Neji was trying to keep his stoic, non expressional Hyugga face, but was failing miserably. The strange part was he didn't really care at all! He was enjoying his life and having a grand time racing motorcycles and mopeds, with Lu and the rest of her Spanish friends in the back streets of Madrid in the middle of the night. Apparently cycling was the number two sport in Spain after soccer. Upon arriving at Lu's five story mansion in Madrid the first thing she did was get him a moped license, so he could join her in the after dark festivities.

Flashback

After staying a few days with Lu in her home Neji began to understand where Lu's brash and behavior came from. Maria and Carlos were wonderful parents, but they were often away and more involved in their philanthropist activities then spending time with their daughter. This had led to their daughter rebelling and causing trouble. It wasn't really that different then his whole life is fated speech he use to give a year ago

When Lu got back from her collage classes she was ready to have fun. But first she wanted to mess with her favorite pretty Chico's mind. So upon finding him in one of the mansions many guest rooms she shouted a greeting "HOLA BONITA CHICO!"

"Hola Lu. It's nice to see you again. Your home is quite remarkable. It's almost as nice as the Hyugga Clan compound."

"Yeah, I don't lack when it comes to luxury items. So how did you enjoy the flight to Spain?""

"It was interesting to say the least. Hinata-sama didn't mention the unpleasant sensation that accompanied a person when they are several thousand miles in the air. I don't think flying is going to catch on in my world."

"Perhaps not Chico, perhaps it will. Your world is always changing and evolving. Maybe flying will become popular. So, now that you can speak my language fluently why don't we have some fun? I'm sure I can persuade Julio to drive us to the ring. There's an intense match tonight."

"What kind of match?" Neji inquired. He had read up on Spain's culture on the ride over so he was mildly prepared for anything that came his way. Some of the local customs confused him though.

"It's a bull fight. One of my favorite matadors is competing tonight. Santiago Moraz is one of Spain's top bullfighters. He has been known to spare the lives of the bulls so they may live to fight again. In fact several of his spared bulls have gone on to run in the annual Running of the Bulls Festival. I hope you can stomach the fight," Lu remarked.

"I'm sure that your primitive sport will not offend me. I intend to fully enculturatre myself into your society and take what I learn back to Kohona. This mission is to show us how to act like civilians and I intend to complete it with no problems."

"You really need to lose that I'm superior-then-the-rest-of-the-world complex. It gets so dull after awhile. After watching the bull fight you'll get over yourself," Lu quipped. She loved riling up the Hyugga boy's feathers. It was just too easy!

"I DO NOT have a superiority complex."

"Yeah, you do Neji. You may not acknowledge it, but you do. Your entire family has one just because of your freaky eyes. Let me tell you something Chico. In my world, you're going to be pitied because people are going to assume you're blind. You're going to have to work at earning their respect. Lady Tsunade sent you hear to learn how to be a civilian so you could connect with them. A ninja or Xiaolin warrior is nothing if they can't relate to their fellow humans. So drop the complex and come with me. I'm going to show you the wilds of my Madrid."

"Then what are we waiting here for sensei?" Neji joked. No way was this wild and reckless girl going to get the best of him. He would have the last word no matter what.

The two rode in the back of her limo through the narrow, but beautiful streets of Madrid. There were people walking, riding, and driving all over the place. The plants and animals were very different then what Neji was use to. Everyone seemed really friendly and dressed stylishly. They also talked very fast so it was hard to understand what they were saying. Finally they arrived at the stadium and found their seats. Lu was getting really excited and Neji had to admit he was curious about the bullfighting.

His eyes went wide as the event started. First, the brightly colored matador entered the ring carrying his saber and bright red cloak. He bowed and waved at the audience as they cheered and threw tokens of affections at him. With a final salute he shouted to let the great beast in the ring.

The resulting match was both exhilarating and horrifying at the same time. Neji was got up in the moment as the crowds cheered for the matador as he and his partners as they skillfully maneuvered the giant, bellowing beast. They slashed quickly, drawing blood and dodged as the beast charged. The bull nearly skewed him and his helpers in half several times. Finally the end came and the crowd was screaming for him to stab the magnificent creature in the heart ending its life. However, after such a brilliant fight and to please the animal cruelty protestors in the crowd, the matador allowed the beast to be escort out. He would be treated and returned to his pasture never to enter the ring again.

As they returned to the mansion Neji was quite. He couldn't believe what he just saw. That didn't seem like a sport at all. "Why did you bring me to that arena? That was not a sport. That was cruel and inhuman."

"Really? Seems to me what's inhuman is holding contests were teenagers try to kill each other so they can advance in the military," Lu remarked sarcastically.

"You can't be comparing the chunnin exams to something barbaric as bullfights!"

"Why not pretty Chico? You're doing it to me! Listen Neji, if you really want to know why I took you there it was to test a theory of mine," Lu explained, as they entered her residence. "From everything I have ever read or seen of you Neji, you are, in my opinion, way to tightly wound. Your clan's single mindness has nearly erased your ability to see things from another person's perspective. You lack certain qualities such as empathy or enthusiasm for fun. Don't give me that look. Tell me; before I showed you how to dirt board what did you do for fun?"

Neji sniffed at her. "There is no time for "fun" when you are training to be a top ninja. If you must know I enjoy a quite game of mahjongg."

Lu gave him an incrudelious look. "You… are… such….a…. geek. No wonder your entire family is a bunch of boring stiffs." Neji opened his mouth to protest and she closed his mouth for him. "Your family has many good qualities I'll give you that, but if your going to go in disguise as a civilian for a mission you need to be able to use something we call the other person's perspective to listen and help them. The scientific term is cultural relativism while my biker girls call it the big picture. Either way, you need to see different aspects of someone else life so you can truly understand and help them. Are you getting this?"

