Coming Home

Dojutsu Bunch #3

His first urge was to shut his eyes tighter to block the sunlight he could feel on his face. The dark vision behind his eyelids was tinged red, but it was already too bright to go back to sleep. And then he felt pain, pain behind his eyes, in his head, in his abdomen, and then there was heaviness in his limbs, like something was weighing him down, like he couldn't move. He sucked in a deep breath, reflexes urging him spring up into action. He couldn't remember where he was, how he got here—where was Lee? Tenten? Adrenaline started to pump through his veins as he tried desperately to move.

"Careful," a concerned, but steady voice helped slow his breathing, and Neji felt a soothing warmth on his forehead. His eyes flew open and he was met with the sight of tired, black eyes, relief flooding through them as they stared back at him. "You don't want to rip your stitches."

"Itachi," he managed to croak.

The Uchiha's face relaxed into a smile and Neji realized the soothing warmth on his forehead was Itachi's hand. He withdrew it as Neji relaxed, and settled back into his chair, which Neji now realized was beside his bed. Neji's eyes flashed around the room—a hospital room—and he was hooked up to different tubes and lines and…there were bodies curled up on either side of him. That explained the warmth.

He grimaced, turning back to Itachi with a confused expression.

Itachi chuckled, gesturing with his chin to Neji's companions. "Sorry, I told them not to climb in bed but they wouldn't listen. Honestly." He shook his head affectionately. "Even at their ages, they still manage to act like children."

Neji looked down to see heads of indigo and brown against his chest, and to his left, another head of black hair. Sasuke was asleep on another chair on the opposite side of the bed, head in his arms, one outstretched over him so that his hand was resting on Neji's forearm, fingers close to his pulse, as if monitoring it.

His eyebrows turned down in confusion. "What happened?"

"You gave us quite a scare," Itachi replied with a grim expression. "We thought we'd lost you."

"It must have been bad to have all of you here like this."

A shadow fell over Itachi's face and in a tight voice he said, "We have the best medics here in Konoha."

Neji saw Itachi's lips press together and he knew he wasn't getting anymore information. Not now, at least.

"How long? Sasuke and Hinata weren't supposed to be back yet."

"As soon as they got the message, they returned immediately. I could barely force them to go home and shower." The older man shrugged. "Even Hanabi threw a tantrum when they told her she couldn't come in at one point."

Neji winced as he fought back a laugh.

Itachi grinned. "Have you seen her try and argue against Tsunade-sama?" He chuckled. "I feel bad for your team. The girls barely let them spend an hour in here before they start freaking out and demand to be let in and take over. The nurses aren't supposed to allow more than two visitors, so you know how well that went."

"Even Sasuke?"

Itachi snorted. "As much as he doesn't want to admit it. He stayed when Gai made the girls and I go home and rest. Hanabi came between her missions, and Hinata brought Mirai back and forth between here and Kurenai's. They had insisted in being the ones to change you, tend to you. And they didn't want you to ever be alone."

Neji saw the lingering question in Itachi's eyes as he studied him, as if he could disappear at any moment. "I'm fine," he assured.

"Good." Itachi responded with a nod.

The Hyuuga sighed. "You haven't slept at all, have you?"

"No.

He turned his right palm out, shifting Hanabi slightly, and Itachi's eyes swept down towards it. He placed his hand in his and they sat like that. "I'm here," Neji said softly. "You can rest now."

Itachi smiled and closed his eyes, leaning back into the chair and drifting off to sleep right away.

The pain was barely noticeable and it still was hard to breathe a little but somehow, he felt...perfectly fine.

Hanabi scrunched her face at one of his hairs that had drifted and tickled her face, cuddling deeper into his side. Hinata let out a breath in her sleep and pressed her face closer to his shoulder. Sasuke shifted, feeling Hinata move and the pressure of his hand deepened on Neji's forearm.

They all let out a contented sigh.

Neji stared up at the ceiling as he listened to the comforting sound of their steady breathing, something akin to happiness swelling in his chest. He closed his eyes, leaned his head against Hinata's and slowly joined them in slumber.

Not the best way to return home, but still home.


I: 24

N: 21

S/H: 20

H: 15