The days passed by peacefully. Neji would go to the boy's tent in the mornings for breakfast, do some of his morning duties, invite the boy to have lunch with him if he was able, then go back to work in the afternoons. The boy would come to his tent for dinner if Neji wasn't busy, and they would talk or play go or shogi. If Neji managed some free time, sometimes he would spar with the boy or go horseback riding. Neji quite enjoyed these moments. The quieter moments relieved his stress as he got to know a little bit more about the boy and his culture. The more active ones were met with challenge and some excitement. His headaches, which had once been frequent, seemed far away, and he was beginning to enjoy his time at the camp.

Haru kept out of his sight as often as he could, much to Neji's quiet satisfaction. Every time he saw Haru, his mood would sour. He could remove Haru from the boy's side, but there truly was no one else that could serve the boy despite his suspicions. Haru had not overstepped his bounds since and started calling the boy young master, much more preferable than what he had been using before.

Neji failed to notice that his stance on the boy's status in his household had changed. No longer was the boy an "honorable guest" but now accepted as the definitive "young master" around the camp. He did not realize that the term that once brought anger when used to refer to the boy was now accepted by him.

He leaned forward to place his white stone on the board, capturing four of Gaara's black. "You are getting better, but you are still far too young to surpass me."

The boy snorted, placing another stone, extending his chain. "You are not much older."

Neji didn't comment. In time, he would tell the boy what he was if it became unavoidable, but for now, it was easier for him to assume he was only a few years older than him. "You should concede. There's no way for you to win."

"I know, but need practice if I want win in the future."

Neji smirked, placing his stone down. "It must be nice to be young. Still full of optimism."

The boy's eye twitched, Neji hitting a nerve with his taunting. Sometimes, it was fun just to annoy the boy a little.

Their private time was interrupted by a soldier outside the tent delivering a message. "Excuse me, Hyuuga-sama, a letter has arrived from the Hyuuga manor."

Neji frowned, sitting up straighter as he told the messenger to enter. A young man entered, bowing to Neji as he handed over a letter with two hands. Neji took the letter, opening it immediately, and reading through the contents. "Inform Asuma-san that I will be leaving immediately. Natsu, prepare for our departure."

Neji was already getting up, his mind going to the contents of the letter. Sugo said they found the spy among the staff and was waiting for his instruction on what to do. There was so much he wanted to know. Who dared to betray him? Who were they working for? Had they always planned to betray him or had they been bought off? Before anything else happened, he wanted to interrogate this traitor himself.

"Neji?" The boy's uncertain voice called out to him, the boy having also stood though much more slowly than Neji had. He looked at him with concern with those green eyes.

Neji's guard dropped a little as he regarded the boy. He should tell him something. "There is trouble at home. I have to leave to take care of it. You will remain here and come back with Nara-san and the others." For some reason, he felt conflicted. His anger was simmering, ready to lash out at the nearest person. He wished he could fly to his manor to see that traitor's face this moment and deliver a long drawn out punishment until that traitor was nothing more than a husk of a creature left. This was a feeling he was familiar with, the feeling of wanting revenge and give himself justice. Normally, those thoughts were all he would be capable of. His mind wanted to turn to the matter at hand and tune everything else out, but something about the boy was drawing out another emotion. Was it regret?

"You will be safe here," he told the boy as if to reassure him, but his thoughts could not help but move on once he did. He had to change into his traveling clothes. If he rode quickly and changed out horses, he could make it in three days. He should feed once he left camp too. His strength had dwindled over the prolonged day schedule he had been on and needed to recover some of it.

As he turned away from the boy, the boy grabbed his sleeve tightly, stopping him from leaving. Natsu stepped forward to intervene, but a quick glance from Neji made him step down.

"I come too," the boy said firmly.

He should be mad that the boy was delaying him and even dared to grab hold of his person, but his hardened expression relaxed to a degree as he told him, "I have to travel quickly. I cannot take you like last time."

"No need. I better rider than you." The boy's Japanese was rough and stilted as if he was putting little thought into his words and needing to get his want across as quickly as possible. "I go too."

"It'll be a long ride, and you might be seen," he tried again, but seeing the boy's face, Neji knew the boy was aware of the risks associated with his request. It was a selfish request. Neji had no obligation to even consider it. The fewer people who traveled with him, the better.

"Natsu, prepare a horse for Gaara-san as well."

Natsu looked between them before bowing and going off to do as he was told.

Neji went back to his tent to prepare, ensuring the things he needed were properly packed. By the time, he went to his horse, Gaara was already mounted and waiting. Gaara wore a cloth mask to cover his face, leaving his eyes exposed. It covered less, but it would protect from a distance. As long as they kept riding, it should be sufficient.

Neji mounted his own horse, two guards with them. Haru and Natsu were not very skilled on a horse and would be left behind, returning with the rest of the party at a slower pace. Gaara brought his horse next to Neji's, meeting his eyes. Something about the boy's gentle green eyes calmed the raging anger. It was still there, but it did not feel as if Neji would be consumed by it. He even managed a small smile at the boy whose eyes smiled back, and they took off.

