A/N:
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Neji transfers to Tenten's school a few months later out of convenience for his uncle. When his uncle gives him the news at dinner one night, Neji's stomach twists until he is queasy, and he pushes his food around in his plate until Hiashi allows him to excuse himself from the table. Hinata tries to give him an empathetic smile as he dumps the remnants of his dinner into the trash and puts his plate in the sink, but Neji is too distressed and angry to appreciate the gesture, and merely brushes past her.
He lies in bed that night ruminating about all the possible ways he can, and probably will, embarrass himself in front of his new classmates. Though Neji is kind and polite, he has very poor social skills. Try as he might, friends have never come easily to him. At his old school he would sometimes play with the other children, but he would mostly spend time alone either walking laps around the playground or reading a book in the shade. His teachers had been accepting of his quiet nature and the other children had never tormented him for it, and as he fists his hands in his sheets, he prays to kami that the people at his new school will be just as kind. After he's exhausted himself with worry, Neji finally rolls over onto his stomach, presses his face into his pillow, and cries. His father would always let him sleep in his bed whenever he was nervous, but his uncle is not like his father, despite being Hizashi's identical twin.
On the morning of his first day, Neji's hands shake as he buttons his shirt and smoothens his collar. He assesses himself in the mirror, trying on a smile, but feeling silly and quickly rearranging his features back into an anxious frown. In the car he silently mouths what he'll say when he is asked to introduce himself to the class, but digs his nails into his palms in frustration when he keeps stumbling on his words. He stops rehearsing when Hinata notices and tries to give him a reassuring smile.
His uncle drops them both at the front entrance, and it takes a minute for Neji to realize that Hiashi is not planning to walk with him to his new classroom. Anxiety grips him tightly as he takes his backpack and lunchbox from the trunk, waves goodbye, and follows Hinata into the building. Hinata points him in the direction of the principal's office and gives his hand a quick squeeze of encouragement before she heads off to her own classroom.
The secretary in the principal's office instructs him to take a seat while she helps another student. Neji stares at his shoes and tries not to think how different this morning would be if his father were still alive. Today is going to be horrible, he predicts, and he already knows he will hate being at this school. As he sulks and digs his toe into the carpet, he catches a glimpse of bright yellow out of the corner of his eye. His heart leaps with hope that the yellow is a certain Naruto loving, bun-haired girl.
Sure enough, Tenten comes into view then, and Neji is so relieved he might cry. "Tenten," he calls, waving to get her attention. She glances around in surprise at the sound of his voice, but then her face lights up with a bright grin when she sees him.
"Neji!" She gathers him into her arms for a fierce hug. "Are you starting school here?"
Neji nods and gently wraps his arms around her in return. Her cheeks haven't yet warmed from the cold, but Neji presses his face against hers anyway as his anxiety eases. Tenten sits with him until the secretary asks for his registration packet, and he learns that he and Tenten are in the same class. Tenten hurriedly volunteers to lead him to their classroom, taking his hand in her own and tugging him out of the office. "Don't worry! Everyone is really nice! You'll like it here," she promises. Tenten's enthusiasm is infectious and Neji thinks that this school won't be so bad after all, not as long as Tenten is here at least.
He finds that being Tenten's friend is advantageous. She seems to be well liked among her classmates, and by association, everyone greets him warmly too. The teacher hasn't arrived yet, so he stays close to Tenten and allows her to do all the talking.
Their teacher is a tall dark haired woman named Kurenai Yuhi. After asking Neji to introduce himself to the class, which he manages to do with only a few minor flubs, she assigns him a seat near Tenten and a boy with a bowl haircut and thick eyebrows named Lee. She then instructs them all to arrange their desks in groups of three and gives them a packet of worksheets to complete.
Lee and Tenten seem to be good friends, and Neji can see the similarity in their cheerful demeanor. The three of them work well together, and though Lee proves to be a little irritatingly peppy, Neji finds that he can tolerate it.
At lunch Tenten and Lee invite him to their table, and the three of them race each other around the playground during recess. Neji decides this has been the best day he has had since his father passed away.
At the end of the day, both Lee and Tenten give him a hug before they board the bus together. Neji hooks his thumbs around the straps of his backpack as he sits on a bench outside the main entrance, relieved that his first day has not been a complete disaster. Hinata is surprised when he greets her warmly, but she quickly smiles and takes a seat next to him as they wait for Hizashi to pick them up.
Ten minutes later, Neji sinks into the leather seat of his uncle's car, thoroughly exhausted from all the socializing and anxiety. He wonders if Tenten and Lee ever get tired from being so cheerful all the time. Judging from how fast Lee ran around the playground at recess today, he doubts the boy even sleeps. As he begins to doze off, his thoughts turn to Tenten. The warmth of the car reminds him of the heat of the sun on a hot summer day. As he gives in to drowsiness, he imagines curling up and taking a nap next to Tenten in the shade of the trees near the playground.
He dreams of Konoha tonight, and being on a team with Tenten and Lee, and all the dangerous adventures they embark on together. He dreams of his father and mother waiting up all night for him to return home from his missions. He dreams of never being abandoned again.
A/N: I have written three chapters in the span of 24 hours and I can't stop. Someone please send help.
Thank you for reading and please review!
~M.I.
