Huzzah! Here I am again, writing this story. Last chapter only got 3 reviews. I'm so disappointed ;-; I don't have anything else to add today, so on to the story.
Black and White
Chapter 11
As he climbed up the Hokage's building, Kiba was very relieved to find Tenten standing in front of Tsunade's office. He called her name and hugged her.
"You're okay! I was worried!"
Tenten pushed him away. "Why? It's been just one day since you saw me."
Kiba disregarded how she had shoved him away. "I just had a bad feeling. Anyways, are you here for the mission too? I'm guessing I'm here to fill-in for Neji, uh?" Kiba assumed Neji wouldn't dare showing up for a little while now.
"Wrong. You're filling in for Lee," said a familiar voice.
Sure enough, Neji came from behind Tenten, the scar on his face still very apparent but looking better thanks to Hinata's medicine, and his left eye still harboring a pinkish hue.
As soon as he saw the Hyuuga, Kiba growled and jumped at him without any warning.
"FIX IT!" he yelled as he tried to hit the other guy. "YOU DID THIS! FIX MY NOSE SO I CAN SMELL AGAIN!"
Neji had no choice but to respond to the sudden aggression. "Why don't you fix my eye?" he said in an almost teasing voice, because he knew that Kiba couldn't do anything to make his eye better.
Tenten watched, bewildered, as the two began fighting violently in the halls in front of Tsunade's office. When Neji had showed up earlier, the two had acted as if the other night never happened. She did ask what had happened to his eye, but he replied that it was nothing worth mentionning. She had a bad feeling that Kiba was responsible for it, but now that they were fighting, she knew for sure. To make things worse, Neji himself had taken something precious from Kiba as well. Tenten was highly disappointed in both of them.
"Stop it!" she screamed at the two fighting guys. "What is wrong with you two?"
They ignored her and continued their battle, knocking everything in their way. Suddenly, the door to Tsunade's office slammed opened.
"What the hell is going on here?!" the pissed off 5th Hokage said as the noise woke her up from her 'work'.
She grabbed Kiba's arm and Neji's leg and sent them both flying in opposite directions in one swift motion.. Tenten was somewhat ashamed of her two guys, while being amazed at how effortlessly Tsunade stopped their fight.
"Do your fighting somewhere else!" Tsunade scolded as she headed back to her office. "I'll see you now, come in."
Kiba cursed under his breath and got to his feet, Neji did too.The three yound ninjas followed inside and stood up while she briefed them about their mission.
"Last night, a group of thieves got away with one of our most precious scrolls, taking out one jounin in the process. They're known for having a variety of skills, that they learned from the scrolls they steal. We've been told their hideout is somewhere in the mountains north of here. There's supposed to be four of them, but together you should be fine. Bring back the scroll."
"I refuse to go on a mission with that guy!" Kiba shouted, pointing rudely at Neji. "Send someone else!"
Tsunade scowled. "Kiba Inuzuka! Did you forget that teamwork is most important for a shinobi? I don't know nor care what happened between you guys, but no one else can be sent for this mission." She turned her eyes to Neji. "You, what happened to your face?"
Neji cursed mentally. He had hoped she wouldn't ask. "Nothing worth mentionning."
"Are you okay to fight?" the Hokage asked.
"Yes." He lied, but his pride wouldn't allow him to show any weakness.
"Good. You shall leave immediately. And remember, if you are unable to work together, you will die!"
Tenten bowed politely to her idol while the other two got out without a word. The three of them headed out, and started walking. Akamaru, who had been waiting outside, joined them, confused because everyone seemed in a bad mood.
"This is the worst... being stuck with him," Kiba said, not caring that Neji could hear everything.
The Hyuuga made a 'tch' sound and slowly trailed off behind the other two, while Tenten walked ahead, almost ignoring them. She was angry, Neji could tell. Kiba couldn't. He ran up to her and attempted to hold her hand, but she jerked it away.
"What's wrong?" the dog-boy asked, confused.
"You two are unbelievable! You fought, didn't you?" Tenten faced Kiba. "How could you do something so awful to Neji's eyes?"
"Hey!" Kiba retorted. "He came at me first! And my nose..."
Neji somehow hid a smile, because Tenten seemed to be taking his side. But she didn't really...
She turned to him. "And you! You did this to Kiba-kun's nose out of sheer revenge, didn't you? I never thought you, of all people, would go for something childish like that."
