ARC3: Tenten's Amnesia

CHAPTER 10 - Subject of Battle

All day everyone had been trying to bring back Tenten's memory. Her favorite food, her favorite color, her tomboyish personality. Anything and everything. Everyone except Neji had been interacting with her. Something was up with him. So, I decided to confront him about it. Am I an idiot or what for even trying this?

"Neji?" I asked, coming to his room. He was sitting at a small desk, reading a book.

"Sakura," he said, surprised to see me there.

I gulped again. Neji wasn't one of the people I conversed with a lot. "Can we talk for a moment, i-if it's okay with you."

Neji arched an eyebrow at me. "Sure I guess. Is it something important?"

"It's about Tenten," I answered. Weather Neji would be upset about the subject or not was beyond me. But I had to do something, or else Tenten might have amnesia forever.

"And?" Neji asked, bringing me back to reality.

"Uh," I said, loosing my train of thought. "I guess to be more specific it's about you and Tenten. Are you okay?"

Neji faced his book and shrugged. "I don't know. I guess it just pains me to look at Tenten and see her not remember me at all."

"I'm sure she'd remember you if you just tried to make her," I said.

"You wouldn't understand, Sakura," Neji said, trying to say it in the nicest way possible. "I know everyone's trying, but I just get the feeling it won't work, you know."

I crossed my arms. "Well someone's gotta try." I made a small smile. "Before breakfast this morning, I was able to have a decent talk with Tenten."

This caught Neji's attention. "Did she say anything?"

"She did say there was something familiar about you," I remarked. And that was the truth. "From what I remember Naruto telling me when I first got here, you and Tenten were real close.... almost like how Sasuke and I are."

Neji brought his head up from it's previous position.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe I don't understand. But it doesn't mean you can just sit there and do nothing," I said, trying to talk some sense into Neji. "And to finish off this pep talk, there's one more thing I found out about Tenten."

"And what's that?" Neji asked, waiting for me to finish.

"In the end, what I've come to figure out is that Tenten may have may not have amnesia at all," I started to explain. "It's strange, but I think this may be the work of the Sound."

"And you can prove that?" Neji asked with an arched eyebrow.

I nodded. "I ran some tests on Tenten. Turns out she may be under some kind of hypnotism of some sort. I've talked to Shikamaru about it. He says the technological term of it all is 'genjutsu,' whatever that's supposed to be."

"So what do you propose we do?" Neji asked.

"We've got to investigate where Tenten lost her memory," I shrugged. It was the only way. "Was there something unusual near those springs?"

"Nothing besides the ground collapsing," Neji answered.

"Would you be willing to take me there to check the place out?" I asked, hoping to be granted his permission. "Naruto tells me it's a personal place of yours and Tenten's, so I'd understand if you don't want me there."

Neji paused for a second. "If it's for Tenten's sake, then I guess I'll lead you and Sasuke there."

"Me and Sasuke?" I repeated.

"Sasuke can probably sense a lot of things we can't, so he may be able to detect any of the Sound's previous actions," Neji told me. "And you, well, I guess I just trust you."

"You trust me?" I asked in disbelief.

"Don't act too surprised, Sakura. Now, I'll go tell Sasuke and we'll take our leave for the springs," Neji said, standing up and, surprisingly, smiling. He started to walk past me. "Maybe you do understand after all."

After a few moments of hearing Neji's footprints fade away, I smiled and turned around, ready for this mission. Ha, maybe I'm not such a loser after all.

--

The amnesiac Tenten was in the kitchen cavern of the Shelter, helping with Hinata's chores by cleaning the tables and dishes.

"Hi Tenten," Hanabi smiled, walking into the room.

Tenten turned around and saw the small pale-eyed girl. "Hi... Hanabi right?"

"Yeah, you got it," Hanabi said, pulling up a chair and sitting down. "You remember anything yet?"

"Not in the least bit," Tenten sighed, folding her wash cloth. "It's so hard to remember, and I don't know why."

"Do you remember Neji at least?" Hanabi asked.

"Just barely," Tenten replied with a lost look on her face. "More than I could say for everyone else, though."

"You know," Hanabi started. "I've seen every one in this whole place talk to you, all except for my cousin Neji."

