Stage 15: Reunion

Moonlight passed over the ceiling and walls slowly, marking the passing of time with every new object it touched. Soft, steady breaths were the only sound that pierced the silence. Tsuki was tranquil as she meditated in Deidara's arms. Sleeping wasn't an option; she feared she wouldn't be able to wake herself up to slip away under the cover of darkness. Beside her, Deidara slipped into his third REM cycle: the deepest cycle of sleep. It was then, or never. He rolled away from her, giving her an opening to escape his clutches. Silently, she edged out of the bed. Clothes were gathered, but not donned until she had slinked into the hallway. On her way to the front door, she grabbed the pack that Pein had readied for her. Once her boots were zipped, she departed into the night's downpour, leaving the hat and cloak on their pegs next to Deidara's.

No one met her as she walked through Amegakure; hours would pass before the sun would rise. None of the villagers were awake. She walked, silent and careful through the darkened streets. She explored the layout a bit, curious about the secrets of the village she had been hidden from for so long. Restaurants, stores, and dwellings alike were passed. Tiny paper angels hung in windows and doors, safeguarding the entire city. Curiosity was sparked; she knew very little of their culture, or their superstitions.

The streets wound themselves around+6 whimsically, with no rhyme or reason behind the city's layout. If she had to guess, she would have said the city was spontaneously built as it grew. Throughout the buildings, the pipelines that Pein used to navigate were present. Between some, they ran over alleys, and where the buildings were built so close together, they connected through them.

Thinking she may never have another chance, she climbed up to one of the pipes. She tore off, exploring the parts of Amegakure that Pein had not allowed her to see. The tunnels were just as sporadic as the rest of the city. She would end up on the other side of the city than she set out in, and when she tried to double back, she'd only make it one block over.

Satisfied that she had seen enough, it was time to make her way through to the city gates before the sun rose. She wove through the streets, tracing her way back south. The arching gate loomed over her as she stood in its shadow. From behind the structure, a lone figure stepped.

"I was wondering if I would see you again," Tsuki called out.

A charming smirk touched his lips as he caressed her cheek, brushing her hair out of his way. "I couldn't stay away, Princess." The Animal Path's eyes were touched by his smile. "Much has happened tonight, it would seem," he sighed. "There are things that weigh on your heart and mind you will have to sort through."

A sigh of annoyance passed through her lips. "I shouldn't be surprised you were listening," she reprimanded, "But I am."

A step closer to her brought him to eye level with her, though he had to tilt his head down slightly. Already, she was soaked through with rain and shivering cold. Her chastising was quickly forgiven; he had eavesdropped on very personal moments. "I wish I could apologize, Princess," he regretfully answered. "It was unavoidable. I hear every word, see every movement in this city. I cannot turn a blind eye; especially not to you."

Standing her ground, she lifted her chin to look him in the eye. Her stare challenged him. "I understand your point," she stated with an edge to her voice, "But you didn't have to pay attention."

After what he had witnessed, he felt comfortable snaking his hands around her neck, cupping her at the base of her head. She was mere centimetres away from him, and her defiant stance made it difficult to resist stealing a kiss from her scowling lips. "Seeing you throw yourself at someone was too captivating to miss, especially after everything you said to me." There was hurt in his voice, along with hints of anger, wounded pride, and jealousy.

She was quick to object. "I shouldn't have to explain to you," she growled, attempting to pull away from him, but refusing to look away.

His grip on her was too strong for her to escape. "Calm down, Dove," he tenderly whispered in her ear. "I'm not asking for you to explain why you confessed your love for Itachi." He moved his left hand from her neck to the small of her back, forcing her to step forward into his embrace. She tucked her chin, averting her gaze. "I'm asking you to reconsider me." He forced her to look up at him, and their violet eyes met. He smirked again, coyly implying his desires. "It's clear you won't get anywhere with Itachi, and you're not responsive to Deidara's advances." He softly caressed her angular chin. "I'm marked as yours already," he reminded her with allure. The budding blush upon her cheeks amused him.

"I'm leaving, Pein," she argued, still vainly attempting to remove herself from his grasp. When it became obvious she wasn't going to escape him of her own accord, she stilled her motions. "It seems a bit pretentious to ask for my affections now."

