Shino had always read about things "breaking a person's heart". Indescribably and irrevocably, as it was always described. He had often wondered how one would attempt to 'break their heart'--it was, after all, a simple organ used for pumping oxygen and nutrients to the rest of the body. For someone to ascribe to that notion, they would have to believe that the heart was the seat of their emotions. He knew, of course, that it was not possible, but yet, people continued to write about their emotional woes—their heartbreaks and heartaches. Soon, he began to wonder if it was just a capability that he had been born without--like those that are born without hair or skin pigment. Perhaps his heart could not feel such emotion.
He had scoured his family's library, hoping to find some piece of literature—whether it be a poem or novel—anything that could invoke something he thought was hopelessly lost inside of him. No matter how much reading he took on, it was always a lost cause. Even the most sorrowful of writings did nothing but make him roll his eyes and scoff at the vulnerability of the human heart.
He would never experience such things, he had concluded.
As he held Tenten in his arms--resisting her struggles, cringing at the way her nails clawed his flak jacket, and listening to her screams—he finally understood the ways in which a heart could shatter. Finally, after years of giving up hope, his heart was doing just that: breaking. Shino wanted nothing more than to promise her it would be alright, to hold her close until her tears were gone. But, he couldn't. Not while the danger was still threatening everything he held dear.
Instead, he continued to allow his heart to break. He would piece it together later.
For the moment, he would run.
***
***
"NO! We have to go back. We can't leave him! We can't...just...leave him!" Tenten screamed, as she tried to push herself out of his arms. She kicked her legs, hoping to knock him off balance. Shino only pulled her closer to his chest, saying nothing.
"Shino! Put me down, dammit!"
"We have to keep running," he replied calmly. "We have to get far enough--"
"Shut up! Just shut up! We just left Neji—it's suicide!" she howled, her eyes shining with terror.
"It's his decision. This is what he wanted," Shino reminded her.
"He's lost too much blood! He—he doesn't know what he wants!" she cried, as she tried to peel his fingers from her body. A sudden, thunderous explosion reverberated throughout the forest.
"NO!" Tenten's eyes were wild with fear as she tried to look behind them. A massive cloud of smoke rose into the air, signifying the Kumo girl's final attack.
"Nonononono," she sobbed.
Shino immediately stopped running, kneeling over Tenten as he held her close to his body. He summoned his kikkaichu to form a shield around their bodies. There was no way of knowing how far the aftermath would reach, and he chose to protect them instead of running and risk meeting it. The tiny insects blocked out the light, and he rested his chin on Tenten's head, closing his eyes and silently praying. He could feel a slight wave, followed by a tremor that shook his living shield as the remaining chakra crept away from the explosion. The kikkai buzzed their confusion, though never breaking their conformation. Shino waited for the tremors to cease, only then did he release the insect barrier.
Tenten pushed herself out if his arms, falling the few inches to the hard ground. She scrambled to her feet, immediately trying to run in the direction they had traveled. She was met with Shino's chest, as he bodily blocked her way.
"We have to go back!" she shrieked as she tried to push past him.
"It's too dangerous, Tenten," Shino replied softly, holding Tenten's arms at her sides. "Why? Because we aren't sure if it's over. And there is someone else you need to worry about," his face angled downward, away from hers.
Tenten followed his gaze, understanding his words. He is right! she silently realized her defeat. Her eyes burned from the tears that spilled down her face. Her hand lightly hovered over her swollen abdomen.
"I'm sorry. Of course you are right," she murmured, her voice wavering. She was on the brink of hysteria; she could feel it clawing at her insides.
Shino hooked a finger under her chin, pulling her face upward. "Neji asked me to remove you from harm. I will honor that wish. He is a strong shinobi, so have a little faith in his decision," his tone was soft yet commanding. Tenten had never seen him look at her so tenderly.
"How did you know--?" she whispered. How did he know about the baby?
He shook his head, as if reading her silent thoughts. "We can talk about this later. Right now, we need to get you back to Konoha."
"I won't leave him!" her voice grew louder and more shrill. She took a step backward, as if finally realizing that Shino was truly standing before her.
"Why are you here? How did you know where I was?" her eyes scrutinized him.
"Neji asked me to talk you out of this mission," he began to explain, though he knew it was neither the time nor place. "I didn't make it before you left--"
"So now you're here. To save me? How noble of you!" she spat.
