Spider Bite
Summary: It took another near death experience for Neji to finally realise just how scared he was of spiders. And for him to realise who his true family was.
So I'm sitting in the car, having just watched Neji fight Kidomaru or spider dude as I called him until ZakuroU told me his name. And I was asking my mum if she fought a spider guy, would she be afraid of spiders. She replied with 'I'd probably be dead' but I'd already had the idea so she couldn't put me off. Then I asked everyone at school if they would be scared of spiders if they nearly died from being bitten by one. So thanks guys. (I was gonna write this story no matter what they said anyway)
Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine. But if it was, well you know the drill. A certain someone wouldn't have died.
Hospitals always annoyed Neji Hyuga. All you could do was sit around and talk to people just as helpless as you were. And that was a stupid thing to do. No one talked to him anyway except Lee and Guy. Then there was the smell. And then there was the white that coated everything. It hurt his sensitive eyes so much that he was forced to wear a blindfold in the hospital. This lead to stupid questions like
"Are you blind?"
Or
"You poor dear. What happened to you that you need your eyes bandaged?"
Neji would ignore the questions which sometimes lead to questioning of him maybe being deaf.
The worst time Neji ever had in a hospital was after he had fought the spider guy. Uhhh. Spiders were so gross. And it was no fun being stuck in a hospital, blindfolded and bored.
And Rock Lee and Master Guy visited every day.
Fools…
"Neji my youthful friend, are you feeling better?" Lee always said that when he entered. Neji would always ignore the spandex clad boy.
"Neji my youthful student, do you know when you'll be able to go home and make a full youthful recovery?" And that was Guy.
"I don't know" Neji snapped, wishing the two ninjas had a volume button so he could mute them.
"Neji, my youthful friend, why are you blindfolded?" Lee asked.
Neji sighed. Lee was so clueless. It probably hadn't even occurred to Lee that too much blinding white would hurt his eyes.
"My Byakugan is sensitive to blinding white" Neji sighed. He wished the eyes weren't though. It was so dark and even at night, he wore the blindfold as having it off would be just as dark.
"Oh your poor eyes can't handle youthful light" Guy stated.
Neji just sighed. How did the two manage to get youthful into every single sentence?
He heard the footsteps of someone else approaching and prayed that it wasn't Naruto. He didn't need more humiliation, teasing and ramen.
"Master Hyuga will be able to go home tomorrow" A lady's voice spoke. Neji thanked whatever God or something was looking after him from the bottom of his heart. It wasn't Naruto and he could go home! This was the best news he had received his whole life.
"Oh Neji my youthful student, isn't that good news" Guy shouted. Neji growled.
"Actually, I'm going to go to sleep. I need to be well rested for my discharge tomorrow"
"Ok my youthful friend/student. Sleep well" Guy and Lee chorused.
"EEK!" Lee suddenly cried. "There's a spider over there!"
Neji froze. A spider? Here? Where was it? Was it close to him? Why was he scared? No he wasn't scared. He was a Hyuga. A spider was an insect wannabe. He wasn't scared of such a puny creature.
"KILL IT, KILL IT!"
It appeared Lee was though.
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Neji walked home alone. No one came to greet him, pick him up. That didn't bother Neji. He walked through the streets like a ghost, no one really seeing him or commenting. His white eyes took it all in, happy to be released from their dark bondage. He saw Kiba arguing with Shino about some sort of bug. Ino was talking to Shikamaru who was rolling his eyes and muttering his trademark word. Hinata was eating ramen with Naruto. WAIT!
Neji turned to look properly at the two. Hinata was blushing and stammering while Naruto lounged back and gobbled up his noodles. Neji sighed. He didn't have the energy to deal with the hyperactive blond who couldn't stop saying 'Dattebayo' and swooning over Ramen and Sakura.
Neji walked on.
A little known fact about Neji was the fact that he had his own apartment plus a room in the Hyuga Estate. He alternated between the two depending on the mood he was in. He was tired and fed up so he was going to the apartment today.
Neji unlocked the door and shut it behind him, making sure to lock it again. He flicked on a light, specially made for his eyes and looked around. Everything was the way he had left it. Couch covered in pillows, dishes draining in the sink, now long dry. He ignored the fridge, too tired to eat and flopped onto the couch. It was a one room apartment so everything was in the same room. The toilet and shower were hidden by a screen though.
He would have liked to lie on his double bed but the sheets were gone. He had been in the process of changing them when the mission came. The couch would do though. He fell asleep easily; the thought of no one knowing where he lived gave him reassurance that he wouldn't be disturbed.
