May or may not be a destiny ~Neji Fanfiction~

ĐĘŠŤĮŃŸ XV

After hours of running,they decided to camp inside the forest beside a small river bank as the sun began to set.

"Here is a nice place to camp." Temari said while stretching after dropping her massive fan.

"I'll scout the premises and collect some firewoods." Neji announced and started heading further into the forest.

"Mh,I'll look for something to eat." (Y/n) volunteered leaving Shikamaru with Temari to fix the tents.

After some time,Neji returned with firewoods on both hands right after Shikamaru and Temari fixed their tents.

Their camp was all set and fixed when (Y/n) returned with a skinned rabbit,2 cleaned fishes,some wild berries,and a jug of water balanced on her head.

"That's a lot." Temari gaped at what she's carrying but soon stood up to help her.

"Here,let me." Neji grabbed the fishes on (Y/n)'s hands and started putting it on a stick,doing the same with the skinned rabbit meet.

They sat around the bonfire for a while,waiting for their foods to be cooked.

"Oh yeah," Shikamaru gained all his comrade's attention,"We have to lay low while traveling to avoid suspicions." he announced.

"So I suggest we change our identities." he continued,"We can't afford to gain unwanted attentions.There may be some lookouts outside the fire country.

"Understood." They all agreed on Shikamaru's idea.

After quite some time,they ate their food and prepared to go to bed.

"I'll take the first watch." (Y/n) volunteered as she stood up.

"Okay," Temari agreed,"I'll be taking the last watch." She jokingly stick her tongue out as she entered their shared tents.

"I'll be taking second watch then." Neji informed them who also entered their tent.

"Such a drag." Shikamaru sighed as he also followed after Neji,leaving him no choice but to take the third watch.

Their tent was just a temporary shelter from the wind with a three spaced man.

(Y/n) waited for her teammates to settle down to their sleeping futons before jumping into a tree branch.Temari was at the very edge,Shikamaru was beside her and Neji was at the other end.

She watched as the stars filled the sky above her.Enjoying the breeze of the night,she closed her eyes for a moment.

"Hey." Alert,she immediately turned around to an another voice beside the tree she's been sitting but soon calmed down when she realized it's not an enemy.

"Neji." She whispered,"Why are you here?" she asked as she returned back to her position and turned towards the sky once more."Can't sleep." the brunet answered.

A comfortable silence engulfed the two of them as they quietly gazed at the thousand stars that certainly saw thousand of stories.

Until Neji decided to break the silence,"I heard about them." he started,"Your parents."

Not expecting that,she turned towards him in just a split second, mouth was slightly open out of shock."Who.." she murmured below whisper but soon stopped mid-way when she realized who told him..or them.

'Temari' she thought as she lowered her head."And?" she asked,ready to defend her cousins if they misunderstood them.'It wasn't their fault.' she kept on repeating the same words inside her head.

"You told me.." He started but soon trailed off,leaving his indirect question.

"That she never returned from a mission?" she finished for him.She sighed before continuing,"Because that is what I believes in."

"But it's not the truth." he straightforwardly answered her,"Sooner or later you have to accept the truth."

"It doesn't matter," she aggressively turned towards him,a bit teary eyed,remembering the scene she had witnessed years ago."It doesn't matter if it is a lie.All it matters is what I believes in." Before even a single tear could escape her eyes,she looked up and blinked her tears away.

Silence was what met her but not long after,she was engulfed with warmth.Turns out Neji put a blanket over her shoulders who by now,was squatting infront of her.

His right hand rested on her shoulder as he looked directly at her (e/c) orbs.

"But only by facing the truth could you let go of the past." Neji directly told her,"It may be painful but that is what sets you free."

(Y/n) thought about his words as she looked down.'But I don't want to believe the reason she did it.'

"But what if I'm afraid?" she whispered."What if the truth would shut me in a cage instead of setting me free?" by now,she's trembling from all the possible outcomes that may happen.

Fear.It has always been one of the biggest enemies human race could face.It holds them from knowing the truth,learning or doing something new,or basically everything for belief that it would do them no good.

She knew it but she still can't avoid feeling fear herself because she know that there are things better kept a secret.

"Some things are better kept untold." she looked at him but looked down immediately,"because it may do more harm than good."

"But how would you know it would do more harm than good?" By now,both Neji's arms are on her shoulders

She smiled weakly as she answered him,"Do you have to try things you doubt just to know if what it could do is not good?"

Not expecting that kind of answer,Neji averted his gaze elsewhere and dropped his hands off her shoulders.

Giving advices about life is not his field of expertise so it really racked his brain this time.

He was clearly thinking hard about something to persuade her to know the truth which made her chuckle a little.

"Say Neji-kun," she started,"Have you ever talked about life with someone?" She tilted her head in wonder.

Neji felt embarrassed at the sudden question,making his face a little bit crimson.

He faked a cough to hide his embarrassment, "I have." he lowly answered as he remember all the things he've said during his childhood.'All the time actually' he thought to himself.

He stood up and looked at (Y/n) who looked upward to see his face.

"Your shift is over,you could go to sleep.I'd take watch from here." he informed.

(Y/n) shook her head with a smile on her lips,"I think I'd stay up a little longer." she can't explain what she feels everytime she's with him and only wishes to stay by his side for as long as she could.

So they end up finishing their shifts together and talked about random stuffs through Neji's shift.