Zero Hour!

(A:N)…My cpmputer crashed this weekend so there maybe be a few mistakes. I beat'ed but my work got lost in the slight computer fire mishap thingy-so to speak. So i had to re-type. Suckers...anyways ENJOY!
Disclaimer: I don’t own any Naruto characters!


Chapter XI
Meet Mr. Nice Guy


A long and cold silence passed through the room. Something so blunt and true couldn’t be that bad, right? Naruto crossed his legs on the bed and let the seconds fly by. He didn’t bother to look up at either of his friends. He wasn’t going to let the blush that broke out on his face be revealed to the person he cared about most, and was none-the-less sitting right across from him. Gaara waited, he hadn’t meant to embarrass Naruto but they were only in this situation because he and Sasuke were being too proud to admit their feelings.

Sasuke sat next to Gaara with his head down. He’d gotten an ear full of rejection from Naruto the other night and he wasn’t looking forward to it again. Although, he wondered why it was taking Naruto so long to answer. He had no problem shoving Sasuke away the other night, why was now any different?

Gaara got off the bed and stood next to Naruto. “Since Sasuke cheated on me, it would be wise for us to break up. He’s all yours.” Gaara turned and left the room. Naruto couldn’t say anything back because he was still thinking about the question, so he just kept his head down. When Gaara closed the door Sasuke looked up at Naruto. Said blond continued to pull the thread out of his blanket.

The silence grew thicker. Sasuke watched as Naruto did everything but look up at him. He thought about saying something first- maybe telling Naruto how he actually felt. He hadn’t gotten any real chance last time since it was so unexpected, but if he talked then Naruto might be prone to not actually saying anything. So Sasuke just sat and waited. It wasn’t like he hadn’t been waiting for all these years anyway.

Naruto didn’t know what was bothering him more, the question or the answer. He really didn’t want to answer but he felt like he couldn’t get out of the room if he didn’t. He wished Gaara hadn’t left behind to defend himself. At least if there was a bigger crowd then he could get off with playing a joke but Sasuke never laughed at him so it hardly mattered. Naruto thought back to that night when Sasuke had kissed him. At first he thought Sasuke was just trying to mess around with his feelings but that kiss didn’t seem fake at all. There was no way Sasuke could fake something like that.

Naruto mentally shook his head. He’d seen Sasuke fake a kiss plenty of times in the last week. His only other way to believe this were the words that came after the kiss. Naruto tried to remember the first few years they’d started hanging out. Sasuke hadn’t seemed shy around him, or like he cared at all for that matter. How could he blame Naruto for not noticing his feelings? Sasuke kept to himself and most always only had conversations with Gaara. Even when Naruto was paying close attention to him or trying to get him to laugh, Sasuke just told him how annoying he was. At first that was fine, but after Naruto’s crush developed, it began to hurt.

Naruto looked up at Sasuke. The boy was frowning as he stared back. Naruto knew what kind of answer he wanted. Sasuke made himself more than clear a few nights ago, Naruto didn’t know how his own feelings were working anymore. He swallowed down the rest of his fears and slowly started.

“I’m sorry, Sasuke.” Naruto shook his head. “My answer is no.” He watched Sasuke’s eyes change from hopeful to his regular ‘I don’t care’ gaze. Naruto went back to his previous position with his head being down. He felt horrible but if he was going to admit all of this then things would only get harder. He could only imagine how school was going to be tomorrow. It would be better if he didn’t actually feel like he loved Sasuke.

“It was just a show. I’m sure you said things that weren’t true. We all did.” Sasuke closed his eyes and dropped his head. If it wasn’t bothering him that much then why was he looking so pitiful? “But-“ He suddenly jumped across the bed and pinned Naruto down. “-you didn’t seem like you were faking. I’m not taking no for an answer, Naruto.” He leaned close but Naruto turned his head and tried to push him away.

“Sasuke…I said I was sorry. Come on, get off me.” Naruto stared at the wall instead of in those eyes that he was sure were holding some lust. Sasuke grabbed his chin and turned his head back towards him. Naruto closed his eyes tight as Sasuke looked down at him. He cracked one of his eyes open and the brunette was smiling at him. Naruto opened the other eye and relaxed, except for the fact that his body was shaking under Sasuke’s.

“I’m sorry, Naruto.” Sasuke smirked. “My answer is no.” He still held Naruto’s chin in his hand as he leaned over and touched Naruto’s lips with his. He wasn’t shy this time. He’d let Naruto know how he felt before so he wasn’t going to hold back, although he waited for Naruto to calm down from the sudden ambush.

He settled over Naruto’s body and felt how soft the blonde’s lips were. He hadn’t gotten to appreciate the taste the last time. Naruto’s heart pounded against his chest while Sasuke’s body warmed his. He didn’t even have the strength to move. He could barely breathe but he knew this is what he wanted. He wanted Sasuke to kiss him again so he could feel how much Sasuke actually wanted him. Too bad Naruto wasn’t ready to admit anything to him. He didn’t want them to have a relationship that was caught in all the madness behind Gaara and Neji.

Naruto made some weird noise and tore away from Sasuke’s lips. He could see that lusty monster building up in Sasuke’s eyes. Naruto’s lips burned as Sasuke stared down at him. He didn’t want to stop what could potentially be his first time but maybe he wanted to wait. Naruto hadn’t actually said he loved Sasuke yet. So there was not really any invitation. Sasuke's hand gripped the inside of Naruto’s thigh and squeezed. Naruto tried to close his legs but he couldn't. Sasuke moved in between his legs and rested his hips. Naruto frowned up at him but Sasuke only grinned.

“W-what are you doing, Sasuke?” Naruto gulped and felt the paining discomfort of Sasuke’s manhood pulsing through his jeans. He tried to fight down his arousal but it wasn’t going to be so shy with the way they were laying with each other.

”I know you’re not embarrassed, are you?” Sasuke ran his hands up under Naruto’s shirt and felt his smooth skin. Naruto shivered as Sasuke’s hands glided over his chest and pulled off his shirt. He took a deep breath and arched his hips once he felt the slick lips trace over his skin.

“Sasuke…”

-----

Downstairs in the basement Gaara was working again. He sat in front of the middle monitor staring into Neji's room. It amazed him that Neji had a little company in his room and he wasn't surprised at who the company was. He was just shocked that the boy was even still speaking with Neji, let alone joining him in his room for what looked like a private conversation.

((On the Computer Screen))-for your convenience I will make it seem like we’re actually in Neji’s room-

Haku walked in Neji's room and closed the door behind him. He leaned against the door and rubbed his forearm. Since Neji knew Haku was uncomfortable, he sat on the bed and let Haku stand near the door. His intentions weren't to try and start another fight so he left the space between them. Haku's head was down and he was still unconsciously scratching his arm.

"Why did you call me over?" Haku asked. He looked up at his ex lover and raised an eyebrow since he was curious. It was possible that Neji had planned some type of an apology or perhaps even an attack on him in hopes of the two of them getting back together. Haku however, wasn’t going to fall for that. In order for his plans to go through, he had to forget that Neji had ever existed. He was going to forget that the person he tried desperately to give his heart to had used him like an old rag doll.

