Chapter Text
He could still feel the weight of his body in his arms. For all his strength, Naruto couldn’t help but think how light, fragile he felt as he desperately held him up.
“Get the medical team! Hurry, there’s a critical injury! HURRY!”
“No…” he whispered. “I think I’m done.”
Naruto’s eyes widened as Hinata sobbed behind him. “Neji…”
Neji’s breath was weak against his ear, his impaled body bleeding out on top of his. Feeling its warmth spreading onto his lap, slowly draining his life away, Naruto’s throat tightened with dread.
“Naruto… Hinata is willing to die for you.” His voice was soft, shaking. “So remember… you hold more than one life… in your hands. And it seems that… my life may have also been… one of them.”
Hearing the peace seeping into his words, Naruto shook his head. Not like this. Not here. Surrounded by dead bodies and smoke, by ugliness, despair and evil, this was the last place Neji was meant to fall.
“But why- why did you- You can’t die here!” Naruto’s fingers tightened on him, as if he could anchor him there by sheer force alone. “Y-You were gonna change the Hyuga!”
Neji’s chin fell against his shoulder, no longer able to support the weight of his head. Naruto’s eyes welled up, a bottomless grief tearing open inside of him.
“Why would you go so far for me? Even give up your life, why??”
Neji smiled. A light breeze blew past, stirring his hair as he shifted. This close, Naruto could smell the scent of his hair wash, subtle beneath the ash and smoke — a fleeting whiff of hope in a desolate, war-torn landscape.
Lilacs.
He then felt fingers weave along his own and sucked in a shocked breath.
Time suspended. For a single moment, it was just the two of them.
Neji closed his eyes and released a quiet sigh. He didn’t inhale again.
With their hands still linked, Naruto threw his head back — and wailed.
ꕥ ꕥ ꕥ
Eight Years Later
The village hidden by a waterfall saw nothing but rain that day. While the towering central tree was able to block the worst of it, even its wide expanse of leaves couldn’t stop every droplet from slipping down to what lay hidden beneath.
One such droplet fell from the clouds among several thousand others. It splashed and split apart onto the highest of the tree’s branches, sliding down over a collection of leaves at varying speeds before the air finally opened up beneath it. It free-fell over the surrounding village below, its companions splashing onto tiled rooftops, cobblestone streets, forested cliffs, and the lake at the tree’s base.
This droplet fell into none of the above. Instead, it danced through the air, twirling and spinning until it landed into a single blue eye the colour of a thousand glittering oceans.
Naruto gave a flinching yelp, earning an amused chuckle from Temari as she, Gaara, and Shikamaru stepped out of the town hall behind them.
“Someone got an eyeful. I’m sure Shikamaru would be more than happy to hold out an umbrella for your lordship if you ask?”
Shikamaru shot her a flat look. “I’m his advisor, not his damn courtier.”
“Chill, you guys, I’m fine.” Naruto rubbed his eye and peeked up from beneath his hand at the hulking tree branches high above. Soft rays of light peeked through the leaves, muted by the blanket of clouds on the other side.
He pulled up the hat hanging by the strings around his neck and grumbled as they walked down the cobblestone street. “Can’t believe it’s still raining. If I knew this place would be so damn gloomy, I would’ve told ‘em to come to us instead.”
“I think it’s beautiful,” Gaara murmured beside him, his voice barely audible above Temari’s and Shikamaru’s bickering behind them. “The atmosphere gives the village a sort of mystical quality.”
“Ah, mystical, schmystical.”
Gaara’s lips quirked at the petty wave of his hand. “If you’ll recall, you’re the one who suggested all newly appointed Kage must visit the surrounding villages to establish relationships with their leaders. I believe you proposed it to Kakashi as a method of maintaining peace?”
“Yeah, yeah, don’t remind me.”
Still, as much success as their meeting with the Waterfall’s leaders was, part of him couldn’t help but mourn the Leaf’s ever-present sun.
He sighed and shot Gaara a rueful smile, giving him a friendly nudge to the shoulder. “Thanks for comin’ today. You didn’t have to, I know you’re busy with all your Kazekage stuff.”
