❝Be the light that helps others see.❞

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SIX:

WHISPERS IN THE DARK

Dull.

It was how Neji would describe the week that was nearing its end, hopefully to give birth to less dull beginnings. The last few days had been filled by a deafening silence which kept reminding him of his unfortunate situation, of his disability. A feeling of loneliness was comfortably wrapped around his soul, threatening to break his willpower.

The absence of his friends fell like a heavy weight upon his stiff shoulders, but something else plagued him. He was unable to explain it, not even to himself; yet the feeling was there in his aching heart. It had been his idea, his plea. But the reality which sprouted from the consequences of her accepting was as shocking as confusing.

In merely a couple of weeks, Neji had become used to her - to her refreshing presence, to her healing touch and her brutal honesty. Sayoko had carved her name in his soul; her mysterious character never ceased to demand his undivided attention, but it was the way she didn't sugar-coat her words what he needed most.

With so many nurses, so many empty words of understanding from his friends... It was oddly refreshing to have someone who gave him the truth on a cold plate.

However, those days had also given him time to mull things over and more questions had appeared. Who really was she? How did she know so much about his clan, when she herself was from another village? Where did she come from, and what was the story behind her arrival there? Her hatred towards the person who had saved his life was as clear as a cloudless sky, but at the same time, she was following that person's steps by looking after him.

There was a big, black cloud surrounding her.

A knock on the door brought him back to the room he had been confined into. With a tilt of his head, he voiced, "Come in."

Having expected a nurse, surprise shook him when he felt a familiar chakra. Light footsteps echoed within the four walls, before the door closed and silenced the ruckus that always rang in the hallways.

"Hiashi-sama," he greeted with a slight bow.

The Head of the Hyuga appeared to be surprised, for he paused in the middle of the room. "How did you know it was me, Neji?"

Said man stilled, suddenly realizing his mistake. The only reason he was able to see without eyes was Sayoko's subtle teachings; it was because of her that he was able to notice her presence even before she slipped into the room, or identify someone by searching their chakra.

"I thought I heard your voice," he lied smoothly, making sure to keep his voice even.

Hiashi hummed and approached his sitting position on the bed. "I see. How are you feeling?"

"Alive," he replied while straightening; he hated looking weak in front of others, especially someone like Hiashi Hyuga. "I believe you must have read my diagnosis."

"Indeed, I have. It's a miracle you are still breathing, but I am glad nonetheless."

Neji responded with another bow, but no words left his mouth. Something about his visit was off; he was certain the real reason behind wasn't checking on him. After the war, clans as important as the Hyuga were the ones restoring the village. There was no time for visiting the injured, especially for trivial matters.

"I know they haven't been able to treat your eyes," Hiashi eventually spoke up. "However, your files speak of an improvement."

Ah, so they have finally started to notice Sayoko. Was it Tsunade?

"Is that a bad thing?" he ventured to ask.

Hiashi made a noise. "It's an incredibly-strange thing, Neji. Just like your revival."

"Perhaps, it's a side-effect of the technique used to bring me back."

By the way Hiashi suddenly began walking away, he could tell the man wasn't pleased with his reply; which only meant he suspected there was more to it.

"I have to return to the clan's headquarters now, but there's something I came to tell you," he stated, stopping by the door yet not opening it. "We have sent out a group of shinobi to investigate the area where you were killed, and another party has begun searching for information on that kind of technique with the help of other villages. The person who saved you will be found, soon."

The door opened and closed, leaving Neji alone with his thoughts. His body was rigid with shock, and a million questions rummaged his mind non-stop. Reaching over to place a hand against the window sill, he relished in the fresh breeze of the evening and took a deep breath.

He opened his eyes behind the cloth, and for the first time in weeks, hope filled his heart.

----

When midnight struck, something changed in the air. His hair stood on end as the wind stilled outside, and his body became rigid as he strained to listen to the sounds of silence. Her arrival was sudden, only noticeable when she was on top of his lying form. Taken by surprise, his first reaction was to clasp a hand around her neck and open his eyes.

Light darkness greeted his damaged sight, finally letting him know he wasn't facing an enemy. Sayoko was back, and the realization brought an odd sense of delight to his heart.

"I can tell your senses are getting sharper, Neji."

The sound of her voice snapped him out of his trance, but he didn't retreat his hand nor did she move away. He was fairly aware of her strength, even if her skills still remained a secret; thus, he knew she would have dodged his attack with no problem. Yet there she was - sitting on his pelvis, letting him hold her in place.

And she was finding the situation very amusing.

"I didn't know you were into this kind of thing," she commented after a pregnant pause. "Now, as comfortable as I am, I believe there are matters we need to discuss."

Sayoko was gone before he could utter a word, leaving a sensation of coldness in him that he shrugged off. But she was right - Neji remembered then, why he was so eager to see her. It had nothing to do with how she made him feel; it was about the mission she had set off to, and the answers she had found out.

Nothing else.

Even if part of him seemed to disagree.

Neji sat up and threw the bedsheets off his legs. "What did you discover, Sayoko?"

"You were right," she started some feet away, keeping her distance all of sudden. "Your friends are set on finding out who saved you. Apparently, the Hokage is sending out groups of shinobi in order to investigate this matter - and here I thought you were low in numbers because of the war."

She muttered the last part, but Neji still heard her.

"I know that. The Head of the Hyūga, my uncle, visited today with a clear goal in mind."

Her footsteps stopped their pacing, and she clicked her tongue. "Which was?"

Neji bit the inside of his cheek, trying to explain his thoughts without eliciting an extreme reaction out of her. "They think I know something, and that only means one thing."

The air seemed to grow with tension and seconds ticked by and no words came from her.

"Someone has noticed me." As if the idea was amusing, Sayoko let out a quiet laugh. "I think I have an idea as to whom. What did you tell him?"

Surprise shook him as her question struck him.

"Nothing, actually."

"Why?"

He frowned and stood up, eliciting a complaint from his stiff legs. "What do you mean?"

"You keep lying and hiding my existence from your friends and family," Sayoko mused while walking closer, until he could feel the warmth radiating from her body. "Are you afraid I'll disappear with my secrets, leaving you blind and wondering why you were saved for the rest of your life?"

His heart betrayed him by jumping wildly, yet Neji stood his ground.

"Why else would I do it? Do you think I'm the type of man that would deceive others for the sake of a person I barely know?" he asked in a low voice, unable to fully believe his words.

Sayoko hummed, and the sound seemed to echo within him because of the proximity of their bodies. When her fingers grazed his, his breath hitched and warmth spread within him.

"Do you remember what I told you the first time we met, Neji?"

Her voice was barely a whisper, yet it had the power of the strongest melody as it wrapped around his mind and put a spell on him.

"About you being a drifter?" He leaned forwards without realizing.

"You can't afford to get attached," she murmured, yet her cold hand kept touching his. "Neither of us can."

Quickly stepping away, Sayoko cleared her throat and moved towards the bed. She motioned for him to sit down so she could treat his eyes again, but Neji was frozen on the spot. Her last words echoed in his head, filling his body with a combination of coldness and warmth.

Finally, he allowed a small smile to touch his lips and obliged.

"Is your body still aching?" she asked professionally, placing her hand on his chest above his heart. If she felt how strongly it was beating, she made no comment on it. "You seem much healthier. How about your eyes?"

"It's getting lighter," he replied, remembering how he had glanced outside and sunlight had swept the darkness away ever so noticeably. "I can't still see any shape, but I think my sight is improving."

Sayoko placed a hand over his eyes and a relieving sensation whispered to them, causing his body to relax. "I can feel that. You still need to keep them closed, so they can recover faster. I'll be back tomorrow night... We'll try to improve your senses even more while your sight returns."

As her presence slowly retreated, Neji called her name and made her stop. "Are you not worried?"

"No," she replied without hesitation. "I know Konoha has many capable shinobi. If I have been noticed, it's a matter of time until they come across my identity. But I believe I'll be long gone by then, like the drifter I am."

There's that word again, he thought with a frown.

Before she disappeared, Sayoko revealed something else that only managed to add to his confusion.

"They won't find her, Neji. The person who saved you... I'm the only one who knows where she is."

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