I AM BACK! After some long holiday or something like that, I finally write again! I have a new cover picture for the story, cool isn't it! Naruto's not mine and ENJOY!
"Tenten, this is nothing but a humble opinion of mine, but I think three thousand laps a day is necessary to maintain ideal weight." Lee told his female teammate in his signature all-knowing tone as the member of team Gai made their way to the Hokage tower for debriefing for their last mission. The weapon master's face reddened at Lee's bold remark and she loudly asked him if he thought that her weight was not ideal. Lee's honest answer was always, always his own grave. Neji couldn't help but to let out a little smile when Tenten punched Lee hard after hearing his bold answer (" While I believe that you're very beautiful – not as beautiful as Sakura-chan though- I hate to be the one who delivers this to you but you're not exactly proportional, Tenten. Your thighs are too big and your breasts are too small."). She then looked at the smiling Neji with barbaric expression.
"What are you smiling about? Did you find that funny?" She demanded with a high pitch voice and Neji calmly shook his head.
"No." He said casually, not wanting to irk the weapon master. The rest of the walk was filled with silence and occasional grunting from Lee, it seems like the punch hit harder than he thought. It was almost funny how Lee could anytime easily overpowered Tenten and still decided to take her punch head on instead, but nevertheless, Neji shared an understanding with that. The fact that Tenten was a girl and they were boys was descriptive enough to explain the dynamics of their friendship – or the rule on who hits who-. Neji sighed proudly at his own thought, the word 'dynamics of friendship' would never even cross the thought of the old Neji. Hyuuga Neji had changed and he was happy with that.
They finally arrived at the Hokage office after several more minutes of walking and there was a glint of relief in Tsunade's eyes as they stood in front of her. The fifth Hokage glowed much more brighter than usual and Neji knew that it had nothing to do with her rejuvenating jutsu.
"Hyuuga Neji, Rock Lee, and Tenten. You did a great job at retrieving the important scroll from Kusa." She said as she read their report and when she shrugged her head to look at them, she was beaming. Tenten beamed back at her, proud that her idol was satisfied with her work.
"And while I bet you're still tired with your last A-rank mission," Tsunade started in a tone that Neji knew too well that there was something else -which usually was unpleasant – coming. "I have just one another mission for you to take today."
There.
"That is most honoring, Tsunade-sama." Lee answered with a gentleman manner that came out of nowhere. "The beauty of two missions in a row! This is a good training for us." He continued. Neji looked at Tenten to search for support, but the girl was already swept away by Tsunade's prior compliment. It was definitely two against one.
"We can't do that. The protocol was that we didn't take any mission for the next 3 days after completing an A-rank mission or above." Neji tried but Tsunade shrugged it off with a chuckle.
"Don't be such a strict man, Neji. Protocols are made to be bent whenever convenient, anyway. Besides, we absolutely need your team's assistance in this mission." She eyed Tenten with an assuring look.
That old crone. She knew that Tenten was a sucker for her compliment. Neji huffed in annoyance. He had planned training sessions with Hinata tomorrow and maybe he could dig some info about Ino from her The most pleasant thing about Hinata is that even though she found out that he had a crush on Ino, she wouldn't tell a single soul. Tenten, on the other hand, was a little bit hard to trust in that department. Neji's train of thoughts were then broken by Tenten cheery remarks.
"We would absolutely be happy to help, Tsunade-sama."
There was a victorious smile on Tsunade's complexion before it turned into the usual professional look when she briefed a team for a mission.
"The mission is B-rank. However, failure is unacceptable." She eyed them. "I'll have you all demoted to genin rank shall this mission be failed." Her glare when she looked at each of them one by one was icy, it seemed like her relieved and relaxed look from earlier had gone to nowhere. Lee gulped and Tenten flinched at her glare. Neji, on the other hand, frowned at that. Demoting ninjas is usually done over some fatal mistakes or abstinence from mission in a long period. A failed B-rank mission couldn't be a reason for demotion usually. Neji was going to question about it but the sound of door being knocked and opened interrupted him. Gai waltzed into the room and Lee greeted him in exaggerating manner.
"Sensei!" He cried in happiness.
"Lee!" The greeting was sealed with a bone-crunching hug between the two with the background of sunset. Tenten rolled her eyes . They had seen the two in their hyperbole method of communicating for what feels like forever now, but Neji would never be accustomed to that. The concept of springtime of youth was something he never quite get a grasp on.
