[Log] This Woman's Work

[cranesandroses]

Characters: Hinata and Konan
Date: Aug 1
Location: Ino's flower shop
Warnings/Notes: The influx of extra characters Some threatening, mild violence, some language but everything's fine :D
Summary: Luck runs out for Hinata as Konan enters Ino's flower shop.

To Konan, the brilliant hues of reds and oranges stretching across the afternoon sky was poetic and oddly befitting in her current predicament. By the time the flames of the sun had burned out and it had gone past the horizon, one candle of life would be put out once again. Her steps were calm and controlled on the pavement and there was no remorse in her eyes as she walked down the streets of Celo. It had been ordained by God that the man was to die. If it had been determined that he was not fit for living, then she was going to carry out the wishes of the divine without hesitation.

A dry leaf crunched under her boot and she stopped in the middle of the road, her tense alert and her eyes scanning the streets for any sign that the target had somehow learned of his demise. From the distance, a street lamp flickered on and a dark shadow was cast across the road. Her eyes narrowed slightly and she bent her head to tuck a wayward lock of hair behind her ear, the paper flower on her hair falling down in the process. As she crouched to pick it up, a silhouette moved hastily behind a tree and her thoughts were assuaged.

The target knew.

But her gait was unfazed as she made her way towards the nearest establishment.

Hinata sighed. She hated running the shop on her own. Having Ino--and even Sasuke--here with her made her feel a whole lot safer, and not nearly as lonely. But, she supposed, she felt safe in the flower shop no matter what, even if she was alone.

It was just so soothing.

The flowers...Hinata was almost jealous of them. Their petals were soft, frail, gentle. Like her. But, the difference between Hinata and the flowers was that, while flowers were fragile things, their stems were harder, tougher. When you tried to pick them, the stems would fight back, even if only a little. Flowers, unlike Hinata, could stand up for themselves. For that, she envied them.

She smiled slightly, almost making fun of herself. She was, however, drawn away from her thoughts when she heard the ding of the employee warning bell. She looked over, expecting to see another man (the same ones kept coming in almost every day, it was weird) but was surprised to see a woman.

A really pretty woman.

The pungent aroma of a hundred different floral scents immediately assaulted her senses as she pulled open the door. If only for a split second, her foot hesitated from crossing the threshold but something compelled her to move in (perhaps the docile resolve in her that was her reason to accomplish every endeavor done for her God or simply the eyes that burned holes in her nape) and the door closed with a soft click behind her.

Amidst the bright, multi-colored rows of flowers that lined every inch of the store, Konan looked out of place in her black cloak and dispassionate countenance. She let her eyes sweep over the place once, lingering on the woman behind the counter, before a group of flowers clustered against one of the farther walls seemingly caught her attention and her boots barely made a sound against the floor as she moved towards them.

The employee would be easily taken care of if things got out of hand. The men outside, however, were a completely different matter. There was no telling how many of them were ordered to be on the lookout. If the mission was not accomplished soon, it would have to be postponed until a later date.

Her hand reached out to pull a flower from its container.

And Konan didn’t like leaving things undone.

Hinata's eyes followed the woman's form as she neared a group of flowers in the corner. The first thing that caught her eye was the paper flower in the woman's hair. 'Did she make it herself? It's pretty...'

Hinata remembered that, when she was alone, she'd have to be more social with the customers. She had no one to talk to them for her when she was the only one working. If she wanted to succeed at this job, she'd have to become more social than she currently was.

She worked up the courage to venture beyond the counter and over to the woman. She carefully formed her sentence, being sure not to mention anything offensive. "U-um...h-hello, ma'am. C-can I help you with anything...?"

Konan let herself look at the employee as her fingers ran over the length of the stem absentmindedly. Ordinary. Just another citizen of Celo that had the misfortune of meeting a woman from the dark streets of Cena. Not someone worthy to take not of in case Pein had orders that needed to be fulfilled in Celo once again.

Though…

Her head tilted ever so slightly to the side at the sight of the woman’s pale eyes. It struck Konan as odd, to see someone with eyes as unique and intriguing as hers and it fascinated her enough to decide to humor the employee. She was using their establishment as an in-between to her and those after her, so would it not only be fair to give something in exchange? The corners of her mouth lifted slightly at the thought.

