Ren Note (6/14/2015): Every single story I have read has a disclaimer... so I've desided that I should do that too... I'm going to be reading through each and every chapter of this, All or Nothing, and Aftermath to fix errors but I will also be adding in the lovely disclaimers... so here goes...
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it's characters, or it's places. I do own Ren Hyuga/Hyogo because she is my OC and I have used her for over 8 years. Mayuri and Hideki Hyogo/Hyuga are also mine and were created for the soul purpose of Ren's back story. All rights to Naruto and everything involving Naruto belong to Kishimoto-sama
Chapter One:
Neji Hyuga stood with his back pressed against the cement wall of the Hyuga compound's surrounding wall. He was about five feet from the Branch Family gate on the inside, watching as members of the lesser branch went about their daily lives. Some were on their way to the main house, others were preparing for occupations elsewhere, and children ran around laughing and playing. This would've been a normal, beautiful sight but Neji hated it. These people were nothing more than glorified slaves; birds trapped cages simply because of who their parents were or the order of their birth. How the Hokage had never done anything about the way branch members were treated was beyond him. Now he had to wait for Hinata or Hanabi to change things. If he had to wait on Hanabi it would be a long wait; the girl was only thirteen.
"Mayumi! Wait," He heard a soft voice shout as two of his distant cousins ran past him towards the gate. The first girl waved to him as she ran by. The second didn't even look at him. He was slightly insulted by that until he saw who it was, then he became even more insulted. He hated this female. She was weak and a waste of space. She looked a lot like him, from her diamond shaped face with an angular jawline and thin chin to her eye shape; they could have been twins if she weren't 5 months younger. She had black hair similar to his as well. It was long and reached her hips when it was down but today she wore it in a high pony tail. She had bangs that she parted on the right side that swept over to the left and nearly hid the leaf symbol on her headband. How she had become a ninja, let alone ANBU, he would never understand.
The woman was chasing after a girl with blond hair and the same Hyuga eyes. The girl's hair was only to her shoulders and she had a hime cut, much like Hinata's. She was a replica of her older sister except for their noses and hair color. The older female's nose was thin and proud but the younger's was a little wider and looked like a button. "No fair, Ren-nee," He heard the fourteen year old blond shout, "You used chakra to increase your speed!"
Neji's eyes darted towards Mayumi and Ren. Ren now had her arms around her sister's shoulders from behind, just barely standing within the gate. She didn't even break a sweat to catch the younger sister. Mayumi was panting and struggling within her sister's hold. "You were the one using chakra and you forgot your lunch, again," Ren teased sweetly with a fake smile as she released her sister and held out a bento box wrapped in a dark purple cloth.
"Ugh," Mayumi exclaimed as she turned around and snatched the box from Ren's hand. "You're making me late. Shikamaru-sensei is having Naruto stop by to help with our training today. I don't want to miss it!"
Neji watched as a small blush formed on Ren's cheeks. "Oh great, another one? Why do female Hyuga's like that idiot so much? Hinata spent years pining over that knucklehead. Maybe Ren's like her father and has a thing for blonds," Neji pondered as he stared at the older sister. He turned his gaze to the younger. He knew that their mother wasn't a Hyuga and was indeed blond. Neji wasn't sure why but he suddenly wanted to beat Naruto's face in. 'What could Ren possibly see in him,' he dared to ask within his mind.
"Have a good day," Ren said as she thumped her sister's forehead with her index and middle fingers.
"Hey! Watch it," Mayumi whined as she rubbed her forehead.
"It's not like your hair doesn't cover up it up and I didn't tap you that hard. It'll be gone before you even get to the training grounds," Ren said with a laugh.
"See you tonight," Mayumi grumbled before taking off running out of the compound.
Ren had opened her mouth to say something but the fourteen year old was gone. A frustrated sigh left Ren's full lips as she crossed her arms over her ample chest. She was only about 8 feet from Neji and still wasn't looking at him. That made him angry for reasons he couldn't explain. He was about to say something when she beat him to it. "Enjoy the show, Neji," She asked with irritation lacing her soft voice. She turned and her eyes finally met his.
Neji snorted inwardly and rolled his eyes. He shoved himself off of the wall and closed most of the distance between them. He was a good foot taller than her so she had to look up at him. White eyes met white eyes and neither showed an ounce of fear as they glared at each other. "I do not need you for entertainment," he muttered stoically.
