

Encouraged, Hinata straightened and slowed her chakra. Hou-ou's flames dulled and thinned, taking precise cuts in the ice to avoid hurting the trapped summon. Every now and then Jiraiya-san would cut away chunks with his exploding tags and even Shikaku-sensei summoned some of his Deer to kick pieces off.

Everything was moving a lot faster now that it was a team effort, and Hinata smiled openly at the help. It was good to know that if she were ever in trouble, there would be others to aid her. Taking a deep breath, she watched as the ice slowly receded and the Tiger slowly coming forth. Soon the Tiger would be free, that was expected.

But what wasn't expected was-

"Mistress!" Hou-ou cried.

The paw crashed through the icy wall, ripping through the glacier and scattering debris along the cave. Hinata raised an arm to protect her face from the razor-sharp pieces of ice, but could not keep her feet on the ground when a hard rush of wind came hurtling towards her, knocking her into the air.

"HINATA!" Anko-sensei screamed, but her scream was torn away at the ferocious roar of the awakened Tiger.

"WHERE IS HE?" the Tiger screamed, his head knocking away his icy prison. "WHERE IS HE?"

Hinata landed on the ground, feeling her ribs break, and coughed blood. But regardless of her injuries, she knew she had to act fast. "Legendary Summoning Jutsu, Kame!"

She closed her eyes, hissing as she tried to hold onto her chakra, but it ripped away from her like a rope ripping from a sailor's hand. She tried, at the same time, to fit her ribs back into place and stop the pain, but almost passed out from the exertion.

She coughed, spitting out blood, and blinked when the wind seemed to slow around her. She looked up and barely managed a smile.

Above her, looming protectively over her person, was a massive creature of earth-worn skin and deep-set eyes. Smelling of the darkened soil, of the vegetation of a desert oasis, the Legendary Tortoise Summon, Kame, was facing his hexagonal shell towards the bestial Tiger, protecting his mistress from the brutish wind and the boulder-sized ice flying from the wall.

Hinata winced when she saw several heavy-set chunks of ice fall onto the ground, creating crevices in the glacier. Hidden behind Kame, she could not see Hou-ou, but could see the flickering fire-light against the walls, a flame fighting against the cool dust of frozen vapour.

"Hinata-chan!" Tsume-sensei cried, coming up to her with a first aid kit.

Despite the pain, despite the blood, despite her chakra burning painfully through her veins, Hinata felt like nothing mattered when she saw her senseis and Jiraiya-san safely behind the impenetrable shell of Kame. She didn't care if she passed out. She didn't care if she had died at that moment.

Her father would never have rushed towards her to help.

She smiled grimly at the thought and fell to the ground, unable to conjure the energy to sit up. Closing her eyes, she slowed her breathing and felt Kuromaru lie beside her, providing body heat.

"Several ribs," Hinata heard Tsume-sensei say.

But Hinata switched her focus to the Tiger as her senseis lifted up her shirt to begin bandaging her up. Even being prodded by fingers, however gentle, did not register Hinata as being painful. She felt numb.

"WHERE IS HE?" roared the Tiger, another burst of unearthly wind shattering through the cavern.

"Enough, Tora," Kame chided, his earthen voice deep and wise.

Hinata unsummoned Hou-ou to conserve her chakra, sighing when she felt her body begin to stabilize.

"I swear!" Tora, the Tiger King, growled, thumping his paw to the ground aggressively. "When I find him, I WILL RIP HIS FUCKING HEAD OFF!"

Hinata opened her eyes blearily and saw her senseis wince. By now, Kame had stepped aside to show the Tiger the humans he had been protecting. Jiraiya-san was eyeing both the Tortoise and the Tiger in awe. Even Tsume-sensei was speechless. But with Shibi-sensei and Anko-sensei, one clutching his kunai and the other her blow torch, they looked ready to gouge the Tiger's eyes out.

Hinata looked to see Shikaku-sensei wrapping a bandage around her ribs. She could smell the medical herbs he had slathered the bandages with. Although he appeared focused and thoughtful, Hinata could see that he was also hesitant, the toothpick in his mouth agitated. He was worried about the Tiger.

No one had anticipated the summon to be so hostile.

She made to sit up, but Shikaku-sensei shook his head. Obediently she lay back down and took a good look at the Tiger.

White fur, black jagged strips, the Tiger looked wild and fierce. He had large incisors gleaming in the darkness of the cavern and yellow glowing eyes. Each agitated breath he took seemed to shake the whole glacier, seemed to cause the air to thin and choke for the others around him. Tora snarled, his claws flashed and his hair stood on end. Every single part of him screamed that he wanted to hunt, wanted to kill, wanted to break and hurt and thrash things.

Hinata didn't know what to make of him. He seemed even more impossible than Manda.

"Tora," Kame sounded calmly and the Tiger twitched. "You have guests."

