AN: So here we are again. I realize I probably should've should have said this earlier… like at the beginning of the fic, but frankly I forgot so I'll say it now. As much as I wish I did, I do not own the Naruto Franchise or any article, character, or whatever contained therein… there, I said it. Now the big Japanese Lawyers can't sue me lol. I bring you a chapter 21, filled with all kinds of fun little bits for everyone! Read, Enjoy, Review!
Trials and Tribulations… of Soon to be Teenagers
They were all empty. Every single one of the twelve ramen bowls was completely drained of its contents, and a very full, correction, completely stuffed Naruto sat back from the cluttered counter and let out a deeply content sigh, while Sakura who sat not two feet to his left just smiled and leaned her elbow on the bar.
All throughout the meal Sakura had been nothing but cordial and kind. She had nothing bad to say about anyone or anything and filled Naruto in on how things had been going in the village, or at least as much as she knew anyway. The pink haired girl even managed to eek a note out of Kyuubi about how she was being 'unusually pleasant.' But it didn't bother Naruto at all, and before he knew it he had forgotten all about the awkward hand holding incident that had happened earlier that day.
"Man that was great," said Naruto, "Ichiraku always is."
"Got that right, best place in town," said Ayame from behind the bar.
Sakura glanced at the waitress, smiled, and dropped a generous tip on the counter which Ayame took with a 'thank you.' The pink haired girl then turned back to Naruto as the waitress turned to leave for the back, looking over her shoulder.
"So," said Sakura, "now that we can actually talk, why don't you tell me how that mission to the Wave went?"
"Um," said Naruto, who was actually beginning to tire of telling the same story over and over again, "I can give you the long and short of it on the way home if you want, but I'm really curious as to how you've been. Honestly I was worried about you the whole time we were in the Wave, but the mission wasn't really letting me write back."
Sakura smiled and looked down at the floor below her feet, "I've been ok I guess, give what happened."
Naruto listened intently, hoping he wasn't dragging out any memory she was uncomfortable with.
"I don't really remember anything about the battle," she continued as the last of the customers left the ramen shack, "or being wounded. The only impression I can recall is … is wanting to make sure that you were ok."
Naruto glanced away from her for a second and then looked back towards her not sure what to say. "I do appreciate it," he finally managed, "But I wish that you would've just saved yourself all the trouble. I mean don't get me wrong I'm thankful but you almost died."
She just smiled and didn't look up from the floor, but rather concentrated on shuffling a bit of trash around with her sandal.
"Naruto," she said after a moments pause, "death has a funny way of altering the way people can look at things. We've both been there, but I think we both realize it. You've been different, still a great guy, but more grown up since Inoichi almost killed you, and I… I haven't felt quite the same since that battle."
"I think coming face to face with death has a way of forcing you to grow up a little," said Naruto, "But you're still Sakura to me."
She smiled, "I'm glad you still see me that way, though I'm not sure I am. I realized just how… fragile life can be. Let's face it, all it takes is a second and it can be over, but it also made me think about just how precious life is, and how we need to treasure every minute of it."
Naruto nodded, and thought a little about what she was saying.
Deep thoughts for one so young, said Kyuubi, but her words do not lack wisdom, and you might be wise to listen to what she has to say.
I know, thought Naruto, I guess she has changed a little, and maybe it's for the better.
She thinks about the world with a mind that has come to realize just how frail you humans are.
"I agree," said Naruto, "That's why we need to protect not just ourselves but those around us, because that life is so precious."
Sakura didn't answer. For a long moment it seemed to Naruto that she wouldn't speak because she simply sat there and looked at the floor, apparently lost in thought, but both by his own hesitance to interrupt her thoughts and mention from Kyuubi that it would be rude to do so, he waited to see what she'd say. He sat there studying her demeanor, taking notice of how more than her attitude and clothes had changed. When the blonde took a closer look it seemed her whole appearance had undergone some transformation.
