The light filtered in through the holes in the window, a musty smell filling the air. Shukaku breathed in the smell, a smile flitting onto his lips. The temple was old and beginning to fall apart. There were only three monks who still worked and lived there. The youngest monk, who was washing the floor with an old rag, stopped, bowing to Shukaku as he passed. There was something about places like this that just lightened his mood.

He walked with a slight pep to his step, arms behind his back. The floor creaked underneath his weight. He took a seat on a pillow where tea had already been prepared for him. "All these years and he is still as easy to manipulate as he was back then. You have paved his path back to me well, Sugo-kun."

Sugo bowed his head. "I am happy that I was of service to you master. I apologize for my incompetence until now."

Shukaku laughed. "How were you to know that a random slave boy would be his mate? I am just pleased I still know his preferences in subordinates. I trust Tobi was a great help to you."

"Yes. Without Hyuuga-san's direct oversight, he was able to move around easily."

"Good. Very good," he brought the teacup to his lips, taking a sip with a small smirk. "We should receive a report of Tobi's success shortly."

Neji had always intrigued him. Ever since Neji became a disciple under their master, he knew Neji had a fixation on him. As they grew older, and Neji began to hit puberty, Shukaku knew for sure it was an infatuation. He figured it out long before Neji was aware of it himself.

It was the first time he had seen a man attracted to another man, and blatantly so. He took an interest in playing with him. Neji's stubborn personality always giving in yet refusing him. Neji's dedicated loyalty, love, and innocence amused him, and Shukaku could not help but pull him in more and more.

Over the years, he had many lovers, before, during, and after Neji, but none were quite like him. None kept his attention or was deemed his property like Neji. "Isn't Neji-kun the cutest when he cries," his smile was almost childlike as he beamed at Sugo.

"Er, yes, master," Sugo replied uncomfortably.

Seeing his discomfort, Shukaku's grin widened. If he disagreed, Shukaku would have punished him. If he agreed too enthusiastically, he would have killed him. After all, only he was allowed to have Neji. If someone touched him without his permission or if they garnered any of Neji's attention, positive or negative, they must die.

"You answered well." Sugo knew the question was a setup. An unnecessary test really. Shukaku would have never sent someone who would dare covet his possession when their purpose was to keep Neji's attention on him. Sugo's position was largely unnecessary until that boy showed up. If Sugo had not alerted him and kept Neji in a confused state of mind, Shukaku would have been in a very bad mood. "Have you taken care of his guards?"

"I have sent them away using Hyuuga-san's name. They have gone back to town awaiting his orders."

"Very good." Shukaku placed his cup down, his mind working. Neji had done well in gathering strong people to his side. Uchiha Sasuke was terrifyingly strong in particular. Neji was always like that even in the past. He managed to make people stronger than himself follow him. It was always annoying. If he had not had enough foresight to keep Sugo at Neji's side early on, he would not have been able to mitigate the problem. The only other person the shadow guard would listen to that was not Neji directly, was Sugo, though even Sugo's influence would only work temporarily as their ultimate allegiance was to Neji. Sugo had exercised his right over them well, giving orders to them on Neji's behalf without deception or variations of Neji's orders for centuries, keeping both the shadow guards' trust and Neji's trust, just for a moment like this.

"I estimate two days before one of them comes to check on him. I should have him hooked again by then."

Sugo opened his mouth to speak but heard soft footsteps approaching. With a wave of Shukaku's hand, he dismissed the servant. Sugo quickly bowed and left through the back entrance just in time for Neji to open the door. His eyes were glazed over, not quite focusing on any particular thing.

"You're awake," Shukaku's expression easily morphed into a gentle one. "It's not even nightfall yet."

"Had a nightmare… and you weren't there," Neji replied, his voice wavered slightly at the end, showing his vulnerability. This was more of the Neji he remembered.

Shukaku extended his hand, offering it to him. Neji hesitated, but took the steps, slipping his hand in Shukaku's. "I have been rising with the sun for as long as I can remember. I often help the monks with their duties. I apologize for leaving you alone."

