Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Inner Secrets ❯ Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

 

A/N: Well, here is the much awaited chapter 6, and I must say that this is proudly my longest chapter. Also, please note that this chapter is meant to be humourous, so if its not, I'm sorry but I'm not a comedian. IT is officially summer holidays for me, so I'll work as much as I can on this as I still have to work T.T Not too mention I have a Mural I'm expected to do... Oh well... Now on with the hunt!

 

 

Chapter 6

 

Two figures were seated on stools at a familiar food stand, one that often had people there in twos, and it just so happened that the blond haired customer was the business' best customer; Uzumaki Naruto, was there. But something was off with the picture, for it was generally a brown haired young man in his mid-twenties that accompanied him. But this time it was a silver haired man that looked very mysterious behind his headband and black face mask.

 

"Kakai-sensei..." Naruto began as he peered over at his jounin leveled instructor that had earlier came by his apartment and dragged him out for lunch at Ichiraku's Noodle bar; which is where they were currently seated, "Why did you bring me here?" He asked curiously wondering what was so important that he had to be dragged away from his sleep-in-day.

 

"What? Can't your sensei treat his improving student to a treat?" Kakashi asked while tipping his head to the side, amusement shining in his one visible blue eye that had no matching colour counter-part.

 

'Right.... this smells fishy to me...' Naruto inwardly commented while outwardly he blinked owlishly up as his teacher.

 

'I agree.... Be on your guard... he may just... spring something unexpected on you.' Kyuubi said in contemplation as he frowned while observing the aloof teacher that was an elite ninja of Konoha.

 

"Don't you believe me?" He asked in mock hurt as he brought his black gloved hand up to his heart as his eye bore into the blonde's matching sky-blue eyes.

 

"No! You're up to something." Naruto said with a critical look towards his teacher before he turned his attention to the two steaming bowls of ramen placed in front of them.

 

"A student that doesn't trust a teacher..." Kakashi said with a desolate sigh before he slid his bowl of steaming miso ramen forward and grabbing a pair of the disposable wooden chopsticks which he hurriedly snapped apart, watching the small blond boy do the same.

 

Naruto discreetly smiled as he shoveled a horde of noodles into his mouth. "Why," He asked again, though this time it was between mouthfuls, "am I here?"

 

The question echoed a second time and soon his bowl was completely done so he reverted his attention to the silver haired man who had some explaining to do.

 

With a sigh Kakashi absently stirred his noodles. "Well... Do you remember our last mission?" He asked as his eyes moved to regard the pasta that he was twirling as a slow pace, staring intensely at the rising steam.

 

"Yes..." The blond answered sounding slightly apprehensive at the bringing up of the last mission in Wave. 'You don't suppose he figured out that the two nuke-nin that were killed in the end were fakes?' He asked himself knowing that the fox demon wouldn't respond to the question as he was paying onto the other man's words as though they were a lifeline.

 

"That man.... Satsujin-san... I believe that was what he was called. He was hunting for the Kage-Gesshoku, do you know anything about the mysterious ninja?" He asked, basically cutting to a section of the chase.

 

"I've read of some of his feats in the Konoha Daily and I've heard gossip about him, but other than that I know as much as everyone else does." Naruto answered with a frown. "Why?" He asked in a curious voice.

 

"Oh..." Kakashi said as his eye flickered over to the blond before returning to the cooling noodles. "Well... I was just wondering about what he said to you when your teammates and I were withing that mirrored-prison." He said absently, almost as though commenting on the weather but if one were listening closely they would note the rapt attention in his seated stance, and the underlined necessity in his voice.

 

"That guy said that he was sorry for smacking me, he only did it out of frustration. He wanted to avenge the lose of something he held dear to his heart, and as his dog... thing was off its rocker and lead it to us, he felt his trail go dry." Naruto explained deceivingly. "So he left saying that he would return to his Solar place... Whatever that is..." He summed up as he eyes the noodles that Kakashi wasn't eating.

 

Kakashi sighed and smiled. He then slid his noodle-filled bowl over to the blond. "Well.. I'm glad that was all he wanted." Kakashi said as he watched the blond dive into his bowl and, like the first, devoured every last noodle. 'But.. something tells me he isn't telling the truth... or the full truth... I'll stay cautious..' He silently concluded before he placed the necessary amount of money for the meal of the scrubbed counter before puffing out of existence.

 

'Hey Kyuubi... do you suppose he bought that fib?' Naruto questioned his partner as he finished off his second bowl.

 

'I'm not sure... he seemed slightly doubtful of your tale... but only time can tell for sure, but we don't have time to worry about that. For now you must focus on your training so that you'll be ready to meet Satsujin Yaiba's challenge.' Kyuubi advised before receding to the back of the blonde's mind, into the fox's private sanctuary.

 

With a silent sigh Naruto stood and with a wave to the man who ran Ichiraku's he raced off. He had some intense training and tunning to do.

 

- - - - - - - -

 

Lee raced happily towards his objective, his current goal was to acquire the three head bands he had been assigned to and return before his teammates did. If he failed it would be a thousands laps around Konoha. He was determined to complete this task far more quicky then the other two.

 

"So I need to find three people..." Lee said aloud as he leapt up to the roof tops and raced over them in a silent blur that could barely be seen, though was spotted with ease by the elite ninja. "Two male and one female." He added as his dark eyes roamed each way as though trying to pick out the targeted Genin.

 

"Haruno Sakura, rumored to be a great beauty, with a high intellectual level." He said with a contemplative look as he had never once lain eyes upon the three people he was looking for. "Uchiha Sasuke, top rookie and last surviving member of the once prosperous Uchiha clan." He whispered with a frown. "And Uzumaki Naruto, a knuckle-headed blonde with a knack for pulling pranks." He finished, knowing all that he had from the word around the village.

 

"Now... If word throughout the inner-village ninja network is correct... They are on a break from duties after having completed a higher ranked mission..." He said with a sigh, knowing that because of that he wouldn't have an easy time finding them and they were likely to be separate. "Such a challenge like this will keep my eternal flame burning brightly!" He declared in a happy voice as he pulled to a halt.

 

"Target one: Uzumaki Naruto, located." He said as he looked down at a blonde who had just stood from the Ichiraku's noodle bar. He knew it had to be him as golden hair was extremely rare in the village, the closest to it was the pale white-blond that was attributed to the Yamanaka family.

 

With a great leap, he jumped from the red tiles roof and landed smoothly in front of the blond with a great smile on his features. "Are you Uzumaki Naruto?" He asked as he stood tall at his full 5 foot 2 status.

 

'What the hell is he trying to do?' Naruto inwardly cringed as he eyed the spandex clad boy with the horrid bowl cut black hair, massive fuzzy dark eye brows and eyes that would likely scar young children. "Depends on who's asking." Naruto said in response to the boy's question.

 

"Oh! How rude of me! I am Rock Lee! Genin of Konoha." He said by way of introduction as he smiled brightly.

 

"Okay..." Naruto said with a blink as he regarded the boy. "Is there any reason you're looking for me?" He asked as he tilted his head to the side in curiosity.

 

"Yes! My sensei, Maito Gai, has assigned my team and I a daring and bold mission!" Lee began as he struck a 'good-guy' pose that his sensei was well known for. "We were given the ultimate scavenger hunt." He said in way of explanation. "And our next item is the ninja bands of nine genin, and you are one of the people we need to get it from." He concluded with a happy but honest smile.

