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inanna's ring!sasuke wakes up in narutoverse
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Definitely.

He goes over a few more plans and investigative things - poking at which islands seem most likely to host smugglers, how they want to go about the initial investigation (Sugira favors spying over anyone trying to play bait, for instance)...

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Neji is willing to accede to their plans. They outrank him, after all.

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If Neji has ideas, or observations, he has been a shinobi longer, and this is the best time for problems to make themselves apparent. Sugira would rather obvious flaws that could have been addressed here not show up in the field, after all.

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...Gai-sensei's plans are more along the lines of 'charge in and either charisma it or punch it', so they're already ahead there.

He can provide a little more information about the capabilities of the byakugan and how best to utilize it.

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He nods, gives similar information about his team's own capabilities, though he doesn't explain how the spells function, just mentions them as some of his techniques.

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How soon are they setting out?

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Since it's still early, he doesn't want to wait for dawn tomorrow - he'll give them an hour to pack and they can leave at noon. It's still summer enough they'll have plenty of light to travel by.

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Then at noon they will set out.

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After about two hours, Neji falls back to travel next to Naruto.

"I... wish to apologize," he says, somewhat stiffly.

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"For what?"

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"My... behavior during the Chunin Exams. It was founded on a misunderstading and was unbecoming of a Konoha shinobi."

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He nods. "I accept your apology, but... I wasn't really the one hurt by it, you know."

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Neji's expression tightens. "I know."

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He nods. "It's - good that you do. Did you apologize to Hinata, too?"

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"Not exactly. I- was hoping you might have some advice. On what to say."

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"- Yeah, I think I can help."

Advice time! On basic social niceties and how to apologize! (He's pretty sure Hinata's actually just super nice and will be fine with a private but sincere verbal apology, if Neji wants to avoid the complicated clan politics that'll inevitably happen with anything bigger or more public? But if Neji wants to apologize more openly...)

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He's not sure he wants to invoke all the circumstances surrounding the apology in public. That would get complicated.

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Probably for Hinata, too.

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The matter involves clan history and branch house relations. A tense subject.

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He nods, making a sympathetic noise. 

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A pause, and then the whole story comes pouring out of Neji. Hidden Cloud's attempt to abduct Hinata, the death of the kidnappers, Cloud's demand for the clan head's body. How Neji's father sacrificed himself to save the secret of the byakugan and his twin brother's life.

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Yeah that... Really, really sucks. All around. And a lot of it's shitty systems, and a lot of it's people taking the chances they can to be assholes...

Naruto's going to try to fix that, for what it's worth. Long term, at least - it's not the type of thing that should keep happening.

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That... means a lot.

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They make it to the coast uneventfully. It is a beautiful beach day, and Chihiro says as much.

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He nods, agrees, and notes it's good for visibility - which'll help with scouting, but might make them also easily spotted.

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