Thin Lines and The Shinobi Who Walk Them

A/N: Thanks for the wonderful reviews, I'm very glad the story is being enjoyed so far.


Chapter Warnings: language

Chapter Three

“Good Morning,” he was sure dawn had come and gone half an hour ago but Naruto didn’t point that out as his partner joined him. He’d been waiting for almost an hour now and was more than ready to begin. Signs were already showing it’d be a pleasant day out.


What was so good about it? Neji didn’t see anything since he’d only received an hour of sleep. He wanted to roll over and go back to sleep. The way the blonde was grinning like a moron made him want to start hitting. To hell with the birds that were already chirping and the sun that was threatening to be bright for another twelve hours.


Naruto took in the brunette’s appearance and wondered if he hadn’t been the only one unable to sleep. The long hair had been hastily tied back with corded string and that had to be rings under those platinum eyes. It just didn’t look like Neji to him but the clothes were a little different too.


“New style?” it appeared he wasn’t the only one trying to look the part. Neji had opted for simple clothing but easy to move in. Two outfits were a dark beige, the one he had on was white not much different from his usual attire. His forehead felt strange without his protector but he’d endure and ribbon was concealing the seal. What he’d never thought to see, Naruto Uzumaki in normal pants. The normal orange jumpsuit had been replaced by black; the guy was dressed like Hatake-san without the vest.


“Ah yeah, I hope its okay.” Naruto thought it was rather fetching. Besides the orange suit did stand out and he was supposed to be a normal person during this mission so he couldn’t be drawing attention to himself.


“At least you forwent the mask,” that would have been a shame. Neji felt some of his ire seeping away as that grin was directed towards him. One couldn’t deny that the look suited the blonde. “We are already running behind schedule, I suggest we head out.”


“Hai,” Naruto didn’t have to be told twice. He grown bored just standing here. He set the pace and Neji fell behind him about a foot. Close enough that if he wanted he could easily extend a hand and touch. That urge was resisted and he kept his gaze forward. Perhaps things would work out since they seemed to have put any doubts
aside.


The pace was leisurely but Neji wouldn’t complain. As long as they made a steady progress, he wasn’t going to demand they proceed faster. They’d have to travel through Wave Country first before they got near the islands. If the map he’d been given was correct it’d be easier for them to hit the main land of Kiri then take a boat from there.


The silence was giving Naruto time to think, great! His whiskered face wrinkled in disappointment at the thoughts he was recalling. He should have gone straight to bed last night and feigned weariness. His gut twisted with guilt as the images from last night plagued him. It hadn’t been right but he’d done it anyways. It wasn’t the first time they’d slept together so at first it had been no big deal. The fucked up part came into play the second he started thinking about his teammate. It was his fault but he hadn’t been able to help it. Having Hinata trying to kiss him and rub against his cock had brought back images of kissing Neji.


That had been the end of his sanity and the start of the best sex he’d had so far in his life. It had been unfair to her due to his constant mind wondering into forbidden territory. If she noticed a difference in his performance she hadn’t commented. It was a good damn thing too because he wouldn’t have been able to reply. This mission was already getting to him and he wasn’t sure how he’d deal with being alone with the Hyuga genius for an extended period of time.


“Stop brooding, it doesn’t become you.” Neji snapped at the pouting male as he sprinted forward. If he had to keep looking at that sorrowful expression he was going to deliver a sound kick to the jinchuriki’s face. What in the world did he have to mope about? Since Hinata was still gone when he’d left the house he was sure the bastard had a splendid night.


“I wasn’t brooding,” he was thinking, it wasn’t the same. Fine, this suited him just as well, he’d let Neji take the lead and just follow. It’d give him a chance to watch his teammate. And admire the shapely backside the brunette was sporting. What drew his attention to it was the long hair that was repeatedly beating the man’s back. Another inch and the swelling curve of rear called out. The soft material of the white pants clung and displayed the delicate shape. “Ugh!”