 

Naruto blinked once, then twice as he allowed that data to be absorbed. 'This Maito Gai... he is the Green Beast of Konoha is he not Kyu-chan?' Naruto asked his tenant who merely nodded while covering a shiver at the lack of proper fashion.

 

"Well...." Naruto began in apprehension as he frowned at he boy who was sending him a pleading look. 'This could be used to my benefit....' The thought with a hidden smirk that seemed devilish in nature. "Alright... on one condition." Naruto said as he firmly crossed his arms over his black and crimson tank top.

 

"Condition?" Lee asked as he blinked his broccoli like eyes.

 

"Yes, you have to spar with me!" Naruto exclaimed as he brought one hand out in a peace sign while smiling like the Cheshire cat. "Do you agree to the terms?" He asked as he looked smugly over at the dark haired teen.

 

"Yush! I would be honoured to spar with such a youthful flame!" Lee cheered as he leapt into the air, fist raised in sheer happiness. He would have to thank his sensei for receiving such an awesome training exercise.

 

With a smile Naruto held his hand out. 'Under his clothing-- not in that sense Kyuubi-chan-- and strangely hairy features-- stop laughing Kyuubi--,'Naruto silently admonished his tenant who was amused by how positively perverted the blond was sounding. 'He seems to be a good hearted kid.' He finally finished his thoughts while mentally glaring over at the humanoid looking fox.

 

With great enthusiasm Lee stepped forward and shook the short boy pre-teen's hand with great motion that bought the others boy arm up and down at a rapid pace. "It's a deal!" He concluded as he released the Genin's hand.

 

With an inward roll of his eyes, the blond reached up and untied the clothe of the band before looking at it with a tender expression before handing it over to the other boy. "Don't scratch it." He said with a serious tone, after all that ninja band meant a lot to him.

 

"I will treat it with care." Lee promised as he plopped the bag off his back and gently set the metal piece within its depths, cautious of the sleeping feline. "Now, would you happen to know where your teammates are?"

 

"Sasuke-teme is likely training... and Sakura-chan is probably spying on him." The blond answered after a moment of contemplative silence as he thought over the likely haunts for the two.

 

As Sasuke was an avenger he was likely to be off training to defeat that 'certain someone', and as Sakura was the classic example of a hell-bent fangirl, she was likely stalking him. "Alright! Thank you Naruto-kun! I am off to seek the two and we will discuss our spar when I return your head band! Bye!" He exclaimed happily before he raced off in the general direction that his sensei had told him that his eternal rival's training area was.

 

'Well that was odd...' Naruto thought as a sweat bead appeared on the back of his head before he shook his head and put his hands in his pant pockets.

 

'True... but I think his looks are deceiving... He strikes me as a powerful young man, but he has next to no chakra... making me think he is a Taijutsu specialist in training.' Kyuubi summed up after having analyzed the boy that they had just met. 'Keep him close and you might just learn a few new interesting tips that can improve your physical fighting skills.' He concluded with a bit of advice that his vessel merely nodded to.

 

------

 

Sasuke leapt into the air yet again, spinning in a complete 360 degrees before unleashing a barrage of shurriken at the targets he had set up several yards away.

 

The weapons sliced through the air and smashed into the targets at various points, most of which wouldn't have done much damage, though a few hit the vitals. With a silent thump, he landed and frowned at his lack of accuracy on that throw as he paused to catch his breath.

 

He had been working on that all morning, and he had gotten it down to a knack several shots ago, but this time he was way out to lunch. 'Must be tired...' He inwardly concluded as he broodingly walked over to the targets and retrieved all of his weapons.

 

"That was awesome Sasuke-kun!!" The very high pitched voice of his female teammate rang out happily causing him to inwardly cringe. "You are getting so strong! I bet you are already at Kakashi-sensei's level!" She praised him, hoping that if she stroked his ego enough he would bend to her will and become her's.... She was slightly delusional.

 

"He is an elite ninja of the village." Sasuke said as he cast a disapproving glare over at the bouncing pink haired banshie known as Sakura. "He is far stronger then you would believe." He finished as he replaced all of his discarded weapons on his person before stuffing his hands in his pockets and turning on heel.

 

"Uchiha Sasuke!" A voice, distinctively male, and unfamiliar rang out loudly through the air causing the boy to turn on heel and glance at the green clad boy that had just appeared out of seemingly nowhere.

 

"You are you?" Sakura demanded with a frown as she eyed the boy's horrid fashion sense, and hideous bowl cut.

 

"Where are my manners today?" He asked aloud as he smacked his forehead. "My name is Rock Lee and you are the beautiful Haruno Sakura! Will you be my girlfriend? I promise to protect you forever and always!" Lee exclaimed as his cheeks turned a pinkish colour.

 

"Eww! No!" Sakura said as she spat her tongue out of her mouth before her dull green eyes glanced over at the Uchiha.

 

"What do you want freak?" Sasuke demanded while he wearily regarded the boy.

 

Lee smiled as he reverted his attention to the other male there, completely ignoring the 'freak' comment. "Of course! Gai-sensei, the eternal rival of your Junin sensei, has sent me and my teammates out on a daring training exercise!" He exclaimed as he struck the 'good-guy' pose. "Our mission is to complete the ultimate scavenger hunt." He said with a nod.

 

"Our current article is nine genin forehead protectors." He concluded with a bright smile.

 

"Heh..." Sasuke said with a sneer. "Just bring it back." He said as he pulled it off and tossed it at the boy, after all he didn't want him to hang around any longer then necessary.

 

Lee caught the metal and cloth ninja head band with great ease and he happily slipped it into his bag. "Here." Sakura said, doing the same as Sasuke had and threw it lightly at the boy before racing off to follow the brooding Uchiha who was walking away.

 

"Thank you my beloved!" Lee shouted as he held her forehead protector close to his heart. 'Sakura.. someday you will return my feelings.' He thought sadly, somewhat disappointed that she didn't feel the same now, but he had plenty of time to earn her affection.

 

With a great cheer, the bowl cut boy turned and raced off in a green blur as he headed for the meeting spot, hoping to beat his teammates.

 

-----------

 

Tenten sighed as she retraced her earlier steps, the ones that would take her back to the hill that Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Chouji were hopefully still occupying. It was such a nice day too, and would have been perfect for training. She sighed.

 

She had been hoping that whatever thing Gai had planned for them today would have allowed her to spend more time with Neji, though it didn't seem luck was on her side that day. She knew that if she was going to get the calm Hyuuga prodigy, she would have to work hard, and have plenty of time with him. She simply refused to loose him.

 

A look of renewed determination dawned in her eyes as the hill came into view. She would preform excellently on this ridiculous hunt, that way hopefully the stoic boy would notice her. She smiled lightly as she thought of him and her being together as a happily married couple with several gorgeous children that looked like the perfect combination of their mother and father.

It would be so perfect, but for now she would have to deal with the two boys from Asuma's team before searching for the third member of their squad.

 

"Nara-san! Akimichi-san!" The teenaged girl called up as she spotted them a top the hill that they had been on earlier and ignored their flinches at the sound her voice as she reached the top and smiled brightly at the two who were eyeing her warily.

 

"Is there something you want Tenten-san?" Chouji asked politely as he materialized a bag of salty chips and began to munch on them.