He pulled Neji onto his lap, his hand brushing against his temple under the guise of pushing back his hair. It seemed the negative feelings Shukaku had repressed had resurfaced in Neji's dreams. He suppressed them once more, pulling up the lingering feelings Neji had for him centuries ago to the forefront.

He kissed Neji's temple. Feeling his lips, Neji closed his eyes leaning further into his embrace. Hate stemmed from love. That was why he did not mind Neji hating him, but now, it was time to turn it back to love, so he could see Neji's beautiful crying face once again. With Neji's mate taken care of, it will be simple to have him once more.

Gaara followed the fox, urging the horse he had stolen forward as fast as he could. All he could think of was getting to Neji's side. Something did not feel right and over the days, the feeling grew worse. The need to be by his side took over his thoughts until he could no longer rest, forcing his horse past its limits and having to steal a new one.

Not that he wanted to rest. When he was forced to stop, either for physical needs for himself or the horse, and his mind had the chance to wander, he would focus on the facts he was trying to avoid. Neji may not be human. Haru was not, Haru said the story he told was based on him and Neji, and Neji had taken him to that place filled with angels and demons. He convinced himself the man named Seiryu was an angel, but he could not do the same for Neji. If he was not an angel, he was the other.

He put off the thought. Fortunately, it was easy to do. Whatever that drove him kept him focused because as he reached the last three days of his journey, something akin to dread grabbed hold of him. It was a sickly feeling, like clammy tentacles slithering across his body and slowly taking root and spreading. Sleep, which was already difficult to obtain due to worry, became impossible. He became antsy and impatient where he could barely remember to eat and rest. Something was wrong, it kept telling him. He needed to be at Neji's side. He needed his help. Due to this, the journey was difficult to make. Gaara had been up for three days, unable to sleep even when he had to stop for his horse to rest.

He had noticed throughout his journey that the fox could not be seen by others. No one ever spared the animal a glance whenever they passed, though they did look at Gaara with suspicion as he kept his face hidden. If Gaara could help it, he would avoid going through town directly, but Kyoto was a city he could not avoid. Gaara had to wait until nightfall to do so as there were too many people during the day.

His anxiety had reached its peak, his eyes being drawn to the mountain in the distance. He could hardly sit still so it manifested in other ways as his fingers were constantly moving or tapping something. His fatigue did not mitigate the pent-up feeling at all, just make his fidgeting worse. It was painful. This feeling. He had felt nothing like this before. He was not even sure Neji was even in danger, yet it felt more like a certainty than just a feeling.

He breathed in heavily, trying to suppress his nerves. Going in without a plan or direction would get him killed. The fox could not speak, but he knew Neji was on that mountain. He needed a plan before he proceeded. At the very least, he could not go charging in. If Neji was in trouble, reckless actions could make it worse.

Calm yourself, he chanted inwardly. Calm minds claim victories. He would find Neji. He had to believe that.

He breathed out slowly then he proceeded forward into town. He left the horse outside, proceeding on foot. He did not want to attract more attention than necessary. He avoided the nightlife district where he could hear the laughing and talking from drinking establishments and brothels from a distance. Thankfully it was cloudy, making it harder to get a good look at him as he traversed through the town.

He was relieved to see the edge of town. Things seemed to be going well. But why did Neji come to a place like this? Did he come out here to meet someone or had he been taken prisoner as he had?

He paused at the edge, thinking over what the best way to proceed was. Honestly, fighting in this type of environment was a disadvantage to him. He had never fought on mountainous terrain let alone one with this much foliage. The military camp talked about it briefly, but his Japanese was lacking too much to follow along well. There were principles to be mindful of when going into battle. Two major principles were intelligence and terrain. Gaara lacked intelligence of the situation and lacked knowledge and familiarity of the terrain. His physical and mental state was also poor after traveling so long as well. If he was leading an army, he would advise against proceeding.

