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Cheysuli Challenge: Bunny #321	By : ClaireBear Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1146 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 2
- 3
When a person has something important to protect...
that's when they can truly become strong. - Sandaime Sarutobi.

---~Chapter 3~---

There wasn't much time left. According to their reliable source, Orochimaru was already on the move and would reach Fuma by evening and before the moon set and the sun rose on the next day he would have completed the Reincarnation Spell and occupied the body of his new vessel.

Team Seven hastened their pace and Yamato frowned when Naruto steadily began breaking away from the group. He understood the need for haste but he should know better than to advance ahead of the team.

"Naruto, slow down!"

He didn't, instead he turned his head so he could look at the others behind him from over his shoulder. "I won�t, you�ll have to speed up."

Their team leader's scowl deepened at his curt response and he opened his mouth to reprimand his disrespectful attitude but his body stiffened when he felt an evil Chakra that he instantly recognized as Orochimaru's but what unsettled him the most was that the snake Sannin was purposely broadcasting his position, almost as if he wanted them to find him. His subordinates felt it too and were a little wary about getting too close just in case it was a trap but Naruto wasn't intimidated, in fact he picked up the pace, utilizing the power of the Kyuubi within him to propel himself nimbly from tree to tree until he almost vanished from sight.

"Naruto!" Yamato called out to the impetuous boy but he was far from listening to reason. "Let's move," he ordered his remaining group and they nodded their heads and focused all of their energy into following Naruto's burning Chakra trail that was almost smothered by Orochimaru's. It led to a small grove, deep within the Youma forest near Fuma�s borders where they found the orange clad ninja standing in the middle of the clearing with his hands balled into tight fists at his sides.

Yamato landed a few feet behind him followed by Sakura and Sai and he rushed over to the boy, glad that he was alright and hadn't been ambushed. That evil Chakra enveloped the area and the closer he approached Naruto the more it choked him, until he felt he couldn't breathe anymore. "Naruto...you shouldn't-" he broke off when he realized the Jinchuriki was looking up at something in the trees and he followed his stern, blue-eyed gaze to see what had captivated him so and his dark eyes drew into slits when they rested on the S-rank, ex-Akatsuki member and his entourage.

They were elevated about twenty feet high and looked down on Team Seven in a condescending manner. Orochimaru and a blue-haired Sound shinobi stood on a sturdy limb on the left side of the large oak and the bespectacled youth sneered down at Naruto whose eyes were glued to Sasuke who was leaning against the tree on another limb on the opposite side of his master with his arms crossed over his chest and an irritated expression on his face. Another Sound nin stood next to the nukenin (1) and although Yamato couldn't see his entire face he knew it held just as much disdain as the others did.

A cocky grin split his thin face and Orochimaru retracted his Chakra and the atmosphere became tolerable once again, save for Naruto's that still raged fiercely. "You've kept us waiting so long," he said in an almost bored manner. "I was worried you'd gotten yourselves lost."

"Sorry to have inconvenienced you," retorted Yamato and to that the other man chuckled. He kept his guard up, his senses on the alert for the tiniest sign that they had recklessly fallen into some sort of trap but he sensed none and that made Yamato even more uneasy and he wondered what Orochimaru was really up to.

"Rather the inconvenience now than later," he replied. "While it is annoying that you keep following us it's better to take care of you now than have to deal with you when we arrive in Fuma. I won't have you interfering with-"

"Give back Sasuke!" Naruto interrupted with a loud growl.

Orochimaru clicked his tongue at the brat's insolence. "If you want him so badly then take him...if you can."

Naruto took a daring step forward but Yamato stopped him with a firm hand upon his shoulder. "Then why the delay?" the Jounin asked. "The time that you're using to fight with us you could be in Fuma by now."

The other man laughed at his cunning ploy and Yamato tensed when he realized Orochimaru knew what his plan was. "Even if you didn't arrive in time to interrupt the spell, you, of all people, should know that a jutsu of the Fushi Tensei's magnitude can leave the body fairly weak after it's execution and it would be too risky to fight in that state, and the odds would shift greatly in your favor, however..." he trailed off and cast a side-long glance at the boy furthest away from him. "I'm sure my subordinates alone would me more than enough for you," and Yamato cast his gaze to the boy Orochimaru was referring to as well.

