Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me
ARGHH, I know it's been ages since I last posted so many MANY apologies to all of you who have been so patient and so kind to put up with me! I really appreciate it and I'm just glad to have all my exams over and done with. It's been an absolutely brutal past month and I'm actually scared to go check my marks cuz it was pretty rough out there. All ranting aside though, thank you so much for all your encouragement and hopefully you'll enjoy this next chp!
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Chapter6
The sun gleamed off a sweat-slicked body, winking conspiratorially at the two other shinobi standing nearby.
"Neji, I think that's enough for today."
Tenten shifted somewhat uncertainly, exchanging a look with Lee as the Hyuuga paid her no attention.
"Neji?"
"Then leave."
Hands flying in a flurry of seals, he spun solidly in the dirt, the crashing wave of chakra emanating from his body scarring the surrounding trees, leaving angry jagged marks in its wake.
Wincing at the sudden sting whipping across their faces, Tenten hesitated before trying again.
"Look, Neji. I don't know what happened but pushing yourself isn't going to solv…"
"Go away, Tenten."
The command was sharp, the warning coming across loud and clear. Pursing her lips in worry, the kunoichi gestured to Lee, who shot the Hyuuga a long look before following her obediently down the hill.
Panting slightly, Neji picked up one of the kunai scattered on the ground. Twirling it between his fingers, he closed his eyes briefly before flinging it forcefully at a tree. The metal lodged itself into the wood with a dull thunk, the sound oddly loud amidst the suddenly quiet clearing.
Staring down at his hands, the bandages now ripped and dirtied, Neji inhaled deeply, trying to clear his mind.
He could not understand what happened, why she acted the way she did. He didn't know how long he stood there on her doorstep last night, staring unseeingly at the shut door in front of his face. He could barely hear her on the other side, moving slowly and heavily until the sounds faded as she retreated further into the house.
Back to bed.
A low hiss escaped his lips as an arm whipped around to hurl another kunai at the same target. Eyes narrowed, Neji stalked over to pull them out, his movements uncharacteristically jerky.
"You must have made some sort of mistake, Hyuuga. Did you actually think we were in love or something?"
The snap of the twig had him glancing to his left in irritation. Irritation that quickly morphed into something different before a lifetime of training concealed it behind a mask of calm.
"Yamanaka."
The blonde met his pale gaze head-on, barely nodding in acknowledgement before moving swiftly past him towards another training field. He watched her intently, taking in the tightly controlled face and fingers fidgeting with the kunai pouch swinging from her waist.
The pouch he had given her.
His sudden movement towards her must have been unexpected as her hand jolted and ended up pulling the knot free. The pale blue bag landed on the ground, its owner flushing before turning to bend down.
"Here."
Ino paused, barely glancing at the proffered item before taking it from his hand and turning away again.
"Shouldn't you say thank you?"
Tying the bag securely on her waist, the girl kept walking.
"Please don't talk to me. My head's still killing me from last night."
Silence.
"Wait."
"Wait? Do you have any idea how rare it is nowadays for Asuma-sensei to even train us? If I'm late, he'll probably make me run laps just to…"
A firm hand clasped around her elbow pulled her almost roughly to a halt.
"Stop joking."
Yanking her arm away, Ino settled for a thinly-veiled expression of boredom, her eyes as shuttered and blank as the ones boring into her.
"We need to talk about what happened."
She scoffed openly, the sound mirthless and unbelieving.
"Oh, really? The high and mighty Hyuuga Neji actually wanting to talk to someone? I must be dreaming…"
"You're dreaming if you think I'd let you get away with this."
"Get away with what?"
The colour rose in her cheeks, temper flaring instantly at his domineering attitude.
"Since when do you have any say over what I do, Hyuuga? I didn't think I needed your permission to 'let' me do anything!"
"You're defensive."
His calmness was infuriating. How dare he look and act so uncaring when he had the temerity to butt into her life like this?
Ino stood her ground, refusing to back down when he so obviously expected her to.
"And you're an asshole. Got anything more to say before I get the hell out of here?"
"Yes. What happened last night?"
His pale eyes followed her every movement closely, coldly scrutinizing the weary bags, the pursed lips. Neji straightened, his own expression as impassive as a block of ice.
"Not only are you late without any explanation, but I end up finding you stinking of alcohol and some other guy. So that's the type of girl you are?"
The sneering contempt was bitingly evident in his voice as he circled her slowly, his eyes never leaving her paling face.
"I should have known. You're nothing more than another pathetic little girl who throws herself at the nearest man just because she can't stand the thought of being alone. Of course, you must have gotten used to it, having all those strangers pawing at you…"
"It wasn't a stranger!"
Ino's face flushed an angry red, practically snapping the words at him. How dare he? How dare he throw something like that in her face when he knew how much she already hated herself for it?
"It was Kiba."
Neji stopped, his face mere inches from hers as he glared coldly into her eyes. He said nothing, the damning words suspended in the tangible tension between them.
You started it. It's not my fault.
"I was with Kiba. We were together for the entire night. Happy, now?"
She could see the muscle in his jaw clench, his lips thinning as he suddenly jerked back in disgust.
The movement brought the ends of his hiatai swaying forwards, barely brushing against her chin. The feel of it brought back memories, memories mingled with an overwhelming sense of horror and self-loathing that Ino ruthlessly quashed in order to hold on to the indignation she so righteously felt belonged to her.
Seeing that the Hyuuga was obviously not going to say anything, she spun around, deliberately smacking her ponytail in his face in a typically childish manner. Her exiting stalk was ruined however, by a flat, emotionless query.
"Do you love him?"
The harsh question had her pausing involuntarily. Never in her life would Ino have expected Hyuuga Neji to unbend from his strict sense of propriety enough to actually inquire into something so personal. She didn't turn back, unable to come up with an answer.
"You don't, do you?"
His voice was getting louder, angrier, accompanied by a brisk step forwards.
"How can you do that with him, if you don't love him?"
Swallowing past the lump lodged in her throat, Ino clenched her fist, wanting to scream at him but too fearful that she would only embarrass herself further. She could hear him breathing behind her, even from a few feet away, the sound oddly ragged and empty.
Ino merely shook her head, her feet moving almost automatically to take her away.
I don't know. How can you?
-o-O-o-
"Damn, what happened to you, Kiba?"
Ino gaped at the usually energetic boy as he lay limply back on the narrow bed. His bare chest was covered in dark, circular bruises, along with his muscled arms and stomach. A medic was patiently applying a thick cream to the injuries while his teammates stood next to the side.
"Hyuuga Neji, that's what."
Hinata lowered her head even more, wringing her hands in an agitated manner.
"Sor-sorry, Kiba-kun. I don't know why Neji nii-sama got so…so angry. I couldn't stop him."
Shino lifted a hand to adjust his sunglasses.
"Don't blame yourself, Hinata. It's not your fault."
"Damned straight!"
The outburst seemed to have knocked out what little wind was left in Kiba's lungs. He lay there obviously trying not to cringe before angrily muttering something about a crazy, unstable Neji deliberately coming up to him and Jyuukening him without warning.
Ino could only blink.
"You mean Neji just came and beat you up for no reason?"
A fierce scowl was directed at her.
"Hey, I could have won if he had offered me a fair fight! Bastard just flew over and started attacking me! Dunno who shoved the stick too far up his ass this morning."
Sakura's muffled giggle brought another fierce scowl. Ino glanced over at her friend in irritation as she leaned against the doorframe. It seemed as though more than one person shared her opinion of the Hyuuga but she'd be damned if she let anyone else mock him like that.
"You're just lucky Hinata was there to reopen your tenketsus right away. Or else you wouldn't have been able to move properly for the rest of the day. What did you do to piss Neji off so badly anyways?"
"How the hell should I know? Someone probably just screwed up his breakfast or he discovered that he really does look like a girl and couldn't take it anymore. All I know is that the next time I see him, I'm going to kick his ass so bad he won't be able to sit on it for a week! Ha! That'll be a good excuse to spread rumours that he's gay…"
A horrified whimper from Hinata had the Inuzuka flusteredly backtracking. It was clear that they weren't going to get any more information out of him for a while since he was obviously preoccupied with reassuring the other girl that he was just joking. Nodding to Shino as they quietly left the room, the two girls exchanged a look.
"So…any idea why Neji-kun's so steamed?"
Sakura's tone of voice was just too innocent to be true. Ino shrugged.
"No idea. I haven't talked to him in nearly two weeks."
Now it was Sakura's turn to gape.
"Two weeks? Are you serious? You guys are always together though!"
"You're exaggerating. Why would we always be together? I barely know him."
A firm hand on her arm had Ino stopping mid-stride. She allowed herself to be maneuvered into one of those hard chairs lining the faded green hospital walls.
"What's going on, Ino? Come on, it's me. You don't have to be strong."
Her friend's voice was gentle now, the sea-green eyes brimming with open concern. It had been a long time and many things had happened between them but underneath it all, they were still friends. The confusion and pain she had kept dammed up suddenly rushed over her in an unstoppable flood. Ino gripped the fabric of her skirt, leaning heavily against Sakura's shoulder.
"I…Sakura, I was there. I heard you two."
"There? Oh, Ino. You heard us in the bar that night?"
She nodded weakly, the moving forms of passing medics and visitors blurring slightly as her eyes filled once again with tears.
Gah, she was so sick of crying.
I am so pathetic. Who would have thought Yamanaka Ino would end up as one of those rejected, sobbing losers?
"I'm sorry, Ino. I didn't mean to pry. It's just that I thought it would be good to try and get him to face his feelings."
A wistful smirk touched her lips.
"What feelings? He's Hyuuga Neji, remember? He doesn't feel anything for anyone. Least of all, for someone like me."
"You know that's not true, Ino."
Sakura shifted, pushing her up so that she could stare into those lost blue eyes confidently.
"He cares about you. Even though he didn't say it, anyone can see that. Why else would he spend so much time with you? You're like the only female he willingly hangs out with outside of training."
"Stop it, Sakura. You were right there; you heard him. He doesn't feel the same way."
"No."
A hand tugged playfully on her blonde strands.
"I heard what he said. But I have eyes too. All of us can see the way his eyes light up when he sees you, the way he stands just a little bit closer to you than to other people. He's crazy about you; even Shikamaru mentioned it once. And you know how uninterested he is in other people's relationships."
I thought the same thing too. But I can't … I won't set myself up like that again.
"You're delusional, Sakura. Just leave me alone. I'm fine, really."
"No, you're not!"
A frustrated whack on the wall left a hand-shaped dent in the plaster. Ino stared incredulously at that fearsome display of strength before inching away cautiously.
"Uh…"
"You have to trust your feelings, Ino! Because Neji-kun just doesn't know how to cope with his! It's up to you to get him to open up. Don't take no for an answer!"
Her eyes were blazing, her hair flying in blindingly pink display around her head. Ino moved further back, nearly falling out of her seat in the process.
"You know, maybe you've been spending too much time with Lee-san lately. That's probably not such a great idea…"
"Go and talk to him! Sitting here moping won't do you any good."
"Sakura, we've already talked. There's nothing to…"
The pink-haired kunoichi shook her head ruefully, her soft smile trembling slightly in understanding. She understood the pain and self-doubt all too well. That was why she didn't want Ino to have to suffer through the same thing.
"You can't give up, Ino. That's not like you. Besides, who else is going to take care of Neji-kun? Do you really want to just let him go like that? You want to leave him alone … again?"
The solemn words struck a chord deep within her.
Sakura was right.
Everyone is searching for that rock, their calm in the eye of the storm. He might be mine, but I'm also his.
Standing up, she threw back her shoulders, tossing her ponytail back confidently. Yamanaka Ino was back.
"Thanks, Sakura. I guess that big forehead of yours actually does hide a big brain."
Rolling her eyes, said forehead-girl merely stuck out her tongue, grinning at the sight of the old Ino.
"You'd better believe it, Ino-pig. Now get to it!"
Chuckling, Ino ran off, waving as she headed to the training field.
-o-O-o-
"Stop right there, Hyuuga Neji!"
The boy did not even bother to turn his head. He did, however, stop as she requested.
"What did you do to Kiba?"
Neji's expression was completely composed when he finally turned to face the seething blonde kunoichi as she stood glaring at him in the middle of the training field.
The field fell silent almost immediately as the loud question resounded around them. Tenten shot him a surprised glance, which he chose to ignore. Unlike some people, his teammate knew better than to pick a fight with an angry Hyuuga.
"Nothing he didn't deserve."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Her brilliant eyes flashed dangerously, the words practically snarled out of her mouth in a manner not unlike the Inuzuka they were discussing. Ino closed the distance between them rapidly, heedless of the stares from the other shinobi.
"I think you know."
"How would you know what I'm thinking? Don't think you know everything, Neji. That Byakugan of yours can only read emotions, not minds."
Her taunting jab barely provoked a reaction out of him. He merely continued to stare at her, his arms folded loosely but entire body tensed as if ready for action.
"Why, Neji? Just answer me that! And don't give me any more of your complicated mumbo-jumbo!"
A pause.
"Because I felt like it."
Ino's jaw dropped.
What kind of a person beats the shit out of someone else just because he feels like it? Isn't that illegal?
Another voice in her head chimed up.
Well, that person isn't Neji in any case. He never does anything without a real reason.
Frowning, the girl took another step forward, close enough to smell the familiar scent of the woods and incense coming off of him. The headiness of it combined with the unwavering way he was gazing at her gave rise to the sudden urge to bury herself in his arms like she used to.
"Neji…"
His eyes widened minutely at her uncertain whisper. This time, it was him who took a step towards her, bringing him in close enough for her to feel the heat radiating from his lean body.
The desire grew stronger.
"Ino."
The field was still occupied by a couple of other teams, their training forgotten as all of them shamelessly watched the scene unfolding before them with bated breaths. It wasn't every day that one actually got to see Hyuuga Neji display any sort of emotion other than contempt or indifference.
A pale hand raised partially between their bodies, making as if to reach out for the other person. Blue was locked on white as each struggled with the jumble of thoughts running through their heads and the stubborn lock on their tongues that prevented them from just saying what they wanted.
They really were more alike than one would have supposed.
"Tell me why, Neji."
A warm breeze lifted the loose blonde strands in an airy dance around her flushed face. The spectators strained to hear her words; it was also rare to witness Yamanaka Ino speaking in any volume other than screeching level.
"Why what?"
"Why did you hit Kiba? Why…why am I even doing this?"
Why don't you want me?
Her eyes were pleading in a way she would never have done verbally. Neji inhaled sharply, his expression softening in a way he would never show but to her.
His head lowered imperceptibly as his gaze started to roam hungrily over her face. It had been lonely without her laughter, her chattering. Lonely in a way Neji had slowly come to realize he could no longer return to.
He didn't want to.
"Ino, I…"
"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE, MY LOVELY STUDENTS? WHY HAS EVERYONE STOPPED TRAINING? AHHH…I SEE! YOU MUST BE ENJOYING YOUR SPRINGTIME OF YOUTH!"
All heads simultaneously whipped around to witness the unceasingly disturbing sight of Gai clad in his usual skin-tight green bodysuit. To everyone's dismay, he jumped right in between the two main characters and clamped a fatherly arm around the Hyuuga's stiff shoulders. Forcibly dragging the boy towards the edge of the forest, the Jounin did not seem to notice his reluctance as he waved cheerfully back at Ino, all the while continuously ranting on and on about how happy he was that his students had finally followed his advice.
Tenten shot Ino a commiserating look as she hurried off after the two men, Lee having bounded ahead after giving the stunned girl a quick pat on the shoulder and a smile that was less maniac and more gentle than usual.
Everyone else resumed their training, the utter silence that had swept the field gradually rising into excited chatters as they quietly speculated on what they had seen. As for Ino, she stood stock still staring at the leaving figures, unable to comprehend exactly what had happened.
One minute she had been so sure that Neji was about to kiss her that her heart had literally threatened to burst out of her chest; the next, she was left there alone and confused as he left without so much as a parting word.
Neji…
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A/N: I'm not super pleased with this chapter cuz it seems a little disjointed so I'll probably come back and take a look at it later. Just wanted to get SOMETHING posted up while I'm actually sitting here writing or else I know I'm going to start procrastinating again.
So yeah, please do let me know how you feel and thanks for reading!