Hello! Hee, I got out one more chapter before I go to Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

This is beta'd by the lovely kakashinu. Thanks a lot!

Neji: You mean you just got a beta reader, after 27 chapters? How sad. -scoff-

Tina-chan: Well, I never thought about it before and she offered!

Naruto: -cute grin- what a nice person!

Gaara: -nod-

Kankuro: You mean she actually took time out of her schedule to beta this? Way to take pity on bad spellers...

Tina-chan: T.T ...You and Neji are meeeeean!

Warnings: The usual.

Disclaimer: Not mine. Just borrowing some characters to feed the ideas of my twisted mind... Thank you Kishimoto-sama!

Kyuubi glanced at Shukaku, both amused and perplexed.

"…They're still virgins."

She clearly wanted an explanation; unfortunately, the tanuki was just as confused as she was.

"…Don't look at me, I don't know why."

"But they're both teenagers! With hormones! How can they not have done it yet? This can't be healthy for either of them!"

If Shukaku didn't know that this was Kyuubi no yoko, the destroyer of villages, the bane of ninja, he would have sworn that she sounded… maternal? He shook his head mentally; there was no way.

"I guess you're right about it being unusual… they definitely should have done it by now unless…"

"…You're not suggesting that they…?"

"It's possible. I think that previous jinchuuriki have…"

"We are checking this out right now. I mean, hormonal teenage boys…!"

"-sigh- Yeah, I know, I know… Hmph, you're starting to sound attached to those two…"

Kyuubi stared at him blankly.

"Well, yeah. Aren't you? That gaki is the closest thing I have to a real kit, how could I not get attached? And your kit too…"

"He is not my kit. Feh, those gaki are making you soft…"

Kyuubi gave a warning growl.

"Care to test that theory?"

Actually, he did not care to test that theory. As the kitsune glared daggers at him he fled to Gaara's consciousness to avoid the wrath of his mate.

'Great job Shukaku, out of all the people you could have chosen to mate you chose the Kyuubi, the strongest of the Biju. Just brilliant.'

Kyuubi waited until her mate had fled to his container then turned to her own. She huffed for a bit then grinned a sadistic grin.

'Hmph. Getting soft my ass… He's not getting any for a week!'

Neji walked over to Kankuro and looked over the puppet master appraisingly. He caught sight of the t-shirt, read it, and inwardly twitched. The t-shirt was mocking him! (A/N: see last chapter if you don't know what I'm talking about.)

"Anything specific make you change your style from weird to insulting?"

Kankuro eyed him warily.

"Any reason you want to know?"

"…It looks good on you."

That was not an answer he was expecting out of Neji's mouth.

"…Thanks. Temari forced me into it."

This made Neji raise an eyebrow. His sister forced him…?

"And how exactly did she do that?"

Kankuro shrugged nonchalantly.

"The usual. Threats of bodily harm, actual bodily harm, and 'the look.'"

"…Do I even want to know?"

"Pray that it's never directed your way."

Neji didn't quite know what to think of that but kept his thoughts to himself. Temari hadn't seemed that bad when he met her…

"So what are you hanging around here for?"

"I was shopping."

Kankuro suddenly got a mental image of Neji loaded down with frilly shopping bags and sniggered. Neji didn't like being laughed at. It was bad enough that Kankuro's t-shirt was mocking him, now he had the gall to laugh at him?

"What's so funny?" Said Neji, slightly miffed. Then Kankuro asked something he really shouldn't have asked, or that anyone on their right mind should have asked.

"Hey Neji, has anyone ever mistaken you for a girl?"

Neji's expression darkened immediately; he just had to bring up a sore point, didn't he? Kankuro slowly started to get nervous about the look on Neji's face.

'…Maybe I shouldn't have asked that… but it is a valid question.'

"…And what if I have been mistaken for one? Why, do you think I'm a girl?"

His voice had a dangerous edge to it, and Kankuro felt a bit nervous. He began to back away slowly.

'I'm not a girl dammit! What, is it the long hair or something?'

"Well no, but… Some people might have, because your hair's really long."

Neji didn't bother to answer; peeved, he jumped on a roof to get away before he did something embarrassing in front of the public. Kankuro sweatdropped then followed him.

'Jeez, touchy much?'


Kurenai and Anko were walking down the street towards you know where when they caught sight of a friend of theirs.

"Keesha-chan!"

Keesha looked back to see two of her best customers walking together. She waved cheerily.

"Hello Anko-chan! I just sent T.C. to the shop so it should be open now. You two doing anything in particular?"

"Well, I was trying to get Kakashi to spill what he did with Iruka but the Hyuuga kid-

"Her name's Hinata."

"Okay, Hinata came so Kurenai decided we had to leave."

Anko shot a dirty look at the other kunoichi. Kurenai just rolled her eyes.

"Then we ran into Iruka and I was just getting information when the blonde kid-

"Naruto."

"…So when Naruto came he asked Iruka to buy him ramen so I was thwarted again. Can you believe that?"

Keesha just shook her head.

"Did you really expect to get anything out of them? I only got pictures because-

"YOU GOT PICTURES?"

A tiny Scary Smirk twitched at the edge of Keesha's mouth.

"…Maybe."

"Oh yeah, I heard you're going out with Gai! So, what's he like? I've always wondered because you know, he's got the potential for…"

Anko rambled on while her fellow comrades turned a lovely shade of pink from her vivid descriptions. Kurenai cut her off.

"You really need to get a life Anko. Is smut, slash, and het all you ever think about?"

"Of course not!"

"Then what else do you think about?"

"… Um…"

(The minutes tick by)

"…Oh Keesha, can I commission something from you?"

