How the Irons of Love Bond

Four Fetters, What String Is This?

'Why? Why does he like me? I don't understand….'

Neji turned away from the bedside window. The moonlight struck his room's inner walls. The stars twinkled all over in the sky, even though everyone in the Village was asleep.

Except for Tenten. She sat in her bed and gazed up at the sky, wondering about the practice fight between Neji and Sasuke. She wondered how Neji could have possibly lost. Ideas mulled around in her head, but she only came up with things that didn't make sense. 'I hope Neji didn't let him win,' Tenten thought, clasping her hands together. 'Hmm. Maybe I should get some sleep, though. I'll ask him about it tomorrow.'

Tenten decided to plop back on her bed. A tiny mint-green clock ticked past the newly arrived hour. She closed her eyes. Feeling herself sink leisurely into slumber, another thought crossed her mind: 'That is, if he's not too embarrassed about it.'

Neji awakened with a slight start. His breaths deepened, slowed. A grip on his blankets brought back recent memories. Leaving him to wonder about that dream. "What is this?" he asked himself. Then, holding his forehead, "And what does it mean?"

Quivering a little, Neji left his room for the bathroom. He proceeded quickly to wash his face, feeling like sweat had drenched it when it really did not. Only feeling the coolness of the water he looked up through the open window, gazing at the moon and its sole loveliness. Neji was breathing more normally now as he stared up at it, mesmerized by its fullness.

He wasn't sure what kind of dream he had, but all he knew was that Sasuke was in it. Again.

Konohagakure was quiet that night. Barely anyone roamed those streets. Shops had closed, but insomniac businesses remained lit. Colorful lights and printed lanterns lined the streets Neji walked on. Despite them, the thirteen-year-old still felt insecure and vulnerable. He sighed a bit hopelessly as he walked alongside the Village's river. The Naka River wound in a meandering path. This section was level enough for small boats to sail through, though. Also, it was where an occasional water lily would drift along.

That was when Neji stopped beside it. To look up at the moon and stars. Skylights, in their own right. Even with the Monument looming underneath, they were tiny spotlights on the Hokage likenesses. First through Fourth, the noble visages were obviously weathered but still recognizable. Especially the Fourth Hokage, who happened to be Naruto Uzumaki's father. By means no one really wanted to discuss, Minato Namikaze disappeared in the line of duty, primarily as a husband and second as the Hokage. His wife, Kushina Uzumaki, had given birth to their only son and, all too soon, kidnapped by a shinobi from an enemy Village. Without both parents in the picture, Naruto was left to speculate their statuses on his own. He'd been sick of hearing people giving up hope and assuming they were dead. It was a light that radiated from the spiky blond.

"I'm gonna become Hokage! So when my dad gets back I'll succeed him, for sure! He'll be so sick of it he'll have to pass the title on to me! Hah ha-hah, believe it!"

And Neji had come to respect it. Though his own father's status was all too certain. 'But…my father is never coming back.'

Suddenly, a glitch in the air was felt. Waiting a bit, Neji frowned. And clenched his fists. "You just don't know when to quit."

Sasuke didn't move. Carelessly shrugging, "I guess you can say that," with both hands in his pockets. He noticed the agitation flushing into Neji's cheeks when the Hyūga turned around. Nighttime eyes blinked at the Hyūga boy; then, darkest brows furrowed a little. "What's up?"

"'What's up?' What do you mean?"

"I mean, what're you doing out here so late?"

A ponder. "I could ask you the same thing."

"Just takin' an evening stroll. You?"

"None of your business."

In the process of getting ditched, Sasuke saw how hastily the Hyūga was leaving him. His eyes wandered further away with each of Neji's distancing steps.

Climbing the main stairway, Neji made his way towards an intersection. Wire strings, wooden signage, cloth banners wobbled in another meandering breeze. So did tree leaves, respective branches making the most relaxing of crashing sounds. Neji stopped to take a deep, healthy breath. His outdoor robe's hems fluttered.

The Yamanaka Flower Shop was closed for the night. Ino Yamanaka, a Ninja Academy classmate, loved flowers and was determined to take her father's place, if being a kunoichi never became a thing for her. A fellow admirer of Sasuke Uchiha and an "eternal rival in love" to Sakura Haruno, the girls' competing for his affection suddenly became invalid. 'If I'm the object of his attention, then…?' It left the Hyūga boy in a fog of quandary. Surely they noticed by now, hadn't they, he wondered. Sasuke's eyes were on neither of them; girls really did become blinded by notions of being in love, he supposed.

Being in love was the last thing on his list, however. Studies were a priority as well as his only privilege. A slice of freedom. But the Uchiha was making it annoying, a chore, and almost not worth it. He didn't know what "no" meant, apparently.

Because he had appeared again, some paces away. Although, Sasuke was keeping a silent distance between himself and the Hyūga.

"What are you following me for? Leave me alone, Uchiha!" The sharp wave of his arm suggested adamancy. He was mindful of the level of his voice, at the same time.

The Uchiha never looked up, nor his way.

"What do I possibly have to do with you?" Neji interrogated. "I don't understand why you like me! Why do you suddenly have feelings for me? You're already arranged to marry my cousin!"

Still, no eye contact.

