Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto…don't own Naruto, don't own Naruto…is that enough?
Notes: I don't know if anyone actually bothers to read this…
Cursed to kill- chapter two
Hinata took one last look at Kanoha, at Hyuga Neji, and reluctantly followed Shino and Kiba into the forest.
"Since its already kind of late, why don't you three set up camp, I'll be right back." Kurenai ordered and walked off.
There was a tense silence after Kurenai's departure, at last, Shino got to his feet, "I'll scout out the area and bring back some wood while I'm at it, you two stay here."
"Don't be gone too long." Kiba said.
"Fine, whatever." Shino shrugged and sauntered off, leaving a trail of ants behind him. "Don't step on the ants, they're there for your protection." He called over his shoulder, "They're fire ants. Just in case, y'know?"
"Since you're divided into teams today, I would like to hear your goals for the future." Said Gai, finally attempting to act like a teacher.
"Don't care, even if I did have goals, I wouldn't tell you." Neji sighed loudly.
"Like anyone actually cares about your stupid goals." Muttered Lee, and as soon as those words left his mouth, he swerved to avoid contact with Neji's fist.
"Neji…" said Gai warningly.
"Whatever."
"I want to be the first legendary female sanin." Tenten volunteered, raising her hand shyly.
"Even though I can't use Ninjutsus or Ginjutsus, I'll still be a great Taijutsu ninja!" Lee declared passionately, "That's everything to me!"
"Yeah, and the day you succeed will be the day that pigs fly and I grow fat." Neji scoffed, "Give up, you're truly hopeless."
"Neji! Enough from you." Gai leaped to Lee's defense as always, "As I said, you are only a genin, to become a jounin, you still have a long way to go, so I suggest you humble yourself."
"As for you, Gai-sensei." Neji spat out in utter distaste, "What good is it that you are a biased jounin? Anyone could see that you favor Crybaby Lee, here."
"That will be quite enough from you." Gai repeated, his face now a deep shade of crimson. "Go gather wood!"
"Gladly." Neji got to his feet, "At least I don't have you asses getting on my back." He now directed his gaze to Tenten, as if noticing her for the first time, he added, "You're
okay."
"What's with that nut anyway?" asked Lee, dumbfounded, after making sure that the topic of the discussion was well out of earshot.
"Dunno," Tenten shrugged, "he seems to be the anti-social type, if you ask me. But you shouldn't be so hard on the insults, he's got a short nerve."
"Maybe." Gai agreed, "But she's right, lay off the comments, Lee, you'll piss him off even more, he's vexed enough as it is." He slumped down on a rock, "But still, Neji has a lot of potential, he is of the Hyuga clan, and is the first-born of the Branch House, at that, if he receives the proper training, that boy can become invincible."
"Invincible?" Tenten felt faint, "that's not very comforting. Knowing Neji, he would probably abuse his power."
Lee's tone offered nothing but disappointment, although he kept his face cleared of expression.
"But then again, if anyone trains hard, they could become invincible." Gai corrected himself quickly. "Don't worry about it."
He does seem a little biased. Tenten thought silently, watching Lee's face light up again. It doesn't bother me at all though, I wonder why Neji minds so much?
"Slow down, Kiba, or you're going to choke on that rib." Kurenai warned good-naturedly as Kiba wolfed down the meat in a doglike fashion, even Akamaru had some degree of manners.
Shino had taken his meal aside and was eating it, as if not knowing he was actually eating it.
Hinata watched her teammates, they all seemed so confident that they had a future, a future they could actually decide for themselves, in contrast to her, the destiny of being the Hyuga heir was already decided by birth even though she wished it were otherwise.
"Hinata, is anything wrong?"
Kiba's voice cut through her thoughts, "Huh?" she looked down at the half-eaten chicken leg in her hands, "I'm fine, just not very hungry, Akamaru can have my share."
Hearing his name, the dog barked and ran to her to collect his prize. Hinata managed a weak smile as she handed the drumstick to the dog.
"But you have to eat something." Kurenai protested, "You can't focus on an empty stomach."
"Don't worry about me, I ate a lot for lunch." Hinata lied quickly.
They seemed to buy her excuse, "Okay then."
Neji would've seen through her lie…
"Can I go look for Neji?" Tenten asked, "He's been gone a while."
"If you want to." Gai agreed hesitantly, "Be careful, though, and don't be gone too long, or else I'll have to send Lee after you."
"Okay," she nodded, "I'll keep that in mind."
"Actually, its not you I'm worried about, it's Neji, but oh well, make sure you come back whole."
"Uh, sure."
Neji was not the only one that decided that he needed a break from the unintelligent beings on his team. Uchiha Sasuke also decided to take some alone time, away from a sensei who was obsessed with porn, the parasite, and the ramen freak. Sometimes, he despised being normal.
As Sasuke went around, randomly kicking trees, while cursing Itachi under his breath someone said, "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Uchiha, you can get hurt doing that."
Sasuke whirled around to face Hyuga Neji, "Uh-huh, and what made you high and mighty all of the sudden?"
"I'm not, I'm "normal." Neji said sarcastically.
"So am I." Sasuke returned smugly, "Well, you go your way, I'll go mine, no one saw me."
"Yeah, me neither." Neji smirked and walked away.
