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Disclaimer: I think you know that I know that I don't own this. . .
Assessment.
Neji met with Yamato after breakfast the next morning, intent on a tour.
Yamato was a gracious host, tolerating Neji's penetrating questions with incredible patience.
At midday, Neji dismissed Yamato to ensure the man had his lunch. Neji walked to the stables and saddled his horse, not recalling the last time he'd done it without Moegi at his elbow.
Neji mounted and clutched the leather reins, nudging his horse through the compound to the gate. The soldiers at the gate let him through without any trouble.
It was a nice autumn day, red-gold and brown-orange leaves swirling across the land. The fog had burned off completely, leaving the grass dry.
Neji first checked the main road to see if it was still unobstructed. It was, and Neji turned to the woods surrounding the north and west.
The thick wood held healthy signs of animals. Bark was scraped off, certain indications of deer. Foxes lied in the underbrush. Varieties of birds had nests in the nooks and crannies of trees. Small trails were throughout the forest, and inconspicuous marks were on every tenth tree, pointing back to the fort.
Markers for friendly visitors, Neji thought, gazing up at the single line. They've done well here, for all the obstacles they have.
Neji rode through the woods to reach the last remaining place he hadn't looked over; the south road that led to the sea.
It was wide and stretching open land, lazy hills dotting the landscape. Lying on the horizon was the sea, glittering sharply. The back road was merely flattened, snaking grass, following all the way to the sea and then continuing past it to the next town.
If Itachi is stupid enough to attack from the south, we'll be prepared. We'd see his forces from miles off. Our main problem will be the woods, and I don't even want to consider Itachi attacking under the cover of night.
Neji sighed and leaned momentarily on his saddle horn, thinking.
Attack was imminent, Neji knew. He had been unable to elude Itachi's forces for long, and if there were scouts in the woods as Neji expected, then it would not remain secret that the Five Squads had arrived at Fort Minato.
Exhaling again, Neji lightly prodded his mare back to the fort's south entrance.
There were so many things he had to take care of, today rather than later. He had to consult with Yamato and the other four captains. He had to see to his own squad, ensuring they lacked injuries and were getting the rest they needed. He had to assign the cleaning of his arsenal to Moegi. He had to send correspondence to the Queen and his cousin.
Neji shook his head. So much work to be done.
Neji reached the safety of the fort's thick stone walls and dismounted, inveigling the horse to the stables.
He unsaddled his horse, removing the tack thoughtfully.
After seeing to his mare's food and water, Neji left her in her stall, taking her quiet snort as thanks.
Neji began walking toward the mess hall, a large wooden facility along the west wall.
Soldiers milled around, finished eating their midday meal.
They bowed or saluted to Neji as he passed, showing respect. Neji nodded to them and continued on his way, his stomach growling uncomfortably.
The mess was still a little over halfway full, soldiers lounging and conversing. Neji hugged the wall, wishing to avoid attention so he could eat by himself.
The gods had another agenda entirely.
The moment Neji sat down at an empty table and picked up his spoon, a pair of soldiers approached him.
From their expressions, they'd been arguing.
"Excuse us, Commander, but we need a disagreement settled from an unbiased party," one soldier murmured, dark eyes flitting swiftly to his red-faced counterpart.
Neji stopped himself from looking forlornly at his food and focused on the two in front of him.
"Is it such an important matter that your squad captain could not take care of it?" Neji suggested levelly, memorizing the two's faces for future reference.
"We would, Commander, but Captain Nara is nowhere to be found," said the red-faced soldier, shrugging.
Neji silently cursed Shikamaru from keeping him from his lunch. The lazy ass had probably stolen away to be by himself, sleeping or studying his beloved clouds.
"What's your disagreement, then? Account your stories one at a time."
Neji listened patiently, ignoring the rumblings of his stomach. Ultimately, at the end of both accounts, Neji ruled the dark-eyed soldier was at fault and charged him with paying the red-faced soldier back.
But this was not the end of Neji's suffering, unfortunately.
After the two soldiers left, the entire mess seemed intent on telling Neji their various problems.
So-and-so stole my new saddlebags; he put frogs in my bunk; she took my boots without asking. Neji felt he was in charge of nothing more than a large brood of children, not well-trained and Empire-employed soldiers.
Technically, Neji could have sent them away, referring them to their squad captains, or at the very least, their squad seconds-in-command. But Neji had learned enough in the last two years to know that sending them away would do nothing but create distrust and dubiety in their commander. Neji would have none of that, even if it cost him his meal.
