stronger than i was yesterday

[hiyaaku]

by simple laws of supply and demand mental health should be the costliest purchase from khajit

⤷ renascence / intelligence +1

[hiyaaku]

Perhaps you drew the short straw, or perhaps a buddy asked you to take their early morning patrol, either way, you’ve been walking in a circle for what feels like hours, checking the walls and early warning seals for any sign of tampering. Now, on what feels like your hundredth loop, something seems odd... (Intelligence +1)

Despite apparently being granted a return to his usual role of the watchful eyes of any mission, Neji isn't actually paying attention on patrol today.

Not for lack of trying; while he stubbornly drags his gaze away every time he catches himself, time and time again that same gaze finds itself fixed, not on his surroundings, but on the side profile of his partner in this early morning mission.

Shikamaru, whom he'd known as a genius from when they were all genin, in a different way from how he himself had been known at the same time. But while he'd fully succumbed to the trap within the very first task of their mission, the same could not be said of the current chunnin.

"When we were in the stomach of the beast, during the Exams." When he could no longer hide his staring, Neji starts, brows deeply furrowed in consternation, "How were you able to stay unaffected?"

It had been a genjutsu, sure, but as far as he could tell, none of them had realized it while trapped within. This is another problem, as his Byakugan should have been able to detect it, and hadn't, but it doesn't discount his question.

"You must've been able to do something I couldn't," he presses, abandoning the pretense of walking along the patrol path altogether, instead coming to a standstill facing the other Konoha nin.

Tell me what I'd done that wasn't enough.

@deercove

[foxboundwill]

everybody's pickin' up on that feline beat

cat wrangling w/ @hiyaaku

[foxboundwill]

Oh hell yeah, they get to leave now- WHAT? "What do you MEAN we can't take her back without her bow?!?!" And to top it all off, Neji says some weird crap about his Byakugan not working, and to be frank, Naruto doesn't buy it at all. Scrutinizing eyes survey him from head to toe, then back up again, and... an injury from a mission? Hah. As if something like that would hold Neji back-- Naruto's been on the receiving end of his ire on several occasions, and he knows that man well enough to know that nothing would stop him. "NUH UH! NO WAY! You're just sayin' that so I have to go crawling through the bushes and you don't!" He crosses his arms over his chest as he huffs, narrowed eyes flitting over to the bushes. There's thorns in there, but they weren't as sharp as Tora's claws.... but he knows he's lost this argument before it even begins, and Naruto can do nothing but sulk and throw his arms up in the air before stomping over to the foliage in question. He does stop to throw a nasty look over his shoulder, though. "I won't forget this, -ttebayo!" And for good measure, he sticks out his tongue and slaps his butt dramatically. If he could fart in his general direction, he would. "Fine. FINE. I've got this. No problem. Let's see...." He can't see shit. So only one thing to do, and he disappears into the greenery as he drops to his knees and shuffles around. Every so often, a curse or an 'OW' that emanates from the shadows-- and his hands card through the leaves and dirt in an attempt to find the thing. But... from what he can see, there's nothing even close to resembling a bow down here. "Neji! Hey! I don't see it down here! I'm lookin' and it's just-- leaves. And dirt. And some more leaves." The dawning realization that this may be much, much longer of a mission than he wanted causes him to let out something that sounds like a choked sob as his head pops up above the hedge. ".... It's not here. Seriously." @hiyaaku

[hiyaaku]

Neji could ignore Naruto's retorts, the childish gestures coming from someone not even two years his junior. He could ignore the annoying, borderline-humiliating feeling of standing on the side of the road holding a jacketful of demon cat, passersby looking around in curiosity at the writhing bundle. He could ignore that this is simultaneously the most insultingly basic and yet irritatingly difficult mission he's been sent on this month.

He could ignore all that only by the thought that, at least, the mission will be over soon.

That thought shatters when Naruto's head emerges again.

"Did you even look properly??" The retort is quick and harsh, and Neji heads over to the bushes, shoving the bundle back into Naruto's hands impatiently before brushing past him. If Naruto isn't going to take this seriously… He stares down at the solid block of shrubbery below him.

Neji is, by the accounts of many in the village, a prodigy. From a very young age, he'd been able to utilize the Byakugan at will, barring extremely small stretches of time when he had been fully incapacitated or desperately low on chakra. Most of those times, however, were spent either in the hospital or at home, on bed rest, not crawling around bushes trying to find a very small piece of fabric amongst the greenery.

To wit, Neji has never, in his entire life, had to search for something without the aid of his bloodline limit. And within about ten seconds, he realizes that this is not as easy as he might have imagined. How non-Hyuugas manage this, he has no idea, but any potential respect he might have gained from this realization is quickly negated by the frustration of being unable to find the last piece of their mission.

What color even is the bow? It'd been red the last time he'd caught her, but that was, again, four years ago. Actually, from the moment Naruto had sprinted forward towards the cat, all Neji had ever seen was an angry, brown blur.

"…Was the bow even on the cat to begin with?" he turns and asks slowly, eyes narrowed, and leaves the prompted followup of, is this even the right cat, an unspoken, chilling implication.

[hiyaaku]

we can only be human together

⤷ mission board: convocation | any skill +1

[preciouskazekage]

"ah-" gaara isn't careless; at least he likes to believe so. intention laces every movement and grain of sand he has chosen to move. neji's reaction, the look on his face, tells gaara he shouldn't have done that. his brows pinch together and his lips slightly downturn. he should apologize; would neji even want it?

the bandits, anything to pull his mind from what business is currently mingling within his mind.

