Watch Me

AN: Before I even begin, can I just say that I love reviewers? You guys literally rock my world. Anyone whose read my TT stuff will recognize that reviewers are golden in my book.

Just a quick note about the last chapter. A Retainer is a person working in the service of another. And yes, it is also a dentistry appliance.

…

Part Three: Test

…

"Train you, huh?" Genma said. He bit his senbon sharply, flicking the metal skyward. "Iie."

…

Neji was thirteen years old. He had been a shinobi for a year and a half. Three months ago he almost lost his life fighting an enemy who was stronger than him. For two months he had been trained brutally by the cruel, masterful hands of Hyuuga Hiashi. He had endured Lee's fists, Tenten's kunai and chakra pumped into his system with the intent to kill.

He knew betrayal, he knew consequence, and he knew deceit.

But this was the first time in his entire life he ever felt pain.

Shiranui Genma saw clearly that uncertain expression flashing unmasked in Hyuuga Neji's huge eyes.

"Nothing personal kid. I train Jounin potentials, not Chuunin potentials. I shouldn't even be on that list."

But you are… you're meant to be… this is meant to be! … It's… no, this isn't fate… fate is unchangeable, unavoidable, painful. This can change… I can change this… I must try…

"I am a Jounin potential." Neji said, pulling his shoulders back. He looked up to stare Genma in his eyes.

Genma snorted. "You're a genin."

"And I'm talented." Neji responded. Genma continued to meet Neji's gaze. The boy knew he'd have to say more. "I will be one of Konoha's best shinobi." Genma's face didn't change. "You saw that. You see that." Neji didn't know he was capable of insecurity, but here it was staring him in the face. "The things you said…" Every second under Genma's scrutinizing gaze, Neji felt less and less like himself: less powerful, less confident, certainly less cocky. But no less determined.

"You're not making much of a case for your---"

"Believe in me!" Neji shouted finally. His eyes met Genma's clearily and they didn't shake. Those huge eyes met Genma's wiser ones and held him. His words poured from him. It all felt right here. "I want to become someone stronger. To see more… I have the talent to become more, but to believe in myself… to always believe in myself… I need help. I'm proud, but I would beg you to see me and to believe in me… to help me. I could have any Jounin in that Bingo book; all of them glad to train the genius Hyuuga Neji for the Chuunin exam. But this test, the Chuunin exam, isn't my goal… it's the sky. To get there can't be done with the aid of any Jounin."

Genma's senbon bounced in well controlled motions. He looked down at Neji and Neji look up at him. Genma's teeth clamped down on familiar metal. Nice eyes.

"That was passionate coming from someone as small as you. You want someone to believe in you, to help you reach where the birds go, ka?"

"Hai."

"You're a clockwise type."

Neji furrowed his brow. Clockwise type?

"Clockwise types usually only get other clockwise types. Counterclockwise types usually are in opposition to clockwise types, some go as far as to stand in their way, making them their targets from nothing more than that dissimilarity."

Stand in the way?

"Luckily for you, kid, I'm a clockwise type."

Neji's eyes became lighter and a genuine smile came to his features.

"I'll train you. It probably won't be an issue, but I'll warn you now, Neji." Genma's senbon flicked upwards. "You better not waste my time."

"Hai, shishou."

Genma smirked. "By the way, Neji. My specialty as a Jounin…"

Is? Neji waited, able to keep his anticipation anxiety off his face.

"Weakness manipulation."

"Weakness manipulation?"

"I can find my enemies' weaknesses quickly and exploit them. I study weakness and because of that I can make improvements to technique combinations to overcome them."

Overcome them… Neji's eyes closed as he smiled. The world became completely bright around him even as the sun was going down behind him. He took one step forward towards his new trainer. In his face covered with shadow those wide eyes opened, intelligence and determination burning in those eyes. "Then shishou, shall we become enemies?"

Genma smirked down at the gifted genius genin. "Smart ass."

Neji smirked in return.

"We'll start tomorrow morning. We meet here at 5:15AM, not a minute earlier, not a second later, but before that, your first training task."

"Training task?"

"Go home and make a list, an honest list, of everywhere you think you need improvements. Be specific and be critical. Bring it with you tomorrow."

"Hai, shishou." Neji nodded.

Genma stuck his hands into his side pockets. He laughed slightly to himself before turning a cool luck to Neji. "I was taking a breather when you got here, now it's turned into an unreasonably long break."

