Ah! I haven't updated in forever! I'm so sorry, guys! Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed! You guys rock my world! (If your name is italicized below, your review was anonymous.)

Muchas gracias to Lina, AnimeSiren, ebonyS2, Kichou, Picup, White Alchemist Taya, Goshikku Seirei, hinan0, felicis-sama, Rosygirls92, -16-BrokenWings-16-, miz, kakashisgurl, Nerva al'Thor, Dark-VampireAngel, and Endy's Girl!

I thought this chapter was going to be about how awkward it was between the two of them…but…..grrr….the story kind of took a mind of its own. Gah! Sigh. Oh well.

Random Note of the Day: Erm, I don't think I mentioned this before, but Hinata's supposed to sixteen and Neji's seventeen.

A Caged Bird's Love: Chapter 7

I'm weak.

Hinata was scared. She could practically feel Neji become colder and distant. Like he was before their first Chuunin exams. Like when he hated her.

I-I can't go through that again……I can't do that……Not again……ev-everyone hated me, a-and said I was weak……Even Neji…But because of him…..I got stronger…….And I pushed myself…….to measure up to him. And I was happy……when he became my friend. No……No……

"NO!" The word spurt forth from her lips, unintentionally. She froze. Oh no……

Neji stopped walking away, but he did not turn back. Hinata gulped, but gathered her courage and stood up. In for a penny, in for a dime, I suppose, as Mother always said.

She quickly walked over to him, knowing if that she did not do something now; their relationship would be lost forever. She placed a hand on her shoulder. He stiffened beneath her touch.

"T-there is nothing for y-you to apologize for, Neji-nii-san," she whispered, trying to keep her stutters at bay. "Th-thank you for p-pu-putting me into my sleeping roll last night."

Neji listened to her words, hoping with all his heart that they were true. But you can never trust words……..He turned swiftly to face her, making Hinata squeak. Grabbing her shoulders firmly, he searched her eyes with his own. She stared back at him, blush rising on her face.

Her eyes were sincere. Neji mentally sighed with relief. So she didn't hate him.

He noticed his hands on her shoulders. Oh. Releasing her, Neji gave her an apologetic look. Well, as close to apologetic as Hyuuga Neji can get. She doesn't hate me. She isn't disgusted by me.

But what if she's just trying to make you feel better? What if she's not telling the truth?

The thought almost made him smirk. No, his eyes did not lie. Besides, Hinata had always been horrible at hiding what she felt. The girl wore her heart on her sleeve.

Hinata watched as her cousin's eyes softened. Inwardly, she breathed a sigh of relief. At least for the moment, their relationship was salvaged. Right now, she didn't need anything else. The direction they had seemed to be moving in made her uneasy. She would rather be friends with Neji for a lifetime than tell him that she loved him. There were too many risks, and she didn't want to ruin what they had. But then again, Hinata wasn't the type of girl to take chances.

Encased within her thoughts, Hinata's hand rose involuntarily to her mouth, an old habit that she had worked hard to overcome, though it sometimes still showed itself if she wasn't watching. But even if she wasn't watching, Neji always was.

He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at her actions. Hadn't she gotten over that annoying tendency? Not that he particularly minded, actually he thought it was quite cute, but as he once told her, years ago, the movement was in self-defense. It was meant to shield one from any supposed attacker, mental or physical. An act of self-reassurance. Which meant she was worrying about something.

Is she doubting something? Questioning something? Is she having second thoughts? Maybe she doesn't want to be on this mission anymore, not while I'm here. What if…

Neji tried to calm his panicked thoughts. It seemed somewhat ironic that on the inside he was raging, yet on the outside he presented a stoic face, betraying no emotion. You have to reassure her!

Now, Neji had never been a people person. He just wasn't compatible with many. He had never been one to talk, or offer a kind word to make someone feel better. He just left them to their own devices. They would get over it. Eventually. But no one had ever really touched him like Hinata. No one else had cared, when he was in the darkness. No one else had seen, seen how he had been suffering. But she had known. She had seen.

"Because I can see…that you are suffering more than me. You are the one who is confused and suffering inside the fate of the head and branch families."

That's what she had told him, during that fight. She had not worried about herself, even though she was obviously hurt. She was worried about him. And he had attempted to kill her, for that concern. After that, he promised himself that he would see his death, if it could clear the lines furrowed in her brow. And he was not about to go back on his promise.

But no words came to him, when he opened his mouth to speak. There were no words for something like this. So he simply reached out, grasped her hand, and pulled it away from her face.

Hinata gave him a weak smile in response to his scolding look. "A-ah, Neji-nii-san, I'm sorry. I didn't realize was I was doing."

He simply nodded and turned, going back to their shelter. Hinata let go of a small giggle she had been letting back, as soon as she thought he was out of earshot. Neji, in his own way, had just tried to make her feel better. That seems…so …like him.

Neji lifted an amused eyebrow when he heard her quiet laughter behind him. Maybe there was hope yet.

------------------

Hinata made quick work of their camp, swiftly packing and erasing any physical evidence that living beings had ever been there. Neji scanned the surrounding area, thinking of their next move.

"Neji-nii-san, I'm ready to leave." She hoisted her pack onto her shoulders. Neji nodded and hopped down from his vantage point on a tall boulder. He also picked up his pack and turned to face her.

"There is a mountain range northeast of here. It marks the dividing line between this country and that of the Snow. If we're quick, we should be able to make it there in a day. Are you up to it?"

