"I want to express my deepest regrets for the unfortunate situation you encountered on your way to our village," said the Kazekage of the Hidden Sand.
Lee bit back the urge to say it was much more than an unfortunate encounter.
"Thank you, Kazekage," was Sakura's sincere reply. "Fortunately no one was hurt." Except for the group that ambushed us, she added silently.
"While I know you are here to escort me to Konoha, I'm afraid our trip will be delayed until the day after tomorrow," the Kazekage informed them. "My administrators are still analyzing the treaty to ensure it benefits of both our villages."
"Of course," Sakura replied with a short nod of her head. "Lady Hokage would expect no less from the Hidden Village of Sand."
Lee was amazed at the authority Sakura seemed to command. He had always seen her as a strong and capable woman, even when she was at her worst, but he had no idea she possessed these kind of diplomatic abilities.
"Since you will be our guests here for the next couple of days, I have had my aids prepare quarters for all of you. I'm sure you would like to rest after your journey. Weiss will show you to your rooms."
Sakura inclined her head respectfully before turning and following the others as a tall robed man led them out of the main chamber.
As the man, Weiss, took them back outside and down one of the few busy streets, Sakura had developed newfound respect for Tsunade's diplomatic abilities. How the woman was able to handle all the niceties that were necessary for these types of negotiations was beyond her. She was having enough trouble acting like a proud representative from Konoha. How come she got pegged as the diplomat? Neji would have been a much better choice. Being a member of the Hyuuga family he had probably attended his share of diplomatic negotiations.
"These are our visitor quarters," Weiss was saying as he directed them into another building. "The Sand have no need for luxury, so I hope they will be satisfactory."
He wasn't kidding about the lack of prestige. The Sand were far from a poor people, but being in the desert with the climate and other weather conditions they faced, all that mattered was keeping the sand and the cold out at night.
The walls looked to be made out of a dark concrete and were bear, just as most of the other structures they had seen.
Weiss took them up a set of stairs to the third floor and stopped outside the first door they came across. "You have each been assigned your own room for the duration of your stay. Kazekage has asked that I make myself available to you. Let me know if you require anything further."
He was gone a moment later, leaving them to inspect their rooms on their own.
When Sakura walked in hers, she immediately began inspecting every inch of the room. It wasn't that she expected the Sand to be eavesdropping on them but it would be nice to know just how much the Kazekage trusted them.
Kakashi and Gai had put them through extensive drills on how to look for and recognize listening devices. If all else failed, the best approach would be to turn on the hot water tap for the shower. If the steam didn't neutralize the listening devices, the sound of the water would likely block out anything being said.
Sakura did a thorough sweep of her room, finding one listening device underneath the leg of the night table and the other inside the single light source of the room. Once she had disposed of them there was a knock on her door.
Lee, Neji, and Tenten were standing out in the corridor. When she invited them in, Neji raised an eyebrow at her and she nodded her approval that it was safe to talk in there.
"You knew we would find Uchiha Sasuke here," he stated calmly, but his gaze at Sakura was accusing.
She had been hoping to avoid this conversation just a little longer, just long enough for her to figure out what had happened back out in the desert and where Sasuke had gone after he had disappeared. But she couldn't hide her separate orders from her teammates any longer.
"Tsunade told me there was a possibility that Sasuke might be in the Wind Country," she admitted to them. "It was where the last ANBU reports had identified seeing him, but they had never gotten close enough to confirm his identity before he disappeared." She paused to watch their expressions. Although Neji's was almost unreadable, she could tell he was angry at having this information kept from him. Lee and Tenten were staring at her in quiet shock.
She took a deep breath before explaining Tsunade's second mission to them. If Neji had looked distrustful before after knowing she had purposely kept Sasuke's presence from them, any trust left had vanished after she revealed Tsunade's words to him.
"Is this why Lady Hokage thought to tell you and not the rest of us?" Neji said to her. "She thought after all this time you would be the one to convince him to come back, even though you failed to stop him from leaving the first time?"
