Disclaimer: Naruto is not owned by me
A/N:
Truth behold my imperfection, your voice takes me to PARADISE.
Mayo-Chin presents:
Clock Work Mirrors
Chapter Five: The Crossing of Bridges
Neji is anything but stupid. In fact he likes to pleasure himself with his infamous ability to read people's emotions. He likes to watch their faces attempt to hide what they are feeling, their anxiety, there happiness and all sort of emotions. It is like he can feel their auras around him in a 350 degree fashion. He believes Hinata is like him; after all, the Hyuugas pride themselves with their nobility and their infamous ability. Growing up an orphan in a household filled with white eyes and blank stares, where titles like aunt and uncle fall short on tongues Neji has learnt to believe in himself. That is until he met Sakura Haruno.
Contrary to popular belief, Neji Hyuuga met Sakura first. Before the fawning of Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno was Neji's. And contrary to popular belief, Neji had never quite got over the fact that Sakura chose Sasuke over him. Sure Sasuke was his best friend, in fact, he still is, but the appearance of Sakura has caused not only rift between the two, but it sparked Neji's superiority complex. Neji Hyuuga vowed that he would never lose to Sasuke ever again. Whatever Sasuke can do, he can do ten times better and ten times faster. Why? Because he was Neji Hyuuga.
So when Tenten appeared in their lives Neji paid her no heed since Sasuke didn't. Neji could care less if Ino and Hinata began to love her to bits because Sasuke was still mourning for Sakura. So being the rival he is, Neji mourned too, and you guessed it, ten times harder and ten times faster. Around the time Sasuke began accepting the death of Sakura Haruno and accepting the arrival of Tenten into his life, Neji had already began the process of creating a bond between him and the new girl. When Sasuke began spending his private alone time during breaks with Tenten, Neji began spending his quite morning time with her.
It could be said that, eventually they both fell for the quiet girl. When she was admitted to the hospital after her panic attack, Neji realized one thing. It was like the whole scenario with Sakura all over again only this time, he would not let Sasuke get the girl. With Neji's ability, he could feel the waves of confusion and panic across the room of their friends. But he could also feel Sasuke's longing and pleading break through the rest. If there was one thing Neji knew at that moment was, Sasuke had fallen in love with the said girl and Neji had too.
Perhaps it was because they both loved the same girl and ironically love the same girl now that Neji could predict Sasuke like he could predict Hinata turning red in front of Naruto. So when Sasuke spent his last of his summer break in the hospital with a grumpy patient by the name of Tenten, Neji knew that if Tenten didn't love the boy then, she would begin to love him soon. The gears in his head began spinning, he was Neji Hyuuga and he would get Tenten to fall for him, ten times faster and ten times harder.
Morning of the third and last term of high school came far too soon for Neji's liking. Unlike the rest of his friends with the exception of Shikamaru and his current girlfriend, Temari, he was a grade higher meaning graduation and career planning came faster. While everyone else got ready for their second term, Neji was here in his third year classroom doting on just how to get Tenten away from Sasuke.
If fate or at least what Neji believed was fate, worked in his favour he was sure Tenten would be his soon. Because what Sasuke could do, Neji could do too after all. So when Tenten arrived early to school next morning to spend her usual routine with Neji in the tennis courts Neji asked to challenge her. He tells her that if he beats her, he gets a favour, and if she beats him, she gets a favour. Tenten, from what he has learnt through the time he has spent with her, has never backed down from a challenge despite her odds at winning, so she agrees without hesitation. It could be said that, Neji withheld the information that he was a national tennis champion but then again he figures that since she never asked he never had to pass that information on openly. Regardless, the short story goes with the fact that Tenten lost and Neji chose this time to ask his favour. He tells her to go on a date with him. When she looks at him in shock he chooses to give her his devilishly handsome smirk that has all the girls swooning in seconds.
It became known in a matter of hours after the match that Neji Hyuuga asked a girl on a date. Given the fact that Neji to a practical ninety percent of the female population in his high school was considered a Greek Demi-god; him asking anyone out, be it of girl or guy, made a very very lively classroom discussion where even teacher joined in if they could not control the class. Whispers spread like wildfire as Neji and Tenten walked past a crowd towards the exit to their awaiting date. Meek little Tenten with a very too-handsome-to-even-compare Neji, now that was not a sight fan-girls around the nation wanted to see.
So if the following day during their group hangout time together after school Ino happens to question exactly what went down during the date, their group of friends would have found out that meek little Tenten did not in fact just go on a date with Neji Hyuuga, she is now dating the said Demi-god. And fan-girls hiding behind the bushes proceeded to cry. Aside from the wailing, the abrupt shout of Naruto, "To celebrate. Let's all take a trip to Tennie's house!" ceases all sounds of crying and induces laughter from all but one man.
