Chappie II

Three days later Neji arrives in Boulder (Boulder, Stone, same thing). All those three days one common thought was 'I hate Tsunade. I hate Tsunade.' He checks into a random hotel and decides to look around the town. He noted it wasn't that different from Konoha. 'Might as well get Lee and Tenten a souvenir or I'll never hear the end of it.'

Meanwhile his observer (-cough- stalker –cough-) thought 'He found me this quickly?' Unfortunately he was giving Neji too much credit. For Neji to have actually found him that quickly he would first have to actually care. Yes, his observer (STALKER!) was Sasuke Uchiha. He was following him because, well, he had nothing better to do. What? Don't you stalk people in your spare time? Actually, the real reason was he had heard Neji was supposed to track him down and decided to investigate.

Sasuke decided to go taunt Neji for a bit. "Hey ya stranger." Neji turned around in surprise and glared.

"And here I thought I'd be rid of you for at least one or two days."

"Touché." Sasuke looked amused at Neji's anger. "I see you haven't changed a bit."

"Neither have you." Neji had not stopped glaring at him. "So do I have to drag you or will you come back willingly?"

"Probably dragging, but once you find me you are to report to Stone's Kage." Sasuke had a kind smile on his face the whole time.

I'm going to skip the whole going in going out process, but this time Neji didn't scream. Oh no, he was glaring daggers at Sasuke like it was somehow his fault he had been assigned yet another mission. This time though, he had to do the mission with Sasuke. 'Why me? Why my sanity?'

In the envelope it said:

Neji Hyuuga and Sasuke Uchiha:

Congrats Neji on finding Sasuke. Now both of you need to go to Suna and get a mission from Gaara. This mission will take BOTH of you. I will repeat myself Neji, DO NOT KILL SASUKE!

From your BELOVED Hokage,

Tsunade

P.S.- Sasuke, try not to drive Neji insane. It's a pain to deal with.

"I hate you, you know that?"

"I figured it out when you nearly killed the Kage after reading the mission contents."

-Somewhere in Tsunade's office-

"Tsunade-sama, you have a letter from the Kage in Stone."

"Okay, give it here." Tsunade sipped some of her sake and spit it back out in surprise after she read the letter. "Neji WHAT?!"

-Back with Neji and Sasuke-

"So…"

"Hn." Guess who said that.

"Where are we going?"

"To a hotel."

"Need your beauty sleep?"

"Screw you."

"Why Neji, I had no idea you thought that way." Neji blushed when he realized what he meant. All he could do was glare as a response.

Neji was brushing his hair and putting it in its usual braid when he noticed Sasuke was staring at him. It was quite unnerving to be frank.

"What?" Neji was beyond annoyed.

"Nothing. Just thinking you should let your hair down more often." Neji's cheeks were a cute shade of pink.

"Oh shut-up!" Neji said huffily and turned his back on Sasuke.

"Such an adorable pout." Neji was bright red by now, even his ears. He didn't know why though, no one could ever get a reaction out of him so he didn't know why Sasuke could get one so easily.

"Don't you have to sleep or something?" Sasuke only chuckled.

"Touchy aren't you." Sasuke lied down and went to sleep. He somehow fell asleep before Neji did, and Neji found Sasuke's calm and even breathing was enough to relax anyone. He fell asleep strangely relaxed. It was especially strange considering that Sasuke had been flirting with him a few minutes ago. 'Oy vey, I'm going insane.' Of course Neji had no way of knowing his "insanity" would be later welcomed with open arms.

Neji was groggily opening his eyes the next morning. When he was fully awake he looked up to see Sasuke standing over him just staring at him like he did this every day.

"Good morning!"

"Jesus Christ!" Neji bolted up smashing their foreheads together so hard he saw stars. "Ow. You'd think you've never seen someone sleep before."

"I have, but none are quite as good-looking as you." Neji's eyes widened as he turned fire-truck-red for the third time over the course of 24 hours. Neji moved quickly and was taking his shirt off to change when he realized Sasuke was still in the room. He picked up his clothes and finished changing in the bathroom. When he came outside Sasuke was putting on his shirt. Neji's cheeks were tinted pink again as he saw Sasuke was in even better shape than before.

"Let's get going."

"Goodness, Neji, don't you ever stop for a break, or even breakfast?" He wasn't whining, he was just teasing. Neji glared over his shoulder. "Geez, so touchy." It took a while for Neji to realize that even though Suna was closer to Stone than Cloud was, it would take longer because one, he wasn't traveling alone and knowing Sasuke he would slow them down purposely just to annoy him, and two, so many damn sandstorms.

"DAMMIT!" It took a while for Neji to realize he had just yelled 'dammit' in a public place for no apparent reason.

"I didn't know you could be so loud, Neji." The amused glimmer in Sasuke's eyes only seemed to intensify.

The first night they had to set up a tent… IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREAKIN' DESERT! From Stone to Suna it was all desert baby. Neji put his hair in a braid and turned his back on Sasuke again. Apparently it was becoming a ritual: get ready for bed, ignore Sasuke, turn your back on Sasuke, and ignore Sasuke some more.

"If we're going to have to do a mission together shouldn't we at least try to mutter a quick 'good night'?" Neji turned around to face him only for his eyes to deadlock with Sasuke's. Any reply he was about to say died when their eyes met, and Neji found he was lost in that endless pool of onyx.

When he finally managed to snap out of his trance he managed a quick (very quick), "Good night," and turned his back again. Sasuke just rolled his eyes and decided to content himself with boring holes into Neji's back.

"Stop that."

"Stop what? Breathing? I know you hate me Neji but isn't that a bit much?" Sasuke was smirking by now.

"I mean staring. I know I'm irresistible but do try to control yourself." Sasuke was caught by surprise that Neji would make such a conceited comment, even if it was to shut him up.

"And what makes you think I can't resist you?"

"The fact you can't seem to stop admiring my devilishly good looks." I know. Shocking isn't it? Not only is Neji acting a tad like Draco Malfoy, he and Sasuke were flirting.

"Well, maybe not that good. And besides, we all know I'm much better looking than you."

"Girls staring at you because of your ass does not make you better looking than me."

"I can't help it, it's a nice ass." Any tension in the air from before had lifted as they were both now facing each other and smirking playfully.

"Well, I guess I can't argue there. Can we get some sleep now?"

"Of fine," and then Sasuke muttered immediately, "party pooper."

"I'll show you a party pooper when I'm cranky tomorrow because somebody wouldn't let me sleep." They were both being friendly now. There was not a trace of hostility. Of course, that would be too easy wouldn't it? Later Neji will just say he was tired and not thinking straight. Darn! Why must men be so difficult?

Please review, and thank-you to Dragon77, Simple-Minded Idiot, foreloved, and Tyra (it's my favorite couple too). Your reviews are greatly appreciated.