Summary: Neji has horrible fashion sense. Luckily he has two female cousins to help him overcome his blindness to fashion, and women's shoes.
In Hinata's pale eyes tears swelled up ready to flow at the drop of a hat. She made whimpering sounds and kept changing her balance from one foot to another while her hands fumbled with each other. She took a deep breath and finally opened her mouth. "I-I saw them." Hinata shuddered as a recollected memory appeared in her mind. "T-They were…hideous…beyond imagination…"
Hanabi rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "Please. You're exaggerating. How can a pair of shoes be that look that horrifying?"
"T-they can! I've never seen such a pair."
Hanabi sighed in frustration. She stood up from her bed and opened the sliding door and made her way down to Neji's empty room.
"Where are you going?" Hinata asked meekly as she stumbled after her younger sister.
"I'm going to go have a look myself. You're ridiculous crying over a pair of ugly shoes Neji bought." Hanabi mocked her older sister as she strode down the long halls of the Hyuuga compound. She stopped at Neji's room, and making sure he wasn't anywhere near she slid open his door and stepped in.
Hanabi scanned over her cousin's room. The room screamed Neji. It was clean, well-organized and simple to the bone. The bed was perfectly made, there wasn't a dust on the floor, and not one thing was misplaced except a shoe box that was placed in the middle of the floor half closed. She walked to the shoe box and knelt. Her sister followed shrinking down to the floor while gripping her shoulder as if a monster would appear any second.
"Jeez way to be discreet nee-san," Hanabi scolded. "If you were so curious to the present Neji bought you could have just used your byakugan and took a little peep."
"I-I originally did. Bu-But its visual was so shocking that-that…" Hinata shuddered. "J-just see for yourself!"
"Way to exaggerate. I'm opening it now. I swear if it isn't as ugly as you say it is-" Hanabi lifted the half closed lid and placed it on the floor. She had opened the box. She had seen the pair of shoes that made her sister nearly wet her pants. She was staring the ugliest pair of shoes that she's seen in her life. She was staring at the morbid idea of a present her cousin had towards whoever it was this gift was for. She was shocked beyond belief, first at the ugliness of the design, and second at just how great a fashion terrorist Neji was.
"I t-told you!" Hinata squeaked out from behind her.
"What is this? Is it supposed to be a weapon? Is it's ugly design for blinding enemies?" Hanabi asked sarcastically holding up one shoe with a hand looking at it in disgust.
"No. It's supposed to be a present." Spoke Hinata still fumbling with her fingers.
"For who? An arch enemy?"
"It's for…his teammate."
"Did they have a fight?"
"N-no…They're romantically involved, I think." Hinata spoke a blush on her cheeks.
"WHAT! He has a girlfriend?" Hanabi asked her sister in shock.
"Y-yes." Hinata pointed to the card in the shoe box.
Hanabi picked the card up and read out loud, "To my dearest Tenten, You'll look lovely in these, as you do in everything. From yours only, Neji-Kun." Hanabi made a gag reflex. "Ewwwwwwww! He'll pick up cooties or something. Not to mention when she receives this, she'll dump his ass for sure."
"Tenten-san is a nice girl. I'm sure she'll accept the present with thanks. M-maybe…"
"No amount of love for anybody would get any girl to accept this with thanks."
"Do you r-really think so?" Hinata asked shivering in fear at the thought of Neji's grief should Tenten dump him.
"Of course! Only a lunatic could think to give such a gift to his girlfriend. He's going to get dumped in like the second she sees this!"
"We must do something Hanabi! We can't just stand by and watch as Nii-san gets dumped!"
"Yes actually we can." Hanabi shrugged off in a cool manner as she put the ugly shoes back into the box.
"No! He'll be devastated! Not to mention filled with anger and hurt that he'll lash his forgotten hate of the main house back at us!" Hinata desperately persuaded her sister.
"Hey, you've been alive like 5 years more than I have. Aren't you used to it yet? Even since I knew him, he's been bitchy since day one."
"He's been warming up to us nowadays. And, think of the horror Tenten-san will be filled with once she receives these!"
"I do feel a little contempt for the girl who's going to receive these. And he hasn't glared daggers at me for like a week or so. Still, it's too troublesome. He's going to have fits if he knew we were in here. What do you think he'll do when he finds out that we tampered with his gift?"
"Express his everlasting hate towards us?"