“I’m never too busy to help a friend.”
A sudden shout broke the moment between them and they turned to see Temari punch Shikamaru halfway into the wet pavement.
“You sexist pig!”
“Are you crazy?!” he shouted back, clutching his head.
“Hey, what the hell is going on with you two?!” Naruto demanded, hurrying to help Shikamaru up and putting himself between them.
“Why don’t you ask her? She’s the one who went apeshit on me." Shikamaru dusted himself off and irritably rubbed the spot where he’d been hit.
“Me?” She took a threatening step forward, only held back by Gaara’s hand on her arm. “You’re the one running your goddamn mouth!”
“The hell did I say that wasn’t true, huh?” He snapped back over Naruto’s shoulder. “You’re the one carrying the fan around, so woman or not, you’d be the courtier in this scenario. If you can’t see the logic in that, then don’t make it my problem!”
Temari growled and reached back for her fan, but Gaara stepped in front of her beside Naruto. “That’s enough. Settle down, both of you.”
After making frosty eye contact with both of them, they remembered their place and lowered their heads with muttered apologies. Naruto relaxed and turned to Gaara, both of them thinking the same thing.
The bickering between their companions has always been bad, but it only seemed to worsen once Naruto was appointed Hokage. Now they were forced to work together more often than not, both as advisors on Naruto’s and Gaara’s official business. It was insufferable.
“You know what would boost everyone’s mood?” Naruto asked brightly.
Shikamaru sighed. “Don’t say it.”
“Ramen!”
“You literally had ramen before the leader’s meeting like three hours ago,” Temari said, exasperated as they continued on down the rainy street. “Don’t you ever get sick of it?”
Naruto scoffed. “Don’t I ever get sick of it- Do you even know me?”
Gaara smiled beneath his hood. “I could use some ramen. Perhaps we could do something later this evening as well, since we aren’t due to leave until morning.”
“Like what? At this rate, it’ll rain all night.”
Realizing Shikamaru had a point, they walked through the street deep in thought. The Waterfall village was small, certainly not known for its grandeur or its opulent nightlife. Visitors often came seeking a quiet retreat, to reconnect with nature and their own spirits. This typically involved the outdoors, but since the rain has already halted trips to the waterfall and the central tree lake, they had little else to do by alternative.
Temari noticed a poster featured on the building beside them and paused. “Hey, what about this place? It looks like some kind of show house.”
They gathered around the poster on the brick wall, seeing an illustration of two men and a woman from the torso up. The men stood back to back, the blonde hopefully gazing over his shoulder at the woman placed above them while the other’s face remained hidden, downcast.
“‘To Long and Belong,’” Naruto read the title beneath them. “Huh. I wonder what it’s about.”
“It’s obviously a love triangle,” Shikamaru said. At the puzzled look the others shot him, he shrugged and crossed his arms. “Look at how they’re arranged on the poster. It’s clear as day.”
“I don’t think it’s that simple.” Temari stepped closer to read the summary. “It says here that a lifelong friendship is torn apart by a siren song. That sounds like a tragedy to me.”
“Either way, expect melodrama.” Shikamaru sighed and turned away, already bored.
Hearing Gaara make a sound of interest beside him, Naruto turned. “What is it?”
“I believe it’s a ballet production.”
Seeing Gaara gesture at the “Waterfall Village Ballet Theatre” plaque above the doors, Shikamaru gave a loud scoff and backed up. “No way. I’m not stepping foot in this place. You guys go without me, I’m out.”
“Oh no, you don’t.” Temari dragged him back by the collar. “Your job is to stay by the Lord Hokage’s side at all times. You’re his only protection from malfeasants.”
“Are you joking? This is Naruto we’re talking about, criminals would need protection from him!”
“Yes, but he’s also an idiot.”
“Wha- Hey!”
“Sorry, Lord Hokage.” Temari shot him a sheepish smile then released Shikamaru’s collar to give him a stern look. “Regardless of his strength, Naruto needs your level head and your eyes to keep him out of trouble. Just as I will do for Gaara.”
