Chapter 261: Divine Heaven (1)
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Unlike what the Ninja had informed Raikage, the truth about Konoha Ninjas vs Bee was drastically different.
The five konoha squads, two from Root and the other three being Team Guy, Team Asuma, and Team Kurenai (that was being led by Kakashi), had simply come to talk to Killer Bee, but the latter had misunderstood— given the recent events.
These five squads have been following Neji's trails for a while now, and although it was a very hard job— given he moved by the air, they were lucky end up in a village close to the Cloud where the rumour had reached about a Konoha Nin defeating both Raikage and Killer Bee. The Konoha Ninjas naturally realised who the culprit behind this was, and had made their way to the Cloud Village in search for Neji or at least learn where he was heading towards now.
They had come across Killer Bee, the Eight Tails, before they could reach the Cloud though— which they deemed lucky at first, until Bee started to spout nonsense (rap) about how this was a Konoha ploy to begin with and how he wouldn't go down that easily this time around, before he attacked them all.
Kakashi didn't like this development. Killer Bee was known as a perfect Jinjhuriki throughout the ninja world, more so he was the Jinjhuriki of Gyuki, the second strongest Tailed Beast after the Nine-Tails. Neji may have shown that defeating two Nine Tails was easy, but that was only for him— everyone else wasn't so strong. Kakashi included.
The fight had escalated to Guy and Lee both entering sixth-gate, and the other elite Ninjas making very planned movements. They were winning, true, but it seemed that the battle would last longer than necessary— enough for backups to arrive.
If the Raikage came to Bee's aid, then the Konoha Ninjas were nothing but helpless.
However, Kakashi hadn't expected Sasuke of all people to arrive and aid them in defeating the Killer Bee. Kakashi could see just how much stronger the Uchiha boy had grown since the last time they met.
Yet…
"Sasuke,"
As Kakashi looked at Sasuke's cold Sharingans, turned into its Mangekyo form, he couldn't help but feel anger rush through his veins. It was rare for him to feel anger, let alone this much, but it was unavoidable given what Sasuke had done to gain those eyes.
He had struck Sakura with the intention to kill.
Using the same technique that Kakashi had taught him, the same technique that Kakashi used to kill Rin.
"How dare you!"
Kakashi ran straight to the boy, and even as his former student used Itachi's signature Jutsu, Amaterasu, Kakashi didn't flinch as he utilised his Kamui, far better than he had even been able to (thanks to Neji), and dispersed the blackflame.
Kamui was his trump card. He hadn't used it against Killer Bee since it was too lethal and may kill the rapper, and therefore throw Konoha and Kumo in a state of war, but against Sasuke? No, he wasn't going to hold back.
It was his fault Sasuke came to be this way, so it fell upon his shoulder to take the boy down. For good.
Unfortunately, before Kakashi could strike a shocked Sasuke with his Chidori, a flash of lightning came between them, taking the form of Raikage, before the larger man slammed both of them with his fists, throwing them far and making them hit a hill in the far.
Kakashi grunted in pain, but realised that it was too late— if the Raikage was here already, then a war may be inevitable.
"I am going to kill you all!" the leader of Cloud Village yelled out before running up to Kakashi at full speed.
Shit.
—-—
In the meantime, in another corner of the world, Neji was flying in the sky with a quiet, shy Tsunade in his arms.
["Enjoying yourself?"] Lady Luck's voice flowed into his head seeing him fly with a soft smile on his face. ["You look happy."]
'I am.' Neji answered. 'All thanks to you, if you hadn't forced me to spend some time in this world, then I would not be feeling this. Though I hope you won't get too jealous of Tsunade.'
["Heh. You must be kidding."] Lady Luck giggled in his head. ["Why would I be jealous of a mortal?"]
Neji hugged Tsunade, rubbing his face with hers even as she blushed and stared at the sky.
'Want me to call her mommy, then?'
["…"]
'Aww, look at you.' Neji mocked. 'How sweet, you are like a jealous little girl envious that daddy isn't giving you attention.'
["Y-you…!"] Lady Luck's voice sounded shocked as she stuttered in anger. ["Shut up! Shut up! What 'daddy'?! Mere mortal!"]
'Nah, I am a god now, my cute little lucky-charm.'
["W-what sort of nickname…"] Lady Luck sounded baffeled. ["Ugh, just call me that again and see what I do!"]
'That would strengthen my claim, yes.'
