InuYasha Fan Fiction / Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Shinobi and Miko: A Collection of One-Shots ❯ Happy Birthday Neji NejiKagome ( Chapter 8 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: midnitesilverblade
It’s July 3rd! Which means it’s Hyuga Neji’s birthday! His team embarks on a mission to give Neji what he always wanted but could never get: one Higurashi Kagome.

Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction / Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 08.03.2006 | Updated On: 08.04.2006 | Pages: 9 | Words: 6.0K | Visits: 1.9K | Status: Work In Progress

Title: Happy Birthday Neji
Pairing: Neji/Kagome
Rating: T
Summary: It's July 3rd! Which means it's Hyuga Neji's birthday! His team embarks on a mission to give Neji what he always wanted but could never get: one Higurashi Kagome.
Dedication: From mediaminer.org, this is for Kirri Kitty. From fanfiction.net. Natsumi Tsuchi-Ookami.
 
 
“Hmm…hmm…”
Rock Lee paced the wooden floor of his dojo with his hands crossed over his chest.
 
“Lee, have you come up with something yet?”
 
“No Tenten. How are we supposed to pull this off? We're supposed to kidnap Kagome and wrap her up as a present to Neji.”
 
TenTen smiled at her teammate behind her hand.
“You're right Lee. It's impossible.”
 
Hearing the word `impossible made the boy in green spandex twitch and freeze in his tracks. When he turned around to face TenTen, his eyes burned with fervor and zeal.
“Youth does not know the word `impossible'. We shall burn with the fire and passion of youth and prevail! The springtime of youth is with us TenTen! YOUTH!”
 
She smiled at Lee again.
Lee…you've really grown.
 
“Lee! Burn with the springtime of youth!”
 
He turned around to see his teacher, Gai-sensei, standing at the doorway of the dojo. The sun shone brightly behind him as he grinned to show pearly white teeth.
“Gai-sensei!”
 
“Not to worry Lee, my youthful student! I have a plan!”
 
“Gai-sensei!”
 
“Lee!”
 
The two embraced under a beautiful sunset, with TenTen looking on in exasperation.
“You two, remember we have a mission? To get Kagome and-”
 
A gently, deep voice shocked Gai-sensei and Lee out of their hug.
“What about Kagome?”
Hyuga Neji stood leaning on the doorframe of Lee's dojo.
 
Rock Lee grinned widely at Neji.
“Neji! My youthful teammate!”
 
Neji acknowledged Rock Lee Gai-sensei with a nod of his head and turned his full attention onto TenTen. His voice flowed out like water in a smooth running river.
“Did you say something about Kagome?
 
“No. You must have heard me wrong Neji. I said…'what about kagome, kagome'. You know, the game.”
 
“And what interest would you have with the game TenTen?”
 
TenTen immediately shut her mouth.
 
“Let's go play it TenTen!”
Lee pushed TenTen out of his dojo and popped his head back in to talk to Neji.
“Neji, are you joining?”
 
“Probably not.”
 
“Lee, Neji and I will be along in a little bit.”
Gai-sensei gave his youthful student a glittering smile and a thumbs-up.
 
Lee nodded and put his head outside.
 
Gai-sensei put his hand on Neji's shoulder in a friendly manner.
“Neji, if you love her, you have to tell her.”
 
Neji shook Gai-sensei's hand off his shoulder.
“I know. But she already has many suitors since she came her. Why would she be interested in me?”
 
“Why wouldn't she?”
 
At that precise moment, Higurashi Kagome peeked into the dojo.
“Gai-sensei, Neji, it's nice to see you!”
 
“Ah, Kagome! Youth is following you today! What can we do for you?”
 
“Actually, I wanted to talk to Neji.”
 
“Ah! Are you going to make him more youthful Kagome?”
 
Kagome smiled patiently at Gai-sensei.
“Hai.”
 
Gai-sensei gave Kagome a thumbs-up and left the dojo.
“Lee! TenTen! What are you doing here?! You should be enjoying the springtime of youth, not listening in on Neji and Kagome!”
 
“Shh! Gai-sensei, this might help our plan!”
 
Understanding dawned on Gai-sensei's face.
“Yes…I understand my youthful students!”
 
Inside the dojo, Neji was staring at Kagome with an intense look on his face.
“What is it Kagome?”
 
Kagome grinned at Neji and covered his eyes with one hand.
“Close your eyes Neji-kun.”
 
Neji closed his eyes.
What is she doing? But I trust her.
 
Kagome gently untied Neji's headband and unwrapped the bandages hiding his curse seal away. She performed several motions with her hand and put a cooling hand on his forehead.
 
Neji felt a gentle, warm sensation caress his forehead.
This feels so good…what is she doing to me?
 
“You can open your eyes now Neji-kun.”
 
Neji slowly opened his eyes, savoring the warm feeling before it left him. He looked around to see Kagome pulling her hand away from his forehead.
“What happened?”
 
Pulling out a mirror, Kagome handed it to Neji.
“Look. I took the curse seal away. Happy Birthday Neji.”
 
