3 days before
3 days before
"Sensei, I feel I must state again that given our current proximity to the target our pace is now incredibly excessive," Neji's voice contained just a hint of the annoyance which he was feeling, a slight edge that should have made it obvious to any normal person that he was holding back on considerably more emotion than he was displaying. Guy sensei was far from normal. "Nonsense Neji," came his over-positive response, "when you run a race, you must give all you have, not at the start, but when you see the finish line! Come on Lee!"
"Yes Gai sensei! You are so wise!" came an over enthused response from Might Gai's number one disciple as the two spandex wearing taijutsu masters pulled out all the stops and suddenly doubled their speed.
Just who the hell, ARE we Racing! spat Neji subconsciously. "Come on Tenten, we can't let them get to far ahead without us."
"Understood," came Tenten's resigned tone. They had both come to accept some years ago that there quite simply would be no changing Lee and Gai's nindo to something remotely realistic, so the best they could do was try to follow along and keep their more embarrassing antics to a minimum. Running a little harder was a small price to pay if they could find some way to stop Gai and Lee from hugging and crying in public. Or from walking around the village on their hands 500 times. Or from forcing them to do some stupid chant and dance in front of fellow shinobi. Neji and Tenten often wondered if the two realized that they all had reputations to maintain.
In truth Neji had warmed to his mentor and his rather one sided rival considerably in the past three years. Yet for this mission, they would have to be exceptionally careful. A snatch and grab operation required a great deal of stealth and preparation, discipline and careful observation. Did Gai not realize the danger of speeding straight into their target area? What if the spy was already lying in wait? Neji had not been made a jonin merely do to his tremendous battle potential. Jonin had to be far more than that. Elite team leaders capable of carrying out A rank missions and above by themselves, a jonin was the epitome of the one man army, capable of reading a situation and developing the appropriate plan, reacting to ever changing dilemmas and determining life and death decisions in the blink of an eye. That was what was required of one selected to bear the high title of a jonin shinobi. So why, was their elite teacher of four years sprinting full out toward the object-
The Byakugon was an excellent warning system, and he saw the two green clad ninja kill their chakra flows signaling an immediate stop in their forward progress. Neji thus had enough early warning to break perfectly beside his teammates as if he had known exactly this was the spot they had predetermined to halt at. Tenten had no advanced warning and with a squawk overshot her compatriots by several branches before turning about irately to rejoin them. "Gai sensei," began Neji in a stern tone as he turned to face the team leader who stood puffing, chest out, hands on hips. Neji didn't want to, but he found himself about to give a stern dressing down to his childhood mentor. Age and experience be damned, this was foolish.
"What's the idea of speeding head first straight to the objective sensei!? Remember how this could still be a trap!" Tenten cut in before Neji could get his first sentence off, speaking the words that he himself had been about to verbalize. "Of course Tenten," responded Might Gai calmly. "But you must learn to think like the enemy. Akatsuki knows the Leaf are no fools. If it is a trap, than the enemy surely would anticipate us taking a more circuitous route in order to avoid a trap and would be waiting along those paths with their ambush. By taking the straight path as fast as possible, we minimize the time they have to set up the ambush, and travel down the very path they don't expect us to take."
"Wow Gai-sensei, your tactical forethought is truly the mark of your strategic genius! To have already anticipated your opponents' next move; incredible!" Neji should have been prepared, but he never ceased to be stunned by the speed Lee could find adjectives to praise his idol's newly discovered virtues, all the while furiously scribbling notes on their teacher's most recent piece nonsense.
"Sennnnsei," Tenten began irritably, "by that logic, surely if the Akatsuki know that we know it's a trap they could also know that we won't take the circuitous path because we know the obvious path is unguarded, AND THEN SET UP ON THE OBVIOUS PATH AFTER ALL!"
"Tenten, don't over-think things. By the way, keep your voice down; this is a stealth mission if you remember?"
"Gheh," Tenten let out a strangled scream of defeat and hung her head in resignation.