But what could he do? He had no allies. He could not even approach and bribe someone to give him information when any foreigner stood out in this place. He would have to scout for information himself, but he did not know what he should be looking for or would be able to accurately identify if something was out of place. There was also the chance that Neji was not in trouble, and his presence here would just anger him.

Was he rushing into this, or was he contemplating too much?

Since Gaara had been at war for a long time, even deep in his thoughts he could recognize blood lust. The hatred someone has for you just before they killed you. It was rare for him to be caught off guard, and yet he felt a blade to his neck before he sensed the intent to kill as if the blade moved faster than its master's intentions.

"State your business here," a low threatening voice said barely above a whisper. Whoever it was did not want to draw attention to them.

Gaara did not panic. Rather, he felt some respect for the man who had managed to get behind him and take him off guard. But Gaara did not know how he should respond. If he spoke, his foreigner status would be evident and he could be killed, but if he chose to fight, he would be unable to draw his weapon without this man moving first and killing him.

Perhaps if he exposed his identity, he would be arrested first. At the very least it may delay him long enough that Gaara might find an opening. "Neji—" the blade pressed harder against his neck.

"You dare say my master's name so rudely?"

Master? Seeing the glimmer of hope, Gaara reached for it. "I am Gaara. Neji's guest."

Gaara's shoulder was yanked hard, turning him around, the sword's tip tilting the hat he had used to keep his face hidden. Quickly the sword moved away from his body, the person getting onto a knee, bowing his head. "My apologies young master. I did not expect to see you in a place like this."

So it was one of Neji's men after all. That was a relief. He tilted his hat up further to get a better look, recognizing the guard. "Uchiha-san?" He had not recognized the guard's voice. Honestly, his entire demeanor had changed. Gaara had only seen him when Naruto had been with him and during those times, he had never spoken to Gaara or interacted with him despite being in the same room. Rather, the impression Gaara had received was that Uchiha looked down on him. He spoke to Naruto with little restraint, his words and tone harsh, while ignoring Gaara's presence. Seeing this type of respect from him was strange.

"Where is Neji? Is he okay?"

The guard glanced up, allowing Gaara to see there was still some of that rebellious nature in his eyes. "Is there reason to believe that the master is in danger?" he asked.

Was he not? Gaara fell silent, not wanting to divulge more information than necessary.

"If there is a reason you believe he is in danger, young master, please speak."

Gaara studied him. The guard seemed resolute, waiting. It did not appear that he thought Gaara was planning something or warning him of impending danger. Rather, the guard seemed to be hoping Gaara had information for him. His heart skipped a beat, and the dread returned. "You do not know where he is?"

"We were sent away on his orders by his head servant, but he has not contacted us for over two days. We were told to stand down until he calls us, but he has never sent his guards away from his side for so long. If you have reason to believe he is in danger, please inform me."

"That person, Tobi, wanted to kill me. He cut Haru-san in half and began a fire. I worried Neji was in danger."

The guard's eyes narrowed with anger, and for a brief second, Gaara felt a primal fear. His eyes were dark as obsidian that was cutting right through Gaara. Wait, wasn't his eyes silver, like Neji's?

"I apologize. The Uchiha family will take full responsibility for his actions. I will take you to safety."

"No. This fox will show me to Neji. I will find him," Gaara proclaimed.

The guard's eye twitched as if he did not want to put up with Gaara and was struggling to refrain from saying something discourteous. "Young Master, the master has made it clear your safety is always a priority. I cannot allow you to go into a dangerous situation."

"I was already in danger by your trusted person," Gaara responded.

Unable to argue, Sasuke sighed unable to hold back his abrasive personality any longer. He stood, considering Gaara carefully. "Your opponent is not human."

"Neither was Tobi."

The was a brief moment of surprise in his face, but the guard did not argue or question it either. "Very well. Stay behind me and do what I say if you wish to come."

Gaara nodded, watching as Sasuke sent off a message to his comrades using a black bird that seemingly was summoned out of nowhere. "Shall we proceed?" The moment Gaara agreed, Sasuke picked him up in his arms. "Forgive my rudeness, but it is faster this way." He did not sound apologetic in the least.

