Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or characters. It/they are © Masashi Kishimoto.

Nothing more, Nothing Less

Chapter Five: All for Everything

She knew trouble was at hand when she felt the area around her cheek. Blood. She blinks, pulling her hand in front to inspect. Dark and slimy against her fingers. Her eyes droop, mouth open wide.

It wasn't the blood. No amount of blood would cause this amount of tears to come forth. She, like all the ninja's in her village and outside, were all accustom to being bruised and banged, and suffering wounds that bled. It was the life of a ninja, and she excepted the outcome of hurting.

But this pain was deeper. This cause of tears was different. No kunai. No jutsu. No possible arsenal of ninja would cause her this much pain.

It was them.

Seeing them standing against one another. Not as comrades, pals, tender rivalry. But as enemies. The blaze of hatred running through the pale eyes that she herself owned. The fire burned deep within his own black orbs, poised for attack.

And he smirked. Mocking. Arrogance filling his lips to the brim.

Neji.

"Excuse me." His tone firm, feet planted tightly against the ground, his blood pumping faster than ever. No movement came from any direction, from Tenten's nor Hinata's. The wind finally abrupted with stillness, almost as if stepping up to observe the four ninja's standing silently.

She looked at her cousin, and back to the man between. She opened her mouth to speak but only trembled out a breath. "I believe you heard me, Neji." She closed her lips together, still trembling.

"Now wait," Tenten rushes in-between her two comrades, holding onto Neji's shoulder lightly. "Before anything happens further, I think it's best we go our separate ways; Hinata finds her team-mates, and us three finish our mission." She smiles hoping to calm atleast one of them down.

"Hinata's fine right where she is." Hinata looked up and blinked at his remark. She noticed for the first time Lee's features. His bowl hair-cut had gotten long enough to nearly touch his lean shoulders, and she smelled sandalwood. His gaudy outfit, she noted, really worked well with his body shape. Hinata blinked again. Why was she admiring the man in front of her? Now of all times?

"You think so." Before the girls could blink the clash was louder than anything in the vicinity. Tenten nearly tossed aside and if not a ninja would have split her head against the tree she was now leaning against. She cursed under her breath and damned her comrades stupid boys. Looking over she searched for the other occupant of the "stand-off" and found her crashed to her knees staring widely in the distance.

"Hinata, best get back." She yelled over the clashes of metal. She didn't move. Another curse, stupid girl. "Hey," She moved to the other girls back and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I said it's best if you just get going. I've been in-between one of their fights before and trust me ... it takes a while and ain't pretty."

Silence. Tenten furrowed her brows. "Besides ... you know why their fighting. It is best for you to leave." She didn't mean to say it. She didn't want to. She wasn't the type of person to cruelty. Unlike Ino who mouthed off whatever came to mind. She used her word of knowledge delicately and at precise moments.

But this time, something came over her. She loved her comrades dearly, even though she barely showed it. She thought of them as brothers almost. One silent, brooding, strong-minded, and strong physical, one. The other loud, perky, spirited, but strong just like the former. And then her in the middle, content. Her brothers.

She closed her mouth against the apology. Looking back at her brothers she tightened her grasp on the girls shoulder. 'Please ... just stop.'

After the clash Hinata had almost immediately fallen to her knees. It wasn't the force of their kunai's coming together. It was the reason behind it. They were fighting because of her. Because of Lee expressing his emotions.

She first thought Neji should know his team-mate better. She knew little about Lee, but knew enough that the young ninja expressed his likings, and dis-likings, in the open. Allowing them to carry through the subjects hearts, loud and clear.

'So why are you acting this way?' She barely noticed the hand placed on her shoulder or the words being told to her. She only fisted her hands in the dirt, stared at the two poised for another round of attacks with kunai's.

"You've got a lot of nerve."

"You act as if your the decider on who or whom should express feelings towards Hinata."

"I do not! I care less about how you feel about her."