Shikamaru dragged a hand down his face with a drawn-out groan. “Man, this is such a drag.”
“Got any better ideas? ‘Cause I hate to break it to you, but not everyone’s idea of fun is playing shogi all day.”
They stubbornly stared each other down, the rain falling steady amongst them. When it seemed neither would budge first, Naruto tentatively broke the tension. “Y’know what’ll help?”
“Naruto, I swear to god-”
“Ramen!”
ꕥ ꕥ ꕥ
The scent lingered in his nose, subtle but stubborn.
He couldn’t get it out of his head.
What could it be?
It was so familiar…
Like a gentle embrace. A touch like home.
Who was that man?
And why did his heart… hurt?
He felt a tug at his sleeve and blinked in the dim lights to find Gaara’s pale blue eyes gazing at him in concern.
“Are you alright?”
“Uh, yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.” Naruto looked around them, noting Shikamaru and Temari in the balcony seats behind them while the rest of the audience filed into their seats below.
Gaara’s frown stayed in place. “You haven’t been yourself since the ramen shop… Do you feel ill? We can take you back to the inn if you’re unwell.”
“No, really, I’m fine.” Naruto put on his most assuring smile and squeezed Gaara’s arm for good measure. “Thanks, but I swear I’m good. Don’t worry.”
Gaara continued to look at him in that watchful, knowing way of his. He was always so sensitive to Naruto’s moods. No matter how much Naruto insisted that he needn’t worry, it didn’t stop him from doing so anyway. Gaara was one of his closest friends after all.
Still, even knowing he couldn’t do much to fool him, Naruto didn’t want to stir up needless trouble. He himself wasn’t even sure what it was that unsettled him so much.
Just over an hour before the show, their group had decided to split up; Temari and Gaara to reserve their seats at the theatre, and Naruto and Shikamaru to order ahead at the nearest ramen shop. It wasn’t a long walk, but enough for Naruto to get an earful about the sand village and its questionable choice of advisors.
As they approached the stall, Naruto linked his hands behind his head and acted casual. “Y’know what’s funny, Shikamaru? I bet Gaara’s hearing the same speech about you from Temari right this minute. It’s almost like you two can’t stop thinking about each other or somethin’, y’know?”
Shikamaru sputtered, incredulous. “Huh?! That’s- That’s nonsense! What the hell are you even saying??”
They arrived at the stall just as a hooded customer was collecting their takeout box. “Here’s your usual, sir. Hope you have a great show tonight!”
Naruto turned into the shop, grinning. “I’m not saying nothin’, just telling you what I think. You’re always at each other’s throats and there’s all this sexual tension-”
He didn’t take much notice of the guy walking past them. Not until he caught a whiff of something that made him stop dead in his tracks. He heard Shikamaru’s voice go high and indignant beside him, but he didn’t register a word.
That scent… He knew that scent.
Where has he smelled it before?
It was only a whiff, enough to jolt his mind without supplying any memories.
“Wait…” Naruto whispered faintly.
Without thinking, he turned around and hurried out of the stall. He didn’t know what he was doing, only that he was desperate to find that scent again. But once he ran out into the rain, he was met with an empty puddled street. It was like the guy had disappeared into thin air.
“Naruto!”
Naruto jumped and turned to find Shikamaru glaring at him, annoyed and sporting a light dusting of pink on his cheeks.
“S-Sorry, Shikamaru. I just…” Naruto turned back to the street, dim under the central tree’s canopy and hopelessly empty. “I thought I smelled something.”
Shikamaru blinked at him flatly. “That would probably be the ramen. You know, that thing we came here for because you wouldn’t stop nagging us about it? Now let’s move it already, you know if the order’s not ready by the time they’re here then I’ll be the one taking all the heat.”
Naruto reluctantly allowed himself to be steered back into the shop, stealing a final glance at the empty street behind him and wondering who that guy could’ve been.
He thought about it all through the next hour, barely stringing together two words to greet Gaara and Temari once they showed up with their tickets, Temari waving them over and bragging about getting special seats in honour of the Hokage and Kazekage. He didn’t even finish his ramen, a cause for shock among the whole group.
