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Chapter 10:

They went back to the location where Neji ran off and spread out from there. Their mission was to find him and bring him back to the village. Sakura and Kakashi started their search in the west and Naruto and Sasuke paired off searching to the east.

At first, it was all about business: find Neji and get going. But soon, Sasuke got distracted with just about everything that moved. He found a dragonfly and started to chase after it. Before he could pin it, Naruto grabbed him by the back of his shirt and hauled him away. Soon after, Sasuke found another dragonfly and started after that one, too. He jumped at it and swatted at it with his hands. It flew up into a tree and Sasuke started to climb up after it.

"Sasuke, come on!" Naruto stomped his foot. "Quit slacking off!"

"I'm not slacking off!"

"You're chasing butterflies again!"

"It's a dragonfly which is totally different!"

"Just come on!"

Sasuke slid down and followed after Naruto like a puppy.

It wasn't long until Sasuke started up again. This time, he was complaining about how long a trip this was and how it wore him out so much. He needed to sit down, he needed a snack, he needed a drink, he needed this, he needed that. He was being such a pain. It was as if they had switched roles. For once, Naruto was the one telling Sasuke not to whine. Despite all of Sasuke's complaints, they pressed on, Naruto pulling Sasuke along by his arm. Sasuke struggled to keep up, tripping and stumbling over his own feet.

"I'm tired and hungry..! Can't I just lie down for a minute..?" he whined while tugging against Naruto's arm.

"Would you shut up already?!"

"Make me!"

He gave Sasuke's arm another tug. "Come on. We have to find Neji."

"Tell me something I don't know, loser…"

Now all was quiet. Sasuke hadn't said a word for the past half-hour. Naruto was beginning to wonder if he was still there, despite still having a hold of his wrist. "Hey, Sasuke, you alright?" He looked back over his shoulder. Sasuke was still trudging along behind him with his eyes closed, his head bobbing with every step he took. "You ok?"

Sasuke's eyes opened slightly to look at him. He looked out of it. "I'm fine."

"You don't look it."

"I am…"

Naruto stopped walking. Sasuke almost bumped into him, but not because he had stopped quickly. He just wasn't all together to stop his legs in time. "You look awful. Are you sure you're ok?"

Sasuke rubbed his eyes. "I'm just a little tired. That's all."

"But you just slept!"

"Eighteen hours, Naruto. I have to sleep for eighteen hours like a cat now. A short ten minute nap isn't going to cut it."

"It was 45 minutes."

"Whatever."

Naruto looked around, but it wasn't like he was going to find a stretcher in the middle of the woods like this. "Want me to carry you?"

Sasuke was awake now. "Oh, hell, no."

"Come on, Sasuke! You look like you're going to keel over!"

"So? I'm not letting you carry me."

"Suit yourself."

They continued to walk through the woods, weaving between trees and around bushes. They would have gone much faster if they were jumping from tree to tree like normal, but Sasuke was in no condition to do that. This meant that Naruto had to slow down for him to keep up. Sasuke stumbled and tripped. He wouldn't last. If this kept up, they would never find Neji before nightfall. It was taking more time for Naruto to wait for him than it could take for them to take a short rest.

With a roll of his eyes, Naruto gave in. "Ok, we'll take a short rest."

"Thank God!" Sasuke collapsed where he stood. He stretched his legs out as far as they would go forming a 'v' and leaned back with a long sigh. He really needed this.

Naruto walked over and sat down next to him. "We'll get going again in five minutes. Ok?"

Sasuke fell over backwards and closed his eyes. "Sure, fine. I'm gonna take a little catnap, ok?"

"Ok. I'll wake you when…"

He was already out.

Naruto took a sip from his water bottle and looked up in the trees hanging overhead. Neji is part cat like Sasuke, right? So maybe he's up in a tree or something. We should probably look up more when we're searching. I hope he's ok. I wonder why he ran off like that. Naruto looked at his watch. "Ok, Sasuke. It's been five minutes."

He didn't move.

Naruto shook his shoulder. "Come on, wake up. We have to get going."

Sasuke swatted him away. "Just a little longer… please?" His voice was so soft. "Just another minute… ok?"

Naruto tugged his arm, pulling him into a sitting position. "I want to find him before nightfall, ok? Let's get going."

"Just five more minutes..!" he whined.

"But you already had a nap today."

"That was forever ago and it was only a few minutes long."

"It was 45 minutes long."

"Whatever. It was still too short for me and I had a nightmare."

Naruto moved behind Sasuke and started to push against his back. "Up! Get up!"

"Stop that."