And as his eyes flicked shut, a creature crept along the couch. Its yellow spots and dripping fangs flashed in the light as it walked towards the sleeping Hyuga.
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"Neji went home today?" Tenten asked Lee.
"Our youthful friend was gone when we came to pick him up" Guy answered. Lee was busy doing push ups.
"My failure to assist our youthful friend means I have to do 200 hundred push ups" The ninja puffed.
"NO IT DOESN'T!" Tenten shouted.
"I went to the Hyuga estate to visit our youthful friend but they told me he was probably at his private apartment. They don't know where it is" Guy spoke.
"Well then we have to check all the apartments" Tenten said confidently.
"Yes! A chance to make up for my failure of assisting our youthful friend" Lee jumped up, push ups long forgotten.
Tenten punched him.
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Little fingers…..
They were on him….
He's not ticklish…..
It's irritating though…...
"Gah" Neji sat up just as the spider sunk its fangs into his arm. "Ahh" Neji waved his throbbing arm and sent the spider flying before squashing it. Then he saw its yellow spots.
A Shibō…
Crap….
The Shibō spider brought death to the victim in less than an hour if not treated. And first, it would induce a coma.
Everything was blurry.
He was scared.
He didn't want to die.
No one knew where he was.
He was going to die.
No!
"HELP!" Neji cried, struggling to get up but his sight was fading, limbs weakening. He fell, missing the couch and lying in a crumpled heat on the ground, his untied hair spread around him. His last thought was
"I don't want to die alone!"
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"Excuse me but is a Neji Hyuga living in your apartment block?" Tenten asked for the 23rd time that night.
"No but my friend who owns the apartment next door has one" The lady said suddenly, surprising Tenten. "We were talking about him last week"
"Oh thank you" She gasped. "You've been a great help"
"Uh you're welcome" The land lady vanished back inside.
Team Guy minus one Hyuga had been searching for said Hyuga for about half an hour.
"Come on. Our youthful friend awaits" Lee shot off, Guy on his heels, Tenten following more slowly.
They arrived at the apartment and the landlady was bombarded with questions as to which floor Neji lived on and had he came home tonight.
"Yeah he came home tonight" The lady answered. "If you're talking about the white eyed Hyuga"
"We are" Tenten answered.
"Yeah he came home; looking awfully tired and went upstairs. He lives in room 8"
"Thankyou youthful lady" Guy thanked her and then he ran off, his lookalike following.
"Sorry about them" Tenten followed, signing at her team mate and her teacher's stupidity.
She found Guy and Lee knocking well pounding on door 8.
"Guys, you don't want to break it down" Tenten cautioned.
"But youthful Neji is not answering" Lee protested.
"He might be asleep" Tenten snapped.
"I knocked loud enough to wake him up" Lee said as if that explained everything.
"I will break this youthful door down" Guy said suddenly and proceeded to do so. Lee ran in leaving Tenten to scold her teacher calmly.
"YOU IDIOT! NEJI'S GONNA KILL US!" Tenten screamed actually not so calmly.
"If he's not dead first" Lee said suddenly, very serious for once.
"Lee what do you NEJI!" Tenten gasped at the sight of her teammate lying in the floor. It was the first time she had seen his hair down.
Why was she thinking about that?
"Neji!" She cried again. 'What's wrong?"
"That" Guy pointed to a blob beside his student. Its yellow spots were easily recognised.
"Deceased" Tenten whispered. "Is he breath-" She broke off, unable to continue.
"Not if we don't get him to hospital" Guy scooped up the boy who groaned, his hair falling into Guy's face.
"Then lets hurry" Tenten ran for the door, Guy following with Lee behind him.
"Guy run ahead" Tenten yelled as they ran.
Guy ran off without another word, Lee following and actually keeping up.
"LEE!" Tenten cried.
She sighed and increased her speed, her worry for Neji giving her speed.
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Pain…
It hurts….
Is he dead?
He doesn't want to die…
Somebody help him…
Please…
He's moving?
But who?
Hurry whoever you are…..
He doesn't want to die…
He doesn't want to leave…
But he's tired…..
It hurts…..
NO!
Light….
Not that light…
STOP!
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Guy heard Neji drag in a shuddering gasp and still, his breathing barely there.
"Don't give up my youthful student" He yelled.
Neji's head lolled, his hair blowing in the breeze but that was all. Then Lee yelled out and Guy looked up to see the hospital.
