(I'm posting two chapters at once, so make sure you read the last one!)
Broken Helix: part X: Pulse
Neji walked into Lord Hiashi's study and knelt on the floor in front of him, bowing his head respectfully. "It is good too see you well," Neji said.
Lord Hiashi stared at him for a moment, then sighed deeply. "As you know, members of this clan have rebelled. My food had been poisoned by a liquid that quickly leaves the body and has no scent or taste. That is how I nearly drowned in my own bath. All of this had been planned."
Neji nodded and thought of telling Lord Hiashi about what happened to Hinata and how she did it all for him, but it didn't seem right to tell her story for her.
"I imagined this might happen one day," Lord Hiashi said. "And… I thought that when it did, you would go with them."
Neji blinked in surprise. "I would never betray you, Lord Hiashi."
"But I have betrayed you," Lord Hiashi said.
"I was rash years ago," Neji said. "I was run by my hatred. But ever since you told me the truth about my father's death--"
"There is something else," Lord Hiashi said. "I know that people in this clan have been digging into your past, and they told you that you are not Hizashi's natural child."
Neji looked away, hurt in his eyes. He nodded slightly.
"What they have failed to tell you is that your birth father is from a clan that has birth laws stronger than our own," Lord Hiashi said wearily. "The seal I carved into your forehead is a sin that I can never ask forgiveness for. Not only did it affect your life in so many ways, it was done illegally… and has no place on you."
Neji looked at him, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Forgive my foolishness," Lord Hiashi said. "Once again, I ask your forgiveness. All that you have suffered at the hands of this clan, all of the vows you've taken, all of the pain you've gone through… it could have been prevented if I had not been so arrogant to believe that I knew what was best for you."
Neji lowered his head and stared at the floor, his heart pounding in his chest.
"I will say this," Lord Hiashi continued. "I loved my brother, the one you knew as your father. And he loved you as if you were his own. And… I care for you as if you were truly my nephew. I was secretly happy to have you as part of this family. I breathed easier when everything between us had been resolved. And I was afraid to tell you all of this for fear of losing you again."
Neji only looked down, but Hiashi could tell he was too hurt to think of any words.
"Neji," Lord Hiashi said, straightening himself. "The Hokage requests your presence. Go to her."
"…Yes, Lord Hiashi," Neji said softly as he stood. He left quickly, not looking up once.
Once outside, he quickly sprinted across the village and made it to the Hokage building. He went up the stairs and entered Tsunade's study quietly, his head swimming.
"I won't grant you permission to leave your clan, so don't bother giving it a thought," Tsunade said.
Neji looked up as she motioned for him to sit at the seat in front of her desk, and he did so. Though, he looked very distracted.
"…Why wouldn't you?" Neji asked. It wasn't that he actually thought of leaving, but there was something so appealing about being freed of all the burdens of his clan right now.
"You are one of the best things to happen to that clan, Neji," Tsunade said kindly. "If you left, they would remain in their old ways. And… I know you were either caught in your own mind or locked in a cell for most of this time, but people united to save you in a way I've never seen. They recognize your worth to your clan, to this village, and as a person."
Neji looked up at her, and some of the hurt faded from his eyes. But it pained her to know that she would have to be the one to hurt him now.
"Neji… I called you here because your team, all three of them, have been taken by the rebels who separated from your clan recently."
"What?" Neji said, rage building in his eyes.
"As you've no doubt heard by now, the man who tried to organize your execution has Mangekyo Sharingan. His mother was an Uchiha, though the trait didn't appear in her. Somehow, he has both Byakugan and Sharingan, which has never occurred in one person in all history. As you know, this Sharingan can cause mental breakdown by creating illusions so strong that the person shown these illusions can't break free. While you have the chakra knowledge to dispel most genjutsu and mind techniques, you must know they are occurring before you can do so. From what you tell me, you didn't even know who you were, an therefore, couldn't remember your training."
Neji nodded.
