Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If you sue me, you won't get really far… This work is for entertainment purposes only. No profit is being made here. This work is being done by an amateur writer, so pardon the pieces of OOC, even tough they may be little. And let me state in this disclaimer that I do not like Haruno Sakura, but I can't stand Yamanaka Ino either, but I'll keep them in character as much as I can.

The setting is after Time skip in Naruto, but before Sai betrayed them… Sasuke is still 'missing'. Sort of set after Shukaku was removed from Gaara, and Chiyo revived him.

Konoha's Godaime Hokage was furious at the sight of the scroll before her. She breathed hard trying to control her rage. First a rumor that some Akatsuki had been seen lurking around the borders of the Fire and Wind Countries, and the Godaime didn't like that one bit. And now Sunagakure's Rukh bird had given her a message from Wind, warning her that some leaf-shinobi had been spotted around the cave where the barrier between this world and Hidden Dimention.

"Shizune!" The Godaime called for her subordinate. In less than a minute, the dark haired Medic-nin was there, Ton-Ton in queue.

""What's wrong Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked her superior, quite weary of Tsunade's volcanic temper. Tsnunade pinched the bridge of her nose, a moment before she spoke.

"Summon Hyuuga Neji, Haruno Sakura, Hyuuga Hinata and Uzumaki Naruto here. I need them for an urgent mission." The Godaime replied, some anger still in her voice. Shizune bowed and left the room as quickly as she could. Tsunade re-read the scrolls lying on her desk. First she read the Kazekage's scroll stating that a weird presence had been seen along their border with the Fire country. Then she looked at the blue scroll that was next to that. On the outside cover there was a seal in red wax known to the Shadow as the seal of the Mirror Ruler.

(To the Fifth Fire Shadow of the Hidden Leaf village:) She sneered at the formality as she read.

( This letter is to inform you of a very important matter that concerns the Fire Country.) 'No shit' the Godaime thought as she let her tawny eyes move from line to line in the scroll. She sighed in exasperation when she read the last lines of it. Her eyes flicked to the door in her office as the leaf nin she had asked for entered.

"Glad to see you all came." Tsunade said, faking politeness. She earned a glare from Neji's white eyes and her eye twitched. Naruto looked like he didn't want to be in that office, just like always. The Heiress to the Hyuuga Family looked as shy as she normally was, but Tsunade noticed that she seemed edgy around Neji, and that he looked troubled by something. All the more, Sakura looked like she wanted to know what the mission was about, but somehow she wanted to be elsewhere.

"It seems all of you want to know why I summoned you…" Tsunade said sarcasm edging everywhere in her voice. Naruto opened his mouth in order to reply something, but Tsunade didn't give him a chance.

"We have some trouble. I received an important letter stating that our dearest Uchiha has found a way into one of the other hidden village. Him appearing there has caused some tumult. Your mission is to go and scout the area from where he disappeared, go to that dimension and see come back with news from a friend of mine. Depending on what they say, I will give you new orders." Tsunade said in a firm voice. Her tawny eyes were looking from one ninja to the other, stopping on a very annoyed Naruto.

"Something wrong with the orders Naruto?" Tsunade asked, edging him with a sly tone. Naruto snorted and glared at the Hokage, his blue eyes flaring with anger at the sight of the Sannin.

"Why did you call me into such an easy mission? And why do we have to come back with news, rather than with Sasuke?" Naruto asked in a whiny voice, showing disrespect towards the Godaime. Tsunade's face darkened evilly.

"Oh, and pray tell, since when did you become Hokage around here?" Tsunade said, a vein popping on her forehead. Shizune looked scared, Hinata was intimidated by the Hokage's evil looking face. Sakura sighed and slapped a hand against her forehead, while Neji was unfazed by what was going on.

"I may not be Hokage yet, but I will soon be, just you wait Tsunade. Go pick another loser for thi-ahh" Naruto never got to finish his sentence because he was pulled hard by the neck of his jacket. His legs made contact with the Godaime's desk rather abruptly, and Naruto's face was inches away from the Hokage's own.

"Genin don't pick whether they go or not go to missions, and you my dear are still a Genin. I suggest you do as I say unless you want to be sent to the Academy again." Tsunade yelled at the other blonde. Her eyes were lit by a mischevous fire.

Tsunade was surprised at the defiance in Naruto's blue eyes. He smirked at her, making her eyes narrow more. Those three years he had spent with that wisecracking, perverted hermit must've made him cockier than ever. Naruto chuckled and tried to release the increasing hold of Tsunade's hand against his jacket.

"You better get another threat obaa-chan. That one is about as old as you are…" Naruto said, and grinned cockily. He loved making the Hokage loose her temper, it made the fox inside of him laugh. Tsunade's brows furrowed at the insult. The knuckles on her free hand cracked as she held it in a fist.

