Chapter 5
Neji did his best to move on from that gorgeous beaded painting, but it was branded into his cranium. The painting itself didn’t bother him, but what the art symbolized; that fact made the Hyuuga feel like he’d been punched in the gut with guilt and shame.
He had no idea that the Uchiha practiced same-sex relations–endogamy, sure, but the latter? It didn’t seem…right. The Uchiha were proud and strict with their matrimonial traditions, so it genuinely stupefied Neji to hear that it wasn’t unusual to wed homoerotic couples.
“It wasn’t common,” Sasuke specified as he answered Neji’s question, “but it wasn’t unusual.”
Neji nodded, “I see.”
Sasuke eyeballed him and sighed, “If it makes you feel better, I never knew anyone like that.”
And didn’t that make Neji feel like shit?
He didn’t believe himself to be a prejudiced person–he was a Hyuuga for god’s sake–but homosexuality was illegal in the Land of Fire and the rest of the Ninja World. It was simply unheard of!
Neji shook his head, this wasn’t about that. Who am I to judge another person’s culture? Besides, he said himself that it wasn’t common. It was probably a belief of the past.
“Are you hungry?” Sasuke clipped, clearly shifting the subject.
Neji cleared his throat, “Sure. What do you want?” Sasuke shrugged. He sighed, “We…could look at the Inuzuka stall? They have a lot of food over there.”
Sasuke’s nose crinkled and Neji nodded in realization, “Right. No meat. Apologies, Sasuke. It slipped my mind.”
Sasuke looked impressed, “I’m surprised you remembered that at all.”
Neji shrugged, “It’s not that hard.” He ignored the soft look in Sasuke’s eyes and pointed to another stall, “There’s a dango shop. Let’s go.”
“I got it.” Sasuke put a hand out to stop Neji, “What do you want? I’ll pay.”
Neji blinked, “Oh. I suppose the hanami dango–the green and pink one, please.”
He smirked, “Of course, you’re a sweets guy.” Sasuke chuckled at the pinched look on Neji’s face, “Alright, I’ll be back. Wait here.” Then, Sasuke made his way to the stall a couple of feet away.
“Psst.”
Neji blinked at the noise.
“Psssssssst!”
The boy turned both ways and noticed an out-of-place flower pot with a noticeable bowl cut peeking out.
He felt a vein pop, “Lee!” Neji chastised in a rough whisper, “What the hell are you doing?”
“I have been assigned to track your progress!” he spoke in a hushed voice. “Anything new you wish to update your team on?”
Why did they send Lee? Neji thought but decided not to ask the boy out loud. He sighed, “Nothing involving Ash Day,” he revealed.
“What?!” Lee gasped and pulled the random branches closer to himself.
Seriously, couldn’t they have sent someone who could do ninjutsu and perform the transformation jutsu? This was obvious and ridiculous.
“Neji!” the pour-excuse-of-a-tree spoke, “We need to know as much as possible to succeed!”
“I know that!” Neji scolded and quickly darted his eyes to see Sasuke had just made it to the cashier. He sighed, “Have you all found out anything new? Has Team 10 gotten back to us?”
“Fantastic inquiry!” Lee looked both ways and leaned closer to the Hyuuga, “Ino has updated us on those artifacts that are needed. The investigative team never found anything like that. In fact, they didn’t find a crypt with ashes, or a well at all.”
“Seriously?” He gapped, “So there’s a chance it’s still there?”
“Possibly, but we would need some way to find the location. The Uchiha had a huge compound, and even if we knew the location, we couldn’t sniff out the entrance on our own.”
A spark went off in Neji’s head; he knew his teammate was speaking figuratively, but that was a great idea!
“Leave that to me.” Neji declared confidently, as the Uchiha started making his way back over. Neji pushed Lee, “Now, get out of here! You are not a convincing tree sapling!”
Lee seemed appalled, “I am a majestic flower in the midst of blooming–”
“Leave!” Lee bolted upward to the rooftops just as Sasuke stepped up.
He handed Neji his dango request and pointed up. “Was that Rock Lee?”
“What’s a Rock Lee?” He blubbered without thinking and mentally slapped himself in the face.
Sasuke blinked, “...okay.”
Neji felt his face heat up. He was constantly making a fool of himself in front of Sasuke and he knew that he was better than this.
Suddenly, he spotted a familiar blue head, shaggy coat, and dark sunglasses.
“So, what do you–”
“Let’s head over this way, Sasuke!” The Hyuuga cut off as he grabbed the collar of Sasuke’s shirt, causing him to create a choked sound, like a fork in a blender.
“Sorry!” He apologizes a lot to this guy. “I was just–uh–super excited to see my cousin!”
Sasuke massaged his throat and coughed, “Ok, sure. Whatever. You didn’t have to yank the turtleneck!”
“I wasn’t really thinking.”
“You’re so odd.” He commented, “First, Lee, now…Himari.”
“Hinata.”
“Whatever.”
“How do you not know who Hinata is? She was your classmate for six years!”
“I only care about myself, Hyuuga. You should know this by now.”
“Neji.”
“What-ever.” He enunciated before biting the head off of his dango.
They caught back up with Team 8, although none of them seemed enthused about the two of them being there.
Hinata smiled, “Hi, Neji.” She turned and waved, “Hi, Sasuke-kun.”
“See? She remembered your name.” He mumbled to the dark-haired boy. In return, Sasuke took his last dango and threw the rice ball at his face, which stuck because of the sticky sauce.
“Hn.” Sasuke grinned, “You’ve got a little something there.”
“Oh, do I.” He clipped dryly.
Sasuke chuckled as Neji peeled the sticky ball off of his face and into the trash.
“Well, that was even weirder than seeing you two together,” said Kiba. Shino and Hinata nodded, but said nothing else.
Neji cleared his throat, “Anyway…” He had to think of something fast because he needed Kiba and his nose, but Sasuke was right there. “Uh,” he spotted a group of vaguely familiar kids and impulsively pointed in that direction. “Hey, Sasuke! Why don’t you go check out that table and tell me what it is?”
He blinked, “Why? It’s a table full of rocks–”
“You don’t know this, but I am WAY into rocks. Therefore, I’m extremely curious about that table.”
“Then you go. I have no interest.”
Neji sighed and put a hand on Sasuke’s shoulder, which he stared at wearily. “Listen, I would if I could, but I can’t. It’s against Hyuuga law.”
Sasuke squinted suspiciously, “It’s against Hyuuga practice…to look at…rocks.”
Neji nodded slowly as he too, processed what he just said. “...yes.”
Sasuke scoffed, “If you’re embarrassed to walk up to the juvenile table, just say so.” He shoved his empty hands in his pockets and sauntered over to where Konohamaru and his gang of misfits were doing something with a bunch of gems and stones.
“Dude, what the fuck was that about?” Kiba asked crudely with an affirmative yip from the puppy.
“Why are you lying?” Hinata questioned softly as she cocked her head in a confused fashion.
He flipped hastily, “Look, I need a favor. I don’t have time to explain it all, but we’re throwing a party for Sasuke and we need very specific items for it. They may still be buried at the old compound and we could really use your nose.”
Hinata was about to say yes, but before she could, Kiba scoffed and interjected, “Not a chance.”
He was shocked. Even the dog looked shocked. “What? Why not?”
“Look, dude. This sounds sweet and all, but why would I do anything for that guy?” He jabbed a thumb in Sasuke’s direction.
They all turned to see the boy in front of the stand. Neji wasn’t sure what the others saw in him to label him “that guy” in a derisive tone–imposing, uninterested and rude, probably, but Neji saw something different. All he saw was a guy willing to let Konohamaru run his mouth about a bunch of stones and pretend to be interested in their childish display; someone secretly considerate and unexpectedly kind. He was a little imposing, he admitted, but he was too handsome to really do significant damage to the eyes.
“I don’t understand, Kiba.” He settled as the latter rolled his eyes.
“The guy’s an ass, Neji. He doesn’t give a shit about anyone but himself.” Déjà vu. “He’s not exactly likeable. Plus, he was my rival in the academy! How do you think it feels to always come second place to that guy?”
“Stop calling him that!” Neji scolded, “He has a name and you know it, so use it! It’s not his problem you’re only second rate!”
“When did you become Sasuke’s defender? You sound like an overbearing boyfriend.”
