Summary: didn't change
Disclaimer: I don't own either story/movie/ or manga/anime. Now leave me in peace so I can write
A/N: Okay, before one of you hurts me I got this done as fast as I could.
OtakuItachi-Thank You! Cookie for you!
Ryutana-Thanks! Cookie for you!
Nova Bucker-Meep! I am! I am! Here's the next chapter…
grasshopper named octavias-Thanks! And pairings…um, maybe-if the story lends itself to any. If not, then no.
Phoenixflame04-Thanks, and I hope this was fast enough…
"Talking"
'Thinking'
Chapter Two: Information and Trouble
Gai blinked a few times. What the hell? Why did they frighten everyone? Neji, Tenten, and Lee also turned to regard the people, and looked over to their sensei for answers-even Neji had no idea what to make of the situation. What to do now…Tenten and Neji just hoped that Gai wouldn't do something stupid. Surprisingly he didn't.
"We are human, if that is what you mean. We just have a different way of fighting." He replied, in a surprisingly normal voice, and that startled Lee, Neji, and Tenten.
"Yeah, but what about him?" one of the villagers asked, pointing to Neji, who blinked. Why had he been singled out?
"He's human. Just like me and you, sir." Gai retaliated, eyebrows furrowing. How dare he suggest that his precious student was anything but human!
"He killed the Urgals just by touching them! He can't be human!" the man pressed, and Neji sighed. Well, he never thought that his Juken would bring up this type of problem. Well at least they weren't calling him a-
"Demon! He is no human! His eyes are solid white! I would rather face the Urgals!" okay, spoke too soon, he had just gotten the response he knew was coming. Seriously, it was either demon, or blind. Those mistakes were beginning to irritate him.
"My student is no demon!" Gai shouted, now angered. Tenten and Lee had also tensed up at the statement. Neji appreciated the concern, but he was used to getting called those names. After all not everyone knew about the Byakugan and what it looked like. He had gotten called demon quite a few times on solo missions.
"If you do not wish for us to remain, then move out of our way, and we will leave." Gai said, as he managed to regain a hold of his temper. Neji was just glad that the villagers hadn't done something stupid-yet. But he had a feeling that it was bound to happen, if the mutterings were any indication. They were ready to cause trouble for the group of people who had just saved them. He blinked, finally noticing that Gai was using hand signs to try and tell him something. He quickly responded with a sign that said that Gai had his attention.
Neji, we are going to make a distraction. You retreat. Meet in next town. Cover your eyes.
Neji didn't respond for a few seconds, slightly irked that he had been told to literally run away. But, knowing Gai, he wouldn't take 'no' as an answer.
Fine.
He shifted slightly, and waited for Gai to give him the sign to run. Not that he liked the idea, but he didn't want to get his teammates into more trouble than they were already in.
"Sir. I do not know who you are, but such an insult is unneeded against Neji. He is no demon, nor is he of any threat to you, or your fellows." Gai said, stepping in front of his students.
"Yeah! He helped save you guys!" Tenten snapped, and Lee nodded vigorously. Gai silenced them both with a look. Neji smiled-inwardly-at their outburst. That was like them. Still…Gai had given him the sign to run…
"Hey! Where do you think you're going?!" one of the more observant villagers shouted, as Neji had begun to move off. Neji turned to see Gai give him one last order.
RUN!
He listened, and promptly took off in a full sprint. He heard the shouts behind him, and the clatter of weapons. Then he heard the sound of people running and a few people hitting the ground. He didn't look back.
He continued his headlong dash, before slowing, and eventually slowed to a more sedate walk. He was now lost in the forest, and had no idea where the road was, or where the nearest town was. Finally, after wandering around for a few more minutes, he sat down and drew his knees up to his chest. He sighed, as he settled down for the night, and prayed that his teammates were okay…
--
Tenten, Lee, and Gai had taken off running, as soon as Neji was out of sight. They didn't follow him, as they didn't want to cause trouble for him, because they had a feeling that the villagers were simply looking for someone to blame. And Neji had made the perfect target, and if they found him they would take their frustration out on him. They were heading in a different direction, fast. They had left the villagers behind, but one could never be too careful…
"Gai-sensei…is he going to be okay?" Lee asked, worriedly. Tenten gave Lee the 'You are a moron for asking that' look, and huffed. Gai looked between the two before answering.