"Well..." Neji said as he laid back on his bed and put his hands behind his head. "...I was hoping to apologize to you personally. There was so much going on at school that I didn't really get a chance to talk to you. I meant to apologize for my behavior last week." He sat up and rested his body on his elbows. "I think maybe it was a bad idea that the two of us went out in the first place. I knew how you felt about me and I just wanted to get back at Gaara." Neji watched as Haku's head fell low again.

"So...you never cared about me?" Haku's voice was low and his words were spread apart. Neji thought he saw tears falling but he couldn't be sure from where he was. Neji immediately blinked and turned the other way; he couldn't stand to see Haku crying.

"No." Neji replied. "Not at first." He stood and tried to walk over to the boy but Haku flinched and moved closer to the door. "I never mean to hurt you.” Neji tried to calm him from where he stood. He was being truthful. It was never his intention to hurt Haku or ruin their friendship. Over time he wished they would go back to the way it had always been.

"You're a rotten person. I didn't even stay with you a week and you fucked everything up for us. I don't know why Gaara put up with you for so long." He turned away. "Or maybe I just can't see how you came to love him so easily.” Haku knew he should have come over. Even if Neji had never set out to hurt him or lose his friendship, he’d achieved the both of them.

"Gaara wanted someone he could trust and I wanted someone who wouldn't hesitate to love me. We broke up because he could no longer trust me and I almost watched him die. It had nothing to do with us not loving each other anymore. In fact, I'm sure he still loves me, but that's something I can't fix." He forgot about the distance between them and stood in front of Haku, rubbing the side of his face. "You wanted someone to love you and not use you. I could have been that someone for you but you found me at a bad time. I could have loved you like you wanted me to…if I wasn't in love with him-“

Just like that all the power went off in the basement. Gaara slammed his hands on the table and stood up. He walked up the stairs in the basement and into the kitchen of Naruto's house. He noticed that all the power had gone off in the house as well. He stayed near the basement door just in case Iruka came out of his room. He stood very still in the dark and thought about the last thing he’d heard Neji say. He hadn’t heard the last sentence because the sound on the computer kept cutting in and out but he got traces. Did Neji say he was in love with Haku?

“Naruto! Are you o…kay?” Iruka jumped in the room. In the dark, he witnessed his son and Sasuke wrestling around with the covers.

“Iruka! God don’t you knock anymore!” Naruto yelled and hid himself under the blanket. He was down to his boxers and Sasuke was Shirtless. Iruka stared at Sasuke before he closed the door and knocked on it loudly.

“You two have all of three minutes to get dressed and get out here!” He started stomping down the hall and disappeared back into his room. Sasuke didn’t say anything as he slid his shirt back over his head and headed for the door. Naruto peeked out from under the covers and grabbed his pants off the floor. He jumped into them and headed out the door behind his…whatever he and Sasuke were now.


"Sasuke, its dark and I can't see a thing." Naruto tried to keep his voice low but he was always naturally loud. Sasuke grabbed his hand and pulled him down the lightless hall, away from Iruka’s door.

"Good." Sasuke stopped and threw Naruto against the wall. Naruto almost yelped but Sasuke covered his mouth. He slid his nose over Naruto's neck and smelled his skin. The blond remained still as his body heated up. Sasuke’s thigh slid in between Naruto’s legs and rubbed against his crotch. Naruto felt his mouth water behind Sasuke’s hand. He couldn’t help himself and he licked the palm covering his mouth.

“Did you just…lick me, Naruto?” Sasuke’s asked. They were dangerously close but they still couldn’t see each other. Naruto shook his head and denied it. He didn’t lick anyone- he was being a good boy. He heard Sasuke chuckle lightly and then move away from him. Naruto forced a smile, upset that Sasuke had moved.

“Come on, I bet Gaara’s throwing a fit.” He pulled Naruto again and they headed for the kitchen. Naruto lowered his head and groaned as he tripped over objects on the floor. They really needed to start cleaning more. Sasuke stopped when he felt tile under his feet. He looked dead in front of him and swore he could see the outline of something. Naruto ran into Sasuke and let go of his hand. Determined, he continued towards the basement. He got about two feet away from the door when he heard something breathing. He reached out a trembling hand and-

“AHHHHH!!! Holy shit, there’s a zombie in my kitchen!” Naruto stumbled back into Sasuke, holding on to him for dear life. “Let’s go!! Oh my God it’s coming this way. Sasuke what the hell are you just standing there for?!” Naruto was still trying to pull him away when suddenly a flashlight turned on and revealed Gaara standing near the kitchen sink. Naruto narrowed his eyes and his jaw fell open.

“Gaara! I don’t even wanna know how you managed to scare me like that. Creepy bastard.” Naruto looked up at Sasuke and the brunette cleared his throat. Naruto then noticed he had jumped on Sasuke and wrapped his legs around his waist, literally squeezing the life out of his arm. Naruto smiled and got off of him.

“I was totally not even scared for real ya know. I was just protecting you since you’re such a pansy.” Naruto walked over to where Gaara was standing. “Did you lose power down there too? That’s called Karma Gaara. You don’t peep on half the school and expect to live happily.” He laughed and patted Gaara’s head. Gaara didn’t laugh or say anything. He just stood there and ignored Naruto. He had more important things to be worrying about.

-----

“Neji…” Haku squealed as the lights started to flicker. He looked around until Neji touched his shoulders and calmed him. He reached out for Haku but the Haku pushed him away, standing his ground. He was mad at Neji and the Hyuuga needed to know that. Haku pushed him back a little more as the lights came back on. (A/N The electricity is still off at Naruto’s)

“I didn’t come over so you could tell me how much of a mistake I was. If anything I came over because I’m concerned about you. You keep having all these drastic changes and I think you should settle down. Maybe it would be better if you just stayed away from Gaara for awhile. This all started on the first day of school. You weren’t so high strung over the summer. Don’t you see what’s going on with you?” Haku frowned when it appeared that Neji wasn’t listening to him. He flicked Neji on the forehead.

“What do you want me to do?” Neji rubbed his head. “You just want me to stay away from him because you’re still in love with me. That’s pretty selfish, Haku.” He stood still but Haku glared at him. He grabbed Neji’s shirt, turned them around and pushed him forcefully against the door.

“Don’t be so proud. I choose to love you and it can stop anytime. I have a handful of reasons why I want you to stay away from him for my own benefit, but this isn’t one of them. You’re the one that’s being selfish. You can’t even see what the situation has done to you as a person. You’re acting as if you don’t care about anyone but yourself. I don’t even know you anymore. You took a week and turned it into hell for everyone.” Haku let up on him. “Think about it, if you hadn’t run into Gaara on the first day of school would you really be treating me like this?” He stared in Neji’s eyes and watched as they started to change slowly. “I thought we would always be friends, Neji.” Haku couldn’t help but wrap his arms around Neji’s waist.

“Do you really think we could remain friends after this? Our friendship is what cost me my relationship with Gaara. If we ever got back together I would never be able to see you anymore.” Neji hadn’t hugged Haku back, and now Haku was backing away.

