Me: Freakin' sweet ass-kickin' time!!
TenTen: Still like to make up phrases, huh?
Hinata: That's our Kenisha-nee-chan.
Me: -smirks- You know it. Let's kick some ass.
Intertwining Conflicts Chapter 8
Hinata's POV
I just looked on as TenTen and Kenisha jumped in the tree in front of me. I didn't feel like I should be on this mission, but I wanted to feel like I was helping them in some way.
Kenisha, her past an utter nightmare, her nemesis taking her unborn child away from her, and leaving her dead inside, 3 years away from her fiancée, friends and family in depression, and a new foe appearing and taking away her water jutsu, the thing that set her apart from the rest. Her clan is gone, her jutsu are sealed away, her hopes for a family dashed, and her chance of living with her love forever questioned.
TenTen, her past also twisted, her clan destroyed by the Tsuchikage, who is now dead. Living alone for years, never noticed, always considered weak. Always persevering, but always pushed down. Kind of like me. She found love at 15 with Neji and intended to keep on loving him as best she could, despite his nature and his clan; our horrible clan. But she fears that there will be a day when he won't be with her; she knows it's inevitable. Her fear is nearly being realized, as my father and the elders are trying to exile her from the family with the cursed-seal adorning her flawless forehead. Just the thought of loving and strong TenTen carrying death on her forehead like Neji made me cringe.
I hope that I'll be able to help them in the end. Otherwise, I just might lose them. I didn't notice that I was falling behind until my friends fell back beside me.
"What's wrong, Hinata-nee-chan?" The beast-enhanced brunette gave me a worried look.
I shook my head and lowered it. "It's nothing really. Let's just keep going." TenTen shook her head and lifted my chin so my pearly white eyes were on her chocolate ones.
"Tell me." I succumbed to her gaze and sighed.
"I'm worried about you guys. And I want to help you out with your problems, but I'm afraid that I'm not being anything more than a nuisance." Kenisha grinned.
"Is that all? I thought you were gonna piss yourself or somethin'. Seriously, Hina-nee-chan, you've just gotta worry about yourself. Believe me, if you have other people worrying about you, you'll be in more trouble then you were already in." She looked away, staring into the distance. "You'll be hurt more…" She jumped away.
I looked at her and tried to imagine what it was like; having everyone that you loved hurt before your eyes, not once, not twice, but three times. First were her clan, then the people she held close being hurt in an illusion, and the hurt she was causing them when she left. Truth is I couldn't imagine it.
"Hinata-nee-chan, look at me." I remembered TenTen's fingers on my chin and looked up into her eyes again. I couldn't help but admire them for a minute. They were so unlike mine, they had a somewhat warm glow to them that I knew mine would never truly show. Her eyes showed life, all the happiness and successes, all the pain. They told a story. They had pupils too, that's a big plus. It means that she's neither blind nor part of this crazy clan. No wait, what am I saying, She is part of the clan, just not with the cursed kekkei genkai. "Stop comparing your eyes to mine."
"How'd you know?"
"I read people by their eyes too, remember? And you've gotta stop downing yourself. You're getting back in that habit again, and its making me worry. And you know I hate worrying, especially about someone I love like my sister." She looked at me then at Kenisha, who was a few trees away, her earphones plugged in her ears, listening to her iPod at full blast.
"Gomen nasai, TenTen-nee--"
"You're not supposed to apologize for caring. You're only supposed to apologize if you did something wrong. At least that's what Neji-koi says." She let go of my chin and petted my hair. "Now you stop being so sad, 'kay Hina-nee-chan?"
I giggled; she was treating me like a child. "Hai, Kaa-san." I stuck my tongue out at her.
She turned pink. "I am not! I'm just helping," she said exasperatedly.
"Funny, Tennie-chan, really funny," I laughed.
"Let's go get Nisha-nee-chan and hurry to the Land of Bears, 'kay?" I nodded and in one jump we got to her; she was leaning on the tree, still listening to her iPod. The odd thing was her shirt and pants were black; she must've changed while TenTen and I talked.
"….Kenisha-nee-chan?" TenTen waved a hand in front of her face, but she didn't say anything, only closed her eyes. The song she was listening to went into the chorus, and I understood the change in color. She was singing/screaming the lyrics.
I'M...
FALLING IN THE BLACK!
SLIPPING THROUGH THE CRACKS!
FALLING TO THE DEPTHS, CAN I EVER GO BACK?
DREAMING OF THE WAY IT USED TO BE
CAN YOU HEAR ME?
FALLING IN THE BLACK!