Neji halted hearing the loud noise. “What are you doing?” His teammate was face first in the dirt, arms askew. It was a good thing the man was wearing black. Without waiting to hear the answer, he quickly scanned the area. There wasn’t another living person for miles, what had caused him to trip?


“Nothing, I tripped. Stupid fucking gopher hole!” Naruto felt the blush overtake his face at the inquisitive stare. It was so embarrassing. He hadn’t tripped since he was a kid and now it had been in front of the last person he wanted to appear an idiot in front of.


“I see,” and he did. The blonde’s foot was still semi-lodged into the tiny trench. That still didn’t explain why a trained shinobi would trip over it. “I know we trained under a different sensei, but I’d like to believe that Hatake-sensei would have at least taught his subordinates to dodge something as simple as a hole in the ground.”


“Oh shut the hell up, it was an accident okay.” and it was Neji’s fault for jumping in front so he would be mesmerized by that ass. Getting up without his dignity, he brushed the dust from his clothes. For the rest of the trip his eyes were remaining forward at all times. He’d also try not to ponder why he’d been staring at the guy’s ass to begin with.


“Wait, you got a little dirt here.” Neji closed the distance between them seeing the patch of dust wanting to cling to the bronze throat. That had to come off or the blonde would get irritated when he started to sweat. Reaching inside his pocket he withdrew a small handkerchief that was usually reserved for when he perspired. It was clean and Naruto didn’t protest when he licked the edge and aimed for his neck.


The image of that pink tongue darting forth to lick the white cloth had him envious. He so wanted to be that handkerchief. Naruto tried not to react as the pulse jumped at his throat. The touch was light and very professional, nothing sexual about it. So why the hell were his nerves on edge and why did he want to see if the hand was as soft as it looked?


“One day you’ll have to tell me how you keep your tone.” Neji was oblivious to his teammate’s discomfort. He was too busy trying to keep his own emotions in check. Standing so close he could once again feel the heat and it was beckoning him to come closer. It was no wonder Hinata acted the way she did. The genius would gladly be the moth to Naruto’s flame.


“Its natural sorry,” he took a quick step back as soon as the cloth left his throat. If he didn’t stop reacting like an idiot, he might do something they’d both regret. Running a hand through his tousled hair he managed a smile, “Sorry about that, I’ll be more careful. We better get going.”


Kiba was in hell! Even Akamaru appeared to be growing aggravated. His faithful companion was just as smart as most humans. Looking back at his team, NO, his dog was smarter than those people. Why the hell did Shino have to be replaced at the last minute? Shikamaru wasn’t that bad, just very quiet. It was the fact that Hinata-chan had replaced his usual male companion. Did he have something against the girl? No, he was rather fond of her on most occasions.


At dawn the group that consisted of Kiba, Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji had waited for Shino to appear. Instead of his old teammate a messenger had appeared with an urgent message. The last member of their team had suddenly taken ill and was in the process of being replaced. That replacement had joined them five minutes later, in the form of Hinata Hyuga.


Okay, so they left out of the east side of the village. The first two hours of traveling had gone by uneventful, perfect. It was when Ino had come awake that his mission of hell had begun. The blonde commented that Hinata had stayed the night at Naruto-kun’s and now there was no end. It was the most he’d ever heard the shy girl talk but Ino was doing most of the blabbering. He so didn’t want to hear them discussing how good Naruto was in bed. The suggestions the blonde was tossing out made him want to slam his face into the nearest tree.


Or turn around and point out a slight graze of teeth absolutely DID NOT feel good on your dick! Who the hell had the kunoichi been fucking? Someone was into pain and had a nasty sense of pleasure. What was worse, the silly Byakugan user was absorbing the nonsense like a sponge. Maybe he should warn Naruto the next time he saw him.


“So, um, do they like that?” Hinata didn’t care that she was blushing while she asked. Last night had been wonderful and she wanted to make Naruto-kun happy. Ino was very experienced so it had to be sound advice. Keeping most of her attention on their course, she leapt from the tree keeping close to the other girl.


