"Damn…it's colder than usual…" Kurenai muttered as she pressed her hands together. Her eyes went to the ninjas who were training under Sir Gai's usual enthusiasm.
"You lazy children!!! How can you look at me in the eye and smile impishly when a baby kitten fights with more passion than you all do!!! Show me what pride you are of Konoha! FIGHT WITH YOUR EMOTIONS!!!" he yelled.
She smiled weakly. The unbreakable spirit of the Starlet was one of the few comforting things cheering her up in what everyone in the palace knew as the darkest Christmas of Hidden Leaf kingdom. With the Sand, Sound, and Mist capable of attacking anytime, and the ruler of Leaf still unconscious, the kingdom felt its legs amputated.
"A penny for your thoughts, a dime if they're about me."
Kurenai blinked, especially when she felt something warm cover her back. It was Asuma's jacket, she knew, even without turning around. His scent was like an old friend, familiar and cozy.
"You're supposed to be someplace else," she whispered, not taking her eyes off the records of the confirmed Leaf shinobis. This was vital to filtering which ninjas should be taken away to the mountains as decoys, and which ones would stage a counterattack against the forces of the invaders. And the last thing she needed from accomplishing this VERY vital task was a distraction.
"Yeah…but right now, I want to be where you are." He laughed and reached for his cigarette pack. "Besides, Gai will do a better job with those spies than I can. He can handle Kakashi, he can handle anyone then."
"This is not the time to make jokes, damn it, Asuma!" she hissed, turning to him angrily.
To this, he shook his head. "Kurenai, if we do not have laughter, what else should simple hearts hold on to in this kind of situation?"
She paused, and then looked at Gai, who was wildly flapping his arms at the dazed ninjas. "M-Maybe…maybe you're somewhat right with that, Asuma. D-Demo…"
"Yes?"
"The part when you said you wanted to be with me…"
The look on his eyes was unnerving "That part, I wasn't kidding."
…………………………
Chapter Thirty
Me back! Along with this very, very delayed chapter comes three happy announcements: one) TFTP has a site of its own now! Visit its link in my profile page. I update it almost everyday so drop by often; two) for the Pinoy readers, you can sign up for the Chicharong Flower ML in the TFTP site, to make sure that you receive regular updates on that fic, as well as the other Tagalog humor pieces I come up with that's related to Naruto; and three) I am now online at home! Himitsu Desu: a Naruto x Hinata shrine will be FULLY up before my birthday!!! But you may want to check out the site's eighty-five percent completed sections. The link is, again, in my profile.
Anyway, once this site is ok, I can start working on Strings and Fate, Neji x Tenten Tales. So far, I only have the layout, but I can get it up before November.
Thanks for waiting! Enjoy the chapter! No message time for this chapter—I'll start it again next chappie :D
This is for everyone who waited, especially for Maya Amano, who gave me the LONGEST review I have ever received in my WHOLE 2-year ficcating career in I wub yu! And for Scribbles-chan too. Please accept my peace offering.
…………………………
Mage Tenten was on her way to her magic laboratory for her usual morning sorcery practices when she noticed the earl of the Hyuuga court standing by the large window of the hallway, looking serious.
"Neji?" She went to him, curious what the boy has in mind.
"The birds… they are acting so strangely today…" he murmured.
"Eh?" She followed his gaze and watched the flying animals in motion. "I don't know, Neji…they seem to do what all birds should do…"
"Heh." He smiled at her, and without warning, pinched her cheek affectionately.
Making her heartbeat race. Until now, she couldn't believe that she had been engaged to this man for two days already, considering their cat-and-dog fights in the past.
She cleared her throat and grinned at him. "I know I'm pretty, Earl Hyuuga Neji, but really, you shouldn't be this vocal. It's ruining your Mr. Untouchable image."
"I don't really mind." He gave her one last lingering look before turning his back on her and walking away.
"Where are you going, Neji?" she asked, puzzled by his sudden departure. Damn, she knew she brushed her teeth before she left her room this morning!
