Summary: Gai composes a plan to get the information they needed to further assist Tenten. Although they are going behind her back, the men feel as though it is their responsibility to ensure that Tenten will never experience anything like this again; or so it goes.

Frequency III

Neji blinked. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall. He was pulled into the hallway during the night by his sensei and teammate while wearing nothing but his gray sweatpants, his hair slightly disheveled as to hint he may have been attempting to sleep. The Hyuga squinted at his sensei having just heard the most ridiculous idea he has ever heard and one that could possibly get him in enormous trouble if he were to get caught. The plan itself was full-proof, there was no doubt about that, but the execution of it was just...the ANBU shook his head.

"Well?" Gai-sensei looked at him expectantly.

"I refuse."

"Neji! How could you say that?" Rock Lee cried.

"Just like that, Lee." Neji hissed. " There is no way in hell I am breaking into the main house just to steal a book that we have no permission looking at anyway."

"'Steal' is such a harsh word, Neji. I prefer…'retrieve'." Gai grinned.

"I am not stealing a damn book that does not belong to me." the Hyuga male stated his eyes darkened. "Now, I will return to Tenten's side for the night."

Neji walked toward the door to his girlfriend's room. Just as he reached for the handle, he heard his sensei give an exaggerated sigh.

"All we wanted to do was help our dear, youthful flower out by bringing the people who did this to her to justice!"

The Hyuga's ear twitched. Fuck, he thought. Not the damn dramatics.

"I suppose Lee and I will have to do this the old fashion way and travel all the way to the main branch Hyuga compound-"

They wouldn't dare.

"-Break in ourselves-"

He gritted his teeth. He was going there...

"-And save Tenten's piece of mind...without you. Tenten and her mother will be eternally grateful to Lee and I!"

Neji whipped around and glared at his sensei. He really knew how to push his buttons. Sighing, the branch member rubbed his temples; he supposed he should just to make sure they didn't get caught...better him than them, that was for sure. He can endure punishment from his uncle, but those two were on their own if they got caught.

"Fine," the ANBU Captain groaned. "When?"

Gai and Lee grinned at each other. Their sensei announced that operation "Youthful Justice; phase one' will commence in a week. The Hyuga teen rolled his eyes as Gai began his typical speech of glorious will power and how giving up was not an option. It's not that Neji disagreed with his proclamations for avenging their female teammate, but this could've waited at a more decent hour when the whole hospital wasn't asleep. Waving a hand, he opened the door to Tenten's room, only to be stopped once more by Lee.

"Neji," he said softly, looking his friend in the eyes. "I know this is a bit out there...even for us. But, it's the very least we can do for her."

The Hyuga glanced over at the bed. Tenten was sleeping soundly on her back, her face at total ease.

"Yeah…" Neji nodded at him, his expression softened. "You're right, Lee."

With that Rock Lee wished him good night before walking off with their sensei. The ANBU settled himself in his chair and took Tenten's hand. Her cast had been replaced with a few layers of bandaging after Sakura used her medical ninjutsu to attempt to fix her up. Tenten stirred a bit, her face scrunching up as she mumbled something inaudible before smacking her lips together and becoming relaxed again. He gently brought her knuckles to his lips; her hand held many scars from previous battles and training...he loved these hands. Although they were tattered from their chosen field of work, her skin was soft and her touch was warm. Her long slim fingers fit perfectly with his. The way she would tangle her fingers through his hair was relaxing, the way she would run her hands across his biceps was exhilarating...and yet he could never bring himself to fully indulge. That was the worst part of working with someone you care for. He was fully capable of separating his personal and professional life, but after what happened he realized that his professional life was driven purely on his personal life. He's been fighting with her since they were gennin, she became his permanent training partner after the first chunnin exam (even helped out with training Hinata and Naruto before he left to train with his own master) and they became ANBU together after facing the war. While he was promoted to Jonnin, she just stood by him as a Chunnin. When he asked her why she didn't ask for recommendations, she merely shook her head and said she wasn't ready. She didn't want her own team, or to go on missions by herself yet. A simple answer, and he knew she'd apply when she was ready. Instead, they became ANBU as a cell; right now, he was unsure of whether that was the smartest idea back then. It has only been two years since they have joined the elite ranks, which in the books wasn't anything impressive compared to Kakashi's time. However, here they were...in the hospital. To be expected, however, not for the circumstances they endured.

"N..eji…?"

The Hyuga blinked. He hadn't realized that he was staring at her. Tenten had her eyes slightly open as she tried to get them to focus. Sitting up, her unbound hair sat at odd curly angles.

"What are you doing awake?" he asked, knowing fully well that she hasn't slept a full night since she got here.

"I felt you staring at me. You know I hate when people stare at me, it sends a weird feeling down my spine." She said meekly.

"I'm sorry."

Tenten cracked a yawn. He hasn't slept, she noticed. He was still holding onto her hand-which was much appreciated. Slowly, the weapons mistress moved to sit up. Her hospital gown was slightly wrinkled and damp from the sweat that had poured from her skin while she was asleep. Neji watched as she rubbed her eyes with her free hand and blinked. Now fully awake, Tenten looked out of the window.

