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Entropy	By : ersatzbeta Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1332 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor do I profit from writing this or any other fanfiction.

Chapter List
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Author's Note: I realize I'm back again with a new chapter sooner than anyone might have anticipated. I hope you're as pleased about it as I am! Enjoy!

Chapter Twenty Five
In the frozen forest, far out of range of Sasuke's senses, Kakashi crossed his arms and stared Neji down.
"Oh, really?" said Kakashi.
"I have no reason to lie," Neji said. "But whether you believe me or not is your prerogative."
"Mmm," said Kakashi.
On the one hand, it was quite likely that Sasuke really had told Neji nothing, had just, as Neji claimed, ordered him to block his chakra. On the other hand, Neji was Sasuke's only friend, and Kakashi's admittedly skewed grasp of friendship led him to the conclusion that Neji could just as easily be lying to protect Sasuke. After all, it was what he himself would do.
"You're sure that he didn't say anything?" said Kakashi.
"I am certain," said Neji.
His jaw had a decidedly stubborn set to it and his eyes were a bit narrowed, but that didn't mean he was lying. He could just be annoyed. Kakashi thought it prudent to change topics before he pestered Neji into complete silence.
"So," said Kakashi. "What do you two do anyway, when you visit?"
He feigned casualness, even going so far as to cross his arms behind his head and lean against a tree. A puff of snow slid down the back of his jacket. He ignored it as it melted into his clothing.
"I have no idea what you mean," said Neji.
There was something lurking in the depths of Neji's eyes, something close to laughter, and Kakashi didn't like it. He suspected Neji was laughing at him.
"I'm curious about your friendship," said Kakashi. "Enlighten me."
He was too good a ninja to be tap his foot against the ground with impatience, but that didn't mean he wasn't tempted. Kakashi wasn't one for emotional displays, ordinarily.
"Ah," said Neji. "It was at Gai's insistence that I first visited, as you may recall."
Kakashi nodded. Neji stared off thoughtfully into the distance for a minute, breath coming in cold white clouds and wreathing about his head before dissipating.
"It comes down to this," said Neji. "Sasuke and I are actually quite alike."
He thought a moment more, and a smile flitted across his face.
"Gai is a surprisingly good judge of character," said Neji. "Even of one so muddied by events as Sasuke's."
"Is that so?" said Kakashi.
He tucked the nugget of information away for further thought.
"Not that my own is any better," said Neji. "As I said, we are rather alike."
Neji glanced upward into the crowns of the trees. What he saw there, Kakashi couldn't begin to guess. Through the snow-laden branches, clouds the color of iron scudded across the sky. A cold wind gusted fitfully over the forest floor. The air smelled like snow.
"I must make my farewells," Neji said. "I am expected elsewhere quite soon, I am afraid."
"It was good to have this little talk," said Kakashi.
He clenched his teeth. Neji didn't seem at all sorry to be leaving. Clearly this talk had been an exercise in frustration.
"Please make sure Sasuke continues to meditate," said Neji. "It is vital to his recovery."
"I will," said Kakashi. "Though, I recall you saying that Sasuke's control would be back by now."
Neji frowned. He hesitated, brow furrowed, then spoke.
"Perhaps he is not meditating properly," said Neji. "But he is vastly improved from my last visit."
Kakashi froze. Sasuke had been working very, very hard to regain control. Neji hadn't been by in three weeks, for all of his long-distance check-ins. What did Neji know about Sasuke's condition? Scorn soured Kakashi's mood, and he couldn't quite squash the ugly impulse of his anger.
"About that last visit," said Kakashi. "Cutting chakra flow off like that can be dangerous, don't you think?"
He paused and measured Neji with his eyes.
"I seem to remember your cousin having a hard time after you blocked her tenketsu in that first chuunin exam. Remember?" said Kakashi. "I hope you are more careful in future."
Kakashi flexed in the cold air, warming his muscles in preparation for the short journey back to the house. As he adjusted the weapons pouch at his back, he felt his temper rising and tried to choke it down again.
"It was necessary for Sasuke," said Neji. "I did it as efficiently and painlessly as I could."
His face was shuttered, his voice flat. His eyes stayed on Kakashi's hands.
"If you say so, Neji," said Kakashi. "Who am I to doubt you, the up-and-coming premiere authority on tenketsu?"
Neji's face tightened.
"I don't see how that's any of your business," said Neji. "I'm not even going to ask what you think you know."
Kakashi smiled at Neji. It was not nice, though Neji was not in a position to appreciate the full effect, given that Kakashi's mask was firmly in place.
"It's amazing how proud Gai still is of his former students," said Kakashi. "Did you know, Neji, that he has on occasion been known to brag about a certain precious student's healing hands?"
Neji looked pained.
"Never mind that you've done quite a bit worse with your talents than a bit of useful chakra blocking here and there," said Kakashi. "Gai has always tended to focus on the positives."
"I understand that you are angry with me," said Neji. "But I would think covering up for Sasuke would be better than the alternatives."
His face was patient and it cut through the veneer of Kakashi's pleasure completely. Kakashi's thoughts went a mile a minute, calculating, weighing the possibilities of a fight with Neji. He would be a difficult match at close range, and with the improvements Neji had made to his techniques over the years, he was probably stiff competition at mid-range as well. Kakashi gave himself better than even odds at long range if he could circumvent Neji's Byakugan somehow.
"Oh?" said Kakashi. "Do you really understand?"
He allowed himself to sound bored as he flashed through which seals he could form one-handed. His fingers twitched in anticipation, and he slid one hand into a pocket.
"Do you really know how I felt, viewing your handiwork?" said Kakashi. "Angry doesn't cover it."
"Kakashi," said Neji. "This argument will not resolve anything."
Kakashi tipped his hitai-ate up and trained his eye on Neji.
"Oh really?" said Kakashi.
His voice went from cheerful to deadly seriousness in the blink of an eye.
"I'm not convinced it won't," Kakashi said.
Neji folded himself neatly into the Hakke stance.
"I do not want to fight," said Neji. "But it seems you leave me with little choice."
"Wrong," said Kakashi. "I'm not giving you a choice at all."
Neji sighed, though his shoulders stayed firm.
"Allow me the opening move, then," said Neji. "Kaiten!"
Kakashi leapt back, hopefully out of range, and tracked the energy's flow with his Sharingan. A fraction of the power Neji sent out caught up with him regardless. Kakashi came away from the unpleasant feeling of the solid, electric air that brushed against him. His right arm tingled. Shaking the pins and needles out of it, Kakashi formed seals for a jutsu. He slapped the ground in front of him and charged it with chakra, willing it to buckle and roll into a wave.
Nothing happened.
Kakashi jerked the sleeve of his jacket up and out of the way. Tiny red marks marched up and down his arm at regular intervals.
"Neji," said Kakashi. "Is this what I think it is?"
"Surely you didn't think all my work was merely dull research requiring me to be sequestered in an office," said Neji. "If I may be allowed to boast, I did warn you."
Kakashi shrugged, which felt odd with only partial sensation in one side.
"It'll take more than the loss of an arm to change my mind about what you've done," said Kakashi. "but I'll give you a reprieve for now. You did say you had an appointment, and I'd hate to keep you from that."
And the bunshin in front of Neji popped.
Neji activated his Byakugan and swept the woods with his power. Kakashi was nowhere to be found. Gradually, Neji relaxed when no attack was forthcoming, and, after some time waiting in the cold, alone and pacing in the snow, he raced off through the trees.
Kakashi felt Neji moving away, though his ability to sense chakra was hampered by the damage he'd sustained. It was fortunate that Kakashi could make clones with one hand. It seemed the young Hyuuga was living up to his reputation as a genius after all. When Neji was beyond the range of what he could sense, Kakashi spent a little time trying to rub feeling back into his arm and shoulder. Idly, he wondered how long it would be before he healed. It looked like less damage on the surface, but who knew how far Neji's chakra had penetrated.
Had Kakashi been truly determined to fight with Neji, the blocked tenketsu wouldn't have stopped him. There wasn't much point in fighting, not after his rational mind had caught up with the rest of him. Even though he had lost his temper, he'd regained control quickly enough that nothing much had happened. With any luck at all, Neji would have decided that provoking a fight was just another method of information-gathering Kakashi had employed. He'd learned all he could from Neji about Sasuke before the abortive fight, anyway, but Neji might not know that.
It was damnably cold out in the woods, and the mask on Kakashi's face was rimed with frost. The wind cut through the trees and ground ice into what little exposed skin he had. He was convinced his face was getting chapped. Kakashi reasoned that he could continue his brooding and speculations indoors, where it was at least warm, though he wasn't exactly sure how he was going to hide the evidence of Neji's technique from Sasuke. It was a worrisome thought. Sasuke wouldn't be pleased if he found out.
Kakashi continued thinking about it as he slowly made his way home through the snow drifts and ice-covered trees.
A/N: As I said before, I'm pleased to be back again so soon. To be honest, I was a little surprised at how quickly this chapter came together, especially when it was one I hadn't planned for. I had originally planned to skip over the actual conversation and instead start out with Kakashi coming back inside after the talking was all over. I hope this chapter didn't cause too much head-scratching! (I fear I may have been too subtle as to exactly when Kakashi made his clone, for example.)
Maya-Nara, thanks for your interest in the talk between Neji and Kakashi (and the story in general!) It wasn't something I thought anyone would be curious about, I suppose, but it was a great opportunity for interesting interactions. At this point, I have no plans for Neji and Sasuke to be anything other than friends, but that doesn't mean there isn't room for Kakashi to misinterpret their closeness and get all jealous or something. ^_^
I've made an executive decision, too, while drafting this chapter. I'm going to make a conscious effort to cut back some on my editing. It's not that I don't want to post well-polished pieces, but I'm worried I may be limiting my thinking by doing so much editing. I could, potentially, be writing myself into a corner or cutting out the best bits without meaning to. (As a bonus for the reader, this would likely mean shorter waits between posts.)
I still haven't hammered out any sort of schedule, but I'm going to keep striking while the iron is hot. See you all later!
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Entropy