Aftermath - 5

"Uchiha Sasuke and Haku-kun have both been admitted to the final round, just as you predicted, Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto had become the main informant for Orochimaru in terms of what was happening in Leaf.

"Very good, Kabuto-kun," The snake shinobi was pleased, and folded his arms as he leaned contentedly on a wall in the alleyway, "And what of our One-Tailed friend?"

"The Ichibi has made contact with two of our Sand agents. It's only a matter of time now," Kabuto had also been following the movements of Baki's team, "He'll be all too easy to control once he's tamed."

Orochimaru's chuckle was merciless, "Excellent! Gaara-kun will play a key role in the destruction of Konoha. Delightful isn't it?"

Kabuto remained silent but had nodded in agreement. He didn't have much love for the sand manipulator.

"Yes, it won't be much longer now..." Orochimaru's plans were already being set into motion.

*

Team Gai had anticipated the day to be just another normal day of training.

Neji's training with Tenten had continued as it usually did, as did Lee's training with their sensei. Neji had been reunited with his team, greeting them with the subtle news that he was being considered by the council of his clan to become the next clan heir in Hinata's stead.

Needless to say, Tenten was not pleased with the update, even if she had pretended to be.

Her discontent became more and more obvious throughout the morning, in which knives and sickles she had been throwing had been launched just a fraction too fast, or the senbon had been aimed peculiarly close to fatal areas. She had summoned a short sword after a while to keep his Jyukken at bay, which was also, like she, becoming steadily fiercer.

'How can this be happening? He shouldn't be allowed to achieve his goals this way...' Her slashes were wild as she thought, her attention had been divided down the middle, 'And she tried so hard!'

It became silent when they had separated, circling each other as they searched for an opening. The Byakugan was thoroughly scanning her for weaknesses and could not immediately detect any. She was a radiant, angry being and Neji was not sensible enough to back down.

An aggressive foe was a challenging one.

Gai was aware of the change in attitude across the field between his two other students. They had gone from snappish battle cries to total, dead quiet. It was the quiet that he was familiar with only when a ninja battle was beginning. It made Gai uneasy. It wasn't like them.

They sprang, relentless and stubborn, and Tenten had found the time to summon a second sword that no more lethal than the one she already had, but two hands meant twice the speed, forcing Neji to compensate. He batted at her, stunning her hand, knocking the blade away before the other came careening down, forcing him back.

Slaps of Jyukken became painful jabs and the weapons master danced around him, furious, evasive, and progressively more fatal. Slashes became finishing blows that she had seen her father use in his days in the Black Ops; blows that he had expressly told her not to use on friends.

'He's just so–!' She had surprised herself when she had sliced his shoulder open. Tenten thought to pause for a moment and her brain felt like scrambled eggs. His only reaction was to retaliate with twice the force.

Neji had slammed into her stomach with a spike of Jyukken that left her breathless and cross-eyed, and they leapt a second later in unison, utterly possessed, so stubborn and arrogant that there was no chance either would back down.

"Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms!"

She hadn't thought to evade. Tenten was unable to think at all. The same could be said for an equally angry Neji who had come after her with hopelessly fast and unavoidable strikes that were sealing off tenketsu. Vicious and eyes blurred with pain and rage, Tenten let the blade rip down expertly with a practiced motion that halted his attack.

It wasn't a particularly deadly stab wound because she had missed. If it had hit his exposed back before he had thought to move, it would've been. The sword had raked mostly skin, a few inches of it on his right flank, and the blood was everywhere.

Neji struck her again, trying to put distance between them while his brain no longer functioning. She was reeling with pain. Both were on their last legs and were tackled at the same time, completely blind-sided.

Gai had head-locked Neji and thrown him down with a thud, eyes nearly bugging out of his head. Lee had taken Tenten and discarded her sword, pinning her flailing, weapon-throwing arms.

A true catastrophe for Team 13.

Tenten could no longer hold in the cry of pain from the purplish, bleeding points lining her arms and abdomen. He had nailed her, she admitted. Lee's frightened cooing was indistinguishable beneath her agonized wails as he grappled with her, fearing he was hurting her more.

Neji had regained his wits rather quickly, just in time to feel Gai's fist meet his cheek, knocking him back to the ground again. His head was spinning and the blood...ugh, it was unusual. In his time knowing Tenten; never had she once actually, terribly injured him. It was unpleasant and satisfying all at once.

When had she grown so destructive? Under his very nose!

Gai stood menacingly between the Hyuga prodigy, who had been applying pressure to the cut on his back, and Tenten who was writhing away in pain from Lee's arms. That was the final straw!

"This is inexcusable!" Their sensei's voice was much louder than they had ever heard it before, "I will not tolerate such un-youthful and savage behavior, most especially between trusted teammates! What in the good, righteous name of earth has gotten into the both of you my disappointing pupils?"

Lee had flinched under hearing Gai's booming, indignant, voice. His grip tightened around Tenten who had stopped her trashing. Her sense had returned and she was appreciative of Lee's concern but she didn't want it. She didn't want anything. She didn't regret anything. What had happened was necessary, no matter what her sensei said.

Gai's outraged monologue continued, "How dare you two commit to such violence! More than anyone, my two prodigies know better than to turn against each other! There is a clear line of difference between sparring and fighting and I will not permit violence on this team!"

Neji's eyes were narrowed in Lee's general direction. He needed an aspirin. Or five.

