Chapter 17: Blossom
"Over here!" Tenten exclaimed as she gestured Gaara to join her at one of the tables. Gaara turned around and spotted the brown haired girl and walked over to the table she was sitting at. He placed his plate in front of himself and then sat down. Tenten had already gotten her meal and had started eating it.
"It's too bad we couldn't find anything . . . I'm worried about Sasuke and that other guy; Itachi. I hope Kabuto-san will show up soon too. Maybe with some information on it, or, better yet, Sasuke and Itachi themselves." Tenten said while twirling her fork in her lunch.
"It's not just them I'm worried about either, what if something happens to us? So many things could go wrong . . ." Tenten trailed off. Why did something have to go wrong when she was on vacation? Couldn't she just enjoy herself for once, if only for a little while?
"I'll protect you." Gaara said swallowing a bite of hamburger. Tenten looked up from her plate surprised by her red headed companion's comment.
"Huh?" She questioned.
"Don't worry about getting kidnapped; I'll protect you." He elaborated blandly and without emotion. Tenten blinked.
*Is Gaara worried about me? GAARA?!* The thought seemed absurd. Gaara didn't care about anyone; on the contrary, he was more likely to care about people dieing. Why had he told her he'd protect her? It was almost cute the way he was worried . . . she stretched across the table and pecked him on the lips before retreating back into her own seat. When she looked at him again, she met with his shocked and confused expression.
"What's wrong? Haven't you ever been kissed before?" She questioned jokingly. Gaara continued to stare at her blankly. Tenten sighed and laughed.
"I meant thanks, Gaara. Thanks for protecting me." She explained.
"Than why didn't you just say that?!" Gaara said, truly not knowing the answer.
*Why did she do something like that? How completely unreasonable. Tenten usually knows what she should do in situations.*
Tenten giggled again before replying, "Maybe I just like to mess with you. I don't know! Have you never really been kissed before?"
"Of course not!" Gaara shot back as if it were an accusation.
*Why would I have bothered to be kissed by some dumb girl? Of course I've never been kissed before!*
"Then I'm proud to be your first kiss." Tenten replied in a joyful, joking mood. Gaara could act so weird at times. The sand nin continued to watch her like she had gone mad, and she sighed before continuing.
"Aww, Gaara! I'm not that bad, am I?" She concluded before taking another bite of her meal. Gaara jolted from his dumbstruck stage; stupid weird girl. They ate the rest of their lunches in silence as time wasted away.
Bah! It seems re-used. Oh well, it has to be that way. Stupid previous chapters.
Sasuke: Baka, you're the one who wrote them!
Rurouni: ^^;; Leave me alone . . .)
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Kabuto sat next to a fire as he ate his lunch. He turned his head as he noticed Tayuya approaching with Sasuke's limp form in tow.
"Hey." Tayuya emotionlessly said to him. Kabuto raised his hand in response to let him know that he had heard. His eyes wandered to Sasuke's form dragging behind the two-headed blond. Tayuya walked up to a tree and flung to body against it. He the re-shackled him to the tree and walked over to the fire.
"Haven't seen you in awhile. Where've you been?" The blond questioned.
"Capturing him and his brother." Kabuto replied, and gestured to Sasuke.
"You know what they want with them? You are Orochimaru's right hand man after all. It seems like a waste of time to me." Tayuya mumbled.
"No, I don't know." Kabuto emotionlessly lied.
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Neji walked over to a table and sat down, eating in silence. His absence of a companion didn't go unnoticed however.
"Mind if I sit here?" Temari asked, even though it sounded more like a statement.
"Go ahead." Neji responded without looking up from his meal.
"You sure are the quite one." Temari said as sat down and began to eat.
"Your brother sure is hanging around Tenten a lot lately." Neji stated blandly.
"Gaara? Ya, he is huh. Gaara's a weird guy. Screwed up from birth as I see it. But family is family." Temari finished with a sigh.
"Does he like her?" Neji said, now curious. Why did these kinds of thoughts keep popping up in his mind?
"Heck if I know. I'm not sure if Gaara's even capable of feelings besides hate." Temari said, twirling her fork in the air in a bored fashion. Neji mentally sighed.
*Damn girls . . .*
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Ino finally dragged Shikamaru to a table, and threw him into one of the seats.
"Lazy bum, walk faster!" She barked at her teammate.
"Geeze Ino, have mercy will you?" He replied. After they had both calmed down, he continued
"How you feeling?"
"Huh?" Ino questioned.
"I mean with Sasuke captured and all, how are you feeling?" Shikamaru explained. Ino let out a sigh. She had been trying to keep her mind off the problem, and Shikamaru just HAD to bring it up . . .
"As fine as I can be I guess." She replied sadly. Shikamaru noticed her worried expression and knew he shouldn't have said what he did.
"I'm sure we'll find him." He reassured her.
"Ya . . ." Ino mumbled.
