First of all I apologize if this chapter hurts anyone's feelings. I was told that this wasn't very believable by one of my friends, but whatever. Consider Hinata a bit OOC then. Also, I don't know the complete mechanics for the Hyuuga Clan's Curse Seal, so excuse me for manipulating it to my own ends…as usual.
Chapter Nine
"I can't do it. I can't hurt Neji-niisan."
"Hinata, I wouldn't have asked you if I thought you couldn't do it."
"I had hoped…he and I could be friends some day."
"We both had high hopes for him Hinata, but apparently he doesn't care how we feel about him."
"I can't."
"This is mercy Hinata. His death will be swift and painless, unlike what the Jounin have planned for him."
"He's not really a bad person, why can't he live?"
"Because, even if he lives you'll never be his friend. He'll kill us all." Her father sighed. "I know you don't want to do this, but you're the only person from the Main House he'll let close enough to him to do the seal. It has to be you."
The memory of her conversation with her father faded as she looked up to see her cousin standing before her. "I'm so glad you agreed to meet me Neji-niisan." Hinata pressed her fingers together out of nervous habit. She was not looking forward to carrying out her father's wishes, but she owed it to her family.
"What did you want to see me for?" Neji's intimidating glare was not making things easier for his younger cousin.
"I wanted to show you a new jutsu my father taught me."
Some distance away, TenTen was streaking through the trees towards Neji. She had a suffocating tightness in her chest. He was in serious danger and was totally unawares.
Hinata began putting her fingers together, going through the seal.
TenTen arrived just as Hinata was finishing the jutsu. "Neji, no!"
"I'm sorry Neji-niisan."
The boy screamed in agony and fell to his knees, clutching his eyes.
"Oh God." Hinata whispered. She had just seen her cousin's eyes explode in their sockets. She was completely horrified, but was unable to tear her gaze away from his writhing body. "Oh God, oh God."
Knowing that if she didn't act soon the curse seal would kill him, TenTen stretched out a hand to him, engulfing him in flames.
Hinata gasped and jumped back from her cousin. "What did you do to him?"
TenTen leapt out of the tree and ran to the unconscious boy's side. She glared at Hinata as she made the flames disperse. "I could ask you the same question." She felt for the boy's pulse and was relieved to find one, albeit a weak one. "Consider yourself lucky I was able to save Neji, because if he'd died, I swear you and the rest of this pathetic village would be burning in hell."
"I didn't want to hurt him, but Father asked me to."
"Well aren't you the obedient little girl?" TenTen's sarcasm bit into the younger girl's fragile psyche that was already deteriorating because of what she'd just seen and done.
"I'm really sorry TenTen."
The elder girl shook her head. "I really don't care about your apology Hinata." She growled at the white-eyed girl. "Just get out of my way." She scooped up the heavier boy and turned towards the forest.
"I can't let you pass." Hinata jumped in front of her, trying to maintain her false sense of bravery. "You're both threats to our society."
"Hinata, the phoenix can do a hell of a lot worse than save lives. So if you care about living at all, get the hell out of my way."
Hinata hesitated, but at the angry look on TenTen's face backed out of the way. As she watched the girl flee into the forest she realized that it would take a lot of hours of therapy to forget seeing the blood spurt out of Neji's beautiful eyes and the heartbroken look on TenTen's face as he fell to the ground.
Kotetsu and Izumo appeared in the forest five minutes later to meet her still gazing in the direction TenTen had departed in. "Did she get away?"
She nodded.
"What about the boy?"
"She stopped the curse seal from killing him and then ran away."
Izumo rested a hand on the young girl's shoulder. "You did a good job. I know this was hard for you."
"You can go home." Kotetsu said. "We'll meet with Tsunade-sama and convince her to send Hunter-nin after those two."
~~~
As soon as she saved his life she knew it was a mistake. There was no way he'd be able to use his eyes again, and without Byakugan there was no point in living. At least, that was the way he'd see it.
She'd managed to find a deep cave under a tree fifteen miles out of Konoha. It was very well hidden and they should be able to wait out the night there. She'd found an underwater river some distance into the cave and had dressed and cleaned Neji's wounds. Other than his eyes he'd managed to get a few scrapes and bruises when he fell to the ground.