“If you think I’m going to let you go, just so you can go back to him then you’re wrong. I pulled you away from him because you were a wreck. I’m not letting you go back to that. Gaara’s a good kid but he’s not for you. If you thought differently then you would have never left him.” He took a deep breath. “I don’t even know why I’m trying to explain all this to you. You’ve never listened to me before.” He grabbed the doorknob. “If you’ll move, I’ll beleaving.” He glanced to the floor as Neji stepped out of his way. Haku pulled the door open and then turned around. “You know, I used to envy you and Gaara’s relationship. I wanted what you gave him but now I don’t even know why. I got more attention when we were just friends.” He sighed.” For you own sake, think about how you’ve been acting, otherwise you’ll never get him back.”

The Hyuuga just stood there. He wasn’t sure if he was going to go after Haku or just sit back and let his words sink in. Maybe he had been acting a little different since school had started. If that was the case, then he had a lot of people to apologize to. He decided to lay down on the bed and let his mind wander. If he could just calm down a little then maybe he could remember why he was so angry. He stared up at the ceiling as he contemplated staying away from Gaara. That was just about impossible.
-----

Neji stood thinking in the shower the next morning. His conversation with Haku the night before was eating at him. Had he really be acting like such a different person? If so, it wasn’t his fault. No, it was his fault- or at least some of it was. This could have all been avoided if Neji would have just treated everybody a little better. Haku already had the slut complex and all Neji had done was build it. If Neji had handled the situation with Gaara differently then maybe Haku wouldn’t be refusing to talk to him.

He wanted to skip school today. He wasn’t feeling well at all but he knew he was going to have to start fixing things. It was the beginning of the year and he didn’t feel like dragging this situation out any longer. He knew that if he did it would last until his graduation. He should have just taken his chance last week to tell Gaara that he still loved him. Even if he did this whole thing with Haku would have still developed. It was being carried over from months ago and someone was definitely trying to get Neji into a lot of trouble with both boys. Whoever the Mr. X was, Neji was determined to find him and drive his head into the ground for fucking up his life.

Stepping out of the shower, Neji decided that spending the day at home wasn’t going to do him any good. If he could just get through today then he could go complain to Jiraiya later. He was sure Jiraiya was going to say the same things that Haku had said though. He would tell Neji that he should have considered the consequences of his actions and that his choices weren’t necessarily the best ones.

He spent the next twenty minutes getting dressed and trying to decide whether to approach Gaara or not. It wouldn’t be practical for him to just go up to Gaara and try to start a conversation. He was sure Gaara would make a scene just like he had the day before with Naruto. Neji couldn’t take all the stress if something was to worsen his relationship with Gaara- not that he had much of one now anyway. He slid his shirt over his head and grabbed his binder off the dresser. He prayed his Economics book was in his locker and left his room.

His drive was just as mind boggling as his shower. His head was telling him to turn his car the other way and go back home. It was either that or go downtown and bang on Jiraiya’s office door until someone let him in. He was having trouble even paying attention to the road. Things were so messed up that he didn’t know if he could fix them at all. Gaara hadn’t said he never wanted to see him again, but it was pretty clear. Neji realized that his lies had only pushed Gaara farther away. He didn’t even know why he’d said such things in the first place. Neji sleeping with the entire school? Yeah, that was really believable.

When he got to school he didn’t rush even though he knew he probably be late. He walked with one hand in his pocket and the other holding his binder and a small book. Over the last few days he’d made every effort not to run into Gaara before school, during school or after school. He would park on east campus and walk the ramp all the way to west just so he wouldn’t see Gaara. Now that he was on west campus already he easily spotted the redhead walking into the main building. Neji looked around for any sign of Haku, Sasuke, or Naruto. When he confirmed that they were nowhere in sight, he hurried up the sidewalk and into the door.

The halls were loud inside and people weren’t paying much attention to him. Neji walked quietly after Gaara, waiting for him to reach his locker. He stayed calm as he left a great deal of space between them. He didn’t want the other students to make a fuss because then Gaara would find out he was behind him. Neji hadn’t thought of what he was going to say yet. He actually had no clue why it had to be now that he made an effort. Surely he could wait until the next day after he told Jiraiya about all this. It was a little late to have second thoughts by the time Gaara had pulled his locker open and noticed Neji’s presence.

Neji stopped walking with about ten feet between them. Gaara stared at him; his face was completely emotionless. He waited for a brief second and then turned away. Of all the days for Neji to run into him in the hall it just had to be this one. It had to be the day after Gaara swore Neji say he loved Haku. Gaara ignored his presence and hurried through his locker, unlike he normally did. He grabbed his biology book and lightly closed the metal door. He didn’t look over at Neji as he turned to leave.

The brunette fought with himself not to follow. He should just wait until no one was around when he could talk to Gaara in private. His better judgement always seemed to fail him at times like these. He moved and was at Gaara’s side in a second. The boy kept walking even though Neji was so close that their shoulders were touching. They walked like this for a few minutes and the halls grew silent as they entered the classroom areas. When Gaara was at his door he stopped and turned around. He couldn’t remember the last time the two of them had been so calm around each other.

“I meant to call.” Neji said, having nothing else pop into his mind. Gaara didn’t flinch but Neji could see the way his eyes changed from uncaring to frustrated. Maybe that hadn’t been the right thing to say. Neji searched through his mind and tried to find something that would get Gaara’s attention rather than insist he was only mocking him.

“You always mean to call.” Gaara paid close attention to the whites of Neji’s eyes. He didn’t seem tired anymore and he didn’t look as bad as he had at the party. At the football game Gaara had been a little concerned about him but now…now Neji looked like he usually did; clean-cut and polished to near perfection. Gaara made sure his eyes weren’t saying anything his mouth didn’t want to. He would just die if Neji knew why he was actually staring.

“I’ll accept that.” Neji put his fist up to his mouth and cleared his throat. “I’m busy after school but I thought maybe you could come over tonight…so we can talk.” Neji’s sentence came out all wrong. It just sounded like he was calling Gaara over for a quick little sex adventure. He shook his head when Gaara frowned. “I meant that I needed to speak with you privately.” He couldn’t believe he was having this much trouble trying to explain himself. The only time he’d had this much trouble is when he initially asked Gaara out.

“…”

Neji didn’t get an answer at all since Gaara was probably in shock- or didn’t care. “I would appreciate it if you would at least answer me. If you’re going to decline then you might as well say it. I have better things to do then stand around trying to determine your answers.” Neji mentally smacked himself. There he was being an asshole again. Gaara had taken a step back and was ready to turn and go in the class when Neji quickly grabbed his wrist.

“I’m trying my best to be civil but that’s hard when you’re treating me like a leper. Could you at least acknowledge the fact that I’m trying to apologize?” Neji gave himself a handclap on that one. He pushed passed all that horrible small talk and just said what he’d been trying to say. Gaara couldn’t ignore him now. He had done everything in his power to make amends and surely the redhead would see that.

“…”

Neji frowned and blinked several times. Gaara was staring down at his wrist and didn’t seem to be listening to him at all. Neji let five different strengths of anger pass by him before he took his hand off Gaara and moved a few feet back. He could see that just him touching Gaara had caused a change of emotion in his eyes. They weren’t calm and they weren’t angry. The Gaara Neji had known was usually very passive, but as of lately he seemed to be holding a lot of grudges.

