They were leaping through the trees, never breaking formation. Neji was growing concerned, earlier he had sensed four chakras, when he had found the four ninja sat in the tree he tensed ready for an attack, but none came. He had been wracking his brain for the next hour, trying to think of why they would wait there. The answer, when it came, made him smirk. They were waiting for Naruto, and Naruto would obliterate them. Neji almost faltered when he saw what awaited them.

"Everyone stop." said Neji, they were in a clearing, quite a way from what he had just seen, meaning only he knew what was there.

"Why did we stop?" said Kiba breathlessly, Shino stirred slightly.

"There is a whole army of ninja waiting up ahead, about 75 meters away." Said Shino, Sasuke looked at Neji shocked; he saw the strain on Neji's temples.

"We will take it easy, we are far enough away that they won't hear us, but they will sense our chakra." said Sasuke, Neji nodded and Sakura moved her hands to Neji's temple, her hand glowed green with chakra.

"How many are there?" questioned Choji, Neji sighed.

"I am afraid I didn't see them all, Shino did you sense them earlier?" questioned Neji, Shino shook his head.

"No I did not, Why? Because I would have told you as soon as I had sensed them, my kikaichū were ahead, and I sent them further when you told us to stop." said Shino, Neji nodded and thanked Shino who simply inclined his head.

"Damn we can't make it through an army." said Kiba, Neji frowned as did Sasuke and Shino.

"Yes, but think about who Orochimaru doesn't want to come, he will have planned in case he did." said Sakura, everyone looked at her; then understanding appeared on their face.

"But why an army, Naruto would be slaughtered." said Choji, Sasuke and Sakura looked at each other.

"No, he wouldn't. You forget who his dad is, he is the son of the yellow flash." said Sakura, Sasuke smirked.

"Naruto has his own name now you know." said Sasuke, Neji was about to speak when he heard a familiar whistle in the air.

"Everyone move." said Neji, three kunai imbedded in the ground. Exploding paper tags on the end. Sasuke cursed and his hands flashed through hand seals.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique." called out Sasuke, and a fireball flew towards the kunai, the sizzling sound cut off, and the ninja tensed waiting for an explosion. They each leapt back giving it a wide birth. When the smoke cleared, they saw the tags almost consumed, Sasuke's fire had stopped it and burnt them up.

"You must be Sasuke Uchiha." said a red haired girl, she landed in the clearing; next to her were Kidomaru and Sakon.

"You were the ones waiting for Naruto Uzumaki." said Neji, the red headed girl laughed

"Indeed we were, but he should be finished about...now." said the red headed girl, as if to add effect a large explosion echoed through the air.

"How did you catch up so fast?" questioned Shino, the girl smirked.

"I placed a special web on you, it slows your movements, that's why you have been travelling for so long." said Kidomaru, Neji then checked their bodies; they were covered with a web that was unnoticeable unless you knew what you were looking for.

"Who are you?" questioned Sasuke, they smirked.

"We are Orochimaru's elite." they chorused, the girl looked at Sasuke.

"You may leave, tell the army your name and they will let you pass." said the girl; Sasuke looked at the team, and with a nod he dashed through the trees.

"Now we get to have some fun with you." said Kidomaru, Sakura clenched her fists, Choji gulped, Kiba growled, Shino stood still, buzzing could be heard and Neji stood at the forefront.

"Sakura, Choji take the silver haired one, Kiba, Shino the girl." Said Neji, Kidomaru laughed.

"You heard the boy, let's get this show on the road." laughed Kidomaru; he lunged at Neji, who activated his byakugan almost instantly, Neji dodged the blows, he saw each arm easily as they went to strike him. Neji ducked a few shots and seamlessly slammed two fingers, effectively closing off two chakra points. Kidomaru jumped backwards and spat a web at Neji, Neji instantly saw the chakra running through the web and immediately charged chakra to his hands and cut the ropes. Kidomaru cursed and began to spit more webs, Neji charged forward, slicing through the webs easily. Neji kicked Kidomaru in the chest, Neji's body dropped, one arm was out behind him; palm flat, the other was pointing towards the floor, palm flat as well.

"Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms." said Neji, Kidomaru cursed as he was thrown backward, Neji stood in the Hyuga stance, his eyes glaring.

"You are lucky, I covered my body with a rock hard shell, not even your tiny chakra pulses can break through." said Kidomaru, Kidomaru was sweating mentally.

"This brat is good, I can't fight him close range." Kidomaru thought, he flipped backwards, his hands flashing through hand seals. He flipped into the tree, spitting out blobs of

orange substance, shaping them into arrows, he threw them speedily at Neji, Neji ducked and weaved, his fist striking and smashing the hardened blobs he couldn't dodge. Neji pressed forward, his flexibility and ocular prowess was proving difficult for Kidomaru, he flipped backwards as the branch exploded, Neji's palm struck against it, Neji flipped and landed a kick, Kidomaru blocked one of the strikes, he moved to punch, but Neji was already spinning his body, a bright blue orb made up of chakra struck at Kidomaru, Kidomaru cursed as he was thrown backwards. His back cracking against the tree, Neji stood with a calm countenance.

"Face it, you have lost." said Neji coldly, Kidomaru laughed, black tattoos stretching across his skin.

"You think one little jutsu can beat me, it is impossible." said Kidomaru, Neji smirked.

"I used to think so too, but a friend taught me that a single strike can decide a match." said Neji, Kidomaru laughed viciously.

"I will show you a monster, you will fear me." said Kidomaru, Neji smirked as Kidomaru stood up.

"We will see." said Neji, Kidomaru blurred, Neji ducked his head backwards, his eyes wide briefly.

"He is fast, not as fast as Naruto, but this could be dangerous." thought Neji, he flipped over Kidomaru; his fingers tapping tenketsu; Neji jumped backwards and looked at the chakra burns on his fingers.

"Ha, he can't even touch my tenketsu without burning himself, looks like I have the better ground." thought Kidomaru, he flipped backwards higher into the tree, his fingers flashing through hand seals.

"Summoning Jutsu – Kyodaigumo." said Kidomaru, smoke filled the air, and webs shot out, covering the canopy with a giant web, sat in the centre of the web was a large spider, a large egg sac on its back.

"Shit, a summons." thought Neji, his mind was focused. Kidomaru laughed.

"Time for you to die, Rain of Spiders." called Kidomaru, he leapt and cut the egg sac, Neji cursed, and dropped into the eight trigrams stance. The spiders fell into his view, and with increased speed, he destroyed the spiders before they even landed on the ground, Neji was panting, Kidomaru laughed as more spiders dropped, Neji dropped into the eight trigrams stance once more, his mind going back to his conversation with Naruto.

* Flashback –

Neji awoke with a sharp breath, he wasn't alone; he could sense a calm presence in the room. Sitting up, he winced slightly. He saw Naruto sat in the only chair in the room, one that has been frequently occupied by his uncle. Naruto's silver eye reflected the moon; his eyes were on Neji, serious.

"I owe you an apology." said Naruto, Neji looked shocked.

"For what?" said Neji bitterly, his body still aching from Naruto's assault

"You protected her, for that I am eternally grateful." said Naruto, Neji stopped his witty comment

"You don't have to thank me, it is my job to protect the main house." said Neji bitterly once again, Naruto smiled at him softly.

"Your bitterness amuses me, Neji, being sealed isn't a bad thing, there are something's we cannot control, it is moving above these things and prove to our captors that we are stronger than them, that they can't effect us." Said Naruto, Neji was about to comeback when he saw the distant look in Naruto's eyes.

"I am sorry, but you can't honestly understand what I am going through?" said Neji, Naruto's eyes shone with humour.

"You are probably right, thank you once again, you saved my most precious friend." said Naruto, Neji saw something flicker in Naruto's eyes, it wasn't friendly, it was love. Neji kept his mouth shut, he would allow Naruto to figure out himself. Naruto left the room as silent as he entered, Neji sat on his bed thoughtful.

