I'd like to say, as a writer, that writers really love it when people who read our work enjoy it. It fills us with some warm, fuzzy feeling that could be happiness or meningitis. That warm fuzziness is partially why we even bother publishing our work, whether that's at a publishing house or on the Internet. (The other reason is we like compliments).

Bottom line: please review the stories y'all read. ^_^ It would make us writers very happy. Support the fuzziness!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Chapter Five: Grayness of the Soul

Already a week had passed since their return from their mission. To Neji, it felt like an eternity. Every day seemed to pass deliberately slowly, as if someone was denying him the liberating blackness of the night. Only when the sun had long since fallen and his family had retired to their beds did Neji allow himself full release of his pent-up emotions. Only when he was positive no one was around did he allow his eyes to fill up with moisture which he angrily rubbed away.

No, he could not cry.

The past week, in all its slowness, had been unbearable for the young Hyuuga; perhaps more so than any other in his life. After returning from their mission, both Neji and Tenten had been administered to the hospital, where their injuries were treated. Thankfully, it hadn't taken long for the med-nins to heal them. The reason they were kept in hospital was entirely different. They had been allowed to leave only for the funeral the third day, but even if they had been allowed more outings, neither ninja would have made use of them. The pair of teammates was injured in more than body, as became apparent to every single one of their comrades that visited them.

The two Konoha-nin hardly spoke to their fellow shinobi when they came in. They answered in grunts and movements when they could, usually avoiding their gaze. After a while, their visitor got the message and left them to themselves, allowing them time to grieve. Predictably, Naruto had had difficulty understanding that the two had wanted some time alone, to gather themselves and digest the past events.

"Come on, Neji! Tenten! Lee wouldn't want to see you like this! What happened to the power of youth, huh?" He blinked in surprise when he received the wounded, murderous and furious glare from both Neji and Tenten. Sakura put a hand on his shoulder and gently led him out of the room. She would have hit him over the head, but she had guessed that would only upset her patients even more. One look at Naruto's glum expression softened her heart, anyway. She knew Naruto had meant well. He missed Lee, too. They all did.

The med-nin noticed things having changed after the funeral. The sordid affair had affected both of her patients, not always in the best of manner. On the one hand, Tenten seemed to have snapped out of her trance. One look at her made it clear how much she still missed her friend, but she had found the strength and courage to tackle her everyday life and not shy away from it, to deal with her emotions and not suppress them. It filled Sakura with hope that she would be able to recover from the tragedy and find herself again.

Neji, on the other hand, had taken a turn for the worse. It was unclear to the rosen-haired woman if it was the funeral itself or some inner thought process that which had sent the stoic Hyuuga so deeply into his shell. Every movement he made was mechanical, fluid. He ignored the food that was placed in front of him unless Tenten rose and came to sit on his bed, half-feeding him, half-encouraging him. It was the bun-haired kunoichi that was leading him along, now, sharing her strength with him. Knowing the way Neji bottled up his emotions, Sakura was afraid for the shinobi. Very afraid.

As their injuries were healed,the med-nin usually left the two alone, glancing at Tenten. It was the kunoichi who told her when she could handle her teammate. It was tenten who was now supporting Neji. She talked to him for hours, even when he hardly responded. She was trying her best, but results were hard in coming.

On the second day after Lee's funeral, Gai burst into the hospital, demanding to see his students. Any nurse that had valued the hospital's integrity simply told him the room, staying out of his way as the Green Beast of Konoha tore down the white-tiled corridors.

Their reunion had been tear-filled, just as expected. As soon as Gai had walked into the hospital room, Tenten had looked up and her chocolate eyes had widened. For a moment, she only looked at her sensei, then she got up and walked into his open embrace. He hugged her tightly, neither saying a word. For the first time in years, Tenten allowed herself to be vulnerable, to allow a grown=\-up to handle the big problems. For those few, precious seconds she was enveloped in Gai's arms, breathing in his musty smell, she was a child again, seeking shelter into her father's arms.

That sweet security was broken a few moments later when Gai released her, holding onto her by the shoulders. She looked back into those endless black eyes, feeling the depth of emotions in his gaze. Emotions her muddled brain couldn't quite name. Her eyes filled with tears, conveying everything she wished she could say but couldn't get past the lump in her throat.

Gai understood.

He understood everything as he sat her on Neji's bed, hugging both of his students. He had expected Neji to pull away, to look aside, but to his surprise, the Hyuuga allowed himself release for a few moments as well, leaning into his arms as Tenten was doing. For several minutes, the three sat there,embracing each other. They shared their pain, their sorrow and their mutual support. Though moisture gathered in their eyes, none of the three actually wept out of respect for his teammates. The could acknowledge each others' grief without the need for tears.

When Sakura gently escorted Gai out of the room after visiting hours were over, their sensei struck a solemn pose. The sparkle and grin were absent, but both youths understood it for what it was: a promise. A promise to always be there for them, to always be united as a team. His two pupils nodded in reply, Tenten turning away to wipe her eyes in privacy, Neji just staring back into his lap.

Team Gai was wounded, but had not broken just yet. As Gai left to visit his protege's gravestone, wiping tears from his eyes, he knew that it would take more than a few hugs to erase their pain. They had lost a dear teammate and friend, one who had grown up with them and who had gone through Hell alongside them.

Even he, a teacher, would need time to fully recover. Sadly, he thought of the rule he had broken, the rule that every Genin teacher had broken: Don't get too attached. It was a stupid rule, he thought, like advising someone not to get too close with their children or pets, because they'd leave some day. Just this once, however, as he sat down in front of Lee's grave, a dull ache in his chest, he wished that he didn't care so much.

Two days after Gai's return, the two shinobi were released from the hospital. Sakura watched them as they took their few personal belongings from the room and walked down the white corridors. She was less worried for Tenten and more for Neji, given that the latter seemed withdrawn and restless. She could tell he wasn't handling his grief. And any good med-nin knew what badly repressed emotions could lead to, especially with ninja.

Hinata, Hiashi and Hanabi were waiting for Neji down in the reception area. Neji didn't even glance at his relatives as they came to pick him up and escort him home. Tenten was the one who met Hiashi's eyes, the one who was surprised to see compassion in them.

"Hinata will escort you home." he told her quietly, placing a hand on Neji's shoulder. His nephew didn't respond at all, earning himself worried glances from all four of them. As Tenten gestured to Neji anxiously, Hiashi shook his head and turned, leading him out of the hospital with his younger daughter by his side. Hinata gave Tenten a slight smile, offering to help her with her things as she walked her home.

"Father will take care of him." she told Tenten calmly, but the kunoichi could sense her worry. "Let me take care of you."

Really, when Neji thought about it, the past week had gone by a blur. He could only remember some selective scenes or actions. It frightened him that his memory had gaps, but he purposefully avoided them, doing his best to think of nothing; to lose himself in the oblivion that was forgetfulness.

Alright, that was horribly short. Please forgive me for this chapter. I didn't have much to write, given that I knew exactly where I wanted to start chapter six. I hope it wasn't a complete disappointment.

I shall remind everyone again of the contest that began on Chapter Four.

Once again,please leave your comments and look forward to chapter six, Accepting the Unacceptable!