Disclaimer: The story of “Naruto” just like its characters is not mine.

Main parings: Sasuke x Neji, Itachi x Neji.

Side parings: Naruto x Hinata.

Rate: R to NC-17

Summary: (Sequel to “Because of you”) AU. Sasuke has an obsession with Neji, but if he has to fight against the past and his own ghosts to get closer to him, maybe then he would understand how much he’s hurting them both

Notes: Just let me remind you all that English is not my mother language, I’m sorry about the mistakes.

Warnings: OMG!Shota and Some graphic material.

“A Distant Cry”

By Yersi Fanel (Beta, wheenn)

Chapter 4: Memory

“I-Itachi-san…”

The older Uchiha nodded in response. He shifted a little to encircle Neji with his arms. The boy’s hands were against Itachi’s chest and his eyes were fixed on him; Itachi looked into those eyes that inspired him many times before, and felt something waking up inside of him. He smiled to himself.

“Time has been generous with you, Neji-kun.” To his eyes, Neji looked as gorgeous as always, and perhaps even more.

Neji was trapped in his confusion - he knew the person in front of him from more than just stories and rumors, but he couldn’t remember why. Neji gripped Itachi’s cloak lightly, closing his eyes and lowering his head a little. Itachi moved his arms to finally trap him in his embrace.

Silver-white eyes grew wide, opening a door in his memory.

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Neji was with Hinata in the Hyuuga manor. Both of them were training as his mentor had told them to - the little girl was having troubles keeping up to her cousin’s pace. Neji sighed and stopped the training.

“Neji-niisan?” asked the little girl to get his cousin’s attention. Neji looked at her with his normal calm façade.

“You are not molding enough chakra, Hinata-sama. That’s why you are having troubles performing the jutsus.” That was Neji’s observation. Hinata blinked and her expression turned a little sad, but then she shook her head.

“I guess… you are right.” Hinata sighed and walked up to Neji. “I’m going to do some chakra molding exercise instead. Then I’ll come back and have another session with you, Niisan, is that okay?”

“Yes, Hinata-sama.” Sometimes Neji wondered why Hinata asked for his opinion so much - after all, she was the one from the main family. Then again, Hinata had never, ever, gave him reasons to feel inferior or rejected, and he liked that. However, her father was other story…Hyuuga Hiashi, the head of the clan, was the reason why Neji did not have a father anymore. The boy closed his eyes, trying to not think about it.

Hinata smiled and went to the dojo to train by herself. Neji watched her go and stayed there for a moment, thinking of what to do. The boy then remembered his encounter with the shinobi by the river.

“I wonder if…”

Neji pretended he was doing another seek exercise and went out of the Hyuuga estates. He passed the streets of Konoha and the people walking in them without acknowledging them, even if his reasonable mind was telling him that it was not even probable that the person was by the river again. He just wanted to go and see for himself.

The little boy arrived at the river… and no one was there.

Neji was disappointed. The boy sat by the river’s edge, tossing rocks into the water until something caught his attention – there was something shinny in the water, but he couldn’t tell what was. Using Byakugan, he saw the object.

“A shuriken?” The weapon was between two rocks. Driven by curiosity, Neji extended his hand to reach the weapon in the water. He was on his hands and knees, getting closer and closer to the object, until a bad move made him fell into the river.

The wild water push him down to the bottom of the river. He flailed his arms to reach the surface, but his moving caused him to accidentally hit the shuriken. He got a wound on his arm and in his surprise, the little air that was left in his lungs escaped.

‘Help…someone please help me…’ Neji closed his eyes and felt strong hands embracing him – he was against someone’s chest, second after he could hear the birds and sounds of the woods again. He was still in the water, but only his feet were inside. Neji opened his eyes.

Black orbs looked at him, and arms embraced him. Neji looked at their surroundings - they were sitting on a rock in the middle of the river.

“Are you okay?” the older boy asked. Neji looked at him in the eye. The little boy gripped the other’s cloths tightly, afraid to fall in the river again. He coughed up some water. The older boy stood up and jumped out of the water.

“Thank—” Neji coughed again. The older boy looked at him with a spark of concern in his deep black eyes.

“We should get you dry or you will catch a cold.” the shinobi said to him. Neji blinked at him. “Let’s go,” he continued.

Before Neji could protest, the boy was already jumping and running between the trees, heading to a destination unknown to the opal eyed boy.

“This is not nece—” another cough.

“Well, it seems like it is necessary. Or maybe it’s just me.” the dark eyed boy smiled, and Neji felt the heat reach his cheeks, making him blush lightly. He nodded.

After a few minutes, they arrived at a place where Neji had never been before. He blinked several times looking at his surroundings. Upon seeing people come out, the little boy tried to hide his face in the other boy’s arms when he saw the fan symbol in their cloths.

“Uchiha…” he said in a whisper but the boy holding him had heard.

“Don’t worry, everything is fine.”

Neji closed his eyes and hid his face in the other boy’s cloths. He did not want to be seen in the middle of the Uchiha estates - after all, he was a Hyuuga - and even more, a Hyuuga without permission to be there.

