Chapter Twenty-Nine
Explosion
Okay you got it
It's in the can
Before I played it
You knew my hand
You could turn a free throw
Into a goal
Boy you got the peephole
To my soul – Nicki Minaj; Right Through Me
-Explosion-
Sometimes, I just don't get the mentality of that girl.
Kankuro took small, quiet steps up to the porch of the abandoned house by the forest, laughing slightly to himself at the kicked-in door.
That was mistake number two.
Mistake number one was that she didn't exactly make sure that he had gone inside. He had been outside the entire time, quiet as a mouse in the shadows of the house where his brother, sister, and all of his sister's gang members and friends were in. He'd watched as the pinkette had trailed into the house, rage floating around her in an aura spiked by love.
Because it was obvious that Sakura loved that guy; that dude, Sasuke.
He smirked to himself as he entered the house, taking quiet and careful steps. He made his way around the first floor, checking the guest bedroom, the half bathroom, the kitchen, the living room and the corners of the dark hallway. Sakura was still down there with him, checking and rechecking everywhere he was checking to make sure that no one was on the bottom floor. He was slick, and quiet, and really good at hiding, so whenever she came toward him, he slid into a dark corner, where even her keen senses wouldn't pick up a trace.
Finally, she made her way up to the second floor, the stairs creaking with every step she took, which made her whisper out swear words to herself. He had a damn hard time fighting back snickers at that. Sakura was psychotic when she got angry, which in most cases, was an entirely humorous and good thing. Unless of course, she was angry at you; that just meant that you were screwed.
He didn't bother waiting for her to finish her ascent to the second floor. He went around one more time, double checking everywhere she had double-checked and beyond. Once he was absolutely positive that there was no one on the bottom floor with him, he made his way over to the steps, just as Sakura made her way to the top.
Before he could even step onto the first stair, he heard a sound that seemed to tear at the wall of silence that had swallowed the house whole. It was so quiet it was nearly dead silent. But he had heard it.
And apparently, so had Sakura.
The sound had been like the ruffle of the sheets on a bed, like a knife being drawn from a billowy sleeve, or a pair of uniform pants.
He's on the second floor.
There was the sound of something metal being drawn. A kunai, he thought to himself as he heard a few loud steps, and then a foot dragging across the floor.
He could imagine the fight if he closed his eyes (although he didn't shut them for a second); Sakura trying to cut him in some way, and judging by the dragging sound, Sasuke taking a step and easily sliding to the side and avoiding the slice. A loud clang made his eyes narrow, however, and he caught the glint of moonlight hitting something metallic. Her kunai, he thought to himself as it bounced up and down. That was mistake number three. He caught it in his hand, figuring that it had bounced enough times to trick her into thinking that it had fallen all the way down.
Then he bent down and touched the first wooden step carefully, feeling for the spot where it would creak least. He didn't close his eyes to concentrate; he'd learned long ago that closing your eyes in unknown territory could be life or death when you were in a gang. Besides, he could concentrate just as well with his eyes open and still be alert and aware of his surroundings. He pressed down carefully on the center of the step, and stopped almost immediately when he heard a small creak. He thanked the stars that Sakura and Sasuke were fighting wildly enough that they didn't hear it. He probed gently, eyes trailing where his fingers touched the old wood of the stair. He pressed down and dragged his finger to the side of the staircase, toward the wall, and smirked to himself when it didn't creak. "Found ya," he said to himself.
Now all I have to do is keep to the right.
And that he did, but not before he looked to the top of the staircase to ensure that Sakura and Sasuke wouldn't take note of him until after he knocked Sasuke out. Then, he began his near dead silent ascent up to the second floor of the old, abandoned house they were in. The stairs didn't creak once as he made his way up, leaning sideways with his arm extended out to the railing, hand gripping it tightly to ensure his balance. His climb to the second floor was quiet, but painstakingly slow, and therefore very aggravating to Kankuro. He fought the urge to grit his teeth, telling himself that with how quiet the house had suddenly become, it would sound like a parade of people stomping on the ground.
When he finally did reach the top, he let out a small, whispered curse in disbelief.
Sasuke and Sakura weren't there.
He frowned and pulled out a gun from his waist holster. He pulled back the safety in what had to be the loudest way possible, unintentionally of course. He trailed down the hallway slowly, looking left and right, before he began to check the rooms.
He stepped into the first bedroom, expecting at least Sakura to step out and snuff him and then laugh and apologize when she realized it was him. But that didn't happen. Instead, he looked under the bed, in the closet, and behind the door. There wasn't a sign of anyone at all. He stepped out, brow furrowed into a deep scowl, before he entered the second room.
Five times he repeated the procedure of checking under the beds, checking the wardrobes and closets and behind the doors, and five times, there wasn't a single person in sight. By the time Kankuro finished checking the bathrooms, he was so puzzled it was a miracle he was still in one piece.
Where are they, he wondered to himself. Did they sense me coming and go to fight someplace else? No. Impossible. I was dead silent; I could've been a ghost. He looked around the dark hallway, feeling a chill creep upward along his spinal cord. "Well with this house, it seems likely that there would be a ghost in here," he thought to himself silently. He shuddered, and almost let out a scream when a loud shriek came from the backyard.
"I've told you already, I can take care of myself!"
Sakura!
In a movement that beat sound, he darted over to the huge window at the end of the hall and looked out into the backyard.
What he saw shocked him.
Sakura was in Sasuke's arms with her arms crossed over her chest and a deep-set frown planted on her brow. Sasuke's arms seemed to be tight around her, and it seemed as though Sakura had no intention of moving. However, she did seem mildly angry with him. There was intent in her eyes. Kankuro could've sworn he saw a sort of fierce thirst to prove herself in her eyes. He noticed it easily.
He'd worn the look just barely three years ago, to this day, fighting for Tenten in a way that proved he would protect her, but didn't outright show his feelings for her.
Or at least, that's what he had thought.
I should probably try a different tactic next time, he noted mentally.
He shifted his full attention back on what was happening now. He saw a wild apology in Sasuke's eyes, and yet there was an over-protectiveness that was so strong it chilled him.
He loves her back, he couldn't help but think in disbelief to himself. He actually loves her back.
He'd know the feeling when he saw it.
What the hell is it with this town that makes people fall in love?
