The clock ticked loudly. Each movement of the second hand was deafening in the silence. Gaara stood, looking over the room one last time, his eyes scanning for anything he could have forgotten. His actions were robotic. He only moved when he had a purpose to do so, otherwise, he stood completely still.
It was for the best, he reminded himself, closing his suitcase. No one else would get hurt. He would stay out of the hunters' way, watch Naruto from afar the best he could, and quietly live out the rest of his time which shouldn't be long, not with his father home.
Closing his suitcase, he reached for the handle and dragged it off his bed.
"Allow me, young master," his driver stepped forward to take the bag from him, and Gaara didn't fight it, letting him take it. He didn't feel hungry anymore, just very weak. Since confronting Hyuuga he had lost his appetite. He knew the hunger was there, he was just numb to it.
His driver walked behind him. Gaara still had not bothered to learn his name. With a flick of a switch, he turned off the power to his simulated desert and another to call the elevator. It was then everything went black.
He didn't know what happened.
By the time he was aware of anything, he was seated on his private plane, leaning against the window. He sat up straight to look around briefly then settled back in his chair when a young stewardess asked if she could do anything for him. He recognized her and the plane interior, so he knew he was safe. The lack of time did not even register as a concern. The past day or so, he had been zoning out to the point he did not recall doing things or going places, moving on autopilot to get through the day.
The scent of kapet that drifted to him in the air fought against the cotton that had filled his head. It was like a fog had surrounded him and everything was just a dream. Kapet may have helped, but he was at his limit. Every move felt like concrete in his veins weighing him down. His thoughts and feelings were fleeting at best. It had never been this bad before, but he had never been pushed so far before either. He was at his limit mentally and physically.
The plane ride was a blur, everything going by him in a dreamlike fashion. No one spoke or interacted with him unless they had to. After many hours, the familiar desert came into view and the plane descended on the runway. There was no going back now. His father would be expecting him.
When he was reminded of this tidbit of information, he felt himself shrinking at the thought, curling in on himself. He didn't want to go back. Surely, it would be the same as before. His father's promises meant nothing. If it benefited him, his father would do anything to get what he wanted. He had done anything he wanted.
A limo was waiting for him with four guards surrounding it, dressed in black despite the raging heat of the sun. But each of them had the symbol of the medjay somewhere on their body, slightly visible so other hunters would know who they were. Some had it on their necks, others on the inside of their forearm, or just above the ankle. They did not smile or show any form of emotion as they stood waiting for his arrival. They were professional and cold. Never allowed to speak to him or even look at him for longer than a couple of seconds.
It wasn't just the guards that acted this way. Many of the servants and others who worked for his family, didn't look or acknowledge him in any way. They would serve his family, but not him. He had to open his own doors, serve his own food, carry his own luggage because he was not meant to be. He should not exist. Therefore, they treated him as such. They dehumanized him.
He packed his luggage in the trunk, and got inside, counting down the minutes until he would have to be back in that house. Even his vague detachment from reality from his poor state could not stop the intense dread that crept up his spine every passing second.
His shaking became so bad, he was unsure what was the cause of it, whether it was the fear of seeing his father or the lack of strength and energy he had left. His hands became so unsteady, that just grabbing the zipper and opening his backpack was a small challenge. He needed to read. He needed his words to settle him. He needed to hear Naruto's voice even in its written form.
Pulling out the worn manuscript, a small business card slipped out onto his lap. Gaara blinked, realizing what it was and how he had failed to properly dispose of it as he was supposed to. He grasped the card between his fingers, reading the address, then clutched it in his hand, crumbling it.
He said something. He couldn't recall what until the limo pulled up to an unfamiliar house. It was a modern, contemporary design, mostly made of glass with a small yard and fence surrounding the property. And while it was a relatively big size, it was modest as well. Big enough to show that the owner had money, but not big enough to flaunt it. The gate opened to allow them entrance.
Upon seeing the entrance, Gaara wondered why he had chosen here of all places. The end result would be the same. There would be no shelter from his father, and there was no one to lean on. He was foolish for directing the driver here. It was a lost cause.
Those negative thoughts plagued his mind as he moved to get out the limousine. He didn't immediately collect his belongings, walking tentatively up to the front door. This was humiliating, he thought, pressing the doorbell. He had fallen low to come here just to be rejected again. And yet, he stood there for a long time, waiting for someone to come to the door, knowing that it was probably a sign that he was not welcome here.
Kankuro opened the door much to Gaara's quiet surprise. He met his brother's gaze, then let it fall not even a second after. "Can I stay here?" he asked, waiting for his brother to send him away or order him to go back to his father's care.
Kankuro spent a contemplative minute looking him over, his eyes roaming over every inch of his body, before stepping aside to let him in. He ordered a servant to collect Gaara's bags, leaving Gaara standing awkwardly in the foyer. As he waited, the world decided to take a spin. Gaara's legs became weak and his vision blackened temporarily. He would have fallen if Kankuro had not moved to catch him.
"Get him some food," Kankuro ordered. It sounded muffled to Gaara who was drifting in and out of consciousness. It may have been his delusions, but Kankuro almost sounded worried. Almost.
"But sir, your father—"
"Do it," he commanded.
Gaara could no longer fight the fatigue, being claimed by it as he felt someone lift him up. "You've lost a lot of weight little brother," he heard someone say, just before he lost consciousness. Wouldn't it have been nice if that voice really belonged to Kankuro? But dreams, Gaara had come to realize, had no business with reality.
