After dark - that's when all those bad thoughts you try to bury away come back to surface. And with no one around to help, you find yourself falling into them.
Well, you were never alone. You'd always have something there for you.
naruto!various x...
yay another special! This takes place when they're Genin cuz they've been too emo as Jounin to celebrate
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Neji's fourteenth birthday was in a few hours at this point. You and Lee we're struggling with any ideas of what to do. Neji didn't have any interests either of you knew of, since he hardly liked talking about himself.
A big party didn't seem like his type of thing, it was too much. A simple 'happy birthday' seemed to little, and surprising the guy was impossible.
Both you and Lee knew that, yet you tested your luck.
"Do you see him? What's he doing?" You asked Lee—the two of you looking down the railing of the Hokages office (that you weren't supposed to be at) since it gave you the best view.
"I do not see him." Lee answered, "No matter how much I strain my eyes, I cannot seem to spot him where we saw him last."
You crossed your arms, sighing. Your poltigan wouldn't prove much help in his scenario, given the fact that you hadn't even achieved enough mastery with it to actually control a ghost of o help you out. "He's probably out birdwatching or something." You considered, eyes closed. "He acts more like an old man than an old man."
"Are you talking about me?" A voice asked, causing both you and Lee to jolt and whirl around. Of course you were talking about him, there was probably no other person in the world that wasn't an old person who enjoyed birdwatching.
"Neji!" Lee blurted. "It is, uh—" he trailed off.
"Well, you know..." you started again for him. "We were just..."
You and Lee shared a glance. "Yeah, we were talking about you."
Neji blinked, a blank, unimpressed look on his face at the confession. Even if the two of you did lie, he would've known the truth, anyway. Something about his eyes seeing all.
"Lee was looking for you because... He wanted to challenge you!" You decided that'd be your cover up story, because with Lee—a challenge was possible at any time of day.
Though, that didn't ever mean that Neji was fond at the idea. It was like he was itching to spout something out about fate, his fingers twitching around his own arms he kept crossed. "I'm not interested." He eventually spoke.
"But why!?" Lee blurted. "You are my eternal rival! We must challenge whenever it arises!"
Nejis lip curled downward subtly, "You know you don't have to take everything Guy Sensei says at face value, Lee." Neji answered.
"Nonsense, Neji! There is nothing more trustworthy than the word of our brilliant Sensei!" Lee nearly got choked up at the mere thought of his Senseis words.
Neji gave him a flat look, and unfortunately—you were never on his side. "Well, Guy Sensei says that rivalry keeps you forever young! Consider yourself lucky you have a rival, Neji!" You crossed your arms. If you were to have a rival, you'd want it to be a friend. Neji and Lee were out of commission since they had each other, and all the others—well...
