~Okoku Kuronikuru~

Chapter 3: Wavering

When she came to, she felt blood dripping down the side of her face. Reaching up, she found no wound, for then she realized it was not her own blood.

The Prince had already flipped to his feet, stabled in a fighting stance, his face cold; vibrating with intense, extraterrestrial strength. On the side of his elaborate uniform, a gash, several inches long exposed the bleeding wound carved into his pale skin. The scarlet blood had already seeped to his elbow, gathering into a fold. Neji didn't seem to notice though. From the inner side of his tall leather boots, he pulled out a kunai.

What the hell is going on here? What is he after?!

It was over in a matter of seconds. The next thing she saw was Neji standing over the unconscious body of the masked, lean-built, shadow. Tenten stood up, her legs knocking together frenziedly as if possessed. She felt her teeth chatter loudly, ringing in her ear. In the bucolic of the lake, the once delight of the silence became ghostly. The Prince took the knife in his hand and cut a part of the enemy's suit off. She watched as he took the fabric into his hands, and saw that he immediately threw it down. His face was dark, and his eyes pulsing with fury.

"Otogakure."

He murmured, his eyes never leaving the body. Tenten felt her blood freeze. The name resounding like the ocean in a conch, over and over again in her head.

Subconsciously taking steps back, she started to breath heavily. Neji turned around to look at her, his calloused scrutiny softening.

"What's wrong, Tenten?"

She shook her head, her steps speeding slightly. As Neji advanced swiftly and covered her forehead gently with his palm, wondering if she was ill. Tenten recoiled as if he had burned her.

Then it registered in his mind that her kingdom was massacred by Otogakure. He mentally cursed himself, wishing that he had fought somewhere else.

It just had to happened at the wrongest of places and the worst of times.

"Shoot! Tenten! Sorry!"

Her mouth was agape, and the shadows under her eyes seemed bruised with purple and black. He walked closer, slower. But Tenten spun around and bolted up the opulent grass hills, stumbling and tripping. Every time she would fall, she would get up, the pain written all over her face, but grazed over by immeasurable fear. When Neji finally caught her, she gave bloodcurdling screams, thrashing and withering in his arms, bound tightly over hers. Struggling, Neji finally pinned her to the verdure, straddled atop her. The Princess's screams quieted, receding into agonized sobbing.

Neji then sat beside her, releasing his grip atop her, hesitantly.

She buried her face into her arms, wrapping them over her legs, curled. He could see her shaking, her crying punctuated with hiccupped gasps. Feeling a dash of empathy convoluted through him, he slowly ran his palm, over and over down her back, wincing at her bony spinal cord, jutting out from her creamy skin.

He startled when he felt his hand slide off, and observed the Princess.

She was sitting now, her gaze blank. So softly, like the textured fluttering of a butterfly's wings, she whispered,

"Thank you."

Her face was gray, but her voice was heartfelt. The corner of her closed eyes dampened.

He then couldn't stop the movement of his arms, as they swathed cozily over her cold figure.

The peace was truly short-lived, as the attacker stirred and groaned in pain. Wobbling, he managed to scoot the chest portion of his body upwards. Despite his tightly masked face, both of them could see his face was twisted into a sociopathic grin. Tenten hid her body behind the Prince's. He felt her starting to quiver rhythmically again.

Neji stood up, unwearied. "You just don't give up do you, Oto?"

The ninja closed his eyes. For a moment the beauty of his calmness almost dissembled them to believe that he was innocent. The serenity that flowed in an unspeakable mirage, the amicable, almost texturized feelings of peace…

Why?

Then, when his ruby-red eyes snapped open and lunatic laughter bounced across the pasture, Neji immediately flew towards him, his palm out in offense. He would show no clemency this time.

"Don't underestimate me!"

The figure shrieked. His fingers flew into motion, raveling signs. Tenten saw a distinct tense in Neji's stature, anticipating the enemy's attack as he landed near him.

Then, an aura of red light began to glow and surround the foul. Plated on the ground, a large emblem resembling codes snaked forwards. Neji leapt back, his eyes widened, recognizing the condensed chakra pattern.

He's not going to…suicide!

"Tenten, get down!"

