Tenten felt another shudder wrack through her body as she watched the captain disappear from sight. She hoped she was wrong, but in her gut Tenten knew she wasn't.
Her fiancé had found her.
It didn't matter how, but she knew it was him. Every fibre in her being knew he had come for her, and he wouldn't stop until he found her.
Hidan was a vicious man, one who had been close to her father for many years. She had known her father was violent—had taken the brunt of that violence more than once herself—but she had never believed he would do something as cruel as give her to Hidan. He was a wolf in sheep's clothing—kind and generous to the public, but violent and cruel behind closed doors.
Tenten knew from the day her father promised her to Hidan that she would have to run, to get as far away from him as possible. She thought she had time—time to gather clothes, money and food, enough to get herself to safety. She had thought wrong.
The evening she fled, Tenten's father informed her that Hidan would be arriving the next day and their nuptials would be held the day after. The words had sickened her to the core, and Tenten knew if she didn't leave straight away, she would be nailing her own coffin. As soon as she left her father's study, Tenten had fled. She ran and run until she made it to the docks, finding a lone ship that she knew would take her away from her cruel fiancé.
She should have known she couldn't escape him, though. Hidan always got what he wanted, and for some twisted reason, he wanted her. But he wouldn't get her. Tenten would kill herself before she let him take her.
Tenten stumbled when a cannon hit the ship, disturbing the freak-out she was in the middle of. She shook her head, determined to rid herself of her cowardly thoughts. She wasn't going to die today. She would find some way to get out of this cell where she was trapped and find a better place to hide. She would find a weapon and defend herself, and she would kill him if he came near her.
Another cannon hit the ship, so close that Tenten screamed, falling to the floor from the force of the rocking ship. Wood splintered and light flooded in from outside only a few inches from her position. Tenten eyed the gaping hole the cannon had made before turning to look where it landed.
She gasped at her good fortune; the cannon had knocked her cell door from its hinges, allowing her the opportunity to escape.
Doubt made her pause for a moment. What if the crew mistook her for one of the naval officers and struck her down? What if they were already on board, looking for her?
She shook her head again. This was no time to be thinking negatively. She needed to keep her head on straight. She wasn't safe here; trapped in this room with no escape route. She needed a better place to hide, somewhere Hidan wouldn't be able to find her.
After another brief pep talk to herself, Tenten got to her feet and crept towards the front of her cell. She knew it was risky going above deck with all the fighting going on, but she didn't have a choice. Taking a deep breath, Tenten made her way slowly up the stairs, the sound of battle getting louder the more she ascended.
The sight that she was greeted with stole her breath and she fought the sudden urge to vomit on the wooden deck. Tenten was used to violence, but not on this scale. All around her, pirates and sailors fought against each other, their cutlasses clanging loudly despite the creaking wood and shouted insults that filled the air. Blood soaked the deck, and Tenten could see more than a few people lying unmoving, their bodies soaked with a deep crimson.
As she eyed the gruesome scene with horror, Tenten was suddenly glad she hadn't yet eaten. She knew she should not be siding with either party, but a small part of her cheered the pirates on, hoping they won against their foes. Tenten refused to even think about what would happen to her if they lost.
Tenten shook her head and pried her eyes away from the fighting. This was no time to be distracted. She needed to find somewhere to hide—but where? She could try and make it to the storeroom again, find a dark nook and keep hidden. If given enough time, she could move crates and barrels around to form a protective cocoon around her, a barrier big enough to hide her in.
With the decision made, Tenten made her way in the direction she hoped the storeroom was. She couldn't exactly remember, since she had passed out after emerging from the darkened room. She kept low, not wanting to draw attention to herself, and tried to stick to the outside of the ship. Tenten knew she wouldn't be completely invisible, but she hoped that no one would pay attention to her with all the fighting going on.
"If it isn't my fiancée," a voice called from behind her. "I had a feeling I'd find you here, with these worthless bastards."
Tenten froze at the sound of Hidan's voice, her whole body locking up as her fight or flight instincts struggled for dominance. But she could do neither—there was nowhere to flee, and she had not yet found a weapon with which to fight. She had been found, and now she would pay for fleeing from her intended.
"Imagine my surprise when I arrived on your island to hear you were nowhere to be found." His voice was conversational, as though they were back in her living room, sitting down for morning tea. But Tenten could hear the steel underneath. He was furious, and he would make her regret her actions.
"You're a long way from home, my dear," he continued. "Fortunately, I have come to take you back."
