Hey all…hmm, well, I had originally written this to be a 10-chapter story, but now I've decided to seek reviewer input. Do you think I should wrap it up in four more chapters, or should it continue on past 10?

Notice: blahblahblahyaoiblahblahblah…you know by now.

Disclaimer:snort of disgust: which translates to "Naruto would be better is Neji was the object of everyone's affections…including Sasuke's" which further translates to "not mine."

Sherlockian Slytherin: Hmm, "tag" back and forth? In a very twisted, "I-really-need-to-stop-tormenting-the-characters" kind of way.

Kawaii Kitsune-kun: Er…not quite yet. But I guarantee…the sexiness never ends.

Sylver Rain: Neji's in pain because he basically admitted to Sasuke he loved him…and got burned. He's not too happy right now. As for plot, well, plot is a by-product of my overactive (somewhat mischievous) imagination in this fic. This particular plot device occurred because I said, "Hmm, now, it'd be really interesting if they had to share a room right now."

Bleh, chapter 5 was not one of my favorites…so let's see if Chapter 6 can redeem itself.

Chapter 6- "Twilight Falls"

The next evening, Sasuke and Neji were laying flat on a roof in the center of Hidden Mist. The two shinobi watched a small house on the corner of a street, one with only one light on in the upper room. The house had been admitting visitors one at a time for the past few hours. Neji and Sasuke had seen all of them.

"Who is in there now?" Sasuke demanded.

Neji's head didn't move, his Byakugan still fastened on the house, "It's Kanawa Yoshitsu...special jounin to the Mizukage."

Sasuke's face turned grim, "If the missing nin is meeting with the Mizukage, he might be seeking asylum in Hidden Mist."

Neji nodded, "Najino Hasabu was one of our best Anbu. He knows he'd be valuable to a rival Hidden Village."

"He can't expect to survive Konoha hunter nin for long."

"He thinks by joining with the Mizukage, he can."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, "We mustn't let him then."

Neji turned his head towards Sasuke, "We'll call it a night then. Tomorrow we'll plan our attack strategy."

Sasuke turned towards the Hyuuga to answer and found himself frozen. The moon hung low, as it was nearing daybreak. It rested just above Neji's crown of black hair. With the Byakugan active, Neji's eyes were pulsating with white light. They look just like twin moons, Sasuke thought to himself. With his face framed by the pale moonlight, Neji truly looked beautiful. Did I just call Neji beautiful? Sasuke realized it was the first time he had allowed himself to think that without flinching. Maybe I'm not as indifferent as I said.

"Sasuke?" Neji asked, his voice flat.

Sasuke felt a pang of guilt; Neji's voice was always flat with him now.

"Hn. Let's go."

The Hyuuga nodded, letting the Byakugan dissipate. The two shinobi leapt from the rooftops to the darkened streets, heading for their own house in the southwest part of town. As had characterized their interaction since Neji's declaration, they were silent...avoiding all unnecessary conversation. Sasuke maintained his cold, indifferent exterior, trying to at least seem as upset with the other boy as he had been. Neji was just...quiet. Having been rejected so thoroughly, the Hyuuga was not going to be bringing that subject up again. Not that I want him to, Sasuke tried to assure himself.Both prodigies walked the dark streets of Hidden Mist, refusing to admit what was really going on in their heads...

"You both have been gone a really, really long time!" Naruto said, accusingly as they walked into the room.

"Najino had a lot of visitors tonight," Sasuke told Kakashi, ignoring the blond.

Neji gave Naruto a faint smile, "We had to stay later than expected."

Naruto pouted, "Kakashi-sensei made me wait dinner for you. Come on, I'm starved!"

Neji smiled again, "Very well, Naruto. We'll eat."

Naruto gave a loud cheer (drawing some unpleasant remarks from neighbors) and dragged Neji into the kitchen.

"Oi, Sasuke-teme. Your food's in here too," he called back, dismissing the Uchiha.

Sasuke grunted. He and the blond had worked out their relationship; it was easier just to ignore each other...and in an odd way, it made them friends. As he stepped into the kitchen, he saw Naruto talking excitedly with Neji about some variation of ramen...beef, most likely. The Hyuuga was standing there, half-smiling. Smiling. It was the first time Sasuke had seen him smile since...and he was smiling at Naruto. Sasuke suddenly felt squeezed into clothes much too small for him. He shook his head minutely; he was reading too much into it. It was good for Neji to be regaining his spirits. Right.

