Shikaku stared dully at his four year old daughter.
She returned the gesture in tenfold – staring blankly at him, completely unimpressed.
They were both sitting at the kitchen table, silent and unmoving. Yoshino had taken her son out of the house, in an attempt to have a mother/son bonding day.
…Shikaku knew better.
He knew this was Yoshino's way of convincing her son to be hardworking and motivated, while also forcing Kanoko and Shikaku to bond.
A lot of good that idea was…
The two of them had been staring the other down for the last two hours. Shikaku started sweating at the idea that his four-year-old daughter was about to outlast him in patience, determination and pure laziness.
He just didn't know how much longer he would be able to just sit here and stare.
Sighing internally, Shikaku thought about his strange child. People thought Shikamaru was the odd child for his slothful movements and defiant nature. Sure, Shikamaru wasn't a troublemaker like Minato's kid, but many were witness to the way he just rolled over and ignored his mother's orders.
When others observed Kanoko, they saw a well-mannered, respectful and quiet girl. Many mothers patted Yoshino on the back, telling her how blessed she was to have such a perfect little girl.
Even Inoichi whined to him that Shikaku had it made. Ino was starting to become quite the handful – demanding her father's attention constantly: Hugging him, talking to him, pulling him around, demanding he play dress up with her and pick flowers together.
It took everything Shikaku had in him not to pull Inoichi's chair out from beneath him and watch him to fall flat on his ass.
The first time the doctors told him that he was going to have twins, he was worried. Two of them? Too much work. He'd love them, of course, but two boys? Two Nara boys?
But then, he was told one of them was a girl.
A girl.
Naras don't have girls.
They do, but it was rare.
And here he was, about to have a girl. A daughter. A little girl who would need him to chase away the monsters under the bed. A little girl to pull his hair into braids as he reclined on the couch after a long and hard day at work. A little girl who would run to him with tears in her eyes because she scrapped her knee. A little girl who would giggle whenever he did something funny – and he would do something funny everyday to hear her giggle.
A little girl to cherish every moment with.
His little girl, who would demand his attention at every turn – and he would give it to her and spoil her rotten.
.
Kanoko, his little deer, turned out to be nothing like other little girls.
Independent, cold, distant – these were the words used by her own twin when describing her. You can only imagine how she treated her parents.
Yoshino, of course, loved Kanoko's independent nature. Every time Kanoko asserted herself and preformed a task without the aid of her parents, Yoshino would nod in pride and whisper to him, "You see that? That is the making of the next Hokage. My baby, the next Hokage!"
And if Yoshino's words ever encouraged Kanoko's behavior, hell if he knew.
Kanoko rarely smiled.
And when she did, it was never aimed towards him.
It always struck him as strange. Kanoko guarded her brother – well, guarded is probably not the correct word. Watched over is a better phrase to describe Kanoko's relationship with her twin. She kept him away from dangerous items and situations while keeping a sharp eye on her surroundings, looking for possible threats.
What threats a four year old could be on the lookout for mystified him. A boogie monster perhaps?
Then there was the way in which she treated him, when he was around Shikamaru. The look on Kanoko's face was blank and expressionless, but her eyes…
Her eyes held a sharp and deadly look – as if she was a doe, Shikamaru was her fawn, and Shikaku was a human who dared to approach her fawn.
"Do you notice how Noko-chan looks at me when Shikamaru is around? With complete mistrust and suspicion…" He whined to his wife at some point. She waved him off with a scoff, claiming he was delusional. Four year old girls aren't suspicious of their fathers.
"…Unless they give them a reason to be…" She had finished with a dangerous tone.
Needless to say, he never brought that topic up again.
The way Kanoko treated Yoshino was also very different to how she treated him. Kanoko did everything Yoshino asked her and went out of her way to make Yoshino happy. Shikaku knew for a fact that Kanoko hated her long hair, but she continued to grow it out because Yoshino loved brushing and playing with it.
Kanoko treated her mother like today was the last day they would have together and treated her brother like he was a naive child in need protection and guidance.
.
.
.
It.
Wasn't.
Fair.
Why did he get the short end of the stick?!
He felt his eyebrow twitch as the staring match with Kanoko continued.
After what like an eternity, Shikaku decided to surrender. Sighing heavily, he cradled his head in his hands while groaning through them, "Why do you hate me so much…"
He peaked through his fingers to take a look at Kanoko, who hadn't responded to his question. Kanoko was no longer blankly staring at him – in fact, she was no longer there at all.
Blinking, Shikaku stood up and casually walked through the house, looking for his missing daughter. When he made it to her room, he carefully walked in and began scanning the room for Kanoko. He didn't find her, but his eyes caught something else.
Picking up the small plush deer off the dresser, he held it carefully in his hands.
"She kept it…" Shikaku spoke quietly.
Yoshino, after listening to Shikaku's whining, proposed he make his daughter something special, something that would be just hers from him.
So, Shikaku stole all of his wife's knitting and sewing books, and after several attempts and fully bandaged fingers, he made a small plush deer with lop sided eyes and a crooked mouth.
He never expected her to keep it…
*creeek*
Shikaku turned around, to look at slowly opening the door with a raised eyebrow. Standing in the door way was Kanoko, holding a familiar wooden box.
Holding it out towards him, Kanoko spoke with her typical emotionless tone, "…Could you teach me… How to play Shogi?"
Shikaku just blinked.
Once.
Twice.
"Sure…" He said in a daze before turning back to the doll in his hands. Placing it back on the dresser, he smiled kindly before looking back at Kanoko with the same expression. Slowly, he approached and lightly grabbed the board from her, "I would love to teach you how to play Shoji."
Looking up at Shikaku, Kanoko tilted her head at him – as if confused by his actions. After a moment Kanoko nodded before her lips slowly formed into a small smile.
It wasn't a Yamanaka Ino, wide eyed and bright, smile.
