A/N: So, I hope this ending to the arc doesn't feel too abrupt. This arc started to bug me and I felt comfortable ending it here, but at the same time I'll probably come back and edit it sometime to give it a bit more build-up. The second part of the chapter wasn't actually planned, if that helps at all. It turned from what was going to be a one-page conclusion to a several page-d scene. I thought we should have a little more Kazue and Neji fun before I moved on. Hope you enjoy!

By the time they finally managed to locate the princess, all of them were soaked and exhausted. The rain had begun to downpour again, luckily they were close enough that the muddled trail didn't matter. The moment they'd spotted her through the rain, Saichi had picked up his pace through the trees before dropping down right in front of the girl, his expression grim. The princess simply stared at him for a moment, let out a sigh, and braced her hands on her hips. 

"Great. And I thought for once you'd listen to me and leave me be." 

The boy shrugged off the statement, as if it mattered little to him.

"Sorry." 

Kiba and Jun exchanged glances, the first in a rather foul mood and looking rather similar to the appearance of a drowned rat as he muttered  something under his breath to Akamaru who'd taken shelter beneath the hood of his jacket. 

"Let me guess, you're here to take me back." 

"I am," he agreed. 

"So the engagement hasn't been called off." 

"It hasn't." 

"You haven't changed your mind on this matter." 

"I haven't." 

"Saichi..." she muttered, suddenly stepping forward and seizing a handful of the boy's soaked shirt. "You idiot." 

The rain pouring down all around of them didn't seem to bother either of the Moon country's citizens as they simply stared at each other for a moment. Saichi's black hair was plastered to the sides of his face, his serious eyes never flickering away from the challenging gaze the princess was shooting him. In turn, her black hair had been swept back into a messy ponytail, her blue eyes narrowed. Her body was drowning in a soaked, oversized shirt and trousers she'd obviously picked up after fleeing her countrymen. 

"I have a knife," she muttered after a moment. "I treated it with venom just like you taught me. I could stab you right now and keep going. If you can't get me to come back, they'll probably give up." 

His expression didn't waver. 

"If you must. I won't protest if that's what you want." 

Ai's challenging expression grew frustrated as she jerked her hand forward, putting their faces inches from each other. 

"Idiot!"

Jun glanced at Kiba once again. 

"I have the distinct feeling that we've gotten involved in a lovers' quarrel," he commented lightly. "So that's why the princess didn't want to get married." 

Realization crossed Kiba's face as his eyes shot back to the scene. 

"So we're out here, soaked, cause she wanted to marry him, not her fiance?" Kiba grumbled.

Ignoring the conversation going on between the two Leaf shinobi, Ai glared at Saichi. 

"Is it really possible that you're not bothered at all? You really don't care what happens?" she demanded. "You don't care if I kill you, or if I get married? Do you really not care?" 

"Stabbing me with a  poisoned blade wouldn't kill me," Saichi pointed out, his tone simple. "I'm immune to most poisons." 

Frustrated, the princess released his shirt, simply wrapping her arms around herself instead. 

"Idiot," she repeated. "You really are an idiot, Saichi. It's not fair." 

"Come on, Ai, we're going back." 

"I can't," she insisted. "Saichi, I can't marry someone else. I just can't." 

His expression unwavering, the moon shinobi swept her off of her feet and into his arms. She didn't protest, she didn't as much as say another word. She simply stared at him with wide, tear colored eyes as she relaxed in his hold. 

"Saichi... I can't." 

He shook his head, faint amusement crossing his lips as he cradled her in his arms so that he could shift one hand up to swipe rain soaked strands of hair from her face. 

"You don't have to be scared, Ai. He's a good man from what I've heard. Just because... you don't have to worry. I'll be fine. Stop lying to yourself," Saichi informed her.

Almost instantly, the words seemed to work like magic. She crumpled in his arms, tears streaming down her already rain soaked cheeks. 

"Saichi..." 

"Come on," Saichi commented, turning his eyes to the other two genin. "We're going back." 

___________________________________

The following morning, it was made strikingly obvious that a stare-down between Neji and Kazue wouldn't wield a winner. As the two of them refused to look away from the other, Naoki glanced between them, his expression rather unsettled. 

"I think it's a wonderful idea," Kazue announced. 

Neji narrowed his eyes. 

"But princess, you're supposed to be staying at the daimyo's mansion," Neji replied. "That was the rule your father laid down when you came." 

Kazue gave him a thin-lipped smile in response. 

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind if I went out with my fiance," she countered. "After all, that's what I'm here for, to get to know him." 

Neji tensed in turn, his arms crossing over his chest. Naoki put up his hands in a placating gesture, his expression asking how he'd gotten into this mess. Despite the fact that as far as he knew, a fight between the shinobi and the princess was impossible, the tension in the air was unmistakable.

"It's fine," he reassured her. "We don't have to go out. I can ask them to put the horses back in the stabl-"

"No, I really like the idea of going," Kazue cut in with a sickly sweet smile. "After-all, who wouldn't want to get to know their fiance?" 

Perhaps she was taking her irritation a little far, but she couldn't help it. Earlier that morning, she'd attempted to be polite and cordial with Neji, who in turn had blown her off with a short and curt attitude. So perhaps she was feeling a bit bitter, that didn't mean anything. After-all, she had a right to be angry. She'd attempted to be friends with him and he'd rejected the offer. That mean she had a right, right? It wasn't her fault that they were in the situation they'd been stuck in. He could at least try and be a bit understanding and friendly.

