The Village Hidden in the Leaves was prosperous. Missions had been ringing along quite well, and most of the Jounin, along with the Chuunin, were making quite the profit.

Genin teams were no longer strictly just to being a single team, but were mixed and matched with other shinobi in order for a mission to reach quicker proficiency.

The day was like any other, shinobi were running from the tower to the gates, and collecting payment from the Hokage (Shizune) as well. The occasional bird squawked in the distance.

Tsunade, the fifth Hokage, was assigning missions left and right as well as signing important documents. Not only was the economy in good shape, she could now distribute more money to the orphanages and shelters.

Her blonde hair was stationary on her back as her manicured nails drummed on her desk while she looked over a mission scroll she received just moments before from Shizune.

"Why is this mission a month?" Tsunade asked, as her honey colored eyes settled on her loyal right hand.

Shizune looked up from whatever file she was looking over before readjusting the pig in her arms and sitting up straight.

"In the mission scroll, it requests the escort of a very important 'Rising Star,' and the client wants his precious cargo delivered safely to the land of stone. That was all the info we received, m'lady."

Tsunade was a little stunned, or along the lines of confused. The mission scroll stated something very simple, but she also couldn't grasp her mind around the hefty sum of money that came with it.

"What ninja for this mission are available?"

Shizune looked over a list with her finger, pausing every few seconds before she looked back up towards the Hokage.

"Neji Hyūga, Naruto Uzumaki and Kiba Inuzuka."

"Naruto? and Inuzuka? I could understand Hyūga. But for those two to be done with a mission that quickly is surprising." Tsunade mused, as she leaned back in her seat.

She once again looked back over at the scroll, before she decided hell with it. An anbu was leaving the Hokage tower a second later as a summons and she was signing off papers for the hospital.

On the other side of the village, the Anbu had appeared in front of Naruto Uzumaki and Neji Hyūga, and frightening the timid Hinata.

The anbu apologized before he stated his summons and left as quickly as he had come. Neji eyed the blonde haired goofball and silently sighed.

Naruto was good enough company, but Neji had just gotten back from a grueling A-mission just two days ago. Why couldn't he rest? The village was fine. They didn't need to constantly do missions back to back.

The blonde haired jinchuuriki once again took his cousins hands into his, before he pulled her into a bone crushing hug and kissed her hair.

"I'll be back before you know it, Hinata."

Neji rolled his eyes. Why was he with these two love birds again? He was her bodyguard, thats right. He wasn't saying she needed protection, but for the next couple of months she would. The child in her belly would be consuming large amounts of her chakra.

"Let's go bastard!" Naruto shouted, before he leapt towards the rooftops leaving the Hyūga in the dust, sparking his competitive spirit.

Neji was ready to leap right after him but felt a gentle grasp on his arm, reminding him of his cousin.

"Come home."

He gave her one of his rare smiles —a small lift at the corner of his lips. He nodded at her before he leapt after the village hero, who by now was already halfway across the village.

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The trio set off from the gates as soon as they assembled and quickly made way for the small land of rice.

Naruto was eating his lunch that Hinata prepared for them and was groaning as if though he had just tasted the best thing in the world. Which it probably was, Hinata was a damn good cook.

There mission didn't have a alot of details, instead stating the mission could be as long as a month, maybe more.

"Neji, why do you think this mission is so long?" Kiba asked, as he eyed him. The mission had the possibility of being two months, but coming from something resembling a dog in human form, Neji could understand why he'd ask.

He merely shrugged," Im guessing who ever we're going to be escorting is making quite a lot of stops."

Kiba nodded, "you're right. Its a good thing the hidden stone are allies. Right?"

Naruto swallowed a bite of his food, "damn right!"

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The rather large brothel/ bar looking place was quite a surprise. The little note inside of their scrolls describing their client was also a little helpful... But Neji was dreading it as he saw many women dressed in elaborate Kimono's that hung off their shoulders just begging to fall off and the dirty men that were scattered along the front porch.

