Did a small name change for the Fic because it fit a little better with what I was going for. Just bear with me, guys!"
Bolded words are "Ancient/Traditional Japanese"
This Author does NOT in anyway own the series Naruto or any of its other name rights. Happy Reading!
Both Hyugas were in a better mood the next morning. Neji finally managed to get proper rest, while Hinata's appetite managed to return. Of course, she was still distraught over the loss of her job, and Neji's chance at education.
After meeting with Tsunade and having a private audience with her, Neji signed his papers, resigning from his job and pulling himself out of school. He was nearly finished, only three months away from taking the bar exam. He shrugged off Hinata's worry and reassured her that he would just start again and finish later when everything calmed down.
WHEN everything calmed down - Not IF - WHEN.
Hinata noted that Neji was taking this easier than she was, that he was far stronger in this battle and far more driven. He was always one to take a challenge, to fight his way out of anything that stood in his path; but Neji was also collected and assessing whatever situation he landed in.
Hinata hoped that this was his thinking behavior, that this was Neji planning everything out as always.
"Are you ready for breakfast, Neji?" She asked softly.
He hummed in response and followed her out of the door. "I would appreciate eggs and rice if you don't mind, Hinata." He murmured gently, "I can get the rice going if you cook the eggs."
"Deal."
They made their way into the kitchen and began working around each other. It was almost like being back home. Hinata found herself smiling when she beat the eggs, and laughing when Neji sprayed water on himself. He was never meant for the kitchen, despite being a genius.
They chatted in Japanese, talking about whatever came to mind, anything to keep out the sadness.
"We're going to have to grab the rest of our furniture soon." Hinata grumbled, scooping out the rice into bowls, "I also miss my fluffy blanket, the one you got me for my birthday."
"Honestly Hinata, you are too old to be clinging to that blanket." Neji's tone was teasing, "At least, we can ask to get new furniture, since these gangsters have a lot of money."
"Seems like you're doing just fine in making a home here. It makes me think all of your whining was just for show."
Gaara walked around the corner, still in his pajamas.
Neither Hyuga said anything, glancing at each other for a moment. Having him cut into their conversation was too much, especially when they were trying to make due with their unfortunate situation. They still resented Gaara, they still hated him for what he had done. They weren't ready to have any sort of conversation with him outside of what he wanted from them.
"I might not know your dialect, but I can make out a few words." He clarified, misinterpreting their silence.
Hianta refused to say anything more, looking at Neji and motioning him to follow her back to the room.
"Can't have a conversation now that you know someone understands? It's a cowardly thing to do to talk about someone in a different language."
Neji hesitated before answering, "We simply have nothing to say to you. We were having our own conversation. Come now, Hinata, let's go."
Hinata scurried behind her brother, her bowl feeling a little too heavy in her hands suddenly.
"Don't eat too much," Gaara forewarned, "We will be testing your abilities this afternoon. Meet me in my office at 12:30."
Hinata dragged her feet the entire way to the office, she was beginning to really hate it. Neji smirked at her behavior and pulled her along. "Come now, My Lady," He teased, "This walk is not meant for a princess."
"I've lost my kingdom, Neji." She bit back with a smile, "That means that I can do what I want, so I'm going to walk however I please."
He chuckled at her rebelliousness and allowed her to take her time, knowing that they were in for a rough day.
They made sure to dress appropriately for their 'training' session, and brought water bottles with them at the behest of Sakura.
They opened the door, not bothering to knock since Gaara already knew they were coming, but also as an act of disrespect. There was not much they could do, but the dishonored ninjas were not above being petty to the man who ruined their lives.
Gaara glared at the siblings as they entered, "I see that being a Civilian has ruined what manors you had left." He growled, kicking his feet off the desk and stalking over to them.
Naji resisted the urge to smirk, "Did you not say to enter your office at noon?"
He knew he was pushing it, but there was almost nothing else that Gaara could do to him, unless he wanted to set his plans back further. They were safe from any real injury or death, seeing as how everything they know and have will be useless otherwise. All of their hard work could be gone in an instant, and Neji thrived on that information.
Hinata simply smiled, catching onto her brother's game.
Gaara growled and used his sand to wrap around the Hyuga male's ribs; before he could crush them, Shikamaru walked in.
"Gaara!" He angrily yelled, "Are you trying to set us back another week? Or even a month? Put the man down."
