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

Chapter Twenty Four

[Right, hello!

It's Sunday morning (or afternoon ;-;)

But here's the thing! Apparently We're only on the part where Kira and Neji were in the tunnel...? I thought I left of with Tenten and Sasuke, but apparently not. According to my drafts, I'm on chapter 26, while this is on chapter 23 ._.'

Oh! But if you've already read those chapters, probably tell me because my Wattpad is probably acting up and saying that I didn't publish things that I actually did ^^'

I guess I'll be updating more frequently? I'll release chapter 24 today, and chapter 25 tomorrow, while writing chapter 27.

I guess you'll be getting double updates in exchange for me being late... -w-

So sorry TTATT

Uh...

Thanks for reading ^^'

~ Rei-chan]

~~

Tenten remembered being quietly led away by a cloaked figure, a kunai knife held against her neck, another against Sasuke's back. For a moment, they shot each other a glance and realized that fighting back against authority in a crowd of strangely loyal, blood-thirsty children assassins was definitely not their best option. Holding back his outrage was hard for the Uchiha, as she could clearly tell. HIs jaw was set, fists tight, and his body stiff as he mercilessly shoved a younger child aside to make way for himself. The kid took note of the cloaked figure, and turned around as if he hadn't seen anything. Some things are taught without words in the Academy. Her heart pounded wildly against her chest, the rumors about the Academy and the smell of rotting corpses overwhelming her. A shout was crawling up her throat, but years of being with Lee's annoying youth campaigns have taught her to keep her mouth shut, even if it means biting her lip as hard as she can. A distraction. Neji being here would make things more durable, but he jumped down into the arena without a second thought. Tsk, so much for teamwork...

They were being led quickly down a maze of halls. No one else was around, and it seemed like a stereotypically perfect place to commit a crime like murder. But Sasuke had other plans in mind, and Tenten was willing to follow if only he'd make the first move. She needed a distraction to pull that cloak tightly around his own neck, and sly Sasuke, he had read her mind. He spun around and ducked, aiming a high kick to the head, as his hand pulled down on the figure's wrist and bringing him in for a punch in the gut. Tenten, meanwhile, had brought a fierce, uppercut kick to the back of his knee, effectively taking out his right leg.

Except his wrist was metal.

HIs body was metal.

Including his knee.

And his foot made hard impact against a steel, carbon reinforced dummy. The thing fell to the floor with a sharp clatter, and a tall looming mass of darkness enveloped Tenten, who had covered her mouth closed her eyes shut.

Do not inhale the mist.

Tenten was not one to fear the littlest things, not like other girls. She did not scream at pain. She did not scream at the dark. She faced it head on, as a kunoichi should. Except this time, there was an overwhelming sense of dread and fear erupting from her stomach. It was as if she was staring into the face of the devil, laughing, smirking, and slowly peeling away every part that made her mortal.

She will not go down like this.

Muttering a single curse word, she removed her hands from her mouth, immediately reaching out in front of her to try and grab something solid. She had thrown every single punch and kick known to mankind at the barely visible shadowy figure right in front of her...

Except it wasn't. He wasn't. It was as if the murky mist had took her to a place with endless nightmares, nothing but endless miles of dark fog. She tried taking step back, trying to back out, but it seemed as if she was moving through water.

Everything's so painfully slow...

Her knees shivered, tempting to collapse right under her, against her own will. The mist was working it's way into her lungs, bringing it's poisonous sleep up to her brain, and she was soon going to be slowly devoured from the inside out...

Wake up!

Something pulled her from behind, a sharp tug on her arms. Tenten heard a faraway, muffled voice, urging her to stop standing around, and no sooner than a few seconds later, Sasuke had successfully pulled her out of that shroud of poison.

"T-Thanks..." Tenten said shakily, before collapsing into a violent coughing fit. It was still in her system. The Uchiha had leaned her against the corner of the wall, nothing but a quiet nod to acknowledge her. His sharp eyes were pinned on the figure who slowly stepped out of the mist, stepping from the cloud like a how a level hundred boss would from an arena.

The figure soon dispersed the mist of black, as it now clung and stuck like honey to the floors and to his body. It formed his shadow, Sasuke realized. This was a man of shadows, nothing that Genins should be messing with. By his cocky walk, hands in his pockets, and a playful smirk, it was evident that the battle was all just one big game to him. Now it was time for twenty questions.

"Nice job. Could have killed you both, but still pretty nice." The man was a head and a half taller than Sasuke, long silky black hair tied up in a high ponytail with locks sticking out like spikes as it cascaded down his back. It brushed between his shoulder blades. The bad lighting in the halls couldn't hide his sharpened features, his knife like jawline, and hard, deceitful black eyes. His broad shoulders and lanky but muscular build was framed with a torn and reliable black cloak, tattered at the edges and blending in with his shadow. But the resemblance was strikingly clear once Sasuke looked back at his eyes, those reptilian slitted eyes, and he could finally breath easy.

"What was that? Cat got your tongue, m'lady?" This time his words were directed to Tenten, his voice teasingly low and smoother than Expo marker against a new whiteboard. She hated it. But Sasuke didn't seem to worry, rather, he rolled his eyes and played casual.

"Don't worry about him preying on you Tenten. He's just the Uzuki playboy, that sounds about right Kai?" Sasuke took this moment to briefly relax. If Kai was here, surely he would help them? His sister being in danger and all, the Headmaster's right hand man?

"Uzuki?" Tenten frowned, looking between Sasuke and this man in front of her. "You mean...so you're Kira's older brother?" Tenten said incredulously. She had expected a more formal gentleman, not a closet perv dressed like a gentleman. If anything, he was the exact opposite of her imagination.

"The eldest. Yeap. Surprised?" Kai gave a husky chuckle, forcing Tenten to avert her eyes towards Sasuke. Maybe help me out here? You know, make him stop acting...weird? "Why'd you bring us here, anyways?" She finally spoke, tittering nervously. Being hit on was not something Tenten had to deal with often, and this was especially new.

"I can't talk about that here, not in the halls." For once, Kai turned into a serious gentleman/soldier/subordinate. His smile lost its teasing touch, now acting as a mask and a facade. "You never know who's watching. Come along, I'm taking you to Kira's old room."