Sorry for the long wait. xP Here's chapter nine, hope you all enjoy!
Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto.
xXx
Chapter Nine: Arrival
He was here. Oh boy, he was here. Time as if stood still when he seized his arm to prevent him from stabbing her. Funny, just a while ago, she was imagining him saving her; rescuing her from this turmoil she was now in. And now, she need not say goodbye because he was here. Her eyes would've widened like saucers if not due to the fact that she couldn't contort her face to any reaction with the pain she was now suffering from.
But, inside, her heart was doing somersaults from her euphoria. And before she completely lost consciousness, she saw his pearl eyes looking at her without the usual stodgy façade. A stare that spelled concern all over.
Neji…
"Hakke Kuushou!"
Ferio rapidly plummeted far away from where they were—his body crashing down the ground brutally. He didn't stand up instantly due to his extreme fatigue as he laid down on the dirt wheezing. After unleashing his technique, Neji immediately ran on the tree Ino was tied up to, released her using sharp chakra lines penetrating from his hand and landed safely on the ground using other branches as leverage. The blonde landed safely on the ground too almost next to Neji.
"Take care of Tenten," He stated, glancing at the medic nin. Ino merely nodded and rushed to Tenten's side. She did a fast hand seal and green-colored chakra enveloped her right hand. Tenten cried in pain when Ino gradually pulled the sword from her stomach.
"Easy now, mission leader. Just bear the pain for a while," Ino muttered as she carefully pulled the sword out. She did successfully and the weapons mistress panted profusely after. Once the armament was tossed to the side, Ino used Shousen to heal Tenten's injuries—starting with her huge open stab.
While that was occurring, Neji helped Hinata to stand up and sit near the other girls. Upon arriving, he couldn't help but fix his stare at the suffering brown-haired kunoichi. If only he got here sooner, this would've been avoided. He hoped Ino paid real attention to her medical trainings.
Neji frowned as he watched Ferio stand up slowly. "All of you stay here. I'll keep this bastard busy," Instantaneously, Neji ran towards the green-haired ninja and landed another Hakke Kuushou on him. Ferio fell abruptly once more and it took a full minute before he got up slowly again. The weight of using so many wood jutsus consecutively was starting to strain on his shoulders. A ninja could only lose so much chakra in one battle, after all.
As if not taking heed on the damage his techniques were putting on his body, Ferio did another hand seal and various branches ruptured from the ground yet again. They advanced to the direction of the Hyuuga genius but, Neji quickly used Kaiten to block them. The branches proceeded on harming him again but, Neji hastily escaped their assaults professionally.
While Ino was healing Tenten, Hinata took it as a chance to recharge chakra inside her body. Two succeeding Shugo Hakke Rokujuuyonshous have placed her in a dangerously low chakra level and it would be best to revitalize herself for future fights. She would aide her comrades no matter what and she would make sure no Akatsuki would know more about Naruto and his demon inside. At least, that way, she would be able to protect him.
"Hinata, check where Ayumi-san is. I'm starting to worry where she ran off to. I can't see her while I was up there," Ino said as she finished closing Tenten's huge wound. She progressed on the kunoichi's other injuries as she infused more chakra into her medical technique.
"H-Hai. Byakugan!" The Hyuuga heiress searched around and after much scrutiny, she saw the woman sitting down behind one of the bushes not far from them—covering her ears in obvious fear.
"S-She's behind one of the bushes meters away from us. She looks really scared, I-Ino-san."
The blonde was still busy curing Tenten. "Keep your eye on her from time to time. She is the reason why we're in this mess, after all."
Hinata meekly nodded as she averted her gaze on the two fighting males. By now, Ferio was having a hard time standing up but, that didn't prevent him from using more branches to either defend himself or attack Neji.
Subsequent to all his attacking, Ferio halted little by little. He stood his ground firmly and mirrored Neji's deadpan stare towards him. "I didn't know these girls called for a knight in shining armor. How cute!"
Neji merely glared at him unwaveringly. He wouldn't forgive him for almost killing these girls especially her. He hadn't seen Tenten so injured, so beaten up before. Probably because he was always with her during missions. It was a grave error of unfathomable proportions when Godaime-sama sent her into this accident mission without him. And morality be damned but, he would kill for her. Anyone who tried harming a single hair on her head.
Anyone.
Ferio, even with his tired state, did another quick hand seal. At this, Neji took on his stance—preparing himself of the inevitable. But, nothing happened. After a few minutes, just then, a strong rumbling of the earth occurred and huge, thick tree branches emerged forth from the ground near where the three girls were staying. Neji saw this with his bloodline and advanced fast towards their direction.
"Nya-uh! You can't do that!" Ferio teased as he raised his right hand high. Along with that movement, tree branches erupted from the ground, effectively stopping Neji on his tracks. The Hyuuga used Hakke Kuushou to clear his path of these branches but, they were too many of them. He wouldn't be able to reach them in time.
At this, Neji cursed under his breath.
The girls, on the other hand, saw the abrupt event that transpired near them. The branches, by their quick movement, seemed to have an objective of trapping them by forming a spherical cage. Just like what happened to Chouji and the others during that Sasuke Retrieval Mission, Ino thought—remembering her teammate's story when he recovered fully from his injuries.