A small smirk formed on Ren's lips. If Neji hadn't been so focused on her eyes he would have seen it. "I don't want to entertain you. You wouldn't like my form of entertainment anyway. I'd hate to end up like TenTen and Lee," she said with an eyebrow raised.
It was a low blow and they both knew it. Few people knew the whole truth about what had happened that day and he hated when people assumed they knew. "You know nothing," he spat and leaned down closer to her face. His glare intensified and his nostrils flared.
Ren didn't back down under his cold stare. She was returning it with one of her own. The only thing that could've made their current glares any more intense would be the use of the byakugan, which Ren didn't have as much skill in. As tempting as it was to use it, the byakugan was forbidden within the Hyuga district. Neji would be able to see the whole village; he didn't want to invade people's privacy. "The Hyuga genius with all his power was wrong and still can't admit it? Some people say that you love TenTen and seeing her like that with Lee caused you to lose it. Others say it's Lee you're in love with. Which is it I wonder? I just can't picture you loving someone as tomboyish as TenTen and, while your hair is quite lovely, you don't strike me as gay. Then again I've been wrong before. No. I don't think you know what love is. That's what it is," She snarled.
Neji didn't like where this was going at all. "My teammates were about to be impaled by a barrage of weapons. What they were doing at the time is irrelevant and has nothing to do with the fact that I saved them. Yes I'll admit that my rotation sent them flying as well but they survived to fight another day," Neji explained even though he knew he didn't need to; it was none of her business what happened that day.
"I don't think it's fighting those two wanted to live for," Ren practically purred. Her nose was actually very close to his and Neji watched as she closed her eyes halfway. A red flag went up in his mind. They were too close, much too close. She couldn't resist the urge to make him even more uncomfortable. Ren shoved herself up on her tippy toes and placed her lips dangerously close to his. Neji snapped out of his trance and took a step back. Ren was smirking. "You make it too easy," She murmured and laughed. It sounded like soft wind chimes blowing through the breeze and would have been a pleasing sound if it had belonged to anyone but Ren Hyuga.
He glared at her; he didn't understand her at all. It was like she was just trying to get under his skin in any way she could. His nose crinkled in disgust. She had been Anko's student and it certainly showed in her attitude towards him and clothing style. She was wearing a black mini skirt with mesh armor leggings that stopped just above her knees. Her torso was covered in long-sleeve mesh armor, a tight fitting white halter top that stopped above her naval and exposed her flat, porcelain abdomen, and a tan trench coat much like Anko's. On her feet she wore kunoichi black sandals that almost reached her knee. At her waist she had a mouse ANBU mask with 3 midnight blue whiskers on each side, something that at another point in time she would've had to hide. If she had been anyone else, anyone but Ren Hyuga, he would have found her very attractive.
She raised her right arm and pulled the tan sleeve of her jacket back to stare at her watch. "I can't stick around to let you entertain me anymore. I have places to be," she told him with a sigh.
Neji blinked. He was absolutely sure that his cousin was crazy. Her words had impacted him though; she thought he wasn't able to love. She thought that he had purposely flung his teammates through trees when he had only meant to protect them. She started walking away in the same direction her sister had left, the only way out of this section of the Hyuga compound. He wanted to grab her and force her to see that she was wrong. He could love. He loved his teammates and had only been trying to protect them. The jonin scowled. He had no way to convince her and didn't understand why he even wanted to, so he watched her leave. His face was stoic except for his frown but inside he was screaming and throwing a tantrum. She was less than he was, she couldn't even use her byakugan 1/5th as well as he could. How dare she act better than him? Neji stood there trying to figure out what he should do. What could he do? He had a mission to get ready for. If he were lucky some poor soul would get in his way and he could vent out some of his anger.
XXXXXXXX
Neji stood in training ground 9 panting. He had just finished sparring with his old teammates, who had left for food, when he felt a presence behind him. He activated his byakugan merely out of reflex and spun around ready to attack; he was still in fight mode. He stopped mid strike when it registered that he was seeing an ANBU officer; he quickly deactivated his bloodline limit. The female was dressed exactly like every other ANBU, in a color scheme of black and gray. He scowled when he saw the mouse mask with three midnight blue whisker marks staring at him. She didn't even flinch when he had been ready to strike her; he was insulted to say the least. He couldn't see her eyes but knew they were identical to his own. "Hokage-dono requires your presence," the ANBU said softly, her voice muffled by her mask.