It wasn't a Hyuuga Hinata, giggling and cute, smile.
.
But to Shikaku, it was a smile he would never forget.
A smile he would do anything to see again.
.
Because it was a smile meant for him, and only him.
A smile from a daughter to her father.
.
.
Shikaku burst through the door to his family's supply shed, located in the Nara forest. With a haste not normally attributed to the Nara clan, he quickly sorted through the supplies and gathered a good amount of explosive tags, seals, and weapons.
Once gathered, he placed them on his person and took off further into the forest, the direction of the village's border.
00000000000000000
"What is a Cloud ninja doing in the Land of Fire, so close to the Leaf's village?"
Darui's eyes narrowed, "A better question would be, what is a disgraced, former Leaf nin doing so close to home?"
Kabuto chuckled lowly, "Now, now. No need to sound so offended. It's not as if I betrayed your village." He paused to shrugged, "And I wouldn't exactly call this home… But that's another discussion for another day."
Darui placed a hand on the handle of his sword, "How about you answer my question, instead of rambling on. I don't exactly have all day to listen to a mad man."
"So touchy. Are all Cloud shinobi as distrustful as you?" Kabuto adjusted his glasses, "Though, I suppose it makes sense. With the way you lot recklessly and carelessly steal other's secrets… And people." Kabuto paused to smirk at Darui, "That's why you are here, correct? Another kidnapping and brain washing mission?"
Darui tensed, but remained cool and collected on the outside.
When Darui didn't respond, Kabuto continued, "Your mother was a victim of your people's savagery, and yet here you are – doing the same to another." Kabuto chuckled, crossing his arms with one hand on his chin in thought, "Quite ironic, if you think about it."
Darui's fists tightened as a frown formed on his face, "What is ironic, is you telling me that I'm the savage when your the one who experiments and plays with young children."
Kabuto placed a hand over his chest, "Me?" Kabuto smirked, "Well, I suppose you are right – even if you made it sound like I'm some sort of pedophile. I assure you, Orochimaru-sama is the one who holds that title. I just like to hold their insides in my hands."
Darui sucked in a breath, "This kid… He's sick in the head…" Shaking his head, Darui forced himself to focus, "He's trying to get in your head, and you're letting him. Get a grip of yourself, Darui!"
Pulling out his sword, Darui raced forward, while bellowing, "Enough! Water Style: Water Sword!" Water whipped around his sword as he brought is crashing down at Kabuto.
Kabuto was quick to jump back, flinging chakra scalpels at Darui. Darui deflected them with his sword before running through hand signs and spitting a jet of water at Kabuto.
"The Raikage's right hand man, huh?" Kabuto spoke with a smirk while flickering out of sight.
Darui quickly took a defensive stance – his eyes dancing around the area. He gritted his teeth before swinging his sword around to behind him, narrowing missing Kabuto, who folded backwards to avoid the blow.
Kabuto jumped back towards a tree and pushed off it with his feet, leaving a hole in the tree from his chakra pulse. "Not bad." Kabuto taunted as he pulled out a kunai and held it in a defensive position.
Darui narrowed his eyes as he brought his sword around again, this time meeting Kabuto's kunai at a standstill. Kabuto smirked just as his hands started to glow with chakra.
Darui's eyes widen, "That's… Medical ninjutsu!"
As Kabuto's hand shot out, Darui jumped back. Kabuto frowned slightly before following him and sending out a series of kicks and punches.
Darui started sweating as he attempted to block each of them with his sword. After training extensively with C, Darui knew getting hit would mean game over.
"I need to get him away and make this a distance fight." Darui thought as he sucked in air before shooting another jet of water out of his mouth.
Kabuto refused to back down and cut through the water to get a hit on Darui.
"Big mistake." Darui thought as he made a hand sign while clicking his teeth, creating lightening. The dark blue lightening shot through the water current – burning Kabuto and making him scream out in pain before falling back.
Jumping farther back himself, Darui starting rolling quickly through hand signs, "Lightening Style: Black Panther!" Black lightening shot out of his arm and formed into a racing panther – heading straight for a panting Kabuto.
Kabuto cursed while jumping to the side, but not before taking a hit to his shoulder.
The area lit up in flashes of light blue and white as Darui continued his barrage of water and lightening jutsus, making Kabuto light on his feet and giving him no time to heal his wounds.
Darui gritted his teeth as another of his lightening attacks miss his intended target, "I need to get him off guard and end with a crippling move…" Darui's eyes moved around the area before catching a glint of light reflecting off a piece of metal.
With no change in his expression, Darui spits out another jet of water, forcing Kabuto to the right. After Kabuto moves, Darui races towards with his sword in hand. Kabuto smirks as he pushes forward to meet Darui, his hands glowing with chakra.
Just as they are about to make contact, Kabuto eyes catch Darui's foot move ahead of him, in a motion to stop suddenly. Kabuto frowns in suspicion before catching a glint of light from a metal string.
"Shit!" Kabuto thinks, too late as his foot gets caught in a trap, left by either a Leaf nin or perhaps Darui's team. Immediately, the trap is triggered and the ground beneath Kabuto ruptures in an explosion.
Kabuto pushes chakra into his feet to send himself into the air, in order to avoid being caught in the blast, but hissing at himself when he realizes his mistake.
Kabuto no longer has any leverage in order to move while in the air – stripping him of the ability to evade any incoming attacks.
Darui takes aim, "Gale Style: Laser Circus!" Beams of white light blasted from Darui and curved around in the air to hit Kabuto.
Kabuto takes the burst of lightening and water energy straight to the gut and is flung backwards through the air in the brush behind.
Darui watched as the leaves fall from the trees and dust floats in the air from Kabuto's impact. While keeping a keen eye on the area, Darui slowly approached the spot Kabuto was last seen. He cursed when found the area empty, "Where is that four eyed monster…" Darui channeled chakra into his feet, ready to jump at a moment's notice while his eyes searched the trees above and the brush below.
