Of all people, he had never expected his eternal rival, Hatake Kakashi, to look like he had aged about ten years after finding out from a broken Konohamaru the outcome of Tenten's mission. He was guilt-stricken-- he knew as much-- but what Maito Gai did not anticipate was he had exceeded his expectations as far as Kakashi was concerned.
After all, Kakashi wasn't Tenten's mentor...
"Kakashi..." he uttered, keeping his ground without taking his eyes off the gray-haired Jounin's back, "you're putting me to shame."
"What?" Gai's heart nearly plummeted when Kakashi faced him. He did look like he aged twice. "No proclamations of youthful valor? No challenging your eternal rival?"
"I could make exceptions today." He answered seriously, "Tenten wasone of my students after all, Kakashi, not yours; and that's the reason why I said you're putting me to shame because you look grimmer than I, her mentor, do." If he had sounded bitter over that fact, he didn't care. It was true that he had paid more attention to training Lee when they were still genins, but it didn't mean he cared less for the two-thirds of his genin cell. Tenten was his baby girl— the flower of their team whom he had made Neji and Lee vow to always protect despite her projected lethalness when it came to projectile weapons. "She's the flower of our mighty team, Kakashi. You do not know how much my heart grieves at the thought of her dying to serve the purpose of Konoha. The valor she showed..." he sniffed; the tell-tale signs of a saline downpour was beginning to emerge— the only thing that made Kakashi certain that this wasn't an impostor Gai, "the valor she showed... could only make her mentor proud but right now I feel that it's not enough."
Kakashi stared at the wailing Green Beast of Konoha, "well, you do not hold the same guilt that I do," it's amazing how he could still emit a complete picture of bitterness despite his covered face, "I was the one who recommended her to lead that mission."
"I'm surprised... those weapons were covered with chakra to avoid detection but you still managed to intercept it; more so, catch one through the hoop of your kunai," Kakashi walked out from behind a convenient tree to reveal himself, "... I'd be an idiot to say I wasn't impressed."
Tenten's jaw sagged, but she recovered herself immediately, "K-Kakashi-sensei...?"
He smiled at her, hoping that it didn't look too forced, "Yo..."
"You have a peculiar way of announcing your arrival..." She looked like she bought the smile though.
Kakashi managed to tip his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm... strange. That approach usually works on my team when I arrive ahead of time..."
A suspicious pause hung in the air. Everyone knew that punctuality was never Hatake Kakashi's strongest point.
"But anyway," he smiled at her again; bordering more on seriousness. "I'm glad to see that your skills had improved even more than it constantly was."
"Uh... well," she scratched her head, a little embarrassed, "Constant practice keeps it from rusting, I suppose."
"But overuse may wear it out too, eventually." he pointed; looking around approvingly at the sight of weapons, sticking out on intended spots, "... You, of all people, should know its limitations as a weapon specialist."
"Yeah..." she replied, dryly, "It didn't take a kunoichi from the Sand Village to make me realize that eons ago."
"No need to feel bitter about that..." Kakashi shoved his hands in his pockets, "You're talented in your own right anyway, Tenten."
"I'm not being bitter," She scowled. "And for your statement earlier, it is common knowledge that almost all metals rust, Kakashi-sensei, but I don't think it would rust from overuse, especially if you know how to handle it properly."
He chuckled and stared at her for a while before walking away, thinking about the fact that he was about to put this girl on dangerous water. "I'm talking based from previous experiences, Tenten." He said, lightly; never meaning at all to sound like he was hiding something, but felt like he was miserably failing, judging by the confused look etched over the kunoichi's face. "Trust me. It has to know when to rest."
But he really didn't have a choice now, did he? She may just be Konoha's only hope against those vermin.
"By the way," he stopped and felt the pressure of two brown eyes on his back, "The Godaime asks for your presence in the office," and then he continued walking away; emitting an aura that suggested nonchalance but actually meaning none of it, "She said she's got something for you..."
"You do not have a choice, Kakashi. Even I would do the same thing if it happens to me." Gai sniffled, "The circumstances in this incident points to Konoha's overall safety; and it just so happens that Tenten's mastery of weapons is in the front line of our defense. You can't stop it if it's inevitable."
