It's my first story, and I've been horridly lazy about uploading it. I've had it ready for a couple of weeks but well, let's see how you feel about it.

If it seems dull to you, I implore you to hang on until a bit longer.

Updates will be steady for a short while, but sporadic and random thereon out. I'm an impulse writer. I write when I'm in the "mood."

I do not own Naruto and I never will. Nothing is being used for any personal profit.

Enjoy!

Vero Amore

Chapter 1

He Will Not Die

Just one more moment... Hyuuga Neji's state of reverie was broken by an annoying knock on his door. He opened his pale, silver eyes, and shifted to his Byakugan to scan the outside to tell who was interrupting him. It was his cousin, Hanabi.

"You and Hinita are called to the Hokage's tower. You are to leave now," Hanabi called through the door.

"Thank you, Lady Hanabi," Neji replied stoically. He detested the main branch, although his hate had waned during recent years. He saw them as unfit to rule, weak. However, his cousin Hinata had come to prove him wrong in recent years. Still, though, she insisted on fawning after this Jinchuuriki, Uzumaki Naruto.

Naruto was unworthy of Lady Hinata's affections... and if they ever decided to pursue a real relationship, Neji had no doubt that Hinata would be disowned. Lord Hiashi's sister and one of his former consorts perished in the Kyuubi attack, and he held nothing but disdain for the blond-haired shinobi.

Neji rose, and took his robe from the hook on the door, and then proceeded to dress himself. What could the Hokage possibly want from him?

"Sakura, we are requested at the Hokage's tower." Sakura continued stirring her soup as if no one had said anything to her. Her old mentor, Kakashi, stood in the doorway. "Sakura," he repeated.

"I know, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura replied, and went back to stirring her soup.

"Now."

"I know, Kakashi-sensei."

"What's wrong, Sakura? You've never been like this. Not for years, at least," Kakashi tilted his head to the side and studied the pink-haired kunoichi.

"Lets see here, what else has been nagging at me for the past 2 and a half years?" Sakura said sarcastically. "The boy I had been in love with the majority of my life left me on a bench without saying goodbye, my best friend is a host to a monster, and now they want to kill each other? It gets to me after awhile."

"You're only making things harder on yourself. Half of your troubles would go away if you got over Sasuke." Kakashi was never this harsh,but Sakura had been brooding for years. It gets to anyone.

"Maybe I can't. I know Itachi's dead but it doesn't make any sense as to why he wouldn't come home!" Sakura snapped, furiously stirring her soup.

"Life's doesn't make sense. And besides, Sasuke knows he'd meet only the executioner's axe if he returned to Konoha. It isn't his home anymore. The village council has sent down the final order. Kill, do not capture."

The words hit Sakura like a smack to the face. "They can't. They'll extinguish the Uchiha forever."

"According to the village council, the Uchiha have never been anything but trouble."

Sakura was without words. Pouring her soup into a container, she nodded silently. "Lets go."

Flowers... it was kind of a weird obsession, but she was glad to be obsessed. It beat her old obsessions. Boys, mostly. Definitely Sasuke, that was a bad one. Sai for about 10 minutes... okay so a little bit more.

"Yo! Ino!" The blond looked up as a tall teen entered her shop (one of the few buildings that survived the attack on Konoha), followed by a slightly shorter one, a large one, and one who was completely covered in clothes. Kiba, Shikamaru, Chouji, and Shino, respectively. "Lady Tsunade is calling the Rookie Nine to her office... sounds big."

Rookie nine... How long had it been since they could honestly have been called that? Years, really. Sasuke had left, making it 8, and then Naruto had gone for awhile. Now he was gone again. "You mean seven?"

"We were the Rookie Nine for a long time, Ino. We still are, even if one of our pack has gone nose-deaf," Kiba said, smiling at his witty use of canine humour.

"We don't all understand your feline humour, Kiba," Shikamaru groaned.

"Canine!" Kiba yelled, his face reddening.

"Whatever," responded the rest of the shinobi in the shop.

"Bah."

The Rookie Seven, Team Gai, and Kakashi stood before their Hokage solemnly. There was little doubt in their minds about what their true mission was.

"Lady Hokage, you summoned us?" Sakura asked.

"Yes," Tsunade hadn't been drinking, as she was still recovering from her coma. "You must all know by now the council's orders. Uchiha Sasuke is to die. I do not agree. But the Village Council overrules my decision. This is why you are all being assigned a mission.
Officially, you are moving Naruto around in an attempt to avoid Akatsuki detection. Unofficially, you are protecting Naruto and attempting to capture Sasuke.

"Between Neji's ability to lock down his chakra points, Shino's insects and their... abilities, and the tools and skills of everyone else, Sasuke should not stand a match. However, should Uchiha Madara appear, you are to retreat. Even as he is now, we know nothing of what abilities he has gained over the past century.

"You will meet up with Naruto in the Wave Country. Sakura, Kakashi, you know the route. From there, you will proceed to Kirigakure, and from there, to Kumogakure, then to Iwagakure, and finally to Sunagakure. From there, if you have not found Sasuke, you will proceed to Konoha, making sure to pass as close to Amegakure as possible. Kakashi will be the prime leader for this mission, with Neji and Shikamaru serving as seconds.

"Find Uchiha Sasuke and bring him back. So long as I am Hokage, he will not die. Dismissed."

Dun dun dunnnnn

Yes I realize how dreadfully dull that was. But most opening chapters are.

I'd like to emphasize that this story does have a good chunk of romantic aspects for other couples. And here's the list

SasuSaku

NaruHina

NejiTen

KibaIno

KakaRin

ShikaTema

GaaraXOC

If I miss any you'll figure it out.

Read and Review, I'll be waiting.

I also take criticism. My English teacher says, "If criticism were cookies, we'd all be broke and obese. We'd all be really confused too." So true.

Toodles!