 

"Well... I hate to bother you again... but Neji-kun--" She began only to be interrupted by Shikamaru.

 

"What does that troublesome Hyuuga want?" He asked wanted her to cut to the chase already as she was interrupting his favorite hobby; cloud watching.

 

"He is not troublesome!" She growled out hotly causing the two to cast her cautious glances. It never did well to upset a fangirl and it just so happened that the girl before them was a possessive one.

 

'Troublesome females...' Shikamaru thought with a sigh as he sent her a look that plainly said to get on with it so that they could return to what they had been doing earlier.

 

"Anyways..." Tenten began after she calmed down, and had the nerve to look slightly abashed by her outburst. "Neji-kun," she began anew, and was glad that neither boys interrupted her, "asked me to find you two as the fifth item on our hunt just so happens to be nine Genin forehead protectors, meaning we need yours." She concluded as she glanced between the two of them.

 

"No." Shikamaru answered simply while Chouji merely shook his head negatively, his mouth to full of chips to actually speak.

 

"But!" Tenten cried out as she looked pleadingly at the two. She had to do this, she had to meet Neji's task and overcome it. She just had to impress the boy! "We need it to pass the mission!" She exclaimed desperately while sending them her best puppy eyes.

 

"No. You are going after the rookie nine correct?" Shikamaru asked as he closed his eyes in irritation.

 

"Yes, why?" Tenten inquired curiously, wondering what the boy was going on about.

 

"Why not use your own. After all your team is a genin team." Shikamaru concluded, causing the brown haired girl to blink several times.

 

Tenten blinked once, then twice, having not thought of that and was slightly shocked that her beloved hadn't thought of that as well, so she hurriedly devised a cover up as she wasn't about to fail Neji. "Yeah, but we aren't aloud to take our own things. Gai-sensei said so as that wouldn't really be beneficial to our training." She finished with a smug smile on her face.

 

"Heh... Troublesome..." Shikamaru muttered as he easily picked up the dodge she used, judging by her tone and total level of fidgeting. "Fine... Just don't lose or wreck it..." The Nara said with a sigh, knowing that the girl would likely badger him and his best friend all day unless he complied to her request, and quite frankly, he didn't want to deal with a fangirl, even if it was a mellow one.

 

With slow movements that showed his irritation and annoyance at the whole situation, he slowly untied the band from his arm and dropped it into the girl's waiting hands. With a shrug Chouji disentangled it from his blue head gear and handed it to the girl, simply figuring that if Shikamaru was alright with it, he should be. After all his friend was the smart one.

 

"Thank you!!" She squealed before bowing her thanks and running off to go and find the Yamanaka Ino, who was hopefully at her family's flower shop.

 

As the girl raced off down the hill Shikamaru released a sigh. "Want to go play checkers at your place?" He asked his friend who merely nodded while vanishing his chips and standing up.

 

-------------

 

Neji arrived at the meeting point, and was naturally the first one back, which made him cringe. Knowing his teammate he would have said something along the lines of 'I will get all my targeted items and return before my eternal rival, or I will do a thousand laps around Konoha'. Or something else along those lines.

 

With a sigh of some unknown emotion, he moved over to a near-by tree and leaned against its rough bark while crossing his arms over his chest. He might as well get comfortable while he waits.

 

-------------

 

"Excuse me, are you Yamanaka Ino?" Tenten asked as she spotted the pale blond hair girl with her back to her.

 

"Yup!" She said happily as she spun around from tending to a beautiful flower bush. "What can I do for you?" She asked curiously as she eyed the brown haired girl that had somehow knew her name.

 

"I am Tenten, a Genin from the previous graduation class." Tenten began in way of explanation. "My team and I were just assigned a new training exercise, which is a scavengers hunt." She said with a sigh while the blond merely looked on, clearly amused. "Item number five just so happens to be ten ninja bands from the newly graduated Genin."

 

"So you need mine?" Ino stated more then asked, and received a nod in confirmation to her question-statement. "Sure." She said with a casual shrug as she brought her hands to her waist and untied the cloth before handing it to the other girl. "Just bring it back when you are done." She finished before she span back around and resumed tending to the flowers.

 

"Thank you." Tenten said with a smile as she noted the dismissal and hurriedly took her leave before racing back towards the meeting point, hoping that she would make it there before Lee.

 

--------------

 

"All nine Genin bands have been accounted for." Neji stated simply as he placed the nine carefully labeled ninja bands into the bag. "Lee... stop acting foolish and come here." Neji admonished and the bowl cut boy hurriedly finished the last bit of his self induced punishment for having been once again upped by his eternal rival.

 

"What's next Neji-kun?" Tenten asked in a professional manner as she watched the boy remove the scroll from his pocket and unroll it.

 

"A frog..." He stated with a frown. "Where would we find a frog?" He asked as he looked over at the green clad ninja.

 

"At the Reptilian Outlet! It is a place that all reptiles, imported or common, are brought in." Lee said as he pointed North of their direction. "Its at the furthest street in the sixth district." Lee said and watched as his teammate took off towards it.

 

"I didn't think he'd go for it..." Tenten commented, as she honestly didn't expect the prime and proper Hyuuga Neji to go and buy a frog. If someone were able to catch that on film, it would be excellent blackmail material.

 

---------------

 

Neji eyed the dark and murky looking store with a critical look before he went inside, the door made a jingling noise as he entered and it took his eyes half a second to adjust to the dim atmosphere around them. The air was thick, and muggy, the perfect climate for a Reptilian house.

 

All around them, in either tanks or cages, were reptiles of all kinds. From snakes, to geckos, to rare and imported salamanders, to toads, and so the list continued as he observed on. Colours and varieties shone brightly from their holders, as many cold eyes regarded him.

 

A presence appeared in the little store and the Hyuuga looked over at the aging man descending the stairs with a heavy limp.

 

"Would d'you like sum'thing?" He asked in a heavily accented voice as he hobbled over, his greying hair hanging limply in front of his piercing, yet kind black eyes.

 

"A frog." Neji answered simply, as he nodded towards the tanks that were near the far wall that held many a frog.

 

"Eni' kind in, pic'ular?" He asked thickly.

 

"No. A common one will do just fine." The Hyuuga prodigy answered in a calm manner, keeping his perfect composure unwavering.

 

"S'alreight, follah mae." The man said as he scratched his greying hair causing to move into disarray before he limped off towards the back of the shop where small tanks were. As they arrived he opened the tank's top and reached his hand in and pulled a frog out before placing it into the Hyuuga's hand. He then hobbled off to the front desk to ring up the purchase.

 

Neji's right eye twitched as he glared down at the slimy green frog in his hand, before he made his way to the front and placed the correct amount of money down and exiting the building before once more withdrawing the scroll and reading the next item, all the while holding the slimy entity with a firm and cautious grip. He didn't like frogs.

 

"A Chihuahua.." He said as he read the next item before he gazed around and noted the conveniently located pet shop just across the road.

 

With a sigh-- something he had been doing a lot since the assigning of the hunt-- he walked across the empty street and entered into the more homely looking building and like the other it had one of those stupid bells that rang every time the door was opened.

 

With a sigh he made his way over to the dog section and immediately pointed out the only Chihuahua there out to the pet lady who gladly handed it to Neji.

 

With another twitch of his right eye he made his way to the till and payed for it before once more going outside to his team.