The hand at her neck moved to caress her supple lips with his fingertips. A low chuckle came from his throat as he smirked at her. "My dear, you are blind. Have a little foresight, please," he implored with sardonic tones. "Haven't you learned anything from this last month?" Amusement touched his eyes as he realized how oblivious she was. "You are a well known figure in Amegakure now, thanks to your stunt at the bath house. This presents unique dangers we cannot easily negate." He gently stroked her features, setting a gentle and affectionate smile on his lips. "If you stood by my side as my beloved, you would be received by the villagers as my Queen, and Hanzo's loyal remnants would hesitate to move against you again," he explained.

Without a solid surface, she dropped her forehead into his shoulder out of frustration, with a disgruntled growl resonating through her. "I don't want to be a diplomat," she whined. "Not for you, no way. I just want to slip into obscurity, to be forgotten." Her head lifted as she glared into his eyes. Hatred rolled off her, and he recoiled upon seeing her wrath.

A devilish grin widened on his lips as he looked over her shoulder some distance. When he returned his attentions to her, there was poison in his voice. "Unfortunately, you don't really have a choice," he declared. In a rush of movement, his lips touched hers again, parting them forcefully as he channelled his passionate frustrations into the kiss, determined to persuade her with force. He pressed her to him, darting his tongue between her lips.

She bit into him instinctively, tasting the metallic flavours of his blood as he licked her tongue and lips. He groaned against her, becoming more determined to devour her passionate mouth in consuming kisses. His groin grew against her hips, revealing her mistake. It was easy to forget how much of a masochist he was when she was determined to distance herself from him completely. However, he would never allow her to forget his sadistic side.

His canine teeth pierced her lip until it too bled, adding her rich blood to their sensual cocktail. She pushed against him, but he had her locked against his chest as he continued to kiss her. He ran his tongue along her bleeding lip, soaking in her flavour, and making his own vow to her: she would belong to him. As he saw it, already she belonged in his arms and his bed. No other man would dare to stand in his way. He had carved his mark in her most intimate flesh; any man who dared touch her would know who she belonged to.

Allowing the kiss to end, he pulled away from her to see a very angry woman clutched in his arms. "I loathe you," she hissed with as much animosity as she could muster. Blood ebbed down her chin from his bites, and she cringed as he licked the sanguine elixir from her skin. Before he retreated, she moved to slap him, but her hand was caught before she hit her mark.

"Someday, Princess, you will come to love me," he whispered. He pressed her hand to his cheek, turning what would have been an act of violent rage into a gesture of his own promise. "I offer you freedom to do as you wish, and be who you truly are; no more cages, no more laws. "

Temptation flickered behind her eyes momentarily before her aggression returned. "You are a prison," she rebuked. "You only wish to paint an illusion on the walls." She pulled her hand away from his face to push against his chest once again.

He silenced her with yet another forced peck on the lips. Though she was angered more by it, the act bought him silence from her. His gaze flickered over her shoulder for the second time, and she turned her head to see what had captured his attention. A man stood in the darkness, just behind a corner a hundred metres away, huddled behind a building, though not very well hidden.

Without a doubt, she knew Pein could see him, and he knew who he was. "Hanzo's?" she asked in a whisper. He grunted an affirmative. There was a menace in this stranger's eyes, and a sword strapped to his back that his hand rested on, as though he were willing to strike at any moment.

All at once, she understood why he was making such a scene. "How long has he been following me?" she asked, mentally berating herself for not noticing him sooner.

"Not very long," Pein answered with soft tones. "I wish you hadn't taken to sight seeing, Princess. If you had slipped out of the city immediately, they wouldn't have known you were out at all." Though his words were reprimanding, his tone was soft, gentle, and understanding. "Naturally, you were curious to see the Village you've called home for the last month. Your exploration wasn't a surprise." He smiled at her, negating any fury she still had.

"You could have just told me he was there," she sighed, disappointed in him. "We didn't have to go through with this charade."

He smiled with amusement. "Where's the fun in that, my dear?"

Instead of answering him, she glanced backwards once more. Pein brought her attention back to him with a gentle finger to the chin. "I'm going to escort you for a while, but as soon as I'm sure he's not going to follow us, I'll leave you alone. You'll get a head start." His voice had changed from a teasing laughter to a gentle seriousness. He pressed another affectionate kiss to her lips, sliding his tongue once more along her lips. She would know that he wasn't just creating a charade, he meant every word he had spoken. When he released her again, he told her to hasten, and watched as she leapt into the darkness. "I'm going to miss you, my Princess," he declared proudly, "And each day, I will pray for your return."

