Disclaimer: I don't own anything except a sword. No one touches my wakazashi!

IMPORTANT Author's Note: I'm actually calling her Neko now, I felt that it has evolved enough by now.

And many thanks to Cyberwolf for the beta read!

Chapter 8: Mission Unknown

It had been a full year since Tenten became Uchiha Neko and life was becoming more of a routine for her. Training now involved her and Neji taking turns receiving challenges from Lee, and Neko seemed to learn a new technique everyday. It was now a common sight on a late afternoon to see a flash of orange light coming from the Uchiha home; it only meant that the Uchiha cousins were sparring again.

Tourist: Aaah! The sky is on fire!

Villager: Nah, stranger. Them's just the Uchiha cousins sparrin' again.

Villager2: Ayup.

"Sasuke, you're definitely not a morning person," Neko pulled herself up as he backed away, he'd won this time and the smirk plastered on his face wasn't helping her spirits. "You've got an attitude this morning."

"Still, you could've done worse," Sasuke shrugged. "That last technique, who showed you that one?"

"Sakura tried to, but I did my own take on it," Neko smiled at him but found herself rubbing a new bruise forming on her arm. He nodded to her and went out towards the kitchen.

"Remember, loser makes breakfast," Sasuke said, in a tone that she knew meant he was still smirking.

"Next time I win you'd better make pancakes!" She grumbled as she went to the kitchen to get breakfast ready. Neko found herself just throwing something together and then heading out to meet up with her team.

Today was a unique day, and the members of Team Gai knew it. They were meeting somewhere new and Gai had sounded rather worried on the phone, even explaining that they needed to bring a pack that would last at least two days.

And the biggest sign of all: Gai was late. Lee had taken to doing 1000 push-ups before Gai arrived and was only 100 away from his goal now. Neko found herself at the base of a tree using the various bushes around the clearing as target practice, and Neji sat next to her looking bored out of his mind. One last kunai made the usual dull thud as it landed in a tree, but this time a shriek followed quickly.

"Sorry!" Neko jumped up as she yanked back the weapon with a chakra string. A very frightened Hinata stepped out from behind a tree and Neji went over to her immediately.

"Are you alright?" He asked and the timid girl nodded.

"F-Father w-wanted m-me to get you…" She looked between Neji and Neko nervously, Neko understood immediately and went to the other side of the clearing to collect her other weapons. Hinata took a deep breath, but her face continued to grow pinker anyway.

"What is it?" Neji asked and Hinata looked at him almost apologetically.

"I w-was s-supposed to get y-you for a clan meeting. I think it's about-"

"My youthful team!" Gai appeared and startled Hinata as she tried to explain something to Neji. "The Hokage has given us a very important mission. We have to leave quickly, I will explain more when we stop for camp!"

Lee obediently jumped up and slung his pack over his shoulders. He stood next to his idol and gave him a thumbs-up as Neko looked over at the Hyuuga cousins. Hinata looked confused and Neji was torn between listening to her and his duty.

"Gai-sensei, I think they need more time," Neko pointed out and their teacher looked over at the remaining two.

"I can only give you five minutes, we'll get a head start. Come when you're finished, Neji," Gai said and they left Neji with his cousin. Neji gave Neko a slight nod of thanks as the team departed.

"Neji, Father w-was c-considering an alliance w-with another clan," Hinata blurted.

"What?"

"I'm not s-sure which one, b-but he was telling someone that if I or you w-were to w-wed that our clan would be the one to benefit," Hinata looked worried.

"Because you would take the other clan, and if I marry, the girl I marry would take ours," Neji said and Hinata nodded. He sighed and continued. "Don't worry, nothing will happen while I'm on this mission. There has to be a way out of this."

Hinata only nodded and gave her cousin a weak farewell smile. He headed off in the direction his team had gone, worried mostly for Hinata. He could handle an arranged marriage, prospects of him marrying otherwise were slim. Or so he thought. But poor Hinata would not do well with a stranger, or worse; someone she knew but didn't like at all.

Neji caught up with his team and they continued in hasty silence. Gai seemed much more tense than usual , he was not smiling or joking with Lee. He merely focused on the road ahead, like he was planning a way to attack as he went. The whole team was experiencing a rare, sober journey. Something was very different this time. There was definitely something that Gai was not telling them.

