Ehhhhhh……Sorry? Yeah, it got a little hectic last week, that's why this is late. That and I had to plan out Neji's punishment. Don't know if I can live up to all of your expectations. --; But!!! Here it is, the next chapter. Uh, I don't think I will do dead lines anymore, to much guilt when I don't make them. But I will try to update on the weekends.

Hotaru: I can't believe you left me in the corner of your brain for 2 weeks! You have any idea how cluttered and unorganized it is back there?! Gah! I swear you have some things back there that should not be able to move around!

Spiderlilly: Huh? Oh! That's where you ended up at. I wondered what I did with you…hmmm seems like the plot bunny grave yard needs some cleaning.

Hotaru: You have a plot bunny graveyard…AND YOU PUT ME IN IT!

Spiderlilly: Hey…author here…I can do whatever I like to you…besides, you needed some renovations…TADA! Here is the new and improved you!

Wind-up toy: Master is wonderful…master is kind…master is all knowing…all praise master…

Hotaru:……………(smashes toy) I don't think it works that well, you should get a refund. (Looks innocent)

Spiderlilly: Hey! That was a one of a kind! It was so cute too….that's it! More puppy boot camp!

Hotaru: Hehehe…huh? WHAT! I just got done there. NOOOOO…..(gets dragged off…)

Inuzuka Compound: End of Training

Dulcinea was dangling by the scruff of her neck as they, meaning her and whoever was holding her, waited for Neji-sama to arrive. It had been a grueling week, but she could now out track, hunt, stalk and kill with the best of them.

Personally, she was surprised that she would accomplish all that in only a week. But after the first day of training, a lot of things had come to light. After they had started teaching her how to walk properly, many tidbits of information started to make their presence known in her mind. She suddenly knew how to do all of the things that they had been trying to teach her and more beside that. She couldn't execute the moves but she knew how to do them. It was like a flood gate had opened up in her mind. The first time it happened, she was literally floored and couldn't move. After talking to the various wolves and dogs around the compound, she found out that because she was a kitsune, that knowledge was already there, she just needed to know how to unlock it. In the end, because of this, her training had been stepped up several levels, much to her annoyance.

Now though, she could do just about anything in the realm of stealth, movement, tracking, hunting, and assassinations. She didn't have any real experience, but she was turning into a finely honed weapon. She then grinned to herself, a recent bit of knowledge were illusions. She needed a lot of practice, but she could now do illusions. The first bit of kitsune jutsu that had revealed itself. She suddenly stiffened, she could smell Neji coming and began to squirm a little.

"Haha, alright little one, stay on his head for as long as you can. Consider it your final test. If he doesn't realize that you are there before you allow it, you fail and get to spend another week here. Pass and you get to leave. Alright? Go!" Moriko whispered to the kitsune and then stepped out of sight when the kitsune launched herself to some unknown region of the courtyard.

Neji arrived at the compound at the appointed time and looked around. There were many people walking across the court yard, but his kitsune was no where in sight. After standing there until it was 5 minutes passed the appointed time. Being slightly annoyed, he started walking over to the veterinary clinic to have a word with Hana when something tickled his ear. Thinking it was just a stray piece of hair, he moved to brush it aside when he realized that his hair never came loose. Not missing a beat he completed the action and quickly grabbed what was there and realized that he was holding a rather rumpled and annoyed looking kitsune upside down by her tails. He blinked, that was the last thing he had expected. More importantly, when had she got there in the first place?

"Huh, not bad Hotaru. Even though you were caught, he didn't know you were there before you made your move." An Inuzuka woman said as she walked toward the slightly confused Hyuga holding the now annoyed kitsune still by the tails. "That was her final test. Even though she gave away her position on purpose, you didn't know she was there until she moved. I'm Inuzuka Moriko by the way, one of her instructors. She has many skills. Don't worry about payment. It was an honor to work with such a rare creature."

"Indeed." Neji said as he righted the kitsune and after giving a slight polite bow, quickly took his leave. As he left, his mind churned over the fact that he didn't detect her. This would be interesting.

"He is a strange one for sure," Moriko murmured to herself as she watched him go. She then smiled to herself, he was in for a surprise or two.

Hyuga Compound:

When Neji arrived at the main house compound, he quickly went to his chambers. He had not told the household of the real identity of his kitsune and he needed to take care of several things before they went and saw Kyubi and Naruto.

He sat the still docile kitsune on the bed and gave her a good looking over. Just as he thought, she was utterly filthy and unkempt. If he didn't take care of that soon, he would be breaking his promise to his uncle and that would be a disaster. A Hyuga never goes back on his word.

Sighing to himself, he got out the basin of now semi warm water, soap and brushes that he had prepared before getting Hotaru. He had a feeling that they were going to be needed.

Hotaru, watching from the bed, saw him acquire several certain objects from around the room, including a tub of warm water and a tarp. He was going to give her a bath she realized. What she also realized was that a week ago she would have been mortified, but now it wasn't an issue. Maybe, she wondered, it was because she didn't look human anymore? It's hard to be bashful over something you didn't have, she concluded. Just then though, something grabbed her, jerking her from her thoughts. She was about to do something regrettable when she realized it was just Neji. She glowered slightly, if she was on a mission or still at that evil training place, she would have been pronounced dead. She couldn't make that lapse in awareness again.

Neji, deciding he was prepared as he could be turned to look at the kitsune, it appeared to be relaxing on the bed. Taking the opportunity, he quickly picked her up, restrained her when she tensed but otherwise didn't move and held her up to his eyes.

"You are now going to be cleaned. Resistance will not be tolerated." He then unceremoniously put her in the tub and prepared to have to battle the kitsune to clean it. He wasn't sure if it shared the hate of being cleaned with its dog like cousins. But to his satisfaction, she didn't. It would have turned into a major hassle if he had to fight her every time she needed to be cleaned.

