Naruto 1. Chapter 1

**a/n:** Hey everyone! So, here it is…I've finally decided to start posting this story! This is the beauty and the beast fic, which was the winner of the poll on my profile. So, I'm proud of this work in some ways because the plot is more developed (but also a little haphazard at times) and the chapters are longer, but in some ways this writing can also be super confusing. A shout-out to Yoimxxx who betaed the first couple of chapters for me, and is super awesome! I hope college is working out working out for you!

Anyways, so let's get to the good stuff! Warnings: YAOI SO NO FLAMES PLEASE. Beyond that, for this chapter not much. I really hope you guys like it, since this is very different from the other stories that I've written before.

The Beauty and the Beast

By: itanejiluver

Chapter One

Neji glanced around nervously as he scrubbed at the stairs, but then scowled in displeasure when he felt cold water soaking through his legs. He'd splashed himself in his nervousness, and now he'd exposed himself to more sexual harassment with his clothes in a mess. Sighing, he rose from his work and hurried away for a change of clothing; he didn't even want to _think_ about what any of Hinata's suitors would say if they saw him like this.

Neji dove out of the way when he heard well-known voices coming from the corridor towards him. "…Princess Hinata, but she doesn't seem to be leaning towards _any_ of us," Naruto complained loudly.

Someone shushed him quickly. "And you'll lose any chance you might've had with her if you keep complaining like that," Naruto's best friend, Sasuke, snapped. "Not that it's any of my business."

"Yeah, you're the mage's apprentice," another man drawled. "Not even sure why you bothered."

"Speak for yourself, Konohamaru," Sasuke snarled. Neji raised an eyebrow and wondered why Sasuke seemed to be in such a horrible mood. "You're so young, I don't even know how you've managed to stay in the running."

The voices grew steadily louder, and then passed away as Neji trembled quietly behind a tapestry. When he heard footsteps round the corner, he let out a sigh of relief. Young men from all the land were wooing his cousins, Princesses Hinata and Hanabi. At this point in the courting process, only eight men were left: Naruto, Shikamaru, Kiba, Shino, Kankuro, Chouji, Konohamaru, and Lee. Although they were supposed to be courting Hinata and Hanabi, they also constantly complimented Neji, telling him of his beauty, giving him gifts, and also making highly unappreciated sexual advances towards him…hence the reason Neji had hid behind the tapestry. The eight were good, kind men, but Neji didn't want to take his chances with someone so high above his servant rank and with someone that Hinata and Hanabi could snatch away instantly.

As if he could sense Neji's distress, Neji's familiar came swooping down through the hallway and settled on his shoulder.

Some humans had a "familiar"- a creature that bonded to your soul from birth. The creature and human were bound from birth until death. Some of these particular people were special and were born with magical powers, such as Orochimaru the court mage, and his apprentices Sasuke and Kabuto. Orochimaru's familiar was a cobra named Nagini; Kabuto had a small fire salamander, and Sasuke had a gorgeous phoenix named Itachi.

Unfortunately, Neji wasn't one of those lucky people; in fact he was quite normal, save for the mark of servitude tattooed on his head. Neji was unsure about why he had a familiar; most people who had familiars were those with magical abilities, but all the same, Neji was grateful for Menma. After all, several others in the castle were not magicians and had familiars, such as Lord Naruto and some of Neji's servant friends.

Neji felt a rush of bitterness wash over him as he thought of the injustice of his social rank; his father had died in an accident when he was seven years old, and rather than accepting Neji as the third heir to the throne, Neji's uncle, King Hiashi, had branded him with the mark of a servant and banished him to a life of servitude for his cousins. If Neji had been accepted to his rightful place as his uncle's third heir, he most definitely would've led a different life, and he _certainly _wouldn't be under the pressure of being his cousins' suitor's constant rebound.

Neji's swallow, Menma, nuzzled his soft feathers into Neji's neck in an attempt to comfort him. Neji smiled absently and petted Menma's wings as he hurried down the hallway for a supply closet. His mouth stretched to a grin when he spotted one down the hall; he began to walk faster and faster, and when he was ten feet away, he broke out in to an all-out run…

Only to stop and cringe when he heard someone shouting. "Hey! Neji!"

"Shit," Neji muttered under his breath. The voice belonged to Naruto; Neji had been so sure that he'd managed to escape him!

Grimacing, he schooled his face into a subservient expression and turned around. "Lord Naruto. Can I help you with something?"

"Are you busy now?"

"I'm afraid so." Neji prayed to the gods that the dark of the hallway would hide the state of his clothes.

"Are you sure? I could take you outside to go eat something."

"I'm sorry, but I am truly very busy right now," Neji said apologetically. "Maybe another time?"

"You always reject me," Naruto pouted, then his tone hardened. "You and Hinata make quite a pair."

Neji stayed silent and stared at the ground. Naruto sneered and stormed down the hallway, angry at being rejected twice in one day. Naruto's familiar, a slight wind sprite, trailed off after him unwilling to risk the wrath of his bonded human.

Neji sighed in relief; at least Naruto hadn't tried to rape him. Neji shuddered as he remembered some of Hinata's more unsavory suitor's attempts to gain him for their own; he would never have survived if it hadn't been for his friends Iruka and Kakashi. They were a married pair who served in the castle and seemed to constantly get Neji out of tough situations. Neji ducked into an empty room and quickly changed his clothing, sighing in relief as the unpleasant sensation of clingy clothing vanished. He stepped out of the room and bundled his clothes under his arm while he started back for the stairs he'd been cleaning.

When he arrived, he was startled to see that the stairs were sparkling clean, and that his cleaning supplies had been neatly arranged in a corner. "What…?" Neji frowned in consternation. Had Iruka ended up finishing the stairs for Neji again? Lately, Iruka had been picking up on Neji's stress and had tried to alleviate his work, but Neji wasn't having any of it. Kakashi was inadvertently annoyed at Neji for the fact, because Iruka took extra time on his shift to do Neji's work which detracted from his time with his husband.

He looked around for the telltale presence of Iruka's familiar- a tabby cat that shed all over the place- but found none.

"Looking for something?" an amused voice came from the stairs, and Neji gasped in shock while clutching at his heart.

Shikamaru Nara descended the stairs and gazed at Neji curiously. "Are you alright? I didn't mean to frighten you."

Neji quickly regained his composure and smiled readily at the other man. "Oh, it's fine. I just had a bit of a run in with Naruto, and I was nervous, that's all." Shikamaru was a prince from the neighboring Deer Kingdom, but he had made fast friends with Neji and encouraged him to ignore their different social statuses while they were alone.

The corners of Shikamaru's eyes crinkled slightly in concern. "Naruto? He would never hurt you."

"He was upset," Neji said softly. "That was why I worried."

"Ah." Shikamaru's face darkened in understanding. "Is he growing impatient?"

"Very much so." Neji nervously twisted his fingers in the hem of his shirt. "I worry…if Hanabi and Hinata don't choose soon, then they will lose all of you to time."

"Maybe they're just waiting to see who will be willing to stick it out?"

"Perhaps," Neji acknowledged. "Well…it's been lovely talking to you, but I have to get back to work. Did you see anyone by these stairs recently?"

"I saw Sasuke walking around the corner in the other direction a few minutes ago, but that was all."

"Sasuke? You're sure? Not Iruka?"

Shikamaru shook his head. "Not Iruka."

"I see," Neji said in bewilderment. "Well, thank you. As always, good luck in your pursuits."' Neji collected his supplies and bowed to Shikamaru before exiting the hallway.

He didn't notice two sets of eyes following him until he was out of sight.

XXX

That evening, the Hyuga castle hosted a quiet dinner of all of its noble occupants. The atmosphere was subdued, as Naruto had called in sick (even though everyone knew that he was really up in his rooms, sulking), and he generally tended to be the life of the party.

The younger nobles sat down at the far end of the hall while the adults seated themselves primly around King Hiashi's grand table.

Hiashi smiled and laughed as he socialized with his adult companions; however, inwardly, he observed every action that occurred in the dining hall. He raised an inquisitive eyebrow when he saw Neji on serving duty: hadn't he requested Neji not serve at dinners? True, the boy was a great endowment to his castle staff for his beauty, but he also detracted from Hinata and Hanabi's presences. He frowned and beckoned Kakashi forward.

"Why is Neji on serving duty?" he murmured.

"He is filling in for another server who suddenly fell ill," Kakashi murmured back.

"Remove him from the hall at once. I have specifically requested that he not serve at dinners."

"As you say, my lord." Kakashi strode off and murmured something to Neji; Neji raised an eyebrow, and then looked straight at his uncle. Hiashi gazed back at him unwaveringly; eventually, Neji broke the staring contest and turned on his heel to leave the room.

Hiashi sighed quietly through his nose and settled back in his seat. There was animosity between him and his nephew, because Neji had not been named the third heir to the throne. Hiashi often despaired of ever finding a way to repair things between them.

"Father?"

Hiashi shook himself from his thoughts and looked over at his youngest daughter. "What is it, Hanabi?"

"What were you thinking about? You looked quite serious."

"It was nothing…a small matter," Hiashi lied. "It is not something you need to worry about."

Hanabi barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes at her father's bold-faced lie. "You were thinking about cousin Neji, weren't you?"

"What does it matter if I was?" Hiashi stared back at his daughter.

"I don't understand why you can't just name him third heir and have this whole mess over with," Hanabi snapped in exasperation.

"You know that politics are more complicated than that, Hanabi."

"Leave Father alone, Hanabi," Hinata cut in from her father's other side. "He doesn't need anything else added to his plate."

"I'm just worried about him," Hanabi's voice softened. "It makes me sad to see you so pensive all the time, Father."

Hiashi smiled at her comfortingly. "All will be well, Hanabi. Don't worry about an old man like me…after all, don't you have to worry about choosing a fiancé? Worry about what's more important."

Hanabi looked at Hiashi with a strange emotion in her eyes. "You are more important to me as a father than any of my suitors," she said quietly. Then, as if she hadn't said a profoundly moving statement, she went back to eating her curry in silence while observing the other adults at the table.

Hiashi took a minute to savor the memory, and then turned on Hinata. "Speaking of suitors…one particular young man seems to be quite upset tonight."

Hinata fidgeted. "Yes…well…"

Unfortunately, Lord Minato, Naruto's father, chose that time to enter the conversation. "Yes my lady. Highly unfortunate, and here Kushina and I were thinking that you two were getting along so nicely." He sent a sharp look at her, and then winced when his wife kicked him under the table.

Hinata turned red and started stuttering under the attention she was receiving. "W-well, you know i-it's nothing personal b-but—"

"My lady," Kushina butted in, "it doesn't matter why you chose to reject Naruto. We are just grateful that you gave him a chance, and we wish you luck in choosing a young man to marry."

Hinata looked relieved to have been saved from an embarrassing explanation. "Thank you, Lady Kushina."

"It was no trouble." Kushina smiled serenely, but hidden beneath the sleeves of her dress, she pinched Minato's arm hard. To his credit, he didn't even flinch, but several minutes later Hanabi saw him rubbing his arm with a chastised expression on his face. Lord and Lady Uzumaki were a very odd pair indeed; it was no mystery as to where Naruto's energetic personality came from.

Meanwhile, the adults began to discuss sightings of a terrible beast in the kingdom.

"Villagers have been reporting sightings of a beast that spurts flame from its mouth," Asuma Sarutobi said gravely.

"A dragon?" Tsunade asked in fascinated horror.

"Well…it's not that simple." Asuma scratched the back of his head in an embarrassment while he tried to explain himself. "The villagers say that all they see is a small black figure in the sky, and that the flames seemed to be coming from the figure. And the attack only happened once, mind…the fire was for real, but their story seemed a little fanciful to me."

"Did the fire seem to have any magical elements to it?" Orochimaru asked. "If you like, I could send Kabuto down to examine the damaged areas on your estate."

Kabuto shot a look at his teacher from beneath his large spectacles, but said nothing to dissent his teacher's word. On the other hand, Sasuke looked curiously wary…Hanabi wondered why he had such an odd expression on his face.

"That would be highly appreciated," Asuma said seriously. "It was probably a crackpot story in an attempt for the villagers to cover up how the fire started, but it would never hurt to check."

"You're always running this way and that at the slightest hint of any trouble," Jiraiya snorted. Duke Jiraiya and his wife, Duchess Tsunade were Lord Minato's grandparents; their words had a great deal of weight in the Hyuga Kingdom. "Your villagers won't know what the difference between real danger and a false alarm is at this point."

Asuma's eyes hardened at the criticism to his family, and to his methods. "I assure you, they know the difference," he said in a frosty tone. "If danger ever comes knocking on our doorstep, at least the Sarutobi clan can faithfully say that they prepared their subjects well."

Jiraiya blinked at the forcefulness of Asuma's speech.

Kurenai Yuhi, Asuma's fiancée, tried to ease the tension by diverting the dinner discussion. "So…ah, Master Kabuto, how are your studies coming along? Lord Orochimaru has been treating you well?"

Kabuto looked surprised at being addressed by the baroness. "My studies are going well, Baroness. Master Orochimaru is a good teacher."

Kurenai smiled benignly and turned her gaze upon Sasuke. "And you, my dear? Lord Orochimaru has been good to you as well?"

Was it just her, or did Hanabi detect a faint blush on Sasuke's face when he answered? "Lord Orochimaru has been good to me, Baroness."

"We are honored by your concern," Kabuto murmured quietly.

The conversation tapered into an awkward silence until Orochimaru turned his eyes upon King Hiashi. "Your Grace…if I am to send Kabuto along with Asuma, we must prepare him for the journey." Orochimaru turned to Asuma. "When will you be going to your estates?"

"I leave the day after tomorrow," Asuma said. "Will that be enough time for you to prepare?"

"That is precisely the amount of time we require," Orochimaru said smoothly. He turned to King Hiashi and waited for his dismissal.

"You are excused, Orochimaru," Hiashi sighed. He knew that no one had a great love for the creepily snakelike-man, but his work was efficient, and he'd provided sound advice in times of need. There was no way Hiashi would ever get rid of one of his most trust advisors, despite his unpopularity with the nobility. "God speed your journey, Kabuto."

"Thank you, my king."

The three mages stood up and left the table.

"I wonder why Sasuke went with them," Hinata murmured softly.

"No doubt Orochimaru had a lesson planned in mind for the two of them," Hiashi responded. "Orochimaru seems to be a good teacher…I can see the talent blossoming in both of his apprentices."

"They both arrived under such _odd_ circumstances though," Kushina said, hiccupping slightly. She'd proceeded to get slightly drunk during the course of the dinner.

"Indeed," Hiashi sighed.

"How did Kabuto come to the castle, Father?" Hinata asked curiously.

"Oh yes, that's right…you hadn't been born at the time." Hiashi smiled over at his oldest daughter. "Kabuto's appearance was less dramatic than Sasuke's, but still just as odd. One night, there was a terrible storm. There was a lot of damage done to the area from broken facilities, fallen trees, and landslides. When the storm had passed, all of the nobility immediately rode off to check on their estates and to care for their people.

I myself was riding down the road with a group of guards; we were making our way to one of the villages that had suffered a lightning fire. The entire village was destroyed; fortunately, most of the villagers had managed to evacuate themselves to a safe destination during the fire, but not everyone made it. We all entered the village to begin clean-up and to locate any of the dead.

We entered one house to a gruesome sight. The roof supports of the house had collapsed on top of a woman and her child, and then burned to ashes during the fire. We uncovered the woman's dead body; all that was left of her was a singed skeleton."

"What about the child?" Hanabi asked, knowing that her father appreciated timely questions in his stories.

"The child was a babe, not more than a year old…but miraculously, even though his mother's flesh had been burned away, he was still alive. Once we discovered the woman, we heard a baby crying from underneath the wreckage. We unearthed him and discovered that the baby had managed to crawl in to a small opening with access to fresh air. He had a pot over his head like a helmet, and hence the villagers proceeded to name him Kabuto.

Orochimaru was with me at the time, and sensed that the baby had the Gift. How else could he have survived the fire? And so, we brought Kabuto back to this palace where he has lived the rest of his life."

Hanabi shuddered slightly at the mental imagery she received. "That's a bit gruesome."

"I didn't know that Kabuto had such an interesting story," Hanabi said thoughtfully.

"Well, I imagine that he doesn't like talking about it too much."

"Yes I suppose," Hanabi affirmed.

"It definitely has its own style of flair, though," Kurenai said softly. "Even if he didn't burst into the entrance hall and demand to be taught magic like Sasuke."

"He gave us quite a scare!" Minato chuckled at the memory. "I remember Naruto hiding behind a suit of armor because he was too frightened to speak to him."

"And yet, now they're the best of friends. Curious things that life throws at us," Jiraiya yawned. "Well, if you'll excuse an old man, my king…"

"Of course, of course. I hadn't realized how late the hour had grown." Hiashi stood and smiled at his guests. "A good night to all of you."

"Good night," they chorused back.

Hiashi frowned and then winced as he felt a chill run up his spine. He looked at his daughters, Hinata and Hanabi, chattering cheerfully with their suitors down at the low table. He shook his head and made his way out of the room; nothing would happen to his daughters. He was looking for danger when it wasn't there, and Asuma's mention of dragons had shaken him far more deeply than he had bothered to let show.

Dragons had not been sighted in the Hyuga kingdom for over fifty years. Hiashi wanted to find out who, and why they were being brought back...if they were being brought back at all. Hiashi sighed tiredly; that was the problem with villager sightings these days: they were saying all sorts of crazy things, and when it came to magic, how was one supposed to sort out the truths and the lies?

He headed down to the mages' quarters and knocked harshly on Orochimaru's door. "Mage!"

Orochimaru opened his door and bowed low. "Your Majesty."

"You know what I want to know."

"Yes."

"Do you have an answer for me?"

"All three of us are working on it."

Hiashi nodded, and then made as if to move away.

"Strange things are afoot in the kingdom," Orochimaru said quietly.

"I agree. We must keep our guard up."

"Of course, your grace." Orochimaru bowed respectfully, and then shut the door when Hiashi turned his back.

That night, Hiashi ordered an extra set of guards to stand in front of his daughters', and his nephew's rooms that night. He would take no chances.

**a/n:** So it looks like there's already a lot going on in Hyuga Castle, what with dragon sightings, spurned suitors, and family angst! I really hope that you guys liked it, please leave me a review with your thoughts if you have the time, and see you next chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

**a/n:** So, most updates will be between 7-10 days, just so you all know! Also, thank you to my first four reviewers! It means a lot to me, and I'm glad to know that people are interested in this story.

So, this is chapter has a lot of different pairings…again, the pairings will go wild in the first few chapters, but I hope everyone enjoys! Warning: someone gets very sick, but other than that not much. Also, Neji has fun trying to use his looks to his advantage ahahaha. Onwards to the story!

Chapter Two

Hiashi woke up to the sound of knocking on his door. He grumbled softly as he pulled on a bathrobe before opening his door. To his surprise, Kakashi stood at his door.

