| Jungle Chapter 1/5 - On The Jungle Floor |
[Oct. 21st, 2006|03:57 pm] |
| [ | music |
| | NERD - She Wants To Move | ] |
"Normally Tenten wouldn’t use such an excuse when asked about her obvious exhaustion, but it wasn't just a gut feeling that her captain hated her. He plainly stated it in not so many words at the Jounin induction hazing night..."
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Chapter 1/5 - On The Jungle Floor
Her eyes were sore. Even though it irritated them, Tenten rubbed furiously at her lids with her Jounin glove wrist guard. Now was not the time for fatigue. The sun was about to crescendo over the tree line in the distance, and with the dawn, would come her shift change. This would be the eighth morning in a row that her acting Jounin captain, Yashimoro Shin, forced her to take a 12 hour guard shift. Tenten firmly believed it was because he resented everything about her. From her existence as a dominant and respected female ninja right down to what she embodied: the soul of a strong woman. Normally Tenten wouldn’t use such an excuse when asked about her obvious exhaustion, but it wasn't just a gut feeling that her captain hated her.
He plainly stated it in not so many words at the Jounin induction hazing night.
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One month ago.
All the Jounin who had successfully made it to the rank were doled out to captains depending on their abilities that had been reviewed extensively prior to exam completion. After that it was customary that the Jounin fleets, as they were aptly called, all congregated together and had a soirée of sorts to increase camaraderie among their rank. Team Gai had met up, no doubt all wearing some form of excitement on their faces, as they were to meet Tenten's captain for the first time that night. Neji, a Jounin captain himself, was a little disconcerted at the fact Tenten would not be joining his flank, but was happy for her nonetheless. As festivities picked up and got into full swing, Tsunade got on the microphone and stated that the 'Captain-fleet Meet-n-Greet' was about to take place in the Beta wing of the reception hall. Neji, Tenten, and a sober Lee, as well as other inductee Jounin and veteran Jounin flooded into the hallway. As Neji favored the left side of the reception hall (due to the air conditioning duct), the old team Gai wordlessly, and albeit, unconsciously placed themselves over there before Neji could make the request. A smile's ghost graced his lips.
"Alright kids," Tsunade said affectionately, gaining groans from the veterans, "time to let loose the Jounin captains so they can get some fresh meat in their flanks!" A hearty laugh came from the room, easing a grin of discomfort onto Tenten's face. She turned to Neji and Lee in search for consolation.
"Hey guys, exactly how many Jounin captains are there, and how many inductees are there, because I see there's more than a couple," Tenten said lowly, tipping her head in the direction of a couple of guys who looked as uncomfortable as herself.
"Well, lotus bud, Neji here is a captain, and I believe there are eight others," Lee summarized thoughtfully.
"Yes, Lee is correct, I am one of the nine captains in my rank, and I believe you are the only female of the five rookies being admitted tonight," Neji supplied while scratching his ear and glancing around the room. Tsunade made the five captains receiving the inductees go up onto the stage and passed the microphone off to the first one so he could reveal whom he was assuming and what team they were.
When she looked up at the five on stage, the crease on her brow alerted Neji that Tenten just realized she wasn't on his team either. So quietly, that Neji knew she was talking to herself, she muttered with a pout, "None of them are going to be Neji."
Neji mentally wore that undefeatable Hyuuga smirk.
"The name's Benjo," A scruffy looking black haired man with a medium build asserted, "and my new Jounin is," he looked down at the note card he received a moment prior to getting on the stage. "Aburame Shino." Tenten’s eyes searched the crowd for the face (well... forehead...) she recognized, when Shino walked casually up the stage like he wasn't unnerved at all. Like he wasn't sweating bullets and relapsing into biting fingernails. Like he didn't pull at the two auburn buns on the side of his head because he was terrified at the thought of being a burden to his team. No. That was just Tenten.
A warm hand placed itself on her shoulder and squeezed lightly. Tenten looked down at it and followed arms length to Neji's placating eyes. "Tenten, you're an excellent kunoichi with weaponry skills you couldn't pay me to admit are better than mine," Her cheeks heated beautifully at the back handed compliment on her sun-tanned skin, "Don’t be so nervous, I know, personally believe, and am confident that you will be excellent. Don’t panic."
