Author's Note: This is one of my darker fics. Rated M for mention of rape.

Chapter one

The mission had fallen apart. The information they had been given was wrong. Someone had screwed up. If it had been the first initial report given to them by the Hokage, or if it had been Neji's personal account, if he had mistaken somehow the number of people actually in camp or overestimated their strength compared to their opponents'. Or perhaps no one had messed up at all. Maybe the enemy had just been stronger.

It didn't matter. Not really. Despite how much he thought about it and how much it bothered him and how badly he cursed himself and everyone else that failed them. It didn't matter. They were trapped. They were captured. And there was nothing more to be done expect wait for rescue.

He was nearing thirty years old. This did not happen to him. He did not get captured. He came to the rescue of others. That's just the way it was since he was a young chuunin. He was a prodigy and had lived up to that expectation, succeeding where others had failed. He had become the leader of the Hyuuga clan, married a woman men envy, and produced a son already exceeding other's his age. His life was near perfection.

So needless to say, he does not get captured.

And when his chakra returns, he would rectify this situation.

TenTen scoffed beside him, "Oh, get over yourself."

He shot a glare.

"It's not that big a deal."

"For you, maybe."

"What's that mean? For me? You think I've been captured before? Name one time I've been captured."

He took a moment. "Nineteen. Land of Wind."

"That was for the mission."

"Twenty-two. Village of Woods."

She thought for a minute. "I've forgotten about that." She mumbled, her confidence fading.

"Twenty-five. Land of Poppies."

"Okay, shut up. Thank you."

He smirked, his head resting against the bars tiredly. He kept his hand clenched around his arm to staunch the flow of blood.

"Let me see."

He shifted and put his arm through the prison, into hers. She crawled over and ripped her shirt, tying the thin piece around his bicep. He twisted his head to observe her. Her brown hair had come undone, spreading down her back in disarray. She had a black eye and scratches on her cheek. Blood soaked her white and black attire at her stomach and thigh but he could not see the extent of her injury. She would not express pain either. She was more prone to pain then he was. Her use of weapontery made her immune to such wounds while he was unaffected by bruises considering his own talents. But this was not a bruise. The blade had cut a tendon and the injury needed surgery or Sakura's medical chakra to fuse the pieces of muscle back together. He had lost feeling in his fingers in the last hour but he wouldn't tell her or she would worry.

"Do you think Lee is okay?" She whispered distantly as she rested against the same bars, exhausted. Her fingers touching his skin. He had his eyes closed and he nodded slowly. Lee had escaped. His speed was still better than anyone. He would have made it back and would get help. They would wait for him. He was their saving grace.

"How did this happen?" She groaned.

It was a question that kept repeating in his head. But exhaustion was coming through. He needed to sleep, it was the only way to replenish his chakra. They would not feed them, he was sure of it. When he woke would be the only chance they had at escape. Any later and they risked being weaker then they were now. He would lose more and more blood as time progressed. He could already feel the loss of it. He was dizzy and unbelievably thirsty.

"Here."

He felt a tap and he opened his eyes, finding a small flask at his waist. "They didn't check everywhere." She winked. She detached a small thumb sized blade that was buried deep into the metal and slipped it back into her sleeve.

"TenTen…"

"I can save you too, you know."

"They are too strong."

Her brows knit in anger. "I don't think I've ever heard you say something like that."

"Wait for Lee."

"I can do this."

"I'm asking you to wait."

She turned away and rested her back against his, her head touching his through the bars. She sighed heavily. "Fine." She pouted. "I can give birth twice but this, this I can't do."

He smiled softly closing his eyes, satisfied she would listen. He took a few sips but saved the last for her. Now perhaps he could rest.

Voices were approaching. "Don't move." He told her. He followed his own advice, feigning sleep as the obnoxious voices got closer. They were laughing, and so obviously drunk. He could hear in the way they slurred their words and the heaviness of their feet. Three of them turned down the hallway, bumping into one another.

"Wha diju wanna show me?"

"Comeoncomeon. SHhhh." One of them looked over his shoulder, "Master can't know we're here."

He put a finger to his lips, "It's a secret." The other man agreed, nodding.

Their footsteps stopped in front of their cell. "Look."

Neji's shoulders stiffened.

"Oh, she's pretty."

Keys jingled in the silence of the night and the door creaked open.

That's when he felt TenTen move and he swung around in time to watch her as she attacked. She jumped upon the first one, her legs wrapped tight around his waist as she stabbed him repeatedly in the chest, her small thumb sized blade protruding through her knuckles. But it was too small to do any real damage unless used on the neck or veins. Completely surprised he was, he stumbled backward and fell to the ground, screaming, trying to ward her off but she kept punching him in the chest and bits of blood went flying in the air. She grabbed his head, pressing the blade to his throat, ready to silence him when his colleagues snatched each arm, lifting her off and pinning her to the ground.

The man felt along his chest, trying to find where the blood was coming from. He lifted his shirt to examine the small little holes. "Oh, god, what a bitch." He moaned, rolling over in pain.

"Dude, you alright? Maybe we should go."

He shook his head. "No. No. I'm gonna fuck her up." He got to his feet and within an instant slammed his foot into her stomach. She curled, suppressing her groan.

Neji looked at the bars, he scanned it for weakness, narrowing in on screws, on the connection to the stone. It was hard to focus as he listened to him beat her, her small whimpers the only sound as she refused to cry out. He found a small crack in the top right of one the bars and latched onto it, climbing, placing his foot on one of the vertical bars to keep him up and he slammed his hand repeatedly on the metal. His arm felt each vibration, his blood dripping down his elbow, slipping up into his sleeve and down his armpit. He kept hitting until it snapped off.

A lacky left TenTen's side to come over to his cell, "Hey, cut it out, you're making too much noise." He reached in just as the bar broke loose and Neji yanked it as he fell back, glaring at the ninja. He took a shaking step back noticing the white of his eyes. "Dude, I don't think this is a good idea. Someone's going to hear us."

"No one heard us yet." He fought back, stomping his foot on her rib cage. "Get back over here."

Neji stepped to the bar before the third man entered, "TenTen." She shifted and her free hand lazily fell toward his cell and at that moment he tossed the weapon through and she snatched it up, swinging it hard, smacking her attacker in the leg. He flopped backward as she continued, hitting the other in the head. He fell against the wall and she was quick to get to her feet, moving backward toward Neji. She held it out as the three men surrounded her.

"She's a freaking nutjob. It's gonna make this so sweet." He rubbed blood from his lip.

"Neji." TenTen murmured as she stared down her enemies. She panted, drained already. "I have no chakra."

Neji wrapped his fingers around the bar, testing its strength. His knuckles whitening as he pulled in a secret desperation. "They are nothing." The bars were all that separated. All that stood between her safety and his ability to protect her. It felt like another world apart.

"What do I do?" Her voice wavered in fear. "Tell me what to do." She swung the bar as one took a step forward. He laughed, weaving backward out of her way.

"Fight."

"And after that?" She swung again and they attempted to reach it but she kicked, missing and they continued taunting, cackling.

"There is nothing else after that."

She tilted her head to meet his gaze and his breath caught. "That's when you save me." TenTen turned and attacked.