Neji stood straight, looking over the buildingscape of Konoha as the sun kept going down. Genma took two steps towards the door, passing on Neji's right, his shoulder over laying the smaller genin's for just a second before he continued to walk off.

He didn't say goodbye.

Neji stood where he was for a few moments longer, many minutes after Genma's shadow had passed his right shoulder. His left hand rose and wiped away the single tear from his left cheek.

Neji considered walking off into the sunset, but he lived in the other direction and when Genma-shishou wasn't inches away from his body, he could act his cool self. Neji went home, cooked his dinner, stretched, showered, then sat in the middle of his living room on the folded blankets before his temple style wooden table.

He burned two candles on either side of him, the light for the rest of the room provided by other lanterns. He opened an available scroll, dipped his thinnest brush into ink and began.

…

At 5:15 in the morning, there was a surprisingly large amount of people moving about. He wasn't moving, he was standing on top of the roof of the Jounin headquarters watching them move and move and move. They were mostly Jounin, however Neji recognized the pink haired girl who cried a lot from Kakashi's squad. Kakashi had mentioned that she was training with Godaime-sama, it made since for her lessons to be brutally early.

Neji felt the beginning of his presence with just the slightest bit of air against his back. It was warm, the wind that moved because he moved. Neji's body felt warmer, his body felt flush. He turned his head slightly, able to face coolly Genma-shishou as the Jounin made his appearance with Shunshin no jutsu.

"Neji, you're early." Genma said with no enthusiasm or scorn. He was stating the truth.

"Iie. Not a minute before 5:15AM, not a second later. You're late, Genma-shishou." Neji replied. He kept his back to his instructor, his face in profile to the morning over Konoha.

"A Jounin is never late. He always arrives in the second he intends to, whether he or the disbelieving realize it or not." Genma replied.

Neji hmphed, his slight shoulders rising and falling with the motion.

"Hey, Neji, you finished your task."

"Hai."

Neji turned fully to his teacher then, retrieving the scroll from his equipment pouch. He took a step into Genma's direction, holding it out for him to take. Genma took it and placed it in his back pocket.

"You're not going to read it?" Neji asked.

"Iie." Genma reached into his vest and pulled out a blue colored scroll. "Last night I told you to make a list of where you think you need improvements. Last night I made a list of where I know you need improvements. You'll be making improvements based on that list for the next three weeks and five days. After three weeks and six days, you'll open the scroll and determine how many you accomplished. If you don't get them all, you fail and I withdraw you from the Chuunin exam."

All the cool left Neji's face. The genin's expression became unmasked surprise. "Tondemonai! You can't be serious! What if your thoughts and mine don't overlap?"

"I don't expect them to, Neji." Genma replied, biting his senbon.

"Then how am I supposed to accomplish both?"

"I would think someone as smart as you would be able to multitask." That stick of metal flicked upwards ending the argument there. Neji looked at the scroll in Genma's hand with determination and uncertainty. He wasn't in control of the situation, but he was in the control of the outcome. He could do this.

"Where do we begin?" Neji asked.

"The beginning. That's always the hardest part."

"Hai."

…

Neji kept his abs tight to distract himself from the cold. He couldn't let the cold get to him, he needed to concentrate on his feet. He was standing waist high in the fresh water river that circled Konoha's southern border. His coat was removed, serving as a blanket for Genma-shishou on the grass twenty feet behind him. His ninguard, the mesh cloth worn under his clothes, was clinging to his body, the cold water trapping it there.

"Your body work is good," Genma-shishou had told him, "But you waste movement, which means you waste stamina and speed, which means you waste opportunity. Its one thing if you have the element of surprise, it's another if you've been backed into a corner."

"Understood, shisou."

He was in the rushing water, keeping his balance on top of slick stones, molding his chakra precisely to keep his position. It had taken him a few seconds to comprehend Genma-shishou's intention with such a training. With the slippery rocks beneath him, even with controlling his chakra readily, movement had to be very precise. His retainer gave him instructions to move left, move right, bend, turn, pivot, lashing out strikes against the water that dashed upwards at him. Each of those movements had to be made the second Genma commanded them and Neji had to respond, no matter the circumstance under his feet, and get himself into position. The water was rushing, he was thin, breathing hard, his Byakugan was a great aid.