"Out." He gave her a quick wave before heading for the grand staircase leading to the palace double doors.
"Neji, aren't you going to take your breakfast yet? Neji!" She sighed when the earl disappeared from her sight. Exasperated, she blew on her bangs before heading for where she originally intended to go.
However, something caught her attention as she was going up to the third floor. Was it her, or did she just hear a door slam at the end of the hallway?
People rarely go to that place, since it only houses old records of the palace. She remembered that they only drop by that place whenever Kurenai-sensei assigns them a history research paper or something, and that was TOTALLY against their will!
So why was there someone in the records room of the palace?
She quietly stepped into the room and looked around, intending not to announce her presence yet. If there was a thief or something in the room, she had to catch that person red-handed.
Her eyes expertly roved around the high ceiling of the room, scanning the surroundings for any sign of moving body. A couple of minutes later, she sensed something pass behind her, like a breeze. She immediately turned around and jumped back, alert.
But all she saw was the blowing navy blue curtains dancing inside the room, with leaves from the trees outside entering the window.
She straightened, relieved, just as a giant fan appeared above her, aiming for her head.
"You again?!" Anko's eyes widened in exasperation and disbelief when she saw the long raven-haired man standing in front of her hut. It had been weeks already since she last discharged this man from her care. What was he doing here again now?
"I was training. I got hungry," said the man simply. He entered her home casually, and as if a part of the house already, went straight to her kitchen and looked at her food cabinet. "I want steamed vegetables."
She followed him into the room, hands on her hips. "What gives you the right to suddenly appear in my territory and demand for food? Out!"
He faced her, undaunted by the irritation in her eyes. "Must we talk now? I'm really hungry."
She was stunned, absolutely dazed. This was the first man to ever talk to her this way…so…casually. The rest of the male starlets, save for that cheeky Sir Kakashi, were intimidated by her ways—one simple raise of her eyebrow, and they immediately know that she means business.
"Well? I know you can cook, so do it." He took his seat and looked at her expectantly.
She could only gape at the bored and lazy glint in his eyes. "I'm not going to cook for you, Sir Orochimaru, even if you are the favorite Starlet of High Sir Sarutobi!" She couldn't forget her shock when she learned that the Orochimaru she took care of weeks ago was the same Sir Orochimaru, the rarely-seen elite Leaf black knight who was acknowledged as the strongest Starlet of all time and feared by the other kingdoms She should have known better—the mythical name was a legend. The ancestors of this knight were said to be heretics, plagued by the spirit of the demon serpent, whom they tried to strike a deal with in exchange for a forbidden Ninjutsu. Nowadays, it was forbidden to talk anymore about the said deal, for the Third had already ordered so.
And the words of a Hokage could not be broken.
His words broke the train of her thoughts. "If you have used the time to stare at my face in cooking, then we won't have anything else to argue about."
Her eyes slowly crinkled in fury. Without warning, she took out her spikes and threw them his way. But before the weapons could even leave her hand, his fingers had already wrapped around her wrist. Slowly, he pulled her down his seat.
"I guess I'll do the cooking then," he said gently. "Feisty." The amusement in his voice was unmistakable.
She decided to turn away from him, not wanting to give him a chance to see her heated cheeks.
Neji was walking towards the gates, his eyes following the movements of the birds. They were all heading towards the south of the kingdom, away from the woods where the kingdoms' intersection was located.
His forehead creased. Something very wrong was happening here. It was not supposed to be the season of migration yet, but the flocks were moving rapidly away from that area.
He shut his eyes, and then, "Byakugan!"
A minute later, he stepped back, eyes shaking.
"It couldn't be…"
For in the direction of the Crossroads stood a gigantic three-headed serpent, coming out from the sacred grounds that Sound soldiers were guarding.
"Hey, Shika, come here! I just noticed something!"
Shikamaru lazily looked up from the numerous scrolls he was reading. "Hmm?"