Finally, the last of the complainers and arguers left, leaving Neji to his solitude.
Well, almost.
"I don't know how you managed to tolerate all of that horse dung," said a female voice.
Neji looked up, surprised he hadn't noticed her before.
He swallowed the cold soup that had been hot when he'd received it.
Neji considered the woman settled obliquely from him.
He casually answered her, "Is that what you saw it as?"
TenTen nodded once, looking Neji over.
"Their squad captains could have easily taken care of all of those problems and left you to your lunch. Why didn't you turn them away?"
Neji cleared his throat.
"Even a commander must deal with small problems every once and a while. It keeps the soldiers in line, knowing I'm aware of them. And it keeps me humble."
TenTen snorted, as if this was folly.
Neji ingested more soup as he waited for her to speak.
"You cannot expect to maintain their trust from merely hearing the problems of a few," TenTen argued, brown eyes intent.
Neji set down his spoon, glancing at her.
"Is there something you need, Lieutenant?" Neji inquired flatly, referring to her official title.
A twinge of annoyance twitched at TenTen's mouth.
"Of course not, Commander. I just had the one question."
"Then perhaps you can run an errand for me and leave me to my lunch?"
Jaw clenched, the brown eyed woman murmured, "What errand do you wish for me to run?"
"I need to speak to the other four captains and Captain Yamato in here as soon as possible. Inform them, please."
TenTen stood and began to leave when Neji remembered something.
"Lieutenant?" Neji called, staring at her.
TenTen reluctantly turned, raising her eyebrows.
"Yes, Commander?"
Neji hesitantly said, "If you are unable to find Captain Nara, be sure to check the roofs and the tops of the walls."
TenTen shot him a contorted, bemused look but nodded and exited the mess.
Neji made a mental note to assign Shikamaru latrine duty for a week.
-
By the time Neji finished his cold lunch, the four captains had assembled in the mess, along with Captain Yamato.
Neji looked them over and allowed a kitchen employee to take away his plate.
Neji cleared his throat and spoke.
"This morning, I took a tour of the fort with Captain Yamato. If you've noticed, there are woods to the north and west. I went through it after my tour this morning. They'll be impossible to see through at night, even on the ramparts. They're just too thick. There are ways to avoid this, but I'd like suggestions."
"Traps," Kiba Inuzuka immediately expressed, mouth firm.
Neji frowned.
"Traps, yes, but I wouldn't doubt that Itachi already has scouts in the woods. Our arrival was nothing more than conspicuous."
"If we set the traps far back, it would hold Itachi up for a little while, Neji," murmured Naruto.
"'A little while' is not acceptable, Naruto. This is Itachi we're speaking of."
Naruto rolled his eyes.
Shino spoke up, captain of squad three.
"A little while is still enough to hold Uchiha, if you'll agree, Commander."
Neji sighed, overruled.
"Fine. Traps will be set back in the woods." Neji turned to Yamato. "How many archers are under your control here?"
"All of the soldiers here are trained in archery."
Neji nodded approvingly.
"Then from now on, they will carry bows and arrows when they take their shifts on the ramparts. If there is an attack, double the archers on the north and west walls; Itachi is no stranger to two-fronted attacks."
Yamato nodded dutifully.
Neji eyed them.
"Dismissed."
Naruto, Shino, Shikamaru, and Yamato all stood, filing out of the mess hall.
Kiba remained, leaning freely on the back of the bench.
"Kiba?"
"My lieutenant seems to think you're an ass."
Neji's brow furrowed.
"She said that?"
"Yes. I'd like to apologize on her behalf, since she probably won't do it herself."
Neji's frown deepened.
"All I did was send her on an errand," Neji stated, bewildered.
"Apparently that's equivalent to squire's work for her." Kiba sighed. "Forgive her behavior, Neji. Her father passed only a month or so ago. It's been a while since she's been with the squad."
"Surely in that time she has not forgotten that she obeys orders when an officer gives them," Neji appealed.
"I know. If it helps, I already gave her latrine duty for a week for her contentiousness."
Neji exhaled.
"She'll be stuck with Shikamaru, then. He's taken to hiding where no one can find him."
Kiba snorted.
"Serves him right, his head always being up in the clouds." Kiba lost his smile. "But please excuse TenTen's behavior. She'll grow on you, if given the chance. She's a good leader and a skilled fighter. She never misses a target."