Neji didn't avoid her gaze, but he didn't say anything either. Things weren't going very well for him. He'd best stay on Tenten's good side.
"You tell him," Kiba smirked. "What a jerk."
That comment only pissed the girl even more. "Damn it, stop it! Both of you! I hate it! You're like two dogs fighting for one bone. I'm not a bone, get that?! I'm a human being! I don't want you fighting over me!"
What she said reminded Kiba of what Hinata had told him earlier. He felt a bit bad, but he just couldn't help himself around Neji. Dogs get pretty vicious when someone tries to steal their bone away, you know?
Neji watched from afar as Kiba tried to reason with the non-listening Tenten. What a fool, the genius thought. He knew more than anyone that it was best to leave the girl alone when she was mad, yet Kiba kept getting on her nerves more.
"Leave me alone!" she snapped. "Let's just get this mission over with, okay? Remember what Tsunade-sama said. We'll get in trouble if we can't cooperate."
Kiba was finally silenced and Akamaru nudged his master with his nose as a way to comfort him, because he knew Kiba must've been upset that his girlfriend yelled at him for the first time.
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Once they reached the woods heading to the mountains where the thieves were hiding, Tenten turned around and looked at Neji expectantly.
"I can't use Byakugan," he said emotionlessly.
The girl sighed. "This is just great! You can't use your eyes and he can't use his nose! How are we supposed to find the enemy' hideout now? If Tsunade-same knew, she wouldn't have sent us. It was a really good idea to strike each other's most precious senses!"
Tenten's sarcasm annoyed Neji, but he still said nothing, while Kiba snorted and looked away. Then Akamaru barked.
"Akamaru!" Kiba exclaimed, smiling again. "His nose still works! He'll find the thieves!"
The dog barked cheerfully.
"Alright!" Tenten said. "At least one of you isn't totally useless."
Once again, Neji stayed silent at Tenten's remark, because, after all, she was right. Kiba made a hmph! sound and followed Akamaru who had already picked up a suspicious scent.
The dog led the trio for a long time, going deeper and deeper into the woods. However, nightfall soon came, so they decided to stop.
"If their hideout is out there, they're not likely to leave yet," Neji explained. "So it should be fine to rest here tonight."
Tenten proceed to place several traps around their camp, since they still were into enemy territory. Kiba's stomac grumbled. He had not eaten at all today, since he ran out of his house before eating his sister's breakfast and went directly to Tsunade's place after. So he didn't bring any supplies, unlike the older two.
They sat down to eat, with Kiba almost drooling at the food Tenten kept in her backpack. She sighed and handed him half. He thanked her and started devouring it. Akamaru whimpered. Neji shared his food with the dog because if he didn't, Tenten would. And if she did that, she wouldn't have anything left for herself.
Kiba eyed Neji suspiciously. He didn't like his dog eating out of his hand. Akamaru had insisted that Neji was a good person, but the Inuzuka simply couldn't believe it. Not after he had forced himself on Tenten, or so Kiba thought.
Tenten had a tent with her. September had come, and the nights were fresh now. While the tent was big enough for three people and one dog, Kiba got agitated again.
"He's not sleeping in there! I won't have him sleeping near you!"
The girl forced back a blush as she remember how she had slept near Neji just two nights before. "Kiba-kun! It's cold out there. You can't ask Neji to sleep alone outside!"
"Sure I can! Who knows what he might try if he's with you! He might try to abuse you again!"
Tenten was furious at how Kiba treated Neji, but she knew it was mainly her fault. "In that case, I'll sleep outside and you two get to sleep inside the tent."
"No!" the dog-boy shouted back. "I want to sleep with you! "
Neji watched the scene almost with amusement. It seemed like he didn't have a say in this. He would've said that he didn't mind sleeping outside, if it meant the Inuzuka would shut up, but Tenten seemed to be taking his side for real this time.
"I don't want you to be cold," Kiba added.
"Fine! I'll sleep in the tent alone, and you two can just sleep outside!" And with that, Tenten, fuming, went into the tent and zipped it shut.