"You're cousins?" Tenten said out loud.

"Isn't it obvious?" Hanabi pointed out.

Tenten sighed. "If Neji's the person I can remember the most, how come he won't talk to me?"

"That's just how Neji is," Hanabi said positively like the young innocent child she is. "If you'd remember, Neji's always the cold-seeming type. But you know him far better than that, just like me and my big sister does. In the end, he's probably the one most worried about you."

"How confusing," Tenten said after all that.

"He's a guy. All guys are confusing," Hanabi said straightforward, making Tenten smile. "But you know that. Well, at least the old you did."

Tenen thought about it before agreeing with Hanabi's logic. "Yeah.... You're right, Hanabi. I should go talk to Neji right now."

"Ya can't," Hanabi said indifferently. "He went out."

"What?" Tenten asked with that look on her face.

"Neji took Sakura and Sasuke on a raid I think," Hanabi shrugged.

Tenten sighed. "Geez, you got all my hopes up for nothing."

The child giggled to herself. "Yeah, but at least I cheered, you up, didn't I?"

Tenten made a smiled as she threw her cloth playfully at Hanabi, the two girls laughing.

--

"So this is the place," I said, shining a flashlight though the underground spring. I was up too my ankles in water, the shallow parts anyway. I had on my cloak and my leather gloves again.

"Yeah," Neji said, exploring as well. "Sasuke do you see anything?"

"I think so," he replied from a distance. Both Neji and I turned around and walked to where Sasuke was. They were in the middle of the water. "I detect something under here."

I knelt down and put my hand in, digging through some dirt with my gloves. Eventually, my hands felt something solid and I dug it out, lifting up above the water.

"Strange type of technology," I said, seeing an old metal something. I hardened my eyes. "Most likely tech from the Sound."

"No surprise they'd pull a stunt like this," Sasuke said, shining his flash light on it. "What do you think this is?"

"It's a memory wiper," I answered. "Explains Tenten's amnesia. It flashes a red light and will erase any memory of a person."

"But why would the Sound put that there?" Neji wondered.

"I don't know," I said, standing up and placing the thing in a container in my belt. "But it can't be for anything good."

"Hey guys?" Sasuke said, trying to catch our attention. "Don't look now, but I think we've got us a bigger problem now," he said, shining his flashlight up.

Neji and I both looked up and saw multiple strips of paper with Japanese writing on them, attached to the ceiling of the underground springs.

"What are those?" I wondered out loud.

"Paper bombs," Neji answered, gazing up. "I've heard about them from my grandparents, but I didn't know they were real. It's illogically possible that these things can be used."

"But you guys must have set a couple off the other morning." I whispered.

"If we set these off we're done for," Sasuke said, afraid to make one move for anything could set these off.

"Should we call for help back at the Shelter?" Neji asked.

"What could they do?" I asked.

Suddenly we heard something above ground and one of those kunai knives flew down from the opening, signalling the Sound must have arrived.

"Let's call for back up now please," I said nervously.

--

As Tenten wandered the familiar caverns of the underground Shelter, she heard something unusual from what she was told was the lab. She peeked in through the open door. Apparently inside was a laptop beeping until Shikamaru answered it.

"Neji?" Shikamaru asked lazily.

"Shikamaru, we kind of need help here," Neji's voice protected.

'Neji,' Tenten thought, hiding behind the door.

"What's going on?" Shikamaru asked into the computer.

"The spring, it's rigged with explosives," Neji's voice said in a small-term panic, making Tenten gasp. Luckily she covered her moth before Shikamaru could hear. "And the Sound's here, too."

"Looks like you've got a lot on your plate," Shikamaru said, as if it didn't concern him. Though that was just him. "Should I send Naruto or Kiba?"

"Are you trying to kill us?" Neji's voice asked. "Those two would set off the explosives if they're not careful enough. And they'd be too hasty to be able to take out the Sound's men."

"Hm," Shikamaru said, trying to think up some strategy. "Well without Naruto and Kiba, all that there's left of is Hinata and the kids. No way are we sending them out."

"And you?" Neji questioned.

"Like I can do physical combat," Shikamaru said as if it were out of the question. "We could always send you guys Tenten."

