Summary: I think the first chapter still covers it.

Disclaimer: Do. Not. Own! Either of them, 'cuz if I did I would have to be male first off. And I clearly am not so no I do not own, never will own, and that's that.

A/N: Whaaa!! Whatever happened to me getting these things out in a set time-frame?!

kittyore9 – Thanks and I'll try.

BYoshi1993 – My com crashed. As in everything. And thanks, 'cuz it really felt like pulling teeth for this one. Neji did not want to cooperate at all! Ah, and thanks. I'll need it.

Nitroglycerin – I know…u u he did not want to cooperate with me that chapter…and I think I forgot the border +looks at last chapter again+ yep…I forgot it…oops. And thanks. It's good to know that it came out good! ^ ^

Wulfeh – Hee…^ ^;;; My bad? Don't worry! I'm not dead…yet. College is working on that one my friend. And yes, that feeling sucks. And I hope things are better with your com. +gigglesnort+ Yes, run fast and look up. Look for a big white dragon.

rose-of-alabaster – Oh yes…that would have been a death sentence right there, with Tenten as the judge, jury and executioner. ^ ^ Don't worry…I have plaaaans +evil laugh+

kagomesdemondaughter – MWAHAHAHAAA!!! I'm evil aren't I? Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Heheheheee…

– Thank you! ^ ^ Yes, the random inspiration is a wonderful thing isn't it?

Fake Bliss – Yes…it needs it. And I noticed that, and was all types of 'oh you moron' and 'kaaaay~ interesting change though

/Telepathy/

"Talking"

'Thinking'

"Ancient Language"

Chapter Nine: Traveling

"Can't you go faster?" Neji asked, as he walked along side Eragon and Brom. The pace they were setting was painfully slow to him. He had never wished for his teammates more…at least they had decent speed!

Amaya and Saphira had taken off, most likely to keep hidden. Neji wondered why he hadn't opted to stay with his dragon. He blamed his curiosity. After all, this storyteller had quite a few stories to tell. Brom hushed him, and he sighed.

Elders…


"So…you mean Saphira may not have hatched for me?" Eragon asked, as Brom finished explaining about the eggs.

"If she hadn't liked you." Was the response, and Neji snickered, drawing the attention of both. He shook his head, and swallowed his mirth well enough to talk.

"Just thinking about a few things…" and the next few words were muttered, but Brom caught a word that sounded suspiciously like 'marriage' come from the boy. Eragon looked slightly put-out from his companion's actions.

"Right…as I was saying…" and from there on Brom went to explain more, and Eragon constantly asking questions, which Brom seemed pleased to answer.


When it came time for them to set up camp they were near a town called Therinsford. Neji, by now, was tuning out both Brom and Eragon as they bickered. It was normal for him to do such a thing, as he had heard Tenten and Lee go at it for far too long…once it lasted the entire mission, even in the middle of the ambush. He had forgotten what it had been about, but he really didn't care.

As soon as they had settled down and begun cooking Saphira and Amaya had joined them.

/Did you have time to hunt for food?/ Eragon asked Saphira, as she landed. She snorted at him, clearly amused.

/If you were any slower I would be able to fly across the sea and back and not fall behind/ she chuckled. Eragon scowled, and grumbled.

/You don't have to be insulting. Besides we'll go faster once we have horses/He replied, and Saphira let out a puff of smoke in response.

/But fast enough to catch the Ra'zac?/ she countered, and he sighed. It was a good question…and he didn't have an answer.

/I don't know…/he replied honestly, and she blew more smoke at him, obviously not pleased with that answer.

/Are you two through bickering?/ a new voice broke in. Eragon jumped, and glared at the one person who he knew could do that.

/NEJI!!! Don't do that!/ he snapped, and saw Neji shake his head. He caught a muted thought that made no sense, and brushed it off. What was a 'genin' after all?

/Anyway…I think Elder Brom wants to teach you something…/ he commented, and Eragon gave him a sidelong glance before Brom tossed a whittled stick at him. He caught it out of pure reflex, and looked back over at the fire to Brom in confusion.

"Defend yourself!" barked the elder as he stood. Eragon looked to the white-eyed male, who shrugged, and got to his feet slowly. He didn't want to injure the story teller…

He circled the fire with Brom, then Brom charged him, swinging at his ribs. Eragon was too slow, and Brom landed a solid hit to the younger man's side, and Eragon stumbled back a few paces. Eragon growled, and acted on an impulse and swung at the elder's head, changing its direction last second to aim at the side. Brom blocked it, and the solid thunk of wood meeting wood was heard across the camp. That was until Neji decided to pipe up.

"Why do you block if you can move?" Neji asked from his seat by the side of the dragons. Both combatants stopped at that question, and looked at the shinobi funny.

