Wow, I seemed to have hit a nerve when I :hinted: at NejiNaru…just remember, people…the summary says NejiSasu…now take deep breaths. Sidenote: over 30 reviews! Yay!

Kawai Kitsune-kun: :emailed:
Midnight-Sunset: Don't worry…all will be well.
Sherlockian Slytherin: Okay, I just figured out your name. :duh: Anyway, if Naruto got a boyfriend, I think he'd probably start calling him "–kun". :dodges multitude of sharp, pointy objects: I said "IF"!
Yugi-obsessed: New reviewer! Thank you :D
Ramen-Ou: Thanks! Yes, I must have angst…I don't write all fluff. :koff:
Prosopopeia: Another new reviewer! Thanks for the long review…they're so much fun to read. I also enjoy tormenting my favorite characters. As payment, they get to live happily ever after…most of the time.
Leon2772: Yeah, well, Sasuke is falling in love with Neji. It kinda has to be a little unnatural. But thanks for the support! Oh, and Gaara-kun (in the manga) is way uncool. I like the fanfics about Gaara much more than the manga. :grin:
Lala to the power of 2: Gomen ne! I'm glad you're enjoying it enough to demand updates. But it's only been five days since my last update…and a week before. Ok, so maybe I have been slower. :embarrassed grin:
Sodesne: Ah, Uchiha reviewers! Now, I'd better watch it…

Neji: Don't worry, I'll protect you.
Me:ducks behind Neji-kun: Yay for Neji-kun.

Frontier of Darkness: Don't worry…even if this one ends, I have plenty more NejiSasu up my sleeves. AU NejiSasu, tragic NejiSasu (sniff), and potentially humorous NejiSasu. It's all inside…
YoungSasuke: Yes, poor Sasuke. Heheheh, I love good old-fashioned jealousy.

Alright, back to the fic…I must remember not to rush myself. It just all goes south when I do. Warning: Mega-chapter Alert.

Chapter 7- "Fading Light"

The sun performed its painful awakening ceremony as it did everyday. First came the unpleasant color change, then the sharpening spears when Sasuke either had to squeeze his eyes tighter (and thus awaken himself more) or simply let it hurt, also awakening him more. You can't win against the sun, he though darkly. Like you can't win against love. His eyes opened slowly, and he stared blankly at the dark wall he faced. Feeling like he wanted to lie there forever, he nonetheless pushed himself up forcefully. I survived my family's massacre at the hands of my brother. I will survive this. A passing thought struck him as he thought this: It's easier to deal with hate than with love. Swinging his legs out from the bed, his feet touched down on the cold floor sending a shiver up his spine. He tried to avoid looking at the other bed, but not looking at something in a very small room never works. His eyes ghosted over Neji's still form in the next bed. The Hyuuga's breaths shifted the covers slightly, up and down. Sasuke's throat closed again. He had allowed tears for just a moment and then sealed them away. His face showed no expression of his pain; inside, he was cold. He heard a small noise outside the door. Breaking the hypnotic spell of watching Neji, he pushed the door open.

Naruto jumped as the Uchiha came walking steadily out of the room, as the blond was about to bound in.

"Oi, Sasuke. Is Neji up?"

Sasuke shook his head fractionally and closed the door to the bathroom. He put his clothes down on the ground and listened for a minute. He heard a loud thump and Naruto's victorious exultation followed by a yelp of fear. Neji's soft laughter carried through the door to Sasuke's ears. Then…silence. The dark-haired boy turned away resolutely and started preparing for the day.

Over breakfast, the three Konoha shinobi discussed their attack plans, with Kakashi making advisory comments when necessary.

"I say we wait until he goes to sleep tonight, then BAM!" Naruto said, slamming the table for emphasis.

Neji picked up his bowl to prevent its breakage, "No, he won't expect us in the daylight."

Sasuke nodded, as he swallowed his egg, "If we go in the daytime, we'll have to make sure he's alone."

"Why!" Naruto demanded. "We can take him and whatever baka is with him."

Sasuke shook his head, not answering the blonde. Neji paused.

"Naruto, Najino's disappearance should appear to be his escape from Hidden Mist, not his death."

"Eh?"

Sasuke looked up, "We don't want them to know we killed him, dobe."

"Eh?"

Sasuke stared fixedly at the confused shinobi, How could Neji fall in love with him? He jerked slightly; he had not been planning on thinking that…ever. There were…many good reasons for Neji and Naruto to be together. They were…a good match.