The red haired man grunted, but did as he was told without harming Neji. "Don't think for a moment that someone will always be here to save you." He warned, "You are mine now, and you will show me the respect I deserve. I may not be able to hurt you, but there are other ways of breaking in a new soldier, and I'll be sure to personally oversee your training. "
The Hyugas didn't bother to pretend to be the slightest bit intimidated, rolling their eyes behind his back and giggling to each other as he stormed out of the room.
Shikamaru sighed, "Do me a favor and try no to antagonize him." He said, pulling a cigarette out of his pocket, "He's already tough to deal with as it is."
They still said nothing, smirking as they followed their new leader out of the room and into the backyard, which seemed to have acres upon acres of trees behind it.
Hinata gaped at the trees' height. She had no idea something like this was in their rundown, urban town; they must have been on the very outskirts.
Gaara stood at the treeline, smoking his own cigarette to calm his nerves.
"Alright," He called, "This is where we get serious. If something goes wrong, you get injured or tired, we'll stop immediately. I want you two to stretch and warm your muscles before we get started.
"First we are going to check your chakra control, your stamina, your aim, and then skills in battle. You can choose not to do your best, but I will see to it that you are trained until you are up to my standards. I will not allow you to fail me and get yourselves killed."
Neither Hyuga said anything, choosing to take the time to stretch out their muscles and prepare for the trials ahead.
Chakra control was tricky. Hinata knew that she had ample amounts, as she and Neji would often meditate whenever they could. Her chakra coils had matured and grown exponentially since she was a young girl. However, molding it and fine tuning it was going to take practice.
Neji looked over and saw her beginning to sweat as she measured the perfect amount to walk up the tree. She had fallen twice already, but he knew that her determination to keep up with him was what was driving her to push herself.
He worried for a moment that she was going to fail as she did that last two times. She had fallen rather harshly on her back the first time, and then on her shoulder the second time.
He said nothing to her, only looking on expectantly as she tried this last time to finally get it right. It was like a lost memory, but he knew that her body would remember in no time. They just had to be patient and practice.
He made a mental note to keep track of her failures and oversee her training.
Finally, she made it to the top of the tree like him, only a little out of breath. She looked at him, smiling at the proud look in his eyes.
Net was stamina. Hinata lasted longer than he thought she would, though it was probably her pushing herself again to keep up. She had done so since she was young, and it seems like she hasn't grown out of it yet, even as an adult.
He was beginning to feel a little winded himself. They ran their third lap together, trying to control their breaths and push on. It wasn't easy, and Neji knew that it was only going to get worse, but they had to do well.
This really was going to be a life and death situation soon. Neji needed to make sure that Hinata was going to be ready for her mission. She couldn't afford to be a liability to herself.
The fifth lap rolled around, and then suddenly the seventh. It was by lap nine that Hinata was clearly running out of gas, but seeing Neji push himself gave her resolve to follow. They finished rather weakly, but they were proud to have at least made it to ten laps.
Gaara and Shikamaru said nothing, only writing things down and murmuring at each other so that the Hyuga pair couldn't hear.
Hinata's aim was perfect, well, almost. She hit each board with deadly accuracy. Neji had superior aim with shuriken and kunai, while Hinata was doing better with darts and smaller throwing knives.
Neji glared at the board and imagined Gaara right in front of it, giving him all the motivation he needed to hit each bullseye perfectly.
He noticed Hinata smile as she got three darks in one board at once, looking over to her partner rather smugly.
Neji, baffled at the smirk on her face, messed up his throw and missed. He glared back at his Lady, who stuck her tongue out rather childishly.
He then grabbed three kunai and threw them at once, hitting the target perfectly.
Hinata pouted and drew her throwing knives, aiming four and hitting her target in the center.
It suddenly sparked a competition between the two as they threw as much as they could at once. Neji took it a step further and began to run and throw. Hinata, not to be outdone, performed flips as she threw.
Shikamaru inwardly gaped at their perfect aim, muttering something about perfect eyes helping them.
Gaara was pleased and curious to see something like this occur. They seemed to be having fun.
Finally, they ran out of ammo and started to argue about who hit the most targets. They refused to back down from each other until they noticed the stares from the other two men. They finally quieted down and looked away awkwardly, not used to people seeing them interact so openly with each other.
