one_long_mission | [Open] Where do the dead go when they die?

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[Open] Where do the dead go when they die?

This isn't what he expected.

Neji stands at the outskirts of a village, one he's never seen before, and tries to trace the moments that brought him here. The battlefield, Hinata's suicidal move to protect Naruto, his own moments later to protect them both... The stunning, numbing pain as his body was pierced. Naruto supporting him, holding him up, as he gasped out a few soft words...

And then darkness, and an almost-unfelt flare of pain in his eyes as the seal did its ugly work.

But now, there is no evidence of it. He wears the uniform of the allied army, and it is clean, untorn, unstained. His body is whole, with no pain or weariness.

He can see.

The seal still sits on his forehead, a quiet but tangible presence, a gentle pulse that doesn't quite match up with his heartbeat. Foreign, but for short times, forgettable. It's there, as though he's never died to trigger it.

What happened?

He gains nothing by standing here. Slowly, still feeling a floating sense of unreality as though his feet don't truly touch the ground, he steps forward.

Where am I?

Perhaps there will be answers. Or perhaps this is what death is. His fingers rise to touch his forehead, covered by his hitai-ate, manji pulsing beneath. Is even death not an escape, then?

Who knows?

He enters the village, silent and wondering.

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Hinata, realistically, understood that the world was never going to be completely peaceful. She wasn't some wide-eyed ingénue, despite appearances. And she could handle these people who wished to harm her, as she'd proven when she was with Naruto-kun and Kakashi-sensei. However, having Neji telling her that he would protect her made her both happy and sad.

"L-let us hope that it does not come to that, Neji-niisan."

She couldn't stand it if he became harmed trying to protect her. Again.

It wasn't that he doubted her skill as a kunoichi -- not anymore, not after they'd trained together and he'd seen to it that her skills improved. It was not about her skill, but rather, his sense of obligation to her, and his sense of her vulnerability of attitude.

Still, he gave a graceful nod. "I hope it will not." But if it did, he stood willing to protect her.

She knew that he knew he could trust her to defend herself. He'd been there for the years of intensive training she went through to improve so vastly. However, she also knew that he felt their position as Branch and Main family deeply still. It was hard for her because she only saw him as her cousin, someone she loved deeply.

She passed over the second cup of tea and worked on making herself another. "Neji-niisan..." How could she say this? Would she sound ungrateful? Would she sound undeserving? It was difficult to approach this conversation, no matter how many times she seemed to have had it in the last few months upon her arrival. "I do not require you to sacrifice yourself for me out of a sense of obligation. I-I wish to say that now before I lose my nerve."

Obligation. Did she think that was all this was? It was true that some part of Neji's motivation was due to clan-instituted duty, however that was only the smallest part of what drove him. Other motivators -- other needs, truly -- were far more self-imposed, far more internal, than the duty of Branch to Main.

If that were all, he would not have flung himself into the teeth of a deadly attack for her sake. There were other ways he might have interceded that would have spared his own life, but all had a possibility of failure. So he had chosen the one that he knew would succeed, no matter the consequences to himself -- not out of duty, not at all. He did not believe that the duty of the Branch required his life; that, still, he fought against.

But there was no need to share with Hinata everything he thought, particularly in regard to... that. It still sat unsettled and immediate in his mind. So instead, he said quietly, "It is not obligation that drives me, Hinata-sama. I offer this of my own free will." The cup was warm in his hands, against his fingertips as he lifted it. Pleasant. "But if your wishes would call for a different course of action, then naturally, I am at your service."

She closed her eyes sadly as he spoke. Her wishes? If only he knew how selfish her wishes truly were, how truly selfish she was when it came to those she loved.

"I am glad that you have not allowed our clan to dictate your last act, Neji-niisan." She let her eyes open slowly so that she could look at him carefully. "I will be forever grateful for that one act." And she would, truly, if only because it might have been one of the few ways that he could express the fact that he cared for her. "However, I hope that something like that is not necessary a second time."

