Please read until the end.
After the destruction of Headquarters, the battled had raged on and gone from bad to worse. The man, who Beki had heard identified as Uchiha Obito, was atop the Ten Tails using it to launch his Wood Cutting technique at the Allied Shinobi. Naruto needed to get in close to stop him but was delayed by constantly having to defend himself. Hiashi, Hinata, and Neji were preparing to escort him. Beki had hovered close to her familiars, listening in on the conversation.
"I'm coming too," Beki stepped forward. Naruto and the Hyugas turned to face the unexpected interruption.
Neji opened his mouth to protest but then shrugged. "I...I was going to say that it isn't safe."
"But nowhere is safe anymore, right?" Beki gave a knowing smile and bumped him with her hip.
Hiashi seemed conflicted as well but nodded his head. "Another set of hands wouldn't hurt. Will you be able to deflect the stakes with that?"
Beki glanced down at her kanabo. Someone in the Third had picked it up for her while she was fighting the Burned Maiden. The weight was familiar and comforting in her hands. Nicks and dents between the studs told the story of ever sword, knife, and skull it had cracked. Beki nodded. The stakes the Ten Tails was shooting were sharp and coming in fast, but they were only made of wood. The kanabo could take it. Beki nodded. "It won't be as efficient or as graceful as you guys using rotation, but it'll get the job done."
Hiashi nodded. "Alright. Remember, our goal is to protect Naruto. Help out wherever you can when you can, but don't ever leave him open."
"So, Beki, what's with the mask?" Hinata asked as they took off at a run. "And your armor...it looks different."
Beki gave a small chuckle. "It's a long story. The short version is that I had to fight the Three Maidens and the Burned Maiden took my armor. After I defeated her, I took my armor back and her mask."
"It's kind of creepy, Beki," Neji cringed. "Would you mind taking it off?"
Beki grumbled as she raised the iron bars, exposing her face for their scrutiny. "We've literally been fighting the living dead and white blob monsters and its my mask that's creeping you out?"
A set of incoming projectiles drew the Hyuga's attention. Neji deflected them with a well-timed rotation.
Kill them.
Beki winced, the voice forcing its way to the surface of her thoughts. It disrupted the flow of her steps, almost causing her to stumble. If anyone noticed they kept quiet about it. A set of stakes were incoming from her direction. Beki wound up, leapt through the air, and knocked them away with a beautiful swing. They fell harmlessly to the ground, crumbling on impact.
Kill them. Burn them.
It was incessant. The more Beki fought the voice, the harder it pushed back. It was getting hard to focus on her surroundings. The cries of the shinobi around her, the Ten Tails groaning wails, it all bled together. It was background noise to the commanding woman hijacking her mind. Subconsciously, Beki glanced at her friends for help. The moment her eyes fell on Naruto, the voice began to scream.
KILL HIM. KILL HIM KILL HIM KILL HIM KILL HIM KILL HIM.
The Ten Tails launched a volley of projectiles and the Hyugas had to break away to protect the Allied Shinobi around them from the attack. It left Naruto wide open. Beki felt her grip tighten on the kanabo involuntarily. The voice wanted Beki to kill everyone she saw. It wanted her to kill all the shinobi, all her friends. More than anyone else, though, it wanted Naruto dead. It shrieked, it's hate and rage filling Beki up like a pitcher to the point of overflowing. A fear crept down her spine like a spider as she felt her skin growing hot. This strange woman's anger was transferring over to Beki and activating her inner Maiden by force.
...
It had been a diversion. The moment the Hyuga had broken away from Naruto, the Ten Tails had shot off another volley heading directly for him. The two mystery figures atop the beast that were controlling it had counted on the shinobi's comradery. They had gambled on the shinobi's desire to preserve human life to lure them away from the true target.
The latest set of stakes were heading right for Naruto. There wasn't enough time to deflect them. They were coming in too fast and had closed too much distance before any of them had noticed. Neji watched in horror as Hinata flung herself directly in their path. It was a desperate, last ditch attempt to save the love of her life by shielding him with her body.
No. He couldn't let it happen like this. Neji was faster than Hinata had ever been and the moment he realized her intent he was moving. He closed the distance between them in seconds.
This is it, he thought. My whole life has been in service of the main family. Time and time again, I've been told it's my responsibility to sacrifice myself to keep them safe. If it was for Hinata, Neji was okay doing just that. His father had died for her father and now Neji would die for her. Naruto would defeat the Ten Tails and they would take care of each other. Take care of everyone. They were strong enough for that.
Neji dove towards Hinata and Naruto, closing his eyes as soon as he was sure of his trajectory. He prayed Beki could forgive him. They had waited so long and been through so much to finally be together. Those last few weeks had been better than Neji could have ever dreamed. She was everything he had ever wanted and more. As cruel as fate was, Neji couldn't help but be grateful they had such a good go of it. A whirlwind of joy. They were going to get married and all their friends were going to be there. He smiled to himself, thinking how pretty Beki would have been in her dress. How cute their kids would have been. As Neji flew through the air, however, it became clear that it was never going to happen. Their joy had just been consolation for his impending death, maybe even a postmortem comfort for Beki as she faced a life without him.