The beast became still, for a moment, and narrowed his eyes. He seemed to finally notice the Konoha-nin in the cave. A low growl vibrated the air as he gauged the humans displeasingly.

Hinata composed her herself when his large, dark pupils landed on her, scrutinizing her broken body.

Tora barked a laugh, mocking and heavy. "So you brought me the summoner-nin, Kame!"

The Tortoise did not reply, eyeing the cat cautiously.

"It does not matter!" Tora snarled, his teeth biting. "I am bound to another."

The Tiger spat as if he had just cursed, not noticing how surprised Hinata was, how hopeless she looked.

Bound? The Tiger was already bound? And yet, as those words traveled through Hinata's head, she could not wrap her thoughts around the idea. Had ojiisan not sent her out to get the Legendary Summons? Had ojiisan not said that the Legendary Summoning Scrolls had been lost? Then how could the Tiger be bound to anyone? How did anyone find the scrolls before her?

Had she failed then? Had she failed her mission then?

Hinata felt herself go cold. Her first mission and she had failed.

Her mama probably didn't even fail her first mission. She knew her father never failed at anything. Maybe perhaps in her...

Her face grew hot, her eyes blurring. She whimpered and her breath shook, her ribs hurting at the movement.

"Enough, Hinata," Shikaku-sensei scolded.

She flinched. She was a horrible kunoichi if she couldn't even separate her feelings from her mission.

Oh, how she failed!

"And now she's crying." Tora snorted. "You've gotten weak, Kame, to choose such a girl."

Hinata's Byakugan flared into existence and she felt a hot anger strike her. How dare he? How dare he just... just... just throw ice at all her senseis and Jiraiya-san and Hou-ou and especially Kame and think everything was a game? How dare he just throw such a childish (and "dishonourable" as her father would put it) tantrum and think Kame was the weak one?

The Tiger could laugh at her, but not at her friends!

She stood, brushing off Shikaku-sensei's hands, and wilted due to the pain - but she refused to stand down!

"You're w-weak!" Hinata accused, almost toppling over.

Tora stiffened, his whiskers standing on end. "What?"

Anko-sensei turned on the blow torch and Shibi-sensei spun his kunai. Even Jiraiya-san readied his exploding tags.

"Troublesome," Shikaku-sensei sounded from behind her.

"They told me you w-were a Legendary Summon," Hinata gritted, "but you sh-should be a-ashamed of yourself-f! The m-moment we s-save you and you th-throw a t-temper tantrum! Have you no honour? No pride?"

Tsume-sensei wrapped an arm around her shoulders to steady her. Tora, from what Hinata could gather, was miffed at her rebuke.

"Where is your scroll?" Hinata demanded, her byakugan fading, her chakra running thin.

"Excuse me?" the Tiger sounded, offended.

"Your scroll, Tora," Kame repeated for his mistress, standing taller. "Where is your scroll?"

"Does it matter?" the Tiger seethed. "I am bound to another."

"Give me your scroll!" Hinata screeched.

The Tiger stepped back, ears twitching at the high pitch.

"She can summon Ryujin," Kame said easily. "He will not be happy when he learns you have battered our mistress. Do you care for a swim?"

Tora hissed.

"Then give her the scroll," Kame said levelly.

"Fine!" Tora spat.

With a swing of his tail, the cat rolled the giant scroll to the Konoha-nin. He did not look happy.

Hinata fell to her knees and reached for the scroll, but was stopped by Jiraiya-san.

"No, Hinata," the Sannin said with a shake of his head. "It doesn't matter."

"Yes," she said promptly, her expression like steel. "I have to sign it."

She had to complete her mission.

Tsume-sensei pinched her lips. "Jiraiya-sama is right, Hinata-chan. It would be useless now. He is another's summon."

The Tiger rolled his eyes. "Stubborn, isn't she?"

"One more word, kitty cat!" Anko warned, flickering the blow torch on and off. "And I burn your damn whiskers off! Legendary Summon, or not!"

Tora roared in response, sending a rush of wind over the ninjas. Immediately, Shikaku-sensei stood and Hinata's eyes darted to the now opened scroll. The wind had knocked it open.

Without hesitating, she dipped her thumb on the inside of her mouth where some blood remained and signed her name before any of her senseis or Jiraiya-san could stop her.

"Hinata," Shibi-sensei said, not knowing what to do.

"Now I'm on the waiting list!" Hinata declared, leaning against Tsume-sensei for support and looking Tora in the eye. "Now tell me who to kill!"

The Tiger blinked. Her senseis blinked.

Jiraiya-san laughed.

"She's got guts, that's for sure!" the Sannin hollered, almost dropping his kunai.

Tora snarled. "No one gets to kill him, but me!"

Jiraiya-san stopped laughing and they all peered at the beast questionably.

"Calm, Tora," Kame said with a frown. "Who is your summoner? Why must you kill him?"

