Author's Note: Please forgive me, Neji is extremely OOC here. I'm not very familiar with this pair, but this was written for a songfic contest. I just hope I did justice to the respective characters. English is not my native tongue so pardon my English and poor grammar. I've only gone as far as Neji and his group joining Naruto to rescue Gaara. I know I need to update my Naruto facts. So please don't tell me that the characters are OOC I already said that they are. So if you don't like it and if you don't like yaoi, just pass on by. I didn't force you to be here, so if you don't like it, that's too bad. Just pass on by, because if you leave a nasty comment I can also report you, keep that in mind, and if you leave an anonymous one, I can delete it. Your choice. For the others, please enjoy, I'm writing to improve my English and to improve my writing style, this written for pure pleasure.
Why does it hurt so much? Neji asked himself as he clutched at his chest. Seeing someone he liked so much yet he could never have. He had been staying at the Uchiha household ever since Itachi had been assigned to handle his training. But since Sasuke is always practicing with Naruto, he was always left alone with the older Uchiha who was always rude to him and doesn't seem to like him. But he had no choice but to endure it all. Not only because the older boy is his mentor but because he had fallen for him ever since he had first seen him at the dojo, and didn't know who it was back then. He was so captivated by his graceful form and when the man removed his kendo mask, he was mesmerized by those fierce eyes and determined gaze, Itachi is someone he always wanted to be like when he reached that stage. But right now he is more determined for Itachi to acknowledge him, but all he ever hears from the man are hurtful words and insults.
He had always thought that certain things would fall right into place, and things would work out no matter how hard it is. The same way he treated his training with Itachi. Despite of all his efforts and despite of all the wonderful things his other teachers said, he can't seem to reach that stage that he would be someone worth it in Itachi's eyes. He wondered too about giving up and telling everyone that maybe it is much better if he go to another dojo that is more fit to his credentials and that is when Itachi became furious with him even more.
"You told me you wanted me to acknowledge you, how can I acknowledge someone who is not even passing the first stage is already giving up?" Itachi shouted at him furiously.
They were at the dojo and everyone was still there. He wasn't planning to tell him anything not after their training, but the man was so full of insults that time, and he was at his last straw when he blurted out that he wants to train with another master and go to another dojo. He also told him that he thinks that he is not fit to be the older Uchiha's successor and that is when Itachi flared up and stormed out of the room. Neji was left there speechless and wanting the ground to swallow him feeling so embarrassed that the whole dojo was whispering behind his back now. He decided to skip the rest of the training since he thinks too that Itachi won't be coming back anymore after that.
Sasuke came to talk to him. "Hey." He greeted the other boy. Neji looked up, "Hey." Sasuke has always been nice to him despite their differences too, the younger brother is so much like the older one, so he had always assumed its because of that Itachi was that way with him, but if Sasuke has always try to make an effort to be friends with him, the older Uchiha always makes it difficult for him, for whatever reasons he didn't know why.
The younger Uchiha sat down next to him. "What's up?" Sasuke asked. Neji just shrugs his shoulders and got up.
"I better go back, or Itachi sensei would be on my case again." He said, with a light chuckle.
"Don't give up." Sasuke said, glancing at Neji's back. "Niichan is just like that, but I'm sure there is a real reason behind it. I'm sure all he wants is for you to succeed." He said.
Neji stopped short and glanced back at the younger Uchiha, "Thanks, Sasuke. I won't give up for sensei I would do my best." He said, and with a salute he rushed back to the dojo.
After the incident, Neji discovered how the older Uchiha is when it comes to saving face. He was driven to do the hardest workout, always the last to leave and sometimes barely crawling to bed after a grueling session with the Uchiha. He never realized it, but he was improving and all the other students are looking forward to their matches, as they watch two of the finest shinobis put up an exhilarating match, perfect form, and awesome moves. Neji didn't realize it but he was finally keeping up with his mentor, and all the while he was too conscious of his actions, determined to hear the approval from his secret love's lips. But of course, Itachi would never say it to him out loud, if only Neji could decipher Itachi's actions, then he would have known that the older Uchiha had accepted him since the start. Little did the Hyuuga born shinobi knew, it was Itachi who volunteered to train him, and he wanted only to train Neji and no one else. He wanted to mold him into someone he would be so proud of. An exclusive. Which was rare for Itachi, he is only training one particular student, although he openly voiced out that he only took Neji in because he pitied him and decided to spare some of his precious time to train this boy.
When a mission came up, a dangerous one, Itachi was assigned to take one of his best students to go with him. Kakashi and Iruka are already ready to leave the next day. Neji was hopeful, because he is the only one training under Itachi at the moment, but he was so hurt when Itachi turned to his own brother and told Sasuke to go with Kakashi and Iruka as part of the advance party.