The only way Naruto could think to describe it was that she looked more mature than the last time he had seen her. She didn't have the same childish glow she used to, but instead possessed a cooler, less brazen aura about her. It wasn't long until Naruto wondered how in the world he hadn't caught onto the difference before.
"The people we care about," she muttered finally, looking up and right into his eyes, "Naruto…" she hesitated, "I just wanted to say that I… think you're … a really good guy."
Naruto smiled and put a hand behind his head. "Thanks Sakura-Chan, I try to do my best."
Sakura's hand trembled, and she quickly set both hands in her lap and looked away from him. Had Naruto looked as closely at her no as he had before, he would have realized that sweat was actually beginning to bead on her brow, and that despite her best efforts Sakura couldn't keep her shoulders from quivering, but instead he was suddenly too concerned with avoiding her gaze to notice.
A few times Naruto made an effort to look up at her, but for whatever reason, every time he tried he suddenly found it hard to concentrate, and he found himself staring at the same spot on the floor.
Are you alright, kit? asked the demon, a hint of actual concern in his voice, Say something… to anyone.
I just don't really know what to say right now.
For one as talkative as you that's a switch. Maybe you should offer to walk her home now.
Naruto thought for a moment, then decided it was a good idea to make the offer before he said, or didn't say something in his sudden stupor that he'd later regret.
"Hey, Sakura," Naruto began almost timidly, still not entirely collected, "You said you'd like me to walk you home, right?"
She nodded, then looked up and said "yeah, how about we head out?"
Naruto mirrored Sakura and said 'yeah.'
The two of them got up from the bar. Naruto took out his wallet and set the payment for the meal on the counter, plus a little tip for Ayame, while at the same time Sakura pulled from he dress a small coin purse and put yet another sum on the counter, and neither one noticed the other paying for the ramen. They stepped out of the shack, and began to walk down the road towards the Haruno house, not really paying attention to what was going on around them.
"Sakura," said Naruto after they'd walked in a awkward silence almost the whole way to her house.
She looked over and quizzically asked what was on his mind.
"I just was going to say that I missed you while we were in the Wave, and all of us were worried about you."
Sakura smiled and even blushed a little before she said anything.
"Thanks Naruto, that means a lot to me, and I missed you too."
Naruto looked up and glanced down the way a bit as the reached her front porch, and Sakura reached for the doorknob. She hesitated for a moment and then let her hand fall back down to her side. She turned to Naruto but didn't really look at him.
"Are you alright?" asked Naruto, an air of concern in his voice, "You're shaking."
It was only then that Sakura realized that she was indeed trembling, and she quickly wrapped her arms around herself to try and hold still. "I'm fine," she said tersely, "Just a bit chilled."
Naruto moved like he was going to touch her arm, until some unearthly feeling of uncertainty rushed over him and he just stood there, struck dumb. He didn't know how he should act or what he should say or even what he should think think.
Kyuubi? He asked almost desperately, What do I do?
The great Fox was silent, and had Naruto not been so wrapped up in his own thoughts, or lack thereof, he would've sensed a great amount of discomfort emanating from the demon.
It's time we left… now.
Naruto nodded to himself, wanting to get away from this nervousness, but at the same time not wanting to tear himself away from Sakura. He didn't want to leave her company.
"Naruto…" said Sakura, looking into his eyes and nearly stammering.
"Yes?" he answered, still dumbfounded by some inexplicable force of will that seemed to be strangling his own resolve.
Sakura's eyes darted between Naruto and the city behind him, and she opened her mouth just a bit like she had something to say but couldn't quite find the words. Naruto could feel his heartbeat quickening; an incessant drum roll that pounded in his ears at a furious tempo.
Suddenly Sakura fell, no, stepped forward in an exceptionally quick but still controlled move. She kissed him on the cheek and threw her arms around his shoulders in one fluid motion, then just as quickly she let go and stepped back.