"Then why all the hostility."

"You damn well know why. You tarnished an innocence, and I suspect have been for a while."

He only smirked. Bounding against the nearest tree, twisting around on his feet, using the force of his legs, he threw away the kunai in air and attacked with his bare fist. A connection to his wrist, Neji blocked. Swinging in mid-air he brought his leg close to his head. Missed.

"You fucking asshole." Neji roared, discarding his own weapon. "I've had enough of your pathetic taijutsu." He powers his body with blue charka flowing lovingly over his hands. He smirks. Always a confident streak hiding behind his harshness.

Lee stands tall and deep inside cringes. He's a wonderful taijutsu user, his master declares. Despite Neji's distaste for the practice, he knows in his heart with it he can at least get in some damage on the man in front of him. But ... he feels the doubt in his chest. The quickening heart-beat thundering against his chest doesn't cast aside the doubt and fear rising higher.

"I'll disregard your distasteful words against taijutsu." He pauses. He's scared now. "But I will not back down. Not ever to you." He lacks the smirk Neji can easily pull off anytime, and simply gets into his stance.

Hinata just sits and stares. Her mind racing over the words she has just thought of. 'It's not my fault.' It really isn't. How is she suppose to know what others think of her? How is she suppose to control their outburst of liking? It wasn't her fault. Yet ... no matter how many times she repeated it over, it was her fault.

She was to blame for not being an able ninja, or able woman at that fact, to side-step Lee like Sakura had. She was to blame for not stopping him a second time, claiming her lips with her belief misguided passion. Good passion. Wonderful passion. But confused and a little somewhere in her heart, un-welcomed.

"Your out of your league Lee." He prepares to attack, sliding his hands in his own stance. "And you know it. Don't you, friend?"

That strikes Lee in the heart and his forehead finally begins to sweat for real. His stance trembles and looses its readiness. He bows his head. Teeth grinding. "You ... your a bastard," He begins, pausing to wipe an escaped tear from his cheek. "Always ... taunting those weaker than you. Does it make you really feel better about yourself? Do you actually, truly, enjoy watching someone who tries his/her best feel fear?"

"No." Neji simply says, his eyes suddenly hidden as well. "I don't enjoy hurting others ... in any way. But ... you are the exception. You took away ... my only ... purity in this world. It wasn't just a kiss I saw then, I saw, and felt, you stealing away the one untouched innocent in my life. She ... she is all I have left!" He snaps, "AND YOU'VE TAKEN HER AWAY FROM ME! You will suffer in any way I can see fit for doing so." He snaps back into stance, eyes fiercely on black hair. "I promise you that. I don't care what comes from my mouth, whether true or lies, I will not allow you to come away with those thoughts of her. I'll knock them right out of your head!"

The wind finally begins to blow again. Has it had enough of the spectra? Hinata or Tenten haven't. The two stare intensely on the two. Tenten notices only a few scrapes and cuts lined against each body, and she lets a sigh escape against the wind. Hinata ... just sits and stares, unable to move, but more than wanting too.

Lee lifts his head. He looks defeated, Neji thinks. "Well?" He questions. His charka has been burning for nearly ten minutes and he feels it depleted faster. He needs to knock him in the head now or swallow his words and walk away.

Not a chance. Never.

Without another word, cause of hesitation, he slides his feet forward. He's racing forward with one hand, blue, coming for the others heart. His comrade. Perhaps actually his friend. He questions one more time, why the heart? He misses and is thrown off in the opposing direction. Slams hard against the tree, eyes wide and sky watching; he nearly chokes on the blood in his mouth now, some spewing against the ground in front of his now limp body.

No taijustu could do that. He focuses his eyes on Lee. No. In front of Lee. Tsunade stands tall, one hand on her hip, eyes staring lazily at him. He's gone in the dark afterwards.

"Ugh," Her eyebrow twitches in irritation. "I didn't calculate Neji getting so out of hand." She glances down. "Or you."