He started to protest, "But sensei, Sasuke is not your student, I am." He had begun.
Itachi whirled around to glare at him, those red eyes piercing through him like fire; Neji couldn't help but cringed and cowered back a little.
"Why? Do you think you are already good enough, after that pitiful show of moves and form, Sasuke could do those things in his sleep. I have decided." He said, the whole room was hushed except for some heavy breathing from Neji who was trying to control his temper.
But Itachi decided to deliver the final blow, "Next time, if you are going to volunteer for a mission, be sure that you already surpassed me before considering yourself worth it." He said.
Neji lost the feelings on his legs as he crumpled to the floor. The whole room was quiet as they watched the drama between the teacher and student. They know that Itachi is strict and it's a rare treat that he was even training someone, and they admired Neji for having enough guts to put up with the very cruel master.
Itachi ignored him, and turned to his brother, "Ototo, I got some things for you to bring for the mission, come with me to my room." He said, and Sasuke could only nod and follow his brother.
Iruka was about to reach for Neji to help him up, but Neji glared at Itachi's retreating back, "I hate you." He said, and scrambled back to his feet and ran out of the dojo.
Itachi was immobile for a couple of seconds; Sasuke looked at his older brother, "Niichan." He started. Itachi turned to him, "Let's go." He said, ignoring the low words that Neji uttered.
Neji didn't come back that night, and Itachi prevented Sasuke and Naruto in trying to find where Neji went, that he might be hungry or hurt somewhere and couldn't call for help.
"Leave him be, he is so stubborn to run away, then he should be stubborn enough to come home." He said, he realized what he said, home. Did he really consider the boy as part of his family now? He wondered. It was lost to the blond ninja but for the younger Uchiha, who is almost like his brother, really knows what's going on in his brother's head, and also knows what his brother is feeling for Neji.
"Suit yourself." Sasuke commented.
But everyone was surprised when the next day, not even dawn, someone had seen Neji rushing out of the village, alone, he seemed to be in a rush to go somewhere and had ignored the sentry, and immobilized them and escaped into the dark of the early morning. Then Itachi was informed that Neji had stolen the map for the mission.
No one stopped him when he said he was going to look for his student.
He wondered why he had to pretend to be so cold and cruel to the boy. What was he so afraid of? Why can't he praise him, even just a little bit? Neji had worked so hard and followed all of his bidding, he really deserves to be his successor but Itachi was so determined to put up the barriers around his person, not wanting anyone to peek and see who really is inside.
He was awakened from his reverie when a haunting tune started playing from outside, it was a young man, playing a guitar and was singing a song…a love song, as far as the Uchiha could tell.
"…Oh, my love
my darling
I've hungered for your touch
a long lonely time
and time goes by so slowly
and time can do so much
are you still mine?
I need your love
I need your love
Godspeed your love to me
Lonely rivers flow to the sea,
to the sea
to the open arms of the sea
lonely rivers sigh 'wait for me, wait for me
I'll be coming home wait for me
Oh, my love
my darling
I've hungered for your touch
a long lonely time
and time goes by so slowly
and time can do so much
are you still mine?
I need your love
I need your love
Godspeed your love to me…."
Itachi shook his head, dismissing the voice of that young man who was singing that one haunting melody, he came in from the drizzle outside, he had been searching for Neji for three days now, no one had seen him, and no one could tell him where the boy is. He didn't want to pick him not because he didn't trust his potentials, but he was afraid, he was afraid that Neji would get hurt and he would lose him. He had been examining his feelings for Neji ever since the young shinobi had started living with them and he started training him. He is not a people person, so expressing himself is one of his flaws but it is very effective for him being an instructor. He is very serious of his work, and is determined to mold his students to be fine young ninjas after himself. But when it comes to Neji, things changed. There are a lot of things that had changed, he never volunteered to take on a student, and he had specifically requested that no one would know that he asked to be Neji's instructor.
A glass broke, he was sitting there immobile, emotions wound taut to almost snapping, a lot of the older men in his clan had been killed and didn't survive this mission, and Neji had stolen the map and went out on his own. Emotions filled him, blaming himself for being so hard; blaming himself for not acknowledging him sooner or else the boy wouldn't be out here now determined to wring out his approval out of him. The song that boy was singing was cutting into the thick barrier that was surrounding his heart. He put barb wires around it, determined not to let anyone in and yet this mere boy had penetrated it with just one look. Did he use his Byakugan to see what is really is inside his heart? He wondered. He wondered too if that mere gift alone could also melt whatever blockage he put up to shun anyone who was trying to get in. Not even Sasuke was successful in trying to get close to him, his very own brother.
