Sometimes, sleep is the best cure for what ails a person. When Gaara woke up in his basement room that morning, drenched in sweat from another horrible dream, he knew sleep was something he was never allowed to have. He was back to the 2-4 hour sleep schedule he had been surviving on the past year or so. He wasn't getting any more than that any time soon.

He did feel calmer and more in control. As he unfurled from the floor and stood, his back cracking from the uncomfortable position, he knew his day would not be as bad as the last. He would take the time to meditate, clear his mind, and think of a way to get back on the hunters' good graces and earn his stay. Despite Tsunade's harsh words, she had Uzumaki's best interest at heart and would do anything she could to help him if she was able. Right now, she believed him leaving was the best thing for Uzumaki, he'd just have to prove her wrong.

He did cancel Matsuri's training session that day. While he was feeling slightly better, he didn't want to see the young girl just yet. Avoiding her was a temporary fix, but temporary fixes bought time, and it was exactly what he needed.

The trip to school wasn't too bad either. His driver had filled the car with the scent of kapet, drowning out the smell of humans with its strong, sweet, woodsy smell put both Seth and him at ease. Kapet was difficult to get a hold of, and the best ones were crafted by hand, taking two weeks to prepare with ingredients that were difficult to get hold off. Gaara could always tell which versions were handmade and which were processed. Only the handmade version could lull him into a pseudo meditative state, putting his mind at ease without fear of Seth taking advantage of it.

However, his driver managed to get a hold of the incense, he was grateful, and Gaara made a mental note to give the man a raise for his quick thinking. He might even bother to remember the driver's name if he stayed around this time.

Getting out of the car, and the cool air clearing out his nose and senses, he remembered why he never went out of his way to find kapet. It made him too docile and the incense was extremely strong and clung onto his skin and clothes. It made him an easy target and prevented him from sneaking up on anyone. Not the ideal situation to put himself in.

However, school property was safe to some degree with the mixture of hunters to stop outside threats and normal humans to stop the hunters. With the effect lasting about an hour or so, it at the very least made Gaara's day a little easier to get through without looking at every human as food.

In the classroom, Uzumaki was sitting on his desk with Inuzuka sitting in a chair next to him on one side, and Uchiha on the other. He noticed the way Uchiha was blocking the hunter's access to Uzumaki, putting himself between them. If it was intentional, it put Gaara's heart a little more at ease, knowing that the week was up, and Nara was no longer obligated to keep Uzumaki's secret.

Uzumaki looked up from whatever conversation he and Inuzuka were deeply involved in, and Uzumaki's eyes lit up upon seeing him. It was like a healing balm to Gaara, and Gaara almost smiled back. His eyes became gentle as he looked at his friend who waved him over enthusiastically. "Gaara! Over here!"

Gaara was drawn to him like a moth to flame. Uzumaki had always been his light in the darkness. The shadow Gaara had seen on Uzumaki's face when he returned home from the three days he was missing was no longer there. In fact, Uzumaki looked even lighter as if one of his many weights had been removed. What brought that change along?

Gaara couldn't bring himself to care how as long as Uzumaki was happy. He sat down in the empty chair waiting just for him, Uzumaki the center of their circle of friends. Once Gaara was seated, Uzumaki continued his conversation with Inuzuka. It was something insignificant. A manga or anime of some sort or perhaps a videogame. Either way, Gaara was lost.

"But what makes you think he couldn't teleport more than one person. I mean, you've never actually seen him try before," Uzumaki insisted.

"Exactly! He's never done it. When the planet was being devoured, if he could do it, why didn't he do it then? Then his girlfriend wouldn't have had to die," Inuzuka pressed, rolling his eyes as if Uzumaki was an idiot.

"But that was after he just fought one of the biggest battles in his life and was barely standing. If he tried to do it then, they'd probably all die."

"This is the stupidest conversation I've ever heard," Uchiha muttered under his breath, but Uzumaki and Gaara heard him with relative ease being the closest to him.

"You only say that because you don't have the attention span to appreciate the show," Uzumaki replied, with a teasing voice.

Uchiha raised an eyebrow, "You're right. I actually have something called a life. It's a shame you don't have one." Uchiha was forced to lean back as Uzumaki playfully tried to kick him.

