When Fate and Destiny Collide
By: maliciousfate
Chapter: Thirteen
"When Modesty Meets a Hot spring"
The sounds of birds and crunching leaves filled my ears as I lifted my arm to block the on coming rays of sunlight. It was a rather hot day at the back end of the Konoha's Forest, and my feet felt like 50 ton brinks. Its been a dull and uneventful trek through the trees of green. How long had we been in this damned forest?
"Yuuhi?" I asked breaking the continues tone of sounds.
"Yes Mrs. Tsuki?" He was getting accustomed to that nickname, not that I minded, just sort of strange that he was the only one who addressed me by something other then Mrs. Hyuuga.
"I believe Hiashi said that it should only take us about two days to cross through this forest, right? How many days has it been?"
Yuuhi stopped and turned to look back at the group,
"Hm, that's a good point Mrs. Tsuki, and it seems we have exceeded our two days."
"How long have we been here then?" Neji added coming to my side.
"I believe today will be our fourth day."
"Are we lost?" Hinata asked from my right.
"Of coarse not, I've been on this road many times before on other missions and its brought me to the ocean." Yuuhi replied a-matter-of-factly with his consistent smile. Neji and Hinata seemed content with the reply as they didn't ask anymore on the subject. But something in the pit of my stomach felt off, and I saw in a fraction of a second Yuuhi's smile break.
If there was one thing I was fantastic at it'd be finding the flaw in a mission, and uncovering the liar. There was a flaw in our mission, a flaw in our movements and Yuuhi knew something very crucial.
And I was going to find that something out.
"So shall we be off then?" Yuuhi asked after a few moments of silence between the four.
"Yes." Was the only reply I could give as my mind drilled with all the possible explanations for Yuuhi's action.
"Hey Tsuki, can you hand me a blanket?" Hinata's voice broke my random thoughts of a deer attacking and devouring a unsuspected hunter.
"W-what did you say Hinata?"
"A blanket, can you hand me one please?" She repeated as I heard water drip behind me. She had been taking a shower in a small hot spring we had found very near the oceans edge, and I was standing watch. Well, sort of. My thoughts of protection had slowly migrated towards things of extreme unimportance.
Like mutated hunter killing deer's.
"Oh, yeah here you are." I said finally as I handed her a fire heated blanket from the tree.
"Thank you." She replied wrapping the cotton blanket around herself. She sat down next to me on a randomly placed log and began to ring her hair dry.
"Are you going to get in now, Tsuki?"
"Mm, yeah I guess I should huh?" It had been quite awhile since the last bath I had taken. I wouldn't be surprised if my teammates where getting their nose full of me.
"Would you like me to stay and wait for you?" I glanced over at her briefly. She looked exhausted, and I didn't really need a babysitter for a bath in the woods.
"Oh, no thank you Hinata. You should get some rest, you look tired."
She blushed, "O-oh, alright. Camp is close so call if you do need anything." I gave her a nod and she retreated into the darkened trees.
I took my time in removing my clothing and hanging it onto the lower branches of the dying tree. I was tired and lazy from the long trek through the forest that morning, Yuuhi was determined to get us to or extremely close to the oceans edge. We did get close, but in return we all had sore and throbbing limbs.
After I finished removing my clothing and placed a blanket near by, I slowly lowered my aching body in the waters warmth.
I allowed a sigh to escape my lips as the water engulfed my whole body in warm, soothing waves.
"Oh how I missed this glorious feeling" I thought happily as I let my eyes slid closed as the warmth began to massage my limbs until the pain dissipated completely.
I lowered my body down deeper into the spring, allowing the steamy waters to rise just below my nose. It had been what seemed like years since I had last been in a hot spring, and I never realized how wonderful they had felt against my skin.
However, my bliss was interrupted by the rustle of a near-by bush. My once relaxed body went ridged under the bubbling surface as my widened eyes searched blindly through the thick darkness.
I mentally cursed myself for not bringing a weapon with me into the water as I stared daggers into my pack that lay only feet away. Too far to reach without revealing my nude chest to whomever was near.
There was another loud rustle, this time closer by. I moved slowly through the water to the edge of the spring making sure to keep my head low and hopefully out of view.
