[open]

[boundgenius]

If this, then, was home, then for some, it was the only thing they knew.

For one teen girl, the life of a shinobi was all she truly knew. Her mother had died not long after giving birth to her, and her uncle and rest of family did not exactly approve of her suddenly being thrust upon them. Neji was somehow less than their own flesh and blood, and chafed under her reduced station.

If there were a way out, she would take it. As long as she did not dishonor her mother's name, she would take it.

Today was an uncharacteristically peaceful day as she sat atop one of the many tree branches around Michi no Sato. Border guarding was vital, if uninteresting. At the sound of approaching footsteps, she tilted her head; the direction was from the village itself. Likely no threat.

If they wanted her attention, they would request it; if they continued walking, she would have them halt to learn their purpose.

Comments

[konohasuperstar]

Those footsteps were belonging to Sasuke, and the fact he had been heard meant very bad. One did not hear him unless he wished to be, and when he wished, it was a rare occurrence and people would rather go the other way than to meet him.

[boundgenius]

She leapt down from her perch to easily land in front of him, eyebrow quirked as she studied his face.

"What is your purpose here?"

[konohasuperstar]

"Oh, so they do have guard dogs. My purpose isn't something anyone needs to know." Sasuke was dressed a typical black robe bearing his clan's symbol upon the back, although had no visible weapons. Then again, he always seemed to be able to summon a blade at will.

"...and 'here' doesn't apply any longer."

[boundgenius]

"In that case, I assume you have papers to present that show you are free to pass across the border?"

She didn't relax as she met the other's eyes, studying what she could of his expression. She'd always been told she had perceptive eyes...

[konohasuperstar]

He scowled, and those eyes? Those eyes were burning with anger, rage, hatred and underneath it all, loneliness.

"I don't have papers." but apparently, he hardly minded not having any, by the tone he used.

[boundgenius]

"Then you know I cannot permit you to cross the border. Uchiha Sasuke."

Finally, a name to go with the face. It had taken a few moments before her usually-quick thinking had managed to find it.

The anger was plain to see, but to her eyes...? That loneliness was more than obvious, as well. Suspicious, even.

"What has happened?"

[konohasuperstar]

"I can write a paper in blood, if you want one."

The eyes were unwavering in every single emotion. "I have to go, and no one has to know why. Don't stand between me and my path."

Clearly, her question as to what had happened was nothing he cared to answer.

[boundgenius]

Was that a threat? Her eyes only narrowed as she shifted her stance further, ready to spring if necessary. "Unless it's your own, I think not. As this is my assigned area, it would seem you are the one standing in my path. Explain your reasoning, or turn back."

[konohasuperstar]

"Uchiha clan business doesn't concern anyone else but Uchiha!" He had not pulled out a weapon, to his credit, but his tone had shifted onto something darker. "My path is above yours, I need no one else!"

[boundgenius]

"As it stands right now, your path is crossing my own," she pointed out evenly, though her hands flexed open at her sides. Testing herself against the Uchiha, now that would certainly be something. "And I will not deviate from the path I have been fated to be set upon."

[konohasuperstar]

It appeared, then, that this was a battle of destiny. If he had to be stopped, it would be because he couldn't move by his own will.

The time for talking was over and she wouldn't let him slip by.

Just as the sharingan flashed to life, out of nowhere, his blade was summoned in his hand, the large sleeves of the robe he wore fluttering with the movement before he launched himself at her.
He knew of the Hyuuga and their style, so as first attack tried to extend an electric current from his blade.

[boundgenius]

It seemed the time for talking was indeed over. Her gaze narrowed and sharpened, then she darted forward into a diving roll to avoid his attack. This was not training, this was actual combat. Whatever reason the Uchiha had for wanting to leave the village, it was not a peaceful one if he was willing to attack border guards such as herself.

She intended to capture him alive, to interrogate him. Was he perhaps a spy? She didn't know enough about him to say, but she lunged, staying in low in an attempt to throw a lowing, sweeping kick to bring him to the ground. Pressure points were one of her specialties, after all, and if she could get in close enough...

Well, therein laid the challenge.

[konohasuperstar]

He almost scoffed at her as she retaliated. How pitiful. To think she could measure their respective tasks. Hers was a measly life as currently border guard, and his... his was much more grand in the scheme of things, even if for now he dwelled in utmost secrecy. Not much was known about him and even less was asked, people rather content to distance themselves from the cold prodigy.

His family lived happily, and he had a promising future as shinobi, but then a fire ravaged mercilessly at everything, an entire section of town having their lives taken in the gigantic brazier.

