Oh my flipping gawd!
Kankuro: What now?
Me: There's a new movie called Eagle Eye! People will think I got Neji's codename from that! Oh my gawd!
Kankuro: Chill. You thought of the name Eagle Eye before the movie premiere, right?
Me: R-Right… At least I think so. No, yeah, I'm right.
Kankuro: So, it doesn't matter, okay? People won't think you got it from the movie… I think…
Me: You have to assure me, damn it! –grabs Kankuro's collar- Before you know it, they'll have a book entitled Blue Gun Shot and a shampoo named Black Ivory! And a toilet paper label named Kosa Hyuga, even! They'll say I copied everything!
Kankuro: I know what will make you feel better. A movie!
Me: Anything but Eagle Eye.
Disclaimer: Dang, I don't own Naruto… or the movie Eagle Eye.
Note: MUST PAIR BLUE GUN SHOT WITH SOMEBODY! HELP ME!
Chapter Summary:
As Neji and Tenten exchanged glances, they feared that this was coming. The worst has come: Hinata's in the house.
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Ever since she was a child, Tenten always found it difficult to sleep in another house, in another room, in another bed that wasn't her own. The mattress seemed to rock to its hate for her. The crannies seem to lurk with ghosts, driving her out. And the pets hiss at her.
Strangely, she felt so much at home in the Hyuga Manor.
Almost concealed under all the angel wing duvet on top of her, Tenten didn't know if she were to squirm out of the blankets to breathe or to sink deeper in and fall asleep. Lee instructed her not to drift into even the lightest of slumbers. He warned her of their current status as prey.
He had the nerve to tell her not to even think of closing her eyes then advices her to tuck herself under the duvet for comfort.
Rose Pierce and Lee filled her in on everything: The Org, the situation, everything. It was a shock for her to discover that Lee is an agent. Yet, it was finally clear to her why Rose seemed to be so familiar to her. They first met in Sasuke's hotel room, where Rose tranquilized Tenten after a brief moment.
Right now, she wasn't the only one suffering the trauma of a sudden revelation. Standing in front of the window, gazing emotionlessly at the city that lay before him, Neji remained hushed. Through the glass, Neji could faintly see the blurred reflection of himself, monotonously contemplating on how fast things are going.
To break the silence consisted of the imperceptible murmur of the air-conditioning and occasional chime of the dripping faucet, Tenten tried to comfort him with a few soft-spoken words, "You're not alone, you know," Her words held back, hoping she wouldn't say anything wrong, "When my father died, I cried for weeks."
The statement wasn't enough to make Neji turn to her and agree. It was almost terrifying whenever Neji was this way. He was passive enough on a daily basis. When it doubles—or triples—, you become cautious of what could happen next. Will he explode? Or will he fade away?
With the lack of a response, Tenten made an effort to depart from the comfort of her place, walking barefoot on the carpet towards the somber lad. As she tried to stop shivering, she ran her hands around him, wrapping him in her warmth. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before." She whispered, feeling guilty.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Neji growled, still gluing his eyes on the darkness outside, "I also find it odd how you found out before I did." His voice was sterner than ever, almost driving her away in a way. Still, as if for her life, Tenten held him closer to her. She didn't know the answer to his question.
Realizing this, Neji swallowed an upcoming sigh. He shouldn't be reprimanding her like this, he knew. Slowly pushing Tenten's hold away, he muttered faintly, "I'm going to my room, okay? I'm sure Lee briefed you on our situation, so be a good girl and stay safe." The first phrase brought many things back to him. He has never said that line since he was sixteen.
Recalling the moment she witnessed through the air vents (She was looking for her missing favorite sapphire bullet), Blue Gun Shot couldn't help but wonder if becoming part of a mafia ruined their lives all over again. Sinking deeper into the pillow she rested her head on, she sighed patently. On days like these, things felt like the Middle Ages.
After sipping a little of her Screwdriver, Hanabi went on, talking to the teenage boy nearby, "So, my cousin and his girlfriend's here in the manor. We're supposed to be protecting the girl, that's all, coz she still has money she owes us. I'm supposed to be on duty if I wasn't injured."
"Stop trying to be the hero all the time, Hanabi. It's not good for the health, especially right now." The young man frankly spoke, turning to her from his task regarding Martha, the bird, "Have you ever trying to be just in the background? Ever?"
Finding the idea putrid, Blue Gun Shot stuck her tongue out and commented, "In the background, eh? Please. It's synonymous to being useless. Being in the background? Not my type of job. I'd like the job that gives you all the glory you deserve." She paused to drink her beverage before adding, "Why, do you like it in the background so much?"
The boy nodded his head as he let the parrot rest its sharp talons on his unprotected arm. He chuckled, saying, "Hanabi, I'm always in the background. I am, after all, an undercover system analog officer, right?" At this, he fed Martha a biscuit from his pocket.
Pleasantly, the parrot squawked, "Undercover system analog officer! Undercover system analog officer!" It sent joy through the young man whenever Martha spoke. His feathered friend has learned to imitate voices and even speaks independently quickly.
All Blue Gun Shot did was snort. "Undercover system analog officer indeed." It somehow annoyed her how the parrot got most of the attention.
Realizing his master's sudden envy, the boy proceeded to put Martha back in her cage. Once he had made sure that Martha's food dish and water dish were refilled and the floor of the cage had yesterday's paper on it, the lad saluted Blue Gun Shot and said before leaving with a few cleaning materials, "I'll see you later for Martha's afternoon refreshment, Hanabi."
Smugly, Hanabi questioned, "Ah, is that so? The bird matters more than I?"
