It was amazing how your body took over when your brain shut down. Or at least Shikamaru hoped that his legs leading him to the edge of the Nara forest was some clue to where Neji was. Rikumaru came into view, black bead eyes settling on Shikamaru.
"Hey," Shikamaru said and the exhaustion must be plain on his face because Rikumaru came over and nudged his cheek. "Do you know where he is?" Shikamaru asked softly as he petted the deer's fur, a feeling of comfort flowing through him. And then Rikumaeu trotted off, leaving Shikamaru a scrambling mess as he tried to find his footing.
"Hey!" Shikamaru complained as he trudged after the deer. Rikumaru turned around and did what was probably an equivalent of a deer smirk. The Nara caught up with him and laid a hand on his back.
Shikamaru let his mind wander, free as a cloud, as he let Rikumaru take the lead. Bring him away from his troubles and worries. Let him fly. Whatever. They came to a natural halt together and Shikamaru came back to himself. Rikumaru wasn't looking at him. Following the deer's line of sight, Shikamaru's breath hitched as he saw Neji leaning against a tree, facing out to the village of Konoha below.
Shikamaru's plan was to find Neji. He hadn't thought about what to do beyond finding Neji. Because he - Shikamaru closed his eyes - he didn't know what to do. A hard push came from behind and Shikamaru almost fell face forward into the dirt. He shot Rikumaru a dirty look.
"I'm thinking about what to do."
The stag was having none of it as he continually bumped his nose against Shikamaru's back.
"Okay, okay," Shikamaru conceded, petting the deer once more. He glanced over at Neji, sighing in relief when he saw that the Hyuuga still hadn't noticed his presence... Which wasn't exactly a good thing. Neji always knew when he had company.
Shikamaru must have halted for too long because Rikumaru was corralling him again, even using his antlers. They didn't hurt much but they still did cause a dull ache wherever they hit. "Fine," he hissed softly. He was going to have to go in blind.
"Fancy seeing you here."
Real suave, Shikamaru.
Gods, he probably sounded like Kiba.
Neji's eyes snapped open, Byakugan activated and hands poised to strike. When he realised who it was, his hands dropped to his sides and his eyes widened a little, veins receding back. Shikamaru's expression turned grim as he observed Neji carefully. The Hyuuga was pointedly not looking at him.
Shikamaru took a tentative step forward, and when Neji didn't seem incline to Juuken his ass out of the way, he walked over to stand in front of the Hyuuga. Neji was leaning against the tree which wouldn't be weird except that it looked more like he was relying on it for support. Panic and worry held hands and told logic to step aside. Before Shikamaru could even register giving up the reins, he was already running his hands down Neji's arms. The Jounin's muscles were tensed under his touch and Shikamaru could feel him physically engaged in a struggle between fight and flight.
"Are you injured?" Shikamaru asked, the standard enquiry to a teammate when on a mission.
As expected, the familiarity of the words and protocol calmed the Jounin and the muscles started to relax under Shikamaru's fingers. The Nara rubbed the words into his touch - I am not your enemy; you don't have to fight me.
At the back of his mind, his self-preservation side warned him to lift his hands off the Hyuuga soon if he didn't want to die a slow and painful death but Shikamaru told self-preservation to shove it.
And it told him to go to hell when he found himself cupping Neji's face, especially when Neji winced slightly. But Shikamaru didn't withdraw his hands nor did he step away even though he was safely in Hyuuga Neji's kill zone. It was only seconds later that Shikamaru realised the wince for what it was. It wasn't an aversion to Shikamaru's touch, no. It was an innocent, instinctive physical reaction.
To pain.
Shikamaru's brows furrowed as he gazed at the other shinobi.
"Neji," he said lowly, tone dead serious. "Drop the henge."
Neji had been content with staring past Shikamaru's shoulder thus far but now his eyes flickered over to the Nara who clocked a shiver in those opal orbs. Shikamaru said nothing more as he looked steadily into Neji's eyes, repeating the sentence with his stare - drop the henge. Neji contemplated him for a moment before letting out a soft sigh.
He did as told, and Shikamaru gasped sharply.
Neji's right cheek was red and tender, the mark obviously the work of the Juuken. The wound wasn't old, a few days old at most. Shikamaru's teeth clenched and he breathed heavily.
"Who?"
Neji's smile was colder than the north wind. "Does it matter?"
No, Shikamaru thought seriously, because they're dead meat either ways.
"Does it hurt?" He asked instead, tracing the bruising lightly.
"No." The answer was immediate, straightforward and should have been a complete lie. But Shikamaru could see the honesty in those moonlit eyes. "But it's there. A reminder."
Shikamaru's eyes flicked over to the covered curse seal on reflex, regret already chewing him out way before he looked back into Neji's calculating orbs that were studying him attentively. He wondered if there was guilt in his eyes and whether that saved him or increased the depth of his grave.
The silence stretched in the seconds that followed and manifested into an endless distance between them. Shikamaru couldn't bridge it and helplessness pooled in the pits of his stomach. And then all he wanted to do was make sure that Neji was still right there, in front of him, with him, that he did the only thing that he could think of (which also coincidentally led to the fastening of all the bolts on his coffin).
He pressed his lips against Neji's, relief overriding the danger signals his amygdala was flashing. It was a brief, innocent kiss that lasted no more than a few seconds with just their lips touching. Neji didn't push him away and when Shikamaru pulled back, the weight of his action came crashing down on him.
Damn, but that kiss back in Kigakure was supposed to be a one-time accident.
"What are you doing?" Shikamaru muttered, fingers once again tracing the discolouration on Neji's face. Even if Shikamaru's brain decided to take an abrupt vacation, wasn't Neji's brain supposed to do something sensible? Unless his brain was MIA too.
"Nothing," Neji answered simply, truthfully. He was staring past Shikamaru's shoulders again and the Nara just knew that it wasn't Konoha that Neji was looking at. He felt a pang at that realisation.
"What are we doing?" he asked instead, because there must be something going on here.
A moment's pause and Shikamaru almost thought that Neji hadn't heard him when the Hyuuga replied.
"I don't know."
"Yeah," Shikamaru mumbled as he felt his sanity checking out as well. "Neither do I."
The silence that followed should have been uncomfortable, but it wasn't. Neji just continued gazing into another dimension where Shikamaru was not permitted, and the Nara contended with rubbing circles on Neji's arms to assure himself that the Hyuuga hadn't taken a step into that place. Because he was sure that he would lose Neji completely if Neji decided to venture into the world that he was looking at in his mind's looking glass.
And with a jolt, Kakashi's words came back at him, sucker-punching him and leaving him gasping for breath and scrambling to find purchase as his supposedly genius brain slammed back home and laughed at him for missing it.
Don't get lost in the forest.
The forest wasn't a physical one. It was Neji's freaking mind. Or Neji's freaking dimension. No. It was that place in Neji's mind that Neji was looking at now.
Gods but, Kakashi-sensei, how do I even get lose when I can't even get in?
And his own words came back to slap him in the face harshly.
I won't go to the forest.
And here he was banging desperately at its fortress and demanding immediate entry.
"I'm still me," Neji said and Shikamaru wondered if he had spaced out because that line made no sense at all.
"Yeah, you are," Shikamaru answered. Neji's look told him that he knew the Nara was just bullshitting.
"You don't know…"
Shikamaru frowned as the words took root in his brain.
Yeah, he had been realising that a lot lately – he didn't know shit about anything.
"Don't know what?"
"You don't know…"
"Because you don't tell me anything." Ah, goodbye again, genius brain. And since there was no brain, there was no brain-to-mouth filter either. Shikamaru couldn't pinpoint the look in Neji's eyes that were now focused on him (thank God; Neji had emerged to meet him) and he found his mouth working on autopilot. "You don't tell me anything, and you keep avoiding me."
"I wasn't…" Neji mumbled, eyes flickering downwards to stare at the brooch on Shikamaru's kimono. "I wasn't avoiding you."
"Yeah," Shikamaru husked. "You just weren't interested in talking to me. Or me."
Neji deigned to reply. Instead, he placed both hands on Shikamaru's shoulders and leaned in to kiss him again. Shikamaru was sure that he wasn't supposed to but he kissed back anyway, threading one hair through Neji's unbound hair and wrapping another around the Hyuuga's waist to draw him closer, forcing Neji to wrap his arms around his neck instead.