Naruto stood over Sasuke from behind and tried pulling him up that way. He grabbed Sasuke under his arms and hoisted him up a few inches. Sasuke swatted at him again, telling him to leave him be. Then Naruto sat on the ground and tried pushing Sasuke up with his feet. He kicked him in the back, pushing up against his spine. Sasuke grabbed his ankle and pulled, dragging Naruto along the ground on his back.

"I told you to knock it off!" he snarled. "I'll move when I damn well please!"

Naruto pulled his foot out of Sasuke's grip. "I still think this wouldn't happen if you let me carry you. That way you can sleep all you want and we'll still be moving."

"Why can't you just leave me here and search on your own?"

"Because that means that I'll have to find you, too. It's best if we stick together. Now let's move."

Reluctantly, Sasuke got to his feet and followed him.

They wondered further into the wood, climbing over rocks and bushes and around trees. They moved into the thick underbrush, scratching up their exposed skin when they pushed their way through to the other side. Those branches were sharp. Naruto unknowingly wondered into a budding rosebush and scratched up his hands, ankles and face, drawing blood.

They took another break after that to examine their injuries. Naruto poked at the thorn sticking out of hand. "Ow! Who woulda known that a rosebush has thorns in it?"

"A better question would be who wouldn't?" Sasuke muttered.

"What's that?"

"All rosebushes have thorns, you idiot. Roses have thorns on them. You never noticed?"

Naruto snorted and sarcastically said, "Well, gee, Sasuke. It's been so long since you brought me flowers, I've forgotten."

"Shut up." Sasuke went back to licking his arm.

Naruto watched him, unsure of what to think. Sasuke glanced down and started licking a cut on his knee. "What are you doing?"

"Hm?" Sasuke paused, tongue sticking out of his mouth.

"Why are you licking yourself like that?"

He stuck his tongue back into his mouth and pulled away from his leg. "I don't know. I just sort of do it without thinking. I don't know why."

That was all he needed to hear. Naruto went back to pulling the thorn out of his hand. It was stuck in there good. "Damn this stupid..!" A hand reached out and took his. He looked up and saw that it was Sasuke. "What are you doing?"

Sasuke held Naruto's hand in his and put the other over the thorn sticking out of his skin. "You want it out, don't you? I'll help you." Using his thumb and forefinger like a pair of tweezers, Sasuke carefully and successfully removed the thorn from Naruto's hand. "There. Done."

Naruto let out a breath. "Whew… Thanks." Sasuke was still holding onto his hand. "You can let go now."

He didn't. He kept staring at his hand, a thin trail of blood leaking from the wound. Giving in to his instincts, Sasuke lowered his head and started to lick Naruto's hand.

He squeaked and pulled his hand away. "St- stop that!"

Sasuke looked at him. "What?"

"What do you mean 'what'?! You were just licking my hand!"

Sasuke moved closer and started to do it all over again.

"See?! You're doing it again!"

Sasuke didn't even acknowledge him. He moved a little closer and continued to lick him. His gaze moved upward and rested on Naruto's face. He had small cuts on his cheek. Without taking his eyes off the cuts, Sasuke moved closer to him. He knelt at his side with his hands pressing down on Naruto's lap and stuck out his tongue.

"Oh, hell no!" Naruto moved away. "That's where I draw the line! No way!"

"But you're hurt," Sasuke whispered. "I have to… have to…" He licked his face.

"GAAAH! No! Stop it!" Naruto shoved him back.

Giving a shake of his raven head, Sasuke blinked. "What?"

"Don't give me that!"

But Sasuke really meant it this time. He had just blacked out for a minute. "I'm serious. What was I doing just now?"

"You were licking my face again!"

"Oh. I'm sor…" He tried to lick him again.

"I said stop!" Naruto pushed him back.

Sasuke snapped back, "I can't help it!"

"Try!"

"Don't you think I've been trying? I just can't help myself!"

Naruto turned away. "Please!"

"I mean it- Ow!" Sasuke suddenly exclaimed. "I'm telling the truth! There's no reason to hit me!"

Naruto turned. "I didn't."

"Then who..?"

They both looked up into the tree towering above them.

"Neji?!"

He was clinging to the topmost branch looking down at them. "Hi…" he said miserably.

Naruto jumped to his feet. "What are you doing up there?"

"None of your business!" he shouted back down.

Rubbing the bump on his head, Sasuke shot Neji a dirty look. "Why'd you throw an acorn at my head?"

"I didn't mean to."

Naruto waved him down. "Come down from there. Your team's worried about you."

