Vulnerability is a sin
By: aragon asten
A/N: Hello! Long time no see! I don't put pre-story author's notes any longer. But I just wanted to warn you guys that this my longest, bloodiest, and most surprising chapter. There might come a point here, where you might no longer read it… but I guess that's you're choice.
I hope you enjoy this! Bon apetit!
A trail of golden leaves fell across the air, littering the ground with its gilded finery, and while it slowly floated to its resting place, it scented the air with the fragrance of a summer still in bloom. The sun was shining brightly, showering rays that warm the skin but do not scorch, bringing about cool ocean breeze that fan across the cheek, and whispering thousand memories from long ago.
Slowly, the leaves floated across the air-gold and green mingling with the strands of dark hair blown by the breeze. Soon the leaves landed to the ground softly colliding with a pair of bare feet standing across the grassy floor.
The birds chirped in the background, and the breeze little by little ceased to blow as if it was itself transfixed by the beauty of the surroundings.
Like the wind, the little feet were still, and the dark hair moments ago were flying across the air fell across young straight shoulders cradling a face of a very young girl.
She was quiet. Her pretty face was pensive, thoughtful, gazing at a tall statue standing in the distance almost hidden by the clumped up pine trees. It was a handsome regal face-beautiful, strong, yet forbidding-a statue that has lost all trace of its humanity, save for the glint seen in its colorless eyes.
She stared at it with wonder, somehow sensing the power that seemed to radiate from the seemingly lifeless form. Her hand clenched involuntarily, and a sudden gasp of her breath followed, while her heart skipped a beat.
"Who is he?"
She asked aloud, as her head quickly turned and faced the pale woman sitting on the grass a few feet behind her. The woman answered with a smile, and followed it with a glance towards the lifeless face.
"A very important young man…," she said softly "…An invincible man…"
"Invinc-ci--ba--ble?" The girl frowned at the unfamiliar word.
"That means someone very strong… very powerful…"
"Really?" And the girl gazed at it again with renewed admiration.
"Was he really that strong?"
"Yes." the woman answered softly, though there was a slight catch inside her voice. "He was a man who was devoted to his clan, and loved his family. Because of that, he sacrificed his life to protect the people he loved."
And she cast her head down as if bowing in reverence to something beyond.
"He died! He died! But if he died, why do you call him strong?"
The woman now turned towards the girls face, and saw the confusion there. She smiled at her, and her eyes seemed to tell it all.
"My dear… that man… that beautiful, kind man protected the ones he loved by giving the greatest sacrifice. Don't you see? A man who gives his life for the sake of love is the bravest one of all. He's invincible."
"Really?" the little girl asked with bright eyes.
And the woman answered with a smiling, "Yes."
And the girl cast her head down, as if the answer added a new weight to her sheltered world. Then she looked up and slowly gazed at the frail woman sitting in front of her--her thin white hands, her weak countenance, the stooped back, and most of all the beautiful brown eyes gazing back at her.
And she smiled. Taking swift assured steps, too mature for an eight year old, she walked towards the woman.
Beside her, the breeze came in slowly, lifting her dark hair into a black shower that mingled with the gold and green. Outside the birds chirped softly.
Summer was in full bloom.
Then, very gently, she kneeled in front of the woman, and lovingly wrapped two youthful arms across the woman's thin shoulders. Closing her eyes, she let her body relax and cling to the other's frame. Then her head softly rested on the woman's breast, enveloping herself inside her warmth.
"I'm going to be like him Mother. I'm going to protect you, and keep you safe," she vowed fiercely to her mother and to herself letting the words ride the same rhythm with the beating of her mother's heart. It was a strong and a steady rhythm… much like her own.
"I'll be strong, Mother… like him… I'm going to be invincible… Someday I will"
"Who am I?
Lying in the middle of a sleepy consciousness, she felt as if a dark cloud hung over her, forcing her to stay asleep, forcing her to stay within the confines of her nightmares. But her body was awake already.
And slowly a great ache in her body slowly grew, spreading all over her body, fusing with each muscle, tissue, and blood.
It was pain all over.
"Why did it hurt?"
"Why did she feel as if she had just traveled through miles and mountains, and was left somewhere to die?"
"Why? Why?"
All these questions bounced through her brain, making her wearier than before, calling her back to sleep.
But it was useless. The pain was nudging her awake, involuntarily making her cringe, and groan, calling out a name she'd called out many times before.
"Mother!"
No one answered. She groaned once again as a great pain assailed her.
