A/N: so, i was feeling uninspired. i'd read some of these before, and i think these are better... :3

tell me if you like them. i may or may not do this for my other pairings, but i liked it. :D

love, Lala

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-X-x- Unsaid, by The Fray -x-X-

"Hey Sora-chan," I started. She turned around to face me, that same miserable look on her face as before. "What's wrong?"

She stared at me for a minute, searching for something on my face. The rain outside poured down without hesitation, and I drank in the scent of clean air. Sora's face changed little by little, until a stubborn, angry, and hurt look creased it harshly.

"Nothing," she growled at me, before turning again and heading toward her and Tsuki-san's home. Frustrated with her attitude, I reached a hand out to her shoulder and gripped it firmly.

"I'm almost seventeen, Sora. You're almost sixteen. You don't think we're old enough to say what we feel?"

She didn't look back at me. "You know what, Neji? Do whatever the Hell you want. Just leave me out of whatever plans you have. I'm sick and tired of being the one in the background, picking you up when you fall. Sick of it." She jerked my shocked hand off her shoulder and picked up the speed of her walk as she headed home.

"Sora…" I murmured into the rain. "What's going on…?" She kept walking. Sora-chan, you've never been in the background. Since Father died, you've been the only one with me in the foreground. So why do you think such preposterous things?

I turned back to my door. Before I went in, I stared past the rain at the fading figure of my best friend, and I could have sworn she was staring back at me, something silvery-white gleaming on her cheek, before she turned and disappeared into darkness.

-X-x- Meant to Live, by Switchfoot -x-X-

He was watching me.

I was amazed, actually. He had never seen me fly like this: for recreation. I did it a lot, but he was always on some mission, or doing something else with his team. It was kind of nice to see him in awe of my unique power. It was refreshing, in fact.

But something was wrong. I'd expected him to sit back and maybe watch from a distance, but he looked sad. I wanted to comfort him, like I always had, but for once I had no clue what was going on in his head. A confused frown set into my face, I made for a landing.

o\O/o

She came swooping down to land in front of me, a strange look on her face.

"What's wrong," I said, not particularly feeling like asking it correctly.

"Good question," she replied in the same tone.

"Hn?"

"What's wrong, Neji?" she stared at me like she always did when she was worried. It was a look of confusion and fret that devoured my insides one by one.

"Nothing, it's just ironic, you know?"

"What do you mean?" she honestly looked curious.

"Think about it," I replied. I started unraveling the bandage around my forehead, revealing the green scar on its surface. I touched a finger to the X in the center. "Maybe I'm jealous."

"Hm…" she stared at me while I replaced my covering.

"What? Go again; it must be fun," I began walking toward a tree to rest.

Suddenly a flurry of wind picked up and I found the ground getting further and further away.

"WHA-?" I gaped, knowing exactly what was going on. "Sora-chan! Put me down now!"

"What?" she asked with a triumphant smirk on her face. "Afraid of heights? Or are you just too comfortable with being caged, Mr. Bird?"

"I-" I began. But I never finished; what was I to say?

She flew me around for a while. I had to admit: even if someone saw me in this ridiculous position—with Sora's arms tight around my chest—I would be able to shake off their taunts easily.

So this is what it's like to be free, I pondered.

-X-x- Dare You to Move, by Switchfoot -x-X-

I wiped my mouth. After this, I would shake off the mednins on call in the back room and heal myself. Well, that would require me to have enough chakra. Either way, my opponent wasn't about to let up, and I would have to figure it all out later.

I stared across the arena at my temporary enemy. Sunai stared back and did the same. I wasn't about to lose to her; I'd decided that a long time ago. Still, she was better than be at taijutsu than me, and she knew every single one of my strengths and weaknesses. Of course, I knew the same for her, but that didn't mean I would win. Far from it, in fact.

"I don't want to do it, Sora," Sony muttered.

"Me either, Sony, but we have to keep trying. Unless you plan on throwing the match?" I panted.

"No way," she replied, "but that's still an option for you. Forfeit, Sora!"

"No way in Hell!" I shouted at her and charged.

Here's the problem with fighting Sony: she's smart, fast, and good at everything. I'd fought her before, but not enough. She knew how to analyze a target quickly and it made her nearly unstoppable. I focused my chakra to my fingers and released it, like Neji had taught me, and I aimed for her Achilles tendon. I feigned an attack with kunai and she pulled one of her own, blocking them away. I reached for her ankle, but a sharp pain in my back stopped me. I blinked and saw that Sunai was gone, and a little volley of knives were embedded in my back, away from various vitals.

