Why, why… WHY, are there more people who put this story on update alert than there are reviews per chapter? Honestly, I don't understand. But, by now, I've realized that I'm not writing this for the reviews. I mean, sure, they're super nice and very much appreciated, but I continue to work my butt off, putting up chapter after chapter because I'm writing this for me.

So, having said all that, I'd still like to thank my reviewers: Takky-san and tenten hyuuga

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, b/c if I did, Sasuke would be MINE!!!

Chapter Ten

As soon as they were sure Kiba and Akamaru were out of hearing range, Shikamaru turned to Neji and demanded accusingly, "You have no idea where your cousin is, do you?"

This came as a shock to Ino, who, like Kiba, had believed Neji had the answers.

"I can't see her, you're right, but I can find her", Neji replied calmly.

"What do you mean?" Shikamaru asked, looking around.

"I can't see where she is, but I've located an area in this direction," Neji motioned vaguely towards the area in front of him, "where several chakras are congregated. And, they're the same as the ones who attacked us".

"So you know where the enemy is. But that doesn't mean Hinata's with them", Shikamaru replied.

"No, but it's where we're going". The discussion was dropped and the three shinobi began traveling again.

Neji took the lead, scouting the area around the team while Ino followed after him, with Shikamaru at the end.

They moved silently, allowing the wind to rush by their ears and sting their eyes. They team traveled this way for the remainder of the day, which fortunately, was coming to an end.

All three members were exhausted from their previous fight and low on chakra, so Neji suggested they rest for the night. There was no activity among the chakras he had seen and he figured it was reasonably safe to stop here.

They camped in a clearing near a river, but made sure to stay close to a small cluster of trees for concealment. A fire was quickly started and Neji volunteered to get some water from the river.

As he walked away from the warmth of the fire, memories flooded him, making him remember the first time her had taken the Chunnin exams. He felt as if he'd gone back in time and was now reliving moments from the Forest of Death.

Just ahead of him, the river flowed merrily, ripples of water splashing against rocks. He collected enough water for the three of them, then turned to look in the direction of where Shikamaru and Ino were at. From this distance, he could only see the friendly glow of the fire, surrounded by the shadows of tall trees, all centered around a pair of shadows huddling by their only source of light.

Even without his byakugan, Neji could see the way Ino was snuggled against Shikamaru, fighting the cold, and although it was a friendly action more than anything else, Neji felt a rush of emotion flow over him.

He nearly dropped the water he'd just gotten as a sudden gust of wind blew past him, sending chills up his spine. It wasn't really the cold weather that made him shiver, but rather, the lack of warmth in his body… and heart.

He realized he'd never thought of anything other than excelling as a shinobi before, but seeing the close friendship between Shikamaru and Ino made him think of his own relationship with Tenten.

What was she doing now? Did she ever think of him? Why the hell was he even wondering about what she thought?

Neji shook his head to clear his mind, then tightened his grip on the water and trudged back towards the fire. As he stepped closer, he was surprised to see that Ino hadn't been snuggled against Shikamaru, but had, instead, fallen asleep against him.

Her hands were folded neatly in her own lap and her body had fallen to one side, unable to support herself while she was asleep. There was really no sign of even attempting to "snuggle".

Shikamaru, on the other hand, had one arm wrapped protectively around Ino, while the other was propped against the ground, supporting both of their weights. His hold on her was similar to the way he'd held her just a few hours ago, when Ino had fallen unconscious to the medic-nin.

Neji cringed as the scene from their most recent fight replayed itself in his head and he nearly dropped the water for the second time.

Upon sensing his presence, Shikamaru looked up and nodded at Neji, motioning with his eyes for him to set the water near the fire. They unpacked a portion of the food they'd brought and, deciding that waking Ino would be a rather dumb thing to do, as she didn't eat much anyways, dug into their food.

Halfway through the silence, Shikamaru asked in a quiet tone, "Neji, what happened to you back there?"

Neji looked up from the water he was drinking and sighed, knowing he'd have to explain sooner of later. Besides, even if he didn't, Shikamaru would figure it out anyways.