He narrowed his eyes in slight suspicion. Something about the picture before him didn't seem right.
What could it be?
It hit him harder than one of Sakura's punches.
Something was clouding over the protectiveness and love Sasuke felt for Sakura, and it showed only in his eyes. Kankuro could see it from here. He narrowed his eyes in concentration, focusing hard on Sasuke, studying the dizzying emotions in his eyes.
Yes, there was something there, thick as puffy clouds and dark as midnight.
But what could it be, Kankuro repeated mentally to himself.
He recognized it, but couldn't remember it. It was right on the edge of his mind, itching to be pushed back into the center. But he couldn't reach it to put it back in place. He narrowed his eyes more as Sasuke pulled Sakura back to him, whispering something in her ear on the side that was hidden from Kankuro. He couldn't hear it, but with the way it made Sakura tense, he had a feeling it was something threatening or sexual…or both.
Did he just threaten to rape her? Because I hope he knows it's not rape if she likes it.
Finally, Kankuro caught what had gone wrong in this little bubble that the two had created. Sasuke had tensed way before Sakura had.
This time he didn't hear it, he saw it. It glinted under the moonlight briefly, and sent Kankuro's heart to his feet. "Sakura, watch out!" He screamed out of instinct, throwing a pocket knife at Sasuke so fast it was almost certainly going to rip through the air.
Well it certainly did, because that was all it came into contact with.
He felt bewildered for a second. He could've sworn that Sasuke had been holding Sakura directly in front of him. Now, he saw no one.
They just, poof, up and disappeared the instant the knife was supposed to have slashed him.
A voice behind him made him whip out another knife and slash at the air behind him.
"Looking for me?"
-Explosion-
His heart ached at the sight before him. It's all my fault, he thought to himself. If I hadn't been such a fucking bastard… He shut his eyes, not wanting to finish the thought. He shook his head, opening his eyes again to look at the sallow face of his girlfriend. Her skin was as pale as paper and her eyes becoming more soulless by the minute. The spark that they'd usually held was fading fast, and her pupil was so dilated it took up almost her entire eye. Her bangs were scurried and frayed across her forehead, matted and frizzy from what must've been a tough fight. Or a long run, he thought to himself as he gently pushed the short hairs away from her eyes. Her skin was near ice-cold to the touch, and it stabbed fear through his heart. Her twin buns were slowly falling from their tight ribbons, little wisps of brown, wavy hair tumbling from them down to her shoulders. Her hair grew, he thought to himself almost absently.
Unconsciously, his gaze trailed downward, to the large blood stain that was right over the center of her skirt and spread out to the sides. His eyes widened, and what he did next could've, if she had been awake and well, been the death of him.
He lifted her skirt and inspected her inner thighs and crotch with those gifted eyes of his. He narrowed them slightly, analyzing the blood all along the inside of her legs. I don't think this was any normal period, he thought to himself.
Carefully, he brought her skirt back down and slid one of his arms under her knee. He slid the other one behind the back of her neck and slowly stood. Under the better lighting at the higher elevation, he could see her long, dark eyelashes resting against her cheeks. Her chest heaved with each labored breath she took. He would've bit his lip, but he was Neji Hyuga, and the only lip he ever bit was Tenten's.
And she was currently dying in his arms.
Not if I can get her to Sakura in time, he thought to himself, looking out in the direction he'd come. It was dark and unpromising, abandoned, and looked, even though he'd never admit to himself, scary. And it's a three mile run…that's like half an hour of running. Looking down at her, it seemed as though she had only minutes left. He shook his head. No, dammit, she'll live if you get to hauling ass back home.
He frowned to himself and began to sprint down the street, on the trail back to his home, being sure to keep a good yet gentle grip on the girl in his arms. If he let her fall, she would surely die, and he would probably kill himself just for letting it happen. And for causing it, he thought to himself. All he could see was darkness; the kind that consumed and ate at you, shoving fear into your mind and putting you in the most disturbed state of consciousness. He was so far disturbed by his girlfriend's health that it didn't matter at the moment that the darkness was pressing in on both of them, bringing forth the threat of murder and an unpromising trail home.
He continued to sprint, one thought racing through his mind at the same speed his feet pounded against the pavement. Don't die on me, Tenten.
xXOXx
He sensed it before he saw it; sensed that they were being watched.
There was silence for a moment after what he'd said; the pinkette in his arms was still and quiet. His scowl deepened, and he smoothed some of her hair back from her face. "What's wrong?" She crossed her arms over her chest. "It's just that you act as if I can't take care of myself." Sasuke shook his head. "I never said that; I know you can take care of yourself. But Orochimaru's powers are incredible; in a bad kind of way. You don't know what he would do to you if he grabbed a hold of you." She let out a sigh with a deep-set scowl, showing that her bad temper was going to take hold of her. "He's going to kill me, simple as that."
He shook his head again. "No, not as simple as that. Do you know what he's going to do to you before then?" She raised an eyebrow. "Kidnap me? Tie me down to a chair or bed or something and set me on fire or something?" He paused for a second, thoughts filled with darkness running through his mind. He snapped out of it, shook his head again, and said, "No; but that's not too far off. Sakura, he would torture you into insanity, and get you to spill anything and everything you know about Kunai and Akuri Kaze. Then he'll kill them in front of you and then tie you to a bed or chair and set you on fire." She didn't lower that thin, challenging, pink eyebrow. "And who said I would let him get that far? Sasuke, have you not seen how complex my mind is? I can easily find a way out."
"And if he has guards watching you at all hours," he retorted. She let out a laugh that chilled him to the bone. "I don't need my hands and legs to free myself. I've got a special…connection with the girls." He raised an eyebrow, backing away a little but not letting go. Then he let out a rather loud sigh. "But I'd rather not have it get that far. If I can help it, I would like to keep you as safe as possible, and the way to do that is by not telling you. I'm sorry; I can't risk putting you in danger. You mean way too much to me."
A small smile graced those rosy lips of hers, and she leaned up and kissed him lightly on the lips before saying, "As sweet as that is, I still think you should tell me, Sasuke. I promise, I can take care of myself if and when I need to." He still wasn't convinced. He shook his head for the fourth time and she let out a loud huff. "Why do you insist on being so overprotective?" She pouted cutely and squeezed her arm. Releasing her anger, he thought to himself subconsciously. "I've told you time and time again, I can defend myself!" He frowned back at her. "And I've told you time and time again, I would rather have you not having to look over your shoulder every two seconds to ensure your safety!"