Sasuke was right though. It was faster. Sasuke darted into the forest in a sprint, carrying Gaara like he weighed nothing at all. Gaara had to hold onto the guard's neck to keep from falling. Since Sasuke was carrying him up the mountain, his mind began to wander again. This man must have been similar to what Neji was. His eyes had been silver like Neji's, and he was faster and stronger like Neji had been at night. He would probably weaken with the rise of the sun as well.

Out of all the questions he could have asked Sasuke, there was only one that seemed to bother him. "Why are your eyes different? It is not silver." He whispered the question. Besides needing to keep quiet as they approached the enemy, his face was near Sasuke's ear as he had wrapped his arms around the guard's neck to hold on.

The answer that followed did not come immediately. Gaara glanced at Sasuke's face to try to discern what he was thinking. "Did master not explain anything to you?" he asked carefully.

"…No." He knew very little about Neji. It was funny. Gaara knew his smaller habits. Neji's tendency to hide behind his work, his preference for certain foods, his need to appear a certain way in front of his subordinates, and how fragile he often seemed as if he was always swaying precariously on the ledge of a cliff on the verge of having all the power or falling apart. Gaara had been on that cliff. It was how he recognized it so well in Neji.

But he knew little else of Neji. Not what he did or even what he was. He knew nothing of his history or his thoughts. They comforted each other but knew nothing of each other. Why was he risking so much for a man he barely knew who may walk with the devil himself?

"If master has not told you then all I can say is that they will only be of that color when Uzumaki is beside me just as master's eyes will only be of that color when you are beside him."

Gaara contemplated that piece of information, wondering what it meant. Neji's eyes had always been silver from the very moment Gaara had laid eyes on him. They were eyes that had always drawn him. They were beautiful and mesmerizing. "And when I'm not next to him, what are they?"

"… Lavender."

Lavender. Something so simple that he never knew about Neji. He held it preciously in his heart. If Neji would allow it in the future, he wanted to ask many things over a long period of time and learn all the secrets Neji had from his lips.

He almost laughed. It seemed even Neji not being human barely slowed his feelings or actions, treated as a small bump or nick that could be ignored. If Neji fit outside his beliefs, he would just have to adjust them so that Neji had a place within them peacefully.

Gaara did not say another word, knowing now was not the time to ask fruitless questions. Kyoto had been a large city and walking through it had taken most of the night. It would be sunrise soon, giving Gaara the perfect opportunity to strike. Hopefully, Neji was uninjured enough and aware enough to escape with him.

As they approached the destination where Neji and his guard split up before, Sasuke placed Gaara down, coinciding with sunrise. As Gaara predicted, as the sun started to become visible, Sasuke began to slow. Gaara had no problem with walking, but there was something weird. There was no resistance. Had he been mistaken?

Having brought them to their destination, the fox disappeared leaving them to their own devices. They looked around, approaching as quietly as they could, checking for any guards, but besides the temple and a few monks, there seemed to be nothing suspicious.

"The fox brought us here. The master must be in the inner temple."

"We should enter without being seen. The quiet may not be true."

Sasuke quietly agreed.

Now that he was standing at their destination, the pull was stronger than ever. Things were quiet and appeared so why was the feeling growing worse?

"Follow close behind me, young master," Sasuke said.

Gaara did as instructed. They went around the temple, staying on the outer perimeter. Not a single guard. In fact, the only person they saw was a person standing outside the living quarters. Sasuke drew his sword, his peaceful expression becoming serious.

The man looked at their location, giving a friendly smile and bowing his head a little in greeting. He knew they were there.

"Stay here," Sasuke instructed before revealing himself to the man. "Where is Hyuuga-sama?"

"It is rude not to introduce yourself before demanding something," the man gently chided. "But there is nothing to fear. Your master is safe. He is currently resting. Did he not tell you to go back?"

"Then it will not trouble you to allow me to see him to ensure his health with my own eyes," Sasuke said.

