Hello, everyone. I'm back with another chapter. Sorry if it's short, I like making a lot of short chapters versus a few long chapters. Just easier to read, no?

kuroneko-jin: That's what this chapter is about.

Tensai Seko: Yes, this pairing is growing on me, too. I've started this to see if I can do it, but the more I think about it, the more possible it would be.

deathrosekitty: Thanks for the fave, no, Tori isn't evil, she just has ulterior motives to further her own goals... That isn't evil, is it?

Utena Himemiya: Oh, a Kakasaku story! I love that pairing, too. I'll be sure to read it.

Naruto doesn't belong to me, don't sue.

It was before the sun had rose, but Ino was up, and wishing that men weren't so traditional. Would it be too much to ask for them to choose to fight during normal hours of the day? What about noon? That was traditional, and didn't involve Ino getting up before the sun.

I need to find where they fight... Ino thought, glancing around the street. There were a few people wandering around, but it was a far cry from the bustling city that Konoha became once the majority of the population was awake.

Oh, wait! There's Neji. Ino thought, relief flooding her. She just had to follow the dark-haired nin, and he'd take her to Sasuke. She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling the damp chill of morning sink into her bones, and walked faster, hoping that Neji would reach the destination quickly.

After following him for a few turns, she noted he had ducked into an alley. Hmm? A shortcut, maybe. She thought, and turned into it as well.

In a single second Ino was shoved against a wall with a kunai against her throat, all before she realized what had happened. Creamy white eyes glared at her, though his voice retained its usual dispassionate tone, as if even when he held a kunai to her throat, she wasn't very interesting.

"Why are you following me?" He asked, pupil-less eyes staring into her sky-blue. There was an intenseness that reminded Ino of Sasuke. That didn't make it any easier to look at, however, and the blonde found herself staring at the ground with newfound interest.

"I was trying to find Sasuke," She told him, her voice sharing the fact that she found him being incredibly rude, and treating her in a most undignified way. "You two are fighting today, but I don't know where, so I was following you so that you could see him." She continued angrily. "So, you take that kunai away now."

Neji stared at her for a second more, then a disgusted expression came to his face, and the kunai was lowered. He took a step back, then another, putting space between the two. "Just another fangirl. This is why we scheduled it so early, and kept it quiet." He was grumbling to himself more then Ino, turning around and walking away, as though he had already forgotten about her.

Ino frowned. Why did Neji always make her feel insignificant? Well, so did Sasuke... In fact, there were many people who tried. But just as she kept trying to show Sasuke that she wasn't just anyone, she would show Neji she wasn't just some random fangirl.

"You can not keep someone in love from their affection! Not that you'd know anything about such things." She yelled at his back, crossing her arms angrily. It occurred to her that she was almost pouting. Why would she take his opinion personally?

Neji actually stopped, and Ino went rigid. She vividly remembered the feel of the kunai against her throat. Had she gone too far?

"...Love is for the weak, and useless." His voice was emotionless. "So I suppose that it would be fitting for both you and Sasuke."

Ino blinked, her mind sorting out what he had said, and trying to figure out whether to take it as an insult, or compliment. On one hand, he stated that Sasuke and she were meant to be, on the other, he called both of them weak. And that was unacceptable.

"Actually, I think love is only for the very strong."

Neji turned around at looked at her, raising one dark eyebrow. "Love-"

Ino interrupted him before he could persist, and continued her speech. "Only the strongest can give their hearts away, knowing it won't always be returned. Anyone who loves risks the greatest injuries possible, the kind that doesn't always heal over time. Loving is dangerous, and people who veer from it are cowards who fear the pain it can bring." She didn't even know she had such a speech inside of her. Had she been listening to Tori too much?

Neji turned away from her again, and paused. There was a silence that seemed to stretch for days, until he started walking again.

Ino just stood there, unsure what to do. Follow? Stay behind? Try to track down Tori and beat her into telling the blonde where the fight was?

Neji stopped again, and looked at her over his shoulder. "I don't like people trying to sneak around following me. So either walk with me to the fight, or go away and be useless elsewhere."

The younger girl was confused for a few seconds. Neji was agreeing to let her walk with him? Was he feeling ill? All the better for Sasuke! She decided, and grinned, running a little to catch up with him.