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Searching for Something	By : jellybelle21 Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1063 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 14
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- 16
“Hiashi-sama.” Neji bowed respectfully to the man sitting in his living room, waiting for him. His uncle waved a hand to dismiss the gesture.

“Come, Neji, have a seat.” His stern expression did not exactly fill Neji with hope. Then again, he always looked that way, it seemed. “I wish to speak with you.”

“Yes,” Neji wondered if Hiashi could see how nervous he was, if he suspected that this meeting would not go at all the way he had hoped or expected.

“I have begun to suspect that you have reconciled with your fiancé.” Hiashi folded his hands and looked at Neji in a way that was clearly meant to make him feel like he could speak openly without fear. This was not effective.

“Tenten and I were never engaged.” Neji reminded his uncle, trying not to become irate. He knew that Hiashi was not necessarily a bad person, he just did not like anyone doing anything without his approval, and didn’t see what was wrong with that.

“You have achieved a jounin rank almost four years ago. You are well established and respected.” Hiashi explained to him. “Now would be an opportune time for you to take your life in a new direction.”

“I agree.” Neji spoke in a strong tone, though he felt fear fluttering in his stomach. He would not let this man shove his wishes and dreams aside to be replaced with his own plans. “And I wish to speak to you about that today, uncle.”

“Excellent.” Hiashi offered one of his rare smiles, brief but genuine. “I am glad to see that you have decided to marry. She is a strong ninja, and together, you will be able to provide several promising new Hyuuga’s. Though you are a member of the branch family, I want to tell you that I will still offer training to any of your children that show the promise.”

“That is kind of you, uncle.” Neji took another deep breath, knowing that it was now or never. “But it will not be necessary. I won’t be having children.”

“Of course you will!” Hiashi laughed humorlessly, and it sounded mocking more than anything. Neji struggled with his temper. He would not let this man get the better of him. “It seems soon now, but once Tenten and you have settled down, you will begin to want them. It is the next logical step, after all.”

“Hiashi-sama, I appreciate your point, but I think it will be quite impossible.” Neji narrowed his eyes, though he was doing his best to keep his features neutral and polite. “You see, I won’t be marrying Tenten, or any other woman, for that matter.”

“Is this meant to be a joke?” Hiashi cocked his head in a slightly threatening way. “Neji, I know that you do not like to be told what to do, which is why we have not pressured you into an engagement before this. If you chose Tenten of your own free will, I cannot see the problem with continuing the relationship to its inevitable conclusion.”

“I chose Tenten for you, and for her sake.” Neji explained calmly, feeling a sudden surge of courage. He could do this, and it didn’t really matter what the consequences were. Gaara wouldn’t leave him, and that was all that mattered. “But that was a mistake. You cannot force yourself to feel something because you know everyone expects it. I want to tell you that there is someone else I am in love with. That is where I was last night, and I intend to stay with that person for the rest of my life, whether or not you approve.”

“Well…I suppose if she proves acceptable, there is no reason you could not choose someone else.” Hiashi recovered admirably, but Neji shook his head slightly, seeing that he still didn’t understand. “I will want to meet the girl, of course.

“It isn’t a girl.” Neji tried not to feel too satisfied at the stricken look on Hiashi’s face at his words, as if he had been struck. “I am speaking of Gaara of the Sand.”

“You cannot mean to say—“

“That I’m gay? Yes, uncle, I am.” Neji did not mean to interrupt him, but it was hard to hold back anymore. “I’ve been with Gaara since just after I broke away from Tenten. We wish to spend our lives together, and I will be returning to Sunagakure with him next week.”

“Do you hear what you’re saying?” Hiashi scoffed. “You want to throw away your life here, all your friends and the entire clan, forsake all of our hopes for you, and run away to be the Kazekage’s pet?”

“I am not his pet.” Neji told him in a cold tone. “We love each other, whether or not you choose to believe or respect that.”

“You think that?” Hiashi’s harsh laugh returned. “Most young people go through this stage of confusion. Just because you have had this lapse does not mean you will not still want a wife and children in two or three years. By then, it will be too late. You’re surrendering yourself to him, turning your back on anyone who could help you when you decide you want to escape him. You said to me once that you felt caged by your destiny. Do not doubt that he will lock you up more tightly than we could ever have done. And besides that, he is a monster, you must know—“

“Enough!” Neji bit back the urge to hit his uncle. “Gaara was the container of the Shukaku, he was not the Shukaku itself. You know this. Uzumaki Naruto is the same, and he is no more a monster than the rest of us. In any case, the Shukaku was removed years ago, and it has no chance to influence Gaara. You, of all people, should understand that we cannot let a circumstance of our birth decide the rest of our lives. I did not expect your support, and I did not come here for your blessing. I do not need your permission. Even if the Hokage herself refuses my request, I will leave with him. I do not care if I am hunted down to be killed, we can protect ourselves. I will stay at his side as long as I can, and die happy, knowing that I was able to make my own decisions.”

“If you want to make a decision, you are welcome to choose any woman you want.” Hiashi’s voice was shaking with anger, but he was controlling himself. “If you like him, why not have his sister? It would be much simpler, and you would thank me in the end.”

“I won’t allow you to control this, as well.” Neji set his jaw. “I know what I want, and you cannot change my mind.”

“You are being selfish.” Hiashi insisted stubbornly. “We would not mind if you took a lover, if you have this…itch. But you must marry and provide children.”

“I’m not a breeding stud!” Neji struck the table with one open palm, and noticed with a distant sense of disappointment the crack that he’d caused. He liked this table. “I’m not a slave, either. I will be free of this family, even if I have to tear out these cursed eyes and leave them here behind me.”

“Very well. You’ve made your decision, and I cannot change your mind.” Hiashi’s lips were pursed, and Neji was completely surprised by the words. He was giving up this easily? “Do what you want.”

“But…” he trailed off, not able to understand what had just happened, watching as his uncle strode out of the room. He heard his front door slam shut minutes later.

I want to see Gaara. I want it so much I feel like there’s nothing else I can think of.

He stood up, went to his room and laid down to rest. After a few minutes, he fell sound asleep.

----------

Gaara was sick of stupid diplomatic visits to powerful families. Temari clearly didn’t want him to enjoy his time in Konoha at all, as she had filled his schedule up with these pointless visits every day, as if he wouldn’t much rather spend it alone with Neji. She was annoyingly controlling, as if she thought she was the Kazekage, but Gaara knew deep down that she was excellent at what she did. He still found this unspeakably irritating.

When she finally released him, he nearly flew to the Hyuuga compound. He didn’t really care who saw him or wondered what the Kazekage was doing without any sort of escort. Soon, Neji and he would tell his uncle to butt out of their business and be on with their lives, blissfully free of worries about who thought what.

“It’s you!” Hinata intercepted Gaara, almost in exactly the same spot she had spoken to Neji earlier that day, and she looked no less worried than she had earlier. Of course, Gaara did not know about any of that. He just knew she was delaying his Neji time. “Come with me.”

“No.” Gaara knew that Neji liked Hinata, so he decided to not be mean to her. Just rude. “What do you want?”

“Shh!” she hissed, looking around her as though she expected an attack from the bushes. In the dim twilight air, she would likely spot it better than him, but he didn’t see why she was acting so strangely. “Listen, it isn’t safe for you here, come with me.”

“Isn’t safe?” Gaara glared at her. “Do you know who I am?”

“Of course, now…come on!” her voice was an urgent hiss, and he could see she was trying to avoid attracting attention. He did not approve of her grabbing his hand and yanking him back out of the compound, however.

“Don’t touch me.” He pulled his hand away after a few moments. “What is wrong with you?”

“Don’t you see?” Hinata’s eyes were full of tears, and Gaara decided that all women were crazy and ridiculous, which meant that in hindsight, Temari was rather normal. “If they see you in there…they might kill you!”

“Who?” Gaara felt his fists clench. “As if they could.” He grumbled.

“I’ll tell you everything, but you have to come with me, and you have to swear you won’t do anything stupid! If anything happened to you, Neji’s heart would be broken.” She insisted, clasping her hands together, her lip quivering as though she would truly start crying if he did not agree to her demands.

“Where are we going?” he demanded. Even if Neji trusted this girl, he wasn’t going to just blindly go along with whatever she said.

“Naruto and Sasuke’s place. We’ll need their help, I think.” She told him, and after a brief moment of deciding whether or not he should just ignore her, he nodded briefly and they both took to the rooftops, reaching the Uchiha compound in mere minutes. Gaara swore to himself that if this was something idiotic, he would make sure this girl suffered, even if Neji did like her. He could be naked by now, but instead he was on some unnamed errand with this weird quivery girl. It was very annoying.