"As do I, naturally," he agreed, a slight hint of his often dry attitude sliding into his tone despite the serious, genuine conversation. "It is not an experience I care to repeat, and a situation I would prefer not to find you in." If he could protect her life without having to sacrifice his own, naturally, that would be far preferable.

After all, he already had a second chance. The possibility of there being more... seemed slight.

She can't help but smile a little at his dry reply. It is nice to see that nothing has changed her cousin. Yes, the other version of him is able to still give small smiles and make some of dry, amused comments, but she worried that this particular version of Neji might be...bitter towards her.

She feels a little lighter, to be honest. "I shall endeavor to keep myself out of situations like that then, if only to ease your mind."

They both know what she really means. If Naruto is in trouble, she will forget about herself again and keep the man she loves safe above her own life. Although, here in Michi no Sato, she has more assistance in keeping Naruto-kun safe and they are not in the midst of a war either.

There was no bitterness in him -- certainly not toward her. Why should he blame her for his own choices, for the moment when he seized his destiny in his own hands? Of course the outcome was not quite what he might have wished -- a little lower, a little further to the side, and he might yet have lived -- but he recognized the consequence of his own actions and accepted it.

"My mind will indeed be eased," he agreed with a graceful nod. "And, perhaps, we should speak of different things now. If I am to be here for a long stay... I should perhaps find a place to live."

There had always been a small part of her that worried that she would do something to make Neji despise her again. While most of the time she could ignore it, it had been at the back of her mind when dealing with her cousin—in any form—since her arrival to Michi no Sato.

"A-ah! Yes! Well, there are a few open rooms at Uchiha Mikoto-san's house. I live there, as well as two other versions of yourself and the youngest version of myself, Lee-san, Tenten-san at the age of thirteen, and many others." She bit her lip as she thought things over. "However, you may find that uncomfortable, as the other version of myself did. There are apartments throughout the village and a few houses. Temari-san of Suna has a house where the other version of myself, two Naruto-kuns, Temari-san and Shikamaru-kun all live."

His eyebrows lifted at the listing. "Those are... interesting gatherings," he mused, turning it over. So many people congregating in an Uchiha house, with as clannish as the Uchiha had always been? (Which was a little rich, coming from a Hyuuga; he was well enough aware of the irony.) "I belive I would prefer to find a place on my own, if such a thing is reasonably simple," he said after a few moments' consideration. "There is enough missions activity here to cover a rent arrangement?" That was an important factor. Considering that this was not their home village, with a steady guaranteed income...

She looked down at her hands, a faint blush dusting her cheeks. "I was asked to stay at the Uchiha home by Mikoto-san herself. It now houses quite a few versions of Naruto-kun and Kushina-san. The other you wished that I would stay close by, so that he might watch over me, I can only assume. So far, the situation is not undesirable. Sometimes, it is even very enjoyable to be around a large group of people, even if it is strange to be around multiple versions of the same person.

"As far as missions are concerned, a version of Uchiha Itachi-sama is Hokage in his world. He is the de facto leader of the shinobi here, since no one else has shown the desire to do so. N-Naruto-kun has offered himself to Itachi-sama as his apprentice. I have been asked to assist in assembling useful reference materials for the library he wishes to establish to go along with the academy. I believe the other version of yourself might become an instructor there." Hinata paused to think about the situation. "I believe that Kakashi-sensei lives on his own above the bookstore in the village proper, and when he is not fulfilling missions, he is able find small errands from his landlady? A younger version of yourself also has his own apartment that he pays for with small things. I do not know if he's been given missions by Itachi-sama at this point in time, however."

Speaking of Uchiha... Neji's eyebrows lifted in surprise to hear that. The honorific attached to the name of someone he knew only as a crazed killer -- as a member of their most bitter enemy -- was more than a little shocking, and he had a strong feeling he would not easily become accustomed to it.

"Then this is indeed a strange place," he said quietly. "But I suppose the proper thing to do, if he is the leader, would be to make myself known to him." After all, his skills were of high value; he was a jounin, and rightfully so.

"Yes," she responded after a few moments of thoughtful silence. He might not like what she was going to say, but he should at least understand how things worked here.