She would be fine. Beki was hard not to love. She would probably work things out with Gaara and end up being a pampered kage's wife. Beki deserved that. His heart hurt for his team, too, but they were all strong and they had each other. Gai would carry them all through the grief. Neji was suddenly overcome with all the things he had never said and now would never have a chance. He swallowed hard, tucked his chin, and waited for death.
There was a horrible sound as the stakes punched through flesh. Warm blood splattered his clothes. Neji hit the ground and tumbled with the impact, rolling twice before he landed flat on his back. Neji opened his eyes in confusion. There was no pain. He sat up and looked down at his perfectly intact shirt, the blood splatters across his back and shoulders already turning brown. Neji hadn't taken the hit. Had he missed his mark? His eyes shot over to Hinata and Naruto, who were slowly picking themselves up off the ground. As far as he could see, they were perfectly fine. A smile began to creep its way across his face. Maybe the stakes had missed them, barely grazing one of their shoulders as it passed. Neji stood slowly, testing his body for any signs of injury. Behind him, Neji heard the tiniest cough. It was the choked kind, like someone with a bad cold trying not to be disruptive in class. The sound somehow caught Hinata's attention and she glanced in Neji's direction. Her eyes grew wide in panic and she screamed. Neji did an about face, expecting to see Hiashi lying in a pool of his own blood. But it wasn't Hiashi. It was so much worse.
Several feet away, at the end of a trail of blood, was Beki. She was lying on her stomach, crumpled up in her armor like a soda can. Wooden stakes were lodged in several places in her back, her hair tangled between them like a morbid obstacle course. Her head was turned towards him, a single arm outstretched in his direction. The whole world faded to gray and time seemed to stop as Beki coughed again, splattering blood on the dirt in front of her. Neji's muscles had locked up and his jaw fell slack in shock. Beki gave him a small strained smile as she chuckled through another cough.
"I was pretty fast, huh?"
Time caught up. Neji's took off in an explosion of force towards her, carefully scooping her up with his Byakugan activated. "It's okay Beki. We're going to get you a medic and you'll be fine." As he spoke, he surveyed the damage. There were four stakes. Two had pierced her through the shoulder blades but the armor had stopped them from getting far. The other two, the stakes that had pierced her lower abdomen, had obliterated her kidneys and punched all the way through the other side. Blood was flowing freely and toxins were flooding her bloodstream. "You're going to be just fine." His voice trailed off at the end as all hope left him. Beki reached up and weakly put a hand on his cheek. She was dying and there was nothing he could do to save her.
"Neji," Beki held his face in her hands. His tears snaked their way down her fingers and over her hands, clearing paths in the dirt caked on her skin. "I was losing myself. Ever since we got here, ever since I met the Maidens, I've been losing control. They've been taking me over like a virus." Tears welled up in her eyes but she blinked them away. "I would rather die like this. Rob them of the chance to use me to hurt anyone."
"No," Neji shook his head. "No you aren't going to die. You can't die Beki," He cradled her head and buried his face in her neck. "I love you. It can't go like this, Beki. You can't leave me like this."
"I love you, too." Her voice trailed off. Neji squeezed her tight, sobbing freely. Her pulse was beating comfortingly against his cheek. If he ignored the smell of blood and death, he could almost pretend they were home again, drifting off to sleep in their bed. Nothing but hope and promise in front of them.
He didn't hear Hinata screaming, Naruto holding her back and whispering hushed words to comfort her. Neji didn't see the kunoichi racing towards them like the hounds of hell were on her heels. He didn't see her skid to a halt beside him. It wasn't until her nails were in his shoulder, prying him away from Beki did he see her. Yukihana, looking feral with her hair wild and loose and eyes wide like an animal. She glanced at him, then at Beki.
For a moment, words failed him the way he had failed Beki. It had been merely seconds, but it felt like centuries until he had found his voice again "She's-"
Yuki pried her daughter away, scooping her up the way she had when Beki was a toddler. Unceremoniously, Yuki kicked Neji away, towards Hinata and Naruto. Her hair turned white, flowing around her like a veil of frost. With Beki in her arms protectively, she looked at the three and yelled a single command: "Go get a damned medic squad."
The Yukionna was weak now. Never before had she taxed herself to this extent. There was tired, and then there was this. Her heart was tired after facing Seiichiro. Her soul was weary after squaring off against her god and the war had totaled her body physically. Yuki's existence was a tiny flame on a stormy night, the wind and the rain bearing down on her. She lacked the strength to do this on her own. She closed her eyes and reached out around her with invisible hands, drawing in all the water and the chakra she could. One last incredible pull. One final push to save her daughter from the ledge. As the ice exploded around them, forming a crystalline, protective cryonic chamber, the last thought that crossed Yuki's mind was saving her baby. Saving Beki from death, from Mother, from every single damned thing in the world. She would tear herself apart and reach absolute zero if she had to. Anything for Beki. Anything for her baby.
The three stood there, part in awe and part in terror at the tiny glacier that had formed on the battlefield. Yuki and Beki were visible within, frozen in that moment in time. Tears and snot streamed down Hinata's face as Naruto tucked her hair behind her ear. "See, she's gonna be okay," Naruto gave her a reassuring squeeze. "As soon as this is over, we'll go get Sakura and she'll fix her right up."