"Where am I? What happened?"
Slowly, she opened her eyes, gingerly, hesitantly, while her lashes fluttered, once, twice, then it stopped.
It was the pain again. It weakened her.
But biting her lip, she mustered all her resolve and swiftly opened her eyes.
And her arm quickly came up to hide her eyes from the great fierce light that tore through her sore irises. It came from somewhere in front of her, and as her sight slowly got used to seeing, she noticed that straight out was a wide window, bathing the room in drizzles of honeyed gold, leaving all else in shadow.
"Where am I?" she asked once again in a voice strangely sad and deflated.
But no one answered her. Silence greeted her ear, mocking her, giving voice to the loneliness she could feel. But that was it. Nothing… none…
She was alone.
And there lying bunched up in the corner, the silence blaring in her ears and the mocking afternoon sun glaring into her pained eyes…
Tenten suddenly woke up.
And suddenly she shot straight up into the air, all her aches forgotten, as the memory flooded in full force, making her remember each and every bloody detail that now seemed etched into her brain.
Sleep was the anesthesia, but she was no longer sleeping. All the fears she had been suppressing were back, and along with it came the rage.
She looked to door.
Once, twice.
Then she slowly walked towards it, like a lion stalking towards its prey.
All her muscles were bunched up, and primed to run, and she was doing it now.
Then suddenly, as quick as lightning, she was gone
She rushed towards the door, bursting out of it, breaking the hinges in the intensity.
She was gone, racing towards the place that filled her waking nightmares.
Her eyes blazed. She was red all over.
Her boiling blood was reaching up to the surface urging her on to her goal.
She grazed a passerby.
He yelped. All his belonging flew out of the busy street, and it got crushed under the pressure of the throng of people on this hot, scorching day.
She didn't notice.
She didn't care.
For they were gone now-the people.
She passed block after block, store after store, one blasted structure right after another.
She danced with the thousands of people blocking her way-obstacles, pure obstacles!
She let out a minute roar.
They were useless-all useless!
She had to get their fast… fast! before every vessel in her body explodes, before her whole body ignites, washing the streets with the red of her blood and the slash of her fury.
Her eyes were on fire now, way beyond anger, way beyond pain, nearing the thin line that separated one from insanity.
She was lost now… Nothing mattered.
All that was left was her pain, and her anger, her absolute hatred…
All that mattered was that graveyard-and she had to reach that graveyard!
She had to reach that graveyard and meet the single entity that resided in the bloody underworld of her dreams.
She had to reach it…
And she stopped, inhaling one big gulp of air, letting it flow into her lungs, erupting in a pant, that was followed by another, and another.
Her eyes were still blazing.
She had to reach the graveyard…
And suddenly, very suddenly, she was already there.
"YOU BASTARD!"
The words exploded from her mouth.
"I'M HERE! YOU SON OF A BITCH!"
She looked around the deserted graveyard. No was there.
"Crawl out from that hole you're hiding in, you bastard! I'm going to murder you, you hear that!"
Still no one appeared.
Nothing but the sound of dust and silence. And it mocked her, along with the leering stones of the cenotaphs that surrounded her, filling each space of the graveyard, suffocating her along with the dust.
It was empty, except for her.
So Tenten gave out another pant of breath that left her painfully breathless, and the hatred that filled her eyes seemed to give way to a sinking desperation.
"Where are you damn it!" she called out once again to the emptiness around her. But it answered silence in return.
"Damn it! COME out, YOU PILE OF SHIT! I KNOW YOU"RE HERE SO WHY DON't you come out before I find you and-and-kill-you-and…" and Tenten gave in to the pant that overtook her, as the adrenaline that coursed through her veins diminished, throwing back all traces of pain and exhaustion that eluded her just minutes ago, leaving her empty and weak, and so, so, miserable.
"Damn it… come out… come out…" she managed to cough out as her shaky legs fell to the ground, and a racking cough from her tired lungs overcame her.
"Kohei… where-are you?" she finally whispered to herself, as she closed her eyes, bit her lip, and finally, admitting defeat.
"I'm here."
Tenten suddenly looked up. It was his voice! one oh, so familiar.
With her eyes widening in shock, she heard a light but firm footfall come towards her from behind.
"NO!" her mind screamed out in shock.
But no words came out.
Suddenly it seemed, her whole body was caught inside the space of a second.
It refused to move.
She was frozen.
But the steps behind were not!
