The Way Into Mist Village (Naruto)

27: 3 Captives on a Ship

[OP: "On the Mountain Tall"--The Oh Hellos]

Neji woke up to the sound of water hitting the side of a ship.

He sat up, realizing that his hands were tied in a sealed binding that would prevent his using jutsu.

It was dim in here, but a little light came in through some portholes. It was the cargo hold of the ship, probably, but he was in a cell of some sort on the back wall.

The ship was probably much smaller than the one they'd taken to Mist Village, because it was rocking a lot more, but Neji wasn't seasick.

He peered out of the bars.

Someone was sitting on a bunk along the wall. They eyed him but didn't say anything.

He slid back as the ship moved.

So he had been kidnapped. Not surprising. 

He turned to look around and saw he was not alone, to his horror.

Bakugo and Camie were both lying on the floor as if they'd been dumped there, and they were tied up also. Their hands were anyway.

Camie seemed to be out cold, but Bakugo was twitching a little.

Neji slid over clumsily, since he couldn't use chakra to steady himself, and tried to press his arm over Bakugo's mouth so he wouldn't yell as soon as he stood up.

That woke him up faster, and he tried to yell obscenities at Neji before he realized who it was. The muffled noise didn't seem to bother the guard. They didn't do anything to stop them.

"Shh," Neji hissed at Bakugo. "We're on a ship, there's someone watching us. Don't do anything drastic."

Bakugo finally stopped squirming.

Neji moved off him.

Bakugo kicked him anyway. "Don't freaking try to strangle me next time, idiot!" He still was speaking in a lower voice, but he sounded angry anyway.

"If you had yelled out something unwise, it could have hurt us," Neji replied thinly. "Camie-senpai is still unconscious. Whatever that was that they used to knock us out, it was powerful. It must have been hours, judging by the light, or it's clouded over again."

"Either way, where the h--- are we?" Bakugo said, trying to see out. "They used some kind of drug on us..."

"I think it was the mist..." Neji said.

"I know that," Bakugo said. "Or they hit us in the head. Mine's pounding."

Neji had a headache also but wasn't focusing on it.

"I don't know when we'll arrive," he said, "but we should have some kind of plan if we can. I'm sure the others will...notice we're gone and want to retrieve us."

"They could be listening right now," Bakugo said.

"I don't think they would leave a guard if they bugged the cell," Neji said in a low voice. "Why would they bother to warn us if they want us to talk? However, the water is so loud, it may be they do not hear us whispering. Keep your voice down."

"Why wouldn't they listen more closely then?" Bakugo growled.

"All I can think is they haven't done this before." Neji frowned. "Experienced assassins would know better, I think, but I have no idea who these people are."

"Same ones as before," Bakugo grumbled. "But why did they take us? Where's everyone else?"

"I don't know about you or Camie, but I think they want a Hyuga," Neji said. "They said something about that. That woman."