Talk about a rough morning. The Hyuga was relieved of his night watch around the Princess' mansion around the thirteenth chime of the clock. However, he'd been outside since the fourth chime. Night time sucked during the winter. All he did was hang around on the roof of the mansion, looking out for any suspicious figures that could loom in the distance. But he in fact only saw the nobles of the high ring go about the garden having their litter affairs and getting intimate. The Uchiha guards didn't even stop them, which Neji was a bit shocked about. When an Uchiha guard called up to him to go back inside, the assassin dropped his belt with his blades and daggers (curtesy of Tenten's personal Royal black smith) and stripped of his black jump suite with the king's crest on the left arm. In his under garment, he pulled out his pony tail and slumped into bed. He was awakened at the sixth chimed to be ready for the princess to awake at the eighth chime. It only took the Hyuga about twenty minutes to wash and dress. He had trekked quickly down to the mansion kitchen and grabbed whatever the cook had out for him. He'd eat carefully and drained down a cup of tea. Tsunade, who had been up since he crack of dawn, would give him the run down of the day before going to wake the princess for her lessons with Lady Kurenai. Right when Tenten was dressed and had eaten, he was waiting right outside her door and offered his arm to her. Today they would ride into the village so Tenten and visit the peasant schools.

Well, they weren't typical peasants. In the golden kingdom, the lowest ring had more farms and shops. They weren't even that dirty or wore rags. The main market place was in the lower ring which is where nobles and other alike mingle and shop.

The schools they visited were all girl's schools. Tenten would watch as the teacher held the lessons. Lady Kurenai would point out different activities and things that would benefit them when they became wives or nannies or even dress makers. The little girls would run up to Tenten and give her home made gifts. Neji watched as the princess accepted them with a smile and put everything in a golden box. After the schools, they went back toward the palace where the princess washed, changed, and got ready for her morning tea time with the Desert Prince. Neji would escort her into the palace where the Prince would stay in one of the studies. He would stand outside of the door and wait until she came out. There wasn't much speaking between the them, but when she walked out, she'd have a polite smile on her face.

But then, there wasn't much to do. So, the pair ended up in a closet before being spotted by any of the Uchiha guards roaming the halls.

"Damn, I can't believe it's been a year already." Neji said as he pressed his lips against hers.

Tenten wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed herself against him. She couldn't believe it either. Every day was the same routine with him around. The only difference was that she had started to train with him. A few months after Temari had gotten married to Shikamaru, she had stopped coming to the training chambers. They had gotten married in the Desert Kingdom in early winter. It was perfect since back in the home it was beginning to snow; the warmth of the desert was welcoming. They had returned to the Golden kingdom soon after.

"I can't believe we're in a closet..." Tenten hummed as Neji trailed his lips down her neck.

Grunting, the Hyuga cupped her face in his hands and lightly sucked on her bottom lip. It was better than their other hiding place which was in her tower by the telescope. The assassin untied her corset and pulled her hips into his. This was common; them hiding out and fondling each other. A moan escapes the princess' lips as he kissed her collar bone. Neji looked at down and hushed her; They needed to stay quiet. Anyone could be passing at any time. After a pause of the assassin listening to the footsteps in the hallway, he looked at her. Even in the dark he could tell that her cheeks were pink and puffy by his kisses and by the way she hung onto him, she was definitely ready to keep going...further. When he heard no other footsteps, the assassin pulled her back into an embrace. His hands trailed up her skirts. He touched every inch of her, her skin was incredibly soft beneath his callused hands. With her corset nearly completely off, he stuck his face into her breasts. Tenten tried to bite back a moan; in result a high pitched squeak escaped from her throat.

Suddenly, Neji's hand shot to her mouth. Tenten's eyes went wide as the assassin stood there glancing at the closet door.

"Fuck." He hissed.

"What?" She whispered.

"We have been found." He replied.

Tenten quickly adjusted and tightened her corset.

"By whom?"

"Who do you think..." Neji groaned.

The door opened and the crowned Prince stood in the door way, a frown on his face.

"Really?" He hissed. "In the palace closet no less?"

Neji rolled his eyes and gave the princess a quick peck on the lips before stepping back from her.

"I told you to be discrete." Shin-Ten scoled at him.

"We were. However, you seem to end up walking in on us every time and causing a commotion."

It was an exaggeration, but it was true. Shin would always find the pair somewhere making out and have to break it up before it got too far. Rubbing the bridge of his nose he pulled his sister from the closet and helped her adjust her dress.

"Oh, don't let your crown weigh down your brow, Shin." Tenten huffed as she was dragged down the halls by her brother's hand.

"You are to be married, Tenten. You can't keep doing this!" He shot a look at Neji. "Especially not in the palace."

Shrugging, the assassin followed behind the Royal siblings. He couldn't help himself. Be ogre reaching a tea room in the palace, the Hyuga glanced a clock on the wall.

"Well, I will leave you here for a few hours while you two have tea and talk to nobles about nothing."