Slowly, the seconds passed, and the sound came nearer, and nearer, until she realized to her horror, he was but a foot away. Near enough for her to feel the chakra emanating from him, near enough to make the hairs on her nape stand.
The gravel gave way beneath her, and the sound of the scrunching gravel came out.
He was near her.
She could feel it.
His hand was reaching for her back.
Why couldn't she move! her mind screamed in dismay.
SHe couldn't breath, gasp, or even shake in apprehension!
WHY COULDN"T SHE MOVE?
He was inches from her, split seconds away from touching the thin cloth that covered her naked body.
Then she felt it-his touch! A soft gentle touch that was almost a caress. It trailed through her skin, burning her, sending shocks throughout her body. It was like a burning brand that seared her flesh!
It burned her, suddenly awakening her frozen senses.
Quick as lightning, with a great force fueled by adrenaline, she turned around, knocking his form from its place. A split second later, a rain of needles sprayed across his figure, and Tenten jumped back, moving into an attacking position, ready to once again strike.
But she missed! Out of the hundreds of needles, only one succeeded, but barely, only managing to thinly slice a corner of his cheek, marking him, marring the porcelain complexion. From that wound, a trail of blood slowly seeped out, running across his cheek, like a bloody little teardrop, that ended its journey across his pale, naked jaw.
A hand reached out to touch it, and his hand smeared the red across his cheek.
He raised his hands slowly, turning it to his face, as clear green eyes gazed at it contemplatively, amusedly. And he smiled.
Lowering his hand, his emerald eyes slowly turned to hers.
"Is this your way of greeting me? I guess you really missed me that much--Time hasn't been good to you, am I right, my dear, beloved Tenten?"
"BELOVED MY ASS!" she screamed out in fury.
Charging towards him, she quickly gave out a barrage of arsenals that swept towards him, with her eyes blazing with hatred, her chakra lashing out into the dusty air, all the while screaming furiously, "YOU ROTTEN BEAST! I'm GOING TO KILL YOU!"
But in spite of the ferocity of her attack, he managed to gracefully evade the bite of her weapons, smiling mockingly into her face, saying in a voice both deep, and silky, "Such foul, foul language… I'm afraid being a ninja has not been good to you."
"Hah!" she spat out. "DO you want Foul? I'll give you Foul! I'll throw your foul, stinkin' carcass to the dogs and let them feed over you like carrion!"
Swiftly, she took out a large, double edged sword, which she quickly swung towards him. He jumped, escaping the deadly arc of her sword swing, and with the speed of an anbu ninja, he appeared behind, throwing a kick to her knees, momentarily disabling her.
"Tenten, Tenten… Why do you fight me?" he whispered to her as he leaned towards her ear.
The warm breath that touched her bare skin filled her with such revulsion, that she lashed out, turning quickly, thrusting the sword towards his heart.
"You killed my mother, you son of a bitch! You killed her, and you tried to kill Neji's cousin! I'm going to murder you, you bastard." she hissed in vehemence.
But once again, he skillfully evaded the sword, though it barely missed him, slicing a few strands of his raven, black hair. Then he jumped, taking a somersault in the mid-air, landing a few feet in front of her, with his hands in his pockets, his hair swaying in the wind, and his eyes, flashing a green light towards her.
"Do you have proof?" he said quietly.
"I don't need proof. I only need to see you. And that's enough proof."
"Really?" and his lips curved in a sarcastic smile.
"So if you know me that much, tell me, how did I do it?"
Tenten answered back with a smile of her own, bitter, and full of hatred.
"I know every single detail, Kohei. How you trapped my mother into a cage filled with chakra sucking chakra, then launching into her dozens of weapons that crushed her body, when she didn't have the strength to fight!"
and her voice ended in angry roar, as tears filled Tenten's eyes, and all the anger she felt coursed through her, making her shake and tremble.
"Tenten… my, my… you seem to know so much… It's as if you were right there with that girl…" Then he turned to her in a mild inquiring frown.
"Hinata, wasn't it?"
"I don't need to see her body. All I need is to remember what you did to mother, and that's enough for me… I'm going to make you pay!
WHY DID YOU KILL HER!"
And she jumped towards him, using her sword, turning here, there, while Kohei evaded her, dancing with the slice of the silver edged sword.
"Do you want to know why they died?"
"What I want is your dead body."
"Are you sure?"
"Damn you bastard!"
"I think I'm still gonna tell you."
Quickly, Tenten raised her sword and swung it towards him, with all the force she could muster.