Hinata was still shaking but Naruto's words seemed to soothe her somewhat. "Yeah," Hinata glanced at Neji, who was just as traumatized as she was. She reached out and took his hand. "She's going to be okay?"
Neji looked at the ice. It had kept Yukihana stable for, what did Beki say? Twelve years? He used his Byakugan and checked, giving a small start in shock. "Their hearts aren't beating."
"They're frozen solid." Hinata sighed. "Then, they should be fine till we get back."
Naruto nodded, his eyes turning back towards the Ten Tails. "We have to do this. We have to finish this so we can save Beki, okay?"
Hinata nodded, a confident look in her eyes as she wiped away her tears with her sleeve, streaking dirt across her face. "Okay."
Just as they turned back to face the Ten Tails, one of its giant tails smashed into the glacier, raining hunks of ice and frost down on their heads.
"Whoops," Obito leered down at them. "Sorry. Were you hoping you would be able to save them? A giant freaking target just sitting there vulnerable on the field? You have to be kidding me."
The tail pulled back, revealing that Yuki's glacier was cracked all along the point of impact. Bits of ice fell off in chunks but it was otherwise intact.
Obito furrowed his brows. "Well. That was sturdier than I thought."
As the trio watched in horror, a tail wrapped around it, coiled like a snake, and hawked it off into oblivion. "That should be enough to smash it to bits. How are you going to save them now, kid? Put them back together with tweezers and glue?!"
Naruto collapsed on his knees. Just seconds ago, Beki was running alongside him. She had been willing to die to save him and his friends but they were going to be able to save her. And just like that, in a matter of seconds, she was gone forever.
"I thought you said you weren't going to let any of your comrades die," Obito sneered. "Well, you didn't put up much of a fight to save those two. Guess you weren't so committed after all."
Naruto could feel Neji and Hinata's eyes on his back. He may not have been super close with Beki, but while he was gone she had picked up the slack for him. Protected Hinata when he couldn't, comforted his friends, and just generally been a good person. Wasn't that exactly the sort of person he should be protecting?
"You know, I was kind of kicking myself for a second there," Obito folded his arms. "I was thinking, if I had just timed it a little better I could have skewed the blond girl and her little boy toy there. But drawing out a crazy ice shinobi and crushing them both? Score. She would have been so much more annoying to deal with."
Naruto couldn't even raise his head. It was true. He was failing. Who would be next? Hinata?
Before his thoughts could sink any lower, he felt a sharp slap across his face. He looked up to see Hinata staring down at him with a stern expression. "Beki sacrificed herself so we could get through this. If you let him get in your head, if you let doubt into your heart, her sacrifice will mean nothing. So will the sacrifices of everyone who helped get us to this point."
Naruto was silent for a moment. He was surprised by her quiet, unexpected determination. If that was Hinata's attitude about losing her best friend, all Naruto could do was follow. "You're right," He said as he stood. "We've got work to do."
...
Four Years Later
Neji lie awake in bed, unable to move. Perhaps it was the incessant clatter of the heavy rain on the roof mesmerizing him, or the fact that he'd had too much sleep again. Storms made him feel lethargic because they kept him cooped up in the house all day. Neji couldn't afford to laze around. He had an important appointment to keep. After what seemed an eternity nestled in his self-warmed bedding, Neji dragged himself up onto his feet.
As he dressed himself, Neji's thoughts drifted off to the night before. He'd had the dream again. Some people would have called it a nightmare because it was a throwback to such a terrible time in his life. During the Fourth Shinobi World War, when the God Tree had trapped everyone in its dreamworld, was the first time Neji had this dream.
Neji was walking towards the gates of Konoha with his squad. Up ahead, between the great doors, was Beki, waving excitedly. While he was under the God Tree's influence, in the dream Neji ran to her and scooped a giggling Beki up in his arms. She started asking him about his mission but he would gently remind her he had to go report in to the Hokage. She grumbled and reluctantly dismounted with a kiss and a promise to meet him later at home. Neji reported their success to the Hokage and ran home as fast as he could. When he got there, Beki opened the door for him with a fuzzy blanket wrapped bundle in her arms. As he leaned in to kiss her and the baby, the God Tree's spell was broken and they all woke up. Every time Neji had the dream since then, it had been a nightmare. When he spotted Beki waving to him at the gates and he ran to her, Beki would turn and run away. No matter how fast Neji raced, she always stayed far ahead, glancing over her shoulder to make sure he followed. He bobbed through side streets as the sunlight faded and the buildings twisted until he didn't recognize where he was anymore. Beki led him to the outskirts of town, disappearing over the crest of a hill. When Neji followed, he found himself in the graveyard. Right where she should have been standing was an empty grave staring up at him like a gaping maw. Neji hated it. Every time he woke up from that nightmare he seemed to have a sour day.
After he finished dressing, Neji ate an apple, grabbed his umbrella, and headed into town. Monsoon season had come with a vengeance this year. The streets were flooding in places and Neji's feet splashed in the puddles. It was silent save for the rain, not a single soul in sight. Everyone was closed in their homes, snuggled up to fireplaces and hot ovens for meals with their families. Neji envied their safety and their comfort. Were he less determined he would follow suit, but Neji wasn't one to abandon a mission.