Simply, the boy laughed, saying, "Well, I am hired to take care of her, no?" But as he closed the door behind him, Hanabi silently wished that Martha would drop dead. These were the kind of moments when she hates the bird all the more.
"Bitch." Blue Gun Shot thought in anger, resisting not taking out her Beretta and aiming at the 'chicken in parrot's clothing', "You shit on paper. You gnaw on moldy, bland wheat. And you smell funky. How could he be putting more attention on you?"
Hanabi knew it was downright stupid to become jealous of a bird.
-OoO-OoO-OoO-OoO-OoO-OoO-
Kiba has never felt pain like this before.
"You know where they are, you said," Hinata growled at him, almost seductively yet angrily wrapping her fingers around his neck, "So, tell me: Why weren't they there in the last eight places we've gone to?" Her fingers curled curtly around his shivering neck.
Her nails dug at his skin, torturing him to the point where he actually enjoyed it, "I couldn't have mistaken. If we have tried a more subtle attempt," Kiba emphasized the word, rubbing in how Hinata's commands were at bay, "Then, they wouldn't have realized that we were coming."
"Well, what do you propose we do, then?" She shrieked, almost causing Kiba to cringe at the pitch. Her eyes grew into a blood-shot glare, turning her silver eyes into a dangerous, insipid gray. "If you can't answer me, I wouldn't have any use for you and I'd dispose of you without a second thought!"
Suddenly, a smug grin was sprawled over Kiba's jaw. "Ah, I have something."
"You'd better." Hinata half-threatened, letting go of him. Falling back onto her chair in the wooden storage room within their new hideout (An abandoned factory in the outskirts of Avenue 12), Black Ivory felt her patience running dry. Kiba was becoming more of a pest rather than a helping hand. Her dog was biting her.
Leaning forward, Kiba suggested almost too confidently, "Where does your cousin stay once he has called it a day? Any idea?"
"Ever since he had orders to watch over Masaki's kid, he hasn't returned to the manor. That's because he stays in the same place the girl does. You yourself know that." Black Ivory snapped at him, wondering if this was going to help at all.
Hearing her, Kiba shook his head violently in irritation. "No, I know that, you know!" he exclaimed, reaching for the glass of brandy nearby, "What I mean is, if he wasn't looking after Tenten, where he would go back to? What is the place he calls home?"
"Why, the Hyuga Manor, of course. Isn't it clear? Mafia members must stay in their own base. It's an unwritten rule."
"Exactly." Kiba responded, pointing his pinky at her as he held the glass of brandy to his lips, "After the assault you demanded at Tenten's house," Again, he made sure Hinata's errors in plans were prominent, "They must've retreated to what they suspect is a better place. Of course, I assume they won't be there for long. But, of course, it is Eagle Eye's choice of venue. He would bring her to a safe site: his home."
There, Hinata froze. Dog boy was slicker than she expected. She chuckled in satisfaction, standing up to get ready to give orders. "You're good, Inuzuka," she said, taking her share of the brandy, "And I have a feeling I know just the place…
… Hyuga Manor."
And, she had a plan. A plan so flawless not even Inuzuka could mess it up. And it would work to her advantage.
-OoO-OoO-OoO-OoO-OoO-OoO-
Seated comfortably on the straw, bean-like chair cushioned on the seat and the backrest suspended by two tight ropes, Neji sunk back at the maroon, velvet material he half-sat, half-lay on. There was enough room for one person to snugly sit there with their legs curled in. It was ideal for simply gazing at the clouds out in the Hyuga Manor's football field of a lawn.
But, indeed, Neji shared his place with Tenten, who was seated on his lap, napping with her head on Neji's shoulder. As Neji swathed the sleeping girl with his arms, he couldn't help but play with her stray strands, curling them around his finger. Lovingly, he would stroke her cheek every so often, hoping she wouldn't wake, though.
"Isn't that a sweet sight?" a voice softly commented not far from where they were. The sound of crunching grass was behind them and as it got louder, Neji knew that it was neither his grandmother nor his cousin. It was an agent.
"Hey, Rose." Neji greeted, not bothering to turn around to look at her, "How's Blue G? Checked up on her lately?"
The sound of someone sitting beside them came as Rose admitted, "It's strange how your cousin can regain her strength so quickly. She's like a super freak, if you ask me." After chuckling quietly, Rose added a question, "How about Tenten? She feeling better?"
Against the afternoon sun, Neji's skin seemed to glow palely as he smiled at the snoozing Tenten. "She's pretty tired, I assume. She keeps on falling asleep every now and then. I've been wearing her out, I guess. And her leg's still not healed. Moving around town like loose fugitives isn't a nice experience. Sometimes, I wish I could just tell her to let me pay my mafia the money so I could stop her suffering already."
Rose shrugged. "Why can't you?"
"The mafia doesn't allow it, clearly," Neji told Rose, yawning like a cat, "If I pay, of course that'd be the mafia's money. It's like paying yourself: It's useless. That's why I had a separate account in the bank. That way, I could send some money to the mafia, pretending the money's from Tenten. They'll never know, anyway. I'll have to do it little by little if I don't want anyone to notice."
Understanding completely, Rose nodded. Somehow, looking at Neji and Tenten made her jealous. There never was a time when she had the opportunity to actually sit on Sasuke's lap and enjoy the noon pass by with him. Sure, nights were spent together, but it was a little different that way. The ferocity of the night can't compare with the sugar of the afternoon.
"I told you." Rose mumbled, smiling as she pulled a dandelion in front of her.