"I would be happy to show you," his eyes darted behind Sasuke to where Gaara was hiding. "But I doubt your intentions. For you to defy Neji-kun's orders and to follow the orders of another, how can I trust you?"

Sasuke raised his blade. "I can kill you and verify his safety for myself if you do not wish to speak. I do not have time to waste on fools."

The man was not worried. He ignored Sasuke, instead looking in Gaara's direction. "I heard you were leaving the country. Gaara, right?"

It seemed staying hidden was pointless. He stepped out of the bushed, regarding the man carefully and staying close to Sasuke. The man looked peaceful and harmless, and yet, Gaara felt afraid of him. He was not even afraid of Tobi, yet this man's presence brought back the cold slimy feeling, full of dread and anxiety.

"So we finally meet. I've heard much about you." The words, while pleasant did not come across that way. The tone and inflection were fine, friendly and warm, but those silver eyes looked anything but. It was reminiscent of Gaara's political rivals and enemies who all wished for his death. What had he done for this man to hate him so much?

Sasuke had enough. He had given his warning; this man refused to heed it. The guard moved in, his movements greatly slowed compared to earlier, but much faster than Neji had ever moved during the day. It was well beyond human abilities.

His sword swung, aiming for a swift decapitation without hesitation. The man did not bother to move or defend himself. There was no fear or surprise either. That irritating confident smile remained on his face.

"Stop." The nonchalant command came from the living quarters.

The command was not even said loudly. No louder than if it were two people talking in a quiet room talking about mundane things. The blade stopped instantly, a finger width away from connecting with flesh.

Gaara's eyes immediately drew to Neji. The moment he heard his voice, everything else just faded. Neji was okay, was his first thought, relief flooding through him. But the longer he stared, the more the situation sunk in, his heart sinking in response.

Neji seemed more than well. He wore a thin white yukata that was barely on his body, off one shoulder and the front wide open. All across his skin, from his neck down to his navel, was littered with small superficial bruises. His tousled hair and sleepy expression made it seem like he was just getting out of bed.

Gaara could not help looking over the bruises, feeling nauseated. He was worried for nothing. He was here with some woman enjoying himself, not thinking of Gaara at all.

"Why are you here, Uchiha-san?" Neji asked with only a slight intonation of his voice, one of disapproval.

"This man is the enemy."

"That does not answer what I asked." Neji stepped down the stairs. "I did not call for you."

Sasuke did not lower his sword, trying to hide the conflict from his face though his blade remained steady. "Master you have chased this man for centuries. Why let him live any longer?" he tried again.

"Uchiha," the chilling timbre of his voice made the guard relent, lowering and sheathing his sword

Uchiha bowed, his jaw clenched when he replied with, "My apologies master for my presumption."

"Do not be angry with him, Neji-kun, he was just worried about you," Shukaku walked over to Neji, standing behind him and placing his hands on Neji's shoulders. "I thought you would be resting after such a long night." Leaning down, he kissed Neji's temple, causing Neji to look off to the side, his cheeks dusted pink.

"I apologize for his behavior brother," he murmured. "I will make it up to you."

The man chuckled. "You are just too kind, Neji-kun. If a master disciplines well, they will not think of disobeying and betraying their master. Right?"

Neji nodded solemnly. Sasuke's grip on his sword's hilt tightened, unable to say anything about the scene before him

Something was not right. When Neji first entered, his eyes were brown, but as he stepped closer, they had turned silver, but not molten silver as they had once been. Something about them seemed dead, like a part of his soul was missing.

"You are right," Neji agreed. "He should be punished."

Shukaku smiled, his lips still against Neji's temple. "If he's so eager to protect you, why do we not give him something to fight. There are plenty of yokai on the mountain."

"If that's what you would like, brother."

Shukaku beamed. "Well then." He let out an ear-piercing whistle, making Gaara instinctively reach to cover his ears.