"Why? Because it's how it works…" Brom answered, and Neji let out a small noise of confusion, before asking another question.

"But what if the weapon breaks? You are then left without a means of defense or offense. So…why that style? I'm sure there are others out there." He commented, and both Eragon and Brom looked at each other as they tried to think of another answer.

"Well…if you think that another style is good then show us." Eragon said, and handed his 'sword' off to the brunet. Neji shrugged, took the stick and stood up.

/Don't do any permanent damage to him little one/ Amaya commented, as she could tell from the surface thoughts that he was already going back to what he had been taught – Konoha taijutsu.

/Mn…I won't. Or at least nothing that can't be healed…/ he replied, and the white dragon sighed. But she refrained from comment as Brom charged Neji like he had Eragon. Neji simply twisted sideways, and let Brom's strike flow past him, and then struck the older man across the back.

Brom whirled around, even as Eragon made a noise as if he was going to say something.

"What was that?" the story-teller asked, and Neji gave him a bland look.

"My style of fighting." Was the simple answer and Brom made a noise that sounded like a mix between a sigh and a growl. Eragon grumbled something under his breath before getting back to his feet.

"But that way of fighting is…is cowardly! You don't strike an opponent on the back! That's for assassins!" Eragon snapped, and Neji transferred his look from Brom to the other Rider.

"I was trained as one. Your point?" he asked, and dead silence was what met his statement. Even the dragons were silent for a bit. That was until they decided to make their thoughts known to their Riders.

/Assassin…well little one, you have an odd choice in traveling-mates/ Saphira commented to Eragon. Eragon merely nodded a bit numbly.

/Hmn…well that is an interesting term for it…I thought it was 'shinobi' not assassin./ Amaya's confusion was clear in the tone of her voice, and the slight incline of her head.

/Closest I could get here…/ Neji replied with a sigh. He doubted they had anything close to a shinobi in the area or the surrounding ones. So the term was one he was going to have to use for the time being…until he found a more fitting one.

He finally sat down, tossing away the stick, and fell asleep against Amaya's side. Not long after did Eragon and Brom fall asleep as well.

The next day had Eragon waking up to a spectacular bruise on his ribs, and Brom had a fairly decent one across his back. Neji was the only one un-bruised. And the only one up early enough to make food for the three humans of the camp.

"Here. We need to get moving." He said, as he handed the bowls of food to the both of them. Eragon grunted, still annoyed at him, and bolted down the food. Brom shook his head and ate at a more sedate pace.

Once they were back on the road Brom set a brisker pace than the day before, hoping to get to Therinsford before noon. As soon as the road widened and Brom and Eragon saw smoke Brom paused for a few moments to talk.

"You two had better tell your dragons to fly ahead and wait for us on the other side of Therinsford. They have to be careful or people will notice them. Oh…and Neji? Do something about your eyes." And while Eragon muttered darkly under his breath about Carvahall, while relaying Brom's message, Neji sighed. He knew it was coming, and simply took out a strip of cloth that used to be his Jounin robes, and tied it over his eyes.

"…can you see?" Eragon asked, as he looked back to the Hyuuga. Neji shook his head, a small smile in place.

"Not with my eyes. My other senses make up for it. Don't worry." He replied, and Eragon shrugged it off as another thing he just did not get about the other male.

/Amaya. Follow Saphira. You will attract attention if you continue your circling/ Neji said, and got a reply of wordless exasperation, curiosity, hesitance, and caution all at once, before she spoke.

/…if I must. But just one sign of danger and…/ she trailed off, but the threat to the unknown 'danger' was well heard. Neji didn't respond, but shook his head, as he felt the wind of the flying dragons above go past.

When they began moving again Eragon was continually looking back to the blindfolded brunet in worry. He didn't say anything, but he while he trusted the other and had seen him in action before (read: woke him up and almost had his jugular removed) he still worried.

Finally Neji got tired of Eragon's worry.

"Look. I'm fine. Face forwards and keep moving or we'll be left behind." He snapped, startling the boy.

"I-I…I'm sorry…" and without further talk he hastened forwards, slightly confused on how Neji had been able to tell he had been worried about him, or at the very least looking back to him.

As they got closer to the village Neji heard running water. He reached out and tugged on the elder's shirt to get his attention, as the man was talking to Eragon about something.

"Brom? There is a river between us and the village." He said, and Brom blinked.

"Well…yes. How did…you hear it don't you?" Brom went to ask, but stopped himself as he remembered that losing one sense sharpened all the others. Neji simply nodded at the question. Eragon had stopped long enough to turn to the both of them. He didn't comment, but as soon as they got close enough for him to hear the river he looked back to the shinobi in amazement, before noting the bridge that spanned the Anora River.

But before they could get any closer a greasy, unkempt man stepped out from behind a bush and barred their way. The three travelers drew up short, and stared at the man, even as Neji covered his nose. The man looked ugly, and smelled even worse than he looked.