"Good heavens man, this had better be important." Hiashi opened the door wider, but Kakashi didn't move from the threshold. Hiashi felt an arrow of fear go through his heart; Kakashi wore a black mask that covered all of his face except for one eye. The eye that Hiashi could see was wrinkled with worry and anxiety; Kakashi was one of the bravest men Hiashi knew. If Kakashi was afraid…well, then things were bad.

"My lord, do you recall how I mentioned that one of the servers had fallen ill at dinner yesterday?" Kakashi seemed to be struggling to keep himself under control.

"Yes. Is it serious?"

"It's Iruka, your grace." Kakashi's voice trembled, and then suddenly all of his composure slipped away. "I don't know what's wrong with him! He won't wake up, no matter what we try, there's blood on his clothes but we can't find any wounds, strange liquids come out of his mouth from time to time, and even though his eyes are closed, he keeps trying to talk and twitching and I don't know what to do!"

"I understand." Hiashi's sleepy stupor vanished in an instant. He didn't pretend to know all of the servants individually, but Kakashi was his valet, and he and Kakashi had bonded well over the years. As Iruka was Kakashi's husband, Hiashi understood the fear in Kakashi's heart. He remembered Hanabi's birth, sitting in another room with his fists clenched so hard, he'd lost the circulation in his hands while he prayed that his wife would live. She hadn't, despite Orochimaru's best efforts, and it had been a grievous time for the entire castle. Hiashi would never wish that experience on anyone.

He shook himself out of his reverie. "Send for Orochimaru at once. Is anyone with Iruka now?"

"Neji is."

"_Neji_ is?" Why did everyone seem to slowly be turning incompetent in this castle? Was it impossible for him to keep his family locked up in safety for even one night?

"The guards let him out of his room," Kakashi verified. "All of them are in the sickbay right now."

"I see." Hiashi followed Kakashi down the steps of the castle as they made their way to Orochimaru's rooms.

"Why were there guards in front of Neji's rooms last night, your grace?"

"I had a feeling," Hiashi said shortly. He knocked on Orochimaru's door; the pair waited impatiently for a few minutes until a sleep-ruffled Sasuke opened it. "Your grace!" he gasped in surprise. "How can I help you?"

"Where's Orochimaru?"

"He's sleeping. Shall I rouse him, your grace?"

"At once! Tell him it's a medical emergency."

Sasuke vanished in to the dark depths of the mages' chambers.

A few minutes later, all three mages piled out of their apartment door. "Where to, your grace?" Orochimaru hissed.

"It's one of the servants. Umino Iruka."

Kakashi filled the three mages in on Iruka's symptoms and the overall situation as they raced through the castle towards the sickbay.

Neji startled when the door banged open and a veritable crowd of people entered the room. He squeezed Iruka's hand and looked around in bewilderment. "What…?"

Before his tired mind could process what was happening, someone had gently extricated his hand from Iruka's and gently led him off to the side. "No! I want to be by his side!" Neji protested when he realized what had happened.

Sasuke placed a calming hand on his head. "We don't know if he's contagious or not. It's safest for you to stay over here."

Neji suddenly felt much calmer; of course Sasuke was right. It was best to follow his instructions. "Ok." Fortunately, Neji wasn't at a vantage point to see Sasuke's hand glowing light green on his hair, or else he would've gotten _very_ angry over being magicked. He blinked in mild confusion for a moment before his brain settled back to the situation at hand. "Do you know what's wrong with him?"

"We don't know yet." Sasuke took his hand off of Neji's head. "We'll let you know as soon as we find out." He shot a look at Hiashi as if to say _"And that's how you handle Neji's hysteria"_ before moving away to help his teacher.

Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle at the lost expression on Neji's face. "Sasuke really pulled one on Neji, didn't he?"

Hiashi looked over at Neji, and took pity on his nephew. "Neji."

"Yes, sir?" Neji looked at him inquisitively, and Hiashi felt his heart melt a little at the lack of animosity in Neji's eyes. Neji hadn't looked at him that way since he was seven years old…eight years ago, before the entire tragedy had occurred.

"Go to bed. I'll wake you when it's time."

"As you wish, your grace." Neji got up and left the room in a placid fashion, his guards trailing behind him.

Hiashi grabbed the sleeve of one of the guards. "Don't let him leave his room tonight," he murmured. "Do you understand?"

The guard gulped at the look of icy rage in Hiashi's eyes. "Yes, your grace."

"Good." Hiashi released the guard's sleeve and patted him reassuringly on the back. "Carry on."

Then, he returned to sit by Kakashi's side in a silent vigil, both men praying that Iruka would make it through the night.

XXX

Neji woke up to the sounds of quiet conversation outside of his door. "What…?" he murmured blearily, and shoved some hair out of his face. His last memories of the night were of sitting by Iruka's bedside in the sickbay while silently hoping that Orochimaru would arrive soon. How had he gotten back to his rooms?

Sighing, he dragged himself out of bed and pulled his servant's uniform over his head. He had to go see Iruka right away; who knows what had happened while he'd fallen asleep? Neji had a sneaking suspicion that Sasuke had something to do with all this; he vaguely remembered Sasuke's voice reassuring him, and a warm hand on top of his head.

Speaking of Sasuke, Neji was reminded of the incident from the day before. Had Sasuke finished his work for him? If so, why had he done it? Neji was on friendly terms with him, but Sasuke had never lifted a finger to help Neji with his cleaning. Not that Neji minded, of course, given that Sasuke had his own affairs to attend to, but still…it had been quite strange. Now, that Neji knew that Iruka definitely couldn't have done his work for him, he didn't think that left many other options beyond Sasuke.

Neji sighed, and glanced out his window; dawn had barely broken over the sky. Why was his life so difficult?

Once he deemed himself presentable, he poked his head out the door. "Hello?"

"Hey, Neji."

"Is there any news on Iruka?" Neji emerged fully from his room, and looked anxiously at the guards. They were a new bunch, and he had no idea what their names were…he had felt a bit bad when he manipulated them in to allowing him out of his rooms last night, but he couldn't just sit around and wonder about Iruka!

"No, there's been no news." One of the guards stood firmly in his way. "His grace said not to allow you out of your rooms."

"I'm sorry." Neji tilted his head to the side and smiled charmingly at the poor man, even as a flash of wickedness flared up in his conscience; the man wouldn't even know what had hit him. "What's your name again?"

"I'm Genma."

"Well, Genma." Neji prowled forward until they were nearly toe-to-toe and poked him in the chest. "I have work to do too, you know."

"It's his grace's orders." Genma appeared visibly taken aback by Neji's looks, and Neji cheered inwardly to know that his ploy was working.

Instead of responding, Neji turned around to face his other guard. "And you? What's your name?"

"I'm Izumo."

"Izumo," Neji rolled the name off his tongue. True, his sensuality sometimes got him in to trouble, but it was also a powerful weapon. "Do you understand what I'm saying? Fine, you have to guard me, but how am I supposed to get money in my pocket if I can't work?" Neji pouted and sashayed away from Genma.

Izumo sighed. "We can't disobey his grace's orders; he said you weren't to leave your rooms."

"Not even to work?"

"He didn't say anything about that."

"Oh, for heaven's sake!" Neji snapped. "Can't a man work in this castle?"

"Orders," Izumo shrugged.

"Aw, come on Izumo. Give him a break; let him work."

"And get flayed alive by the captain of the guard, as well as his grace? I don't think so."

"What was that about the captain of the guard?" someone drawled from behind the two soldiers.

Genma and Izumo instantly snapped to attention. "Sir!"

"At ease, gentleman. Good work tonight; you're dismissed." The captain of the guard, a tall man with a face mask and black spiky hair, named Zabuza nodded at the two soldiers. Genma and Izumo left immediately, and Neji sighed in relief. "Good morning, Captain Zabuza."

"Good morning, Neji. Were they giving you a hard time?"

Neji laughed. "No; if anything, just the opposite." He fell in to step beside Zabuza. "Where's Haku?"

"He's standing guard by your royal cousins' rooms."

"Any news on Iruka?"

"I was unaware that anything was amiss with him."

"I see." Neji frowned in surprise; so it seemed that Iruka's condition had been kept quiet for the most part. "Forget I said anything; it wasn't important. Good day, Captain."

"Good day, Neji."

The two men took off in separate directions, and Neji felt a small kernel of warmth blossom in his heart. He enjoyed talking to Zabuza, mainly because he could trust him. Zabuza wasn't taken by Neji's looks in the slightest, as he only had eyes for his second-in-command, Haku.

He realized how vain that made him sound, and cringed slightly. Neji knew that his looks were a legacy in the kingdom, and he didn't mind using them every once in a while. He also knew that people were drawn to him because of that, and he had to be careful with how he handled himself. However, he had humility. He wasn't all arrogance; he made sure to stay away from dating, and was gentle when he turned away any interested parties. He had a strong love for his fellow servants and family, even if it rarely manifested itself in a recognizable form.

He quietly edged through the door of the sickbay, his heart filled with dread.

"Kakashi."

Kakashi flinched, and then turned around to look at Neji.

"Is he…?" Neji asked softly, standing on his toes to see Iruka's face.

"He's fine," Kakashi murmured. "He made it through the night…they said that it'll take a week for him to recover, though."

Neji nearly cried with relief; Iruka was like an older brother to him. "Did they say what he had?" he asked as he discretely wiped his eyes.

"They said that he must've exposed himself to one of their magical substances called 'jranga'."

"Heavens," Neji murmured softly. "What even is it?"

"Some kind of plant," Kakashi mumbled. "Apparently if you get direct contact with it, this happens."

"How did Iruka get in contact with it, though?"

"He must've been cleaning out the mages' quarters."

"Those aren't Iruka's duties, though," Neji frowned. "And they weren't mine either, before you say anything!"

The corner of Kakashi's mouth twitched. "I wasn't going to say anything."

"Good," Neji huffed. "But…who was Iruka filling in for? I don't understand. We rarely go in and clean the mages' rooms."

"He can tell us when he wakes up."

Neji's eyes instantly softened. "Of course." He reached out and put a hand on Kakashi's shoulder. "Kakashi…if you need anything, please come to me."

Kakashi nodded jerkily. "Thanks."

Neji squeezed Kakashi's shoulder for a moment before leaving the sickbay. He imagined that Kakashi would prefer some time alone.

XXX

Meanwhile, down in the mages' apartments, the three magicians were wondering the exact same thing.

"I don't understand how he got exposed to the jranga," Kabuto frowned. "I keep it in a specially marked container, and out of reach."

"Well, what matters is that we realized what was wrong, and how to treat him," Orochimaru sighed. "Good work, my students."

"Hmph."

Orochimaru smiled at Sasuke's pout. "Well, Kabuto, I believe our preparations to send you off were interrupted by that incident."

"No, I should be fine. I went with you on a similar excursion earlier, Teacher."

"Very well. Well, go get some rest then…you'll have a long days' travel tomorrow."

"Thank you, teacher." Kabuto got up and left the room while sending a curious glance at Sasuke; why hadn't Sasuke been dismissed as well?

"Sasuke."

"Yes teacher?"

"You don't need to call me teacher when we're alone."

There was a moment of silence, and then Sasuke sighed softly. "Orochimaru…it doesn't bother you that there's a ten year age gap between us?"

"You are nineteen," Orochimaru said quietly. "I am twenty-seven. That's less than ten years."

"Eight years is still a large difference."

"Love can overcome any obstacle."

Sasuke growled quietly. "You don't love me. The only reason you took me on was because of my eyes."

"That's not true. Over our eight years together as teacher and student, I have come to love you."

"Pardon me if I fail to believe you," Sasuke said, disbelief evident in his voice.

"I will convince you." Orochimaru's normally somewhat slimy demeanor dropped away, and for a few moments Sasuke managed to believe that Orochimaru was a normal human being. "I can convince you, Sasuke, but only if you give me a chance."

"Why should I give you a chance? I only find you desirable in that you can teach me to harness my powers."

"Ah, you wound me Sasuke." Orochimaru smiled tenderly at his student's fiery spirit. "You hurt me so…"

Sasuke refused to feel guilty, despite the pained look his teacher was giving him. "Just as well." He shrugged nonchalantly and made to leave the room.

"I can see you feel guilty, Sasuke."

Sasuke stiffened. "I don't feel guilty."

"Oh?" Orochimaru sounded amused as he rose from his seat and walked towards his student. "How do you feel then?" he whispered softly, blowing on Sasuke's ear.

Before he could stop himself, Sasuke shivered. Orochimaru smirked in triumph and placed his hands on Sasuke's hips. "Tell me how you feel then," Orochimaru whispered. "Tell me you don't love me."

Sasuke wrenched himself away from Orochimaru's hands and spun around, hissing in anger. "I hate you!" he snarled. "Don't touch me in such a manner again!"

"You don't hate me Sasuke."

"Watch me," Sasuke snarled, even though he realized that it made absolutely no context in the conversation, and stormed off.

"Oh, I'll be watching Sasuke," Orochimaru murmured quietly. "After all, I always am."

XXX

Hinata and Hanabi linked arms as they cheerfully made their way through the palace gardens. Thankfully, Naruto had gotten over his sulk and was back to cheerful, moronic ways along with the rest of the suitors.

"Hanabi, are not the flowers in a most youthful bloom?" Lee asked the younger princess.

"Well…they are very pretty," Hanabi said thoughtfully. "What do you think?" she nudged her sister in the ribs.

Hinata, at twenty-years of age, was poised to become the first queen in a century to rule over the Hyuga kingdom. It was no secret that Hiashi was becoming tired of his life of politics, and was looking to hand the crown off to his daughter as soon as he could. She was confident for the most part, when she had to be, but when she was with her family and friends, she revealed a much shyer, gentler side of her personality.

"W-well…" Hinata stuttered, "I suppose they are quite nice." Any member of the palace guard would be shocked to see their flamboyant princess in such a nervous state; Hinata's had delivered several rousing speeches before border raids to the members of the guard in the past.

"Which ones do you prefer the most, Hinata?" Shikamaru flopped down on the grass by a large stone fountain and turned his eyes up to the clouds.

"Cloud-gazing again, Shikamaru?" Hanabi frowned; Shikamaru was a curious character. Five years ago, at the beginning of this whole courtship mess, she had seen how in love Shikamaru was with Hinata. However, now, she began to notice that his eyes would follow Neji instead of her sister…

Hanabi bit back a sigh. She didn't think her father was aware of Shikamaru's feelings, because if he was, he would have gone ahead and named Neji the third heir ages ago. She didn't understand why he had shunted Neji off in to a life of servitude when his father had died; Neji had been like family then, even though Hizashi was a lower-ranking noble. Maybe, if she explained her hunch to him though, she could speed the entire process along. She wanted her brother back; even though he was a year older at eighteen, they had been like twin siblings when they were little. Now, they were still affectionate, but a huge social barrier stood in their way. Hanabi wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible.

Hanabi was drawn back to the present by Hinata's giggles when Lee, Chouji, and Naruto got in to a fight in the fountain's large basin.

"Hinata…"

"Yes, sister mine?"

"Are you really going to pick any of them?" Hanabi murmured in such a low voice that none of the suitors could hear her.

Hinata looked shocked, scandalized, and then slightly hurt. "What brought this on, Hanabi?"

"I see how you look at Shikamaru," Hanabi murmured. "Nothing brought this on, but I just don't want to see you get hurt."

Hinata hesitated for a moment, and then smiled bitterly. "It's too late for that," she murmured softly.

Hanabi's eyes widened in shock. "_What?_"

That instantly caught all of the suitors' attention. "What is it?" Chouji asked, clambering out of the fountain. "Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine," Hinata said sharply. She took a deep breath to collect herself, and then spoke again in a calmer tone. "Fine."

The suitors' looked uncertain, but then decided not to pursue Hinata's mood swing.

Hanabi raised an eyebrow at her sister. "We'll talk later."

Hinata smiled warily "But of course."

Three hours later, Hinata and Hanabi found a moment alone before dinner. "Sakura, Ino…wait for us outside," Hinata told her ladies-in-waiting.

"Of course, Princess," they murmured respectfully before leaving.

"So…what was that little garden episode all about?" Hanabi settled down on the edge of the bed and started straightening out her gloves.

"You know what it was about." Hinata preened in the mirror, and tried to adjust her pearl necklace to fall on her skin just so.

"I'm afraid I don't."

"Your instincts are usually correct. What do you think I was talking about?"

"So, basically…you were interested in Shikamaru, but he fell in love with Neji, huh?"

Hinata nodded jerkily. "Correct."

"What will you do now?"

"None of the others appeal to me as Shikamaru still does."

"Oh, Hinata…" Hanabi got off the bed in a rustle of silk and hugged her sister. "Sweetheart."

Hinata closed her eyes and bit her lip as she accepted Hanabi's embrace. "I don't know what to do," she whispered softly. "I could choose him, but he wouldn't love me. And I don't want to let him go, because I love him…and I want him to be happy, and he's happy with Neji, and Neji is here and I just…" she trailed off, and a broken sob escaped from her lips. "Hanabi, what do I do?"

"Keep him around for a little bit longer," Hanabi encouraged. "Who knows…maybe he'll come around? Everyone has a passing infatuation with Neji. I'm sure this is nothing more than that."

"But…do you really think I can compete with Neji? He's so beautiful, and he's intelligent and kind, and compassionate," Hinata hiccupped. "How can I compete with something like that?"

"Some_one_," Hanabi corrected her, "Not something. And I believe in you; I won't get in to a petty argument over which one of you I love more, but Hinata, I think that you have qualities that Neji doesn't have. Just watch, and wait it out for a little bit longer with Shikamaru."

Hinata sniffed and rubbed at her eyes. "You're right. It makes sense," she whispered. "Oh Hanabi, what would I do without you?"

Hanabi just smiled and stroked her sister's hair. Even though Hanabi was three years younger, she was still Hinata's prime confidante when it came to personal matters.

**a/n:** So thanks for reading! If you have time, a review would be lovely. Let me know what you thought of this chapter please, and see you guys in the next chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

**a/n:** Hey everyone! So thanks to all of my readers and reviews for this story; I'm glad that you're all enjoying it so far! No warnings for this chapter: some KakaIru moments, some ShikaTema, some Shikaneji, some Orosasu and all kinds of pairings…as well as Naruto being a moody teenager who doesn't vent his feelings in the nicest of ways. Enjoy!

Chapter Three

The next day, Neji dropped in by the sickbay to check on Iruka again. To his surprise, he found Kakashi wearily keeping vigil by Iruka's bedside.

"Kakashi! How long have you been sitting there?"

Kakashi swayed slightly in his seat, but didn't respond. Neji wheeled on the nurses in a fury. "And you just _let_ him sit there for two days straight without getting any rest?" Neji shook his head and crouched down by Kakashi's side. "Kakashi, you can't stay like this forever. Get some rest; Iruka will be safe in the hands of the palace staff."

Kakashi blearily shook his head. "Have to stay by his side," he rasped.

"You can sleep in the bed right next to him," Neji promised quietly. "You just need to get some sleep is all."