SLIPPING THROUGH THE CRACKS!
FALLING TO THE DEPTHS, CAN I EVER GO BACK?
FALLING INSIDE THE BLACK!
FALLING INSIDE
FALLING INSIDE
THE BLACK!!
Even when screaming, her singing voice was beautiful. Yet when she's singing this song, it's a terrible beauty. Before she could sing anymore, TenTen ripped the earphones from her ears.
"SNAP OUT OF IT," she yelled in her face. I have to admit, that's a little rude, but who am I to complain.
"…Gomen." She got up and sighed. "I get like that a lot. It helps me when I get lost in the music…" She looked right at me and smiled. "Sometimes music can help you forget about your troubles, if it's the right song. You've just gotta find your song, Hinata-nee-chan."
I nodded and she smiled. "Thatta girl." She looked over at TenTen, who seemed to understand already. "Let's go, for real this time."
"Yeah."
Kenisha's POV
It was about two hours before we got to the Land of Bears, where we rented a room at a local hotel. I had to unfuse with Kami-kun and make him go around the back so I wouldn't arouse suspicion.
"So, are the assassins near?"
Hinata had her Byakugan activated since she sensed something outside. "I can't really tell….but those men are really suspicious."
"We'll deal with them later. Right now, let's get some sleep."
TenTen looked at the clock. "But it's only 3 PM."
"They'll most likely attack us at night, so we have to be ready. They wouldn't try a broad daylight thing if they're wearing all black."
"But you are."
I smirked. "That's cuz it's my trademark. I can't be the Kurosendo Koneko otherwise."
Hinata giggled. "Yeah you would. You'd have ears and a tail!" I flicked my tail around and tickled her with it, and she giggled more.
"Your giggle is cute, Hina-nee-chan, why do you hide it behind your hand?"
"Because it's rude."
I hit her with my tail. "It is not! Giggling is a step away from laughing therefore its not rude, its FUN. So giggle it out, my blue-haired kunoichi friend!"
"Her hair's more violet, Nisha-nee-chan."
"So? I was close!!"
We all laughed until Kami-kun sent me a message. 'We should unfuse for now. I feel like something is…off right now.'
'Hai.' I unfused with him and gave him a look. "What is it?"
He suddenly growled and made a scene trying to restrain himself. "He's close...We need to get out of here."
"Get suited up guys." They complied and I turned away, touching my chest softly. I felt my heart wrench, and looked down my shirt. The seal was burning me again, and the peridot wasn't helping. It only gave the mark more power. I turned the necklace around and hissed. The gem burned my back.
I nodded to Kami-kun and fused back with him, and gestured TenTen and Hinata to follow me. When we checked out of the hotel and were jumping over the rooftops, TenTen asked, "Who's he?"
I gave her a grave look. "Do you really need to ask?" I could almost feel the dirty man's hands on me. And the cold eyes of the albino bastard as he stuck needles into me flesh. I tasted blood in my mouth as I bit my cheek to calm down. No way in hell are tehy getting me back now that I'm out.
My katanas are gonna find a way into their hearts.
TenTen gasped. "Orochimaru…" She put on her ANBU mask. Guess she found out that it wasn't the time to fool around.
Hinata activated her Byakugan through her mask and glared.
"What? What do you see?"
"That bastard is nearer than we think…."
Neji's POV
"What the hell do you mean "TenTen's gone"? She's my wife and I have a right to know where she is!" Why is she doing this?
Tsunade just locked her fingers together and leaned on her desk. "I can't help it: She told me not to tell you she's leaving in the first place."
"And why would she do that?"
Tsunade sighed. "Even with the Byakugan, Hyuuga Neji, you're damn blind." She got up, reached up, and put a hand on my shoulder. "She needs time away from your clan, Neji. They're….well, let's just say they're not in their right minds as of yet."
"They never have been, never will. Now why is TenTen-koi disappearing without my knowledge and taking Hinata-chan and Kenisha-san with her?" She'd better not be on a mission…
"Ask your cousin, Naruto. He'll give you a full briefing. I'm going back to work, and I suggest you do the same." She sat back on her chair and turned it around to face the large window. I took that as my sign to leave and exited the room, closing the door behind me.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but have to find Naruto. My first stop, the Ichiraku Ramen Shop. And who do I find, instead of the knuckle-head ninja, Lee, eating less than enthusiastically out of his miso pork ramen.
"Oi, Lee, mind if I join you?" He looked up and smiled.
"Neji! Well, um, how are you?"