"Beneath you."
Darui's head shot to the ground and moved to he pushed off of it just as Kabuto shot from underneath his feet – his arm extended out.
"DAMNIT! He shouldn't even be able to move after taking a direct hit from my laser circus!" Darui thought as he felt Kabuto grab his shin. Quickly, Darui retaliated before Kabuto could get another hit in, "Gale Style: Laser Circus!"
Kabuto's eyes widened as he jumped to the side. His eyes got even bigger when he observed the laser beams following him as he moved. As fast as he could, Kabuto made a hand seal and substituted a log in his place.
The two shinobi hit the ground in opposite directions, each staring at the other while panting.
Darui fell on his knee, the leg Kabuto had hit was numb and wouldn't support his weight. Cursing in his head for his carelessness, he watched as Kabuto's skin burned from his gale style attack started to heal itself – a small amount of steam traveling up as it did. "Just who is this guy…?!" Darui thought before choosing to distract Kabuto in the hopes he would get enough feeling back in his leg to stand again.
"I thought you hated the Leaf. Why are you trying to defend one of its own now?" Darui asked, panting as his spoke.
Kabuto smirked as he caught his breath before posing a question of his own, "What is it like in the Cloud? Where everyone is so boring and short sighted? Your imagination is so dull, it's no surprise you steal so much from others – you don't have the creativity to invent anything of your own."
Darui narrowed his eyes at Kabuto. Frowning, Darui responded, "And the Leaf is better? With its underhanded politics and military, and its constant betrayals – It's a wonder that there is anyone left to defend it when so many of its people are nuke-nin."
Kabuto shrugged with a grin, "You'll have no argument from me." Kabuto slowly stood, rolling his shoulder out as he moved. Kabuto looked up at the sky and smirked, "But the Leaf is still smarter than the Cloud, even if it by a slim margin."
Darui gritted his teeth in anger at the insult as his eyes moved up to catch what Kabuto was looking at: A large black raven.
Kabuto looked ahead again and gazed at Darui with a superior look, "Though, credit to where credit is due. Without you and your team, it would have been a lot harder to get my hands on something I am quite interested in."
Feeling his leg pulse with pain, Darui took that as a good sign and started pushing charka through it as he spoke, "And what is that, exactly?"
Kabuto's smirk grew as he adjusted his glasses, causing the light to flicker off of them, "Oh, I wouldn't worry your little head over it – It would just confuse you if I explained it. Simple minds and all that." Kabuto chuckled as he watched Darui's jaw twitch in anger before continuing, "But I will say this…"
.
.
Kabuto made a hand sign as he held up an explosive tag.
.
.
"If mysuspicions are right, you and your people never had a chance in turning that man against his own village."
.
.
.
*BOOOOOOM*
0000000000000000000000000000
Kiba nose scrunched up before stopping suddenly, causing the whole team to skid to a stop.
"What's the holdup dog boy?!" Naruto shouted ahead.
Shikamaru turned around and shushed him with a look before turning back to Kiba and letting him speak.
Kiba's nose sniffed a few more times before speaking, "Two shinobi ahead."
Shikamaru nodded and turned to Neji would nodded, "Byakugan!" Neji's eyes traveled far ahead, through the trees and found the two shinobi Kiba was referring to, "They're fighting. Both are using powerful jutsus and are moving quickly."
Shikamaru nodded, "Is Kanoko in the area? And can you tell me anything about them?"
Neji's eyes moved back and forth before answering, "No. Kanoko is not present." His eyes focused further, "One is using techniques common in Konoha while the other is very foreign."
"One of our comrades could be in danger!" Lee shouted, bringing his hand into a fist.
"Or this is a distraction by the enemy." Sasuke retorted, looking over at Shikamaru and adding, "I don't recall our mission including saving every possible Leaf nin we come across."
Shikamaru frowned, but nodded, "It isn't."
Naruto looked conflicted, "I don't know… I'm with bushy brow… What if the guy's a comrade and if we don't help him, he dies?"
Sakura snapped her head towards Naruto, "And if we go help him, Kanoko may disappear forever – or DIE!" Sakura folded her arms over her chest, "We're already running against the clock here!"
Neji sighed, "And this debating is not helping either." He looked to Shikamaru, "What are your orders?"
Shikamaru closed his eyes in thought, "A large part of me refuses to hesitate and demands I leave this unknown ninja to whatever fate may befall them, but…" Shikamaru looked at the innocent eyes of Naruto and Lee, "…I'm asking them to put their life on the line to save a comrade and if I tell them to abandon this person, a possible comrade, it may lead to a loss of faith in me."
Shikamaru's eyes snapped towards Sasuke, "Sasuke. You and Naruto will proceed to the site of these two ninjas. If you learn that one is a comrade and you feel it's within your power to help, then do so at your discretion." Shikamaru turned to Naruto, "If neither are Leaf shinobi, you will leave immediately and join the group. Understood?"
Sasuke scoffed, but nodded in the affirmative. Naruto also looked serious, but nodded, as a thanks to Shikamaru. The two shinobi looked at each other before racing off towards the direction of the fighting nin.
Shikamaru stood straight, "Lee, take Naruto's position. We have to move quickly. Going around these two shinobi is going to slow us down otherwise."
Everyone nodded and moved into position before taking off at ground breaking speed.
Shikamaru stared at Kiba's back as they moved, "I hope I made the right decision… Sending two of our heavy hitters away like that…" Shikamaru gritted his teeth in anger at himself, "No sense in crying over spilled milk now, Shikamaru."
00000000000000000
"Damn you Uzumaki Misako and your damning perfectionistic ways." Kanoko thought as she tried to will the tips of her fingers to move.
One of the other joys of this sealing jutsu was the fact that she could still feel. Which means, when the ninja carrying her suddenly stopped, she could do nothing, but curse in her head at the sudden pain of her face smashing into his back.
