This story is meant as fun/parody :) and is dedicated to a great friend that actually came with the idea of Neji and his inner dialogue. We had fits of laughter while talking about it :D so I hope you will like it also!
Enjoy!
A day in park as seen by the other children
It was a bright and hot sunny day in Konoha. The children were all playing outside as they were enjoying their free time during the summer holiday. The Academy was closed and the children were all scattered in the nearby park where they not only practiced what they learned in their first year at the shinobi academy but played as the children they were.
The group of six year old children were running around and laughing in an unadulterated mirth and happiness. They were playing tag, swinging on the swing and jumping down from them and sliding down on a slide, few of them were on the monkey bars and others were even playing in the sand.
The only child that didn't participate in this youthful frolicking was a small brown haired white-eyed boy named Neji. He came with them as he was encouraged to form bonds with his fellow classmates by his aunt who had almost forcefully dragged him here and left to go shopping with the promise to pick him up in few hours.
To the other children he seemed unapproachable. His frown was making him seem reserved at best and it discouraged the other children to come closer and ask him to join in their games. His lack of participating in the class in any form of social bonding made the other kids believe he was a grumpy old guy in a child's body.
Standing in the shade of a nearby tree he was glaring especially hard at the group of children sliding down the slide. They were laughing their hearts out as they climbed the small – but in their children minds the tallest – ladder to the top of the slide and with their hands thrown up into the air sliding down the slide with the wind in their hair.
Scowling at that group of children he didn't notice the approach of one of the civilian children playing there. She thought he looked like a fairy with his long brown hair and white eyes and his pale complexion. The small girl wanted to ask him to join their group to play hide and seek with her other friends. She was mustering the courage to come and ask him for the past thirty minutes and she was almost close enough to talk to him when he suddenly let out something akin to a snort and turned the other way and walked out of the park.
The small girl almost jumped at his sudden departure and with tears running down her cheeks she fled to her friends.
A day in park with the insight into the mind of young Neji Hyuuga
When his aunt insisted on taking him to the park he was trying to make her see reason and not take him there. The temptation was too big for him. She didn't accept his arguments why he shouldn't attend or take part in child games. She wasn't a shinobi but still she should understand the need for him to maintain the Hyuuga name unscratched and dignified.
She left him standing near the entrance of the park and shoved him a bit closer to the playground before leaving for her errands. He let out an exaggerated sigh before he could compose himself, quickly looking around checking if someone heard him or saw him make the childish face that went along with the sigh. Nodding his head sure that no one had seen him slip.
He went to stand in the shade of a tree where he had the best view of the reason of his biggest temptation. The Slide.
He kept frowning at the shining metal object that seemed to provide such joyful feelings to the other children. He wanted to try it himself so badly. His inner voices kept debating between going there and staying here, one being the voice of his child's heart the other of his mind.
I want to go there so much to feel the air rushing by my ears and the wind playing in my hair.
I shouldn't, it wouldn't be appropriate for a member of the Hyuuga clan to be running around with children instead of training. I have my goals and sliding down a slide won't help to achieve them.
But I want to gooooooo. His inner heart's voice screamed.
I will not taint the Hyuuga name! Protested his rational voice.
But it seems to be so much fun. Opposed his hearts voice.
It will not give me any relevant experience that could be used in the world of Hyuuga or shinobi. Countered the rational voice.
It sooooo would! What if I encounter a slide, a WATER slide on a mission that I need to slide down and I will not know how because I never went to try it.
That possibility is very low and with the intelligence I have a simple water slide shouldn't be a serious obstacle in the missions way.
But I'm still a child and children should be able to have fun and try out new things for example SLIDES! Tried to persuade him his heart's voice.
Your a Hyuuga for kami's sake. Just imagine how it would look like. Just the image of Hiashi-sama sliding down the slide with a laugh is implausible and preposterous.
And incredibly funny. Laughed the heart's voice.
That is not becoming of a Hyuuga to laugh at the expense of the head of the family! Admonished the rational voice.
This went on for another half an hour making him scowl at his inner voices, not on the children. As the two voices were in deadlock he decided on a compromise. Coming to that conclusion he wanted to burst in happy giggle when he realised that wouldn't be appropriate also so hi stifled it, coming out as a snort of a kind. He turned around and walked to the entrance of the park in order not to tempt himself with this shining, gliding object of his youthful desire not noticing the girl that approached him from the other side.
Patiently waiting for the night to come he went around his daily chores, eating his dinner with part of his family and then going to his room after his nightly hygiene. He was almost trembling with anticipation as he waited for the night to progress after midnight. When the right time came he almost jumped out of the bed, quietly of course, and went about rummaging through the insides of his closet. Finally finding what he was looking for he smiled with anticipation. He pulled the black pants on, with black socks and a black pullover finished with black gloves. Putting the rest of his guise into his pocket he exited his room as quietly as possible so no one would see him or stop him.
It took him only few minutes to exit the compound and make his way to the place of his destination. Reaching his destination he took out the rest of his guise and put it on. After that he slowly walked to his final destination.
He climbed the ladder to the top of the slide and sat down at the top, letting his feet stretch in front of him. Wiggling his butt he prepared himself to enjoy what he was yearning for the past few months since he saw it for the first time. Concentration would be evident in his face if he didn't have a mask on his face and goggles on his eyes and a headband on his forehead effectively concealing his identity should anyone cross his path.
Putting his hands in the air and smile on his face he wiggled himself forward to start his slide down. With a loud "Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee" and a laugh on his lips he slid down the slide he opened his eyes that he shut just second before out of the sheer enjoyment of the moment. When he opened them he saw a lone figure frozen in the motion of his next step looking at him with a look that could be only described as horrified.
Neji's merry "weeee" sound died down at the sight of the person in front of him. Panicked he stood slowly up and without another though fled the site as fast as he could, deciding and promising himself that he will never taint the name of the Hyuuga ever again if that person won't follow him.
The person finished his step and shook his head. "There is no way I'm going to have one of those in my life." Muttered Kakashi as he shivered at the horrors of having children of any kind in his life. "They are just too weird and scary!"
I already have a story of Neji/TenTen planned so this might be an openning for it :) still not decided on that, but should this get some good reviews I might make it part of the story :)
Anyway, Thanks for taking the time and reading this! Let me know what you think :)