one_long_mission | It's so pretty...

Neji goes still at the hug and only barely manages to pat his shoulder before the child ducks away. His cheeks flush the lightest shade of pink that he hopes the dimmer lighting of the festival hides as he shakes his head. "Believe what you like, Itachi-kun. Have a pleasant night, Mikoto-san." He inclines his head turns as if to leave, casting Naruto a glance to see if she would follow.

Mikoto laughed softly and waved them off. "Have fun you two."

Naruto gave Itachi hug back before flushing brilliantly at what he said. She opened her mouth to say something, only to not know what to say. She just bowed in goodbye to Mikoto-san and turned to Neji, still flushed.

She slapped both of her hands on her cheeks:"That was embarrassing! And in front of Mikoto-san too! That kid---!"

He can't help but smirk again at how visibly flustered she is, though of course, he only hums in agreement as though it hadn't affected him at all. "He is quite determined to see us as such," he answers, though there's no hiding his amusement. "Where would you like to go now?"

But why? Neji and her are not couple! They never went on date and certainly this is not date either. It's just... a coincidence they met and now they will spend some time together! That's so not date... right?

She fumbled with her kimono, shrugging and looking around:"I don't know... I heard there will be fireworks at midnight dattebane."

"Then perhaps we should try to find good seats for that, yes?" He'd always liked fireworks. It was easy to wax poetic about things flying into the sky with such short-lived beauty. Not that he'd be doing anything like that tonight, though he wasn't about to admit that right now, Naruto might be serious competition for those fireworks.

A stupid thought, though, and he just tilts his head toward a nearby hill. "Perhaps there would be the best vantage point."

Naruto looked up towards the hill where he pointed out and smiled, nodding:"Yeah, that looks like an awesome place, dattebane. I hope no one will take it until we get there," she sighed. "These shoes won't let me act like a ninja," she pouted.

"Then we will move quickly. There is still plenty of time before the fireworks start, yes?" Surely it couldn't be too close to midnight already, but even so, he starts at a brisk pace. "Perhaps you should remove the shoes, if they are a hindrance."

He'd told her about shoes.

"They are not the ones we bought. Mikoto-san gave me these because... they were more appropriate for kimono?" she frowned and grumbled under her breath, jumping from foot to foot to take them off and almost falling over.

He grabs her upper arm to steady her as she removes the shoes, glancing to the tabi on her feet. "It seems a shame to dirty those, however, practicality is more important."

Easy for him to say; after all, his own sandals were traditional and easy to walk in. Still, he doesn't let go of her arm as he gives her another glance. "Will you be alright?"

Naruto looks up at him for a second. So close...

She nodded hastily, smiling and holding her shoes with one hand:"Oh I'll be fine, dattebane. I tried to wear ones I got but..." Mikoto stalked over with smile and took them out of her hands. Yep. That sums it up.

His eyes are on hers for a long moment, the blue so different from his own lifeless-looking ones that he's momentarily captivated, before he clears his throat and lets go, abruptly turning toward the hill again. "Shall we?"

She snapped out of her own thoughts and nodded, smiling a bit shyly now, but still wide as ever, "Un. Let's go."

He almost reaches to take her hand again, missing the contact after spending what felt like half the festival being dragged around by Itachi, but he refrains, making his way briskly toward the hill. A moment, then he holds up a hand before they leave the streets themselves with a frown. "A blanket," he mutters, glancing over her kimono. It would be a shame if it got dirty. "Just a moment. I can purchase one here, or..." A beat as he gauges the distance. "My apartment is not far. I can retrieve a blanket from there."

Naruto was sure he will take her hand and her stomach did a small flip at the thought. But when he didn't do it, and small drop of disappointment settled there, she felt nervous. Why--

"Huh? Oh! Don't bother dattebane! It will be fine. I will sit down like this, ne," she grinned widely.

"Wait here, please." He presses both hands onto her shoulders and looks her in the eye, then immediately leaps up to the rooftops at a run toward his apartment. Within a minute, he's back, hardly breathing heavily with two blankets tucked securely under his arms. "There."

Huh... the advantage of being ninja. She giggled and shook her head.

Naruto smiled:"You didn't have to, 'tebbane." But nevertheless, it was so refreshing to see Neji acting so friendly towards her. It made her really happy.

Happy... Yes. She was happy to spend time with him. She nodded to herself and followed him to take their seats.

"I did," he answers simply, giving her another glance before continuing to the hill. He's careful to spread the first blanket on the ground before she sits, then leaves the other folded beside them in case it grew cool enough to need it.

He was... surprised, to say the least, that he and Naruto got along so well. He kept expecting to mistakenly say something cold that would result in her going elsewhere. Whatever he was doing, it seemed to be working so far, so he takes his seat beside her, perhaps a little closer than he would have ordinarily, and cast his gaze toward the sky. ...Now what to talk about?

"I'm... pleased that you are spending time with me," he says finally, then resists the urge to wince at how formal that sounds. "Thank you."

She sat down, shifting until she got comfortable, not noticing how close he was (and if she did, she didn't mind it... Neji radiated some heat that she was very comfortable with...)

She turned to look at him, smiling widely:"You don't have to thank me for something simple like that. We can spend time whenever you want dattebane. I don't mind!" She didn't notice the formality in it- only the sincerity.

"I do," he says simply, glancing at her again and letting his eyes settle there, on her hair. "It is strange, but in this place, I have had more people that profess to enjoy my company than I ever have back home. I regret to say that I have not had much of a chance to speak with you, back where I am from."

He wants to reach out to touch her hair, so bright and full of life, not like his own, but he rests his hand on his folded knee instead. "You have done much for me, and yet I have done nothing for you. In either case."

Naruto flailed her hands around:"Ehhh? Don't be sad please!" She doesn't want him to be sad and he sounded really sad right now. She shook her head:"I didn't do much, really! Besides! You did a lot for me too! And not only me but the others as well!" Yes, she is talking about time when they chased after Sasuke and where he saved her from the spider web.

"So don't say such things dattebane, and cheer up! Smile, smile!" She grinned at him widely, pointing at her lips. "It's festival, ne?"

He blinks at her, honestly confused for a moment before he huffs a quiet laugh through his nose. "I am not sad," he says after a moment. How could he be, around her? Tilting his head, he gives her another glance, then shakes his head, not sure how to communicate just how much he owes her, since his defeat at her hands. ...Or rather, his hands. It was hard to remember the other when before her, so he just shakes his head again. "Pay it no mind."

A little amused, his lips curve into another one of those barely-there, almost invisible smiles as he meets her eyes. "Whatever you wish."

Naruto sighed in relief. Good, he wasn't sad. That's the most important thing. Everything else can wait.

She chuckles and smiles at him, looking at the sky:"Hmmm I wonder when will it start..." she muttered. "Fireworks are always so pretty, ne?"

"They are," he answers, though his attention isn't on the sky, but rather on her again. "Perhaps not much longer until they start."

In all honesty, he's in no hurry for the fireworks. Really, he has the prettiest thing in the whole village sitting right next to him. His cheeks darken with a flush that's hard to see in the near-darkness of the hill, but he can't stop himself from reaching out, just gently letting his fingers brush a wisp of her hair. "You should wear your hair down more often."

"I wonder if there will be big ones," she smiled, head tilted curiously.

She feels the light touch on her hair and flushes a bit herself, and smiles:"I wear it when I can. But usually I have Sakura-chan yelling at me to tie it up because it gets in the way, dattebane."

She didn't dare move. Because then he might move his hand away and she didn't want that. Why? She didn't know and at the moment, didn't care.

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