"Oi, Sasuke-teme!" Naruto yelled, waving his hand in front of the Uchiha face.

Sasuke's eyes focused on Naruto's face, "Hn."

Naruto rolled his eyes dramatically, "Neji just suggested we spy out his house for a while. When he's alone, two of us go in and one stays outside to prevent anyone else from coming."

Sasuke looked over at the Hyuuga, who was regarding him with that unreadable white stare, "Hn."

Kakashi nodded and stood, "Then it appears you're done. Naruto, put the dishes in the kitchen. Neji and Sasuke, go get your equipment."

The two Konoha prodigies turned almost in unison and walked up the stairs. Sasuke tried to ignore the heavy stare of the Hyuuga behind him. Even before Sasuke had realized his feelings for the slightly older boy, that stare had been uncomfortable. Now, it was practically unbearable. At this moment, Sasuke cursed his pale skin. The faintest touches of red were curving around his ears, feeling like the hot smoke of a smothered fire. Firmly setting his eyes on his shuriken holder and his shinobi belt, the Uchiha bent over to pick them up from their holder at the top of his bed. He heard the faintest rustle of sheets as Neji sat on the other bed. As Sasuke gathered his things, he noticed it was silent on the other side of the room. Shooting a quick glance over his shoulders, he stiffened with he saw Neji looking at him impassively. Not one for dodging away as soon as he was seen, Sasuke met the look and shifted his body around to a more comfortable position. Moments passed. Sasuke was definitely not going to speak first. Neji shifted his weight a little, leaning back into the wall. Sasuke felt his ears start that smoky feeling once again. Damn you, Neji. As if reading his thoughts, the Hyuuga smiled that infuriating half-smile he used to do so often. Damn it, he's enjoying this. He's sick, just sick. Sasuke leaned back against the wall himself, settling in for a long staring competition. The temperature in the room rose several degrees. The two boys stayed motionless, waiting for the other to crack and say something. The door slammed open and Naruto bolted in.

"What on earth is taking you…both…so…," he trailed off, shifting his head rapidly between the two staring boys.

Naruto gulped a little and backpedaled his way out of the room with its hot and heavy air. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at Neji, who smiled that damned half-smile before standing up and leaving the room. Sasuke waited until the Hyuuga was safely out of range before slamming his fist into the floor. Damn it, how does he always manage to win, even when he leaves first? Sasuke growled to himself. Stuffing his shuriken angrily into their holder, he left the room, slamming the door for good measure.

This rooftop is starting to become painfully familiar, Sasuke thought sourly. Yet again he found himself pressed flat to the roof with Naruto squished in between him and Neji. Given Naruto's incessant habit of squirming around like a hooked fish, Sasuke was close to twitching. Sasuke kept his eyes fixed on the house where the missing nin was hiding. Even though Neji was watching with his Byakugan, Sasuke wanted to be sure their quarry would not escape unnoticed. Besides, he had nothing else to do but stare at Neji, and that was most certainly not going to happen. Naruto squirmed for the seven-thousandth time and blew air out of his lips, frustrated.

"Neji-kun," he whined. "No one's gone in for at least an hour, can't we attack now?"

Neji didn't turn his head, "No, Naruto. Najino has been writing a message to the Mizukage for a little over twenty minutes. We'll wait for him to finish so we get a better look at his plan."

Sasuke felt a strange tingling on the back of his neck. After so many years as a ninja, he had learned not to ignore that tingling.

"Neji, two contacts are heading this way."

Neji nodded, "I see them."

Soon after, two figures appeared in the streets. Dressed in peasant clothes, they looked like simple townspeople out on business. They entered Najino's house.

"They're the Hidden Grass shinobi," Sasuke said emotionlessly.

Neji's jaw tensed just slightly, "We'll have to wait for them to leave."

Naruto blew air out again, "Great. Another hour of waiting."

Suddenly, Neji tensed, "They were talking to Najino, but now one of them just knocked him out."

"A high-level Konoha Anbu?" Naruto demanded.

"I left out the details," Neji commented, shifting back to look at Sasuke.

The Uchiha nodded, "They're coming out now."

The two Grass nin came out carrying a large trunk between them. Neji nodded, to confirm Sasuke's suspicion. The Hidden Grass shinobi moved quickly through the streets, soon reaching the edge of sight.

"We go after them," Sasuke said. "Najino is still missing nin."

Neji nodded, "Let's go."