This place was nice, Shikamaru decided as he lost himself in the sensation of being wrapped up in Neji. This place at the edge of the forest was nice.
Shikamaru could feel the desperation in the way Neji kissed him as if he was struggling to get a grip on something real, something tangible and Shikamaru responded to that desperation, letting Neji know that he was here and that he wasn't going anywhere, that Neji could hold on to him, for however long he needed to.
He didn't know how much time had passed but they eventually pulled apart. Neji rested his head against Shikamaru's shoulder, face turned inward, his breath ghosting against the Nara's neck. Shikamaru left his hand around Neji's waist; the other one stroked Neji's hair gently.
I'm here, he pressed the words against Neji's temple and he felt the Hyuuga shiver in response, pressing impossibly close against Shikamaru.
Shikamaru was content being where he was, with Neji. Sleepiness didn't register and fatigue was a myth. He didn't want to leave. But time didn't stop for anyone. Shikamaru felt the sun against his back first before Neji shifted in his hold. They let go at the same time and both took a step back.
Gazing into Neji's iridescent orbs that were reflecting the shine of the sun, Shikamaru felt the pull towards the Hyuuga again but he found that he was unable to lift his arm. Neji smiled at him as he stepped back into the foliage.
No, Shikamaru's mind screamed but he stood at the edge, looking in and not moving.
Neji swallowed thickly and he tilted his head, the sun lightening his mocha strands to hazelnut tresses.
"Accident, Nara?" Neji asked softly.
The trees moved and formed a barrier between them. Shikamaru looked at Neji through the gaps.
"Accident, Hyuuga."
A bittersweet smile graced Neji's face and that pulled the chords of melancholy in Shikamaru's heart. There was nothing more to be said as Neji walked away and Shikamaru was left staring at trees that wouldn't part and with his legs that wouldn't budge.
"Son, let me tell you a few things about ANBU."
Shikamaru did a double take because Ibiki did not just call him son. Oh, it was just his dad.
"What?" he groused out as he collapsed onto the sofa. So, fatigue wasn't a myth. Neji had apparently just tapped his chakra points so that he couldn't feel anything but warm and fuzzy. He could feel his mother stink-eyeing him from across the room.
"Decided to stay out all night, huh, young man?" Shikamaru peeked over to his mother. Folded arms. Deep frown. Pursed lips. 7/10. It was going to be a windy day.
"I was cloud gazing," Shikamaru said casually, stretching out on the couch.
"It was a cloudless night," Yoshino retorted, annoyance thick in her voice.
I went cloud gazing in Neji's eyes, Shikamaru thought. He closed his eyes.
"Not where I was."
He could feel his mother's anger ricocheting off the walls of the living room at the blatant lie. Hello, Hurricane Yoshino.
"Dear, please," Shikaku cut in before his wife could start throwing furniture around again.
Yoshino huffed and Shikamaru could see her mumbling under her breath and stalking off to the kitchen without even needing to look. Yoshino liked brooding in the kitchen; she didn't need to look at the two most important and aggravating men in her life but she could still hear them, effectively keeping her in the know without feeling the urge to strangle either one of them.
"I don't wanna join ANBU," Shikamaru groaned before his father could continue. "Go talk to Kiba."
Shikaku snorted at the mention of the dog-nin. "I'll let Tsume handle that."
Shikamaru cracked an eye open and glanced at his father. He knew that tone.
"What did you do?"
"I might have mentioned her son's ambitions to her in passing last night," Shikaku said with a shrug as he took a sip of his morning coffee. Yeah, his family definitely possessed some evil genes.
"Great," Shikamaru said apathetically as he stood up and stretched again; that kink in his back was as persistent as Chouji with a stubborn pack of chips. "Then I don't need to know."
"Sit."
Ugh, that tone. The I'm-your-father-and-the-Jounin-Commander-and-you're-my-son-and-a-shinobi-so-you-better-listen-to-me tone. Shikamaru quietly sat back down.
"Do you know what ANBU are?" Shikaku asked, straight to the point.
"Shinobi," Shikamaru retorted quickly and Shikaku looked over at him, amusement twinkling in those dark orbs.
"Smart ass."
"Thank you," Shikamaru replied.
"They're killers, Shikamaru," Shikaku said without warning and so suddenly that Shikamaru froze in his spot. He could feel his father's eyes on him, detailing his every move.
"Killers?" he echoed back, forcing himself to relax back on the couch.
Shikaku nodded once. "Cold-blooded killers."
Asuma's words about Kakashi's ANBU past came rushing to Shikamaru.
"He just wasn't the same person I knew. He was cold-blooded and all he wanted to do was kill."
"Asuma, we're shinobi. We all kill."
"They're different."
"How so?"
"They kill even the innocent."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"I'm telling you so that you'll know not to join them."
"I won't."
"They'll want you."
"Please."
"Shikamaru… just promise me you won't join them."
Shikamaru stayed silent, contemplating his sensei from across the shogi board.
"Why?"
Asuma sighed in frustration, like he already knew that Shikamaru wasn't going to be obedient and simply agree.
"Because you wouldn't be able to take it. I don't mean that you're weak, Shikamaru, but people don't usually get over murdering in cold blood, not if they have a conscience, and you're one of the most genuine people I know."
"Asuma… what about Kakashi-sensei?"
Asuma had smiled sadly then. "What do you think he would have chosen if he could turn back time?"
And Shikamaru understood then, in that moment, what Asuma was saying.
"I promise you."
Shikamaru looked at his father and wondered if his father was doing the same thing Asuma did.
"But you know why they do it, son?"
"Orders," Shikamaru automatically replied, hating the analytic gaze his father levelled him with.
"Orders," Shikaku repeated and there was something in his tone that told Shikamaru that his father was looking for more.
"To protect Konoha," Shikamaru said, the answer coming to him naturally even though it wasn't something he had thought about before. And frankly, it was the textbook answer. The propaganda answer. The answer his father obviously wasn't pleased with.
Shikaku raised an eyebrow. Elaborate, the look said.
"You called them cold-blooded killers, but someone has to do all these things," Shikamaru said, more reasoning to himself than explaining to his father. "But don't worry, dad, I won't join."
Shikaku grunted and was silent for so long that Shikamaru wondered if his father had fallen asleep right there and then.
"So you're telling me you understand where ANBU is coming from?" Shikaku asked eventually. The younger Nara frowned before nodding slowly.
"Yeah, sure, whatever."
"Then what makes you so sure that you won't join?"
"Good question," Shikamaru intoned dryly and he shot his father a calm look that wasn't at all reflective of how he was feeling. "But this is just something that you'll have to trust me on."
Shikaku snorted – End of conversation.
Shikamaru got off the couch and went to his room, in desperate need of a shower and sleep. He didn't notice Yoshino's big, black orbs lingering on him as he exited the room.
Neji stepped into the Compound, intending to make his way to his room quietly and unnoticed when he heard voices coming from the Branch Family side of the Compound. Instead of taking the left turn that would lead to his room, he veered right instead, stepping into the main courtyard of the Branch House, a place that he hadn't come to in a while.
Tokuma and Hoheto came into view.
Tokuma was not happy.
"What do you mean you forgot?" Tokuma was demanding, a scowl on his face as he stared Hoheto down despite the other actually being slightly taller than him.
"Things like that happen," Hoheto said, folding his arms, looking like he was just about done with this conversation.
"They do not," Tokuma insisted. "That was mean of you and you know it."
Hoheto let out a frustrated sigh. "I told you. I didn't mean it."
"That totally makes it better." Even Naruto wouldn't miss the sarcasm in that tone.
"Guys," Neji said, stepping forward, a frown on his face. "What's going on?"
The two men stopped mid-banter, surprise crossing their faces when they saw Neji. The Jounin wasn't exactly offended; he hadn't exactly bothered to stop by before. Or maybe they were just curious about why he was still wearing last night's kimono. Neji smoothed his hands down the silk material self-consciously, wondering if it wouldn't be better if he had just went straight to his room like planned instead.
"Neji," Tokuma said brightly as he walked over to the other Hyuuga. "You've come at just the right time. You see, Hoheto here forgot to invite the Aburame to Hanabi-sama's party. Muta could have been hurt. This isn't funny."
"Neji knows," Hoheto said with a roll of his eyes, smirking a little as Tokuma gaped at Neji. "I told him I was worried about missing out something."