Slowly, Tenten turned around to face her fiancé. She wanted to scream at him, to wail and rage, but she knew it would be futile. The more she did to provoke him, the worse her punishment would be.
"I'm not going back with you," she replied, grateful her voice sounded stronger than she felt. She glared at him, balling her hands into fists by her side to stop them from shaking. "I would rather die than go back with you."
A slow, sadistic smirk graced his lips and Tenten's stomach roiled the sight. "That is unfortunate to hear, my dear. But I can arrange that for you, if that is your wish."
Tenten had thought to argue with him a little longer, so that he would let down his guard enough that she could run. She hadn't expected to agree to her death wish so quickly—or eagerly—and she could only stand there, locked in place with nowhere to go, as he slowly stalked towards her.
.
.
.
What the hell is she doing up here? Neji thought to himself, anger burning in his chest at the sight of his captive sneaking along the deck. She had escaped her prison cell and was risking her neck up here, where the battle was raging. Could she truly be that foolish?
But even as his mind told him to move closer to her, to make sure she was protected from the enemy, Neji noticed a figure following her. Panic had his heart rate spiking and he quickly dispatched the opponent he was fighting in order to follow them.
As he crept closer, Neji couldn't help but notice the rigid way she held herself, or that she was shaking like a leaf, despite the warm sea breeze. And then he saw her face, and her features stopped him cold. Pure, unadulterated fear held her in place as she looked at the man who had finally cornered her. She was terrified of this stranger, and Neji wondered if this was the reason she hadn't wanted them to engage in battle in the first place.
"What business do you have with my prisoner?" he asked, ensuring his voice carried over the sounds of fighting surrounding them.
The naval officer turned at the sound of his voice, his lips lifting into a sneer at the sight of Neji. "I could get you all hanged for stealing my fiancée and keeping her prisoner on your ship. Thankfully, I would much rather cut you down here than wait for justice to be served."
Fiancée? Neji's captive was this person's fiancée? If that were the case, why did she look so scared of him? Was he the reason she had stowed away on his ship?
Neji didn't know all the details, but he didn't need to. This man would not be going anywhere near his captive, not when she was so clearly terrified of him. He must be a bad man, if she would rather hide away on a pirate's ship than be near him.
"I am afraid that will not be happening," Neji replied casually, lifting his cutlass in front of him. "You will not be making it off my ship alive."
.
.
.
Tenten backed away as the two men came together, the sound of steel against steel ringing in the air. Hidan was furious, she knew, but more surprising was the look on the captain's face. Neji's features were set in a hard line, and he refused to give Hidan an inch, no matter how viciously her fiancé fought.
The navy ship was still firing canons, much to Tenten's surprise. She would think, with comrades on board, they would be more careful, but they continued to fire their cannons despite the risk to their men. With each hit, she felt the ship shake and she had to grip the side to keep herself steady.
Watching the men in front of her, Tenten silently rooted for her pirate captain. Out of the two of them, Tenten knew he was the better person. He had shown her kindness and she couldn't help but be attracted to the intelligence he possessed, which had taken her by surprise. She hadn't expected him to be so smart, but he surprised her with the various topics he not only brought up during his visits, but with his knowledge of those topics as well. And he had shown her a wit she had not expected to see, despite his almost sour-like demeanour. Even though he was a pirate, Tenten had come to realize he was a good man. A much better man than Hidan, that was for sure.
The men were fighting still, throwing taunts and jabs at each other with each swing of their blade. The battle, too, continued to rage on, with no end in sight, and Tenten wondered if this was how all skirmishes at sea were like. Would they continue to battle until neither side had anyone left? Would she be the only one standing at the end of it? Or would she too perish this day?
No sooner had she thought the last question, than a canon hit the side of the pirate ship, so violently that she was thrown overboard. Her eyes widened and she tried to grapple for a handle on the side of the ship, but her fingers couldn't find purchase, and she fell to the icy sea below.
.
.
.
Neji shouted in alarm, knowing he would be too late to go to her rescue. The blast of the canon rocked the ship, and only his years of being on a ship helped him stay balanced. His eyes had automatically found her, a feeling of dread overtaking him as he watched her stumble and fall over the side of his ship, unable to save herself.
Being as distracted as he was, he almost missed his opponent lunge for him, and only barely managed to block the attack. The blade grazed his arm instead of his chest, but even the sharp bite of pain couldn't stop the pounding of his heart. He needed to rescue her, but he couldn't step away from this fight.
"You're looking a little pale there, captain," his opponent said, almost cheerfully. "Am I to guess that my dear fiancée found her way to the fishes?" He shot a quick glance over his shoulder before turning back to him with a smirk. "A shame. I was looking forward to killing her."
