Yo I'm back time to move on.
"character thoughts"
"inner talking to character"
"character inner in flash back"
"character thoughts in flash back"
"flash backs"
Chapter 3: Meetings
-Boy's Pov. -
"That's a great plan Neji," Naruto said after Neji had told them his entire plan.
"Yes and it was my Youthful words that brought it to him," Lee said as he started to skip around the room.
"Yes Lee thanks," Neji said as he fell down on to the couch, "Now Krow I want you to go as always to go see Sasuke. I want him to tell you and then you come up and tell us what he said, alright?"
"Okay dooky great admiral." Krow said as he stood and walked to the door.
"Alright everyone have fun and Gaara come with me," Neji said as he got up and walked to the balcony with Gaara following him.
-On the balcony-
"Yes Neji?" Gaara asked.
"Did you feel it?"
"Feel what?"
"…….."
"Neji"
"When she was captured did you feel anything?"
"……………."
"…"
"Yes"
"OMFG!!!!!!!" came a voice from inside the room.
Neji and Gaara ran into the room to see a collapsed Kankurou on the floor and everyone else around him. Naruto was at Krow's side shaking him back and forth. Soon Kankurou's night black eyes soon flickered open and he sat bolt up right.
"Were is he? Were is he???"
"Krow calm down and explain what happened!" Shino said as he slapped Kankurou's face.
"Well…"
-Flashback-
Krow was walling down the hall to Sasuke's office when he heard a whip crack and a girl scream. He followed to were the noises were coming from. Another crack and another scream were heard from behind an iron door that was were criminals were held when the kingdom was in war.
Walking through the door Krow saw the pink haired girl from the town square, but something had changed her hair was a darker pink and it was bright red in areas. Her face also was different it was contorted with pain and Krow finally saw why. The side of her head was BLEEDDING! HEAVILY! Also her right shoulder and left ankle were scared, her green eyes looked up and saw him and pleaded for him to help.
"You have to help her!" cried his inner
"But… I can't Sasuke is right behind her!" Krow yelled at his inner.
Sure enough there was Sasuke behind her flipping though some fills on the watch desk. Krow turned and bolted he ran all the way up to the tower. The only thing he said was "OMFG" before he collapsed.
-End Flashback-
"Wow that was harsh. Neji we have to help her!" Naruto yelled once Kankurou was done his story.
"Yes we will but first thing first I have to talk to her and clear up a few things," Neji said as he sat on the couch.
"Like what?" Shikamaru said as he too sat on the couch, too.
"Well first of all who are these dancing girls? Where did they come from? How did they a) summon those cats and b) how did they them selves change into their cat? And what does the mark on the cat's left front leg mean? And I also have a few more questions."
"Okay that sounds like it could take awhile," Naruto said getting serious and joining the other two on the couch.
"Yes it probably will. So how to get rid of Sasuke?" Shino said as he too sat down with Naruto, Neji, and Shikamaru.
"I know come on I need everyone to make it work," Shikamaru said as he sat forward on the couch.
The others also came and listened as Neji and Shikamaru told them the plan
-Girl's Pov. -
"Tenten I'm getting worried shouldn't we go get her?" Ino said as she joined Tenten up on the huge oak tree in the center of their secret base.
"No she'll be fine. But just in case I have Kakashi tagged and if he leaves the camp and appears inside the city walls then we all head in and break her out of there," Tenten said from a higher branch above Ino.
"Hai!" Ino said as she jumped down off the tree.
Tenten's brown eyes had now lost that shine they had earlier that day, when they were all together. Now they were dull and lifeless. She looked over the busy city. Tenten felt a cool breeze encircle her, as she closed her eyes.
"Wait its Shinju (1)!!" Tenten thought as her eyes flickered open and she looked above her.
At first she saw nothing but then... there it was, a scaled flying body through the air. Tenten could see her old friend who had been flying around the world by her self for the past 3 mouths. Tenten smoothly slide off her branch and fell gracefully back down to Earth. Then she ran to the center of the clearing and called to the sky.
"SHINJUUUUUU!" she called getting not only the scaled body's attention, but also got everyone else in the camp's attentions. They looked at her and then to the sky. In a matter of seconds they all saw a pearl white dragon standing on feathery feet and taloned toes.
"How was your trip?" Tenten asked as she through her self around the dragon's neck in a huge hug.
"Great thanks. And how was life without me around Tenten?" asked Shinju.
"Okay I guess. But it was really dull!" was all Tenten said.
