It was a beautiful day. The sky was a clear blue with only a few wispy clouds in sight. The sun smiled cheerfully down on the world. It was perfect in every respect except for one.

"How are you, nii-san?" Hinata asked.

She arranged the vases of sunflowers in an elegant pattern around the name "Hyuuga Neji." The white stone was looking quite polished and tidy, free of any specks of dirt and grime. She supposed that was the handiwork of Lee or Tenten, or perhaps Guy-sensei.

"I had some herring soba for lunch. It was delicious. I know you would have liked it too. It was your favorite, wasn't it?"

There was no response.

It was a beautiful day. And like the ocean waves washed away the footprints on the shore, each beautiful day washed away the memory of Neji nii-san's smile and laugh. The annoyed tic bursting at his temple when Lee and Guy-sensei were being too "youthful." The frown of concentration he wore when deflecting all of the weapons that Tenten threw at him. The peaceful mornings of meditation and the cups of green tea she would share with him.

Hinata's eyes burned. She tried to smile through her blurry vision. Neji nii-san wouldn't want her to cry. He hated to see her upset. Yet the gravity of her grief wrenched the tears out from her eyes anyway.

Approaching footsteps caught her ears' attention. She turned around.

"Oh, hello, Naruto-kun," she said tonelessly. She didn't even try to hide her tears from him. She'd seen him weep with the same intensity at this spotless white grave. What was the point in hiding shared grief?

"Hi, Hinata," Naruto said in a quiet voice. He was wearing a long-sleeved white shirt with black-and-orange pants. His empty right sleeve flapped in the breeze.

He was carrying sunflowers too.

Naruto knelt down and took out some incense from his pocket. Hinata lit it with her matchstick. The pleasant smell of incense wafted into the air. There was a moment of deep silence. Neji nii-san's last moments in this world had linked her and Naruto in a way that no one else shared.

Her mind relived the events of that awful night.

"Your life...is not only your own anymore."

"Because...you called me a genius."

Nii-san's ghost of a smile as he died in Naruto's arms.

The yellow of the sunflowers in Naruto's hand seemed to wave happily at her through her watery vision.

"How did you know?" she asked.

"Hmmm?"

"Neji nii-san's favorite flower," Hinata clarified.

"Oh," he laughed, raking his fingers through his spiky blonde locks. A mischievous glint came into his eyes. "He forced me to keep it a secret. He didn't want me to tell anyone."

Hinata frowned. A secret about Neji nii-san that she didn't know? She knew all of nii-san's secrets. Well, she thought she did anyway. A pang of envy towards Naruto stabbed at her chest.

"You can tell me," she said.

Naruto shook his head vigorously. "No, no. I don't want to be cursed by Neji from beyond the grave, ya know?"

"Neji nii-san would do no such thing," Hinata exclaimed doggedly. "Please tell me the secret."

"No."

"Tell me!"

"No!"

"Naruto-kun. Tell me now."

He finally gave up. "Okay. Fine, I'll tell you. Wow, Hinata, you're really pushy and determined when you want to be, you know that?"

He turned towards the grave. "Did you see that, Neji? I'm not responsible for giving up your top secret. Hinata made me, so don't get mad and curse me, okay?"

Hinata's smile barely concealed her excitement.

He turned towards her with an exaggerated flourish. "Well, if you must know, Neji...um, he liked to talk to flowers, just like me. I caught him calling a sunflower "My sweet Himawari-chan." He was so mad when he saw me standing behind him."

The mental image of Neji nii-san stroking and whispering lovingly to a sunflower was too much. Hinata burst out laughing.

"Don't laugh, Hinata! Oh no, he's definitely gonna curse me, isn't he? What if he knocks over my ramen every day forever?"

Hinata's stomach was seriously hurting, she was laughing so hard.

"Hinata!"

Oh no. The hiccups were starting.

"I can't believe you! You – you're laughing at my misfortune! Ghosts aren't a laughing matter!"

She gasped for breath, wiping away her tears of...sorrow? Mirth? She couldn't tell anymore.

"Naruto...hic," she started. "Naruto-kun. Neji nii-san won't curse you. He won't knock over your ramen. I know he wouldn't."

He peered at her almost shyly. "You're sure?"

"I'm sure," Hinata said firmly.

She hiccuped again.

Naruto smiled softly at her. "Well, if you're sure...then you should come to Ichiraku with me. Ramen is the best cure for hiccups."

As she followed Naruto to Ichiraku, she briefly wondered if Neji nii-san had somehow sent Naruto to her to get her to stop crying.

He really did hate to see her upset.

A/N: I actually teared up writing this. I miss Neji a lot. :(

But your reviews will make me super happy! :)