Lee stands, still defeated, eyes boring into the ground. Tsunade rolls her eyes. "What about you two?" She questions Tenten who answers with a crooked smile. Hinata doesn't, she merely sits and stares, eyes locked hard on Lee.

"Oh brother ..." Perhaps she should listen to Shizune more, she thinks. The area begins to fill with fellow chuunin, all whispering among themselves. Kiba and Naruto claiming they wish they'd been here to witness. The others only briefly commenting on either Lee, Neji, or Hinata's state of being. Medical-nin come now, laying Neji on a stretcher. Tsunade's hand comes to Lee's shoulder and he topples into her arms.

And Hinata finally feels hands at her shoulder, Sakura's maybe. She mouths, "Stop ..." and darkness is there to claim her.

Lee wakes up the the moonlight spilling over his legs wrapped up in a warm white sheet. He looks around and knows its the infirmary but doesn't know why he's here. He didn't think he was severally wounded. Couple of scrapes from Neji's kunai coming inches from his neck. A little bruise to his knuckles from hitting Neji in the soft flesh of wrist. Did they consider those serious enough to hold him overnight?

Wait. He lifted the sheet off and un-buttoned his dress. No wounds. He remembered the blue charka aiming for his heart, so why wasn't there any wounds? Neji never missed.

"I didn't miss. I was merely halted by Hokage."

He snapped his attention the left. Neji lay in the next bed, head bandaged over his curse symbol. Arms too. And a white patch against his right cheek. He was staring at the ceiling intensely.

Hokage? Tsunade-sama had interrupted their fight. He wasn't in belief that someone as powerful and busy would keep close eye on 'mission training'. Oh, he remembered, the special mission.

"The special mission?" He asked stupidly. Really, he was only trying to fill the silence. The man laying a few feet away had just tried to kill him. Claimed he had stolen Hinata from him. Tried to kill him. He just couldn't get over it. But ... it was his own fault. He was just trying to get away from the blame, thoughts, events of the day.

"It was nothing but a ruse."

He blinked. "Ruse? For what? Who?"

Neji moved his head. Staring at the man he had nearly killed early. "At some point, Hokage noticed the ... happenings between you and Hinata. So, she obviously went out of her way planning a little ... 'alone time' for you and her." He turned back. "Don't ask me what for. Maybe to get me pissed off, show some real anger. Or maybe ..." He didn't finish and clenched his fist in his own white sheet.

Lee looked on. He casted his eyes down to the floor separating them. Whenever a comrade or friend were ever in turmoil; may it be during a mission or in the privacy of thoughts, he would jump right beside them, give them a bear hug and toothy grin. But this time he couldn't do that. His friend hated him. No amount of hugging, tooth grinning, were going to help him now.

"Neji ..."

"I don't need comfort, Lee. I ... need to be left alone for a while. Your wounds are less serious than mine, I'm sure the nurses will check you out." He turned his head completely against Lee's direction. "Go."

Indeed he was fit to be omitted out ... but his friend. He began to object but thought it best to obey Neji's words. He was certainly right. He was in less serious condition than Neji. He was quick to dress in his green outfit, which someone had kindly folded on a chair at the foot of his bed. And even quicker to make his bed, take a glance back at his friend before existing and searching for the front desk.

Neji smirked. No arrogance. Determination. "Meddle-some Hokage."

Her fingers interlocked together and her thumbs rubbed against the other. She looked down, confused and lost in thoughts. Her mind replayed over the events in the forest. Since being lead away and returning home, she had questioned herself about why and how. Why had the Hokage done such a thing. How come she possessed the inability to do anything to stop it all.

The prick of tears came first. She probably looked terrible, hunched on a bench under a tree, hands pressed, tears running down her face, mixing with the blood.

Her hand stained red. Cheek stained red. Blood at her cheek, down her neck, and into her beige jacket, between her bust. Her father had hit her real good. The encrusted Hyuuga ring really hit her good.

