Disclaimer: By induction, the previous disclaimer holds.
A/N: Sorry about the wait! It's been weeks of final projects and labs, but finally there's a bit of a hiatus...and I'll probably manage to get the next chapter in before my next exam =) Thanks for the reviews! Hope this chapter lives up to your expectations...if not, please let me know!
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Chapter 4: The Threshold
Left standing in the clearing with the remaining four genin, Gai patiently kept a watchful eye over his charges. Naruto had already made several failed attempts to follow Kakashi, and judging by his restless behavior, he was already preparing his next attempt. While Gai had thwarted him every time thus far, Naruto's Kage Bunshin no Jutsu and seemingly bottomless chakra reserves rendered pursuit incredibly troublesome. Gai moved his gaze to the other three who, in a sharp contrast to Naruto, seemed perfectly resigned to waiting. Tenten, Sasuke and Neji were standing to one side of the clearing, talking quietly amongst themselves. Gai looked out at the forest, fidgeting from the monotony of his current situation. Why did all the exciting things always happen to his eternal rival instead of him?
Naruto perked up suddenly, noticing Gai's distraction. He edged slowly to his right.
Unfortunately for Naruto, Gai was still alert enough to notice the slight movement. "Naruto!" he warned.
Naruto bolted, and Gai took off after him.
Neji looked up at the small piece of sky visible through the treetops, sighing. Tenten laughed.
"You have a wonderful laugh." came Sasuke's calm voice.
Tenten turned her head to look at Sasuke. He was essentially a stranger to her, but from what she had gathered in their short time together, this comment seemed severely out of character. However, she also knew by repute that Uchiha Sasuke was considered quite a heartthrob. Thus, though she was wary of his intentions, she was nonetheless flattered by his attention. Oblivious to the pure disgust worn plainly on Neji's face, she smiled hesitantly and answered slowly "Uh...thank you..."
Sasuke deliberately met Neji's gaze. His onyx eyes clashed briefly with Neji's pale orbs before he smirked and turned his back on them. Hands in his pockets, he nonchalantly walked along the edge of the clearing, coming to a stop some slight distance away.
And to think that he might even have settled for Sakura. Tenten was perfect. Only the Hyuuga stood in his way.
As Sasuke moved away, Neji stood in silence, quietly fuming. "Who does this boy think he is?" he thought hotly. Tenten was his. She was his teammate, his comrade, his peer, his training partner...just simply...his. How dare this upstart Uchiha saunter into their lives and attempt to upset the balance of things? His pale eyes continued to bore into Sasuke's back, his face no longer betraying his inner emotions but his aura one of radiating resentment.
Tenten had been teamed with Neji long enough to know when his mind was not at ease. Though she wasn't sure what the current source of his annoyance was, she was willing to try anything to get him out of that mood. She sought to alleviate the tension hanging in the air by starting a conversation about the only thing she and Neji ever talked about - work.
"Your kaiten is almost perfect now, Neji." she began.
Neji was startled out of his angry introspective by the sound of her voice. The briefest of smiles flickered across his expression before, in tranquil tones, he answered her. "My chakra control still leaves something wanting. I can feel the waste when I spin...It is not yet at the level that I want it."
Tenten smiled. "How like you. Well, Hokage-sama loaned me a series of new scrolls to look over. There's a new technique that I'd like to try out on you."
"That would be acceptable."
Their conversation was halted by Sasuke's return. "What's taking Kakashi-sensei so long?" Sasuke wondered aloud. "Sakura isn't nearly skilled enough to elude him."
Tenten frowned. "That's not a very complimentary thing to say about your teammate."
Sasuke shrugged. "It's true. Every team has one member that always needs rescuing. With my team, that member is almost infallibly Sakura."
"With our team, it's usually Lee." said Neji, adding "Speaking of Lee, didn't you lose a fight to him?"
Eyes narrowed, Sasuke retorted "For a former number one rookie who lost to the dead-last ranked genin in all of Konoha, you've got a lot of nerve."
Neji's fists clenched briefly, then relaxed. When his voice finally came, it was laced with a quiet fury. "Remember to whom you are speaking, Uchiha. Remember where the roots of your vaunted Sharingan lie."