Ino placed her hands on her hips and eyed her butler warily. She knew she had always dreamed of seeing him working, but now that it was happening in front of her eyes, she had started to regret what she said. It was freaky, not to mention scary, seeing him look busy when even standing up from the floor mat to go to his bed was troublesome enough for him already.
Her eyes went to the scrolls next. Just this morning, her father gave the boy these documents, and when she tried to ask the males what they contain, the two clammed up. She immediately knew that it was something very important. Of all people, these two were the last persons to even think of going against her wishes, unless they were trying to protect her from something.
And in this case, that something was what those documents contain.
Her innate overwhelming curiosity that her butler termed as nosiness took over her again. She would have to find a way to get those scrolls.
"Ino, I'm trying to make myself productive here, you know," said Shikamaru, not without sarcasm. "Let's talk later."
Instead of getting irritated by his dismissal, this made her smile some more. So those scrolls were THAT important that even bum Nara Shikamaru couldn't leave them alone…
She grinned devilishly. She knew just what to do. Damn it, what Yamanaka Ino wants, Yamanaka Ino gets!
"I just noticed…you suddenly look more…relaxed than usual…" She batted her eyelashes at him. "Uh-huh…it's doing wonders for your looks."
He gazed at her cautiously, and then shrugged. "If I look more relaxed than I usually do, then I'm probably a corpse by now."
She found herself silently agreeing with that, but he didn't need to know that. She gracefully crossed to the other side of the room, where he was working quietly. With the same finesse, she plopped down beside him and tucked her knees under her chin.
He quickly pushed his papers and scrolls out of her reach. "I know what you're thinking, damn it, Ino! Don't be stubborn! These papers are highly confidential—"
"Even for me?" Her lips pouted.
She wasn't sure if that was a blush that crept on his cheeks a second ago, for he had already turned his back on her, tying the scrolls together. "Y-Yes, even for you," he said with as much firmness as he could muster.
But it wasn't much, because Ino got only more encouraged. She inched closer to him and peered over his shoulders, her face next to his. "Oh come on, Shika? Please, please, pretty please?"
"D-DAMN!" Shikamaru frantically moved away. "It's just some official business for earls only! Geez, no need to seduce me!"
"Seduce?" She eyed him, and nearly burst into laughter. The butler was pushed against the corner, hugging the scrolls in his arms as if they were his lifesaver. A look of obvious panic was written all over his face, and he was even breaking out in cold sweats!
Yet for the life of her, she suddenly found him irresistibly cute.
For as long as she could remember, she had been looking at that face practically all her life, but this was the first time that she saw him like this, and the first time it elicited something anywhere close to what she was feeling at this moment.
Fondness. Yes, so much fondness for him, especially when she recalls the times that he stood up for her, covered for her, took the punches for her, stood by her…
And then like a flash of flood, she realized that she had been looking at someone right before her eyes all this time, but she had never really seen him.
Never really did.
That was why she didn't know that he could look endearingly boyish when he grins and banters with his assistant, Choji, or look childishly cute when he was embarrassed. And that he was so sweet to water her garden for her if she was out, trying to seize a chance to talk with the prince; and that he could be so thoughtful, kicking himself out of bed just to get her favorite morning cereals if she forgets to stock in the cabinet.
How adorable he looked as he took a crash course on hand-sewing and mending just to pacify her when her Grumpy costume was torn before the Snow White play.
Or how delightfully charming he was when he donned black tux she knew he was not most comfortable at just to attend her formal twelfth birthday. Yes, the Prince Sasuke was dashing, but Shika in a tux…the gesture of sacrificing his personal preferences just to make her happy touched her deeply. She never got around to telling him that though; she was too shy to tell him in the open that she appreciated him, when all she did was nag him for his laziness and lack of motivation in life.
Maybe that was the same reason why she allowed him to leave the palace before—she couldn't admit her slowly growing attachment to him, who was not the guy of her dreams—who was not any inch close to her yardstick of a man that is Prince Uchiha Sasuke.