"So it's a four-man cell," Neji looked at Tsunade who nodded briefly.
"Gai would be joining you for this mission indeed."
"This is mostly just your usual escort mission." Tsunade continued.
"An escorting mission with two jonins and two chuunins? Who are we escorting?" Neji asked skeptically. Even the daimyo was escorted by four chuunins, for God sake.
"You'll be escorting Yamanaka Ino to Kumogakure." Tsunade said.
"Ino?" The way Tenten gasped gave away the fact that she knew about the arranged marriage. Tsunade's lips quirked into a small smile.
"Ino is arranged to be married with Darui of the Kumogakure." She told them in a calm tone but nonetheless, Lee and Gai still responded with an over-the-top reaction.
"That is awesome!" Lee cheered.
"Marriage is a key to eternal youth!" Gai cried in happiness. "Asuma will be proud watching her from his grave!" He exclaimed. Tsunade seemed satisfied with the warm reception of the information.
"Your mission was to escort her to Kumogakure, help her settle for the next five months, and most importantly, ensure the wedding happens." Tsunade told them sternly. "Failure is not acceptable, and my threat about demotion is not empty." The tone in her voice was indicating that she was serious.
"We will not fail!" Lee said confidently. "With the help of youth and love, nothing could stand in front of us!" His eyes were practically burning with will at the moment.
Neji froze where he stood. He was to ensure the wedding of Darui and Ino?
Never. Never in a thousand years.
He seriously considered to withdraw from the mission before something else was taken by his consideration. Ino was going to Kumo for the next five months, and she was going to marry Darui there. The moment he withdrew from this mission was the moment when his chance of making Ino his deflated to zero, and he previously thought fifteen percent was bad enough. Also, the fact that she was going to Kumo means that all the other boys couldn't get their arms around her. It would practially be a one on one battle with him and Darui. His chance boosted up to fifty percent by taking the mission. It was a no-brainer , apparently.
"The mission's going to need resilience which your team does best," Tsunade gave an acknowledging nod to both Gai and Lee who instantly gave her a thumb.
"Ino's heart is easily swayed and it is your job to convince her that the marriage is right." Tsunade said.
This mission is destined to fail. It was the first time Neji was given a mission and decided to sabotage it . His loyalty toward Konoha was fierce and he would have killed Ino without hesitation had she gone rogue and pose a threat to Konoha. However, her arranged marriage was an utterly different matter. He was not that stupid to let her be stolen away from him for the sake of some so-called alliance.
"And when it's hard , just remind yourself that there will be generous award waiting for you at the end of the day." There was a short moment of musing in Tsunade's part before she continued. "Or the punishment of failure that awaits."
Neji sighed as he realized that he forgot to consider the prospect of demotion. Tsunade must have known about the possibility of one of them straying, but Neji was resolute about his decision. No amount of demotion would stop him from sabotaging this mission.
This is his last and only chance on winning her, after all.
XXX
This is not the kind of situation that he had expected to happen. Where are the flurry battles of all men fighting for one woman in the name of love? Was it all only a myth? Sai shook his head in dissatisfaction. No one make a bold move except for the shameless Genma and possessive Sasuke, and it was even done separately! He would have expected at least battle of arguments from Genma and Sasuke, even though it was remotely possible. He had to do something to spice things up. He had to intervene for things to get heated. His last intervention before Ino fled to Kumo and became unreachable. With that in mind, he knocked the door and mustered up a smile. The door flung open and a feminine figure emerged, looking a little bit surprised by his visit.
"Good afternoon, Shizune-san. I think it's about time we join forces."
XXX
Neji had volunteered to be the one who inform Ino about the mission. He hadn't met her for such a long time now, and the last time he saw her was when she was on a date with that sleazy Genma. Neji sighed in annoyance at the memory, he was annoyed mostly because Genma was such a philanderer and Ino didn't deserve him, but it was partly because that the senbon sucker get to be on a date with Ino first, that he had to be the first one who made the move. It was almost like he told all the other guys who develop feelings for Ino that they're a coward, and he's not so wrong. He was nowhere in progress because Tsunade had given him tons of missions ever since the dinner with Sai, but now he had been given the chance, and Neji was more than determined to make the best out of it.
He excused himself to the seemingly empty house and head straight to the room. He knocked the door of her room and opened the door. Ino was sitting on a chair with her heads lying on the desk in front of her. He took a step forward and she shrugged her head in an abrupt movement as if she had just realized his presence.
