Chapter 4: Moment of Truth

A.N.: Thanks once again to all my wonderful reviewers! To answer a couple of points:

edwardmorte and Shadowed Night Sky, I could not agree more about the character of Neji. To me, his strength and pride are defining qualities. Sure he has weaknesses – flaws, blind spots – but he's never been shown to be a weakling or a wimp, even in the worst moments (and there are a few more "worst moments" to come… *evil laugh*).

Infekcis, good question about where to place the backstory. I did give that a lot of thought. I considered doing it in order, starting with the tournament, and getting to Suna around Ch. 3 or so. But it was so much backstory, and, especially in the first part, was based so heavily on canon, that I thought it wouldn't be that interesting to wade through – it's like telling a story everyone's already heard. So I decided it would be more dramatic to open with him already in Suna, on the run and remembering what's happened as he hides out in the stable.

I also thought of just jumping in with him in Suna and then working in the backstory slowly, as needed, but I decided against that because a) it slows down the action too much if we're always having to pause for flashbacks; and b) I thought it would get too confusing, since the story is going to be read over weeks or months, rather than all at once.

Anyway, enough of my rambling, and on with the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters.

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Tired from the mission, Shikamaru slept late the next morning. He lay in bed for several minutes, gazing out the window, enjoying the knowledge that he had a day off, before he remembered the previous night's events and the captive Hyuuga.

It's always something, he groused to himself as he washed and dressed. No sooner did he end a long mission than he had a crazy White-Eyes to deal with. Well, it would probably not be a big deal. Assuming the Hyuuga's story checked out – and Shikamaru was fairly sure it would; Orochimaru seemed to have a fetish for pretty North Country boys – all that would be required would be for some genin team to escort him out to the border of the South Country and turn him loose. If all went well, this would be wrapped up by noon and Shikamaru would have the afternoon free for cloud-watching.

Outside the room where the fugitive was being held, the bored-looking guard was more than happy to let Shikamaru take over. The sliding door was open a fraction, and Shikamaru peered in. The Hyuuga was sitting against the wall. Despite his bruises and evident exhaustion, there was a tense, coiled quality about him that made Shikamaru draw back a little. He remembered Ibiki and other adults saying the South Country people were like animals. He had thought they meant crude, stupid and primitive, but this was not the case with Hyuuga-san. Hyuuga-san was indeed like an animal, but not an animal like a pig or a dog. He was more like a tiger: feral, unpredictable and dangerous.

Shikamaru pushed the door open and walked in. At once the Hyuuga sprang to his feet.

"Where have you been all this time? I demand to be let go!"

Shikamaru yawned, rubbing his shoulder. "Calm down, wouldja? I haven't even had breakfast yet."

"You are just now getting up?" Hyuuga-san stared at him in disgusted disbelief. "The sun rose hours ago!"

"Did they feed you?" Shikamaru glanced around the room. An untouched food tray sat on the table. "Still not eating, eh?"

"I am not hungry, and even if I was, I wouldn't eat such a ridiculous breakfast."

Shikamaru eyed the offending breakfast with mild confusion. "Red bean dumplings? What's wrong with them? They're very good; my mother makes them herself."

"Sweets for breakfast? That's for children and fat old ladies! I am a shinobi!"

"Me too."

"You? Really?"

"Yup."

"I guess in this country they let anyone become a shinobi," Hyuuga-san muttered. "And what kind of revolting tea is that?"

Shikamaru couldn't help laughing. "That's coffee."

"Coffee?" Hyuuga-san sounded as horrified as if Shikamaru had served him a cup of blood.

"Yeah…it helps you wake up in the morning."

"It doesn't seem to be very effective in your case," Hyuuga-san snapped.

Shikamaru sighed. "All right, you want tea, I'll bring you tea. And what do your ultra-exclusive corps of shinobi eat for breakfast?"

"Rice. Fish," Hyuuga-san said, as if it were obvious. "Normal food."

Shikamaru headed over to the kitchen, where he brewed tea and warmed up some of the previous day's rice, placing it on a platter with some dried mackerel and pickled vegetables. He included enough for himself, since Hyuuga-san was no doubt still paranoid about being drugged.