As he walked in his echo chamber of solitude, his mind wandered back to the Fourth Shinobi World War. It was that damned nightmare, he knew, that always stirred up the cesspool of those bitter memories. Those few days had nearly ruined his life and robbed him of all hope. It even cost him a few friendships, as shallow as they were.
At the end of the war, after Kaguya had been defeated and the God Tree dispelled, a party had been put together for the purpose of collecting the bodies of fallen shinobi. Along with other Hyuga, the Inuzuka, and other tracking specialists, Neji had joined them in their quest for locating the injured and dead. It had brought him some relief to rescue stranded injured and to locate the dead for proper burial, but his main goal was finding Beki. As he searched with his Byakugan and asked around with shinobi he had encountered if they had seen the ice floe, a familiar voice had called his name. At the sound of it, a knot had formed in his stomach. It was the Kazekage.
Gaara had looked exhausted but his spirits were high from the victory. His shoulders were square and he had a confident bounce to his step. He made some polite small talk, clapping Neji's shoulder and expressing that he was happy Neji had survived the war. He had talked for a moment about how promising the future looked, that this would be enough to bring the villages together, and that there was a lot of work ahead of them. Neji didn't remember exactly what Gaara had said. There was a veil over him, distorting the sounds and robbing them of meaning because Neji knew what he was there to talk to him about.
After an appropriate amount of polite interaction, Gaara got to the point. He asked Neji if he knew where Beki was. Neji began talking before he was ready, before he had thought through how to articulate what had happened. He stammered over the details, giving too much information leading up to the incident, apologizing, having to go back and revise the story multiple times. As he talked he watched the Kazekage go rigid and his eyes widen, his upbeat attitude dissipating like a cloud on a hot day. As Neji reached the part of the story where Beki was wounded a lump formed in his throat. He had to squeeze out the words, force them through the gap of his constricted throat.
"Where," Gaara was stiff, his lips barely moving as he spoke. "Where is she now?"
Neji shook his head. "The Ten Tails uprooted it," Neji stared off towards where the ice floe had once stood. "Tossed it off into God knows where. I'm looking for it." Neji's eyes brightened as an idea occurred to him. "Maybe you could fly up high, see if you can spot where it landed-"
"Why was she protecting you?" There was a strange note in Gaara's voice. A threat, barely tethered by his character. "Your family was told to keep her safe, so why is an ambassador dead and you're standing here?"
"Beki and I were engaged," Neji said with a sigh of frustration. "And she isn't dead!" Neji felt his muscles clench, the suggestion turning his stomach. "She's in the ice. We just have to find her and get a medic squad-"
The punch caught him square on the jaw. Neji's world flashed with white hot pain and his eyes began to water. He raised his hand to the spot protectively and Neji looked up at Gaara in shock. A shadow had come across the Kazekage's face. His expression was dark and twisted, a whirl of despair and rage. Neji recognized that look from before the chunin exams. But unlike in his youth when Gaara's inner animal ran free, Neji watched as it hammered against its cage, rattling the hinges and threatening escape. Gaara closed his eyes and clenched his fists in a visible attempt to keep it inside.
"I thought you were my friend," Gaara's voice was soft but the venom was there. "And you've been lurking around, waiting for a chance to take her from me. We go through a rough patch and you steal her away just to turn around and get her killed?!"
"If I had known what she was going to do, I never would have let her," Neji's voice cracked.
Gaara clutched at his chest. At first Neji thought it was at his heart but it seemed to be something under Gaara's shirt. "Just as soon as I think I've put all my pain behind me, I'm reminded I have this scar on my head for a reason." Before Neji could respond, Gaara turned away abruptly, formed a sand cloud under his feet, and took off at high speed.
Ever since then, whenever the Kazekage was in town to meet with the Hokage, Neji made a point of staying out of sight. As for his family, they had been fairly supportive of Neji as he grieved Beki's loss. They had given him his space while gently reminding him that life goes on. They slowly increased his responsibilities and raised their expectations of him until six months ago, when Hiashi went ahead and arranged a new marriage for him.
Neji's betrothed was a nice girl. Oddly enough, she was the candidate Hiashi had originally been considering for Neji before. Her clan was an offshoot of the Hyuga, separated from the main clan for only three generations and eager to rejoin. Her name was Miyu. She had the black hair and pale skin of the Hyuga but her eyes were chestnuts nestled safely between impressively long lashes. Miyu was two years younger than Neji and was trained as a medic. She was easy going and soft spoken enough that Neji didn't mind her company. Although the marriage had been arranged six months ago, their families had put the wedding out until the following spring for good fortune. The pair were making the best of their situation. Conveniently, Miyu's family wanted her to assimilate into the main clan quickly, so she was the one coming over to dinner with his family every week and joining his friends for outings.
At last Neji had reached his destination. He stepped into the Yamanaka flower shop, careful to close and shake out his umbrella before he crossed the threshold. The raging storm was more than enough to slow business across the board. Ino had been thinking of closing early, in fact, as they had been open for almost three hours without a single customer.
"Hi Neji," Ino smiled pleasantly. "You come all the way here just to see me? I'm flattered."