Neji's blood boiled at his words and he charged forward to attack. "You would kill your own fiancée?" he spat, the steel of his sword glancing off his opponent's.
"I would have kept her for a time, first. I deserve my husbandly dues, am I not? But yes, ultimately both her and her father would be seeing my blade."
He spoke so casually, as if killing an innocent woman was not a heinous crime. Neji understood a little more why his captive had been so afraid of him. "Too bad, you will never get the chance." he sneered.
Neji worked fast, knowing that each second he wasted here was another second his captive was in danger of drowning. And that was something he would not allow to happen. He advanced aggressively, using all the years of training to push his opponent back despite his attempts to defend himself. Neji swung wide and his opponent blocked, much as Neji had anticipated. He pulled a dagger from his belt and plunged it through the man's heart, ending his life more swiftly than Neji would have preferred.
"Captain," Lee ran up to him, breathless from the fight. His eyes were bright, the battle energizing him, and he looked from his captain to the man who had just been dispatched.
"Lee, tell the crew to finish up and tie whoever is left alive up on their boat."
"Aye, Captain." His first mate gave him a confused look when Neji handed him his sword. "What are you doing?"
"Make sure someone is standing nearby to haul me back onto my ship," he said, ignoring the look of surprise on Lee's face. "I have a damsel in distress to rescue."
The water was cold, much colder than he was anticipating, and Neji feared that he may have taken too long. That he may be too late. The water was clear, though, despite being churned up by the rocking of the ships, and Neji was able to see below the surface relatively well. He couldn't see her, and he feared the thought that she had been crushed by the weight of the ship.
"Over here!" a very feminine voice yelled, laced with panic.
Neji spun in the water and saw a figure waving at him from a distance. Relief flowed through him at the sight of her, and he used his powerful arms to swim towards her. "Are you injured?" he asked. She was treading water, but Neji could tell she was tiring easily, and he used his arm to draw her close to him. If she asked, he would say it was to conserve her energy, but that would be a lie. He wanted to be close to her right now, to make sure that she was okay.
"I'm fine. A little terrified, but fine." She tried to give him a smile, but it was strained. "What happened to Hidan? Is he…?"
"I take it that was your fiancé's name? You do not need to fear him anymore. He is dead."
She let out a long breath and he felt her sag against him at the knowledge. "I know it's a horrible thing to say about a person, but I'm glad. I think if you had told me he was on deck waiting, I would have taken my chances with the sharks."
Neji longed to know the details of why Hidan made her so scared, but first he needed to see to her safety. Holding her around the waist with one arm, Neji started swimming back to the ship, where he knew someone would be waiting for them.
"I believe you owe me your name now," he said, trying to keep his voice light.
She turned to face him with raised eyebrows, and Neji noticed that her lips were already starting to turn blue. "Oh? And why is that?"
"You have had a bath, courtesy of the ocean."
Tenten laughed, a beautiful amused sound that Neji realized he liked very much. "That doesn't count, and you know it,"
"Then, for killing your fiancé." Surely, he deserved much more than her name, but Neji wouldn't be greedy. Her name would be gold in itself, with how much he had been longing to learn it.
"I suppose you deserve that, at the very least." She turned to face him again and he stopped paddling forward, his breath caught in his throat as he awaited her words. "My name is Tenten. Tenten Mitashi."
Her family name rang a bell, but in that moment Neji couldn't care less as to why. He knew he would think about it later, but for now, all that mattered was her. He finally knew her name, a name that seemed to suit her perfectly. A name as pretty as the owner.
Neji resumed swimming towards the ship, repeatedly playing her name in his mind.
Firstly, I wanted to say, the reason Neji seems a little too friendly and nice so quickly is because this is only a short story for Nejiten Month. If I had the chance to expand the story, of course it would have been different and Neji would have been a bit more stoic, as we know he is. But unfortunately, I had to speed things up a bit. :(
Secondly, I apologise that Tenten didn't save herself. This story is based back when pirates roamed the earth (think 1600s-1800s) and women weren't really allowed to fight or use weapons. And in her circumstance, she never had the chance to learn.
Before you get confused, I know I said this was a three part story, but I still had quite a bit to write, so I've decided to make a part 4, which will be out in a couple of days time. Sorry, you will have to wait for the conclusion, as I have another prompt to do in the meantime, if I can get it finished on time. If I can't, I'll post part four instead.
I really hope you are enjoying this story so far! Thank you for your reviews - I read and appreciate them all, it is just hard for me to reply to them individually.