Fuseiseki.

"No, no. Already, you're dismissed." The man said, handing the form back to the nin standing before him. "You're not ready yet."

The Chunin snatched the paper from his gloved hand, shooting him a glare before striding away. The man sitting at the large desk rolled his eyes exhasperatedly, before reaching up to run gloved fingers through his long, coffee-brown locks. "Honestly," He murmured, before attending to paperwork laying before him.

"Ahem," Someone coughed. The shadow now cast over him made him look up, and there was a pink-headed kunoichi standing before him, dressed in ANBU uniform, mask on the side of her head.

He blinked. "Yes?"

"Neji-san," She said, her tone formal. "Hokage-sama requests your presence."

He furrowed his brows, looking at her. Who was this woman? Her chakra signature was strong, despite her petite frame. Instead of asking her name, he instead nodded, standing from the desk. He slid his own wolf-faced ANBU mask on, straightening himself. She slid her tiger-faced mask over her face, waiting for him. He then disappeared, and she then disappeared as well.

He reappeared in the Hokage's office, on one knee. He then stood to his feet, pulling his mask to the side.

He sighed. "Naruto."

The tall man turned in his chair, long, spiky blonde hair lightly swishing as he did so. He shot the man a grin. "Is that any way to talk to the Hokage, Neji?" He chuckled, sticking his tongue out at him. "Dattebayo!"

Neji rolled his eyes. "Do I have a mission?"

"Well," Naruto then said, usually happy face donning a more serious expression. "..As you know, the Akatsuki are officially disbanded. The only members surviving are the female known as Konan, Kisame Hoshigaki of the Mist, and... the Akatsuki member known as "Tobi," A.k.a, Madara.. Uchiha."

Neji nodded, a serious expression on his face as well as he recalled what the blonde was telling him. "And, it's been heard that Madara has joined Uchiha Sasuke, correct?"

"That's what we've heard," Naruto replied, leaning his elbows on his desk and clasping his hands together. He pursed his lips. "I have a search mission for you, and another ANBU."

Neji nodded in understanding. "Details."

"You are to comb the Land of Fire for the whereabouts of any of these listed Akatsuki members. And, if you happen to..." He looked down, eyes squinting. "..Find Sasuke, bring him back... Alive."

Neji looked at him. '20 years old, and he still hasn't gotten over the Uchiha one bit…' He thought sadly.

"..Right." Neji nodded. "Who is my partner..?"

Naruto lifted his head, reaching down and sifting through one of the drawers of his desk. He finally pulled out a scroll, and slid it towards Neji, on the desk. "Here."

Neji reached out, taking up the scroll. However, he only looked at Naruto, nodding. He would wait to read the scroll until later.

"Full, final details are in this scroll." Naruto said solemnly. "Meet your partner at the gates, in an hour. Be there, on time."

Neji nodded in understanding. "Hai, Hokage-sama."

Naruto chuckled a bit, the modd lightening. "You know it, dattebayo!"

Neji turned to leave, but Naruto stopped him. "Wait," He called from his desk.

Neji stopped.

"This trip will last a while." Naruto said seriously. "Take food and other provisions, my suggestion is ramen."

Neji rolled his eyes, muttering, "Haiiii, Hokage-sama."

'...Long ago, there was a man named Hyuga Neji,' He thought amusedly, as he leaped across rooftops. 'And he was in for the mission of a lifetime.'

"Ohayo," a female voice called from atop the front gates of Konoha. She was perched atop it gracefully, and gave a small wave. He looked at the sky, reminded blearily that it was still morning.

"Ugh," he grumbled, rolling his white eyes from behind his mask. "Another annoying female... Better not talk my ears off like that one blonde... What was her name?" He mumbled to himself, groaning. "Yamanaka? Oh God, please don't let it be her.."

He landed swiftly beside her atop the gates, and moved his mask to the side. She did as well, and they stared at one another for a moment. He took in her pale, flawless complexion, her dull, almost lifeless green eyes, and that popping pink hair.

He couldn't place her...