"Sorry, Ino, I'm spoken for," Neji gave her a halfhearted smile in reply.
"So that's why you came in," Ino rested her chin on her hand. Neji had made a beeline for some of the best flowers in the shop. They were enormous fist sized roses with velvety blood colored petals. The breed was thornless and were cut in long stems. A bouquet of them cost a small fortune, but in Ino's extensive expertise, one look and any girl would know they were top of the line. "You're getting those for your fiancé, aren't you?"
Neji nodded, staring at the blossoms as if reliving a memory. "You read me like a book."
"I'm sure she'll love them." Ino started to ring him up. Neji paid and with a quiet "thank you" set back out into the rain. Ino watched him go, envying his new girl. Neji was a classic gentleman that way. The pair had been engaged for nearly six months and he was going out of his way to get her the best flowers in the village, probably on a whim. Any girl would die to have that kind of treatment. "He probably opens doors for her, too. And pulls out her chair." Ino rubbed her pregnant belly and shrugged. Sai would do all those things for her if she asked. Once in a while, though, it would be nice to be pampered without having to spell it out so much.
…
The rain had stretched on for days and the lack of sunshine for so long made it bitter cold. Neji had prepared for this, of course, by wearing his warmest coat and gloves. He walked with purpose, careful to avoid slippery stretches of the sidewalk while he was in town. As the village gave way to the forest, Neji had to be extra cautious of the wet grass.
When at last he reached the war monument, Neji was sweating from both exertion and his several layers of clothes. The Fourth Shinobi World War had added several more rows of names of Leaf shinobi whose bodies had not been able to be recovered. Although Beki and Yuki hadn't technically been from the Leaf, the Hokage made a special exception to have their names added to the list of the dead due to their involvement and contributions to the community. Neji reached out and ran his thumb over "Tsukimori Haruka", the characters still strongly etched despite their exposure to the elements.
Neji surveyed the ground at the base of the monument. There were a few bouquets there in various states of decay. The rain had sped most of it along to the point where several were plain mush. Neji chuffed. Right after the war, this place had been better attended to. Piles of flowers, candles, and other mementos had graced the monument every week. As the years dragged on and people were numbed by the peace, they stopped coming. This place was an ugly reminder of loss. The idea was alien to Neji but he could understand people wanting to move on with their lives. After all, they had lives to move on to. He gathered up all the old bouquets, brushed the loose petals and stems off into the grass, and carefully laid down the new bouquet of roses.
"Happy birthday, Beki." Neji said as he set his umbrella protectively over the roses. "I'm sorry I didn't get here yesterday. There's been a lot going on with the family. It's hard for me to slip away these days. It...it's still strange for me, when I think about how long it's been. I guess it's hard for me to keep track of time." He gave a soft sigh. "The days just kind of run together." He paused for a moment to let the words sink in, as if expecting a response. "When I looked at the calendar today I realized you would have been twenty-three. I went by the ice cream shop we used to go to. I would have brought you some, but the owner sold it. It's a shoe store now. Somehow I don't think that would have bothered you too much." He stood there for a while, feeling the rain splatter against the top of his head and the material of his coat. "You always loved rainy days. I'm happy it's been like this…"
Neji bowed his head and closed his eyes, breathing in the intoxicating rich smell of wet earth. The rain was chilly but fell in soft fat droplets. Time slipped away as he listened to the patter on the stone. In quiet moments like this, where the world was calm and still, Neji could almost feel her with him. It wasn't direct contact, like a wind through his hair or something brushing against his coat. He could feel her presence hovering nearby. Sometimes he swore he could smell her or would see her pass by in a crowd.
He knew the right thing would be to pray for her to move on and be at peace. Then again, Neji couldn't help but find comfort in those little reminders and fragments of their memories from when they were together. Over time, as he grew increasingly lost in his thoughts, the rain soaked through to his clothes and he began to shake. The involuntary gesture snapped him back to attention and Neji at last noticed to his surroundings. With no sun it was hard to tell but Neji thought a few hours had passed. Neji had an appointment he needed to attend to in the afternoon and was sure it wouldn't be appreciated if he showed up in such a haggard state.
"I need to get going, Beki. I'll be back to see you again next week." Neji began to turn around, feeling the words hanging in the air. Everyone would think he was crazy if they knew. In his heart Neji knew she was gone, that she was never coming back, and that profound loss struck him every day. It was supposed to get better. Time, everyone said, would heal his heart. Why, then, after four years, did it still hurt so much? He had tried to bury the feelings for everyone else's sake. Neji knew he was a burden on his family as he was. At least when he was alone, Neji could be honest with himself. He could be honest with Beki.
"I love you."
Neji said it to the rain. He said it to the earth and the roses and the sky. Wherever she was, Neji hoped Beki could hear him. He wanted her to know that his life was just a countdown until they were together again; he was moving forward but he wasn't moving on.
...
Neji arrived at the Hyuga compound soaked to the bone. Miyu was standing outside the door to his room under the protection of the covered walkway. At the sight of him, her eyes lit up, then twisted with concern at his haggard state.
"Hi Miyu," Neji said through chattering teeth. "Am I late?"
