"Okay Neji. What's the plan?" I asked seriously. We had been sent on a mission to retrieve a scroll. Its contents were not revealed to us, just the security surrounding it.
Lee nodded enthusiastically. "Yes Neji. What is the youthful plan today?" I shook my head at my teammate's determined disposition.
"Lee, it's only a C-rank mission," I reminded him.
Neji looked at me, making my heart speed up. "We must treat this like any other mission."
"I realize this, but--." Neji raised his hand, silencing me.
Neji activated his Byakugan, and I knew something was wrong when he of all people had a slightly astonished look on his face. "We're surrounded."
"What is the plan?" I asked urgently. He glanced at me and fell into a defensive stance.
"Don't get killed." Hearing his reassuring words Lee and I both quickly fell into a fighting stance. I reached for my kunai and drew one in each hand.
The three of us then heard a slightly amused laugh. "We wondered how long it would take you to sense us. We would have thought that with the genius Hyuuga you would have found us a lot earlier." I glanced over at Neji to see how he reacted, but of course, he didn't.
"Come out and fight us!" Lee shouted. I looked over at him and glared at him, and when Lee realized that I was, the enemy shinobi took their opportunity. Kunai, shuriken, and senbon came raining down upon us.
Using my own kunai I managed to avoid all the larger weapons. However, the senbon, more elusive to the eye, managed to hit me.
The same ninja laughed again. "If you insist, we will come down. Kaji, you take the green one. Hisakata take the kunoichi. I'll take the Hyuuga." The three ninja jumped down from the trees, with the one kunoichi in standing in front of me with her hands on her hips. The look on her face reminded me of Temari's.
"Well, Yabun, are you sure you can take him?" the kunoichi said. "He is supposed to be a genius, after all."
The one who was going to fight Neji smirked. "Yes, of course. A team leader should battle the other. Worry about your own fight, Hisakata."
"Are you going to fight, or just act tough?" I snapped, much to my surprise. The ones called Yabun and Hisakata both looked at me.
"So that would leave you to be Kaji," I heard Lee say. Then, out of the corner of my eye I saw Neji activate his Byakugan and in the same motion reach forward to begin his 64 strikes. And it began.
The kunoichi threw a kunai, obviously just testing my defense. Not wanting to give too much away I merely stepped to the side. My opponent smirked, which seemed to be common in their group. However, I knew from experience that when someone did that during a battle nothing good would follow.
"You stepped right into my trap." I gasped.
"How could you set up a trap so early in the battle?" The girl did a series of about 10 signs in quick succession, done so quickly that I could not follow them.
Glancing at my surroundings I saw that the kunai on the ground were glowing, and I took an almost wild guess that if I moved the trap would activate.
"Tenten!" Neji shouted at me. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye, knowing he could see that slight motion with his Byakugan. "You are surrounded by traps. You have to stay there." I sighed. He had confirmed my suspicions.
"Hn. I'm amazed that Konoha ninja would be able to see my trap. Unfortunately for me, well, more for you, he's right. Take one step and your life is gone."
I threw a kunai at her, and she quickly shut up and defended herself. "The trap is only powered by your chakra, but isn't your chakra. So you should also have to stay still, considering you are also surrounded by the weapons." Surprised, she looked around, and her face turned quickly from victorious to worried. This time I was able to smirk at her.
"Hisakata, you have got to watch your surroundings!" Yabun yelled from his battle with Neji.
"What do I do?" she yelled helplessly, earning herself a shake of the head from me.
"Drop the trap. That's the only way."
I watched as Hisakata gaped at the leader on her team. "If I do she'll get me!"
"Fine. Kaji!" The other two battles stopped. Everyone turned their head to Yabun, including me, even with the threat of an attack. "Hisakata screwed herself again. We need to go." We all watched as Kaji and Yabun jumped up into the trees. I then looked at Hisakata. She was performing more signs and was smirking at me.
"Good luck!" She smiled sweetly at me, and the kunai stopped glowing. As soon as they did though, a barely noticeable mist surrounded me. It was like any other normal mist so I didn't worry.
"Tenten! Get out of there!" Neji had turned his Byakugan to me to see what the mist contained. Judging by his reaction I knew nothing good was going to happen. There were very few times that I had ever seen him like that, and they had all been real emergencies.
I tried to jump out of it, but when I began to move dizziness overcame me. I fell to my knees, and saw the mist dissipate. Neji came running towards me, with Lee right behind him. Before they even got to me though, the world went black.