"weaponry and physical strength." when his own jutsu's refused him, such things actually mattered to him. gaara narrows his eyes as they move from neji's hand up to his eyes. "i'm sorry."

[hiyaaku]

"No, it's fine. There's nothing you need to apologize for." The apology shouldn't even be for him. He'd been the least distressed out of his entire team to hear the extent of the damage, back then, and when he'd finally managed to come around, Lee had been out of the worst danger.

Still, Gaara's confirmation does set him at ease, or as much as he could be given the unprecedented circumstances. In a battle of pure taijutsu, he will not go down easily to any petty bandit. Really, the true problem is only his lack of foresight in the moment.

"It would be best if we could speed up through this area, though," he motions to the road in front of them, tone quiet enough for only Gaara to hear, "The dense forest makes it a prime spot for ambushes."

Even a step closer makes the merchants glance back at him once more, and Neji pauses.

"It might be better for you to address them, given they're your citizens."

[theweaponsmistress]

this job wasn't set in stone

mission board: convocation — +1 to strength

[theweaponsmistress]

Tenten was a little annoyed. Cause what the heck happened to the mission? But they were already here, so why not help out a little bit? Plus, it would be like a different type of training she supposes. So why not? Tenten arrived and smiled as she heard Neji's words and couldn't help the chuckle.

"That's true," she says as she puts her hands on her hips and lets out a soft sigh, "but look at it this way. We're helping the village out, and getting super buff at the same time." she points out with a smile. "And honestly, we survived Gai-sensei and Lee's antics. This can't be anymore embarrassing then that." she jokes fondly with a laugh and a shrug of her shoulders.

Tenten nods her head, her mind already going a mile per hour. "Let's get to work then, hm?" Tenten asks before pulling out her scroll and summoning some tools that they'll need. Helping instruct Neji on what to do while handling her own fair share of the work as well.

[hiyaaku]

The work itself wasn't difficult, motions quickly falling into a comfortable rhythm as they polished the stone, working off the rougher edges while mindful of the details on the faces. For a few minutes, there were only the sounds of the tools scraping rock, until Neji spoke, gaze still focused on the work before him.

"It's been a while since the four of us have been on a mission, all together."

Between his increased workload as a jōnin and whatever Guy-sensei and Lee had gotten into, the four of them hadn't been in the same place at the same time for at least a few months. And while Neji didn't consider himself sentimental by any means, even he had to admit it's a far cry from their younger days, where they spent nearly every day training together.

It was a natural part of getting older and stronger, he supposed. To have the whole team on a mission nowadays, it would have to be a matter of utmost importance and urgency.

"How is your training routine lately?" Neji asked after another pause. There was always ample chance to apply his skills whenever he was sent out of Konoha, but whatever training time he carved out for himself these days was almost always within the confines of the Hyuuga manor.

[ofsands]

faster than lightning

mission board: convocation — any skill +1

[ofsands]

There is something thick hanging in the air. A storm is brewing; Temari can sense it. The clouds above roil, dark, ready to spill over, and she sees the first flash of it.

This should be a good one, especially with the woods of Konoha acting as lightning rods. The woods would be dangerous. Good.

She's about to set off on her own, but she recognises one of the men in front of her. Of course she'd remember him; she had easily defeated one of his teammates, and Gaara had eagerly crushed the other. A part of her still winces at the memory, but this is the nature of the chuunin exams. If she's over it, as should he be.

"You." She tilts her head at him. "I want to see what you can do for myself." And not as he's pummelling others. "Train with me; I want to see who of us can dodge the lightning for the longest."

@hiyaaku

[hiyaaku]

Neji is not the escort to the entire team of Sand envoys, but when Temari approaches, he stands at polite attention anyway. There are any number of things she could need, and he might just be the closest Konoha nin available at the moment.

This is, evidently, an incorrect assumption. As though perfectly timed, thunder claps loudly outside the window the moment she finishes her proposition, and the next flash of lightning illuminates the surprise on Neji's expression.

"You… you want us to go out and risk getting struck by lightning?" There's really no good way to ask that without sounding incredulous, and undiplomatically so, but he doesn't think his reaction is unjustified.

"If you or any delegate from the Sand Village end up getting badly injured on my sole watch, it would be negligence on my part," he finally says after a pause to grasp at the right words. He doesn't remember much about Gaara's sister, except that she'd fought and defeated Tenten all those years ago. He had kind of expected her to be less rash, though.

[hiyaaku]

You blink, once or twice. Your vision is as clear as ever, but the area surrounding the mountain remains as obscured as the intentions for this exam. You haven’t yet figured out who it’s all for, or what. There’s a deep fatigue that you haven’t felt in some time, and an equal relief - a byproduct of the jutsu from before? Or is it that call to the past that your mind has not been able to let go of?

The world around you shimmers. You aren’t sure when that began, the delicate way the air misted, staticky and flickering with every step down the mountain path and through the woods to return to the village whence you had come. Are you tired? The day has been long, longer than you could count, because deep down you aren’t sure if it has been a day, or longer, a week, weeks, exactly how many hours that you had lost in that lonely wilderness, in the dark and empty halls of the academy, in the presence of something beyond this world’s ken.

