He was waiting with seemingly endless patience. When the light of the rising sun peaked through the crack in the curtains it did not even faze him. He only waited still, watching patiently the closed eyes of the boy... young man who lay on the bed before him. He watched the rise and fall of breath, listened carefully to it's rhythm and waited. Tsunade had told him long before not to expect Neji to wake any time soon. Yet he couldn't leave. Others thought that now of all times he should be with his wife, or perhaps with the daughter that remained to him, but they could not understand. Could not understand what drove him to sit here unblinkingly, waiting for a boy who might not wake.
Unconscious like this Neji looked almost peaceful if one could discount the bandages and bruises which covered his body. The proof that he had fought long and hard, nearly to his own death for the daughter of the head of his clan. Though he did not say such things Hiashi Hyuuga knew quite well what the young man thought of his position inside the clan, their words together at the Chunin Exams had been proof of that. Yet Neji had never once balked in the face of his duty. Never once. He had fought this hard against those who hurt their clans, nearly dying himself to protect Hiashi's own daughter who by all accounts had already been dead. What more could he ask for from the son of his own twin brother?
The boy... young man Hiashi reminded himself a bit firmly, stirred a bit, drawing his attention. He could admit to himself that a part of him wanted to touch Neji, comfort him in whatever dreams bothered Neji's unconscious mind. Yet this was not his way, so he only waiting. Surprise touching his pale eyes only slightly when Neji's eyes opened. The young man's breathing quickened, and Hiashi stood, drawing Neji's attention with his presence.
"You are in the hospital now." His voice was as calm as it ever was, firm but without the usual firmness which usually colored his voice. Neji stirred again, still ill at ease, opening his mouth as if to speak, but Hiashi cut him off. "Kiba is well. Hanabi..."
Neji turned his eyes away from the man who was the head of his clan, unable to bear looking at the man. Tears of anger, frustration, and pain touching his eyes; but he did not let them fall. His breath came painfully and short. It burned with each tiny motion, but he welcomed the pain. It was the least he felt he deserved for his failure. His mind kept flashing back to fractured images of the battle, fire, blades cutting in from every direction... Hanabi... laying on the ground her face turned away from him her skin so pale and bloodless that even from a distance he'd known that she was dead. "I'm sorry..."
Neji's words were so quite that Hiashi could barely hear them. "Neji." This time his tone was more firm, firm enough to make Neji look at him. "You nearly died to avenge my beloved daughter. I could not ask more of you. I do not."
"U-Uncle..." He pushed his tears further back. He was a man, no longer a boy to let his tears fall where they may.
"You have proven time and again your skill, your mastery of the Hyuuga clan's secret techniques. One day Neji, one day not to distant I think, you will surpass me." He watched the young man blink in surprise at his words. "You who are my brothers son... Though I can not lift the curse mark upon your brow, you are the true heir of the Hyuuga clan."
"I-I..." Neji tried to find the words, but between his pain and his surprise he did not know what to say.
"Save your words Neji. Our clan, particularly in times like this is in great need of strength like yours." The man drew near to Neji's bed, his hand lightly resting on the edge. "We have much to talk about, you and I. Not now, but later when you are feeling better. Get your rest for now and heal." He lifted his hand and took a step away from the bed. It was obvious that he wanted to say more, but he turned his back on the young man and headed for the door.
"I'm sorry." The broken words barely made it past his lips, but he was determined.
His uncle stilled, but did not turn back. "No Neji, guilt and mourning will not help us now. The Hyuuga clan will move forward."
At that moment Tsunade came through the door, her face touched with surprise at the sight of Neji awake. She turned to look at the head of the Hyuuga clan accusingly, but he was already gone; disappeared through the door. She shook her head slowly. "It's good he came to check on you, but you shouldn't even be conscious yet. He didn't wake you did he?"
Neji slowly and carefully shook his head negatively, his eyes watching the woman as she checked him over thoroughly. Less distracted now, he could feel the effect of medicine on his body. Something strong to make him feel this weak, this disoriented. Whatever it was though it kept him from feeling whatever pains his body might be making. Blankets covered his injuries from his sight. Idly some portion of his brain realized that he hadn't been covered before, at least not entirely, but he couldn't remember when the blanket had covered him. If he hadn't had so much of it in him, he would have found it far more annoying that it had slowed his thinking down so much.
"Lady Tsunade?" His voice was soft, and slow, and her face appeared over him.
"Hush Neji, whatever it is, it can wait until you wake up again." She pulled away, and he didn't even think of stopping her, after all; the world was quite comfortingly disappearing into whiteness...
Tsunade watched for a moment longer as Neji fell asleep. She almost didn't believe what her medical skills were telling her. He was far more healed than he should have been after a battle like that, and the little they had been able to do for him after. Really, she hadn't been entirely sure that he would survive at all, and here he was waking up the next day. She would have called it a downright miracle, but this had been happening more and more recently. Someone healing from injuries faster than they should have, and all of them had only one thing in common. Sakura.
Smoothly Tsunade headed out of the room, handing her findings to one of the medical ninja who was overlooking Neji's condition and left the hospital entirely. It was time she had a talk with Sakura about this directly. She needed to know exactly what that young woman was doing. It didn't seem to have any adverse side effects yet, but it might with some conditions, and if it didn't... then it was a technique that she herself wanted to learn.
-MLE
I'd like to apologize for my long absence between this section and the last. Holidays and other fun things in life have kept me far to long, not to mention that I had a surprising amount of difficulty with this part; and I'm not sure why. The next few should be easier for me, and hopefully that means they will come more quickly as well. At the very least, for your viewing pleasure you have this. Ah, I look forward to the many surprises that I have yet to reveal!