The Hyūga snarled. "Fine! Be like that. You're an enigma in your right, but keep your secrets to yourself. Kindly leave me out of them, please."

Another wind whip: A set of chimes clanged nearby. Sasuke watched Neji resuming his way through town. Aimless, in a sense, his pace showed how sick and tired he was of being stopped. That ponytail swished in it. Keen ebonies locked on to the Hyūga's hair tie.

"The thing is, you are my secret."

Neji sharply halted, spun on a ball, and became thoroughly confused. "What?"

Sasuke smirked. "Plain and simple. I love you, instead of her." He stepped back towards him. "And it's quite a tale, actually…."

The Hyūga tried to avoid him by stepping out of his desired path. In a strange dance, those two boys circled around each other, their eyes locked, motioning back, forth, and in juxtapose. Neji grimaced while struggling to cover up his losing wit.

Sasuke chuckled to himself. He stopped all motion and began to explain himself. "Let's get this out of the way, shall we?" Sasuke's smirk vanished. "Listen: Ever since the day we met, I've had this boy-crush on you. Even though I thought I'd never see you again, I didn't give up; I didn't want to. So call it what you like, but I can't escape it…and I'm refusing to. I want to love you, hold you in my arms…that is, if you'll let me."

Neji flinched. A strange-colored panic was setting in.

"I've…been wanting to have you as my future bride, someday. It's crazy, and highly improbable since boys can't have wedding arrangements made for each other. It's a big leap. My parents won't like it, and I'm sure yours won't either, but I don't care about any of that. All I know is that I love you…" The slightly younger Uchiha approached the older Hyūga, guard completely down. "Please…I want to love you, but if you keep running away…" Sasuke gently blushed, but kept a cool, foreboding wit about him. "You might run too far, and lose me forever."

Neji managed to stand his ground despite Sasuke's close proximity. He frowned, closing his eyes. "I'm not running away from you, Uchiha."

A glower; Sasuke's brow dipped for a moment.

"You've obviously mistaken infatuation for love." Neji was adamantly blunt. "But even if what you feel right now is love, you could never be with me, anyway. You are practically engaged to Lady Hinata, and there's no escaping that."

"Unless I decline and propose to you, instead…?"

Neji instantly blushed and pushed him away. Sasuke swiftly regained his balance and looked at Neji. His brows lowered a little more when he saw Neji covering his blush with an arm.

"But why?" Neji demanded an answer.

"Because…" Sasuke fell silent for a moment. "You and I…are the same."

Neji could feel his heart palpitating in his chest. A myriad of thoughts began to race through his mind; they went so fast, he couldn't make out what they were. It seemed like he was trying to pick them out and piece them together to make a flowing necklace. A beautifully crafted necklace of meaning and understanding, each colorful bead representing a feeling they could share and the string their possible bond.

Neji admired the prettiness of this necklace, and it terrified him.

He was trying to arrange his thoughts, but the only one that was eluding him was, 'The same? But how—? What does he mean?' He shut his eyes tightly. "No," Neji murmured. "No, we're not. We can't be. We just can't. We can't possibly…!" Turmoil wreaked from memory crevices. Faces from his past darted by, without clear recognition. 'What does he mean…? What does he mean?' Neji couldn't help yelling.

To Sasuke, Neji seemed panicked. A worried look sculled over Sasuke's face as he came closer to Neji, in efforts to try comforting him. But Neji halted him, throwing up a hand. In the style signature to his Clan.

"Please stay away from me," Neji said, trying to calm himself. "Please, just…leave me alone."

"But you're freaking out," Sasuke pointed out. He ignored Neji's threatening touch, taking note of the two index fingers at his chest. "Let me—!"

"Don't touch me!" Neji pressed further into his chest. "Just leave!"

Neji shot his Byakugan back up and found that Sasuke was gone. He gasped a little, not expecting the Uchiha to be gone so abruptly. A substitution jutsu, he surmised. His eyes searched the streets for Sasuke, only to see no one. But then, his knees caved. He found himself shaking, shutting his eyes tight, even his sigh shook.

"No…! My body…? Why am I scared…?" Neji clutched his arms. His body somehow had gone into panic mode. It was a rare occurrence, even rarer compared to his early youth. The Hyūga had never felt so afraid, in a long time.

"Stop shaking…! I can't stop shaking. I'm overthinking all this. I shouldn't be scared, of all things." As his Byakugan slowly receded, something else began to creep around the edges of Neji's vision. "It's nothing. Continue to ignore him, just as you have. He's deluded. There's no escaping…what's already been promised," he sighed.

Finally, his body conquered his psyche, and it yielded to unconsciousness.

The turquoise robe's hems fluttered a bit before settling upon the dirt path. A pair of sandals came near his face. Sleeping and oblivious, strong arms came under his smaller ones, leveled the boy into a lean, and hoisted him up while he lied against their chest.

The much taller man was not alone. One other awaited high above. He seemed frantic. "Let's get back, Hoheto. Quickly."

Identical eyes narrowed. The boy made no sounds or movements. Sure that Neji was merely asleep, the taller Hyūga nodded.

Both disappeared in the night. Neither spoke of Neji's brief runaway to anyone. And the older Hyūga, Hoheto, held Neji as close to him as he could.

How the Irons of Disquiet Bond…