#sasukepara

[notasliceoflife]

@suck-my-tomato​ replied here

He had in deed been thinking about it. It had felt like the other was distancing himself from him. He could pinpoint the reason why, of course. It was not a big secret. But he had not been able to say anything. But now it seemed almost as if they were too far apart now. Sasuke was almost avoiding him, and he didn't enjoy that. He had come to the conclusion he had to say something "You are?" The Hyuga had questioned, a hint of doubt for what the other had said in his tone.

"Then how come you are pulling away from me, if I am?" Neji asked, looking a little confused. He let out a sigh, turning his eyes to one side for a moment as he quietly thought to himself over it. But again he looked back to the Uchiha, watching them scrolling there phone most of the afternoon, he certainly knew that today was the day. But as Sasuke had put his phone down he dully watched the other with lavender tinted white eyes, listening to Sasuke talking, intently. He didn't say anything, just glanced to Sasuke's hand as it was held out to quiet him, before looking again to Sasuke's face. Though he soon looked to Sasuke's phone as the other spoke of catching up on all the time they missed since that night in the alley "Sasuke..." Neji had started gently, though quieted when Sasuke had again went on.

Nodding then "I understand. But..." He reached out toward the others phone, placing his hand over it "You seem distracted whenever we are together. Almost like you aren't even here...I miss us hanging out together." He explained pulling his hand away, frowning slightly "I forgive you...I know that's never going to take away the memories. But-- Is it eating you alive, still? Even at this moment?" He tilt his head a little bit, cold white eyes clearly assessing, trying to make sense of Sasuke's reasoning here "I feel father from you than we have ever been, right now. --I worry you might be pushing me away, unconsciously."

[notasliceoflife]

@suck-my-tomato​ replied here

He had liked her, but not like that. Not in the way he could see Sasuke might be thinking he would have liked Tenten. Was Tenten interesting, good looking, and attractive? Of course she was. He was aware of these things. But that did not mean he had a magnetism with her. For him it was just a talk with one he had known for so many years now. Neji and Tenten had hung out recently, after a decently long amount of time apart. So she had taken advantage of it and took many pictures. Which Neji had thought would be nice to show Sasuke. Clearly he thought wrong, it would seem. At the comment on the ice skating pictures he nodded, giving a solemn look "Yes. It was fun. I don't usually get to hang out with the others that often." He glanced down briefly. Though not wanting to let Sasuke see how much he might have hurt him he looked back up, keeping the emotions displayed on his face looking entirely neutral "Do you go ice skating?" Neji then asked.

But his question of the others jealousy the next moment had seemed to get the other males attention more. Neji glanced Sasuke over, the neutral expression remaining on his face as he took in the little actions Sasuke was making. The 'no' certainly a lie in contrast with the Uchiha's expression "Oh." The Hyuga simply just stared at the other in quiet then. Though Sasuke had relented in the next couple of moments, as we expected. Blinking, Neji lift his head up slightly, trying not to get too smug in his knowing the other so well. With their confession voice Neji exhaled sharply "You could have gone with us, I guess. Seems to have escaped me however to ask if you wanted to." Though with Sasuke's current state of mind these days, he should have taken up the responsibility, as the older party. To make Sasuke feel welcomed to come along. Maybe they could have invited others and made a day of it. Neji thought that would have been good for their group.

At the coldness Neji lowered his head back to normal height and just watched Sasuke for a long moment. He wasn't going to blame them. Clearly Sasuke had been having another hard day and he had just rubbed in the others face how much fun he was having, while Sasuke had been doing something that clearly wasn't making him happy today. Reaching out toward the tea he lift it up to his mouth and sucked from the straw, not giving in. The other could mope all they wanted "This show is a good pick, Sasuke. Is this what you've been watching over the weekend? What did you do this weekend?"

[notasliceoflife]

@suck-my-tomato​

Original Post Here

Having heard of recent agitated murmurings surrounding the Uchiha base of operations. Neji had decided, willingly, to continue to keep up routine. Despite having been beaten and shot, along with other injuries and threats to his life since the Uchiha had decided he would be their crux, for some reason or another. Neji continued to tempt fate. To test how far it could truly go to try and destroy him, probably. Treating this day as he normally would have treated it on any other occasion, despise the whispers, he went along with it. It would seem that the Hyuga had also not cared much if he lived or if he had died. Despite him being the best Hyuga in his generation. Though he had not gloated about this since he had been younger.  Hinata had been capable herself, in her own right, after all. Not the genius he had been built up to be. But as the Heiress. Watching his cousins as they went about life. Clearly blissful or uncaring to the predicament that surrounded them and their father. Which every branch member of the family had to carry on their own shoulders, to lesson burdens on the main houses.