Kakashi considered Neji's proposition for a minute. "I guess some rest wouldn't hurt…" he mumbled, and yawned.

"Exactly." Neji chivvied Kakashi out of his chair and in to the hospital bed beside Iruka's. He helped the older man lay down, and then tucked the sheets around him.

"Wake me in an hour," Kakashi yawned. "Promise."

"Hm," Neji responded noncommittally. The moment Kakashi's eyes drifted shut, he leveled an icy look at the nurses. "Don't wake him in an hour," he scowled. "Understand?"

"Of course, Neji." Temari, a busty young woman with spiky blond hair stepped forward. "We'll make sure he gets rested and fed."

"Thank you." Neji knew he could trust Temari; she was a confident, capable young woman and looked to have a promising career as a palace physician. "Now…how is Iruka? Is he doing alright?"

"Sasuke and Orochimaru have been coming every couple of hours and check on him. They told us that he just needs rest, as they delivered an antidote to whatever he'd ingested the night before."

Neji's face softened slightly with worry as he glanced down at his friends face; he squeezed Iruka's hand briefly before leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to Iruka's tanned forehead. "Thank you."

"It's no trouble," Temari said quietly, the other nurses somehow having melted in to the background while they were speaking. "You're doing well? Not overworking yourself?"

"I'm fine, thanks." Neji brushed his hand through Iruka's soft brown hair one last time before turning to leave. "Well, I'll see you around."

"Wait!"

Neji blinked, and turned back in surprise. "What is it?"

"Um, do you think you could give this to Shikamaru for me?" Temari shyly withdrew an envelope from her pocket.

"Eh?"

"Please Neji? It would mean a lot."

"I don't know if I'll see him today," Neji cautioned. "Why not give it to him yourself?"

"He's a prince!" Temari gasped. "I couldn't possibly."

"I'm of lower rank than you."

"But you're his friend." Temari's face twisted in desperation. "Please, Neji!"

"Oh, alright," Neji relented. "I'll try and see it through." He tucked the envelope in to the pockets of his uniform and left the ward.

Again, unnoticed to him, a pair of glowing red eyes watched him from the end of the corridor.

XXX

An hour later, Neji found himself in front of his cousin, Hanabi. "You want me to _what_?"

"I need a chaperone. Hinata's feeling sick, and duly holed herself up in her bedroom," Hanabi said patiently. "Come on, Neji," she pleaded. "It'll be like old times."

"I never had to chaperone you when we were both six," Neji sniffed.

"But you had to stay with me and make sure I behaved around all of the younger children," Hanabi smiled earnestly. "Please, Neji—I haven't spent any time with you in forever."

"I did your hair last week," Neji reminded her, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He and Hanabi had always gotten along fabulously, given their identical ages and similar tastes.

"It's not the same! Hinata was there," Hanabi pouted.

Neji tried to resist, and then gave in. "Fine, I'll _chaperone_ you," he muttered. "Not that you're the one that needs a chaperone. Promise me you'll save me from any sexual harassment," he pleaded.

"Don't worry, I won't leave you alone at any time," Hanabi promised.

"Although…you know, you could've just ordered me to chaperone you. I am a servant."

"Neji, you'll always be my twin brother to me no matter what."

"Suppose the suitors have a problem with that?"

"They shall have to deal with it if they want a chance with me," Hanabi said stoutly. "Now, come on, let's get you something proper to where."

"What?"

"Well, you can't be my chaperone in your servant uniform; the suitors wouldn't respect you at all," Hanabi said primly. "I would be in _such_ danger."

"Are you trying to get me killed?" Neji grumbled. "Also, did you ask for your father's permission?"

"No."

"He won't be pleased if he learns of this."

"But alas," Hanabi said sardonically. "Oh, Neji, don't be such a worrywart. I'll take on full responsibility."

Neji just sighed in defeat, and prayed that Hiashi wouldn't be displeased if he found out the events of the afternoon.

An hour later, Hanabi entered the palace courtyard with Neji in tow. "Hello!"

"Greetings, Princess." Shikamaru waved at her lazily from his position on the floor.

Hanabi tilted her head curiously. "Shikamaru…we're not even outside."

Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders. "I was sleepy."

Neji hid a small smile behind his hand; if Shikamaru was here, then maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

Then, Naruto exploded on the scene. "Where's Hinata?"

"_Princess_ Hinata to you, Naruto," Hanabi said tartly. "She's feeling ill, and couldn't come down today."

"Why is Neji here?" Naruto pointed an accusing finger at him.

Hanabi's eyes flashed with barely concealed irritation; how Hinata could find anything enjoyable about Naruto was beyond her, especially when Naruto was still in a sulking mood. "Neji is my chaperone."

"Since when did you need a chaperone?" Lee asked interestedly.

"I'm a princess," Hanabi said in exasperation. "Hinata and I just chaperoned each other. It makes life easier for everyone."

"Except, apparently, for Neji," Shikamaru observed.

Neji grimaced at him in response.

"Oh, don't make that face Neji," Hanabi scolded him. "Now, how about an outing in the park?"

The suitors dutifully got up and assembled around the princess, each one fighting for the prized position on her right side. Hanabi left them to squabble, and linked arms with Neji.

"How are you feeling so far?"

"Uncomfortable. You do realize that I haven't worn a suit in exactly ten years?"

"Just as well then," Hanabi beamed. She was really enjoying her time with her cousin.

Neji smiled back at her and squeezed her elbow…

Only for his smile to drop off his face when he realized that the suitors were also squabbling about who would walk next to him. "That isn't necessary," he said, feeling slightly panicked. He didn't know what he would do if he was forced to spend too much time right next to Naruto.

"Of course it's necessary," Chouji waved him off.

"No, really-" Neji tried again.

"I'm walking next to him," Shikamaru said in a bored tone as he hoisted himself off the floor. "Let's just go already, shall we?"

And thus, they ended up walking in an awkward procession with Shikamaru on Neji's left, Neji and Hanabi linking arms, and Lee on Hanabi's right, and the rest of the group spread out at varied distances around them.

"How are you feeling Hanabi-san? I hope you won't catch Hinata's sickness," Lee said casually.

"I hope so too," Hanabi admitted. "She wouldn't come out of her bedroom at all this morning; she said that she looked like a mess. She sounded _awful_, as if she was losing her voice and her nose was clogged both at the same time."

Neji frowned, and readjusted his grip on Hanabi's arm. "That sounds quite serious. She wouldn't let anyone see her at all?"

"She's having Ino and Sakura wait on her today. I don't envy them."

"Why not?"

"You haven't been around Hinata when she gets sick. She gets terribly grumpy."

"Ah." Neji wondered at this; Hinata was a curious girl with a complex personality that seemed to change with the push of a button.

The talk of sickness reminded him of his mission for Temari. "Ah…Shikamaru. Temari asked me to deliver this to you." He released Hanabi's arm and pulled the envelope from his pocket.

Shikamaru seemed surprised. "Temari…" He tilted his head quizzically. "I don't know who Temari is."

"Blonde? Works in the infirmary?"

Shikamaru shook his head.

Neji sighed; so he was delivering a confession letter. Go figure; no wonder Temari couldn't bear to deliver it herself. "Well, never mind who she is. Just read it will you?"

"What, read it now?"

"Read it whenever you feel like it," Neji said shortly. "I'm sure she'll appreciate your consideration either way." Talking of Temari reminded him of his two friends in the infirmary, and in turn, made him irritable out of worry.

"Is something wrong?" Shikamaru eyed him perceptively.

"Well…" Neji hesitated. What did it matter to Shikamaru, a prince, if something was wrong with Neji's life? Their lives were so different after all.

Yet, Neji had a feeling that Shikamaru would be able to relate to what he was feeling. "Two of my friends are quite ill," he admitted. "I'm worried for them."

"Well, don't take your worry out on poor Shikamaru," Chouji teased, "Because I bet now he's wishing he was still napping on the courtyard floor."

Neji giggled at that. "I'm sorry if I was rude, Prince Shikamaru."

"You don't need to call me 'Prince'."

Neji shot him a sharp look; what was Shikamaru thinking, saying that in front of everyone? "But I'm afraid that I do, _my prince_."

Shikamaru shrugged. "As you wish."

Neji rolled his eyes and turned back to Hanabi. To his surprise, Hanabi was looking at the two of them with surprise. "Why would you want Neji to address you so informally, Prince Shikamaru?"

"The same reason that you want him to stop calling you 'Princess'," Shikamaru responded. "Because we're like family at this point."

"I was unaware that the two of you were so close." She scrutinized Neji; Neji did his best not to look guilty.

"It's not like we flaunt our friendship around."

"Why not? You guys are friends. Big deal." Konohamaru kicked a rock out of his way as they meandered down the road.

Shikamaru shrugged and turned his gaze up to the sky. "I figured that King Hiashi might not like it so much."

"What makes you think that?" Lee asked curiously.

Neji shifted uncomfortably; a few minutes ago, the group had been in several different conversations. Why was everyone so suddenly interested in his friendship with Shikamaru, and its potential social repercussions?

Shikamaru seemed to be on the same track of mind. "What does it matter to you?"

Lee smiled benignly. "I was simply curious, my friend. Nothing more."

Naruto suddenly sneered from the side. "Well, I think that _I_ know why our king would disapprove."

Shikamaru sent him a withering look. "And what brilliant idea have you come up with?"

"His grace would assume that you two were sleeping together," Naruto said snidely. "Isn't that right, Neji?"

"Why are you asking me?" Neji retorted. "And be careful of what you say, Lord Naruto."

"King Hiashi won't defend your reputation," Naruto responded. "I'll say what I please."

"His grace might not defend Neji, but we certainly will!" Hanabi said sharply. "Good heavens, Naruto, what's gotten in to you?"

Everyone glanced around uncomfortably, as they all knew why Naruto was acting like an asshole. Obviously, Hinata's rejection of him had hurt his feelings quite deeply.

Hanabi took the ensuing awkward silence as Naruto's defeat. "If you haven't got anything nice to say, then just keep your mouth shut," she said tartly. "Now, what was it you were saying about _Les Misérables_ Lee?"

Lee seemed somewhat startled at the turn in the conversation, but decided that he didn't want to hear anything more about Neji and Shikamaru's unconventional friendship. It was easy to forget that Neji was a servant in this setting, when he wore fine clothing (heavens knew where he'd obtained it from) and covered up his mark of servitude, but the bonds between servants and princes were few. Lee vaguely wondered if Shikamaru had any romantic intentions towards Neji, but then dismissed the thought. If Shikamaru wanted to marry Neji, than why was he still courting Hinata? It made no sense.

Lee hated himself for doubting his friend.

"Lee? I asked you a question."

"Ah! Of course, my lady." Lee scrambled to try and remember what they'd been talking about a few minutes ago. "Ah, yes! I was talking about Marius, and how he…" and he and Hanabi were off in conversation once more.

When they finally arrived at the park, everyone was surprised to see Orochimaru and Sasuke sitting by the edge of the duck pond.

"Lord Orochimaru, Sasuke." Hanabi nodded regally as she approached the pair. "Isn't it lovely weather out?"

"Yes, my thoughts precisely Princess." Orochimaru smiled as he looked up at the sky before looking back at Hanabi. "We were just outside catching a breath of fresh air."

Neji appeared at Hanabi's shoulder with an anxious expression on his face. "Will Iruka be alright then?"

Orochimaru nodded, and smiled gently at the nervous Hyuga. "Yes, haven't the nurses said so? He just needs some bed rest."

"Iruka's ill?" Hanabi looked between her cousin and the mage in bewilderment.

"Yes, my lady," Sasuke spoke up from Orochimaru's side. "He ingested a dangerous herb, and we had to treat him last night."

"Do you know how he ingested it?"

"It's all a rather large mystery," Orochimaru said drily.

"I imagine all will be revealed when he awakens, though," Neji murmured. He bowed low to Sasuke and Orochimaru. "Thank you for taking good care of Iruka."

"It's not trouble, boy. It will probably somehow end up being my fault that Iruka ended up eating that dreadful jranga in the first place," Orochimaru sighed regretfully.

Sasuke shook his head from Orochimaru's side. "If anything, it would be Kabuto's fault. After all, he was the one who handled it early that day."

"Don't rush to place blame on others," Orochimaru chastised him. "After all, it may very well have been _you_ who left the jranga lying around." He playfully poked Sasuke in the forehead.

Neji shot a weirded-out expression at Hanabi. Why was Orochimaru behaving like a normal human being? Usually, he slithered around the castle like a giant snake, hissing and observing everything with his oddly colored eyes.

Hanabi also appeared to be slightly disturbed. "Well, enjoy the weather Lord Orochimaru."

"The same to you, my lady."

Hanabi nodded, and the interaction was over. She strode back towards her suitors, leaving Neji to scurry along behind her.

"Is Iruka the friend that you're worried about right now?"

"Yes."

"Who's the other friend in the infirmary, then?"

"Kakashi, uncle's valet. He isn't sick from ingesting anything, he's just getting some rest."

"Why is he tired?"

"He's been keeping himself awake at Iruka's side for over twenty-four hours. I figured he could use a nap."

Hanabi smiled slightly. "So you do care, Neji. I was beginning to worry."

"What?"

"You always seem so cold," Hanabi shrugged.

Neji sighed. "Sometimes, it's not always the best idea to where one's heart on one's sleeve, Hanabi."

"Why ever not?"

"Take a look at Naruto."

"Naruto's angry because he was rejected by Hinata. I don't think you're putting up a mask for the same reasons."

"You're right, I'm not. However, I don't have to tell you my reasons."

"Fine," Hanabi huffed. "I'll find out soon enough, though."

Neji smiled sadly as he watched her storm off to sit by Lee once more. Hanabi certainly seemed to be favoring Lee over the others. "I'm sure you will," he murmured quietly.

"I'm sure you will what?"

Neji gasped and whirled around. "Prince Shikamaru!"

"Sorry. Did I frighten you again?"

"I didn't know you were there," Neji said guardedly.

"So…yes?"

That made Neji smile. "Take it how you will."

"Sorry."

"You needn't apologize to a mere servant, your highness."

Shikamaru frowned. "I prefer 'Prince' to 'your highness'."

Neji raised an eyebrow. "And I prefer a little variety. What will you do about it?"

Shikamaru chuckled. "Nothing, I guess."

Neji and Shikamaru stood side by side, observing the young men flock around Hanabi and try and catch her attention.

"Why is Naruto still here? If Hinata rejected him, then surely he has no place here anymore."

"We're all fast friends; he's not here on courting purposes anymore."

Neji raised an eyebrow at Naruto's wild attempts to get Hanabi to laugh. "Are you sure?"

"Naruto's always trying to make people smile," Shikamaru shrugged.

"Not when he was talking about me, or Hinata," Neji muttered under his breath. "Or when he talks to you, for the matter."

"Yes, well…He can also hold a bit of a grudge. But he's only human, you know."

"I suppose," Neji relented. "It's just all so very unpleasant though."

"I know." The two friends shared a long look.

"Shikamaru, are you going to stand around and talk to Neji all day?" Hanabi called. "Let's play a game!"

Shikamaru smiled easily and walked away from Neji. "Of course not, my princess." He lifted her hand to his lips, and then set it back on her lap. "I can only spend so much time away from your delightful presence."

Hanabi smiled under Shikamaru's flattery; however, her smile didn't display her true feelings at all. She was slightly disapproving of Shikamaru's obvious affections for Neji, especially since Shikamaru had (unwittingly) broken her sister's heart. However, she also wanted Neji to be happy, and he did seem to feel that way around Shikamaru. So, Hanabi was quite at a loss for what to do, but decided that she felt vengeful for her sister. For all she knew, Hinata was probably crying on her bed in her room feeling lovesick while Ino and Sakura comforted…which was probably why her nose had sounded clogged in the morning.

Oh bloody hell.

"What game would you like to play, Princess?"

Lee's strident voice broke through her thoughts. "Hm? Oh, why don't we play a word game?"

"A word game?" Naruto seemed bewildered at the very thought.

"Why don't we play that one game…where someone starts off with a word, and everyone says a word related to that word and you try to end the game by coming back to the original word," Neji suggested. "Of course, you don't really want the game to end, so the person who says the original word loses."

Konohamaru shrugged, and then plopped down at the grass by Hinata's feet. "Sounds fun," he yawned. "Why don't we give it a go?"

"Does this game have a name, Neji?" Hanabi asked curiously.

"Not that I know of," Neji shrugged. "It's a child's game, but I thought it might be worth a shot. My lady, why don't you start us off?"

"Apple."

"Worm!"

"Mud."

"Compost."

"Decay."

"Death."

"Fungi."

Everyone stared at Shikamaru. "Death makes you think of fungi?" Chouji ventured at last.

Shikamaru shrugged. "I suppose. I mean, when we die, we decay and then fungus grows on us and…"

"Alright, that's enough," Neji pinched the bridge of his nose. "Um…moss."

No one bothered to point out that Neji had failed to call Shikamaru 'Prince'.

XXX

Hiashi raised an eyebrow when he saw that Hinata's place at the dinner table was unoccupied. Tonight, he had wanted a simple family dinner as he had a slight headache, and didn't want to deal with petty noble politics.

"Hanabi."

"Yes father?"

"Where is Hinata?"

"Hinata hasn't been feeling well since morning."

"Has anyone been in to check on her?"

"Ino and Sakura said that Temari went up and gave her some medicine, but well…" Hanabi hesitated, and then decided to plunge forward. "I suspect that Hinata might not actually be sick, and probably just spent all of last night crying."

"Good heavens." Hiashi stared at his younger daughter in horror; what could have moved Hinata to such a state? "I imagine you know why."

"Well, I have a hunch," Hanabi acknowledged.

"And what might that hunch be?" Hanabi's intuition about the relationships between anyone was uncannily sharp.

Hanabi opened her mouth to respond, only to be interrupted by a shrill scream. The scream kept going and going as Hiashi and Hanabi leapt out of their seats and dashed out of the room, their conversation and dinner completely disregarded. Dread built up in Hiashi's' stomach as he raced through the castle; the source of the scream was definitely coming from Hinata's rooms. What could have gone wrong?

Naruto joined him in the corridor, and they ran together. By the time they had arrived, the screams had turned in to great wracking sobs from every single one of Hinata's waiting women.

"What happened?" Hanabi gasped. "We heard the screams and came…at…" she trailed off in shock.

"Oh my gods," Hiashi breathed, a hand rising to his chest. "This can't be happening."

The door to Hinata's bedroom had been flung wide open to reveal Ino lying face-down on the floor, a small trickle of blood falling down her forehead. Upon further inspection, Hiashi noted that her hands were covered in scratches, and that her nails had been chipped.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, stop screaming Sakura and run for a nurse!" he snarled at the stricken girl. Sakura instantly shut her mouth and ran out the door in terror.

Hanabi knelt by Ino's side and grasped her wrist, sighing in relief when she felt a pulse. "She's alive." She, Naruto, and her father gently turned Ino over so that she was lying on her back. "What do you think could've happened?"

