Stage 2: Homecoming

Tsunade looked up from the signed reports and agreements after twenty minutes of silent study. "It would seem that all went well for both of you. Congratulations, it was another successful ambassador mission."

"Thank you, Lady Hokage," Neji answered. "We can look forward to another two years of peace and prosperity with Suna."

She looked at Tsuki wearily. "How did your delegations go?"

Tsuki sighed softly to herself. "They went as well as they could be expected, milady. Negotiations were debated with the best interests of both villages in mind."

"How is the Kazekage? She asked, with interest in what Tsuki had to say. Neji had left in his reports his suspicions as to why Gaara was so guarded toward him. Could Tsuki confirm this?

"As well as always," was Tsuki's answer. "His lead is strong."

Neji huffed under his breath. Tsunade regarded this for a slight moment before moving forward. She quickly debriefed them, accepting their travel documents and adding her seal to them; another success.

They walked out together, through the dim corridors around the circular building. It was clear that Tsunade still mistrusted Tsuki. Perhaps she thought Tsuki was a sleeper agent; it wasn't uncommon for them to stay dormant for longer. In the eyes of Tsunade, her only redemption had been the surplus of information she had provided on Orochimaru and the Akatsuki.

Tsunade knew Tsuki was hiding things from her, and partially wondered if Neji even knew the truth. Tsuki would not give information on the Kazekage's assailant, nor would she speak against Sasuke's brother, Itachi Uchiha. Nothing she could do would force their whereabouts from Tsuki; they had done something to earn her loyalty. For that reason alone, Tsuki could not be trusted.

Tsunade had also watched the young Hyuga's guard drop dangerously low around this foreign threat, while Tsuki remained emotionless. It worried Tsunade to see the way Neji was always watching Tsuki from the corner of his eye; yet there was no one better than he to keep her in check. It was a decision the elders made for her. They were against the girl, but Tsunade had faith in Neji, and Tsuki was a wealth of information she couldn't have obtained otherwise.

XxX

"Neji, you're back!"

Tsuki moved aside just in time to see Neji assaulted by Tenten's embrace. She could not keep her eyes from rolling. She looked around, knowing that Tenten would not be alone in greeting them, as this was the scheduled time for them to return. She was not disappointed.

"Tsuki-chan, welcome back," Lee greeted her warmly.

Guy lightly clasped her shoulder as Neji detangled himself from Tenten's choking hold. "Another success for my team," Guy boasted with pride, a tear glistening in his eye.

Tsuki was now thoroughly burning with discomfort.

"Sensei, Tsuki isn't a part of our team," Tenten protested venomously.

"Sure she is, Tenten, just look at her! She's shining with hard work, determination and her youthful beauty abounds; how can she not be a part of my team?" He hooked an arm around Tsuki's shoulders. "You were meant to be on my squad."

She skilfully shrugged him off without damaging his ego. "I'm flattered, Guy-senpai, but I don't do so well on teams." Guy's only response was to laugh boisterously. It annoyed her to no end.

"Come on, Tsuki-chan," Lee beamed, "You've been taking care of Neji for years now. You're practically one of us!"

Tenten folded her arms, a sign of her sulking, wounded pride. "Madness," she muttered under her breath.

Neji, who had watched silently with a smirk on his face arranged with smug arrogance, finally felt it was time to rescue his drowning comrade. "Really, guys," he started half heartedly, "We just got back. Harass Tsuki later. We need a little time to relax before dealing with nuisances." His eyes had shifted to Lee and Tenten before he turned to leave, allowing Tsuki to follow without hurting any of his team members.

With his back turned, he just barely heard Guy blubber, "I-, I don't understand."

"She will be one of us," Lee reassured him strongly. He assumed a power stance, to emphasize his resilience and determination.

Tenten protested loudly, making an effort to ensure that her voice carried. "She didn't train with us, Lee. Besides, she's one of Orochimaru's konoichi. She can't be trusted."

Neji had taken a step ahead of Tsuki before he realized that she had stalled. He turned to look back at her, but her face was buried in shadows. He rejoined her, meaning to ask what was wrong, but she put a hand up to silence him. He stood by her side faithfully, not willing to face eavesdropping alone.

