Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Speak Up ❯ Mission Statement ( Chapter 7 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Title: Speak Up
Disclaimer: I'm not entirely sure if Sasuke and Hinata have even officially met in the series.
Rating: PG ( K+ ) – For nothing but fluffy insinuation, a bit of violence against Ichiraku's ramen
stand and a couple naughty words here or there.
Spoilers: Umm...I guess I've given away that Sakura becomes a medic-nin, does that count?
Summary: Naruto shook her off and confronted Sasuke again, "Not until he apologizes and
promises to leave Hinata-chan alone!" SasuHinaNaru.

Have I introduced another one-sided love interest? Maybe...



Chapter 7: Mission Statement

Hyuuga Neji's eyes froze in the middle of the page he was scanning and ceased to absorb
the written information. Slowly, he rolled his eyes upward to observe his two minions standing at
attention before his compulsively neat desk. "The Uchiha?"

"That's right," the ANBU on the left confirmed, withdrawing her smart salute. She
dropped her hand to her side and straightened her spine rigidly. "He was in the hospital room
with Hinata-chan when the incident occurred. Judging by his close proximity to her, we assume
that he was also the cause of the commotion."

Abandoning the pretense of busywork altogether, Neji leaned back and away from the
documents spread across his low desktop to focus his full attention on the masked soldiers
reporting to his command. "What were the circumstances of the incident?"

This time, the ANBU on the right answered the Hyuuga prodigy's question. "We didn't
witness the event, but he was laying on top of her when we entered the room."

Neji could feel the corners of his eyes begin to twitch as the Byakugan fought to release
itself. "On top of her?"

"Yes," the ANBU on the right agreed.

"Do you have any notion of his...motives?"

"Not exactly, but he is a young man in the spring of his life," the second ANBU replied,
clenching his fist with passion. "Undoubtedly, his blood yearns for – "

"Never mind!" Neji held up a silencing hand to the masked shinobi, clenching his eyes
shut to both suppress the Byakugan and scour the unbidden image of the thing Uchiha Sasuke's
blood yearned for from his mind. "Just...keep an eye on Hinata-sama. Considering the suspicious
reasoning behind Uchiha's return, I think it best that we keep him as far as possible from her."

The first ANBU ventured to ask, "Should one of us trail the Uchiha?"

"No," Neji didn't pause for a moment. "If his intended target is, indeed, Hinata-sama,
then I want her under constant supervision. You will undoubtedly encounter the Uchiha in your
pursuits without going through the effort of surveillance."

The two ANBU saluted. "Yes, sir!"

Without waiting for elaboration on their orders, they turned to leave.

"One moment," Neji called. The masked shinobi stopped and inclined their heads to
listen. "Be discreet. Hinata-sama is not to know that she is being protected."

"Understood," the two soldiers chorused in unison, flashing their commanding officer a
final salute.

Before Neji could even wave his hand to dismiss them, the two shinobi were gone.

The Hyuuga prodigy slid out from behind the low table he used as his desk and, with
inborn grace, unfolded his legs to stand. He hoisted his slender body up and moved toward the
window, crossing the room without a sound. Neji peered out into the bright November afternoon
with his keen eyes narrowed and aristocratic brow furrowed in thought. ‘Something's not right...'

"Suzuki-san, come here for a moment."

The ANBU squad captain heard the shoji door behind him slide down its track before a
soft, accommodating voice answered him. "Yes, Hyuuga-sama. How can I help you?"

"Call the hospital," he ordered, not breaking his eyes away from the streets outside. "I
wish to speak with Haruno Sakura."

— — —

Authors Notes: I'm doing my best to finish up this story as soon as possible. I want to be able to
both spend Thanksgiving with my family and start working on the sequel/prequel(s), so I'm
going to do my best to wrap it up by this coming Tuesday. Not that I'm going to post all the
chapters at once, oh no; I'm going to leave you a week in suspense for every one as if I were
writing them as I go n.n

Everyone wish me luck!

Un-beta'd. Deal with it.

. ( . Ms Videl Son . ) .

– Love can be black and white. SasuHina.