~()~
He didn't know what to think. He lost Sakura a while ago, and now just when he was getting back up onto his feet, he came crashing back down. He silently ventured away from his group of friends and towards the pond a little way away. Celebrating, he felt anything but celebrating the coming together of two of his friends. He should be happy he notes, but he knows that all he wants to do is throw rocks at Neji's head and hopes he hurts him enough to send him into a hospital and never wake up. Sasuke feels despair and anger and frustration. He questions how and why and what if and thinks that life isn't being fair to him. He found Tenten first he thinks. He made her beam and glow before Neji. So how, how could he have taken Tenten right under his nose?
He thinks about the pain he has gone through the past year and he wants to cry. His clenches his fists so hard his nails dig into his skin. His chest is hurting and he feels that all he wants to do is curl up into a ball and roll away somewhere. He lost Sakura and lost his way, he lost Tenten and he lost his guide. He feels that he has nothing left to give or to be taken away for that matter. He feels the loneliness build up as it creeps along his bones.
When he closes his eyes, it is dark and there is no light. He hears screaming of his parents and the crackling of his uncle. He hears the muffled and strangled cry of Sakura when the train derailed, but most of all, he hears Neji's taunting voice, "Tenten isn't yours, no one is." And he feels like screaming too because once again he is left alone to face the world. He breaks into a cold sweat and shivers rapidly, he is crying and screaming and wailing all over in his head, the screaming he hears begins to transform into words, "alone, alone, you're all alone" they chant over and over again. Sasuke wants to give into a dead faint, his world is blank and the chanting won't stop.
When he wakes up he is in a room he is not familiar with, the walls are green and not the royal navy like his own. There is a desk filled with stationary and a laptop, a bay window with a cushion and a dresser. There is an odd looking Koto (1) by the corner of the room and a stack of books in another. As he presses himself up, his hand grazes paper, there are only a few words in on the note but it is enough to give the room's owner a name. There is food downstairs when you are awake. Tenten, he thinks and smiles.
He walks out of the room only to realize when the note said downstairs, he didn't know where downstairs was. He wanders through the hallway admiring the beautiful calligraphy and paintings that litter the walls. He reaches a balcony and sees a figure gazing at the scenery. He laughs in his head, how déjà vu this whole scenario is, only it is him this time that is bed ridden.
"Tenten!" he calls out. A soft smile makes it to his face as she turns to him. It is with her hair down and the moonlight beaming onto her face where he finds himself captivated. She nods her head and gazes back to the scenery before. An invitation for him to join her, one that he willingly accepts. When he arrives at her side, he sees a field full sunflowers basking in the moonlight. It is irony he thinks how sunflowers look best in the moonlight. Neither of them talking just enjoying the scenery or each other's presence he is not sure.
It is so very soft, easily carried away by the gentle breeze if it weren't for the quite atmosphere. A faint "Sasuke" makes it across his ears as he swings his head towards the owner of the voice. Tenten smiles at him, her voice is hoarse from years of silence but he thinks that it is more angelic then anything he has heard for a very long time. She reaches out and grabs onto his hand, suddenly he feels like he is on fire, and gulps for air. Her touch is light but he could not feel anything but the feel of her hands in his. "I'll protect you…from all your demons. I'll protect you." Her voice is so quiet he had to strain to hear her words, but her eyes were so sincere he feels his heart clenches and his throat tighten. He believes her.
When he walks down the stairs of Tenten's home he sees his friends sitting quietly on the couches in the living room. The décor is very traditional, yet modern at the same time that is his first thought until he notices the dim looks of his friends' faces. When the stairs creak to signal his and Tenten's arrival, he sees Neji's face harden and soften, he is still holding onto Tenten's hand, and it is feather light but feels so very right in his. It is when he is lead in front of friends when Naruto stands up, face void of all goofiness and happiness. He is in his rare moment of seriousness, there is pain in his eyes, and his hands clench hard against his pants. Hinata is beside him, and like everyone else in the room, her eyes are filled with grief and pain.
"We're in this together. Whatever is haunting you. We'll fight it with you." Says Naruto, but Sasuke is not sure if it is directed to him, or everyone else in the room. He thinks it is the latter, because eyes widen and Tenten's hand clenches harder to his. It is then he discovers like him, there were many demons behind his friends, and many scars that won't fade.
Because life has never worked in a way we would want.
-Sasuke Uchiha
(1) – A koto is a Japanese stringed instrument that has 13 strings and adjustable bridges. It is the national instrument of Japan.