But her stomach was unprotected, and Kohei upon seeing this vulnerable spot, immediately leapt down and punched her stomach. She reeled back with the force, and collapsed to the ground.
Then he took her hair, and twisted it, forcing her face to turn to his.
She cried in pain, but Kohei was relentless.
"What happened to your mother, and Hinata was due to their own stupidity.
They trusted far too much, and loved so much more than what was good for them."
"What do you know about Love, you monster!" Tenten spat out, while trying to struggle from the form that pinned her to the ground.
"What do you know about it either?" Kohei asked viciously, as his hands held her hands, and his body pinned her body. She tried to get out, but it was useless.
Leaning towards her, his face became parallel to hers-only inches away…
"You know nothing about the word, Tenten. That's why you hated Hinata… because she managed to make Neji cry. You hated her because she managed to show her love for her cousin, which you tried so hard to do but never could accomplish."
His warm breath touched hers now, and it mingled with her own.
"And you never will, Tenten… Love for you is pain. Love for you is jealousy. Love for you is longing to be someone you never could be… someone strong, someone powerful… someone invincible… that's the perfect word isn't it?" he asked her, as she saw the pain that glazed her eyes, and the misery taking over.
"I know how to love Kohei!" she burst out, "For you're information I am in fact in love with someone! I love a boy named Hyuuga Neji! He's strong, he's handsome, he's -"
"He's invincible!" he cried out. "You love that boy, because you want to be like him… because you need to be like him. Not because you truly love him. Tenten I read it in all those letters you wrote!"
"You bastard!" she screamed, anger making her strong enough to lift her body, and throw him of hers.
"Those letters were for my mother!"
"You're mother is dead." he stated matter-of-factly.
"SO what! Who gave you the right to touch them!" she screamed while struggling to get up.
"Face the music, Tenten… You wrote those letters for me!"
"I did not!" she said, as she lunged towards him, using a single kunai.
This time he did not evade, but instead, took the blade between his fingers, holding it back.
"Yes you did, Tenten. You continued to write those letters because you knew I was there. You knew I would come here and read them, so you faithfully came here year after year, month after month, in this same spot where you're kind, loving friend Hinata came and got mutilated."
"I didn't! I didn't!" she screamed over and over again, trying to force her blade into his flesh, while the misery and pain within her threatened to overflow.
"Tenten… accept it!" he said fiercely, his eyes looking straight at her with angry compassion. "You write those letters because you know I understand you. I know who you are, and everything that makes up your soul.
You're trapped in the past, because I am you're past. You must accept, that I am also your present."
"You're mad!" she cried out in a last attempt to shield her emotions.
"I am mad. And so are you." he countered. "We're one of a kind, my dear. We're the same. You and I have always been together… unlike… that boy you loved."
"I told you I Didn't give those letters!" she cried desperately
"Perhaps you do love that boy, Tenten. But does he want you?" and Kohei's face came up mockingly.
"What do you care?" she muttered bitterly.
"You love him so badly, yet he cares nothing about you." and Kohei's voice lowered to sad, and husky whisper. He leaned forward, driving the blade deeper into his skin, opening the flesh, and letting the bood gush forth.
"He doesn't even hate you. Because to him… you're nothing. A non-entity that will pass in his life , and fade away."
Tenten slowly grew still, her mind reeling from the words that poured from his mouth. Meanwhile, Kohei's hand reached out and removed the bloody kunai. His other hand stayed in the position, interlocking his fingers with Tenten's hand-fingers no longer divided by the blade.
"He cast you away, didn't he?" he asked softly. Tenten's eyes overflowed with tears.
"He left you, and abandoned you… and you loved him so much."
The tears broke away, one drop fell across her check, and her lips began to tremble. Kohei's hand lifted, and gently touched her cheek, wiping a tear away.
"You loved him so…so…very much… yet… he doesn't need you…"
Tenten's shoulder's shook with the repressed sobs.
"He could never love you… because… because…" And the blood that came from his fingers slowly mingled with hers.
"You're…not invincible…"
The dam broke forth, releasing the tears, and the heartache. And Tenten gave in to the sobs, collapsing into Kohei's arms, which reached out to enfold her. She sobbed her heart out, clutching his shirt with a desperation and anguish borne out of many years of trying to be strong, forgetting anything else but her goal, and yet failing, failing so badly.
She was all, all alone.
"I'm here." It was Kohei's voice reaching out to her, and she grasped it, almost desperately, clutching it as a lifeline, as a final way to escape.
So Kohei softly crooned at her, carefully lifting her up, and cradling her in his arms, like he used to do.
