Chapter Text

He loved his work. He loved his village. But more importantly, he loved his students. That’s the real reason Gai agreed to this mission when Kakashi asked him to be a part of it. Under normal circumstances, he would’ve said yes just so he could spend more time with his best friend. Not to mention, Kakashi and him had a perfect record together, so logging a mission with him was basically a guaranteed success. 

But Lee decided to break out of the hospital yesterday. And how convenient is it that he chose to escape during Tenten’s one-on-one training session with Gai? The training session that’s at the same time every week. What a coincidence.

So yes, Gai jumped at the opportunity to bring the boy home safely––and the other genin of course. But Lee was still recovering. If it weren’t for Lady Tsunade, he wouldn’t even be walking, let alone fighting. The other five boys were strong and healthy. All of them could hold their own in a battle. Lee, under the same circumstances, could too, but he’s not , thanks to that “Gaara of the Sand.” Gai clenched his jaw.

 “ He’s just a kid. He’s just an angry kid. He’s allowed to make mistakes. ” 

Images of the preliminary rounds flashed before him. Of Gaara crushing Lee’s arm and leg. It was so hard not to be mad at the boy. He tried to kill one of his students after all. But…one of his students also tried killing their own cousin. And if Gai could forgive Neji, then he had to forgive Gaara. 

The problem is, it’s much easier to forgive Neji. For starters, Gai actually knew him. What got him motivated, what made him angry, what skill he was struggling with, what skill he was mastering, his homelife, his favorite pastimes, what made him laugh. 

He knew next to nothing about Gaara. But he had a feeling he was a lot like Neji. Antisocial. Cold. Dead parents. Rough childhood. Disdain for that childhood. And from Neji’s perspective, you could see the thought behind his actions, not that it justified attempted murder. But if you knew Neji as well as Gai did, you’d almost feel sorry for the kid. 

The truth of the matter is Neji should’ve bowed out of the match. He knew what consequences laid ahead if they fought. Even if she had won, he would still suffer. Because as a Main House member up against a Branch Family member, Hinata had an ace in the hole. One quick hand sign and Neji would’ve been paralyzed with pain, screaming at the top of his lungs and begging for her to stop. But that would’ve been far more embarrassing than facing the same consequences at home from much stronger members. So he tried coercing her into forfeiting the match, because in a fair fight, Neji would’ve won, no contest. How many times had he been partnered with Hinata at home to help her train? He knew every move she would make and when she’d make them. Not to mention Neji was far more talented than Hinata. It felt unfair to think, but it was obvious that Hinata was much weaker than most of her classmates, and Neji graduated top of his class. And of course, there was the obvious extra-year-of-training advantage that he had on her. No, under fair circumstances Hinata didn’t stand a chance. And Neji knew that, so why should he have to forfeit when it was his match to win?

In his defense, Neji did try very hard to convince her to forfeit, even if it was in a pretty callous way. And when she refused to do so, he should’ve forfeited himself. But God damn it, the kid was so prideful . He couldn’t just let her take what was rightfully his. For thirteen years all her family did was take from him. His freedom. His father. His opportunities. Gai could see why he snapped. 

She toyed with him in a way only she knew how. They were cousins, sure, but after Hizashi died and Hiashi took custody of Neji, they were raised almost like siblings. She knew where to poke that would hurt the most. She knew what she was saying would get to him and elicit a violent response. Gai was informed of the times Neji lashed out during Hinata’s training sessions. It was a rare occurrence, Neji is usually pretty cool-headed, but every now and then he would snap, just like he did during the preliminary rounds, and Hiashi would have to intervene. 

Neji’s punishment for nearly killing the Hyuga clan’s next heir certainly fit the crime. Gai never got a definitive answer out of him, but his best guess is that Neji’s seal was activated until he passed out, and then again and again when he came too, in a vicious cycle for days. He missed two weeks of training.

It’s no excuse for nearly killing her, but Gai couldn’t understand why Hinata kept the fight going. Surely she knew how it would end?  She’d already lost. Unless she used the sign, which at that point would’ve just been cruel. Neji was guaranteed to be punished, why keep egging him on? There had to be something he was missing. 

“Gai.”

He snapped out of his thoughts and looked over to his comrade, “What is it?”

“Pakkun thinks someone is just ahead of us,” Kakashi gestured to the nindog that was way ahead of them. 

“Let’s slow down and assess the scene, make sure it’s not an enemy.”

Kakashi nodded and all three pulled back their speed coming to a stop on a tree branch when they were right above the scent Pakkun tracked.  

“I don’t sense any movement…and I can definitely smell something familiar. Ichiraku Ramen?” Pakkun sniffed the air.

Kakashi and Gai gave each other a worried look. They both had alternative motives for this mission, even if they wouldn’t admit it. 

They descended to the forest floor quietly and explored the area. 

“Look, the kids left directions. Guess they decided to split up pretty early then,” Gai said, studying the markings in the wood.

“Found someone!” shouted Kakashi.

Gai jogged back in his direction and stared down at the young boy unconscious on the ground where Kakashi was kneeling. He wore a Konoha forehead protector, so he must be one of the genin, but he did not recognize him at all.

“Who is that?”

Kakashi pulled the dog tags from around the boy’s neck and read the name, “Choji Akimichi!?”

“Choji?” Gai said, just as shocked, “But…what happened?” 

He didn’t want to be rude but the Akimichi clan was known for their larger size, and Choji was currently looking as thin as Sakura. 

Pakkun gave the boy a sniff, “Oof. He reeks of chakra.”

Kakashi and Gai locked eyes, “Akimichi pills,” they said in unison. 

Gai stood up and immediately started searching for the pill box. Kakashi was in charge of checking Choji’s vitals.

“Found it!”  Gai said after five minutes of looking

“Let me guess, he took all of them?”

Gai frowned, “How’d you know?”

“Because this kid’s heart rate is 214.”

“Fuck. We have to get him back,” Gai said, kneeling down to examine the boy himself.

“Okay, I’ll take him back to Konoha, we’re not far. You and Pakkun keep going and be on the lookout for the others. Once I get him to the hospital I’ll try to catch up to you. You said the kid’s left directions, right?” Kakashi asked, lifting Choji off the ground.

“Yes, we’ll stick to their path. Follow the arrows on the way back to us, I’ll bet it leads us right towards them,” Gai helped reposition their bags while Kakashi got Choji on his back. 

“Good plan. I’ll see you soon.”

With a curt nod, Kakashi headed back the direction they came while Gai and Pakkun carried on.

Chapter Text

The two jonins didn't have to travel for more than twenty minutes before Pakkun found another scent.

"Woah," the nindog said, caught off guard by the pungent stench.

"What is it?” Gai asked, anxiety eating at his stomach. Seeing Choji on the brink of death had him worrying about Lee even more.

“Blood. Lots of blood, almost directly under us,” Pakkun said with a grim look as he scanned the area below them.

Gai gave him a slight nod, and they both made a quick descent to the ground. What awaited them was horrifying. Spider webs, arrows, kunai, and blood covered the land. 

" Dear God, please don't let this be Lee. Nothing could possibly be worse than seeing Lee like this."  

As he made his way deeper into the clearing, he found trees splintered and craters dug deep into the ground. Something about the craters looked familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it until he approached the body in the middle of the scene. 

His anxiety nearly erupted.

“Lee. Oh God. No, no, no, no, not Lee,” he thought, breaking into a full sprint towards the slumped figure. And yet, to Gai's dismay, it was Neji’s body who awaited him in the clearing. He was wrong. There was something worse than seeing Lee.

        He wanted to throw up. His student was maimed. Torn through his chest and side. Bloodied by kunai. Broken and bruised by an opponent far out of the 13-year old’s league. Gai dropped to his knees, trying to make sense of the scene that lay out in front of him. Neji was slumped on the ground, covered in fresh blood that seeped through his shirt. " This is bad." He wasn't moving. "This is really bad." He carefully rolled the genin onto his back, taking in the extent of his wounds, being careful not to make them worse. "He's still breathing, barely. Thank God. Keep fighting Neji, you can do this…" Gai's gaze wandered to the body that lay across from his student. "Dead. Atta-boy Neji." Taking out his medical supplies, Gai yelled for Pakkun. He very gently removed the boy’s ruined shirt. Neji grimaced when Gai applied alcohol to clean his wounds. "Please wake up."  

He swiped at Neji’s chest with a rag, “Maybe it’s not as bad as it seems, whatever it was couldn’t have pierced that deep. The wound is so close to his heart, it would’ve killed him instantly if it really had gone that far.” He yelled in Pakkun’s direction again when he didn't show up. A strained moan pulled his attention back to the boy. Neji’s face was contorted into a painful grimace. His lips trembled as if he might cry.

“...Neji?” Gai asked, cautiously. The boy winced at his voice. Gai’s eyes widened, “Neji. Neji. Come on, I need you to wake up,”  he said in the calmest, mother-hen-esk voice he could muster while gently shaking him.

Slowly, his eyes opened to half-mast and Gai let out a sigh of relief. 

“Oh thank God, Neji, do you understand me?”

The boy blinked slowly then groaned as a wave of fresh pain crashed across his face. Gai winced.  “ Oh Neji, what happened?”  

“Okay, Neji. If you can understand me, I need you to listen,” he said, returning to the medical equipment. “We’re going to get you back to the hospital. I need you to stay awake. I know you’re tired, but it’s very important that you don’t fall asleep, okay?”

The genin coughed as Gai put pressure on the wound in his chest, blood staining his cheeks. Gai clenched his jaw out of worry and moved Neji into the recovery position. Gai bent down to his eye level and gently patted his head. He saw true, genuine fear staring back at him. 

“It’s okay, Neji. I’m going to get you home. You’re too youthful to die that easily,” he said with a smile.

Neji’s eyes blinked with recognition, “S-s-s-en-s-s-sei?” He croaked out, his trembling body making him stutter.

“Yes, Neji. It’s me. It’s sensei,” he replied softly.

“I-it h-h-h-ur-ts,” he cried, as he grasped at the hole in his side and curled in on himself.

“I know, I know. Let me see,” Gai said, gently prodding at his student’s hands, “I need you to be strong, okay?”

Neji nodded as much as he could, fear returning to the surface as he removed his shaky, blood covered hand.

The hit came from the front, he could tell by the way the muscle caved in toward the wound instead of out, away from it like the injury in his shoulder. From the back he could clearly count the six kunai and 2 exit wounds that threatened his student’s life. Blood oozed with every gasping breath. The injuries from the kunai were at least 3 inches deep, why Neji dared to remove them from his back, Gai didn’t know, but he made a mental note to reprimand him for making such a careless, life threatening mistake when he was safe.

  “ If I can get him there in time. Wait no. Stop that. You’re going to get him a medic, you’re going to get him to the hospital, and you’re going to save his life. Then you’re going to reprimand,” he thought to himself, rolling Neji to his back again. 

Truth be told, he was more worried about these puncture wounds than the kunai. 

“Neji, what did he hit you with?”

“A-a-rr-ow.”

Well at least he was responsive. 

Pulling himself from his stupor, Gai applied pressure to his student's injuries skillfully and started to apply bandages to his chest and lower torso, only to have the blood seep through the thick layers of cotton. To his credit, Neji did his best to keep still. But he trembled horribly and a small wince would escape when Gai prodded a bit too much. 

"Gai- Oh no," Pakkun's sentence was abruptly ended by the sight of the poor Hyuga boy, "Is that…"

"Neji… Neji Hyuga. He's my student, and my responsibility…And he needs immediate medical attention." Gai was quick to stop the tears that were forming in his eyes. "Maybe I wasn't meant to teach."

What happened?"

“He said he was hit by an arrow. It looks like he got several kunai to the back too, and nasty looking cuts on his arm and face. They're all pretty deep, and he's lost quite a lot of blood, as you can probably tell. Good news is he’s responsive…," Gai was grim with his answer, as he continued to administer bandages to his student.

"Hey kid, we’re going to get you out of here. I promise,” Pakkun said, making eye contact with the genin. “What do you suggest? We'll have to get him to the hospital as soon as possible, but we can't abort the mission," he said, turning back to Gai.

" He's right…" Gai was silent for a second, applying pressure to the particularly gruesome wound to Neji's shoulder. 

He opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by the Hyuga, coughing up blood again. "No, Neji, stay with me. Stay strong. Fight through this."  

Refusing to let go of the pressure, Gai turned the boy’s head to the side, allowing for the bloody spit to drain. With his free hand, he gently stroked Neji’s arm while he and Pakkun waited for the coughing to cease and Neji shuttered with discomfort. 

“He’s freezing,” Gai realized when he reached for Neji’s hand.

 Once the episode ended, Gai began wrapping Neji's shoulder, "I suppose you should continue on without me. I'll take Neji back to the hospital. Kakashi is probably on his way back out to catch up with us. If I run into him, I'll point him in the right direction."

"Very well. Best of luck. Neji, you’ve done well and served your village proudly." Pakkun bowed to the boy lying between him and Gai, and took off forwards.

Gai directed his attention back to the boy on the ground. He was completely out of it again. He was clearly in pain. His face screwed together with a grimace that Gai knew wouldn’t easily go away. He wished he had something stronger than ibuprofen on him, but it was all he could offer. 

“Neji, I have some pain medicine if you think you can stomach it.”

He quickly applied the last of his bandages, trying to be as careful as possible as he waited for a response,“Neji? Neji! Stay awake, please .” 

He shook the boy harder than he should’ve but it got him the desired result. Neji’s eyes popped open and he winced. 

“Do you want some ibuprofen?” He asked again.

Neji gave a weak nod. Gai dug out the pills and moved to Neji’s head. He gently picked the boy’s head off the ground and leaned him against his chest. Neji almost broke down in tears at the movement. 

“Ssh…ssh…I know, I know. But you can’t drink laying down, you’ll choke,” Gai lifted the pills in front of Neji’s mouth, coaxing it open. His lips trembled as Gai placed the pills in his mouth and lifted the canteen to them. He drank greedily.

“Woah, woah. Slow down, you’ll make yourself sick,” Gai said, pulling the jug away once he was sure Neji had enough.

With his energy spent, Neji relaxed completely into his chest. Gai sighed. He was prepped for this. They told him this would happen. But Genin injuries were always broken legs, dislocations, maybe a concussion. But between Lee and Neji, he’s starting to see the real, serious danger he was throwing these kids into.

  “I have to train them harder. I won’t be the reason they die.”

Gai could feel the rattle in his student’s lungs when he breathed. That couldn’t be good. Surely he couldn’t have already gotten sick? It’d only been a day or two. He tried recalling how Neji behaved at their last practice. He didn’t seem under the weather. 

“S-sensei…?”

Gai broke from his thoughts, “Yes, Neji? What is it?”

“C-c-cold.”

Absolutely not a good sign. It was a bit windy but couldn’t be any cooler than 70°. 

Gai rubbed some heat into his arms gently,“Let’s get you home.” 

He shimmied out of his shinobi vest and lightly wrapped it around Neji, hoping it might protect him from the cold, but the vest swallowed him. Gai frowned. Neji was smaller than he thought. Or, Gai was bigger than he thought. There was a 14 year age gap after all and Neji was just a hair taller than Tenten, their most petite team member. 

He maneuvered out from behind his student. He did his best to pick him up gently by coaxing Neji’s arms around his neck but he cried out in pain when Gai accidentally tugged on his injured shoulder. 

“Sh, sh,shhh… it’s okay, it’s okay. Did that hurt?” Gai asked, spinning back to face the genin. 

Neji nodded as small whimpers escaped his throat. A trembling hand clutched his injured shoulder. Gai clenched his jaw. This wasn’t going to work. The kid was in agony from the small movement.

“Sshh… I know, I know, it hurts. I’ll…I’ll fix it. Sensei will fix it.” 

Gai looked around to find anything he could use as a sling. His eyes landed on the blood-spattered beige shirt that he’d tossed to the side earlier. Working quickly, he tied off two ends and maneuvered it around Neji’s neck and under his arm.

“Here. You can rest your arm in this. There we go. That should keep it from moving too much.”

Neji was never really one for words, yet Gai always knew he was listening. But right now, he wasn’t so sure. He panted heavily, eyes glued shut. Gai’s stomach squirmed. He didn’t even recognize the kid in front of him. His entire torso was wrapped in several layers of cotton, with just slivers of spared skin peaking through. Red already started pushing through the thick barriers. His hair was splayed wildly on the ground and laid limply over his shoulders, the ends matted with blood.  

The boy laid in the dirt, curling deeper and deeper into the fetal position as he tried desperately to block out the pain. He squeezed his shoulder with as much strength as he could muster but it did nothing to relieve the suffering. It was the worst thing Gai had ever seen. 

He tried again, this time picking up Neji from the front with his legs under one arm and his back under the other.  The genin still grimaced at the movement but he didn’t seem to be in any more pain. With his student now resting in his arms, Gai took off for the trees. 

Chapter Text

“This part of the forest just has to have the roughest terrain,” he thought as he launched off another branch. He tried to be careful, but they didn’t have the luxury of taking things slow. Neji winced with every movement. On two of the rougher landings, he’d hack up more blood. Gai clenched his jaw. If he strained his ears, he swore he could hear the tiniest of wimpers.

This was unprecedented. 

The boy even showed up for training that time his curse seal was activated. It’d only been a couple of hours since the event and yet the boy refused to show any discomfort except for some obvious sensitivity to sound and light. Gai had seen him angry, frustrated, annoyed, dazed, confused, even happy, but never scared and rarely vulnerable. The childlike genin in his arms was a far cry from the stoic boy who almost killed his cousin out of spite.

"Kakashi!" Gai yelled, catching the fellow jonin just below him.

The Copy Cat Ninja looked up to see his rival descending to his level, "Gai, is that..." he couldn't bring himself to complete the question.

"Yeah," Gai was clearly distraught, "He needs medical attention immediately. Please tell me you’ve requested the medical corps." 

He set Neji down to rest against the tree’s trunk. The kid was much lighter than he expected, but holding him bridal style for 45 minutes while sprinting through the forest was exhausting. Gai prided himself on his strength but even he needed a break at times. And surely Neji needed one as well. 

"Tsunade-sama said she would send them out shortly after I left. Where's Pakkun?"

"I told him to go on with the mission, but I'd send you his way…Do you have any extra bandages with you? Neji bled through everything I had.”

Gai bent back down to examine his student.  Pulling the vest off revealed the bloody mess underneath. Neji shivered. He was completely out of it. He stared off into the distance, panting with every shaky breath, and completely oblivious to the conversation happening right next to him. 

“I have about three rolls, but I need at least one in case one of the others are in a similar condition,” Kakashi said, eyeing the genin. He reached into his pack and handed the roll of cotton to Gai.

“Thank you, the injury to his chest just keeps bleeding.”

Neji suddenly gagged. His whole body jerked as he dispelled the contents of his stomach. Gai pulled his hair back just in time for the ibuprofen to come back up. Bloody bile puddled next to him.

Kakashi winced and knelt down next to the two, wiping the kid’s mouth with one hand and placing the other comfortingly on Neji’s head, “Hey kiddo, Your sensei is going to get you back, don’t you worry. And before you know it, you’ll be so high on painkillers, you’ll feel like you’re floating. Trust me, being doped up on morphine is the best,” he joked. 

Neji leaned into the touch. 

Gai couldn’t help the small smile. Kakashi had a soft spot for the boy. Probably because he reminded him of Sasuke. And like them both, Kakashi was too talented for his own good.  He imagined this was almost as hard on his best friend as it was for him.

Kakashi frowned, “Gai, he feels warm.”

Knots clenched in his stomach. 

“His hands are cold as ice,” he murmured, tying off the rest of the bandages. He unscrewed the canteen and lifted it to the boy’s lips, “Neji, I want you to take a drink, okay?”

Kakashi's hand lingered on Neji’s forehead then moved to the hand closest to him to assess the difference. He looked up at Gai worriedly, “I think I have an emergency thermal blanket. Let me check.”

Gai felt hope for the first time since finding Neji, “Y-yes. Please, he’s been trembling since I found him.”

Kakashi sifted through his pack, glancing back at the genin, “Poison?”

“Don’t think so. There’s no discoloration around the injuries. No, Neji, it’s water. I need you to swallow it.”

“Maybe it’s discreet?” Kakashi asked, dropping the blanket to wipe the dribble from Neji’s lips.

“The battlefield was obliterated and his injuries are…gruesome. The guy he fought strikes me as more of the violent type than silent and deadly.”

“He might just be in shock. Serious trauma, severe blood loss, dehydrated, unfocused and distant; he ticks all the boxes.”

Neji was valiantly fighting sleep, but he seemed to be losing. If he was in shock, it was beginning to wear off.

“Or infection…or both,” Kakashi suggested, handing one end of the blanket over to his friend.

Gai didn’t respond, choosing to turn his full attention to tucking the blanket around Neji’s shoulders. He was hoping it was just shock, or even an infection. The only other option he could think of was his curse mark entering its final stage. When he first heard that a Hyuga – a  branch family Hyuga – was joining his team, Gai immediately began researching their class system. 

When he learned that his student was the nephew of the Hyuga’s clan leader, he naively assumed that as his next-of-kin, Hiashi would be kind and supportive. But when Gai asked for the tell-tale signs of the curse mark’s different stages, he scoffed and shut the door in his face. He spent six months all but begging Hiashi to let him know what to look for if Neji’s life was ending, but the most he ever got was, “When it happens, you will know.”

“S-s-sensei?”

Gai broked from his stupor and looked up at Neji, but his student was faced vaguely in Kakashi’s direction.

Kakashi shot a concerned look to Gai, “Yes, Neji. It’s Kakashi-sensei. Can you drink some water for me?” he said gently, lifting the bottle to his lips. 

“W-where’s-s-s-sen-s-sei?” He asked, pulling away from it.

Kakashi stared back at Gai. A very bad sign. 

“I’m right here, Neji,” Gai said softly, gently pulling his chin to face him. The genin’s eyes softened, relief flushing over him. “Are you okay?”

“Mmm tired…”

“I know. We’re almost home. You can sleep really soon, but it’s very important you stay awake. Please, drink some water, it’ll help,” Gai said with anxiety gripping his heart. He took the canteen back from Kakashi and placed it to Neji’s lips. “Thank you,” he said, sighing with relief when the boy finally took a sip. 

With the side quest complete, he stood back up to resume their journey.

Kakashi placed another hand against Neji’s cheek, “Make sure you mention this fever when you get him back. I swear I can feel him getting warmer.”

He was right, the kid was beginning to look flushed, “I think his breathing is getting worse too.”

“Yeah, they’re definitely crackling,” Kakashi rubbed his eyes with worry after taking a moment to assess Neji’s lungs.

Dread overtook him. 

“I better get moving then. I'll drop Neji off, and make my way back to you and Pakkun," Gai said, hating the plan.

“No, Gai. Come on, don't be ridiculous. Stay with him.”

“I can’t just abandon–,”

“You’re not. You took an oath to protect your students. He’s your primary mission,” Kakashi said, nodding to the boy. “If not for yourself, then stay for him. He’s fourteen. He’s scared. He needs someone with him.”

“Thirteen, actually,” he murmured. He looked back at the vulnerable boy.

  “Thirteen. Thirteen and already staring death in the face.” He swallowed his anxiety and turned back to Kakashi.

  He gave the other man a slight smile of gratitude, "Thank you Kakashi. It means more than you know. Good luck."

"You too" Kakashi meant it more for Neji, than for Gai.

Not wasting any time, he gently picked up his student and flew off towards Konoha.

Chapter Text

Gai was often told his training style was too intense, especially for kids, but right now he was making half a day’s trip in under an hour with a hundred pounds of dead weight. Next time someone wants to give him shit, he’s using this as an example.

Neji passed out shortly after their detour with Kakashi. Gai tried jostling him awake, but the kid was out cold. In all honesty, he was surprised at how long the boy managed to stay awake, although pain was a natural stimulant. And as concerned as he was, Gai was admittedly relieved. He could go much faster now without whimpers of pain guilting him into a slower pace. If anything, the gasps of air forcing their way into his student’s lungs made him move faster than even he thought possible. And good thing too, because by the time they reached the gates of Konoha, Neji’s breaths had turned into harsh wheezes. 

“I need medics!” He shouted up at the guards looking down at him, “I have a genin in critical condition!”

The guards nodded and briefly spoke amongst themselves. One stepped out of view while the other called down, “We’re alerting the hospital now. Can you describe his condition?”

“Severe bleeding, puncture wounds, sharp-force trauma to his back, chest, and side. A-and I think he’s sick. He’s warm and having trouble breathing.”

“Very well, we’ll let the medics know. Head for the trauma unit, they’ll be waiting for you.”

Gai nodded gratefully and took off for the hospital. 

The medics were already waiting with a gurney when he burst through the doors, “Lay him down here,” one of them said. 

He did as he was told and followed the team into the emergency room. “H-he was unconscious when I found him but he came too shortly after. He passed out again maybe forty-five minutes ago. A-and his breathing’s been getting worse and worse. And he’s burning up.” He watched as monitors were attached and IVs were administered.

The medics removed the thermal blanket and began undressing the wounds, peeling back sticky layers of cotton to reveal the gruesome wounds underneath. “What did this?”

“Arrows, I think. That’s what he said. But there are more on his back, I think those were kunai.”

“We’re going to need Lady Tsunade,” the first medic said grimly after assessing the damage.

“She’s in surgery with the Akimichi boy,” replied the other, pumping chakra into the genin’s chest.

“Then Shizune. His blood pressure’s tanking and his O2 sats are sitting at 89. I think we’re going to have to enact chakra stasis.”

“Hai,” the second said with a bow. He exited the room and raced down the hall. Gai’s jaw clenched instinctively as he watched the doctor place an oxygen mask over his student’s face and hung a unit of blood. 

“What happened to his arm?”

“I’m not sure. I think the arrow to his chest injured his shoulder. He can barely move it. Even just barely lifting it had him in agony.”

The medic nodded as he examined the damage, “That makes sense. It looks like his subscapularis and infraspinatus muscles were shredded. When he was conscious, was he cognizant? Could he answer questions?”

“Kind of. He was responsive and recognized me, but he was pretty out of it. At one point he asked where I was but I was sitting right next to him and had just talked to him moments earlier. I don’t think he really understood where he was or what had happened.”

“That’s pretty normal for trauma cases like this. Blood loss and shock can cause disorientation. But I’m worried that he might be concussed. There’s a pretty significant bump back here,” replied the doctor, prodding gently at the back of Neji’s head.

“What do we have?” Boomed Shizune’s voice as she entered the room, looking up from a medical chart.

“Thirteen, male. Severe sharp-force trauma to the chest and side with exit wounds and more trauma to the  back causing significant hemorrhaging. Possible concussion, but it’s hard to tell in Hyugas from just a light test. We’ll need an MRI. Hypotensive, hypoxemic, thready heartbeat, and his chakra levels are bottoming out. Exit wounds are clear but messy. He’s also burning a 102º fever and…,” the medic paused to listen to Neji’s chest, “It sounds like there’s fluid in his lungs,” he replied, pulling the stethoscope out from his ears. “I recommended chakra stasis.” 

Shizune nodded curtly, “Yes, I think that’s our best chance, get started. Let’s prep OR 7 for a Healing Resuscitative Regeneration surgery. We’re moving the second he’s stable.”

Gai stood just outside the room, clutching the door frame with all his strength. He wasn’t familiar with chakra stasis but it didn’t sound good. He watched as Shizune took over and pumped chakra into his student. With a groan, Neji slowly opened his eyes. 

“Hi, sweetie. Can you tell me your name?” 

Neji blinked slowly, squinting at the bright light above her.

“You’re in the hospital. Can you please tell me your name?” She asked again, a bit slower and louder.

Neji winced and turned his head from side to side, eyes going wild with panic.

“Hey, hey, that’s okay. There’s a lot going on,” she said, stroking his hair comfortingly, “I’m Doctor Shizune. Can you take some deep breaths for me? Like this,” Shizune asked sweetly, mimicking the motion for him to follow.

A moment of recognition graced his face as he tried to copy her, but a painful, stabbing feeling in his side had him doubled over and twisting sideways. 

“No, no, Neji we need you to lie still. I know it hurts but we need to place chakra seals over the injuries before we can take you into surgery,” Shizune said, trying to get the boy to lay flat with the help of two other medics. For a kid who couldn’t even hold himself up an hour ago, he had a surprising amount of strength left in him.

Neji heaved suddenly. Bloody bile splattered against the inside of the oxygen mask and leaked out the sides. A nurse quickly turned his head to the side and removed the mask while another started cleaning up the mess. 

“Suction!” Shouted Shizune, and a long tube appeared in front of her.

 Neji heaved again. Gai winced, there couldn’t be much for him to throw up. He watched the boy cough weakly as tears welled up in his eyes. They waited for the assistant to finish with the suction and returned him to his back.

Shizune laid a chakra-laced hand over his forehead and frowned, “I guess you were trying to tell us something, weren’t you?” Neji relaxed into her soothing touch. A damp washcloth cleared away the mess on his face. He weakly tried to pull away when a new mask was placed over his mouth. “Ssh…ssh…It’s okay, it’s going to help,” She said with a sympathetic frown. “Where are we?”

“Chakra seals are in place. I think we’re ready.”

“Good. Let’s introduce the anesthetic. Neji, I want you to count backwards from ten, okay?”

Gai wasn’t convinced that the kid understood what she was saying, but his eyes closed as if on command. The racing beep of the heart monitor slowed slightly. Shizune stared intently at the monitor with one hand still glowing over her patient’s brow. Gai focused on Neji’s softened features. It was rare to see him so tranquil. He often wore a scowl. The few times he could recall him looking so peaceful were mostly when he was asleep on missions, and that one time he found him cloud watching alone in a field. And with his body littered with injuries and his curse mark visible without even his signature straps to frame his face, he didn’t even recognize the boy. 

Gai's heart pulled painfully. This world had been cruel to him. Brought up to be stoic and straight-laced. Punished inhumanely for showcasing anything but loyalty for the ones who made him that way. His father ripped from him as a statement of that loyalty. Denied a deserving title without even consideration because of circumstances he couldn’t control. No wonder his student always seemed troubled. 

“Alright, let’s go. Ryoko, you know the kanji, right? Good. I’ll be right there, get started,” Shizune directed as she stepped away from the gurney. 

Gai looked up to find her looking back at him. He stepped out of the way as the team of medics rushed Neji past him and down the hall. He stared back for a moment, unsure of where to even start, “Shizune…will he…”

She gave him a sympathetic sigh as she took off her gloves, “In all honesty Gai, I don’t know. He was semi-responsive and oriented enough to know to turn his head when he was sick. Those are good signs.”

“What’s a…chakra stasis?”

“It’s a type of chakra seal, but for serious hemorrhaging. Instead of creating essentially a big bandaid like we do with seals, we can temporarily create channels, like veins or arteries, for blood to flow through. It’s no replacement for a blood transfusion or actual cell regeneration, but for cases like Neji’s it’ll keep his blood pressure from bottoming out while we operate. He’s lost a lot of blood and the surgery we’re about to perform won’t allow for any medical equipment to interfere.”

“How long can the…chakra veins hold?”

“Well that’s the tricky part. In some cases they can hold for days, but it’s easily disrupted by foreign chakra. The reason chakra stasis works is because it’s built from the host’s own network.”

“But they said he barely had any left.”

“We start with a transfer, then with enough chakra in his reserves, we can use what was remaining to build the channels.”

“Okay.. what…what about the surgery?”

Shizune gave the man a sympathetic smile, “It’s pretty complicated, Gai–”

“Please.”

Shizune eyed him and sighed, “We use a source from the host, typically hair, to act as a medium between our chakra and his body. Since hair contains dead stem cells, we are able to reanimate them and use his chakra to rebuild new cells. What was once skin cells can now be organ tissue or veins. Since our chakra is working in the same area as the recently built channels, they’ll start to deteriorate faster than normal. It can put a lot of stress on the body, and not something I normally recommend for young patients, but it’s his best chance. We’ve pumped him full of morphine and put him under anesthetic, so we don’t anticipate him to feel any pain. Our main concern is if the bleeding returns. Our main priority is to stop it. Once that is done we can start repairing the rest of the damage…It can be a long surgery. You’re welcome to wait but I’d recommend going home, taking a shower, maybe a nap. We won’t have anything to update on for at least a couple of hours.”

Gai looked hurt, “I can’t just leave him. He–He needs me.” 

“I promise, if there’s any news before you return, we’ll send someone for you. Leave your address at the nurses’ station.”

Gai looked away and gave her a curt nod after a moment, “Is there anything I can do?”

Shizune smiled sadly, “You got him here quickly and you dressed his wounds. You did everything right. If you want, you could inform his parents, otherwise we’ll send someone for them,” she said, stepping past him and heading for the hallway.

Gai followed after her, “But…His parents are dead.”

“Then his next-of-kin. Whoever takes care of him. He’s a Hyuga. Surely he has other family. I’m sorry, Gai, I am, but they can’t start this surgery without me. I have to go.” Shizune rushed past the operating doors leaving Gai stranded behind the yellow caution line.

Chapter Text

He didn’t tell Hiashi, but he did make sure to tell the nurse to inform whoever did tell him to also mention that Gai wasn’t leaving his side. They were going on hour 2 when a nurse came up to him. 

“Maito Gai?”

He looked up from his hands, “Yes?”

“One of your students was brought in not long ago and we were told to inform you.”

Gai grit his teeth. Maybe he should’ve just gone to Hiashi, at least the information would’ve gotten to the right person. “I know, I brought him in. Hours ago.”

The nurse gave him a confused look, “This boy came in about 30 minutes ago. I admitted him myself. The only other person with him was a genin from the sand.”

 Gai stared back, confused as she was.

 “He said his name was Lee?”

“LEE!? Why didn’t you say so? Where is he?” Gai pushed away the guilt of forgetting this all started because he was worried about Lee, and sprang to his feet, leading the nurse out of the waiting room. 

She scurried after him, “Room 147. He’s a bit worse from wear but I don’t see why he can’t be discharged later today.”

They arrived at the door and the nurse gestured for him to enter before walking back to her station. He took a deep breath and opened the door.

“Gai-Sensei!” Lee was sitting up in bed, face as animated as ever with nothing but an IV sticking out of his arm. Gai let out a breath of relief. 

“Lee! Oh thank God you’re alright,” he all but yelled. He approached the bed and scanned his body. When everything seemed satisfactory he turned his attention to the kunoichi sitting cross legged at the end of his bed, “And Tenten! Our flower. It’s so good to see both of you so youthful and healthy.” He gave Tenten a bone crushing hug and didn’t let go until she started to squirm. 

“Gai-Sensei, you’re crushing me.”

“I know, I know, I’m sorry,” he said, releasing her. 

 Lee and Tenten exchanged quizzical looks. Gai was often overbearing but this was over the top. 

“What’s the big deal? I wasn’t even on a mission. We trained together literally yesterday,” Tenten asked.

Rocks dropped in his stomach. He was acting out of character and they could tell something was upsetting him. He decided an hour into Neji’s surgery that he wouldn’t tell Lee or Tenten until there was something to tell them. “It’s nothing, I just got so worried when you ran off Lee!” He said with fake anger, turning the conversation back on his bed-bound student. 

Tears began to well-up in his eyes, “I’m sorry Sensei! When Shikamaru recruited Neji for the mission I got frustrated. I wanted to prove to myself that I was capable of being a splendid ninja!”

Gai placed a comforting hand on Lee to get him to stop crying momentarily, then crushed him with a hug as well, “Oh Lee! The flames of youth have inspired you once again!” He couldn’t believe he could feel so much relief at this moment. He was sick with worry not 10 minutes ago.

“Helloooo! I’m still here!” Tenten said, rolling her eyes, “Speaking of Neji, where is he? The nurses said all the team members returned already, except for Naruto.”

The rocks returned. Gai released Lee and gave him a once over to buy himself some time. He patted both of his shoulders and stepped towards the window to open the blinds, “Neji was admitted a few hours ago,” he said, trying to be vague.

“Is he okay? We heard Kiba and Akamaru got pretty beat up.”

“And Choji is apparently in emergency surgery!” Lee added.

Gai clenched his teeth. “He’s…in good hands. When you’re feeling better Lee, we can all go visit him.”

“Oh please do not wait for me, Sensei! You and Tenten should go keep him company. The nurses said I can leave in the next couple of hours.”

“Yeah I have to know about this spider guy Shikamaru told me about. Is he on this floor?”

The Sound-nin’s body flashed in his mind, “Yes, but…he’s in a different wing. He needs to rest, Tenten.” 

Technically not a lie. 

Tenten stared at him with narrowed eyes and a furrowed brow, clearly not buying what he was saying. She looked back at Lee. They must’ve been reading each other's minds because they both looked back at him. 

“What happened?” They both asked.

Gai bit his tongue. Tenten was beginning to get that worried look in her eye. As far as Gai knew, Neji was her best friend. He wouldn’t be surprised if she even had a little crush on the boy. Gai sighed. He swore, she could read people better than anyone else he knew. 

“He’s in surgery.” 

“What!?”

“What happened?!”

“He received some very serious injuries that have medics concerned. But they have the best doctors in Konoha assisting the operation.”

“Is he going to be okay?”

Gai clenched his jaw. That was a loaded question. The honest answer was that he didn’t know; that even Shizune seemed worried. “We’ll know more once he’s out of surgery.”

His students did not look convinced, “Have you seen him? What was wrong?” Tenten asked, practically yelling at Gai.

“Yes,” Gai paused. He wasn’t sure if telling them he was the one who found Neji would upset them or reassure them, “He was awake right before surgery, but very disoriented. I don’t know all the details of what happened, just that his opponent was very strong but Neji still defeated him.” 

Also technically not a lie. Gai watched Tenten relax and Lee let out an exaggerated sigh of relief. Although it was clear that the two were still on edge.

“But Lee I must hear this harrowing battle of yours! Tell me everything.” 

Lee lit up with delight and launched into a very detailed description from the moment he left the hospital to the moment he returned. Gai was admittedly shocked to hear Gaara was not just his ally but apparently his new friend. His youthful spirit must’ve forgiven the boy for nearly killing him just a few months ago. By the time he wrapped up the story, another hour had passed. His students were a nice distraction but the anxiety had climbed back up his throat. He used the entry of a nurse as his sign to leave. 

“Alright you two, I better get back to your teammate,” he said, standing up from the chair.

“Can I come?” Asked Tenten, already making the move to stand up. 

Gai bit his lip, “It’s just the waiting room, Tenten. It won’t be exciting. You’ll have more fun here with Lee.”

Tenten groaned and rolled her eyes dramatically as she flopped back on the bed.  

Gai chuckled as he made his way to the door, “I’ll come back when I have an update.”

Chapter Text

Gai was getting antsy. It’d been over five hours and the red light still glowed above the operating room. Lee and Tenten found him about an hour ago, after Lee was discharged. He was drumming up a reason for them to go home when Hiashi entered the waiting area. It was a rare moment where he was glad to see him. His students were understandably wary and decided that maybe going home to eat was a good idea after all.

Gai looked up from his hands. Hiashi finished the stack of forms he was filling in about 30 minutes ago. He’d been meditating ever since. Or at least, he assumed that’s what he was doing. He held the same posture Neji had when he would meditate. He thought the older man would’ve at least asked him what happened, but he’d been mostly silent other than a polite hello when he first sat down.  Gai took off his vest and went to lay it on the chair next to him but stopped when he saw the blood coating the inside. Dark puddles marked where Neji had been hit, red radiating out from the center. His heart leapt into his throat. Images flashed of Neji in the oversized vest; the blood-drenched bandages; the way he thought Neji was dead when he first found him. A shiver ran down his spine.

 Without thinking, he dropped the vest on the floor. Hiashi looked down, mouth tightening into a thin line. They both silently stared at it. 

“When I found him…he was bleeding through all the bandages I had and his shirt was nothing but tatters, which turned out to be a blessing because I had to use it as a sling. He said he was cold and my vest was all I had on me to keep him warm.”

Hiashi nodded, his eyes meeting Gai’s. He wasn’t sure if it was meant as an invite to continue but he did anyway. 

“The field was covered in these…kaiten sized craters…I know you had to punish him for stealing the jutsu, but it saved his life. I’m not sure when he became such a master at it, I’ve only ever seen him manage three at most before getting too drained to continue, and that was only during training. But I guess when it’s life or death, you go all in, right?”

Hiashi nodded, bringing his eyes back down to the vest.

“You’d be proud. His enemy was dead and from the looks of it. His first kill, if I’m not mistaken. Neji put up quite a fight.”

A slight smirk momentarily graced Hiashi’s face.

“He was unconscious when I found him but he came too not long after. I could tell he was scared, but what thirteen year old wouldn’t be in that situation, you know? It’s weird. Neji is so calm and level-headed most of the time. He’s usually who I can count on during missions to keep the rest of the team focused, especially in high-stress situations…You know one time he broke his ankle while we were ambushed? Didn’t even flinch! Fought on it with full weight and everything, you wouldn’t have known he was injured. Then when the fight was over and we’d won, he very calmly asked Tenten for a splint and probably would’ve reset the bone himself if I hadn’t seen him limping towards a tree to rest. I was amazed. It was a bad break that needed serious medical attention, and it was the first real injury that my students had seen. And he handled it like a seasoned Jonin, not a fresh-out-of-the-academy-Genin.” 

Gai wasn’t sure why he was being so open with the man, but it felt right and Hiashi seemed to be interested in the story. “In that moment, on our very long, slow walk back to Konoha—because God forbid Neji let me carry him back—I knew that he wasn’t afraid of this career. That he understood the risks and wasn’t afraid of them. Which is pretty rare for a new Genin. It can take years of missions to finally get jaded from the work.

“But…earlier today, when I found him and he opened his eyes…” He struggled to find the words, “Well, it was like how I imagined he should’ve  reacted to breaking his ankle. He was scared, and confused, and clearly in shock… And he was in a lot of pain. I think that’s what surprised me the most. I mean, the kid didn’t even flinch when his ankle snapped in four places. I was able to get him to take a couple of ibuprofen but–”

“He’s allergic.”

Gai shot him a quizzical look, “What?”

“Neji is allergic to ibuprofen. It’s mild, but he breaks out in hives and develops a fever. His mother was the same.”

Gai stared in genuine shock. Why hadn’t anyone ever told him that? 

“He’s never told me that.”

Hiashi was silent for a moment. Gai couldn’t quite read him, but he seemed deep in thought. “Perhaps he didn’t think it was pertinent. It’s only a mild allergy after all, and the last time it happened he was three.”

Gai was furious. If not Neji, then surely Hiashi should’ve let him know. He was responsible for this kid on all missions, didn’t he realize that? “Considering he was vomiting blood all the way up until they knocked him out for surgery, I think it is pertinent.”

“I agree. I would’ve expected Neji to be more responsible.”

“Does he even know he’s allergic? He was a toddler when this happened. I sure as hell don’t remember being three years old, do you? You’re his guardian, Hiashi! He’s a kid. He’s going to make mistakes. Our jobs are to make sure those mistakes don’t get him killed. If you knew there was an important piece of medical information, then you should’ve told me. Otherwise I wouldn’t have ever offered it to him in the first place.”

The words burst out of him before he even had a chance to process them. He stared at Hiashi, too afraid to even blink. What had he just done? This was Hyuga Lord . Arguably more powerful than the Hokage herself. And he just reprimanded him publicly. But…More importantly, he was Neji’s guardian. He stood by what he said even if he could admit the delivery left something to be desired.

Hiashi closed his eyes and bowed his head. He was silent for a long moment. So long that Gai wondered if he was ever going to respond. “I know.”

He wasn’t expecting that. Gai blinked, “It doesn’t really matter. He threw up the pills before they had a chance to dissolve. And from what I could tell, there wasn’t a rash.”

Hiashi opened his eyes and nodded, head still bowed, “Did he complain about his eyes?”

Gai shot him a look of uncertainty, “No, why?”

“The nurse said his chakra was depleted. Our clan members often start to feel eye strain when our chakra is low.”

“Oh...He…didn’t really say much of anything. He was pretty out of it for most of the trip,” Gai said.  That was not what he was expecting, “I know I’ve asked you dozens of times. I know you say you can’t reveal clan secrets. But today as I was racing him back to Konoha, all I could think was, ‘How will I know if it’s too late? If he’s…if his curse mark is…’” He couldn’t finish the thought.

Hiashi sighed, drinking in the moment of silence, “It will just…fade away. It’s the last thing to go.”

He could’ve cheered. Inside his head he was running victory laps.. This was huge . Two years of having his nephew on his team and this was the most he and Hiashi had ever talked. And the Hyuga Lord said Gai was right and he was wrong?  And he finally got the answer to the curse mark? If his student wasn’t actively dying, this would’ve been a tremendous day. “That’s very helpful to know, thank you.”

They returned to their mutual silence, watching the fifth hour crawl into the sixth, when the red light suddenly went dark. They both turned and stared at the door in silence, trying to command it open. Shizune emerged minutes later. She was disheveled and clearly tired, but she wore a soft smile.

“He’s going to be okay.”

Relief crashed over him. He took a big gulp of air, not realizing he’d been holding his breath. Adrenaline raced through him. The rocks in his stomach vanished, “Oh thank you, Shizune. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

“You’ve trained him well, Gai. The kid just kept fighting. We did lose him twice, but he bounced back quickly.”

“When can we see him?”

“We’re moving him into the ICU now. There’s a few tests our team wants to run first and we want to give Neji a chance to rest. The operation was very hard on him, he’ll probably be in residual pain from it for a while.”

Gai’s mouth tightened. Shizune had intentionally danced around the question, “What about his lungs? He could barely breathe when I brought him in.”

“We have him on a ventilator with 100% oxygen, and it seems to be helping. We found fluid in his lungs, his left worse than his right. We won’t know for sure until we run a test, but I suspect he has pneumonia. If it is, we’ll have to monitor it closely. His immune system is already down from the stress of his injuries, and with an infection lowering it even more, he’ll be very susceptible to germs.”

“When will he wake up?” Hiashi chimed in.

Shizune gave him a sympathetic smile, “Honestly? I wouldn’t be surprised if he sleeps through all of tomorrow. Lord Hiashi, if you’d like to come with me I’d like to discuss his treatments, ” she said, gesturing into the operating room. 

The man stood and followed through the doorway. Gai clenched his jaw. Hiashi was his guardian, this was protocol, but he wished it wasn’t. 

Shizune lingered for a moment, “If you don’t mind waiting about 30 more minutes, I’ll let you take a peak,” she smiled.

A weight lifted off his chest. “Y-yes, I’ll wait right here:”

Shizune gave him a smile and disappeared back behind the door.

Chapter Text

It ended up being another hour before a nurse fetched him. But what was another sixty-minutes when he’s already been there for six hours? She led him out of the operating wing and across to the ICU. They passed six doors and landed at the seventh. 

“Lady Shizune said you can have five minutes. They want to take him for an MRI soon,” said the nurse, bowing before giving him privacy. 

Gai paused at the door. He could hear faint conversation from the room next door. He noted it was Choji’s, and sighed with relief. They were all okay. He put a shaky hand to the handle, twisted the knob, and opened the door. His heart leapt into his throat.  

The medical equipment swallowed his poor student. A bandaged cut was all that marked his relatively clean face, though Gai was painfully aware of his ashen skin.  His hair was notably shorter, but still longer than Tenten’s. A grimace plagued his face as he gasped into the mask. The tattered shirt was replaced with a light blue sling and bandages peeked out from under the hospital gown. A monitor tracking his vitals showed he had a 102.6° fever. His forehead was damp with sweat but he shivered under the blanket. A catheter in his right arm trailed a line to a pole packed with IV bags.  He wasn’t sure what they all were but he deduced one was blood and another had to be pain medication. Gai placed a comforting hand on Neji’s head. Someone had the decency to wrap his forehead for him. He’ll be grateful when he wakes up. 

“If you wanted more one-on-one attention you could’ve just asked. Didn’t have to go and get yourself nearly killed to get it,” Gai joked. 

Neji was politely defiant when it came to his scheduled one-on-one training sessions with Gai. He did what he was asked, took direction, and respected Gai through the whole hour, but rarely spoke and disappeared the moment Tenten showed up for her session. 

“I am so proud of you Neji. And I will be here for every step of your recovery. We’ll have you stronger and healthier than ever in no time.” 

He sat down in the chair, deciding that someone would come grab him when he overstayed his welcome, but as far as he saw it, sitting in silence wasn’t affecting Neji’s rest. For ten minutes all he did was watch his student sleep, studying the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest. He marveled at how young the teenager looked. Neji always looked older than he was. Gai assumed he just had one of those faces, but staring at his troubled features now, he could see the cracks in his facade. Images of Neji whimpering in his arms flashed before him. His student’s cries ringing in his ears. The feeling of blood dripping off his hands and the ache in his chest as Neji hacked up blood was still fresh in his mind. 

Gai shivered. He prayed to never find one of his students in that situation again. A movement caught his eye and he looked back at the bed and frowned. Neji’s grimace had grown stronger, heart racing as he thrashed his head from side to side. The medical equipment wailed loudly. 

Gai leapt from his chair and raced out the door.

“HELP! Please! He needs help!” He yelled. A nurse rushed from behind her station and into the room. “He was just fine a-and then this started happening!” Gai said, gesturing to the boy who was clearly in distress. 

 The nurse looked down at Neji with a sad smile, “He’s just having a nightmare.” She placed a glowing green hand on his forehead and whispered sweet nothings to him. “Poor thing. This fever’s just causing you all sorts of trouble, isn’t it?” 

Neji relaxed into her touch and slowly his frown melted away. The nurse watched the monitors as his heart rate slowly fell back to its rhythmic pattern. 

“It is normal, especially for young genin. The drugs we have him on may be intensifying the episode too. Poor thing must’ve been scared to death.”

“She has no idea,” thought Gai as images of Neji clutching his side in pain flashed before his eyes. “I’m sorry, I thought—I thought that something happened.”

The nurse smiled up at him, “It’s not a problem. I’m sure he appreciates it too. Nightmares are never fun. He’s under a 24 hour watch, which means we check in on him every hour. So I can assure you we’re keeping a very close eye on him.” She gave Neji a gentle pat and removed her hand. “Poor thing must be freezing,” she pulled the covers over Neji’s shoulder, “If you need anything else, you can always press this button.” She gestured to the button on the right-hand side of the bed, easily within Neji’s reach.

A gentle knock came from the door and a doctor stepped into the room. “Hello! I’m Doctor Hiroki, I see you’ve met Nurse Maiko. I’m here to take Neji for an MRI. We need to see how serious that bump on his head is.” There was an heir of warm energy that he brought with him. 

“Do you think it’s bad? I didn’t even notice it when I brought him in,” Gai asked.

“We won’t know until we get the results back, but from your report, it seems he was sick a few times. Vomiting is pretty common in more serious concussions, which is why I’m insistent on getting a full picture,” replied Doctor Hiroki as he wrote something in the chart and handed it back to the nurse. 

“Hai, I’ll let you work,” Gai bowed and exited the room, closing the door behind him.

He turned and came face-to-face with Shikamaru. He jumped back in surprise, “Ah! Shikamaru, don’t be sneaking up on people like that.”

“Sorry, Gai-Sensei. I was just in Choji’s room,” he said, gesturing to the room next door, “and I heard you yell for help and I got worried. I saw them wheeling Neji in a little bit ago so I knew it was his room, so I guess I had to make sure he was okay…”

Gai’s heart warmed. He was worried about his teammate!

 “He’s fine, I just overreacted, is all.”

The door behind him opened again, revealing the nurse and doctor pulling Neji out of the room. He couldn’t believe how small he looked in that bed. He was so… fragile. Like a gust of wind would blow him away. He glanced at the other genin. Shikamaru was chewing on his inner cheek as he watched his teammate be rolled down the hall. 

“I…I’m really sorry, Gai-Sensei. We had no idea these guys had untapped chakra until we’d already split up. I wouldn’t have ever let Neji stay to fight alone if I didn’t think he could handle it. And…and that poor judgment call nearly got him killed. I hope you can forgive me,” Shikamaru bowed low, the type of respect Gai really only saw at funerals.

He placed a hand on his shoulder, encouraging the boy to look up. “Being a leader is more than calling the shots and taking the heat when things go south. There are going to be more missions like this. Where you don’t know the enemy’s abilities until you’re in the thick of it. The ninja he fought out powered all of you, but he knew the risk he was assuming. Use this as a learning opportunity, so the next time you’re leading a mission, everyone returns safely.”

“Yeah, my dad said something similar,” he mumbled. “Do you know what happened? No one will tell me and the rest of the team keeps asking. Kakashi-Sensei said he ran into you on your way back with Neji, but he kinda had his hands full so I didn’t want to bother him.”

Gai’s lips tightened into a thin line. “I know a bit. He has two serious wounds; one in his chest near his shoulder and another in his side. There were more injuries but those seemed to be the most concerning to the medics. He’s also covered in scratches and bruises, like the rest of you.” He gave Shikamaru a once over. Man, all these kids had their asses handed to them. “…He’s also sick. They’re waiting on test results for his symptoms. But they suspect pneumonia.” 

Shikamaru covered his face with his hands and took in a deep sigh. It was hard to watch. The kid was paralyzed with guilt, and Gai completely understood why. He wanted to tell him that it wasn’t his fault, but truthfully, as captain of the mission, he technically was, and Shikamaru knew it. After a long, silent moment he suddenly turned his back on him and shoved his hands in his pockets,, “I…I’m so sorry, Gai-Sensei. I…I  promise I’ll do better.”

Gai could tell he was hiding his tears, “I know you will. The good news is that doctors expect him to make a full recovery.”

“Then where did they just take him?” Shikamaru asked, turning slightly in Gai’s direction, practically vibrating with anxiety.

 “They suspect he has a concussion, but they need to run a test to know for sure…He’s going to be okay, Shikamaru. I know this is scary, and I can’t promise you this feeling will ever get easier, but injuries are part of our job. Being a ninja is an occupational hazard.”

Shikamaru nodded and turned to fully face him, “Thank you Gai-Sensei. I should probably get back to Choji, you wouldn’t believe how skinny he is right now.”

Gai fought back a chuckle because he had seen how skinny he was and couldn’t even believe it then. 

“I’ll let him know that Neji’s okay, he’ll be relieved to hear it,” Shikamaru gestured with his head back to Choji’s room. “Did they say when he can have visitors?” 

“Not yet. I wasn’t even supposed to be in there. But it is late, and like I mentioned, he really needs his rest. And I can assure you, you’ll prefer to see him when he’s awake and acting like his old self.” Gai’s mind flashed with images of Neji lying in the hospital bed. He’d look so vulnerable, so unlike himself. It was a little off-putting, and he had a feeling Neji would prefer his friends not see him in such a state. 

“I understand…You’ll keep us updated, right? Like if anything happens? I just–I want to know…”

“Yes, Shikamaru. I’ll make sure to keep everyone informed on his recovery.” Gai’s heart warmed. He was so worried about his teammate.

 “Thank you Sensei. You have a good night,” Shikamaru bowed one last time then disappeared behind Choji’s hospital room. 

Gai looked up at the clock. It was nearly 10 pm. He’d been here since mid-afternoon and the rush of the day was finally catching up to him. He couldn’t wait to sleep. Not to mention, he was self-conscious of the stale stench radiating off of his clothes. He promised to return tomorrow morning and made his way to the exit.

Chapter Text

He came back the next day and the day after that, but Neji’s condition hadn’t changed. At least the nurses were able to give him updates. Turns out it was pneumonia and a grade 3 concussion. It seemed like they had him loaded up on a pharmacy-load of antibiotics along with every other medication under the sun. His student hadn’t been awake when Gai came by, but Neji’s doctor said he’d woken up yesterday when his family was visiting. He was understandably disoriented, and Hinata mentioned that he was too weak to carry a conversation, but doctors were elated to see him awake and responsive. Apparently he was falling in and out of consciousness for the past couple of days, only staying awake for short periods before passing out again. They assured him that drowsiness was to be expected and the best thing to do was to let him rest.