"I didn't know it was the Aburame," Neji said immediately. One thing about Tokuma was that he was fiercely protective of people that he cared about which was something that Neji could relate to. And well, Aburame Muta just happened to be one of those lucky people. "And I told Shino that his clan received the invitation late because there was an error in information. Shikamaru backed that story up."
"I didn't forget the Nara clan," Hoheto said, offended, and that in turn offended Tokuma.
"Oh so it's not okay to forget the Nara clan but okay to forget the Aburame clan? Need I remind you that the Aburame is a noble clan and the Nara clan is not? Do you need to be sent back to the Academy and be retaught Konoha's history?"
Hoheto actually threw his hands up in annoyance. Leave it to a Hyuuga to get such a reaction out of another Hyuuga.
"Look, Tokuma, I'm sorry, but they were invited in the end and Neji actually made up a pretty good story which ensured their feelings weren't hurt. So why are you still annoyed about it?"
"Because Muta is my best friend!"
"I have an idea," Neji cut in before the two could start another round. "Tokuma, why don't you just remind Hoheto next time?"
The two remained silent for a moment as they glared at each other.
"Fine," Tokuma finally huffed.
Then Tokuma activated his Byakugan and his eyes narrowed. Without sparing another word, he walked out of the courtyard and into the common area of the Compound. Hoheto and Neji exchanged confused glances and were about to activate their own Byakugan when Tokuma's voice came through, intentionally loud.
"Hibi-sama – " Neji stiffened at the address " – there are some matters I would like to discuss with you, if you would please spare me the time."
"Very well, Tokuma." Hibi's bad mood from the previous night was still firmly in place. Tokuma was not going to have an easy time.
Hoheto placed an arm on Neji's shoulder and tilted his head in the other direction. "Go back to your room."
"I – "
"Neji, we're not blind," Hoheto interrupted, eyes fixed on the door in front of him. His Byakugan wasn't activated but it was quite obvious who Hibi's company were. The Main Family Elders liked to come into the Branch Family main courtyard to flaunt their statuses. In Kiba's language, it was the place they came to be asses. "You didn't come back last night and when Hibi-sama and Hiashi-sama did, they were unhappy. And you've always been a handful – "
"Thanks."
" – So we knew something was up." Hoheto smiled at him grimly. "It's best if you don't meet them right now."
"I stay next to Hiashi-sama," Neji muttered darkly.
"He doesn't bother you when you're in your room," Hoheto said knowingly. "So get there."
The older Hyuuga didn't say anything more as he stepped outside and distracted the other Elders.
Neji started walking away as guilt chewed at his conscious. Gods, but he didn't deserve the kindness that they were showing him. He had been nothing but cold and distant towards the Branch Family despite being a member himself. When he had been younger, all he had been concerned with was improving himself and mastering the Gentle Fist techniques behind the Main Family's back. Doing anything else was a waste of time, and that included forming any sort of bonds with anyone, Main or Branch.
But, apparently he used be really friendly and smiled a lot. Iroha had once looked at him contemplatively and asked, "What happened to you? You used to be the life of the Compound."
Neji had retorted that his father had died and took away the reasons to smile along with him. Iroha had fallen silent at the response. Tokuma had been quick to leave the room.
That didn't matter though; Neji couldn't remember the times when he had smiled as a child. He used to, but those memories just got into the way of more important things – like rapid progress – so he took matters into his own hands.
Neji paused and closed his eyes, not wanting to go there.
He was the one who estranged himself from the Branch Family and he had never regretted it. But… he had been an egotistical, fatalistic, blind child back then. Now, he was so much more than that, and it was thanks to a certain blond idiot, whom he had learnt to trust. Whom he trusted. Whom he still wanted to trust. But his trust was waning every day. Naruto could only see Sasuke.
Right, Neji didn't want to go there either.
Then the Chuunin exams happened, and if Neji was the one who alienated himself from the Branch Family, Hiashi made sure of it. Not intentionally of course. But fact was the clan leader did not train the Branch Family members. Ever. Heck, Hiashi didn't even train his own daughters and he trained Neji. And then he had asked Neji to move not just into the Main House side of the Compound, but the part of the Compound where Hiashi and his direct family members stayed. Hibi had been livid and disapproved.
So of course Neji had said yes.
Tokuma, Hoheto and Iroha were those tiny few that didn't resent him for that. The rest did because they were all afflicted with the same illness of believing in fatalism.
Branch Family members did not learn certain Gentle Fist techniques.
Branch Family members stayed in the Branch Family side of the house.
Branch Family members were not trained by Hiashi-sama.
Branch Family members respected Hinata-sama and Hanabi-sama, not the other way round.
It was the Branch Family members' destiny to adhere to these rules and these were but a handful.
And Neji had to go and defy them all.
And if Neji could, why couldn't they? Was it because they weren't prodigies? Was it because they weren't directly related to Hiashi? Or was it just because they weren't Neji?
It was really no difficult feat to gain their hatred.
So it wasn't exactly hard to put them out of his mind either.
Except (because there was always an 'except') that he was starting to feel bad about it.
He was privileged. So he should use that privilege to help those that weren't as fortunate as him. Because birds should all fly free.
Neji stopped short as he passed his old room. Now he remembered why he avoided the Branch Family side of the Compound like the Grim Reaper himself resided there. Though death didn't scare him; a serene smile graced his face unconsciously.
The Jounin glanced back and saw that the hallway was empty. He looked at the windows of the rooms and saw bars. The wooden pillars were more bars. The ceiling was oppressively low and there was no key in sight because this cage had no doors. Neji closed his eyes and steadied his breathing; he hadn't realised that he was coming close to having a panic attack right in the middle of the hallway.
He needed to get to this room and away from here.
Neji snapped his eyes open and picked up speed, his synapses firing and sending only one message: run.
He couldn't stay here and be reminded of what he was. He needed to get to his room. No, he needed to get a mission. He needed to get a mission and get out of Konoha. He needed to get away. He could get away.
But what about the others?
Neji's breathing turned shaky.
Stop.
That was his father's voice.
Neji listened. He stopped and closed his eyes.
Stop.
Stop.
Stop.
"Stop!"
"Stop, please stop, Hibi-sama!"
Neji wrenched opened his eyes and turned around. That was not his father's voice. And it wasn't coming from inside his head. It was coming from – Neji's eyes narrowed – the common area. It took but a split second for him to make the decision go back the way he had come from.
The sight that greeted him was worse than carnage.
Hibi towered menacingly over three Branch Family members who were writhing on the ground like worms, staining their white yukata with dirt. Hoheto and Tokuma stood by the side, head bowed, not out of respect and not out of fear, but because they couldn't bear to watch such open and drawn out torture. Because it could have easily been one of them.
But Neji couldn't tear his eyes away. It could have easily been him. No, it could have had easily been him. Not now. He had taken matters into his own hand. Like he always had.
He glanced over to the other side. Tears were streaking down Hinata's face and Ko was holding her up. She was definitely the first one who had asked Hibi to stop; her grandfather obviously hadn't cared. Neji's eyes fell down to a woman on the floor next to his cousin. She was crying openly, kneeling and begging Hibi for mercy.
Neji glanced back to Hoheto and Tokuma and saw the latter take a step forward but was held back discreetly by the former. Tokuma turned to look at the older Hyuuga who shook his head.
Hibi was soaking it all up. His eyes landed on Neji and his face twisted into a nasty half-smirk, half-snarl. He let up the curse. Neji looked at the three Hyuuga on the floor – two were out cold, the last was twitching sporadically. They'd call in a doctor later. Maybe. The woman crawled over to one boy and cradled him to her chest, her tears falling onto his face.
"When a Branch Family member makes a transgression," Hibi started as if he was reading a scripture, his booming voice drawing more people over, both Main and Branch people alike, "they are punished."
He looked down at the three boys in front of him, everyone else's eyes naturally following his line of sight. Then he turned back to Neji, wearing a sinister smile that split his haughty face in two. But no one would miss the contempt in those eyes.
"Almost all Branch Family members anyway."
Neji could feel all the eyes shift to him. Tokuma moved slightly closer to him.
"But not our dearest prodigy Neji."
The shinobi in question stared right back at Hibi without a flicker of emotion in his eyes or on his face.