But when he left…
She smiled. When he left, she finally understood it: Shikamaru was beyond yardsticks and measurement. Because simply, he was Shika, and he didn't need to compare with anyone else, not even with the prince.
"O-Oh no, I-Ino…I-Ino, please…please don't look at me with eyes like that," he pleaded, eyes begging. This broke her train of thoughts.
"Why?" she asked after awhile.
"I…I…" He gritted his teeth in frustration. "I might do something that you wouldn't like…"
She cocked a brow. "Hontou ne?" she asked in a sing-song voice. "What are you going to do?" she asked him challengingly.
He groaned. "You're saving your first kiss for your prince, right?"
"Duh!" And she moved towards him.
"Damn, INO!!! Don't test me, I'm not strong to resist temptations—"
She grinned impishly. "Then let it go, Princey." Silently, she counted to three. Upon finishing the count, she would pull back and laugh at his face, then take the scrolls from him.
One…She watched his adam's apple move visibly as her face lowered to his.
Two…She heard her heartbeat pound louder than usual, which she tried to ignore, but all in vain. It was a fatal mistake looking at his face, for now she was suddenly imprisoned by so many emotions… and palpitations stronger than those brought about by Prince Sasuke.
She opened her eyes and looked at her childhood friend, now a man. Nara Shikamaru. Her best guy friend, her protector, her punching bag, her doormat, her counselor, her guardian angel, and her own piece of fairy tale—a prince charming in the clothes of a lazy butler and political strategist.
Yes, she wanted badly to kiss him.
With that, she lost the strength to pull back.
Three.
"I have worked only recently in the Hidden Leaf Grand Council, but I already have heard about your name. However, they say you don't appear in public too much." Anko said out of the blue one morning as she and the Black Knight were heading for the forest to check on the Leaf footsoldiers manning the borders of the Leaf kingdom. "Why is that, Orochimaru?"
He glanced at her, and then stopped walking. She paused, puzzled.
"You said it yourself. You started working here only now." He held out his hand towards a tree, and to her shock, a snake dropped down from the branches and slid down towards his waiting arm. It coiled around him, as if he was its natural home. "So you mustn't bother to know the past."
"B-But I want to!" she insisted.
Silence, save for the snake's hisses.
He turned to her again. "I am a descendant of the clan that tried to bargain with the devil, but failed. As a proof of that failure, the bloodline carries the power to summon snakes naturally. We do not need techniques to call them, for a part of us are snakes too." He played with the scale of the green snake with his finger. "We are one."
She, on the other hand, couldn't believe what she was seeing. He was the first man she saw that didn't need a Kuchiyose no jutsu to call contracts with the animals. Yet for all her fear, there was only fascination for this man.
"They fear me, so Sir Sarutobi made me a knight in service to the Leaf kingdom. He thinks that in this way, the people would not mind my ancestry, and also, for me not to think of succumbing to the devil born within my clan. Sooner or later though, I know their fear would get the best of them, and they would kill me. They're just bidding their time…"
Sadness. And a certain degree of trepidation too.
Orochimaru. He may insist that he was not human, and the rest of the people may believe him, but not her. She could see things they couldn't, and for that, she felt a little proud of herself.
His eyes turned back to her. "Now do you fear me?"
She was speechless for awhile, just staring at him and the snake draped around him. And then she smiled. "Why should I?"
"I can kill you."
She refused to be intimidated. "It won't be easy."
That was when his smile returned. "I know."
Anko massaged her throbbing head. The memories weren't doing her any good, but repressing her thoughts was next to impossible, especially now that he was making everyone in the kingdom feel his malicious presence again. She, the other Starlets, and the Third knew that this day would eventually come—the pay-off that Orochimaru promised them before his spirit was sealed in the scrolls and buried deep within the heart of the Konoha forest.
Yes, she remembered crying over that fateful day for so many nights, weeping for a love she lost. It was her fault anyway—everyone had warned her not to be close to the Snake Clan descendant. He was not human, therefore he was not capable of human relationships.