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"Hinata!" Naruto exclaimed as he spotted his girlfriend. Hinata turned and flushed a deep crimson, before walking over to him slowly.
"H-hey N-Naruto-kun . . ." She spoke softly.
"Lets eat together!" Naruto said as he gestured to a table and began to walk over to it. Hinata nodded and nervously followed looking around the room to see if anyone had noticed them. Once they had sat down at the table, Naruto was the first to speak.
"Do you mind that I said we were a couple? I never really asked if that's what you wanted . . ." Naruto blushed.
"No! I'm glad!" Hinata exclaimed rushed.
"Then I'm glad that you are." Naruto said smiling. Hinata flushed even deeper.
*Naruto-kun . . .*
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"Itachi . . . you must hate me right now." Soyako mocked as he stood above his former minion. Itachi glared up at him with a burning hate ignited in his eyes.
"Why did you do this?! Why me?!" Itachi growled at his capturer.
"If you want to know so badly, then I will tell you." Soyako sneered demonically. "You are a Prodigy. At thirteen years you were already an Anbu caption. It's obvious I needed strong men for my association, and obtaining you would be all too simple. Your brother suits my needs as well, since he has your potential. The only thing in my way was your family and the Leaf. I used the Kokudo on you, and then forced you to destroy your clan so that they wouldn't search for you, and so the Leaf would believe you to be a murderer. I left your brother alive, and used you to feed his hate so that he could become a useful tool as well. I promised Orochimaru your brother's body once we have destroyed the hidden villages, and together we are unstoppable. I also used the Nine tails as a distraction to see how powerful your brother has become. While it may have use later, it would take to long to extract it from that boy now. Unfortunately, on a mission I had sent you on, one of the nins you were fighting hit you in the place where I embedded the Kokudo in you, and it came loose, giving you your freedom again. But that won't happen this time. The reign of the Hidden villages is over."
Itachi paled at Soyako words as the gnawed at him like ice. This was why he had been captured, and his family murdered?! This was why his brother despised him?! THIS was done by such cruel and tainted hands . . . hands that were his own. He scowled at Soyako with the horrible realization.
"What's wrong Uchiha? Rather that you didn't know now? As I have said; truth is such a hideous creature . . ."
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Lee knocked on the door to Kakashi's room. Temari's words had sunk in deep, and now he had to know what Kakashi was hiding. Kakashi and opened the door and was surprised to find Lee standing in front of him.
"Lee! What's brings you here?" Kakashi asked.
"What do you know about Sasuke?" Gai's favorite student questioned. Kakashi looked grave at his question, but knew that he wouldn't be able to avoid it.
"Come in and I'll tell you." Kakashi said as he opened the door wider so Lee could get inside. Lee stepped inside the room, and was then followed by Kakashi. Kakashi sighed as Lee sat down on the couch and looked up at Kakashi expectantly.
*I can't weasel my way out of this one . . .* Kakashi thought as he took a deep breath and told Lee everything he knew. About Itachi, Kabuto, and why they were really here in the first place. Lee's eyes grew wide and seemed to bulge out of his head when Kakashi had finished. He then stated distractedly
"So . . . that's what we know . . .?"
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After lunch, Tenten had gone into her room and lain down to watch TV. As the hours drifted by, it quickly became night. As she turned off the TV, she got up from here bed and headed towards the hotel door.
*I need to clam my nerves. I think I'll take a walk . . .*
It was a nice night out, and the fresh dusk air was refreshing. She walked away from the hotel into the nearby woods. The moon shone through the tree's leaves and lit the path she was on. Tenten let a sigh of relaxation escape from her lips as she eased into a comfortable mood. Suddenly she heard a movement in the nearby shrubbery. She whipped around and drew a kunai.
"Who's there?" She questioned fearfully. A form leapt out from the trees and stabbed her shoulder as it passed. Tenten howled in pain and turned around to face the names sound nin. His comrade leapt from a tree branch and landed on her opposite side. (*Crosses fingers* First attempt at a fight!)
"If it's a fight you want, then you got it!" Tenten exclaimed before she lunged at the nin in front of her, managing to slice through his stomach, but unable to make a critical wound.
The other nin attacked as his comrade swerved to the side; as the nin charged Tenten he formed seals and used a fire jutsu, creating five balls of fire with shuriken inside. Tenten easily dodged them and flung her own kunai at her second opponent. She then swung around and punched her original opponent in the stomach where she had made his wound. As he flinched, she turned around to face the other nin before he ran a katana through her right arm, and then another through her own stomach.
Tenten's face paled as the blood drained from her face. She coughed blood as she looked upon the man's eyes; gleaming with the sight of victory. She crumpled to the ground helplessly as he ran the blade in her arm deeper into her flesh; pinning her to the tree behind her. He then yanked out the katana in her stomach and prepared for the final blow.
"Die girl."
