The next day he found himself once again alone. Well, mostly alone at least. He did have a communications headset that was linked to Gai and Kurenai, but they weren't good conversation.
One he was sure didn't want to talk to him, and he was sure that the other would use the word youth far too often for his liking.
Spread along the border, it had been arranged that three Byakugan eyes spread along the borderlines would be effective in terms of spotting any additional enemy movement. Naruto and Neji had been put on opposite ends of the two lines just for good measure.
He felt happier knowing he couldn't see either of the Hyuuga in the teams either side of him. He suspected his eye has less vision than either of theirs anyway.
He looked out towards the desert. Technically, they were in Suna's land, but then again they were practically at war. The skirmish in Konoha territory had made sure of that.
Then he saw movement, a flicker of chakra. There was a party of people heading slowly, trudging towards the border. He activated his communications link.
"Kurenai-san, Gai-san, there are figures approaching my position."
The was the soft crackle of static for a second.
"How many?"
"Unsure, they are at the edge of my vision. I would say half a dozen, moving slowly."
Gai's voice cut in.
"That doesn't sound like an invasion party. We're moving to your location."
"Likewise. Deactivate your eye as soon as possible."
He shut the link and shut off his eye. It was good to rest it; he could feel the fringes of a headache coming on. He moved forwards to where the tree-line was thinner to try and get visual contact with his regular eye. He found a useful tree and lay on the branch, propping the bow up in front of him. The stock slid automatically against his shoulder and his finger eased onto the trigger.
It was annoying being more blind than usual, but he knew nothing else was around. He kept watch and soon figures came into view, hazy in the heat. The dark shapes wobbled in the haze as they became more distinct. He watched as more outlines came into view. They were holding something.
It was a flag.
The pale red cloth hung in the desert breeze. He opened his communication link again.
"They carry a red flag, and weapons are not drawn."
"Hmm, they must know we're here. Fall back to the border stream. Let us present in strength, mine and Gai's team will go out in person, Naruto keep us covered. Try not to open fire until you're completely sure."
"Hai."
He moved back towards the stream quickly, taking up a different vantage point to the one he had some months previous. He couldn't help but feel some uneasy about the situation. After all, last time had led to his intervention and a fight.
He watched the genin teams form up behind their sensei, and waited for the Suna contingents' arrival at the ford.
He found the mental itch to activate his Byakugan was very strong. He didn't like not knowing what his teammates were thinking; he didn't like not knowing the consequences. He didn't like not being totally in control.
But he liked it as well. He found the adrenaline rush addictive, like he needed situations like this. He'd only felt them briefly in the dark, upon mastering a new technique, or getting a kill. This was different.
This was raw. He realised that he'd felt it before, and that every time he did he wanted more and more.
He could wait though. He could master the urges and control himself. He had to.
The Suna delegation appeared on the far side, walking slowly and calmly. Naruto began assessing the targets as fast he could.
Three were carrying weapons, one carried the flag, and another had a bandaged package on his back. He vaguely recognised that one, the warpaint was familiar from the Chunin exams. He was staring at the Konoha ninja with barely hidden anger. Naruto recalled he was a puppeteer.
The last member was unremarkable, but all the members of the team except the puppeteer wore flak jacket, that was the sign of more advanced rank.
He weighed up the possible prowess of each team based on rank. They were likely outmatched in terms of raw power, but then again he knew that the genin in his team were certainly competent.
The Suna shinobi planted the flag in the stream, and addressed the Konoha contingent. It was a parley, and the flag was in the technical no-man's land, but it was definitely more tense than a negotiation. Naruto thought he heard something about retrieval of the fallen.
That seemed at odds with their body language as well.
Kurenai, who had taken negotiation duties for the contingent, seemed to notice as well. The final member stepped forwards. Naruto then saw his arm-band, which carried a red cross on it. So he was a medic. That was an interesting gesture.
On the face of it he was their passport, their sign of peaceful, healing intent. But Naruto analysed the situation still further.
If they had come to recover the injured, they would have needed to come sooner. Any prisoners would have been executed or taken to Konoha by now anyway. Why bring one now, nearly a day later?
Next, why only one? They had to know there could be far more casualties than he alone could deal with. It made no sense.
He checked the Konoha delegation. They seemed fixated on the display. He took a chance.
He activated his Byakugan, briefly, focussed on Neji. His eyes weren't active. Hinata's weren't either, but he didn't feel worried about her.
