Notes: After the super long wait, the fifth part of this is finally ready. Um, I've written this over and over again for so many times that it's become a confusing mess in my head. However, I don't think it's total crap. I hope it's not. Thank you for your comments on the previous chapter. They are much appreciated!
Part 5
It was the grand opening of a new opera by a famous composer. The air in Konoha Opera House was humid and full of excitement. Hinata could feel it running on her skin like electricity. She felt hot and bothered and shifted in her seat constantly, occationally drying her sweating hands as discreetly as she possibly could on the plush upholstery of her chair. She could feel Neji's steady inhales and exhales through their connected arms and unconsciously tried to match her own breathing to his.
"Hinata-san."
She almost jumped in her seat and turned about to face the person who had addressed her.
Queen Tsunade smiled pleasantly. "Are you nervous?"
Hinata blinked in surprise. Then she strained her brain to understand what her sovereign had meant. "N-nervous?"
"Of your upcoming wedding," the Queen explained. She threw a mischiveous glance at Neji who sat in his seat as stoic as ever, seemingly unaware of his surroundings. Tsunade leaned closer to Hinata, over the person sitting between them and continued in a whisper, "That's quite a good catch you have there. I wouldn't mind a few nights with him."
"Your Majesty!" shushed Shizune, the Queen's closest courtier, with a horrified face.
Hinata couldn't understand why her cheeks coloured so darkly since the Queen's implications were unclear to her. She gave Tsunade a weak, unsure smile and said she agreed although she didn't know what she was agreeing on.
The Queen smirked. "These soldiers have great bodies. Probably because they get so much exercise. Ah, you're also a soldier, are you not, Prince Gaara?" she asked the young man over who she had leant earlier. "Perhaps you could enlighten us on this matter."
The prince glanced at Tsunade without turning his head and made no comment. He had come to Fire Country to Neji and Hinata's wedding as a representative of the royal family of the Wind Country. Why his clan had chosen him to attend the wedding puzzled many because he was known to possess the worst people skills.
"Hinata-san," Neji suddenly said, touching her arm lightly. When Hinata turned to him, he asked what she knew of the opera they were going to see and then proceeded with questions which kept her attention on him and the music piece. He glanced at the Queen from the corner of his eye and frowned.
Tsunade's eyes widened ever so slightly. Neji's disapproval was blatant. To show this so openly meant that he either didn't fear falling from the Queen's grace or that he didn't care even if he did. Either way, such insolence Tsunade had never encountered in a man so young. Her lips quirked into a lopsided smirk. The future Hyuuga leader seemed pretty interesting. It almost looked like he was challenging her power.
Neji listened to Hinata's discontinuous explanation of the opera while observing his surroundings with an eye used to make combat strategies in any kind of situation. He unconsciously took note of possible escape routes, kept an eye out for suspicious people and movements and thought of a way to build up a defence.
"Neji-san? Are...you not feeling well?"
Neji cocked a brow at Hinata's inquiry. "Quite. What makes you think otherwise?"
Hinata's shoulder's slumped and she started to twiddle her thumbs. "I...I just...You looked like you were...not well..."
"Really?" Neji's features seemed to relax a bit. "I can assure you I'm quite well. But thank you for your concern, Hinata-san. I'm pleased to hear you care about my well-being."
Hinata blushed suddenly and bowed her head, falling silent.
Neji looked down at the silent figure with an amused smile. It was so easy to embarrass Hinata. It was completely different from the women he had met while in the army. It was actually quite fun.
For the rest of the night Neji's eyes and thoughts lingered rather on the shy girl than on the performance.
Sasuke and Naruto were waiting for Itachi to arrive. They had situated themselves in the hall of Konoha Opera House, near a massive staircase. They assumed Itachi would use the main entrance and thus he would have to pass them to get inside. Naruto sat on the stairs, tapping his foot impatiently and glancing repeatedly at a grand clock hanging on a far wall. Sasuke stood at the foot of the stairs, leaning against a rail.
"I think I should've gone with Iruka-nii and ero-sennin after all," Naruto mumbled. His nose was itching and no matter how much he scratched it the itch would not go away. It was very irritating.
"What? You scared, usuratonkachi?" Sasuke smirked.
"Who's scared!" Naruto snapped. He kept scratching the side of his nose. "It's just that I'll miss the performance if your brother doesn't appear soon."
Sasuke snorted. "Like you've ever cared about opera anyway," he said.
Light pink tinted Naruto's cheeks. "I like opera! What is there not to like? I love it!" he claimed. "When have I ever said I don't like opera?"
"Last time we went to opera you told me you had had enough after only ten minutes and almost left."
"Ah! That's right! That was when Sakura-chan came to our box," Naruto beamed. His cheeks took on a darker shade of red.
"It was my box," Sasuke huffed irritably, "And Sakura was so cold to you that you almost cried afterwards." Naruto's smile detoriated and Sasuke immediately regretted reminding the blonde of those past events. He didn't like remembering them either because every time that night came into his mind he once again saw Naruto's face in front of him, eyes bright from unsehd tears, and the sudden painful pressure which had laboured his breathing as he had seen Naruto in such a state came back to him. Naruto had been strangely fragile that night. It had felt as if one wrong word would've been enough to break him. So Sasuke had said nothing.
Naruto let out a nervous laugh. He was obviously embarrassed and tried to brush it off. "That...that's true too, I guess. Well, you're right, Sasuke. I don't like opera very much so we can wait a bit longer."
They fell silent. Minutes passed and Itachi showed no sign of himself. Sasuke was beginning to feel really awkward about the silence when Naruto finally opened his mouth. Sasuke almost sighed in relief.
"Hey, Sasuke."
"What?"
"Why aren't you always like you were that night?" Naruto asked, directing his eyes questiongly at the standing boy.
"Eh?" Sasuke flinched and immediately reprimanded himself for it.
"For a while there I thought that perhaps you're not such a bastard after all."
"Hmph!" Sasuke refused to meet Naruto's gaze. "You were even more of a moron then than usually so I just felt sorry for you. That's all. Don't go imagining anything stupid."
Naruto grinned. He jumped up and poked Sasuke on the ribs, leaning close to tease Sasuke by staring at his face. He once again noticed how much taller Sasuke had become over the years and how his muscles had developed. Sasuke had been the epitome of cuteness when he was a child but he was different now. He even smelled different.
"What is it, dobe?" Sasuke asked, disturbed.
"You're a good person, Sasuke," Naruto said, his grin still covering half of his face.
"Huh?"
"You try to hide it but you can't fool me," Naruto continued, poking Sasuke again to press his point.
Sasuke remembered suddenly how strange he had felt that night when Naruto had shown him his vulnerable side. It was an inexplanable pressure in the pit of his stomach, a swelling in his chest, a contraction in his throat. He felt the same now. He looked down at Naruto in wonder. If he would change the angle of Naruto's head just a little bit, all he would have to do is bend down and... He didn't want to think any further.
Sasuke slapped Naruto's hand away and pushed the boy so that the blonde had to take a few staggering steps backwards to maintain his balance. Sasuke looked at his shocked face with a sneer. "Anyone can fool you, you moron," he said. When the words left his mouth, he suddenly felt very sick. He turned away from Naruto to stare straight ahead.
"Sasuke..."
Sasuke gritted his teeth. He wished he could cover his ears. That would save him from hearing the hurt in Naruto's voice.
"You...you...bastard!" Naruto jumped to Sasuke and grabbed his coat. The silk felt cold and smooth under his touch. Just like Sasuke. "You're not a good person! You're the worst person in the world! How dare you? I will kick your ass for this!"
Sasuke had heard these words at least a million times. Never had it felt as horrible as it did today. He forced a smirk but refused to meet Naruto's eyes. "Hmph! You think you could, dobe?"
"I damn well could!"
For a fleeting second Sasuke looked into Naruto's eyes. Then he turned away.
Naruto frowned. His hold on Sasuke loosened and the raven-haired boy immediately took the opportunity to free himself. Naruto barely noticed. There was something very strange in the way Sasuke was acting. Forgetting the insult he had received only a few moments ago, Naruto started wondering if there was anything the matter with Sasuke. But before he could come to any conclusion, the front doors opened.
Sasuke snapped out of his reverie. "He's here," he informed Naruto.
The blonde looked up with a start. "Oh, yeah. Who's that with him? Doesn't he usually come alone to places like these?"
Sasuke followed his brother with his eyes. Wrinkles appeared between his eyebrows and deepened when Itachi helped his companion to take off a cloak.
Naruto stared unashamedly at the woman accompanying Itachi. "Who is that? I don't think I've ever seen her."
Sasuke studied the woman carefully, taking note of the long, dark hair shining softly in the light of candles and the flawless features which drew into a smile as she thanked Itachi for his help. "She must not be from Konoha."
Naruto looked at Sasuke, surprised. "What? You don't know her either?" he asked. When Sasuke shook his head, he turned to stare at the unfamiliar woman again "She looks awfully young. She can't be much older than we are. Ah, but she's very pretty. No wonder your brother was charmed by her."
Sasuke raised a sceptical brow at Naruto's assumption of Itachi being charmed by the woman. As far as he knew, Itachi had never been charmed by anyone or anything. But he had to admit that he knew next to nothing about his own brother. His only consolation was that nobody else did either.
"Look at that hair, Sasuke! It's almost as pretty as Sakura-chan's," Naruto said, leaning forward and grinning enthusiastically. His eyes were sparkling at the mention of Sakura's name.
Sasuke felt a sudden wave of disgust towards the unknown woman. He decided he did not like her. He was about to suggest a hasty withdrawal before Itachi would notice them, when Itachi looked up and saw them standing by the stairs. Sasuke met his impassive look haughtily, refusing to show he had been surprised that Itachi had not come alone.
After a few moments of locked gazes, Itachi lowered his eyes with a tiny smirk which was quickly covered by his usual emotionless mask. He took his companion by her arm and led her to Sasuke and Naruto. "Sasuke," he said. His voice sounded as smooth and concealed as ever. "Were you waiting for me? I'm touched." His black gaze travelled to Naruto who flinched almost unnoticeably. "And Uzumaki-kun. You were also waiting for me? Or just keeping company for my little brother?"
"Both," Naruto answered, quickly assuming his normal confident manner.
Sasuke could've kicked Naruto for revealing they had been waiting for Itachi.
"Oh?" Itachi's fine eyebrows rose slightly. "So you really were waiting for me." He glanced at Sasuke who stared back defiantly. A ghost of a smirk grazed his lips once again. "May I inquire as for the reason you gave up the pleasure of listening to tonight's splendid performance just to see me?"
"We have something to ask you" Naruto began but he was interrupted by Sasuke before he could say anything more.
"Yes, but it can wait," Sasuke hurried to say, trying to fake a smile and not really succeeding. Naruto had always been better at smiling, he realised suddenly. "I see that you have company."
"Oh yeah!" Naruto exclaimed, turning to the woman who had remained silent. He smiled widely. "Who is this lovely lady with you, Itachi-san?"
"Ah! Where are my manners? I have not introduced you yet, have I?" Itachi said and made a gesture towards the boys. "Lady Kin, this is my little brother, Sasuke. And this is his friend Uzumaki Naruto-kun." He turned to face the boys and repeated his earlier gesture, only this time he directed it at the woman. "This is Kin Tsuchi-san. She has only recently come back from the countryside."
"Pleased to meet you!" Naruto said and took her hand, grinning from ear to ear.
"Charmed," Sasuke mumbled sullenly. His dislike toward the woman had just increased by a notch.
In spite of Sasuke's rudeness lady Kin smiled and curtsied elegantly. "The pleasure is all mine, I am sure, sir," she answered, bowing her head to Naruto.
Sasuke heard a faint tinkle of bells when lady Kin moved and when he studied her appearance once more, he noticed tiny bells attached to her hair.
"You're very pretty, lady Kin," Naruto exclaimed.
Sasuke's mood was detoriating at a rapid speed.
Lady Kin giggled and curtsied again. The sound of bells accompanied her movement. "Oh my! I have heard the city is filled with smooth-taking men but I would never have thought I would encounter one so soon. You are quite the flatterer, sir."
"No no!" Naruto hurried to deny. He enjoyed the attention. He had never been very popular with women. "You really are very beautiful."
Sasuke wished Naruto would stop embarrassing himself soon. And was that woman flirting with Naruto?
Her laugh sounded like a tinkling of hundred bells. "If that is truly the case, I can only thank you. A woman delights greatly in hearing such words."
Naruto beamed.
The doors leading to the theatre suddenly burst open and people flocked out.
"Ah," Itachi remarked, "It seems they are already preparing for the second act." He had remained silent during the conversation between Naruto and lady Kin, that faint smirk passing his lips from time to time.
Sasuke glanced at Itachi cautiously. The smirks had not gone unnoticed by him and they bothered him. It was as if Itachi was excited about something and that was never a good sign. Sasuke had learned that through experience. He had once loved Itachi like nothing else. But his love had been rejected and Sasuke had grown to hate Itachi with passion. Nothing had ever hurt him as much as his brother's cold disregard.
"And look," Itachi continued. "Here comes Hyuuga."
They all turned to look.
Curtains were lowered and the clapping of hands gradually died away. People began to move around and discuss the performance so far. Servants dashed from one place to another, fulfilling their mastres' and mistress' orders.
Neji stood up. "I wish to catch some fresh air," he explained. "Do you want to come with me?" he then asked, turning to Hinata.
Hinata nodded and prepared to stand up when the Queen called her.
"Why don't you men go outside and let us have a nice talk here?" Tsunade suggested.
Neji looked at her coldly but decided not to argue. "Then, excuse us." He bowed and left the box, followed by Prince Gaara and few other men who had accompanied the Queen. He walked briskly through the corridor, answering greetings and slipping away from women who wanted to flirt with the rich and handsome man. He quickly reached the doors leading to the main entrance hall and stepped into the spacious room with a silent sigh of relief. He had spent half of his life outside so the dusty air inside the theatre had begun to bother him. His relief was short-lived, though, for it didn't take him long to discover who were standing at the end of the stairs.
First his eyes fell on Itachi and he had to resist the urge to grimace. He took faint notice of Sasuke and Naruto, not really paying any attention to them, and then he moved on to the last person and stopped. His eyes widened ever so slightly. Then a smirk twisted his lips. He locked gazes with the woman for a brief second and the woman could not hide her flinch.
Quickly getting a hold of himself, Neji descended the stairs to the group. "I'm afraid you have already missed the first act," he said, his voice so pleasant that Naruto quickly edged away from him and Sasuke suddenly tensed.
"Unfortunately," Itachi answered with a smile.
Sasuke and Naruto didn't know which way to retreat. The atmosphere felt incredibly bad.
"I hope you will be able to enjoy the second part." Neji answered the smile.
"I am sure we will," Itachi replied. He bowed his head to someone standing behind Neji. "Your Highness, it's a rare pleasure."
Neji almost jumped when Gaara stepped beside him. He hadn't noticed that the desert prince had followed him.
Gaara merely stared at Itachi. Nothing suggested that he had heard Itachi's words.
Neji bowed lightly. "Well then, if you'll excuse us. We were on our way to get some fresh air." He walked past them without another glance. He felt Gaara following him and so, once they got outside, he led him further away from the building to get some privacy.
Gaara stopped silently when Neji did and gazed up at the moon which had just come out from behind the clouds.
"So it was him," Neji said quietly. "Heheh...Isn't that just perfect."
Gaara said nothing.
Neji straightened his shoulders and glanced up at the sky. A twisted smile danced on his lips. "I just remembered," he said softly, "that you owe me a favour, Gaara."
Gaara still remained silent and didn't interrupt his stargazing.
"That woman has to go."
"You want me to kill her?" Gaara asked, his voice even.
"It doesn't matter," Neji answered. His brows drew together in a thoughtful manner. "She will be a hindrance. And if it's Itachi who brought her here then all the more reason to get rid of her."
Gaara glanced at his companion. "Didn't she have some connection with Orochimaru?"
"Yes. There was never any proof of it but I'm positive she had."
Gaara shifted his gaze to the moon again. "Orochimaru's followers were all fanatics. It might be difficult to scare her." He paused. "Do you think Orochimaru is behind this?"
Neji's frown deepened. "It's possible. Perhaps he's extracting some kind of revenge. If that's the case, Kin Tsuchi is sure to act in his name."
"What about the Uchiha?"
"Who knows? You can expect anything and nothing from him." Neji closed his eyes. "If Orochimaru is really moving again, I'll have to be careful...Shit!" Neji's teeth flashed in the moonlight. "Next time I see him, I will send him to his grave."
"Well," Gaara cracked his neck. "That has nothing to do with me. You want the woman out of the way...I'll do it. As long as you don't ask me to harm your fiancée, anything's fine."
"My fiancée?" Neji repeated.
Gaara turned to leave. "It is your fault she is like she is today," he said monotonously but Neji could hear a fraction of some emotion in his voice.
"My fault?" Neji frowned, trying to understand what Gaara meant, but he couldn't remember doing anything to the girl.
"But you really are a cold man, Hyuuga," Gaara continued, glancing over his shoulder. "Getting rid of your old lover like that."
A cold gleam entered Neji's eyes. "Hmph."
The group at the foot of the stairs looked as Neji and Gaara disappeared through the door.
"Hah..." Lady Kin took a handkerchief from her sleeve and patted her temples with it. "He hasn't changed at all."
"Huh?" Naruto whipped his head around to look at lady Kin. "You know Neji?"
Sasuke was interested as well. He glanced at Itachi and to his distress saw that smirk again.
Lady Kin smiled. "To some extent," she answered. "But it has been a long time since I last saw him. Well, shall we go in now, Uchiha-san?"
"Certainly," Itachi answered and was about to leave but glanced over his shoulder when he noticed Sasuke and Naruto weren't following. "Are you coming?"
"Ye" Naruto started.
"No," Sasuke interrupted, grabbing Naruto's arm to hold the boy in place. "Naruto doesn't like the opera so we're leaving."
Itachi regarded them for a few seconds. "Whatever pleases you," he then said. The other side of his mouth rose to a lopsided smile. "Or rather, whatever pleases Uzumaki, isn't that right, little brother?" Not staying to listen to Sasuke's reply, he offered his arm to lady Kin and ascended the stairs.
When they had disappeared from view, Naruto yanked his arm free and turned to face Sasuke, more curious than angry. "What was that about? Weren't I supposed to ask him about Neji? And weren't we supposed to see the opera?"
Sasuke squinted his eyes, looking after his brother and lady Kin with a strange feeling of suspicion. "Don't you think it's weird?" he asked.
"What is?"
"The way they talked just now."
"Who?"
Sasuke huffed, exasperated. "Hyuuga-san, aniki and that woman. Who do you think I'm talking about, dobe? You really are a total moron."
"What!" Naruto was ready to attack the black-haired boy when what Sasuke had said finally sank in. "Yeah, it was strange. The atmosphere...how should I put it..."
Sasuke nodded. "I don't think I've ever seen Itachi smile like that."
"I don't think I've ever seen him smile," Naruto mumbled.
Sasuke threw him a glare but chose not to comment on it. "Anyway, there must be something going on."
"You think so?" Naruto cocked his head. "Yeah, that's probably true. Hey!" He suddenly grabbed Sasuke's arm, eyes sparkling with excitement. "We should investigate this!"
"What?" Sasuke's tone suggested that he had never heard anything as stupid as that. And he had spent all his life in Naruto's company.
"It would be great! Think about it! We would be the ones who restored the peace between your brother and Neji."
Sasuke didn't quite follow. "I don't see that happening," he snorted. "Besides, there's probably nothing to restore."
Naruto scrunched up his face. "You really don't want to?" he asked, disappointed. "Maybe I should ask Sakura-chan. I heard she likes mysteries."
Sasuke stilled. "Hmph!" He started to walk towards the doors. "Let's ask Kakashi-sensei about the scandal tomorrow."
Naruto's face lightened up and he hurried to catch up with Sasuke. "Thanks!"
"Hn."
"I knew you were a good person."
"Shut up."
Hinata was startled when Neji and Gaara suddenly reappeared in the royal box. She mustered a smile but it was ignored as the men silently sat back in their chairs. She fell back in her miserable silence. She had enjoyed the performance and the conversations with Neji but after Neji had left, she had felt very down. The Queen and all the other older women talked about things she didn't understand and so she was left out, which was very depressing. And now that Neji, who had previously been so friendly to her, felt so distant that Hinata didn't dare to address him.
"Hinata-san."
Hinata jumped in her seat at the sudden sound. She turned to Neji, happy that he had talked to her. "Yes?"
Neji wasn't looking at her. "Would you..." He frowned.
"Hm?"
"Would you like to walk home after this?"
"Walk?" Hinata repeated, surprised. The Hyuuga rarely walked anywhere. It was a sign of their status to go everywhere on horseback or by carriage. But the idea of walking home together with Neji sounded very tempting.
"Of course, if you are tired, we will take the sleigh."
"N-no! I'm...I would very much like to walk home with y-you..."
Neji nodded. "Good." After that, he said nothing until they were walking under the twinkling stars, their breaths leaving white puffs in the cold air.
Hinata trodded beside Neji, feeling happy and content. It was very silent now that they had left the hustle and bustle of the city behind them. The sky had cleared during the night and now the moon shone brightly, illuminating everything with its cold light. The snow glistened, matching the stars in the sky.
"Do you mind if we take a detour?" Neji asked. His voice was quiet, as if he didn't want to disturb the peaceful feeling resting over them.
Hinata shook her head, ready to walk another twenty kilometres if she had to.
Neji led her to a narrower road. Fir brances blocked the moonlight and Hinata inched closer to Neji, wanting the safety which radiated from the man. Snow crunched under their feet and Hinata could hear her own breathing loud in her ears.
"Hinata-san."
"Y-yes?" Hinata said, startled by the sudden sound.
"There is something I would like to ask you."
"Yes?" Hinata looked expectantly up at Neji.
Neji remained silent for a long time. "Do you remember when we were little?" he then asked. There was quiet thoughtfulness in his manner which Hinata found very soothing. It reminded her of Shino's calming company.
"Not very well," she admitted.
"Is that so? I see." Neji fell silent again.
Hinata glanced up at him nervously. "Is...is there...a reason you...a-asked me this?" she inquired.
"You were a shy little girl back then," Neji continued, pretending not to have heard Hinata's words. "You always clung onto my jacket and would not let go. You followed me everywhere."
"Oh...I'm sorry if...if I bothered you." Hinata felt heat creeping up her cheeks.
"I didn't mind. Rather, I thought you were very cute." Neji seemed not to notice the way Hinata flushed and sputtered. "I always thought of you as my little sister. Obviously, the situation has changed and I won't be able to think that way again. But..." He halted his steps and looked at Hinata closely. Hinata's breath hitched. "I don't dislike you. I wanted you to know that. And...also, I wanted to apologize."
Hinata blinked. "B-but...you...haven't done anything...Wh-why would you apologize?" She felt something painful swelling in her chest.
"Not for what has been but for what will be."
"What...will...be?" Hinata repeated, confused.
Neji brushed a strand of hair from her face. "Just remember it," he said. Then he started to walk again. "I wonder," he mumbled after a while, "if you'll be able to like me in the end."
Hinata looked at him, confused. "But...you will be my husband?" she stated uncertainly.
A smile suddenly tugged at Neji's lips. He patted Hinata's head. "You're a good girl, Hinata," he chuckled.
Hinata was very confused. There was something strange in Neji, something that only moments ago had not been there. In the few seconds that had passed with their gazes locked, Hinata had felt something emitting from the man, and that something made her want to cry. She didn't understand where the tears came. At the same time she also wanted to smile because Neji had addressed her with such familiarity.
The road led them out of the forest and into a clearing. Hinata looked up and recognized the place as the lake on Hyuuga property. She looked at Neji, curious as to why they were here.
Neji let go of Hinata's arm and took a couple of steps forward, gazing at the moonlit frozen lake. Then he turned around to face Hinata. Hinata thought she saw a tiny smile on his lips. "When you were young, you used to come here every time you felt angry and scream it all out."
Hinata remembered. She had come here dozens of times, her heart full of childish sorrows and frustrations, and screamed until her throat was sore and her breath short. And then, when she had used all her strength, Neji had come to her and taken her back, telling her stories on the way to rid her mind of the things that had driven her to the lake.
"Do you remember?" Neji asked.
Hinata nodded shyly, a light blush spreading across her face when she recalled how Neji had hugged her then and consoled her to the best of his ability.
"When was the last time you came here?"
"Huh?" Hinata was surprised by the question and even more surprised when she realised she hadn't been there since Neji had left. "I...not...in ten years, I think."
A frown disturbed Neji's features. He fell silent and turned to gaze at the lake again. Then he let out a deep sigh. "So Gaara was right," he said to himself.
Hinata heard his words and looked at Neji's back, puzzled.
Neji glanced at her. "When I was in the army, I often went to a secluded place and did what you used to do."
"R-really?" Hinata was pleased to hear that he had used her method.
"Yes. Sometimes the pressure was too much and sometimes...it occured to me that my life was going to waste and I felt an irresistable need to shout."
"To waste? B-but...you are a hero," Hinata said. She looked attentively at Neji, wanting to understand the man better.
A bitter smile twisted Neji's lips. "There are no heroes in war, Hinata," he stated solemnly. "Only those who kill well and those who kill better. I just happened to have talent for taking lives."
Shock went through Hinata's limbs and she felt suddenly weak. "What...what are you saying?"
Neji chuckled mirthlessly. "I bet you are the kind of person who is careful not to step on an ant. Me, on the other hand...I have deliberately planned the deaths of thousands of men. I have stood on a battlefield and been pleased to see so many bodies lying around. And because I have been successful in annihilating people, I am regarded as a hero."
Hinata found herself drawn to the powerful feeling welling inside Neji and she listened to him in a state resembling hypnosis.
"Do you know why I remained a liuetenant?"
Hinata shook her head.
"I was afraid of the bloodthirst inside me. I thought that by remaining a lower-ranking soldier I might save the last bit of soul I had." Neji stopped talking abruptly and for a while he just stood there, eyes slightly widened. "Let's go back," he then said and as suddenly as he had invited Hinata for the walk he ended it as he hurried towards the Hyuuga Manor, almost dragging Hinata behind him.
Hinata did her best to keep up with Neji's quick pace. Her mind was in a messy bundle of thoughts and fears and assumptions. She felt she had suddenly gotten closer to Neji and started to understand a little of the man behind the cold facade. She could understand now why Kiba had tried to warn her of marrying Neji. There was darkness in him that had never once touched Hinata during her seventeen years of life. But instead of shying away from Neji, Hinata felt more determined than ever to make him happy.
Neji closed the door to his room behind him and let out a silent curse. He had not meant to say any of the things he had told Hinata tonight. But there was something in the girl that made him confide in her without even noticing it. That was dangerous. He would have to watch out in her presence before he would tell her everything.
Neji moved away from the door and sat heavily down on the bed. There was little love left in him and he had all but forgotten he even had a heart. But Hinata drew it to the surface and forced him to realise he was not as emotionless as he had thought he was. When Gaara had said that it was his fault that Hinata had become so weak, he had felt a stab in his chest, so painful that for a moment he had had difficulties to stand straight. That would not do. Emotions would have to be locked up and sealed, at least until his revenge was fulfilled.
Neji stood up to undress and then he blew out the candle on his bedside table. Darkness swallowed the room.