Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I only own the plot.
I'm so sorry for the late update. I know that it'd been more than a month. It's just that my life is becoming really havoc. I had to meet up with a friend of mine as he's leaving to go back to school once again for a whole year. I also had to buy books, switch courses because it's not working well with my schedule. Now I'm just getting used to going back to school because I'd been out of school for more than three months. Studying for midterms, writing essays, and finishing those damn assignments that are due every week are really putting a toll on me.
I'm sorry but this is not the end of the story, not to mention it's a short chapter. I figure that I'll put up fragments of it at a time, that way; I won't have to drag it on for another month. I'll try my best to update more soon, if it's possible.
Just A Mission-ch6a
Neji and Lee reached the deserted training ground.
The place was quiet, only a few sounds of leaves rattling were heard due to the zephyrs which blew occasionally. Since the place was mostly used by the genins in training, the ground was mostly made of gravel and grass. On his left, there was a place that was composed of wooden poles that were separated by different heights, width, and distance from each other. It was where one would practice their footwork, in preparation to fight in difficult terrains when balance was essential. On his right, it was a path that led to Green Lake.
It was the place where he'd learned how to walk on water along with Tenten.
Tenten…
It seemed he was always a step behind when things were about her.
Neji reached the long wooden bridge that was suspended above the water. The full moon tonight allowed Neji to have a better view of the area, well at least better than the training field. Lee followed him silently; his face serious. His body told Neji that he was ready to take on anything that God give him.
The Hyuuga and the Taijutsu specialist stood before the suspension bridge. In the middle of the bridge was where Isamu stood. Tenten was hauled over his shoulder. Her stomach was resting on his right shoulder. The view to her upper body was blocked by Isamu's while her legs were dangling at the front.
She was unmoving.
What the fuck did he do to Tenten?
"Damn, I should've known that she will be deadweight to me." Isamu chuckled as he slapped Tenten casually in the butt with his left hand. Locking eyes with Neji, he continued. "But I know this is the quickest way to get you to come to me."
Neji narrowed his eyes and took a step forward, only to be held back by Lee. The Hyuuga took a deep breath, telling himself that although he wanted to rip Isaum into shreds, he must calm down no matter what.
To remain calm so that he can still think coherently and fight at his top capacity.
To remain calm so that he could work co-ordinately with Lee during the fight.
To remain calm so that he could protect Tenten from getting injured in the process of fighting.
To remain calm so that Isamu couldn't get away.
Or worse.
Isamu to escape while taking Tenten with him.
Therefore, Hyuuga Neji couldn't make a mistake.
But he found that he couldn't. He simply couldn't. His anger was boiling up. He'd never felt such hatred toward anybody before.
If Isamu held some sort of grudge toward him, then he should've come to him instead. Isamu should've left Tenten out of this.
But Isamu didn't.
Because Isamu knew that hurting Tenten would do a much greater harm to him than hurting Neji physically.
Within a short time, Isamu had already known his weakness.
Neji silently vowed that Isamu would not live to see another day.
As Lee and Neji approached, Isamu knew that he won't be able to take both of them on at the same time. After all, everyone knew that Rock Lee specialized in Taijutsu, and Taijutsu only. He's speed was almost legendary. As for Hyuuga Neji, he was famous for being able to inflict a great damage on an enemy within a short time with his clan techniques—which were mostly close-ranged attacks. What made him deadlier than Rock Lee was that he didn't even need physical contact to injure his opponent.
Facing both of them at a melee combat would put Isamu in a disadvantage. Therefore, he must do something which would give him enough time to take one of them at a time.
Within seconds, he came up with a plan.
Immediately, he tossed Tenten's body roughly away to his left as he jumped backward, getting away. She flew several feet away from the man before gravity took its toll.
She was descending into the pond.
In less than a second, Lee went forward to chase after the fleeing Isamu as Neji leaped over the rope railing. Having chakra on both of his feet, he landed solidly onto the water. He ran to the falling body and grabbed Tenten before her whole body submerged into the deep waters.
The sound of combat could be heard at a distance. As much as he wanted to join in with the fighting, he had his priorities. Right now, he would have to make sure that Tenten is alright. Jumping to the opposite end of the bridge, he gently set the Weapon Expert down.
Her eyes were closed.
Immediately, Neji reached for her nose, using his index and middle finger, he wanted to see if she was still breathing.
She wasn't.
He cursed.
With his hands, he opened her mouth, blowing air into her mouth. Just when he was about to press his hands on Tenten's diaphragm, he jerked his hands away when he felt something hard protruding out of her body.
Neji froze.
Looking at her body for the first time, he analysed her. She was still in the same oversized shirt and shorts which Neji saw before he'd left her house. She didn't have any weapon with her other than a kurai in her right hand but this was the least of his concerns.
Her whole body was soaked, the material glued to her body like a second skin. It was only then did he saw places where something was indeed poking out of her chest irregularly.
Without a second thought, he pulled her shirt up. There was a large ugly bruise on her belly.
The protrusions were caused by broken ribs.
He couldn't perform CPR like this. He didn't want to push the bones back into her body.
He couldn't do anything else to help her either, because he'd only received a minimal medical training.
This was a job for doctors.
He grabbed her left wrist, wanted to check to see if she still had a pulse. Even with someone like him, who had the training and actual experience in doing such a task, found it for the first time to be difficult because his own loud beating heart and his shaking hands was getting into the way. It actually took several seconds before he could finally felt a soft pulse.
Neji let out a breath that he had been holding in.
Tenten was still alive.
Putting his fingers once again at her nose, he realized that she was breathing, barely, so slow and weak that he could hardly tell. Yet she was breathing nevertheless.
He had to take her to the hospital. It was the only way to go. The thought of getting back at Isamu had already flown out of the window.
Wrapping one of his arms over her shoulders and the other under her legs, he was about to scoop her up when a large explosion occurred followed by a deep sound of rumbling on his right. Without a second thought, he covered Tenten's body with his while making sure that he wasn't pressing on top of her in anyway. He didn't want her condition to worsen.
He turned to the direction of the sound and saw several ancient trees slowly leaned onto one side and collapsed at the same area where Lee disappeared into the forest to run after Isamu. The explosion created a large cloud of dust and debris to fly everywhere. Despite the situation, he got to move, Tenten didn't have much time left.
He'll leave a sign to signal for backup to come and aid Lee.
In his deep observation of the area, he didn't notice that the person underneath him was doing…
He didn't notice her grip on the kurai in her right hand was starting to tighten.
It seems she wasn't the only one with limiting time…to live…
Like it? Hate it? Please review, it really motivates me into writing.
I apologize for the grammar, I'm really tired so I'm not really thinking clearly right now.