“Oh yes, don’t bite it but just add a little bit of pressure. Also make sure you use your hand to stimulate what you can’t get in your throat. Unless Naruto-kun is small,” Ino waited for the girl to appease her curiosity. She’d never try to aim for the loud annoying brat but she was a female!


“Oh no, I’d probably have to still use two hands.” Hinata could remember trying to pleasure him orally and at the point she started to gag, there had been plenty of him untouched.


“You got to be shitting me, he’s hung?” Ino pondered it for several seconds before opening her mouth. “If that’s true you better not attempt anal with him or you’ll walk funny.”


“Anal?” Hinata had never heard of such a thing. She could comprehend what the kunoichi was getting at but did people really do it that way? It wasn’t possible was it? “Have you….. I mean does Ino-chan do it that way?”


“Oh yes, I’ve done it with a few of my boyfriends and it’s not that bad. Even Konkuro likes to, but I try to limit how often we do it. I doubt he’s as hung as Naruto-kun but he’s got a good size.” She cackled seeing the three males in front bristled at her comparisons. They were probably all jealous, men.


“I……” she never would have thought about that. Hinata didn’t want to imagine another man’s penis size. It was like thinking about Kiba or Shino naked. It just wasn’t done. “Doesn’t it hurt?”


“The first time did but we usually mess around a bit first. Either some regular penetration or a rim-job but he always uses extra lubrication, so it’s more uncomfortable than painful.” Ino saw the girl’s confusion and smiled. The girl was truly clueless and naïve. “Okay, a rim-job is when you bend your knees and have someone lick your ass.”


“Shut the hell up already!” Kiba shouted back at the gossiping pair. Honestly, there was such a thing as too much info. He already knew these things but that didn’t mean the rest of the group wanted to hear Ino’s trash talk. “Some people don’t want to hear that shit. Some of us are even trying to eat.”


“Too late man,” Choji had put up his chips the moment she started discussing teeth on penis. His usual boisterous appetite had fled about ten miles back. He’d just pretend he hadn’t heard that last part or he’d never be able to look at Ino-chan again.


“You be quiet, no one told you to eavesdrop on our conversation.” Ino growled out at the dogboy. Why the hell had Tsunade-sama put that idiot in charge? Better yet why was Shikamaru so lazy? There was nothing wrong with them passing the time by talking. They had two more days of running ahead of them and she wasn’t about to be bored when there was another female to converse with. “Besides our conversation wouldn’t bother you if you weren’t such a tight ass. Try getting laid yourself every once in a while and I mean with a real person not your dog.”


“I don’t have to get laid to know you are making an ass out of yourself.” He silenced Akamaru’s growling with a simple pat on the head. “You’re basically informing everyone that your latest boyfriend would prefer you better if you were a guy. If I were you I’d shut up while I was ahead.”


“Excuse me. I’ll have you know that most guys happen to like anal sex. There is nothing wrong with exploring other options.” Ino was going to slug him. What the hell had crawled up the guy’s ass? The other two might not have cared for the talk but weren’t being dicks about it. “I’ll have you know that Konkuro is definitely not gay.”


“And I say that if he’d rather have anal and loves to lick ass he is. Then again there could be a simple reason why he prefers your ass but my stomach is already turning so we won’t bring up your previous partners.” Kiba laughed as the shuriken flew by his face. “Work on your aim.”


“It’s okay Ino-chan he’s just irritable this morning.” Hinata placed a calming hand on the girl’s elbow before the argument worsened. It was probably best if they traveled in silence from here on out. She just wished she’d been able to tell Naruto-kun goodbye this morning. At dawn a knock had come to the door for her but he’d already been gone.


“Fine, we’ll talk some more later.” Silently promising to kick the bastard’s dog later she fell silent. Ino would rather deal with Sakura that that irritable prick. What she needed was to see Konkuro again. To even imply that her man would rather have a guy than her! The very idea made her snort in annoyance. She knew for a fact that the puppet master was in love with her. “Asshole.”