They traveled both night and day. Neji was worried the long and harsh ride would be difficult on the boy, instead, it was like the boy was thriving under the harsh conditions. He showed no signs of fatigue and his riding was riding better than even his guards after two days. They stopped to switch horses a few times during their ride. He thought the boy would stop to at least eat, but he did not once open his mouth to ask for a break or complain about a single thing.

Given that the boy had been to war, perhaps his resilience was to be expected. It probably wasn't the first time he had to go without food or had to stay up for multiple days in a row, but as it was the third day, Neji knew it would be beneficial for both of them to stop and rest for a few hours. It was Neji's intention to do so once they passed through a narrow mountain path.

The road was narrow but used quite often to transport cattle and rice. The path was unavoidable without going completely around the mountain, and the river below was raging from recent rain. They had to move slowly to stay safe despite Neji's impatience to get home. Which made it a perfect path for an attack.

There was one guard in front and one guard behind them. Neji was second and the boy was following him. It was dusk, so visibility was at its worst, not dark enough for his night vision to activate but not enough light to see properly. Maybe it was because he forgot a normal human was with him that he had been more aware of a possible attack. Even attacked, Neji would not die easily. He'd have to be decapitated or have a large object go through his heart to kill him. Since the boy had not caused a fuss, he temporarily forgot such a simple thing as his mind homed in on what to do with the traitor in his home.

They did not notice the person in the trees above, slight movements hidden by the extending shadows of late day, positioned downwind to avoid their smell being picked up by them. They did not see the black arrow tip that hid the shine of the metal. They did not notice the arrow fly until it hit just in front of Neji's horse causing his horse to rear up.

Neji cursed. This was not his horse but one they had traded out for in a village. Easily startled, the horse refused to move forward or react quickly as more arrows came for him. Drawing his sword, he hit some of those arrows out of the air, searching for the attacker in the trees above, but the cliffs in addition to his poor visibility was making it difficult. The guard in front of him, named Iruka, stood on his saddle before attempting to jump up the cliff. He was hit by an arrow mid-jump, hitting near his heart and temporarily stunning him as he fell back down.

Neji cursed, thinking of the shelter they needed to get to. What if Gaara was hit by one of those arrows?

Just as he thought that he heard the guard in the rear scream, "Young master!"

Neji took his eyes off the attack, turning his head to see that Gaara's horse had been hit, causing it to rear as well. The wet and loose soil near the edge of the path gave out, causing both the horse and Gaara to fall over the edge, the boy's shocked and startled face being the last thing Neji saw before getting hit in the back by an arrow. Neji's horse was quickly the next casualty.

The guard that had been following Gaara, named Abe, made Neji his priority, jumping from his horse to catch Neji before Neji tumbled down the cliff along with his horse. Iruka, who had recovered, finally made his way up the cliff, and the attack stopped.

Neji looked over the cliff, searching for any sign for Gaara in the current below, but saw nothing. All he could see were rocks, sticking out from the raging river. If Gaara had hit any of those rocks….

"Master…"

"Find him," he ordered shakily, his nails digging into the dirt and rocks, splitting the ends of his nails and causing his fingertips to bleed.

"Master, with all due respect, a human surviving the fall…"

He grabbed the guard's clothes, yanking him close. "If I tell you to find him, you fucking find him." Neji dropped his eloquent speech, slipping into vulgar words unbefitting of a lord. The guard took the hint, immediately bowing and jumping down the cliff himself, landing on the exposed rocks, his feet slipping only slightly. Only his shadow guard could manage such a feat, especially before nightfall. Even Neji at his full ability would not have been able to land so smoothly. He had not trained in ninjitsu after all.

But he wanted to get down there. He wanted to search. He impatiently looked to the sun, waiting for his full abilities to return to him. It would take too long going around. It was better to wait. But why did it feel as if time would not move? Gaara could not swim well, what if he was barely holding onto a rock or tree, waiting to be rescued. What if he had washed up, bleeding and broken, waiting for Neji to save him. He was so frail when he was in Neji's arms before. A child. He looked to Neji for protection.

As he waited, the anxiety grew. All he could do was search the shores and waters from where he was, looking for any sign of the boy, fearing the worst, knowing that it was unlikely he had survived the fall. The moment his strength returned, when the sky became significantly dark enough, he went to go search for the boy himself, diving off the cliff to search the waters.

They searched all night but could not find any sign of him in the area. Abe would sometimes look at him, waiting for Neji to call off the search, but he never did. When they couldn't find him, Neji just continued his search downriver, searching the banks, hoping the boy managed to get to shore.

A part of him feared what he would find. A broken body with lifeless green eyes. A body torn apart and partially eaten by wolves and eyes eaten out by crows. Maybe he never made it to shore, his body dragged down into the river's depths, caught in the rocks where he had drowned to death. Humans were so frail, and he knew it was likely he would never see that boy again.

He should have left him at the camp. He would have been safer there. He would have had more guards and protection. If he had at least been riding with him, he could have at least protected Gaara from the fall with his body.

Two days he searched. He didn't think about going home. Didn't think about how the people in the manor were probably panicked that he had not returned. He had to find him.