Neji didn't sleep much. After the visit to the shrine, he wandered around the town without purpose or direction. At some point, the owner of the local bar invited him in for some food and offered a small room in the back to stay at after a lecture about being up out so late as a student.
He appreciated the place to stay as he considered his options, cleaning up the place to show his appreciation while giving him something to do. In the end, he had yet to come to a conclusion.
His phone had blown up with multiple messages from Hinata and even a few directly from his uncle. Seeing his uncle's number, resentment towards him fueled his desire to stay away more. He should just cut his hair and be done with it. The only thing that kept him from doing so was that he knew he would be acting on his emotions if he cut his hair now, doing it out of spite rather than doing it because it was what he really wanted. He didn't want to give any more power to that man.
He chose not to go to school today either. That didn't stop him from getting up early out of habit and leaving the bar, locking the place up behind him before the sun even had a chance to peek over the horizon. As he locked the door, bending to slide the key through the narrow slit between the door and floor inside, he heard the sound of something metallic hit the ground on the asphalt behind him. Turning to inspect what could have made that sound, he spotted a single key. It was the key he had used to lock up Gaara's place the first night he had stayed over. He had forgotten to return it back then, and he was sure he had left it at his uncle's house on his desk. Did he actually have it in his bag this entire time?
He picked it up, examining it. Well, he had been hoping for a sign. This may be the best he would get.
It was still early enough that he could make it to Gaara's apartment before Gaara left for school. He didn't know how he would apologize or what he would say. Nothing could adequately cover what he did, and he was still scared, but it would be another step in figuring it all out.
He waited for the first bus of the day heading to downtown and thought over potential apologies and explanations. All of them fell short. He should have at least thought of a small gift for coming over uninvited, but then again Gaara never really followed those traditions either.
He was unable to come up with a solution and when the embassy came into view, he began to lose his nerve. He muttered under his breath, convinced it was the right thing to do. He was already there so he should say something before he changed his mind.
There was just one snag he didn't account for.
"I told you, I'm here to see Gaara," Neji explained for what felt like the tenth time in five minutes. He was losing his patience at the guard and struggling to keep his tone polite. He had seen this particular guard almost every time he had left in the morning, and he knew the guard had seen him those days. However, he couldn't call him out on it without seeming rude. "If it isn't too much trouble, could you check for me?"
"There is no one by that name living in this building," the guard replied rudely. "Perhaps you have the wrong address."
Neji was clenching his jaw until his teeth began to ache. Was Gaara refusing to see him? Was that what this was all about? Gaara had the right to be angry, but he didn't think Gaara would flat out pretend to not know him.
"If you do not leave the property, we will have to escort you out," the guard said. In the corner of his eyes, Neji saw a few other guards watching him. If he decided to cause a scene, those guards would come to drag him out. Neji had always been a bit intimidated by them. While he was used to foreigners, those foreigners did their best to blend into Japanese society. These people never did. He always had a sense they looked down on him, the way their eyes would follow him when he came in with Gaara and never went out of their way to greet or show any respect to either of them.
He knew coming out of Gaara's apartment late at night and early morning probably looked bad, but to claim Gaara didn't even live here was going too far. The guard did silence him for a short time early in their conversation when the guard asked, "Does he have a last name or another name he goes by?"
Neji didn't know. If he thought about it, Gaara was probably not his real name, and no one ever mentioned Gaara having a last name. He was just referred to by the one name and one name alone. He knew very little about Gaara, and the guard knew it.
Turned away, Neji sat outside the building trying to figure out a way to see Gaara. If he waited here, maybe he would see Gaara as he left. If Gaara really wanted to avoid him, Gaara would probably leave through a back door.
Neji stalked around the building looking for potential doorways Gaara could leave through. He found a couple, but none of them looked to be in use, seemingly sealed shut. This was pointless, he thought. Maybe he had been wrong, and the key wasn't a sign and just a coincidence to ease his own sense of guilt.
Sitting on a convenient bench located a couple of meters away from the building overlooking the ocean, Neji contemplated his next options. He had enough money to start over new. He could move away now and not look back. Was there anything left to keep him here?
As he thought, someone came out of the building behind him. Neji turned only to confirm it was not Gaara. Feeling disappointment, he went back to contemplating his situation and planned to ignore the random employee behind him; however, the employee must not have noticed him or did not care, talking on his phone loudly and unabashed at who may overhear.
"Yeah, he was a complete mess. The young master collapsed this morning and wouldn't wake up. They had to airlift him out of here."
Neji zoned into that conversation the moment the words young master came out of the man's mouth. He didn't dare move, afraid to draw attention to himself and stop the man from talking or taking his conversation elsewhere.
"I don't know. His color didn't seem too good. He was out of it too, like a zombie, before he went down. I think he's finally at his limit. He barely eats enough to function let alone do anything else…. I tried to get him something, but he refused to eat. You know how he is, and since that problem a couple of days ago…. I don't know. I just hope the young master eats something soon."
Neji stood up, unable to hear anymore, running off to downtown hospital without a second thought.
The employee watched Neji's retreating back with a neutral face. Once Neji was out of sight, he pushed a button on his phone, listening to it ring until someone picked up. "I did as you requested. As you suspected, he came looking for Young Master Gaara…. Yes, I will keep an eye out on the situation. I pray for the young master's health. Sleep well, Master Kankuro."
