Disclaimer: Naruto is not my creation, and has never been. I just write fanfiction.
A/N: My computer broke down again. It's being repaired and this is on my flash drive, and I'm typing on my mom's comp. I was really mad when that happened and I was forced to this...
Anyways, longest chapter yet (SEVENTEEN PAGES IN 8 POINT VERDANA). Sorry for the slow update. And I wonder...is this too dramatic and cliché? It seems like that to me.
Warning: Long and mostly plot, though the romance is coming. Some language, mentions of rape. And lots of POV switching. It's my first time trying something on this scale, so bear with me if it gets confusing.
Last Chapter: But still, that color, that smell! It…it couldn't be…
Neji! NEJI!!
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Guardian of My Heart – Chapter 5
"Orochimaru-sama."
The addressed opened his eyes, coming out of his meditation. "Yes, Kabuto?"
The white-haired man bowed before his benefactor, and said, "The assassin has succeeded. It's time for our part of the mission."
The smirk Orochimaru sported sent shivers up Kabuto's spine. Shivers of excitement. "Well then, why don't we get started?" Kabuto nodded and followed Orochimaru-sama to a special room of the mansion. Inside was a contraption stol – borrowed from Akatsuki headquarters. Well, it had been half-finished when they had borrowed it, and Kabuto had finished it on his own. Unlike general assumptions, he was not just a chemist. He also dabbled in other subjects in order to be of service to Orochimaru-sama.
The two of them sat in front of two suspicious-looking tubes, which were actually vacuums. The tubes went into the wall, and only Kabuto knew exactly what was behind it and how it reached the world of Tsukuyomi. Kabuto now concentrated within himself to bring out his heart, Iyaku, and watched him materialize as a white orb. He glanced across at Orochimaru-sama, and saw Manda in front of him, pitch black and almost writhing in excitement.
"Shall we?" Orochimaru-sama asked him, and Kabuto nodded, simultaneously pushing his glasses up his nose in order to hide his smile. He then flicked a switch on the wall, and as Iyaku and Manda were sucked into the vacuum and into the world of Tsukuyomi, both Orochimaru and Kabuto fell into semi-conscious trances, in order to look through their hearts' eyes.
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Neji dropped the knife, vision suddenly blurry. He moved away from the assassin and knife as best as he could without tripping over anything, before just dropping onto the ground as his legs collapsed. "Shukaku…"
Yeah Neji?
"This…is a love potion…will you help me?"
Of course! Shukaku replied, panicked. How!?
"This potion…it's separating Loveless from me…sending him to the world of Tsukuyomi…" Neji drew a ragged breath and closed his eyes, whispering to the little raccoon in his lap. The only one that could help him… "Humans can't get there easily, and Loveless is unprotected…NO!" Neji screamed, trying to keep Loveless in his body long enough to tell Shukaku what he needed to do.
With a few more deep breaths, Neji went on. "You need to go to Tsukuyomi and find Loveless. I don't know how, but…if Orochimaru gets him…" Tears were springing out of Neji's eyes from the strain of opposing the love potion. "I'll kill myself. I swear I'll kill myself before I fall in love with him…"
He could feel the vortex surrounding Loveless. He could feel his heart leaving… "When I fall unconscious, dive into my chest and after Loveless. Please, Shukaku…"
Of course, Neji, of course…
Shukaku watched as Neji went limp above him, and jumped toward Neji's chest, where his heart was contained…Shukaku stayed calm as he disappeared into Neji and was sucked into…something. Pitch black darkness. A moment later he was dropped onto hard ground, and Shukaku opened his eyes (when had he closed them?). The first thing he noticed about this world was the red moon in the sky, highlighting everything with the chilling tint of blood. He shuddered, and then looked about himself.
The landscape was…familiar. It was the same street Shukaku had just left, and the small raccoon could even see Neji, slumped over on the sidewalk. And beside Neji…was another Neji, though this one looked somewhat transparent and distraught, leaning over his twin and trying to wake him up.
Loveless? The standing Neji spun around, afraid, and then his eyes widened.
"G-Gaara?"
What? No, I'm Shukaku… Shukaku started walking and got a surprise – he was standing on two legs. He looked down, and got an even bigger surprise. He was…human. Shukaku touched his face experimentally and felt human features, and the strand of hair he tugged before his eyes was red. He glanced at the window of a nearby shop and almost jumped out of his skin…he looked like Gaara. Neji hadn't told him about this…
The uncomfortable new sense of balance of standing on two legs scared Shukaku a little, but he walked forward, arms held out.
Loveless, come with me. We need to go. Who knew when Orochimaru would show up? Shukaku frowned though as Loveless cowered against Neji, trying to hide.
"No…you're going to hurt me, like Gaara hurt Neji."
When? Shukaku walked forward a little more, close enough to stretch out a hand and cup Loveless's cheek. When did he hurt Neji?
Loveless shuddered but didn't pull away. "Yesterday…" he answered slowly. "Yesterday, when Neji called him to tell him about how Orochimaru had thrown you against a wall. He grew angry when Neji told him he had been keeping you miserable through all his life, and he…he…"
I can imagine. Shukaku said dryly. And then he sighed. Gaara is just like that, Loveless. He doesn't like showing his weaknesses, so he hurts the people who find them. The raccoon-in-human-form moved closer to Loveless, actually embracing the other heart. But I won't hurt you, Loveless. We need to go, because Orochimaru will come looking for you soon. Shukaku looked around worriedly. You can't get back into Neji?
Loveless shook his head. "I've tried, but I can't, and he isn't waking up."
Ah. Then…we should… Shukaku frowned. The only person he could think of to turn to was Gaara. Itachi or Naruto would have been better, but Shukaku had no idea where they would be. Though he had figured out that Tsukuyomi was just like the real world, with the same features as in the real Konoha, he still had no idea where any of Neji's friends were. The only reason Shukaku could still find Gaara in this world was that…he was linked to Gaara, and would always know where the other was, even with their much weakened connection.
So Gaara was the only choice, but Shukaku still hesitated. Gaara…right now, there was no love lost between him and Neji. And there was no guarantee at all that the situation between them would change. Shukaku desperately wanted Neji to be happy. He had done so much good for hearts everywhere, and cared so much for everyone. Neji deserved to be happy, and Shukaku wasn't sure if Gaara could make him happy. Still…Neji had more chance of happiness with Gaara than with Orochimaru. And Shukaku was Gaara's heart. He could convince Gaara to give Neji a chance.
"Shukaku?"
Shukaku shook himself out of his thoughts. Yes?
"Look behind you…" Shukaku realized Loveless was shaking again, and as he turned, he realized why.
Across the street was Orochimaru in all his sliminess, along with another man, with white hair (though he didn't look that old) and glasses.
"Shukaku…" Loveless whimpered, his opaque white eyes shining with tears. "Save me…if they get me, I know they'll rape me…"
Shh, shh. Shukaku whispered, although he felt their intent too. Don't worry, I'll protect you. We're going to leave Neji here, ok? They don't want him, they want you. And we're going to get you to safety…
Loveless nodded, and Shukaku hugged him a little tighter, before turning to Orochimaru's heart. Let us through. He demanded.
The smile on that snake bastard's face was just as real as ever. "Why, Shukaku-kun, it's so nice to see you. Why the rush? We haven't even introduced ourselves. My name is Manda, and my friend here is Iyaku."