Neji stuck his hand back in his pocket. If he died the next day Gaara would probably be the first one at his funeral trying to blow up his body with Korean atomic bombs. This didn’t make the situation any easier. He’d gone too far with Haku and how he’d been acting for the passed week. Gaara was probably in the process of erasing Neji from his memory. How could he even expect Gaara to act like none of this happened? He knew Neji cheated, he knew Neji lied, and he knew/thought Neji was a whore. If Neji were in Gaara’s position, he wouldn’t believe him either.

“Alright, Gaara you win-“ Neji could hear footsteps approaching them. They stopped before they reached the pair. Neither Gaara nor Neji turned their head to see who it was. They just kept watching each other for some reason. Gaara remained motionless, not blinking once, while Neji shifted and blinked several different times.

“I can’t imagine why you would be talking to him.”

Neji half thought that Haku would be the one standing on the side of them but that voice couldn’t have belonged to Haku. Neji couldn’t take the tension anymore and he broke away first. He looked to his left and saw Itachi. He was carrying his gym bag and a bottle of water. Neji looked back at Gaara but the boy was already entering in the class. He growled but turned back around to his friend. He would just have to find Gaara later.

He noticed that Itachi was by himself for the first time. It wasn’t like Itachi or Haku to go anywhere alone unless they had to. Neji knew for sure that this was Haku’s first period class. It wasn’t like Haku to miss school unless he was dying and couldn’t get out of bed. Neji looked down the hall figuring the boy was just lagging behind but he wasn’t there. He looked up at Itachi as the boy just stood there, seemingly with the same expression Gaara had- none.

“Where’s Haku?” Neji asked finally, trying not to work his mind too much about where the feminine boy could actually be. Itachi shrugged and started walking closer.

“Not here, said something about not wanting to see some jackass or another. He called me yelling and hung up yelling. Four hours of Neji this and Neji that. Apparently you two haven’t made up.” Itachi grabbed the doorknob. “I won’t ask what you were doing when I got here.” He pushed the door open and kept walking in. Neji didn’t get a chance to say anything before he disappeared and the door closed behind him.

Neji left the hall and made his way to his class. The school day hadn’t started out very well. He was this close to getting Gaara to talk but he could wait just a little longer. Hopefully Gaara just needed to let his half of an apology sink in and then he would talk to him again. Today would get better and since Haku wasn’t around then there would be no distractions.

-----

“The economy in Konoha has suffered a great deal since the depression. The Great War between Sunagakure and Konohagakure sparked a high rise in the quantity of soldiers needed for war. Families were destroyed and a substantial amount of blood was shed for our country. We suffered with the loss of money and crops in the early 1950’s.”

Neji was half sleep on his desk by fourth period. He didn’t know how he was going to pass this boring class. He tried to pass the time by texting Itachi back and forth but that failed to entertain him as well. He was ready for lunch so he could get another chance at talking to Gaara again, he was sure the redhead was friendless by now. Neji wanted to choke him and say, ‘I told you so’ about Sasuke but he was in no position to be pointing fingers for people making mistakes.

He looked up at the clock and swore it was broken. He could have sworn he had been sitting there for fifteen minutes when it had been all but three. If it weren’t lecture time during class he would have slammed his desk and through a chair across the room. Dammit! Why was it that when he had the brains to do something positive, time wasn’t on his side? He glanced across the room and felt a sudden chill run through his body. Zabuza appeared to be taking notes but he was staring dead at him. Neji felt an uncomfortable wind blow passed him. Zabuza was grinning with his sharp teeth as his hand moved across the page.

Neji turned his head to get away from Zabuza’s gaze, but Orochimaru was on the other side of the room staring at him too. Neji looked back and forth between them. They didn’t seem to notice each other as they watched him. He raised his hand slightly and pointed at Zabuza. Orochimaru looked at Neji and nodded. The Hyuuga looked back at Zabuza and then pointed to Orochimaru. The boy nodded and then Neji looked between the two again. He had no idea what was going on but he knew the two of them hated each other. They had once been very good friends but their grades slipped due to the death of their other friend, which caused them both to repeat their senior year. Because of this, they stopped talking and blamed each other.

Orochimaru passed a piece of paper around the room. Eventually it ended up on Neji’s desk. Since the teacher wasn’t watching Neji didn’t try to hide the note. He lazily unfolded it on the top of his desk and read the writing quickly. His eyes grew wide with every word and once he was done he looked at Zabuza. The boy was back to taking notes on the lecture and he didn’t even look like he had ever really stopped. Neji turned to Orochimaru and he was doing the exact same thing. Neji growled when he couldn’t get their attention. There was no way on earth that he could figure this one out. Neji balled the paper up and stuffed it in his pocket. Just what the hell was Orochimaru trying to pull?

((Note))

A circle of small squares waves through the air to make contact with a round green mass of solid.
The one person you don’t love but care for will know why words of a false matter end up in your pocket on a dark night.
Jagged teeth will wring out the truth of a bright haired star with access to you.
You’re not looking close enough to your surroundings.

((End Note))

Neji was about to throw a fit when the bell finally rang. He must have looked down for two seconds to put his papers away. He was about to cross the room to question Orochimaru about the meaning of his lame poetry but the snake was gone. He and Zabuza were already leaving the class- together. Neji could feel a headache building. He hadn’t asked Orochimaru to write him poems, he asked him to find the damn cameraman. Neji left the class and took a detour to his locker. He was going to have to show Orochimaru why they had very little time to find out this Mr. X.

-----

Gaara sat at a different table for lunch. He wasn’t supposed to be seen with Sasuke or Naruto. They probably insisted on sitting at their usual table so Gaara was forced to sit in the deserted corner of the cafeteria. He looked at the empty bench across from him and sighed. He never thought he would actually miss Naruto’s loud mouth. Gaara waited for a while before he pulled his notebook from his backpack. He grabbed a pencil and started working on his unfinished homework assignment for art class. He was only working for five whole minutes when he noticed something blocking his light

“Can I sit here?” The voice was solemn. Gaara looked up and saw Haku standing in front of him. He would have frowned but he had so many other things on his mind. He decided not to answer as he went back to shading the underside of a bridge on his paper. Haku sat down anyway but he didn’t say anything. Gaara didn’t want to talk, he was busy trying to figure out why Haku looked so…different. He would have kept his mouth shut but it was beginning to bother him.

“You don’t wear your hair like that often.” Gaara said, not looking up. Haku didn’t know if he wanted to take that as a compliment or a complaint. He was wearing his hair pulled back in a high ponytail and his bangs were combed over to the side so they fell over his right eye. He looked down at Gaara’s paper but the boy pulled it close to him and covered it so Haku couldn’t see exactly what he was doing.

“Aww, you don’t like my hair?” Haku tapped the table to get Gaara’s attention but he never looked up and he never answered. “I thought maybe you would like it. I skipped my first four periods to find this shirt and you won’t even look at me.” He huffed and drew circles on the table with his finger to get Gaara’s attention. Gaara was at a loss for what to do. Not five days ago they were ready to tear each other’s heads off and now here they were -at the same lunch table- with Haku putting the moves on him. He didn’t know whether to be flattered or disgusted.

Haku lowered his face down to the table and looked up at Gaara. The redhead was still sketching on his paper. He made no sign that he cared for anything Haku was even saying. Haku poked out his bottom lip and then sighed heavily until Gaara finally looked up. He narrowed his eyes and Haku sat back.