On this last point Neji was skeptical, thinking Kiba was being boastful, but he nodded anyway.
"When do you think Itachi will strike next, Neji?" Kiba asked quietly.
Neji absently thumped the table.
"I give him a week or so to assemble forces. I expect an attack by Sunday."
Kiba's Adam's apple bobbed.
"So soon?" he prompted.
"Yes. Itachi likes to keep us on our toes, remember?"
Kiba sighed noisily and stood, stretching.
"Great. I'll have to make my squad run drills all day tomorrow to make sure they haven't been slacking. They're going to hate me for the next twenty-four hours."
Neji smiled wryly.
"It gives them character, Kiba."
"Character my ass. Have you met my squad? No amount of drills or training would make them upstanding."
Neji shook his head at his friend and said goodbye, retreating to the officer's barracks.
-
Neji wasted the rest of daylight inside his room, writing letters and drawing up strategy.
He stopped when his head started aching, glancing out the window.
The sun was setting, afternoon slowly meandering into twilight.
Neji sighed, leaning back in his desk chair.
The mess would be serving the night's meal by now.
Neji frowned, but stood, exiting the officer's barracks at leisure.
The mess hall was crowded, soldiers spilling outside of the doors in loose lines as they waited for food.
They let Neji pass in front of them without complaint.
It was raucous and incredibly disorganized in the mess. Soldiers lounged and ate with their mouths open, yelled across the expansive room, threw food at their table-mates.
Neji itched to restore order, but held himself back.
As he was waiting in line, Neji surveyed the large company.
A group of about fifteen soldiers crowded together in the middle, shielding Neji from what was going on. Forehead wrinkled, Neji broke from the line and started towards the group.
The soldiers disassembled, giving way to the attraction, a quartet of soldiers who appeared to be playing cards.
"Are you gambling?" Neji asked in his deep, low voice, in slight disbelief. "Surely you've all heard of my policy on gambling, whether you're in my squad or not."
The soldier's heads snapped up, startled.
Subtlety, three of the soldiers began to stow away their cards. They did not meet Neji's eyes. All except one.
Brown eyes stared straight at him, unashamed.
"We're only gambling a little, Commander. Would you care to play?"
Neji studied TenTen, Kiba's second-in-command. She did not look even slightly remorseful.
"No, thank you."
TenTen raised her eyebrows.
"Really? Are you afraid I'll win all of your money, Commander?"
It instantly grew quiet in the mess, soldiers and captains alike watching to see how their commander would respond.
Neji inwardly sighed. He had no choice.
"What are the stakes?" he murmured, reaching out for a chair.
The soldiers next to him tensed up; TenTen grinned, holding her hand out to collect everyone's cards.
"Fifty coins for the winner," she announced, eyeing Neji easily.
The corner of Neji's mouth quirked down, but he removed the purse of money he kept in his breeches' pocket.
He poured the money out on the table.
A soldier whistled low and steady.
"One hundred coins," TenTen stated, staring at Neji with her head cocked. She looked intrigued. "Are you that confident you'll win, Commander?"
"I know I'll win," Neji boldly muttered, staring back at her unflinchingly.
TenTen smiled and dealt the cards, swiftly explaining the rules of poker.
The game went fast, and soon, the other three soldiers were out, leaving just Neji and TenTen.
"Do you wish to give up, Commander? Save yourself some embarrassment?"
Neji ignored her, considering his cards.
Jack of spades. Eight of diamonds. Two of hearts. Five of spades. Six of clubs.
It was an awful hand and Neji knew he was a good bluffer.
He looked at TenTen. Her brown eyes were fixed on him, calculating.
Neji glanced again at his cards.
"Fold."
TenTen's eyes sparked with curiosity.
Neji placed his cards down on the table between them.
TenTen smiled after she looked them over, casting her own cards out.
A full house.
Neji ceded defeat, allowing TenTen to take his money.
"I'll buy you a drink when we get back to civilization, Commander," TenTen assured, scooping the money into a small brown pouch.
Neji stood and glanced at her over his shoulder as he went to the food line.
He found Naruto next to him.
"What happened?" the blonde asked, amusement bounding in his blue eyes.
Neji sighed grumpily.
"She stole my money, the crass carper."
Naruto snorted and clapped Neji on the shoulder.
"Don't worry. You'll have time to recover your manly pride when Itachi gets here."
Neji pursed his lips and assigned Naruto latrine duty for the next week.
Hahaha.
Just a little humor for the end. ;)
Review, please.