You yawn, stifled or exaggerated, and it’s in that moment that you find yourself distracted from the stuttering glass crack in the forest at your flank. But then it happens again, a flicker of light reflected out of the corner of your eye.

Where is the light coming from?

The sun still has not risen.

You turn, and the darkness warps, fractures, splits the treeline and the very air, a clean line that scatters the landscape into an abstract of millions of shapes. After a moment, the space straightens, corrects itself.

You have one final choice to make.

>>Select one: >The watchful’s job is never complete. Investigate the anomaly in the woods… or >Your mind is playing tricks on you. Return to the village, and get some much needed rest.

Peace is within reach.

An echo of that promise tickles the back of his mind, one that Neji staunchly ignores. Whatever had happened in the belly of that beast had been a mistake on his part, a slip in his usual surefooted confidence when approaching missions. The fact that at least one of their number had never once been affected is only proof that it could've been fought, and he had just neglected to do so.

So he fights against the suggestion of fatigue, even as his gaze — reduced now to their normal field of vision — scans the surroundings. As much as he wanted to, he could not keep up Byakugan forever.

So when he catches the twisting of the air, it is only in a single instant, without any of the information that he could've otherwise gleaned. Frowning at the space that had shattered in the corner of his vision, the echo of the song seems to grow stronger for an instant, crooning for him to turn away, to leave that one last stone unturned.

Still, Neji trusts his own eyes more than anything, and it is with that conviction that he retreads his steps back towards the edge of the trees.

> The watchful’s job is never complete. Investigate the anomaly in the woods…

[hiyaaku]

What is it he wished for? It's a sentiment that should be held close to the chest and sheltered by hands called to its purpose. The summit and the fluffy clouds that blanketed it are suddenly replaced by verdant leaves. All that's missing is the birds that seemed intent on making them suffer any sort of humiliation. Itachi looks at the boy across from him; Kakashi's words strike him momentarily.

"You aren't harmed?"

Despite everything, they are both still covered in sparkles.

This fact makes the proctor's explicit instruction against harming his teammate even more infuriating, and Neji levels his best, most withering glare towards the direction of that voice, finally focusing on the man's face with his natural vision.

A part of him had been worried that, if he let up on his Byakugan for too long, he would lose access to it again, but keeping it up for what felt like multiple days (even if it wasn't really) is unmistakably tiring.

Even when the first words out of Itachi's mouth are nothing of what he'd expected, Neji's glare doesn't let up.

"I didn't think one of Konoha's most infamous missing-nin would be concerned over other people's well-being," he retorts. His generation might've been young when the Uchiha Massacre happened, but they'd definitely been aware of it, and of its perpetrator. He'd been under the impression that Itachi would never be able to step foot in the village again without triggering responses from Konoha's finest, but here he is, even in his current disheveled state, and no one has sounded the alarm yet.

If this is some sort of takeover attempt from Itachi and his allies, it was so badly structured that it teeters on the edge of incomprehensible and impossibly genius. Everyone, Lady Tsunade included, had just let these people coexist with them while going through the past few tasks, and the collective loss of powers can't even be the full explanation for that.

"You never answered my question of what you're trying to accomplish in Konoha," he says, aware that whatever answers the other spouts will likely be nowhere close to the truth.

[dishonestly-loyal]

the eyes of the wise stay forward || itachi & neji

katabasis week 3 - akagahara forest

[dishonestly-loyal]

Not that far is it? Then it's best to do it now.

The mirror turns, opening the way outside of the dream for you, Neji cannot follow, asleep as he is but you step out into the cavern, noticing that the proctors are now sat on two corners of the pentagon, meanwhile, Hatake Kakashi walks towards you, stretching his legs after being sat to maintain the dream for so long. Your feet will not allow you past the ring of Spider Lilies yet, and now you have time to interact with Hound.

Itachi walks to the very edge of the Spider Lilies and maintains a deep focus on his face. He would beckon him closer if that would do anything, but he asks: "When do you plan on waking everyone else, or is this part of the "mission" too?"

"Maa~ I'm not a proctor Weasel, and you're not quite as sick of home as others claim. When you all wake is up to them, I'm merely here to... help my adorable little kouhai." He doesn't seem afraid of the others overhearing, infact you get the sense that he's here of his own violation, yet there remains limits on what he can tell you before the gaze of the two women turns from amused to... concerned

His brow twitches, the tip of his foot taps against the ground and he closes his eyes. "Well."

He isn't ignorant to the situation, far from it if this is how the man has decided to help. A momentary swallow of pride, he attempts to extend his hand out beyond the ring of lilies.

Your hand feels cold and yet the familiar Jounin tilts his head in amusement at your efforts as the ring merely expands in response. You've heard of them before, those that excel in traps and clearly one of the two proctors have come well prepared for any scenario. "You won't get out of that until they're ready Itachi, not even the Sharingan can handle the shifts when she gets involved with her full attention. I tried."

He tried...? Ah. A light amused huff escapes his nose. "Then you can make sure it's not her full attention." His own stakes in this are low. The target is stuck just as much as they all are.

The sparkles on his skin are annoying, the smell he's already beginning to mentally tune out. "The descent will be no easier." It's a question despite his even tone.