Gaara watched them, wondering when the two of them had gotten so close. Stealing a glance at Inuzuka, he seemed to be thinking the same thing, watching the two of them interact silently and intently.

Gaara listened to Uzumaki talk until homeroom started, which at that point, Gaara was trying to get another half an hour of sleep in. He wasn't successful, but resting his eyes had its merits too. He would take all the rest he could get. As for normal school days go, this one couldn't be much better all things considered. There was only one thing that could make it better.

Lunch started normally enough. Iruka called up Uzumaki to collect his Japanese literature assignment, and Inuzuka was balancing on the hind legs of his chair. Feeling a bit playful himself, he knocked the chair out from under Inuzuka with his foot, causing him to fall, gaining a chuckle from everyone, even Uchiha.

He should have stayed happy with that, but then he saw him, staring through the windows from the hall right at Gaara. Hyuuga.

His problems with Hyuuga resurfaced to the front of Gaara's thoughts, and Gaara stood, fixated on Hyuuga's form which was leaving. Hyuuga had come to see him first. Could it be that perhaps his memory had been wiped after all? Or did Hyuuga want to talk to him? Both were foolishly optimistic, but he had not gotten a clear view of Hyuuga's face. Hyuuga had only stayed at the window long enough for Gaara to notice he was there.

Without a word to anyone, Gaara followed after him.

Even if Hyuuga didn't really want to see him. He wanted to explain his side of the story. Hyuuga deserved that much at least. This odd relationship they had developed deserved some sort of closure. Whatever happened to Hyuuga as the result of his carelessness, Gaara owed that much.

He followed Hyuuga, not approaching him until he knew they were alone. The conversation was not for others to hear. Eventually, Hyuuga disappeared into the student council room, deserted in the middle of the school day. It was the perfect place.

Twisting the handle and hesitating only a short moment, Gaara stepped inside.

Confused at not seeing Hyuuga waiting for him, he almost didn't move in time. Hyuuga, hidden behind the door, lunged at him with a stake in his hand. Gaara grabbed Hyuuga's hand, stopping the stake from impaling him, but the fast movement brought on another dizzy spell, knocking Gaara off balance. Hyuuga instinctively took advantage of it, kicking out Gaara's leg and causing him to fall.

Gaara's world tilted violently to the point of almost blacking out. He swallowed the bile that rose in his throat. He fell onto his back, hitting his head on the floor. Vaguely, he was aware of Hyuuga on top of him, and that Gaara was barely keeping him at bay from plunging that stake through his heart. Then, Seth decided to wake up and take over.

Fueled by rage, Gaara threw Hyuuga off him, tossing him clear across the room, rolling to a stop on the floor. As Hyuuga regained his bearings, Gaara got onto his feet, his eyes glowing golden brown full of hatred. He pounced before Hyuuga could even stand, grabbing him by his throat and shoving Hyuuga against the wall, ripping the stake from his hands and tossing it out of reach.

"You would betray me?" Gaara growled. His voice was not entirely his own. Seth had grabbed one of the reigns, his presence standing right on Gaara's heels. "Why?!" he demanded, tightening his grip on Neji's throat.

Neji couldn't answer, scratching at Gaara's hands, eyes full of fear and pleading.

The fear in Neji's eyes snapped Gaara out of it. It was a look he had been avoiding, something he didn't want to see from him. Gaara let him go immediately, turning his back to him and taking a few steps away, feeling the urge to pace as Seth urged him on, trying to influence his thoughts with the surges of anger and mistrust, and Gaara fought back with tooth and nail, trying to keep a semblance of his sanity and keep the enraged beast calm.

He heard Hyuuga scramble for the stake, but Gaara beat him to it, picking it up and throwing it across the room like a javelin and embedding it into the wall. His weapon gone, Hyuuga backed away, putting distance between Gaara and himself. Gaara was blocking his way to the door and was essentially cornered with nowhere to run.

The explanation Gaara had prepared had flown from his memory with the attack. The hope that perhaps he and Hyuuga could work something out had crumbled. He knew what Seth wanted him to say, to do. He'd want Gaara to take Hyuuga for his own, lock him away, and take what Gaara wanted and needed from him without consent. Punishment for attacking him and losing.

