O-kay, here it is. The chapter. THE chapter. And this time, I shan't procrastinate. The moment you've all been waiting for.
A few people have asked me to discontinue the story at the last chapter since I wrote what they thought was a good ending (uuuhhh...yeah...not really...eheheh) but since I like to see satisfying conclusions, I'll continue.
Chapter 23: The One He Chose
"The one I choose….the one I choose….is…."
And as he spoke the last word, one world crumbled and fell to ashes, darkening into a graveyard of forsaken hopes, yet the other world soared past the heavenes, shooting up into the eternal paradise of bliss, forever remaining in the Elysion of joy.
"The one I choose is Neji."
Sasuke abruptly turned away, tears clouding his vision and slipping unchecked from his lashes onto the floor beneath him. A soft, sad smile was written on his features through the tears; his blond could live a content and happy life with the one he loved. He should've expected it, he chided himself. He should've expected it, for wasn't the blond originally the Hyuuga's ward?
It was wrong of him, he scolded himself. It was wrong of him to take the blond from the Hyuuga, and wrong of him to fall so deeply in love with him, but he went ahead and did it anyway. It was the price, after all. It was the price he'd have to pay for stealing what belonged to another. He beckoned to Kabuto, who nodded sympathetically and lead the Uchiha slowly from the Hyuuga mansion. Sasuke was halfway out the door when he was stopped by a hand on his arm. He turned to see Naruto, a desolate look carved out on his gentle features.
"Sasuke…will you be alright?" The Uchiha nodded and pasted on what he hoped was a reassuring smile.
"I shall be fine, other than the fact that I shall greatly miss your company." Naruto balked for what seemed like an eternity, then launched himself into Sasuke's arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
"I'm sorry, Sasuke….I'm so, so sorry….I wish it wouldn't have to be this way…." Sasuke smiled sadly.
"I know, Naruto, I know. I'm sorry too. But one has to make decisions at some point in one's life." Naruto buried his face in Sasuke's chest, inhaling the nostalgic lemony scent.
"I'll miss you, Uchiha Sasuke." Sasuke turned and wrapped the blond in one last, desperate hug, his arms tightly encircling the other's waist.
"And I shall miss you, Uzumaki Naruto. More than you'll ever know." He pulled away and slowly tilted up the blond's face with one long, slim finger. He smiled softly at Naruto's tear-stained face, absently wiping away the moisture with his thumb.
"Now, Naruto, as a way of saying goodbye, give me one last kiss."
Naruto nodded and reached up, gently touching his lips on the Uchiha's similar counterpart. Sasuke let it linger as a chaste, then bent and pressed his lips harshly on the blond's mouth, locking his hand at the base of Naruto's neck to tilt his lips up further. Naruto whimpered against the Uchiha's lips, hands reaching up to entwine themselves around Sasuke's neck. Sasuke dipped his tongue sensually into Naruto's mouth, slowly exploring every glorious nook and crevice before withdrawing it and simply letting his mouth rest on Naruto's. The kiss they shared wasn't one for inducing pleasure; it was a sad kiss, a sorrowful kiss, one shared between entities of mutual understanding. After what seemed like hours, Sasuke gently withdrew himself, crushing Naruto in another bone-breaking hug.
"Gods, Naruto, I'll miss you so much." He withdrew and gently stroked the whisker marks on the blond's face. Tears threatened to spill from Naruto's eyes, illuminating them so each gradation of blue sparkled and shone, revealing the very depths of the blond's scarred soul.
"I'll miss you too, Uchiha." Sasuke smiled through his tears.
"Stop the waterworks now. You have a future with the Hyuuga to look forward to, and besides, you are welcome to visit us whenever the desire seizes you." He started to walk, then turned back for one last long, penetrating look at the blond. His eyes flayed Naruto, carving up his skin and delving into the very crevices of his soul, mercilessly carving up his heart into itty-bitty pieces with gentleness and remorse.
"Sayonara, Naruto."
Staring long and hard into the blond's eyes in one final gaze, Sasuke turned and melted into the darkness, Kabuto not far behind. A low rumble was heard, and a minute later a sleek, black sedan roared out of the Hyuuga estate, disappearing into the night.
So wrapped in his thoughts was he that Naruto failed to notice the Hyuuga noiselessly coming up behind him. Placing a comforting hand on the blond's clavicle, Neji bent and nuzzled the heaven-spun locks in what he hoped was a reassuring manner.