Up until this point, his main concern lay with Orochimaru and the Uchiha and if the worst were to happen and they ended up breaking into pairs during battle he had planned on encountering the Sannin personally, leaving Naruto to take on Sasuke, Sai to battle the medic-nin and Sakura to take on the other boy.

Sakura had grown and, under the tutelage of Godaime Tsunade, she had become very powerful as well but if Orochimaru could callously boast about the anonymous Sound-nin's abilities like that then he was seriously beginning to think that maybe he was underestimating him, which was a thought he never should have entertained since the group was made up of a highly dangerous, S-Class ninja noted in the Bingo book; the rogue nukenin and Sharingan prodigy of Konoha and a misanthropic medic-nin who saw humans as nothing more than lab rats and if this pattern remained true then this boy was probably no push-over either.

Orochimaru smiled knowingly when he saw Yamato's first skepticism. It always amused him when others underrated his soldiers just because they were young, and he found it quite hilarious that the four of them alone thought they could retrieve Sasuke now, but they had no idea how much stronger he'd become and they were also making the mistake of doubting Neji's potential as well but they would soon pay for their ignorance with their lives.

"Neji-kun," he snickered in anticipation. "Grace these pathetic mortals with the face of the reaper who will take them from this Earth and into the depths of Hell!"

His request was an unusual one and each of his subordinates were surprised that he issued the command in the first place. Orochimaru had never forced Neji to reveal his identity to another living soul before and Sasuke felt white-hot jealousy consume him because Neji's beauty was for his eyes alone.

His master had put him in an uncomfortable situation as he was suddenly made the center of attention when all four Leaf ninjas placed their eyes on him. He didn't want to comply but he had no choice but to obey and he slowly lifted one arm to grip the underside of his hitai-ate with long, reluctant fingers to unmask ghostly pale, lavender orbs and his cold gaze seemed to bore directly through to the soul as he rested his eyes on each individual Leaf-nin.

Naruto gasped when he was presented with a charming face carved with fair features made daunting by a deep seated scowl and a bulging network of veins protruding at his temples. He was awestruck by the boy's captivating countenance and was immediately reminiscent of a similar ninja he'd encountered in the Land of Waves but there was something else he found familiar about this boy. He couldn't place his finger on it quite yet but as he looked deep into their harsh depths he knew he'd seen something like it before.

Yamato knew it, recognized it immediately as the Byakugan but he found it hard to believe that the child was really a member of that clan. There was no cursed seal upon his forehead but even if he was a child of the main branch how would it be possible for him to have ended up in the hands of the enemy? The Jounin was not familiar with the Hyuuga family politics but he did know that it was imperative the main branch keep the Byakugan a well guarded family secret and if he was an offspring of that clan then they would have made sure to report him as a missing-nin but he did not recall the names of any Hyuugas reported as nukenins so it was inconceivable that this child could possibly even be a Hyuuga.

Neji scoffed after he took in his opponents one by one. "Hmph! Their faces are even more disappointing than their Chakra levels."

Yamato, tensed. 'So, he can see our Chakra coils,' he mused. 'Then that means he really is...Damn!' he broke off mid-thought and looked over at Sakura who now had her eyes affixed to her ex-team mate and the boy she had crushed after during most of her adolescent life. 'This makes things more difficult than I expected-.'

"What did you say?" Naruto roared at the insult.

The long haired shinobi tilted his head to one side as he brought the loud-mouthed brat under his scrutiny once again. "Yours is not as disappointing as the others," he stated flatly. "Interesting!"

Naruto lifted one hand to point a rude finger at his antagonist. "Who do you think you are? For real? That you can say such things about me and my friends?" But it was Yamato who answered his question for him.

"He's a Hyuuga."

Naruto didn't get a chance to ask the man if he meant 'Hyuuga' as in 'Hyuuga Hinata' because in that same moment Neji's nonchalance evaporated and he glared menacingly at the taller man before rushing towards him with an outstretched palm.

Yamato barely caught his killer intent just in time push Naruto out of the way and raise his hand to shield himself from the attack but Sasuke and Kabuto intervened, restraining the murderous youth and preventing his blow from landing. The Konoha Jounin was awed by his impressive speed and he wondered, as his astonished dark eyes locked with the furious pair, if the others hadn't jumped in, would he have been able to deflect the attack on his own.

"You really shouldn't insult him," teased the snake charmer, a soft chuckle highlighting his tone. "He's got quite a temper."

