I'm here with another Naruto fanfic. And yes, the pairings in it will be straight. Okay, This story ISN'T going to be overall Humor like my previous trilogy (currently unfinished) was. Primarily, I'm writing this to cover a fight that I've thought should've happened ever since waaay back in the Chuunin Selection Exams. However, The time-period that it's based in is after the over two years that Sasuke's been gone. In fact, I'm loosely tying it in with the current story-arc. Read on...
(-Summary, Disclaimer, etc.-)
SUMMARY: Unbeknownst to the current Team 7 and even the Konoha elders, a shinobi is dispatched in addition to the mission to meet with Sasori's contact within Orochimaru's ranks. And, A battle that has been building for some time will finally be decided. But, Who will win?
DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Naruto or the characters contained therein. They are property of their creator, Kishimoto Masashi. I am merely borrowing them for non-profit fanfiction.
Pairings: Neji/Tenten and Sasuke/Sakura
RATING: T
GENRE: Varies
LENGTH?
WARNINGS: Since this will be more closely like an actual chapter of the Naruto manga, there will be blood and violence.
(-CLASH! PRODIGIES OF THE HYUUGA & UCHIHA: NEJI VS SASUKE-)
Naruto and Sakura are introduced to the temporary stand-ins for Kakashi and Sasuke, Yamato and Sai, and are preparing to leave on their assigned mission to meet with Sasori's contact, with hopes of locating Orochimaru's base and Sasuke.
Meanwhile, In another part of Konoha...
"Why does it have to be you, Neji?" asks Tenten, sitting a given distance behind said young jounin.
Neji continues preparing his ningu(ninja implements: shuriken, etc.) and replies back to her, "Because Tsunade-sama chose me for the mission."
"But, Why you?" Tenten re-interates, looking directly at Neji's back, "Since you'll probably have to fight, wouldn't Naruto be the most obvious choice since they're friends?"
"It's because the opponent -is- Uchiha Sasuke that Tsunade-sama chose me." Neji calmly explains with his back still toward Tenten, "The Hyuuga and Uchiha are connected and, therefore, I have the best chance of defeating him should it come to that."
"But--"
"Furthermore," Neji interrupts before the girl poses another question, "There is the possibility of a trap in Team 7's mission and should they be drawn into a fight, Naruto must be with them."
A stretch of complete silence follows as Neji finishes preparing to leave. Tenten lowers her gaze from the young jounin's back to the floor, sighing once. It's not hard to tell that the girl is worried about Neji, despite how strong she knows he is.
"What if..." Tenten starts, her gaze still directed to the floor, "What if you don't come back?" she queries.
"Are you trying to jinx me?" asks Neji, causing the girl to raise her gaze toward him again to see him looking back over his shoulder at her, smiling.
"N-no." Tenten responds, dropping her gaze again, "I just..."
Neji turns and walks over to the girl, placing his partially curled right index finger under her chin, "Look, Tenten." he says, raising her head toward him, her eyes following suit, "I'll be back, I promise." "Believe in me, alright?" he finishes with another smile.
Tenten just looks stunned but manages a small nod and, with that, Neji leaves the room.
Back to the temporary Team 7...
After just hearing Sai make some negative comments about Sasuke, Sakura stops Naruto from tearing into him. Once she has Naruto calmed some, Sakura turns to Sai and smiles before nailing him with a hard right punch.
"If you talk bad about Sasuke-kun, I won't hold back next time!" Sakura states angrily, "You don't have the right to talk about him!"
After some mediating by Yamato, the 'new' Team 7 sets off on their mission to meet and capture, or eliminate, the Akatsuki spy. Meanwhile, Neji sets off as well on his mission, following a distance far enough to not be discovered by Yamato and the others -which is pretty far, given the capacities of Neji's Byakkugan-.
/Time-Skip/
Just after the end of the battle between the four-tailed Kyuubi-Naruto and Orochimaru, Sai approaches Orochimaru revealing himself to be a messenger -of sorts- of Danzou. And, A short while later, Sai leaves with Orochimaru and Kabuto, tailed by Yamato's moku-bunshin.
A safe distance away, Neji continues observing the events, "So, Tsunade-sama was right. This -Sai- is a traitor, or so it seems." he says to himself, "Regardless, This is my chance to locate Orochimaru's hideout." with those words, he sets out to follow them as well.
However, Unlike Yamato's moku-bunshin who's somewhat fooled when he finds what appears to be Sai's hanged body, Neji was able to see Kabuto create the false dead body and ignores it.