And Gaara was tempted.

The solace of sleep. The satisfaction of being fed. It was within his grasps, and that scared him more than Hyuuga's behavior. What he was wanting to do just to live a comfortable life. It was something a monster would do.

Gaara stopped his pacing and turned slightly to Hyuuga, not fully facing him, but enough that Hyuuga could see the side of his face. He opened his mouth for it to close partially then tried again. "Do you want to see me dead that much?" he was proud his voice didn't crack.

He waited for an answer, but none came. He couldn't bring himself to look at Hyuuga. He only turned away more. "Alright. I'll make sure you never have to see me ever again," the words left his mouth sounding despondent. There was a spike in fear in Hyuuga's scent, and it solidified Gaara's decision. Making good on his vow, he left Hyuuga's sight, never looking back.

Gaara found himself wandering the school halls, ignoring the students roaming the halls during the lunch period. Even as the class bell rang, he didn't go back, still walking aimlessly until he found a quiet spot on the third East floor where the clubrooms were held. Sliding down to the floor, he quietly reflected on everything that had happened.

He and Hyuuga weren't friends. He had already known that. Gaara's strange attachment to him was the food Hyuuga provided. It had always been that way, and it was proven in the way he was ready to make Hyuuga his. He was a monster, playing human. Getting close to someone only to feed off them. How could he have forgotten so easily? Hyuuga's reaction and the fear he held towards him were normal. Hyuuga was normal. There should have never been interaction between them from the start.

Gaara stared blankly ahead, staring at the empty blue sky. Everything he touched was destroyed. It had been that way since he was a child. His mere existence was a curse. Hyuuga was paying. Naruto was paying. Matsuri was only a matter of time. Everyone was right. He didn't belong here.

At some point, Uzumaki found him, sitting down on the floor beside him quietly. Gaara didn't move or say anything to greet him. He didn't have to. Uzumaki took the lead as always.

"How about we ditch class and go to that café by the ferry? I heard they have a new dessert," he offered warmly. "I'll pay."

Uzumaki's once pleasant presence just felt painful, and Gaara shied away from it, no longer able to bear it. Standing, he walked away, pulling out his cellphone. Listlessly, he went through his contacts, finding the one he wanted and dialed.

Two rings later, someone picked up.

"I'll do it," he said, sounding lifeless even to himself. "I'll go home."


Neji knew it wasn't going to work. Deep down, he didn't think he would do as well as he did. After the surprise attack failed, he hadn't expected Gaara to be so easily overpowered. During the scuffle, when he had gotten Gaara on the floor and was pushing the stake closer and closer to its goal, he had seen Gaara's bewildered face and hesitated.

In that second of hesitation, Gaara turned the tide of the battle, knocking Neji off, and Neji thought he was done for. Gaara's face was borderline monstrous when he was choking him, threatening to snap his neck with a single hand. Neji was afraid and at Gaara's mercy when Gaara suddenly backed off as if startled with his own actions.

Unable to find an escape, Neji could do nothing but study his opponent, looking for a weakness as he was trained to do. He didn't like what he saw.

Gaara was full of weaknesses. As time stretched on during their standoff, Neji noticed more and more things about Gaara he wished he could not see. Gaara was deathly pale. Dark bags had formed under his eyes that resembled bruises. His frame looked much thinner than before, and Gaara was the one who looked anxious, scared, and vulnerable. Gaara looked as if he was barely standing, and Neji felt like he was the one picking on the weak.

However, when Gaara asked his question, Neji didn't know what to do or think, throwing his mind into chaos. "Do you want me dead that badly?" The hurt in Gaara's voice. From someone who was too stubborn to show much of any emotion to say that, Neji knew the answer was no. He didn't want Gaara dead, but what else was he supposed to do? Was there another path? Gaara killed someone and had threatened to kill another and had tried to kill him. Where did he draw the line?

Unable to answer, Gaara did it for him, proclaiming he would never show himself in front of Neji again. Fear clutched at him, hearing those words. It should be what he wanted. He shouldn't be near anyone that dangerous, and Gaara was volunteering to leave him alone, but that wasn't what he wanted. He didn't know what he wanted.

