They crossed eyes with one another nearly every morning. Her sharp green intersecting with his light lavender, pupil barren orbs surrounded with so many handsome lashes.
Whenever they locked stares, only for a few fleeting moments, the woman would take her overly long silken sleeves and fold them up together. So the pattern would overlap. Sometimes it was a pale yellow kimono or a happy spring green furisode with beautiful blossoms written all over it.
This woman, whoever she happened to be, sucked in attention like a hurricane. It was rumored that she was Orochimaru's daughter, who had returned after her father's death at the hands of Sasuke Uchiha. No one really knew if that was actually true, but looking at her pale, white skin, hard snake eyes, and cascade of ink black hair, it wasn't difficult to believe.
And there was a scar, running all the way down the left side of her face. Like a blemish.
Whenever they saw one another, the two would give fast little nods, as though they were acquainted, even though two words had not yet been exchanged between them.
That woman, in her outrageous attire, went her way, and Neji Hyūga went his, with slight and friendly glances to one another, subtle like the sugar packets at the edge of a table.