Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 9

Neji and Yuuna had been sparring for almost two hours now. They had decided not to seal chakra points, but to still hit them. The match would have been over in minutes had they been sealing them. The intensity and length of the match wore down both Neji and Yuuna, but neither was going to give up. Between breaths, Yuuna managed to speak. "Hey... Neji?"

It was a while before Neji responded, similarly out of breath himself. "What?"

"Shouldn't we... be heading... back soon? It's... near midnight..."

"Is it? Alright... We'll call this... a draw..."

"You can call it... whatever you want to... I'm not... calling it anything... until we finish it tomorrow..."

Both stopped fighting at the same time and collapsed. Panting, both just lay on the grass, too tired to move yet.

After a few minutes, Neji had caught his breath and sat up. "Alright, let's get back. I'm sure Hiashi-sama won't want us staying out too much later."

"That's true... I'd forgotten about Hiashi until just now. But, since we're already really late, how about we stay here a bit longer until we're not exhausted?"

"I'm not exhausted and..."

Yuuna interrupted him. "Yes you are. I can tell by the way you're sitting. You're slouching and you're still taking deep breaths. Plus your speech is slower than usual."

"Fine, I'm tired. I admit it."

"So we're staying for a while?"

"Hn."

For another half hour, Neji and Yuuna lay on the grass, staring up at the stars. "Neji?"

"What is it now?"

"What do you see when you look up at night?"

"When I look up at night, I don't really see much. I'm usually thinking about something."

"And what are you thinking about right now?"

"Three things. How we should be getting back." Neji stood up and brushed himself off, then helped Yuuna to her feet.

"And?"

After a short walk in silence, Neji continued. "How I want you to be quiet and let me relax."

"That's mean, Neji. I thought you actually cared about me. Oh well." Yuuna responded jokingly.

They walked the rest of the way to the Hyuuga compound in silence.

Neji went with Yuuna to the door of her room. Before Yuuna wen in, she asked Neji one more question. "What's the third thing?"

Neji turned to leave. "Maybe I'll tell you some other time."

Yuuna was too tired to press the matter further. "You'd better tell me sooner or later."

Neji had not heard her last comment, as he was already too far away, headed back to his own room.

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Daisuke and the intruder stared at one another for some time. Gai and Tenten had no idea what was going on, and were silent, passive observers.

Eventually Daisuke spoke. "Aren't you dead?"

Hardly the greeting she was expecting, the intruder remained silent.

Daisuke continued his thought as if he hadn't expected an answer in the first place. "Yuuna said you were."

The intruder stared at Daisuke in silence. Every so often, she would shift a little, as if uncomfortable.

Tenten was about to say something when Daisuke spoke again. "You realize getting into the village would have been easy had you simply gone to the Hokage and told him who you were." It was a statement, not a question.

Gai, clearly confused at the casual manner in which Daisuke acted, stammered out a question. "Daisuke who... How do you... How did you... What is going on here?"

Daisuke turned to Gai. "She's something of an old friend. It's been a while. I had thought her to be dead, apparently, I was wrong. How did I know she was fake? You and Tenten practically told me yourselves, and Hatori had a thing or two to say about the feeling he got around this one." He turned back to the intruder. "What ever happened to your brilliant plan, then? Weren't expecting me?"

The intruder was silent once more, though her shifting had mostly ceased, though she occasionally moved her hands a bit. Not once had she taken her eyes off Daisuke.

Daisuke stepped forward and whispered into the intruder's ear. Gai and Tenten could not hear what was said.

Long moments passed in silence. Eventually, the intruder smiled at Daisuke and turned towards Gai and Tenten.

Daisuke decided to formally introduce them. "Gai, Tenten, this is my old teammate, Naoko."

Tenten spoke under her breath, but due to how quiet everything was, what she said was heard anyway. "She's kind of quiet, don't you think?"

A small smile crept to the corners of Daisuke's mouth. "She just doesn't trust you yet. If I were in her position, I wouldn't either. Oh, and a quick warning, she's good with genjutsu."