Letting out a breath he started to make his way out of the compound only to be stopped when Hinata had decided to start a casual conversation with him for a little while. Neji carried on as usual, carrying on with his usual niceties and friendliness. At least as much as he was allowed to let himself. There had always been that coldness to his personality that would always linger around him, of course. He cleared his throat then and stepped away. Giving her one last goodbye for the third or so time in the last hour or so, trying to pull away from her. She frowned a bit before getting flustered about keeping someone else waiting. Then she turned and ran off. Neji exited the compound moments later, walking down the streets of the city toward the usual spot he would meet up with Sasuke for an evening, if the pair weren't going to meet up at the others apartment anyway. Glancing toward the sky, Neji let out a breath at how clear it was despite living in a city. Eventually he had turned the corner leading to the usual meet up spot.

Catching sight of the other male already having gotten there before him. As he finished turning the corner, the light of the moon shown along the gun Sasuke had pulled out and was now pointing at his chest. Neji paused, blinking in a bit of confusion, cold lavender tented white eyes falling onto the others form. Though he hadn't seemed shocked, not one bit. Letting out a breath then he spoke "Put the gun down." The Hyuga said as if speaking to a child who shouldn't be doing what they were currently doing. Though that was the exact situation as it had presented itself, wasn't it? Neji walked in closer to Sasuke, just a few steps as Sasuke paused to talk back to him " I know-" Neji butted in, glancing toward the ground, thinking for a moment a frown lightly pressed over his lips as he calculated out his next plan for a moment. Then continued to listen to the Uchiha's own reasoning with himself over the situation " I understand, Sasuke." He looked toward the other then " Yes, so they have gone so far as to force their youngest into something like this."

Neji walked a little closer then, taking his right hand and grabbing onto the shaft of the gun, jerking it and Sasuke closer to him as he pressed it toward his chest. With a small tilt of his head he smiled a little bit " So then do it. Shoot me, Sasuke. Right now. Don't hesitate. But if you could, could you avenge me, maybe? Does that seem silly to you?" He laughed a little bit then, glancing away " I give you permission to shoot me, right here, Sasuke. Exactly." He emphasized the spot on his chest by pressing the gun into it a bit more "Let them see me die, and then you are free." Looking toward Sasuke once more, Neji gave a slightly pointed look "Don't miss. If you miss. I'll kill you." A brief pause then, he let the silence soak in, the sounds that haunted the night soon take over before narrowing his eyes "Do it, now."

[notasliceoflife]

@suck-my-tomato​

Original Post Here

His eyes narrowed at the confirmation that the other had known about what was going on in his head. He then watched when Sasuke stood up from the water then move toward him. Uncaring about what he was seeing, he had seen it before, he would more than likely see it again. The village was quite open of course. So he found himself looking easily into the others gaze as they came closer. As Sasuke spoke of the who that was in his mind he nodded " Correct." He confirms. Having nothing to hide about it. What was Sasuke going to do, nothing. The situation was out of Sasuke and Neji's control as far as Neji was concerned. Neji was completely Orochimaru's to use as they had wished to use. Though it did intrigue Neji how insightful and how much Sasuke had come to know about what Orochimaru had been doing, to keep his favorite new vessel safe.  Hearing the next thing Sasuke had to say about ignoring Orochimaru. The bite in Sasuke's shoulder had given many of the same effects that Orochimaru's control on Neji had. But that was where it ended, some effect.

Neji tilt his head, turning his eyes away " You are, so, fucking, stupid. Do you know that, Uchiha?" Neji stated then turning his head away. It was easy, he supposed, for Sasuke to misunderstand the worst part of what Orochimaru was doing to Neji " You hear him too, right? But you have some control." Neji turned his head back toward the Uchiha, leaning in toward the other a bit " He's done something to me, your little bite on the neck is nothing to wave a stick at, in comparison." Pushing himself up, he slipped into the water, walking toward Sasuke and grinned, a sick, twisted grin toward the other " I don't want to kill you. No one here does." Neji says, his voice smooth, yet laced in that eerie venom. Lifting his left hand up he leaned in close to Sasuke, hanging his left hand over the others right shoulder. Moving his head in closer to Sasuke's left ear, his lips gently brushed against the shell of Sasuke's ear, his tongue slipping out slightly, licking along the edges " The Leaf will never let me back in as the hero."

