I don't own anything obviously
please review this is my first actual published fic
I'm ignoring Neji's death if you're wondering I haven't gotten there and so it hasn't happened.
March 9
Birthdays were ridiculous. Well at least in Hyuga Neji's mind they were. People literally gave others presents because they managed to excrete an excessive amount of carbon dioxide into the air for an extra year worsening the earth with the filth. They blew up balloons and decorated for the "celebration" for hours even though the festivities would be over before they could blink. Birthdays were actually a celebration of being a year closer to death. It was completely ludicrous. They could be training. Or jumping to their death for that matter. But instead they commemerated the occasion and because of it the Hyuga was forced to scour around Konoha and look for a god damn gift for the offending birthday haver.
Usually he wouldn't even bother. Occasionally he would have a maid from the compound or Hinata pick something out if it was absolutely necessary but most often he would just ignore a person's birthday completely. However he had been practically cornered and threatened last week to find something more personal because the person deserved it. He inwardly recoiled remembering the incident.
March 1
Neji and Lee were winding down from a rather exuberant spar in the middle of team Gai's old training grounds. Neji had seated himself under a tree and had begun to place himself in a meditation position while Lee continued to stand panting in an almost obnoxious manner. It was a rather odd site due to the fact that the two almost never trained together now that their original team was dissolved. Neji had had no choice in the matter however seeing as his usual training partner, Tenten, was out on a mission.
Hyuga Hinata was well aware of this fact when she shuffled into the training area with a black box extravagantly decorated with white etched twin dragons coiling around each other clutched in her usually fidgeting hands.
When she came into his line of sight Lee quit his panting and with eyes wide hollered " HINATA-CHAN HOW WONDERFUL OF YOU TO GRACE NEJI AND I WITH YOUR YOUTHFUL BEAUTY DURING TRAINING!"
Hinata smiled and in a soft voice spoke "Hello to you too Lee-san."
He gave her a thumbs up and she then turned her attention to her silent cousin who was now deep in meditation.
"Nii-san..." she said tentatively standing a safe distance of about three feet from the older Hyuga
Neji opened his previously closed eyes and stood, simultaneously bowing his head in greeting "Hinata-sama."
Taking that as an approval Hinata moved closer in order to show him what her delicate hands were holding.
"I thought you may want to approve what I found for Tenten."
"I highly doubt that that is a matter so pressing that it forces you to interrupt my training," Neji spoke in an even tone holding his hand out for said item.
She didn't respond and instead gingerly placed it in his hand. He took it without hesitation and proceeded to open it. He gazed at the items, two well crafted silver kunai with shimmering green handles, with indifference.
Believing he was unsatisfied with them Hinata began to explain, "Their made from the finest metal in all of the fire country," his face did not change and so she continued with her head bowed, " The handles are encrusted with Jade... and... and I was told they were so sharp they could peel the veins off the leaf without harming the surrounding area."
once she finished she looked up at him expectantly however it was not Neji but the Green Beast of Konoha that she received a response from.
Rushing to her side in his high-spirited manner Lee spoke. "Hinata is this the gift you will be giving to our lovely flower on the day of her youth celebration!?"
Hinata looked up at her cousin with questioning eyes. He glanced up at her and then went back to studying the kunai which told her that he wasn't going to answer his team mate.
She moved her eyes to Lee and began to shuffle her feet a bit, uncomfortable with the situation,"Um... no... this... this is the gift Nii-san will be presenting to Tenten-chan if he wishes."
Lee's eyes widened in confusion and he opened his mouth to speak.
"Very well." Neji's deep baritone interrupted before Lee could get a word out "Thank you again Hinata-sama these will do. Please place them in my bedroom when you have the chance."
She nodded her head in assent and took the now closed box from his hands. She turned to take her leave however a sudden out burst from Lee stopped her.
"BUT NEJI!" he exclaimed "DOES THIS MEAN YOU WILL NOT BE PURCHASING A GIFT FOR OUR YOUTHFUL FLOWER ON YOUR OWN!?"
The older Hyuga gave the man an appraising look and tried to decide whether or not his question deserved an answer.
"Hinata-sama has chosen Tenten's birthday presents on my behalf for some time now," he finally answered, " I believe there would be no difference in her satisfaction level if I was the one to do so. Hinata-sama's choices are always more than satisfactory."
Lee scrambled to Neji their faces now an inch apart "BUT MY ETERNAL RIVAL!" he cried " THAT IS SO IMPERSONAL OUR DEAR TENTEN DESERVES SOMETHING SO MUCH BETTER! SHE PERSONALLY PICKS ALL OUR GIFTS OUT WITH THE UTMOST CARE!"
"Hn." was all Neji replied
Lee's face reddened in anger and he pivoted in order to question the other Hyuga standing in his vicinity, "Hinata-chan! What do you think about Neji's most unyouthful actions!?"