Hinata was nervous. She knew the last time Neji fought, he was drugged and delirious. It scared her, honestly, to think of the same thing happening again.
Neji didn't seem as concerned for himself. He stood strong, waiting for Tenten and Rock Lee to prepare before they fought.
He was unsure as to why Gaara had picked them, but knew better than to ask. Afterall, he would just spout something along the lines of wanting to test his skills and see if he was ready to become a soldier or something.
It was without warning that the battle began, because Lee suddenly threw himself forward with his fists curled and swinging. Neji barely had time to dodge.
He frowned in concentration, settling back into a stance his body knew all too well. Lee threw another punch, but his opponent was ready for him this time. Neji gracefully weaved under the arm and struck his abdomen. There was not as much power, as he wanted to test the limits of this man.
He grunted in surprise as he heard the whistle of a kunai coming at him and tilted his head just enough that it passed by, leaving a scratch on his cheek. Tenten smirked as she tossed another one in her hands menacingly. It was a warning.
Another punch from Lee caught him off guard, and he suffered a heavy blow to the gut. He hadn't felt pain at first, but it slowly began to ache with every breath he took. Was he adding chakra to his attacks?
Another whistle caught his attention and Neji suffered another wound, this time on his ear.
Lee followed up with a roundhouse kick, which was only barely blocked.
Neji was getting pummeled. He knew that in order to survive here, he needed to hit harder, be better, faster and stronger than these people before him.
His eyes activated at the sound of a whistle and time seemed to slow down. Neji could see all.
He was shocked to see that Lee didn't have the familiar flame of chakra as everyone else did. Was he using his strength alone? The thought impressed him, to say the least.
He focused on the kunai that was headed his way and saw that Lee was attacking at the same time. He had to do something or he was dead.
Neji pushed forward, weaving under and over Lee to grab the kunai midair. He needed to take out Tenten first, and Lee couldn't stop his momentum fast enough to turn around and catch him.
Tenten, seeing his incoming attack, drew a staff from her scroll and readied herself for the assault. Blade met wood as the two clashed, but Neji's strength was greater than Tenten's. He successfully pushed her back and ducked under Lee's incoming attack, swiping his feet from under him in the process.
Lee flipped back on his feet without fail and attacked again. Neji only evaded and pushed Tenten, who was becoming a little overwhelmed by the attacks. He forced his body to strike faster, pushing more chakra into his eyes and hands.
Tenten didn't seem to notice the way his hand sneakily curved as he struck, moving around her weapon and grazing her skin. Lee didn't seem to notice the burst of chakra in each counter attack Neji threw, slowly paralyzing his muscles with each blow.
He felt his heart pumping, his sight sharpening, and for the first time in so long, Neji felt alive.
He brutally attacked the two, who began to fumble and tire. Lee's kicks were becoming weaker and Tenten was beginning to sweat. The battle hadn't lasted more than ten minutes and they were feeling the effects of the Gentle Fist.
Neji gathered his chakra, making sure that both ninja were close. He waited until Lee rushed forward again before spinning on his heel and thrusting his arms out. Time came to a standstill and he closed his eyes, remembering his adoptive father.
Hizashi's eyes were closed, the Byakugan active. His body was relaxed but controlled as he spun gracefully on his heel. He didn't falter or stumble. He didn't hesitate or pause. He only moves; swiftly, powerfully and with conviction.
Neji opened his eyes to see his opponents on the ground, groaning in pain from being thrown back with chakra burns.
Hinata was running towards him, stars and tears in her eyes. He knew she saw his father, and even her own father in him. She was amazed.
"Neji!" She shouted in Japanese, "That was amazing! You truly are the genius father and uncle said you were."
Neji's flushed cheeks darkened a bit with her praise and he smiled at her in return. Patting her head and muttering something along the lines of thanks under his breath.
"Well done." Gaara praised, "A few more training sessions and you'll be fit to battle alongside us."
He almost smirked at seeing their dejected, almost angry faces. He considered it payback for the lack of respect in his office earlier.
"Hinata, you will be fighting next." He waved his hand, summoning Sakura and Ino to take Team 12 away as Kiba and Shino walked into the makeshift ring next.
Hinata fidgeted nervously, glancing at Neji who gripped her hand in his. "Whatever happens, Lady Hinata, you will not be shamed. I will personally oversee your training and aid your journey to becoming stronger."
