The Path A Ninja Walks...
Chapter Twenty-Seven
More Complicated Than Friends or Enemies
A/N: WARNING-The character known as Sage Amesawa uses a lot of profanity and colorful language as part of his "colorful" personality. Be prepared if you are sensitive to that. Please note it is not because I condone such manner of speech, and also the character does not mean to use it as a way to be harmful, it is just his personality.
"Eliminated!?" Hana and Sage gasped, and the rest of the crowd wasn't all too thrilled about it either.
"What do you suppose she means by THAT huh!?" Hana whispered.
"Fuck, if I know!" said Sage,"Saseme?" he blinked,"Any ideas?"
"Of course it wouldn't be that easy." she stated,"Did you think that all it would take was a high score on a written test to be Chunin?" she sighed and folded her arms,"A true Shinobi must be strong in both mind and body..." she muttered,"...Chances are there's probably some sort of physical portion waiting for us..."
"Aww great." Hana sighed," I hate getting sweaty."
"Aww man..." Sage groaned,"Boy was I a fool in school for skipping gym class!"
Even Saseme was feeling a little uneasy. She could be sharp as a tack, but physical prowess was never her strong suit. She proved that well after collapsing on their mission with the Desert Ninja. Sure, she could hold her own well enough...but that was only because she was clever enough to do so.
But something told her that this time simply being clever wasn't gonna cut it...
"Heh...this is gonna be fun~" Anko smirked as she watched the Genin squirm at her words,"All right, you maggots have had it easy so far!" she stated,"BUT things are going to be different starting first thing in the morning." she said,"I'll let your squad leaders know where you're to meet me...dismissed."
XXXXX
The setting sun, dyed the Village into an Orange hue. Saseme walked ahead of her crew. Not a word between them.
"What do you suppose she's thinking now..." Sage wondered out loud. Enough for Hana to hear and reply.
"I can't really say." she blinked,"I'm not even sure what's really going on anymore..." she sighed,"I can't tell if she's a victim herself or if we are just pawns in her game..."
"I'm not sure either..." Sage blinked.
"Should we tell Sensei about it?"
"Absolutely not." Sage snipped.
"Why not!?" Hana huffed.
"Because we don't know enough to take action." he explained,"Remember what Ibiki said about intel and how it can make or break a situation?" he stated,"If we have misinformation...we could possibly endager Saseme if she is in real trouble-" he said,"And it could cost her life...so tell me Hana-" he blinked,"Are you ready to carry the burden of that blame?"
Hana gasped softly and fell silent.
"Then...maybe we should follow her again." she stated,"See if we can gather what's really going on..." she blinked,"As annoying as she is...she's our team mate...and weather she is in danger, or is the danger, we should take responsibility for her..."
"Right..." said Sage,"Okay...but...let's not make it too obvious."
They slinked behind the Uchiha at a good distance, watching her for any form of strange activity. They didn't gather much, until they saw her taking a sharp turn into the training field. Startled, thinking that they may have been spotted, they quickly take action to follow, only to find her there alone with none other than-
"Neji Hyuuga!?" Sage blinked,"I thought she didn't like that guy..." he mumbled, "Does she have secret dates with him or something?"
"There's no way this can be real." Hana blinked. They exchanged glances and concealed themselves behind the posts of the entrance to watch.
"...You're late." Neji huffed.
"...We never set a time to meet." Saseme retaliated,"For all you know...I could be early."
"She does have a point, Neji." said Lee.
"...Hmph."
"Okaay...so...apparently she was supposed to meet them." said Sage.
"Why didn't she say anything to us ablut it!?" Hana huffed.
"A bitch has a right to her own time, Hana, Damn!" Sage hissed,"Now Shh! I'm trying to listen!"
"So you passed the first part...kudos on you." Neji scoffed,"However, It's quite obvious the next part tomorrow will be far more...hands on." He blinked,"Do you think you can handle yourself, Saseme?" he blinked,"After all...physical prowess never really was your strong suit...was it?" he smirked.
"Seem's like he's trying to psyche her out..." Sage whispered.
"Hmph, I don't care how hot he is, Saseme better not fall for that crap." said Hana.
"Maybe not..." Saseme blinked,"But I bet I'm still smarter than you..." She said as she sunk into a battle ready stance.
"Damn right, Saseme!" Sage beamed,"You tell that boy to stay in his Laaane~!"
"On the other hand..." Hana blinked,"I suppose it could help widdle down the competition.
"Hana!" Sage huffed,"Just whose side are you on anyway!?"