He yelled frantic concern. Tenten immutably fell to the ground, clutching and digging at the thick blades of grass and mud, paranoia tugging over her. She wished Neji was beside her now. The thumping of her heart resounded into the earth. The fear, that unquenchable fear numbed her body. But she knew if she would lose it again, it would hinder the Prince. Winds swirled violently, boating up her dress. Strands of her hair caught falling, red-tinted leaves and twigs, the particles of dirt stinging her eyes. The pressure of energy kept her pressed down and gasping for air.

When she finally dared, she looked up, her eyes hurting from the typhoon. A large explosion erupted from the enemy, his laugh still ringing in haunting. Debris of the nearby trees and shards of branches flew at her, she shut her eyes, her hands shooting in front of her body, bracing for the garish impact.

But it never came.

A sphere of crystal blue, shining in dazzling white arcs encased her. Revolving in the center, was Neji.

The outline of his body was blurred, for he was spinning so agile, revolving the heavenly cobalt. He spun for but a few seconds, yet it all seemed sempiternal to her. Dancing in place of defense, his movements seemed fluid-like. She could see, outside of the translucent shield, the debris evaporating as they came into contact with his defense. His graceful movements came to a halt all-too-soon. Shreds of vestigial blue hung in the air. There was a black, circular outline, burnt from the explosion where the figure had once stood. The grass near the detonation area had been turned into nothing; naked spots of dirt stained the greenery.

She felt a strange, euphoric peace transcending into her body. She heard the birds chirp again, even amidst the gory scene. Neji was standing over her, looking into the ivory sun, fists clenched, was it the light, or was he frowning, even in victory?

She heard shouting, turning around she saw soldiers bounding down the hill, spears glinting in the sunlight. Neji held a hand down sensitively, aiding her stand.

"Are you hurt?"

"No Neji."

She said her tone diaphanous and calm, contrasting starkly with her reaction before.

A composed smirk skimmed over his lips as he crossed his arms, looking at the sky. He wondered whether he was truly satisfied or not.

For once, she was happy where she was, as the soldiers surrounded them, their questions were muffled by her transparent brooding.

Inside the King's inured private chambers, Hiashi paced about, his steps curt and swift. Neji stood in the corner, his eyes reflecting little emotion.

"To think Oto would do this…"

Hiashi murmured, his brows furrowing into crinkled lines. The King stopped abruptly at the baroque windows, his gaze wandering about the fields that stretched on towards the mountains bordering Konoha. This was his land, and it was already, so soon at crisis.

"I'm sure that it was only a rebelling ninja who found out about it. Not every member of his troops supports his ideals."

Neji reasoned; his voice equally grave. Hiashi nodded, albeit unconvinced.

"We must start protecting our grounds. The Princess must learn Ninjutsu fast; we are almost out of time. He gave us the deadline of six months, Your Majesty."

Neji continued. From where he was, he could see a slight fall of his uncle's firm posture, as his shoulders sagged, ever-so-slightly…

He couldn't possibly be reconsidering the contract!

Neji thought apprehensively, gently, but just as forceful, he turned the King around. A small piece of is mind wailed for him to stop, but he brushed it aside, convincing himself that his forthright conscience was but treacherous and illusory to the country's security.

"We must follow through with this, Your Majesty! Or we will be of doom too! Do not let Suchiru hinder what must be done!"

Neji pressed on, his heart falling in disappointment when he saw the vulnerability of the King's face, with agony scrawled all over at Neji's strident outburst.

The air was laden with sullen distress, condensing the air.

Slowly, Hiashi faced the window again. A flock of birds flew past, their throaty cawing echoing through the town, dusk was setting in adumbrate hues.

The sun will rise a thousand times, and he could wait for a thousand days, but what must be done, will have been done.

"Tomorrow. Tomorrow, bring the Princess. Her lessons to becoming a Kunoichi will begin. And Neji, you are correct; we do not have much time anymore before this-no-my country will be plunged into havoc."

He replied quickly, attempting to regain the vanished traces of authority in his limp voice.

The King sharply waved his hand to dismiss the Prince.

Bowing, Neji retreated to the door; his heart replete with barbed guilt, a still voice lamented him, illusion tipping over the boundaries of realistic clarity;

"You've killed her, Neji."

The bandaged wound by his arm throbbed hotly.

"And then I think Neji defeated the attacker…and blew himself up in suicide or something."

Tenten said, repeating the disturbing scene as it played silently in her mind. Ino nodded, continuing to do the Princess's hair, brushing her gossamer locks with care.