Neji shook his head, clutching his hair in his hands. He tried to think of Gaara as soulless like the stories. He tried to tell himself that the emotions he saw were a trick. But there was nothing fake about Gaara's broken voice and vulnerable state.

He was being pulled every which way. Logic told him Sai was right. Gaara was dangerous and should be taken care of so no one else was hurt. His heart disagreed.

The day passed while he sequestered himself in the student council room until the final bell where he had to vacate else be found by the other students. He didn't care about his attendance, lessons, or anything else. He didn't even go to his club practice or prepare for cram school, and he avoided Sai like the plague. He needed answers he could rely on but had no one to ask.

He found himself just walking through the school, brushing off anyone who attempted to talk to him, not bothering to add an excuse for his rudeness.

He didn't stop moving until he almost bumped into Matsuri, standing there innocent and wide eyed. He attempted to go around her. She sidestepped to block his path. He tried again, met with a similar result.

"Matsuri-chan," he started exhaustedly, but she put up her hand to silence him, throwing him off with her boldness.

"Hyuuga-senpai is looking for you," she said as if it answered why she was being so forward.

Not wanting to see Hinata, he was less than eager to accept and attempted to walk around her again., but again she blocked him. He was losing his patience with her, thinking of ways to get his displeasure across when she added, "She said it will determine if you would live or die."

Many things crossed his mind at those words. Hinata didn't exaggerate, and the first conclusion he jumped to was that she was in trouble. "Take me to her," he said with urgency.

Matsuri gave a sharp nod, and from then on, she acted like she was on a mission, moving with a purpose with an uncharacteristic serious expression. She led him from the school to a car that was waiting for them by a driver Neji did not recognize. Matsuri got in without hesitation, but Neji did think twice before getting in as well.

"You should go home, Matsuri-chan. Things might get dangerous."

"I'll be okay," she said, determined. Her eyes concentrated on the road ahead as they pulled away from the school. "I need to be there."

Neji didn't argue the point. He didn't know the circumstances of her situation and he didn't know what she knew about his. He was more concerned about what to do if it was Gaara. Was there anything he could do?

He could barely contain his anxiety.

When the car slowed to a stop, Neji jumped out, looking for any sight of Hinata or Gaara. They were in front of what looked to be an abandoned house in the mountains. It was a large traditional Japanese house and trees and roots had taken hold in much of the foundation. The only thing notable about it was the large doghouse in the yard.

Hinata was standing on the porch. She was still in her school uniform, but something was different about her. Her normal timid nature was nowhere to be seen. For the first time, she stood tall and prideful, her eyes sharp and focused.

"Hinata? Are you okay?" Neji kept looking for Gaara as he approached her. "What's going on? Why did you call me here?"

She raised a hand silencing him. "Neji-nii, before I say anything else. You need to make a choice. The choice of staying ignorant of what's going on and forgetting everything, going back to the way things were. Or I can tell you the truth, and nothing will be the same. You'll never be able to go back to being ignorant, and your life you have now will be over. Knowing the truth will make you a target, and you could die. So, choose carefully."

Neji didn't know how to even tackle the information she just told him. The way she was speaking so confidently, the implication that she knew what was going on, the choice she was giving him, it was just more information to a mountain he had to digest. She was, however, offering him the information he craved, and Hinata would never lie to him.

Gaara's hurt expression came back to him and the mixed feelings he had towards it. "Do you know the truth behind Gaara?"

"Yes," she answered immediately. "Is that your answer?"

Neji thought it over a bit more. In the end, he chose the only choice he had. He needed to know if he made a mistake or not. If Gaara was evil or not. He needed to know.

"Tell me everything."

Hinata gave a relieved but sad smile. "Okay. I will, but it will be easier to show you first."

Matsuri, who Neji had temporarily forgotten was there, walked into his peripheral vision gaining his attention. She stopped in front of a tree, glanced at him, then back at the tree. With a deep breath, Matsuri tentatively placed her hand on the trunk. Before Neji's eyes, the tree was encased in a solid block of ice.