A derisive snort from Sasuke. "Ah yes. I apologize. How could I forget. Hyuuga is the strongest of the Leaf." he said sarcastically.
Neji walked towards Sasuke until they were virtually face to face. "Do you dare doubt it?" he said, his face unreadable.
Tenten looked from Neji to Sasuke and back again. What the hell was going on? "Guys..." she began, but they were not listening.
Sasuke smiled slightly. "What if I do?" he said deliberately.
Neji nodded. They had come to an understanding, and it had come to this. An ominous silence settled over them, one so dangerous in its thickness that Tenten unconsciously backed away. Then suddenly, the two boys sprung apart from each other to land on opposite ends of the clearing.
"Byukugan!"
"Sharingan!"
Tenten gasped. "What are you doing?!" she yelled, her voice shrill with something like panic.
"I was about to ask the same thing." came a voice from behind her. Tenten turned to see Gai surveying the scene before him, holding a squirming Naruto by the collar. "Neji! Sasuke! Stand down immediately!" he barked, his voice brooking no disobedience.
The two adversaries glared at each other, but they complied with Gai's order. Gai watched, secretly relieved, as the veins on Neji's forehead receded and the red faded from Sasuke's eyes. The lecture that followed fell upon deaf ears as the boys stood side by side, rigid and looking straight ahead. Before they were forced to stop, they had shared a look. A look of mutual agreement.
They were not finished.
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Kakashi navigated through the thick foliage with an ease that comes with familiarity, leaping from branch to branch with the speed for which he was well known. Sakura's state of mind be truly troubled, he thought to himself. The trail she left was messy and easy to follow. He hadn't set out long before his attention was caught by a reflected gleam of light. Judging it to have originated somewhere from almost directly below him, he swiftly decscended to ground level, expecting to confront Sakura.
Placed neatly on the ground in front of where he landed was a forehead protector bearing the mark of Konoha. A stray strand of pink hair had attached itself to the underlying blue cloth.
He swore under his breath, and uncovering the Sharingan, looked around for some indication of where she had gone. He had to stop underestimating that girl.
Moreover - he had to find her.
Kakashi was about to resume his pursuit when he heard a distant voice from somewhere to his left yell "Kakashi!" He turned and waited for the owner of the voice to show herself. It was Anko.
"Kakashi, Hokage-sama wants to see you. Now." she said in terse tones.
Kakashi was in no mood to be ordered around by his peers. "Anko-san," he said civilly, "Could this not wait? I'm looking for my student..."
Anko cut him off sparingly. "This is a direct order from the fifth herself." Her eyes narrowed. "I am not permitted to return unless you are with me."
Kakashi gestured helplessly. "Okay, okay. Then what am I to do about Sakura? She took off without warning, and I can't just leave her out there."
A flicker of surprise crossed Anko's face. "Haruno Sakura? Is that who you're looking for?"
Kakashi waited for an explanation while Anko pondered this new piece of information. Finally, she spoke. "In that case, you come with me, and I'll have an ANBU squad take over the search."
Kakashi's reaction was immediate and unrestrained. "What?!" he exclaimed. "You're going to send ANBU to locate Sakura? What the hell for? What's going on?"
"Come with me and Hokage-sama will tell you herself."
There was nothing he could do but comply.
Kakashi was not one to readily show emotion, but by the time he was ushered into Tsunade's office, he was about ready to explode. Anko's staunch unwillingness to divulge any sort of information had irked him greatly. Should Tsunade attempt anything similar, he thought darkly to himself, Hokage or not, he was going to do something drastic. Luckily for him, it never came to that. Aftering ordering him to sit down and offering him a drink, Tsunade got straight to the point.
"Kakashi, have you ever heard of Shiraishi Miyako?"
His eyebrows furrowed, he briefly ran through a list of names in his mind before answering in the negative.
Tsunade nodded. "That's what I expected."
Though Kakashi was somewhat confused by her response, he allowed Tsunade to continue without interruption.
"Shiraishi Miyako was in my class at the academy. She graduated and was made a genin along with the rest of us. She had no special abilities, but was extremely bright."
At this, Kakashi leaned forward slightly as if to speak. Tsunade silenced him with a raised hand. He relaxed back into the chair.
