Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

A/N: Erhm...alright, here we go.

The Definition of Piety

It was cold

the chilly air licked lazily at his exposed fingers and cheeks and he shivered slightly as he attempted to nestle himself further into the grass that was pressed beneath him. He had trained hard that day, pushing his body to the limits that he knew better than anyone else, working well past the vibrant colors of dusk and into the night. There was a sense of satisfaction to be had for it. The same familiar feeling that he got whenever his body was screaming in protest and his mind was buzzing in approval. No matter how much he improved, he always wanted more. So, he continued to train, like any decent shinobi, and continued to push and push until exhaustion won out and he was forced to rest his body until the next day.

Much was the case at that exact moment. He had worked for hours until finally collapsing on the hard ground to give his body the much needed rest it deserved. Still, even after his breathing had slowed and his heart rate decreased, he continued to lay there, his face serene, devoid of the lines that were brought by the Byakugan. Chances to truly relax came few and far between for shinobi, especially those at his level, so perhaps he viewed this as a treat to himself. A small reward that meant so much more to those who did not get to relish in its pleasure often.

So, Hyuuga Neji watched the stars.

Much like the lazy genius who spent his time, free or not, idly observing the clouds he took so much joy in, Neji occasionally spent the little spare time that he had gazing at the stars. The stars looked the same to him as any other person in the world. No matter how advanced his kekkei genkai got, the Byakugan would never be able to see that far. So, the stars remained unchanging. It seemed all the things in his life were evolving. Even the beliefs that he used to live his life by had changed, but the stars...they always stayed the same. It was a comforting thought really, to know that they were unwavering objects that had been there long before him and would continue to exist long after he was forgotten. In a world where it was easy to let your ego grow larger than it should, it was good to be humbled sometimes.

Still, there was that one star that shined bright than the others, making everything else look dull in comparison. As Neji watched the stars, his eyes inevitably drawn to that particular one, he couldn't help but be reminded of another star that drew people to his brightness. This person wasn't just any star, however, he was like the sun itself.

Uzumaki Naruto...

Neji felt a tightness in his chest as his mind drifted to the blonde haired boy and he quickly worked to quell it. He knew what this was. There was no point in futilely going through denial and refusing to accept what he already knew. Neji was not considered a genius for nothing and he'd be damned if he hadn't realized what it was the second it made itself apparent. However, even though he was well aware that he was in love with the overly loud boy, that didn't mean he had any inclination to act on his feelings. He owed a lot of who he was today to Naruto. If it hadn't been for the other shinobi quite literally beating some sense into him, he would be quite a different person and he couldn't help but almost cringe at the possibilities.

Naruto seemed to have this power that no one else around him had. While others seemed to lose themselves in self pity and despair over their less than perfect lives, Naruto, chose to fight through his pain by helping others with theirs. It seemed that everywhere the boy went he changed the lives of the people he came in contact with. Neji wasn't the first to be saved by Naruto and he definitely wasn't the last. He was just one of many and as much aware as he was of his love, he was also aware of this. Naruto, the demon-boy who was anything but a monster, was a walking paradox, and like many others, Neji, the prodigy of the great Hyuuga clan, felt inferior in comparison. It wasn't hard to fall in love with him, and Neji was sure he wasn't the only one. The boy who had grown up so alone, had captivated the mind and hearts of so many around him.

And still...

Though so many were willing to give their love to the blue eyed Jinchuuriki, there was only one that Naruto was willing to give his love to. While he loved many, he was only in love with one.

And it wasn't Neji.

Neji knew this more than anything else.

It wasn't hard to figure out who. There was no need to know that Naruto had risked his life many times for this person. It was unimportant to know that Naruto had searched desperately for him, had trained three years to become strong enough to find him, and had went through the basic definition of hell just to bring him back. It didn't take these things to realize that Uzumaki Naruto was completely in love with Uchiha Sasuke. All one had to see was the way he looked at the other boy and it wasn't hard to figure out. It was the same way Neji looked at Naruto. There were many people that Neji would kill for, but Naruto, he wouldn't think twice about dying for, and one could see that same devotion clearly written in those clear blue eyes.