Go. Away.
"So demanding, aren't you, Shukaku-kun? Don't you want to play with us? We want to play with you…" They moved forward, and Loveless whimpered again. Shukaku glared, giving them one last warning, before he lashed out. Hearts fought differently from humans. They had the option of fighting like their persons fought, but they could also fight with their own ninjutsu, magic, if you preferred the word, and the strength of their ninjutsu depended on the strength of the heart, which produced the chakra the ninjutsu was based on. And although Shukaku had never done this before, he knew instinctively what to do.
With a wave of his hand sand rose up around him and Loveless, and with another wave it flew at Manda and Iyaku. Shukaku watched as they jumped onto the roofs of the buildings around him, and clinging onto Loveless, he did too. It was surprisingly easy to jump up more than three stories, but Shukaku didn't question it. He had no time.
Loveless, keep track of Iyaku, ok? I need you to be the eyes at the back of my head…
Shukaku felt Loveless nod, his hair tickling the back of Shukaku's neck. Reassured, he focused on Manda, who was right across from him, and sand flew up again, tinted red by the moonlight. Manda did something and swords flew out of his mouth (were they formed from his tongue? That's what it looked like…) and they sliced through the sand, flying towards Shukaku. Shukaku glared and sand enveloped the swords, dulling their edges and pushing them down towards the ground. They dropped, but the swords kept coming from all directions, keeping Shukaku busy.
Meanwhile, Loveless had activated his Byakugan, and was looking around for Iyaku. He found the other in a moment, watching as the other stealthily scaled the walls of the building they were standing on.
"Shukaku." Loveless whispered. "Iyaku is climbing up to us. We need to move."
Shukaku nodded curtly, telling him, Hang on to me tight, ok? We're going to go to Gaara…
"Gaara?" Loveless squeaked. "No! He'll…I don't like him, and neither does Neji. I don't want to go…" He shook his head like a frightened child, and Shukaku knew he had to be gentle with him.
He isn't as bad as he seems, Loveless. Shukaku stroked Loveless's hair slowly, all the while making sure his sand was still doing its work. If he was, Naruto wouldn't be friends with him, would he?
"No…" Loveless admitted. "But he's always so emotionless! So scary!"
I know, Loveless. But Gaara's just defensive. He doesn't like showing his emotions. But Loveless… Shukaku made sure to look into Loveless's eyes. You know I'm Gaara's heart. You know that I'm what he's really like. Do you trust me?
Loveless hesitated, but finally nodded. "I do."
And do you think, someday, that you could love me? Shukaku knew this was a stretch, but he needed Loveless to come with him willingly. He needed Loveless to realize that there was a chance for Neji and Gaara.
A longer pause, but Loveless nodded once more. "Neji really likes you, and you care for him so much…and you'd never…rape me like Orochimaru's Manda would…"
Shukaku hugged him again, saying, I care for you, Loveless. Even if you think that nobody could love you, I think I could. And…if we could love each other, then Neji and Gaara could love each other too, don't you think?
"I…I suppose…" Loveless didn't seem that sure, but Shukaku could see he was reassured by his logic. "And-" But Loveless didn't get to finish his sentence. Iyaku had made it over the roof while they were talking, and before Shukaku could react Iyaku had shot something at Loveless. Shukaku saw the dart go in Loveless's neck, and felt Loveless go limp in his arms. He immediately pulled the dart out, but nothing changed. For an instant, Shukaku's eyes flickered red, but Iyaku did not notice. He just smirked, and Shukaku found out why as he felt a blade at the back of his neck. Manda had used his distracted state to his advantage.
"Shukaku-kun," Manda crooned from behind him, voice as deadly as it was sickly sweet. "Will you cooperate with us now? There's no chance for you to survive if you resist us, and if you give up Loveless without a struggle, we won't make you watch as we torture and rape your little crush. Because…you do like him, don't you?"
There was a little laugh. "Perhaps you want to…dominate him? That's the way it works with all love potions, you know. It releases hearts into this…Heartless world," Another laugh. "And it allows us to dominate other hearts, before we bring them back to our persons. I'll admit that my way of domination is a bit unusual, but we get to experience the carnal pleasures of life. Our persons are so selfish, don't you think? And so naïve…to think that we would stay innocent? To expect us to give up sex, and lust, and stick with love so faithfully."
Manda stopped for an instant, considering something. "Hyuuga Neji's heart is named Loveless, am I correct?" Shukaku did not give an answer, and Manda laughed once more. "Well, I might not give him any love, but I'll guarantee that Loveless will be screaming with pleasure once I'm done with him." He licked his lips. Shukaku stiffened. "Can't you just imagine it?" Manda asked him softly, and smiled cruelly when Shukaku only hugged Loveless tighter.
"Well, I suppose you can't," Manda went on, "but I assure you it is a beautiful sight, when I send someone to orgasm. Tears on their pained faces, blood leaking out of their violated entrances…and yet they can't help but moan, because I just took their virginity, and they feel so good. If you want to experience it, Shukaku-kun, I'm sure Iyaku will oblige and satisfy you."
Shukaku still kept silent.
"No? Then Shukaku-kun, will you please hand over Loveless now?" The sword-edge bit deeper into Shukaku's tender neck. "I'd hate to kill you right now, and I advise you not to force me to, Shukaku-kun."
You disgust me. Shukaku finally answered. I will never let you get your dirty hands on Loveless or Neji.
Manda smirked. "Then this is goodbye, Shukaku-kun." As he prepared to slaughter the redhead, something unexpected happened. Manda was blown back off the rooftop by what felt like an explosion, as Iyaku was too. When they recovered and sat up again on their respective landing places, they saw on the rooftop a huge sand-colored raccoon, silhouetted by the blood red moon. His eyes as he paced upon the rooftop were crimson, and it was truly a terrifying sight, combined with the raw power that was rolling off him in waves.
If either of you two come after me, Shukaku warned, I will kill you.
That said, he buried both Iyaku and Manda under massive piles of sand, the impact of which knocked them both unconscious. Shukaku then looked around for Loveless and found him settled on his back, cushioned by his fur. Shukaku called upon his sand again, shaping it into a net that he stretched across Loveless and his fur, so that Loveless wouldn't fall off.
That taken care of, Shukaku bounded off across the rooftops, aiming for the skyscrapers of downtown Konoha. Gaara's apartment building was also in downtown, where the redheaded insomniac currently was, sleeping on one of the rare nights he actually could. Shukaku hoped that when they reached Gaara, he and Loveless would be able to get back into the real world once more, and that he would be able to convince Gaara to go through with this love potion thing. He would put off all problems till then, Shukaku decided. Right now all he needed to do was to reach the apartment building. That was all…
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Shisui activated his Byakugan, looked up and down the street, and cursed fluently. He had been lazy. He had slacked off. And worst of all, he had underestimated the enemy. He ran down the street silently, coming to a stop at the unconscious bodies of Neji and someone else, presumably an assassin.
