Chapter 5: Shattered

Days went by and still nothing. It was as if she'd disappeared into thin air. None of Team Gai got any sleep whatsoever. They were simply too upset - Neji most of all. He questioned why it'd taken this to realize how much TenTen had meant to him. She was more than just a teammate. To the Hyuuga, she was much more than that. There was this deep aching that had set into his heart now, and it wouldn't go away no matter how hard he tried to make it so. If only there was word that she was safe - that she had just been playing an elaborate hoax on them all... He'd forgive her, even if she'd scared them all half to death. He'd forgive her in an instant.

Neji had grown to detest Gai. It was his fault TenTen was gone. He'd come up with this damn plan after all. It was his fault. It had to be his fault. It had to be someone's fault, right?

Then a clue! Some suspicious activity was going on at the border of Fang and Claw - "suspicious" as in slave trading...of young girls. So off they went.

Within a few hours, the team spotted the warehouse they had been tipped off about. Two shinobi were posted outside as guards. TenTen's accuracy would have been put to good use in this situation, but Team Gai had to improvise. So instead, Lee took them out with his amazing speed before they alerted anyone inside.

Gai took the 2nd floor, Lee took the ground floor, and Neji got the basement. He descended into the darkness cautiously, activating the Byakugan so it'd be easier to see. What he found nearly shocked him senseless. Girls. Everywhere. And the bad thing wasn't even that they'd been shoved down in this dark, dank hole. They were shackled and in cages – every single one of them. What kind of sick joke was this? The Hyuuga moved among the metal boxes quietly, hearing many of the girls whimpering or crying in anguish. "Please...Please don't let TenTen be here. Please don't let me find her..." he prayed silently. But it was in vain.

Neji almost missed her, but then he sensed a familiar chakra presence – it was very faint, but it was definitely there. "TenTen?" he whispered hoarsely, kneeling down to the girl. Her eyes were glazed over and had a far-off look in them. Her beautiful hands clutched the bars weakly; her forehead rested against the cool metal. The dainty dress had been replaced with a ragged cotton yukata that all the girls seemed to be wearing, and TenTen's silky sepia locks were a tangled and bedraggled mess at this point. But her eyes...those beautiful eyes that sparkled and danced like the stars...it looked like someone had sucked the very life right out of them, leaving only the empty shell of a girl.

He had to repeat her name when there was no answer. "TenTen?"

It took a moment, but finally something sparked. "Neji..." she said listlessly, her eyes barely moving. "...Why are you here?"

The words shocked him. "W-What?! What do you mean 'why'? We're here to save you from this wretched prison!"

Her eyes lifted to meet his slowly. Then she gave a half-hearted, slightly hysterical laugh. "Why couldn't you save me that night?" she choked suddenly. "Why didn't any of you come to help me...I needed you, but nobody came. Nobody...came..." her voice faltered, and she dropped her eyes again. "Now it's too late. All of you...are worthless..."

Her words stung. They made the ache in Neji's heart only deepen in intensity. "TenTen...let's go. It's time to return home." He reached for her hand, but the brunette pulled it away quickly.

"No. Leave now! They'll come back and kill you, then...then hurt me. Please leave before you give me any more pain."

"T-Ten...Ten..."

Her listless eyes darted up to him. "All you do is give me grief. Ever since we were put on the same team, you've treated me like a dog. All I was good for was helping you train... Outside of that, you wouldn't give me the time of day! This is just another mission to you, so no. I won't go with you." TenTen's voice quieted. "I have to nothing to return to now. I might as well live out my life this way...at least I'll be worth something to someone."

"Would you listen to what you're saying?!" he cut in. "You're in a cage! You're filthy! You're being abused! Why would anyone even consider remaining in this situation?!"

TenTen turned and pulled away from that side of her prison. "I don't know," she muttered. "I don't know about anything anymore. I don't think I really care about anything now. But...one thing I do know...I'm through with being a shinobi."

"TenTen!" The words shocked Neji as they echoed in his mind.

Her hands tightened into fists. "When I signed up for this, I agreed to help the village. NOT get kidnapped and...and..." The brown eyes clouded over as she sunk back into despair. "I thought I'd have others to rely on...to help me when I needed it. I was wrong."

Neji began applying some kind of acid to the lock in silence. His head was spinning. He had to get her out. He had to get her home where he could keep her safe – away from whoever had done this to her. She wasn't thinking clearly. Yes, that was it – the shock was affecting her mind. There was no way that TenTen – the girl he'd trained with for over five years now – could just throw away all that in one moment. "I'm going to get you out either way. I think you know how I feel about leaving teammates behind."