"So he was working in the hospital, feeding off the patients," Tsunade read from Jiraiya's report, her lips turning down at the corners. "Hardly a notable offense. That annoying vampire council could argue they were already dead."
Jiraiya stood before Tsunade in her office. Ramrod straight, at attention, still dressed in his slacks and dress shirt. But he stared straight ahead. No familiar smile or warm eyes to greet her. He was all business, and it worried her. "There's irrefutable evidence we caught them killing humans. In addition, they were not being protected by a coven nor registered with their council. They were completely fair game," he spoke, his tone matching the lack of expression.
Tsunade looked between Jiraiya and the report. She wanted to comfort him, but here was not the place. In this room, she was his leader, his boss. If it was America it would be easier. There would be nothing weird about her taking his side, asking him questions, and offering him comfort in front of others there. She would be seen as a caring boss. Here, it would make her seem weak and inappropriate to point out anything involving his display, or lack thereof, of emotion. But she wanted to reach out.
"Master Jiraiya… Jiraiya. About Naruto." Jiraiya was almost perfect at hiding every tell but mentioning Naruto had tensed his shoulders. How could she do this delicately, help him bring down his guard? She knew Naruto was living with Uchiha, Jiraiya had told her as soon as he was able. Since learning about Naruto, he had closed off, mentally preparing himself for what was likely to come.
She shouldn't but…
She rose from her seat, walking around the desk so she could stand next to him. She grabbed his hands, knowing how inappropriate to do so here. His eyes followed her every movement, his body tensing further as she took a step closer, narrowing the space between them. "I know this past week has been hard on you," she whispered. "First Naruto, then Asuma."
She felt his hands move to readjust and grasp hers. His hands were calloused and scarred, but they were big and safe. "Tsunade."
A sharp rap on the door broke them apart, just seconds before the Elder Danzo let himself in with Hyuuga, Hiashi at his side.
"Can I do something for you, Elder?" Tsunade smiled politely, despite seething inside at the interruption. Out of all their years, Jiraiya had only called her without a title a handful of times. To hear it again after so long only to be interrupted so soon she had to bite back a scathing remark.
He raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you haven't seen it yet?" he replied with a disapproving voice.
"I have been busy going through Nara-san's reports. Would you mind elaborating for me?" Tsunade asked, putting further distance between herself and Jiraiya. It was back to business it seemed.
Hiashi walked up to her, placing a magazine with Naruto on the cover on her desk. Her eyes widened to comic proportions, unable to keep her face straight.
"It's basically a declaration of war," Danzo said, pointing his cane at the desk. "They're mocking us."
Tsunade fought back on the raging emotions inside to think critically instead. Shinobi first, she reminded herself. "Is this the only copy?"
"It was on stands this morning, only on the island. We had the stores take it down, but it's common knowledge already. Everyone is in an uproar." Danzo walked to Tsunade's bookshelves, glancing over the titles. "It is surprising that our leader is the last to know. I figured you more competent than that."
She bit the inside of her cheek. She had to let the insult go, she reminded herself. However, the real problem lay with this magazine. This was just broadcasting that Deidara had access to Naruto and confirmed everyone's suspicions. After all, Deidara only took photos of other vampires and fledglings. Every hunter on the island knew that. This photo was basically a slap to the face, especially with how Naruto posed, dressed as a vampire, teeth and all. Deidara had to have chosen that image on purpose to get the largest reaction.
She glanced at Jiraiya. While his face remained the same, his eyes darkened. She couldn't blame him. They had run out of time. Naruto's days were numbered, and she would have to give the order.
"Should I call an emergency meeting, Godaime—sama?" Hiashi asked.
"Yes, do so," she replied, keeping her eyes straight ahead.
Hiashi bowed to her and left to do just that.
"In that case, I should be going as well. It takes some time for this old man to get places after all, so I will excuse myself. See you soon, Tsunade-san."
The door shut behind him, and Tsunade was livid. Who did that old man think he was? Barging into her office to say she was not working hard and doing her job. Unable to hold back anymore, she lets it a frustrated roar. "God damn that manipulative, egotistical, self-serving, walking bag of testicles!" she yelled out in English. "I swear to God if he opens his mouth during this meeting, I will not be held accountable for what I'll do.? I'd like to see them do have the shit I do. The moment those old geezers pass, I'm going to dance on their graves and feed their corpses to Akamaru."
Tsunade heard a small chuckle. Since it didn't come from her, it could have only been Jiraiya. His mask had finally cracked, a small smile on his lips that softened his eyes as he looked at her.
Turning red, she cleared her throat and regained her composure. "I apologize for my language," she said stiffly.
Jiraiya shook his head. "Don't be. You used to speak your mind a lot more often when you first came to the island. It was cute."
Tsunade felt her ears turn red. Jiraiya rarely used the word cute, except when referring to Naruto and how he was anything but. When she came to Japan so long ago, she spoke Japanese but had not adapted the Japanese way of speaking. She spoke her mind, was too blunt and was often called rude because of it. It took her a long time to realize she had to be mild-mannered, polite, and never be too direct in her requests unless it was a demand. She couldn't show extreme emotions or trouble anyone else with her problems or actions.
It was difficult for her, still was, but Jiraiya had never been offended by her, accepting the cultural difference, seemingly more amused by her words and actions rather than offended.