"This is probably the same for Lee, Tenten, and Gai," Tsunade continued. "It is the best possible explanation for their capture. And for whatever reason, the illusions your uncle uses seem to remain even if he is no longer activating Sharingan. He must be a highly powerful genjutsu user. Also, many of the people who left know Jyuuken, as you do. They are extremely dangerous."
Neji shifted in his chair, but his mask of cold calm fell over his face.
"I am telling you this because you deserve to know," Tsunade said. "But you are forbidden to seek them out."
Neji looked up with questioning eyes. "Is there nothing I can do? Please… I'm the best defense against members of my own clan…."
"I forbid it," Tsunade repeated firmly. "You and Hinata are forbidden to take on this mission. The man leading organized everything, Neji. He plotted Lord Hiashi's death, he tried to stain your reputation in your clan and tried to execute you, he has been assaulting people in your clan, and those two girls committed suicide because of his abuse. He used the Sharingan to forge those letters, and he uses his position in the clan to torture others. But the most important fact here is that he wants you dead."
"I will never understand his hatred for me," Neji said softly.
Tsunade said nothing. She could tell Neji that his uncle was jealous of Neji for a variety of reasons. Or she could tell him that his uncle feared change and Neji's power to create it. Or… she could tell him that he was a candidate for the position of the future Hokage… but all of that would be too big a burden.
"You will not be assigned any missions for the next couple weeks, at least," Tsunade said finally. "Recover fully, and don't worry. We'll get them back."
Neji hesitated, but then stood up. He bowed and thanked her, then he left. For hours, he wandered the village in thought.
So it was just as he thought. The Hyuuga clan was falling apart, which would deplete Konoha's power. And not only that, they were kidnapping people from the village. What an ugly situation this was. It was becoming harder and harder to keep all sides balanced.
Kabuto sighed and fixed his glasses to sit properly on his face. He stood in the field, acting as though he were tending to the rice. Trying to hide from or sneak up on Hyuuga clan members would be pointless. He only watched as they carried with them three very dazed looking hostages.
Of course he had tailed Sasuke and sent spies to watch him. Sasuke most likely knew he would do this, but the young man didn't seem to notice or care. That was fine with Kabuto. He would rather avoid confrontation with Sasuke. And he did get some interesting information about another living Sharingan user who hadn't been killed by Uchiha Itachi. He found it all quite fascinating, actually.
But first things first. In order to keep all necessary players going for now, Kabuto needed to free Gai and his team. Gai's team was far to capable, and had proven to be a good match for the Akatsuki. Disposing of them now would cause the Sound ninja a lot of headache, so better to keep Gai in the picture. The question was, how could Kabuto get close enough to people who could see through objects and over long distances without moving?
A diversion of course. Now, the type of diversion would be a different matter. Who could Kabuto use to create that kind of panic? Sasuke had, for reasons of his own, saved Hyuuga Neji's life without being seen. Kabuto still couldn't figure out why Sasuke had done it, but that didn't matter now. Sasuke was no where to be found. But then… Sasuke was always unpredictable.
"Feeling okay?" Naruto asked as he sat next to Neji on the grass under the cloudy sky.
Neji shook his head slightly.
"It's painful," Naruto said. "Not knowing where those you care about are, and not being allowed to go find them. Not being able to see him all the time, and not knowing if they're okay."
Neji nodded looking to Naruto.
"But you know," Naruto grinned. "Between us, you've got it pretty good. I mean, Sasuke ran off because he wanted to and is willing to give up his soul to get what he wants. I don't know what he thinks of me…." Naruto looked down at the grass for a moment before looking at Neji again. "But you, you know the people you lost care about you. You know that they are out there somewhere, missing you. And you know they will do everything they can to get back to you."
"But wouldn't they expect me to be looking for them?" Neji asked.
"They'd understand if you couldn't," Naruto grinned. "It gets frustrating sometimes, but so far, Tsunade hasn't let us down. Not that I'm any good at it, but it's good to listen to her."
