Disclaimer: I own peanuts

You are high above the trees. It is only you in this windy sky, where far below, trees grow in the seemingly endless water and mists of the Country of Water. It is lonely up here, wings outstretched against the breeze, keeping steady like firm sails of a boat.

Further down, out of the blue, and the trees come into focus. The horizon does not stretch so endlessly and the trees are living things with leaves and bark, not just mere smudges of green below.

Further down still, and the branches impede the flight of our transport, but now you can hear the sounds of the swamp. The insects chirp and animals rustle in the leaves and you can hear the sound of voices…

There are humans in this place, where none usually tread. Landing in the foliage above them, you see there are two of them; one male, and one female. Both are dirty and ragged, both are on the ground, and both are… hiding.

Further in still, leaving the body of the bird, further in, to where no animal can go. Two minds, two streams of consciousness. One broken and hurt, the other worried, frantic.

Let us listen to them now.

my legs hurt, kneeling on mud and dirt. he's dying. green hands, the colour of healing, of life and of death. trying to save his life. i know i will fail.

"I want to show them what I can be." i hurt all over, pain

"Show them?" how? "Greatest Hyuuga alive, most developed, powerful Byakugan yet-" but that doesn't change the fact that you're dying. "-but that doesn't change the fact that you're dying." there. i said it.

pain. ow. "They caged me, Sakura"

"Yes they did. You can- you have worked past that. They wouldn't hurt you." like they didn't hurt your father. "They're our comrades." so were sasuke and orochimaru, once.

it hurts. "I just want to fly free…"

so? "What can you do, as you are now? How can you possibly show them that their cage can be broken?" that you are free?

"If I can only do it in death, then that is how I will do it… Sakura, listen to me." ignore the pain. move past it and tell her, tell her

make her fly for you.

OoOoo

Time passes.

OoOoo

"No. No no nononoNO! I won't, you hear me? I can't!"

dying man, respect his wishes. do it.

"I can't."

do it

"I c-can't."

do it.

"…it is your choice." it hurts worse now. ow.

OoOoo

Time passes once more.

OoOoo

"No. It's your choice. I'll do it."

yes i will because i've always wondered-

"Thankyou."

-what will the world look like through your eyes?

How interesting. A decision has been reached. But it is now time for you to leave, and you return to the bird, catching a small snatch of conversation as you withdraw from the human minds.

"Neji-san, you're really sure? I-I can try again to extract the poison-"

"No. Do it, Sakura, before it's too late. I want to be free."

"…Okay."

The bird flaps its wings, once, twice and takes off. As you fly away with it, you can hear a cry of pain, cut off sharply and followed by another. The sounds attract your attention and you turn back to see, but find you cannot. The bird is flying steadily onward, away from this place. You are caged within it, bound by its decisions and where it chooses to go. It is a horrible, terrifying feeling, not knowing where your life will pan out to next, what path this flight will take you.

But at least the bird flies free.

Author's Notes: Well, here I am with my first posted story! Yes, it is a story this time, and not just a drabble set. :) The writing style in this is probably gonna change a lot, as I'm figuring out my writing style and trying to improve it at the same time, so be patient, neh?

Sorry if the writing is a bit confusing- bold is Sakura's thoughts, underlined is Neji's thoughts, and the rest is their speech.

Reviews make me happy! (hint-hint)