Disclaimer: I do not own any Naruto characters!!!
Chapter 1
At the heart of the deciduous forest surrounding the leaf village, a young man lay in the plush grass under a large, twisting tree. It was the beginning of autumn, and so, the leaves on the trees were beginning to change. Instead of the usual green, they were now red, yellow, brown and orange. An eerie silence lay across the forest. The usual sounds, such as the chirping of birds and the rustle of the leaves in the wind, could not be heard. That wasn't the only unusual thing. The many animals habituating that forest, were no where to be found.
The young man seemed not to notice the unearthliness of the forest. He just lay there, his eyes staring sightlessly into the dense undergrowth. On the surface, he seemed to be at peace, but on the inside he was in turmoil.
I can't believe it's been three years, he thought.
At the sound of foot-steps coming towards him, the young man broke out of his trance. He stood up and waited. His unruly, brown hair was blown away from his face with a sudden gust of wind, revealing his handsome features and the twin red triangles tattooed onto his cheeks. That same wind brought along a scent.
"Neji," the young man growled softly. As his name was said, another young man appeared beside a raspberry bush. "What are you doing here, Neji?" demanded the young man with the unruly hair.
"I came to talk to you, Kiba," replied Neji, undisturbed by Kiba's rough tone.
"And what if I don't want to talk to you, huh?" barked Kiba. He reminded him too much of her. Kiba was afraid that if he looked into his violet eyes, he would find her in them. So, he avoided looking at his face. Instead, his gaze was fixed on the raspberry bush beside him.
Neji noticed his averted gaze. Does it still hurt him that much, that he can't even look at me, he wondered. Maybe it's time he knew, but how will he react? He fixed his penetrating gaze on Kiba, trying to read his thoughts. His eyes still locked on him, he said, "Three days from tomorrow, it's going to be her birthday. She's turning 18." He watched as Kiba's eyes changed from anger to shock.
"What do you mean she's turning 18? She's.... she's...," Kiba couldn't finish the sentence, couldn't bring himself to say the word.
"Dead...," Neji finished for him.