There is a reason Sunagakure is called the Village Hidden in Sand. That reason is that it is located right in the middle of a desert. Everywhere you look is sand. The ground is sand, the buildings are sand, even the wind has sand in it. Sand, sand, everywhere…
Neji really, really, disliked sand. Having the Byakugan, he saw far more detail than ordinary people, and sand had a lot of detail. The tiny shimmering of the grains of sand, their subtle textures, the slight differences in colour, Neji saw it all. It gave him a headache.
Still, he would never refuse a mission and, unfortunately, his current mission involved being in Sunagakure. He would be stuck here for at least a month, helping with several search missions that could really use a Byakugan user. Today was his day off, though, but he found it hard to relax. He had tried to meditate, but found it impossible to concentrate. It wasn't as much the sand as it was the heat in this case. It was hotter than the hottest summer day Neji had ever experienced in Konoha. To make things worse, he had overheard some of the natives commenting on how cool it was today.
Neji sighed deeply and got up. He had grown frustrated of doing nothing and decided to go for a walk. Although he hoped to find some spot where there was actual coolness and no sand, he realised this was practically impossible, but at least he could get something to eat on his way.
He walked out of the hotel where he was staying and into a hot, bustling street. Everywhere he looked there were market stands filled with goods and people talking and laughing. Children were playing games, while market sellers tried to get passers-by to purchase their goods. It was a great sight and would have made for a good way to spend some time, had the sheer mass of people not made the heat even worse than it already was.
Neji quickly left the street and made his way through several others, each bustling in their own way, all very hot and sandy. Having never been here, Neji had no idea where to go to, so he simply kept turning into the quietest streets with the most shadow.
It wasn't long before people were but a rare sight. It was obvious he was far away from Suna's commercial and tourist areas. The buildings around him were almost tiny in comparison to the huge hotel he was staying in, but they were roomier than the stores and shops he passed by. There was laundry hanging on several balconies and most of the buildings were decorated with cheerful patterns. "I must be in a residential quarter," Neji mused.
He slowed his pace down, until it was more of a stroll. He liked this area and started to get more relaxed. He kept on walking leisurely, until he noticed the houses started getting bigger and more luxurious. One house, in particular, caught his eye. It was stately and impressive, decorated with finely crafted mosaics in beautiful patterns and bright colours. It was obvious that someone of great importance and wealth lived there and suddenly Neji had the same feeling he had whenever he walked by the house of his uncle Hiashi and his family. That awkward feeling of being somewhere that is clearly above your class that even the buildings themselves seem to look at you in disdain.
Neji tried to laugh the feeling off, but still decided to take another route, leading behind this street. There, he found an open stretch of land with nothing, but a few stray rocks and a tiny little shed with a tall fence. Curious, Neji approached the shed. It was simple and plain and, like most of the buildings in Suna, it was made of sandstone. There was something strange with this sandstone, though. It seemed denser than the sandstone Neji was used to seeing, as if it had been compressed under extreme pressure. It was also flawless, making Neji think it was either extremely well-kept, or very new.
Curious as to what was inside, Neji searched for an entrance. He was surprised when he didn't find any, not even in the shed. Now even more curious, Neji used his Byakugan to sneak a peek. What he found delighted him. Inside was a shadowy garden, with plants and rocks and even a small pond.
"You can have a look inside."
The voice was clear and monotonous, but the invitation seemed awkward, as if the one saying it was new to the whole friendliness thing. Startled, Neji turned around in surprise. There, he saw a boy of about his age, with his arms crossed and an emotionless look on his face. Emotionless to normal people, but Neji could determine hints of anxiety, awkwardness, and even some desperation. Emotions he didn't expect of this boy, who he recognised as the host of the demon Shukaku. "Sabaku no Gaara?"
The boy nodded. "You are Hyūga Neji of Konoha."
Neji was a bit surprised that Gaara knew his name, but assumed it was only normal for a high-ranking shinobi such as him to be aware of the presence of a foreign shinobi in the village. A slight shiver went down Neji's spine as he remembered what terror Gaara was capable of, but the calm aura emanating from Gaara quickly put Neji's mind at ease. The difference between this Gaara and the one he saw back then during the chūnin exams was remarkable. It was as if he had become a completely different person.
Neji was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of Gaara making an opening in the fence. He silently followed Gaara in, the opening immediately closing behind them. The garden was amazingly cool and filled with more species of cacti than you could count. "This is amazing…"
Gaara was silent for a moment, before slowly saying "Thank you."
Neji smiled a bit. "You're welcome."
Gaara stared at a medium-sized rock.
Neji stared at Gaara. He felt like he should do something to break the ice. "I like your cacti…"
Suddenly, Gaara's eyes seemed to light up. "I grew them myself."
He seemed oddly proud of this, as if it was the only thing he ever did right. Neji couldn't help but smile. "I see you put a lot of care into them."
A small smile grew on Gaara's face. "I care for them every day."
"It's obvious. Not many people could grow such beautiful plants. Especially not in a desert."
"Cacti are extremely strong plants that can survive even the hardest conditions, but they grow very slowly and are very fragile as seedlings. I wonder if they're like relationships in that way…"
"It sounds like they are and if that's the case, you must be a master at making friends." Neji smiled, hoping that he didn't say something wrong. Seeing Gaara's melancholic face, Neji's smile soon withered.
"I'm no master. Not like that guy... I don't have any friends."
"Uzumaki Naruto, you mean?"
Gaara nodded.
"In that case I can tell you have at least one friend. Naruto sees you as a friend and a close one at that."
"Uzumaki Naruto… is special."
"He is, but you don't have to have his gift to be able to make friends. I could easily see us two becoming friends."
"Don't lie."
"I'm not. I don't have many friends myself, but I like you. I would like to be your friend."
Gaara stared at him for a moment, before offering his hand. "Then… we are friends?"
Neji smiled and shook Gaara's hand. "Yes. We're friends."
The frown on Gaara's face turned into a small, but clear smile. "Thank you for being my friend, Hyūga Neji."
Neji smiled back and wondered whether it was destiny that had brought him here, but soon dismissed the thought. "Destiny or not, I'm certain this is fated to be something beautiful."