It was then that he heard the approach of another set of footsteps.

"What do you think, Kakashi?" Guy called to his rival.

Neji heard him close his book. "What do I think about what?" he asked smoothly. Neji knew this wouldn't go well.

"What do you think about the shining star, Tsuki over there?" Guy answered. So he had noticed that she stalled.

"Come on, Lee," Tenten sighed. Lee protested loudly as Tenten pulled him forcibly away from the scene that was about to unfold. It was a shame that there wasn't going to be much of a scene.

Kakashi sighed. "She seems stable; I haven't heard much against her. She's a little different from what we're used to, but all the same, she's worth keeping an eye on for the time being."

Neji translated that to mean, 'She hasn't done anything yet, but as soon as she does, she's done for.'

There was the rustle of fabric and the soft clink of steel before guy spoke again; it sounded like he had scratched his abdomen. "Do you think she's a good addition to Team Guy?"

Kakashi's answer was quite frank, "No."

Neji could almost picture what it looked like when Guy's face fell in disappointment. "Why not?" he whined.

There was boredom in Kakashi's voice. "No one would do well alongside you." His footsteps picked up again as he continued walking, and when he passed, his nose was completely lost inside his book. Neji couldn't be sure if Kakashi was avoiding eye contact with him, but he wouldn't doubt it.

His gaze looked back towards his comrade, but she showed no emotion in response to what she had just heard. She knew just as well as he did that Kakashi was weary of her presence in the village. Kakashi was less informed as Tsunade, and still his mistrust of her was just as high. He didn't know that she was raised by Orochimaru. He didn't know that she had been sent to scout out Konoha, so her sensei could kill the third Hokage. He only knew that she came from Otogakure. It was because she was different that he didn't trust her; because she was foreign.

Tsuki pulled on Neji's hand. "Let's go to the hot spring; we're supposed to be relaxing."

Neji looked down at her hand, tugging lightly on his. He smiled a small, soft smile. He gave her hand a light squeeze. "You're right, let's go." He allowed the touch to linger, before gently letting her go.

XxX

Tsuki secured her towel around her torso and stepped onto the rocky precipice. Steam rose from the water to greet her warmly, and the warm liquid was hot enough to pinken her flesh upon contact. She immediately felt her muscles begin to relax as she sunk deeper and deeper into the spring. She sat down next to the planked fence that divided the genders; a nuisance in itself to her. She would much rather it be a mixed bath, so she could see her comrade face to face. Soon, Neji would settle down next to her, pinpointing her with his Byakugan.

"I'm sorry about Guy-sensei," Neji appealed, shortly after she heard the water ripple.

"You shouldn't be sorry for him, Neji. It wasn't your offence to begin with. He's nice enough, and he means well. He just doesn't understand that I will never be fully accepted by the community." She made patterns in the water with her finger.

"He can be a little overbearing," Neji sighed. She heard him move in the water, and felt a vibration through the fence as he leaned against it. "You didn't have years to train under him, so you wouldn't understand all of the underlying meanings of his actions. He really does worry about you, though he worries for your well-being, not your actions as everyone else does."

She slid down until the water was almost to her chin. She felt a little guilty. "That's reassuring; not everyone hates me for existing."

"You don't like most of them, either," he pointed out softly. "Didn't you once explain to me that it works out the best, if people keep their distance from you? You're different from anything these people have experienced before. You react differently, you carry yourself differently. Naturally there is going to be some resistance until they get used to you not being a threat. They're still cautious from what happened those years ago."

She knew he was talking about the third Hokage's death. There was darkness in his voice that told her all she needed to know. He was still guilt ridden.

"I'm sorry, Neji. I never wanted him to die," she assured him.

"I'm fully aware of that," he answered bitterly, but softly.

She slid her hand through the parting in the fence she had made a year ago when she passed a birthday present through the slot between two boards. Knowing he was still watching her every movement, and resenting her lack of visual contact with him, she wasn't startled when his hand found hers once more. "No one who knows the truth holds you responsible, Neji, and no one else would if they had a clue."

"You might not," he answered, "But I do. You have an excuse, Tsuki. You were acting under orders, and you weren't even involved in the actual act. He would have found a way with or without you. I could have warned him, and this whole thing could have been avoided."

