A/N: An UPDATE! Yes, I ignored my responsibilities to essay writing and instead finished this (exceedingly poorly). NEJIII. He has his adorable moments. I would like to enthusiatically thank all my reviewers and apologise excessively for taking FAR too long to update due to exams and coursework. *Points to stack of work* See what I must do? No. Its like a SKYSCRAPER. Neverending. Apologies for the hyperbole and long words.

The edit's started up, check it out if you like. A vast improvement from before but could be a lot better. I've FINALISED the plot and some slight changes will appear in the edit that the sequel will follow (A/N's will tell you of this at the end.)

Dedication: Rika Hayashi for her beautiful fanart, and of course CutieKyoto for her support and simply because I luff her.

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto I would be rich, there would be Kari present in the manga, Hinata would be a pimp, the Akatsuki would be of a suitable age so I could love them without weirdness and I would know the secret behind Kakashi's mask. Also, there would be much Kakashi and Gaara whoring, because I adore them xD

Warning: This chapter was written on sleep deprivation, a lot of junkfood, and an extremely lazy teenager who was SUPPOSED to be doing coursework. Expect element of crapness. Also. SPIDERS. Ughhhh. Possible spider bashing. Formatting is messed up. Apologies, hates me.

Kumo

Incy Wincy Spider

Incy wincy spider climbed up the water spout

Down came the rain and washed the spider out

Up came the sun and dried up all the rain

And incy wincy spider climbed up the spout again

-----x-----

Kidoumaru quickly spat a web at Neji, the younger ninja immediately activating his bloodline eyes. The sharpened points shot past him, aimed at Naruto, Shikamaru and Kiba.

"It's coming!" Naruto cried in warning. Kita's eyes widened and she swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

Neji's hands glowed bright with Chakra and with a quick slicing movement; he was free of the sticky prison.

"This guy's pretty good," Kidoumaru mused with a smirk. Neji had managed to cut through the web heading towards the others too, stopping the attack.

"Neji!" Naruto cried with a relieved smile.

"He escaped," Shikamaru said, mirroring Naruto's expression. Kita released the breath she'd been holding.

'Not yet, I'm not going to let them get away that easily,' Kidoumaru thought.

"I am not going to let you get past me," Neji declared, the wind tickling his face. Kidoumaru spat a web net at him, but the attack was easily cut to shreds. "It's no use."

"It's ok then. It looks like you are the strongest of the group," Kidoumaru stated. "Geez, my playfulness is coming out. We have to play the game slowly or it'll be a waste." Neji slid into a Hyuuga stance, spreading his legs slightly and placing his arm in front of him, his palm facing Kidoumaru. "First, I will play for three minutes, then I will kill you." Neji narrowed his eyes, observing his enemies Chakra.

Kidoumaru chewed for a moment and then spat out numerous web nets at Neji. The Hyuuga quickly avoided them, dodging and then using the tree to pull himself out of the way. He then cut through them, slicing them with his chakra while Kidoumaru kept pelting him with webs. He was suddenly caught in the stomach, three nets binding him to a tree, two more getting his arms.

"Caught you," Kidoumaru said smugly. "Your skill at using Chakra is quite high and you have sharp eyes. You form the Chakra into a needle at the end of your hand and cut through the thread at its weakest point. I see. I heard about this from Orochimaru-sama. This is Jyuuken, eh? That Kari-chan merges with her own fighting style. But if you can't use your hands you can't cut the thread." Neji smirked. "Once you know how to win the game, it suddenly becomes boring. It's only the first minute and I've already become bored with you."

Kidoumaru's cheeks bulged as he started chewing. Neji tried to pull his arms but found he couldn't move them. Relaxing he closed his eyes.

"Kumo nenkin!" Kidoumaru cried, spitting a hard golden substance out of his mouth. Neji concentrated Chakra and his eyes shot open as he released Chakra from several tenketsu. The web immediately was cut apart, freeing him. He jumped up just in time to avoid the sharp point of Kidoumaru's attack. Landing on the golden spear he ran towards the spider-nin. 'How did he…?!' Neji landed in front of his enemy and slid into stance.

"I will tell you a secret. It's not only my hands. I can control all my Chakra pores. And by the way… Game over," Neji said. "Jyuukenhou; Hakke Rokujyuu Hanshou!"