Sharp eyes caught her every movement, and he was able to dodge or evade every strike. Their trading of not-quite connecting blows lasted for quite a while, and any watching would have been equally awed at both of their skillsets.
There was, however, one thing that may seem off in Neji's assessment...

Were he so bent upon harming her or the village, he could certainly have launched larger, more impressive and destructive fire jutsu. As it was, he only used smaller versions, and from how he was constantly attentive, it was not because he underestimated her.

[boundgenius]

Her life may be uninteresting now, but she knew she was meant for greater things. That's what kept her driving on, developing past her natural genius as a shinobi to try and become something truly great.

If only she could get in one hit. Growing increasingly frustrated, she scowled at the other prodigy as she dove in again, only for him to evade her blows once again. "What is your purpose here?" she snarled, breaking away and meeting his eyes, heedless of his bloodline.

[konohasuperstar]

"HA!" he held her gaze, amused. "You'll never stop me, so give up and let me through." Since they were at a standstill, trading blows was apparently not going to give any results, so for now he held his ground.

[boundgenius]

"I will not."

A breath as she shifted her feet, dropping into a lower stance. She'd been working on perfecting this technique, one she'd seen her uncle attempting to teach her cousin, but wasn't certain yet if it would work. "You're within range of my divination."

And then she sprung in one quick motion, Chakra propelling her forward quicker than before as keen eyes sought out those pressure points, seeking to disable his Chakra in a quick flurry of blows.

[konohasuperstar]

He saw the movement, scowled.. and then? Then she was RIGHT in front of him. He somehow evaded the first blow, feeling the second's graze.. and then it was over. He had kept a portion of his tenketsu unaffected thanks to slight movements, but there was no way for him to be able to rival... .. whatever she had done? He wasn't sure, because even the sharingan couldn't properly see that speed.

He felt his back hit the ground, but his brain did not catch up a full minute later. Even with him desperately wishing to rise, he was still unmoving... What he could do, however, he did magnificently: glare at her, the sharingan having disappeared thanks to her attack..

[boundgenius]

Her lips curved into an arrogant smirk as he hit the ground. He couldn't move from here, and though she might not have hit all the tenketsu she was aiming for, it was enough. So the technique did work, didn't it?

"As I said." Her breath came in slightly harsher pants as she fell into her stance again, feeling legs protest the movement. "Your purpose. Uchiha Sasuke."

[konohasuperstar]

"Since you've managed to stop me, it looks like it's nothing I can achieve yet." as if he would tell her. As if he would tell anyone! "Besides.... I was still within the gates. You can't press a single charge against me." Indeed, he was right. Aside from being short of breath, she was completely unharmed.

[boundgenius]

"This is true," she admitted readily without shifting. "And in a case of your word against mine, your name will do you great justice." Hers was great, but only in measure to the other half of her family. Her own personal standing meant little.

"Though in that case, it appears your thanks are in order, as I have stopped you." She finally relaxed from her stance, moving in closer to stare down at him, those unique white eyes of her family meeting his own black. "But know this, Uchiha Sasuke. I will be watching you, and should you attempt to leave without authorization again, I will be the one to hunt you down." Then a half-lie as a bluff, "I have not even begun to show you my true capabilities."

[konohasuperstar]

"If this is about what one hasn't seen from the other, you'd be ill-advised to pursue me." his eyes narrowed "If you -do- wish so much to pursue me whenever I might try and leave, it implies you're prepared to watch me for whole days and nights... after all, who knows when I would slip away?"

[boundgenius]

"With these eyes, I can see more than you'll ever know." She focused her gaze on his, again reading what emotion she could. That spark of loneliness earlier had struck her, more than any of his blows during their battle. "I can see that you wish to speak."

[konohasuperstar]

"...."there was an ounce of disbelief, and he worked his body to its limits considering what she had done to it so he could stand, dark eyes filled with savageness. "That's something anyone can say." the loneliness was nothing he could ever cover, even with all the anger in the world. "If you think speaking can solve this nation's problems, you're mistaken."

[boundgenius]

"So you admit that your actions have something to do with our nation?" She met his eyes unflinchingly, again looking past that anger in pursuit of that loneliness. "Tell me, when is the last time you have spoken and someone has listened, Uchiha Sasuke?"

[konohasuperstar]

"Oh, did I admit that. Whoopsie." his tone was deadpan. He hardly cared what people believed.
There was, for a brief milisecond, hope... but then it was extinguished, crushed, eclipsed by that overbearing loneliness, the anger, the hatred. "There's things far more important to remember than that." it took all his willpower to stay upright, but here he was just.. wanting to go -away- and couldn't make his body move.