The murmurings had started and Hibi welcomed them like they were applauses for him. Neji could feel himself taking a back seat as everything shifted into a third person view, like he was viewing everything through someone else's eyes. It was like being drunk but without the feeling of liberation.
"Right, Neji?" Hibi asked sardonically, the smile on his face so fake that anyone who believed it obviously saw sand as gold. "Right, since everyone is here, I have an announcement to make."
Neji's muscles didn't even twitch and that served to anger the Elder more as he took a looming step forward. Now even Hoheto moved nearer to him. Neji didn't register a thing.
"Hear me, all Main Family members, for the curse seal is not allowed to be used on our dearest prodigy," Hibi announced, spreading his arms out, looking as if he were embracing the increasingly loud mutterings. The smirk on his face morphed into volcanic fury when Neji didn't so much as even breathe in response.
Hibi stepped right up to Neji, shooting Hoheto and Tokuma warning looks, daring them to interfere. Without further ado, Hibi charged his hand with chakra and brought it down across Neji's face.
"Neji!" Tokuma shouted.
"Nii-san!"
But the strike didn't connect.
Neji looked at the ex-clan leader straight in the eyes from under the arm that he had used to block the blow.
Gasps resounded from everyone.
Hibi's eyes turned molten and his face burned with humiliation.
Neji pushed Hibi's arm away and move forward so that he could speak into Hibi's ear.
Calmly, he stepped away, looking like the victor but feeling nothing as Hibi shook with uncontrolled rage. The other Branch Family members were safe; Hibi couldn't activate the curse seal because he was angry.
Legitimately speaking anyway.
Neji kept walking and didn't turn back once. He could feel eyes on him – hostile, worried, fear and awe even. He didn't register any of them. He also didn't register the single gaze looking out through windows, the look in those eyes as emotionless as the mask he wore.
The Hyuuga left the residence, walked through the streets, and went as far away from the Compound as possible. All the while the words he spoke to Hibi were ringing in his ears.
I won't let you have the last laugh.
Eventually, he found himself near the spot where he had spent the night.
Turning to the side, he emptied the contents of his stomach.
Shikamaru arranged for a shogi match with Asuma later that day because it had been too long since he had met his sensei and because he needed to talk to his sensei. Pronto. Asuma seemed to know what was going on as he set up the board but he didn't say anything. He let Shikamaru go first. He always did.
"How do you know when you... are attracted to someone?" Shikamaru's question was slow and deliberate, much like the way Asuma slowly exhaled his smoke when he was trying to appear indifferent to a matter, which was how he knew that Shikamaru was actually really concerned about this topic.
Asuma's eyes flicked up from the board to his pupil, noticing the way Shikamaru was trying not to fidget. He chuckled heartily (not missing the Nara's frown) – Shikamaru's reaction was telling enough. But he was going to play the part of the responsible and cool sensei and tell Shikamaru exactly what he needed to hear.
"Well, it's pretty obvious actually," Asuma started off languidly, moving his Knight in front of his Gold General in what he thought was a particularly clever move only to realise that he had been tricked by the Chuunin when his Silver General was taken.
"Yeah, that was pretty obvious too," Shikamaru drawled with his trademark lazy smirk in place.
Asuma scowled, moving back a little to assess the situation, one hand tugging at his beard. He glanced over to Shikamaru, noting that his student seemed focused on the game. The only thing that gave him away was that he kept periodically shooting Asuma questioning looks.
"Well, generally, when you like – "
"Are attracted to."
What was Shikamaru's favourite word again? Right, troublesome.
"... right. Generally, when you're attracted to someone, you feel pretty much, well, invincible, like you can do anything, like nothing in the world can stop you."
"So, basically, like you've just eaten one of the Akimichi Three Coloured Pills."
"What? Err... I guess, yeah. But not quite."
Shikamaru quirked an eyebrow.
"More than just strength and power, it's that overwhelming desire to protect that person regardless of what happens to yourself. And you find yourself doing stupid things to make her happy."
Shikamaru was frowning at the board now, his hand hovering over his Knight. Asuma saw his mistake too late as usual. The loss of his Silver General had compromised his King; he had been too focused on his Gold General, thinking it had been the key to his defence. But Shikamaru moved his pawn instead, drawing out the game.
"Shintenshin no jutsu."
Asuma paused in analysing the game, biting a little on his cigarette so that the end tilted slightly upwards, his gaze faraway - a sophisticated image. No, he had no idea what Shikamaru was saying.
"Lame," Shikamaru chortled.
Asuma ignored him. "Shintenshi?"
Shikamaru let out a long sigh, meaning that he was about to give a lengthy explanation which he'd rather not give because it was too troublesome but there was no choice so. Asuma chuckled softly to himself. He had heard other Chuunins and even Jounins complain about how it seemed that Shikamaru was looking down on them but that wasn't the case. The Nara was just a boy who genuinely found everything too much of a drag.
Even if he actually cared more than he cared to admit.
"Self preservation is the basic instinct which every humans have in order to survive. No one would willingly throw that away, unless they have a death wish. Or unless they're under the shintenshi, under which they would of course not be in control of their senses and hence cast away that fundamental need to protect themselves first."
Asuma could totally imagine Kakashi and Gai laughing at him if he ever told them what had just transpired. Though he doubted they'd get anywhere with their own students. The though of Kakashi and Gai explaining the concept of love to Naruto and Lee made him bite back a laugh. He highly suspected that Gai bringing up this topic to Neji would end up something similar to this, thought his bets were on the Hyuuga deflecting the youthfulness of it all. What all those women saw in Gai, Asuma would never know.
"But you feel happy to do it," Asuma said with a careless shrug. "You wouldn't feel happy under the shintenshi."
"Unless you have a death wish or really enjoy being a marionette."
"I'm talking me here and I'm not any of those."
Shikamaru actually tore his eyes away from the board to look up at him in surprise. Asuma wasn't surprised. He usually tried his best to pretend he didn't have a relationship with Kurenai after all. Not that that meant that he lo- liked her any less. Shikamaru eventually looked away, frowning deeper than before.
"That doesn't make sense. Checkmate."
The Sarutobi looked down at the board. Checkmate all right. He smirked slowly and lifted his captured Silver Knight and placed it in front of Shikamaru's well protected King.
"... You can't do that."
Asuma was almost sure that he could hear Shikamaru pouting. And he knew that it had nothing to do with the game and everything to do with what he had just said. The Sarutobi laughed heartily as he stood up, reaching over to ruffle Shikamaru's head even though he knew that the Chuunin absolutely hated that.
"This doesn't make sense," Shikamaru growled, gesturing at the board.
Asuma laughed again as he stepped off the platform and onto the ground, a wide grin in place as he lit up another cigarette. Shikamaru was still glaring at him.
"It's not supposed to." And then because he couldn't resist, added, "except that it does."
He almost felt bad looking at the confused look on Shikamaru's face as he made the hand seals to leave because he knew that the Nara would be sitting there for hours, staring at the board and trying to make sense of something that couldn't be figured out.
Something that didn't need to be figured out.
But Shikamaru had to figure that out on his own.
"Neji-kun!" Shizune exclaimed as she almost bumped into the Jounin in the hallway to the Hokage Office. She hadn't even seen him coming.
"Shizune-san," Neji greeted, tones dulcet and smooth.
"Err, Neji-kun? Tsunade-sama is about to knock off soon."
And only a shinobi with a death wish would bother her at this time of the day.
Neji knocked on the door.
"Come in!" Tsunade snapped, sounding unhappy at having to say that. "Hyuuga," she drawled lowly as he stepped into her office, "what may I do for you?"
Shizune rushed in, took one look at Tsunade's face and started praying for the furniture in the room. She didn't have to care about whether there were people passing by below anymore because Genma had cordoned off the danger zone, taking matters into his own hands after he had been hit by the Hokage's fifth chair.
"I want a mission."
Tsunade eyed his formal kimono critically. She had been at the dinner the previous night of course so she knew exactly what he had been wearing.
"Did you sleep?"
It wasn't a question; it was a statement of fact.
"I am fully capable of carrying out a mission."
"Wreckless behaviour will not be tolerated," Tsunade said through gritted teeth.
"I am fully capable of carrying out a mission."
The Hokage looked like she wanted to hurl her teacup and hidden sake bottle at him.
"Look, Hyuuga – hm?" she spared a glance as her door was opened yet again.