Shisui bent down immediately and checked for Neji's pulse. It wasn't there. He told himself to stop panicking – Neji could still be alive, since the only wound he could see was a scratch on his cheek. So he got out a small mirror from his pack and held it under Neji's nose. It fogged up, and Shisui breathed a small sigh of relief. Neji was still breathing. He was still alive. Itachi wouldn't kill him just yet…
But then he thought of something else. If Neji was still alive, but his heart wasn't in his body, then that could only mean one thing…
Shisui glanced around as he put the mirror back into his bag, sharp eyes picking out a knife on the sidewalk, undoubtedly used in the scuffle between Neji and the assassin. He picked it up by the handle, careful not to touch any part of the blade itself. After examining it, he cursed again. Neji's blood was on the blade, along with another liquid he knew was a love potion. It had been named Mourning by its creator (though nobody quite knew who that creator was), and the black band that trapped the heart after the love potion was taken into the body did indeed make it look as if the heart was in mourning.
Mourning was one of the most powerful love potions, if not the most powerful, because of the interesting effect that the person taking the love potion had no memory of it afterwards. And Mourning could not just be used by anyone. This particular love potion separated the drinker's heart from its body, sent it to the world of Tsukuyomi and made sure the heart could not go back to its person. That was the first action. But then, the user (not the drinker) of the love potion had to send his or her own heart into Tsukuyomi, where it had to find the drinker's heart and dominate it in some way.
Shisui knew the 'dominating' differed from heart to heart. Some preferred to fight the other heart and win, while others preferred to convince the other heart to follow them to their person. Either worked, though the second usually needed the two hearts (and therefore the two persons) to be acquainted with each other.
And with this unique potion, since the user needed to be able to send their heart to Tsukuyomi, the users were traditionally limited to Uchihas and Hyuugas. This could mean one of three things: one, that an actual Hyuuga or Uchiha was doing this. Two, that Orochimaru had kidnapped a Hyuuga or Uchiha and was forcing them to transport his heart into Tsukuyomi in order to do this. Or three, that Orochimaru had figured out how to get into Tsukuyomi. None of those three prospects looked very good to Shisui.
But right now, he needed to do something. Shisui grabbed his cell phone to call Itachi, but then he hesitated. The Uchiha wouldn't appreciate being interrupted…but then, if he found out that Neji had been in trouble and Shisui hadn't called him, then he would appreciate it even less. Well then.
Shisui dialed Itachi's number quickly, listening to it ring and praying that the Uchiha would pick up. He did. "Uchiha Itachi." He said curtly.
"Itachi, it's Shisui. Neji's in trouble, might be caught in a love potion of Orochimaru's. Get over to his business as soon as possible, I'll leave the door unlocked for you. I'm going after his heart in Tsukuyomi after this, it's only been a few minutes and I hope to interfere before Orochimaru gets there. The snake bastard used Mourning, so we still have a chance. Get over here."
There was silence from the other line, before, "I'll be there." And then he hung up. Shisui sighed.
Yes, there was still a chance, as he had told Itachi. Because of Mourning's particular qualities, if he could get into Tsukuyomi quickly enough, he could defeat Orochimaru and get Neji to 'fall in love' with him, or Itachi. That meant that Neji's heart would be safe, and Orochimaru's plans would be thwarted. Unless…as Shisui carried the unconscious Neji back to his business, he thought about what Orochimaru was trying to do. The snake bastard's ultimate goal in this would be to get rid of Neji's business, which opposed his own.
He could do this in a number of ways. Orochimaru could, of course, succeed with Mourning, and Neji would be in love with him. Using this love, Orochimaru could easily topple Neji's business. But then, Orochimaru's plan would also work if Neji were to die. And Neji would want to die after being infected with a love potion, except that…he wouldn't remember it afterwards. That was one loose end taken care of. Would Hiashi-sama feel obligated to kill Neji? Shisui briefly stopped and touched a hand to Neji's forehead, wondering if Neji had undergone the seal yet. He sensed the chakra pattern under Neji's skin and cursed. It would've been fresh too, considering Neji's 25th birthday was just next week. This timing could not have just been simple coincidence.
Although the curse seal on Neji's forehead (and on Shisui's too) was not talked about among Hyuuga family members, the practice was not made a secret, and there were a number of sources Orochimaru could have gotten the information from.
Shisui groaned with despair; Orochimaru's plan was unfolding now, and Shisui could see that it was almost a win-win situation for the snake bastard. If Mourning worked in his favor – Orochimaru won. If he or Itachi interfered, Orochimaru counted on the Hyuuga curse seal, for Hiashi-sama to kill Neji. But Hiashi-sama wouldn't do that, would he? Not unless Neji pressed him…and if Neji lost his memory…
Shisui took a deep breath as he carried Neji into his business. There was a solution to this problem. A temporary solution, but a solution nevertheless. Shisui looked around in the dark (didn't matter with the Byakugan) and located the door to Neji's office, going in. After laying Neji down on the floor, and sat down next to him and tried to think logically.
What did he need to do? Which situation would help Neji the most? For one, Orochimaru couldn't get ahold of Neji through Mourning. For two, in order to side-step the curse seal, Shisui needed to get Hiashi-sama to agree to let Neji live, and he also needed to keep the truth of the love potion from Neji when he woke up, or Neji would insist on getting killed, like…like his father Hyuuga Hizashi had. Shisui thought it was tragic, how Neji was now suffering the same fate his father had, though hopefully not with the same end.
But he needed to act now. Shisui called out his heart, Sparrow, and sent him into Tsukuyomi. Being a Hyuuga with the Byakugan, that was the limit of his abilities. The Uchiha Sharingan could send physical bodies along with other hearts into Tsukuyomi, but the Byakugan was limited to one's own heart. It was enough.
Sparrow dropped to the floor of the office silently, immediately running out. He had no time to waste. Outside, he saw a peculiar thing. Two huge piles of sand were crowding the street, and Sparrow saw, in the distance, a…raccoon. Leaping from roof to roof.
And on its back…there was a glimpse of black hair and a white kimono, one that the physical Neji had been wearing. And since hearts in Tsukuyomi retained the clothes their physical persons wore in the real Konoha…Sparrow didn't know who or WHAT that raccoon was (at least he knew it wasn't Orochimaru, though it could've been one of his 'employees'), but he had Loveless, and Sparrow was not letting him get away. He jumped up onto the nearest rooftop and took off into the distance. The blood moon looked down at the unfolding drama with emotionless light.
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Itachi hung up on Shisui and slipped his phone into his pocket before turning around. He had just been about to start a meeting with some of his most important business associates, but he had to do something about Neji's situation. If Orochimaru had gotten ahold of him…
Unknown to Itachi, his Sharingan had appeared over the course of the phone call from Shisui, and his associates were struggling not to hide from his gaze.
Itachi smiled thinly. "Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen. I would like to postpone this meeting for another time, perhaps sometime next week. Are there any objections?" This was said in an icy tone that allowed for no objections whatsoever, and everybody abruptly got up and meekly strode out of the room. Itachi followed them, entertaining for a moment what would happen if he were to jump out the window. Yes, they were on the top floor of the Uchiha Corporation building, but Itachi had always been like a cat. He always landed on his feet, and jumping straight down would definitely be quicker than taking the elevator.
He sighed, rejecting the impulsive idea. It was pure stupidity to think like this, but he sincerely wanted to get to Neji as quick as he could. Itachi got into the elevator and tried to will the metal box to move faster, but the seconds crawled by as slowly as ever. Itachi rushed out of the elevator when it finally descended to the right floor and ran to his car, speeding out of the underground garage.