But those words did not stop her idealistic fifteen-year-old self, thinking that her affection and friendship with him would be enough to win him back from the demon.
But she was so wrong…so damn wrong…
I just used you.
You were but a pawn.
You're in the way.
"Anko-sama!"
She looked up, startled.
Earl Rock Lee hesitated. "Ah…I-I'm sorry to disturb—"
"What is it?" she asked curtly.
"We should tell Lady Haruno the latest about the situation," he said.
"O-Of course." She got up and took her folders. "Earl Lee, have she taken her breakfast already?"
The taijutsu master sighed, and then shook his head. "She's virtually committing suicide."
"I have already warned her. One unconscious member of the palace is enough." Anko looked outside the window. "If there is one think to thank for though, the Anbu had sent word that Tsunade-sama is on her way."
"Tsunade-sama?" His forehead creased. He was not familiar with names, but he vaguely recalled Tenten mentioning that name sometimes.
The senior Starlet nodded. "Our medical specialist." She hugged her folders closer to her chest. "And I hope the Toad master returns too. We need all the help we can get…"
Suddenly, the two looked at each other. In a split second, kunais slammed on the floor where they stood milliseconds ago.
"They're inside the palace!" Anko gasped, jumping back behind the door. She quickly slashed the necks of all the ninjas who enter through the door.
Lee took care of those who were able to evade Anko. "What happened to our guards?"
"Damn! Go check on Lady Haruno and the prince, Lee! Hurry!" ordered Anko.
"Right away!" The earl swiftly left the senior starlet's office, but paused when he turned in the next hallway.
A platoon of Sound soldiers was coming in from the smashed double doors of the main palace, where bodies of the Leaf ninjas were strewn on the bloody floor. Behind them were some men dressed in cloaks, wearing ANBU masks.
Lee stepped back, teeth gritted. "Shit…so our guards were deceived into letting them in…because they posed as ANBU members…"
"Not quite," one cheerful voice from an ANBU pretender said. Lee felt the pitch of the voice sounded very familiar, but he had no time to reflect on that—the ANBU-masked man had continued to speak. "An ally from Sound took care of the dirt already. Now it's our turn to clean."
As if that was a signal, the guards headed for his way.
Her eyes crinkled in fury, and she threw the shuriken on his face. The man calmly caught it between his fingers, and then with a graceful flick of his wrist, threw the weapon out of the window.
"Rebellion? You think that is the answer to your anger at Sir Sarutobi? And how dare you even suggest this to me, a member of the Starlets—"
His eyes, cold and calculating, roved on her figure before smiling languidly. "You think I can forgive that old fool for wanting to assassinate me? I know of his plans…even when I was a child and he was training me, he could already see
the monster that was within me. He was afraid of it, so he tried to rein it with his authority from being my master in my early years. He knew that I was powerful enough to overturn even the most powerful kingdom in the continent, so he repressed me…"
"He didn't repress you! He only wanted to protect you! The spirit of the devil serpent still thrives in your clan, and you might fall under its power—"
"You do not understand anything, Anko." He got up. "Either you go with me now and help me start the Sound kingdom anew, or you would remain here and flatter the body count once I wage the war against this pathetic empire."
She stepped back, eyes shaking in disbelief. "You're…threatening me."
He smiled malevolently. "You've got it all wrong, sweet Anko…I was giving you an option."
Moments later, he disappeared in the darkness, shaking the firm conviction within her that she kindled for fifteen years. She loved the Leaf kingdom with all her heart….but she loved this bastard with equal fervor.
Temari's eyes widened when she saw that her fan hit nothing but air. "What the—" All of a sudden, ribbons wrapped around her weapon. In the chandelier, Tenten was hanging upside down, fingers taking control of the weapon.
"You were expecting my attack, eh?" said the Sand nin, now smiling. "Not bad for a witch."
"Two things, Sand Ninja." She smirked back. "One, there are no green leaves in winter, so your kawarimi was easy to uncover." Effortlessly, she tugged on her ribbons, and the giant fan slammed down on the floor. "And two, only my fiancé calls me 'witch'."
