Naruto 1. Prologue

**This is my "Apology for being gone for so long" Fic. I'm not done with my Zorobin FanFic, but this is just something I wanted to get down and published before I completely forgot on my way back from my trip. I will be working on this NejIno fic, as well as my ZorRobin fic. FEAR NOT, I HAVE NOT LEFT YOU, BEAUTIFUL READERS! Well, I did but...Well ya know what I mean. Just.. ON WITH ZE STORY!**

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"Get out of the way! Please, move aside!" Lee's voice pleaded as he did his best to clear the way, along with Tenten, as Might Guy carried a battered and bloodied Neji Hyuuga, his chocolate brown hair was cut out of it's normal pony tail and caked dry in area's with blood, It cascaded over his face, so no passersby could see the damage done to his frame, even if Guy hadn't been moving at blazing speeds towards the Leaf's Emergency wing at the hospital.

As they reached the main entrance to the hospital, Sakura, as well as Ino and a few other medica;-nin were waiting, with a stretcher right at the entrance. As Konoha's Green Beast laid Neji down onto the stretcher, Ino turned her head away, sobbing. His lip was cut, and his cheek was bruised. He had a profusely bleeding gash at the side of his head and a few nonfatal lacerations on his neck.

Neji's pale eyes were shut tight in an unconscious grimace of pain as he was lain down.

As Sakura pulled Ino aside while the other medical-nin scurried into action, Ino continued to sob, now into her best friend's shoulder, and now her words were barely above a whisper. "It's all my fault..It's all my fault.."


	2. Chapter 1

**This is the OFFICIAL chapter one of Neji Doesn't. You're gonna see what caused Neji to be all bruised and battered here..**

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In Konoha, the day, much like any other was bright, with fluffy clouds dotting the sky in a peaceful manner. The village's occupants were cheerful and bustling with life through the shopping district. At least, most of them were. The Leaf Village's Neji Hyuuga, Hyuuga prodigy and part of the famed Konoha 11, was walking through the streets of Konoha, a glare on his face as he did his best to ignore the loud mouthed Guy-lookalike.

"But Neji! You MUST come! Everyone else has already RSVP'ed ; and it would be a perfect way for you to enjoy your wonderful youth and wind down!" Rock Lee shouted. That boy was truly testing the Hyuuga's patience.

"For the last time Lee, no. I will not be going to your birthday party. And I certainly will not be 'winding down'. I am much too busy." Neji said, stopping abruptly and turning on his heel to face Lee, who almost collided with him do to his sudden halt.

"Neji, _please_? If not for yourself, then please, help me! I want to ask Sakura out but I need my best friend and rival to support me and give me the courage I shall need! And I need you! I want _all _of our friends there, Neji-san! How would it feel to me if you blew her off to train, instead of wishing her a single happy birthday, or at least stop by!" Lee pleaded his case, throwing in a watery set of puppy eyes to help the cause.

Neji bore holes into the taijutsu master, and stood silent. For a moment Lee braced himself to be Vacuum Palmed all the way to the Hokage's office when the other member of Team Guy closed his eyes. But instead of facing the Hyuuga Prodigy's wrath, he found instead, Neji sighing and pinching his brow in agitation and defeat.

"Fine, Lee. I shall attend your party. Only long enough to say hello and to watch you ask her out. Not a second longer, do I make myself clear, Lee?" Neji relented.

Lee beamed and threw up the Nice Guy Pose, his posture practically _radiating _happiness. "Thank you, Neji-san! I promise you will not regret this!" Lee promised. "So when is the party going to be?" Neji asked. He figured it be some time later that day, so he had to go out of his way to find something suitable to wear.

"October."

Neji deadpanned. All that useless begging and pleading and all around irritation, just to get him to go to a party in _OCTOBER?! _When he could have been spending his time training, like he planned to anyway?!

"_Lee..._" That one word sent volumes of death threats to Rock Lee, which caused him to chuckle nervously and back away.

"Well, N-Neji-san! I'm sure you're very busy, and I must go relay the news of your comings to the beautiful Sakura-chan as well as everyone else. Oh. _Andyouhavetofindadateokaybye!" _And with that, Neji watched as Konoha's Mini Beast sped off down the street to relay the news to his beloved cherry blossom, and keep his ability to talk.

Neji sighed as he turned to walk back to the Hyuuga compound. _"Honestly, a date?.. Why must I be forced to get a date? Neji Hyuuga doesn't have time for dates." _Neji thought to himself.

**_"But Neji Hyuuga has time to speak about himself in third person?" _**Neji's inner voice finally popped its well conditioned and shampooed head.

_"Who are you?" _Neji questioned in his head, while in real life he raised a brow, stopping just in front of the gates of the Hyuuga compound. **_"I'm your Inner Neji. I say exactly what you know you really feel while you keep your emotions frozen and suppressed by that glacier you call a personality." _**Inner Neji stated, rather matter-of-factly.

_"8 Trigrams.." _Neji thought, mentally taking the stance for the 64 palm. Inner Neji quietly backed away, his presence seeming to fade.

_"And that is the last of that.. I must do some serious meditation to get rid of these disturbances. I have been around Lee and Naruto far too often, I see.." _Neji thought. As he took a seat in the Hyuuga's private training grounds, closing his eyes and sitting Indian style in a meditative state, a new question arose in his mind.

"Who can I take as a date to Lee's party?"

It wasn't as if the Hyuuga wasn't handsome, because that was one of the _first_ words anyone would use to describe Neji. But his personality was..Lacking. He definitely _wasn't _gay, it's just been that he never had time for foolish matters such as love and relationships. He'd cross that bridge once he got there, eventually.

He didn't want to bring someone his friends weren't familiar with; it would make the whole situation awkward for them, and the gang. And Neji _refused _to take one the women from the Hyuuga clan. Not even Hinata. How pathetic would that be? Neji Hyuuga is _not _pathetic. He figured that left the choice of some of the kunoichi that everyone knew. "Lady Tsunade? As if. Shizune.. A bit older than me, but not out of the question.. Anko-"

At the mention of her name, Neji almost shuddered. That girl…unnerved Neji to no extent. Especially after the chunin exams. "Sakura is definitely out of the question, so that leaves Ino, and Tenten.." He realized. The Nara would probably be bringing Temari of the sand, so even if she had him as a small speck on her radar, she was out as well. And bringing Tenten as a date might be the same as bringing one of his cousins, or provoke her into thinking he felt something other than a friend and even so far as close family.

Neji didn't want to mess that up by some mistake in judgment of a situation. Neji snapped his eyes open and his meditative state was shattered. "My only option is.."

"Hey, Ino-pig!"


End file.

Naruto, Romance