The girl in question looked up into Lee's eyes and with all the courage she could muster spoke, "Well I also believe that Nii-san should personally purchase a gift for Tenten-Chan."
Neji glared at his little cousin, "As I said I do not see the difference in me choosing the gift"
"IT IS UNYOUTHFUL OF YOU NOT TO MY DEAR NEJI!" Lee declared
"She has always gotten you such wonderful things" Hinata tried "Like two years ago that book on all the recorded blood limits in the world... and the year before the custom meditation mat... and.. and that hand forged katana she gave you last year was absolutely exquisite!"
He sighed in exasperation, "I highly doubt that matters."
Lee's face turned to stone and his voice became threatening "Neji If you do not pick out a gift for Tenten I will tell Gai-sensei."
Neji huffed with indifference and made to go back to his meditation position when Hinata spoke in a small voice "Father has also expressed to me that he believes it'd be more appropriate for you to choose a gift..."
Now March 9
Hinata's words although quiet and innocent to anyone else had alarmed Neji in more ways than one. He knew that most things his uncle "expressed" were either orders or statements you should follow anyway. And Neji who attempted to avoid unnecessary confrontation with his uncle and anyone else for that matter was not going to take her words statement lightly. It had occurred to him that she could've been lying but he knew it would take even more work for him to actively seek out his uncle and ask and that was how he found himself in the shopping district of Konoha irritated to no end with less than an hour to find an appropriate gift for his team mate.
The Hyuga let his lavender eyes scan the stores before quickly selecting a high end weapons shop to enter. He didn't understand why he had to chose the gift. Everyone knew that the weapons mistress only really liked one thing: weapons. And so he would therefore only chose a variation of whatever Hinata had picked. Lee's logic was utterly ridiculous. He entered the store labeled "opulent armament" with the intention of purchasing the most expensive item and leaving. He began searching for the shop keeper deciding to do a round-a-bout instead of activating his blood line limit. He made a full circle of the shop with no success and ended up in direct line with the store window. He approached it and picked up one of the displayed kunai. He supposed he could buy it for her it was nothing special besides the blood red crystal located at the end of the handle. He scanned the display and considered simply purchasing everything and giving it all to her when the sight of said kunoichi distracted him.
Tenten was clad in her civilian clothes a plain pink tshirt slightly reminiscent of her old Chinese top, light blue capris, and her strapped sandals. Neji watched her as she waved at a person he could not see. The person in question then approached the weapons mistress and she presented him with a bright smile. The ninja, Neji recognized, was his younger cousins rambunctious team mate, Inuzuka Kiba accompanied by his ninja hound. Neji noticed the other man was in his mission gear and concluded that Kiba was about to head out. Now close enough the Inuzuka immediately engaged Tenten in a rather exuberant conversation. Neji was unable to hear what they were saying but he could tell the kunoichi was giggling. She bent down to pet Akamaru and gave him a light kiss on the top of his head. The dog wagged his tail and Tenten rewarded him with a smile. She then straightened herself and looked back at Kiba who took a box out of his pants pocket. Taking the container she said something that Neji assumed was a thank you. She opened the box and with another brilliant smile took out the simple silver bracelet inside. Tenten jumped on the balls of her feet expressing her gratitude and Neji continued to regard them with confusion. He wondered if the bracelet had some sort of poison compartment because surely Tenten would not get so excited over something so regular. He activated his byakugan and scanned the piece of jewelry and found that it was just that. He quickly deactivated his blood trait and turned his attention back to the pair. Tenten was now putting on the bracelet with the help of the Inuzuka and once he finished she quickly jumped up and wrapped her arms around his neck and he in return wrapped his around her slender body. She kissed his painted cheek and then released him.
Neji's eyes widened and he frowned "what was she doing?" he thought "All that for a simple bracelet?"
Kiba gave Tenten a fanged smile and waved before making his way to the exit of the village. An unknown force propelled Neji out of the shop and to the spot Kiba had previously inhabited. "Tenten."
She looked up from the bracelet she had previously been admiring,"Oh Neji!" she squeaked in surprise. "Where on earth did you come from?"
"Is that new?" He ignored her question and pointed to the piece of jewelry. He of course knew the answer but wanted to see what she would say.
"Oh yeah!" she beamed holding it out for his inspection, "Kiba just gave it to me cause he has to go on a mission. Isn't it nice?"
His eyes narrowed a fraction, "So you like it then?"
"Yeah! Don't you? It's so simple and... I mean no one's ever gotten me anything like this people usually just buy me weapons."
She looked up at him and grinned in a way that told him she more than liked that bracelet and an involuntary tightening of his jaw told him that he would more than like to kill the man who gave it to her.