He said nothing as he stepped forward, his eyes examining every inch of her face from behind his dark glasses. "We will talk about this later."
"I'm going back!" she growled.
Shino sighed, "Fine."
"Fine?" she echoed, confused by his sudden resignation.
The usual, emotionless mask was again upon his face--the same one that used to infuriate her to no end. "Let me send a scout to see if it is safe."
Tenten raised an eyebrow, confused. As if to answer her, Shino raised an arm, dispelling a tiny beetle from beneath his sleeve. It fluttered to his finger, sitting there while Shino stared at it intently. The silent communication was making Tenten more impatient.
"What are you doing?" she shifted from foot to foot.
He turned from her, continuing his string of silent commands to the kikkai. "I'm sending it retrieve information. When it returns--"
"When it returns? We don't have that kind of time!" she protested.
He did not turn to face her. "We have to do what's safest. For whom? For you and your child. No, our child," he corrected himself.
Tenten began to pace as Shino continued to devote his time to the tiny sentinel. Her mind was a whirlwind of ideas and reasons to find Neji, but she knew that Shino would only dismiss each and every one.
If she was going to act, now would be the time—while he was distracted.
It was the only thing left for her to do. She had to. For Neji.
***
***
Tenten raced through the forest, her cloak billowing behind her—a testimony to her speed. Part of her was ashamed for her deception, the other part of her was more concerned about her friend. Shino would forgive her this trespass, she was sure. He had come all the way into the forests of Lightning to find her, after all. The only problem with this particular move was that her chakra was now halved between her and her Shadow Clone. She had commanded the replica to disappear upon Shino's realization that it was, indeed, a clone. She would feel her chakra return, giving her enough time to react and avoid.
Stop thinking about it! Quit feeling guilty! she inwardly cringed. You have to do this!
As she approached where they had left Neji, the destruction became more visible. It began as a few branches here and there, but she was now surrounded by broken tree trunks. A few minutes later, uprooted trees littered the area. She could identify the treetops from broken trunks she had spied moments before. His Heavenly Spin would repel, not pull things in, she knew.
Was this the new technique he had been working on for these past few months? she silently wondered.
"What did you do?" she asked aloud. It had to be the unfamiliar technique—as this was definitely something she had never seen him use before.
She could sense the clearing up ahead, and her heart began to race as she smelled the burnt earth. Wisps of smoke danced into the air from every direction.
That was some explosive! She wondered what would become of that young hooligan as she leaped over one last, fallen tree. She landing quietly in the familiar clearing. Neji was standing there, as if in quiet contemplation as he silently stared at the charred form of....
"Oh, shit!" Tenten whispered, as she realized what the burnt thing really was: the Kumo girl!
Tenten cringed at the ungodly figure. It was dismembered—most of the original reduced to ash and blood. She was almost glad that the girl had used so much explosive—as she didn't think she could handle seeing an a recognizable, dismembered body. She said a silent prayer for the kunoichi, hoping that her final rest was peaceful.
Her eyes darted to Neji as he stood, quietly swaying as he faced the unrecognizable form of their former opponent. Tenten cautiously approached, relieved that he was alive.
"Neji?" she whispered.
He turned his head, his feet stiffly rooted in place. His eyes were a deep purple—not their normal, milky lavender shade. His Byakugan was no longer activated, which would explain why he hadn't sensed her presence.
A crooked smile spread across his face, "Hmph."
He didn't utter another word. Instead, he swayed briefly, before falling to the ground. His arms never shot out to stop the fall, never lessening the impact nor offering any sort of protection. Tenten cringed at the sickening crack as his head hit the earth.
"Neji!" she screamed as she instantly shot to his side, crouching beside him.
He was facing away from her, and she reached out to gently pull him onto his back. "Neji?" she softly repeated. "Are you alright?"
His eyelids fluttered, and his eyes rolled in his head before he was able to meet her worried gaze. The same smile, from moments before, was still on his face.
His face!
Tenten could feel the tears forming, as she examined him. Blood was pooling around his head--a result of his fall, no doubt. But, the part that hurt her the most was that the right half of his head was badly burned, as was his right hand.
"What happened?" she asked, her hands trembling as they hovered over his body while she examined his face. She breathed a silent sigh of relief, realizing that the ash plastered to his skin had made the wound look worse than it actually was. His scalp and ear were burned, not his face. The hair was long gone, revealing the wrinkled, vulnerable skin of his head as it oozed and crusted from the intense heat from the explosion.
