Chapter 3

"Hey. Neji." Tenten shook him until he stirred. Neji opened his clear eyes to stare into Tenten's brown orbs. The girl laughed cutely. "C'mon, or else we'll be late, and it'll be your fault." It dawned on the Hyuuga that he had dozed off on her couch, arms folded comfortably.

"Yeah, alright." Was his groggy reply. Tenten looked fresh and ready with her buns back in their neat hold. She grabbed her bag. "Oh," Neji remembered, "Here." He pulled her house key out of his pocket and deposited it in her hand. She tossed him a confused look. "I had to get in somehow." He informed her with a shrug. She smiled.

"Right. Thanks for remembering to return it." The two of them stood there. Tenten fiddled with her key. Neji couldn't stand it anymore. He had to ask.

"Who's Kito?"

"Huh?" Neji pointed to the note on the table. Tenten picked it up and read it. "So that's where they went…" she said when she finished.

"Well?" Neji asked impatiently. She looked at him. "Who's Kito?" Tenten glanced at the note once more and began to laugh. Neji stared.

"It was just a question." He said, not seeing what was so funny.

"Gomen." Tenten stopped laughing long enough to apologize. "You must have gotten the wrong idea when you read this letter. Kito is a little boy that asks me to play ninja with him when I visit my aunt in the Hidden Stone Village. The last time I saw him he said I was pretty and asked me to marry him." She paused to laugh again. " I thought it was the cutest thing. I wonder if he's disappointed that I couldn't go." She was surprised to find Neji glaring at her.

"How could I have known?" He pouted, then looked away.

"Hyuuga Neji, I never thought I'd say this, but I do believe you're sulking!" Tenten giggled. The other teenager narrowed his eyes again.

"I. Don't. Sulk." He said, closing his eyes. He looked calm, but Tenten knew he was upset. It had taken some time, but as a genin, she had learned to read the "emotionless boy." Tenten sighed and sat down directly in front of him on the coffee table. He opened his eyes, but stayed silent.

"I'm sorry I laughed." She said sincerely. She put her hand on his cheek and turned his head so that he was facing her. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. We can't go on a mission angry at each other." She stuck out her other hand. "Do you forgive me?" Neji's eyes widened. He looked at the clock on the wall behind Tenten.

"The mission! We're late!" Instead of shaking Tenten's extended hand, he grabbed it and dashed to the hall. Tenten barely had enough time to sling her pack over her shoulder before being pulled out her own front door.

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"Enter." Tsunade rubbed her temples as Neji and Tenten walked through the door. She put down her pen. Sighing deeply, she said, "I am extremely busy. I don't have the time or patience for you two to be LATE!" A vein popped out on the angry woman's head. Tenten bowed, pulling Neji's head down with hers

"Gomen ne sai, Hokage-sama. Neji-kun and I got held up." Neji blinked. 'Neji-kun?' Tsunade took a deep breath and smiled. The two teens sweat-dropped at the frighteningly quick change in emotion. Then she got a mischievous look in her eye.

"You got held up…" She said playfully. The teens faces turned into cherries as they comprehended what she meant.

"N-no, I mean yes we did, b-but…" Tenten stuttered.

"I understand." The older woman assured, not quite convincing them. "Well, now that you're here, I'll go ahead and inform you of your mission. As you know," she continued brightly, "Lee and Gai are on a mission of their own, so it's just you two." The pair nodded, getting serious. "Recently there have been constant attacks on the Feudal Lord's son as he travels back to his village. He is protected by guards, but they are so frequently attacked by ninja that they have been held up in an old, abandoned castle, unable to leave. A messenger arrived late last night with a request for strong shinobi. The man's injuries were so intense that he died this morning. Tsunade lowered her eyes, and Neji and Tenten knew she regretted not being able to save him. She looked up with new determination written on her features. "Neji and Tenten. You're mission as ninja of Konoha Village is to escort the Feudal Lord's son back to his village so that he is safe. Shizune will give you the details. Neji, you are the leader. Do not fail."

"Hai." They replied in unison. The chosen shinobi bowed and left, closing the door silently. Shizune, the Hokage's assistant, walked up to them with the little pig, Ton-ton, trailing behind. She handed Neji a map that had the castle and the village marked in red ink.

"The Feudal Lord's son is named Haru. You will retrieve him from the abandoned castle here," she informed us, pointing, "then you will escort him to this village." Neji folded the map. "It shouldn't take you more than a few days." Shizune said. "So if you take longer than a week, a team of ANBU will be sent after you, including one medical nin. Good luck." They watched the woman walk away briskly.

"Well," began Tenten, "I'm all set." She pointed to the bag on her back.

"We'll need to stop by my place for supplies." Neji said, already leaving. Tenten ran to catch up with him.

"I've never been to your house," she reminded him, tapping her cheek in thought.

"It's not a house, really." Neji specified. "Just a room in the Hyuuga Compound's branch house.

"Still," Tenten smiled, "It'll be fun to see."

"Hn." Was the only reply she got.

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