It wasn't a matter of strength, even if Neji was likely more of a threat than he was. No. It was a matter of hostility. He had few doubts that Neji could attack him if he discovered the truth.
He scanned the chakra of the Suna delegates. They were all fairly strong. He felt more uneasy.
He deactivated his Byakugan just to be sure and continued to view the exchange.
The Suna nin had his arms opened wide by his side, a non-threatening gesture. They weren't near his weapons, they weren't about to form jutsu. They drew attention to him and away from his team. Their hands were placed a lot closer to their equipment.
Naruto brought his crossbow up to aim at the back member of their party. To hell with the consequences, he needed to be ready and he needed to know what was going on. If he was spotted by Neji, he would deal with it later.
His Byakugan fired up, and he could read the lips of the Suna leader more closely.
"This is an unexpected breach of etiquette Kurenai-san, not allow us to retrieve the bodies of our fallen is against the treaties of the five nations."
"I will allow it when you abandon your weaponry on your side of the border, and explain the attack on our soil that occurred yesterday."
"The attack, as I said already, was unauthorised. A jonin with a grudge on a power trip with several genin teams who didn't know better. I hope you understand this was the action of a single man, not the will of our nation."
"I don't care. It is an infringement on the shattered remnants of our alliance. Leave your weapons here, and we will allow your medic and one other of you across to check on the dead, then you can leave. "
"That is unacceptable."
"Tough."
The tension over the stream began to rise again. Kurenai found herself suffering deja vu, the last confrontation at the stream rising to her mind.
"May I have a moment to discuss this with my team?"
"Of course. Any sign of violent intent will be acted upon with appropriate force."
The Suna jonin withdrew and began discussions with his team. With his back turned, Naruto could not see the conversation. He saw Neji's eyes flare into life and he shut his own off. He should have been quick enough. He looked at the teams from his hiding place, and saw Neji was focused on the team on the other bank.
He glanced off to one side and saw the gleam of a sword in the bushes beside the Konoha team. He reactivated the Byakugan, feeling the spike of pain blossom in his head from its overuse, and saw them.
They had two teams. The second was smaller, and was coming round to flank the Konoha contingent. He cursed himself for not spotting them sooner, getting caught up in the big event in the centre.
He judged the three figures, and waited for the build-up of chakra that might signify a jutsu. He saw it.
He fired. The chakra build-up stopped as the bolt cut through his chest. There was a cry of pain.
Then all hell broke loose.
The Suna team in the open charged, the flanking team charged, and Naruto began firing.
A second member of the flanking team fell just as he reached the Konoha team. Numbers were even.
The Konoha genin drew back, forming into their teams as their sensei moved to fight. Gai leapt into the fray, engaging two of the Suna shinobi at once in a whirlwind of taijutsu. Kurenai was engaged by the Suna medic, senbon being used heavily by her opponent. That left nearly half a dozen Suna nin for Naruto and the genin.
Shino made a bee-line for the puppeteer, shouting something about wanting a match at last. Bugs swarmed towards the puppeteer as he unleashed his puppets.
The three Suna chunin attacked together, driving for Hinata and the still injured Kiba. Gai's team intercepted, Neji drove forwards, intent on challenging two of them at once. Tenten began to rain weaponry towards the third.
Hinata's eyes blazed into life, and she spun to dodge the blade of the final member of the flanking team.
Kiba tried to move forwards, but faltered. His body had clearly not recovered and his opponents knew it.
Naruto thought fast and realised he needed to engage once again. But this time he would be more careful.
The jonin-sensei could certainly handle themselves in this fight. They were moving their opponents away from their genin, or being moved away. Both scenarios made sense. The Suna enemy wanted the jonin away from the genin so they were less protected, and the jonin wished to employ their most powerful techniques without risk.
Naruto dropped from his hiding spot and moved along the same path the ambush squad had come in on. He heard a swish as Hinata dodged another swing from the curved blade. He slipped his tanto into his hands.
He came out behind the man, and Hinata saw him. To her credit, she didn't hesitate, and he realised that she had seen him coming long off with her Byakugan. She dodged another swing, moving under the blow. Naruto lunged at the man's unprotected back.
The man turned and turned his blow aside with a deft flick, and Naruto kept hold of his blade, spinning with the momentum. The man moved to strike him before freezing.