Later, When Orochimaru, Kabuto, and Sai arrive at the Sound Nins' hideout, they enter and Sasuke's shadowed silhouette is revealed sitting across from the entrance. Sasuke berates Orochimaru for being late but Orochimaru tells him he brought him a little present, indicating Sai and introducing him as a member of Ne. Sasuke raises his head slightly, opening his Sharingan-imbued eyes toward Sai.
"Uchiha Sasuke..."
Outside the fortress, two people -one of them oblivious to the other- are observing the events, Yamato's moku-bunshin and Neji. Of the two, Neji is far more capable of watching the events inside, due to his Byakkugan.
Inside, Sasuke stands and walks past Orochimaru and Kabuto but stops beside Sai's left side, "I'm not going back." he whispers almost inaudibly.
Sai's eyes widen as he spits out a mouthful of blood, shocking Kabuto quite a bit. Sasuke jerks his left hand back out of Sai's chest and lets his lookalike's body fall heavily to the floor, "Kabuto." the Uchiha says, "There's still time to save him, if you want him for your experiments." then, he continues toward the doorway.
"And, Where do you think you're going?" questions Kabuto, sternly.
"The two of you were foolish enough to be followed all the way here." Sasuke replies with frightening calmness, "I'm going to greet our guests."
Once Sasuke is outside, he tosses a kunai straight into Yamato's disguised moku-bunshin, causing it to turn back into a piece of wood. The Uchiha's eyes dart to one side, toward the forest, and he turns to walk into the woods.
"Show yourself!" demands Sasuke, though his voice remains calm.
"It appears Orochimaru doesn't want you going anywhere, by yourself." a male voice says, as Neji -to whom the voice belongs- emerges from the denser part of the forest. As he comes into view, he releases the collars of two dead Sound Nins, one from either hand.
Sasuke turns toward the Hyuuga, "You..." he says, recognizing the shinobi as the one who was known as the best genin in Konoha during the Chuunin Exam over two years ago.
Neji, with his Byakkugan already active, looks up at Sasuke, "Uchiha Sasuke..." he says, his Byakkugan meeting the Sharingan, "My mission is to return you to Konoha."
"..." Sasuke is silent for a few moments before responding, "Is that right?" he questions, before stating, "I won't goback to Konoha. Not until I kill that man." he finishes as he grips his right hand into a fist.
Neji's pearl eyes close, "Uchiha Itachi... of the Akatsuki." he says, somewhat shocking Sasuke as he re-opens his eyes toward the Uchiha. "Well, If that's so then," he continues, reaching over his left shoulder with his right hand to grip his haori top before jerking it off and discarding it, "Defeating me should pose no problem, right?" as he finishes, he takes his Jyuuken stance with his left open palm facing toward Sasuke and his right facing toward the ground at his own side.
Sasuke nods and takes a ready stance before running toward the young jounin.
When Sasuke nears him, Neji attempts a forward palm strike with his right hand, however, all he hits is air as Sasuke connects with an upward lift kick -the opening move of the Shishi Rendan- against Neji's chin, knocking him up into the air. Sasuke appears behind Neji in the air but, as he attempts the next hit of the combo, Neji flips back above the Uchiha and performs a 180-degree twist. The Konoha jounin grabs Sasuke's shoulders before coming down behind him still in the air, jerking the Uchiha over his head and throwing him toward the ground.
However, Sasuke uses Kawarimi no Jutsu to switch places with a small nearby log and it crashes into the ground in his place as he's shown a few feet away, standing and apparently ready to continue. He sees as Neji lands several feet infront of him, the pearl-eyed jounin re-taking his Jyuuken stance and questions, "How?"
"That move, the Shishi Rendan, is based on a move of Lee's." Neji responds calmly, "A move I'm very familiar with."
"..." Sasuke is silent in initial response, "Let's see you counter this." he says, then vanishes in a swirl of leaves with the Kage Buyo.
"..." Neji is silent as he lowers his arms to his sides. He reaches into the shuriken pouch around his right leg and pulls out two small kunai, bringing them infront of himself and transferring one into his left hand.
Neji quickly spins to his left and tosses the two kunai, the left one first followed by the right one. The first kunai hits and knocks down another kunai with itself and the second flies toward Sasuke's hiding place, causing him to drop to the ground out of the kunai's path, briefly wondering how Neji knew where he was and about the kunai he had thrown, then he remembers something Kakashi told him while preparing him for the Chuunin Exam Finals.
)-FLASHBACK-(
"Be careful if you have to fight Gai's student, Hyuuga Neji, in the Finals." Kakashi says.
"Why?"
