Chapter 13

It was like a game of connect the dots. One realization led to another, until finally, the lines formed a picture; and everything became clear.

"If Neji gave Tenten part of his eye…" Naruto whispered.

"He's broken rule 142…" Hinata finished off.

The two sat staring at one another, eyes wide and glistening.

"Y…you said "the death of him and the given"…you didn't mean…" Naruto stopped as he saw Hinata nod slowly.

"But…but this can't…Neji was only trying to save a life! There's got to be some way to escape this or…"

"There is, Naruto kun!" Hinata whispered urgently. "Can't you see? The rule says "anyone outside of the clan." If Tenten becomes part of the clan…"

"So…you adopt her?"

"No, Naruto kun! Marry her! Neji needs to marry her! When Tenten becomes Neji's wife, she will become part of the clan!"

"But I thought you were supposed to marry Neji!"

Hinata shook her head furiously.

"Neji marrying me is just a cover up so nobody becomes suspicious. Somebody must have found out Neji was getting married, and father used me as a cover…" Hinata shook her head in awe.

"No wonder Neji was so confused that morning…" she whispered.

"So, if your father was trying to help Neji…" Naruto interrupted. "Then technically, he's broken rule 200. "It is also a great crime to help, encourage, or support any Hyuuga which is planning on or has violated any of these rules, and execution shall be expected from anyone who does so""

Hinata grimaced.

"Which leads us to rule 199..." she said. Naruto ran over the rule inside his head. "If the leader of the Hyuuga clan happens to die because of violation of any of these rules, his or her family is also banned from the position as well. The next candidate in line shall take their place."

"Naruto," Hinata said, grabbing him by the arm. "This sign right here." She pointed at the vortex symbol on the note. "It must mean you. Why? Has Neji told you anything recently, anything at all?"

"I…I don't know." Naruto scratched his head. "The last conversation we had was…on a mission…he said something about this uncle who…" Naruto widened his eyes.

"What, what is it, Naruto kun?" Hinata shook his arm.

"He told us about this uncle who wanted to kill your father."

"Somebody wants to kill father?" Hinata gasped, her bottom lip beginning to quiver.

"Wh…who…?"

"It was Maruo…Matuo…"

"Matsuo…" Hinata whispered, almost too quietly to hear. "I should've known."

They both sat there in silence, watching as the flickering candle cast moving shadows against the bookshelves.

"Hinata?" Naruto said quietly after a moment.

"Hm?"

"I…I'm almost afraid to ask." He said. "But rule 199 says "The next candidate shall take his place"…"

There was another long silence.

"Who exactly, is "The next candidate"?"

Hinata sighed.

"Well, originally, I am the next candidate." She said; nervousness creeping back into her voice. "But in this case, since our whole family is banned from the position, the next person would be my father's twin brother; Neji's father."

"But he's dead…" Naruto trailed off.

"Exactly. And since Neji is the original….criminal." she said the word with mild disgust. "He can't take the place either."

"Well…who's next?"

"My father has a sister…Hyuuga Hiromi." She explained.

"And…?" Naruto asked, biting his lip.

"She's Matsuo's wife."

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Neji knelt behind a mess of branches high in a tree and waited without moving a muscle. From about 10 feet away, he could see Lee hiding behind a large rock; eyes flying backwards and forwards between his watch and the spot where Orochimaru was to be expected.

20 seconds, and Orochimaru would be here.

Neji felt his heart gain pace.

10 seconds.

His palms began to sweat.

5 seconds.

He had to suppress his chakra from making him tremble.

4…3…2…1

It was reflex that had saved him. In one sudden motion, seconds before the mass landed at exactly the spot he had been crouching, he leapt onto a higher branch. If it were not for his Byakugan, he was sure he would not have reacted in time. He heard screams in his microphone; the rest of his team had been attacked as well. He looked down to see what it was, and saw a huge, white snake with beady, blood red eyes snapping up at him. It dodged the first kunai he sent, but after a few more pieces of metals, one went strait into its mouth and sent the beast collapsing; slamming its great body against the branch and snapping it. Neji watched it fall onto the ground with a satisfying splat before he grabbed for his earpiece.

"Talk to me." He shouted at the rest.

"What the hell just happened?" Lee shouted back.

Snakes…

Orochimaru knew they would be here.

"Kiba? Shikamaru?" He shouted.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. I smelt that thing before it landed on me. It's all good." Kiba replied. There was no answer from the other.

"I'll go check on Shikamaru." Temari suddenly piped in.

"Sakura?"

Silence.

"Yosh! Leave her to me!" Lee shouted.

Neji scanned the area with his Byakugan, but apart from the rest of his team, there was no other suspicious presence. How did the snakes arrive without him knowing? And most importantly, where was Orochimaru, and how did he know about their plan – in such precise detail? The snakes, it seemed, had all landed at the exact spots the team members had decided to hide. These spots had been carefully planned far back before the mission had even started. He and Shikamaru had made sure these were the spots least detectable in the area.

It chilled Neji to know somehow, Orochimaru was watching them from afar. This place was no longer safe.

"How are they?" he spoke into his mouthpiece.

"Not so well." Temari sounded worried.

"I second that." Lee's voice crackled.

Neji clicked his tongue.

"We'll take them to the river 5 miles north-east and see how they are."

"Neji," Temari interrupted. "There's no time to hesitate. Shikamaru looks awful. I think we should take them to the hospital straight away."

"And the closest one is where?" he asked.

"In Suna, two hours away."

Neji frowned harder. He did not want to give up on the mission now. That would mean it had failed.