Feeling the earth shifting beneath her feet, she ran full speed. She ran away from the pain, away from the Akatsuki, and away from the misery that clouded that city. Surges of energy radiated from her, and knowing Pein was right behind her only fuelled her speed, because more than anything else, she was running away from him. Her sights set on the horizon, knowing that just beyond her vision, Neji was waiting for her and she could soon forget everything she'd done against him.

A several hours after the sun had risen, she crossed into the Land of Fire. She ran until mid day; the exhaustion had begun to annoy her. Her feet felt heavy, her mind was clouded, and her stomach began to growl. Having become accustomed to regular sleep, going one night without it was taking its toll. Having to push her limits the next morning was just torture.

She forced herself to climb the tallest tree in her vicinity, giving her the best view of the lay of the land. Settling in the upper boughs of the tree, she set to work casting a genjutsu that would disguise her to the naked eye, as well as any ocular kekkei genkai. After a quick meal from the rations Pein had stowed for her, she allowed herself to doze.

XxX

Kiba called the group to halt when Akamaru yelped. The breeze had shifted, and it carried her scent. "She's close, and definitely alone" he barked. "She can't be more than two hundred metres away."

Neji dropped from the branches above, landing beside Kiba. "We have another day's journey to go," he protested. The others landed on the same branch, each of them curious to know what it was that was holding them up.

Hinata had activated her Byakugan and was eagerly looking around. She couldn't see anything, though she constantly searched. She had caught glimpses of Tsuki's famed violet chakra, and would recognize it anywhere. Still, there was nothing to be seen for kilometres. Confusion washed over her as she struggled to understand what it was Kiba and Akamaru sensed.

Shino had already unleashed a swarm of kikaichu into the air. He could see Hinata's distress and confusion, though he had no way of confirming Tsuki's whereabouts until the kikaichu returned with her chakra. He hoped she didn't kill his precious beetles. He had no qualms with the woman, but if she attacked his insects, he would be forced to express animosity.

Shikamaru was completely blind, with no way of knowing where she might be. He looked from team mate to team mate, cursing the situation. In a group of trackers, he felt incredibly out of place. The first thing he noticed was Hinata. If she couldn't see Tsuki, then what the hell was Kiba smelling? Then there was Shino, who was stoic as ever, but of course, he didn't know anything either; the bugs hadn't come back. 'What a drag,' Shino thought. 'I just want to be home with my thoughts, damn it; why am I running across the countryside looking for some woman?'

Neji activated his own Byakugan, and quickly scanned the area. 10° north east, the landscape wavered, as though he were looking into a mirage. The pattern did not illicit alarm, but brought an immediate sigh of relief. All eyes focused on him as they silently asked for him to explain. "If she is here, she'll be over there," he stated, pointing to the tallest tree.

Upon his statement, the kikaichu swarm flew in that direction. Shino turned to watch them. The tiny insects should be able to pass through the jutsu without a problem, Neji concluded. It wasn't a solid barrier, and Tsuki didn't have it in her to kill off innocent creatures just to maintain safety; why would she have to? The Aburame clan were truthfully the only insect using shinobi that Neji could think of. They were her allies, and if all went well on their journey home, Shino would think of her as a friend.

Hinata looked up at the tree. "Brother, I can't see her," she tremulously voiced with concern, breaking Neji's train of thought. "How can she hide from my Byakugan, but not yours?" Her brow was furrowed with frustration, her eyes wide with fear.

Neji gazed into the depths of the waving illusion, now satisfied that they had successfully created the jutsu to fool unsuspecting Byakugan users, at the very least. He hadn't expected Hinata to pick up the subtle quivers around a single tree, but the possibility had not been ruled out. "She trained with me to create that technique," he explained. "It took us almost a year, and if I didn't already know what to look for, I wouldn't have noticed, either." Once more, he pointed in the direction of the bubble illusion. "If you look closely with the Byakugan, you can see a ripple in the air."

Hinata took another close look, and Neji could visibly see the exact moment she found what he was talking about. It had taken a moment, and he knew Hinata was straining to see what he was so used to looking for. "I can see it," she finally proclaimed with excitement. "Yes; it's right where you said it'd be."