The hokage had a sick sense of humor in Neji's opinion; he loathed being called on by her. Neji knew she was one of the hokage's personal guards but that didn't matter. It instantly put him in a bad mood. He nodded and she disappeared in a swirl of leaves that blew Neji's long hair backwards; he had barely been able to see her make the hand sign due to his anger. He scoffed and dusted his white shirt off even though he had already done so earlier. Whatever the hokage wanted had better be important or he might lose it, despite his excellent control on his emotions. He hadn't seen Ren in a week, not since she almost kissed him just to get a reaction out of him. What kind of girl did that? He hadn't had to avoid her, she had been away on a mission. He found that out when Mayumi had told Hanabi. He frowned when he realized that, because he had seen her, she was back.
He sprinted to the hokage's office and was pleased when he was allowed to enter right away. Kakashi Hatake glanced up at him with his one visible black, pupil-less eye. Neji's relief vanished when he saw the ANBU in the dark corner of the room. Ren seemed to be staring at the floor, from what he could tell from his place standing before the hokage's desk. No way Neji could complain, not that he would have, about her with the woman right there in the room. The last thing he wanted was a main branch member after him for causing trouble. He unconsciously pressed his fingers against the cool metal of his forehead protector and rubbed the black cotton strap against his seal. No, he liked keeping his brain intact. Any action that could bring shame to the clan would result in that very mark being used against him, possibly against Ren as well; that would be the only pleasure in it.
Ren never once looked up at him, she kept her head down. "Yo," Kakashi said, a small crinkle forming beside his eye as the only indication he was smiling behind his black face mask. The tension in the room only seemed to thicken even more as Neji bowed his head to The Sixth Hokage. "I have a mission for you; as soon as the other two get here I'll give you your briefing. Until then, make yourself comfortable," Kakashi said as he leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on the desk. He pulled a familiar orange book out of the desk and opened it. Neji walked over to the wall opposite the one Ren was leaning on and pressed his back and left foot against it. He closed his eyes and tried to meditate; anything to calm himself. He didn't know why he hated her so much, but he really did. It was nothing like his hate for Sasuke, which was explainable.
"Mouse," Kakashi said without looking up from his book.
Neji opened one eye to watch as his cousin pushed off the wall and stepped up to Kakashi. "Hokage-dono," she asked softly from behind the mask.
"I've got a favor to ask, one that only you can do for me," Kakashi responded. He turned to look up at her and Neji thought he saw a spark of admiration or lust flash through the hokage's eyes. Neji couldn't explain it but he wanted to beat the man to a pulp for looking at her like that. "Could you run to that clothing store again and pick up an outfit like this," He asked as he held the book close to her masked face. He tapped a paragraph and Neji watched as she noticeably flinched while reading the words.
"H-hai, H-H-Hokage-dono," She replied while standing up straighter. She rubbed the back of her neck and sputtered out, "Wh-what s-si-size this t-time?"
Kakashi's eye looked up and down Ren's body. Neji clinched his fists. He was checking her out! He apparently had sent her out like this before too. Neji was furious. He was sure the Hokage was abusing his power in some way. "Something in your size should do. Oh, and pick an outfit up for yourself as well. Have them put it on my tab. Also, don't come back dressed in your uniform," Kakashi said as he eye-smiled more.
"H-hai, H-Hokage-dono," Ren said as she bowed. She formed the tiger hand sign and seemed to disappear, again, in a swirl of leaves. Kakashi had to hold onto the stack of paper on his desk until the air in the room settled. He didn't seem bothered by it in the least.
Neji was gritting his teeth and couldn't keep his mouth shut. His head snapped towards the Hokage and asked hastily, "Why did you want her to get it in her size?"
Kakashi's eye widened slightly. It wasn't like the Hyuga prodigy to snap at him. If Kakashi didn't fear what the Hyuga's would do to him for 'interfering with clan business' he'd of smacked the young man around a few times. He ground his teeth behind his mask and his eye narrowed. "I do not believe that concerns you, Hyuga."
"She's my cousin," Neji growled. He knew he was out of line but his mouth just wouldn't listen to his mind. He also knew that he technically wasn't supposed to know Ren was 'Mouse' but his brain wasn't in control. It wasn't like it was that big of a secret anymore anyway. ANBU were secretive with their identities, sure, but the whole main branch knew of Ren's involvement and so, because he was close to Hiashi, he knew it too. She also had a bad habit of tying the mask to her skirt just before she headed out on a mission. He knew her coat usually kept it concealed but he had seen it countless times. Now that he thought about it, Kakashi was probably aware he knew since he had asked Ren to return out of uniform. That meant Kakashi knew Neji knew or wanted to get a reaction out of him. He was giving him a reaction right now. Neji would have growled again if it were more becoming.