 

With two creatures in hand, he hurriedly made his way back to where he had left the two, a continuous twitch above his right eye for every move the two 'things' made. At this rate he would need some treatment to get his twitching taken care of.

 

------------

 

Tenten blinked. Before her stood her beloved Neji, a frog in one hand and a Chihuahua in the other. She blinked a second time before snorting and succumbing to a fit of giggles as she eyed her obviously annoyed teammate.

 

Neji shot the girl a withering glare before turning his attention from the giggling female, and focussed on the green clad boy. "Take. Now." He ordered in a clipped voice as he held the two critters as far from himself as possible, making the dog struggle harder to lick the Hyuuga's face.

 

Lee smiled before he moved forward and happily took the two things and cooed and cuddled them before adding them into the bag. "What's next my eternal rival?" Lee asked happily, hoping that in the end he'd be able to keep the dog and the little frog.

 

With a deep breath, the pale eyed boy regained his composure before looking up the next item. "Gai-sensei has a death wish..." He stated simply, his words drawing the attention of the green clad boy, and even managed to stop the hysterically giggling girl in mid-laugh.

 

"What's next?" The girl questioned, still slightly out of breath and her cheeks were tinged red from the sheer effort of her continuous laughter.

 

"Nara Shikamaru...." He dead panned.

 

--------------

 

Shikamaru and Chouji were seated on the back porch at Chouji's home, sitting in white whicker chairs playing a consuming and slow-paced checkers game, the Nara having more pieces surviving on the bored then the other.

 

Shikamaru leaned forward and was about to move his black piece when a voice cut through the air. "Operation Kidnap!" Ran out loud and clear, yet before either unsuspecting Genin could move a muscle a green blur rushed by before hurriedly vanishing, taking Chouji's best friend with it.

 

The pleasantly plump boy blinked once before the voice he had heard rang some familiar bells in his brain. "Shika must have been an item on their list..." He muttered before standing and making his way inside, knowing that they'd finish the game at a later date.

 

----------------

 

Lee grinned to himself, sprinting back to the place he had left his two teammates, draped carelessly over his shoulders was the shocked Nara boy. It had been easy just to race up, snatch and pull back at an incredible speed that would stun anyone into not make a move.

 

The operation had gone smoothly, and now all that was left was faze two; returning with the boy. And his plan had been going so well until Lee forcefully had the wind knocked out of him, courtesy of the genius' foot which had connected painfully hard to his stomach, causing him to falter in his steps before tripping, sending them both flying.

 

Both Genin hit the ground in a dust rising squid, before both managed to roll themselves into a standing position, using the friction on their sandals to slow their slide across the dirt path. They landed several metres apart and eyed each other wearily, both waiting for the other to move first.

 

Lee frowned slightly as he tried to move forward, only to note that both his and the other boy's shadows were attached. 'I didn't even see him perform the spell...' Lee thought absently, a little shocked at having been taken off guard by a freshly graduated Genin, who had passed with one of the lowest standings in that bunch.

 

"How did you get this jutsu up so fast?" Lee yelled in shock, causing the other boy to flinch at the sheer volume of the ninja's voice.

 

Shikamaru didn't answer, and instead turned on heel, Lee unwillingly mimicking his actions and watched in horror as he ran forward towards a massive tree and crashed into it with a great thud before falling to the ground slightly dazed. The stunned state wore off fast and he hurriedly turned, only to note that he was alone and the Nara heir had vanished.

 

"Neji-kun is going to kill me..." He muttered as he pushed himself up, a hand tenderly patting his sore stomach. "For one so lazy, his fire sure burns brightly! I shall catch this hidden firefly and set him free!!" He declared as he struck a pose before racing off in search of the now cautious Nara.

 

----------

 

Neji's head snapped to the side at such a speed that Tenten winced, wondering if the boy had given himself whiplash. "That was Lee's voice..." He muttered with a sigh before activating his Byakugan, causing all the veins around his pale eyes to bugle with sheer strain. "Kuso!" He cursed under his breath before peering over at Tenten. "Lee messed up." He stated in way of explanation before he sprang off to rectify the issue at hand.

 

He raced off the dirt path lined by deep green trees and emerged into the bustling streets of Konoha, weaving with expert grace and speed through the crowd, ignoring the many varying looks sent at him. 'There!' He inwardly smirked as he spotted the slinking brown pineapple hair through the crowd and he deactivated his eyes.

 

"Nara Shikamaru." He stated as he reached the boy who was trying to retreat stealthily, causing him to freeze in his tracks and lazily spin around.

 

"What do you guys want?" He asked in annoyance.

 

"Item number eight: Nara Shikamaru." Neji said as he eyed the boy tuck his hands in his pocket before slouching in a way that would cause many to over-balance yet he had it down to an art.

 

"Troublesome...." The Nara whispered under his breath as he glared half-heartedly at the Hyuuga, not having the energy required to send a full our death glare. "I'm not going with you..." He said stubbornly while inwardly cringed at the attack that the green-clad freaky ninja, which had raced with such speed and energy that it made him queasy.

 

"A deal then; you come with us and you may have your things back to wear, and either Lee or myself will carry you." He suggested, hoping that the lazy genius would give in.

 

Shikamaru frowned as he thought it over. "Fine. You have to carry me, I refuse to go near that green beast..." He muttered, knowing that the only way it would all go away would be if he agreed. "So troublesome...."

 

"Deal." Neji said as he held his hand out which the Nara slowly took and they shook on it.

 

'What am I getting into...?' The Nara silently asked.

 

"Neji-kun!" A loud voice ripped through the air just as the two released hands. "Forgive me!" The voice wailed causing the Hyuuga to cringed inwardly. "For I have lost our target and failed you my eternal rival!" Lee cried as he appeared beside Neji, hands and knees on the ground as he begged and cried for sweet mercy and another chance.

 

"Lee--" Neji began only to be cut off by an increasingly louder wail, causing many of the villagers to look on curiously. "Lee--" He tried again only to hear bouts of how many laps and push-ups he'd have to do to get forgiveness and prove his worth. "Lee!" Neji coldly snapped, causing the boy to snap out of his melodramatic scene and look up at the apathetic Hyuuga, his big eyes full of unshed tears.

 

"It's him!!" Lee shouted, his eyes growing impossibly larger as he pointed in shock at the Nara on his eternal rival's back. "How have you upped me yet again, my fiery rival?" Lee demanded as he pilled his hand down it a fist as flames became visible in his eyes.

 

"He and I made a deal... I didn't try and kidnap him..." He said with a sigh, while the Nara merely watched on, uninterested in the strangeness of the one known as Lee. "Anyways... Lee I need you to go find Hatake Kakashi and retrieve his left sandal. The best tactic would be to take him by surprise." Neji concluded as he glanced at the scroll that had some how manage to remove from his pocket while still balancing the Nara on his back.

 

"I've heard that name before! Isn't that our beloved sensei's eternal rival, the Copy-Cat-Ninja with the record of most ever copied jutsu?" Lee demanded as he took on a thoughtful expression.

 

"Yes. Now go, I expect you to be at the place we left Tenten by the time I make it there." Neji said in way of dismissal before he turned and made his way off, paying no attention to the green blur that had hurriedly left to comply.

 

"You're bossy." Shikamaru commented in a bored tone.