Suddenly, a realization struck all three of them at the same time. Slowly, in unison, they all turned towards Hinata's bed.

Hinata was gone.

**a/n:** Yes I'm sorry it's a cliffy! Don't worry this story is going to be about twenty-two chapters long so this is really just the beginning. Please don't be mad about the cliffhanger ending (I hate those too, but hopefully it will keep you guys interested right?) but let me know what you thought of this chapter and I'll see y'all in about a week with the next one!


	4. Chapter 4

**a/n:** Thanks to everyone for staying with me so far! Also, thank you to my lovely reviewers—even if it's just a 'good job' or 'omg update soon' or 'you suck' or 'what is even happening in this story?' I'm excited for _any_ feedback you guys have to give me, so don't be shy about reviewing after you read! Anyways…this chapter will definitely have a lot of things that I don't think most readers will expect. I hope everyone enjoys.

Only one warning: _dragons._

Chapter Four

"What do you mean, you can't find her?" Hiashi roared at Orochimaru.

Orochimaru refused to be intimidated force of the fury of the king. "I mean, I can't find her!" he snapped back. "I've tried every means of tracing her, and I can't find her."

Hanabi groaned lowly in her throat and sank to the floor. "What does that even mean?" she whispered. "Does it means she's dead?"

Sasuke came to her aid, and lead her to a nearby chair. "It doesn't mean she's dead. It just means that she seems to have vanished off the face of the Earth."

"So she _could_ be dead!" Hiashi roared. "This is my daughter, we're talking about here!"

"It means that anything could have happened to her, your grace," Sasuke said wearily. He and Orochimaru had thrown every ounce of their strength in to the spell to find Hinata, and they were both bone tired. "I've sent for Kabuto to return from the Sarutobi estates. He might be able to help us gain new perspective when he returns."

"When will he be back?"

"He should arrive in a few hours."

Hiashi paced furiously back and forth Orochimaru's work room floor. "I don't understand," he muttered frantically. "How could this have happened? I ordered Zabuza to guard her rooms until she came out, but Zabuza wasn't there, and Sakura said that she'd left Ino and Hinata to fetch dinner a few minutes before, but when she returned she found Ino on the floor. Someone was with Hinata at all times."

"Obviously, someone attacked the girls after Sakura left," Hanabi said faintly.

"But _how_?" Hiashi roared. "There is no one in this castle with ill intentions towards our family. Orochimaru's wards, and my observations have taken care of all of that."

"You will have to conduct an investigation, my lord. Only then will things become clear. Have your secretaries collect a list of what people were doing when right before the time of the incident, and then have them go through the lists and mark up anyone suspicious. While they do that, you can also issue a proclamation to the land to have villagers search for Hinata, and to bring her back if they find her."

Hiashi bowed his head, and then wiped his face with his hands. "Of course," he said in a broken voice. "Of course—gods, what would I do without you, Orochimaru?"

Orochimaru sent him a comforting look, and then turned to Sasuke. "Could you fetch Princess Hanabi a glass of water, please? Actually, why don't you take her up to the infirmary? Someone should take a look at her."

"I'm not ill," Hanabi exclaimed violently.

"You're experiencing shock, my princess," Orochimaru said mildly. "Kindly follow Sasuke up to the infirmary. It's for the best."

"What—I don't want-" Hanabi kept protesting

Sasuke sighed, and laid a glowing hand on top of Hanabi's head. "Come this way, my lady."

"What? Oh, well…" Hanabi struggled faintly, and then gave in to Sasuke's spell. Hiashi decided to go with them; he didn't want his second daughter out of his sight for a good long while.

While Hanabi was bundled up in blankets and given plenty of cold water to drink, Hiashi organized a search of the castle. "Bring me a list of suspects when you're done," he ordered his secretaries. "It is highly unlikely that one of us kidnapped the princess, but do try and be unbiased all the same."

The secretaries nodded and spread themselves out through the castle; everyone was anxious to find the princess again. Hiashi gathered his scribes and issued a proclamation for anyone who had seen, or found Hinata to return her to the castle at once, but then he hesitated. _I'll wait one more day. Perhaps this was all some kind of prank, and Hinata will turn up in the morning._

So, the proclamation waited.

The secretaries were quick at their work, and had gathered all of their information by the following morning. However, a downside of the secretaries' brusque interrogations of the entire castle made everyone suspicious of each other, as only the mages and the royal family knew what was going on.

Neji burst through the doors of King Hiashi's rooms. "Uncle!" he gasped, looking terrified. "Someone said something happened to Hinata. Is she alright? Where is she?"

"You will address me as King Hiashi, and nothing else." Hiashi sighed, and shifted in his seat…he had long grown weary and bitter, having stayed up the whole night. "You know, I have been considering naming you the third heir, Neji."

"That's immaterial!" Neji snapped. "Where is Hinata, Un—your grace."

"Hinata is also above your station."

Neji grit his teeth; it seemed that Hiashi was intent upon reminding him of his social status today. "Your grace, could you kindly inform me of Princess Hinata's location?"

"Why should a servant know?" Hiashi asked bitterly.

"Because this servant is family," Neji said coolly.

"…No one knows where Hinata is. She got kidnapped last night," Hiashi sighed in to his hands.

"Kidnapped?" Neji gasped. "But—but how?"

"No one knows that either."

Neji's eyes softened when he finally noticed his uncle's weariness. "Your grace, you've had a long night. Why not get some rest?"

"I'm not sure if I can sleep," Hiashi admitted.

"You'll find sleep will come easier than you think. As Kakashi is incapacitated at the moment, would you like me to stand in his place?"

"I had Gai in Kakashi's place," Hiashi mumbled.

"Would you like me to send for Gai, then?"

"No, you can do it." Hiashi hoisted himself out of his chair and stumbled in the direction of his bedroom.

"Would you like me to send any orders to the guards, your grace?" Neji asked delicately. Why did he suddenly seem to always be in the position to help sleep-deprived people?

"The guards?"

"Perhaps you would like a guard on Princess Hanabi? And yourself?" Neji prodded gently. "The safety of the royal family is paramount to all else, your grace."

"Yes, that would be…nice," Hiashi yawned as Neji began to change him from his dinner clothes in to pajamas. "Did you know that I posted Zabuza at Hinata's door today?"

"Really?" Neji struggled to keep his voice calm. "Where was he during the attack?"

"I guess I'll find out when someone reports to me," Hiashi yawned.

Neji finished dressing Hiashi, and gently led him to the bed. Hiashi slowly got under the covers, and stared up at his nephew sleepily. "You're a good boy, Neji."

Neji blinked back tears from the rare praise. "Rest well, your majesty. I'll have a servant wake you in a few hours."

Hiashi was already asleep.

XXX

Kabuto returned to his quarters to find Orochimaru and Sasuke passed out in the work room. "Teacher?" He gently poked Orochimaru's arm. "Sasuke?" He and Sasuke were close friends, but sometimes he wondered what went on between Sasuke and Orochimaru behind closed doors. He sighed, and wandered over to the fire roaring in the hearth; he reached under his close and pulled out his familiar, a fire salamander named Karin. He spoke to her quietly, and then dropped her in the fire where she happily settled down in the flames.

Orochimaru grunted, and then roused himself when he realized that Kabuto had returned. "Kabuto. Did you have any time to investigate the fire at the Sarutobi estates?"

"I was in the middle of the investigation when I received Sasuke's message. I didn't have time to do it thoroughly, but there were heavy implications of magical properties in the fire."

"It doesn't mean it was a dragon," Orochimaru murmured. "It could have been a magical child whose powers manifested."

"It left different magical traces behind," Kabuto shrugged. "I think that the villagers were telling the truth."

"What did you tell Lord Asuma?"

"I told him my suspicions. But really, there's not very much he can do if the dragon attacks again other than to send the villagers for cover," Kabuto sighed. "Now, why did you call me back so urgently?"

Sasuke blinked sleepily when the sound of voices roused him. "Kabuto?"

Kabuto smiled down at him, only to recoil in shock when he saw Sasuke's eyes. "Sasuke!"

"What?"

"Your eyes are out again."

"Oh…sorry," Sasuke yawned, and blinked again. When he opened his eyes, they were back to normal black.

Kabuto hid his shudder of distaste; Sasuke had special magic that he could perform through his eyes due to his Uchiha lineage (the Uchiha clan was famed for its mages). Personally, Kabuto found it creepy that Sasuke's eyes could go from black to red in a matter of seconds, but he supposed that those eyes had their uses. "Now, why was your message so urgent?"

"Hinata got kidnapped, but we couldn't locate her."

"Princess Hinata got kidnapped?!"

"Apparently."

"And the tracing spell won't reveal anything," Kabuto frowned, "even though we made a point of marking all of her possessions in a way that made them easily traceable?"

"Quite so," Orochimaru yawned. "We hoped you might be able to shed some light on the matter."

"How would _I_ know where she might be taken?" Kabuto asked defensively. "I couldn't have kidnapped her—I haven't been here all yesterday, which is, I assume, when she was taken."

"We weren't accusing you of anything," Sasuke sighed. "Teacher meant that you might have some ideas about why the tracking spell didn't work."

"Why are you both so tired?"

Orochimaru looked sheepish. "We might have run the tracking spell multiple times last night."

"That shouldn't have made you tired, Teacher," Kabuto stared at him blankly.

"We also might have put more energy in to it than usual to make the spell run faster."

"Ah." Kabuto blinked, and then clapped his hands. "Well, I think some nice, strong tea is in order, don't you all?"

An hour later, the mages were seated around their worktable once more with steaming mugs of tea in their hands.

"So, why do you think the spell didn't work?"

"I don't know. Everything she wore, down to the slippers on her feet, had the potential to be traced," Kabuto frowned as he traced the rim of his mug. "It doesn't make any sense at all."

"Her captor could have removed anything we might have traced to her," Sasuke suggested.

"A fine idea, Sasuke, but her very skin is traceable. Hiashi had me place a small tattoo on her skin as a child for this very purpose. If we can't trace her, I don't know what's happened," Orochimaru sighed.

"…The princess has a tattoo?" Kabuto asked in fascination.

"Yes."

"Curious," was all Kabuto said. Sasuke smirked in to his hand; it was obvious to anyone that looked that Kabuto was absolutely besotted with Hinata. Sasuke wondered how Kabuto was holding on to his calm; nearly the entire castle was in an uproar, but one of the people who cared about the princess the most sat calmly in his chair, sipping tea. Sasuke strongly suspected that this was all the calm before the storm; undoubtedly, he would poke his head in to Kabuto's room later and find that he'd destroyed his bed again.

"Is it possible that her captor might have taken her to a place where she can't be tracked?" Sasuke tried again. "Maybe they put her inside a magical barrier."

"Why has it occurred to no one that Hinata might have run off herself?"

"If she wanted to run away herself, she wouldn't have attacked Ino to do it."

"What?"

"Apparently, Sakura found Ino lying on the floor with various injuries and screamed for help. Ino had scratches all over her hands, and someone had knocked her out with a blow to the back of her head. Hinata, is of course capable of all of these things, but she wouldn't attack Ino in such a manner."

"You never know," Kabuto shrugged. "I suppose Ino will tell us the whole story when she wakes up."

"Back to the topic at hand," Orochimaru said somewhat testily. He felt a flicker of triumph when both of his students flinched guiltily.

"Blood tracking is the strongest form of the tracking spell. No magical barriers can get in its way, Sasuke."

"I think Sasuke's on the right idea, though," Kabuto said suddenly. "Maybe she isn't behind a magical barrier; you were teaching us about this earlier, Teacher, which is why I remembered. Is it possible that someone moved Hinata in to a separate magical dimension? Outside of this world? Which is why we can't trace her?"

"That's a thought," Orochimaru murmured. "And it would prevent us from tracing her because she has to be on the Earth for the blood magic to work…she would need something else if we were to trace her through different dimensions."

"Why would someone go to all that trouble to spirit her off to a different dimension, but not hold any ransom?" Sasuke asked in puzzlement. "And if she's in a different magical dimension, Kabuto, I doubt she's there of her own free will."

"I have to agree with you on that," Kabuto admitted.

"It takes a powerful wizard to be able to build, and safely transport a human being in to a separate dimension." Orochimaru looked worried. "No doubt, if any ransom is to be held, we'll find out about it soon."

All three men stiffened when they heard a rumbling in the distance.

"What was that?" Sasuke asked sharply.

"I don't know." Orochimaru frowned in consternation. "I've never heard anything like it before."

The three men flinched again when they heard screams, and a distant roar. Kabuto turned white, and then a sickly shade of green. "Don't tell me," he choked out.

"I'm afraid so."

"Dragons," Sasuke whispered in horror.

"I'm going to be sick," Kabuto muttered, and lunged for the wastebasket. It was curious, how sudden fluxes in power made Kabuto feel queasy. Sasuke supposed that all of this was due to Kabuto's sensitivity to magic levels around him…which made him a good companion to have in dark alleys. No wizard would ever be able to sneak up on Kabuto.

Except, apparently, dragons could. "How come you couldn't tell the dragon was coming?" Sasuke got up and grabbed a glass of water so that Kabuto could wash his mouth out. "You can usually sense things like that a mile away."

"I don't know," Kabuto rasped as he wiped his mouth on his sleeve. "It just…it just suddenly hit me like a brick wall."

"Uh huh." Sasuke handed Kabuto his water, and then turned to his teacher. "What are we still doing here? We have to help fend off the dragon!"

"Nothing can fend off a dragon, Sasuke."

"Well, we should at least be there for moral support," Sasuke said tartly. "Don't you think?"

Orochimaru hesitated, and then grabbed Sasuke's sleeve as he passed by. "Promise me you won't do anything stupid."

Sasuke just scoffed and shook him off before racing out the door.

By the time the three mages arrived at the scene, the dragon had destroyed half of the castle.

Hiashi looked grim as he orchestrated evacuation plans of the members of the castle to go underground.

"I want to stay," Hanabi said fiercely to her father.

"Hanabi, you will go downstairs with the rest of the staff. They need someone to command them."

"They are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves!" Hanabi shouted.

Hiashi whirled around and seized his daughter by her shoulders and shook her roughly. "Isn't it bad enough that Hinata has already been kidnapped?" he cried. "I don't want to lose my other child. Go underground with the rest of the castle, please."

Hanabi scowled, but moved to do as she was told. Finally, Hiashi spotted the three mages, who were staring up at the dragon in awe as it let loose another jet of flame. The dragon was a gorgeous creature; it was as long as the castle grounds, with shimmering red wings, and an arched graceful neck.

Unfortunately, Hiashi failed to appreciate the beast's beauty, as the dragon had currently caved in half of the castle, and trapped many of the servants in the wreckage. He shuddered as the dragon attempted to set the stone aflame, and prayed for the servants. "I don't suppose there's anything you can do about all this?" Hiashi waved his hand at the dragon.

"No," Orochimaru said softly. "Nothing at all. Dragons are the greatest mages, Hiashi. It would take more than the three of us to do anything about it."

"I see." Hiashi sighed as the last noble scurried down the stairs. "So we just have to watch it destroy half the castle?"

"Unfortunately, yes. I don't want to catch its attention; do you?"

Suddenly, the dragon suddenly turned its eyes on them, as if noticing their presence at the edge of the wreckage for the first time.

"Which one of you is Hyuga Hiassssshi?" it hissed lowly.

Hiashi gulped and tried to look over at Orochimaru, but found that he couldn't turn his head. He was trapped in the creature's gaze, and he couldn't move.

The dragon chuckled harshly. "Don't worry; I can ssssssee you can't ansssswer," it hissed. "I have a propossssition to make to you."

Hiashi felt himself slipping and sliding deeper and deeper in to the amber depths of the dragon's eye. Right now, he couldn't care less what the dragon was saying; he just wanted to move closer to the dragon and inspect its lovely eyes. Orochimaru had told him long, long ago that dragons often had mismatched eyes. Hiashi desperately wanted to know what the other one looked like, but couldn't move his feet.

The dragon's gaze shifted to an amused look, fully aware that Hiashi was probably experiencing the same feelings of the deer he'd eaten on the way here. "I have your daughter," the dragon hissed. "I will return her in exxxxxxxchange for the one named Hyuga Neji. I will return tomorrow; if you do not give me Hyuga Neji, I will wreak havoc acrossssss your home onccce more."

"Oh great one," Orochimaru said suddenly, pushing himself off of the wall, and successfully pulling the dragon's attention towards him. Hiashi felt as if his head had been dunked in cold water; what had he even been thinking? What was going on—the dragon had said something about a ransom and…

He gawped openly at Orochimaru who seemed to have no trouble speaking to the dragon, even though it had turned the full power of its gaze upon him. "Oh great one, who sent you here? And why do you require Hyuga Neji?"

The dragon laughed harshly. "You are the one called Orochimaru," it chuckled. "He told me that you were powerful. I will not be informing you of my motives, or of my employer's name as he wishes me to reveal neither," the beast laughed. "You were brave for assssssking though." A small jet of flame leapt from the dragon's nostrils and fell in to the wreckage of stone. "Give me Hyuga Neji tomorrow, when I return. If you do not, I will dessstroy your home," it hissed. With that dire threat, the dragon took off in to the skies, until it was nothing more than a speck of red on the horizon.

Orochimaru let out a shaky breath.

"You talked to it," Hiashi said in astonishment. "You _talked_ to it. How did you resist-"

He was cut off by Sasuke launching himself at his teacher. "You stupid idiot!" Sasuke shouted. "What happened to 'don't do anything stupid'?!" he wrapped his arms around Orochimaru in a tight hug.

Kabuto breathed a sigh of relief, and then dropped to all fours while he tried hard not to vomit; just when he'd gotten used to having such great power on the edge of his existence, it had vanished and he was feeling quite nauseous.

Hiashi sighed as Orochimaru and Sasuke began to squabble lightly, and decided that he might as well go let his people out from under the castle. He patted Kabuto's back, saying, "When you've finished vomiting, and they've finished fighting, why don't you three put your heads together and see if you can do something about the wreckage?"

Kabuto moaned weakly, and started vomiting again.

**a/n:** And so events keep unfolding! More weird family angst scenes; I apologize if it didn't make sense, but basically Hiashi was feeling conflicted about making Neji a prince, and took out his confusion on Neji even though Neji was trying to be nice to him…hence the weirdness of their interactions. Also, the dragon! Will Neji find out about the price on his head? Cliff-hangers and suspense all over the place! ;) Thanks to everyone for reading, I hope you enjoyed, and feel free to leave a review on your way out! See y'all next week in the next chapter, and again thanks for reading.


	5. Chapter 5

**a/n:** Hey everyone! Thanks to all of my fabulous reviewers and subscribers. Your support means a lot!

So, this chapter, _shit goes down._ **Warnings: minor character death, mentions of m-preg, lots of emotional stuff.** And then, of course, the usual romantic drama. Onwards to the chapter! Obviously, if you don't feel comfortable with these topics, please don't continue to read this story.