'I know ... it really is all my fault. It ... always is.'

She fell apart. Face coming to rest in open hands.

This was how Lee found her. Standing in front of the young girl, Neji's cousin, member of Team 8, one year younger than he, fellow ninja. This was what the girl was reduced to ... because of him.

He kneels down in front of her and without much thought wraps his arms around her sunken head. He feels her tense but doesn't move away. "Hinata ..." He moves away, lifting her head to look at him. Her eyes are red and swollen; fresh tears coming. He notices blood, a cut, on her cheek, and cringes. How? Who?

He grabs a white cloth from his pocket and presses it slightly against the blood. She smiles weakly. "I hope you forgive me Hinata. I was unfair." She shakes her head and he blushes at the contact she initiates.

"No ... never."

Her hand is warm against his shoulder, but he continues. "I was. Don't try to defend a low-life. Without your permission I took advantage of you," His next words are almost a whisper. "many times." He holds her bloody cheek and his other hand rest atop hers. "Hinata, I hope in my heart you can forgive me. If not, I will fully understand. I not only took advantage of you, but I also hurt someone very dear to you. I provoked him into a nasty spectra."

Her hand moves to rest against his reddening cheek. "Please stop. You don't need to be forgiven." She pauses, clenching the hand nervously in her lap. But her eyes stray from her bodies emotions -- they are focused (on him) and determined. "No one is to blame." But herself, she thinks. "I-I believe we are all accountable of our actions. And ... apart of us will always blame ourselves for not doing better. But ... Lee," Tighter clench. "I'm more ashamed, than regrettable, to admit I enjoyed it." She almost smiles. "Not you and Neji getting into a fight." She quickly states. "I enjoyed being with you ... Lee. I've always wanted to be acknowledged by others and you ... gave me that. I'm not sure if it was meant, but ... I hope you focus more on that than foolishly blaming yourself."

He stares at her. He's tempted to take the plunge towards her lips again. Why would have to wait for an answer. He knew right then, in her words and watching her, what path was laying before him.

"Hinata?" He lifted up and embraced her tightly. The white cloth falling to their feet. "I meant it. Know that I meant it. Engrave it in your pure heart, Hinata. I ... I like you Hinata. Right now."

'And possibly in the future ... my path will open up to me the truth of these swarming feelings. But until then ... until then ...'

Hinata smiled. Really smiled. She wrung her arms around his. Her heart beating faster than when his lips first connected with hers. Faster when they connected a second time. Faster than when he stood proudly with his comrades, claiming his liking to her. Faster than when the kunai's clashed. Faster than when her father deemed her dirty.

'Maybe ...' She tightens.

"Maybe it was the best thing to happen."

AND THERE YOU HAVE IT! After six months of long wait you have your conclusion. It may have not been what everyone was expecting, or even hoping, but oh well. No. As I left off with chapter four I began to wonder about the 'romance' between Lee and Hinata. I don't like rushed 'romance', I mean, sometimes it's okay and fun to read, but other times its like: AH! How in the world can two people fall in love so quickly?!

Anyways, I decided I'd leave the final chapter off with them ... budding? It's open for a possible sequel, but nothing concrete yet. Oh, did you like Neji's last appearance? I thought: have Neji be a good guy in the end, but after Lee leaves, fighting Neji back. Hee Hee.

All in all, I enjoyed the story. Though my writing sucked in the beginning chapters, and more than likely this one too. Still, I enjoyed writing about a pairing hardly ever done or appreciated. I might do another, but this time one-shot, in the future.

And before signing off I thank all of you, reviewers or just readers, for all the support and words of thought. Unfortunately, I loathe 'review reply' and couldn't respond to each of you individually, but I did, and still do, appreciate.

THANKS FOR READING! SEE YOU NEXT STORY!

FINAL THOUGHTS? REVIEW?