...Filler chapter. Writers block sucks... but I tried. Sorry guys!

Disclaimer: Naruto (c) belongs to Kishimoto-sensei

Hinata was met by a very strange sight when she arrived at T.C.'s room. Neji was lying on the bed looking vaguely disturbed, while T.C. sat in a chair next to him, nodding sagely and taking notes while he talked. It looked eerily like some sort of cheesy therapist soap show.

"And there's this voice in my head, and he scares me. I think I'm subconsciously trying to convince myself that I'm insane."

T.C. scribbled something in a notebook and pushed her glasses up her nose. "I see. Is there anytime that the voice particularly pops up? What does he say to you? When did you first notice the voice?"

'Tell her that I'm awesome, I pop up when you're being a dumbass, I give you sage advice, and I came along with your hormones.'

"He's annoying, he pops up when I don't want him there, says idiotic things, and came completely randomly. Also, I hate him."

'You are a cruel, cruel person.'

"Now who's insulting himself?"

'…See if I help you out again, with that attitude.'

"Like I wanted you to 'help' in the first place?"

'You know you can't do anything without me.'

"Yes I can!"

'Nu uh.'

"Ya- oh no, I am not getting dragged into that again!"

"….Neji…?"

T.C. barely refrained from snickering when the boy started and light blush of mortification dusted his cheeks.

"I assume you two were conferring with each other?" She said perfectly seriously. She noticed Hinata in the doorway and winked. Hinata laughed and waved back.

"Is Neji-niisan having a problem?"

"He hears a voice in his head. And something tells me it's actually there."

"I'm still here you know!"

The girls just laughed and Neji huffed, sitting upright and swinging his legs over the bed. Hinata sat next to him on top of the green comforter, greeting him with a smile.

"How was your team meeting?"

From the twitching, annoyed expression on his face she guessed that it didn't go too well. Neji's sensei was nice, but he was also a bit… overbearing at times. T.C. laughed and filled her in, including Gai and Lee almost glomping him to death.

"I got them off just in time. Neji looked about ready to either commit suicide or homicide."

"You would too, if you'd had to spend the time around them that I do." Neji grumbled. It was true that he liked them both a certain extent, as teacher and comrade, but one could only take so much 'youth' in a certain amount of time. Or any amount of time, in fact.

"Hinata-sa- um, chan, how was your team picnic?"

Hinata gave a little secretive smile. "It was good, Neji-niichan."

T.C. thought that she was being awfully unspecific about the meeting, but kept her thoughts to herself. For now, at least. "So what prompted these little team reunions, again?"

Both Hyuuga's faces fell a little, and they glanced at each other. Neji opted to speak for the both of them. "He's been… a little suspicious about whom we spend time with. We thought it best to spend some time with our teams, to maybe throw him off."

T.C.'s eyebrows furrowed. "Neji… I hate to ask, but you have to think about it…What are you going to about your uncle?"

Both Hyuuga froze. Neji just stared at her while Hinata looked down, her bangs obscuring her face. Eventually his gaze dropped as well and T.C. stared at her friends worriedly, knowing their current situation and hating herself for not being able to do anything about it. Eventually Neji raised spoke, still looking down at his lap.

"…I don't know… there's not much I can do. If I didn't have the caged bird seal, then I could but…" He trailed off miserably, knowing full well he could get hurt, die even, depending how bad Hiashi took it. T.C. took a deep breath; she knew it would hurt him, but she had to ask. For both his and Kankuro's sakes.

"Would you be able to continue your relationship and deal with the consequences? If you can't… you should end your relationship right now."

Neji saw it pained her to ask that question, but he had to admit it was valid. If he kept going, only to back out in the end, it would hurt him and Kankuro more than if he just broke it off now. However, if he decided to stick with it and his uncle didn't take it well… that would hurt them too. He was between a rock and a hard place, and he had no idea how to deal with it.

"I don't… know…" he muttered, his vision blurring. Why him? For a second he flashed back on his old self, when he believed that fate ran everything. Was it his fate to be constantly screwed over by life? Why couldn't he just-

Slap

The soft sound practically echoed in the sudden silence of the room. Neji was too shocked to react at all, and T.C.'s glasses slipped right off her nose and landed on the floor with a plop. In front of Neji stood Hinata. Her bangs were still shadowing her face but she soon raised her head, staring at her cousin with an emotion he couldn't quite place. She spoke quietly, but Neji could hear the strength in his cousin's voice.

"Neji… what do you mean you don't know? Are you saying you hit one hurdle, and you're ready to give up? I know that you'll have to go through a lot, maybe even… even hell itself, but that's no reason to give up! Remember what Naruto told you, about making your own path? It might seem impossible, but you have to believe that things can work out! And what about Kankuro-san? Won't it just hurt him more if you give up without a fight? I know you're not that weak… or at least I though so. I don't you want to give up on a person I know you really care about, just because our family has problems. I believe in you, and you know your friends support you, so grow a spine! If even… even I can do it, so can you, so don't give up!"

By the end of her speech she was staring at him hard, trying to analyze if her words were having any effect. He gaped at her for a few seconds, almost unable to believe what had just happened. If anything, her words had been more of a slap in the face than the actual slap in the face (Not that it had been a hard slap- this was Hinata, after all). By that time T.C. had picked up her glasses and replaced them on her face, looking at Hinata with respect. She'd always know the Hyuuga heiress had a great deal of repressed inner strength, but the look in Hinata's eyes was intense. It was mostly determination, but the other kunoichi could have sworn there was some desperation in there as well.