Thank goodness, she silently thanked whatever force was watching over them. He chuckled softly, opening his mouth to speak, "I...tried something..new. Been..working on it.."
"I can tell," she nodded, as she brushed the clumped, bloodied hair from his face.
He winced from the effort, his hand sliding to his midsection. Tenten's eyes fell on the long-forgotten wound in his abdomen. Blood had crusted around the wound edge, despite the fresh flow that oozed from the gaping hole. He wasn't losing a large amount of blood from the wound. It appeared that the girl had missed any major vessels. He could live a while with such wound.
"Tell Shino," his voice was raspy. "That...I was wrong...about...the dream. I-I see it now..."
"What dream? What are you talking about?" she could feel herself growing frantic. It was obviously an effort for him to speak.
He shook his head slowly, "He'll..understand."
"Save your strength, we are going to get you back to Konoha. Then you're going to take a break from ANBU and heal," her voice was high-pitched and strained.
He smiled, closing his eyes briefly, scaring Tenten until they reopened. "Tenten?" he whispered hoarsely, turning his head. She almost gagged at the patches of lost hair and charred scalp. She tried to put on a brave face for him, despite the screaming fear that was gnawing away at her insides.
She raised her eyebrows expectantly. He licked his lips. "In all these years....that..I've known you...I've never seen...your...hair." He closed his eyes again, sucking in a rattling breath.
Tenten understood his the meaning of his words, but was still taken aback by them. Was this a request? Now? She would do whatever it takes to keep him conscious and talking. She quickly reached behind her, pulling the elastic band loose from the end of her thick braid. She ran both hands through her hair, pooling it over her shoulders.
"See?" she whispered, her voice shaking. "A bunch of worthless hair. That's why I keep it up."
Neji opened his eyes, slowly looking over her face. He smiled weakly, reaching out with shaky fingers. Tenten held her breath, unsure of what he was going to do. She watched in confusion as he reached up and trapped a loose tendril between his dirty fingers. He wrapped it around his forefinger, his eyes glistening with tears as he stared at her oft-secured hair. Even now, it glimmered with specks of gold.
"It...looks good..suits you, Ten. You'll....be..a..beautiful mother."
Her eyes flew open at the nickname he used for her. "No!" she whispered, the tears falling down her face. "Don't you dare! Don't you dare, Hyuuga Neji!" she hissed her command.
He smiled, looking away from her. "Shino..is a lucky bastard..tell him...to take care of you. I'm...sorry."
With those final words, his hand fell limply to the ground as his eyes stared blankly at the sky. He did not utter another strained word. A silent tear slowly slid down the side of his face, as his eyes grew an even deeper shade of purple.
"Neji?" Tenten whimpered. She placed a shaky hand over his chest, watching for some sign of life. She could not see the rise and fall of his chest, and it invoked panic.
"Neji?" she frantically pushed a finger into his chest, his body slightly rolling from the force.
"Neji? This isn't funny!" She waved a hand in front of his eyes, but they did not move beneath the half-opened lids. His eyes grew darker still.
"NEJI!" she screamed, as she leaned over his body, sobbing into his shoulder. "Nonononono."
She reached to her hip, pulling the transmitter from her belt. She pushed the dial. "Sai? Sai, this is Tenten! Neji is hurt and we need to get him back to Konoha! I command you to bring him back to Konoha! Do you hear me? Sai!" her voice was becoming more shrill as she bellowed into the radio.
She knew that they were supposed to use the code names they had been given, but she didn't care. Neji needed help. He needed a medic. And Sai was the only one who could take him home quickly enough. Her only answer was radio static.
"Sai?" she screamed into the phone. "Answer your commanding officer, dammit!" Again, no answer.
"SHIT!" she sobbed, as she angrily threw the tiny radio against a nearby trunk. It shattered into a few pieces.
This is a bad dream! she tried to tell herself. Just a bad dream. You'll wake up soon!
She rocked back and forth on her knees, her teary eyes looking over his face. His eyes were blank and dead, despite the smile that remained on his face. It wasn't the face of someone who had just been murdered.