 

"Point?" Neji asked uncaring of the accusations of him being bossy.

 

"That you are a bastard." Shikamaru said with a shrug as he rested his head on the boy's shoulder.

 

"And you're my bitch." Neji dead panned causing the Nara's head to rise off his shoulder.

 

"What?" He asked his jaw hanging open as he had never once anticipated the Hyuuga to say.

"It was a joke." Neji explained with a shrug. "It was a line that amused me from one of the movies I went to." He stated nonchalantly.

 

"Troublesome..." Shikamaru muttered as he looked uncaring at all the villagers who were sending them strange looks.

 

"Isn't that Hyuuga Neji, the genius of the Hyuuga branch family?" A female voice was heard by both ninja. "And on his back, isn't that Nara Shikamaru?" The same female asked as she crossed her pudgy arms over his chest and looked on with a frown. "He looks so girly...." She added after a moment of observing the two as they made their way past her and her friends, who were likewise chubby.

 

Neji's pale eyes went to the ground as he slightly hastened his pace, taking him and the Nara boy out of sight from the gossiping women. He was used to several of the villagers calling him girly and weak looking. Saying that he'd grow up to be an embarrassment. That was one of the reasons why he worked so hard to become stronger, so that people wouldn't judge him by his appearance and family name.

 

"They don't like you." Shikamaru commented as he peered over the other boy's shoulder and looked at his face trying to gauge his reaction. "What did she mean by branch family?" He asked curiously, honestly not remembering if he had heard of all that before.

 

"Hyuuga family is broken into two parts: The Main Family and the Branch Family. The main family is the eldest born's family, and the Branch is the youngest born's family. My father and my uncle were twins, but my father was born second..." He explained quietly as they reached the quieter sector of the city.

 

"Hiashi-sama controls all the branch members by placing a seal on each of us..." He trailed off, not understanding why he was opening up to the boy on his back.

 

"A seal?" the Nara asked with a frown.

 

"Yes, it gives the main family the ability to cause us great pain, to kill us, or to burry the secrets that are our bloodline line. We are slaves to them... My father died in my uncle's place..." He concluded as he looked down at his feet.

 

"Can I see the seal?" Shikamaru asked causing the Hyuuga to freeze before nodding.

 

"Alright... but you'll have to get down." He said as he lowered him to the ground before spinning around, white eyes meeting brown.

 

With a slight hesitation he brought his hands up and untied his forehead protector and lowered it, showing off the caged bird seal on his forehead, the green a great contrast to his naturally pale skin. "This is my curse... my prison... my destiny." He finished coldly as he peered off to the side, not wanting to watch the other observe his curse.

 

The two of them fell into silence, one debating the level of intellect he would be graded on for having revealed such a touchy secret, the other silently debating over the matter, accessing all positive and negative out comes for such a curse.

 

The silence pressed on until they reached the meeting point, and with slight surprise on bot their parts, they noted that the green clad ninja had indeed made it there before they did and he did indeed have the item he had been sent to retrieve.

 

And so the hunt continued, and they managed to acquire much on their task. Some things were easy, others insanely difficult and of course all degrees in between. They acquired the Hokage's pipe, a simple movie pass to the latest movie to hit the Konoha Cinema, the legendary Hatake Kakashi's face mask--causing the man to continuously trail them while wearing a tea towel around his face--, some girl's lipstick --a brilliant shade or crimson that would put even blood to shame--, hell they even got a pink dress that was custom made to fit Neji's frame--of course that wasn't without him promising to castrate his sensei with a rusted and blunt kunai knife.

 

Of course that was only the first fourteen items on a list bearing one hundred things. From an Anbu captain's mask, to Umino Iruka's pillow, to a pokemon card-which they nabbed from the honourable grandson--, to a boulder--which of course Lee had to escort around--, to a fire jutsu scroll-- which they got from the Hyuuga Library--, to Kakashi's Icha Icha Paradise collection-- which renewed the Jounin's attempts to catch and retrieve his items--, to a picture of someone jumping nude off the Hokage mountains-- a task which the mini green beast of Konoha eagerly took... much to the scaring of any and all witnesses--, to a broom. And that was still only twenty-two things.

 

The Gardner snake was easy enough to nab as many of the villagers had been complaining about the uprise in their numbers, but Anko's coat was a tricky one to steal and they ended up getting her too intoxicated to even notice their sticky fingers. A blue ribbon was easy to get as many of the villager's daughters were eager to assist the ninjas, and the mushroom was easily acquired from one of the herbalists. Ino's hair-tie was a little more difficult to manage, but with a promise that they owed her something in the future the item was eagerly handed over.

 

Shino's shades were a tough one to get their hands on but employing the Nara's genius mind, they managed to successful 'borrow' them. Of course item number twenty-nine was a disturbing one to gather as it was Gai's spare jumpsuit and they honestly didn't want to know where that thing had been, but thankfully they had a reprieve from the harder tasks as they retrieved some dog treats.

 

A comic book was easily acquired from Konohamaru, and Kurenai was happy to lend them her shampoo so long as they returned it later. After a visit to the Konoha blackmail market, they had acquired a picture of Iruka that was considered risque, while Hinata's coat was an easy one as she practically tore it from her frame when her cousin asked to borrow it. Getting a shingle from the Hokage Tower had been challenging as they had the Anbu on their tail for making a ruckus that was distracting to the Hokage.

 

The library book was a breeze so long as they promised to return the piece before it became over due, whereas the retrieval of a fresh baked pie was hard as they had to flee from an old lady with a rolling pin, yelling many colourful words to the hooligan's who stole her pie. But of course that was hands down easy compared to convincing the honourable grandson to lend them his goggles, which he had obtained after the inspiration he got from Naruto.

 

With that last item coming in as number thirty-eight, they set up camp at their training field for the night and began again the next day starting with a walking stick, then moving to Kakashi's ninja band--once again gaining the silver haired elite on their tail after having earlier giving him the slip--. Next they nicked an eraser from the Academy, before they conned Asuma into giving them his cigarettes in exchange for their silence over a certain embarrassing occurrence between him and another.

 

After that they somehow managed to sneak into the Hokage Tower storage room and they retrieved a Jounin vest, and then they borrowed the stool from Ichiraku's ramen stand-- much to the amusement of the owner who merely watched them take it while making them promise to return it. Though not everyone was as kind as the noodle bar's owner, so they had difficulties tricking a weary traveller into lending them his passport which came in at number forty-five.

 

The feather of a bird was a little difficult to manage until Neji stepped in showing his teammate's and the still 'captive' Nara boy that he had an affiliation towards the winged creatures. Though the shock came to an end when they had acquired the chips of Akimichi Chouji-- thanks impart to Shikamaru who was friends with said boy--.

 

Ramen and cookies were easily purchased at a local store whereas retrieving the janitors shoe at exactly four p.m. sharp was a bit more challenging, though they managed it with seven seconds to spare and thus completed half of their list.

 

- - - - - - - - - - -

 

Naruto sighed. He had been training since yesterday after his delicious meal of ramen, and only now at the late afternoon on the following day did he actually manage to learn and master the new technique and that was an astounding feat. Kyuubi had worked him hard, though the end results were impressive for now he was ready to challenge the sword master known as Satsujin Yaiba.

 

But that would have to wait until he was done his nap as he had just fallen asleep in his little training haven that was known only to himself...