Hinata launched a series of rapid strikes into the man's back, and he collapsed. Naruto made to finish him, but felt Hinata's hand on his arm. His blade was a centimetre away from puncturing the man's neck.
He looked at her in confusion. He was an enemy, why not finish him. Hinata moved his arm away gently, shaking her head.
He withdrew his blade and moved with Hinata to attack the shinobi currently trying to engage Tenten. Her rain of steel had lessened slightly, as her opponent, a kunouchi with black hair, had been able to survive the onslaught.
A wind jutsu tore the branch she was jumping towards apart, and Tenten was forced to bounce awkwardly off the tree instead.
The kunouchi leapt down to engage her at last, only to meet a crossbow bolt coming the other way. She turned away from it, but still took a grazing blow to the side which ripped open the flak jacket and spun her.
She landed awkwardly and deflected several shuriken of Tenten's just in time to avoid a spiky death. She launched forwards with a battle-cry, but stumbled, her ankle twisting from the rapid motions.
Tenten smiled and a staff was in her hands. They charged.
Naruto let the girls take the lead, they were arguably more dangerous up close, and he was better at taking opportunities. Tenten went in high, Hinata low. To her credit, even wounded the kunouchi was still a dangerous opponent.
She ducked under the staff sweep, pivoting on her undamaged leg, before blocking Hinata's first strike with her forearm. Tenten leapt over her opponent and swung downwards, which she blocked with her other hand, grabbing the staff and pulling to put Tenten off balance. She lashed out with her damaged leg to get force Hinata back.
Naruto circled as his teammates attacked again. Tenten jabbed forwards, causing the kunouchi to spin, Hinata came in, drawing the attention.
As her attack was blocked, Naruto came in from behind and impaled upwards.
The woman coughed blood and was silent. Naruto withdrew his blade and kept moving. He realised Hinata and Tenten were still looking at the body.
"Come on!"
They snapped out and moved.
"Kaiten!"
Neji spun, keeping the two Suna nin at bay. He was holding his own, but he could feel the fatigue creeping up on him. He had to finish this sooner rather than later.
'Then I can see if Hinata's destiny of failure has caught up with her.'
He back flipped to avoid an attack from one of the nin, then felt another wind jutsu slice the air near him. That was too close.
He kicked out, knocking the taijutsu use away. Then he moved towards the one who was firing jutsu. He sidestepped a kunai that he man threw, and then struck.
"Eight Trigrams: Sixty Four Palms!"
The man crumpled under the assault, falling to the ground in pain. Neji turned just in time to see Hinata deflect the flat of a blade with an outstretched hand, before a crossbow bolt ripped through his head.
He stared at Hinata, Byakugan active. Then he saw Naruto.
"You have a Byakugan!"
Naruto looked him in the eye with both of his.
"Now is not the time. The jonin are still engaged and..."
Naruto ducked on instinct as the chakra charged palm sailed inches from where his face had been. His worst fear had been realised. He was in the open, being attacked a close range by a taijutsu specialist who knew his moves.
Well most of them, but a lot of those weren't usable in this situation.
He rolled away, reaching for his blowgun. It was too late to load a dart with a mere tranquilising poison, but he could undo the poison damage quickly.
The backhand uppercut caught him squarely and sent him flying a couple of feet. He could barely hear the screams from Hinata and Tenten for Neji to stop.
He rolled, the blowgun coming round and he snapped off a dart in Neji's direction.
"Kaiten!"
'What a waste of chakra in that kind of defence for that small an attack.'
Not that that mattered, he was rapidly running out of options. He realised he wasn't being attacked and heard a sickening crunch. Neji had struck Hinata with a blow that had sent her reeling, blood streaming from her mouth.
Tenten was holding a kunai in each hand, getting between them, but he knew she didn't want to use them.
"Neji your fight is with me!"
The words escaped his mouth before he knew he'd said them. He chided himself for slipping into such an adrenaline fuelled act. He drew the tanto blade out again and held it in front of him in a guard stance. He suddenly felt like the world was watching only him. He was loving it.
Neji spat at the ground in front of him.
"Please, like my weak cousin, your destiny is to fail. You can't fight me. You're too slow. You're out of your element and are destined to lose. Whose eye is it I will be retrieving for my clan?"
Neji didn't bother giving him time to answer before charging. Unfortunately, he was right. Naruto held his ground as Neji came in fast and low, and swerved out of the way of the first chakra charged fingers. He could see the chakra building in each strike of the Hyuuga Gentle Fist style. He'd never had a chance to learn it; the risk of it being recognised was too much of a risk for an operative like himself.