Ibiki walked in, a shit eating grin on his face. "Hokage-sama."
"Ibiki?" she sounded confused. "I didn't call for you."
"I came for him," Ibiki replied politely, tiliting his head at Neji before turning to look at the Hyuuga. "You want a mission, Hyuuga? I got a mission for ya."
"Exactly why am I treating you to drinks...?" Kakashi asked as Asuma happily gulped down his third bottle of sake, kindly sponsored by Kakashi. It was just the sharigan-user's luck that Gai wasn't there yet.
"Because I outsmarted Shikamaru," Asuma said haughtily, nodding his head.
Kakashi looked unconvinced. Gai, who had arrived just in time to hear that, was eagerly asking for more details. Asuma soaked it all up; Kakashi was secretly jealous, period. He let Gai bug him awhile longer before he narrated his grand tale.
Kakashi and Gai were both judging him by the end of it. He rolled his eyes.
"Oh come on, he wouldn't get it if I spelled it out to him."
The other two Jounin teachers looked more understanding at that though there was still a hint of uncertainty lurking in those eyes. Asuma rolled his eyes again. Apparently he had to spell it out for them.
"Try explaining it to Naruto, Lee and Neji."
Kakashi and Gai's eyes widened a little in horror at the thought. Asuma rested his case.
"Well," Kakashi drawled slowly, "Naruto does have a crush on Sakura."
"And so does my boy Lee!" Gai shouted, slamming his drink down. People turned to see who was causing the commotion, saw green spandex and wisely went back to their own conversations. "Kakashi, my eternal rival, I shall win this one!"
"I am not betting on my student's love life," Kakashi muttered before correcting himself, "my students' love lives."
"Those two are fine and I guess, and even Sakura and Ino are alright – " three derisive snorts at that " – but gosh Shikamaru."
"Neji would take the cake," Gai said gravely. Sad, but true.
"Exactly," Asuma scoffed, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair. "It was good I ended it there before he gave me an aneurysm."
Gai nodded, taking a large gulp of his sake as he presumably thought about having that talk with Neji. Asuma noticed Kakashi glancing at Gai with what looked like thinly veiled concern but it was gone before Asuma could really analyse it. Oh but he knew that look all right. That look that said Kakashi knew something that Gai should know but that he didn't know if Gai knew and was wondering if he should bring it up. Yeah, Asuma deciphered all that under a second. Kakashi turned to him, smiling with his eyes crinkling at the corners.
"It's lucky I don't have your students," he told them both rather gleefully.
Asuma eyed him evenly for a few seconds before deciding that whatever that was about, it was none of his concern. He scoffed. "You have Sai."
Kakashi paused in reaching for his cup. Silence for all of three seconds before Kakashi let his head thud against the table while Gai laughed his head off. Asuma decided that today was his day, what with gaining one on both Shikamaru and Kakashi.
Today is a good day, he decided.
"Today is a good day," Asuma announced airily as he let himself into Kurenai's apartment.
The kunoichi tore her eyes away from the mission file that she was reading and raised an eyebrow at him. "Uh-huh."
"Get this: I one-upped Shikamaru and Kakashi."
"Uh-huh." Kurenai really didn't sound impressed. And it was kind of depressing that she could convey both her doubt and scepticism with the same words but different tones. Asuma definitely warranted more effort than that.
The Sarutobi shook his head at her, bemoaning about how she didn't have faith in him as he told her the events of that day. She was smirking at him by the end of it. He didn't like it.
"You've accomplished little in your life," was her conclusion and Asuma was not pouting.
"You're underreacting," he complained, placing his left ankle on his right knee as he lit up a well-deserved cigarette.
Kurenai scoffed as she returned to perusing her work. "And you're overreacting. Plus, I think you tortured Shikamaru."
"That kid tortures me all the time. Consider us even," Asuma said, stretching and making himself comfortable on the couch.
Kurenai scoffed again but there no malice in it. A soft smile was playing on her lips. The Sarutobi watched her and felt content with the world. Simple as that.
The weight in his pocket suddenly felt heavier and the Sarutobi reached down to pat it unconsciously. He had bought it on an impulse but he had seen it and thought of her. But he didn't want her running away, and he himself wasn't sure he was ready either. Letting his hand fall away as he got up, Asuma made his way to Kurenai and placed his hands on her shoulders.
"Hm?"
He bent down so that he could speak in her ear. "I'm tired. Let's go to bed early."
Kurenai stopped making notes on the document in front of her and turned her head slightly to speak against his lips, "weren't you feeling really energetic just a few moments ago?"
"Yeah," Asuma mumbled, pecking her lips lightly before pulling back. "But now I just want to go to bed with you."
Kurenai smiled softly and stood up, her chair scrapping backwards against the floor. She leaned over to press her lips against the side of his lips before leaning forward, resting one hand on his chest.
"Then you'd better hurry up and take a shower," she whispered into his ear, her sultry tone making him shiver in anticipation and arousal. He made to grab her but she had already lithely danced out of his grasp. She walked to the bedroom, hips swaying sensually and he stared unabashedly as if in a hypnotic trance.
"I'll be waiting," Kurenai tossed over her shoulder, a promising smirk on her face.
Asuma's clothes hit the clothes a second later as he jumped into the shower.
Shikamaru was ambushed. He had spent all day staring at the shogi board, trying to make sense of what Asuma had said before deciding that his sensei had been bullshitting him just as night fell. Now he was on his way home, but two blond loudmouths were closing in on him and his only escape route was blocked by two dogs. Okay, fine, one dog-nin, one dog.
"What?" Shikamaru asked even though he already had a very good idea what.
"Emergency mission!" Naruto announced happily as he thrust the mission scroll at Shikamaru. "Captain!"
"Right," Shikamaru drawled as he opened the scroll and read the details.
"Tsunade-sama knew that you were helping your mother with some herb collection this morning so she instructed us to brief you on the mission," Ino explained.
Shikamaru nodded and kept the scroll. It was a B-rank aid mission. Simple enough. If they didn't get caught. The details were sparse and Shikamaru didn't like that.
"We'll meet at the gate in half an hour," Shikamaru told them. "Go get ready."
"Aye-aye, Cap'n," Kiba said with a salute and a smirk.
The four shinobi split up and Shikamaru went back to his house. After preparing his stuff, he scribbled a note for his mother (who was away at a relative's) and attached it to the fridge with a magnet before leaving. As he rounded the corner that led to the Hokage Residence, he bumped into Neji.
"Hey," Shikamaru said casually, ignoring his rapidly beating heart as the memory of kissing Neji invaded his mind.
"Hi," Neji greeted with what Shikamaru hoped was a smile. Neji's eyes landed on Shikamaru's bag and understanding dawned in his eyes. "Mission?"
"B-rank. Aid."
Neji nodded. The Hyuuga wasn't carrying anything. He was probably on his way to training.
"HIYA NEJI!"
"Morning, Naruto," Neji greeted, quirking an eyebrow at the hyperactive blonde who dashed down the street.
"Mission?" Naruto asked eagerly.
"Training," Neji corrected. "You're with Nara?"
"Yeah, we have an awesome mission though I could do with some A-ranks if you know what I mean."
Neji didn't so he didn't say anything.
"Oh yeah, Neji, I was talking to Lee the other day and he was saying something about you using elemental techniques? I never knew that you could do that!"
Shikamaru didn't either so he looked at Neji questioningly. The Jounin stared back at them, thoroughly unimpressed.
"Seriously, Naruto, I'm a Jounin; of course I can use elemental techniques."
Well, when he put it that way, even Shikamaru felt stupid. Because well, duh. Jounin could typically use at least two elements, and Neji was definitely an outstanding Jounin so it would be weird if he didn't know at least a few elemental techniques, though of course it was understandable that his preferred fighting style would still be the Gentle Fist.
"Oh, eh, heh," was the most intelligent thing Naruto could say in reply.
"Don't you have a mission to get to?" Neji asked in exasperation.
"Oh right!" Naruto exclaimed. He began dashing down the road. "See ya, Neji!"
Shikamaru felt exhausted just watching the Uzumaki tear down the streets. He felt even more tired when he realised that he had to deal with Kiba and Ino on top of Naruto. He groaned in displeasure. A light chuckle caught his attention.
"Take care, Nara," Neji said before turning and walking away.