"Master," Iruka, who had chased after the attackers, called out to him. He had returned to his side some time ago, but Neji had ordered him to search as soon as he came back, not letting him get a word in before. "Master, forgive me for overstepping my station, but you need to rest. You have already weakened staying up during the daylight hours and have not fed for almost three weeks. You cannot help the young master if you go into a blood rage."

He was lying. He didn't care about his health. He just wanted him to stop searching. They both did. Why would they care for a foreign boy? "We will keep searching," he said resolutely, his words final.

It was dawn on the third day when one of the guards finally found a clue. Blood and footsteps in the moistened dirt, and signs of a body being dragged away by several men. It was the only clue, and Neji grasped onto it with all his might. There was a chance the boy had survived. There was still a chance to save him. Hope swelled in his chest, setting out to follow after the trail immediately.

The guards did their best to track, parts of the trail going cold having been so long since they were made, but they were skilled and managed to pick up the trail once more. Neji didn't know how long he had been awake. Was this day six or seven? His determination to find the boy the only thing keeping him going far past his limits.

Daylight made them crave blood more often. It made them tired. It made them weak. His prolonged day schedule had been sapping away his strength slowly but surely over the weeks, but now, not even resting at night, his could hardly recover at all even with nightfall. His stomach twisted with hunger, his fangs ached, and his mouth felt dry and itchy. Early signs that he was extremely low on blood. His strength would soon leave him even at night if this continued and staying awake during the day would become impossible, but he kept pressing forward. No second could be wasted even for time to eat.

As they closed in, they lost the trail due to rain, but they were close. They went into town, asking around about undesirables. They had seen evidence of someone being dragged, hoofprints, and carts. Slavers or possibly bandits. If they took the boy, they may have been planning to sell him.

Just the thought of someone touching Gaara made him so livid, he thought of punishing his guards for not finding Gaara yet. Waiting for the information was torture. He knew from experience what the boy could be experiencing right now. Slavers sometimes wanted to "test out the goods". He would not forgive anyone if Gaara had to experience something like that.

They eventually got a lead. Rumor had it there were some unsavory people who had been hanging out around an old farmhouse nearby. They bought horses and sought out the rumored farmhouse.

As they neared, the smell of blood hit their noses, growing thicker by the second. The smell of blood lulled him, and a couple of times, he blacked out only to regain consciousness and feel his fangs fully extended. His blackouts were only seconds long, but he knew that he would not be able to resist eating much longer if he wished to stay sane. He prayed to the gods that Gaara was there.

The scent of blood was so thick, you would think the soil was soaked with blood. They were not too far off. When they emerged from the trees, there was one person standing in the fields out in the open. Bodies were littered around him, blood staining the water of the rice patties red and soaking the walkways in between. Blood dripped from the tip of the sword he held.

At their entrance, the man turned, revealing Gaara, an intense murderous gaze aimed at them, already moving his body to defend himself at the new threat that presented itself. There was nothing childish about the person in front of Neji. There was nothing weak or fragile. This was a man. A very dangerous and capable man who had managed to kill all the people who had taken him given the chance.

The clouds that had covered the moon finally moved, letting the moonlight shine down on them. Gaara was covered in blood, both his and his enemies. His clothes were tattered and torn, his hair out and wild. He looked ferocious, his eyes challenging his opponent to come at him. If there was a god of war, would this not be it?

Gaara squinted his eyes, and slowly he realized their identities, lowering his sword. "Neji?" he asked quizzically and cautiously, not entirely letting his guard down.

Neji could not bring himself to answer or move closer, just staring at the boy from his horse as if entranced.

Iruka took the initiative dismounting and bowing to him, "Young master, we are happy you managed to stay safe until we could find you."

Gaara eyed the guard, recognizing him, but again looked to Neji, approaching. "Neji," he called again a little more desperately.

Neji dismounted, and without inflection said, "I am here."

Gaara dropped the sword, nearly running to him. He threw his arms out, embracing Neji. He smelled so strongly of blood, it was hard to concentrate. Even with the different strangers' blood on him, he could still smell Gaara's above all else. Sweet and enticing, calling out to him, but he did not embrace him back.

"Neji," he whispered again as if it was the only word he knew.

"You are injured," Neji replied in monotone.

"I am fine," Gaara replied, pressing his forehead to Neji's shoulder as he held him tighter.

Neji wanted to hold him. He could feel Gaara's heart beating rapidly, could see the rips and tears of his clothes, could feel how he trembled from the cold. He could also feel the hardness of his chest, the heat from his skin, and the strength of his arms.

This was not a child. A man did not need comfort. Not from another man. This type of touching, it may have been okay in Gaara's culture between friends, but this was not something friends did here. This was too intimate. He could not hold him, and his protection had never been needed.

Seeing and feeling Gaara okay, Neji's strings were cut, no longer able to continue on with the exhaustion and hunger. He blacked out, feeling his body collapse in Gaara's arms. He heard panicked voices, but they were unclear as his consciousness faded. As he fell into the comfort of oblivion, he thought of Gaara, thinking how nice it would have been if they were able to sleep together one more time.