"Perhaps, perhaps not, we both know that your training covered the unexpected." He's chosen to purposely ignore your request to help cheat whatever scheme they've cooked up before you notice that Higanbana has stood to walk towards what you can make out to be Sasori and Ino, a raven soaring forward before it too falls to sleep inside the circle, as for what you cannot tell. "Time's up, I'd rest if I were you, Ja Ne~" The harp strums loud as you feel sleep call to you once again, a piece of almost vital information acquired

Itachi's eyes catch into the bird just as it falls into unconsciousness.

When he returns, he finds himself simply staring at the boy next to him.

[hiyaaku]

There's a jerk to Itachi's movements, sudden and unnatural, between the span of one breath and another, and the man's eyes are suddenly fixed on him in a way that makes the hair on the back of his neck stand up in alarm. Quietly, he palms another senbon; it wouldn't be wise to get too close while unsure of their disparity in power, but an attack is not out of the question.

And when they get to the summit, it's more likely than not that there will be more Konoha nin there. And given the proctors have been able to use their powers so far...

Not that far now. Should just be through these bushes—

Suddenly a conspiracy of ravens shoots down from the sky, circling Itachi. It seems almost like Higanbana is suspiciously annoyed at Akatsuki members in particular thanks to how viciously they peck at your skin. Perhaps it has something to do with what was seen previously

He jolts back, fully turning just in time to get a full view of the birds descending upon Itachi in a frenzy, pecking at the red stains upon him. They clear as soon as they come, leaving a man even more disheveled than before and clearly without his usual abilities.

"...Heh." Neji is generally not one for mocking his enemies in battle, but in this case, the smirk comes naturally and to a deserved target.

He offers no further acknowledgement, instead turning back towards the path, leading the way towards their destination.

—end!

[dishonestly-loyal]

the eyes of the wise stay forward || itachi & neji

katabasis week 3 - akagahara forest

[dishonestly-loyal]

what?

The fact that he gave it over to begin with is baffling, but what part of this is his fault?

Tanamo skips forward to take the senbon, depositing it somewhere before turning her gaze back to the Man that has tried to grasp her. "Weasel-Kyun~ There's tomatoes in one of these~"

He's beginning to think this is less of an exam and more of a test of the proctor's ill placed comedy. Making this any more complicated is a pain, but it's ill advised to be stripping themselves of their weapons like this. If anything happens - he will simply make sure it doesn't.

Tanamo takes your peace offering... not before leaning in nice and close to whisper into your ear. "Hound was so so disappointed in you, try not to disappoint the rest of us."

"Why waste the hope? Are there not enough promising shinobi?" The remark bites as he at least reels in the irritation setting in to his expression.

She doesn't respond as she skips away, and yet... you notice it soaring through the air far too late, the accursed bomb that is either glitter, spandex or tomatoes

Boom! You are suddenly covered... in rotten tomatoes, they stink, and they make you a magnet for all manner of birds.

"..." Was that his fault too? He doesn't say it out loud(as if they need more tension) but he doesn't say quietly slip free from his foul smelling coat.

[hiyaaku]

Oh, Neji's glad he stepped out of the way. The sight of Uchiha Itachi, of all people, covered in rotten tomatoes is all but sufficient to convince him that the other had also lost access to his powers. Because, criminal or otherwise, what self-respecting shinobi would take that if they had any kind of choice?

The proctor disappears with their weapons, leaving him with an unsettled feeling. Wire, senbon, kunai. Handing weapons over to the enemy isn't exactly in their best interests on a battlefield, and he surreptitiously glances into his pouch at his remaining supplies, before fixing Itachi with a sidelong glance sharpened by the veins of the Byakugan.

(There's not much it can tell him here, but that is something the other really doesn't need to know.)

"The summit's not that far," he says curtly, pulling ahead of the other while keeping him in his field of vision.

[dishonestly-loyal]

the eyes of the wise stay forward || itachi & neji

katabasis week 3 - akagahara forest

[dishonestly-loyal]

"If they were capable of that, it would be done." This isn't that kind of test though he's not sure what category exactly he'd fit this one into. "Ju-"

Hm. What debt could he have incurred? Wary is he with much to lose and Itachi hums as he takes a step forward.

Then two. Then three.

You reach to grab for her before suddenly, to the left and right you notice ANBU on both sides of you, with Katana's raised against your throat. "Do you really want to continue... Traitor to the Will of Fire?"

By the time his hand has reached just before Tanamo's arm, he feels a set of swords at his throat.

Itachi stares at her. Of course not would be the time both Deidara and Sasori were nowhere nearby but maybe it's for the better. He doesn't drop his half outreached hand, only looks off to the side, wondering if he can find another of those ravens, not that he much needs a second round of glittering. "If I do or don't, isn't it an inconvenience either way?"

"Hah! He learns for once!" Yet they don't move, instead looking to Tanamo to gauge her reaction as to the implied threat before she shrugs, holding up two of her wire wrapped latest creations as if threatening a reapeat of what you've already seen. "Hyuga-hyun~ If you get hit with these that glitter will last for a month~ Or maybe these are the spandex ones, who knows?" You realise now, at the mention of spandex that the reason she never made Jounin is that pesky sanity requirement~

A month? Spandex? Itachi raises an eyebrow and his gaze falls over to "Hyuga-hyun" curiously. What kind of threat was that?

[hiyaaku]

In every moment before this, the thought that this is an exam, not a mission with real stakes, had been a comforting one. No threat on their life would truly come to pass unless they made a profound mistake, and even the suspicious shinobi from out of the village, Itachi included, had been fairly cooperative so far.