"To what do I owe this honor?" He knew that she had intended her voice to sound playful, but it was all just plain weary to him. It was obvious that she had been crying.
"My team is assigned to be your escort to Kumo." He answered curtly. Ino snorted.
"Wonderful." She said sarcastically. "How much do you know?"
"Everything. We leave tonight at 7 PM sharp."
She huffed. "That's quite a trick Tsunade pulled. You hate Kumo and you hate me. I bet she told you to ensure the wedding happen before leaving."
"I don't hate Kumo or you."
"Oh really, Kumo being the village that kills your father and you don't hate them? You must be some kind of an angel, Neji."
Oh, how Neji forgot how annoying Ino could get. He had changed a lot from how he used to back then, and yet she still kept getting on his nerve.
"Don't cross that line, Ino. I'm not that patient."
"And what?" She scoffed. "You're going to hit me like you used to?"
She's making things hard for him. He loved Ino and he wanted to protect her, but that little mouth of her kept spewing venomous words that get on his nerves. The fact that he had hit her once during their mission was repeatedly used as one of her ammo whenever she was getting mad at him.
"You know why I hit you that day, Ino. You cross the boundaries and dance on it." Neji maintained his calm. He tried to understand that this is Ino at her worst, things must have been weird for her, and she unleashed it toward him, inappropriate, but he understood that. Hehad to, if he wished on getting in her good side.
"I'm sorry." Ino finally said after several moments. "Things have been spiraling out of control recently and I can't quite keep up with it."
"It doesn't justify you unleashing it to me." He told her sternly and Ino made a small smile.
"I'm sorry."
"Is it about the marriage?" He asked her with a concerned look.
"Not really." She huffed in annoyance. "Right now I'm actually rather grateful with the marriage."
The huff in annoyance after was from Neji.
"You can't wait to get married to one of those Kumo dogs. Right."
"Oooh, is my ex-husband jealous?" She teased him as she put on her rucksack. "Let's go."
"Technically we never get divorced." He said as he followed Ino jumping to the street. His remark was soon followed by Ino's soft chuckle.
"We never technically get married either, so that doesn't matter."
Neji didn't have any response to that so he stayed silent and followed her to the front gate. As they made it to the Tea Avenue, it seems like there was a festival going on there.
"It's a night exhibition!" She gasped. Neji closed his eyes. God knows how much Ino loved festivals and exhibitions and event that was similar to that.
"Ino, it's almost 7 PM, you can see all the exhibitions you want in Kumo." Neji said.
Ino turned around and pouted. "Do you know that this is probably my last event in Konoha?"
"You're exaggerating." Neji deadpanned.
"Ha. Doesn't work." Ino said loudly. Neji rolled his eyes.
"You know I don't let sentiments interfering with the mission." He said as they pierced through the crowd in an excruciatingly slow pace. Ino was eyeing right and left with so much excitement that she probably didn't hear him.
"They sold that mauve skirt half price! Neji," She turned around. "Please?"
"They're the same skirt you're wearing now." Neji eyed her skirt and Ino chuckled in smugness.
"It's different color."
"It's purple."
"It's a different purple. I'm disappointed that this is coming from someone who can literally see through anything."
"It's purple, in general." Neji continued with his stubbornness. "And it's 7 PM now. Do you want Lee to charge you with 300 hundred laps?"
"Lee can't charge me." Ino lifted her chin vainly. "I once threaten him that I ..."
"Ino." A familiar dark voice greeted her and Neji heard that voice often enough to know who it belonged Sasuke stood in front of them with his hands in his pocket. Ino looked at him and gave him a smile.
"Ah, Sasuke-kun." She gave him an awkward smile. Sasuke gave her a judging look from head to toe before continuing.
"So you're really leaving."
"I wouldn't want to get in the way of you and Sakura." She said. Sasuke looked at her for a second and then shrugged his shoulder in total detachment.
"Yeah. Whatever." He said and as sudden as he came, he disappeared as he walked past through the crowd. Ino took a deep breath.
"You don't naturally socialize with Uchiha Sasuke." Neji pointed out.
"Did you call that socialization?" Ino retorted.
"He did go out of his way to find you and ask you that."
"So, we socialize. And then?"
"Are you still one of the girl that chases him around everywhere?"
"No. Girls grow up and Hinata's the only one who still does that."
"Don't bring Hinata into this." He told her sternly.
"Somebody got a thing for inceeeest." Ino teased him in a singsong mocking tone and Neji had to grit his teeth. He looked at Ino and gave her a reprimanding look.
