Konoha Children's Crusade Chapter 26 part1

Chapter 26: On the road.

The slow, steady rocking motion of the wheelhouse was calming, which was a good thing because Neji was very distressed right now. He focused intently on the scenery slowly sliding past the window and tried to ignore the two men on the seat opposite from him.

There was a narrow table attached to the wall of the carriage that was piled high with fried octopus and daifuku cakes. Honan Hyuga was chewing noisily and talking at the same time. His accounts manager, a tall gangly man with a pinched face, sat beside Honan, handing him waybill after waybill to sign.

There was a large bottle of potent spirits on the table as well. The sharp aroma of the evaporating alcohol was mixing with the smell of the fried food and tart cakes and was making him feel slightly ill. The decor of the coach wasn’t helping either. The traveling compartment was so laden with ornaments and gold leaf that no matter which way he turned his head, there was sunlight being directly reflected into his eyes.

He couldn’t even lean back and relax. The cushions he was sitting on were so thick with velvet pile that they were pricking him through his trousers.

“I should have gone on foot,” he muttered to himself.

A fainter voice, gave him a nudge deep inside his head. “You should be the one who owns this coach,” it whispered.

Honan held up one bejeweled hand freezing the accountant mid sentence. He slowly turned his head and looked Neji up and down. “Are you hungry my friend?” he rumbled through a mouth packed with fried octopus. “You needn't show any restraint for my sake. There’s plenty more in the icebox. Feel free to help yourself.” A few large crumbs dribbled from his lips and landed on the documents covering his lap. Honan hastily brushed them onto the floor of the cabin.

“No thank you,” said Neji, trying very hard not to wrinkle his nose in disgust.

“Ahh, is it the travel which bothers you? Here,” Honan picked up the pitcher in one meaty hand and waved it in Neji’s general direction, “try a little of this,” he said with a grin. “It’s a wonderful tonic to settle the stomach.” He slapped his belly and chuckled. ‘“Trust me, it works magnificently.”

Neji gave a small shake of his head forcing himself not to pull back from the overpowering aroma of the rice wine laced with sweet fruits. “Thank you for your kind offer, but I refrain from drinking.”

Honan raised an eyebrow. “Then you are missing out on one of the three great pleasures in life.” An infectious grin cracked across his face. “Don’t worry my dear ally. Once we have you installed as the newest head of the Hyuga clan, I’m sure that you will learn to drink... often and with great gusto.”  Honan started to chuckle. His accountant joined in with a nervous titter.

Neji forced himself to be polite. “When is the next stop? I feel like I need some fresh air.”

Honan’s chuckle turned into a deep throaty laugh. “We are all men of the world here dear Neji. If you need to take a piss just come right out and say it!” He wiped a tear from his eye. “There’s no need to squirm about on your seat trying to hold it all in. This isn't some standard travelling buggy that only halts at certain towns. When nature calls, we simply give the order.” Honan raised a fist, heavy with golden rings, and rapped sharply on the wall closest to the driver’s side. The wheelhouse rocked sharply to the right as the driver swung it over to the side of the road and stopped.

As soon as it stopped moving, Neji abruptly stood and yanked the door open. He paused as Honan burst out laughing again. “I fail to see what is so humorous about opening a door,” said Neji flatly.

Honan smiled. “My apologies. I simply found a bright spot of amusement in this situation. Either you have a truly urgent need or you are unaware that I have hired footmen for the sole purpose of opening doors for myself and my guests.”

“A shinobi can open his own doors,” grated Neji.

“That may be true,” giggled Honan, “but if you start a trend amongst the Hyuga, my future head of the clan, you will be depriving poor Ken-chan of his livelihood.”

Neji nodded. “Please excuse me,” he said quietly. He leapt out of the carriage and sped away.

He stopped in a small clearing about a hundred meters off the road. Neji stood very still for about thirty seconds or so, to make certain that he had not been followed. Once he was fairly certain he was all alone, he began to relax.