Not so with this threat. Precisely because this exam is not a mission with real stakes, the threat becomes immensely, terrifyingly real, and the two faces that flash before his mind's eye drives him into immediate motion.

Neji whips out a senbon from his pouch. If the proctor had been interested in shiny objects before...

"Take it, then," he says, and maybe his voice comes out in a rush unbefitting of a jōnin under pressure, but so what?? No actual enemy will go around threatening him with that, and he's already covered in glitter. There's only so much humiliation he can take in one day, and this entire ordeal has been a disaster from the moment he'd been paired with the missing-nin, one he can't even attack without ascertaining the amount of strength the other has.

"This is all your fault," he can't help but add towards Itachi, moving several steps away as the ANBU surround him. He can't even ascertain whether these are real people, mere bunshin or even just illusions, with the entire mountainside shimmering in chakra bright enough to hide the outlines of anyone around him.

[dishonestly-loyal]

the eyes of the wise stay forward || itachi & neji

katabasis week 3 - akagahara forest

[dishonestly-loyal]

Oh. Oh. Itachi watches the Hyuga a bit curiously now. Her have far less problems if he allowed that to happen as it might have. At least in the short term. The head he has on his shoulders is good and his eyes...

The ravine is already prepared for but what is not is the fix not the shattering nor-

Kakashi. One too many familiar faces reside in the center of this formation and for a moment, his eye flinches. When the cavern gives way to verdant flora, he looks back over and sees the bird once more.

This time he will not let it go.

When he grabs the bird, it feels unusual.

You grasp the bird a little too tightly, until suddenly you realise the laughter is back again, louder. "Weasel-kun~ Don't tell me you thought that Tanamo is the only one that likes to make things... Explode"

Pesky. "One less thing to worry about."

With a hiss, the Henge'd Kagebunshin suddenly Explodes in a cloud of glitter, Tanamo's work no doubt and yet it's still annoying as the force of the explosive tag is slightly overtuned... or would that be undertuned for Tanamo's norms. Yet as fast as the Raven disappears, it reappears atop your head.

He can't come up to guard himself fast enough, to say nothing of the heat it exploded atop of. When another manifests, he holds his tongue. A thought to apologize runs across his mind before it's entirely snuffed out.

[hiyaaku]

Itachi lunges towards him, and instinct almost takes over for Neji to strike in retaliation before the bird is grabbed from atop his head. In the sudden pull from the illusion, he'd all but forgotten it was there.

(He can't be certain how wide the effects of the affliction are, and a part of him regrets never talking to the rest of the Konoha shinobi about it in his effort to downplay the problem. All he knows is Gaara and himself, and optimism has no place on the battlefield, and with the other's red eyes, their playing field is, at the very, very least, equal without any advantages offered to him. He had to avoid conflict with Itachi until he could be sure he won't be immediately overpowered.)

The raven explodes in both their faces, jolting Neji from his train of thought, and when he looks at the other man, he sees that the notorious missing-nin now looks... much less threatening. It would be amusing, if he wasn't certain he had suffered the same fate. And, well, if Itachi hadn't caused it to happen.

"I'd stay farther away if I were you," he says, trying for a mild tone that goes somewhat incongruously with the murderous glint in his eyes, "Even the famed Sharingan will be useless with your chakra sealed."

Not too long a distance down the path, something else rustles.

Tanamo skips into your field of view, waiting, yet the vest you saw earlier is replaced by dress once again, she does not speak but you know she's waiting for something. "Naughty naughty Hyuga-kyun! now you have to pay your debt!"

For a moment, Neji is stunned by the way she speaks, but knowing the likes of Ibiki, the special forces are full of oddities anyway. All the more reason to be wary of her, if these absurd mannerisms belie her true strength.

[dishonestly-loyal]

the eyes of the wise stay forward || itachi & neji

katabasis week 3 - akagahara forest

[dishonestly-loyal]

It's a small comfort to have some of the awareness he's grown accustomed too, but the world is never as clearly defined as he'd like to have it be. He almost deigns to answer the Hyuga's question but find it responded to for him.

Well, he doesn't disagree.

What he does disagree with is the spindly set of feet making their home in his head. That said, it has its uses.

Itachi reaches up and grabs hold of the bird.

Your hand curls tight around it, and yet you notice it's staring you directly in the eye as if egging you on to try something. It's owner is long silent now, so silent in fact that the only way to get information out of it would require more... unique methods.

Itachi keeps hold of the bird and stuffs it into his coat. "I will not lose track of who has captured who."

The raven is silent, yet below you all you can hear is laughter, as if you've fallen for a logical ploy. "Come, let us see if you remember the lessons taught to you." A pathway through the trees is now open to you, leading you further into the forest.

Hmph, regardless of the words of the small animal, he continues pressing forward. He doesn't need to be reminded.

[hiyaaku]

The sooner they can reach the top of the mountain, the sooner something can be done about the presence of Uchiha Itachi in the village. This thought soothes Neji's ire as the black bird once more finds its roost upon his head.

Ideally, the Konoha nin present would outnumber the odd strangers among them, whom Neji had assumed were merely foreign shinobi come to join the Chunnin exams but now seem to hold a grimmer possibility. Not to mention the disparity in power among the participants. And all that is without taking into account the fact that, according to the Kazekage, the restriction to their powers is far wider than an isolated issue.

Between keeping an eye on his partner and considering his options, it takes Neji much too long to notice the form of the earth before them.

"Stop!"