Kakashi blankly stared at him.
"A lot of people are grieving right now, Kakashi. And the pain that you're feeling is of no match to whatever Lee is feeling." Gai's face contorted to that of someone who just remembered something heart-wrenchingly tragic, "Think of whatever Neji is feeling."
The blank look on Kakashi's face crumbled when he flinched at the mention of the name.
Days, weeks and months carried on normally as far as the word could be defined in shinobi terms. Although a normal civilian might think it ordinary to hear of a shinobi's tragedy in missions, they wouldn't know nor understand its significance unless they held the same connection that bonded each shinobi, regardless if they know each other by name or face.
Each was unfortunate enough to possess that kind of affinity. But above all that, they understood— far more than anyone could even imagine— how those closest to her mourned her death, nearing to denial and physical pain; as if she had only met her fate yesterday...
"Neji..."
As if he just realized its folly and that her fate should've ended up with him.
Hyuuga Hiashi's voice rang in his ears. He had felt his presence for some time now, only awaiting his move to break the invisible barrier that he had set up between himself and the world. Of course, being the obliging Branch family member who was tasked to protect the Main family, he had doubled over the thought of turning around to face him, but also felt that he couldn't face him without faltering right now. He couldn't face anyone without faltering right now.
"Hinata told me..." a hint of solemnity tainted his voice, "It's been over a year..."
"I'm just paying my respects..." he said, thinking that at this time of day, Tenten would tease and challenge him into mock duels until they wore their socks off, "I'd be certain to get back to training after..." his voice shook slightly, "... just... just give me time, Hiashi-sama."
Silence passed, and if Neji could only see the way that the older man was blinking at his back, he would easily deduce that he was having doubts about his true relationship with Tenten.
"I see..." a faint tone of surprise could be heard in his voice. "Memories will only be memories, Neji. It'd only cause pain and weakness... I suggest you get yourself out of the rain before you get ill."
"I... I understand, Hiashi-sama. I..." the clan head was right: he was in pain and his weakness was getting in the way, "I will keep that in mind."
"You should..." he heard the shuffling of feet as Hiashi turned his back against his, "Keep in mind that memories are liabilities, Neji. It could either make or break the fullest potential that you possess. However," lightning struck and thunder rumbled as the older man took his momentum, "these memories would also force upon you lessons that you need to learn— lessons that possessed values that would make you stronger by overpowering the pain that had grown."
Neji immediately spun to face the clan head's back; failing to see a smile of satisfaction and sagacity that only a father possessed. All these— all these words from a man whom he once loathed with such murderous intensity... He hadn't really expected him to go right up and say things that might actually cause him to lighten up.
"Her memory is your strength in itself, Neji. Hold on to that memory..." Neji's eyes trailed after his retreating form with utmost placidity. "It may be too late for you to let her know how you truly felt. But take comfort in knowing that if she feels the same, she'll always be beside you. She will always be willing to share the burden that you have to carry and will severely haunt you for standing there like a wasted muck all day." Neji couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the clan head's uncharacteristic comment, "You know how women always are..."
When Hiashi was out of sight, Neji couldn't help but feel a smile tugging on his lips. He hadn't expected that from him. Nor did he expect Hinata-sama to notice that his absence and daily walks in the early morning involved staying idle in front of Konoha's monument dedicated to shinobis who died in the line of duty. He had no body to mourn over; nor was there a smiling face that only seemed to be sleeping in the coffin. The smoothness of her skin was now only engraved in his memory— his own yearning to touch it, feel it, caress it... no matter how much everything and anything about her confused him...
"Neji..." said Tenten; her back towards him as she zipped her Jounin jacket quietly and waved at Temari, "I have something to tell you..."
His shaking fist clenched around Tenten's hitai-ate as he looked up at the sky; tears mingling with droplets of rain as he vowed to give up anything just to hear her voice again.
"Take care of yourself... for me..." a small, gentle smile that suddenly meant the world to him graced her lips, "So when I get back... you'll remind me of this promise if anything should happen."
And Neji had finally openly admitted to himself that he was stupid enough to ignore the importance of her existence until it was too late.