"Not too well, I'm afraid. TenTen-koi is on a mission with Hinata-chan and Kenisha-san, but I don't know why or where they're going." I sat down and ordered what Naruto usually ordered. Yeah, I'm that off without TenTen.
Lee smiled. "Well, I can help. Kenisha-koi said that they're going into the Land of Bears to take out some assassins that have some connection with Orochimaru. TenTen only took the mission to escape the harsh threats from the elders and the former Head of the Hyuuga clan." Lee looked down into his ramen broth and I ate my noodles in silence. Now I understood why TenTen never came with me to family meetings or special briefings with the elders. My uncle was a given; if he was already hateful to me, his blood, then she wouldn't stand a chance. She was afraid of them.
"It's a horrible thing, to be threatened where you think you are safe." I nodded; I know that feeling all too well. The curse mark is proof.
"I told Kenisha-koi that she is not to go after him, but I'm afraid that she's never really listened to what I've said." He chuckled with a slight darkness to it. "I just hope she's alright, as well as the other two."
I got an idea at his words. "Why don't we request to go as back-up?"
Lee grinned. "Let's get Naruto."
"Hn."
You'd better be alive when I get there, TenTen. I'm going to help you….I'm going to heal all the wounds that those bastards gave you.
I'm coming, TenTen. You don't have to run away anymore.
Normal POV
The warehouse that the two cohorts had bunked in was now totally abandoned, for the occupants had moved to a small hut in the Land of Bears, near a local hotel.
The albino psychopath chuckled. "So just feeling my presence near frightens you, Kimochi Kenisha?"
"It's amazing that she didn't recognize mine, my Lord," said a deep scratchy male voice, laughing in a wheeze seconds later. "Do you think that she forgot about me," he said in mock thoughtfulness.
"Oh no, no...The little kunoichi must've just been too urgent to escape to notice yours. But don't worry, my wizened friend." Orochimaru stood up and put a hand on the man's shoulder. "You'll get your chance to repay her. But for now, we've got to bring her back. She's had her year-and-a-half run; now it's about time she got more enhancements."
The old man chuckled. "She's gonna get a lot more than enhancements this time….I wasn't finished playing with her last time….I bet she's even more tender and juicy than last time...I can torture her with my pleasure..." His perverted laughter rang throughout the tiny hut.
"My, my, I never knew you to prey on the young, Ryoku."
"Look who's talking. Besides, there are a lot of things you don't know about me, Lord Orochimaru." The old man took off his mask, revealing the burned, scarred, and heavily wrinkled face of the Tsuchikage, a.k.a Ryoku.
"Yes, I'll have to get you cleaned up as well. Your body is growing old."
Ryoku laughed. "That it may be, but I plan on using her body next I see her. Her ultimate demise will be becoming my body, the body of the one who took everything from her…"
"But Ryoku, you haven't taken everything away from her. Not yet anyway…"
"Oh, but I shall! And I have you to thank, Lord Orochimaru, for reviving me so I can accomplish this goal."
Orochimaru chuckled and then put on a bored look. "Now, I know I may have asked this in the past, but what is your anger with the Kimochi clan?"
Ryoku smiled sadistically. "I'm glad you asked, my Lord. Well, since they took everything away from me, I decided to return the favor."
"And what exactly did they take away from you, Ryoku?"
"My wife….my beautiful wife….Kimochi Houtei."
Orochimaru's eyes widened. "Oooo, that is juicy! Now, mind telling me what generation was she?"
Ryoku got a crazed look and replied. "Second. Right beind the elders, matter of fact. After I was exiled for my...means of persuasion with a certain elder, she decided to stay; to leave me. She decided to have our child in Soragakure. That child was that water rat's mother."
Orochimaru laughed coldly. "Oh, the irony! Go on, go on!"
"They publicly executed her, Houtei, for connection with me; I was the bad egg, so to speak. They kept everything hush-hush, so as not to scare the young ones. Little Kenisha never knew her grandparents existed… And she tried to kill me...her grandfather..." He began to chuckled, but it soon became a laugh and that laugh turned into a wild fit of insanity. "Haha…hahahaha…HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!" He panted after his crazed laughter and looked up, sighing. "Oh, do I wish to control her; own her. A life for a life. But I will soon get my chance…."
"That you shall, Ryoku. We're going after them now." Ryoku made some handsigns.
"Hell yes….EARTH STYLE: ONE WITH THE WORLD!" The two melted into the ground and traveled through it, like water in a pipe, to their targets.
It was their time to strike.
Emily: Holy-
Sasuke: -Shit.
Katie: -sigh- Idiots…
Kids: REVIEW IT!
