Chapter 3: As Predicted

Pairings: GaaraXNeji, NarutoXSasuke

Previously on Impervius AI

Gaara glanced suspiciously back at the boy, who was now smirking back at him from the high backed chair bolted down in the center of the room. He didn't seem angry at all anymore, merely amused with something.

"What?"

"I didn't forget the cherries."

"What!? You are a bastard."

"Does that mean I can have them then?"

"NOO!! I'm sorry…"

"Good boy."

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"Calm down Hyuuga, you look about to faint. I'm not saying he's in imminent danger, but I would like all of you to be warned. We've been informed that battleships are bringing people from the Searin Station to inspect our ships, labs, and databases. You people are the only ones who know of Gaara's existence, and it needs to be kept that way. He's a very valuable part of our system and the last thing we need is him to be in someone else's hands.

Originally he was a prototype for a new AI system to better help the pilots in flight training. However the Searin in particular wanted AIs for all of their ships. They've been pressing us for years now, to have Gaara finished and duplicated. They don't trust us and think we're keeping him to ourselves.

I'm not going to deny that we are a little selfish on this ship, but not without reason. The Searin would use Gaara for war and destruction only, they wish to be the station with the most powerful armies, it's no secret. That's what they are known for. But we've been having trouble.

Gaara can't be duplicated or copied in anyway. He's been made as a solo AI system that, when copied, self destructs and the Searin weren't happy to hear that.

Trying to put him on another ship would merely be a waste of time. And not to mention the cost of the explosion from a self destructing ship, would be incredible.

That's why you're here. I need all of you to keep silent. The story goes that Gaara wasn't installable and that he was destroyed in the destruction of the ship. No one else knows the truth, not even the council.

Hyuuga, I'm going to need you to explain this to Gaara and when the battle ships arrive, I want you to make sure he hides. Just tell him that and he'll understand. You'll have to be ready to take over all the necessary functions that Gaara usually does for you automatically. So be ready. Shikamaru, I want you to make sure Neji's used to all those functions so he doesn't embarrass us by crashing the ship in the hanger when Gaara goes into inactive mode."

-As Predicted-

An hour or so after Gaara was put to sleep, as Neji called it to make himself feel better, The three best teams on the flight squad were lined up in the hanger, waiting to greet the captain of the Searin fleet.

Shikamaru, Sakura, and Neji lined up in front while the other two teams stood behind them as sort of a back up for when they escorted the other stations representatives off the premises. Neji couldn't wait until there were gone, and they'd only just arrived. But he couldn't really be blamed for those thoughts, seeing as everyone else had the same idea. The Searin were not much liked by anyone, but to have to meet them face to face when they'd most likely be armed, was madness.

They had a reputation for being unreasonable and attacking without warrant.

The Searin were soon seen docking on the outer part of the station leading directly into the hangers and everyone tensed, their boot steps were easily audible from this distance. And then they were coming through the doors, Shikamaru moving forward to greet the other ship's fleet captain. Words were exchanged and Neji and Sakura were ordered to show their planes to the other captain as well.

Neji watched as the man said something and all the other Searin men spread out, searching through the normal jets, computer files in the flight communication station built back into the wall on the second level so that all planes were easily seen from it.

Everyone was looking for something. That was clear enough.

Shikamaru's black jet was the first to be looked over by the captain. And that had Neji worried. The man went through everything, the inside of the ship, any back up systems on the plane, all the electrically wired systems and functions, and then the computer files them selves, leaving nothing unchecked.

Naturally nothing was found, but that didn't mean his plane would walk freely unless Gaara really was out of the system.

The man seemed to get a little frustrated after he finished looking through Sakura's jet.

"Let me make this clear. If I find what I'm looking for, this station is going to be in pieces, you lying traitors that you are."

Neji could tell that that statement was not at all appreciated by the Nara.

"And what, pray tell, are you looking for? Maybe we could assist you?"

Shikamaru practically bit back the words, causing both Sakura and Neji to fidget just a little.

"You don't know? That's rich, even the scum on this ship turn out to be deceivers. Well let me enlighten your pathetic intelligence. We know that you Aerilen people are hiding a special AI system. And we are going to find it.

We were informed a few months ago that the system itself was indeed, created. However we were also informed that when you tried to place it in one of your ships, the jet was destroyed along with the AI prototype. We don't believe that bullshit.

Why would a station, known for it's incredible flyers, have let such information be destroyed? Simple. You lied to us.

Your reputations far exceed any from the other ships, and there is no way that could be unless you were secretly using this destroyed AI to fly with. It may have been said to be uncopyable, but I could care less. There is no way the three of you could fly the way you do without some sort of special shove. And the three of you certainly don't come off as geniuses."

The man laughed, and Shikamaru looked ready to kill him.

Neji knew better than to argue and cause a fight on their own turf, so he kept silent, while Sakura did the same and kept her head down.

Then it was Neji's turn to wish death on the other man.

Because the first thing he did when they'd gotten to Neji's jet, was laugh about the color and the style it was made in.