"Some other time perhaps...?" A grin met his frowning face. "I promise to tell you after I get back from this mission." she walked towards a waving Konohamaru, "A promise is a promise, Neji! I'll see you in a couple of days!"
"But you never came back, damn it...!" He muttered, angrily, "Why...? You promised me... Tenten... I thought you wanted me to make you remember it?" he touched the cloth that was once tied around her head, gently; wishing that he could feel the warmth of her skin rather than the coldness of its tarnished metal. "I need... to tell you something as well..." he swallowed something in his throat, "I... need you because..."
The words came out as a sob.
"It's not that bad now, is it?" Konohamaru grinned sheepishly at the somber-looking Hanabi, "Hanabi-chan?"
Without the scratches and smudges marring her face, Hanabi looked utterly gentle for someone who could kill with one firm stroke of her chakra-laced hand. Her Hyuuga blood hindered its dominance though and Konohamaru often thought that maybe it was in the genes that caused her face to take on a lethal murderer's cold expression.
"It's been roughly a year now, Konohamaru-san..." she said, looking idly at the dark sky. "What do you think?"
Konohamaru stared at her for a brief moment and then sighed, "No," he shook his head; his shoulders slumped, "I guess not..."
When he had first caught glimpse of this young lady, she had somehow struck him as something similar to meeting a rigid lamppost on the streets— steady, hard and cold, yet exuding comfort by the mere thought of its lighting presence; as if it was enough to tell you that it was safe to continue your walk. He had often wondered how someone like her was connected with the gentle and pretty Hinata-chan was.
"And what's bizarre..." she chuckled hollowly, "Neji-niisan seemed more affected, it shamed me to my bones."
No; maybe not exactly a rigid lamppost. While Hinata-chan represented the wind, its strength masked by its gentle caressing whispers, Hanabi-chan represented... the bodies of water: a unique beauty that possessed gentleness in her own right; dangerously calm with an alluring edge meant for the kill.
"Eh... well, we could trace them back since they were Genins." he began, "And besides, we've known for quite some time that those two had something for each other. They're only robbing themselves of the pleasure to the point of stupidity."
"Yes..." she frowned at the marbled steps, "And Neji-niisan's male egoistical denseness never ceases to amaze me."
"Hey, it happens..." Konohamaru sweat dropped; thinking that maybe Hanabi had taken more of Neji's characteristics than that of Hiashi's— although he could barely tell the difference. "And don't go generalizing men. Moegi PMSes a lot too, you know."
Hanabi snorted. "What do you know of PMSes?" she said, "And don't go generalizing women too."
Konohamaru had two beads of sweat trailing down his head already. He was only defending his gender's ego; what's an innocent boy to do? "Well anyway," he decided it safe to change the topic. It was hard to break through the barriers of her coarse granite shell and he didn't want to loosen his grip on its opening. "How's your cousin been patching himself up?"
"Hinata-neesan talked to otou-sama and I've heard from him that it'd still take time." She grimaced, "I guess my father was as freaked out as I was when Maito Gai and Rock Lee-taichou appeared on our doorsteps; he just didn't want to admit it. From all his crying though, I thought a flashflood would occur..."
Konohamaru smiled. He guessed that was Hanabi's way for cracking humor, "I think it'd ease him to know that everyone in Konoha freaked out when Lee-san and Maito Gai had it going." He said, "I heard them proclaiming that they had to do five thousand laps around Konoha in honor of, er, the youthful flower of team Gai..."
Both of them grimaced; thoughts aligned on the platform that those two bowl-heads needed a large brick thrown over them.
Hanabi was first to recover her cool, disinterested expression, "That convinced me." She shrugged nonchalantly.
And then the alarm bells of Konoha were suddenly ringing. Shouts from the not-so-distant walls of the Hidden Leaf Village were an earshot away from their location and the faintest frantic conversation between two Jounins on duty was easily heard. Hanabi pulled Konohamaru closer and listened.
"I knew that the Godaime expected an attack," said one of them, "But not this soon!"
Konohamaru and Hanabi switched narrowed glances.
"Well we can't exactly tell them to come at a later time!" said another; jumping up the steps to pull an exploding tag from his green Jounin vest, "I'll light the beacon! Alert the Godaime Hokage-sama immed—!"