"What is it C?" Kanoko heard the female of the group ask in a worried tone.
She felt the ninja, C, move slightly to look around before speaking, "There's… Five ninja around us, but I can't tell where exactly…"
The female spoke again, "You can't find them? But you feel them?"
"Yes. It's like… Their chakra is sparking all over the place… This is not normal chakra I'm feeling…" C responded.
"Great…" She answered back.
Right about now, Kanoko really wished this ninja had chosen to carry her bridal style. At least that way, she could actually see something.
"Come one sis! We got this!" Another male spoke with the sounds of a sword being pulled from its sheath following.
"For once, I agree with Atsui." C carefully told his comrade, "I don't feel comfortable moving forward when my senses are all over the place. They could attack at any angle and split us up. We're better standing our ground here – together."
The woman was quiet. If she felt differently, she wasn't making it verbal for Kanoko to hear.
The next thing Kanoko heard was rustling and then a large boom, like something heavy just fell from the sky.
"You are wise in your observations of the situation." A deep and calm voice rang.
"Even if you're all going to die, either way!" A tight and scratchy voice laughed out.
Kanoko felt her captor tense and hiss at his remarks before speaking, "Who the hell are you?!"
The calm voice from before answered, "It matters not. Only that we will do what is necessary to achieve our goal – one given to us by Orochimaru-sama – and one that requires the child on your shoulder."
"Oh for the love of..!" Kanoko thought, "What am I, the new and exclusive doll that all the little girls are fighting over?!"
"If you think we're just going to hand her over to you, think again." C told them evenly, his hold on Kanoko's waist tightening.
"We don't think you're just going to hand her over… Quite the contrary…" Another male spoke, chuckling as he spoke.
All Kanoko saw before getting thrown into a tree, and knocked out again, was the glint of a headband with a familiar symbol on it:
A sound note.
0000000000000000000
"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune shouted while rushing through the door.
Tsunade looked up from her paperwork that Torune was holding out for her, "What is it now…"
Shizune placed her hands on her knees as she caught her breath, "Kanoko's… The team that was on patrol duty with Kanoko… Two of them have returned with news!" Shizune looked down as she continued, "…And it's not good."
Torune tensed slightly as Tsunade frowned.
"Where are they?" Tsunade asked.
"Here, Lady Fifth." A female voice spoke, her face and body covered in cuts and bruises. Following behind her was a young man, also looking as if he just escaped from an intense battle.
Tsunade eyed the two carefully before speaking, "…Hattori Takeshi and Nakadai Kyoko, chunin rank, correct?" Both nodded before Tsunade continued, "Tell me, why are you in my office, when I recall assigning you to patrol duty for the day?"
Takeshi was the first to speak, "Our team, comprised of myself, Kyoko, Nara Kanoko and team leader Kuro Daisuke, were completing our patrol duty when we were attacked."
"Attacked? By who?" Tsunade asked as she leaned forward onto her hands, staring intently at the two chunin.
The two shinobi looked sadly at each other before Kyoko nodded and continued on behalf of her grief stricken teammate, "…It was…" Kyoko shook her head before speaking quietly, "Nara Kanoko, my lady…"
Tsunade's face remained unchanged, even though inside she was shocked by the accusation.
"Where is your team leader?" Torune pressed, his tone tight and almost accusing towards the two shinobi.
Takeshi answered with a growl, "Daisuke… He… He scarified himself in order for us to escape and inform you, Hokage-sama, of Nara Kanoko's betrayal."
Tsunade rubbed her temple before interrupting Takeshi from going further, "Ok, back up. Let's start from the beginning. What happened?"
Kyoko took up the roll as story teller again, "The four of us were out patrolling when a clone, or maybe even the real Kanoko, appeared, sending a series of attacks our way. The three of us were defending ourselves just fine…" Kyoko bit her lip, "…Until her allies showed up."
Takeshi continued when Kyoko couldn't, "It was difficult to tell who they were, as they had no identification as to what organization they belonged with, but there were five of them. Too many for us to handle…" Takeshi slammed his fist on the ground, "Damnit! She just stared at us with a raised eyebrow – as if she was unimpressed with our ability to defend against the onslaught she commanded!"
Kyoko placed a hand on Takeshi's back in comfort before looking up and speaking, "After barely holding on, Daisuke told us to leave and report what happened while he distracted the enemy. We ran straight here after that."
Tsunade closed her eyes in thought before opening them slowly, "I see…" Her eyes shifted between the two before speaking again, "And what of the kinjutsu scroll? Were you able to retrieve it from her?"
Kyoko shook her head in regret, "Please forgive us Hokage-sama. We tried to retrieve it from her, but… Her allies showed up before we could take it back…"
Torune and Shizune looked to each other, both trying to school their features as Tsunade spoke, "I understand. It is unfortunate, but I understand the circumstances were out of your control. Report to the medical wing and have them heal your wounds."
Kyoko and Takeshi nodded before walking out of the Hokage's office.
Tsunade spoke quietly, "Have Tenzo follow them – discreetly. I want to know who they speak to, what they say, and where they go – not necessarily in that order."
Torune nodded before forming a hand sign and disappearing.
Shizune turned to Tsunade, "Do you think they're lying?"
Tsunade stared ahead in contemplation, "…I don't know. They're lying about the scroll, but they could just be saying that to cover their asses." Tsunade's eyes narrow, "But experience tells me there is more going on here than what meets the eye…"
Looking down at her desk, Tsunade pushed through the papers before picking up one in particular. With a finger on her lip in thought, she spoke to Shizune, "Bring them here… I have a proposition for them."
Shizune blinked in confusion before bending over to read the small print on the paper. Her eyes went wide and gasped before asking, "…Are you sure?"
"Yes." Was Tsunade's only response.