Shikamaru smiled lightly as he watched Neji till the Hyuuga was out of sight.
You take care too, Hyuuga.
"NARUTO!" Shikamaru yelled, heart pumping in trepidation as the Uzumaki was violently flung backwards by an attack that hit him square in the chest and that he failed to block in time since he made the split second decision to send a rasenga towards the attack that almost made contact with Kiba.
Shit.
They had completed the mission. They were on their way back to Konoha. They didn't expect revenge to come so quickly and suddenly. Shikamaru hadn't seen it coming and he couldn't stop cursing himself for that oversight.
Shikamaru looked around, assessing the situation with a cool and calm that he was slowly losing control of. His gaze automatically went to Ino first. His teammate was unconscious, lying behind Kiba as the dog-nin fought valiantly to keep any enemy from her, a fiery protectiveness that Shikamaru had never seen before in his eyes. Naruto was still missing but Akamaru had bounded off in the direction the shinobi had fallen so Shikamaru wasn't too worried about that for now.
He swept his gaze over to the enemy.
They were never-ending, like a freaking swarm of locusts. Shikamaru must have slain at least twenty people already but still they kept coming. They weren't very powerful but strength in numbers and all that bullshit.
He had thought it was a genjutsu at first and had tried to dispel it but the reality was, well, real. And it certainly didn't help that their enemy seemed to be using a range of elemental attack. All his team members were low on chakra. They were close enough to Konoha that him running back for help was an option but doing so would result in almost certain death for the three remaining members.
What to do, dammit.
"Shikamaru!"
The Nara snapped his head towards the source of the voice, relief flooding his being when he saw Naruto running towards him, looking worse for wear but nonetheless alright. Akamaru was running next to him, fangs bared and growling, eyes fixed on Kiba who was heavily bleeding by this point.
And then the ground beneath Naruto and Akamaru shook, effectively hurling them backwards and knocking them into a tree. Naruto let out a gasp of surprise (but not pain, Shikamaru noted with surprise) before sinking down onto the branch of the tree gently. Akamaru whined lowly in his throat but was otherwise unscathed as well. Whoever did that hadn't been planning on attacking them. Shikamaru was just about to rush to their aid when he himself was pushed back.
But not by an attack. By a human body.
Shikamaru's eyes widened as he looked at the ANBU operative who had used his own body as a shield to protect him from a fire attack. The masked man hissed in pain before pushing himself off the Chuunin, casting a fire technique on his own against the assailants. Shikamaru could see that the armour plate was scorched severely; it wouldn't be of use now.
"Are you okay?" Shikamaru asked hurriedly, wondering why the heck someone from ANBU was here and more importantly, why the heck he would risk his life for him. He started as he saw the bird mask. He knew this mask. It was that ANBU from Ibiki's parade. What was his name again?
Tsubame.
Who didn't bother to reply Shikamaru.
The enemy was closing in again. Shikamaru threw several fog bombs into the enemy group immediately, feeling slightly satisfied when he heard curses and hisses. They wouldn't be reaching them in a while. He was about to regroup with the rest of his team when the ANBU operative stood in front of him and shook his head.
"Take your friends and leave least you get in my way."
Shikamaru shot a tiny glare at Tsubame – ANBU agents were always so commanding in their speech. But the fact remained that he was right so Shikamaru didn't complain. He had the nagging feeling that he knew this person from somewhere but he was exhausted physically and mentally that he didn't have the energy to try to find out who this mystery guy was.
He nodded to the other two conscious members on his team. Kiba picked Ino up with a gentleness that Shikamaru didn't know him to possess and leapt away. Naruto looked like he wanted to protest but was cut off by Tsubame who had already made quick work of the enemy who had dared approach him.
"Leave, Uzumaki, before I make you."
Naruto snarled at the masked man but Shikamaru threw a hand out in front of him.
"He's right, Naruto. Let's go. We'll get backup."
"No, what the hell! We can't just leave – "
"If you don't, your comrades will die," the masked man said stoically and then as if he just knew what would get to Naruto, he added slowly, "unless you do want them to die?"
Naruto shut his mouth then though he was still glaring angrily, fists clenched at his sides, teeth gritted together harshly in a snarl. The ANBU shinobi really knew what buttons to push. Weird… it almost seemed like he knew Naruto personally.
But then again Naruto was notorious.
"The other two are injured."
Shikamaru nodded in agreement and stared at Naruto until the restless shinobi grumbled and turned around reluctantly.
"He's a comrade too, you know," Naruto mumbled softly, no longer angry, guilt and regret laced in his words as they made their way back to Konoha.
Shikamaru grimaced and frowned deeply, Naruto's words affecting him more than he expected. He turned his head back to look at Tsubame – who was practically his benefactor now (pity he'd never know who he was) – just in time to see him cast a strong water technique where a wall of water shot up, completely blocking the enemy from sight.
Impressive.
And then Shikamaru felt the cold hands of fear clutching at his heart. His breath caught in his throat as an overwhelming panic overcame him, almost causing him to lose his footing.
He knew that technique. He had seen it before. In Kigakure. But that ANBU man wasn't from Kigakure; he was from Konoha. The only other person who had seen that manoeuvre before was…
The fear that Shikamaru felt tripled and almost crippled him. That hair was shockingly familiar now that he thought about it. Sure it was tied up in a high ponytail but still…
And suddenly everything started fitting into place, the missing pieces slotting into the empty slots at a rapid speed, forming the full picture that Shikamaru had been trying to draw for weeks.
"I learnt all my clan secret techniques by observing, Shikamaru."
"You'll ruin everything."
"I'm still me."
"Seriously, Naruto, I'm a Jounin; of course I can use elemental techniques."
"Son, let me tell you a few things about ANBU."
Shikamaru's eyes widened as that last line slipped into his mind. His dad knew. That was why his dad suddenly sprung information of ANBU onto him that day.
He knew.
And he was trying to tell you and you still didn't get it. You fucking idiot!
Shikamaru turned back, ignoring Naruto's cries. He knew the Uzumaki would want to follow after him but wouldn't. Because with the state that Ino and Kiba were in, they were going to need Naruto's help in getting back to Konoha for treatment.
Neji didn't know why he did that. ANBU wasn't supposed to interfere with normal shinobi missions. Ibiki was going to kill him.
But that was better than letting Shikamaru die.
Neji spared a tiny glance back, ensuring that Naruto and Shikamaru were well on their way before turning back to the waterfall that stood before him. He had somewhat mastered the technique but nonetheless it still required a lot of chakra and while this was a solid fortress, it wasn't going to get him anywhere.
The moment he let up the jutsu, he threw two explosives into the enemy ranks, theirs shouts making it clear that he hadn't missed. Using the little distraction that he had, he took a few other shinobi out with his fire technique. And then they started closing their ranks on him.
Getting into the stance for the gentle fist, Neji smirked a little when he heard the gasps from around him.
"A Hyuuga," a stony-faced man with a large sword said, impressed.
Neji deigned to respond and attacked, his movements precise and deadly. Not a move was wasted. He spared each man a single attack, making sure to hit their vital spots, ensuring that they wouldn't be able to move. He would either leave them dead or paralysed. Either ways, they weren't getting past him.
But he could feel his chakra depleting. His mission hadn't been easy and he had only bothered conserving enough energy to get back to Konoha. Getting involved in Shikamaru's mission was not planned.
Whatever the case, he had to get them as far away from Shikamaru and the rest as soon as possible. It was only a matter of time before some of them broke rank and chased after them. Neji took of in the opposite direction, the rapid footsteps behind him signalling his success in drawing them away.
Guess I killed enough of them to warrant priority.
With the last of his chakra, he sent down the group of five men who chased after him. He closed his eyes and focused on his senses, trying to spot if there were any other people around. He was certain those five were the last. Fortunately, Shikamaru and the others had done quite a bit of damage themselves.
His eyes snapped open and he dodged to the side just as an axe sliced through the air next to him, at the spot where he had just been standing. If his reflexes hadn't kicked in, his head would have rolled. He looked up and saw the stony man with the axe. As expected. He was their leader after all. And he didn't look happy that all his men were disabled or killed.
"You fucking little bitch!"
Neji was already panting hard, his breath coming out in laboured gasps. It wasn't easy to maintain a calm façade and it didn't matter anyway – the man could see right through him. It was evident that he was out of chakra. The enemy smirked victoriously, the scar on his face gleaming ominously. The only thing that Neji thought was that it would be just plain sad if that was the last thing he ever saw.
