❝Because, sometimes, we like the risk of getting burned.❞

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FIVE:

PLAYING WITH FIRE

A frown had settled on her pale features, showing the annoyance beating inside her lean body. With arms crossed over her chest and foot tapping the floor in impatience, Sayoko pursed her lips and shook her head. Unable to believe his guts yet knowing how unhappy his ego would be feeling at the moment, she huffed and stepped towards the metal chair before sitting down.

"Let me recap," she started while observing Neji closely, not failing to notice his body tensing upon her approach. It was evident his mind was still trying not to switch between the present and minutes ago, to their short meeting at the other side of the bathroom door. "You want me to spy on your cousin and friends, risking being noticed and ending up in prison ten feet under, because you think they're keeping you in the dark about what exactly?"

Neji sighed and ran a hand along the side of his face - he knew it wouldn't be easy to convince her, but it was the only person he could turn to for such a mission.

"It could be related to my temporary death," he explained in hopes to make her give in. "They've been acting out of character; whenever I mentioned it, they would find an excuse to either leave or change the topic."

"Neji, I-"

But he cut her off. "This isn't about finding whoever saved me, Sayoko. I'm not asking you to follow them to the Land in the Waves, or to talk about that person you hate."

The chirping of a lonely bird passed, before the woman clicked her tongue and stood up.

"I'm not your servant - you have no power over me like the main branch of your clan seems to have over you. We're equals here, and I refuse to risk my freedom and life to fulfil your fantasies," she grounded, her voice as cold as the winter breeze.

It surprised Neji, who was used to face a side of hers that was far from the aggressiveness and disdain dripping from her words now. Was he really dealing with the same person? Yes, there was no doubt about it. However, her mood swings were slowly becoming more frequent and erratic, which was bringing alive a sense of wariness and suspicion within him.

He was so taken aback that the fact that she had mentioned his clan - a slight look into how it worked - hadn't crossed his mind, not even for a second.

"Don't tell me this isn't about finding her, Neji. Hiding your real reasons under petty excuses won't help your cause," she added in a low mutter.

She paced around the room as her words hung in the air between them, and the man followed her movements with his senses. He heard her sigh and click her tongue, felt her frustration and dread in the way she moved so frantically - without the calm and grace she usually did.

"Sayoko." She paused, and he knew under all that anger, she was willing to listen and hear him out. "Something else happened that has nothing to do with the person who saved me."

Her violet eyes glanced at him as she stood in the middle of the room, troubled. "What do you mean?"

A relieved breath escaped him; her irritation was still there, but an underlying tone of curiosity betrayed her.

"That's what I need you to find out," he elaborated, careful to choose the right words so she would stay.

Running a hand through her hair, Sayoko walked over to the wall next to his bed and leaned against the cold surface. "You can't ask me to risk so much for this. Your friends are strong, I've felt it. They could notice my presence."

She had a point, and Neji was aware of the risks she would be taking. But he still retorted, "They won't expect anyone to be listening in on their conversation. You won't be caught, Sayoko."

In an attempt to sound more convincing and determined, he stood from the bed and approached her. Satisfied when she didn't move away, an unexpected smirk curled on his lips. "Why do you like playing hard to get so much? You're already convinced. Deep inside, you want to do it to satisfy your own curiosity."

His breath caught in his throat as she took him by surprise, leaning forward until their noses were brushing. A strong scent surrounded his senses - lavender, he noted after taking a subtle whiff.

"What makes you so sure?" Sayoko challenged, fanning his face with her minty breath.

She was playing with him, taking pride in being able to elicit a reaction out of him. However, he would not be less. Tracing a path across her cold cheek with his lips, his pride chanted in delight as he felt her tense under his bold touch.

"Why else would you still be here if you weren't curious and wanted to know more? Or perhaps, it has nothing to do with it," he whispered in her ear. "Perhaps, you're enjoying this game more than you were expecting."

She shoved him away playfully. "You're so full of yourself."

Before Neji could retort, a knock on the door made the room rumble. And before he could keep basking in that unexpected, refreshing sensation her presence awoke in him, Sayoko was gone.