Neji smiled and nodded.
"Oh, and Neji," Naruto said. "This is also something I'm not good at sometimes… but stop being so hard on yourself. It seems like you're your own worst enemy sometimes. But everyone cares about you and supports you, so why bother getting on your own case like you don't deserve to be cared about?"
Neji looked up at the clouds to see the birds fly past. "As always, Naruto," Neji said. "You have better eyes than me."
Hinata was waiting for him in a pretty sky blue nightdress when he returned to his apartment in the evening.
"I'm sorry I keep breaking in like this…" she said softly. "But… I…"
"I'm always happy to see you," he said, pulling her into a hug.
Hinata smiled and led him to the bathroom where she had prepared a hot bath for him. He kissed her on the forehead and went inside to bathe. She waited for him in the front room, which was dimly lit by the crystal fountains. When he came back he had a white towel draped over his long, damp hair, and he had on his white cotton T-shirt and white sweatpants. With his white eyes and pale skin his dark hair was a beautiful contrast. He looked so unthreatening.
"You talked to Father…" she said, cupping a hand to his cheek. "I know what he told you."
Neji slowly sat down on the couch. He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and his face resting in his hands.
"All of the bitterness I had, and the pain I caused everyone… it could have been avoided," Neji said. "I don't know if I could have still been taken into the clan without this seal, but… what if it was never placed on my forehead? How different would things have been?"
"But…" Hinata said timidly. "Your father would still have died."
"Yes," Neji nodded. "That may be, and I would have still felt the pain over it. But this seal has done so much to shape me. It was a symbol of my hatred in the past. And every time I looked into the mirror I was not only reminded of my father's death and my position in the clan, but of how much my own hatred hurt those around me. And… even if the seal had done nothing to increase my hatred in the past, look what it has done now. Because of this, because you wanted to protect me from the pain of this seal, you went through all of that suffering."
Hinata sat next to him and rubbed his back gently. "The only one we can blame for that is Uncle," she said. "You're blameless for this. Stop blaming yourself when things go wrong."
Neji sat back on the couch, and she wrapped her arms around him. He thought of her words and Naruto's, and they were right. Blaming himself would never get him anywhere.
"I know you are also hurt because your team is missing," Hinata said. "But they will be back soon. They will be safe. Tsunade sent the ANBU out to save them."
Neji nodded, still feeling powerless, but somehow feeling less weight on his shoulders. He rested his head on her shoulder. "Thank you," he whispered.
She held him close for a while, then pulled away. "I made dinner," she smiled. "It used to be your favorite, but you stopped eating it. I hope you still like it!"
Neji blinked, realizing he was only now smelling the food in the kitchen. "But, that food is against one of the vows I took. It's supposed to be 'unclean.'"
"But I'm telling you to eat it," Hinata smiled. "I'm telling you as a head family member, so you have to eat it if I say so."
Neji looked at her mischievous smile, which was still so childlike in it's mischief. And she could tell from the look on his face that he really wasn't sure that she was allowed to do that, but that he was starting to think that it made sense.
"It's true," Hinata said. "You have to!"
Neji sighed at her with a smile and nodded.
"Stay here!" she giggled as she ran to the kitchen and came back with a bowl of stew with many… interesting… ingredients in it.
Neji was actually a bit afraid now. He had seen Hinata's and Hanabi's efforts in the kitchen, and couldn't figure out if they were just being experimental or if they were just plain horrible cooks. He took a deep breath. He would endure. Hinata carefully sat next to him with the tray on her lap and the bowl on the tray. She smiled sweetly as she lifted the spoon to his mouth, and he tried to keep a straight face as he opened for her to gently place the warm contents inside. And then Hinata sat watching him, waiting for a reaction. She was actually leaning in very close, waiting to catch even the slightest flicker of emotion.