Neji arched a dark brow at her, halting for a moment. "You told me what?" Neji asked, quizzed by the statement.
Again, the grin on Rose's face spread. "I told you that you loved her." Rose mentioned before blowing the furry seeds away after making a wish, "Didn't I tell you I was right about it?" As she watched the wind take her wish away, all Rose did was fall back, resting her head on her palms.
At the moment's halt, Neji recalled his deal with Uchiha. Chewing on his lip, Neji remembered it all too well. The money, the armory… the desperation… For a smug bastard, Sasuke surprised him with his words, even until now…
I want you to help me win back the woman of my life.
Neji simply decided to be frank, just so things would become less complicated, "Yesterday, I got sent to a police precinct. It was damn embarrassing, I know. Imagine." He gagged before continuing, "Sasuke Uchiha went there to talk to me." The mention of Agent Crowe's name sent a glimmer of hidden fear in Rose's eyes, but a certain fear that comforted in vain.
"He made an offer." Neji said, continuing his statements, "He said he'd give me a million bucks and a full armory if I did him a favor. Strangely, the favor he asked of me was as plain as getting his ex back. He wanted you back" Neji paused before adding, "I didn't expect Uchiha to be that desperate."
The fact made Rose shiver. The acid formed in her eyes, stinging her. "Is that true?" she questioned, almost gasping in the process. It sounded like shit. To her, as long as it meant Uchiha becoming humble enough to ask for help, it was shit.
"Gawd, no, it's not true. It's just some crap I heard in the public bathroom six miles from here." Neji sarcastically replied, rolling his eyes. "Rose, of course it's true." Neji added, shifting Tenten's head to fix her position, "I don't really have a reason why I should make up something like that." He stopped before adding again, "Damn, no one can make that shit up."
Still, Rose was doubtful. Anyone could lie. "W-Where's the 1 million?" Rose questioned, half-convinced.
"In my account. Check for yourself, if you have to."
"And… and the armory?"
"Delivered yesterday night before you, Lee and Tenten arrived in the manor." Neji even took out a new Beretta from his side pocket, showing it to Rose as a piece of proof. "And the bullets are gold-tipped. The mafia wouldn't be that wasteful, you know, but since it's free, why not?"
Rose sat up, enraged with her emerald eyes boiling madly, "You agreed to help Sasuke with this because of all these rewards, didn't you?!"
"Even if I didn't agree to help him, I'd still get these." Neji stated, "Uchiha said it himself: There is no 50/50 chance that he'll win you back. So, he said, to save the both of us time, he handed over the rewards, with guarantee or none."
She found it hard to believe. How could Sasuke trust Neji that much? Enough to actually surrender that much for her?!
"So, you're telling me to surrender myself to Sasuke now?" Rose murmured, almost growling with fury at Neji. He could be a little too selfish sometimes, if she knew better. And why did Uchiha approach Neji? He had enough sources to actually confirm that she was working hand-in-hand with him? It shocked her.
But, Neji shook his head and peered at his watch to check the time. He promised Tenten to wake her up at half-past noon. "I told you the truth so I could save myself the complexity of everything." Neji honestly told her, "And besides, I'm not telling you to do anything. I'm just telling you that the rich bastard just loves you so much, alright?"
How Rose hated how right Neji was.
As Neji shook Tenten awake, careful not to jolt her, Rose chewed on her lip in contemplation. What was the right thing to do? She'll admit it only to herself: She never lost her love for Sasuke. But she also hasn't eliminated every strand of hate for him. The past error of his ways was unforgivable, in a way. It hurt her, still.
"Hey, Sweetheart," Neji greeted Tenten jokingly as she stretched in her place, "Sorry, but you have to wake up now. We're leaving in an hour." He proceeded to help her up, sitting her up on his lap as she still rested her head on his shoulder. Rubbing her eyes after a nap, Tenten looked like a child beyond the cargo pants and tee.
After Tenten's last stretch, Neji proceeded to cuddle her again, probably to make the minutes go longer. He loved holding her too much. "Oi," Rose began, giggling, "You two better be careful. Yesterday, when you got the test results, you were practically screaming thanks to the heavens when it wasn't a positive." As Tenten blushed at the sudden remark, Rose added, "Having a girlfriend changes you, huh, Neji? You're not such an ass hole anymore."
As Neji rolled his eyes at Rose's comment, Tenten just laughed, saying, "Yeah, I guess you're right, Rose." After Neji bribed her to keep quiet with a kiss on the side of her lips, Neji and Tenten got off the swing-slash-chair and walked towards the entrance into the house from the lawn with Rose tailing behind them.
Ascending the stairs, Neji briefed them on the new set of information. "Black Ivory and her members are not permitted into the manor anymore since they betrayed the original branch of Caged Birds. I put all my trust in the people in the manor that they will maintain the security's sternness. In all my years of living here, not once has the security failed."
Passing through the winding halls, Neji went on, "Not even my father, Kosa Hyuga, knew the security basis or data, so it is guaranteed that not even Black Ivory would know." Leading the way, Neji added, "In an hour's time, I have to deposit a few dollars into the mafia's main account to continue filling Tenten's debt. I'm taking Tenten and Blue G with me."
He bit his lip and scrunched his brows seriously before concluding, "I can't take any chances. I'm going to make sure Black Ivory doesn't win this game."
Upon reaching the hall where Blue Gun Shot's room is located, Rose spoke up, "Lee is with your grandmother, working out on tracking down where Black Ivory is. The device is playing around with them, but it'll work sooner or later." In response, Neji nodded and hastened his pace.
To their dismay, when they reached Blue Gun Shot's door, something was wrong.
