A/N: This is my very first Naruto fic, so please take it easy on me!!!!

Though I was inspired by Beyoncé's song, Halo, my real inspiration is this one fanart of an injured Neji talking to Tenten, both of them facing the other direction as they lay under a tree. Want to see it? Here's a link: .com/image/neji%20tenten/Anko_Mitarashi_24/neji_and_?o=35 (place this link after the photobucket URL) (PICTURE IS NOT BY ME!)

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! THE SONG, HALO, Beyoncé KNOWLES, AND THE PICTURE ON THE LINK ARE NOT MINE!

Halo by Beyoncé

Nobody ever knew that prodigies can also be dreamers…

The fight with Kidomaru gave him more than just painful bruises, gashes and other body mutilations; it gave him a stronger sense of camaraderie. To be part of a team to retrieve a fellow friend and ninja; at first he only agreed to come to prove to the renegade genius that he does not need to leave behind what was once precious to him in order to gain power, but in the end, what really pushed him was because he wanted to prove to himself that his aforementioned theory is correct.

The aftermath of the Chuunin Exams did help him change his ways, but when he received news of the Uchiha's escape, it helped awaken his previous mindset. For even a prodigy, to undergo such a decision to choose between staying with his teammates, with the lingering feeling that he will forever remain weak because of them, or to side with the enemy, relying upon the promises of strength almost blindly; indeed I could feel the air of desperation inside his mind…Maybe even to the point wherein, given the same situation, I would also do the same thing.

Countless times did he try to erase the pervading thought to linger in his mind; he was in a battlefield and any room for uncertainty could result in certain death. Soon enough, before anymore doubts started to ring in his mind, his eyes gained a mind of their own and just…closed…with him slowly drifting in slumber.

He slowly stood up to the sound of a flock of larks hovering over the forest. He slowly crawled until his back was properly positioned in the bark of a large oak tree. His wounds were severe and he knew that he will not last long without proper medical attention. He looked at the birds that flew in the sky and slowly raised his hands, as if meaning to reach them and join in their flight. What I would give to have wings and fly…

Yeah…what would you give?

He turned his head around and saw a girl beside him. He knew this girl, that's for sure, but somehow her name eludes him. He knew the two signature buns that adorn her head, her simple face, her chocolate orbs. He even knows her fancy for weapons even though she didn't have one on her person right now. I'm sorry, but what is your name?

Seriously, what would you give? In order to become one of them, are you willing to give anything?

Who are you? Why are you here?

Could you answer my question first?

Yes…

"Yes" what?

I would give anything…to become free.

It is not in his nature to be open, especially when his feelings are concerned. It has been written, both in blood and ink. That nindō that acts as a double-edged sword; weakness is a sin…and emotion is weakness. So when the girl, that familiar stranger, kept asking him about his personal yearning and yet manages to avoid his more reasonable questions, it annoyed him and took him away from his once peaceful train of thoughts.

Now, can you answer my question?

Larks are so small, aren't they?

Hn. You're not going to answer me huh?

Yet they don't let that stop them from flying, like eagles, hawks, and falcons.

Hey, am I dead? I do not recall any females in the group Tsunade-sama dispatched.

He was really getting impatient with this girl. What made him worry all the more though was the question he asked her earlier. What if he truly was dead? What would happen to those he would leave behind?

You're a hypocrite, aren't you?

H-how so?

Birds fly for a variety of reasons…sometimes it's to escape from those who wish to rob them of their freedom, some escape to gather food because there would be none on the tree that they nest upon, and some escape along with a flock in order not to be left behind.

Yes, I am aware…but why am I a hypocrite?

….They use their wings to fly, to get away, to survive. Birds only have two wings, one on each side. They cannot carry more than themselves on their journey in life.

…

She looked at him; her piercing gaze seemed to search through his soul. She was looking for answers, that he knows for sure. Although the girl never seemed to listen to him, he listened to her. She talks about the birds as if they were a distant friend, too impossible to reach for reasons he cannot imagine. He looked at her back, still attempting to remember the girl's name.

Do you think they ever reach heaven?

Huh?

The birds…do they ever reach heaven?

I don't think so. They are not dying, after all.

Have you ever reached heaven?

No. Unless I am in heaven right now and you're an angel.

Why do you think that?

You talk too cryptically to be human, and besides, I do not feel any pain from the wounds I sustained awhile back.

I see.

So am I really…?

Are you willing to give anything in order to gain your wings, Neji Hyuuga?

I haven't been called that name in a while…

How so? That is your name, right?

I have always been called a prodigy, a genius, or more commonly just by my family name, Hyuuga.

I see.

I have always been reared on a higher pedestal than everyone else. People always think me higher than everyone else.

