||My Little Bird|| [Neji Hyuga x OC]

Chapter Twenty-Two

Hey! Long time no see :3 Rei-chan here!

Thank you all for waiting for the last few anticipated chapters of My Little Bird ^^ I've made a few modifications though...

For one, Kira still does not have her memories. Throwing that part into that one chapter turned out to be complete trash ^^' hehe...

I still hope that you stuck around for more~ :3 Thank you all, once again, for reading. It's been a pleasure having an audience like you!

-Rei-chan

~~

Neji took his place in front of Kira, between her and the abnormally rabid creature that roared and pounded through the steel bars that kept it in, charging without hesitation. He noticed that along the horse/tiger-like creature's torso was a leather black bag, strapped tightly with a devil's knot and a buckle. Kept close inside was something...metallic, something sharp. Kira's eyes, with a little gasp and a whimper behind him, darted eagerly towards the bag, unfurling the delicate little girl from her fetal position like a flower in bloom. Her small hands gripped the dirty floor.

Whatever else there was to decipher, he didn't have the time. The beast's roar shook the ground as it neared, the Hyuga's eyes widening as he realized that he was, in fact, in front of the beast and Kira was no longer behind him. No, he was in the arena now.

Damn his subconscious.

He barely managed to dodge out of the way, the ground he was standing on a second ago exploding with a puff of dust and pebbles. The beast had scrambled against the floor, its claws scraping against the stone floor and it's jaws snapping at the tatters of Kira's dirty prison dress. Strange, she wasn't there before...Her eyes focused on the brown bag strapped tightly onto its chest, clawing at the buckles in a cursed attempt to open it. But before she could succeed any further, the beast slashed at her tiny body, sending her hurtling towards the wall across the arena. Neji raced to catch her, grabbing her thin arm and circling her body with his arms. If she had hit the wall, there was no doubt that her spine would have fractured...among other major injuries. Roars of disapprovement came from the crowds, Neji realized as he looked up. Kira said nothing, didn't even make eye contact with him, but clung to the cloth of his shirt as tightly as she could. She was used to the embarrassment. She was used to the neglect. And she was used to broken bones and rotten food, and every second of surviving being a game to everyone who watched.

It simply sickened him.

Neji's grip on the young girl was gentle, his glare as cold as ever. Tenten and Sasuke shouted warnings from above, occasionally holding their heads in their hands. They were in danger now, he realized. They needed to get out as soon as they could. That, though, may already be too late. A cloaked tall figure was making their way towards them, and as it brushed past another student, revealed a sharp katana under his cloak. Neji began shouting back, but his message went unheard under the roars and screams of the entire arena. The cloaked figure had a stiff arm on Tenten's shoulder, another hand held a kunai knife tightly against Sasuke's ribcage, the evil gleam of metal against skin bright and dangerously too close. He tried shouting urgently once more, to no avail as the two quietly, and without any visible struggle, followed the cloaked figure out of the arena, towards the darkened halls from which they entered. His heart frantically pounded against his chest. Words in his head shouted at him, guilt, blame, fault, yes, it was because of him they they were probably going to die. Hah. The genius makes one mistake in his entire life...and everyone dies.

Kira kept her eyes locked on the bag and the beast. Currently, it was shaking off the confusion from it's fall, and was gaining speed quickly. It was charging once more. "N...Neji..." She said quietly. "It's coming."