Suddenly he looked at her as though heaven had just invited him in for a stroll. "That was the most delicious thing I've ever put in my mouth," he said sincerely. "Second to you of course," he added.
Hinata blushed scarlet, but continued to lift the next spoonful to his lips. "Do you really like it?"
"Hm?" he responded blissfully, with a slightly dreamy look in his eyes.
Hinata started to laugh adorably as she fed him. After a few moments she put the tray on his lap and ran off to get him something to drink. When she got back the food was already gone.
"Seconds?" she asked.
"You aren't eating," he said.
"I ate as I cooked it," she said as she set his tea down on the table and took his tray. She left for the kitchen again and refilled the bowl, then came back and set it on his lap again. She then marveled at how quickly he finished it. He put the tray on the table and smiled at her.
"Finished," he smiled. "Thank you, Hinata. I never thought I'd eat that again…."
She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek gently, then scooted closer so they could wrap their arms around each other.
"This is painful…" Neji said after a long while.
"What is?" Hinata asked, looking up with worry.
"Not being able to fully express how I feel for you," he said.
"I know how you feel for me," she smiled warmly.
"But how long will that be enough?" has asked. "You deserve someone who can give you everything, and make you feel -- well, just make you feel."
"And what do you deserve?" Hinata asked.
Neji looked into her eyes. She could tell he hadn't asked himself that. She gently kissed him on the cheek again before climbing into his lap, facing him. She sat there, her eyes locked with his, her hands cupped against his cheeks. She leaned in and kissed him very softly, as though they had never kissed before. Ever since that night they had been so intimate, he had been the perfect gentleman again.
When she broke away from the soft kiss she gently pulled the towel from his hair a put it aside. She brushed the backs of her fingers against the sides of his neck, smiling sweetly at him. He seemed very relaxed under her touch. But his eyes became unsure when she slid her hands down his chest and stomach very slowly before starting to remove his shirt.
"I shouldn't… In front of you I can't--"
"Please take it off," Hinata said, her innocent voice with a hint of authority.
After some hesitation, he slowly pulled his shirt off. Hinata was floored. His body was near perfection. The muscles were strong and more defined than she would have thought, and his hard body seemed to contradict the soft soul inside. She gently touched him, feeling every inch of his shoulders, chest, and stomach. Occasionally she would lightly touch the faint scars left by his battles, especially the two areas where two large arrows had almost claimed his life years before. She saw his skin flushing slightly, and she met his eyes, which seemed conflicted. No matter if no one found out, Neji always felt horrible for breaking a rule, especially a vow that allowed him to be near her.
Hinata gently kissed his forehead, her lips touching the seal there. She then kissed his lips, more deeply than before. He kissed back, unable to deny what he felt, and she gently caressed his shoulders and neck. She let her kiss linger, then kissed down to his neck. He seemed afraid to touch her, as though doing so would lead to something dangerous, but she gently took his hands and placed them on her waist. But she kept everything soft and gentle, because she knew that doing more would make him try to stop her.
Her soft kisses went down to his chest, and his grip tightened on her waist slightly. Gently, she reminded herself. Slowly. She moved carefully, kissing across his chest, back up to his neck, his lips, then down again. Then, soon after passing his collarbones with her lips against his chest, she gently sucked the flesh into his mouth. His body gave the smallest jolt, but she continued, sucking gently at first, then harder and harder. He always covered himself so fully than she didn't feel bad leaving a mark on his pale skin. And once the area was red from her lips, she kissed to the other side and started again. She could hear him breathing more heavily, and her hands moved up and down his body with a firmer touch.
She lifted her head and kissed him passionately, and he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him. Happy that he wasn't so afraid of his own actions, she slipped her tongue into his mouth, trying not to be timid about it. They explored each others mouths as their hands explored each others bodies.