Had they made it in time?
The green clad ninjas burst into the hospital, scaring the nurses.
"Shibō!" Lee yelled.
"My student has been bitten by one. We found him in his apartment. We have no idea how long it has been since he was bitten" Guy rattled of the details. There weren't many. Neji was an enigma even when unconscious.
Neji was taken from his arms before he knew it, loaded onto a trolley which had appeared from nowhere and wheeled away at top speed.
Guy and Lee collapsed onto their knees in one synchronised move, puffing and panting. They looked up but Neji was gone.
"Neji" Lee panted.
The rival he was aiming to beat. The person he secretly admired. The boy he wanted to call his friend.
"Neji" Guy muttered.
The stubborn student he was dumped with. The cool personality of his that calmed even Lee's drunken fits. The boy he called his son but secretly.
"Neji" Tenten had arrived.
The boy she trained with. The words he spoke that inspired her. The boy who understood what it felt like to be alone.
"Come back Neji" all 3 chorused.
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"Heart beat's irregular"
"Possible organ infection"
"Injecting antidote"
"Estimated time 30 minutes"
"10% going up to 20%"
"Kidney failure"
"Heart shutting down"
"Shock him!"
"DO IT NOW!"
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Tenten and Lee were slumped in hospital chairs. Tenten was curled up but awake, her eyes focused on the corridor she had been told Neji had been taken down. Lee was dozing, alert but restful whilst Guy paced back and forth, muttering under his breath.
Every time someone came down the corridor, Tenten would sit up, Lee snap awake, Guy stop his pacing. But it was never news about Neji. It was news for the other people waiting. News on how the leg was set, how the operation was a success, how it was just a cold.
It was never about Neji.
Lee eventually fell asleep. Tenten didn't stop him from doing so. She focused on Guy, both of them trying so hard to stay awake.
Footsteps jerked her out of her daze. A man dressed in blue, hands gloved, face weary.
He approached them and instantly, Tenten was standing up, Guy at her side and even Lee was awake and staring up at the man.
"Are you Neji Hyuga's guardian?" The man asked Guy.
"I'm his sensei" Guy said. "His parents are dead; he's supported by the Hyuga family. My students and I found him with the dead spider in his apartment. He was released from hospital today from injuries sustained on a mission and we went looking him because we didn't know where he lived"
"Ok" The man nodded. "Well to be honest, it didn't look like he was going to make it at first. His heart stopped through treatment and his kidney and liver were badly infected by the venom. He'll need a kidney transplant just so he can keep being a ninja"
"But will he live?" Tenten broke in.
"For now, yes"
Tenten felt like she had just died and come back to life. She felt incredibly tired, relived and scared. The doctor had said for now though. That meant it wasn't certain her teammate would live. She hated feeling like this, hated waiting, hated the fact that she had learnt to care for the stubborn, jerk of a ninja.
"C can we see him?" Tenten asked, scared of the answer.
"I uh well I guess so" The man sighed and led the 3 down the corridor.
The room was small, holding just a bed and about half a dozen machines. Neji was hooked up to said machines. His air was down, spreading across the pillow and his eyes were closed. His chest rose and fell faintly. His skin was even paler then before if it was possible. And one of his arms was resting on top of the blanket. The other was hidden but the one in view was swollen and red and that was just the surrounding area of where the arm was bandaged and a drip was inserted.
"If only we knew where he lived" Tenten whispered. "We could have been there sooner"
"Poor youthful Neji" Lee whispered. "My youthful rival looks like he's on death doorstep"
"Don't say that!" Tenten shouted. "How could you say that?" She started to sob, choking as she tried to stop herself. A ninja wasn't meant to show fear. "Poor Neji. Poor, poor Neji" She reached a hand out but drew it back, afraid to touch him. Afraid to touch him in case he broke.
Silence fell upon the little room, the sound of the heart machine was the only noise heard. Tenten wanted to perch on the bed and hold Neji's hand but there was no room. It was a maze of liquid holding tubes and flashing wires. She shoved a fist in her mouth and held back her sobs. Neji! Why? Why had this happened? It was unfair. And a spider? Neji would probably be scared stiff of spiders when he recovered. If he recovered.
NO!
Don't think of that
"I want to stay with him" Guy broke the silence, uncharacteristically sombre.
"Uh sir I must protest" The doctor spoke. "You are not related and we have rules-"
"I am filling in for the boy's deceased father" Guy interrupted.
"Well uh" The man was very flustered.
"I have to stay with him" Guy snapped.