He skillfully managed through the traffic, and only once during the drive did he get distracted. He had still been in the downtown area, though on the border of it, and it was an area known for tasteful but expensive apartments for the rich. There was just a feeling, above him – he sensed something rushing above him, something huge, and for a moment as he stopped for the red light, he could feel a strong wind rushing by his face.
But then he looked up, and nothing was there. The night was windless, and besides, the windows weren't open, and Itachi wondered if a combination of stress and anger had made him imagine it. But he forgot about it as soon as the light turned green.
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Shukaku launched upwards again, towards another roof as he made his way towards Gaara. He was almost there – in the right neighborhood already, and Shukaku could even see the apartment building in the distance. He didn't know what had happened to Manda and Iyaku (hopefully both were still trapped under all that sand), but there wasn't anyone following him.
…Was there?
Shukaku stopped on the roof he was on, sniffing the air around him. He still had the senses of a raccoon, even as a heart, and there was the distinct scent of another heart behind him, though the other was obviously trying to be stealthy, seeing as how Shukaku hadn't heard the other before this.
The raccoon jumped onto another roof, debating his options. He could confront the follower, or he could continue pretending that he hadn't noticed the other and hope that he made it to Gaara in time. Well, Gaara was never one for turning his back on a fight, and neither was Shukaku. The raccoon whirled around on the roof of a sizable building, identifying the small human heart a few roofs away.
Who are you! he snarled.
Sparrow stopped in his tracks, startled by the direct confrontation. He had thought that the raccoon wouldn't have been able to sense him. He had masked all his chakra, and besides, the raccoon's chakra was coming out in such massive amounts that his chakra would have been hidden inside. He had also been silent in his movements; Shisui couldn't figure out what had given him away. But he straightened up from his crouch and gazed directly into the raccoon's red eyes. Devilish red eyes…
"I am Sparrow." he replied.
And who is your person?
"Someone you have no acquaintance with, I'm sure. Now, I would like for you to give up the heart on your back, if you please?"
Shukaku narrowed his eyes. I have no intention of doing so, thank you.
"Ah, well then, I will have to take Loveless from you forcefully, won't I?"
Just you try. Shukaku settled into a crouch, readying his sand. Sparrow didn't wait another second. He leapt from roof to roof, his speed so fast that Shukaku couldn't keep track of him. But his sand still could. When Sparrow threw a barrage of kunai at him, the sand intercepted it before moving on to the thrower.
Sparrow narrowed his Byakugan. What was all this sand? He had never seen a heart that fought like this, though he had also never seen a heart whose true form was like this…
Sparrow jumped back as a wave of sand came towards him, knowing that if it touched him the fight would be lost. Well, at least this explained the sand back at Neji's business, though Sparrow wondered who the raccoon had been fighting then.
Shukaku tried to keep his eyes fixed on Sparrow, though it was unnecessary, since his sand did all the work for him. As he watched the other man, he noticed his Byakugan. So this was heart of a member of the Hyuuga clan? That's what it seemed, and normally Shukaku would stop fighting immediately, knowing this was probably Neji's friend along with his family member. But what if…what if they knew that Neji had taken the love potion, and was here to collect Loveless and kill both him and Neji? Shukaku couldn't take that chance. He had to defeat this Hyuuga.
The raccoon saw the way Sparrow dodged the sand that flew at him. He would jump back, undoubtedly checking that there was nothing behind him first. But the brief moments that he was suspended in air he was helpless, and that was his weak point. Shukaku sent another trail of sand out, this one creeping through the streets, and waited for the other heart to jump again.
Sparrow dodged the blasted sand again but found himself in a precarious position. Behind him he could see another wave of sand just rising up, almost looking like a cushion of safety to break his fall, but Sparrow knew it was not. It was rising up to kill him…the heart closed his eyes and focused on his chakra, pushing it to fill each pore of his skin. He didn't know if it would work, but he had to try.
Shukaku cursed as his plan failed. Sparrow had…done something (with his chakra or something?), and his sand had been repelled, also giving himself a nasty shock. And now Sparrow was using his new-found ability to attack back at the sand, no longer afraid of the consequences. Shukaku growled. He needed to find some other way to catch the other.
Sparrow knew he had gotten the upper hand now. He could fight back, and his chakra supply wasn't running out anytime soon. He glanced around, looking for the raccoon, and found him, standing still and glaring. Sparrow let a little smirk adorn his features as he changed his path, fighting towards the heart rather than just the sand. More sand rose to defend their user, of course, but Sparrow fought through it easily. He was almost there…almost to Loveless…
Sparrow crashed through the last of the raccoon's defenses and openly attacked the huge animal, only to become weak and defenseless the moment he touched the other. What…what was this? His chakra supply was gone, drained, and this animal…the heart before him had an awesome power he couldn't match. Had he just taken his chakra away? It was strange, but the other didn't seem to be aware of his ability. Sparrow had fallen to his knees a few seconds before and now glanced up at the other slowly, meeting a suspicious gaze. It was as if the raccoon was wondering whether he was faking this or not.
As the Byakugan faded from Sparrow's eyes, he knew he was done for. Keeping the Byakugan active had become like second nature to him, and only when all of his chakra was gone, like now, did the special eyes of the Hyuuga clan disappear from him. He fell unconscious a second later.
Shukaku carefully picked up the heart beneath him in a huge paw. He didn't know what had happened, or how it had (it seemed like Sparrow had just passed out on touching him), but Sparrow could not do anything to hurt him or Loveless now. The raccoon wondered what he should do now, when a soft voice penetrated the silence.
"Shukaku, let him down."
-----
Itachi went through the door (locking it afterwards) and into Neji's business building, looking around for Shisui. He found him (and Neji) a moment later in Neji's office, both bodies with no pulse but still alive. Well, it was apparent where their hearts had gone. Kitai came through the wall a moment later, drawn by Itachi's presence. He took in Neji and Shisui, and gasped.
I…I didn't realize this had happened. He offered in apology to Itachi.
"It's fine. We need to go." And with that, his Sharingan flared and the two of them were transported to Tsukuyomi, Itachi's body disappearing along with Kitai.
They reappeared back in Neji's office, this time in the world of the blood red moon, and now Kitai showed his true form, mirroring that of Itachi's. They filed through the doors quickly, walking out onto the street. A quick flick of their identical eyes and they took in the situation, settling down into attack stances. Orochimaru and Kabuto (or really their hearts) had just clawed their way up through the sand, and Itachi sighed in relief, knowing Loveless had gotten away for now.
It must've been Shukaku. He must've saved Neji.
Itachi nodded in agreement, and knew that now his and Kitai's job would just be to stop these two. He supposed he would have to trust Shukaku's judgment, along with Shisui's, since the two should have met by now. They would get Loveless to where it would be the safest, and they would make sure Neji would fall in love with someone good. All Itachi had to do was to make sure Orochimaru wouldn't interfere any more.
-----
Loveless? Shukaku questioned, and knew it to be true. He could feel the slight struggling on his back, and ordered the sand to release its hold. They sand obeyed, and Shukaku felt Loveless slide down his fur. He twitched and tried not to move too much, feeling as if someone was petting him. It felt nice. Shukaku made sure Loveless landed in a small pile of soft sand, and turned around to face him when he did.
"Shukaku, let Sparrow down." Shukaku looked at the human heart he was holding in his paw, and did as Loveless asked. He placed Sparrow on another pile of his sand, and watched as Loveless walked over to the other.