"I've told you already I can take care of myself!"
Then he sensed it; like a slithering snake in the dark, ready to inject venom. Someone was watching them, intruding on a conversation that was entirely confidential.
He threw Sakura a wild apology with his eyes, looking into hers and seeing a loud, dizzying thirst to prove herself; to prove that she could handle and defend herself. He tried not to tense, to let his thorns be bristled, but he couldn't help but get defensive. It was his natural reaction to any kind of threat, large or small. His posture stiffened immediately and he hoped to the stars that whoever was watching them was too much of an idiot to notice what had just happened. He slowly pulled Sakura forward, aligning his mouth with the side of her face so that whoever was watching couldn't see from the window. Sakura didn't pull away, and it wasn't like he was going to let her anyway. His grip on her was strict and tight. "Don't say another word," he whispered in her ear. "Someone's watching; if they hear us, then we'll both be in some deep shit."
She tensed almost immediately, but didn't grab onto him. She kept her arms crossed, but from the corner of his eye, he could sense her biting her lip lightly on the side that was hidden from the window. In a movement that was so quick, it defied the speed of sound, Sasuke slipped a knife out into his hand. That didn't stop it from glinting brightly in the moonlight.
"Sakura, watch out!"
The air whistled as a metallic point sped toward Sasuke. He grabbed onto Sakura tightly and just barely managed to dodge the knife, turning to the other side of the tree. He let go as soon as he reached the flipside and in slick, quick steps that defied the laws of nature, he was standing behind Kankuro, internally laughing at the confused and awestruck face that he wore as he searched for him. "Looking for me," he asked from behind him, smirking and doing his little disappearing act again as Kankuro turned, knife in his hand, to attempt to swipe him another time.
"You better be quick," he said, smirking as Kankuro turned back around again to swipe him with his knife, only to miss as he sped out of sight again. "You can't catch me," he taunted, smirk broadening as he easily dodged yet another swipe.
"You know what, fuck knives!" Kankuro hurled his knife out the window, forgetting entirely (and obviously) that Sakura was still in the backyard. He whipped out his revolver, pulling back the safety before he pulled it out all the way. The click resounded along the shabby walls of the house. He pointed the gun directly at Sasuke.
Sasuke felt no nervousness or concern whatsoever as Kankuro aimed the gun straight for his forehead. He lifted an eyebrow in challenge and smirked cockily. "Oh, a gun, huh?" He took a step toward Kankuro, who automatically took a step back. He could tell that Kankuro wasn't scared of him, just disgusted at the fact that Sasuke was on the other team. He could practically see what was running through his mind, could practically see what he was thinking and sense his emotions. There was a bitterness directed at him that he couldn't quite place, and a fierce over-protectiveness for Sakura that rivaled his own. Sasuke took another step forward. Kankuro took another step back.
"Did you know that a gun releases energy that shoots the bullet forward at more than two hundred miles an hour?" Kankuro narrowed his eyes, gun held steady forward. "Bet you didn't," Sasuke said, smirking still as he took yet another step forward. He hasn't caught on yet, he thought to himself as he continued to step forward, edging Kankuro closer and closer to the huge open window behind him. He silently sent a thank you to the stars that there was no draft coming in. "Bet you also didn't know," he went on, to distract him, "that guns are pretty useless against me. I'm faster than them, see. Humans have the ability to respond immediately to a threat, if they're trained up just a bit." He continued stepping forward. Kankuro was on the edge, and he finally took note of it. His eyes widened and stared straight into Sasuke's cold, onyx ones.
The raven-haired boy just smirked and leaned forward. "Bet you didn't know that." Kankuro leaned back automatically, wanting his personal space, lost his balance, fell out of the window, gun slipping out of his hand and flying out to his left. He fell unconscious as soon as he hit the ground. Sasuke's smirk lasted a few more seconds as he jumped down, rolled so he wouldn't have to land on his feet and hurt his legs, and then got to his feet, standing up straight to face Sakura.
She had picked up the knife that Kankuro had tossed out the window and was clutching it tightly in her hand. She smiled up at him and whispered softly, "Thanks for not hurting him…too much." Sasuke let out a breath of air and looked sideways. "Why would I hurt your boyfriend? Granted, I wanted to, but then you would hate me." He watched her as she blinked once, twice, three times. And then; "Wait, did you just call Kankuro my boyfriend?" Sasuke frowned. "Yeah, isn't that what he is?"
Shock coursed through his body as she fell into soft chimes of laughter, wrapping her arms around his waist. He looked down at the top of her bubble-gum pink head and wrapped his arms around her neck. "What's so funny?" She looked back up at him, smiling through her eyes as well as her lips. "Kankuro isn't my boyfriend!" His scowl deepened as his confusion did. "Wait, what? But I saw you guys kissing each other on the cheek like twenty minutes ago!" Sakura shook her head, pink hair swishing around her face cutely. "No! Kankuro's like my big brother!" She giggled adorably and put her face in his chest. He could feel the vibrations of her giggles rumbling against his ribcage, echoing into his heart and imprinting there a sound so beautiful that it lit him up from the inside.
She was still single?
Not for long…
"So, if he isn't your boyfriend, can I keep the claim?" She stopped laughing at that and looked up at him. There was pure confusion in those beautiful green orbs of hers. "Wait, you want to be my boyfriend?" He frowned again and nodded. "Is there a problem with that?" She blinked and shook her head slowly, lips pursed. He thought she resembled a doe with the way her eyes were all bugged out in innocence. "So then why do you sound so…questioning?" She glared playfully. "The only person asking all the questions is you, Sasuke." She giggled lightly and laid her head against his chest, smiling softly to herself. His brow was still furrowed into the frown. He was confused; had she accepted his proposal or had she not answered at all?
"Wait, so was that a yes?" She looked up at him, eyes shining brightly in the light of the silvery moon. She slowly got on her toes and brought her lips to his. Before his mind could think of a logical conclusion for that, he leaned down and kissed her back.