Tenten stepped back and looked at the female dragon. She had pearl white scales from head to toe that matched the clouds above. The dragon also had a wispy mane of aqua hair that went from the top of her head to her mid-back. Her snake like body was perfect for flyingin the air and diving into the sea. The dragon's pearl white eyes shinnied like Tenten's had earlier that day. That's when it hit her. Tenten whirled around to see her sisters around her smiling.
"Hinata," Tenten said as she looked into the lavender eyes of the girl.
"In your clan… is there a guy about a year older or our age?" Tenten asked.
"I don't remember I left at the age of 5." Hinata said as she looked into Tenten's half-life full eyes.
"Oh I see…………." Tenten said as she looked back up to the sky above her.
Suddenly there was a loud ringing that came from the other side of the camp. The lions bounded to the scene of the sound along with all the other cats. Shinju moved forward to follow, but Tenten stopped her.
"It might be Sasuke I want you to go into my tent. I'll come and get you if it's truly Sakura. K?" Tenten told the dragon.
"Yes I under stand." Shinju said as she walked to the pale green tent to the right of the tree where the group of girls still stood.
They all soon here a loud roar from one of the lions on the far side of the camp.
"That was Kakashi!" Hinata said in alarm.
"Lets go the cats need our help!" Temari yelled as she too ran to the sound.
"Okay lets move out girls!!" Tenten yelled
"Hai!!!" yelled all the girls as they all ran to help the cats. Tenten coming last in the group.
-Back earlier with the Guys at the castle-
Krow ran into Sasuke's office to see him sitting behind his desk with a few papers in his hands. Krow ran up to him and in his head he was saying 'Let the fun begin!'
"Hey Sasuke want to come with me to the book store?" Kankurou asked as he leaned on the side of Sasuke's desk.
"Why? Why would ask me?" Sasuke asked with a questioning look.
"Because I was gone go to the secret book shop that only you and me know of..."
"Count me in. Let's go." Sasuke said as he shoot out of his chair grabbed Krow's arm and ran out of the castle.
"That was to easy," laughed Kiba after Sasuke and Krow had left the castle.
"All right Neji we'll cover you. You have about 30 mins. To talk with her," Shino said as he opened the door for Neji.
Neji walked in to see a quite empty room. Neji walked quietly until he heard a faint whimper from the cell to the far back right of the room. He walked slowly making sure not to imitate Sasuke's movements.
That's when he saw her. She had cherry blossom pink hair that was stained red in places from the intense bleeding coming from her shoulders and neck. Her outfit from when her and the indigo haired girl were dancing was torn in places and most of the silver bangles were off. She was huddled in the corner of the cell so Neji could see no further damage then that.
Carefully he walked to the bars and sat down on the stone floor. His sudden movement made the girl jump and turn to look at him. Her emerald green eyes looked at him with fear and a little hope in them too. He could see that her eyes were stained with the fear of more blood.
"Its okay I won't hurt you." Neji told her in a calm voice, "May I know your name?"
"Sakura is my name. And don't you work for Sasgay?" She asked coming a little closer to him, but she still made sure that she was out of his arm's reach.
"No I don't work for him. I'm Neji one of the princes of Konoha. He works for me and the others."
"Then can you and the others get me out? Tenten and the others are probably worried sick." Sakura said as she came all the way to the bars now.
"Not now Sasuke will suspect some thing, but someone will come later tonight and take you to your friends."
"But how will I be able to know its them?"
"He'll have fire red hair and pale sea green eyes much like your own." Neji said as he reached into the cell and stroked Sakura's hair. As she looked up to see him, pale lavender ones met her own dark sea green eyes.
"Hinata has your eyes," Sakura said softly as she crawled over to the near corner and rested her back on the wall.
"Hinata? Huh... Oh yeah Hinata my cousin from years ago who disappeared at the age of 5," Neji said as he move to sit next to Sakura.
"Yes that's her," Sakura said to Neji but she was distracted by a red light near Neji's ear and a faint voice that followed it.
"Neji do you come in?" Said the faint voice.
Neji pulled on the earpiece and out popped a microphone.
"Yes Shino?" Neji said into the microphone.
"Krow and Sasuke will be back in 10 mins. Alright hurry up and give your self 3 mins to get up here also." Shino said.
"Alright I'll be up soon. Over and out!" Neji said as he put the microphone back into the earpiece.
"Do you really have to leave I don't want to be alone again." Sakura said as she grabbed Neji's shirt bottom. Neji looked at her to see her eyes dim with her hope being replaced by desperation.