 

- - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Konohamaru's scarf was a synch to get, seeing as Neji is very good at intimidating people without really even trying, and a clan shirt from the Hyuuga family was even easier as they had a Hyuuga on their team. Tenten happily supplied them with a Shuriken, though the picture of a maskless ANBU was difficult, but fortunately they had gotten it from the blackmail market after submitting some very interesting gossip and proof of a certain relationship between two Jounin ranked individuals.

 

Coming in at number fifty-five were nail-clippers, and next was a white flower. The medic nin needles were a breeze to get as Tenten's family often forged extras of them, but acquiring a porn magazine was indeed difficult seeing as they were of legal age, but that was easily remedied the Hyuuga transformed into Hatake Kakashi who wasn't even questioned for purchasing such risque material seeing how he often read higher rated books in public within viewing range of young children.

 

A shoelace was easy though the villager they had taken it from was pleased when one minute he was playing tag happily then the next he was sucking face with the ground as his shoe fell off.... An onion later they were at item sixty one which was a forbidden scroll, which Lee--for reasons unknown-- had one.

 

When they went for Anko's bento box heads were literally rolling as she was beyond pissed at her coat missing, showing much off as she only wore a fish net shirt with nothing else underneath, but fortunately she was busy bitting someone's head off when they snagged the item. They could still hear her enraged screams when she discovered his bento box... or lack there of.

 

 

"Neji-kun, what are we supposed to do? We can't locate Naruto-san anywhere?" Tenten asked with a frown, knowing that they had gone to far to stop now which made finding the blond ninja all the more imperative to their task.

 

"Well... He isn't at his usually haunts, and he is not out on a mission, so he is likely training off in his own little area. If we spilt up and position ourselves at certain places, we may find him. Tenten you go to the Hokage Mountain, Lee you will wait at Ichiraku's ramen stand, and Shikamaru-san and I will wait at his apartment. If he doesn't show in the next two hours we will meet back here." Neji directed as he motioned towards their position in sandbox at the park.

 

"Hai!" Both his teammates stated before they each took off on their own way.

 

"This is troublesome..." Shikamaru mumbled with a deep and grating sigh.

 

"As you have mentioned on various occasions." Neji stated with amusement clear in his voice, though his expression remained neutral.

 

Shikamaru merely slumped more on the other's back as he closed his eyes figuring that now would be a good of time as any to catch up on his sleep. Hell, he had nothing better to do, and they'd likely be waiting around for a while until that blond prankster showed up.

 

'Troublesome...' He inwardly said before he slipped off into dreams of fluffy white clouds and hills galore.

 

Neji shook his head at the other having just fallen off into dreams. 'Only he could fall asleep like that...' Neji inwardly muttered as he made his way towards the apartment buildings said to house the blond haired genin from squad seven.

 

He arrived there in good time and knocked on the door, ut he received no answer.

 

"Oi!!" A voice behind him said in a loud greeting causing the Hyuuga to spin and look at the dark leather clad young man. "Why are you at my door?" The blond haired ninja asked as he regarded the stranger, noting that he bore a leaf forehead protector.

 

"I need the keys to your apartment." Neji answered as he cut to the chase.

 

"My keys? What they hell do you need them for?" He asked with a frown as he studied the other.

"Its what we need for our scavenger hunt, set to us by my sensei." Neji explained as he shifted the slumbering Nara.

 

"And why should I give them to a fate obsessed person such as yourself?" Naruto asked as he brushed passed the genin and opened his home before beckoning the other to follow him inside.

 

"But it is destiny that has brought me to your door." The Hyuuga answered firm in his belief.

 

"Pshh... Destiny is not what makes you or guides your path. It is will to try and the decisions you choose." Naruto said with a sigh as he plopped down on a chair and motioned toward the other chairs.

 

Neji sighed as he shook the boy on his back awake and said person grumbled before taking an offered seat with a slump while the Hyuuga sat down with great grace. Those two were like black and white, light and dark; complete opposites.

 

"But Destiny and Fate do guide your path. My father's fate was to serve the main family and die in my Uncle's place. Mine is to forever serve the Hyuuga family as I, along with all branch members, am bound under their curse." Neji stated with a frown, clearly believing that it was destiny's fault.

 

"Well... for one who believes in destiny so much you sure try hard to fight it..." Naruto said with a quirked eyebrow as he looked at the shocked expressions of the other two, one surprised at such an analysis the other shocked that the other wasn't such an idiot as originally thought. "I mean it is strange that you work so hard to be so strong, stronger the Heiress of the main family, and likely the strongest Hyuuga to ever be born... well not the strongest yet, but you are far beyond the others when they were your age. You are fighting to be strong, to amount to more then the main family. You have the Heiress whipped, she'll do anything to make you, her dear cousin, proud." Naruto summed up.

 

Neji blinked as his mouth opened a fraction of an inch. 'How is he so perceptive... I always heard that he was an idiot prankster...' Neji thought in shock, surprised that someone had seen through his attempts to defeat his destiny. "Fight me." He challenged with a frown. "Fight me, if I win then destiny is true, if you win then I'll see things in your light. I'll be more flexible to your views."

 

Shikamaru blinked before sighing. 'A fight... that's too troublesome...'

 

"Fine... I need a bit of a workout to see if I've improved lately..." Naruto mumbled as he placed his hands on his table and pushed himself up. "I know a good place for a spar so that we don't draw any unwanted attention." He offered as he moved towards the door the others following.

 

'Kit are you certain this is wise?' Kyuubi questioned as he regarded his host with an air of curiosity.

 

'I'm positive it will be fine. Though I will have to put my restraint to the test in a fight against him.' Naruto thought with a hidden sigh.

 

'Yeah, after all no one should take a Hyuuga lightly no matter how weak they seem. You'll have to lower your skill to his level or a notch just above as you need to win. I want you to intimidate him a slight bit as that would likely assist in him giving up his 'destiny' talks and beliefs...' Kyuubi expressed with a small nod.

 

'Intimidate? What would you know about intimidation?' Naruto began in a teasing manner. 'I mean the first time I saw you was in a photograph that depicted the greatness of Yondaime, and I honestly thought you were an over grown rabbit that had tails on steroids as they were so deformed.' He stated with a quiet chuckle as his feet followed a familiar path to the greatest training area he knew.

 

'Why you smart-mouthed little twerp...' Kyuubi hissed with a glare. "Insolent, arrogant, annoying, hypocritical, evil...' The fox kept muttering words vocabulary deceasing with each new insult.

 

'Kyuu you are sounding childish, are you certain you are as old as you claim?' The blond teased with a Cheshire grin as the fox demon went off to sulk in a corner.

 

'I will have my revenge for that one kit...' He promised with a dark gleam in his eyes.

 

"Here we are." Naruto stated as he spun on heel to regard the two that had followed him all the way to his training area. "What terms will we be fighting on?" He asked, cutting straight to the chase as he had better things to do then spar with a genin, like take on a certain swordsman..

 

"Killing is not permitted, but otherwise everything goes." Neji stated firmly as he stepped forward and activated his Byakugan.

 

'Kit, you'll need to pay extra close attention to detail and his fighting stance as this is our first battle with a person of the Hyuuga blood. I want you analyse his all seeing eyes and look for any possible weakness. I want you to lure him into using the Hyuuga Taijutsu style and even the attacks said to be only known to the main family as I have a hunch that he knows them. He is listed as a prodigy after all.' The Kyuubi advised as he reappeared from his corner.

