I really hope you guys like this chapter.
It's pretty self explanitory.
Action filled but fluffy at the same time. :D
BTW; I know a lot of you are asking for more Nejiten, but I want Neji and Shikamaru to stay professional, so until the end there will be only hints to their affection towards Tenten and Temari. Ok? :) BUt it will come!!!
Thanks to my reviewers!!!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Protection

Chapter 10

By: turtlechick

-Shikamaru

"What the hell does that mean?" Temari said loudly. I knew exactly what it meant and so did Neji but I knew that Tenten and Temari weren't going to like it. Actually I wasn't too sure I was going to enjoy this either. Neji's face was still in the same spot it had been, eyes narrowed and face distraught.

"It means we have to leave." I explained.

"Leave!? You guys just got the stuffing beat out of you and now you have to leave?! That's insane!" Temari yelled.

"What did she say Neji?" I was trying to disregard Temari's question. She had a good point but this was our job we couldn't not fulfill our duties because we had a few scrapes. We had both been in worse condition before.

"She said that the reconnaissance team that was sent out has found out where Orochimaru has been hiding. Apparently tomorrow he's going to be going over a weapons deal with a terrorist group. She's got a large number of agents on the case but said it would be better if we were there. It's going to be one of the only times that we'll be able to catch him." Neji said solemnly.

"What about us?" Temari said. She had calmed down a little bit.

"She's sending a replacement team while were gone." Neji said.

"But we don't want a replacement team." Tenten said quietly.

"Yeah. Why do you guys have to leave? Let those other people find him." Temari said. I knew Neji would be torn about this situation. He's had a grudge with Orochimaru for as long as I've known him. Catching that bastard would be good for Neji, but at the same time, I don't think he wanted to leave.

"When do we have to leave Neji?" I asked.

"Tomorrow morning, early." He replied.

:::

-Neji

Tenten was just making harder for me to leave. She was being outright about her feelings but I knew that she didn't want us to leave, in fear that we might not come back. When it came to Orochimaru that was certainly possible. There was a knock on the door and I went to answer it, there in the doorway was our replacements. There were four of them, I guess Tsunade was being safe. I had never seen these guys before and they looked like rookies. That's probably the reason she sent so many. They introduced themselves and walked in the door.

It was time to go.

"You two better come back in one piece, you hear me?" Temari said, hands on her hips. "I don't want to be left with these stiffs." She pointed the recruits. They seemed offended but that was Temari for you. She never held back, it felt good to know that she didn't treat us like that anymore. Now those four would have to feel their wrath, but at the same time I was envious of them. They weren't the ones going on a near suicide mission in the desert, they… got to stay here with, them.

We turned around to head out the door when I felt a tug on my arm, it was Tenten. "Please be careful." She said. I nodded, there was no way I wouldn't be coming back, we still had a job to do. I turned again but she grabbed my hand. I turned to face her once again. "Promise you'll come back Neji."

"I promise." She let go of my hand and we were finally gone this time.

-Shikamaru

:::

A car took us to a small helicopter pad where atleast ten other men waited for us. We had been briefed on the instructions on the ride over, we were the leaders of this mission, nothing different for us. The group straightened up when they saw us approach them.

"We are Shikamaru Nara and Neji Hyuuga, your captains for this mission. The chopper will take us near the site, but we will have to trek three miles to get to where Orochimaru is going to be. After the hike we will infiltrate the base and stop the deal and hopefully at the same time capture Orochimaru. You will all report to us on this mission." They saluted and we all got in the chopper.

I noticed Neji looking out of the window, distracted by something. "Neji?"

"Huh?" He snapped out his gaze.

"Keep it together." I said harshly. Did he think that he was the only one that was worried? Or did he forget that we were responsible for more than our own lives? We didn't only have to worry about us, the men who were with us but most importantly the girls that we left back home. They were counting on us getting back and making this whole thing go away so they wouldn't have to worry about it anymore, even if that meant we would have to leave.

"Sorry." He muttered.

:::

The mission was in an Indian desert. There were no trees to conceal the chopper so that's why we had to walk so far. It was a good thing that we knew where we were going because all we could see was sand for miles. Even though it was still early the sun was high in the sky and it was incredibly hot out. All this extra clothing was really weighing us down.

An hour into the three mile hike, one of the men was already complaining. One of the things that Neji hated more than anything was whiners. It wouldn't take long for him to whip him into shape, especially on a mission as important as this one.

"How long have we been walking?" That same one started up again. It was the third time that he had asked in the last five minutes. I knew Neji was on the verge of losing it. It would only take one more time for him to ask. "Really, how long have we been walking?" Neji threw his gun on the sand and picked the man up by his collar. Neji was easily stronger than him and was taller as well. The man got scared, his eyes wide. He dropped his gun from in the air, the rest of us watched, doing nothing to stop Neji. I think we were all thinking the same thing about this man.