Naruto's mind began to swim like a school of fish on the run from a predator as a thousand different questions, thoughts, and feelings exploded behind his eyes. Had that just happened? What was she thinking? What was he thinking? What should he do now?
It had been nothing more than a quick kiss on the cheek followed by an expedient withdrawal, but as he looked at her standing there with her arms behind her back he didn't know what to think. Something had nearly snapped inside of him and he nearly rushed up and kissed her back, but the same indecision and trepidation that had gripped him before were just as strong now and held him firmly in place.
It was a sickly feeling.
On the one hand he was so enthralled in the moment that his heart was whirling like a hurricane in his chest. His head was spinning. Any of the old clichés would apply as he stood there silently, holding his fingers up over his cheek, but on the other hand he was terrified. There was something about Sakura that was overridingly daunting. Since the ramen shack, she had somehow transformed from the sweet twelve year old girl on whom he used to have a crush into the beautiful and mysterious young woman standing before him now.
To Sakura, the situation was quite different. Trying to describe the mind of a young girl, barely over the threshold of adolescence after she's just initiated what one might call a 'first kiss' is a feat I needn't even bother attempting. Be content to know that Sakura's thoughts were moving in no one comprehensible direction at all, and it showed on her face and in her demeanor.
The girl came across as nothing if not absolutely distraught. She couldn't bring herself to look Naruto in the eye, but nonetheless she was trying desperately to muscle through the embarrassment and say something. The result was that her eyes were madly darting between his forehead and sandals, whilst her arms were wrapping her in a tight fisted embrace.
"I'm sorry!" she blurted, just before throwing open the front door and trying to dash inside… but slipping and scrapping her knee on the concrete porch. "I didn't-" she tried to think of something to say but just fell silent, jumped up, and slammed the door.
Naruto was still standing there, as dumb as any rock in Suna, and stared dimly into space.
Kit… kit… kit, it's time to snap out of this.
Naruto twitched, and nearly fell backwards but caught himself and turned around to leave.
What just happened?
I'm not sure. I think… no, that's not it, but suffice it to say that … well I can't say that either. I don't know kit. Human courting rituals are strange to me. Perhaps it's time we returned home to the Yamanaka's.
Yeah… I think I need something normal… for once.
Don't forget the ramen.
Right.
SC
"Idiot!" shouted Sakura as she roughly kicked a footstool out from beneath her foot. "What in was I thinking? I'm such an idiot!"
Sakura began to pace the length of her living room, and with no small amount of anguish did she knock away or nearly trip over any poor piece of furniture that got in her way. After a while, her path elongated into an ellipse, then into a full circle that spanned the area of the room, meanwhile her hands and arms were shaking, balling into fists, and launching up into the air more and more erratically while her voice was fading into an undertone.
"How could I do that? I must've been out of my mind!" Sakura suddenly burst out. "Way to blow it, now Ino is going to completely have her way with him because you completely choked up and lost it! Brilliant Sakura! Absolutely Brilliant!"
Finally, after she'd run out of things to knock out of her way she collapsed on the couch in a heap and pulled one of the decorative pillows close to her. She curled around the cushion and buried her face in it.
"Ino is going to be the death of me," she muttered, "This is all her fault."
SC
Ino lay on her side on the couch, turned with her face towards the wall while her mother sat opposite her in a recliner, leaning back and finishing up a long, rather one sided conversation. The two blondes hadn't really changed positions or even changed facial expressions for nearly two hours.
"Can you see where I'm coming from?" asked Mrs. Yamanaka, "I mean I really only want what's best for you and right now I don't want you getting in over your head with anything."
"I know mother," said Ino almost defensively, "but what I'm trying to say is that I don't see anything wrong with wanting to move forward with this. It may be a bit of a risk but I'm fine with it. It would be a good thing to have work out after all, right?"
