Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

Protector	By : djserani Category: Naruto > Het - Male/Female Views: 1783 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, and I do not make any money from these writings.

Chapter List
- 34
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- 36
They moved through the house more quickly now, knowing the rooms were empty. Hinata moved with a determined air. She was sick of the fighting, sick of the uncertainty. She would end this, and it would end now.
As they came around the last corner before the dojo the saw him. Mondai stood, proud and erect, daring her to do something. Behind him were three others she recognized from the leadership ceremony. Kukyo, Hanro and Hansa stood behind Mondai, as sure of themselves as everyone else they'd come across that day.
Hinata glanced at Neji. He smiled, the small twist of his lips more frightening than any other expression at that moment. "Mondai." Neji spoke quietly.
"Branch." Mondai's face reflected his disdain. "Not even good enough to confront us on your own. You need your little friends to help you."
Hinata heard Tenten growl in the background and she could feel the tension rolling off of the others. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. Let him taunt them. That was that much less mercy they would show.
She saw the grip on Neji's sword tighten just barely. He didn't need it. But it was a privilege to use such a weapon. His hands were probably deadlier when fighting in the Gentle Fist style. The difference is that he could wield the sword of the leader.
She turned back to Mondai. "Hmm�" she paced forward a couple of steps. "If being branch is an excuse for not being as good�" she threw a wink over her shoulder at Neji, "then what is your excuse?" She raised an eyebrow, as if she was truly expecting an answer.
What she got was the three behind him dropping into the first stance. "Oh, I see. You need your followers, too." She nodded. "Tell me," she turned her eyes to Kukyo, "what has he promised you for your allegiance?" She didn't expect an answer and they didn't give one.
She paced back the other way, the very image of a caged tiger anxious to go after its prey. "You do not have to die for him. You can walk away now; join the others outside the compound." She turned to face them once more. "But I promise you, that unless you walk away now, you won't walk away at all."
She looked from one face to the next. None of them seemed willing to defy Mondai, and yet none seemed quite as sure of themselves as they were at first. She nodded. "As you wish." She raised her sword, slowly and aimed it at Mondai. As he dropped into the first Gentle Fist crouch, Hinata felt Neji tense and her friends behind her start to move. "They receive no quarter." If her friends reacted to her words, she didn't see it.
Mondai, of course, showed no reaction, but the three behind him seemed to realize just what they'd gotten themselves into. "Leave Mondai to Neji and me." Her words were quiet, deadly. She stalked toward him, Neji next to her, their friends went around toward the other three. As she continued her casual stroll, she felt the first of Tenten's kunai fly past her head and land in the shoulders of two of Monadai's followers, the breeze from them stirring her hair.
Without realizing it, they'd made it to the doorway of the dojo. Mondai smiled, an eerie and unnerving sight. There was something else happening here, but they could do nothing else except continue after him. He backed slowly into the dojo, and that's when they realized that there were several more inside.
Hinata never saw the first of the strikes. Pain exploded into the side of her head and she saw stars. Gathering her strength, she turned and placed her own palm into his shoulder, pushing the chakra through her hand. Surprise was etched on his face, but he recovered quickly.
She pushed further into the room and they were joined by Naruto, Lee and Tenten. Sai was still out in the hall; they heard one more thud and he slipped in behind Neji. It was a bit disheartening to see so many in the dojo, ready to face her and Neji. A quick count showed them outnumbered almost three to one.
Now was not the time for the regret. It was down to them or the rest of the clan. Shoving her feelings aside to be dealt with later, she dodged the next blow and spun with her sword, slicing him from shoulder to hip. She fought the bile that threatened to overwhelm her and turned to face the rest of the room.
Neji had killed another and was dodging the strikes of a third, this one a branch member. She couldn't imagine what he must be feeling right now. Shuriken flew over their heads to land in the chests of two more. Hinata was grateful that Tenten was keeping her word and staying back.
Sai was engaged with another and Lee was busy dodging the gentle fist strikes while throwing many of his own. Naruto had already pulled out his rasengan, but the space in the dojo was not enough for everyone to fight easily. Hinata caught Neji's eye and he sheathed both of their swords. She stepped back and they fell into their formation.
The look of shock on Mondai's face would have been comical, if there weren't already too many who'd died for all of this. The new motion seemed to confuse his followers for a moment. They glanced around at each other for the briefest of seconds.
One fool decided they weren't afraid and started in. Hinata's palms flew, and neither felt a single strike as the one she remembered as Jiko tried to land a hit. Neji moved around her and in no time, Jiko was on the ground. Another, Muzukashii this time, tried succeed where Jiko failed, but he, too, quickly dropped.
In just a few short minutes, the floor of the dojo was covered in bodies. A quick check showed Lee's face bleeding, Naruto was sporting a couple of spots that would bruise nicely and Sai was holding his left arm. She and Neji, thankfully, were fine. But she couldn't see Tenten and alarm slithered down her spine.
"Where's Tenten?" Hinata would not panic. She couldn't. But she wanted to.
A squeak that came from the corner of the room had her turning to see Mondai with Tenten held in front of him. Lee went to launch himself at Mondai, but Naruto grabbed him at the last second. "No. We can't get a clear shot yet."
"Let her go. Now you would hide behind someone else?" The anger in Neji's voice belied his calm stance.
