An hour later Akane was waiting at the gate for the rest of her team to arrive. She had been early, purely because she was worried that she would be the last on there and the others would have been waiting on her. She didn't want that but it did mean she had been the first one there. Naturally the second person to arrive was Neji, bang on the time they were supposed to meet as always.

"Hi Neji." Akane greeted him with a smile. Neji looked away from her when he saw her smile at him, doing his best to hide his blush he coughed into his hand and greeted her back.

"It's good of you to be early, unlike the other who I have no doubt will be late." He told her standing opposite her looking around for any sign that the others were coming their way.

"It's okay if they're a little late though. Plus I don't imagine that Tenten will be that late and Lee has probably got caught up training and not realized the time." Neji nodded at her.

"Yes that's probably it but still it was Lee that told us to meet here at this time. He should be on time at least." Akane smiled at Neji's annoyed face but her smile didn't go unnoticed. "What are you smiling at?"

"Oh nothing really." She answered quickly a small blush coming on to her cheeks.

"Are you still not feeling well after yesterday?" He asked her.

"Oh no, I'm find honestly." Akane replied shaking her head and waving her hands in denial. "I was just thinking about how we are going to complete the mission that's all. You know...thinking of the best way to approach it." That was a total lie but Neji didn't seem to notice it.

"Yes I have been thinking of that too. Protecting the whole city, it certainly isn't an easy job. We would need eyes all over the city but how would someone go about accomplishing that?"

"And what about the son? I know the Hokage said they were just suspicions but I am certain that we were on to something in there." She told him and he nodded.

"Yes I agree. Perhaps one of us should be in charge of keeping a close eye on him as it seems that he is the target."

"I agree and as for the eyes all over the city you're Byakugan should come in handy for that."

"Indeed it should but I would have to be placed high above the ground in order for me to be able to see the whole city."

"Or we use mirrors?" Akane suggested.

"That is an option yes. We should get to the town and get a better sense of the situation before we made any solid plans." Akane nodded.

"Sure..." She was going to say something else when she was cut off by and excited sounding Lee.

"Akane, Neji." He called as he ran over to them. He came to a halt and stood up straight. "I am sorry for being late. I was training with Gai sensei in the forest and lost track of time." There was a familiar sounding laugh come from behind Lee and Gai sensei appeared placing a hand on Lee's shoulder.

"Don't worry Lee. We are not late, we're actually a minute early." Tenten walked around the two with a fed up expression on her face and joined Akane. When she saw the remains of a blush on Akane's cheeks she instantly looked over at Neji who was watching Lee and Gai sensei with his usual unimpressed face.

"So what happened?" She asked moving closer to her friend and whispering.

"N-nothing. Nothing happened." Akane said blushing again and moving away from her feeling embarrassed. Her blush got even deeper when she saw Neji glance over at her. Tenten smiled feeling confident something had happened.

"Alright team let's go." Gai sensei said walking out of the leaf village gates with a laugh.

"Yes Gai sensei." Replied Lee eagerly following him.

"Maybe we should run all the way there. Make it there in half the time." He suggested with another laugh. Tenten and the others let out a small sigh as they began to follow the two.

"It will take us a day to get there. If we ran all that way we would be too tired to be of any use tomorrow at the festival." Neji told them bluntly.

"Do not worry Neji. I will not tire and if you should tire I shall carry you the rest of the way." Lee told him with confidence.

"Ridiculous." Neji huffed looking away from him.

"You too Akane." Lee said looking back at her. Neji glared at him while akane smiled and waved her hands at him and shook her head.

"No, no honestly I think I'll be fine...but what about Tenten?" She asked getting herself and glare from her female friend.

"I would be happy to do the same for Tenten. We are all comrades after all and we must rely on our friendship to help us through hardships of youth."

"Indeed we must Lee. Now if we are not running then we will fast walk to deduce our travelling time." Gai sensei said speeding up.

"Of course Gai sensei." Lee replied speeding up to keep up with him.

"We should speed up to our we'll be left behind." Tenten said to the others.

"Yes, we probably will." Neji agreed with her.

"And if Akane does get tired maybe you can carry her Neji." Tenten said casually. Akane's face went a deep red colour and she hide her face in her hands at the thought of Neji carrying her.

"I will do no such thing." He replied coldly.

"Why not? You did it yesterday and Lee is too far ahead to carry her if she gets tired now."

"Yesterday was different and no one is carrying anyone. We will walk there on our own strength. I've seen Akane capabilities and I know that she is more than capable of walking to the town by herself." He said. Akane was stood in between the two looking only at the floor. This was awkward, she had no idea what to do or what to say. The three walked in silence for a while until Tenten decided to make a move. She smirked and when Akane was least expecting it she rammed into her. Akane let out a cry of surprise, she had been so lost in her own thought that she hadn't seen it coming. She toppled sideways and fell against Neji's chest. He held on too her shoulders to help steady her. Suddenly realising where she was Akane's face became bright red and she pushed herself off him in a fluster manner. She quickly walked backwards only to trip over her own foot and back backwards onto her bum.

"Ow." She winced as she sat in the floor.

"Tenten would you stop with your childish games." Neji said angrily at her. Tenten shrugged.

"I tripped." She said simply and then she turned and walked on ahead leaving the two alone. Neji sighed and bent down so he was eye level with Akane.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes I'm fine thank you." Akane said trying to hide the blush on her face.

"Are you feeling alright? Your face has gone all red all of sudden. Have you got a fever?"

"N-no, nothing like that. I-I...I'm just a little hot that's all. A lot of walking you know...I'm just tired." She said.

"Oh I see. Well of you really are as tired as you say...I suppose I could carry you like Tenten suggested." He said without looking at her although Akane could swear that his cheeks were a little blushed.

"Oh no that's not what I meant." She said very quickly standing up and backing away. "See I'm perfectly fine."

"Careful." Neji warned but it was already too late. Akane was already falling again but suddenly she wasn't. She looked up too see that Neji had moved like lightning and caught her in her arms. "I never thought you were this clumsy."

"Sorry I-I'm not usually." She said stepping away from him. "This isn't like me." She whispered to herself.

"Perhaps you have not fully recovered from yesterday." That's not it, Aken thought. She knew why she was like this but she couldn't let Neji know her reasons for being like this.

"Yeah maybe. We should catch up." She said walking on ahead of him. She felt his eyes on the back of her head but kept on walking. That was it, she was sure of it now. She was in love with Neji, but knowing that seemed to make her heart ache with a pain she had never felt before...