A batch of enemy ninjas leapt up the air as the Jounin guard fumbled on his hand seals to ignite the exploding tag, "The beacon would be enough for me! GO!" a shuriken nearly hit him on the neck after his companion fled to alert the Hokage.
It didn't take long before the rest of the beacons were lit up.
The one sent by the Jounin guard was being pursued by four enemy ninjas and was suddenly locked in the odds of four against one. "Kuso..." he muttered as he spun to face the four cloaked figures. "Well," he took out a kunai, "I guess I just have to take down all of you before I report to the Hokage..."
But before he could act, something brown and silvery flashed at his peripheral vision; going at it in such a quick frenzy, he didn't know what hit him until it was over. Two Chuunins were already grinning brightly by the time that he figured out everything on his own; impressed at the sight of them pinning four ninjas beneath their feet. "I think we could very much handle things around here while you take care of your business..." well, Konohamaru was grinning. Hanabi was looking rather impatient and bored as she kicked a head when she swore she saw one move.
The Jounin nodded gratefully at the two Chuunins. "Thank you..." he said, and began running off for the Hokage again.
After a while, Hanabi bent her knees and looked sternly on one of the ninjas. "You're a Cloud Ninja..." she drawled, disinterested; disgusted. Nothing could escape the piercing intensity of the Byakugan glare.
"Yes," the Cloud ninja tried to chuckle, "but it doesn't matter if you do because by the time that the first ray of the sun arrives, your precious blood limit will be stolen and hidden leaf will be eradicated."
"That..." she said, firmly, "I have to see for myself..." it only took a head's poke from her chakra-laced finger for death to take him.
Now, this was certainly the dangerous calm he was talking about. The vaguely humorous Hanabi that he saw only a few minutes ago was far different from the Hanabi whom he just witnessed to be guilty of killing a man without even flinching. By all means, she just took a life and it looked as if it was nothing to her; as if she— he shook his head...
But then, why wouldn't she? They also did the same thing then... to Tenten-neesama without reserved mercy...
"What?" she asked, nonchalantly; trying all the way to suppress a smirk, "Stop gaping at me and help those guards at the gate."
"Uh..." he began stitching his baffled thoughts at the image of an ANBU in the making. She was a formidable force to be reckoned with given every angle, "Y-Yeah. Sure."
A vein popped on Hanabi's head, "Will you move to the walls now or do I have to carry your sorry ass up there?"
Konohamaru, officially, gaped.
"Oh, kami-sama," she balled her eyes as she noticed him, still gaping, "MOVE!"
He scampered when he found his feet. "Uh... yes! R- Right away!" And he thought his mother was scary. He kicked himself mentally and made a note to never make Hanabi angry. It was bad enough for him to witness how her eyes reflected the glint of the sharpest katana by a mere glance; and the slick manner that her pony-tailed hair glimmered under the moonlight spoke of enigmatic danger that sort of intrigued him and scared him all at the same time. Then, he suddenly spun when he noticed that Hanabi wasn't moving. "I thought we're going for the walls?"
"I'll alert the others," she stood there for a while; her Byakugan activated as tension from her chakra-induced nerves pulsated heavily. "... the lot of them may be sleeping soundly."
Konohamaru nodded and both of them were off; leaving the dead Cloud shinobis on the middle of the street to be inspected by two cloaked figures— the lower half of their faces covered snugly by black cloth-masks.
"Two Chuunins against four Jounins..." drawled a male, "It's interesting to know that Konoha has a lot of talented shinobi despite their lessening count..." he tsked, and glanced back at his companion with all the amusement in the world, "Don't you agree," he playfully tapped the Cloud Village's hitai-ate on his companion's left arm, "Tomoe?"
Tomoe, without as much of a flicker of emotion, turned and walked away from the sight. Her eyes, although beautiful and disarming, revealed a certain calculated mirth and boredom that penetrated layers of barriers, "Hardly, perhaps..." she closed her eyes, "But not so much of the talents I had our men prepare, Ryuuen-san."
"I've seen you flash that confident look of yours dozens of times before..." the cheerful look collapsed into a frown, "and something tells me you abhor this mission."
"Who wouldn't abhor it when you were promised a day's off!"