"Thank you Neji, that means a lot." Tenten uttered as she placed her right hand on his that rested on her left shoulder. They had grown considerably closer since they were twelve, (Courtesy of a little face re-arrangement by Naruto, a few holes from Kidoumaru, and a long lost letter from papa Hizashi) mostly though from Tenten's dedication to their friendship, and her ability not to judge people. She didn't even realize Neji monopolized all of her free time. And at times like these, Tenten almost wanted to get lost in his eyes. Almost. But she didn't want to ruin the bond she worked so hard to forge. To taint him with her weaker level. Something transversed in the airspace between them before Lee clapped a hand on both of their backs.
"My youthful companions, as much as your confirmation of your majestic bond emblazes me," Two sighs were emitted, "I believe Tenten needs to get to the stage." The look of deer-caught-in-headlights bewilderment that crossed her face could be described as none other than adorable, when she wrenched her face toward the stage.
"I didn't hear my named called Lee, it's not time yet." Tenten stated in a questioning tone.
"True, lotus petal, but there are already four inductees on stage and the fourth captain is wrapping up his speech." Lee assured with a fist on his right hip, and a finger pointed dramatically at the sky. "So it would save time for you to start your epic journey into maidenhood with pride and a sure foot!" Tenten and Neji exchanged a sweat drop as a question pooped into her mind. Just how long had she been staring in Neji's eyes if she missed the better part of nearly four speeches?!? She looked to her shoulder and released Neji's hand with a chuckle and started moving towards the front of the room.
Neji smiled at her retreating form, but his view was blocked as Lee stepped in front of his face with a scowl. "Neji, now is not the time to secretly admire her beauty..." Neji wanted to bristle at Lee's comment because he thought he was attacking his character and- "-because look who the last captain is." Lee concluded. Neji's pride waned back down as he grazed his eyes over to the stage.
Byakugan unconsciously activated and he took a step forward. Killing intent would be an understatement of what Neji felt. He wanted to do more than kill this man. He wanted to torture this man in cold blood. If given the opportunity to do it in front of innocent academy students, he wouldn’t think twice before decapitating him with a blunt kunai. Then taking him to Haruno or Tsunade-sama, reviving him, then cutting off his nether regions and feeding them to Akamaru.
Yashimoro Shin.
He hated Shin more than he once hated Hinata, the entire Head family, and Orochimaru combined. Magnified. He hated calling this man a Konoha shinobi even more.
He had a running track record for abusing women. He killed his mother. He killed his grandmother. It was even rumored that the two female Jounins that served up under him who were KIA, could have avoided dying if Shin put forth the effort to aid them. But Shin often defended himself by saying the mission was too pertinent to complete in exchange for their lives. So what about when he went five hours out of the way to rescue a male comrade? Or what about when he took the fall for some shinobi he barely knew to allow him to avoid charges of rape in the wave country?
Neji had watched before as Shin was in other villages and often done more the mission schematics entailed, just for his own sick pleasure. Like when both of their squadrons were assigned to eliminate the "threat" Hidden Village of Sound, and Shin killed more than shinobi and kunoichi. He killed innocent women, toddlers, and even infants and elderly. All under the premise of 'eliminating the possibility of the Sound's revenge'.
Shin was even rumored to have raped his sister, then have allegedly murdered her and the child it produced.
(extreme, right? ^_^; we need a villian)
He felt like he let Tenten out as the proverbial lamb to Shin's slaughter as her foot touched the bottom step. Shin rose the paper in his and gripped the mic. Another step. "Good evenin' punks," Shin said in a crawling drawl, eliciting laughs from sporadic spots in the room. Men around Neji took notice as his killing intent was starting to be felt. Antoher step. "And my fresh meat to beat up on is..." Shin started off jokingly.
"Not Tenten," Lee said crestfallen.
"Yes Tenten," Neji said gritting his teeth.
"Some kid named... Tenten?" Inquired Shin into the mic, as if a female name was some sort of poison.
"I'm Tenten." Tenten smiled as she raised her hand while taking the last step. Shin smirked.
"Fresh meat indeed..."
The last step is so true...
Chapter 2 It will be out soon.
Genre: Humor
Rating: Fiction Rated: T
Summary: In a room with a man she barely knew, she lost her cool in 25 seconds. |
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