Sharingan vs. Bayukugan

I was aiming for innocent - sarcastic and then humorous, too much maybe?

Neji had that look. Or should I say that look. He was scrutinizing me, examining me with almost clinical way, like he often did. Trying to figure out if I had any fight left in me; I presumed.

I was beat. My chest seemed to shake as I struggled to breathe properly. I wiped the excess sweat from my forehead.

"Give me a break," I rolled my eyes as he stared. He shook himself out of it and settled into the classic male brooding pose. If I hadn't known better I would have said he was pouting. But it looked more 'internally angry and bitter male' as opposed to 'eternally sexually repressed male' or 'generally pissed-off male.'

There were three different levels of the eyebrow in the last two; both of which he was not really displaying.

I just rolled my eyes. Right now this was so not my concern. I glanced over as he licked his lips and shrugged off the weird vibe. Neji did not get nervous; maybe it was just the hot, dry atmosphere.

Without any trouble I found my bag. I always left it in the same place when I trained. It made life so much easier.

I pulled out my water flask and walked back closer to the middle of the clearing. I took a few sips, offering it to Neji. He silently, forcefully objected with the evidence of male ego flashing in his eyes. (I am man. I am strong. I do not need water …Or something along those lines.)

I shrugged in a rejected female manor, (Okay, boy, go die of dehydration! See if I care.) Then I proceeded to pour the remains over my head, letting myself become properly soaked, but nonetheless comfortable.

My shirt clung to my body and I swear I saw the flash of byakugan as Neji looked away. The extremely rare expression of guilt was shown in the way he shrugged his shoulders, a little hunched. Just like a child waiting to be scolded.

"Lee is half a mile away." He stated, seeing right through the trees. I wondered what in the world the byakugan couldn't see through.

Damn! Maybe I should have brought a spare shirt because the rayon in mine was starting to become see through.

Shit.

Shit, shit.

Explosive shit!

Shit!

I was overreacting; Neji didn't care enough about girls to even bother looking through their shirts. He wasn't a pervert –right?!

"Can your Byakugan see through everything?" I asked; knowing he'd take the bait.

"Everything." He replied promptly, never missing a chance to brag about his birthright and bloodline. Suddenly, a blush crossed his face, it left as soon as it came so I wasn't sure. But I had a pretty good hunch.

"So if you were staring through my shirt for whatever amount of time, I shouldn't try to murder you for not being able to control yourself." I said; my voice a double edged blade.

"Hn." he replied, noncommittal. That just says what kind of husband he'll make some girl one day. If that day ever comes. Personally, I think he's gloriously attractive, but unless he puts the money upfront, it'll only ever be an attraction.

"Neji!" I pressed.

"You shouldn't try and murder me. And you wouldn't be able to."

I was livid, I was murderous. I was in a blind rage, completely murderous. And O-ooh I was never gonna let his forget this.

I chocked on a giggle that threatened to emerge. "You just admitted to the fact you can't help but stare through my shirt."

He gave me an annoyed look.

"Now all I got to do is tell somebody." Lee appropriately burst through the clearing dragging the entire getup of Kakashi's team. And Gai-Sensei too. He was a little hard to forget; maybe it was all that green.

"Tell somebody what?" the pink-haired Sakura asked. She was a weird one. Impossibly girly and a good ninja; I had seen her fight well in the chunin exams, even if she didn't pass qualifiers. It was strange, she was such a loud easily described image, yet she seemed to blend in better than Naruto.

Then there was the Uchiha, he seemed to fit under the 'Neji-alike' character. Brooding, brilliant prodigy with an advantageous bloodline limit.

Kinda overrated? Hell yeah!

"Neji just admitted enjoys staring through my shirt with the byakugan." I stated, having everyone's attention.

I observed everybody's reaction with a ninja's learned rapid observation. Sakura, having asked the question, looked shocked. Naruto looked incredulous, maybe a little envious. Sasuke looked bored, no surprise there. Kakashi looked both amazed and exasperated. Lee was incredibly disturbed; he was staring at me like I should feel violated. (I actually didn't care; it was just something I could blackmail him over for ages.) Gai-sensei was also looking at me like I should be offended, like he was also offended, or disgusted. Neji was staring at the ground like it should sink under his glare.

The fact he was caught staring though my shirt honestly didn't bother me; but blackmail had been my main realization, lots and lots of blackmail.

"I guess the byakugan really does beat the sharingan." Naruto observed.

"Dobe, I'm not a pervert like you." Sasuke stated. A clear believer that one word said it all; I was surprised to hear him say so much. Then again he was insulting Naruto, so it shouldn't be surprising at all.

Naruto looked at him; we all looked at Naruto, waiting to see what he would say next. Naruto wasn't interested in discretion.

"I don't use a Sharingan to get into Sakura's head and live her fantasies about you." Naruto blurted.

"But you would if you could." He prodded. "And I don't."

His voice was solid, ending this.

"He's lying." Neji stated. His eyes widening as he realized what exactly he was saying was true. The byakugan was the bloodline limit with insight; we all believed Neji when he said such as this.

"The byakugan could not do that." Sasuke said in defense of his talent.

"At least I don't have to rely on fantasies; I can see the real thing." Neji shot back. We were back to the 'male ego with bloodline equals obnoxiously large self-esteem.'

…not this again. I saw them do this once before when comparing how many fan girls loved them. The rest of us took the hint and leaved to let them dole it out with fists.

Sakura and I rolled our eyes and mentioned how if they could 'get over impressing each other and ask us out, they might have the real thing'. Then again, fighting and verbally impressing each other could be their own version of (unlike normal human beings) releasing sexual tension and working on their hang ups. I mean, who knows?

— "Byakugan!" was yelled out. Then a few milliseconds later, the inevitable; "Sharingan!" —

Neji could really be fantasizing about Sasuke… with Sasuke witness. Neji could really be ogling over Sasuke's body. Or they could just be trying to enlarge their egos.

It's strange none of that bothers me as much as it should…

…Right?