“To what amount do you sell a bouquet of these flowers?” She held up the one in her hand in front of her as an indication.

Besides, the house needed more color and she simply couldn’t trust it in Kakuzu or - God forbid - Hidan, to decorate any living space that housed women. It was her money she was using after all, not Kakuzu’s so he must certainly have no qualms about it.

Hinata smiled slightly, looked at the flower she held in her hand, and then replied, "T-twelve of those f-flowers come to the total o-of f-forty dollars.

She noticed the lady examining her eyes, and a blush rose to her cheeks. She often found people staring at her eyes. Not to be respectful, as if they were keeping eye contact to show they were listening--no. They stared at her eyes because they found them obscure, weird. More often than not, creepy.

She hated it, but she supposed she couldn't blame them for it. She knew that if she wasn't so used to seeing those eyes--and she didn't have them herself--she'd stare, too.

Something flashed in the corner of her eye, followed by a gunshot that sounded too close for comfort.

Konan ducked beneath a shelf of flowers and from above her, she could see a pot shatter as the bullet lodged in the clay. Careless, she berated herself, utterly hasty. Sloppy. Full of miscalculations. There was a yell followed by hasty footfalls and the sound of a door being yanked open. From the cracks in the shelf, she could see a man in black moving in with a gun tucked neatly on the holster attached to his belt. He was walking at a leisurely pace, stopping once in a while to lean towards some flowers and scrutinize the plants under a smug gaze.

She was virtually defenseless. Especially if the man had other reinforcements waiting outside the establishment. Hidden in the depths of her cloak was a blade, waiting to be held and aching to run across the delicate skin of the target’s neck. But it was no use against someone with a gun.

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she placed the flower lightly on top of the tiles and moved to stand up.

...

'W-what?' Hinata stuttered, even in her own mind, when she thought about what was happening.

Shattered glass, a gunshot, armed men...what was going on?!

She hastily looked at the man entering the store, then at the woman--that she noticed was already blocked by a shelf of flowers--that had entered first. It had to be her. They had to be after her...but why?

And why, in God's name, was she in the middle of this mess?

The employee.

She sent the woman a sideways glance as she stood up, maneuvering her position so she could see her from the corner of her eye while keeping a direct gaze on the male in black. They were at an extreme disadvantage. The man was blocking the main door and there surely were others stationed on all exits that lead out of the establishment. The only way to get out was to negotiate.

"May I inquire as to what is currently happening?"

The man snorted and grabbed the gun from his holster, waving it around wildly. "I ain't telling you." He cocked it towards the pot beside her and fired.

Konan didn't flinch as a fine powder of dust settled on her black cloak but she did raise an eyebrow. If she could talk her way into this man's confidence and somehow learn who had tipped them off, maybe the miscalculation was worth it.

Hinata gulped, looking between the man and the woman nervously. "W-wha..." She couldn't even form a word, and yet she was hoping for a sentence?

"W-what i-i-is g-going on...?" Her voice was so soft it was barely audible, and her voice itself sounded like that of a mouse. It was hesitant and filled with stutters, and Hinata could feel herself shaking like she never had before.

'What am I going to do...?'

From behind the windows, the skies were dimming to a dark purple.

The mission was supposed to end by the setting of night and a small spark of annoyance lit within Konan as she made her way towards the male who still had his gun pointed ungracefully at her. If she could get her hands on a gun, the rest of the plan could follow through as if nothing had happened. The flower shop merely met a misfortune in its handling and that information would be passed on, she was going to make sure of it.

“I ain’t gonna let ya go, ya know,” The man taunted, leering wickedly at them. “Unless one or botch of’cha somehow convince me.”

The gun was in the man’s right hand. Between them was a rack filled with flowerpots which she would need to go around. The man was approximately ten yards away from her.

She sent a look to the employee. Stay out of this.

Hinata was scared out of her mind as she saw the woman nearing the man. 'W-what is she doing?'

But she saw the woman sent her a look...and she knew she should not interfere.

She backed up and found as much shelter as she could behind some flowers--in case it got out of hand. She had no intention of getting involved unless absolutely necessary.

