Emptiness inside of me, wonder if you see
It's my mistake and it's hurting me
"What did you do to her?!"
"I just found her like this! And you're in no position to accuse me of anything."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I know your game, Uchiha, and messing with Mari's head just to make her remember is the definition of selfish."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the Hyuga, using all his energy to not punch him in the face. If it weren't for Tsunade sealing his chakra away, his glare would've been blazing with his Sharingan.
"Is it selfish to want to be with the only girl I ever truly cared about?" he challenged.
Neji was unfazed. "It is if she doesn't want to remember anything before YOU wounded her."
"What do you mean?"
"You never asked her if she wanted to remember did you? Of course not, because you've only been thinking of yourself. I'm sure Naruto has told you she doesn't want to be a ninja, yet you try to find a way to make her remember you or find commonality with any ninja skills she might still have. Never once did you try to like who she is now, but it's too late."
Sasuke looked down at said unconscious girl in front of them and frowned. He didn't want to admit Neji might've been right; hell he didn't even want the Hyuga to be here in the first place. After Mari took off running like that his gut told him he should see if she was okay. Ten minutes later and he finds the girl out cold at the spot he told her she used to go to with Neji by her side.
Something clicked, and Sasuke realized that Neji looked awfully gentle holding her in his lap. He stroked her hair as if it were only the two of them in their own world, and this made Sasuke's blood boil.
So that's what Naruto was talking about. "How long?"
"Excuse me?"
Sasuke practically growled. "How long have you loved her?"
"Since I accepted this is who she is now," Neji replied with a blank stare. "I admired her spirit as a ninja, and I admire her spirit now. Mari may have left that part of her life behind her but she's still a good girl and deserves someone who respects that."
"Do you even know anything about her?! Did you know that her favorite tea is green tea because it calms her down when she's thinking too much? Or that she likes to swim because it makes her feel free? Or that she lives with her aunt but hates it because she tries to make Mari into her dead mother?"
Neji sighed, unknowingly gripping Mari tighter in annoyance. He's gotten to know this new her in two years and everything Sasuke said was true; those parts of Mari were exactly the same, it was her personality that changed really. She doesn't want to fight, but she'll still help others which was the reason she strove to be a ninja in the first place.
And then he waltzes back into the village trying to destroy everything she established.
"I'm going to explain this once Uchiha," Neji's hatred was starting to show. "I know all of those things about Mari and more. Do you want to know why? Because unlike you I didn't hurt her or abandon her for selfish reasons, which is what you seem to be good at. So you still know everything about her, so what? It doesn't change the fact that you can't stand to see the person she is now. Mari's not the sarcastic spit fire you liked so long ago; she's kind and gentle and at peace with herself. It would do her more good if you stopped trying to associate with her completely."
Sasuke was enraged at Neji's accusations, but decided to bite his tongue instead of retort. Neji didn't know what Sasuke was trying to do at all. Sasuke wasn't trying to change her, or even bring back all her memories.
I just want her to remember me again.
Unbeknownst to both males, Mari could hear their whole conversation.