That reaction that had begun way back when they'd first met, first started flirting, was still there. It was instinct to hold her tightly in his arms and kiss her back with all he had. It had become ingrained in him for whatever reason, not that he minded. Considering the fact that her reaction was to latch onto him and kiss him back just as passionately made it all the more enjoyable. He loved the feel of her soft rosette lips against his own as he kissed her, held her tightly.
She pulled away slowly, giving a smile that brightened up the porcelain of her face. Her eyes shined brightly at him as she raised an eyebrow and said, "What do you think?" He smirked, placed his hands on her porcelain cheeks and brought her face up to his slowly, placing his lips on top of hers softly and letting their emotions get the better of them for the moment. She placed her hands on his arms and brought herself closer to him as she kissed him. He loved the way she felt in his arms. She fit perfectly in with his muscles, as if his arms were molded specifically for her form. No, scratch that; specifically just for her.
He remembered reading somewhere back in the seventh or eighth grade a book written by a not-so-famed, as a matter of fact, quite unknown, author. The book had been about a man in search of his wife, whom had been captured by his so-called best friend who had ended up falling head over heels for her himself. He didn't exactly like the book but a specific quote had caught his eye. It went:
"According to Greek mythology, humans were originally born with four arms, four legs, and a head with two faces. Fearing their power, Zeus split them apart, condemning them to spend their life searching for their other half."
He recognized the quote later on when they went over Greece and their mythology in both world history and language arts, and discovered that it was taken from an actual fictional story once told by Plato. Hearing it more than once didn't help him decipher it, so he tossed into one of the theoretical bins in the back of his mind, tossing out the idea of ever figuring it out. The entire quote and concept of a soul-mate was perplexing to him. Or at least it had been.
Now he could easily see how the story made sense. At the time that he had first read the quote, he remembered thinking that the entire idea of a person having another half was stupid and that people were better off on their own, because relationships could cause attachments, attachments could cause the desire to protect that person, and the desire to protect that person could cause incredible pain and suffering if anything ever happened to that person. Now he saw the flip side of the story. The way he deciphered the quote now went like this: the entire idea of a person having another half was stupid because one without the other is nothing; if they were nothing, they were not capable of love, and if they were not capable of love then they were not capable of experiencing happiness and joy to the extremity of eternity. Yet in a sense he completely agreed with Plato for this reason and only this reason: he knew he would feel a lingering emptiness if he didn't have his pinkette there to love him back just as much as he loved her. In a way, all of his thoughts and conclusions were related.
A part of him died then, making way for a beautiful new part that he didn't know could exist within him. The bitter, old, rude Sasuke died, taking with him the idea that loneliness was the best path for him and would lead him far without the distractions. The new, reformed, changed Sasuke brought with him the idea that maybe having people tag along with him on his path in life wasn't so bad after all; that it actually made him stronger than if he would've gone down the road by himself.
He smiled into their kiss then, actually smiled a true smile filled with happiness and love for what had to be the first time in years. He savored the sweet taste of her lips against his, cherished the moment that they shared hanging onto each other the way they were, relished in the feel of her body pressed tightly against his. And throughout it all he could feel her smiling right back at him as she kissed him, a smile that burned with the intensity of her love and happiness for him. She knew too that he'd discovered something. She didn't know what it was, but he could tell by the way that she was smiling while they kissed that she knew it was important, ground-breaking for him even.
That kiss could've lasted forever. Sasuke could've held her in his arms for all of eternity, as tightly as his strong arms would allow without breaking her in half. To him, she was fragile and needed to be protected at all costs. That was exactly what he intended on doing; protecting her. He decided he was under no circumstances ever going to tell her what he was doing beforehand, even if they had to sneak behind everyone's backs to be able to be the way that they were now. He would wait until the time was right; when all of this was over.
That would just mean that they would have to be extremely cautious, to make sure that no one ever caught them together, or it could mean some serious problems.
"Sakura, what the hell are you doing!"
Well, shit, too late.
Tenten
I was flying.
Or at least, that's what it felt like. My eyes were closed so I couldn't exactly look and see if I was floating around in mid-air like a ghost, or using a pair of huge angelic wings and flying around with airplanes and birds. My eyelids felt heavy, but I was nowhere near warm and sleepy. As a matter of fact, I felt wide awake beneath the dark world under my closed eyes. Frustration seemed to swirl inside me as I tried to make them fly open. They didn't lift in the slightest. The same happened when I tried to bring my hand over to them to pry them open. The frustration in me increased, but didn't lead me to the anger it usually did. Instead, it led to a sort of feeling of puzzlement, and formed a question in my mind.
Why won't my eyes open?
I tried to frown, but that didn't happen either. I didn't feel the muscles in my face tense or relax or react or whatever the hell face muscles do when you frown. The point is, I didn't feel myself frowning.
Am I dead?
The question filled my mind with dozens of reasons and denials of why I couldn't be dead. I was too young to die; I wouldn't let myself die so easily. Absolutely nothing happened to me.
Then that's when it all clicked. Images flooded back to me in full speed; me running away from Neji and the scene that had happened, me stopping to get my breath, Zaku coming closer to me, Zaku putting the gun to my head. Then there was the stream of images of me kicking his ass, me putting the gun to his head, and finally, him putting his gun to my crotch and me trying to jump out of the way while he pulled the trigger.'
Shit, I think I'm dead.
But I can't be, I whined mentally to myself. I'm too young to die; I've got my entire life ahead of me, and I never got the chance to kill Orochimaru for what he did.
That was what saddened me most, because I really wanted to get him back. Suddenly, I was filled with the childish impulse to cry and throw things, even though I couldn't move my arms or legs or just about any part of my body. The urge to cry was overwhelming and I tried to at least control the impulse to let tears start running down my cheeks in rapids, but I couldn't.
And then the weirdest thing happened. Nothing came out. There were no tears, no sobs; nothing but absolute stillness and quietness. I still had the upsetting urge to cry my heart out, and I admit I just wanted it to happen so I could get it over with, but absolutely nothing happened. There were no tears collecting in the corners of my eyes, no salt water leaving tracks on my cheeks, no quick blinking to keep them from coming. There was absolutely nothing.
That frightened me. How could there be nothing? I was dead, right? Didn't that mean that I had to spiritually go someplace?