"Did you see it again?" He asked quietly.

She nodded. It replayed over and over.

"I want to move on from it. I know I can't change what happened and I accept that...but-" she frowned. "-my mind won't let me."

Pursing his lips together, Neji caressed the hand he was holding. He too couldn't close his eyes; he would hear her screams every time he tried to.

"You...flinched when Lee touched you a few days ago," he stated. "And yet, you let me carry you back...and hold your hand."

Tenten shrugged.

"Admittedly, I wasn't really aware of what had happened to me until we were running back home. I mean… I knew what happened, I guess I was just more focused on getting back to you than at the time, my mind had suppressed it."

Neji looked at her curiously.

"I dunno why," she continued. "I just couldn't take Lee touching me when I wasn't expecting it. And when I woke up, I was expecting Lee and Gai sensei to pat my head, or something...but they didn't."

Tenten pulled her hand from his grasp and looked at it. After a moment, she sighed. Looking up, she nearly jumped back when she noticed his fingers close to her face, moving to touch her cheek. The Hyuga watched as her eyes got wide and she pursed her lips together. Deciding not to even try, he lowered his hand and frowned sadly; for now, her hand was all he could hold.

"I'm sorry," she whimpered, her bottom lip wobbling a bit.

"No," he replied. "I let you down. I should be the one apologizing."

"Neji, it's not your-"

"There's no use in trying to cover it up; I know I messed up. I'm so used to having you at my back, I forgot to be at yours. This happened because I wasn't paying attention." He gripped the sheets. "They carried you away from right under my nose..."

Tenten bit her lip. Nothing she could say would make him feel any better.

"The fact that you are even allowing me in your presence makes me feel even more guilty." He murmured. "I can't believe this…"

Standing, he walked over to the bathroom to splash water on his face. He was a mess and he knew it. When he returned to her side, he noticed she had shifted to the far side of the bed. Tenten patted on the spot next to her, expecting him to lay down. The Hyuga shook his head, not wanting to make her uncomfortable.

"Neji, it's fine. I'm offering; you need to at least attempt to sleep properly." She said sternly. "One of us needs to try to sleep."

Sighing, the ANBU gave in and settled himself next to her. Tenten, who was sitting up, ran her free hand through his hair. Almost instantly he fell asleep. Those pearly whites fluttered shut and that was the end of that. The bunhead smiled a bit to herself as he nuzzled his forehead against her hip.

"Gai-sensei, what's the battle plan?"

"Well, it's not really a battle, Lee. We must use our stealth in this mission."

"Which is utterly impossible for you...Lee. That's why I'm going in."

"Hey! I can be quiet if I want to, Neji! Gai-sensei, let me go myself!"

"Neji is right Lee. He is more equipped for this. But don't worry, your youthful roar will be much appreciated once we find these bastards."

Lee hastily nodded. He knew his worth, but he'd never admit to agreeing with Neji on his abilities...some things never changed, Gai thought. He shifted himself on the rooftop and glanced over at the Hyuga compound. They had distanced themselves enough that they couldn't be detected by the byakugan of the average Hyuga. Neji, being the more superior of his line, was currently scanning the perimeter for any disturbance in the Hyuga guard patterns.

"Our meeting point will be our training grounds by the lake." Their sensei announced. "Lee, Neji will be escaping from the west side of the compound. Be ready to grab the book from him if he gets caught. I'm certain you can outrun the Hyuga guards. If that is the case, do a few laps around the village to lose them before heading to the lake. Neji, I will be monitoring the physical outside for any sign of lights."

Pulling out his radio, the Hyuga boy nodded and tied his hair into a high ponytail. Grabbing onto his ankle, he stretched out a bit. Cracking his knuckles, Lee nodded at his sensei before dashing off to his post. Neji gave his teammate a good few more seconds before leaping off the rooftop toward the compound. He was already past the main gate when Gai informed him of a few rooms that were still illuminated.

"You know where it is right?" Gai asked through the radio.

"Yes. Something like this is in the records room that's held with a chakra seal. It's easy to get passed since all Hyugas have somewhat similar Chakra traces." Neji explained as he scanned the area with his Byakugan behind his ANBU mask.

"I'll leave it to you then."

Neji grunted in response and pressed himself against one of the corners of the fence. He figures a few of his relatives would have sensed him already, but since he is not a threat, they won't do anything. His uncle, on the other hand, will awaken and try to intercept him for entering the grounds at such a late time. He crept along the hallways, trying to calculate his distance from the room he was looking for without using his byakugan. In a few meters, he'd reach Hinata's room. That's when something hit him; the seal. He needed to seal the room back once he got the book. Only main branch members can do it… Pressing himself against a wall, Neji decided to slowly creep by his cousin's room. To his annoyance, she was fast asleep. Shit, he thought. Now how was he supposed to seal it? Gritting his teeth, the ANBU Captain just decided to head straight to the records room. He was about to turn the corner when he heard a sneeze. Skidding back around the corner, he peeked; There was a Hyuga guard sitting by the door.

"Gai-sensei," he said quietly into the microphone.

"Hm?"

