Alright guys, I know it's literally been years since I updated anything, so I know you guys must be excited about an update like this! It's been a long few years, and believe it or not I haven't stopped writing fanfic's at all. I've just not been posting them, so you can guess that I have plenty of material to use now. The bad news is, it's mostly for Game fic's my Mass Effect and Dragon Age, but not to worry, I promised I'd finish these fic's up and I will. Whether or not I start new Naruto fic's has yet to come up, so if it happens it does, if not you'll at least get the ones I have up done.

It's been a long time, so forgive the style changes at least a little. Without further wait, here's the long awaited next chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!

Chapter twenty: Storm

Somewhere around Lightning:

" I have mentioned that I hate you right?" Neji Hyuuga asked rhetorically to her ANBU partner, Saku Haruno, as they raced from branch to branch after their intended target item. Saku glanced over with his Tiger mask down covering his features. Neji didn't need to see his face to know he was giving her a dark glare, just as he didn't need to see behind her Eagle mask to see her annoyed look.

" Whose fault is it that the blasted scroll was taken right under our noses Eagle?" Saku asked with a deep growl. Neji snorted at him.

" Not mine if that's what you're insinuating. You were to retrieve the scroll while I kept them at bay." She retorted. Saku made a very strange sound that sounded almost like a half yell before he rose his hands up to his head and massaged his temples.

" No Eagle, I said we would ambush the caravan so that the dozen bandits and bunch of mercenaries wouldn't kill us outright. You had to rush in ahead instead of listening and blow our chance at a sneak attack. THAT is why they got away with the scroll and we're chasing them all over the blasted place. Because you still can't listen to me." Saku said shaking his head, sending pink locks scattering in the wind that whipped at them in their sprint.

Neji turned her lips down at that. It wasn't that she had wanted to risk their lives, it was just...she found it hard to listen to anything he said when it came to Shinobi matters. There had only been a little over a dozen people between them and a scroll, it wasn't her fault that they had placed fake scrolls all over the caravan while the real scroll was hidden on one of the bandits that got away.

" You aren't in charge of this mission Tiger, you do not give orders." She replied. She sure the hell wasn't going to take the blame for this mistake. It was his fault that they couldn't deal with the small number of enemies before the one got away with their intended item.

" It wasn't an order! It was a strategic plan! I'm sorry you couldn't come up with one faster then that, but we didn't have all day to sit and watch the bandits while we argued in the trees about what to do. Just how long have you been in ANBU now that you can't see the use of a strategic plan and ambush a caravan?!" Saku demanded though he knew how long she'd been in ANBU they'd got in at the same time, it was why they were stuck as partners.

Neji clucked her tongue silently at that as they ran in silence for a short while. They were gaining on the one that got away, his trail was still fresh thankfully. She refused to believe she was in the wrong. Sure spending time together outside of missions had made her see that he wasn't a bad person and that he was a male she was attracted to physically, but that didn't mean she saw him as any different when it came to a partner in ANBU. He was still a medic and male. That hadn't changed.

When they got the scroll they'd get home and he'd find his lovers and then maybe he'd finally be stuck in the village and forced to retire from ANBU and she'd get a new partner. That would be perfect. Never mind what her Aunt wanted her to do, she wasn't going to be stuck with Sakura Haruno her entire life, not when she'd finally get away from him. He was much easier to stand outside missions anyway and he was pleasant to look at. He'd finally be where he belonged taking care of his lovers and children. After all, there was no better place for a man then between a woman's legs.

" I have a feeling that this bandit is leading us toward a ambush." Neji spoke up, the bandit seemed to not be branching from his goal, and why would a bandit fleeing for his life not run in a way to lessen their likely hood of tracking him easier? It just seemed too easy to follow his trail like he was guiding them toward a certain place. Saku snorted behind his mask and Neji glanced over with an annoyed frown.