Sasuke tightened his painful hold around his bodyguard's thin wrist as a warning to stand down but when he refused he was left with no choice but to chastise him. "You should know better than to lose your composure over something so trivial," he scolded before throwing away his arm in disdain. Kabuto released him as well and Neji's anger immediately melted into that usually expressionless mask of his before he returned his headband to its rightful position and muttered a sincere apology to the other dark-haired boy..

They were standing almost side by side, Naruto and Sasuke. He was just an arm�s length away and all he had to do was reach out to touch him but it wasn't that easy because even though he was so close he was far from that childhood rival he once knew.

He'd become much taller over the years and stood a few, proud inches higher than before. His short, dark hair veiled most of his facial features but Naruto could see those thin lips set in a disentranced scowl. Sasuke noticed, more like felt, Naruto�s gaze upon him and he turned to face the younger shinobi.

His expression appeared to portray wretched sorrow, his eyes seemed soft with sadness and they almost seemed to say that he was sorry it had come to this but he was already willing to forgive him if only he�d return to them now and let things go back to the way they used to be.

Sasuke felt disgusted and snapped his head around, breaking their silent exchange. �We don�t have time for this,� he said loudly so Orochimaru could hear him from such a distance and turned to head deeper into the forest.

�So impatient,� the snake Sannin tsked and shook his head. �Won�t you at least stay and say goodbye to your little friends? It will be the last time you see them either way.�

�No!� was Sasuke�s curt response. �Meet me at the lair after you�ve had your �fun�,� and without a second look back he dashed off and was immediately followed by Neji.

�SASUKE!� the fair-haired Leaf Genin called out to him, half-expecting him to come back or at least turn around but when he did neither Naruto made chase.

Yamato swore inwardly when the boy disappeared into the forest and quickly ordered Sai to accompany him and the young artist-nin obeyed, leaving his team leader and Sakura to deal with Orochimaru and Kabuto.

�You shouldn�t have done that,� said the blue-haired shinobi with a smirk. �This will be the last time you ever see either of them.�

Yamato narrowed his eyes at the boy�s arrogance but he had faith in them both and while he couldn�t speculate how their battle would turn out since he didn�t know what techniques the other two had in their arsenal, with Naruto�s ingenuity and Sai�s militaristic training he was sure they would be able to handle anything Sasuke and his partner threw at them, especially now that they were capable of working together.

�You shouldn�t be too over-confident,� he replied. �We�ll just have to wait and see what happens but I�m afraid you won�t have the chance to find out because I can�t let you leave here alive.�

�Now who�s over-confident?� Kabuto scoffed.

�Hmm, maybe I am a hypocrite but I do know this,� and he looked away from those dark eyes behind the glasses so he could stare Orochimaru in the face. �You won�t get away with this. We will take back Sasuke and the Hyuuga boy as well.�

The S-rank ninja seemed to find great amusement in his testimony and his wicked laughter only served to irritate the ANBU member.

�Do you really think it will be that easy? You�re a stupid fool if you believe they will let you take them back to Konohagakure alive.�

�Then we�ll drag them back unconscious if we have to.�

Orochimaru made a disgusted noise at the back of his throat. The Will of Fire hadn�t changed.

That dogma that each and every Leaf ninja held fast to and adopted as their infallible creed was, to him, also their greatest hindrance. That weak-minded way of life and compassion towards your fellow man, enemy or not, was what cost them the life of their beloved Sandaime and caused Sasuke to default to him in the first place and now, as Orochimaru felt those flames rage within that man he almost felt sorry for him. He would do him this favor and make his death quick but extremely painful because he was beyond mercy at this point.

�You�d be better off killing them both,� Kabuto cut in, voicing Orochimaru�s thoughts. �Even if you somehow managed to take them back you�ll have to keep a constant vigil on those two.� He tilted his head slightly and the glare of the afternoon sun glinted against his spectacles, completely obscuring one eye. �Tell me, is the return of your comrade really worth a good night�s sleep?�

�That�s the risk we�re willing to take,� and he shot the boy a flat expression as if to say it really wasn�t any of his business how they handled their prisoners.

�I�m afraid we�ve wasted enough time here,� Orochimaru spoke up. �I�m sure that by now Sasuke has dispatched those two and is well on his way to Fuma by now and I do so hate to keep him waiting.�

�Before we begin I just have one question to ask you.�

The pale man seemed annoyed by the delay but he allowed him to make his appeal.