"Tsunade-sama!" Squeaked Shizune, who had totally freaked out.

"O-" Hinata said, blushing hotly.

"Baa-" Neji said looking away, small muscle twitching upwards at the end of his lips in a ghost of a smile.

"Chan?" Sakura said somewhat confused at Naruto's disrespectfulness. However, Tsunade was outraged, and just like a volcano, she exploded.

"BAKA!" She yelled ash she struck Naruto over the head with her fist. Not satisfied by that act alone, she pulled him by the neck of his jacket and flung him to the wall right next to the door. She growled out and clenched her teeth. Sakura rolled her eyes and went to tend at the bloody rising bump on Naruto's forehead. Hinata's white eyes were narrowed a bit in her usual childish jealousy, but she looked back at the Hokage.

"Hyuuga Neji." Tsunade hissed through her clenched teeth.

"Hai." The Hyuuga prodigy answered quickly, after seeing the rather unusual display of the Hokage's dark side.

"Since you are the Jounin of the group, you will be the leader. Taking care of that moron should prepare you for the little academy students that you will in time take care of." Tsunade said, her anger calming adown when the Hyuuga prodigy bowed in agreement. Secretly Tsunade hated that little bow, he'd always made when accepting a mission… It made her think that he was mocking her. Her attention diverted from Neji to his cousin.

"Hyuuga Hinata." Tsunade called softly at the Heiress of the Hyuuga clan.

"H-hai Hokage-sama.." Said Hinata, blushing softly and hating inside how frightened she sounded.

"I've seen the increase on your performances in missions, and let me say congratulations in that last one. In this mission, you will be the second in command. Any ands, ifs or buts?" Tsunade said, trying to calm herself down. She smiled softly, when the Hyuuga shook her raven-haired head. She looked at the now sulking Naruto and the giggling Sakura.

"Now that you all now what the mission is about, consider yourselves dismissed. You are to leave tomorrow." The Godaime said waving her hand towards the door in a dismissive manner. Naruto was out first, without a glance back. Sakura bowed and followed her teammate out. Neji then bowed and left. Hinata did the same, but stopped in her tracks when the Hokage called her name.

"Hai." She said as she turned towards Tsunade.

"You should be more sure of yourself Hinata, I do need you in this mission. Good night." Tsunade said, dismissing the Hyuuga with a smile. The Hyuuga Heiress gave her village superior the surest smile she could manage before blushing and going away.

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata said as she caressed her now longer hair, a small blush tinting her cheeks as a small memory popped into her head.

It had pleased her father greatly that she also began to accept the Hyuuga's trend of long hair. He had said that it made her look more mature, and that she looked as beautiful as her mother. That day she had seen a true pleased smile on her father's face… Even more pleased than the one he gave her when she became a chuunin, right after Neji became Jounin.

But the truth is that she knew that Naruto might notice her more if her hair was longer. After all, he liked Sakura because of her hair… He had told Hinata that he almost cried when Sakura first cut her hair during the first Chuunin Senbatsu Shiken… And every girl she knew did have flowing long hair. Ino had the softest hair out off all of them. TenTen kept her waist length hair up in two buns. Sakura had it long once, but now kept her hair short.

They all looked so pretty. Her musing was broken when she saw Neji standing to the side of one of the gates, his back against the railing.

"Hinata-sama." Neji said bowing to Hinata. Hinata stiffened once their eyes met. It was routine all the bowing and name calling, even though they were cousins. The fact that Neji was under her in class is what always got to her. Neji was stronger, and smarter, a natural genius of their clan… and he always got nothing.

"Neji nii-san… anou… are you walking me home?" The kunoichi blushed as she looked at her cousin's stoic face. He sighed and nodded, as if this was troublesome.

"It's my duty to protect the heiress." Neji said, his voice flat and cold eyes. He turned around and took a step forward. "Let's go Hinata-sama."

Hinata nodded softly, silently following her cousin. After a couple of seconds, she fell into step with him and grabbed his arm. If Neji was surprised he surely showed it in his pearly eyes.

"Hinata-sama…" He didn't know what to say about her actions. She looked around, making sure that there was noone nearby before she pushed him against the wooden fence that bordered the street. Not so discretely she planted a chaste kiss on her cousin's cheek. If there were some amends to be done between the families, she'd better start with the biggest one.

"Neji nii-san… I'm sorry…" She said blushing hard. Neji's hand rose as it wanted to know if that had really happened. Hinata smiled brightly at her cousin.

"When we are alone… Call me by my name.. no titles no anything… just Hinata." And with that she offered her hand to him. Neji didn't know what to make of the situation so he nodded softly and took her hand.