"If you say anything else, I promise you that I will kill you myself and leave you here for the vultures." Neji never took his eyes off the man in his hands. "That goes for all of you, this is the most important mission you will ever go on, so don't screw it up." Neji threw him on the ground and picked up his weapon.

-Neji

After another two hours of walking in the hot desert we finally came across the enemy base where the deal was going down. It really was in the middle of nowhere. We all took a few minutes to asses the situation. The base was fairly small, nothing fancy. Outside there were seven guards, all with the latest automatic weapons at their disposal. In main building was where the deal was happening, but if we were going to get in there we would need to get rid of the exterior guards.

"Get the sniper ready." Shikamaru commanded. They did as they were told and prepared the silent gun. They positioned it on the hill we were all on and Neji instructed which of them to take down first. He pointed to one who was straggling on the outskirts of the base. One steadied the gun, while the other quietly shot off wind direction, wind speed and the other variables that went into sniper shooting. I saw his finger pull back on the trigger until it was back all the way and the man Neji had been pointing to, was down. One down six to go.

:::

It was now time to start the real mission. The last part had been swift and quick, without mistake, but I still felt like it took too long. No one had had caught on to us so we were clear to move in. We moved slowly, making sure not to accidentally be seen. When we approached the doors to the warehouse, I took a moment to gather my thoughts. This one moment would be the start of many or the end of it all. I motioned to Shikamaru and the rest of the men, then finally kicked down the door.

It was all a blur from there. As soon as the door was down a loud sound erupted, an explosion of sorts. We were all thrown backwards from the blast. The heat surrounded the group as we all tried to protect ourselves from the fire. How had they known that we were coming? We had done everything right. I looked up to see the rest of the group. Shikamaru was on his hands and knees, couching up the ashes from the fire. A few of the other men had gotten up, couching as well. There was one however, who was lying in the sand, not moving, dead. Just to think, that could have been me or Shikamaru. I didn't want to get up, this was the only time that I had gotten to rest, it felt good to lay here. I knew I had the get up, I just couldn't make myself do it. Then a face came to my mind, it was Tenten's. I had come out here for her, even though we had most certainly missed our chance to catch Orochimaru, I still had a promise to keep. I had to return to her. I pulled myself off of the ground and stumbled to my feet. In the distance I could hear and chopper, the one leaving with the man we were supposed to apprehend.

"Get up everyone!" I commanded. "We may have failed but we still have to get home." I said. The ones who could nodded. I walked to the man now in the dirt, I lifted him up throwing him over my shoulders. I wasn't going to leave him behind.

:::

It had taken us double the time to get back to the pickup point. The feeling was bittersweet getting onto that helicopter. I was disappointed that we hadn't caught Orochimaru, but relieved that we were on our way back… to them. It was also discouraging that we all hadn't made it out, alive. I empathized for whoever would have to tell his family, if he had any. I never really had much of a family. Now, I guess you could call Temari, Shikamaru and… Tenten my family. I cringed at the thought of Tenten getting a call that I had been killed on a mission. I would never be able to forgive myself.

:::

-Shikamaru

It had taken longer than we thought to file the report for the mission. It was now late the next day and we were exhausted. We hadn't slept what felt like, for so long. As the familiar doors opened, our repayments spotted us, they were standing outside the door. We dismissed them and went quietly inside. Temari was sitting on the counter, sipping on a glass of water.

"Welcome back." Temari said dryly, but I could tell that she had been worried. There was something about the way she held that glass, her hand were shaking slightly. "I didn't realize how much we would miss you until we got stuck with those stiffs. There was one lone tear that drifted down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away.

"Where is Tenten?" Neji asked evenly, but in reality he was more tired than I had ever seen him before.

"In her room. She was pretty bummed out, she thinks she failed that quiz today." Neji's face went blank. I guess he had forgotten all about the test that they both had today. He always made sure that he was here for when they had quiz, preparing her and making sure that she was ready. He went off wordlessly to Tenten's room.

I dropped my bags and sat next to Temari at the counter. We said nothing, but we never had to. Even though Temari and I had only known each other a little while. We were already at good at knowing what the other was thinking.

:::

It was late and Temari and I decided to call it a night. I was just opening the door to Neji and my room when I noticed he wasn't there.

"Shikamaru come here quick!" Temari whispered. I rushed over to her, she was standing in the door way of Tenten's room. It was dark but I could still make out Neji's figure, asleep, leaning against the end of Tenten's bed.

Sorry but I don't see Temari running at Shikamaru and tears running down her face when he got back. lol
I hope that what was you were expecting and at same time I hope it wasn't.
Personally I love surprises. :)

Please review and even if you don't check out some of my other stories. XD
(I just started a collection of Sonfics! So please take the time to review my first story.) :D

turtlechick...out