Shikamaru wearily sighed. "Are you sure she's up there?" he asked. "I don't want to engage an unknown enemy for nothing." Surely they couldn't have been the only ones to think of fooling the famed kekkei genkai, and if they weren't he didn't want to engage them. They were on a schedule, and he didn't want to be late.

Both Kiba and Neji nodded, and Akamaru barked. "I have never encountered another shinobi that could hide from the Byakugan," Neji stated proudly. Hinata confirmed Neji's statement, telling them she'd never even thought it was possible to hide one's chakra like that. "If Akamaru and Kiba have her scent, then I would say she has to be there."

Shikamaru sighed again. "Well, damn; let's get this over with."

XxX

Tsuki was woken by an itching tickle on her cheek. She attempted to swat at it, but the insect flew and hovered inches from face. "Damned bugs," she swore under her breath. In a futile attempt to make it combust with her hatred, she stared at the bug intently until recognition hit her. This wasn't any old bug. It had distinct markings that she'd seen before, but in her sleepy haze, she couldn't remember where.

Her ears twitched as she heard faint voices nearby. The breeze changed back in her direction, bringing a cluster of scents. She pulled a kunai out of her pouch, assuming a fighting stance. Confident her jutsu held, she had the upper hand. Another gust of wind, and the scent of lilacs and vanilla hit her, mingled with a cacophony of other smells.

Five figures could be seen below her when she scanned the area, and the insect flew back in their direction. "Aburame," she whispered as she saw the hooded man, finally understanding where she'd seen the bugs before. Her eyes fell to Neji, who appeared as though he were looking right at her, though she knew it was impossible for him to see her directly. Kiba was sniffing, an agitated look on his face. She knew he still hated her with all of his being. Hinata stood next to her cousin, hand to her mouth, a look of terror etched across her features.

"How do we know this isn't a trap?" Shikamaru asked, impatient and irritable. "This is the Akatsuki we're dealing with; they wouldn't just let her go off on her own." He turned toward Neji, though the question wasn't particularly addressed to anyone. Still, Neji was her keeper so to speak, and as far as Shikamaru was concerned that fact, paired with his higher rank, made him responsible for anything that went wrong with their mission.

"We won't know until the genjutsu lifts," Neji answered flatly. He was confident in her solitude. She had escaped them several times before. Also, though he didn't like it, she did have allies within the Akatsuki that had previously looked the other way to help her evade their leader. She had to be alone; no other possibility made sense. He continued to look in her direction, assured that she would come through, for him.

Tsuki sighed, having observed their exchange. Such a large welcoming committee was unexpected, but Neji had come all this way to find her and that touched her heart. These were her comrades, and their determination was inspiring. Retracing her path up the tree, she worked her way down, removing the bubble illusion jutsu as she went.

Neji and Hinata both focused on her the instant she released the chakra. She could see his tension ease with the assurance that she was uninjured and alone. Hinata brought her other hand to her mouth, using both to cover her face with anticipation and fear. The others noticed the change in the Hyugas, and shifted their attention in her direction. She landed in front of Neji, and looked around at the others who had come to extract her. Shino stood with his hands in his pockets. Shikamaru stared at her blankly, though she knew he was assessing the situation. Kiba and Akamaru both growled in a greeting.

Her team mate pulled her to him, enclosing her in his arms, and released a sigh of relief. Without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around him, holding him tighter than she'd ever held another man before. His smell engulfed her as he buried himself in her hair, her in his neck. Tears streamed down her cheeks as closure washed over her. So many times had her dreams been plagued by his scent, his touch, his voice. So many times she had woken up with tears streaming down her face as she realized he was hundreds of kilometres away. They had finally been brought together, and she never wanted to be torn from him again.

Shikamaru stepped toward the pair. "Although it makes our mission easier, why are you out here?" he asked Tsuki. "We were expecting this to be a rescue mission, not a meet and escort." There was tangible annoyance in his voice, even though she had technically just knocked 24 hours off their time line, making them ahead of schedule.

Tsuki pulled away from Neji to turn and address Shikamaru, though Neji kept his hand at the small of her back, stepping forward to stand beside her. "It's not the first time I've escaped," she answered tactfully, having prepared her story's details on her journey. "Each time, they get more creative; the obstacles increase in number and difficulty, but all in all, they've become predictable." She glanced at Neji, hardly able to believe he was finally with her before looking back at Shikamaru. She touched his shoulder tenderly before she continued. "I'm going to make a full report to Tsunade if you want all the details," she offered. "The information is invaluable."