"Will you be okay?" Naruto grinned, a foxy, yet sad grin.
"Isn't that just like you, Neji; a cliché remark for a cliché moment." Neji managed a slight smile.
"Honestly, will you be okay?" The blond nodded and sniffed.
"It's just so hard to choose."
The Hyuuga sighed and wrapped his arms around Naruto's shoulders. Naruto leaned into the embrace, resting his head against Neji's warm chest. Suddenly he wished the two of them would stay like this for all of eternity; he wanted to sink into Neji's enveloping warmth, inhale Neji's unique, musky scent, and lose himself to the Hyuuga altogether. He curled unconsciously into the tenderness of Neji's embrace, pressing himself deeper into the Hyuuga's chest. Heaving a sigh that seemed to emanate from the weariest depths of his spirit, Naruto turned from the door, closing it quietly and meandering together with Neji back inside the Hyuuga mansion. The blond turned and gazed up at the silver-eyed being, a questionable look on his features.
"So we're officially a couple now?" Neji smiled, eyes glinting with hidden amusement.
"You could say that, yes. And being an official couple, we get to do what official couples normally do: act as if we're in our own little world, gaze at each other with loving, adoring eyes suggesting rather large overdoses of extremely sweet sugar, and act as if I'm the strong, masculine knight in shining armor and you're the frail, melodramatic princess as most couples usually act."
Naruto was momentarily overcome by such a strong fit of giggles, he sank to his knees on the cool, marble tiles; it took the blond a good three minutes to calm down. A rather nasty thought wormed its way into his mind, momentarily disrupting his ecstatic, somewhat giddy mood.
"Uhm, Neji…" he swallowed, trying his best to articulate his words in a way that would sound remotely understandable.
"Now that we're a couple…what will we do if Hiashi finds out? I do have the slightest feeling that he won't take our being together with an open mind. That and the fact that he's hell-bent on achieving an heir to the Hyuuga business, courtesy of yourself." Neji sighed and ran a hand through his midnight locks, a partially annoyed look on his face.
"Well, if he does find out, I presume he would react one of two ways, neither of them good: he can disown me completely and make another member of the Hyuuga family heir to the business—there are plenty of my cousins who'd be more than happy to take on the job—or he can throw you out of the house and forbid you from ever laying eyes on me again." Naruto scowled and clenched his fists.
"Why does it have to be you then?" Neji huffed irritably.
"My father—his twin—saw that I had ample drive and determination, two very crucial traits one must have when running the Hyuuga business. He noticed I had far more motivation than all my other cousins." The blond whirled and began pacing the length of the spacious room, brows furrowed in thought.
"Then why can't he himself produce an heir? It would be more satisfying to see his own son or daughter take over the business. You once said you had two cousins by the name of Hinata and Hanabi that were his offspring, right? Why can't they inherit the business?" Neji started pacing as well.
"I told you already, Naruto. Hizashi saw something in me that he thought would be useful to the family business. Even if my uncle wanted to put his children as his heir, he was obligated to fulfill my father's dying wish." Naruto's frown deepened.
"What are your feelings regarding the business?" Neji shrugged thoughtfully.
"Neutral, I suppose. I don't really care whether I do it or not." Naruto pointed at him, a triumphant gleam in his azure eyes.
"Aha. You said you had motivation, did you not? How motivated are you if you don't really care what happens to the Hyuuga business?" Neji scowled, shaking his head to rearrange his thoughts.
"The kind of motivation used to pick out the next heir is the motivation for living life, Naruto, not the motivation to successfully run the business. It's an odd factor, but no matter how badly you wish to run the business, you won't be chosen as an heir if you see life as troublesome." Naruto nodded slowly.
"But why is Hiashi so determined for you to have children?" Neji exhaled slowly.
"He seems to think that my drive will somehow be passed on to my children, have I any in the future, which is highly implausible if I'm taking you as a lover." This brought a laugh from the blond.
"True, quite true. Is he still pressuring you to find yourself a wife?" Neji rubbed his temples.
"He doesn't know about Sakura, since he's been on a conference meeting for the past few weeks. And when he finds out that I've forsaken Sakura, gotten into plenty of fights, collaborated with Gaara, one of the most notorious spies in all of Japan, and taken you as my lover, I'm willing to bet my life that he won't be pleased in the least." Naruto nodded.