The man played with Neji for a bit first, throwing out moves that were easy to dodge, and then he upped his game. Releasing his axe, he used a wind jutsu. The air around Neji started whipping up and slicing his arms and body with razor-like precision. He gasped in pain but managed to hold his front.
"A tough one, are we?" the guy snorted, taking a few steps forward until he was but a hair's breath away from the Hyuuga. "I'd expect no less from ANBU. A Hyuuga one no less."
Neji summoned his strength and punched the angered shinobi straight in the stomach, gritting his teeth when it vanished in a puff of smoke. His eyes widened when he sensed something coming from behind him. He made to move but it was too late and the axe connected with his back, sending him flying forward and landing on his front.
It hurt terribly. While the fire attack he had taken in place of Shikamaru hadn't exactly damage him – it singed off some of his hair that was for sure – it had definitely destroyed the protection his armour offered. There was practically no resistance against the weapon and he could feel the long gash slashed diagonally across his back.
Neji groaned softly, pushing himself up with both arms and turning around. The man was charging straight at him, mouth opened in an angry scream, the sword wielded above his head as he prepared for the final blow. Neji didn't even have time to think before the guy's movement was suddenly halted.
He frowned as he scanned the guy. His face was still pulled taut in anger and in fact he looked angrier than ever as he let out a ferocious scream. Neji's eyes travelled downwards and they widened.
No… it can't be…
"Shadow Imitation Technique: Success."
That smug voice.
Shikamaru…
And then a shadow blocked his view as Shikamaru jumped down in front of him, his jaw set, his eyes and voice the coldest they have ever been.
"Touch him again and you die a painful death, you bastard."
Neji didn't see the man's end as darkness took over.
Shikamaru was once again transported back to that hospital room.
Shikamaru knocked once on the door, entering only when the occupant of the room told him to. He didn't look up as he walked in, choosing to take it slowly as he turned and closed the door behind him. Taking a deep breath, Shikamaru mustered just enough courage to look at the patient lying in the hospital bed and felt guilt seeping into every nerve in his being, paralysing him once again as if he was under Tayuya's genjutsu. Except this was reality and he could feel the prickling at the back of his eyes again.
Seeing Chouji lying motionless on the hospital bed next door had already dealt him a devastating blow, knowing that he had been the one who had landed his best friend in that state. But a part of him remained calm because he knew that he would have done the same thing for Chouji; they were best friends.
But looking at Neji, he felt that last piece of calm being ripped from him and hurled into the storm.
The Hyuuga had woken up from his coma earlier that day after being unconscious for three days. Shikamaru had only been in there once while the older man was comatose, the pale, lifeless form on the bed almost making him throw up, knowing that he had been the one responsible for that. After that visit, he had been too afraid to see Neji again.
They barely knew each. Hell, Neji barely even knew Sasuke. He only came to know about them during the Chuunin exam and even then Shikamaru hadn't proved himself to be anything other than lazy and a coward. Yet Neji had willingly trusted Shikamaru's judgement and put his life in Shikamaru's hands, all for the sake of a genin (worthless genin, Shikamaru thought) who wasn't even his acquaintance.
Why did he even trust Shikamaru that much? What had possessed him?
"Are you just going to stand there staring at me or are you actually going to say something?" Neji inquired, raising an eyebrow elegant, pose still as regal and breathtaking despite being dress in a hospital gown.
"I…" Shikamaru choked on his breath and he breathed in deeply to steady himself. It would not do to appear so helpless and useless in front of Neji. He had already proven himself that when he failed the mission. So much for thinking Sasuke useless when he was no better. "I'm sorry."
"What for?" Neji tilted his head to the side. His tone wasn't sarcastic; he sounded genuinely interested.
"For almost getting you killed."
"Hn. I should be thanking you for not letting me get killed."
Shikamaru's eyes widened in surprise.
"I was in charge. I should have done better. I-"
"It was your first mission as a Chuunin and it was practically an S-ranked one which obviously required a Jounin."
"Yeah but-"
"And we all agreed to stay behind; we were prepared to sacrifice one person for each enemy. It was a team decision, not yours alone."
"Still, I-"
"And luckily, you failed."
Shikamaru couldn't believe what he was hearing. Luckily you failed?!
His genius brain wasn't functioning quite so well.
"What?"
"If not, then the world would really be too unfair, don't you think?"
Shikamaru couldn't believe it. Neji sounded amused; Neji was actually making a joke. Shikamaru couldn't believe it. He was silent for a while. Neji simply watched him, not saying anything. And then Shikamaru started chuckling, his heart feeling lighter than it had in days. He smiled at Neji, shaking his head fondly.
"You're really something else, you know that?"
The Hyuuga just smiled in reply.
Looking at the pale, limp form on his bed, Shikamaru shivered as his body was reacquainted with the same feeling of dread from three years ago. It was irrational feeling this way, he knew that because this didn't even have anything to do with him, but he couldn't help it.
"Neji…" Shikamaru reached out and trailed the back of his hand against the cold skin of the ANBU agent. He bent down and pressed a soft kiss onto Neji's forehead, above the curse seal, and then onto his lips. Leaning back into his seat, he let out a long shuddering breath as he held Neji's left hand in his, placing it against his lips. "How the hell did I not realise this earlier? You gave me so many clues. I'm so sorry."
A tear slipped out from the corner of his eye, making its way down his cheek and running over their joined hands.
"I'm sorry," Shikamaru whispered again but Neji wasn't there to tell him it was all right.
Neji's eyes opened blearily and he blinked a couple of times. He could hear sounds but he couldn't identify them; everything was just really fuzzy and blurry around the edges.
"Neji?"
He knew that voice.
"Neji."
The face appeared as a flash in the pan.
"Shikamaru."
That didn't sound like his voice.
"We really have to stop meeting like this," Shikamaru whispered, pain and tenderness laced in his voice and making Neji choke up. "Shh, it'll be fine."
Neji believed him.
Darkness took over once more but not before Neji felt the press of lips against his forehead.
Neji awoke to the sound of running water. He bolted upright, eyes scanning his surroundings and snapping his head to the direction of footsteps. Shikamaru stepped out of the bathroom and into the room.
"Neji," he called softly, knowing that shinobi can be disoriented when they have just risen after collapsing, "it's me, Shikamaru."
Neji's pupils were dilated but they decreased back to their normal size as the Hyuuga calmed down. He let out a shuddering breath and swallowed thickly. "Shikamaru."
"Here," Shikamaru said, passing him a glass of water.
Neji drank everything in one go; he hadn't realised how parched his throat was.
"Where are we?" he asked, his voice coming out in an unfamiliar croak.
"The Nara Research Facility," Shikamaru answered, taking the cup away from Neji and placing it on the bedside table. "We have bedrooms here since we sometimes work for days here," Shikamaru explained, busying himself with random things to do around the room – straightening a picture, pushing the chair back into the table. "We have a bunch of medicine here too so I treated you with those. You should still probably get your back looked at when we return to Konoha. I mean I patched it up already but it still looks pretty serious, and I'm no medic-nin so."
Shikamaru was rambling on and on, which was very uncharacteristic of him. He only stopped when he heard Neji's breath hitching. He turned around and saw that the Hyuuga was staring at the – his – ANBU mask. Shikamaru had removed the mask as well as the uniform and gave Neji a plain yukata instead. It was easier to treat him that way and it was definitely more comfortable to sleep in.
"You knew," Neji whispered and there was a faint accusation in his eyes when he looked at Shikamaru.
"In my defence," Shikamaru said, leaning against the table across the bed, "I just found out there and then."
"The water technique?" Neji guessed.
"The final piece of the puzzle – yes," Shikamaru replied, finding himself back at the edge of the forest. There were less trees blocking his view this time.
"Puzzle?" Neji asked.
"You are a very complicated individual," Shikamaru said before tapping his temple, "and this thing doesn't like to stop turning."
"Mm."
Silence consumed the room and Shikamaru started moving again, finding comfort in the sounds of the shuffling of his feet and the rustling of files.
"Who else knows?" Shikamaru asked, wondering if he was overstepping, but he was genuinely curious.
Neji shrugged nonchalantly even though Shikamaru couldn't see it. "No one important."
Evasion.
"Your team?"
