╰┈➤ In which a shinobi falls in love with a girl who doesn't belong in Konoha
Chihiro knew not that her decisions at the age of 14 would affect her over four years later. But the day she woke up in a foreign land, she realized all she'd been taught...
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IT was late, a strong pattering of rain against the metal roof of the hotel, sounding like torrents of kunai coming down. Streams of water courses down the mountainous terrain of a small village to the east of Konoha. Dim lights shown from a two story ryokan where housed travelers and hot springs. One room in specific had life brooding even at the late hour.
Neji lay wide awake as he stared at the wall as he laid on his side. He knew the clock was ticking close to 2 a.m. as he closed his eyes and sighed. Sleep wasn't coming easy, regardless of how long he'd traveled or worked the previous days. And regardless of the mission that left him with many bruises littering his body. Tomorrow he'd be meeting with a client who posted the A-rank mission, to receive his pay. He was excited to return back to Konoha, though for reasons he was unsure of.
The last week he felt strange, uncommitted to his work as a Jonin. There was a storm brewing in his head unlike the one outside his hotel room. A storm of emotions ingraining themselves into his mind and body over the girl from Yggdrasil. Neji had always been dedicated to being a shinobi and his trainings, and former studies. Nothing would tear him from that path, even thoughts of pleasure. He watched as his peers formed romantic relationships wondering when it could be his turn or if he even wanted that. Or sometimes he wondered why they bothered with love when they had to risk their lives. Maybe he was seeing the beginning of his opinion changing on that as well. And that was scary as it had been during the chunin exams.
Earlier that day he'd felt in a daze, almost unable to move for a few moments. Thankfully during non-combat. But his first thoughts were on Chihiro, as if something had happened.
Neji can't allow anything to distract him, especially during a life or death situation. Especially as he was finally finding his own path within the Hyuga clan. Even if he was a genius, it didn't mean he understood how he was beginning to feel... tight chest, dry mouth around her, sweaty palms. A girl shouldn't make his heart beat wildly at the flip of her hair, yet Chihiro does.
Was everything finally adding up?
No, he needed it to disappear. It was nonsense for his mind to jump to understanding of the situation. Nonsense unless it meant something.
Years of discontent and feeling pain when nothing had happened to him. All of it washing away at the sight of Chihiro. It couldn't be of coincidence that someone of Yggdrasil appeared and he felt better. Being able to see everything about her with his Byakugan, he was still trying to come to terms with that. The girl found laying in the woods had nothing circling her unlike the girl who was awake. A grand swirling aura that sparkled in a way chakra never did. And then when she admitted to not eating, it showed him why his own stomach was churning for days.
But none of it would stop him from seeing her. He had no answers for himself or anyone on why. But why did it matter? He was just thoroughly making sure she wasn't a threat, or that she had powers she was unaware of. It was simple. All it was. He was just keeping people safe.
Neji still wasn't sure if he deserved affection or place in her life. So he couldn't let himself go down the path of her.
note// ik ik it's short but wanted to have some neji away on a mission and confused