"No," Miyu sighed. "You're perfectly on time." Neji must have forgotten his umbrella somewhere while he was out. He could be absent minded that way when he got caught up in his thoughts. Miyu had talked to Tenten about it and she said that this behavior had only started after the war. Working in the hospital, Miyu had seen plenty of cases like Neji's, other soldiers who had left some part of themselves behind on the battlefield. On his good days, he was the most brilliant man Miyu had ever met. Miyu was more than willing to be patient when he had one of his spells.
Once, when they were meeting up for a walk, she found him whistling off into the woods. When she asked him what he was doing, he had shrugged with a faraway look in his eye, muttering something about seeing if someone would answer. As considerate as he was, too, Neji could never seem to remember to call her his fiancé. He referred to Miyu as his betrothed. It sounded silly and old fashioned, but no matter how many times she joked with him to be less formal, he went right back to it the next time they were together. Other than that small inconvenience, Miyu had no complaints about their arranged marriage. Neji was a well-respected and talented shinobi and possibly the most handsome man Miyu had ever seen. When her father broke the news she was going to be forced to be married, Miyu had gone on a hunger strike in protest. Her mother, in desperation, had gone and met with Neji herself. When she came home with a smile on her face and words of reassurance that Miyu had nothing to worry about, she had agreed to meet him. He was incredibly easy to like and even easier to get along with.
Neji's family, however, was always checking in to see if he was behaving appropriately. Neji was careful, but whenever the Hyuga caught him in one of his absent spells, they came down on him hard. Miyu had quickly learned the best way to support her new fiancé and his recovery was to cover for him. She had observed that all she had to do was sit quietly with Neji when he stared off into space and he would come back to her eventually. It wasn't her place to tell Hyuga Hiashi what to do, however. The pair only needed to keep this up until they were married, then Neji could have the space he needed to recover.
"Why don't you go take a hot shower and get in some dry clothes," Miyu smiled reassuringly. "I'll go distract Hiashi and Hanabi until you're ready."
"Thank you, Miyu," Neji said as he opened his door. "I won't be long."
...
In his softly lit study, Orochimaru reviewed a series of charts. The ghost of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he scanned the numbers and the notes scrawled in the margins in a painstakingly neat hand. A knock at the door wasn't enough to draw his eyes away. "Come in," he called out without raising his voice.
Kabuto stepped into the room with a tea tray. Orochimaru glanced up briefly as Kabuto placed the tray on his desk. His eyes narrowed and he glanced around the desk, checking around Kabuto's knees. "Where's your shadow?"
"Exploring the ventilation ducts again, I'm sure," Kabuto let out an exasperated sigh. "Or taking a nap on a morgue slab." He paused for a moment and glanced up at Orochimaru. "If I recall correctly, nothing else ever escaped up into the air ducts?"
Orochimaru shook his head and took his cup. "You have nothing to worry about. There might be a few snakes that have nested in there but we have antivenom on hand."
Kabuto caught sight of the papers on Orochimaru's desk and gestured at them. "Sir, when you approached me about this project...I have to admit I didn't have much confidence in its success."
"You're still young," Orochimaru shrugged. "You lack my vision."
"Sir, with all due respect, you must admit we had no precedent for this," Kabuto reached out and picked up one of the earlier charts. "A million things would have had to go right for the subject to be considered a success."
"I do ultimately get my way, Kabuto," Orochimaru sipped his tea. "It comes down to patience and I have all the time in the world."
…
Four Years Before:
On a field strewn with innumerable bodies, the scars of ninjutsu and other acts of natural violence marring the landscape, stood a solitary figure. His entourage was elsewhere, tending to each other's wounds and talking through the traumas of war. This section of the battlefield was older and more remote than where it ended, so the bodies were likely to sit for some time, which meant he was free to scavenge at his leisure.
A prize had already been secured: the remnants of an ancient with whom the possibilities for experimentation were endless. That was a sound acquisition, founded well in his research and in line with his usual practice. What he had stumbled upon now was purely a subject of morbid curiosity.
A pillar of ice, smaller and in far worse condition than the first he had encountered, was stuck into the ground at an odd angle like a monument to the destruction around it. A small trail ran behind it from its initial impact to where it slid to find its resting place. The source of the man's curiosity was not the ice itself but its contents. Two figures, locked in what could be death's embrace, indistinguishable, vaguely human shaped splotches of color. But he knew better. He knew who was inside and that they had survived this little trick before. Many years ago, Yukihana had tried this stunt on him and failed in a futile attempt to protect her daughter, Orochimaru's initial prize. Other curiosities had popped up over the years and his interest in the daughter of the Asou and the Tsukimori had been relegated to the back burner.
Death and the destruction of most of his assets had left Orochimaru with a painfully open schedule and a severe lack of projects. And here, served up to him on a dinner plate, was his old query, whose performance in the war had more than piqued his initial interest. He smiled to himself. What a strange little reunion this would be.
