Disclaimer: I own nothing it all belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. However, I do own the OC's in this story.

Warnings: Character Death and Spoilers….

*~ Up With The Birds ~*

One - Shot

As Neji's body slumped to the floor, a flock of birds took to the skies. A crimson pool began to colour the ground, and it was perhaps the only real colour both Tenten and Hinata remembered from that day. Hinata's hysterical sobs and Tenten's long, droned outcry were the only sounds that filled the air, while everyone else seemed stunned. It was so very hard to believe that the one Shinobi they'd never picture fallen, was suddenly sprawled out on the hard Earth.

From above, Neji himself watched with faint interest. Huh, so that's what it was like to die. It felt kind of odd, really. No pain, not really. Just a sudden feeling of drowsiness, then slumber. His pearl eyes watched as Tenten crumpled to the floor and hit her fists on the ground. Hinata seemed almost too upset to say anything, other than cry out for the man that wasn't her cousin. No. In her eyes, he'd always be the brother she'd never actually had.

If Neji was allowed one regret, it would be that he never actually apologized to her for the way he'd acted. He watched silently, as the boy….no, man….. Who had taught him what it meant to be a true Shinobi, comforted his younger cousin. Those bright blue eyes that always seemed so happy, were now dulled with the sudden realization that one of his friends had died for him.

"Neji….."

The teen turned, surprised at hearing his own name being called out. His eyes became round as he noticed who the man in front of him was.

His father.

It took all his strength not to break down and cry right then and there. It all seemed too much. He hadn't just lost his life, he'd lost everything he'd ever cared for.

His bottom lip actually trembled and he rushed at his father, not caring if there was anyone there to see. The sudden warm arms that embraced him hold back a choked sob. His father. The man he'd always looked up to and admired. The man who had taught him everything. Pulling back, he glanced over to see another person standing there.

However, he didn't recognize her. Seeing his gaze, Hizashi turned his head and smiled.
The woman too, smiled. Neji felt his eyebrows pulling down into a frown as he studied her. Odd. She seemed familiar.

When she spoke, her voice sounded so soft, so sweet…..and again, familiar.
"Neji…..I don't believe we've met." She said, still smiling. He was a little surprised to see she was crying. Hizashi too, seemed a little out of place. He coughed roughly, placing a hand at his mouth as he looked away from his only son. "Neji….I'd like you to meet—

"My mother, right?"

The silence that came after that was disturbing, and Neji wanted nothing more for that to end. The woman's smile dropped and she nodded softly. Neji took in a sharp intake of breath before getting a better look at her.

Yes, he could see it now. There was no mistaking that he was her child. The face, the eyes, the skin…. All traits they shared. Her eyes were soft, yet they had the same shape as Neji's. Her pale eyes were slightly lighter than his, making her porcelain skin stand out in contrast. Her face too, was round like his.

His mother had died delivering Neji into the world, so Neji had only known her for a few mere seconds before she'd passed into this world. He'd been told often by many people that she was famous for her kindness, quite similar to Hitomi, actually. Growing up, Neji had always thought of his aunt as his mother. She'd raised him for some time when he was a child, and for that he would always be grateful. But as for his actual mother….well, he'd never had his own opinion of her. He just listened to what the others told him about her.

But now….seeing her in person like this…it was kind of scary, really. He'd never even taken a second thought as to what he'd ever do if he came across her. There she was, standing there ever so quietly with tears in her eyes. Slowly, ever so slowly, he stepped out of his father's embrace and walked over to her. So many emotions were playing with his heart, and a dozen questions filled his mind. But as he reached her, all these questions and feelings disappeared into thin air. Her tear stained cheeks pulled back into yet another dazzling smile, and she opened her arms for him to come into. To the side, his father watched the two of them with his own sad smile. On the day of Neji's birth, he both laughed and cheered with the rest of the clan, but at the same time he wept for the love of his life. She'd been his world, and she made him something he could be proud of; A Father. Watching the two of them like this….He felt exactly the same as he had back then.

Neji glanced at the open arms in front of him. Hesitating, he opened up his own arms and pulled his mother into the hug. More tears formed in his own eyes as he rested his head upon her shoulders. Unable to hold anything back now, he began to cry. As he sobbed into her shoulder, he felt her small hand be placed on his back, patting it soothingly. She rubbed circles and shushed him quietly, not wanting to see him cry. Not over her.

"Mother….." Neji choked out, holding onto her small frame tightly. He felt her stiffen before she too let out her own choked sob and burying her head into his shoulder. "Neji, I'm so sorry baby. I'm so sorry I couldn't be there for you!" She cried harder, her small hands bawling into fists on his back.

The two stood there, crying and holding each other. None of them cared about how much time had passed. Not anymore. Nothing mattered now that they were together again. Safe at last. Neji didn't care that his emotional mask had completely slipped off his face. He was with his Mother. The woman who'd died bringing him into this world. He had every right to act the way he did.

"Neji, son. Let's go sit down somewhere, okay?" Came Hizashi's voice. The teen nodded into his mother's shoulder before pulling away. It only then occurred to Neji that he should check out his surroundings. However, there weren't any surroundings. Everything was just pure white with no furniture or anything. It was like they'd stepped onto a piece of paper.

"Where are we?" Neji asked, his eyes scanning for anything with colour. Hizashi shrugged and looked about the place himself. "Depends. This place can take the form of anything you want it too. For example, we could be on the Beach, in a forest…..anywhere…." To empathies his point, Hizashi snapped his fingers. Suddenly, they were surrounded by trees and shrubs. A forest.