'Desperation over what, I wonder…'

Neji finally found his voice, or at least some of it. "Hinata…chan…" He'd never seen his cousin like this, and frankly it intimidated him a little bit. Thinking over what she said, and remembering the sting he had felt when she hit his right cheek, he knew: She was right.

'I think Naruto rubbed off on her a bit. Scrap that, a lot.'

'She does have a point, you-'

"Hey, I can deal with this myself! Go away!"

'…Well excuuuuse me, Mr. smartass who got himself slapped for being a spineless moron.'

"…Okay, sorry for yelling at you."

'An apology? My goodness, do you have a fever?'

"…Nevermind, I take back that apology."

'Hey…!'

"…you're right." With that Neji stood up and awkwardly hugged his cousin, feeling infinitely grateful. "Thank you, Hinata-chan…" 'for getting me off my emo ass and making me remember why I gave up on fate.'

Hinata hugged him back, her face flushing slightly as she calmed down. "I did what I had too… but sorry for the slap, it was… spur of the moment." She honestly hadn't meant to slap him, but she just couldn't stand him being so passive. And also…

"We can handle Hiashi-sama together." Neji whispered in her ear, low enough so only she could hear. He now realized what the other emotion in her eyes had been: desperation. Hinata hadn't confessed yet, and was stronger as a person, but she still didn't want to face her father alone, when the time came. He understood what she had been thinking behind her statement.

'Don't back out and leave me to face him alone. Because even if you give up… I won't.'

Kankuro started down that hall of the Yadoya, heading toward Temari's room.

'I have to tell her what Gaara and Naruto said… I'm not sure if they'll tell us, in case they don't want us to worry. I wish… that Gaara trusted us more... not that we've given him a reason too, at least we didn't before he met Naruto.'

Not bothering to knock he came upon the wooden door and turned the handle, pushing it open.

"Hey Temari, there's something you need to…. AUGH, MY EYES!"

Temari indignantly grabbed the bed sheet to cover herself, even though her little brother was long gone by that point. "Hasn't the brat ever heard of knocking? Damn!"

Shikamaru just sighed and sat back on his bum, idly wondering at his girlfriend's little brothers power to turn into a blur whenever he needed to run. Fast. Such as when he walks in on his big sister doing… things.

'How troublesome…'

T.C. was watching the touching reconciliation between cousins when she heard her door open, then slam shut. Someone came pounding up the stairs and the bespectacled girl found herself with an armful of a familiar, spiky-haired brunette.

"…I've just been scarred for life."

Ever the non-licensed therapist, T.C. took it all in stride. "And what exactly was so mentally scarring?"

"…I don't want to think about it."

"Did it have something to do with sex?"

"…maybe…"

T.C. decided to make an educated guess.

"You saw your sister and her boyfriend screwing?"

Kankuro just groaned and buried his face in his hands, trying to get rid of the horrible image etched into his mind. "My poor virgin eyes!"

T.C. sweat-dropped and patted his back sympathetically. "Did you forget to knock?"

"…Yes."

"Just remember next time, okay hun?"

"No kidding." said the puppet user with a grimace. He was definitely knocking from now on- and on both of his siblings doors. One mentally scarring image was quite enough, he really didn't need another one.

Both Gaara and Naruto looked up from their conversation when a scream echoed through the halls.

"Um, Gaara? What was that?"

Gaara wasn't exactly sure, but he could have sworn he head the phrase "my virgin eyes" among the screaming.

'That would be your brother then.'

"…Are you sure?"

'Well he's the only one left in here with 'virgin' eyes, isn't he?'

"…True."

"It was Kankuro… according to Shukaku."

Naruto cocked his head. "I wonder what happened to him?"

TBC

Omake?

Kiba and Shino were walking home together, with Akamaru trailing behind. The Inuzuka has noticed that Shino was being even more quiet than usual, and determined to find out why.

"Something on your mind, Shino?"

"...Yes."

"An' what's that?"

"...matters dealing with sexuality."

That sentence caused Kiba to stop dead in his tracks, and he twisted his head to stare at his companion.

"...You serious?"

"Why would I not be?"

Kiba thought about it. Shino was thinking about sexuality... Did Shino even have a sexuality?

"Well, enlighten me. Why're ya thinking about it?"

"...What is sexuality?"

Kiba face faulted, landing on the ground next to Akamaru ,who was giving Shino a look that quite clearly said, 'Are you serious?' Shino eyed his teammate quizically, wondering why he seemed so shocked by the question. Kiba sat on the ground at looked at his teammate, wondering where to even start with that question.

"Um... well... have you ever been attracted to anyone?"

"...Attracted...?"

Another cold breeze blew past trailing leaves in its wake. Both dog and owner looked at Shino blankly, then at each other. A silent agreement was reached. Kiba stood up, dusted himself off. and clasped Shino on the shoulder.

"Buddy... You've got a lot to learn. Let me show you the way."

TBC?

Hmm.. yes, interpret this chapter as you will I suppose. Oh, and to Hollywood Hooker: Don't worry, I'm glad you sent me that review. Oh, and thanks guys, for getting reviews over 900! Love you all! -hugs all reviewers- Should I continue the omake thingy?

Reviews are lovely things Onegai?