Disclaimer: I do not own naruto.

A/N: Collaboration with Moonlight Memories

Note: This fic is kind of random.

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Silent Protector

How did one begin to say something like this? Such a delicate matter. It was weird. Embarrassing, even. Still, he had to tell Hinata-sama. Even if he didn't really want to, even if it

was pointless. He did want to protect her. Should he say it straight out, then? "Hinata-sama, I want to protect you. I will do my duty properly from now on. You have suffered too much, Hinata-sama." Still, what if she became upset?

She did not really need a protector. That is why she became a ninja. Still. It would not stop him from protecting her. Hinata-sama is still fragile, despite what everyone thinks. While she might be capable of protecting herself, he wanted to protect her.

His desire to protect her overruled all his emotions. He wanted to hold her close. Reach out and pull her into his embrace. He did not like her hanging around the blond brat with the simple mind. Naruto will never be able to protect his Hinata.

And so, he follows the girl around. I want to speak to you, he tries to say. Her eyes, her thoughts , her mind were on Naruto most of the time, so she does not notice. What does she sees in him? That person is only a loud, unpredictable, hyperactive ninja. Does she wants Naruto to protect her? No, he wouldn't let that happen. He would be the one. No one else.

"Hinata-sama" the words come out. It is too easy, such easy words for the difficulty that lies ahead. The doll-like creature turns and looks at him. She smiles. "N-Neji- niisan," she acknowledges.

"I would like to say that I..."

"That is to say..."

At that moment a certain someone asks Hinata if she would like some ramen, as a token of his gratitude. His chance is then ruined and he huffs, and then leaves, only to follow her in the shadows again

"Sasuke-kun!" "What?" as usual, his tone was cold and forbidding.

"Can I sit next to you?" " ...." Taking his silence as a yes, Sakura smiles as she sits besides him. Finally i can spend some time with Sasuke-kun without Naruto getting in the way, she thinks.

"When can we date?" Sakura asks randomly. Sasuke's eyes grow wide with alarm. To Neji's astonishment, they grow wider and wider as Sakura narrates the events of their marriage. Neji didn't realise it was humanely possible.

Just then, Hinata-sama walks by. She shyly observes their conversation and tends to share a smile with Neji. A secret smile, the smile of the observers. She is amused. Neji wants nothing more than to sweep Hinata off her feet and give her the prince charming he knows she has been after since childhood. He cannot be a Prince Charming, though, and Hinata-sama is no Cinderella. She is not that fragile.

Just as naruto spots sakura, Neji spots his chance. That blonde brat would be too focused on sakura to talk to hinata-sama. "Naruto! You're annoying, get off me!"

"Sakura-chan..."

"Hinata-sama.." He did it, he caught her attention, with his hinata-sama, those same eyes and same skin they share, turned to meet his gaze." W-hat's the matter? N-Neji-niisan?" Her smile mesmerized him and left those words stuck at his throat

"I want to sit beside sakura-chan! go sit somewhere else Sasuke!" With Naruto pushing Sasuke away, concidentally or not, he knocks Neji away from Hinata, allowing him to lose his balance, his knees touching the wet soil of the ground.

"N-neji-nii-san, are you alright? "

"ARGH! Sasuke stole sakura-chan away again! Let's go Hinata! RAMEN!" these were the final words Neji heard from the blonde brat as he pulled Hinata away from his reach...

That idiot...

Neji wanted to punch him...

Neji found himself slowly giving up. At every interval, something would happen to stop him from telling Hinata-sama how much he liked her. Neji sighed. Maybe it was destiny that they could not speak together. Perhaps it was retribution. Whichever it was, it was very cruel.

Suddenly, he caught sight of his angel, and she was falling...

Quickly, he reached out to catch her.

"Who stepped on me?!" yelled a very angry Shikamaru.

"G-gomen.."

"Quiet, Shikamaru. You shall not speak to hinata-sama in that manner."

"Tch.."

"Hinata-sama... I have been trying to tell you all week that I..."

"How troublesome," Shikamaru complains before walking away. Hinata is blushing slightly, perhaps still bothered by the fact that she tripped over Shikamaru. It cannot be helped, though. Shikamaru and Hinata have just returned from a mission, and he can see that they have not been sleeping well.

"Know that I... Know that I will protect you, Hinata-sama," Neji says softly.

"I-I know," Hinata replies, blushing even harder than before. "I hear it when father asks me to visit you. You speak in your sleep."

Neji found that he couldn't look at his cousin, not anymore. Since when did he speak in his sleep? What other embarrassing things had he revealed?

How could he have allowed himself to blunder like this?! How would she view him now?

"Then...."

"I w-wonder why you a-always call out my name..." Hinata murmurs thoughtfully.

"That... uh... it's because I think of you," he lies lamely, his cheeks tinted with red. However, she appeared to accept that explanation.

If only Sasuke hadn't thrown him that dirty look while walking by.

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