Title: Empty eyes: She and he
Fandom: Naruto
Character(s): Neji, Hinata
Rating: PG
Author's Note: A simple gen-drabble - could possibly be viewed as pre-Nejihina.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Naruto manga or anime- or any other aspect of the franchise – it was created by Kishimoto Masashi.
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EMPTY EYES
She and he
She's brilliant, they say, they're lucky not many recognised it when she was a Chuunin – much less "high profile" than the other Hyuuga, who everyone spoke of as a prodigy.
He allows himself to listen to rumour – for an organisation which pride's itself on secrecy there are much whispering and gossiping going on within the ANBU complex's walls – it is still unclear to him, however, how his timid and stuttering cousin managed to be initiated into the ANBU mere months after he himself was.
.
The mission hadn't been too hard – recon hardly ever was – yet boring and long hours of sitting around doing nothing but cautiously monitoring some or another target did leave even the most well trained ninja with cramps.
Neji made his way into the combined shower and locker-room of the ANBU complex – it was usually deserted this time of day – too late in the morning for anyone returning from a mission, but too early for anyone being sent out.
Dirty armour with the unsalvageable remains of a uniform propped against a wall and the unmistakable sound of a running shower forced Neji to bury a sigh – it wasn't empty as he had hoped.
Earlier than he anticipated the water stops and the person least likely to be there, in his mind, exits one of the shower-stalls with nothing but a towel to dry her long hair.
Her hair is long now, it hits him – he hasn't seen her in long enough for her hair to grow out to the same length the rest of their clan keeps it at.
Hinata doesn't acknowledge him when she makes her way over to the shelf housing net-baskets containing their non-ANBU clothing; she takes out a small cylinder container, opens it and proceeds to apply a thin layer of what must be healing cream to two small scratches on her leg and one on her arm, just below the ANBU-tattoo, before screwing the container shut again and putting it back in the hamper.
Sooner than Neji expected she's dressed in her regular Jounin outfit and out of the room leaving behind no dirty amour or soiled uniform – only a fading "Good morning, nii-san."
She hadn't stuttered.
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