"Tenten-san lives with Itachi-sama. Perhaps you might ask her for an introduction." There was no doubt in her mind that the Kage would accept another version of her cousin, just as he accepted the other version of herself, but she just hoped that this Neji and Tenten-san did not get into a disagreement over her romantic situation.

Lives with... The immediate implications leaped to mind, but he set them aside. This place was strange enough that he should not make any assumptions about... implication. Better to take it cautiously, to accept the surface and only subtly look underneath, not bind himself to conclusions which might well be false.

"Perhaps I will do so," he agreed gracefully, nodding.

"Then, I would gladly take you to meet both of them. Hopefully, Sasuke-san will be there as well, so that we can both be introduced to him." She gave him a bit of a smile before draining the dredges of her tea. "I have yet to meet him, but I have heard that he was one of Itachi-sama's ANBU."

*One of Itachi-sama's ANBU. *There was nothing about that sentence that wasn't strange, world-warping. But that was precisely what the situation was, Neji supposed, so there was little point in railing against it. There was an art of graceful acceptance, and it was one he would have to employ now, as he became settled in this strange new place.

"Thank you, Hinata-sama," he answered simply, dipping his head.

She understood that everything in this village would take time to get used to. It had been the same way for her. In fact, the strangeness of it all was what kept her from offering her services to the Kage in the first place.

And the way that Tenten-san had watched her that day still played over sometimes. As if she were claiming her mate. As if Hinata had any interest in the Uchiha. She would never endanger her friendship with the other girl or her relationship with Naruto-kun.

Although, Hinata was sure that Neji would acclimate soon enough. His other selves seemed to have no problem finding niches that suited them and this one would be no different, if she knew her cousin well.

"You are very welcome, Neji-niisan," she said as she set all of the tea implements on the tray in the middle of the table. She looked at her watch and sighed inwardly. "I was just heading towards the school for my afternoon work. Would you like to accompany me? I am sure that Itachi-sama will be there as well. He usually is at this time of day."

Right away, just like that? He contemplated the matter, brows furrowing just slightly. "Is it a point of etiquette, in this place?" he asked her uncertainly. "If it is, then of course, I will behave appropriately, but if not... then I believe I would prefer to take some time to settle before presenting myself to the leader of this place." Some time to come to grips with things before he faced a man he only knew as a traitor and a danger.

She could see the conflict on his face. It was probably the same she herself had gone through when she'd first arrived. Of course, most of the shinobi from Konoha had trouble with Itachi-sama at first.

"If Tenten-san had her way, it would be, but, no, it is not a requirement. Itachi-sama will not blame you for taking your time to show yourself to him. I believe that he would rather you approach him when you are comfortable and most able."

"Mm. Then I believe I would prefer to wait," Neji said, giving a slight nod. "Once I have had more time to settle..." He would feel better about meeting with the alternate of a village traitor then, he told himself -- once he'd gotten used to the idea of the alternates, once he'd had some time to process the fact of his own death, and this strange second life he'd been granted.

"If that is what you wish, then I will not pressure you to introduce yourself until you are ready, Neji-niisan." She gave him a soft smile. "However, I must make my way there shortly. Unless you would like for me to assist you in finding your way around the village? I believe that I might be able to take a day off of the record sorting to help."

"I wouldn't ask you to suspend your regular duties in favor of helping me," Neji answered easily. "But a tour of the village... perhaps when you are finished for the day, would be welcome." If he meant to integrate, he would avoid disrupting the routine that already existed.

She nods, knowing that he will be fairly set in what he's decided. Her
duties are not truly pressing, but she does not like to get behind either.
"I should be finished around five pm. The village has a clock that will
sound the hour, if you do not know what time it is." She stands and
straightens her clothes. "I will leave you now then."

She gave him a slightly lower than necessary bow before leaving the room.
She didn't want to see his reaction to that. He would never let her thank
him. It was the only way she could show her gratitude.

Such a quick exit... well. He supposed with everything they'd talked about, it was much easier for her to do that. Still, he dipped an appropriate bow to her retreating back, and offered a murmur of, "Five o'clock then, Hinata-sama."

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[Open] Where do the dead go when they die?

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