The denial hung heavily in the air, as Tenten drew her knees to her chest. "Neji?" Her voice was weak as she broke into sobs. She continued to rock back and forth, her eyes still on his face. He's not dead! she told herself, He's just sleeping! She scrambled over to him on all fours, staring down at him.
She reached out, grabbing both of his shoulders and shaking him, "You can't leave me....no, you can't! You're my best friend. You can't leave me!" She could barely breath between sobs, as her tears splashed his face, breaking through the film of soot that covered it.
She wiped her eyes, catching a glimpse of the barely recognizable form of the Kumo kunoichi. If it weren't for that girl....
No, don't think like that! she told herself.
That girl.
Neji's dead.
The anger began to take over, rising to replace the denial and emptiness that had blanketed her. Where uncertainty clouded her ability to feel the loss of her friend, revenge began to rake its claws across her heart. She rocked back and forth, the tears streaking her face. The denial was subsiding. The rage was surfacing.
A loud howl tore through the air. Her head shot toward the sound, but there was only silence. She looked back to Neji. His blank stare tore her heart in half. How did such a puny excuse for a kunoichi bring this much pain to her life?
Rage!
Suddenly, a tiny flutter emanated from her stomach. Tenten gasped as her hands flew to her abdomen. "Was that--"
She was answered with another flutter. This time, more pronounced. A tiny little kick. Her child.
The tears streamed down her face at the bittersweet irony of the situation. She laughed between sobs. What should be the happiest moment of her life was now overshadowed by the loss of her best friend. Her hands shook as she cupped her stomach, her eyes clenched shut. She could feel the hysteria. It was going to win.
The warm rage began to seep into her being as her tears dried. I won't lose anyone else, she decided, giving up the tiny dam that was holding back the blackness that threatened to take over. She had never felt so much hatred in her entire life.
Hatred that a beautiful moment was ruined.
Hatred that there was no one there to help Neji.
Hatred that she was so weak.
At that moment, hatred was the one thing that was keeping her going.
She pushed herself to her feet, looking down on the body of her best friend. She pulled a few bobby pins from her pocket, her hands going through the familiar motions of securing her hair. Her hands had, after all, gone through the same routine for years during her Academy and genin days. When she was satisfied with the two familiar, messy buns, she let out one last sob, closing her eyes allowing the anger to surface.
Her eyes flew open from the sudden surge of energy. She felt stronger, more ready—but it wasn't from her emotions. Shino must have realized that she left a clone behind. It would only be a matter of time before he happened upon Neji's body, she was sure. She crouched down next to her friend, her face hovering over his. She brought her lips to the skin, pressing them against his forehead.
"Farewell, my brother," she whispered, as she removed her cloak and covered his body. She disappeared into the forest, never looking back.
She only looked to the future—whatever it may hold. She knew that hers only held rage and tears. And, right now, she would give in to the former.
***
***
"Dammit Tenten!" Shino growled, as the clone disappeared in a puff of smoke. He was positive that she had escaped when he had turned his back on her, sending his kikkai out to scout the situation.
He dodged the remnants of Neji's sacrifice, leaping over tree trunks and uprooted foliage. He was confident that Tenten had traveled this way, though he did not know what to expect once he found her. He slid to a halt when he came to the charred clearing.
He took a ragged breath as he saw the shrouded figure on the ground. His eyes grazed over the remains of the Kumo shinobi—the charred bones and blood making his stomach turn. He had seen enough death, but even this seemed too brutal.
Shino recognized the cloak as he closed in on the covered body. Tenten had been here, he knew. Shino stood over the body, his hands trembling. He had been lucky enough to not have a close companion killed during his years as a chunin, and he was unsure as to why the thought of finding Neji's body was terrifying to him. He rarely associated with the Hyuuga, and had never considered the young man to be his friend.
He watched his fingers shake as they reached for the fabric, quickly pulling it away from head. The lifeless form stared blankly at him, a small smile spread across his features. Shino nodded his respects, silently thanking Neji for his sacrifice. He was about to draw the sheet over his face, when the faint gurgle caught his attention.
Shino quickly and completely unshrouded Neji's body with a quick flick of his wrist. He knelt, his hands resting over the arteries in Neji's neck. He quickly recoiled at the slight rebound of a pulse. It was weak and irregular, but it was there! Shino's eyes fell on Neji's chest, but he could not detect the slight movement that his ears had caught. He was no medic, but he knew that Neji was barely holding on. The man needed help immediately.