" You meant the bandit's are actually smarter then you? What a surprise that they know what a ambush is and how to use it! Maybe we should ask them for lessons when we catch up to them." Saku said in pure sarcasm. Neji wasn't sure she liked that he wasn't being quiet and just ignoring her like he usually did during missions. She blamed the Captain for this, if she would have just left them alone they would have been fine. Then maybe Saku wouldn't have been so tensed up and ready to snap back a reply, ready to defend himself. That was the problem, he wasn't rolling over anymore to her.

Neji paused and almost missed the branch ahead of her. Wasn't that what she had wanted from him? She hadn't wanted him to be such a pushover. She wanted him to stand up for himself, be aggressive, ready to push her down and dominate her. She scowled to herself. She hadn't wanted that in their work life, just personal life. It figured that he'd finally do what she wanted and she wasn't happy about it.

It was getting darker now, the sun setting low in the sky. If they were going to be ambushed wasn't it better to do it at first light and not in the middle of the night. It wasn't like the bandit was actually trying to get away after all, they'd wait for them to get there and if they did delay all the more of a surprise for when they did get there.

" We should stop for the night, if the bandits are leading us to an ambush we do not want to do it in the dark." Neji informed as she slowed, he was forced to slow as well until they came to a stop across from each other on separate branches. Saku cocked his hip and crossed his arms over a broad well muscled chest.

" The dark is the best time for a attack, we don't need the light of day revealing our position to the enemy, that means they'll see us coming long before we see them. We want to get there and see how many there are and what we're in for. Maybe then we can ambush the ambush."Saku retorted with a wave of hand. Neji frowned.

" If we fall into their trap and are out numbered we could very well die, at least in the light we stand a better chance of seeing who and what we are up against." Neji revealed. Saku tilted his head.

" You have a blood limit, why do we need to see in the light Eagle? You can see how many people are there and we can go from there." Saku said with a shake of head. Neji flushed. For some reason that had slipped her mind. She didn't want to become dependent on her byakugan, those who... alright who was she kidding she hadn't thought of it because she was so flustered with him. Who did he think he was anyway? Throwing around orders, ignoring what she said, making her look like a fool.

" Now can we go? The longer we take the more they can set up an ambush and the worst it's going to be to avoid." Saku said waving a hand toward where they were going. She ground her teeth together. For this once he had a point and she supposed he was right, she would be able to tell where the ambush was, how many they were up against, and where the scroll, the real one this time, was before it got out of their hands again. They'd already spent longer then a week on this already. It was supposed to be a simple mission and it turned into this.

Maybe the Captain had a point, maybe they hadn't been ready to come back out into the field together. It didn't matter anyway, soon he wouldn't even be here anymore. He'd be home snuggled up to two or three lovers, probably the Captain herself if he could seduce her, and she'd never had to work with him in ANBU again. Then she could finally get some real work done and put him and his stupid sexiness out of her mind for good.

So the faster they got done with this mission, the quicker they got home, the sooner he found his lovers, the sooner she never had to work with him again. Then she'd be happy. Well then she'd be free for a little while until her aunt tried to force some man onto her again to marry and become the head of the clan. She wanted to get plenty of time in between then, because if she was head, the chance that her aunt was going to let her stay in ANBU was zero to none. She'd probably never leave the village again.

They picked up their pace again, she activated her blood limit scanning ahead. They weren't yet nearing the ambush spot she couldn't see anyone for miles ahead.

" Well?" Saku asked not glancing her way. Neji frowned.

" Not for miles, I see nothing." She explained. Saku huffed. It seemed they'd probably run all night at this point.

" We'll probably not find them in the dark then. How far did this bandit expect to travel to ambush us?" Saku muttered to himself. How did they know someone would come for the scroll to start with? Let alone to have a entire ambush planned. Saku stopped running entirely and Neji stopped quickly glancing back, they were two or three trees apart. She jumped back to land on the branch at his side. She glanced around with her byakugan, but there was no one still.