"Oh I see. You must love her a lot to be so worried about her. It's not for her. Don't get your panties in a wad and remember who you are speaking to," Kakashi stated, his aloof attitude ever present.
Neji's eyes widened and he bowed while saying, "Forgive me, Hokage-dono." He wouldn't even begin to correct The Sixth on his love comment. He hated her. If she were having late night rendezvous with Kakashi that would look very bad on the clan; that was what concerned him. She was 19 and Kakashi was 32, they weren't married, and the Hyuga's were very keen on being prim and proper.
Kakashi nodded and flipped the page of his book. He had no way of reading Neji's mind and assumed he had hit the nail right on the metaphorical head. If he loved her and the feelings weren't mutual that could've explained the tension that had filled the air when 'Mouse' was in the room.
Neji wasn't sure if Kakashi had really finished reading that page but knew better than to question him again. The copy ninja was a scary man for many reasons. He didn't have to wait much longer for Naruto and Shino to show up. Neji stared at his comrades. This felt like a strange squad. Who would be the support ninja? Shino was a long ranged tracker, Naruto was a close ranged powerhouse, and Neji was a mid-to-close ranged scout/sensory type. Why were there three jonin on this squad anyway? Neji felt like he was missing a piece of the puzzle. "We're all here now, right? So can we just get this over with," Naruto whined.
The Aburame stood with his hands in the pockets of his pale green jacket. His hood was over his head, collar up to his nose, and dark goggles hid his eyes. He was silent, as almost always. Neji shoved off the wall and moved to stand beside the brunette. The blond was standing with his arms crossed waiting impatiently while Kakashi held a finger up to him. Kakashi was trying to find a stopping place, Neji assumed.
A swirl of leaves and wind blew through the room and Neji's distant cousin reappeared next to the hokage. She was wearing a white short-sleeve shirt, a sleeveless rich purple tunic with slits up the sides to her hips, and short white shorts. She wore her knee-high sandals, a kunai pouch, and white fingerless gloves that had protective plating on the top. Kakashi placed his free hand, the one he had been using to indicate for them to wait, on the stack of papers on his desk to keep them from blowing away again. She was panting a little and seemed like she had ran as hard as she could. Neji watched her chest rise and fall under the thigh length tunic. He mentally shook his head when he realized what he was doing. He really just wanted to be away from her. "H-here y-y-you g-go, H-Ho-Hokage-d-do-dono," Ren said as she handed him the pink bag she had been clutching so tightly with her left hand.
Kakashi sat his book down, put his feet back on the floor, and sat up straight before taking the bag. He stared up at Ren and eye smiled at her. "Lovely choice in attire as always," he told her before turning his attention back to the bag in his hand. Neji gritted his teeth. Kakashi placed the bag on the ground then reached inside and pulled out a leather 'bodysuit' that had more straps to it than Neji could ever hope to count. He assumed it wouldn't cover much skin at all. It'd be like wearing an outfit made of belts. He was so busy staring at the outfit wide-eyed that he missed the mischievous gleam in Kakashi's eye. "Ren," Kakashi said sweetly, "Could you try this on for me?"
Neji clenched his jaw and squeezed his hands into fists again. Ren took a step back and held her right hand over her heart. Her mouth opened and her eyes were wide as she stared at her hokage in slight horror. He knew she liked to tease him and make him uncomfortable; apparently she didn't like it too much when she was given the same treatment. Neji had the feeling Kakashi did this to her a lot since she was not blushing. He should have got enjoyment over her suffering. He didn't like seeing her go through it though, but why? "H-Ho-Hokage-dono? I-I d-don't think th-that's a good i-idea w-with so m-many w-witnesses," She stammered with giggle.
Naruto was also gritting his teeth and fighting the urge to fling himself at the Hokage. He was being such a pervert! Shino was seemingly unaffected though he did seem to be staring at Ren; it was impossible to tell with his dark goggles on. Ren took a deep breath to quiet her fit of giggles. Her eyes met Neji's for a brief second and she smirked. Neji had no idea what the hell had just happened! Kakashi looked at the four of them and threw his head back to laugh against his mask. "We were just kidding," Kakashi chuckled, "I'm sure it'll fit Kurenai just fine. She's taller than you but if I remember right you were saying you always have to have your pants taken up anyway. Kotetsu is going to love this gift."