"Let's go then… Hi-na-ta." Neji smiled as he saw her blush intensify.

Next Day

"Ero-sennin goes away and my missions suck… At least I get to be with Sakura-chan and Hinata in this one… They should've sent Kakashi-sensei as leader instead of Neji… Pah.. At least it isn't like Sai is going…" Naruto grumbled as he made his way to Icharaku Ramen to have breakfast.

"At least Tsunade-baachan picked a nice time for the mission." Naruto mumbled to himself as he entered the ramen shop.

"Welcome!" Came the cheerful voice of Ayame from the other side of the counter. She turned around and smiled when she saw the blond ninja.

"Ohayo, Naruto-kun !" She said happily as she saw Ichiraku's number one costumer. Naruto gave the brunette girl a grin.

"Ohayo Ayame-chan! Eh? Where's the old man?" Naruto said as he noticed that Ayame's father wasn't there. Ayame smiled softly, preparing the bowl of noodles that she knew were Naruto's favorites.

"Father is going to be here a bit later. I told him that I would take the morning shift. Pork flavored, right?" Ayame said placing the bowl in front of the hungry boy.

"You can read me like a book, Ayame-chan!" Naruto said as he gazed lovingly at his ramen. He prepared the chopsticks with eagerness.

"Itadakimasu!" He exclaimed as her began wolfing down his noodles. Only in Ichiraku did they make the perfect ramen. The broth had the perfect taste and consistence, and the noodles were just delicious!

Naruto set down the bowl with a satisfied sigh that made Ayame giggle. After his third bowl, he paid her and bid her goodbye. Ayame was a very good ramen cook, but he still liked the old man's ramen better… He ran down the street with his renewed strength towards their meeting point at the gate that exited Konoha village. When he arrived he found a very odd picture there.

Not only was his team there, but some other people were there as well.… and it had to be one he didn't like much. Added to the group was Sai, who was drawing on one of his sketch pads with his back to one of the gates. The former 'Ne' ANBU gave Naruto one of his odd looks before going back to sketch. Naruto made a face as he walked over to Sakura.

"Sakura-chan… what is that bastard doing here?" Naruto whined to his pink haired partner. Sakura opened her mouth to speak, but Sai answered in her place.

"This bastard is here to make sure that Fox-boy doesn't fuck up the mission." Sai said in his neutral tone, not glancing away from his sketchbook. He pushed away some locks of his dark hair.

"The old hag that we're forced to call 'Hokage' sent me to go as well. 'A former ANBU might help, considering that Sasuke is a strong force to contend with… You tag along and make sure that Naruto doesn't Fuck up' were her exact words." He finished, erasing something from his sketch and blowing the debris away. Naruto felt a vein pop in his forehead, but calmed down a bit after looking at Sakura, who was busily glaring at their newest teammate.

Neji and Hinata were both confused about what was going on. Their eyes met, but both looked away quickly from each other. Neji walked forward to get their attention.

"I don't know what is going on, but I'll only make one thing clear. If someone from this group injures another one in it, the will find themselves at the wrong end of my palms of Hakke ." Neji said, making sure his Evil Eye met everyone else's eyes… Everyone except Hinata's own white ones.

"I feel sorry for the genin under your care…" came a lazy voice from behind the group. Everyone turned towards the source.

"Yo!" Came the lazy greeting of Konoha's copy ninja, Kakashi.

"Kakashi-sensei! What are you doing here?" Sakura asked as she looked at her former teacher and teammate. Kakashi had his usual bored look, but his visible eye held something in his gaze, but Sakura couldn't tell what.

"Well, I thought that some extra information might be useful… Considering that Tsunade just briefed you on the more trivial things, and yet again left the important stuff forgotten." He said handing them a scroll. "I would like to accompany you but I have a mission to complete. Ja ne." was all he said before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"Gahhh! I hate it when he does that!" Naruto groaned pulling at his blond hair. Three years had passed and his sensei was still the same. True the special Jounin was cool and all, but sometimes his habits got annoying.

"It says here that we are to look for a Shinobi known as 'Black Tiger', near the oasis of Hidden Dimension. Tsunade states that some other Jounin may join in the mission if it gets too hard." Sakura said after reading the scroll. Neji extended his hand and Sakura handed it to him. The Hyuuga Genius read it carefully and noticed a summon seal at the end of it, but made no move to mention it after he read the what said after it.

'Only summon once Black Tiger has accepted the mission.' A dark brow rose for a second before Neji focused on the bickering pair in his team. Sai was apparently trying to over grin Naruto. Both of their teeth were very white…

"Let's go. It's a two day trip from here to Hidden Sand, and we have to hurry."