A diplomatic approach would be the best way to go about the situation. A fight would attract more attention, which was the last thing that was needed. It was supposed to have been a stealth mission but apparently, the target had been tipped off and he had deployed guards who had in turn been alerted of her. Only two people knew of her mission: Pein and that man.

If it was simply a test to see how well she could such situations after a long disappearance, frankly, she wasn’t going to be amused.

The man leered at them. “So we have two women, both unarmed and helpless. Vulnerable. At my mercy.” He stepped up a stool and spread his arms, a mad grin lighting up his face. “Let’s see what those boys say. I ain’t gonna pass up this chance, ya see, now that I’m going to be the hero who saved the Boss-”

“Are you certain?”

That caught the man and he allowed a small frown to filter to his face. “What the hell d’ya mean?”

“How can you be certain that one of us was sent to kill this ‘Boss’ of yours?”

“What the hell are you yappin’ about? We were told to stay near this area and wait till sundown. We waited and there’s the two of ya.”

She looked at him with indifferent blue eyes and slipped her hands beneath her cloak to touch the cold metal of her blade. All she needed was an opening. “Your source may be unreliable.”

This time, the man looked flustered. Clearly, he was not adept to such simple manipulation and it was proving to be a disappointment if indeed, it had been that man who had tipped them off.

He held up his gun and pointed it at them, easing himself down the stool with a jerky jump that Konan supposed was meant to show superiority. His face was the picture of determination contorted with anxiety and his neck shimmered with sweat as he made his way towards the employee.

He pointed the gun at her threateningly. “If I search both of you, I’d see your weapons and I’d be assured that one of you was the hired killer. I’d just shoot you since the Boss never said nothing against bringin’ back carcass. And I’d still be the hero. Now, lady,” he grinned at her, “strip for me please."

...What?

Did he just ask her...to strip?

She looked up at him, eyes wide with fear, while managing to stutter out, "H-huh...?"

She was off balance--in a kneeling position--and so the shock caused her to fall back, with which she crawled back a couple of feet.

"I-I c-can't..."

Honor. She was taught that honor was the most important thing for a Hyuuga to possess. In no way was she to ever dishonor her family. When faced with a difficult choice, she must choose that of most honor.

When faced with the choice of honor or her life, she must always choose honor.

Maybe then her father would be proud.

She gulped, looking up at the man and hesitating for a moment before saying, "...I won't."

She won’t? She won’t? How dare that bitch disobey him when she was at his mercy, when all it took was a squeeze of a trigger to have her guts all blown up in the floor of this disgustingly colorful shop? If there was anything he hated the most, that was when his authority was questioned.

Once upon a time, he had been a simple citizen in the sector of Celo, making ends meet by working for a store owner who in the end swindled him and robbed him of everything he had worked hard for in the past five years. He had been controlled and manipulated to play in the hands of that greedy bastard who left him after he no longer had any use. He had been lucky to get recruited as one of the bodyguards of the Boss because if it weren’t for him, he would still be roaming the border of Cena and Celo, likely to get killed at any second.

And, by God, it was his turn to control and manipulate these women even if it cost him his life.

He cocked the gun an growled threateningly at her. "If ya don't do it, I will. So ya better make up your mind... if you wanna stay alive, that is."

She shook her head.

Hinata bowed to the commands of many people at various times, but this time she wouldn't. She refused to bring any more dishonor to her family. "I-I will not choose."

She gulped again, closing her eyes tightly. She had a feeling these would be her last words, and she wanted to say them with strength--without being afraid.

She opened her eyes and looked up at the man calmly. "I will not strip, either way. I would rather die with honor than live in shame."

He grabbed the lady by the front of her clothes and yanked her up, pointing the gun to her temple with a manic grin on his face. "Ya see here, lady, you may be pretty. But that won't make me let go of ya for disobeying my orders. I'm in control here, ya hear that? I am." He emphasized each word by digging the nozzle of the gun into the soft skin of her cheek.

This was the moment he had been waiting for ever since he was so rudely kicked out into the wet, rainy streets of Celo one cold night and he wasn't passing it up.

The woman by the corner was silent. He snarled and turned to her but kept his grip on the neck of the pale-eyed lady's clothes. "What about you, huh? You're not gonna do what I'm gonna tell you?"

Konan stood, unresponsive and apathetic.