Ren crossed her arms over her ample breasts like she was hugging herself as she stared at the ground, her smirk had disappeared. Neji could see her face, ears, and neck were red from blushing. It's strange that the mention of her height was what brought such color to her fair face. Ren released her hold on herself and seemed to mentally shake it off. She too began to laugh and soon Naruto forced his own chuckle to join in. Everyone was laughing except for Shino and Neji. Kakashi put the outfit back into the bag and cleared his throat. The laughing was done. Kakashi pulled a scroll out of the top drawer of his desk and handed it to Ren. "This mission is for the four of you. This is an A-Ranked mission, I believe it should be considered an S because of who you are guarding, but rules are rules and this isn't an assassination. You four will be guarding the daimyo's daughter to her future husband's land. It is important that she reaches the destination and goes through with the wedding. The details are in the scroll. Ren takes the lead, I hope your male egos can take that," Kakashi said looking at the three guys.
Naruto's nose crinkled slightly and he frowned. It didn't bother the jinchuriki to follow a woman's lead but he hated the way his old sensei said it. It was like they were sexist pigs or something. Shino was unreadable and merely nodded. Neji's face twisted into a sneer for only a few seconds before he caught himself. Ren's eyes had been on him while he did so and when he schooled his features she looked down at the scroll in her hand. Not only did he have to go on a mission with Ren, he had to take orders from her. He was the one the comment had been directed towards, he knew it. He was going to loathe every second of this mission. He couldn't help but feel that his position as leader had been stripped from him because of his outburst.
"You four leave for the daimyo's residence at sun up. Prepare for the mission to last at least two weeks. You're all dismissed except for Ren. I want you to hang back for a few minutes," Kakashi stated as he picked up his pen to start doing some paperwork.
Neji glared at the hokage but followed Naruto and Shino out the door none the less. "Man, why do I get the feeling this is going to be a really long mission. I'm going to be making this up to Ino for a month," Naruto whined.
"Quit your complaining, Naruto. We have an important mission to complete," Neji scolded Naruto. His mind was not in this conversation however. He was too busy wondering why Kakashi had kept Ren in his office. If that pervert was having her try on that outfit Neji was going to lose his mind. It's not like there were witnesses in the room now.
"Perhaps you should do something special with her when you return," Shino suggested as he adjusted his goggles slightly.
"Yeah you're right," Naruto said with a nod. "Okay then. I'll just have to do something really special with my girlfriend when we get back," Naruto stated as he adjusted his headband. It was as if he had just said he would eat ramen, simple and easily done.
The door opened and Ren stepped out. She flashed the three of them a small, forced smile. The four of them began walking down the hall without a word exchanged between them. Ren had the scroll open and was reading it so when Neji, who was walking directly in front of her, stopped she had to side step and spin around him to avoid the collision. Neji grunted lowly as he watched the end of her effort from the corner of his eye. He imagined if Ren had been Hinata or maybe Sakura he would have been bumped. Naruto and Shino stopped upon realizing that Neji had halted. "What does the scroll say," Shino questioned, his face towards Ren.
"Well," she said softly, "Her name is Ko Sato. She is the daughter of the daimyo of The Land of Fire and we'll be escorting her to The Land of Lightning to marry the daimyo's son there. It's believed that several smaller countries are against the marriage and there may be difficulties in getting her there as well as keeping her there. The princess is uncertain about her future husband so we are to stick around and make sure the marriage happens. I assume that I was placed on the squad for three reasons." Ren raised her fingers as she counted them out, "One: I am a female and may be able to get close to Ko and convince her this is a good thing. Two: I act as support in battle and have had medical training. And Three: I know the area well enough. I'm possibly in the lead position because of that knowledge as well."
Neji mentally rolled his eyes and grunted, "C'mon, we have packing to do." He really wanted to ask her what Kakashi had kept her back for, but couldn't ask. That would make it seem like he cared about her.
"Hey Ren," Naruto asked as the four of them made their way down the hallway further, "What did Kakashi-sensei want?" Neji could have kissed him for that. Not that he was gay or ever really would, he just wanted to know.
"He just wanted to remind me of the importance of teamwork," Ren muttered. She casually wrapped her arms around her chest and spared a glance towards Neji that she covered up by looking at Naruto instead. "I just needed a small reminder about what my job is," She stated calmly. She then muttered under her breath, "more like a confidence booster." She sighed silently. Kakashi had had to tell her not to let Neji get to her and that she was an important member of the squad. She was the captain and it was him, the hokage, who had decided she would be the one to lead this mission. She would not let him down; especially not because her cousin made her insecure.