"Fine" The man gave up. "But they have to leave" He pointed a hand at Tenten and Lee.
"I must protest this time" Guy growled. "I take care of the boy, he lives with me and the girl is an orphan. They will stay with me"
"Hmmph" The doctor spun and left. "Call me if anything goes wrong"
The 3 were left in the room, the 4th member of Team Guy dead to the world.
"I will find some chairs" Lee crept away.
Tenten watched as Guy walked forward and bowed his head. The man's hand reached out and brushed a strand of the unconscious boy's hair.
"My youthful student" he whispered. "Please last the night"
Tenten choked back a wave of tears and wanted to slump into a chair. Luckily Lee came back with 3 chairs and she was able to fall into one.
There the 3 remained, keeping their silent vigil at the side of the pale boy.
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Tenten woke when someone tapped her shoulder. She started and looked around, looking into the face of her teacher.
"We have to leave" Guy said. "They're running some tests on Neji and this room is too small for us to stay in"
'We're going to the cafeteria" Lee popped up. "And then we'll come back"
Tenten nodded, too tired to reply. Then it sunk in. They were running tests on Neji. They don't run tests on dead people. Neji had lasted the night! He was out of the danger zone!
Her feet dragged all the way to the busy lunch room and there she slumped back into a chair, eyes shutting immediately.
"Tenten are you hungry?" Guy's voice intruded into the haze of sleep.
"Nuh" Her head lolled.
"You have to eat" Guy told her. "You haven't eaten since lunch time yesterday. It's about 10:00am now"
"Fine" Tenten muttered. "I'll have some soup"
She couldn't tell if her teacher had left the table because the room was too crowded and noisy. But the clank of a bowl hitting the table in front of her made her open her eyes.
The smell of the soup made her mouth water and then she was digging in as fast as she could to the amusement of Lee and Guy.
The soup was really tasty despite people saying that hospital food tasted gross. In fact it was so good that she nearly forgot about Neji.
Nearly…..
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Pain….
It's hard to breathe…..
He can't seem to get enough air…
He isn't dead?
Death doesn't hurt right?
So he's alive?
Flashing lights…
He doesn't want to get up….
He tries to raise a hand but it doesn't move….
He can't move!
HELP!
His eyes open and then shut
Too bright….
But he's awake…
Somebody help him…..
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A nurse interrupted Tenten's eating. It was lucky for the nurse that Tenten was just finishing up otherwise she might have a kunai at her throat.
"Master Hyuga is awake" She said.
Tenten shot up, her empty bowl clattering to the floor.
"We were scanning his kidneys when his heart rate increased enough to show that he is conscious. He also opened his eyes but shut them instantly"
"His Byakugan is sensitive" Guy explained.
"Yes we figured" The nurse said simply. "But he is experiencing paralysis as a side effect of the Shibō venom and we are yet to determine if he is in any pain though he almost certainly is. Would you like to see him? We have finished running the tests"
"YES!" Lee yelled and got up, about to run off down the wrong corridor. Tenten grabbed his arms.
"If it's not too much trouble" Tenten smiled.
"Follow me. He's in a bigger room now with other people"
The trio followed the lady and entered a 4 bed room where 3 of the beds were occupied by ninjas, one of which was Shikamaru. That shocked all 3 but the trio of Team Guy members waved at the boy who ignored them. Tenten slowed and saw that Shikamaru was in hospital for a deflated lung. He had come in an hour before Neji. In the last bed, a blindfolded boy lay, not moving. This was who they wanted to see.
"Neji" Tenten ran forward. "Oh my gosh we were so worried when we found you. We stayed all night. Oh thank the lord"
"Ah" Neji let out a shaky sound. His fingers trembled.
"Can't you speak?" Lee asked.
"Nah" Neji tried again.
"Oh my poor youthful son uh" Guy froze.
Neji stiffened if that was possible. His fingers twitched. A tear rolled out from his loosely tied blindfold.
"Ah Neji I'm sorry"
"Don't" Neji whispered. "Be"
"Huh?" The 3 able bodied ninjas said in synch.
"I uh" Neji's head drooped to the side and his breathing slowed.
"He's asleep" Tenten sighed. "But what was he trying to say?"
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Neji lay awake that night. He knew his teammates and teacher were sitting by him but he slowed his breathing so they wouldn't know he was awake. He needed time to think. To clear his head.
Guy had called him his son…
Why?
Neji had been nothing but mean to the man…..