Who is he? Shukaku asked.
"A heart of a beloved cousin who's in the ANBU."
Oh. I…thought he was an enemy. Sorry…
Loveless looked up and smiled. "It's fine. I can't believe you could defeat him, you know? Shisui, Sparrow's person, is pretty powerful. How did you do it?"
I'm not sure. He just…passed out.
"Strange. But I'm glad that you're protecting me, Shukaku." Loveless smiled again and Shukaku watched as he smoothed Sparrow's brow, sending some sort of healing chakra into the other. Some of it leaked into his sand, and Shukaku tingled with a blissful sensation. He cooed in his mind as he relaxed, and in a moment he was back in human form.
Loveless glanced over and blinked. "Oh. You're back to Gaara form. I liked your other one better."
You did?
"Yeah." Shukaku thought he would have said more, but just then Sparrow stirred. "Are you feeling all right?" Loveless asked him.
"I…think so." Sparrow blinked his Hyuuga eyes and stared up at the concerned Loveless. Another figure caught his eye, and Sparrow turned a little, though he didn't need to. His Byakugan was sparking to life again, and his vision covered almost all 360 degrees. The other figure confused him a little. He recognized him, of course. Sabaku Gaara was very famous in Konoha, and Sparrow could conclude that this was Sabaku Gaara's heart. But what was he doing here? And where was that raccoon? "Where's the raccoon?" he blurted out.
"Shukaku? There." And Loveless pointed to Sabaku Gaara's heart.
"But, but-" Sparrow protested. "Why isn't he running off with you to Orochimaru?"
"Because he wasn't trying to hurt me before. Shukaku was trying to protect me from, well, you. And…" Loveless turned to Shukaku. "What happened with Orochimaru, and how did you get that other form of yours? In Tsukuyomi, hearts can only take on their true forms, so…that must mean you have two true forms? I've never heard of that, have you, Sparrow?"
Sparrow sat up and shook his head. "And I don't think anybody else has, either. Not in the ANBU, not in the Akatsuki, not anywhere else. But we should get going, shouldn't we?"
Yeah, I agree. I buried Manda and Iyaku, Orochimaru and his henchman's hearts, with my sand, but they should be coming around soon. And as for my two forms, I don't know how it happened. I was just so angry, and I turned into a raccoon. Shukaku shrugged. I'm just me. All of these weird things you say are happening probably happen to Kyuubi as well, you know.
"Who's Kyuubi?" Sparrow asked.
"Naruto's heart." Suddenly Loveless stopped talking, and the two other hearts could hear why. There were sounds of a fight back where Neji's business was, but suddenly it was over, and there was silence. They looked at each other, and Sparrow remarked, "Itachi. Shisui called him. Who do you think won?"
"It doesn't matter. We're going to Gaara." Loveless turned to Shukaku. "Can you turn back into your raccoon form?" Shukaku nodded and in a sudden he did.
But Sparrow listened on in consternation. "Gaara? Sabaku Gaara? You're going to him?"
Loveless glanced at Sparrow as he started climbing on Shukaku's back. "Yes. Is there a problem?"
"But…why him? Do you have a relationship with him or something? Do you even know him that well?"
"No, but Shukaku…he saved me, and…" Loveless trailed off. He didn't really have a reason he was going to Gaara, except for that Shukaku had been so nice and had convinced him that it was the right thing to do.
"Itachi would be better." Sparrow said. "Do you know how long he's loved you? Sasuke jokes about it all the time and I do too, but he really does love you. And he'd be better to fall in love with than someone who's almost a stranger, wouldn't he be?" Shukaku listened with apprehension, his ears twitching, but didn't interrupt. He knew Sparrow was right.
"I…I suppose." Loveless said, now sitting with his feet around the bottom of Shukaku's neck. It was the only place he could find any amount of purchase.
Sparrow nodded. "This will be good for both you and Neji, I know it. You'll be happy with Itachi, and he'll take care of you."
Loveless still wasn't very sure of this, and he leaned into Shukaku's thick fur, stroking it with one hand. Then he noticed Shukaku's twitchy ears, and asked, "What do you think, Shukaku?"
…I think he's right, Loveless. If Itachi is bound to love you, then you should go to him and fall in love with him. It'd be better for you. I guess I just wanted to make Gaara happy, that's all…I wanted someone to love him like he wanted Naruto to love him.
Shukaku's ears drooped in sadness, and even Sparrow felt a little sorry for him. He didn't know the whole story, but he knew Naruto was in a relationship with Itachi's brother, and that meant Gaara, who had seemed to like the blonde, had been rejected.
It's fine. Shukaku told the other two. We need to go. Get on, Sparrow.
"Wait." Loveless told Shukaku. "Sparrow, tell me this. How possible is it for Itachi to find a way to transport people into Tsukuyomi without Mangekyo Sharingan?"
Sparrow frowned. What did this have to do with anything? But he answered dutifully. "Not very possible, even with Itachi's genius. We still know very little about Tsukuyomi, if only because we only started researching a generation or two before, but still, there is a very slim chance that Itachi will figure out how to do such a thing. Hearts? Sure. I think he was already working on a machine to transport hearts into Tsukuyomi, somewhat like the machine you use to bring hearts out of their persons, but physical bodies are much more difficult. There's the chance of leaving a body part or the brain back in the real world, and that would be disastrous."
"Ah…" Loveless's eyes hardened with determination – he had made his decision. "Then we'll be going to Gaara. Even if I fell in love with Itachi…he would still have the duty of continuing on his clan."
"Then fall in love with me!" Sparrow interrupted. "It'd still be better than falling in love with Gaara!"
Loveless shook his head. "You don't need me, Sparrow. Shisui is happy enough on his own. But Gaara and Shukaku want, if not need, me, and I want to accomplish something with this love potion. If I have to fall in love right now, I might as well do something with it, shouldn't I? Come on, Sparrow, get on. We need to go."
Sparrow sighed in defeat and did as Loveless asked, climbing up Shukaku until he was sitting behind Loveless. And when they were both settled, Shukaku let his sand form a sort of padding behind the two, along with a seat belt. After making sure they weren't going to fall off, he started to run.
Sparrow decided the sensation of riding on a giant raccoon wasn't so bad. It was a tad bouncy, but Shukaku had taken a smooth stride, and was trying to make this as gentle as possible for the two riders.
Hey you two?
"Yeah?", "Yes Shukaku?", came the two responses.
Can you tell me a bit more about love potions? I, well, Gaara always thought that it was straightforward. You drank the love potion, you fell in love with the one who gave it to you. So now I'm confused. What's this about Tsukuyomi and…dominating? Manda mentioned something about that.
"It's only with Mourning, since only Mourning sends hearts to Tsukuyomi. All the other love potions do as you described, basically. In Tsukuyomi, the heart has to be 'dominated' in order for the love potion to work. It's a small obstacle in order for one of the most powerful of all love potions to work, I suppose. If there were only bigger obstacles…" Sparrow shook himself out of his mood. "But this is ok. At least Neji isn't going to Orochimaru."
And what can dominating consist of? Orochimaru's Manda was…raping the hearts.
Sparrow bristled with rage. "My God, if only we could prove that, then Orochimaru would be shipped off to jail in an instant. It's against all laws constructed by the ANBU to do something like that, even without the love potion. Hearts…we're not supposed to do something like that." He shook his head. "I wonder how many hearts he's traumatized that way, and how long he's been able to send his heart to Tsukuyomi, But as for your question, besides what Orochimaru is doing, you 'dominated' Loveless by convincing him to go with you. Others can fight the other heart and win. It all depends."
I see. And…Sparrow, what are those beings down there? And why aren't there any other people, or cars, or something?
"What beings?" As Shukaku jumped over to another building, he glanced down, and Sparrow and Loveless glanced down with him. They saw several transparent (ghost-like?) humans, which they knew to be hearts. But these took no notice of anything else and drifted through buildings, looking lost and despairing.
"Oh, those beings? Those are the Heartless. Misnamed, of course, since they really are hearts, but they're looking for their other halves."
Other halves?
"The other half of their heart. It's...complicated. But they don't seem to see anything, or do anything, since they're always searching. And we don't know everything about Tsukuyomi, but apparently only hearts show up, with some exceptions, of course. Itachi can transport his body here, and for the three of us, our bodies show up because we're whole hearts and we're in Tsukuyomi. Something like that. We're not really sure. And as for the buildings, the ANBU believes that they anchor Tsukuyomi to the real world, and that we can't change anything, but if anything changes in the real world it would change in here too. It's an interesting theory, don't you think?"
I guess. But you should get off now. I'm too big to squish into the street here, since it's not a major road, and Gaara's apartment is right across the street.
Loveless and Sparrow obliged, sliding off Shukaku's back (Shukaku shivered in delight at the sensation) and the raccoon changed back into human form. Hey, can we keep our human forms when we get back to the real world? I think Gaara would believe us more if the two of you weren't...blobs.
"I agree." Loveless said. "And we can. It just takes a little chakra."
Good. And we can get back, right?
Sparrow nodded. "Since you're here, we can go through Gaara using his link to you, even though you two are separated. And I forgot to ask, how did you get here? You couldn't have gotten through Gaara, so..."
I got through Neji. Shukaku answered as they jumped off the building and landed on the sidewalk. Loveless was just passing into Tsukuyomi, and Neji told me to go in after him. Is that normal?
Loveless nodded. "I suppose it's very possible, at least. The draw of Mourning would be so strong that it'd take everything it could at that moment, especially since Neji held it back..."
They went inside the apartment building and up the elevator, Shukaku pressing the button for the 14th floor.
Once the elevator stopped and they got out, Sparrow and Loveless followed Shukaku to Gaara's apartment, the three of them opening the door quietly (Sparrow whispering to Shukaku that human locks didn't matter here).
Shukaku smiled as he went into Gaara's bedroom and saw the softly sleeping redhead. It was rare for anyone to see this side of Gaara, this small boy-child who rested so little.
"He's so…vulnerable." Loveless remarked. "Not at all like the Sabaku Gaara I've seen."
I know. I wish everyone could see him like this, so that maybe less people would be afraid of him and more people would befriend him, but he considers it a weakness.
"Did he purposefully become an insomniac?" Sparrow asked.
No, but he refuses to take sleeping pills or any other sort of sleeping aide. Not that they'd help spectacularly, but at least he'd get a bit more sleep once in a while. But enough dawdling. How do we get through?
Loveless held out his hand. "Take my hand, and dive into Gaara's chest. I know he looks solid enough, but you're his heart, and this should work." Shukaku saw that with his other hand Loveless had grasped onto Sparrow, and guessed that the two other hearts would follow him out just by being connected by physical touch.
Ok. Shukaku took Loveless's hand, and was about to go, when he thought of something. Loveless, won't the love potion trap you inside Gaara the moment you go in? I've 'dominated' you already, and isn't that how it works?
Loveless turned pale. "Oh. I hadn't thought of that. I'm pretty sure it would, so…" he moved to the end of their little line, and Sparrow took Shukaku's hand in his place. "If I do this the two of you should be fine. We'll just do this. Neji will fall in love with Gaara, and…"
Shukaku looked pained. He had planned on talking to Gaara first and seeing if there was a real chance for Neji and Loveless before letting the love potion affect Loveless. But now, he was committing Neji (and Loveless) to Gaara without even knowing if it would work. It wasn't a very good plan, Shukaku knew. But what could they do? If Manda was coming after them, they wouldn't have any time to think up another plan. They had to do this.
"Hey, Shukaku?" This time it was Sparrow speaking.
Yeah?
"If Loveless is going to disappear because of the love potion, then it'd be just the two of us in Gaara's bedroom, right?"
Yes.
Sparrow bit his lip in thought for a second before letting go of both Shukaku's and Loveless's hands. "You don't need me there, and if you're going to convince Gaara to love Neji, which you have to do, it'd be better if I wasn't there. I'm going out to find Itachi, or to stall Manda and Iyaku if necessary. I'll get back through Shisui, don't worry."
"Are you sure?" Loveless asked tentatively. "I don't want you to be hurt."
Sparrow gave the other heart a bright smile. "It's fine, Loveless. Just concentrate on yourself, hmm? And Shukaku, after you do this, be sure to talk to Shisui – drag Gaara to come with you, if possible. We need to tell you two some things about this situation, but I don't have the time to do so now. Good luck to you two." Shisui gave a final fond glance to Loveless and kissed him softly on the cheek before walking out of the room.
Loveless seemed frozen, staring at the door, and Shukaku tugged on his hand softly. Loveless, we need to go. We need to get this done as soon as possible.
Loveless turned his head and nodded. "I guess. This...this'll be the last time I'll be able to go outside Gaara, right?" He had such a stricken look on his face, and Shukaku's guilt deepened.
Yeah, Loveless, it is, but even trapped inside Gaara, you'll be able to look out of his eyes. You'll be able to see Neji and Itachi and Shisui again, don't worry. And I'll even go into Gaara to keep you company, whenever I can. It'll be fine, Loveless.
The other heart smiled at Gaara. "You really think so?"
Shukaku nodded. I do.
Loveless smiled back and took Shukaku's hand. "I trust you. Let's go."
-----
Neji stumbled through the darkness, crying and lost. He didn't know where he was. He didn't know how he had gotten here, just that he was here and nobody else was near him. There was darkness enveloping him, and he was scared, although he had never been scared of the dark before.
Just...this. He wanted to get away from this. And suddenly Neji stopped, his legs buckling. He looked down with tear-ridden eyes and found his body to be like a baby's again, the body he had been on the first day of his life. Neji looked up and found himself face-to-face with Hiashi-sama, except that it wasn't Hiashi-sama. He didn't know how he knew this, but even though the man before him looked exactly like Hiashi-sama, Neji realized that this was...his father.
Beside him was a woman, also endowed with the eyes of the Hyuuga family and a mirror of Neji's aunt, whom he had only seen once or twice. This was Keiko, his mother. Neji whimpered, finding he could not form words, and crawled towards them. They both gazed at him with loving eyes, just as Hiashi-sama had said. He was the only thing they both agreed on and loved. They were still his parents, and Neji crawled on, toward these two strangers that were so alike and yet so different from the two people that had raised him.
They started walking towards him, and hope bloomed in Neji's baby chest, but they only gave him a sad smile each before walking past him, eyes focused on something Neji can't see. He tried to go after them but he couldn't, he had to go forward. Because they were both dead, and even though he didn't remember any part of them, they still had hurt him with their absence. He had to move on.
