χ VOICE χ

[wingedascension]

[ What's happened? He had hoped that this place was all a terrible dream, in large because -- ]

Gai-sensei? Iruka-san?

[ Sakura-san. ]

Naruto?

[ At home, calling out like this would have drawn many voices out in answer. He waits a few more agonizing moments before calling out -- one more time. ]

Can anyone hear me?

[ Aaand he waits. ]

Comments

[youthfulpassion]

[It's a long moment before Gai responds, simply because he's staring at his Hitomi in surprise. Neji? Neji is back? Gai isn't sure whether to be grateful and relieved or just.... sorry. For him. For the Konoha he's returned to. It's not a pleasant place to be right now, he knows, and he isn't sure what happened to Neji.]

[But even as weary as he sounds, Gai's voice still holds unmistakable warmth for his student as he finally responds.]

Neji-kun! I can hear you. Where have you been? What happened? Are you alright? Where are you?

[Neji sounds worried, and that in turn worries Gai--it's not a tone he normally hears from his student.]

[wingedascension]

[ It's Gai, and the sight of his face fills Neji with relief because, well. Because the last time he remembers this Konoha, everyone was deadkilled one another.

Awakening in the reality of actual Konoha, Neji found it relatively easy to relegate the trauma associated with the death of his closest friends, his senseis, everyone to a nightmare. It was easier that way. Less painful matter to drudge up and contemplate.

The denial evaporates, and Neji stops the swelling of emotion as ruthlessly as he'd had killed Sasori -- the infidelperversionwhohad -- and no.

Neji calms now, as he regards his sensei, who is somehow and miraculously alive.

He schools his expression into one more professional. ]

I'm fine, sensei.

[ Looking up from the screen, Neji moves around his home to find the closet exit. He speaks as he walks. ]

I was taken back to our Konoha. Great changes are taking place as we remain caged here.

[ There may be a slight emphasis on the word "caged", but maybe not. ]

[eternalscorpion]

[Yes, it appears as though the gods here truly are a bunch of bastards if they brought this annoying Hyuuga back.]

Oh, it's you. And here I'd thought you were gone for good.

[wingedascension]

[ Why is he alive? He can't be.

He can't be alive because Neji slaughtered him, with every last milligram of rage and pain-riddled chakra pulsing weakly in his system. But it hadn't been enough, so he did it again. And again.

Sasori shouldn't be alive, yet, there he is, blabbing on about nothing through the monitor of Neji's hitomi. ]

I know I killed you.

How is it that you're alive?

[eternalscorpion]

[Sasori raises an eyebrow.]

You, kill me? Really, you're certainly full of yourself, aren't you. It was Sakura who killed me, not you. You were merely an obnoxious irritant.

The so-called deities here saw fit to revive us all in order to toy with us further. Death does not seem particularly permanent in the place.

Well, fffff. I AM SO SORRY ELISA /humble <3333

[wingedascension]

[ Why does he bother? This man; he's not even a man. There's a reason behind the status of missing nin: he's a murderer, a defiler. Neji should just walk away, but --

-- he witnessed the death of Sakura-san as a result of their fight, and Neji refuses to forgive.

He can't. Because of her.

Still, he will remain calm, for Sasori is too little a specimen of shinobi to behave otherwise. ]

They've spared Sakura-san, then.

[ Following up with the timing of a pro, Neji smiles a brittle smile. It's icy enough to effectively communicating his contempt. A nod, and speaks with dismissive finality. ]

Good. It seems they've done something right.

[ground_breaker]

[Sakura pauses in shock.

When was the last time she'd heard that voice? Ages. Before Kakashi got sick, before the mass delusion that made them all think they were in love with the worst people.

The last time she heard his voice--hell, the last time she'd seen him--she'd been...

Dying.]

Neji-san?

Where... where have you been?

\o/

[wingedascension]

[ Here she is, and swamped with relief, Neji wants nothing more to fall to his knees. And if he's a little ashamed by the passion with which he thought of her, it doesn't show.

Not much.

Shoving the Hitomi into his pouch, he speaks, footfalls silent. ]

I'll explain it all when I see you.

[ I know you're strong, Sakura-san, no matter what Sasori says. ]

[callmelegion]

Ah.

I recall you.

[wingedascension]

[ Pain.

The war, the responsibility for the destruction Neji's witnessed in not one, but two worlds, two lands he's come to love, it rests on his shoulders.

Neji's rise in answer and tension. ]

I remember you, too.

Is there something you want to say to me?

[callmelegion]

That depends. Is there some reason I should waste my time?

The better question is: do you have something to say to me?

As I recall, you once cut me off.

[wingedascension]

[ It seems he hasn't changed much, has he?

But Neji will give him the benefit of the doubt. In the real Konoha -and which one is truly real- (he brushes the question aside to contemplate later). In the Konoha where he's lived most of his life, this man sacrificed himself.

For her, Konoha, and for peace.

After speaking to Naruto, of course.

Neji pulls the Hitomi from his pouch in order that he may look Pain in the eye. ]

I did.

That is in the past, and as much as I'd like to do so, I can't unsay what I've already said.

But, I think it would be best to put the past behind us, where it belongs, and look toward the future.