Hyuuga-san was standing in a corner, glaring at him like a ravenous wolf, when Shikamaru returned with the food.

"I hope this is more to your lik—"

"What kind of tea is this?"

"Regular tea," Shikamaru said, exasperated.

"Regular tea is green! This is some sort of black tea…or something…"

This Hyuuga was a monumental pain in the ass, Shikamaru grumbled to himself as he returned to the kitchen to brew yet another pot of tea, green this time. Well, he supposed it was worth the trouble if it would put an end to Hyuuga-san's complaining.

If only.

As the morning wore on, and they waited for Shikaku to return, the Hyuuga paced the room and delivered his negative opinion of virtually everything in the South Country. He did not like the rice (too sticky), the tea (too weak), the fish (too salty), the pickles (too spicy), the room (too small), the daytime temperature (too hot), the nighttime temperature (too cold), the water (a strange taste), the air (too dry), the landscape (too flat and barren), the clothing (immodest and low-class), the shampoo (only fit for horses), the building (too round) and the windows (round as well!). Even the sun was too unnaturally large and orange for his taste.

His most venomous words however were reserved for the people of Suna: their morals (nonexistent), customs (barbaric), personal habits (repulsive), intellect (just slightly above stumps), training regimen (undisciplined and sloppy), and altogether clear inferiority to the North as fighters and human beings in general.

"And yet," Shikamaru observed, "they were apparently able to either outwit or overpower you. Unless you went with them willingly."

Hyuuga-san flinched and flushed at the words, turning away. But a moment later he had a sharp retort.

"Orochimaru was originally one of our great sannin from the North Country."

"That he was," Shikamaru acknowledged drily. "Feel free to take him back with you when you leave."

"I will never associate with him again," Hyuuga-san said coldly. "He is a monster."

Shikamaru mentally rolled his eyes. He had meant to lighten the mood a bit by joking, but the Hyuuga probably wouldn't know a joke if it bit him on the ass.

Hyuuga-san now turned his attention to Shikamaru. "Are you really a shinobi? If you are, why aren't you training?"

"I'm guarding you," Shikamaru pointed out.

"You have no reason to hold me here! I have done nothing to you. I demand to be let go!"

Shikamaru rubbed his head wearily. He was getting a sneaking suspicion that Hyuuga-san's clan had actually gotten heartily sick of him and paid Orochimaru to take him off their hands.

Men's voices sounded outside; his father had returned. Shikamaru sat up. Going to the door, he found Kotetsu passing by.

"Kotetsu, guard this guy, please. I have to fill my father in on a few things."

He breathed a sigh of relief as he headed down the hall. Soon he would be rid of the troublesome Hyuuga and could put this whole annoying incident behind him.

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Neji breathed a sigh of relief as Nara Shikamaru left. Soon he would be out of here and this whole nightmarish incident would be behind him. He was glad to be alone; the pain from his injuries was getting overwhelming. He had been longing to sit down and close his eyes, but had not wanted to look weak in front of Nara-san. The guard at the door was staring off down the hall, not paying him much attention, so he sat on the window seat, crossing his arms.

From the open window, he could hear voices at the doorway below: Shikamaru's lazy drawl, and another deep voice he recognized as Ibiki's. Then some other, unfamiliar men's voices. Most of the conversation was too low to make out what they were saying.

Then he heard someone say the name, "Kidoumaru." On high alert now, he leaned closer, listening hard.

"…Kabuto is at the Kazekage's office," a voice he did not recognize said. He heard Ibiki speak, and then the voice exclaimed, "Here? In the stables?"

Now several voices were talking at once, making it difficult to understand. He caught fragments:

"…holding him for questioning…"

"…bounty on his head…"

"…Sound village…could be trouble…"

Neji went cold all over. Were they planning to arrest him, or worse, turn him over to Orochimaru?

Now they were walking, coming up the stairs. Neji's heart was racing. He tried to mentally prepare himself, but one huge thought was screaming in his mind, blocking out all others.