"Do you boys want me to go in?" Kiba asked, as he eyed their reactions with a snicker.

Neji would not allow this to get in the way of his mission.

"No. You and Naruto stay out here. I'll be back."

Kiba nor Naruto said anything as they watched him approach the building.

He was dressed in his regular Hyūga robes, and his hair was tied loosely behind his back.

Just as he climbed the stairs, he already garnered the attention of a few women, and was immediately approached. He managed to get them to leave him alone, and it was probably also because a girl ran outside excitedly saying "Ino is getting ready to perform!" Which had many squealing and running in after her.

Neji looking back down at his paper, and noticed their clients name was Ino.

He was feeling a little smug. What a coincidence.

The building smelt of cheap perfume and cigarette smoke. Neji was positive he could smell lingering sex, but smelt only smoke when another wiff of air entered through his nose.

The room he entered was grand, and many men were sitting on elaborate couches as women were curled in their laps.

The other was the glass string things that hung from the ceilings that twinkled and twittered, along with the velvet walls and the gold trimmings along the wall.

The women that were rushing in to see Ino disappeared behind a cascade of glass strings and he immediately followed. He was careful not to make any eye contact with any of the men, nor the ladies that were scattered around the room with the eyes of a hawk in search of prey.

They clinked as he pushed them out of the way, and he was met with a long hallway that had a red light at the end. He hurriedly made his way down it before he emerged into a room with all the others.

There was a small stage in the front, and like the other room there were elaborate chairs, but they faced the stage. It was also just like how it was before. Many women were curled up in men's laps.

It was not a uncommon sight, but with his morals, he wasn't fond of it.

He made his way over to a group of men that were standing near the wall. They nodded at him and he nodded back as he settled beside them waiting for the show to start so he could see and hopefully attain his client as soon as she was finished.

He leaned against the wall and waited for his client to reveal her self.

He listened to the conversations around him, and he caught snippets of 'weird eyes,' and 'fangs.'

At first he assumed they were talking about his eyes, because he did indeed possess extraordinary eyes, but he cut that out because he does not have fangs.

Their were a few excited murmurs as the light dimmed and focused on the stage in front of the room with a spotlight. The room was filled with soft lights, but it was otherwise completely dark save for the spotlight that focused solely on the stage.

When she emerged from the stage, the first thing he noticed was the pair of horns she wore on her head, and the dress she had on. The dress she wore was uncommon, and one part of it hung loosely off her shoulder revealing pale skin.

The room hushed, and the only noise heard were a few excited murmurs.

He got a look at her eyes, and he could understand why everyone found them so weird. They were a beautiful baby blue, but with a green that contrasted with it. That wasn't all, with vision better than most, he noticed the lavender rings that rimmed her eyes; giving her a cat eye appearance.

The wall behind him vibrated, and he almost activated his byakugan before he calmed down and focused his attention on Ino once more.

A projector was splaying out designs on her, and he noticed the vibrations continued. He physically felt them under his feet and that was when she turned her back towards them and looked over her shoulder.

"So lone', you made me feel so lone'.."

Her voice was smooth, and it melted like a chocolate dessert in his ears. She had a accent that he never heard before, and it was all the more interesting. He tightened his hands together as she continued on with her godly voice.

The thing that was really gratifying, was how she sang in such a beautiful voice but of her own heartbreak.

He felt the vibration again, and he finally noticed that it had a low rumbling noise that went with her song.

"If this was not love, then please tell me, what was it?"

He closed his eyes as he listened to her voice.

It reminded him of his very early years, the years he spent in a loving embrace of his mother. Their voices weren't alike, but it was still beautiful.

But just like that, it was over and he opened his eyes to see her bowing to the crowd as well as the cheering that came after. He knew if he didn't get her now, it would be hours before he saw her again.

He rushed forward.