"I'm relieved that you are not hurt, Your Grace."

Ino spoke with her charming eloquence, almost acting like her unique dialect.

Tenten sighed. The former events had just not only been a grim reminder of her vulnerability, but of her lack of strength as well. She had sat there, half way on the hill, sobbing hysterically while Neji could have been killed by her selfishness.

"You did good Tenten, His Majesty is very strong, he's hailed as an Hyuuga genius by the King's father."

Ino soothed, reading her oppressed expression in the clear vanity mirror.

Tenten didn't speak for she knew it was but bow-tied, sugary encouragements.

After residing in silence, Ino hit one final snag in Tenten's hair, before dropping the bejeweled mirror on the stone tabletop.

"There, done!"

Tenten ripped her eyes off from her enclasped hands, and tentatively reached to her hair. It was rolled upwards into a semi-circled bun, long tendrils framing her face and brows.

"How do you know all these styles, Ino-san? Ever since I've arrived I've never had the same hairdo more than once!"

Tenten asked, her attention and mood diverted. Ino gave a small laugh.

"Glamour is my hobby, I use to work on my friend, before she went away!"

Ino answered. Tenten couldn't help but notice the strained elision in Ino's voice when speaking about her friend.

"Hinata, wasn't it? Did she run away from you?"

The moment the words flew through her lips, she immediately regretted it. Even if it were meant as a nonchalant joke, it went too far.

The shatter imbued with heartbreak crept onto Ino's china visage.

"I'm sorry-

Tenten apologized, sincerely embarrassed by her piercing bluntness.

Ino feigned her usual mellifluous smile, making things even worse with her straining grace.

"It's fine Your Majesty, pardon me, I may have forgotten something downstairs."

Ino said, her voice tipping on the balance of a breaking crack. She ran to the door, a scintilla of a teardrop rolling down her cheek, and then completely sobbing just as the door slammed behind her. Teten could hear her steps slowly trudging away.

Regret was nailed into the Princess's heart. How could she make someone as summery and as cheerful like Ino shed tears?

Maybe she was untoward and insensitive as usual after all. A bane, her of fate. She closed her eyes, a thin, trite smile pursed atop her lips.

It was no wonder that her sister had ran away. Her smile wobbled.

A tear sneaked over the corner of her eye, as a memory replete her mind.

"You're useless, Tenshi!"

Tenten yelled at her sixteen year old sibling. Tears streaked down Tenshi's face, her pink, dolly-cheeks chaffed by the cold. It was winter, and the frost and ice furthered the sisters' bitterness and anger.

"It wasn't my fault Mom yelled at you!"

Tenshi screamed back, pointing a shaking finger accusingly towards a fuming Tenten.

"Yes it was, you brat! If you hadn't told her I went to town again, she wouldn't have! Your nothing but an annoyance to me!"

Tenshi sobbed some more, vexingly suppressing her overflowing tears that melted the snow in circular dots.

"I wish you would die, Nee-san!"

The moment the words left Tenshi's mouth, a flash of remorse, so similar to Tenten's now, dimmed the younger princess's watery expression, her mouth semi-open in admission. Tenten felt her hand move so promtly, as it made heavy contact into Tenshi's soft cheek. It was as if her hand had performed on its own. She had slapped her sister for the first time in her entire life, over something so foolish. Tenshi's face crumpled, her hand slowly touching her cheek. A bright, stinging red mark was imprinted on her skin. Wheeling around, Tenshi ran off, her steps twisted by the ankle-length blanket of snow. Tenten reached out a hand, trying to grasp her sister's dwindling outline, aware tears were now flowing down her face too. She found herself unable to move, as if cuffed at the ankles by miles of down-stretching, ancient roots.

"Tenshi…come back…Nee-san is sorry…!"

She yelled into the bleak seasonal air, cottony snow slanted by the blowing wind, as she finally stumbled to chase after her sister, whose shallow footprints were filled up quickly by the flakes.

After a while, she collapsed. Her thin, sheer-silk garments were no match for the harsh wintertide. She reached out a blue-veined hand, pounding at the stiffening snow, her tears turning the snow into ice, pain piercing into her skin yet all she felt was that hollow hurting in her chest.

She must have sat there for a while, staring at nowhere, when she came to her senses, the clock read midnight. She slowly crept into her covers, woebegone, pulling the duvet over her head and quietly fell asleep, disturbing dreams running in snippets through her mind's eye.