He knew her, he did! He was frustrated. Why couldn't he remember this woman?! It was as if she were just a part of some unforgettable dream he had. He then inspected her eyes more closely. They held absolutely no emotion, no life, no spark.

He wondered what had happened to this woman to make her so dull. He figured she must have had life in those emerald eyes at some point, but he couldn't help but think that maybe those sparkling eyes held pain in them all along. He knew what it was like to feel pain; although he too had learned to block pain from showing in his eyes, and didn't have it so bad, he remembered when those white eyes of his shone with seething anger and resentment.

But this woman... Was like a corpse. No life, nothing. In fact, he wondered if she were a puppet, some new test that the blonde idiot decided to try out at the wrong time.

"..You ready?" Her quiet voice interupted his train of thoughts, and he shook his head, blinking.

"Oh, hai." He replied, and she slipped her mask over her pale face. He did the same, and the took to the trees.

"Odd meeting you here." The man murmured in his rough voice, dark finger picking at the hild of his large sword.

"Hai," The blue-haired female replied, giving him an odd look.

"I really don't think--" He was quieted by the sound of footsteps over their heads. After the steps faded away, he said, "...Who would've known... Tobi, of all of us.."

She nodded, looking at the ground. "...Was actually Madara Uchiha.."

"We should get going."

"You go," She looked at him, her knees pulled up to her chest. "I'm staying here for a while longer."

He frowned at her, before crawling out of the small cave-like place. "Suit yourself."

"...Farewell." He said softly, looking at her. He knew he probably wasn't ever going to see her again. Konoha's ninja were on the move, along with the nin of every other Hidden Village, including his own. He could hold himself against a good few, but if too many came at him at once, he wouldn't stand a chance, and he knew it.

"Farewell." Her glittering pale eyes gazed at him, and he turned away, leaving the small cave area, sword beside him as he crouched.

He landed on a large limb, on one knee. He looked ahead, activating the Byakugan to scan the area ahead for any signs of foreign shinobi. His powerful eyes scanned through bushes, over limbs, through tree trunks, in holes... Finding nothing, he deactivated the ability and looked at the ANBU kneeling beside him. She seemed to be scanning the area as well, so he said quietly, "I've scanned the area, and everything's fine."

Without looking at him, she immediately replied, "I know that, and I know your Kekkei Genkai as well, Neji-san. But rule number four hundred twenty-eight, section four sub-section B of the ninja hand-guide says, 'Never trust another ninja's eyes.' And I plan to stick to that rule."

He blinked, shocked at her impudence. He frowned, and said, "I understand that, but--"

He didn't finish what he was saying, for there was noone there to listen to it. She'd dashed ahead, leaping gracefully from limb to limb. He then dashed after her, keeping his same inhuman speed and agility, although his calves and thighs were burning with exhertion.

He searched for her face. In all of his memories, all of his life... He searched for a face that matched hers. He racked his brain as they travelled along, momentarily foretting the burning in his limber legs.

'Think, think! Who else had pink hair and dull green eyes? Serious, emotionless? Come onn..!'

He wanted to smack himself for not remembering.

He didn't want to ask her, he wanted to figure it out for himself. His male pride wouldn't let him go out on a limb and ask the moody woman for her name. He wanted to feel the accomplishment of figuring this woman out.

He supposed, he'd just have to travel with this mystery woman in silence, for now.

"What would Granny Tsunade do..?" The blonde murmured, holding a photograph of Jiraiya, Tsunade, and himself with he was sixteen. He smiled at the picture, recalling fond memories of the two now deceased Sannin. Jiraiya, killed by the Leader of Akatsuki, Pein. Naruto himself had made sure the orange-headed ass-hole had a gruesome death. Tsunade had been killed by the teamwork of Konan and Zetsu, two of the main Akatsuki members at the time. Ino, Rock Lee, and Kakashi had taken care of Zetsu, but Konan escaped.

Naruto didn't know how one Akatuski escaped from three ANBU, but he knew that in time, all of the Akatsuki would be destroyed. And he knew damn well that he wasn't going to let another one start up, if he could help it.