Hinata activated her Byaakugan and gazed in the direction Neji was pointing. Indeed, the faint outline of mountains stood out, far in the distance. The surrounding land looked identical to the terrain they were standing on: rocky and bare. She nodded. Running would be easy enough, seeing as the rain showers of the day before had cleared.

Neji gathered chakra in the balls of his feet and pushed off, hurtling in to the air; Hinata following not far behind. The landscape shifted underneath him, bringing some things into focus while others faded into the vast expanse of never-ending stone.

Hinata vaulted over a pile of rocks that hadn't moved since the great glaciers shaped the earth millennia earlier. Byaakugan still activated, she alternatively scanned the land for any signs of life and watched her footing. She had no desire to repeat the accident of the previous day. Tucking a flyaway piece of hair back out of her face, she adjusted her backpack strap on her shoulder and made sure her weapons pouch was accessible. She didn't sense anyone nearby, but she had learned that it never hurt to be sure.

---------------------------

Neji landed gracefully on the ground and straightened, tossing his long locks of ebony tresses over his shoulder. After running hard for three hours, he had not so much as broken a sweat, though the mountains had gotten considerably closer.

Hinata landed next to him, panting a bit. She had kept up with him the entire time, though her stamina was obviously taking a bit of a beating.

Gasping, the Hyuuga girl dropped to one knee, laboring to control her breathing. She didn't want to show weakness. Fumbling hands grasped her water bottle, pouring a few drops into her parched mouth. The water contained a special mixture of herbs that Hinata herself had made, specially mixed to return strength to the drinker. She quickly stood up, stowing the canteen back in her bag and facing her cousin. He gave her a questioning look.

"I'm fine," she reassured him. Neji nodded and stopped, standing still.

"What's that sound?"

Hinata bent her head, cupping one hand behind her ear. Silence surrounded them ….until…..the sound of running water met her senses.

"Water? A river, maybe?"

Neji nodded slowly. "That's what it sounds like, however…….wouldn't there be more plant life if there was a nearby water source?"

Hinata shook her head. "I don't think so. The soil here is basically sand and there are too many rocks for life to grow. See?" She knelt to scoop a handful of earth. Sand and rock ran through her fingers as she stood up again. Neji gazed at the sifting granules before blinking. "Yes, I see your point. Then perhaps….."

He forced chakra into the coils surrounding his eyes, activating his Bloodline. Large boulders became translucent and his stare cut through them, traveling until it fell on a moving source of energy.

"It's a river," he stated, confirming Hinata's guess. She brushed her hand off on her pants.

"Should we go check it out, then?"

Neji crouched and leapt, not bothering to answer. Hinata gulped and took off after him. After dodging a few ancient hill-like formations, they came upon the object of interest.

The river snaked almost lazily around the mounds, a sunken riverbed providing the water a channel to pass. The water made the banks shine bright and wet, making for dangerous footing. Neji alighted near the edge, throwing an arm out to stop Hinata from slipping as she stopped next to him. She leaned over a bit, taking the surroundings.

"Do you think that this river might lead to the mountains?" She balanced as Neji withdrew his arm. He scrutinized the land.

"Yes, it does seem to. It might be quicker to follow this than to make our own way."

Hinata cautiously inched closer, carefully watching her footing, lowering herself down the riverside. Neji arched one brow, watching her.

"Might I ask what you are doing, Hinata-sama?"

She squeaked and blushed scarlet, fingers twining together. "E-eh, n-no-nothing, I w-was just…tr-trying to…..n-nevermind…" Her blush deepened and she began to work her way back up. Neji restrained a grin before reaching a hand out to help her. Grasping her elbow, he hoisted her up beside him.

Hinata gave him a grateful smile before stepping back, right onto an unbalanced stone. Her foot slipped and she gasped as she found herself falling backwards, right into the waiting water.

Neji immediately stepped forward, grabbing her arm and wrenching her up with perhaps more force than intended, wrapping his arms around her instinctively. The momentum pushed her into his chest, making them both teeter precariously.

Hinata couldn't be more embarrassed. She was a chuunin, for Kami's sake! Yet here she was, slipping over everything, stumbling about like Naruto when he attended the academy! What did Neji think of her!

She started when deep laughter vibrated throughout Neji's chest, lingering in the air. Was Neji laughing at her? She glanced up at his face.

Hinata had never seen Neji laugh before, nor had most people. But his laughter was like his voice, she found; deep and soothing. It calmed her enough that the corners of her own mouth twitched upward.

"You do seem to rather have a proclivity for falling, Hinata-sama," Neji chuckled, meeting her eyes. His gaze was warm and reassuring. Hinata smiled shyly.

"Y-yes, it seems that way, d-doesn't it?"

He smiled and released her from his grasp; Hinata found herself missing the warmth of his body. This time he stepped back to let her walk by him onto solid ground and she did so gladly.

"We have to head upstream to order to reach the mountains," Neji gestured with one hand. "Downstream leads us to the sea."

"All rivers go somewhere," Hinata said quietly. Neji seemed to reverted back into mission mode, no longer laughing or smiling, though his voice didn't sound as hard.

"Yes, and all rivers have to start somewhere, as well. This will take us to the border in a day, provided nothing stops us. Ready?"

Hinata nodded and fell in behind the Hyuuga prodigy, keeping her eyes on his back. She gulped nervously.

They were nearing the target.

----------------------------

Ah, spring is here. Yet it snowed last week. In April. There's something wrong with that. Anyway, please review! Arigato-gozaimasu! Happy Passover and Happy Easter, everyone!