Lady Luck started to yell in a jumble of undiscernible words that he ignored and kept flying. There, that's what she got for telling him to pocket in girls instead of speed running. Not that he was complaining at this point, but she deserved feeling this.
"Err…" Tsunade spoke a few seconds later. "Didn't you use Flying Thunder God before? Why are we flying? Can't we just… you know, teleport there?"
"Yes, but that would mean I don't get to carry you through the sky and spend some alone time." said Neji as he watched her frown, open her mouth as if to yell… before closing it and looking away with a soft blush.
Through his connection with her—as a God to his believer—he could feel her emotions. She almost yelled at him for being late for such a silly reason— after all, the Hokage needed to be with the remaining people of Konoha as soon as possible. However, as his words fully registered on her mind she closed her mouth as flustered confusion replaced those feelings once she remembered everything he did for her today.
"Don't worry, my clones took care of everything." Neji said softly. "I built quite a few emergency houses using Wood Style, basically shelters, and also bought a few tons of food from a nearby city. You don't need to be worried."
Finishing his words, Neji smiled like an idiot and continued flying.
—-
Tsunade had stayed silent after that, and she felt bad for doing so since he may think she wasn't happy with the things he did. As she had feared, his idiotic smile, that said he was in love, vanished at one point of the flight and silence streched between them.
"Tsunade," a few minutes later, Neji spoke, looking ahead rather than making eye contact. "Are you uncomfortable around me?"
"I-…" Tsunade immediately opened her mouth, but didn't finish her words. After a second, she sighed and said, "No, I am not. Why would I be? If it's about you having the power to revive people on a whim… along with all the other godly powers you showed, no, I still see you as you are… as Neji. It won't change."
"I see… So nothing changed between us?"
It was a simple question that should have had the answer of 'Yes' in Tsunade's opinion. But once she went to say it, her words stuck in her throat.
"So?"
Tsunade licked her lips as he insisted on an answer. Why did he do all this today? Why did he ask— Are you satisfied? Why did he take revenge for her?
Did he see her… more than just Hokage-sama? Did her words of calling her like his 'son' affect him? Perhaps her treating him so preciously for the past few years earned him foolish feelings for her? If so, then… it explained everything. Such as the primal instinct of a man that acts up when he sees his woman get hurt, did he do all this because of that?
In the end, after thinking for a long while, she realised she didn't have an answer to these questions. Or maybe she didn't want to think of the apparent answer… In whatever case, that meant she had no answer to his question either.
Tsunade sighed. "Sorry, I-"
"Oh, look we are here." Neji interrupted her, pointing his chin forwards where she found Konoha… or at least its remains, waiting for them.
Tsunade closed her mouth, unwilling to speak after that. She could always apologise to him later, right?
Neji soon lowered the flight and dropped in front of the Konoha Gate (which had surprisingly survived the assault). Tsunade was somewhat confused why he didn't just land in the make-shift shelter she could see in one corner of the village, but she was too agitated to go meet the people who survived to think too much of that.
So when he dropped her, she immediately made a run for it, stepping inside the gate and moving forward. But… three seconds in, she realised she was running alone. Neji wasn't beside her.
She stopped.
And turned back.
Neji stood beside the gate, his shoulder leaning against it, as he looked at her with a smile, his long-time signature blindfold suddenly appearing around his eyes as the blood around his body dissipated. Standing there… as he gave her that distant smile… Tsunade's heart twisted.
He wasn't coming with her.
Nothing changed between them— since she failed to refuse that claim, he had no reason to stay in the village. He had already left three days ago, after all. He had come back for some reason, but his job was done— he could go back now.
Leaving her behind.
…As she looked at him a few metres away from her while the shelter waited much behind, she realised that this was all her choice. To return to the village… or to stay with him. She had to make her own choice, and choosing one may as well make the other unavailable for her. Forever.
Tsunade's lips thinned.
Unlike with the answer to his question, this time she didn't hesitate. She apologised and ran. But not towards the shelter. She apologised to Konoha, to her grandpa, to her sensei, and ran to him to jump on his reliable arms.
"I don't… like these mind games." She said as he hugged her back. "I am… sorry. For being a failure of a Hokage and letting my personal feelings choose you instead of my duty passed down to me by my grandfather and teacher." Her hug tightened. "Idiot… you better take responsibility for this."
He pulled her chin towards him, looking down at her eyes for a moment, and nodded. "I will."
She bit her lip for a moment before leaping forward and catching his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck after guiding his hand behind her waist.
Whatever the case, she knew in her mind that she wouldn't regret choosing him over the village.
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