When she broke the kiss, she slid back on his lap just slightly so that he had a better view of her. Looking into his eyes, she slid the straps of her nightdress away and pulled down the front slowly, allowing him to see her full breasts. The gown slipped down around her waist, and her chest and stomach were both in view for him. She slowly guided his hands to her chest, keeping her hands over his as he gently touched her. Her hands very slowly slid away and went to his body. One hand gently caressed his side, but the other was moving down his stomach dangerously. She leaned in and kissed him, and his arms moved around her shoulders. But when they did, he felt her hand slide over his navel and between his legs. Her hand gently rested there, cupping him through the cloth of his pants.
"Hina--" he started to say, but she pressed her lips to his again. Slowly, very slowly, he started to relax, as her hand did nothing but rest against him.
Once against she kissed him, this time with more aggression than she knew she possessed. She wrapped an arm around his waist and leaned forward slightly, wanting deeper access to his mouth. She knew he was surprised, but he didn't try to stop her. And suddenly, he groaned into her mouth and pulled back.
"Sneaky…" he said softly, breathing heavily.
She smiled innocently at him. She had surprised him so much with her kiss that he didn't notice at first when she started to rub between his legs. His body couldn't help but react to her, and she could actually feel the shape of him now, the growing hardness as her hand moved slowly but firmly against the outside of his pants.
"Neji… I… I want to see you," she said cutely with girlish curiosity.
His blush far outdid hers. "We should stop," he said with the last traces of sanity left in him.
"I just want to see," she pouted. "You saw me naked!"
He couldn't help but smile at the simplicity of her argument. He rose his hips slightly to pull down his sweatpants just enough. When he settled back down on the couch he felt her gentle hand pulling the object of her curiosity from his pants. He shut his eyes against the sensations, and let her touch him. He tilted his head back against the couch, rational thought suddenly seeming unimportant. But then gently but firmly, and very reluctantly, he grabbed her hand.
"I… can't do this…" he said. "I know you care, Hinata. You don't have to show me this way."
"You don't want to?" she asked softly, not at all surprised at his level of self control.
"I will always want to," he said. "And I will never be able to." Sadness appeared on his face. "We can't see each other anymore, Hinata. Not like this. I refuse to stop being your protector and escort, and so I must always uphold my vows to your family. And I refuse to limit the amount of love and affection you should be receiving because you deserve so much more than me. It's over."
She gently drew her hand away from his grasp. "You never told me what you deserved," she said gently.
"Because I don't know…" he responded softly.
Hinata looked into his eyes with sadness. "Can I kiss you one more time?" she asked.
He nodded slightly, his heart aching for her, and she rose up slightly and leaned her head down to kiss him. The kiss was sad and sweet and longing… and goodbye. They let it continue on and on… never wanting to admit that it was over. When the kiss broke, they both had tears in their eyes as they stared at each other.
And then… Hinata lowered her weight to his lap again slowly, and he didn't have the awareness to react to her hand reaching down and guiding him, or the silky sensation that made him realize that there was no barrier of cloth between their most intimate parts. She winced and whimpered slightly as she settled herself all the way down on his lap, and he stopped breathing for the long seconds it took for her to take his entire length inside of her body.
They sat there looking into each other's eyes as if frozen… Hinata in shock at the sudden sharp pain, and Neji simply in shock. Hinata felt completely filled by him, and he felt completely engulfed by her. The sensations he felt completely washed away the surprise at what she had just done. After a few moments he realized that his hands were very firmly holding her hips, holding her down on him. He very slowly slid his hands away.
Tears slipped down her cheeks as her emotions overtook her. She felt ashamed, she felt as though she had taken advantage of him and made him break his vow, she felt as though he was disgusted by her, and she felt so unsure as to why she had done it. It really was as though her body moved on it's own.
"Wait…" he said finally, his voice sounding a little labored. "Stand…."
