Arranged (NejiXReader)

{8}First Mission 2

❇Chapter Eight❇
First Mission
(Part 2)
Emperor Mutsunaga's Daughter

"Awooooooooh!" A wolf faintly cried out to the hills, making you jump out of sleep. "Ah!" you flung yourself up out of your sleeping bag, you took a look around your surroundings to see the remains of the firewood with a thin line of smoke slithering up to the skies, the sticks from the squid sticks, Tenten tucked inside her sleeping bag, you can't tell where her head is from her feet, Lee wasn't in his sleeping bag but was sprawled out like a star with his leg over Tenten, Gai was still leant up against the tree as he was last night and Neji was nowhere to be found.
You picked up the squid sticks that were scattered around the campfire and  went out to look for Neji.
  After minutes of searching aimlessly, you found him meditating in the woods. "Neji, I finally found you. I was so worried."
"Why should you be?"
"I'm your squad member, Neji-"
"Stop avoiding the fact that we're engaged."
"Excuse me- I am avoiding the fact that we're 'engaged' to not trigger you. The first time I triggered you, I was seconds away from being hit to the heart and falling into a coma, maybe even dead."   
"I'm glad you know what to say."
"You know nothing."
"Come again?"
"You don't know me, you don't know how I feel, you don't know what I've been through-"
He got up and stood before you, "And you most definitely done know that I'm not afraid of you." You took a step forward, sizing up to him.
Yet again, the howl came around, "Eek!" you jumped up and flung your arms around him. The next thing you knew, you were being held bridal style. "Do you know what it takes to be a ninja or do you think this is some joke? It takes bravery, strength, sacrifice and tears to be a ninja. You have to put your life on the line for the ones you love and for the village, are you ready for that. For such responsibility?" He dropped you,
"Why are you a ninja? You have no loved ones, you care for no one meaning you will never place your life on the line for no one and most importantly, strength isn't everything, sometimes you have to lose to win the game."
"Having to lose to win the game? That's absurd. Utter foolishness. A weakling's motto. If you keep living by those words, you're bound to die."
"That same 'Weakling's Motto' made very great Ninja and Shinobi live long and go down in history. And I became Ninja to show you how wrong you are and how much YOU don't KNOW! And what in the world you know about being bound-"
"Oi!" Gai called out, catching both your attention. You both retreated back to camp,
'Feels he's better than everybody else, who cares if he's skillful that everyone else, I'll prove to him that he's just as naive as me.'
  The sun has already risen and burning bright, you have been walking for hours,
"How long more do we have to walk?" Tenten asked,
"A few more miles, then we have to travel by boat."
Hours later we arrived at a harbour aligned with various sizes of boats and ships.
"Which boat do we have to take?" Tenten wondered,
"That one." Gai pointed to a dinghy with a man inside.
You all boarded the small boat and set sail, "On a mission aren't ya?" The man asked as he pushed the the boat further out to sea with his oar. He wore a hat made of straw, a dull colored kimono that matched with the atmosphere, foggy and lifeless. "Yes we are, it's the kiddos' first time outside of their village."
"Oh, must be scary for you four, out in a strange place."
"Yeah, it is.." You nodded.
"What's the mission?"
"We have to find a missing girl."
"Is she an empress by chance?"
"Oh yes, do you have any information?"
"It was said that the night she went missing, she was running off to meet someone, maybe her secret lover."
"Secret lover? Was she married or engaged?" You asked, "Maybe, maybe not. I was just passing by when I heard."
"Okay," you nodded.
  "And here we are," The man pulled up to the coast.
You got off one by one, "Thank you for getting across the river." Gai thanked,
"The pleasure is all mine," the man tipped his straw hat with a slightly sinister smile.
"Boss, I found them. One adult male, two teenaged males and two females." The man spoke through a walkie talkie.
  After taking directions from villagers to where the Emperor's mansion is, you all finally found it. Gai knocked upon the door and it was answered by a servant,
"Good day, we are sent to help the Emperor find his daughter."
"Come in," the servant stepped aside for the five of you to pass. "Please have a seat, you must be tired. I'll send servants with tea and pastries while you wait upon the His Majesty."
Another servant brought the tea and pastries as you all waited, soon after the Emperor entered the room.
You all stood up and greeted him with a bow, "Oh please, I should be bowing down to you. After all, you are going to save my daughter. I am Renji Mutsunaga, can I have the names of your names?"
"I am might Gai, their sensei and these are my students,
Neji Hyuuga, (Name) Hyuuga, Tenten and Rock Lee."
"A pleasure to meet you, Emperor Mutsunaga but can you give us information about your daughter?"
"Her name is Aoi Mutsunaga, twenty years of age, black eyes, long black hair, pale skin, rosy cheeks."
"What was she last wearing?"
"A black kimono patterned with pink flowers, her hair was up done in a bun with chopsticks through it."
"It was said that she ran away, for what reason?"
"We had an argument over something petite, I sent her to her room but when I went, minutes later to apologize. But she was gone. That night, I sent guards to search for her. Days passed, and she hadn't returned. There was a note found in a bottle that broke through the window.
It stated, 'We have your daughter, if you want her. Come at the abandoned library next week Thursday at noon with two million yen. Any later than that you'll find the lifeless body of your precious daughter.'"
"Today is Saturday, we only have five days." Tenten said,
"During those four days we should train and prepare!"
"Good thinking, Lee!"
"Do we have to give these kidnappers money?"
"No, just give us a briefcase and fill it with rocks."
"I shall give you rooms to stay in for the following five days. My servants will show the rooms to you."