Gai waved to the medics at the nurses station as he strolled to the end of the ICU hall and stopped at the familiar door. He could hear a low chatter coming from the other side. His heart leapt into his throat and he quickly opened the door. There was Neji, awake, but only by the loosest of terms. His back rested behind a mountain of pillows and dark bags plagued his eyes. He must’ve been cold because two blankets covered his legs and a third was wrapped around his shoulders. He’d graduated to a nasal cannula but his left arm still laid limply in the blue sling resting against his middle. In his left hand he held a paper crane like the dozens littering his room. His right hand rested next to the morphine drip button, fingers twitching between the blanket and the plastic device, trying to decide when they could press it again. His hair was an unkempt mess and his skin paler than normal, but he was starting to look like himself again. 

The room itself was dim, with only the light from a bedside lamp on its lowest setting coloring the bed. Even the curtains had been drawn. Lee and Tenten sat on opposite sides of the bed, chatting with their teammate about the latest gossip. Or rather, Lee and Tenten rattled on while Neji blinked exhaustively in their direction, a harsh cough escaping his lips.  He was never much for idle conversation but Gai could tell he just didn’t have the energy to participate. All three turned to the door when they heard it open, with Neji’s attention slowly dragging behind his teammates. He blinked and a faint, tired, drug-induced smirk graced his face. 

It was the best thing Gai had seen all week. 

“GAI-SENSEI! NEJI IS AWAKE AND AS YOUTHFUL AS EVER!” Lee yelled, causing Neji to wince. Gai took in the sight of their bed-ridden teammate. Lee’s statement was inherently not true. “Awake” was a generous term and he was a far cry from his youthful self.

“Lee! Keep your voice down, the nurse said Neji needs quiet voices, you’re going to make him worse,” Tenten scolded him, dropping the paper crane she’d been working on.

“I am sorry my eternal rival, as punishment I shall do 300 push-ups!” Lee ‘whispered’ and got down on the ground to start his challenge. . 

Neji let out a few harsh coughs, lacking the energy to roll his eyes like he normally would’ve.

Gai let out a breath of relief and entered the room,“Neji, it’s so good to see you awake. You gave us all quite the scare!” he said in a cheerful, hushed tone. He closed the door behind him and took the seat next to Lee. “How long have you been awake?”

Neji turned to Tenten expectedly. 

“Lee and I came by around ten this morning. He woke up when Lee stepped out to get us lunch. So I guess, a couple hours now?” She said, breaking from Neji’s eye contact when he coughed. 

“Ah, not up for talking yet, I see.”

“He speaks up every now and then but his throat hurts. The nurse said he shouldn’t strain himself and if his breathing starts to get labored, to put the oxygen mask back on,” Tenten said dutifully as she passed a cup of water to her teammate. Gai noted the faint worry lines tracing her forehead.

Neji’s nose twitched at the mention of the mask.

“He is not a fan of it, Sensei!” Lee said. He turned back to his injured friend, “Hinata said you were very relieved to have the mask taken off when you first woke up, Neji! And you were quite confused. You even called your uncle, “Father!” Lee added.

Gai winced, Lee meant well but he knew that was a sensitive topic for Neji. 

Neji gave him a quizzical look, “When…did they visit?” 

Gai winced again. His poor student sounded awful, gasping for breath between words. “You’re on a lot of medication at the moment, it’s normal to have lapses in your memory, especially with your concussion,” he assured. 

Neji nodded, his mouth tightening into a thin line, and turned his attention to the paper crane in Tenten’s hand. 

Gai took in the sight. God, the kid looked exhausted. He could barely keep his eyes open and his slight shivering seemed to be sapping all the energy from his body. If he didn’t know better, Gai would’ve thought the boy hadn’t slept for days. 

“Almost done and…finished! Here you go, Neji,” she said, placing the intricate bird in his right hand. She took the one from his left and stood up, “Where should this one live? How about on the window sill? Someone should be able to enjoy this view! There’s four of you in the hospital and they give the patient with light sensitivity the best view? Doesn’t make any sense if you ask me.”

Neji followed her with his eyes but preemptively cringed and turned his head the other way when she reached for the curtains. Bright daylight flooded the room for a brief second before returning to darkness. 

“When you are feeling better Neji, I must hear about your battle! Shikamaru said your opponent was one of the strongest in the group.”

Gai listened as Lee continued on but kept his eyes on his bed-ridden student. Neji’s eyes grew wider and the corners of his mouth turned down. Lee’s description grew more and more detailed. Gai made a note to check the debriefs later because this battle sounded insane and Neji’s reactions seemed to verify everything Lee said. The boy was swallowing nervously as he listened, a small wheeze escaping with every breath. Gai wasn’t sure if Neji would even remember his battle, but with the slight tremble in his shoulders and the slight uptick in his heart rate, it was clear that he could recall it in far too much detail.

“Neji, are you cold?” He asked, cutting Lee off.

Neji blinked, pulling himself out of the fight. He looked up at Gai and nodded, coughing along with the motion.

“How about some tea? That’ll warm you up. Might even sooth that cough of yours.”

“GREAT IDEA, SENSEI. YOU ARE ALWAYS BRIMMING WITH GREAT IDEAS!”

“Lee! Stop it!” Tenten chided, hitting the boy across the back of his head. 

Neji did his best to retreat further into the pillows. Gai clenched his jaw. His poor student needed a break from his teammates. 

“Why don’t you two go down to the cafeteria. Bring me a chai, and I'm guessing a green tea?” He paused for Neji’s nod, “And then whatever you two would like, my treat.” Gai reached into his pocket and pulled out what he deemed to be an acceptable amount of change. 

Lee saluted Gai while Tenten took the cash from him, “Yes sir, Sensei!” 

Neji winced again as they slammed the door behind them. He kept his eyes shut for a long moment, drinking in the silence with a deep sigh.

“I know they can be loud, but they mean well,” Gai said softly. “How are you feeling?”

Neji coughed into his left shoulder, using his other hand to gesture “so-so” to his sensei. The cough turned into a painful fit that left him breathless. Gai brought a hand to his shoulders but hesitated, choosing to help the boy sit up taller, rather than hit him across his injured back. Thick, yellow mucus spat out of his mouth and into the shallow metal bowl sitting on the bed table. 

“ Definitely worse than ‘so-so’.” 

Gai rubbed his back and passed a plastic cup over to him. Neji drank from the straw slowly, unable to take a proper gulp without having to pant for more air. He was starting to worry that Neji might need the bigger oxygen mask when his breathing finally leveled out. 

“Th-thank you,” he gasped.

“Don’t worry about it. Being sick is no fun.” Gai said, rubbing his student’s back.  

He returned the water to its spot on the bedside table and emptied the bowl into the waste bin. 

Neji nodded, a hand blindly feeling around for the morphine button. 

“Does your chest hurt?”

He nodded again and gestured to his side and then his head. 

“You really hit the trifecta: Injury, Illness, and Intensive surgery,” Gai joked, “I think your prize is a stay in the ICU.”

Neji collapsed back into the pillows, too spent to stay sitting up for any longer, “They can keep the prize,” he croaked.

“Oh, cheer up, you’ll be out of here before you know it!”

“Hn.” 

The boy combed through his hair, trying to detangle the knots. It was admittedly a bit odd seeing Neji so disheveled. He’d never even seen him brush his hair before. 

“Might be a little easier to manage now that it’s a bit shorter, don’t you think?”

Neji gave him a quizzical look, “So…they…did cut my hair? It feels shorter, but I wasn’t sure.” he asked through strangled breaths.

Gai clenched his jaw. He was told that they filled him in on the surgery already, “Yes…didn’t the doctors tell you?”

Neji gave him a confused look, “No?”

“They didn’t? It was paramount to the whole operation.” 

Neji just stared back, still confused.

“They said they explained the surgery to you yesterday.”

His confusion morphed into disappointment. Anger creeping in around the corners, “I don’t remember,” he muttered.

Gai’s mouth tightened into a thin line. Looks like his ego took some pretty nasty hits in the battle as well. He’d hate to admit it, but he was glad. The Chunin exams were a nice introduction to humility but it seems like this mission was the crash course the kid needed.  He placed a comforting hand on his student’s knee, “It will come back. It’s a good sign that it’s only short-term memory loss.”

Neji only coughed in response.

“How much do you remember from the mission?” He asked, testing the waters.

He clenched his jaw, “Enough.”

Gai sighed, “Come on, you know what I’m asking.” The kid was way too smart to get off that easy.

Neji was silent for a moment, hands clenched in the covers. “The last thing I remember is letting the second arrow hit me. Then it’s kind of a blur, but I know he died. I wanted to make sure before I…passed out.”

“You let the arrow hit you?”

“I had too. He figured out my blind spot and I was barely able to dodge the others.”

Others?!

“But…why? I know you were running out of chakra but why let it hit you?”

Neji chewed his bottom lip, clearly troubled by the memory, “It…it turned into a game of Cat and Mouse. He was playing with me like I was a toy. If I let him think he’d won, then I could sneak up on him and end things.” 

Gai was impressed. These kids never ceased to amaze him. Choosing the possibility of death over retreating to safety was not a decision many ninja would make. “Do you remember hitting your head on anything? Dr. Hiroki, your head doctor, said there’s a large bump on the back of your head.”

Neji rubbed the sides of his head while he thought, “I think…maybe a tree? There was a thread involved. I think I used it to funnel chakra.”

Gai’s memories flashed back to the battlefield when he first arrived, “Ah. There was a string that went through a tree. It was connected to an arrow.”

Neji's head snapped to attention, eyes wide with fear and breaths coming in short, quick pants. “Th-the last two arrows…they had…he used thread. A-and the last one…the one I took o-on purpose, it…it d-dragged me and s-slammed me into a-a tree… and I–”

“Ssh…ssh, it’s okay, it's okay. We don’t need to talk about it,” Gai consoled, jumping to his feet to give his student a reassuring hug.  The boy was completely hyperventilating now, “Maybe we should put the oxygen mask back–”

“I-I think I’m going to be-” Neji slammed his hand over his mouth as he heaved.

Gai quickly shoved the waste bin under his chin, just in time for his meager breakfast to come back up. But no blood, Gai was grateful to notice. He pressed the call button and stroked Neji’s back as he panted. With his forehead resting on the bin, he was bent over enough for the hospital gown to part at the opening, revealing the bruises and bandages that littered his back. Gai winced.

A faint click came from the door revealing a nurse. She came up to the other side of the bed to assess him. Gentle fingers pulled at his chin to face her. Neji gave a low groan of protest, weakly attempting to keep his head over the waste bin. 

“Oh, you poor thing. I’m guessing the Dramamine has worn off. Let me get you some mouthwash to rinse out the taste and see if it’s time for another dose,” the nurse cooed, petting his head. 

She stepped back into the hallway and the two sat in silence for a moment. 

“Do you think you’re finished?” Gai asked softly.

“Nhhhh,” Neji groaned childishly. 

He vomited one last time after the nurse returned and reluctantly released his grip when she pulled the bin away. 

“Unfortunately you can’t have another Dramamine for another hour, but it doesn’t seem like you have anything else in your stomach anyway,” she said sympathetically as she handed over the small cup of mouthwash. “I can bring you a ginger ale though, would you like that?”

Neji nodded, then swished the liquid around lethargically and spat it out into the bowl the nurse provided with a weak cough.

Gai took his hand off his back and passed him the cup of water, “He’s still in pain, is there anything else you can give him?”

“I’m sorry Neji, but you’re already maxed out on medication,” she gave him a sad smile, “On a scale from 1-10, how bad is it?” 

“Eight,” Neji croaked.

“Any specific area?”

“Everywhere,” he replied, closing his eyes, face pinched with pain.

Gai gave the nurse a worried look. At least his breathing was back under control. 

“I’m sorry sweetie. Let me talk with Dr. Hiroki and see if there’s something else we can try.”

She wrote down some notes on Neji’s chart and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. 

“Feeling better?”
“Hn.”

Guess not.

“Do you want to try to get some sleep? A nap might make you feel better,” Gai asked softly.

“No,” Neji said defiantly.

“Are you sure? I can come back later–”

“I said, ‘No.’”

Oh goody. Moody Neji was back. Although his voice lacked his signature, caustic bite. Not that Gai was surprised, the kid was exhausted . Nurses said he’d been sleeping a lot the past few days but it didn’t seem like any of it was restful. 

“Not tired?”

“No, ” but a yawn defied him.

 “Really?” Gai said incredulously.  

Neji looked down at the blankets, “It’s… not that.”

Gai frowned. Why was he being cryptic?

“Then what is it?”

His student was silent for a long moment.

“You’ll feel much better after a long rest. Trust me, I have 26 years of experience in it.”

“I can’t,” Neji whispered.

“Can’t what?”

They were silent for another long moment.

“Please let me help, Neji.”

More silence permeated the room. Gai could see the heart rate monitor ticking faster and faster from the corner of his eye. 

“Well you’re going to have to sleep eventually, I can tell you’re tired, and your medication causes drowsiness,” Gai challenged. This wasn’t his first time dealing with a moody teenager, and he knew exactly how to coax this one into talking. As if on queue, the boy let out a yawn that he was fighting back. “See?” 

Neji twisted the blanket in his hands, and accepted defeat with a sigh, too tired to keep up the argument.  

“I keep reliving it,” he mumbled barely above a whisper. 

A rock dropped in his stomach. Ah , now he understood. Anxiety was a sneaky illness. Gai was lucky to have never had it as bad as some of his colleagues, but despite how stoic Neji was, he wasn’t shocked that he’d become its next victim. 

“It’s called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD. It’s normal. Frankly, I’d be concerned if you didn’t experience it after that mission.”

“It’s made me weak,” he muttered under his breath. 

“No it hasn’t–”

“ Yes . It did.”

Neji snapped his head up to stare Gai directly in the eye, “What ninja is too afraid to sleep? I’m pathetic,” he spat, turning away from him. 

Yikes, okay maybe this was too much humility.

“You’d be surprised. 23% of ninja will experience PTSD from their work at least once in their lifetime. 63% will need medication or counseling to combat it. 18% will need both. It’s not just common in our line of work, it’s expected.” 

Neji was silent again, Gai was sure he’d shut down this time. But with his voice just above a whisper, he spoke.

“I can’t sit up by myself, I need help getting to the bathroom, I can’t remember anything , I can’t even breathe properly anymore … I’m useless.”

Oh-ho-ho, now Gai was angry. His students knew he put up with a lot from them but self-deprecation was not one of them. 

“HEY,” Gai shouted probably too loudly, but it gave him Neji’s attention. “You know damn well that you are not useless. I know it’s hard right now. That you’re in a lot of pain and you’re not feeling well. It should be hard, Neji. You nearly died. In fact, if you want to get technical, you did die. Twice. During surgery.” 

Neji flinched at the last part. Gai would’ve felt guilty if he didn’t think the kid could handle it–or wouldn’t forget the conversation completely by morning. 

“But the reason you didn’t is because you are a strong, smart, capable ninja. And you have some serious balls. Any other person would’ve retreated in your situation but you stood your ground and won when the odds were stacked against you. You should not have been on that mission. None of you should’ve.”

Neji’s eyes were downcast, apprehension lingering between his brow. It was surprising, considering how snarky the boy could be. 

Gai sighed, “And this,” he said, gesturing to the whole hospital room, “This is temporary. You’ll recover. You’ll heal. And maybe you’ll be a part of the 18%. But you aren’t pathetic and you certainly aren’t useless. Now say it.” 

Neji looked down at his hands and with an annoyed eye-roll, mumbled the words of affirmation back to him, “I’m strong. I’m smart. I’m capable.”

Gai smiled proudly. Partially for Neji, but secretly because it was the first time he’d gotten the boy to recite the mantra back to him. Early on, when the team first formed, he realized his students had a bad habit of talking down on themselves. Lee and Tenten rarely put up a fight when Gai called them out on it and made them repeat affirming words back to him. Neji on the other hand rarely let the words slip out so it was harder to call him on it but Gai could tell when he was thinking it. 

“Thank you,” he said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, “Now I think you should tell the nurse when she comes back.”

Neji shook his head so hard, he winced. 

“Why…?”

He gave a noncommittal shoulder shrug, cringing at the movement. 

Gai rolled his eyes. They left ‘moody teenager’ behind and entered ‘defiant child’. 

“They can prescribe something for anxiety.”

Neji just clenched his jaw.

“I’ll have to tell your doctors or Hiashi, your choice.” 

His head shot up.

  “Gotcha.”

The nurse returned with a can of ginger ale perforated with a bendy straw. “Here you go honey, small sips, remember?” She said with a smile.

Gai gave him a telling look. 

“Anything else I can get you?”

Neji bit his lip and gave him a nod.

“Actually, Nurse…”

“Aimi,” she said with a smile.

“Nurse Aimi, we were wondering if we could talk with Dr. Hiroki. Neji is having trouble falling asleep.”

She gave them a concerned look, “Is the pain really that bad? Dr. Hiroki is in the middle of rounds at the moment. He should be here soon enough.”

Neji stared down at his hands as he twisted them in the sheets.

“No, it’s not that. What I meant was, he is having trouble staying asleep. He’s experiencing night terrors,” Gai said suggestively. “Night terrors” sounded much more manly than “nightmare.” He thought Neji might appreciate that. 

The nurse nodded, catching on, “Oh I understand. I’ll mention it to him,” she said, shooting Gai a wink.

Neji nodded politely, too embarrassed for a real show of gratitude. Gai thanked her for both of them and sat back in the chair to let another awkward silence command the moment. Where was Lee and Tenten? It’d been nearly twenty minutes.

He scanned his student’s face. God , the poor kid looked like he could drop dead at any moment. He really must be scared to fight sleep this much. 

“If you want to try and rest, I won’t go anywhere…unless you’d like me too, of course.”

Neji considered the offer for a moment, then nodded, giving in to his exhaustion. Gai reclined the bed to lay flat, eliciting a grunt of discomfort from his student. 

“ Aaagh !”  He winced as he feebly attempted to turn on his side. 

“What’s wrong?” Gai asked, kneeling down to his eye level. But his student was inconsolable. “Okay, okay, let me get the nurse.” He pressed the call button again and laid a comforting hand on the boy’s head, “Can you please tell me what’s hurting?” He whispered. 

Neji just whimpered as he fought back a tear. Gai clenched his jaw. What happened?

“What’s the matter?” Nurse Aimi asked as she entered the room. She approached the bed and bent down next to Gai so that they were both eye level with her patient. 

“I don’t know. He said he would try to get some sleep so I lowered the bed and he just shut down.” 

Aimi furrowed her brow and placed a hand on his side, “Neji, sweetie. I can’t help unless you tell us what’s wrong.”

“Mmmm back,” he whispered.

“Oh, hun,” Aimi cooed, “Here,” she raised the bed back up to a semi-sitting position and moved a pillow to cushion his side. She stroked his hair while the boy calmed down, “Is that better?”

Neji nodded with a shaky sigh, relaxing into the mattress as Aimi pulled the covers over his shoulders. 

“The injuries to his back make it hard for him to lay down flat. We’ve been leaving his bed partially inclined to take the pressure off of it. You couldn’t have known. Now you let me know if you need anything , okay?” She said, addressing Neji again. 

Gai blanched. How could he cause his poor student more pain?

 He thanked Aimi as she exited the room. “Is there anything else I can do?” He asked in a hushed voice. He pulled the extra blanket off of Neji’s shoulders and draped it over the bed for a third, heavier layer. 

Neji shook his head “no” apprehensively. 

“Do you want this light on?” 

The boy looked up at the lamp, not sure how to answer. 

“We could turn on the one in the corner instead.”

He nodded, cheeks burning red.

Gai wandered over to the far side of the room and turned the lamp on to a low dim, then walked over to the bed and turned out the light. The shadows on Neji’s face changed, making him seem even younger. 

“Get some rest,” Gai said quietly, placing a comforting hand on Neji’s burning forehead. This fever surely wasn’t helping things. 

Neji nodded and shut his half-lidded eyes. Gai took in the moment, letting out a slow breath. He took his hand away and sat back in the chair. Thank God Kakashi leant him a book that morning. He dug into the first chapter.

“Sensei?” 

Gai looked up from his page.

“Thank you.”

Gai smiled softly, “You’re welcome, Neji,” and he turned back to his book.

“Sensei?”

Gai lifted his head again, the poor kid was never going to get to sleep, “Yes…?”

“Thank you for saving me.”

Gai smiled bigger, “Of course. Now try to get some sleep. No more procrastinating,” he teased.

Neji closed his eyes again and drifted to sleep almost instantly.

Chapter Text

Tenten and Lee returned about thirty minutes later. Gai heard their voices as they approached and quickly intervened before they could turn the knob. He cracked the door open and stepped into the hallway with a finger over his lips, stopping Lee’s outburst in its tracks. 

“You guys were gone for a while,” he said in a low tone.

“Sorry, Sensei. Shino invited us to say hi to Kiba and we lost track of time,” Tenten said, mimicking his tone. 

“Not a problem, is he doing alright?”

“YES! He might–”

“Sshhh,” Gai hushed. It was rare for him to ask Lee to contain his youthful energy, but Neji desperately needed to sleep, “We’re in a hospital, remember?”

“Oh, yes. Sorry Sensei. I was going to say that Kiba might be released as early as tomorrow morning,”  Lee finished in a quiet voice that somehow still seemed too loud. 

“That’s great to hear.”

“We still managed to bring you those teas!” Tenten added cheerfully, handing over the two warm drinks she held in her hands.

Gai smiled kindly, “Thank you Tenten. Neji just fell asleep though, I’ll see if he wants it when he wakes up.” 

“Awe, he’s asleep already?”

Gai’s heart ached. Surely they noticed how tired the boy was? 

“He could barely keep his eyes open. Trust me, he needs it.”

“I know Sensei. We were just hoping to talk with him more, but we can come back tomorrow.”

“That’s a great idea. I’ll make sure he knows you’re excited to visit again once he’s awake.”

Lee shot him a questioning look, “You are going to stay?”

Gai’s stomach squirmed. What was he to say? Neji was embarrassed enough as it is, he didn’t need his teammates knowing he was too afraid to sleep by himself. 

“Just for a bit. His doctor is coming by soon and I have some questions to ask him.”

That answer seemed to suffice because they both nodded. 

“Well alright then Sensei, we were thinking of coming by again tomorrow morning before our mission. Would you like to join us?”
“I think that’s a splendid idea, Lee!” Gai smiled down at them, “Now since you have some free time, why not go work on your sparring skills with one another? And for an extra challenge, Lee, wear a blindfold and Tenten, no weapons.”

They looked at each other with the type of childish rivalry Gai yearned for. A glint sparked in their eyes and they nodded, accepting the challenge. 

“Hai! Thank you Sensei. We’ll see you tomorrow!”

They both waved as they made their way for the exit. 

Now alone in the long hallway, Gai took the moment to stretch out his back before returning to the room. Neji hadn’t moved an inch. He sighed a breath of relief, sat back down and opened the book again, picking up where he left off.

oOoOoOo

An hour had crawled by when a nurse let Gai know that Dr. Hiroki was called into an emergency and likely wouldn’t visit until later that afternoon. She smiled at the sight of her sleeping patient, “It’s good to see him finally getting some rest. He’s been fighting sleep all day, but I guess sleep finally won.” 

She replaced the nasal cannula with the oxygen mask, stating that it’s better for him to use it whenever he can. Gai thanked her and studied Neji’s face as she left. It was probably for the best, the doctor would want to see him awake, and at the moment, Neji was dead to the world. 

Another hour ticked by and Gai was in the thick of his book, completely enthralled by the story, when he heard a faint rustling. He popped his head up to see Neji had turned his head the other direction, now facing the window. Gai dropped his gaze. 

The rustling returned. 

He looked up again, keeping his attention on the boy for a bit longer then returned back to the book. He made it through another page when he realized the rhythm from the heart monitor had picked up. He really studied his student this time. 

Neji’s breaths came in rushed gasps. He noticed a minute movement under the covers, but ultimately, the boy relaxed back into sleep. Gai kept his attention on him for a moment longer then apprehensively turned back to the book.

Five more minutes passed and the tell-tale sign of fabric rubbing against fabric snapped his attention back to the bed. Neji was kicking at the covers, tangling himself in the sheets. He threw his head from left to right, face scrunched with fear. Gai dropped the book and stood up to console him.

“Shh…it’s okay. It’s just a dream. It’s not real.” He reached for Neji’s forehead and the boy’s arm shot up to block it, but missed. He flailed around wildly, dislodging IVs in the process. His left arm tried to break free of the sling and he yelped in pain.

“Neji! Neji, wake up, it’s just a dream,” Gai shouted, anxiety clenching his heart. 

The heart monitor raced so fast, it triggered an alarm. 

“NEJI!” Gai grabbed his arms to keep him still, “WAKE UP.”

The boy’s eyes snapped open and he gasped for air like he’d been underwater for too long. He hyperventilated and tried to gain his bearings, but he continued to flail around. 

Gai attempted to sooth him but the closeness seemed to make the matter worse. Suddenly, Neji’s eyes rolled into the back of his head and he started convulsing violently. 

“HELP!” Gai yelled out the door. 

A doctor was already headed in his direction with a team of medics behind her. 

“He’s seizing.”

“Temperature’s 104º.”

“BP’s 144 over 90.”

“On his side, now,” directed a doctor at the sight of vomit.

Gai stood at the back of the room, hands pulling at his hair as he watched helplessly. He couldn’t think. He couldn’t breathe. All he could do was stare as the medics took over. After two minutes of watching his student thrash, the lead doctor finally injected something into the IV port. It stopped not even a minute later and they gently rotated back onto his back again. 

“I-is he okay!?”

“It was most likely a febrile seizure. His fever spiked and it triggered it. They look scary, but typically not dangerous. Neji? Hey Neji, can you say something for me? Anything. Come on buddy,” one of the doctors stood right over his student’s head, trying to elicit a response.

“Mmm tirehhhh…” Neji slurred.

“I know bud. I need you awake for just a little longer, then you can go back to sleep. Can you squeeze my hand for me?”

The doctor put her hand in Neji’s. He gave her a weak squeeze and groaned, “Mmm cold.”

“That's because you have a fever and we’re using ice packs to get your temperature down. Can you squeeze my hand with your other hand now?

Neji gave a similar weak squeeze and whined as a cold pack was placed on his forehead.

Nurse Aimi walked away, giving Gai a clear view of his student. The poor boy had ice packs under every limb and joint. A damp spot in the middle of the bed made him blanch. Neji had lost control of his bladder. His heart ached and instinct told him to comfort the boy, but he fought the impulse and looked away to preserve his student’s dignity.

“Sir, I’m going to need you to wait outside,” the nurse coaxed him out of the room before he even had a chance to respond. 

He stared at the door, shell shocked by the whirlwind that consumed the past five minutes. It took him another ten before he could finally sit down, and then another ten after that until the nurse opened the door to invite him back in. Neji was passed out again, laying on top of clean sheets and in a fresh hospital gown. One of the doctors replaced the ice packs with fresh ones while the other made notes in the chart.

“Is he okay?” Gai asked quietly.

“He will be. He’s still burning up though. If it doesn’t start going down soon we’ll have to get him into an ice bath.”

“Is it okay that he’s asleep?”

“Yes, it’s pretty normal for patients to be drowsy after a seizure. He passed the neurological exam so we can let him sleep.”

“Will it happen again?”

“Truthfully, we don’t know. Febrile seizures are most common in babies and toddlers but even adults can experience them under the right circumstances. Usually having one makes you susceptible to others so we’ll want to keep a close eye on his temperature. What happened before the seizure?”

Gai swallowed the lump in his throat, “He was sleeping. I think he was having a bad dream because he was thrashing around and panicking.”

The first doctor nodded and placed a chakra-laced hand over Neji’s injured shoulder, “Thankfully, his sats didn’t fall, that’s usually the most concerning thing after a seizure, but he did tear his stitches.” 

“I must’ve missed something exciting,” Dr. Hiroki said sarcastically as he entered the room. “Gai, I’m glad you’re here,” he shook his hand and took the clipboard from the other medic, “Thank you everyone, I think we’re good.”

He paused to let the rest of the medical staff exit and walked over to the head of the bed. He hovered a hand over Neji’s forehead, green chakra dancing under his palm.

“He’s really going through the ringer, isn’t he? Nurse Aimi said that he was struggling with some PTSD?”

“Yeah, he mentioned waking up with nightmares. I think that’s what happened right before the seizure.”

“Mhmm,” Dr. Hiroki took his hand away and examined Neji’s surgical stitches, “I want to assess him when he wakes up before I prescribe anything. His concussion is bad, but not enough to cause epilepsy. He’s been burning up all day but it’s not very common for teenagers to experience febrile seizures. His fever is starting to go down though, which is good. We’ll keep the ice packs on for now and keep a close eye on him.”

“But he’s shivering.”

“It’s just the fever. The good news is he didn’t aspirate again. I’m fairly certain that’s what caused the pneumonia.”

Gai’s mind flashed back to the first conversation he had with Dr. Hiroki. He recalled the doctor asking him to describe the scene he found Neji in, in extreme detail. Gai didn’t think much of it at the time, but he had mentioned the puddle of blood pooled next to the boy’s mouth. He didn’t think for a second that Neji might’ve choked on it. The medics mentioned that aspirating can lead to pneumonia and based on their findings, they were pretty sure that’s what had happened. 

“Please ring for a nurse when he wakes up, I want to make sure I talk to him soon, but we’ll let him rest for now,” Dr. Hiroki finished off a note on the chart and placed the clipboard back in its place. “Lights on or off?”

Gai blinked, he didn’t even realize they’d turn them on, “Off, please. And thank you.” He shakily sat back in his chair as Dr. Hiroki switched off the lights and exited the room, leaving the two alone in the quiet dark again.

Chapter Text

Nurse Aimi came by not too long ago and deemed Neji healthy enough to remove all the ice packs, except for the one on his forehead which she replaced with a fresh pack. She tucked him back into the sheets but the boy was still shivering. He was only allowed one blanket, the other two apparently packed in too much heat and they didn’t want to risk another seizure.

Hiashi returned about an hour later, after being notified by a clergyman. Gai filled him in from his perspective but danced around the nightmare episode, suggesting that the doctor might know more about what was going on. With a polite nod, Hiashi thanked him, turned to his nephew, and hovered a hand over his forehead. People seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

             Gai studied him. The man looked tired, but he supposed running the largest clan in town would be exhausting. 

Slowly he dropped his hand back down to his side, “His chakra network is a mess.”

“ Yeah, no shit, the kid just had a seizure.”

“Hopefully a long rest will help reset it.”

“Yes, hopefully,” the older man sighed, worry lines tracing his face. 

They were silent for a long moment. Gai knew he should leave, but he promised Neji he would stay. “It’s good that he’s strong. He’ll bounce back quickly.” 

He wasn’t sure why he was consoling the head of the Hyuga when the man couldn’t have cared less when Neji broke his arm on a mission 6 months ago. Gai had thought it was taking an oddly long time to heal. Turned out his uncle was forcing him to spar with it. No, the man did not deserve consolation. “And God knows the kid is too stubborn to not get better.”

Hiashi breathed a soft laugh, raising his eyebrows knowingly. It took another long stretch of silence for him to respond, “He was born premature. Almost a whole month early. His mother wasn’t fairing well with the pregnancy and it took a significant toll on her, so doctors insisted on an early delivery. His chakra was weak and his network was unstable. He was small and underweight; wasn’t even crying when he was born. He spent a month in the NICU. Doctors were convinced he wouldn’t make it. But one day, Hizashi and Akari came home with him and you wouldn’t have ever known the baby was sick.”

Gai didn’t know how to react. He appreciated the story but it felt too intimate to share with a non-family member. He decided on a noncommittal response, “Medicine is incredible these days.”

Hiashi shook his head, “Yes, but that wasn’t it. Like you said, he’s stubborn. He always has been…

“Most kids pass out the first time they activate their Byakugan. It’s a very overwhelming experience, and they don’t know how to deactivate it. So they hold it until their bodies can’t handle the strain anymore, and pass out. The strongest last maybe a minute.  And the younger they are, the more powerful the kekkei genkai, so we don’t encourage it until they’re at least four or five. Neji accessed his Byakugan at two years old. Stupid boy was just trying to please his father. But he didn’t know how to control it and his body refused to pass out, so it was activated for over ten minutes until finally I had to knock him unconscious myself.”

Yikes. That sounded miserable. Gai had seen Neji push his limits with the Byakugan plenty of times. Most of them usually left him dizzy and unable to focus. One time it was so bad, he passed out. Good thing Tenten was there. They were on lookout high up in a tree and she saw him keel over the branch. Thankfully, she caught him before he could plummet to the forest floor. He came too almost immediately but the vertigo was too much for him and he was sick to his stomach for the rest of the night. 

Hiashi rubbed his eyes, then cupped his mouth with his hand. Gai could practically feel the anxiety radiating off of him. Was he really this worried for his nephew? Gai was skeptical. There had to be another motive. 

“I’m sure he appreciates you being here. My other students mentioned that you came by the other day as well. I’m surprised you have the free time to visit so often. What with running the Hyuga clan and all.”

Hiashi shot him an incredulous look, “He’s my nephew. Of course I’d find time to visit. I know–”

Both men turned to face the bed where a tiny whimper croaked from the boy's throat. Gai’s mouth tightened into a tight line. They’d been too loud and disturbed him. Now Neji was feebly trying to escape an invisible enemy, knocking the ice pack off in the process. Gai instinctively took a step towards him but Hiashi was closer.

“Shhh…you’re alright,” he consoled, “It’s just a dream.” He furrowed his brow. Tired, worried eyes studied his nephew’s features as the man blotted the boy’s face with the ice pack.

Guilt bubbled in Gai’s chest. Maybe he should’ve told him about the nightmares. Hiashi continued to assuage the boy but it had no effect. His fear erupted and Neji woke with a start. Gai’s heart broke. The poor kid couldn’t even get a couple hours of rest without being disrupted.

“Shhh, it’s okay. You’re safe,” Hiashi whispered. He gave the boy’s hand a reassuring squeeze. 

“F-father?” Neji croaked, bleary eyes looking vaguely in his uncle’s direction.

Gai nearly choked, but the older man was unfazed, “Go back to sleep. You need rest.”

“Father,” Neji whined childishly, tossing his head to the side and kicking at the sheets weakly.

Hiashi brought the cup of water up to the boy’s face and took the oxygen mask off momentarily, “I know, I miss him too. Take a sip.” 

Gai felt uneasy. This was too intimate. Like he was intruding on a private matter.

 It took some coaxing but Neji finally took a drink of water after a painful coughing fit. He whined when Hiashi replaced the mask, but was too exhausted to keep up the fight. 

“Close your eyes now,” the man whispered.

His dazed eyes blinked slowly before finally shutting for good. Within seconds the kid was fast asleep again. The two men sat in silence, afraid that a single movement would wake him. Tension built with every passing minute. 

Finally Hiashi spoke, “I don’t expect you to understand the intricacies of our clan, but he’s still family, even if he’s a branch member. More importantly, he’s all I have to remember my late brother. And I promised Hizashi I would take care of him when he died.”

Gai scoffed, “Family doesn’t brand their ‘lesser’ members and force them into a life of servitude.” 

Hiashi narrowed his eyes but collected himself before responding, “ I didn’t make the caste system. It’s been a part of Hyuga tradition for centuries. You don’t think I recognize that he is a better fit to lead than my daughters? I might be the clan’s lord, but not even I can sway the opinions of the council. We are all assigned our destinies, I am simply doing my best to fulfill mine.”

Ohh, so this is where Neji got the whole “destiny” bullshit.

“And I suppose that includes repeatedly abusing his curse mark.”

“He doesn’t get special treatment just because he’s my nephew. If he’s insubordinate, then he’s punished, just like any other member. Surely you’ve adopted a similar method for your students.” 

Gai clenched his jaw. He had. But the punishment was almost always conditioning, something that would ultimately make his students stronger. Torture was just cruel. And torture from a man who was meant to be his guardian was inhumane. After Neji’s little stunt at the preliminary rounds, Gai had an arduous conditioning schedule planned for him, complete with sparring matches against Tenten designed to make her win and teach Neji some humility…but then the Hyuga clan left him bedridden for weeks after several long seal activations. And when he finally returned to practice, disheveled, unsteady, and uncharacteristically pale, Gai decided that he’d been punished enough. 

“Torture as punishment is cruel.”

Hiashi sighed, “It’s a complicated system.”

Gai clenched his jaw. He had more to say but the debate was going in circles and he’d rather use this rare moment of openness to learn more about his student. “He called you father.”

“Yes.”

“…Does that…happen often?”

“No.”

Gai narrowed his eyes, “You didn’t even react, clearly it happens more frequently than you’re letting on.” 

“His father and I were identical twins. He’s sick, on multiple medications, and just had a seizure. He was in distress and disoriented. If calling me ‘father’ in a brief moment of confusion soothes him, then I won’t take that away from him. I understand that you don’t believe it, Gai, but he is precious to me.”

Gai bit his tongue. Hiashi was still holding his nephew’s hand, eyes glued to Neji’s shallow breaths. For as long as he’d known Hiashi, he’d never once seemed to have any interest in Neji. When he visited the Hyuga compound for his “Meet the Sensei” introduction, the man didn’t even know who he was or why he was there. Iruka had sent home pamphlets. Personally called in reminders. Even printed out full resumes of the new senseis for the kids to take home. Hiashi didn’t even know that Iruka was Neji’s teacher at the time. 

But now he was grasping his hand as if it was the boy’s only lifeline. Maybe he was too harsh. He obviously cared. For a man who was infamous for showing no emotions, Hiashi was clearly concerned for Neji’s wellbeing. 

“No, I can see now that he is important to you. For what it’s worth, Lord Hiashi, I’m relieved to be proven wrong…I know we might not agree when it comes to teaching, or parenting, styles, but I do think Neji would benefit from being proven wrong too.” Gai held his breath. He prayed Hiashi took that the right way. He waited for a snarky response but when nothing came, he supposed he was in the clear. “He’s been struggling with nightmares. His doctor was supposed to come by to discuss PTSD and anxiety management options, but then he had the seizure. I promised Neji that I would stay with him while he slept, but if you intend on staying for a while, I wouldn’t mind going home for a shower and a meal. It’s been a long past few days.”   

Hiashi gave him a resounding nod, eyes still trained on his nephew’s features, “I can wait with him until Dr. Hiroki comes by.”

“Dr. Hiroki asked me to call for a nurse when he wakes up, so they can page him.”

“Very well.”

“Thank you, Lord Hiashi.”

“Thank you, Gai.”

Gai did a double take on his way out. Did the Hyuga Lord just thank him?

“Of course.”

Chapter Text

When Gai returned the next morning Neji was still asleep. Nurse Aimi said that he woke up around 9 pm last night with a pounding headache. Dr. Hiroki spoke with him and his uncle about what happened and decidedly prescribed him Zoloft, and it must be having some effect because it was 11 now and he was just beginning to stir. Gai put down his book to give his student his full attention.

“Hey Neji, how are you feeling?” He whispered.

“Mmmm head hurts,” Neji whined, voice muffled by the oxygen mask.

“I bet. Do you remember what happened?” Gai whispered, softly brushing the hair from Neji’s eyes. 

“Nhh-nmm,” Neji squeezed his eyes shut and sought solace under the blankets despite all the lights, even the lamp, being off and the curtains drawn. 

Gai clenched his jaw.

“You had a seizure, but you’re doing better now. Dr. Hiroki also prescribed something for anxiety, so if you’re feeling a bit funny, that’s normal.”

Neji coughed weakly and batted at the oxygen mask. 

“No, Neji, we need to leave it on.”

He let out a pitiful cry of defiance and tossed his head from side to side to prevent Gai from replacing the mask but gave in when the motion made him sick. Rocks dropped in Gai’s stomach. He wasn’t a fan of this behavior. It was a bit unsettling to witness, especially from Neji of all kids.

“Mmm don’t feel good.”

“I know. I’m sorry,” he continued to pet his student’s hair, stomach souring with anxiety. Neji leaned into the touch. “Would you like to try eating something? You must be starving.” 

Between yesterday’s ordeal and the vomiting episode from earlier that day, Gai imagined that his stomach was completely empty. But Neji gave a noncommittal noise, turning slightly green at the idea of food. “If you try eating something, we can take the mask off.”

Neji’s eyes cracked open and gave a small nod. 

Wow, the kid really hated wearing the mask. Doctors discussed putting him on a CPAP machine the other night when his O2 sats dropped suddenly. Thank God they decided against it. 

Gai called for a nurse and helped Neji prop himself up behind a pile of pillows. It was really Gai doing most of the work though, Neji seemed to have even less energy than yesterday. 

“Hey there sweetheart! I’m so glad to see you awake. Did you sleep well?” The nurse sauntered right up to the bed and felt his forehead. 

Neji gave a weak nod. 

“He said he’s up for some food—as long as he can take the mask off,” Gai added when Neji shot him a look of betrayal. 

“I think we can make that deal,” she smiled sweetly, “How about some applesauce? Nice and cold on the throat and easy on the stomach.”

Neji nodded again and sighed with relief when she replaced the oxygen mask with the nasal cannula.  She returned to the room minutes later with a tray.

 “I also brought you plain toast and another ginger ale. And a jello as a treat, if you’re feeling up to it,” she said, placing the tray on the over-bed table. “Do you want another Dramamine?”

Neji nodded, taking the paper pills container from her and chased it with a gulp of water that refused to go down. His face contorted in pain as he struggled to swallow. His body spasmed, breaking into a coughing fit. Gai’s stomach soured. It sounded awful . He watched as Neji struggled to catch his breath, tears building in his eyes from the strain.

When it finally ended, Neji rested a hand on his throat and grimaced again.

“That sounded painful,” the nurse gave him a sympathetic smile and placed a delicate hand on his chin so she could examine him closer, “Your lymph nodes are still pretty swollen. I’ll make sure Dr. Hiroki knows. He’s going to stop by in a bit, so try to stay awake for him if you can, okay?”

Neji nodded and croaked, “Thank you, Nurse…um…”

“Aimi,” she supplied happily. 

Neji dropped his head in defeat, “Sorry. Thank you, Nurse Aimi,” he mumbled. 

“Don’t worry about it dear, you’ve had a hard couple of days and a lot of visitors. Let me know if you need anything.” She smoothed out the covers on the bed and made her exit. 

“I think she’s introduced herself four times now,” Neji grumbled.

“It will come back,” Gai said definitively, not wanting a repeat of yesterday’s conversation. “Now eat.”

Neji looked up at the tray and turned a more prominent shade of green. To his credit, he took half a bite of the applesauce and pushed the table away when he thought it would come back up. 

“Nauseous?”

Neji nodded, resting a hand on his head. 

“Well thank you for trying. We can wait for the Dramamine to kick in, but then I want you to try again.”

Neji let out a sigh, not moving from his position. 

“Lee and Tenten were here earlier but you were still asleep and they needed to report in for a mission,” he said, trying to fill the silence.

His student didn’t respond. Gai could read between the lines. This was Neji’s first defense when he was annoyed.

They were silent for a while. Neji eventually moved his hand from his head to the back of his shoulder, struggling to reach the sore spot. 

“Back hurting?”

Neji nodded with an exasperated sigh. Gai gave him a sympathetic smile. Nurse Aimi was right, the past few days were really starting to take their toll. At least he was able to get a decent night’s sleep. Gai moved to the other side of the bed and lifted Neji’s hand away. 

“Here. Can you tell me where it hurts?” He asked, lightly tracing his fingers around the bandage area. 

“Nhh!” Neji spasmed at the faint touch.

 Gai immediately pulled away, caught off guard at how sensitive the injury was. Neji clutched his shoulder, panting in pain. Gai placed a cautious hand on his other arm as a sign of comfort, guilt eating at his chest, “I’m so sorry Neji, I didn’t mean to hurt you. I barely even grazed it.”

No response came. 

Shit. Stage 2 was typically eyerolls and sneers. But they might’ve blown right past it into stage 4: ridicule. He could feel the anger boiling, the kid was vibrating with it. Gai gave him a moment, taking his hands off of him. But the pants morphed into a sob. He frowned, rushing to bend down to his student’s eye level. 

Neji was fighting back tears.

“Neji, oh my God, I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize it hurt that bad. Should I call for Nurse Aimi?” He asked, rubbing his student’s uninjured arm.

  Neji shook his head no, a sob escaping his lips as his lungs begged for oxygen. 

Gai frowned, “Did I hurt you?”

Neji didn’t respond, which meant, “Yes, you did, but I don’t want to tell you that,” which meant that there was a bigger issue at play. 

“Is there something else wrong?” He asked quietly. 

Neji gave the slightest of nods. 

Gai thought for a second, “Is anything else hurting?”

Another nod.

“Your head? Throat? Side? Chest?…Everywhere?”

Neji nodded to everything, adding intensity with each question asked. Gai sat up on the ledge of the bed and pulled Neji into a gentle hug, letting him rest his burning forehead on his shoulder.  The boy let go of another sob and mumbled into Gai’s vest.

“Can you say that again?” Gai pulled him away just slightly so he could hear better.

“Everything’s so hard now,” he whispered through wobbly lips, tears spilling down his cheeks. 

Gai pulled him back in, rubbing his back carefully, “I know. You’re just overwhelmed. You’re in a lot of pain, you’re sick, and you’re on a lot of medications. It’s stressful.”

Neji nodded in agreement, sniffling.

“It’s just anxiety. There’s a lot going on and you’re facing challenges you’ve never anticipated.”

“I’m tired of being tired,” he mumbled between tears.

“We can ask about non-drowsy pain relief options.”

“No! No more pills. No more medicine. No more needles,” he sobbed, pounding a fist into the bed.

Gai was speechless. He’d never heard anything like this from Neji. From any of his students really. This wasn’t any regular bout of frustration, this was a tantrum. They blew past stage 4 and 5, and entered uncharted territory. He glanced at the monitor, catching the temperature increase from 103.4º to 103.8º. Neji’s fever was spiking again. 

“You don’t mean that,” he cooed, “You’re burning up, it’s just the fever talking.” Neji whined childishly as Gai pushed him out an arm’s length away. The boy’s cheeks were stained with fever and his gown was growing damp around the collar from the sweat that glistened under the fluorescent lights. “Here, let’s drink some water and I’ll get you a cool washcloth for your face.”

Gai reached for the cup and held the straw in front of Neji. He took a cautious sip and wiped his eyes while Gai placed it back on the table. He watched tearfully as his Sensei located a washcloth and disappeared into the ensuite. 

A coughing fit took him by surprise. He hacked and hacked, desperate to clear the blockage in his throat. Gai came running back, picking up the shallow metal bowl left on the nightstand and shoved it under his student’s chin. Thick yellow globs spat out along with the water he just swallowed. Neji grimaced at the mixture and threw his head back into the pillows, gasping for air. The next thing he felt was a damp towel resting across his forehead and he sighed in delight at the cool touch. 

Gai stood in shock, a little afraid to make a move. He’d never seen Neji like this. Angry? Definitely. Condescending? All the time. Frustrated? Of course. But everything he just witnessed was completely out of character and unlike anything he’d seen before. Moody Neji was easy. Angry Neji was manageable. He didn’t think Inconsolable Neji even existed. It was a show of vulnerability that he never expected. Gai was completely out of his depths. 

“Will you be alright if I step out for a minute?” He asked, placing a reassuring hand on Neji’s blanket-covered foot. 

His student nodded and closed his eyes, drinking in the moment of peace. 

Gai closed the door behind him and walked to the nurses’ station. 

“Nurse Aimi?”

She looked up from her work with a sweet smile.

“He’s really struggling. I think he’s overwhelmed by it all…He said he doesn't want to take any more medications.”

Aimi pouted sympathetically, “Well, it’s a lot of change. Genin these days put a lot of pressure on themselves…I think they learn it from the Jonin,” she said with a telling smile. Gai swallowed the lump in his throat. Not exactly the response he was hoping for. “I know it doesn’t seem like it, but he is doing better. And if you’re worried that he’ll refuse treatment, don’t be. He’s a minor. His uncle gets to make that call and Lord Hiashi strongly agrees with Dr. Hiroki’s course of treatment.”

Gai nodded, that really wasn’t what he was worried about but she had a point. “Is there anything I can do to help him out?”

“Hey Gai!” 

He turned towards the sound to see Kakashi walking towards them, “Hi Kakashi.”

“I’m sorry, Nurse Aimi, but have either of you seen Naruto? Lady Tsunade said he’ll probably be released today, but I have to find him first.” 

Aimi laughed, “I haven’t seen him but I would bet he’s snuck into the kitchen again. Gai, why not have some friends stop by for a visit? Neji seemed pretty content when his teammates came yesterday, and he’s healthy enough for general visitors.” 

Kakashi gave them a quizzical look.

“Neji’s been…struggling—with his hospital stay,” Gai supplied.

Kakashi gave a knowing nod, “Won’t sit still? I know the type,” he said with an eye roll. 

Gai clenched his jaw. Truthfully he would’ve preferred that, “Quite the opposite actually. He can barely sit up and has a 103° fever. Yesterday he had a seizure.”

“What!?”

“We believe his fever caused it,” Aimi chimed in, “which, by the way Gai, may be responsible for his temperament today. It’s a pretty common side effect of seizures.”

Gai let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. That actually would explain a lot. 

“How is he at the moment?” Kakashi asked worriedly.

Gai’s mind flashed back to the temper tantrum he just witnessed, “Not great.”

“Maybe Naruto would like to stop by?” Aimi asked suggestively.

“Yeah, I’m sure he’d love that. He’s been asking about everyone nonstop. What time?”

“Maybe in a couple of hours? I don’t think he’s up for visitors right now,” Gai said, mind still focused on the breakdown. 

“Good. That’ll give me time to find Naruto. You really think he’s in the kitchen?” Kakashi questioned.

“That’s where he was yesterday,” Nurse Aimi winked. 

He thanked her and headed in the direction of the cafeteria.

“Kakashi, wait up,” Gai bowed to Nurse Aimi and caught up to his friend, “Neji is on a lot of medication right now…he’s, uh–,”

“Doped out of his mind?”

“Yeah,” Gai chuckled, “He’s not really acting like himself. Maybe just prepare Naruto for that? He’s kinda…vulnerable at the moment. ”

Kakashi gave him a worried look and nodded, “I’ll make sure he’s on his best behavior. What have doctors said? We haven’t really heard much other than that he’s still in the ICU.”

Gai let out a sigh, where to start? 

“Well, that crackling we heard in his lungs turned out to be pneumonia. He got a concussion during his fight and the doctors think he might’ve aspirated on some vomit, causing fluid to build up in his lungs.”

“Oof…poor kid. What about the injuries? His shoulder looked pretty bad. ”

“Yeah, they actually need to schedule a follow up surgery. The operation took hours and two teams of medics. And even then they were only able to keep him out of critical condition. Morphine doesn’t even seem to numb the pain. I lightly touched his back earlier and it drove him to tears.” Gai bit his tongue. Maybe he shouldn’t have mentioned that out-of-character detail.

Kakashi winced, “God. He must be exhausted.”

Gai nodded, “Yeah, it’s starting to really take a toll on him.” 

Kakashi gave him a sympathetic look, “Well, it’ll be good to see him—Naruto will be happy to see him,” he corrected. 

Gai smiled. His friend definitely had a soft spot for his student, “Of course, thank you Kakashi. I need to get back to him. His fever’s spiked again and I think it’s made him a bit delirious,” he gestured towards the ICU.  

“Make sure to tell him I said hi.” 

Gai gave him a curt nod and headed back the way he came.

Chapter Text

When he returned, Dr. Hiroki was there chatting with Neji. How he was able to get a civilized conversation out of him, Gai had no idea. He smiled apologetically and rushed to close the door.

“No, no you’re free to join us, Gai! Neji was just telling me all about the Gentle Fist fighting style. Sounds like he’s pretty good at it!” 

Gai really liked Dr. Hiroki, he was full of good energy and warmth. He had that jolly old man energy to him and had a knack for making medicine seem less scary, especially for kids. No wonder he chose pediatrics. 

“He’s probably the most talented Hyuga his age. Maybe even amongst some of the adults,” Gai agreed, entering the room but keeping by the door. 

“So, if you emit chakra from chakra points in your hands, couldn’t you do it with any chakra points?” He directed his attention back to Neji who nodded politely, the slightest bit of a smirk returning to his lips.

“That’s how I was able to escape Kidomaru’s traps,” he coughed.

Gai’s eyes snapped to Neji. He was talking about the battle. And without having a panic attack. God damn it, Hiroki was good. 

“Impressive! Sounds like you two were pretty evenly matched. How’d you finally end it?”

Gai held his breath, “ Oh God, here we go again.”

But to his surprise, Neji actually smiled . 

“He was using chakra-laced thread to guide the arrows, so I was able to funnel chakra through it and to him. He didn’t even see it coming. Then I just snuck up on him and finished things,” he coughed heavily, struggling to catch his breath. 

Dr. Hiroki studied the monitor as he hovered a glowing green hand over his patient’s back. Gai clocked the worried look that flashed across the doctor’s face.

 “Ahhh yes, the arrows. Is that what these are from?” Dr. Hiroki asked, pointing to Neji’s chest and side.

He nodded apprehensively, looking down at the blankets. 

“How’s the side treating you?” He asked with genuine intrigue.

Neji shrugged his right shoulder, eyes still downcast, “It hurts to lay on my side…and to sit up, but it’s mostly numb if I’m not moving.”

“Good! Do you remember us talking about the surgery?”

Neji thought for a moment, his body tensing ever so slightly , “Kind of…”

Dr. Hiroki smiled, “Think of it as a new muscle that needs to be conditioned. It’ll get stronger over time and once we kick this pneumonia’s ass we’ll start you in physical therapy. Now what about the shoulder?” Neji was silent, just twisting his hand in the sheets. Dr. Hiroki looked at him knowingly, “Right now, when you’re just sitting here, how much does it hurt from 1-10?”

“...Eight,” Neji mumbled. 

“And when I touch here—,”

“Nghh!” Neji groaned, eyes clenching in pain. 

Dr. Hiroki pulled his hand away from Neji’s shoulder tentatively, another worried look plaguing his face, “I’m going to qualify that as a 10.” He patted the boy’s other shoulder gently and wrote down notes in the chart. 

“Neji, we're going to talk about treatments, would you like your Sensei to stay?” 

The boy nodded apprehensively as his coughing fit ended. Gai took the response as an invitation to sit down. 

“Well we’ve kinda talked about it already, but I don’t expect you to remember much of that conversation. You were still a bit out of it.” Dr. Hiroki said, getting comfortable on the ledge of the bed. “When Lady Shizune first took you into surgery, she wasn’t able to repair all the damage done to your chest and shoulder. As you can imagine, there’s a lot of very important parts around here,” he joked, gesturing to the boy’s left shoulder, “Her main priority was to keep you stable. Once you’re healthy enough, we’d like to schedule a follow up surgery to repair the remaining damage. You still have some pretty severe damage in your rotator cuff. The arrow tore most of the muscles in your left pectoral which is why it hurts to move right now. What I can’t understand is how you managed to break almost every bone on the left side of your chest. How fast was the arrow moving?”

“Maybe 100 miles per hour?” Neji said matter of factly.

“What!?” Gai blurted out.

“Or-r 150…?” 

The boy’s eyes shifted between the two men, unsure of what they wanted to hear. Dr. Hiroki looked just as disturbed as Gai. He didn’t think someone could survive something moving at those speeds. No wonder he couldn’t move his arm, everything keeping it functioning was torn to shreds.

“Well…that would make a lot of sense then,” the doctor smiled. “The good news is after that surgery, and PT,  you should have full motion and function again.” 

“When will that surgery be?” Gai chimed in.