She squeezed his hand softly. "I'm the one resented for it," she stated softly, "You need to forgive yourself."

His hand released hers. "I know," he stated, ashamed.

She sighed again. "Don't beat yourself up for it, Hyuuga-san. I know it doesn't compare to losing the Hokage, but if you hadn't done what you had, I would have been executed on sight. I owe you my life, and now I have a life worth living."

Neji sighed. "There's always a silver lining," he confessed. "I still cost this village the Third Hokage. I could have found a way to save you, and keep him alive if I had tried."

"Hindsight is 20/20," she stated. She rose from the hot springs. "I don't think you're to blame." She left him stewing in his thoughts, knowing there was nothing else she could say to change his mood. He would have to work this one out on his own.

XxX

Two hours later came the familiar knock on her door. She watched as Neji let himself into her apartment; the very same one she had occupied when she was sent to scout for Orochimaru. It was already in her name, so why change it?

She looked at Neji incredulously as he removed his shoes and deposited them next to hers. "Did you boil yourself alive in the spring, Neji?" she accused.

"No," he answered. "I went for a walk." He settled on her sofa, kicking his feet up on the coffee table, throwing his head back and closing his eyes. His hair fanned out around his shoulders.

She wrinkled her nose as he sat down. "Trained for an hour, more like."

He stared at her in disbelief without lifting his head. "I showered again before I came over here."

She smirked at him playfully. "I know; I can only smell your soap."

"You disappeared from the spring; did anything happen in my absence?" he inquired, changing the subject.

"Nothing other than nothing," she answered. "Are you feeling any better?" She expressed her concern with soft and gentle care.

He sighed, "Mildly," He lay down on her couch, his head inches away from her right thigh. "Can you at least understand?"

"I understand everything, Neji," she assured him. She ran her fingers though his long hair gently, the way her mother used to when she wasn't feeling well. "Your reactions are perfectly justified."

He didn't shy away from her touches, but closed his eyes and enjoyed the silence. She could almost hear his thoughts whirring away behind his eyelids. She knew better than to interrupt his thinking; she just sat with him, caressing his soft tendrils of hair, stirring his pheromones. To her, he smelled of lilac flowers and sandal wood, underneath his body wash.

"Do you ever wonder what would have happened if I hadn't stopped you from leaving the chunin exams?" Neji inquired. His eyes fluttered open as he looked at her.

She continued stroking his hair. "No," she answered honestly. "You did stop me, and we can't go back and change that now. We are committed to the actions of the past. There's nothing that can alter the course we are on aside from the paths we haven't taken yet."

He sighed. "You're right."

"I wouldn't have changed it, though," she informed him. "My life pivoted at that point. I was already caught in the winds of change, but giving you my protector plate meant that I was destined to make my way back to you. Of the options I had the time, it was between a homicidal sadist bent on killing everyone, an organization of rogue shinobi who are bent on world domination, or making amends with my abusive mentor. Being here with you is nirvana."

He pulled her hand out of his hair and left to the kitchen, and she heard the kettle being set on the stove. She took her bag from beside her end table to her room to unpack. He would find her when he was ready.

The only thing she carried with her on her three week journey to Suna was extra clothing and a small arsenal of weapons, plus food rations for the trip there. Everything else she needed was provided for her by Gaara and the embassy. Every time she returned, Gaara would send her with some sort of trinket or gift that was small and pretty, albeit superficial. That was the first thing she put in its place, next to the one from her previous visit, when she stayed behind to help though Deidara's attack. This had been their first official mission as Sunagakure ambassadors.

She had finished putting her knives away when Neji meandered into her bedroom. He sat on her bed, two steaming cups of tea in his hands. She hadn't even noticed the kettle whistle.

"Thank you," she smiled when he handed her the mug of steaming, lightly sweetened liquid. He only smiled in response as he sat on her bed. He set his cup down on the night stand.

"Are you comfortable?" she asked out of habit, as she always did when he'd situate himself there.

"Quite," he would always reply. This time he added, "You have a very soft bed."

"You're the first man in it," she teased lightly.