'What?!'

"No way," Neji said in an instant.

Shikamaru's eyebrows arched. "Well why the heck not? Just because she has amnesia doesn't mean she-"

"Even if she had her memory I would forbid her to go," Neji said sternly, making me listen to the conversation intently. "I care too much for her safety. If something happened to her..."

"Aw, that's so sweet!" my voice said in the background.

"Sakura now's not the time," Sasuke's voice scolded.

"Well what do ya want me to do about the matter if I can't send anyone?" Shikamaru said, Neji not making any sense.

But either way, Tenten was already gone. Shikamaru heard the manhole from the main room close, and he smiled.

"On second thought, back up's already on the way. Good luck," Shikamaru said with a sly smile before logging out on the laptop.

--

"Shikamaru wait," Neji said on his watch.

"Well that was an interesting argument," I said sarcastically with a sour face.

"But now what?" Sasuke asked, hearing the Sound coming closer.

I my eyes hardened as I saw pebbles start falling into the water. We were cornered. "Best we can do is be prepared. No doubt those guys are gonna set of those explosive tags."

And just as I had presumed, I saw most of the pieces of paper stuck to the ceiling start to burn up, as if magically.

"This just gets weirder and weirder," Sasuke said, making a fighting stance.

"Everyone look out!!" Neji shouted as the explosives set off. The three of us dodged as we tried to look for cover. At this point I think Tokyo should be named one of the most dangerous places in this world. Attacks, explosives, teenagers fending for their lives, geez.

"Stay away from my friends!!" shouted a voice from above before we heard the sound of punching.

"That voice," I said, looking up towards the one light f the entire cavern.

"Tenten," Neji said aloud, thinking the same thing we were.

"Argh!!" Tenten cried, jumping up and fighting the Sound's men with martial arts. If I saw, I'd be surprised she even remembered how to fight. Took her a while to remember how to walk.

By now Neji, Sasuke, and I had jumped up from the caved-in spring and to safe ground above, seeing Tenten holding off very well on her own against the Sound.

"Tenten can fight," Sasuke said, surprised.

"She always could," Neji pointed out. "I'm surprised she remembers, though."

"Remembers," I repeated, taking out that memory-wiper device. I licked my lips for a moment. "May be a bit tricky, but I might be able to reverse this thing that'll allow Tenten to get her memory back."

"How much time do you need?" Sasuke said to me.

I narrowed my eyes. "Don't know. This thing looks pretty beat up," I replied, inspecting it. "You think you guys can help Tenten hold off the Sound?"

"Didn't even have to ask," Neji said before both guys disappeared into the fight. Meanwhile, I hid behind a boulder and took out small tols from my belt.

'I sure hope I know how to do this.'

"AH!!" Tenten yelled out, being blown by an attack and rolling over the ground. She looked pretty beat up herself, but it didn't stop her from still being in the game. Though it probably didn't help that she had bruised her ankle. "No... Gotta help... the others..."

"You're way in over your head, girly," said one of the men fighting her. He drew out what appeared t be another one of those kunai knives, and all Tenten could do was watch from where she sat. "DIE!!"

Tenten put up her arms to brace herself until she heard the swift wind shield her, or to be more percise, two knights in shining armour.

"You stay away from her!" Neji shouted, gracefully apprehending the man and his knife, using his palms to fight and eventually knock him out. At the same time, Sasuke stood protectively in front of Tenten and behind Sasuke.

The raven-haired boy smirked. "Haven't you ever been taught not to hit a girl?"

"Neji, Sasuke, " Tenten said in awe that her friends would risk their lives to save her.

"Tenten you stay here okay?" Neji requested as Sasuke jumped up to continue fighting.

All the brunette could do was nod before Neji showed her a sincere smile, one that the others never really get to see. Neji nodded and ran off, preparing for his wn battle.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!!" Sasuke shoyted as he made the hand signs. The all powerful attack of fire once again took out a majority of the enemy's army. Neji however was taking out a fair amount of his own opponents just as impressively. In the end you wouldn't think Neji ever needed that nature serum.

"Almost got it," I muttered to myself, forcefully rushing as I knew I didn't have much time left.

"Ah!!" Tenten squealed before dodging a blow from one of the sound. To think she was safe for even one minute.

"Don't think we forgot about you," said another as he flipped a sword in his hand. Having knives was one thing. Having swords were juts as dangerous. Maybe even more depending on the person.

"ARGH!!!" the man shouting, preparing to thrust the sword through Tenten. A drop of blood landed on her face, but she felt no pain. And that was because, the blood was not of her own. She opened her eyes hesitantly and gasped t the sight, for Neji had stood in front of her, protecting her once more. And this time, taking a fatal blow.

"Neji," Sasuke whispered, as even I knew something had happened. I was behind a boulder for protection, but I still managed to peek and see what had just happened. Boy did I wish I just stayed down.

Tenten's eyes were filled with horror and fear as her hand clutched over her mouth to try to prevent the gasp that escaped her lips. "Neji..."

"Sakua... Sasuke," Neji whispered as he started to loose himself. "Protect... Tenten..." he said before falling down.

"NEJI!" Tenten cried, tears finally rolling down her eyes as she forced her self to Neji;s side, trying to stopp the bleeding. Though she knew she could do nothing. "No, no, no."

"Okay that's it!" I shouted, starting to gte pissed off with these Sound guys. I came out of hiding by jumping up into mid air. I balled my leather glove up into a fist and shouted as I neared the ground.

"Oh shoot," Sasuke said as he quickly got a wounded Neji and Tenten away from harm's way, knowing a devastating attack from Sakura would attack anyone and everyone.

"AGH!!!" My fist collided with the ground and it sent a short-range earthquake to all of the Sound present. Luckily Sasuke Neji and Tenten were out of harm's way, but at least the battle was over.

--

"Such a dramatic week this is turning out to be," Kiba commented as he helped Hinata prepare dinner for the gang.

At the moment I was in the lab giving Neji emergency treatment with Shikamaru's assistance.

"I know," Hinata said, sounding somewhat down. "I hope Neji is okay, though. Having both Tenten and Neji treated in the lab all in the same week must be stressful for the both of them."

"Leave it to you to worry the most," Kiba said.

Hinata's innocent smiled lingered down into the water she carried in a small pitcher. "I know it's useless to worry, because in the end it always works out," she said, clutching onto her locket. "Right Kiba?" she asked with a smile.

Kiba couldn't help but smile back. "Right."

FLASH

Hinata and Kiba both looked back, seeing Konohamaru having taken a picture with Akamaru on his head. "Another one for the book!"

Kiba sweatdropped as Hinata giggled at his expression. "That kid...," Kiba muttered with a look.

--

I was now walking through the Shelter, now that my day was done. And what a day without a couple of scratches on my skin?

"Sakura," Sasuke said as I passed by his room.

"Oh, hi Sasuke," I said as he ran up to catch up with me.

"Neji's alright now I assume?"

I smiled and nodded proudly. "He'll be fine in a few days. But you know what the best part is?"

"What."

"Tenten got her memory back," I announced happily.

"Seriously?" Sasuke asked, not expecting that. "Did you reverse that memory wiper?"

"Actually," I said, taking it out of my pocket. "It's still broken," I showed.

"So... how-"

My head shook before I interrupted him. "It's all Tenten. She got her memory back on her own."

"Is that possible?" Sasuke questioned.

"In Tenten's case it probably wasn't," I answered. "To be honest I still haven't figured it out myself. But from what she told me, she said she got her memory back bit by bit right after Neji was struck by that sword."

"Wow," was all Sasuke had to say. "I mean, is that really all these is to it? Neji getting hurt? If that was the case we would have had Naruto attack Neji on our own."

I shrugged. "The heart does incredible things, Sasuke."

"Hn," he said. "Leave it to you finish it of by saying something like that."

"You intending something in there?" I asked with a vein.

"You know what, let's just drop this conversation," Sasuke said, holding up his hands. He knew he wouldn't win an argument with me, let alone want to try.

I guess in the end Tenten's friendship with Neji was stronger than any Sound technology. But in the lab, Neji was recovering and sleeping in the medical bed. And Tenten was sleeping as well on a chair beside Neji. Her head rested on her amrs on the bed, but both her's and Neji's hands held together with intertwined fingers.