He took three slow calming breaths, and then leaned his head against a tree. The queasiness in his stomach didn’t fully go away, but it subsided to a tolerable level. Damn Honan and his penchant for fried foods.There was so much he didn’t like about that man... Unfortunately there wasn’t that much that he could do about it. Right now, Neji needed to stay near the wealthy merchant.

He glanced up at the sky and watched a small group of sparrows swoop and dive overhead. The four birds wheeled about in a tight circle. Their acrobatics were wild, spinning through the branches and curving amongst tree trunks. They darted this way and that in a dance of wild chaos and danger, but the four of them always managed to stay together. Neji closed his eyes and tried to calm his feelings. There was no clear reason why this was so difficult. All he had to do was keep his duty in mind. He could overcome any temptation. He reminded himself that anyone in his position would feel the same way. Hadn’t he worked hard? Hadn’t he served the Hyuga clan with all his might and all his strength? Didn’t he deserve more?

It was the way things had always been done in the Hyuga clan. True, things were more fair under Hinata-sama’s leadership than they had ever been, but even she was unable or unwilling to stomp out all the corruption and cronyism that plagued the Hyuga clan. Forcing her view on others was never in Hinata-sama’s character. In some ways that worked to her advantage, it made her a much more kind and caring leader than the Hyuga had had in generations. Sometimes Neji felt as if it gave the Hyuga a much nicer leader than they deserved. One of the problems was that there were those that look advantage of that kindness and generosity in new ways. Hinata-sama was stronger and more confident now than she had ever been before in her life, but she still was not doing enough to those who took advantage of the system. Her strength lay in her kindness, in her compassion. Kindness was wonderful, but it did not bring about change. However much Neji disliked the man, Honan did have a valid point. Hinata was not the robust leader needed to bring fairness and prosperity back to the Hyuga clan.

Neji massaged his stomach with one hand, hoping to calm it down further. His thoughts buzzed in his head. Didn’t the clan need a more capable leader in order to enact reforms? Didn’t his family deserve better? Didn’t his children deserve better? He slowly reached into the side pocket of his equipment pouch and took out the picture. Hishyoni was scowling as always. Hizashi looked so happy and hopeful, despite his injury. And Tenten... Neji’s lips cracked a rare smile as he ran a single fingertip across the picture of his wife’s face. Tenten looked lovely... as always.

The first time he noticed her was during the accuracy exam for kunai and shuriken at the Academy. He was ashamed to admit that their first meeting had not... been very polite. For most of his life, at least since his father died, Neji had only one thing anchoring his sanity. The firm belief that he was the best.

It was a necessary conviction. For he was born into the Hyuga clan. The wealthiest and most rigid of all the clans in Konoha. It was said by outsiders that the Hyuga led lives that were choreographed from the moment they were bundled into their birthing blankets til the time they were wrapped in their funeral shrouds. Among the Hyuga, there was little sympathy for those who were weak. Weakness was looked upon as besmirching the clan’s honor. Of course weakness in the Hyuga clan was also a very subjective thing. If you were part of the Head family you had the automatic benefit of your wealth and position offering some protection. Branch family members had less protection from their social status, but much much more from their community. There were many ways that the Branch families of the Hyuga could quietly assist each other in times of need... None of which Neji ever saw. His position as a Branch family member with close blood ties to the Head of the Clan made his life awkward at best... The members of the Head family looked down on him, while the other Branch families glared at him with resentment under the assumption that he was receiving some special treatment. He found no friends growing up amongst the Hyuga. The few hobbies he had as a child were quickly lost amongst the drudging tasks that others seemed to heap upon him with scorn and amusement. He could hear them laughing behind his back. He quickly learned that complaining about his lot only earned a cold stare from Hiashi-sama. The message was clear, that he was expected to bear his burdens alone. With nothing else to occupy his time, he threw himself into his duty - His duty to become a serving shinobi.

Neji had incredible natural talents. On top of that, he trained until his skills were above and beyond any of his Hyuga peers. His abilities far exceeded all of his classmates. He was a child prodigy. Everyone acknowledged him as such. For five years he was first in his class at everything. Except on the day of that exam.