"YAHOOO!" Naruto yelled, leaping from the rooftop.

Sasuke saw Neji shake his head fractionally (he's your boyfriend) and jump after the blond. Sasuke gathered his chakra, springing after the other two.

They followed the two Grass nin to the plains surrounding Hidden Mist. The other two had been joined by a third who carried a scroll tucked in his coat pocket. Sasuke had calculated their strengths, and he did not approve of the odds. But when had that ever stopped any of the three shinobi on the team? When the Grass nin were sufficiently out of range of the village, Sasuke signaled to Neji and Naruto. Now swiftly silent, the three shinobi prepared the attack. Sasuke readied a kunai, gathering chakra in his feet for a long jump.

"Now!"

The Konoha trio burst into action, launching kunai and shuriken at the Grass nin. The other shinobi instantly split, breaking into three separate targets. Sasuke's eyes narrowed, and he tracked the one still carrying the trunk with Najino in it.

"Sasuke!" Neji called.

The Uchiha instantly dropped to the ground as the seven deadly needles sped overhead. Sasuke flipped himself upward again as he faced the lone visible Grass nin. The other, seeing his opponent was a boy of 17, grinned as he drew a few shuriken. Sasuke smirked.

"You think that's enough?" he asked, drawing several of his own and making a hand seal. "Shihou Hapou Shuriken no Maki."

Sasuke's jutsu replicated the shuriken he threw, shifting them around so they struck from all angles at the Grass nin. The other's eyes widened a bit, and he barely managed to launch himself upward before the shuriken stuck where his body had been. Landing a few feet back, the Grass nin gathered his chakra. Sasuke smiled coldly and activated his Sharingan. In his Sharingan vision, he could see the hand seals the man was making and instantly dodged the Biransei no JutsuWhile the enemy shinobi tried to reestablish his view of Sasuke, the Uchiha performed a hand seal of his own.

"Housenka no Jutsu."

The many fireballs struck around the shinobi, lighting grass which burst into flame then died from the heavy moisture. The Grass nin dodged too slow, and two fireballs struck searing hits on the man's torso. Sasuke let three shuriken fly. The man blocked two, but the third struck him in the arm. Sasuke switched tactics, leaping close before using Rock Lee's signature move, Konoha Senpuu. The powerful TaiJutsu struck the man in the chin, rocketing him skyward. Sasuke immediately followed it with Kage Konoha Buyou before completing the final move in his Shishi Rendan. His trademark TaiJutsu combo slammed the man firmly into the ground, killing him instantly. Sasuke pulled himself upright, scanning for his companions. Feeling flashes of chakra to the northeast, he gathered chakra, springing after them. He arrived in time to see Neji dealing the final blow of his Hakkeshou move, Rokujuu Yonshou. The Grass shinobi blanched in fear as his chakra was sealed up. Neji dealt a Jyuken death blow immediately to his heart. Neji turned to face Sasuke, though his Byakugan had already identified the presence.

"Naruto?" the Hyuuga asked.

Sasuke shook his head, going to the trunk which Neji's opponent had been guarding. The other two shinobi prepared to attack in case Najino was waiting. Sasuke broke the lock off and snapped it open, leaping back to avoid booby traps.

Silence. Sasuke edged forward, looking in the trunk. It was empty.

"HAHAHA! Betcha thought I was gonna flake?" Naruto laughed from his perch up in a tree. "One tried to get away, but I went after him. He won't be running anymore."

Sasuke looked indifferent to the blond's success. Neji shot the other boy an acknowledging nod, at which Naruto beamed and leapt to the ground. Sasuke ignored them, looking around. Naruto was still laughing.

"HAHAH! Yeah, and I just saw the great Uchiha prodigy running from an empty trunk."

"Shut up, dobe," Sasuke growled, more upset than he let on. "This means Najino escaped somehow."

Naruto stopped laughing.

"Hey, wait! Did you just kill him?" Naruto demanded, pointing to the body on the ground.

"Hai."

"Cause he just ran past me when I was kicking the other guy's ass. I thought he'd gotten away from you.

"He used Henge no Jutsu," Neji said, turning to Sasuke. "No sooner did one leave and Naruto chased him, than Najino escaped the trunk and took the appearance of the Grass I was fighting. You killed a real one, I killed a real one, Naruto killed a real one, and Najino posed as this one when he tried to escape."

Sasuke growled under his breath, "So where is he?"

Neji activated his Byakugan, "I can see the trail he left but not him. He must be fast."