"Oh yes..." he chuckled, waving his hands animatedly, "I keep on forgetting how much you love day offs." he pulled his mask down and smiled lazily. "Shall we carry on the mission as instructed, love?"
"Yes we may and no, I'm not your love." She retorted heatedly before stalking away from him. "We have a job to do and quit clowning around, you klutz."
"You wound me, sweetest." he feigned a hurt look, "But, have it your way." When he flicked his fingers, six cloud ninjas suddenly appeared on cue despite the courses of heavy battle ensuing at the gates, "Pose a distraction and kill all that gets in the way."
The six ninjas nodded obediently and without a word.
"Be discreet... your Tomoe-sensei and I want this over and done with by the first ray of dawn." He added.
Tomoe glanced at him as the nins fled and did their task, "What's the name again?"
"It doesn't matter..." he smiled sweetly, "As long as we get a Hyuuga from the Main house."
Neji was worriedly looming along the hallway, near the location of Hinata's room.
Honestly, he was more worried about Hinata-sama's younger sister since she seemed to have forgotten the time today and was still out in the open. The news that the assault was actually an attempt to steal a bloodline was kept hushed by the Godaime and, well, if Hanabi-sama didn't know this then she's mincemeat if ever she's spotted.
And speaking of hushing things up, it was for the same reason that the Godaime sent three of her best shinobi to the Hyuuga complex to enforce its stability.
"I've finished my third round, Hyuuga..." said Uchiha Sasuke; easily sitting on the edge of the wooden floors of the house. "Naruto's only clearing up the remaining parts at the back..." he looked at the door, "Oi, Sakura... is everything fine in there?"
Sakura peeked from the door with Hinata sitting on one side. She had that fumbling look over her face again; and it was beginning to make the pink-headed kunoichi wonder how much change she'd really undergone over the years. Sakura was wise enough to know that even though she hadn't gotten over her shy demeanor, there was something extremely powerful beneath the fragile shell that Neji insisted on protecting, "Everything's fine, Sasuke-kun." She answered, looking around as Neji activated his Byakugan. "Have you seen Hanabi-chan yet?"
"SASUKE! NEJI!" shouted a gravely distressed Naruto as he ran towards them; carrying something in his arms. "I found Hanabi-chan outside the gates!"
Or someone. Sasuke was suddenly more alive and more alert as Neji, Sakura and Hinata dashed for Naruto to help the injured Chuunin. She had a nasty bleeding cut near the location of her right ribs; a few dents, scratches and a noticeable something. Hinata activated her Byakugan and her forehead creased almost immediately, "Her chakra reserves are pretty low, Sakura-chan." she looked up at the medic, "She's stopping something... poison, I think."
"That's rich deduction, Hinata-neesan..." whispered Hanabi, cracking lightly despite the bleeding sword-wound on her side. "But I... I can't stop the flow of the poison for long..."
"Stay still..." Sakura positioned herself until her hands emitted a warm green glow, "It's not much but until I could get proper equipment, this should hold—"
"Sakura-chan..." she whispered again; slowly lifting her hands up to rid herself of three senbons pierced on her shoulder, "Do something... I feel like something's ripping my head off..."
Sakura stiffened; Hinata immediately went for her sister's hand, "S-She'd been hit." Her first stammer ever since the protégés of the Sannin arrived at the Hyuuga complex. Worry flashed across her face as the first born of the Hyuuga Main house searched the wound, "It's pretty deep..."
"I... I know." Hanabi grimaced as Sakura gently touched the deep puncture, "I didn't realize it until I felt the ugly feeling in my head."
Sakura willed herself immediately to recover from the initial shock, "I'll do what I can."
"Will she be alright, Sakura-chan?" asked Naruto; gently laying the girl on the wooden floor.
Sakura nodded, "Hinata-chan and I would take care of things. You stay with Neji and Sasuke-kun..."
Naruto wasted no time in standing up in a guarded stance on one side as Neji flanked them on the other; Sasuke was the one who stood in front of the girls to protect them from any direct assault; a fuuma shuriken at his back and a blade on his hands. The Sharingan user slowly counted the odds: if they were attacked, they had a medic to rely on, a powerful Bijou carrier to trash them aside and three Byakugan users to aid their sight at the moment. Even if one was too weak to help, they still got two of them on the look-out without even turning around. Two of the three were viable for kidnap but one would surely be willing enough to die first before somebody got to them; not to mention the other Branch house members who had been lurking around with much stealth, he had to keep his Sharingan to see them all.