�How is it possible that you managed to get your hands on a Hyuuga child?�

Orochimaru contemplated whether he should share the tale of how he came into possession of such a magnificent warrior but opted to tell him since it was like a dying man�s last wish. Something he seemed to be extremely lenient about. �Because it�s your final request I�ll tell you. Kabuto-kun, please keep that girl entertained while we have our �adult� conversation. It�s fairly long and I wouldn�t want her to grow bored.�

A wicked grin split his handsome face and Kabuto rushed towards Sakura, not even giving her the chance to prepare a counter-attack and forcing her to act on the defensive. Yamato turned his back to Orochimaru so he could hurry to the girl�s aide but Orochimaru expected that much and prepared a summon and used his Sublime Snakes to restrain him.

�It�s not polite to run off when someone is speaking,� he cooed.

The other man struggled against his reptilian bonds but the more he resisted the tighter they seemed to constrict around him until he had no choice but to remain perfectly still lest they completely asphyxiated him and he was forced to watch as Sakura attempted to create as much distance between herself and her assailant to prevent being struck by his Shōsen Jutsu(2) while she tried to get an attack in of her own and he helplessly watched him chase her deeper into the forest.

�It happened about sixteen years ago,� Orochimaru started but Yamato was too concerned over the welfare of the female medic-nin that he found it hard to pay attention to what the other man was saying and was now regretting his desire to satisfy his curiosity.

�That night, the lookouts posted at the outskirts of Rice Village reported an unknown man being chased by a group of unidentified ninja. My men intervened and chased them off but not before they managed to inflict fatal injuries upon him. He was immediately detained for questioning and I was alerted right away when they discovered that he was from Konoha and I confronted him, personally just in case he turned out to be a spy. Luckily for him, he wasn�t but even if he was he was in no condition to pose us any threat.�

He chuckled to himself when he recalled the mutilated condition those other men had left him in. They wanted him dead, that was for certain and if the Sound nins hadn�t stepped in then he would have been well on his way into the afterlife.

�It would only have been humane for me to put him out of his misery,� the taller man laughed, �but before he passed on he asked a favor of me...�

***

Hizashi coughed once and a long stream of blood poured out of his mouth to join the puddle that lay between his elbows as he castrated himself before the feet of Konoha�s most feared nemesis. Orochimaru�s arm froze mid swing and the blade of his Kusanagi stopped mere millimeters away from the man�s head but the force of the blow sliced away a few strands of hair just above his ear and they cascaded in thin strings to the ground.

The sword glinted menacingly in the dim candle light of the small subterranean room and thirsted for blood but Orochimaru denied it its sacrifice. He tilted the man�s head upward with the tip of the blade and saw long, thick rivulets of tears drip from his chin to mix with the crimson liquid beneath his head.

�Why should I?� he asked. No one could fake tears like that, he had seen many men, women and children groveling at his feet and pleading for their lives many times over to know when someone was faking it but even if this was just some convoluted scheme to draw him into the open to be ambushed he didn�t want to take that chance.

�Please I�I beg of you,� the Hyuuga sobbed loudly and the way he forced his voice to speak alerted those in the room that he was not long for this world. �I have nothing to offer you in return, I just ask that you take care of my son.� He took a deep shuddering breath. �Do as you like with him, raise him as your own or treat him as your slave I just beg of you that you will let him live and give him the life I couldn�t.�

It was pathetic to have to listen to him any longer and Orochimaru regretted showing mercy towards this man in the first place but it wasn�t such a terrible thing to let him continue speaking. He�d be dead in a matter of minutes and he could be rid of this burdensome man. The child�he could use for his experiments.

�Very well,� Orochimaru grinned widely. �I will do you this one thing since it�s your last testament. Where is the boy?�

They found him exactly where Hizashi said he would be, forty kilometers away from where they rescued him and after scouring the area for any Leaf ninjas Orochimaru and his subordinates drew closer to the tree stump and after dispelling the genjutsu it melted away to reveal the shape of an unconscious young boy.

�He�s still breathing, Orochimaru-sama.�

The older man could care less at that point and let his Sound spy know with a disinterested �Hmph!� and the younger ninja dispelled the second genjutsu that surrounded the sleeping infant. It was a C-rank sleeping jutsu and anyone foolish enough to be caught up in it had to be nothing more than an amateur but used on a child his age it was extremely effective.