“Finally I got your attention. Don’t feel flattered, I have no interest in you. I just wanted to ask what this was.” Haku dropped a small box on the table and Gaara recognized it as the box he mailed to Haku on Saturday. It sure did take the package forever to get to him, considering it was already Wednesday. Gaara stared at the box and smiled to himself. Haku had opened it since the tape was missing. Gaara had forgotten about it.

“Do you hate me so much that you would insist I die in such a horrible way?” Haku opened the box and gave Gaara the little book that was inside. “I can appreciate your art just so long as it doesn’t involve you ripping out my hair and then beating me to death. If you wanted Neji by your side so bad you should have just waited” He shrugged. “Had I received this two days ago I would be offended but now I feel like we don’t have to hate each other so much anymore.” Haku smiled but it fell to an empty look when the back door of the cafeteria opened. Gaara had no idea what Haku was saying. Neji had just told Haku he loved him. Gaara wasn’t interested in waiting. Hell, he probably had no chance now anyway- not that he cared much. If Neji was going to be with Haku then so be it.

Gaara turned around when he saw Haku staring behind him. Neji walked through the door and he didn’t look happy. Gaara and Haku were sitting near the front of the cafeteria so they would get noticed once Neji made it to his table. Haku looked towards the area where he usually sat and saw Itachi giving him a death glare. Haku waved and smiled but Itachi just turned away. Neji walked in the lunch hall with everybody whispering after him. He was used to it by now so he just kept moving. When he got to his table he spotted Gaara a few tables away from him. Neji looked up and saw Haku (who he had originally thought was some random girl) sitting with Gaara.

Neji’s jaw would have dropped if it were any other day but right now he was in a bit of a hurry. He sat down and pulled the note Orochimaru wrote him from his pocket. He continuously looked over at Gaara and Haku but he focused most of his attention on what he was doing. He slid the piece of paper in front of Itachi and waited for the boy to open it.

“You’re creepy ex boyfriend has a way with words. I won’t ask why you two were even together if you can decode his crazy riddle.” Neji crossed his arms and closed his eyes. Itachi sat the paper down and twisted the cap off his soda while he read it. He frowned a couple of times but upon finishing off the entire glossy bottle of sprite, he understood at least a good portion of what was on the note.

“You should pay more attention in British Literature.” Itachi put the note on the table in front of Neji and pointed to the first line.

A circle of small squares waves through the air to make contact with a round green mass of solid.

“This is probably referring to a game of tennis. Hence the brief description of a racket and a tennis ball.”

The one person you don’t love but care for will know why words of a false matter end up in your pocket on a dark night.

“I’m not sure about the beginning but you said that Gaara put those pictures in your pocket at the football game right? Well you didn’t write the words so they’re false. I’m pretty sure what Orochimaru is trying to say is that someone close to you either is the cameraman or knows who he is.”

Jagged teeth will wring out the truth of a bright haired star with access to you.
You’re not looking close enough to your surroundings.

“I have no idea who he’s referring to right here but it can only be Kisame or Zabuza, since they both of them have usual sharp teeth. As for the last part, it deals to why the beginning is so specific. How many blond tennis stars do we have in the school?” Itachi yawned and pointed out the window. “If I wanted to take a guess, Orochimaru is saying that whoever is closest to the blond knows who took the pictures and either Kisame and Zabuza will be taking care of him shortly.” He pulled his arms in his sleeves and cracked his neck. “It’s only a guess-” He said. “-but Deidara and Sasori are awfully close and Deidara is the only blond on the tennis team.”

Neji stared at Itachi and blinked several times. He wanted to know why the hell Itachi knew so much of the situation. “You’ve been talking to Haku too much.” Neji stood up and stuffed the paper in his pocket. “Thanks.” He stepped away from the bench and Itachi turned around, no expression in his voice what-so-ever.

“Don’t assume that just because I dated him that I know how the hell is mind works. I’m not God, Neji.” Itachi stared passed Neji at Orochimaru while he tried to pry the fangirls off of him. Neji looked behind him as well and turned away, heading for the back door that led to the field.

“You could have fooled me.” He left Itachi sitting at the table alone again. He walked out the door and made sure Orochimaru saw him leave. Neji was on a mission to find out if Deidara was guilty. He could hear the door open and close behind him as he kept walking but he couldn’t grasp the fact that Gaara and Haku were…conversing…together. He could feel Orochimaru catching up to him but he didn’t turn around, he had to at least make it to the courts behind the safety of the green mesh before he started talking.

Neji stepped onto the tennis courts with a small smile on his face. Deidara was playing a game of handball while Sasori sat on the ground and watched. Neji didn’t alert either of them as he stood off to the side. Orochimaru appeared next to him within the next three seconds. He leaned against the fence and watched Deidara run back and forth after the ball.

“Nothing less from a Hyuuga.” Orochimaru’s long tongue fell out of his mouth and it moistened his lips. Neji shuddered at the brief sight of such a thing and then looked away. He smiled to himself at how he couldn’t figure out the riddle. He really should pay more attention in class.

“Nothing less from an Uchiha.” He said back. Orochimaru looked at him and then exhaled. They stood quietly together. Neji with his hands in his pockets and Orochimaru with his head down staring up Deidara through his bangs, all the while playing with his seemingly endless snake of a tongue. They were both startled when Zabuza hoped over the fence and landed softly next to them.

“You must have been in a real fix if you had to sink as low as calling Zabuza for the job. I’m surprised at you, Orochimaru.”

“Nonsense, Zabuza already has a grudge against the blond and I didn’t want to get my hands dirty. I can’t afford to be held back for another year.” Orochimaru and Zabuza had decided that they would go before Gaara and work together on the candidates on the list. That way they could knock off the easy ones first. Orochimaru had no intentions of going after Kimimaro or Kabuto. He was almost absolutely positive that Kimimaro wouldn’t waste his time. Kabuto had so many extra college courses he was taking that he didn’t have time to fuck with anyone.

Zabuza crossed Kiba off the list quickly because he seemed to only rant
about his dog, or he was always with Kankurou. This left them with Deidara
who was the biggest suspicion so far. He got bored very easily and tennis-
which was his main goal in life- didn't start for another three months. He
was bound to do something to pass the time. If he wasn't running around
drawing on walls with markers then he was in the supply closet stealing clay
to clad over his walls in an attempt to create the perfect dark room in his
house. That was reason enough for them to consider him. What the hell did he
need a dark room for?

"Sasori's the one with the camera addiction. Doesn't he have the
photography class with Kurenai on the weekends? Didn't he build a camera
for science fair last year?" Neji found himself trying to go through the
possibilities for why it wasn't Deidara. The boy's brains weren't always
there and something this big and thought out just couldn't be him. Zabuza shrugged like he
didn't care- and he probably didn't. Orochimaru thought for a second.

"It’s too easy. If it were Sasori his name would be all over it. Plus that
guy's a perfectionist. If I ever did see him with a Polaroid camera I would
cut out my tongue. What kind of grudge does he bare against you or Haku in
the first place? Gaara maybe but…" Orochimaru stopped talking after he
mentioned the redhead's name. Neji looked over at him and raised his
eyebrow.