What was it about that scent?
Why was it tugging at him so much?
Now sitting in the darkened auditorium, Naruto clutched at the clothes over his heart, fingers squeezing like he could make the ache go away.
When the curtains lifted, he could hear Shikamaru sink into his seat and yawn behind him. “Wake me up when the show’s over.”
The first notes of the orchestra drowned out the smack and the quiet “ow” that followed as the show finally begun. The stage seemed to be set at a beachside, the bright lights giving the impression of a sunny afternoon. Two young boys breezed out from opposite ends of the stage, Naruto recognizing neither. Their white tops fluttered as they danced circles around one another, seemingly meeting for the first time and testing the waters.
The music gradually picked up and the mood shifted into something more playful, the characters now appearing drawn to one another. Their movements shifted back and forth, closing in and then skittering away, like they were chasing each other on the sand. It went on like this for a few minutes before both boys disappeared on opposite ends of the stage and the music shifted once again, growing boisterous and more assured.
That was when two men danced out — the same men from the posters, older versions of the young boys. Naruto instantly recognized the blonde but was now seeing the other for the first time.
From his angled vantage point at the balcony, he could see that his dark hair was gathered into a neat bun on the top of his head. Pieces of it framed the delicate slopes of his face, giving him a feminine air next to his boyish companion.
Their bond had undeniably strengthened, both dancing in perfect sync and mirroring each other’s spins down to the last limb. They danced from the right of the stage all the way to the left, never once straying too far. There were moments where they took each other’s hands, balanced each other’s weight and stretched their arms and legs high over one another, pulling and twisting so close it verged on intimate. The dancers held eye contact and smiled, the joy in the air so palpable that Naruto couldn’t help but grin, his previous worries forgotten.
As the dance ended and the performance carried on, he found himself strangely gripped by the dark-haired man. Something about his dancing held a beautiful sort of grace to it, elegance permeating every jump and step. He was light on his feet, flexible in his bends, and the way he curved against his partner as he was lifted up into the air held a sweet sort of vulnerability to it. Naruto couldn’t take his eyes off him.
And then night came and the inky-haired woman finally came out. The blonde man was alone on the beachside, the stage splashed in lights of ocean blue as she twirled out in her flowy red dress and ended up straight in his arms. The man was visibly transfixed as they danced together, swept up in her motions, and Naruto felt the unease creep up on him as the violin music shifted into something sinister. He knew this couldn’t lead anywhere good but he held on to the hope that his friend could pull him back.
But it didn’t seem he would. The next dance between the men was on an almost pitch-black stage, a melancholy piano and violin duet playing while the white lights of the moon followed their silhouettes in the dark. The dark-haired man danced around his friend, slow and yearning, trying to touch his shoulder, but the blonde kept shifting away, turning his head in the opposite direction, leaving his friend facing his back. Instead of spinning closer like before, their jumps only drifted further apart.
The dark-haired dancer’s movements started to sink further and further into the ground until it gave the faint impression of someone drowning. He twisted and desperately reached out his hand. At the edge of his seat, Naruto urgently thought, "take it, take it!” but the blonde continued to twirl around him, jump over him like he wasn’t even there.
Their bond was withering right before his eyes. It hurt to watch.
Then the lights left the dark-haired dancer completely, abandoning him in the shadows as they shifted towards the woman drifting out in her scarlet red dress. The blonde was seduced by her in an instant, holding her close from behind, lifting her up over him in a way reminiscent of how he used to hold his beloved friend. She took his hand and led him off-stage, away from the man who now lay curled up alone in the dark of the stage.
As the music faded, he heard a low huff behind him. “Damn, that’s cold.” It seemed even Shikamaru was now watching.
“Naruto?” Gaara spoke his name softly, checking in.
Naruto swallowed and nodded, sitting back to recompose himself. The production turned out to be much heavier than he expected, and he found himself unsure if he wanted to see how it would end.