Neji sighed inaudibly and said: "I'm going to get some firewood." And he left. It was best he stayed away from Kiba for a little while, because he really felt like beating him up right now. What an idiot. He still hadn't figured out that Tenten was furious because she didn't like him and Neji fighting, yet Kiba kept nagging and insulting the Hyuuga freely. It didn't take a genius to know that Kiba + Neji + fighting angry Tenten. Solution: don't fight. That's why Neji kept quiet. If he talked, he'd be talking back to Kiba, so better not say anything.
"I'll get some wood too..." Kiba said sadly. They'd need plenty if they were both to sleep out there. Before he left, he whispered into Akamaru's ear. "Stay here with her, in case he comes back before I do."
Akamaru whimpered. He wished his master would believe him when he said Neji wasn't dangerous. The dog heard Tenten sigh inside the tent. He scratched the fabric door and whined. Now that the two boys were gone, she unzipped the opening and Akamaru went inside. He promised Kiba that he'd try to get to know her, now seemed like a good time. Tenten hugged the dog's neck, resting her head on his furry back.Akamaru had gotten even bigger lately. He was up to Kiba's knees now. Tenten really enjoyed his warm presence now that she was alone with him.
"Why are men so stupid?" she asked, not to Akamaru in particular.
The dog barked something in return. Because females exist.
Tenten sighed and Akamaru licked her face. So maybe this girl wasn't so bad after all.
She chuckled lightly. "Nice puppy..."
Suddenly, Akamaru's ears perked up and he started growling. Tenten let go of him.
"You've heard it too, didn't you? Someone's there..."
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Kiba sighed as he picked up one last piece of wood. He didn't understand why Tenten stood up for Neji after what he had done to her. What was it between those two? He returned to their camp, only to be met with a very unfortunate scene.
The content of the backpacks had been spilled all around, the tent was destroyed, kunai and other traces of fighting were all over the place and (even though Kiba couldn't smell it) the scent of blood was in the air. Most of the traps were gone too. Tenten and Akamaru were nowhere to be found.
Neji stood there as well. He jerked around as soon as he heard footsteps. He was somewhat relieved to see Kiba, however. The Inuzuka threw his wood to the ground and tried to process the information before him. Prone to believe the worst case scenario without using his head, Kiba turned to Neji.
"What have you done!?"
The Hyuuga's eyes narrowed at the idea that Kiba could actually believe that he would be responsible for such a thing. "I just got here, a few seconds before you did."
"Where is Tenten? And Akamaru?! Tell me!" the unnerved teen asked.
So far, Neji had managed to hold in all the rage he had towards the way Kiba treated him for Tenten's sake, but now that she was gone, he finally snapped. He grabbed the younger boy's collar and pulled his face close to his.
" Do you really think I did this? Do you really think I could hurt a girl who's been my teammate and friend for years?! Or your dog? DO YOU?!"
Neji shook Kiba's body with that last remark. The dog-boy suddenly feared this would lead to another vicious fight, but the Hyuuga pushed him away.
"I saw her bruises!" Kiba shouted in return. "You work her like a dog all the time!"
"That's right. And because I do, she was able to improve considerably. I never forced her, if it really bothered her, she would've said so a long time ago." Neji calmed down a little and sighed. "The enemies must've sensed our presence here and came to rob us. "
"Tenten must be in danger! And Akamaru! We gotta help them!"
"Calm down," the Hyuuga said composedly. "I'm sure they're fine."
"We gotta find them! They could get killed! Let's go!"
Kiba ran off. Neji sighed again and followed him.
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"I can't use my nose and you can't use your eyes, how will we ever find them?" The Inuzuka panicked.
"This way," Neji said dryly as he took the lead.
"What if we're going in the wrong direction?" Kiba asked, unnerved. "How do you know it's that way?"
"I know."
Kiba was bothered by Neji's know-it-all attitude but he had no choice but to follow him. He didn't know what else to do.
"Akamaru...Tenten..." he whispered nervously.
"She's fine." Neji responded impassively.
"How can you be so relaxed? Aren't you worried about her? "
"I know her. She's fine."
Kiba couldn't understand how Neji could remain so calm when Tenten's life was in danger. "How can you be so sure that she's okay?!"
"How can you be so sure that she's not?"
Kiba was silent once more. Neji had such faith in Tenten, while he already imagined her to be dead.
"Look," Neji explained. "She can take care of herself. So can your dog. However, I don't know how long they can hold on if they are outnumbered. That's why we have to find them."