Hinata nodded, releasing him as he went to take her previous spot in the grass.
She took a deep breath and settled into the Hyuga stance, grimacing at the stiffness in her limbs. Neji said nothing, but the look in his eyes urged her to remember their training from years past.
Hinata almost missed the sudden start, falling backwards as Kiba lunged forward with his claws out.
She rolled back and onto her feet, only to move again as he pursued her with Shino not far behind.
She did her best to dodge but was quickly overpowered and backed into a corner.
Neji bit his lip and fisted his hands. He dared not say anything, choosing instead to have faith in her. She was a powerful fighter when the time called for it, and he knew deep down that she would overcome this.
Hinata, seeing Neji's worried face for a split second, calmed and forced herself to focus. She needed to defeat these men who were going to hurt her if she didn't fight back.
Kiba was brutal. There was no holding back his attacks as he struck with aggressive confidence. He was not going to go easy anytime soon.
Shino just added onto the pressure, but Hinata noticed that he was letting Kiba take the lead in the attacks. He stayed slightly behind him at a respectable distance, bugs gathering in his hands.
Hinata didn't have time to focus on that, as she needed to get some distance from Kiba so that she would be able to catch her bearings and fight properly.
Hinata dove headfirst into Kiba's attack, receiving a cut on her arm in the process, and thrust her palms out. She managed to catch his gut and send him a few feet back, allowing for some breathing room.
Shino, seeing her focused glare, jumped a safe distance back. He was unsure of how to fight her, seeing as how a single touch could render his limbs useless.
Hinata felt her forehead throb. This pain was becoming a burden too quickly. In this new world that she had to fight in, there was no room for flaws, no room for weakness.
She ignored the sensation, drawing her chakra to her hands as she settled into the stance again. Her limbs were still too stiff, she felt as though she were in a box. This was always the problem, and every elder she knew liked to berate her for it.
Hinata was simply not made for the traditional Hyuga style. She struggled to maintain the stance as perfectly as her other clansmen who did so with ease. There was a time that even her father was at a loss with her training. He was on the verge of giving up.
That all changed when Neji came into the picture. Hinata remembered his frown of confusion when her body shook with effort to maintain something that was so clearly uncomfortable.
"Does that hurt?" He childishly asked, stepping closer to observe her form. It was weak, it was forced. It didn't have the natural flow like his own.
"Y-yes." Hinata stuttered, "The elders say that I'm not trying hard enough, but I am! It's so hard to hold because it feels like my body needs to stretch."
Neji thought for a moment, "Then how about you stand in a way that's more comfortable?" Hinata looked at him in surprise, clearly expecting the same harsh criticism that everyone else gave.
She hesitantly lowered herself further to the ground, widening her stance and leaning slightly back on her left leg while her right leg slid forward. Her arms curved, bending into something that resembled the Hyuga but one could clearly tell that something was just slightly off.
She certainly looked more comfortable, her body in a much more breathable stance instead of the rigid one she originally took.
Neji walked around her and carefully eyed her. She seemed a lot looser and less grounded, as if she could run at a moment's notice. It would make for a great defense, but how would it work offensively? He needed to test this, then surely she would be able to work on this and present it to uncle.
"Let's try a light spar, ok Lady Hinata?"
He smiled at the nod, though it was hesitant.
After about thirty minutes, Neji was impressed with the amount of progress she made so far. Her moves were fluid, her defense improved and her attacks had the power she once lacked before. With this, she was sure to impress her father, maybe even the elders.
"Thank you, Neji," Hinata huffed, taking a sip of water, "I couldn't have come this far without you."
"There is no need, Lady Hinata." He smiled brightly at her, "You did this part all by yourself."
Hinata opened her eyes from the memory, her body sinking into what was familiar to her all those years ago. She noticed Neji relax a bit, seeing as how she finally recalled something previously lost to her.
Kiba rushed forward to throw a wild haymaker but was suddenly met with air. Hinata had ducked around his fist and positioned herself behind him.
Shino watched in amazement as every turn Kiba made, Hinata followed flawlessly, keeping him in front of her so as to maintain control of his movements. When he did manage to turn to face her, she simply danced under his fists, going as far as to slide in between his legs. It was like attacking the wind itself.
She finally got a feel of his attack style and began to block the chakra points in his arms, wincing every so often in between her hits. Finally, Kiba was exhausted of chakra and fell to his knees in pain and out of breath.