"They have a guard on the room. I'm going to knock him out."

"Very well."

Gathering chakra to his feet, Neji dashed behind the guard and struck him at the nape of his neck. He gently laid him on the ground, trying not to make any loud noises that could wreck his cover. The Hyuga took off his mask as he faced the door. Indeed, there was the chakra seal. Tenten was more skilled at breaking these with such perfection compared to him; he couldn't be clumsy. Activating his Byakugan, he scanned the room. The book was on the upper shelf near the branch member's birth records. Pursing his lips into a straight line, he held his hands to the seal.

"Chi!"

The seal illuminated a light blue color before fading into the door panel. He crouched down and creeped his way inside, his Byakugan still activated. Retrieving the book, he flinched. A presence was sprinting his way from the other side of the compound. Not caring about being silent anymore, Neji replaced his mask and jumped to the roof. He needed to get to the west side of the compound so he could throw Lee the book. Grunting, he dodged a chakra pulse.

"Neji!" His uncle's voice exclaimed. "Get back here!"

The ANBU glanced over his shoulder, It was indeed Hiashi Hyuga a few meters behind him.

"Lee, I'm being followed. Get ready to run." Neji panted into the microphone as he dodged another chakra pulse.

"Yosh! Standing by, Captain!" His teammate replied.

Just a bit longer, he thought. He was almost there!

"Stand down, Neji!" Hiashi bellowed.

And just like that, Neji's forehead bursted into a raging pain. The Hyuga tripped in this tracks and threw off his mask. Squirming, he slowed to a jog. He had to keep it up, even if he gets caught in the end, he needed to get this book out of the compound. His uncle was catching up to him, however, Lee could be seen in the distance.

"Lee!" Neji exclaimed through the pain.

The bowl cut ANBU turned and reached his arms out. Neji chucked the book at him, praying that he threw it hard enough. Rock Lee snatched it from the air and proceeded to escape to the lake. The Hyuga ANBU fell to his knees, his head still splitting in pain. The caged bird seal illuminated as Hiashi kept his nephew from moving.

"Gai-sensei, Neji has been caught. Approaching the checkpoint currently."

"Excellent, Lee." his sensei's voice sounded through the radio. "Neji, meet up with us when you can escape."

He whimpered in response. At the moment, Neji wasn't too sure how he was going to get out of this one. The Hyuga's body soon became numb and feeling was leaving his legs; he cried out. His uncle released the jutsu and looked down disappointingly at his nephew. Gasping for air, the Hyuga ANBU clenched his fists. A plan...he needed a plan! Hiashi reached down to grab his shoulder, to which Neji swatted his hand away. His uncle stared at him wide eyed. Realizing that he was in more than just an enormous amount of trouble, he breathed in and sent chakra to his feet. Hiashi was ready to tame him once more, but he was able to jump off the roof and shuffle away with whatever feeling in his legs he had left.

"Shit," Hiashi cursed under his breath. "It has begun...Foolish nephew."

Neji wheezed as he fell to his knees. Gai and Lee patted his shoulders in excitement. The Hyuga cursed under his breath, ready to kill them for guilt tripping him to go through with his. HIs uncle was going to have his ass for pulling a stunt like this the minute he stepped back into the book was leather bound with a red ribbon tied around it. Gai-sensei removed the ribbon and handed it to Lee. They all sat in the grass and skimmed through the book.

"This…" Gai hummed. "Her father's life work...all in one book."

"What does that mean?" Rock Lee asked, playing with the ribbon.

"It means," their sensei looked at them. "This book is Fei-ten's journal. All of his affiliations, the blueprints to his crafting...it's all in here."

Neji sighed, finally able to stabilize his heart rate.

"What does it say about the crystal sword?"

Maito Gai flipped through the pages. In the very back there were drawings of maps and notes that he couldn't understand. They weren't even in a language that a typical ninja could read. The Hyuga reached out for the book. Scanning the writing, he shook his head. It was in some kind of code...but he couldn't read it either. With each drawing, there was a new set of codes and names.

"The only one who should be able to read this," Neji closed the book. "Is Tenten."

They all glanced at each other. There had to be someone else. Tenten had told them to stay out of whatever was going on pertaining to this sword of hers. Her mother? Perhaps, although Neji deemed it unlikely due to the fact that she was a foreign ninja and probably did not meddle in her husband's work.

"Then, we have no choice." Gai announced as he stood.

"Sensei, that's not a good idea." Neji replied. "Tenten won't tell you a thing."

Gai hummed as he rubbed his chin. After a moment, he glanced over at the Hyuga.

"Neji, my boy, she will not say anything to me…" he pointed at him, "but she will say something to you!"

"Wha-"

"It will happen. You just need to get her to trust us in this." He explained.

The Hyuga ANBU sucked his teeth. He was right, he thought. Slightly nodding, he took the ribbon from Lee and wrapped it around the book again. Neji turned on his heel, feeling the familiar presence of his relatives enter the area; his uncle was hunting him down.

"Where are you off to?" Gai asked.

"Back to the hospital. My uncle can't barge in there even if he tries." Neji replied before sprinting off.