All in all the bath felt good, it was nice having someone to wait on you like that, but he was still going to be punished for humiliating her that way. Oh yes, it was going to be slow and painful, she thought as her master scrubbed out her fur. It had become very matted.

When she was lifted out of the now dark brown water, she now knew why dogs hated baths…her fur felt like it weighed a hundred pounds and the shampoo was over whelming her sensitive nose. Ugh, if she had to go through this after every mission, she would learn to clean herself, or not ever get dirty again.

Neji toweled off most of the water and set her down on the ground. She was only able to take a shaky step or two, the extra water really threw off her balance, and then she shook herself dry. Neji to her delight got the worst of it, him being the closest object to her. She snickered as she wobbled away, her fur now a giant fuzz ball of red fluff. The games had just begun.

Quickly licking her fur into place while up on his desk, she watched Neji send an annoyed look her direction and set about cleaning up the mess that the bath had created. Ten minutes later he had appeared in front of her with a collar in his hand. It was black leather without a single marking, the buckle blackened to hide its telling gleam. He held it out for the kitsune's inspection feeling slightly foolish.

Hotaru looked at the object offered her and then looked up at Neji's face very much wanting an explanation.

Seeing the Kitsune look up at him so questioningly he said, "If you ever find yourself away from me, it would be most unpleasant if people thought you were just a stray fox. The collar will tell all who see you that you are just a pet and if I need to travel quickly I will be able to secure you. It will allow you to blend in some what." That and it would set his mind at easy. Neji refused to fail at anything and the thought of him failing to uphold his duty to his new partner was unacceptable.

Hotaru took a closer look at the collar and saw that the clasp was designed to break away if she could get her teeth into it. Liking the safety feature and understanding that it would be bad if she was mistaken for a wild pest, she nosed the collar and yipped.

Neji was surprised when the kitsune in front of him looked closely at the collar again and then nosed it and yipped at him. Deciding that that was as close to a 'yes' as he was going to get, he quickly buckled it on to the kitsune. It fit perfectly. The little creature shook her neck, adjusting it until she was happy.

After watching her for a second, he addressed the other issue that was weighing on his mind.

"I have not told anyone that you are a kitsune, I do not think it is wise at this time. I would appreciate if you did your best to uphold this secret. There are many that support Naruto, and many that do not. Knowing that there is another kitsune in the village may spark many issues into being."

The kitsune looked at him for a second and then nodded. While he mused at that unnatural movement, the kits head moved sharply and stared at the door, a knock was then heard a few seconds later. Neji had of course sensed the person move down the hall; he was a Jonin after all. But he was slightly surprised and glad that the kit had as well. There was hope for this new partnership yet. He turned and quickly went to open the door. There was a messenger there with a letter for him. After he took the letter the man bowed and left without a word. After sliding closed the door, he opened the letter and read the message.

"The council requires my presence, after I return we will go and see Naruto." With that last word, Neji quickly left leaving a slightly confused kitsune in his wake.

The council needed him huh? Wonder what that is about. Anyway…now what can I do to punish a certain Hyuga? Hmmm?

The kitsune cackled and set about the room putting her plot into motion. She started off by rearranging the clothing drawers and his closet. Clothes in one drawer would move to another. Objects in one place quickly found themselves in other places entirely. While searching his room, she came upon a startling discovery. There was a box of fuzzy hot pink pens hidden in the back of his closet. Why they were there, she could only guess, but she knew she could have some fun with them. Then she started in on his personal weapons. He didn't use them that often but he did take good care of them. She didn't move them but she did place an illusion on them. As well as all the other well used objects in his room. He would get a bit of a shock when he tried to use anything. It's amazing what you could make the human mind believe if you used the right stimuli. She chuckled to herself and began practicing her chakra control.

She could do basic mind control techniques like illusions but still needed to practice controlling her chakra. Squaring her shoulders, she looked at the wall and began to try and walk up it. She got several feet off of the ground before she fell down. This would take a while. They didn't really get into this at the training camp. Setting her self up for the challenge, she jumped up on the wall again and continued. She was still at it 4 hours later when Neji returned.

After staring at the kitsune for a moment, he turned and walked toward his desk and had planed on pulling out a pen and a piece of paper, he had letters to write in regard to the meeting he was just at. However, he didn't have the time to do it just now so had decided to make a few notes. He was rather surprised to find that when he reached for the pens in the cup that he never moved, it wasn't there. He quickly looked up and saw that he wasn't mistaken, the cup of pens was not where it was supposed to be, it had moved to the window seal. Blinking at it, he looked at the kitsune on the ceiling, but she just cocked her head at him as if to say, "What do you want?"

He looked back at the cup and moved it back into place and picked up a pen…however the pen didn't stay the same pen that he had picked up…he had a rather bright hot pink fluffy heart covered monstrosity in his hand. Neji's veins ran cold for a brief moment. He hadn't even detected the genjutsu on the pen. He quickly looked at the kitsune who was still on the ceiling. All he got from her was a cocked head and a curious expression. For some reason a feeling of dread was settling in his bones. He almost didn't dare picking up the other pens in the cup. He knew it wasn't an enemy nin. He would have sensed it. No, what worried him was that the pen wasn't turning back. Neither, was the very pink heart studded paper in his hand. This was not good.

On the ceiling, a very satisfied kitsune chuckled to herself as she watched the range of emotions flit across Neji's face. This was going to be great. She couldn't wait until he looked into the closet.

Yeah chapter 5 is done. Any idea's as to what Hotaru should do to Neji are welcome! Hehe. I look forward to your reviews. They keep my plot bunnies hopping.