"The girl was a friend of mine. We had grown up together. But she did not have an easy life. The only ninja in her family, she was encouraged to quit, especially after it became evident that she did not have an aptitude for physical combat. However, later in her life, rumors persisted that she had attained the ability to perform 'mind-jutsus'."
Kakashi could no longer help himself. "You mean, genjutsu? Because Sakura does show the beginnings of talent in that area..."
"The rumors told of their being stronger than genjutsu."
A moment passed before Kakashi said hesitantly, "So you think that Shiriashi Miyako...is somehow responsible for Sakura's aberrant behavior? And the other strange events?"
Tsunade shook her head, suddenly tired. "I don't know what to think. You see, Shiraishi Miyako died thirty years ago."
She got up and walked to face Sandaime's portrait hanging on the wall. Sighing, she turned around again to face Kakashi. "I know Miyako's story, but I do not know Sakura. I called you here because I thought of all people, you would have the most insight into any possible connections between them."
Kakashi gave a slight nod, and Tsunade sank heavily down onto her chair.
"I'll start from the beginning."
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Leaves rushed past her in a gush of green as beams of yellow light danced across her field of vision. Slightly disoriented, Sakura ran until she was out of breath. She didn't know, and didn't care where she was going. She had to escape -
(Escape what?)
Though she tried, not a sound escaped her lips. "Leave me alone!" she screamed in her mind. Seeing a small hollow rock enclosure to her left, she ran to it and collapsed onto her knees, panting for air. A violent cough racked her body as she held back sobs.
(I can make the pain go away)
"Go away!"
(I can make you strong)
"Don't give me that! I saw what thoughts like that did to Sasuke!"
(I am not like Orochimaru)
Sakura felt her heart skip a beat. "How did you know about..." she wondered.
(I was never like Orochimaru)
She cradled her head in her hands. "Then what are you like?!"
A pause. Then,
(I am like you)
Sakura felt a chill run down her spine as she sensed the presence of another behind her. She jumped to her feet and whirled around, kunai in hand. Nothing in the world could have prepared her for what she saw.
A/N: Sorry about the wait! It's been weeks of final projects and labs, but finally there's a bit of a hiatus...and I'll probably manage to get the next chapter in before my next exam =) Thanks for the reviews! Hope this chapter lives up to your expectations...if not, please let me know!
******************************************************************************************************
Chapter 4: The Threshold
Left standing in the clearing with the remaining four genin, Gai patiently kept a watchful eye over his charges. Naruto had already made several failed attempts to follow Kakashi, and judging by his restless behavior, he was already preparing his next attempt. While Gai had thwarted him every time thus far, Naruto's Kage Bunshin no Jutsu and seemingly bottomless chakra reserves rendered pursuit incredibly troublesome. Gai moved his gaze to the other three who, in a sharp contrast to Naruto, seemed perfectly resigned to waiting. Tenten, Sasuke and Neji were standing to one side of the clearing, talking quietly amongst themselves. Gai looked out at the forest, fidgeting from the monotony of his current situation. Why did all the exciting things always happen to his eternal rival instead of him?
Naruto perked up suddenly, noticing Gai's distraction. He edged slowly to his right.
Unfortunately for Naruto, Gai was still alert enough to notice the slight movement. "Naruto!" he warned.
Naruto bolted, and Gai took off after him.
Neji looked up at the small piece of sky visible through the treetops, sighing. Tenten laughed.
"You have a wonderful laugh." came Sasuke's calm voice.
Tenten turned her head to look at Sasuke. He was essentially a stranger to her, but from what she had gathered in their short time together, this comment seemed severely out of character. However, she also knew by repute that Uchiha Sasuke was considered quite a heartthrob. Thus, though she was wary of his intentions, she was nonetheless flattered by his attention. Oblivious to the pure disgust worn plainly on Neji's face, she smiled hesitantly and answered slowly "Uh...thank you..."
Sasuke deliberately met Neji's gaze. His onyx eyes clashed briefly with Neji's pale orbs before he smirked and turned his back on them. Hands in his pockets, he nonchalantly walked along the edge of the clearing, coming to a stop some slight distance away.