…
The project had been put on hold for a few months. Knowing the scale of the tasks ahead, Orochimaru would not proceed without Kabuto as his assistant. After discussing the ice floe with him, Kabuto had reported he had something he need to take care of before he could commit to the endeavor. He had aided Orochimaru in having the ice transported to their nearest facility, which was still in fair condition considering its abandonment, and then departed. Orochimaru was surprised when Kabuto returned a few weeks later with an extra set of hands, his own little assistant, Miki. She was nowhere near Kabuto's level of skill but Miki had proven competent and resourceful enough in the past that Orochimaru was delighted to have her on the project. Even more so when he discovered that she had been on friendly terms with the little Maiden.
The condition of the ice was far less stable than Yukihana's previous glacier. The first had been a vengeful entrapment with a large supply of water available and although her chakra had been low, it was only depleted from a single night's battle. This new structure was a desperate, last ditch attempt at preserving the life of her mortally wounded daughter. Days of fighting impressive opponents in mass numbers had left Yuki close to absolute zero. In Yukionna form, using the last of her reserves, she had quickly encased them in what little moisture was available in the air. This meant that the density, size, and shape of the glaciers was massively different. The first had been mammoth, taking up the better part of a room and so thick that it was impossible to perceive anything within. This latest creation was maybe only two and a half meters high and about the width of a dinner table. The ice was nearly as clear as glass. Colors were distinct and shapes were mostly discernable. This was good news. With the limited equipment available, Orochimaru didn't believe they would have much trouble surveying the damage.
"We believe that we can safely remove some of the ice and then x-ray the pair to assess their wounds," Miki explained.
"Have you reviewed the research on the first glacier?" Orochimaru smiled to himself at the irony. Yuki's attempt to trap him over a decade ago had ended up giving him all the information he needed to rescue her in the future.
Miki nodded, "Yes, sir. We are aware that the ice is denser the closer it is to the source of casting. As there were no reports of Yukihana being wounded, our focus is going to be removing the ice closest to her daughter. It should be thin enough that we will be able to x-ray her with relative success."
Orochimaru glanced at Miki's swollen form. "Kabuto and I will attend to the x-rays themselves. It isn't safe for you to be exposed to them in your delicate condition."
Miki shuffled self-consciously. "Thank you, sir."
…
Kabuto and Orochimaru stood in front of a light table reviewing the x ray results. Miki sat nearby, her feet up on another chair while she nibbled on some saltines.
"What can you do with the kidneys?" Orochimaru asked his student.
Kabuto shook his head. "With sage mode, I could regenerate them. If there was anything left, that is. The projectiles have completely destroyed them. She's going to need replacements."
Orochimaru smiled, thinking of his other project in a lab far below this one. "I believe I can find us some viable candidates."
While the two discussed the procedure, Miki glanced up at the board and squinted. "What's that?"
Kabuto looked at Miki. "What are you talking about?"
"There," Miki labored to get up and waddled over, ignoring the infuriating patience of their silence. She pointed near Beki's pelvis. "That abnormality. Is that another projectile or a bubble in the ice-"
Orochimaru's lips pulled back in a knowing smile. "She's pregnant."
Kabuto surveyed the new point of interest with a fist to his chin. After a moment, he shook his head. "The moment we pull her out, she's going to go into shock."
"So, what can we do to stabilize her?" Miki rubbed her belly comfortingly.
Kabuto shook his head. "Miki, the chances of your friend surviving this procedure are slim at best. If we take extra steps to preserve this pregnancy, which by looking at it is only a few months along, is not worth our time. She probably didn't even know she'd conceived. It would be best to just focus on keeping the mother alive. If Beki lives, she'll have plenty of chances to have more children-"
Miki pouted. "I see your point, Kabuto. Normally, I would just agree with you. What if we're wrong, though? What if she knows she's pregnant and then we don't even try to save that baby?"
"Miki, she went to war." Kabuto folded his arms. "Why would she go to war if she knew that she was with child?"
"Because the stakes were high enough," Orochimaru's eyes had never left that spot on the x-ray. "If they lost the war, the world would have ended before she had a chance to give birth. It could have been Tsukimori was trying to help save the world for her child."
"Then why throw herself in the path of the stakes, sir?" Kabuto gestured to the spikes protruding from several points in Beki's back. "If the whole endeavor was to save her child, why sacrifice it?"
Miki looked at Kabuto. "To save another loved one. The father, maybe?"
Kabuto sobered and looked back and forth between them. "So, you both would vote we attempt to save the fetus?"
Miki nodded. "We have to at least try. Then, if we can't and she asks about it, we can tell her in good conscience we made our best effort." She swallowed. "It's what I would want, anyway."
"I would agree," Orochimaru looked at Kabuto. "If we save her and fail to save the child, the trauma of that on top of everything else might be too much for the little lady to bear. Then all our struggles will be for naught."
Kabuto stepped away to help Miki back into her chair. His transformation was amusing to Orochimaru; Kabuto had never been the nurturing type. For quite some time his little assistant had started fostering Kabuto's attitude but only recently had his student turned into such a bleeding heart. It mattered not. He still had the skill and the knowledge to be useful. Orochimaru couldn't help but feel excited. Never before had he had an opportunity such as this, to shape a life before it had even formed. Yukihana herself had been a curious specimen, Beki even more so. If the pattern continued, the little one developing in her womb could prove to be Orochimaru's most interesting experiment yet.