She slowly got off of him, wincing a bit, and he stood also, fixing his pants. She opened her mouth to apologize, but she suddenly felt her feet leaving the ground. He had scooped her up into his arms, and in seconds he had her in the bedroom. He placed her on the bed and slid the nightdress from her body, tossing it to the floor. She watched in the moonlight and fountain light of the room as he took his clothes off without hesitation and was soon there with her. He parted her thighs and settled between them, resting his weight on top of her. He gazed into her eyes now. He was reading her. Looking for fear, looking for acceptance, looking for desire. But Hinata was reading him also. His eternal tranquility was no longer on his face. She saw a fire there, a longing long buried inside of him that was starting to overtake him.
Hinata parted her legs wider and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, drawing him closer so she could whisper in his ear. "I don't want to have control…" she whispered softly, her breath against his skin. "I trust you."
It was at though the heat of his passion erupted around them. He kissed her roughly, and his hands were all over her body now. He grinded his body against hears, his hard muscles against her soft curves, fitting in every way possible. He moved down and bit the side of her neck, and his strong hands squeezed her breasts, kneading them and pinching the nipples there. She arched her back as he roughly started to suck her.
She felt his hand move down between their bodies and he lifted his head to see her face as she felt him about to enter her. He pushed his hips forward slowly, and Hinata winced only slightly at the girth as her body, tight and wet for him, eagerly let him inside. Inch by inch he entered slowly, and she squirmed in anticipation as he filled her body, stretching her and touching her so deeply. And his eyes were filled with an animalistic desire that was so intense that she would have been afraid if it were anyone else.
He buried himself inside of her completely and her nails dug into his back. He moved his body up a couple inches and when he slowly pulled out and thrust into her again, she felt the base of his length stimulating her with each stroke. She drew her knees up, the insides of her thighs sliding against his body, giving him deeper access to her.
His long hair was damp and sticking to his body, and the warmth she felt from him was strong and comforting. He thrust into her hard, and her hands shot downward to his backside, trying to get more of him inside of her. She lifted her hips to meet his thrusts, and arched her back as his hands moved up and down her every curve.
The feeling of being ravished and so completely desired was sending Hinata over the edge. Her breath was coming faster know, her moans more breathless and short. She tried to hold on, to wait for him, but she was near her breaking point, and he looked as though he could go on forever. She squirmed and tried to hold it inside. He slowed his pace and let her catch her breath. He was teasing her, moving slowly and very deliberately now. The friction of every stroke made her tingle. She was close to begging when he became more aggressive again. And now the sensations where a million times more powerful.
But then, he looked into her eyes as though he would devour her, and he smirked. A dangerous, sexual, almost dark smirk as he leaned his face very close to hers. He brushed his lips against hears then ran his tongue along them. "You feel so good inside…" he whispered.
And Hinata lost it. Her body arched as she threw her head back and moaned and whimpered at the immense pleasure that shot through her very core. He took advantage and kissed down her throat, massaging her breasts as he continued to thrust firmly into her, giving her the full feeling of release.
Once she had settled down, she returned her attention to him. His expressions were something to behold. He was in ecstasy, and the deep groans from his voice were music to her ears. Seeing him this way, unable to keep complete control, finally free, was beautiful.
He interlocked his fingers with hers and pinned her hands above her head. His rhythm was intense as he sank into her again and again, his grip on her hands growing tighter. She caught his lips with hers when his face was close enough, and they kissed passionately, skin against skin from head to toe. He pulled away and buried his face against her shoulder, and he groaned deeply and loudly against her, burying himself into her as deep as their bodies would allow a few more times before his full weight dropped onto her. He released her hands and wrapped his arms around her, and she was happy to feel that he wasn't removing himself from her body yet. She felt him sigh in contentment as he held her, their hearts beating as one.
"Are you alright?" he asked as he shifted just slightly and kissed her cheek. "Did I hurt you?"
"I knew you wouldn't hurt me," she smiled. "It… it felt really good."
"My sweet, shy Hinata," he grinned. "I think deep down I knew you had it in you."
"Had what?" she asked curiously.
"That deeply sensual side that still can't betray your innocence," he said softly. "That beautiful, natural, uncorrupted desire."