"You're a step out of the boundary, Ino."
"Yeah. Sorry." Ino said in a totally unapologetic tone. "Anyone will undoubtedly got a thing for it anyway, when your cousin is as hot as Hinata."
"You should move on from Sasuke." Neji ignored her. "He's done too much bad for the village."
"Hmm." Was Ino's only response and they didn't talk for the rest of the walk. When they arrived at the front gate Lee and Tenten were already waiting for them.
"Sorry we're late." Ino said as she gave Tenten a friendly hug. "The exhibition is so wonderful that I couldn't help to ogle at each shop."
"Gai-sensei is sick." Tenten told them. "Food poisoning. His curry was tampered with."
"Hence the frustrated Lee." Neji glanced at a depressed Lee squatting with dark aura surrounding his figure. Ino frowned in confusion.
"Tampered with, by who?"
"We don't know, Shizune-san told us that it doesn't matter since it's only laxative and was probably just a prank, she said after a good pack of liquid infused into his body, he's good to go."
"What a silly prank." Neji frowned. "Are we going to wait for him getting infused?"
"Kakashi-sensei is being briefed at the moment as Gai-sensei's substitute." The weapon master said.
"Kakashi, huh." Ino muttered.
"Yo." The familiar lazy voice greeted them as the silver haired jonin held up his hand. Ino turned her back on him.
"We should go."
XXX
"Are you sure this will work?" Shizune asked hesitantly as she closed the door to Gai's room. Sai shrugged his head as he stood up from where he sat.
"It's the only way."
"I hope Kakashi and Neji will convince her back." Shizune said with a look of concern as she looked at Sai's notebook before giving it back to its rightful owner.
"I hope your note is not bogus."
"Please, Shizune-san." Sai smiled. "I took great pride in my work."
XXX
"It is my fault that I let Gai-sensei eat the whole bowl of curry. I should go to Kumo on my hands." Lee said as he shifted his position to the handstand stance.
"You're going to slow the progress of the mission, Lee." Tenten huffed.
"With the power of youth, I believe I can keep up with you guys!" His tone was one of the determined and confident one as he nimbly jumped from tree to tree with his hands. Ino who ran at the center of the formation turned her head around and looked at him.
"Lee, what will I do if there are bad guys attacking us while you still get your hands sore all over?" Lee smiled widely and gave her a thumb while he was still maintaining his handstand position.
"It'll be okay, Ino-chan! This is part of the training and ..."
"Hmm, I wonder what Sakura will say if you get your hands sore like that." Ino cut him fast. "Oh, I guess it's 'That's pathetic! Sasuke's way cooler!' or something like that."
Sakura and Sasuke in the same sentence seems to be the magic words as Lee quickly moved back to his normal position.
"Thank you for enlightening me, Ino-chan! Oh, how I was so blind while I stand in the way of my eternal love." Lee said dramatically.
"However, my crime to Gai-sensei won't go unpunished!" Lee said. "Maybe I should bring two hundred kilos of rocks in my back while we're running."
"There's no end to this." Tenten snorted.
"Lee, why don't you run three hundred laps around the village instead once we reach Kumo? Running is good for your whole body." She gave him a smile. "Rocks in your back are going to make your back and shoulder sore. I don't think Sakura like sore back or shoulder either."
"Yes, Ino-chan! Anything to get Sakura likes me."
Neji chuckled. "That's rather cruel, Ino. Kumo was thrice as big as Konoha."
"Oh really," Ino said. "Sakura likes guys with stamina, I heard. Naruto's rather good with that … Maybe she'll like him instead?"
"I CAN RUN THREE THOUSANDS LAPS AROUND KUMO!" Lee's whole body was burning with will of fire and Ino grinned with satisfaction at Neji.
"Don't look so smug. You reap what you sow, Ino. You'll get dragged somehow."
XXX
He watched the sky as the others fell into a deep slumber due to exhaustion. They have been running for nearly eight hours without stopping (mostly because Lee's bold refusal to rest) until finally Kakashi, the leader of the mission, ordered them to stop and rest until dawn. Lee himself looked like he was exhausted to so his weak refusal was immediately crushed by Ino easily ("Sakura loves people who knows when to rest, I bet."). Neji lost the jan-ken-pon and was on for the first watch. He didn't feel that exhausted, actually. Things with Gai-sensei sometimes had been meaninglessly harder.