He moved the flat of the blade to catch some of the strikes, trying to avoid hurting Neji. He just had to hold out until someone came and stopped the boy.
Then a palm caught the side of his head and he felt his normal eye lose vision and stumbled, the strike made the Byakugan headache that much worse. His Byakugan vision swam a little in front of him.
He heard the buzzing behind him and fell swiftly to the ground as an insect cloud swarmed over his head and engulfed Neji.
"Neji-san, desist in your illogical assault or I will drain you unconscious."
The reply was lost in the insect swarm as Neji struggled against the mass before his movement stopped. The bugs withdrew and Neji fell to the ground, blood dripping from some small wounds.
Shino stood over Neji's form and shook his head. Hinata rolled, wiping blood from her mouth as Tenten helped her upright.
Naruto struggled to sit up, he was still blind in his normal eye, and he deactivated the Byakugan before the migraine got any worse.
He heard footsteps, and Tenten's voice gently urging someone to sit down and rest, then a gentle touch on the side of his head. His vision swam gently back into focus and existence.
"Where else did he hit you?"
He ignored the specks of bloodied spit that she accidently sprayed from her cut lip and indicated his side. The gentle touch alleviated the pain he felt there.
"Thank you."
She nodded and passed out. Shino caught her before she hit the ground.
Naruto struggled to his feet and picked up his tanto, walking determinedly towards Neji.
"Naruto-san, what are you doing?"
"The punishment for attacking a fellow shinobi is death Shino-san, you know that much."
He heard the swarm and checked his progress.
"The authority to carry out such a punishment, as deserved as it is, is not yours to mete out at this time. Try and I will stop you."
Tenten also rose.
"He's right Naruto, although if you do try and die doing so, can I have your bow?"
Naruto stopped and walked away from Neji.
"We have a prisoner to secure, he is..."
"Holding fucking dog boy here captive himself, so if you don't mind, drop your weapons before he drops a lot of his blood onto the ground."
Naruto stared at the Suna shinobi whose life Hinata had caused him to spare. He had somehow got up after Hinata's assault, and now held a kunai to Kiba's neck. Akamaru lay some feet away, whimpering gently on his side.
The bow snapped into Naruto's hands in seconds, aimed right between the man's eyes. He had to play this just right.
"That is the opposite of what you're supposed to do. Aren't you Konoha types meant to believe in the Will of Fire and all that crap?"
"I believe my crossbow will kill you."
"Ooooh a wise guy."
The man shifted so he was almost completely covered by Kiba, but in doing so he couldn't see Kiba's face.
"What now wise guy? You can't hit me without hitting him. Now, let's stop being a brave little genin and drop the bow. And the other two of you back off nice and gentle. I think blondie here is going to suffice for this bit."
Naruto kept the bow aimed steadily. He looked steadily at Kiba, who was sweating and pale. But he did give a sign.
His mouth was moving in slow deliberate ways. The message was surprising, but it gave Naruto an option.
'Do it.'
"This is going to hurt you. What is your name Suna-san?"
The man chuckled. Kiba mouthed again.
"I am known in Suna as the Guy-Who-Gets-What-He-Wants. And right now I'm not. So drop the bow!"
'Do it, try not to kill me.'
"Are you really sure?"
"Yes. Drop the bow or watch him die."
'Yes.'
Kiba closed his eyes and Naruto fired. He heard the cry from Shino and Tenten of shock, and the cries of pain from Kiba and the man as the bolt went through Kiba's shoulder and into the man's chest behind him. The man staggered back, his hold on Kiba loosening as he stumbled back and into view. As Kiba fell forward the man took another bolt to the face for good measure.
Naruto had run forwards to Kiba before the man had stopped twitching.
"You ok?"
"This is slightly better than being poisoned. Only slightly."
Tenten ran in beside them and began to form hand signs.
"I know some basic jutsu good for cuts, but nothing on this scale. You reckless idiot!"
Kiba gave a weak chuckle.
"Me or the guy who I asked to shoot me?"
"Both of you! Idiots!"
There was the sound of more running feet behind them and Kurenai landed on the other side of Kiba. She looked Naruto dead in the eye.
"What in the hell happened here?"
Naruto did his best not to sigh. The headache was enough as it was.
"Allow me to explain Kurenai-san."