Lee's distress was unfathomable. He couldn't believe his team was falling to shambles at a critical time like this. Even more dubious to him was that Tenten would even consider attacking Neji after she had confided in Lee her admiration of the Hyuga prodigy. It didn't add up.

"Make amends," Gai's demand was simple and unmitigated, "If either of you show such un-youthful disrespect to each other again, you will answer to the Hokage! Is that understood?"

He was met with silence but he accepted it as a valid answer.

"Lee, we will now continue with your training." Gai didn't bother giving him the option. Tenten and Neji would have to sort out their issues without intervention.

Lee stood obediently and gave a look of confusion and worry to the kunoichi of his team. He followed Gai who was still agitated beyond recognition.

Miffed and horridly bruised, Tenten got to her feet and hobbled over to Neji. Her pride had never been more injured. It was hard for her to believe that Sakura's genjutsu during the exam had her in fear of harming her teammates, and yet she had no fear of tearing Neji to ribbons. Perhaps she had overcome her fear...or just hadn't wrapped her head around it yet.

'He'll be fine, the friggin prick...' She suddenly wished she had hurt him more seriously. She didn't want to tend to his wounds, but with Gai watching her like a furious hawk from a few meters away she had no choice.

Tenten settled behind him. He was sitting on the dusty ground and bleeding profusely. He said nothing as she tugged rudely at his shirt, pulling it over his head and fishing through her back holster for gauze and bandages. She was pleased to find she also had a small vile of rubbing alcohol with her, 'Not like my weapons aren't sanitary...' For her, even weapons needed hygiene, 'But he's got to understand that he's not getting off easy!'

Gai's frown threatened the longevity of his face and he decided it would be better if Lee was distracted from the chaos, "Lee! Run 500 laps around Konoha. Keep your leg weights on."

"Yes, sensei!" He chirped and departed, trying to figure out what had happened.

Tenten had saw to the gash on his side first and made sure that the Hyuga's teeth were clenched in pain before she laid off the disinfectant, and reached around his waist to wrap up the wound. The bleeding had slowed considerably. His shoulder was mended more quickly, though she was honestly surprised with his near imperceptible yelp of pain, 'Maybe I did get through to him. Maybe.'

Gai's glare was not the like of the ones he gave to Kakashi: all in good sport. He had not been close to such a level of discontent since Tama's days at the Ninja Academy where havoc had struck one terrible day, ruining her hopes of graduating.

Neji hadn't even been able to replace his shirt before he was made to reopen all of the tenketsu he had sealed, relieving Tenten marginally of her excruciation. He made no effort to apologize. He wasn't sorry.

"Neither of you may leave until you have come to an understanding," Gai had one final word before he left, "You owe that to each other as teammates."

Once he had gone, very little had changed.

They sat in the dirt, angry and stubborn. The silence was imbued with tension and confusion. Neither of the two were exactly sure why their fracas had escalated to the intensity it had. They had been angry, but were unable to fully remember why.

Tenten was first to recall the reason.

"Why?"

He looked up at her, questioningly, his wrath wavering, "Why what?" Neji would rather not be subject to meaningless inquiries at the moment.

"...how could you do that to your own cousin?"

Oh. That was a bit more decisive. Still, the last person he had to answer to about his family matters to was her. Her allegiance was to him, not Hinata. She wasn't allowed to take it back.

"It was nothing personal."

Her anger only multiplied. Neji clearly wasn't trying to fix the situation. He was encouraging it. It was the only thing he knew how to do.

He made note of her scowl and pulled his shirt back on, not thanking her for seeing to his injuries. After all, she had been the one who had inflicted them.

Neji was mad at her simply because she did not concede. Not like every other time she had when they had trained together. This time she had pushed it too far. She had tested him. As new and interesting as it had been, even with her new strength he had miscalculated, she wasn't allowed to be stubborn. He always won. That wouldn't change. Something about her was different and he had yet to decide if he liked it.

"Your own match wasn't so smooth either, Tenten." He pointed out and she turned away, trying to forget the fact that Sakura hadn't been in a much better position than Hinata had. Neji had a point, but still, even if she couldn't explain it, she knew he was wrong this time. Tenten just had to figure out how to show him that.

Apparently, her use of weapons wasn't going to help.

"Neji, you have no idea what I've been through." She stood up after he did, her voice was a low growl, but she wouldn't allow herself to lose control again, "Stop acting like you do."

"What makes you think you know what has happened to me then?" He wasn't about to let her win, "You could never understand."

She fell quiet again, fed up with him. Why was it that he so badly did not want to listen? Why couldn't he accept the fact she had nearly beaten him? Killed him? Or that he had nearly done the same to Hinata?

Tenten had wanted to ask him, but he spoke again. He sounded almost sad, but she knew better.

"It seems...that there is very little we really do know about each other then." He concluded. He wouldn't look at her and it was better that way. Her stomach was hurting and not because he had punched it.

When Neji walked away she looked down at her hands curiously, wondering how she had not noticed his blood on them earlier. He had bled a lot. Something told her it wouldn't be the last time either. Gai-sensei would be pleased they were at least talking to each other, but they were still far from an understanding.

'I've been a fool...' She decided, beginning to collect her weapons that were scattered about the place, 'If he won't listen to me, then maybe he's better off just...'

She didn't want to think about what his future held.