A gust of wind picked up, shadows passing overhead just for something descended from the sky, swooping in. The next thing Gaara saw was Sasuke blocking the blade from two creatures, one with a sword and one with a shinai. The creatures, dressed as warrior monks, were humanoid birds. Their skin was covered in oily black feathers with the faces of crows and dark wings protruding from their backs. One held a monk's staff and the other a spear.

"I hope you do not mind entertaining my honored guests. These tengu have come all the way from Mt. Kurama and have been wishing for a challenge. I told them I would provide one for them." Shukaku said.

Sasuke glanced at Neji, looking for any sign that he disapproved, but his master stayed silent.

Gaara had heard of these creatures before thanks to Haru's and Naruto's education. Shintoism thought of them as gods while Buddhism called them disruptive demons and harbingers of war. There were stories of them doing both good and evil. The most famous tengu in the stories being Soujoubou of Mt. Kurama who taught humans swordsmanship, tactics, and qi techniques.

The stories seemed to have merit when a third tengu slid out from the shadows, aiming for Sasuke. The guard barely was able to avoid the attack, jumping out of the way at the last minute, nicking his side. The three tengu were fast, quickly forcing Sasuke to lose ground and go further away from Neji.

"Ah, he was able to dodge it during the day? To have such an impressive person as his subordinate, I would not expect anything less of you, Neji-kun."

"It was not much," Neji replied bashfully, rebuking the praise.

"You are right. If you could not do this much, Master would not have taken you in." The words were a compliment, but to Gaara, they did not sound like it.

Finally, the man put his attention back to Gaara, his polite smile growing tight. "It seems that you have one more guest, Neji-kun. What should we do with him?" The man wrapped his arms around Neji's waist possessively, keeping eye contact with Gaara as he put his lips to Neji's neck, biting playfully.

Neji's ears turned red at the man's touch. "Guest?"

"No." The man's eyes turned from playful to filled with bloodlust in a heartbeat. "Just someone else who thinks they can take my possession, not knowing his place." He sucked on Neji's neck, his hand slipping into his yukata, thumb brushing over his nipple and down his body.

"B-brother, not here." Neji tripped over his words, groaning a little when the man bit down playfully.

"Why are you here, child?" Shukaku asked, licking at the wound he caused on Neji's neck.

Gaara just stared as it dawned on him that it was not a woman who caused those bruises, but this man. Neji had been laying with a man.

"Did you think you could win his heart? Gain his attention and affection? You do not know him like I do. I have kept his entire attention on me for over 300 years. I was all he could ever think of. His love, his hatred, his jealousy, his loyalty, they were all mine."

He pulled open Neji's clothes a little more. "Of course, sometimes people like you try to take him away from me. I took care of that person of course and punished my little Neji-kun for even consider looking away." He kissed Neji's cheek.

"Brother," Neji stopped Shukaku's hand before it went past the obi. "Please."

Why did his voice sound so fragile and vulnerable? This wasn't the Neji he knew. He would not standby and let someone have so much power over him.

"My punishment worked. His eyes never wandered to another man again. Until you came along," he sighed dramatically, resting his chin on Neji's shoulder. "You were supposed to be a way to slip in another spy and be a nice meal for him, but you unexpectedly caught his eye."

"What did you do to him?" Gaara asked. It was hard to watch that man touch his Neji. After Neji had rejected him fiercely for being a man, he let this man continue to touch him inappropriately without any shame.

"I did nothing. Neji has always been like this around me. We were even lovers once. I know every little thing about him, but I suppose you would not know such things. How he craves love and attention. You could never provide what he needs."

Gaara's stomach squirmed watching them. This man saw Neji as nothing but a possession to keep and to hold. Sickly similar to how most men viewed their women. Every touch that man made in front of him made his blood boil. Seeing Neji allowing it made his chest constrict. He hated it. But worst of all, he was scared. Scared that this man, who obviously wanted to destroy and use the man Gaara loved, would succeed.

"He needs someone better than you… even if its not me," Gaara drew his sword. "Release him."

"I am not holding onto him." He released Neji, lifting his hands in the air. "He may leave if he wants to."