"So?" Neji practically collapsed on the floor.
"Naruto, if he throws us out of the house, both you and I have nowhere to go." Naruto laughed, much to the Hyuuga's surprise.
"We can live at my foster father Iruka's." Neji sighed.
"We can't support ourselves like that unless you, I, or both of us get a job." Naruto grinned.
"Well, then that's what we'll have to do if worse comes to worst. But I'm sure we can work things out with Hiashi soon. When did you say he's coming back?" Neji thought.
"In about two days." Naruto smiled determinedly.
"Then we'll just have to plan our speech for when time comes to break the news." Neji's head snapped up, horrified.
"You don't know the full wrath of Hiashi, Naruto." The blond grinned.
"To be honest, I don't give a shit about the full wrath of Hiashi. I've dealt with wrath beyond levels you haven't even touched before." A mental picture of Iruka's livid face shot briefly past his brain.
"So are you in or out?" Neji sighed, defeated.
"Very well." Once the blond had his mind set on something, Neji thought ruefully, even a cathedral's worth of angry, rabid rhinos wouldn't force him to change his mind.
Two Days Later
"Hiashi-sama wishes to speak with you, Neji-san." Lee bowed and whisked out of the room.
Neji sighed and resumed dressing, careful to take as long as possible without seeming like he was delaying the meeting. Running a brush through his hair in an antagonizingly slow downward stroke, the Hyuuga pretended to take extra time with fastening, unfastening, and refastening the buttons on his white button-down shirt, adjusting his sleek black pants before letting himself out the door, deciding he could delay no longer. He walked in slow, measured steps to Hiashi's study, rapping smartly on the door before waiting for the command to enter. The permission was granted and Neji swung open the door, walking up to his uncle's desk. The older man looked up, his face looking more drained of emotion than any other time Neji had witnessed it before. Turning, he gestured to the venerable man beside him who bowed.
"This is my friend and advisor, Sarutobi. Sarutobi, meet my nephew, Hyuuga Neji." Neji inclined his head more out of formality than anything else. The man flashed him a smile suggesting years of wisdom behind his eyes.
"It is an honor to meet you, Neji." The Hyuuga nodded.
"Likewise, Sarutobi-san." Hiashi coughed politely, then got straight to the point.
"A servant, Inuzuka Kiba, has informed me of the goings-on of your former wife, Haruno Sakura." Neji nodded, tension creeping into his limbs. He trusted Kiba wouldn't reveal too much information, but the outright statement of it made him wary.
"It is perfectly understandable why you divorced yourself from her; however, this means we must look for a new wife. Sarutobi here knows a few formidable young ladies in society that he could introduce you to." Hiashi nodded imperceptibly at the man, and Sarutobi took up the conversation.
"Our first candidate is Tenten, a sweet young girl with a cheery disposition," he began. Neji stepped up to Hiashi's desk, a scandalized look on his finely chiseled features.
"Hiashi-san, perhaps you have the ability to relieve me of my curiosity; why is it that you wish for me to marry so quickly?" The older Hyuuga looked stern.
"It is because we need another heir to succeed you once I've gone, Neji." Neji gritted his teeth in annoyance, trying his hardest to rearrange his features into what he hoped looked like a respectable yet cold countenance.
"You are not that aged, uncle, and will not be leaving this earth very soon; why the rush?" Hiashi's stern gaze took on a tinge of ice.
"The Hyuuga business is very coveted, Neji. You of all people should've known that. Our rivals will stop at nothing to retain it for themselves, which is why we need an heir in case anything happens to either of us." Neji sighed in frustration.
"Uncle, I am perfectly capable of handling myself." Hiashi leaned forward, a sharp, steely edge to his tone.
"You are still very inexperienced, Neji. These people are relentless, merciless; they will test you, your loyalty, your motives. They will engage in conversation with you, asking you questions and giving statements that will make you contradict yourself in more ways than one." Neji hastily tried to form a reasonable argument.
"Hiashi, I've been wondering about something for a very long time. Tell me this. Do you have any life besides the Hyuuga business? I mean, you rarely talk about anything other than the business—"
"I will not have you ranting on about such childish nonsense. You are resorting to immature means, young man—" Neji interrupted him, leaning onto the desk and gazing his uncle dead in the eyes. Each word that he spoke bore pity, sympathy, yet steel. His tone was soft, accusing, and lethal.