"Right"

Neji pivoted on his left foot, twisting his palm and dispersing the wave with his chakra. His left arm fully extended, the water dashed to molecules around him. His reaction reflex triggered when an attack came from his right side. He switched his pivot to the left foot and swung out with his right arm, deflecting the senbon. The sharp needle flipped rapidly, splashing cleanly into the water. Neji didn't see where it landed; he hadn't molded his chakra efficiently and lost his balance. He barely prevented himself from falling into the water. He righted himself quickly and raised his questioning eyes to his shishou.

"If I had another one, you'd be dead." Genma responded.

"I lost my concentration."

"That's right. You were only focused on deflecting the attack, assuming you'd defeat it with your counter. Your Juuken protects your hands from direct contract with the weapon, so in this instance poison wouldn't have been an issue. But had you been low on chakra, you could have cut your hand open and damaged yourself. You need to think more than three steps ahead, Neji. You need to be aware of your feet, your eyes and ears at all times."

"The rocks under my feet, I understand are for concentration purposes." Neji replied.

"Iie."

"Nani?"

"I never told you to get in the water." Genma stated.

Neji furrowed his brow. "You said we'd be training with water."

"I said with water, not in. You decided to go into the water. You make things too hard. But in this case, it was the right decision. You'll learn from that."

"Hai, shishou." Neji responded. He molded his chakra and made to stand on top of the water.

"Before you do that, Neji." Genma started.

"Hai?"

"Retrieve that senbon from the stream. I suggest you be quick about it. The way the water is rushing it could be half way to the ocean. You're not getting out of the water until you find it and just to make it a challenge, you have two opportunities to come up for breath. Third time, you fail and our training ends for today."

Neji frowned. It was only eight in the morning. It would be reasonable to train for at least another three hours. The genin set his powerful eyes lower, turning his head to the left and right before turning to the right and diving underwater. He found the senbon quickly and rose to the surface holding the needle in his hand. Genma was standing on the surface of the water waiting for him. Neji caught his breath as he surfaced, holding the senbon out for him. Genma took it, looked at if for a second and shook his head in the negative.

"This isn't it."

"Nani?" Neji asked.

"I didn't spit this one at you. Go back in." Genma commanded as he slipped the senbon between his teeth. Neji took two breathes before following his instruction and diving back underwater.

I see… he knew that I would make the mistake in training in the water rather on it. He planted a senbon to make me make several attempts. That is why he gave me the three chances… that means there's a possibility of being two more senbons in the water. I need to find them both.

Items like metal that lacked a chakra network were more difficult to see through than living materials, but Neji, who had trained his Byakugan determinedly, found no such difficulty. He looked through rocks, past fish and river plants. He found the second senbon before he needed a breath. He didn't detect another in his range.

Neji surfaced and caught his breath. Without turning in his find to Genma, he dove back under and continued to search. His pupils moved from the left and to the right, checking along the edges where the water met the earth. He searched, but he couldn't find it. His breath gave out and he resurfaced, breaking the surface with his head first, flipping his long mane back as he controlled his chakra in his arms to keep him above water. Genma looked down at him with the first senbon in his teeth.

"Well?"

Neji pulled himself out of the water and presented the single senbon to his retainer. There was a fifty percent chance that he failed his training. Genma took the senbon and held it in front of his face.

"I didn't spit this one at you either."

Shit. Neji thought. He had failed.

Genma switched the senbon between his teeth. "Well, you pass anyways."

"What?" Neji looked up at Gemna-shishou with question apparent in his eyes. "How did I pass, shishou? I did not find the senbon you spit at me."

"I didn't expect you to. I never spit a senbon at you. This one." Genma flicked the second senbon in his teeth. "I threw at you. It seems that those powerful eyes don't see everything."

He's right… I didn't watch him make the attack, I only perceived the attack. Which means, I need to become more observant. Shishou, you are…

Genma flipped his senbon again, watching the Hyuuga boy pull himself to his feet. The two stood on the running water. Genma put his hands in his side pocket and turned his back to Neji. "Come on, we're going to the next ground."

"The second lesson?"

"Iie. How can we move on if you haven't finished this one?"

Neji was wet, cold, and close to miserable when the two made it into the wooded area behind the Jounin headquarters. In the center of the open area was a Wing Chun wooden training dummy. It had thirty-six protruding targets numbered individually.

"Training with Gai, you understand how this works."

Neji nodded. "The principle is to establish strings of motions to move from one target to the other."

