dies WE DID IT WE DID IT! Actually, you guys did it! 101 reviews!! I can't tell you how happy I was when I found out huggles each and every reviewer Love you guys soooooo much. (Thank you Amberstallion, (), Eagle-Owl, dart, and Belian7 for anonymous reviewing as well!!) Once again thanks to my gorgeous beta: xoayamexo!

calms down Alright, here's you chapter!

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto
Warnings: For torture

'…' thoughts

"…" spoken words

Attacks/Techniques

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Kiba! Kiba, open up!!" Lee and Tenten had just arrived at the Inuzuka residence and were pounding on his front door. They were greeted by a dog-lover, but not the one they were looking for.

Hana shot them a venomous look. "What do you two want?" She growled. Apparently, being interrupted by a pair of teenage strangers who had just tried to break down her door did not please her in the slightest.

"My name is Rock Lee, and this is Tenten. We're friends of Kiba and we need to speak to him. Is he here?" The Inuzuka looked at them suspiciously.

"He's not here; he's out training. Should be somewhere around Training Ground 8 with Shino."

Acting with a lot less politeness than normal, Lee thanked Hana and swiftly set off with Tenten on his heels.

Lucky for the pair, Training Ground 8 was the second-closest training ground and within five minutes they had arrived.

"Gatsuuga!"

Kiba whirled in a deadly spin, aimed directly at Shino. The bug-master summoned a shield of insects and effectively blocked the attack, before noticing his audience.

The Inuzuka spat on the ground. "Gah! That's disgusting Shino! Again with the bugs? You know I get them in my mouth every time—" He stopped as he realized the sudden presence of the older shinobi as well.

"Hey Lee, Tenten. What's up? We're kinda in the middle of training so unless you wanna spar or something, we can't help you." Kiba looked at them oddly; the pair had never shown interest in training with them before, why now?

Shino, however, noticed Lee and Tenten's tense positions and quietly stated. "Something is troubling you."

The green beast nodded. "We need your help Kiba-kun, and yours too Shino-kun, if you're willing to give it."

"We're listening."

"It's a rescue mission." Lee looked at the ground shamefully, still blaming himself for the previous day's events.

"A rescue mission?! That sounds exciting! Of course we're interested!! Who needs saving this time?" Kiba looked all too ready to play the hero.

"This isn't a mission issued by the Hokage is it?" The insect-master looked at the pair inquisitively.

"No."

"Come on Shino! That just makes it more exciting! Who're we rescuing?"

"Neji."

The Inuzuka's face went from one of determination to one of rage.

"No."

"What?!"

"I said no. After what he did to Hinata? I don't think so. He almost killed her! Then he comes with us, pretending to be a hero and get Sasuke, and gets himself half-killed!"

Shino was silent, but it was obvious that he didn't care too much for the Hyuuga either.

Lee was furious. After all Neji had sacrificed so the three genin and chuunin wouldn't have to go after the Uchiha by themselves.

Beside him, Tenten was seething. "What do you two think you're doing? You risk all of your lives going after your friend who doesn't want to be saved, but when Neji sacrifices himself to save your teammate, you do nothing!"

The green beast looked at the effect the kunoichi's words have on the other pair. However after a few minutes, the younger genin still hadn't moved. "Come on, Tenten. We need to hurry; we are running out of time." He touched her arm lightly and they took off in the direction of the Nara residence.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"I'll give you one last chance to submit brat."

Pale eyes met navy.

"Never."

The bounty hunter grinned. "I was hoping you would say that." Without further delay he pressed the red-hot sai to the side of Neji's face.

As all three tines burned into his flesh, the Hyuuga made a noise very close to a whimper, but not quite. He could smell his own skin burning and scorching under the sai's searing touch.

He tried to jerk his head away from the pain, looking for any sort of relief, but Toya held his head still with his other hand.