Seeing his smile, the frustration was a mild inconvenience if it meant that she could break through Jiraiya's armor.
"I should be going too. I still need to change before the meeting." Instead of bowing as he should have before dismissing, he approached her, taking her hands once again in his. Rubbing the backs of her hands with his thumbs once, twice, he brought them both to his lips, placing a chaste kiss on the backs. "Stay strong, my Godaime-sama."
"You are dismissed, Master Jiraiya," she said, sadness leaking into her tone. His departure was sweet, but there was still an emotional distance. He was unable to completely break free of the restraints he had placed on himself. He couldn't afford too. In this upcoming meeting, she nor he would be able to speak on Naruto's defense. They knew no one else would. She would send out the kill order soon, and they both had to restrain themselves from doing something foolish. She had to remain strong to stay impartial, and Jiraiya may be the one to carry out the deed. With that magazine, all hopes for Naruto had gone with it.
Sitting back behind her desk, she closed her eyes. She only had half an hour to prepare for the meeting, and by that time she had to be an immovable force once again.
She reached for a pen, her hand stopping just short of a picture of a ten-year-old Naruto, holding up Jiraiya's award for best-selling author proudly with a big grin, standing beside a kneeling Jiraiya who also shared a grin. She grabbed the pen, turned the picture face down, and went back to work.
Hiashi considered himself a proud man. So when he decided to seek Tsunade for advice it was a difficult choice to acknowledge. Unfortunately, there had been unwanted company preventing him from asking.
Hiashi pocketed his phone. He had just finished calling for the emergency meeting. Within 30 minutes, every clan head or representative would arrive. Some would be anxious, others angry. The threat was unmistakable, yet his mind was not as focused on it as it should have been.
"It appears that the situation has become quite complicated." Danzo stepped out of the building just as Hiashi put his phone away.
"It is a situation we have anticipated since Uzumaki, Naruto's arrival," Hiashi replied levelly. "There is no point in getting worked up about what has already happened."
"Yes, however, there would have been no need for such precautions should we have locked the boy away just like his predecessor. One of Tsunade-san's many unconventional decisions."
Hiashi turned to face Danzo fully, putting his hands behind his back as he addressed Danzo. "I admit that I favor tradition, but tradition is like a pond. It may provide water and help life to thrive around it, but without the occasional new ideas and practices, it will grow stagnant and poisonous. I may not agree with her methods, but it is not my place to. My job is to carry out her orders."
"You would argue that if she were to lead us to our destruction, you would follow without complaint?" the elder countered. "Is that wise?"
Hiashi fell silent, considering the elder before him. Danzo was calm and not condescending or mocking in any way, but his eyes were assessing Hiashi's every move. "Only someone not dedicated to the shinobi way would ignore orders. Of course, you would know that, Elder Danzo. No one is as dedicated as you."
Danzo's smirked. "Of course. Of course." He walked past Hiashi, whose eyes followed the elder's movements. "I'm sure you are passing down the traditions to your daughter well. Though it does not appear she appreciates the old ways. I hear she has leaked our existence to your nephew."
Hiashi's body tensed unable to hide his reaction to Danzo's words.
"Teenagers these days never respect their elders, so don't be too hard on yourself. As you said, changing tradition is good for us in the long run."
There were very few people who knew what Hinata did. Besides him, there may have been one or two others, and he knew those two would never betray him, meaning Danzo had somehow been spying on him. "My daughter's actions were made with the clan's best interest in mind. I trust her."
"That is good. Nothing is more important than the trust given to your child. However, can you say the same thing about your nephew?"
Hiashi showed hesitation. He scanned his thoughts, trying to think of anything Danzo could be eluding to. Neji had only just learned of the Hunter world. What trouble could he have been getting into without his knowledge? Then he remembered. He never knew where Neji had been disappearing to.
"Neji-kun has a lot of potential, don't you think? He's so eager to learn martial arts, like it's in his blood, urging him towards it. I'm sure you've noticed. How on edge it must put you that Hinata-chan's position as heiress is constantly in danger because of it."
"Forgive me, for interrupting, Elder Danzo, but we must attend the meeting shortly. What are you implying?"
"I'm not implying anything. I am saying that I am disappointed in your lack of control over your clan. I can't help but wonder how your brother would have handled the situation."
Hiashi found himself clenching his hands and struggling to relax them. "If you know something about my nephew that you think I do not, please tell me. I would be grateful for your guidance."
Danzo let his calm mask slip, there was a sense of superiority and smugness at the humiliation he was subjecting Hiashi to. This was Danzo's true face that only a few had ever seen. "I have heard rumors he had been getting close to the medjay's host. While I'm sure there are many implications as to what that could entail, none of it is good. Wouldn't you agree?"
Hiashi felt his blood turn cold. His mind putting together the picture with the missing piece revealed. How Neji had suddenly improved his abilities, and why his chakra had grown stronger. There was only one way in how it could happen so quickly, and it was uniquely a Hyuuga trait, but Danzo couldn't have known the details, not with how he was presenting the information that was vague. "No, I would. I will take care of it immediately."
"I could offer my assistance," Danzo offered, back to feigning politeness and care. "It would be troublesome if this got out to the other clans, wouldn't it?"
"You make it sound as if my nephew has done something wrong," Hiashi replied, turning down Danzo's offer. "Making friends is not a crime even if the chosen friends are unsavory. It may reflect negatively on him and his family for his choice, but it is his choice. All anyone can do is warn him against it. In the end, it is his decision."
Danzo chuckled, tinged with slight bitterness at having his offer rejected yet again. "You really dote on your nephew, don't you? Hinata-chan must be so jealous of how soft you are on him."
Hiashi grew uncomfortable at the statement, resisting the urge to change his posture or shift his eyes away. "If you would excuse me, Elder, I must prepare for the emergency meeting as well." He bowed quickly, but gracefully, and attempted to make his escape from unwanted company.
"Think carefully on what side you want to be on Hyuuga-san," Danzo called out. "You may find yourself in the minority, and when you can't trust where your comrades' true intentions lie, you may find your hesitation fatal."
With that parting message, Danzo finally allowed him to escape.
Gaara wasn't at the hospital. He wondered if it was because they were keeping it secret like the employees at the embassy, so he staked out the hospital for the majority of the day, roaming and checking each room, even private rooms. Eventually, someone called security for his suspicious behavior, but he was sure Gaara hadn't been admitted to that hospital.
In hindsight, the man had never said Gaara's name. He had just assumed it was Gaara he was talking about. It could have been a coincidence and another person had come looking for someone living there. Just to be sure, he called Matsuri. She said she hadn't heard anything from Gaara and from what she could tell, he had not been home since the day before last. The news didn't help ease Neji's guilt or worry.
The lack of sleep was starting to get to him, but he went to school the next day disheveled, not even thinking about it being the third day of wearing the same clothes. It did occur to him to at least wash himself up in the bathroom before classes. He heard the whispers and gossip. He wasn't surprised. He had kept a clean appearance until today. Once upon a time, he would have cared about his image and the rumors that might spread from his odd behavior, now, he was beginning to care less.
He spotted Hinata before classes, waiting for him in front of his classroom. He could tell she wanted to talk. She looked anxious and nervous as he approached. She opened her mouth to speak, but he simply walked past her through the open door and straight to his seat.
Only one person attempted to talk to him that morning, asking if he was okay and if something was wrong. Neji ignored him, inspecting the get well basket his classmates had put together for him but had failed to deliver. It was sitting on his desk, filled with fruits, missed homework assignments, class notes, instant cold compresses, and more. Rather than thinking that it was a nice thing his classmates did for him, he thought they had a lot of time on their hands to be doing things like this. How many of them did it to keep up appearances as well? How many were secretly leading a double life he did not know about. Were they all even human? Just thinking about dealing with any of his classmates at this point in time sounded exhausting, so he chose to not think about them at all, his mind drifting during morning classes.
Once the lunch bell rang, he left the class, going to buy bread for lunch from the school store, still dwelling on the possibility of whether or not he was really supposed to apologize to Gaara and whether or not he was really sick. Gaara's complexion had never been great, but even he thought Gaara looked sickly when he tried to stake him. He couldn't shake off the possibility that he was really sick.
He sipped on his canned coffee in the courtyard, the warmth soothing him while giving him the necessary energy to make it through the rest of the day. Maybe he could try the embassy one last time and see if he could find that employee. If not, then it just wasn't meant to be.
"Um, Hyuuga-senpai, could I have a moment?"
Neji looked up lazily. He hadn't heard the girl approach. He cursed himself mentally for not finding a better place to hide. By the way the girl was fidgeting, blushing, and obviously working up her courage to say something, Neji knew what she was going to say. He didn't understand why girls kept asking him. He never said yes to any of them and would always tell them, politely of course, that he just wanted to concentrate on his education, and they should do the same, and yet, they always came.
She was talking; he wasn't listening. He supposed most people would call her cute. She was on the small side, had a babyface, and reminded him a bit of Hinata with her manners. She seemed like one of those girls who would be unnerved if she found out how much he enjoyed fighting. That is, assuming she would even stay with him if she even bothered to realize he wasn't whatever perfect person she cooked up in her head.
Gaara hadn't been like that. No matter how he acted or said, Gaara had always understood and accepted his bad behavior without judgment. They could sit next to each other without feeling obliged to entertain each other while feeling comfortable, and when Gaara slept…
He thought of Gaara's sleeping face. Who would have thought Gaara was a snuggler? Every night, Gaara would hold onto him, burying his face into Neji's shoulder. Yes, he knew it was probably Gaara's habit as a vampire, putting his face so close to his neck, but Gaara looked so serene and peaceful then. Looking at the girl in front of him, he thought, "Gaara is cuter."
A horrified expression appeared on the girl's face, letting Neji know too late that he had said his thought out loud.
The girl was lost at how to respond, so Neji did her the favor of leaving first, swallowing how it would make him look to others. He already made an ass of himself this week, he may as well take the embarrassment too.
As he walked, trying to find a better place to hide for lunch to prevent another incident when he saw Nara waiting for him at the end of the hall. Nara had his hands in his pockets, meeting Neji's eyes with that quiet intelligent gaze he always had.
Neji contemplated avoiding him, but Nara rarely came out of his way to meet with him. Whatever Nara had to say couldn't be worse than what he's already gone through.
"What do you want?" he greeted Nara rudely.
Nara looked around discretely, then urged him into a storage closet, much to Neji's annoyance. Nara closed the door behind them, then looked over Neji. "You look horrible," he commented offhandedly.
"Is that all you wanted to say?" Neji barely kept himself from snapping.
Nara was unimpressed, remaking casually with a hint of disinterest, "We may not be friends, but you should know me better than that. Besides, I have something you may want to know."
Neji pursed his lips together. What more could they drop on him? Neji appraised Nara again with the knowledge he had been given the past few days. Nara worked for his uncle for years. He was resourceful and intelligent and usually knew what Neji was up too even if he kept it hidden. If anyone fitted the image of a hunter, it would be Nara. "Are you one of them? A hunter?"
Nara gave a short huff as if Neji had dumped another load of work onto him. As lazy as Nara was, he always came off as an overworked salaryman. "I heard Hinata-san decided to tell you. It makes things easier I guess." He sighed. "Things have gotten a bit unstable recently. Your uncle is going to pick you up after school and confine you to the compound. Since you are part of a prominent hunter family, and you are in the know, it makes you a very attractive target."
Neji had a curse on his lips, but withheld it, biting his tongue and tasting a hint of blood. Anger boiled up at the thought of being confined in that hellhole. Why did his uncle even bother? It's not like he had cared up until now. "Is that all?" he asked rudely.
"Gaara went home back to his home country," he interjected almost immediately. Nara wasn't appreciating Neji's rude tone, and his statement caused Neji to immediately shut his mouth. "Thought you might want to know," he added dryly.
"Home country?" Neji repeated, the words tumbling from his lips clumsily. It felt foreign to him. There were constant reminders that Gaara wasn't from Japan, from his looks to his brother's appearance, and yet each time was a bit of shock. Gaara was always there by Naruto's side. He never spoke or wrote any other language as the other foreigners did, never talked about his home county, or participated in the cultural events at school. Even his name was Japanese, though now he knew for certain it wasn't his real name. Only his appearance was left to set him apart, and after being here for 3 years, it was normal to see Gaara around. He never thought foreigner when he saw Gaara, he was just another island native.
And now he was gone.
He should feel relieved. Days of cowering in fear, contemplating his own sanity and moral code. He didn't have to worry anymore. He could continue life as it once was. He could go pretend it never happened.
He would be lying to himself. He knew he couldn't go back. Even Hinata had told him he could not go back once he knew the truth.
Why didn't he feel relieved? Rather, he felt regret, guilt, and more uncertainty than ever before. He put his hands in his pockets, so he could finger Gaara's apartment key in his hand.
He had contemplated how much Gaara had told him was truth and a lie. How much of the moments they shared were sincere? They had meant something to him. He needed to know if it meant something to Gaara too.
"You said my uncle was coming for me after school, correct?" Neji asked, deep in thought.
Nara watched him carefully. "Yeah."
"Then I don't have much time," he murmured, talking more to himself than Nara. Neji left without a proper goodbye, his mind thinking over his options.
He didn't have much time at all. He didn't have anyone he could turn to about this. There was only one person who may know how to get in contact with Gaara. If he couldn't get in contact with him right after school, then he would lose his chance. He wasn't an idiot. When Nara told him things were unstable, it was easy to pinpoint the cause. His clan had been acting weird the day the transfer student, Uchiha, Sasuke had come to the island. Knowing what he did now, he knew why, and if he knew Uchiha was snooping around the Hyuuga compound, the other clan members certainly would. Logically, it had to do with something with Uchiha.
Seeing Uchiha again sent a chill up Neji's spine. Unlike Gaara and Matsuri, something about Uchiha's gaze made him extremely uncomfortable, but he had also heard the rumors surrounding Uchiha and Naruto even as distracted as he had been. If he was going to talk to Naruto, Uchiha may not be far behind.
The rest of the day, he kept his eye on the clock, watching the seconds tick by anxiously. It dragged by excruciatingly slow. Each glance of the clock felt like less and less time had passed. He had taken the key out of his pocket, rubbing it between his fingers as he waited.
Finally, the bell rang. He didn't bother packing his textbooks and homework. He just picked up his bag, ensuring that he had his wallet. If he hurried, he could meet Naruto before he left for the day. He made a beeline through the throng of students released from class, weaving in and out to the student council room. The others had yet to arrive, so he could go to the file cabinet, climbing on top of it to move the ceiling tile where an envelope was hidden. With just as much speed, he moved it back, just in time as someone else entered. The school president greeted him with a large friendly smile, but Neji was halfway out the door before she was able to finish her sentence.
As he made his way to the shoe locker, he knew Naruto would be heading to, a boy blocked his path. Before Neji could tell him to move, the boy punched him, his fist connecting with Neji's jaw. Neji's head snapped to the side. With a step back, he kept his balance barely and the hallway went silent.
The girl who confessed to him earlier was next to him, pulling at his arm insistently, pleading to the boy about something. Boyfriend? No, they looked too similar. Probably an angry brother. "I could understand not wanting to go out with her, but did you have to crush her confidence too?" The boy yelled.
"Hikaru, stop it. I told you it didn't bother me," the girl insisted, but her red eyes told another story even as she desperately tried to diffuse the situation.
"This bastard said he'd rather date the resident psychopath than you," the boy was getting rowdier, and Neji did not have time for this.
"My preference is my preference. I wasn't interested, and I apologize that I was rude about it, but aren't you embarrassing her more? I turned her down in private. You just announced to the whole school what just happened. Who's worse in this situation?"
The boy's face turned red, and Neji's words did not help calm him, only succeeding and getting him angrier. Shaking off his sister's hold, the boy threw a punch that Neji was better prepared for. Neji dodged the punch, grabbed the extended arm, and flipped the boy over his shoulder in fluid judo move.
The boy landed on his back painfully. He rolled on the ground, groaning in pain, and Neji left him there. Any reputation Neji had spent years building was probably destroyed with that one move. Appropriate since he had used martial arts as well. It may not have been his family martial arts, but martial arts all the same. Once his uncle heard, he'd be outcasted for good.
Naruto was where he expected him to be, next to Uchiha as the rumors had suggested. Since transferring in, Uchiha and Naruto had been inseparable according to the rumors. He had even seen them on a magazine cover this morning together. Seeing them at a distance, the rumors seemed true. They looked close, like good friends who were comfortable arguing with one another. Neji worried that maybe Naruto did not care Gaara was missing, and wouldn't help, but Naruto's loud voice carried, taking Neji's worries with him.
"Can you find Gaara and take me to see him?" Naruto asked. Naruto was staring at Uchiha hard, with pleading in his eyes. There was worry and sadness. It mirrored how Neji felt. Would Naruto even take him along if he asked? He had every reason not to. Doubt put cracks in his resolve. He had to press forward, he told himself. Then Uchiha created an opportunity for him to get in. "I can, but I don't see what I get out of it."
This was his chance. He hurried over to them, walking swiftly. "How about 1 million yen?" Hyuuga offered, gaining both of their attentions.
Naruto's response was immediate as well as predictable. Naruto was up in arms, his body becoming defensive and on the brink of saying something to him. Then his eyes roamed over Neji's body and whatever he was going to say was lost temporarily.
"Will 1 million do?" he asked again, taking the chance again, looking to Uchiha. Even if Naruto didn't know, Uchiha apparently did. Neji forced himself to look into Uchiha's eyes, the hairs on his neck rising from doing so. His palms became sweaty the longer Uchiha looked at him like there was a pressure keeping him down with Uchiha's stare alone. "If you need more, I'll scrap something together. I just ask that you take me with you."
Naruto came back to his senses and his temper seemed stronger than ever. "Why? So you can mess with Gaara some more? I've been wondering why he left, but it's because you did something to him, isn't it."
Guilt and panic slipped onto Neji's face. How much did Naruto know? Did Gaara tell him what happened? Did Naruto know what he was?
Naruto's eyes narrowed. "What did you do? Blackmail him? Frame him?" Naruto was leaning closer, trying to intimidate him as he closed in on Neji. Neji had nothing to say. Naruto may not have landed the correct guess, but he was close enough. What could he say to that?
Uchiha placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, stopping his advanced. Uchiha's eyes were still on him, keeping him more in place than Naruto's words did. "1 million is fine," he smiled. The smile was eerily similar. The same one Neji used to use on a daily basis towards the other students, overly polite and deceptively kind sounding. "Meet us at my house by 6 pm." Then for a split moment, his eyes looked condescending as he said the next line. "I'm sure you know where it is."
Neji nodded, averting his gaze. He made it, but his hands felt weak and a different nervous feeling grabbed hold of his stomach. He was going to see Gaara again. "I'll be there."
Naruto began to protest, but Uchiha dragged him away amidst it, causing a short scene down the hall.
There wasn't much for him to prepare. He didn't intend to let them go back on their word. He took a couple of steps and Hinata appeared, stepping out from one of the rows of shoe lockers. She avoided looking at him, and seeing her timid posture and manners now just made him angry at seeing it. "Is this what you're going to choose?" she asked, quietly. "If you go with them, you could be considered allied with the enemy and two very dangerous individuals. We may not be able to protect you anymore." He knew she was being sincere and genuine. She was worried about him as she always was, but there were too many lies for her warning to reach him.
"Gaara's done more for me in a month than the clan's done for me my entire life."' He looked at his cousin coldly. "What I do from here on out has nothing to do with the clan."
Hinata closed her eyes and gripped her hands tightly in front of her. "I'll keep Otou-san's guards busy for you." She stepped forward, holding his passport in her hands. Neji didn't even know he had a passport but took it from her without hesitation. "Be safe, Neji-nii."
His anger cooled slightly, and his soft spot for Hinata came forward as he gently replied, "I will." Putting the passport in his school bag, he followed after Naruto and Uchiha.
Shikamaru leaned against the school lockers just on the other side of Hinata, just out of sight of Neji as he passed. "Do you think it's the right decision?" he questioned her, watching Neji leave through the school entrance.
"I don't know," she admitted quietly. "But you wouldn't have told him anything if you didn't think it was."
"Perhaps. Perhaps not," Shikamaru answered sounding as if he did not care one way or another. "I've watched over him for six years now. Despite what my family's techniques would suggest, I'm not a fan of manipulation. Gaara-san may not have told him the truth, but he was more honest to him than we ever were. I think now is as good as ever to let Neji-san choose where his life is headed. Don't you?"
"Yes," Hinata agreed. Shikamaru may not have been able to see the young heiress, but he could hear her soft and loving tone towards her cousin. "Yes, I do."
Shikamaru listened to her light footsteps as she walked away. She still had a long way to go before she was ready to take over the Hyuuga clan. No matter how anyone looked at it, she came off as weak compared to her intimidating father. Her clan name will only go so far without the skill to wield that power well.
Still, she was a nice change of pace. Few hunters managed to stay so innocent after the things they have seen or done. After a while, death followed you wherever you go, and you grew accustomed to it. Hope in yourself and people around you die with it, leaving only your faith in the cause and the people around you who share that belief left. Otherwise, all that horror would be meaningless, and the hunters would be nothing but trained killing machines. Hinata as a leader will either change that or bring her clan to ruin. It was still too early to tell.
"Not a fan of manipulation you say?" Sai's voice drifted from the corner where students were passing by, picking up their shoes and walking past him as if he wasn't there. Despite the bright light filtering through the glass entrance of the school, he appeared still shadowed, hard to see and difficult to notice without the ability to sense chakra. With a slight squint of the eyes, Nara could see a talisman in Sai's hand reading 'vanish' on it.
Shikamaru briefly wondered if Hyuuga, Hiashi's choice in bodyguards for Neji was intentional. He had thought about it before. Sai's and his abilities centered around defense and manipulation. In close-quarters combat, neither were exceptional. Sai was limited to how fast he could make a talisman or which talisman he had created beforehand, and Shikamaru specialized in illusions. Together, they could make a perfect deception, but the overlapping in abilities to a degree limited how effective they could be if in a real battle. Bodyguards Hyuuga, Hiashi had called them, but in the end, they were really nothing more than spies, using their abilities to keep Neji in the dark and reporting his actions back to the elder Hyuuga.
The role didn't sit well with Shikamaru. Honestly, he would rather play neutral in conflicts if he could choose that route. He preferred not doing anything really. Sai did not have the same qualms. And if he did, Sai did well at not showing it.
Shikamaru pushed off the lockers and headed outside, knowing Shikamaru was following him. Students around them chatted, making plans, getting ready for club activities, or preparing to go to cram school. Shikamaru stopped behind the gym, cliché, but would serve his purposes for now, especially when he felt Sai's barrier surround them to prevent unwanted eavesdroppers.
"Is it your job to spy on me or Hinata-san?" Shikamaru asked, pulling out a bag of squid jerky to munch on. "Because you'd be following Neji-san otherwise."
Sai had that empty polite smile still on his face that made people uncomfortable. "You said you didn't like manipulation," Sai stated, not answering his question. "And that's exactly what you're doing with Hinata-chan and Neji-kun."
"That doesn't mean I lied," Shikamaru replied, putting a squid tentacle in his mouth to chew on. "What information is Danzo having you look for?"
"I'm worried about Neji-kun. After all, you are pushing him to go after Gaara-san and leave the protection of the group."
Shikamaru nearly chuckled, coming out more like a snort when he stopped himself. "Your act would be more convincing if you at least tried to pretend to be sincere rather than your words doing all the work." He chewed on the snack for a bit. "We need Gaara-san back. Nothing more and nothing less. Neji-san is the only one able to accomplish that mission."
"Gaara is a hazard. He's unstable. Always has been. Naruto is barely any better. Now that Naruto is turning, his body may become suitable for the demon inside him to take it. Gaara is already halfway there. You really want such dangerous people right under our noses?"
"Treat someone like a monster and they will become one. This is true whether they are a host or not." He took the snack from his mouth. "You should know that the memory of the shinobi was manipulated. No one who met him has any memory other than Gaara-san. He has resistance to whatever mind control's being used." He took another bite of the jerky. "Plus, I have a feeling we'll need him."
"I didn't know we operated on feelings, Shika-chan," he said. "Kurama-sama will likely be free within the coming month as Naruto's body attains more vampire like qualities. As protective as Gaara is, there is no way, he will standby and allow us to kill him before that happens."
Shikamaru stared as he put the jerky back into his mouth, chewing on the end again, calculating. Calculating what he should say, how to get information out of Sai. "My old man used to say while he still lived in Japan that its easier to transfer our fear into what we think to be dangerous than fear the unknown. The unknown is scary. We can't prepare for it, and it's out of our control." He met Sai's eyes. "Recently, that saying has been coming back to me. With things as the way they are, it would be easy for someone to manipulate us. Gaara-san is insurance."
"I see. Intelligent decision making as always, Shika-chan. I'll have to trust your judgment." The barrier around them fell, the talisman in Sai's hand now completely black. "I have a report to make, so I'll see you later." Sai waved.
Shikamaru finished off his piece of jerky and pulled out another one. He knew the way he ate his jerky annoyed Sai. Shikamaru always ate it slowly, drawing it out and chewing on one piece for long periods of time as he thought. It was useful in keeping the conversation short. Sai's report wouldn't stop Hyuuga's departure. Uchiha was still in the clear and moving against him would take time if the shinobi didn't want to cross the vampire council.
Speaking of Uchiha, Shikamaru's phone rang, Uchiha's name on the screen. Racking up favors never hurt either. A favor from Gaara and Uchiha may come in handy, not that it was easy to find Gaara's location. Shikamaru picked up the call and told Uchiha the address once it was asked for. Uchiha sounded more than reluctant to ask, knowing he was handing out a favor. Shikamaru would collect when the time came.
Hanging up, he sighed heavily, looking up into the sky and feeling the breeze on his skin. His phone rang almost immediately, and he already felt a headache forming. "I'm not paid enough," he murmured, taking out his phone again. He couldn't help but think he should have taken his father's offer to go abroad with him after all.