"Neji…" Temari pushed.

He sighed.

"Lead the way." He said to her quietly.

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It was the same unsettling feeling all over again as Neji sat and watched the Suna medic nins rush themselves around the hospital. The rest of his team sat solemnly on his either side. Temari had her forehead in her palms.

"What happened?" she finally whispered. It was the first time he saw her so shaky ever since their attack.

It seemed to be the question the rest of the team had been wanting to ask as well; as soon as the words left Temari's lips, Lee and Kiba both whipped their heads towards him for an answer. He felt his fists clench at the reminder of his failed mission again.

"I don't know." He whispered.

Lee laid a hand on his shoulder.

"It's not your fault." He said quietly. "We all know this is the most important to you."

"No." Neji replied. "It is my fault. My fault for being careless."

"What do you mean?" Kiba asked.

"I must've been careless. Someone must have seen our mission layout and plans…"

"But who?" Temari lifted her head. "Who else knows of our plan?"

"I… nobody!" Neji said again. "Only the 6 of us. Even the Hokage wasn't shown the plans."

Temari turned to stare at the front.

"Well somebody has betrayed us." She whispered.

"You stupid woman! Are you trying to say one of us is a traitor?" Kiba shot at her.

"Well since you're the first to have such a huge reaction, yeah, maybe!" she exclaimed.

"Are you trying to say… you know what? You're the only person here not from Konoha! Maybe you're the traitor?"

"How dare you accuse me!" the blond woman shouted.

"Why not? A small village like Suna would need the powers of Orochimaru to be strong, wouldn't they?"

"We may be small, but we're not fucking hypocrites!"

"Yeah, that's what they all…"

"Why on earth would I want to hurt Shikamaru?" Temari had suddenly stood up, and tears were streaming down her face. That was when the men realized she was crying.

"Kiba!" Neji said sharply. "You may never speak to the ambassador of Suna in such a way! Apologize at once!"

"Y…you want me to…" Kiba tried to argue.

"Look, we're all just stressed and worried about our teammates, that's all." Lee stood up between the two. "Let's just… let's just forget this, alright?"

Temari gave Kiba a deadening glare and plopped back into her seat, sniffling as she did. Kiba followed but let out low, quiet growls every once in a while.

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Neji found himself in a dark space. He had no idea where he was, or what was around him; only blackness. Somehow, his Byakugan refused to activate. Blindly, he flung his arms around him, searching for anything to tell him where he was.

"Neji." Sounded from behind him.

He flung himself around, but still could not see anything.

And suddenly, in angry confusion, a mass of black birds came flying directly at him. They hit him, and he suddenly found himself lost in a crazy mess of feathers, beaks, claws, and the fluttering of wings and the cawing of crows. He flung his arms hopelessly around, trying to swat the animals away from him. A laugh sounded from his side.

The birds left him and went to fly behind the source of the voice.

And that was when he saw. It could not be mistaken – the jet black hair, the crackly voice, the pale white skin…

"Orochimaru!" he shouted.

Said man laughed.

"Yes Neji." His voice scraped. "You're angry at me, aren't you?"

He flung himself directly at him, but somehow, his hands went right through Orochimaru's body.

"Tsk tsk." He warned. "You won't be able to do that. This is a dream."

He was mocking him.

"Come out here!" Neji shouted. "Come out here and fight me!"

Orochimaru threw his head back to laugh again.

"I'm not here to fight you, Hyuuga Neji." He bellowed.

"Then what do you want with me?"

"I've come to make you a deal."

"A deal?" the mass fluttering of wings behind him made it hard for Neji to hear clearly.

"What do you mean a deal?"

Orochimaru smiled.

"You want many things from me, Neji." He soothed in his crackly voice. "You know what they are?"

He made no reply.

"That poison in your friends' bodies is spreading." He whispered. "The antidote is something only I can make."

"I'm sure its nothing the Suna medic nins can't figure out."

"Oh, but even if they could…" he drawled on. "The poison contains my blood, and only with my blood, can it be removed from the bloodstream."

Neji narrowed his eyes.

"Speaking of which." Orochimaru added. "This Tenten of yours sure is a sturdy girl."

Neji's fire went up with a roar at the mention.

"Tenten!" he screamed. "What have you done to her!?" he tried to lunge at him again, but the attempt was useless. Orochimaru just laughed.

"I can give you your Tenten back." He smiled. "If only you could do one little thing for me…."

Neji breathed.

"Never…"

"All I want is Sasuke."

"We don't know where he is…"

"I know he's in your village." Orochimaru walked closer to him, and he could smell a strange sort of scent emanating from him.

"All you need to do is get me Sasuke." He licked his lips. "And the antidote; Tenten; I will give everything back to you…"

Neji felt his arms shake as he clenched his fists harder.

"It's up to you." Orochimaru said one last time. And in another mess of wind and feathers, he disappeared.

Neji opened his eyes and shot up to a sitting position. His eyes were wide, and he was panting slightly. Beads of sweat had formed on his forehead. He looked around him and found himself in a twisted mess of bed sheets.

A dream… it had all been a dream.

Sighing, Neji lifted the sheets to smooth them out again, and a dark object fell out onto the floor next to him. He picked it up and studied it, and realized, with a jolt of fear running through him, that it was a black feather.

Attached to the feather, was a small note, written with black ink in tiny letters.

"You have 9 days." It said.

A/N: You may (or may not) be happy to know that I have written the final two chapters of this story. Anything between now and then should be within one or two chapters... i hope. so don't be suprised if the last chapters are up quite soon after another.