�That man was quite the ingenious one,� Orochimaru thought to himself as he watched the tiny body stir into consciousness. �To hide the boy here then use himself as a decoy to draw the others away from him.�

That meant that he had intended to return for his son at a later time after he�d lost them and there must have been some reason he didn�t want those men to get their hands on his child and Orochimaru was very curious as to what that reason could be. �Too bad I�ll never get the chance to find out,� he mused when large eyes, round like saucers looked around the group for a familiar face and rested on his yellow pair and Orochimaru counted his losses since he had no intention of honoring that man�s request and keeping the boy alive.

Orochimaru could tell he was afraid, he could sense his fear like a thick aura blanketing him, yet he did not run but when the Sound ninja that was kneeling next to him rose to his feet, the child did the same.

It was then that Orochimaru saw it.

A small, brown, hard-backed, leather-bound book was exposed and he walked around him so he could retrieve it.

�Did my Daddy send you for me?� the boy asked of the one who had awakened him. The Sound shinobi was unsure how to respond to that and looked to his Master for an answer but Orochimaru was absorbed in that book and his eyebrows raised a fraction after each page he turned.

�Er, you could say that,� he answered truthfully.

�Will Daddy come back soon?�

He was stumped then and looked around his group, hoping that one of his partners could suggest an appropriate response but none volunteered.

Orochimaru clapped the book shut with a loud thud and that drew everyone�s attention towards him and the ninja in the hot seat was glad for the distraction.

�What�s your name?� Orochimaru�s voice was soft and carried no traces of his prior hostility but the boy was still uncomfortable by the way the man with the glittering, golden eyes spoke to him.

�Neji,� he squeaked.

Orochimaru got down on one knee until they were about the same height but he was still fairly tall so he had to lean forward a bit and Neji took a cautious step backwards. �How old are you, Neji?� and the child replied by holding up two fingers on one hand.

He was still fairly young but Orochimaru expected him to be slightly older by his manner of speaking, and the way he maintained such a stoic posture exhibited a maturity well beyond his years.

�Come with me!�

The Konoha exile extended a large palm and Neji clasped his tiny hand around two, long fingers and allowed this daunting stranger to lead him to a place he did not know. They walked in silence and the boy had to take many quick steps to keep up with the long strides of his supposed rescuer and had to use his free hand to lift the hem of his dark blue hakama to prevent himself from tripping.

After many suspenseful minutes and they hadn�t reached their destination, Neji breached his eager question and tugged on Orochimaru�s arm to get his attention. He looked down into the round face that had lost all traces of its earlier fears and his countenance had become at ease with him.

�Are you taking me to my Daddy?� the child asked.

Orochimaru smiled broadly at the concept of introducing the boy to the corpse of his beaten, bloodied and bruised parent but decided against it since it wouldn�t be prudent to his plans to have his future pawn emotionally scarred at such a young age.

�No!�

His shoulders drooped and he furrowed his thin black brows as he set downcast eyes towards the pebbled path. Orochimaru heard a faint sound like a stifled mewl and when he checked he saw the boy rubbing vigorously at his eyes and fighting back his tears.

�Tsk, a boy your age crying,� scolded the older man, annoyance dripping from his voice. He didn�t have any use for a crybaby in his army and if he planned on using this child at all he would have to address that habit immediately.

�I�m not crying!� he shouted back but that outburst only encouraged his tears to fall harder and he let go of those cold fingers so he could wipe his dripping nose on the sleeve of his white kimono.

Orochimaru was surprised by his mettle even though he was still crying waterfalls all the same and he believed his bold spirit could still prove beneficial to him. �Neji your father is gone forever and you won�t be able to see him ever again.�

He sobbed loudly and dug his little fingernails into the palm of his hand and concentrated on the pain in hopes of overwhelming his grief. His father had told him not to be sad if he didn�t come back for him but he had so much faith in his father returning that he couldn�t help but be disappointed. �My Daddy�s dead isn�t he?�

This boy was full of surprises and the Snake summoner found it hard to believe that this child could already grasp the concept of death. �Yes he is,� came the honest reply. �But he has asked me to watch over you for him and make sure that you are well taken care of.�

Neji sniffled then nodded as he rubbed his cheeks raw with the thick material of his clothing. His father had also promised that he would send someone to look after him should he be unable to come back and even though this man looked scary Neji still owed it to his father to show this pasty-faced stranger his eternal gratitude. �Who are you?� he asked, needing to place a name to the guardian that would now be supervising his well-being.