"You'll be all right Krow will be with Sasuke all day I already gave him those orders."
"Alright Neji I trust you. But can you go into the north forest and tell the girls I'm come home tonight? And it is deep."
"Alright it's a deal," Neji said as he stood up to walk out, but once again Sakura stopped him.
"Silly you'll need a pouch to get past Tenten's force field," Sakura said as she undid her pouch and handed it to Neji.
"You can trust me with this Sakura. And it will be brought back to you for your escape tonight." Neji said just before he left in a cloud of smoke.
Sakura slide her self back to her corner and fell into a light yet comfortable sleep. She woke with a jolt when the door swung open to revile a happy Sasuke and another man. Sakura didn't move, but she listened closely to their conversation.
"Krow thanks again for that little vacation. It was SWEET!!!" Sasuke said as he walked by Sakura's cell.
Sakura saw a guy about a year older or the same age as Neji walked by and glanced at her and then he smiled and walked on. Her eyes followed him and saw that his hand was behind his back and he was giving her the thumbs up.
"Okay so he's Krow." Sakura thought as she again slide back into her corner.
-With Neji after he had left. (Skip back to before Sasuke and Krow walked into the room)-
Neji appeared in the tower were his room was, Shino was there and waiting for him. Shino nodded and motioned for him to follow him outside. They walked in silence until they stood on the north side of the balcony that surrounded Neji's room.
"So where is it located?" Shino asked as he turned his head to look at Neji.
"Deep with in the north forest," Neji said as he pointed to the forest in front of him.
"Alright I'll talk to Shika about a cover up story and you can go," Shino said as he walked back inside and disappeared from Neji's view.
Neji look back over to the forest. He saw birds ducking in and out of the trees and wondered were exactly this place was. He saw a tall tree that had lager white flowers and behind that he saw a few Cherry Blossom Tress. Then something wired happened. He saw a white flick of a tail surrounded by red electricity. It only lasted a second but Neji knew that he had seen something out of the ordinary.
"What could that have been?" Neji thought.
"I don't know but I bet that red thing was a force field," Neji's inner said.
"Yeah I thought that too," Neji said. (WOWWW!! they agree that's a change!!)
-Few minutes later
still with the guys-
"Alright Neji hurry back this plan doesn't go forever!" Shikamaru said as he and Neji ran to the back door.
"I will and remind Gaara that he has to plan how to get Sakura out tonight," Neji said as they arrived at the back door.
Neji through on his cloak and then turned to his friend. His eyes were cloudy the sign of him thinking and planning. Neji knew that the team of princes would be nothing with out Shikamaru. Neji flipped the cloak's hood up and bowed to his friend before opening the door and disappearing into the afternoon day.
"Good luck!" Shikamaru said as he closed the door and returned up stairs to see all the other guys lying around the living room.
-With Neji-
Neji had just exited the city's outer walls and he could see nothing but the green woods around him. He walked slowly into the woods, as he knew the soldiers behind him were watching his every move. Once the gates closed and behind them Neji jumped into the trees and moved fast to the north. He soon passed the tall tree when he felt something land on his head. He reached up and found a pearl white flower petal.
"Well were almost there now just up a head you better pull out that pouch Sakura gave you."
"I know I know," Neji said as he pulled out the leather pouch and tied it to the outside of his clock.
Then after he passed three Cherry blossom trees it appeared. It came in a blink of an eye. It was a web of red electricity. Neji braced himself to be fried to a crisp but then he saw it. The pouch came undone and was now touching the barrier. Soon there was a pink rimed opening and Neji ran thought it. Neji turned and saw the pouch falling and he caught it in his hands. He tied it on to his clock once more before turning around. What he saw amazed him.
There were large wagons filled with jewels, bells, bracelets, stuff animals, electronic equipment, and other items. He also saw many tents of different colors. There was a pink, navy, dark purple, light purple, and a huge light green one on the far side of the camp. Neji silently walked up to the pink when he saw a picture of Sakura from earlier that day. She had had a pink skirt and instinctively he traced the pouch that she had given him so he could come into this place.
Neji's thoughts were interrupted by a loud roar from behind him followed by a series of low threating growls. Neji spun around to see the lion with the scar on his right eye. The lion had his teeth bared and the soon the other cats started appearing all around him.
"They thought you were Sakura. Give the scar lion the pouch and hope he won't kill us."
"Okay but I ring your neck in hell or heaven if we die!!" Neji said in an evil voice.