"Nani?!"

"Hakke nishou!" Neji cried delivering the first two strikes, "Four strikes! Eight strikes! Sixteen strikes! Thirty-two strikes! Sixty-four strikes!!" Neji cried sending his enemy through the trunk of a tree and hurtling down into the forest floor. Neji landed and narrowed his eyes, peering through the smoke. 'Whats going on? Golden skin?' The protective golden layer crumbled off Kidoumaru like dried mud. 'Made from the same substance he formed in his mouth,' Neji analysed.

"Heh, that was dangerous," Kidoumaru said with a smirk. "I heard that if one takes a direct hit from Jyuuken, their Chakra network could be damaged which prevents them using Chakra. It was a very close call."

"Are you a monster?" Neji demanded. "Looks like its not only from your mouth."

"Heh. My Kumo Nenkin is a metal which instantly hardens when it comes out. It also doesn't let any Chakra pass through. And also this not only can come out of my mouth, but also from my body's sweat glands."

'Attacking his pressure points won't work. Is that how it is?' Neji wondered.

'My spider web bind won't work. I also can't engage in close combat because of his Jyuuken. In other words… I have to attack at range.' Neji's eyes widened when Kidoumaru suddenly and silently moved into the trees. 'No sound. It will be instantaneous.' Kidoumaru thought with a piece of web attached to his finger. The wed came loose and a kunai shot from above almost piercing the top of Neji's head. The Hyuuga swiftly dodged but gasped when he noticed something off about the kunai. 'Game over!'

'This kunai is fake!' Neji realised, he looked around to see a barrage of Kidoumaru's kunai heading straight for him, slipping into a defensive stance he began to spin "Hakkeshou Kaiten!" Kidoumaru's eyes widened in shock as each and every one of his kunai were deflected by Neji's Chakra.

'Does he… have eyes in the back of his head? Also that defence… He used Chakra to repel a physical attack.' Kidoumaru quickly slipped to the branch below him as Neji flung a kunai where his head had been moments before. 'Can he see me? What in the world is he?'

"I now you're there" Neji called calmly into the surrounding trees. "Come out!"

''Those eyes… look like they don't just see the flow of Chakra. What an incredible user of techniques.' Kidoumaru thought with a smirk.

'I have a disadvantage in ranged combat. It's one of Kari's weaknesses. I must bring this to close combat.'

"Very well," Kidoumaru relented, jumping down from his hiding position. Web wound around his ankles and sticking it to the tree. Looking up Neji noticed tattoo like markings spreading across his skin. "I will admit that the degree of difficulty for this game is a little high. I will be serious now." Neji sharpened his Byakugan.

'He's like a completely different person from before. His Chakra activity is overwhelming.' Neji thought, analysing the increased Chakra flowing through his system. 'Also, that pattern… Kari.' His eyes narrowed slightly recognising them as similar to Kari's and Sasuke's markings in the forest of death. If he remembered correctly it highly increased the strength but left a sufficient amount of physical damage. And in Kari's case, emotional trauma. He'd have to be careful.

'That move. He was able to dodge my attack from behind and find out where I was hiding. In other words, he has a high range of vision and is able to see through objects. On top of that, that jutsu… then…' Kidoumaru bit his thumb and quickly completed a sequence of hand seals. "Kuchiyose no jutsu!" The smoke quickly cleared to reveal a huge tarantula.

Neji felt his heart clench slightly. 'Kari's afraid of spiders.' In a training session she had come across one that couldn't have been larger than half the size of a standard shuriken. The term 'freaking out' could not even begin to describe her reaction.

-----x-----

Neji's eyes darted back and forth through the trees. Kari was incredibly stealthy and without his Byakugan it was proving increasingly difficult to catch sight of her. She was silent, swift and light. A mere shadow dancing upon branches. He strained his eyes glancing through the leaves trying to catch a glimpse of her when he was startled by a high pitched scream. He jumped his muscles tightening and his Byakugan activating on impulse when he was throttled to the ground with Kari clinging to him like a little monkey.

"N-n-n-n-n-neji!!" he squeaked, clutching him with teary eyes, face chalk white. Neji, expecting her to claim a deadly army of ferocious ninja were seconds away was irritated to find the next word to be. "K-k-k-k-k-KUMO!!"