�You may call me Orochimaru-sama,� and he reached out to place a comforting hand upon that tiny head and smiled broadly but upon that face of his it could only appear as an evil grin.

�I�ll be your new father from now on.�

***

�I never imagined you as the paternal type,� Yamato said sarcastically. Orochimaru had finished his recount of that night but he needed to keep him talking just a few more minutes. Already the snake binds around him were slackening and if he could get them to loosen up just a bit more he could break free before Orochimaru struck the first blow.

�I raised him, taught him everything I know and shaped him into the deadly weapon he is today. Isn�t that what fathers do?� he joked back.

�That�s half right,� Yamato agreed. �But what about love? Can you honestly say you love that boy?�

Orochimaru scowled. He was building an army not running some damned day care. �I love him like a teacher loves a very disciplined student if that�s what you mean.�

�But what purpose could he possibly serve to you? Why did you let him live when it was clear you wanted nothing to do with him in the first place.�

�That�s an interesting question,� and Yamato sighed with relief when he�d managed to buy more time. �The book that I found with the boy was actually his father�s journal. In it he�d recorded the events that led up to his escape from the Hyuuga compound and Konoha along with basic techniques for the Juken along with the secrets of the Byakugan�even the blind spot.�

Yamato stiffened slightly and almost felt his bonds begin to tighten again so he forced himself to relax. Orochimaru saw that he had piqued something within the other man and smirked arrogantly.

�Unfortunately, after his father died the Cursed Seal on his forehead disabled the Byakugan and I was unable to examine it in its entirety but Neji was the perfect test subject and my studies of him revealed it to be a much more valuable technique than I had anticipated. The book also disclosed the great, influential power the Hyuuga clan had over Konoha�s government which explained why they could get away with treating their branch members like mere pawns on a Shouji board and no one would batt an eye.�

�That�s a lie!� The Leaf Jounin jumped to the defense of his fellow Konohans but Orochimaru just laughed at his ignorance.

�Oh no?� he chuckled. �Then let me educate you. The Curse Seal, or �Caged Bird Seal� as it is more commonly known among branch members is used as a control mechanism by the main branch to restrict their freedom of speech, thought or individuality. All branch members are affixed with this seal at the age of three and all main branch members know how to secretly activate it, but the most interesting thing about the �Caged Bird Seal� is that, when activated, it actually destroys the brain cells of the person branded with it.�

Yamato clearly didn�t believe him but the other man just found it hilariously pathetic that he could remain in so much denial. Were all people from Konohagakure this dense? Did they really think everything in their little village was a bed of roses with no thorns?

Well, the brighter the picture came out, the darker the negative had to be and the Hyuuga family portrayed a very luminescent image to the dullards in their community.

�Of course, when some people are in possession of such power they tend to abuse it,� and he said that as if it somehow didn�t apply to him as well. �Many of the members in the main house used the seal to make their brethren commit �unscrupulous� acts and forced them to submit to their sordid and perverse wishes. To decline was not an option and the most defiant of branch members met a terribly painful death by the seal being activated for an extended period of time and Neji�s mother met such a fate.�

The younger man still found it hard to believe that these kinds of things went on under the noses of people like himself and even the Hokage but a part of him was already accepting everything Orochimaru told him. It was true the Hyuuga family was a predominantly powerful family within Leaf next to the Uchiha clan but with the Sharingan on the verge of extinction they no longer had worthy competition. The next runner up was the Aburame clan but the Hyuugas were on a completely different level altogether.

�Hyuuga Hizashi had finally had enough so he took his two year old son and fled the Hyuuga compound and the Village of Konoha,� Orochimaru continued, �but was immediately hunted down by the people he used to refer to as family. I told Neji all of this and, needless to say, he was not pleased. Even I don�t think I could be that cruel,� but he was joking of course.