"Go on." Neji turned his head back around. Orochimaru seemed to have lost
his train of thought though. He was just two words away from saying
something about Gaara's plan to find Mr. X and if he had then the cover
would have totally been blown. He ran through his mind to find something to
blanket his mistakes.

"Baka." Zabuza said quietly. "He meant to say that the only reason Sasori
could possibly hate the redhead is because Gaara knocked him down to second
place last year for best invention. But even that's nothing for him to
slaughter Gaara's name for. Deidara makes perfect sense. He's brainless and
would kill to fuck with someone. That's why he follows Sasori around like a
wet dog. That's his access to camera equipment." Zabuza pulled his phone
out of his pocket. "Deidara's name and CB number were also never on the
forward list of either cell picture. Sasori's was."

Neji kept his mouth closed. He didn't even know Zabuza could hold a fork
the correct way, let alone come up with every reason under the sun why
Deidara was in fact Mr. X. Neji looked over at Orochimaru who was
nodding with his eyes closed. The two of them sure had put a lot of thought into this, especially since Neji had only told Orochimaru the day before. That
didn't seem like something they could put together in just one day.

"Fine." Neji said. "I won't be home until five. Get him to my house no
later than 6:30 and make sure Sasori doesn't know what you're doing. If for
some reason you're hunch is wrong then I don't want anyone at school to
find out that I'm looking for the cameraman." Neji turned and started
walking away. He could hear Zabuza growl behind him but he didn't care. He
slipped off the courts and headed back to the cafeteria. He had two other
important people he needed to make contact with before the school day was
over.

-----

The end of the school day was all but a relief. Gaara was thankful for his
desk job in sixth period. He didn't think he could handle another class.
All he needed to do now was sit there and wait for the hall attendants to
bring those pesky rosters so he could pretend to mark people absent or
tardy. His head hurt every time he thought about Neji attempting to
apologize to him. He couldn't believe the sudden change in his attitude. It
was too fake for Gaara to even consider he was being honest. And the same
thing went for Haku. He was acting strange and treating Gaara like they'd
been friends for seven years and just gone through a small fallout.

Gaara leaned against the computer screen with his head. He knocked himself
against the glass a few times before someone opened the door and walked
into the office. That wasn't uncommon, people came in and out all day long
and it was never anyone special.

"Hyuuga-san what a surprise. You look much better today." Shizune smiled at
him and he smiled back. "Just one moment, I'll see if counselor Iruka is busy." She
left her chair and walked over to the man's office door. Neji was looking
at her and then his eyes turned over to Gaara in a very…slow…motion. It was
like a scene from some silent movie. Gaara felt like he was a piece of
steel and Neji was superman, using his laser eyes to melt Gaara in half.

Neji's eyes. Dammit! Gaara hated those eyes and the way they made him feel.
It was almost as if he was losing control of his own body. He wanted to say
things he wasn't even thinking. Gaara bit his tongue and tried to stare
back. He could do just as much damage if he didn't let Neji know he was
affected by the dangerous gaze. Gaara turned away and started slamming away
at the keyboard. Neji looked away as well as Shizune came back and sat at
her desk.

"I'm sorry, he's with another student right now. You can sit and wait or
you can come back later." Her smile was small but her spirits were healthy. Neji smiled back at her as he watched Gaara out of the corner of his eye.
Gaara just knew that that bastard was going to stay and make the rest of
his day hell. He wondered why he'd been cursed so badly. No matter where he
went he had problems.

"That's alright, I just came to tell him that I have a meeting with my counselor so I'm going to leave a bit early." Neji bowed to her and ignored
any eye contact with Gaara as he left the room. Gaara was in shock, he
couldn't believe Neji had just blown him off. He was sure Neji would stay or
at least have the decency to say bye to him- not that he had said hello
either. Gaara gritted his teeth and he continued his work. He didn't know
why it was bothering him so much but maybe he would have felt better if he
knew Neji was being serious with him about apologizing. Gaara's shoulders
lowered and he started typing slower, now he really just wanted the day to be over.

-----

"Cigarette?" Jiraiya asked as he sat down in his chair on the side of Neji.
He brought his clipboard to his seat and dropped a box of Newports on the
table next to Neji. The boy eyed the box like he wanted to take it and
smoke all of them.

"No, I don't smoke." He said calmly, staring at the ceiling above him. He
wasn't laying down today. He was siting with his legs crossed and his head
leaned back. His attitude wasn't the same as it had been last week and he
was looking forward to his vent. He didn't mind the continuous questioning
for now.

"You don't seem to be in a bad mood today. I wonder how things at home
are." Jiraiya didn't write anything down for the time being. He paid more
attention to what Neji actually had to say. This was the first session
they'd had in a long time where Neji hadn't come in with a frown etched on
his face. He seemed like he was happy.

"They are the same. My uncle is out of town and I have been left in charge
to watch Hinata and Hinabi for the remainder of the week. I don't see that
to be such a problem. He seems to trust me enough now." Neji didn't even
realize he'd said so much. He usual just gave short answers to Jiraiya's
short questions.

"Your life at home seems to be taking a turn for the good. Has school been
just as positive for you?" He pulled the glasses down on his nose so he
could get a good look at Neji. The boy had his eyes closed now as he tried
to hold back a small smile. Jiraiya could count on one hand how many times
Neji had smiled in his presence.
"School... is different." Neji said and left it at that. This struck the
doctor's attention as well. He wanted to hear details about why Neji's
experience at school was so 'different' than last weeks when he had
dragged himself in the office looking like a mess.

"Anyone worth mentioning?" Jiraiya asked. According to his memory Haku was
the last person Neji had been attracted to and he was praying that it was a
decision he wouldn't regret.

“Haku.” Neji said. “He broke up with me on Friday night. He was over my house last night and he told me-in not so many words- that I’m an asshole, among other things. I treated him like he was something that belonged to me and I hadn’t even realized what I was doing to him. I’ve never been like this before. Three months ago I couldn’t even imagine myself acting this way. I don’t know if what he told my last night was the truth.” Neji seemed confused but he still smiled.

“I see.” Jiraiya crossed his legs and folded his arms. “Have to two of you decided to remain friends?” He asked.

"No.” Neji looked away. Gaara and Haku have taken a liking to each other." He chose to take now to start his ranting. "He left me, didn't last very
long did it? On Saturday Haku fought me away from him. I would have gotten
him back if Gaara hadn't stepped in my way. I said some things to Gaara
that I shouldn't have and as of 7:23 this morning I'm sure he hates my
guts. I saw the two of them eating lunch together today. Gaara had
started dating his best friend Sasuke. Then Sasuke supposedly cheated on
him with their other best friend Naruto. I'm sure Haku felt bad for Gaara
and is befriending him as an apology."

Jiraiya just kept nodding as he picked up his clipboard and start jotting
things down. "Let's go back to why Haku broke up with you. You mentioned
last week that he was clingy and it made you a little uncomfortable. What
could have happened to stopped his feelings so quickly?" He asked. Neji
felt like he was prying a little too deep so early, but he was in a talking
mood.

