a/n: Hello everyone! THIS STORY CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR CHAPTERS 607 AND 609, so if you don't want to find out what happens, please don't read this! It will ruin a lot for you!

Anyways, so for those remaining readers: this is a one-shot dedicated to Neji, in honor of his death. Me being me, I couldn't resist sticking a little Itaneji in here (they're definitely soul mates lol) so yes, Itachi will be in this piece. Mostly, I wrote this because I wanted Neji to find his own closure, and I wanted a happy ending for him. He really deserves it. Anyways, enjoy this fluffy little piece!

Warnings: Yaoi, AU, character death. Disclaimer on my profile. Onwards to the story!

Closure

Neji knew from the moment that he'd entered the battle that he might not come out alive. He ignored the ominous twinge in his heart and marched onward, determined to save the world. He ignored the increasingly urgent voice in his head screaming run away every time he looked at Hinata, or when he finally reached Naruto at the final battle ground. He fought fiercely to protect the Shinobi Alliance. He felt clan pride swelling in his chest when the Hyuga used their Kaiten to block the wooden missiles from the Juubi.

However, despite all this, he knew better than to begin to believe that the Shinobi Alliance might win. He was proven right when the Jubbi began raining missiles to fast for the Hyuga to block all of them with Kaiten. He watched, spinning, the world whirling around him, as Hinata moved to stand in front of Naruto. She raised her arms protectively over his body even as the missile moved towards them.

There wasn't any time to think-Neji jumped; he was flying, crying, soaring-

When the thorn pierced through his body, straight through his heart. He coughed as blood welled up in his throat and blood spattered down his chin. He knew what it must look like to the elders-that he was dying, doing his duty as a branch member. But he knew he wasn't. He fought through the haze of confusion and forced himself to listen to Naruto. Naruto, who would never quite understand how important he was to everyone.

"Your life is not your own," he told Naruto. "Now…it includes mine as well." Neji grimaced as pain seared through his body. He looked at Hinata's teary eyes and closed his eyes in a final, fleeting prayer for her happiness. He felt an odd, floating sensation, and he released a final, relieved sigh when he felt his cursed seal disappear from his forehead. He vaguely wondered what being dead would feel like-would it hurt as much as it hurt to live? Would he still be in pain? Was he going to hell? Well, if he was going to hell, at least he too, had achieved freedom in death, just as his father had. He felt a little comforted that, even if he was going to be locked back in to a fiery cage, he had received a taste of freedom. He wasn't without hope.

Someone's finger dug in to his ribs, and Neji winced. "Get up," a cold voice ordered. "Or will you just lie there all day?"

Neji frowned in confusion. Wasn't he not supposed to have a body? Something about the soul is separate from the flesh or some shit like that? He winced away from the insistent finger until, finally, he gave up. He cautiously opened his eyes.

He was lying on the asphalt of a smooth, paved road. He sat straight up and looked around himself with wide eyes.

Someone laughed pleasantly beside him. "It's always a shock for the new arrivals."

Neji looked over to see who was crouched beside him, and instinctively jerked backwards when he realized how close he was to the other person's face. "…Uchiha Itachi?"

"Correct." Itachi stood up, towering over Neji. "I was wondering if you would recognize me. After all, we've never quite met before."

"…" Neji was lost for words. Why was he in this strange place, and why, of all the dead people to choose from, was Uchiha Itachi here to guide him? Wasn't he a traitor to Konoha? Shouldn't he be worried and afraid?

Neji looked up at Itachi who was saying something before slumping backwards and passing out again. He watched in horror as a slideshow of Itachi's life passed across his eyelids. His gut told him that this wasn't a dream, and that he was definitely having a vision of some sort. When it was all over, Neji opened his eyes and looked up at Itachi with a newfound respect.

To his surprise, Itachi was still rambling; he didn't seem to have noticed that Neji had passed out. "…Although, I suppose there was that one time we almost met involving the Kazekage. Not that it really matters anyways." Itachi realized that Neji was still sitting down, and stretched out a hand towards him. "Come on, get up! We have a lot to do."

Neji declined the offered hand and pushed himself to his feet. He felt slightly surprised when he realized that he wasn't in any pain. He peered up in to Itachi's handsome face, slightly offset by the fact that Itachi seemed to be about three inches taller than he was. "…What am I doing here?"

The corners of Itachi's mouth twitched slightly. "…Welcome to the afterlife, Neji."

"Why are we here?"

"Because we're dead." Neji glared at the superior way that Itachi said that sentence, but decided not to argue about it.

"Does everyone come here when they die?"

Itachi's amusement fell from his face. "…no, not everyone," he said at last. "Most people don't quite make it here."

"Why don't most people make it here? Where is here anyways?" Neji looked around at the strange, tall buildings made of metal and glass.

"This is the afterlife," Itachi said patiently. "Didn't I already say that?"

Neji glared at him again. "…"

"What?"