“Hinata! What’s wrong?” Naruto’s eyes widened as he let them in and saw the state of the Hyuuga heir. “Is everything okay? What’s Gaara doing here?”

“It’s Neji.” She told the blonde, who immediately pulled her into a tight embrace and beckoned Gaara inside as well. “Thank you.” She was shaking slightly, and Gaara wondered if she was weak or terrified or both. And what did she mean when she said that, anyway? What about Neji?

“Now tell me what this is about.” He commanded as Naruto sat her down gently at the dining room table. The blonde gave him a puzzled look and asked Hinata an inaudible question, to which she nodded, causing him to go into the kitchen. “Well?”

“Hinata?” Sasuke came in from the kitchen, where he’d apparently just spoken briefly with Naruto. “Gaara? Why are you here?” Hinata’s lip quivered, her face went red, and she suddenly dropped her head in her hands, sobbing quietly. Gaara glared at Sasuke.

“Now she’s good for nothing.” He told the Uchiha in a cold tone. “Good job.”

“I didn’t do anything.” Sasuke scowled and turned on his heel going back into the kitchen. A moment later, he heard raised voices, and Naruto came rushing back in, sitting down right next to Hinata and putting an arm over her shoulder in a comforting manner. He was speaking to her softly, and Gaara supposed this was some sort of technique for getting girls to stop crying. He glanced over and saw a sulky Sasuke scowling at the pair, and when he saw Gaara looking at him, he glared at the redhead viciously as if all of this was his fault.

“S—sorry.” Hinata sniffled and wiped at her eyes. “It wasn’t…it wasn’t Sasuke. It’s hard…not to cry…with everything that’s happened.”

“What is it?” Naruto managed to make it sound much more gentle than Gaara had, offering her a tissue which she accepted gratefully, dabbing at her eyes. “Where is Neji?”

“I…I don’t know!” Hinata’s face twisted in misery, and she began crying all over again. Naruto sighed softly and turned to Sasuke.

“Can you go bring Kiba here? She might feel better if he could talk to her or something.” He addressed his dark-haired lover. Sasuke frowned as though he couldn’t even conceive of the audacity of someone asking him to run an errand for them. However, he gave a curt nod, turned, and left the house. Gaara repressed the urge to attack Hinata, and threaten to torture her if she didn’t tell him what the hell was going on that second, and took a very deep breath, trying to keep his temper. He realized with dismay that his sand gourd was still in the tower. Whatever had happened, he would almost certainly need it.

“N—no, I can…I can talk.” She finally recovered herself slightly, helping herself to more tissue and blowing her nose. “I’m just worried…worried they might have hurt him. But I think…think he’s probably alive. It would be pointless to k—kill him.”

“Please, tell us what happened.” Naruto waved Gaara over, and he sat down across from them, feeling very tense, and like he was probably going to have to kill someone. Probably several people. He knew Temari would be angry if he started a war between the Sand and the Leaf, but clearly the choice wasn’t his anymore. “Who might have hurt him? Did someone capture him?”

“W—well,” she let out a shuddering breath. “Last night…Neji was gone and my father thought…thought he was with a girl and then Neji told him…told him ev—everything! I wanted to see…how it had gone, so I waited at home to see what he was like when he returned…he doesn’t…hide his feelings very well. And when he finally came back, he wasn’t…wasn’t talking, and he was like…like he gets when he has to make a decision…he doesn’t really like. Like if he sends someone on a mission, and he knows they’ll probably…die. And…and I told him I was going to see Kiba, but I went over to Neji’s instead…I wanted to talk to him, to tell him it would be okay, even if my father…” she stopped here, and shook her head, scrubbing at the tears that spilled down her cheeks.

“It’s okay, just take your time.” Naruto encouraged her, and she nodded. Gaara wanted to hit both of them. This was taking far too long, and she was clearly never going to get to the point if she couldn’t stop this crying. After what seemed like forever, she looked up, her eyes puffy and red, but dry.

“When I got there,” she sounded calmer now, slightly detached, as if she was forcibly separating herself from the emotions. “I knew he wasn’t there. As soon as I entered the house, I just knew. I still looked for him, looked for a note, but there was nothing. All his things were still there, but I hoped maybe he’d gone back to see you,” she nodded to Gaara. “I went back home after a while, and when I got there, I heard my father out in the back, talking with one of his men. They were talking about…he asked “is he secure?” and the man said he was, and said there wouldn’t be trouble, but that there were guards there in case of anything. They didn’t say where, and they didn’t say a name, but just after that, my father said…”when this foolishness is over, he’ll forget the Kazekage. He’ll thank me, in the end.” And I knew…knew they’ve taken Neji, they have him somewhere, and they’re keeping him hidden because they want you two…they want to keep you apart, they want Neji to say he doesn’t love you, and he won’t!” Her voice cracked and tears started welling up again. “He’s stubborn, I know he won’t do what they say, and I wonder…once, when I was first with Kiba, my father said he’d lock me up until he could find me a more suitable man, and that I’d thank him…and I thought he was kidding! But they’ve locked him up, they’re going to force him to do something, I’m sure! They’ll make him marry some girl or something, and they won’t let him go anywhere by himself ever again, because they don’t want him to go to you.”

“Gaara!” Naruto yelped as the redhead immediately got to his feet and went back to the door. “Where are you going?”

“Where do you think?” Gaara growled, turning with his hand on the door. “This is none of your business. I’ll find Neji, even if I have to kill Hinata’s father.” He paused. “I’m sorry, Hinata. I may have to kill your father. Thank you for telling me about this.”

“Idiot!” Naruto rushed over, grabbing his arm. “That’s not the way to do it! Don’t you know you’re the Kazekage? You can’t just go around killing your allies.”

“Hiashi Hyuuga ceased to be my ally when he turned against Neji.” Gaara told him firmly, letting go of the door to try and wrestle Naruto away from him. “Let go.”

“Hinata!” Kiba’s voice interrupted their struggle as he suddenly opened the door, almost hitting both men as he burst in. “What’s going on here?”

“Get your hands off.” Sasuke sprung into action, Sharingan activated as he moved to end the wrestling between Naruto and Gaara. A shield of sand formed, but it was not as swift or powerful as it might have been if he had his gourd with him containing his chakra-infused sand. Still, it stopped Sasuke’s attempt to break Gaara’s arm off, but did allow him to pull the Kazekage away from his lover. “Don’t ever touch him.”

“Sasuke, it was nothing!” Naruto now pulled Sasuke off of Gaara, much to the Uchiha’s obvious consternation. Gaara couldn’t help feeling disappointed. The temptation to hurt Sasuke was amazingly strong. He supposed he must still be a little jealous. That, or it was just the fact that Sasuke was an insufferable asshole. “Calm down, both of you!”

“What did you do to Hinata!?” Kiba demanded, as he was able to finally make his way to the only girl in the room, who accepted his embrace gratefully.

“Nothing, she’s just like that.” Gaara answered in irritation, standing up and brushing himself off. He dearly wanted to break someone’s neck, and Kiba could be a strong contender if he wouldn’t stop being so annoying and ineffectual.

“Hinata’s father has Neji locked up somewhere until he decides not to run off with Gaara.” Naruto explained swiftly. “Hinata found out about it, and she’s not sure what we should do, but what we shouldn’t do,” he turned a forceful look on Gaara, who pretended he didn’t notice. “Is go kill all the Hyuugas, since that will only make it worse.”

“I could just break their bones.” Gaara grumbled. “All their bones.”

“Can’t you just tell Tsunade so she makes him let Neji go?” Sasuke asked, sounding completely irritated that their quiet evening had been interrupted by all of this, almost as if he thought it was stupidly simple to solve.

“That…that might work!” Hinata sniffled and gave Kiba a watery smile, which he promptly kissed. Sasuke gave an exaggerated sigh.

“I thought you were meant to be smart?” he addressed the girl. “When you’re head of the Hyuuga clan, are you going to just come crying to Naruto every time you don’t know what to do?”

“Lay off, asshole.” Kiba glared at Sasuke. “It’s hard to think things through when you’re worried. Can’t you see she’s afraid for Neji?”

“Can we go now?” Gaara asked, still feeling extremely agitated. “Or do you plan to bicker all night?”

“Yeah, let’s go.” Naruto started putting his shoes on and Sasuke looked extremely put out. “Come on, he’s your friend, too, Sasuke. Don’t you care what happens to him?”

“Fine.” The Uchiha subsided sullenly, and in minutes, all six of them were on their way to the Hokage’s tower. Gaara was still contemplating just going back to the Hyuuga compound and torturing everyone until they told him where Neji was, but as much as he hated to admit it, Naruto was right. He shouldn’t start a war. But if this didn’t work, he would have no other option. He couldn’t just leave Neji.

-----

To be continued…
- 14
- 15
- 16
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