"A boy. Yes, a boy was seen running from the house, no, he was staggering to run away from the house, he was badly hurt and bleeding. His eyes, they are white. He looked weird." The man said, he had rushed in from the rain too and ran straight to the bartender and blurted that out.
Itachi was out of his seat and was grabbing for the man before anyone realized he was there, "Where is that boy? Show me where you've seen him." He demanded as he grabbed for the man.
The man looked at Itachi and whimpered when he saw that this time Itachi has red eyes, he pointed out in the direction where Itachi had been. Itachi dropped him and rushed out in the pouring rain again and traced back his steps, he thought that he made a mistake the first time, and was going to go in the other direction. The boy was still singing, and Itachi almost rush to him and wanted to hit the boy with his own guitar, to stop him from singing that song, and making him lose his concentration. But as he disappeared into the night, the last words he heard where the words from that haunting melody….
"Godspeed your love to me…."
And that is when he saw Neji, huddled around some discarded boxes and crates, like a used and bloodied rag thrown out without any use any more. In his quick and easy stride he was there, gathering the boy in his arms ever so gently.
"Neji. Neji." He called out, searching the boy's face for any form of life, Neji's eyes were closed, and his breathing was labored.
Itachi plunged his mouth to the boy's and breathe into him, as if trying to breath life back into the boy, he kissed him hard and pulled him tighter towards him, "Neji." He called to him once more. If Neji could see all those emotions that the man had hidden from him all this time, he would have thought that this is a difference person. Not the man who had molded him and trained him using mean words and heartless methods.
He took him back to the inn where he was staying, the others are already there, and Kakashi seeing him found Neji now set up to infiltrate the camp that did this to their comrade. The others didn't say anything when they saw a different Itachi that day, they went on to carry out the mission, leaving Itachi to care for Neji and bring him back to the village.
Itachi carried him, Neji is not that heavy, but it was probably his guilt that landed the boy into this predicament that was weighing the boy down in his arms. He laid him gently on the bed and started to discard the bloodied clothes off him. Hostility forgotten, his mask discarded, he is his true self, when he started to clean up the boy and dress the boy's wounds. He was in deep thoughts, wondering if he could also heal the wounds he had caused Neji that made him run away and almost got himself killed. The flesh wounds could be taken care of easily, and there is a good chance that Neji would be back to his old self after awhile. But would the boy be the same again, like he had always been before he was under Itachi's tutelage?
He undressed and laid beside him, the rain made the air cold, and Neji is a little warm. He had seen him naked in the baths lots of times, but it was the first he really looked at Neji, as he touched the boy gently with his fingers, tears slowly running down his face, as he pulled him gently into his arms, giving him warmth, using his body to supply the heat.
Neji moaned and opened his eyes slowly, "Who...uhhn…" he said weakly, wanting to know who was the person who was holding him ever so gently.
The last thing he remembered was running away from the attacks, they had discovered him, he was determined to retrieve the documents from that said clan. But he failed and now he was trying to get away, and not get killed.
Itachi pulled away a bit, enough to crushed his lips against Neji's, "Sen-" Neji in an almost surprised tone when he saw that it was Itachi who was laying naked beside him and kissing him now so fervently. He didn't know if it was the effect of his sleep deprived mind that was playing tricks on him, conjuring Itachi in bed with him, if it was all an illusion, he didn't want it to end, as he willingly surrendered his lips…and his soul to the one person he had cherished the most, tears flowed down his face, as he watched and felt Itachi burning kisses that was marking his body as his own possession. He moaned and arched his back, it seemed to him the hardship he had gone through meant nothing, if this is the reward he was going to get in the end.
"Ahhh…sensei…." He cried out with a moan, as Itachi took him in his mouth.
"No…Itachi. Call my name, Neji. I want you to call my name, and only think of me from now, for you belong to me now." Itachi said, as he took him even deeper until he could feel him at the back of his throat.
"Itachi. Oh…Itachi. I love you….Yes, I am yours and only yours…My only god. My only master…I would be your possession from here on now until forever." Neji uttered, and started to chant Itachi's name, reciting a new form of chakra that would heal his very soul.
The older Uchiha made love to him slowly, memorizing each line, and curves of the boy's body, not leaving a single spot of skin untouched, kissed. He devoured him like a feast, a sumptuous dish prepared only for him. He wanted to make up for all the harsh words he had uttered to him, for all those things that he made him do and feel. He wanted to reveal to him what he really feels, and he had broken down his barriers, taken down the walls that were surrounding his heart, and as he entered him, he opened his heart to Neji.
