Yosougai (Unexpected)

A/N: We do realize that Naruto seems a totally different person in here than in Hottan. This was deliberate. YES, they will be tied in just not right away. Just know that he has been through a lot... which we will explain in a later chapter.

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Shikamaru came out of another room and caught sight of Neji. He just shook his head once. Neji's beautiful eyes closed and his head fell back. Shika stepped up and wrapped his arms around him.



"I don't want to..." Neji whispered so softly that Shika could have imagined it. His friend knew better. He knew what Neji was agonizing over. There were some rooms in this place that only 'family' could enter and leave alive.



Shikamaru nudged Neji. "Come on. There's still a few more rooms." Neji took a deep breath and pulled away. "You know, this place really is ridiculously huge for one cruddy bachelor," Shikamaru remarked. Neji gave a sad half chuckle.



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The door opened easily. This room got a lot of use. Neji was in here every morning before dawn. It was his favorite room in the house. It looked different today. There was a nearly naked man pounding away at the speed bag. He bobbed and heaved as if he was truly training for a fight. Neji was speechless. Naruto didn't have one of those muscle man bodies like Asuma, but he was far stouter than Neji had imagined. The veins in his tan arms stood out over top of corded muscle.



There was no way that Sasuke Uchiha could take this man in a fair fight if he had the proper skills. Naruto did seem to have some experience with boxing techniques, but to hold his own against the Uchiha, he would need some martial arts training as well. There was so much potential there, so much raw power and untamed grace that Neji couldn't stop himself. He stepped up and placed his cool palm on the superheated back. Naruto whirled on him and Neji had the other man on the ground in an instant.



Neji straddled Naruto's chest, with the man's arms pinned above his head. "You should have told me. I would have asked you to train with me."



"I was bored." Naruto couldn't think of anything else to say. 'Why the hell did he throw me on the floor? What the hell is he talking about?' "Um, Neji... can you let me up now?"



Neji stood up and walked to the door completely unfazed by the other's trepidation. "Tomorrow morning, I will begin your training. We have a lot of work to do, but your body seems well suited to it. It should work out very well."



'Training? My body is suited to what? Why do I feel a little freaked?' Naruo thought as he sat there ans stared at the retreating figure with wide eyes.



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The next morning Shikamaru didn’t join them. He liked to sleep as late as he could. The lazy man had been staying at Neji’s place ever since Naruto’s arrival. It looked like he slept over quite often. He had several sets of clothes in one of the guest room closets. Naruto was a little curious, he was interested in seeing the man fight. He had a sneaking suspicion that Shikamaru might be very full of surprises.



Neji was a brutal task master. Naruto hurt everywhere by the time each lesson was done. Neji was impressed with Naruto’s stamina He confided in Shikamaru that he had initially intended the first lesson last only a quarter as long as it had. The blond never gave up and was always demanding the chance to repeat each move until HE felt he had it.



There were times when Neji had to cut Naruto’s ego and overactive imagination down to size, but overall he enjoyed sparring with his guest. Shika would spar with him when he insisted, but Naruto actually bounded into his room each morning excited about the prospect. It was a refreshing change.



“He still trying to catch you asleep?” Shikamaru asked as they rode in Neji’s private elevator to the segregated parking garage that only Neji and his men had access to.



Neji smiled. “He did seem rather disappointed this morning.”



“Yeah? And why is that?”



Neji chuckled mischievously. “I have no idea. I was just enjoying a light read and a cup of tea when he entered the room.”



Shika snorted. “And what ungodly hour was this?”



“Four o’clock. This might actually manage to break into my regular sleep hours soon.”



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“Can I go with you sometime?” Naruto asked Neji’s back as the man placed the wooden practice staves back into their custom built holders.



Neji turned to regard his sparring partner. “Neji… I’m going stir crazy here. I’m used to being out in the open. I work in a bar, so I’m used to having a lot of people around. Not that you aren’t good company, you or Shikamaru…. I just…” He gave Neji one of those pleading looks.



‘Those eyes of his are lethal weapons.’ Neji had felt their pull more than once. More than once he had felt himself being swayed by those azure gems. “It has almost been a month. I understand your restlessness. I also understand the Uchihas'. They have not given up on you.” ‘There is a real chance that they never will, that you will never be safe here in Japan. I may have to find somewhere to send you.