"I'll give you a sequence and you follow them. I'm going to count your motions. When you're done, I'll tell you how many it should have taken."

Neji nodded and stepped to the post and settled his feet.

"3, 9, 18, 32, 11"

Neji's left hand slammed into the side of post three, before dropping down over the top of post nine. He pivoted his hips, swinging his upper body over his right leg as the back of his right hand connected with the side of post eighteen. That hand pivoted and a raising palm slammed into post thirty-two from below. His left knee lifted, putting all his weight on his right side and struck post eleven. Five targets, six moves.

"Five targets should have only taken you six moves." Genma responded.

"That's how many I used, shishou." Neji responded, turning back to Genma.

"Iie. You used nine. You didn't count the reverberation from your attacks. It's not about hitting the target hard, its about hitting it right. Your efficiency is just as important as your control. When both of those factors are in sync, your taijutsu becomes mastered. Think of how you move your body compared to your uncle or to Gai. They hit hard, not just because they have strength, but because they use their attacks wisely in strings efficiently."

"I understand."

"Next sequence." Genma said.

Neji steadied his feet again.

"1, 13, 1, 21, 37, 14, 3, 1."

Neji struck one and thirteen in a single uppercut, dropping his elbow back down to strike number one again. He struck out with his other elbow to the left, crashing into the side of twenty one. Then the next post number came. There was no post thirty seven. Neji frowned and moved on to fourteen, three then finishing back with number one.

"It's a good thing you went on, if you'd have stopped I would have called the session over for today." Genma stated from behind Neji's back.

"That was a reaction tactic? To see what I would do if my opponent used Shinshun no jutsu?"

"Bingo."

"What if I were to have asked before I started?"

"You'd be going home again. I guess you learned to look underneath the underneath with that Byakugan of yours."

Neji snorted. "That was instinct."

"Don't get cocky, gaki."

Neji's eyebrow ticked. Brat?

"21, 14, 38, 2, 6,144, 12, 12, 12, 14, 18, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 1, 3, 19, 5, 31."

Neji moved responding to the string. He paid attention to each of his strikes, careful not to totally commit to any move, but not so relaxed that the move didn't strike purposefully. It was like striking tenketsus: each one needed accuracy; the force didn't matter if he didn't get the position. His rokujun yonshou was about position and speed, his hyaku nijou hashou was about speed and power. If he could combine the two talents, his Juuken would become even more formidable.

This is training… Neji's body moved at every one of Genma's commands. Genma added numbers onto completed strings, making Neji react, forcing Neji to keep focus, to concentrate, breathe, move, exist.

Near three o'clock on the afternoon Neji became exhausted and collapsed to the ground. Genma smirked and stood up. "At your limit, Neji?"

"Iie." Neji responded as he pulled his face from the ground.

Genma stood over the boy and kept a cool smile on his face as Neji got to his knees. Neji looked at him, Genma's body blocking the over handing sun. He was tired, but he could endure. Eventually he'd turn that smirk on Genma-shishou's face into a genuine smile. That was a short term goal he could definitely accomplish in this month.

"Neji, how many times can you perform your Kaiten before you're out of chakra?"

"Seven."

"Then perform it seven times."

"Shishou?"

"The lesson isn't over. Do it." Genma flipped his senbon sharply. He pulled a weapons scroll from his holster and readied several shuriken and kunai. They came at Neji without warning and the boy turned his defensive technique to repel them. His spin would stop and begin right after another, Genma pausing in his throws just long enough for the genin to recognize a stop point before resuming again.

At the end of seven Kaiten rotations, Genma expected the boy to be at least dizzy. Neji stopped and kept his feet under him even as his body became heavy from the loss of so much chakra. His feet didn't completely feel like they were touching the ground. He was panting, barely able to maintain the minimal chakra needed to maintain his Byakugan. His eyes were open enough to see Genma's first attack.

Neji braced his arms in a cross to protect his stomach when Genma's fist shot out at him. His feet were pushed back as he was overpowered, his body dragged solidly until his back struck the training dummy. He pivoted his head and dropped his body, dodging the straight kick aimed for the center of his nose. He turned several back flips, pushing hard to keep some distance between Genma-shishou and his weakened body.

Genma kept coming. His speed was faster and he was fresh. Neji blocked and deflected, managing to get a solid palm thrust into Genma's stomach before Genma grabbed his arm and threw Neji over his shoulder. Neji collided solidly, his body dragged for several inches. His head rose weakly as Genma approached.