After what seemed like an eternity to the genin, the dark-eyed shinobi relented and removed the burning metal from Neji's face, leaving three stripes of blacked and blistering skin.

The Hyuuga breathed deeply, still cringing from the abuse to his head. But he soon straightened up and looked the man straight in the eye. "You can't break me."

The pale-eyed genin hardened his gaze to match his strong words. He tried as hard as he could to believe the words he had just spoken, and clung to them feverishly.

"Wrong answer." Once again, Toya headed for the fire and reheated the evil metal. Neji watched with an impassive face, and once again prepared himself for the sweltering pain of the heated sai. The bounty hunter returned a few minutes later, hot weapon in hand.

"You will call me master."

"Why don't you learn? I. Have. No. Master."

And once again, the fire returned on his other cheek. He shivered slightly but was figuring out a way to deal with the torture. All he had to do was push himself into the dark recesses of his mind; the pain was less there.

Neji's lavender eyes began to glaze over as he drew into himself, and he did not respond at all to the searing sai on his face. The bounty hunter was outraged at his prey's unresponsive demeanor, and pressed the metal harder into the now burning flesh.

After a few more minutes, Toya decided it wasn't worth it. The sun had begun to set in the west, and his previous sleepless night only added to his annoyance and fatigue.

"Fine. You win tonight brat, but be warned. I won't go so easy on you next time." He thew a roll of bandages at the bound genin, and headed over to his tent.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o

"Eh, how troublesome. But, I suppose I can't just leave you two to go after him alone."

Lee and Tenten found the Nara playing Shogi against himself outside a local book store. Shikamaru seemed indifferent on the outside, but on the inside he was rearing to go. After all, Neji had put his life in the mastermind's hands only a few short weeks ago, it was the shadow-binders chance to return the favor.

The trio had just turned to leave when they heard a pair of familiar voices calling out to them.

"Shikamaru-kun, Shikamaru-kun! Hey wait up!"

Ino and Chouji appeared out of a barbeque restaurant and were running to catch up with them.

"Oh. Hi Tenten-chan, Lee-san."

"Ohayo, Chouji-san, Ino-chan. Excuse us, but we were just leaving."

Ino's grin vanished in an instant.

"IS THAT ANY WAY TO TREAT A LADY?!"

Shikamaru and his large friend quickly calmed their teammate. "If this guy is as strong as you say he is, Lee, then we'll need their help as well."

The green beast merely nodded. They really needed to be going.

"Please inform them on the way; Sakura-san will be waiting for us at the gates by now."

"What's big-forehead girl got to do with this?"

But the other genin ignored her and set out at top speed for the gates. After a few minutes of sprinting, they spotted a familiar pink-haired kunoichi near the gates.

"Sakura-san!"

She turned and smiled when she saw all of the rookies together again. "See, I told you so. Everyone wanted to help."

Tenten narrowed her eyes. "Not everyone." But Lee put a hand on her shoulder and she relaxed.

"I hope you guys don't mind, I have another person to help us look."

A blonde ninja burst off a rooftop, and landed right before the group.

"Oi! I hear that Nej-"But Naruto was silenced by the newly trained medic-nin.

"Shh! This is not something we talk about openly, now shut up and follow Lee-san."

Lee blushed a little bit, before clearing his throat.

"Alright, it's about dusk right now so that means Hinata was kidnapped about two and a half days ago. Neji took her place about a day a half ago. They were headed northeast, Neji guessed to Kumokagure."

The group was silent for a moment, before a voice called out.

"Do you really think your plan will work if that's all you have to go on?"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Yeppers! Neji's alright for now, but Kiba and Shino are being jerks! What will happen next time? Well, I know, but you guys don't!  Heehee. I'll try to update by next weekend but no promises!

Alright this time I know I'm being crazy, but mayhap before the end of the story we'll get to 200 reviews! If not, that's cool, but please review on the way out!

Alright toodles all!

Hugs,
MM