"Spider?" he repeated dumbfounded, his muscles relaxing and his Byakugan deactivating. "What's so bad about that?"

"Its legs! It's all creepy and crawly and unnnnn!!" Kari shivered her tail fur going on end as though statically charged.

Neji snorted.

"It's not funny!" she wailed. "Neji!!"

His chuckles were unstoppable, every time he tried to stop them, they threatened to burst into roars of laughter. Neji had an image to uphold and rolling on the floor cackling like a baboon did not fit well with him. It was funnier than when she was nervous of heights. A tree is harmless! Of course he didn't know her as well then, so it wasn't quite as hilarious as this.

"I'll check it's gone with my Byakugan okay?" he said with smirk. She nodded, face pressed into his chest as she curled up into a ball on his lap. His Byakugan confirmed the spider had run away when Kari squealed. It was an idiotic fear to have as a shinobi, but it was rather adorable to see this strong kunoichi afraid of something so tiny. "Am I forgiven for laughing now?" She stubbornly shook her head. He wrapped his arms around the shivering mess of a kunoichi and smirked deciding training was over.

"Stop it! I can feel your chest vibrate as you try not to laugh!"

And he had the chuckles all over again.

-----x-----

That memory reminded him of what he was fighting for. Kari. Her happiness. Her safety. And for her to return to Konoha to be with him and all the other rookies she'd come to love.

"Your ability… I will find a complete strategy against it!" The spider excreted a thick white substance. 'If he prevents physical attacks with that spin by releasing a large amount of Chakra, then I just have to stop that Chakra spin!' He pulled a kunai in his style out of his mouth. He darted across and cut the white yellow substance which proved to be a sack filled with spiders.

'Kari's worst nightmare.' Neji couldn't help but think. They rained down on him clicking their jaws together as they fell. 'I can see why she despises them.' They were rather creepy. Bringing his concentration back onto the match he quickly span into another Kaiten before the first spider could touch him. They were each at least as big as his hand. He propelled dozens away but they continued to fall.

'He's beginning to stop!' Kidoumaru thought with triumph. "Die!" he shouted flinging a kunai at Neji's back. Neji hurriedly focused his Byakugan and was able to deflect the kunai with a burst of Chakra. 'Tch. He released Chakra at the least moment to deflect the kunai.'

'So he tried to stop the Kaiten with a Chakra web.' Neji thought, aware of the strings of web draped over him. 'Koitsu… I have to cut this once.' With a quick jerk and a spark of Chakra he cut himself free. 'If I can't use Kaiten then I will have to dodge every single one.'

'This kid fights with a close combat style Taijutsu. As long as I keep my distance I won't have a problem. I'll just stay back and observe you carefully.' Releasing the web from his fingers he released more kunai traps, showering Neji from all sides. Focusing on his Byakugan he jumped up, managing to avoid them. A second attack shot towards him whilst he was in the air, he deflected one with his hand and then bent to avoid the rest, letting them shoot past his body. As he landed, he heard the cry of oncoming spiders and got into a Hyuuga stance. "Hakke Rokujuu Yonshou!" They were bigger this time, each around the size of a football and increased in numbers, coming in hundreds. His chakra filled palms cut through arachnid after arachnid. 'There are so many!' He thought desperately, feeling the strain on his muscles as he tried to move quicker and avoid them all. As the second wave came he shifted his stance "Hakke Hyaku Nijuu Hachi Shou!" He increased his speed and the strength of his attacks as they came down endlessly, his arms a wave of blurred movement.

'Hayai! His number of strikes doubled. If I take a direct hit from that I'm finished!' Kidoumaru thought shocked. 'If that's how you want it, then I will fight you with even greater numbers!'

'There are too many of them! I won't make it!' Neji thought as another torrent of eight legged horrors were unleashed on him. He tried to spin but the web hindered his movement. 'Yappari, I can't use Kaiten.' He quickly ducked seeing an onslaught of kunai from behind but flinched in pain as the flesh of his shoulder was deeply cut.