"Besides, Neji has been watching this whole time with his Byakugon and has yet to spot any sign of an ambush-correct Neji?"
Lee's optimistic tone bordered on ignorance, but Neji had to face the fact he did have kind of a point.
"Yes, Lee, that's correct," Neji granted, but quickly followed, "however, that does not mean there wasn't something I missed. The Akatsuki are all S-ranked missing-nin after all, and the Byakugon is not entirely infallible."
Admitting his own limitations was not something Neji enjoyed. In fact, he struggled now to constantly surpass his limitations, but the issue still remained…
His statement seemed to finally ground Lee a little in reality and his overconfident tone and smile were downgraded to merely confident. "I have faith in your abilities Neji. I know you would not have missed something that would have endangered us." Neji looked away from Lee's gleaming eyes. "Thanks, Lee."
"All right, were almost to the objective," Gai suddenly spoke up, serious and focused, becoming what everyone one might expect from a battle hardened veteran of numerous battles. "Neji, how far?"
"Approximately 1000 meters to the bridge sensei," replied the Hyugaa, picking up his mentor's serious tone and attitude.
"All right. From here on out we will not speak. Maintain radio silence and spread out to familiarize yourselves with the area. Neji, keep a sharp eye. Only break radio silence if enemy is engaged. Meet back at the rally point in six hours." His tone turned thoughtful then. "We were given this mission in place of Team Kakashi, it should be them out here fighting for their friend."
Sasuke Uchia, considered Neji. He could see the deep reflection in Lee and Tenten's faces as well. Naruto, I'm sorry you can't be here. I know it must have hurt, being held back from this, of all missions. Neji briefly remembered the spiky haired blonde, the utter sadness and dejection he had seen in his eyes as they had both recovered in the hospital following that failed mission three years ago. He had tried so hard… Neji knew as perhaps very few did, just what kind of person Uzumaki was. The kind that showed that there were no limits, no cages, except of your own making. Why weren't you assigned? wondered the young jonin sadly.
"So," continued Gai gravely, "we will have to do far better than they would have. To honor the efforts they would have made and the lengths they would have gone to complete this mission- we will strive even harder! We will honor them and the success they would have achieved with even greater success!"
Neji knew it really didn't make sense, what his former teacher had just said. But, in one of those rare moments, he felt that Gai had somehow spoken exactly the right thing. On this mission, they would make everything go flawlessly. They owed it to team Kakashi. I owe it to Naruto.
He saw the determination in Gai sensei's furrowed eyebrows, the eagerness in Lee's burning eyes, and the admiration in Tenten's slight smile.
"Disperse!"
With four jumps, the shinobi of the Leaf Village bounded away into the wilderness.
Somewhere in the Land of Grass approaching Land of Fire's border, 45 minutes after Konoha ambush
Kabuto had known pain that most people only felt as they died in the agony of battle. He had felt that kind of pain and lived through it. Kabuto had also felt the sting of embarrassment before. On one especially memorable occasion, he was undone by a lowly genin whom he had proceeded to underestimate up until the point where the twelve-year old no-talent ninja had almost killed him. In comparison, the pain and shame he felt now at being beaten, defeated, and lugged through the trees like a sack were quite mild. That didn't make it any less unbearable. He had regained his senses far faster than the Leaf-nin probably would have anticipated, and as such he was still feigning unconsciousness. His thoughts burned red with rage and violence. These bastards. Lord Orochimaru is probably laughing his sick head off right now. These bastards. No, no, no. Calm down. We can still get out of this. And when we do, we'll make these shinobi pay. Oh yes, we'll see just how athletic they truly are.