I will not go back to Orochimaru.

Neji jumped to his feet as they approached the door, and Kotetsu snapped to attention as well.

They filed into the room. Besides Ibiki, there was a red-haired man of impressive girth with strange wavelike tattoos on his cheeks, a tall man with very long blond hair tied up in a high ponytail, and a third man who looked like an older, more battle-scarred version of Nara Shikamaru. They all stared at Neji, scrutinizing him with sharp interest.

"Yep, that's a Hyuuga," the red-haired man said. Neji noticed Ibiki shoot him a look of annoyance, as if he felt his judgment had been questioned. Kotetsu the guard, who had not paid Neji much attention before, was now also staring at him in fascination.

Last to come in was Nara Shikamaru. Neji could immediately see a change in him. Gone was the sleepy irritation, and he was regarding Neji appraisingly.

"Well, well," he said. "You didn't tell us you were a killer."

Neji crossed his arms defiantly. "I did what I had to do to defend myself."

"So," the man Neji took to be the older Nara said, "tell us what happened."

During the long, mostly sleepless night, Neji had thought about what he would tell them when they questioned him. He had never been good at lying. Quite the opposite. He was known for speaking his mind, even when it would have been better to keep silent. Growing up, he had often been punished by the clan elders who felt he did not know his place. Even his uncle, who usually tolerated Neji's outbursts out of guilt, could be goaded into anger at times, which just made Neji all the more rebellious.

The smartest thing now, he thought, would be to stick as close to the truth as he could. He drew a deep breath and began. "I first met Orochimaru in a small village near mine, where I was…on a solo mission. He is an S-ranked criminal in my country, so I decided to see if I could capture him and bring him back…"

"Capture him?" the blond man asked incredulously. "By yourself? How old are you?"

Neji bristled at that. "I am of age."

The older Nara exchanged a look with the other two newcomers, shaking his head. "This younger generation…"

"Try having a girl," the blond man said. "She –"

Nara Shikamaru was looking annoyed. He opened his mouth to speak, but Neji exploded first. "I am the top-ranked fighter of my class in Konoha! My clan, the Hyuugas, are the most revered in the North Country!"

"Pipe down," Ibiki grumbled. "So, obviously, you didn't catch him, he caught you instead. But if this happened in the North Country, how did you end up here in Suna?"

Neji felt his face burning at the memories. He tried to face them and speak calmly. "He – drugged me." So that he wouldn't sound so pathetic, he added, "It was not just him. There were –" For a moment, recalling Kidoumaru, he felt hot all over and couldn't speak. "There were – other members of his clan there as well."

Nara Shikamaru's eyes widened, and he looked away uncomfortably. Neji could guess what he was thinking. Mortified and outraged, he hastened to correct that thought. "They did not touch me! If they had, they would have ended up like Kidoumaru."

Shikamaru looked startled. Neji remembered his question – Can you tell what I'm thinking? He felt a grim glint of satisfaction. Let them think that; let them believe he had extraordinary powers. If they were intimidated, so much the better.

"I'm surprised Orochimaru would want to start a war with the Hyuuga clan," the blond man said. "Usually he goes for the easier marks, like orphans or runaways."

Neji flushed slightly at these words.

"He got greedy," Ibiki said succinctly.

The older Nara nodded. "There's many who'd pay good money to have a Hyuuga as a slave."

The thought was beyond unspeakable, and stated so casually. Neji felt like the breath had been sucked out of him. He looked around the room, trying to gauge his chances of escape. Not good. Including Kotetsu, there were six of them in all, and they were between him and the door. They were all big, too, especially the massive man with the red hair. In his current injured state, the only one he could be sure he could take was Nara Shikamaru…maybe Kotetsu…and possibly the heavy one, if he was slow…

His eyes met those of the younger Nara's. Shikamaru was gazing at him with an expression that was hard to read. It was not hostility, distrust or curiosity like the others.

"Slave, nothing," the blond one was saying. "With those looks and fighting ability, it's obvious. Orochimaru was surely thinking he could get top dollar as a Pet."