Tsunade had mentionned that there were four thieves. They both hurried along, trusting their instincts to guide them instead of their senses. They noticed a lot of kunai, shuriken and knives stuck in trees or on the ground as they jumped from branches to branches. Neji smiled.
Soon they came across a body. One of the thieves, most likely. The man's throat had been severed by fangs and several weapons were planted into his body. Now they were certain they were on the right path. They took off again, knowing they were close.
"Hey," Kiba said hesitantly. "Can I ask you something?" The other gave no reply so he asked anyways. "Tell me, why do you love Tenten?"
Neji returned the question. "Why do you love her?"
"Well..." the boy blushed slightly. "She's really cute, and…" He searched in his head for more reasons. "...she's nice and she smells good too."
Neji smile smugly. Such shallow reasons.
"How about you? You do love her, don't you?" Kiba asked, curious to know.
The long-haired boy was quiet for a moment, as he was unused to speak out his feelings, before finally talking. "She's the only person who doesn't think I'm just a cold bastard. She's the only person who's presence I long for. She's the only one I find myself able to open up to, she brings out the best in me."
Kiba was quiet once more. Was a man who had such genuine feelings for a girl really capable of forcing himself on her? More and more doubts arose in Kiba's head.
"...I'm sorry...about your eye," he managed to let out.
Kiba expected a 'I'm sorry about your nose' , but it never came. Clearly his apology was not accepted. Yet, several minutes of silence later, Neji responded.
"Your nose will be back to normal in a few days. It's not permanent."
The brown-haired boy gave a sigh of relief. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for Neji. His eye would most likely never heal unless he went to a doctor.
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--
Something caught the two boys' attention and they jumped to the ground. There, sitting against a tree was Tenten, unconscious and wounded. Neji eyed her for afar, while Kiba instantly ran up to her.
"Don't," warned Neji. "It's obviously a trap!"
Kiba ignored him and knelt down to hold Tenten's body. "Akamaru!"
In a poof of smoke, the girl changed back into Akamaru. The dog slowly opened his eyes and whimpered. Kiba hugged his friend. He was hurt, but he was okay. Suddenly, the boy grabbed his dog and jumped away, as he had noticed an exploding tag triggered by Akamaru's transformation. They got away just in time.
Neji was amazed. Kiba had been able to tell that the person before them was actually Akamaru without being able to identify his scent, and he had gone to him knowing a trap had been set.
"Someone transformed Akamaru into Tenten as a mean to stall for time." Neji was now getting worried. Akamaru was no longer with her, she was alone and three of thieves remained. They had to hurry.
The dog barked and Kiba translated. "Akamaru says that he can't smell their scent anymore. They erased it. He says they were really strong."
Neji thought for a second, and decided he had no choice. He raised a finger to his face.
"Byakugan!"
Kiba's eyes widened as Neji winced and grunted from the intense pain in his eye. Chakra leaked out of control from him since the chakra paths to his eye were severely damaged. He was unable to keep in his moans as he tried to scan the area. His Byakugan vison was blurry, distorted and strangely colored, but he could still make out what was around. He saw a hideout, and the shape of four people. He recognized Tenten's chakra in one of them. They were nearby.
He quickly cancelled his skill, any more of it and he even him would've fainted from the pain. He now held a hand to his eye and panted, sweat forming on his face.
"Hey, are you okay?" Kiba asked, worried as he had never seen the Hyuuga in such a state. "You shouldn't have done that!"
"I'm fine. I found them."
Without even resting, he was already on his way. The other boy and his dog followed. Kiba felt remorseful. Neji was forced to use his bloodline limit knowing what would happen and not once had he shot a blaming remark at Kiba even though it was his fault that the he suffered like this.. Neji had tried to avoid any conflict as much as he could while Kiba had done nothing other than complain or insult him and drive him into fighting back. Neji was really strong, he thought. In both heart and body. The dog-boy lowered his head sadly, when Neji motionned for him to stop.
"We're here."
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Cliffhangers FTW! Hey people, guess what. Next chapter will be the last. It's time for this story to end and for conflicts to be resolved...or not. Tell me, who should Tenten end up with? Kiba? Neji? Both? None? Akamaru?... Lee? XD Though your answer will in no way affect the story, cause I've made up my mind about the ending right when I first started the story. But I'm curious to know what you think.
Next chapter: the conclusion to Black and White! Stay tuned and review. :) Please?