"Where are you going?" Tenten asked.

"To take a nap. Itachi has agreed to watch over you until your afternoon snack so I can get some sleep. I've been on your roof all night." Neji said as he turned on his heel and walked back to the mansion.

OOooOoOOoOoOOoOoOOOoooO

The assassin slammed himself onto his bed after ditching his belt. The sweet feeling of the cushions on his face was absolutely divine...too bad he couldn't enjoy it in piece.

"Master...what do you want?" He groaned.

The Keep master stood by his window. Chuckling, the old man threw a scroll on the assassin bed. Neji didn't bother opening it.

"Since you're not too busy now a days perhaps you have time to run a little errand for me."

"Can't. Body guard of the princess." The Hyuga replied.

"Your alliance is still with the guild. I have already spoken to the King. Tenten is to reside on Uchiha grounds until you return."

Rolling over, the assassin propped himself on his shoulders and yawned.

"What exactly do I have to prove that the King will allow me to leave the princess' side?"

There was a knock on the door. Itachi excused himself as he entered.

"Ah, Master Jiraiya, you're already here." the Uchiha guard said.

The Hyuga cocked an eyebrow and sighed.

"How much?"

"A pound of gold pieces."

Neji's ears perked up. A pound is about seven-hundred gold pieces. He could buy himself some new casual outfits and boots with that...

"And who, exactly is requesting the...extraction?" The assassin asked.

Both Master and student understood that with someone else in the room, they had to be careful what they said. The Master had explained to Neji that he didn't fully trust the Uchiha. It was alright to talk about work, but they couldn't get into specifics around them. This was proven a bit difficult since the Hyuga took residence on the palace grounds where he Uchihas were watching the Master's every move.

"An old customer. Meet me at the Keep once you've read through the assignment. They will be meeting us there at the eighteenth chime." Jiraiya stated before winking and exiting the room.

Itachi nodded at the Master as he left and looked to the Hyuga who laid back down and closed his eyes.

"Are you not going to look at the scroll?" He asked.

Neji grunted in response.

"I will after my nap."

"You assassins are very peculiar, I must admit."

The Hyuga hummed.

"Ask me anything."

Itachi blinked. Even the most intelligent Uchiha had no idea about the Assassin Culture. It was a mystery really since it was never a necessity to know about it. Within the year, Itachi gathered that Neji was rather nonchalant about his work and never truly seemed to shift emotions. He rarely saw the assassin with a pleasant expression or an enraged one.

"How much do you actually make annually?"

Neji shrugged.

"I work on commission."

"Have you gotten requests since you have begun working for the princess?" The Uchiha asked.

"No. The missions go about as the Master sees fit. If he feels that a certain request requires a more trained...dashing, clean kill assassin...he comes to me. Those are the more high paying ones. Or I get requested by name." The Hyuga yawned.

"So, you're a special case then." Itachi leaned against the door frame.

"Obviously... Hence the title of 'legend'. Why...do you need me to do something?"

The Uchiha looked at him for a moment.

"No," he shook his head. "Not yet."

The door opened and closed. Neji peek over and saw that the Uchiha had left. Smashing his face back into the pillows, he dozed off.

OOoOooOoOooOOooOOoOOoOoo

The Prince sighed as he sat in his office. There had been no word from Minato recently. A year ago the Prince had sent out Rock Lee to make friendly with the Hyuga post and be their "protector". The bowl cut teen did return with news that the post was indeed, uptight as hell. The Prince knew that already; though he thanked the teen for admitting it out loud. Lee had told him that every time a post was sent, the messenger made him wait a few meters away, so the trainee couldn't really see or hear what was going on. The packages had been of some weight. They'd travel to different country sides where other Hyuga nobles and Hyuga allies lived, but never out of country.

Minato, on the other hand, has not gotten any new information from his source in the Cloud kingdom. He has returned to the prince's space with no new word except an apology (to which he accepted). On top of that, these peddlers seem to have made themselves comfortable on the Golden Kingdom. Many villages outside the main rings of the palace have told the Royal messenger that there have been sightings of such people with leather books.

Perhaps the idea of a connection was a bit far fetched...however it could be possible that the Cloud Kingdom would be trying to infiltrate them.

But where do the Hyugas fall into this?

Apparently when Lord Hyuga dropped Neji's mother's name to the Prince, there was a weird tingle in his mind that perhaps the Hyuga's were looking for her. Why then show the name to the assassin if they suspect her to be either captured or killed? To the prince's knowledge, the assassin's step mother held no special importance than to replace Neji's mother.

Perhaps it was time to bring Kakashi into the loop.

OOOoOoOOOOOOOoOoOOOOoO

"Wait...what?" Tenten blinked.

Her father looked up from his scroll. He had summoned her to his office to announce her trip to the Desert Kingdom with in the month.

"A month? Father, why do I have to leave? I do not wish to."