"Ino-san, go! E-Escape when you still have the chance!" Hinata called out, while the branches were rapidly enclosing around them.
"But, how about you and Tenten?"
"You have already healed her, right? T-Then, go and help Neji-niisan!" The Hyuuga heiress smiled. "B-Besides, I can find a way of escaping with my jutsus when we get trapped here,"
Ino hesitated for a moment before nodding. She jumped through the last opening before the branches sealed on them—completely trapping the two inside.
After the chaos brought about by the technique cleared and after Neji had also cleared his pathway of troublesome branches, an enormous half-circle cage planted on the ground and made of branches was the sight that welcomed them.
Neji gritted his teeth in utter rage. "Tenten!"
Ferio just smirked. "Well, well, now those three wouldn't be able to battle for a while."
"Guess again, you bastard!" A voice shouted from behind and before the green-haired ninja could find out who it was, he was kicked forcefully on his back—sending him collapsing down the ground roughly.
While he was struggling to get up, Ino performed one of her techniques. "Shinranshin no jutsu!" And with that, Ferio's body grew stiff again.
"Neji, now!" The blonde medic nin called out, keeping her position. Neji silently nodded before running quickly beside Ferio. He took on his famous stance as he got ready for his technique.
"Hakke Rokujuuyonshou!"
In an impressive lightning speed, Neji managed to pinpoint all of his 64 tanketsu points—closing them effectively and rendering him unable to use any chakra. And with one last blow, he noticed something amiss.
His speculations were proven true when Ferio exploded into tiny wooden pieces after it. "A clone made of wood?" Ino couldn't believe it. He was fake all along. Probably when he kept Neji busy with those tree branches and while he was sealing them inside that wooden prison, he managed to duplicate himself.
But, where was he now?
xXx
Hinata surveyed the wooden confine that imprisoned both she and her mission leader. There had got to be a soft spot in this edifice, she was sure of it. And she activated her bloodline to help her search for that said spot. Looking around, she noticed a very small crack at the end of the structure. She smiled, that could be it.
She concentrated her chakra in her right hand, amplifying her strength. She only had one shot with this. If ever she failed, Ino wouldn't be around to help her revive all of her lost chakra and that would be the end for both of them.
Upon the thought of both of them, Hinata glanced back at Tenten who was still unconscious. She gave it everything she got and between the three of them, she was the one who fought extensively. Typical for Tenten not to be deterred and Hinata couldn't help but smile at that mere thought. No wonder her Neji-niisan fell for her. She was benevolent and pertinacious, tough-hearted and a warrior and still, all girl. A girl who knew how to carry herself despite her short-comings.
Hinata looked back at the small crack she saw a while ago with resolute eyes. If Tenten could do all those things, she can too. She was a kunoichi—a fighter who swore to protect everything and everyone precious to her. A fighter who would willingly sacrifice her life for the most important things to her. Because Konoha kunoichis were the best in their field and not only was Godaime-sama living proof of that but, also her two teammates who changed her view of herself forever.
The Hyuuga took in a deep breath before running swiftly to the direction of the diminutive crack—determined in breaking them free of their incarceration.
xXx
Neji looked around. Damn it, where was that bastard hiding now? How could he conceal himself this efficiently? He must be using a technique to do this. But, he couldn't hide for too long. Any small traces of chakra were bound to be seen by his Byakugan.
And as if Kami-sama heard him, Neji saw tidbits of chakra floating near a tree trunk meters away from where Ino and he stood. The Hyuuga genius waited no more time and charged to where he saw those said chakra. Too fast for the naked eye, Neji used Hakke Hasangeki in a flurry of moments—sending Ferio colliding on a nearby tree trunk forcefully.
That camouflaging with the trees technique won't work on a certified Byakugan user like him.
The green-haired ninja slowly stood up, undeterred. If he was a Konoha ninja, Ino would've already given him due props for his pertinacity. The death of his comrade probably sparked this kind of attitude on him. But then, this was already an S-rank mission. Expect no less from your opponents, she was told.
Neji and Ino both took on their stance when Ferio was completely on his feet. Completely but, still wobbly. When Neji was thinking of advancing once more, all of a sudden, a loud explosion came from the half circle cage meters away from them. Dust filled the air and when it finally cleared out, a hole could be seen from the structure. Coming out of it were Hinata and Tenten—with the former accompanying the latter. The weapons kunoichi was still a bit weak but, finally conscious and that made Neji smile fleetingly.
When the two girls finally approached Ino and Neji, the latter caught Tenten in his arms—gently helping her stand on her own two feet.
"You okay now?" Was Neji's soft inquiry, glancing at the brown-haired kunoichi.
Tenten just replied with a faint smile and a determined nod. Even after everything, even after almost getting killed, Neji could still see her will burning inside her. Even a near death experience wasn't enough to extinguish it. And Neji couldn't help but smirk at this. That's his Tenten. Never a damsel in distress, never would be.
And as if to prove his point, Tenten stood up gradually—making her feet firmly planted on the ground. She extended her left arm in front of Neji, as if preventing him.
"Tres Marias will take it from here,"
xXx
There you have it. Thanks for reading and please review! XD
