Disclaimer: Not mine.

"I've missed you so much," said a very familiar voice at the edge of Training Ground 3.

Naruto froze in shock.

Whoa, what was going on? He'd just come here to take a nice, peaceful walk before training, but it seemed like someone was already here.

"You don't look so good, do you?" the voice said, its tone dripping with concern. The voice sounded remarkably like Neji's, but he had never heard such tenderness in Neji's voice before. It was the kind of tone you would usually use with...

Naruto sighed. Looked like someone was meeting up with his girlfriend in secret right now. He'd just never pegged Neji as a doting boyfriend. It was strange that Naruto couldn't figure out where this secret girlfriend seemed to be though. It looked like Neji was speaking to thin air.

"I asked Lee to take care of you while I was gone, but it seems that he gave you too much water." Some sighing.

Naruto squinted suspiciously at Neji's silhouette. There was definitely no one else there, so who was he talking to? He moved closer, his eyes widening as he finally absorbed the bizarre scene in full.

It was Neji. With a plant. A plant that he was lovingly stroking as though it was his long-lost relative.

For a brief moment, Naruto was reminded of some old photographs that he'd seen back in Sunagakure after the Kazekage rescue mission was complete, of a kid Gaara hugging a teddy bear.

"Never mind that now. The important thing is that you're alive, and I'm here now...my sweet little Himawari-chan."

Neji, despite being blessed with the Byakugan, did not seem remotely aware that Naruto was right behind him, hearing every single word and seeing every single thing that he was doing. Maybe that wasn't a good thing, so Naruto decided to snap him out of it.

He coughed loudly.

Neji abruptly froze up. Slowly and deliberately, the Hyuuga turned around. His white eyes narrowed dangerously as they met Naruto's bemused blue.

"Naruto." His eyes and his voice were stiff, and he was wearing an expression completely incongruous with what he had just been doing: lovingly whispering to a potted sunflower that he was clutching protectively to his chest, as though Naruto wanted to steal it.

"Uh...good morning?" Naruto offered placatingly. "Um, did you just call that sunflower – mmph!"

"Don't say a word," Neji hissed, one hand clamped over Naruto's mouth, the other still clutching the sunflower protectively. "I mean it, Naruto. If you tell anyone about this, I swear that I'll Eight Tri – "

Naruto pushed Neji's hand away with a scowl. "Okay. God, Neji, why are you so uptight? You're acting like I saw you bury a body or something."

Neji gave him the evil eye again. "Don't tell anyone about this, do you understand?"

"Okay, okay," Naruto said. "But I don't know why you're so worked up about this, ya know? A lot of people name their plants, you know that?"

Neji merely squinted at Naruto skeptically.

"Honest!" Naruto held up his hands. "I gave Kakashi-sensei a plant and he calls him Ukki. And I give my plants names too!"

"You garden?" Disbelief dripped through Neji's voice, and irritation dripped through Naruto's spine.

"Yeah!" Naruto snatched the potted sunflower from Neji's hands, ignoring his scandalized expression. "Himawari-chan looks really nice."

"Hmph."

"I don't think Bushy Brows gave her too much water," he said, examining the bright yellow of the sunflower with a critical eye. "The pot has drainage holes, and the soil you used here doesn't seem too damp. She'll be fine. You worry too much."

Neji snatched the potted plant back. "It's a precious flower that Hinata-sama entrusted to me," he responded. "I have to worry."

"Hinata gave it to you?"

"Yes," Neji said shortly. "For my birthday."

"Your birthday?" Naruto asked. "You have a birthday, Neji?"

"It was last week."

"Wow, I can't believe it. I always thought that you dropped out of the sky with the grumpiest expression on your face, ya know that, Neji?"

"Very funny."

"Anyway..." Naruto grabbed Neji's arm and pulled.

"Wait, Naruto, what are you – "

"I can't believe it was your birthday a week ago and you didn't tell me!"

"You acting like this is exactly why – "

"So we have to celebrate!" Naruto yelled, tuning Neji out completely.

"Naruto, don't you dare force me to pay for your ramen – "

"Don't worry, I'll ask Old Man Teuchi to give you a birthday discount!"

"Hold up, I didn't agree to this – "

"We can have a ramen eating contest! To Ichiraku we go!"

Neji sighed deeply as Naruto dragged him around the village like a rag-doll and forced him to eat an amount of ramen that would definitely induce indigestion in him later.

Then he glanced at the potted sunflower clutched in his arm.

He smiled as he remembered Hinata's voice.

When you see this sunflower, think of me, Neji nii-san.

July 3.

A really beautiful day. It was the very peak of summer, and the bush warblers flew carefree in the cloudless blue sky, despite spring long since having passed.

Hinata was sure that Neji would have liked to have seen them, those beautiful free birds. He'd always liked to test the limits of his Byakugan and count as many birds as possible.

He would get so frustrated when he missed even one. It happened more times than he cared to admit.

"Good morning, Neji nii-san, and happy birthday," she said to the pure white gravestone. "You're twenty-three already now, aren't you? Time really flies, doesn't it?"

She closed her eyes and could feel his calm presence. Despite his serenity, all she could feel was excitement.

"I have a birthday present for you. Well, not yet, but soon."

In her mind's eye, Neji nodded.

"What is it that you wish to give me, Hinata-sama?"

"How to explain this...it was really Naruto-kun's idea. Don't worry, he'll be here in a few minutes." Hinata busied herself with wiping the gravestone clean. "Do you remember the present I got you for your seventeenth birthday?"

And now in her mind's eye, Neji sighed.

"Hinata-sama, there's no need to be so hesitant with me. I'll cherish whatever you give me."

Hinata swallowed the lump in her throat. "Neji nii-san, in nine months, Naruto-kun and I will give you a niece."

Her words left the Neji of her mind speechless. Still, Hinata continued.

"You...you did really well, watching over that sunflower I gave you before," she said. "I know that you'll watch over this one too."

The Neji of her mind nodded, finally regaining the power of speech.

"I'll cherish her forever, Hinata-sama."

"Mama, do you think oji-san likes them?"

"Of course, Himawari. After all, you and these flowers share the same name."

The bush warblers flew carefree in the cloudless blue sky.

Neji gazed at the sunflower that Hinata had entrusted to him. If he could, he would have clutched her protectively to his chest.

He smiled.

A/N: First chapter for NH Week! The two prompts for the first day were "Sunflowers" and "Good Morning" and I thought of combining them. :) I feel like this is kind of cheesy, but who said cheesy was bad? Please do leave a review. :)