Author's Note: FINALLY!!! But.. hey... I guess 'Sasuke's Theme' by Toshiro Masuda is quite a good song, ja no? Unfortunately, I guess the fighting will begin in the next chapter. Gosh... I really should hear some good fighting song. Do you know some?

Disclaimer: Don't own anythin' here, dude.

Chapter 3

"This is The Map of Fire and Grass Country."

Shikamaru opened a large map in front of everyone. His finger trailed along a river flowing near the border.

"Now… This is Karada River, flowing between the Fire and Grass…" He said slowly. "Intel said that Neutral Offender's Headquarter reside somewhere near it. Not suprising, if we consider Izaki's best jutsus are water jutsu since he's coming from Kiri. So we better approach carefully from the east, away from the water. Be cautious, I suppose there'll be some trap there for additional defense."

Shikamaru rolled the map back and put it inside his vest's pocket and said, "Further strategy will be announced when we're closer. Any question so far?"

Everyone shook their head. Shikamaru got up and said, "So… let's go. We better not wasting anymore time. The mission itself not so special. Neutral Offender is a group of robber that wreaks havoc all around Fire and Grass's small villages. I suppose the only troublesome enemy that we will face is Izaki alone. None of his subordinate has anything special in their arsenal. But still, don't let your guard down. They maybe don't have any special jutsu, but their number is massive. We better be there before the sunset. Anyway… You have a date at Saturday, don't you, Tenten?"

Tenten taken aback by Shikamaru's question, blushing. She grinned.

"Well… yeah…" said the brunette shyly. "How do you know?"

"Neji came to me yesterday night," Shikamaru rubbed his neck. His eyes showed boredom. It seems like telling her everything is troublesome. "He taunt me that if I don't bring you back to Konoha in Saturday, there's a possibility that I can't go anywhere for a month. Gosh, how troublesome."

...6666666666...

"Hey, Neji!! I think you're too fast for us!"

Ino panted while she jumped from tree limb to tree limb, shinobi style. Neji stopped briefly on a branch to say, "Then it's an exercise for you."

Ino groaned and shouted, "Exercise?! You're killing me!!!"

"Hn."

It's useless to argue against a Hyuuga. Sasuke thought dryly, watching Neji's back as they proceed their journey. He won't even bother.

"What will you do in Saturday anyway?!" Ino continued her groans. "What's so important until you the dutiful shinobi wanted to end something this so…"

Stomp! Neji stopped again. His Byakugan was fully activated. The others stopped beside him. Sakura asked carefully, "Anything wrong, Neji-san?"

"Ambush lies ahead of us," He said carefully. "Be ready. We better prepared for a combat and scatter. Uchiha, you and Sakura go to the east. No need to tell you what your job is, Uchiha. Ino, you're with me. We're going to the northwest. There are eleven shinobis, ready to ambush us in our track earlier. Deal with them one by one… very carefully. Understand?"

"Locations?" Sasuke showed his famous Sharingan. Neji scanned thoroughly.

"Four shinobis at two o'clock, three hundreds meters. Two at one o'clock, four hundreds fifty meters. Two at eleven o'clock, two hundreds meters. Three at ten o'clock, six hundred meters. Do it in silence. Now, scatter!"

...66666666666...

The sound of soft thud was heard when Team Shika (a/n: let's called it like that to shorten things) jumped from tree to tree. Kiba was leading everyone's way, since he had the heightened sense of smell to detect any trap ahead of them. In the very back was Akamaru, jumping conveniently on the tree. (a/n: If you haven't seen any dogs jumping from tree to tree, then you're… SANE. Since it's no way! Anyway, this story is FICTION, people. Hehehe :p) No one talked, everyone drowned in their own mind and since Naruto almost had no mind whatsoever (whuuupppsss!!!), he felt uncomfortable with the situation. The Kyuubi Boy looked at Kiba, who concentrated in his job of finding any scent of trap. Kiba always despised him—well, not always but he was easily annoys by every single blasted thing that Naruto said. Well… Naruto had enough mind not to bother The Dog. He reverted his gaze at Shikamaru and soon searched someone else. Shikamaru WAS NOT a good choice of talking companion, that's one thing for sure. He would say that talking was 'troublesome' as usual. So Naruto looked at Akamaru, sweatdropped. With a dog? Urgh, no thanks! So Naruto looked at his last option, Tenten. This one worth a try. But… talk about what?

"Sooo… urm… Tenten!" said Naruto suddenly, his longtime-unused mind reeled for any topic. Tenten looked at him and replied, "Yeah?"