"Oh is that all? Well no worries then. You've got this," Naruto said as he chuckled and gave her a thumbs up. Ren smiled and nodded. She was glad that at least one of her teammates believed in her.
The four of them walked down the stairs together in silence and parted ways with barely a nod. Neji and Ren walked home together, sort of. Ren walked several feet ahead of the Hyuga genius trying to keep her composure in front of him. Neji caught himself watching the way her long hair flowed back and forth with every step she took, then his eyes drifted lower. Part of him was glad she had worn her hair in a high ponytail so that the view was not obstructed by hair. Her bottom was a good size. Ren was far from fat but her hips were wide and her bottom round, perfect for grabbing and squeezing. Neji mentally slapped himself. If only it was someone other than her. Neji frowned. This was going to be a long mission.
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Neji was the third person to arrive at the gates. He was disappointed to see Ren leaning her shoulder against the hut where the gate guards sat. She had her black hair braided down her back and he could see that she was wearing tight fitting black pants instead of her usual short skirt, much to his relief. She had white gauze wrapped around her left thigh and a kunai pouch strapped over it. She wore her knee high black sandals but everything else seemed to be different than her usual Anko-like attire. Shino was standing a few feet away looking at his index finger. When Neji got closer he could see that he was actually staring at a beetle. Of the two waiting, Shino was his preferred company so he approached him. "Naruto is still sleeping," Shino stated behind the collar of his coat without even turning to see Neji.
"That is not surprising," Neji grumbled. He found the bug user to be a little creepy but kept his face stoic. He glanced at the clock that was positioned behind the two jonin in the gate hut. Naruto still had 10 minutes to arrive. Neji regretted looking there for the time though. He could now see that Ren was wearing a long-sleeve black shirt under a green flak vest. She had black fingerless gloves on her hands. The gloves had metal plates, perfect for blocking sharp objects. She had plating on her forearms and shins as well. There was nothing special about her outfit whatsoever. Her black headband was over her seal, the same as his. She looked like every other ninja. It was one extreme to the next: skin showing almost everywhere to it showing nearly nowhere. Neji internally snorted. Why had he had that dream about her the night before? He surely was losing his mind.
Neji watched as she giggled about something Kotetsu said. Izumo smacked his partner on the back of his head and muttered something that made Kotetsu's eyes the size of silver dollars, no small feat for the man's narrow eyes. Izumo, who was closer to Ren, brushed a stray hair behind her ear then patted her head, the action looked brotherly to everyone except Neji. She smiled brightly and nodded to him. "See you later Izumo-nii and Kotetsu-nii," She called as she straightened herself up and turned toward the gate. She approached the two boys and looked around. "Where's Naruto?"
"Asleep the last time my kikaichu checked," Shino muttered.
"We give him five minutes before I go get him," Neji mumbled.
Ren raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. Was Neji being serious? She would pay to see Neji go wake Naruto up. "Hm…Too bad," she thought. "He'll be here," she said with a smile. She had made sure of that last night, but they didn't need to know that. She was ANBU for a reason and Naruto was about to learn one of the reasons why Hanabi and Mayumi were such good pranksters. He would get a very small dose of it.
Naruto came running up to the trio panting and looking like he'd been through hell but he was on time. His blond hair was wet, he had a black eye, and his cheek was slightly swollen. He wore an outfit similar to the one Ren wore. His shirt was blue with a green flak vest over it and his pants were black. Everyone on the team made a mental note to thank Ino for getting rid of his hideous orange jumpsuits. He would've been an eye sore on this mission. "I'm… here…. let's….go," Naruto panted.
"We'll form a 2-2 formation. Neji and Naruto in the front, Shino and I in the back. I'll guard left-rear, Shino right-rear, Naruto right-front, and Neji left-front. Naruto keep your eyes open and pay attention to Neji's actions. He will check the area like he would on any other mission, scouting ahead with his byakugan. If he senses any chakra ahead he will sign it to us. We don't want to let our enemies know that we know if we can help it. We rely on hand signs for communication about the mission. This will be good practice for when Ko Sato is with us. We don't want to frighten her if unnecessary. Our formation will change as well when she is with us but we'll discuss that later. Let's move out," Ren stated with authority as she pointed towards the gates. Neji couldn't believe that the soft spoken girl could sound so confident. He hated to admit it but she sounded like a leader.