His black coat swayed in the wind, shaking the dust that covered the graveyards floor, as he vanished into the emptiness.
Seconds later, they were gone.
Outside the sun was shining.
Summer was in full bloom.
The sun was high up, beautiful, majestic, though cruel in its shining splendor, bathing the land in golden hues while mocking the poor, insignificant beings that lie helplessly underneath it. For in spite of its beauty, it seared the skin, branding the flesh pitilessly, choking one's throat, suffocating it-burning one's soul so relentlessly until it cries out in pain, and in absolute longing for coming of rainfall. But it was no use.
Life was cruelty. The sun was cruel.
No matter how hard you wish it.
Rain was miles away.
"WHO ARE YOU!"
It was Neji… his eyes cool, calm, and collected, though inside, his mind was screaming, bursting forth millions of profanity, looking for one that one single entity that caused his beloved cousin, so, much pain…
"Who are you bastard!"
"Why did you do that to her!"
The pain was intense, making him reel in shock from the anguish he felt in seeing Hinata being brought out of the hospital to God-knows-where.
It was strange for Neji to be feeling this way, when just months ago, he managed to almost kill her in the Chuunin exams. But today was different.
Today was like the day, when he found out his father had died to save the Main Branch family. But this was almost as worse.
For he could have done something to prevent it.
But he did nothing!
Nothing!
And nothing cost him, Hinata's life.
But he was going to do something about it… Swearing on his father's grave, he was going to find that son of a bitch who did it, and tear him to pieces. Revenge was his main goal now…
He was going to kill whoever did this to her…
"So this is the place."
It was Neji again, standing in the middle of the graveyard-that one place Hinata said before she collapsed into unconsciousness.
It was evening now, hot and sweltering-no traces of the previous rain was to be seen, or felt, or even remembered. He made his way, all his senses full and alert-looking for clues, for links, for something that could point him the reason for all this madness.
Was there nothing!
None!
None!
But wait…there was something there, and he could feel it. He could smell it.
He scanned the darkened grounds, looked towards the horizon, gazed at the tombstones, and finally he looked at the ground.
There it was! Blood!
Here and there, splattered on wide circles and arcs as if a major battle had been fought on the place. He leaned down, taking the earth stained with browning blood, and sniffed it-slowly, inhaling the foul smell it contained. And using a sense that was trained on him, he immediately recognized the blood to be those of Hinata's!
It was her blood!
He quickly stood up. And gazed in horror at the spot where she must have fought to the death-and lost, so, so badly.
He gritted his teeth, as a sudden wave of anger swept through him, making him shake and tremble.
But there was something else!
Another blood!
Another sign for him. It was different from the previous ones. Hea knelt once again, and searched the dusty earth for that one thing that could help him.
He found it. There it was… very near Hinata's blood.
He sniffed it once again…
Slowly…
Slowly…
He inhaled the smell, and searched his brain for a similar one that was just like this.
He could feel it.
He could sense it.
It just came from the other day.
Then he knew! Suddenly he realized where the blood belonged.
IT was Tenten's! TENTEN'S!
Shock rippled through him like electricity, while the enormity of this discovery crashed through his brain, and sending images of betrayal into his battered brain.
"It couldn't be… it couldn't be… it couldn't be…" he repeated to himself over and over again, while visions of yesterday crowded his mind, of Tenten laughing, Tenten smiling, Tenten holding his hand and never letting go.
"It couldn't be!"
But it was. The proof was there, right before his very eyes.
Soon, images of Hinata's mutilated body filled his mind overcrowding those of Tenten's followed by the flash of Tenten's eyes, her fear when he asked him where she was last night. It could only have been her!
No one else he knew was there.
For he clearly remembered the hatred he saw in her eyes before he let her go.
She hated him… She hated him… She said it herself.
Soon, pure absolute hatred coursed through him, making his arms tremble, and his eyes blaze in unconcealed fury. It was her fault! All her fault!
It had always been her fault!
She turned his life upside down in a matter of a few days, and even managed to end those Hinata's!
She was a criminal-a true one!
She was the only left in this world who had the power to destroy him. No one else could do that.
Therefore, there was no other choice left but to destroy her himself…
"Damn you, Tenten… damn you…" he hissed in fury.
He had to find her. He was going to find her. And when he did… he will do anything in his power to make her pay.
"Mark my words."
A/N: I hope you liked this chapter, people! This is story is gonna get more bloody... I hope you'll still read it. I love you all!