Chapter Three:

~Tsuki's POV

The first thing I noticed waking up was the sounds. There was no screaming or shouting or moaning. Instead I heard chirping birds and light chatter from afar.

The second thing I noticed was how bright it was. I could see a fair amount of light behind my closed eyelids. Opening my eyes, I saw that the light was coming from the window to my left.

I looked around slowly, taking in my surroundings. White walls, bright room, comfortable bed. Something wasn't right about this. I was obviously no longer in the place I've been imprisoned in for the last few years. But whoever had me now, I couldn't tell if it was friend or foe.

I sat up quickly, ignoring the head rush the sudden movement gave me. Throwing off the covers, I noticed I was wearing a new, clean white gown. I didn't know where I was or what was going on, but I had to get out of here.

I moved to the side of the bed and put my bare feet on the floor. I stood carefully, testing the strength in my legs. Sturdy enough. I took a few steps towards the door.

I stopped when I heard voices from the other side. They were getting closer.

'I have to get out of here!'

I turned and immediately spotted the window. That was my escape. I hurried to the window and quickly unlatched it, flinging it open. A rush of wind blew my tangled hair behind me. I looked out the window, thankful that I was apparently on the first floor.

As the voices stopped right outside the door, I didn't hesitate to hop over the window sill and run away from the unknown building. I could hear shouts fading behind me, obviously about my sudden disappearance.

I aimlessly ran between buildings and streets, clearly lost. Hiding behind one building, catching my breath, I peeked around the corner. People littered the street, mingling with one another. It looked like a marketplace.

'This place…is somewhat familiar,' I thought to myself.

But I had no time to think long on it. Out of nowhere, several people started gathering in the area, searching.

'Are they looking for me?'

I didn't stay to find out. I ran away from the crowd, heading to a more secluded looking area on the other side of the town. At least I thought this was a town.


~3rd POV

Neji, Tenten, and Lee were training in the field as usual. Or, at least they were. They were interrupted by the sudden noise coming from the center of the village. There was a sort of commotion going on, and they were clueless.

"What do you think is going on?" Lee asked his teammates.

"Maybe we should check it out," Tenten suggested.

Neji said nothing. His teammates noticed that ever since they rescued the girl, he's been quieter than he normally was. This concerned them, but they knew better than to ask.

The three headed to the center marketplace. Once there, they found a chunin who seemed to be searching for something.

"Excuse me," Lee greeted politely. The chunin turned around and acknowledged them. "We were wondering what was going on. Did something happen?"

The chunin nodded. "The Lord Hokage has ordered every able ninja in the village to search for a missing girl."

"A girl?" Tenten repeated.

"Apparently she was in the hospital, but disappeared. She must be pretty important if the Hokage wants her found."

The chunin walked off after giving the genin the information.

"You don't think…" Tenten trailed off and looked at her friends.

"We should help find her," Lee said. "It's our responsibility to make sure she's safe!"

Lee punched the air dramatically, a fire lighting in his eyes.

Tenten sighed. "There he goes again. What do you think, Neji?" Tenten looked at the young prodigy and was surprised to find he had already activated his Byakugan.

Neji carefully scanned the area using his eye ability. He could see nothing yet, but paused when he turned towards the training grounds. He could just see a figure with long hair disappear over the hillside.

"Towards the training grounds," he said. "She's heading to the forest."

"She must have slipped past us on the way here," Tenten gasped.

"Let's go." Neji led his team back to the field, heading into the forest. "She can't get far in her condition. Lee, see if you can cut her off. We'll catch up."

Lee nodded. "On it!" He sped up, leaving his teammates behind. It didn't take long for him to see the girl, weaving between trees with her hair trailing behind her. "Hey, stop! Please!"

Lee's plea was ignored, and for a moment he wondered if she had even heard him. But he knew she did when he saw her glance back at him, her eyes widening for a split second before she sped up, trying her best to evade him. But Lee was faster.

He pushed forward, managing to get ahead of the girl. He turned and stopped in her path, causing her to stumble. He could tell by the look on her face that she was surprised. She breathed heavily, having run for so long in her condition. She turned her head from side to side, and Lee realized she was looking for an escape. He had to convince her.

"Please, calm down," he said. "We do not wish to hurt you. We want to help."

Her eyes met his, and he saw a slight glimmer of belief flash across her blue orbs. But she refused and turned to run in the opposite direction.

Neji and Tenten were there to cut her off. The three genin stayed still, not wanting to upset the girl further. They could tell she was having irrational thoughts; she was scared, panicked, and confused.

"Everything's going to be fine," Tenten soothed. "Let us take you back to the hospital."

But the girl paid her no mind. She was still looking for an escape. Finally, she took a chance and ran to the left, right in Neji's line of sight.