"Sort of Lu. I still don't understand how a bull fighting for his life against a human is supposed to teach me empathy."

"Well, you felt your heart strings tugging when you watched that match didn't you? I wanted you to feel a connection with the bull. The bull in my country symbolize; strength, power, danger."

"Like me, you're saying that I'm very much like the bull in the ring. Your comparison is somewhat accurate. But I'm not trapped inside a ring letting people cut and skew me," Neji said. His hand fingered the mark under his bandana remembering what he had been like before the Chunnin exams. He recalled how Naruto had changed him and then he remembered how Lu had changed him. She made him take risks in order push his body, to forget about decorum for a few minutes and ask the girl he liked out. She taught him to harness the power of lightning and use it unlike any other Hyugga. He had been like the bull in the ring for awhile, but now he was changing. He needed to see the world through more then just his clan's Byakukan.

"Now, that your brain has caught up with your heart I suggest we get some rest. Tomorrow night I'm taking you the wild side of Madrid society to have fun. I figure even a kid from a world that rarely uses motor vehicles needs to learn how to drive. So, I've arraigned for my driver to give you a crash course on mopeds while I'm in class tomorrow. I hope you don't crash and burn!"

The next day Neji was in his own private hell as he was taught the rules of the rode. It wasn't that hard to stay on the moped and work it. Anyone with half a brain could do that. No, the trouble came with remember all the rules of the road and avoiding others on the practice course. A few times he gunned the moped to much and nearly took out two riders who shouted cuss words at him and demanding why a blind kid was driving. Neji was getting sick of explaining that he wasn't blind and was wondering if he should just put in colored contacts.

"So I heard that your lessons this morning caused quite a stir. Jose said that you nearly took out the instructor when he demanded you make a U turn," Lu quipped, that night as she tossed him some new clothes. Designer clothes were good for daywear, but for night riding leather and jumpsuits were the preferred fashion.

"That instructor was worse then Gai sensei! He wouldn't listen to a word I said and criticized everything I did! I'm not use to such disrespect! I'm a prodigy and a Hyugga!"

"Which means nothing here Chico. In Madrid your nothing, but a punk deal with it. You sure you want to wear that bandana to the track? Your friend Naruto had the right idea when it came to wearing goggles as a fashion statement."

"I would prefer to keep my seal hidden. I know that to everyone else it looks like a tattoo, but I would rather not risk someone recognizing it."

Lu shrugged her shoulders and snapped her fingers as they entered the garage. Instantly the rows of lights sprang on revealing three rows of motorcycles. Harleys, Yamahas, Choppers, three wheelers. Some had side cars and others were custom built. Lu walked over and chose a bike with lighting painted all over the chrome and souped up engine. Pressing her hand to a secret panel a showcase of mopeds appeared on the far wall. Neji chose an electric blue one. Putting on their safety helmets they gunned their engines and headed off into the night.

They rode through the night streets weaving in and out between predestination, jumping curbs, and speeding through the alleys until the reached Lu's old cycling buddies. They were screaming "Lightning Lady! Lightning Lady!"

"You are quite popular here."

"You don't know the half of it. Word of advice don't drink anything anyone offers you. It could be laced with alcohol. Hola Eldora, Hola Javiera. Neji; these are my girls Eldora or Gold and Javiera or Java for short. They're the best female riders in all of Spain."

"You forgot to mention the best tattoo artist in the whole world Lighting. So, we heard you had a foreign boyfriend. This him?" Java inquired, as she scrutinized Neji. He didn't look that hot to her.

"Nah, he's a friend who's staying at my manor for a little while. Pretty Chico here already has a girl who can skew you with a knife if you try to steal her man."

"So, you ride often Neji or is this your first time at the track?" Gold demanded.

"We don't really have things like this were I'm from. I just got my moped license this morning."

"Then I guess it's my duty to induct you into our little group. Come pale eyes follow me. We're going to race. Hope that tan jumpsuit is fireproof."

"Be thankful it isn't green."

"Yeah, whatever. Time for you to face the fires of wild youth!" Gold shouted not noticing the look of horror on Neji's face. He couldn't believe there was a female version of Gai sensei! What had he gotten himself into?

End Flashback

That had been nearly a week and a half ago. Since then he had become one with the racers. He had won a few races and had couple of wipeouts. He partied into the night learning all about how to have enthusiasm for something other then training. Gold and Java were cool girls to hang with and once they saw his "tattoo" they had started giving to their customers. The idea of being a caged bird, but at the same time rebelling was too much irony to pass up. They had offered to give him a free tattoo anywhere he wanted and he accepted.

So Lu helped him pick one out and stood by as moral support as the girls went to work on his right bicep. He had decided to get the kanji for free bird tattoo on his arm. He wondered what his fellow Branch Members would think when the saw it.

"I have to say Chico your lucky that your forehead tattoo hasn't caused brain damage," Gold muttered as she inked the outline.

"Yeah, there are laws for health reasons against putting tats on your forehead. You should report whoever did that do you. At the very least see if you can remove it before your health suffers," Java added, as she colored the new tat.

"Trust me girls it's not going to be removed like that. If it could be I would pay for the surgery myself. You doing okay Neji?"

"It doesn't hurt at all. Your friends are quite good at what they do."

"That they are."

"Okay all done. We'll have to come back in a day or two to finish inking it and you'll have to keep the area dry and exposed, but its done for now. You like?"

Neji smiled at his tattoo and nodded. He couldn't wait to get back home and show it off.