Okay, so, at first I was insulted when I read this anonymous review for my story:
- Fan fiction is not a medium for you to vent out your frustration in not having a boyfriend in real life. The bishonen in your favorite anime aren't real and it's not healthy to 'create' a new character and imagine yourself in her place while she traipses in whacky, far-out, overly emotional, angst-ridden adventures with the bishonen of your choice.
- When you upload a story into Fanfiction dot net, TRUE FANS like me who love the series would rather see our favorite bishonen die a horrible and painful death than end up with your Mary Sue.
- Nothing ever good comes out with writing a Sue story. Nothing. It doesn't matter if you THINK she's well-written. It doesn't matter if you spent seven thousand nights thinking up a suitable background. It doesn't matter if she's from an elite but now-extinct ninja clan in the farthest region of Sue Heaven. There will never EVER be anything good to come out of a Mary Sue story.
- The only people who will love and praise you for this story are fellow Sue-stooges like you who jerk off to posters of their favorite bishonen.
- Fanpoodle fantasies should remain in the Suethor's mind. Once you post your Sue story online, expect to incur the wrath of true fans like me. Yes, we will review your story because you have polluted the fandom with your filth. If you can't take criticism for your Sue story, stick to writing about canon characters. THAT IS WHAT TRUE FAN FICTION IS ABOUT.
But then, after I reread it, I found it kinda funny. Because, yes, people have a right to call my story "Mary Sue" (in my opinion, it isn't, but that's just my opinion), and I won't try to stop them or insult them back.
So, to you anonymous reviewers out there who hate my story, feel free to submit reviews that you think will make me angry--I won't get angry; I'll laugh at you and the review.
But please don't insult the other people who review and like my story, because you have no right to. That just makes you seem like a stupid, attention-seeking bitch and/or bastard. And it's not really "true fan-like" to insult other people just because they like something that you despise.
Insult me all you want. I will genuinely laugh at you and your "true fan" ways.
Inner Destruction: Chapter Ten
Neji gaped at her. Actually gaped, with his eyes wide and mouth open.
Standing in front of him was Tenten, and beside her, Izanami.
Tenten wore a red and white kimono, scroll pouch strapped to her obi. She looked prettier than normal, but it was Izanami that caught his eye.
The kimono she wore was dark blue with light flowers and butterflies scattered here and there. The obi was all autumn colors (e.g. red, orange, brown, etc.) with leaves and flowers for embroidery.
Her hair was down, as usual, and the expression on her face was indifferent like always, but even so, she seemed even more radiant than before, more beautiful, more exquisite, more –
He stopped himself. His face grew stony once more and he nodded slightly to Izanami as a greeting.
He felt his heart beat faster as she walked and stood next to him. This was going to be a long night.
x.X.x
"You look great!" Tenten exclaimed when she and Izanami were done "perfecting" themselves.
Izanami smiled wanly. "Thanks. You too."
"Let's go and stun the guys, shall we?" Tenten giggled rather uncharacteristically and left Izanami in the girls' dressing room.
She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. She didn't want to go the feast, especially with Neji as an escort; things were rather awkward between them.
She tugged at the shuriken holster tied around her leg, under the kimono. There was also a kunai holster hidden under the silk obi. She was completely armed.
With another sigh, she, too, left the room and went into the main chamber where the boys were waiting.
She felt herself flush slightly when she spotted Neji.
Lee, well, Lee was dressed in his regular spandex suit, except now it was a shinier green, more metallic.
Tenten's eye started twitching when she saw her date. She strode over and smacked him across the head. "Lee, why aren't you wearing a yukata or something like Neji! Do you have any idea what you look like!"
Izanami took a deep breath and silently went to stand next to Neji. She felt him looking at her from the corner of his eye.
This was going to be a long night.
Somehow, Gai had managed to find a young, pretty woman for his date (not meant as an insult, just so you know). He came dressed in the same attire as Lee, but with an added touch – a dark green bowtie.
The door opened and a bored-looking Takeshi entered, followed by another boy, also their age.
"Are you ready yet?" Takeshi asked in his whiny, patronizing voice.
"What do you think? Here we are, standing fully dressed and prepared." Izanami muttered.
The other boy grinned slightly at her comment.
"Oh, yeah. Before I forget." Takeshi turned to him. "This is my brother, Kenji. Kenji, these are those ninja people from the Leaf Village."
Kenji bowed his head slightly. "Pleased to meet you." He, unlike Takeshi, sounded quite polite and kind.
Tenten whispered in Izanami's ear, "He's cute!"
"The last time you said that, it was about Takeshi," Izanami said dryly. "And in the end, we both felt the urge to kill him."
"Yeah, but this one sounds nice, too! Takeshi sounded – and still sounds like – a jerk."
"If you ladies are done gossiping," Gai boomed. "Then perhaps we could carry on?"
He grabbed the arm of his date, looking pointedly at Lee, Tenten, Neji, and Izanami.
"Oh!" Lee immediately grabbed Tenten and pulled her towards him. He then slid this arm through hers and stood proudly.
Neither Neji nor Izanami moved.
"Ahem!" Gai shot Neji a reproachful look.
If he had expected a reaction, he was sadly disappointed.
"Guys!" hissed Tenten.
Izanami stared at her coldly and Neji looked away.
Kenji stepped forward. "Allow me." He gently pushed the two together and slid Neji's arm around Izanami's slim waist.
Neji and Izanami stayed in the position, but both refused to look at each other.
Tenten sighed. 'God…they're acting like immature nine-year-olds…' (random nine-year-old: "Hey!")
Gai: 'I don't know what's going on, but they had better behave at the banquet…'
Takeshi: -sigh- 'How immature. I hope they won't embarrass me with their crude ways or rude behavior tonight.'