Gai looked shocked, as if Daisuke had just read his mind. Daisuke continued. "Just letting you know so she doesn't have to kill you when you try to restrain her." He turned back to Naoko. "And if you want to call your friend out of the trees now, go ahead."

Naoko was looked surprised, then resumed her uncaring look. She shook her head from side to side.

Daisuke smiled. "Alright, if it's really his choice not to come out."

Tenten took Daisuke by the wrist and pulled him aside. "It seems like you're having a conversation with her, but she's not saying anything. You act as though she is, and you respond. Could you fill me in on what's going on here?"

"I told you already. She's good with genjutsu."

"So she's just tricking me into thinking she's not talking?"

"No, I'm the one being affected. I told you, she doesn't trust you yet. If she did, she be talking to you, too."

"Gee, you two sure know how to make me feel good."

"Sarcasm will get you nowhere with her, since sarcasm is basically lying. If you lie to her, she knows. I'm still not entirely sure how she knows exactly. Now, don't you think we're being rude? Plus, I don't think I've ever seen Gai quite like this. Maybe you should take him to go see Lee in the hospital. I'll make sure Naoko stays out of trouble."

"Wait, Lee's in the hospital" Tenten spoke just a bit too loudly, and Gai overheard.

Before Tenten could react, Gai was at her side. "Come, Tenten, if the true Lee is in the hospital, she we, his youthful teammates, not visit him?"

"Alright, I'll go, but give me a minute." Tenten looked back at Daisuke. "How do you know he's in the hospital?"

"Konoha's Jonin aren't that incompetent."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Before she got an answer, Gai pulled her away, off at breakneck speed to the hospital. She had trouble keeping up, even though she only did because Gai still had her by the wrist.

Daisuke watched them go, then walked back to Naoko. "Alright, they're gone. Now will you please explain what you're doing here?"

Their eyes met, and for a long moment, neither of them moved, neither of them broke eye contact.

But eventually, Naoko looked away. "We've got a team now, right? Can't things go back to the way they were?"

"Things can never just 'go back'. Naoko, there were so many better ways... You know Gai may never forgive you for what you did to Lee, right? And if Gai can't forgive you, Lee probably won't. Tenten would side with them over you. And if they're all against you, it doesn't matter what I say or do, they'll never really care about you. If my friends don't get along with my other friends, things aren't going to be easy."

"That's not important. We're still friends, right? And Yuuna? She still likes me, right? If one of us can reach Jonin, we can go on missions together again..."

"If? There's no if. I know for a fact that I could become a Jonin within days from now if I wanted to, but I'd want to talk it over with you and Yuuna first. I'd probably want to speak to Tenten and Gai as well."

"I'm not hearing a straight refusal."

"Because there isn't one. But there isn't a straight acceptance either."

"You've definitely grown up, Daisuke."

"I have a question for you. Explain the story of your death. People around here think you're dead..."

"Genjutsu."

"And the three villages that claim to have seen you after your death, yet all three saw you at the same time?"

"Genjutsu."

"And your friend? Also genjutsu?"

"No." Naoko stopped and thought for a moment. "He explained it once, I think it's ninjutsu."

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Tenten managed to stop Gai's frantic running long enough to stop at the hospital's front desk to ask which room Lee was in. As soon as the number was said, Gai was off again. Tenten lingered a bit longer, asking directions to the room. Gai might know the hospital, but Tenten didn't.

Tenten went to Lee's room, and found the door open. She went in, only to find Gai and Lee deep into a conversation. She heard the words 'youth' and 'youthful' far too many times for her own liking. She was pretty sure Gai was crying, probably tears of joy, and it was obvious that Lee was doing the same. Eventually, their conversation ended.

Lee looked at Tenten. "Tenten, youthful flower, I am so glad to see you that I would hug you if I had the strength to move."

"I have no doubt that you would, Lee." Tenten sighed. "If Neji were here, it'd be a nice reunion..."

"Actually, Neji showed up three days ago. It was great to see my youthful teammate once again. Did you know he's got a new girlfriend?"