Naruto looked so depressed. “I will discuss this with Shikamaru. Perhaps I am being overcautious.” The blond head came up and the facial expression held hope. “We should shower and eat.”



“Ne, Neji... Should we wake him up?”



“Not if you value your life. Shikamaru gets up when he chooses.” Neji’s door closed and he left Naruto pondering his last comment as the blond turned toward his own room down the hall.



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‘Saturday morning and I’m up at the butt-crack of dawn watching two lunatics try to kill each other. Yip-EE!’ Shikamaru was sitting slouched against the cool exposed brick wall while Naruto trained with Neji. Neji had asked him to observe Naruto.



It was difficult for Neji to observe his student while actively sparring with him. Supposedly Neji wanted to know if Shika agreed that Naruto had the skills to take care of himself if things truly got out of hand. It was an excuse. he was sure that Neji just thought getting him out of bed early was funny. His friend had a warped sense of humor and knew how he detested mornings.



Shikamaru had to admit, the new boy had serious potential in the physical part of things. His temperament though was ill suited to their line of work. He hoped Neji wasn’t considering bringing him into the fold. ‘It would be the worst thing we could do to him.’



Naruto was clean in a way that Neji and Shika hadn’t been in a very long time. He didn’t have the arrogant need to dominate and control those around him just to show he could. Naruto was a different breed. It would be like placing a dove in a cage with a hawk. Sure the dove would defend himself and his mate if he had to, but he would never think to attack another bird for the thrill of the fight.



‘Still think we should teach him how to handle a gun,’ he grumbled in the back of his head. Neji had flat out refused. The one thing they both had agreed upon though was the bullet-proof vest. If Naruto didn’t like it, well then his ass would stay in Neji’s apartment bored and safe.



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Naruto lay still on his bed and listened to the quiet. Neji and Shikamaru weren't back yet. Neji had told him that they would be late and had asked him not to wait up for them. Naruto was always alone during the day. He hadn't noticed just how much he looked forward to their return each day until now. He should have.



He'd just thought it was boredom that had him picking up the apartment and fixing snacks for them to eat while the three of them decided on what to have for dinner. Sometimes they would order in and sometimes he would cook for them. It was loneliness. As soon as they walked through the door he started looking for ways to monopolize their time until the instant they went to bed Then he was up as early as possible so that he could spend as much time with them as he could before they left him behind again.



He loved the time they all spent talking about unimportant things: food, movies, likes and dislikes. At night he could hardly sleep for the impatience he felt. The mornings were amazing. Neji was awesome. Naruto would have been in heaven just watching the man move through his own practices. Getting to learn from him and spar with was beyond incredible.



Tonight he felt bereft, alone, and miserable. 'I must be such a pain in the ass.' He threw his arm over his eyes and gritted his teeth. 'Of course they would need to get away from me... Hell I need to get away from me.' He felt like nothing more than an unwanted house guest. 'I'll be useful without being a pain.' He wasn't sure how, but he was determined not to intrude on the two men's down time anymore than he had to. 'It's a big apartment... I can give them space.'



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Neji stepped out of the shower with a large towel wrapped around his waist. Shikamaru was shrugging into his shirt. He fumbled with the buttons and cursed quietly. Neji smiled softly as he padded over to stand in front of the other man. Shika looked up and gave him a sulky look.



Neji smirked "Is there something you would like to say?" He asked his pouting companion.



A glare was all he got in return, the grumble died on the younger man's lips when he saw the arrogant look in Neji's eyes. They both knew his complaint. Things had been very intense. Their lovemaking had been harsh and demanding and although Neji had been even more aggressive than usual, Shikamaru had responded strongly, even egging Neji on to deeper depths of untamed lust.



Neji finished buttoning his lover's shirt. He reached down for Shikamaru's right hand, pulled it up to his lips, and kissed the slightly trembling palm. They had just finished a dinner meeting with several associates at one of the Hyuuga's hotels and had decided to take some time alone upstairs.



Shika was exhausted, but he insisted that Neji had to go back to his place to check on Naruto. The unwilling house guest had turned into something of a private pet. Their little golden bird had them both eager to return home at the end of each day. Shika worried that they left Naruto alone too much as it was. It was almost cruel.



~TBC...