'Looks like his field of vision is 360 degrees. He also uses a combination of abilities, seeing through and seeing at a distance in order to deal with an enemy's attacks. In addition to his 360 degree field of vision, he has an amazingly wide view of the area. If I can calculate his view based upon his reaction from earlier, he was able to completely perceive all the kunai that came within about a fifty metre radius of him. However, there's a kunai that he was unable to dodge. Then…' With a simple slip of thread from his fingers, spiders rained down on Neji again.

"Hakke Rokujuu…" Neji gasped s blood shot between his teeth as a kunai embedded itself into his back.

"Sou ka," Kidoumaru said with a smirk. "Now there will be more!" With a flick of his wrists he sent kunai speeding at Neji from all around. The Hyuuga desperately tried to dodge weapons and block spiders. His hair came loose, cut from his tie. 'This time two will hit him.' Two caught Neji in the back below his shoulder blades. He fell to his knees before falling to his front. Kidoumaru's laughter rang out through the clearing. "I have found the complete strategy against you! It seems that defensive move you use is to compensate for that weakness. Sumari, your combination of techniques isn't perfect!"

Neji rose to his feet flinching with the pain running down the nerves of his back and right arm.

"Why so eager? This game is over! Oi oi, are you going to continue trying hard even though it's useless?

Neji's legs trembled as he breathed through his pain.

'I'm doing this for her. I can't lose…'

"Trash characters like you in a game always end up losing! You can't beat me!"

-----x-----

"N-not yet…"

"Lee… You just never give up," Tenten sighed. "There's no way you can win. Neji is different from you. He's a genius."

"A genius? What is a genius?! Even if I don't have the talent, I will work hard to surpass a genius!"

"It's useless Lee," Neji said simply. "No matter how hard you work you can't beat me. This is decided.

-----x-----

"Hinata-sama, you truly are the Head family's spoiled child. People can't change!"

-----x-----

"This match… Your fate has been decided ever since I became your opponent!"

"We don't know unless we try!" Naruto said stubbornly.

-----x-----

'This will be your end' Kidoumaru thought, fingering the thread with glee. The large mother spider roared, descending from its web and heading towards Neji. The Hyuuga looked up with a stony expression. He didn't move a muscle as the gigantic spider landed on him.

"Jyuuken!" he cried, his palm thrusting into the spiders gut, it's body swelling until it burst into web.

'Trash character number one; crushing complete.'

Neji gasped as he saw kunai heading towards him in all directions as thick web hovered in the air around him. Neji fell to the ground, the total kunai in his back being brought up to six.

'Well, it was fun for a shitty game.' Kidoumaru mused. His smug air fell when Neji rose to his feet, panting heavily. 'Che, so he was able to barely avoid them hitting his vital spots.' Kidoumaru thought with an angry smirk as his curse mark spread. 'Besides, he won't die so easily from a kunai thrown from fifty metres away. Sou ka, so you're going to let me enjoy this a little more. Then here is my thanks.' Kidoumaru thought as he transformed the golden substance flowing from his mouth in preparation to make another weapon, a spear with a bow for deadly accuracy. "Die!" Kidoumaru cried, releasing the spear directly at Neji's blind spot, it shot at high speed gleaming with deadly sharpness. There was a satisfying explosion of dust. "Heh. It's over."

But he was wrong. The smoke cleared to reveal Neji had dodged.

'That was just barely… That one was dangerous,' Neji thought through ragged breaths. 'But I was able to make it miss slightly. There's no doubt about it, he has figured out the secret of the Byakugan.'

'Nani?!' What is going on? How? How did it miss by fifteen centimetres above his vital spot?!'

Neji flinched as he felt blood rush from the wound in his other shoulder. He was lucky, he knew it was aimed for his heart. Blood streaked down his arm and he fell to the floor.

'Sou ka. That Chakra. He must cover his whole body with it constantly. And with such wide space, no wonder he was able to perceive the arrow and move it slightly with his Chakra. But constantly releasing that Chakra is like dying. If he didn't do that he couldn't have dodged it. In other words, there's no doubt about it. It's just as I concluded. He couldn't see the arrow at all!'

'He doesn't make any useless attacks… So by doing so he is able to take in a lot of information… And he was able to figure out the weakness of these eyes. He's good.' Neji thought as he tried to raise himself to his hands and knees. Finally he managed to stand. 'Out of all the enemies I have fought, he is the strongest.'