It was a windy day and the shuriken were catching every last gust. At the end of the exam there were only two students who hit the targets with all their shuriken. Except after the teachers conferred amongst themselves, they decided that the clanless orphan girl, some ragamuffin with the ridiculous name of Tenten had the tighter grouping and the higher score was awarded to her. All the students gathered round to congratulate her, much to his annoyance. No one would ever think of congratulating him. No one ever had. They always pointed at him in stunned silence or in jealous awe.... and now.. now that some weakness of his had been revealed he knew everyone would pounce like wild dogs on a wounded deer. Before anyone could speak to him, he turned away from the cheers and strode off home..

The next day, during the lunch hour, the girl had the nerve to approach him. “Hey Neji-kun!” she said beaming. “Do you want to practice shuriken with me?”

Of course she wanted to rub it in. Neji ignored her and kept on walking. “Hey! Neji-kun!” she said louder. “I asked if you wanted to practice shuriken with me?”

There was silence on the playground. All the other students turned and stared. “You’ve made your point,” Neji said in a grating voice. “Now leave.”

“Leave?” she asked with genuine confusion. “What are talking about? I was just asking if you wanted to practice...”

“You bested me once. I’ll acknowledge that... but it won’t happen again,” he said stiffly, starting to stalk off.

There was a fast patter of feet and a skid in the dust. Tenten slid to a stop in front of him. She tilted her head to one side, the ridiculously old fashioned bun hairstyle she wore bobbed slightly as she shot him a quizzical look. “Are you mad because I got a higher grade than you in shuriken throwing? I don’t see why. It was luck really... All the wind just...”

“Of course you don’t see why you stupid girl!” Neji spat. “Someone like you... Someone who has no grace, someone who has no manners, someone who has no sense of their station in life... Someone who has no clan could never understand a concept like reputation or honor!”

The girl’s eyes, which moments before had been looking at him with sympathy, turned cold, like a steel gate had shut down behind them. “I see... Well then pardon my intrusion Hyuga-sama... I’m sorry a peasant like myself wasted your time!” she snarled, displaying a temper worthy of the most cantankerous Head family member. Giving him one final glare, she stomped away angrily.

He found himself keeping a closer watch on her after that exchange, marking her skills. Out of everyone in their class, she was the only one who had come close to matching him in one of the traditional shinobi tests. He shuddered to think that his one rival might be a girl, but there was no changing the destiny he had been dealt. Little by little he found himself taking more and more of an interest. Not a lot mind you, but just enough to take her measure.

She was driven. He would watch her as she trained for long hours with the shuriken targets. Neji marked the different patterns her hands wove as she plucked shuriken and kunai from various folds of her clothing and threw them.

She was proud. Most of the girls in his class would ornament themselves with ribbons or jewelry. Tenten never did... as a matter of fact, he didn’t think she had any accessories, let alone any clothes that began to approach the concept of ‘new’. But she never let the shame of that affect her.  During class he would not hesitate to answer the sensei’s questions, or speak her mind.

She was fierce. She once came across a group of older boys picking on the absolute worst student in their class, some thick eyebrowed deadbeat who couldn’t even use ninjutsu. At that time, Neji had never even bothered learning the boy’s name, he was so sure he wouldn’t graduate. Anyway, Tenten was like a whirlwind of shrieking judgment battering the older boys around, screaming at them to pick on someone who could fight back. She used a close combat style, that was more like brawling than any formal martial art he had seen, but he had to admit, it was effective. Her multiple opponents quickly fled, nursing bloodied noses and bruised egos. The boy she rescued was babbling with thanks and begging her to train him in her way of the Ninja. Neji found himself smiling as Tenten hurriedly backed away from his promises to be her disciple.

Neji was surprised to find himself feeling... well, a little bit of kinship with the girl. She was alone with no parents, and she was trying her hardest to be the best she could. Just like him. Of course they were from completely different worlds and of course it wouldn’t be proper for him to associate with someone like her... but at the very least he could be civil.

There were two more shuriken accuracy tests. Again it was close, but she took both of them. The third time Neji made himself stay and congratulate her.

She refused to look at him. She refused to give him any acknowledgement other than a nod.