“While important, it’s not critical. I’d like to wait until we can get this pneumonia behind us first. It’ll be a second round of the Healing Regeneration Resuscitation jutsu, and like the first one, this follow up surgery tends to have a long recovery period. Even more reason to hold off for a bit. I’d rather wait until he’s rebuilt some strength.”

Neji nodded while holding back a cough that quickly turned into a hack. Dr. Hiroki picked up the metal bowl and placed it under Neji’s chin. More yellow gunk came up. 

“And since the antibiotics alone don’t seem to be helping much, I’d like to introduce a breathing treatment to help loosen up the mucus in your chest. We’ll use a nebulizer to give you the medication.”

“Does it hurt?” The boy croaked.

“No, no,” Dr. Hiroki said with a smile, “It might make you a bit tired, just because breathing’s a bit hard for you right now, but it’s like using an inhaler.”

Neji nodded, letting out a shiver as he pulled the blankets closer to him.  

Dr. Hiroki studied him for a moment, “How’d you sleep last night? Did the Zoloft help at all?” 

Neji’s eyes jumped to Gai, then back down at the blanket. “K-kinda,” he stuttered. 

“That’s better than not at all! Now I don’t like that your shoulder still feels like a 10 and that your side and head are still causing pain. That tells me the morphine isn’t working, so I want to try you on something else. Does that sound alright with you?” 

Neji nodded, eyes going wide with relief. 

“Great! I’ll have someone come in to show you how to use the nebulizer in a bit and get you switched over to a pain medication that will hopefully work for you. Ring for a nurse if you need anything at all.” 

Dr. Hiroki gave his patient a final smile and stood to leave, “Gai,” he said, bowing slightly as he left the room. 

A moment of silence passed between them. Gai noticed the toast had a small bite taken from it and the applesauce was half gone.

“Were you able to keep down any more food?”

Neji nodded, “I tried. But…”

Gai nodded, “I understand. Your appetite will come back soon.” 

Although, when he thought about it, Neji wasn’t really big on food in general. He never voiced an opinion on what they ate, he stuck to the same things wherever they went, and almost always left food on his plate. It suddenly made sense why he seemed so light on the way home. Maybe he should talk to Dr. Hiroki about it. 

“Where’s Lee and Tenten?”

Gai clenched his jaw. His voice sounded awful, “They’re on a mission, but it’s short. They’ll probably be back this evening. They stopped by this morning but you were asleep.”

Neji blinked, “Did…did we already have this conversation?”

“Uh, yeah, we did, but you’d just woken up. I don’t think your brain was really functioning yet,” he said with a smile, “But, hey! It’s a good sign that you remembered having this conversation.” 

Neji nodded with a sigh.

They sat in silence for a while until Neji removed the nasal cannula and made a move to stand up.

“God damn it. I can’t handle another prison break from these kids.”

“And where do you think you’re going?” 

“Bathroom?” Neji cocked an eyebrow.

“Oh,” Gai replied sheepishly, “Here, let me help.”

He held Neji steady as he got to his feet and hovered a cautious hand behind him as his student leaned into the IV pole for support. Neji shuffled across the floor slowly with heavy breaths. When they approached the bathroom door, Gai opened it and flipped on the light switch.

“Shout if you need any help.”

Neji rolled his eyes and closed the door promptly behind him.

Gai winced as the door slammed shut. He knew he was going to get “Angry Neji” sooner or later. He checked the time. It was almost 2 and he was starving. He’d help Neji back to bed then head out for lunch. Gai doubted Neji would want anything but he’d make the offer regardless. That way he could gauge how big of a mood he was in and decide when it would be best to come back. Kakashi said he and Naruto would come by later today, so maybe he’d just come back tomorrow. Hopefully with Lee and Tenten. And a less despondent Neji. 

He took a few steps away from the door to give the boy some privacy and focused back on lunch. He was just daydreaming on where to eat when he heard the faucet running followed by a loud thud.

“Neji?” He asked worriedly, “Neji, are you okay?”

He knocked on the door but all he received back was a groan. His heart froze.

“Neji, I’m coming in.” 

He gave him a few seconds then twisted the door knob. Neji was lying in a heap on the floor, IV pole knocked over, blood spurting from the site where the catheter was ripped out of his arm. He clutched his side in pain.

Gai swallowed hard and bent down to help his student up, “Are you okay? What happened?”

Neji jerked away from him. 

“Do you want me to call for a nurse?”

“NO. I’m fine. ”

Gai stepped back unconsciously. He was really in a mood now. 

Neji tried to stand up on his own accord but he was barely able to make it to a sitting position. He sat slumped against the wall, legs outstretched on the linoleum floor, panting heavily.

Gai watched as Neji made several attempts to stand before finally stepping in again, “Here, let me help you–,”

“I said I can do it. I’m not an invalid,” he snapped.

Gai sighed, “I know you can but injuring yourself further to prove a point is childish. I thought you were smarter than that.”

Neji rolled his eyes and scoffed, but ultimately accepted Gai’s helping hand. The color drained from his face. Gai was sure he was going to be sick again. The boy stood on shaky feet, swaying back and forth. Vertigo made it impossible for him to move. Gai let go to pick up the IV stand so his student had something to lean on again.

“You think you’ve got it?”

Neji gave a defiant nod, but Gai could tell that he was unsure. Unfortunately, when Neji was in one of his moods, there wasn’t really much to do except give him space. Normally that wasn’t a problem. He’d just walk away and leave Neji to his own devices. Afterall, the kid was perfectly capable of taking care of himself. But right now? The boy’s feet were practically glued to the floor.

“I’m going to call for a nurse to put those IV backs in,” Gai said, turning off the faucet and making his way to the hospital room door. He didn’t even look back to see if Neji had made it a step yet.

He returned five minutes later with Nurse Aimi to find Neji slumped over the toilet, his good arm cushioning his head against the porcelain as he heaved. 

“Oh you poor thing, do you think you’re finished?” Aimi asked as she stroked his back.

Neji gave a noncommittal grunt and heaved again, but nothing came out. Gai winced. It wasn’t like he had much in his stomach to throw up.

“Gai, why don’t you grab a wheelchair from outside?”

He gave a curt nod and left to locate the chair. By the time he returned, Nurse Aimi had managed to pull the boy away from the toilet and wipe his mouth.

“I can do it,” Neji sneered, reaching to grab the towel from her hands, “I’m not a child.”

“Contrary to what you might think, young man , but last I checked, thirteen was still considered a child in this village,” Aimi’s eyes darkened, “Don’t think you’re the first hot headed genin to end up here.”

Neji dropped his head to hide the blush growing across his cheeks. Lacking the energy to rebuttal, he let Nurse Aimi fuss over him. 

“Gai, can you please ask one of the nurses to call for a resident? We’ll need them to insert the IVs again,” she said, tutting over the bloody mess covering Neji’s hand. 

He nodded, a little annoyed that she didn’t ask that the first time and stepped out into the hall. Looking down the hall proved that there were no medics lingering around the nurse’s station. The other direction wasn’t promising either. It was oddly quiet in the unit. Usually it was bustling with noise, but since Choji and Naruto were moved out of the Intensive Care Unit days ago, Gai assumed that the other rooms were either vacant or had sleeping patients. The walls were practically made of paper, something he realized during his first stay in the hospital back when he was a genin. 

Standing with his back to the door, he could hear the painful coughs of his student and the gentle voice of Nurse Aimi. “…You’re welcome sweetie…Don’t worry about it. I know it’s hard…Stop that! He’s just worried about you…No, of course he doesn’t think that, he’s very proud of you.”

Gai stared down at his feet, one hand on his hip, the other rubbing his forehead. Did Neji really think he was disappointed in him? No wonder Aimi sent him out of the room again. Although, he was admittedly flattered. He didn’t think Neji cared about Ga’s opinion at all! It felt great to know he was still making a significant impact on the kid.

He wandered the halls until he finally ran into a medic, “Excuse me, my student ripped out his IVs. The nurse said we’d need a doctor to replace it.

The medic looked up from his chart, “Are they in this wing? I’m just a resident for the ICU.”

“Yes, he’s right in there,” Gai said, gesturing to room 107. 

“Ohhh, one of the genin on the retrieval mission, right?” He said, recognizing Neji’s name on the door, “I was just headed over to switch him off of morphine,” he held the clear IV bag up as proof.

“Yeah, I’m afraid he got the worst of the beating,” Gai said, leading him to the door.

“I’ve heard. Truthfully, I thought that Naruto kid would be the last out of here, but he was all but running around the peds floor within a couple days.” He knocked twice and opened the door.

Nurse Aimi somehow managed to get Neji back in bed, nasal cannula replaced, and a bloody gauze wrapped around his hand. Gai was impressed. Neji looked a little worse from wear, but you would never guess that he just had his second meltdown of the day.

“Hi Neji! I’m Doctor Yagi, I heard you had a fight with the IV pole and won,” he chuckled but his patient didn’t respond. “Let’s take a look,” Dr. Yagi let out a whistle, “Guess the pole didn’t go down without a fight. We’re going to have to put these in your left hand, and I might need to put in a couple of stitches here too. I’m going to take your arm out of the sling for a moment while we do this just so I have some more visibility.”

Neji winced as the doctor unclipped the sling and gently rested his arm on a pillow. Within ten minutes, the IVs were replaced, the new drip was started, his left arm was back in the sling, and two stitches were added to his right hand. The doctor snapped off his gloves and tossed them in the trash, “Alrighty kiddo, you’re good to go! Your right hand will be numb for about an hour until the lidocaine wears off and you should start feeling the effects of the oxycodone very soon. If you feel tired or lightheaded, don’t try to fight it and let yourself sleep.”

Neji nodded, making a clumsy fist with his hand and thanked the doctor.

“Thank you doctor,” called out Nurse Aimi as he exited the room, “Now, you call if you need anything , okay? And you let me know when you need to get out of your room for a bit.” She gave him a loving pat on the head, that Neji took begrudgingly, and followed after the resident.

Dr. Yagi wasn’t kidding, the oxy had an almost immediate effect. The rush of adrenaline was finally wearing off of his student and his eyes blinked slowly. Neji relaxed deeper into the pillow, fighting to keep his eyes open. 

“Hey bud, I’m going to let you get some rest, alright? Do you want me to leave one of the lamps on?” He asked in a hushed tone.

Neji gave a nod, eyes already shut.

Within the 30 seconds it took for him to cross the room and back, Neji was already passed out. He pulled the second blanket over Neji’s shoulders and watched as his student shifted further underneath the covers. Exhausted himself, Gai turned off the lights with a sigh and closed the door gently behind him.

Chapter Text

It stormed later that afternoon and well into the night which meant Lee and Tenten weren’t able to return yesterday evening like they anticipated. It was now 10 am the next day and Gai still hadn’t heard from them. He let out an anxious sigh. Hopefully they were just caught up from all the bad weather and not in any actual danger. He couldn’t handle any more career-ending situations from his students.

He waved to the nurses at their station as he entered the Intensive Care Unit. It’d been 8 days since Neji was admitted and he was looking at least another week in this wing. Dr. Hiroki said pneumonia could last as long as a month, and in Neji’s condition, they didn’t want to risk moving him into general pediatrics until the infection cleared up. Not to mention, they still needed to schedule his follow up surgery.

“Good morning, Gai!” called one of the nurses. What was her name again? Maiko? Mika? 

“Morning. He didn’t cause you too much trouble yesterday, did he?”

“Who, Neji? He could never! He’s such a sweet kid.”

That surprised him. Neji was definitely his most well-mannered student, but the boy wasn’t who Gai would describe as ‘sweet.’ 

“Really? He wasn’t…moody or uncooperative?” 

“Or an asshole.”

“No, of course not,” the nurse gave him a perplexed smile, “We check on him quite often and he’s always been very polite and compliant. And since we switched him off of morphine he’s been extra fun to talk with.” She gave Gai a wink, which left him confused, “Although, Aimi did mention the bathroom incident yesterday. I think he was just having a bad day. Seizure patients typically have a rough time the day following an episode. One thing he could work on though is eating. He’s barely touched any of the food we’ve brought him. I’m giving him a pass for the moment because I know he’s been feeling nauseous, but I don’t like how much weight he’s lost, and I know Dr. Hiroki is concerned too.”

“I’ll see if I can talk some sense into him. How was he last night?”

“His fever spiked again, 103.4º. Poor thing was having another nightmare at its peak. We got it down though. Good news is he’s sitting at 99.4º. That’s the lowest we’ve seen. Hopefully last night was the worst of it.”

Gai sighed. He supposed that was good news, but why couldn’t things ever be easy for his kids?

“Yeah, he’s been struggling with staying asleep…Is he awake?”

“Yep! Checked in on him myself about half an hour ago.”

He thanked the nurse and walked the familiar path to Neji’s room. He gave the door a firm knock and opened it cautiously when he didn’t hear a response.

A smile jumped onto his face. Neji was passed out with a book laying haphazardly across his chest. He was sitting up in bed but slumped to one side, a stack of pillows keeping him upright. His cheek leaned against his shoulder for support, pushing his nasal cannula slightly askew. Gai’s heart fluttered.  His student looked so peaceful, so innocent, dare he say, adorable even. 

 Not wanting to ruin the boy’s rest, he tried to close the door gently but the second it latched, Neji’s eyes sprang open and looked around dazedly. 

“Sorry to wake you, they said you were up,” Gai said in a hushed tone as he took a seat.

Neji rubbed his eyes, “Mmm awake,” he mumbled, very clearly not awake. 

“Of course you are,” Gai chuckled. He went to mark the boy's spot in the book, but from the looks of it, he hadn’t even made it through the first page. Deciding against it, he put the book on the bedside table, “How are you feeling today?”

“Mmm good,” he responded sluggishly.

Gai frowned, he wasn’t acting like himself. Not that Neji had really been himself recently, but this was different, “Do you still have a headache?”

“Nope,” he replied with a prominent pop on the “p.” He smiled up at Gai dazedly, “I feel grrrreat! We should train. I’ll race you to Nurse Maiko.”

“Woah there,” Gai chuckled, placing a firm hand on his student’s knee to keep him in bed, “I love the youthful burst of energy, but I don’t think you’re ready for a race yet.”

“Last one there has to do uh… a-a billion push ups!” He sang, trying to tempt Gai into the competition, despite reclining deeper and deeper into the pillows.

Now it made sense. The kid was high as a kite. 

“With that shoulder I don’t think you could afford to lose, and with those lungs, I don’t think you’d stand a chance at winning.”

Neji turned away from him, dropping the conversation completely at the distraction of his own sling.

“Hey, leave that alone,” Gai reached over to stop him from undoing the clasp.

“My arm’s not even broken,” he argued drunkenly. 

“Yeah, but your collar bone, three ribs, and your scapula are.”

That was being generous. According to Shizune, she had to completely reconstruct his ribs and part of his scapula. As she phrased it, the force of the arrow “ shattered ” the major bones in his left pectoral. And that’s exactly why a follow-up surgery needed to be scheduled. 

Neji dropped his hand and turned back towards his teacher, “Hey Sensei.”

“Yes?”

“Guess…guess what.”

“...What?”

“Noooooo, guessss.”

Gai sighed. Honestly, this was the best he’d seen him all week. “You finally agreed to let Tenten do your hair?”

“Noooo!” Neji laughed, “I got a 92 on,um..on my test. That’s an A,” he said proudly.

“What test?”

“The farm test.  Nurse um, Nurse…the um, blonde one?”

“Aimi?”

“Yeah, her. I like her, she’s nice.”

Gai smiled. The boy was so tired and so high that he couldn’t think straight. He looked like he’d pass out at any moment. “I like her too. Did she give you the 92?”

“92 what.”

“You said you got a 92 on a test.”

“Oh! Nurse Aimi said that I did good with the ox and the–the, um… the hens.” 

The boy was beaming. Gai knew Neji was smart, top of his class even, but he never thought he was the type to crave praise the way so many aspiring pupils do. He supposed it made sense. Neji was a genius, sure, but he just assumed that he’d be jaded by the constant good grades and authoritative approval. Gai made a mental note to praise Neji more.  

“I can’t wait for her to tell me all about it! I’m glad you’re in a much better mood, I guess morphine isn’t for you. Although, I’m a little worried that oxycodone might be too much.”

Too tired to hold his eyes open, Neji drunkenly let his head rest on the stack of pillows, “You’re just jealous because I get this cool bracelet and you don’t.” He tried to lift up his left arm to show off the medical ID and instantly regretted it, “Ow.”

Gai laughed, “Well I think you deserved that one. Have you had any lunch yet?” He asked, eyeing the covered food tray.

“Nhnmm,” he said with a punctuated head shake.

“Then let’s try eating some.” He reached over to uncover the meal.

“Mmm not hungry.”

“I don’t believe that.”

“It’s truuuue,” Neji sang. 

“When was the last time you ate?”

Neji thought for a moment, eyes dancing around the room and head bobbing around lazily, “Mmmm don’t remember,” he coughed.

“Then let’s try some lunch.”

“Uhhhhh,” Neji let out a dramatic sigh and threw his head back the other way. 

Gai smiled with a playful eye roll. Stoned Neji was fun. This was probably the most he’d ever seen him smile. It warmed his heart. It’s a shame that it took a near-death experience and hospital-grade painkillers to get his student to act so…his age. 

He brought the tray and bed table close to him and handed over the spoon. “Here, take out your anger on the soup.”

With painstakingly slow movements, Neji took a shaky spoonful and sipped from it with a sulk. Gai was admittedly surprised at how easily he complied. Maybe the nurses were right. 

 “What did you get up too after I left yesterday? Or did you just sleep all afternoon?”

“Mmm…” He took a long moment to think, swirling the spoon in the soup, “Oh! Hinata and Hanabi came by,” he said, chasing the sentence with another, smaller, mouthful.

Gai nodded, a bit impressed. It’d only been, what, 6 months since Neji tried to mercilessly kill his cousin? And somehow their relationship was stronger than ever? What the hell happened. 

“Ohhh, is that where those flowers came from?” Gai asked, gesturing to the bouquet on the table at the far end of the room. 

“Mhmm.”

A knock at the door paused their conversation. “Hey Neji!” Nurse Aimi said as she entered the room.

A smile graced Gai’s face. Her bubbly personality just radiated off of her. He felt so much lighter when she spoke, like nothing could ever go wrong when she was around. And it didn’t hurt that she seemed particularly invested in Neji’s recovery.

“Nnnnnnurse Alli!” Neji exclaimed drunkenly.

“Aimi,” Gai corrected.

“Finally hungry?” She winked.

“Nuh-uh…Gai-Sensei is making me eat,” he said with an eye roll.

“Well then he must be very smart because I was just about to do the same.”

“N-nurse Aimi,” Neji hiccuped, “Tell Gai-Sensei about, about the, the oxy and hen test.”

She kneaded her eyes in confusion, “A test?”

“He said you gave him a 92 on a farm test?”

“Oh!” Aimi exclaimed, “You mean your oxygen sats.”

“Mmmhm,” the boy nodded.

Oxygen. Ox-and-hen. Gai gave him an exasperated sigh. “The nurse outside mentioned his fever spiked last night?” Gai asked.

Neji gave a disapproving head shake,“Nh-mm I don’t remember that. ”

“I wouldn’t expect you too, hun. You weren’t feeling well and it was late at night. Let me see you take another bite, please.” She waited for him to take a very small, reluctant mouthful and continued, “The storm woke him up and I think he was having another nightmare. He was burning up when I came to check on him. Dr. Hiroki thinks the stress is adding to his fever, and possibly even caused the seizure he had the other day.”

Gai’s stomach turned. This PTSD was getting out of hand. Clearly the medication wasn’t helping.

“Mmmm done,” Neji slurred, pushing the table away.

“You’ve barely even made a dent. Keep going, try some toast,” Gai chided. The rubber wheels protested against the title as he pushed the table back towards him.

Neji tried to choke down a laugh but failed miserably.

“What’s so funny?” Gai said, cocking an eyebrow.

The boy was doubled over in laughter, “The-the table farted!”

It farted? What did he–Oh. The wheels. Gai gave Aimi an exasperated look, “I swear, he’s never like this.”

“Oh hush, he’s just being a boy.”

Wow, Nurse Aimi really had a soft spot for Neji. Or maybe she was just good with kids.You’d have to be to take care of sick ones all day, especially doped up teenagers. Gai watched as she walked over to open the blinds. He was mesmerized by the way her hair bounced and how the sun glistened off her curls.

 “OW!” 

He snapped his attention back to Neji, panic rising in his throat. The boy was lying on his side, doubled over in pain.

“ Owwwww . OW. OW .OW.Ow!” He sucked in a breath through his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut.

“Can I take a look?” Nurse Aimi asked calmly.

He shook his head, in too much pain to give a proper answer.

Gai furrowed his brow, “Neji, let her help.”

Aimi gently pulled his hand away from the injured sight, slowly reclined him back into the pillows, and undid the clasps of the hospital gown. Neji sucked in another breath when she prodded around the area.

“It hurts,” he whispered, tears springing in his eyes.

“I’m sure it does. That’s what happens when you goof around. How bad, on a scale of one to ten?”

“Ten.” He threw his head back, breathing becoming erratic as tears rolled down his cheeks. 

Gai reached for his hand, giving him a reassuring squeeze. He gave Aimi a worried look. “This isn’t him. He’s not like… this ,” he said, gesturing to the distraught boy in front of him. “He doesn’t laugh at fart jokes or goof around. He’s not a talkative kid and I’ve never seen him cry. Could the pain medication be too strong for him?”

Aimi began lowering the bed so Neji would be laying down, “His uncle mentioned something similar. He’s been a bit loopy since we made the switch. He’s on a slightly higher than recommended dosage for his weight, but it’s well within adolescent limits. And considering the severity of his injuries it’s an appropriate amount–I know sweetie,  I’m sorry, I just need to get a better look–But his behavior is concerning, especially if he’s causing more harm to himself.” She tsked at the injured area. He was bleeding again, it wasn’t bad but enough to warrant an heir of concern from Aimi. 

Gai stared as Aimi hovered two glowing green hands over the injury. It was the first time he saw it since rescuing him, and from the looks of it, Neji was going to have an ugly, spiraling scar over the damaged area. He squeezed the boy’s hand again when a whimper escaped his throat as she stopped the bleed. 

“And…done. I’m going to have a doctor take another look at that in a bit.”

Neji let out a shaky breath and looked down at her work. The color instantly drained from his face. Both adults noticed when the heart monitor picked up.

“Don’t worry, it looks messy now but it’ll heal nicely. With time, all that will be left is a scar,” she said, quickly hiding the wound behind layers of gauze.

Neji continued to stare at the now covered spot, eyes wide with fear. 

“Are you okay, Neji?” Aimi asked as she buttoned up the hospital gown. 

Gai and her watched him, anxiously awaiting a response that wouldn’t come. 

“Sweetie?” 

She reached down to pet his hair like she knew he loved, but Neji flinched and pulled away from her suddenly, bumping into the bed’s railing. Gai looked up at Nurse Aimi, worry plaguing his face. 

It took Neji a moment to realize it was just his nurse and instantly relaxed, shoulders dropping with relief. 

“Are you okay?” She asked again, making sure to keep her hands down at her side this time. 

He gave her an apprehensive nod and used his palm to rub away the tears. 

“Do you think you could try eating that toast for me then?” She asked, raising the bed up to a sitting position again. 

Neji winced at the movement and sluggishly shook his head no. Gai clenched his jaw. The kid went from 100 to 0 real quick. 

“How about a protein shake?”

He shook his head again. 

“I really need you to eat something, hun.”

“Any chance you have a strawberry flavor?” Gai asked, “You like strawberry milk, right Neji? It’ll taste just like that.” 

Neji’s lips tightened into a thin line as he nodded.

Aimi smiled, “Let me see what we have.” 

She gave Neji’s hand a loving squeeze and saw herself out, taking the tray with her.  Gai almost suggested that she leave it, but from the looks of it, it’d been sitting out for well over an hour.

“You sure you’re okay?” He asked carefully.

Neji just nodded, eyes still downcast. He blinked slowly but eyes wide with anxiety. 

That sat in silence.

“Are you worried about a scar?”

He just bit his lip.

“I thought you'd be honored. Kakashi sure was when he received his. Same with Asama. Lucky for you, yours can be hidden behind clothing,” Gai joked, trying to make light of the situation.

“It’s just–I hadn’t…It’s different seeing it.” he whispered as he closed his eyes and scrunched his face in concentration, trying to scrub the image from his brain.

Oh. Gai could’ve kicked himself. He hadn’t even thought that this might be his student’s first time seeing the injury, but it made sense. His shirt covered much of the damage when it happened and he’s either been unconscious or had the injury bandaged ever since. And of course the kid was a strong visual learner, so of course this would stick.

“Scars are a symbol of our resilience and strength. More importantly, they’re proof that we’re alive.”

“There's a lot of things to prove that we’re alive,” Neji coughed with an eye roll. 

He weakly tried to pull the blankets up to his chest but struggled with the dexterity. 

After one too many failed attempts, Gai did the task for him. “I meant, it’s proof that we’re living . That we took risks and dared to explore. There’s more to life than just being alive, after all.”

“That’s the most suh-suff…soph-is-tic-ated thing you’ve ever said.”

He watched the boy’s head bob lazily as he broke down the syllables. 

“Guess the oxy bounces back quick.”

“I say stuff like that all the time, you just disappear before you can hear it,” Gai ruffled his hair, noting that his forehead was sticky with sweat. 

Neji made a disgruntled noise and batted clumsily at his sensei’s hand. “Don’t be mean, mmmm don’t feel good…,” he slurred, punctuating the comment with a feeble cough.

“Oh-ho, what an act! Is that how you got all the nurses to like you?”

Neji gave a weak smirk with his eyes closed and shook his head with a big grin, “Noooo.”

Gai’s heart warmed. It was rare to see a real, genuine smile from his student that wasn’t dripping in self-righteousness . He turned his attention to the door when he heard it click and saw Nurse Aimi returning with the protein shake.

She placed a straw in the shake and handed it over to her patient, “Strawberry, as promised. Now this is a high calorie shake, I want you to finish all of it, okay?”

Neji nodded up at her with half-lidded eyes. He hesitated before taking a sip.

“Nurse Aimi, be honest. Has Neji manipulated you into liking him?” Gai asked, shooting his student a mischievous smile. 

The boy grinned around the straw, failing to hold back a snort. My God the kid was high out of his mind.

“No, of course not. He’s such a sweetie, and a pleasure to be around!” She gave Neji a light pat on the arm. 

“Tooolllddddd you!” he sang. 

“Although, maybe no more unchaperoned walks, hmm?” she winked.

“Ohhh, did you try to pull a Lee on us?” Gai cocked an eyebrow. He was admittedly shocked. For starters, the kid couldn’t even sit up by himself, let alone walk out the room. And a hospital escape just didn’t sound like something Neji would do. Especially when he was so obviously weak.

“No no, nothing like that,” Aimi giggled. “Last night he decided to try and close the blinds by himself. He only made it to the visitors chair.”

“I was–I was just rrresting,” Neji said, biting on that straw absentmindedly, eyes struggling to stay open.

“Hmmm, well next time let’s ask for some help,” she gave him a wink, “And drink that shake!” She gave him a faux-stern face and left the room.

Neji obediently took another sip but ultimately returned the drink to the table.

“Did anyone else visit yesterday?”

“Mmmm… Shikamaru and Choji, but I was asleep.” He closed his eyes as if to demonstrate.

“Well hopefully they can come back when you’re awake… Might be hard to plan around your sleep schedule though,” Gai added after clocking Neji’s very obvious yawn. 

“Mmm can’t help it. The drrrrugs make me rowdy.”

“I think you mean drowsy.”

“Yeah, that.”

Their conversation continued for a while but mostly consisted of Gai leading the discussion and Neji struggling to listen. At one point, while Gai was telling him a story from his time as a genin, the boy actually fell asleep.

 Gai was relieved to see that his memory was improving. He was less excited to hear that Dr. Hiroki was worried that his shoulder might be infected. Or, at least he’s pretty sure that’s what Neji meant by his arm being red and hot to the touch. Of course, his description of it wasn’t quite so elegant. Gai would never admit it, but he kind of liked this Neji. This kid was so relaxed and carefree and… talkative . An almost complete 180 from his typical demeanor.

A knock disrupted their conversation.

“Come in!” Gai called, expecting another nurse, but to his surprise Kakashi and Naruto walked in.

“Hey Neji!” Naruto yelled from the entryway.

Gai cringed, expecting his student’s healing concussion to sprout a migraine. 

“Nnnnaruto!” Neji called back in an excited, but dreamlike tone. 

Gai blinked, apparently he was wrong. 

“Hey there Nej. We planned to stop by the other day but by the time someone was found and released, visiting hours were over. But I heard catching you awake is about as easy as catching a fish blindfolded.”

Neji shot him an incredulous look, “Th-that’s easy.”

Kakashi laughed, “For you maybe, not all of us have X-ray vision. I’d ask how you’re feeling but it looks like you’re on cloud 9. Told you morphine would make you feel incredible.”

The boy blinked, scrunching his face in concentration, “What?” He asked, looking to Gai for answers.

“You probably don’t remember it, but Kakashi was also responsible for rescuing you– both– of you,” he said, making eye contact with Naruto as the boy sat down across from him and his sensei. “That’s what he’s referring to.”

“Oh,” Neji responded indifferently, turning away from the two teachers to give his full attention to his friend. 

Gai rolled his eyes, apparently this Neji also had a very short attention span. “You’re only half right, Kakashi. Turns out he doesn’t react well to morphine. They switched him over to oxycodone yesterday and this is the result,” he said, gesturing to his high-out-of-his-mind student. 

“Wow, I bet he’s been fun.”

“Oh, you have no idea. He’s giving Lee a run for his money.”

The two jonin talked amongst themselves while the boys chatted about whatever topic Naruto decided on. Neji for his part was attempting to listen, but even Naruto could tell he was struggling to keep his eyes open.

“Neji! Are you even listening to me?”

“Mmmmhmmm,” he replied, slowly blinking his eyes open. 

“Gahhh! I’m trying to tell you about the coolest battle of my LIFE and you’re falling ASLEEP? Listen. It’s just me and Sasuke. We’re on top of this giant waterfall with these huge statues on either side of us–”

“Give the kid a break, Naruto, he’s still recovering. He did risk his life for your teammate after all. You could be a bit more courteous,” Kakashi piped in.

“Yeah, I know, but come on Neji, you have to admit my battle was badass.”

“Badass,” Neji repeated, nodding absently.

“See?” Naruto beamed at his sensei.

Gai chuckled as he reached over to pick up the protein shake, coaxing Neji to take a sip but the boy turned his head away with disgruntled defiance. Gai sighed, Neji did look a bit pale, “Come on bud, it’ll make you feel better.”

“Can I have it?!”

“Naruto,” Kakashi shot him a pointed look.

“He doesn’t even want it!”

“I want applesauce,” Neji said absentmindedly. 

“Deal. But Nurse Aimi won’t get you any unless she sees this bottle empty, so start chugging.” Gai watched as Neji begrudgingly picked up the drink.

“Alright enough beating around the bush, tell me about your battle!”

Gai’s stomach flipped, “Oh, Naruto, I don’t know–”

“Naruto!” Kakashi glared at him.

“What? Everyone’s asking.”

Neji blinked several times as if trying to recall the details, “He was strong,” he said, impressed by the memory, “And smart. Like…smarter than Shikamaru.” He said with a cartoonish pointed look towards Naruto, emphasizing the fact. 

“Really?!”

“He learned from every move I made. It was…terrifying.” His eyes fell back to the blanket. “His aim was better than Tenten’s. I–I couldn’t, a-avoid them.” 

“Avoid what?” 

But Neji ignored him, too caught up in the details. Gai could practically see the memory playback before the boy’s eyes as he disassociated, and stared blankly at his hands. “I-It tore through me. Twice. A-And I could see my…my in-intest–”

Gai clocked the familiar signs of heaving and swiftly moved the waste bin under Neji’s chin just in time for him to expel the contents of his stomach. The room sat in silence as he vomited. When he finally finished, he laid his forehead against the cool metal. He rested his eyes as he grasped at his injured side and let out a soft whimper. Gai’s heart went out to his sick student. Stomach contractions must be painful with his healing side. 

Naruto winced, “Hey, it’s alright. We don’t have to talk about it. I…I’m sorry I brought it up.”

“He was tough.” The other boy said definitively, head still hovering over the bin. 

“Yeah, but you were tougher,” Kakashi added as he gently rubbed his back.

Gai handed Neji a cup of water so he could rinse out his mouth. So much for that shake. The boy swished around the water lethargically, spat the reddish-pink liquid into the bin, and collapsed back into the pillows. Gai placed the bin on the ground and examined his student. The poor kid looked so disoriented, surely this prescription was way too strong for him. Neji played with the sheets, not even realizing that Kakashi was telling a story. Gai noticed the slight tremble in his shoulders and placed a reassuring hand on his arm, frowning when he noticed how sweaty he was. 

“Neji, are you hot?” 

“C-c-cold,” he shivered.

Gai and Kakashi exchanged a concerned look.

“I don’t blame you. The blankets here are thin as hell,” Naruto added nonchalantly, “Hey! You won’t believe who Bushy Brows teamed up with on the mission. Did he tell you that he ran away!?”

Naruto continued to tell the story that Gai was pretty sure Neji had already heard, but the older boy nodded along nonplussed. Naruto wasn’t exactly who Gai would pin as a friend of Neji’s but the two seemed to be getting along just fine, and the younger boy was surprisingly very good at keeping the Hyuga distracted.

Neji winced and shifted slightly, brows kneading together. His focus pulled away from the other genin as something distracted him. 

“Sensei…” He said lazily.

“Yes Neji, what is it?”

“The bed’s wet.”

Gai blanched, had he really wet the bed again? Based on Naruto and Kakashi’s sheepish looks, they were thinking the same. He watched the boy reach down under the covers to feel the mattress but his hand returned red.

“Oh.”

Kakashi immediately pressed the call button as Gai pulled the blankets back revealing the dark red puddle collecting on the sheets and the blood-drenched hospital gown clinging to the boy’s side. Neji let out a series of harsh coughs, spitting up more dark, bloody bile that dribbled down his front and into his lap. Gai’s eyes grew wide. Instinctively, he looked down at the waste bin. The liner was splattered with blood.

“What’s happening!?” Naruto shouted.

“I don’t know,” Gai said, trying to comfort his panicking student whose own eyes were dilated with fear. The boy’s hands shook out in front of him as he feebly tried to catch the blood dripping from his mouth. Neji looked up at him, eyes pleading for help. The sight was haunting. 

“I don…don’…feel sooo…goo…” Neji slurred before suddenly losing consciousness. 

“Naruto, run and get a doctor,” Kakashi commanded as he helped Gai lay the boy on his side.

“Y-yes Sensei!” He yelled, one foot already out the door. 

“Neji, wake up. Come on buddy,” Gai pleaded. 

Kakashi gently rubbed the boy’s back with one hand and used the other to  press the ruined sheets into the wound, “You’re okay. You’re okay. Come on Neji, wake up.”

The door burst open and a team of medics flooded in to take over for the jonin. 

“We didn’t realize he was bleeding. He-he didn’t even notice, he just thought he’d wet the bed. He vomited blood a bit earlier but I didn’t see it until after,” Gai supplied frantically.

The medics moved in a flurry around the bed. The men watched from the sidelines as they cut away the soiled bandages and waved glowing green hands over the site. 

“I need you two to step outside so the doctors can work,” the woman from the  nurses station herded the two towards the door.

Gai caught one more glimpse of his student now fully laying on his stomach, an oxygen mask covering his laxed, red-stained face. His stomach lurched. Turning back to the exit, he saw Naruto standing catatonic in the doorway. Poor kid looked like he might faint himself. 

“Come here Naruto, let’s sit down,” Kakashi guided him to the chairs while Gai tried talking with the nurse. 

“As soon as I have more information, I will let you know,” she said resolutely and shut the door between them.

“Is Neji going to be okay?” Naruto asked frantically, staring up at his sensei.

“We’ll know more in a bit,” he consoled.

Gai remained at the door, jaw clenched as he struggled to control his anxiety. He rubbed his face and let out a shaky breath. How could he have missed a bleed that bad? Neji was acting oddly but he assumed it was just the painkillers. Although now that he thought about it, the kid was seemingly growing more and more dazed throughout the visit. 

“Gai.”

He didn’t respond.

“ Gai.”

“WHAT?”

“You need to sit down.”

“No.”

“Then at least step away from the door.”

He took his friend’s advice and began pacing the floor of the waiting area instead. All three of them sat in silence for a long while. Minutes passed painstakingly slowly. 

“Sensei?” Naruto whispered.

Kakashi looked down at him.

“Why did you two get upset when I asked Neji about his battle?”

Kakashi and Gai exchanged a look, quietly fighting to decide who would answer.

“The mission was very hard on him, as you saw,” Gai finally said, staying intentionally vague, “We just don’t want him experiencing any unnecessary stress.”

Naruto just nodded. If he wasn’t so worried about his own student, Gai would’ve been concerned to see the other boy so quiet. Guess he understood the severity of the situation. The silence stretched on for another twenty minutes before the nurse came back out. Gai stopped in his tracks and looked up at her apprehensively.

“He’s okay. He tore his stitches and suffered some pretty extensive internal and external bleeding but it’s under control now.”

“How did this happen?”

“I’m not sure, but his back is worse than his front. His chart says that he tore a couple of stitches in his side not too long ago. He might’ve tore more in his back and didn’t even realize it at the time.”

One by one, doctors filed out of the room.

“Can I see him?” He could just make out Dr. Yagi standing over the bed.

“Dr. Yagi?” The nurse asked.

“Yeah, they can come back in,” he said, fidgeting with one of the IVs, “He managed to tear apart the silk stitches and the chakra stitches in his back. I keep forgetting how strong these Genin can be. He lost about two liters of blood.”

Gai cautiously entered the room and approached the bed. Neji was back on his right side, oxygen mask replaced with a nasal cannula. Clean sheets, a fresh hospital gown, and a thick blanket tucked around his shoulders complimented his calm face. These doctors worked like wizards. It was as if nothing had happened. For the exception of the new needle in his right arm and the blood bag hanging from the IV stand, he would’ve thought Neji was just peacefully sleeping. 

A voice spoke up from behind him, “When will he wake up?” 

Gai blinked, he didn’t realize Kakashi and Naruto had followed him back into the room. 

“Well his BP and oxygen sats are back up, so he could come too pretty soon. He’ll probably be very groggy when he wakes up. If he has a headache, he can have a Tylenol. I’ll let Nurse Maiko know so just ring for her and she can grab it.” Dr. Yogi placed a final glowing hand over Neji’s side and nodded, “Please don’t hesitate to call if he needs anything.” 

He walked out the room, leaving the three ninja to continue their silent vigilance. Gai placed a hand on Neji’s forehead and was almost relieved to feel the slight burn under his palm. “Told you he was giving Lee a run for his money.”

Kakashi chuckled and cast a wary eye down at Naruto. He’d never seen him so… still. “He’s going to be okay, Naruto.”

“Yeah, I know,” he whispered, watching the shallow rise and fall of the older boy’s chest. 

Kakashi cast a look to Gai who glimpsed at the sleeping kid, then back to him. Kakashi nodded, “Naruto, why don’t you head home? Try to see if any of the others would like to come see Neji tomorrow. I’m sure he would like a visit from his friends.”

“Yeah…okay,” Naruto stood with a far-off look in his eyes and quietly left the room.

Gai waited for the door to close, “That really scared him,” he said matter-of-factly.

“He’ll be fine. It’ll make him stronger.”

“I’m sorry he had to see that.”

“He’s lucky. We saw much worse when we were his age.”

“Yeah…”

Silence blanketed the room again. Gai was watching his student vigilantly.  Kakashi studied him, “I thought you were only like this with Lee.” He loved the man but his friend took the teaching role a bit too seriously, “Guess I was wrong.” Admittedly, he shouldn’t be surprised. Gai had a heart of gold and the most exceptional display of empathy Kakashi had ever seen. He had a knack for taking injured birds under his wing.

The boy began to stir. Gai bent down to his eyeline and stroked his hair gently. Neji’s eyes cracked open ever so slightly and he made a noncommittal noise.

“Hey bud,” Gai whispered.

Neji looked around bleary-eyed. A clumsy hand scrubbed at his face but stopped suddenly when he felt the catheter poking into his hand. He looked at it confused and followed the line up the pole.

“You lost a lot of blood. They just want to put it all back,” Gai smiled.

“Whhaaa…happ…pened?”

God he sounded awful. 

Gai swallowed the lump in his throat, “Don’t worry about it.”

That answer must’ve sufficed for the boy because he didn’t say anything else.

“How are you feeling Neji? Does your head hurt?” Kakashi asked softly, finding himself also bent down, eye level with the boy.

“Mhmm. Dizzy,” he mumbled as he tried to roll over.

“Here, let me help.” With expert care, Gai slowly rolled him to his back. “You can go back to sleep if you're tired.”

“Mmmm want applesauce…”

Kakashi snorted and broke into a laugh, his best friend following quickly behind him. He ruffled the boy’s hair and stood up, “Yeah, we can get you some applesauce.” Kakashi pressed the call button and sat back down.

“Sensei.”

God, the boy looked exhausted. Gai couldn’t believe how much energy had been drained from the kid, “Yes?”

“Nhmmm, Ka..kash–eee… Sen–Sensei,” he whined.

“I’m right here, Nej. What’s up?”

“Thanks.”

Kakashi shot a confused look at him, “For what?”

“The…the bandages.”

He was even more confused, “What bandages?” He looked to Gai to translate but his friend was just as lost as he was. 

“At the tree.”

“Tree?”

“ Ohh . You mean on our way home?” Gai asked.

“Mmhmm…” He nodded, eyes shut again.

He looked over his shoulder at Kakashi, “During the rescue mission we ran into you on our way back and you gave me some extra bandages to wrap Neji’s shoulder with.”

Kakashi blinked, “You remember that?”

Neji bobbed his head in a clunky manner.

Gai cracked a smile, “Neji, that’s amazing! You remember!”

The boy cracked his eyes open and mimicked his sensei’s excitement with a weak fist pump that lacked dexterity. Gai chuckled. The kid had no idea why they were celebrating. 

“You’re very welcome, Neji. I’m always here to help. Remember that.”

“Mmhmm.” 

The door clicked open and Neji’s eyes popped open as he turned his attention to the entrance.

“Nnnurse Maikooo!”

“Hey, Sweetie! Feeling a bit better?”

“Mmm want applesauce.”

“ Please, ” Gai added sternly.

“Pleeeease…” Neji repeated.

The nurse smiled, “Of course. I’m just happy to see you hungry for a change!”

“He also has a headache,” Kakashi added.

“One applesauce and two tylenol coming right up,” she winked as she left the room. 

“Kakashi Sensei.”

“Yes, Neji?”

“Why do you…do you…wear that mask,” he yawned. The kid really should try going back to sleep.

The men couldn’t help but laugh. The genin asked about his mask all the time. The rumors they came up with were far more exciting than the real reason and he decided that it was more fun to let the mystery live on. 

“I’ll make you a deal. I’ll show you my face, if you tell me which one of us is your favorite?”

“Gai-Sensei.”

“Yes?”

“No. Gai-Sensei…is…is my answer,” he hiccuped.

Gai couldn’t help but smile. It felt like his heart exploded. Neji preferred him over Kakashi ! Almost no one preferred him over Kakashi, sans Lee, of course. He didn’t even hesitate with the answer! Gai beamed while his friend’s jaw dropped in utter shock.

“What!? You’re just saying that because he’s your sensei,” the other man pouted dramatically, eliciting a childish giggle from the boy. 

“A deal’s a deal, Kakashi. Pay up!” Gai chided.

“Alright, alright, ready? Neji, bud, you gotta open your eyes to see it.” The boy whined but cracked his eyes open. Kakashi dramatically took off the cloth face covering, “Ta-da!” He sang.

Neji waved his hand away and shut his eyes again, unimpressed.

“What? Not good enough for you?” Kakashi joked. Most of the kids thought he was concealing a horrendous scar, or giant lips, or bucked teeth, so the reveal was understandably disappointing. 

“Nhmm. I see your face all the time.”

“How–Oh. I forget you have creepy X-ray eyes. Can you see it now?” He asked, covering his face back up.

Neji snorted, “Nooo! I don’t have my–uh…Bya-ku…B-ya…”

“Byakugan,” Gai supplied.

“Yeah. It’s not activated,” he yawned again, “Why do you wear a mask?”

Gai and Kakashi stared at each other, fighting back a laugh. All this time the genin could’ve just gone to Neji or Hinata for a description and not one of them had ever thought of it. Frankly, they were more impressed that neither of the Hyugas had told anyone. Hinata made sense, she was too timid to mention it and was often so quiet that the rest of the group overlooked her. Neji, however, was the obvious choice for a recon mission. 

“I just like too,” Kakashi finally answered, “I’ve always worn one. Started off by realizing how cold my face got in the winter, and got used to wearing it. It’s just comfortable. Plus it makes me look cool,” he winked, “But you’re not gonna go tell the others, right? I have a reputation to uphold.”

“Nnhmmm,” Neji shook his head.

Truthfully, both men knew that the kid wouldn’t even remember the conversation come morning. Kakashi pulled the mask back over his face and ruffled Neji’s hair again, which earned him a disapproving grumble. “Well, why do you wear those straps around your head, hm?”

“They were Dad’s,” he slurred, matter-of-factly.

The room fell silent. The two jonin gave each other a look. Neji didn’t seem phased by the subject, but based on what Gai told him, Kakashi was expecting a very eloquent temper tantrum. He held his breath. Had he known, he wouldn’t have ever brought it up.

“I still think you should trade in the headband for a belt like Lee and me,” Gai jumped in.

“Nuh-uh.”

The door opened, saving Kakashi from the conversation. Nurse Maiko entered with a tray and placed it on the bed table. “Nurse Aimi mentioned you might also like a pudding cup, so I brought you one just in case you were extra hungry,” she winked. Maiko raised her eyebrows at the two men, signaling how momentous the moment was as they all watched Neji pick up the spoon and clumsily dive it into the dessert. “Now, you let me know if you need anything,” she said, making her way towards the door.

Kakashi turned back to the boy. Poor kid was really struggling with the spoon. He watched as Gai guided the utensil into his mouth. The other man’s patience was unmatched. He couldn’t imagine doing the same for Naruto, Sasuke, or Sakura. Gai was not just gentle, but also encouraging. He wasn’t doing the work for Neji, he was just coaching him through the motor skill. Kakashi swallowed. Gai was definitely a better teacher than he was. 

“Alright, Nej. I think it’s time I let you get some rest. Can I come see you again later this week?”

The boy gave an approving nod as he lethargically chewed the pudding. 

“Thank you, Kakashi,” Gai said, with a knowing look.

“Of course. Bye, Neji.”

Chapter Text

The sky was a memorizing shade of blue. He loved that shade. And the clouds looked perfect . He wanted to crawl on top of one and fall into its cocoon of softness. Seven sets of gold-feathered wings fluttered across the sky. He loved birds. It was such a beautiful day for cloud watching, he should really try to do it more often. He looked back down. Lush, green leaves blew softly in the breeze. He never realized how entrancing they were. The sun shone brightly on the forest floor, illuminating his path. He followed it, breathing in the crisp, spring air. His eyes closed so he could feel the sunshine on his face. Tranquility flowed through him. This was without a doubt the best thing about being alive. The world might be filled with evil but the earth was surrounded by beauty.

He came to a sudden stop. Glue stuck to his body, pulling at his skin and yanking on his clothes. His eyes shot open. Darkness cloaked the forest ahead of him. The wind bit at his face and howled an eerie cry that almost mimicked laughter. Where did the sun go? A high pitched whistle zoomed past his ear, cutting the air as it whizzed by. His breath hitched. What was that? Another hissed by, this time leaving a stinging pain in his shoulder. He sucked in a breath and stared down at the bloody streak it left behind. Anxiety pulsed through his heart. He kicked and pulled desperately at the sticky substance holding him in place but he couldn’t break free. 

“It’s useless… Just. Like. YOU.”

No. No. NO. He knew that voice. He pulled even harder at the substance but was met with a hard punch to the back that drilled through his middle and exploded through his torso, leaving a stabbing pain radiating through his limbs.  A guttural scream ripped through him. He felt blood trickling down his front and back.

“This has been a fun little game. But I’m growing bored. Better finish this QUICK.”

The wind stopped, freezing the forest in place, like someone pressed pause. The silence was deafening. He struggled to move his head to get a better look but his eyes weren’t working. Why weren’t his eyes working?! A faint whistle danced across his ears. Was that him? He could barely hear anything over his racing heart, but no. That whistle grew louder and it was definitely coming from somewhere in front of him but where? 

The whistle transformed into a roaring boom. A small dot sped towards him, growing alarmingly fast. No, not a dot…an arrow. The arrow. Closing in on him. 50 feet. 20 feet. 2 feet. 

Neji shot up out of bed gasping for air. He grasped desperately at the sheets trying to get some purchase. Pain seared through his shoulder and he let out a piercing yell. What was that beeping!? He kicked something hard and let out another scream of panic. Oxygen refused to go down his lungs despite how much he tried to suck in air. Light flashed across the room and the earth boomed with a monstrous clap. His eyes bounced around, desperate to understand where he was.

Finally he caught sight of the vase as it was briefly illuminated by the white light outside. He knew that vase. Hinata-sama brought him that vase. And the petunias. That’s right. She visited him in the hospital. Hospital. He was in the hospital. Looking around made it so much clearer. That was the balloon Lee tied to the drawer handle. And the thing he kicked was just the bed railing. And this was the blanket Gai-Sensei brought him the other day.

Another deafening boom shook the walls. He pulled on the blanket, frantically trying to anchor himself back to reality. His head pounded as blood rushed through his ears. He reached up to stop his racing heart but pain ripped through his shoulder. He yelped weakly and clutched at it with his other hand. Tears ran down his cheeks. He needed the earth to stop spinning. He needed air in his lungs. He needed...he needed… He wasn’t sure what, but he knew he needed it desperately.

The room lit up, revealing a figure standing in the doorway. No. No. No. NO. Not him. A crackling boom exploded just outside the window causing him to scream again and kick at the sheets pooling at the end of the bed.

“Neji, it’s okay sweetie. It’s just me,” a sweet voice sang as the lights came on. He knew that voice. “Hey, hey, you’re okay. You’re safe. Remember what we practiced? Breathe, in for five and out for five.”

He followed her directions automatically, copying her exaggerated breathing until he was finally calm enough to recognize her face. He still wheezed though, and his lungs ached. He watched as the familiar hands reached down and slowly brought the oxygen mask to his mouth and pulled the strap over his head. He must’ve knocked it off at some point. She bent down to his eye level and gently coaxed his arm back into the sling that dangled around his neck. 

“Did you have the dream again?”

He nodded and let out an inconsolable sob, tears blinding his vision. 

Nurse Aimi held him tightly in her arms and scratched his back comfortingly, “Shhh…. You’re okay, honey. You’re safe. You’re home.” 

The poor boy cried into her shoulder, leaving her scrubs soaked. Adrenaline vibrated through him. He tried his best to suppress his tears, but there was no use hiding how scared he was. 

She let out a melancholy sigh. This was the third night in a row that he woke up screaming. The first night he had three nightmares. Poor Choji and Kiba were startled awake every time. Choji was at least able to go back to sleep pretty quickly. Kiba’s super hearing meant that Neji’s panic attacks sent him into sensory overload. After one night, his doctor decided to move him into general pediatrics, ironically so he could get some peace and quiet.

 During the first attack, Neji nearly threw himself out of bed. Thankfully his uncle was there to keep him from hurting himself even more. She would never forget the fear in his eyes when she rushed in. IV bags laid haphazardly on the floor, the pole thrown halfway across the room. The heart monitor shrieked a constant note and the pulsometer was lost somewhere in the mess of sheets. Hiashi dutifully restrained him while Hinata tried consoling the distressed boy. His youngest cousin was frozen in fear at the end of the bed. Neji, for his part, managed to lose his oxygen mask in all the commotion, so he was wheezing hard , desperate for air as he pulled weakly, yet frantically away from his uncle who was nearly as frazzled as he was. The panic attack was so bad that the on-call doctor had to give him a benzo.

 She winced. These kids weren’t meant to experience trauma like this. She was hoping that switching to oxycodone would have given him at least one peaceful night’s rest, but the boy couldn’t even have that. 

“Was there an arrow this time?”

“I-it almost hit me,” he hiccuped.

“Did you see his face?”

“I w-woke up b-before th-that part.”

“Silver linings,” she smiled. 

The boy rested his head on her shoulder, sucking in deep, shaky breaths. Heat radiated off of him. She glanced at the monitor, 103.4º. Another spike. 

His shaking was starting to slow down so she pulled away from the hug to look him over. Tears stained his cheeks and his eyes were bloodshot. Aimi studied him as he stared blankly past her, chest heaving. A trembling hand clutched his head. At least he wasn’t sick this time. 

She gently caressed his face. They really needed to discuss psychotherapy. This was one of the worst cases of PTSD she’d ever seen. It was always so much more heartbreaking for kids. The things they saw. The things they endured . And Neji hadn’t even hit puberty yet. 

“There ya go. Feeling better?” She paused for his response, “Want to try going back to sleep?”

He hesitated, then nodded apprehensively. 

She cocked an eyebrow back at him, clocking the way his jaw clenched, “Okay. Let me know if you need anything.” 

Aimi exited the room without a second thought and made her way over to the nurse’s station. The chart she’d dropped earlier was still laying haphazardly across the desk. She flipped through to the most recent entry. A chuunin was transferred out of her unit yesterday but it looks like general peds sent her back during the night. That couldn’t be good. She didn’t think the kunoichi even needed to be in the PICU in the first place. For starters, sixteen was a bit old for pediatrics. But more importantly, she was stable and doing well when she was first admitted. 

“Aimi.” She glanced up, the male nurse was giving her a pointed look and gestured to the call board, “He’s lighting up again.” 

Aimi smirked. He didn’t even make it 10 minutes. “I had a feeling,” she said, placing the clipboard back in its place and walking towards room 107.

Neji was waiting nervously for her when she opened the door. 

“Can’t sleep?” He nodded apprehensively. She glanced at the clock. 4:32 am. She’d just clocked in for the morning shift. The hospital was active but slow. Perfect for a scared kid needing a distraction. 

“Wanna go for a stroll?”

He shook his head, facing burning red, “N-no. I’m sorry. I-I’ll be alright.”

“Oh, come on. I’ll show you where they keep the pudding,” she winked.

His eyes broke from hers, considering the option. He looked back and nodded.

With a mischievous smile, Aimi left the room and returned with a wheelchair. With expert care, she helped the boy out of bed and into the seat. She tucked the blanket around him and transferred the IVs to the chair's pole. He’d mostly calmed down now so Aimi switched him over to a nasal cannula.  

Neji squinted as they pulled into the hallway. He almost forgot what fluorescent lighting looked like. They passed the nurses station and Nurse Katsuo gave them a wave.

“A bit late for a walk around the hospital, don’t you think?” he asked.

“Oh, don’t be a tattle-tale. Neji’s been cooped up in that room all day. He needs a change of scenery,” Aimi teased.

“Okaayyy, but if Dr. Hiroki finds out, I’m playing dumb.”

“Deal,” she said, giving the man a firm handshake. She turned back to Neji as they exited onto the main pediatrics floor, “That’s Nurse Katsuo. He usually works at night. He’s funny, you should ask him to tell you a joke later!”

They strolled past a play area for much younger kids and out into the open space of the hospital. Neji scanned the halls. A few doctors walked by and a custodian was mopping the floor. The humming of the lights soothed him as they entered the next area. They seemed to be in an office space, where patients wouldn’t normally be.

“Where are we?” He yawned.

She smiled, the adrenaline was wearing off. “I told you, we’re going to get pudding.”  She pushed through another door and rolled Neji into a small kitchen, “Do you want chocolate or vanilla?”

“Vanilla, please.”

Aimi parked him by a table then walked over to the fridge. She returned moments later with two vanilla pudding cups and a pair of spoons. 

“Here you go, dig in,” she cheered, placing the open container in front of him and taking a bite of her own. She watched Neji apprehensively pick up the spoon and take a small bite. Followed by another and another. She considered that a win. The kid had barely touched anything they put in front of him. Now, as long as it stays down, she’d even consider this a successful night. 

“Mmm sorry I woke you up,” Neji mumbled.

A smile graced her face, “I wasn’t asleep, sweetie! I’m working. I heard you yell and I got worried, that’s all.”

“I’m sorry I worried you.”

Her heart melted. Why couldn’t all kids be this sweet? “It’s my job to worry about you, don’t ever fret about it. Did anyone visit yesterday?”

“Mmm…my sensei. And some friends but I can’t remember who,” he pouted.

“You’re popular! Did that little Tenten come by too?”

Neji shut his eyes in concentration, “I think…Gai-Sensei said she and Lee were…were…I don’t remember,” he sighed with defeat.

“Well, I’m sure she’ll come back to visit very soon. I love the paper cranes she decorated your room with. Can she make anything else?”

“Ohhhh yeah. Tenten’s really crafty like that. Most people don’t think she’s into that stuff because she’s a weapons specialist but she lovvves origami,” Neji swirled the spoon in the cup, watching the pudding instead of eating it. She could tell the oxy was kicking back in.

“She’ll have to make me something next time I see her! What do you recommend?”

“You wanna frog. She can make them really jump too! You just press down on the little flap and it just…boingggggg,” he mimicked the bouncing motion with his right hand, shooting it dramatically into the air.

“Oooh. You’re right, that sounds fun. Can I see you take another bite, Neji?” She gave him a proud smile as he took two decent size mouthfuls. “What do you do with your team? I mean, when you’re not training, of course.”

“Mmmm…I think Lee and Tenten hangout a lot. Sometimes they and Gai-Sensei go get dinner or watch a movie.”

“Oh? You don’t join them?”

“Sometimes. They always invite me but I have clan duties most nights,” he said nonchalantly as he took another bite.

“Must be nice to have a break from all that.”

“Yeah, clan duties are boring! ” he emphasized with a dramatic eye roll, “Do you have boring duties, Nurse Aimi?”

Aimi smiled, Neji was such a fun person to talk to when he was loopy. “Ohhhh yeah. I have to file a lot of paperwork.”

“I like paperwork.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I do all the reports after missions. Sensei is supposed to, but he lets me write it as long as he reviews it before it gets submitted, ” he said nonchalantly, scraping the bottom of the cup.

My God. She did it . He actually ate something. Aimi added a mental note to put a pudding cup on all of his meal trays. 

“You must be the only ninja who enjoys it,” she chuckled, “Here, you can have the rest of mine. What type of ninja do you want to be?”

“I wanna be an Anbu but can’t.”

“Why’s that?” Aimi got the impression that Neji was incredibly talented and his medical records show that he has an exceptionally high IQ for a kid his age.

“I gotta protect Lady Hinata.” He threw his head back dramatically to express just how annoyed he was, “Anbu have too high a death rate and ‘you can’t protect her if you’re dead!’” He mocked with arms crossed rigidly.

Aimi stared with mild shock. If there was any doubt that the painkillers hadn’t kicked back in, it was gone now. 

“So maybe I’ll be a teacher.”

She blinked, “Like Gai.”

“Mmhmm.”

“Is he a good sensei?”

“Yup,” he said, popping the ‘P.’ His eyes burst wide and he snapped his head up to face her, “But you can’t tell him I said that. He thinks I don’t like him.”

Aimi rolled her eyes when Neji started laughing. Teenage boys were the strangest breed, “That’s silly. And Gai is very smart, I’m sure he knows you like him.”

“Nhmm,” he said around the last spoonful, eyes falling back to half-mast. 

Forty-five minutes later and the boy was finally relaxed. Aimi took the empty containers from the table and threw them in the trash. “You feeling tired?” He shook his head no but a yawn deceived him. “Hmm, looks like you might be. Let’s start heading back.”

They rolled slowly back the way they came. The lulling movement gently rocked Neji into a daze. With luck, he’d be practically asleep by the time they made it back to his room. They entered the general pediatrics ward and passed by the nurse’s station. 

“Hey Aim–”

She cut off Nurse Maiko with a hush signal and gestured down to her zonked out patient. Maiko nodded and gave a wink.

“Sorry,” she whispered, “Dr. Tamashiro wants Choji to have a protein shake before every meal to help build his weight back up. Do you think you could tell the kitchen staff for me?  I’m covering for the emergency room this morning, and I’m already ten minutes late.”

“Of course. Try to avoid getting punched across the room this time.”

Maiko chuckled quietly, “Oh believe me I’ll do my very best.”

She continued down the hall and through the PICU doors, lost in her own thoughts. Protein shakes might be a good option for Neji. Similar consistency as pudding and applesauce, high calorie, easy enough on the stomach. She made a mental note to try one later in the morning when he woke up. 

Just as she predicted, Neji was barely conscious by the time she wheeled him up to the bed. She transferred the IVs back to their pole and took a moment to smooth out the sheets. The boy was a bit of a neat-freak. She noticed how he straightened out the blankets corners after anyone sat down on the edge.

“Okay Neji, let’s get you back in bed. Can you stand for me?”

Aimi coaxed him out of the wheelchair and he shakily stood, allowing her to support most of his weight. She was suddenly very aware of the kid’s weight loss. He wasn’t particularly heavy to start with but standing here, holding him up showed how significant those missing eight pounds were. She wasn’t all that strong and usually needed help moving her teenage patients, but here she was, practically lifting Neji into the bed. She tucked the blankets around his shoulders and glanced up at her patient. His eyes were shut, head laying limply to one side. She let out an exhausted sigh of relief. Mission accomplished.

She turned off the overhead light, leaving just the faint glow of the floor lamp, and made her way towards the exit.

“Nurse Aimi,” he apprehensively chirped.

So close . She winced and turned back around, “Yes, sweetie?”

“...Could…you…I…”

Her heart shattered. Poor thing was still so scared.

“One sec, hun. I’m just grabbing my coffee.”

A hopeful look jumped across his face, confusion trailing behind. 

“Your fever’s spiked, which means you’re a seizure risk, so I have to keep a close eye on you,” she winked. 

He nodded and dropped his shoulders with relief.

She smiled. There was no such protocol, but he didn’t need to know that. Aimi popped out momentarily and returned with some paperwork and a mug in hand. “I’m just going to be right over here if you need anything. Just close your eyes and relax,” she soothed, giving Neji a reassuring pat on the arm. 

She relaxed into the chair and did her best to spy on Neji from the corner of her eyes as she stared blankly at the form in front of her. The kid blinked nervously but did as he was told. In less than a minute, he was out cold. Thank goodness. If she was extra lucky, he’d stay asleep through morning rounds. But anything would be better than nothing. He was having plenty of short naps, but he desperately needed a full night’s rest. 

She waited another five minutes, just to be extra sure. He’d been coughing all night, but it improved over the past half hour. She considered leaving the nasal cannula in. Neji didn’t seem to like the face mask but the cannula didn’t bother him. Letting him sleep in it might also help him get through the night without another nightmare. She glanced at the monitor. 103º and 89% O2 sat. Not great. She should’ve had him take a Tylenol to get the fever down. A harsh hacking stole her attention. Her heart sank. Cannula was out of the question. As soon as she was certain he was asleep, Aimi replaced the nasal cannula with the oxygen mask and quietly left the room. She’d come check in on him in an hour.

Chapter Text

As much as Gai wanted to stay by Neji’s side, he still had a duty to his village. Besides, the exhaustion had finally caught up to the boy, so he was sleeping through most of visiting hours anyway. It worked in Gai’s favor because it meant he didn’t have to request any leave from service, which also meant that he could continue getting paid, which is always a good thing. Teaching was undoubtedly his calling, and he loved what he did, but it didn’t exactly pay well. Afterall, being a sensei to a team of genin meant he went on a lot of C and D-ranked missions. Thank God the kids were improving enough to start accepting B-ranks and even A-ranks, in Neji’s case. Though, he assumed Neji wouldn’t be going on any missions anytime soon. Regardless, Gai always jumped at the opportunity when offered an S-rank, like the one he just returned from. 

The initial report estimated the whole mission to take a week, but he finished it in just 3 days, tying his personal record. He stood across from the Hokage, relaying the details from his journey and awaiting her next question. 

“Sounds like things went off without a hitch.”

“Yes it did, Lady Hokage. The interrogation went better than expected. As soon as he realized I had him cornered, he crumbled.”

“Well excellent job. The Empress is incredibly grateful and I think you’ve earned us a very powerful ally in the north,” Tsunade replied. She took one last glance at the report and put it back into the envelope. “How’s Neji doing? I’ve read his medical report,” she shook her head, “He’s very lucky to be alive, Gai.”

He swallowed, “I know.”  God knows how the kid survived out in the forest before he arrived. “I thought he was doing better, but he tore stitches and nearly bled out the other day.”

“So I’ve heard. Dr. Hiroki has decided to start cutting back his pain medication. Oxycodone is highly addictive so we can’t risk keeping him on high dosages for much longer. He’ll be in a bit more pain, but hopefully that means he’ll be more careful with his stitches.”

Gai clenched his jaw. Tsunade was giving him a sympathetic smile. He had a feeling ‘a bit more pain’ was going to be much worse than she was letting on. 

“It also means he’ll hopefully be more cognizant. Do you think he’s well enough to handle a mission debrief? I need this case closed as soon as possible.

He clenched his jaw again. He knew this would come eventually, but Neji still couldn’t talk about the mission without having an anxiety attack. “I think so…although he’s dealing with some serious PTSD. I can’t promise that he’ll be able to debrief in the details that you’re used to.”

“I understand. I’ll come by later today, assuming he’s awake, of course,” Tsunade replied, “Thank you again, Gai. You’re dismissed.”

He nodded and took his leave.

oOoOoOo

Neji was in the middle of a breathing treatment when Gai stopped by that afternoon. He was holding a nebulizer mask to his face and doing his best to breathe deeply from it.

 Nurse Maiko was standing next to the boy, closely monitoring him when she heard the door open, “Well isn’t this a nice surprise! We weren’t expecting to see you for a few more days.”

“It was an easier mission than I thought. How are things here?” He asked, taking his self-proclaimed seat at the head of the hospital bed.

“I think we’re doing alright, wouldn’t you say so?” She replied, directing her question at Neji who shook his head, ‘no.’ “Oh hush, he’s just moody. Dr. Hiroki cut back his pain medication yesterday, and it hasn’t been pleasant.” Nurse Maiko gave Neji a soft, reassuring side hug, “He’s still struggling with getting a full night’s sleep but his back has healed enough that it doesn’t hurt to lay down flat anymore. Which is a good thing,” She added, giving her patient a pointed look.

“I heard about the pain medication from Lady Tsunade. I’m sorry Neji, it’s never a fun experience,” Gai replied. 

Neji shook his head in agreement. God, the kid still looked totally drained. 

“Alrighty, that’s fifteen minutes. Good job!” Maiko turned off the machine and took the nebulizer from Neji, replacing it with the nasal cannula, “I’ll be back in about an hour with a snack and a protein shake!” She called out as she exited the room.

Neji collapsed back into the pillows, exhausted from the breathing exercise.

“Did your teammates come by while I was gone?”

The kid nodded, “They all did,” he coughed out, “ a lot. ”

“They’re good friends then.”

“Hn.”

Damn, he missed high Neji already. He could tell just from his demeanor that he was in a bad mood. “I guess you didn’t get a lot of quiet time then. I can leave if you want to rest.”

He shook his head, “I just woke up.”

At least the kid’s voice wasn’t so gravely today. 

“How many hours did you make it through?”

“Four,” he coughed.

The boy’s face pinch in pain. His waxy complexion made the circles under his eyes look even more prominent against his sallow skin. His cheeks had hollowed a bit, amplifying the gaunt appearance. No wonder the nurses were so worried about his weight. Couple that with pneumonia that’s taking its sweet time leaving his body, a menacing case of PTSD, and a slow recovery from an arduous surgery, it was no wonder the kid was so miserable. 

“Is there anything I can do to help?” He hated seeing his student like this.

Neji shook his head no, too tired to even open his eyes. Gai nodded quietly, deciding to give the kid a moment of silence, and distracted himself with anything he could lay his eyes on. He noted the book on the bedside table. It didn’t look like he’d made any progress since the last time he saw him, which was surprising. Neji was undoubtedly his most studious pupil. He loved reading. He was even known to bring two books on long missions.

“Doesn’t seem you made any headway in your book. If you don’t get going, I’ll finish mine before you finish yours,” Gai joked. 

“I can’t read it,” he said, looking absolutely defeated, “It hurts my head and I can’t focus. I had to re-read the first three pages five times.”

Well no wonder he was so down. He couldn’t even enjoy his favorite pastime. He watched the boy turn onto his right side and slowly tuck himself into a ball, cocooned in the pile of blankets. A strangled sigh escaped his lips as he scrunched his eyes in pain. 

Gai’s stomach squirmed with anxiety. Neji wasn’t one to outwardly show emotion, so when he did it was always attention grabbing, and right now he might as well be flashing a sign that said “I’m depressed.” He couldn’t blame the kid. He was in a level of intensive care that most of his teammates would never experience. Lee was in bad shape after his battle, sure, but he didn’t need to be resuscitated– twice .

The boy shivered, a low, very quiet moan roared from his mouth. He dug his head deeper into the pillows as he clutched the bicep of his injured arm, unintentionally hugging himself. Gai was at a loss for words. He’d seen Neji like this only once before.

His students had been a team for nearly three months when Neji missed his first training session. The other two had shown up late from time to time, but Neji was reliably punctual, so it sparked a bit of concern. But when lunch rolled by and he still wasn’t there, Gai decided that he would stop by the Hyuga compound that evening to check in on him and he was so glad he did. A branch member led him to Neji’s room and filled him in on what happened. Apparently he’d ticked off a clan elder at breakfast and had his curse mark activated. He would find out later that that elder was actually Neji’s grandfather.

When he finally opened the door, the boy was lying in bed, curled in on himself and shivering. The room was shrouded in darkness but there was enough light to guide him to the bed and place a reassuring hand on the boy’s shoulder. Gai would never forget the look of pure misery on Neji’s face. He wanted to throw up, and based on the stench, he had a feeling Neji already beat him to it. He did his best to comfort the boy but there really isn’t much that can be done other than to wait it out. No medication helped. Noise and light were debilitating. Not even sleep guaranteed an escape from the torture. He felt the same way now as he did then: Helpless. Which was ironic, because that was exactly how Neji appeared in both situations as well.  He would’ve thought he learned something from Lee’s stay in the hospital, but Gai was catatonic with uncertainty. The first time he barely knew anything about the kid, so navigating illness together was awkward. But he knew the kid pretty well now. Maybe even better than his actual guardian. Surely he could think of something that might help him feel better. He scanned the room again and found himself staring down the book again.

“What if I read your book out loud? You can even keep your eyes closed,” Gai suggested in a hushed voice. 

Neji cracked open an eye, considering the offer. His gaze shifted up to meet Gai’s and he gave a minute nod. 

“Okay, close your eyes and I’ll turn off the lights. If you fall asleep, I’ll mark your place.”

Neji nodded, eyes already shut again. Gai pulled the extra blanket over the boy’s shoulders before walking over to switch off the fluorescent lights. He then turned on the bedside lamp so he could read under its soft glow. He decided to start from the beginning, figuring that his student didn’t retain any of the information from the multiple times he attempted the first few pages. The book was an average size, maybe 300, 400 pages, but he’d seen the kid lug around novels that were easily twice as big. 

Gai wasn’t sure what type of literature he thought Neji would be into, but science fiction wouldn’t have been his first guess. The story was set far in the future. There seemed to be some sort of alien invasion prompting the world to send kids to military school so they could help in the war. It was actually quite interesting, but definitely written for a young teenager. He blazed through two whole chapters before realizing Neji was snoring softly. Gai marked the page, using all his restraint not to continue reading. His own book wasn’t nearly as spellbinding. 

He was admittedly shocked. He expected Neji to be into more reserved material like…historical nonfiction or memoirs from old authors. Something that screamed maturity.  But it was good to know the kid still had some sense of acting his age.

About an hour ticked by when Nurse Maiko returned with a tray carrying a strawberry protein shake, a vanilla pudding cup, a plain slice of toast cut into small triangles, and some applesauce. She placed the tray on the bed table and turned to Gai, “I’m so sorry, but I have to wake him.”

“What? Why!?” He whispered.

“He’s losing too much weight, we can’t have him skipping any meals,” she replied as she walked back to the door to turn on the lights. 

Gai squinted, “But he just fell asleep. He’s exhausted. Please.”

“I know, I know. I want him to rest too, but getting his weight up is more important. I really am sorry,” Maiko said, giving him a sympathetic smile. She turned back to her patient, “Neji, honey it’s time to wake up.” She started stroking his hair, coaxing him to rouse. “Come on, hun, wakey-wakey.” 

Neji stirred slightly, cracking his eyes open and squinting up at her. He let out a childish whine. 

“I brought you something to eat.” Maiko helped him sit up and handed over the plastic spoon, “Do you think we could get through most of it again?”

Neji gave her a tired nod, not fully comprehending what he was agreeing to. Gai watched him mechanically dip the spoon in the applesauce and take a small bite. He blinked slowly, practically asleep in his sitting position. 

Nurse Maiko gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder and let herself out. Neji took a lethargic bite of the toast, choking back the food. Gai glanced at the clock, it was nearly four.

“A bit late for lunch, isn’t it?”

“They’re making me eat four times a day,” he hacked. 

God, his cough seemed to be getting worse. He glanced at the monitor, 102.9°. Not good. Neji coughed harder. Gai’s eyes snapped back to him. The toast must’ve been exceptionally dry. He handed over the water glass, holding it steady while the boy drank from the straw. 

“You should try putting applesauce on the toast. Might soften the bread a bit.”

Neji gave him a questioning look. Looking at the bread in his hand and the cup of applesauce on the tray. He was clearly unimpressed. 

Oh that’s right. How could Gai forget? “Bland” seemed to be Neji’s favorite seasoning. 

“What? Have a little imagination. There’s no rules when it comes to food.”

“Except not to eat raw chicken. Or spoiled milk. Or–” he coughed, cutting his sentence short.

“You know what I mean. Come on, give it a try,” Gai coaxed. 

He held a spoonful of applesauce up to him. Neji eyed the utensil warily, but held out the toast. He accepted the dollop and took a bite. His eyes widened with amazement, quickly finishing the bite. He held out the toast again expectantly. Gai smiled and placed another scoop on the toast. The boy finished the toast and the applesauce in record time.

“You know what I bet would make it even better? Cinnamon.”

Neji’s eyes widened again, head nodding at the idea.

“When one of the nurses comes back, we can ask if they have any.” 

The boy nodded in agreement and dipped the spoon into the pudding. 

“Vanilla, aye? I’m more of a chocolate guy myself.”

The boy shook his head, using his energy to take another spoonful rather than respond. Gai was actually impressed by how much of an appetite he had. He sat patiently while his student finished up two-thirds of the pudding cup before setting the utensil on the table. Neji took a sip of the shake then reclined back into the pillows. 

“All done?” 

He nodded. 

Anxiety squirmed down Gai’s throat. Suddenly, one slice of toast, a side of applesauce, and an unfinished pudding cup didn’t seem that impressive. Neji had consumed, what, maybe 300 calories? If he was being generous. No wonder they were making him eat so often. 

He studied the boy. God, what Gai wouldn’t do to just fast-forwarded through this hospital stay. He’d never seen Neji so… tired . But more than just struggling to sleep. Tired like he’d been fighting an enemy for too long. Tired like he’d lost the youthful spark in him. Everything about him reflected it. His skin was waxy and pale. His hair lacked its usual shine.  And his fiery spirit had been extinguished.

“Want to hear about my mission? It was short, but boy, there was barely a moment to breathe during the three days I was gone,” Gai asked, trying to fill the silence.

Neji coughed, “Can I close my eyes?”

This poor kid. 

“Of course, I can even turn the lights out if you’d like,” Gai replied, already standing up.

Neji nodded, already snuggling deeper into the pillows by the time Gai returned to his seat. He turned back onto his side to face Gai, wincing with the movement, then blinking at him expectantly with half-lidded eyes. 

“I was sent to a small, but very wealthy town near the Hidden Mist to intercept a heist,” Gai paused to gauge Neji’s participation level for this conversation. The boy popped his eyes open when the story stopped. “The Empress’ protection team caught wind of an infamous gang of criminals targeting her Spring Jubilee. Apparently the gala was going to have diamond encrusted art pieces on display from a world-renowned artist, so it was bound to peak the interest of some robber, right?” 

Neji nodded, closing his eyes again. Gai continued the story, embellishing only enough to make it sound really really cool. He stopped the story a few times, thinking his student finally fell back asleep, but apparently he made it too compelling because the boy would force his eyes open and mumble out a question. 

Gai loved it. He didn’t spend a lot of time with Neji. Most of it was due to the boy’s avid defiance in doing anything with the team outside of practice. And truthfully, besides from Taijutsu, there wasn’t much for Gai to teach him, and even their styles of tai were completely different. Gai and Lee were all about power. Neji was all about precision. Tenten was a bit of a mix between the two. 

He honestly didn’t think Neji thought too highly of him, so it was surprising to see just how invested he was in the story. The kid was literally fighting off sleep. He held back yawns and repeatedly insisted he was still awake despite being unable to open his eyes.

That was until they heard a knock at the door. 

“Come in!” Gai called, expecting a nurse.

The door opened, revealing their Hokage and her assistant.

“Lady Tsunade, it’s a pleasure to see you,” he said, rising to bow.

“Good seeing you too, Gai. You can relax. I’m just stopping by to see if I could ask Neji a few questions,” she said, her voice matching the calm ambience of the room.

The boy was now very awake, staring wide-eyed at their Hokage, fear reflecting in his irises. He visibly swallowed and slowly pulled himself up into a more dignified position, “Y-yes, of course, Lady Hokage,” a cough escaping his lips.

Tsunade opened the door wide and let herself in, Shizune following behind her.  “I have to say Neji, we were just thinking we were getting bored until you and the rest of your team showed up,” she joked. 

Neji smiled politely while Shizune examined his surgical stitches. 

“How are you feeling?”

Neji’s gaze dropped to his lap, shoulders visibly drooping. 

Gai winced. “He’s been having trouble sleeping. And I think cutting down on the pain medicine is starting to show its effects.  It’s been…hard.” 

Neji flinched when Shizune undid the bandages on his shoulder. “I know it’s not fun. They kept you on the higher dosage for as long as they could. If the pain is truly unmanageable, we can try some Tylenol.”

Gai watched Shizune tie the bandages back in place, then he turned back to study Tsunade. He knew why she was here, and by the look on Neji’s face, he knew it too.

“Neji, I know you’re still not feeling well, but if you’re up to it, I would really like to debrief the mission with you. You’re the only account we’re missing and I need this filed as soon as possible so we can register Sasuke as ‘Defected.’ But more importantly, it will give us a clearer picture of your injuries. Normally we’d discuss the entire mission, but given your health, and the other four boys’ testimonies, I don’t think it’s necessary.”

Gai watched as Neji clenched his jaw and gave the Hokage an apprehensive nod. Tsunade let out a breath. He could tell she didn’t want to do this either. 

“The latest account I have before your battle is from Shikamaru. Some of the information has been redacted to ensure your testimonies match.” Tsunade read from the report in her hand, “Neji stayed back to fight the Sound-nin while we took off in the direction of Sasuke. The Sound-nin targeted us but Neji intercepted. We continued our chase for about thirty minutes before coming face-to-face with the Sound team again. 

“I’m just going to ask you a few questions to make sure your account matches the team’s. Then I’ll ask you specific questions about your battle, alright?” 

Tsunade waited for Neji to give a timid nod then nodded herself.

“Right. What was the name of your opponent?”

“Kidomaru,” Neji said, voice barely breaking a whisper.

Tsunade nodded, “Can you describe his fighting style?”

Neji twisted the sheets in his hand, refusing to make eye contact with anyone, “He was like a spider. He even had eight limbs.”

“Can you be more specific?”

Gai could feel the tension in the room. He would’ve left if he didn’t think Neji would need him here. 

“He…he made things–like webs, and kunai, a-and…a…arrows–from his body, using chakra. And he’d set traps like a spider. Early in the fight, before everyone left, he had me…cocooned in his chakra webbing.”

“Who suggested that you stay behind to fight him?” Tsunade asked cautiously.

You could’ve heard a pin drop if it weren’t for the beeping of the heart monitor. Was she really suggesting that the team stranded him? 

“I did. I was the only one who could cut through his webbing,” Neji said, unphased by the question.

Tsunade let out a small sigh of relief, “Was there anything unique about Kidomaru?”

“He had this mark…it traveled across his body, leaving a pattern behind. At some point he completely changed. He was practically unrecognizable. Not even his chakra network looked familiar.”

“The others reported similar markings on their opponents as well. What happened once everyone left?”

 Neji paused for a long moment, hands tangled in the sheets. 

“Neji?” Tsunade asked carefully.

“We went head to head for a bit. And then he fled into the trees.” 

His heart rate sped up ever so slightly. Gai would’ve missed it if he hadn’t clocked Shizune’s eyes jumping between his student and the monitor. He listened intently as Neji went further into detail, describing how the first kunai made it through his blind spot, slicing his shoulder, and how six more became embedded in his back. Gai winced. The stab wounds sounded bad, but it was the giant spider that crushed him that really made him squirm. He hated spiders. Getting crushed by one sounded like his worst nightmare. 

Neji stopped suddenly, breathing heavily. Shizune looked up from her notes. 

“We’re almost done. Do you think you can tell us what happened next?” Tsunade asked, breaking the silence after giving him a moment.

Neji’s eye flickered from left to right, kneading the blanket in his hands, “He…he shot an arrow. He was outside my field of vision so I didn’t see it coming.” He took another minute, clenching his jaw repeatedly, “I-I was able to throw it off a little, but it…it, um, it h-hit me in the ch-chest. And it burned. I thought I was on fire. And then i-it s-started b…bleeding…And it hurt so fucking bad, I think I passed out for a second.”
The silence was deafening. The heart monitor’s rapid beat pierced the room.

“I think he moved, so he could aim from a different angle…And he, um, he…shot again. I missed it, just barely,” Neji instinctively reached for the mostly-healed cut on his face.

“Why don’t we take a break?” Tsunade placed a reassuring hand on his uninjured shoulder. 

But Neji had tuned her out, his mind stuck in the battle. He chewed his lip, fear bubbling in his eyes. His heart was racing. Breathing sporadically, he wheezed out, “I-I knew h-he w-was g-gonna do it again. A-and he w-was s-so much stronger than me. I-I couldn’t…I…couldn’t. A-and the, the arrow–,” He gasped desperately, hyperventilating as he clutched at his chest.

Machines whirled and alarms screamed.

“Neji, I need you to breathe, okay? Deep breaths, like this,” Tsunade demonstrated. She reached for the oxygen mask to replace the nasal cannula. 

Gai jumped to his feet, panic erupting through him. He watched Neji’s heart rate shoot into the 200s and his body start to tremble.

Tsunade continued to demonstrate exaggerated breaths as his student did his best to mimic her. 

“What’s happening!?” anxiety cracking in Gai’s voice.

“It’s just a panic attack,” Shizune said calmly, stepping up next to Tsunade.

Just a panic attack.

“You’re okay, Neji. Just breathe.”

“Temperature’s 103.6.”

“Focus on me, block everything else out.”

The kid fought valiantly but the anxiety overtook him. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as his body convulsed. Shizune punched the call button and Nurse Aimi came in moments later.

“I need lorazepam stat, he’s seizing,” Tsunade said, rolling the boy on to his side.

“Yes Lady Hokage.”

Gai was frozen to his spot. Fear ripped away his ability to speak. He watched as the boy’s meager lunch came back up and all over the sheets.

“Here,” Aimi said, returning with a syringe and handing it to Tsunade. 

The Hokage quickly administered it through the IV port.  It took another minute, but the seizure finally stopped and the medical equipment quieted down.

The boy soon started to stir.

“You’re okay. Can you open your eyes for me?” Tsunade whispered.

Neji let out a quiet whine, lacking the energy to follow her orders. 

“Come on hun, you can sleep once you answer some questions for me.”

The boy whined again and clumsily grabbed at his head.

“Does your head hurt?”

He winced and turned away from her voice, nuzzling his face into the pillow.

“Can you squeeze my hands?” Shizune placed a hand in each of Neji’s and waited for him to follow her directions, “Good!” She said in a hushed tone.

“Can you tell me your name?” Tsunade asked, hovering a green, chakra-laced hand over his forehead.

It took some coaxing from all three women but he finally stuttered out his name and followed along through several other neurological tests.  

“Do you know where you are?”

He finally cracked open his eyes and looked around the room, “...h-hospital?”

“Good!”

“What…happened?” he asked, voice muffled by the mask.

Tsunade pulled his chin so he was looking up at her, and studied his eyes, one hand still glowing over his forehead, “You had a seizure.”

“Mmm…Don’t feel good.”

“I’m sorry, do you think you’re going to be sick?” 

Now that she mentioned it, he did look a bit pale. Neji nodded, nausea rising in his throat. A shaky hand came up to his mouth, feebly holding back a gag. 

“Here,” Shizune helped him sit up and was rewarded with a childish whimper, “I’m sorry, I know. Open your eyes. There’s a bowl in front of you if you need to be sic–,”

Neji vomited, almost missing the bowl altogether, but thankfully Shizune’s reflexes were faster than his. 

“Here. Take a sip and rinse out your mouth.”

“Mmm head hurts.”

“I know, are you tired?”

Neji nodded, eyes already closed.

“That’s alright. Nurse Aimi is going to help change your sheets and then you can get some sleep, okay?”

The boy nodded again, sighing with relief at Tsunade’s healing touch.

“Gai, can I speak with you outside?” The Hokage asked.

“O-of course,” he responded, voice cracking from stress.

He followed the two medics out of the room while Aimi cooed and whispered sweet nothings to his student.

“I want to order an EEG. It’s concerning that he’s had another seizure.”

“Yes, of course,” Gai agreed.

“In order to do so though, we’ll need to intentionally trigger another seizure.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?”

“We’ll be monitoring him very closely. But it’s the best way to measure brain waves during episodes. We need to know if the seizures are epileptic or non-epileptic. His head trauma might be more significant than we initially thought.”

Gai bit his tongue. Epilepsy and ninja work didn’t mix well, and Neji had too much potential to retire as a genin. “Are you going to do it now?”

“Well it’s not that simple. We’re intentionally putting him in harm’s way, so we’ll need his uncle to agree to the treatment first. And seizures aren’t fun. He needs some time to recover from this one. But, hopefully, we can start monitoring in the next day or so.”

The door creaked open, interrupting their conversation. Nurse Aimi emerged, closing it quietly behind her. “He’s fast asleep. I decided to keep the oxygen mask on, his sats were a bit low.”

“Thank you,” Tsunade said with a smile.

“Gai, do you plan on going back in? I think he’d like someone to stay with him,” Aimi continued, giving him a sad, guilt-tripping look. 

“I can stay for about another hour, but then I need to get to training with my other students.”

“I think he’d appreciate every minute of it, even if he–hopefully–stays asleep,” she replied with a wink then exited down the hall and back to her station.

“You’re a good teacher, Gai,” Lady Tsunade said as she followed Nurse Aimi, “Mission, hospital visit, and team training, all in one day.”

Gai bowed, despite the Hokage facing the other way, and thanked her. He slowly turned the doorknob and let himself into the mostly-dark room. True to her word, Neji was passed out, puffing shallow breaths into the mask. An icepack dripped from his forehead. They really needed to shake this pneumonia. 

He took his seat and sat quietly, reading his own book while his student slept.

Chapter Text

“Hey, Sensei?”

Gai looked up from his ramen, “Yes, Tenten?”

“Is Neji dying?”

What?!

“What?”

The girl shrinked back slightly, her voice barely above a whisper, “We went to see him yesterday and he had these sensors all over his head. And he just looked so…not him. Like he might break if you touch him.”

He looked over at Lee who was staring at his untouched bowl. Tenten looked moments from tears. This team was falling apart. Who would’ve guessed that Neji was the glue holding them together?

 “ No , Neji is not dying , Tenten. I know he’s seen better days but he’s been stable for well over a week now.”

“Then why is he not getting better, Sensei?” Lee chirped up.

Gai was really hoping to avoid that question. In the past three days, Lady Tsunade had decided to lead the cause of diagnosing these…episodes. He wasn’t sure how to feel when the Hokage took on patients. She was so busy these days that she only saw to ninjas if they were in a condition only her skillset could treat. Seizures weren’t exactly rare in a hospital setting, so he wasn’t sure why she was so invested. Kakashi surmised that she’s feeling extra guilty for the results of this mission, and if it is true, Gai couldn’t blame her. She’d been here less than a month and already lost a promising shinobi to the Sound, sent four genin and a newly appointed chunin on a failed, suicidal S-rank mission, and nearly got two of them killed. When she first came to town, Gai thought she was a Godsend. She healed Lee, afterall, and everyone else said it’d be impossible. He cried tears of joy for days. He understood why Tenten idolized the woman, and frankly he couldn’t think of a better female role model for his young kunoichi. Yes, Tsunade seemed to really reignite the flames of youth in his students, but her second impression didn’t seem to be going as well.

She approved a mission that nearly got Neji killed. Technically did get him killed…until he was resuscitated– twice. The boy might still be alive, but Gai had never seen a youthful flame die so quickly. Neji had almost no energy now. Unable to even hold his eyes open and too overcome with fever and illness to maintain a conversation. He feared that the boy had given up. He knew it wasn’t fair, but he couldn’t help but hold Tsunade at least partially responsible for Neji’s condition. 

He thinks Kakashi is partially right. She didn’t seem to have any interest in Neji’s case until after the failed debrief. The kid must’ve been worse off than she thought. At least Tsunade finally got what she was chasing after. After two days of attempts, he finally seized again around 10:30 last night, triggered by unsuspecting wires that apparently felt too similar to a spider’s web. Gai wasn’t there but Nurse Aimi filled him in when he stopped by to visit. Although, he would’ve figured it out on his own. The kid was dead to the world when he came by. Aimi even came in, turned on the lights, changed his bandages, and left without Neji waking up. Gai wasn’t surprised. He was always really tired after a seizure and Gai was secretly thankful for it because it meant Neji could actually get a decent night’s sleep. It also meant that he would sleep through things like bandage changes. Gai could still picture the pus smeared across the gauze. There was no denying it, his shoulder was definitely infected. 

On the bright side, the seizures were non-epileptic. The bad news was Neji had PNES. Psychogenic non-epileptic seizure disorder. Apparently his PTSD was causing it. Gai didn’t even think that was possible. Neji was going to need a lot of therapy, but he couldn’t tell Lee and Tenten that.

“Well, Lee, you weren’t exactly 100% yourself either when you were in the hospital.”

“Yeah, but this was different,” Tenten responded.

“It’s wonderful to see your youthful spirits caring so deeply for your teammate,  but you must understand. Neji’s not at his strongest right now, surely you can forgive him,” Gai said nonchalantly, taking another bite.

“But he will be a splendid ninja again! Right, Sensei?” Lee’s confidence wavered with the question.

“Of course, Lee. You know him, he’ll bounce back. Now come on, finish your ramen. He’s probably awake by now.” He watched as Lee scarfed down his bowl. Tenten grimaced, clearly unimpressed. Gai could tell she’d just about reached her limit with the boy. They didn’t spend a lot of one-on-one time together and she was more used to Neji’s quiet presence. Speaking of which, “You two remember what I said, right?”

They gave him an exasperated look, “We’re not that loud, Sensei. Besides, we’ve visited plenty of times and he’s never complained,” Tenten rolled her eyes.

She had a point, Neji was reserved, but he’ll happily speak his mind if provoked. Although, Gai had a feeling that he was too weak for his usual biting remarks. Regardless, he didn’t need to hear Neji say anything, you could read it on his face, clear as day. 

“I know, but I don’t want him feeling any worse than he already is,” Gai said, tossing a few notes on the counter as he stood to leave, “Let’s go. Last one there has to do a thousand push-ups!” 

He sped away from the ramen stand with Lee hot on his tail. “WAIT! THAT’S NOT FAIR!” Tenten yelled. Once the frustration left, she let out a deep sigh. If she was going to lose, she might as well enjoy the walk. 

Frankly, she needed some alone time from Lee and Gai-Sensei. She loved her boys, but holy shit were they a lot. There was only so much “springtime of youth” she could handle and those two had already surpassed her limits. At least with Neji around there was someone to balance their energy and keep them in check. Although, even he fell privy to Gai-Sensei’s absurd challenges from time to time. He was a boy after all, and for some reason, all boys had some weird, macho energy that they apparently had to exert. It didn’t help that Lee challenged him to silly contests at least three times a day. Neji used to turn him down every single time, but one day Kakashi-Sensei was filling in for Gai-Sensei at training and pulled Neji aside after hearing Lee challenge him for the fourth time that afternoon. She had no idea what he said to him, but it clearly made an impact because now Neji was a lot more amicable when it came to challenges. Honestly she was kind of shocked. Sometimes Neji even challenges Lee to a contest. 

It made her laugh. Neji hated Lee when they were first made a team. But she guessed Lee finally earned Neji’s respect sometime between their first day meeting and now. Thankfully, Tenten always held Neji’s respect. Or, at least she’s pretty sure she did. From day one he seemed to only tolerate her, and to this day he prefers practicing with her over Gai-Sensei or Lee, even though both of them are a far better match for him. She wasn’t complaining though. Hanging out with Neji was far more favorable than the other two. They just got each other. Neji wasn’t big on talking but they’d spent plenty of afternoons discussing all sorts of topics. He could be quite the conversationalist when the right topic came around. Books were usually their main topic. They both loved fantasy novels and Neji had basically leant her every book she’d read in the past two years. Sometimes the Hyuga had nothing to add to the conversation, like when Tenten went on and on about Lady Tsunade. She didn’t mind. In fact, it was kind of nice to have someone on the team just listen to her. 

As the only girl on the team, she felt like the boys often forgot that she was in fact a girl. They could be so gross at times. Like that time they stopped in a small town for lunch and Gai-Sensei and Lee had a belching contest at the table. Neji just rolled his eyes and reprimanded them for being such an embarrassment. At least he gave her an apologetic look. 

Shockingly, Tenten won . Gai and Lee got stopped near the entrance. They were getting berated by a doctor and a security officer for running in the halls when she snuck by and walked the familiar path to the ICU. She knocked softly when she arrived at Neji’s door, then timidly opened it. Neji was still asleep, but at least those scary wires were gone and his curse mark was covered up again. Her stomach fluttered. She missed her one-on-one time with him. His uncle started training him about a month ago, which meant he was spending less time at team training, which also meant he wasn’t sparring with her as often. 

She took the closest seat to him and reached for his hand, giving it the lightest of squeezes. To her surprise, he squeezed back. She looked up to see pearl white eyes peeking through tiny slits, “Hey Tenten,” he mumbled.

She winced and quickly morphed it into a smile. He sounded horrible. About a week ago he mentioned that the oxygen mask dried out his throat, which is why he disliked it, but he was only wearing a nasal cannula now. 

“Hey Neji. Here, it sounds like you could use some water.” Tenten brought the cup to him.

He shakily took it from her and drank from the straw and cleared his throat, “Thank you. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Well we were going to visit this morning, but Gai-Sensei decided that we should train first, then visit after lunch instead. He said you had a late night and needed some rest,” Tenten placed the cup back on the table.

Neji furrowed his brow, clearly confused, “Oh.”

Tenten bit her lip. She knew he was concussed, and the doctors said this was normal, but Neji had a photographic memory. He recalled details better than any of them and scoffed when Lee forgot complicated codewords. Now he couldn’t even remember what happened last night. “Brace yourself; Gai-Sensei and Lee will be here soon. We raced here and they lost because they were stopped in the lobby for ‘causing a disturbance.’ So when they get here, we have to watch while they do a thousand push-ups. ”

“Don’t worry, I’ll fake an asthma attack if they get too annoying,” Neji coughed. Pain shot through his skull, making him wince, “Or I’ll just call for Nurse Aimi and she’ll drive them away.”

Tenten smiled, “Okay, quick before they get here. You stopped right after the guy squashed you with a giant spider.”

Neji’s eyes lit up, and he sat up, “Oh yeah. So I used gentle fist to get rid of it, but it turned out to be completely made of that same sticky chakra webbing. It was just a trap to keep me distracted enough to not realize he sent a volley of kunai at me. I think he got me six times in total. His aim was good but yours is a lot better. I think he compromised speed for accuracy. He must’ve thrown over a hundred kunai. I couldn’t block all of them, I didn’t even have time to do a rotation, so I just had to do my best to dodge them, and even then only six got through? Speed is only impressive if you can hit your target.” He paused, too caught up in a cough to continue.

 Tenten was enamored with this battle. It was a little eerie how similar her and Kidomaru’s skill set was. She couldn’t believe she’d never thought of aiming from outside Neji’s field of vision before. On missions it was safest to stay within his range, so it never even crossed her mind. 

“That’s why I was thinking we should start stretching both of our abilities even farther. You need to practice aiming from very far away, and I need to increase my range as much as possible.”

“Wow, that’s crazy! But what about the bow and arrow? How’d he get it to be so powerful? I’m pretty good with my bow but there’s no way I could shoot it from 50 meters and still hit the target.”

Neji hesitated. “I-um, my doctors don't want me talking about that part just yet,” he muttered as his face turned pink. 

She could’ve slapped herself. She could tell he’d been off since the mission, but she assumed it was just the drugs and the recovery. Something else was definitely up and she desperately wanted to know what it was, but if he didn’t feel comfortable telling her, then she wouldn’t press it. “I’m so sorry Neji, let’s change the subject.” Tenten glanced around the room, “Do you get bored being in here? I feel like I’d go stir crazy.”

“A bit, but I’m usually so tired,” he yawned, “that I can’t imagine doing anything other than lie here. Hinata brought me my book but it’s hard to read with my concussion.”

“Really? Looks like you’ve made some serious progress here.”

“That’s all Gai-Sensei. He comes in and reads a bit out loud, but I’m usually asleep before I can retain any of the information. Don’t tell him though, I think he likes it,” he yawned and adjusted his position, earning him a painful grunt. 

It was hard not to worry about him. Neji was no Lee or Gai-Sensei, but he could definitely keep their pace in most athletic competitions. What if he never got better? What would become of their team? What would become of Neji ? Being a ninja was everything to him.

She looked up at the monitors and machines surrounding the bed. In the two years she’d been a ninja, she’d learned to measure the seriousness of an injury based on the medical attention required for it. Bumps and bruises were just parr for the course. No reason fretting over a dislocated arm if the doctor only orders an X-ray. Lee’s room was pretty intense when he was recovering from the Chunin exams. That was undoubtedly the worst condition she’d seen anyone be in… Well,  until now. 

Tenten’s gaze fell on the IV stand. Every spot was filled by a clear bag dripping mysterious drugs into Neji’s system. No wonder he was so tired. This cocktail of prescriptions must be giving him a thousand side effects. “You’re on so many medicines. I hope they’re helping you feel better.”

“They kind of are. They mostly just make me feel weird.”

“Really? Like how?”

“It’s hard to explain. It’s like my whole body is vibrating and pulsating to a rhythm that’s constantly changing. It’s dizzying, which makes me nauseous. And my head sometimes pounds so badly I think it’ll explode.” 

Tenten winced, “But it does help with the pain, right?”

“Kind of,” he coughed, “Right now my whole body feels very numb, but my shoulder still aches and I know if I hit it on something or try to move it, it’ll be excruciating.” Neji yawned and pinched the spot between his eyes at the bridge of his nose.

 “Speaking of your shoulder, any update?” He shook his head, not bothering to open his eyes. “Well at least you get out of the second annual ‘Springtime of Youth Challenge.’ I mean, I know how disappointed you’ll be to miss it,” Tenten said, her comment dripping in sarcasm.

Neji chuckled and cracked open his eyes, “Watch, I bet Gai-Sensei makes me judge.”

“Well duh, how else can the ‘flames of youth burn through your ailing body!’?”

“Is that really how he describes it?”

“Unfortunately, yes. He sai–”

Gai and Lee came barrelling through the door. “HA! SORRY GAI-SENSEI BUT YOU ARE LAST!” Lee shouted.

“Woah-ho-ho, I don’t think–,” Gai glanced across the room to Neji who was wincing painfully at the sudden disruption, “–think…that I should challenge you on that, you definitely won Lee!” He finished with a much softer tone and took the seat next to Tenten. “Sorry for the delay, Neji. We got uh…caught up in the lobby.”

“I heard you have a thousand pushups,” Neji coughed.

Gai hung his head dramatically, “It’s true! But I shall do them later, I’m sure you’d be much more interested in conversation. How are you?”

“My throat really hurts,” he croaked out, “and I’m freezing. But I actually feel a bit better.”

Neji had no idea how wonderful it was to hear him say those last few words. Granted, the kid didn’t look any better. In fact, you could argue that he looked even worse. His skin was waxy and pale, but his cheeks were stained red with fever. Deep bags hung under red-rimmed eyes and he just realized that the poor boy was shivering. It was obvious that his arm was causing discomfort. Gai just hoped that the antibiotics would work faster. 

“Well that’s great to hear! And the good news is I can solve at least one of those problems.” Gai said, standing up and walking towards the wardrobe.

“Nurse Aimi won’t let me have another blanket. She said my fever’s too high.” He struggled to cough around the sentence. 

Gai glanced back at the monitor, surprise flashing across his face. How did he miss Neji’s temperature? 103.9º? That couldn’t be right. The last two times it was this high, he seized. But he was also thinking about the mission. Wow, the PTSD was worse than he thought. He watched as Neji pulled a wet ice pack out from behind his neck and placed it on the table as if to demonstrate how serious his fever was.

“Do you think you’d be up for a walk around the hospital?” Gai asked, turning back to the bed. Neji paled at the idea. “We’ll walk. You can come along for the ride,” he winked.

Neji took a moment to consider the idea, then nodded.

“Great! Lee, go hunt down a wheelchair.” Lee saluted him and sprang out the door.

“So, where should we go on this stroll?” Tenten asked, “There’s a beautiful courtyard on the opposite end.”

“Can we go to the cafeteria first?”

The cafeteria? A few days ago, he was nauseous just at the sight of food. This was a huge leap forward! “Of course. Did you want something in particular?” Gai considered a popsicle for his throat. He wasn’t sure what happened because this was the worst he’s sounded since being admitted.

“Pudding cup,” he coughed.

Oh that’s right, Nurse Aimi mentioned that he loved vanilla pudding. That’s probably why it keeps popping up on his bedside table. 

“You got it. Any other requests?”

Neji shook his head lazily. 

Lee burst through the door, proudly presenting the wheelchair, “I found you the comfiest seat in the whole hospital!” 

“Thanks, Lee,” Neji coughed, lacking his usual sarcasm.  He made the slow moves to pull himself over to the edge of the bed, carefully bringing his legs to dangle over the side. Gai realized for the first time that his student was no longer in a hospital gown. Instead, Neji adorned a pair of shorts, socks, and a matching button up long sleeve pajama top that looked luxuriously soft. That alone must be helping his mood. Hospital gowns weren’t the coziest things. Not to mention they did a horrible job of covering your dignity. 

Neji crept off the bed to a shaky stand, one hand gripping the IV pole with all his strength. All the remaining color drained from his face and Gai thought he might faint. Tenten quickly jumped in to offer some support while Lee rolled the chair as close to the other two as possible. Gai couldn’t be prouder! Here his students were, working together to help their friend and teammate. Neji was lowered carefully into the chair and he let out a shaky sigh, relieved to be sedentary again. 

For his part, Gai moved the blanket from the bed to Neji’s lap and transferred the IV bags to the wheelchair’s pole. “Alright! First stop, cafeteria!” He took the chair from Lee and led the team out of the room. 

As they rounded the corner of the hallway, Nurse Aimi popped into view, “And where are you four headed?” 

“We are going on a walk around the hospital to revitalize Neji’s youthful spirit!” Cried Lee who received a disapproving look from Aimi. 

“Lee, sweetie, inside voice, remember?” The boy gave her a sheepish look and muttered an apology. Aimi looked down at her patient. She was conflicted. Some fresh air and a change of scenery would be good for him, but she was worried about his fever. This was the highest it’d been in days and no amount of fever reducers or ice packs would bring it down.  “But that sounds like a fun idea! Please stay on hospital grounds, and don’t go too far. And Neji, if you get a migraine, or feel lightheaded, or start having trouble breathing, come back immediately.” She looked up at Gai, “He’s not meant to be off of oxygen for more than an hour and I’m nervous about his fever.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep a watchful eye on him! And I’ll have him back in 60 minutes. That’s a promise!” Gai flashed her a thumbs up and his million dollar trademark smile as he pushed Neji past the nurses station. 

“You better, because if you don’t, I’ll have to issue a Code Yellow.”

“What's a Code Yellow?” Tenten asked.

“Missing patient,” Gai answered, “ Lee was the subject of a couple Code Yellows when he was a patient.” Lee scratched the back of his head as Gai gave him a disapproving look. “I promise, by 3:44 he will be back in these halls!”

The walk to the cafeteria was pleasant but uneventful. Gai, Lee, and Tenten filled the empty space with mindless conversation about missions and training while Neji listened, or at least Gai thought he was listening. He mostly just stared forward unless a question was directed towards him, in which case he’d answer with either a feeble nod or shake of his head. When they arrived, Gai passed the wheelchair handles over to Lee and directed them to find a table while he stood in line.

“Tenten! Neji and I challenge you to a race to find a table!”

“Lee I don’t–,” but Lee literally ran from her before she could finish. Tenten sighed and walked in their direction. There were quite literally dozens of empty tables so she wasn’t sure hy a challenge to find one was necessary. 

Neji was looking almost as green as Lee’s spandex when she arrived. Her other teammate was rambling on and on about how non-youthful training has been without the Hyuga there, but Neji seemed too overwhelmed to listen. “Neji, do you want some water?” He nodded, wincing at the movement. “Lee, can you grab it for him please? And a glass for me as well.”

“Hai! Of course, Tenten! I shall be back in a moment.”

Tenten rolled her eyes as the boy walked away then glanced over at her other friend. He rested the elbow of his good arm on the table, supporting his head with his hand. His eyes were closed and the slightest twinge of discomfort was painted across his features. “Whenever you wanna go back, just give me the signal,” she joked.

A smirk danced across his face, buying him time before he answered, “It’s okay, I wanted a change of scenery.”

“Seriously. Nurse Aimi gave you plenty of outs. All you need to do is fake something and you’ll be home free.” He chuckled but the noise got caught in his throat and came out as a harsh series of coughs. Tenten winced, “Though, I guess you don’t actually have to fake anything.” 

Neji nodded, eyes opening in surprise when Lee and Gai both returned with a tray stacked with far too much food. 

“All he wanted was a pudding cup!? What is all of this?” Tenten exclaimed.

“I have your pudding right here!” Gai beamed as he slammed the cup proudly in front of Neji. “But as I was standing in line I realized there were plenty of food options that you might like and have great nutritional value!” Neji’s complexion paled at the sight of a ham and cheese sandwich.

“What a splendid idea Gai-Sensei! Neji is so lucky to have a teacher who cares so deeply for his health!” Lee cried, snot threatening to drip down his face. “Neji! I bet I can finish my pudding before you finish yours!” 

Not the most sensitive thing the boy could’ve said, especially since Neji was struggling just to open the snack with just his good hand, “Okay, but I get a one minute head start.” With an exasperated sigh, he passed the cup to Tenten who opened it without a word. 

“DEAL! Gai-Sensei shall be our referee. Ready, set, GO!” Lee shouted, but it was not the speedy race he was hoping for. 

Neji moved slowly, his right arm shaking at the slight exertion and picking up less than a spoonful with every scoop. Gai let an additional thirty seconds pass after the one minute mark before he told Lee to start. Neji never really cared for these types of challenges, but over the years he’d come to humor Lee with this ongoing, one-sided rivalry, and Gai was painfully aware of how much of a win his recovering student needed right now. Not that it mattered, Neji gave up on the pudding about two-thirds of the way through the cup and Lee devoured his and another in less than a minute. “Neji wins!” He exclaimed.

“WHAT?!” 

You would’ve thought Gai had betrayed Lee based on his reaction. Even Neji was giving him a quizzical look. Tenten, true to character, was unbothered by the boys’ shenanigans and kept herself busy with the bowl of grapes. “He finished before you!”

“He did not even finish it!”

“The challenge was to see who could finish their pudding first. You didn’t clarify what qualifies as ‘finished.’ Neji stopped before you, so he wins!” 

Neji smirked while Lee bowed his head in shame, “You win again, my youthful rival. But next time I shall win, that is a promise!”

“You should’ve challenged me to a race. You would’ve  been guaranteed a win,” Neji said matter-of-factly, punctuating the comment with a wet cough. He leaned back from the table, relaxing into the seat of the wheelchair. 

“Did you want anything else, Neji?” Tenten asked, pulling the bowl of rice closer to him. 

He shook his head no, eyes pinching close for a brief moment. Anxiety faintly thumped in Gai’s chest, “Do you have a headache?” The boy shook his head no again, wincing with the movement. Obviously a lie. Gai gave him a pointed look but his student intentionally avoided his stare. Smart kid. Guess he didn’t want to have to go back to his room just yet. “In that case, why don’t we go visit the courtyard? The flowers are in full bloom!” He stood up, picked up the empty trays and walked them to the buss station. 

Tenten took the initiative to push the wheelchair and Neji visibly relaxed as she gently rolled him out of the cafeteria. The stroll to the courtyard was uneventful other than a few nurses and doctors stopping to say hi to them and commenting on how good it was to see Neji out of his room. 

The actual courtyard was surprisingly huge. Gai had walked through it plenty of times as a young ninja himself and he was always impressed by its size. It spanned almost the entire length of the hospital and was decorated with benches and picnic tables. Birds fluttered across the sky, stopping at a birdfeeder high up in a tree or perching on a branch. Neji basked under the warm sunlight, drinking in the vitamin D. 

The team took their time strolling through the gardens. Tenten and Lee were excitedly telling the other two about the most recent movie they’d seen. It seemed a bit gory for a couple of kids in Gai’s opinion, but they were ninja afterall, and two of his students had literally just returned from a mission that was more gruesome than the movie sounded. He was surprised that Tenten wanted to see it. She usually advocated for them to see something lighthearted, like Rom-Coms and family movies. Although, the kunoichi definitely had an affinity for gore that she hid under the surface. 

“Hmm, I’m not sure if it’s one that I’ll see, but it does sound exciting! Neji, what do you think?” Gai asked, turning his attention down to his student in the chair, “Neji?” 

“Gai-Sensei, I think he’s asleep,” Tenten said quietly, leaning over the chair so she could see his face. 

She was right. Their teammate was passed out, head dangling down, eyes closed, and mouth slightly ajar. A sweet smile graced Gai’s face. He noticed how tired the boy looked in the cafeteria. He must’ve been fighting sleep during their whole excursion. “Well, I think it’s time we get him back to his room anyway. Let’s go!”

Gai directed them back towards the pediatrics ward and followed the maze of halls back to the ICU with twelve minutes left to spare.

Nurse Aimi smiled at the sight of her sleeping patient, “Looks like you had too much fun!”

“He stayed awake for as long as he could!” Tenten defended. 

Aimi chuckled, “I’m sure he did. He’s been drowsy all day. If you don’t mind taking him back to his room, I’ll pop by in a minute to get him situated back in his bed.”