"Do not sleep talk while you are awake, brother." Neji gently scolded, turning to Shukaku grabbing the edge of his sleeve. "I will not leave your side. Not again."

Shukaku smiled, kissing Neji's forehead. "Will you take care of this unwanted guest for me?"

Neji nodded, taking the sword Shukaku had on his hip. "You have not sept well these days. You should go rest."

"And who is to blame for my lack of sleep," Shukaku said warmly, though his eyes were still focused on Gaara. "Be quick about it."

"Of course. I will be back."

While looking at Shukaku, Neji's' eyes temporarily turned brown, but a step towards Gaara as he drew his sword turned silver again. Sasuke's words from earlier came to mind. Only he could affect Neji's eye color. What did that mean?

"Neji. You want to hurt me?" Gaara asked, taking his step away.

"Do not call me so familiarly," he said, charging forward.

Gaara drew his sword blocking the attack. Even during the day, Neji's attacks were powerful, but manageable. Taking direct hits still made his hands go numb, but he was able to dodge his attacks, their months of sparring against one another ingrained into his body. That was why he knew Neji was serious. His attacks held no hesitation. Neji was trying to kill him.

"Neji, it is me. Do you not recognize me?" Gaara asked parrying a blow and kicking Neji in the stomach, putting space between them.

"You have disrespected Shukaku-san, I cannot allow that." Neji dodged Gaara's next kick, and hit his hand, making Gaara drop his weapon. He ducked, pulling out a small blade. He had an opening. Neji's blade was above him, Neji's abdomen was exposed. He could attack and slice open the stomach. His body moved before he thought, years of training engrained into his body, but an alarm went off in his head, pausing his movements and allowing Neji to avoid getting injured.

Gaara was forced to back off with Neji's counterattack and he was back on the defensive. He knew from their sessions that Neji would never tire. Even during the day, he could go for hours. The longer the fight dragged, the more trouble he would be in. Another problem was that Gaara could not attack him. He did not want to. Every time his body's instincts took over where he could counter and draw Neji's blood, something inside him screamed, he grew weak, and he hesitated.

Seeing him up close, he knew for certain Neji was not right. His skin was paler than usual and the look in his eyes was not right. Neji would never look at him like that.

Gaara put distance between them, breathing heavily. Neji grounded his stance readying for another attack. This was not supposed to happen. He was supposed to protect Neji, not fight him.

"I do not want to fight Neji." Gaara dropped his blade. "This is not Neji. My Neji is quiet, but he is patient and kind. He would never allow people to hurt for no reason. My Neji tries to be a leader. One who is respected even if it is difficult for him. My Neji is prideful, and he is lonely, but he would never do this."

Neji attacked, but Gaara did not move. The blade nicked Gaara's cheek, drawing blood. Neji's eyes immediately fixated on it. It was an odd time for Gaara to figure it out. Haru's story, the woman who had gone to Neji when he was weakening. His skin was pale now. Perhaps this was all he could do for him.

Gaara took his small blade, cutting into his forearm just above the wrist. He dropped the weapon and offered his freshly bleeding wound to Neji. "If you want blood. Have all of mine. If it will make Neji happy. Just be Neji again."

Neji grabbed the offered wrist, pulling Gaara closer, moving the blade from his cheek to his neck, pressing it into Gaara's skin. Gaara did not resist him.

Neji's silver eyes stared into his, as his tongue darted out, his tongue slowly going over the wound, coating the muscle with blood.

So Neji really did drink blood. It was a relief in a way, having proof for sure that what he suspected was true. His beautiful eyes that always made his heart flutter and stop finally truly looking at him once more, even if it was predatory. A low growl came from Neji, his teeth sinking lightly into the wound. Neji ran his tongue over once more sensually. "Gaara," his low voice whispered, sending a shiver of pleasure down his spine.

"Neji?" From a brief moment, he thought he saw the spark in Neji's eyes back. The familiar warmth and gentleness back. It didn't last.

A searing pain spread throughout his abdomen. Neji had stabbed him.