Mondai eased around the wall of the dojo, stepping over the clansmen he'd pulled into his personal war, not even giving them a glance as he dragged Tenten over them. Carefully keeping her in front of him so that they couldn't get a hit in without risking her, he made it to the doorway. Backing out, they followed him until he was on the other side of the hallway, and easing through the doorway to the outer practice yard.
Tenten's eyes were huge. She struggled as much as possible, but he just squeezed his arm against her throat, effectively cutting off her air and keeping her from being able to fight. She stopped fighting him, and dropped her body in an attempt to get him to let go. "Stop it!" He growled at her and sqeezed again. She choked and coughed, and Hinata had had enough. She stepped forward, raising her hands toward Mondai.
"I am not going to try fighting you when I'm outnumbered. I'm not stupid. " He glared at Hinata and backed up a few more feet.
"Let her go and I'll fight you alone." Hinata's voice was quiet, the panic almost overwhelming.
Mondai laughed at her. "You? No, I don't think so. Your reputation precedes you and, as much as I'm loathe to admit it, you very likely would get the best of me." He sneered. "No, I'll fight him." He nodded his head in Neji's direction.
"Very well." She stood and bowed. "Let her go. Now."
Mondai shoved Tenten away from him and Hinata caught her. Using what medical jutsu she knew, she tried her best to heal her throat. "Get her out of here, Sakura's at the front gate."
Lee scooped her up, but turned back to Hinata. "But what about you? Hinata-chan, you are in too much danger."
She shook her head. "I can't leave him. We'll be fine. Go." She turned back to Mondai and Neji, who were now circling each other in the yard.
She stood back, watching them. Neji hadn't drawn his sword yet, preferring instead to stay with his Gentle Fist. He dropped into the first stance, waiting. Mondai circled him once more, before twisting on his feet to make the first strike.
Neji dodged it easily, parrying with a strike of his own. Mondai made no noise, but he shook his arm as if trying to shake off the hit. Another jab at Neji, and another parry and they danced around each other, their hands flying. Hinata activated her Byakugan again to be able to follow the fight easier.
Neji took a hit to the shoulder and he swept his leg to try to unbalance Mondai. The elder man seemed to be much more lithe on his feet than he'd let on and he easily side-stepped it. Hinata remembered that, in his day, Mondai had been a pretty good shinobi. The exact circumstances surrounding his leaving the ninja corps weren't clear, but she suspected he didn't take well to authority. And not in the Naruto way.
They rotated around one another again, Neji's hands flying so fast even Hinata with Byakugan couldn't keep up with them, but Mondai was dodging easily. If something didn't happen soon, Neji would start to get a bit tired.
* * *
He couldn't keep taking hits. He was trying to lull him into a false sense of security. He needed him to slip up. He really didn't want, in the end, to kill him. He wanted, no needed, him to answer for the death and destruction today. For hurting Tenten. For risking the clan children, for risking their children. Dying would be too easy.
He struck again, waited for the answering hit and stumbled. The look of surprise and delight on Mondai's face was what he was waiting for. His eyes flicked to Hinata for a fraction of a second and she knew. He turned back to Mondai and allowed him to hit once more, sending Neji to his knees.
Hinata stood and moved behind Mondai who, by this time, was too focused on Neji to notice. Mondai formed the hand signs, raised his right hand and aimed his first fingers at Neji's forehead. Neji screamed and curled in on himself.
* * *
That was Hinata had been waiting for. She screamed. "NEJI!!!!" She ran to Neji's side, showing every indication that she was scared of what was going on. Instead, while Mondai was gloating, she focused her chakra, stood and took out the chakra points in both arms in one fluid motion.
Mondai stood, arms uselessly hanging at his sides, staring at Hinata. "You lied!" His face red from exertion and anger, the spittle flying from his mouth.
Hinata calmly nodded. Then, to Mondai's amazement, she smiled and Neji stood up as if nothing had happened. His wide eyes moved from Hinata to Neji and back again. "What's this?! How?!!"
Neji smiled and unsheathed his sword, then handed Hinata hers. He drew one sleeve across his forehead, wiping away the false seal. "I am no longer branded."
Mondai stared, comprehension dawning. "You were never disabled, were you?" He looked to Hinata who stood to Neji's side, her sword drawn. "You�you�removed it?! Do you have any idea what kind of ruin you would bring to the clan?"
Hinata scoffed. "As if you have the good of the clan in mind. How can you do this -" she waved her hand around at the fire, the almost-destroyed houses and the death surrounding them. "How can you orchestrate something like this and claim to want what's best for the clan? Nothing I or Neji do would come even close!"
She paused to try to calm herself. "Give me one reason - ONE - to not kill you here and now."
Mondai looked from one to the other and seemed to realize just how precarious his life was in that moment. "I�" his mouth closed with an audible snap. He bowed his head, the picture of contriteness.
"Never mind, I don't want to hear it. I couldn't, for one moment believe anything that came out of your mouth, anyway." Hinata paced, the pent up tension and anger at his careless violence raging through her body.
"Hyuuga-sama." He stopped at the look she threw over her shoulder at him.
"I will let the Hokage deal with you. Death is too easy." And with that, she turned her back on him and waved a hand. Three ANBU jumped into the yard, having been waiting and watching on the wall.
Mondai stared, once more, at Hinata. "Please, Hyuuga-sama�" he turned his pleading face to Neji. "Neji-sama�" Neji turned his back as well, took Hinata's hand and they headed for the front of the compound as the ANBU escorted him in the other direction.
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