"No," Neji said softly and there was tinge of regret in that voice, "no, they don't."
"I thought Tenten would," Shikamaru said honestly.
"I tried telling her…" Neji trailed off and was quiet for long enough that Shikamaru walked over to him, afraid that his injury was acting up. Neji was clutching his headband tightly in his hand. "But I couldn't."
"Oh."
Not the smartest thing to say.
"What?" Neji snarled, eyes furious.
"I just don't know what to say," Shikamaru said, raising his hands in defence.
That seemed to placate the Hyuuga and he went back to staring at his headband. Shikamaru's eyes strayed to Neji's left arm where he knew was the ANBU tattoo, and he recalled staring at it for hours on end as Neji slept. All the way he just thought about the ironic parallel between that tattoo and the curse mark. For were they not, essentially, the same thing?
But he was wiser than to ask Neji that.
"Tell me one thing," Shikamaru said, drawing Neji's attention back to him. "Moonlight Temple."
"What makes you think they're related?" Neji asked calmly.
"I don't know; just a question," Shikamaru answered truthfully because really Neji's behaviour at Moonlight Temple still occupied the biggest question mark in his brain. The biggest tree in the fortress. "Are they related?"
Neji contemplated Shikamaru for a moment and apparently he found something he liked because he actually answered Shikamaru.
"Yes, they're related."
"Were you on a mission?" Shikamaru asked carefully, acutely aware that the next question or statement that he made could very well be his last if he stepped on any of Neji's many landmines; the Hyuuga wouldn't hesitate to shut him out. Or down.
"No," Neji said, shooting Shikamaru a somewhat curious look. "I wasn't ANBU then. Not yet."
"See, the thing is my genius brain took a vacation and this brain can't process things as fast," Shikamaru said, earning a chuckle from Neji. "You're gonna have to explain, Neji."
"Ibiki," Neji started and Shikamaru felt an irrational sense of annoyance towards that man, "likes to give potential recruits a holiday of sorts. Not a long one, maybe two or three days, so that they are cut out for ANBU."
Shikamaru translated the sentence: I have thought about this clearly.
"But not everyone needs that time to think. Some people just accept."
Translation: I'm not one of them and I'm not stupid.
"Like Kiba no doubt would."
Correction: I'm not one of them and I'm not stupid, like Kiba.
"And you decided to accept?" Shikamaru asked tentatively.
Neji shot him a look that clearly spelt out how daft he thought Shikamaru was being at the moment. "No, that mask is just for decoration and I was merely playing dress-up when you found me."
Shikamaru snorted at the sarcasm. Hyuuga Neji playing dress-up. Right. Naruto would sooner hate ramen.
The Hyuuga was looking at him, a serene expression on his face. He was being oddly cooperative and Shikamaru didn't know why.
Not that he was going to let this opportunity slip out of his hand.
"Have you been on any missions?" He had an axe in his hand and he was staring at the trees in front of him.
"Two," was the simple reply.
Neji was looking at him meaningfully now, and Shikamaru felt like an idiot for not being able to decipher it. The trees were parting and Shikamaru was closer to seeing what lay behind them.
"The one just now," Shikamaru said and Neji nodded.
Something in the air had shifted and Shikamaru didn't like the uncomfortable feeling it was giving him. He also didn't like the look Neji was giving him. It was somewhat patronising.
"The other one?"
Neji's lips curved slightly into a smirk. "Come on, you were there."
Shikamaru's blood turned to ice at those words.
"Wh- what?"
Neji looked at him pointedly, leaning forward and wrapping his arms around his bent legs. "You. Were. There."
Shikamaru's mind raced through the past few missions he had been on with Neji. Kigakure and the village.
"Kigakure?" Shikamaru tried, his heart hammering away in his chest. He let the axe drop, but the trees were moving.
"No," Neji spoke the word deliberately and he looked as if he was daring Shikamaru to get it wrong again.
But there was no way Shikamaru could.
"The village."
"Smart boy."
Shikamaru's gaze turned cold. He turned away and busied himself with arranging the documents on the table. No. He wasn't doing this. He wasn't because Neji didn't. No. He walked away. Figuratively and literally.
"I need to do something," was the lame excuse Shikamaru came up with as he walked towards the door.
"Don't you dare," Neji hissed and Shikamaru didn't need the Byakugan to know that Neji was glaring at him. The burning hole in his back was telling enough, thank you very much.
Shikamaru cleared his throat. "Don't I dare what?"
Neji tsk'ed. "Don't play dumb and don't you dare walk away."
"I have things to do," Shikamaru insisted, refusing to turn around. He made to move and barely dodged the kunai which embedded itself on the door frame instead. He spun around in agitation, eyes blazing with annoyance. "What the hell, Neji!"
"Finish this conversation."
"It's finished," Shikamaru snarled, storming over to stand at the edge of the bed. "I've already asked what I wanted to know."
"Such a good liar," Neji praised mockingly, resting his head in one hand as he gazed steadily at Shikamaru. "Has anyone ever told you that? If not, I'm honoured to be the first."
"Neji," Shikamaru growled.
The Hyuuga was blind to his rage. Unconcerned was the more accurate description actually.
"Nara," Neji replied swiftly, almost cooing his name. "Don't you want to know what my mission was?"
"ANBU missions are confidential," Shikamaru counted just as quickly as Neji had, throwing the Hyuuga's beloved protocol right at him and smirking at the flash of irritation in Neji's eyes. "Or is breaking the rules a new hobby of yours?"
The poisoned retort was on the tip of Neji's tongue but he swallowed it and smoothed down the blanket gently. He inhaled deeply and when he looked back up at Shikamaru, the Nara knew that he wasn't going to drop it.
"You were the one who wanted to know," Neji reminded him, tone tranquil but eyes dark. "Why stop the questions now?"
"I've asked everything I wanted to know," Shikamaru repeated calmly. He wasn't as good as Neji at hiding his emotions but he could still keep them in check at least.
Hopefully.
"So what have you figured out?"
"Goddammit, Hyuuga, I'm not doing this!" Shikamaru shouted, eyes blazing as he took an aggressive step forward so that he was pressed against the bed frame.
Neji didn't lean back, didn't back down. He met Shikamaru head on.
"So the conversation ends when you say so?"
"That wasn't what I said."
"So let's continue it."
"I have nothing more to say."
"Really? Then why all the questions?"
"You made me ask."
"Don't blame me for your desire to know. I was being cooperative. You asked; I answered."
Shikamaru glowered. Had Neji always been this aggravating?
Yes, his brain told him in a matter-of-fact tone. Just think back to the Chuunin exams.
But that was the old Neji, not this Neji. And definitely not the Neji at Moonlight Temple. Or maybe this was just ANBU Neji. Who sounded like Chuunin exams Neji and goddammit why are there so many Nejis?
Shikamaru closed his eyes and attempted to calm his heart and thoughts. Neji wouldn't let him.
"Come on, Nara, I'm doing you a favour here. After all, ANBU matters are supposed to be confidential."
That rubbed Shikamaru the wrong way and he blurted out the words that he knew Neji wanted to hear and that he wanted to take back.
"You manipulated me into asking those questions just like you fucking manipulated me back at the village!"
Shikamaru's chest heaving as he panted harshly, his nostrils flared and his pupils dilated in anger. His legs were spread apart and his hands were balled tightly in fists as he glared down at Neji. The Hyuuga eyed him critically but said nothing.
"You want me to ask you something? Fine, then answer me this!" Shikamaru snarled as he stepped around to the side of the bed and grabbed Neji by the shoulder. Neji met his furious glare with clear opals. "Did you fucking kill the Kieuse?"
"Yes," Neji whispered. "Yes, I killed them."
The trees parted finally and all Shikamaru could see was more trees.
Surprise? xD It's just, it's my birthday so I wanted to do something for you guys. Reviews are the best birthday presents?
So, all is revealed! Okay, not all, but some stuff are and that's good, right? Kudos to all who guessed correctly that ANBU is involved.
The Hyuuga part got really angsty and dark, which wasn't my intention, but it just turned out that way and I don't think it gets better.
I always can't remember if I have anything else to say here so I'll edit this place if something comes up.
Till next time!
~Witherwolf
Edit: Annoyingly, the separators and my whole ramble didn't appear when I first posted it. :( Sorry to those who had to read it without the separators. Must have been annoying.