"Sure, what do you want?"

"Well…"

Neji landed on the training field, having lost Kankuro a while back. To his joy he saw Tenten practicing. He walked over to the weapon summoner.

"…Tenten, will you spar with me?"

Tenten looked over at him, sweating a little.

'Oh, it's Neji. Hm, he looks kind of miffed today. That's weird…'

"Sure. Hey, did something happen? You look at little… down."

"…"

'Ha! Something is wrong! Maybe I can help him… after all, what are teammates for?'

Tenten sat and patted the grass next to her.

"Sit."

Neji pondered it for a second then sat.

"So what happened?"

"…He asked me if I've ever been mistaken for a girl."

Tenten's ears perked up, and she inwardly giggled at the image of a cross-dressing Neji.

"Who asked you that?"

"Kankuro. Stupid…"

While Neji quietly grumbled to himself, Tenten was thinking.

'Kankuro… why does that sound… Ah ha! Temari's brother!'

"Kankuro... Temari-san's brother?"

"…Hai."

"I doubt he meant anything by it. Why, did you think he was insulting your manliness or something?"

"…"

'Bingo. Wait, why would he care of he…? Omg, don't tell me that they…?'

"So are you two going out or something?"

"…!"

'OMG, Neji's got a boyfriend! I wonder if they've XXXX (censored for explicit content.)'

"And you felt slighted by him, so now you're sulking. Well, if it bothers you that much, show him that you're not a woman in any way, shape or form! Next time you see him just censored censored censored, and I bet he'll never think that again. You could also censored and…"

While Tenten went on her little fangirl rant Neji was looking at her wide eyed, his mouth gaping open in a most un-Neji like manner. Inner-Neji was impressed.

'The fuck…!'

'Hey, she's got some good ideas.'

'Tenten..!'

'Well, we can't do that sort of stuff until you get over the kissing thing…'

'…wha?'

'You only kissed him once! And that barely counted!'

'Well I can't make out with him in the middle of a street!'

'…Why not?'

'…my sub conscience is an exhibitionist…'

'You just figured that out?'

Tenten dragged herself out of her (x-rated) fantasies and noticed that Neji was spaced out. Deciding that her job was done, she stood up and dusted herself off.

"Neji?"

Neji started slightly and noticed Tenten staring at him.

"Hai?"

"Just remember what I told you and I'm sure you and Kankuro-kun will be fine."

She walked away to leave Neji wondering exactly how long Tenten had been a closet perv, and why he never noticed before. If he had looked at Tenten he would have seen the happy smile on her face and been afraid. Very afraid.

'My ninja skills will now be put the test like never before… but I will stalk Neji without him noticing me! Now, where's my camera…?'


Having lost Neji, Kankuro was wandering around near the forest when he ran into an old acquaintance.

"Kankuro! Is that you? Man, it's been forever!"

The puppet master turned around to see a somewhat familiar figure waving cheerily.

"…Kiba, right?"

"Yeah! How are ya? It's been what, about three years?"

"I guess. Hey, where's the mutt?"

"Neesan's giving him a check up today. So what brings you to Konoha again?"

Kankuro shrugged.

"Gaara wanted to see his boyfriend."

"Nani?"

"He hooked up with Uzumaki."

"What? No way!"

"Well, he did. Have you seen Neji?"

"Neji? No, not today. Any particular reason?"

"He's pms-ing and I want to make sure he's okay. He's so emotional sometimes…"

He noticed that Kiba looked confused.

"Are you kidding me? Neji's like, the ice prince of Konoha! Also, he would kill you if he heard you say he was pms-ing."

"Pft, what else would you call it? Stupid Hyuuga. Getting all worked up over nothing…"

"…You have to show me this sometime. Anyway, what's this about Uzumaki hooking up with your brother?"

"Well…"

Naruto sneezed and looked around, confused.

'Nani?'

'Hello kit, how are you?'

'…Kyuubi? Is that you?'

'Of course it's me baka, who else would it be?'

Gaara also sneezed.

'…If someone's talking about me, I'll kill them.'

'You'd probably have to kill an awful lot of people you know…'

'…Shukaku?'

'Duh.'

'…Fuck.'

'Awww, didn't you miss me?'

'…No.'

'You are a cruel, cruel person.'

'…Look who's talking.'

'Hey, Kyuu and I were wondering…'

'Wondering what?'

'Well…'


'Hey kit.'

'Un?'

'Have you been feeling… weird lately?'

'Um, no. Why?'

'There's something that Shukaku and I have to tell you and Gaara…'

TBC

Muahahaha, a cliffie. -runs from angry readers- Yes, you will find out what they're talking about when I get back. In the meantime... Review Please!

Neji: They're going to kill you for that cliffhanger.

Kankuro: Yep. Cause now they have to wait a whole two weeks before you can even start to type the new chapter. And aren't you going away again after that?

Tina-chan: Eh, thats not until August. If I get reviews I'll try to update right when I get back...

Naruto: Why do you love reviews so much?

Tina-chan: Because they feed my yaoi soul. Thats why most authors grovel shamelessly for reviews. They're our lifeforce.

Gaara: ...Is that why you have over 600 of them?

Tina-chan: ...I have... over... 600...?

Gaara: -nod- Hai.

Tina-chan: O.O -faints-

Neji: ...Looks like she's out for the count.

Kankuro: Hey, lookit! -starts drawing on authoresses face-

Naruto: Hey, that's mean...! Actually... that looks fun! Let me do it! -joins Kankuro-

Gaara: -sweatdrops-

Hinata: Anou, Review please!