" What?" She demanded. Saku was looking down at the tree he stood on for a long moment then he grabbed her arm and leapt off the tree branch just as black an white hands slid like water from the tree they had been standing on.

They had been right, it was an ambush, just not by the bandits. Neji stared as the hands formed into a woman, sort of, more plant then anything she'd say, but that cloak was unmistakable. Akatsuki.

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Kohona Hokage tower:

" The kid still isn't back yet?" Jiraiya asked sitting in Tsunade's window. The Hokage rubbed at his temples.

" It's been almost two weeks. He only has a week left before the Elders hound down on him, he as to know that. The mission the Uchiha gave them was simple, it shouldn't take this long." Tsunade said shaking his head. Jiraiya shrugged.

" Maybe the kid has cold feet, I mean it can't be easy for him to just find a lover let alone three, plus one that he plans to marry and bear children with. It's a lot of pressure to put on someone who already basically runs the Hospital and is the head medic for most of the clans, plus he's in ANBU." Jiraiya shrugged.

" If it was me? I'd not have the problem at all, but in his place... I'd probably run too." Jiraiya said honestly.

" He didn't run away. Sakura knows the importance of this. He knows that this isn't just what the Elders want, it's what's best for the village. At the rate we're going we won't have enough men to keep a population going."

" You did say that if the villages knew it could start a war, maybe he wants to avoid it all together, he has been trying to get you to come up with a solution that doesn't involve using him and his future children for breeding." Jiraiya pointed out. Tsunade frowned. Saku had given him samples to work on of his semen. Maybe Jiraiya had a point. However Sakura wasn't the type to run.

" He wouldn't run away ' Raiya, I know him better then that. This maybe a lot of pressure for one person to take, but if anyone could take it, it's Sakura. I have faith in him. Besides Neji Hyuuga is there. What is he going to do run with her? They hate each other." Tsunade pointed out.

" You'd be surprised at what people can do when they're desperate, especially if they don't like someone whose standing in their way." Jiraiya pointed out.

" Sakura isn't going to attack his teammate let alone go rouge just because we asked him to find lovers to make sure our population isn't going to dwindle down to nothing in the future years. If that was how easily his loyalty was traded he wouldn't even still be in the village at all. He'd probably be in Suna with the Kazekage and her siblings." Tsunade said and poured a glass of Sake.

He didn't doubt Sakura's loyalty in the slightest, but it was a lot to ask of one person. To save the village by giving your life, they were all trained to do that, but this wasn't a battle against an enemy he could fight. Jiraiya shrugged at his words.

" What's the alternative? That he and the Hyuuga are taking so long because a scroll is giving them trouble? This is a mission barely worth ANBU attention, genin could probably do it" Jiraiya said waving a hand. A sudden breeze had white hair blowing in her face, she pushed it back with a frown as she glanced outside at the sky. They clouds were gathering in dark mounds. A storm was coming.

Tsunade frowned at her distraction then glanced back down at his glass of Sake. He stared at his reflection in it for a few moments in thought.

" If the Uchiha had to take them off the roster in the first place their teamwork is very poor, perhaps it is giving them trouble." Tsunade said, but that was just a hope. He wouldn't run, but there was a little smidgen of doubt forming in his chest. Would he?

XxxXxxXxxXxxXxxxXxxXxxX

Kohona Elsewhere:

" Saku is ANBU?" Naruto asked startled. Sasuke covered her mouth with a glance around the market where they were walking.

" Shut up Dobe, not everyone knows about ANBU." Sasuke hissed at her. Naruto nodded and slapped her hand away.

" I'm not an idiot Teme. I'm just...surprised. That doesn't seem to fit Saku very well." Naruto said puzzled.

" Because he's a medic you don't think he'd do assassination work?" Sasuke asked with a frown. Naruto rubbed at the back of her neck warily.