Sasuke grabbed his bowl of rice and beef from the counter and began to load the food into his mouth with chopsticks. He tried to ignore Naruto's chatter, but some of it kept bleeding through his barrier.

"You've never had beef ramen?"Naruto gasped, as if Neji has said he was Orochimaru reincarnated.

Neji shook his head, "Iie. Ramen is not served often in the Hyuuga House."

Naruto shook his head violently, "That's just wrong. Here, try this."

Naruto loaded a chunk of beef and ramen noodles on his chopsticks and held them impatiently in front of Neji's mouth. Neji opened his mouth slowly, and Naruto popped his chopsticks in.

"There. Isn't it good?" Naruto beamed.

Neji smiled and swallowed. The blond grinned happily, as though he had just accomplished something great. Naruto used his chopsticks to pick off a bit of noodle hanging from Neji's chin. If either of them had looked, they would have seen two very white Uchiha hands gripping chopsticks.

Morning came sooner than any shinobi wanted. Sasuke growled in protest against the harsh daylight that burst through the window. Rolling over to avoid the spears assailing his tightly shut eyelids, he was not prepared for the blond whirlwind that flew through the door.

"RISE AND SHINE, NEJI-KUN!" Naruto thundered, practically lifting the roof off. "Oh, you too, Sasuke-teme."

Sasuke peered out from under slitted eyes, "What time is it, dobe?"

"Hmph, I'm not telling you. Kakashi-sensei says to get up, so move," the blond said, crouching on the floor.

Before Sasuke had a chance to demand what in Konoha he was doing, the blond shifted his weight and catapulted onto Neji's bed, "Gotcha, Neji-kun!"

The still form in bed simply squished under Naruto's weight. Sasuke turned his face back to the wall.

"Che?"

Sasuke heard the door creak, suggesting Neji had entered, "I'm already up, Naruto."

"Aw, damn. I wanted to pounce on you," the blond pouted.

There was a bit of silence, then a rustling sound: Neji must have ruffled Naruto's hair. Naruto suddenly whistled.

"Damn, Neji. I thought Jyuken didn't require muscles."

With that statement, Sasuke's eyes flew wide open. Rolling back over, he had cause to choke. Neji was standing in the room, with a towel wrapped around his waist. The Hyuuga waist-length black hair was still dripping wet from the shower, plastering itself over his tanned skin. The boy's highly-defined muscles just rippled as he laughed briefly at Naruto's comment. Sasuke's face went red, and he struggled to keep from looking like he was looking. Damn. He is gorgeous.

"Everything about Jyuken requires muscles, Naruto."

Naruto whistled again, "You look strong enough to use Tekken. Why don't you?"

Neji shrugged slightly, "I prefer Jyuken. I'm Hyuuga."

Sasuke sat up, desperately trying to regain control of the hot feeling in his chest, "I'm going to shower."

"Yeah, but I beat you, remember?" Naruto answered Neji, ignoring Sasuke.

Both shinobi just ignored him as they walked down the front stairs towards the kitchen, most likely for breakfast. Sasuke shrugged, Good, now maybe they'll both leave me alone. Oddly enough, the prospect of that was enough to remove the warm feeling.The cool it left behind was not comfortable at all.

"Was that Kanawa who just went back in?" Naruto whispered to Neji.

The Hyuuga nodded, "That's the second time this morning."

Sasuke muttered, "He must be the courier."

Naruto shrugged, "So let's knock him off and take Najino in."

Neji grabbed the blond's arm as he stood, "I'd prefer not to take on a Leaf missing nin while there is a Mist special jounin with him."

Naruto snorted, "Come on, what kinds of prodigies are you two?"

Sasuke grunted, "Smart ones, dobe."

Naruto glared at Sasuke, "Fine. You can be just be by yourself. Neji and I will take them. Right, Neji-kun?"

Neji lifted an eyebrow, "Iie, Naruto. It's too soon. It would be best if the Mist did not know hunter nin had gotten Najino."

"Why?"

"Because then they know that we know that they know Najino, dobe," Sasuke said.

Naruto scratched his head, "Wait...they know that we...aw, damn it, let's just attack them!"