"I just… blanked out for a moment", he said carefully.

"Blanked out? You hesitated, Neji. You knew what you were doing, and you knew what you were supposed to do, but you held back".

Damn. Why the heck did Shikamaru have to be so smart?

"Well, if you've already figured that out, then why are you asking me?" Neji retorted.

"Because there has to be a reason you hesitated", Shikamaru replied, "was it because she looked like Tenten?"

Neji's eyes narrowed upon hearing his teammate's name and Shikamaru immediately knew he'd hit the right note. This was his chance to probe further and find out more about the ever-so-distant Hyuuga Neji.

It wasn't like he cared much for this guy or even wanted to be his friend, but Shikamaru knew what he was asking about was important; the way someone dealt with personal issues had a significant effect on their performance during missions, and he knew they couldn't afford a repeat of what had happened earlier.

"It's not just that she looked like her", Neji finally spoke up, "I felt like I actually saw Tenten, instead of her".

"Couldn't it have been a genjutsu?" Shikamaru asked.

"No. It wasn't", Neji knew that a genjutsu would have been much easier to deal with, especially with his byakugan. He rubbed his head lightly and sighed. The dull ache in his forehead had come back and by now, he'd figured out it was the curse seal doing is work.

He knew he had limited knowledge of how the Hyuuga Clan's curse seal worked, but he knew enough to know that the pain in his head was caused by his brain cells being destroyed, and judging by how little it hurt, he decided that it was a relatively slow process.

He was also sure that at the moment, only his uncle could perform the hand seals to activated his curse seal. Which, really, seemed ridiculous to Neji. Hiashi had been the one to send Neji on the mission, so why would he hurt him as well? Neji could only conclude that it was a "friendly" reminder to hurry up.

Shikamaru noticed his teammate's discomfort and suggest that Neji sleep for a bit, while he took the first watch. Neji agreed and retreated to a corner of their camp, falling asleep almost immediately.

Shikamaru watched as the fire dimmed until only a few sparks were left. A chilly wind blew over the group, but he made no move to fix the fire. It was too late at night and the light would only attract enemies. As far as the cold, he could see that Neji seemed to be fine and Ino was safely tucked against him.

She's gonna freak when she wakes up and see's I'm not her "Sasuke", Shikamaru thought sarcastically. Still, he kept a firm grip on the girl and tilted back his head, looking up at the sky.

The fire had completely burned out and the stars were shining brilliantly against the black backdrop of night. To him, the second most beautiful things, after clouds, of course, were stars. They were almost a nighttime version of clouds, really, and for some strange reason, they helped him feel calm and relaxed.

The time flew by and Shikamaru was unaware of how long he had been looking up, until he felt Ino stir slightly, then shift a bit against him before finally jumping out of his arms in shock. Apparently, she was way past surprised to find herself waking up in such a situation.

Her blue eyes, now a dark indigo, as it was night, were so huge and full of shock, that Shikamaru had to hold himself back from laughing out loud. He quickly shushed Ino and pointed to the sleeping figure of Neji, while trying to stifle his laughs at the same time.

It wasn't too difficult to calm his teammate down and Shikamaru soon found himself with his back against the grassy floor, eyes slowly closing into a deep, much needed sleep.

As nighttime neared, Hinata felt a wave of sleepiness fall over her and, against her wishes, she fell asleep with her hands laying limply at her sides. Earlier that day, she had been trying to gather enough chakra to free her feet from the bounds as well, but had failed miserably. Her best hope, as of now, was to rest and try again tomorrow, when she had a bit more chakra stored up.

From outside the confinements of the room, Leiko watched as the prisoner's head slumped to one side, her chest rising and lowering steadily. She could tell the little girl was asleep and was surprised that anyone would be able to sleep in such a situation. Still, there was no doubt the girl was beyond tired, and Leiko had to silently admit she was a bit impressed. The girl she'd captured certainly wasn't a strong one, but she had amazing willpower. For anyone to remain sane for this long was really a surprising thing.

