I suppose this little fluff-bit is decent. It's a gift for my sister, and a product of boredom during driver's ed. Fear it. Reviews are absolutely adored! Remember that.

I don't own Naruto. If I did, you can bet your bootstraps that there would be fluff. I'm just childishly romantic like that.

...Why would anyone bet their bootstraps?

A graceful arch, fingers brushing against the steel, a quiet whistle through the air accompanying a rustle of her kimono and the knife's perfect spiral…

Thunk.

Another faultless throw. A slight smile curved her lips as her eyes shifted slightly to the left. With as crafty of an expression as she could manage, she jerked her head sideways in an invitation – or challenge.

Calm white eyes watched her steadily, taking in the overall effect of the lighting and her quite unusual attire. It hadn't looked complete before without the kunai clutched in her not-so-delicate hands. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly as he rose to his feet, crossing the short distance between them and plucking one from her grasp. His follow-up motion was a fluid throw at the distant target, a small branch on a tree quite a ways away.

Thunk.

Now gentle laughter that sounded somehow even more unrestrained than usual in the night air filled his ears as she chided his throw. It was perfect to an untrained eye, but in actuality a centimeter or two below the desired point. He scowled in annoyance, claiming that she was crazy, but knowing full well that she was right. She was right about a lot of things.

The stately music continued from inside the mansion that was just several yards away, the sound of laughter and clinking champagne glasses drifting through the night. The next song began, one that she apparently knew, as she began to hum along. Although this was the strangest mission they had taken in some time, she was grateful for the reprieve. It was so simple to defend this pompous, extravagant man – the only difficulty was keeping herself from stabbing him repeatedly when he acted out of line. Their exuberant teammate had seen this effect occurring once again and had sent her out to cool down for awhile. It wasn't her fault, really. The idiot had been showing off his assets to his wealthy party guests, including "female company," with a meaningful glance at her of all people. She, who had been hired to defend the fool. Anything else was unthinkable.

Imagine her surprise when her current silent companion stepped from the house in the few minutes following her exit. Upon inquiry, he had looked down – looked down! – and mumbled something about Lee pushing him out the door for "fresh air." Either way, he wouldn't complain if it meant escaping from that stuffy affair.

He was decidedly angry, and they both knew it. Had he really been visibly livid enough at the man for his comment for Lee to notice? They each wondered why.

His blood boiled at the thought. The pompous fool.

Throughout all her attempts to restrain it, her heart fluttered a bit at the same thought. Not at the man, not at all. But at Neji's obvious rage…

Both convinced themselves that he had been defending a friend. She was almost saddened by the thought; he was just confused.

Thunk.

Her aim was unrivaled, as she playfully reminded him. He scoffed and crossed his arms over his (handsome) male kimono. She swayed slowly to the music, hiding her unexplainable melancholy. Yes…they were good friends. She suddenly grabbed his hand, spinning him into a dancing position, his face mere inches from hers from the inertia. That part was unplanned. She blinked twice, not noticing anything except for how perfectly pure his eyes were, so blank and serene…she noticed how they widened ever so slightly in surprise and she blushed at her mistake. She stammered an apology as he shook his head to shrug it off, seeming slightly dazed. Dancing was not for them, even as friends. Too formal and strange.

The music played on as they practiced, their awkward moment soon forgotten in the fluidness of battle as they began to spar. One step here, another there, a shuriken thrown, a clone destroyed….she found herself knowing his next move, his every intent. But she never changed her course of action. In a way, this was their form of dancing. As the waltzing figures inside swirled past like autumn leaves, they flashed around each other as leaves of an entirely different kind. They knew each other's very minds, but neither one attempted to take advantage of the fact. She knew that Neji could easily defeat her, and yet he never attempted to. Advance and retreat, advance and retreat. They even had an eerie feeling that the other would instinctively know if they were about to change the pattern.

She mentioned the likeliness to dancing, voicing what they had both known all along. He didn't respond, which wasn't unusual. Little did she know that his reason for silence was different this time. Why had it bothered him so much? The arrogant fool…

Without them realizing it, their pattern became…different. Fueled by their own thoughts reflected unconsciously in their actions, they had slid into the change gracefully, in unison. It was tighter; closer – and they instinctively knew that neither of them could do anything to resist. There was no stopping it now. They were following this spiraling dance to the end, closer and closer as they sparred.

The end came quite suddenly as they became so close that their bodies stilled against one another, and lips that were usually crisp and somewhat brash became gentle and somewhat shy. As a grinning boy in a green jumpsuit looked on from the trees, the lips gently pressed together, the after-effects of a most unique dance, all their own.

//Dare// you to m o v e