"Are you awake Tenten?" A certain green clad, overly emotional teammate spoke up, interrupting Neji's thoughts.
"I am now" Tenten groaned.
"Guy called Neji his son" Lee was obviously thinking along the same lines as Neji. "Does he see all of us as his kids?"
"I suppose he does" Tenten said softly. Neji felt a hand brush his forehead and along his hair. He was obviously regaining sense in his head if he could feel it happening.
Suddenly the hand drew away. "Eek there's a spider over there" She gasped.
Instantly Neji panicked. His breathing tightened, his hands tried to move, he started to go dizzy. Was the spider close to him? Was it dangerous? Was it a Shibō? Get it away from him. Why can't he talk? Why can't he move? He needs to get away from here, needs to run.
"HELP ME!" He cried in his head.
Beep, beep, beep, beep. The heart machine's beeps quickened. Footsteps came rushing towards him.
"KILL IT LEE!" Tenten squealed.
"Breathing escalated"
"Hyperventilating"
"Possible shock"
"Step back!"
A needle slid into Neji's arm and he was forced to relax. He prayed that the spider was gone, prayed that it wouldn't hurt him.
"The spider's dead Neji. It can't hurt you"
"Thankyou" Neji managed to whisper as he felt his consciousness slip away.
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(AN: this is my longest one-shot and if I wanted it to, it could go on for ever so it's time for a time skip!)
Neji had been in the hospital for a week. He was still in pain and he was due for a kidney transplant any moment as soon as a match came in. He was hooked up to dialysis machine which was one of the reasons he couldn't leave the hospital.
Guy, Tenten and Lee had declined all missions and had been living in the hospital the whole week. No one from the Hyuga branch had come to see him though. He didn't care. And it was now that Neji had properly regained his speech and decided to bring up an avoided topic.
"Guy" He croaked.
"Yes Neji my youthful uh student, what is it?"
"Before, about a week ago when I first woke up, you called me your son" Neji sighed. He wished he could see Guy's face but his eyes were blindfolded.
"Ah well yes. I'm sorry Neji but I do see you as a son"
"We have a match!" A doctor ran in suddenly, interrupting what Neji had been about to say. "We need to prepare for surgery"
"Wait I-"
Neji felt the bed move. He needed to say something to Guy but he was gone.
"Wait" he said weakly.
Then it all blurred and his consciousness slipped away.
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(AN: Ok now I'm rushing. Sorry)
The trio of conscious Team Guy members stood around the unconscious member. The operation was a success and Neji was resting peacefully.
"What do you think is the first thing Neji will say when he wakes up?" Tenten asked.
"Probably that he hates me" Guy said miserably.
"Keep faith youthful master" Lee said quickly, not happy with his idol being upset and trying to make him feel better.
"Your right youthful student" Guy said brightly. "Neji may be happy that I call him my son"
"Your dead" Was all Tenten said.
Then the heart machine sped up just a bit and Neji moved.
"Neji my youthful student, how do you feel?" Guy burst in.
Neji looked around though he couldn't see. Lee who was annoying and constantly challenging him but was so care free and kind hearted that he even cared for Neji. Tenten who was so strong and helpful in any way possible. Guy who had a serious side that Neji admired more than anything in the world but whose over excitable side made Neji want to laugh.
"Thankyou" Neji said suddenly. "Thank you Guy for teaching me wisdom and rules my father never had time to tell me. And thank you for stopping me from hurting Hinata. Thank you Lee for motivating me whenever I lost hope. You always believed in me despite how rude I was to you. Thank you Tenten. You always had faith and you never turned you back on me no matter what I did. You never left me" Neji paused and then a small smile tweaked his face. "Thank you" He breathed. "For being the family I never had"
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Ok so if you've reached the end of this story, congrats. It's my longest one-shot and I really like it.
PLEASE REVIEW even if it's just one word like AWESEOME or even a letter like f and also enjoy this special ending with Neji and the guyang. Guy cross with gang. Guyang!
"Hey Neji look what I've found"
"I don't care"
"But it's really cool"
"I told you I don't care"
"But it's a spider"
*Thud*
"Neji? Ahhhh master Guy, Neji fainted"
"Neji my youthful son, what's wrong"
"I just showed him a spider"
"LEE YOU IDIOT!"
"Sorry Tenten"
"Uh Lee once the spider is dead, I'm gonna kill you!"
"I'm sorry Neji. Look, I'm squishing it now"
"Prepare to die!"
"AHHHHHHHHH!"
PLEASE REVIEW!
AND YAY FOR OOC!