"Exactly. We have no choice. We'll just have to sit back and watch Neji niisan get dumped."
"B-but, still Hanabi, I think we should help this situation!"
Hanabi sighed. Her sister was being impossibly stubborn. "Do you even have a plan?" Hanabi asked as she raised an eyebrow.
"Y-yes, I do. We can buy a different pair of shoes for Tenten-san, ones that she can really appreciate. We'll give them beforehand to Tenten-san and disguise it as the gift from nii-san."
"What'll we do with these ugly ones then? And if we give them beforehand to his girlfriend, Neji's going to know that someone has been in his room! He'll have no one to suspect except us, and his everlasting rage will be targeted at us once again, bringing us back to where we started."
"I have an idea where to put those ones. Plus, his rage towards us searching his room will be temporary. But if he breaks up, who know how long he'll harbor angry feelings."
"I suppose if he breaks up he'll harbor his angst for like the next century or something. Still I'm not participating in this silly thing." Hanabi said to her pleading sister. Hanabi narrowed her eyes to find her sister's complexion change somewhat, and her eyes filled with determination. 'Why is she so set on playing cupid'? Hanabi thought. Hinata searched in her inside pockets for something and handed it over to Hanabi.
"Would this change your mind Hanabi-chan?" It was bar of chocolate. A bar of expensive, rare, tasty, mouthwatering, milk chocolate. Hiashi disapproved of his daughters eating so many sweets. Nor did Hanabi receive any adequate pay to buy her own snacks, especially chocolates expensive as these ones. Hanabi's hands moved toward the bar Hinata had placed on the ground. Hinata uncharacteristically slapped her hands away. "Not until you say you'll assist me."
"God damn it I will." Hanabi swore as she snatched the chocolate on the ground and placed it in her pant pockets.
Neji was in a bad mood as he made his way towards the training grounds. He had received a call from Lee at an unearthly hour of the morning saying that he must arrive to the training grounds an hour earlier than the promised time. He was planning to give Tenten his gift a bit early before the training if Lee hadn't called at dawn blabbering on about youth and how one must start training and how thankful he was towards that Neji his everlasting youthful rival or something like that.
Neji arrived at the training grounds and crossed him arms and sighed. Lee was nowhere in sight. Usually he'd be doing like a thousand pushups exclaiming youth, and greeting him in an overbearing manner. Today he was late. Luckily enough he spotted Tenten coming.
"Neji!" Tenten greeted in a sweet manner. She had a blush over her cheeks and she was acting a bit more shy and feminine than usual.
"Tenten, you arrived in time. Lee is late." Neji returned her dear smile while frowning a bit at the last part of the sentence.
Neji was taken by surprise when Tenten came up and grabbed his hands. "I wanted to thank you." Tenten spoke good naturally with a smile. "I love them. Thank you." Neji was confused. He didn't give her anything yet. He was just about to ask what she was so thankful for when he realized that she was closing in for a kiss with closed eyes. He smiled and was about to kiss back when he was interrupted by a very loud,
"NEJI!"
The couple broke apart from each other and both simultaneously glared at the source of noise; Lee.
"NEJI! MY YOUTHFUL TEAMMATE! HOW REFRESHING THIS MORNING IS!" Lee screamed at the top of his lungs as he walked towards his teammates in an odd limp. Neji narrowed his eyes. Usually Lee would run full speed when he was coming to practice. This time he was limping. Lee never limped unless he was injured. His annoyance turned to slight worry and he immediately activated his byakugan and searched for injuries until he noticed the shoes Lee was wearing.
The shoes he got for Tenten.
How had he gotten ahold of the present Neji prepared? The worry was quickly turning into fury as Lee limped towards Tenten and himself.
Before Neji could inquire to where he had gotten a hold of those shoes, Tenten beat him to it. "Lee! What are you doing in those?!" Tenten asked sounding shocked and mortified.
"Why Tenten, I received these shoes as a training gift from a dear friend!" Lee made a nice guy pose and his teeth pinged in a shiny manner.
"A training gift? My god Lee, those are women's shoes!"
"I care not if they are women's shoes or men's shoes! They will help my training, and are given to me by our dear teammate Neji, so I will wear them in thanks!"
"WHAT?!" Tenten and Neji exclaimed at the same time.
