50 Shinobi — Prompt #22 (Cathedral)

“I won’t go in! You can’t make me!” She protested vehemently, shaking her head to and fro furiously.

Neji stared at her in aggravation. ‘Tenten, it’s just-”

“It’s evil, that’s what it is!” She complained loudly. “EVIL!”

Neji’s eye twitched. “It’s a cathedral. The last thing it could be is evil.”

Tenten narrowed her eyes at the pale Hyuuga. “Just because it’s a cathedral doesn’t mean it has to be good.” She shuddered. “Just look at it! All big, and gothic-like, windows high, and lights low.” She stared at the building before her. “It’s the epitome of evil, my friend.”

“It’s a cathedral.”

“I WON’T GO IN!”

Neji seemed to want to kill her. He seemed to want to wrap his hands around her neck and throttle the life out of her.

She crossed her arms and stared resolutely at the floor. She would not budge. She would not, she would not, she would not! It was filled with evil. She really couldn’t say why she thought so, but she just didn’t like it. Something about the building was unnatural and-and just plain wrong. Maybe it was haunted. Or maybe worse… She dug her feet into the ground. “Let’s go home.”

Neji stared at her quietly for a bit, before giving a resigned sigh. “Tenten, please.”

Tenten hesitated. Never once, in all her life, had Neji ever said ‘please’ to her. Not once. She looked back at the looming and frightening building. She sighed. “Why do you need to go into hell-I mean, the cathedral, again?”

Neji shifted awkwardly. “My mother’s grave…”

Tenten scowled. “Okay, okay. Let’s go in.” She bit her lip. “But…don’t laugh at this okay?” She waited until he nodded before she asked her question. “Can you hold my hand as we go in?”

Neji nodded and Tenten could’ve sworn he looked glad she’d requested that.

She swallowed her fear and took her hand in his gripping it tightly. “The things I do for you people.” She whispered silently.

“I’m grateful for it.” He said silently, almost so softly that the wind attempted to swallow his words.

Luckily, the wind didn’t succeed.

She smiled. Fear was a powerful thing, but friendship topped it by far.