'His field of vision is 360 degrees. Also, he is able to completely perceive an attack within a 50 metre radius. But there was a kunai he could not dodge for some reason. Why couldn't he dodge it? Because he couldn't see it. Even with his combination of abilities, there is a slight blind spot. He is unable to see or react to any kunai that gets into his blind spot. That's why he uses that defensive move, to deal with any attack that gets into his blind spot. And I was able to analyze and completely catch his moves. There is a very small blind spot behind his first thoracic vertebra.'

Kidoumaru's eyes widened as Neji suddenly ran pulling kunai from his back as he went.

'It's true that if he moves around getting a bead on the blind spot would be difficult. But that doesn't work on me.' He pulled another golden spear from his mouth. 'Jyuuken is useless unless you get close to me. But you have no time to get close to me. How will you run now? You can move all you want. You will die no matter what.'

Neji stopped his back landing against a tree trunk.

'Looks like you're low on Chakra. Trash characters like you in a game always end up losing!'

Swallowing his pain, Neji darted towards another tree, trying to keep moving.

'It's useless.'

He released his arrow, the web attached to the end guiding it making it deadly accurate. It struck at high speed, Neji's hitai-ate sent flying from his forehead. Blood dripped from the thread as Neji stood behind a tree. The arrow had cut clean through the bark like a bullet. Neji had been lucky, he had managed to move out the way just in time. A sharp sting hit his cheek where he had been cut.

'The string… Sou ka. With the string…' Neji collapsed to his knees.

'This time the course changed because of the tree' Kidoumaru thought in irritation, breaking the string from his mouth. He jumped back on to another tree, startling the birds that had been resting further along the branch. 'This time I'll add more spin to it. This time even if it hits a tree it won't go off course.' He thought spitting out another spear like arrow with a drill like end. 'Then like I did before, I will use the string containing Chakra and control the arrow until it's fifty metres behind him. I'll get a bead on a moving target and then I'll drive the arrow to his blind spot with pinpoint accuracy. Will you still stand?'

'He's strong…' Neji thought as he panted with exhaustion, forcing himself to his feet. 'He's much stronger than me. I don't have much Chakra left. I won't be able to dodge the next attack. Kari… Is this it?'

"I will win!" Naruto declared with determination he'd rarely come across before.

'Naruto. What would you do?'

"Ne, I admire you Neji-sempai," Kari said simply. "Take your ego down a few notches, add some optimism and affection, and you'd be pretty damn perfect."

Neji staggered forward a soft smile on his face. "That's enough. I can't dodge it anyway." The wind tickled his weary face as though trying to be reassuring.

'He's stopped moving. Has he given up? But I will still do this very carefully. Percentage of hitting the target: 120 percent. Destruction level: Super maximum!' A mere brush from his fingers and the arrow hurtled forward at high speed.

Neji heard the whistle of wind as it shot towards him and at the last second turned taking a direct blow to the stomach. Blood spattered on the ground until Neji crashed into a tree, the arrow shooting through it and into the ground, the string pinning him there. He smiled through the pain and with a glowing palm grasped the string.

"Jyuuken!"

His Chakra travelled through the string directly into Kidoumaru.

'What? He still… But that attack should have got him for sure!' Kidoumaru thought as he fell back.

"That which is made of Chakra is pointless against Jyuuken."

'Jyuuken. Sou ka. He sent his last bit of Chakra into the string before dying.'

'Eight birds. I couldn't see the other one again.' Neji thought watching as the birds scattered into the sky, his Byakugan fading. He coughed. 'He…'

"I told you I'm not good at giving up. A trait myself and Kari-chan have in common."

"Why do you keep trying to go against your fate?"

"Because you called me a loser! If you think it's impossible then you don't have to do anything! When I become Hokage I will change the Hyuuga!"

'That was your best ninja technique. I was careless.'

"Bunshin no jutsu was my worst ninja technique. How you're not able to change… Stop whining about those worthless things. You're different from me. You're not a loser."