"Anywhere?" Neji repeated, glancing around. "How did you do that?" he asked his father. Hizashi seemed to ponder this before answering. "I guess you just have to imagine the place you want to be most and then it just appears….."

With his eye brows raised, Neji thought about it for a minute. Where in the world would he rather be at this very moment?

It didn't take long for him to decide. He closed his eyes and imagined himself standing in his desired location with his parents. When he opened his eyes, he was surprised to see it had worked.

"Ah…I remember this place." Came his mother's response.

It was their old home. The place Neji lived with his father before he died. It was only an extension of the main Hyūga compound, but it was more private and for themselves. From what he'd heard, it had been a wedding gift to Hizashi after his marriage to Haruka- Neji's mother. However, after his father's death, Hiashi insisted that Neji come live back at the main compound with the rest of the family. Neji also remembered that Hiashi had the place torn down a little while after. He hadn't seen the place since.

Standing there in the kitchen of his old home brought back many memories of the days he spent there as a child. Watching his father attempt at cooking, being patched up by Hitomi after falling down in the garden outside, laughing at stupid jokes his father would make. It seemed that Haruka too was experiencing memories of her own as her eyes wondered over her kitchen.

"I thought this place would be a good place to start." Neji said simply as he took a seat in front of the table, and then waved a hand over to indicate for his parents to sit down with him. After they were all seated, Neji finally asked a question that had been on his mind since he'd arrived here.

"Are we in heaven?"

Both Haruka and Hizashi didn't seem all that surprised at this question. In fact, both let out a small chuckle.

"No, no…. this place…..actually, I'm not entirely sure where this place is but, one thing is for certain. It's not heaven. I actually think this is the between place, Neji. The place before heaven." Haruka answered after she finished laughing. Neji raised his eyebrows and glanced up at the ceiling. "Between place….?"

He suddenly frowned. "Why aren't we going straight to heaven?"

Hizashi and Haruka suddenly exchanged glances with one another, Haruka biting her lip. A few minutes passed before Neji got his answer.

"Neji, sometimes heaven isn't heaven unless there is a certain person there with them. People choose to wait for their loved ones to join them before crossing over into the world beyond. Neji…. The reason your mother and I are here is because…..we were waiting for you, son." Hizashi said slowly, as if he was choosing his words carefully. Neji was touched by those last words. He couldn't imagine waiting for someone that long….. that was when another question came to mind.

"But then people could be waiting forever, right? I mean, what if the person they're waiting for also wants to wait for someone else? You'd have to wait with them, right?"

Hizashi shook his head. "It's all about choice, Neji. They can cross over whenever they want. If the person they're waiting for wants to wait for someone else, they can wait with them, or leave without them. Simple and easy as that."

The two of them smiled, and Haruka held out her hand for Neji to take. "We can go now if you like, Neji. I have a feeling it'll be great! Not that we have actually seen it or anything but…..you can just feel it, you know?"

Neji knew. He too could feel a slight longing to leave this place and move on. He smiled back at his parents and reached out to take his mother's hand.

That was when he stopped.

"NEJI!"

The brunette teen blinked and tears began to reform in his eyes for no apparent reason. He knew that voice anywhere. It was the voice he'd grown up with for almost eight years…

Tenten.

A memory from moments ago flashed to his mind, Tenten's fists pounding on the Earth with her body shaking. Crying out his name.

He flinched, and withdrew his outstretched hand. He didn't look at either of his parents as they frowned in confusion.

"Don't…..Don't take this the wrong way or anything but…I don't want to go just yet." He breathed out.

They're frowns suddenly deepened when Neji rose up from the table with a determined expression on his face. He turned away from them and strode over to the door. From what he could see outside of it, more meek blankness would greet him if he stepped outside.

He looked over his shoulder at his parents, who held each other's hands as they watched their son leave. Haruka looked like she was, again, going to burst into tears. Hizashi just looked confused.

"Sorry Mother, Father. I'm waiting for someone." He said softly.

"Well son, If you must wait I want you to know that I am proud of you." Said Hizashi softly as he patted Neji on the shoulder.

"Good luck….. darling, when the time comes….. you'll know where to find us….." said Haruka her voice became muffled as her esophagus closed up due to the circumstance that she was on the verge of tears. She hugged him like she had done before but, tighter and didn't want the embrace to end between them. She wasn't ready to leave the infant she had left behind and waited so long to meet but, this infant was almost at the stage of becoming a man, and knew that she would have to respect her son's decision even if it disheartened her.

"Goodbye Mother, Father I'll see you soon."

And with that, he strode out the door without glancing back. He knew that his parents had gone without him, respecting his wishes to wait for her.

"Take all the time you need Tenten. I'll always be watching and waiting."

*~ The End ~*

Haruka ((遙,遥,悠,遼) means – "Distance"

She's an OC, due to the fact that Neji's actual mother hasn't been introduced in the Anime or Manga.

Now, of course I don't know what happens in the afterlife, otherwise how would I be able to write this? You all have your view points on what happens after death and this was just a little idea I got.

This was written by my best friend—YamiAkane97. She wrote this for me as a gift and said I could post it on my profile. I did however, come up with the actual plot and title for this story.

Please Review! It's nice to know what you guys thought of the story—good or bad.

I know this story is meant to be a One – Shot, I am however, considering about writing another chapter please send me a PM or Review and I'll consider.

A.L107