"Is that so?" The Sand Fairy looked at the mage measuringly. "So I presume you won't let me walk out of here with the records of your fighters, huh?"
"Smart girl." Tenten jumped down the floor, now ready for battle.
"Get down!" Shikamaru suddenly shoved her down on the floor. A second later, his hands clamped over her ears, barely just in time with the series of brain-shattering sound waves blasted into the room.
Ino's eyes widened in shock as the door kicked open, revealing the same girl she saw in Shikamaru's house. She was about to ask the girl what she was doing in a Yamanaka territory when Shikamaru suddenly threw himself on top of her and covered her with his back from the next impact of the Sound nin's weapon.
The girl smiled mockingly at the butler. "I knew it—you are still a loyalist of this family."
He forced a smile. "Old habits die hard."
"I'm here to kill that brat, but since you're here already, I might as well dispose of you too." She shrugged. "You will die as you desire, Nara Shikamaru. You will die the HARD way." With that, she released another set of mind waves, making the boy cry out in anguish.
"Shikamaru!" yelped Ino.
The boy sank his teeth into his lower lip to try to counter the pain. He had to think of a plan.
If he lets go of the girl to clamp his hands over his own ears, it would take some point eight seconds to order her to place her own hands over her ears, leaving both of them vulnerable. And he cannot afford to be generous and give even one second of opening for the Sound nin. He only knew too well that the Sound kunoichi could and would use that moment of weak spot to launch a decisive attack against both of them.
So he could not do battle.
Which leaves only one person…
"Aaaargh!!!" Another set of mindwaves crashed against his cranial frame.
Sakura was about to doze off to sleep when she felt the sudden commotion downstairs. She looked outside and was stunned to see fire ravaging the frontyard of the palace already. "W-What's happening…"
It then hit her. The two-day deadline the invaders gave was over. She wasn't able to notice that though for all her attention was on the prince after she finalized all the combat and evacuation plans.
Her heart jumped in her throat, especially when it dawned on her that with Sasuke still unconscious, she was in-charge of the kingdom. Almost instantly, she shook her head vehemently. "Iie. I'm not going to let this scare me. I am representing Sasuke-kun, so I must be brave…I must be…" She got up and touched the window. The gentle snow was powerless to douse the raging fire, and deafen her from the cries of pain and death that traumatized her already since her visit to the Mist kingdom.
Her hands clenched into a fist, and then she turned back to Sasuke. "I'm going to see if the evacuation of the women and children were already done by the Starlets." According to their strategy, if she remembered correctly, the people of the kingdom must have left the main town and had stayed in the underground fort of the kingdom near the mountains, led by Sir Genma and Sir Ebisu, but she also wanted to be very sure, just in case.
She opened the door, and to her shock, two Sound nins were standing in the doorway, smirking.
"Well, what do you know? We ARE welcomed here," said the hunchback nin, chuckling malevolently.
"Step back!" She picked a couple of shurikens from her back pocket and aimed them at the ninjas, who didn't expect that the court lady had weapons in her hand now.
The female Sound nin placed her hands on her hips as she watched the shadow master collapse on top of the Yamanaka court lady, his hands refusing to budge from her ears though.
"How long can you stand the power of my jutsu?" Kin smiled mockingly at the boy. "Your brain may be anything but ordinary, but I assure you that you are no match for my technique!"
Her face contorted into fear when she saw what the Sound warrior's jutsu was doing to her butler. "S-Shika…" She didn't know what words were being exchanged by the two, but she knew that whatever jutsu the girl was using, it was wreaking havoc on her friend. The excruciating torture on his face was vividly depicting the harrowing torment he was going through right now, his auditory senses slowly collapsing and affecting as well his mental capability and his general body equilibrium.
His eye opened slightly, and she could very well read the expression on them—shut up and concentrate on falling asleep. She mustn't be victimized by the sound waves presently ruining his brain, or they would both die.
