[closed] Egotistic Darkness-Obsessed Lady Geniuses...

[boundgenius]

Neji still wasn't certain just what to make of the Uchiha rookie. To be sure, she was powerful, in definite need of an attitude adjustment. She would dearly like nothing more than to show this rookie just how far the differences in their power were...

But for the sake of the mission, she had kept herself relatively civil. Now that it was over, she was rather curious if she could keep her vaunted control long enough to return to the village without sealing a few of the other girl's Chakra points.

That said, Uchiha Sasuke was certainly worthy of the title of genius. For an Uchiha, that is. Neji respected her, to a point. Enough so that she was willing to engage in at least an attempt at conversation as she laid out her bedroll and finished making sure the campfire was small enough so the smoke wouldn't spread and give away their position.

"Tell me, do you know if you are to continue working with our team in the future?"

Comments

[guiltoftruth]

"I don't know."

The words were frank and without hesitation as she finished spreading out her bed roll as well, not looking at Neji until she was done and making to sit on it. She was pretty hungry but... Food didn't matter right now. It'd come to bite her later if she just brushed off Neji - as much as she didn't like to admit it, right now Neji would be too tough to take down if it came to a fight.

It was with that in mind that she looked at the other girl, wanting to make one thing clear, "If I am it's because your team will help me get stronger."

She had to gain strength - to get better than Naruto. To surpass him...

[boundgenius]

She only gave the younger woman an impatient stare, nodding to acknowledge the left-handed compliment. Her team was the strongest team; between herself and Lee, to be certain, and Tenten was... well. Neji doubted she would ever be at even Lee's level with physical skills, but even she could commend her skill with weaponry.

Or rather, the level Lee had been at.

Sasuke, on the other hand...? Her skills were far more general. Taijutsu, ninjutsu, and unless Neji was terribly mistaken about the nature of her doujutsu, genjutsu as well. It was truly only the first one her team would be able to train Sasuke in to improve, but there was much to be done.

"I see." She only nodded, expression unchanging. "Then you will be here for some time."

[guiltoftruth]

She nodded, her attention going back to the fire before she pulled out her meal for the evening. It wasn't home cooking, but it would do -- you had to deal with what you brought with you or foraged during missions, after all.

[boundgenius]

There was little need to continue with that conversation; Neji had the information she had wanted, and that was that.

But there was still something about Sasuke that bothered her, on a fundamental level. As the younger girl retrieved her meal, Neji only stared at her, reading her body language, every small twitch and movement, trying to see just what was the issue.

[guiltoftruth]

It was a little hard to focus on eating when she could practically feel Neji's gaze on her, and it was when she was lifting some food to her lips that she spoke, "Am I really weird enough for you to keep looking at me?"

[boundgenius]

The simple answer was yes, but Neji could never truly give the simple answer. She didn't answer immediately, only narrowed her gaze and continued to watch her.

[guiltoftruth]

She wasn't getting an answer, and that made her sigh before she proceeded to eat. She'd never understand Neji, likely. How could she? The Hyuuga clan was different than the Uchiha, and even if it wasn't... It wasn't as if she could understand what it was like, now.

Who could understand her? Maybe the dobe, but... Who knew what he was doing.

Still, it was hard to ignore Neji when she knew the other girl was just staring at her...

[boundgenius]

It's nearly a full minute before Neji spoke again. "What are your goals?"

[guiltoftruth]

The question caught her off guard, but there was only a moment's hesitation before she glared down at her food to answer, "I have two goals. One is the restoration of my clan, but that only comes after the other -- to kill a certain person. I have to get strong enough to do it first."

[boundgenius]

It didn't take a genius to put the facts together -- or, perhaps it did. Fortunately enough, Neji was a genius.

"The one who was responsible for the decimation of your clan."

[guiltoftruth]

"Yeah."

Having whatever little good mood she had soured by the conversation, she made to eat quickly at her food -- perhaps a little too much so, because she ended up choking at some point -- before finishing with a sigh.

[boundgenius]

The topic was still of great interest to the Hyuuga girl -- after all, she was not nearly deaf enough not to have heard the whispers among Main Family members that, after she had nearly killed their heir during the preliminaries, that were it not for the cursed seal, Neji might attempt the very same.

And so she kept watching Sasuke, taking note when she choked, though she didn't offer to help. Instead, she only took her own meal and began to eat. She wasn't finished yet when Sasuke had, but as soon as the other girl was done, Neji set down her chopsticks.

"What was his reason?"

[guiltoftruth]

She almost broke her chopsticks with the question, distinctly uncomfortable remembering that night. The barest tremble went through her before she finally brought herself to speak again, feeling her stomach turning at the images the question brought up, "... To test his new power. His eyes."

[boundgenius]

The corner of Neji's eye twitched as she watched the other, the only outward sign of her discomfort. Chilling to think about, that truly, she may very well have followed that same path, for the same reasons...

"...I see," was all she answered, and though there was a definite note of disquiet in her softened voice, she didn't acknowledge it, returning to her food.

[guiltoftruth]

Sasuke didn't answer further than that, only putting her things away with a low sigh as she made to slip into her bed roll, "We need to get moving at sunrise. Do you want first watch or should I do it?"

[boundgenius]

"I will take it." She had much to think about, after all.

A pause as she lifted her chopsticks again and turned her gaze to the other girl thoughtfully. "Thank you."

[guiltoftruth]

That made her tense, but she didn't acknowledge it further than that and simply made to try and go to sleep.

Which was difficult, all things considered, but she eventually managed it. By no means was her sleep quiet, however; she was shivering, but not from the night air. There were frightful whimpers and quite a few times, 'niisan' slipped away from her lips. Quite obviously she was having a nightmare, and with what their discussion had been about earlier it wasn't hard to tell just what it was about.

[boundgenius]

Neji, in truth, contemplated just letting the younger girl continue with her nightmare; it was no business of hers. And yet, at least for the moment, they were teammates, and having the Uchiha girl slowing her down in the morning due to a lack of rest was not something she relished.

"Sasuke." She moved away from the tree she had been leaning against and rested one hand on her shoulder, the other raised just in case waking her resulted in less than peaceful reflexes.

[guiltoftruth]

When she was woken it was met with a kunai in her hand -- but the restricted movement of her arm prompted a noise and a wild look from her - almost frightened. She stared for a moment, having to take some time to remember where she was and what she was doing before she promptly slipped the kunai away and made to sit up, "Is it my shift already?"

[boundgenius]

At the flash of metal, Neji's other hand had a kunai as well, ready to deflect or catch the other's weapon as need be. Instead, she only studied the younger girl's face, keeping her kunai out long enough for the other girl to see it, before slipping it away and shifting from a crouch to rest more comfortably on her knees.

"You were dreaming." She narrowed her gaze again and rested her hands on her upper thighs. "I can tell you wish to speak with someone, so, speak."

[guiltoftruth]

"... No. There isn't anything to talk about."

[boundgenius]

"You were dreaming of your brother."

Her gaze didn't waver as she studied the other girl's expression. "Of the destruction of your clan. You are distressed and in need of a person to speak with, that much is clear. Seeing as how there is no one else available, I will have to suffice."

[guiltoftruth]

She shook her head, keeping her gaze lowered as she caught her breath. She had even broken out into a cold sweat this time... She hated it when it happened in the middle of missions. Kakashi would usually bail her out for it but...

"There isn't anything to talk about, Neji. The only thing I can do about it is avenge them."

[boundgenius]

"And then your nightmares will stop? That does not help you right now, nor on missions in the future. Until your clan is avenged," she hesitated at that thought, stomach twisting with the reminder of the thought that it very well may have been her being the hunted for such a thing, "Then it will remain a problem."

A longer pause as Neji looked over the younger girl, then slowly, so Sasuke could see what it was she was doing, reached to touch her shoulder in what she had seen given before as a gesture of comfort. "You are not alone."

[guiltoftruth]

More than the hand on her shoulder, the words made her uneasy. She lifted her gaze to meet Neji's for a brief moment, unable to help the slight quiver beneath her shoulder before forcing herself to harden.

"I am."

[boundgenius]

"Perhaps when you return to Konoha, you will be." Neji didn't look away from the other girl's eyes, meeting them without difficulty. "At this present time, you have someone offering to listen. I suggest you take advantage of it now rather than only let it plague your dreams."

[guiltoftruth]

"... It's not something I like to talk about," She was murmuring when she said it, no longer meeting Neji's gaze as she sighed and made to slip back into the bed roll properly.

[boundgenius]

"For the moment, we are teammates. Will you be adequately rested to continue the mission if you do not?"

[guiltoftruth]

"I always am," Sasuke nodded as she turned her back, frowning at the trees before her when she did. Damn... It felt like the Hyuuga could see through her, and that was unnerving. She wanted her secrets - her burdens to remain hers alone. It was better that way, if only so that it would stop there from being any more pain than she was already feeling.

[boundgenius]

She only stared at her a moment longer then sharply shook her head. "Very well. I shall not be the one losing sleep over it."

[guiltoftruth]

"I'm not going to lose sleep over it," The words were murmured as she closed her eyes, sounding just a little annoyed when she did.

[boundgenius]

"You already have," she pointed out, returning her gaze to the other. "Darkness is difficult to walk through unaided."

[guiltoftruth]

"... It doesn't change the fact that the darkness is my burden alone to bear. No one else's."

[boundgenius]

She huffed through her nose -- a snort was too crude, even if she thought the sound more appropriate. "And you will permit no one to walk beside you as you bear it? How childish."