Disclaimer: Naruto and all Naruto related stuff is (c) Masashi Kishimoto. All OCs and original storyline/plot/imagination (c) of ME!!!!!
A/N: I will warn you all now, I am not particularly skilled at writing fight-scenes, therefore in this and the next chapter, I might just gloss over them in this story… sorry…
Warning: SHORT…but hey, I was going to submit this at six-hundred words shorter, so I did try… and filled it in a little more… plus, one day update… :D
THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS!!!
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GETTING CLOSE
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"eh-ah-aah" Tenten moaned; shutting her eyes tightly as she tired to ignore the pain rippling through her.
She was close; she could feel it. The pain had started over ten hours ago, and now was only separated by a matter of seconds. Though her water hadn't broke, Tenten was certain it wouldn't be long before she was no longer the sole inhabitant of her dark prison. This wasn't how she had wanted to bring her little girl into the world, but it wasn't as if she could cross her legs and keep Mayuki from coming.
"hah." Tenten tried breathing deeply to calm herself.
She was scared.
"Such a shame." The now familiar voice of the white-haired man resonated through the dark room as another contraction pierced through Tenten's body.
"What is?" Tenten hissed at the voice; trying to preoccupy her mind with anything besides the horrible pain she was feeling.
"I was hoping your father would be here to witness your death." The cold voice called out from the other side of the thick walls; how it managed to carry over to her tiny prison, Tenten still imaged it was on account of there being some thinner part in the walls she had not yet found.
She wondered how far her voice would carry over if she yelled. Would it really matter though? It wasn't as if anyone could hear her. Did anyone even know where she was?
"Well," The man's voice interrupted Tenten's thoughts. "If your child manages to survive, perhaps he will witness her death." The man mused. "Or perhaps I will keep her, and raise her myself." He forebodingly offered. "I will name her Tereya-chan. We would be the last of our clans, and after I am finished with my mission… the last of all the five Konoha clans."
"You won't get away with it." Tenten breathlessly replied; grimacing as another jolt of pain shot down her back.
Soon, she could hear the footsteps of the man began slowly walking away from outside her cell.
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"Protect her." Ryoku somberly requested of his son-in-law. "We will catch up." He added, before pulling down his ANBU mask.
"Hai." Neji nodded, watching as the gargantuan man and his two former teammates prepared themselves to infiltrate the fortress from the front, while Neji, Kiba, Naruto, and Sakura rounded over to the back to try and find Tenten.
Though the three masked ninja were well into middle age, watching as they confidently walked down the mountain, straight into the encampment, Neji could not help but think how unearthly powerful the trio appeared together.
"So cool." Naruto remarked in utter awe, as he watched the three older ANBU members.
"Yeah" Kiba agreed; nodding approvingly as he too watched the newly reunited teammates walk down the mountain. "They look like they're about to walk straight into the very pit of hell." He added. "And they're totally gonna kick ass." He smirked at his own comment.
"Their team is regarded in ANBU as the strongest to have ever existed." Neji commented.
He knew this as a fact; having done a brief overview of Ryoku's background when he first began dating Tenten. Back then, he had wanted to know exactly what he was getting himself into; but nothing in his investigation had ever led him to conclude things would end up as they currently were.
"We should get going." Sakura advised. "Kiba?" She turned to the fanged man who nodded before deeply breathing in from his nose.
Oushi had suggested to Neji that, because Tekinai would undoubtedly know about the Byakugan, traps might be set up to specifically impair him; to use his strengths as weaknesses. Though the group was still working under the assumption that Tekinai did not yet know of their presence, Neji decided it was best to err on the side of caution, and opted for refraining from using of his Byakugan. With Kiba there, he reasoned, at least there was a reliable alternative method of finding the pregnant kunoichi.
"That way." Kiba indicated toward the location Neji had early noticed the odd chakra system coming from.
This was good, if she wasn't moving, it meant that Tenten would probably be in a holding cell. With any luck, it wouldn't be too heavily guarded.
"Hai." Neji nodded, before following after the Inuzuka as the four ninja made their way toward the back of the fortress.