Where did spirits go after they didn't have a body? If it wasn't Heaven and if it wasn't Hell, then did they just hang around on Earth and chill like everything's normal?
There's a creepy thought.
Am I dead?
The question ran through my mind again. And then I couldn't help but think that it was a stupid question. If I was dead, would I have been able to think so clearly? Wouldn't I have been weightless and able to do whatever I wanted in a dream realm or whatever the fuck happened to dead people, other than being tossed six feet underground with a crowd gathered around to watch?
And that connected with my previous thought. That's when I realized I was paranoid; circling in my own thoughts, scaring myself half to death.
If I wasn't dead already…
Okay, Tenten, calm down and think about other things. Think about…think about… think about… Cherries! And chocolate! And… sunshine, and fire, and flowers, and the moon, and enlightenment.
At the last one I let out a mental bubble of laughter.
Enlightenment? Who the fuck am I; Buddha?
Hee. Hee hee.
No seriously, think about it; Cherries, and chocolate, and sunshine, and fire, and flowers, and the moon, and…and…grapes.
Grapes?
Another mental giggle. My head was silly.
Strangely, thinking about thinking about (huh!) cherries, and chocolate, and sunshine, and fire, and flowers, and the moon, and grapes made me think about Kunai. I would've smiled if I had power over any of the muscles in my body. First came Sakura, then Sakurambo, then Ino, then Temari, then Karin, and finally Hinata. The girls' faces flashed through my mind, each calming me just a little more until I fell into complete peace.
And then sadness came over me, which made me think that I was experiencing some serious PMS and had to go home and put a pad on ASAP. But anyway; the thought came up that if I was dead, I would never be able to see them again. My life was a hell on Earth before I'd met them, and now that I knew them, my life wasn't perfect, but I was happy. Those girls, without knowing it, picked me up when I couldn't do it myself, dusted me off, and gave me a push forward (metaphorically speaking of course). They set me back on my path, kept me straight. If it wasn't for them, I probably would've ended up like Ami and her whores…except a lot less whorish; actually, not whorish in the slightest way possible.
Kunai…
The overwhelming urge to cry was back, and it was twice as bad this time because when the tears didn't come, I tried to force them to. But I couldn't do anything about it. My body was dead to me; I had no control over it.
I really am dead…
"No you're not!"
Holy shit!
That scared the shit out of me, even though that voice seemed vaguely familiar. I didn't think it was possible for someone to hear me and read my thoughts if I was dead. I couldn't see who was in front of me, but whoever it was, it was a female. The voice was high-pitched, and seemed sweet. Whoever it was seemed nice.
"You worship toilets?"
A picture started to form in my mind. I could tell it was in my head because my eyes were still closed and I still couldn't move any part of my body. Everything still felt heavy, even though I still felt like I was flying.
Huh?
"Do you worship toilets?"
It was a blurred image at first, slowly sharpening itself like a sample under a microscope. It seemed to grow and shrink before it finally began to settle and clear up. I could make out smudges of blue and purple pinpricks. There was a greenish smudge that took up a little space under the other two blends of color. Around the edges of the blob was white.
What the hell, what kind of question is that?
The picture finally clarified enough for me to see, but with the way she spit out her next few words in a sneer made me automatically recognize that disgusting, bitchy, whiny voice and face.
"You said, 'Holy shit', so I'm fucking asking you if you worship toilets, weird ass."
Ami?
"No shit Sherlock."
She was actually descent here, wearing a green dress that clung to her form on the top up until a ribbon and poofed out at the bottom, ending a little below mid-thigh. The top was cut into a low v-neck that ended right before her boobies, yet still gave off an innocent sense of modest sensuality. Her hair was collected up into a cute messy bun, bangs out in a fringe with the ones she usually kept out to the sides to show off her jaw-line. Her purple eyes were lined with black eyeliner all around, and she made a thick, lash-like tail at the end of each eye. Her nails were acrylic and painted black. Her heels wrapped around her ankles up to the tops of her calves, black as midnight, and for once, under five inches tall; maybe an appropriate four or three inches.
She looked absolutely nothing like the bitchy, rude, aggravating ass slut that constantly tried to steal my boyfriend. She looked like a spoiled rich girl who belonged at a club.
What the hell are you doing here?
"Asking you if you worship toilets."
I sighed mentally (did I still have a brain if I was dead?) at her statement.
No I mean why did you come in the first place?
"Oh that? To tell you that you're not dead…"
I'm not?
"Did you not just hear me tell you that you're not?" Another sneer.
Well excuse me! But I'm pretty stressed and confused here! If I'm not dead, then what the fuck am I?
"You're in a sort of…in-between; in the middle of being dead and being alive. You're dying but you're not dead." She blinked twice, and I saw the green shadow she had on her eyes. It glittered under a moon that was more silver than silver itself.
The backdrop behind her cleared out, and all I saw was a deep forest with a black sky and silver moon up above, trillions of little stars blinking brilliantly, some reminding me somewhat of flowers blooming in spring. Distantly, there were a couple other silver balls of light, shining almost as brightly as the moon. Something about them made me feel drained and depressed. I frowned, wondering what it was, and realized that I had joined Ami in a mentally physical state, kind of like when Ino was in your head or whatever, and had control over this spiritual representation of my body.
Vaguely, I sensed a fruity aroma in the warm, sweet breeze.
"Those are Neji's eyes…"
I jumped visibly to see Ami standing right next to me, purple eyes shining as she gazed up at the two bright lights that easily outshone the stars around them. "Excuse me?"
Hey I could talk!
"Those are Neji's eyes. If you look closely, you can see the worry in them."
Oh. That's what was so upsetting.
"Why are Neji's eyes in this realm?"
At this question, she looked over at me, eyes glimmering with a sort of hidden emotion. "Why else? This is your veil realm." I must've looked confused (which I definitely was) because she heaved out a long sigh and placed a surprisingly gentle hand on my shoulder, a sort of sisterly type of guidance in her gaze. "The veil realm is, in a sense, the place right after and right before death and right before life. The veil isn't gone, or ever here; the veil just is. It's thickest when a healthy baby is first born, and thinnest when a person as in their worst state of health. It's dark but gas-like when the person is alive, which is really weird because that just makes you think that you're gonna go in at any time if you know about it, but transparent and solid when the person is dead, on the other side of the veil looking in on the people he or she cares about. They can't directly see the person, but there's always some sort of significance for everything in a person's personal veil realm. Each person has their own realm, in case I forgot to tell you. This is your realm, Tenten." I blinked at her explanation, and of all the things I could've asked, the first question that came to me went something like this:
"Huh?"