" Well yeah, but why wouldn't he tell us? I mean I know why I haven't been accepted to join, I know why you aren't in it, but...why would Saku join at all? I mean he's busy enough right?" Naruto asked with a deep frown. Her blue eyes glanced up at the sky as a deep rumble alerted them. Sasuke glanced up as well with a frown.

" Saku doesn't tell us anything anymore, why would you be surprised he didn't tell us that? Besides doesn't it make more sense about how he knows my cousin and sister so well, and why he's spending time with the Hyuuga?" Sasuke asked waving a hand as they rushed toward Ichiraku before the sky opened and poured rain down on them.

Naruto's mouth turned into a frown and she sighed. Ichiraku as usual had very few people so they took a seat ordered and were relieved when the rain started thundering down after they were inside.

" I mean...how long do you think he's been in...it?" Naruto said hesitantly when Ayame put ramen down in front of them. She smiled at the owners son in thanks while still being cautious about talking about ANBU. Sasuke shrugged at her side and broke her chopsticks and began eating, Naruto dug in quickly.

" Hard to tell, I didn't even know he knew my sister or cousin until a few weeks ago, I mean he knew of them, but I didn't know he was friends with them. I mean what else does my cousin, sister, and the Hyuuga have in common other then that?" Sasuke asked seriously. Naruto frowned.

" Well I know what Neji-teme and your sister have in common, but your cousin is on a whole 'nother level, I mean did you ever think that he was spending more time around them because he wanted them to be the three he was ordered to take as lovers? I mean...they're all kind of alike right?" Naruto asked. Sasuke thought of that then scowled.

" Shisui doesn't have much in common physically with Itachi or the Hyuuga, my sister and the Hyuuga have the same body type I guess, but that's about it." Sasuke said and shrugged. Naruto sent her a look.

" Really? Teme...your sister and Neji are both like...emotionally stunted. They're both..." She struggled then snorted amused as she came up with a good way to say it.

" They both got a stick up the ass." She said amused. Sasuke sent her a glare.

" And where does Shisui fit into all this?" Sasuke asked seriously.

" If Itachi and the Hyuuga are his type, then Shisui certainly isn't, she the complete opposite." Sasuke pointed out. She wasn't really fond of saying for sure that Saku liked his sister or the Hyuuga at least physically, where did that leave her at all? She supposed her chance with Saku was probably over anyway, but it still bothered her. Why would his type have to be her sister anyway?

" I donno Teme, why's the sky blue? Look at her. Saku is male you know, why wouldn't he like...that?" Naruto made a hand motion as if trailing Shisui's numerous curves. Sasuke snorted.

" You don't go from liking someone with no figure as your type then be attracted to someone with more then enough figure to make up for my sister and the Hyuuga's lack of feminine appeal." Sasuke pointed out with a roll of eyes.

" But he obviously does like your sister, I mean he blushed for her. I haven't seen Saku blush in years, plus he destroyed a training field, I mean more then usual, because your cousin slept with Ino. If he didn't like either of them, he's being a very protective teammate." Naruto said waving a hand. No she was right, Saku probably did like Shisui and Itachi, but that just didn't make sense at all. What would make someone like one type of woman then go after Shisui? It wasn't like she had the best personality after all, plus she slept with everyone.

" Maybe it's just lust with Shisui." Sasuke offered.

" Then you just go after her you don't get upset when you friend sleeps with her. Come on Teme even I'm not that stupid." Naruto said seriously, already on her fourth bowl. Sasuke grit her teeth.

" So...he liked Shisui, he likes Itachi, and where does the Hyuuga fit in? They don't get along from what I've seen. Why would he spend time around her? Besides what about the Nara? Isn't that what started all the crap with Ino and Shisui to start with?" Sasuke demanded.

" How did we get from Saku being in ANBU to his love life?" Naruto wondered softly under her breath.

" We're trying to reason it out." Sasuke pointed out.

" Reason what out?" A familiar voice asked. They jumped surprised to see their old sensei come in, her silver hair falling into her masked face do to the water weighing it down. She smiled.