"What happened to you," Neji asked as the four of them walked out the gate. Neji didn't miss the fact that Ren waved to Kotetsu and Izumo. They waved back and it angered him. Why was she so friendly with everyone except him?
"I dunno," Naruto said awkwardly. He rubbed the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. "I was sleeping really well, having a dream about a pretty girl singing a song I can vaguely remember in my room. She reminded me of the moon and sang about the summer star. It was great," Naruto swooned. Neji activated his byakugan and noticed that Ren, who was directly behind him, was staring at the ground. He searched the area and when he decided it was clear he released his dojutsu, planning to repeat the process again in 5-10 minutes. Naruto continued speaking, "The next thing I knew I had water splashed on me. I shot out of bed, tripped over the pants I had taken off the night before, and face planted onto the floor. I was thinking 'today can't possibly get much worse' then I looked at the clock and was almost late so I had to rush. I almost left the house without my pack and scrolls but there they were, right in front of the door. I don't remember putting them there."
Ren visibly stiffened but the only one to notice had been Shino. He gave her a curt nod and then returned his gaze to the area around him. This was going to be a long, long trip. They could reach the daimyo's palace by nightfall but the journey was just beginning. Naruto was talking a mile a minute, no small feat seeing as they had broken out into a treetop run as soon as they were away from the village. How the boy did not run out of air was beyond his three teammates. Another amazing feat was that his black eye and swollen cheek were already healed. It was astonishing for Ren every time she saw his extreme healing powers.
"Naruto," Neji said as he once again deactivated his byakugan, "You need to be quieter."
Naruto rolled his eyes and shouted, "I'm not even being that loud!"
"Nartuo," Ren reprimanded gently, "That was being loud. Please, if you speak make it a whisper but we do need to be on our guard. I put you in the front because of your up-close-and-personal fighting style. You and Neji will be hand to hand while Shino is long ranged mostly and I vary, depending on the situation. You know that. Please try to focus."
Naruto pouted but said nothing more. She had been tender enough that his feelings weren't hurt but still managed to get through to him. It hadn't taken physical pain like Sakura seemed to think. If she had been anyone but Ren Hyuga, Neji would have been impressed.
XXXXXXXX
The Daimyo's palace was huge. Neji questioned how Konoha was able to keep afloat with the way the daimyo lived; then again The Hidden Leaf Village did bring in a lot of its own money. He suddenly understood where all the taxes went, not that he had to worry about that; the Hyuga's were not hurting for money even after the war. The squad was brought to the daimyo without delay and just as quickly taken to their rooms. They were informed that they would be given the night off since Ko was still within good hands within her own home. That was what lead to this moment.
Naruto had drank a whole bottle of sake to himself, Neji had had almost as much, Shino had only two cups, and Ren had beaten them all. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyelids seemed slightly heavy, and she was smiling like the Cheshire cat. Naruto had his arm draped over Ren's shoulder and she would politely remove his limb from her body only to find it back where it had been. At first Neji believed this was why she was blushing until he got a look at his own flushed face in the mirror of Ren's room, where they were all sitting. This had started out as a meeting to plan their trip. That was done but a maid brought in bottles of sake to celebrate the upcoming wedding and everything went down from there.
"Y'know Ren-chan," Naruto slurred, "you're real purty."
Ren's smile faded slightly and Neji decided he'd had enough. He thought that she had a crush on Naruto. She'd certainly blushed when her sister mentioned that he was going to be helping Shikamaru. Neji almost smacked his forehead. Was it Shikamaru she liked? Why? He couldn't figure it out in the fog caused by his own intoxication. Neji crawled over, unable to trust himself to stand, and wiggled his way between Naruto and Ren. It wasn't his brightest move but he was drunk and didn't care. Naruto was forced to move aside to let him between them. "Neji, wh-what're you doing," Ren questioned but her words weren't clear. Their shoulders were touching and he was practically in her lap.
"Getting a better seat," he muttered. His own words came out fairly jumbled.
"Oi! Who do you think you are anyway, Neji? Squeezing between me and my woman like that!"
Neji's temple throbbed with irritation. Shino was the one to speak. "I do not believe that Ino would appreciate hearing you say that," Shino stated clearly. He was the only one able to function 100%.
Naruto's face paled and he scurried over beside Shino and as far away from Ren as he could get. "You wouldn't tell her would you? I was just kidding around, honest. I love her so much," Naruto whined.
"I won't say anything if you stop now," Shino muttered bluntly. Naruto nodded his head so fast that it was clear he made himself dizzy. "I'm going to take Naruto to his room so he can sleep this off. Goodnight," Shino said as he stood to his feet. He pulled Naruto up with him and had to support the jinchuruki in his drunken state.