She gave me a dazzling smile, showing teeth that weren't decayed from smoking and drinking like the slut that she was in reality, and actually very white and straight. "In other words, everybody has their own special realm just like this. Everything in their realm represents something or someone they care about. Those two silvery bright lights up there," she pointed to the two balls of silver, "are Neji's eyes. They represent what captures you most about him." I blinked a couple times. "Wait, but why would Neji's eyes be what captures me most about him?" She gave me a sweet, knowing smile. "Think about it for a second; what do you see whenever you look into Neji's eyes?"
"I see the way he feels about me, but what does that have to-…" I trailed off near the end, knowing the answer automatically. "Oh…" Ami nodded. "Yeah; you see just how much he loves you in those eyes. You don't know it, but that's where he shows his heart to you, and that's what captures you; his heart." I pursed my lips in thought, thinking back on her explanation of the veil realm. "But wait; why would I only have Neji in this realm? Where are the girls?" Again, she smiled knowingly. "When you panicked, you told yourself to think of cherries, chocolate, fire, sunshine, the moon, flowers, and grapes. Tell me, what do you smell?"
She was referring to the fruity aroma around us. I frowned and sniffed the air. "I smell…cherries…cherries and grapes." Her smile was effervescent. "Who do cherries remind you of?"
Oh.
"Sakurambo." She nodded. "Now tell me Tenten; what color grape do you like best?" I blinked. "Purple," I said automatically. "Who loves purple?"
Oh.
"Ino." She nodded once more and continued. "How does the breeze feel when it goes by?" I felt comforted as the wind blew through my hair, which I realized was let loose and cascading down below my shoulders. "It's warm."
"What gives the Earth warmth during the day?"
"Sunshine; the fire on the sun."
Her smile broadened. "Who's got a grin like sunshine?"
I could see where this was going. "Oh; Temari! Okay I get it! And the moon is Hinata, because her eyes look like little moons. And the fire is Karin, because she's got bright red hair. The flowers are Sakura, because her name's Sakura. And…" I froze, thinking hard. "Wait; who the hell is the chocolate?"
Ami raised an eyebrow, looking directly at me.
"Oh wait; why am I chocolate?"
"Because your hair and eyes make you resemble a life-size Snickers Bar."
"Gee thanks."
She let out a little laugh that was melodious, ringing kind and playful. "No problem!" I shook my head, but couldn't help but smile. When she wasn't being a bitch, her joy was infectious, and she was actually pretty without the layers of hatred and rudeness that she usually directed at me. "Okay, so the girls and Neji are all here, but why are the girls so indirect and Neji so boldly out there?" She gave me a sad sort of smile now, showing a sort of truth in her purple eyes. "Because even though you still might not know it, Neji's love for you is worth more to you than anything else in this world. And he's the only one with you in reality right now, carrying you home so you can be healed and won't have to stay in this realm, watching everyone suffer from here in an indirect way that's absolutely frustrating."
I frowned, narrowing my eyes in thought. "So the shot was that bad…"
Ami nodded, answering my rhetorical question. It wasn't like I needed a confirmation.
Something scary happened then; a loud slam came from somewhere in the veil realm, giving the illusion that a door had been slammed shut. Ami's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, and she looked at me, clearly alarmed. "Shit! Tenten, you have to try and stay alive!"
I felt my scowl deepen. "But how? I don't know how this realm works!"
Another slam, another theoretical door closing and locking me in this realm. This time, the noise brought with it a thin misty fog that seemed to press in on us. "What's happening," I asked, my gut twisting tightly in my stomach. I hoped with all my heart that it wasn't what I thought it was. "You're dying," Ami said, voice thick with desperation and alarm. She was looking around, searching frantically for something, but the mist only seemed to thicken with her anxiety. "Umm…Umm…"
"How do I get out?"
She didn't stop looking around but said, "You have to find the veil and go through it." I pursed my lips into a frown, helping her look for the veil while a thought plagued me. "Wait, but didn't you say that once you were dead that the wall became solid and all you could do was watch the ones you cared about." She nodded and said, "But you're not dead yet. You will be if you don't find that veil."
My scowl deepened. "So is it still completely gas?"
She turned to me and shook her head. "No it's not; it's begun solidifying." Panic rose in me, and my next few words came out in a harsh screech that hurt my own ears. "Then how the hell am I supposed to get out?" She looked at me for a quick half-second before continuing to look for the veil. "Tenten, think back to science. Before a gas can condense into a solid it must first condense into a-."
"Liquid!" I finished for her. "But wait, won't I get wet?"
She didn't look at me, but nodded as she continued looking for the veil. The misty fog intensified in thickness. "Yeah, metaphorically of course, which is why people wake up in the first place when they go through the veil." I frowned. "What if someone's comatose?" She heaved a sigh as I continued to help her search for the veil through the thick fog. "It just means that they didn't exactly want to go back. They wanted to stay away from the stresses of life and stay here but they didn't want to die, so they get a stress-free vegetable life."
There had been a little space between us. Now there was nothing but fog. I could vaguely make out a dimmed out outline of her blue bun. "How the hell do you know all of this?" The question slipped before I could stop it. Her cheeks widened a bit into what I would've imagined to have been a small smile. "Ask Karin," she said, "She'll tell you." I frowned as I continued to search for the veil, wondering how Karin could've known the cause of Ami's knowledge of a world of death.
A scream made me jump about ten feet into the air. I whipped around, automatically reaching for my thigh to whip out a kunai and snap it in her general direction but felt nothing but my own skin. Besides that, Ami was practically jumping for joy. "What? What? What happened?" As a reply, she pointed toward a waterfall that poured off into a frozen lake. I frowned. "What the hell? How did the water fall not freeze over, like the lake?"