"His Byakkugan gives him far greater sight than anyone, he can see at far distances and completely around himself, he can also see the chakra points." Kakashi explains, "Also be careful about getting close to him. The Hyuuga clan's taijutsu skills are the best in Konoha."
)-END FLASHBACK-(
"So, That's it." Sasuke says, "Okay, Try this!" he makes several seals with his hands, "Katon: Goukakyu no Jutsu!" he inhales a large breath sharply then exhales a stream of flame, directed toward Neji.
"Hakkeshou Kai'Ten!" Neji states as he performs the move, creating a chakra shield around himself as he spins to block Sasuke's fiery attack.
"Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu!" Sasuke states as he performs the Goukakyu again, or so it appears.
'I see.' Neji thinks to himself, 'Shuriken hidden inside the flames.' he then takes the Hakkeshou phoenix stance, "Hakke Rokujuyon Shou!" he states and, using the index and middle fingers of both hands, begins to strike at the oncoming shuriken, putting out the flames with the speed of his strikes and knocking down many of the hidden shuriken. However, a couple do manage to graze his arms, causing superficial wounds.
'He was able to see the shuriken inside the flames?' Sasuke wonders to himself, 'So, It looks like a frontal physical assault is the best option.' He performs the hand-seals for the Chidori, then holds down his left arm and grips his left wrist in his right hand as he begins charging chakra around his left hand.
"I see... the Chidori." Neji says as he prepares himself for the attack.
Once finished with the preparation, Sasuke holds his left hand up infront of himself, "Now, Try to stop this!" he states, running toward Neji with incredible speed.
Despite Sasuke's speed, "Hakkeshou Kai'Ten!" Neji states as he spins to activate the move again to combat the Chidori.
Sasuke's Chidori collides with the chakra-field around Neji and, surprisingly, pierces the Kai'Ten... as well as Neji's chest. However, as Neji's hitai-ate falls toward the ground, Sasuke notices that the wound isn't fatal, nor as severe as was expected. He also notices Neji's hands are placed with two fingers of each against his left arm. "What did you do?" questions the Uchiha, his eyes widening just slightly upon catching glimpse of the curse seal on Neji's forehead that represents the 'Bird in the Cage'.
"Kakashi explained the Chidori to me before I left." Neji reveals, coughing twice, "Its strengths and weaknesses." "The strength of the move is directly linked to the amount of chakra gathered in the arm, so by reducing the amount of chakra present, the damage is also lessened."
Sasuke jerks his left arm back, taking a backstep away, 'Even with the second stage Sharingan, I wasn't able to accurately predict his move. That defensive move of his was a diversion that even fooled the Sharingan...?' he suddenly finds himself unable to move further away and questions, "What's going on?"
"You're trapped in my Hakke field." Neji says as he rightens his posture before taking the Hakkeshou phoenix stance, "Now, Hakke Hyaku Nijuha Shou!" he proceeds to strike repeatedly, closing Sasuke's chakra openings.
After the one-hundred twenty-eighth strike, Neji raises his open right palm and places it close to Sasuke's abdomen, "Hakke Kushou!" he states, his palm striking Sasuke's abdomen and sending the Uchiha flying back into a tree where he crumples to a sitting position. Neji collapses onto his knees at almost the same time, breathing heavily and coughing up blood.
"A desperation move...?" Sasuke says, somewhat questioningly.
"Yes." Neji responds, grunting slightly from the pain of his chest-wound, "The Hakke Kushou... a move I modified to expulse the entirety of my remaining chakra through the openings in my palm directly into my opponent."
"What's the point in defeating your opponent if you kill yourself in the process?" queries Sasuke.
Neji smiles, "I'm surprised to hear that question from you." he responds, remembering something that he said about Lee during the Chuunin Exam.
)-FLASHBACK-(
Just after Lee's loss to Gaara, Neji says to himself, 'Lee, You never realized it... even at the end. The Heavens would never allow the victory of one who can only seek it through the sacrifice of themself."
)-END FLASHBACK-(
"But," Neji continues, coughing twice as blood trickles down from the side of his mouth, "I won't die."
"How do you know that?"
"Because, I have someone I promised to return to." Neji replies, coughing again, "Uchiha Sasuke... there is someone waiting for your return, as well..." he passes out, falling face-first against the ground, unconscious.
After a moment of silence, "S-Sakura..." Sasuke says before he, too, falls unconscious.
"There they are..." a monotone male voice says from within the shadows of the forest.
(-The End-)
Ramblings: Well, How do you like my cliffhanger of an ending, eh? And, yes, it is indeed the end of the fic -See up there where it says, The End?-. Well, I'll be back again later with more stories, including a sequel to this one. Ja.