The next morning, Neji got up first and took a quick shower. When he got out Naomi was awake and eating a bowl of ramen.

⌠Don▓t tell me you▓re a ramen freak too!■

⌠Yes, yes I am, and I▓m proud of it thank you.■

⌠You and Naruto really are related.■

⌠How long have you known him anyways?■

⌠Hmm I think when he was 12 and I was 13 was the first time we met.■

⌠Hey can I ask you something?■

⌠Sure.■

⌠Have you ever had a girlfriend?■

⌠Why?■

⌠I don▓t know I was just wondering.■

⌠Yes I have. Only once though. You remember the girl named Tenten at the party?■

⌠No.■

⌠Well she was the one with two buns in her hair. Anyway, she and I dated for a few months. But I decided she and I were too different to have any kind of relationship besides friends. Now I think she▓s dating Konkuro.■

⌠Konkuro?■

⌠He▓s that guy who dressed up like a cat thing with makeup on his face.■

⌠Oh I remember now!■

⌠You really need to learn all these people▓s names.■

⌠Yeah I do. Right now all I know is Naruto, Sasuke, that guy named Kiba, his dog Akamaru, and you, Neji.■

⌠Well I▓m the most important so just make sure you know mine and you▓ll be okay!■

⌠Ha ha ha, very funny.■

⌠I try!■

Naomi finished her ramen and got into the shower just as Neji was getting himself a bowl of cold cereal.

When she got out, Neji was waiting by the door all packed and ready to go.

⌠Sorry but you took too long so I went ahead and packed up your stuff so we can head out now.■

⌠Oh well thank you.■

⌠You▓re welcome. Now let▓s go.■

⌠Okay.■

Naomi and Neji went out the door and headed back down the street toward the sand village. They were just a few miles away when the sun started to go down. Neji (not knowing that Naomi was afraid of the dark) got a little freaked out when she started to walk a lot closer to him.

⌠What are you doing?■

⌠I don▓t like the dark.■

⌠You▓re a shinobi and you don▓t like the dark?■

⌠Shinobi? Who said I was a shinobi?■

Neji stopped walking at this and looked to his left at Naomi.

⌠You▓re not a ninja?■

⌠No. Where did you get that idea anyway?■

⌠Well you are related to Naruto.■

⌠That doesn▓t make me one.■

⌠Well yeah but he is and he▓s a really good one too. Why aren▓t you?■

⌠I just never really got into being a shinobi.■

⌠Why didn▓t you tell me before?■

⌠Well have you ever seen me have on a ninja headband?■

⌠No but I never really looked.■

⌠I▓m sorry if I disappointed you.■

⌠I guess its okay but I wish I would have known sooner so I knew I had to keep an eye on you.■

⌠What do you mean keep an eye on me?■

⌠I don▓t want you getting hurt.■

⌠Oh.■

Naomi got a little blush after Neji said this. The long haired man looked over at the raven. Seeing that she was blushing and looking away, he thought back on what he said and noticed that what he said sounded like he cared about her.

The rest of the way to the sand village was as quiet as possible. Neither of them talked much the whole way there. Every time Naomi thought she saw something in the darkness, she moved a little closer to Neji until he looked at her from the corner of his eye; it was his way of saying that he didn▓t want her so close. What she didn▓t know is that he actually liked it a bit.

⌠Well here we are Naomi.■

⌠WOW! It▓s huge.■

⌠I wouldn▓t say huge but yes it is quite big. Come on we need to go talk to the Kazakage.■

⌠Do you know him?■

⌠Yeah, his name is Gaara. He also knows Naruto so I think he▓d like to meet you.■

⌠Cool. Let▓s go!■