This mission was taking way to long. Neji needed it over and he needed to get back home. God only knows what Hanabi could do to her sister in this amount of time. He swore to protect Hinata, to make it up to her for everything he did and said at the chunin exams. He was humbled by her forgiveness. Even more so by how she gave herself to him to help ease his pain. He needed to get home.

Neji tuned back in to his teammates. Gai-sensei and Lee were… OK God only knows what those two were doing. From the look on Tenten's face it couldn't be anything productive. He needs to go straighten everything out so they can go just get this done. The mission itself was fairly easy; Protect a dignitary as he heads home while using that time as a front to spy on a few of the villages they pass through. Seriously, who would suspect a couple of shinobi as obnoxious as Lee and Gai of being spies? Of course they were just the distraction. Neji was the one doing the spying, Tenten watching his back.

Everything was going just fine until Lee and Gai started one of there ridiculous training regimes, that turned into a huge wager, that got one whole gambling addicted town interested, and now there is huge week long festival dedicated to it and there really wasn't anything interesting in the town to spy about. To top it all off they were on the way home. There was truly no reason for this and if Neji was a different type a man he would be laying on the ground kicking and screaming in frustration.

"Gai-sensei, we need to go" Neji started.

"Ah Neji, we cannot leave just yet. Look at all the youthful enthusiasm we have inspired in this town. If we leave it will destroy them. No, we must stay and complete our mission." Gai stated with a thumbs up and a ridiculous grin. ting

"Sensei, this mission is complete. I have spied on everyone worth spying on, and there was really no one worth spying on. We are done. It is time to report our findings back to the village." Neji replied with what could be considered exasperation if you knew him really well and looked very closely.

"Neji" Gai started. "Think on how it would reflect poorly on Konoha if we abandoned our obligations now. No, we must continue on in our endeavor and bring joy to this town and glory to Konoha."

The only reaction that could be discerned on Neji's face at the moment was a slight tick of his eye. After a moment Neji seemed to get himself together, replied "hn" to his sensei and walked away before he did something he would regret. He just needed to make sure that once they left this town they didn't find another one or they would never get home.

Neji had never been so happy to see the gates of Konoha in his life. In an effort to speed up the trip home, he brought up the race that Lee and Gai had had after rescuing the Kazekage. Of course this prompted the two shinobi to suggest another one, just like he'd planned. Neji had even joined in just to keep the momentum up. They got home three days early. Now all they had to do was debrief with the Hokage and then he was free to check on Hinata.

As the sunshine hit his face Neji reflected on how well the meeting with the Hokage seemed to go. She was duly impressed with how quickly they accomplished their mission. Neji's eyes made the spying so much easier then normal. He gave her all the most pertinent information within an hour and promised to write the rest in a report to be handed in two days from now. The only thing about the meeting that bothered him were the looks the Hokage kept giving to Lee and himself. It almost looked like she was expecting him to attack Lee at any second. However as she did not say anything he decided to let it slide.

As he hurried back to the Hyuga compound he began to feel a little anxious. Ok he had been feeling anxious since they left on this mission, but somehow he just new that Hinata needed him when he wasn't there to help. The pandemonium he encountered when he reached the gates of the compound pretty much confirmed his suspicions.

"What happened?" he questioned one of the Hyuga guards.

"Neji, thank god your back!" He replied. "We cannot find Hinata-sama. Everyone had assumed she went on a training exercise like she sometimes does but it has been three days since anyone has seen her."

"Hanabi" Neji stated, knowing that she somehow had something to do with this.

The guard misunderstanding said "she is safe Neji; she is helping her father to try and figure out where Hinata-sama may have gone. I was just about to go find her teammates to see if they know anything. How about you go in my stead as you know them better and I'll inform Lord Hiashi of your return?"

"I will go" Neji stated as he turned around to go find Hinata's teammates.

Jumping to one of the taller buildings in Konoha Neji activated his Byakugan. Spotting Hinata's sensei he raced towards her. "Kurenai-san" He said upon getting her attention. "I was wondering if you might know anything about Hinata-sama's whereabouts"

"I'm sorry Neji; I haven't seen her in a few days." Kurenai replied.

"She didn't come for training?"

"She had been feeling a little run down so I let her out of training for a few days to rest up. She is expected back tomorrow. Why is there a problem?" She questioned.

"I'm not sure" Neji replied. "I just returned from my mission to find the clan in an uproar because Hinata had not been seen for several days. They think she may have left the village."

"Neji, I may know what happened to Hinata, but I need to ask you a few questions first and I need you to be honest."

"Hn" was his reply.

Kurenai hesitated, her eyes shifting away from his for a moment, not quite sure how to broach the subject. Finally, taking a deep breath, she looked him straight in the eye and asked, "Did you sleep with Hinata?"

Neji visibly flinched then returned to his normal stoic self giving nothing away. After several moments passed and he still said nothing Kurenai decided to try again. "Neji, please, I think I may know what happened to Hinata and these questions are relevant. It will stay between us. I would never harm Hinata."

"And me?" He asked.

"Well that depends," she said with a small smile.

"Yes" he replied.

"When"?

Neji thought for a moment before he told her "Almost two months. Now how is this important?"

"Neji, she is pregnant" Kurenai told him now that her suspicions were confirmed.

Looking at him Neji gave nothing away. No muscle twitched, but if you looked closely into those Hyuga eyes, eyes that Kurenai had learned to read through Hinata, you could see a myriad of emotions. Disbelief, fear and a host of other small emotions ran through one on top of the other. Eventually Neji seemed to find his voice. Kurenai found it telling that never once questioned her pronouncement; He Just asked "Who knows?"

"I'm the only one who knows that you are the father. As far as I know Tsunade is the only other person who knows she is pregnant. She is scared Neji, she may have run." Kurenai told him.

"Thank you for telling me" Neji replied before turning around and racing back to the compound. He knew Hinata would never take his child without telling him first. Somehow Hanabi was behind this.

As he stalked back through the compound Neji spotted the person he had been looking for. Grabbing her arm and spinning her around, he yelled in her face "What did you do Hanabi?"

"Oh I really don't think the question is what I did Neji" she replied back.

"What do you know Hanabi?" Neji asked through gritted teeth.

"I know that my dear sweet sister left the village to avoid having to deal with the repercussions of everyone finding out about the incestuous relationship she has been having with her cousin and the bastard child they created." Hanabi said smugly, "What do you know Neji?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about" he snapped back.

"Oh please Neji, how do you think she got out of here in the first place? She told me everything." Hanabi said with a quick roll of her eyes.

"Why would she trust you Hanabi?

"Why not, especially after the person she normally trusts knocked her up and then left her to deal with the consequences." Hanabi spat in his face.

"She knows me Hanabi; she knows I would never leave her to face this alone. She would also never leave me here on my own." Neji stated with surety.

"You do remember who we are talking about, right? This is the woman who passes out cold if her crush gets within five feet of her. Do you really think she would be willing to face the ridicule this would bring just for you? You're the Hyuga genius Neji, think." With that Hanabi pulled her arm free and continued on her way.

Neji stood there thinking over what Hanabi said. It made sense, but he still didn't think that Hinata would do that to him. It didn't matter anyway because he was going to find out for himself. He would not rest until he found Hinata and brought her back home.