Title: Eyes Like Mine

Summary: Hyuuga Neji is fifteen years old and heir of Hyuuga Corporation. His life was all about training to manage the company until a chance encounter with a girl sets him on an investigation to find out why she has the same eyes as him and his family…

Couples: NejiHinaNaru ShikaIno KakaSakuSasu

Notes: Can somebody tell me how to do multiple spacing? Every time I do it on QuickEdit, it keeps bouncing back to single space and makes everything look cramped…

And yes, I got desperate. In a search for something for Neji to be good at (since this is an A/U, ninja don't exist), I resorted to the sport of basketball. However, there will only be few references to it. I do not want this fic to spawn into a Slam Dunk clone after all.

kouhai-lowerclassmen

Chapter I

A year. A whole year.

"Neji, want to have a look of the 1st years? Lee-kun's checking one of them out." Her finger curves towards their friend's direction –he's trying hard to attract a pink-haired girl's attention but she only ignores him. TenTen giggles at the sight, but Neji is not amused.

"He's a fool. Come, we're going to class." A sigh, then she follows him to the school.

It's been a year. The last time he saw her.

There are questions he wants answered. Who is she? Her eyes…Why?

TenTen tugs on his arm, drags him to the crowd gathering outside their classroom. Their classmates from the last year are all here, save a few that moved or transferred. Neji has never liked these people but that doesn't TenTen from sticking him into the middle of the large congregation.

"Ne, Hyuuga-kun, what do you think of your new competition for the title of basketball prodigy?"

Stares. As if they expect him to care.

"His name's Uchiha Sasuke. He's popular with the girls, too. What are you going to do?"

"Yeah, Hyuuga, can't let a first-year get better than you."

The bell for class rings. And when the boys and girls turn to go into the classroom, Neji is already in his seat.

He hates socializing. Hates the mundane things that come out of his classmates' mouths and the eyes that expect him to give a damn. There are better things to life than whom and who were going out this week or which latest teacher got into an affair with the janitor's sister. Much better things.

There is the girl with the pale translucent eyes. Every single day ever since then, he has been looking for her. Around the street where he first saw her, around Konoha Intermediate, even around the whole city…

"-Now, I expect you to guide your lowerclassmen responsibly. We want them to feel welcome here. So, no bullying or anything of that kind."

Strips of paper being passed around. Neji picks his up and reads off what's on it. Orimoto Hinata...

Sigh. Seniority is not always a privilege. The task of orienting the first-years lies with the second-years and he is not in the mood for this. TenTen taps him on the shoulder, shows him her strip. Nara Shikamaru.

"Hope he's nice! Who do you have, Neji-kun? Orimoto Hinata...Not fair, you have a girl!"

"-The lower classmen's room number is listed below the name. Instead of going to your classes next period, go to these rooms to pick up your kouhai. The orientation will take place for the remainder of today. Now that we got that over with, it's time for class to begin." Formulas and equations are written on the board, cursive and print all melding together into one.

He takes out his notebook and pencil and copies the problems down. There is nothing he can do about the orientation and besides, work is paramount over everything else.

That is the first lesson Hyuuga Hiashi taught him.

When Neji walks in the room where his kouhai is in, he notices people all crowding around one boy.

Shaggy black hair. Eyes and face devoid of emotion. And the name tag that all lowerclassmen are required to wear says Uchiha Sasuke

Neji's classmates are right when it comes to this boy's popularity with the female population. All the girls are fawning over him, thrusting gifts and letters of love at him. Pathetic.

But there is one that sits apart from all the others. She is bowed low in her seat, head following a blond who is having fun yelling immature barbs at Sasuke. Blue-black hair, pale skin…

Thoughts are flashing through his head. But when she turns her head to his direction, turns it ever so slowly so as not to be caught staring by the blond, he sees the eyes.

It's her. And her tag says Orimoto Hinata, like the strip of paper he got from the teacher.

He can not move. Can only stare at the girl before him as she smiles at the antics of the boy whose name tag Neji sees says Uzumaki Naruto.

But he can not stand here forever, can he? He can not gape forever at a girl who he has been trying to find for over a year, only to have her magically appear at the very school he is attending. That is not Neji.

So he regains his composure and walks over.

She looks up at him with shy, imploring eyes; eyes that he now discovers are gentler and grayer than his. Her forefingers tap together and she mumbles, "A-Are you…"

A nod. "I'm your upperclassman guide. Hyuuga Neji."

"O-Okay, Hyuuga-niisan…" She's shy and deferential in his presence.

"Let's go." The girl gets up nervously from her chair and follows him out the door.

Orimoto Hinata…But why does she look so much like a Hyuuga?

"All first-years' classes take place on the third floor. The north wing is where you will find the infirmary and the Dean's office. The rest of the wings are where all the regular classes are." He looks at Hinata. She's staring at the rooms they are passing by, trying to peer into some of them inconspicuously.

He wants answers. Why is it that they share the same eyes? Why does she appear in his life like she must? But Neji can not ask them just yet. He must wait and get familiar with the girl, then ask. It is a good approach.

Other pairs of second-year and first-years walk by them, some pointing at their surroundings in awe and some busy chatting to each other. But nevertheless, their eyes always settle on them.

"Hey, I thought Hyuuga-san only has a sister named Hanabi! Guess he has another one his age."

"Baka, look at her tag, the family name's Orimoto! But they do look alike…"

Neji hears their whispers, tries to ignore them. But Hinata is chewing on her lower lip and stops walking.

"A-Ano…Do we really r-resemble each other so m-much? I'm sorry that they're t-talking about us…"

He doesn't know why she thinks a lot of things to be her fault. Two times, she has apologized for staying too long in front of a bulletin board and for accidentally tripping on the way up the stairs. Her meekness is unusual.

"It's all right. Don't listen to them."

"…I-I won't."

Their footsteps continue. It is an odd feeling to be around a girl for so long and not be annoyed. He tires easily of TenTen and her prattle. And Hanabi cares only about school and books. But Hinata…

The bell rings for the lunch period. There is a clamor for the nearest staircase and then they are the only ones left.

"Lunch starts now, Orimoto-san."

"S-So it does…"

And both go to the staircase that everybody else has just gone through.

A/N: This chapter was extremely hard to write. Number one: ever try to keep Neji in character? Let's just say it was very, very hard. Number two: fixing the writing until everything is grammatically correct. And number three: writing up the Neji/Hina scene. For now, everything is going slow but that's how romance goes. Please review!!!

.:ShinakaStar:.