twinlionfists | 1st Tenketsu

[Action: Somewhere in the village - Sakura Only]

[Taken from the battlefield, Hinata let out a gasp before she found herself waking up on the ground. She slowly stood, taking in the fact that she was wearing clothing that was decidedly not her uniform from the war. In fact, her arms and legs were sticking out of the flimsy white dress, making her feel extremely under-dressed.

As she turned around, she saw a flash of purple that seemed to remind her a little of the jacket from her normal outfit. She reached out to grab at the colorful thing and brought back a handful of lavender feathers. Suddenly, she was overcome with nausea and lightheadedness before she passed out, never noticing the familiar face of her pink-haired comrade from Konoha as the blackness took over her again.]

[Video: For others, Two days later]

[Have a very confused looking hime-type, Luceti. Complete with the self-conscious blush.] E-excuse me. M-my name is Hyuuga Hinata. I have just arrived here to this village. [The camera shifts to point out her lavender wings.] If they serve no practical usage, why are they there? And am I the only one who discovered a brand on the back of their neck? They seem rather obvious.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I shall come over there, Tenten-san.

[Hinata closes the journal and gathers her courage. It isn't an easy conversation she's about to have with someone she considers a friend. In fact, it will hurt her beyond measure, of that Hinata is certain. However, leaving her in the dark while so many others knew was not an option.

With a heavy sigh, she stands and walks down the hall to the apartment that Sakura-san pointed out as to belonging to Tenten, Ino and Ino's boyfriend. Then, she knocks and waits.]

[ Tenten opens the door. There's no other person in the apartment. Her face is serious and there's a tenseness in her eyes that hasn't been seen before. She doesn't look hurt, but one can tell she's pressing on. ]

Come on, Hinata. Do you want some tea? There's a kettle of water that should still be hot. [ A distraction. ]

[Hinata isn't surprised to see Tenten looking so tense. This isn't going to be a pretty subject and she dreads being the one to tell her, but she knows that if she is to remain looking the other girl in the eye, she would have to tell her about it.]

Tea would be nice. Thank you, Tenten-san. [She follows the other girl into her apartment. She doesn't take a seat, as it's not been offered yet and it would be rude to do so.]

[ If Hinata would want to remain looking at all, she would have to be the one to break the news. Despite her usual protests to the opposite, she loves and cares for her team dearly and would do anything for them. Tenten returns with tea, set up just how Hinata likes it. Her eye for detail has made the question completely unnecessary.

A couple of minutes, yes, minutes, go by where Tenten does nothing but sip, too tepid to actually touch the subject. ]

So, what did you need to tell me? [ Her voice is a bit quiet. It's a hoarse whisper. ]

[Hinata remains standing, the tea sitting on the table untouched. Her hands are balled up at her side and she is trying to keep the pain down so that she can address the issue at hand.]

Before you arrived here, Tenten-san, what is the last thing you remember from Konoha?

[Yes, start there and then she can fill in what's pertinent.]

I wasn't really at Konoha. I was on the battlefield formulating a plan with Team 10. [ How much has transpired since she left? She knows it's been years here. Two years, coming up, but time is slower in Luceti. ] A lot of things have happened, haven't they, Hinata?

[Well, if Tenten was from the very beginning of the war, this might or might not go easier.]

I will not lie to you, Tenten-san. Before I arrived here, things were at their worst... And... many had died.

And what does this have to do with Nej.... [ And then it hits her, like a tidal wave. At first, she feels swept by emotion. There's part of her that wants to wail and cry, but that feeling is fleeting. She eventually simmers down into a numb type of state and just looks blankly ahead. ]

But how? [ Her voice eliminates itself into a tiny, hoarse whisper. ]

N-Naruto-kun was about to be impaled by the Juubi... [Hinata's voice is cracking with every word, but she presses on and refuses to cry, despite the stinging in her eyes and the tightness of her throat.] A-and I jumped in the way to keep him safe... Neji-niisan saved both of us...

[ So Neji sacrificed his life to protect the main branch? In some ways, Tenten's taken aback by this. A small smile starts to form on her face. There's a sense of serenity that comes with a closure, although, it won't last for long. He died against the Juubi. There's no shame in that. ]

So, he went out like a hero in every way.

[Hinata is finding it impossible to look at the other girl. It is too difficult for her to face someone else who cared about Neji a great deal when she was the one responsible for the end of his life.]

Y-yes. He...he said that he understood why his father died the way he did finally. [She balls her hands into fists, nails digging into her palms and possibly drawing blood, but that's what she needs to keep from crying, from being weak in front of the other girl.]

[ Tenten looks up with a determination that hasn't been demonstrated from the Kunoichi. The determination is almost on the level of Tsunade. ]

Don't take it personally. It wasn't your fault. He was dedicated to the clan now, and you couldn't change that. He would have done the same, even if you didn't jump in the way. Naruto changed his life. He changed all of our lives. He's the key to winning the war, and he should be protected. Blaming yourself is insulting to Neji's legacy.

[What Tenten says is like a slap to the face. Of course Neji would want to protect Naruto—the one shinobi who could actually save the rest of them from dying in a pointless war. And he'd all but out-right stated that in the end Hinata would be the leader of the clan. The clan that they both loved and wanted to make better.

Neji chose his death and it was a meaningful one at that. One that any shinobi would be proud of having. Her actions and thoughts about how it should have been her were an insult to her cousin and the way he lived his life.

It takes a moment, and her face is very flushed from embarrassment, but she manages to look up at Tenten. Her hands have loosened from the death grip.]

Y-yes, you are right, Tenten-san.

[Her voice was still tight with unshed tears, but the look in her eyes is just a tiny bit more hopeful.]

I-I do not know what the others here know, but I did not see a reason to keep the news from you as well.

[ Tenten has a PhD for verbal slaps to the face. Sometimes they're needed, sometimes they're hot headed but she's glad to see Hinata's shaping up from her talk. ]

I think they were just busy or hesitating to tell me. It's kinda difficult to tell someone that not now, but in the future, your best friend dies a bloody death. [ She takes a gritted breath out. ]

1st Tenketsu

[Video/Action]

no subject

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject