Weird plot (there wasn't a plot, I just typed), and Neji who is very very OOC. Possibly everyone is OOC. NaruNejiNaru and one-sided SasuNeji. Scrolling to the end anytime before said end will ruin it. Uh whee. If you're one of the few who actually understands this, I'll give you a virtual cookie.

Naruto comes to visit him once a week, sometimes twice, and sometimes never.

And he is before him now, smiling and holding his hand and here.

"Hey," Naruto says.

His voice is deeper than Neji remembered, though softer and less sharp. It sounds a bit off and unrehearsed, as if he hasn't spoken for a long time and is trying to form words. His skin is a bit less tanned, and the three lines that were streaked on each side of his cheeks were gone. It was a disappointment, since Neji had always thought it made Naruto unique and cuter than Neji already thought he was. His hair had also become darker, and bangs framed his face. But then again it could be because he couldn't see properly…

"Naruto." Neji greets back.

The hand that is holding his twitches the slightest bit, a weird squeezing feeling that Neji barely acknowledges when he addresses him.

A moment of silence passed.

"Yeah." Naruto answered, as if confirming this fact. "I'm here."

Again his hand was squeezed. Neji doesn't know what to make of it, so he pretends he doesn't notice and ignores it completely.

-

A month ago, there had been a misunderstanding, an issue of some sort, and half of Konoha was getting killed of. Mainly around to area of the Hyuuga clan. One by one, they were getting tracked down and dying, and it's all wrong because they were supposed to be so invincible. It was almost okay for Neji; Naruto was on the two-month mission. Naruto was safe.

Hinata was sobbing silently, burying her face into her coat. The rough fabric left red welts on her face – she'd obviously been pressing into it really hard – and Neji wondered vaguely if she was really that weak. "Hinata-sama," He said instead of the various insults that had implanted themselves into his mind, "Do you need…?"

Hell, he was starting to sound like her servant. But with his uncle in the room…because that's what he had to do. The seal kept him under the orders of the main house, and he was to protect them even if it meant he was to die. It didn't matter anyways.

"Neji," His uncle started, voice harsh and cold, demanding but unsure and dead, "Leave."

Taken aback and slightly hurt, Neji tried to compromise. "I can protect…"

His uncle's glare was half less effective with the bags under his eyes. He looked like he hasn't spelt for days, which Neji was sure he hasn't, because no one has. "Leave," He ordered again. Neji was not about to give up. Leaving meant going out and getting killed, and Neji doesn't want to die.

"No, I – "

His uncle stood up, anger evident. Apparently saying no wasn't allowed.

Neji still wasn't fazed however, and he tried again. Here he was, respecting them and offering his life for theirs, but they weren't accepting it. "I can protect …" He tried, but attempts were failures. His uncle was glaring so hard now Neji could see what's left of his chakra flaring towards him from it. Perhaps he'd wanted to strangle him. "I said leave," He demanded bluntly again.

Neji growled, all traces of respect lost. "I can help all of you!" He snapped, fists curled up as his feet took him towards the door. "You're all going to die anyways, all of you," he continued, stepping out, "you can all stay in this poor refuge and die." He almost smiled when he breathed in the fresh air of blood. The stink filled his nostrils and it was disgusting, but right now, it was cinnamon. He turned back for one last time and added, "Because I'm going to tell them where you're hiding."

Then he slammed the door shut and started forward.

He was never going to tell anyone, of course. He wasn't stupid, even in his trance. He is not going to walk up and get himself killed. They weren't worth it.

Subconsciously, he thanked whoever had started this mess. He was free now, though he was probably the only one to have come to that conclusion. He didn't care for the others, though. He never really a close relationship between anyone. Their power made them all horrible – and Neji wished they would stay horrible. Horrible people deserved horrible things, he knew, and he didn't want anything better for anyone else.

Upon thinking that, he knew he was horrible too. But that didn't matter. He had opened the cage for himself, and now that he was out nothing could block his power. Doesn't matter what he deserved, because he could handle it all.

He wasn't terrified. Not at all.

Neji was drowning in this freedom, and he doesn't know what to do.

-

And a hospital was what he'd deserved. Along with a slight problem with his sight and permanent mental instability. He didn't even remember how he'd been found. He'd stepped out, and…

"Naruto," He says again, smiles, and forgets what he was going to say. It just sounded nice. Naruto, Naruto, Naruto. He could say it so many times…

And he does, time after time after time. With one last squeeze at his hand, his visitor stands up. Neji looks over. "Naruto…?"

Sasuke leaves.

Neji watches Naruto leave.

Rawr. First Naruto fic and second fic in general. Don't kill for confusingness and suckingness. Or typos.