Chapter Five

Neji had been visiting Kakashi and Iruka in the sickbay when the dragon attacked. He'd heard a great roar, and then shrieked in terror when the ceiling started falling in. The floor tilted, and he slid away from Iruka and Kakashi before grabbing on to Iruka's bed, which had been bolted to the floor. He'd gotten to his feet unsteadily as Kakashi dove for Iruka's side, only for the ceiling to cave in above him. Miraculously, the three of them had been trapped in a pocket of safety; unfortunately, everything had crumbled around the three of them, and it would take forever for them to get rescued. They'd been waiting for several hours when their conversation turned to the topic of the attack.

"A dragon," Neji murmured. "Wasn't Lord Asuma talking about dragon sightings at dinner the other night, Kakashi?"

"He was. Who would have thought that he was right?" All three of them were shaken by the attack; they could hear the pained moans, and voices attempting to communicate in the wreckage surrounding them.

Iruka blinked tiredly; he was recovering rapidly, but his body was still immensely tired and sore from the effects of the jranga.

"So, Iruka, why were you even in the mage's quarters in the first place?"

To his surprise, Iruka blushed and shifted uncomfortably for a moment. "Well…um…" Iruka sent a pleading glance at Kakashi, who raised an eyebrow at him. Apparently, whatever was going on, Kakashi was unwilling to help Iruka out.

"I…well…" Iruka fumbled around for a few moments. "I'm er…not feeling well." Kakashi snorted and glanced off to the side.

"It's true!" Iruka glared at him. "Well, I mean, I wasn't feeling well before now," he amended, "and I was taking some medication that Kabuto had provided for me. He usually leaves it out in a small satchel with my name on it, and so I went down to the mages' quarters to get it, but I guess he must've put the wrong herb in the satchel, because I ate it and then I got even worse," Iruka chuckled.

Neji looked worried. "You were sick before now? What's the matter?"

Iruka shifted uneasily and looked over at Kakashi. "Erm. Well…how do I say this? I'm ah…"

Neji looked at him patiently.

"He's pregnant," Kakashi cut in bluntly.

"He's _what_?"

"Well, you know, male pregnancies are common among soul mate pairs," Iruka said nervously, blushing to the tips of his ears. "And, well…it's not like we wanted to make a huge deal out of it or anything."

"You're pregnant," Neji said disbelievingly. He'd known all along that Kakashi and Iruka were a soul mate pair, which meant that either of them could become pregnant with a child, but still…this was quite a shock. "You're pregnant and you didn't tell me?!"

"You know how shy Iruka gets," Kakashi said absently as he reached over to ruffle Iruka's hair.

"It's also a little bit embarrassing," Iruka admitted. "Makes me feel less macho."

"Well, you were never very macho to begin with," Kakashi snickered.

"You're not earning yourself any favors," Iruka growled at him. "And Neji, don't feel offended. I was planning on telling you, but there hasn't been much time lately."

"I guess," Neji relented. "But still…you're _pregnant!_"

"Just go on and shout it to the world," Iruka muttered. "You know, because I really appreciate that."

"It's just so surprising." Neji stared at Iruka. "Do you know how far along you are? Also, won't the jranga affect the baby?"

"Not far. Temari was going to give me the pregnancy talk today, but then ceiling sort of caved in. And according to Orochimaru, the baby should still be fine," Iruka half-smiled. "It's all quite frightening. I never imagined myself as a parent."

"You teach the servant children school. You know how to deal with kids," Neji said reassuringly.

"But I don't know how to be a parent," Iruka said unhappily. "Oh, never mind, you shouldn't have to deal with my parental worries. How long do you think we've been trapped in here?"

"We've been here for quite a while," Kakashi muttered. "We'll probably be here for quite a while yet."

Neji sighed and curled up at the side of Iruka's bed. "I hope the others are alright though," he murmured. "I doubt that anyone was as lucky as us."

"Indeed, I would imagine they were not." Kakashi frowned, and then cocked his head. "I think I hear people. "WE'RE IN HERE!" he shouted loudly.

Neji frowned; he didn't hear anything. "Kakashi, are you sure…?" he trailed off in shock when the debris around them started floating off the ground. "Is this some sort of fucked up dream? Because I really wish that I could wake up."

Kakashi chuckled and shook his head. "I thought I heard rocks shifting. It looks like the mages have come to set us free."

"Oh heavens." Neji curled up on himself and tried not to look at the massive amounts of debris floating out of the room.

"Are you alright?" Sasuke approached the trio cautiously. "We tried to come as fast as we could."

"I thought there might be magic involved. How long ago was the dragon attack?"

"Several hours."

"Were many people hurt?" Neji sat up once he realized that there was no longer magic being used in the infirmary.

"We don't know yet. So far, there haven't been any casualties, but there have been a lot of minor injuries," Sasuke shrugged. "Are the three of you injured in any way?"

"No, we're all fine," Neji answered instantly. "But—Sasuke, why did the dragon attack? Dragons haven't been sighted in the kingdom for decades."

Sasuke hesitated for a moment. "Well…"

"Why? Do you know?"

Sasuke sighed and shook his head. "We don't know," he lied. "We don't know why the dragon came."

"Are you sure? Were you there when the dragon attacked?"

Sasuke was saved from responding by his teacher. "Sasuke, we have other areas to excavate!" Orochimaru called.

"I'm sorry, I have to go. If you want to know anything, I would advise speaking with your royal uncle."

"And since when did you hand out advice?"

Sasuke gave him a wry smile before hurrying away; Neji watched his figure recede in to the distance as worry worked its way through his mind.

Something was definitely not right.

XXX

Finally, by nightfall, the castle had been set to rights by the three mages. When they had finished setting the last stone in place, all three had collapsed to the floor in exhaustion; several servants rushed forward and carried them back to their rooms. Hiashi visited them later in the evening.

"How are you feeling?"

"Kabuto still hasn't woken up yet," Orochimaru sighed. "How do you think?"

Sasuke murmured something tiredly and shifted in his sleep.

Orochimaru turned a piercing look on Hiashi. "My students are still learning how to sustain their powers," he informed Hiashi. "We will not be able to do this again tomorrow night."

"What can we do? I refuse to offer Neji up like some virgin sacrifice to the gods," Hiashi spat angrily. "There must be some way to fend off the dragon. I saw you—you could speak openly with it."

Orochimaru shook his head wearily. "And that was all I could do. I could barely move my limbs, and I felt my mind slipping in to a haze of paralysis by the time our conversation was over. Like I said, Hiashi—dragons are the greatest mages. Dragons are the one that gave magic to man, and are the oldest, wisest creatures on this earth. There is nothing one can do to cross a dragon."

"I'm evacuating the nobles out of the palace, as well as any of the servant staff who is willing to go."

"Does Neji know that he is Hinata's ransom price yet?"

"He has not come to seek me out yet. I don't know what he knows, and I don't know what he thinks, but I'm sending him away with Hanabi tomorrow."

"Is that wise? Sending Neji away."

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"You might change your mind," Orochimaru said simply. "People have done stranger things for love."

Hiashi snarled. "I will not sacrifice Neji!"

"As you say," Orochimaru acquiesced. "I did not mean to offend you, old friend."

Hiashi stiffened, and then relaxed after a few moments. "I understand," he said at last. "Although…on an unrelated topic, I couldn't help but notice Sasuke's little display of affection earlier today."

To his surprise, Orochimaru flushed. "Ah…that. Well, yes," he coughed nervously.

"Will anything come of it?"

"I don't know," Orochimaru said hurriedly, feeling horridly uncomfortable. "Speaking of things unknown, have your secretaries gotten back to you yet?"

"They have." Hiashi hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "I'm afraid…you're not going to like it."

"Oh heavens."

"The only people who were unaccounted for at that time last night were Sasuke and Neji," Hiashi sighed.

"_What?_"

"Sasuke said that he couldn't remember where he was, and Neji said that he couldn't remember either."

"That's impossible! Neither one of them would have kidnapped Hinata."

"My thoughts precisely. But then, I thought about it and…well, I spoke to Iruka earlier today. He mentioned that he receives pregnancy medication from Kabuto. However, then, I managed to speak to Kabuto when he just arrived in the castle. Kabuto mentioned that he'd had Sasuke prepare Iruka's medicine this week instead." Hiashi looked down at Orochimaru's shocked expression with pity as he continued, "It could all be a coincidence, of course, but I hope you'll understand if I keep Sasuke in quarantine for a while."

Orochimaru struggled past his shock. "Sasuke would _never_ betray the royal family!" he gasped out. "It—this can't be."

"I'm sure Sasuke can explain himself when he wakes up, but until then…just keep what I've said to you in mind, Orochimaru. Also keep in mind that I will also be quarantining Neji until all of this gets sorted out."

Orochimaru nodded blankly, and Hiashi left the infirmary feeling slightly guilty. He hadn't done anything wrong, but it broke his heart to see one of his closest friends in such a state.

Although, Hiashi did wonder at why Orochimaru had chosen Sasuke. Hiashi didn't have any problems with Orochimaru being gay, but Sasuke was much younger than Orochimaru. He really couldn't see any of this ending well.

"Kakashi!"

Kakashi stopped what he was doing and turned around to face Hiashi. "Your majesty."

"Where is Neji now?"

"I believe Neji is down in the kitchens washing dishes, sir."

"Tell him to come see me at once."

"Right away, sir." Kakashi bustled down the hall.

A half hour later, Hiashi heard a polite knock on his door. "Enter!"

Neji slipped through the doorway. "Should I close the door, your majesty?"

"Please."

Neji complied, and then came to stand in front of his king. "You called for me, your highness?"

"I spoke to you harshly this morning. I wanted to apologize."

"I am grateful for your apology, your grace."

"You may call me uncle, if you wish."

Neji tried to smile at him; where was all of this kindness coming from all of a sudden? "Very well, uncle."

"Good. Now, please have a seat, Neji." Hiashi waited until Neji was safely supported by his chair before continuing. "Neji, I'm sorry that I haven't done this sooner. Once this whole mess is over, I will have you named as the third heir. I had a rather insightful discussion with Hanabi, and she made me recognize the error of my actions."

Neji gasped in surprise. "Uncle, you needn't do such a thing!"

"No, not at all. After all, I imagine that both of our kingdoms will benefit anyways."

Neji opened his mouth to argue back, only to shut it, and then open it again. "Wait…_both_ of our kingdoms? To whom are you referring?"

Hiashi looked taken aback. "I thought that…well, it seems you don't know." Hiashi cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Well, I had an insightful conversation with Hanabi about how our family is falling apart, but also about Shikamaru's less than platonic feelings for you."

"Shikamaru? But…" Neji trailed off, and then his eyes widened. "You can't mean—Shikamaru doesn't feel that way about me! Are you doing this purely for the sake of marrying me off?"

"No." Hiashi sighed, and tried to express his sincerity to his nephew. "Neji, I am not doing this for any underlying political motives; I'm doing this because I want us to feel like family again, and also because it will potentially benefit your relationship with Prince Shikamaru. Hanabi told me that you reciprocated Shikamaru's feelings, but she may have been wrong about that," Hiashi eyed his nephew closely.

"I-I don't know. I don't even know what to think any more," Neji stammered. "This—I haven't heard a whisper of this at all."

"Ah. I apologize for disturbing your emotional state of mind, then." Hiashi sighed—Hanabi had seemed so certain that Neji loved Shikamaru back, but sometimes, he supposed that close friendship could be mistaken for romantic love. "You may choose to confront Shikamaru at your own discretion. However, I also have to inform you that you will be leaving the castle with Hanabi tomorrow morning. You understand, I hope? I wish to protect my heirs to the best of my ability."

"I understand," Neji said softly. "I'll serve Hanabi as best I can while we are gone."

"Good. That is the only thing I could ever ask of you, Neji," Hiashi sighed in relief. It had been a good move to keep Neji in the dark; if he didn't know the true reason why he was being sent away, then he wouldn't put up a fuss. "Pack for a long stay away, Neji, and be ready to leave with Hinata at first light tomorrow."

"Very good, my lord."

"Uncle."

"What?"

"Call me uncle. As third heir, you have permission to address me as a family member," Hiashi smiled hopefully at Neji, and his heart swelled when Neji gave him a timid smile in return. "Have a safe journey."

"Thank you, uncle." Neji smiled, and then rose from his seat and headed from the door. He eased out of the door, and leaned against it, breathing a sigh of relief. He had been on a roller coaster ride of emotions from the day; he hoped that he a good night's sleep would help him sort it out.

He frowned when he thought he heard the sound of running footsteps fading in the night; who would be up at Hiashi's quarters at this time of night, and who had the energy to be running around? Neji shrugged, and sighed—he was probably simply imagining things. The dragon attack had made everyone paranoid, and everyone jumped at the smallest noise.

Glowing red eyes watched Neji vanish down the corridor. When Neji was gone, Sasuke collapsed in the shadows of the corridor. "What…?" he murmured groggily. Suddenly, he realized where he was and sat bolt upright.

"How did I get here?"

"I could ask you that same question," Orochimaru said quietly.

Sasuke jumped, and clutched at his chest. "Shit!"

"I didn't mean to frighten you." Orochimaru strode down the corridor and crouched down by Sasuke's side. "Sasuke, I think I know what's going on. I'm very sorry for what I have to do next."

"Wha-?"

Orochimaru had already struck Sasuke across the back of his neck, knocking the young man out cold.

XXX

"Hiashi?" Kakashi poked his head in to Hiashi's sitting rooms where his king was sorting through a pile of papers. "Orochimaru requests your presence in his chambers."

"I hope no one's gotten sick again," Hiashi muttered as he got up from his desk. "Thank you, Kakashi. How is Iruka doing?"

"He's feeling much better, your grace. Thank you for your concern."

"It's no trouble. Good night Kakashi—don't bother waiting up for me, I can undress myself when I return to my rooms."

"Very good, your grace." Kakashi bowed respectfully as Hiashi swept out of his rooms and in to the dark corridor.

By the time he reached Orochimaru's quarters, his mind was running wild with ideas. Why could Orochimaru want him? Had he figured out who the dragon's so-called employer was? Had someone else fallen ill? Had another incident befallen upon some unsuspecting castle staff? What could it be?

He knocked, and entered. "What is it, Orochimaru?"

Orochimaru looked grim. "You were right about Sasuke."

"I was?"

"Allow me to explain. I knocked him out and dragged him back here. He's tied up in the cellar with Kabuto keeping guard over him, if you were wondering."

"Wise precautions." Hiashi sat down on a small footstool.

"As I was saying…I figured out what's going on. Do you recall when I explained to you why Sasuke is a particularly special specimen of mage?"

"Not really, no. It was a while ago."

"Sasuke is a very special kind of mage, because his family possesses secret techniques that allow them to perform magic from their eyes. They can cast illusions and do all sorts of magical things without using their hands."

"Sasuke comes from a mage family?" Hiashi asked, startled. "Then why doesn't he study with them?"

"I don't know," Orochimaru admitted. "I think he might be the bastard child of one of the family members."

"I see."

"Anyways, there is a downside to Sasuke's abilities, and I've been wondering about it for a long time. It would appear that someone can control Sasuke's actions through the use of his eyes."

"So…when Sasuke uses his eyes, someone else can control him?"

"Not quite. It would appear that Sasuke's magic is linked to that of another person, and this person can control Sasuke's actions by activating his eyes, even if Sasuke is not using magic at the moment of his possession."

"Do you know who the person is?"

"It could be anyone in Sasuke's family." Orochimaru paused, and then bowed deeply to Hiashi. "I'm sorry my lord; if I had known that this could happen, then I never would have allowed Sasuke to learn at the castle."

"It doesn't matter; the point is that we know now. And you just figured this entire scheme out?"

"Sasuke's magic has been acting odd lately, but I didn't think much of it because well…everyone's magical powers go through times of odd fluctuation, but I realized that Sasuke's was being caused by an outside source. I waited in the infirmary for Sasuke to wake up; I pretended to be asleep, and watched to see what would happen. To my surprise, he seemed to wake up of his own accord, but he had his eyes out. He cast a spell of illusion over the nurses, and then left the ward. I did the same, and followed him invisibly. He watched Neji leaving your rooms with his eyes out the entire time, only to collapse when Neji vanished from sight. From that, I deduced that whoever was controlling him was using his eyes to take over his actions, knocked Sasuke out, and called for you."

"I see. This must be difficult for you."

"In Sasuke's defense, he is unaware of his actions when his body is being possessed. When he came to outside of your chambers, he had no idea where he was, or how he had gotten there. Also, curiously enough, I attempted to speak with Sasuke's familiar, Itachi. Itachi also has no memory of the past hour, which is how long Sasuke has been awake. Also; regarding Iruka and the jranga; that was probably a simple mistake on Sasuke's part. I don't see how making a pregnant servant sick could have furthered the aims of whoever is trying to kidnap Neji."

"I see." Hiashi contemplated the information he had just received, and sighed deeply. "Thank you, Orochimaru. You agree with me, that he must be bound and under guard at all times?"

"I agree with you. We can't have him harming you."

"Very good. I'll send Haku and Zabuza down to watch him."

"Thank you, my lord."

Hiashi patted Orochimaru on the arm before leaving the mages' quarters. He had already informed Hanabi that he was sending her off the following morning; now, he was simply ready to go to bed and sleep on the massive amount of information he had just received.

XXX

The entire castle was awakened by the sound of a distant roar. Neji sat bolt upright in his bed and clutched the sheets to his heart. "What was that?" he whispered.

Then, he heard it again—the great roar of a dragon. "Bloody hell," Neji swore. He dove for his clothes and tugged them haphazardly over his head before racing in to the corridor for Hanabi's rooms; he had to get her out of the castle, and away from danger.

People started entering the corridors, and the castle began to shake at its very foundations. Nearly all of the nobles had left the night before, along with most of the palace staff, but Neji still found it difficult to make his way through the castle corridors.

"Neji!"

Neji stopped at the sound of a familiar voice, and cursed himself for blushing. This was no time to be thinking about relationships! He had to go fetch Hanabi.

Shikamaru caught up with him, and Neji couldn't help but smile at Shikamaru's haphazard appearance; he had a sweater on backwards, and his boots were untied. "Where are you going?"

"Hanabi and I were supposed to leave for safety in the morning." Neji started running again, and Shikamaru kept pace with him. "I have to go find her and get her out of the castle."

Neji flinched when the floor rumbled, and then fell over as the castle received a particularly vicious jolt from the dragon. By now, he and Shikamaru were running through the Great Hall; at the other end of the hall was a staircase that led to the princess's rooms; if he and Shikamaru could just make it there without incident…

Both young men froze in horror when a sudden sensation invaded their bodies. It was as if a creeping vine was wending its way through their minds, embedding itself in the cracks of their very being.

_I am loath to go back on my word_, a voice hissed. It sounded as if it were coming from inside of Neji's head; he glanced at Shikamaru in terror, and realized that Shikamaru must also be hearing the voice too.