The next morning, when Tenten woke up, Ino was already by her bedside. The Princess jumped to her feet, words rushing like caged water,

"Ino, look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said what I had said, please for-

"My, my, Princess, I should be the one to apologize, running away without being dismissed has a very serious consequence! I shouldn't have done that, thank you, Princess, for not reporting the incident! I am in your debt."

Ino quickly interjected, waving her hands in an abashed manner. Her smile showed no sign of resentment or anger. Her ambiance of aerate made Tenten recline and breath, "You're so kind, Ino…"

Tenten said,

"I haven't met some one like you since…a while…you remind me of my sister. She was a wonderful person…I miss her a lot. But ever since I came here, I'm getting better day and day…my grief is at its lowest point now!"

She hoped her small; white lie, pitched at the end of her sentence, would not be discovered. The deep, rooted grief could not be dug up, but continued growing deeper into her heart.

But with Ino's somewhat shadowing motherly presence and poise, her discomfort would subside almost, for a while.

Ino's lissome smile wavered lightly, as she responded; her tone bittersweet in sad but firm persuasion, "No...Your Grace, I'm not a good person…you would know if-"

I'm sorry. Really I am, Tenten.

"Sure you are, you're my friend."

The Princess flashed an airy bona fide smile, grasping tightly Ino's weakening hands. She gazed deep into Ino's eyes, her sight bearing great thanksgiving.

"And thank you."

Ino's ethereal spirit faltered, her heart soured in overwhelming anguish and frustration. Who knew deceit would sadden so much on the one casting it?

She stood in the corner, watching the Princess change. Her vivacious movements and felicity reflected but candor life. Her eyes quickly travelled to the window, averting the accidental focal gaze that swept past their view. A single droplet of studded dew slid down the wet glass, Ino stretched her lips, and looked away. She dared not think about the cloud-burdened future.

The Hyuuga training grounds, one will find, to be the most elementary plot of land in all the castle's pastiche grounds.

Cornered by tall evergreens, numerous wooden targets, swirled with red paint on smooth, white canvas, stood meters apart from the next. Some were hanging evenly of off the tree's strong, serpentine-carved branches. Hard, fine auburn-red dirt covered the entire half-acre of the training ground, sifting as the wind blew across the particles of rock grains. Standing in mezzo, was an enigmatic man, hands gripping a slender, black-sheathed sword, staring intently at three wooden training dummies set before him. Leaves blew across the tundra-like ground. When the breeze grazed into a soft kiss, finely diced, and perfectly acute cubes of wood lay scattered on the ground.

The young man turned around, his navy, almost black, slanted eyes narrowing at the appearance of a messenger running towards him. He felt annoyance build up inside as the lopsided messenger ran loudly, his shoes clattering and form carried in sluggish form.

Whatever notice he would be carrying, I couldn't care less, He thought, He's disturbing my training.

Slipping his sword back into its case, he waited until the messenger stood before him, panting heavily. Taking out a thin roll of paper from his worn waist bag, he handed it to the man in a salute, who was presented with its contents. A small sneer slowly began to decorate his handsome appeal as his eyes scanned further down the page.

The messenger acted as though he was not even a bit curious, but raised his eyes to try reading over the man's broad, blue appareled shoulders.

Throwing the paper back to the messenger carelessly, who stumbled in surprise to catch it, the young man smirked, his eyes gleaming cunningly in the sunlight.

"A new trainee the King says? This will be fun."

A/N: Sorry, only about 3000 words this time. Well, can you guess who the young man was? Most of you suggested him…so I guess you all already know. I'm no harbinger, so you can wait until the next chapter and the next to find out the mysteries behind the actions hopefully I have successfully conveyed through each character's actions…PAY ATTENTION TO THOSE! I'm not really proud of this chapter but I have the whole plot mapped out in my head. Is there enough Nejiten? I hope so. In the first paragraph or so, I added some cheesy fluff…hope you all enjoyed that. Hinata will hopefully appear next chapter, and yeah, stay tuned! Thank you, and please review!

Suchiru: her name means "steel", yes she is a female.

Tenshi: Teten's sister, an OC I made up…she ran away after Tenten slapped her. Will she reappear (?)

Thanks for all those wonderful reviews!

~Hanaka Kaneda