Shino knew that he would have to end this fight quickly, especially since he knew that Hinata was in pain and he could use that to his advantage.
Hinata thought the same, as she could feel the warm drip of blood mixing in with her sweat. The pain was becoming unbearable and she wasn't sure how long she had left before it became too much. Wiping her brow, she looked to Shino who prepared his bugs.
A giant wall of creepy crawlies formed between the two, chittering and hissing away as they built themselves taller.
This was not like Gaara's armor or sand defense; these were living, separate things working together as one. She would need to be careful getting around these.
Taking a step forward, Hinata gathered chakra in her hands and began attacking the wall, growing frustrated when it simply built itself back up again. She felt stinging in her hands and arms and saw they were biting her.
"You had better take precaution," Shino called, "These are Kikaichu beetles. They are known to eat the chakra of any living thing. A swarm this size could suck you dry in minutes."
Hinata glared, suddenly feeling tired after the information. What could she do to get to him as quickly as possible?
Hinata knew this next move would be risky, but she had no other choice. Gathering her remaining chakra, she started to create a vacuum effect, pulling energy and wind to the center of her palm. She activated her eyes and aimed in Shino's direction.
Her forehead started to throb more painfully now, and the blood was starting to run down her face and into her eyes. She chose to ignore it in favor of winning. She needed to concentrate.
With a shout, she released the chakra gathered in her hand with a thrust. Shino's bugs flew back and into his face, giving Hinata the distraction she needed to push forward and attack.
Shino let out a pained wheeze as Hinata struck his chest, effectively shutting down his chakra network and rattling the bugs within his body.
The attack could not have been more perfect if Hinata had intended for things to go this way. She hissed as her sleeves were ripped from the chakra, and her hands began to burn. Her fingertips were bruised and now peeling; and Kami, her head was going to explode!
"Hinata!" Neji yelled somewhere in the distance. Was she screaming? She couldn't tell over the sound of the blood rushing in her ears, her heartbeat overtaking her senses as collapsed in his arms. Did he call for a medic? Kami, she hoped so. She was going to pass out otherwise.
A cooling sensation rushed over her skin and she sighed in relief, allowing herself to fall asleep.
"What do you think?" Shikamaru whispered.
Gaara only grunted in response, his eyes trained on the twin Hyugas before him. Sakura was trying to reassure Neji that The heiress was alright, that she was suffering from chakra exhaustion, but she was still bleeding from her forehead, just like before.
"We're going to need to find a way around that seal. Pretty soon, it's going to become a huge burden, one that might kill her." Shikamaru took a breath of nicotine, "What a drag."
"Let's have Tsunade look at it." The red haired man suggested, "She would have the most experience with seals. Also, call Jiraiya. He would have more insight since he used to work with the Hyugas and seal masters."
"You got it boss." Shikamaru turned and pulled out his cellphone, dialing numbers and taking drags of his cigarette.
Gaara was pleased to say the least. His new members seemed able to take care of themselves well enough. With a few more lessons, with more training, they would be damn near unstoppable. He would have to find a way to earn their trust and shackle them to his gang before they got there. He couldn't risk losing them.
Hinata groaned as she started to wake up. Too bright. The room was much too bright. She covered her eyes and whimpered.
"Turn off the light!" Neji was quick to bark orders and rushed to her side, "Hinata, my Dove, are you alright?"
His Dove. It was a nickname she had given her when they were young and learning to love one another. He often said it was because she was his peace, his last hope. She only heard it when she had done something so cute/endearing that he couldn't stand it, or when he was trying to earn her forgiveness, and both times were rare.
She never heard him say it like this before, worried and scared. Though, she had a feeling that she would hear it like this again.
She was too tired and ill to feel embarrassed, and so she just nodded, "I'm alright. I'm just tired. Can I have some water please?"
A cold cup was held to her lips and she couldn't help but drink greedily, which made her choke and cough. Neji hissed his displeasure, scolding her lightly to slow down.
"Ah, you're awake." The heiress blearily opened one eye, her vision swimming and fogged. She couldn't see the face of this man, but she could make out his long white hair. He was tall, taller than Tsunade, who just so happened to walk in after him.