Neji closed his eyes and grit his teeth and he saw, he felt Kari in his arms as she suffered through the pain of what Naruto told him was a curse. So similar to the one place on his forehead. She was following Sasuke to the one who put that curse on her. Her Chakra conflicted with the Chakra of the curse, he had seen it with his Byakugan as her organs would strain and her face would pale. How she'd discreetly flinch with pain then say it was nothing. He hadn't miss the worry in the Hokage's and Kakashi's face when she was hurt. The strongest medic of their time couldn't stop Kari's pain. He wouldn't let her kill herself to protect that Uchiha. Not if he could do something about it!

His Byakugan activated and he cut through the string and ran forwards.

'I can't lose! Even if he's an enemy much stronger than me… Even if my body were to rot… I can't lose! I have a reason not to lose!'

"Neji." She smiled blushing awkwardly through her embarrassment. Her smile turned into a grin as she pulled him into a tight embrace.

'For Kari!!'

'Some of my internal organs have been damaged. But I can still move somewhat.' Kidoumaru used his string to swing and avoid further injury. 'I'm having a really hard time this time. I played too much.' Kidoumaru's eyes widened in horror when Neji appeared before him, slamming his Jyuuken into Kidoumaru's torso, breaking the string and sending him to the forest floor. 'I can't produce Chakra!' Kidoumaru's cursed seal receded, leaving him back in his normal form.

"How?! You should have died instantly! How can you be alive?"

"I can't dodge it anyway, so I prepared myself to get hit on purpose. And I'm more familiar with my weakness than anyone. My Byakugan has a blind spot. If I know you'll be attacking there I would relieve Chakra in that spot and perceive the attack. It's not that difficult to move so that you miss by a few centimetres. I'd still be severely damaged, but I wouldn't die instantly." Neji replied, his back to his enemy.

"Heh, so you got hit on purpose. You know you will die too. How can you go so far?" Kidoumaru demanded.

"You are the strongest enemy I have ever fought. But I have a reason why I can't lose. One of the strongest people I have ever fought told me this. 'You are different from me. You are not a loser.' That's what he said. I had always been called a genius. That's why I can't lose. I have to do this for those who believe I am a genius who gives into fate. And for the only one… that thought of me as an arrogant, rude, over-confident jerk, and was the only one to ever call me stupid."

"Destiny foretold it? Well destiny is supposedly a sure thing but you can't possibly tell what twists someone's path will take. What if it was someone's destiny to change? Sometimes I doubt you're 'genius' Neji-sempai. You glance too quickly and don't look enough. Your destiny could surprise you. Don't decide what your destiny until your last moment, and for certainty, let the impact of your life after it has marked the world be what fate foretold. Surely your destiny depends on the choices you make? So stop this destiny-talk and help me train so I can be better prepared and make better decisions ne?"

"The only one who made me feel like I truly mattered…"

Kari's face flashed in his mind and he reprimanded himself for being sentimental in front of an enemy.

"Hn. A trash characters fate is to lose right away. That's what you said right? Look at this situation! Fate isn't something that can be decided by anybody!"

"Heh. You think so? You're about to die too."

Neji fell to his knees and reached out, grasping hold of his hitai-ate.

"Neji you must live on. You are the one most blessed by the Hyuuga's talent.""I will not die that easily."

"Keh! You can act strong but you can't stop the flow. Sasuke-sama went to Otogakure of his own free will and Kari-sama followed without complaint."

Sasuke is inside darkness and he's dragging Kari down with him.

"Iie!" Neji managed with a smirk.

"Naruto. You have better eyes than I do."

"There are people who can rescue Sasuke and save him from darkness."

He hadn't missed how Kari's entire soul seemed to light up when she was with Naruto. There was such a fierce spark in her eyes when he was there, it was always present, but usually dimmed. He was her light, her strength. He wouldn't lie; the intense bond between them had pulled strings of jealousy in his heart. But at the same time, he couldn't deny the beauty and innocence of their pure, seemingly unbreakable bond. This morning, and when Naruto had burst in after Kari's collapse. Naruto's expression was hopeful as it always was, but their was such a deep underlying pain as she suffered, as though he felt every sting, every burn.

With Naruto's light, Kari's inner light would relight. Together, they would chase the shadows of darkness from Sasuke.