Gai nodded and thanked her as he followed his students down the hall that led to Neji’s room. The kids let themselves in and turned on the light. “Tenten, park him by the bed. Lee, gently move the IV bags back to the stand please. Be careful not to pull on them,” he said, closing the door behind them. 

“Hai, Sensei!” 

Tenten maneuvered the wheelchair as close to the bed as possible and locked the wheels. Gai pulled down the bed railing on the side closest to them and pulled back the covers. Once Lee was done, he bent down and gently picked up his precious student in the same way he had just over a week ago. Neji’s head bobbed to the side, resting on Gai’s chest. He looked so peaceful and so…small. Gai clenched his jaw. Holding the boy in his arms made the weight loss glaringly apparent. He shook the thought from his brain and gently laid the boy back down in the bed, tucking him under the covers.

“Alright you two, let’s let Neji rest. We can come back tomorrow after training. Say goodbye.” The kids murmured their goodbyes, upset to be ending the visit short. Gai did the same, brushing the hair from the boy’s face. “Get some rest,” he whispered. He turned off the lights, making sure the lamp in the corner was still on, and followed his students out the door.

Chapter Text

“What do you see?”

“That sticky, chakra-webbing. It’s all over the field and I’m trapped in it.”

“But you know how to escape. You did it plenty of times before, why is this different?”

“I’m too tired and nearly out of chakra.”

“How does it make you feel?” 

Neji sat silent, hands fidgeting with the hem of his pajama top. 

“Maybe…mad, or scared…maybe even empty?”

“Yeah…” He muttered.

“Could you explain that a bit more?” Dr. Jo studied the boy. This was his fifth session with her and they were finally making progress. The first couple of sessions Neji was still too doped up to really participate in a meaningful conversation, and for the last two he was in a mood and deflecting to hide his embarrassment, which meant they didn’t break much ground then either. But today was different. She wasn’t sure what changed, but maybe he was finally at his wit’s end with the nightmares. 

Neji swallowed and clenched his jaw to keep it from trembling. Hesitantly, he responded, “I felt stupid. Not because I was losing, but because I was losing so badly. It was like he was mocking me. Toying with me until he got bored. H-he was stronger than me, smarter than me, and…”

“And what?” She frowned.

“Crueler.”

“Crueler? What do you mean?”

The boy bit his lips, opening his eyes and stared down at his fidgeting hands, “People say I’m cruel. O-or cold, or callous, or just mean. And I just thought ‘They’re lucky to have never witnessed what I deemed cruel.’ But…th-this guy–”

“Let’s use his name, remember?”

Neji nodded and swallowed again, “K…Kido-maru. He was so much worse than what I even thought was cruel.”

“I bet your friends really appreciate you protecting them from such a person,” Dr. Jo watched her patient’s shoulder relax slightly as he gave her another nod, “Did you have any other feelings from the battle?”

“Scared… I’d never felt helpless in a fight before. I was on defense almost from the beginning. And I couldn’t even see him. I can track an enemy’s movements and predict what they’re going to do next, but he–I mean, Kido…maru–was outside my range of vision. I was a sitting duck waiting to be hunted.”

“But you won! You were successful even without a plan. Flying into any situation blind will always feel a bit scary, but you were able to bring down an opponent even when it was an uneven battle. You’ve proven that you are far more capable than you think you are.”

“But it was luck . If he hadn’t used a thread, I wouldn’t have had the idea to funnel chakra through it. He got sloppy and I got lucky,” he coughed. 

“Hmm…That’s not how I see it. It sounds like you forced his hand. You were evading all of his other attempts, so if Kidomaru wanted an accurate hit, he needed the thread to guide it. You made it too hard for him!”

“But I didn’t know he’d use a thread.”

“No, but you said yourself that you’re good at thinking on your feet. How long do you think it took you to come up with the funneling idea?”

Neji closed his eyes in concentration, “I don’t know. It felt almost instantaneous, but my head was really hurting by then. It might’ve taken me a lot longer.”

“That’s even more impressive. To have a grade three concussion and still be able to find a way to win and execute it is incredible!” The smallest of smirks graced his face. Dr. Jo smiled. Finally, they were getting somewhere. Maybe next session that can actually get to the arrows and not just the build up to them. “Did you finish the debrief?”

Neji shook his head, “Lady Tsunade is supposed to come by later this afternoon, after physical therapy.”

She nodded, “How are you feeling about it?” 

The boy just shrugged, avoiding eye contact. 

She ticked up an eyebrow, “Is it hard to think about the battle?”

Neji subtly chewed on the inside of his lip, “Talking about it is hard. Thinking about it isn’t.”

“Do you find yourself thinking about the mission a lot?”

He nodded, diverting his gaze again. 

“That’s very normal, Neji. Many patients report feeling as if their PTSD is constantly lingering in the background, especially in the early stages of recovery.” She clicked the pen closed and placed the clipboard on the side table, “In time, it’ll just be a memory. And until then, we can make dealing with it easier. I know last time you said you didn’t want to try any more medications, but your uncle is insistent, and I have to agree with him. Psychotherapy will help, but you’ll heal a lot faster from a traumatic event if you’re able to relax and get some proper rest. Zoloft only had a mild effect, but why don’t we try Prozac?”

She studied the boy. He was slouched in the wheelchair, shoulders dropping dramatically as he let out a sigh and gave a defeated nod. She was hoping he’d agree to the new medication. It was obvious that the kid was slipping further and further into depression. She’d seen it plenty of times before and this boy was basically a walking billboard for it. 

“Thank you, Neji. I really think this will help. But if it doesn’t, we’ll just keep trying until we find one that does, okay?” 

He gave her another nod, still keeping his gaze down at his hands. 

Dr. Jo smiled and leaned forward to give him a reassuring pat on the knee, “Alright, well that’s all for today. I’ll see you on Thursday, same time, okay?” She stood up and walked towards her office door, pushing Neji in front of her. 

He didn’t respond. It wasn’t like he had a choice on where he went or not. He didn’t have the energy to walk away nor the strength to stand up by himself. 

“How’d it go?” Nurse Maiko asked cheerfully.

“Better than last week,” Dr. Jo responded with a wink. 

“Hey, that’s great!” She smiled as she took her patient from the psychologist, “You finished just in time. They just served lunch and I saw miso soup on the menu. Let’s get you to the cafeteria.”

Neji clenched his jaw but didn’t oppose. He didn’t feel like eating but they would make him anyway.

oOoOoOo

“You’re almost there! 3 more steps and we can rest.”

The physical therapist’s voice cut like razor blades in his head. Everything hurt. His side stung and his lungs burned. His legs protested against every step he took and his back spasmed, but the worst by far was his head. Every breath sent a thunderstorm through his skull. He was feeling dizzy since before they started but the exertion amplified it and he feared vomiting if he didn’t get to sit soon.

“Good job! I think you’ve earned a break.”

Oh thank God . He collapsed into the wheelchair that was waiting for him at the other end of the room. He gasped, opting for the oxygen mask dangling from the arm of the wheelchair. 

“When you’re ready, we’ll go again. Two more times and we’re done.”

Neji rolled his eyes and rested a hand on his brow, supporting his throbbing head. His side screamed , but in a completely different way than normal. Anger boiled in him. He said he was in pain and all the nurses did was coo about how sorry they were and how he’s so tough for powering through it. He was happy to have kind nurses and not the mean ones that Naruto reported having, but they coddled him! He was thirteen, damn it. They treated him like a child.

The physical therapist was eyeing him. She looked worried but was doing a pretty good job of hiding it. Good. Let her feel guilty. She deserved it after making him do physical therapy even though she knew he didn’t feel well. At least now they’re both feeling shitty. He took another heavy, shaky breath. Three weeks ago he was one of the strongest genin in the village. Today he was too weak to even walk the length of a room by himself. Fuck, he hated this. He hated all of this. The food, being sick, being drugged out of his mind, always having a headache. But he especially hated being so. Fucking. Weak. 

The doctor studied him, taking important notes on the boy’s condition. He was tired, sure, but he was expected to be. Things seemed fine for the moment, but if his complexion gets just one shade lighter, she’d stop the whole thing. Getting Neji moving was not as important as getting him healthy. The brain swelling had gone down, but it was still pretty prominent and excess stress could worsen it. His pneumonia also had lingering effects despite being on the downhill climb. The symptoms might be dissipating but the fever refused to break. Nurse Maiko’s voice ringed in her ear as she recalled her retelling from last night’s fiasco. Just eight hours ago the poor thing was submerged in an ice bath, incoherent and confused. Apparently he was whimpering and begging them to stop. It made her heart ache, but she understood the necessity. 105º was far too high. 

She let out a sigh and shook the thought from her head. Nurse Aimi said she triple checked his temperature before dropping him off. He was at a very steady 100.2º and had been ever since six this morning. The boy’s okay. Just tired.

“Okay Neji, ready to go again?” The kid groaned in protest. She couldn’t blame him, he was obviously struggling. But to his credit, he put down the oxygen mask and made the feeble effort to stand up. She leant him an arm, knowing he wouldn’t be able to do it by himself.

He grunted and grabbed at his side. It’d been hurting him all morning but there wasn’t anything they could do for him. And they decided to take out his IVs while he did physical therapy, so he didn’t even have medicine to relieve the pain.  “I know it hurts, but remember what Doctor Hiroki said. You’re using all new muscles, it’s going to be sore until we can strengthen it back up again.”

She made sure he was steady then let go. He let out a shaky breath and took a very small first step. This was the longest hour of his life. 

oOoOoOo

“That’s it, you’re doing great.” Tsunade rested a comforting glowing, green hand on Neji’s bandaged chest while he gasped around the oxygen mask. 

This was humiliating. He just wanted them all to leave. Well, Sensei could stay, he supposed, but only because Gai-Sensei would offer to read more of his book to him. And since his concussion made him too dizzy to read, that was the only way he was ever going to find out if Ender was selected for the fighter program. He fell back into the pillows, using all of his energy to suck in air. 

Gai reached for his hand which was shaking with adrenaline. He gave him a comforting squeeze, “You’re okay. You’re safe. I’m right here, just focus on the sound of my voice.”

He locked eyes with his sensei and gave a shaky nod. Why did it scare him so much? It happened weeks ago. And he won . He should be proud. A lesser ninja would even brag, but instead he was petrified by the memory. It was ridiculous. That guy was dead! He killed him. There was nothing to fear. If anything, he was safer than before because now there was one less asshole in the world.

“You’re okay. You’re back home and you're safe,” Gai reassured. 

Neji’s breaths came in more evenly and he was finally able to take a proper gulp of air. 

“Neji, I want you to focus on five things you can see. Can you name them for me?” Shizune asked, monitoring his stats.

“B-bed…W-window…Table…Chair…Cup.”

 Oh great. Now he was stuttering like Hinata again. Could this get any more humiliating?
“Good. Now can you name four things you can feel?”

Neji swallowed, “Blanket, IV,…Gai Sensei’s hand…” fuck his head hurt way too much to think about these bullshit grounding exercises, “...headache,” he finished with a wince. 

Gai squeezed his hand again instinctively.

Shizune chuckled, “Not really what I had in mind, but we’ll allow it. Now how about three things you can hear?”

A hiccup escaped his lips, “Monitor b-beeping…M-my b-b-breathing…your v-voice.”

“Almost done, two things you can smell and one thing you can taste.”

“Disinfectant, plastic,… oxygen.

His heart rate had finally fallen back to 110 and he’d broken into a cold sweat. He shivered so hard he thought he might be seizing, but God was sparing him today. It took another five minutes of breathing techniques, a glass of water, an extra blanket, and dozens of reassuring looks from Gai before Tsunade deemed Neji stable enough to continue the debriefing.

“I promise, we’re almost done, hun. You noticed that there was a thread attached to the second arrow and had an idea. That’s where you left off. Do you remember what happened next?” Tsunade asked, speaking softly and slowly. 

Neji glanced up at Gai, anxiety brimming in his eyes.

“Go ahead.” 

He gritted his teeth. Gai-Sensei was supposed to get him out of this, not push him deeper into it. He swallowed. This was the worst part of the battle. Memories of it haunted him. Even the IVs in his hands reminded him of what it felt to get skewered. “H-he used the thread to guide it. A-and the thread was m-made of chakra. I thought that if he shot again, I could use the thread as a bridge to hit him with gentle fist, so I just…stopped.”

The three adults exchanged confused looks. “What do you mean ‘stopped?’”

“I just stopped. He needed an easy target and I was too tired to keep running anyway. So I just stopped. Then he shot the a-arrow and, a-and…,” he blinked repeatedly, desperate to erase the images from his head, “I heard it b-before I could see it. I-I think I had t-two s-s-seconds to move.” He started biting his lip, right hand unconsciously hovering over his bandaged side. “It hurt ,” he whispered. “But… I can’t remember it hitting me. I blinked and I was pinned to a tree.”

“That’s actually quite normal. It’s a trauma response. Imagine it as your brain’s way of sparing you some pain,” Tsunade reassured. 

“Was it the same tree you hid behind earlier?” Asked Shizune. 

Neji thought for a long moment, “I..I don’t think so…I stepped into the clearing so he could spot me…but I don’t remember s-standing near any other tree, so…maybe?”

Lady Tsunade and Shizune exchanged looks, “What happened next”

“Um…it’s blurry.” And he was grateful that it was, “All I remember is my head pounding . It was worse than getting my seal activated,” he shivered at the memory.

“Were you still pinned to the tree?” Shizune asked, scribbling details into the margins of a notepad.

“Y-yes. I remember looking down a-and…and.” He clenched his jaw and shook his head, trying to stop the memory. He didn’t get it. He’d never had an issue with gore before so why was this so sickening?  “I-I…I could…see,” he swallowed, “my intestines were–” he gagged, barely having enough time to aim for the bowl sitting in front of him. Gai rubbed his back as he expelled what little he had in his stomach. 

This. sucked. Nevermind how embarrassing it is to vomit in front of anyone, especially the Hokage, but it damn well hurts .  His whole body seemed to contract with his stomach muscles causing a pulsating pain to radiate through his limbs. He couldn’t help it. Something about seeing his insides just turned his stomach. “Th-they l-look so much worse than they do in books–.” The words stumbled out of his mouth and he heaved again. 

Tsunade gave him a worried look, “Neji, why don’t we stop. I don’t want you straining yourself. We can try again after you’ve had a few more sessions with Dr. Jo.” 

“N-no, I want this to be done,” he gasped. He just wanted this to be over with so he never had to talk about it again. 

Gai chimed in, “Neji, I don’t–”

“ Please. ”

The adults exchanged looks again and Tsunade gestured for him to continue. Thankfully, there was really only the final few punches left in his retelling. Once he’d knocked Kidomaru prone, the match was basically over. He didn’t remember anything after his opponent died. His next memory is of Gai pulling on his arm and from there it’s pretty choppy until roughly three days post-op. Tsunade and Shizune asked questions throughout the last few details but the worst of the recount seemed to be behind them. 

“Do you remember vomiting at any point?” Shizune asked as she checked over her notes.

Neji thought for a long moment, “I don’t think so…I think I coughed up blood though…and I remember feeling sick, like I needed to throw up.”

“When did it start?”

“I…I don’t know. I was really dizzy after the giant spider landed on me, but I thought it was exhaustion.”

“I imagine that hurt quite a bit.”

A blank look crossed Neji’s face as he tried to recall the details, “I…I don’t remember actually.”

Shizune gave him a concerned look, “What part?”

“I remember seeing the spider above me…and then all of sudden it was pitch black and I couldn’t breathe or move. It felt like a boulder was crushing me but I don’t actually remember feeling pain…Is that normal?” 

Tsunade could see the frantic worry behind his eyes, “It sounds like you were in shock, which is very normal under your circumstances. It also sounds like you may have been knocked unconscious.” Neji’s eyes grew wide and he shook his head in disbelief as he came to terms with the realization. Tsunade gave Shizune a signal to stop writing, “Thank you Neji. I know that was hard, but I’m glad to see your sessions with Dr. Jo are helping.” She gave him a sweet smile and held a glowing hand over his shoulder, causing Neji to wince, “The antibiotics don’t seem to be working fast enough. I’ll speak with Dr. Hiroki to determine the next plan of action, I really don’t want to risk you getting any sicker,” Tsunade gave his head a gentle pat and made her exit with Shizune trailing right behind her.

Gai turned back towards Neji. His poor student was still trembling with adrenaline. He let out a long, drawn out yawn. Exhaustion doing its best to pull his eyelids closed.

“Hey bud. You want to try closing your eyes?”

Neji shook his head no. Poor kid was still too scared to sleep. 

“I can read more of your book?”

His student gave a small nod. Gai smiled and stood up to turn off the fluorescent lights. Then he walked back over to the hospital bed and flicked on the faint glow of the lamp.

“Ready?”

He nodded timidly. 

“Okay,” Gai said, opening the book, “But I really need you to close your eyes and try to get some sleep, alright?”

But Neji’s eyes were already shut. 

“Couldn’t even stay awake long enough to give me a response.”

Gai gave his student a smile and read the next chapter in a low voice.

Chapter Text

“Lord Hiashi?”

The man startled awake and blinked blearily at the open bedroom door, “Yes Ko, what is it?” He yawned.

“Sorry to wake you, but a nurse from the hospital is on the phone. It’s about Neji and it sounds like an emergency.”

Neji? He popped up, straightening his back and giving his full attention to Ko, “What happened?”

“I’m not sure, but it sounds serious. They need your permission to perform emergency surgery.”

Hiashi sprang out of bed, grabbing his robe on his way out the door. Emergency surgery? Anxiety twisted in his stomach. Neji was fine just the other day. A bit moody maybe, but even Lady Tsunade said he was doing much better. He followed Ko into the next room and picked up the landline, “Hello, this is Hiashi Hyuga.”

“Hi Lord Hiashi, this is Nurse Shinji from the PICU ward at Konoha Hospital. Neji’s fever spiked to over 1088 not long ago and we’ve been struggling to get it down. The infection in his shoulder is spreading and the on-call resident insists on operating to remove the infected tissue, but we need your consent before proceeding.”

“Y-Yes, of course, please do the surgery. Is he alright, can I talk to him?”

“I’m afraid not. He’s delirious and we need to prep him for surgery. But you’ll be able to visit afterwards,” the voice momentarily stopped, leaving enough room for Hiashi to make out the sounds of chaos coming from the other end. “Yes, alright,” he said to someone on his end then turned his attention back to Hiashi, “We’ll have some forms for you to fill out when you get here. I’m sorry Lord Hiashi but I need to go. Thank you.”

The line went dead, prompting him to hang up. Hiashi clenched his jaw. What happened? He thanked Ko and rushed back to his bedroom. He stopped in the door frame, guilt clenching his throat. The fiasco woke up Hibari. 

“Is he alright?” she asked, worry painting her tired face. 

“He will be. They need to operate though. His shoulder is much worse than we thought,” he reassured. Hiashi stepped behind the room divider to change out of his sleep clothes and reappeared dressed in his traditional day robes. 

“We need to go then,” she said, already walking towards her side of the room.

“No, Hibari, stay here. He’s my responsibility.”

“He’s our responsibility, and he likes me more.”

“They all like you more, which is why you need to stay here with Hinata and Hanabi. You’re better at breaking news.”

Hibari gave him an exasperated sigh. It was no secret that she was the gentle parent in the family. “Fine, but I want an update as soon as you have one. I’ll come by as soon as Hanabi leaves for school and Hinata goes off on her mission.”

Hiashi nodded, “Of course, hanii.” He kissed her on the top of the head before heading out the door. 

Neji was already in surgery by the time he arrived, so all he could do was sit in the waiting room. At least it was private. Although, he couldn’t imagine a ton of surgeries were scheduled at four in the morning. And thank God for that, because he was currently pacing the floor in a nervous manner unfit for a Hyuga and undignified for the clan’s leader. The nurse said debridement surgery typically only took thirty minutes, but they’d been in the operating room for nearly an hour and a half. 

He should’ve seen this coming. The doctors had made it very clear that they were worried about the infection, and his fever had been rising for days. In retrospect, it was obvious, so why was he still so shocked? He rubbed his face to clear the exhaustion. He was about to finally sit down when the operating light turned off. Time stood still. He was in the exact same position just a couple weeks ago. He held his breath again and pleaded silently for the door to open. 

Finally, a doctor stepped out, “Lord Hiashi?” she asked. She looked tired, but calm. Surely that was a good sign.

“Yes,” he bowed.

“Dr. Aki, it’s nice to meet you. I’m the on-call resident this morning and lead surgeon for this operation. Neji is going to be fine. We’ve been monitoring his wounds for a while and noticed the infection growing. It was only mild until last night. Then it suddenly turned septic and the flesh around his injury started dying rapidly. And with the wound being so close to his heart, we had no choice but to remove the infected flesh surgically. But I’m happy to say that we removed all the damaged tissue.”

Hiashi let out a sigh of relief, “Can I see him?”

“He’s resting in our post-op unit right now but we’ll move him back into his room later this morning. Don’t worry, Lord Hiashi. We’re keeping a close eye on him. Why don’t you come back in a few hours? He might even be awake then.” 

“Y-yes, alright. Thank you, Dr. Aki,” Hiashi bowed. 

Dr. Aki walked back into the operating room, leaving him alone once again. He considered staying, but what was he to do to pass the time? He was better off heading home and getting some work done, or maybe even going back to bed. A yawn escaped him as he made his way out the door. Sleep actually sounded pretty good, but when he got back to the compound, it would be time for him to get up anyway. Might as well move his morning meetings around and come by after breakfast. Then he can see Hinata off on her mission. He couldn’t remember where she was headed but he couldn’t imagine it would be difficult. Her team was barely completing C-ranks, last he heard. Comparatively, Neji’s team was almost exclusively going on B-ranks. He disagreed with Gai on a lot of things but he had to be honest, the man was a good teacher. Even that look-alike student of his seemed unusually talented. And definitely stronger than Hinata. It was humiliating. The boy couldn’t even mold chakra and yet he was leaps and bounds ahead of his pureblood Hyuga heiress. At least Neji brought honor to the clan.

A dull ache radiated through his chest. The topic always made him feel ashamed. It was not Hinata’s fault that she lacked the skills of her much more talented cousin. And it wasn’t her fault that she had the birthright to lead while Neji was cursed to live a life of servitude. It was unfortunate to be in her position, but that was fate and fate wasn’t fair. If it were, Hizashi would’ve been born first. That would’ve fixed this whole mess. His twin would still be here, and maybe Hiashi even would be too. Maybe the Cloud-nin wouldn’t even try to abduct Neji. He imagined that the rogue ninja would’ve heard how talented the little boy was and knew better than to make any attempts. Or maybe Hizashi would’ve responded better than he did and choose to spare the kidnapper’s life instead. He could be surprisingly calm and levelheaded despite his infamous anger. Regardless, he’d happily put down his life to save his brother, no matter the scenario. 

Hizashi was more fit to lead anyway. Go figure. Neji was more fit than Hinata, and Hizashi was more fit than himself. Like father, like son.

Hinata didn’t even want to be clan leader, and Neji didn’t deserve to be enslaved. And at four . God, Hiashi was never going to forgive himself for that. It didn’t matter how many ways he tried to justify it. The memory of his little nephew screaming in pain had forever seared his conscience, branding him with guilt. Kind of like how he’d branded Neji’s forehead with a curse mark. The irony wasn’t lost on him. 

Apparently blood really was thicker than water because he’d sealed dozens of branch members with no remorse, but the day came to seal his twin brother’s son, and Hiashi was sick to his stomach for the rest of the day. Being marked so young meant Neji was also sick all day. Everything concerning the boy that day was ironic. 

He arrived home just in time to wish Hinata luck on her mission and to sit down with the rest of the family for breakfast. Hanabi was going on and on about the field trip she was going on today at school. So, she hadn’t told the girls about Neji’s surgery then. Hanabi idolized her older cousin. She nearly had a panic attack when she found out he was in critical condition. 

He ate in silence as his loving wife entertained their youngest. Finally, it was time for Hanako to take her to school and the two were alone. Hibari gave him a telling look.

“I was going to wait to tell them once there was something to tell them. Otherwise they’d just be anxious and worried all day. You’re back a lot sooner than I thought. Is he alright?” Her eyebrows knitted together.

“He’s fine. They were able to remove all of the infection. He’ll be allowed visitors in a couple of hours but it sounds like he’s still pretty weak. He may still be unconscious.”

She let out a sigh of relief, “Oh thank goodness. Who would’ve guessed the one we never have to worry about would be the same one to nearly drive me to a heart attack,” she chuckled. “Should I make him some breakfast? I’m sure he’d appreciate a home cooked meal.”

“Last I talked with Gai, he mentioned that Neji still didn’t have much of an appetite…but he never turns down your herring soba,” Hiashi replied, pulling out a stack of papers and reviewing its contents. He hated budgeting meetings so the more he prepared, the less questions he had to ask, and the sooner he was out of them. “I’ll meet you in the courtyard in three hours?”

“Good. That’ll give me enough time to make him some rice pudding too.” Hibari winked and gave her husband a loving kiss on the cheek as she made her way to the kitchen. 

oOoOoOo

The hospital was busy this morning. Apparently the flu finally struck the schools. They’d have to keep an eye on Hanabi then. There were so many kids around them that he didn’t doubt one of her classmates was also here. 

Thankfully, the ICU was still relatively quiet. The red-headed nurse was at her station writing on a clipboard when they entered. She looked up as they approached and instinctively gave them a sympathetic smile. “Hello Hiashi-sama and Hibari-sama. I’m so sorry we had to call you earlier this morning, but he’s doing much better. Fever’s down, he’s off the oxygen mask, and has been asleep for over six hours now.”

Hibari sighed in relief and rested a hand over her racing heart, “Oh thank goodness, I’ve been worried sick. I brought him something to eat, can he have it?” She asked, lifting up the bag holding the food containers for emphasis.

“Of course! If you can get him to eat, that is. He’s still asleep but he might be feeling a bit nauseous when he wakes up.”

“Thank you, Nurse Maiko!” She bowed and followed Hiashi down the hall. True to her word, Neji was fast asleep and helooked so peaceful snuggled under the blankets. His face seemed notably more relaxed compared to last time. His mouth hung partially open, allowing the quiet whistles of his breath to pass between his teeth. Hibari took the chair closest to his head and held his right hand gently. “Oh, Neji-kun,” she whispered. 

Hiashi stood at the end of the bed, jaw locked and eyes studiously trained on their nephew’s face. He watched in silence as his wife whispered sweet nothings to the boy. His features softened even more than before. It was uncanny how similar he looked to Hizashi. He looks at Neji and his brother is staring back at him. Their peers joked about it back when they were both new parents, laughing at the similarities between the twins and Neji. It was fun then, but now it was haunting. Even his mannerisms and preferences mimicked Hizashi. The most glaring one being their preference in women. He noticed that the girl on his team wore buns in her hair the way the boy’s mother did when they were that age. That used to be all Hizashi could talk about when they were teenagers. ‘ Hiashi-kun, isn’t she beautiful? She has those twin buns in her hair again! She’s so cute with her hair like that, don’t you think? ’ He felt like he knew intimately too much about the boy, and yet nothing at all. Like fate was cursing him to relive the traumas of Hizashi’s childhood all over again, but this time with the knowledge of what’s to come. 

He shivered. The whole topic haunted him. He tried to avoid it whenever he could but it was a lot easier to do when Neji wasn’t around, which seemed to be more frequent the older he got. And of course, the kid was so self-sufficient that it was easy to forget that he was still just a child. 

“I don’t like him reading these books, they’re far too violent,” Hibari said with a frown as she examined the book on the bedside table.”

“He’s 13, Hibari,” Hiashi scoffed, “And a ninja. I’m sure he’s seen far more violent acts than whatever could possibly be in that book.”

“Oh really? You think he’s witnessed an alien invasion resulting in a galactic genocide?” She cocked an eyebrow at him as she finished reading the synopsis.

Oh. Well she had him there. “At least he’s moved on from those wizard…academy books.” He couldn’t remember the name of the series but he had a feeling Hizashi put him on to them. His brother was far more interested in reading than he ever was and Neji seemed to have the same affinity for fantasy novels that Hizashi did. “Magical creatures, spells, wands? It’s all just a bunch of make-believe.” In his opinion, sci-fi wasn’t much better, but it was at least partially rooted in reality. He always opted for nonfiction. Although, he didn’t have nearly as many opportunities to explore hobbies as Hizashi did.  They both had their duties growing up but any free time Hiashi had was ultimately dedicated to studying or bettering himself for the sake of the clan. Another reason why his twin was a better pick for leader. Hizashi was naturally smart. School came easy to him and he thrived in academic settings. No wonder Neji graduated at the top of his class.  

Another thirty minutes passed before their nephew began to stir. Neji’s face contorted into a sad grimace. His eyebrows knitted together and he released a quiet, high pitched whine. Hibari stroked his sweaty forehead, doing her best to assuage him. The boy’s fever might have gone down but it was still sitting at 101.6º.  Hiashi swallowed. God the kid must be miserable. There was a lot about Neji that impressed him, but his tolerance for pain was quite remarkable. Even after curse mark activations he’d put on a stoic face and retreat back to his room once he came too. It must be a pride thing. Virtually no branch members could barely stand after a seal activation, and those who do don’t usually make it very far without any help. 

Neji whimpered again, turning on his side and curling tightly into a ball. Hibari did her best to comfort him but it had no effect. She was growing more and more worried with every passing moment.“Maybe I should bring him Turtle Boy. I think he’s tucked away in the attic somewhere. Hanako could help me find him.”

Hiashi sputtered, “The boy doesn’t need a stuffed animal . He hasn’t touched that ratty old thing in years.”

“Oh hush. He’s still a child, our little Neji-kun,” she cooed as she pulled the covers higher up over her nephew’s shivering shoulders.

“You’ll embarrass him, and the boy is struggling enough already.”

“Fine, but I’ll have Hanako hunt down where he is just in case.”

Hiashi sighed. Hibari could be so stubborn. It’s one of the reasons he loved her. How could someone be so gentle and yet so headstrong? If she wanted to do something then she damn well was going to do it, no matter who tried to interfere. 

Neji whimpered loudly this time, eyes screwed shut and head retreating deeper under the covers. It reminded Hiashi painfully of the night his father sealed Hizashi. The branch members always say being sealed is far more painful than the actual activation. He remembers his twin brother writhing in pain in their shared bedroom. It was the first time Hiashi truly felt guilt over being born first. Their father told them time and time again how important he was and how Hizashi was destined to serve his whole life, but it was all just old-man words at the time. They didn’t hold any weight until Hizashi was sealed. That day was a big wake up call for the both of them. It was the first time either of them witnessed the true power of the main family. Hizashi was sick for a whole day and burned a fever all night. He didn’t have the energy to sit up and it was three days before he could eat properly again. It’d been nearly forty years and it still made Hiashi’s stomach sour. He wondered if Neji reacted the same way when he was sealed, but Hizashi refused to let him see his nephew. From what he was able to find out, the boy had a horrendous reaction to the seal. Another tell-tale sign that he was extraordinarily talented.

Hibari gave Neji’s hand a squeeze when he whimpered again. He slowly blinked his eyes open. “Hey there Neji-kun,” she said softly. She waited patiently while he adjusted to the lights, confusion glinted in his eyes. “How are you feeling?” She caressed his face lovingly, stroking his hair when he unconsciously leaned into her touch. 

The boy let out a noncommittal groan and squeezed his eyes shut. 

“Headache?”

He gave a careful nod and opened his eyes with a feeble cough and a painful wince.

Her heart broke. This was just like the first time his curse mark was activated. Poor boy was only 4 and still hurting from the loss of his father. She understood why he lashed out, and sure, he shouldn’t have tried to attack Hiashi but Neji was just a little boy. He could barely hold his Byakugan and any type of gentle fist he landed would’ve only felt like a needle prick. He wasn’t going to do any damage. Activating his seal was just cruel. She could still recall Hiashi’s harsh words when she scolded him, “We have too, Hibari. Do you want him to grow up thinking he can challenge the Main House without consequence?” 

“Here, drink some water. You’re probably dehydrated,” Hibari said, filling up the cup and bringing the straw to Neji’s lips. 

He took a cautious sip, wincing as he swallowed. “Thank you, Obasan,” he croaked. It broke her heart. 

“Of course, sweetie.” She placed the cup on the table when he was done. “Do you remember what happened last night?”

Neji blinked around the room slowly to look for hints and was surprised to see Hiashi standing at the end of the bed. He must be a bit disoriented still because the boy was normally quite observant.  He held Hiashi’s gaze for a moment longer then turned back to his aunt and gently shook his head no. Hibari and Hiashi exchanged looks. 

“You had emergency surgery very early this morning. The wounds in your shoulder turned septic and the surgeons needed to cut out the infection,” Hiashi said, arms remaining crossed against his chest, “But you’re doing much better now.”

Hibari did her best to hide her wince. She would’ve been a bit more gentle with the retelling but Neji didn’t seem particularly interested in what her husband had to say anyway. Definitely still disoriented. “Does your shoulder hurt?”

The boy’s arm was bound in extra layers of bandages and placed in a much sturdier sling to keep it from moving. It looked uncomfortable but he shook his head no, far too preoccupied with his headache apparently. 

 “I brought something for you to eat if you’re feeling hungry. It’s herring soba!” 

Neji perked up at the name of his favorite meal and gave her a timid nod. Hope bubbled in her stomach. He hadn’t been eating much of anything according to his Sensei. She gave him a smile and reached down to pick up the container. Thankfully it was still hot. Nurse Aimi mentioned that his lymph nodes were still pretty swollen and Hibari thought warm soba would be perfect for soothing a sore throat. And thank goodness she brought it. The nurses were right. Neji’s lymph nodes were nearly bulging out of his neck. 

She handed him the chopsticks and placed the bowl on the table as Neji used all his strength to sit up. It was a slow process that took a bit of encouragement from both Hibari and Hiashi, but he eventually finished the whole meal, including the rice pudding.

Hibari studied the boy’s face. He already looked so much better after having a proper meal. She just wanted to bundle him up and dote over him until he was all better.  Caregiving was in her nature, after all. She loved being a mother, but even before she married into the clan’s sovereignty, she was a well-respected primary school teacher. 

Neji scratched at the collar of his hospital gown. She frowned. They must’ve removed his pajamas for the operation. Maybe she’ll bring him another set later today if she has the time. Hinata would complain of how itchy the gowns here were and really appreciated it when her mother brought her a new silk nightgown. So when she got the call confirming that he was stable, Hibari made sure to buy him the softest pajama set she could find. She learned from Hinata that button down tops were preferred by doctors and it was much easier for Neji to get on and off, especially with his left arm out of commission. 

 Neji did his best to sit at attention while his aunt talked, but exhaustion was taking over him. 

“Neji-kun, why don’t you lay back down?” Hibari asked, already helping him recline. 

“Nnnno. No. Mmmm sorry, Lady Hibari, I’m-I’m listening,” he yawned. 

“Surely you can listen while you’re lying down. Putting yourself in more danger for the sake of formalities is foolish.” Hiashi piped in. 

Hibari gave her husband an exasperated look. He had an odd way of showing others that he cared about them. 

To his credit, Neji compromised and did his best to keep his eyes open, staying awake out of pure stubbornness…or fear. It was pretty common for branch members to power through past their limits. Too many had been punished for doing anything less, Neji included. Sometimes Hibari thought the curse mark worked too well. 

His blinks became slower and slower until finally his eyes stayed shut. Then it wasn’t long until the boy was snoring softly. 

“We better let him rest.” Hiashi whispered, getting one last glance at his nephew before turning to the door, “I need to be back before lunch anyway.”

“Alright.” Hibari gave Neji one final look over, making sure he was properly tucked in and the nasal cannula sat correctly under his nose. 

She gave him one last gentle kiss on the forehead and followed Hiashi out the room, making sure to turn the floor lamp on and the other lights off on her way out.

Chapter Text

It took all of Gai’s restraint to not sprint through the halls. His heart was racing but his feet maintained a steady pace as he approached the nurses station. “Aimi?!”

Nurse Aimi looked up from her paperwork, blonde curls bouncing as she turned. “He’s okay, Gai,”  she reassured, “He’s a bit uncomfortable, but he’s stable and his temperature is down.”

A weight was lifted off his chest. “He’s okay. He is okay. He. Is. Okay. ”

“Thank God,” he said, “Is he cleared for visitors?”

“Yes, and I think he could really use one,” the smile dropped from her face, “He’s been feeling a bit down.”

He bowed and headed for room 107. He forced a deep, shaky breath down his throat to calm his anxious heart, and slowly opened the door. Darkness greeted him, despite it being three in the afternoon. Not even the floor lamp was on. Neji was faced away from him, laying on his right side and curled into a ball under a heap of blankets. He assumed the boy was asleep but when he walked to the other end of the room, he saw pearly white eyes staring blankly at the window curtains. 

“Hey Neji. How are you feeling?” Gai asked cautiously, taking the seat that wouldn’t block his student’s lackluster view. The boy didn’t react. Not even a blink of acknowledgement crossed his face. Gai frowned. “Neji? How are you feeling?” He asked again, raising his voice just slightly. 

The boy gave a weak shoulder shrug, eyes locked on the curtains. Gai looked back to see what was so fascinating but there was nothing. He turned back around and examined his student. Neji’s shoulder was tightly wrapped in extra-thick bandages and his arm was bound securely in a much sturdier sling. He watched as a wave of pain rippled through the kid’s limbs, prompting a wince. His eyes cracked open and continued staring forward. 

“Can I get you anything to help with the pain?” Gai asked in a hush voice.

Neji just sighed and pulled the blanket up to his chin. A wet cough racked his body.

“Did you sleep well?” He received another weak shoulder shrug. Gai clenched his jaw. There was definitely something more going on other than just a bit of discomfort. “Neji, you’re worrying me. Can you please look at me?” 

His student blinked in his direction, giving Gai his attention, but refusing to move any more.

“Is there something wrong?” 

Neji just blinked, moving his focus back to the beige curtains. A tell-tale sign that he wasn’t in the mood to talk. Gai was unsure of what to do. ‘Quiet’ was usually Neji’s default, but this wasn’t his typical brooding brand of quiet. It was glum. Despondent. Like gravity held his features down, preventing him from smiling, even if he forced it. Gai noted the untouched tray of food sitting on the bed table. It was pushed to the foot of the bed, completely abandoned.

“Did you have any lunch?”

He was rewarded with a nod.

Gai gave him a questioning look. The tray seemed untouched. He stood up to examine what was under the lid and confirmed that not a single item had been disturbed. “Really? This seems pretty uneaten to me.”

Neji sighed again, tucking his head down and covering his face with the blanket. Another hacking cough racked his frail body.

Really not interested in talking. Noted. 

“Would you like me to leave?” He asked cautiously. He was really hoping to spend some time with him, especially since the kid just had emergency surgery the other day. He would’ve showed up sooner but he was out on recon mission and only returned this afternoon. He ran straight here as soon as the Hokage told him. 

To Gai’s surprise, Neji shook his head. 

“Okay…” He looked around the room, unsure of what to do. He tried recalling the last time his student was so depressed but nothing came to mind. The closest he could think of was the anniversary of his dad’s death. He found Neji in the Konoha graveyard after he skipped practice. Finding him was pure luck. Gai wasn’t even looking for him. He assumed his curse mark was activated again and the poor boy was lying miserable in his bed. Instead the kid was lying on his back next to his father’s gravestone, watching the clouds go by. 

When Gai tried talking to him, Neji would just sigh and avoid his gaze like he did just now, but he also rolled his eyes and sneered when Gai tried to talk with him. This was different. He was more sad than annoyed but he couldn’t pin down why. His father died in December, it was early April, so it couldn’t be that.

“I’m going to pop out of the room for a second. Okay?” He waited for another small nod then quietly left the room.

Nurse Aimi was still at her station when Gai stepped into the hallway.  He was hoping she could shed some light on Neji’s attitude. 

“Excuse me, Nurse Aimi, was Neji acting off the last time you checked on him?”

She gave him a frown. “Still not talking?”

 Gai shook his head no.

“I was hoping that a visit from you would lift his spirits. He’s been pretty down the past couple of days.”

Gai nodded. He was afraid this would happen, “I think I might be making it worse. He’s not my biggest fan,” he replied sheepishly.

“That’s not what I’ve heard,” Aimi winked, “But I’m sworn to secrecy, so I can’t tell you anything more,” she teased.

Normally Gai would be over the moon to hear such news but he was far too concerned with Neji’s well-being. He barely made it through Lee’s bout of depression after the Chunin Exams. Neji was going to be a much harder challenge. “Did something happen?”

“Not that I can recall. His aunt and uncle visited a couple days ago and were there when he woke up from surgery, but they didn’t report anything out of the ordinary.”

Well that didn’t really surprise Gai. How ironic was it to be the leader of the Hyuga and yet be so blind to your own kin? 

“But ever since he’s been very closed off. I couldn’t even get him to participate in our daily breakfast chats. He’s usually so invested in what Maiko and I talk about, but today and yesterday he wouldn’t even sit up.”

Oh to be a fly on the wall. Gai lost track of how many times the nurses insisted that Neji was the exact opposite of how he knew the boy. He was desperate to see this supposed side of him that was seemingly only reserved for the nurses. “Yeah, I noticed his lunch was untouched…is there anything I can do?”

Nurse Aimi thought for a moment. “Oh! He hasn’t done his laps yet. He needs to walk two laps around the peds floor. He can take a break whenever he wants and doesn’t have to do both laps at the same time. So if he’s really struggling after one lap, he can try the next in an hour. But ideally, we want him to be able to do both laps with no breaks. Getting him moving will also help his dopamine levels and hopefully lift his mood.”

“Hai. Thank you, Nurse Aimi. I’ll do my best to get him up.” He bowed to the medic and returned back to Neji’s room where nothing had changed. “Hey kiddo, Nurse Aimi mentioned something about laps around the peds floor. Want to go ahead and get them over with?” he said, approaching the bed slowly. 

The boy just groaned. Gai considered that progress.

“Come on, it’ll feel good to stretch your legs.” He pulled the top blanket off of Neji, revealing his unkempt hair. The kid desperately needed to wash it. Actually, he’d probably really benefit from a shower. A real shower. Not a nurse offering him baby wipes. An idea popped into his head. “When was the last time you took a proper shower?”

Neji cocked his head slightly towards him, racking his memory for the answer. He just shrugged and buried his head back into the pillows.  

“I’ll cut you a deal. Let’s knock out these two laps, and I’ll talk Nurse Aimi into letting you take a shower.”

Neji’s head popped up, eyes gleaming with hope, “A hot one?” He croaked.

“What an odd thing to specify.”

“Yes, of course. As hot and as long as your heart’s content.”

“And no nurses.”

Gai chuckled, “We’ll see. I don’t think that’s up to me. But it won’t matter unless you get these laps done. Let’s go!” He struck a dynamic pose, legs lunging towards the door with one hand pointed in the same direction while the other rested on his hip. 

Neji rolled his eyes and made a much less spectacular display of standing up. He clung to the IV pole for dear life as he swayed on his feet. Gai thought he was going to be sick, but the color returned to his student’s face quickly as he started the arduous task of just getting to the hallway. He stepped into a pair of slippers that Gai couldn’t recall being there before, and made the journey across the room. Gai held the door open as the boy shuffled into the hallway.

Thankfully the floor was fairly quiet. That meant there wouldn’t be too many obstacles for Neji to work around, which was good. The kid was already panting and they hadn’t even started. 

“We can start whenever you’re ready.”

Neji nodded, swallowed his exhaustion, and stared down the long hallway. The peds floor was designed more like a triangle with doctors’ offices down one hall, regular patients down another, and intensive care patients down the third. Well, technically the NICU was also on this floor, but it was between the PICU wing and the offices, so Gai wasn’t going to force an extra hallway on to his kid. 

Neji began the lap with Gai shuffling beside him. He watched as the kid forced air into his lungs with every step. Gai had to give him credit. Neji was no slacker. He pushed himself to the limits just as often as Lee did, and this walk seemed to be proof of that. Gai encouraged him to take a break when he needed to, but the boy was resilient. Honestly, he couldn’t be prouder. But…Neji’s health was at risk. Perseverance doesn’t apply to injuries. 

Once the first lap was done, Gai had had enough. “Okay Neji, I’m pulling rank. You need to sit down and take a rest before you pass out, and I can promise you, your head will hurt a lot more if it cracks against these tiles.” He shot the boy a pointed look. He didn’t like scaring his students like this, but sometimes it was the only way to get through to them. 

Case in point, Neji hesitated but ultimately allowed Gai to guide him to a waiting chair. He was wheezing again, like when he first woke up in the hospital. Anxiety gripped Gai as he watched his student bring a hand to his head. 

“We finished this lap. Let’s go back to your room to rest. When you’re ready, we can do the second.” Truthfully, he was impressed that Neji made it through a whole lap. He was certain that the kid wouldn’t make it past the nurse’s station without needing to stop.

“No. I-I want to finish it…now. D-don’t. Baby me,” he gasped, trying to stop the throbbing in his head. 

Like Gai said. Resilient. And damn it if it didn’t make him proud. 

“Fine, but let’s rest for a bit. You let me know when you’re ready to go again.” He sat back in the chair, while his student was practically doubled over. 

Neji grasped his side, trying to swallow the pain. Gai couldn’t begin to imagine what it must feel like. Using all new muscles all the time must be excruciating. He couldn’t think of anything that might compare. Not even the time he challenged Kakashi to a sit-up contest. Kakashi gave up around two thousand but Gai pushed through and completed all ten thousand sit-ups with a fifty-pound dumbbell on his chest. Sure, he could barely roll out of bed the next day and was sore for the rest of the week, but the pain was worth the victory. He just hoped Neji thought so too. He was admittedly starting to get worried, they’d been sitting for nearly ten minutes and his kid still kept pressure on his side.

“How bad does it hurt, on a scale of 1-10?”

Neji rolled his eyes, “I’m fine,” he said, struggling around a coughing fit.

Clearly he wasn’t.

“If it’s really hurting, then we should go back and have a doctor look at it.”

“I said, ‘ I’m. Fine. ’” 

The kid was glowering now, gritting his teeth with frustration…or perhaps anger. He supposed they went hand-in-hand. “Is this about the shower agreement? I’ll still talk to Nurse Aimi after you–”

“IT’S NOT ABOUT THE SHOWER.” Neji erupted. He stared down his teacher with one eye. The other was squeezed shut, trying to hold back the pain from bolting to an upright position. Gai’s blood ran cold. He was speechless, possibly, for the first time ever.  “I just…want to finish something without needing a break. And I don’t need everyone watching over me like I might fall apart. I’m not Hinata, I’m not weak!”

 He clearly had more to say but a cough ended the boy’s tirade abruptly. 

“No one said you were,” Gai replied quietly, “And your cousin isn’t either. I understand you’re frustrated and upset. Lee was too–”

“I’M NOT LEE. STOP COMPARING US!” Neji stood and turned suddenly, getting light headed from the motion and stumbling backwards. His back slammed against the wall with his head following quickly behind it. He was on the ground before either of them had a chance to react. 

Gai froze, waiting for Neji’s reaction before jumping in to help. The impact seemed like it would hurt anyone, especially a kid recovering from back surgery and a concussion. To his dismay, Neji shouted out a growl of discontent and his eyes began to water. Okay, time to step into action.

Gai quickly accompanied Neji on the floor and looked him over for injuries, “Are you okay? Did you hit your head?” He seemed alright but what if he aggravated his concussion? “Does your head hurt? How many fingers am I holding up?”

“J-just stop it! I said I’m f-FINE.” Neji stuttered. He clutched the back of his head and tucked himself into a ball, letting his forehead rest against his knees. 

Oh goodie, another tantrum. At least this time the needles didn’t pop out of his IV port. 

Gai gave him a moment to calm down then proceeded carefully, “Like I said, I know you’re frustrated but taking it out on me is childish. I’m sorry if I’ve been a bit overbearing but it’s only because I care. I was scared to death seeing you lie prone on the ground. I took an oath to protect you and I failed… I failed you and I failed Lee. And just like with Lee’s recovery, I’m going to worry about you. Now, do you want to tell me what’s going on or are you just going to keep brooding?”

Neji remained silent, not even awarding his Sensei with a shoulder shrug. 

Gai rolled his eyes. Neji’s negative attitude always annoyed him. “Alright, well if you’re going to act like a child then I’m going to leave and help your teammates get stronger since you don’t seem to want any help.”  He stood up and walked slowly towards the exit. He probably should let a nurse know that one of their patients was having a meltdown in the hallway. 

“Wait.” Neji’s voice was weak and just barely above a whisper. 

Gai stopped in his tracks. He smirked and turned around to see his student had lifted his head to rest his chin on his knees with a downcast gaze. 

“ Knew that would work.”

It took another minute for Neji to work up the courage to respond, “I…I just want to go home. I don’t want to feel like shit anymore or sit in a hospital room too tired to do anything. A-and I hate the way these drugs make me feel,” he shook his right arm, making the IV lines dance for emphasis, “And I’m sick of people acting like I’ll break if they breathe on me too hard. I’m fine. ” A series of harsh coughs contradicted his comment. 

Gai sighed, eyes gazing up to the ceiling. He should be grateful to have such a teaching opportunity, so why was he so frustrated? It was so much easier with Lee. A quick pep-talk and he’d be good to go. But navigating Neji’s emotions was a lot more difficult. In his defense, he rarely had to deal with them. The Hyuga very intentionally never shared his feelings and it’s not like he spent a ton of one-on-one time with him either. 

“I get it. It’s not fun being sick or injured. I imagine it’s even worse being both at the same time. If people are acting differently around you, it’s only because they care. They don’t like seeing you in pain. I know I sure don’t.” He pivoted from his squatted position in front of Neji so he could sit next to him instead with his back also resting against the wall.

“They look at me the way the elders look at Hinata-sama,” Neji grumbled.

“What look is that?”

“Like I’m weak.”

Here we go again. 

“You’re not–”

“I knowwwww!” Neji rolled his eyes. “That’s why it’s so frustrating. I’m not weak. I killed an S-rank rogue ninja. But everyone is acting like I’m some sick kid.”

“Well–”

“You know what I mean,” Neji sighed, tucking his head back down. 

Gai let a moment of silence pass between them. Two weeks ago Neji was calling himself weak and pathetic. Now he was defending himself. It was admittedly surprising to see such progress already. Seems like those therapy sessions were working. 

“Alright. I’ll talk to the nurses…and Lee and Tenten.”

“Actually Lee’s been pretty normal.”

That was surprising. Lee usually got on Neji’s nerves. 

“But not Tenten?”

Neji sighed and untucked his head again, “She’s trying her best.”

Gai just nodded. “Alright. I’ll talk to her and the others then. But we need to finish this second lap first and get you your shower,” he said, patting Neji’s knee then standing up. 

Neji let out another melancholy sigh but ultimately took his sensei’s helping hand, which really consisted more of Gai essentially picking the kid up and placing him back on his feet. Once he shook the dizziness from his head, he started the second trek around the peds floor. 

Chapter Text

Taking a long, hot shower made him feel better than all the medication in the world. He sat on the tiled bench and let the soapy water run down his back. He loved showers. They were the perfect way to unwind and wake up. Cold showers were perfect after a long, hot summer training session, but hot ones were exceptional all year round, especially today. It wasn’t until Sensei asked when the last time he had a shower was that he realized the only form of “bathing” he was getting were baby wipes and sponge baths…or mandatory ice baths when his fever got too high. None of those options were good but the ice baths were miserable. 

“Neji? You doing alright, bud?” called out Nurse Katsuo.

He rolled his eyes. Sensei had to negotiate with Nurse Aimi to convince her to let him take a shower by himself. She was worried that he’d slip and fall, so there had to be some compromises. One was that Nurse Katsuo, the only available male nurse on duty at the moment, would be right outside the unlocked bathroom door. He also had to verbally get confirmation from Neji every five minutes that he was, in fact, still alive despite fate’s attempt. “Yes, thank you,” he called back politely, using the loudest voice he could manage. Thankfully the steam was doing wonders for his throat and sinuses. Even his headache was receding. 

Truth was he finished in the shower about ten minutes ago, but seeing as bathing in private was hard to come by at the moment, he wanted to lap up every glorious second he was offered. He couldn’t really tell, but he thinks he’s been in the bathroom for close to an hour. He wasn’t one to waste water but it felt so good, and in his defense, washing his hair with only one functioning arm was much harder than he anticipated. 

Neji took a deep breath, relishing in the feeling of unsupplemented oxygen filling his lungs. This was the best he felt since before the mission. His shower at home didn’t get nearly this hot. One of the many downsides of living in the older section of the village’s largest clan commune. It wasn’t all bad, but it was certainly a lot better when his father was still alive. He knows he should be proud, but he’s just angry. At his father for leaving him. At his uncle for killing the Cloud nin. At Hinata for getting kidnapped, which was completely unfair, and he knew it was, but he couldn’t help but blame her still. He didn’t want Uncle Hiashi visiting him. He wanted his dad. 

Neji swallowed hard. He tried not to think about him. It was too painful. Everything in his life seemed to be too painful recently, but his father’s death was undoubtedly the most pain he’d ever experienced. In a twisted way, he was kind of grateful. It meant that nothing else could ever hurt as much. Hell, he almost died last month and that didn’t even compare to losing his dad so suddenly, and for such a corrupt, political reason. It was unfair. His dad didn’t assassinate anyone. His dad didn’t have to come rescue him from an abduction. His dad’s only crime was looking exactly like his uncle. It wasn’t his fault. It was his fault.  And because of him , his dad was dead. His dad. The man who was spoon feeding him soup and reading books to him in bed while he recovered from being sealed.

He still remembers it like it was yesterday. December of his fourth birthday was the worst month of his life. Even compared to this current month, which was a close second. He still hated December to this day. He hated the cold. He hated the festivities. He hated everyone celebrating while he was mourning the anniversary of his father’s death and the anniversary of his curse mark. Both in the same month? It was more than just cruel, it was sadistic. Or, as Dr. Jo would describe it, “traumatic,” which for some reason didn’t quite capture the sting of sorrow he felt every winter. 

And yes , what his dad did was noble, and yes he technically forgave Uncle Hiashi, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t fair. He couldn’t imagine giving up his life for someone else like that. On a mission, sure, but because of political fuck up? Absolutely not. Then again, he didn’t have anyone close enough to him to justify doing such a thing. Maybe Tenten. She was the closest friend he had, he supposed. Definitely not Hinata. He was big enough to admit that attempting to kill her was wrong. He was also big enough to know that he should’ve lost that match. Hinata should’ve activated his curse mark. She knew how, so why didn’t she? Ironically, he almost wished she had. It would’ve been far less painful than Uncle Hiashi’s punishment. That was undoubtedly the worst physical pain he’d ever been in. Well, except for maybe taking the arrows from him . 

Lee asked the other day which one hurt more and frankly, he still wasn’t sure. The one in his chest definitely did the most damage and hurt the most currently, but he was anticipating the one in his side, and the build up to almost anything hurt more than the actual impact. That was the one that stuck with him. The memory of it played over and over and over in his head. He was so sure he was going to die, that he literally saw his life flash before his eyes and found himself actually praying for forgiveness. The scariest part of all is that he’s almost certain that he did die. 

He could’ve sworn he saw his dad– talked to his dad. His concussion, the pneumonia, and all of the medication made it hard to keep details straight, but that was a conversation he definitely remembered having, he just couldn’t remember when or where. 

His father greeted him when he woke up, but he looked upset. Neji was in such disbelief that all he could say was, “Father.”

Hizashi gave him a hug and said, “Neji, my son.” He looked him over then hugged him again, “You’ve come far too soon.”

“W…What?”

“You have to go back. I want you to stay but it would be selfish for me to let you. I’ll be here next time, I promise.” Hizashi squeezed his son as hard as he could, drinking in every moment. 

“What? No, I want to stay,” he pulled away from his father just in time for him to fade into the bright light haloing them. 