"You aren't mad at me?" she asked. "I made you break your vows…."
"I will have to tell Lord Hiashi that I have broken some of them," Neji said.
"What! B… but… Father will…"
"I won't tell him about this, of course," he chuckled. "I don't want to die."
"B… but your honor in the clan…. Wait, you aren't thinking of leaving the clan?" she asked, her heart suddenly pounding hard.
"I will not leave," he said. "And I will face the consequences of my actions."
"…You mean my actions," Hinata said guiltily.
"You didn't do anything I didn't wish for in my heart," he said. "And I must always have your father's respect if I wish to be with you."
Hinata tightened her hold on him. "You mean… you won't leave me?"
"Not in life or death," he said before lifting his head and kissing her deeply. "Now, the water is still in the bath. Let's go together."
"I… I'll watch where I sit this time," she smiled sweetly.
And then he smirked at her. That dangerous, sexual, almost dark smirk.
Something was making him terribly uneasy that night. He stared up at the moon with hatred. It made him sick knowing that he had failed to execute Neji. But Neji would surely come to him as long as his teammates were hostages. And then… with Neji out of the way, he would find a way to take Hinata and make her his whore. He would claim her body in the presence of Neji's rotting corpse.
He quickly made his way inside the deserted mansion, now filled with Hyuuga runaways and rebels like himself. He went to his room and turned on the lights. He stared into a full length mirror on the wall. He knew that in the event Neji was not allowed to come after his team, a bit of persuasion would be in order. The Sannin could to it, and so could he. He stared into the mirror and concentrated in his power of illusions and chakra.
Soon, he stared back at his reflection and laughed darkly. What was reflected there appeared to be the body of Hinata, with his dark, disgusting soul inside. He would use this appearance to break Neji. To destroy him from the inside out.
Neji opened his eyes early in the morning and listened to the birds outside his window. He knew he had to get up and train. He had to will himself to leave the soft, warm body lying not far from him. Hinata had been with him all week as his friend, support, and lover. Especially his lover. She was still so timid and soft with him, and he tried to be the same with her… to go at her pace. He looked to her innocent sleeping face and smiled. She was utterly exhausted, and probably a bit sore. His endurance certainly outlasted hers, and he half wondered if she could walk okay. But last night had been the last time for a very long time. They had agreed to slow things down.
Neji slowly slid out of bed but she held on tightly. He grinned and kissed her gently and she smiled sleepily before releasing him and dozing off again. He changed, quickly ate something and left, heading for the training grounds.
His heart grew heavier as he went, because his thoughts were on his team. If they were still in the village, Lee would have been there already, and Tenten would be wandering by sleepily. Gai would be off somewhere being loud and overly-energetic for the time of day.
Neji missed them. He was lonely without them. A part of him was missing.
He trained for hours, trying to focus. But his mind kept drifting to the ones he lost. And here he was, unable to act on anything. Part of him told him to leave now and go for them. But the ANBU would be after him in seconds, and he had no idea where to start his search.
He stopped training and looked up at the sky, watching the birds fly past. It was then that he sensed someone's presence, and turned to see Kakashi walking up to him.
"Hey," Kakashi said with a smile from under his mask.
"Good morning," Neji nodded.
"I thought you might be feeling lonely," Kakashi said. "Tsuande thought so too."
"Did she?" Neji asked, looking up at the sky again.
"Yes, and Lord Hiashi seemed to agree," Kakashi said, putting a hand on Neji's shoulder. "So, do you want to go look for them?"
"Of course I do," Neji said, looking down. "Now I know how Naruto feels all the time when it comes to Sasuke…."
"Well, if it's that bad…" Kakashi said with a mischievous smile, "I suppose we'll have to go after them won't we? And I must admit, I was looking forward to my match with Gai."
"But I was told--"
"By the way, the seals of your clan are amazing," Kakashi said, stretching casually. "Lord Hiashi showed me some that looked much like the seal I put on Sasuke years ago to suppress his curse seal. Not that you would want any more marks on your face… but it would only be temporary after all."