She shoved past him rudely, causing him to stumble and shout out a curse. He was ignored, and Tsunade went into her professional doctor mode. Hinata weakly protested, but she didn't have the power or energy to really fight back. Tsunade ignored her, checking her eyes thoroughly and then her vitals. She took a look at her forehead and clicked her tongue in irritation. Something was wrong.
"Hey, Asshole," She called over her shoulder, "Come look at this." She turned back to the young woman apologetically, "Sorry dear, but I have to turn the lights on now."
Hinata nodded and lay back, grabbing Neji's hand tightly, who gave her an encouraging squeeze just as she flinched from the brightness in the room.
She decided to keep her eyes closed, trusting Neji to keep her safe. She could feel him glaring daggers at the mysterious man.
"Hey there kids, I'm Jiraiya, the Toad Sage." His voice was rough with age but it carried a jaunty tone in it. It reminded Hinata of Naruto for a moment, but she pushed the thought to the back of her head. She needed to focus.
Tsunade scoffed, "He's a dumbass pervert, that's what he is." She sneered.
Neji was quick to shout, "Excuse me?!" As Jiraiya was whining and complaining to Tsunade for 'tarnishing his reputation'.
"Lady Tsunade, while I have every sense of respect for you and all that you have done, I must protest this-this charlatan from observing Lady Hinata in her weakened state!"
"Charlatan?" Jiraiya sounded more surprised than angry, "I'll have you know that I worked with the Uzumaki bloodline in the art of sealing before you were a sperm swimming around in your daddy's nutsack kid! Also, I would never take advantage of a young girl! She's gotta be at least seventeen. Not my style."
Before Neji could yell more, Hinata gripped his hand tighter, "Neji, please." She sighed, "My head hurts and all of the yelling is making it worse." He calmed down after that, grumbling under his breath and taking a step back.
She flinched when she felt foreign, warm hands lift her bangs. The fingers were rough and cracked, probably from years of training. She smelled smoke and oil, and his breath had a slight tinge of sake under the mint. It wasn't unpleasant, but it was almost familiar.
"Can you explain to me what happened when you used it?"
"I don't use it specifically." She murmured, "Whenever I use my Byakugan or any Hyuga technique, it starts to hurt; it feels like something is trying to sprout out of my forehead. If I prolong its use, it bleeds."
He continued to observe it a little while longer before clicking his teeth and stepping back, "What about you?" She assumed he was addressing Neji with how casually insulting his tone became. "Do you have a seal too?"
Neji huffed his response, but Hinata heard him remove his headband. Neji's seal was different from hers, as it was a stark contrast in color and design. Hinata had an intricate design of the Hyuga flame and a sort of petal crown stemming from the sides. Neji, however, had a green "X" with two hooks on either side.
Of course, Hinata was sealed to preserve knowledge, while Neji was sealed to her to protect her and the Byakugan secrets. All lower branch members were sealed for this reason, each assigned to a main member or so that their secrets remained hidden from enemy hands.
Jiraiya hummed to himself before finally pulling away, "Well, the boy's seal looks like the typical Hyuga brand for Branch Members, but I can't make any sense of the girl's. This is something I haven't seen before. Is it brand new?"
"I've had it since… I was a young girl." Hinata hesitated to think about her family's destruction. Her father had hastily drawn it up when the attack began, she wasn't sure if it was something that had been passed down or something he came up with on the spot. All of their records were destroyed once it became clear there would be no winning.
Jiraiya hummed again and turned to Tsunade, "Once she recovers, I'll have another look. I'll need to see her in action before I can draw any conclusions."
She could almost feel Tsunade roll her eyes, "Go tell that Sand Brat instead. He's the one pushing her to work like this. I'll make sure she recovers without an issue. She just needs to rest."
Hinata would make out Tsunade's form shoo the old man away, coming to her side with glowing hands. While she couldn't see her expression, Hinata could tell by her tone that she was worried, "Don't worry, Hinata," Tsunade soothed, "We just have to keep you here for the night. Sakura will be with you."
"As will I, my Lady." Neji said. His calloused fingers brushed her cheek soothingly as another wave of healing chakra washed over her eyes. "I will protect you with my life, as always."
"Don't make such promises, my Crane." Though she couldn't see his face, she knew that he was blushing. Hinata nuzzled the palm of his hand. She tiredly gave it a light kiss, smiling to herself at the strangled sound that came from Neji's throat. No doubt his face was red and steam was coming out of his ear. She wished she could see it.