Neji could not believe what he was hearing. "You keep human pets?"

Shikamaru's eyes fell away from his. "Not exactly. A Pet is…"

"A Pet is a sort of… high-level personal slave," the older Nara said. "They guard their Masters and are permitted to attend official functions and fight in tournaments."

"…among other things," Kotetsu muttered under his breath.

Neji closed his eyes. "That is disgusting."

"It's disgusting to us as well." The big man spoke up. "Our clans don't keep slaves or Pets. But many here in the South do, and there's a lot of resistance to stopping it."

"So," Ibiki cut in, as the men looked ready to launch into a discussion of slavery, "what happened with Kidoumaru? You tried to run off? Or he decided to sample the goods?"

Nara Shikamaru frowned and started to speak. Neji could tell he did not want to hear this. He felt both relieved and angry at that. In a strange way, it made it easier for him to answer.

Keeping his voice as cold and steady as he could, he said, "He attacked me. I fought back, and he lost. Then I left the Sound village and came here."

The two Naras, father and son, exchanged a look. "So," the older Nara said, "the question is, what now?"

"Kabuto's here in Suna," the heavyset man said. "That's not good."

There was a moment of silence as they took this in.

"If you turn me over to Orochimaru, my clan will retaliate against you as well! So be very careful what you do." Neji's voice shook a little on the words, and he cursed inwardly.

The younger Nara raised an eyebrow. "We're not thinking of turning you over to Orochimaru."

"But you did kill his son," the blond man said. "He's not going to let that go."

"I was defending myself!"

"Says you," grunted Ibiki. But despite his obvious hostility to the North Country, Neji noted with a little surprise, he was not urging them to give Neji to Orochimaru.

"Shikaku!" A woman's voice sounded angrily from the hall outside. "What is going on?"

Everyone's head swung toward the door, and both Nara men exchanged a sheepish look. The older Nara hurried outside.

"Yoshino…"

Everyone pretended not to be listening, but her voice carried clearly through the open door. "Tell me it's not true that you have been keeping a dangerous criminal in MY house!"

"Well, we – "

"WHY didn't you take him to the Kazekage? He should be locked up!"

"Shikamaru and Ibiki –"

"Oh, Shikamaru! Shikamaru is a lazy daydreamer who always has his head in the clouds! But Ibiki! And YOU! You should know better! What kind of father lets his son roam around with murderers? And where were you, out drinking again?"

Neji looked over at Nara Shikamaru, who was staring out the window with a bored expression on his face. But there was something in the tension of his shoulders that made Neji think he was more bothered by the scene in the hall than he was letting on.

"I really don't believe this! And from the North Country, no less! You know those people have no respect for human life! Half of them are demons, if you ask me! We could all have been –"

"Yoshino, he's a kid."

"I – what?"

"He's about Shikamaru's age."

There was silence for a moment, then abruptly the door was pushed open and Nara Yoshino came in. She was shorter than her husband and son, with a thin face and sharp black eyes. In her expression and posture Neji could see several emotions: curiosity to see the "White-Eyes", wariness because he had killed someone, readiness to defend her home and family if need be, and gradually, as she took in his age and his battered state, a kind of troubled, grudging sympathy.

Behind his mother's back, Nara Shikamaru looked pointedly at first Neji and then his mother, before widening his eyes and putting on a lost-puppy expression. Neji had a moment of wondering irritably just what the hell he was doing, before he got it: Shikamaru was signaling him to look harmless and helpless, to appeal to Yoshino's maternal instincts.

But Neji, who had never known a mother's love and never tried to play on anyone's sympathies, could not bring himself to do that. Instead, he did as he always did when confronted by the elders of his own clan: he crossed his arms and glared defiantly.

Nara Yoshino stiffened visibly, crossing her own arms as though raising a shield. "He can't stay here! We have to take him to the Kazekage." Behind her, Neji saw Nara Shikamaru close his eyes and shake his head.

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A.N.: Thanks for reading, everyone! Please don't forget to hit the "Review" button and let me know what you think!