When the lights came back on again, they painted the stage an insidious dark red. The crashing waves of the ocean were punctuated by the sharp cracks of cymbals as the woman pulled the blonde out behind her. Their dance was unbalanced, the blonde man’s movements appearing intoxicated and lethargic. As she moved, he imitated her perfectly, their dance a perversion of the first one shared with his friend. His dancing lacked energy, soul, like he was a puppet hypnotized.
The crashing of the cymbals grew louder, the storm deafening as she pulled them up chest to chest. Naruto clutched the armrests of his seat tightly, eyes wide as she leaned in.
No…
When she kissed him, the music came to an abrupt halt. The man grew limp in her arms, slowly falling until he lay motionless at her feet.
Naruto’s breath sounded too loud to his own ears, the silence thick as she backed up and fled from the scene. He couldn’t take his eyes off the man’s motionless body, urging him to get up and yet knowing it was too late.
This reminded him too much of-
He didn’t want to think about-
He wanted to look away but he had to see him.
He had to know he’d be okay.
The beach scene returned, the soft white lights of the moon filling the stage again. The blonde lay unmoving on the ground, washed up on shore, as his dark-haired friend drifted out to a mournful violin. He fell to the ground beside him, curling up and holding himself like he wished to crawl into him. Then he twisted up and bared himself open, arms visibly shaking as they were lifted high above his head.
It looked like he could barely hold himself up on his legs as he stood, aimlessly dancing about the stage like he’d lost a piece of himself. It was like he was having trouble breathing, his movements growing frantic as he jumped and spun around, head thrown back in a silent cry like he wished he could follow his friend into death.
“Gods, he’s magnificent,” Gaara whispered as the man’s movements grew desperate, frenzied, his broken heart pushing him out to the sea.
When he realized what he was doing, Naruto’s heart dropped. “No. No no no no no.”
The man began to spin, head lolling peacefully on his shoulders.
Don’t leave.
Please don’t leave.
Not like this.
His legs picked up speed, twirling faster and faster in a seemingly endless pirouette.
Why did this look so familiar?
Why was he thinking about-
Blood rushed through his ears, heart pounding as he saw flashes of that day.
“You can’t die here!”
Pieces of the dancer’s hair slipped out of his bun, the momentum of his spin lifting the air in the room as he prepared to surrender his life along with his friend’s.
“Why would you go so far for me?”
“Even give up your life, why??”
Gasps rippled through the audience as the air blew across their seats. Naruto felt it ruffle his hair, brush his nose, before he caught that subtle, familiar scent again.
When it hit him, his body shot straight out of his seat.
Lilacs.
He stared, eyes wide with tears as the man collapsed beside his friend on the stage, both lives forever lost to the ocean.
It’s you…
As the music faded, he barely registered the audience breaking out into enthusiastic cheers, every last person getting up from their seat to give the dancers a standing ovation for their performance.
It’s really you…
Naruto leaned over the balcony, eyes drinking in the sight of him shifting and getting back on his feet, locks of long umber hair loose around his face as he helped his blonde companion up. The siren woman also stepped out along with the two young boys, and the five smiled and gave the audience a long bow of appreciation with their hands clasped.
When the performers began to back up and disappear behind stage, Naruto’s body kicked into gear. Without thinking, he rushed out of the balcony to chase after them.
“Hey!” Shikamaru yelled after him. “Naruto, where the hell’re you going??”
Gaara blocked him as he stood to follow. “Leave him. I believe there’s something Naruto has to do.”
ꕥ ꕥ ꕥ
Naruto urgently weaved his way through the props and crew milling about the backstage hall, ignoring all the signs indicating that area was for authorized personnel only.
“Hey!” someone called behind him. “Sir, you can’t be back here!”
Naruto twisted around and ran up to grab the woman’s shoulders. “Where is he?!”
The woman’s brown eyes widened as she sputtered. “Where is who??”
“Neji! The guy with the dark hair who was dancing out there on stage!”
She shook her head in confusion. “Look sir, I don’t know who you’re looking for but there is no Neji here. Please leave or I’ll have to call security.”
“Look, it’s really him! I know what I saw!” He pressed his palms together, voice pleading. “Please, you gotta help me. Just tell him the Hokage wants to see him, he knows me!”