"My darling, the Desert people need to meet they're new queen before you and Gaara are married. You need to establish a court, become familiar with the demographic...basic necessities." Her father replied.

"I have a court. They are tied to this kingdom only."

Fei-Ten sighed and put down the scroll. He knew this day would come.

"Tenten. Your ladies do not fully count as your court. They have no significance to you outside of the kingdom. You need to make a presence within the Desert Kingd-"

"I want the to come with me." The princess demanded.

The King scratched the back of his head. Damn, she is turning into her mother. Giving in, he waved his hand.

"Fine, as you wish, darling."

Tenten stormed out of her father's office. The audacity of it all! Palace nobles moved out of her way as she approached, sensing her heated displeasure. A few Uchiha guards began to follow her in hast.

"Where is Itachi?" The princess asked as she grabbed her cloak from a maid and strutted out of the door and into the snow.

"He's...with his father, your majesty. Was he supposed to me with you?" One of them replied.

Tenten gritted her teeth as the wind hit her in the face. Her veil whipped around behind her head. The guards jogged a head of her to open the mansion doors. Dropping her cloak on the floor as she entered, she demanded one of the maids to find Tsunade.

"Gracious, your highness. You were melting the snow beneath you." Her head maid sighed.

Tenten blinked and looked down at her boots. The slush she tracked in was now steaming. Taking a breath, she walked upstairs.

"Neji!" She called.

His bedroom was empty. The princess puffed up her cheeks. He was supposed to be with her since lunch, but never came back. This happened before, however her brother had whisked him away for something. Itachi had stayed momentarily before meeting with the Captain of the guard. So she was alone wondering through the palace. Technically she didn't need anyone to follow her in the palace but Neji was always a nice company.

Stomping to her door, she kicked off her boots and undid her corset. Her head maid entered, announcing that her nanny was off in the village running errands. Tenten blinked.

"Where's Gaara?" She asked.

"The Prince is with your father, your majesty."

Great, she thought. She was alone for the night. The princess dismissed the maid and untied her corset. The boned fabric fell to the ground and she began to peel off her dress. Changed into her night gown, Tenten washed off her make up and let her hair down. Dropping the veil on her vanity, the princess jumped onto her bed. She laid there, staring at the starry night that was painted onto her ceiling with little crystals dangling from the constellations. What was she to do with herself? Her mind traveled back to her father's words. Her marriage was coming sooner than she thought. And sure as hell, she wasn't ready. The princess had promised to give it a try, and in the end, she and Gaara will forever be best friends. It was just so soon. She was going to be the bride to a desert Prince and be inducted as the queen. Then soon after, she'd need to had a child for him. The thought made her shudder. It was all too soon. Besides...she wanted more time with the assassin. The way he held her was absolutely gentle, as if she were a jewel. He made her smile and even allowed her play with his surprising soft, long deep brown locks.

Tenten hugged herself.

At times like this, she wished there was someone else in the room. She missed Sasuke. He would always know what to say and knew how to take her mind off of things that troubled her; but he was gone for goddess knows how long. And she couldn't see him until Lord Orochimaru sees it fit. Lee was no where to be seen...he has been running tasks for her brother since last year. And Naruto...he's been with his father.

Which left her on the palace grounds to wander about by herself.

Even her ladies barely saw her. They lived off the palace grounds and would come sometimes, but they were limited to what they could do.

Sitting up, Tenten walked over to her balcony and opened the doors.

"Boo!"

The princess blinked. The assassin stood before her with a smirk on his face.

"You know I do not flinch for such things." Tenten said.

Neji was about to respond, but she flung herself at him. He shuffled back a bit. Tenten hummed as she buried her face into his chest.

"Where have you been?" She asked.

The assassin looked down at her. He was at the Keep. A mission had come in for him and he needed to go to a briefing.

"Mission?" Tenten cocked and eyebrow.

The Hyuga nodded.

"I will be gone for some time. I do not know how long. But do me favor and try to control your emotions," he rubbed his forehead where the crystal was imbedded."I can feel you even from the lower rings."

"Good..." She murmured.

Neji scooped her up into his arms and carried her back into her room. He sat her down on her bed and took her hand.

"You'll be fine. Itachi will be with you until I am gone. And Tsunade is quick on her feet as well for an old lady."

Tenten chuckled.

"When do you leave?" She asked.

"Now," he replied. "I came for a kiss."

Tenten reached up and held the assassin's face in her hands. His face was so cold from the outside; his cheeks were pink and his breath was so warm on her skin. She pressed her lips against his. After a moment, Neji broke the kiss. His ivory eyes gave her face a sweep before tying his hair in a pony tail.

"I'll be back." He whispered into her ear before disappearing through the balcony doors.

Tenten sat there with her eyes slightly dazed. He could feel her, she thought. Through the crystal he was able to sense her no matter where she was. That girt to heaven meant that she had given him the gift of emotions he never had or was forced to erase. Closing the balcony door, she slid down to the floor and closed her eyes.