Once they set up camp, it wasn't long before they found out what that was. Gai sat across from his team, a fire burning brightly in the middle of them. Gai's usually cheerful face was in a frown, and even Lee was lacking his regular enthusiasm about a new mission.

"This mission is to save a woman called Takarai Chihhiro. She is a weapons manufacturer, but never learned the ninja arts herself. Her family protects a well known, forbidden scroll. When she was kidnapped her home was locked down, and we believe the scroll to be secure, but we can't know for sure until she has been recovered," Gai sighed and looked at each of his students one by one. "This mission is a dangerous one. I should have given you more notice. Chihhiro-san will be very well guarded, and there may be killing involved."

"You gave us less than a day's notice for a mission of this caliber?" Neji questioned and Gai shook his head regretfully.

"Honestly, I gave you as much notice as I had," Gai said. "Once we get closer we will know how to attack. But the main plan will be this: Lee and I will infiltrate and create a path to the captive. Neji and Neko will free Chihhiro-san and escort her out. The goal is to remain undetected. If you are spotted on the way out, Neko will take Chihhiro and Neji will take care of the rest."

"Why do I have to leave alone?" Neko asked.

"We need your foresight in case they go after you," Gai explained and his team nodded. "then it's settled. Get some rest, you will need it."

xXx

'Neko-chan,' Kaede's voice called and Neko turned around with a smile.

'Mom, we-' Neko started but was cut off by Kaede.

'You can't be the one to leave with Chihhiro, it will be disastrous,' Kaede stated.

'What do you mean?' Neko blinked in surprise. In the last year she had never seen her mother this serious before. Kaede looked deadly, and in the silence of the moment Neko could hear the breeze moving the trees in her mind's forest.

'I've seen what will happen. You must let someone else take Chihhiro out, if you do it something terrible will happen. Just trust me,' Kaede was pleading now.

'Mom, you have to know that Gai won't listen to me this time. He's never been this stressed out before. He won't change his plan,' Neko explained.

'Neko, honey. I don't ever want to see you in pain. And I know that if things continue this way I will see it happen, please try,' Kaede's eyes were wet with unshed tears. 'You will regret it if you don't.'

'It's not that simple, Mom,' Neko groaned. 'Who should lead Chihhiro out then?'

'If you and Neji were not paired together, then you could. But for the current separation, Neji probably should,' Kaede said.

'Are you saying Neji and I shouldn't work together?' Neko raised an eyebrow.

'Not this time,' Kaede answered. 'There is too much at risk now.'

'Why can't you just tell me? Then it wouldn't happen,' Neko demanded. She was not in the best mood for this.

'Because how am I to know that by showing you, you wouldn't do it because you'd seen it?' Kaede retorted.

'I don't need this right now,' Neko finally just turned around.

"Neko-chan?" Neji asked as she sat upright and sighed. Neko turned to see Neji meditating on his sleeping bag, watching her with white eyes. What was so wrong with them working together?

Normally these dreams were just a way for her mother to help her with her training, and a way to keep her foresight at it's strongest. It had kept her alive a time or two, with this Uchiha craziness. But this time was more of a warning than anything else.

"Another one," She explained and he nodded knowingly. "I…can't take the captive. You should."

"What? Why not?" Neji raised an eyebrow at her.

"I don't know," Neko rubbed her forehead and thought about it. "For some reason it's worse to have me take them."

"Gai won't go for it without a reason," Neji said. "You know that. And this time especially, he's more serious than any of us have ever seen him before."

"Seems like everyone is being so serious today," Neko commented. "What was that with you and Hinata earlier?"

"Oh…Nothing," Neji replied and looked away.

"We used to talk," Neko said. It usually got some kind of reaction out of the ice block.

"It's Hyuuga business. That's all. Hiashi-sama wanted me to 'discuss' it with him, but obviously I am unavailable," Neji explained.

"Clan business," Neko grinned. "That's what's so nice about being an Uchiha: small numbers equals less 'business'."

"You've still got a lot of building to do," Neji pointed out and she shook her head.

"Nah, once he finds someone things will move quickly. And if we can reach some arrangement for my sharingan-bearing children to remain Uchiha's then we'll be set," Neko stated.

"You've thought about this?" Neji wondered.

"Something has to distract you when Sasuke doesn't want to spar," Neko shrugged and laid back down in her sleeping bag. Neji was still sitting cross-legged on his next to her. She resisted the strong urge to pull him down next to her, imagining that he'd be a better blanket than this old sleeping bag.