The woman blinked in shock. “Y-You’re the Hokage?”
“Yeah!!” He spun around and pointed at the characters on his white robe. “See?? I just got appointed a month ago!”
“O-Oh! Um, okay. Okay, sure, um, right this way then.”
Naruto followed the dazed woman down the hall and around the corner until she stopped in front of a door with an unfamiliar nameplate.
“Yuu Shizuma.” Gentle Quiet.
Naruto frowned at the name as she tentatively knocked at the door. “Um, Mr. Shizuma? Sorry to bother you sir, but there’s someone here who insisted to see you. He says he’s your friend?”
They heard footsteps approach from the other side. Naruto braced himself as the door handle turned, his mouth going impossibly dry. He couldn’t believe he was about to see him again. After so many years, this was finally happening-
Then he came face to face with an unassuming blonde man and nearly threw himself back into the opposite wall out of shock.
The man, who he now recognized as the blonde dancer from the show, chuckled at his dramatic flinch. “Who the hell’s this joker, Suzume?”
“It’s the new Hokage, Mr. Seiichi, sir. Or so he says.” She shrugged at him helplessly. “Apparently he’s a friend of Mr. Shizuma’s.”
“No shit, eh?” Seiichi grinned at him and leaned an arm against the doorway, his white shirt unbuttoned just low enough to show off a toned bronze chest. The guy oozed lazy confidence, seemingly forgetting that he was supposed to bow in a Kage’s presence. Not that Naruto cared about the formalities, but still, who the hell was this guy and why was he in Neji’s room??
“You didn’t tell me we were pulling in such high-profile viewers, Suz.” Blue eyes appraised him, intrigued. “I thought I knew all of Yuu’s buddies but it seems our man’s still brimming with secrets.”
Losing his patience and not liking being sized up, Naruto crossed his arms. “Look man, I just wanna see my friend. Is he in there or what?”
“Oh yeah, you’re in the right place, alright.” Seiichi held the door open and called back over his shoulder. “Yuu, there’s a special guest out here for ya!”
Naruto shifted on his feet, the foreign name briefly stirring his doubt. He couldn’t have made a mistake, could he? The physical resemblance was too similar, not to mention that final spin was a near-perfect rendition of Neji’s Revolving Heaven technique.
And yet, he couldn’t help but question if it was a simple coincidence, a grasping wish from someone whose eyes were desperate to see a precious long-lost friend.
But no, it couldn’t be. The whiff he’d caught back there was unmistakable. The images it conjured in his mind alone made him sure of it. He didn’t know why he had a different name or why he’d hide out here doing ballet of all things, but it had to be Neji. It had to be.
“He should be out soon, but feel free to head on in.” Seiichi clapped his shoulder and backed out into the hall, arms spread. “I’d stick around but I’ve got an after-party to crash. Hope you enjoyed the show and uh- oh!” He snapped his fingers and came closer, voice dropping as he privately leaned in. “Try not to flatter him too much. Between you and me, he acts modest but he’s really just the shy type.”
Seiichi winked and sauntered off, throwing his arms over Suzume’s head as they headed down the hall. Naruto watched with a faint frown as he asked her when she’d grace him with a date, but didn’t stick around long enough to hear her sputtered response.
When he stepped into the room, it was empty. He fidgeted, worrying at his sleeves for a second before deciding to close the door behind him. Eavesdroppers were the last thing he needed to worry about. He looked around, seeing only a single lit-up mirror, a few stage products, and some white ballet shoes strewn over the leather couch. The folded clothes beside them looked familiar at least, so he was definitely in the right spot…
Hearing the water running in the joint washroom, Naruto carefully approached. He wondered how he should prepare himself for when they inevitably came face to face, where he should stand and what he should say, but all plans flew out the window when the door finally swung open, blocking him from seeing the man who stepped out.
“I am sorry to have kept you waiting.”
Naruto’s heart stopped at the sound of his voice. A voice that filled his memories, his dreams, his nightmares, branded in his heart forever.
