Set me free (Neji Hyuga love story)

Chapter 14

"Made it is record time." Gai sensei laughed as the five of them stepped into the village. Akane walked beside Tenten with Neji just in front of them and Lee and Gai sensei in front of him. Akane hadn't said a word since the incident earlier, she had been pondering her new found emotion and sadness that came with it. She remembered that the third told her to live in the moment and she was trying but living in the moment wasn't helping her right now, because her love was not returned and nothing would come of it. Maybe it was best to keep her love a secret, she didn't want to push anything, unlike Tenten who seemed to enjoy pushing the limits of her and Neji relationship. Akane sighed and hung her head.

"Akane would you stop being so gloomy. Geez it's like walking beside a doom cloud or something." She said.

"Sorry." She apologized.

"If this is about Neji then don't worry about it. He'll come around but for now enjoy yourself. This is your first mission plus look at this place. It's beautiful." Akane looked up and began to look at their surroundings. She was right. The sun was shining, there were green plants everywhere, people walking by laughing and talking. Kids playing on the streets, others helping people hang up decorations for tomorrow nights festival.

"Yeah it is nice." She said to herself with a small smile. A few people pointed at them as the walked through the streets to the house of the mayor of the town.

"We are going to have much fun here, I can tell." Lee said looking around.

"We are here in a mission Lee, not to have fun." Neji reminded him.

"Then let us get our mission done quickly so we can join in with the festival."

"Ha, what a good idea Lee. This sure looks like it's going to be a good festival." Gai sensei said.

"And Akane and I can go shopping for some really nice dresses for it." Tenten said pulling her friend closer. "That would be sure to make Neji happy." She whispered. Akane shook the comment off.

"But the enemy is planning to attack during the festival. I was under the impression that we would be working during the festival." She said.

"Indeed, part of our mission is to make sure that the citizens don't get hurt."

"Then we shall capture the enemy before the festival even begins." Lee said with enthusiasm. Akane heard Neji sigh in annoyance but he said nothing, knowing that there was no point arguing with his team mate. Gai sensei lead them to a large house in the centre of the town and knocked on the large wooden door. A few minutes later the door opened and a pretty blonde maid greeted them.

"Good afternoon Leaf shinobi. My master has been expecting you." She said opening the door. Tenten and Akane exchanged and confused look. Her master? Did he really make his employees call him that?

"Thank you very much Miss." Said Gai sensei as the five entered the large house. They followed the maid down the hall and she opened a door and stepped inside while the others wait outside.

"Think of the panic cancelling the festival will cause among the townspeople." She the voice of a man.

"I understand that but my only child has been made a target. As a father I need to protect him." Said another voice.

"And as a mayor you have a duty to your people." Replied the other.

"I'm sorry to interrupt master but the Leaf shinobi have arrived." Said the maid.

"Ah, thank you. Send them in. You and I will talk about this later this evening." He said to the man he was talking to before. There were sounds of footsteps and a brown haired man in his forties came out of the room, a deep scowl on his face. He glared at the pm and then stormed off down the hallway.

"You can come in now." The maid told them and the five entered the room. It was a large square room with many tall bookcases and cabinets full of silverware. Opposite the door was a large window looking over the town and a large desk in front of it. There was a man in a black suit and slicked back jet black hair behind it.

"Welcome to our town Leaf shinobi." He said standing up and walking around the desk. "I am the mayor of this town. My name is Botan Sugino but please just call me Mayor." He told them.

"It's very nice to meet you Mayor. I'm Might Gai and these are my very talented students Lee, Tenten, Neji and Akane."

"It's good to meet you Sir." Said Lee as the four of them bowed politely to their client.

"When I requests shinobi to protect my town I was not expecting children."

"They are young but they are all very powerful shinobi. Don't worry Mayor, my students will protect everyone here no matter what with the power of youth." Gais sensei flashed on of his nice guy smile at him. The Mayor frown slightly but said nothing more.

"Right. Either way you got here just in time. I note came through my door late last night, it was a note threatening the life of my son." Akane and Neji looked at each other. They were right about the son being the target then but were they right about everything else they had come up with? The townspeople didn't look like the kind that would make a plan to kill their Mayor's son. From what they had seen it looked like a happy town but then again you can't judge a book by it's cover. "Which is why my closest advisor and I were having a discussion about what to do about tomorrow nights festival."

"The festival is to celebrate your son's birthday, right?" Tenten asked him.

"Indeed it is. He turns 18 tomorrow, an age where he can take over as mayor of this town when I retire." Akane frowned, she was slowly piecing together the information and the picture was looking similar to what she and Neji had thought of at first. "Anyway the festival is tomorrow night. Do whatever it takes to protect the people of this town and my son...he is the only thing I have left...and I could not bear it if anything happened to him." The look on his face as he spoke these words shot a sharp pain through Akane's chest. He was trying to protect his son, just like her Father had tried so hard to protect her. It had been so long that she had forgotten what is was like to have someone care enough about her that they would go to such extremes just to make sure she was safe. One thing was clear, the Mayor's son was very lucky to have such a Father.

"Do not worry Mr Mayor. Nothing shall happen to either one while shinobi of the Leaf are here. We shall not rest until these people have been caught and have paid for their crimes." Lee said with this usually enthusiasm. The Mayor however didn't look so convinced that what he said was true, he was after all a young boy in a green spandex all in one suit.

"I couldn't have put it better myself Lee." Said Gai sensei with a proud smile.

"Right well if you don't mind...Gai was it?" The Mayor asked.

"That's right. Also known as the Leaf's villagers handsome green devil."

"Yes I'm sure. If you'r not busy there are some thing that I believe you and I need to descuss. I'm sure that one of te maids will show the others were there room is. I have prepared a room for the boys and a separate one for the kids. You are welcome to shower if you wish and someone will come and get you when dinner is on the table. You shall be eating with both my son and I tonight." He told them.

"Thank you for your hospitality." Said Neji and the four of them bowed politely to him once again before leaving the room.

"Was it just me or did you guys think that guy was kind of and ass too?" Tenten asked.

"Tenten do not speak of our client that way." Neji scowled her. Tenten sighed.

"You seem even grumpier than usual." She said quietly but it was heard by Neji, although he chose to ignore the comment. The same blonde maid that let them in appeared from around the corner and smiled at the four of them.

"I will show you too your rooms now. Please follow me..."