Neji felt so hot, he thought that his body was burning, as he felt weaker each time he could feel those searing lips burn a trail down his skin, he moaned and his voice now already hoarse from all his cries, as Itachi devoured his entire body. And when he felt him enter him, the very first person that he ever allowed to be this close to him, he called out his name once more. Like his mind had melted and couldn't formulate any other words but his master's name.
It was painful at first, but he savored it, the sweet torture of Itachi's thrust, the older man covered him with his own body, and Neji clawed at his back, as he tried to move with him, wanting him to bury himself deep inside of him, wanting to feel him to the very core of his being.
"Ahhh…Itachi, so good. Ahhh…" he cried out in pleasure. Itachi showered his face with kisses, as he moved and thrust even harder, his chest hurt, his groins hurt. He could feel so much, his insides were overflowing with emotions. The unchained melody of emotions came flowing back to him, as the song echoed in his head once more.
Itachi pulled him up, as he switched places with him, he wanted to see his beautiful Neji riding him, "Dance for me, Neji, I want you to feel me, ride me hard, ride me good, I want to bury myself inside of you, I want to live in your skin, in your lips, you will not know anything else but me and only me. So dance for me, my koi, and connect with me." Itachi said, as he lifted his hips and with piston like movement thrust even deeper and deeper inside of Neji.
Neji arched his back, grateful that Itachi was holding on to his wrists or else he would have fallen off and melted on top of the man. He started to move his hips and started to hop on top of Itachi, crying out in pleasure every time he hits his prostrate every time he would sit on Itachi's lap and bury the man even deeper inside of him. They started to pant and cry out, chanting each other's name in unison. And in one synchronized movement, like the form of art they had practiced on the mat everyday, the master and student connected and became one, as they showered and filled each other with their essence.
Neji passed out, they both lost count as to how many times they memorized and connected together. He had seen a different Itachi that night and would probably not see that side of him again, but this night would be special to him, and it would be something he would cherished for the rest of his life. He had been taught a valuable lesson, something no other master would teach him, and he would only allow Itachi to be his master for this. What happened that night made their bond stronger and now he had known the older Uchiha much better? He may be a man of few words; he may be not so graceful when it comes to action when his feelings are concerned. But this night had changed everything. He would never look at Itachi the same way again after this night.
A knock came on the door. Kakashi wasn't surprised that Itachi wasn't already at the door when he came to give his report. After a brief knock, he delivered his message.
"We're heading back. And taking the prisoners with us. We will see you in a couple of days, tell Neji to get well soon." He said to the door knowing that Itachi is on the other side listening.
"Don't work the boy too hard, sensei. Remember he is still injured." Kakashi said, in a friendly tone, grinning behind his mask and sauntered off after hearing a grunt from the other side.
He was putting on his clothes when he heard a moan from the bed and Neji stirred, "Sensei." He said, at first he really thought that everything was a dream, but seeing Itachi putting on his clothes and when he lifted the covers saw that he was also naked, he knew then that it wasn't a dream.
"I'm going to get food, why don't you take a shower while I'm gone." Itachi said.
Neji scrambled to his feet and let out a cry when he landed on his butt. Itachi scooped him up and put him back to bed. Neji saw the determined jaw again as it set, was it really all a dream? He asked himself, maybe it really was all a dream after all. He said to himself.
"Sorry, sensei." He said, looking down at himself, as he gathered the blanket around him.
Itachi reached for him, and he cringed, he thought he was going to get slapped but Itachi pulled him close and kissed him fervently. "You can call me Itachi when we're alone. But back in the dojo I am sensei." He said when he pulled away. He walked to the closet and grabs some of Neji's clothes and brought it to him.
"Just put this on, we will take a shower later when I get back." He said, "Just rest some more. I would be back soon." He said, and leaned again to kiss him.
Neji was speechless and his face was completely red, "O-Okay, I-Itachi." He said, almost in a whisper, he was surprised that he could reply after a kiss like that. His heart was beating so loud in his chest. It was real and Itachi is now his lover. He blushed some more as he watched the man smiled for the first time in his life, a beautiful smile that lit up his handsome face.
He touched Neji's bare shoulder before he set out to get them food. Neji sat there, not really knowing whether to squeal, shout, jump on the bed or laugh like crazy. He started to put on his clothes. Realizing now why he was too weak to get up, why even he was bloodied and wounded last night he was able to run away, why now that he couldn't stand at all, he blushed even deeper knowing what's the real reason was. And his face was as red as the red sun that was peeking out of the curtain when he realized too what Itachi meant by taking a shower later when he gets back. Meaning that they would be taking it together!
Owari