Standard disclaimer posted right on this stop.

AN: Just a fair warning, Neji is a bit of an OOC here. I really tried, but I just have to put it. You get what I mean if you read the story.

Perfect Consonance

I miss the day when tying my shoe

was the hardest thing I had to do.

Now,

it's learning how to smile

when everything inside me tells me to cry.

Chapter 3. Hear Me Cry

Never really liked the rain. Especially this kind. Isn't the sky above tired enough of working all day and night? I bet the ground is already sick with all the pouring. Look, they are already drowning! "So, stop it already!" the little girl yelled.

"Sakura-chan" an old man called. He looked at the 5 years old girl staring out of the window. She inherited her mother's eyes and her father's hair. Sadness took over the man's appearance. "Come here child."

She looked at him and saw her grandfather leaning at the door. His body, old with age, hunched a bit. His eyes, also the shade of green, are almost blind. He gave his granddaughter a sad smile and a beckoning wave.

"Grandpapa" Sakura ran to him who then embraced her tightly. "Make the rain go away" She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "It's been raining since yesterday. The plants are drowning! They sky will have fatigue if they don't stop now."

He looked at his grandchild. A frown appeared on her cute face. What a naïve girl she is for thinking that he could make the rain go away. "Princess" He couldn't find words on how to explain things. She is too young to even understand the things around her. "Do you remember the place that I told you about last time?" He carried the girl and positioned her on the bed. He sat beside her but Sakura moved and transferred to his lap.

"What place?" She tilted her head, a cute expression forming on her face.

"Place where good people go to."

"You mean heaven?" She exclaimed, both her hands up on the air.

"Yes princess" the old man said, "that beautiful place." She is too young. Kami-sama, why her?

"What about it?" she asked impatiently.

Odd, scary feeling started to creep out. She doesn't like the way her grandfather looks at her. Especially when tears began to fall on his wrinkled face. The old man sobbed, cannot contain himself.

"Mom and dad are back from the mission?" She asked but dreaded to know the answer.

Her grandfather, who doesn't have the courage to speak, nodded yes to her. She released the breath she was holding and exhaled loudly. Too happy to know they are back, she excitedly jumped out of his lap and walked towards the door. "Where are they?" She asked. When he still didn't moved from the bed, she took his hand and led him out. "Let's go to mommy and daddy!"

"We can't princess." He whispered.

"Why? You said they are already here." She gave her full attention to his grandfather. Again, the odd feeling surfaced. "Where are they?"

He hugged her tightly. He won't leave her, he promised to himself. She will grow up happy with him by her side. "Where are they?" he heard her asked.

"They are in heaven child, with all the angels" Her world stopped. She didn't like the sound of that. "But they are coming back right?"

"No princess." He achingly whispered.

"They left me?" She started to cry. He hugged his granddaughter who cling to him for support. "They don't love me anymore." She said a few minutes later when he put her in bed.

"Don't think like that," he lectured. "They will always love you. You are their princess after all"

"You go with them right?" She asked and smiled sweetly.

"No, I won't sweetheart." He assured her.

A week later when the rain is pouring, her grandfather died. He went away, never to return, in a place called heaven.

"Sakura"

She stiffened when she felt his presence. Before turning to face him, she discreetly dried her tears. "Neji," she greeted, "what are you still doing here?" Her eyes are red and fluffy from all her crying. She smiled and leaned on the window pane.

He walked towards her, saw everything from her eyes. After the incident two weeks ago when he met the young girl, she can read Sakura clearly. He stared outside, observing the almost flooded road like it is the most interesting scene in his entire life. He shifted his gaze at Sakura.

"I know," she cut in knowing what he is about to say, "I'm okay, thanks for the concern." Getting conscious with the way Neji looks at her, she stared down at the floor. "Stop doing that" she whined, "I really don't look presentable right now."

He put his hand on the wall beside her head and leaned on it. He looked intently on her and lifted her chin. "Your eyes are red and fluffy from all the crying," he started to lighten to the mood. "Right now, they are shiny from your tears." He dropped his hands on his side. He can't believe that he was doing that. But there is this nagging feeling that makes him want to make her happy. "Your lashes are spiked up and a bit darker than they normally are." He heard her giggled which encouraged him to continue. "Your cheeks are of pink color and your nose," he tapped the tip of her nose for emphasis, "is red."

"You don't have to point everything you know." She gave him a look conveying she didn't want to end what was happening. She like the comfort he was giving her. "I already know it Mr. I-know-it-all-because-i'm-a-prodigy." She put her hands on his hips and gave him a grin, "I'm the least pretty right now."

"I'd say" he looked up thinking how to put words together. Geez, He, the Hyuuga prodigy, Captain of a formidable ANBU squad, loathed by the enemy, admired by other shinobi, and sought after by the ladies, cannot find words to compliment her. It is not his fault anyway, it is not in his nature to give compliments. He sighed. "You carry it very well."

"What?" She asked feigning a hurt look. "I carry UGLY very well?!"

What an idiot? "I didn't mean it that way," he started to explain but stopped as he realized that she was just joking. Both of them was silent for a minute, not bothering to move and just looking contently at each other. Then Neji remembered what he heard a little while ago. "Whose birthday is it?" He felt her stiffened, her smiling face replaced by a blank look. So much for making her happy. Good job Neji. Sakura walked away saying that she needs to go back and check her patients. Neji, irritated pulled her roughly to his body. "Sakura," he whispered. She unwillingly looked at him but nothing prepared him from what he saw from those green eyes. Fresh tears started to fall, wetting her cheeks again. Not anymore hiding it, she allowed him to see all the things she had been keeping for seven years.

She let it all out just for night, just for this night. Neji, confused, did the only thing he could think of. He hugged her. He rested his chin on top of her head and waited for her cries to subside.

"Today was supposed to be her birthday." She sobbed. "Hope that she heard me greet her."

Not really understanding what she was saying, he hugged her tightly. "Lets go to her so, you could say your greetings. Tsunade-sama wouldn't mind."

"We can't" he heard her whisper.

"Why? Where is she?"

"With my parents and grandpapa." Not really absorbing what she just said, he made her look at him. For a brief moment, everything disappeared. It was just the two of them, Neji hugging her. Then it finally dawned to him, the meaning of her words. Not needing to hear her answer, he let he rest her face on the curve of his neck and shoulder.

Heaven

AN: Sorry, im not that punctual. Hahaha! I'll try to make the chapter short so that it wouldn't be boring to read. Before starting to write the next chapter, answer my question first: Is this story worth continuing or not?

Thank you's: Jessenator (hello again) selein, al2010, and ita-ta (not really about sasuke, but he is a part of it.) and to all the silent readers.