Neiko stood with her back against the cold stone wall listening in on the conversation in the other room. Her job here was stealth. She was excellent at stealth thanks to her genetic attributes and she needed it to gain access to the room in front of her. She had one objective; kill everyone inside it. She wasn't fond of killing but it was part of the job as a Sound Stealth Unit. They had much dirtier jobs than the ANBU from the Leaf did most days now. Their village had never been fully inducted into the alliance after the Fourth Great Ninja War and therefor was still trying to bring itself up off its knees. The door handle began to turn and she stiffened. The blood inside her body started to pump thicker with the thrill of the fight. Dirty work; but she loved the silent excitement of her job. The first man exited the room and she drew back into the shadows of the hallway waiting to see if more filtered behind him. They didn't. She'd have to wait until he was far enough away from the door that they wouldn't hear him at all. About fourteen steps away from the door she came up behind him. He was taller, she'd have to make sure this was fast, or his elbow could connect to her face. She slithered a hand up over his mouth, jerked him backwards, and let the kunai slide in between his ribs. He grunted and tried to pull away as a breath expelled over her hand but she wasn't stupid. She threw him against the wall and punched him knocking him sideways and out cold. She rubbed her knuckles slightly. His jaw had been like a wall. The door handle was turning again. One down, three to go.

The sun was falling as Neiko raced through the trees. She was near the village and that meant about scott free. If she could make it across the border the ANBU chasing after her wouldn't be able to take any action against her. She took a small breath and hurtled herself over a branch and through a small gap in the leaves. She was less than thirty feet away now. Honestly, she couldn't figure out why the ANBU cared anyway about what her orders had been today. She'd killed men partially responsible for aiding Orochimaru during the first few years after he'd left their village. Neiko thought they'd be pleased that these guys were off the map. They were obviously not. She skidded sideways as a fist connected to her face. It flipped her down towards the ground and she grit her teeth after having been caught off guard. She hit hard and slid along the dirt using the force to flip herself into a crouch glaring at the ANBU staring her down. Damn. This wasn't good at all. It was important that she didn't mess up here. This guy would know exactly who she was if she slipped. Above all it was the most important that no one from the Leaf find out who she was. Her identity was to be intact and kept under lock and key; there was no telling what would happen if it got out.

She felt the muscles in her eyes tense and they wanted to be used but she couldn't; the blond kit in front of her would know exactly what they were and she couldn't risk that. She couldn't risk him mouthing back to his village about what he'd seen. She'd have to fight the kistune holder without the advantage which ticked her off. She pulled a kunai and stayed crouched waiting for him to make a first move. He didn't. Instead he stayed very still tilting his masked face to the side. The only thing that betrayed his identity was that blonde hair.

"You're under arrest from the Leaf village. You are to be brought in for questioning. If you resist you will be taken by force, is that clear?" she froze. That voice came from behind her. She'd been that distracted by Naruto's presence that she hadn't felt the one behind her. Of course that was hard. He was exactly the same as she was; built for stealth. Sasuke's voice hit her ears like bricks. He shouldn't have been here with this team. Now, she felt panic drive up her spine. This was bad. Her emotions wouldn't let her control this situation. The kit alone she could handle, but Sasuke too? She needed to get out of there and fast.

"I'm not going with anyone." She stated bluntly getting up taking a defensive stance putting the kunai in front of her. She as well wore a blackened mask with only eye holes. It was the Sound's unit uniform.

"Then it's by force." Sasuke said attacking her from behind. She couldn't use her eyes. She couldn't let them turn.

"The hell it is." She snapped turning to block him. He countered her blow and they ended up in a locked stance arms against arms pushing. She could overpower him if she wanted too but a small part of her couldn't make herself do it. Damn. He shoved forward disarming her kunai and jammed a blow up into her ribs. She lost her breath falling back two steps and tried to steady herself. She couldn't let this happen. She had to make it back inside the village.

"Naruto!" Sasuke snapped but it was too late. The female Sound nin had taken him hostage leveling a pointed hand at his throat winding his arms locked in place behind him. She knew above all things Sasuke would not let Naruto get hurt. She also knew that he was well aware of special sound techniques using the air as a slicing wind gust that could rip Naruto's neck apart if she initiated the jutsu as she held him.

"Back off." She said calmly. This would work.

"Let him go." Sasuke seethed. She hated making him mad like this. Is this what Itachi had felt like?

"Not until you back the hell up and get away from me. I'll release him once I'm inside the village's border." Sasuke cussed. If they let her inside the Sound she'd be free from arrest. It was a part of the treaty they'd all made.

"Fine." He sighed out. In his head though he was grateful they'd assigned Shikamaru on this mission with them. The lazy ANBU captain was watching all of this from a distance just beside the border. The second she reached to step across she was his. Sasuke just had to play the part.

"Stay where you are." She said moving backwards with Naruto. Leave it to a Sound nin to resort to hostages.

She was almost there. Thank all the gods at her luck. She'd needed the escape like water after being stranded in a desert. Neiko's foot crossed the border line when her entire body froze. Her eyes grew wide as she realized what was happening. Her arms wound away from Naruto who pulled away as a nin dropped from the tree above the border line. He stood up and she was forced to mimic his stance. Shit. Shit. Shit. If she used her eyes she could get out of this. Easily. But that wasn't an option. If she went in for interrogation they'd still find out. Which one was the better bet? She'd have a better chance at hiding it under arrest. However, she wasn't sure how long she could keep it all under control.

"That was too easy. You get easily distracted." Shikamaru chuckled walking closer. He moved his hand up as if to remove his mask but she realized that he was removing hers. Her hand came forward and gripped the wooden edges. No! No, he couldn't do that! She tried to resist it, she tried desperately, but without using her eyes she couldn't break it. The black oval came off easily and he stopped staring at her his eyes marginally bigger than usual. It was amusing to see the boy genius confused.

"What? What are you staring at Shika…" Sasuke griped coming around her front. He stopped. She felt her breath leaving her lips. It would be obvious to him. She had hoped to get into the arrest chamber and be interrogated before they removed the mask. Sasuke knew. She could see the realization in his eyes.

"Who are you?" the cloud watcher leveled her with a heavy glare.

"You don't want that answer." She whispered as he released her.