So Neji crawled forward as fast as he could, and found he was growing as he went. Soon he could walk and talk, and at the six-year old stage (first grade, elementary school, it was amazing he could still remember that far), he saw a certain blond coming towards him, also six-years old. Neji smiled at the little blond, not being able to stop himself. Naruto was always someone who made everyone smile.
Even now, in the darkness, Neji found Naruto to be a happy influence. The blonde walked up to him and hugged Neji gently, also giving him a bright smile. "Beautiful Neji…are you afraid?"
Neji nodded, returning the hug gratefully. Naruto was a light within the darkness – a candle calling for him to come home. Naruto was stable, was going to stay here forever, right? Because that's what Naruto did for his friends. He was always there.
In Naruto's embrace Neji grew from a child to a teenager, a teenager to a young adult, perhaps 17 or 18. He didn't know if this dream (or vision) following a real rendition of his life, but he didn't care, not right now when he was clinging to the only light in the dratted darkness. And then Naruto suddenly pulled away from him.
Neji looked up, startled, and saw Naruto walking towards another. Sasuke. There were the tenderest and most loving expressions on their faces, but Neji cried out, afraid at the loss of his friend. Naruto only looked back once, whispering, "I'm sorry, I love him." A second later he had walked into Sasuke's arms and they had both disappeared. Neji was alone again.
He started walking forward again, eyes dull and steps wooden. When would this end?
At around 19, two other people materialized out of the darkness, and Neji raised his eyes up to see Hinata and Hiashi-sama, the closest family he had. He didn't want to get too close, seeing as how the people before had left him behind, but they only gave him their smiles and said, "Someone's waiting for you a little bit further. Go on, Neji."
They passed him and he looked back to see them walk away, but with their encouragement wasn't so afraid anymore. Neji started running, feet making no sound in this world. He wanted to get out of here, and if someone was waiting for him, they'd get him out, right?
Neji continued sprinting through the darkness, only to stop all of a sudden as he reached Uchiha Itachi. "Itachi!" he cried, running to hug the other. This was who had been waiting for him, right? Itachi was his closest friend, and…
Neji watched as Itachi smiled sadly and held Neji out at arms length. "I'm sorry Neji. I'm not the one you're trying to find. Just…run on a little longer, ok?"
Neji's body was almost at his real-life age now, and he frowned. He shouldn't have that much farther to run, right? "If it's not you, 'tachi, then who is it?"
"Someone who will take care of you, Neji. I'm sorry I can't be here for you, but I'm doing as much as I can…"
At Itachi's admission, Neji tried to smile. "It's fine, Itachi. You're doing the best that you can, right?"
"I…I guess." Itachi hung his head. "Just go on, Neji, and know that whatever happens I'll always be there for you."
"O-Ok, 'tachi." Neji forced himself to let go of his friend and walked back into the darkness, albeit hesitantly. If…if whoever was waiting for him wasn't Itachi, then who would it be?
A few minutes later, Neji found out.
Out of the darkness stepped the unmistakable figure of Sabaku Gaara.
-----
Shukaku turned to Gaara once again, and this time was uninterrupted as he dived into his person. Going through pitch black darkness again, he tried to grasp Loveless's hand as tightly as he could, but halfway through he knew his hand was holding onto air. And when he came back into the real world again, back as a small raccoon, Shukaku saw that he was alone.
He took a moment to mourn for Loveless and what could happen if Shukaku didn't convince Gaara that this was a good idea, but then shook himself out of his thoughts and nipped at Gaara's exposed skin.
The redhead muttered and stirred, but didn't wake up.
Shukaku sighed. Gaara didn't sleep that often, and one would expect that when he did it'd only be a light sleep, but to the contrary, whenever Gaara slept, it was an incredibly deep sleep that he couldn't be easily woken from.
Gaara. Shukaku murmured. Gaara. Wake up.
And he nipped the redhead again, because this was urgent and he needed Gaara to wake up. When he didn't, Shukaku got impatient and raised a paw, inflicting a sharp scratch onto Gaara's cheek, drawing blood. Shukaku tumbled down the bedcovers as Gaara suddenly sat up, gasping screaming, "Who's there?!"
It's me, your heart.
Gaara looked down and frowned. "Shu...Shukaku?"
Listen, Gaara, we don't have time. Neji's in love with you.
Gaara blinked. "Hyuuga Neji? He hates me, dear heart." He picked up the raccoon in his hands and smiled, a fragile smile not shown to the world very often. "But I'm glad you're here. I don't trust that prissy rich brat with you anyways. Will you come back to me?"
Gaara! Listen to me, I'm being serious! Neji's heart has been influenced by a love potion, and he's now in love with you!
Gaara blinked in confusion. "But why would I slip him a love potion in the first place? You must be mistaken."
It's not your love potion, it's Orochimaru's. You know, the bastard who threw me into a wall? He hired an assassin to give Neji the love potion through a knife coated with the stuff. One cut and it was in Neji's bloodstream.
"But what does all this have to do with me? If all you said was true, then the Hyuuga would be madly in love with Orochimaru, right?"
It's not that simple, Gaara. We saved Neji's heart from Orochimaru, but you have to help him, ok?
"Why should I?" Gaara huffed. "He endangered you. He didn't do his job."
But Neji is a good person, and should be loved...
"What, you mean by help that I should love him?!"
Well...yeah. Do you think you could?
"No." Gaara answered honestly. "Whatever made you think that I could? I practically hate the guy, after all."
I...just thought... Shukaku was almost close to crying, seeing how big of a mistake he had made in condemning Neji (sweet, thoughtful Neji) to love Gaara for eternity. He had been being selfish. He had fulfilled Neji and Loveless's damn fate.
I thought...you'd be... Shukaku tilted his head back to look into Gaara's eyes, and the redhead inhaled sharply as he saw wide (watery) green eyes, a reflection of his own eyes, except this pair was much warmer and much more revealing. Within a second Shukaku had buried his head into Gaara's shirt and was sobbing uncontrollably.
Understandably, Gaara panicked.
-----
"S-Sabaku-san?" This couldn't be the person Itachi had been referring to. His best friend wouldn't send him to someone like...like emotionless Sabaku Gaara. Itachi wouldn't do something like that to him.
The redhead looked back imperiously at him, and Neji felt an unexpected twinge of...something in his heart. And speaking of his heart...Loveless should be with him, right? Loveless's light would relieve this darkness, even in a dream.
But when Neji tried to bring Loveless out, he found he couldn't. Loveless had just disappeared somehow...and then Neji looked up with wide eyes. There was a chain of chakra connecting the empty space where Loveless should have been to the similar space in Gaara, though his wasn't empty. No, Neji could see how Loveless slumbered inside, trapped there by a black ring. This...this couldn't be happening. It just couldn't! "No..." Neji echoed softly, and took a step back when Gaara moved forward.
"What?" Gaara looked mildly concerned for a second, before following Neji's line of sight and having a moment of realization. "Oh. Yeah. Shukaku...he saved Loveless from Orochimaru, and brought him to me. Don't jump to any conclusions."
"Oh." Neji was dumbfounded, but he supposed it made sense. Why would someone like Sabaku Gaara slip him a love potion? And he could identify that twinge before...it was affection? Love? Something like that. Something induced by the love potion... "I guess I should thank you."
It seemed like he had shocked Gaara as well with that statement. "Thank me? Why?"
"Because...you accepted me, right? Shukaku didn't just force me on you...did he?" A feeling of dread filled Neji's stomach, and he swallowed thickly. "Did he?"
"Yeah, he sorta did." Neji's eyes fell.
"Oh. I'm sorry. I guess Shukaku was just too worried for my wellbeing. I'm sorry." Neji repeated. "So...what are you planning to do with me now?"
"What do you mean? I'm not planning anything. You'll just live your own life, and I'll just live mine, just like before." Gaara's brow furrowed in confusion.
At the suggestion, Neji's face changed into a pained grimace, before he smoothed it back to calm and collected. "Sure. Of course. What else could I have been thinking..."
Gaara frowned. "What?"
Neji didn't answer for a moment. "Hmm?"
"What did you mean? What would change between us?"
"I love you." Neji's eyes had dropped during the silence, but now he raised them again, and Gaara could see the fire in them. "I LOVE you, and you tell me to...leave you alone. That nothing will change. That...you'll never love me back." Neji was horrified to find tears in his eyes, and he wondered at how potent Mourning was. If he had done this when it had only been a few minutes since he had seen Gaara, what would happen in the next few days? Months? Years? His whole life?
"But I never asked for it!" Gaara protested. "This just happened!"
"Did Naruto ask for your affections?"
Gaara winced. "No, he didn't."
"Did he expect it?"
"...No."
"And did he still stay your friend? Did he give you a chance?"
"Yes. But we had been friends before. Hyuuga, we aren't friends. We weren't before, and that's not going to change."
"I see." Neji swallowed again in nervousness. "Then I'll live with it." He could see the sigh of relief that Gaara let out, and felt Loveless break a little more at it. Neji didn't want to say anything more, make this situation worse, but couldn't help the words that came out of his mouth. "I can't do anything about it, after all. It's what Loveless predicted."
Gaara glared. "You're trying to make me feel guilty."
"Yes." Neji admitted. "I am. Because if I am going to feel miserable for the rest of my life, then I should share it, shouldn't I?"
Gaara snorted. "Then just kill yourself, why don't you? End your misery."
"What, you think I can? I have a business. I have responsibilities, just like you. My hearts depend on me, and I'm not going to let them down. I'm not going to kill myself."
Gaara sighed again. "Tell me though, why you're blaming me. Blame Shukaku, if you want, or blame Orochimaru, but I had nothing to do with it."
Neji stared back at him. "Orochimaru didn't succeed. Shukaku helped me get out of Orochimaru's grasp. But you, you, you're not trying anything. I'm not assuming that you'll be ecstatic about this, but think about my feelings, ok? This could be a very good situation for the both of us. If you'd actually try, I'll do my best to try to get you to like, or at least tolerate me. But if you just reject me, then I'll be miserable, and I'll make you miserable too. It's in your best interest to try, you know." Neji paused. "And besides, you'll have to get over Naruto sometime. He's married now."
Gaara's eyes widened. "Married?! When?"
"Today. To Uchiha Sasuke, of course. You've been in love with him too long, don't you think? Get over him. Find someone else. And I'm not saying you'll like me as much as you liked him, but gimme a try."
Gaara still didn't give an answer. "Oh, come on..." Neji semi-whined, but it was disconcerting to find Gaara's devotion somewhat...cute. "Gaara...I'll keep your fangirls away for you. I promise they'll never bother you again in your life if you say you're my boyfriend and give me a few days."
That apparently decided it. "You guarantee it?"
Neji nodded. "I don't make meaningless promises, Gaara."
Gaara, after another moment, nodded in agreement to Neji's proposal. "Fine. I'll give it a try. But don't expect anything from me. I'm not a lovey-dovey person."
"Of course not." Neji walked closer now, not (too) afraid anymore and went to inspect Gaara up-close. The redhead, like he knew, was shorter than him, and had pale green eyes and a very tense posture. And...there was something behind his bangs. Not that his bangs were really long or anything, but the thing was almost the same color as his hair, and it was hard to distinguish the two. Neji reached out and brushed the hair back.
Gaara flinched back at the closeness, but Neji had gotten a glimpse of what he was looking for. A tattoo! That was a new side of the uptight, rich, prissy (well, not so much now...) Sabaku Gaara. And an Asian character, it looked like, though Neji didn't know what it meant. But still, a tattoo! He wondered when and how Gaara had gotten it...
-----
Gaara tried as best as he could to hug the little raccoon to him, wiping the tears that came out of his heart's eyes. "Shukaku, Shukaku, don't cry. I'm sorry, ok? I'm sorry. I'll give Hyu-Neji a try. Ok? Don't cry." It was almost a spontaneous reaction, that. Probably since Shukaku was still a part of him. "I mean, I should listen to my heart, right? You probably know more than me in matters of love. And Neji probably knows more than me too, and he told me I was keeping you miserable." Gaara fidgeted. Blinked. Waited.
Shukaku sniffed. Sorry for crying...
Gaara petted Shukaku's fur. "No, it's fine. You should let out your feelings, I guess. I never let my feelings out, you know. So you should." He nodded to reinforce his point and wondered if he was making any sense. "But I'm not guaranteeing anything. I'll try, but in the end, I might not like him."
I realize that. I'm just glad you're doing this for me, Gaara. Shukaku smiled. I'm happy. And I'm sure Neji and Loveless will be happy too.
Gaara thought Shukaku was oversimplifying things. It wasn't like Neji and him could just consent to this and everything would be all right. There would be more things in the way. A lot more.
-----
Neji smiled. He was even more amused to find Gaara just that little bit unnerved by that smile, and took that moment to gather the shorter redhead into his arms. "Do you mind if I kiss you?"
Gaara's eyes widened at the question, and his mouth fell open. "What?"
"May I kiss you? It's a simple question, Gaara. May I or may I not?" There was a twinkle in Neji's eyes as he asked, and Gaara blushed, a tinge of pink across his cheeks.
"Do whatever you want." Gaara looked away, and Neji chuckled.
"Sure. I'll do just that." As Gaara's blush deepened, Neji leaned closer, and Gaara looked up despite himself. His eyes were afraid, Neji decided. Maybe Naruto's rejection had hurt him more than Gaara had let on. "Beautiful Gaara..."
Neji stroked Gaara's red hair and leaned in. He brushed the bangs from Gaara's face and his lips touched the redhead's forehead, skimming Gaara's tattoo. Neji drew back a moment later, a smile on his face and blushing as well. Gaara looked up in confusion. "That's it?"
"We need to take this easy. I...don't want to rush you, and I don't want to lose you. So I want to make this perfect." Neji still held Gaara close. "Absolutely perfect."
The next moment, everything had been engulfed by white light, and the dream had ended. When Neji woke up the next morning, he would remember none of it. Just a peaceful feeling, something like...love.
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A/N: Birthday tomorrow, on 4/25/07. So so happy to be turning 14...
And just to clear things up, Neji's dream was just a dream, really. Somewhat influenced by taking the love potion, but not reality at all. I just wanted to write it. -shrug-
Next Chapter: I think (and this is a rough guess, since all these chapters I've been turning out have been much longer than I anticipated) that next chapter is going to include the first meeting between Neji and Gaara after Neji has take the love potion, love at first sight (-squeal-), and lots of GaaNeji to make up for the lack of it in the last chapters! Seriously, five chapters full of plot is tiring me out...