"Heh. Sasuke-sama and Kari-sama belong to Orochimaru-sama. No matter who it is, no one can--"

"He can save them!" Neji interrupted. This man didn't understand Naruto and Kari's bond, it could never be broken. Never. If Sasuke had taken her with him he clearly had a bond with her too. Naruto and Sasuke were best friends, and they both cared fro Kari. They would find a way.

'Because, Naruto… Kari… You saved me from darkness.'

"Your final joke?" Kidoumaru scoffed but choked on blood and rolled to his side in agony. 'I say that. But I haven't taken it this far since I fought Kimimaro. Chikusho…'

Neji rolled to his side in agony as Kidoumaru's heart failed and deaths arms greedily embraced him. It was warm here, patches of sunlight heating the ground and lighting it, as though it were toughed by heaven.

As it were, his eyes focused on what he could swear was Kari's form kneeling beside him.

"K-Kari?" His Byakugan flickered on and he made out the flame of Chakra. Like a clone, yet it was different.

"Maybe you should be called Neji-baka, ne?" she said softly as he felt her move his head into her lap. It was warm and comfortable and seemed to chase away the majority of his pain. His hand rose up to touch her cheek and he felt the soft tingle of pure Chakra. He felt the moistness of her cheek and brushed the tear away.

"Are you hurt?" he murmured the edged of her blurring slightly.

"No Neji, seeing you like this doesn't affect me at all," she mumbled nasally. He smiled softly at the biting sarcasm, seeing the concern and sorrow underneath.

"You felt everything, didn't you?"

"Every kunai, every arrow."

"Kuso…" he whispered as he felt his eyes sting with tears. "Gomen… Gomenasai."

"Baka, what do you have to apologise for? You finally swallowed that infuriating pride, flipped destiny the finger and found determination and the true meaning of fighting for those important to you," he could feel her Chakra radiate with pride. "Your Otousan's pride would overshadow mine with ease."

"You always know the right things to say," Neji said feeling the last of his strength drain away. "Are we to die here?"

"Most certainly not." Kari huffed.

"Kari, though my eyes are not as good as yours in these matters, I can see how broken you are," he said his fingers sliding to her neck, to the mark Kakashi had mentioned to Tsunade. "Because of this?"

"I'm not broken, just a little cracked is all," she mumbled. "It'll be okay though, won't it? But…" She bit her lower lip to stop him trembling.

"You can't bear to see us hurt…" he finished.

"You're gonna be okay though right? Promise?" he had always found an annoyance yet endearing quality in her childish innocence. Yet now he could see it was also heartbreaking. How could he honestly declare how slim his chances of survival were? She was so hurt already.

"Of course."

"Good. Because you're too important to me to die," she said. His hand found hers and he gripped it.

"And you'll come back?"

"As soon as they can change Sasuke's mind," it was meant to sound cheerful and confident, but the agonising doubt and the pain from him leaving left tremors in her voice. "I'm sorry Neji, I'm so, so sorry…"

"Hush, don't cry," he whispered. The clone faded out like a ghost, the Chakra weakening rapidly. It became solid again, though he knew she had little time left. "Be strong for me Kari-chan."

"And you for me," she said with a smile her hair tickling his cheek as she placed a kiss on his lips. He felt his aching heart flutter and his face warm. He felt a need to tell her something, but the words were just out of his grasp. "I have to go now."

"I know," Neji said, his throat feeling raw and tight even though shadows were beginning to creep from the corner of his eyes. But he needed to tell her something.

"Be safe for me to come back to…" she whispered her hand tracing the line of his jaw. And then she was gone, lost within the breeze as though she had never been there.

Memories flickered behind his eyelids. His first meeting with Hinata, his father suffering under the cursed seal, moments with his team, meeting Kari and training her as his apprentice, the Chuunin exams when he met Uchiha Sasuke, the forest of death, his match with Hinata, ending when he critically struck Kari's heart when she intervened, his match with Naruto, Hiashi's apology, Sandaime's death, with the Hyuuga, preparing for this mission…

'Minna, I'll leave the rest for you guys… Save Kari for me…'

He smiled softly in realisation his face relaxing.

'That's what I wanted to say. I wanted to say "Aishitteru."'

A feather floated from the sky into his palm, but he never saw nor did he feel it. For he had already allowed the darkness to overcome him.