Kenji: 'Odd…they seem to detest each other, yet I can sense an attraction between the two.'
Lee: 'My comrades should shape up! We don't want to shame Gai-sensei in front of an emperor!'
Neji: No comment.
Izanami: No comment.
Naruto: 'I want ramen…'
Wait, Naruto isn't here. My bad…
-ahem- Moving on.
That reminds me, I want ramen…
Yeah. Back to the story.
"So, Kenji," Tenten began conversationally, "you're Takeshi's younger brother, right?"
Kenji bowed his head respectfully. "Yes, I am."
"You don't look much younger," Izanami mused.
"We're twins - fraternal – and I was born second." Kenji explained. "I think it was…two and a half minutes?"
"Wow, that close to being next in line?" Tenten said thoughtfully.
"It must be hard for you to watch Takeshi be firstborn when you could've been." Izanami said quietly.
Kenji shrugged. "Not really. I never wanted to rule, anyway."
"Kenji's more of the scholar type." Takeshi jumped in scornfully. "He prefers reading to preparing for the throne."
"Well, that's just as good as becoming an emperor!" Tenten replied fiercely.
"No it's not!"
"Children, children," Gai interrupted dramatically. "Must we fight over such trivial matters like this?"
"Yes" was the unspoken answer.
"No, sensei!" Lee exclaimed.
"Hey, hey, wait up!"
The group halted and turned around to see a girl running to catch up with them.
She had dark purple hair and wore a very…er…revealing kimono.
"This," Takeshi said with a hint of dislike, "is Aimi. Our sister."
"Your sister?" Tenten repeated.
"Our sister."
Aimi pouted. "You guys were supposed to come get me!"
"Oops…we…forgot…" Kenji said lamely.
"Well, it better not happen again!" the girl snapped. Her tone instantly changed when she spotted Neji. "Oh! Who's this?"
"Hyuuga Neji," he said shortly.
Aimi smiled coyly. "I'm Aimi! It's nice to meet you!"
"Likewise."
Tenten gave Izanami a look that plainly said, "You have got to be kidding me."
She returned it with her own: "Better believe it. And we're stuck with her."
They continued on their way to the banquet hall, Aimi shamelessly flirting with Neji, Takeshi and Kenji sighing exasperatedly, Tenten eyeing the princess like she was some sort of disgusting bug, and Izanami wanting the night to be over and done with. Of course, Lee and Gai were both blissfully oblivious to everything, and Gai's date was humming quietly.
Eventually (and to this everyone gave a sigh of relief), they reached the hall.
Just before they entered, Takeshi turned around and gave some last-minute "advice."
"Okay, don't do anything to embarrass the royal family, especially me. So that means no acting weird" – he glared at Lee and Gai – "and no threatening people." He looked pointedly at Tenten and Izanami when he said the last part. "Oh, and just don't do anything stupid." He added as an afterthought.
"It'd be much more likely for you to do something stupid," Izanami said under her breath.
"What?"
She stared at him blankly and didn't say anything.
Takeshi heaved a sigh. "Alright then, after me."
With an imperial smile on his face, he strode into the hall. Kenji and Aimi followed closely.
The Leaf nin glanced uneasily at each other and then walked in.
At once, everything came to a hush. The courtiers all fell silent and fixed their gaze on the team.
Neji subconsciously drew Izanami closer to him. In turn, she unwittingly tightened her grip on his arm.
Finally, the voice of the emperor boomed, "Greetings, shinobi of Hidden Leaf! Please, sit down and enjoy this magnificent feast!"
After this little shpeel (I love that word), the courtiers sent one last curious look their way and then went back to eating and talking.
There were empty seats scattered along either side of the table. The nin took their places and slowly joined in the conversation.
Izanami found that she was directly across from Neji and silently groaned.
'Is there no escape from him tonight?'
He suddenly lifted his head and stared straight at her.
She shifted uncomfortably under his piercing gaze. Evidently there was not.
x.X.x
Neji didn't like this, didn't like this at all. He had a bad feeling about tonight.
And most of that bad feeling was focused on Izanami. Something was going to happen to her.
He absentmindedly watched her from across the table while he ate. She looked a bit flushed, but maybe that was just the light from the low-hanging chandeliers.
Neji leaned back in his chair and surveyed the other guests. The feeling wouldn't go away; it was growing stronger.
Tonight would end in disaster.
x.X.x
A gong suddenly rang and the emperor stood up. The noise gradually diminished and he smiled rather artificially.
"Tonight is in honor of my firstborn, Takeshi," Emperor Daichi began. "He will ascend the throne when I pass away, and I am sure he will be an excellent ruler."
He beamed proudly at Takeshi and then continued. "My son is a fine young man – respectable, kind, generous, noble. I could praise him endlessly, but alas, the night is coming to an end. To Takeshi!"
"To Takeshi!" the room chorused.
Smiling, the emperor raised his goblet to his lips and drank.
Suddenly, he choked and started spluttering. His face turned red – purple – blue.
And then, a ghastly white.
He gave one more great cough, and then slumped down in his seat, silent as death.
Instantly, the hall was filled with pandemonium. Courtiers screaming, guards yelling.
"The emperor was killed!"
"Poisoned!"
"By whom?"
"It's a conspiracy!"
Then, suddenly: "It was her! She poisoned the emperor!"
Izanami craned her head over the hysterical guests, trying to see who they were talking about.
Takeshi stood up from his seat and dramatically pointed his finger. "This wench killed my father!"
His finger was pointing to her.
Okay, I won't be updating for a while. Why? Because this is the last chapter I have written. And I have writers' block. So, see you in a week or two!
Or three. Or four.