"Naruto..." he called out quietly as something rustled from the bushes, "How many were they?"
"Five. But I brought them all down and then Hanabi-chan was saying something that I couldn't quite make out..." answered the blonde without missing a beat. He had that determined foxy look in his eyes again; indicating that he was beginning to tap on the Kyuubi's chakra to enforce his own.
Sasuke smirked. At this rate, even an army of five thousand ninjas would fail to pass through Naruto.
"They're coming!" warned Neji as he immediately turned his heel to intercept a blade with his chakra-laced fingers. He glanced briefly at his back, "Sakura! Get them inside the room!"
"What about otou-sama?" asked Hinata, desperately, as Sakura shoved her inside with Hanabi on her arms.
"They'll be fine!" answered Neji calmly as the wielder of the katana jumped a few paces back.
Enemy after enemy suddenly poured in the compound. It wasn't long before they couldn't even count the number but, much to Sasuke and Naruto's astonishment, the once-empty Hyuuga complex was equally flooding with countless of Hyuuga branch members out to defend themselves. It was only seconded by the fact that each was already piling up quite a number of dead Cloud ninjas and, surprisingly, only a few of them were actually hurt. They guessed, with a vision of nearly, if not full, 360 degrees, everything was possible.
Their weapons were quite useless if seen anyway.
Neji wasn't equally thrilled at what his companions saw. Maybe Lee would gladly indulge with their momentary shock and praises for his glorious clan but— his eyes narrowed at the cloaked and masked figure before him— right now, he had to indulge himself with the pleasure of killing this Cloud ninja, as indicated by the glinting metal protector on that shinobi's arm, as quickly as possible.
He positioned himself; suddenly hearing Sasuke's snort and Naruto's trademark chuckle on one side as they both kept any enemy from interfering.
The black-clad enemy ninja stared at him amusedly, flicking the katana on one hand and was suddenly off.
The Cloud ninja turned out to be a very aggressive fighter, but it was enough excuse for him to assume that the masked ninja was walking over dangerous territory and Neji was therefore permitted to use his techniques. After all, he had the Kaiten at his full disposal, and throttling this shinobi would be as easy as eating cake.
Neji ducked and managed to land a quick, chakra-induced poke on five of the Cloud shinobi's tenketsu points; sending him backwards. The Jyuuken certainly claimed rights to its name, although it was far from being gentle at any rate as the cloud shinobi tried not to flinch. Too bad Neji knew the all-too familiar signs. The enemy's brown eyes went wide for a second before narrowing down at him again and launching another bout of attacks.
The Hyuuga prodigy effortlessly ducked and hit the next five tenketsu points: one on the left arm, on the abdomen, two on the chest and one on his sword arm.
The Cloud shinobi stood up valiantly and ran straight for Neji; a katana directed swiftly in a way that warned Neji of a fake a move to hit his arm... his trail of thoughts died as he recognized the familiar gyrate that the shinobi was taking. He clearly remembered the way Tenten had done that same stance and twists whenever she faked a move in their mock duels...
Neji's eyes widened as something flickered in the shinobi's brown eyes. "It can't..." he muttered; immediately snapping out of the trance to move out of the blade's way.
"Hakkeshou Kaiten!" he shouted; pulling everyone into a halt as they stared at the blue chakra sphere that enveloped the head of the Branch House.
In no time, the Cloud shinobi screamed in painful agony as he was slammed against the wall; his mask torn by the impact he took from the Kaiten. And when Neji immediately ran towards the shinobi in question, a baffled look crossed his features. "You're not..." he lifted the chuckling shinobi up the wall; his hands closing tightly on his shirt as he noticed how the other abruptly halted the humor that he seem to find in this deadly situation.
"You're not—" the cloud nin blinked, and then smirked, "a branch member, I see..." he was calm by the standards of someone who was nearing his end, "So you must be the genius that I've heard... Hyuuga Neji is it?" a smile stretched on his lips, "I'm Nagatama Ryuuen; a Jounin weapon specialist of the Hidden Cloud, and I would be honored to face you again in the after life."