Numerous holes penetrated the door, leaving oak scattered on the floor. Unlocked, the door airily swung with the wind silently. Panicky, Neji pushed the door open with his elbow and immediately scanned the room. Pillow feathers flew about. The duvet lay on the floor. Shattered glass was scattered on the floor. The scent of blood was abundant. And Hanabi was out of sight.
Martha, the parrot, stood erect, terrified to her wits. Her bronze cage, now distorted and bent, lay on the floor. And, repeatedly, the parrot screamed various dialogue fragments in shrill voices. The shivering parrot didn't stop. It continued to repeat the very same dialogue fragments:
After repeatedly making the noise of breaking wood, the bird screamed, "Bitch! I'm getting you this time!" Martha recounted as the three flabbergasted people listened well. The bird imitated the soft yet sharp noise of a gun with a silencer blow a few bullets. Then, Martha copied the sound of breaking glass.
The parrot went on, imitating screams of pain and fear. But then, there was a statement by the parrot that gave away who the intruder was. A statement—probably from Hinata—was exclaimed, "Hah! I tried to kill you before! I can do it again!" And there, another sound of a silenced gun came.
Finally, the bird fell silent before starting to make the sound of breaking wood again. That was that. It was official. They had an idea of what was going on.
As Neji and Tenten exchanged glances, they feared that this was coming. The worst has come: Hinata's in the house.
-OoO-OoO-OoO-OoO-OoO-OoO-
"Lee, can't you drive a little bit faster? We're in kind of a hurry."
"Then I'd be speeding!"
Tenten gripped his shoulder from the back seat, grinding her teeth in anguish, "Well, I'd rather get a ticket for speeding rather then missing the earliest plane to Evergreen! Move it, Young Man!" Deliberately, Lee stepped on the gas. But his brows began to get soaked with sweat. His clean road record was at stake.
"Oh, holy crap, I'm a speeding taxi!" Lee screamed, causing Tenten to slap her face in exasperation. Nerve-wrecked, Lee sat behind the wheel paranoid of any arriving police cars who'd catch him going past the speed limit by two digits.
With his forehead creased, Neji growled at Tenten, "Will you give it a rest, Bushy brows? You're not speeding!" He took out a cigarette and chewed on the end before taking his lighter out, "You're such a bullshit head, you know that."
"For starters, Honey," Tenten's growl came around angrily, "Lee is not a bullshit head to be actually doing all this for us! He may be driving like my grandmother, but he's helping us because someone was too lazy of an ass to drive decently!"
Neji spat the still unlit cigarette out of the window before snapping back at Tenten, "Oh, is that so, Sugar Plum? Well, if you find me such a lazy ass, what do you call yourself? All you've done is bring trouble to me from the first day we ever met! I don't even know why I still keep up with you!"
"You and your fucking mafia keep up with me because you need my money!"
"Why, is that all I've ever wanted from you? And who said it was your money?! I'm paying all the cash for you!"
Lee got worried. This spat could get serious. "Guys, chill!"
"I didn't ask you to, did I?!" Tenten defended, shoving him away in their seat.
"Well, admit it: If I didn't, you'd be crying your eyes out for 28 days, waiting for me to just whack you in the end!"
"If you find me so pathetic, then why are you even bothering to bring me all the way to Evergreen just to keep me safe?!" Her voice raised higher.
"It's because I love you and sometimes, I wonder why I even did!" was the vague response from Neji.
It shut Tenten up until the point when Neji realized that the acid in his words tore her heart apart. With that, she chewed on her lip. "Lee, stop the cab." She muttered, tucking her arms together in front of her chest. When Lee didn't stop the cab, she repeated, screaming at Lee's ear, "Stop the car, damn you!"
With a screech, Lee brought the cab by the sidewalk. He heaved a sigh and opened his mouth to say something when Tenten said, "You, Eagle Eye, better leave the car and I mean now!"
"What?!" Neji whined, pissed off, "Why am I leaving?! You've got some nerve to be doing this to me!" He felt his gun burn in his pocket as Tenten slid her hand into her boot to grab for her .45 gun.
She eyed him intensely. "I want you to go out and leave me alone!" she demanded, prepared for almost anything. Neji had gotten the best out of her. It wasn't a good idea to mess with Tenten in such a situation, "I want you to get out, grab your stuff from the trunk, get a cab and go to the airport on your own. Lee's driving me."
"Ah, so that's your game, huh?" Neji grunted, rolling his eyes as he leaned towards Tenten with his own gun at hand. Lee helplessly watched from the rearview mirror. Pressing himself against Tenten in the stuffy back of the cab, he forced Tenten down on her back as he threatened her with a bullet.
"Listen, Love," he whispered as their eyes locked, their breaths lingering near each other's lips, "I'm the man here. You are mine. I am to be followed. That's how the world has always been. So don't think I'd play along with that demand of yours, are we clear?"
But before he could even finish, Tenten responded with a new evil smirk, "No. Get out."
Hearing this, Neji knew when a man should give way for his queen. After a moment's vacillation, he pushed himself off of her, opened the cab door and got off. After he grabbed his two suitcases from the back, he poked his head into the open window and mumbled something that sounded like "You win this time, bitch."
It amused Tenten, in a way, how she was in control for now.
Once Neji was on the concrete of the sidewalk, waving his hand around in desperate search for a taxi, Lee asked Tenten, "Should we go ahead of him now?" But Tenten shook her head and simply watched Neji flag down a taxi. It made her smile how Neji was having a difficult time in catching a cab. Maybe his 'skills' weren't effective today.