Suddenly, there was a creaking sound at his back and he immediately turned around and turned his Byakugan on. A small squirrel meekly rushed into the bush faraway. Neji sighed, that was unnecessary. He glanced toward the camp to make sure that everyone was there, and indeed there was four figures lying inside the camp … except Ino's and Kakashi's body were bunshins. Neji's eyes widened in surprise. Where could the two of them be?
He quietly looked around and focused his eyes and did a complete 360 degrees swap. They shouldn't be so faraway. Neji hesitated to leave his post unmanned so he made a bunshi to walk around to widen his radius. He walked deeper into the forest as his mind raced as to why Ino and his team leader missing. Ino and Kakashi's intensity of socializing was as rare as Ino and Sasuke's, only rarer, so they couldn't possibly went away to hang out. They must got some secret missions from Lady Tsunade, and that fact actually made him hesitate to meddle with whatever their business are. But, what if something else happened? Kakashi didn't strike him as someone who would get kidnapped or something like that, but life had proven to him one too many times that anything could happen. One can never be too cautious. Neji continued his walk for another several minutes when he finally saw a familiar figure of hair in high ponytail faraway. He immediately recognized it as Ino's and rushed closer before the view become clearer and … what?
What in the world are they doing?
Neji froze at his place where he currently stood with his byakugan looked at Ino … and Kakashi, behind her. He had never slept with a woman, but he was well-informed enough to know what that position implied. Emotions after emotions washed over him and he wasn't even sure that rage was one of them. He was jealous. And disappointed. Why in the world Ino and Kakashi did that? His mind raced in an utter chaos and Neji found it hard to cling to composure to stay within his chakra disguise. He was brimmed with so many questions in his mind.
Was it actually a super secret mission? But what's the point?
Or did they sleep with each other … just like that?
If yes, then since when? Was it only a moment of passion? Was it just some kind of Ino's breakdown?
And if yes, why Kakashi? Why not him?
Questions after questions barged into his mind and he decided to walk away from there. He wanted to go away from that very spot, he wanted to deactivate his byakugan, he wanted to dismiss the bunshin, but his body didn't function. He stood at that spot very still, his byakugan still feeding him vision of Kakashi screwing Ino. His brain kept repeating 'Why Kakashi?' over and over. When he snapped out of his trance, they seemed to have done with their previous business, and were tidying up. She seemed to have said something to Kakashi, but he couldn't hear what. Feeling like he's half in anyway, Neji walked closer until they were within his earshot which actually was nearly as far as his vision, he stopped as soon as Ino's voice could be heard.
"... won't care." He only caught the last part of her sentence.
"You don't have to dramatize everything, Ino-chan." His ear was now feeding him Kakashi's voice. There was patience in his tone. "It's only one question."
"So, you do don't care." Ino said. "I guess it's too much to ask, right? For you to be at least jealous." Her voice had been one of those that reminded him of a little girl who's throwing tantrums because her dad didn't buy her shoes.
"I am jealous and it doesn't change everything." There was his sigh. "Tsunade ordered the team to convince you to marry Darui at the expense of our rank. You know what Tsunade means by 'convince'." Kakashi said.
"Even though if you want, I can always declare war with Kumo and steal you away." There was a humorous tone in his voice but it seems like Ino didn't appreciate it.
"Well, it's too late, now." She glared at him. "I don't want to be stolen by anyone at the moment."
"Hmm."
"Why do you sound so skeptic?" Ino demanded.
"You've been so busy with everyone. Sasuke, Genma," He eyed her. "I am curious actually, did you sleep with Genma too?"
Slap.
Neji had expected her to yell at him out of rage but she stayed silent after that, Kakashi was the one who continued to talk. It seems like it was more like her answer for his previous question.
"No, then. The point is, you don't have time for me."
"How is it becoming my fault?" Ino asked in a high pitched tone. "I don't need to spare time for you, Sensei. You're not my boyfriend, we're just sleeping together."
"That's cruel." Kakashi said that like he didn't mean it.
"And this is the last time we're doing this. I have a husband waiting for me at Kumo."
"Darui's not your husband."
"Soon to be husband."
"Let's see." Kakashi grinned behind his mask. "Now that I said it, the idea of stealing you away sounds fascinating."
" You know what? Tsunade doesn't have to actually send four people to ensure the wedding. I'm not going to let anything, or anyone, or you, change that anyway." Ino retorted and then she let out a scoff. "You're just bitter because you're going to lose your friend for benefit. You should find a new one, Sensei. I heard Anko-san is looking for opening."