The kunoichi stiffly eyed the Hyuuga. She knew that he would probably disable her if need be. Suddenly a loud crash from above sent all the girls screaming and crying even louder. Neji cursed in silence. Lee or Gai had most likely found the culprits, and it sounded like they'd already engaged in combat. Well, no time to sit around and wait for acid to eat away at the lock. The young shinobi swiftly pulled out a kunai and jammed it into the keyhole. The already weakened device groaned, then shattered into several pieces.

"Let's go." Neji grabbed hold of her shackles and with a swift blow from the kunai, the chain snapped – leaving his teammate free at last. However, she refused to move. Whether it was from shock or sheer obstinacy, he couldn't tell. But one thing was for sure – they weren't going to stick around much longer. The Hyuuga grabbed her by the hand and tugged, forcing her to follow him. The cries of the other girls begging to be freed as well had to be shut out, but a sharp blow to his wrist told him otherwise. TenTen's eyes were narrowed in cold fury.

"Until they are freed, I will make your life a living hell." Her expression let him know she wasn't kidding. Neji had seen how she could be with Lee when she got mad, and he knew it was even more serious now.

"Fine." He dropped her hand and ran back to start opening more cages. It took at least ten minutes and it was a bit tiring, but finally it was done. "There. Now we leave," said the boy.

"...Not so fast..." A burly, deep voice demanded. What the hell? Where did he come from? Neji eyed this newcomer cautiously. He was tall and heavy-set and looked like he needed a serious bath. The Hyuuga heard some girls start whimpering and crying again. "I believe you're taking what doesn't belong to you..."

TenTen had unconsciously flinched at this man's voice. The look in her eyes told Neji that this man had caused her much pain...and that was enough to incite a deep hatred for him. "I'm going to destroy you. You will pay for what you've done..." he snarled.

The man chuckled and pulled out a massive blade that reminded Neji of a butcher's knife. "Alright, let's see what you've got, little man."

"Hakke Kūshō!" The blow sent the man flying backwards until he was smashed against the opposite wall. "Would you like another taste?" asked Neji venomously.

"W-What the -- ?" The giant staggered to his feet once more, quite shaken and bruised. Obviously, he wasn't a shinobi. Neji faintly remembered the briefing before the mission. Gai had said that the "Unlucky 13" were only a bunch of thugs. That's right...But it didn't matter. The young genius rushed forward until he was within range - his Byakugan fully activated and ready for anything.

"Hakke Hyaku Nijūhachi Shō! I will ensure that you never hurt another innocent again!"

Waaaay overkill. It was double his usual sixty-four palms and reserved for striking multiple targets. Yet, Neji didn't seem to care. Anyone who dared to touch TenTen...no amount of physical pain could be enough for them. When he had finished, the man stopped moving. Was he even breathing? Well, if he wasn't, Neji didn't care. Suddenly something whirred by his leg and stopped with a thud – right in the man's skull. He looked up breathlessly to see TenTen holding several kunai in her left hand, the right hand lowering as if she'd just thrown one of her projectiles. So, that was it...she'd killed him.

"Let's go..." he said, returning to TenTen and grabbing her hand. She nodded faintly and followed obediently this time. They met up with Gai and Lee who'd finished beating around the other "Unlucky 12". It seemed they'd gone a little overboard as well.

"TenTen!!! Thank God you're safe! We were so worried!" shrieked Gai, breaking into tears. Lee was sobbing too loudly to speak, otherwise he'd probably have said something along similar lines.

She languidly gave a nod, but remained silent. Neji tightened his grip on her hand. He was afraid she'd try to do something...those words she spoke earlier – they were still fresh in his mind. Too fresh to give her free rein. Who knew what the girl would do in this desperate state?

"TenTen..." Gai had grown more serious, realizing the gravity of the situation. "You won't have to talk about this, but you will need to be debriefed once we get back. Alright?"

More silence. Lee looked heartbroken...nearly as much as poor TenTen did. Neji was sure his own heart had been shattered as well. If he hadn't been such a stoic person, the young shinobi might have been brought to tears. The trip home...it would be a long one.

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H'Okay! Chapter 5 is up! Sorry it's such an angsty, depressing one, but I promise...things might start getting better. ;P

Thanks again to all who've read and reviewed! The more reviews I get, the faster I'll update. So you guys can all thank yourselves for the swifty-ness of this latest one. (Haha, "swifty-ness". I don't think that's a real word...)

- Hikari