He had no intention of returning to the campsite and facing Gai anytime soon, as he wandered off, he noticed that the sun had set long ago, but with his Byakugan, it didn't matter.
"This day sucks." Neji muttered out loud, and that was an understatement, how come he had to be on a team with a guy (Lee) with no talent whatsoever, and a girl (Tenten) someone who was born weak, and worst of all a sensei that was uninformed of the latest fashions and other shit? How the hell was he supposed to receive decent training?
Only kissing Hinata had made the day seem worthwhile…"Shit. I can't think about this now."
"Think about what?" a voice asked behind him.
"Nothing." He replied without turning, "Did Gai send you after me, Tenten?"
Tenten came up beside him, "No, I just came by myself, I thought something happened to you."
"Girls worry too much." He smirked, "I mean, what the hell? I'm a Hyuga."
"But—"
"I see, even you are taking their side, huh?"
"No, its just, girls worry because they actually sensitive enough to."
"I don't need you to lecture me on sensitivity." Neji turned at last to face her, "I can tell you hate me anyway. Leave if you don't want to be here."
"No, its not that, Neji, it's not that, they don't like you because they're allowed to like you. You shut them all out." She told him.
"Your eyes say otherwise," Neji studied her carefully, "You are afraid I might rebuke you, because you vex me, Tenten. The way you rub your hands suggests that you are afraid of me. You are afraid I might be angered by your outburst. Isn't that right?"
"But—" she was horrified at his eyes, the way the veins popped out, "What are you doing?"
"So much to learn." His eyes turned back to normal, "You can go and tell Lee and Gai that I'm not coming back."
"What? You can't do that."
"Just for tonight, they can come collect me in the morning." He lay down on the grass, a kunai in one hand.
"Where the hell are they?" complained Lee.
"They'll show, sooner or later." Gai yawned.
"Sensei you don't think…you don't think he'll rape her or something like that?"
"Err, I don't see Neji as the type who would do something like that." Gai suddenly became a lot more awake than before, "Tenten said she'd mark her trail, let's go, just in case."
Lee sprang up, "Yeah, all right!"
"Don't get too excited now." Gai smiled as he watched his student race away into the trees.
"They'll kill me, you gotta come back." Tenten protested. "Please?"
"You're welcome to stay too, y'know." Neji sighed, "What if they snore?"
"Neji, I don't get you, why do you care so much about what they think?"
"I don't." he absently hurled the kunai at a nearby tree, "Who gives a damn what they think? You're nosy."
"I'm just trying to help." She said defensively, "That's what teammates do."
"Don't give me shit about that. I've heard enough."
"Well, well, well." A new voice said, "Just what are you two youngsters doing out here, hm?"
They both turned, there was an old man facing them, leaning on a cane. There were boils all over his skin. "I'm just trying to find my way around, could use some help though." He took a step closer toward them.
"Just who are you, geezer?" Neji eyed the stranger warily, "Don't mess with me, I just happened to be Hyuga Neji, a ninja."
"A ninja, eh?" the old man looked mildly amused, "You look a bit young to be a shinobi." He added, much more quietly to himself, "A Hyuga, that could prove interesting…"
"Neji!" Tenten scolded, "Don't be rude."
"He's not what he seems, don't trust him." Neji breathed into her ear. "He may seem like
a harmless old guy, but, there's something I sense about him…" his voice trailed off. "Go, now, get help!"
"Not so fast…" The old man, to their surprise and horror, tore off his mask to reveal a much more disgusting face, the skin was a ghastly pale color and stretched across his skull like rubber "We haven't begun yet, little ones." He licked his lips with a snakelike tongue. "Isn't this going to be fun…"
Tenten fought the urge to scream. Neji's arm was still grabbing hers.
"Oh, Holy shit!" Neji too, was rooted to the spot, "What are you?"
"A shinobi, just like you are." The Enemy shrugged, "Although I'll bet I'm the stronger of the two."
"Wouldn't really count on that." Neji sent a barrage of kunai at him. "What are you waiting for?" he screamed at Tenten, though she was next to him, she was paralyzed and speechless with fear, "Go! Get help!"
" Neji? But you—"
"No time for buts, goddammit." Neji barely saw the Enemy coming at him, suddenly, without any warning he was pinned against a tree.
"You talk too much." The Enemy had a deathgrip on Neji's throat.
"Do I, now?" Neji was seriously pissed off by now, "Think again, jackass." Concentrating all the chakra he could focus, he sent a punch on the Enemy's abdomen, "Byakugan! Take that!"
"Neji!" Tenten yelled. "Be careful."
"Didn't I tell you to get moving?" he glared down at her, "Go! I'll be fine—" he was abruptly cut off when he saw the Enemy getting back on his feet, "That hit was fatal!"
"Yes, yes." The man brushed himself off, "But Neji-kun, didn't I tell you that I was the stronger of the two?"
"I must be deaf." Neji struggled to regain his composure.
"Tsk, tsk." The Enemy clicked his tongue, "You bore me, but perhaps my friend here would have better uses for you." He whistled three times, "Come darling Kazuyuki, I found you a playmate."
A warm drop of blood diverted Neji's attention upwards, "Holy shit!"
It was a cobra, staring down at him, rearing to strike.
Tenten screamed.