"Never mind," Neji shook his head. "If most people don't make it here, then why am I here? I'm not exactly the best person in the world."

"Well, it's not exactly that we're extraordinary people. After all, if all of the good people came here, then I most certainly wouldn't be here either. I don't know how we're chosen to go where we end up, but you're here because inevitably, you have some sort of shared trait with the rest of us around here." Itachi beckoned Neji to come stand beside him before heading off.

"Where are we going?"

"You're full of questions aren't you?"

"Yes, I am," Neji said coolly.

Itachi chuckled. "I don't mind. We're going to go meet someone."

"Someone?"

"Someone you've been wanting to see for a very long time." As the two walked down the street, the formerly quiet city seemed to burst in to life. Bicyclists pedaled down the street, the sidewalks were bustling with people, shop doors opened and the air was filled with the sounds of talk, laughter, and the enticing smell of food. However, neither Neji nor Itachi seemed to notice, and wherever they went, a small bubble of space enclosed them from the rest of the community.

Neji scowled at Itachi's mysteriousness, and then blinked when a pair of fingers jabbed his forehead. "Ouch!" he rubbed at the afflicted point on his forehead. "What was that for?"

"You're always frowning. Don't you ever smile?"

Neji responded by grimacing at Itachi, who just laughed. "Maybe I just rub you the wrong way then," he chuckled. "Well, you'll get used to it."

"And how long are we going to be staying together for me to 'get used to it'?" Neji asked sardonically.

Itachi stopped laughing, but a trace of humor remained on his handsome face. "We'll be together for quite a while. I'm your guide to the afterlife, after all."

Neji smiled wryly. "So I'll be stuck with you and your patronizing sense of humor for a while, hm?"

"I suppose so." Itachi started moving forward with more purpose now, and Neji hissed in pain when Itachi seized his hand and yanked him in to a side alley. He rubbed his wrist, but didn't say anything when Itachi released him; he had a feeling that if he made any noise, they were in serious trouble. He heard two people passing by, whispering softly to each other. Before long, the sound of their footsteps vanished in to the noise from the street and Itachi relaxed. He grasped Neji's hand and took him further along the dark alley until finally, they emerged out in to a bright enclosure. Neji blinked at the harshness of the bright light; they were standing on a tidy-looking street with a series of quaint cottages running down its length. He twisted around to look behind them, and was startled to see the black hole of the alleyway shrinking and closing behind them. He raised an eyebrow at Itachi who turned his head to look behind them. "I travel using special 'shadow paths' through this world," he told Neji. "We won't have any issues going back. Now, come on then." Itachi hadn't let go of Neji's hand, and Neji allowed himself to be pulled along to a certain yellow cottage; he pulled on Itachi's hand to make him stop when they arrived on the doorstep. He pointed at the birds settled on the rafters and the flock of birds fluttering around the house. "Why so many birds?"

Itachi released Neji's hand and knocked on the door. "You'll understand when you meet him." Neji blinked at the loss of warmth around his hand. It had been rather…nice.

All thoughts of hand-holding left his mind when someone came to answer the door. "Father?"

"Neji?" The two men stared at each other before Neji threw himself in to his father's arms.

Itachi smiled softly as he watched the reunion between father and son. It brought back memories of when he had been reunited with his extended family; it had been quite dry-eyed on both sides. However, it could have been worse-Itachi frowned as he remembered the expression full of love and pride on his father's face. Yes, it certainly couldn't have been worse.

Itachi looked up when Neji's fingers jabbed his forehead. "What was that for?" he asked mildly.

"You were frowning. I thought I should repay the favor," Neji said carelessly. Itachi chuckled in spite of himself.

"Where did Hizashi go?" Itachi peered past Neji; Neji's father had seemingly vanished in to thin air.

"He said he couldn't stay," Neji said sadly. "But he said that we would meet again soon."

"Hm." Itachi pretended not to notice while Neji discreetly wiped at his eyes. "Well, you've met your father…although, I thought that you would be able to stay with him for much longer." Itachi frowned-he'd been fairly certain that Neji and Hizashi would have been able to stay together for a while. "Well, either way, there's something else you need to see."

"Another person?"

Itachi chuckled darkly. "No, not another person. You'll find that you'll be spending much of your time in the place we're going to."

"Where is that place?" Neji let Itachi grasp his hand, and allowed himself to be lead away from his father's cottage; he knew that he would definitely be back later. "By the way, why did you suddenly go silent when we were on our way here?"

"You never know what sort of things you might meet on shadow paths," Itachi said darkly. "I didn't want you to run in to trouble."

"…I'm a ninja," Neji pointed out. "I can take care of myself."

"Everything is different here," was all Itachi said. "Now, come on." He tugged Neji down the street. Soon enough, they found another alley tucked neatly between two well-kept lawns. This time, when they entered the path, it was deathly silent, and they didn't encounter any fellow travelers.

This time, when Itachi re-entered the busy streets of the city, they were no longer encased in a little bubble of space. Neji flinched at the sudden increase in sensory input and instinctively strengthened his grip on Itachi's hand. "It wasn't this loud before."