"Wha… Wha…" Naruto gaped to find any word. He disliked the silence, he had to talk! But what? Oh… please, brain. For the first time in my life, I ask you to think! Tenten waited for his statement patiently. She learned that part of personality by hanging out with two Springtime of Youth worshipers and a fate-babbling prodigy. Just try that once and you'll know how patience is desperately needed to survive in this full of striving life. "WhatmakeyouhangoutwithNejiwhilehenevertalk?"

She sweatdropped. New vocabulary? How long! Naruto grinned triumphantly when he realized he just came out with a question. Finally!! Silence is broken!! The world will cherished once again!! And the sun will SHINE!!!!! Whatever.

"What?"

"Wha… What make you hang out with Neji while he never talk?" repeated Naruto slowly. Tenten laughed at the question. Now everyone looked at them, even Akamaru. That was indeed a mystery—just like how Akamaru could jump from tree limb to tree limb. Tenten exhaled soundly and said, "Gosh, you guys keep asking that same question! It's been five years since me and Neji get together and that same thing still pop up everywhere!"

"Because the question is broaden!" Kiba grinned. "Now it's becomin' 'how the hell ya could keep up with him for FIVE years?!' I can't even hold for fifteen minutes!"

"Yeah, sure," Tenten chuckled. "I'm not surprised. Neji is not everyone's man."

"So… how? Why?"

"Well… I don't know either," Tenten rolled her eyes. The other's jaw dropped. "I never think about that. I just… love being with him. That simple, actually. Just like… Kiba, how can you be near Shino for years? It's unexplainable."

"Ar…" Kiba grumbled a little when he thought about Shino. "I guess yer right."

"That's indefinite," said Shikamaru, unsatisfied. Tenten grinned widely and said, "Well… then how the heck can you stay with Temari?"

Shikamaru closed his mouth before he answered. He then said, "Alright, you win."

"I DON"T UNDERSTAND!!" Naruto bellowed angrily. He's the one who bring up the topic and now he's the only one who didn't understand. It's unfair!! "Tell me! Tell me!!!"

"Naruto! Shut up!" barked Kiba. "We have to be silent here! Enemies could be anywhere!"

Naruto groaned. He hated Kiba when he scolded.

"I've told you that it's unexplainable, Naruto," Tenten smiled to calm the boy down. "That's just how it is. You can't explain emotions flatly because there's no logic there. You feel something… and… it's there, just like that. Anyway, Naruto… You have to understand that sometimes… there are things that better left unsaid for the best."

"That's a nice sayin'," muttered Kiba, grinned. "Sounds like a sister to me. Calm, wise, and protective. Ya'll be a good sister, ya know!"

That sentence hit Tenten for some reason. She closed her eyes briefly to repress the pain inside her heart. She smiled weakly. Naruto watched the changes and raised his blonde eyebrow. Something was wrong there.

"Tenten…"

Shink… THUNK!!! A fuuma shuriken barely missed Naruto. Everyone halted. Tenten threw three kunai at once.

"Over… THERE!"

CRASH! A loud scream was heard, followed by a sound of body falling from the treetop. Akamaru barked loudly and Kiba soon understood what his dog's saying.

"Ambush!" shouted the dog user. He made his hand seal. "Shikyaku no Jutsu1!"

...6666666666...

Thud! The last shinobi dropped dead to the ground. Ino yawned, put her hands behind her head. Their enemies were fresh Chuunins, too easy to defeat. Neji folded his arms; his Byakugan scanned the surrounding once again before eased into the usual pupiless eyes.

"So, you haven't answered my question yet, Neji," said Ino, turned her head towards the Hyuuga Genius. Neji didn't move a bit. "What will happen in Saturday?"

"It's none of your business."

"Spiteful, as usual. Why can't you be more open to people around you?"

Neji closed his eyes and said, "Just feel like it."

"Aaarrrr… you're so boring!!!"

"Hn."

Ino inhaled exasperatedly. It is futile to ask a Hyuuga something like that. She scratched her head and said, "Tenten is quite something to stand with you for such a long time. You're all sweet to her but not to us. It's unfair. We want to know you better too, you know. We're comrades. It's normal if we know each other. Friends are important to keep you away from loneliness. No one can stand-alone in this world. Learn that, Genius!"

Neji glanced towards Ino. Somehow his eyes showed a bit of amusement. Ino raised her eyebrow at the sight. Aha! He looked cute that way. Ok, Tenten. I know now why you love him. He is so…

"Hn."