"The winning side."
Sage sighed and shook his head.
"You believe that, do you?" Neji smirked,"Well then...I suppose we will have to see..." he then took his own stance. The Hyuuga Stance.
"All right you two!" Lee stated as he stood between them as acting reffree," I am setting the timer now!" he said," You will have 3 minutes to defeat your opponent either by default, surrender, or knocking them out of the boarder." he explained, "I want a good, clean spar!"
"Yeah yeah~" Saseme sighed, "Just ring the bell!"
"But...I do not have a bell to ring." Lee blinked.
"In that case~" Neji chimed in with a smirk," Ding~ Ding~!"
"HA!"
"You laughed!" Neji said as he charged in,"I haven't seen that look in some time~"
"Don't flatter yourself!" Saseme scoffed as she charged in too,"I was merely laughing in the delight of how badly I'm gonna WHOOP you!"'
With a loud clap, two arms met. Each blocking the other. The crimson eyes of the single tomoe Sharingan locked on to the eyes that of the Byakugan Genius. Both grinned with a smirk as they leapt back and charged in again. Moving as though they were dancing in perfect sync with eachother.
"Sage...look!" Hana whispered,"It's the Sharingan again..." she said,"We saw it once on that mission with the sand right?"
"I remember." said Sage,"But I think this is the first time we are actually seeing it in action!"
"The Sharingan is said to be able to read an copy and enemy's jutsu...right?"
But Sage wasn't listening. His eyes were fixated on their elegant movements, in sync and in reflection, widened in shock,"Look at her...she moves toe to toe with the Hyuuga!" he stated,"Is that the power of the Sharingan?"
"N-Not entirely..." a soft voice spoke up startling the two wannabe spies as a shy girl with the same eyes as Neji stood twiddling her thumbs.
"Hey..." Sage blinked,"You're that...Hinata chick...right?"
She smiled shyly and gave a gentle nod.
"U-Uhm...Y-You see..." she gulped,"Th-The reason...Saseme can move like a Hyuuga...isn't entirely due to her Sharingan." she said,"Wh-While it's true that it does play a part..." she explained,"B-But even though her Sharingan might be able to read the moves of us Hyuuga...it can not copy it."
"Really?" Sage blinked as he went back to the scene of Uchiha , "But she looks like she is moving in perfect step with him..."
"Th-That's mainly...because of me." she gulped,"Wh-What I mean is...she's spent a lot of time with Hyuuga...and so...her eyes have developed the ability to read the Hyuuga motions..." she explained,"S-Saseme-chan and I...We...we have been friends for a long time." she said as she approached them and slowly peeked around,"We had spent so much time together...that after her family died...she had been welcomed to stay with us...um...for a while...s-so long as she didn't interfere with the Hyuuga training method...she...had to make herself useful...and so...we...often sparred." she said,"A-And...because of that spar practice she had in the experience of Hyuuga..."
"She picked up how to read and counter Hyuuga hits." said Sage.
"Say what?" Hana blinked,"I'm confused here..."
"What she's saying, Hana, is that Even though Saseme's Sharingan can read Hyuuga style movements, it still can't copy the technique." he explained,"Probably because Hyuuga Technique is related directly to their Kekkei Genkai, the Byakugan, and a Kekkei Genkai is something that a Sharingan can't copy...despite being a Kekkei Genkai itself." he stated,"But because Saseme has a close connection to the Hyuuga- through the friendship of Hinata and experience with Neji in there...She has developed a way to read and counter Hyuuga moves." he blinked," In other words, Saseme's Sharingan specifically...was bred to be able to stand toe to toe with the Hyuuga."
Hana gasped.
"I guess...that would make her the best possible practice for Hyuuga other than fellow members of the Clan itself."
"Y-yes but...even if she can read them...and counter them...that doesn't mean she can stop them..." Hinata gulped nervously watching the two spar with everything they have,"If Brother Neji successfully lands a hit that she can't evade or block, the result will be the same...even if she read it before it happened."
Hana and Sage both gasped.
"But...that's so dangerous!" said Sage as he watched, coming to realize that this spar between the two was far more intense than he initially anticipated, "I can't tell if these two are friends or enemies!" he blinked, "Comparing the way they act with each other...to sparring like that..."
"...I..." Hinata gulped, "I think it's a little more complicated than that, actually..." she said softly.
"How do you mean?" asked Hana.
"W-Well..." the soft voice fell silent as she fiddled with her fingers, pondering on how to phrase her next thought,"Wh...What I mean is...I think...it's..more like..." she stuttered,"...Like they understand each other...Better than anyone else."
"Huh?" they both blinked.
"W-Well...uh..." Hinata gulped,"Brother Neji he...he's born of the side branch of the Hyuuga Clan..." she explained,"Which are treated very differently from those of the main branch like me..." she blinked,"A-And...Saseme-chan...was...the only daughter, of the head of her clan..." she explained..."Those of us... daughters of the head...there's a lot expected from us." she said,"...A certain...role we must play...for the sake of the clan..." she blinked, "Saseme-chan originally...wasn't even allowed to become a ninja."
"What!?" Sage blinked,"But how come!? She's awesome!"
"I dunno about awesome..." Hana muttered and Hinata stifled a chuckle before continuing.
"As the daughter of the Head of the clan...Saseme's role was to be bred as a house wife...married off to strong men for the sake of forging a strong clan..."
"That's awful!" said Hana," So old school...it's the modern day now, women should be able to marry for love- be it from a Clan head or not!"
"Some clans still hold onto such traditions..." Hinata blinked as she sighed sadly,"And they're very...prideful about it...'
"Poor Saseme..." said Sage.
Hinata nodded.
"Saseme-chan...must have felt so... trapped...much like me..." Hinata explained,"And...more so like Neji..."
"How do you like that." Sage blinked,"History lesson from Hinata." he sighed and turned back to the scene.
I see...
He thought to himself.
So it's this shared feeling of being trapped by their own fate that connects them...
Sage blinked.
That forages this...invisible bond that only they can understand...that's why they can fight like this...
He thought.
They're...communicating...
As he watched he felt this feeling bubble up in his chest. A combination of pain, anguish, suffering and determination. He could feel the heat like fire in his chest and he clenched his fists before cupping both hands over his cheeks and shoudting.
"HELL YEAH, SASEME! KICK HIS ASS!"
In a split second, the two stopped. Dead on eachother just before landing another hit. Blinking their confusion, as neither one expected to have had spectators- And, together, the two slowly turned toward the obnoxious interruption...
It was then that Sage knew...he screwed up.
"Uhh...ehh heh...whoops."
"Way to go, dumbass..." Hana sighed,"Welp...so much for staying hidden..."
Hinata couldn't help but stifle a shy giggle.
"Annnnnd THAT IS TIME!"
"WHAT!?" Sage and Neji snapped, both turning toward reff Lee as he explained.
"You have run out the clock!" he stated, " And both of you are still in the ring." he said,"It is a tie!"
"Say what!?" Neji growled.
"Awww DAMMIT!" Saseme huffed,"Right when I was about to whoop him too!"
"Oh PLEASE!" Neji scoffed,"You are still YEARS away from even having a chance at whooping me Sashimi!"
"Aauuuugh." Saseme huffed and crossed her arms.
"Hey...I'm sorry..." said Sage with a nervous blep of a tongue between his lips
"Save it!" Neji hissed, "I've no interest in hearing it." he stormed away frustrated.
"That Neji...such a sore player..." Lee grumbled,"And now I am next!"
"We haven't the time Lee!" Neji snapped just as Rock Lee was about to make his Dynamic Entry, only to fall flat on his face in disappointment and bounce back biting,"But WHY!?" he huffed,"YOU got to fight her! And now I am fired up enough to do the same!"
"I expected to have beaten her in a far smaller time frame than it took." he huffed and crossed his arms glancing back at her,"You're good Saseme, but no where near good enough to make it." he blinked," I fear you must be better than that or you've no chance of making it any further than this." he said softly,"I suggest you cut your losses...you are what you are, and I am what I am...and that is the distinct difference between you and me!"
"Hey, what gives!" Sage huffed,"From what I saw that looked like a good fight!"
"Hmph...spoken like a child." he blinked,"Take a better look."
"Huh?" Sage blinked as he looked over at Saseme who was disoriented and panting.
"Saseme!?" Sage blinked, and gasped as she stumbled and fell dizzily to her knees,"Ah! Hang on girl...I got you!" before the rest of her body could hit the ground Sage took a diving slide to catch the blunt of her drop.
"Saseme-chan!" Hinata called out as she ran to her friend's aide.
I see...so that's why that Hinata girl came...
Hana blinked.
She wanted to watch over Saseme...she was worried about her...
"Had you not interrupted earlier...her defeat would have been inevitable." Neji blinked,"Saseme should count her lucky stars."
"Saseme..." Lee blinked and let out a saddened sigh as the girl lay unconscious in the lap of her team mate.
"And you, Lee..." Neji blinked, "Refusing to acknowledge her position and aiming to fight her in such a state...it would have just been cruel at that point-"
"Th-That is not true!" Lee huffed,"Saseme faught her hardest and stood her ground, and it is for that reason that I wished to fight her!" he claimed, "I have absolutely no intention of beating her while she is down, but to build her up!" he blinked,"She can only get stronger from here!" he explained,"It is true, she has natural talent already- but she has more than proven by keeping pace with us, a year ahead of her natural class- that she attained it through her own hard work as well..." his eyes narrowed,"Unlike her brother...That is why I truly respect her as a worthy opponent-"
"Believe what you will, Lee." Neji stated as he began walking away,"Best to learn the hard way than not at all I suppose..."
"NEJI! Grrrh..." Lee growled and looked back at Sage who held an unconscious Saseme with a trembling body and worried eyes.
"Do not let his words affect you." said Lee,"It is practice that makes one perfect." he stated,"She can only get stronger from here..." with that he hurried to follow his cocky team mate who moved ahead of him. The Hyuuga appeared to be passing slowly by the girl and the one who held her, shooting glares to his cousin who rested Saseme's head against her chest to rest while keeping her eyes to the ground as he passed.
xxx
Relief hit their faces as the Uchiha girl blinked into consciousness once again.
"S-Saseme-chan!" Hinata smiled,"You're okay!" She cried softly as she hugged her head tightly against her chest.
"Ow...Hinata-chan..." she muttered,"That hurts..." she grunted,"...Your boobs are crushing me..."
Hinata gasped and instantly released the girl blushing hotly as Saseme gasped for air once again. Sage, Hana and Hinata all gathered around her as she stood wobbly back to her feet.
"H-Hey...hold on!" said Sage,"You sure you should do that right away?"
"He's right...I mean...you did just get your ass handed to you on a silver platter." Hana smirked.
"Hana!"
"It's fine, Sage..." Saseme muttered,"I'll be all right, Hinata...sorry to have worried you." she sighed,"Besides...I wasted too much time here anyway." she blinked,"I got somewhere to be right now...and I'm already running late." she blinked, holding her side as she prepared to dash,"...My life depends on it...I gotta hurry." she muttered and was gone without a word.
"Saseme-chan..." Hinata sighed,"Please, be careful..."
"Did you hear what she said, Sage?" Hana whispered,"She said her life depended on it..."
"Yeah..." said Sage,"...Must be going to meet Gaara."
"Should we follow her?" Hana asked. But Sage had no response.
"Sage?" Hana blinked, trying to get the approval of her comrade, but it did little good...
Between this small bit of History Hinata shared about Saseme...and the scene he had just witnessed...he was more shaken up than he could put into words. He glanced his blue green eyes over to the timid Hyuuga girl.
"Hey...Hinata." he called to her softly.
"O-Oh..."she blinked,"Yes, what is it?"
"Thank you." he said softly,"Thanks to you...I feel like...I understand Saseme a little better..."
The girl stared dazed for a moment in her confusion but granted him an understanding smile as she nodded.
"No problem..." she said softly,"I'm glad I could help..."
XXXXX
The light was fading and it was becoming dark. Saseme hurried to the randezvous point, greeted by a disturbing sight. The gourd wearing Genin from the Land of Sand was hunched over himself...trembling, as though trying to control a beast within him to keep it in check-
A chill froze her to the bone. But she swallowed hard and carefully approached the boy who shook like a leaf. Terrified...
"Gaara...I.." she gulped, "I'm here, Gaa-chan..." she said softly.
"You're late...Saseme..."
"I know..." she whispered, "I'm sorry..." she carefully stepped closer to him in slow counts as he trembled. Once she was within arm's reach however, his arm swung out to grasp her, trembling as his fist titghtened on its hold until his knuckles were white. She jumped back, startled, but dared not to show her fear to him...
Because this person...is an important person...
She thought to herself.
This person...is my friend...
"Saseme..." he spoke in a broken voice...one that sounded as though he were crying as he curled into himself and continued to shake. trembling like a leaf,"Saseme...chan..." he whimpered,"...Help me."
She was frozen. She couldn't escape his hold and even if she could she wouldn't want to go, and leave him like this...
She simply remained silent as he shook and whimpered. With no more words to say...all she could do was acknowledge this weak existance of his...with her own warmth in her hands to his hold...
"I will..." she whispered, "I promise...just hold on a little longer for me...okay?"
To be Continued