"Hn," Neji's eyes narrowed at the man and channeled his chakra on his right palm. "Not interested," he positioned his hand and slammed his palm against the man's chest.
Only to be deflected by another katana; barely holding on from the power that Neji's hand possessed.
His Byakugan-activated eyes showed surprise as the other black-clad blade-wielder kicked him straight on the chest; unwittingly displaying agility despite the impossible angle. The prodigy immediately dodged the attack with his arms though; and then immediately countered with a chock-full of chakra in his hands.
But as mentioned before, other than the amazing display of agility, the nin seemed a fast thinker as well since she thought up a way to immediately meet his counter and Neji wasn't a fool to note that he only had one shot at that specific tenketsu point. Two hours of unconsciousness was enough; he gritted his teeth and pushed his way to close contact.
Neji's middle and forefinger tapped the enemy's sternum with an expression of a stone. The Cloud shinobi thrust the blade on his side, missing him by merely a millimeter.
He smirked at the shinobi, "I win..." Unfortunately, its importance immediately vanished by the time that the Cloud nin's mask dropped down her neck.
A sense of cold shock surged through his body; his white eyes widening.
"Take care of yourself... for me..." a small, gentle smile that suddenly meant the world to him graced her lips, "So when I get back... you'll remind me of this promise if anything should happen."
"Tomoe!" shouted Ryuuen; immediately mustering enough strength to dash towards his mission partner. She was coughing out blood— definitely experiencing the aftermath of being hit on a vital tenketsu point.
If anything should happen...
Neji's wide pale eyes met the dark pair of brown that he thought he would never see again, "Tenten...?"
A promise is a promise...
A thousand things could be read in those wide brown eyes as he stared into them; drowning into an unknown realm that was all-too familiar for his liking but glad that it was there. She was here.
"Who... who are you?"
Neji's eyes narrowed as she fell limp into his arms; immediately encircling her body in a protective manner that only she could trigger.
"Get away from her!"
The sound of rage and desperation was enough to snap something within Neji, his eyes narrowed further as he saw the enemy shinobi push him back to snatch his unconscious teammate, "Uchiha! Naruto!" he called as he leapt up to chase after them, "Guard Hinata-sama and Hanabi-sama!"
"Dobe!" Sasuke glanced at him, and nodded at the door, "Check on them."
"Sakura-chan! Everything's—!" a large, powerful kick and a superhuman strength of a punch landed on his grinning face.
"BRING 'EM ON!" growled Sakura; barely conscious of the fact that the person she sent crashing painfully against the wall was Naruto, "Oh..." she blinked, a trifle surprised, "I-It's only you Naruto..." she chuckled nervously at the sight of a whirly-eyed Naruto, "I-I thought that you were an enemy."
Hinata ran out on the open and looked at everyone, "Sakura-chan... Uchiha-san..." her face slightly flushed as Naruto grinned at her, doing a peace sign with his hand.
"Everything's fine now, Hinata-chan!" as foxy as ever.
"Na... Naruto-kun..." she nodded at him with a smile and then suddenly switched to her distressed mode as she noted the missing presence of someone. "What about Neji-niisan?"
Sasuke looked away from the Hyuuga heiress and leapt towards the wall; his Sharingan outstretched and seeing as far as the leaping images of Neji and the cloud nins were involved. "He went after the Cloud shinobi..."
"WHAT?" an exasperated Sakura flared. "Wasn't it enough that his Kaiten almost blew them to pieces?"
"It's not out of revenge..." muttered someone from the doorway. It was Hanabi; weakly clutching the sliding doors with her Byakugan activated. "He went after someone we thought we already lost."
Sasuke and Naruto nodded in mutual understanding as Sakura's brows creased. "What do you mean 'went after someone we thought we already lost'?" she asked.
A solemn look crossed Hinata's face as the veins on the side of her eyes eased, "he went after Tenten-chan."
TBC
Surprise, surprise. I know you'd immediately figure out who Tomoe is in the long run, so I decided against typing the inevitable (gasp) reunion in the third chapter. Much fun writing this update.