Next thing he knew, Sensei was laying on the ground next to him garbling some nonsense about youth. The next time he recalled it happening was similar but far less sentimental. That time when Neji woke up, his father wore a grimace and kept insisting that he go back to sleep. He must’ve because he doesn’t remember anything else.

Knock. Knock. Knock.  

“How are you doing? Almost done?” Called out Katsuo’s muffled voice.

Neji shook the thought from his head, “Yes.”

He really should be getting out. The plastic wrapping around his side and chest were starting to itch and his left arm was really starting to ache from being out of the sling. He shut off the water and with great effort, used the handle bars to pull himself up. He was insulted at first that Nurse Katsuo insisted on him using the handi-capable stall, but seeing as he still couldn’t stand for more than a minute without getting lightheaded, he had to admit that it did make showering a lot easier. 

He shuffled over to his towel and did his best to dry off, but it was quite difficult with only one working arm and half of a functioning torso. The whole experience was painfully slow, from before the shower to after the shower, but it was all worth it. Slipping into a clean set of pajamas was surprisingly very easy. He’d need Nurse Katsuo’s help buttoning up the rest of his shirt though. He still couldn’t believe Aunt Hibari bought him such luxurious pajamas. They were soft as silk and felt so cool against his skin. It was the type of gift Hinata would receive from another Main House family member, not something a lowly branch family member would be given. His aunt was truly the kindest woman he’d ever met. It was probably where Hinata got her gentleness from. If only she was able to separate the ninja side of her from the soft side of her, like Aunt Hibari. But instead it consumed her, turning her timid. What a shame.

Katsuo was waiting for him when he opened the door, “Hey! How was that? I bet it was refreshing.”

Neji just nodded. Honestly he felt infinitely better. His body. His hair. His lungs. Even his mood had greatly improved. Best of all, Nurse Aimi said she’d replace the sheets on his bed too, so everything would be clean and fresh, which he loved. Clean, fresh, and tidy was the best way to live life. You found things easier, rooms looked brighter, and stress was lower. Mess, on the other hand, he loathed. It was just another reason to hate being in the hospital. The staff, rooms, and halls were pristine, but he felt disgusting. It was more than just genuinely not feeling well. His physical being was completely unkempt. His hair was a mess, his sheets were always wrinkled, he was overly cautious of his breath, and even his thoughts seemed cluttered. He couldn’t think straight half the time, and the other half he was throwing his guts up, which just added to the gross feeling. 

There was one downside to the shower, however. Being without the IVs while he showered reminded him of how clear his body felt before the mission. It wasn’t completely gone, but the buzzing feeling that was clouding his mind and muscles had definitely dissipated. Unfortunately, having a semi-clear head also meant the pain was a lot less manageable, and it was really starting to overtake him. The IV stand was back in his room, which meant they’d have to cross half the hospital and down an elevator before he could get pain relief. 

He tried to walk past Katsuo to get the journey started, but the man stopped him, “Woahhhh there, let’s finish drying you off first, your hair is soaking wet.”

Well he had a point. He could feel water dripping down his back, causing him to shiver. Normally he’d towel it dry, but since he can’t move his left arm at all, he was either going to have to ask for help and bear the humiliation, or live with sopping wet hair for the next few hours. “I need two hands to dry it,” he grumbled.

He begrudgingly let Katsuo towel-dry his hair and fix the buttons on his shirt while he sat brooding in the wheelchair. Normally he’d refuse, but the pain was quickly becoming louder than his pride. Being defiant would ultimately just cost him more time away from his medication, and quite frankly, he didn’t have the energy to fight right now. Besides, now he wouldn’t have to live with wet hair making his shirt stick to his back for the rest of the day. 

Finally they were done and starting on their hike back to his room. Thank God. Neji thought he might die if they left any later. The throbbing in his abdomen had exploded. It felt like drums banging against his muscles. His head had a similar rhythm, but the twists and turns of their path added a swaying motion that made him dizzy.

 Nevermind the pain, Neji was going to be sick if they didn’t stop. “C-can we st-stop. Please,” he hiccuped.

“Everything okay, champ?” The man pulled to the side and leaned over to look his patient over. A splash of worry crossed his face.

Neji pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to close his eyes but it just made matters worse. “I do-don’t f-f-feel well.” He couldn’t tell if he was shivering or stuttering. It was like a lightning storm had erupted in his skull. He was going to be sick. He bit his lip so hard it drew blood. A voice garbled in his ears.

“–ji? Look,” the voice began to clear, " There's a trash can in front of you if you need to throw up.”

His breakfast came up in a moment's notice and thankfully hit its target. He didn’t even have time to open his eyes and confirm the can’s location. Tears sprung in his eyes. His side was practically screaming at him and his shoulder was searing in pain. Sounds vibrated and echoed off his skull. His migraine was blinding. He didn’t even realize he was sobbing until Katsuo interfered.

“Neji, bud, can you tell me what’s wrong?”

He cracked open his eyes and was grateful that Nurse Katsuo and another medical professional he didn’t recognize were staring back at him, and not the trash bin. “I-it h-hurts!” He said too loudly, hands hovering over the areas that were searing pain into him. The irony was sadistic. Pressure would make it feel better, but pressure would also add fuel to the flames of agony already burning him. 

“What hurts?”

“ Everything ! M-my arm,” he gasped, “F-feels like it’s going t-to f-f-fall off,” he cried. 

“Sshh, shh. You’re okay. We’re almost back. Do you think you can hang on until we can get you into your room?”

Neji gave him a timid nod as a tear rolled down his cheek. He would not break down in the middle of this very public and busy lobby. He was mad enough that he let people see him cry. 

Katsuo gave him some Tylenol but they were back before it had any effect. Gai-Sensei was waiting for them when they entered the room, surprised and worried to see his student fighting back tears. Katsuo explained what happened while he coaxed Neji into standing up so they could him back lying down on the hospital bed. Once he was situated under the covers, nasal cannula in place, and IVs reinserted, he thought the torture was finally over, but then Katsuo reminded him that they needed to replace the bandages from the shower. Neji sighed, dropping his head back against the pillow and gripping his bicep with all the strength he could muster. 

“Are you sure nothing’s wrong? He’s been sick several times and didn’t react this intensely,” Sensei said, emphasizing the matter by gesturing to him.

Normally Neji hated when people talked as if he wasn’t in the room, but he was giving Sensei a pass. He felt too horrible to speak up. 

“I’m fairly certain,” Katsuo replied, “Neji, do you want me to do your shoulder first this time?” Neji took in a shaky breath and shook his head intensely, “Alright, let’s sit you up.” He raised the bed as high as it went and began cutting the plastic-covered bandages around his torso, “He’s been off of painkillers and muscle relaxants for well over an hour. What was in his system metabolized, which means–” he disinfected the skin surrounding the damaged area, eliciting Neji to gasp through clenched teeth, “...He’s in a bit more pain than usual.” 

He gently but firmly wrapped the new bandages around Neji’s side, earning them a quick, quiet “ow.”

‘A bit’ was an understatement. Gai saw the way his student chewed his bottom lip. That’s the face he pulls when he’s in serious pain. Like, just-fell-out-of-a-tree pain or curse-mark-just-activated pain. “How long until the medicine kicks back in?”

“It should be soon,” Katsuo reassured him as he started on the chest injury, “Neji, you might want to look away during this part.”

Neji let a despondent wince and turned his head to face Gai, keeping his eyes shut. God, did he hate seeing him like this. The nurse hadn’t even started. The boy just sat miserably in anticipation. It wasn’t until the bandages came off that he understood why.

Gai should’ve heeded the warning too. Katsuo peeled back the bandages to show a bloody, red, circular gash just slightly smaller than the boy’s fist. A sizable chunk of his shoulder was still missing. He’d noticed the unevenness in his chest but didn’t realize it was this significant. He hadn’t seen the injury like this before. It was somehow better and worse than how it looked when he first found Neji. In the forest, the wounds were totally void. He could see right through them, which was its own brand of trauma, but now he could see muscles twitching under the surface of the skin and fractured bone peeking out where the muscle was too thin to cover his ribs. Horror struck him as he realized that the muscles weren’t twitching, but pulsating . He was essentially watching Neji’s heart beat. And by the looks of it, it was moving way too fast.

He grabbed his student’s shaking hand and squeezed gently.  “Was the shower nice?” He asked, trying to distract from the pain.

Neji just nodded, breathing so erratically that Gai worried he might be having another anxiety attack. 

“Was it hot?” He was awarded another nod. “Though, I don’t understand why ‘hot’ had to be a requirement.”

“Every bath is an ice bath,” Neji forced the words through his clenched teeth, “It’s so. cold.”

Ohhh. 

“Well, I have to say, you certainly smell better. I’m sure you feel a lot better too…for the exception of this part, of course.”

“It’s hard to maintain hygiene when you can barely walk to the bathroom,” Neji chuckled, but was cut short by a painful wince.

Wow, playful sarcasm. Who knew his student was capable of such a thing?

“Alright bud, and…we’re done. Your shoulder looks better, and your side is healing up nicely! You’ll be back to training in no time,” Katsuo gave him a smile as he finished setting his arm in the sling. “Need anything before I leave?” 

Neji shook his head no. “Thank you, Nurse Katsuo,” he managed through a yawn..

“Anytime!” He called out as he exited the room.

Gai let a few moments of silence blanket the room before continuing their conversation. “Scale from one to ten?”

“Ten,” he replied without a moment of hesitation, “...But not as bad as last time..” Neji closed his eyes as he rode out the next wave of pain. 

Once it passed, he slowly turned on his right side and tucked his knees up to his chest. A sorrowful sigh escaped his lips and broke Gai’s heart. This was one of things he hated the most about this hospital stay. Just waiting and watching for the medication to do its job with no way of passing the time. Worst of all, there was very little Gai could do to help. He pulled the blanket over Neji’s shoulder then fetched a thicker one from the closet. Earlier, Nurse Aimi warned that his fever may be too high for a second blanket, but his kid was shivering. Plus, his hair was still wet. It was natural to be cold. He’ll remove it as soon as the painkillers start working and his muscles start relaxing. He closed the blinds and flipped off all the lights, for the exception of the lamp next to the bed. Neji’s visibly relaxed once darkness overtook the room. 

“Do you want to read more of your book?” He asked in a low voice. 

Neji gave him a timid nod and slowly closed his eyes. Gai smiled and took his seat again. He opened the book to the marked page and read out loud in a hushed tone. He didn’t think Neji stayed awake for very long. They got through maybe four pages before he recognized the soft snores coming from the bed. They were making very slow progress through the book. At this rate, Neji will be fifteen before they finish. He bookmarked the page again and set it down. Glancing up at the clock showed that there was only a couple hours of visiting time left, and with the eventful day Neji’s had combined with the reintroduction of an army load of muscle relaxants, the boy was bound to sleep well into the night and hopefully the next morning. He definitely looked a lot better, but his fever was still high and the rings under his eyes were still quite dark. Best to let him rest. 

Gai stood up quietly and pulled the second blanket down so that it only covered Neji’s legs. As soon as the extra layer left, the kid tucked himself into a ball. Maybe he should leave it on. Then again, a quick glance at the monitor confirmed that it wasn’t a good idea. He saw himself out of the room, closing the door gently behind him.

Chapter Text

The next week was more of the same. Gai visited with Lee and Tenten in the afternoon and occasionally stopped by again in the evenings. Neji was doing remarkably better but he was still pretty weak. He had physical therapy in the late afternoons and the hour of light exercise left him exhausted. There was no guarantee that he’d still be awake when Gai returned, but if he was, he stayed until Neji fell asleep, which didn’t typically take long, especially if he wanted to read. They barely finished chapter six last night, and he was pretty sure Neji didn’t hear any of the last two pages. 

Gai would also stay after visiting hours a couple times last week. Nurse Aimi would conveniently forget to check in on her patient, allowing him to stick around a bit longer. Therapy was definitely helping but the boy was still waking up with nightmares. Last night it took Aimi and him twenty minutes to calm Neji down, and even then they had to resort to giving him a benzo. At least he wouldn’t remember the tearful meltdown he had as he swatted at an invisible enemy. Silver linings, he supposed.

It didn’t help that the poor kid was as anxious as ever. Lady Tsunade and Doctor Hiroki both cleared him for surgery a few days ago when his fever finally broke, which would’ve been great news, if it didn’t mean enduring another six-plus hour surgery. He thought Neji would be excited to get the operation over and done with but his complexion went pale when Dr. Hiroki told him the news. According to Shizune, Neji still showed signs of distress last time, despite being under anesthesia. Thankfully he didn’t remember any part of the actual procedure, but the recovery was long and agonizing. In fact, he was technically still recovering from it. It just proved that the Healing Resuscitation Regeneration Jutsu was a hard surgery for everyone involved. The doctors have to take shifts and the patient often endured pain despite all the medication. And with such a risky operation, not even the patient’s loved ones got a moment of rest. 

The kid was practically dead when Gai brought him in, so a hail mary like the S-ranked medical jutsu made sense, but today Neji was not just stable, but relatively mobile. Sure, a couple laps around the peds floor sucked up all his energy, but he was up and moving nonetheless. He was even mostly off supplemental oxygen. Proceeding with such a dangerous surgery meant risking Neji’s life…again. But, Lady Tsunade made it very clear that it was the only option if he wanted to continue being a ninja. Neji didn’t even give it a second thought. Gai wasn’t surprised. It was hard to give up the rush that came with serving one’s village. More importantly, his skills made him valuable and honorable to the Hyuga. Losing them meant losing his pride, which Gai knew was not up for negotiation. Nevertheless, it was obvious that the boy was still nervous. He’d gone awfully quiet yesterday afternoon when Dr. Hiroki told him that he was scheduled for surgery this morning.
Gai blinked up at the clock. Half-past five. Neji could sleep for another thirty minutes. After that, a nurse will come by to prep him for the operation. He yawned and changed his position. Rest seemed hard to come by when he stayed overnight. The chairs were rigid, the medical equipment was loud, and people came in and out of the room at all hours of the day, even at night. No wonder Neji was always so tired. On top of all of that, it was hard getting any sleep knowing that your student might launch himself into an imaginary battle at a moment’s notice. Right now though, he was thankfully still and quiet. In fact, Neji seemed to relish the comfort of his bed. Since his fever broke, the nurses allowed him to have as many layers as he wanted, and right now there were two fuzzy blankets bundled around him. 

The door jostled. Gai looked up from his student’s face to see Hiashi staring back at him, his wife standing by his side. He clenched his teeth and gave them a quiet bow. He brought a finger to his lips and gestured to the sleeping kid. Hiashi cocked an eyebrow at him. Gai clenched his jaw. It took all his strength not to roll his eyes. God, he hated him. He stood up and led the couple back into the hallway, closing the door slowly behind him.

“I believe visiting hours don’t start until eight am, Gai,” the other man stated with arms crossed over his chest.

“Oh, hush, we’re here before hours, aren’t we?” His wife countered, giving Hiashi a pointed look.

“Yes, but we’re family.”

“It seems that the nurses consider me to be, as well.” Gai replied with a quick, playful smirk, “He had another long night.” His face fell, recalling the nightmare, “He was finally given a benzo around two am. I think he’s nervous about the surgery.”

“Hn. There is no point in worrying about the inevitable.”

“Oh, Hiashi, lighten up on Neji-kun. He’s allowed to be scared of surgery.” 

“He’s already been through surgery twice in the past month. A third shouldn’t be of any concern.”

“Oh, like you’ve never been afraid of an operation?”

“To be fearful, is to be weak,” the man replied matter-of-factly.

His wife was unconvinced by his answer, “Really? You had your tonsils removed when you were young, right? You weren’t the tiniest bit scared then?”

Gai watched as Hiashi’s anger quickly boiled to the surface. If his experience with Neji was any indicator, then the man was about to erupt, “Hibari, that is enough! Your debate is pointless. I was a child back then–”

“And so is Neji now,” she smirked back, leaving the man speechless, “And his surgery is far riskier than you getting your tonsils removed. He’s allowed to be nervous.”

Gai had only met Neji’s aunt once before and this encounter reinforced his opinion. He liked her a lot. “I agree,” he said, trying to stop the fight before it woke up Neji, “But for what it’s worth, Lord Hyuga, he’s done a splendid job of hiding his worry.” He bowed to the couple, “I’ll give you some time alone with him.”

“Nonsense, Gai why don’t you join us?” The woman was sweeter than mochi. This had to be where Hinata got her kind-hearted demeanor. 

“No, no, I insist. I’ve been sitting in that rickety chair for far too long. A shower and a proper bed would be marvelous right now. Besides, a nurse should be coming by soon to take him into pre–op. I doubt he’ll ask, but I’ll be back as soon as he’s cleared for visitors.”

Gai bowed again and made his way down the hall before she had a chance to protest. Truthfully, he couldn’t think of a more awkward situation than sitting quietly in a dark hospital room with Hiashi, his wife, and their sleeping nephew. He was really only there for Neji’s sake anyway and now his family was there to watch over him. He’ll come back in the evening.

Chapter Text

“Alright everyone, listen up.” She really didn’t have the patience to deal with any disorder today. “Today we are operating on a thirteen-year old boy suffering from sharp force trauma, including puncture wounds, laceration wounds, and blunt force trauma to his shoulder and side as a result impalement from two long-range projectiles. I hope you drank your coffee this morning because this procedure is anticipated to take at least six hours. We’ll be working in two teams. I’ll be leading team one and Shizune will be leading team two. While one works, the other is resting. Don’t be a martyr. If you’re feeling tired, switch out with your partner. Risking exhaustion means risking a child’s life. We’ll be starting in five.” 

Tsunade gave the group of medics a curt nod, then turned to find Shizune. The hospital was usually a very welcoming place for her but today her palms were uncharacteristically sweaty. Lord Hiashi was standing just on the other side of the operating room, probably staring through the drywall and studying her every move. Rumor has it, that’s what he did when his daughter was in critical condition a few months ago. “How’s our patient?”

“Blood pressure’s normal, temperature’s normal, he seems fine,” said Shizune as she propped the doors to the pre-op room open for her.

“ Seems fine?”

“He was prescribed a benzo last night. One of the nurses said he had a nightmare and woke up in the middle of an anxiety attack.”

Sure enough, their patient was barely lucid when they approached the gurney. 

“Good morning Neji. How are you feeling today?” Tsunade asked as she leaned on the railing casually. 

The kid just gave her a half-committed head shake, his white eyes struggling to stay open. The poor thing was fighting to stay awake, and they hadn’t even administered the anesthesia yet. Thankfully, all the other prep was done. His bandages were removed and his torso was bare for the exception of his injured arm which was lying limply on top of the blanket with blue, sterile surgical drapes covering the injury. A medic was in the middle of removing the IV port from his hand, earning her a wince from the boy.

She gave him a sympathetic smile, “Want to go back to sleep?” He gave her a weak nod. “Well, I have great news. You get to sleep all day.” She gave a curt nod to the anesthesiologist then continued, “Go ahead and take some deep breaths, like you’re meditating.” 

The moment the mask came down over his face, his eyelids fell. In just a few moments he was as limp as a rag doll. 

“Alright, let’s get started, we have a long day ahead of us.”

oOoOoOo

They were about three hours in when they had to let the teams switch out. Tsunade hung on for another hour before allowing Shizune to take her place. Her back cracked as she stretched to a stand. Once upon a time she could handle this surgery single-handedly. But that was more than thirty years ago, and in her defense, this was one of the most difficult cases of hers that required this specific healing jutsu. Most operations didn’t have to deal with impalements the size of her fist, let alone two impalements the size of her fist. Her stomach still sours at Shizune’s recount of Neji’s arrival to the emergency room. She wished she could’ve helped, but she had her hands full trying to save Choji’s life. 

She can still feel her heart tearing in two when she thinks of Dr. Akiko running into operating room six to alert them that another genin came back in critical condition. Shizune and her swapped looks. Tsunade had to stay. She was the best poison specialist in the country and even she was struggling with this antidote. Shizune was an incredible medic. Of course she was more than capable of leading an intensive surgery, but what if something went wrong? What if something she never thought to teach Shizune happened and a genin died because she wasn’t there? She could still feel the guilt ripping through her as she gave her apprentice the go ahead. Thank God Neji survived. She wouldn’t be able to live with herself if one of them died. Now she just had to see him through this surgery. As of now, things were running smoothly, but slowly. They should be well done with his collarbone and upper three ribs by now but the bones had started to regrow in unnatural angles. They spent about an hour just breaking down the bone again. Poor kid was going to be agony when he woke up. She’ll have to prescribe him opioids again.

She looked back at her patient one last time, just for good measure, then exited the operating room. She promised Hiashi and Hibari an update, and she was long overdue. She made her way to the private waiting room. Surprisingly, their daughters were with them. 

“Lord Hiashi, Lady Hibari,” she bowed, “He’s doing just fine. Some complications put us behind schedule, but he’s stable and the surgery is going smoothly.” Lady Hibari let out a sigh of relief and embraced the daughter sitting next to her. The little girl buried her face in her mother’s dress and hugged her back. Hinata clenched her parka and bowed as low as she could and thanked her profusely. Lord Hyuga just gave her a silent nod. “We still have a while to go, but I can make sure someone on my team gives you updates whenever we can.”

“Will Neji be able to spar with me again?” The littlest Hyuga squeaked.

Damn it she was cute. “Not quite yet, but soon.”

“What about his chakra network?” Lord Hiashi asked.

“We’re rebuilding the coils, but there won’t be any chakra signals yet. We can’t expect to see it return until about a week post-op.”

He gave her an approving nod and fell silent again. 

“Because we’re behind schedule, I don’t expect us to finish up until late afternoon. If you’d like to go home, we can call with any updates, but we won’t be done until four or five at the earliest.”

The girls looked to their father expectantly. “Very well. Thank you, Lady Tsunade.” He stood up and bowed, prompting the other three to follow his lead. 

“Thank you Lady Hokage. I know my nephew is safe in your hands,” Hibari brought her hands together and bowed before following the rest of the family out of the waiting room. 

Tsunade sighed a breath of relief. She could practically feel Hiashi’s eyes burrowing into her throughout the operation. She’ll be far more focused now that he’s gone. She glanced up at the clock. Half-past ten. She better get back in there. She might be on break, but she was still the lead surgeon on this procedure. 

oOoOoOo

The next couple of hours were just like the last: Slow and steady. The second string was growing tired, they’d need to switch out again soon. She was hoping that each team would only need to work one shift. Hopefully the first group had recovered enough to go another hour or two. They were almost done, after all. Once the veins and chakra network were reconstructed they could move on to the last bit of muscle. After that, all that would be left is repairing the dermis and epidermis.

And thank God they were nearly done. Neji was starting to struggle. The Healing Resuscitation Regeneration Technique was a painful jutsu. They were literally rebuilding his organs cell by cell and then welding it to his other organs. Anesthesia helped, but to really block out the pain, they needed to give him some pretty strong opiates, and both seemed to be beginning to wear off.  His face twisted into a grimace and she could hear the faintest of whimpers over the pulsing sound of everyone’s chakra.

 His eyebrows scrunched together, wrinkling the soft glowing curse mark branded into his forehead. Not many clans could be so cruel to their own and still be so respected by others. Branding members just for being born to the wrong family was a vile punishment. Nevermind the actual pain the seal brought, but the sight of it alone was its own type of psychological torment. She recalled the first time she saw one activate. A genin in her class was a branch member of the Hyuga. They walked a similar path home every day, so she saw the inside of the Hyuga compound more than most. They were actually pretty nice. Not friendly, or helpful, even, but they were never rude to her. Then one day she witnessed an adolescent on the opposite end of the garden speaking out of turn and suddenly they were rolling on the floor screaming. No one even reacted. The poor thing writhed on the ground until the pulsating, toxic green glow faded away. Looking at Neji now, it was fascinating to see how the mark hadn’t changed in the past two generations. Most seal-jutsu users were constantly adapting and tweaking their seals, but with the Hyuga curse mark, it was exactly as she recalled it. Even the glow was identical. Which was so odd because they only glowed when they were–.

The hair on her arms stood up. “Dr. Kyo, how’s his chakra network looking?”

The medic in the far right corner spoke up, “I’m almost done. There’s something blocking me from connecting it to his core and I can’t seem to get around it.”

“Blocking it? What do you mean?”

“It’s like his chakra is rejecting it.”

She studied the medic intently, recognizing the shared rhythm between her chakra usage and the pulse of Neji’s curse mark.

Rocks dropped in her stomach. “Dr. Kyo, I need you to stop imm–”

But it was too late. His curse mark activated and all hell broke loose. 

Chapter Text

Chaos erupted. 

“Stop!”

“Careful!”

“What’s happening?!”

Neji’s curse mark exploded into a bright, glowing-green light and a guttural scream ripped from his throat. He fought the anesthesia and reached for his head with both hands. 

“No, no, no!” A surgeon cried as Neji’s thrashing caused him to lose his control. Blood sprayed everywhere, quickly consuming Neji’s chest and flooding onto the floor.  They’d nicked a major artery. 

The team instinctively shifted their priority to keeping his injured shoulder still with several rushing to the center of the seal to manually stop the bleeding.

“Kei!” The male nurse turned to her, “Three units of O negative, NOW.” Tsunade watched the man sprint out of the room then turned back to assess the situation. Neji was thrashing helplessly on the ground. His legs kicked, desperate for purchase, but her team was working to keep him steady. She felt sick. Blood still made her squeamish, and there was a lot of it.

 “Dr Naoki, go find Nurse Hiro! Tell her we need her immediate aid in stopping a Hyuga curse mark activation.” Tsunade called over her patient's blood curdling yells. The other doctor nodded and quickly rushed out the room.

“Funnel chakra into the seal, see if we can ease the pain,” Shizune called over the boy’s panicked screams. His body jerked impulsively against the struggling hands of the medics. The curse mark pulsed violently to the rhythm of Neji’s racing heart, forcing blood to shoot out of the severed vein. 

It made her sick. 

The Hyuga tradition of branding their members was archaic and callous. In her opinion, it was just a few degrees north of slavery and blatantly discriminatory. Dozens of members, punished, branded, and forced to serve simply because of the circumstances of their birth. No one deserves that. And to be so twisted and vicious, to their own family. It’s not enough to use pain as punishment. No, the Hyuga had to choose a method that would make them fall to their knees in front of the Main Family. They were literally controlled by those considered to be higher class. And to brand them on their forehead?  So that they are physically and mentally reminded of the chains binding them to servitude? That was just sadistic.

Neji’s curse mark glowed a sickening, toxic shade of green. It pulsed in time with Neji’s pitiful screams. Even just looking at the mark made her uneasy, especially when activated. Somehow she went her entire ninja career with only witnessing one, and even then she was gone almost as soon as it started. Honestly, she was grateful. She’d heard horrible rumors from friends but she always thought they were exaggerating. No clan could be that cruel and yet so powerful. Surely they would have too many adversaries. Then again, watching tears rush down Neji’s face was proving the rumors to be true. 

This was torture! How long did activations last? How long had this one been going!? Should they be keeping time? How dangerous was an activation anyway? She shook the thought from her head. She was going to make herself dizzy if she kept asking questions. 

“Alright, Team Two, keep him as still as possible.” Thank God her team was able to stop the bleeding. There had to be at least a liter of blood pooling around her patient and another quarter sprayed across her medics and the room. “Two of you return to your places and use the Restraint Jutsu to hold him steady. The others stay in the circle and hold him down. We can’t afford him losing any more blood, and without any medical equipment, we’re flying without a radar.” That was partially why she needed Nurse Hiro. She could track his vitals, and after that traumatic hemorrhage, they needed to know just how much blood he’d lost. The main reason she called for her was because a Hyuga medic was probably the best thing for a spontaneous Hyuga seal activation case.  “Team One, finish your work, and quickly. Just get to a safe stopping point. Shizune and I will assist Team One.”

She clapped her hands and got to work. Thankfully there wasn’t much to do. The chakra network seemed to be the only thing they were waiting on before moving on. From what she could tell, it was mended, but all of his energy was being sapped by the curse mark. It’d make recovery longer but at least they wouldn’t have to go through this again. Thank God. She’s never seen something like this happen before, and she’s operated on plenty of Hyugas. Granted, chakra networks typically repair themselves, but it’s a serious feat when entire sections are ripped from the patient’s body.

It didn’t take long for them to finish and thankfully they were just wrapping up when Dr. Naoki returned with Hiro. The Hyuga nurse jumped into action and ran for the center of the seal. The interns tasked with closing made room for her at Neji’s head. 

Anxiety bubbled in her stomach. The kid’s voice had gone hoarse from all the screaming and despite the precautions to keep him still, he was still twitching violently. Her heart hurt. The poor thing was suffering! There was no talking sense to him but Hiro tried anyway, earning her a sharp wail abruptly ended by a raspy coughing fit that left him gasping desperately for air.  Tsunade turned to the nurse who retrieved the blood bags that were now hanging above Neji. They didn’t want to risk finding a vein while he was so agitated, but she wanted it on standby as soon as he was still. 

“Nurse Kei, let’s get a ventilator and an oxygen mask in here, stat.”

“Hai,” the man bowed before rushing out the door. 

Neji let out another spine chilling cry that left him gasping for air. His pneumonia had dramatically improved over the past week, but its lingering effects still plagued the kid.

“Hiro!” She yelled, “Can you stop it?”

“I’m trying!” She yelled back, teeth gritting in concentration. Her hands were clasped tightly together as she funneled chakra into the boy.

Then suddenly, the room fell quiet. Neji’s flailing stopped instantly, leaving him in a shivering slump on the floor, chest heaving like a fish on dry land. Finally. It felt like a nightmare that finally came to a standstill. They solved one problem but they still had about six more in front of them. For starters, their patient looked like the victim from a horror film. He was covered in blood. The doctors tried to mop it up but the red still stuck to his skin. 

The episode sapped all his energy, leaving him shaky, weak, and glistening in sweat. Thankfully, he stopped screaming, but it was obvious that the pain lingered. His eyes were clamped shut and his face was twisted in distress. Oxygen struggled to get down his lungs and his limbs refused to stop twitching. 

“Hiro, how much blood has he lost?”

“About thirty, maybe thirty-five percent? It’s a lot, but everything else looks stable, all things considered.”

“Right, start a unit of blood. Let’s see how he’s fairing after that,” she said, directing the instructions to the team of doctors, “What’s his status?” She asked, turning back to the Hyuga nurse.

“He’s okay, but he’ll likely be sick when he comes too,” she said, earning her a whimper from their patient. She turned down to face him and gently stroked his head with a chakra-laced hand. “I’m so sorry. It’s over now, you’re okay,” she whispered.

Tsunade nodded,“How do we manage recovery?” She asked, trying to keep her voice low but still understandable.

“Treat it like a terrible migraine. Cold compress to the forehead, rest, dark room, no sound, no voices.” Neji let out a loud groan, causing Hiro to wince.

“What’s the best way to manage pain?” There was no question that their patient was suffering.

Hiro hesitated, pressing her lips into a thin line as she watched her kin tremble involuntarily. “Traditional medication doesn’t usually have much of an effect. The seal is designed to punish long after deactivation. We can try ibuprofen or morphine, but it won’t do much to dull the pain. The best thing for him is sleep.”

“How long does recovery take?”

“It depends on the person and how long it was activated. Did anyone time the attack?” 

They all looked around the room at one another. Sheepish looks passed amongst them.

“I see,” she knelt down, examining the boy more closely. 

Tsunade waited with baited breath for Hiro to respond. 

“There’s significant swelling around his seal,” she pried open his left eye and activated her Byakugan. “And the chakra coils around his eyes and forehead are badly inflamed. If I had to guess, he was under the effects for at least five minutes, but likely longer. Maybe six or even seven.” Hiro placed a chakra coated hand over his forehead, earning her a whimper.

“Yes, that sounds about right.” Tsunade gestured for the interns to start cleaning up and gave her attention back to the nurse, “Do you know how long he’ll need to recover until we can finish this surgery?”

“Kids usually take longer than adults so…Maybe a week? Five days if we’re lucky?”

Tsunade sighed. A week . Just great. “Alright, bind his arm and let’s move him back to his room. Nurse Hiro, if you can, I’d appreciate your expertise on treatment.”

The nurse nodded then returned to her work. 

Well at least everything was under control again. The soft murmurs of her team highlighted just how quiet the room was now. People probably heard the commotion from the hallways. She didn’t know Neji all that well but the one thing she had picked up was that he was generally a quiet person. He was well mannered and spoke up when necessary, but he didn’t seem like much of a conversationalist. Although, with Lee and Gai on his team maybe he might’ve just seemed recluse by comparison. She was definitely rethinking his quiet nature now after witnessing the guttural screams he expelled from his vocal chords. 

The sickening sound of retching echoed through the room. Her team had him in the recovery position with a surgical sheet strategically laid out in front of him to catch the vomit. From her place, she really couldn’t tell if he was awake or not. His eyes remained closed and his mouth hung open, greedily gulping in oxygen from the ventilator that Hiro held to his face.  Tsunade’s eyes traveled down to the boy’s now bandaged left shoulder, already turning red. They were so close to finishing. All they needed was another hour or two and the hard part would’ve been over. 

“Kei, was Lord Hiashi out in the waiting room?”

“Yes, Lady Hokage. Him and his wife.”

She sighed one last time and made her way out of the operating room. This would not be a fun conversation.

Chapter Text

“It was an accident, Lord Hyuga.”

 Hiashi was pissed . Tsunade understood why, but she couldn’t help but think it was his fault that this happened in the first place. No curse mark, no accidental activation. It was that simple. She’s repaired chakra networks plenty of times and never seen such a volatile reaction before today. “The surgeon assigned to repair his chakra network mentioned that something was blocking her from the final connection. They triggered it by mistake, not knowing it was his curse mark”

“But he’s alright?” Hibari’s voice was dripping with worry. 

“He’s a bit worse from wear, but he’s stable. I have a Hyuga nurse assigned to him and we’re keeping a close eye on his symptoms.”

“I want the doctor fired,” Hiashi’s cold eyes drilled into her. 

“Lord Hiashi, I really don’t think that’s necessary–”

“Your incompetent medic nearly killed him. Either they go, or I will have them tried for interfering in clan traditions.”

Okay, wow. He really wasn’t playing around. She didn’t realize the man could be so… protective. Frankly, based on what Gai told her, she thought Hiashi found the kids he cared for to be a nuisance. Didn’t he basically give up on Hinata? Did the poor girl really hold so little honor in her family that her own father cared more about the wellbeing of his, as the Hyuga would put it, ‘‘second class’’ nephew?

“The Hyuga are the only clan in the village that uses cursed seals like this. Not many medics have experience dealing with them, and that doctor is an expert chakra network specialist. She’s one of the best in the country, and even she was unfamiliar with it. This likely would’ve happened no matter who was tasked with reconstructing his chakra network.”

His eyes narrowed, “Surely there are Hyuga medics who could’ve assisted this surgery? Your excuses are weak.”

Well he did have a point. 

“Hiashi, please.” Hirabi begged.

“No, Hirabi! They nearly killed him!” The man was spitting mad. All signs of the dignified, well-poised Hyuga Lord flew out the window. “His curse mark was activated for over five minutes! We trusted them with his life and they nearly killed him! Hizashi could’ve gone brain dead. He could’ve bled out. He could’ve died. He–.”  

“Neji,” Hirabi all but whispered, “You meant Neji, right hanii?”

Tsunade’s office fell silent. Both women stared apprehensively at Hiashi. His eyebrows shot up, clearly caught off guard by his Freudian slip.

“Of course,” he cleared his throat, “ Neji could’ve died.”

Tsunade glanced between the two. It was hard to believe that the room could feel even more tense. “I know. Trust me, it’s not an issue I take lightly. The good news is he’s resting back in his room. We’re going to allow him to fully recover from this…set back, then schedule him for surgery. Thankfully we are almost done, and we were able to connect his chakra network to his core so I don’t anticipate this happening again.”

“Can we see him?”

Tsunade turned her attention to Hibari. The woman looked like the pent up anxiety might cause her to faint. “Just for a bit. Keep the blinds closed and the lights off. Use low voices if you must talk and don’t try to wake him.”

Hiashi narrowed his eyes at her, “We know how to take care of our clan members.”

“It’s just a precaution, Lord Hyuga,” Tsunade smiled, but scowled the second she turned away from him. She walked them out of her office and down the PICU hall. Nurse Aimi bowed to the three of them as they passed. “Nurse Aimi,” she bowed back, “How’s Neji doing?”

“He woke up momentarily about an hour ago,” Aimi paused, a line of worry creased between her eyebrows, “He wasn’t very coherent, I’m afraid. We got him to go back down pretty quickly.”

Tsunade bowed to hide the thin line her lips were forming into. “Thank you Aimi. Lord and Lady Hyuga,” she turned back to the couple, “You may have ten minutes. A nurse will come grab you when your visit is over.” She gestured down the hall leading to their nephew’s room. 

Lady Hyuga bowed to the medics while her husband walked by stoically. Tsunade gave her a grateful nod and watched them glide down the passageway. 

Hibari released a shaky breath as they approached the familiar door. Neji had been punished by Main House members on several occasions, but the one that stuck with her the most was maybe four or five years ago. Hinata had just turned eight when it happened, which meant Neji must’ve also been eight. Hiashi was making him spar with Hinata again and Neji was apparently growing even more frustrated than her husband. She knew that he wasn’t fond of being Hinata’s training partner, but he’d not once lashed out on her before that day. 

Throwing Neji halfway across the dojo was one thing, but activating his seal until he passed out was uncalled for. The worst part was Hanabi was the one to tell her what happened. Her poor baby came running into the kitchen sobbing horribly and going on and on about the “scary fit” her cousin was having on the dojo floor. The boy was bedridden for three days. But not even that could’ve prepared her for the sight that awaited her on the other side of the hospital room. She quietly opened the door and was immediately hit with the stench of illness. 

Soft, desperate whimpers bled into the walls. Neji’s bedding was drenched in sweat and the covers were long forgotten at the end of the bed. His torso was bare, sans the sling and bandages. It made the sweat clinging to his body look like a second layer of skin glistening under the hallway light.

 Hiro, a nurse who serves on the Main Family’s medical staff, was blotting an icepack across Neji’s forehead with a feather-like touch. She looked up from her work and turned to face them when a sliver of hallway light crept into the room, giving Hibari an even clearer view of her nephew. His forehead was unbound but several layers of cotton were wrapped loosely around his eyes and a ventilator mask was feeding him oxygen. That had to be a bad sign. 

Hiro looked up and gave her clan leaders a curt nod.  She placed a finger to her lips, “He’s very sensitive to sound at the moment,” she whispered in a voice that barely registered. Neji let out a painful grunt, reinforcing her comment. “Shhh…you’re okay,” she laid the ice pack back across his forehead and used her free hand to gently stroke his hair. 

Hibari immediately took the seat opposite Hiro and took over the job of blotting his face, “Is he awake?” She tried to match her quietness but Neji threw his head away from her with eyebrows knitted tightly together. 

“No. Well, not really. He’s been in and out of consciousness for about an hour now. His body needs rest, but his head won’t let him.” 

Hiro stood up and peeled the top sheet off of the bed, revealing the sweat-drenched hospital gown. Anxiety crept up her stomach. Meanwhile, Neji was mumbling quietly to himself. Something about his sensei? Or maybe it was about training? She was straining to hear the details when he started sobbing uncontrollably. The poor boy was crying out for his father, his hoarse throat dampening his yells. Her heart broke. Something was certainly wrong. 

“I miss him too,” Hiashi piped up from the doorway. He stepped closer, keeping his voice low while he talked, “And I’m sure he misses you as well.”

Neji whimpered a noise that sounded vaguely like an affirmation.

“Is this all…normal?” 

“Yes, my lady. He’s actually fairing better than he was an hour ago. His fits have lessened considerably. Last one was about ten minutes ago. He experienced a very long attack, so reducing them to five or six an hour so soon after is a good sign, ” Hiro smiled then returned to changing the sheets.

Hibari swallowed. She had very little experience with the family curse mark. She was, afterall, the only child of a high ranking Main House family. All her life she was led to believe that the semantics of the Hyuga caste system was about tradition and honoring ancestors. That the curse mark was more of a symbol of the family. She even recalled a tutor explaining how horribly the branch families used to be treated. That, if anything, this generation of Hyuga was the kindest generation there ever was. Supposedly there was once a time when the branch members were not even given representation during judicial and legislative meetings. 

She always believed torturing others in response to disobedience was cruel, which was part of the reason she never used the seal herself, but she had no idea that the suffering continued long after the events subsided. She knew her nephew had experienced such punishments a handful of times but admittedly, she’d only witnessed an activation on two or or three occurrences in her life, and she didn’t stick around to help with the aftermath for any of them. They had caretakers and other branch members for a reason, after all. She didn’t realize it was so…enduring. She always thought activation was the painful part, not the recovery. It made her stomach churn. “Is there anything else we can do?”

Hiro shook her head with a tight lipped expression, “Just help manage the pain. From what the branch member medics have told me, it’s like a horrible migraine. Nothing you can do but wait for it to pass.” 

“Try soaking a washcloth in ice water with lavender and eucalyptus extract.” Both women turned to Hiashi, surprised by his suggestion. “It’s what the caretakers did for Hizashi,” he supplied. 

“A wonderful idea, Lord Hiashi. I’ll go fetch it right now,” Hiro bowed and gave her patient another glance before exiting the room.

Hiashi and Hibari stared down at the boy in silence. The whole day had been a mess. Hanabi got into a fight with a classmate that ended with the boy getting a bloody nose and her daughter earning a demerit. Hiashi and Hinata’s training session was apparently abysmal judging by both of their demeanors this afternoon. And of course, worst of all, Neji was essentially tortured for nearly seven minutes. She knew branch members had to recover after an activation but she assumed they took a nap or a bath. Not suffering through phantom pains or fever or illness. She could vomit herself. She was told it felt like an ice cream headache. That branch members only told her it hurt worse to make her feel guilty. And she believed it. Up until this very moment, as she’s watched her only nephew fight feebly against insurmountable pain, she believed it. 

Despite how softly he whimpered, his pitiful cries and frail trembles commanded the room. With the lights out, curtains drawn, and not even the sounds of the heart monitor to fill the air, his voice was the only thing occupying the somber space. She turned to Hiashi. The man had his head bowed and eyes closed, either deep in concentration or praying like her that the sounds of suffering would end soon. 

“I didn’t know activation was so…traumatizing,” She said, looking back at Neji and holding his hand.

“It’s…complicated. What happened today is an outlier. No Main House member would dare activate an adolescent’s curse mark for so long. It’s merciless. They’d be ridiculed and ostracized.”

“Using it at all is merciless.”

Hiashi let out a sigh, but kept his mouth closed. He bowed his head and closed his eyes again, clearly deep in thought.  Hibari waited for him to respond but the door opened before he could get anything out. Lucky man.

It was Nurse Hiro returning with a shallow bowl and a rag. Light pooled into the room, causing Neji to tuck himself into a ball to physically block out as much of the hallway as possible. “I’m sorry Lord and Lady Hyuga,” Hiro whispered as she closed the door behind her, “I’ve been told that your visiting time is up. If he’s fairing better in the morning, we’ll lift the visitation restrictions, but for now, Neji needs to rest.”

Hibari nodded while still facing her nephew. She gave his hand a final squeeze then smoothed out the hair sticking to his face. She followed Hiashi out of the room and bowed to show her gratitude, “Thank you, Hiro. Please take great care of him.”

Hiro gave her a smile, “Of course, Lady Hibari.”

Chapter Text

Heart-wrenching sobs bounced off the hospital room walls. It’d been like this for hours. Oxycodone wasn’t doing enough. Naproxen and Acetaminophen weren’t even up for consideration, and whatever antiemetic they were trying this time was a cruel joke. It helped initially, but the effects wore off within the hour and left the kid retching into a bowl. There wasn’t even anything for him to throw up except for spit and stomach acid. He was currently on his third migraine cocktail. There was nothing else to do but help keep his mind off the pain, which is easier said than done. The poor kid was suffering. They’d maxed out every prescription. Anymore and they’d risk damaging Neji’s liver. He wished the doctors had just kept him under the gen-jutsu. That had to be the worst part. After two days of being under its effects, the medical staff agreed that enough time had passed to wean him out of it. Unfortunately, none of the medics, not even the Hyuga doctors, had any experience with prolonged seal activation. But could they really be to blame? The team expressed their concern about keeping him under the jutsu for two full days. Apparently it’s primarily used for surgeries and wasn’t meant to keep someone unconscious for more than twelve hours. Not that he thinks it would’ve mattered. They could’ve knocked him out for a week and Neji still might have woken up screaming.

Gai glanced over at the bedside table where a clock blinked two-thirty in the morning. He didn’t intend to stay so late. He didn’t even intend to stay through visiting hours. Hell, he really thought this would be a ten minute visit, but the second he walked in, Gai knew he wouldn’t be leaving any time soon. 

Nurse Maiko was stroking Neji’s back tenderly in small, soothing circles. The room was eerily quiet. He couldn’t quite place what was missing but a quick glance towards the monitors filled in the gap. Neji’s heart was racing at about one hundred and thirty beats per minute but there was no beeping to communicate its speed. It was, however, their only source of light. He came by just after evening training ended and the sun was just starting to set, but despite the room facing west, blackout curtains blocked out almost any offending light. Maybe that was why the hospital room was so cold. Although, based on the state of his student, Neji would beg to disagree. He kept pushing the blankets further and further down and was unable to stay still. Eight hours later and very little changed.

With one final, miserable hack, the retching finally stopped. Gai released a grateful sigh, careful to keep his breath quiet. He brought the straw of the water bottle to Neji’s lips and encouraged him to rinse out the awful taste. The kid sluggishly swished the liquid around and dribbled it out for Gai to catch with the bowl. He collapsed into the pile of pillows, tear tracks staining his cheeks. It physically hurt seeing one of his kids like this.

“M-make it stop,” Neji sobbed, curling back into a tight ball and desperately clutching his head with both hands, “P-please.” His voice barely broke a whisper.

Gai sighed again and gently massaged his back while his student writhed in agony. His whines drilled into Gai’s heart, breaking it into a thousand pieces. They’d been at it all night. Neji would finally find a moment of peace, and promptly pass out the second the migraine receded, only to wake up moaning and crying just a couple hours later. 

“It’ll pass soon, I promise.”  

Truthfully, Gai had no idea when this episode would end, but as far as he could tell, Neji was too incoherent to have any concept of time anyway. He wrung out the washcloth that was sitting in a bowl on the bedside table and draped it over his student’s eyes. Neji let out three heavy, shaky breaths before wincing once again. 

“It hurts,” his small voice squeaked.

“I know, I’m sorry. I wish I could make it stop…Do you want to describe it to me? It might help to talk it out.”

Gai was treading on thin ice. Neji told his team very little about his curse mark. It was rare for them to see it let alone hear him talk about it. Lee made a few attempts to coax an answer out of him very early on in their genin careers and each time ended with Neji ridiculing and berating him. Lee, Tenten, and Gai all learned pretty quickly not to ask him about it again. But Neji was his student, damn it. How was he supposed to help him get better if he doesn’t even know how he’s feeling? Besides, this might be Gai’s only opportunity to get an answer out of him.

“It keeps moving, " he whimpered, “But right now it’s like thunder is banging through my skull and like someone is pressing a hot rock into my forehead.” His eyes squeezed shut as he braced himself for the next wave of pain.

Gai’s stomach soured. He couldn’t even imagine something so traumatizing, and he’d once received second degree burns all over his left side on a mission that’d gone awry. How did the Hyugas live with themselves? Torturing their own kind like this to maintain a frivolous status that’d been outdated for decades. He learned from a branch family doctor that anything over a minute is considered a cruel and unusually long time to be under activation, especially for a minor. Neji’s was active for well over five. Just another thing to add to the therapy list.

“It’s like it’s being activated over and over and over again.” Neji’s voice barely broke a whisper.

Gai’s heart shattered. His kid didn’t deserve this. He’d seen the aftermath of the curse mark plenty of times but never the actual assault. He was hoping that Neji’s reaction was just a horrible side effect from the surgery. Knowing that this was how it felt every time he was punished made his stomach churn.

Neji let out a shaky sigh of relief, signaling the end of the migraine attack. His hands relaxed from their place around his head as he took in greedy gulps of air. His eyes relaxed, but remained closed. Gai held his breath. The episode seemed to be over, but the last one was the same way before rebounding not even two minutes later. Now that was a bad attack. Gai and Aimi had to take turns gently rubbing his temples and distracting him with meaningless small talk. Thankfully, this one wasn’t as horrible and it didn’t look like it would be making a comeback. 

“Let’s try and get some sleep, okay?” Gai all but begged as he pulled the blankets back over his student’s frame. A fascinating side effect of the seal was that Neji seemed to overheat during attacks, but the moment it passed, shivered like he just escaped a mountain of snow. Case in point, Neji’s teeth were literally chattering despite his face still being slick with sweat. 

His kid didn’t even have the energy to give a verbal response. All he could do was nod his head ever so slightly. A small yawn escaped his lips and before Gai knew it, Neji was clocked out again. Hopefully this time he’d be able to stay asleep until breakfast.

Gai sighed one more time, releasing all the tension that’d been building up over the hours and stood up to stretch his legs. He needed to pee for nearly an hour now but using the en suite was too risky. Even opening the room door was pushing it. The hallway light blinked inside the room as Gai made his escape and closed the door gently behind him. Success. He smiled triumphantly. This was the first time he’d been able to step out for a break. He was still adjusting to Neji’s symptoms during the first few opportunities and didn’t want to risk leaving him alone. Gai also naively thought that once the kid fell asleep that he’d be able to leave for the night, so staying a bit longer just to ensure he actually stayed asleep didn’t seem like a big deal. But thank God he did. Not thirty minutes later the pitiful kid was shouting for the pain to stop. The memory solidified his decision. He needed him here. It’s not like Aimi could stay by his bedside all night. And it was far too late to go home now anyway, so he had to stay. And if he was going to stay, then he should take every chance he got to take a break. Which is exactly how he found himself wandering the hospital floors in the middle of the night.

Venturing down the pediatric wing was much more depressing at night. At least during the day there were kids playing and walking through the corridors. With only Nurse Aimi and a few other fellow medics roaming the hushed halls, it made the reality of where they were far more apparent. 

“Finally got to sleep?” Aim asked as she finished off a note.

“For now. I’m hoping we make it until six,” Gai responded, scrubbing his weary face.

“Well the good news is, as soon as the migraine episodes end, he’ll be back to being on cloud nine. He’ll be on high dosage pain medication for about as long as last time and Dr. Hikaru anticipates the attacks to end in the next day or so. They’re already becoming less frequent.”

That was good news. Neji got his best rest when he was doped up on painkillers, something he’d been struggling with since they lowered his dosage. And it was relieving to hear that he was hopefully only three to five more attacks from being out of misery. Dr. Hikaru wasn’t just the best Hyuga doctor in the hospital, he was also a branch member. He was uniquely empathetic to his student’s situation and dutifully checked on the kid regularly.

“Do you think some food might help him? His stomach’s been empty for hours.”

“I think I’ve brought him a meal or snack seven times now and he barely touched any of it. You can try but I don’t know how much luck you’ll have.” 

Aimi pressed her lips into a thin line. The worry was written all over her face. 

“Is there something wrong?” Gai asked cautiously, hoping that it was just the exhaustion making him see things.

“He’s just lost a lot of weight. A nutrients IV just isn’t the same as eating a proper meal,” Aimi looked down the hall with up-turned knitted eyebrows, “We can’t move him into general pediatrics until his weight starts improving. And he certainly can’t return to ninja work if he’s so underweight, he won’t pass the physical.”

Gai loved Aimi, he really did. She was a wonderful nurse. He thought she looked familiar, then the first time Lee stopped by to visit it clicked. This wasn’t the first time she was assigned to one of his students. She was a gem then and she was even more so now. But she did have a tendency to be overprotective. Sure, Neji wouldn’t pass the physical at his current weight, but he also wouldn’t pass the agility test, strength test, or psychology test in his current condition. He had no doubt that Neji would be back to full health in no time. Strictly talking in terms of length of hospital stays, he was blowing Lee out of the water. It took months until Lee was able to get his operation. Neji’s just took a few weeks. Granted, the severity of their stays were also vastly different. 

“I told him that I’d bring him a special breakfast if he could make it through the night. Hopefully that will coax an appetite into him.”

“What denotes a ‘special breakfast’?”

“I haven’t decided yet. Maybe a blueberry muffin, but not from the cafeteria. There’s a small cafe not far from here that I take my students to for special occasions. Neji orders a blueberry muffin from time to time so I know it’s a safe bet.” Gai popped his back then turned back to Aimi, “I’m going to grab a coffee, would you like one? Cafeteria’s closed so it has to be the vending machine.”

“I’m alright,” Aimi smiled, lifting up the hot travel mug that was hiding behind the lip of the desk. “Let me know if Neji wants another tea.”

“Hopefully he’ll sleep long enough to not need it.” 

He made a show of crossing his fingers and disappeared down the hall. Normally he’d stay and chat for longer. Talking with her was one of the best parts of coming to visit, afterall. But quite frankly he was too tired to maintain pleasantries. Thankfully this coffee will fix that. He slipped a few coins into the machine and made his selection. A sickly brown liquid dribbled into a cup slowly. The world had to be playing a sick joke on him. Everything about today ran about as smoothly as this coffee dispenser. He picked up the lukewarm drink and took a swig. It was better than nothing. 

The walk back to the room was about as exciting as the walk away from it, but at least this time he had caffeine to fuel the journey. He found himself back at the door and sighed, prepping for the next round of migraines. Thankfully, his kid was snoring softly when he stepped through the corridor. 

Seeing Neji still asleep filled Gai with relief. Glancing at the clock showed that an hour had passed. It also showed that it was three am, a hauntingly late time for a man approaching his thirties. He scrubbed the exhaustion from his eyes and let out a greedy yawn. He could potentially get three hours of sleep before morning rounds started. Gai took off his shinobi jacket to use as a pillow and leaned the uncomfortable plastic chair against the wall. Thank God he was tall. His feet just reached the edge of the hospital bed. Finally he draped a blanket over himself, turning his sleeping situation into a slightly less uncomfortable one. Gai gave one last glance at Neji. His eyebrows were puckered in, but he was still. He let out a tired sigh. Please , let him sleep through the rest of the night. Hasn’t he been punished enough already? 

On some level Gai wondered if he was being dramatic. Truthfully, rough hospital stays were fairly common amongst ninja. But whenever he pictured it, it was always jonin and adults. Maybe a chunin from time to time. Sure, genin got hurt all the time too, but it was very different seeing the patient be your own student. The one you were legally bound to protect. And Gai was a good sensei. He knew he was. He was told constantly that he was. He’d received rewards because he was. But he couldn’t help but feel like such a failure to his young kids. He thought Lee would be a fluke. The result of bad luck that was statistically bound to happen to one of those genin. But Neji nearly dying not even three months later? Clearly he was doing something wrong. 

Neji shifted in his sleep, tucking deeper into a ball. He must be cold. Without a second thought, Gai removed the blanket from his lap and draped it over the two others covering his student. As soon as the frown on Neji’s face relaxed, Gai returned to his impromptu sleeping position and closed his eyes.

Chapter Text

Chakra webbing clung to him, tugging on his skin and gluing his feet to the earth. Trapped. Helpless. Thoughtless. And very, very , scared. His pounding heart echoed off the trees. A kunai whizzed by his face, narrowly missing his ear. 

“This has been fun, but I’m growing bored…But before we finish our little game, I have one more trick to show you.”

His breath hitched. A figure popped into his field of vision. His opponent was bolting towards him with the same arrogant smile he had at the beginning of the fight. He hadn’t shaken him at all! Everything he tried was useless. He tried to muster up some bravery but the sweat slipping down his trembling hands betrayed him. 

The man stopped just inches from his face. He forgot how to breathe. He forgot how to move. He forgot how to think . He was just a humanoid lump, suction cupped to the earth.