000000000000000000000
Neji's eyes moved rapidly around the area while the team moved quickly through the woods. He was off and on activating his Byakugan, trying to preserve what chakra he could while remaining alert and aware of their surroundings.
Neji smirked to himself. This would be the first time he was thankful he was placed under the tutelage of Maito Gai. All this running, paranoia and chakra usage felt like an average day for Team Gai.
Neji made another check with his Byakugan as his mind started to drift, thinking about their mission and the subject of the mission: Nara Kanoko.
After his father's death, Neji went into a very dark place. Some would say that he never came out of that darkness, but many never knew just how bad it was.
A strong anger towards his uncle was certainly one of his first things he felt after learning of his father's death, coupled with sadness and shock. But it wasn't until the fear set in that Neji truly dipped into a place so deep, so dark, those looking over him at the time wondered if he just checked out from the world.
One had even been so bold as to contact Hiashi, Neji's uncle and clan leader, and inform him of their worry and that Neji may attempt suicide.
Many tried to console Neji out of his place of darkness, but none of them understood. They all thought he was either overcome with grief or shock. They tried to tell him that his father wasn't really gone, but inside his heart. Others tried to tell him that his father would have wanted him to live and grow, that Hizashi would be sad to see Neji act this way.
But none of it helped.
And honestly, if Neji had been in his right mind at the time, he would have been angry at them – how dare they tell him what his father would have wanted from him.
But all that aside, the true reason Neji had curled in and shut out the world was because of his breath taking, bone chilling fear.
When he was told of his father's death, after the pain, the tears, the shock, the truth of his clan glowed like a lighthouse on a dark night.
They had bombs on their heads.
And there was nothing he, or anyone he knew, could do about it.
He was trapped, caged, and forever a slave.
Until the day they lit the fuse connected to the bomb on his head.
Perhaps his father was the lucky one: He was now free.
Days passed, turning into weeks, which turned into a few months. Every day, with every stepped, he wondered when he would be next, if it would hurt, how much it would hurt.
.
Until he ran into her.
One of the branch family adults grabbed him and took him into town to complete some shopping. Neji wasn't allowed to be alone until he showed improvement and the Hyuuga in charge of him needed to gather groceries for the feast the main family was having later that night.
At some point, while the Hyuuga in charge of him started arguing with a merchant over the price of a certain good, Neji's attention was caught by a small girl exiting a tea house.
She stood tall while her eyes narrowed at the people walking in front of her. Her whole posture was both un-child-like and one of pure anger. She wore her dark hair in a high bun and her clothes seemed odd on her – too flowery.
Neji's eyes jerked back to the tea house when a man, very old with black hair in a spikey ponytail and a goatee. His mouth was stuck in a scowl and when his eyes caught the back of the girl, he snarled. Stomping forward, he reached out to grab her arm. The girl scoffed, evading his reach by moving into the crowd before turning down an alley – the man in quick pursuit.
Neji couldn't remember exactly what compelled him to follow, but he snuck into the alley before hiding behind a garbage can and listening to the exchange.
"-disrespectful girl! Know your place!" The man shouted at her, finally getting a hand on her upper arm.
Neji's eyes were wide as he watched the girl calmly narrow her eyes and reply, "Know my place? Let me tell you, honorable grandfather, I know exactly my role in my family. I am to look pretty and act polite to company; I am to support my mother in the house chores while supporting my brother as he makes his way in the world; I am to make my father proud by marrying at a respectful age to a respectful man; I am not so disillusion to think that my clan will ever see me as its heir or clan leader; and most of all, I know no matter how great I become or how far I go, I am tied to this sexist, closeminded, apathetic clan and all its obligations."
The older man's eyes narrowed before speaking in a low, dark voice, "Then tell me, girl, if you know your role so well, why are you trying to be something you're not?"
Neji's breath was caught in his throat as he watched the girl smack the older man's arm off of her, the sound echoing through the alley, similar to a whip cracking.
Her eyes locked onto the man's, turning dark and cold as she spoke with venom dripping from her voice, "It's simple: I. Don't. Care."
The older male sneered as he rubbed his sore hand before opening his mouth to speak.
He was interrupted as the girl continued, "You can threaten me, you can hurt me, you can even kill me, but you can't break me."
And with that, she spun around on her heel and strutted off with purpose – caring very little that she just exposed her vulnerable back to an enemy.
Something about what she said, how she said it resonated with Neji.
He may still be a bird trapped in a cage, his wings clipped, but that didn't mean he had to sit there and look pretty. He would pound against the walls of the cage, rip up all his toys and flip over his water dish. They could threaten him, hurt him, and even kill him – but they won't break him.
Once he was back at the compound, he started up his training again – the routine his father showed him – and then started watching and observing the other Hyuuga, learning their techniques and secrets.
After a while of pushing forward and becoming greater than any of the other Hyuuga that were his age and above, he started to resent those weaker than him.
Hinata, in particular, infuriated him.
If anyone should know their place it was her.
She had everything, but was too weak to keep it.
It wasn't fair.
And that's when he decided life wasn't fair and that one couldn't fight their own destiny.
He hadn't and Nara Kanoko sure hadn't. The last time he spied in on her, she was carrying her brother home on her back – as she did many times before. She may have been at the top of her class, but the teachers were still too awed by her brother's insanely high IQ to notice. Next to him, she must have seemed normal.
It wasn't fair.
.
"Shikamaru!" Kiba yelled in a slight panic.
Shikamaru made a sign, bringing the party to a halt as he turned to Kiba, "What is it?"
Kiba turned to Akamaru, who barked at him in agreement, before turning to the group to speak, "There's a lot of shinobi ahead and I can smell blood."
Everyone turned to Neji, who focused ahead, "He's right. There are a lot of them and their chakra…!" Neji paused to gather his words, "Their chakra… It's not right…"
"Are they fighting? What is going on?" Shikamaru cut in, not liking what he was hearing, but not willing to waste any time either.
