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

[screw_fate]

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.

Comments

[screw_fate]

"That much, I can agree with," Neji answered with a sigh. "Field rations are all well and good for short missions, but they get tiresome..." And he was never going to sit down to a warm meal at home again.

His hands dropped to his lap so he could more subtly squeeze his fingers into tight fists, fighting down the sudden surge of emotion that threatened to overwhelm him. No, he was stronger than this -- and he had to present a normal front for Lee.

"I'll enjoy this, yes," he added, fighting back to normalcy, to a smooth facade.

[endeavorbeyondgenius]

Lee was not blind. Clearly that had been the wrong approach, and he shifted so he was brushing shoulders with Neji as he finally turned in place to pick up his own tea. "That is excellent! It is ever a good day when you can find enjoyment in small things, is it not?"

[screw_fate]

The brush of shoulders was no bad thing for Neji; it was a focus, a companionable gesture, and pleasantly subtle, coming from Lee. It was... comforting, really.

"Indeed," he agreed, finding his calm with it. "There is a pleasure in small and simple things."

[endeavorbeyondgenius]

"Then those things are the things to which I will strive to ensure you have at hand! Like lunch!" He nodded toward the waitress coming around with a tray that had their order. "And like spending wonderful time with your most excellent rival, of course."

[screw_fate]

Lunch was a good thing to have, yes. Neji gave a small snort of a laugh at the 'most excellent rival' line, though. "Indeed. I don't expect we'll go easy on each other just from being in a new location."

[endeavorbeyondgenius]

"Nor would I be happy if such a thing were to occur! I cannot say I would be pleased if we suddenly stopped pushing each other merely because we were in a new place!" He shook his head at once, giving over the not-spicy part of what he'd ordered.

[screw_fate]

The sheer smell of Lee's order was making the insides of Neji's nose prickle at the spice. Good lord, was his tolerance eternal?

... It probably was.

"Indeed. So shall we start tomorrow, then?" His lips quirked. "I don't want to lose too much time."

[endeavorbeyondgenius]

"I would be more than happy to do so Neji! Shall we begin at dawn?!" He practically bounced in his seat, looking so very expectant.

[screw_fate]

"Don't you think that's a little early?" Neji's eyebrow rose, but his lips were curving in a small smirk. "Is Gai-sensei here to motivate us, as well?"

[endeavorbeyondgenius]

"It is not early enough! Rising before the sun is the very best way to greet it!" He paused, drooped a little as he registered the question, then rallied. "No, but we can yet do him proud with our exuberance!"

[screw_fate]

In a first ashamed moment, Neji only felt relief; there was so much inside his head that he needed to settle, and Gai's presence would be a hindrance to that.

But almost immediately afterward, he reproached himself. As soon as he had his bearings again, he would want Gai's presence, and it was selfish to wish someone gone only for a short time, for comfort.

Then again, if Gai weren't here, it meant he was at home where he ought to be. Hm. Stalemate.

"If you say so," he said with a shrug. "But I expect you to treat me to a late breakfast afterward." A tease, really.

[endeavorbeyondgenius]

He peered at him for a moment, then gave him a double thumbs up. "I can cook!"

He wasn't asking for a punishment Lee...

[screw_fate]

"I'm afraid I'm a little too fond of my tonsils to eat your cooking," Neji snorted. "Perhaps if you learned decent notions of what seasoning is..."

[endeavorbeyondgenius]

"My notion of seasoning is the divine beauty of savory bliss Neji! How can you not fathom the depths and complexity of such a wonderful array of spices?!" He turned in his seat, staring at him intently. "If you could but taste them properly you would understand and agree!"

[screw_fate]

"Depth and complexity?" Neji snorted. "You load up everything you make with enough hot chiles to kill a horse. That's not complex, it's just a biological weapon."

[endeavorbeyondgenius]

"That is not so! Am I not still perfectly fit and alive? I can taste each nuance of each pepper and it is a glorious, youth building fire of wonder!" He shook a fist, staring into Neji's eyes. "Can you not see the fire?!"

[screw_fate]

"The fire's exactly what I'm concerned out," Neji countered. "I prefer subtler flavors." It felt comfortable and familiar, this bickering; for all his annoyance at Lee's cooking skills, it was comforting to find things so unchanged.

[endeavorbeyondgenius]

He huffed a soft breath and shook his head. "You carry your own flame of youthful perseverance, I cannot understand why you would not wish to feed it the wonders of true flavor!"

[screw_fate]

"True flavor tastes of more than simple heat," Neji countered again. "Where's your appreciation for flavors other than peppers?"

[endeavorbeyondgenius]

"I appreciate a great many things! I simply have a true fondness for the intensity and passion of those things that would share their inner fire with us!"

[screw_fate]

Sigh.

He just wasn't going to get through, was he? Life was truly suffering.

Neji picked up his own meal and began to eat, with his slow, dignified comportment -- exaggerated, just to make his point at Lee.

[endeavorbeyondgenius]

Lee looked at him expectantly anyway for a good long moment before falling into a pout. Really Neji? He was trying to share his passion for food with you!

Finally though, he shook his head and turned back to his food, finally starting to eat. "Worry not Neji. I will find a way to convince you of the wonders of spice. Eventually."

[screw_fate]

"I have a perfect respect for spices in reasonable amounts," Neji huffed, but left it at that; he was more interested in eating, finding a new hunger awakening in him.

How long had it been since he'd eaten last? How long between when the darkness had claimed him and when he'd arrived at this gates of this strange new village?

[endeavorbeyondgenius]

Shaking his head in mournful fashion, Lee finally let the topic rest, turning his attention to the food. He would, of course, make sure that Neji did not fall back into his earlier mood, but for now, he felt that all was well, and that was enough for him.