She looked over at me and grinned wider. "It's the Veil Realm, honey; anything's possible. But on a completely different note; that's your way out!" I blinked for a minute as I stared at the lake, and then looked up at the rapidly flowing waterfall. "Are you sure?" A knot formed in my stomach, making me feel nervous and queasy. She nodded energetically, grabbing a hold of my arm and beginning to drag me forward with an ease that came close to nearly matching Sakura's. She gave me a push when we reached the edge of the lake that made me stumble forward onto the thick ice.
In turn, I slipped and slid before skidding to a stop in front of the waterfall. My eyes widened as I saw it begin to freeze over, starting at the top and making its way rapidly down. I turned with huge eyes to look at Ami. "GO," was all she yelled out at me. I turned back to face the freezing waterfall.
Shit if I wake up alive and freezing my ass off into hypothermia I might just cry.
I looked back one last time to see the sweet Ami that had helped me out in this world, curious if I would ever see that face show such kindness in this lifetime, before shutting my eyes tight and jumping through the crystalline, thin ice that had begun to layer itself around the bottom of the waterfall.
xXOXx
Her eyes flew open, making him automatically stop, gasping for air as he looked down at her. She was shivering, as if freezing, but sweat was beading on her forehead, as if she were melting. He turned and leaned up against the side of brick building, looking down at her as he held her bridal style in his arms. He was just a few blocks away from the house now, and it had taken him about a third of the time than it had while he was chasing her around.
She lifted a weak, shivering, clammy hand and grasped the front of his shirt. A small smile painted over her pink lips, and her next few words delighted him, but only for an instant, because as soon as she said them she fell right back into unconsciousness. "Neji…I love you…" He smiled reassuringly at her, giving her the illusion that all would be well, when he was secretly hoping for a miracle himself. He placed a hand on her forehead, struggling to keep her steady in his arms. She was cold, still, but still breathing.
He wasn't sure if she was going to keep that up long enough to be healed, but what he did know that if those were her last words, he would kill himself.
Definitely. Because even after all he'd put her through, she still loved him, and that was what hurt him most.
He placed his hand back under the backs of her knees and headed out again toward the house.
xXOXx
Sakura
"Sakura, what the hell are you doing?"
Shit. Fuck my life.
I jumped away from Sasuke and immediately reached toward my pouch for a kunai to fight and knock-out whoever had seen me and Sasuke. As soon as I turned toward the sound of the voice, however, I came into eye contact with Kankuro. His eyes showed bewilderment and suspicion, yet anger and revulsion all at once. I felt my eyes widen and slipped the kunai back into my pouch, pushing my hands out in front of me in an attempt to deny what he'd just witnessed.
"Wait, Kankuro, you didn't see what you thought you just saw!"
He raised an eyebrow at me, crossing his arms over his chest, and I noted that he was holding his gun. "How do you know what I saw?" I tried not to frown in a 'Shit he just caught me lying' type of way, but tried to recover my composure with a smooth, "I don't, but by the look on your face you're thinking you saw something you didn't."
"Well I'm hoping I didn't see what I think I saw, even though the fact that you and Sasuke aren't fighting and are both looking like you're having a hard time fighting down tomato faces has me thinking that I did see what I think I saw."
Huh?
Wait.
Oh.
"What do you mean? We were fighting until you woke up and yelled."
Kankuro gave me a cocky smirk that said he wasn't buying my story. Sometimes he just knew me that well.
Well that wasn't creepy at all.
"So Sasuke could've taken the chance to kill you or hurt you but I don't see that happening…"
Sasuke and I looked at each other for a moment, and it was clear that he was sharing my thoughts.
Fuck we're screwed.
Sasuke's arm was wrapped around my arms in a millisecond. He snatched the knife that I had taken when Kankuro threw it out the window from my hand and put it in my neck in that same second and whispered a hasty "just play along" in my ear.
"You see what you get me into Kankuro!"
He raised an eyebrow into a smirk, amused.
He's still not buying it. Great, now I have to be the bitchy, abusive girlfriend.
I clenched my hands into fists and pushed my arms outward, making Sasuke loosen his grip on me. I wrapped my hand around his forearm, gripped it with my other hand, and flipped him over me. He caught himself before he could lose his balance, took a couple steps forward, and then showed up behind me using that creepy super-speed thing that he does.
I rammed my elbow backward and missed his torso by millimeters. He twisted around me, facing me directly, before lunging forward and pushing me down onto the soft, cold grass behind me. I curled up halfway into a fetal position before kicking him off of me before he even landed. He rolled backward onto his feet and put a hand down on the ground to steady himself.
I smirked slightly at him, feeling Kankuro watching us with a smirk on his own face. Despite the fact that I knew Kankuro wasn't buying a minute of this, I had to admit that fighting like this was kind of fun. It reminded me of when we were in training.
How I missed that…
My smirk fell, making concern flash through his eyes for the briefest instant before he propelled himself forward off his feet at me. I rolled to the side and got up, pulling a kunai out of my pouch as I did. I chucked it at him as he got up and missed slicing his arm by inches, completely on purpose of course.
He smirked at me and back-flipped up onto the branch of one of the trees from the forest behind the house. Then he jumped up into the higher up branches, hiding behind the leaves of the trees.
Oh he's good.
He practically disappeared behind them and I automatically stepped toward the darkness of the morning forest, thinking that he had left without saying goodbye. That left me with a sort of sinking feeling that quickly turned into fear as I felt the cold metal of a blade touching my throat.
My breath hitched in my through and my entire body tensed. A strong arm wrapped itself around my arms, which had me instantly recognizing him before he whispered in my ear.
"Sakura, you act like you were expecting it to be someone else."
I relaxed in the slightest, keeping full attention on the cold of the knife that was being pressed into the side of my neck. "How'd you get down from the trees so fast and so quiet?" I was curious; I hadn't heard him come down, and I had really keen ears.
"I jumped; duh."
A small smile found its way onto my face, but I wiped it clean off and elbowed him in the gut, hard enough to make him let go but not hard enough for it to hurt…too bad.
He let go, dropping the knife. I picked it up and tossed it to the side. It embedded itself into a random tree. I smirked at him, raising an eyebrow in challenge. He smirked right back and me and hurled himself back up into the trees.
I, in turn, closed my eyes and strained my ears for the slightest sound of him, the tiniest hint of his presence. There was absolutely nothing.
"Sakura!" My name was called out in Kankuro's voice and I cracked an eye open to see him inching his way toward me slowly, cautious on whether Sasuke was still around or not.