Neji reached to the pouch and quickly untied it from his cloak. The cat stepped closer when he moved, but at the sight of the pouch the cat froze and stopped his growling. Neji thought it wise to explain the situation to the cat, seeing that these girls could turn into cats the cats had to understand English and that the cat had responded to him coming through the barrier.
"Okay boy listen Sakura is fine she told me to come here and give this to you so Sasuke couldn't get in here and hurt you all." Neji said.
"Well that's half true." Neji thought
To Neji's utter surprise the cat walked calmly forward and picked up the pouch in its mouth form Neji's open hand. Then it turned and ran off to the back of the cat crowd. None of the other cats moved a muscle. Neji fell to the ground, but soon was alerted by having a kunai at his throat.
"Were did you come from twerp?" said a harsh voice behind him he guessed the one holding the kunai.
"From the village were else?" Neji said calmly.
"We'll Misaki (2) could have sent you from the southern forest," said the girl with blonde hair up in a high ponytail who had just appeared in front of Neji and his captor along, with a girl with navy hair and lavender eyes.
"No it can't be Hinata??? She looks so different!" Neji thought as he looked thought the hood of his cloak.
"Who?" he asked them all.
The girl with Lavender eyes opened her mouth but then stopped. Her eyes grew big and she started to back away, but another voice came in and stopped her.
"Temari let him go!" called the voice.
To Neji it sounded like music to his ears not only because she told the girl, Temari, to let him go, but her voice it self was so musical. He soon felt the kunai leave his throat and the person join the other two in front of him. It was the dirty blonde who had done that. That's when she came out. Her chocolate hair was pulled up into one single bun at the back of her head. She unlike the other three walked up to him and helped him up off the ground. Then she smiled at him.
"Kakashi tells me that you know were Sakura is and she's fine? If so then please tell us who you really are so we can thank you," she said in her enchanting voice.
Neji removed his cloak hood and opened his eyes. Hinata was now hiding behind Temari and the bun haired girl only smirked now.
"So I guessed right Ino you owe me 5 day of doing my chores!!" Tenten said before she talked to Neji.
"So what's your name?" Tenten asked him again.
"Neji." He said as he glanced once again at the girl.
"Hey Hinata do you remember him?" Temari asked as she looked over her shoulder at the lavender-eyed girl.
"H-H-Hai." she stammered as she stepped out form behind Temari.
"It's nice to see you again Hinata-sama and don't worry I won't tell Haiashi." Neji said.
"So what is he to you a brother, step brother, what?" Ino asked.
"He's my cousin technically, but my protector in the Hyuuga world," Hinata explained the other girls nodded.
"Ladies...cats please return to your duties," Tenten said to the group around her. Then she turned to Neji, "Please follow me."
Tenten walked with Neji quick in toe to her huge light green tent. Once inside Neji was shocked at what he saw. The inside was filled with green, pink, purple, and blue pillows large enough to sit on. He also saw Tenten stroke something on the ground. Out of no were a trap door opened and Tenten motioned for Neji to follow her.
Tenten and Neji worked their way down the packed dirt steps. Neji walked gingerly over the roots when he saw Tenten stop at a dead end. The only thing Neji was thinking was "Great I get to die here." but soon Tenten hit a rock in the wall and the so-called dead end opened.
Neji saw a room bigger then the tent they were in just minutes ago. It might have had dirt for walls but the other things in it were amazing. A light tan couch with brown fur blankets, and more of the other huge pillows from the tent upstairs. Neji also saw hallways that lead off to other rooms. Neji looked at the top of each hallway entrance, each one had different painted symbols. He guessed what or who was in or suppose to be in the room at the end of the hall.
The first arch had a single pink heart over the entrance. The second had two light purple
desert roses over the entrance. The third had three dark purple stars over the archway. The fourth had four black paw prints over the entrance. The fifth had five navy crescent moons were painted. The sixth was the most elaborate of the entrances. It had six golden flowers with silver leaves attached to the base of the flower. The seventh and eight were blank and Neji wondered why they were cleared of any mark, but the ninth and final hallway besides the one they had just come through is what freaked him out the most.
They were nine sharp claw marks. They looked like they belonged to nine very different animals yet the same kind of animal. Some were thin and long others were thick and short only by a little though Neji noted. The entrance was also taller and wider then the other archways. Neji thought for a long time about what had made the marks when Tenten interrupted his thoughts.
"Neji can you stay here I don't know if Shinju will like you to come into the den. So to be safe I'll bring her out here." Tenten said as she disappeared into the ninth archway.
