Escape (( a naruto oc story ))

Chapter 30

((Added picture is of Hazu))

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"First, little Hyuga, do tell me, which of your friends do I kill?"

Hazu blinked at the Elder in shock, the words echoing in his head. His Byakugan fizzled out as his chakra died, and Hazu hung his head defeated.

"This one?" The Elder had pulled a knife out of a hidden pocket and held it to Yuzuki's neck. She winced and tried to pull away from his grip as a bead of her blood slithered past the tip. "Or that one?" Saki cupped Riku's chin in one hand as the other held another kunai to his throat dangerously. She whispered something in his ear and Riki quickly shut his mouth. She had threatened him to silence, ensuring that Hazu would not know that the Elder had promised him alive. Some things, she had whispered, are worse than death.

"Tick Tock little Hyuga." The kunai dig deeper into Yuzuki's neck and she made a squeaking sound. At her feet, Kayla was twitching violently on the floor trying to get her broken body to obey her. "Tick tock."

Hazu slowly met Yuzuki's eyes, and she saw his decision. Her red eyes held fear, yes, but no anger at him. She had brought them into this danger in the first place, she would gladly take the fall. Hazu took a shaky breath as his vision grew cloudy with tears which he refused to show. They would have made a good three man team, he realized with a jolt. He opened his mouth to answer, when the wall behind him exploded into flaming rock and dust.

The Elder shouted something incoherent and leapt backward away from Yuzuki as steel rained toward him. Yuzuki sunk to the ground beside Kayla breathlessly as the calvary shoved through the wall; it was Ryo and the anbu ninja. Yuzuki smirked even as she shook when she noticed the anbu were splattered with blood.

Blood that was very clearly not their own.

Saki snarled and grabbed Riku's arm trying to drag him away but Riku threw all of his remaining chakra into his feet sticking them to the ground. She pulled a needle out from her pouch and stuck him with it.

Riku's eyes widened with fear as he began to sway on his feet, no longer in control of his body. Saki went to grab him again but one of the Sakura Anbu managed to get there first. He tore Riku from her grasp and drew a small sword, fire chakra setting it ablaze.

Saki stumbled back beside the Elder, and they gauged the Anbu but it was Ryo the Elder's gaze landed on. He smiled slowly raising his hands.

"Kage of the Sakura. By whom do I owe the pleasure?" He snickered and tilted his head looking down at the group, the fact that he was outnumbered not phasing him in the slightest . "I do hope you're not here planning to collect your men? Or at least not in one piece?" Even as the words left his mouth the Elder's eyes dilated and his smile turned venomous.

Ryo's chakra spiked and the ground beneath him cracked under the pressure. Yuzuki stared at Ryo, seeing him for the first time as the powerful Kage he really was.

The elder saw it too, and he sighed lightly looking more saddened than fearful. He turned his gaze toward Yuzuki and smiled before reaching into his robe. Ryo shouted to his Anbu, but it was too late. Saki blew a kiss at Hazu as the detonator went off, smoke bombs exploding violently all around them.

The Anbu shouted trying to find the pair in the haze, but Yuzuki sighed already knowing in her bones that they would be  gone. As the smoke cleared, sure enough, the Elder and Saki were missing without a trace. Physically Yuzuki relaxed and glanced over as both Hazu and Riku fell to their knees.

Ryo checked into Hazu first. The Hyuga looked up at him with so many emotions flashing through his eyes, before he just seemed to fade. Hazu stood up slowly and brushed the front of his dress off wincing a little. Ryo went to speak and Hazu looked up at him abruptly.