Kiba groaned. "What a colossal waste of time," he complained. Akamaru yelped to agree. Aggression rolled off the duo as they glared at her openly. Although she wanted to tear the sneer right off his face, Tsuki just rolled her eyes; she was too exhausted to fight.

Shino addressed her, for the first time since she'd become a Konoha kunoichi. "You've found a weakness in their defences, then?" he asked.

She nodded an affirmative. "There are also a few worrisome strengths," she admitted, recalling all she had learned about Pein and his watchful jutsu. He was as omnipresent as a god, which went well with his arrogance.

Shikamaru shifted his weight from foot to foot, itching to get back home. "We shouldn't stay here; they'll have sent out a search party by now." He didn't even wait for an answer before he jumped into the trees, followed by Shino, Kiba and Akamaru. With a feeble glance toward Neji and Tsuki, Hinata joined them, worried about her cousin's welfare.

Finally having a moment alone with him, Tsuki once again stepped toward Neji, who accepted her into his arms. "I've missed you," she whispered, nuzzling his neck as she wound her arms around his waist. She blushed as she realized this was the first time she initiated any sort of intimate contact with him. His scent got stronger as he released pheromones, a natural response to this long awaited familiarity.

He rested his arm on her shoulders, surprised by her display of affection. "Words cannot express the sorrow I have felt in your absence," he heavily declared. His right hand held her at the base of her back as he touched his forehead to hers, the metal of their protector plates clinking as they touched. A flicker of worry ran through his mind as he wondered what horrors would have shaken her this badly, making her retreat into the sanctuary of his embrace. After a moment, he pulled away from her, shaking the dark thoughts from his mind. It did him no good to worry about what he didn't know; he would cross that bridge when he got to it. "We shouldn't fall too far behind," he stated. She nodded, following him into the trees. It did not take them long to find the others, who weren't pushing themselves too hard to get home quickly.

Tsuki kept passing glances toward Neji, almost in a state of disbelief. He was really next to her, an arm's length away. She could reach out and touch him, tackle him to the ground as she did when the sparred. Soon, she hoped, it would be as though nothing had happened. Yet, anxiety boiled within her. She had just lied to the only person she trusted, and that wasn't even the worst of what she had done. For hours, guilt slowly destroyed her as she drowned in her darkest of thoughts. Neji noticed her turmoil; he would make eye contact, then furrow his brow. She would consistently shake her head no. Now was not the time to talk about it. With the weight of her thoughts, the newly formed scar on her inner thigh burned, reminding her of what she most desperately wanted to forget.

She was at war with herself. Should she tell him and potentially destroy everything they had, or hide everything from him? How much should she tell him? What was acceptable to keep a secret? Relationships were new to her, and her inexperience was angering her to no end. He was her best friend; knew the most intimate details of her life. He knew her fears and insecurities, her weaknesses and her pet peeves. He saw every flaw she had. Did she really just throw all of that away in the span of a month?

Eventually, they stopped for the night an hour before dusk. The Hyugas located a clearing that was large enough for their party of seven, including Akamaru. Tsuki once more cast the bubble illusion around them, expanding the size to accommodate their numbers. Shino released his beetle sentries, which dispersed to a kilometre radius. Akamaru and Kiba took a twenty minute walk; whenever the wind picked up she could faintly pick up the scent of urine. Disgust for her canine comrades heaved through her.

The group fell asleep quickly after all their preparations had been laid, and a quick meal was consumed. The group had used the last of their resources, and Tsuki shared what she had with them, to compensate for their needs. Neji crouched down beside her, finally able to speak to her without worrying about the others listening in. "What has been bothering you all day?" he asked softly, daring to stroke her cheek.

Lowering her gaze, she sighed heavily knowing she had to tell him something. "Please, don't judge me until you've heard everything," she requested. He nodded, watching her intently with worry in his eyes. "We already know the Akatsuki is after Naruto," she began. "I only did this because I am fully prepared to make it impossible for them to abduct him."

"Tsuki, you can't even stop them from abducting you," Neji pointed out flatly. The concern was heavy in his voice. "What have you done?"

She bowed her head, hiding from his intense, milky gaze. "Naruto is more of a priority than I am," she explained, knowing that if it came down to it, she would destroy Konoha in a flash to keep him safe from their clutches. "I'm useless to them if they don't have him."