O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O
"Well, he's certainly pathetic."
"Pathetic as the target he is."
The cocking of guns repeated around in the circle of black-clad men. One spoke, "Lady Black Ivory wants the girl alive."
"True," Kiba smiled, arming himself, "So, I'll take care of Hyuga."
O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O
"This is pathetic." Tenten mused out loud as she watched Neji still look for a respectable taxi to ride on, "Remind me again why we're taking public transportations. I mean, Neji should have a private limousine and a private jet, I assume."
Lee sat on the driver's seat, reading a magazine on aerobics, "Eagle Eye wanted to practice discretion. You know, so his cousin won't find you guys so easily. He is, after all, doing all this for your safety, right?"
Tenten nodded. "But he doesn't have to be such a jerk in this situation. We've been fighting since last night." She confessed, staring at Neji curse a passing taxi that ignored him, "We made up this afternoon, but when he found out that Hinata has found us, he started getting all screwed up again." She yawned before grumbling, "Hn, men."
But, then, Lee's eyes shot wide. Something was coming, and he had known a second too late.
"Got a gun there, Bright-Eyes?" an unfamiliar statement crept up at Lee. A stranger in black held a gun at hand with the gun through the open car window. Obviously, he was ready to shoot Lee anytime. Almost shivering, Lee turned, eventually meeting with the dull, gray eyes of the thug. Tenten knew trouble was coming up.
Intuitively, Tenten reached for the horn and slammed her hand onto it, causing an ear-bursting honk to emit from the car. As planned, she caught Neji's attention. She poked her head out of the car and screamed, "Neji, get out of there! She's around!" Neji knew what was going on.
Deliberately, Neji left his place and rushed towards the cab, where Lee struggled with two bulky hands around his neck. With that, Lee pulled his legs up and sent his two soles into the man's face. Tenten was still in the back, waiting for Neji to help as she loaded her guns.
Three of Black Ivory's men caught Neji by the waist, sending all four of them onto the ground, wrestling. Through the grunts, Neji tried to see what was going on in Tenten's side of the battle.
Lee got out of the car and took out his gun, ready to fight. "Tenten," he began to give instructions, "Go get Neji. Get as far as you can. If Black Ivory even gets close, you'll be finished. Leave me here. I'll hold them off, alright?" After Tenten nodded, thanking Lee in her thoughts, she hopped into the front seat and raced towards Neji and the three thugs.
Seeing the scramble Neji was in, Tenten aimed her gun's nose at the concrete near Neji and started shooting, making the thugs scatter away for a minute by instinct. With the opportunity, Neji got on his feet and entered the car, sitting beside Tenten. "Game plan?" he asked, holding his breath in suspense.
At this, Tenten shifted the gear, prayed that they were on a full tank and whispered almost uneasily, "Yes. Run away." Immediately, she stomped her foot onto the gas pedal and sped away.
As for the thugs, one of them pulled out his radio and reported, "Madame Black Ivory, targets are moving towards the Blue Gate Highway at a high speed. Shall we get on the chase?" Once the man had given the message, a reply came quickly:
"Go after them. Lead them to Estate Bridge."
O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O
Rose walked around the manor restlessly, inspecting every aspect and every part of the manor. She couldn't take chances, either. If Black Ivory or any of her men were inside, they'd have to eliminate the pests.
"Building B, Floor 3, Aisle 10, Sector 1 clear. No signs of intrusions or intruders. Over." She mumbled into her radio device with Harumi on the other side, taking note of each property status report.
Moving on to the next area, Rose ran her hand through the walls, checking for any disturbances and any foreign vibrations around. Like the past aisles and floors, everything looked normal. Even though looks are deceiving, Rose thought that the Hyugas were somehow becoming too fearful in a way.
All of a sudden, her Org radio buzzed. Diligently, Rose snapped the slim radio from her belt and clipped it to her ear. After she pulled the microphone out of the bottom of the radio, she spoke in a rush, "Rose Pierce, Status: On Mission Line, No. 469915. State your identity and purpose."
Her heart identified the voice on the other line. "It's me." He said, "Trust me when I say this: There's trouble downtown."
O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O
Underneath them, Neji and Tenten could feel their tires heating up literally. Speeding through a bustling city at near dusk wasn't their idea of spending time together. Through the salty sweat that stung her eyes and the fumes that engulfed them, Tenten could barely see and breathe.
"Where are we?!" she shrieked, her hands sticking to the leather of the wheel, "I can't tell anymore!" Her voice was shrill yet tight, wrapped in panic.
Grabbing the wheel with his left, Neji exclaimed, "You're going to Blue Gate Highway! Are you crazy?! If we get in there, we'd be counter-flowing!" He looked behind them to find the same black car still tailing them through the trucks and jeeps, "It's too dangerous!"
"Seeing the life I'm leading right now with you, nothing's dangerous anymore!" It was her panicky and desperate answer, "Shoot them, Neji! This is not our first car chase! Shoot!" Even though it was true that they've been chased before, this car chase was more intense.
Obediently, Neji led his shaking hand into his pocket and steadied his shooting gun. If he were to mess this up again, he could never forgive himself. His life was at stake. Her life was at stake! He couldn't afford to risk hers!
Nearly deranged, Tenten pulled her hold on the wheel with every second. Left and right with every moment since the flow of the traffic was going South while they were going North. If she wasn't careful, she could crash into another car.
The stress and pressure seeped through Tenten as she sat with her back crooked behind the windshield. The beeping of the cars and the screeching of their tires collided in her head, making her temples throb with a pain that called to her. Adrenaline was building up.