The foliage ahead looks completely normal to the naked eye, hiding the steep ravine that it crawls over like some sort of illusion. Neji bends, pressing his palm into the grass, seeing it ripple and warp against his touch.

(It's only several seconds later that he asks himself why he would bother to warn his 'mission partner', when allowing him to fall off the cliff unaware would be much preferred.)

It would be quickest to head through here, and the ravine is not so wide that they cannot traverse it with some aid. Withdrawing the roll of wire from his pouch, Neji measures out around ten meters, intending to wrap it around a heavy object to fling into the solid tree some distance ahead.

You hold the wire out, only to notice far too late the fox that darts out from somewhere. It's sharp teeth grab exactly 9.99M of wire as if that .01M is left there by it's mistress just to taunt you. It laughs happily, disappearing into the underbush before you can even attempt to stop it while Tanamo's amused, deranged laughter echoes. "Yay! Higanbana look look more wire for my toys~ The raven atop your head suddenly goes ramrod stiff, as all you can hear is an almost scared exclamation of "Tanamo, no!" before a loud bang echoes from the direction of Akagahara.

"Wh—" By instinct, he follows the fox, but only a few steps off the path, the sound of shattering glass fills his ears, and the world twists, the natural light of the forest replaced by shadows upon stone. A sea of spider lilies surround them, and in the center of the ring formed by the unconscious participants are the two proctors and Kakashi-sensei.

Your gaze falls on Kakashi who is currently sitting there amused, it seems as if the two proctors and their peculiarities are familiar to him while he's focused entirely on ensuring that none of you can wake up too early. You meet his gaze for a moment only to spot his finger coming up in a shushing motion, telling you not to speak. Among the sea of red spider lilies you notice that both you, and Shikamaru almost directly opposite have a trail of blue flowers

You notice that Tanamo is no longer in her dress, instead she seems to be clad in a garb that is all too familiar if you've spent time around clan heirs. There, for a split second you see a mark on her shoulder, one that denotes, or perhaps denoted her as a member of ANBU

At Kakashi-sensei's urging, Neji stays silent, but before he could make any other movements, the sound of a harp brings both of them back to the forest, conveniently on the other side of the ravine.

His eyes are immediately on Itachi once more, gauging whether the other man seems shocked by the turn of events.

[dishonestly-loyal]

the eyes of the wise stay forward || itachi & neji

katabasis week 3 - akagahara forest

[dishonestly-loyal]

The ploys here were steadily getting tiring. By itself, the forest offered little, but there is a skittering and scurrying beneath the surface that leaves his lips ever so slightly hard set.

The summit should be a reasonable task for anyone worth the cost of the kunai in their pocket. He at his side at least seems capable, but is that saying much?

A low, feminine voice echoes upwards from the flora, dangerous, familiar, "Konoha's treacherous little weasel comes home to roost."

"To see what trials have been creating such sorry shinobi." Nothing more. Nothing less. The question now is how does he break this one too.

"Of little concern to a traitor, we should burn that mark from your skin and bury you for it. No matter, you'll learn soon enough that all actions have consequences." With that, the creeping chill of Death's Embrace fades, as if her attention is turned elsewhere

He allows her to think as she will. Bemusement even seems to make itself a small little cot on the corner of his lips. The attention off of him allows him a moment of ease at least. If they take too long, he'll end up ashamed in himself too.

@hiyaaku

[hiyaaku]

The moment the mountainous forest unfurls around them at their arrival, Neji sees the face of the man who had been transported alongside him, telltale eyes and the slash across his headband painting a grim picture of his identity.

His voice, too, stirs Neji's memory of the village gates, and that suspicion is only accentuated when the flowers part around them, his own Byakugan focused on the raven that had appeared on the other side of the exposed trap, a bright outline of chakra suggesting this is no simple bird.

This is another one of this man's tricks, or even a summoned creature, the same sort of raven that had appeared to him when they had first crossed paths. Neji readies his stance for a potential fight.

"What are you trying to accomplish in Konoha?" he demands of the dangerous criminal standing mere feet away, but before the other could react, it is the raven who makes its response.

The raven you noticed is laughing at you, clearly whoever it is connected to is quite amused by the turn of events before it darts forward to land on your shoulder. "Hyuga-san, best not to waste your breath on him~" The feminine voice is clearly amused, amused enough for the raven to nest into your shoulder.

The boldness of the raven's action is as troubling as it is startling, and just as Neji reaches out to grasp at the bird, it flits upwards in a cloud of dark feathers.

The raven only barely escapes your grasp, instead soaring through the air to nest in the Hair of the man beside you without a care for the discomfort it may cause him. "Ah ah ah, no can do~"

This man is as much of a danger as the journey up the mountain will doubtlessly be, but Neji will not sit back and allow him to do as he pleases.

[theweaponsmistress]

Blink and You'll Miss It (Neji Won't)

Katabasis Week 2: Team Three. Tenten, Neji, Tsunade

[let-it-ride]

Finally, like a clear bell in ringing, clearing all fog of old memories and emotion, Neji's voice reaches her, "Lady Tsunade, through here."

Suddenly dragged back to the mission, the Hokage's eyes widen, just before narrowing again in focus. I can't believe I let me self zone out... I really must be losing my edge. Seeing the residue of chakra in the direction of the proctor, Tsunade assumes that Neji must have done something to the proctor, and by the sever lack of rushing footsteps, she imagines he was successful.