And to think that he might even have settled for Sakura. Tenten was perfect. Only the Hyuuga stood in his way.
As Sasuke moved away, Neji stood in silence, quietly fuming. "Who does this boy think he is?" he thought hotly. Tenten was his. She was his teammate, his comrade, his peer, his training partner...just simply...his. How dare this upstart Uchiha saunter into their lives and attempt to upset the balance of things? His pale eyes continued to bore into Sasuke's back, his face no longer betraying his inner emotions but his aura one of radiating resentment.
Tenten had been teamed with Neji long enough to know when his mind was not at ease. Though she wasn't sure what the current source of his annoyance was, she was willing to try anything to get him out of that mood. She sought to alleviate the tension hanging in the air by starting a conversation about the only thing she and Neji ever talked about - work.
"Your kaiten is almost perfect now, Neji." she began.
Neji was startled out of his angry introspective by the sound of her voice. The briefest of smiles flickered across his expression before, in tranquil tones, he answered her. "My chakra control still leaves something wanting. I can feel the waste when I spin...It is not yet at the level that I want it."
Tenten smiled. "How like you. Well, Hokage-sama loaned me a series of new scrolls to look over. There's a new technique that I'd like to try out on you."
"That would be acceptable."
Their conversation was halted by Sasuke's return. "What's taking Kakashi-sensei so long?" Sasuke wondered aloud. "Sakura isn't nearly skilled enough to elude him."
Tenten frowned. "That's not a very complimentary thing to say about your teammate."
Sasuke shrugged. "It's true. Every team has one member that always needs rescuing. With my team, that member is almost infallibly Sakura."
"With our team, it's usually Lee." said Neji, adding "Speaking of Lee, didn't you lose a fight to him?"
Eyes narrowed, Sasuke retorted "For a former number one rookie who lost to the dead-last ranked genin in all of Konoha, you've got a lot of nerve."
Neji's fists clenched briefly, then relaxed. When his voice finally came, it was laced with a quiet fury. "Remember to whom you are speaking, Uchiha. Remember where the roots of your vaunted Sharingan lie."
A derisive snort from Sasuke. "Ah yes. I apologize. How could I forget. Hyuuga is the strongest of the Leaf." he said sarcastically.
Neji walked towards Sasuke until they were virtually face to face. "Do you dare doubt it?" he said, his face unreadable.
Tenten looked from Neji to Sasuke and back again. What the hell was going on? "Guys..." she began, but they were not listening.
Sasuke smiled slightly. "What if I do?" he said deliberately.
Neji nodded. They had come to an understanding, and it had come to this. An ominous silence settled over them, one so dangerous in its thickness that Tenten unconsciously backed away. Then suddenly, the two boys sprung apart from each other to land on opposite ends of the clearing.
"Byukugan!"
"Sharingan!"
Tenten gasped. "What are you doing?!" she yelled, her voice shrill with something like panic.
"I was about to ask the same thing." came a voice from behind her. Tenten turned to see Gai surveying the scene before him, holding a squirming Naruto by the collar. "Neji! Sasuke! Stand down immediately!" he barked, his voice brooking no disobedience.
The two adversaries glared at each other, but they complied with Gai's order. Gai watched, secretly relieved, as the veins on Neji's forehead receded and the red faded from Sasuke's eyes. The lecture that followed fell upon deaf ears as the boys stood side by side, rigid and looking straight ahead. Before they were forced to stop, they had shared a look. A look of mutual agreement.
They were not finished.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kakashi navigated through the thick foliage with an ease that comes with familiarity, leaping from branch to branch with the speed for which he was well known. Sakura's state of mind be truly troubled, he thought to himself. The trail she left was messy and easy to follow. He hadn't set out long before his attention was caught by a reflected gleam of light. Judging it to have originated somewhere from almost directly below him, he swiftly decscended to ground level, expecting to confront Sakura.
Placed neatly on the ground in front of where he landed was a forehead protector bearing the mark of Konoha. A stray strand of pink hair had attached itself to the underlying blue cloth.
He swore under his breath, and uncovering the Sharingan, looked around for some indication of where she had gone. He had to stop underestimating that girl.
Moreover - he had to find her.