After the clicking of an empty gun came, Neji threw his used gun out of the window and cocked his Beretta. "You okay?" he questioned Tenten, speaking aloud through the cackle of the swift wind and the intensity of it all. Clearly, her eyes seemed to water.
"Do I look fine to you?!" she screamed, nearly hitting a mini van half a second ago. Suddenly, she failed to fully dodge the last vehicle and got their headlights crushed. With the shrieks of the ripping tires, their car swept towards the side, causing them to hit the side of the highway.
Quickly after the shake from the slight hitting against the wall, Tenten stepped harder onto the gas pedal and sharply pulled the wheel towards the left. Catching her breath, she asked Neji, her throat closing in on what the answer could be, "How many are they?!"
Running out of bullets, Neji tore open the bag Lee left behind and found a machine gun and started shooting at the car behind. "One, to our fortune!" he exclaimed, uncontrollably shooting at the tailing car. Like Tenten, the sweat in his palms trickled down his cold arms.
But before Tenten could even get the chance to be grateful for the fact, a black van came across their path, blocking their way. Both stared back at the halting vehicle with their eyes wide in exhaustion and near grief. "Oh, shit, two." Neji mumbled as Tenten trembled.
The van's door slid open, revealing more men in black, armed and deadly. The three behind them had also gotten out of their cars, approaching them. With her feet liquefying, Tenten whimpered softly at Neji, "Oh my gawd, what are we going to do? We're dead."
Still, Neji fought on. He muttered to Tenten before the men could get any closer, "Who said we're dead?" Surprising all those around, Neji reached for the gas and sent the car proceeding forward, smashing against the van in a high speed. Through broken glass and the noise of chanting bullets and a sizzling engine, they tried to escape.
"Shoot them!" Tenten heard the command escape Kiba's lips. As she continued to drive faster, towards the first path out of the highway that was Gale Avenue, the sound of ricocheting bullets and the revving of the cars behind them drowned her.
When Tenten was about to zoom into the path towards Gale Avenue, Neji contradicted with her actions and stepped on the brake. As the car went into a complete stop, almost sending Neji crashing into the glass, the dust floated. "What was that for?!" Tenten screamed, eyeing Neji intently. But before he answered, a bullet cracked through the windshield, barely missing Tenten.
Once her state of mind was back, Tenten turned to the lad in front of their smoking car. "This is not good." He groaned, losing his ability to lean back and think straight. And when he noticed Tenten squirm in her seat and reposition her fingers on the wheel, he read her mind. "Tenten!" he growled, grabbing her by the wrist, "We are not going through Estate Bridge! It's under construction!"
"It's nearly done!" she argued with him, shifting gears, "FYI, the cement is firm. It can hold us, even if it's just for a quick pass. Let's take our chances. I'd rather die from drowning than die with a bullet in my head, you know." She swallowed hard. "At least we die together." It was as if she found sympathy in it.
And when she gathered the nerve to near her foot to the gas pedal yet again, Neji held onto his seat and exclaimed, "I just gotta tell you that this is one of those rare times when I'm scared to my wits." With that, Tenten bit her lip and sped towards Estate Bridge, roughly missing the thug previously in front of them.
The whirr of speed rushed through them. The sight of the block that read 'Bridge Under Construction' grew larger, expanding swiftly before their eyes. "And I have to tell you that," Neji yelled, turning to Tenten, "you're one of the craziest women I've ever met to actually think of doing this!"
"I know!" she screamed back, suddenly wanting to have the strength to shift her foot onto the brake, though it was too late. And as they rushed through the fragile bridge, the unfinished concrete groaning under them, she added, "And you've got to be the biggest jerk I've ever met!"
Time seemed to pass too slowly as their car sunk at their right. Immediately, Neji knew that the soft concrete was falling apart due to their weight. He knew this was going to happen. Luckily, the metal skeleton of the bridge caught their bumper, giving them a few seconds to save themselves. With chunks of rock flying about and the sight of water directly below them, Tenten looked back at Neji before murmuring, "Must be why I love you."
Her smile warmed Neji even at the state of the moment. "Look, I love you, too, but can't the drama come later, once we get out of this scrap?" With this, Neji pushed on the door and found it stuck. Grunting, he desperately tried to get the door to budge. Unfortunately, the solid material that sat by their door kept him from doing just that.
Slowly, inch-by-inch, the bumper was peeling away from the car's back. Soon, Neji knew, they'd be dying in a watery grave if they don't do something now. If the doors are jammed and they stay inside the car underwater, they'd never survive. It'd take a miracle.
The vibrations of more bullets shot at the back of their car sent Tenten shrieking yet again. As for Neji, all he could do was duck with Tenten, for his guns had all been emptied, too. Hopeful, Tenten shifted the gears and tried to reverse the car and get it back onto the bridge, but with the sharp movements of the wheels, the material just crumbled even more and further endangered their lives.
"Come on, come on!" Tenten yelled, repeatedly stepping on the gas, wishing the taxi would really get back on the bridge. But then, a snap of metal was heard. Without a doubt, the bumper has given up and gone off. They were going to fall.
As gravity took its course, dragging the cab into the murky waters below, both Neji and Tenten screamed, not the least ready for the coming splash. With everything happening to fast, the taxi fell into the water, bringing Neji and Tenten with it.
Underwater, between the bubbles and blurring of sight, Neji tried to summon all his strength to push the door open. His vain attempts went on and on. But then, to his alarm, Tenten sat beside him, unconscious at the very least. Her mouth remained ajar, allowing water to enter her system. The rhythm of the bubbles around them was the song of death.