Well, that was it. It was clear to him that this... coarse, stupid girl was so full of herself that she couldn’t even grant someone the smallest common courtesy. Neji turned away and derided himself for his naivete. Of course there was nothing they shared. He was just being a fool. He ignored her almost completely after that... only noting that she managed to graduate.

The next day the new squads were announced: Rock Lee, the bumbling dead last student who through some miracle happened to graduate. Tenten, the uncouth, impolite, intriguing yet barely civilized girl. And himself. He was trying his best to ignore his two new teammates when their sensei entered through the door.

And what an entrance it was. One moment Pazu-sensei was droning on about how their new squad captains would be picking them up shortly, and the next thing he knew the classroom door exploded in a hail of splinters. An athletic man in indecently snug green tights stood in the middle of the swirling wreckage. He posed and gave the gawking students a grin. “My, my Pazu-san... What a splendid group of shinobi have graduated this year.” He spoke in the slick tones of an eager salesman. “I’d like to apologize in advance for the heart rending disappointment the rest of you students must feel, but alas... There is only one beautiful blue beast of Konoha, and he can only captain one... very... lucky squad.” His finger wavered around the room and jabbed forward right at Neji. “Team Three!” he bellowed. “Summon all your youthful energy and follow me! Adventure and glory await!!!” He catapulted himself out the door howling, “Dynamic exit!”

Everyone was staring at them. Pazu-sensei waved them off. “Well? You heard Guy-sensei... Go on.” Tenten and Lee were exchanging a stunned glance while Neji pushed himself up out of his seat and skeptically followed his new captain.

If he were a lesser man, he would have protested at this time. He would have complained that being on a team like this was beneath his talents. No doubt that was what someone was expecting. One of the other advantages of growing up as a Hyuga was that by the time you reached age five, you were very used the intrigues and cruel games that could be played. No doubt someone, somewhere, had pulled some strings and gotten him placed on this one squad full of losers. Instead of making a fuss, he listened politely to his new sensei and made sure he went to bed early enough to get a good night’s rest.

Neji was up as the cold mist was rising from the koi pond. It was a habit he had picked up from his father. Hizashi had always been an early riser, awakening while it was still dark and completing many of his duties before the sun had a chance to rise. He buckled on his shuriken holster and silently padded through the halls of the Hyuga compound. He hesitated, passing the kitchen, and with a smug smile, went inside.

“...Prepare yourselves for the harshest survival training you will ever encounter!” Guy-sensei had told Neji and the rest of Team Three, on the day of his graduation. The over eager team leader paused in his excitement and lifted a finger as if remembering something. “Ah yes, you may want to skip breakfast. The tasks we will perform are so challenging you do not want to attempt them on a full stomach.”

Heh... Like he was going to listen to his new ‘sensei’...that overzealous fool. Neji knew the real secret behind this ‘survival training’.

He knew because, two years ago Neji had been hiding from that Head family idiot, Hikaru Hyuga. Hikaru had an average skill with his byakugan, and was mediocre at using jukken. But because he was part of the Head family, he would always be above Neji in station.  Hikaru took great pleasure in victimizing those who could not fight back... Like oh, say... members of the branch family. He especially delighted in tormenting the younger members of the branch family and often singled out Neji in particular.

Neji’s only course of action was to hide whenever he heard Hikaru approaching. Which he had to admit, was usually not that difficult, given how lacking in talent Hikaru was. Anyway, it was two years ago, silently waiting in the shadows under the outside walkway, that he heard the older boy boasting. “...of course he said it was going to be survival training, but it was really just another stupid test! They made us try to get a pair of bells away from our sensei, but there were only two bells and three of us!”

“How did that work?” asked one of Hikaru’s friends.

“Tsch! It’s obvious dummy! Who ever didn’t get the bell would fail and have to go back to the academy! But that’s not the worst part... He told us not to eat breakfast! Who ever failed would also have to stand there tied to a training stump and watch while the other two got to eat the bentos he brought!”

“So what happened?” asked another one of Hikaru’s hangers on.