"S-Shika…"
His eye opened wider, and he was wordlessly asking her to concentrate on her own jutsu so they could defeat the woman. And then ever so slightly, his mouth formed three little words.
Even in its muted form, the message rocked her heart to the core.
He loved her. He loved her dearly. And even at the risk of being driven to the edge of sanity by the dangerous sound waves, he would protect her with his life.
Kankuro stretched lazily as another explosion sent the other half of the royal stable to dirt and rubbles. "Heh. All these years, all of us in the kingdom lived in the belief that Hidden Leaf has the strongest ninjas. How deceived we are! Heh."
"Actually, that's because you just met the wrong ones."
The Sand nin smirked, and then turned to his right, where a figure was standing, hands in his pockets. "What does a confirmed spy like you know about what Leaf kingdom really is?"
"Enough to say that your plans will fail, and to tell you that you will die. Painfully." Aburame Shino emerged from behind the tree. "To make sure, I will take care of you personally."
"This would be entertaining." Kankuro chuckled nastily.
She watched as her shuriken missed the hunched Sound nin by a long shot. Refusing to be disheartened, she attacked anyway, but a sharp blow of air slammed on her shoulders, making her fall on the floor, face first. She tried to get up, but felt the land-cracked soles of her opponent on the back of her head forcing her down. She bit her lower lip from releasing a gasp of pain.
"Plaything." A sarcastic voice said. "The court lady Haruno Sakura kissing the ground…I hope Kin was here to see this."
"She was too excited to hunt the Yamanaka court lady down," came another voice.
Her heartbeat froze. Ino-chan!
"Nevertheless, we should at least give her some chance to play with her other least favorite Leaf kingdom royalty."
"But that doesn't mean we can't get to play with her too." The pressure increased, making her gasp in pain loudly. This solicited laughter from the ninjas.
Sakura bit her trembling lower lip. No, she refuses to let these scums break her spirit! She had to gather all the strength left in her to save Ino. She knew that her best friend was a skilled fighter, but she knew that there were times that she needed support for her to keep her composure.
Somehow, someway, she had to come for her Ino-chan.
And Sasuke-kun too…
Her mind wandered to the bed where the prince still laid unconscious. He was going to be an easy prey for these monsters.
"No! Never! Over my dead body!" With all her Herculean strength she could muster, she lifted herself from the ground, startling the Sound nins.
The hunched boy recovered first. "So the little lady still has some muscle to spare eh?"
She ignored the aches every part of her body was screaming of and pasted her confident court lady smile. She was destined for greater things, she knew so. As the future wife of an Uchiha and the future queen of the kingdom, the only proper thing to do was to fight with pride, and if she would lose, at least she would go down with head held high.
She would forget about forgetting and let go of letting go. There was only one thing in her mind: to save her prince charming. This was all that matters for this moment.
"The fight is not yet over, boys." She swiftly released a new set of spikes and threw them the men's way. The two quickly avoided her attack, but she had anticipated that already. She seized the critical split-second open defenses of the two to make it back to the side of the prince. Her eyes scanned the table, and then grabbed the bottle of talcum powder. She sprayed it around them, and then carried the prince by her shoulders. She was about to jump out of the window when she felt an arm grab her leg. Startled, she lost her balance and
landed back on the bedroom floor. Not losing her presence of mind, she used her arms and elbows to cushion the sleeping body of the prince. She felt something bruise her almost milky flawless skin, but she was too busy concentrating on finding the chakra of her enemies.
She spotted one coming from behind. Using her knife, she sliced the curtains of the window and dragged it along with her as she attacked the enemy. The heavy velvet fabric fell on the boy's face, making him slip down the floor.
"One down—oof!" A heavy piece of metal slammed on her cheek, throwing her against the wall. She felt the sharp slice of pain at her spinal column and the aching pain on her face. Her lips could taste blood tracing its path down to her face.
The Sound Nin laughed menacingly as his companion, the Air Pressure guy, staggered from the floor, eyes angry.
