Three- Naruto

"Pathetic." Neji walked away, leaving Lee gasping on the ground.
--

"Brother Neji?" Hinata stopped him outside of Lee's hospital room. The idiot had ruptured something in their last training session. Neji wasn't sure why he bothered to visit. "Brother Neji, a moment, please."

"You are a true master of the Byakugan...but sometimes you don't see what's right in front of you." Hinata stared at the ground and smiled a little. "N-next time, you should look, really look."

She blushed and bowed and left before he could say anything.

--

"The cant of your shoulders means you're furious with me- you actually want to kill me, you idiot. But the tension in your legs says that you're too weak to pull off another attack." Neji couldn't help taunting Lee when they fought, just like he couldn't help making Hinata cry.

Lee was angry with him this time, really angry. Neji had never seen him quite this angry before. "I *will* defeat you, my rival!" The effect of his defiance was ruined by the fact that he choked on the last syllable and coughed up blood.

Neji didn't bother to roll his eyes; the Byakugan made it difficult, anyway. Once Lee started talking like Gai-sensei, it was time to end the fight. One Gai-sensei was more than enough.

"This ends now, before you hurt yourself again." Neji brought his hands up again, preparing to knock Lee back for the last time.

Lee wiped a trickle of blood from his mouth and launched himself at Neji with a scream, suddenly, unexpectedly. There was no technique to it, no skill or stealth- just rage and desperation.

Neji was caught completely off guard; both boys hit the ground with a bone jarring *thud*. He cursed himself for not seeing it- since when did he not *see* something coming? It wasn't like he had a blind spot, not one right in front of him, anyway. He stared up at the sky, and watched a flock of birds scatter, terrified by Lee's scream.

"H...Ha!" Lee was a dead weight on top of him, pinning him to the ground. A laughing dead weight. "Ha! I- I won!?"

A confused, laughing dead weight- that had buried its face in Neji's chest, still laughing breathlessly. Neji sighed, though he was as confused as Lee. "You got lucky," he muttered under his breath.

Lee lifted his head, scowling suddenly. "My eternal rival-"

"Shut up." Lee did, immediately; Neji smirked. But then he looked at him without the Byakugan- just looked, really looked, the way Hinata suggested. What he saw this time caught him completely off guard- again. This is getting annoying.

"Just shut up, for once."

"But I-"

Neji kissed him. It was awkward and uncomfortable and not at all romantic or even particularly enjoyable.

Lee threw himself backwards, eyes wider than usual. "N-Neji?"

Neji didn't answer. He wondered if Hinata had known- she must have. Maybe she really was worthy of their Hyuuga blood. Maybe. He could see Lee still staring at him, even as the other boy stood shakily and limped backwards. Eventually he moved out of Neji's field of vision. It took a long time.

Neji remained on the ground, and closed his eyes. It was good to see Lee back on his feet. It just wasn't right for him to be in a hospital bed.

A flock of birds settled into the trees around him, singing.