" Also, that Neji, is dead." Neji whispered toward Sasuke, a almost all too quiet giggle slowly escaping from his lips "Orochimaru saved me, he got into my head. Literally, changed my entire mind, to see...How twisted this world is. How viciousness survives, where slavery is a path to an early death. Going back to Leaf, that's all i'd be. A slave, to my family. Here. I am free, gaining power. But most importantly. I am free of the guilt of destroying." Sliding his left hand off from Sasuke's shoulder he pulls away. Pulling his left arm back he laughed " I won't kill you." Suddenly his palm slammed, flat, full of chakra, right into Sasuke's chest. So hard the other would fly back into the water, landing onto their back " I'm your body guard. We are Missing Nin to the Leaf Village. You and I, together, are criminals, Sasuke. There is no returning home a hero. There is only this. Only this path, and wherever it takes us." Sluggishly, he pulls away, stepping out of the pool of water " Also, your wanting to die, is lame. I’m not going to kill you. That’s not why I am here, idiot." Neji says coldly toward the other as he's walking away.

[notasliceoflife]

@suck-my-tomato

Original Post Here

When the other egged him on, Neji had simply ignored them. It was pretty easy, really. He was a trained ninja, after all. If he couldn't resist a little bit of egging between the two of them it was worthless. Though he hadn't felt quite right for a very long time. The other had been being rather difficult again. Orochimaru had often kept Neji around to deal with that kind of thing, often. Turning he stares down at the other, a smirk making it's way across his darkened lip " Sasuke..." The elder ninja finally said before reaching out to grab the others hair in his right hand, yanking their head forward quickly before in the next moment sending their skull smacking into the stone slab behind them. He blinked, his pale eyes shifting around for a moment before again looking toward the other. Lifting his left hand up he pulled back slightly before jabbing his fingers into the others chest, hitting a chakra point right next to Sasuke's heart. Calm and collected, but for the most part, it didn’t even seem like the other former Leaf Ninja had even SEEN Sasuke there “You mean, ‘couldn’t’ hurt a fly. I would definitely hurt a fly...” Neji corrected the other “Are you always going to be this weak? I thought you came here to Orochimaru become more powerful.”

[notasliceoflife]

@suck-my-tomato​

Original Post Here

Neji hadn't thought about it much at all. He had simply wished to hang out with Sasuke, as the other had sounded like they needed the companionship, and he himself had needed some, too. Sasuke may not have been his only friend, but Neji had so few friends he could tolerate for long periods of time. That's how he got there, that night. He had been chatting here and there with the other, casually before the shot. When he was cut off as the pressure had hit him right in the gut. The pain didn't come then, since his body had immediately went into shock.

Though he had lost his control over his body, and began to drop to the ground. For him it seemed to happen in slow motion until the concrete sidewalk smacked into his head when he had dropped down and the lights went out for a moment. The next thing he heard however was Sasuke turning him over and yelling his name "I'm shot, not deaf, Sasuke..." The Hyuga muttered, calmly. He reached up a hand to the wound, feeling at the hole for a moment, thought the strength he had was waning, he could feel it seeping from him almost as quickly as the blood had pooled out from his stomach.

Clearing his throat, he could feel himself beginning to panic. For the most part, because he was finding it harder and harder to breath " I -I can't-" He paused, looking around for a moment in a bit of a confused state before swallowing, he could only imagine that this was the beginning stages of him dying. What did he know, after all, about dying " I'm dying." The Hyuga stated, slightly losing his calm. To be honest, he had also forgotten for a moment the other was there when he had said this. Though was quickly reminded upon being called a dumbass.

" Alright,...try not to be too mad if I do." He commented a bit more sluggishly, his breathing hitching, and becoming jumpy. When the other tells him not to fall asleep he nodded, looking up toward the sky "Perhaps it is better, to die looking at the sky, rather than my face planted in the dirt." Neji had commented vaguely " How miserable would that be..." He then commented.

[notasliceoflife]

@suck-my-tomato​

Original Post Here

The Uchiha's weakened replied had Neji rolling his eyes a bit " I don't know isn't really an asnwer." He muttered as he moved to place a hand over the wound caused by Kakashi. His hand had begun to glow green, Tsunade may have been a legendary medic ninja. But she was no genius, either. Under Kabuto's tutelage while Sasuke was learning from Orochimaru, Neji had learned medical ninjutsu’s, for just these kinds of instances. Which was, a genius move, honest.  He narrowed his eyes a bit, focusing on just trying to save the other, if anything "Stupid. I'm the bodyguard, remember?" Neji commented with a bit of spite in his tone as he spoke. Bowing his head slightly down he continued to push chakra into healing the other boys wound.