"Neji reached up and touched the seal on his own forehead. "You want to suppress this?" Neji asked.
"It wouldn't be perfect," Kakashi said seriously. "But it might be strong enough to prevent death and nerve damage. So if your uncle tried to activate your seal he couldn't kill you, at least until the seal weakens and vanishes. If you allow me to put this suppressing seal in place over your clan's seal, Tsunade will let you join my team to look for Gai. We have witnesses that say they know which direction the group was headed."
"I'll do it," Neji said without hesitation.
"I knew you would," Kakashi smiled. "So, let's go to a sealing room and see what we can do."
Neji followed Kakashi as they went to a sealing room, which was a dark, underground room with stones walls and pillars. Kakashi had Neji take his shirt off and told him to sit down on the stone floor, right in a circular area of stones. Neji did so, and he watched as Kakashi cut his finger on a kunai before writing dozens of symbols on Neji's body with blood. When the blood stopped running from his finger he cut his arm and took the blood from there. Soon Neji was covered with symbols. They ran from the stone floor, all the way up his body, and to the seal on his forehead.
"Brace yourself," Kakashi said as he walked to stand in front of Neji. "It will hurt… a lot."
"Ready," Neji said.
Kakashi knelt down in front of him. Suddenly he gripped Neji's shoulder and thrust his other palm at Neji's face to touch the seal there. His hand seemed to glow, and Neji grit his teeth at the pain as the symbols on the floor and on his body started to move. They slid up his body and all started to gather at the seal of his forehead. Neji felt as though his forehead was going to burst, and the symbols that moved over him felt like they were made of liquid fire. His lungs were straining for air when the seals were finally all at his forehead, and in an instant the pain stopped.
Kakashi took a good look. The many symbols had gathered around Neji's clan seal, but were now very small and didn't appear nearly so numerous. They had formed a circle of green symbols around the center area of Neji's green clan seal.
"It worked," Kakashi said as he pat Neji on the shoulder.
Neji nodded as he knelt there, his body hunched over and his palms against the floor. He was still gasping for breath.
"When you're ready," Kakashi said, "We're leaving."
Neji put a hand to his throbbing forehead and stood slowly. "Then I'm going to get dressed for battle now, and then we go."
Naruto, Sakura, Sai, and Kakashi were all ready to go when Neji returned, his Jounin uniform on and his forehead protector firmly in place, hiding the seals on his forehead.
Hinata didn't want to let Neji leave at first, and she made it very hard to get dressed, but eventually she let him go, a sweet pout on her face. She understood that he needed his team to be happy.
Tsunade saw them off, warning Neji to be careful and handing him a list of the dozens of Hyuuga clan members who escaped.
"I'm warning you now," she said. "The ANBU has already been dispatched and they will be doing most of the work. Your main job is to retrieve Gai, Lee, and Tenten. Let the ANBU do their job. Kakashi is a former ANBU member, so trust his judgment. Naruto, Sai, Sakura… Neji is not your friend on this mission, he is your commander. I don't want any problems!"
She was staring straight at Naruto when she said the last sentence, and he grinned.
After more orders, directions, and warnings, the five left. Tsunade smiled and headed back to the Hokage building. She went to her office and sat there, taking in a deep breath. There was always so much that needed to be done. A good hour passed before she lazily picked up her pen. And it was just then that someone burst through the door.
"Lady Hokage!" a young ANBU member said. "The Akatsuki have been spotted!"
"What?" she said. "What horrible timing," she groaned as she took the report. She opened it at read through carefully, her heart dropping to her stomach when she found the information about their location. "They are in the same area as the Hyuuga activity," she said softly. "In other words, Naruto is headed straight for them…."
"What should we do?" the ANBU member asked.
"The only thing I can," Tsunade sighed. "We're sending backup."
---To Be Continued---