Oh well, tomorrow's another day for her to lose it, Leiko thought smugly. She looked at the missing doorknob on the door and smiled. There was no need to fix such a trivial thing. That little girl couldn't even get off the bed, and besides, the whole point was to lure Hyuuga Neji here. A simple door, with or without a knob and lock, was not going to keep someone like him out.

You better hurry here so I can kill you, Hyuuga Neji, Leiko thought. She heaved a deep sigh to calm herself, then headed for the small tent she'd set up just outside the room where Hinata was held. It wasn't the most comfortable place to sleep, but this area in the forest was the only place Leiko could think of, and so, she endured it.

As she entered her tent, Leiko felt a sudden, ominous feeling overcome her. A dreadful, sinking feeling swallowed her and for a moment, she choked, unable to breathe. Her first reaction was to hurry outside the tent, but everyone else seemed to be fine. The shinobi who were standing guard looked a bit bored and the rest of the back-ups seemed content with what they were doing.

But, Leiko could definitely feel something was wrong. Maybe it was Kanaye. Did that idiot get himself beat up? Or worse… could he have- No, don't think about that, Leiko chided herself. She shook her head and tried to clear herself of the feeling, but it continued to creep upon her and she quickly returned to her tent, lest the other shinobi notice how weird she was acting.

Kanaye's fine, she repeated in her head. That guy may have been a blundering idiot at times, and sure, his rage often got the better of him, but he couldn't be beaten that easily… could he?

Think about who he was up against, a mocking voice rang in her ears, Hyuuga Neji. If that guy could defeat Kidomaru, what makes you think Kanaye could do any better? Leiko grabbed at her hair and groaned, frustrated that her continuous attempts to clear her head were failing. This was not the time to lose it. If she was to avenge Kidomaru, she'd have to stay focused.

Remember what you're supposed to do, she thought to herself, remember what you're capable of doing! Slowly, Leiko opened her eyes and looked up at the tattered roof of her tent. The feeling still hadn't left her, but she had calmed herself down enough to be able to deal with it maturely.

If something had happened to Kanaye, it wasn't like she could do anything now. Sure, that guy was an important part of their clan, and one of her very good friends, but they were still shinobi. And she had to accept that death was inevitable.

Just don't think about it for now, she coached herself. She would save her anger and rage for later.

Neji awoke early in the morning to find Shikamaru sprawled out on the grass and Ino gazing at the sky, her long hair unbound and flowing feely behind her. Another pang of nostalgia hit him and he remembered the first time he'd stumbled upon Ino during the Chunnin exams. Back then, he'd thought he was better than everyone else and was more than offended that a rookie would even dare talk to him. But now, he knew better.

There was just a hint of pink in the sky and the moon was still a bit visible. Neji estimated that the sun would be up in an hour or so and he relieved Ino of her guard duty so she could grab a bit more sleep.

Neji settled against the trunk of a large tree and turned his gaze to the same spot Ino had been looking at. He could understand why she'd been so transfixed on that one place in the sky, for there seemed to be just a hint of gold mixed in with the pink sky, suggesting that the sun would rise at that location. He relaxed into a comfortable position and allowed his mind to drift, while twirling a kunai in one hand, much like the way Tenten twirled her weapons.

The morning air was refreshing and for just a fraction of a second, Neji found himself wishing he wasn't a shinobi. He wondered what it would be like to have a different life; a life without missions, danger, or death waiting right around the corner. But, a life like that would have no meaning either. No one to protect, no nindo to follow, no motivation.

He sighed and turned his gaze, which had fallen to the grassy floor, back towards the sky. The sun barely peeked out beyond the horizon and Neji squinted as he watched it rise bit by bit.

It was time to get going again and he reluctantly moved from his spot to wake Ino and Shikamaru. Without a word, the three packed up their belongings, destroyed all evidence that they'd camped there, ate a quick meal, and continued towards their destination.

In the dead center of the Rock Country laid a mansion, surrounded by a range of dark forests on the northern and eastern ends, a busy town on its southern side, and a vast lake in the west, where the sun set everyday. The mansion itself was magnificent, no doubt, but it was really the courtyard near the lake that captured the attention of any passer-by.