Neji's eyes widened as he looked into the mirror. His smooth, porcelain face was unblemished by anything. The curse mark was gone. He turned his gaze onto Kagome and rushed towards her. His arms wrapped around her waist with his nose buried into his hair.
“Kagome…how can I thank you?”
 
“Mm…just hold me a little longer please Neji.”
 
Neji's lips grazed Kagome's ear as she shivered at the contact. He bit down gently and took her earlobe between his teeth.
 
“YOUTH!”
Two green blurs burst through a wall of the dojo and stopped in front of Kagome and Neji.
“Ah, youthful love!”
 
Neji narrowed his eyes and wrapped his arms tighter around Kagome.
“What do you want?”
 
Gai-sensei and Lee had tears of happiness in their eyes as they hugged each other.
“YOUTH! Neji, you two will grow forever youthful together!”
 
“Neji, I'll see you later okay?”
 
Neji turned apologetic eyes to Kagome.
“I apologize.”
 
Kagome kissed Neji's cheek gently and returned to him the headband and his bandages.
“Here. Bye Neji-kun. Take care everyone.”
 
“Let youth follow you everywhere! Don't remember to come to the par-”
 
“Lee! Don't give away the surprise!”
 
Neji just rolled his eyes and went off to the Hyuga house.
There's no reason for me to stay, now that Kagome's left.
 
“Now that Neji's gone, we'll go capture Kagome. Ready my youthful students?”
 
TenTen and Rock Lee saluted.
“Hai (yes), Gai-sensei!”
 
Elsewhere, Kagome was walking along a dusty road when she saw the Ichiraku Ramen stand.
Yum…ODEN!!!
She pushed open the flap and plopped down on a seat.
“One order of oden please!”
 
The owner smiled at Kagome and nodded.
“One oden coming up!”
 
Seated next to Kagome was a blond-boy shoveling ramen into his mouth. He looked up when he heard Kagome's voice.
“Huh? Kagome-chan?”
 
“Naruto! How are you doing?”
 
He looked at her with a disbelieving look on his face.
“Shouldn't TenTen and Lee have captured you by now?”
 
“What? Umm…Naruto?”
 
Naruto shook his head and grinned uncertainly at Kagome.
“N-never mind.”
 
“Naruto, please tell me what you're talking about.”
 
Naruto made the mistake of looking into Kagome's large, glossy eyes as she said this.
“Kagome-chan, I can't.”
 
“Onegai Naruto-kun… (Please Naruto-kun)”
 
He twitched visibly. The arrival of Neji stopped further discussion.
“Kagome? Fancy meeting you here.”
 
“Neji!”
Kagome blushed at the remembrance of the day's earlier events and quickly averted her face from Neji's intense eyes.
“Umm…I have to go now…bye!”
She ran out of the Ichiraku Ramen stand and kept on running, ending up at the gates of Konoha. Kagome put her hand on her racing heart, hoping to calm it down.
He's never made me feel like this before. Why now? On his birthday of all days?
 
“Kagome! What are you doing here?”
Kamizuki Izumo and Hagane Kotetsu were lounging in their booth situated inside the gates Konoha.
 
“What are you two doing here?”
 
“We're on guard duty today. Glad we were. You look like a mess! What happened?”
 
“Nothing.”
 
“Come on Kagome! We know something's wrong. What happened?”
 
Kagome kicked at the sand with her feet and drew small patterns.
“Well…”
A flash of green appeared before Kagome. She immediately fell unconscious and was caught by Izumo.
 
“Lee! What is the meaning of this?!”
 
Rock Lee appeared with TenTen trailing behind him and took Kagome from Izumo.
“She's Neji's birthday present.”
 
Kotetsu and Izumo nodded at each other and sat down at their post.
It's about time those two got together.
 
“Come on TenTen! We don't have much time! How do we get to your house?”
 
“Follow me Lee.”
The kunoichi (female ninja) took off running to her house, where everything was already ready and prepared.
“Get in here Lee!”
TenTen pushed him and the unconscious Kagome into her room and slammed the door. She held up two kimonos, a dark blue one with a black obi (the sash to tie the kimono with) and a pink one with a lavender obi.
“Which one Lee?”
 
“Do you have a green one to symbolize youth? Oh TenTen! Do you want one of Gai-sensei's amazing suits?!”
 
“NO! Just pick one Lee!”
 
“Hmph. I thought you had more respect for Gai-sensei. The blue one then. It matches Kagome's passion for youth!”
 
TenTen sweat-dropped and pushed Lee out of the room.
“I need to get Kagome-chan dressed. Can you go get the box, wrapping paper, and ribbons from your house?”
 
“Hai TenTen!”
Lee rushed off, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake.
 
TenTen took a deep breath and sat down on her bed, exhausted.
Finally! I hope Neji likes his present…or else.
She divested Kagome of her schoolgirl's uniform she had on. TenTen put the kimono on Kagome and tied the obi around her waist.
 
Rock Lee walked in carrying everything.
“TenTen, do you have her ready?”
 