"Uh… Neko?" Neji said and she blinked. His face was slightly pink, and he was right above her. Neko flushed as she realized she had actually done what she'd just imagined. She released him immediately and turned away. She found little comfort in the fact that she'd been right; he was warm. Neji cleared his throat and she didn't turn back, feeling far too humiliated.

"Sorry…" She muttered. "I was…cold…"

"Why didn't you say something?" He spoke and she wondered what the tone meant. She felt something drop down on her, and looked up, he tossed her his blanket and was now watching her calmly.

"No Neji, you'll freeze," She started to hand it back but he pushed her hand away.

"You need it more than I do," He said and she frowned at him.

"You're too stubborn," She sighed. "I guess we could…" Neko suddenly blushed and turned away, suppressing a giggle.

"What?" He wanted to know but she shook her head. "Neko, just tell me."

"I was going to say… I guess we could…" She didn't look at him, she knew she would be too embarrassed. "…Share."

There was no answer, she just heard blankets shuffle and she assumed he had ended the conversation and gone to sleep. But when she looked over, he had scooted his sleeping bag closer and was watching her patiently. Her face went pale. He was…They were going to… cuddle?...

"If you don't want to-"

"No, no, it's okay," She felt the color creep back to her cheeks as she spread out the blanket over their sleeping bags. He crawled into his own and scooted closer so that they could share it equally. Neko pulled the blanket up to her chin and laid back on her pillow. She studied his face carefully and froze when he reached up and brushed a hair out of her eyes.

"Hey, Neko?" He asked quietly and her eyes drifted closed. Something about his voice was soothing.

"Yeah?" She said.

"Will you always be by my side?" She heard him say it and opened her eyes to look at him again. He looked so serious and she knew it was a lot, coming from someone as antisocial as him.

"Always," She smiled at him and closed her eyes again. Neko scooted closer to him, close enough for their breaths to mingle. Before he knew it, she had fallen asleep. He allowed himself a small smile, and even wrapped one arm around her.

Neji began to dimly wonder about what Hinata had said. Which clan was it? What if it was the Uchiha's? That just wouldn't work, Hinata would be unhappy with Sasuke and Neji knew he'd rather die than let Neko become a Hyuuga branch member. Although he would love to be married to Neko, he just couldn't do that to her. Not Neko, she deserved better than that.

He would leave the clan if he had to.

xXx

Meanwhile, Hinata was out eating ramen with Hanabi in an attempt at forgetting what might happen to her or Neji. Hiashi would say something before getting her engaged to someone. Right? She was beginning to have her doubts.

Loud curses outside the door caught the cook's attention, and all of the Ichiraku's employees started to smile. Sure enough, Naruto and Sasuke walked into the restaurant. Well, Naruto walked and dragged Sasuke in. Hinata tried not to stare as she saw them come in, but turned pink anyway.

"Is ramen your solution to everything?" Sasuke grumbled as Naruto pulled him over to the bar.

"Hinata-chan?" Naruto had already tuned out Sasuke when he saw the timid girl and her sister.

"H-Hi N-Naruto-k-kun," Hinata's face went from pink to red as she smiled at him.

"Can we sit with you two? Sasuke needs the air," Naruto gave her a sweet smile and she nodded happily.

"I do not need air! She is late!" Sasuke said a little too loudly and people nearby stared at them before turning away and whispering things like 'guess another Uchiha is on the way' or 'Uchiha Sasuke did what!'.

"Who's late?" Hanabi asked.

"Neko-chan, apparently training is running long," Naruto explained.

"N-No, t-they're on a mission, t-they left this morning," Hinata said.

"What? For how long?" Sasuke directed his scowl at Hinata, who couldn't even formulate a response.

"Neji-nii-san packed enough to last two days," Hanabi said and Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"She could have said something," Sasuke grumbled"Would you have listened?" Naruto asked.

"Shut up," Sasuke turned away and fell silent as usual. . He was reminded of all of the times she'd made him explain every little detail about heir missions. How long, who's going (duh! Naruto and Sakura!), how far, and so on. Maybe it was because she was older. But technically he was the clan head, she owed him these explanations too.

A/N: The tourist/villager scene was written by Cyberwolf during a beta read, I just had to leave it in there hehehe.