Isn't that a good thing?

It makes me feel as if it is not possible for me to reach my hand down to those who feel that they are lower than me, or to dream an ordinary man's dream.

What is an ordinary man's dream?

To fly…

But if you fly, won't you be even further away from the people whom you mentioned are lower than you?

I…didn't really think of it that way.

The girl quietly stood up and went to his side. His eyebrow arched as he wondered what she was going to do next. She placed her hand on one of the buttons of his shirt and started unbuttoning it. Shortly after, she removed the shirt and placed it beside her. She undid the bloody bandages that covered his bare body which revealed where his injuries were. She touched one of them; he grimaced at first, but she reciprocated with a gentle smile that placed him at ease.

Who are you?

Why do you ask?

Because I want to thank you properly.

I know that is not the reason, but even if I know you mean well I can't tell you.

…Why?

I do not want to be left alone.

But I'm right here!

You will one day…and if you do, I will have to pretend like I'm fine just as I do everyday.

Then there will be no problem.

…

…

I just don't understand why you want to fly away.

Because I-

When heaven is right within you reach?

What do you mean by tha-

And the birds and their wings that you admire so much can be seen in the faces of the people you see everyday?

Huh?

Your family…your clan; see how much they have changed! Can't you see the bonds that hold you together? As strong as a tree that can bear all the seasons?

I didn't mean to-

Your team…your teammates and your teacher! Don't they resemble the larks you so love? That despite their imperfections – their meager backgrounds – they still try and soar with the eagles; they still try to soar with you?

…

When she felt that he had nothing more to say, she looked at him once more. She saw tears form down his eyes. Who would've thought that even prodigies can be dreamers?

She removed her hand on his wound and walked to the spot she was in awhile back and got a fresh new roll of bandages. She sat back down next to him and slowly began wrapping his injuries. Each new wrap crisscrossed in a certain spot in his chest; by the third time the roll reached that particular area, he reached for her hand…and she stopped and looked at him once more.

I know who you are.

…do you still want to have wings and fly?

…yes…

I se-

But only because I want to reach you…

…

I love you, Tenten.

The last thing he saw was that smile on her face, then he opened his eyes.

She woke up to the tapping of raindrops on her window which rhythmically sounded with the loud thumping of her heart. Cold sweat formed on her forehead as she recalled the bits and pieces of her dream in her head. As she tried to organize her thoughts, her eyes instinctively looked to her right, where her bedside drawer was and where a picture of her team the year prior could be seen. She picked up the wooden framed picture and stared at it for a long time, as if hoping that she would be brought back to the time when it was taken. Tears flowed down her eyes as she placed the picture back on the drawer top. She rubbed the trickles with the back of her hand and slowly closed her eyes; clasping her hands together similar to when one utters a prayer.

When are you coming home?

I'm home right now.

Love has always been a mystery. It comes in many forms and no theory can ever differentiate one from the other. She will never understand the inner workings of love, or how it came to her life. All she knew was that she waited, for him to come back to the village, to come back to his family, for him to come back to her. There was no love, no malice, no ecstasy that formed in her mind; for she thought only about his safety. She would have never thought that love could ever come from compassion, from waiting for him to come home. When his lips touched hers in the middle of that rainy night, all she could ask was, "where are you?"

I'm in heaven. [1]

She wanted to laugh at what could have been one of the most clichéd lines she has ever heard from this familiar embodiment that must have been conjured by her imagination, in order to ease the pain that has been clutching her heart. At the same time, she wanted to cry even more because that could have also meant that he has closed his eyes forever.

Are you…-

I'm with you…I'm always with you.

More tears formed in her eyes as she deepened their kiss. His soft, chaste lips pressed on her own dry, rough ones. In that moment her mind felt comfort, assurance, security. She erased the fact that he just might be a figment of her imagination; all she ever cared about was that, right now, it was only her and him.

You showed me something I thought I never had.

Promise me you'll come back to us!

I will…I promise.

Please…don't leave me.

…

…I love you too, Neji…

a/n: Bleah!!!!! I didn't even know I was capable of such sappiness. I really apologize for my lack of writing prowess! Please review after reviewing, though. I love to hear what other people have to say (whether negative or positive criticism) regarding my fanfics. You know what they say: If you can't handle mistakes, then you can't handle perfection. Or maybe that's just me. Thank you for taking the time to read!

p.s. Flames (reasonable ones), and anonymous reviews are accepted!

[1] For those who don't get the "heaven" metaphor, Neji is referring to Tenten. Tenten literally means "here and there" or the word "heaven" twice.

Oh, and please check my profile and vote on the polls on what song-based fic should I do next! Thank you in advance.