A/N: I have four tests coming up in the next two weeks. So naturally I write instead of studying.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Neji is a cheerful 5 year-old. Quiet, industrious, and with keenly observant bright moon eyes, he is an intelligent and polite child. Every Saturday afternoon he accompanies his father to the local public library, eager to read the latest volumes of his favorite manga, Naruto, while his father finishes his work.
Naruto is about a young boy whose dream is to become Hokage, the title bestowed on the most revered ninja in the village of Konoha. Though the protagonist, Naruto Uzumaki, is a boisterous, loud-mouthed blonde, Neji finds he identifies well with the young boy. Like Naruto, he believes he too is destined for greatness.
Today is a particularly blustery, gloomy February day. Neji's cheeks sting from the cold, but the warmth of his father's large, sturdy hand wrapped around his own small, gloved one pacifies any complaints. As soon as they enter the library, however, Neji hurries to tug his hand free, preparing to race to the manga section, but his father stops him with a firm grip on his shoulder. Hizashi kneels down so that he is eye level with his son. "Be good. I'm on the second floor in my usual spot if you need me." Neji nods and grins when Hizashi places a quick kiss on his forehead. His father ruffles his hair before he turns to ascend the staircase.
The manga section is located in a small back corner on the first floor, neighbored by bookshelves on Japanese history and Chinese martial arts manuals. It is rarely crowded, and most Saturday's Neji has the luxury of enjoying the entire selection to himself. Today Neji quickly weaves his way through the aisles of bookshelves, pulling his gloves off and stuffing them in the pocket of his navy blue coat as he goes. But as he approaches the corner, he catches sight of a young girl in a baby pink blouse and dark jeans. She is curled up in his favorite lime green armchair, her bright yellow coat, purple mittens, and knitted panda hat carelessly dumped in a pile on the floor. His eyes narrow as he realizes she is reading the latest Naruto volume. Neji ducks behind a shelf on medieval weapon history and chews his lip as he contemplates how best to approach her. Social interactions with strangers make him anxious, and his stomach fills with dread at the prospect of having to ask her if he may read the manga after she's finished. He briefly entertains the thought of just waiting until she places the manga back on the shelf, but dismisses the idea out of fear of the prospect of her deciding to take the volume home before he has the chance to read it.
If she does decide to borrow it, he could just wait the two weeks until it is due back, he thinks, anxiety seizing him with full force now. But Neji is five and he does not yet have the patience to wait so long. Should he get his father to ask? No, his father would encourage him to solve this problem on his own. His shoulders slump as he reaches the inevitable conclusion that he will have to talk to the girl or risk going home disappointed.
Slowly he works up the courage and shuffles out from behind the shelf. He picks at the buttons on his coat as he approaches the girl. To his dismay, she does not notice his presence until he is standing directly in front of her and quietly clearing his throat to get her attention. Neji waits until the fog clears from her eyes, and she returns from the streets of Konoha back to the reality of the lime green armchair and their boring suburban life.
"E-Excuse me, could I read that after you?" Neji whispers, careful not to attract the attention of the librarian rearranging some books nearby. He is startled when the young girl's serious expression suddenly splits into a cheery grin that lights up her large brown eyes.
"Sure!" she replies, shifting her body into a more comfortable position in the chair. Neji exhales a quiet sigh of relief and gives her a smile in return.
"Thanks." He turns to settle on the couch a few feet away, but something about the way she smiled at him keeps him rooted to the spot. She glances up at him and cocks her head to the side.
"I-I'm Neji," he tells her. The words tumble out of his mouth of their own accord, and anxiety bubbles in his stomach again. But the young girl simply smiles.
"I'm Tenten. Nice to meet you!" Neji nods, feeling his ears burn, and moves to settle on the couch. The image of her brown orbs remains at the forefront of his mind. Though he has never seen his mother's eyes, something in him tells him they were kind and warm like Tenten's. Comforted by this thought, he watches her secretly, and decides that he doesn't mind her presence.
He spends the next fifteen minutes observing the snow covered courtyard and thinking of his mother. His father sometimes shares stories about her before tucking him in for bed. He knows his mother died soon after he was born, but his father always reassures him that the dead never truly leave their loved ones behind. His mother is still here, watching over him. He wonders if it was she who had held him in place and pushed him to introduce himself to the bun-haired girl. He wonders if she is sitting with him now, here on the couch, with her hand on his shoulder. He imagines her hands would feel like his father's, only softer and more petite.
Tenten interrupts his thoughts with a gentle tap on his shoulder. She is bundled in her hat and coat now, and her purple mittens are enclosed around the Naruto volume. "Here," she hands it to him with a grin. "It's really good, but I won't spoil it for you," she teases with a wink. "Maybe we'll see each other here again."
Neji nods, "Yes. Maybe. Thanks again." She waves and then disappears in the maze of bookshelves.
Neji licks his lips in excitement as he moves to occupy the now vacant lime green chair. He studiously pours over each panel for the next twenty minutes. The volume concludes in Naruto finally graduating from the Academy and meeting his team for the first time. Neji's thoughts wander to Tenten again. They'd get along much better than Naruto does with his new teammates, he thinks.
His father comes to collect him as he is placing the manga back on the shelf. Hizashi helps Neji back into his coat and then scoops him up into his arms. Neji pouts. "I can walk," he protests, although he has already wound his arms around his father's neck.
"You're growing up too fast. Let me have this, at least."Neji rolls his eyes with an epic amount of sass and arrogance for a five-year old. Hizashi only laughs again.
Neji doses off in the car on the way home, dreaming of he and Tenten in Konoha.
A/N: More chapters to come! Thank you for reading and please review!
~M.I.