"I'm sorry," she muttered. I was pinned. Sunai raised an arm an chopped a chakra-infused slash into my injured back. My lungs filled slightly, and I coughed blood onto the tiles in front of me. I was finished; that much I knew.

I dare you to win. I dare you to stay alive.

My eyes flew open. Neji.

That's right. He was the only reason I had survived the last two tests. I had promised him that I wouldn't lose.

So I refused to.

I dare you to get up and keep moving.

Neji.

-X-x- Marchin' On, by OneRepublic -x-X-

"How long are you going to avoid me?" he asked.

"As long as it takes!" I pushed myself into a kick at his stomach. I missed.

"Why?"

"It should be obvious," I swung my fist back to smack his face. I missed again and growled in frustration.

"Why, Sora-chan?"

"Don't call me that."

"Why?"

"Shut up, Neji."

"Why should I?"

"Shut up!"

"Give me one good reason!"

"Because you need to," a voice came in.

"Go away, Tenten," I gritted my teeth without looking at her. Without my realizing it, we'd stopped sparring altogether, and our bickering had made the others around us interested.

"No, Sora. Get over it."

"Tenten," I warned.

"Sora…" I heard Sunai start.

"Don't even, Sunai!" I yelled at her. Izumi opened her mouth, but I silenced her with a look. I turned back to Neji. "If you don't figure it out, it's not even worth it. You're not worth it if you don't even know that much about me after almost thirteen years of knowing me, living with me!" I yelled at his emotionless face. I walked up to him and poked his chest, hard.

"Figure. It. Out. Neji-san," I hissed. I backed away from all of them, a total of five worried faces gazing at me. Team Gai, minus Neji and Tenten, were confused with the situation. My team stared in confusion as well, but only because I'd never had a backbone before now. "Bye, guys. See you whenever."

"Sora-" Mei tried.

"No, Mei-san," Gai stopped her, still looking at me. "She needs time."

"But-"

"Thanks, Gai-sensei. Ja ne," I bowed at him and flashed away, leaving them to their confusion.

"Time alone, huh? How is that going to help?" I felt Mom's presence next to me. I didn't look up.

"I need to wait for him to catch up to me."

"But what about moving on?" she asked.

"Things aren't always what they seem," I replied sadly. "I can't keep marching until the ones that are supposed to be alongside me are really there."

"…Maybe so."

-X-x- Clear the Area, by Imogen Heap -x-X-

I ran home fast. I meant fast.

Neji. Neji. Neji. I thought his name with every breath I took.

I flew through the gates to the Hyuga estate, ignoring the calls of the gatekeepers. I pried off my shoes and carried them with me to his room.

"Neji? Open the door, Neji!"

"Yeah? Whadd'ya wan'?" he answered the door.

He's drunk.

"N-Neji?" I asked timidly.

"Sooora-chan! C'mon in!" he pulled me into his room and closed the door behind me.

"Neji-kun? Are you… okay?"

"Sure I am!" he smiled in my face.

I slapped him across the right side of his face.

"Get. A hold. Of your sanity!" I grabbed his shirt collar. "What is wrong with you! This isn't the answer, Neji! You know better than anyone, pain isn't something to drink to!"

"Agh! Relax Sora-chan! It's just a l'il sake! Nothing to die over!"

"Neji, go get some water."

"Why? You thirsty?" he smiled. He smelled like… he smelled sad.

"Yeah. Sure."

"Oookay!"

For some reason, I'd never thought of Neji as a drinker. When he'd become a jounin, Tsuki had offered him a bit, and he'd accepted it kindly, but he'd never overdone it like this.

I guess that's what happens when your Father dies.

The anniversary. That was today. The one day that Neji always stays home on, and the one day I always spent with him.

"Neji…" I murmured.

"C'mon, sweetie. Have some," he offered me the offending drink.

"No. Now drink that water."

"Fine." He gulped down the water. "Happy?"

"Yes."

He lurched forward and pulled my into a kiss. He reeked of sake and I thought about it. Our kiss yesterday had been thought through, but this was in a drunken daze. But I could use it.

I gathered chakra in my palm and when Neji hand began to crawl toward the sticks holding up my hair, I released my palm's energy into his forehead. He fell to the ground, sleeping, and I sighed at him.

"Don't worry, Neji-kun. I'll wait for you to come back to me."

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R&R to tell me to do more! :DD