TenTen looked down at the boy she'd risked everything for. He was deathly pale and hadn't even so much as whimpered in the last two hours she'd been watching him.
She'd always loved Neji's beautiful white eyes and seeing them turn blood red had broken her stomach and her heart. His perfect long silky brown hair had often made her jealous of its texture and shine and she had often longed to run her fingers through the long strands. She stopped that train of thought right there. Now was not the time to be fantasizing about a boy who was fighting off death. Although his sleeping lips did look awfully inviting.
She trailed a finger down the side of his face from his ear down to his perfectly angled chin.
The boy coughed, causing her to pull back with a gasp. He was coming to and it wouldn't be good for him to find her leaning over him. As she watched, Neji stretched and sat up. He ran his fingers slowly over the bandage on his eyes. "TenTen?"
"I'm here." She placed her hand over his left one.
"What happened?"
"Hinata used the curse seal on you. I saved your life."
He gently pulled his hand out from under hers. "Why?"
"Because you deserve to live."
Neji didn't mention that he heard the mental, 'I need you' that she added to her verbal statement. "We can't stay here."
"I know." She glanced up towards the entrance. "If I know Kotetsu he's trying to send Hunter-nin after us."
"Do you have somewhere we can go, or have you not planned that far?"
"Wherever it is, we can't go now. It's dark outside and I can guarantee that we won't be able to run from the Hunter-nin in the night."
"Where will you go TenTen? It's not like you have family you can hide with."
Angered by his constant questioning, TenTen said the first thing that came to her mind. "Sand Village."
"What?"
"We'll go there."
"You can't be serious."
"Why not? Kazekage hates Konoha. I'm sure he'll be happy to have two strong ninjas turn against them."
"Listen to yourself. Your idea is stupid. Konoha and Sand are enemies, my father got killed because of that. Besides, he'll think we're spies right away and try to kill us."
"Well I'm sorry, do you have a better idea?"
Neji paused. "Sound Country is closer."
"Right. You'd rather avoid the Kazekage and go for Orochimaru?"
"No."
"Then don't say anything. It's worth a shot. And besides, you're injured, so I doubt we can make it to any of the other villages. If we can gain his trust he might even let us take the Chuunin exam for him."
"You're awfully optimistic."
"You don't have any other ideas so quit making fun of mine."
"Sorry." Neji fell silent for a few minutes. "When do we leave?"
"As soon as you're able to walk."
"I'm fine."
"Then we'll leave in the morning."
"Whatever." She was being optimistic. With his eyes in bandages and Hunter-nin on their trail, there was a slim chance that they'd even make it to Sand Village alive. Right now, the Kazekage and his three children were the least of his fears.
~~~
"Lee." Gai entered his charge's bedroom.
"You have bad news, don't you? About Neji and TenTen?" Lee didn't even look up at his teacher.
"I'm afraid so, they left Konoha today. I'm sorry, but we won't be able to compete in the Chuunin exam. Maybe next year Lee."
The boy nodded. "Next year is better anyway. That way I'll have more time to recuperate."
"That's the spirit." Gai clapped him on his back gently.
Lee lifted his head slowly. "Do you think they had anything to do with the body I found?"
"I'm not sure."
"Gai-sensei, Neji has a bad temper, but I don't think he'd kill anyone in front of TenTen."
"That's just it." He replied. "The guy's teammates testify that it wasn't Neji who killed their brother. It was TenTen."
"I don't believe them. TenTen would never do something like that. She's a good person sensei. You know it too."
"I know Lee, but whether we want to admit it or not, TenTen's not the same person we've always known. And the new TenTen just may be capable of murder."
"It doesn't make sense. Why would Neji run away with her if she's a killer?"
"There's a lot about TenTen and Neji that you don't know. And I think it's best if you don't ever know."
"They're my friends sensei! I deserve to know."
"They were your friends Lee. Right now they're fugitives, and a danger to this village." Gai sighed. "I know this is difficult for you, but if you ever see them again, come and find me or one of the jounin. To everyone else running away just proves that they're guilty, and they'll have to be dealt with as criminals."
"You can't kill them!" Lee had tears running down his cheeks. "They're my friends."
He rested his hand on the boy's shoulders reassuringly. "I know Lee. I know."