"I'm part yuki-onna," she explained at Neji's shocked expression. "I guess you could say, I'm kind of dangerous if I'm not careful," she added reluctantly.

Hinata went over to the young girl who moved out of the way, making room for her. She inhaled deeply, then slowly went into a very familiar defensive stance in front of the frozen tree. Neji had taken that stance every day when training. It was the basic of the basics. She did a single palm strike to the middle of the trunk. Her form was perfect, and it was a solid hit. The ice cracked then exploded outwards like exploding glass, fanning out from where she struck. The top of the tree toppled over, shattering on the ground from the impact.

"The world is full of creatures like Matsuri-chan. Humans with special abilities, like the Hyuuga clan, hunt these creatures down and usually kill them." Hinata shot an apologetic look at Matsuri. "With some exceptions." A bit of her timid behavior came back as she looked down to the ground. "What we mostly hunt though, is vampires."

"Our family… fights vampires?" Neji repeated dumbfounded. The rage boiled up inside him at what that implied. "Was I the only one who didn't know?" his voice shook with anger.

Guilt covered Hinata's face. "Yes."

Neji chuckled. Maybe he had finally cracked. Somehow it was all insane, yet it all made sense. "So I was never a part of the family. I was just kept around like some sort of charity case."

"That's not true!" she interjected. "Otou-san has his reasons."

"Don't lie to me!" he yelled, silencing her. He didn't want to hear anymore. Too much made sense now. Why he always felt shunned and belittled. He was never considered a Hyuuga. He never really had a family, and he was the only one who didn't realize that. Knowing that, he felt more alone than ever. He wanted to end the conversation with him right there, but she had the information he needed. "Tell me about Gaara."

"Can you let us talk alone, Yukimura-chan?" she asked without looking at Matsuri.

Matsuri looked between the cousins and quietly went to wait by the car. Neji's patience was growing thin, but he waited for the girl to get out of earshot. The silence was just making him think more, and it was the last thing he needed right now.

"A long time ago, there were nine vampire lords. They wreaked havoc on the world until there was a war between them and the human who opposed them called hunters, but the hunters were unable to beat them. Pushed to desperation, the only thing they could do was trick them one by one and separate their souls from their bodies.

"Their bodies were sealed away. To keep their souls from possessing whoever they liked until they could find and release their bodies, the souls were sealed away inside nine powerful hunters whose bodies were strong enough to contain their spirits. The hope was that once those hunters died, their souls would die too or at the very least, pass on to the next world, but it didn't work like that. The souls were drawn to infants with high qi levels, but the curse that imprisoned them was still active and the infants became their new prison. And the cycle was created. Each time a host to a lord dies, someone else becomes the prison. Gaara-san is one of those prisons.

"I don't know what exactly happened in the past, but Gaara-san's seal is very weak. Because of this, he has vampiric tendencies."

"So he kills innocent people often," Neji asked quietly.

"It's not like that," she hastily defended. "Last week, Gaara-san was attacked and could have died. If he didn't kill that man to heal his wounds, he could have died."

A glimmer of hope shined in front of Neji, and he grasped for it with all he had. "So, it was an exception?" Hinata averted her gaze, and that hope flickered out like a candle.

"I don't know Gaara-san well. He never seems to care about anyone or anything, and he's sometimes violent, but he was worried about you. He wanted to know if you were okay."

Gaara was worried about him? Neji had tried to kill him even though he was human, but Gaara fed off people regularly. While some of his questions were answered, others had replaced them. He didn't feel any less confused than he was before. "I think… I need some time to think this over. Alone."

Hinata dawdled. Her eyes were burning with what she wanted to say being help back. Eventually, she relented, whispering, "I'll be waiting in the car."

Neji didn't pay her any more attention. Somehow, he felt worse and better now. Previously, he had been lost but there was always an unease accompanying it due to the feeling like he didn't know everything, that something was kept hidden from him. He knew there was still a lot of things he didn't know. He still had to ask about his uncle and his intentions, but he had his foot in the door even if that meant now knowing for certain he was not really considered a Hyuuga. What to do now?

He approached the shattered remains of the tree, crouching to pick up a piece. Matsuri and Hinata were anything but formidable. At least that was what he thought until today. Matsuri was small, cute, and optimistic. It was hard to see her as anything but an adorable little girl. Hinata was even harder to imagine. He had grown up with her. Protected her.

He clutched the piece in his hand, the sting from the cold biting through his skin.

And then there was Gaara. He wanted to know more. What Hinata told him wasn't nearly enough to make a decision on what to do. Hinata said he almost died. Why was that? And what did Gaara think of him for trying to finish the job? His mind was full of questions, but he wanted to hear it from Gaara's mouth. Would Gaara even give him the time of day after what he did out of fear and misunderstanding?

Well, misunderstanding was a stretch. What he had seen was real. Gaara did take a life in order for him to survive. The real question was, did he want to rekindle a friendship with someone who had to kill just to survive. Could he get over the fact that Gaara had killed? That something dangerous lurked inside him? To ignore that many were dying in order for one person to live?

Before he met Gaara, the answer had been obvious. Now, he wasn't so sure.

"Um… onii-san," Neji hadn't heard Matsuri's approach, but her voice wavered, as if uncertain if she was allowed to call him that. "Do you have any questions for me? I want to help if I can."

Neji turned his body to observe the girl. It was hard to believe she was part demon. Yet another thing that widened Neji's previously narrow vision of the world. However, as he looked upon her, seeing her bracing herself for rejection and hatred, he still saw her as the young girl crying in the classroom over having no one to lean on.

He waved her over, and she approached him, careful to keep her distance, squatting a good meter away from him and staring at the wreckage with him.

"You said Gaara was your teacher. What was he teaching you exactly?"

Matsuri placed her chin on her knees, poking at one of the frozen shards. "Gaara-sensei says it's to control my powers," she said, her voice low and sullen. "But if I had to say, it's more like learning not to feel."

"Not to feel?"

She nodded. "Gaara-sensei often tells me how dangerous it is to let my emotions go rampant. So we meditate a lot."

"That sounds hard on you," he replied unsure what to say.

"I know what you're thinking. It sounds cruel. I thought so too. But he was right. Sure enough, I have better control of my powers now, but just one slip—" she hesitated and hugged her knees close to her. "Well, you can see what I can do. If I'm sad, nervous, anxious, or overly excited, I end up accidentally hurting people."

Silence took over for a short while. Cold air drifted towards Neji from Matsuri's direction and a quick glance showed the small pile of snow that had formed in front of her. She cupped the snow, turning it into a snowball. "I think Gaara-sensei knows firsthand how hard it is to be different. For people to be afraid of you. When we first met, Gaara-sensei tried to scare me away. He told me he killed people. He didn't want me to trust him and told me people would turn on me and that I should look out for myself. Even yesterday, he told me that I shouldn't trust anyone and to expect them to try to kill me at any moment. When I slipped up only one time, I lost my friends' and classmates' trust. It hurt so much to see them turn on me, I cried, wondering what I could do to make it all better, but I had Gaara-sensei and you to make it more bearable. I don't think Gaara-sensei had anyone."

With her finger, she drew a face on the snowball, smiling sadly back at it as she drew the mouth. "It sounds like a lonely existence doesn't it? Not to be able to feel or trust anyone?"

"Yes…it does." Neji agreed. Flashes of Gaara's panicked state entered his mind. Times of when Gaara seemed to snap back to his usual self after his loss of control. How unsettled he seemed and desperate to create distance between himself and others. He always kept people at a distance. Even between Uzumaki.

"I know Gaara-sensei seems really scary. He frightens me at times too, but he's also very kind. I just hope you see that too, onii-san." She extended the snowball to him.

Neji's face softened with a gentle smile as he took the snowball from her. Their fingertips brushed at the exchanged, and his entire body became chilled, his breath even becoming visible. Instead of shying away, he did his best to pretend it didn't faze him, still taking the snowball even as he fought back a shiver and she tried to pull away.

He cradled the snowball in his hands, staring at the face. "I don't think the situation is as simple as you think it is, Matsuri-chan. A lot has happened, and I'm not sure if I can accept it." He added some eyebrows to the snowball and a small nose. "Even if I do, it may be too damaged to fix. I'm sure Gaara doesn't want to see me. I've betrayed him a lot recently."

She pulled her eyebrows together in thought. She didn't add anything, stopping herself from making any assumption about what may have happened or how easy the situation really was. It was a skill hard to learn at that age, when things were easily seen in black and white. Perhaps it showed that her life experiences were less than pleasant to learn it so early in life. Sometimes, carelessly offering advice without knowing the details or off the assumption of the situation's "simplicity" caused far more harm than good.

"You should head back home soon. A girl your age shouldn't be out so late." Neji said it to her as a kind upperclassman would. It was polite but there was distance in the way he addressed her, making it a nice way of telling her he wanted to be alone.

He listened to her footsteps cross the yard and to the car Hinata was waiting in. No matter how long they waited, he wasn't going to come. He knew vaguely of where he was and could find his way back. If all else failed, he could follow the view of the ocean back to town, the convenience of living on an island mostly made of mountains.

With a few steps, he was out of their view from the car, and free to go where he pleased. Hinata could follow him, but he didn't think she would stop him, and he needed advice. He walked a short distance, finding an old staircase leading up the mountain. He sighed in relief at being able to find his way. At least the one thing he did know was that the island itself didn't change. It would be dark by the time he reached the summit, but lanterns would light the staircase once night hit as this was the staircase to the main shrine on the island. It was a long walk that he welcomed.

His legs burned pleasantly from their workout and the constant buzz he had been feeling recently since he stopped training dimmed. He used to run this staircase every morning when he was a child, building up endurance while enjoying the feel of being one with nature. As he ran up, feeling out of breath and thinking he couldn't go on, he pushed himself further thinking that he was the only one dedicated enough to run up a mountain, that his uncle would appreciate his dedication and spirit. And when he came running down, sprinting as fast as he could, risking injury, even thoughts of his family couldn't intrude on the freedom he felt. The wind rushing around him, the view of the ocean, sky, and the treetops below, he felt like he was flying.

He was just starting to break a sweat when he reached the top. The shrine was welcoming with its soft lights and clean appearance. The monk who cared for the shrine smile warmly as he held a broom in his hand, bowing his head in greeting.

Neji bowed back. He didn't know the monk's name, only that he cared for the shrine since he was young. The monk never spoke, and Neji never felt obligated to talk to him back. The monk was like a guide, letting the silence surround you so that you could reflect on what you wanted to say before allowing you to place your wish or prayer. The visit was about the visitor, not about unnecessary pleasantries.

Neji made his way to the water pavilion, the soft sound of running water already working to relax him. Picking up the ladle with his right hand, he began the cleansing ritual, filling it with water and pouring it over his right then left hand. Using his left hand, he brought some of the water from his left hand to his lips then used the ladle to cleanse his left hand one last time before cleansing the ladle and placing it back where it belonged.

During the entire process of the ritual, his mind cleared and focused on what it was that he wanted to ask, what he wanted. There were so many questions, he didn't expect the answers to come easily or quickly. He only wanted to a direction, a foothold to climb up on his own.

By the time he reached the main shrine, he felt ready. He grabbed the rope, ringing the bell that echoed on the quiet mountain and then dropped 5 yen into the offering box. He gave a deep, low bow twice, clapped twice, then bowed again. Finally, he was ready. He put his hands together and prayed.

"I pray for guidance. Nothing more," he whispered. "Should I trust him?"

He bowed again one last time finishing the prayer.

He didn't know if the god would answer his prayer, but he did feel better. He didn't feel so overwhelmed, only slightly.

As Neji found his way back down the mountain on the lighted path, a lone figure watched, perched on the roof of the shrine. His short, snow white hair ruffled in the wind, and two black wings that protruded from his back expanded as if about to take flight. His dark black eyes watched Neji's retreating back, and he gripped his six-ringed staff in his hand tightly. "You do not mind if I take this request for you, do you Uzume-sama?" he asked, his voice failing to hide its mischievousness behind his polite words.

Another figure inside the shrine, her silhouette just visible with the rise of the moon, spoke. "Please do." Her voice caressed the ears of anyone who heard with the feeling of warmth and comfort. With her permission, the silhouette disappeared as quickly as it came and the godly presence on the land disappeared.