"This is Neji. He is a Jounin now, and should be able to deal. I'm sure he'll be okay." Gai responded, and Lee sighed, as did Tenten. It was reassuring-to a certain extent. But soon they had to stop, and set up camp. That meant drawing lots to see who took first watch. Tenten sighed, when she thought of the day before, when they had argued of how to pick who took first watch. She looked up to the stars, and prayed for Neji's safety-not knowing he was doing the same thing.
--
Neji woke the next day, reacting on instinct. He was up on his feet in a second. He looked around for what had woken him, but that could have been just about anything. After the incident of the day before his nerves were wired.
All he saw was a disgruntled bird, sitting on a branch nearby.
'Must have tried to use me as a perch' he thought with a small chuckle. Then the bird flew off with a startled trill, and Neji whirled around. He heard someone curse, and he dropped his defensive pose and blinked.
It was a young man, maybe a few years younger than him, dressed like a hunter. His bow and arrows were in the quiver slung over his back. The young man was also carrying something that looked like an oddly formed rock. And right then he was looking it over, and not paying attention to his surroundings. But he finally looked up, and saw Neji, standing in front of him. The young man jumped back, fumbling for a dagger. Neji sighed.
"Don't try to fight me. I really don't want a fight now. I just want to know where the nearest town is, so I can rest." He said, and the boy gave him an odd look.
"But…aren't you…" Neji sighed, his mood just taking a sever drop to very annoyed.
"A demon? Blind? I'm neither. I can see you just fine, and I'm not a demon. What do I have to do to prove this?" he asked, folding his arms. The other blinked, caught off guard.
"Um…come with me. I'll ask the storyteller back in town." The boy said, and Neji ground his teeth, in an attempt to keep his scathing remarks to himself. A storyteller? What the hell did a storyteller have to do with proving he wasn't a demon!? Still, at least he would be in a safer place to wait for his teammates to catch up with him.
"Fine." He responded, and the boy moved off, and Neji followed him trying not to say something about the pace they were setting. But then something caught his eye; a white rock-that looked oddly like the one the other boy had been trying to carry. Neji went over to it, and picked it up, and the boy peered over his shoulder.
"Hey! You found one too! You don't suppose these are common around here-do you?" at that Neji gave him a mild glare. He wasn't even from around these parts, how the hell should he know?! The boy shifted as Neji glared, and quickly stood back up to lead the way again. Neji tucked the thing into his bag, and followed after the boy.
By midday they had reached the outskirts of the town. Had Neji been in better condition he would have gotten annoyed with the extremely slow pace the boy took to get there. But as that night's sleep hadn't completely restored his chakra stores he was only slightly irked. The boy stopped, and turned back to face Neji.
"Um…you stay here. I'm going to go get the storyteller." The boy said, but he did move. Neji raised an eyebrow at this, and waited for him to finish.
"…I still don't trust you…"and at this Neji sighed. He sat down and leaned up against a tree, and waited.
"I'm sure nothing else is in the area…" and Neji already knew where this conversation would lead. He glared at the boy to get him to shut up.
"If anything happens to me, I'm blaming you." He knew it sounded childish, but he was sincerely getting tired of the mission. The boy gulped, but then nodded.
After all was said and done Neji had let the boy tie him to the tree. He sighed when the boy left in a hurry.
'He obviously doesn't trust me…even after this.' Neji thought as he tilted his head back to stare up at the canopy of green leaves above him. He could just make out the sky, and hoped that his friends were having an easier time than him.
A/N: Sorry it took so long, but I've been busy! Review?