"Friday night I ran into Gaara in the parking lot at the football game. He
was beat up pretty badly and I felt for him. I hugged him, I even kissed
him and told him, in not so many words, that I missed him. He slipped
something into my pocket while I held him. Haku and I got in a little fight
at the game and yet again I said something I wish I could take back but he
kept confessing his love and I just didn't feel that way yet. When I went
over to his house to apologize, things got out of hand and I needed a
shower. When I got out he was holding two pictures in his hand that I had
never in my life seen. The first picture had to be from like three months
ago, before Gaara and I separated. You already know I cheated on him and
the picture proved it. The second picture was the same thing, only more
recent. Gaara knew for sure now and Haku thought I had them taken on
purpose. He said he couldn't trust me. Even though I told him I loved
him, he refused to talk to me and made me leave the house." Neji stopped
talking and opened the water bottle on the desk next to him.

"I'm a little confused. You seemed to be stressed about this whole Haku and
Gaara situation but you don't look the least bit worried." Jiraiya said.
Neji downed half of the bottle and closed it back up, sitting it in his lap.

"That's because I'm not. Last session I was just being childish while I
tried to convince myself I was still in love with Gaara. I don't know why
it was so hard for me to admit before but I'm sure now. I'm absolutely
positive that I've never been more right about anything in my life." Neji
let the chills in his body pass as he breathed. "I'm in love with Gaara."

-----

Orochimaru turned on the light in Neji's basement while Zabuza made sure he
tied the ropes tight enough. The boy didn't fight too much as the two of
them restrained him. He just pretended he was in a bad dream and waited for
it to pass.

"You look like you were busy painting, Deidara." Neji was sitting in a
chair in front of the blond. Zabuza and Orochimaru
were standing behind Deidara while he was tied to a chair. Neji reached
over and pulled his blindfold off of Deidara’s eyes. As his eyes adjusted to the room, Deidara
just smirked.

"Ah, it would be just like the most popular guy in school to kidnap me,
yeah. What do you want Hyuuga?" Deidara relaxed in his chair like he was in
no kind of danger. He didn't believe Neji would actually harm him since he
took the blindfold off and was looking fairly calm. Neji moved his chair
closer and tucked Deidara's bangs behind his ear so he could see both of
his eyes.

"I have reason to believe you are the one behind all the cell phone
pictures." Neji didn't expect the reaction he got from the boy. Deidara
laughed softly and then got louder. His eyes grew wide and he let his head
fall back. Zabuza rolled his eyes and Orochimaru did his usual tongue
thing. The blond finally stopped laughing when he ran out of breath.

"Hmm, Deidara the mastermind behind such an insidious plot? That does have a nice ring to it doesn't it?" He shrugged. "It's nice to know you think so
highly of me. Too bad Deidara cannot possibly be your genius guess. You've
got the wrong guy." Deidara closed his eyes and shook his head. Neji leaned
back in his chair. Of course the boy wasn't just going to admit it. If he
did then that was like deciding to take a trip off a cliff.

"You're not making this any easier on yourself. You see that there?" Neji
pointed to a hook on the wall where his uncle usually hung his tools.
"People are more prone to revealing information when the blood is rushing
to their head. I don't want to have hang you upside down so you'll talk."
Neji grinned when Deidara's mood changed. He seemed to be considering if
Neji would actually put him in harms way to get an answer out of him.

"…un, you're only kidding. You wouldn't do such a thing. I haven't known you
to be so drastic." He shrugged again. "In any case, I told you I didn't do
it. What sense of accomplishment would I find in taking a picture with my
cell phone? That's not art, it's a shame." Deidara nodded in having
convinced himself that the brunette wasn't stupid enough to do something…er,
stupid. Neji sighed and rolled a rubber band off his wrist. He stood up and
tied his hair. He turned his back to Deidara.

"Put him on the wall."

"What?! No! Come on Neji are you even listening to me?" Deidara's ankles
were tied up and he was lifted from the chair. "Holy God you're not
kidding! Wait put me down! I'm not the fucking culprit! You're out of you
mind! Put me down you snake looking man." He tried to wiggle free but Zabuza and
Orochimaru carried him over to the wall and hung him upside down. Neji
knelt in front of him as the blood quickly rushed to his face.

"Now that you're settled I'm going to ask you some questions and you're to
answer them honestly. If I think you're lying to me then I'll just leave
you up there longer. The faster you answer the faster I'll send you home, yeah?" Neji mocked him. Deidara would have nodded if it didn't hurt so much to move his neck.

"Good." Neji pulled his chair over and sat under Deidara. The blonde's head
was very near Neji's crotch and his hair flowed over Neji's legs. The
brunette combed through Deidara’s hair while he talked.

"Do you, or have you ever owned a Polaroid camera?"

"Huh? No. What does that have to do with anything?" He asked, closing his
eyes and trying to swallow. Neji ignored his reply question.

"Does Sasori own one?"

"Sasori? Are you suspecting him too, yeah? Sasori builds all his cameras. He
doesn't believe in the immediate accomplishment of film. He likes to
develop pictures himself."

"Would that explain your fascination with wanting to build a dark room?" Neji still had his suspicions of Sasori but Deidara would probably but doing all of this just to keep his attention.

"Yeah." Deidara's nose was bight red. "Couldn't you have called me to ask
me all this? Kidnapping me wasn't really necessary."

"Where's your cell phone Deidara?"

"Ah, at home with my shoes and my pride. Your stupid cronies didn't let me
get anything before they dragged me into the car."

"Can you explain why your name wasn't on the forward list of the cell phone
pictures?"

"…uh, my cell phone broke last week. I didn't get a new one until Saturday
and I also got a new number that most people don't have. That means that the picture that
came in yesterday I didn't get to see until I stole Sasori's phone."

Neji thought about that for a second. How ironic that Deidara would lose
his phone the week that the pictures came in.

"And Sasori's phone?" Neji asked, thinking that it could have been his
phone that Deidara used to send the pictures from since he 'stole' it.

"He just got a new phone too. He didn't even have a camera on his old
phone. I had to persuade him into getting one. I told you, he doesn't
believe in that stuff, yeah. He takes his camera everywhere anyway." Deidara's eyes were struggling to stay open.

Why did you take Sasori’s phone from him then? Was it to send the pictures and make it look like someone else had done it?” Neji was on to his little scam and he wanted some answers now.

“If I had then I wouldn’t have chosen my own boyfriends phone for such a thing. I only took his phone to see all his recent incoming and outgoing calls. He’s been distant lately, I thought… maybe… he… was-” He was losing consciousness as he tried to keep talking.

“-Sneaking around on you, huh Deidara?” Neji chuckled as he slid his hand across Deidara’s pale face. The boy didn’t answer.

"Are you going to pass out?" Neji asked, still fingering through his hair.
Deidara didn't say anything as his eyes closed. Neji looked over at Orochimaru
and Zabuza. Maybe he shouldn't have let him hang there for so long. Now he
couldn't get any of the answers he was looking for. Now he had more reason
to believe that Sasori was Mr. X.

"Get him down and take him in the guest room until he wakes up." Neji would
have just forced him awake but someone was impatiently ringing the doorbell
upstairs. Neji left the basement and jogged up to the front door. He hadn't
anticipated his speed and pulled the door open with a bit of force, scaring
the person in front of him.