The sudden, familiar beating of wings caught his attention. He turned to find the masked ANBU member approaching. Shino looked past the figure coming toward him, spying three men who were bound and currently unconscious.
"What is going on here?" Sai called out, his voice slightly muffled by the mask. He reached up to push the mask aside.
"Neji needs medical attention immediately," Shino replied hurriedly.
Sai nodded, "Tenten informed me of this already." Shino raised his eyebrows, and Sai responded by pulling out the familiar transmitter that teams often carried when in close proximity to one another.
"She was frantic, from the sound of it," Sai admitted. "I was...preoccupied," he gestured toward the other three. "So I was unable to respond."
Shino turned back toward Neji, staring down at the man who had saved his the lives of his lover and child. The Hyuuga's life was hanging by a thread, and Shino was not entirely sure if the prognosis would be good even if help was retrieved. Sai took few steps forward, and Shino could hear his sharp intake of breath.
"If only Sakura were here..." Sai trailed off, immediately looking over his shoulder. "I should be able to carry both him and the prisoners back to Konoha fairly quickly."
"That would be favorable idea," Shino conceded. He hesitated, clearing his throat before continuing. "Sai, would you allow me a moment, please?"
Sai said nothing, only bowing slightly and taking a few steps back, turning toward his avian creation. Shino crouched next to Neji's body, a sudden idea occurring to him. He wasn't entirely convinced of his theory, but it couldn't hurt....
Twice per year, his kikkai deposit larva inside their host's body. One of those times happened to coincide with a time when Sakura had lent Katsuyu's healing power him, during their mission to retrieve Naruto. Ever since then, Shino had noticed that those kikkai had never molted from his body. He had also noticed how quickly he healed from all subsequent injuries. He had theorized that somehow, Katsuyu's chakra had cross-reacted with his growing larva, becoming integrated in their genome.
He hypothesized that those kikkai had metamorphosed—giving them the ability to hasten his healing. He had noticed it on a few occasions since--one being when he was badly injured by Akamaru when practicing with Kiba, months earlier. It had taken a couple of days for the wound to heal—something that should have taken at least a week, even with constant medical attention. He hadn't spoken to Sakura about his theory, instead, waiting for more supporting factors to unfold.
But, right now, he was heavily weighing the benefits of infusing those kikkai into Neji. He wasn't sure if Neji's body would allow the transfusion, nor if his theory was correct. But, at this point, he could see no reason as to why he shouldn't at least try.
Shino closed his eyes, searching for the familiar song of the altered kikkai. When he found it, he prompted them to emerge from his body. He opened his palm, finding a small handful of the light blue, iridescent insects. He gave them his silent instructions, placing them on Neji's body.
At first, they crawled along the unfamiliar territory, doing nothing. Shino felt his stomach sink—maybe his theory wouldn't work after all. Finally, one stray kikkai fluttered its wings before crawling into Neji's mouth. A few moments passed, and Shino could detect the tiny flicker of communication between the bugs. The remaining few simultaneously burrowed into Neji's skin, quickly disappearing.
Shino stood, silently praying that his theory was correct. He knew burn wounds could be quite devastating to the body; he was equally as sure that the gaping abdominal puncture was serious.
"Sai, you can take him. Get him to Konoha as quickly as possible," he offered, saying one, final thank you to Neji.
Sai nodded in response, understanding that a man's life was on the line. "But, what about Tenten? There are more rebels in this forest. I had flown over them when following these three."
"I'll track her," he confirmed.
Again, Sai nodded, studying Shino with silent interest. "I'll return as quickly as I can."
"Thank you, Sai. That would be ideal," Shino admitted as he looked around the vast forest that surrounded them. He leaped into a tree, looking over the forest below for some signs of activity. He watched Sai depart with Neji's body as well as the handful of prisoners.
Kiba is out here somewhere, as well, he reminded himself. Perhaps he had encountered the rebels that Neji had fibbed about. They were obviously a real threat if Sai had pointed out that they actually exist. If that were the case, he was sure he would find Tenten there, as well. He silently prayed that he would find her before she did anything rash.
He knew that if Tenten was convinced that Neji was dead, they might just have a massacre on their hands.
*****
So I wasn't actually planning on any more action. But, this suddenly came to me, so we'll see where it goes.
I hope I don't overdo it! Let me know what you think :)
Thanks for reading and reviewing!