She flinched at his words. "Tsunade wanted us to bring him in before she was forced to send ANBU after him. She doesn't want him dead, but she needs to be certain that he hasn't shared anything with Orochimaru.
"Sakura-san, why did you not tell us any of this before?" Lee asked.
She couldn't give him an answer. Now she wished she had listened to Kakashi and told them.
"You were protecting yourself, when you should have been thinking of protecting Konoha," said Neji. "Obviously, Lady Hokage was wrong in thinking you would put aside your own feelings for the sake of the mission."
Casting Sakura one last contemptuous look, he walked out of the room.
"Neji, where are you going?" Tenten called after him.
Neji didn't bother responding – he just kept walking.
He stopped by his room to grab the protective sand cloak before leaving the inn altogether. He had no grudge against Sasuke, but there was a mission that needed to be completed. This time, he would not fail to bring Sasuke back.
Lee viewed the Village of Sand's below freezing night temperatures as his second challenge since arriving there. If he kept moving and stayed focused on the reason he was out there, he could forget about the cold. He reprimanded himself for allowing the consistently mild and predictable weather of Konoha to blind him to the harsh conditions that the Sand lived in.
While Lee was not working to keep his presence hidden, the person he was following had yet to acknowledge him. But Lee knew well enough that this person would have detected his presence long before then.
When Lee watched the person appear to stop in what was the village's main center, he paused as well on the ledge of the rooftop he was walking along.
"You clearly wanted me to notice your presence," Neji's voice carried up to him. "What do you want?"
Lee jumped off the roof to land silently beside him. At this time of night, the streets were deserted and the few lanterns that remained lit provided an only somewhat decent source of illumination.
"Judging from the way you left, I figured you would go after Sasuke-kun," Lee said.
"It is what we were ordered to do," Neji responded, "even if Sakura can't do it."
"She was worried we would react this way, but Sakura-san would not fail to carry out the mission Lady Hokage had given her."
Neji sighed. "Lee, you can't see Sakura's faults because you're in love with her." It was no secret the feelings Lee harboured for Sakura, but Neji typically avoided commenting on it. For Lee, it was a topic best left alone since the feelings were not returned. Neji felt sorry for his friend. He was so caught up in this one person he wouldn't allow himself to see anyone else.
Lee turned away from him. "You should not go after Sasuke-kun alone," he said in a low voice.
"If you want to help, that's fine," Neji told him. "If not, then don't interfere."
Lee nodded his agreement to Neji's terms. "How do you expect to find him?"
"We saw him heading towards the village before he disappeared. The probability that's he's here is extremely high. I don't know how much Sasuke has changed in the years he's been gone, but only a fool would venture out into the desert at night. No matter what Sasuke's abilities are he wouldn't risk it."
"Still characterizing people, Neji?" Said an unseen voice. "I guess some things never change."
Neji followed the sound of the voice to a darkened alley. He allowed himself the briefest of smiles before speaking. He knew if he and Lee stayed still longer enough Sasuke would find them. It wouldn't have surprised him if Sasuke had been tracking them all along.
"I suppose you would know all about change. First being one of Konoha's most promising ninjas, and then deserting to seek power at any cost."
"Don't talk like you understand anything about me," Sasuke warned, stepping out from the shadows of the alley. He was wearing the same cloak from before with the hood hiding his face from sight.
"I know that you are trapped by the destiny your brother carved for you. You've based your entire life around it, making everything else seem meaningless. The others may feel sorry for you, but I think you're pathetic. You let someone else choose the path your life will take, and because of that your life will never be your own."
"A Hyuuga lecturing about overcoming destiny?" Even if they couldn't see it, they could hear the smirk in his voice.
"Things have changed, Sasuke-kun," said Lee, using his speed to materialize behind him. "Lady Hokage has ordered us to bring you back. Though I would prefer you come back willingly, I don't think that's going to happen. So Neji and I are prepared to fight you."