_However, my employer wished me to attack at dawn. I had no other choice but to follow his wishes_ the voice hissed. _My offer remains the same; give me Hyuga Neji, and I will return your princess to you. If you refuse to give him up, then I will destroy your home._

There was a pause, and then the dragon chuckled in their mind; Neji clutched at his head. _It seems that you are well loved, Hyuga Neji. The people in this castle all feel a sense of mutiny and willfulness at the thought of giving you up._

_You must come to me of your own free will, little Hyuga. Until then, I will set to work destroying your home._ With that, the sensation of having another mind near his vanished, and Neji collapsed to the floor in shock. The ceiling rumbled overhead, and the chandeliers tinkled dangerously as the shook with the force of the dragon's roar.

"Neji."

Neji blinked hazily up at Shikamaru. "Yes?"

"We need to move. You just passed out for a few moments. Can you walk?"

Neji tried to move his arms in a daze. Cursing, Shikamaru scooped him up in his arms and began sprinting.

Just as they passed under a chandelier, there was a screeching noise; amidst the sound of falling glass and clanging metal, Neji vaguely heard two screams, and closed his eyes as he saw the huge metal structure fall straight on to his and Shikamaru's head.

He opened his eyes when he flew out of Shikamaru's arms and landed on the floor with a thud. "What…?"

Shikamaru braced himself on all fours, and then pulled himself to his feet. "Are you ok?" He held his hand out to Neji, and pulled him off the ground.

Neji steadied himself against Shikamaru's body for a moment before pulling away. "I'm fine," he muttered. "How—why aren't we dead?"

"Someone shoved me out of the way. They're in that wreckage," Shikamaru indicated the fallen chandelier. "Neji, you go ahead, I'll stay here and—" Shikamaru stopped talking when he noticed the shocked expression on Neji's face. "Neji?"

Neji ignored Shikamaru. "No…no. This can't be happening," he muttered feverishly. "This can't be!"

Iruka's familiar bounded down the hallway, and began to paw at the two bodies underneath the chandelier.

"NOOOOOO!" Neji screamed, and ran through the broken glass towards the two bodies lying under the structure of the chandelier.

Shikamaru looked, and then felt as if he'd received a huge electric shock. Still, he managed to pull Neji away from the glass. "Neji, you can't go there," he said, tears streaming down his face. "Neji, you can't—"

Neji ignored him, and tried to claw out of Shikamaru's hold. "No! No, no no…" he moaned, tears streaming down his face. The cat lay down and stretched itself over the two bodies and began to wail.

"No!" Neji screamed, reaching back out to Kakashi and Iruka, whose dead bodies stared back at him lifelessly. "No!"

Shikamaru dragged him out of the hall to safety. "Neji. Neji, listen to me!"

"No," Neji hiccupped. "No, wait, Shikamaru…they…they…!" Menma swooped in and nestled on Neji's shoulder.

Shikamaru's face was contorted with grief and rage; he, too, had been a good friend of Kakashi and Iruka. "Neji, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he gasped.

Neji shook his head, and the pair clung to each other in an attempt to stay grounded. "It's not your fault," he gasped. "It's not—it's not."

Shikamaru leaned forward and kissed Neji, with the dead bodies of their two dead friends lying in the hall behind them, and the staircase rumbling and jolting as if it were fit to collapse beneath their feet.

They finally broke apart, and Neji scrubbed at his eyes with his sleeve. "You go get Hanabi. I…I need to get their bodies out of the hall." _Oh god—Iruka's baby. _

Shikamaru shook his head. "That's a job for more than one person."

Neji smiled shakily, and shook his head. "Shikamaru, you know what I'm going to do."

Shikamaru frowned, and then his eyes widened in panic. "Neji, don't even think about it!"

"I'm sorry," Neji whispered softly, and kissed Shikamaru again. "But, this is something I have to do." He left Shikamaru standing in shock, and began running out of the castle, towards the source of the dragon's roar.

It was time to turn himself in.

**a/n:** So that was a long chapter, and it was pretty intense for me to write. Of course, it ends on another cliffy *hides* but I hope that you could still enjoy all of the action that happened in this chapter. Leave a review and let me know what y'all think, and thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

**a/n:** Drama-lama! That's all I have to say, I know how impatient you guys are to get to the story. Warnings: angsty feels and Neji feeling miserable. Enjoy!

Chapter Six

Neji kept running, shoving people out of his way as he sprinted out of the great hall.

Hiashi saw him, and seized him by the arm. "Where are you going?" Hiashi frowned when he noticed the tears streaming down Neji's face. "What happened? Are you alright?"

Neji just shook him off and began running again. He couldn't let anyone else die because of him; he had to go give himself up. He didn't know what would happen after that, but if he went away, then the dragon would go too, and there would be no more death and destruction. He ran down the steps in to the servant quarters and began making his way to the entrance that led to the outside street.

He vaguely heard someone shouting at him to stop, but it was too late; Neji shoved the door open and tumbled on to the castle grounds. He pushed himself to his feet and stumbled towards the dragon.

The dragon noticed him immediately; it stopped trying to bite a huge chunk out of the castle, and its head twisted around to look down at him.

"You are Neji Hyuga?" it hissed, eyeing him speculatively.

Neji felt himself seized by the sudden knowledge that he was about to die, and a tremor of terror worked its way through his mind. However, it was too late to run back inside now, and besides—he had to remember, this was for his family and friends. If he turned himself over to the dragon, then no one else would die.

To his surprise, the dragon's gaze softened, and it disentangled itself from the castle; Neji noted with interest that the dragon walked with a certain awkwardness, as if it were unaccustomed to walking on land. Neji felt his knees lock in terror when he realized that the dragon was stomping towards him.

Suddenly, he was gripped by the sensation that he'd experienced in the Great Hall, where the dragon spoke to him through his mind.

_Hello little Hyuga. You need not fear that I will eat you._

Neji took a shaky breath. "Th-thank you," he said aloud. It felt odd, trying to communicate strictly through his mind, rather than through his mouth.

_I have your princess. It was her in exchange for you, was it not?_

Neji nodded.

The dragon's settled down on its haunches and snaked its head forward until Neji was beside one of its great eyes; Neji looked in to the dragon's eyes without fear, and was startled to find a strange emotion there.

_You are very beautiful._

"Thank you." It wouldn't do to be uncivil, given that Neji was probably going to die at the hands of whoever had sent the dragon in the first place.

_You are too beautiful. It is unearthly._ The dragon made a low sound in throat, and the ground rumbled around Neji.

He fell to his knees and winced when he landed on a tender patch of skin on his legs; suddenly, he was reminded of the sight of Iruka and Kakashi's bodies trapped under the chandelier in the Great Hall, and tears began to run down his cheeks.

_Why are you sad?_

Neji sniffled, and tried to clear his throat before speaking. "T-two; no, _three_ people I knew well, h-have…h-have…" Neji choked on his words.

_They have passed on?_

"A-a chandelier—it was about to fall on me, but they shoved me out of the way and died in my place."

The dragon hummed again, and Neji realized that the dragon was thinking about what he had said. Why should the dragon care? It was the dragon's fault that they had died after all.

_They died because of me?_

"You made the castle foundations shake. The chandelier would not have fallen otherwise," Neji said shakily. "It is your fault. All of the destruction in this castle is your fault!"

_You are certain?_

"I am."

The dragon hummed again, and Neji felt a wave of frustration and worry wash over him; he just wanted to get away from this place, and ensure the castle's safety. "Where is my cousin? You promised that you would giver to us in exchange for me. Please, hand her over and take me with you."

_Patience, little one._

Patience! Neji was on edge with nervousness, rage, and grief; patience was the last thing on his mind.

After what felt like eternity, the dragon spoke again._ I have caused you much pain, little Hyuga. I will return your cousin to you, and set your castle to rights._ Suddenly, Hinata appeared on the grass in front of Neji. Neji gasped, and then clutched at his cousin in joy. He could see her chest rising and falling in a steady pattern. "Will Hinata be alright?"

_She is simply sleeping. She will awaken soon._ The dragon rose from its kneeling position, and turned around to face the castle. Neji gazed in sadness at the wreckage; several of the turrets had been knocked over, there was smoke rising from within, and there were great gashes in the stone walls of the palace.

Neji tensed in fear when the dragon leaned forward; the dragon had promised to stop the destruction if Neji gave himself up. "Wait!" he cried, scrambling to his feet, but the dragon ignored him.

The dragon let out a great snort, but instead of fire jetting from its nostrils, a fine white mist blew over the castle. Neji watched in astonishment as the castle walls repaired themselves and the smoke went out.

_You will find, when you return, that I have healed all of the castle occupants, and that all of the internal damage to the castle has been set right._

"Thank you," Neji said shakily, and then paused. "What do you mean, when I return?"

The dragon let out a deep sigh, and twisted its head to look down at Neji once more. _As a dragon, I have lived through eons of time. I have seen all there is to see in the world._

_As a dragon, I prize great treasures and great beauty. My kind are famous for plundering and pillaging._

_However, I also respect true works of art. You are a work of art, Hyuga Neji—your beauty is like nothing I have seen in my entire life time. Your beauty rivals those of the fairies, and of their queen._

_Such beauty will bring you great joys, and great sorrows. Be careful, Hyuga Neji. Someone powerful has taken notice of you, and will stop at nothing to get you. I cannot cause something as beautiful as yourself any tragedy, but I have no doubt that my employer can. He is ruthless._

_Guard yourself. There will be more trials to come. For now, though, I leave you and your people in peace. I wish you the greatest joy in your life._

Neji listened with bated breath, and suddenly regained the feeling in his legs when realized that the dragon was going to let him go. "Thank you. You are very kind."

The dragon laughed darkly. _I fear that I am simply setting you up for more sorrows, little one, but we shall see. Good luck, Neji, and farewell._

The dragon suddenly launched itself in to the skies, and began beating its great wings as it rose slowly in to the air.

"Fly high, great one!" Neji suddenly shouted, his hair whipping madly around him in the wind. "Fly high!"

The dragon roared one last time, and then took off in to the skies. Neji stared after it until it disappeared over the horizon.

Suddenly, Hinata began to stir on the ground. "What…?" she murmured weakly. "Where am I?"

Neji whirled around at the sound of her voice. "Hinata!" He raced to her side, and helped her sit up. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Hinata frowned. "Where am I, Neji?"

"You're home," Neji said softly. "You've been through quite an ordeal."

"I don't know—how did I get out here? The last thing I remember was falling asleep in my room."

"Did you have any dreams?"

"Well…I vaguely remember a pair of red eyes with swirling irises," Hinata said hesitantly, and shuddered. "They were quite frightening."

"Well, it doesn't matter," Neji said firmly, and then winced as he tried to get up. Apparently, the dragon had decided not to heal his own injuries.

Hinata's eyes widened. "Neji! You're bleeding!"

"I am? Where?"

Hinata scrambled to her feet. "Your forehead—there's so much blood," she stammered.

Neji blinked, and then put his hand on his forehead. He felt slightly bemused when he lifted his hand and found it covered in warm sticky blood.

Suddenly, the ground was rushing towards him. Neji welcomed the wave of blackness that came with it.

XXX

When Neji came to, he found himself surrounded by a crowd of anxious faces. "What?"

"He's awake." Hiashi sat back in relief and beckoned Temari forward.

Temari leaned over and smiled anxiously down at Neji. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore," Neji croaked. "Thirsty."

Someone instantly lifted a glass of water to his lips, and Neji eagerly drank his fill. "What happened?" he asked, weakly lifting his sleeve to his lips and wiping his mouth.

Someone caught hold of his hand and held on tightly; Neji shifted his head to the side and found himself looking up at Shikamaru. He smiled weakly up at him, and squeezed back.

"Well, the dragon left," Hinata said softly. "I carried you back up to the castle where everyone was sort of in a daze; I was surprised to see that the dragon had left the entire castle untouched."

"It didn't, though," Neji frowned.

"I know, someone told me that later," Hinata said patiently. "Anyways, so I carried you back up here, and the medics started treating you. You've been passed out for two days, in which we have taken care of all injuries and organized burials for the casualties."

"There were more casualties?"

"Ten people died. The service is set for two days from now," Hinata sighed. "I understand that you went out to meet the dragon because you saw two people die in front of you."

"Yes," Neji said simply. He had also kissed Shikamaru, something he wasn't entirely ready to think about.

"You were very foolish, Neji," Hiashi said sternly. "What were you thinking? Have you learned nothing from the past ten years of your life, but to keep your head in an emotional situation?"

"It was the only way to stop the violence," Neji said quietly.

Hiashi shook his head, but let it go. "Rest well, nephew." He got up and left the infirmary, taking his daughters with him.

Shikamaru remained at Neji's side. "I think your uncle is right."

"Right about what?"

"That you were very foolish to run out there and confront the dragon on your own. We very nearly lost you two days ago."

"If I could go back in time, I wouldn't change my decision to confront the dragon."

"Even if Kakashi and Iruka hadn't died?"

"Even then," Neji said quietly. "I still can't believe that my uncle kept such important information from me."

"It must have been difficult for him to make that choice."

"Hm." Neji sighed through his nose, and then yawned. Even though he had been sleeping for two days, apparently his body needed more rest.

Shikamaru instantly released his hand. "Sleep well, Neji."

Neji shut his eyes and let himself drift in to dreams.

Meanwhile, Shikamaru made no move to get up as he watched Neji fall asleep in his hospital bed. Neji had never looked so vulnerable and fragile until this moment; Shikamaru silently vowed to keep Neji safe at all costs. He glanced around for a moment before pressing a shy kiss to Neji's forehead, standing up, and then leaving. He'd been hoping that Neji would be more lucid when he woke so that he could confront Neji about their kiss. Even if it had been at an inopportune time, he wanted to know Neji's reaction. Did Neji hate him? Would Neji be open to courtship from him? How was this all going to go down?

Just as he was about to leave the infirmary, someone called out to him. "Prince Shikamaru!"

He turned around, and blinked in surprise when an unfamiliar blonde woman hurried towards him. "Yes?"

"Um," the woman twisted her fingers nervously. "Have you, by any chance, read my letter?"

"Your letter?" Shikamaru asked in puzzlement. "What letter?"

The woman looked surprised, and then embarrassed. "Oh—never mind. My name's Temari, by the way." She held out a hand for him to shake.

Shikamaru shook her hand, and then released it with an air of complete confusion. "It's nice to meet you, Temari."

"Oh, well," she smiled her best smile at him, and then looked down at the floor. "Neji didn't give you a letter? Truly?"

"Oh—_that _letter." Shikamaru suddenly remembered the letter he'd received from Neji the day of the outing, and felt a pang of guilt as he realized that it still lay unopened on his desk. "I'm sorry; you know, it's all just been so busy, I haven't had time to read your letter."

Temari giggled nervously. "Oh, it's quite alright. Just—just, if you have some time, could you read it, please? It would mean quite a lot to me."

"Of course." Shikamaru smiled apologetically at Temari and turned to go. "I'll read it as soon as I can."

"Thank you very much!"

"No problem." With that, Shikamaru escaped from the infirmary and headed upstairs for his rooms to go read Temari's letter.

When Neji woke again, it was to the sound of voices at the foot of his bed.

"…way, I read your letter."

That was Shikamaru; Neji vaguely remembered handing him a letter a few days ago. Was that what he was talking about? Neji shifted slightly beneath his sheets.

"Oh?"

"I'm very sorry, but…I don't think it would work. I only met you earlier today."

"Well, that was the point. We could get to know each other," a woman pleaded. Neji realized that it was Temari, and tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt so heavy…

"Yes, but I just…I don't think we'd be very compatible," Shikamaru hedged nervously. "I understand that you have a lot of affection for me, but it's a little daunting."

"We could just give it a try," Temari persisted.

"I wouldn't want to cause you any more heart break."

"You don't know that would happen!" Temari said in frustration. "Just give me a chance, Prince Shikamaru."

"You're a nurse, and I'm a prince. I don't think anyone would be accepting of the difference between our social classes."

"That doesn't stop you from being friends with the servants," Temari said crossly.

"But that's the point; I'm just friends with them. I have never pursued a relationship with someone of a drastically lower rank than me." Neji heard Shikamaru sigh in exasperation.

"But if you could just give me a chance," Temari persisted, "Then I could make you the happiest man in the world."

"I'm sorry, but I doubt that," Shikamaru said drily. "Temari, I've tried to let you down as gently as I can, but I am simply not interested. I've already given my heart to someone."

"Oh." Neji finally managed to open his eyes, and looked at his two friends. Temari appeared to be fighting tears, and Shikamaru looked deeply uncomfortable.

"_Oh_," Temari said suddenly. "You're gay, aren't you?"

Shikamaru blinked at her. "I don't see how it's any of your business. Or how you jumped to that conclusion."

"Well," Temari sniffed, "That makes me feel a little better. Have a nice day, my prince."

Shikamaru let out a deep sigh of annoyance. "Troublesome," he muttered at Temari's back.

"Shikamaru?" Neji murmured.

"Neji!" Shikamaru jumped. "You're awake again."

"How long was I sleeping this time?"

"Just a few hours," Shikamaru responded as he pulled up a chair to the side of Neji's bed. "Do you feel better now?"

"Well, my knees still feel a little raw."

To Neji's surprise, Shikamaru looked abashed. "I really am sorry I dropped you."

"What? It's not your fault."

"But still. If you hadn't fallen out of my arms, you wouldn't be injured in the first place."

"Don't remind me; it's so embarrassing," Neji covered his eyes with his arm. "I can't believe I fainted."

"You were distressed," Shikamaru said kindly. "I wouldn't think about it too much."

"Ugh," Neji groaned, and peered out from under his arm at Shikamaru. "You're not making me feel much better."

Shikamaru shrugged and grinned. "I did tell you not to think about it. I can't help it if you don't take my advice."

Neji smiled. "So…what happened just now?"

Shikamaru's expression instantly changed in to one of wariness. "How long have you been awake?"

"Long enough to hear you turn down Temari." Neji sighed quietly, and then sat up. "How come you wouldn't even give her a chance?"

Shikamaru didn't reply for a few moments as he stacked several pillows behind Neji's back so that he could sit comfortably. "Neji, you know I'm gay."

"That's not what you told me," Neji said calmly. "You said you're bisexual. And she's such a nice girl—you could've at least taken her out on one date."

"I didn't want to raise her hopes. You heard me say that I've already given my heart to someone else."

"Hinata, I presume?" Neji asked without interest. "After all, you're here to court my cousins."

To Neji's surprise, Shikamaru remained silent.

"Well, it's not exactly a secret," Neji said in astonishment. "Don't tell me you're shy—you've been telling her you love her for the past five years."

Shikamaru opened his mouth to respond, but then shut it again. "Neji…Your uncle said that he'd already talked to you about all this."

"He did?" Neji frowned as he tried to remember the past few days clearly. Then, suddenly, it hit him like a load of bricks.

Right. That conversation. The one where he'd been named third heir. Although, Neji decided, it was quite forgivable to forget things when you took in to account that he'd just faced off with a dragon, and had seen his two best friends and their unborn child die.

"Oh." Neji blushed, and had the grace to look embarrassed. "Right. Sorry, I sort of…forgot."