"Yes dear, it would be," said Mrs. Yamanaka as she sat back in her chair and crossed her ankles. "but again, I don't want you to get hurt. Things like this are, or at least can be, very dangerous"
Ino sat up and begrudgingly crossed her arms. "You don't think I can handle it," said the girl, "You think I'd mess up or something and then suddenly my life is over all because I made one little mistake. I'm a ninja now, I know how to handle myself."
"But you're also still just a little girl," said her mother in a soothing tone, "and you're my little girl. I don't want to see you get hurt."
"Mother," said Ino tersely, "I can handle it."
"Alright," said Mrs. Yamanaka, "If you're sure your ready…"
Ino just nodded, "I'm ready to learn. I saw how Naruto and Sasuke fought on that bridge. They were inhuman. How can you expect me to keep up with them and not just be deadweight for the team if you don't teach me the techniques I was supposed to learn anyway?"
"I know dear, I just wish your father were here to teach them to you and I wish that you were older. The Spirit manipulating jutsus are, by all rights, forbidden, and allowed to be learned by our family for very special purposes. And it's not for no reason. They can be just as dangerous to you as to the enemy."
Ino hesitated, then stood up as tall as she could and tried to assume a dignified appearance. "I can handle it," she began, "please, let me learn. I want to work for the good of the village and… and…"
She thought back to just how much it had hurt to wake and discover that Naruto had needed to fight so desperately on her behalf. It pained her to know how much she had worried him, to see the agonized look in his eyes when she first woke up, when he wasn't sure if she would pull through or not. She never wanted to see that look again.
"I want to be able to help Naruto," she continued, "I don't want him to have to constantly look after me."
Mrs. Yamanaka smiled for the first time during their whole talk and took a deep breath. "Honey, Naruto is a great guy, and he's obviously stronger than anyone knew, but I don't think he really needs to look after you."
"But, I … Zabuza took me hostage and I barely scratched him."
"Not true," said her mother, "I spoke with the Hokage who read Kakashi-San's report. According to them you critically wounded Zabuza, who was almost as strong as Kakashi-San. A genin fighting a Jounin is unprecedented. A genin nearly killing a Jounin… that's just unheard of, besides, you'll grow."
"I guess, but I still want to learn those jutsus."
"If you're positive," said Mrs. Yamanaka hesitantly, "but you have to promise to be careful with them."
"I will," said Ino, "But there's something I'm curious about. I have been for a little while now."
"What's on your mind?"
"How did you learn the jutsus if they're so secret?"
Ino's mother just grinned a little. "That should be obvious dear. You didn't think your father wanted to leave me completely defenseless do you? He taught me most of what he knew."
Just then there was a knock on the door and both girls jumped at the noise.
"Come in!" yelled Mrs. Yamanaka then whispered to Ino, "we'll have to finish this another time."
Ino nodded as the door swung open and Naruto poked his head in and asked if he was too early.
"Not in the least," said Ino happily as she got up to greet him, "we were just finishing up actually."
"Great," said the boy as he came in fully, hauling with him two large take home boxes from Ichiraku. "I hope everyone is hungry because they were having a special."
"Starving," said Ino.
"I'll grab the lemon pepper seasoning," said Mrs. Yamanaka as she got up and opened the door to the garden, "Just bring everything into the kitchen you two."
"Can do," Ino and Naruto both shouted after her.
Ino smiled and looked up at Naruto. "Missed you," she said happily.
"I was just gone a little while," said Naruto grinning.
"I know," said Ino. "Didn't stop me from missing you though."
Naruto just beamed as he handed off one of the bags to Ino while the two of them made their way into the kitchen and set the supplies down on the counter. Ino began unpacking the meal while Naruto went to a cabinet and pulled out three bowls and three sets of chopsticks. The boy went about setting the table while Ino surveyed everything that had been purchased.
"Three bowls worth of Misao, three of chicken, three of beef, supreme, veggie-lovers, low fat," she rattled off, stopping short of the second bag, "And all of them large. Naruto you must've spent a weeks pay on all of this."