Tora clenched his jaw, snapping every so often. He was agitated just by the memory.

"He is an idiot," the Tiger announced. "He thought he could control me, could be my summoner, but his blood is repulsive to the taste. His blood rejects me." Hinata frowned at Tora's story, growing wary at his expression. "He tried to use me to get the Bijuus."

Hinata felt Tsume-sensei stiffen, saw Anko-sensei wince. She noticed how Kuromaru growled and how Shikaku-sensei straightened, alarmed. Jiraiya-san tensed and even Shibi-sensei seemed pale, the kikaichu buzzing loud and troubled.

"What?" Jiraiya-san asked, his grip over his kunai painfully white.

"But he could not," the Tiger grumbled softly, bending low to the ground, eyes darkening at the memories. "I would not listen. He is not a worthy summoner. His whole being is hate and he has no right to use me as he wished."

Hinata's stomach churned at the thought. His summoner sounded like her father...

"He was like an untrained circus master, thinking his eyes could control everyone and everything," Tora said. "But once he realized he could not control me..."

Hinata held her breath, feeling sick. The imagery of a man holding a whip and using it against Tora...

Her heart broke at the thought.

"He sealed me up in a glacier!" Tora roared, outraged.

Hinata gasped, a tear rolling down her face.

Poor creature. Hated summoner.

She looked to Kame and could not even think of burying him into ice, could not bear to see him anywhere except by her side.

She reached out to the Tortoise and he seemed to understand, moving his leg to touch her arm. Her shaking hand steadied by his presence and she sighed, glad to see, to feel, that he was safe.

Hinata turned to Tora and saw that he was watching her, watching her and Kame, and scenting her tears in the cold, tasting her compassion in the air. He grumbled and narrowed his eyes, not understanding, could not understand.

"Then we must kill him," Hinata concluded adamantly. "We will free you."

Tsume-sensei shifted her feet. It was a promise she did not think her young student could keep.

"Ha!" Tora scoffed, thinking the same. "Little summoner, you do not even know how powerful he is."

"Certainly not as powerful as you," Hinata said and felt Kame rumble in agreement. "Then he cannot hope to fight Hou-ou, Ryujin and Kame!"

Tora's eyes widened, shifting to Kame. A moment later, he recalled seeing the firebird and remembered Kame mentioning the water serpent. He zeroed in on the little girl, not impressed by her size, but certainly taken aback by her declarations of power.

"Ryujin?" he rumbled.

"Yes!" Hinata said with a definite nod.

Tora didn't know what to say to that.

"Honourable Tiger," Shikaku-sensei said, stepping forward at last. "We understand that your summoner has abused you, but you must understand that my young student is the summoner-nin. Is there a way to transfer your contract from your summoner to my student?"

"No," Tora said, not mincing words. "My summoner must be dead before I am the girl's. Even then I cannot say her blood will be to my taste."

"Do you plan on hunting him down then, Tora?" Kame asked.

"Of course," the Tiger bit, and then his mouth curling into a devious smile. "Yes... I will feed off of his own chakra to kill him with! He will be killing himself! Ha!"

Her senseis eyed the beast apprehensively as Jiraiya-san placed his hand to his chin in thought.

"He sealed you once," the Sannin reminded. "He can seal you again."

The cavern stilled and Hinata wanted to throw up at the thought. She would hate to see the exotic summon be mistreated again. She did not sign scrolls for power; she signed scrolls for friendship.

She fell against Kame's leg and slid down to the ground, wincing.

"Hinata-chan!" Tsume-sensei gasped, feeling her forehead.

"Hinata," Shibi-sensei said quietly. "You must unsummon Kame. You are low in chakra."

Hinata blinked blearily.

"You cannot go after him," Kame said to Tora. "You will be trapped again."

The Tiger scowled at the insult.

"Come, Tora, with m-me," Hinata wheezed. It was the end. She was out of chakra. She could feel Kame fade. "You do not h-have to unsummon yourself. J-Just st-stay by my side. B-Be my friend... I will never mistreat you..."

She closed her eyes, her breath thinning, and leaned into Tsume-sensei's. She was vaguely aware of her environment, she could vaguely feel her hot tears, but she wanted to sleep so badly, wanted to forget...

"You did not unsummon," she heard Tora muse.

"She is the summoner-nin," Kame explained. "When she is out of chakra, I can use my own."

Hinata squeezed her eyes, trying to stay awake.

"Please, honourable Tiger," she heard Shikaku-sensei implore. "Who is your summoner?"

At this question, Hinata strained and strained to hear the answer, fighting back sleep. Whatever name Tora would give was the name Hinata needed to know, needed to punish for what he had done to the Legendary Summon.

"Nagato."

And so she remembered, filed it away under lock and key, and then slept off her exhaustion, hoping beyond hope that when she next woke, Tora would be beside her.

the point