"Thank you, Neji. Good work today." Her lips raise slightly into a soft smile, before quickly lowering once more into a focused expression. She sends herself down the trapdoor, following in Tenten's footsteps.

@hiyaaku

[hiyaaku]

The Hokage has safely reached the exit.

Neji weighs this knowledge carefully in his mind as he watches her form disappear through the trapdoor. That, in and of itself, is the true marker of success for a mission like this; even if his own life were to be forfeit, at least the leader of the village managed to escape. Nothing else is quite as important. But still...

"Thank you," he finally says after she praises him once more, radio turned off and voice quiet enough that it might not have carried that distance.

This mission is far from a life-or-death situation, though, and so he doesn't immediately make his escape, instead staying crouched for a few more seconds within the dark space with his Byakugan trained upon the outline of the proctor. Something between curiosity and pragmatism tugging at him, he watches as the flow of her chakra returns completely to normal. She stays still for some time afterwards, though, as though waiting for another attack that he had no more need to make.

(He could, though. In an actual mission, if he had the need and the chance, he knows now that he can stun or kill someone at his choice.)

For now, thirty-seven seconds is how long it takes before the proctor's steps enter through the same hallway again, and Neji notes this for future reference, finally swinging himself down to join the others.

—end!

[theweaponsmistress]

Blink and You'll Miss It (Neji Won't)

Katabasis Week 2: Team Three. Tenten, Neji, Tsunade

[theweaponsmistress]

Tenten watches as Neji takes one of the scrolls and places it in the holder, and she does the same thing with hers. She sets one aside for Tsunade for whenever she arrives. "Wow, that's pretty cool," Tenten admits as she watches the stream of light. Although she was careful to make sure to shine the light where hopefully the proctor wouldn't notice, because Tenten was pretty confident that was something the proctor likely would eliminate them for.

Tenten smirks at Neji's words and she takes the pencils with a laugh. "My most mighty weapon yet," she jests as she takes the pencils. She crouches down to use them to work on the trapdoor, but instead of heeding Neji's advice she's standing right on top of it. Her feet spread pretty far apart. She eventually figures it out and manuevers the pencils to gracefully unlock the door, and just as Neji said the door slid open under Tenten. However Tenten had one of her feet placed on the wall, and was channeling chakra into it to stop herself from having a rather ungraceful plumet.

She gives Neji a cheeky grin.

"I'll go first, make sure the path is fine and that there are no traps." She says before she drops down. Pulling out a kunai just in case something shoots at her or something while using the light to navigate her way. Eventually she feels a breeze and smiles before speaking into her ear piece. "It leads to an exit. I'm getting out of here. Try not to have to much fun, you two."

There's a gate at the end that is locked, but using those same pencils Tenten is able to navigate the rather cheap and rusted looking lock and make her escape.

@let-it-ride

[let-it-ride]

Seeing Tenten escape gives the Hokage some comfort. Watching the younger generation succeed and grow is always heart warming, one of the most fulfilling parts of this position, even if it comes at the cost of many late nights.

Tsunade looks around, filled with a sense of off-putting nostalgia. These hallways usually filled with energy and life feel desolate and empty, yet in the silence there is a sense of peace. It has been too long since she has truly thought back to her school days.

In the back of her mind, a voice near by is filtered, their words swept away in the torrent of old memories. No matter what the voice says, no matter how close the exit is, something compels the Hokage to stay. Something tugging at her heart.

@hiyaaku

[hiyaaku]

Tenten heads out without any trouble, assuaging a part of Neji's worries. With his ability to predict the proctor's movements, it would be ideal if he could be the final one to make his exit, ensuring the stealth of their mission.

He'd thought, given the distance, that Lady Tsunade would surely arrive and enter the trapdoor long before the proctor, but her form slows down inexplicably, even as the proctor continues her steady path.

At this rate, they would enter the hallway at around the same time, and the Hokage would surely be discovered. Neji pauses for just a moment before reaching for the scroll, the string of chakra visible even through its holder. The face of the spider-nin, locked into the grotesque curse seal form, comes to mind again.

He is different now, though. This is no longer the last-ditch act of desperation from a dying genin, but a well-calculated attack, aiming to incapacitate. Just as the chakra string between them glows the brightest, with Komorebi about to set foot back into the hallway, Neji grabs hold of the connection, sending a pulse of his own chakra surging down the line.

The proctor's footsteps cease. At the same time, the outline of her chakra explodes with light, before gradually tapering down. Neji breathes a sigh of relief, just as the Hokage finally steps into the hallway.

"Lady Tsunade, through here," he urges, mindful that the proctor could begin moving again at any moment.

@let-it-ride

[theweaponsmistress]

Blink and You'll Miss It (Neji Won't)

Katabasis Week 2: Team Three. Tenten, Neji, Tsunade

[theweaponsmistress]

Tenten hears the advice and nods her head before realizing that they probably couldn't see her. "Affirmative." Making sure to grab the scroll holders, Tenten began making her way back to the hallway. Honestly, she didn't know what they could be useful for. But whatever it is? She figured it's better to have them just in case then to not have anything at all. Although part of her couldn't help but feel like they were planted. They were in such a convenient spot and weren't that hard to locate. Plus, most teachers are chunin. Why would a jonin scroll holder be left?

Still, Tenten wasn't going to question it. A gift horse and all that jazz, yeah?