"Have you forgotten that humans do have emotions, uncle? Have you ever stopped to think, to realize that people have wants and needs and desires? We are not all designed to live as robots, devoid of feeling, existing only to work." Hiashi leaned forward and rubbed his temples.
"Neji, listen to me—"
"No, you listen to me. You listen to me, and hear out every single word I say, Hyuuga Hiashi. If it weren't for the business, would you still be who you are? Let's just imagine for a minute, assuming your frozen mind is capable of imagining anything beyond the Hyuuga business. Let's think, what if the business went bankrupt the very next day? There would be nothing you'd exist for. Nothing. You must have a life beyond the business, uncle. You have your daughters to tend to, your relatives to oversee. And I too have a life. I too have wants and needs and desires, uncle. Just for once, I'd like to have a say in things. The business and the family doesn't just revolve around you. And I pity you if you fail to see that. I pity you immensely, Hyuuga Hiashi." With the last comment, Neji turned and whirled out of the room, not stopping to see his uncle's reaction.
Hiashi watched his nephew depart from his office, closing the door with a sharp and final snap. Sighing, he turned and graced Sarutobi with a weary gaze, sighing deeply.
"Children these days." Sarutobi looked sad.
"He's right you know." Hiashi looked up, startled at the man's soft comment.
"What?" Sarutobi smiled ruefully.
"You have gotten too wrapped up in the Hyuuga business to care about your family, Hiashi. Take some time to consider your actions. Reacquaint yourself with your daughters and your relatives. And give the boy some say in what he wants. He isn't as inexperienced as you think." Sarutobi sighed and stood, smiling at the Hyuuga before him.
"I must depart now. Young Konohamaru is waiting for my presence." Standing, he shuffled out of the room.
Hiashi sat quite still for a long period of time, carefully processing the words he'd heard spoken from both his nephew and his advisor. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen much of his daughters from the time Hinata was five and Hanabi was merely two months old. He had admit—albeit a bit grudgingly—that Neji had a definite point. He most certainly would be in great despair had the Hyuuga business gone bankrupt. Still…he mentally chided himself for showing such weakness. His more business-like self took over, forcing his sentimental self out. It was for Neji's own good, he reassured himself. It was for Neji's own good, and if he failed to see it, Hiashi would have to make him see it. His nephew was simply too bullheaded to fully accept the enormous responsibility of the family business.
Naruto looked up, startled, as Neji blew in through the door of his room, slamming it closed with a sharp snap. The Hyuuga shook his head in frustration at the blond's questioning stare.
"It didn't go well; Kiba somehow leaked the news to Hiashi that Sakura was a bad egg and that I'd—and I quote—'divorced myself from her.' So now he's using Sarutobi, his trusted advisor, to play matchmaker and set me up with just another fickle, clingy girl who wants me only for my money." Naruto scowled.
"You said something in retaliation, I hope?" Neji nodded.
"I do not think he got the point, though." Naruto turned away.
"Perhaps this wouldn't be a good time to bring up our little relationship, hmmm? If Hiashi is so gone on finding you a wife, bringing up your sexual orientation wouldn't exactly be welcome news." Neji sighed, leaned over, and laid his lips against Naruto's in a soft kiss.
"I know, but sooner or later we're going to have to confront my stubborn uncle." Naruto smiled against Neji's lips and pulled the Hyuuga down, deepening the kiss and probing his tongue gently into the other's mouth.
"We'll make it." Neji pulled away from Naruto's mouth and nipped affectionately at his neck.
"I'm sure we will, even if we're reduced to living at your father's." Naruto giggled.
So my final decision was NejiNaru. It started out as NejiNaru, and I'd personally like to see it end as NejiNaru, so this will be the main pairing for the fic. All you SasuNaru and Share fans out there will simply have to wait for the alternate endings. And I assure you, there WILL be alternate endings. Definitely. But the main pairing shall be NejiNaru, and my decision is final. Any flames, complaints, death-threats, and/or ESPECIALLY threatening to discontinue reviewing regarding the choice of the pairing shall either get you deleted if you're an anonymous reviewer, or flamed beyond the point of existence if you logged in.
I dunno...should I write a lemon for this story? (Surarrin, your vote doesn't count cuz I know you're anti-yaoi.)