"Just as I thought." Genma said as he bent down and lifted Neji to a sitting position. The genin looked at his trainer suspiciously. Genma reached into his vest and retrieved a thin canteen. He propped Neji against his knee before twisting open the canteen and putting it to the boy's lips. The water tasted clean, the canteen tasted like apricots. Neji drained.

"Just as you thought, shishou?" Neji asked finally. His body was still heavy, but he didn't have to support it, so it wasn't his major concern.

"You're strictly a short range type. Long distance types would have only evaded and not tried to counter until they could be far away enough to use their jutsus. Midrange types are the best evaders; they usually put distance between themselves with throwing weapons or diversion tactics. Short range types put up guards with their bodies or chakra to reduce damage until they can find an opening. They're usually the worst at defense. Your kaiten is to compensate for that, but when you can't do it, you're at a disadvantage."

"Understood." Neji responded.

Genma smirked. The boy was breathing hard still; he'd be dead tired tomorrow. That was when the real conditioning began.

…

Neji collapsed bonelessly onto his futon after a hot bath, barely finding the strength to make himself something to eat and stretch his muscles before lying down. His next training was tomorrow morning at 6:15 in the AM, not a minute later, not a second earlier. Genma-shishou told him to go home, shower, eat, and then go to sleep after stretching. Neji laid flat on his back and rolled his ankles at the joints, his wrists turned clockwise then counterclockwise.

"Strictly a short distance type… My fighting style has those disadvantages… more than long range and midrange which can be overcome with jutsus… can mine be over come with jutsu?" Neji's mind turned as he pivoted his hips to the left to stretch, then to the right. "Is there a way for me to attack at a distance with the same efficiency as when I attack close range? My juuken capitalizes on closeness. Is there away to be close to the enemy and far away at the same time?"

Neji rolled his left wrist and felt his chakra level returning to normal. Genma-shishou hadn't any foodpills and he hadn't thought to bring any with him for his first training. He made a mental note to reevaluate his provisions.

His wrists were sore from turning them against the Whin Chin dummy and again from his tumbles to evade Genma-shishou. He had succeeded with a single blow to his trainer with a palm thrust, the most effective of his strikes. Can I utilize a palm thrust from a greater distance than my arm span? It would require a bodyflicker like motion… I don't have the speed… unless I used my chakra… how far can I extend my chakra from my body?

…

Neji developed and focused on each of Genma-shishou's lessons, each day remembering his own weaknesses and talents and how to overcome them. After two weeks of training, there was a significant difference in his body: how he could move it, how it responded, how it felt. His stomach and chest were becoming tighter, his arms and legs stronger. His chakra control improved as he worked with Genma to develop a new jutsu.

Neji found that each day, somehow he learned something new from Genma-shishou. Even when they repeated training sessions, some different result always came to pass. He'd sit with Genma at the end of their lessons and recap their ideas for strategy and lessons. Neji could smile up at his retainer and Genma would give him that confident smirk.

Neji was given the day off on the second day of their last week of training. He spent the day increasing his seal sequence precision. He walked down the corridors of his clan's compounds and reached the main training ground where Hanabi, Hiashi and Hinata were. Neji sat down on a step and watched his younger cousin. Her Byakugan was activated as she stood opposite of her father and younger sister. At the same time Hanabi and Hiashi unleashed a rain of kunai coming at various angles with Hinata in target.

"Shuggohakke! Rokujon yonshou!"

Hinata's hands waved out a rapid fan, emitting beams of chakra to deflect and effectively destroy the kunai. Neji watched and smiled as Hanabi and Hiashi were rendered speechless by Hinata's jutsu. Hinata-sama no longer needs to worry about her abilities… surely Hiashi-sama now recognizes her.

Neji smiled thoroughly and the Main house leaders noticed his presence. Hinata recalled her bloodline limit and addressed Neji. "Neji-ni-san, you're training is complete for the day?"

"Hai, Hinata-sama."

"Hinata," Hiashi said, "We're done for the day. Good work."

"Hai, tou-san."

Hanabi followed behind her father and Hinata sat beside her older cousin.

"Are you prepared Hinata-sama?"

"I… I believe so. I may not be at the level of you or the others, but… but I have improved."

"I'm glad." Neji replied.