The courtyard wasn't too large or extravagant, but instead, had a serene, natural aura to it. The neatly lined fence that surrounded it was gleaming with a coat of fresh, white paint, which reflected the golden-orange of the sky as day morphed into dusk.

In the center of the courtyard, there existed a small fountain, with wave after wave of water splashing down several small ponds before landing in the bottom-most one. Around the fountain, on the stone benches that gleamed even whiter than the fence, sat three shinobi.

The only male of the group sat facing away from the fountain, his back turned towards the lake and the sunlight reflecting off the green jumpsuit that he proudly wore. On either side of him sat a kunoichi, one with an unusual shade of pink hair, the other absentmindedly twirling one of her weapons.

Although they seemed relaxed, the trio was actually feeling quite tired from their journey. They leaned against the stone edge of the fountain and looked at the mansion in front of them, enjoying the refreshing evening air as they waited. They were waiting to meet the daimyo, who would be briefing them with more details about their mission.

Just a few moments later, a figure appeared at the doorway of the mansion, hunched and leaning heavily on a cane. A second figure appeared behind him, female, slender, and lazily slouched.

The three shinobi from Konoha stood to meet them and made their way to the house, entering upon the careless gesture given by the girl at the door. She was the daughter of the daimyo and, although unbearably lazy in nature, had dedicated her life to taking care of her father, who stood beside her.

As they entered the first room of the large estate, the daimyo motioned for his guests to take a seat. The three shinobi knelt on soft, white pillows while the daimyo took a seat across from them, his daughter holding his cane and standing politely behind him.

"I am Rock Lee, and these are Sakura and Tenten", the shinobi in the middle bowed slightly as he introduced the team. The daimyo returned the gesture.

"My father is weak", the daughter began, "and as daimyo, there are many who wish to hurt him for power".

"That's why we're here", Sakura smiled, "we'll do our best to protect you".

Tenten nodded in agreement and Lee grinned.

"We will be leaving for Konoha in two days", the daimyo said, "there are rooms prepared for you and you are welcome to come and go from the house as you wish".

"Please be ready to leave in two days", his daughter added.

The three Konoha shinobi bowed and left the room.

As they walked down the long hall, led by a quiet housemaid, Tenten took the time to look around and examine her surroundings. She'd always been complimented on her exceptional observation skills, which she attributed to hours of weapons training, and she planned to live up to those praises.

Her eyes scanned the walls and looked for any weak points, just in case the daimyo was to be attacked in the house. She knew that there had to be guards everywhere and the daimyo had been fine all this time before they showed up, but she felt like doing it anyways.

They were led to a large door which led to Lee's room, then showed to the door beside that, which would lead to a room shared by the two girls. They housemaid left them there and scurried off to do whatever work she had, so, without further directions, the shinobi went into their respective rooms.

Upon stepping into the place where they would be rooming, Tenten and Sakura were met with a gorgeous view of the lake they'd seen earlier. Through the large, glass windows of the room, the reflection of the sunlight against the lake's smooth surfaced bounced into the room, coloring the white walls with a pale orange.

The lake water itself shimmered and the whiteness of it all felt like a relief to both girls, who unconsciously sat down on the tatami mats they were given and stared outside. They were only brought back to the present when the door banged open and Lee entered, grinning widely, as he'd just relieved himself in the nearby restroom. His noisy entry made both girls jump and they turned to give him the "evil look".

The day went on this way, with small bits of bickering between the three teammates. But, as the darkness of night finally settled over them, the three shinobi decided that, if they were to complete their mission as quickly as possible, they'd need to rest.

So, without another word, they returned to their beds and slept.

That was a peaceful chapter. GRINS.

Ok, Question! Do you guys want to see some stuff about Naruto, and Sasuke, and like… everyone? Or should I stay with what I'm doing now and just split the story three way, with Neji's team, Tenten's team, and Hinata? And do you guys want to see what Tenten's team does during the 2 days they're just hanging around?