Neji was out of that sleeping bag like a bullet. The blond sound girl barely had time to blink before Neji was standing in front of her in his pants, pointing an accusing finger at her. "What have you done with Hinata!" He demanded.
She started laughing again. Neji always thought that when someone was laughing, that it was a good thing. That it meant they were happy. But with this girl, it seemed like she was laughing at Neji. Like he had done something funny. "I'm not supposed to tell you that." She wagged a teasing finger at him.
Neji growled impatiently, racking his brain for the solution to his dilemma. He inwardly snapped his finger as a loop hole came to him. He pulled a kunai knife from his pocket, and slashed the girl across the hand.
It was a shallow, useless cut. It didn't seem to faze the girl much. She glanced down at her hand, a small trail of blood flowing from the new wound. "I think you missed. If you wanted to kill me, you should have gone for my throat, or heart. Not my hand. You're a lot dumber than I thought."
But Neji's attention was focused on her hand. Nothing seemed to be happening, the blood trickled off her hand, and onto the sleeping bag, creating a small pool of red liquid. "So it wasn't you." He said absently, relief washing over him.
"What wasn't me? You know, you lost me somewhere after the cutting my hand part."
"It wasn't you. Last night. I really was with Hinata."
"Ok, seriously, what have you been smoking?"
Neji's eyes left the girls hand, and focused on her face. "If it had been you last night, then that would mean that you would be a medical ninja. Medical ninja pool their unused chakra to use when they are injured. If you were a medical ninja, that cut would have healed itself. It's very simple really. That means that I was with Hinata last night, because she healed me."
Her face fell drastically. "Damn it."
"Alright, so this part can go one of two ways. One, I kill you. Or two, you tell me where Hinata is, then I kill you."
The girl scoffed. "You're not much of a people person, are ya?"
"I have been told that before, yes."
"Alright, I'll tell you what, I'll take door number three."
Neji glared at her. "There is no door number three bitch."
"Such language! I'm appalled."
Neji disappeared in a puff of gray smoke, only to reappear behind the girl, a kunai positioned at her throat. "I won't miss this time." He whispered into her ear. "So do you want to tell me where she is? Or do you want to die?"
"I thought I was going to die either way." The girl said smartly.
Neji pressed the kunai firmer against her throat, drawing a bit of blood in the process. "I'll tell you what." Neji reasoned. "You tell me where you took her, and I might let you live."
"Hmm, I don't think I like this compromise very much. How about this, you let me go, and go find your little girlfriend yourself."
Neji ignored the remark. "Last chance." He pushed the kunai harder against her throat.
The girl sighed. "I'll tell you what, I can't tell you everything, but I can give you a bit of information that help you along the way." She felt the pressure on her neck waver a bit, and then regain its hold.
"Alright, I'm listening."
"Go right."
"Umm, ok. How exactly is that going to help me?"
"I'm sorry, but that is all I can tell you. I must go now; they will be looking for me." She disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Go right? What's that all about? Neji collected his things, and headed for the entrance to the cave. There was a bit of light seeping through the top of it now that the snow had had a chance to melt. He dug a hole in the snow so he could fit out of it.
He trudged through the snow in the direction of the sound village. What better place to start, right? After an hour of travel, he noticed that the snow was getting shallower. It must be warmer in the sound village, than it was back at the cave.
When he reached the outskirts of the village, he stopped to formulate a plan. Go right. That's all he had to work with here. He just decided to wing it. Someone might talk, right?
After removing his ANBU vest, Neji entered the village. He figured the best place to get information would be at a bar. And he could really use some booze. He found two bars on one street. Funny how that happens sometimes. Just for the sake of argument, Neji went into the bar on the right side of the street.
Everyone seemed to pause, and look at Neji when he entered the doors, taking him in, sizing him up. He walked impassively to the bar, and yelled to the bartender, "Gimmie some hard liquor." He demanded.
The man nodded, and slid a shot glass down the length of the bar, and Neji caught it with ease, downing it with one gulp. "'Nother one!" Another glass slid over to him. He ignored the burning on his throat, and gulped the gin down.
The people of the bar seemed content with Neji, now that he had downed several shot glasses. I guess they took him as one of them, now that he was getting tipsy. Neji took another glass and gulped it down. Despite the burning sensation, it calmed him down. It helped him forget that Hinata was missing, he had almost slept with a sound ninja, and that all he had to go on was go right.
He figured he had better start pumping some people for information if he wanted to get Hinata back anytime soon. So he downed one last glass before he pulled a chair up to a table where several men were playing poker. They didn't seem to mind, just dealt him a hand.
Five hands and $500 dollars worth of winnings later, Neji felt that he had gained some of the men's trust. "So, any of you know a guy by the name of Sasuke? Or possibly Orochimaru? I happen to be looking for a friend of mine, and I think she might be with them."
Neji felt the whole group grow ridged. Well, at least he had picked a group who actually knew something. "You don't want to mess with that bunch." A bolder one of the men commented.
"No, I don't really have a chose. I need to find my friend."
"I admire your dedication," Another one said. "but people who get involved with that group…well, let's just say it doesn't turn out well."
"Do you know anything about them?"
"Them two are living in a cave a couple o' miles out of town." The next commented. "Weird place it is. Had a friend that went there once. Came back more dead than he was alive. All he could do was murmur somethin about hedges." The man snorted. "Like hell that has to do with anything. I got plenty of the stuff in me backyard; I don't see how it got him so riled."
Neji nodded. "Thanks for the game guys, but I gotta get going." He pushed back his chair, and stood up.
"You be careful now when yous' be lookin for your friend!" The man yelled after him.
Neji lifted his hand above his head, in a half wave as he walked out of the bar.
Alright, I know this chapter was a bit short, but I just couldn't wait to update. I knew that I kind of left alot of things up in the air, and that ya'll were anxious for an update, so I decided to go a little sooner than expected. Well, I hope that got all the questions answered from the last chapter! Please review! Come on people, encourage me here! Big heaping thanks to all my reviewers! I love you all! Next chapter should be up pretty soon here...