Tenten practically leaped onto Lee, taking him by the shoulders and shaking him. "WHAT? He's got a girlfriend already? Tell me everything, Lee!"

"Tenten, please stop shaking me!" He waited for Tenten to stop and calm down before continuing. "Truth be told, I am not sure if they are actually dating at the time, but Neji showed up with this girl, and he acted differently around her. I swear I saw him smile at her on the way out."

"Lee, you've never been the best judge of relationships."

"No, but they have been training together every day since she arrived, and from what I hear, Neji is having trouble beating her. Maybe you should go see for yourself, you'll see what I'm talking about."

Tenten was halfway out the door when she looked back and Lee. "Get well soon, Lee. I wish I'd brought you flowers or something, but we just got back. I'm going to go water my plants at home. See you later."

"Wait, Tenten... Tell Neji I said hello."

Tenten blushed. "I'm not going to go see Neji, Lee."

"Tenten, you never were a very good liar."

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"Alright, Naoko, it's time to go pay Yuuna a visit. I'm sure she'll be thrilled to see you."

"You're sure I won't get in trouble?"

"We'll speak with the Hokage tomorrow first thing. But right now, I'm sure he's fairly busy, either working or sleeping. Yuuna doesn't have the same obligations as he does, so she probably won't mind being woken up to see you."

Naoko nodded her agreement. Daisuke and Naoko leaped onto the rooftops, heading for the Hyuuga compound.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the gates of the Hyuuga compound. One of the guards on duty approached them. "State your name and business."

"This is Naoko, I would be Daisuke. We're here to see Yuuna. It's rather important. Ask her yourself if you don't believe me."

The guard signaled to the other to watch the two of them as he went into the compound to find Yuuna.

"Just tell her that Daisuke is here to see her." Daisuke called after the guard before turning to Naoko. "I have an idea. Let's surprise her."

"I take back what I said earlier, maybe you haven't grown up. What's the plan?"

"How about you wait out in a clearing in the trees, and I meet her here at the gates. After a little while, I'll tell her I've got something to show her. We'll walk into the trees, still talking about trivial things. When we make it to the clearing, you'll just be sitting there as if you'd never left in the first place. Go now, the guard is coming back."

Naoko ran off into the trees as the guard returned. "Yuuna-san wanted me to tell you to wait here, and that she'll be out momentarily."

Sure enough, Yuuna came up to the two of them at that very moment. "Daisuke! I haven't seen you in weeks! You look well. Was the mission a success?"

At the mention of the mission, Daisuke looked away, thinking of what he had done to the village. After a moment, he looked Yuuna in the eye. "The mission was successful, if the end justifies the means. I'd rather not talk about it right now. However... I do have something I'd like to show you."

"Really? Where is it?"

"Follow me, I'll show you."

The two of them walked into the trees. "You do know that you could have waited until morning before talking to me, right?"

"This was somewhat urgent."

"What was?"

"The thing I want you to see."

"Can't you just give me a hint or something? You've got me all worked up about this..."

The clearing was just ahead. "It's right through here."

As they entered the clearing, Yuuna gasped. She ran straight to Naoko and hugged her for a while.

Naoko, looked uncomfortable with the physical contact, but let Yuuna continue anyway. "It's been a while, hasn't it Yuuna?"

"Naoko, is it really you? But... I thought you were dead..."

Daisuke laughed. "I thought the same. Turns out Naoko ended up specializing in genjutsu."

"So then, Daisuke, if you've got summons down pat, which are ninjutsus, and Yuuna's got taijutsu... Doesn't that make us a perfect combination?"

"Naoko, let Yuuna make the decision on her own. Stop trying to influence her."

"What decision?"

Naoko and Daisuke looked at each other. Daisuke decided to be the one to tell her, as he knew Naoko would probably try to make it sound better than it was. "Naoko thought that since we're together again, we should be a team once more. I could easily become a Jonin, and lead the team, so we'd get to go on mission. The decision is this, do you want us to be a team again?"