Neji’s life in the Akatsuki headquarters is almost what he would call ‘normal,’ with the noteworthy exception being that he is living among criminals of a caliber that would send all but the most foolhardy, powerful, or stupid shinobi running. He shares a room with one of the worst.
Every day he goes to the training rooms that occupy a whole level of the underground fortress and practices, first just his form in a room where the walls and ceiling are mirrored, to the obstacle courses where he’ll run time trials destroying targets against the pyromaniac ex-Rock Deidara, whose arson of the main tower in Hidden Rock earned him his S-class status.
He eats dinner with the members that are in the place at the time—not many lately, as everyone’s been needed out on missions. The newly exiled Leaf feels strangely lost without his emotionless companion, so he keeps up his routine. It fills the need for an anchor sometimes. Some days it doesn’t. He is always glad to see Itachi return.
Itachi’s volunteered to keep training him, so Neji more often than not writes his loneliness off to a lack of learning. He is a genius after all.
Thinking of geniuses reminds him of his old home.
“Stop.”
Surprised, Neji lets the chakra buildup dissipate and lowers his open palms. Itachi’s face is not half-hidden behind the cloak as it usually is, and the Hyuuga sees his displeasure etched on that face in the slight frown and the glaring eyes. “Itachi-san, why?”
“Your concentration is lacking. Go into a meditation room and mold your chakra until you can control your wandering thoughts.” And with that, the Uchiha is gone.
Scowling, Neji packs up his weapons bag and does as ordered, closing the door of the room and dropping into a meditative position on the floor.
He wonders what TenTen thought when she heard the news that Neji, always such a stickler for rules, good ol’ reliable, level-headed Hyuuga Neji, had left Konoha and accepted the status of missing-nin because of a criminal’s words.
He wonders what Rock Lee thought as he heard the news; Neji can practically see the cheerfulness on that face that he never thought would leave slowly leeching away.
He wonders what Gai-sensei thought.
He wonders what his father thought.
Smoke from the candles doused in their own wax curls around him, and he wonders.
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Chapter notes: The second in my drabble collection for 16candles_fics.
Usual discplaimers apply.