Frantic, Neji grabbed Tenten and hoped CPR worked underwater. Every push on Tenten's chest had all his might. The few gasps of air he had left, he breathed into her. But when he saw that it was no use, he let go of her and felt his throat close. One last try in saving the two of them came and when Neji gave the strong push on the door, he could sense his lungs wither.
His breath had all gone. The numbness in his arms became a sting that weakened him to a deadly extent. He was running out of life…
… If only Tenten wasn't, too.
O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O
"They're in the river."
"Good, Kiba. I knew you could do it. Fetch the girl. Her alone."
"Yes, ma'am."
Before the other line went off, Hinata added, "Don't touch Eagle. If he lives through this, it'd amaze me. But even if it does happen, Kami forbid, we're prepared for him. You know my plans."
"I do."
Click.
O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O
"Lee? Lee!"
Rose ran through the pouring rain in her heels, leaving behind the black umbrella she was offered. The drops ran through the strands on her face, irritating her and the eyes that watered. Seeing the tattered body of her co-agent surrounded by medics and civilians seemed too much.
She pushed through the crowd of aghast passersby, policemen and rushing medics and knelt next to Lee as she showed her badge. "Agent Rose Pierce from the Government Agency. This is my partner. Does anyone know what happened to him?"
The flood of voices rang in her ears as the streaked mascara on her cheeks continued to drip. Not a single soul knew what had happened. No witnesses who bothered to stay or anyone who decided to tell the story. Everything's complexity overwhelmed her. The whole world seemed to be a blur in all its fear, distress and pain. "Lee, what happened to you? Oh, gawd, I hope you're alright. Please, partner."
A medic brushed Rose away from Lee's body as they placed him on a stretcher. Once the ambulance's back doors were opened, they carefully placed Lee inside. "Please tell me what happened to him!" she pleaded as they closed the doors, "What happened?!"
Ignored, Rose didn't give up. Before the medic could climb into the front seat of the ambulance, Rose held onto his sleeve and questioned, running her hand through her face with the effort to stop the tears, "What's the analysis on his wounds? You have to tell me!"
Seeing the grieving woman before him, the man turned to his co-worker, heaved a sigh and told Rose the truth, "Bullet shots, ma'am. Six."
"Six?!" Rose screeched, her fingers balling into a fist with her hand nearly ripping off the man's sleeve, "Where?!"
The man sucked his lips sourly before replying in a somber tone, "One in the head, that's one thing you have to know, ma'am."
"One in the head?!" Rose's mind was nearly lost, "He could be in a coma for months! But in that state of his, it could even be worst." Rose's lip quivered, "I have to be with him," she begged as the man prepared to alight the ambulance, "I'm a medic, too, I can help! I have to!" But the man said no more. The ambulance left the scene.
Standing in the middle of the street, with blood patches and bullet cases scattered everywhere, Rose felt lost. What was she supposed to do?
Comfort wrapped around her, embracing her petite shoulders and arms. The firm hands stroked her bare skin, giving her permission to cry. "Don't cry so much, Rose," Sasuke Uchiha advised her as she bent her head low, hiccupping, "You did what you could."
"I could've been there for my partner, that's what I should've done!" she snapped at him, circling her fingers around his jacket's sleeve. She twisted her head to the side, letting it rest on his chest as he supported her. "What kind of a partner am I to leave him like this?!"
Sasuke held her closer, allowing her to make a scene for once. "Stop blaming yourself, Rose," he reassured her, "Lee is happy to know that you're fine. Partners are supposed to look out for each other. He told you to stay in the manor on purpose. I know so."
The frail, cherry locks sank with the drops as Rose cried to her hearts sorrow and guilt on Sasuke's chest. "If… If you didn't call me and tell me what was happening," she mumbled, sniffing, "I-I wouldn't have known."
With this, Sasuke ran his fingers through her hair, hushing her like how he used to. Pulling her nearer to him in commiseration, Sasuke whispered, "Rose, instead of crying, we have to do something about this." Hearing this, Rose pulled her head up, looking up at Sasuke with puffy, red eyes.
"Eagle Eye and Tenten, I don't know where they are. But we have to find them, alright?" Sasuke told her, taking his handkerchief out to wipe her face dry, "Lee will be fine. I know he will be, okay?" He dabbed the handkerchief on the side of her eyes before adding, "And I'll be here to help you all the way. What else can I do for you?"
And as the grin sincerely crept into Sasuke's face, Rose beamed back in gratitude. "Thank you…" she whispered, "…Sasuke."
O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O
Tenten gasped as air filled her.
Weak, trembling and helpless, Tenten raised her eyes from its tight shut and found herself lying in a room that seemed all too familiar to her.
"The guest room." She knew where she was, "This is the guest room of Hyuga Manor. A-Am I dead? Or did Neji manage to save me yet again? Shit, what the hell…" Straining, she tried to lift her head, even just a little, but found herself body too deadened. It was even a feat to lift a finger.
"Don't bother moving," someone spoke from the foot of her bed, "You're anesthetized. I was given orders to. You know, just in case you try to get away again." The smirk of Kiba Inuzuka emerged from the corner of her eyes. "I doubt it, though."
Tenten's brows met. "Kiba…" she murmured in disgust, "You little traitor. You've been working for Black Ivory all along?"
"Meh, just since yesterday, actually," Kiba told her as he comfortably sat himself on one of the chairs nearby. Resting his feet on top of Tenten's stomach, he added, "Lady Hinata likes me very much. When we first met, she was smashing my fingers and all. But, now," He snapped his fingers. "We're cool."