There was smugness in Kakashi's laugh after. "You don't understand, Ino-chan." He said. "I love you."
And then he kissed her.
XXX
Even as they arrived 5 days later in Kumo, Neji was still processing the event he saw on their first night. He tried to shrug it off and focused himself with Lee in his foolery and meaningless skits, but it apparently doesn't put his mind to rest. Tenten was of course the first to realize this, her time with him all these years made her able to see through his discomposure even though he didn't show it. She had asked him why, but he only gave her a smile and shrugged her off.
"Welcome to Kumo!" A red haired kid greeted them at the gate with a wide smile across his face.
"Ino-neechan, I've been waiting for you!" He said and Ino beamed back at him.
"Yukai! It's been too long! War's the last time we met, right?"
"Uhm, Ino-chan. If I may inquire, who's this little kid with green hair?" Lee asked Ino and Yukai looked offended at the question.
"I'm not a little kid, y'know." He said, looking at Lee with annoyance.
"So somebody did get ahead of me." A blonde young man approached the team. Neji recognized him as C of the sensory division. He took a quick glance at each one of them before finally landed his gaze on Ino.
"We've got the letter from Kuromaru." He said. "Someone's eager, hm?" He gave Ino a teasing smirk which Ino replied with the same expression.
"I woke up one day and realized that I can't be away from my handsome fiance a minute more."
"Said handsome fiance was on a mission though." C said as he turned around. "Come, follow me, Konoha shinobi. The Raikage requested your presence."
"Then it's time for me to take off, everyone. See you later, Ino-neechan." Yukai said and in a matter of a second, he was already out of sight.
"Darui's on a mission?" Ino said as he walked alongside C at the front of the team. Neji could swore that there was a hint of relief on her voice.
"Yes, your letter took us all by surprise, actually. Not in a bad way, but still."
"I'm sorry if it's so sudden." Ino said.
"It is so sudden." C agreed. "But, well, don't be sorry. A-sama was overjoyed. For the first time he did all his paperwork without Mabui yelling his ear off first."
"Tsunade-sama looks overjoyed too." Lee chimed into the conversation eagerly.
"Then it means you've done our and your village a big favor." C ended the conversation before he led the team to the inside of Raikage office. The Raikage was still as intimidating as Neji could ever remember but Neji could tell that he was in a generous mood. The hard line on his face Neji used to see was gone. A looked relaxed.
"Welcome to Kumogakure, Konoha shinobi, Ino." He eyed Ino and Ino gave her a respectful nod. Nothing interesting happened during the briefing with the Raikage and Neji found himself kept glancing toward Ino who looked like she was trying hard to keep her focus on the Raikage as well. Neji had agonized it for several days and he had chosen not to confront Ino about it, at least for now. There's no point on doing that and Ino will become more and more defensive toward main problem was that Neji was not so sure anymore that he wants Ino and to make matter worse, each time he tried to confront the problem, the image he saw earlier that night kept replaying in his mind. He hissed in annoyance as the image popped up in his head as they followed C who had the task to show them around Kumo. The tour eventually ended in front of the guest house they're staying in. After wishing them a good stay, C excused himself and they were left all alone.
"So, what are we doing here?" Tenten asked as they finished settling in. Ino threw herself to the couch and let out a relieved sigh.
"I don't know, resting? Is the trip not taking a toll on you?" She asked. She hugged a pillow and let out another relieved sigh. "These pillows are so comfy."
"You're right. Maybe we should go upstairs and have some … girl talk." Tenten glanced at Neji with full of meaning and Ino giggled. Kakashi was already nowhere to be seen and Lee had excused himself saying that he wanted to try Kumo training ground which practically left Neji the only man in the house.
"Fine, I'll take a look around the village as well." He said. Tenten gave him a sorry smile as he closed the front door. Kumo was considerably much colder than Konoha, mostly because it was located near mountains and there are a lot less people wandering around the village compared to Konoha. Neji walked aimlessly around, as he looked at what the sidewalk was offering. It was mainly just shops after shops even though he did try to memorize each one of it should the need arise. There are some Kumo shinobi who were placed at the same division with him during the war who greeted him and they did some small talk to catch up, and from those talks, Neji found out that it seems like Kumo had been busy rebuilding the structure and trying to recover from the war. The war had indeed taking a toll on every village and the importance of alliance just kept getting stronger and stronger. Neji mused on this fact while he decided to treat himself a late lunch in one small soba stall his friend had recommended to him. It was then a voice greeted him.
