Caged Birds Lullaby

chapter 16

Kamizaki Izumo and Hagane Kotetsu sweatdropped nervously, sending each other glances as they stared at the figure pacing around in circles.

"He is walking like that for over an hour..you think we should stop him?" suggested the spiky haired chuunin offhandedly.

"Nah, its always boring out here, at least we are gona have some action"

"You mean Kakashi's team?"

His fellow gatekeeper nodded and they both continued to stare at the young teen.

Neji was aware that those two chuunin were digging a hole through his head with all the staring, but he could care less. True, it wasn't a common sight to see a gennin waiting near the gates, but they should really keep their professional facades. They were acting like five year old kids! Hm, they were destined to be nothing more then gatekeepers then.

He snorted.

Where the hell was Team 7 anyway? Gai had somehow received word that they were returning, but it had already been an hour! They should be back already!

He ran a hand through his hair, pausing. Walking around in circles was so pointless. He settled to leaning against a wooden pole.

He heard the chunnin whisper again.

Idiots, don't they have anything else to do? They remind of those fangirlsl..

Neji clasped his fingers in a fist, annoyed. Maybe it would have been better if he hadn't given that idiot the bracelet.

No. It was for the best, at least he knew he managed to help in a way. But it bothered him. What could have happened to make her chakra pulse in irritation and disappear altogether for a few moments? It was just an ordinary C-rank, right?

He remembered asking Gai about it, right after he had felt the chakra stiffen, like ice. He felt her fear. Quickly blocking Lee's punch, he had sent a small wave of warm chakra to the small, invisible seal on the kanji. It seemed to have worked.

He had stopped the spar and went to have a talk with his sensei.

Gai had a thoughtful look on his face that day. He himself knew that something with the mission was off, but he didn't want to trouble his student any more, then he already was. But Neji, with his ability to read people like an open book had caught on the small white lie.

Maito Gai had reassured his student. Kakashi, after all, won't let anything happen to his students, especially Naruto.

That had calmed him down somewhat, but the worry didn't disappear. He had confidence in her, and he knew the Uchiha was no pushover, still, that didn't take away the sickening worry he felt, and anger at himself.

The very same day he felt her chakra waver in and out. He tried to control it, calm it with his own.

Something must be really wrong. They must be facing a strong opponent. But..wasn't the mission a simple escort?

Team Gai watched their comrade brood all day. For a few days, he didn't feel anything out of ordinary in her chakra, and that was the greatest medicine for him. Maybe the threat was gone. Kakashi Hatake was a jounin after all.

But that proved wrong. Neji was in his room that day, getting ready to sleep when he felt it. Something in her chakra had snapped and another was filling it's place, something malicious, sickening, disgustingly powerful.

He feared something had happened to the seal.

No matter what he did, he couldn't stop it, his own chakra was being rejected harshly. Thus he could only wait.