"Who's Shinju?" Neji thought.
Neji took a seat on the leather couch with all the fur blankets. He glanced over to the hall Tenten had disappeared through. His face told it all. He was debating and thinking everything through with his inner.
"Who is Shinju? Or what is Shinju?" Neji thought.
"Well it must have one of the claw marks up there so place it under scary and NOT trustworthy!" said his inner.
"Well okay and why did she bring me here again?"
"No idea!"
"Really why did I follow her again?
"Ding Ding Ding we have an answer to that!! You like her!!!"
"Do not!!"
"Do too."
"Did you hear that?"
"If I say no will it go away?"
Neji and his inner's conversation\debate was interrupted by a loud sound of claws on stone, which was soon followed by a loud roar. Neji turned once again to look at the ninth hallway to see a Tenten walking out with a smile on her face. Neji smirked back keeping his unreadable face on, but the thing that came into the room after Tenten almost broke that face.
It was a huge dragon. It had pearl white scales from head to toe that resembled clouds. It also had a wispy mane of aqua hair that went from the top of it's head to it's mid-back. The dragon's body was the opposite of anything Neji had heard about dragons. It was thin and long not fat and small. It had no wings like a bat's wings. And the dragon had four bird like legs not fat tree like legs. The dragon also had silvery lavender eyes like Neji's and Hinata's and all the other Hyuuga.
"So Neji I would like you to met Shinju," Tenten said as she came and sat next to Neji on the couch and Shinju picked her way to some of the pillows opposite of them.
"So tell me how did wind up with Sakura's pouch?" Tenten asked turning to look at him.
"Well..." and with that Neji told her the entire story with Sasuke and Krow leavening to go some where and Neji coming to talk to Sakura to the part about how he found the campsite.
"I see... what you saw on the balcony was Shinju coming to see me. She's been traveling the world for some time now and she just finish." Tenten said as she turned her attention to the dragon in the corner.
"Question where do all of these tunnels lead?" Neji asked her.
Tenten twisted around and motioned for Neji to do the same. And she started to point and tell him.
"Well this is our hide out or our winter home its used as both. The first is Sakura's room. The second is Temari's room. Then it's Ino's room. Next to that one is the one the Night Watchers use during the winter..." Neji interrupted her here.
"Who?" He asked.
"Oh Momo and the others you saw at the square today," Tenten explained.
"Oh okay." Neji said.
"Anyway the next one is Hinata's room. Next to that one is my room. The next two are empty just encase we have company or we get new members. The last one are were my dragons stay."
"You have more then one?"
"Yeah I have a total of nine."
"Question about what you said earlier. How did you know I was there?"
"Well it was simple you guys have many flaws in that plan. First your cloaks were flawless. A gypsy or outcast would have tears and other patchwork to cover the holes made from much use. Also the way you guys were acting. An outcast would have bolted once Sasuke and his army had shown up. A gypsy would have helped unless they were the part of the Southern Beauties. And you wouldn't have needed the cloaks if you were part of the town." Tenten said calmly.
"I see but you're the first to see that and I will have to fix those won't I?"
"I guess you will for your own safety."
"Now Tenten, Sakura will be brought here tonight. How can they come in here with out being fried?"
"Well here and I'll leave in a few days to make sure you and the others have pouches so you can come when ever you want. Bring the rest of the guys tomorrow and I'll see what animals I can match with them." Tenten said as she handed the pink pouch back to Neji and turned back to Shinju.
"Okay girl back to bed we're leaving now."
With that Shinju went back into the ninth archway and Neji followed Tenten to the surface. Once outside at the force field Neji and Tenten met up with everyone else. The lion came and put it's head on the pouch, and all of the girls laughed.
"That's how he talks to Sakura right now his thoughts are hidden in the powder and once Sakura touches it she'll hear his message it's pretty cool." Ino said as she patted one of her bobcat's head,
"All of our leader cats can do that."
"That is a really cool thing." Neji agreed
"Well we'll see you and the others tomorrow around 11 or noon we have practice in the woods from 6 to 10 most days," Tenten said as Neji walked away through the force field he wave a hand to tell her he heard her.
And with that Neji went back to the castle to see what Gaara and the others were up to.
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Well I hope you're all happy this took 12 pages on open office so everyone clap for me. Hope you like it the 4th will be out soon.
4th chapter summery- Neji goes home and talks to Gaara about the plan Gaara bring Sakura home but what happens when the plan gets twisted by a guard seeing them? Read the next chapter to find out. Don't forget to Review. ;)