"Ah, you were with Ino-neechan from earlier." He lifted his head to find golden eyes staring at him. It was the boy who greeted them on the gate earlier.
"Yes." Neji gave him a smile. "I never did catch your name though."
"I'm Yukai." He gave him a big grin and then he hesitantly looked at an empty seat next to him. "Are those seats empty? There are no more empty tables."
"Sure. Go ahead." Neji said and Yukai took a seat across of him.
"You must be Hyuuga Neji, right? My sister told me about your brave conduct of protecting your cousin." Yukai said eagerly after he ordered his order.
"Sister?" Neji frowned. Yukai indeed looked like someone he couldn't quite place.
"So you're here, Neji." Another voice called him and Neji turned around and his question was immediately answered. Dark red hair and golden eyes, the other only person who had that characterization was none other that Karui. Omoi was right behind her.
"It's been a long time, Karui, Omoi." Neji smiled.
"Yeah." Karui replied as she took next to Neji and Omoit took a seat next to Yukai.
"I bet you are on that arranged marriage mission, huh?" She asked and Neji nodded.
"I couldn't say that I'm glad with that." Karui said honestly. "Konoha and Kumo doesn't have really great history, after all."
"Indeed." Neji commented as he was reminded of his bitter past that involved a lot of Kumo.
"Ino-neechan is a great person." Yukai defended Ino. "She's the one who's tending me on the medic tent and connecting me to you at the process."
"Sure, sure." Karui brushed his brother off. It seems like it's not the first time Yukai had told her that.
"It's just that you don't trust Konoha enough, do you?" Neji asked.
"She might be a great person and all, but well, who knows what your Hokage tells you and her to do." Omoi reasoned and despite his suspicion toward Konoha, Neji found that his argument was not at all baseless.
"I don't see the importance of this marriage. Maybe the Kage just want to have some fun matchmaking people." Karui said as she received her bowl of soba.
"I heard that this marriage had been planned for a long time, what is happening, actually? Could there be another war brewing? I heard Iwa and Kiri had allied with each other one way or another."
"Oh please, you think too much, Omoi." Karui scoffed at his opinion.
"Anything is possible." Omoi said before slurping his own soba.
"I just hope that the girl doesn't back out now that she said that she wants to stay here to prepare for the marriage." Karui commented.
"Why is that?" Neji asked, he was reminded of his initial intention to sabotage the mission.
"A-sama was overjoyed and it's very rare to see him in such a good mood." Karui said. "The last time he's this happy was when our intel revealed that B-sensei is still alive."
"If Ino let her hopes down, only God knows what might happen." Omoi told him. "He's not the kind of person who'll just let anything off the hook, so there will be another war probably."
"What's with you and war, Omoi-niisan? Last war had proven to us that it's not in anyway advantaging and should be avoided at all cost." Yukai chimed in; having finished his soba in an even faster speed than Neji who ordered first.
"Yeah, someone got severe case of paranoia here. I was just going to say that A-sama was probably going to leash out on us and gave us a ton of paperworks." Karui eyed Omoi.
"No, war's total possibilty." Omoi defended his opinion. "Kumo and Konoha didn't have that great history and if the girl's backing away, what is she doing here then?"
"Well, she changed his mind, Omoi. It doesn't mean that she's on secret mission or something. A girl can have a change of heart." Karui said.
"Well, what if it was Darui who has a change of heart?" Neji asked. The three Kumo shinobi laughed at his question.
"Darui-san devoted his life for A-sama. He won't back away as long as A-sama doesn't order otherwise." Yukai told Neji. Neji frowned.
"Back to the war, I heard your dad died during war between Kumo and Konoha years ago." Omoi looked at him. "So sorry man,"
Neji shrugged his head and then he lifted his shoulder. "I've overcome my hatred toward Kumo years ago as well, so it doesn't matter anymore."
"Speaking of which, it's you and your team's job too, right? To ensure Ino's marriage?" Karui asked.
"It is."
"So, war or not, we could totally depend on Neji-san, right?" Yukai asked as he eyed him with full of hopes.
"I'll do my best." Neji said, he was not so sure of his answer anymore.
"I bet, you wouldn't want tragedy that befalls you years ago to repeat after all, would you?" Omoi asked and Neji fell silent.
Omoi had a point on that.