“What do you think happened? I wasn’t going to lose!” There was a pause and the Hikaru continued in a whisper. “When no one was looking I gave a palm strike to Akane... she was just dead weight anyway, the stupid girl. Goro spent most of his time just getting in my way, so when he stepped into a snare trap, I just left him there dangling from the tree.”

“So it was just you and your sensei then,” said one of the other boys slowly. ”How come... how come you didn’t get one of the bells?”

There was a loud thump from the walkway above, as if someone had been shoved and fallen. “I would have gotten a bell... if the stupid Sensei hadn’t cheated,” snarled Hikaru. “He was fast... Nobody can move that fast... And then he hit me with some A-rank taijutsu move. It would have killed a lesser man... He called it ‘A Thousand years of Death.” Hikaru sneered.

There was an awed gasp from the other boys. “So what are you going to do?”

Hikaru chuckled, and started walking away, there was a patter of footsteps as the other boys followed. “Easy... I’ve already complained to my Dad... He’ll have a word with the Hokage, and that stupid Kakashi-sensei will be out of a job...”

Neji waited until the voices were long gone before crawling out of his hiding spot. He made sure he never forgot that information.

Even at this early hour the kitchen was bustling. One of the chefs saw Neji enter and turned to intercept him. “What are you doing here Neji-san? Surely none of the head family are awake yet?”

“I require a meal.” Neji said, returning the man’s bitter glance. “I have my first mission today.”

The chef hesitated for a moment, as if he was considering ordering this uppity Branch family member out of the kitchen. It was obvious he was weighing Neji’s position in Hiashi-sama’s household against his own. Finally,  with a deep frown, he stepped to the larder and tossed him a small wrapped bundle. “Here,” he grunted. “That’s the standard fare for a Hyuga shinobi.” Without another word, he spun on his heel and went back to his chores. Neji was hardly surprised. The only people who were more jealous of his talents than the Head family... were the other members of the Branch family. This was always the case, no matter who he was dealing with.

He finished the ongiri before he left the compound gates. There was no sense in undertaking this mission on an empty stomach. And there was even less sense in saving the ongiri for lunch. He knew who his teammates were. If anyone had a chance of passing this ‘bells test’ it would most certainly be him.

He bumped into his squadmates on the way out the main gate. It was that chill grey moment as the night ends but the morning has yet to happen. Neji could feel the lack of sleep putting him on edge. Thankfully he had his iron self-control to keep it all stowed safely away.

It was obvious Lee hadn’t slept a wink, he was vibrating with adrenaline-fueled sleep deprivation. His hair stuck up every which way, adding to his air of madness. Tenten... well, underneath her well worn attire, and aside from a few massively obvious yawns, Tenten looked as graceful and as poised as ever. He nodded politely at her. Crass as she might be, she should have no issues becoming a shinobi.

“Good morning Neji-kun!” Lee yelped deliriously. “Are you ready for a fun-filled day of Shinobi brotherhood?”

“Don’t touch me!” grunted Neji, dodging his enthusiastic slap on the back. “You won’t last a minute up there!”

Lee stepped away, “Why not? It’s only training. I can handle anything that you can.”

“Yeah  Neji,” yawned Teten. “Don’t get so down on Lee, he tries harder than anyone I know. It may take him a couple of dry runs but I’m sure he’ll be alright.”

“Oh thank you Tenten-chan!” Before she could dodge, Lee’s sweaty palms caught her hand. He stared up at her with big teary eyes. A rivulet of snot was dribbling from one nostril. “Your faith bolsters my spirit! Come! Let us race to the top of the hill!”

The look of horror Tenten gave Lee’s enthusiasm bolstered Neji’s spirit. He took the opportunity to speak to her again. “It’s not training,” Neji muttered, as Lee dashed away. “It’s another test.”

“What?” asked Tenten, desperately trying to wipe her hand off on her pant leg. “How do you know?”

Neji smirked. “I am a genius you know... It was easy to figure out.”

“So why are you telling me and not Lee?”

