Interlude: dungeon walls
Tenten tugged hard at the solid iron chains constricting her arms and they rattled in mockery of her futile effort. She had been caught in her civilian guise and thrown in prison for knocking out the drunk who had decided it would be a good idea to put the moves on her in a completely uncivilized manner. Thanks to her temper, their covert mission was now in jeopardy. She knew Neji had the ability to pull it off without her, though, and more than enough dedication to Konoha to leave her behind as he...
Footsteps from the other side of her cell door shook her from her thoughts and she steeled herself for what was to come. She was an outsider to this place, and outsiders were not treated kindly, especially not those who assaulted their citizens. Unconsciously, she held her breath as the heavy oaken portal swung open.
"N-Neji?" she stammered.
Neji said nothing as he knelt in front of her, busying himself with ridding her of her restraints. She glanced outside hurriedly, wary of the guard stationed to watch her captivity. All her searching eyes found was a corpse, lying still in a pool of rapidly-cooling blood.
"What about the mission?" she hissed, jerking her wrists away as soon as they were free.
"Failed," Neji responded coolly, a wry smile twisting his lips, "My alias was compromised when I broke into their prison."
Tenten could have hit him. She would have, too, but he effortlessly blocked her strike and tugged her out of the room by the hand.
"You should have left me!"
Neji whirled on her and she was momentarily taken aback by the intensity blazing in his mercurial eyes.
"Not an option," he snapped, his expression immediately softening as his words echoed powerfully in the corridor. Tenten stood still, paralyzed by the completely uncharacteristic lack of inhibition in her teammate's demeanor. After a long moment, he grunted ambiguously and averted his gaze, preferring to concentrate his attentions instead on leading her out of the dank complex she had been locked up in. She followed along without protest, still reeling from his outburst.
"Just think of it as an early birthday present," he scowled, "So don't expect anything else this year."
It was a lie, though. A week later, he still treated her to dinner.
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