Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

It's probably very irresponsible of me to post this after not updating Headfirst, but the muse's whim is powerful and it felt good to post.

So, whatever.

quick guide: The Order- refers to the three races in the afterlife (Angels, Demons Neutrals), a violation against The Order is when you screw with the balance between the three. Recycling- when a soul is reincarnated.

Enjoy.

Next Time Around

All eyes swung toward the blonde as Ino stepped forward, she did her best to suppress her uneasiness. It was here, in the pale, balanced colors of Purgatory that she saw so many of her comrades sentenced. Ino knew she was the lowest of the low. She committed treason, among her own and among them. Him.

Neji.

Ino took a deep breath and repeated the words that so many of her brethren had spoken in this damned room. "I; Yamanaka Ino, demon of Hell, have willingly committed treason amongst my own kind and amongst that of the Order, I have engaged in several attempts to fall Heaven," Ino's eyes briefly flickered over to Neji, who stood alone amongst his kin, the taint of his disgrace still fresh, stared blankly ahead.

"And disable Purgatory," Ino continued a beat later. "I stand here before you, in front of the Order, to proclaim my guilt and await final judgement. What is my punishment?" Ino finished almost dully, her nonexistent pulse seemed to kick up as she stared defiantly into the eyes of Jiriaya.

He regarded her carefully before speaking, "Your actions have no precedence in this case and therefore the usual punishment for treason will be omitted."

!!!!!

A stir, angry indignant hummed among the representatives of the three races, but it was all a dim roar to her ears. She stared dimly into the old, old eyes of Jiriaya and she felt like she might pass out.

The punishment for treason was absolute: exterminate the soul of the traitor. There were no exceptions.

.......

Hope, delirious hope started to spring up before she could stomp it out. But a familiar voice rumbled in her ears.

It's what people don't say that you got to be wary about.

She raised her voice above the din, "What is my punishment?" She repeated.

Jiriaya did not answer right away, he swept his gaze coolly over the room until the onlookers fell silent. "Judgement must be past on your motive and actions, your motive does not justify what you did and your actions, though a factor in the attempted fall of Heaven, later prevented the fall in itself. The Council is in a deadlock, it is decided that final judgement will not be passed until further observation can be done." He gestured to a lower ranking Neutral.

The Neutral moved almost hesitantly towards her before assuming a blank face, and with a low whisper, spoke the words that unlocked the manacles that bound her magic. They clanged to the floor, and her hands, never, ever, felt so light, the weight, crushing and despairing was lifting. Slowly, as if in a trance (and maybe she was) she raised her arms forward and rubbed her wrists.

"What is my punishment?" She repeated dazedly.

"We withhold judgement until a later date: your soul will be recycled and no interference," Jiriaya's voice boomed at that word, "Will be allowed in your second life. When you appear before us again Yamanaka, I will have a verdict."

--------

Because Ino just got a kick out of her own pain, she snuck a glimpse of Neji as she was escorted out of the room. His eyes looked, not the silver they usually were, but a dead grey. Bleak and hard, Ino slowed down as she neared him, ignoring the pain that knifed up her arms for holding up her sentencing.

Guilt, so thick in her throat almost caused her to forget those precious last seconds she had to talk. "Sorry," she forced herself to look at his expressionless face and tasted bile in her mouth. "You meant something more," Ino muttered lowly and walked passed him to face her 'recycling'.

She heard the once proud Hyuuga give a hard laugh,"And that's supposed to make this easier?"

-------

Green eyes met blue.

Gratitude, love, pain, anger.........

Good bye.

-------

The newly acclaimed authoress smacked against her carpeted floor and groaned.

The slim blonde whimpered and half-heartedly pushed herself against the heels of her hands and cursed, "Fucking hell," annoyance and exasperation filled her as she pulled herself back onto her bed for the 3rd time that week.

Underneath her annoyance was her a slight pinching of her heart.

Green eyes, she thought sleepily, jade eyes, before she let herself slumber once more.

x0x

Reviews and critique (flames with a reason) are welcome.