Rolling his eyes, Neji refused to back down. 

"The kind of person who doesn't know how to ride a horse," he retorted. 

" I can learn." 

"Without getting injured?" 

"I heal fast." 

"You're an idiot." 

"Are you supposed to call the princess an idiot?" she questioned in turn. 

When he didn't respond right away, Kazue flashed him a smile and slid her arm though Naoki's. 

"Come along, I can't wait to see the forest with your eyes." 

Helplessly, Naoki shot Neji an apologetic look over his shoulder as he led the way to the stables. As they arrived, the horses were being led out of the front doors. With a short word with Naoki, the stable-boy offered her the reins to a what seemed to be a rather calm, white mare. As she stared at it, Kazue took in a deep breath, the animal and the kunoichi having a short stare-down as she tried to work up the nerve to get on. Naoki- picking up on the emotion- paused next to his dark-colored mare. 

"We don't ha-"

"I'm not scared," she interjected, causing an almost amused smile to appear on the boy's face. Within the next second she'd grabbed onto the saddle as she'd seen him do, stuffed her foot in the stirrup, and propelled herself onto the horse's back. Her breath caught in her throat the moment she was on the creature's back, the feeling of a living, breathing creature beneath her causing a sliver of fear to shoot through Kazue. Not willing to back down after she'd managed to get past Neji, however, she simply gathered the reins and shot Naoki a pale-faced smile. 

"Now what?" 

With a shake of his head at the stubborn girl before him, Naoki launched himself onto the mare's back. 

"Now," he announced. "We'll walk around a bit before heading onto the trails. It'll be better if you have a feel for what you're doing before we take off."

Swallowing thickly, Kazue simply nodded and hesitantly gave a shake of the reigns. 

"Let's go." 

The horse simply snorted and pawed at the earth beneath their feet. Neji's lips twisted from where he was watching to the side, his arms crossed over his chest. Red-faced, Kazue repeated the shake of her reigns, nudging the horse with her heels as she'd seen some people do before. 

"Um... onward?" she mumbled. 

The noise the horse made that time sounded almost like it was laughing at her. At that same time, Kaede and Raiden joined Neji. The kunoichi's lips were twisted up an amused expression, Raiden's expression slightly concerned. 

"She has ridden a horse before, hasn't she?" he questioned Neji. 

"Not once." 

"You'll do fine, Ai-sama!" Kaede called out, cupping her hands around her mouth. "Just make sure to hold on tight in case you lose your balance!" 

"Our horses are trained to respond to individual commands," Naoki informed her as he caught into her dilemma- his expression apologetic. "Snow's command is susumu." 

Eyeing the horse with distaste, Kazue drew up what dignity she had left and flicked the reigns one more time. 

"Susu-"

Snow, having a rather sensitive mouth, reacted to the sharp tug on her reigns by rearing up in the air. Squealing, Kazue released her hold on the reigns and wrapped her arms around the horse's neck. Without any thoughts to the action, Neji launched himself across the clearing and grabbed the now free-hanging reigns, pulling the horse down and stroking her side, soothing her enough that she calmed with a loud snort and a few stomps of her hoofs. Kazue, shaking like a leaf and even paler than before, didn't even try to protest as Neji pulled her from Snow's back. 

"I... I think I'm done playing princess," she muttered quietly. 

His lips twisting up just the smallest degree, he settled her on the ground and offered the reigns to the stableboy who'd rushed over at the sight of the rearing horse. 

"I told you not to do it." 

"Y-yeah..." 

_____________________

It was later that evening when Jun and the rest returned with the princess. Not wanting the exchange to be picked up by the daimyo or his son, Kazue and the others snuck out after dinner. As soon as they'd dropped down on the other side of the gates, Kazue spotted Ai. 

They stared at each other for a moment, each just as surprised as the other. 

"We really do look alike," Kazue muttered after a moment. 

Ai simply nodded, staring at her with wide eyes. 

"Who knew I had a twin," she agreed. 

"... he'll be asking for you later," Kazue commented. "You should probably get going." 

Ai swallowed thickly, then nodded, allowing Saichi to tug her into his arms as he launched himself up onto the tops of the daimyo's gate. As Jun watched them go, Kazue's eyes settled on her teammate, curiosity flickering through her. She'd been about to ask about the princess and how similar they were, when she picked up on something strange. Jun might have been watching them go, but for one of the first times since she'd known him...

Jun wasn't smiling. 

Sure, the expression on his face wasn't a frown, but even then it was strange. The cheerful genin never did anything less than grin unless they were in a hard situation, even then he tended to smile despite everything. 

Had something happened while they were searching for the princess? 

"Let's go!" Guy announced. "If we continue, we could make it back to Konoha by daybreak!"

A/N: So...there you go! Now we're onto the final stuffs! Oh, and the next chapter is one of my favorites to have written (it's already half-done)! I can't wait to see your guys' opinion on it! Also... I'm tempted to write a one-shot covering Princess Ai and Saichi seeing as I've really started to start Saichi... I promise you this isn't the last you'll see of the Moon shinobi!