Inner Destruction: Chapter Two
"Ready…set…go!"
Izanami watched Tenten and Lee fight while she tried to come up with a strategy for fighting Neji.
She glanced at Neji. He saw her and narrowed his eyes. She stared back at him with equally narrowed eyes until they both broke their gaze and looked away.
"Winner…Lee!" Gai shouted.
Tenten had run out of weapons and Lee had beaten her with a finishing kick.
"Yes!" Lee said excitedly. He gallantly helped Tenten up and said, "It was an exhilarating match! You fought well!"
"What a gracious winner!" Gai exclaimed. "And Tenten, you did well, too!"
"Thanks," Tenten said sourly. She collected her weapons and then sat against a tree.
"Now, it's time for Neji and Izanami's match!"
Neji and Izanami stood up and faced each other, each determined to win.
"Go!"
Neji activated his Byakugan. Izanami, sensing danger, quickly did a hand seal and disappeared in the breeze.
'Where'd she go?' Neji thought. His Byuukagan could see 360 degrees, and yet he couldn't locate her.
"Up here," a voice murmured.
Neji quickly looked up; a cool breeze blew through his hair, but no one was there.
"Stop playing tricks!" he shouted angrily. "Come out!"
"If you wish," Izanami's voice whispered in his ear.
Neji suddenly got thrown forward from the impact of a kick.
The breeze wafted over him, and Izanami appeared, looking down disdainfully.
"You're really not so good," she said quietly. "Genius of Konoha, my ass."
Neji clenched his fists and then brought his leg out under Izanami, tripping her.
She fell to the ground and lifted her head, her eyes blazing angrily.
"You wanna play rough, do you?" she sneered. "Fine, then. Have it your way."
And it was on. They attacked each other mercilessly, never holding back, using ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu, anything.
"Stop, stop!" Gai shouted when things were getting out of hand.
He and Lee pulled Izanami and Neji apart. They had some difficulty, as both were seemingly trying to kill the other.
Finally, they managed to separate the two. Izanami was pinned to a tree with some of Tenten's shuriken and Neji was seated on a rock with Lee and Tenten as guards.
"Disgraceful!" Gai shouted. "Were you trying to kill each other?"
No response.
"I've never seen such acts of – of – of…un-youthfulness in my entire life!" Gai continued ranting. "Now, you are all dismissed for today, BUT, Izanami and Neji, you are to both stay here with each other for another hour! Dismissed!" He disappeared.
Tenten glanced at Izanami. "Good luck," she mouthed, and then she, too, left.
Lee shook his head in disappointment at his fellow team members' behavior, but he left them alone.
Neji silently fumed. This was all her fault! If she hadn't started it…
He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. He had beaten her up pretty badly; there were several bruises and shallow cuts covering her arms and legs. A diagonal slash ran across her left cheek.
He, on the other hand, was mostly just battered. Izanami tended to use air-related jutsus. Who knew wind could scorch so?
Izanami was angry with Neji, but she was mainly angry with herself. She shouldn't have lost her temper.
'He's just so infuriating!' she thought. 'If he hadn't started it…'
The two sat in silence for a while, both resenting the other.
Finally, Neji spoke up. "If you hadn't tried to kill me –"
"I didn't try to kill you!" Izanami interrupted hotly.
"Then what did you call that fight?" Neji shot back. "A playful spar?"
Izanami glared at him. "You know nothing –"
"Right, because you know everything!" Neji shouted. "It's not always about you, you know! You need to get over yourself!"
"Me!" Izanami exploded. "What about you, huh? 'I'm so misunderstood! Pity me because I wasn't born part of the Main House!'"
Neji stood up and strode over to Izanami. He seized her by the collar and shoved her into the tree. "Watch it," he growled.
But Izanami refused to "watch it." " 'Our destiny cannot be changed!'" she continued. " 'I'm a caged bird!'"
"I told you to shut up!" Neji snapped.
Izanami's voice grew dangerously quiet. "But I'll never listen. Do you know why?"
"Do tell."
"Because. I – Hate – You."
Neji answered in an equally soft voice. "I hate you too."
Their eyes locked, Izanami's amethyst orbs staring into Neji's milky pupils.
Izanami broke away first. She did a quick hand seal, and disappeared into the wind.