Neji looked shamefully down out of the lower corner of his eye. "I ran away…" he mumbled.

But Naruto heard him perfectly. "Why?"

He couldn't bring himself to look him in the eye. "I was weak. " Neji shut his eyes, reminiscing. "He could summon wolves and I freaked out. I ran off before I could stop myself."

A panic-stricken Sasuke looked wildly around and clung to Naruto's jacket. "I- it's not st- still here, i- is it?"

"Nah. It was hours ago. They're long gone now."

Sasuke sighed and moved away from Naruto.

"Come on down, Neji. Bushier-Brow-sensei wanted us to find you."

Suddenly Neji looked very pissed off. "So he finally showed up, huh? Why isn't he out here looking for me himself?"

He shrugged. "How should I know? We were just asked to look for you while your team finished up the mission. Now come down here."

Neji looked at the ground then to the branch he was sitting on and tightened his grip. "No."

"What do you mean 'no'?"

Neji hugged the tree. "I don't want to come down."

Sasuke put a hand on his hip. "Get me a rock, I'll get him down."

"Why won't you come down?"

Neji didn't answer.

"The wolf is gone just like you said. Come down here."

He didn't budge.

"Gah, he's so stubborn!" Naruto growled. "We have to get him down from there. I don't want to be here after dark."

Sasuke looked up into the tree. "Do you have any ideas?"

"A couple." Naruto took off his backpack and rummaged around in it. He pulled out a lunchbox and opened it. Inside were dozens of fishcakes. Sasuke's mouth watered just looking at them. Naruto turned up to the tree and waved one of the fishcakes up at him. "Come down! I have something for you! Look, a nice delicious fishcake!"

Neji looked down and saw the treat Naruto was waving about. His stomach growled noisily. He was so hungry.

"Come down and I'll give you it!" He waved it harder, the smell wafting up towards him. "Come on! It's really good!"

Sasuke tackled Naruto and made a grab for it. "Give me that fish and stop teasing!"

Naruto held it at arm's length and pushed Sasuke away with his other hand. "Not now, Sasuke! This is for Neji! We have to get him down somehow."

"But I've starving!"

"Fine, here." Naruto handed him the lunchbox. Sasuke took it in his greedy hands and over to a tree. He dug through it with both hands, shoving as much as he could into his mouth. Naruto looked back into the tree. "You better hurry before Sasuke eats them all."

Though Neji appeared to be very hungry, he still refused to leave the tree.

Naruto glared at him. "Could you be anymore stubborn?!" He turned to the one eating the fish. "Sasuke, climb that tree and bring him down!"

The Uchiha gave him a crossed looked, mouth still full of fish. "And why would I do that? You can't order me around like that."

Naruto pointed into the tree. "Start climbing!"

"You're not my boss!" Sasuke turned back around, refusing to comply.

But that didn't stop Naruto. He snuck up behind him and gave a loud, sharp bark. Sasuke yelped and ran up the tree. "Good, kitty."

Sasuke shot him a dirty look. "That was a dirty trick! If I had claws, I'd scratch your face off!"

"Just climb."

Muttering under his breath, Sasuke climbed up the side of the tree like a cat. Halfway up, he stopped and clung to the truck and tried to coax Neji down from there. "We don't have all day. Come down already."

Neji refused. He hid his face behind his arm.

"What's your problem?"

Neji muttered something into his arm.

"Huh?" Sasuke moved closer. "What's that?"

"I said I can't get down."

"Why not?"

"Because I can't."

Back on the ground, Naruto watched and waited. He shielded his eyes with his hand as he looked up into the tree. He could see the two talking about something but couldn't hear what they were saying. Suddenly, Sasuke's body convulsed and he fell out of the tree. He landed in the grass on all fours and doubled over. Thinking he was hurt, Naruto rushed over to help. But it turned out that he wasn't hurt at all.

He was laughing. Sasuke fell onto his side and rolled around in the grass, laughing his head off.

"What the hell's so funny?"

Sasuke pointed into the tree, still laughing. "He's stuck!"

"Huh?"

Sasuke laughed harder. "Neji's stuck in the tree! He's freaking stuck!" He fell over backwards in a fit of laughter.

Naruto blinked. "He's… stuck in a tree?" He looked up into the branches and saw Neji hiding his face in shame. A smile found its way onto Naruto's face. "So… he really is stuck? Like a cat stuck in a tree?"

"That's what makes it so funny!" Sasuke laughed loudly.

"It's not funny!" Neji shouted down to them. "Shut up!"

"But you're stuck in a tree! Tell me what's not funny about that?!"