He slowly stepped out from behind the door, convinced he was seeing a ghost standing by the mirror on the other side of the room.
His back was turned as he packed his things into a small cloth bag, and Naruto found himself transfixed by the sight of his long hair spilling over his shoulder as he leaned down to slip on his thin leather boots. It was loosely gathered at the base of his skull now, the tie not as low it used to be, and was so long it reached well past his hips.
“You will have to pardon my frankness but I was not expecting visitors.” The hair framing his face hid his eyes as he crossed the room to pick up his ballet shoes. “I don’t tend to see guests after a show, which Seiichi knows full well yet elects to ignore at any opportunity.”
Naruto’s heart almost burst at the sternly disapproving tone, so much lower than he remembered and yet spoken just the same. He couldn’t hold back anymore.
“Neji.”
The man in front of him froze dead in his tracks, back going rigid at the name softly rasped into the room.
He slowly turned until he found Naruto standing emotional beside the bathroom door, eyes widening and fingers going lax around his shoes so they tumbled at his feet.
He was just as beautiful as Naruto remembered. No, ten, fifty times more. Neji had always held himself with an enviable kind of elegance unknown to most boys their age, but now, with most of his physical bulk replaced by lithe arms and slender shoulders, his grace bordered on swan-like. His collarbones just barely stood out beneath his loosely tied white top, and his slim black trousers did little to conceal the strong lines of his thighs.
But it was his face that made Naruto’s breath catch, unable to look away. The soft baby fat was gone, leaving only the sharp cut of his jaw and smooth, artfully sculpted cheekbones. There was no trace of the green curse mark, nothing but clear unblemished skin where it used to sit on his forehead. The delicate arch of his brows were furrowed above his nose, which sat straight and centred in the middle of his face. And just beneath, the plush curve of his lips lay parted open like a flower.
He was the picture of perfection. He always was.
Most importantly, he was alive.
But the periwinkle eyes that flooded his memories weren’t looking back at him. They were brown, concealed, and currently staring at him like he was an apparition.
“Neji, it’s me…” He stepped forward with a careful smile. “It’s Naruto.”
Neji’s arm shot out for the back of his chair while the other curled over his chest, a preservational gesture, and Naruto watched as he took several deliberate blinks. Like he was only imagining him and Naruto would vanish at any moment.
Naruto laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head. “C’mon, don’t tell me I’ve changed that much… I mean, I guess my hair’s a little shorter but I’m still the same old me, y’know?”
He cleared his throat when there was no immediate response and tapped his fists together in front of him.
“So um, that was quite the performance you gave back there… Gutted me real good. I- I wasn’t expecting to see you, to be honest, I was just here to kill some time with Gaara, Shikamaru and Temari. Yeah, they’re um, here too. Well, not here here, but you know, they came with me.” He realized he was starting to ramble but he was fast realizing he had no power to stop it. “Don’t worry though, they don’t know I recognized you or anything. They’re probably heading back to the inn by now, I just- I had to see you, y’know? I thought I was going crazy in there, but here you are… right in front of me...”
Naruto trailed off, the silence between them stretching to the point of painful. Just as he was starting to question whether showing up like this was a good idea, Neji finally moved.
He walked forward carefully, like a cat approaching a foreign object. Naruto held his breath, not daring to disrupt as Neji came to a stop in front of him. Neji’s eyes darted all over his frame, like he was analyzing his chakra signature, before his palm slowly lifted and pressed against his chest. Naruto tried not to react to the warmth of his touch, swallowing as Neji sucked in a soft breath.
“It’s really you…” Neji’s eyes met his, awed and finally seeing him. “Naruto…”
Hearing his name uttered again by that voice, still so calm and soft-spoken after all these years, made Naruto’s eyes sting. He huffed out a little breath and covered Neji’s hand with his own, nodding. Now that he’d finally broken through, it was only fitting that he’d find himself at a loss for words.
Neji’s lips turned up at the corners as he looked him over. “You’ve grown so tall…”
Naruto laughed and wiped his eyes. “If you think I’m tall, just wait ‘till you see Shikamaru. Man, he’s not gonna believe when I tell him you’re here! Everyone’ll be so excited to see you!”