What happened next scared the shit outta me and had Kankuro shitting bricks.
Sasuke's face appeared right before mine; upside down. He smirked up at me, and I could vaguely see the cockiness in his expression. He was planning something.
Completely disregarding the fact that Kankuro was there, right behind him, he brought his hands up…or down…or…whatever! He brought his hands to my cheeks and cupped my face. Before I had any time to react at all, he was pressing his lips to mine, and I was kissing him back instantly, automatically. I brought my own hands up to his face, holding it right where it was.
Weirdly enough, kissing him upside-down was just like kissing him right-side up.
But that was just the thing that bothered me; he was upside down, and the blood was probably rushing to his head. And Kankuro was watching. I quickly pulled back, breaking the kiss, and probably turning ten different shades of red across my cheeks. He smirked into a slight chuckle, whispering a "see you" before pulling himself back up into the trees and flipping away; back to whatever the fuck he was really doing over with Orochimaru's gang.
I looked behind me, watching him fade, go deeper into the darkness, before turning to face Kankuro. He was smirking at me. "Yeah; you definitely weren't doing what I thought I saw you doing." I glared. "Oh shut the fuck up!" He let out a laugh and placed an arm around my shoulders. "It's okay, I promise I won't tell anyone."
I frowned and looked up at him. "Wait, what? Why not?" He frowned himself and looked down at me. "You mean you want me to?" I shook my head. "No! I don't! But I'm shocked; why aren't you gonna tell anyone?" He cast his gaze sideways. "Because I saw the look he gave you; he loves you a lot. So I trust that he won't hurt you…too much…"
I let out a slight laugh and pulled Kankuro into a tight hug. "Awe, see this is why I love you," I gushed out. He laughed and hugged me back, although his arms were weak around me. "Hug me tighter dummie," I said, half-laughing.
His only reply was "I can't; you're squeezing the air out of me." I laughed and let him go. "Okay so then why don't we go home before everybody gets suspicious?" He nodded and we both headed around the house to go down the street and to the guys' house. I was still giggling like a little drunken hummingbird.
That is, until I saw Neji sprinting toward the house with an unconscious Tenten in his arms.
I gasped and sprinted over to him, my eyes widening as I noticed a particularly large blood stain on the front of her skirt. Ironically enough, we both ended up in front of the house. "What the hell happened," I practically screamed out. He dropped down to his knees, holding her limp form tightly against himself, cradling her like a young child. "Zaku found her and shot her. Sakura you've gotta get her better; she's dying. She's so cold."
He didn't look like he was going to last much longer himself with how hard he was breathing.
"Well then hand her over here, I'll get started," I said and reached out to have her placed in my arms. Even though he looked completely exhausted, Neji got up and stepped backward, holding her even closer to himself. "No; I've got her, I'll just take her in." I frowned at that, wondering why he didn't want to let her go even though he looked as though he was about to pass out.
I searched those silver eyes of his and in them noticed a love that was so strong it filled me with warmth and happiness. I recognized that love; it was burning in me, somewhere deep in my heart at the moment, swirling around thoughts of Sasuke.
I understood his feelings for her then; his true feelings for her, and gave him a slight nod. "Well then hurry your ass up and take her into a bedroom and lay her down on her back. I need to have a look at that wound." He nodded and sprinted into the house.
Remembering Kankuro, I turned around to check on him.
But he was gone; without a trace.
Shit, now he's gonna get hurt too.
But I didn't waste time on the thought. I snapped on a pair of gloves and ran into the house after Neji; I had a life to save.
xXOXx
He was mad.
No, he was angry.
No; he was beyond angry, he was absolutely infuriated.
What he'd just seen had sent a wild sort of animal, instinctive anger through his blood, and he was currently sprinting back through the forest to Orochimaru's hideaway.
Zaku.
Zaku.
Zaku.
The sick bastard had always had a sort of fetish with Tenten; was deeply obsessed with her, and wanted her so badly that he would be willing to hurt her if he couldn't have her, and now he'd actually done it.
Well he's gone too fucking far now, Kankuro thought to himself as he jumped over a large tree root. Today's the day that motherfucker dies.
And I'll be sure of it…
- Okay so first and foremost ; sorry this is SOOOOOO late :x but between homework, projects, sports, stress, texting, drama, and an incredibly picky mentality, I had to rewrite this ENTIRE chapter :x Simply because I had it written out and absolutely DISLIKED how it turned out...so I erased it and rewrote it ^_^ ; it's not my best but I'm content with it, and I was really too tired to write this same piece in about a billion different ways to then choose out which one was right. lOl But anyway; I hope you like it! And I'll probably have the next chapter up in a few days; it's halfway done Loves lOl Now here's something I'm sure I haven't done in a while; Suspense Questions (; : Did going through the veil really save Tenten? Did Tenten really get shot where Zaku was aiming? Is Kankuro really going to Kill Zaku? Is Neji going to die himself from running three miles in about ten to fifteen minutes? What is Sasuke REALLY doing in Orochidumbass's Gang? Hmm... But just so you guys won't kill me here's a preview of the next chapter: He faced the last five guards proudly, ready for anything, and absolutely confident that they wouldn't be able to even scratch the skin on his arms. "Bring it you double-digit IQ bitch-asses," he shouted back at them, his smirk getting cockier by the minute. Heehee spoilers ; oh it's like cookies on ice-cream before dinner :x but to hell with it it's Friday, I'm exhausted and probably sound like I'm on crack, even though I'm positively clean, sober, healthy, and not putting white powder up my nose ^_^ You wouldn't believe it but that little paragraph is a BIG giveaway of the next chapter (; heehee Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter ^_^ and I also hope you're in shock that I actually updated; so much so that you won't be able to blueprint a plan that will lead to a clean procedure of my murder lOl. Happy Friday ^_^ - Xoxo ; Kiki 3 PS; I editted the lyrics to that song just a bit and if you look it up you'll know why. Here's it's a commodity, a word used like 24/7 but in other places it's considered offensive so I left it out and changed it. :x And yes I know this a long A/N heehee. You're all dismissed; For Now (;
Heehee sorry I just HAD to put that last one there to tease you guys a bit (; because THAT question won't be answered until Fate (HINT HINT!)