No matter how much the Uchiha pushed him away, tried to tell him that he was less that what he really was, and hurt the boy who had given so much to him, Naruto's love remained unwavering. Perhaps that was the only thing that really pissed Neji off. He wasn't angry that Naruto was in love with someone else, only the fact that he gave something so precious to someone who didn't even deserve it. Even if Neji was almost positive that Uchiha Sasuke returned his teammates feelings, the fact that he chose to keep it to himself, and instead push the other boy away, was unforgivable in Neji's eyes.

He stiffened.

He was pulled quickly from his thoughts as he felt a pulse of charka close to him. He could sense no malicious intent and there was a sort of familiarity to the charka that he couldn't quite place, but still he allowed his kekkei genkai to seep into his eyes. He scanned the area around him, and almost immediately his eyes fell onto a figure perched in a nearby tree. Due to his advanced eyesight, even in the dark he could make out the flash of red hair. He knew the other was in Konoha on matters of politics and alliances, but that didn't answer why he was here, and despite his better judgement, he found his curiosity getting to him.

"Kazekage-sama?" His voice was soft, but he was positive the other heard. And in an instant he found himself face to face with Subaku no Gaara. Had he not been a better ninja, and if this wasn't the leader of Suna, Neji might have been surprised at the Kazekage's swiftness.

"Was I bothering you?" Came the emotionless question from the flame haired boy.

"No, of course not, I was just surprised to see you here." Neji's answer was direct, to the point.

"It's the best view of the stars. Even with Shukaku extracted, I still find it difficult to sleep, so looking at the stars is relaxing." Gaara stated in a low tenor, leaving Neji to wonder why the Kazekage was telling him this of all people. Neji watched as the powerful shinobi quite suddenly seated himself on the ground, paying no mind to the dirt that would surely get on his clothes. He looked up at Neji, paying no particular invitation but not dismissing either, and Neji found himself settling next to the other boy.

They both sat in silence for a long while, neither boy being prone to conversation. Neji found himself watching the other man out of the corner of his eye. At seventeen, the Kazekage had grown to be quite...well, handsome didn't seem to be the appropriate word considering how beautiful the other was. His features were refined and smooth, not rugged like the definition of a man would be, but almost feminine. His lips were full and his skin was as pale as Neji's own and flawless from years of protection and that hair, that was truly what caught people's attention. While the rest of the Kazekage's appearance seemed reserved and dignified, his hair fell in vibrant disarray among his pointed features. It was lively, everything the pretty Kazekage appeared not to be. Of course, Neji felt that he didn't have any right to call Gaara feminine considering his own appearance. More than once he had been told how beautiful he was. He didn't know much about the Kazekage except for what he had witnessed first hand at the Chunnin Exams when he was thirteen and later when he had fought to rescue the other boy from Akatsuki, but he knew that he was strong, dedicated to his village, reserved, and important to Naruto.

Of course, despite not knowing much about the other boy, Neji had caught the occasional glance that the Kazekage had thrown Naruto's way and he knew that he harbored the same feelings that Neji himself did. He was quickly once again pulled from his reverie as the other boy stared at him as well. He cleared his throat looking away, loathing to admit that he was slightly embarrassed that he had been caught staring.

"So, have you been by to see Naruto since you've been here?" He chose that time to end the silence, despite regretting his choice of words.

"Yes, I saw him this morning...he cornered me into buying him ramen." Neji didn't fail to notice the way those full lips quirked slightly upwards at the thought of the blonde shinobi.

Neji was relieved that the his question didn't draw any curiosity from the red head, but his relief was short lived when the other spoke softly,

"Why do you ask Hyuuga?"

Neji looked for an excuse but found none at reach, despite being a proclaimed genius that he was. So, he attempted to draw the attention away from himself.

"Are you in love with Naruto?"

Shit.

That was not what he had meant to say. He cringed at the bluntness and stupidity of his words. Trying to regain some dignity, he forced himself to look at Gaara's face, and he was met with cool teal eyes, staring back at his own.

"Aren't you?" It wasn't a question, not really, because there was something in Gaara's voice that told Neji that he already knew. They had both been saved by Naruto. Saved from the darkness that had very nearly consumed them both. They were the same in that aspect. Completely enamored with someone who would never be able to return their affections. It was comforting to know they were not alone.

As they settled back into gazing up at the stars, Neji never needing to answer the question, he heard Gaara's low voice cut quietly through the night air.

"Uchiha Sasuke."

Neji felt his lips twitch.

"Yeah, I hate him too."