 

'I thought you weren't talking to me anymore. Off plotting revenge in the corner?' Naruto questioned the fox with a mental sweat drop. 'You didn't have to tell me that either, as that was one of my intentions when I accepted this mock battle.'

 

"It is your destiny to loose." Neji stated as he brought his left leg back and balanced on the balls of his feet while he bent his knees for maximum manoeuverability. Next he brought his right hand up in a flat hand position keeping it around his stomach, while the other one mimicked the position though it was out further from his body and perpendicular to his chest.

 

"Yeah... yeah... Now let me show you why you shouldn't be a fortune teller." Naruto muttered as he stepped back with his right foot, and moved into a similar foot set up, though he brought his hands up and out more, in the position of fists. "Time to teach you that fate and destiny have nothing up on hard work, will, and inevitability!" Naruto stated as he rushed forward aiming a punch at the other's face.

 

'Stage one test the waters.' Naruto thought as the Hyuuga blocked the fist with his left hand as he brought his right hand that glowed with white chakra forward aiming for the blond's solar plexus. Naruto evaded to the side. 'Well versed in Taijutsu. Speed: above normal. Tends to jump the gun as he is already trying to seal my chakra points.' He summed up as he dropped down and moved his right foot in a sweeping motion to get the other's feet knocked to the side.

 

"You're faster than I had anticipated." Neji stated as he jumped before the other's foot could hit his own, and flipped through the air landing in a crouched position, left hand on the ground. "But still not fast enough!" He said coldly as he launched himself forward, right hand glowing with his chakra as he shot his palm towards the other's chest.

 

'Arrogant... which is a typical trait for those who bare the Hyuuga blood, but he is young enough to have his perceptions altered...' Kyuubi commented with a yawn. 'You keep it up.. I need a nap...' He said with a stretch before he took off for his nap.

 

'Some great Demon Lord you are... needing a nap...' Naruto thought with a roll of his eyes as he grabbed Neji's wrist in a firm hold, before he pulled the boy over his shoulder in a toss which sent him flying towards a tree. Neji flipped at the mid point between Naruto and the tree and landed in a crouch like the first one he had used, feet pulsing with concentrated chakra that let him stick to the side of the tree, as a few of the fallen leaves went airborne from all the high wind his passing past had caused.

 

"Maybe I underestimated you, but it is still my destiny to reign victorious over this spar." Neji said firmly as he used his crouched legs to propel him forward, both hands glowing the brilliant white chakra. "This time... I'll take you down." He said quietly as he aimed his higher arm towards the blond's chest, and the lower towards the boy's stomach. He wouldn't be out done by a limitless individual.

 

'Time to end this.' Naruto thought just as both the hands connected with his person, causing the Hyuuga to smirk, though it was short lived as soon the Naruto vanished in a burst of grey chakra smoke. "Shadow clone..." He stated as he landed on the ground, feet skidding slightly.

 

"Yoso Riru: Ryo Godo!" Naruto's voice from the tree's shouted as three dragons of three different elements appeared. The first dragon, an earth dragon bore beneath the dirt, the second, a water dragon took to the sky and the third dragon, a lightning dragon moved straight towards the stationary Hyuuga.

 

Neji leapt to the side avoiding the dragon which, when it had hit the ground, left a massive charred spot where he had once stood. But he wasn't given any time to contemplate the nature of the attack, not was he given a chance to device a plan of action, for once he was airborne, the ground below him rumbled momentarily before the earth dragon revealed itself, slamming a mass horde of earthly components into the Hyuuga, pushing him higher into the air.

 

With narrowed eyes and a hiss of pain, the Hyuuga brought his hands to form a chakra hand seal, though was stopped as the water dragon slammed into him with great force, sending him plummeting towards the earth. He impacted hard, breath stolen while a mass cloud of dirt and mud flew up around him. 'Could I have been wrong? Is there truly more out there then simply Destiny's path ways?' He silently asked himself as he remained where he was focussing on returning his breathing to normal.

 

"That was a good fight." Naruto said as he reappeared before the fallen Hyuuga prodigy. "Maybe we could train together sometimes, help each other grow stronger?" He offered as he held his hand out for the injured boy to accept.

 

Neji blinked once as he contemplated the blond's words. It sounded as though he was offering friendship, and was being sincere about it, something he rarely knew when others wished to befriend him for his name and prodigy status. With a small smile, that one hardly would ever see on the apathetic boy's face, he grabbed the offered hand and was gently pulled to his feet, before Naruto wrapped the long haired genin's arm around his shoulder and placed his own hand on the Hyuuga's waist in order to support the teen.

 

"Troublesome..." Nara Shikamaru stated as he walked over to them, hand absently tucked in his back pockets as he regarded the two. "Now who's supposed to carry me?" He asked with a hint of a smile. "Hey Naruto... Want to have a round of Shogi with me sometime? You too Hyuuga." The lazy genius offered to the, able to tell that Naruto was different before and he had just changed the Hyuuga in the span of only a couple of minutes.

 

"Sure." The two answered with a smile before looking at each other. "Hey!" They said simultaneously before they glared at one another. As that didn't work, they both pouted, causing Shikamaru to chuckle slightly.

 

'Kit... meet your first true friends... I can already feel the bond and its already strong and will only grow firmer over time. You can count and trust the two of them, don't hold back from them. Having allies that know your strength can be as advantuous as having hidden strength.' Kyuubi spoke up.

 

'I thought you were napping.' Naruto said with a blink. 'I will keep them close. I can feel that bond too. In the span of this short mock battle they had somehow managed to become on of my precious people.' Naruto thought with a smile. 'I will always protect them.'

 

"Naruto-kun, may I borrow your keys now? I promise that I'll be the one to hang onto them until the hunt is over." The Hyuuga stated while glancing to the side as Shikamaru grabbed the injured boy's arm and pulled it over his slouched shoulder before placing his own hand around Neji's waist as Naruto's hand was.

"Sure, but first lets get you back to my place so we can clean you up." Naruto offered with a smile as the trio made their way back to where they had come from.

 

-----------

 

"Neji-kun?!?! What happened?!?!" Tenten shouted as she watched Nara Shikamaru carry a slightly bandaged up Hyuuga towards her and Lee as the two made their way towards the appointed meeting place.

 

"I got the keys." He answered simply, cutting all chances of most questions off before they could even start. "Arrigatou Shikamaru-kun." Neji whispered gently into the Nara genius' ear as he rested his chest on the other's shoulder. "And I'm sorry for all the hassles and annoyances I've caused you." He finished quietly, his teammates hearing not a word of it.

 

"What are friends for." Shikamaru whispered back as he turned his head to the side to regard the other boy who's head was on his shoulder.

 

"Who has lain their hands upon my eternal rival!?!?!?!?!?" Lee shouted as tears raced down his face in a great waterfall as he brought his fist up into the air. "I vow I will find he or she who underhanded assaulted you, and beat them to a pulp!" The spandex clad preteen vowed as fire burned in his tearfilled eyes.

 

"Lee-kun..." Neji began with a sigh. "I was challenged to a fight and I lost fair and square." He answered while looking calmly at his teammate.

 

"You lost?!" Lee declared with creepily wide eyes. "Could it be? Could the man I placed my rivalry upon be weak??!?!?" He cried as he sank to the ground.