Sasuke gathered chakra, "We've got to get to him before he escapes."

"What about Kakashi?" Naruto demanded.

"We'll tell him when we get back," Sasuke said and leapt off in the direction Neji indicated.

Naruto rolled his eyes dramatically, "Sasuke-teme, I'm not letting you catch him first!"

The blond bound off after the fast-moving Uchiha. Neji let himself smile. Sasuke had looked very hot covered in sweat.

As night came, the three shinobi found themselves exhausted following the trail of the missing nin. Sasuke, still in the lead, raised his hand, dropping to the forest floor.

"HA! Tired, Sasuke-teme?" gloated Naruto, trying to conceal his labored breathing.

Neji landed gracefully, "I saw him with the Byakugan a moment ago. He's entered the Hidden Grass village."

"WHAT!" Naruto yelped. "He went to the Hidden Village that tried to kidnap him?"

Sasuke raised his head, "Then they weren't trying to kidnap him. He knew we were there and arranged for transport out."

Neji shook his head, "He couldn't have known we were there. He was trying to escape Hidden Mist."

Naruto grimaced, "So…what now?"

Sasuke stood upright, "We go to Hidden Grass, find an inn, and pursue our search from there."

Neji nodded.

Naruto rolled his eyes and then stopped, "Do you think they have ramen in Hidden Grass?"

Upon stumbling their way into Hidden Grass, the three Konoha shinobi headed directly for the nearest inn. Naruto held his grumbling stomach as they encountered the innkeeper. Sasuke felt inside his pocket surreptitiously. Not much money. Neji caught the movement and spoke smoothly.

"The three of us would like a room for tonight."

The innkeeper bowed, "For all three? You should each have your own room."

Naruto's lips twitched as he came to stand beside Neji. Sasuke almost choked; he'd seen that look before. It was Naruto's mischievous side coming forth.

"Oh, don't worry about us," Naruto practically purred. "We'll all be fine in one room."

Sasuke's eyes widened noticeably as Naruto put his hand on Neji's shoulder and leaned. Naruto shot him an insistent glare, before turning back into an admittedly sexy-looking koi. Sasuke swallowed a bit before giving himself over to the charade. We're just acting so the innkeeper doesn't ask questions. Sasuke leaned himself, bringing his shoulder into firm contact with Neji's before tilting his head slightly and folding his arms. With Neji in the middle smirking (Smirking!) and Naruto practically posing on one side with Sasuke's bad boy, "don't touch my boyfriend" look burning into the innkeeper from the other side, the three shinobi were led quickly to their room and left.

As the door closed, Naruto leapt onto the single bed and began to laugh uncontrollably, "HAHAH! Did you see his face? It was priceless!"

Sasuke growled, "Don't ever make me do something that humiliating again."

Neji raised an eyebrow, "Why did you go along with it then?"

Damn it, "It would have looked fake if you two were hanging off of each other while I was just standing there."

Neji smirked once again. Naruto just chuckled again at his own genius, before rolling over on the bed. Sasuke and Neji exchanged glances. One of them was obviously going to have to share the bed with Naruto.

"Sasuke-teme, don't even think about getting into this bed with me," yelled Naruto.

Sasuke shrugged and started laying his mat on the floor. Immediately he heard Naruto snoring from the bed. Rolling his eyes, he stood up and started walking towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

Sasuke turned slightly, "Outside."

Neji stood up and moved closer, "Wait."

Sasuke tried to conceal his inner turmoil as the Hyuuga stepped closer. Neji's pale eyes were fixed on Sasuke, and his mouth was moving slightly, as if trying to keep a smile hidden. Sasuke's heart picked up a faster beat. Closer…closer. Neji's hand raised and brushed through Sasuke's hair smoothly. A leaf fluttered to the ground.

Neji smiled--no, smirked--and turned back to the bed. Damn it. Sasuke closed the door behind him to avoid seeing the Hyuuga sleeping with Naruto. Damn it, damn it, damn it.

Okay, there's chapter 7. I opted for a little more action in this one, sorry for those of you who wanted another smooching scene. I tried to stick a bit of romantic heart-pounding at the end, but you have to remember Neji is still "with" Naruto. :dodges thrown objects: STOP ALREADY; I used quotation marks. However, those of you who want to get to the smooching, I'm trying not to rush the relationship. That'll come next chapter, I promise.

Neji: It had better…

Yes, well :ahem: review and let me know how you liked it.