Saving Us (NejiTen Fanfic)

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO (NEJI's PoV)

I woke up to darkness. I could feel that there was something covering my head. As I moved to remove it, I realized that my hands were bound. The rope stinging into my wrists at the sudden move I did. I groaned at the pain but was thankful for it.

At least because of it, I knew I was still alive.

Though, where I am I definitely had no idea. The last thing I remembered was washing my hands at the sink of the restroom. I dipped my head down to splash some cold water on my face. To try and remove the uneasiness I was feeling. And when I stood straight back up, there was a man standing behind me.

Before I knew it, I was struck in the back of my head and I lost consciousness. 

Out of the silence that I found myself in, I heard the sound of a metallic door screeching open. I took a deep breathe and listened to the footsteps and counted three people had entered. I could feel them walking towards me. One stopped in front of me and the other two walked behind me.

I readied myself. 

And the sack that was covering my face was pulled off. I squinted my eyes from the sudden rush of light that assailed my sight. I blinked quite a few times before my eyes adjusted to the sudden change. 

I quickly looked up at the man standing in front of me. He was well-dressed. Expensive suit well-pressed and perfectly fitting the man wearing it. And the worst thing was that I knew him.

"You," I growled. "You're one of my uncle's associate. I've seen you a couple of times in the Hyuga estate,"

He laughed, his voice called forth a certain irritation in me. 

"Yes, Neji Hyuga," he answered with a grin. "And all those times we're met you had never failed to get on my nerves, little kid,"

I glowered at him and he only laughed harder. 

"Not so much now that you're tied up, huh?" he taunted. 

I scoffed at him and gave him my own grin. "Says the adult who has a child tied up in front of him." I replied, making sure my disdain was thick. 

His joy vanished from his face as it contorted into anger. His hand rose and came down on me. The slap echoed in the silent room we were in. Blood pooled inside my mouth at the strength of his hit. Clicking my tongue at him, I spat the blood to the side.

I wanted to spit it towards him. But I was bigger than that. I am a Hyuga. And we do not drop to the level of those below us. 

"What do you want from me?" I asked him, licking the blood off of my lower lip. "Surely, you did not just kidnapped me for some chitchat,"

"To get rid of you, obviously," he answered menacingly. "You're a thorn to my side. I've been loyal to your uncle for years! Hinata Hyuga was supposed to take over the business. And she would have been the perfect puppet. But then, recently, he is thinking of making you his heir instead of his daughter. Can you imagine the humiliation I've felt and been put through when he voiced out his thoughts?

I rolled my eyes at him. "First of all, I don't care for your humiliation. At all,"

He glared at him. And his henchmen behind me hit me with the back of his gun. I hissed at the pain but continued speaking nonetheless. 

"Second of all, uncle might have said that but there is not way he would do that. For someone who claimed to be loyal to him for years, it's kind of embarrassing to know you don't even know him enough to realize that. And thirdly, you're the biggest idiot of all. Hinata might seem easy to control and to manipulate, but she's smart. Obviously smarter than you as well. She's fiercely loyal. There is no way in hell she would let you, an outsider, to influence her decisions. I couldn't even convince her to give up on that dope of a boyfriend she had been chasing for years. What makes you think you could make her your puppet?"

As I spoke, which was more than I had spoken for quite a while, the man's face continued to morphed into a much angrier expression but I couldn't care less. He was an idiot, I was not lying. Besides, he was about to kill me already. I was already on the worst case scenario that angering him more would do nothing. 

"I should have killed you together with your father," he growled.

My eyes widened at the words that I've heard. Anger coursed through me. With a roar, I jumped towards him. The chair cluttered at my movements but my hands and feet were bound. Though, there was a small satisfaction in me at the fact that he jumped out of the way despite that he had me tied up and two large men to hold me down behind me. 

"You're nothing but a coward," I snarled. "Even after killing my father, and even if you killed me, the Hyuga riches will never be yours. Those two daughters of my uncle are much more stronger, braver, and smarter than you ever will be," 

He was fuming at my words. If pain were a game, I knew how to play. Even at the face of death, as a Hyuga, I would not allow myself to be humbled. I will die fighting. And heaven knows I do not go down easily. 

He took a gun from one of his henchmen and pointed it at me, with just a few centimeters distance. I gave him a smirk and leaned my forehead until it touched the muzzle of the pistol he was holding. He could not masked his shock at my action.

"If you are going to kill me, do not be a coward. Make sure it doesn't miss," I taunted. 

He gritted his teeth as he removed the safety of off the gun. "Do you think I won't do it?!" he yelled.

I gave him a glare. "Then do it," I challenged. 

Seconds passed by between us with no one moving. But it felt like hours. And with a silence that you could even hear yourself breathing, I stared at him straight in the eyes with no fear in mine but plenty in his. The atmosphere in that single room was so thick with tension Tenten would be able to happily slice through it with that dagger she got that day from the field. 

But out of the stillness that blanketed us, came the sound of knocking from the door. 

All pair of eyes darted towards the direction. Even mine, to be honest. 

The man in front of me growled in irritated as he pulled the gun away from me and ordered one of his huge henchmen to open it.

"I told the men to not disturb us," he barked. "Whoever it is make sure he understand I'm busy here!"

The huge man nodded as he passed by us and walked straight to the door. But his body covered my sight. I couldn't see anything passed him so I had no idea what was outside--if there was a chance for escape. 

I rolled my eyes at his hugeness as I returned my focus back to my uncle's associate. But the man that opened the door suddenly dropped to the floor with a loud thud. My eyes darted towards the door's direction once more. 

And my breathing hitched.

There. 

In all her glory,

Tenten stood.