His ears were burning. Konkuro wiped the sweat from his brow and looked up towards the sun. Another hour or so dusk would be falling. He didn’t have plans to stop until nightfall. There was little chance he’d come across the team arriving from Konoha. Even if he did, he’d only be able to stop for a few minutes to speak to them. Ino would be disappointed that he got sent away but he’d make it up to her.


How long could finding the scrolls take? A shiver ran through his entire being at the thought of those things. Why the hell would someone event a technique like that? Being Gaara’s brother he could conceive the concept behind it but it was simply unethical. The sooner they found out who was trying to make off with them the better.


He shouldn’t have gone out with his face bare. He’d have a burnt nose tomorrow but Gaara had been strict in his instructions. Pretend to be a normal male going to see his friends and then hang around. Konkuro could do that, easily. But going into an enemy territory without any kind of protection was suicide. Luckily his brother had been prepared for that.


The little shit was Kazekage after all and had a good head on his shoulders. The side pockets of his pack did indeed carry his puppet scrolls. Except now a seal was placed on them that could only be removed with his chakra. If taken out all that would be seen was a blank scroll. So if anyone asked, he was also an inspired artist. After all blank scrolls couldn’t hurt anyone.


Seeing as how his little brother was taking precautions to make sure he came back alive, he knew he’d forgive him for sending him. It had touched him to hear that he was one of the few people Gaara trusted. He could still remember a time when there had been nothing but disdain between them. Being a real family was something he’d never expected to happen and it was all thanks to Naruto Uzumaki.


So if heading to this village would help out the man then Konkuro couldn’t find it in himself to make that much of a fuss. He’d get to play spy and perhaps see a little action. This mission couldn’t be that complicated and what’s the worst that could happen?



“Another missive has arrived from the Tsuchikage.”


“Put it on my desk and leave.” Gaara didn’t bother to turn his chair around and look at the messenger. The sound of paper hitting the wood made him cringe. Night had fallen and he was ready to retire but he had more work to do. He knew what was written on the paper and he didn’t want to think about it.


The Tsuchikage was trying to form an alliance with Suna through the means of marriage. The man’s niece was being offered up as the benefit. The council thought it to be a wonderful idea and Gaara was sure they had lost their minds. He had an alliance with Konoha without the means of matrimony.


The man was eager to send the female here believing that once the Kazekage had seen her he’d agree to the union. Not that it’d make much difference Gaara wasn’t going to agree in the end. The idea of marriage left a bad taste in his mouth. Seeing his brother with his many conquests, Gaara was repulsed by the image of dealing with a woman.


A few of his female ANBU were constantly trying to win his affections. It must be due to his birth and childhood that the attraction a normal male would feel wasn’t there. He thought of them as subordinates but that was all. Matsuri had tried to kiss him one evening and it had angered him. He hadn’t used force but had let her know that it wouldn’t be happening again.


Did he need to get laid? The concept was as foreign to him as being in love. But Konkuro told him to do so all the time. Intimacy was something he hadn’t thought to indulge in before. Sexual pleasure was a topic he often heard his siblings conversing about. When had he ever had the need to be close to another? Up until he’d become Kazekage females had avoided him like the plague. Now that he had power and position they wanted to earn a place in his bed. It was too late; he had no desire to fornicate with them.


The only one of his siblings that appeared to be happy with their choice was Temari. Konkuro could say what he wanted but Gaara knew sadness when he saw it. Sadness and despair had once found a permanent place in his soul. Those feelings will eventually turn to anger and hate, then where will the blonde kunoichi be? He had nothing against Ino but she wasn’t right for his brother. It was best that he’d sent the puppet nin away.


Now he could focus on his own affairs instead of worrying over others. First, he had to make sure no one got a hold of the scroll tied to his person. Then, he’d find a way to form this treaty without shackling himself to a useless female.



Next Chapter: Naruto and Neji make camp and discuss how to proceed........ Please read and review....