"My love means so little to you?" Shikamaru asked him; however, Neji knew that he was forgiven when Shikamaru rested his chin on his palm and his eyes twinkled mischievously.

"You know that's not it," Neji said somewhat waspishly. "After all, I'm sure that I received some head trauma when you dropped me."

Shikamaru pretended to look wounded. "So now it's my fault you're hurt?"

Neji rolled his eyes. "You're such a child, Shikamaru."

"Says the one who isn't of age yet."

"I will be in July!"

"Next July," Shikamaru said drily. "You just turned seventeen, Neji."

Neji huffed, but stayed silent; you could never win at word games with Shikamaru.

Shikamaru smiled slightly. "I imagine you'll be stuck in here for a few days while everyone fusses over you."

"Probably," Neji sighed. "But I suppose that they have a right to fuss over me, although I doubt that they can hold me too long over scraped knees."

"Well, there may be potential head trauma," Shikamaru said slyly, and the pair both burst in to giggles. After a few minutes, Shikamaru caught his breath. "The nurses say that you'll have a scar on your forehead."

"Just as well." _It'll be a private memento to remember Kakashi and Iruka by. _"Although—Shikamaru, you'll understand if I have to turn away any offers of courtship from you."

"What? Why? King Hiashi announced that you'd been named the third heir yesterday."

"No, it's not our different social classes," Neji dismissed the idea with a flick of his wrist. "It's just that that Hinata was going to choose you as her husband, but then she realized that you didn't feel the same way about her."

Shikamaru looked astonished. "She was?"

Neji nodded in confirmation. "She was. So, you see, I can't accept any of your feelings in good standing for my cousin's heart."

"I didn't know," Shikamaru said in distress. "I had no idea."

"I can tell. Even though Hinata never told me that you were the one, I knew. I know Hinata's heart very well, and the way Hanabi kept changing her manner towards you the other day confirmed my suspicions," Neji said quietly. "Please, Shikamaru. I can't court you right after you broke Hinata's heart."

"No, I understand," Shikamaru said quickly. "I completely understand. I would do the same if I were you. Although," he leaned forward and put his hands over Neji's. "Do you think, some day, when Hinata's heart has healed, you might be open to any advances from me?"

Neji blushed. "I don't know," he said honestly. "We'll have to see when Hinata is willing to move on." Neji hesitated for a moment. "I hope we can stay good friends, Shikamaru."

"Of course," Shikamaru said earnestly. "I would like nothing better than that."

"I'm glad." Neji smiled sincerely at Shikamaru, even as he felt a pang of guilt for having to hurt his friend like this. "I'm sorry, Shikamaru."

"It's not your fault," Shikamaru said firmly. Abruptly, he stood up. "Rest well, Neji, and I'll see you around." He headed out the door of the infirmary, and Neji closed his eyes when he realized that Shikamaru was fighting tears.

"Good night Shikamaru," he whispered softly. If only there had been another way! But—this was the best, for everyone. Hinata's feelings would be spared, and Neji would have some time to figure out how he really felt about Shikamaru. True, he'd kissed him, but it had been a sort of "farewell because we'll never see each other again" kind of kiss, rather than a romantic one. Neji now realized that he wasn't sure if he could see Shikamaru as anything more than a friend.

He moved the pillows from his back and hid his face under his sheets, crying for all the heartbreak that everyone had experienced in the past week.

**a/n:** So…yeah. I know that a lot of you guys commented on bringing Kakashi and Iruka and their baby back in to the story, but that would completely mess up the plot because their death becomes an impetus for Neji to do a ton of stuff. So yeah…I hope you guys liked this chapter even though it was sad for the most part. Please comment and let me know what you thought on your way out!

Also, to all EXO fans out there: I have an account on asianfanfics where I post works for my k-pop OTP, Krisho! If you love EXO, spread the love and please check out my works at pen name **krishoislove. **Thank you, and see y'all next week in the next update!


	7. Chapter 7

**a/n:** Thanks to my reviewers from last chapter! There were only two of you, so it meant a lot! Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter…full of romantic drama and crazy happenings as usual

Chapter Seven

Nine months after the dragon attack, Sasuke Uchiha was taking a stroll through the palace gardens while his familiar flitted around in the sky above him. He was alone on the path, but he was certain that someone was following him at a discrete distance to make sure that he wasn't using his Sharingan eyes away from Orochimaru.

Sasuke didn't blame Hiashi's decision to have a guard on his tail until they figured out who had possessed him. Ever since the dragon attack his possessor seemed to have realized that he or she had been found out, and he hadn't been possessed since. However, since they couldn't figure out who or how someone was possessing him, or how to stop it from happening, Sasuke still had a guard surrounding him wherever he went. He didn't mind it too much really; after the first few weeks, the suspicion against him had worn off, and now his tail followed him at a respectful distance, allowing him to feel as if he were alone.

"Sasuke?"

Sasuke jumped, and whirled around to face his teacher. "Teacher!"

"I told you, you can call me Orochimaru when we're alone," Orochimaru said patiently.

"Well, we're not alone, are we?" Sasuke asked with a hint of bitterness in his voice.

Orochimaru sighed. "I suppose we aren't," he agreed.

"And? What are you doing out here in the palace gardens?" Sasuke asked in an accusatory tone. "Stalking me again?"

"I was getting some fresh air," Orochimaru said in amusement. "After all, slithering around the castle and hissing at innocent passerby does take its toll in on me."

"Don't tell me that's all an act," Sasuke scoffed, even as he reached down and ran a soothing hand over Orochimaru's cobra's head.

"It is. It makes people fear me."

"Why do you want to be feared?"

"It means that they listen to me more when I want someone to do something," Orochimaru chuckled. "It's been invaluable in the medical wing."

Sasuke just shook his head. "Where's Kabuto? Slaving away at another potion to try and draw the spirits out of me?"

Orochimaru shook his head. "Kabuto is destroying his bed, as his date with Hinata was cancelled due to Hanabi came down with a cold, and Hinata did not want to leave Hanabi's side."

"You're not going to stop him?"

"Well, now that he knows how to put his bed back together, it's not really a problem, is it?"

Sasuke smiled, and starting walking down the path again. "It's a nice day out, isn't it?"

"It is indeed." Orochimaru followed his student at a leisurely pace, admiring Itachi swoop leisurely through the air. Nagini hissed her appreciation as she slithered alongside them.

"Orochimaru?"

"Hm?"

"Do you think we'll ever find out who possessed me, and how they were doing it?"

Orochimaru's gaze turned gentle as he noticed the worry in Sasuke's eyes. "I don't know, Sasuke," he admitted. "We've hit so many dead ends by now that I'm starting to run out of ideas. We may simply have to hope that your possessor will choose not to make use of you ever again."

"Neji's still here, and he or she was trying to get him," Sasuke said quietly. "As long as Neji is still in our hands, I don't think that that person will remain quiet."

"Well, the possessor realized that we knew he was there. As long as we are on our guard, we will be able to stop the possessor to from getting Neji."

"So I'll be followed around by a guard for the rest of my life?"

"Would you be willing to do that for Neji and the throne? Either way, even if you left the castle, never to return, his majesty would still send his spies after you to keep guard. He will allow nothing to get at his three heirs to the kingdom."

"I suppose," Sasuke said feeling disheartened. He sighed heavily as he glanced up at the blue sky, and the smiled slightly when he noticed how much fun Itachi was having as he executed his aerial acrobatics. "I hope we can figure out how to put an end to it soon, though."

Orochimaru put a hand on his shoulder, and for once, Sasuke didn't shake him off. "I hope so too," he said quietly. "I hope so too."

XXX

Neji blinked in boredom, and covered a dainty yawn behind an elaborate paper fan. Here he was, on a hot summer's day, sitting beside Hinata, and stuck with a crowd of men and women who were ogling him like he was a piece of tasty meat to eat. Menma wasn't there to comfort him, as Menma disliked large crowds. So, in short, Neji was bored out of his mind, and his teeth were on edge from the constant stares he received.

It had all begun a month ago…

_Neji knocked politely on his uncle's door._

"_Enter!"_

_Neji complied, and quietly shut the door behind him. He felt slightly surprised to see Hinata seated by Hiashi's desk, along with Hanabi. "You called, Uncle?"_

"_Yes. Sit down, Neji." Hiashi waited for Neji to settle down in to a chair before continuing. "Now, Neji, it's high time you started considering marriage."_

_Neji felt taken aback. "I beg your pardon?"_

"_Hanabi is already engaged to Lee and she's barely a month older than you," Hiashi said patiently. "Hinata isn't engaged to anyone, but she tried her best to find someone who suited her, and that was all I asked of her," he smiled over at his daughter. "However, you'll be of age soon. I don't think that this is too soon to think about asking you to marry anyone."_

"_Well…" Neji hedged. "You know how I've completely avoided any personal relationships all my life, Uncle. I'm not sure if I'm ready to dive in to all that quite yet."_

"_What happened to Shikamaru? He was, as I recall, quite interested a few months ago."_

"_I couldn't accept his feelings in good faith, Uncle."_

"_Why not?"_

_Hinata and Neji shifted uncomfortably in their seats. "Er…shall we say, there were many conflicting love interests concerning Shikamaru," Neji said delicately._

"_Are there any such conflicts now, nine months later?" Hiashi asked in exasperation._

_Neji glanced sideways at Hinata before answering. "I think there are," he said slowly. "Besides, I was never interested in Shikamaru as anything more than a friend." Suddenly, Neji's eyes flashed with perceptiveness. "Are you trying to get me to consider marriage because you feel I'll be safer that way?"_

_Hiashi frowned at his nephew; honestly, sometimes Neji was too perceptive for his own good. "I just think that it's time you started thinking about settling down."_

"_Why can't I be alone like Hinata?" Neji protested hotly. _

"_The difference between you and Hinata is that Hinata tried very hard to find someone who she could settle down with. You have not," Hiashi said firmly._

"_If you announce to the court that I'm open for the taking, then they'll be fighting like dogs over me," Neji said with a hint of desperation. "Surely you wouldn't wish that on the court, just when everyone started settling down again?" Even though Neji now carried a scar on his forehead along with his (now useless) tattoo of servitude, he still carried an ethereal sense of beauty around him, and hence, was still an object of desire for all of Hiashi's court._

_Hiashi chuckled. "I was not going to announce that you were open for the taking. I wanted to ask you if you had any specific interests."_

"_I don't," Neji said firmly. "I'm sorry Uncle."_

_Hiashi sighed heavily. "Then you leave me no choice. Whether you do it of your own accord, I will have you consider marriage."_

"_How?" Neji asked skeptically. "Are you going to tie me to a chair and force me to go through profiles of all of the available young men and women in the land?"_

_Hiashi smiled. "You'll see, Neji. You'll see."_

And thus, Neji was stuck with a group of admirers that his uncle had set upon him in the hopes that he might like one of them. A new swarm came in every couple of weeks, and then left again once Neji clearly displayed his lack of interest in any of them. Neji felt a surge of frustration run through his veins as he watched the group squabble over who he liked the most out of them.

Just went he felt like he might scream and tear his hair, Hanabi came to his rescue.

"Prince Neji?"

"Yes, Princess Hanabi?"

"His majesty is calling for you."

"Oh really?" Neji tried his best to hide the eagerness from his voice, and turned apologetically to the group. "I'm sorry, but I must go. I'll see you all at dinner," and with that, he was off and running.

"Really, Neji, are they so bad?" Hanabi asked curiously. "They seem like nice people."

"They just stare and stare and _stare_ at me as if they expect me to announce that I'm going to marry them that very day," Neji grumbled viciously. "This is ridiculous. I hate it."

Hanabi patted his arm comfortingly. "Well, at least you got a reprieve. Since Uncle wants to talk to you, maybe you can persuade him that this isn't the best way to go about things?"

Neji sighed deeply, and then felt a bit guilty as he realized that he'd left Hinata all by herself to entertain the crowd of hopeful suitors. "I guess. I don't suppose there's any way we can pull Hinata out of this?"

"If she wants to leave, she can just say that she has to attend to coronation matters. She'll be fine on her own; don't feel too bad." Hanabi smiled at him, and then paused in the corridor. "Well, I have to go talk to Lee about wedding arrangements. Good luck with father!"

"Have fun," Neji smiled kindly at his cousin, and then continued on his journey to his uncle's study.

However, as he headed up to his Uncle's tower, he was waylaid once more.

"Neji!"

Neji paused, and then turned on the stairs. "Sasuke?" he asked politely. "Can I help you with something?"

"I just wanted to talk with you for a moment," Sasuke said quickly. "It won't take long."

"Well, go on then. Uncle wanted to speak with me."

"_Did he want to speak with you about marriage?"_ Suddenly, Sasuke's eyes changed to deep red, with black swirling pupils.

Neji gasped in astonishment, and then felt himself freeze up with fear.

"_Well?"_ Sasuke's voice had changed from his normal tenor to a deep growl that frightened Neji to his core.

"Wh-who are you?" Neji stuttered. "What do you want from me?"

"_It doesn't matter who I am. But you can tell your uncle—nothing will keep you safe from me,"_ Sasuke growled. "_Marrying you off won't stop me. I'll have you in my hands before then."_

Neji opened his mouth, and did what he should've done the moment Sasuke changed—he screamed. Suddenly, Menma swooped down from the rafters and began viciously attacking Sasuke's eyes; Sasuke threw his arms up to defend himself, and Menma didn't stop attacking until the tail arrived at the steps, and quickly seized Sasuke's arms. Sasuke's eyes still glowed red, and he didn't resist his capture.

"_I will have you as my own, Neji Hyuga,"_ he growled menacingly. "_Wait and see. Wait and see."_

Hiashi came stumbling down the steps just as Sasuke's eyes began to fade back to black. "What happened? I heard you screaming, Neji."

Neji's mouth quivered and he had his hands pressed over his heart. "H-he…h-he…" Menma fluttered down on Neji's shoulders and began cheeping soothingly in his ear.

"Sasuke just had another possession, my lord," one of the members of the tail said. "What would you like us to do?"

"Take him down to Orochimaru's room. I'll join you there shortly." Hiashi turned back to Neji and took him firmly by the shoulders. "Neji, I need you tell me exactly what happened."

"Well," Neji took a steadying breath before continuing, "I was on my way up because Hanabi said that you had called for me. As I was coming up the steps, Sasuke called out to me, and said that he wanted to have a word. He seemed quite normal, and his eyes were black.

Then, just as he approached me on the steps, his eyes and his voice changed. He asked me if I was going to speak to you about marriage. I didn't say anything because I was so startled, but then he said…" Neji paused, and then plunged ahead. "He said that I wouldn't be safe, even if you tried to marry me off, because I would be in his hands before then."

Hiashi turned pale. "He said that? Are you certain?"

Neji nodded emphatically.

"But…how could he have known of my plan to get you married and safe?" Hiashi asked in puzzlement. "Sasuke hasn't been possessed for nine months."

"Where's Itachi?" Neji asked suddenly. "Is it possible that Itachi can be possessed as well?"

"I don't know," Hiashi said doubtfully, "But I don't know much about magic to begin with. I'll send a search for Itachi; until then, would you like to come with me to Orochimaru's workshop?"

Neji paused, and then shook his head. "It was too frightening," Neji said shakily. "I don't think—I don't think I could handle being around Sasuke for a little while."

"Very well. Go down to the kitchens and have a cup of tea; it might fortify your nerves a little bit." Hiashi gently patted Neji on the back, and guided him down the stairs. "I can find someone to go with you if you'd rather not go alone."

Neji nodded gratefully, and then noticed Shikamaru passing by. "Prince Shikamaru!" he called out, moving away from his uncle's arms. Hiashi took note when Menma suddenly stopped cheeping, and fluttered off down the hallway; he wondered if Neji and Menma were having an argument about Shikamaru. Even though he didn't have a familiar himself, he had come to the understanding that familiars were similar to humans, and had emotions and their own thoughts.

Shikamaru blinked in surprise, and then noticed King Hiashi and Neji by the staircase. "Neji," he said easily.

"Do you want to go down for a cup of tea?"

Shikamaru looked surprised for a moment before his face returned to its regularly bored expression. "Troublesome," he drawled, "But sure. Are you alright? You look a bit pale."

"Well, something's just happened," Neji murmured, and began to lead Shikamaru away.

Hiashi shook his head at the departing couple, and began making his way down to Orochimaru's quarters. If he didn't know any better, he would almost say that Neji did have a romantic interest in Shikamaru…but then again, as he'd said before: it was easy to sometimes mistake close friendship for romantic love.

XXX

"He said _what_?"

"I know. It's so creepy," Neji shuddered. "How did he even know Hiashi wished to marry me off?"

"Well, if he lives in the kingdom, he's probably heard about how Hiashi the general populace to come to the palace and try their hand at winning your heart," Shikamaru said drily.

"I suppose," Neji murmured while feeling disheartened; the tea wasn't doing much to lift his spirits. "What I don't understand though, is that when Sasuke approached me, he seemed entirely normal, and yet the moment he started telling me something, he changed. I wonder if Sasuke had actually wanted to speak to me about something…"

"Or if his possessor has gotten better at hiding," Shikamaru finished his sentence for him. "I can't help but feel sorry for Sasuke; we all know how loyal Sasuke is to the crown, but the fact that someone else's mind can occupy his body forces us to keep him under a guard."

"Yes, I feel the same way," Neji sighed. "I do wonder how Kabuto and Orochimaru deal with having guards hovering over their shoulders every time they hang around Sasuke."

"I'm sure they're used to it by now. The guard has been 'hovering over their shoulders' for nine months."

"I suppose." Neji sighed, and set his tea down; everyone had been so hopeful that things would go back to the way they were, and now the situation had exploded once more. "I suppose that there will be even more pressure on me to marry now."

"How do you make that out?"

"Well, the reason this whole ridiculous courtship process has begun is because Hiashi believes that I will be safer if I am married," Neji sighed. "I sometimes wonder if Hiashi even remembers that I'm a man; he's always sending me off to hide behind castle walls, or behind someone else's influence."

Neji startled when Shikamaru suddenly leaned forwards and grasped his hands so hard, Neji was positive that he could feel his knuckles scraping against each other.

"Neji," Shikamaru started, a desperate glint in his eyes, "You said your uncle thinks you'll be safer if you're married."

"Shikamaru, you're hurting me." Neji tried to draw his hands out of Shikamaru's grasp, and sighed in relief when the pressure on his fingers lessened.

"Sorry," Shikamaru looked ashamed for a moment. "But—as I was saying, if your father wants to keep you safe…Neji, I could do it. Marry me, and I'll keep you safe forever."

Neji looked at him in astonishment. "Shikamaru," he whispered.

"I could do it! What safer place to take you than outside of this kingdom?" Shikamaru insisted. "I could take you to my home, where you would be far out of reach. Please, Neji—we get along alright, and even if you don't love me now, you could learn to." He tenderly stroked his thumb over the top of Neji's elegant hands.

Neji shook his head in astonishment. "Oh Shikamaru," he murmured. "I—I don't know. This is all so sudden."