XXX
"NEJI!" Lee opened the door of their shared room in dramatically two days after Neji's conversation with Yukai, Karui and Omoi. Neji, who was studying a scroll at the desk, turned his head to see Lee's reddened face.
"What is it?" Neji asked as he stood up and approached his teammate.
"This is bad! Ino is … Ino is ..."
"What happen with Ino?" He asked calmly even though worried started to seep through.
"I was doing my three thousand laps around Kumo and then I was lost in a forest. The forest was so green and so I thought that it must be a forest of youth." Lee told him.
"You know the forest of youth, don't you Neji?" Lee asked excitedly. "It is said that ..."
"Lee, please don't get sidetracked. We are talking about Ino." Neji told him and Lee gasped in realization.
"Yes! How kind of you Neji to remind me that." Lee nodded. "It seems like Kakashi-sensei and Ino was ..." Lee's face reddened.
"They were doing the symbol of eternal love!"
Neji frowned at his symbolization of eternal love but didn't have the time to question about that. He was so vexed by Ino and Kakashi's behavior.
Really? Here, in Kumogakure? Isn't it a little bit too much?
"What did you do then?"
"I run as fast as I can to tell you."
"Good. Don't tell anyone, Lee. This is a very delicate matter. Will you please find Tenten? We are going to have a meeting right now." Neji said. He was not the mission leader, but measures had to be taken. Lee nodded and ran to fetch Tenten. Neji went to the living room and was about to go search for Kakashi and Ino when the two of them went in. Both of them could read people well enough to tell that Lee had told Neji everything.
"So Lee told you," Ino asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence that enveloped the room.
"He's fetching Tenten now, after that we'll talk about this." Neji deadpanned. Kakashi took a seat at a recliner and read his Icha Icha novel and stayed silent. Neji wondered how he could keep calm about this, don't he understand how dangerous the position Konoha in if it weren't Lee who found them but some other Kumo ninja instead? Ino, Neji could understand. But Kakashi was not usually as reckless as that.
Not so long after, Lee brought Tenten home and Neji told her the situation. Tenten gasped and looked at Ino in disbelief. Ino let out a smile at her and Neji had a feeling that if the situation was so serious, Tenten wouldn't have taken it so seriously either and they would just have those 'girl talk' again.
"Don't you understand how dangerous that is?" Neji asked finally. It was the question he had been wanting to ask.
"The area was supposed to be safe." Ino said. "Lee got lost and get lucky … or unlucky. That's all."
"It's not safe if Lee could easily find you." Neji told her.
"The genjutsu I set up only work with the Kumo shinobi," Kakashi chimed in suddenly. "We never expect Lee to go there out of all places."
"And you're supposed to marry Darui, Ino." Neji looked at her and Ino looked away.
"Don't worry, Neji. She had all the intentions in the world to marry Darui." Kakashi told Neji who scoffed skeptically at that.
"While sleeping with you on the side?"
"Neji, please don't be too hard." Tenten said and Neji looked at her with disbelief.
"There could be another war because of this. Is it just that hard to understand? More casualties, more death, just because you can't keep your desire properly."
"I fully understand, Neji." Ino said. "I'm sorry, Kakashi and I were just fooling around. There will be no next time, I promise." She said.
"I got hesitant for a second that's all." She added meekly.
"That doesn't justify you sleeping with other man." Neji said. Ino looked down and Kakashi stayed silent, it seems like he figured out that they would get nothing but lectures so he didn't take much part on it. Neji looked at Ino's figure and took a deep breath.
God, he was jealous.
He was enraged because it's Kakashi she was snooping around with, enraged because it's Darui she was engaged to. Neji knew deep down from the very first start, that he still wants Ino so much, even as the events unfold before him. However, the premonition of war scared him even more. He didn't want anybody else died. He didn't want his tragic past repeated to him, or to anyone else. He loved Ino, but he knew the instant he talked with Omoi earlier that afternoon that he had lost his battle.
"Listen, Ino. I'm going to ensure your marriage to Darui. At all cost."
It will be his ultimate sacrifice.
OH MY GOD IT'S FINALLY DONE TT^TT
Anyway, about the 'sleeping' topic, I shouldn't change the rating just because I mention it right? Right?
I know it's a little bit twisted and there's not much of Neji-Ino here.
My friend read this fic and said that "Seriously? You make Ino eleven-timing people?"
I figured that I should cut down the number then … Hmm.
ANYWAY, THOUGHTS AND REVIEWS PLEASE :) IT WILL BE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED :)