one_long_mission

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If this, then, was home, then for some, it was the only thing they knew.

For one teen girl, the life of a shinobi was all she truly knew. Her mother had died not long after giving birth to her, and her uncle and rest of family did not exactly approve of her suddenly being thrust upon them. Neji was somehow less than their own flesh and blood, and chafed under her reduced station.

If there were a way out, she would take it. As long as she did not dishonor her mother's name, she would take it.

Today was an uncharacteristically peaceful day as she sat atop one of the many tree branches around Michi no Sato. Border guarding was vital, if uninteresting. At the sound of approaching footsteps, she tilted her head; the direction was from the village itself. Likely no threat.

If they wanted her attention, they would request it; if they continued walking, she would have them halt to learn their purpose.

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"I should, yes." he gave a nod. "I can see about exposing my idea for village defenses of a permanent nature too." he gave a hiss and glared down. "This thing itches, it's annoying." in fact he had to use all his willpower to not scratch at the wound.

Since he couldn't scratch, he settled for aggressively chewing his fish. "If the elders are going to praise me as a hero, they should do something more productive with their time." praise and fame? No, they were nothing he was after.

"Do not scratch it." She only gave him an impatient look and sighed quietly, shaking her head at the wound itself. It did look serious, and she rather disliked it being so plainly visible at the dinner table, but there was no helping it.

"Though I'm certain that, after today, you will have a much more willing audience than you may have in the past."

"I did not." scratch it, that is, even if it was amazingly appealing an idea. Because it was a bad one.

"After today... Better than never, considering what they missed." he snorted and started eating energetically.

A very bad one. She exhaled and only picked at her food, appetite lost.

"You will be alright, though. Everyone saw that you were a hero, today. You'll have the village's support at last."

While she'd have the Elders' recrimination, no doubt.

"...not eating?" he gave a blink, noticing the change of pace.

He wished he could do something for her. He really did.. but she insisted to face the elders alone, and he knew.. he had no place to question the Hyuuga clan.

"I am no longer hungry." There was less than half of the rice left, and she'd all but finished the fish, but she couldn't bring herself to want to finish it. Instead, she just pushed it across the table to let him have it, if he wanted.

She closed her eyes for a moment to take in a breath, then exhaled again, opening her eyes to meet his. "No matter the verdict of the Elders, Sasuke... you will have a place here, as long as I do. You may rest assured of that."

Dark eyes softened exponentially, and before her hand left the plate, somehow, his found it, halting it before it retreated.

"...is this what's eating you?" he murmured. "You already told me once... that you wouldn't let me go. I know you'll do everything." there was a pause. "..although, I have to say you didn't specifically state you would go against them should the verdict be unpleasant."

She paused when he took her hand, staring at it as if it were something foreign before shaking her head. She didn't pull her hand back, though.

"I disobeyed a direct order," she said simply, not looking up at him. "And on top of that, I displayed a level of affection toward one not of the Hyuuga clan that is unprecedented in our affairs."

Neji meant, of course, the kiss, but she wouldn't say as much outright. In spite of herself, her fingers curled lightly to touch his.

"You disobeyeda direct order and went on to save the village with me. Without you, I..." he claimed a deep breath. "...I did have a plan to save the village, but it would have meant most likely the end of something." although with her, he had no need for it. "Without your support, more lives would have been lost, because... I can't protect everyone." and with him being able to survey the battle, he was able to direct her to cover their forces -and- assault enemies all at once where it was needed most.

"If they have such amazing, peerless eyes, can't they see that? They're cowards!"

The mention of the kiss had him freeze for a second, eyes sliding away, but not for long. "And what of it? I don't think anyone got pregnant witha kiss. They blow things out of proportions."

They way he said that first bit left her sucking in a breath, biting her lower lip. She was no fool not to read what his intent would have been. The end of something... his own life, the Uchiha clan he held so dear? She would not permit that.

Her hand tightened slightly around his at the thought. She would sooner defy a thousand of the Elders' wishes than permit that to happen.

Before she could answer, her cheeks flared a brilliant red at his blunt declaration, her hand tugging out of his to instead cover her mouth. "Sasuke!" How inappropriate could he be?! :That is hardly-- that is not the point, I--"

"Of course, it's not the point. Out-of-Clan relationships aren't allowed. This whole pointless tirade i stated a few seconds ago though, I-" he stopped himself.

he knew... because it kept being flung at his face by everyone. By any Hyuuga he came across. He had no RIGHT to be here in their compound, no RIGHT to be in her home, no RIGHT to... to.. want to kiss her again.

No. he had to say it. "I can't... stop feeling like this because THEY want me to!I love you. I don't CARE if any of them hear it! I love you!"
And how quickly this feeling grew. It took him a few days to identify it, but after the battle... it was cemented.

It was almost painfully quiet as she gaped at him. No one she could remember had ever said as such to her, and she swallowed hard, fingers curling against the table as she stared at him. Love...

If she had to put a name to the feeling she had toward him, the thing that had motivated her first to attempt to guide him on his reckless journey to save his clan.

It rather felt like flying, as she stared at him, read his body language with her newly-healed eyes, saw the truth in his words. Perhaps later she would pay for her impulsiveness before her Elders, but for now...?

She pushed up, abruptly, planting both hands on the table to lean forward and press her lips to his, wordless acceptance of his feelings.

Eyes widened slightly. All that despair, almost-rage at this clan, everything simply flitted off.

All that remained was her, the feeling of those lips on his... and his fingers being guided into her hair to gently curl around the back of her neck. He could feel goosebumps on his skin.

Was he hot or cold? Goosebumps meant cold, but he felt so, so warm... staring into the white, endless eyes.

He loved her.

She could taste the rice and fish from dinner on his lips, coupled with the heated warmth that just made her think of fire and all the things associated with Sasuke that sent a shivering, pleasant warmth all the way through her body, into her toes and into the floor.

Maybe this would be the last time she'd be able to do something like this, so it was best to make the most of it, her eyes sliding closed as she shifted her weight, bringing one hand forward to cup his cheek and hold him close to deepen the kiss.

If this was the last time, he would hope to perish quickly and hopefully painlessly.

No feeling had ever been so strong. None he could recall. He loved her, only her. The feel of her lips, the warmth of her breath mingling with is... This couldn't be the last time! It would be far too cruel.

...but then, the elders were quite unkind in her clan.

Her other hand fell to the table to support her weight more easily as she leaned in, pursuing the warmth of his lips as her grip tightened. She didn't want him taken away from her, not now, not ever. Had she any choice in the matter, she would forsake her entire clan solely for the chance to be with him like this.

So when she finally pulled away from the kiss, gasping for breath, she didn't say anything at all. She only rose to her feet to go around the table, kneeling on his level to try and kiss him again.

Sasuke was equally breathless as she pulled away. dark eyes, half-lidded and veiled with want followed her as she moved.

Once their lips met again, he was quick in tangling his arms around her an lodging himself upon her body, drinking up their second kiss as if it were the sweetest of ambrosia.

It never would have happened with anyone else.. and even with her, he might not have let go of himself in such ways even a few days back... but things had changed at a rapid pace for both of them... and the village.

She was careful to avoid the wound, not wanting to cause him any further pain as she wrapped an arm around his neck, her other hand staying on a patch of uninjured skin to keep them separated, before she grew so distracted as to forget his injury. After so long with her eyes forcibly closed, she couldn't close them now, instead only focused on him, watching his face, his eyes.

"Sasuke..." she finally breathed as she pulled back, the hand on the back of his neck rising to his head, trying to draw him in to rest against her breastbone in lieu of a proper hug. "Sasuke, I..."

The Uchiha genius -was- distracted and did forget his injury. He was so taken by this new quickly-building feeling, that need, that the pain wasn't quite reaching him even when he took that deep gulp of air as she drew back.

Those dark eyes had been shimmering, and his features were as calm as when he was finally granted a rest without nightmares.
"..hn... Neji..." he managed, unsure of when his breath had become so short that he had to pant. Maybe it was because he could feel her cheek against his, although their bodies were not joined in any other ways yet.

She sounded as she wished to say something else, but... he could most likely guess. Still, he wouldn't try. It was best to savor every second.

It took a long moment for her to speak again, trying to catch her breath as she rested against him, the fingers in his hair just lightly combing through the spikes. When she did speak, it was a whisper; "I want to stay with you."

And she finally let her eyes close as she tentatively turned her head to kiss him again.

He was not feeling cold, but he might as well have a few seconds ago, because right now he felt a warmth coursing through him unlike any other.

The whisper that caressed his ears, words only for him... That dark gaze was never as soft as it was at this moment as he looked upon her face.

She wanted to stay with him, and would readily go against her clan. What would she risk? Everything..... only to be with him. This was love. Not one of their arranged inter-marriages.

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