"He is a strange one, I wish to know more about Naruto Uzumaki." thought Neji.

* End Flashback –

Neji opened his eyes, fire burning deep within them, his chakra increased and he destroyed even more spiders than last time, Kidomaru looked shocked, Neji looked serious. Neji stopped and in a blur, he disappeared, Kidomaru ducked as a glowing hand swiped over his head, Neji moved fluently, with a grace only a genius of the Hyuga like him could obtain. Kidomaru cursed as a hard stab of chakra pierced his arm, in the same movement, Neji spun stabbing two more arms, Kidomaru kicked out harshly, Neji flipped over his legs, his hands gripping onto Kidomaru's head, Kidomaru felt a burst of chakra enter his mind, and the world whited out. Neji took a step back, his breath panting.

"I win." said Neji, he turned to leave, when Kidomaru's chakra sky rocketed, Neji turned sharply, a fist colliding with his cheek. Neji flew into the ground, the ground cracking from the force.

"Don't underestimate me." said Kidomaru, his eyes wide, Kidomaru had a third eye on his forehead, his headband had fallen to the floor, his skin had become noticeably darker, his canine teeth and fingernails had elongate, he had grew a pair of horns, his irises had turned black and his hair had changed to grey. He was glaring at Neji, Neji shakily stood; he looked up at Kidomaru who was glaring at him hotly.

"H...how?" coughed out Neji, Kidomaru glared harder.

"I almost died, but Orochimaru has gifted my teammates and I special powers. You cannot hope to beat me, game over." said Kidomaru, the spiders fell with extreme velocity, Neji knew he didn't have time to use eight trigrams, so Neji spun, an orb of

chakra surrounding him. Kidomaru threw a rain of kunai, they hit the slowing orb; Neji stopped and clutched the top of his shoulder, a kunai sat in his shoulder.

"Wait, I hit him?" thought Kidomaru, he smirked viciously, licking his lips.

"Damn it, don't let him notice." thought Neji, he pulled the kunai out and tossed it at Kidomaru who deflected it simply, Kidomaru clicked and spiders rained once more. Neji spun, knowing it was his only opportunity.

"Now let's see." thought Kidomaru, Neji slowed his spin, and felt two more kunai strike him from behind. Kidomaru gave a vicious laugh, Neji cursed as blood flowed down his back. Kidomaru was about to click again, when the giant spider screeched and was unsummoned. A kunai lodged in its belly, Neji smirked at Kidomaru; Kidomaru gave an equal smirk. Kidomaru created a bow out of sticky gold, his other hands holding shiruken, Neji cursed as kunai rained on him, his chakra was running extremely low. He spun once more, and felt an arrow pierce right through him. Coughing out blood, Neji stumbled forward.

"This guy is smart." thought Neji, he was about to stand up once more, but another arrow pierced through him. Neji stumbled forward, but began to run.

"Running away, Leaf ninja are all the same." thought Kidomaru; he notched an arrow, a piece of string attached to the end, the string coming from his mouth.

"Die!" snarled Kidomaru, he fired the arrow, and used the string to change the arrow slightly, pushing it into Neji's blind spot. Neji cursed as the arrow pierced through him, he fell forward; arrow's sticking out of his back

"Naruto, Hinata, Tenten. There was so much I needed to say, Naruto you helped show me the light, Hinata, so kind, you never hated me, you always tried to support me, Tenten, I...there is just too much." thought Neji, Kidomaru began to laugh, his third eye closed, his target was dead. Kidomaru was about to cut off the string when his charka exploded out of him, his heart thudded. Neji was stood shakily, his fingers on the string.

"NO, he managed to push his chakra through without sensing me, he, he is good." thought Kidomaru, his heart thudded once more before it stopped. Neji sat against a tree, his eyes looking up towards the sky, his body was numb.

"Naruto, protect her." thought Neji, before his eyes slid closed.