" Yo." She rose a hand in greeting as she joined them.

" Kakashi-sensei did you know that Saku is in ANBU?" Naruto asked leaning over to whisper. Kakashi smiled under her mask at Naruto's question he lone eye crinkling.

" Yes." She answered easily. Naruto threw her hands in the air fed up.

" Why didn't he tell us! I mean we're his teammates!" She complained. Kakashi patted her head as she ordered a bowl for herself.

" He didn't want to worry you both. It's a dangerous job." Kakashi said seriously. Naruto sighed.

" That's the point! He should have told us!" Naruto said. Kakashi shrugged.

" I'm sure he had his reasons Naruto." Kakashi thanked Ayame as he put a bowl of ramen in front of her then left. Kakashi turned her lone eye toward them.

" So what are you two trying to reason out? Is this about Sakura too?" Kakashi asked curiously glancing their way. Sasuke rolled her eyes and Naruto glanced over at Sasuke who shrugged at telling Kakashi.

" Is Teme's sister, cousin, and Neji-teme Saku's teammates?" Naruto asked.

" Yes, why?" Kakashi questioned. Naruto waved a hand as if to say ' see'. Sasuke frowned at that.

" We're trying to figure out his relationship with the Hyuuga, my sister and cousin. He seemed upset about Shisui and Ino, but he blushed for my sister, and he's been hanging out with the Hyuuga. We figured Saku's type is my sister, so that's why he was around the Hyuuga, but Shisui never fit in." Sasuke explained. Kakashi hummed to herself at that.

" Neji and Saku don't much get along, they were being punished by Itachi and so that's why they were spending more time together, as for his type I don't know, but I do know that there is something between Saku and Itachi, he kissed her not too long ago in a bar not too far from here." Kakashi said mysteriously.

" What!" Sasuke and Naruto shouted at the same time. Kakashi smiled at them with that eye crinkle.

" Tell us everything you know." Sasuke said with a glare. Naruto leaned closer with determined eyes. Kakashi smiled.

" Why don't you ask Itachi herself?" Kakashi asked and with a almost too quick to see movement had her ramen eaten and gone without them ever seeing her face. She stood, paid, and then turned to leave.

" Hey! Wait! You can't leave us hanging here!" Naruto demanded.

" Maybe you should read Jiraiya's new book Naruto, I heard she named it Icha Icha pink." Kakashi said in parting. Sasuke made a face.

" Your perverted Sensei wrote a book about Saku?" Sasuke asked disbelievingly. Naruto shuttered. She glanced over at Sasuke with a weird expression.

" I mean...it's going to be for Saku right?" Sasuke frowned at her blush. What was she going on about- Sasuke went red.

" No! We are not reading that perverted book!" Sasuke hissed. Naruto covered her face with her hands.

" Teme we have to! That's the only way to know what's going on! It's not like Saku is even here to say, not that he's going to tell us about his sex life." Naruto shuttered to say that. Sasuke did to.

" I personally don't want to know what he did with Itachi, or Shisui, or anyone thank you very much!" Sasuke said crossing her arms. Naruto looked up from having slammed her head onto the bar surface. She peaked through blond locks. Sasuke cursed.

" How do we even find that book anyway?" She gave in. Naruto flushed more and looked around.

" I know a place." She said shadily. Sasuke groaned. She was going to get in trouble with her mother and father if they caught her reading such a filthy book, but...if it was about Saku...they had to know right?

End:

I know it's a bit on a cliff hanger, but it's a good way to stop for now. I haven't written out anything beyond last chapter so I have to wing each chapter from here on out so thus why it's short and probably not what you wanted for an update, but it's an update right?

Well I'll see what I can do about the next chapter I'll do my best to write as much as possible and update all my fic's not just this one, you'll have to forgive me if it's scattered, but at least it's a update right? I'll do my best, so wish me luck.

Any questions, comments, or WTF's, be sure to review! :D

Kyo