"Yes. They are fighting. Three against five, or six, I think." Neji reported with a clear voice, "And Kanoko's there too."
"She is?!" Sakura exclaimed, "Is she hurt? Is she fighting? What's going on?!"
Shikamaru shot a look at Sakura to be quiet before gesturing Neji to answer, "She's… On the ground… It's odd. I… Her chakra… It's not flowing…"
"WHAT?!" Sakura and Shikamaru yelled out. Sakura sucked in a breath, trying to hold herself together.
Shikamaru shook his head, "I won't believe she's dead. I would have felt it."
"Felt it?" Kiba asked.
Choji nodded, "Yeah. Shikamaru feels Kanoko's pain if it's really bad."
"I've never heard of such a thing…" Neji said with a curious tone before continuing, "But you didn't let me finish. Her internal organs are pumping chakra, keeping her alive, but the chakra to her limbs isn't moving. I've seen this before with paralyzed patients."
"…Paralyzed… Oh my god… Kanoko…" Sakura spoke lowly. Choji put a comforting hand on Sakura's back, understanding how devastating being paralyzed can be for a normal person, let alone a ninja.
Shikamaru gritted his teeth, "This only changes how we bring her back, not if we bring her back."
Everyone nodded, feeling even more charged with the will to bring Kanoko home.
Shikamaru knelt down, pulling out a pen and paper, before looking up at Neji, "Tell me everything you are seeing."
Neji, in his calm, unchanging voice, spoke simply, "As I said, there are five or six odd chakra users fighting against three normal chakra users. The attacks they are using aren't leading me to any conclusion, but I can tell you one thing: They're all fighting for possession of Kanoko."
"Explain." Shikamaru said quickly.
"I believe the three nin are the one's holding her hostage, as they are taking turns defending her body. The other six are making a significant effort to get closer and collect her. Perhaps to take her or kill her." Neji finished.
"Neji!" Lee chastised him for being so brash, "You shouldn't speak so coldly about one's comrade!"
Neji just crossed his arms and ignored him teammate.
Shikamaru pushed around thoughts in his head, "Even if they're not powerful nin, they still out number us. We may find an ally in these three nin protecting Kanoko, but they may have been the ones responsible for her disappearance in the beginning." His eyes scanned the group, "The best chance we have is to sneak up on the scene quietly and hope we can grab her while they're busy fighting." Shikamaru placed his pen and paper back into his pouch, "I'll explain the details as we move. We don't know how long they will be able to fend each other off."
The group nodded, getting back into formation.
00000000000000000000000
Samui cursed as she fended off another barrage of webbed attacks. After watching it take Atsui nearly all the chakra he had to escape the sticky net from the Sound shinobi, Samui was doing everything in her power to stay out of range.
It was proving to be difficult to evade while carrying the dead weight of Nara Kanoko.
"This girl has given us nothing but problems!" Samui thought, dodging an earth style attack from below.
C and Atsui were trapped in a heavy battle between the leader, who was using his own bones as weapons, the two-headed-turned-twin ninja unit, and the genjutsu using red hair kunoichi.
Samui hissed as the spider like ninja appeared in front of her. Quickly, she shot out a lightening type jutsu and a bright flash of light followed, temporarily blinding him. In her haste to escape, she missed the incoming bolder in the shape of a spike heading her away.
"Ahh!" Samui called out as the bolder hit her in her shoulder, causing her to drop Kanoko. The Sound shinobi took advantage of the situation and raced forward to grab Kanoko's limp body.
"Not a chance!" Samui shouted out, bringing her tanto down on the large sound nin. He called out in pain as the tanto cut deep and stepped back.
C looked over and let out a large breath when it was clear that Samui hadn't completely lost the Leaf kunoichi to the other team.
C hissed as moved back to avoid another barrage of bones shot towards him. As a competent medical ninja, he noticed the leader was having difficulty with his movements, likely due to internal injuries. The problem was, neither he nor Atsui had gotten a hit on him yet, leading C to believe his injuries were from either a prior battle or an illness.
Either way, C was starting to realize the longer this battle went on, the more likely this other team would overpower them.
"And then there's the genin. They finally caught up to us… The other two have either completely hid their presence or have left the group." C thought, turning his eyes from Atsui to Samui, "And it worries me that Darui has yet to catch up…"
Locking eyes with Samui, he gestured to her. Samui in turn nodded as she back flipped over her opponent.
C quickly pushed off the ground towards Samui, "…Perhaps we can use these genin as a distraction."
000000000000000000000000
"Shikamaru, there's no way to get in there without being seen!" Sakura told him, staring at Kanoko's crumpled body lying in the middle of battle field. Most of the trees had either been knocked down or blown back from their attacks, leaving a bare area in the middle, similar to an arena.
In the bushes, outside the fighting, Shikamaru and his team sat as they planned their next move.
Shikamaru growled lowly at Sakura, but ignored her as his eyes focused on his sister, "Kanoko… How did this happen… How did you let this happen…?"
"Shikamaru." Neji spoke forcefully, awaking Shikamaru up from his hazy thoughts.
Shikamaru grunted lowly before bringing his hands up to rub his face. He held them there for a moment as he thought before sighing heavily and turning to the group, "Pulling her out without anyone noticing will be impossible."
"What if you used your jutsu on her, Shikamaru?" Choji asked, having scene Shikamaru do many different things with his Shadow Possession Jutsu.
Shikamaru sighed as he spoke, "Using my jutsu is only half the equation. …Making her stand would provide both a shock factor and allow us a method of getting her to us…"
Neji was the first to cut in, "However, they will not hesitate for long. The more experienced shinobi may not fall for it at all."
Shikamaru nodded, "Correct. Which leaves us with a glaring issue…"
"Someone will have to act as the decoy." Sakura spoke lowly, the pieces starting to fall into place.
Kiba crossed his arms, "Seems pretty straight forward to me. Akamaru and I will cause havoc then high tail it out of there! Easy!" He finished with a fanged smirk, Akamaru barking quietly in agreement.
Shikamaru shook his head, "Even you're not fast enough Kiba."
"But I am!" Lee announced, raising his hand in the air before continuing, "I can get in there and pull their attention away! I promise you that if I am not fast-"
"SHIKAMARU!" Sakura called out.
All eyes shot up towards Kanoko, only to find the spot vacant.
"Up there!" Sakura pointed at the trees.
A blonde ninja with a white uniform had Kanoko in his arms and was traveling north with her, his team following behind. In quick pursuit was the five other shinobi, all dressed in similar tan tunics with a purple rope around their waists.
"They're making a run for it!" Shikamaru spoke, pushing off the ground. The team was quick to follow after Shikamaru, pushing off of the ground and jumping into the trees above.
000000000000000000000
Kimimaro's eyes were locked onto the back of the Cloud nin as they jumped from branch to branch. Moving his eyes back to look at his "teammates", he scoffed lowly, "Useless… They are only proving to be obstacles and deadweight…"
While he was looking at his Sound comrades, another's movement caught his eye, "Leaf nin…"
Just as he saw them, the rest of the Sound Four became aware of the Leaf genin as well. The leaf nin were not being especially quiet and even if they were, the Sound shinobi were on high alert, due to the current circumstances.
"Let me take them." Kidomaru grinned wickedly, "Collecting them all up in my web will take no time at all…"
"Fine." Kimimaro spoke coldly, his eyes moving to Jirobo – specifically to his wound on his shoulder, "Catch up to us when you are finished… And don't take too long."
Kidomaru just scoffed, but grinned anyways before turning around.
The last thing Kidomaru heard from his team, as he waited on a branch, chewing on his web, was Kimimaro speaking in a thin voice, "…Do not fail Orochimaru-sama."
With a mouthful of web, Kidomaru smirked, "Please… You know what they say about bugs trapped in a spider's web…"
0000000000000000000000000000
Shikamaru pushed his legs to move faster and was sweating as his mind raced, "If they don't know about us, they likely do now…" Shikamaru gritted his teeth, "What was I thinking?! Just jumping out there like that!"
Kiba had caught up with his canine companion, and had once again taken lead. Everyone else slotted into their former roles, all without Shikamaru's commanding them to – adding greatly to Shikamaru's guilt, "They're trusting that I know what I'm doing and I don't even know what I'm doing… Damnit!"
"ACK!" Kiba shouted, dodging to the left, barely avoiding a thick, glue like substance heading straight for the team.
Shikamaru was pulled out of the way by a quick moving Lee while Sakura, Choji and Neji had time to avoid it on their own.
As he moved out of the way, Neji activated his Byakugan and studied the web substance, "Chakra…" He thought.
"Ninja Art: Spiral Spider Web!"
"Choji! Sakura!" Shikamaru yelled out to them, watching the large web expand over them.
Their heads jerked up at the incoming web. Knowing neither would be able to avoid it, Sakura quickly made a hand sign, "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
Fire burst from Sakura's mouth and hit directly in the center of the net.
"Haha! Fire won't help you here!" The spider ninja called out. Everyone's eyes widened as the web continued on its course – trapping Sakura and Choji in place.
"Damnit!" Shikamaru thought, taking a stance and sending his shadow up the tree towards the Sound nin. Giving a side look to Kiba, the fanged nin nodded.
"Awww, are you all so scared that you can't even move?" Kidomaru laughed hauntingly, "Makes my job easier! Ninja Art: Spiral Spid-!" The Sound nin stilled in his movements as he struggled out, "What the…! Why can't I move?!"
"Fang over fang!" Kiba shouted as he and Akamaru shot forward in a spinning motion to take Kidomaru out.
Kidomaru's eyes widen before smirking, pushing as much chakra into his fingers as possible so he could twitch a finger. Attached to that finger was a long thin thread.
Several kunai few out towards Choji, Sakura and Shikamaru.
Neji was quick to step out and deflect the kunai and shuriken heading for Sakura and Choji, who were still trapped in the web, but Shikamaru hissed as he cancelled his jutsu to move out of the way.
Kiba and Akamaru blasted into the tree, just as Kidomaru flipped backwards off of it. While in midair, Kidomaru smirked at Kiba and Akamaru before spitting out a large web – capturing both of them.
Kidomaru smiled wickedly, "Tell me, have you ever heard of the phrase "Pigs in a blanket"?"
Kiba just growled in reply.
The Sound nin laughed loudly, "Allow me to show you!" With his arms moving around rapidly, he started covering Kiba and Akamaru in a thick web until they were completely cased in by it.
"KIBA!" Shikamaru shouted, "Shit! They might not be able to breathe in there!"
Neji was quick to appear at Shikamaru's side, his Byakugan active, "The threads… Chakra is coursing through them. I might be able to break through them – in fact, I may be the only one who can."
Shikamaru hissed low at that knowledge. With only one of them able to fight this enemy, the others will likely just become burdens to Neji. Shikamaru turned his eyes back to Choji and Sakura, "Test it by getting them out, I'll distract him while you do so."
Neji nodded, just before they both jumped back to avoid another string of web shot their way.
"Fine! If you're just going to run away, then I'll give my attention to your friends instead!" Kidomaru yelled out with a grin. Starting to chew, Kidomaru created a caramel colored substance. When he spit it into his hands, he stretched it out. When it harden, it took the form of a short spike with ridges.
Kidomaru's eyes focused on the two genin trapped in the web and grinned, "Now which one… The cute pinkette or the ugly fatso…"
"I'M NOT FAT!" Choji roared out, struggling back and forth, only to get further tangled in the web.
Next to him Sakura was frozen in fear. She couldn't move and as every second passed, she wondered if Kiba and Akamaru were even still alive.