"Nah," said the boy looking over his shoulder at her, "They said they'd give it to me at warehouse prices since I was their best customer or something. Now which ones do you think we should cook up first?"
Ino rummaged through the second bag for a second before pulling out one labeled 'stir-fry meats' and set it down by the stove. "I'll take this one," she said, "How about you?"
"Um, how about one of the supreme ones," he said, "Those are normally really good."
Ino nodded and set a pot of cooking oil on the stove and lit the flame. "Those are the ones Chouji used to eat all the time," said the girl, "I wonder how he's doing."
"I'm not sure," said Naruto shrugging his shoulders as he finished the table, "I can't imagine he isn't great though. I mean Chouji and the rest of the Akimichies are good ninja after all."
"I guess," said Ino as she dropped a brick of ramen into the now boiling oil, "He and Shikamaru were always a lot of funny. Chouji was always pestering Shikamaru who was just wanting to lay around and be lazy."
Naruto grinned. "Yeah, Shikamaru is supposed to be in ANBU now and last I heard he was off investigating the Suna for some kind of plot."
"How do you know?" asked Ino, "ANBU operations are always top secret."
Naruto gulped. He hadn't expected her to ask about it, and he wasn't about to tell her that Kyuubi could hear everything going on for miles around.
"Kakashi-Sensei talks in his sleep," said Naruto off the top of his head.
Ino giggled. "Liar," she said playfully, tossing a seasoning shaker at him then continued in a fun loving tone, "I'll let it go though, seeing as how we ninja can never reveal our sources." She glanced over at him, then quickly looked back down at the ramen in mock ninja fashion.
Naruto, not one to let a game pass by unchallenged, crouched down and out his hands together in the rat seal. He focused the newly molded chakra into the souls of his shoes (with a little help concerning the focusing part from Kyuubi) and began to silently creep towards her.
Soundlessly he crept up right behind her and let his face hover right beside her shoulder. It was all he could do to keep from laughing when he realized she really hadn't detected him thanks to the "padded foot" jutsu he'd picked from his demonic mentor a while back.
There's no way she hasn't noticed you by now. Your breathing has been so heavy, the only way you could've stayed quiet is if she's completely out in her own world.
Hush, Naruto mentally hissed.
It's not like she can hear me anyway.
But you're going to make me lose my focus.
I never knew you had any.
Naruto cringed but otherwise ignored the remark and instead focused on his little contest of stealth. He began to wonder if she really hadn't noticed him or if she was simply ignoring him for the sake of a fun little game.
"Smells good," Naruto whispered.
Ino shrieked.
"God don't do that!" she yelled as Naruto stumbled back with ringing ears, "I almost slapped you."
"Sorry," mumbled Naruto, catching his balance and rubbed his now throbbing temples, "I thought you knew I was there."
"Everyone ok in here?" asked Mrs. Yamanaka walking in from the door to the garden, "who screamed?"
"Just fine," said Ino, "Naruto just scarred half the life right out of me."
Mrs. Yamanaka put on her best stern face and looked over at Naruto, trying her best but not really succeeding at looking angry. Try as she might she just couldn't keep her lips from slipping into a faint smile.
Ino as well was trying not to let the penitent and pathetic look that had come over Naruto's face affect her, but it was just too much. He looked too much like the young child who'd been caught with his hand in the candy drawer and she couldn't find it in her to be angry with him.
"It's alright," said Ino finally allowing a smile to cross her face, "Just don't do it again or I might haul off and hit you."
"Ok," said Naruto, still unsure if he was ok.
"C'mon," said Mrs. Yamanaka, "I'll wash my hands and we can all just have dinner and Naruto can let us know how his day went."
A lump suddenly formed in Naruto's throat though he wasn't entirely sure why, until he remembered exactly what had happened between him and Sakura not an hour before. His mind involuntarily began to churn for excuses to avoid the conversation, until he settled on the one that seemed the most logical.