"I wonder how Neji'll react with Sakura-chan as his partner..." Naruto thought aloud. "Hell, he probably won't even know it's her, 'tebayo. She's changed so much, sometimes even I wonder.."

He looked up at the ceiling, leaning back in his chair and sighing. "Sakura-chan, how did you change so much...?"

"..What.. What happened to you, Sakura?"

"I think, we should stop here." Neji said calmly, resting atop a cliff overlooking a small, homey village.

She gave no answer, only nodded shortly, and sat down on the ground, laying back.

"We could rent a room, if you'd like," The Hyuga said lowly, motioning to a small motel, near the edge of the little village they looked out over.

"We're too suspicious-looking," the kunoichi replied shortly. "This isn't a ninja village, if you didn't know."

"I knew it wasn't," Neji snapped, getting agitated. "And I'm getting tired of your attitude."

"Well sorry if you don't like it," She replied emotionlessly. He imagined her eerie, lifeless eyes behind her mask, and shuddered.

"I have a change of clothes in my pack, and I'm going into town. We have plenty of time for this mission, and I'm not going to rush it," Neji said, while shouldering off his pack and setting it on the ground, opening it. "We're supposed to 'comb through the Land of Fire,' remember?" He said snootily, much like the way she'd replied to him.

She snorted, before getting up. "We're supposed to stick together, so I suppose I have to come."

He peered at her closely, trying to imagine her face behind the mask. 'What is she thinking? What goes on in that lifeless head of hers..?' He wondered, squinting his eyes behind his own mask to peer at her more closely.

Then, shaking his head, he took off his mask, laying it beside his pack on the ground. "Hn," was his reply as he dug out an extra pair of clothes from his large pack. In his arms laid a pair of thin black cotton pants, and a thin black cotton shirt to match. Thin clothes were the best for long-distance travel, for they took up much less room than thick ones.

He looked at her, and she stood there, watching him, he guessed.

He coughed. "I'll need you to--"

Before he finished his sentence, she complied to his wishes, turning her back on him and walking a good ways away. Feeling comfortable enough to change, he did just that. Slowly, he stripped his various pieces of metal armor off, laying them on the ground beside his pack. Then, he threw his shirt to the side after sliding it off his lean torso. His toned chest and abdomen were revealed, and though he had nothing to hide, it embarrassed him for people to look at his bare flesh.

So, off came his pants and they joined his shirt on the ground. He then slipped suavely into the clothes he'd pulled out of his pack, stuffing his ANBU gear into the pack and zipping it shut.

"Okay," He said awkwardly, and she returned.

'That damn mask is STILL on,' he thought agitatedly. His brows furrowed and he frowned at her, straightening his shirt.

"Something wrong?" She asked nonchalantly, before slowly removing the mask and placing it on the ground.

"No." He replied, before giving her another frown. Then, giving her the same courtesy she'd given him, he turned his back on her and walked a good ways away, leaving her to change.

'It would be a good idea to scout for foreign nin,' he thought, activating the Byakugan. He scanned the area in front of him thoroughly, before using it to look to the sides. Seeing nothing, his gaze shifted to behind him, while his body kept turned away from the changing kunoichi. He immediately froze at what he saw.

The most beautiful creature he'd ever seen stood there, changing into a new set of clothes gracefully. Delicious, curvy hips, bountiful breasts, smooth stomach, long, slender legs, toned calves, smooth, slender arms, and that gorgeous, yet lifeless face of hers.

He immediately shut off the Byakugan, closing his eyes and bowing his head. A shiver ran up his spine, making his body twitch. He grunted in annoyance at the odd sensation, and turned back around to face her. He made his way back to her, clearing his throat to keep from choking.

"Ready?" She asked, before removing her black headband and placing it in her bag along with everything else.

"Hai." He answered shortly, removing his own headband and placing it in his pack. She stared at his forehead, and he figured she knew what it was beneath the wrappings covering it. He turned away, shooting her a look before making his way down the hill and towards the small village.