Kidomaru laughed at the two before setting his sights on Sakura, "…What can I say? I'm a sucker for the ladies!" And with that, he pulled back his arm and took aim.
Just as Kidomaru pulled his arm forward to shoot the spike at Sakura, he was hit in the back.
"Leaf Hurricane!" Lee shouted at the top of his lungs, sending a series of kicks into Kidomaru's back. Lee grunted after a particularly hard kick, "I won't let you harm a single hair on my fair blossom's head!"
"Gyah!" Kidomaru choked out before pulling his many arms down. Barely visible strings wrapped around Lee's ankles. Smirking, Kidomaru used his body weight, he swung his arms around to pull Lee down – causing him to crash into the ground.
Lee spat out dirt as he turned to the Sound nin, who was aiming one of his spikes at him. Kidomaru pulled his arm back and let the spike go with a loud crack.
"Earth Style: Mud Wall!" Shikamaru called out, a thick wall pushing up from the ground and standing tall in front of him and Lee.
The wall shook from the attack and Shikamaru turned to Lee, pulling his arm over his shoulder and jumping away with him.
"Get back here you brats!" Kidomaru yelled, growling to himself before sending the second of his spikes at Shikamaru's back.
"Ahh!" Shikamaru screamed, the spike hitting him square in the back.
*POOF*
Kidomaru cursed as he watched the Leaf nin he hit poof into a cloud of smoke – telling him that he hit a clone and not the real nin. Taking a stance and sending out more thin threads, Kidomaru gazed around the area in anticipation.
"Where are they…" Kidomaru thought, growling slightly when he noticed his cocoons were open and empty.
.
Behind a large bush was the Leaf team.
"Kiba! Are you ok?!" Sakura whispered quietly, checking him and Akamaru over as she spoke.
Kiba nodded, "Thanks to pale eyes here... Thanks man."
Neji just nodded slightly before turning to Shikamaru, "If we're going to have any chance of success, one of us will have to stay behind while the others go after Kanoko."
Shikamaru frowned.
When no one responded, Neji continued, "We all embarked on this mission to bring back Kanoko, but that's not the only reason that we've come…"
Lee turned to his teammate with a curious look, "I've never seen Neji act like this before…"
Neji continued, "…We are on this mission to protect a fellow shinobi, to defend the bond of the Hidden Leaf Village. We can't lose her now, not when we now know she won't be coming back on her own."
Lee stood up and nodded at his teammate, "I agree! You and I-"
"No Lee." Neji cut in.
Lee's eyebrows wrinkled, "But Neji…"
Neji shook his head, "This is only one ninja out of nine. Lee, you need to go ahead with Shikamaru and Sakura – they need you if they have any chance of bringing Kanoko home."
Lee looked to the ground, his fists tight. It was silent as the group watched the pair.
Neji placed a hand on his teammates shoulder, causing Lee to jerk up and look Neji in the eyes. Neji smirked at him, "I'll be right behind you."
Tears gathered in Lee's eyes as he nodded rigorously, "I promise you Neji, on my honor as a shinobi of the Leaf, we will bring Kanoko back home!"
"Didn't you already make that exact promise to Sakura before this whole thing started?" Kiba asked with annoyance in his tone, but smirked at Neji, slapping him on the back, "It seems Shikamaru's not the only one that can put up a good speech. Be careful man." Akamaru barked happily in agreement.
Stretching as he stood, Shikamaru spoke, "Well alright… Let's do this thing."
Sakura and Choji stood before walking over to Kiba, Lee and Shikamaru. The two of them nodded to Neji, who turned to where the Sound nin stood.
"…Thank you Neji." Shikamaru spoke softly just before the group jumped to chase after Kanoko.
"Not so fast!" Kidomaru called, sending a long string of web at them.
"Gentle fist!" Neji called, striking through the web and landing in between Kidomaru and his fleeing team, "You're opponent's me."
Kanoko backed away and grabbed the railing again before finishing, "You and I are nothing alike. I support my brother in his position. I believe in my team's potential – both of them. I know my worth and I know my faults, but I don't limit myself with weak ideologies. I train with purpose, I fight with purpose, I laugh with purpose, and I cry with purpose. That purpose is to protect those that matter to me. To protect my village and my home. Some may say it is a purpose given to me by another – forced upon me – but it is the purpose I have given… I will give my life for."
Neji closed his eyes, "We're more alike than you think, Kanoko…"
When his eyes snapped open, his Byakugan was fully activated and focusing on the enemy before him.
.
.
.
00000000000000000
Torune stepped into Tsunade's office with a paper in his hand.
Looking up from her desk, she gestured for the chunin to leave as Torune approached her desk.
Torune waited for the sound of the doors shutting to speak, "Tsunade-sama."
Tsunade crossed her hands in front of her face, "Do you have an update from Tenzo already?"
"No." Torune responded.
Tsunade arched an eyebrow, "Then what is it?"
Torune stared ahead as he spoke, "News from the front line."
.
.
.
.
.
000000000000000000000000000000000
Author's note:
I'M SO SORRY! I wanted to finish this up sooner, but it. Would. Not. Write. Itself.
It was horrible… I knew exactly what was going to happen, but every time I sat down… Nothing came out… It was horrible!
I also caught that nasty bug going around and let me tell you, if you got that cold going around, you have my sympathies! I'm still coughing and it's been two weeks! Why can't they come up with the cure to the common cold already…
In any case, sorry for the delay and thank you all for the amazing reviews! Let me know how I did, what you liked the best, what you are looking forward to or would like to see and as always, I will consider it carefully!
I do have to say, when one of you reviewed and said something along the lines of, "wouldn't it be funny if Kanoko was taken by another group" I was like, "Holy shit! I've got a mind reading reviewer who knows what I am planning! What should I do?! Should I change paths, should I back track?!" I decided to just plow forward and wait to hear your feedback, so let me know! :D
Thank you, you amazing readers/reviewers/followers/favoritors!