…
Miki approached the ice, an old fear stirring inside her. All those years ago, Miki had felt the hatred coming off the last glacier. She had witness the inhuman carnage its occupant was capable of and had barely escaped becoming Yuki's victim herself. Now here Miki was trying to wake her up.
"Yuki," Miki put her hands on the ice. "If you can hear me, you guys are safe. We have you in a medical facility. We're going to try to save Beki."
The eyes of everyone in the room were on her back. Miki's suggestion of talking directly to Yuki had raised good humored chuckles from both Orochimaru and Kabuto, the same way Chiba's suggestion of thawing the pair out with a hairdryer had. Yuki had said something, though, that had never quite left Miki. She could hear me. When Yuki was killing off everyone in the base, she had heard me scampering around on the floors below. That had been so strange to Miki, an unnatural and inhuman level of perception. Then again, she had spent enough time around exceptional shinobi that Miki was willing to take it at face value. Maybe, just maybe, that meant Yuki could hear them through the ice.
"She's going to need a lot of work," Miki explained. "She's in critical condition but we're ready to go. We're all just waiting on you, now."
Chiba watched her mother with a confused expression. "It's not working," She said in her childish, too loud attempt at a whisper. "Orochimaru sama, can we go have tea now?"
"Hush now, Chiba," Kabuto said in a good, grown up whisper. "Your mother is trying to wake up her friend-"
There was a sound like a cannon going off and a massive crack appeared in the ice. The noise had caused Miki to leap backward in surprise and Chiba started crying. Kabuto scooped her up and bounced her gently, petting her hair and shushing her. They all watched intently as more cracks formed, spreading outward from the first like capillaries to an artery. They fanned over the surface and chunks started to fall away until at last, the ice fell away from the forms. Yuki dropped onto her feet, the jolt of Beki's weight dropping in her arms causing her to stagger. She looked up at the group, a dazed expression on her face. Her eyes fell on Orochimaru and her expression darkened, to which he replied:
"We have to stop meeting like this."
Kabuto set Chiba down. He and Miki had just enough time to run over before Yuki's eyes rolled in the back of her head and she collapsed. Kabuto caught Beki, his arms wrapped under her belly to avoid worsening her injuries. Miki unceremoniously set Yuki on the floor and stepped over her body, taking ahold of Beki's legs and helping Kabuto lift her onto the table. As Kabuto took off his cloak and prepared to go into sage mode, Orochimaru reached down and took Chiba's hand. "Now we can go have some tea."
The pair exited the operating room. A few moments down the hallway, Chiba gave a small gasp and jumped with a start. Orochimaru glanced down at the concerned expression on her face. Chiba was looking back towards the operating room, clutching his hand with concern.
"Did you feel that, little one?" Orochimaru asked.
Chiba grimaced and nodded.
"What did it feel like?" Orochimaru gently coerced her further down the hall.
"Big and scary," Chiba blinked. "It made me want to run."
Orochimaru nodded. "Don't worry. That was just Kabuto. You're smart to know to run, though. If you ever feel something like that and it isn't him, you should run."
"Did you teach him how to do that Orochimaru sama?" Chiba tugged his sleeve. "Can you teach me?"
Orochimaru chuckled softly. "No, I'm afraid he taught himself how to do that. Maybe he'll teach you when you're older."
…
Kabuto and Miki sat side by side on the floor against the wall. Miki had her head between her knees, bobbing from time to time as she drifted off and woke back up. Kabuto laughed. "That was nothing, Miki."
Miki gave him an exhausted look. "That was a fourteen-hour surgery."
"Like I said, a walk in the park." Kabuto held his shirt in his hands. He was still in sage mode; his three intact horns and his one broken horn protruding from his head. Miki didn't mind when his bare skin brushed against her. While in sage mode, his flesh was cool and smooth, almost leathery to the touch. "I take it you're not up for a double?" He gave her a suggestive look as he leaned in close. Miki opened her mouth to protest but he stopped her with a nudge. "I was kidding. I know you can't keep up." He released his sage mode and pulled his shirt on over his head. A few moments later, he let out an involuntary yawn.
"Ha!" Miki bopped his shoulder. "Can't talk so big when you aren't a dragon, can you?"
Kabuto laughed and rose to his feet, offering Miki a hand. She took hold of it and he hoisted her up. Beki was in the middle of the room with a half dozen machines hooked up to her. This first surgery had taken care of the immediate danger: removing the bits of her shredded kidneys and the stakes. From there, they had hooked her up to a dialysis machine. After a good night's sleep, the plan was for Kabuto and Miki to go back in and transplant in the new kidneys that Orochimaru had grown from stem cells. They were a perfect match, but the time it took for their development had made up the bulk of the time they needed to wait to hold the surgery. Kabuto had to dose Beki with large quantities of sage chakra to keep her stable through the process. It had been effective so far and he hardly seemed fazed by the effort. Miki, however, was having serious concerns about her ability to follow up such a grueling surgery with another back to back. Time was of the essence, though, and the dialysis machines could only hold Beki so long. Especially if they were worried about preserving the pregnancy.
"I hope Orochimaru didn't let Chiba stay up late again," Kabuto shook his head as they walked out of the OR. "She's like you. She gets grouchy when she doesn't get enough sleep."