"You c'n stop right there. This's my bridge. Gotta pay t' get over." The man said, and Brom sighed, and shot both boys a quick look that told them to keep silent, before asking anything.

"How much then?" he asked, and pulled out a pouch, as the bridge keeper smiled widely, showing off teeth that resembled crumbling stone.

"Five crowns." He replied, and Eragon was about to retort before Neji seized his elbow in a tight enough grip that he winced in pain instead. Then he settled for glaring at the brunet as Brom paid the man.

Just as they were crossing though, Brom slipped and knocked into the man, and for some unknown reason Neji smirked as he helped Brom up.

"Watch y're step" the man grumbled, as he moved away from the pair, even as Eragon followed behind them, thoroughly confused at why the two looked like the cat that had gotten into the cream and framed the dog.

As soon as they were far enough away Eragon whirled on the two.

"Brom! Why did you agree to that price?! He skinned you alive! He probably didn't even own that bridge, and we could have shoved him aside!" he exclaimed hotly, and Neji shook his head.

"Sure, we could have. But you have got to learn that there are many fools in the world. You cannot deal with all of them with arguments and force." Brom chuckled, and Eragon glared.

"Besides…it is much better to let them have their way, and trick them while they have their figurative back turned." said, Neji as Brom opened his hand, revealing a pile of glittering coins. Now Eragon was gapping.

"You cut his purse!" he exclaimed, and Brom merely pocketed the money with a wink at both boys – one who was chuckling and the other who was simply staring in awe. They then moved further off before the man could discover his lose and begin looking for them. As they walked off Brom stopped a young boy to ask for directions to a place where they could buy horses. The boy pointed off to a barn, near the edge of the city. Brom thanked him by tossing him a small coin, and they went off towards the aforementioned barn.

When they got to the barn and entered it they, meaning the two who could see, saw a man – they later learned his name was Haberth – brushing a white stallion. He beckoned the group over, and they began talking, first about the horse that were going to be needed, and then the price of the things they needed. And when Brom asked for Snowfire – the white stallion – the Haberth balked, not wanting to part with the creature. But when Brom actually offered up the money that he asked for, the man was stuck.

"I will treat him as if he had been sired by Gildintor, the greatest steed of legend." Brom promised, and finally the man bowed to the request, and handed the reins of Snowfire over to the elder man, along with those of another steed. They deemed that a horse for Neji was not needed because he was 'blind' and riding by himself would be nigh impossible.

Neji chose to ignore this, he knew quite well why they said this, but it didn't stop it from getting under his skin.

After the horses and tack were bought they were off again, though this was only after Brom had gathered information on the Ra'zac that had come through the area.

After all that was said and done they rode off, Neji had removed the cloth from his eyes and was stuck riding the horse Eragon was. Granted he could have followed them on foot, they figure that it would be problematic if anyone saw Neji doing that.

"What is that?" Eragon asked, pointing at a crumbling tower. When Brom answered, without turning towards the ruin, they both could hear the bitterness and sadness in the old man's voice.

"An outpost of the Riders. It lasted since their founding, and where Vrael took refuge before Galbatorix found him and defeated him. It was known as Edoc'sil 'Unconquerable' but with his fall it became tainted, and is now called Utgard. But before they died the last of the Riders knew it as Ristvak'baen 'The Place of Sorrow'." Brom answered, and both Eragon and Neji stared at the old monument, lost in their own thoughts.

They made camp by the plains, and settled down. Neji's thoughts drifted back to his teammates, as Eragon and Brom went about their business. He was beginning to wonder how they had not caught up yet…they were alive. Not dead, they couldn't be. So what was taking them so long?


"Now where are we?" and exhausted Tenten asked, as they stopped in another village to ask directions and make inquiries about their lost teammate. It was getting fairly annoying by now, with the slow pace they had to take to make sure they were going in the right direction. If Neji was with them they could have asked him that…but that was the entire problem! Neji was the one missing! Tenten sighed again.

"Don't worry, we'll find him." It seemed that even Gai and Lee were running out of energy, since neither had raised their voice above a normal person's talking voice in a while. Rather than relieving Tenten it only made her worry. They just weren't themselves without being loud. Them not being loud meant something was really really REALLY wrong.

And she didn't like it.

With no new clues, and only the word of two women that he was still alive a few days ago, they left the village and walked off, wondering if they would ever find him again.

So far they had been following the mountain range, and had just exited a small village along the river called Toark. They villages told them they should follow it to another town called Dras-Leona, saying that many people ended up there and their missing friend would most likely end up there too. And with that they had begun their trek along the river in hopes of finding him soon.

(A/N: Finally found the book! Gah, I had lost it but hey…it's found and here the chapter is.)