 

"Lee!" Tenten snapped as she smacked her bawling teammate over the head with her fist, causing a large bump to rise on Lee's head.

 

"Tenten-chan! That hurt! Such fierce fire burns in your veins!" He declared as he leapt into the air and struck his youthful pose.

 

"We need Umino Iruka's hair tie next." Neji cut in as he regarded the scroll with a quiet yawn.

 

"Yosh!" Lee leapt into the air. "I shall return!" He declared before he raced off to retrieve the object, and his return was as swift as his departure.

 

And so their quest continued and they retrieved spray paint, a picture of one of the Jounin ranked officials skinny dipping, Sasuke's onigiri-- which was no walk in the park--, and they even snagged Kurenai's makeup, getting their acquired item number up to sixty-eight.

 

After a break for the evening, the group was up and ready, including Hyuuga Neji, to commence the search for item number sixty-nine: a picture example of a tattoo. That was an easy one to get. Next was a picture of someone kissing someone of the same gender, followed by the flag of Konoha, then Ebisu's headband. After that was a chess board, a night light, a bathhouse towel, and then a chakra diagram.

 

Next came a business card, and then Shino's left sandal, before they made a return trip to Naruto's and retrieved the remains of his orange jumpsuit which brought them to number seventy-nine. Iruka's underwear was next, then the Hokage's hat, followed by Genma's senbon, then Pakkun himself.

 

After a lunch break they relieved the sword of an ANBU while it was in for repairs, a pair of old dentures, Hokage-sama's house keys, Uchiha Sasuke's front door, Hatake Kakashi's collection of Icha Icha Paradise, and then Chouji's head gear which was willingly given.

 

The Hokage's crystal ball was next, then a portrait of the Yondaime, Iruka's right sock, then that penguin night cap that Naruto used to wear which brought them to ninety-three items. They were close.

 

"What's next?" Tenten asked with a sigh, glad that this whole thing would soon be over, she was sick of being chased by angry mobs.

 

"A slightly trickier one." Neji said with a frown. "We are to retrieve each and every lightbulb from Hokage tower." He explained as he somehow withdrew the blueprints of the tower. "There should be one-hundred and fourteen in total." He said after a few moments of studying the prints and wiring diagrams.

 

"That's a lot of light bulbs to retrieve. If I didn't doubt the sanity of our instructor before now, this whole 'training' exercise would have certainly pushed me to that conclusion." Tenten muttered in exasperation as she smack her hand to her forehead.

 

"Gai-sensei is perfectly sane!" Lee shouted in a challenging manner as he held his flaming fist just below the line of his jaw.

 

"Uh-huh..." Neji said in an uncharacteristic manner, he had been doing that a lot since a certain blond haired ninja had freed him from his foolish perceptions. "If you and he are sane then I am a girl madly in love with a certain boy I know." He said sarcastically as he quirked a brow at his teammates who looked absolutely shell shocked.

 

"Neji-kun!!!" Lee shouted. "You are a girl?" He asked in horror, causing Shikamaru to roll his eyes.

 

"Troublesome." The Nara muttered lazily as he yawned.

 

And so with witty comments and sarcastic remarks aside the team and the tag along friend of the Hyuuga managed to acquire each and every light bulb without being noticed, leaving all those who worked within the tower in the dark.

 

Next they were put to the test on their plumbing skills as they had to apprehend Kakashi's toilet--let's just say that the jounin was given an indoor sprinkler of sorts. That brought them up to ninety-five items obtained and the bag on Lee's back was absolutely monstrous.

 

They nabbed a stack of Konoha Daily, before they plucked a random plum from an orchid near by. After that they 'borrowed' Sakura's weapons' pouch before they ventured into the Academy and snatched Iruka's desk right out from behind the lecturing Chunin, bringing them up to number ninety-nine.

 

"The tallest tree in the forest." Neji said as the last item appeared on their scroll. "We just need to find it, and not transport it as it is the last item.... maybe he has some sense after all..." He whispered the last part to himself before he shock his head negatively. "That would be saying that Lee is a frog in the guise of a human." He said as he leapt up to the tree tops and activated his coveted bloodline limit.

 

"Lee, go tag the tree that is a rare birch wood, located about nine leagues in." He said once he returned to the ground with a graceful leap, hardly landing before the green clad boy did as ordered. Neji looked at the scroll and waited until a line made its way through the tallest tree. "Training mission: Complete." He stated as he rolled the parchment up before tucking it in his pocket as he spun on heel, motioning for the Nara to follow.

 

The two left without a single word to the others. "That was troublesome." Shikamaru commented as he tucked his hands in his back pockets before slouching even more then before.

 

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Naruto pulled up the familiar hood of his cloak, the very one that was very well known to be the possession of a certain Kage-Gesshoku, Assailant of Shadows. "Kyuu..." The young boy whispered, his voice sounding different from usual as he had it masked to make himself sound older. "It's time for me to accept the challenge so graciously given to me." He said as he did a double over of his battle uniform, making sure he had all that was needed.

 

'I'm sure you are ready... but this battle will be hard... Just be careful kit.' Kyuubi offered as he took on a serious and pensive stance as his vessel melded with the shadows as he left the Village. They had a ways to travel, after all the Solar base was located quite some ways away.

 

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"You have summoned me?" A cold and quiet voice rang out through the pitch black room, iciness nearly coming from the new arrival in palpable waves.

 

"Yes." A strong voice answered back, a voice that was deeply accented yet colder than ice and bore more malice then any sane being could bare. "I want you to find and study someone. He would be beneficial to our cause. Learn what you can of the Kage-Gesshoku, for he will play an important role in the way things proceed from herein out." The voice ordered his minion.

 

"Yes Akata-sama." The cold voice said before his presence vanished from the dark room.

 

"Good... With the wheels in motion my plan will slowly meet fruitation. I await the assistance you will be providing us Kage-Gesshoku, wether it is unwillingly given help or not. But I feel you will be of great assistance." The voice said before succumbing to a great fit of hackling cackles that would chill many to the bone.

 

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"Satsujin Yaiba!" Naruto called out calmly as he stood before the front and main gate of the massive sized fortress. "I have come to accept your challenge." He stated to the building, though nothing happened for several minutes.

 

Though after a brief wait, great clicking and clanging meet that sensitive ears of Naruto as he watched the massive gate slowly swing inwards, standing in its wake stood Satsujin Yaiba, Samurai and leader of his own organisation.

 

"You sure took your time in coming." The man said in an icy voice. "I was afraid that your errand boy had forgotten to give you my message, but I suppose one such as yourself is terribly busy." The man said as he withdrew his curved katana as he walked down the cobble stone path, stopping only when he reached a respectable distance away from his opponent. "It is time for you to die and pay for the offenses you have caused me and mine."

 

"You talk too much." Naruto said with a sigh as he withdrew his own blade.

 

 

Not too far away, in the trees well concealed, stood a dark cloaked figure, his cold eyes trained on his target: The Kage-Gesshoku. "I found you." He whispered to himself as he prepared to analyse the fight to come.

 

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End of chapter.

 

Yoso Riru: Ryo Godo -- Elemental Reel: Dragon Combo

 

Special thank you to all those who have reviewed. I look forward to reading your opinions and suggestions. Until next chapter, Ja!!