Twenty seconds later, the sun had set and there was only the sound of a gun shot in the darkness of the night.

Hinata's eyes closed tightly. A gun shot...

Was she dead?

She opened her eyes...no, she was alive...this was still the flower shop. But then...what did he shoot?

She gasped, her gaze snapping in the direction of where she thought the woman had been standing. What if he shot her?! Hinata was positive that the reason the man was here at all was that woman, but the thought of someone dying...

She couldn't bear it.

The blood was warm against the coolness of her skin and she couldn't help but wince as the bullet tore through the flesh of her upper right arm and lodged itself in there. This was definitely not one of the things she had been looking forward to as she said 'yes' to the mission. However, it was wrong to say it hadn't been anticipated from the point wherein all her plans were ruined by the man who stood by the employee with his gun pointed at her in what he considered a threatening manner.

She clenched her jaw as her hand closed around the wounded appendage, trying to stifle the pain as it slowly spread throughout her arm and made everything in sight seem a shade lighter than ordinary. The injury would have to be treated soon, or her employers would, without a doubt, not be as forgiving regarding her failure to perform properly at work. Quite honestly, it was the last thing she needed at the moment.

But this matter had to end sooner.

...He did shoot the woman!

Hinata couldn't let the woman die...she just couldn't.

So, she did something unimaginable to those who know her.

She reached over, grabbing the extended arm of the man, trying to get the gun away from him while being sure it wasn't pointing at either her or the customer.

She knew it was stupid--and that he was probably smarter, but she had to try at least...

Right?

For the love of...!

Was this woman suicidal? He yanked back, initiating a game of tug-of-war in which the loser had a ninety percent probability of dying. Several pots blew up as they engaged in their piteous struggle of "who shall die?" and a light bulb exploded somewhere near the counter.

Outlined against the soft light that emanated through the shop's side windows were two men peering through the glass curiously.

She had her hands on the gun, she pried his fingers off--yes! She got it away from him!

Quickly she twisted away, backing up a couple of steps as fast as she could--she had to get away.

Until she tripped. She gasped, shutting her eyes tightly, and she subconsciously squeezed the gun in her hand and...

She heard it fire.

There was a gurgling sound, then a sigh as the body fell down in a lifeless heap beneath her.

The employee had shot the man's leg and when he collapsed as his knees gave way to the pain, Konan had taken the opportunity to withdraw the blade from within the confines of her cloak. Within seconds, perhaps forty or even less, she had walked up to the man, held him by the pink tie that poked ridiculously out of his tuxedo and ran the sharp edge of her blade across the skin of his neck.

The knife had made a satisfying sound as it drained the life quickly out of the man and blood gushed out from the new wound as it pooled in a deep red puddle that was a stark contrast against the whiteness of the shop's tiles. Konan held the body up by its arm, carefully positioning it so that it lay on top of the employee lasciviously and wincing as pain shot up her limb once again.

"I am positioned in such a way that our spectators are unable to see what is happening. However, their suspicions will arise if they see us sustaining this posture for quite some time." She let her gaze sweep briefly over the gun in her hand. "Hand me the weapon and I shall explain the finer aspects of surviving this ordeal to you."

She was too shocked to say anything, much less argue. She...she had shot somebody. That is something you can be sent to Cena for...

She'd be bringing dishonor on her family...again.

Leaning over, she carefully held the weapon out to the woman, making sure it was pointing off to the side--at neither of them.

The gun was familiar in her hand and she relished how it felt at home on her palm, as if her fingers were made especially to grip the weapon. Her fingers flexed, her arm throbbed in pain, and the corpse remained dead.

When she started talking, her voice was low, but it had a hint of some unreadable emotion in it. "I will withdraw from this place and move out. You are to remain here," she ran her palm over the surface of the gun to erase any fingerprints that might indicate someone else handling it aside from those who she intended it to, "and stay silent. Two men are outside and the chances of dying at their hands are great if they learn of this man's death. After I have gone outside, you shall hear two gun shots. It will signify the preservation of your life."

She rolled her shoulder once. "You are to call the proper officials once your hear the gunshots and claim there have been men who fought inside your establishment."

The gun clicked.

"I am but a faceless stranger you had the misfortune of meeting."

There was a whisper of the wind.

And then, there was silence.