Something in Neji’s eyes seemed to shutter and he withdrew his hand, turning away. As he drifted towards the vanity, Naruto noticed a take-out box tucked into the corner. It was a box from the ramen shop, empty with the wooden chopsticks neatly placed inside.
“You were the guy at the shop… I knew it.” Naruto grinned, oblivious to the shift in Neji’s mood. “Since when did you like ramen?”
“It brings me comfort,” Neji muttered, like he didn’t always turn his nose up at it before. He picked up the box and tossed it into the garbage, startling Naruto with his abruptness, before turning back with his arms crossed. “Why are you here? What business do you have in the Waterfall?”
Finally picking up on Neji’s stiffness, Naruto rubbed his neck. “Oh, well um, I was meeting with the Waterfall leaders. Just a first-contact meeting to establish trust and all that.” He smiled at him, hopeful. “I’m… I’m Hokage now. I finally did it.”
Neji was one of the few people whose respect and approval he’d always sought growing up, both as a rival and friend. He thought he’d never get to show him all he was able to accomplish in the ninja world, but it looked like fate still had some surprises left in store.
Neji’s gaze dropped, his smile not reaching his eyes. “Yes, you did.” He turned to pick up his discarded ballet shoes, voice soft. “I was pleased to hear the news. Because of you, our lands haven’t known such peace as we’ve seen since the war.”
At the mention of the war, Naruto grimaced. It was a reflex by now, the memories still fresh even after so many years. He could still taste the smoke in his throat, hear the cries and explosions… feel the dead weight in his arms, slender fingers wrapped in his own as he was left with nothing but the scent of lilacs clinging to him since.
Naruto looked at him, a thousand questions burning on his tongue. “Neji-”
“Don’t call me that,” he said sharply, straightening on his feet. “Neji died serving his country in battle. He belongs in the past and I belong here, far from the Leaf.”
“What?” Naruto shook his head, perplexed by the sudden declaration. “That’s- That’s not true. You’ll always be one of us. I never once forgot about you and neither have the others. Not Lee, not Tenten or Hinata, not the whole damn village. Don’t you see? This, us meeting again, it happened for a reason!”
Neji remained impassive. “The man standing in front of you is no longer the boy you once knew. I’m sorry, but you wasted your time. I’ve moved on and so should you.”
“How could you even say that?” Naruto followed him as he packed his bag and threw on his raincoat. “I thought you were dead, and now that I find you in some random village eight years later, that’s all you have to say to me?”
“There is nothing left to say.” Neji slung his bag over his shoulder and walked past him towards the door. He stopped with his fingers on the handle and sighed quietly, barely looking at him. “Go home, Naruto. Forget you saw me and just live on as you were. It’s what’s best for both of us.”
He turned, ready to disappear from Naruto’s life all over again.
No.
No.
“No.”
Neji was stopped by a tight grip on his arm. His eyes shot up to meet Naruto’s, which blazed back in fury.
“There’s plenty left to say. Damn it, Neji, you died in my arms. I felt you take your last breath, covered in your blood. Gods, I- I fucking mourned you.” His voice broke and he let go, turning away from him.
Neji stayed silent as Naruto collected himself. When he turned back again, his voice was measured. “You owe it to me to explain how you’re still alive and why you haven’t so much as sent us a letter in the last eight years. That is, if you don’t want me reporting your presence here back to the Leaf — and your clan.” He crossed his arms and raised his chin, a rare display of his true authority. “Your call.”
Neji’s expression remained neutral save for a subtle purse of his lips. Anyone else may have read it as mildly inconvenienced, but Naruto remembered that look very well. He’d seen it many times in battle, in the face of the most dreadful opponents, against near-impossible odds.
In that moment, Neji was doing everything in his power to remain calm.
“It seems you leave me no choice,” he finally said. “Very well, you will have your answers. But not here. Follow me.”
Without waiting for a response, Neji pushed through the door and walked out. Naruto got another whiff of lilac in his wake and closed his eyes, steeling himself before following after him.