Ahhh, finally, the second chapter! It's like I'm updating every few months! Sorry, school's been hectic (not really...), Thanksgiving and now Christmas! But, luckily, we have over a months break from school! -cheers- Heh... it was three in the morning or so when I finally finished this chapter! I couldn't get on the computer so I wrote it out! Meh heh heh! Well, enjoy!

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The next morning they started out bright and early. Well, technically, it was NOT bright. Gai's idea of "bright and early", in his world of rigorous self-punishment was about 4:45. Lee was used to this sort of schedule and was chipper, loud, and kept on spouting off his youth nonsense. Neji had made no comment but, of course, was exhausted. Tenten, however, voiced her opinion, and quite loudly.

"Gai-senseiiii... I'm tired and hungry! Can't we stop?" She complained.

"BWAHAHAHAHA! No, my foolish student! We must light our flames of youth brightly! Or at least you must," Gai added, grieving the fact that he was no longer in his so-called "spring of youth"

"AHAHAHAHAHAHA! So this is all TRAINING!" Lee exclaimed, punching his fist into his hand. Obviously he'd just realized that walking around a dangerous forrest and eating Gai's cooking (mostly the latter) supposedly built character! "OSSU! I will try my hardest!"

"Lee!" Gai exclaimed with tears in his eyes.

"Sensei!"

"Lee!

"Sensei!"

"Lee!"

-hug-

The waves of a conveniently placed ocean crashed triumphantly.

While Lee and Gai were... doin' their thang... (O.o) Tenten took the chance to talk to Neji about what had happened.

"Neji," she began, softly. When his white eyes turned to her, she continued. How are you feeling?"

"I'm tired, hungry, irritated... and my eyes hurt," he added as an afterthought.

"Ah..."

'How un-Neji-like...' she thought to herself.

"About yesterday... what happened?" she asked.

"I don't know," he said. See, he didn't lie! He really didn't know what had happened! He had an idea, but that was it.

"Do you remember anything?" she inquired.

"...no," He didn't like lying to Tenten. Why? Who knows! Maybe because she was an accomplished kunoichi. Maybe it was because she was so trusting and honest with him.

'Even if I DID tell her, she'd probably blab to Gai and make my life a living hell,' he thought. He instantly felt guilty for thinking something like that. Tenten was probably the most trustworthy person he knew. She was nice, smart, strong, pretty... wait, PRETTY? Where did THAT come from?

"Ne, Neji, are you ok?" Tenten asked him, waving her hand in front of his face. So far she'd seen her teammate raise his eyebrows, furrow them, raise them again, widen his eyes and blush ever so slightly.

"Uh..." his blush faded to his usual pale skin.

"Ahh! You're lookin' pale! Neji, speak to me!" She yelled, grabbing him by his shoulders and giving him a good shake.

"Oww! Tenten, knock it off!" He yelled, attempting to remove her hands. It... it just wouldn't happen! -sob- Tenten continued to shake him vigorously. "Tenten! I'm fine, just let me go!"

Tenten reluctantly let him go. By then, Gai and Lee were ready to go and they continued without another word. After about fifteen minutes of walking, Tenten stopped.

"What? Another break already? My youthful student, allow me to remind you-"

"It's not that," Tenten interrupted. "It feels like someone's following us... Ah, forget it, it was probably nothing..." she muttered, and they resumed walking.

Neji, however, wasn't so sure. 'Byakugan!' he thought, activating his bloodline limit. Instead of seeing everything around them, he saw just them. Then he saw himself. His eyes widened.

"At the rate we're going, it'll be Friday by the time we get there!" Gai complained.

"But, Gai-sensei, that's how long it's supposed to take!" Tenten interjected. Suddenly, kunais ripped through the air, piercing Neji and Tenten.

"Tenten! Neji!" Lee was pierced and soon after, Gai.

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"Neji?" Tenten asked, peering curiously at her dark-haired friend.

"Ah... sory..." he mumbled and hurried to catch up with them.

"You... ok?" Tenten asked, tentatively.

"Aa," he replied, quietly.

"Ok..." she turned back, facing front.

"At the rate we're going, it'll be Friday by the time we get there!" Neji's eyes widened.

"But, Gai-sensei, that's how long it-"

"GET DOWN!" Neji yelled, tackling Tenten, forcing her down just as kunais whizzed through the air just where they were standing.

There was a rustling as a final kunai was thrown and all was silent.

"N-neji?" Tenten asked after a while.

"How could I not sense them?" Gai wondered.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Lee exclaimed... loudly! "My rival is injured!" sure enough, the last kunai was embedded in Neji's right leg. He got up off Tenten and pulled it out, wincing a bit.

"Neji..." Tenten said, softly.

The boy in question stood uneasily on his feet as the memory of his vision flashed through his mind, making him reel. He stumbled back a bit, doubled over and emptied the contents of his stomach on the ground.

"Neji!"

His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell to his knees. He was stopped from falling further by warm, comforting arms. He felt a cool hand on his forehead.

"He's burning up!" Came Tentens voice. It was the last thing he heard before he descended into darkness...

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