Kabuto began to pool chakra toward his skull, slowly, hoping not to disturb the Hyugaa's powerful gaze. The Byakugan could see the chakra network, and a sudden pickup in the flow and concentration of chakra would no doubt signal that he was again awake and aware of his surroundings. What a fine tool to have in surgery or experiments, the medic nin considered as he quietly and inconspicuously treated his facial injuries. He was aware of the chain wrapped securely around his arms, securing his hands with a pair of manacles. The chain itself was quite heavy, its weight adding to its qualities as the method of restraint. His legs however were still free. He was draped over the strong right shoulder of one of his opponents, most likely Rock Lee judging from the approximate size of the scapula he was wresting on and being logical member of the group to carry an incarcerated individual. Neji and Tenten shouldn't be encumbered as they function better with their arms free, and the group leader is no doubt in front, Kabuto calculated. If I was in charge of this raid, I would have Neji in back watching the rear for follow on, Tenten in front of him ready to suppress with long range attack in any direction, Lee in the middle carrying the all important prisoner, and Might Gai plowing ahead forward, leading the way and looking for trouble. Calculating the speed with his eyes closed was a little more difficult, but judging by the way the wind was puling his ponytail back, he imagined these ninja were going full out, using every bit of excess chakra to fly through the foliage. Many would need a curse seal to set and sustain this pace, he calculated half admirably.
"Having trouble Kabuto?" The superior tone the Hyugga used was quite grating. Kabuto opened his eyes as his now healed jaw involuntarily ground his teeth together. Damn you Hyugga, I'll cut those opaque eyes out of your curse marked skull! Truth be told, he was having problems with his recovery jutsus. The blows along his chakra network had constricted the chakra flow along other paths, and had even closed some of the points. To put it simply, Kabuto was having problems moving chakra to the injured areas, and in some cases, couldn't even force it to manifest. He had a bad feeling about the condition of his nervous system.
"Neji you would make a fine doctor, the way you precisely hit those points, you have the skilled fingers of a surgeon," his voice was oiled and patronizing, not betraying in the slightest the roiling fury which lay beneath. For all the world it might have sounded as if Kabuto was taking a leisurely stroll with some friends.
The sharp gasp and head snap of Rock Lee confirmed that his caution had not been entirely wasted. Bet your wondering how long I've been conscious, Kabuto contemplated smugly.
"Did I startle you Lee? Were you thinking about something important?" His half mocking tone raised the color red into the chunin's cheeks, a clear mark of embarrassment.
"Still not as good as your rival back there are you? How far away is Neji? Four meters? Four and a half? He's pretty good."
"Shut up Yakushi!" came a sharp rebuke from above and slightly to his right. "Don't listen to him Lee! He just wants to get you angry."
Tenten was of course speaking truth. Kabuto was a master of manipulation and his statement had been meant to probe for a point of emotional weakness. He must have found it to for Rock Lee's face had flushed redder still at the mention of his lack of ability in comparison to his teammate. That's good Lee. Kabuto had snickered, Now lets get you to feel some real shame. Sadly, Tenten's warning had alerted Lee to his mind trap and lowered blood pressure significantly. Kabuto tried another emotion. Fear.
"Don't feel bad Lee. It doesn't matter anyway how much better Neji is. He still isn't good enough to stop what's coming after us. Neji," he called back behind him lifting his head, "Any sign of Lord Oro-"
The Hyugga was beside Lee and the prisoner in an instant. "You will cease speaking now traitor before I decide to press all your chakra points and leave you in a condition where you no longer have the strength to form words."
Kabuto's eyes did the smiling for his now tightly closed lips. Angry, huh Hyugga. That must mean you're scared. You've seen him haven't you? Before we even got to the bridge, you saw our Lord Orochimaru's true form with that all seeing eye.
The Hyugga dropped back, again falling into his rear guard position and Kabuto felt his repressed smile grow wider. I wonder if it made sense to you. One who can see the chakra networks. I wonder if it made any sense, to see such a parasitic combination. At this Kabuto shuttered. He admired what Orochimaru was, what he had in fact become. But that did not in any way make it any less revolting. A man could be impressed with something, even love it, while still being disturbed by it. Kabuto returned to his recovery jutsu. If he was going to aid in his escape he would need to be in as able condition as possible.