"BORING!!!!"

...666666666666...

"That was… a huge one!" Kiba looked a little weary when he sat under a destroyed tree. Around him lied dozens of shinobis. Akamaru barked in agreement. "I guess I used up too much chakra."

"We all used up too much," Tenten made her seals, watched as her scroll rolled by itself and flied to her pouch obediently. She looked at the bodies around them. "But that can't be helped. I never ever imagine an ambush this huge."

"They're expecting infiltration from this side from the start," Shikamaru leaned to a tree. "I thought there'll be traps… but I guess… they don't think that 'normal'. Instead, they made an ambush, huge amount, to annihilate everyone. How… troublesome…"

Tenten watched every man in her team. All of them looked tired but… hey, NARUTO tired? That's unusual. And he didn't say a thing in these passing minutes!

"Naruto?" called Tenten immediately to the boy. "Are you OK?"

A low groan answered her question. Naruto cough a little and said with a cracked voice, "Na… Tenten… Is it just me… or… there is really an earthquake here? I feel… dizzy…"

Thud! Naruto fell to his knees. Tenten quickly ran toward him. She laid the Kyuubi Container on her lap and examined his body. A senbon embedded itself on his right upper arm. It was obvious; he was poisoned.

"What's wrong?" Kiba slowly crept to their place. He sniffed the air. "Ah… It's poison."

"It haven't spread too wide yet," Tenten threw away the senbon and ripped off Naruto's right sleeve. "We have to let the poisoned blood gust out. Deal with this one, Naruto. It'll hurt a bit."

Crash! Tenten stabbed a kunai on the poisoned wound. Naruto grimaced, almost wiped his arm but managed to get hold of himself. Black blood gust out of the wound, littering the forest floor. Shikamaru watched from afar in silence. He glanced to the sky, watched as it turned orange when the sun set.

"We better call it a day," said Shikamaru slowly. Everyone looked at him. "We're run out of chakra… and the night is falling… let's find a place to sleep for tonight. We continue our mission tomorrow at dawn."

...66666666666...

Neji sighed when Sasuke sat beside him. The sound of fire crackling behind them filled the air, since none of them talked. Sakura and Ino slept peacefully not so far away, curling in their sleeping bag.

"Why don't you sleep?" Neji twirled a twig with his fingers. His Byakugan scanned the area around them. "It's my shift to guard."

"I… want to talk to you about something," said Sasuke monotonously.

"Hn."

The Avenger Boy closed his onyx eyes slowly. He glanced at Neji and said, "Hiashi-sama met me yesterday night at my apartment."

Neji closed his eyes. He didn't say anything. He knew where this one would lead.

"…"

"He questioned your choices… and order me to tell you about…"

"I've told him that I won't changed it no matter what."

Sasuke closed his mouth. He watched the night sky with his impassive eyes. Neji continued to remain silent, like he didn't want to argue about it again.

"I thought you and Hiashi-sama always in good terms."

"We are. But not for some occasion."

Sasuke turned to face The Hyuuga Prodigy. He said slowly, "If you defy him, then you defy the clan head. He told you not to be with her any longer. He choose someone for you, from the Hyuuga… Main Family."

"Hn."

"You don't want to destroy the seal for your children?"

"My father taught me to fight my way… and that's what I will tell my children. Fate is not something human decide on."

A smile crept up the Uchiha descendant's face.

"Naruto sure has beaten something out of you, Hyuuga Neji."

"The same goes to you, Uchiha Sasuke."

Sasuke exhaled soundly. He smirked.

"So… I'm sure nothing could change your mind."

"Hn."

"Hiashi-sama sure has it hard."

"I'm not the one who started it. He has to accept what I choose."

"Don't you afraid of breaking your bond with him?"

Neji closed his eyes.

"No. He's like a father to me. I believe in him."

Sasuke watched Neji for a while. He then got up and walked to his own sleeping bag. Neji opened his eyes again and observed the surrounding area. Sasuke looked at the Hyuuga Prodigy for the last time and said, "I don't know what Hiashi-sama will do when I tell him our conversation. But anyway, I wish the best for you and Tenten."

"Thanks, we need it… in this kind of time."

1 Four Legs Technique
Author's Note: For all the fans... I'm sorry, again, for the OOCness of all the characters. Blame my head. I piled up the song of 'Fooling Mode' by Toshiro Masuda right after the 'Sasuke's Theme'. Mind you, it's not a good combination...