"Gaara." He expected something more to come out but he was already in
massive shock that he was even here. He was sure he was going to have to
chase Gaara down for the next week or two. Neji felt vulnerable for some
reason. The way Gaara stared at him was the most uncomfortable thing that
he could think of.

"I'm not staying." Gaara dragged his hand through his hair. "I don't even
know why I'm here. I should leave, but I want to know if you were being
honest. It’s been bothering me." Gaara just kept staring. He was fascinated
with the fact the Neji looked so feminine with his hair up. Neji must have
noticed because he pulled his hair loose. He opened
the door wider and stepped to the side.

"If you come in then maybe I can explain a little better." He sounded like
he was being sincere. Gaara still didn't think so though. Sure he had
'walked' all the way over here-with the help of Sasuke’s car- but he wasn't going in that house to talk about anything. He just wanted a simple answer so his brain would stop
running itself in circles. He shook his head and made sure to keep his body
a few feet from the door.

"I'm not coming in, I can't stay. Just tell me if you were being serious or
not." Gaara kept his cool and didn't make any signs that Neji’s presence was
frustrating him. Neji couldn't imagine why they couldn't just sit in the
kitchen and talk. It wasn't like he was going to bite Gaara's head off or
anything. Even though to Gaara it probably did seem like that was something
he would do.

"I refuse to have this conversation with you standing at my door. It's not
like I can just give a yes or no answer. This is more complicated then you
stopping by to hear something that's going to give you some closure. You're
not the only one with a problem here." Neji's anger was rising quickly. He
just wanted to sit the boy down and talk. Why was that so hard? It wasn't
like he was asking for his soul.

"You never could control your temper. This is obviously much bigger than
just you apologizing and I have no interest in it being more than that.
We'll have to do this some other time." Gaara took a step back. Neji
grabbed the front of his shirt quickly and pulled him back. He pulled Gaara
close and stared down at him. Gaara didn't move and he breathed easily,
like none of this was really happening.

"Why are you being so stubborn?" Neji asked, trying not to let his anger
seep out too much. If only he could just let Gaara into his mind, into his
body for just a split second. Then he would see that Neji was trying his
best to tell him something important. He was being honest even though he
sounded like he was just as angry as the day they broke up. Gaara just
didn't care, that's what it was.

"Because, I don't like you. I can't stand the person you've become and I
can't say I even liked the person you were. You're a horrible excuse for an
escape and I don't know why it lasted so long between us. You're selfish,
you always have been. You led me in so many different directions that I
just ended up lost. You wanted me to love you and when I did you complained
that I was smothering you. You had no idea what you wanted from me so you
left." Gaara pushed him away. "I hope to God you found what you were
looking for." Gaara turned around and started walking. He knew coming over
was a mistake.

"Gaara." Neji fought with himself in a hundred different ways. He didn't know what to say, or how to say anything. It was as if he hadn't been
waiting for this moment for the passed three months. Gaara kept his back to
Neji as he watched the front gate of the residence. He was hoping that he
wouldn't have to turn back around.

"Gaara, I still love you." Neji said, leaning out of the door. He wanted to
go down the sidewalk and stop Gaara from leaving but something was
preventing him from taking any further steps. Maybe he had said too much
already.

"I know." Gaara stepped off the porch and started to leave. He couldn't
turn around, he knew those eyes were going to make him confess things that
he wasn't ready to. He wanted to tell Neji how he felt but even with an
apology and a reassurance that the boy was still the same Neji he'd known,
Gaara just felt like it wasn't time for him to give himself up just yet. This would be awkward but that was expected.

"Could you just wait a minute?" Neji was at his side in a second. "Let me
take you out, just as friends." He tried to put a hand on Gaara's shoulder
but the boy moved away. He didn't appreciate all the body contact Neji was
inflicting today. Neji didn't know why he had expected to get so close.
Gaara had a thing for personal space and Neji was probably the last person
he wanted stepped into his boundary line.

"We're not friends." Gaara said. "Even if we were, I wouldn't go anywhere
with you. I don't even have the mind to trust you much."

"Please." Neji begged. "If ever you had asked me for anything I wouldn't
hesitate to give it to you. Just give me a chance. I'm not asking you for
anything you can't give. If you can't love me that's fine. All you have to
do is listen." Neji couldn't help but touch the side of Gaara's face. "Why
won't you listen?" All the anger that had built up was dying down and now
he was desperate. Gaara could also feel himself softening. Neji sounded
almost as pathetic as Gaara did when he was whining.

Sighing and stepping away, Gaara pushed Neji's hand from his face. "I
should go." Gaara held on to his hand for a moment. He stepped closer and
leaned his head against Neji's chest. "Did you ever think that those things
you did would come back to haunt you?" He could hear Neji's heart skip a
beat. Gaara pulled away, turning quickly to leave. Neji didn't even have
anything left to say. His love confession hadn't worked. His begging hadn't
worked. He was out of options so he just watched Gaara leave. Suddenly,
finding out who the cameraman might be wasn't so important. He just wanted one thing-

-----

Haku walked up the stairs to his apartment in the dark. The stairwell was
dark and the light above the door was broken. He regretted that it was so
late but he was spending some time with Itachi, trying to get him to
believe that he wasn't actually after Gaara. It would probably turn out
that Haku and Neji would be taking turns spending time with him since they
weren't really talking anymore.

He walked up the rest of the stairs and came to his door. It was so dark
that Haku really couldn't see anything. When he stepped on the doormat he felt something crush under his feet. He reached down in the
dark and picked up a small paper folder. Haku raised his eyebrow and
unlocked the door. When he got inside he walked over to the table and set
down his keys. He turned on the kitchen light and sat at the table as he
opened the folder.

-Haku,

I have been waiting a long, precious week to write this to you. This is
going to be fairly quick so that you can go back to being the filthy thing
that God has planted on this earth. In short, I am the one who has taken
those beautiful pictures of you and Hyuuga. Are you not excited that I am
finally contacting you to say hello?

Haku, I am going to tell you a few things about myself so read carefully,
but first, there is someone after you. I would advise you to watch who you
befriend in the next few weeks.
You are the first to receive a letter from me, dear Haku.
I am going to make your life a living hell for the next week and a half.
You will not find me, no one will.
Your relationship with Neji was your first mistake and I will let that be
known now. My pictures were made for you, to erase you, to erase him. That is all I ever
wanted. How does that make you feel Haku? Do you regret ever sleeping in
his bed?

I shall leave you to your poor and pathetic life now. Be careful Haku, the
world is full of people who will hate you. They will hate you just like I do.

Mr. X

-----
End Chapter-The length was unbelievable ::Tired with hand cramps::
Small ending AN…before you go and ask me what the fuck Zabuza and Orochimaru are doing, I’ll tell you. Their relationships with Gaara and Neji are two different associations. They’re not helping or hindering either of the boys. So…whatever information Oro/Zab get from Gaara they do NOT tell Neji and vice versa.
Happy Day! –Enter Sasori/Deidara- (I don’t believe my sexy blond is brainless either)

No side story! Well there will be one in the next day...if you review please tell me who you want the side story to be about. I’m low on ideas but I’m thinking a POV Itachi. What do you guys think? Or or or! I’ll do s side story from Mr. X’s POV? That would be challenging and maybe I could answer some of everyone questions. Tell me what you think.
Ja ne! Nik