Neji shook his head in amusement in unision with Sasuke, who stopped as soon as he realized it. Neji and I are alike in many ways.

"Not yet, Naruto. Soon though," Neji assured him.

Naruto pouted, "Fine. As long as we get to fight him sometime."

Sasuke motioned to the door, "He's leaving again."

Neji looked down, "I'll follow him. We should find out whether he's really doing this for the Mizukage."

Sasuke shook his head, "No, I'll go. You stay and watch Najino's house."

Naruto jumped up, "I'll stay here with Neji-kun."

Sasuke shrugged, "Fine."

Sasuke leapt softly to the ground, moving slowly through the winding streets of Hidden Mist. He was barely able to keep Kanawa in his sight, as the more advanced shinobi used loops and backtracks to evade followiers. Sasuke lost and picked him up again over a half dozen times. When the special jounin finally stopped, it was indeed at the Mizukage's tower. As Sasuke turned to leave, something else caught his eye. What in... As he crept closer, he clearly saw the engraved headband stuffed in one shinobi's pocket. Hidden Grass as well? What is going on here? Creeping away softly, he made his way back to the house.

Upon entering the house, he was suddenly struck by the utter silence. Feeling a bit of unease over the unusual quiet, he drew his kunai and crept through the rooms. The kitchen was empty, except for a few instant ramen cartons Naruto had had for a snack. The dusty, moldering living room was still dusty and moldering, meaning no one had been in since the morning. Climbing upstairs, Sasuke poked his head in Kakashi and Naruto's room. Nothing, except for the corner of an Icha Icha Paradise book peeking out from under Kakashi's pillow. Nothing on Naruto's bed either, and nothing messier than usual to suggest a struggle or anything. Sasuke entered his own room, checking the location of his things. All were in place; nothing was disturbed. It was then he heard a noise from the small yard in back of the house. Looking out the window in his room, he saw Neji and Naruto talking quietly, sitting on the wooden garden borders. They looked quite serious. Neji had his back to Sasuke, but the Uchiha could see Naruto looking down, seemingly at the ground. What is going on?

He sheathed his kunai and walked down the stairs, intending to step out back and tell them both about the Hidden Grass nin he had seen. But as he stuck his head out of the door, he was surprised to hear the low monotone conversation.

"...it's true, Naruto," Neji was saying soberly.

Naruto looked up, as if he was unsure of something, "Really? You really mean it?"

Neji nodded. Then, to Sasuke's shock, Naruto bounded up, tackling Neji to the ground. The unbridled joy on his face was unmistakeable. The two shinobi rolled across the yard, mainly from Naruto's enthusiam. When they stopped, Neji was on top, grinning down at the boy underneath him. Sasuke's throat closed. He couldn't breathe. It was as if he had been wearing a blind across his eyes that was now ripped away. Neji...and Naruto. I told him to get over me, so he has, he told himself. But I don't feel glad. I feel...angry and cheated and empty. Sasuke shook his head, firmly in denial. I do not love Neji. I am not jealous, and I do not mind that he and Naruto are...I can't even say it.

Angry with this twist of fate, Sasuke closed the door without saying anything to the two shinobi in the yard.

Sasuke was up in bed and had been since before dinner. He hadn't wanted to eat, and he wasn't willing to admit why. He was sitting on his bed, his knees drawn up to his chest. I'm love with Neji. The revelation had come forward unbidden. He cleared his throat.

"I'm in love with Neji," he whispered to the darkness.

He lay back on his bed, I can't believe how stupid I was. I couldn't admit it to myself...and now it's too late. I've lost the one I love. The only one I could love. He and I are so similar...the same in so many ways. He's like the light side of the moon, mysterious but warm and compassionate. I'm like the dark side, so wrapped up in myself I can barely see what is real. Sasuke pulled his knees up again and slipped under the covers. Curled into a ball, he told himself firmly he would not cry. I will not cry. I love him so much...I will not cry.

"Sleep well, Neji-kun," came Naruto's whisper from the hall.

"Good night, Naruto-kun," answered Neji's soft voice.

Sasuke turned his face to the wall, I'll only cry once...

Now, remember people...the summary says SasuNeji. Just remember that.

Review, people...tell me whether this makes up for chapter 5 and whether I should try to write past ten chapters!