He smirked at her. "I wouldn't doubt it." He fell backwards onto her pillows and closed his eyes, sighing. "It smells like your hair."

She threw a shirt, which landed on his forehead. "You're so weird, Neji."

He arched an eyebrow as he took the shirt and threw it into her laundry basket in her open closet. "So, let me get this straight; you can smell me when ever you very well please, but I can't sniff your pillows?"

"Not without buying me dinner first," she joked at him. She dumped out the remnants of her back into the laundry basket and slid her closet doors shut.

"Are you hungry" he asked, taking a sip of his tea.

"I could eat," she answered in a sigh.

Neji propped himself up on his elbow, rolling to his side to get a better look at her. "Do you want help with anything before we go?"

She looked around her tidy room. "No, I'm finished for the night. All I have to do is clean the clothes, and that can wait until tomorrow."

He looked at her from under his eyelashes. "Is there anything else you would like to do before we come back?"

She sat on the bed, where his between his knees and his naval. "I'm exhausted; I'd much rather just come home. It's been a long two weeks."

He sighed in his assent. "We get eight days there, and we can never find time to actually enjoy Suna," he complained.

She leaned against him lightly, and he adjusted his arm to lay across her lap, so it wasn't pinned to his side. "There isn't much to enjoy. There's sand everywhere. There's the market, but we seem to spend time there just fine. If we left the city, which is forbidden on both Gaara's and Tsunade's count, you'd be able to find an oasis, but that can take hours. There's the oasis in the city, but there's always people there, and that takes the point out of getting away from it all."

Neji's eyes narrowed. She could sense his reaction to her bitterness was less than empathetic. "Suna will always be a danger to you, won't it?" he asked.

"Every time I've been ambushed, it's been there. I can't afford to let my guard down, not even for a moment. I still can't face Gaara without feeling on edge, and Yahara and I aren't on the best of terms. There are a lot of reasons I'm uncomfortable there."

He sat up, doing his best not to shift her, and placed his hands on her shoulders, and looked her eye to eye. "I'll see anything long before it has a chance to reach you. I'm here to protect you, not just to tether you to the village." His hand slid down her arm to hold her own, if only for a moment. "I've been watching out for you for years, and you still don't seem to trust me." He released his grip on her hand, but lingered his touch on her skin.

She rested her head on his shoulder. "Forgive me; it's hard to open up to you. I've been taught all my life to never rely on someone. Everyone I ever have come to trust has turned their back on me at some point." She closed her eyes, trying to escape the images of the faces swimming in her thoughts.

He tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear before wrapping his arms around her in a loose embrace. "I'm here for you, no matter what happens," he assured her. "And Gaara's never abandoned you," Neji pointed out. "He's never once threatened your life seriously. You'd probably still be in Suna, if he hadn't gotten his priorities straight in being elected Kazekage."

"I'm sure one of us would have been killed by now if that was the case," she hissed. She buried her face in his shoulder.

Neji chuckled. "Sure, sure; but we have an alliance with him now, stronger because of you. Surely you can't make each other that miserable if he requests you be the one to delegate with his village."

"I'm sure there are other reasons," Tsuki hissed through her teeth as she sat up. He released her from his embrace, allowing his arms to rest at his sides. "I'm not the only reason he's turned himself around. We have common enemies, and Naruto had a larger role in his rehabilitation than I ever could."

Neji had a bemused expression on his face. "Then why would Lady Tsunade comply with his wishes and send you, even though she prefers to keep you within the village as much as possible?"

"That doesn't mean anything," she rebuked.

"It means everything to him," Neji rebutted. "Our entire schedule revolves around that meeting. We were village bound for an entire month prior to it, so we wouldn't be late because of a mission being held over. It's a huge stress for Lady Tsunade; she's already short on able bodied jounin."

"If it's a hassle then why does she go through with it?" Tsuki demanded, raising herself off the bed. "We would bother rather be sent anywhere else."

"Having an ally as strong as the Sand is important to our success as a nation. If we go to war, Suna has our back." He pulled himself off the bed and walked to her, standing before her, watching as she slipped into her own thoughts.