"Tsuki?" I didn't recognize the voice over the bubbling of the spring, so I made no attempt to reveal myself. Another rustle came from directly in front of me and I caught a glimpse of a tall figure making its way closer to the spring.
"Tsuki? Is that you?" The voice was gaining familiarity but I still didn't risk responding. If only these damned bubbles weren't so loud!
The silhouette began to get color and more prominent shape as it stood behind a small bush, I raised my head a little higher to get a better view.
I felt a groan escape my mouth as I finally registered the figure.
"Neji?"
"Damnit Tsuki! Why didn't you answer when I called you the 5 times before?" He was obviously annoyed, but it's his own fault for sneaking up on me.
"If you haven't noticed, we're in a forest close to a new village. Most people wouldn't respond to a random call from the forest." I snipped back crossing my arms beneath the water.
He didn't reply he just simply sighed and sat on a branch crossing his arms and closing his eyes.
"Typical" I thought at the sight of the most common Neji Hyuuga stance.
"So what are you doing out here anyways?" I asked after a few seconds of awkward silence.
"I wanted to bathe, but it seems that might not happen seeing the spring is occupied." I rolled my eyes but smirked as a thought crossed my mind.
"What, is Neji Hyuuga embarrassed to share a hot spring with a woman?"
Neji's back went ridge and he snapped his eyes open.
"I do not get embarrassed." He growled.
"Then why don't you come bathe, since that is why you cam out here in the first place right?" There must have been some kind of confidence-boosting-chemical in the hot spring somewhere, because on a normal day I would be screaming in embarrassment at male being so close to my nude form. But today I felt risky and almost flirty.
"I don't believe it is I who would be embarrassed by that situation my dear Tsuki." He stood from the branch and took a few steps closer to the springs edge.
"Oh, so you think I'd be the embarrassed one?"
"Yes, yes I do believe you would." He took another step and was now towering over my still nude form in the water. Thank god there was bubbles, or else he'd be getting an eye full of his fiancé.
"Try me Neji." Even with the confidence in my voice, I felt my arms wrapping around my chest to shield my breasts from any sudden clear pocket in the water's surface.
I saw his lips curl into a smirk before he turned and walked back to the branch. But didn't leave, like I had originally thought he would, he just stood with his back towards me doing nothing.
"Having second thoughts Neji?" I cooed.
"Quite the opposite actually." He said before he grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head.
And that's when that confidence-boosting-chemical seemed to ware out. I felt my smirk vanish and blood rush to my face. I really hadn't expected him to actually go along with taking a bath with me, let alone start to undress in clear view.
He kicked off his shoes and removed all his weapons before his hands went to his shorts. My blush was sure to be glowing by now, and I knew my eyes had to be huge. His hands lingered on his zipper before he turned slightly to digest my reaction.
"Having second thoughts Tsuki?" He mimicked my comment as he slowly began to pull down his shorts. Where was that damn confidence-boosting-chemicals when I needed it!
Neji stood in the dim moonlight with only his boxers and headband on. Facing me. Smirking.
Oh, man...
His fingers slowly gripped around he waistband of his boxers, as if teasing me somehow. It was definitely working, but I couldn't let him know that of course.
He slowly began to push them down, keeping his eyes locked with mine the whole time. His intimidating stare almost daring me to look, urging me to glimpse, asking me to stare.
His back arched as his shorts were inches from revealing something I had not expected to be seeing anytime soon.
With a split second modest decision I dropped my gaze to the water and I heard his boxers slid to the ground. Within seconds the water rippled with waves and Neji's body swam towards the edge I was currently positioned at. And on impulse my arms wrapped tighter around my chest.
"I didn't expect you to actually do that." I said in a whisper.
"And I didn't expect you to be so shy Mrs. Tsuki." He replied in my ear, making sure to breath heavily. No matter how many times he had done it, the hairs on my neck still stood on end as his velvety words spoken into my ear.
"I'm not shy." I lied defiantly snapping my eyes at his, he was smirking again and also gliding around the spring's small space.
"Do you want to know why I don't believe you?" He stopped in front of me, keeping his arms still.
"Hm?" I unconsciously bit my lower lip as my mind went blank with a smart-ass comeback.
He slowly raised his hand out of the water and brought it softly over my cheek before leaning in,
"Because, Tsuki, you haven't stopped blushing since I arrived to the spring."