�With the notes his father made I trained him as best as I could but the boy was a natural and he�d already mastered most of his techniques at the age of seven. You see, if I plan to take over Konoha, and I will,� he added as a confirmation, �eliminating the Hyuuga clan will prove to be problematic so it�s best to fight fire with fire.�

�So you�re using that boy as a pawn to take out the knight.�

�You could say that,� and he blatantly admitted to utilizing Neji as a Shouji piece, which was the same barbaric means he had accused the Hyuuga main branch of doing in the first place. �But Neji has his own personal vendetta against the Hyuuga family. He wants to avenge the death of his parents and it was that hatred I used to mold him into the dangerous weapon he is today and with that clan out of the way the conquest of Konohagakure would be made much easier. It�s really just killing two birds with one stone.�

�You�re sick, Orochimaru,� he taunted. He needed just a few more moments. He could move his legs freely if he wanted to, it was only his arms that he couldn�t quite liberate but the other man had done enough talking by this point and just ignored his weak insult.

�Kabuto has probably taken care of that girl by now and I�m sure Sasuke is waiting for me in Fuma,� he said more to himself and he opened his mouth wide and regurgitated that demonic sword of his. Orochimaru gripped it by the handle and pointed the tip of the blade between Yamato�s eyes and the other man tensed reflexively and the snakes that bound him tightened accordingly.

�The time for talking is over; now is the time you die!�

***

�Orochimaru!�

He stopped mid-stride when Hizashi called out to him. He had already lost all patience with the man who had one foot in the grave and he wondered just how much longer it was going to take before he just died already.

Well�he could speed up the process�

The battered Hyuuga opened his mouth to speak again but coughed up blood instead and his body convulsed violently as he forced himself to ask one last favor of him. �Please�Oro-chimaru. My son�he�s all I have left and I would pass this earth with a happy heart if I knew he would remain with you until we meet again but��

His sentence was interrupted by another coughing fit and his vision became blurry but Hizashi fought through the beckoning fog of eternal sleep and wheezed loudly before speaking with his final breaths.

�Neji must never fall into the hands of the Hyuuga main branch�and he must never know�about his heritage. So please�don�t let him find out where he came from. With him�is a book. You must destroy it�.Neji must never read�that book. �

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(1) Nukenin - Missing-nin
(2) Shōsen Jutsu � Mystical Palm Technique

Next Chapter: Naruto & Sai vs. Sasuke & Neji and Team 10 comes to the rescue.

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Sorry for the gross lack of updates but I had to take my computer to the store and I only got it back this week.

Yersi Fanel 2007-03-02 My my, you started another story! I read this plot in the page one and I found it interesting, I am reading some of the plots too so later I'll write one too.
So, with the simple fac that the story is about Neji and Sasuke you had ofiacially caught my attention, did I mention I like your stories? If I didn't know you know, jajaja.

Take care!

ClaireBear: I know Cheysuli�s got some really good plot bunnies for adoption, I even started a few others and have kept a few as muses. I hope you decide to write one and if you do PLEASE let me know, I�d love to read it. Yes it�s another Neji/Sasuke fic�I really need to find another pair to harass, lol. I�m glad you like my stories, thanks.

Tama 2007-03-03 Sasuke/Neji! LOVELY!
Wonderful start! Very interesting. I hope you can update soon.
Yeah, I've been looking for this kind of fic! LOVE YA !
Keep writing.

ClaireBear: Yeah, only my one shots are actually based in the Naruto-verse, all of my other serious stories are AU so I decided to try actually writing a story where the characters are�in character (even though this one is Semi-AU anyway). Thanks!

Baku 2007-03-04 They were for the last time togeter?! OMG ! This chapter made my sister cry.
Ah. How I love SasuNeji..
I hope you update soon. I like all the other stories you write too.
But KEEP WRITING AND UPDATE SOON !

ClaireBear: I�m so sorry I made your sister cry, unless it was a good cry then I�m happy. Glad you�re enjoying it and the others as well.

Yersi Fanel 2007-03-04 That was so...great!
All the feelings and emotions in there, it was just great. I love the way you made it.
It was also sad, you describe that they got something and yet they couldn't have it so it was sad to read and yet I liked it.
Nice chapter, I just love the way you write.

ClaireBear: Yay! It�s Yersi again, you always have interesting critiques (Not saying that no one else does but I know Yersi from my other fics) I�m glad you guys were able to feel the emotion in the last chapter. It�s funny how sometimes writing dialogue is easy but writing the abstract emotion is hard and vice versa, I guess it depends on if I like the chapter or not and I REALLY liked writing that chapter.

Thanks for the love, I�m going to deposit it in my heart.

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