His arm slid around Tenten's upper chest as he pulled her away, knowing without doubt Lee could handle himself. Neji had waited, seeking the moment where the carefully controlled surge of chakra would break that which bound him and his teammates in the crystal spheres of water. He had found it. Surprise radiated from his teammates. He didn't hesitate. Hesitation killed. Movement might be futile, but it was a chance.

Tap. A curious sound, feet coming to rest on the surface of rippling water. Tap.

"Neji, thank you." He wasn't focused on her. His eyes, eyes that could see through mountains, through miles, were turned to the sky.

"You saved us..." Lee trailed off, realizing. His face registered shock, understanding, fright. "That posture...!"

Neji's heart slowed. Movement slowed. His eyes which saw everything were curiously blind now, aching to see through the blurr that marked his comrade against the sky, against the dark smudge of their strange aggressor.

Tenten's voice was a whisper. Neji's arm fell away. She had gained her feet. The touch was unnecessary. Neji was a man without frivolities. Movement was purposeful.

"That's..."

He knew that posture. They all did. Time stumbled. "Yeah..." One long exhalation, but there was no air to follow back in. He was drowning again, drowning but surrounded by air. Just a few seconds. It was absurd.

"It's over!" Lee looked inspired. He was sure of himself, sure of Gai in the way of a child blindly ignorant of their parent's own mortality. Lee was old enough to know differently. His respect kept him young in dangerous ways. Respect. Faith.

Neji knew these things. He had them in plenty. He knew his faith in Gai wasn't misplaced. He knew Gai was in control of his actions, his responses. He knew Gai was intelligent. He knew many things, but he didn't know why he didn't have the strength to breath as his teacher, his equal, was engulfed in flames. No, not engulfed, but close. Then gone, above, and floating down gently, pointedly, as the other's body slammed into the ground. An anticlimactic splash evaded their ears. Neji filled in the silence with his own sounds.

He breathed.

Lee was first to move, Tenten close behind him. Neji felt the ache in his lungs. He was breathing. He had stopped? Why had he stopped breathing? He turned his eyes toward his companions, merging forms. He pushed off the water's surface, closing the distance, closing off the world beyond this. He couldn't see their faces now. Not until he drew close.

Tap. That curious sound. The water was gone. The sound had remained. The ache remained.

Fear? No, fear weakened. Concern? No.

He surveyed the body, understanding, yet not. This was strange - a new jutsu? And while the intellectual part of his mind clicked and whirred into motion, his face a silent study of possibility, another, smaller, weaker portion moved rusted cogs. You care, it whispered, curious. You care about-

He shook his head. No. Gai met his gaze, inquiring. Now wasn't the time. They had the mission, the objective.

You care.

No time for voices.

About him.

No time to realize.

That's why you couldn't-

No time.

-breathe.

No time at all.