That stung. Why should Tenten care what happened to Lee? Did this stupid girl care more for that loser than she did for him? Couldn’t she see he was standing here trying to reach out with the hand of friendship? “Why should I help him?” he found himself saying with disgust. She stood there quietly, staring at him. There were not many people who could meet the gaze of a Hyuga for an extended period of time. Looking into the pale, pupiless eyes, a trait of those who possessed the byakugan, was unnerving at best. Among the more ignorant, it was said that a Hyuga could steal a part of your soul if you met their gaze for too long. Tenten stared at Neji for so long he started to feel uncomfortable, not that he would ever show it, but he began to wonder just what she saw when she looked at him like that.  “What does that loser mean to you?” he said more harshly than he intended

“He doesn't mean any more to me than you do!” Tenten gestured up the hill to their new teammate. “But he’s still our comrade! Why wouldn’t you tell him?”

If he hadn’t had years of practice keeping his face still, he would have definitely reacted. He didn’t mean any more to her than Lee? Surely she must see that he would be the preferred choice to that bushy browed failure. “Because the test is designed so one of us is guaranteed to fail. The one who fails must go back to the Academy.” He glanced at the rapidly disappearing Lee, and felt a quick stab of jealousy. “Between the pair of you, I would much rather have a... a sub-par kunoichi on my squad... than a loser like him.”

“A sub-par kunoichi?!?” screeched Tenten. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Neji turned away smirking at the reaction he got. “Exactly what it sounds like.”

He ignored Tenten scowling at him the whole time they ascended the hill. If she couldn’t recognize his genius, then it was her loss. He trudged up the hill, sure that he was going to be only one of the three of them that passed.

They crested the top of the hill and made a loose circle around their new sensei. He stood there, doing one handed handstand pushups. “Two hundred fifty three, Two hundred Fifty Four... Oh that’s too bad, you all arrived early. I was hoping I’d have time to do at least a thousand push ups. No matter,” he said flipping up to his feet, “I’ll just have to finish it up during lunch.” He grinned at them.

“During lunch?” asked Tenten in disbelief. “Are you serious?”

“Oh yes, there’s no greater challenge than trying to get low enough to take a bite and if you fall,” Guy clapped his hands together, “you smash everything. Automatic punishment.”  Neji rolled his eyes at the shocked look on Tenten’s face. It had taken her this long to figure out that their new sensei was insane? “Now you may be wondering why I have called you here to the training grounds,” Guy-sensei said, gently stroking his chin.

Lee’s hand rocketed into the air. “Ooh! Ooh! Is it because you are going to teach us some new jutsu sensei?”

“Hmp,” snorted Neji. “It’s obvious he’s going to give us one final test before we are accepted into the ranks of genin.” He stared coolly up at the sky, and tried to keep his gloating to a minimum.  “I do wonder if all of us are going to pass?”

“Another test?” Lee blurted out. “Didn’t we just take the graduation exam?”

Guy laughed a great belly laugh and pointed casually at Neji. “Well, now, it looks like someone in the Hyuga compound has been talking about Konoha’s secret testing trials.” Neji scowled and turned his head away. “Don’t you worry Neji-kun, I admire your information gathering abilities. For you are correct. There is a long standing tradition of having one final exam...”

“But Guy-sensei...” started Tenten, glancing at Lee.

“... I however do not believe in holding such a test. Weeding out candidates with such a surprise audit is against my ninja way. I am a firm believer that with enough hard work and youthful passion any obstacle can be overcome. I refuse to reject any student who is willing to learn by my side and try their hardest, no matter what any silly test says.” Lee was staring up at his new sensei with wide eyed adoration. “So, let’s begin our first day together with a little team building exercise.”

“Yes, Guy-sensei!” yelled Lee, bounding to his feet.

“What sort of Team building exercise?” asked Tenten.

Neji shuddered as his new sensei struck a heroic pose which did nothing to hide his spandex clad behind. “We’ll start off with a short run, five kilometres should do it, and after that we’ll bang out two... no three hundred pushups. After that little warm up, we’ll start some real Team building.” He saw Tenten’s jaw drop. Even Neji himself was feeling a little perturbed. “Right! Let’s go!” yelled Guy. “The last one to finish has to do an extra fifty punishment pushups!”