"It was nothing too major," he said, "I just wandered around mostly and went to Ichiraku." He was almost certain that neither of them would be too happy if they knew he'd been hanging around with Sakura, and he knew Ino would be far from cheerful if she found out about the … incident on the Haruno porch.
"It's got to be better that what mother and I talked about," said Ino playfully, "All of the awkward silences, the unspeakable topics," she winked at her mother, "It was just awful in the worst way."
"Oh," said Mrs. Yamanaka, over dramatizing her words and the accompanying actions, "It was simply dreadful. Some girls just don't know how to hold a conversation well. You just must relieve us and tell us how your day went, down to the last detail."
Though it was all meant in jest, by now Naruto's face was beginning to take on a distinct hue of crimson. "It was nothing important," he stammered.
Just then there was a loud knock on the door and Naruto nearly leapt out of his seat to get it, muttering that he had it. Mrs. Yamanaka and Ino too got up, as neither was expecting company, and followed Naruto to the living room.
The boy opened the door up and in an exasperated but controlled tone greeted Kakashi, who was standing at the door with a large manila envelope in hand and an unusually large hawk trailing behind him on the ground, hopping along the path not unlike a dog.
"Top of the evening to you," said the Jounin (even though it was really only late afternoon) with a smile and a tip of the hand to Mrs. Yamanaka and the children.
"Good evening Kakashi-San," said the woman wiping some of the dirt from the garden off of her hands and onto the apron she wore around her lean frame. "What can we do for you?"
"Hi Kakashi-Sensei," said Naruto and Ino in unison.
"What are you doing here?" asked Ino.
"Well if you'd rather I could leave," said the Jounin with a grin showing through his mask, "But then you wouldn't get this nice letter from the Hokage about the training session tomorrow."
"Training session?" asked Naruto as the Jounin handed him the envelope, "What training?"
Kakashi gasped and put his hand over his masked mouth, "Did I say that out loud?" he said with a wink. "I'm sorry, I wasn't supposed to tell you that you and the rest of the rookie nine are meeting tomorrow for SURVIVAL TRAINING" he emphasized the words to no end and then paused. "Survival Training," he repeated.
"Um, thanks," said Naruto as he looked down at the envelope.
"Don't be late," said Kakashi as he began to walk away.
"Wait," said Mrs. Yamanaka abruptly.
The Jounin turned around and glanced back at the three of them.
"We're having Ichiraku for dinner and would love to have you join us Kakashi-San."
The copy nin waved a hand dismissively but not unkindly and turned back to face them. "Oh no thank you," he said kindly, "I've got my own dinner boiling at home and I wouldn't want to take away from yours."
He turned and walked away a little more quickly this time, leaving the two genin and the woman to close the door and walk back inside after shouting a group "Goodbye."
"Couldn't he have gotten in big trouble for doing that?" asked Ino.
"Doing what?" asked Naruto as he popped the seal on the envelope and pulled out a crisp sheet of brown paper, printed with jet black ink.
"Telling us things he wasn't supposed to," finished the girl.
Naruto began to read over the paper as Mrs. Yamanaka piped up, "No, he just wouldn't reveal anything he really wasn't supposed to. Kakashi may be a bit of a maverick, but he's loyal to a fault."
"What do you mean?" asked Ino.
"He and your Father worked together a little back in their Chuunin days," said her mother, "And Inoichi would endlessly gripe complain about Kakashi and how he was always doing things his own way." Mrs. Yamanaka almost laughed then continued, "But of course that's not why your father was angry, but because whatever Kakashi did would work."
"Father was always really big on protocol," mumbled Ino.
"You have no idea," said Mrs. Yamanaka in an undertone, almost to herself, "he used to be so bad about it that I was temped to jack slap him a few times for being so rigid, but then we got married and he eased up a bit. But you can imagine how much it bothered him that Kakashi was always doing things so unorthodoxly."
