Let's Fix This

Neji's Woes

Hyuuga Neji was decidedly bitter about his circumstances. Since his entire team failed to pass in the chunnin exams, despite Lee's victory, Gai sensei had been shifted to active jonin roaster and the team had been split up. Tenten had joined team 10 and Lee had joined team 8, as their teams were one member short due to promotion of Nara Skikamaru and Aburame Shino.

Neji on the other hand was dumped on some no name chunnin, who didn't even have the decency to arrive at time on their first day as a team.

He waited, while sulking over the fact that all 5 genin promoted were a year younger than him where as he was passed on for the promotion. After one hour, he was understandingly furious when an Uchiha girl, no more than 3-4 years older than him, appeared with a shunshin.

"Yo." She had the audacity to say.

"You're late." He bit out.

"I was lost on the road of life." She replied, airily.

Neji couldn't stop himself from attacking her with a gentle fist strike, which she promptly blocked and striked him on his sternum, which somehow blocked all his chakra pethways.

"What did you do?" He asked, dumbfounded.

"You'll find Neji-hime, that sealing chakra is easier by using actual seals than simply blocking tenkutsu. Anyway, we have to be at hokage tower. We are already late. Follow me." she said, removing a seal from his chest, which she had somehow put on him, in one strike.

He very much wanted to tell her that they were late because of her, but having his chakra sealed was an unpleasant experience.

They reached the mission assignment desk where the new Godaime was handing out missions.

"Uchiha Naomi, Hyuuga Neji. Your mission is to negotiate a new treaty with Suna based on the given guideline." He handed Naomi the scroll. Neji perked up. That was easily a B, possibly A rank mission.

"Not worried about me causing the fourth shinobi war, Hokage-sama?" Naomi asked the Hokage, smirking. Of all the chunnin available in Konoha, he had to get her, didn't he? It was like he attracted weirdos.

"I'm supposed to have more trust in my shinobi than that, Naomi-chan." The Hokage replied with a smile, instead of admonishing her for disrespect.

Neji soon found himself running towards the Wind country border with a speed that even Gai sensei wouldn't force them on.

"Was it necessary to set that pace? We have plenty of time to complete the mission." Neji asked her.

"Quite necessary. Since, we have two more secret missions." she casually replied. "The first one is about your seal, actually."

Neji instantly became defensive.

"You have a seal on your forehead that you don't like very much, as you made it clear in the chunnin exams. I am a seal master who can examine it and possibly remove it. You can put two and two together."

No, it was too good to be true. "What do you want?" he asked warily.

"Nothing except secrecy, from you as well as anyone else I manage to remove it from. I'm just doing my mission."

"The Hokage is involved in this?" That was a surprise.

"The Hyuuga clan got a missive signed from the Shodaime that the Konoha administration will not interfere in their clan traditions, unless they violate the laws of the land. The Hokage has his argument planned to be presented to the damiyo that slavery is prohibited in land of fire, but he doesn't have the proof that this seal is actually a slaver's seal."

"The proof is right here, on the damned forehead of every branch house member of my clan." Neji shouted.

"The proof which would need to be inspected by the damiyo's seal Master. What do you think would happen to any branch house member who volunteers for that? Furthermore, this requires a lot of political capital, which Itachi currently does not have. He will present his argument before the ceremony which will happen when the next heir is three, so more people are not branded. But right now, I can remove the seals of those who already have it, provided it is kept a secret. The Hokage cannot be involved in this, do you understand?"

"Yes. Completely." He answered, removing his forehead protector, desperately trying to contain his tears.

Naomi put her fingers glowing with chakra on his forehead and examined the seal.

"Sloppy." She declared. Just a few seconds of tweaking later, "There, it's gone." She handed him his forehead protector, which reflected his now bare forehead.

"Thank you." he managed to choke out after some time.