Insomnia

IV

Hinata was at a loss. In the weeks Neji had returned home from Suna, he had remained in his room or wherever he was led to, silent. He had said nothing of his time spent missing, even though Lee returned with a full account of his own and a written one from the Kazekage. Hiashi remained stoic, but Hinata knew her father was hurting, having sent Neji to that place, to that danger, and had nearly lost him. It wasn’t so much that the curse seal had been removed or Neji’s blindness that was causing Hiashi pain, but the fact that Neji had been so battered he now refused to speak to anyone. Hinata wanted to comfort her cousin, wanted to tell him everything would be okay, that the Hokage-sama and Sakura-chan and Shizune-san were working to find a way to reverse his predicament. Hinata watched Neji now, sitting in the sunlight with his eyes closed, no doubt knowing she was there. Hinata swallowed and stepped out onto the porch, sliding closed the rice-paper door behind her.

“Neji-nii-san?” Hinata asked, announcing herself as much as asking if it would be okay for her to join him. Neji only tilted his head in answer and Hinata settled down beside him. They shared silence for a while, Neji always blankly staring and Hinata wondering what she could do to ease her cousin’s pain. It was no secret that Neji’s condition made him less likely to inherit the Hyuuga household now, but that same revelation caused most of the family – and Hinata herself was guilty of this – treating Neji like an invalid. All Hinata wanted to do was help Neji, but it seemed no matter what she or anyone else did made his predicament any easier.

“So,” Hinata ventured quietly, “what would you like to do today?”

Neji’s head canted as if he were seriously considering the question. Hinata knew he wasn’t allowed out of the compound – Hiashi’s orders – but there were plenty of things they could do inside. Hinata prayed Neji only spoke of not knowing or staying right here. Instead her hopes were dashed.

“I want to go into the village,” Neji said softly. Hinata winced. “I take it Hiashi-san has forbidden me,”

Hinata swallowed. “He doesn’t want you hurt.”

“Rather, he doesn’t want me where he can’t watch me.”

“Neji,” Hinata said helplessly, “he just wants to protect you.”

“How is keeping me inside helping me?” Neji asked. “I’m blind not hopelessly ill.”

“We know! He just doesn’t think you’re ready.”

“And when will I be!? My sight isn’t coming back. The therapy is only for show. I’m a shinobi, Hinata. I can’t stay like this.”

“You’ll stay right here!” Hinata finally shouted. “Father doesn’t want you leaving and so you can’t!”

She stomped away, leaving Neji feeling confused and a little hurt. Out of all the clan members, Neji thought Hinata would’ve been the most understanding. After all, with her plight not quite so different from his own, he would’ve thought she’d be on his side, at least a little bit. He rose from his seat and carefully made his way off the porch and onto the yard, moving carefully to where he remembered the wall being. Before he lost his sight, he used to jump over this every morning he could get away with, just to prove to himself he could leave whenever he wanted. Now he was caged again, unable to fly. He was, essentially, useless.

There was a scrape above him, sandals on the ceramic tiles. “Hey, Neji,”

Neji blinked. “Naruto?”

“Yep. Came to see how you were doing. They wouldn’t let me in the front so I thought I’d sneak in.”

Neji felt the blonde shinobi land beside him, straightening. “They don’t want anyone seeing me.”

“I know how that is,” Naruto replied, a grin in his voice. “So, you ready to go?”

“Go where?”

“Into the village.”

Neji frowned at the skepticism in Naruto’s voice. “Oh, come on.” Naruto groused. “You’re blind, not maimed. Come on.”

Neji shook his head and allowed Naruto to take his hand. “Remember how to jump?”

“Yes I remember how to jump.” Neji hissed.

“Don’t gotta get pissy about it.” Naruto replied, smiling. “On three.”

Knowing Naruto as he did, Neji expected him to skip over one and two, but was pleasantly surprised when Naruto’s movements clued him in to the blonde’s actions. The sensation of bounding into the air, being weightless if only for a split second, is scary enough with sight. It’s twice as scary with no sight, but Neji held onto Naruto’s hand and trusted the blonde to keep him safe. Amazingly, Naruto did more than that; he helped Neji figure out the distance between the ground and the wall on both sides, where to land so he wouldn’t fall over, and how to keep his exact balance. When they landed on the packed dirt street below, Neji felt like he was glowing. He heard Naruto laugh.

“Stop looking like that. People are going to think weird things.”

Neji’s blank eyes flicked to Naruto. Normally, when Neji locked straight at people, they flinched or tensed. Naruto did neither, relaxed and composed as ever.

“Why are you doing this?” Neji finally asked.

He felt Naruto shrug. “Because I feel like it. I made jounin a month ago, so I can claim insanity as an excuse. What are they gonna do, demote me?”

“They could.” Neji said quietly. Naruto snorted.

“And subject themselves once again to the wonderfulness that is me? I think not.” Naruto tugged Neji along, placing the Hyuuga’s hand on his shoulder. “The Council is old, not senile.”

Neji finally had to agree. Naruto as a chuunin had been bad enough. At least as a jounin they could give him missions that would take him out of the village for a month or two.

“You won’t get in trouble for this?”

“I might. Might even get Kakashi as my tail. But it’ll be worth it.”

“I didn’t know you cared so much.”

“Yeah, well. You’re a dick, Neji, blind or not. You’ll always be a dick. But you’re my friend.”

Neji stopped short and felt Naruto turn to face him. “You’re… brutally honest aren’t you?"

“Hasn’t killed me yet.” Naruto replied, grinning. Neji shook his head with a slight smile.

“You’re an idiot, Uzumaki.” Neji whispered, finally. “But you’re my friend too.”

Naruto grinned even though Neji couldn’t see it. The blonde shrugged his shoulder to let Neji know they were moving and let out a bright laugh.

“Let’s go explore Konohagakure!” the blonde jounin announced proudly, echoed only by a soft laugh from his companion. Who said mirth and laughter weren’t infectious?