"I guess," said Ino as Naruto looked up from the letter, "What's it say?"
Naruto looked back down and began to read from the opening sentences, "Dear members of Team Seven, your presence at a gathering tomorrow has been requested, and you are to assemble with all of your necessary ninja gear and tools at the North Eastern Training grounds one hour before sunrise. It has been requested that you bring no company or outside acquaintances for the sake of security. Rest up and be punctual."
"Well they sound happy," said Mrs. Yamanaka, "you two should probably finish dinner and then just focus on relaxing and getting a good nights sleep."
"Yeah," nodded Naruto.
I smell intensive training tonight between the two of us kit, grumbled Kyuubi.
SC
"Neji-San, you in there!?" shouted the Hyuuga guard as he banged loudly on the heavy oak door leading to the genin's quarters.
The whole of the Hyuuga estate had been mostly inactive for several days after Hiashi, the Head of the Clan, had discovered the body of a dead ANBU soldier, scuered on a sharpened tree limb within the clan grounds. Hiashi had the whole clan put on alert following the ANBU investigation, and immediately turned the body of the dead Ninja over to the Hokage.
While the autopsy results were inconclusive, it seemed that the spearing of the body was performed after the Nin died, and that it was a single blow to the heart with an open hand that actually killed him. To further complicate matters, there was no evidence that the brute force of the blow, although it was enough to crack the sternum, was the death blow, suggesting that the attack was chakra based.
"Neji-San!" shouted the white eyed guard again, "Lord Hiashi has demanded that you appear before him in the meeting chamber for questioning."
While it was no secret that Neji had been seen skulking around the halls of the mansion, it was not quite so well known that he had of late become increasingly irritable. Even the slightest provocation and he would leap into a battle stance like a frightened academy student. No one quite knew why except Neji himself and he had stopped speaking to anyone.
"If you don't unlock this door Neji-San" said the guard sternly, "I will break it down." Obviously the thought hadn't occurred to him that Neji could be anywhere in the branch house complex.
It had been reported to Hiashi that when he wasn't stalking around like a hunted animal, Neji had been spending hours and even days at a time in the clan library, pouring over books and old scrolls, reading everything he could about the Hyuuga history before the founding of Konoha. He had been obsessing over details that seemed minute; highlighting and underlining anything he could find about old clan leaders, their wives and children, etc.
"One," began the guard after he failed to unlock the door with a jutsu, "Two," he pressed his hand against the oak, "Three!!"
The wood splintered with a loud crack and blew away like balsa beneath his hand and he shuffled quickly through the opening. The guard raised his hands into the typical defensive jyuukin posturing and pressed his back to the wall.
Immediately he knew something was horribly wrong. The furniture was jumbled and tossed about. Several articles were broken, and the light fixture that usually hung from the ceiling had been ripped down and thrown against the wall. The bookshelf had been thrown to the ground and papers were everywhere.
"Neji-San," he said loudly, his words echoing down the polished walls, "Hiashi only wants to talk with you. No one is saying anything about any trouble."
The guard advanced slowly towards the bathroom door and began to push it open a little with one hand. He peered in the crack but saw nothing so he forced it open all the way and stepped in.
"Shit," he growled as he saw a body laying face down on the ground. The guard cautiously but quickly knelt down and rolled the body over. It was Neji, eyes rolled back in his head and barely breathing, with bloody puncture marks all over his chest and arms.
"Help!" he shouted, scooping Neji up in his arms and moving to get out of the room, "Assassin!!"
AN: One more chapter down and not too many left to go. Well congrats on sticking out another one. I hope the ending was enough to get some curiosity aroused, and that there was enough of everything else. So drop me a review, let me know how I'm doing. Even if it's just a little one liner, it's still better than no review at all lol. Plus I do take questions if anyone wants to ask, I'd be more than happy to provide an answer Anyway, Sayonara until we meet again.