Neji tucked her hair behind her ear, revealing her angled face to him. "I still don't understand," he complained with his brow furrowed.

Inhaling a deep breath, Tsuki braced herself for his reaction. "If they collect all the Bijou," she began, "I promised to assist them in whatever it is they need, if they'll leave Konoha, and more specifically, you alone until then." The explanation was a burst of staccato words. At the end, she showed him the scar the blood oath left on her palm.

White eyes widened in horror as he realized what it was she was telling him. "If you do this, it would destroy the world," he contested, his voice threatening to wake their comrades. He immediately lowered his tones upon seeing Kiba stir. "Tsuki, please tell me this is some poorly laid joke."

She flinched at his judgement, then shook her head. "It would only be dangerous if they got their hands on Naruto, and the other Bijou," she reminded him cautiously. "It's meaningless if they don't get to him."

Revelation lit up Neji's face as the meaning of her actions hit him, and he relaxed. "Then we have to make sure they don't get to him," he affirmed, finally understanding what she had meant about making it impossible to get the jinchuriki. He glanced at her sideways. "That was a dangerous move," he warned.

She nodded, knowing full well just how dangerous it was. If they were willing to hurt Neji, though, it was worth the risk. She would rather die than help them, but she would rather help them than bring the entire Village to the ground for something so trivial as her own safety. When she expressed these thoughts to Neji, he looked her straight in the eye. "I don't doubt your loyalty," he forcefully stated, assuring her that he was still on her side. "You've proven yourself to me many times over, including now." His fingers traced across hers softly before they came to rest over her hand protectively.

When she looked at him, there were tears in her eyes. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate everything you've done for me, Neji." She laced their hands together, knitting their bond closer, hating herself for what she had done with both Itachi and Pein.

Beyond the sorrow, he could see her devotion. His heart ached to see her so distraught. "Then don't try," he requested, gently squeezing her hand in his. "You speak the clearest when you say nothing at all."

She smiled sweetly through the tears, genuinely happy that he was so understanding. Still, the weight of her betrayal of her heart weighed on her as they talked. Hours passed as they conversed. He traced patterns over the back of her hand with his thumb as he told her about Zetsu, and the way he had lurked in the shadows wherever Neji went. She in turn told him about the six Paths of Pein, carefully excluding her drunken coitus, and about her mixed feelings about Hidan's death.

Neji eyed her cautiously, still caressing her hand. He knew about the screwed up, jumbled relationship with her godfather, but also knew her hatred for the murderer of her parents ran deep. He found it odd that she carried his possessions with her, that Pein had even considered releasing them to her at all. She assured him they were going to be handed over to Tsunade to inspect and evaluate. The Hokage would know what to do with them.

The topic switched to Tenten, as Tsuki had asked. Neji just shrugged. She could see genuine boredom and distaste, though he didn't say anything. His reactions brought a sense of satisfaction and relief. Throughout their conversation, Tsuki watched him closely, noticing the subtleties in his glances, the way he smiled.

As the night progressed, she offered to take first watch. There was nothing to fear from the Akatsuki; she expected it to be a quiet night. Neji agreed to the arrangement. He hesitated to release her hand, still wanting to savour the contact before she returned to her cold, cynical ways. Once his bedroll was laid out, he took little time to fall asleep. His soft, whispering breath filled her with tranquillity. She watched him tenderly for twenty minutes without stop, still listening to the others as they slept.

Akamaru whimpered in his sleep, drawing Tsuki's attention. Kiba twitched, then rolled over onto his side, away from her. Her attention shifted to Shino, who was sitting against a tree. She assumed he was asleep, until he turned his head toward her and nodded. Uncertain if he was just greeting her, she smiled warmly. He was a comrade, and a potential friend. He could have denied this mission, but he came. Still she wondered how long he had been awake, and what he had overheard.

A shift of movement across the clearing took her attention. Hinata pulled her blankets higher, shivering violently. Tsuki rose to her feet, grabbing the blanket from her own pack and placed it over Hinata. "You need it more than I do," she whispered. Hinata slowly calmed with the added weight, pulling the two blankets even higher, up to her chin. Tsuki still watched her, standing by her as she slept, concerned for Hinata's well being. Being cold wasn't the only reason for shivering mid sleep, as Tsuki knew all too well. Waiting until she was satisfied the kunoichi wasn't suffering from nightmares, Tsuki turned back to her own bed roll. Shino had kept his eyes on the red head, she could feel his watchful stare.