"Is that so?"
The hood lifted up a bit and Lee was close enough to him now that he could see the marked presence of the curse seal across Sasuke's face.
Lee knew Neji would be ready to act, so he quit talking and attacked. Sasuke blocked his first set of punches with ease. Lee soon increased his speed and Sasuke was forced to take his moves more seriously. He back flipped out into the open space, his feet barely hitting the ground before Lee's assault on him continued.
"Your speed has greatly improved," Lee complimented as they fought. Sasuke was able to effectively dodge his onslaught of multiple attacks.
Sasuke managed to grab a hold of Lee's foot and toss him effortlessly against the barren wall. While Lee was down, he chanced a glance back at the Hyuuga, who looked strangely calm, as if he had no intentions of jumping into the battle. When he turned his attention back to Lee, the ninja was pulling himself to his feet and gradually unwrapping the white bandages that covered his lower forearms.
"Still using the same old tricks?" Said Sasuke, sounding bored.
Lee grinned. "Yes, but I've added another element to the Lotus while you've been gone."
When Lee charged at him again, Sasuke was prepared for the bandages that would try and bind his arms and body together. He found it annoying that the Leaf ninja's moves were so predictable. He didn't bother with his Sharingan. It would be a waste in an uneven match such as this. He increased his own speed to match Lee's and was able to catch one of the loose bandages. He began wrapping it around him, confining him within his own bandages. Sasuke backed up and called upon his Grand Fireball no Jutsu.
Even with thick brows speed, he would never get away in time. But when the flame touched the bandages and spread throughout the body, it disappeared into a white cloud of smoke.
A clone? That's not possible. Thick brows can't use chakra! Before the rage at being so clearly fooled could settle in, Sasuke felt something tighten around his wrists and bound them to his sides.
"I told you I added another element," Lee's voice rang beside his ear. "It might not be my own, but it's useful."
Sasuke watched as this time the real bandages wrapped around his arms and mid section, mummifying his body. So Neji had time to conjure up a clone in that brief moment he turned his attention away from thick brows. He would have been impressed if he actually thought they could beat him with this.
Lee grabbed onto him and shot Sasuke into the air with him. After a moment they weren't alone anymore. Neji had shot up into the air as well.
"It's called the Byakugan -Lotus combo," Lee informed Sasuke.
He held on to Sasuke's arms, waiting for Neji to do his part before he could complete the Lotus.
"Byakugan!" Neji shouted, the veins around his eyes coming to the surface as he struck out at Sasuke with the index and middle finger of both his hands.
With his Byakugan he could clearly make out every chakra hole in the Uchiha's body. There also seemed to be a black-coloured chakra leaking out from the spot on the side of his neck where the curse seal was. With Lee's lotus in place he hit every chakra hole, no more than a split second between each attack before he would move on to the next area. After successfully hitting all sixty-four holes, he went after the mysterious chakra coming out of Sasuke's neck.
It was only then that Sasuke screamed out in pain. Neji then dropped do the ground a safe distance away, allowing Lee to finish the move.
When the dust had cleared, he could see Lee still standing and Sasuke flat on his back.
No matter how much Sasuke's powers had advanced, Neji knew that his Byakugan and Lee's lotus were unbeatable when used in combination together. But then he saw Sasuke's hand move – then his whole arm.
Lee's eyes widened at the impossibility of this, as did Neji's.
If Sasuke was able to come out of that and still move, Neji would show him no mercy this time. He would go at him with the intent to kill.
As Sasuke was hauling himself to his feet, a sandaled foot crushed itself against his chest, flattening him to the ground. Sasuke tried to push the leg off of him, but with his current strength it was useless.
"Stay down," the voice ordered him. When the voice spoke again, it was less stern, almost sad. "I told you to stop your quest for revenge." Then Kakashi put his hand over Sasuke's heart and the teen lost consciousness.