Shikamaru's face fell. "You'll deny me again, won't you?"

Neji turned his face to the side. "I don't know. Give me time to think," he pleaded.

Shikamaru shook his head and let go of Neji's hands. "You'd just say no," Shikamaru said hollowly. "Why bother raising my hopes up?"

Neji shook his head as tears formed in his eyes. "Believe me, Shikamaru, I've tried so hard to love you the way you want me to, but it just doesn't feel right!"

"I just want you safe."

"You also want me at your side."

"Your safety matters more."

"You've known, for all our long friendship, that I've always hoped to marry for love," Neji said softly. "Would you deny me that?"

"If it meant that you would be safe from this lunatic who's been trying to kidnap you, then yes, I would."

A single tear escaped from Neji's eyes and trailed down his cheek. "There was never a more honorable man than you, Shikamaru."

"What do you mean?"

"You are my best friend," Neji said as gently as he could, "And I don't think I will ever see you as anything more than that."

Shikamaru leapt up with a heart-wrenching cry and bolted out of the kitchens, leaving Neji doing his best not to cry at the table. He scrubbed at his eyes, even as he felt the curious eyes of the entire kitchen staff focused on him, and tried to calm himself down. He'd thought that maybe Shikamaru, his best, best of all friends, could calm him down; he'd hoped that Shikamaru's infatuation would go away with time.

How wrong he had been.

**a/n:** Poor Neji…I think he'll find himself faced with a decision that he won't like to make very soon. Anyways, I hope everyone enjoyed and please leave me a review letting me know what you thought of this chapter!


	8. Chapter 8

**a/n:** Thanks to all my readers! Please enjoy this chapter. Lots of romantic drama!

Chapter Eight

Two weeks later, Hinata, Hanabi, Neji, and Hiashi were having a private family dinner in Neji's guestrooms.

"So…Neji."

"Yes, Uncle?" Neji set his fork down on his plate and looked over at his uncle. Neji had been wrong when he predicted that Hiashi would put even more pressure on him to get married; instead, Hiashi had completely stopped asking about marriage, and had stopped sending in crowds of strangers from the land to try their luck with Neji. Neji had been uncertain about his uncle's actions, and was quite sure that this was all simply the calm before the storm.

He was only too right.

"I had an interesting conversation with Shikamaru the other day."

Hinata and Hanabi looked up curiously as Neji's face went white.

"Did you?" Neji clutched his fists in his lap.

"He has your best interests at heart."

"I have his best interests at heart as well," Neji said nervously, wondering where this was going.

"You turned down his proposal, and his feelings, apparently for the second time."

"I did," Neji admitted.

"However, I feel that Prince Shikamaru had a point. You would be safer out of the kingdom, and you would be safer if you could have the prince protecting you."

"Is that so?" Neji forced out; his face felt frozen, his body felt hot and cold by turns, and his palms were shaking in his lap.

"Why did you turn his proposal down?"

"I…" Neji hesitated, and then looked over at Hinata and Hanabi who were watching the drama unfold with wide eyes. He looked Hinata in the eye, and then hesitated again.

"Does Hinata have something to do with this?"

"No, sir."

"Then look at me when we are speaking to each other, Neji."

Neji reluctantly turned his eyes back to his uncle. "Uncle, I turned Prince Shikamaru's proposal down because I wish to marry for love."

Hiashi frowned, and gazed silently at Neji while Neji squirmed in his seat.

"Don't be ridiculous," Hiashi said at last. "You gave up any chance of attaining that dream the day you became the third heir to the throne. The moment I named you as my third heir, you have become the target for a thousand political marriages to various men and women across the land, and across the world."

Neji smiled weakly at his uncle's harsh words. "That is why it was a wish," Neji said softly. "In my experiences, wishes do not come true very often."

"So you rejected Prince Shikamaru's proposal on a sentimental, foolish, ridiculous whim," Hiashi said coolly. "Is that right?"

Neji bowed his head in shame and resignation. "Yes, Uncle."

"Look at me, Neji."

Neji lifted his head, and did his best to school his face. He had a feeling that he knew what was coming.

"Fortunately for you, I can use my head," Hiashi said coldly. "I was able to salvage your mistake; Prince Shikamaru and his royal parents are willing to have you two married as soon as possible."

Neji stared at him in horror. "You can't be serious," he whispered.

"What is wrong with it? Shikamaru is your closest friend."

"It will be _hell_!" Neji said, his voice rising to a shout.

"Now, now, nephew, there's no need to be so dramatic."

"You did not do this to Hinata," Neji said bitterly. "She has had many promising marriage contracts offered to her, but you never forced her to accept one."

"I always intended to keep Hinata single," Hiashi said calmly. "She is my next heir. She must retain full power over the realm. On the other hand, you are in grave danger, and a man that I can trust to take care of you has offered to take you to safety. With it, of course, comes a great deal of political deals that would benefit the kingdom, but the reason I want you to marry Shikamaru is because I can be sure that he will take care of you. He will ensure that you are happy, and he will ensure that you are loved."

Neji remained silent, trying to collect his thoughts.

"King Shikaku and Queen Yoshino wished for you two to be married in the next fortnight. Fortunately for you, though, I just received word that three of my merchant ships have just returned to port after being lost at sea for five years. I have to head down to the harbor and investigate the situation myself. I won't be back for a good month. I have given Shikamaru permission to court you. Your engagement will be kept a secret. When I return, you will be married in secret, and the knowledge of your marriage will be released to court only when you are safely in the Nara kingdom."

Neji straightened his back and told himself to be brave; this was his best chance to persuade his uncle to stop the engagement. "Why do you think marriage will save me? This man is ruthless. He sent a dragon to attack our entire castle when all he wanted was me. He possesses and uses Sasuke without a thought as to how it will affect Sasuke's mind and body, much less the bond with his familiar. What is a flimsy piece of paper with two names on it? If he wants me, a marriage will not stop him."

"You will be in a land far away, well out of his reach."

"I don't need to be _married_ to him."

"It has been the wish of both his parents and me that you marry Shikamaru. It's a good match, and with it, the Nara and the Hyuga can finally settle in to peace. Our kingdoms have been at war over the borders for centuries, until my father established a peace treaty. With this marriage, we can bring a lasting peace to both of our peoples." Hiashi sighed when he saw tears sliding down Neji's face. "Neji, believe me, if I could grant your wish, I would. But I can't. This is the best option for everyone right now."

Neji angrily shook his head and ran out of the room. Hinata, Hanabi, and Hiashi flinched guiltily when they heard a sob echo down the corridor just as the door slammed shut.

"F-father…"

Hiashi flinched at the sound of Hinata's voice; he'd completely forgotten that she was in the room. "Yes, Hinata?"

"I think Neji is right," Hinata said bravely. "I don't think Neji will be safe just because he is married."

"But that's the point," Hiashi said drily. "Neji will not be in the country, out of reach of this lunatic who wants him so badly. The marriage is just an added bonus."

"I-I don't think that Neji feels that way."

"I can't imagine that he does," Hiashi said calmly. "But, in thirty years, he will be happy. In thirty years, he will learn to love Shikamaru, he will learn to love the Nara kingdom, and he will rule well at Shikamaru's side. In thirty years, Neji will have led a fulfilling life, safe from any kidnappers in the Nara fortress. That is all that I want for Neji." He sighed, and pushed his half-eaten plate away; the sight of Neji's heartbroken rage had made him lose his appetite. "Hanabi, do you have anything to say?"

Hanabi sighed. "I think it will be hell for Neji, and that he will never forgive you for this, even thirty years from now when he has learned to love Prince Shikamaru," she said quietly. "But it is a smart choice. Sometimes, we have to hurt the people we love to keep them safe."

Hinata stared at her sister in shock. "Hanabi! How can you support this?"

"Well," Hiashi sighed as he stood up. "At least one of you will side with me."

"Father? Where are you going?"

"I'm not hungry. I have to review the reports of some merchant ships." Hiashi smiled suddenly. "It's a miracle, my daughters—we were certain that those ships were lost."

"When will you leave?"

"I leave in two weeks; I have to assemble an entourage of stewards to deal with all of the goods and see how what will be distributed, and my clerks of welfare to care for the sailors and I have all manner of politics to speak to the harbormaster about," Hiashi yawned. "I hope Neji will come around in that time. I would hate for us to leave on bad terms."

Hinata barely refrained from snorting derisively as her father left the room.

"Poor Shikamaru, though. He's going to bear the brunt of Neji's wrath," Hanabi sighed as she started eating again.

"How can you keep eating?"

"I'm still hungry," Hanabi said simply.

Hinata shook her head, but remained by her sister's side in the dining room. She, for one, hoped that Neji would _not_ come around. Maybe her father could be dissuaded from the idea of sending her beloved, near-brother, cousin away.

XXX

Two weeks later, Hiashi and his children, the Naras, and Neji were having a small dinner together.

"So, you leave for the harbor tomorrow, Hiashi?" King Shikaku asked easily.

"Yes. It's a miracle that the ships made it back; some of the more superstitious members of the court say that it's a good omen from the gods," Hiashi smiled.

"You don't believe in the gods, Hiashi?" Queen Yoshino teased lightly.

"Oh, I believe in the gods. I just don't believe in omens," Hiashi scoffed.

"Well…" Shikaku began, and the royal parents continued to talk easily amongst themselves, leaving their children to their own devices.

Neji sat in stony silence beside Shikamaru, who was talking to Hanabi.

"Neji? Neji?" Shikamaru waved a hand in front of his face.

Neji broke his pointed stare at the table and looked over at Shikamaru with an expressionless face. "Yes?"

"Hanabi was just saying how you would go up with her to the observatories in the castle tower at night, when you were younger."

"And?" Neji asked coolly. He was terribly angry about having to be married to Shikamaru; he didn't want to, he didn't love Shikamaru in such a way, and he didn't think he ever could. It was like a sword was being driven through his heart every time Shikamaru looked at him lovingly, and Neji knew that he could never return that look: this was what he meant by hell, and this was what he had tried to avoid when he turned Shikamaru's feelings away. Now, he was doomed to a life of disappointing one of the people he loved most in the world, because he couldn't give him his entire heart.

"Would you like to go some time?"

"Only if my cousins can come with us."

"I would never dream of spending a moment alone with you, unchaperoned," Shikamaru said drily.

Neji scoffed, and turned to his food.

"Neji! That's no way to treat your fiancé," Hanabi said quietly.

Neji glared at her, and didn't respond.

"It's not his fault. He'll come around, I'm sure," Shikamaru said easily.

Neji glared down at his plate, wishing that he could hit something even as he felt helpless tears building in his eyes. He dropped his head, and allowed his hair to hang in front of his face so that no one could see his tears, or his pain. Thankfully, Shikamaru didn't try and brush his hair back; he seemed to understand that Neji didn't want to interact right now.

He was pulled from his thoughts by his uncle's voice. "A toast," Hiashi said firmly, "To our newly engaged couple. May they find happiness."

"May they find happiness," everyone echoed, and downed their glasses of champagne. Neji lifted his face from his hair and tried to summon up a smile. It wasn't right, treating Shikamaru so coldly. He looked over at his friend, and sent a wordless apology to him with his eyes.

Shikamaru seemed to understand, and smiled at him. "I understand you're upset."

"I shouldn't be so rude. I'm sorry," Neji said softly. However, when the words left his lips, he realized that he'd said the wrong thing: he'd spoken to Shikamaru too formally, as if he were a stranger, not his friend of six years. "Ugh! This is so difficult," Neji tried to laugh it off, and was pleased when his throat cooperated with him, and he succeeded. He reached over and gripped Shikamaru's hand under the table. "I'm sorry I've been so cold to you."

To Neji's surprise, Shikamaru's eyes turned stony, and he snatched his hand away from Neji's as if he'd been burned. "Don't put up an act, Neji."

"I don't know what you mean," Neji responded, tilting his head in confusion.

"You can be mad at me, you can be depressed, you can be happy—but, we're going to be together for the rest of our lives," Shikamaru whispered quietly. "I want to see the real you. You're always hiding behind your little courtier smiles and your beauty and your pretty words. I want you to be real when you're with me."

"A pretty speech," Neji said, hurt that his attempt to apologize had been rebuffed. "But it's harder to follow up on that than you think. How many times have you hidden your pain from me? Nine months ago, you said we could be friends, and you hid your heartbreak behind a smile. Two weeks ago, you showed me your true pain, and I can see you were embarrassed by it. You can barely look me in the eye," Neji whispered harshly. Luckily, no one seemed to have noticed their argument so far.

"You're right," Shikamaru said quietly. "Then let's try together, shall we? We'll work on it together."

Neji looked over at him, and tried with all his heart not to cry when he saw the open adoration and determination on Shikamaru's face. How could he say no to that?

"Fine. We'll compromise, and try together," Neji said quietly. "Oh look at us—isn't this what real couples do? Compromise with each other."

"And how are we not a 'real couple'?"

"We're two princes. How much more like a children's fairytale can we get?"

"You could be a princess," Shikamaru said wryly, and Neji couldn't help but smile. Shikamaru grinned back at him.

The moment was broken by Hanabi. "So, Neji-nii, do you want to go up to the observatory tonight?"

"I'm not allowed to set foot outside," Neji said, suddenly irritable again. He'd been placed under house arrest ever since the incident with Sasuke; he wasn't even allowed to lean out the castle windows and watch the trading caravans and travelling parties gather and disperse in the courtyard!

"I'm sure we can persuade your uncle."

"I don't think so; after all, I'm getting married to you for my own safety," Neji said crossly. "It doesn't matter too much anyways…although, I suppose we could go in the orangery, as that's not in an open space."

"Oh, that might be nice," Hinata said cheerfully. "It's still chilly even though it's already April, and the orangery will be nice and warm!"

"That's what you get for building your castle in the mountains. In the Nara kingdom, the palace is built in a much more accessible, milder clime," Shikamaru drawled.

"The climates of the Hyuga kingdom vary greatly," Neji said as he toyed with his pasta. "The palace was built in the mountains because of the great cultural heritage of our family."

"I can understand that," Shikamaru smiled, "But I was just making a point."

"The weather has been unusually cold, though," Hanabi frowned. "It's strange."

"Yes…usually, around this time, there are the spring rains, but if anything, the clouds seem to be suggesting a blizzard is eminent," Neji agreed.

"A blizzard," Shikamaru frowned. "That's unusual in April; I hope that it won't affect King Hiashi's journey."

"I hope so too," Neji sighed. "Things always get tetchy when Uncle goes away for a long time."

"What do you mean?"

"He means that the court tends to get a bit restless when King Hiashi leaves," Hanabi replied quickly.

"Well, I imagine that half of the court is heading down to the port with his majesty."

"Yes, and the remaining half of the court finds amusement by plotting schemes," Hinata said quietly. "It gets quite tiresome."

"What kind of schemes do they plot?"

"Oh the usual—how to kidnap one of the heirs, how to place themselves closer to the throne, how to arrange a marriage with a princess, how to kill us all…it gets dull after a while," Hinata yawned.

"You aren't frightened?"

"What can they do to hurt us? We have the castle guard on our side."

"I suppose," Shikamaru said reluctantly.

Hanabi started giggling. "Aw, Shikamaru's concerned about you, Neji."

Neji just looked off to the side, his cheeks burning. "Hinata is right; we have the castle guard on our side," he mumbled. "Not much for you to be worried about."

Hanabi giggled some more.

Neji was relieved when the awkward dinner was over; as usual, the adults and the children had stayed in separate conversations. However, his engagement with Shikamaru was still uncomfortable for him to acknowledge, and it pained him to think about it, and there hadn't been much else to think about during the meal. King Hiashi had not given permission for Neji to go to the orangery with his cousins and fiancé to look at the stars, so now Hinata and Hanabi were escorting him back to his rooms.

He rounded on Hanabi the moment the three of them were out of earshot of his uncle and the Naras. "What game are you playing?"

"I don't know what you mean," Hanabi said innocently.

Neji scoffed in annoyance. "_Please._ You don't giggle at anything, ever, but there you were during the whole dinner talking to Shikamaru and giggling your head off at how 'cute' we were. Would you care to explain?"

"I can't think that my cousin and his fiancé make a cute couple?"

"You don't think so," Neji said flatly. "I can see the disgust in your eyes whenever you look at Shikamaru; you look at him like he's the scum of the earth. So what game are you playing, cousin?"

"Neji, Hanabi isn't playing any games," Hinata broke in. "She was just trying to make Shikamaru more comfortable."

"By giggling?"

"Well, I was annoyed. I had to vent it on someone," Hanabi said angrily. "I dislike Shikamaru because of what he did to Hinata nine months ago, you're right. However, I have come to accept that Shikamaru will most likely be my brother in law in a month's time. I was just trying to decrease the tension at the dinner table, because obviously _you_ weren't going to do anything about it!"

"And should I have?" Neji demanded. "It's his fault that I'm stuck in this situation in the first place!"

"You'll be spending the rest of your life with this man, Neji! Can't you at least how to get along with him? Stop punishing him for falling in love with you, and for caring about you!" Hanabi snarled.

Neji stopped short. "I'm not punishing him for falling in love with me," he said softly.

"Then what are you punishing him for?" Hanabi asked in exasperation. "You've been so cold to him these past two weeks that it's not even funny."

"He stole my dreams," Neji said quietly. "That's what I'm punishing him for."

The siblings continued to Neji's rooms in silence.

"Good night, Neji," Hinata said timidly.

"Good night, Neji," Hanabi echoed, and spread her arms out for a hug.

Neji hugged both of his cousins tightly. "I didn't mean to snap at you, Hanabi."

"I understand," she said quietly, kissing his cheek. "Sleep well, cousin."

"Good night."

XXX

Far away from the Hyuga castle, a figure was seated in an armchair before a roaring fire. An invisible servant carried a tea tray in to the room and deposited on to the small table in front of the figure.

"Is everything alright, my lord?" a disembodied voice asked the figure.

The figure stirred, and then drew its gaze away from the crystal ball on the table before it. "Everything is fine, Kisame."

"How go your plans?"

The figure chuckled harshly. "King Hiashi is heading down to the Harbor tomorrow. On his way back, I think we shall meet at last."

"Should I prepare for a guest, my lord?"

"He won't come to us for a while. I will let you know when to prepare a guest room."

"Very good, my lord."

"You may leave me, Kisame."

The door swung slightly on its hinges as an invisible being passed by.

The figure sighed and settled back in to the armchair. In the swirling mists of the crystal ball, a beautiful face slowly rose up from the fog.

"Hyuga Neji," the figure whispered lowly. "I'll have you in my arms soon enough. My vessels report to me, even though you think you have them in captivity." A phoenix rose out of the mists to replace Neji's face. "I know of your uncle's plans…" the figure sighed deeply. "And I see your unhappiness.

When you come to me, I promise you, you will be happy.

When you come to me, I will have my final chance for freedom."

**a/n:** Again, thanks for reading! Please leave me a comment letting me know what you think of this chapter!


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Naruto, Drama, Romance