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The cave was damp and smelled faintly of burning wood and blood. A thin trickle of rainwater dripped from the ceiling, echoing in the stillness. Itachi had just finished tightening the last bandage around Neji's arm when the boy shuddered violently.
At first, Itachi thought the cold had gotten to him. But then Neji clutched his head, his knuckles white, teeth gritted. His breath came in sharp bursts as if his skull were splitting open.
"Neji—?"
The Hyūga boy staggered, shaking his head as though trying to dispel invisible pain. His pale eyes bulged with strain, and he collapsed onto his knees before finally toppling forward. The ground trembled faintly with the impact.
Itachi instinctively reached for him, supporting his shoulders. "What's happening to you?"
Neji thought in broken fragments. [B-backlash… f-from using…t-the a-awk--en po-power... too early…]
The itachi's words made little sense to him, but the pain in his voice was unmistakable. He was trembling, his jaw clenched so hard that faint cracks echoed as his teeth ground together.
For a moment, Itachi felt helpless... helpless in a way he despised. He knew wounds, broken bones, bleeding arteries. But this… this was deeper. Something within Neji's chakra itself was tearing him apart.
Neji's thoughts spiraled. He remembered the voice of ^%&*%^%$... a man in grey skin... warning him that awakening such strength so young was not without cost.
He could feel it now. Tiny cuts along his chakra pathways, like shards of glass dragging with every breath of energy. The Byakugan flickered to life instinctively, and he forced it to scan inward. What he saw almost made him retch: threads of chakra leaking, bleeding through micro-fissures across the chakra network.
The strain was unbearable. His vision blurred, blood running from his nose. The Byakugan shut itself off as if to spare him, and Neji was left gasping in the dark.
Itachi pressed him back gently, eyes narrowing with rare worry. "Don't push it. You'll tear yourself apart."
Neji managed a bitter smile through clenched teeth. Tear myself apart? I already have.
For long minutes, the only sound was the ragged rhythm of his breathing. Slowly, painfully, the pain ebbed. It didn't vanish... the ringing in his head remained, the raw sting in his chest lingered... but it lessened enough for him to unclench his fists.
When he finally opened his eyes again, Itachi was still beside him, expression unreadable but intent. For a boy who had grown up bearing silence, that gaze spoke volumes.
"…It's fine," Neji muttered, though the words were unconvincing even to him. He wiped blood from the corner of his mouth and eyes with a shaky hand.
Itachi shook his head, dipping cloth in water to clean the mess. His movements were precise, calm, almost mechanical... but beneath that stillness was a trace of something else... Concern. "You're not fine. This isn't ordinary exhaustion. What did you do to yourself?"
Neji swallowed, avoiding the direct question. "Actually…" His voice was hoarse, but steadying. "…I need your help."
He kept his tone neutral. "What kind of help?"
Neji leaned back against the cave wall, closing his eyes. He looked exhausted, fragile. "Before that… let me tell you why I'm out here in the first place."
Itachi frowned. He had meant to ask earlier, but in the storm of conversation about the Uchiha coup, he had completely forgotten.
Neji's lips curved faintly, noticing. "I suppose you forgot. You've been busy thinking of your clan."
"…Yes," Itachi admitted quietly. "I'm sorry I haven't asked. You've helped me so much, yet I…" He trailed off, unable to find the right words.
Neji shook his head. "Don't apologize. If anything, I wanted you to focus on that. The Uchiha's fate is linked to hyuga's as well... if uchiha is gone, we will be in line next... I am doing this for myself as well."
Then his expression tightened as a spasm of pain crossed his face. He pressed a hand against his temple, forcing the words through gritted teeth. "… But… you should know. I'm not supposed to be here. Not this far out."
He drew in a slow breath, letting it steady him. "Actually… I'm only an academy student. First year."
Itachi was not so surprised.. it is only natural for 6-7 year old and the son of hyuga head to be a academy student.
"I left a shadow clone behind in the academy to cover for me." His pale eyes flickered, gauging Itachi's reaction. "I wanted to explore beyond the walls of konoha. Don't tell me you never did the same when you were a student. I've heard the teachers talk. Uchiha Itachi, leaving a shadow clone while he left to train himself because he found the regular classes boring."
For once, Itachi had no rebuttal. The boy was right... he had done it too, only in secret but was caught in the end when his shadow clone busted.
Neji gave a faint smirk that quickly turned into a cough. Blood spattered into his hand, and Itachi immediately reached for more bandages, tending him again with clinical precision.
Hours passed in silence, broken only by the crackle of the small fire and the faint sound of Itachi adjusting Neji's wrappings. Slowly, color returned to Neji's face. He wasn't healed, but stable enough to talk.
When he finally spoke again, his tone was serious. "I want your help… getting back into the village."
Itachi raised an eyebrow. "Getting back in? How did you even get out?"
Neji hesitated, eyes narrowing slightly as though debating how much truth to share. "…Well. That's a long story... I can not tell you yet"
Itachi studied him closely. The way Neji's heartbeat steadied when he said the words, the way his muscles tensed. He wasn't lying... not exactly. But he was holding something back.
--
Itachi leaned forward, adjusting Neji's bandages one last time before sitting back. His voice was softer now. "I'll help you. Whatever way I can. Even if… I cannot solve the Hyūga's problems, I won't let you carry this alone."
For a moment, Neji looked at him, truly looked. Then, faintly, he smiled gratefully.
"…Thank you, Itachi-dono."