"Neji-ni-san." Hinata said quietly.

"Hinata-sama?"

"It's nothing."

"Hai."

Hinata sat quietly for a second before opening her mouth again, barely restraining herself from blocking her voice with her fingers. "Neji-ni-san, when the exam is over… I would like us to train together."

"Hinata-sama?"

"I can tell, even though we haven't seen each other for three weeks, that you've become stronger, even stronger than before. I would… I think…"

"Hinata-sama… I have only because stronger because I have a dream that I haven't fulfilled yet. You are the same. We both dream to be recognized and stronger. This dream, we must continue to work hard to make it come true."

"You wish to be recognized?" Hinata asked timidly.

Neji turned to his cousin and smiled. "Hai, Hinata-sama. I have always been the genius of the Hyuuga clan and because of my mistakes I was also the weakest Hyuuga who gave into fate. I have tried to change myself, to believe in myself."

"Ano, who do you want to recognize your change?"

"My master, Shiranui Genma-sama. I know that it will take longer than this last week of training, but I'm willing to give my all to this… if he were to believe in me, I think I could accomplish anything. I will gladly train with you, to reach your goal as well."

"Ha, hai."

Neji hadn't expected to be so honest with how he felt, but in truth he couldn't help it. When he spoke or thought about his shishou, words flowed from him the way words from a poet about his muse would. And every one of those words he believed. When Genma-shishou looked down at him and truly smiled, then Neji knew he would never lack for anything again. That one moment would be his spark that would make believing in his own strength a natural phenomenon. Then he would see it…

Neji tilted his head to the sky and saw that rain clouds were coming to knock out the sun. A pair of golden birds flew overhead and caught the last rays of sunlight on their wings before the clouds opened up and rained gently over him.

…

Three weeks, six days passed and Neji met his shishou at the stadium where the Chuunin exam would take place. The sun was rising over the stadium edge, slowly filling the area with red and orange. Neji waited with his arms crossed, standing so coolly as the wind pushed against his body and through his hair.

"Oi, Neji. You shouldn't be up this early the day before the exam." Genma called as he approached slowly, both hands in his pockets.

"You're the one who wanted to meet at 6:15 this morning and you're late." Neji responded.

"There's no such things for Jounin."

"Hai, hai. You arrive exactly when you mean to."

Genma snorted. No matter who Hyuuga Neji became, he'd be damn cocky. Genma tossed a scroll at Neji's back and the thirteen year old caught it over his left shoulder with his right hand as he turned.

"Moment of truth, Neji. Open your scroll." Genma commanded.

Neji turned to his master and opened the scroll, taking his eyes over the expanse for the first time in a month. It was just as he left it.

"Well, I pass. There's nothing on here left unaccomplished."

Genma bit into his senbon, flicking the metal upwards. He saw the way Neji was smiling.

Genma rolls his eyes. "Smart ass. That's why I said it."

"Huh?"

"I'm smarter than you, Neji. I knew you didn't write anything on your scroll. That's why I made this one." Genma chucked the other scroll at Neji. He caught that one too.

Come to think of it, I never read it. I only did what he instructed me to. Neji pulled open the scroll and read Genma's list.

His eyebrow ticked as he read the only item on his list.

"My attitude? The only thing you knew I needed to change was my attitude?"

"That's what the list says. I figured once you got that holy-than-though cockiness out of your system, you'd become a Chuunin candidate."

"But, I'm still cocky." Neji responded.

"It's a different situation. Now, you have a reason and the level is lower than before. Your cockiness now doesn't make me want to cause you bodily harm."

Neji's brow tick then he laughed slightly.

"The truth is, Neji, you were ready to be a Chuunin before you even passed the second level. You learned the most valuable lessons when that Uzumaki kid beat you."

"When captured birds become wiser, they try to open their cage with their beaks. They don't give up, because they want to fly again." Neji responded, turning his face to watch the light wash the stadium. It washed over his full height and most of Genma's as the Jounin pushed his hands back into his pockets.

"I'll be sitting somewhere around here tomorrow."

Neji nodded. Then from there, watch over me and smile… Surely by tomorrow I'll be someone you can look to and believe in…

End of Part.

Tondemonai: unexpected, offensive, outrageous, What a thing to say, No way!

AN: The next part won't come until next Tuesday at earliest. I have to take my three remaining tests and I absolutely have to study.

Ja ne