Neji grunted, "Hn," as his version of goodnight.
"Goodnight Shino," Ren called out to him while waving her whole arm, almost hitting Neji with it. Shino nodded to her and then assisted the groaning Naruto out of her room.
Neji scooted away from Ren some as soon as the door was shut. He knew he should leave too but the door looked so far away. No way in hell would the proud Hyuga male be seen crawling down the hall on his hands and knees; he was drunk but not that drunk. He glanced at Ren; she was staring at him like he was the most interesting thing in the world. His breath caught in his throat until he realized what the hell happened and mentally shook himself. "So Shikamaru is the one you have a crush on," Neji asked bluntly. He hadn't meant to say it aloud but there it was.
Ren tilted her head to the side like his words made no sense then she grinned as the light flickered on in her mind. "Oh yes! He's wonderful isn't he? He's so smart and easy going, a real simple guy with simple tastes and he's cute too."
Neji snorted, "You mean he's a lazy smoker who finds everything 'troublesome'."
"You say lazy, I say easy going. He's really sweet when he wants to be too and he's great with kids. Not everyone can put up with Mayumi's attitude. If only he'd notice me… Well… that and wasn't dating that sand woman," She said with a sigh. She rubbed the exposed seal on her forehead in frustration.
Neji nearly laughed, nearly. "Her name is Temari," he corrected her.
"I know her name," Ren said with a frown, "I just don't like saying it."
Neji was indeed curious now. "Why not," he questioned.
"Even her name is better than mine. Temari… Mine's so… plain and simple. Hers is exotic. Which would you rather call for Temari or Ren? Don't answer that; I already know the answer."
Neji was indeed surprised. Was she being insecure? She was like Anko's clone; there was no way in hell she could be insecure. She could be very timid but he never once thought her insecure. He stared at her and said nothing for a while. She stared back at him but neither could read the other. "You shouldn't pine over taken men," He finally stated.
She laughed dully. "Don't I know it? I'd never act on it. It's like Hinata with Naruto. If he's happy, no matter how much it hurts, I'm happy for him. I wish them a troublesome marriage with hundreds of troublesome babies," she said with a small smile before taking the last drink of sake. Good thing Neji didn't want it. "You know, taken men should really respect their partners more, too," She muttered.
He closed his eyes to think. He could just about guarantee she meant Naruto. He was about to say he agreed with her but before he could even open his mouth she was curled up on his lap with her face pressed against his chest. "What are you doing," He asked passively as his eyes shot open to look down at her. Her hair was the only part of her head he could see.
"I'm so tired and you're so warm. Just hold me for a little while Neji? Please? It'd make me happy," Ren murmured.
Neji looked down and froze. His drunken self couldn't figure out what he should do. He wanted to push her off but she was pretty warm too… and soft. "Alright," he whispered as he lazily wrapped his arms around her shoulders and closed his eyes once more. He had no idea why he had done that. Why had he agreed? He was too intoxicated to figure it out. Later, he promised himself; he would think on it later. He listened to her breathing and laid back with her on top of him. The next thing he knew he was swept off to dreamland. He didn't bother thinking about what it was he was actually doing any further.
Ren Note: Okay... So I know what you're all thinking... "You haven't finished Aftermath or All Or Nothing! Why are you posting another story?" Well the answer is simple. RaRa and I are having difficulty finding time for All or Nothing at the same time. I've got Chapter 11 ready (I think) but I'm waiting on the green light from him. In truth I have quite a lot of this story already wrote up. It started as a oneshot... but I guess I'm not good at those. Whoops. I guess I could probably write one if i were using main characters... and not my OC. I'm afraid that Ren's going to be seen as a whore... but she's not. None of these stories that involve her are linked. I just have crushes on a lot of Naruto guys okay? Don't judge me D: Anyway... I'd love to know what you guys think about this first chapter. Review for me? Please? It really makes my day! I'll be posting updates to All Or Nothing ASAP. Promise.
Ren Note (5/28/2015): I've went through and hopefully fixed any errors. I'm going to go through each chapter to try and make it perfect. I haven't changed anything in the story itself; just made it a smoother read. I'd like to take this time to thank those of you who have followed and favorited this story. Reviews would be amazing but I'm not expecting any throughout this story. I know in the note above I ask for you to but I'm done begging. Thanks for taking the time to read this! Until next time!