"I don't care how you met!" Tenten croaked, her throat still coarse from excessive water intake, "I saw you! You shot my house! And you tried to kill us back at the bridge. You chased us around town. I thought you were my friend, damn you!"
"Hey, I am, Tenten," Kiba defended, arching his brow confidently, "You just don't know my part of the story." He leaned back on his chair before he said, "I'm just saving you from Eagle Eye Hyuga."
"That's what you've been telling me! How should I know that you'd take it seriously enough to 'join forces' with Black Ivory!"
"This is for your own good, Tenten," Kiba said, "And what benefit do you get with hanging out with some mob boss, anyway?"
She didn't reply. Kiba didn't have to know about the intimacy that was going on. Assuming she didn't have an answer, Kiba continued, "And you don't know Eagle Eye. Oh, man, you don't." He stood up and took out a rolled-up newspaper from his pocket. It was a newspaper that dated back to the 90's. And the date was the day after her father was killed.
"See the headline, Tenny?" Kiba pointed at the big, bold letters that was spread on the front page, "Local Man Killed On Avenue 91. Mob Boss Son Eagle Eye Hyuga No. 1 Suspect. Name looks familiar to you, Ten?"
"Whatever, Kiba, whatever!" Tenten yelled, thinking this is just some scam to get her to turn away from Neji. He has succeeded once, but not this time. Not again. "How am I supposed to know that you're not making this up, huh?!"
With that, Kiba snorted and read the article, "Holly City—Businessman Edo 'Old Man' Masaki was shot thrice, August 5, by an identified suspect on Avenue 91 on 11:16 p.m. The suspect is the son of mafia leader Kosa Hyuga, Eagle Eye Neji Hyuga. Witnesses say that Eagle Eye was ordered to 'get rid of' Old Man Masaki for not paying his debt and—"
"No!" Tenten screamed, her eyes throwing darts at Kiba, "He didn't kill my dad! When he first came to me, he didn't even know my father was dead! I know that! I remember!" Her body squirmed in anger, trying to break from the anesthesia that bound her.
Yet, Kiba went on, "And for pulling a marketing scam on Kosa Hyuga. It is rumored that Kosa Hyuga and Edo Masaki were best friends and had access to their parties' facilities, services and properties. Edo Masaki owned a high-security factory that allowed the Caged Bird Mafia members to enter, so there is no doubt that it was Eagle Eye Hyuga who had committed the murder."
"Shut up!" Yet, slowly, there was a part of Tenten, a part that seemed to be resonating, that believed the printed words.
"Police have tried to detect and track down Eagle Eye Hyuga and Kosa Hyuga to bring to court for murder. Unfortunately, this man hunt was cancelled. Masaki's divorced wife, Aija Akemi, was not willing to support the man hunt and decided that the case be considered closed and that the burial just be undergone with—"
"You're crazy, you know that?!" Tenten snapped, halting Kiba from reading from the paper, "Nothing, and I mean nothing, can get me from Neji's side! That little trick of yours about my father and his murder, it could've worked, I admit, if it wasn't so flawed!"
Kiba's lips curved into a devilish smile. "What is so flawed about it?"
Tenten's eyes bore through Kiba, "For starters," she growled, "My father was shot by a gangster, that's why the told me."
He shrugged. "Mob boss, mafia, gangster, syndicate… It's one big family."
The fire in Tenten's eyes seemed to soften in surrender. But she went on, "Why didn't I see that newspaper copy on that day, then? Tell me!"
Again, Kiba smirked. "Weren't you in your mother's home in Lance Homes ten and a half hours away from here? Such news like that doesn't appear on the headlines of such a far-off place." Incredibly, Kiba's play with words made sense.
Tenten was going to give it one last try. She was too easily convinced. She wanted real proof. And it was what she asked for. "If you're so great, then give me proof, Kiba! I want proof! Proof that I can hold on this very moment!" He'd never get this, she thought. But she was wrong.
Kiba inched towards her and finally questioned her, "What does your father always wear?"
Tenten stuttered, "A… A ring. A gold one with his name engraved on it."
"He forever had it on, right?" Kiba said, smugly staring her in the eye, "When he died, he definitely had it on. But…" he paused, causing Tenten to gulp in fear of what could be next. "Did he have it on when you buried him?"
Honestly, Tenten did not know. All she did was crudely shrug her shoulders. Something told her that Kiba was about to prove himself right.
And with that, Kiba proceeded to take out a ring that Tenten knew all too well. "Isn't this your father's ring?"
Tenten gaped back at it, her eyes wide and her mouth ajar. It was truly her father's ring. "We found it," Kiba continued, "when we raided Kosa Hyuga's vault. It was there, seated neatly in the middle of all the money, gold and jewelry. This, my friend, is your father's ring. Kosa Hyuga ordered Eagle Eye to take it most probably." Kiba added, "How else could this have gotten here?"
Tenten shook her head uneasily. She shouldn't believe him. "Lady Hinata couldn't have taken it from your father's finger. Then the whole world could've know by now since coffins aren't one of the things that can be broken open with discretion." He slid it down his finger. "It wasn't in your house, you knew. Your family didn't even realize that the ring was gone from his finger, right?"
She began to shake. It couldn't be. She promised herself not to let personal things to pull her trust on Neji away. It was a covenant to herself. But here she was, near to tears as Kiba told her what seemed to be true lies. "Kosa Hyuga took the ring. They killed your father, Tenten."
And with that, Tenten no longer spoke. It seemed like her voice was gone. Her heartbeat echoed within her. Not a single thought brushed through.
Zero hour was commencing. Hinata's plan, Kiba knew, was working.