“It’s not like that,” he tried to take a breath. “I’m sorry. This is just stressful. Perhaps if I mentioned that it’s his coming-of-age ceremony, you’d understand.” Neji spat.
Kiba uncrossed his arms as Hinata gasped from behind him and covered her mouth.
Shino removed his sunglasses dramatically, “What do you mean coming-of-age ceremony?” He put them back on.
“That’s right. Sasuke missed the most important birthday of his life. You all don’t get it because yours happen when you’re much older, but the Uchiha turn into adults at thirteen.”
“Oh…wow. That’s…” Kiba was now stumbling over his words and hopefully regretting them.
“It doesn’t matter whether or not you like him, but it would be nice to do for someone. Don’t you think?” Hinata sweetly said to her boisterous teammate.
Kiba groaned and turned to his other shoulder to see Shino staring at him too closely, but with a sense of urgency.
“Aw, damn it! Fine! We’ll do it, but only if Shino and Hinata join in!”
Neji smiled, “That’s fine. Honestly, they could probably help too.”
In a blink of an eye, Sasuke returned, a tiny bag in his hand. The four of them shut up quickly as Sasuke sighed. “Holy crap, Neji. I could not get out of that conversation to save my life! I could feel my brain cells rotting and now I know too much about the three different kinds of rocks!” Sasuke turned and gave him a whisper of a smile, “Here,” he said as he plopped a small burlap bag into his palm. Neji was still trying to process that he called him by his first name instead of just Hyuuga, let alone the fact that he had gotten him a souvenir.
Curiously, Neji pulled the bag open and poured what was in it into his hand. He stared for a minute, as did the others, then looked back at Sasuke questionably. “You got me rocks?”
The raven rolled his eyes, “They’re not all rocks,” he pointed, “some of them are gemstones.”
He was still confused, “So…you got me a bunch of white rocks and gems?”
Sasuke shifted slightly, almost in a way that made him look shy, or uncertain, but only Neji could catch it. “No,” he grabbed one, “the stand was just a game and you were supposed to match the stones with your partner's eyes, but I’m not dating anyone, so I thought I would just do the person I came with.” He put the stone next to Neji’s eye and smirked, “This one is a rock, but it’s marble, so it doesn’t really count.” Sasuke put it back and poked at the others in Neji’s hand as the group stared in awe, “They all resemble your eyes.”
“You think that my eyes look like pearls…and opals?” Neji gasped as the collection of pearlescent stones glimmered in his hands; shifting in hues of blue, lavender and pink in the sunlight.
“And marble,” Sasuke corrected, “but I thought this one was best suited. Check it out.” He reached for a particularly beautiful stone and smiled, “It’s a rainbow moonstone. It has an almost chrome-like shift, but it’s because it’s entirely translucent, just like the byakugan! And it’s only found in the Land of Snow, so it’s pretty rare.”
“How much was this?” Neji squinted.
He shrugged, “Don’t worry about it. Keep it.”
“Wow, Sasuke, these are stunning. I don’t know what to say–”
“Well, you all could start with not being so weird in front of us!” Kiba announced loudly as he made fake gagging sounds. “We’re out of here! Have fun with your–”
“Don’t say it.” Neji glared.
Sasuke looked between the two of them innocently; blissfully unaware.
“Where did you say the others were, Neji?” Hinata asked sweetly as she attempted to wink, but could only blink her eyes cutely.
Neji chuckled, “How should I know? Perhaps you should try the library, or Naruto’s place, but check the library first.”
“Why are you yelling?” Sasuke asked, who got ignored by the others as they nodded and waved goodbye.
Neji turned to see Sasuke giving him a look. “...what?”
“Don’t what me. What was that all about?”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
He scoffed, “Still playing ignorant, I see. Fine. Have it your way. I’m going to figure out what you’re up to sooner or later.”
Neji was beginning to sweat and darted his eyes, “You’re delusional, Sasuke. I just want to spend time with you, is all.”
“Yeah, right. You–”
“Hey! Let’s pick out stones for your eyes!”
“But–AH!” Sasuke was yanked by the arm and dragged back through the crowd of civilians with Neji.
Fantastic, Sasuke was catching on like a fish to a hook. He wasn’t stupid and Neji still had two days to distract him and keep him busy! He couldn’t keep up the facade much longer, especially with Sasuke’s attuned senses. At least he was able to get Team 8 on board to help track down and find the materials they needed, if they still existed. He just needed to weed out one piece of information before they go investigating…
“Hey, Sasuke?”
“What is it now?”
“I have a random question, but I’ve been really curious about it–”
“The crypt?”
Neji gaped, “How did–”
“You’re not hard to read. It’s common in big clans, but you were wondering if it still exists because of the massacre, right?”
Neji nodded, almost ashamed, “Yes, I’m sorry if it’s uncomfortable–”
“No, not really.” Sasuke interrupted again. “It’s still there as far as I know.”
Neji blinked, “Really?” He said a little too ecstatically. “How can you be so sure?”
Sasuke smirked, “They only bulldozed what was above ground. I still visit the shrine when I have the chance.”
“Is that where the crypt is?”
Sasuke shook his head, “No. That shrine is strictly for the Uchiha. I wouldn’t tell you where that is even if I was held at knife point.” He looked so serious that it made Neji shiver.
“Alright then…”
Sasuke looked at him and then sighed, “I-I don’t actually know where the crypt is either…”
“What?” Neji asked shocked, “You’ve never been?”
Sasuke gave him a pitiful look, “You have to have the sharingan to enter and,” he paused and stared off, almost in a trance, or like he was off in space. Then, Sasuke blinked, and he took a deep breath, “I didn’t awaken mine until three months ago.”
“Sasuke…” Neji spoke solemnly. The boy had an opportunity to visit his passed family members, as morbid as that thought was, but he couldn’t even place where the burial was. It was just…so…sad. “I’m sorry.”
He shrugged, “It’s whatever. I couldn’t tell you where it was even if I knew. It’s against the law to let outsiders see the ashes of the fallen.”
He gulped, “Why is that?”
Sasuke paused, as if debating whether he should spill his clan's secret, before the dam opened. “That’s where we keep our eyes. If outsiders were allowed in, they could steal them.”
Neji paled, “...your eyes?”
Sasuke nodded, “In our culture, the Sharingan didn’t belong to the user, but the clan itself. Once you were no longer a part of this world, the clan took them back.”
“Holy shit.” Neji saw the slightly hurt look on Sasuke’s face and backtracked, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel ashamed of your traditions! I suppose it just feels–”
“Terrifying?”
He paused, “A bit, but it makes sense. The Hyuuga have curse marks that erase the Byakugan once you’ve passed.” Neji gasped as he told Sasuke the deep-rooted family secret so easily. He wasn’t even thinking! No one was supposed to know about that! “But you didn’t hear that from me!”
Sasuke smirked, “Hear what?”
Neji smiled and sighed a breath of relief. For some reason, Neji was sure that Sasuke wouldn’t gossip.
Sasuke pondered, lost in thought, before taking a step closer. He clicked in a hushed, smooth voice, “Ket'su sha'rin mei. Va'eth sho'rim aru'kai.”
Neji blinked and whispered, “Excuse me?”
Sasuke stared intently, “It’s an old K’aibi riddle. My father used to tell me it when I asked to accompany him to the crypt.”
“What does it mean?” Neji asked urgently. He was about to get an important clue.
Sasuke looked both ways before facing him again. “It roughly translates to blood guides the seeker. Death opens the hidden gate.”
He squinted, “...what?”
Sasuke rolled his eyes, “The Konoha translation is this. When crimson eyes bleed into darkness, count seven stones from the silent guardian. The path reveals itself only to those who walk backward through time. Where fallen stars sleep beneath roots that drink from the underworld, find the door that opens with bloodied tears.”
“Wow, that’s gorgeously profound–”
“Neji, focus!”
“Apologies.” Neji thought hard about the riddle…before gasping, “It’s a map!”
Sasuke put his forefinger to his mouth, while giving him a sneaky look, “But you didn’t hear it from me.”
Neji looked Sasuke up and down, then smirked, “Hear what?”
Sasuke grinned, “Nothing. So…rocks?”
Neji chuckled, “Yeah. Let’s find some matching Uchiha rocks.”