"May he rest in peace," Kakashi finally ended the ceremony. The funeral. Neji's funeral.

"Anyone who would wish to pay their respects, may come up." He stated, turning to his right, and walking off the small stage that had been made for this specific date. Neji's team, Team Gai, stood off to the left of the coffin. The whole ceremony was situated in the forest. The one that Neji and I trained in almost everyday. I stood up, feeling all eyes on me. I had been the last to see him alive. We had been battling against Sound ninja. Against Sasuke. I didn't understand how he could do that to someone of his own village. Someone he grew up, seeing almost everyday.

Walking forward, I stepped onto the stage. Kakashi looked at me, a forlorn look on his face. It was a mixture of emotions. Despair, and pity. Don't pity me, Kakashi. Pity yourself. Pity Sasuke. I stared at him for a moment. He merely stared back, with his revealed eye. I took in a deep breath, before turning to the side. There it was. His coffin. Revealed to show his freshly washed body. He looked nothing like he had when I had last seen him. Scratches, all over his body. That one drop of blood, dribbling down his cheek. The area around his eyes, highly strained, veins showing completely. His bloodline, Byakugan.

Someone handed me a microphone. I was supposed to make a speech? In this state? I looked up, to be met with the eyes of Hinata. Neji's eyes. I held back a cry of pain. Emotional pain. I couldn't stand seeing those eyes. Those eyes would haunt me for the rest of my life. In my sleep. Daydreams. Everyday life. I stared for a moment. Her lips were tight, her eyes constantly closing. She was trying to blink away tears. I think everyone was. He had been arrogant, when he was younger. But he had matured. He was more open to other people's feelings. Including mine.

I woke up, with a scream. Another nightmare. Gaara. He had killed so many innocent people, and then Kankuro. Then me. The fact that I had died didn't faze me. I wasn't self-absorbed. No. It was the fact that Gaara had killed me. Gaara. My younger brother by blood. I broke out in tears, bringing my knees to my chest. I was alone. The Hokage of Konoha had allowed me to stay in an apartment of my own, until it was time for me to head back to Suna. That wouldn't be for another few weeks. The door opened. Whoever was coming in, had tried to be quiet. It didn't work out, seeing as the door creaked, everytime it was used.

"Temari..." A voice soothed. The bed shifted, a sign that someone had decided to sit next to me. Their arms wrapped around me, pulling my body close to theirs. They were slightly wet, the result of the downpour outside. I knew who it was. The coarse, white fabric of their shirt. The silky black hair that was covering his shoulder and cascading over my face. That voice. It was Neji, of course. He always came to my rescue at times like these. He always knew.

"Shh... Temari, he won't do that. He'll never do that." He whispered, gently stroking my hair. I always left it down during the night. Neji knew, though. He knew about everything. He knew everything there was to know about me. Things even I didn't know.

"Neji..." I paused. There were so many things that I could say. He was a great teammate, loyal, the best hand-to-hand fighter I had met. But that wasn't personal. No, I had better things to say.

"He knew everything about me. He knew when I was going to wake up from a nightmare. He knew what mood I was in. He knew what I wanted. What I needed. Neji wasn't what most people would have made him out to be. He was courageous. He would do anything he could to make sure a mission was finished. Be it assigned by the Hokage, or a personal goal." I stopped for a moment, getting a breath of air. Then I continued. I must have listed every quality of his, good and bad. I recalled every moment that I could think of. Every precious moment. Almost. There were some things that couldn't be shared.

"Neji... He had battles with himself. Like everyone has. A battle with his impurities. He tried living up to his name. His clan's name. He tried so hard... He wanted to be better. He wanted to somehow... Just, somehow, show that his clan was not all about the Main Branch. He wanted, and I'm sure he wants me to tell you all, that the other branch is just as important. That the people to the side are important. Everyone is important." I blinked, looking back to the coffin. I could have sworn that I saw him smile. He may have been dead, but that didn't mean he didn't know when something he wanted to happen occurred.

I turned away from them, hanging my head down. Applause. And cheers. I guess I had gotten the message across. That was what he wanted me to do. In his last moments, he told me that. Everything that he had told me. About freedom, about being important. His own wish was to die, and be peaceful. Neji had wanted to know if someone loved him. As in, if he survived, if they would marry him. I knew exactly who that was. Me.

I felt someone push me forward. Looking back, I carefully watched Lee's weary face. This was tearing him up, probably more than it was me. Neji had proclaimed Lee as his best friend. No matter how strange he was. His team was basically everything. Gai was there to give him friendly advice. Lee was there to make him laugh, even if he didn't show it. He sparred both both Lee and Tenten. And then- Tenten was apparently there to chat with, and give advice about girls. I wasn't sure. Neji and I had always talked about global issues, such as racism, and about poetry. That kind of stuff. We had never really bothered to talk about their close friends or family, unless something had happened to them, or the other asked about said person. Most of the information had been exchanged, when we first met.

Lee motioned for me to go on. See Neji one last time. I nodded, slowly moving toward the coffin. His eyes were closed, hands resting comfortably over his stomach. His hair was let down fully. I didn't get that. He didn't like having his hair fully down. I frowned, pulling one of my hairties out, and gently pulling it over his hair, so that it was tightened in, a few inches above where his hair stopped. There. Much better.

I sighed, resting my stomach on the side of the coffin. Better now, than never.

"Neji... I can't believe it. It's been two weeks since I saw you. Alive, at least..." I shook my head. I was being a bit crude about it.

"I miss you. Y-You... You shouldn't have died." My voice was wavering between a high pitch, and an even higher pitch. I sucked in a breath. I wasn't going to cry. At least, not until everyone in the room left.

"I love you." I paused, wincing at the sudden gasps in the room. I thought it was obvious. Soon, I heard Lee and Kakashi ushering people out of the room. I turned, facing a horrid sight. Hiashi. He didn't look pleased. I watched, as two Jounin attempted dragging him away. He struggled, trying to get back toward me. I merely watched. Hiashi didn't approve of Neji having a secret love. Only Lee and Kakashi were left in the room. I could trust them. I had to whisper, though. Just in case.

"Neji. I.... I'll tell your child everything about you. He'll see you as a leader." I looked at Neji's blank face, then to my stomach. It'd swell up soon, of course. So many mistakes... This wasn't one of them. This was something good. I leaned over, kissing Neji's cheek. It was cold. Bittersweet. His son or daughter would be great. Just as long as they didn't have his eyes. I now faced away from the coffin. Lee and Kakashi watched me. Lee looked like he was about to tackle me, and scream with joy, but he was still weary, over Neji's death. With one great death, came another great birth. Neji would be proud.

"I love you, Neji." I whispered one more time, before hopping off the stage, and departing to the door. Lee followed, seeing as he had assigned himself the mission to help me throughout the pregnancy. At least, that's what it seemed.

Ehh, I know it's not the best. But its still good, right? I hope!
xoxo
Supes!