"The part where I kick your ass!"

It was time for Naruto to act as the leader for a change. He had to get him down and if everyone was laughing at him, there was no way Neji was going to be willing to do that. Plus, if he was stuck like Sasuke said he was, then they had to figure out how to get him down.

"I have an idea." Naruto ripped off a twig from small tree with a couple leaves on the end. He held it up for Neji to see and started to wave it around playfully. "Here, kitty-kitty-kitty… Here, kitty-kitty..."

Neji looked down and spotted the thin branch. At first nothing happened, but then his eyes sparkled. He leaned over the side of the branch for a closer look.

"Here, Kitty-kitty..!" Naruto sang to him.

Just when Naruto thought that Neji was going to fall for it, he quickly looked away. "I'm not going to be fooled so easily!"

"For crying out loud!" In his frustration, Naruto took out a kunai and threw it over Neji's head. It startled him and caused him to fall out of the tree and on top of Sasuke. "Hey! It worked! Just like I planned."

"You planned that?" Neji asked, climbing off Sasuke's crushed body. "I doubt that. It was just dumb luck on your part."

"Hey, at least you're not in that tree anymore." Naruto tossed what was left of the fishcakes over to Neji. He quickly finished it off and they were on their way.

~*~*~

There was no end to the complaints once they started back to the village. Kakashi said that he would be waiting for them at the entrance gate. Naruto was still full of energy but the two ninja-cats were running on empty. Neji had been stuck in that tree for hours with no food or rest, so he had an excuse. But Sasuke was just as tired as he was for some reason. He blamed it on being part cat, but Naruto just thought he was lazy.

Neji kept stumbling and bumping into Naruto who was walking in front of him. Sasuke was pretty unsteady himself, staggering and swaying. After Neji had stepped on his heels for the tenth time, Naruto finally had to turn around.

He stopped in the middle of the path and asked loudly, "What's your problem?"

Given no warning of having stopped, Neji walked straight into him. "Sorry…"

"That's the sixteenth time you've bumped into me and the tenth time you stepped on my foot. What is wrong with you?"

He rubbed his eyes. "I'm tired."

"Again?"

"Get used to it."

Naruto looked over at Sasuke who was swaying slowly from side to side, his eyes shut. "Are you sleepwalking or something?"

Sasuke opened his eyes. "No, you idiot. I'm just resting my eyes."

Neji slumped against Naruto's body, unable to stand up on his own.

"Do you mind?"

Neji didn't answer.

With a groan, Naruto got down on the ground, squatting before him. "Get on."

Neji took a step back as if Naruto had just asked him to dive into a cold creek. "Huh?"

"Piggyback. Get on."

"No way!" Neji took another step away. "I'm perfectly capable of walking on my own, thank you very much. The only time I would ever even consider it would be if I had two broken legs!"

"Not from where I'm standing. Look at you guys! You're practically falling asleep where you're standing. At this rate, we'll never make it back to the village before nightfall. I don't want to be wondering the woods with you guys in the middle of the night. "It'll be faster this way than having to stop and wait for you guys every five minutes. Now get on my back!"

Neji and Sasuke exchanged looks. Naruto sounded like a parent. They were both thinking the same thing. Naruto was right. They were worn out and needed rest and it would be much faster this way.

"Hurry up and hop on."

Too tired to argue, Neji swallowed his pride and climbed onto Naruto's back. Naruto stood up, wrapping his hands under Neji's legs and started walking. This was much faster.

Neji took in the view from his new perspective and sighed. The sigh was mostly from defeat, not just exhaustion. He rested his head on Naruto's shoulder and relaxed. The rhythmic pace soon put Neji into a sound sleep.

Naruto looked over his shoulder to see if Sasuke was still flowing. He was, but very slowly. Smiling sympathetically, Naruto extended a hand to him. "Come on. We'll be there soon."

To his surprise, Sasuke took his hand and allowed himself to be led around like a small child. He rubbed his eyes with one hand while holding onto Naruto's with the other.

"If you like, I could make a Shadow Clone for you."

Sasuke yawned. "Sure." He must have been really tired to agree to that. Normally, if Naruto had even suggested such a thing, Sasuke would have bluntly refused and punch him if he had tried. This showed Naruto just how worn out he must have been.

Balancing Neji on his back, Naruto poofed up a clone of himself and had him carry Sasuke. Without putting up any sort of fight, Sasuke hooked his arms around the clone's shoulders and allowed himself to be carried.

Naruto started walking again. "This never happened, right?"

He didn't get an answer.

Cute, huh?

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