"No, it wasn't." Itachi gently maneuvered his way through the crowds. "You're welcome to the community now. I think you'll find that you know many of the people here."

Neji blinked and looked around at the passing faces, and then gasped in shock. "Shikaku?" He stared at the grizzled man who sat with his head in his hands at a table next in front of a café. He started to call out, but Itachi stopped him.

"He's not ready to see you yet. He's still waiting for a guide."

"Why is he waiting for a guide?" the pair came to a stop in front of a tall brick building. Itachi showed a card to a man in front of the entrance; the guard nodded, and the two proceeded inside.

"I don't know why Shikaku has to wait for a guide. It's highly possible that there isn't one for him."

"What will happen to him, then?"

"Either he'll find his way, or someone will find him," Itachi said simply.

"Do things always work out in the end, in…this place?"

Itachi flashed a crooked half-smile at him. "Most of the time, yes."

"Hm." Neji suddenly felt self-conscious and tried to pull his hand away from Itachi's grip. To his surprise, Itachi simply held on and started leading him down a hallway; eventually, they stopped in front of a thick, wooden door.

"What you'll see in here will be quite a shock."

"I think I'm prepared for anything at this point."

"Very well then." Itachi released Neji's hand and pushed the door open. The room was full of men and women who were all reclined on cushy couches, beds, or chairs with their eyes closed; Neji started when he realized the he knew many of them. In fact, many of the people in the room had been fighting alongside him shortly before his death…

"What is this place?"

Itachi guided Neji to a small couch, and they sat down beside each other. "I thought this would interest you. In this room, you can watch turning points in your mortal world."

"My mortal world?"

Itachi just shook his head. "What I'm saying is that you can watch Naruto's final battle in this room."

Neji froze. "I don't know if I want to do that," he said slowly.

"Are you certain?" Itachi eyed him seriously.

"…I don't want to go back there." Neji hated himself for sounding like a small child, but it was too late to take back his words. "I hated it there. I wasn't scared. I was fighting to save everyone. But I still…" Neji cut himself off, and tears welled up in his eyes.

He didn't protest when Itachi leaned in and kissed him. Instead, he kissed back through his tears and let Itachi hold him. He wasn't sure why he was doing it-after all, Itachi was his guide to the afterlife for goodness sake, but it felt so right.

"It's alright. I'll stay with you, and if it ever becomes too much, you can pull away," Itachi consoled him. "I think you need to see this. Don't you want closure on Madara?"

"Y-yes." Neji shuddered, and then wiped his eyes on the back of his hand.

"Alright." Itachi settled back in to the couch, and Neji leaned back beside him. They held hands, and sat just a little too close to each other than if they weren't intimate.

"You ready?" Itachi looked over at Neji's determined expression."

"Yes."

"Close your eyes."

Neji complied, and he found himself standing next to Naruto on the battle field. Itachi was beside him, holding his hand. They watched as Naruto tried and tried again, and he looked down at his comrades. He saw Chouji, Ino, and Shikamaru's stricken faces; he frowned as he thought back to the incident with Shikaku. Once he got out of here, he would try and find Shikaku. Maybe he was the one who was meant to find him? After all, it seemed as if Itachi and he were the only people who could see him. Neji shook his head and focused back on the battle. In the back of his mind, he began to pray for Naruto's success, even as he understood that whatever happened had already been pre-ordained, and that fate was real. However, it was real only in a certain sense of life-as a child, he had been certain that he could never break free of his family's bonds. Naruto had told him that fate hadn't existed, and he'd been right to a certain extent. It was possible to find closure, and it was possible to find change. But now, Neji understood that Naruto hadn't been right all the way. For, in the grand scheme of things, fate still controlled the course of every event.

Neji felt a sudden, horrible urge to leave. He was scared of what would happen, and a bolt of fear shot through his chest. He turned to Itachi, panicking, but one look at the peaceful look on the man's face calmed him down. Itachi raised a questioning eyebrow at him, but Neji just shook his head. "I don't know what came over me, but I'm fine now," he assured Itachi.

Itachi simply nodded and pulled Neji closer to his side. They stood together, hand in hand, a node of peace in the middle of the battlefield.

Neji felt a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, and settled in for a long wait. Even though it would take time, thanks to Itachi (in more ways than one) he'd received closure for both his life and death. He could only hope that the same would happen for the others once the final battle had been decided.

Fin

a/n: So…this is a one-shot dedicated to Neji. After all of the terrible things that happened to him, I wanted him to have a happy ending, and this is was my brain farted out so yeah…I hope you enjoyed. I cried so much when he died for Naruto (I actually thought that he'd jumped for Hinata at first, and I still think he did, partially). So, to all of you Neji fans, hopefully this can give you some closure for sweet Neji as well. Thanks for reading, don't forget to review, and hopefully we'll meet again in a different story ;)

-itanejiluver-