"Why my youthful rival and companion, you sent them to me last night! I wasn't able to receive the gift personally but when I opened it and read your card I was deeply moved by your youthful letter!" Lee's eyes were drastically tearing up.
"I never gave those shoes to you." Neji said sternly.
"Do not be shy my eternal rival! Say no more words and give me a warm embrace of companionship and love!" Lee cried as he dramatically pulled Neji into a hug sobbing in a manly way into his shoulders.
"Lee those shoes-" He was cut off by Tenten.
"Hey Lee I got a present from Neji as well." Both Lee and Neji stared at Tenten.
"You did?" asked both the boys in unison.
"Of course I did. Why are you acting so shocked Neji? Look I'm wearing them right now." Tenten showed off the new shoes she was wearing. It was white oxford leather shoes. It didn't have a high heel, and its shoelaces were navy and there were decorative designs of in the sides of the shoe in the same color. "They're very comfortable and cute. I think I'll be able to wear them anywhere I go." Tenten smiled. Neji was at a loss of words.
"Why Neji has done such a great action of friendship! I must carry you around town while hopping on own leg, letting everyone know of your great, beautiful deeds!" Lee cried. Lee positioned his back for Neji to get on, "Let us go right now eternal rival!"
Neji was at a complete loss of words. Before Lee could get Neji to get on his back Gai made a youthful appearance.
"LEE! WHAT ARE THOSE NEW SHOES YOU ARE SPORTING?!" Exclaimed Gai as he made his dramatic entrance.
"Neji gave them to me sensei! It is a training gift to strengthen my calf muscles and increase my balance!"
"OH DEAR STUDENTS! THIS IS TRUE TEAMWORK! WHY EVEN THE SHOES MATCH YOUR HIP OUTFIT! LET US GATHER IN A YOUTHFUL EMBRACE!" Cried Gai as he embraced all three students in a giant bear hug and cried manly tears alongside Lee. Neji was even more dumbfounded.
Practice ended in a big blurry haze for Neji. He was so shocked he couldn't grasp a hold of the situation. Tenten was walking by his side chattering about something.
"Hey Neji are you listening?" Tenten inquired. "You seem out of your mind today!"
"Tenten I need to tell you something." Tenten stood with a quizzical look on her face. "The shoes I got for Lee-" Neji couldn't continue as Tenten burst into laughter. She was grasping her stomach laughing so hard that she seemed out of breath and tears were gathering in her eyes.
"Don't get me started about those shoes Neji!" Tenten said in midst of hysterical laughter. "Where did you buy such horrendous shoes?" Neji stopped a bit shocked. Tenten thought those shoes were ugly! He thought she'd look so beautiful in them! "The green color! The 4inch heel! The decoration of immensely big orange flowers that covered the shoe! And suede material! My god it would hard to find a shoe that would scream Lee so much!" Tenten laughed as she wiped a tear from the corner of her eyes.
"Do you think so?" Neji asked.
"Of course!" Tenten laughed good heartedly. "But nevertheless it was cute prank. He'll probably wear that shoe around for at least a week! I never realized you had such a humorous side!" Neji smiled watching Tenten laugh so hard. It was good to see her so lively and happy. "You wanted to say something?"
"A-ah, right." Neji fumbled for words. "I just wanted to say-that, um…that…"
"That?" Tenten asked smiling on.
"That I'm glad you like the gift." Neji finished a bit lamely. Tenten's smile even widened.
"Of course I love it! It's so cute and comfortable, and perfect! I'll be heading off now. See you tomorrow Neji." Tenten left after giving Neji a peck on the cheek. Neji flushed a bit pink and rubbed the stop Tenten kissed. He turned to go back to his Hyuuga compounds when he noticed Hanabi smirking by the walls with her arms crossed. Neji narrowed his eyes and made a small cough in his throat.
Hanabi smirked and said "You owe me a chocolate bar."
Neji raised his eyebrows. "What on earth are you talking about?"
"She said the shoes you bought were hideous." One side of Hanabi's mouth turned up. "I accept expression of gratitude through chocolate bars."
"Hnn." Neji said as he walked past Hanabi. "You'll get it tomorrow. Go into my room one more time and you'll face my wrath."
"Yeah, yeah. Good luck not getting cooties." Hanabi said as she stretched her arms above her head and strolled behind Neji.
Meanwhile somewhere in the woods of Konoha, Lee was still struggling with his 'training heels.'