"You have got to be kidding. You actually fly this piece of shit? You must be a real genius to be able to fly that thing. It's one of the oldest models I've ever seen that still runs. And it's red! You'd think you'd have already been shot down by someone. Even a 6 year old could hit you blind folded. You're like a sitting target."

The man seemed to think that was just hilarious, Neji just stood behind him and spit at the back of his head, watching it hit with satisfaction as the man reached back and then looked up to see if one of the other jets was leaking on him. Thankfully he didn't catch on to Neji's blatant dislike.

"Older models are sturdier, and less likely to absorb as much damage."

Neji muttered, making the man laugh again and say something about that being the only good thing that came from junk.

The Hyuuga said little after that while the man searched his ship.

Neji couldn't help smiling to himself though as the man spent twice as much time going through his system than any of the others. Complaining about how nothing was organized and everything was in the wrong places.

That must have been Gaara's doing, because really the boy wasn't all that organized like other people were. He knew where everything was, but if you tried to switch it up so that it was more understandable for normal humans, he'd bite your head off.

Claiming that you were trying to ruin everything.

Neji had tried that once and then given up when Gaara decided not to talk to him for the next two days. After that he'd just had to learn where everything was on his own.

The man was a failure at that. He couldn't even find the link into the plane systems.

After awhile he seemed to give up and smacked his fist down on the computer keys of Neji's laptop. Immediately hitting something that played music on the jet speakers.

The song that came on was one that Neji heard a lot of when he was near the jet. He rarely had to be inside to hear it because it was Gaara's favorite song. He could still remember the one time a few years back when he'd accidentally walked in on the boy dancing to it on the monitor. He never did it when the brunette was there, but the fact that he didn't was all that much cuter, it meant Gaara was just a little shy. Neji waited and bobbed his head just slightly to the music, forgetting that he was supposed to be explaining to the other man.

"I Wanna Dance With Somebody?"

Neji opened his eyes and looked down at the man who was just staring up at him with the weirdest look on his face.

"By Whitney Houston, It's a good song."

"So you're a wussy, gay fag, who flies a crappy plane and listens to girly music. And I thought I knew you people."

The other man left the plane before Neji could make a comeback, of course Sakura's hand over his mouth was also part of the problem.

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Neji had never been happier to see someone go.

He jumped into his jet and secured the hatch before fastening the belts over his chest in a giant cross and starting up the engines.

Shikamaru pulled out first, with Neji behind him and Sakura behind them. Later followed by the other six people that had been with them.

Neji flew on the side of the Searin fleet, quite happy to see them get lost, and just to spite the captain, he turned on Gaara's song and sent a copy of it to him. Which probably was not the smartest move he could have done, but he knew that already. Of course what he hadn't expected was for it to make the captain turn around and start shooting at him.

Noticing that the man wasn't just trying to scare him, and was actually aiming to harm him, Neji flew off and was immediately chased.

Shikamaru appearing on his screen as the rest of the small Searin fleet started attacking.

"What did you do?"

"I was just being nice."

"Which means?"

"I sent him a lovely parting gift."

"What was it?"

"A song."

"Only you Neji."

Shikamaru smiled and shook his head, letting Neji know just how troublesome he was before laughing and winking off Neji's screen.

The brunette smiled too, flying in circles around the Searin captain, trying to make him dizzy. He knew that Shikamaru couldn't be mad at him for getting back at the man in such a harmless way. Especially when it was more funny than anything else.

Then the Searin captain appeared on his screen and started yelling curses at him, telling him to stop the music.

Neji just laughed and made kissy faces at the screen before flying off again. Royally pissing the other man off.

It didn't stay that way for long though.

The Searin captain put on an extra burst of speed to catch up as Neji aimed his guns at the other man, hitting the tail of the captain's jet.

He avoided the shot that came after him before the man started to spin out of control, but he wasn't expecting the second one that seemed to come out of no where and hit him. What was worse was that the shot went right through the jet and hit him. Not even denting the metal.

It was a gas designed to take out the pilot of the ship but leave the vessel intact. It was something pirate ships used to capture ships unharmed so they could sell them or use them later.

But it was a forbidden weapon for the captain to have, it was a dead give away too.

Only pirates had this, and once everyone found out what he was hit with, the council would soon find out that the Searin were the ones who'd hired pirates and caused so much trouble throughout the skies, stealing and killing the things from other stations when they were trying to trade.

Neji left and flew back to the hanger as fast as he could, crashing his jet just slightly when he made it into the hanger, haphazardly hitting a few of the walls before he was actually able to drop the jet into his space.

Giggle fits started making Neji's sides hurt as he fell out of his chair and onto the floor of the jet.

Harmony gas.

That's what the weapon had been named. It was exactly the type of thing doctors used in hospitals. Only instead they called it Laughing gas. It was anything but funny though, because this didn't put you to sleep, this stuff made you laugh until you died of suffocation because you couldn't breathe.

Neji laughed painfully. Knowing it was all worth it.

Finally another chapter written, hope you enjoy...

Oh... and one more thing... a personal thank you!

Kaiser Wilhelm: Thank you for that awesome review you gave me last chapter, it made me happy to hear you enjoyed this story so much!

So... Thank you to everyone for reading and I hope you review so that I'll keep writing! Enjoy!