Ritoru Taikoku

Day with Hyuga

Now that the girl was asleep, Neji wanted to have a look at her chakra. He activated his byakugan and was amazed. Her chakra was bright yellow and...tame. When she was at peace it wasn't wild, thrashing power. It fanned out around the room in all directions now looking more like ripples from a pebble tossed in a lake than the lightening shape it had been. Each small vibration in the air sent out another wave.

Neji did not feel the feeling Kakashi said he should expect. Her chakra was not cocooning him, in fact it seemed to go around him, never grazing his body. Even if he moved, it flexed to avoid him.

How peculiar.

xxX

When Raku opened her eyes as the sun peeked through the blinds, she blushed and scrambled away from Neji. Her frantic flailing movement caused her to go THUMP on the wooden floor as she fell off the bed and onto her back.

She sat up and rubbed her back, not saying a word.

Neji grinned a little, trying not to chuckle as he sat up. He got out of the bed and spoke over his shoulder. "The bathroom is right across the hall, I'm going to make breakfast. Your things are in the closet." He left the room.

Raku stood up and stretched, yawning and rubbing her eyes. She glanced around the room, when her eyes landed on the bed her eye brow twitched with annoyance. Kakashi always made the bed as soon as they got out of it.

She made the bed.

xxX

After a wordless breakfast, they got around for the day and found themselves taking a walk around the village. Neji was advised to try to keep as many of her usual activities as possible, and this was one he honestly didn't mind. It was a sunny, cloudless day in Konoha and the streets were buzzing with what looked to be a festival for something. Vendors in their stalls selling all kinds of things; candy, sweets, sparklers, funny masks...

The children were all running up and down the main street giggling, the women gathered to supervise them and the men played games of strength and accuracy.

Raku followed Neji, though not as closely as she did Kakashi. She held on to his long sleeve to stay with him, knowing better than to get lost in a crowd after last time. To her disappointment, he did not stop to look at anything, browse any stalls or play any games. He kept his constant pace, moving past it all as if it wasn't there.

She noticed a flyer on a street lamp, it said it was a two day festival. Maybe she would ask to play a game or get a candied apple tomorrow.

She glanced up at Neji's intense white eyes that never strayed from where he was walking.

Or not.

xxX

For dinner they went to Ichiraku. Raku ordered something sweet while Neji went with something spicy, claiming he didn't like sweet things.

"Well you've sure got a sweet thing there, mind if I give her a lick?"

Neji slammed his fist on the table and stood to glare at a grass ninja jounin who sat one stool away. "That is no way to speak of a lady!"

The entire restaurant got quiet. The grass ninja sighed. "I'm just saying...if you don't like her taste why not let someone else give her a try?" He stuck out his tongue that dipped down to his chest and rolled back into his mouth.

Neji glared, his voice hard. "Say one more damn thing about her and I'll cut your tongue off!"

"Not here you won't! If you're gonna fight, take it outside." The owner bellowed.

The grass ninja winked at Raku, who whimpered and flinched. At her whimper, Neji grabbed the other ninja by his shirt and threw him outside with a strength no one had expected from him, then followed right after.

"Keep her in here." Neji didn't want her to fear him.

"You got it." Said the owner, offering the girl a candied apple to try to help her calm down, she shakily took it.

She couldn't see the fight, but she could hear it. She could hear the little "wssshhh" sounds that came from Neji's hands and feet as he struck at the grass ninja. The came rapidly, then stopped.

Raku got nervous. What if Neji was hurt? What if he needed help?"

She stood at once, dropping the stick the apple was on. "Hey now, you need to stay here."

"B-but he needs me..." she bit her lip.

"I'm sure your boyfriend is fine, he looks quite capable." The owners wife said.

Raku blushed. "He's not my boyfriend." She sat back down after hearing a struggle and more wssshh sounds.

"Oh, I apologize for assuming." The woman gave a smile.

Raku looked down, flattered that the shop keeps wife thought she could date Neji. The teen had never given too much thought to being in a relationship. She didn't think much of herself so she was a little proud that someone thought she could be worthy of a boyfriend.

It soon got quiet outside and she heard the people that had gathered to watch start mumbeling about that great fight. The curtain moved and Neji entered the shop. Raku stood to greet him, seeing that he had some bruises and a few cuts but was otherwise fine.

"Grass can be sharp." He tried to lighten the mood.

He paid for her food, thanked the couple for keeping her inside and left with his arm around her shoulders.

~~~~~~~~~

As always please answer these questions and VOTE!

Q1) Were you surprised that Neji got so angry at the grass ninja?

Q2) Do you think Raku's wishes to protect him will change her at all? Or was it just a fleeting thought?

Thanks for reading <3