She makes sure that she is quiet and careful as she walks to the hallway that they had first appeared in and sees Neji is already there (and Tsunade if they arrived at the same time). She smiles as she lifts the scroll holders. "Um... I found these? You think we're meant to put the scrolls in here or something?" Tenten asked as she looked at the holders and sighs.

"I hate puzzles," she mumbled lowly.

@let-it-ride

[hiyaaku]

Not too long after Tenten's voice comes through the earpiece, she emerges from the other classroom, holding up something that sparks Neji's memory from some time ago, a dangerous solo mission he'd taken on where information had to be quickly retrieved and deciphered.

"I've used something similar before," he tells her, taking one of the scroll holders and extracting his own scroll from his side, its glow stronger than before but still unfocused. Snapping the holder open, he continues.

"Some high-level scrolls have certain mechanisms that could be extracted with the right type of holder, but I think this one is for— there." With a soft click, the scroll snaps into place, and when twisted at just the right angle, a small hole opens from the top, focusing the light into a stronger beam.

Quickly glancing behind him to check that the proctor hadn't deviated from her path, he slides the trapdoor open again, stepping in with the confidence that his teammate will follow.

Armed with a steady light source, the farthest wall becomes visible to both pairs of eyes, three narrow indents hiding buttons too deep within the stone for any human hands to reach. Even a tool would need to be thrown at a high enough velocity, with high precision. Neji turns with a quirk of his lips.

"Well, this is more to your strength, isn't it?" He hands over the sharpened pencils — exactly three, how convenient — before taking a step away from the wall.

"You'll need to stand farther back, though. The false bottom will likely open right here." Neji toes out the outline along the ground, the thin sheen of the proctor's chakra curving along a particular area.

The light covers only a small area, and the indents are almost impossibly narrow, but he trusts Tenten's skills more than anyone else's.

@theweaponsmistress

[theweaponsmistress]

Blink and You'll Miss It (Neji Won't)

Katabasis Week 2: Team Three. Tenten, Neji, Tsunade

[theweaponsmistress]

Tenten comes out of her hiding spot. She lets out a sigh of relief before she looks around the room for anything to investigate. She nods her head as she makes her way towards the lecture podium in the room. She can remember all the times she had listened to her sensei's. Well... most of them. She won't lie, she fell asleep during plenty of Suzume's lessons. Tenten never had any interest in flower arranging after all.

She shook her head and reminded herself to maintain focus. And she ended up finding three scroll holders. She smiles fondly as she looks at them. Gosh, how she wished she had her scrolls right now. This would be the perfect place for them. But she bets a jonin like Neji probably would find some use for them.

@let-it-ride

[let-it-ride]

Gently pushing the door aside, the Hokage enters her rightful space. The dim dull light of the moon illuminates the room faintly. Though in its glow, the familiar room seems foreign. Everything is in its place, the chaotic papers and the new legislature. Despite this, a heavy weight sinks in Tsunade's stomach. Something about this room, familiar as it may be, is telling her gut something is off.

This is not her room. Not in the truest of senses.

She searches the room with careful disregard. Scanning desks and files for any useful information. A loose piece of paper catches her eye. It lies slightly protruding from a folder on a shelf. She scans it, "Jackpot."

Into the microphone, she quietly commands, "I found the floor plans. There seems to be a false bottom in the trapdoor Neji found earlier. We should rendezvous there."

@hiyaaku

[hiyaaku]

There is a staircase leading from the front entrance to this classroom, Neji remembers, and he is halfway out the door when Lady Tsunade's voice sounds from within the earpiece again, directing them back to the trapdoor that he had found earlier.

(Maybe he should've checked it more thoroughly, he thinks with a flash of disappointment towards himself.)

"Understood," is what he says, turning back immediately to cross the classroom with silent steps. Byakugan still trained on the proctor, he slips deliberately close to her on the other side of the wall, focusing away from the easily followed, bright outlines of chakra surrounding her body to her actual face.

Does she look bored, as though this task has no real consequences, or is she playing the part of the pursuer convincingly?

...Neither, as it turns out, and Neji frowns to himself as the proctor's face comes into sharp focus, eyes completely covered and lips set thin. No wonder she hadn't stopped to look into any of the classrooms; it seems she's hardly focused on her surroundings at all.

A faint blue glow of chakra flows from her being, more visible now that he is no longer focused on the bright silhouette. The glow crawls over the surrounding areas, faint enough to be missed but unmistakably hers.

This entire domain is under her control.

And just as his sight passes completely through the walls, so too does a single line of chakra link them, stopping at the scroll at his side. As she walks on, the line lengthens but holds fast.

Neji is reminded of that fight in the forest, all those years ago. That spider-nin of the Sound, who had brought him closer to death than he ever had been. His fingers hover over the thread of chakra, stretched as thin as the everything else, fragile enough to break, or even to send his own through the link with a single, lethal pulse— before relenting. Doubtlessly, the proctor will notice the link being broken, and if stealth is what they are being evaluated on, it would be best not to jeopardize the mission.

The moment she leaves the room, he slips from the door he had entered, returning to the trapdoor at the corner of the hall. With closer focus, he looks past the pitch darkness to see the outline of the crawlspace, a few indents on the wall that he hadn't given much thought to earlier. If there is a false bottom, it is hidden well, with no visible gaps. Confident that it will be some time before the proctor's return, he looks up, waiting for the others to arrive.

@theweaponsmistress