Chapter 4

Neji Talks About Fate

"What are you talking about? There were EIGHT birds in the tree..." Lee questioned, puzzled.

"That blind spot again..." Neji muttered to himself distantly.

"You guys are being rather loud." Neji said, snapping back to reality.
Tenten had known the 'you guys are being rather loud' line was coming. She could've recited it in her head by now...everyone that had appeared had said the exact same thing.

Lee's face flushed. Hearing it from Neji was the last thing he wanted. He didn't like hearing it from the others either but Neji was one of his worst rivals having believed he couldn't become a great shinobi without the use of chakra.

"So what ARE you guys up to?" Neji asked suspiciously.

Tenten sighed. "Just helping Lee get a date with Sakura by assisting him in, completely changing his look." Tenten said quickly. She knew that Neji wouldn't approve of such things.
Neji merely smirked. "Sakura doesn't want to go out with Lee because it isn't meant to happen. It's fate. I've said it from the very start. Some people are born one way and some another. They were planned to be like that and their life was already planned out for them when they came into this world..."

"What are you blabbing about?" Ino exclaimed. Most had already forgotten her presence. "And stop leaving me out of this conversation! Besides, didn't Naruto beat you in the Chuunin exam? I thought you had given up on your 'fate' theory."

"Fate meant it that I would not give up on fate even after it proved me wrong." replied Neji triumphantly. "And we're not leaving you out; you just don't understand it enough to have anything to say." Neji smirked.

Tenten raised one eyebrow out of obvious confusion. Well I don't understand it any better than her, and I think I'd do better if I were left OUT of this conversation. Tenten thought.

Ino seemed extremely flustered by what Neji had said. It didn't just didn't make sense...not to her anyways. When it reached her brain it just sounded like blablablablabla. But having to hear what Neji said, she wasn't quite sure Neji quite understood what he said.

Neji continued talking.

"But perhaps this is an act of fate which will help you realise that I am, indeed, right."

"What do YOU know?" Ino snapped. "It's not like you have ever gotten a date with anybody. It's not like fate decides EVERYTHING! I should know. I'm a girl."

Neji seemed slightly taken aback. "I don't have time to think about girls...especially ones like you. One more thing, it's not like you've been getting fan letters from Sasuke asking you to go out to dinner. Again, this is fate." He replied slyly.

Then he turned on his heel and walked away, Ino balling a fist at him, a vein throbbing in her temple. When she had done this in the Chuunin exam, he had challenged her and her teammates Shikamaru and Chouji to a fight. This time he merely walked away with a smirk on his face.

There was a short silence. "Lee, he doesn't know everything, Sakura could say yes next time." said Tenten.
Tenten looked over at Lee. But as she did, she realised that he did not look at all crestfallen, or as if his determination to keep promises was dented. In fact, at that moment, the fire in Lee's eyes seemed to burn brighter than ever.

Tenten turned and looked over at Lee. But as she did, she realised that he did not look at all crestfallen, or as if his determination to keep promises was dented. In fact, at that moment, the fire in Lee's eyes seemed to burn brighter than ever.