Kakashi was about to resume his pursuit when he heard a distant voice from somewhere to his left yell "Kakashi!" He turned and waited for the owner of the voice to show herself. It was Anko.
"Kakashi, Hokage-sama wants to see you. Now." she said in terse tones.
Kakashi was in no mood to be ordered around by his peers. "Anko-san," he said civilly, "Could this not wait? I'm looking for my student..."
Anko cut him off sparingly. "This is a direct order from the fifth herself." Her eyes narrowed. "I am not permitted to return unless you are with me."
Kakashi gestured helplessly. "Okay, okay. Then what am I to do about Sakura? She took off without warning, and I can't just leave her out there."
A flicker of surprise crossed Anko's face. "Haruno Sakura? Is that who you're looking for?"
Kakashi waited for an explanation while Anko pondered this new piece of information. Finally, she spoke. "In that case, you come with me, and I'll have an ANBU squad take over the search."
Kakashi's reaction was immediate and unrestrained. "What?!" he exclaimed. "You're going to send ANBU to locate Sakura? What the hell for? What's going on?"
"Come with me and Hokage-sama will tell you herself."
There was nothing he could do but comply.
Kakashi was not one to readily show emotion, but by the time he was ushered into Tsunade's office, he was about ready to explode. Anko's staunch unwillingness to divulge any sort of information had irked him greatly. Should Tsunade attempt anything similar, he thought darkly to himself, Hokage or not, he was going to do something drastic. Luckily for him, it never came to that. Aftering ordering him to sit down and offering him a drink, Tsunade got straight to the point.
"Kakashi, have you ever heard of Shiraishi Miyako?"
His eyebrows furrowed, he briefly ran through a list of names in his mind before answering in the negative.
Tsunade nodded. "That's what I expected."
Though Kakashi was somewhat confused by her response, he allowed Tsunade to continue without interruption.
"Shiraishi Miyako was in my class at the academy. She graduated and was made a genin along with the rest of us. She had no special abilities, but was extremely bright."
At this, Kakashi leaned forward slightly as if to speak. Tsunade silenced him with a raised hand. He relaxed back into the chair.
"The girl was a friend of mine. We had grown up together. But she did not have an easy life. The only ninja in her family, she was encouraged to quit, especially after it became evident that she did not have an aptitude for physical combat. However, later in her life, rumors persisted that she had attained the ability to perform 'mind-jutsus'."
Kakashi could no longer help himself. "You mean, genjutsu? Because Sakura does show the beginnings of talent in that area..."
"The rumors told of their being stronger than genjutsu."
A moment passed before Kakashi said hesitantly, "So you think that Shiriashi Miyako...is somehow responsible for Sakura's aberrant behavior? And the other strange events?"
Tsunade shook her head, suddenly tired. "I don't know what to think. You see, Shiraishi Miyako died thirty years ago."
She got up and walked to face Sandaime's portrait hanging on the wall. Sighing, she turned around again to face Kakashi. "I know Miyako's story, but I do not know Sakura. I called you here because I thought of all people, you would have the most insight into any possible connections between them."
Kakashi gave a slight nod, and Tsunade sank heavily down onto her chair.
"I'll start from the beginning."
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Leaves rushed past her in a gush of green as beams of yellow light danced across her field of vision. Slightly disoriented, Sakura ran until she was out of breath. She didn't know, and didn't care where she was going. She had to escape -
(Escape what?)
Though she tried, not a sound escaped her lips. "Leave me alone!" she screamed in her mind. Seeing a small hollow rock enclosure to her left, she ran to it and collapsed onto her knees, panting for air. A violent cough racked her body as she held back sobs.
(I can make the pain go away)
"Go away!"
(I can make you strong)
"Don't give me that! I saw what thoughts like that did to Sasuke!"
(I am not like Orochimaru)
Sakura felt her heart skip a beat. "How did you know about..." she wondered.
(I was never like Orochimaru)
She cradled her head in her hands. "Then what are you like?!"
A pause. Then,
(I am like you)
Sakura felt a chill run down her spine as she sensed the presence of another behind her. She jumped to her feet and whirled around, kunai in hand. Nothing in the world could have prepared her for what she saw.