.:..:..:..:..:.:..:..:..FLASHBACK..:..:..:..:..:..:..:..:..:.
"He will not be there." Tereya stopped the group from heading in the direction that Neji had reported seeing the unusual chakra pattern.
She knew from the beginning that the mission would result in the dividing of two separate teams. It was for that reason she had requested they return to the village to retrieve their old ANBU masks.
Though none of the three former teammates had been active ANBU operatives in many years; with the exception of Ryoku's occasional solo missions, and his most recent return to active duty as a two-partner team with Neji, it was now necessary that the former Team Ox perform one last mission together. A mission with all four former members…
"Then we have to split up." Oushi half stated, half asked, as he looked down at the Ox mask he held in his right hand; understanding where things were headed.
"Hai." Tereya nodded, looking over at the worried Ryoku.
The anxious father stared down at his newly repainted ANBU mask; momentarily debating his next move. "Neji." He addressed the white-eyed shinobi by his first name for the second time ever.
"…" Neji turned toward the man; giving him his full attention.
"Protect her." (1)
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A part of Neji had also wanted to confront the man that had been responsible for all this, but it was more important to him to find Tenten. Her safety and well being were the only thing that matter to him, especially after hearing what Sakura had said about Tenten already being in labor.
"I'm coming." Neji silently promised, as he followed after the three others; protecting the rear as they moved in formation toward closer toward Tenten.
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"Tereya-san…" Ryoku's muffled voice called out from behind his Dragon mask. "What will the result be?" He asked as the trio came within the boundaries of the encampment; large boulders the only thing that hid them from the shinobi standing guard.
"I thought you did not like knowing." Tereya reminded the large man.
.:..:..:..:..:.:..:..:..FLASHBACK..:..:..:..:..:..:..:..:..:.
"The probability of this mission ending in a fatality is-"
"Tereya-san" Nine year old Ryoku interrupted the younger girl before she could continue. "I do not wish to know."
"But-" Tereya began to protest.
Was that not the whole purpose behind her possessing the Yochigan eye; so that she could see that sort of thing and help prevent it? Ever since she had first activated her Kekkei Genkai, people had asked Tereya what she could see. When her family disappeared, she became the sole source from which to attain advice of what was to come. It bothered her at times, because she had long since been warned that it was impractical and often dangerous to disclose everything. She had been too young when family left to know what could not be said, but when it came to missions, she felt it was her duty to disclose such information; survival was the priority of a mission after all.
"If your prediction is that we die, then we may not \concentrate on the mission out of fear for our demise. On the other hand, if you should tell us that we will not perish on this mission, we will become over confident, and may make some mistake that results in a tragedy." Ryoku explained his reasons for not wanting to know.
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"I do not." Ryoku affirmed. "But I need-"
"Trust him." Oushi cut the larger man off; knowing innately that it was not for them that the gargantuan man was concerned. If the battle were to be his last, Oushi was certain Ryoku was more than willing to lay down is life for the life of his daughter. Oushi was certain It wasn't for himself Ryoku had been asking, but for the safety and rescue of his beloved Tenten. "She will be fine." Oushi added. "Anyone can see how deep the Hyuga's love is for your daughter." He paused; momentarily glancing over at the ANBU in the Crane mask. "That kind of love can drive a man to do the impossible… Even what he never imagined he'd ever do." He turned back to face the heavily guarded encampment. "And he would do anything not to lose her."
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TBC
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A/N: I was going to keep going, but that last little scene with Oushi just… I don't know, it felt like a good place to end it… so I did… oh… and if anyone's wondering how Tekinai knew about Tenten having a daughter, it's because he's been plotting for a while, so he's done his research… he knows it's a girl…
Almost done… I don't see this one going much further than a chapter or two more… plus an epilogue of course (cos I love those… plus, I had prologue in this story… MUST have an epilogue… XP).
FOOTNOTE:
(1) Yes, I realize I just flashbacked a few seconds… but it came after I'd finished it and felt it was too short so I wanted to add more and it just sort of happened, plus I needed it to move the story forward to the next part of that scene, which was also added after I'd "finished" the chapter the first time… XP