“Hai Lee. Put her in the box. And make sure there are air holes. We don't want her suffocating.”
 
He quickly punched the box in several places and holes appeared on the outside of the box. Lee gently picked Kagome up and put her into the box. Inside the box were pillows to make Kagome comfortable.
After he placed her in, TenTen put the top on and began wrapping it in paper. After the box was properly wrapped, TenTen tied a ribbon on it and handed it to Lee, who stapled a card to the ribbon.
“Take care of her Lee.”
 
“If I don't, I will do 100 sit-ups! And if I can't do those 100 sit-ups, I will do 200 push-ups!”
 
“Bye Lee! After you drop Kagome off, get Neji. Make sure he doesn't use his Byakugan.”
 
“Hai! If I fail, I will kick a log three hundred times! If I…”
TenTen gently pushed the still-rambling Lee out of her house and put her head in her hand.
“Geez…”
 
Later, after leaving Kagome-in-the-box at the party area, Rock Lee went to the Hyuga main house.
Earlier in the week, he had pleaded with the head of the Hyuga household, Hyuga Hiashi, to allow Neji freedom from the curse mark. The older man just humphed and said if they could find a way to remove it, he would allow it.
“Hiashi-sama, I, Rock Lee, have come to tell you the curse mark has been removed from Neji! He will burn with youth once again!”
 
Members of the Hyuga clan glanced at Rock Lee, the same thought running through all of their heads.
What was this green-clad misfit doing in the Hyuga house? And what was he talking about? It was impossible to remove the curse mark.
 
Hinata came out of a room and her eyes widened.
“L-Lee-san! What are you doing here?”
 
Lee turned to Hinata and gave her a thumbs up.
“I'm here for my rival! Neji!”
 
She nodded and went to give him.
I hope everything goes according to plan…
“Neji nii-san! Lee-san wants to talk to you.”
 
Neji came out of his room and nodded at Hinata.
“Arigato Hinata-san. Lee, what do you want to talk about?”
 
“Come with me. I found a note outside my house, and I think Kagome's in danger. Don't use your Byakugan either.”
 
Kagome!
“What's going on with Kagome? Give me the note.”
Neji snatched the note out of Lee's hands and quickly scanned it for any information concerning Kagome.
 
The note read,
 
Hyuga Neji and Rock Lee,
Wehave captured Kagome. Come to the Academy if you want her.
Hyuga, if you use your Byakugan, we will know and she will die.
 
 
Neji's hands shook with anger as he reread the note over.
Those bastards…how dare they?!
He took off running to the Academy, where they all grew up together.
 
“Neji, my rival! Wait!”
 
Neji ran to the main doors of Academy and wrenched them open. Darkness greeted him, but the lights immediately switched on. A yell of, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY NEJI!” entered his sensitive ears.
So, the note was only a ploy to get me here.
 
“Open your presents!”
 
“TenTen! We have to get the party started first!”
 
TenTen and Lee held a whispered conversation. Neji heard muffled words like “suffocate” and “her” and “open now”. The conversation ended with TenTen bashing Lee on the forehead. Finally both straightened up and Lee thrust a large box at Neji.
 
“Happy Birthday my rival! This is from TenTen and me! May you burn with passion and youth forever!”
 
“Arigato gozaimasu (thank you very much).”
Neji bowed and opened his present. Everyone else quickly filed out of the room so he and his present could be alone.
“What-Kagome?!”
He gingerly lifted the kimono-clad Kagome out of the box, cradling Kagome to his chest.
What happened?
 
Kagome stirred and snuggled deeper into Neji's embrace. She took a whiff of his unique scent and sighed happily.
“Neji…Neji!”
Kagome shot upright.
 
Neji held Kagome closer to his warm body. He opened the card attached to the ribbon.
“It appears you're my birthday present. But you shouldn't let yourself get caught so easily Kagome. You could be easy prey for bandits and thieves.”
 
“But Lee is really fast! There's no way I could dodge any of his attacks.”
 
“You just need to work on your speed and your Taijutsu. You're already fast enough, but if you want to beat Lee, you have to read his moves quickly and be prepared to intercept them.”
 
“Arigato Neji. Neji…why was I your birthday present?”
 
Neji's normally stoic face split with a small smile.
“Because I've always wanted you Kagome. I was worried you would turn me down. You're so beautiful and so strong. I don't deserve you Kagome.”
 
Kagome took Neji's pale face in her hands and gently kissed him on the lips. She brought her hands around his neck and whispered softly into his ear.
“There was no reason to be afraid Neji. I've wanted you too, for so long.”
 
“Kagome…”
Neji tilted her head up and caught her lips against his in a bruising kiss. He gently threaded his hands through her soft hair.
 
“I love you Neji. Happy Birthday.”
 
“I love you too Kagome. Thank you for everything. What do you say we ditch my `surprise birthday party' and go on a date?”
 
“Of course Neji. I've always wanted this.”
She brought his head closer to hers for another gentle kiss.
I love you Neji.