As Sasuke had told him to get out of there he shook his head " Remember. WE are in this together. You go down. I go down." Neji had said before moving to start to pick the other teenager up from the ground " I can get the blood to stop, we just need to get somewhere where we can do this more properly." Neji informed the other as they were trying to resist his help. Neji batted the others protesting hands away easily and started to drag Sasuke toward the trees, for some cover "I don't see him... but I know he's watching." Neji knew the other would kill them if he absolutely needed to, Kakashi had had rumors all about him doing such things before, to people he had cared about far more than either of them. Well, at least him.

Neji let out a breath and dropped Sasuke to the ground on the other side of a tree " How much do you think your former teacher is willing to kill you, at this point. Hm?"  Though he had the feeling that Kakashi wasn't alone. That would be stupid to imagine such a thing. Neji knew there was more out there, watching them, waiting. They wanted to take them both in alive. It was clear to the Hyuga " They aren't here to kill us, if it's not absolutely necessary. There's more of them, waiting..." Neji informed Sasuke, veins growing around his eyes as he used the Byakugan to take assessment of the surrounding areas and found several other, strangely enough, waiting. Not necessarily hiding. It was clearly pointless when going up against him " Run, or surrender, Sasuke? This is your mission."

[notasliceoflife]

@suck-my-tomato​

Original Post Here

At the other males response to his questioning, Neji gave Sasuke a skeptical look. Then he nodded " Sure..." He answered, he supposed the mess was something that one wouldn't pay much attention to, when they weren't in the best frames of mind. Depression could take on many forms. This was Sasuke’s bleeding out into the surroundings around him. Neji reached out to inspect some of the carelessly forgotten or left out items. Sniffing at the air, it had definitely smelled like a single male had been festering in the home. Lifting a hand up to his nose he rubbed it with his underhand and cleared his throat.

Though when Sasuke asked why it mattered, and then that he was fine, Neji just gave a soft nod " Ah. Yeah." He picked up one of the Chinese food boxes "It would be extremely difficult to simply throw something in the trash." He set the box back down, realizing that because most of the area looked like a trash can, he couldn't actually see one "Hm. Though...I guess I can see the confusion you must be having." Wiping his hand off on his shirt then, he continued to look around.

Continuing to watch the other, he could tell quite clearly they were currently in one of the worst phases of their depression. It wasn't his place to comment on such things, was it? He didn't know. They weren't that close, were they? Neji could be quite self centered, himself. So he had problem, or it SEEMED like he might have a problem noticing most other people having issues of their own. However, he could see quite clearly that the state of the room wasn't quite right. This told him what he needed to know about the others own state of mind. Even if he didn't know their thoughts completely.

"Right. A few days." The Hyuga had responded, still inspecting the mess in front of him. He could, however, understand depression of his own. His hadn't been the kind that took form in the outside world however. Neji's home was immaculate, practically spotless in comparison to Sasuke's home. Neji had never been one to accumulate trash or make messes. Depressed or not. It was just not something his brain allowed to happen. He needed that perfectionism, that minimalism of having nothing. Because he felt like nothing.

He looked at the other, sniffling at the thickness of smoke in the air. He wasn't so used to it, even then, after hanging out with Sasuke. Neji still wasn't a smoker, he still wasn't even fond of drugs or drinking too much. Again, he liked to stay at peak condition. He liked that outward appearance of being perfect. It helped keep people from thinking the worst of him. He needed people to not want to help him. He didn't need anyone's help. Neji blinked at Sasuke's words and then gave a shrug " Not much of a problem, really.  I get it, a little bit. Stuff just, build up. Right?" Lifting up some article of clothing, he silently stares at it "I'm sure you're planning on cleaning it up one day." Dropping the clothing back to the floor he smiled gently, turning to face the Uchiha once more.

Clearly he wasn't intimidated by Sasuke's harshness. Though he had in the last couple of days become curious about what the other had been up to. Naruto making a big scene of it as usual, it seemed. How could anyone ignore Sasuke's absence when that guy wouldn't. Though Neji had to admit, he might have also been quite worried, himself, without the prompting from Naruto to begin with " I texted you a few times. But when you didn't answer, I figured I drop by." It was the best thing one could do, after all. Rather than to speculate on the could be's, Neji was always more realistic, of course he would just go straight to checking in on the other when they didn't respond to his messages.