She looked at Shikamaru next, who grunted in his sleep an hour later. He was drooling a bit, which she found amusing. Never before had she seen him look so happy. His tranquillity made her smile.

Shino rose to his feet. "I'll take watch now," he stated. Picking up his own blanket, he brought it to Tsuki. She accepted it from him with a confused, but friendly smile. "You didn't have to give yours to Hinata, but you did," he stated before she could ask. "I'm quite warm in my jacket. I don't sleep well on missions anyway."

A thanks was given to him before he walked back to the tree he was leaning against. She moved herself closer to Neji, spreading her bedroll so close to his, she could easily reach out to touch him. She curled under Shino's blanket, noticing that it smelled like juniper berries and rain. Laying on her side, she ran her fingers through Neji's hair. Upon touching him, he shifted, turning to face her. Still sleeping, he wrapped an arm around her. A tendril of hair fell over his eyes. She brushed it away with a swelling of emotions, as that touch was a non-verbal gesture that would reveal everything she felt to him. "Good night, Neji." she breathily whispered, "May your dreams be beautiful." Overcome by basorexia, Tsuki lightly placed a kiss upon his still lips; the softest kiss she'd ever given.

With his heartbeat as her lullaby, she fell asleep in his arms. As time passed, he would tighten his hold on her, pulling her closer to him in small increments until they were ardently intertwined. Shino watched them, blushing mildly for their intimacy but he was happy for their reunion. At least their privacy wasn't being encroached by anyone else in their group.

Hours had passed before Tsuki rose from her slumber. She looked around the darkness. Shino sat against his tree, his head bowed as he slept. He had traded off with Shikamaru, who had fallen asleep happily in the same spot he had been all night, true to his lazy reputation. The wind rustled the forest, and she couldn't shake feeling like she was being watched.

Fully she sat upright, carefully moving Neji's arm to her lap. Opening her mind and chakra, she expanded her consciousness to the forest, looking for another signature. She looked, listened, and waited. First instinct told her that Pein had the audacity to follow her this far, and she was quickly irritated with him. He had no business watching her with her comrades. Temptation to find him and thrust her sword into his throat welled inside her.

After a moment of waiting, continuously expanding her chakra, she could finally feel the intruder. All at once, a surge of powerful chakra overwhelmed her, and she knew their shadow wasn't Pein. Withdrawing from her search, she pulled her chakra back into the bubble illusion. Neji's embrace was easily broken without waking him, and she slipped into the darkness. They were still hidden, and she intended to keep it that way. She knew the general location of this intruder; diverting his attention to her would be easy.

She cast another jutsu around herself that would conceal her until she was a good distance from her sleeping comrades as she took to the trees, bobbing and weaving through them at breaking speeds. When she turned to find her enigmatic follower, she lowered the jutsu. She didn't have to wait long for her shadower to react. As he approached, the chakra knocked the breath from her chest, bringing her to her knees. Never before had she been so powerfully affected by another person's chakra. A glimmer of fear danced through her mind; her heart raced, and her palms perspired.

A low, deep chuckle sounded from behind her. Rising to her feet, she turned to face him immediately. "This is what you've been reduced to," her opponent mocked. "Konohagakure has weakened you." The wind shifted, bringing his scent from beyond the trees; burning fire and sage. Her eyes widened in recognition, and her heart fell with disappointment. He stepped out from behind an oak only ten metres away, the paleness of his shirt a stark contrast against the gloom of the forest.

"What are you doing here?" she whimpered, paralysed with uncertainty.

The rasping scrape of a sword being drawn answered her. "I thought the answer would be obvious," he chuckled. A flash of moonlight reflected off the blade as it was fully drawn and extended toward her.

Cautiously, she drew her own katana, its familiar weight balanced in her left hand. Betrayal hit her hard as she stepped toward him, mirroring his own movements. Accepting what she saw was difficult. "Sasuke," she implored, "Why?"

If he felt any emotion, it was hidden behind his cold gaze. "You know why," he stated factually. "Orochimaru wants what belongs to him. He's given you a few years to sort through your dramas, and it's time you were returned to him." His vermilion eyes appeared to look straight through her, not nearly as warm as they had been when she last met his gaze.