-

Her slender hand felt gelid against his back as he remained still on the end of his bed, silently waiting for her diagnosis. A long sigh echoed in the air the around him, making it thicker with wariness and dread; his fears came alive in that exact moment, and a frightening thought sprouted from within the deepest part of his damaged soul. Anxiety gripped his heart in a suffocating embrace as his subconscious veered towards a dark void of expectance.

"I haven't been able to check up on you until now, Neji. As you know, we're trying to mend things after the war and many lords and countries wish to hold meetings with the great nations," Tsunade had explained upon arriving, making sure to bring her strange pig with her. "I read the reports, however. And I'm incredibly curious about your case, as you can expect."

"Reviving someone without consequences is quite an accomplishment," he had agreed.

"Not to mention, a dangerous technique were it to fall in the wrong hands."

And the conversation had ended there, with her telling him to get rid of his shirt so she could inspect his heart and inner wounds. Her fingers felt rough and skilled as they walked along his back, searching for a call that would answer all questions - a trace that would lead their curious minds to a destination hidden in the unreachable end of the tunnel. But Tsunade sighed again, before her looming shadow retreated and she stepped away from the confused man.

"There's a lot of damage inside your body, Neji. However," she added as he turned around to face her intimidating form. Even if he couldn't see her brown eyes, he could feel them observing his movements like an inspector would watch the scene of a crime. Her powerful presence was overwhelming more than calming, but he showed no sign of discomfort as Tsunade started pacing around the room. "I'm surprised it's not worse, considering..."

His muscles tensed as he became alert; there was no way he could fool such an intelligent woman, but Neji had no intention to reveal the reason of his slow - yet steady - recovery.

"I suppose I'm lucky I'm not dealing with bigger problems," he asserted as casually as he could muster while his hand curled around his shirt.

Tsunade observed him closely, taking in the bandages around his head that covered his injured eyes. "You could say that. But this poses a threat."

Putting his shirt on, Neji allowed a frown to cross his forehead. "How so?"

"I think you're smart enough to know why. We've just come victorious from an exhausting battle that's taken an enormous toll. Half of our ninjas have perished, and the rest are recovering from injuries that aren't easy to fix - which is the reason you're forced to recover on your own, mostly. The fact that such a technique exists..."

"I understand," he cut in. "I don't know why it was used on me, but I can't say I hold grudges against whoever did it."

A pregnant pause fell between them, before the blond woman clicked her tongue and crossed her arms over her busty chest.

"Of course not," she gave in. "Such a technique, such a user able to create this... We can't turn our backs and look the other way, however."

Unable to see, Neji missed the thoughtful look in her intense gaze as she surveyed the room. She took some steps towards the nearest wall, placed a hand over it and frowned. Noticing her silence and wariness, the Hyuga prodigy cleared his throat.

"Is there anything troubling you about this?"

There was no hesitating pause. "Yes. What can you remember about your temporary death?"

Neji tilted his head and shook his head. "The nurses must have told you, and nothing has changed ever since. As much as I try, I can't remember anything, Lady Tsunade."

"There may be a way," she commented cryptically.

Straightening, the man waited for her to elaborate. Curiosity sent his heart into a race against wariness as his desire to understand faced the worry sprouted from Sayoko's words, leaving him in a state of contradiction and affliction. She had been adamant on her request for him to stay clear from questioning anything about the person who had saved his life; and for some strange reason, he was considering her words and letting her fall prey to a constant feeling of uncertainty.

Why was he even listening to her demands?

Sayoko wasn't going to give in, so would it really matter if he searched for answers somewhere else? He hadn't pried, hadn't questioned her. But there was a mystery Neji wished to uncover, and she had to understand that.

Lifting his head towards Tsunade, he asked in a levelled voice, "How?"

"I need to study it before promising anything," was her curt response. "Take it easy for now. Your heart doesn't seem to be in danger, but you should keep resting. I'll visit you soon."

And then she was leaving, fully aware of the traces of an unfamiliar presence in the room.