Neji moved quickly, blocking her path once again. He acted on impulse, grasping her upper arms. His hold was gentle enough not to hurt her but also strong enough for her to be unable to struggle away from him. And she tried. She thrashed, attempting to hit him, but he wasn't phased.

"Tsuki, stop!" he nearly shouted. "It's me!"


~Tsuki's POV

"Tsuki, stop! It's me!"

I froze. 'My name?' It's been too long since I was called by my name. So how did this boy know who I was?

I hesitantly looked up to see his face. I noticed his eyes first. Blank white, the Byakugan. Long black hair. I knew this boy.

I exhaled heavily, leaning forward to rest my head against his chest. I took his shirt into my fists, grasping tightly as I fought the urge to cry from relief. He hesitated, but eventually I felt him wrap his arms around me.


~3rd POV

The girl collapsed. Luckily Neji was able to catch her, setting her on the ground gently. He continued to hold on to her, ignoring the questioning looks his friends gave him.

"Tsuki?" Tenten said. "Is that her name?"

"Neji, do you know this girl?" Lee asked.

Neji glanced at his teammates, then looked down at the girl in his arms. She was unconscious, sleeping soundly. He moved her carefully as he picked her up. He faced the others, holding Tsuki bridal.

"Her name is Tsuki Senjo," he told them. "We were childhood friends."

"Childhood friends?" Tenten said. "I don't understand."

"That's a story for another time, Tenten."

The genin turned and saw their sensei walking towards them. He acknowledged each of them with a glance, then turned his gaze to Tsuki.

"We should get her back to the hospital. She still needs to recover."

"Will she be alright?" Lee asked worriedly.

"She probably just passed out from the stress," Gai guessed. "Can't say I blame her. Poor girl has been through a lot."

Neji tightened his hold on Tsuki just the slightest bit. The slight movement didn't go unnoticed by Gai, so he decided to ease the tension.

He put his hands on his hips. "Alright! Excellent work, team! Now, let us return this young lady to the hospital!"

"Yes, sir!" Lee exclaimed, saluting his sensei.

However, what the two didn't realize is that Neji and Tenten had already started walking away.


Tsuki was resting peacefully, safe once more in her bed at the hospital. A nurse was checking over her vitals, moving around the room calmly. Neji stood at the foot of the bed, his mind racing.

Outside the room, Tenten and Lee peeked through the crack in the door.

"I've never seen Neji act like this," Tenten said in concern.

"It is strange," Lee agreed. "I wonder what happened for Tsuki to end up in enemy hands."

"Surely the two of you have heard of the Senjo Clan."

The two genin jumped and turned to face their sensei. Tenten looked embarrassed to have been caught snooping, and Lee looked interested in what Gai had to say.

"The Senjo Clan?" Lee repeated.

Tenten pointed upward, a realization coming to her. "Neji said Tsuki's last name was Senjo, right? So she's from the Senjo Clan?"

"That's right," Gai said, nodding. "She's actually the heir to the clan. You see, the Senjo Clan came to Konoha during the early years of the 2nd Hokage. Apparently their homeland went through a natural catastrophe, and they were forced to flee elsewhere. They found their way here after many years, and were welcomed into the village with open arms.

"The Senjo Clan adopted our ways into their own, and eventually became the clan they are today. They were famous for their unique abilities. A sort of kekkai genkai, like Neji's Byakugan. From the moment they are born, a member of the Senjo Clan is granted an affinity with a natural aspect, gifted by their goddess."

"Their goddess?" Lee said.

"That sounds so cool," Tenten said in awe.

Gai chuckled. "It's one of the main aspects that make the Senjo Clan different from others clans like the Hyuga Clan and the Uchiha Clan. The head of the Senjo Clan is always a woman. Tsuki's mother was the head of the clan, and that means Tsuki's the heir."

"Wow."

"Gai-sensei," Lee said, "correct me if I'm wrong. But, the Senjo Clan…" Lee trailed off, choosing his words carefully. "Wasn't that the clan that was attacked five years ago?"

Gai looked solemn. "So you have heard of it. Yes, the Senjo Clan was attacked five years ago. It was more or less a massacre. Several were able to escape, but never returned out of fear. Few were taken prisoner by the ones who attacked them. Tsuki was one of them."

Tenten and Lee turned to peek into the room once again. They saw Neji was next to the window, looking through the glass to gaze at the outside world.

"Tsuki was taken prisoner?" Tenten's tone of voice gave away her sadness. "But she's so young."

"She looks to be around our age, so that means…"

"Tsuki has been a prisoner since she was eight years old," Gai finished for Lee.

Tenten looked up at Gai. "Neji said they were childhood friends."

"From what I heard, Tsuki was all Neji had left after his father died. When she was taken, Neji's personality drastically changed."

"That must have been hard on both of them," Tenten said.