"You played with us long enough, Lady Haruno," the latter said, eyes glinting in malice. "Now it's our turn."
By instinct, she stood in front of the prince, arm raised in front of him.
Despite her bruised and beaten up body, her eyes were still threatening: not one must dare lay a finger on the prince.
HER prince.
………………..
to be continued
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preview - special chapter: Mourning of the Mist
"We both fight for the same reason…a reason that is everything but ourselves," said Haku carefully as he positioned his arm for another poisoned needle attack.
"It was a great honor to have the chance to fight with someone like you, Naruto."
The boy wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his thumb, and then grinned. "Likewise. But I won't back down easily. I am fighting for my home. I am fighting for my family. I'm fighting for everything that matters to me most."
Behind him, Hinata watched quietly, hands clasped together. As he wished, she wouldn't intervene. But that wouldn't stop her from rooting for him silently.
The Mist soldier picked up a piece of the broken illusion glass and sliced his wrist with it. Using his blood and some pieces of water from melted ice, he mixed them together on his palm.
Naruto steadied himself, eyes alert. What jutsu would he use now?
At last the concoction was done. Haku mixed it with the broken glass, and almost immediately, the shattered fragments started to piece together again.
"I must be honest, Naruto," said the man gently. "This is my last card…and my first time to use my special technique in an actual fight."
"Cool! What an honor!"
This made the man smile. "I feel the same way. Let's start the fight again." A water dragon appeared behind him, and the mirrors formed around him again.
"N-Naruto-kun!" A flash of instinct surged through the maid's body all of a sudden. It was the same dread she felt moments before the Sound nin pushed her and Naru-chan down the cliff. Now this same gut feeling was operating again, telling her that like Naru-chan, she might never see Naruto again once he becomes enclosed in those walls. She was about to run to help him when his voice
stopped him.
"I'll be fine, Hinata!" Naruto's cheerful voice was unmistakable. "I'm an incredible ninja! It will take more than this to defeat me!"
She paused. "Na…Naruto-kun…"
"Wait for me, okay?" The volume of his voice significantly dropped when the mirrors fully covered the battle arena where he and Haku stood.
Her eyes widened, and for a few seconds, she could only hug herself both in pain and hope.
"I'll wait for you, Naruto-kun, no matter how long it takes…" she promised solemnly.
…………………
Post Random Talk
Because my PC was rendered lifeless by the past flooding in our place, I seized the break from my PC to watch the entire Naruto series…okay, okay, a few random episodes! :P You should have seen how I winced at the difference of the characterization of Shikamaru here in TFTP from the AWESOME Shika I watched battling Temari. Maaan, he's one smart dude! drool, worship
Also, now I know who Ebisu is, and who Iruka really is. (I believe I had undermined Iruka's role here in the fanfic in favor of Kakashi) So Ebisu didn't like Naruto before…and I also know now why he's called "closet pervert"…nods. BTW, Iruka's dubbing is drool-worthy! In our local dub, Kakashi's voice is better than Iruka hehe.
Another discovery: watching Naruto vs. Gaara is disheartening to a NaruHina fan! cries "I will protect you, Sakura-chan!" 80 lbs Acme anvil falls on syao-chan
Oh, and my heart broke when Gaara's childhood was recounted. Gawd, I could understand now why he's so bent on killing everyone. Until now, syao-chan doesn't understand Heero Yuy's reason to tell everyone, 'Omae o korosu' -.-
However, my fave episode currently is ep.98: it contains almost all my fave couples, save for NaruHina. Imagine, scenes involving Neji and Tenten alone for…5 seconds? hearts
(pauses)
The mp3 player just played "The Search is Over". Dang, that song is my frustration! I wanted to make a music video for that! Dakedo, my 336mhz pc won't let me -.-. Nevertheless, I'm looking for people to pester to encode it for me…this would be a great addition to Himitsu Desu! Dang!
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See? I told you it's RANDOM hehehe.
