Chapter 4

Back To The Leaf

Two weeks later

Neji is alone in his hospital room. He is getting ready to leave. Neji can't stop thinking about that missing Takara girl. He truly wants to go and try to save her, but he can't stop thinking about what Shikamaru said. "She could have died years ago."

"You never know," Neji says to himself.

Neji puts his hair up and puts on his brand new headband that Shikamaru got for him. Neji then opens his hospital room door and walks out to the front.

"Stay safe out there," Yui says.

Neji chuckles. "We'll see."

Neji takes a deep breath and leaves the hospital. He starts walking towards his home.

"I can't believe it's you!" said a voice Neji doesn't recognize.

Neji turns around to see who was talking to him. Instead, he saw a shopkeeper talking to a girl with long black hair. Neji only sees the back of her.

"W- What do you mean it's you?" asks the black haired girl.

"You're Takara Uta!" says the shopkeeper.

Neji's eyes widened.

"That's her?!" Neji said to himself.

"How do you know my name?" Takara asks, clearly freaked out.

"You're the legendary Takara Uta! The 5 year old that was stolen late at night!" says the shopkeeper.

"You don't have to remind me," Takara says to herself. "Anyway, I- um, gonna head to my apartment. See you around, possibly."

Neji can hear how nervous she is.

"Don't be shy! Please come around!" the shopkeeper says.

Takara nods. "Please, do not tell anyone I'm here. I beg of you."

"Oh, I get it. You don't want the news to spread around in case your kidnapper hears about it?" asks the shopkeeper.

"Exactly," Takara says.

Takara then looks around. Neji finally can see her full face. Takara has a cute pale round face with long black hair and a purple streak. She also has big beautiful blue eyes.

When Takara turned around, her blue eyes locked onto Neji's lavender white eyes just for a second. Neji couldn't help himself but stare at her. He is completely mesmerized. The Takara Uta, out in the open, right in front of him. Neji wanted to find her, but here he was, staring right at her.

Takara looks away without thinking about looking at Neji and quickly walks off. Neji snapped back to reality when she walked off.

"Wow," Neji says to himself. "She's... alive."

Neji is still standing there in shock until he hears a voice that he knows too well.

"Neji! You are okay!" said the one and only Rock Lee.

Neji looks over to where he heard Lee's voice and sees the whole Team Guy coming his way. Neji smiles and waves. Then, Neji sees Lee pushing Guy in a wheelchair.

"Guy Sensei! What happened to you?" Neji asks.

"Has anyone told you what happened in the war while you were gone?" Tenten asks Neji.

"No," Neji says. "But Sakura said to meet her and everyone else at Ichiraku Ramen so they can tell me everything that happened while I was in the hospital."

Lee's eyes light up. "May we join you Neji?"

"I don't see why not," Neji says.

"Well Neji," Guy starts to say. Neji looks down at him. "I'm glad you're doing okay. I can't wait to catch up with you tonight... over RAMEN!" Guy winks and gives Neji a thumbs up.

"Yeah," Neji says. "See you guys later."

Lee waves. "Bye Neji! I am so glad that you are okay!"

Neji smiles then walks away. Neji can't get over the fact that he saw Takara. He can't stop thinking about her. Neji chalks it up due to shock and irony, but is that really what it is?