His opponent’s hands shot up in a familiar sign.  

NO.

How did he know that !?

The man gave him one last smug smirk and then–

Lightning drilled into his brain and reverberated off his skull. His nerves twisted and stretched, causing the muscles in his face to spasm painfully. He shrieked. Begging his vocal chords to ring another octave louder. Pain. Pain. PAIN. PAIN. P A I N. It was swallowing him. Absorbing his body until all that remained was the revolting screech of agony. He clawed desperately at his head but the man’s other hands grabbed at him, tormenting him. Punishing him. For being weak! For not being strong enough! He failed. Again.

“NEJI!”
How did he know his name!?

“Neji! Wake up!”

His eyes sprang open as he wailed again. A greedy gasp of air assaulted his throat. Adrenaline commanded him, forcing his head forward into his lap, knocking the lingering hands off of him.

A voice garbled through his ears. A hot iron burned through his skull. The world was spinning. He was going to fall off the ceiling! A guttural scream ripped through his throat. 

“Shhhh…shhhh…it’s just a bad dream,” the voice softly hummed. 

A pair of hands lifted him up and pulled him into a tight embrace, allowing his aching head to rest against something firm but soft. 

“Shh…you’re okay. You’re safe. You’re home. You’re in Konoha Hospital. I’m right here. Sensei’s here, and you’re okay.”

The words vibrated against his cheek and with one last desperate gasp, the world came rushing back to him. Sensei was rubbing his back while he sobbed into his shoulder. Under any other circumstances Neji would be humiliated, but he was being smothered . How could pain be so encompassing? It was in the air he breathed. It radiated from the lights. It clung to him like sopping wet clothes.

“I-it hurts !” He whimpered.

“I know, I know. Match my breath.” Gai inhaled deeply, encouraging Neji to follow suit. His student let out shaky breaths, coughing weakly into his chest. “There you go. It’s just phantom pain. It’ll pass.” 

Gai’s heart shattered. He’d never seen anyone so distraught, not even Lee. Neji was so fragile, shaking in Gai’s embrace. If he squeezed too hard, the kid would shatter like Fine China. Grief overtook him and Gai was reminded of just how close he was to losing his kid. He clutched Neji’s head and pulled him into a tighter hug, reassuring himself that the boy was in fact, alright. A quick glance at the clock showed that it was nearly five in the morning. So much for sleeping until rounds. 

A strangled, muffled cough burst from his lips. He heaved, instinctively bringing his hand to his mouth. Gai instinctively shoved a bowl under his chin. Nothing but stomach acid came up. He passed a cup of water over to the boy and watched as Neji lethargically swished the liquid around in his mouth and spat it back up. Gai watched him worriedly. Neji was practically vibrating with adrenaline. He couldn’t even keep his hands still enough to wipe the tears from his eyes. 

“Feel better?” His voice barely broke a whisper.

Neji just nodded as he gulped down air, wincing with the movements. 

Gai could hear the faint squeak of shoes on tile outside in the hallway. Someone was about to come check in on them.

As if on cue, Nurse Aimi creaked open the door and popped her head in. 

“Everything alright in here?” she whispered.

Neji scrubbed at his face, cheeks turning red, suddenly realizing the fit he just threw. He nodded valiantly as a means of disguising the embarrassment.

“Just a bad dream meshing with a bad case of phantom pain,” Gai reassured, rubbing Neji’s shoulder and patting him gently on the back. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry hun. Would some hot tea help? I think there’s a chamomile and lavender blend in the break room!” She didn’t even wait for a response, “I’ll be right back.”

As the door closed behind her, Gai gave Neji’s shoulder another squeeze, “You okay?”

Neji nodded again, although his heart monitor begged to differ. 

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Neji swallowed nervously, unsure of where to start.

“You know what? Nevermind, how about we try–”

“I-I was fighting him a-again. A-and he a-activated my seal.” Neji whimpered and clutched his forehead as he brought his knees into his chest and curled deeper into a ball. “It felt so real,” he whispered.

Gai would’ve paid every penny in the world to understand the pain Neji suffered through with his curse mark. This wasn’t the first time Neji had woken up in a fit. Gai could recall on two separate occasions his student waking up in a distraught, scared, mess, mumbling something about curse marks. The first time he let it slide. They were still a new team and Gai didn’t really understand just how deranged the Hyuga’s caste system was. The second time he was too apprehensive to ask.

Gai stood up so he was behind Neji and began massaging his shoulders gently, coaxing him to relax. “Are you feeling better or does it still hurt?” 

“I-it’s going away,” he sniffled.

Nurse Aimi returned moments later with two hot cups of tea. 

“Here you go dear. I went ahead and added honey to it,” she said, passing the cups to Gai and her patient. She watched with wary eyes as Neji took a cautious sip. “You sure you’re alright?”

Neji gave her an overly eager nod and diverted his eyes from meeting hers. 

“Alright, well I’m just a buzz a way if either of you need anything,” Aimi smiled then let herself out.

Gai placed his cup on the side table and watched as his kid pinched the distance between his eyes. Apparently the migraine wasn’t going away fast enough. “Where does it hurt?”

This had been the running game for every attack thus far. Gai would ask where the pain was and Neji would supply him with a different answer every time. The phantom pain didn’t seem to linger in one spot for too long, except for the back of his head, but doctors were pretty certain that stress and anxiety was adding to the constant strain. It was by all accounts a textbook tension headache, which didn’t seem all that daunting until Gai remembered that his kid had been dealing with it for more than twenty hours straight. In fact, if the phantom pain was secluded to just the back of his head and neck, then they considered it only a mild attack. However, more often than not the tension headache was paired with another, more debilitating migraine that seemed to bounce around affecting different parts of his head.

“My temples a-and forehead. It burns .”

To Neji’s credit, he was profusely sweating and his bangs were plastered to his face. He didn’t doubt that his phantom pain had evolved into something much more real, but it was best not to upset or confuse him more. 

“Here, lay back down.”

Neji’s eyes shot open, piercing into his sensei’s soul with the most gut-wrenching look of despair.

“Come on, Neji. You can barely keep your eyes open.” 

Quite frankly, neither could Gai, but the sooner Neji fell back asleep, the sooner he could too. He physically lowered the boy back into the mattress and tucked him in snug.

“Sensei, please.”

The plea shattered him. The hoarse whisper barely registered in his ears. Maybe he was hearing things. Though the utter shock on Neji’s face proved that even he didn’t expect the words to tumble out of his mouth. 

“I-I mean…I’m not tired,” the kid deflected, cheeks burning red.

“I’m not going anywhere, okay? How about I rub your head while you rest your eyes? It’s alright if you can’t fall back to sleep, but I want you to at least try and get some rest.

Neji nodded and hesitantly blinked his eyes closed. Gai gingerly rubbed his temple, coaxing a sigh of relief from the boy’s lips. It took some time but the grimace finally melted away, leaving his breath slow and even. 

Finally. This was quickly turning into one of the longest nights of Gai’s life. 

- oOoOoOo –

Kakashi and Gai’s friendship started when they were about Sasuke and Naruto’s age. Although his relationship with Gai was much more amicable than his students’. He supposes that Lee and Neji are a better comparison to them, with Lee obviously being the ‘Gai’ in their friendship and Neji being the ‘Kakashi.’ The kids were still unique individuals, of course, but the similarities they shared with their adult counterparts was a bit uncanny, Neji specifically. Lee made sense. He idolized Gai, intentionally changing how he dressed, how he trained, and even how he styled his hair to be more like the guy. Neji did nothing of the sort and yet still felt eerily similar to Kakashi’s demeanor. Like the way they both reluctantly participated in their rivals’ challenges. Or how they were both exceptionally talented in the academy. Kakashi has no doubt that, had Konoha been in the middle of a war like it was when he was a student, Neji would’ve followed a very similar promotional path as him. He recalls hearing from Iruka about Hiashi-sama advocating for the boy to graduate early, but the administration didn’t want to risk another Itachi incident. They had Neji take a second psychological evaluation and the results hovered just under the pass-fail line. It was supposedly well within the margin of error, but the Hokage himself requested that the seven year old stay with his class.

He thinks that was the right choice. Kakashi was five himself when he graduated. They were so desperate for ninja during the war that they would make exceptions left and right for promotions. His friends at the public school were first graders at the time. He would’ve been their classmate. They were doing arts and crafts while he was being sent on tracking missions. By the time he was a teenager, Kakashi was consistently going on deadly reconnaissance jobs. Murdering dangerous rogue ninja every week. That type of work will fuck anyone up, but it especially fucked kids up. Itachi was the last academy student to be promoted to Genin early. Apparently having dozens of kids traumatized and martyred wasn’t enough to stop early graduations. No, it took one student massacring his entire clan and defecting from the village for the administration to finally put their foot down. 

Kakashi didn’t even make the connection to himself and Neji until Gai asked him to fill in for him at training one day. It was shortly after the preliminary exams and Gai was sitting vigilantly by Lee’s bedside. He felt guilty that Neji made it to the finals and didn’t have his sensei to train with him so he asked Kakashi if he wouldn’t mind being a substitute for a few days. Kakashi didn’t even hesitate. His and Gai’s friendship went back nearly two decades and he was long overdue for returning a few favors to his best friend. Admittedly, he was nervous. He’d met Neji a few times prior, but the kid typically kept to himself so he wasn’t sure what to expect. Surprisingly, Neji was fun to teach. He picked up quickly and was eager for a challenge. Had Kakashi known that Neji wasn’t as callous as his battle with Hinata suggested, he would’ve offered to co-train with each other’s teams more often.

He owed Gai a few dozen favors, afterall, not that they kept track, but he knew just how lucky he was to have a friend like Gai in his life. So when he asked three days ago if Kakashi would  allow Lee and Tenten to join his team’s training sessions for a few days, he didn’t even hesitate to say yes. Truthfully, he was more concerned with why he needed Lee and Tenten to join. All he knew was that something went wrong during surgery and Neji’s curse mark activated. He’d never seen a Hyuga curse mark activate, but he’d seen Sasuke’s enough times to know it was not a fun experience. At least Sasuke’s had a yin to the yang. Neji’s was just for torture. And if it was half as bad as the rumors claimed them to be, then he couldn’t imagine what six and a half minutes of it must feel like. Thank God the kid was unconscious when it happened. It might’ve killed him otherwise.

 He waved goodbye to the four genin and picked up his sack. It was just after four, which meant it was still visiting hours down at the hospital. Neji was still under strict visitation, but he was hoping the nursing staff might make an exception like they did with Gai. 

The walk didn’t take long, but he took a detour through the bookstore. He went in looking for the latest edition of Icha Icha and came out with the first book in a young adult series. One minute Kakashi was browsing the adult book section, and the next he was hovering over a dystopian book about kids who fight each other to the death. He picked it up thinking it might make a good gift for Neji. Gai mentioned that the book they were currently reading was about a dystopian society as well, so it seemed up his alley. Five pages in he decided it was a winner.  A full chapter later and he decided to borrow it from the kid when he was done.

 Kakashi stepped into the hospital, relishing in the cool A/C as he passed the main entryway and headed towards the Pediatrics Wing. He kept his eyes peeled for Nurse Aimi, that’s who approved Gai apparently, but she was nowhere to be seen. Maiko, however, was filling out a report at the nurse’s station.

“Good afternoon, Nurse Maiko. How are you today?”

The woman looked up from her work and gave him a suspicious smirk, “I’m doing well. And what brings you to Peds today?”

“Well I heard about Neji’s operation and was hoping to pay him a visit,” he replied with far more confidence than he actually had.

“Hmm…I don’t know. He’s not feeling very well.”

“I heard you allowed Gai to stop by,” he teased.

“Yes,” Maiko smiled, “He’s actually in there with Neji right now.”

Kakashi leaned in slightly with a hopeful raised eyebrow.

“Alright, but absolutely no loud voices, no lights, and no strong scents. Avoid touching him as well. His nerve endings are still raw and even the slightest stimulation can send him into sensory overload.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be on my best behavior.” Kakashi bowed gratefully and headed for room 107. 

He nearly knocked but decided against it, thinking that the noise would be too much for the kid. Instead he creaked the door open and waited a moment before proceeding, hoping that the small pause was enough time for Gai to intervene if he needed too. He had to squint as he entered the small hospital room. Blackout curtains now ordained the window treatments. The light from outside faintly outlined the fabric, providing them with the room’s only source of light. Gai looked up from his spot next to the bed and gave Kakashi a weak smile, gesturing for him to join them.

“Neji, guess who’s here,” the man whispered.

 Kakashi didn’t know Gai could be so quiet. He made his way to the other side of the bed to face Neji and gave him a smile. The poor kid looked absolutely miserable. He laid on his side tucked into a loose ball, completely drained of all his strength. Kakashi clocked the half-filled drainage bag hanging below the far end of the bed. His stomach soured. The kid was too weak to make it to the en-suite, a notion punctuated by a series of harsh coughs. Kakashi bit his cheek. When Gai cheered about his fever breaking nearly a week ago, he made it seem like Neji’s pneumonia symptoms were completely gone. On the brightside, his shoulder looked much better. 

After the activation fiasco, the doctors originally planned to wait until he’d recovered before finishing up what was left of the operation. But after a day of observation, doctors agreed that a much more minor surgery could get the rest of the job done. In fact, they only operated for two hours, and by the looks of it, Neji’s arm looked practically normal. He still adorned a sling, but it was a simple one meant to support his new, and very weak, muscles. 

“Hey kiddo,” he whispered, “I’m surprised to see you awake.” 

Neji followed Kakashi with his eyes as he sat down in the chair next to Gai, but lacked the energy to offer any response. The poor thing looked just about ready to die.

“They put him under a genjutsu for the operation and just took him out of it this afternoon. They were hoping he’d still be tired,” Gai replied.

“Genjutsu?”

“It apparently can help improve recovery. But between us, I think his aunt wanted it as an extra precaution,” he mumbled, diverting his face so Neji couldn’t decipher what he said. 

“I’m surprised that you’re not completely clonked out,” Kakashi said, taking in all the medications hanging from the IV stand, “You must be high out of your mind right now.” 

That earned him a very minute nod. The boy’s eyes were glassy and unfocused. He could tell just by looking at him that Neji was faded beyond belief. 

“Are you feeling alright? You look a bit pale.” 

Neji carefully shook his head no, trying to move as little as possible. 

Kakashi gave him a worried look, “Shoulder still hurting?”

Neji’s gaze shifted to Gai.

“Everything’s hurting.” 

Neji turned back to Kakashi with silent approval. 

“And the drugs give him vertigo.” Gai froze, too distracted by a muffled wince to continue talking. He waited apprehensively as the kid breathed through the pain. Finally Neji opened his eyes, apparently giving Gai permission to release the breath he’d been holding. “It’s been a rough couple of days. The surgeries aren’t easy ones to recover from and curse mark activation…well, it’s not pleasant.”

Neji spasmed, a grunt escaped him as he grabbed his head with both hands. His eyes slammed shut as he clenched his teeth so hard that Kakashi feared they’d break. Gai closed his eyes in silent prayer. He couldn’t help but notice the two sets of dark bags hanging under their eyes. His heart sank. Neji’s recovery was taking a toll on both of them. Kakashi sat in uncomfortable silence as he watched the pair. Gai opened his eyes, keeping them trained on his student. He rubbed his face and shot Kakashi a look riddled with exhaustion and desperation. It took maybe five minutes for the kid to relax. He let out one last agonizing whimper then quieted down. Tears glistened on his cheeks as he hiccuped. 

Gai gave his arm a gentle rub and leaned in. He murmured something softly in the boy’s ear, earning him a nod. He stood up and gestured for Kakashi to follow him out of the room. Gai closed the door gently behind them and hung his head for a moment before turning towards his friend. Under the fluorescent lighting he could make out just how disheveled Gai looked. His clothes were wrinkled, his hair was dull and ruffled, and his cheek had a slight indent from the bedsheets. If he didn’t know any better, Kakashi would’ve thought he slept here. 

“I said we’d bring him a ginger ale and a pudding cup from the cafeteria.” Gai said as he squinted up at him. 

“I take it he’s not doing well?”

“Believe it or not, this is actually a big improvement from a few days ago. I wasn’t allowed to see him but I snuck a couple of minutes when his nurse stepped out, and…” Gai just shook his head and turned towards the cafeteria. “I don’t know how much more he can take, Kakashi. His shoulder hurts from the surgeries. He has muscle spasms from residual activation pain. His curse mark gives him migraines. He’s having trouble breathing. The drugs make him dizzy. The pain keeps him awake. And when he does finally get some sleep, a nightmare disrupts it.” He blinked back tears and sucked in a shaky breath.

“He’s a lot tougher than you’re giving him credit for, Gai. He might not be feeling too hot right now but the kid killed an S-rank rogue ninja by himself and lived to tell the tale. And you’ve literally bragged about how resilient he is. I think I’ve heard the story of him dislocating his knee about seven times now.” 

“Any other eleven year old would’ve screamed out in pain. His kneecap was practically sideways–”

“Yes, yes, but he was running recon during a mission and if he screamed, he would’ve given up everyone’s position, so he didn’t. Make that eight times,” Kakashi teased. Gai gave him a half-committed smile and looked back down at the ground. “Don’t worry, his ‘flame of youth will burn brightly’ again soon. We’ve all been in his shoes before. Maybe not quite as young as him, but I’m sure you can recount a few dozen times you’ve been in the hospital.” Kakashi could recall at least ten hospitalizations between them. Three of which were very extensive stays in the ICU.

Gai sighed as they walked through a set of double doors, “I know…it’s just…hard. I just went through this with Lee, and now I have to do it all over again. How selfish does that make me? Neji is the one spending a month of his life here and I’m upset because I don’t want to go through it all again.” He closed his eyes for a moment while he let the frustration go.

Kakashi’s stomach dropped. Today seemed exceptionally difficult for both Gai and Neji. “It doesn’t. If anything, it shows just how much you care for your students. You’re not upset because you have to experience it all again. You’re upset because he will have to experience it all and you know what’s to come. It’s tough sitting by anyone’s bedside.”  For the first time in years, Gai had nothing to add. He just smiled and stepped into the cafeteria line.

“I brought him a book, but I’m guessing he’s not really up for reading right now,” Kakashi said, changing the subject and gesturing to the novel tucked in his jacket, “Not even sure if he’ll like it.”

“Can I see it?” Gai studied the cover then handed it back to him, “He’s read it.”

“What?!”

Gai chuckled, “Kakashi, I told you, he reads as much as you do. Maybe even more. Thankfully he’s into more wholesome stories.”

“Wholesome? Really? Do you know what this book’s about?”

“Not a clue. I just saw him reading it during down time on a mission.”

“It’s about kids killing each other and adults betting on them for sport.”

“Oh…Well the book he’s reading right now isn’t any better so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.” Gai greeted the cooks as they approached the counter, “Hello Toru, how are you?”

“Doing well! How’re you?” the man smiled back.

“A little less youthful than usual but I’ll bounce back.”

“Good to hear! What can I get you?”

“Ginger Ale, a vanilla pudding cup, and a hot coffee please. Black, one sugar.”

“Finally have an appetite, eh? I was getting worried when his tray kept coming back untouched,” Toru said as he handed over the items.

Gai nodded to show his gratitude and offered over the money. “Well we’re hoping this might be enough to convince him to try something,” he winked.

“Well if he has any special requests, you let me know. Have a good day!” 

Gai and Kakashi waved their goodbye and made their way out of the cafeteria. Gai took in a sip of coffee and relished the feeling of steam tickling his face. It was becoming more and more obvious that his best friend spent far more time here than he let on. 

“Gai, did you sleep here last night?”

“Yes,” the other jonin didn’t even hesitate, “And I know what you’re thinking, Kakashi, but I can’t fight that battle right now. I’d love to go home and take a shower or sleep in my own bed for a night, but my student is sick and traumatized and hurting and afraid to sleep by himself. And the nurses are too short staffed to have someone sit with him all night so I offered to stay.” He took the moment to stretch his legs and pop his back before heading back through the Peds floor. 

Kakashi clenched his jaw. He wasn’t trying to make any assumptions, but he could see why Gai felt the need to defend himself. He acted similarly when Lee was in the hospital. That was just how Gai was. Frankly, he couldn’t blame him. Neji did seem exceptionally unwell, given the circumstances. Kakashi would be lying if he said he wasn’t worried himself. “Would it help if I stayed with him for a while? You can get some rest, maybe eat a proper meal. I can’t stay with him all night, but I’ll stay for a while, until he falls asleep.”

“No, no I couldn’t ask you to–”

“Gai, please. Let me do this for you. I owe you one.”

“You owe me about a dozen, actually,” he joked, slapping Kakashi on the back. “Alright, thank you. I really do appreciate it. I would kill for a hot shower.” They approached Neji’s door but Gai hesitated before opening it, “If his curse mark flares up again, call for a nurse. Oh, and if he can’t sleep and he’s feeling up to it, you can try reading his book aloud to him. He usually falls asleep within the first five pages so don’t feel obligated to read the whole chapter.”

“Don’t worry Gai, I’ve babysat before,” Kakashi joked as he pressed open the door. 

“Wait,” Gai stopped him. He cracked open the ginger ale, earning him a quizzical look, “The noise is too loud. I made the mistake earlier.” He opened the door and stepped into the darkness.

Nothing had changed when they entered the room. Neji was still on his side, facing away from them and shivering softly. Kakashi followed Gai to the other side of the bed and waited patiently while his friend spoke gently to the boy.

“We’re back,” he whispered, “Do you want a sip?” Gai placed a straw from the old can of ginger ale into the new one and brought it close to Neji so he could take a drink. “Do you think Kakashi-sensei could stay with you while I step out for a bit?” 

Neji took a generous sip from the straw and gave his sensei a nod.

Gai smiled and rubbed his arm gently, “Try to get some sleep, please?”

He nodded as a cough escaped his lips. 

Gai turned to Kakashi, “I can be back later tonight–”

“Don’t worry about it. Go change your clothes and sleep in your own bed. He’ll be alright.”

“Okay, okay,” he chuckled, “Goodbye Neji,” Gai waved, then clasped Kakashi on the shoulder, “Thank you.”

“Of course. Bye,” Kakashi whispered back as his friend closed the door behind him.

He turned back to Neji and took the seat at the top of his bed. He wasn’t really sure what to do. He should’ve asked Gai before he left, “Uh…Are you tired?”

Neji nodded.

“Do you want to try and get some sleep?”

The Hyuga narrowed his eyes at Kakashi, “I’ve been trying,” he mumbled, “all day.” 

Damn. He forgot how callous the kid could be.

“I brought you a book, but Gai said you’ve already read it.” Kakashi pulled out the copy and handed it over. 

Neji took one look at it then nodded and held up two fingers. 

“ Twice ?”

Neji just nodded again, “The whole series,” he croaked. 

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, “Gai said you were an avid reader. I should’ve known better than to pick up the most popular book in the YA section. Is there another series you haven’t started yet?”

The kid pondered on the question but ultimately just shrugged his shoulders and let out a yawn, resting his eyes in the process. They sat in silence. Kakashi stared around the room and all the gifts that decorated it. Neji was far more popular than he thought. The tables were littered with get well cards and flower bouquets. A box of picked-over chocolate sat abandoned on the dresser but he had an inkling that Neji wasn’t the culprit. He turned back to the boy. Man, did he look rough. Hard to believe this was the same kid who nearly kicked Naruto’s ass earlier this year. Honestly, even Kakashi was shocked to see his student win. 

“Naruto asked about you this morning. He was sparring with Lee and was wondering when he could stop by again.” Neji opened his eyes, clearly awaiting more details. “I told him and Sakura to join Lee and Tenten next time they visit.”

The kid just nodded and went back to closing his eyes. Another awkward silence passed and Kakashi was at a loss for words. It wasn’t like he expected the boy to be as talkative as Naruto, but he was hoping to have some conversation with him. He turned back, about to ask what Gai normally did to pass the time but Neji grunted, jerking forward into a tighter ball. The hand that was resting next to his pillow jumped to his head, squeezing his skull and gripping his hair. Neji let out a drawn out wince so high pitched it could’ve shattered glass. He sucked in a shaky breath and pressed his palms into his eyes. 

Panic ripped through Kakashi as he instinctively slammed the call button.
“Shit. Shit. Shit.”

He bent down to Neji’s eye level and stroked his back gently, “How can I help? What can I do?”

The kid hiccupped between gasps, desperate to shove away pain. Kakashi retracted his hand. Maybe he was making things worse. The kid started hyperventilating, releasing more despondent moans with every exhale. 

“What happened?” He heard a voice call from the door frame. Kakashi turned to see a Hyuga nurse bustling over to the bed with Lady Shizune trailing just behind her, instinctively flipping on the lights as she entered. Thankfully, Neji was too busy throwing his face into the pillow to notice. 

“I-I don’t know. We were just talking and all of sudden his head started hurting.” Kakashi said, relieved that he no longer had to be in charge. He never was the best at medical emergencies. It was admittedly a relief when Sakura stepped in whenever Naruto decided to do something reckless.

The nurse jumped into action, running out of the room and returning shortly with a bowl and a towel. Meanwhile Shizune hovered a green hand over Neji’s forehead, providing the kid with a hint of relief. The nurse appeared next to him and slowly laid a damp washcloth across his forehead. To Kakashi’s horror, it actually sizzled when it made contact with the rag. What the hell were the Hyugas doing to their own kind?

It took almost ten minutes to calm Neji back down to a muted whine. The poor kid was white as a ghost and shivering like a dog in the rain. Shizune hovered her hand over Neji’s shoulder, summoning another high pitched whimper. A nurse placed his arm back in the sling. His breaths came in shallow, labored puffs. They traded out the nasal cannula for an oxygen mask at some point during the ordeal but it didn’t seem to be helping.

“Neji?”Shizune asked, but only received a sullen moan, “On a scale from 1-10, how much pain are you in?” he whispered.

“T-ten,” he coughed.

“Do you think you’re going to be sick?”

She received an affirmative grunt that immediately whisked the pair of medics into action. 

“Nurse Hiro?”

“I’m on it.” 

She briskly rushed out the door leaving Shizune behind to slowly pull Neji into a reclined sitting position. An action that earned her a sad, disapproving whine.

 “I know. I wouldn’t be doing this if it didn’t help you, I promise,” the doctor cooed.

Neji instinctively brought a hand over his mouth. Kakashi retracted as the boy gagged, desperate to hold it in. 

Nurse Hiro rushed back in with a metal bowl in just the knick of time. Vomit spewed into the container as he coughed up stomach acid and water. His chest heaved with every gasp. Kakashi’s heart broke when he saw the tears slowly rolling down his cheeks and dangling from his chin. Adrenaline was vibrating through his frail frame, spending any pent up energy the kid had to spare. Neji collapsed into the pile of pillows and returned to his curled up position on his side.

“What…happened?” Kakashi was dumbfounded. 

“Post Traumatic Activation Pain. It’s a little like phantom pain,” Shizune replied. 

She tutted over Neji as the nurse continued, “It’s the result of the Hyuga Curse Mark being activated for so long.  It’s an illegal practice now but continuous use of the seal for longer than a minute can cause the person to experience horrible migraines reminiscent of activation.” She helped move Neji back into a restful sleeping position, cradling his head with a feather-like touch. “I know it looks bad, but he’ll be alright.”

“Can’t you give him some more medicine? For the pain?”

Shizune scribbled something on Neji’s chart as she spoke, “Technically, yes, but he actually asked us to lower the dosage.”

“What?!”

 “The opioids combined with his migraine attacks make him sick. And he suffered a grade three concussion a month ago. It’s overwhelming. We’ve lowered it just enough to keep him from being nauseous.”

“Are they always that bad?”

“Nurse Hiro will have a better answer than me,” She gestured to the Hyuga.

“Not typically, but this is a unique case. Most activations are reportedly less than thirty seconds. Sudden intense migraines are expected. He’s doing a lot better, and they’ll go away. This was just a bad one.” Hiro replaced the warm rag with a fresh one and slowly cleaned Neji’s tear-stained face. 

The poor kid could barely hold his head up. Hiro whispered sweet nothings as she brushed back his hair and lulled her kin to sleep.

“At least he can finally get some rest.” Hopefully there were more brightsides to this than just that, but sleep was definitely a very good thing. 

Hiro nodded with a smile as she placed a cool washcloth over Neji’s eyes, “He might be a bit confused when he wakes up. Just try to keep him calm until he gathers his bearings.”

 She pulled the blankets high over the kid’s shoulders and bowed before exiting. Shizune placed the chart back into its slot and studied Neji’s curse mark. Kakashi was no expert on the Hyuga seal but it did seem surprisingly green. Though, maybe that was just the glow from her palm as she fed chakra into the seal.

“I’m glad you were able to get Gai to finally leave. He’s been here for nearly two days straight. I thought I’d have to admit him myself,” Shizune said, shooting Kakashi a playful smirk.

“I don’t think he needed much convincing. He needed a break…has his aunt and uncle visited?” The question crossed his mind earlier but he never had a chance to ask until now.

“They were here when he was in surgery and stayed for about thirty minutes after to check in on him.”

Kakashi waited for Shizune to continue but she had nothing else to add, “Have they come by since?”

“I’m afraid not. Lord and Lady Hyuga are busy people.”

Busy? Kakashi wasn’t even related to Neji and yet he found time to visit between missions, training, and teaching. Maybe they saw Neji in full distress and couldn’t stomach the misery they brought upon their own kin. Their own nephew . He bet Hiashi was sitting at home right now with a cup of chai, enjoying the sunset. Best to bury your guilt than to accept the inhumanity of your actions, right? 

“With luck, he’ll sleep through the night. His migraine episodes are far less frequent and he’s completely exhausted. Please don’t stay overnight like Gai. Neji is in good hands.” Shizune checked the monitors one last time and waved her goodbye.

“Don’t worry, I’ll leave before visiting hours end,” he waved back.

When the door closed in front of him, Kakashi let out a much needed sigh of relief. Neji was thankfully in a deep sleep. At least that’s how his slack face made it seem. 

He drummed his fingers against the bed railing. Visiting hours ended in about three hours. Waiting until then to leave was the least he could do. But it was also a painfully long time to be sitting quietly in a dark room. How the hell did Gai of all people do it for two days straight? His best friend really was a better man than him. 

His eye fell on the book resting on the bedside table. No point in waiting for Neji to read it if he’d already read it twice. Plus, he was already a third of the way through the other book resting under it. Even if he did want to read the book again, he’d have to finish his first book before he could start the next. 

He picked it up and flipped on the lamp, turning it so as little light reached Neji’s face as possible. Surely the kid wouldn’t mind if he read the first couple of chapters.

Chapter Text

He was swaddled in warmth. A deliciously soft cloud enveloped him, sinking him deeper and deeper into its comforting embrace. If only that murmuring would go away, then this would be heaven. And that odd puff of air that kept bouncing off his forehead. Someone should turn off the wind. And the sun. It was way too bright even with his eyes closed. 

“Naruto, don’t stand so close, you’ll wake him up.”

“Good! He’s been asleep all day.”

“Stop it! He hasn’t gotten any proper rest in days, let him sleep.”

“Oh really? And how would you know?”

“Lady Tsunade told me herself!”

`“Calm down Sakura. They wouldn’t let us visit if he wasn’t rested enough,” an indifferent, third voice graveled. 

God damn it. What were his friends doing in Heaven?  What was the point of dying for his teammates if they were just gonna end up here with him?  With all the strength he could muster, he pried open his eyes and immediately retreated under the covers. Heaven was blinding ! Why would they put it so close to the sun!? 

“He is awake!”

“Oh my God, Lee, could you at least try to use an inside voice?” the first voice reprimanded.

“Hey Neji,” a familiar tone danced across his ears, “You can come out now, I turned off the lights.”

Tenten . 

With the dexterity of a sloth and the endurance of a slug, he pulled his head out from its hiding place and blinked blearily around the room. He must’ve looked as bewildered as he felt because the room fell silent and five sets of eyes were staring back at him with anxious uncertainty. He blinked back, blissfully unaware of the stifling silence.

It made the group chuckle. He shot them a quizzical look, “Whatsooo funny?” He drew out.

“Dunno, why don’t you tell us?” Shikamaru smirked, “You’re the one smiling like the Cheshire cat.”

Oh. He didn’t want his friends to mistake him for a cat. He snapped his face back into what felt normal. 

“How are you?” Tenten smiled at him. He liked her smile. It was warm, like a blanket.

“Mmmm floating.”

Naruto burst into a fit of laughter, earning him a much deserved punch from Sakura, “Ow! I’m sorry, but that was hilarious. Kakashi-Sensei said you were on a lot of drugs but dude, you’re stoned !...Neji? Helloooo, I’m talking to you!”

A jolt ran through him and he refocused his attention. What was Naruto even saying? Neji refocused on the blonde. Oh, he was still talking. He better listen closely. Neji tried honing in on Naruto’s words but the collar of his jacket stole his concentration. Doesn’t he get hot in that? Maybe it was lightly lined. Or the inside was really breathable cotton. Or satin. Or silk. No, Naruto didn’t look like he knew how to clean silk. 

“Helloo! Earth to Neji!”

Whoops.

He blinked in Naruto’s direction, earning him an exasperated sigh from the younger boy.

“He kinda has a point, Neji. You seem really high,” Tenten replied sheepishly.

“Hi,” he waved. 

Tenten blinked back at him, “...That’s not what I meant, but yes, hello, it’s good to see you too,” she chuckled. Does your head hurt?” 

“Nuh-uh.” His head bobbed from side to side. How could his head hurt when he had the world’s softest pillow hugging him from ear to ear? 

“That’s great! Gai-Sensei said you’d be feeling a lot better. I guess he’s right every now and then, huh?”

“Tenten! Do not talk about our teacher like that! Gai-Sensei is always right!” Lee bellowed from the other side of the bed. 

Lee! His friend! His teammate! Neji turned the other direction to see his green-clad comrade staring up at the ceiling defiantly with tears rolling down his cheeks as his monologue went on. 

“Leeeeeeeee!” He cheered, reaching his hand out to poke the other boy's face. 

“Hello Neji! It is so splendid to see you in high spirits. Gai-Sensei has been giving us updates on your health but it is much better to see you in person.”

“Gai-Sensei?” Neji slurred.

“He’s out on a mission with Kakashi-Sensei,” Sakura chimed in from the foot of the bed. 

“They’ve been training us together, and since they’re both gone, we thought we’d stop by. Are you gonna eat that?” Naruto pointed to the untouched lunch tray at the foot of the bed.

“Naruto!”

“What?”

“Nuh-uh,” replied Neji. 

Truthfully he was too dizzy to eat. He remembered this exact feeling from just a few weeks ago. It was an unsettling blend of light-headedness and vertigo. Gravity worked against him. His brain was floating up like a balloon but his body was pressing him down into the mattress like a paper weight. It wasn’t a completely unpleasant experience but it did make him nauseous. Thankfully, the other side effects of the drugs made staying still a very  blissful experience. 

“Hell yeah!” Naruto cheered, already inhaling the stale sandwich and unopened pudding cup. 

Tenten gave him a worried look. She should try his drugs. They seemed to be doing the trick for him. 

“I ran into them on my way out from visiting Choji.” Shikamaru’s voice grumbled from across the room. 

Choji? Choji! How could he forget about Choji!? His friend who risked his life so he could escape! “Chooojeeee,” he said, the infliction he intended not quite reaching his mouth. 

“He’s alright. He was released from the hospital a little over a week ago. He’s on bed rest until he can gain back some more weight though. It’s such a drag. He’s been worried about you though, so he’ll probably laugh when he hears just how completely baked you are right now.”

“Sucha drrrraaagh…” 

“Exactly,” Shikamaru smirked, “Seriously though, I’m really, really glad you’re okay. And…I’m sorry. For everything…”

“Is…rrright!” Neji replied with a lazy attempt at a thumbs up. 

“Yeah Shikamaru, you gotta drop it. None of us are gonna blame you for what happened. Right, Neji?” Naruto yawned.

“Mmmm-hm.” He wasn’t sure what he was agreeing to, but he nodded along anyway.

“Damn, I wish I was on what you were on,” Shikamaru replied with raised eyebrows. 

Well that was an easy fix! Neji lifted up his arm with the IV port and dangled it in front of the chunin.

 “No, no you keep it. Enjoy it for the both of us.”

“Neji! We have splendid news! The nurses say you can be released from the hospital as early as next week!”

Released? No more uncomfortable hospital beds? No more painful surgeries? He’d been dreaming of his own bed for weeks! And he was about to sleep in it again! This was splendid news! He was going to be released! Best to get dressed for the walk home. He didn’t want to waste anymore of the nurses' time. That would be rude. 

He pulled himself up into a sitting position with a bit of help from Lee, then threw the blankets to the side as he maneuvered his legs over the ledge of the mattress. The floor was cold under his socked feet. Funny, he didn’t remember putting socks on, but he was glad that he did. The icy tiles were biting at his heels but the socks kept the sting at bay, especially as he redistributed his weight onto shaky legs.

“WOOAAAH!” 

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“No, no, no, not yet.”

Hard, tough chakra webbing plastered his limbs and torso. He tried to pull away but the harder he tugged, the more entangled he got. Then suddenly, something brushed by his ear. 

“ NO. ”

He was trapped. Sticky webbing constricted his every move. His throat was closing up. How did Kidomaru cut off his oxygen? He had mere moments to escape, but what was there to do!?

“Are you okay?”

That was rich. Here he was, trapped in yet another one of his intricate traps and the sound-nin had the audacity to ask if he was okay ? What sick game was he playing? Suddenly, he was swept off his feet, and yet he didn’t fall. The harder he kicked, the stronger the webbing bit back. He was a pathetic little fly, awaiting its final moments. Another net of webbing strangled his middle like a punch to the gut. 

“Don’t let him fall!”

“Lee! Be careful with him!”

A clone jutsu!?  

He looked up at the face looming over his shoulder expecting the insidious spider to be sneering down on him but instead it was Lee. His friend. His team. His eternal rival. He should be relieved, but Lee would never be so cruel as to entrap Neji in a charka-encased webbing. No. It was just another one of Kidomaru’s games! 

“Neji! Neji! Stop fighting, it’s just me. It’s Tenten. Look. It’s me. It’s just me” He swung his head from side to side, desperate to see where Kidomaru had hidden her. “Hey, hey, hey, look. Look, I’m right in front of you.” But the attempts to assuage him were mute. How was he able to make two different clones? How did he even know what his teammates looked like!?

With all his strength, Neji activated his Byakugan and jabbed a Gentle Fist into the webbing.

“Ow!”

“Everyone stop!”

Neji froze, completely out of control of his own body. He tried desperately to shove air down his throat but his lungs mechanically fought against him, forcing him to back away from the panic attack building at the back of his throat.

“Neji. It’s Shikamaru. You’re in the hospital. You’re okay. Look at me. Good. I’ve got you in a shadow lock so you don’t hurt yourself. Okay?” 

Shikamaru. Yes, that was definitely Shikamaru. His chakra network confirmed it. His eyes shifted down and saw not webbing pulling him down to the earth, but arms holding his body up. 

“You were hyperventilating, so I’m also controlling your breath.”

Ah, that made sense.

“Are you feeling better?”

All he could manage was a timid nod.

“Good. I’m glad. But, you gotta get back in bed, okay? You’re still in rough shape.”

Neji blinked, taking one more look around the room. Naruto and Lee were clutching his side and shoulders with a firm but gentle squeeze.  Tenten was standing in front of him and slightly to the left, next to Lee. She had that scared look in her eye. He hated that look. It meant he hadn’t done enough to make her feel safe. Sakura was standing cautiously next to Shikamaru at the foot of the bed, uncertain how to react herself. They were all…staring at him?

Oh.  

He had another episode. And in front of his teammates of all people. His face burned red, now suddenly very aware of the fit he just had, and deactivated his Byakugan. His mouth went dry. His tongue was just a lump of clay trapped behind his teeth. The room was eerily quiet. Five sets of eyes tracked his every breath and suddenly, he realized he was meant to answer Shikamaru.

He nodded robotically and allowed his friends to sit him back down on the bed. “Mmm sorry,” he coughed, “I..I thought…I mmmean sometimes my head–”

“It’s okay.” Tenten’s hand rested on his own, forgiving him for the way he just acted.

He nodded, desperate to wipe the embarrassing memory from everyone’s minds along with this suffocating moment of silence that seemed to drag on and on and on.

“You shoulda seen me when I woke up!” cried Naruto, as he leaped over the railing and flopped into a cross-legged seat at the end of the bed. “Kakashi-Sensei said I was fighting back harder than I do during training.”

“It was kinda scary,” Sakura agreed as she dragged a chair closer to her and relaxed into its seat.

“Have you two ever witnessed Lee’s ‘drunken fists’? It took Gai-Sensei and Neji to restrain him. And now we’re banned from the restaurant.” Tenten rolled her eyes at Lee. She loved the restaurant the most. Neji still feels horrible for failing to convince the owner to only ban him and the two other men on his team, but to let Tenten continue to patron there. 

Tenten took out her origami paper and got to work on her two hundred-and-fifty-first crane.

“Oh yes. That was not one of my finer moments!” Lee replied sheepishly, joining Naruto at the end of the mattress.

“Honestly, painkillers are great but the side effects are such a drag,” said Shikamaru as he started to set up a game of Shogi. “It’s about time you woke up. These guys barely know how to play, let alone play well. I need a real challenge.”

Life breathed back into the room as his friends settled into a comfortable pattern of banter, conversation, and mindless chatter. He let out a breath that he didn’t realize he was holding in and allowed his shoulders to relax. A small, grateful smile escaped him when he thought no one was looking. 

How lucky was he? His friends were wonderful.

Chapter Text

***Go Read the Chapter Notes First! ***

He stared down his opponent. Eyebrows furrowing together with the familiar sensation of triumph and arrogance accenting his features. He panted, hard, his chest rattling with every pained breath, but he refused to show any signs of weakness. He could tell his opponent was fading fast. The man in front of him tried his best to hold a strong front but they both knew his heart would give out any minute. It wasn’t long before he coughed, hacking up blood with every forced gasp of air before finally allowing his body to fall limp on the forest floor.

Neji kept his guard up, unwavering from his position for twenty breaths, not fully convinced Kidomaru was dead. When he assessed the Sound-nin to truly be gone, he dropped his gaze, relaxed his face, and allowed his head to hang from his shoulders. He remained shakily balanced on his hands and knees, too weak to pull himself to his feet. Pain coursed through his body like electricity through a circuit.

“ God this hurts,” He thought, eyes squeezing shut and teeth grinding against each other as he tried desperately to will away the pain, “If Tenten were here she would’ve had some –”  

His eyes snapped open, falling deathly still as he did his best to focus his kekkai genkai on the third tree directly behind him and slightly to his right. His vision pulsed in and out of focus, in rhythm with the throbbing of his head. It made it hard to focus, but he could tell someone was moving behind the branches. With all his might, Neji shifted his weight off his hands, leaning back on his knees in an attempt to ready himself into a fighting position. Sitting in the middle of a field bloodied and injured without even the energy to pick himself up wasn’t exactly an intimidating sight. He had to admit, he looked pretty pathetic. He pushed the thought to the side, preparing for an ambush. “Come on damn it. Show yourself. I can’t hold myself up for much longer,” he thought, desperately trying to still his trembling body as a minute slowly ticked by. He snapped himself out of the thought and prepared for an attack when the rustling of the leaves picked up again. Suddenly a bird flew out from the trees. Neji let out a sigh of relief as he relaxed his byakugan, chuckling to himself, “ of course it was that stupid eighth bird I couldn’t see earlier.” He smiled, watching the bird soar up towards the sun.

With the threat suppressed, and his adrenaline drained, his attention snapped back to the injuries plaguing his body. White hot, debilitating pain shot up and down his left arm with every breath. The slightest movements caused unfathomable anguish in his side that stung hard and fast but ebbed away slowly. The agony from the two arrow assaults was so great he could barely even feel the wind biting at the stab wounds on his back. It was truly the worst physical pain he’d ever been in. Worse than the time Lee broke his arm, worse than the time he took a kunai to the leg for Tenten while on a mission, even worse than the time his own grandfather activated his cursed seal when he was eight. And yet, despite the life-threatening injuries, all he could focus on was his damn migraine. “ God, my head hurts,” he muttered to himself trying to concentrate his attention on the blades of grass below him. His vision was blurring in and out of focus and he couldn’t tell if the caterpillar near his knee was alone or amongst three others. Or was it two?  Four? Was there even a caterpillar there? The thought was too much and made him feel sick. He thought concentrating on one spot would help steady his sight but the nausea that had been lingering in the depths of his stomach violently rose to his throat, forcing Neji forward.

He fell, catching himself on his hands, and expelled the contents of his stomach. He dry-heaved again and again, wishing he could stop. The forced contractions inflamed the injury in his side, aggravating the open wound with every spasm.  He lost track of time, he could’ve been like this for seconds or hours, he wasn’t sure. The world blurred. When did he lurch on to his side? Wasn’t he sitting up? He slowly began to relax as the episode came to a shaky end and remained still, taking note of his senses in a desperate attempt to ground himself. Bitter stomach acid blanketed his tongue. Oxygen scratched against his throat with every breath. His lips trembled and teeth chattered, still in shock from the violent attack. The lump in his throat fought back when he forcibly swallowed. He winced. How could the aftermath of vomiting be worse than the actual action? Using his breathing as a metronome, he was able to calm himself back down, hanging his head in the process.  He was exhausted. And now that his fit was over, his attention shifted to his shoulder. The impact of his bad arm catching his weight finally caught up to his sluggish mind and forced a cry out of him as blood dripped from his mouth and chest. He stared down, entranced by the bloody spit dribbling from his lips and onto the grass already stained with his bile. “This can’t be good,” he thought, as his throbbing brain tried to piece together what had just happened. So many things were wrong right now even his reactions to pain were delayed. With his good arm, Neji pushed himself on to his back and reached over to his left shoulder to properly assess the damage. He winced when his hand made contact but continued with the inspection. He cautiously grazed his hand over the wound, but didn’t dare to apply pressure, knowing it’d hurt too much. When he retracted his arm, he was faced with warm blood congealing in the crevices of his skin, coating his palm with the sticky substance. He absently brought his hand back down to the ground, wiping the blood on a clean patch of grass as he tried to slowly shake away the headache. How could he possibly hear a migraine? He couldn’t decide what hurt more, his head or his shoulder. A bird chirped above him, causing a high-pitched ringing in his ears. He clenched his teeth, squeaking the enamel against itself. It was his head, he decided. The percussion ensemble banging around in his brain hurt much worse than the agony in his shoulder, at least for the moment. He blinked his eyes open, the thought reminding him that he was bleeding out. “I’m going to die,” he chuckled to himself, “I’m bleeding out and yet a little headache is what I’m most worried about. Gai-sensei probably has some stupid life lesson about our youthful minds and- wait stop that. You have to focus on the situation at hand. Don’t let your mind wander...”

Neji hacked up blood again, mesmerized by its slow drip out the corner of his mouth. It was oddly calming. He should’ve been concerned. He needed to move. He was a sitting duck in the middle of an open clearing and everything he’d ever learned between his father, the academy, Gai-sensei, and basic common sense told him to snap out of it and move . He needed to stop the bleeding and start heading back towards Konoha. Most importantly, he needed to get out of there , because if the blood loss didn’t kill him, a passing enemy ninja definitely would. And yet he couldn’t. His head just hurt too much to even lift it from the ground. 

“Come....on,” he coughed. God, even his own voice brought a ringing to his ears, “Ge-get up.” He struggled to pull the words from his sore throat, blinking with every slurred syllable to try and focus his attention. He groaned. The sunlight hurt his eyes and the rustling of the tree branches sounded like nails on a chalkboard. He looked around, or as far as his direct eyesight would let him see without moving his head. What was he doing again? He couldn’t remember, but it must’ve been important. His eyes lazily trailed their way back to the blood dripping from his lip, transfixed on the small puddle forming below him. He blinked, remembering again. “Come on, idiot. Get up.” How could he have forgotten he was dying ? Who forgets that they are dying ? Was the blood loss making him delusional or was his concentration getting worse? He willed himself to close his eyes, fireworks sounding off behind his lids as he tried to block out the distractions around him. He held this position for maybe fifteen seconds, swaying and trembling with every heartbeat before forcing his eyes open and retching bloodied stomach acid on to the ground again. His head was definitely to blame. Migraines were nothing new. They were actually quite common for the Hyuga, especially amongst those considered “naturally gifted”. And when it came to naturally gifted Hyuga, Neji was the cream of the crop, so his migraines tended to come often and leave slowly. It was nothing more than an unfortunate byproduct of their infamous eyes, but Neji could tell this pain right now was something much more severe. “Concussion. Grade 3...probably,” he deduced, thinking back to every time Kidomaru sent him flying backwards until his head and back were forcibly slammed against the trunk of a tree.

His breathing was becoming more and more labored. It was no longer involuntary, having to remind himself to release the air in his lungs every few seconds. He knew his body would give out any minute now and the thought terrified him. Panic began to set in as he felt wind blow over the blood rolling down his back causing him to shiver. He forgot about the stab wounds running along his spine, and the reality of his situation came full force when the wind danced playfully across the rivets of blood, tickling his skin and biting where the kunais marked him. This wasn’t just a single injury he was dealing with, it was eight . “Gai-sensei would kill me if he knew I pulled out those kunai. Idiot,” he thought, picturing a stream of blood trickling down his spine, “ and now you’re going to die because of it. ” He’d hate to admit it, not like there was anyone around to tell his secret too, but he was scared . He didn’t want to die. They tell you all your life that the greatest honor a shinobi can earn is dying for his or her village, but fuck that . He was barely thirteen! He’d just made things right with Hinata. His uncle was teaching him main house jutsus. Lee was beginning to train again. Hell, even Gai-sensei seemed less annoying recently. Things were good . If Naruto was right and fate was really something he could choose, then Neji was choosing not to die, but the puddle of blood and bile growing beneath him seemed to tell him differently. If he could just get up , he thought, gritting his teeth and willing his legs to move. But it was no use. He was spent. His chakra long gone.

Neji’s mind began to wander again, and his body grew cold as his wounds seemed to numb. The banging in his head dulled slowly, lulling him into a trance. Maybe this wasn’t so bad. He could just stay here in the numbing bliss of blood loss until his body finally gave out. It’d be like falling asleep, he tried to convince himself, but with the added bonus of disillusionment preoccupying his mind. He slowly began to close his eyes and take in the feel of the earth beneath his palms. He sluggishly blinked his eyes open again when he felt an odd substance under his fingers. He focused on the spot and cautiously moved his hand further into the unidentified object, trying to make sense of the lukewarm, lumpy liquid coating the grass. He blanched. Immediately picking up his hand and wiping it on the clear patch of grass to his right. It was his vomit. He may have been dying, but he still had the mental capacity to know that he did not want to die with his arms elbow deep in his own vomit. The disgust alone recharged his will to live enough to slowly crawl to his left. He must’ve looked pathetic, he thought.  Thank God, the only other person around was already dead, otherwise he’d probably die of embarrassment before the damage done to his body could kill him.

Finally, Neji came to a stop. He wanted to believe it was because he decided that five feet was enough space between him and the puddle of sick, but really, he just couldn’t move anymore. His lips trembled, teeth chattering with every breath. His vision was no longer ebbing in and out of focus, it just remained blurred with blackness eating at the edges. And with one final breath, he collapsed. Eyes closing shut as he allowed the sweet bliss of emptiness consume his mind. His body shook as the shock of his injuries finally settled down until he finally laid still.

oOoOoOo

It was a relentless prodding that woke him up. Well, “woke up” was a very generous term. He was really in a state of limbo. Not quite unconscious, but not completely awake either, just teetering on the edge of cognizance. Regardless of what state he was in, he was aware enough to be annoyed by the excessive touching. He hated being touched, and right now the culprit was not only violating his personal space but putting him in excruciating pain. A cool, damp cloth gently glided over his chest, leaving behind a stinging sensation as it moved. He whimpered, contorting his face into a pitiful grimace. He just wanted to be left alone but the roaming hands had other plans. He was slowly lifted and rolled away from the hands so that he was resting on his side. The cloth rolled over his back, exposing his injuries to the biting autumn air. He heard a man yell a name but he couldn’t make out what it was. Everything he heard was muffled and distorted but that voice sounded familiar.

He was returned to his resting position on his back. The hands leaving him alone for a moment before returning full force, this time applying pressure to the hole in his side, pinning him down to prevent escape, not that he could’ve run either way. The pain was unbearable, even in his semi-conscious state. He whimpered again, desperate to put an end to the mutiny. If they were going to kill him, he wished they would just get it over with already. Hadn’t he suffered enough? Why drag it on any longer? Fear rattled in his chest as his concussed mind imagined dozens of scenarios. What if Kidomaru was toying with him again? What if he’d never died and was waiting for Neji to pass out just so he could torment him to the very end? What if this was his plan all along? He did mention he liked to play with his prey. God, he was foolish to think a man like Kidomaru could die so easily. He couldn’t even move while in this catatonic state, completely vulnerable to the attacker’s actions. He was beginning to hyperventilate. He’d nearly knocked himself out until the feel of soft cotton rolling across his torso and behind his back broke him from the panic attack. Confused, he reassessed his situation, this time hearing a mysterious second voice. The words were still muffled but clearer than before. He focused as best as his fogged-up mind would allow and picked up a choppy sentence, “...arrow twice...kunai...the back...lost...blood... infected...hospital...first aid...”

Ah, so they were medics. Hopefully they were from the leaf, he thought as his PTSD episode faded out. Now that he was getting help he let his guard down and began to relax, basking in the healing touch of the medic. That is, at least until the hands moved to his shoulder. Pain fired off from the wound, shooting shockwaves off in every direction. He could feel his bones being crushed. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t concentrate. The fear of Kidomaru pinning him down again came back full force. He tried with all his might to pull away but the best he could do was cough up blood in protest. The two bodiless voices abruptly stopped their conversation. He wheezed, hacking up more blood. He began to hyperventilate again. He didn’t like this. He didn’t like this at all. Kidomaru was toying with him, tricking him into submission just to torture him again when he let his guard down. He just wanted to escape, but instead was reduced to pathetically gasping for breath and coughing up blood on every exhale.

“Neji!” He heard the voice above him shout, “No Neji, stay with me. Stay strong. You’re going to be okay, just breathe .” That voice. He knew that voice. He collected himself, calming down. He felt a damp cloth wipe across his face, clearing his mouth of the blood. With his breathing back under control, he felt the bandages tightly bind themselves to his chest and around his shoulder. The pain was still earth shattering though, whoever this medic was, clearly didn’t know their own strength. The voices continued their conversation. From what Neji could make out, the one patching him up would take him to a hospital while the other would continue forward. The two fell silent after that, perhaps the one had already left? He wasn’t sure. If he had, he missed the goodbye, too wrapped up in his own world of anguish and mind fog to listen for it.

The person above him continued with the bandages. Thankfully, they were done with the two holes in his torso and moved on to the injuries he almost forgot he had. His right arm burned as the hands applied a disinfectant to the gruesome cut he’d received at the beginning of the battle and tightly bound the sheets of cotton around his forearm. Finally, the hands pulled away, letting him rest for the moment. He was exhausted all over again and he hadn’t even done anything except lay there. He was beginning to fade back into the dark abyss of his mind when he felt a slight prick in the crease of his elbow. The pain quickly dissipated, not by much, but even the smallest dosage of morphine was a welcomed break to his aching body. With the pain dulled, he was ready more than ever to slip back into nothingness. But the medic had different plans. Neji was lifted into his arms, jostling him lightly in the process. His face twisted in protest, groaning in discomfort before finding solace in the man’s strong arms, an uncommon trait for a med-nin, he noted. He started to drift off again, barely catching the end of his savior’s sentence, “...You’re a fighter, you can do this.” Neji’s head fell forward, his chin resting against his chest as all his senses faded out, “ Hn, that’s something Sensei always says to us.”

oOoOoOo

         It wasn’t exactly a smooth trip. Between the exhaustion, concussion, and drug induced stupor, Neji did a pretty decent job of phasing out the bumps and rough landings, but the little bit of morphine administered to him earlier was wearing off. He wasn’t sure how long they’d been traveling when he started to be more aware of his surroundings again. The journey was starting to really take a toll on him when, thankfully, the man yelled a name Neji knew all too well but couldn’t quite place, “Kakashi!” He knew he heard that name before. It was painfully familiar to him but he couldn’t quite recall why. Suddenly they were descending, or maybe falling? God, he hoped they weren’t falling. He’d had enough injuries for one day he really didn’t want anymore. Fortunately, they both landed expertly, yet abrasively, only a few feet below. Neji groaned, this medic really didn’t understand the term gentle at all. He listened as the two men spoke.

"Gai, is that..."

"Yeah," The other voice muttered, clearly distraught, "He needs medical attention immediately. Please tell me you’ve requested the medical corps."

"Tsunade-sama said she would send them out shortly after I left. Where's Pakkun?"

"I told him to go on with the mission, but I'd send you his way."

Gai. Gai-Sensei had found him. Not a medic, but his sensei. Pieces started clicking together. While he was surprised that he didn’t recognize it immediately, he wasn’t shocked to learn that his rescuer was his teacher. In all honesty, Gai’s actions and rough first aid techniques made much more sense than a second-rate medic-nin. He was a bit too strong for his own good and didn’t quite have the gentle yet firm hand of a medic. But beside all of that, Neji was admittedly relieved it was Gai who found him and not a complete stranger, not that he’ll ever tell him that. He felt immature for even thinking about it, but there was something comforting about being with someone familiar when you were hurting, and right now Neji was in the worst pain of his life. And of course, if the man carrying him was Gai then the man he called out to earlier was, “ Kakashi. Gai-sensei’s rival. That’s why I recognized the name.” He felt idiotic for not realizing who these people were earlier, but he was going to blame it on the concussion and blood loss.

Distracted with his own thoughts, Neji missed the second half of their conversation, but he could tell they had made plans. Whatever the matter was, it must’ve been serious enough for Gai to be talking so quietly. He’d heard him talk like this only once before, when Lee was gravely injured by Gaara, so Neji knew whatever they were discussing was not good. Frankly, it was ominous hearing Gai speak so soberly. It meant he was serious. Gai. Serious. It was oxymoronic. No youthful lessons, no bright sides, no jokes and light-hearted learning. Just a grim, tight lipped frown with knitted eyebrows and an uncanny stillness to his being. Neji could feel it in Gai’s grip on him. Gai was angry, or maybe worried? Why would he be worried though? He dug through the clutter of his mind to make sense of Gai’s attitude when it clicked. The others. Right. If he barely defeated Kidomaru, who knows how the others are. He could’ve kicked himself. How did he forget he was on a mission? With teammates? And he just left them! Hn, some teammate he was.

“Gai, it’s just a mission. He’s your student and he needs you more than ever right now. You need to get him back to Konoha and you need to stay with him. You’d never forgive yourself if you ran back to aid a mission and while you were gone he... well.”

         Oh, that’s right. Kidomaru beat him to a pulp. He didn’t leave his team, he chose to stay behind. God these injuries were really doing a number on him, he could barely remember something that happened literally this afternoon. He could hardly focus long enough to even find the pieces to the puzzle, let alone solve it.

         “Thank you, Kakashi. I... I appreciate it,” he heard Gai mumble.

         And they were off again, but this time every bump was more pronounced than the last. Gai really didn’t understand the term “gentle” did he? Every time they launched off a branch, lightning flashed up and down his arm. Why did his arm hurt? Was it broken? Did he dislocate it? He really couldn’t remember. He didn’t recall any damage done to it, but it wasn’t like he was in the right headspace to think clearly. Headspace. Head. His head was throbbing. And worse than ever. All he wanted was to sleep. Completely. As in, no thoughts, just sweet, sweet silent bliss. But he couldn’t. Or at least, he knew he shouldn’t. Concussion, blood loss, and life-threatening injuries were big, bright, red flags for someone wanting to sleep. If his body gave in, and he passed out, he might never wake up again, and that whole mental monologue of his from earlier would’ve all been for nothing. Therefore, he had to stay alert... But he was so tired. And Gai’s grip was so comforting. And the consistent rock of Gai landing and pushing off of branches was so soothing.  Maybe if he just... stopped... thinking... he would fall into a numbing rest. Not quite asleep, not quite awake, just... inert...

oOoOoOo

         Heat pulled from the smallest corners of his body, collecting in his chest and soothing his aching shoulder. He relished in the blissful pattern the heat traveled in, satisfied in its predictive technique. Intensifying with every breath, the heat grew hotter, sparking a fire, burning his chest, scorching his shoulder. He could feel his skin blistering. He panicked. They were burning him alive! They thought he was dead and were cremating him. Adrenaline took command and forced him forward. His eyes springing open as he desperately tried to make sense of the situation. White surrounded him. The ceiling, the walls, the bed, the sheets, the clothes. He died. He died and somehow weaseled his way into Heaven. Wait no, this was Hell. If it were Heaven his shoulder wouldn’t be searing from the flames of the underworld. And, let’s be honest, who would’ve let him past the pearly gates anyway? He intentionally tried to kill his cousin. Of course, he was in Hell. Neji’s eyes darted around the room, grasping for any information, but all he could see was white. White and that oddly tall green blob in the doorway. Wait, green? He circled back to the splatter of color, his eyes focusing on the blob, just enough for him to make it out to be Gai. He released a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Gai-sensei was a lot of things but nothing that warranted him going to Hell. In fact, out of everyone he knew, he was probably the least likely person to end up there. Him or Hinata, that is. Once, when they were 6 and 7, a wasp stung Hinata on the arm and she couldn’t even bring herself to flick it off of her, let alone kill it. Neji had to do it for her and then she felt bad because she believed it was her fault that the wasp stung her in the first place. Gai on the other hand, as much of a powerhouse as he was, once insisted they take a 2-hour detour on a mission simply because some spiders had made intricate webs between the trees and Gai didn’t want to disturb their work. So, there was no chance Gai would’ve ended up in Hell. Relieved that he hadn’t died and sent to stay with the devil, Neji relaxed slightly and took inventory of the rest of the room, a hospital room, he noted. Half a dozen medics were surrounding him, prodding at him, messing with his limbs. One must’ve settled him back down on the mattress because he found himself staring up at the ceiling and relying on his peripherals to see what was going on. He blinked, trying to make sense of the scene before scrunching his eyes shut. Whatever it was they were doing to his shoulder, it stung. A painful pinch in the crease of his right arm made him flinch. Could the medics not take turns? Why’d they all have to poke at him all at once? A muffled voice sounded off to his left. He could barely hear it, everything and everyone in the room was so damn loud. Why did they have to shout?

“Sweetie?” He heard the sound gurgle. A woman’s head centered itself above his own. “She looks familiar,” Neji slurred inside his mind. Thank God, he could read lips because he could hardly understand her. She sounded like she was underwater.

“Sweetie.”

Oh, that was a bit clearer.

“Can you tell me your name?”

He blinked slowly, digesting her words. She was testing his mental capabilities, making sure he wouldn’t go brain dead before bothering to save his life.

“Nnnn...Ne-eh...Jee,” he slurred, coughing as he finished the second syllable.

The lady nodded, clearly that was good enough for her, “Can you tell me who the Hokage is?”

He took a moment to think. Hokage? How was he supposed to know who they chose? Didn’t the third Hokage just die? Surely they couldn’t pick another so soon. He gave the woman a quizzical look. She looks so familiar. Where is she from? Isn’t she always with Tsunade-sama? What was her name? His mind swam as miscellaneous thoughts bubbled to the surface. Oh! She’s the Hokage’s assistant, I think! So that must mean— “Tsuuu-n-n-na-d-de?” God he stuttered worse than Hinata.

 The medic smiled along with a nod this time. Clearly that was correct. Hn. He was two for two!

 “Who’s your Sensei?” She asked kindly.

That one was easy. He just saw him! Spent from their conversation, Neji weakly smiled and squinted his hazy eyes. He was beginning to feel loopy. He rolled his head forward, his chin lazily resting in the divet of his collar bone, gesturing with his eyes to the tall, green, tree of a man he saw standing in the doorway, worriedly staring back at him.

“Yes, yes that’s right Neji. What’s his name?” She asked patiently, pulling gently at his chin so that his attention was sluggishly brought back to her.

He stared dazedly at her for a moment before allowing his eyes to wander. Neji wanted to look back to the man for the answer but the woman refused to let go of his face. That was alright though, he didn’t need to cheat, he could do this. What was his name again? Name... sensei’s name...sensei...sensei! Wait no, his title was sensei, that wasn’t his name. He thought back to the man’s appearance, tall. Tall and green. With black hair. Oh, that’s right, the man looked just like his teammate. What was his name? Lee? Yes, Lee! Ugh, Lee was loud. Neji didn’t like loud. Which is why Neji didn’t always get along with Lee. Lee always has to yell whenever Gai enters the room. And what for? They saw him every single day. It wasn’t like Gai-sensei disappeared mysteriously months ago and just now revealed himself. He couldn’t even if he tried. He was loud too. Wait. Didn’t the lady ask something about him? He blinked back towards her, she looked worried. What did she want again?

“Neji, sweetie. Do you know the name of your sensei?” She asked slowly, over enunciating the words.

Ohh , that’s right she asked about Gai-sensei.

“Guh–” he coughed, blood splattering his cheeks,  “Gai...” he slurred, letting the letters trickle off his tongue.

She smiled again. She seemed relieved. Neji must’ve done well because now she was petting his hair, and he had to admit, it was soothing. Another hand came into view, wiping a warm washcloth across his face.

 "Very good. Alright, Neji, we're about to take you into surgery okay? I need you to take a deep breath and count backwards from ten."

She pulled back from his line of sight, allowing space for a medic to place an oxygen mask over his trembling lips. When did he get so cold? Warm air had just begun to dance across his mouth when he realized he couldn’t see the lady anymore, nor could he sit up enough to find Gai-sensei. He tried to pull against the weight of gravity and sit up but it hurt too much and his body was too heavy. He felt trapped. And alone. Surrounded by strangers who were hurting him. His mind flooded with images of spiders and arrows and he instinctively held his breath. This was all part of his plan. He could hear Kidomaru pulling back on his bow, preparing for an attack as Neji pathetically tried to fight back against the mysterious weight holding him down.

“Neji!”

He blinked, sucking in a breath. The woman appeared above him again, combing her fingers through his matted hair, soothing his panicked heart and anchoring him back to reality.

“Neji, sweetie. You’re alright. I’m right here. Just take some deep breaths with me okay? Good, good, now let me hear you count back from ten.”

She was so calm and her voice was so soothing, he had no choice but to comply. Mimicking her breaths, he started counting, "T-Ten…N-n-ni-nine…Ei-Eight…S-s-s-sev…." Before he could even finish the fourth number, he’d slipped into a thoughtless slumber.

oOoOoOo

         He heard a faint beep repeat itself over and over. Its rhythmic beat grew in speed ever so slightly as he came too. He barely opened his eyes, only allowing the smallest sliver of silver to peak past his lids. Regardless, it was still enough to hurt his head. A burst of light flooded his vision, consuming his thoughts. He scrunched his eyes closed, shutting it out.

“One moment.”

Oh, there was someone here. He heard a slight shuffling and a distinct click of a light switch flipping off.

“There. That should help,” the voice was monotone but strong.

Trusting the mysterious sound, Neji warily opened his eyes. It took time for him to adjust to the new setting. The first thing he recognized was the invasive nose cannula blowing oxygen down his throat. He didn’t like it. Thinking past the ventilator, he analyzed his surroundings. He was in a hospital room, a bit different from the first one he found himself in. For starters, it was bigger, and much quieter, but most importantly, instead of a team of medics, there was just his uncle sitting by his side. Boy, did he look rough. Hiashi-sama looked like he hadn’t slept in days, disheveled and weary. Very un-Hyuga of him. Oh shit. He was meant to bow when meeting Hiashi-sama. 

Trying to see through the drug induced fog, Neji attempted to sit up, only to collapse under the gentle tap of a palm to his good shoulder.

“Don’t be stupid, Neji. Lay down and rest. You’re in no condition to be moving around.”

He complied, partially out of respect, but mostly out of exhaustion. Truthfully, Neji probably couldn’t lift himself up more than a few inches anyway, and so he gracelessly fell back into the stack of pillows.

Hiashi sighed, leaning back in the chair. His eyelids closed shut as he bowed his head slightly as if in prayer. Neji watched the man hazily. Hiashi had an innate calmness to his being, embedded in him from a lifetime as a Hyuga and years of being a clan head, but this was different. He was at peace. Relishing in the tranquility of the moment, proven by the slightest of smiles tinging his face. Unwilling to ruin his serenity, but dying of thirst, Neji fought back a cough as long as he could but the pent-up tickle had grown into a monstrous scratch against his larynx, banging at the back of his teeth, demanding to be let out. With all his fight drained, he let out a series of rough hacks that rattled the bones in his chest and knocked his cannula in the process. Hiashi broke from his stupor to assess the situation.

“Wha-Water. P-please,” he wheezed out.

“Here, slow, small sips,” Hiashi guided, as he held a cup with a straw in front of Neji. The boy shakily drank, allowing the smallest drops of water to splash on to his tongue. After a few cautious sips, the fire in his throat was extinguished and he relaxed back against the pillows, spent from the small action. Hiashi returned the glass to the side table and walked towards the window on Neji’s left, observing the village from the view.

“Hinata will be back soon. She stepped out to see a teammate of hers, the nin-dog trainer sent out on this suicidal mission with you and the others,” he said, biting caustically on the word ''suicidal”. From that comment alone Neji could tell he was angry, not at him, thankfully, but he wasn’t quite sure who. His first guess fell on the Hokage, as she was the one who assigned the mission and, in the grand scheme of things, is at fault when missions go wrong. However, the Hyuga have always been loyal to all of the village leaders, and, more specifically, Hiashi-sama and Lady Tsunade had a very amicable relationship. Therefore, he suspected Sasuke. The Hyuga and Uchiha had always had a very tense relationship. Up until the Uchiha Clan Massacre, both were very powerful, very large, and very important clans in Konoha, and therefore butted heads often. They disagreed on many subjects, including the Hyuga’s caste system, although Hiashi had to admit, he was never really a fan of it either. However, due to their status in the village, both clans chose to be judgmental, but ultimately benevolent towards each other. “Hanabi wanted to come as well but I thought it was best for her to wait until you’re released from the Intensive Care Unit. She is only 7 after all, we don’t need her petrified of missions before she even gets assigned one. Nonetheless, she sends her regards.”

Neji smiled to himself. For as messed up as the Hyuga Clan was and for all the bullshit he’d dealt with, he had to admit, he really liked his younger cousin. She was strong and feisty but knew how to have fun, even though she’d become excellent at hiding it. Once Neji caught her climbing on top of the roof of their estate, rolling eggs off the edge so that they’d fall on people’s heads. She begged Neji not to tell anyone, nearly driving herself to tears, an insane notion considering there was no way in Hell he was about to tattle on the clan’s heiress. He was grateful for Hiashi’s decision. Hanabi looked up to him, and he really didn’t want her seeing him if he looked even half as bad as he felt. Too worried for the weak croak that might escape his throat if he tried to talk, he opted to respond to Hiashi with a simple, “Hn.”

 Hiashi allowed a moment of silence to pass between them before continuing his thought, “You’ve been in and out of consciousness for 3 and half days. For most of it you had a raging fever of 104º. You gave your doctors quite a scare. They were sure it was brought on by an infection but when tests came back negative, they allowed our medics to run a diagnosis. The jutsu they used to resuscitate you requires hours of constant chakra manipulation through the body, and therefore, given our fighting style, Hyugas tend not to react well to it, and you were in surgery under this jutsu for a record 4 hours and 46 minutes. They theorize that the treatment was the cause.”

“ He consulted with the clan medics. He must’ve been worried.”

“But even that came back inconclusive. Regardless, after two rounds of antibiotics, 3 days of 24-hour monitoring, and a change in medication, your fever started to drop. According to the nurse’s check-in an hour ago, your temperature is now 101.6º. Still concerning, but much less threatening. Hanakai said that all things considered, you’re doing remarkably well for recovery and will hopefully be able to return home to rest in three weeks' time.” He remained fixated on the hustle and bustle of the village on the other side of the window.

“Hanakai? He consulted with the main branch family’s head medic. He really must’ve been worried to get her involved.” Neji mulled the information over in his head. 3 and a half days was a long time to be unconscious. He supposed it would technically be 4 days, if they counted the nearly 5 hour surgery. And a 104º fever was no joke. No wonder he felt like he was hit by a bus. It also explained why he was so cold. He noticed there were at least 3 blankets wrapped around him and yet he still found himself shivering. He supposed a fever could also explain why he was so tired. He assumed it was the result of his injuries and the drugs, but a fever could be aiding it too.

Looking around he could see three different IVs attached to his arms, what they did, he had no clue, but one of them must’ve been pain medication because he was higher than a kite right now and could just barely feel a tinge of pain in his shoulder. The rest of his body was essentially numb, although, if he tried moving he was sure he’d regret it immediately. His hair felt clumpy. A ridiculous thing to fixate on but when you’re known for your well-kempt persona, messy hair is something that would drive you nuts too. He tried to smooth it out with his right arm as best as he could. His left arm was tightly bound from his wrist all the way up to his shoulder and hung limply from a sling, totally out of commission. The bandages continued across his chest and down his torso, ending an inch below his ribs and picking back up a couple of inches above his hip, before finally ending right at his waistband. A faint ache helmeted his head and when he furrowed his brows he felt gauze tickling his forehead. He wasn’t quite sure why they wrapped it, but it covered his curse mark, so he was grateful for the additional bindings. He was picking at the sling, wondering what caused its need, when he realized Hiashi was still talking

.
“–you aware?”

Neji blinked slowly, his mind sluggishly following his eyes that dragged back towards his uncle.

In any other circumstance he would’ve been embarrassed, even afraid of punishment, but his thoughts were moving too slowly to worry about that. He was about to ask him to repeat the question when he heard the door open. Hiashi and Neji both turned their attention to the room’s entrance just in time to see Hinata’s head pop out from behind the door frame. 

They made eye contact, an ironically uncomfortable gesture for Neji, but Hinata seemed unbothered, relieved really. She didn’t move, not fully convinced that her cousin was alive and awake. Hiashi turned from the window, glancing between the two children, wondering if it was a smart idea to allow Hinata into Neji’s hospital room.

“N..Neji?” She asked, cautiously, her hands coming up defensively to her face as she always did when nervous. He blinked back at her, nodding slightly as he tried to decide what to say. “Neji-niisan!” She cried, shutting her eyes tight and shaking her head in disbelief. Hinata ran towards his bed, burying her head in the crook of his shoulder and wrapping her arms around his neck as he awkwardly comforted the crying girl. “Niisan, I’m so happy you’re okay! Everyone has been so worried,” she sobbed. He did his best to console her, but she was unknowingly crushing his broken ribs and he couldn’t do much other than rub her back.

“Hinata, control yourself and get off of him,” Hiashi snapped. She complied, relieving the pressure off his chest and wiping the tears from her eyes. Neji coughed as he tried to catch his breath, eyes squeezed shut in pain. 

“I’m so sorry Niisan,” she sniffed, bowing to the bedridden Hyuga, “It’s just nice to see you finally awake.”

“That’s alright Lady Hinata, it’s nice to be awake,” he croaked.

Truthfully, he was relieved, and admittedly, confused. He thought for sure he’d be talking with his father by now. And Lord Hiashi said he’d been in and out of consciousness for days but he had no recollection of anything of the sort. 

“What…what happened?” He asked, trying to blink away the headache. 

Hinata looked to Hiashi with concern before turning back to her cousin, “D-do you not remember?”

“You’re suffering from a grade 3 concussion. Memory loss is to be expected,” Hiashi reassured, now turning to give the boy his full attention..

Neji thought for a long minute, almost forgetting that they’d asked him a question, “I…I know I was on a mission. I think… Was Sasuke kidnapped? I remember chasing after him with the others.”

“He left of his own accord, but yes. You, and four others were sent out to retrieve him. Do you remember who you were with?” asked Hiashi.

“Yes… Shikamaru, Naruto, Choji, and…” his mind drew a blank. There was just one other, right? Why did he think there were two? “And…” he looked at Hinata as he tried not to panic. What if his memory was permanently damaged? How would he ever be able to do recon missions? 

“Kiba,” Hinata mouthed.

“Oh yeah! Kiba. And Akamaru. That’s a tricky one, Lord Hiashi, if you count Akamaru, there were five others on the mission,” Neji said, proudly. The medicine was playing tricks on him. He could’ve sworn he saw Hiashi smirk with the slightest chuckle, “Did…they bring him back?”

“I’m afraid not. The mission was deemed a failure. My apologies.”

Oof. That stung. His first failed mission and he almost died? Good thing he was too high to feel his ego right now. 

“Is everyone okay?” He coughed again, twinging at the pain in his side. Hinata passed him the water glass as she spoke.

“Y-yes. The Sand-nin siblings were sent out as backup and Kakashi-sensei and Gai-sensei were sent to find everyone, but I guess your team got separated because they found you all individually. Choji was rushed into surgery and was treated for poisoning but he’s stable now. Kiba and Akamaru were seriously hurt and returned back to Konoha with aid from the siblings. He’s still recovering but I just saw him and doctors think he can be discharged as early as tomorrow afternoon. Shikamaru broke his finger but was discharged almost immediately. And N-naruto was discharged yesterday. He was seriously hurt but he bounces back fast,” she said with a blush, “And they’ll all be so relieved to hear that you’re awake!”

Damn. Failed mission, almost died, and the last one to wake up? Today was not his day. 

“Do you remember any part of your battle? The Hokage will be inquiring about it when you’re able to give a report,” replied Hiashi.

Neji closed his eyes in concentration trying to reorient himself. He was still dizzy and despite his cousin and uncle speaking in low tones, their voices pierced his ears, like needles in his skin. Or an arrow through his–.

He gasped. His eyes shooting open as he forced himself forward, keeling over as pain engulfed his side. He let out a startled grunt, and with Hinata’s aid, he was placed back on to the pillows. He took deep, painful breaths as he tried to calm his nerves. He was in the hospital. He was safe.

“H-he u-used arrows that he sh-sh-shot at me from over 50 meters away. He got me… th-th-three times, but I narrowly dodged the second one and only got a scratch on the face… The other two were…,” he trailed off, dodging the details of his more gruesome injuries, “H-he picked up on the Hyuga fighting style almost immediately and learned even more with every move I made. I thought…I-I thought–”

.“N-niisan, that’s alright. You can wait for Lady Tsunade to debrief you. We just wanted to see what you remembered,” Hinata winced. She watched as his skin grew clammy and his breathing erratic. It was obvious that Neji still had one foot in the battle. 

Hinata stroked her cousin’s arm comfortingly. Neji relished in the reassuring touch. It was like being physically pulled away from the mission.  “I-I d-don’t remember getting to the-the…hospital,” he said between rough gasps for air.

“That’s alright. The doctors said that was to be expected. All you need to know right now is that you were located, administered emergency treatment, returned to Konoha, and are currently in recovery. The Hokage will be relieved to hear that you’re awake and cognizant,” said Hiashi. 

Neji took another moment to sort through his thoughts. He didn’t expect to react that way. What was there to fear?  There were no spiders, no webs, and definitely no arrows to hurt him…Unless the sound-nin comes back to finish him off. “Did I… The sound-nin, was he–”

“Yes, Neji. You won. He’s dead,” Hiashi said reassuringly.

He let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. 

 Hiashi glanced at the clock hanging on the wall, frowning slightly, “Alright, I must prepare for a journey to the village hidden in the sand. Hinata I anticipate you’ll be back before dinner?” 

Hinata bowed her head slightly, “Yes, Father!”

“Very well, Neji, please get some rest. I’ll come visit once I’ve returned.”

With a final goodbye to the children, Hiashi left, leaving them to their own devices. Hinata stayed for some time, filling Neji in on everything that happened after he’d stayed behind to fight Kidomaru. Apparently he was not the only one to dance with death. Choji also went through intensive surgery and was saved only because of Tsunade-sama’s excellent medical abilities and the Nara clan’s excessive and well-documented research. Kiba and Akamaru also suffered greatly, forced out of training for at least a week until both were deemed physically fit enough. Naruto surprisingly recovered the fastest despite being in as bad of shape as Kiba. Shikamaru, the lucky bastard, only suffered a broken finger of all things. Despite everything that happened though, it seemed that his ego was the thing most damaged by the mission. Hinata mentioned he’d been beating himself up over everyone, refusing to leave the hospital until every single one of them was moved out of critical condition. She’d told Neji that he was the last one to be moved into a room to rest and recover, so Shikamaru hadn’t gone home until 2 am that night. Choji and himself apparently were marked for strict visitation hours by family members only for the first day, and then Neji for the second as well. Apparently Shikamaru was the first person in his room as soon as he was cleared for normal visitation hours yesterday afternoon. Hinata said Tenten tried to visit only an hour after he was cleared but when she peeked her head in, Shikamaru was standing on the far side of the room, hands clenched and fighting back tears. She quietly closed the door and came back later that day.

Neji thought it seemed a bit ridiculous for Shikamaru to be acting so emotional. Sure, missions rarely went this wrong but it did happen, and typically comrades were injured, even if it’s just a cut or broken bone, and sometimes they died. It’s a hard pill to swallow as shinobi, especially as team captain, but that’s why they had psychological training. Although he had to admit, Neji appreciated hearing people came to visit, but he did feel guilty for causing so much worry. Hinata assured him that she updated everyone on his condition, and Naruto, in particular, was relieved to hear he’d made it out alive. Admittedly, Neji was surprised Hinata went to visit him. He was painfully aware of her crush on the boy. A year ago she couldn’t even talk to Naruto without passing out, but now she was able to have full conversations with him? And her stutter had lessened significantly. And they were both here, talking amicably to each other like they did when they were kids. And if he recalled correctly, she’d come up with her own version of kaiten. 

“She’s really come a long way hasn’t she?” He pondered, lost in his own thoughts. Hinata must’ve noticed as well, noting the half lidded eyes, glassy glaze, and slow blink of her cousin’s eyes. 

“Niisan, I think it might be a good idea if you got some more rest,” she suggested, adjusting his pillows so he was in a more relaxed, laid down position and pulling the covers up to cover his bandaged chest, “You’ve had a tough past few days and I know the medication is making you drowsy. If it’s alright with you, I’ll come to visit again tomorrow.” 

Allowing Hinata to control the conversation, Neji nodded wearily, not fully in control of his thoughts. He hadn’t realized how tired he was until Hinata tucked him in. He blinked lazily, watching her walk to the door.

“Goodbye Niisan, it’s good to see you’re okay!”

She opened the door, disappearing behind the frame. Before she’d even closed it behind her, Neji had fallen back asleep.

oOoOoOo

Words danced on the edge of his ears, staying just out of reach. He could hear the sound but not the sentence. It was soothing, almost like a reverse lullaby, waking him up instead of putting him to sleep. Feeling stronger than last time, Neji blinked his eyes open, scrunching his eyebrows together to combat the blinding hospital lights.  He could tell that the drugs were still roaring through his system because he was still disoriented. It took a moment to focus his senses enough to take inventory of the room. A nurse must’ve come through because the ventilator mask was placed back over his mouth. He turned his attention to his left, pleasantly surprised to find Gai smiling warily down at him from his chair. After everything that happened, Neji had never been so relieved to see Gai. The man literally saved his life! Neji took a moment to focus his senses, still a little loopy from the drugs. Taking one look at Gai, Neji would’ve thought he was the one going through a rough recovery. Gai was fairly young, in his mid twenties even, but right now he seemed older than time itself. He looked exhausted, Neji noted, just like Hiashi-sama. Knowing Gai, he probably hadn’t gotten any sleep between finding Neji out in the forest and this moment right now. He weakly chuckled at the idea. Gai was a good sensei like that. Always worried about his students, no matter how small the problem might be. People assumed he was only overly concerned about Lee but those close to him knew that he showed his love for those he cared about in unique, individual ways. And loud, obnoxious cries of support and admiration were just how he showed his love for Lee. But he purposely treated everyone differently, with acts of love specifically tailored for each person, after all, cries of youth would never work for someone as introverted as, say, Kakashi. 

For him, Gai always challenged him to silly games and contests. Knowing how easy it is for Kakashi to slip into the dark spaces of his mind where he obsessed over Obito, Gai found that the challenges pulled him from the depths of his thoughts and refocused on his life now. He hardly knew Obito, so he’s not sure why this works, but his guess is that the stupid games they play ground Kakashi, reminding him that he still has friends with him, even if some have passed on. Whatever the case, Gai is happy to play along and keep the challenges coming. 

Tenten on the other hand was a bit complicated, she was a girl after all, and Gai, embarrassingly, wasn’t quite sure how to show his support and love without it seeming inappropriate. It took some time, but he finally figured out that all Tenten wanted was to be seen as equal. Not as a girl, not as a tool at their disposal, but as a critical member of their team. And as soon as Gai picked up that she had a knack for weaponry, everything seemingly fell into place. Back when the team was still new, he had them practicing with shuriken one day to try to improve their aim. Lee was terrible. Out of 100 shots, he made only 22 from 20 feet away. Meanwhile, Neji could only land 31 shuriken on the target. To be fair, Gai also made Neji throw blindfolded, forcing him to improve his byakugan, but knowing he was a prodigy, Gai really thought Neji would at least break 50. He’s ashamed to admit it, but Tenten surprised him. She made 99 out of the 100, hitting the mark even when he pushed her back a hundred feet, put obstacles in her path, gave her a moving target, blindfolded her and forced her to switch hands. The only one she missed was the last throw, when he combined all the challenges into one. But even then she still hit the target, just not the bullseye. That was when he quickly learned that she responded well to praise and anything that showed she was better than the boys. So when she seemed to be feeling a little defeated, or Neji sparred a little too rough with her, he made sure to throw a training activity in that he was sure she’d destroy them in, or, if he could, convince Tsunade to assign her as the mission captain. And if she just so happened to be passing by when he was with his fellow jonin, and she just so happened to overhear him loudly brag about her, well then that was obviously nothing more than a coincidence. 

Neji, true to character, was the hardest for Gai to crack. When he first met him, Neji was cold and critical, wrapped in a cocoon of animosity. So much so that when the third hokage briefed Gai on his new genin team, he revealed a few of Neji’s restricted test scores from his second year at the academy, showing that despite being one of the brightest nine year olds their village had ever seen, he just barely passed the mandated psychology test. Some of the teachers advocated for Neji to graduate early, but after Iruka got the psych results back, he quickly shut them up. Delicately explaining that the world of a ninja was difficult enough for an eleven year old, and there was absolutely no need to throw a nine year old into it. Cracking Neji’s layers was truly one of the greatest feats Gai had ever faced, so the first time Neji broke down in front of him, fighting back tears as he clenched his forehead protector, Gai realized he was on to something. 

It was roughly five months after Neji, Lee, and Tenten were assigned to Gai’s team. Tenten had been injured on their last mission so he’d suggested they all take a few days off to rest and recoup. Two days later, they were supposed to meet for an evening training session but when it turned 5:30 and Neji still wasn’t there, Gai went searching for him. Neji was, without fail, always the first one to the training grounds, so being half an hour late was completely uncharacteristic for the boy and worried Gai to no end. It was by chance that he found him at the cemetery. He was headed towards the Hyuuga Compound and cut through the memorial area to save time when he saw Neji from a few yards away, sitting by a headstone, head in his knees, forehead protector haphazardly discarded to the side. As he got closer, he could hear the faintest of sobs coming from his student. Unsure of what to do, Gai kept some distance, standing about five feet back, and stood silent, respecting Neji’s space. He might’ve been distraught but Neji’s chakra sensory was incredibly sensitive, he probably detected him coming before Gai even knew it. As he stood, waiting to speak, Gai read the inscription on the stone, Hizashi Hyuga: Beloved father, husband, brother, and Leaf shinobi. He bowed his head, all to aware of the situation. The Hyuga’s compromise with the Cloud Village a few years back was common knowledge amongst the Leaf, but only a few knew that the man traded in Hiashi’s place was Neji’s father, and that day must have been the anniversary of his death. 

“Neji…” Gai started, not sure if he should even be there, “As your sensei, I’m supposed to tell you that dying for your loved ones and your village is the greatest honor a shinobi could ever earn. But losing someone, no matter how honorable, always hurts. And the closer they are to us, the more painful it is to lose them.” He paused, allowing Neji time to respond. He didn’t say anything, but Gai was pleased to hear that he’d stopped crying and picked his head up a bit. Taking as a que, he continued. “And of course, the more honorable the death, the less acceptable it seems to mourn them. Your father had one of the most honorable deaths this village has ever seen. Regardless if it was his decision or not, he still agreed to the circumstances and single handedly prevented a war. So I can understand why you feel the need to seclude yourself and block out others, if it allows you the privacy to grieve and process emotions.” Gai waited for a response, that last sentence was risky. Neji was not one for emotions or getting “soft”, let alone admitting to it like Lee, but he was also acting incredibly out of character right now so all protocol was thrown out the window. He was hoping Neji would say something but all he did was wipe his eyes and stare forward at his father’s name. “But please know, that you never need to hide from me. I am your sensei, yes, but being a sensei is a much bigger job than just teaching you how to be shinobi. I am also your guide, your comrade, and your confidant.” As he spoke, Gai slowly approached Neji, bending down to pick up his forehead protector and placing a gentle, reassuring hand on his shoulder. He tensed under the contact, turning to face Gai, eyes puffy and face red. Gai grew concerned, furrowing his brow as he examined his student closer. Neji was beginning to get annoyed with Gai prodding at his face when he suddenly pulled his hand away, forming a shaking fist and clenching his jaw.

It took everything in Gai not to erupt in anger. Activated! They’d activated his seal! His forehead was hot to the touch, the mark still lowly emitting a sickly green glow. He demanded Neji tell him who did this to him over and over again but Neji remained tight lipped. It wasn’t until he spent twenty minutes coaxing Neji to go back to his compound to rest, that Gai was finally able to get some answers. 

His father had apparently passed away the day before and Neji planned to spend his day at the cemetery mourning Hizashi, but his grandfather insisted he stay and train with Hinata. Seething with animosity for the main branch and fueled with heartache that accompanied that fateful day every year, he’d lashed out on Hinata, pushing the boundaries a little too far, forcing his grandfather to activate his seal. He’d mostly recovered on his own by the next day but the effects were still lingering; painful migraines, uneasy vision, and nausea, just to name a few. Gai could understand why Neji was reluctant to go back to the compound, so instead they sat. Gai was unsure if he should leave him to his devices but Neji seemed to relax when Gai sat in comfortable silence next to him, so he stayed. And when the sun finally set, he sent Neji home, but not before giving him a much needed hug. He’d stopped crying over an hour ago but the physical contact did him in, although Neji fought aggressively to hold back the tears. 

That’s when Gai realized Neji just needed a little fatherly guidance. He was used to solitude and independence, that was one of the factors that made him a great applicant for early graduation, but from time to time he desperately needed guidance only a father could give. Gai was only 25, and far from being a dad, so it was a new frontier for him, but he did his best. He made sure to train him hard and praise him often, though not too often that he got a big head. He also checked in on him regularly, pulled him to the side for one-on-one conversations, even if Neji wouldn’t give any feedback, and simply just showed his overall concern for him. Gai even reprimanded him when he acted out of line. That move he pulled in the Chunin Preliminary Matches landed Neji with a week’s worth of conditioning and a month’s worth of what Gai likes to call “Good Samaritan Missions”, AKA D-ranked chores around the village.  Nevertheless, Neji’s cocoon slowly cracked open. And sure, his battle with Naruto and the letter from his father, gifted to him by Hiashi, is what really broke the shell open, but even Neji knows that it was Gai who started really making a difference in his life. 

Seeing Gai now, disheveled, tired, and sick with worry upset Neji. The last thing he wanted was people fretting over him, especially over a failed mission. But nonetheless, Gai smiled down at him, relief washing over his features. Neji, sifting through the drug-induced mind fog, conjured up his own half smile, accented with unfocused, half lidded eyes. Gai reached out, giving Neji’s good hand a slight, reassuring squeeze, “yeah you’re a fighter.”

End.

Chapter Text

Fifty-eight days. Over eight weeks of his student’s young life was spent in Konoha Hospital. Seven of which were confined to the constricting halls of the ICU. But today he was finally being released. Gai carried the two packs containing Neji’s belongings as Nurse Aimi pushed the boy’s wheelchair down the entryway hall. He watched him from the corner of his eye. The kid changed so much during his two month stay. The bruises faded, the cuts turned to faint scars, even his waxy complexion gained back some color in the last couple of weeks. But the edges of his bones still poked at the corners of his skin and the dark circles seemed to have taken residency under his eyes. There was still a long road ahead of him. A point made by the shaky way Neji pulled himself out of the chair once they’d reached the entrance. 

“Let him do it by himself. Don’t hover.”

With an exceptional amount of perseverance, the kid was able to walk the last few steps out the door and took a celebratory deep breath of fresh air. One of his relatives was waiting for him along with Hinata. Gai frowned. Hiashi had to sign Neji out this morning. Where’d he go?

“Hello Hinata, I thought your father might be here,” he said, bowing politely to the pair.

“F-father has to b-be in Sunagakure tomorrow. S-so he suggested Ko and I e-escort Neji home…If that’s alright with you, Neji-nissan.”

“Of course.” Neji attempted to bow, but only made it a few degrees without wincing.

A knot tightened in Gai’s abdomen. Neji was prescribed strict bed rest for two weeks, for the exception of physical therapy and psychotherapy This was going to be the last time he saw him for a while, and he’d been visiting the kid almost every day for fifty-eight days. 

He handed over the crutch that the hospital administered. Neji had made great strides in the last couple of weeks but the twenty minute walk to the Hyuga Compound was still a significant distance for him. Even his left shoulder was still tightly bound and supported by a sling. He was steadily gaining back some mobility but his strength was still deflated. 

Ko reached an open palm out to Gai, “I can take his things,” he said pleasantly.

Gai was surprised to see the adult Hyuga smile. He guesses that’s an unfair reaction. The man may look like Neji and Hiashi, but that didn’t mean he acted like them as well. He passed over the bags. Now standing awkwardly still with nothing to contribute. 

“You’re going to remember to stay on top of your medication, right?” He didn’t really think it was something he’d have to remind Neji to do, but he needed to fill the silence.

His student nodded but Ko responded, “Don’t worry, Gai-san. Lord Hiashi has assigned a member of the clan’s medical staff to aid Neji-kun’s recovery. They’ll be in charge of his medication.” Another smile lit up across his face, this time with an air of reassurance.

“I don’t need a babysitter,” Neji scowled.

“I’m with your uncle on this one. Someone should be checking in on you regularly. Best they be a medic or a nurse.”  The kid’s frown deepened. “Besides, you say that now, but you’ll be grateful when the meds start getting cut back.” Ko nodded supportively. Gai decided that he liked this new Hyuga. “Now go home and rest. I’ll see you on the training grounds two weeks from now. Got it?”

Neji nodded and gave a small, respectable bow, “Yes, Sensei. Thank you, I’ll see you soon.”

Gai watched as the three Hyuga members slowly made their way down the busy street. Two weeks. He had two weeks to make a recovery regime for him. He already had some ideas on how to build up Neji’s muscles. It was the dexterity that he’d really have to focus on. His skill set focuses more on precision than strength, afterall. And he had to find a way to slowly introduce sparring to his routine. Dr. Jo briefed Gai on possible obstacles Neji might face while getting back into training. She seemed specifically focused on avoiding triggering situations like drills requiring thread or arrows. It meant that Tenten could only train with her bow once Neji left for the day. That was alright. She hadn’t expressed much interest in it in the last month. And he couldn’t imagine Tenten being upset over something that would ultimately help her teammate. 

Nevertheless, he had a lot of planning to do.

oOoOoOo

“Lee! Keep your chin tucked on that dodge, you’re exposing your throat!”

That was the fourth time Gai had to tell him. Lee had been distracted all morning and Gai was pretty sure he knew why. It was for the same reason Tenten missed twelve of her one hundred targets. Neji was returning to training today! But not for another hour, so there was no reason to be so unfocused. 

But he’d be a hypocrite if he got on to them about it. He was the same way when he was their age. And also a bit like that when Lee returned. Today though, he was ironically too frustrated with his other two students to spare a moment to think about the third. They were leaving for an A-rank mission in two days and neither one of them were showing A-rank competencies. They could get themselves killed if he didn’t whack some sense into them.

“ALRIGHT, STOP!” 

The kids froze mid-spar. They looked scared.

 “Because they knew they were about to get yelled at ,” Gai thought, “They’re scared of me. Of me ! How did I let them down?”

“Look, I get it. I’m excited to see him too. But he won’t be here for at least another hour. He has a PT appointment that goes until eleven. He likely won’t be here until after lunch.” 

The kids’ shoulders visibly relaxed but remained at attention. Good. That was more like it. 

“Now, I want you both to run twenty laps around the village to clear your heads. When you get back we’ll try sparring again. I better not see any more Academy-level mistakes. You’re going to be in the Rain District. Fighting an enemy is twice as difficult when you’re battling in the rain. Three times as difficult if the enemy is from a local village, which they likely will be. You can’t afford to make rookie mistakes like leaving your throat exposed or missing twelve of your targets.” He paused, not quite sure if he had more to say, but based on the embarrassed faces stretched across both of his students’ faces, the message got through. “Alright, get going. Tenten, inhaler first.”

The girl nodded and jogged in the direction of her bag. It was admittedly impressive how far she could push herself without needing it. She likely wouldn’t even have been prescribed one if she hadn’t become a kunoichi. But Gai didn’t want to risk another asthma attack. It's been nearly eight months since the last bad one, all thanks to his insistence on her using it before high endurance activities. Short bursts she could handle just fine, but once the laps got into the double digits, she’d need to use it for sure. 

The two took off, choosing to start in opposite directions. This had become a pretty typical racing style for his students that had unknowingly become quite the team building exercise. During the first lap, they run their pacer mile and use landmarks to determine where their paths intersect. Then for the remainder of the laps the goal is to either meet or beat their intersecting distance. Beating it meant they were faster than their teammate, but consistently meeting in the middle taught them how to be in sync with one another. Two very important skills to hone with new teams.

The two sped away from him, leaving him to his own devices for about an hour or so. He secretly enjoyed sending the kids on long conditioning treks because it gave him time to himself. Besides, he needed to prepare for Neji’s arrival. The first day back from medical leave was always a bit awkward. Gai would make his students run through a lengthy series of exercises, skill assessments, agility, and strength tests to measure progress and set goals. His student’s hated assessment days, especially after a hiatus. They claim that the exam “gives them anxiety.” Tenten’s words, not his. Gai doesn’t really understand why. Keeping records of one’s achievements gives them excellent insight into their capabilities and willpower! That’s why assessment days are his favorite.

The kids finished up about an hour later, bent over and heaving. They looked remorseful. Good. He needs them to take this seriously. 

“Good job you two. Now I hope that gave you some time to clear your minds of all distractions. Sit down and eat lunch. We’ll try sparring again after a break.”

They nodded then sulked over to their bags. No one’s lunch was particularly interesting today. The best by far was Lee’s, but only because it was left over curry that he made the night before. Tenten had a salad that looked like it had fresh strawberries from her mother’s garden, and Gai had a cold cut sandwich and an apple. Both of which he picked up from the market on his way home the night before. He wasn’t the best at cooking and frankly he didn’t care for it much. There were a handful of dishes he made well, but cooking for one was tedious and it was the last thing he wanted to do when he came home from a long day of training. 

Lee was going on and on about some movie he saw with Naruto. Apparently it was too “boyish” for Tenten. Though, based on Lee’s description, it didn’t seem to match any of Tenten’s interests. It was certainly action-packed, but other than that, Gai realized that Lee had yet to explain the plot of the movie. The whole recap only mentioned street racing and action shots of cars. 

“But Lee, what is the movie about?”

“I told you, Gai-sensei, street racing!”

“But why are they street racing?” Tenten’s big, brown eyes rolled in Lee’s direction.

“Oh! Well that is because–” his face faltered, “–because…I believe they were…”

Tenten sighed dramatically, “So you don’t even know what it’s about?”

“I do too! It is about…Neji!”

“What?” 

Lee zoomed past Gai and Tenten to the far end of the field where they saw Neji freeze suddenly at the oncoming attack. Lee barrelled into him, locking him into a bone crushing hug and knocking him off his feet. Without any effort, Lee lifted him into a tighter embrace, supporting all of Neji’s weight.

“Lee, put me down. Please.” 

“Yes of course!” He did as he was told. “It is just so good to see you so healthy. The flames of youth are burning through you once again!” 

Neji raised an eyebrow at his teammates' antics but allowed him to accompany him to the picnic blanket. Tenten was already standing at the tapered edge for him, moving her arms up and down indecisively. 

“Neji, it's so good to see you! Can I hug you? Does it still hurt? Just tell me what’s best.”

“You can hug, just don’t squeeze.”

Tenten did as she was instructed then encouraged him to sit down with them for lunch. He’d already eaten but seemed grateful to sit. Lee wasn’t off the hook that easy, of course. Tenten drilled him on the movie until he finally admitted that all he could recall were the action scenes. All the while, Gai couldn’t stop eyeing Neji. It was remarkable how much of a difference the last two weeks made. He’d mostly filled out his clothes, his face had a healthy hue to it, and he only had one short coughing fit. The kid was doing a pretty impressive job of hiding it, but Gai could tell that he was still fairly weak. That he still wasn’t feeling well. Gai wasn’t shocked. No one can rebound from a two month stint in the hospital in just two weeks. He needed more rest. 

“You sure you’re feeling up to training? There’s no shame in just watching today. In fact, I think that might be a good idea–”

“No,” Neji barely let him finish, “I…I really want to train today, Sensei. Please?”

Gai studied him for a moment then let out a deep sigh, “Fine, but I decide when you take a break, and I decide when you’re done. Got it?”

Neji bowed, “Yes, Sensei.”

“Alright you three, spread out. Let’s do some stretches! Start with a hundred jumping jacks. Neji, go at your own pace. Stop if it starts to hurt.” Gai pretended not to see the angry scowl Neji was shooting at him. Just like he pretended not to see the pink patch growing across the boy’s cheeks. They were only amongst his teammates after all. They’d received the same instructions in the past. They understood why he said that. No need to be embarrassed.

Lee finished first, followed by Tenten only a little while after. It took Neji another minute but he also managed to complete the set. The next half hour was spent moving through basic stretches and warm ups. Gai intentionally dragged it out so he could give Neji a chance to recover from the jumping jacks. To his credit, he was hiding the labored breathing very well. In fact, by the time they were done, he was fully recovered. He was worrying too much. Gai mentally slapped himself and shook the troubling thoughts from his head. Neji was smart enough to know when to rest. He didn’t have to baby him. 

“Alright! Lee, Tenten, let’s try sparring again, and this time let’s be aware of where we are and what is exposed?” 

The kids gave him a sheepish smile and nervously made their way over to the field. 

“Neji–”

“I know, assessment day,” he sighed. 

“That it is! The perfect opportunity to test your skills. Track your progress. Deepen your connection between your mind and body!” Gai gleamed proudly up at the sun, the flames of youth burning proudly within him. 

“There isn’t any progress to track. I’m not nearly as strong as I was yesterday,” Neji grumbled. 

Damn it. Gai knew his team’s motto would come back to bite him in the ass eventually. “‘Stronger than yesterday’ doesn’t only mean physical strength, Neji. It’s mental strength, team strength, hell, even emotional strength.” 

“My mental strength doesn’t seem that strong these days either.”

Gai couldn’t tell if that was intended to be a joke or a complaint. “Before you know it, you’ll be the strongest you’ve ever been.  And you’ll look back on today and remember just how far you’ve come. Now, your choice. Cardio or strength first?”

Neji rolled his eyes and half-heartedly committed to cardio. Most likely to avoid the cliche of choosing strength after a life lesson about strength. Cardio in general wasn’t the Hyuga’s strong suit. Of course, Neji was incredibly talented in all fields of ninja work, but of all the requirements, he merely met expectations in cardio. That was one of the few skills Lee had on him. He was fast, but not Lee fast. He had decent endurance, but not Lee endurance. When it came to racing, Lee was almost always the winner. Tenten and Neji bounced between second and third quite often but usually Tenten held second.

“Alright, start with one lap.”

“One…one lap?”

“Yep.”

“One lap around the village? Sensei–”

“Nooo oh-ho-ho,” Gai chuckled, “One lap around the training field. We’ll work our way back up to marathoning soon enough, but right now I just want to see what you’re capable of. Start with one. If you can do it, and you feel alright, we’ll add on more. But, if it hurts or you feel like you can’t breathe, then we’ll stop. Got it?”

Neji stared back at him, dumbfounded. Gai knew the kid’s training expectations were going to be higher than they should be, but he didn’t really think he’d be running nearly thirty miles today? On a newly restored lung that just went through a month of pneumonia? He should be grateful to be training at all. Neji really didn’t look that steady. Gai supposed that he was likely still underweight. Maybe he should suggest an early team dinner.

“Gai-Sensei, I really think I can handle more than one lap around the field.”

“Me too, but you’re still standing here, which is making me second guess myself,” Gai smirked.

A jolt of shock shot through Neji, but he was quick to recover. He gave Gai a stern scowl then begrudgingly began his lap around the field. Which was still more than 300 feet around, so it wasn’t exactly a walk in the park.

Meanwhile Gai gave his attention back to Lee and Tenten. Thank God, they were finally performing to the best of their abilities. Lee stopped his berate of attacks, giving Tenten just enough time to summon the newest shield in her collection. Smart girl. The weaponry was two-fold. There was an inner, tighter dome shield hidden below the outer layer, which was not only designed to break easily, but specifically so that the metal shards could stab and scratch the attacker.

The two were still going at it once Neji returned. A bit out of breath, but ultimately alright, so Gai sent him on five more laps. He was about to add on another ten when Neji finished the sixth, but the kid was barely keeping himself up. Gai was keeping a very close eye on him and could see the kid was hitting a wall, but he was too stubborn to show it. Finally, once the wheezing became too loud to ignore, Gai had him stop, despite Neji’s protests, and take a break before stretching. 

Thankfully, flexibility didn’t seem to have been affected too hard by his hospitalization. He was a bit tight, and clearly needed to regain strength in his new muscles, but Neji didn’t seem to have much difficulty with their normal warm-up routine. 

“Here,” Gai said, passing  him a small journal and a pen.

Neji sat up from his stretched position and took the notary wordlessly.

“It’s to track your progress. I made Lee do the same thing and it helped him immensely. There’s some things I’ll require you to monitor and report, but I also have some recommendations for other skills or abilities you might like to track.” Gai eyed Neji carefully. He was worried that the kid would find it insulting, but instead he blushed and diverted his gaze, choosing to inspect the pages instead. “I started a couple charts for you that I think would be helpful. Strength, agility, endurance, sparring, and combat skills I’m requiring you to track. I listed the main skills relevant to your training that I personally want you to report on, but there are extra empty spaces for anything specific that you’d like to track. Maybe kaitens performed in battle, or speed of gentle fist, things like that. If it’s directly relevant to your physical abilities as a ninja, I want to see it. That’s why those are all at the front. In the back, I built out some charts that you might find useful. I don’t have to see them if you don’t want to share. I don’t even need to know if you’re tracking anything else, but I do think it’s a good idea, and I know your therapist agrees.”

Gai watched with bated breath as Neji nonchalantly flicked through the pages. Each one was divided into areas of focus. He’d gone ahead and noted the six laps Neji ran earlier and the basics of his flexibility but there were about a dozen more that were left unmarked on each page and about four more pages after those. When he reached the first blank page in the middle of the book, Neji skimmed through to the back and eyed the first marked page quizzically before quickly shutting the journal. His eyes were wide with horror and a deep blush set in on his cheeks. Yeah. That’s about as good as Gai expected it to go.

“Like I said, it’s completely optional. I’ll never look at it. Promise.” He said with a convincing thumbs up, “Now let’s test those taijutsu skills. Head over to the training dummies, I’ll meet you there.”

By the time the sun was setting all three of his students were panting with exhaustion. Honestly, he was impressed that Neji made it through the afternoon. There was that touch-and-go moment when he was sparring Tenten, though. In all fairness, Gai knew that Neji wasn’t ready to go toe-to-toe with someone yet. Neji probably knew that too. But Gai stepped away to demonstrate a proper tai-jutsu technique to Asuma’s team, and the two decided to have a friendly fight.

By the time he returned, they were exchanging blows, with Tenten having a slight advantage. They were fairly evenly matched but Neji was quickly gaining the upper hand as his confidence grew. He landed several harsh hits one right after the other and Gai could see the cocky smirk returning to his face for the first time in months. Tenten noticed it too, which only made her more frustrated. Another kick to her leg sent her over the edge.

“ERRRAAGHHHHH!” She charged at Neji and slammed a fist into his shoulder, sending him tumbling ten feet back into a tall patch of grass. He landed with a hard thud and didn’t get up.

“Neji?” Gai called, heart frozen, “You okay?” 

The kid groaned and sat up slowly, clutching his shoulder.

Fuck.

Gai sprinted in his direction and dove down next to him, “Where does it hurt? Let me see.”

“I-I’m okay, Sensei. Just knocked the wind out of me,” Neji remarked as he hacked between words. 

“No, Neji. Let’s see it. I need to know if I need to take you to the hospital or not.” Gai was already going to work inspecting the smaller bruises and cuts the kid acquired throughout the day.

“Sensei. It was a punch. During training. I don’t need a hospital. I’ll be fine.” But Gai was already unzipping Neji’s jacket. And despite his defiance, Neji couldn’t seem to have the energy to stop him. 

“Did you hear a crack? Feel a pop maybe?”

“No?”

“Can you move it? Be gentle! Not too quickly.”

“Gai-Sensei, I’m fine, really,” Neji complained, but Gai was far too concerned with newly mended tendons causing the kid to wince. 

“Yeah Sensei, don’t you think you’re being a bit dramatic?” 

Tenten had caught up to the pair, standing a few feet back with an eyebrow cocked and her arms crossed. Lee stood close behind her trying to discern if the injury was as serious as Gai was making it seem. Gai blinked up at them then back down at Neji who was giving him his infamous judgemental stare, then finally down at Neji’s now bare shoulder. It had a faint bruise already setting in, but Neji was able to roll it around just fine. It did seem like he was overly concerned with the matter. He suddenly felt ridiculous for making such a big stink of the whole ordeal.

“I just wanted to make sure you hadn’t reopened your wounds. But it looks like you’re alright, so this is a good time to call it for the night. Good job everyone! Lee, Tenten, I’ll see you tomorrow morning bright-eyed and bushy tailed at the crack of dawn. Neji, just like today, we’ll see you after lunch.”

Gai quickly stood up and dismissed the kids. He watched as they gathered their things and headed towards home as the sun set. Looking around, he could tell the training field was a mess. Gai let out an exasperated sigh. He should’ve made the kids stay back to clean up. Now it’d be left to him. 

As he was reassembling the training dummies he heard a hesitant, “Sensei?” from behind him. He whipped around, surprised to find Neji back under the tree they met under.

“Hey Neji. Everything alright?”
“Yes. I just…wanted to say thank you.”

Gai gave him a quizzical look, “For what?”

“Just–everything. Thank you for everything.”

Ohhh.

“Well of course Neji. You’re my precious student. It’s my job to take care of you.”

“Yes but, I mean…thank you for…showing it. It means a lot.”
Gai’s heart fluttered. He gave the boy a warm smile, “You’re welcome, Neji.”

End.