AUTHOR'S NOTES:
I'm almost finished for the ending of A Curse to Kill. But I haven't even started on Homebound due to some editing of military ranking in my fics in Gundam Seed. So anyway, THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS!
By the way, if you want to join my C2 Community for Naruto, HIDDEN ADOBO VILLAGE, please e-mail me if you want to be a staff member. Subscribers are highly welcomed. HIDDEN ADOBO VILLAGE is for Filipino Naruto lovers but of course, I'm not greedy, so I also allow other nationalities to join! Hope you join! Mwah!
tenten-kun: Thanks for the review! Don't worry, here's the next chappie!
nikki14-angel: Wag ka mag-alala, eto na po ang inyong kahilingan!
NOTE: Since I'm almost done with this fic, I have to say this… I enjoyed my time writing this fic and replying to your reviews. sigh I'll miss you guys! Ahuhuhu… Anyway, Homebound's debut will be coming up late after A Curse to Kill's epilogue has been finished – which, I haven't even written yet, so… I'll be expecting your support!
CHAPTER 10 UP!
(From the last chapter…)
"Why do I have this uneasy feeling?" Tenten thought, as she was sitting on a branch of a tree, waiting for a target to fly by.
A bird landed on a perch of a tree just in front of Tenten. She threw a kunai towards the small creature but it flew away before the kunai landed on the place where the bird was sitting.
Tenten sighed, "Why do I feel this kind of sensation when Neji is fighting?"
A sound echoed through the sky; Tenten jerked her head up and saw a murder of crows darken the sky.
"Is this an omen?" Tenten thought, "That Neji is in trouble?"
(Chapter 10 – Hoping for a Return)
Neji smirked as he successfully executed his plan – to tear apart Wasudo's kunai pack.
Neji leapt off the branch of the tree and successfully caught the bottle, but in return, several wounds were made on his shoulders, arms and legs because of the falling kunais.
"Uchiha, catch!" Neji said, throwing the bottle to Sasuke.
Sasuke caught the bottle and Neji continued, "Don't mind about me, return to Konoha now! Give that to Tsunade!"
Sasuke, without any further ado, grabbed his things and before he left the area, Neji bid, "I placed a teleport essence in a bottle in your bag last night. Use it to go back to Konoha!"
"Hey, I ain't leaving without you, Hyuga! I might get trouble if- " Sasuke retorted.
"Don't mind! C'mon, you? Uchiha Sasuke who frequently gets himself into trouble, can't solve at least one? I'll be able to return to Konoha, I tell you! So GO!" Neji interrupted, "HURRY!"
Sasuke grabbed a kunai and got rid of some ninjas blocking his way. He made his way to the mountain, where the Sand ninjas can no longer reach him.
Sasuke placed the cure in his bag and tried to find that teleport essence that Neji was talking about. He found it and he recognized that the essence was made by Tsunade because of a mark on the bottle that says, 'Made by Tsunade'.
He opened the bottle and the fragrance surrounded him, and he grabbed his things and said, "To the gates of Konoha!"
He disappeared slowly, like an effect of magic.
"You brat!" Wasudo scolded as he looked at his torn kunai pack, "That was very rude!"
"In a fight, do I have to be so kind?" Neji talked with a sense, "And anyway, it's not my type to be merciful in a fight! Oh wait, I'm not fair, too!"
The old man laughed and told Neji, "So, the rules will change now, young man. If you knock me down, I will let you leave this village peacefully, but if you don't, then, you will have to die or be a slave for this village!"
"That's fine with me, old man!" Neji answered, "BYAKUGAN!"
Then, those horrifying veins popped out near his eyes Neji became determined more than ever, "I don't care if I have to die, as long as Tenten gets her cure!"
Meanwhile…
"Tsunade!" Sasuke called as he furiously knocked on the hut's door.
"Yes?" Tsunade finally opened the door, "Wait, where's Neji?"
When Tenten heard his name, Tenten ran beside Tsunade and asked, "Right, where's he?"
"He's still in the village of the Sand," Sasuke explained, "but he did give me this."
Sasuke opened his bag and gave Tsunade a bottle.
"Thank you very much." Tsunade smiled.
"Wait, may I ask," Sasuke said, "why is Tenten here?"
Tenten looked shocked and eyed Tsunade for what to answer.
"Of course, as my favorite student, she shares teatime with me." Tsunade explained, "Would you like to join?"
"Uh, no." Sasuke said, "I should be heading home now. I need some rest."
"Okay," Tsunade smiled, "thanks anyway."
Tsunade closed the door and said, "Sit down, Tenten."
Tenten did as she was told and Tsunade continued, "You know why Neji is away?"
"I don't know but can you please tell me?" Tenten replied.
"He fought in the village of the Sand for you to get this," Tsunade said, showing the small bottle in her hand, "the cure for your curse."
"But Tsunade-sama," Tenten bellowed, on the verge of tears, "if there's the cure, where's Neji?"
"You know you can ask that question to Sasuke as soon as you get cured." Tsunade said, mixing the cure into a cup of tea, "Here."
Tenten took the cup and said, "I think it's not right for me to drink this cure without the man who got it for me here to witness it."
"It's not right not to drink the tea because all the hardships of that man who got it for you will be wasted." Tsunade made a point, "I will be your witness for Neji and now, drink the cure, Tenten."
Tenten nodded and drank the tea with the cure and afterwards, she felt dizzy.
Tsunade took the cup and looked at Tenten who had just drifted off to sleep on her chair.
Anyway…
Neji was using his 'soft fist' against Wasudo to knock him down – well, knock him down for all his life actually.
"You are indeed, a strong Hyuga!" Wasudo praised, "But not good enough!"
"Don't underestimate me, old man!" Neji shouted.
Wasudo made an attack to Neji, almost kicking him in the head, but Neji evaded it, however Wasudo was able to throw shurikens at Neji and these made wounds on his back and torso and some more on his legs.
Neji fought the pain and successfully made an attack by using his 'soft fist' to Wasudo, to a chakra point in his arm.
Wasudo fell down, suffering so much pain.
Neji smirked and said, "Looks like I won, old man."
"You put up a good fight, child." Wasudo said, standing up as if nothing happened, "But unfortunately, I will only be able to suffer pain only for a short period of time because I regenerate."
Neji's Byakugan disappeared and said, "I will be leaving."
Neji grabbed his things and Wasudo said, "Goodbye, Mr. Hyuga Neji."
Meanwhile…
Tenten was able to wake up and was allowed to leave Tsunade's hut and went to Sakura's house.
She knocked on the door and everybody who passed by the street looked at her and smiled. She had no idea why are they doing that but anyway, she was still knocking on the door.
Sakura opened the door and smiled and Tenten raised an eyebrow, "Now that's weird, why are all the people smiling at me?"
"You haven't heard of the rumor?" Sakura answered, "By the way, come inside."
Tenten sat on the couch and so did Sakura.
"What… rumor?" Tenten prolonged.