A war between the nations would only bring disaster. The Akatsuki would thrive on the chaos, profiting on the war and death, doing who knows what with the tailed beasts they've been harbouring. She knew little of their other goals, but knew Pein well enough to know he would try to gain control of the wars, and in result, the entire Shinobi world.

Orochimaru would bring unspeakable horrors, just for the pleasure of unleashing his experiments on the world. With his sadistic mind and hatred for Konoha, there would be no limit to the damage he alone would cause. With all those mutated experiments by his side, he would have a nearly unstoppable army of terror moving in every direction, leaving mayhem in its wake.

"What a dark time that would be," she stated after a moment of silence. She looked up at Neji as he stood before her.

"If anyone could imagine those horrors, it would be you." He gently brushed a finger down her cheek, a gesture to comfort her.

"I can't let that happen," she whispered in awe. She didn't know how she would stop it, but she had to try.

"You can't war on your own," he stated realistically.

"I can try," she answered defiantly. "I can't allow the horrors of Orochimaru to be released upon this nation." She walked swiftly out of the bedroom.

"You still don't understand," he whispered softly, watching her retreating form with confusion as to where the connections of her mind had led her. "So long as I am still alive, you'll never have do anything alone." He followed her down the hallway.

She was unlocking the door when he caught up to her, and followed her outside into the night. "Are you still hungry," he asked.

She nodded, still trapped in her own thoughts. He walked beside her, his footfalls in time with her own. He only allowed her another moment to her reverie before he pulled her out of it.

"You can't dwell on what isn't happening," he reminded her. "There are an infinite number of different paths the future can take. We can't focus on just one, and we don't have the time to plan them all. Stop worrying about it, please."

"All right," she conceded. "Where are we going?"

He shrugged. "What do you feel like eating?" he asked.

"Truthfully, I'm feeling like barbecue."

"Then we'll do barbecue," he confirmed.

They adjusted their course accordingly, and within a few minutes, arrived. They passed Shikamaru, Ino, and Chouji eating pork with Asuma, who eyed them cautiously, but otherwise didn't make effort to acknowledge them. They were seated, he ignored protocol to slide in next to her and ordered beef, to celebrate their successful mission. Two years of peace with a homicidal maniac who had kidnapped his comrade on multiple occasions called for celebration.

Their meats came. The waitress also brought Tsuki a side dish of chilli oil. Neji eyed it cautiously as Tsuki dipped the raw beef slices into the marinade and set them immediately on the grill. The meats caught fire, and as soon as she blew out the flames, she pulled the steak strips off the grill, satisfied. Neji always allowed his to cook longer than she did, but she enjoyed her beef red.

Her pyrotechnics amused him. It brought out a delight in her that he rarely got to see. She was, at heart, a pyromaniac; most fire chakras were. It was a welcome relief from her guarded and stoic nature.

They enjoyed their meal together in silence for the more part. When they were finished, they ordered tea. He drank herbal tea with chamomile, and she stuck with peppermint. She sank into the booth as she sipped, melting into the seat. He got to watch the other side of her unguarded mind: relaxation.

They talked for another hour, idle chit chat, thoughts, and observations. He made her laugh a few times, and she earned a few chuckles. He felt a bit closer to her, especially since her neurotic outburst had driven a wedge between him and her a bit. He was very unfamiliar with the emotional wiring of females.

She leaned on him again, sleepy and tranquil. He knew from experience that he didn't have long before she shut down, but he allowed her to finish her tea in peace. She began to fall asleep on him before her tea was finished, and he put his arms around her, supporting her as she nodded off.

He pulled her closer, freeing an arm to continue drinking his tea. Her breathing levelled out, growing deep and steady. She slinked her tiny hand around his waist, clutching him tightly. He stroked her bare shoulder lightly, sipping the last dregs. Ino eyed him from across the restaurant. He didn't really care. His comrade was exhausted from a tedious five day journey, and for some strange reason, peppermint always makes her sleepy.

He finished his drink, placing the tea cup on the table. With one hand, he stacked their dishes neatly, cleaned up their napkins and chopsticks, depositing them neatly on the top plate, where he stacked their cups, as well. He then pulled his comrade into his arms, careful to not wake her, and carried her out of the Yakiniku.