“Hiashi-sama is going to lecture me to no end…”

Neji opened his eyes when the older boy put him down. He was in the backyard of a very beautiful house; Neji saw the cherry tree by the little lake and the set of different plants in there. He was looking at this when the other boy cover him with a big towel.

“Thank you… um…” Neji looked at him, a little ashamed for not knowing his name.

“Itachi,” the Uchiha introduced himself, using another towel to dry the little boy’s hair. Neji smiled softly and the light blush in his cheeks reappeared.

“My name is Neji” he said with a shy voice. Itachi took him to his room and placed him on the futon.

“I’m going to change, Neji, and I’ll look for something for you to wear.” Neji nodded and Itachi left the room.

The Hyuuga then recalled what he had been told about the Uchiha. Itachi was the prodigy of his clan, a shinobi with great skills that had made him a jounin even at his young age. Neji never thought he would meet him in this way…

“Here. You are taller than my little brother, but this should fit you well.” Neji looked over his shoulder. Itachi had returned to the room with a set of a long sleeve turtleneck black shirt and white shorts.

Neji murmured words of gratitude and took the cloths. Itachi did not move while Neji took off his wet cloths. Neji was having doubts in taking off his hairband but he did so anyways. The older boy only closed his eyes when Neji was about to take his shorts off.

“I’m done.” Itachi opened his eyes. Neji had the towel covering his forehead, and he was pretending to be drying his hair. Itachi moved closer and took the towel to help him. “No, wait!” Neji cried, but he didn’t.

Itachi looked at the bright green seal on Neji’s forehead; the cross and lines were in a perfect shape, but they also tainted the boy’s pure innocence to Itachi’s eyes. The Uchiha had heard rumors about that seal, and now he was seeing it with his own eyes.

“So, it is true…” said the dark eyed boy more to himself than Neji. The little boy was feeling nervous – maybe Itachi would despise him for being of the branch family.

Itachi’s hand moved. Neji closed his eyes, not sure of what to expect – to his surprise, he felt that same hand on his head. The little boy looked at Itachi. His lips curved into a tiny smile. Itachi moved behind him. Neji was sitting on the futon between Itachi’s legs now, as the shinobi treated the wound on Neji’s hand and bandaged it. Itachi sat up and came back a few minutes later. Neji felt hands on his hair and saw over his shoulder that the Uchiha was brushing his hair.

Neji smiled timidly, not used to this kind of affection – though, he had to admit that he actually liked it. Itachi was still unknown to him. But he liked the Uchiha, for some reason.

Itachi took a cloth from his desk and handed it to Neji so he could use it as a headband. Neji smiled and took the offer.

Trying to pass the time, Itachi asked Neji to pose for him. The boy nodded happily and, followed Itachi’s instructions so he could draw him like he wanted. He stood against a tree in the garden, looking at the lake.

He felt a little weird wearing cloths that were not his own, but he was grateful that those cloths were special and did not have Uchiha fan symbols on them. If someone saw him like this; a Hyuuga, wearing another clan’s crest – his uncle was going insolate him in his room for weeks.

Itachi had said that those cloths belonged to his little brother. Neji was trying to recall the name of the younger Uchiha. He was a year below him in the academy if he was not mistaken. Neji had heard of him.

‘Sasuke’ he recalled in his mind, not moving to fulfill Itachi’s expectations of him as his model. ‘Uchiha Sasuke.’

“I have finished, Neji-kun.” The little boy raised his eyes to Itachi, who was moving his hand, indicating him to come closer. Neji did so and looked at Itachi’s picture. “Do you like it?”

Neji was amazed with Itachi’s skills. The boy nodded, looking at the details of the picture. He had never actually posed for anyone before, but he was sure that Itachi’s drawing of him was excellent.

The little boy sat next to Itachi while he was placing some details of the landscape to the picture. Neji smiled; he felt really nice.

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Itachi was satisfied. He had gotten closer to the object of his inspiration, and said inspiration liked to be with him. The Uchiha was not going to waste this opportunity. he decided to do a risky but, in the case it worked, effective move.

“Train?” Neji asked, to be sure he heard right. He was in the woods with Itachi. A few days had passed since their encounter, and Neji was heading back to give back the cloths Itachi had let him borrow, when Itachi suggested something that was now the current topic.

“I can see you have a lot of potential, Neji-kun, that’s why I’m asking you. Would you like to train with me?”

“But, but… I’m not at your level.” Neji did want to train with Itachi, but he knew that the older shinobi was much better than him, and he did not want to disappoint him. “I’m only going to waste your time.”

“Then, if you can train at my level, let me train you instead,” Itachi suggested, Neji was thinking about it, train with the famous Uchiha Itachi. He wanted to be a great shinobi; he wanted to show everybody that he had been blessed with the Hyuuga talent as his father had told him once.

Neji’s eyes narrowed in thought. Maybe if he was strong enough, he could find a way to be truly free…

“Yes,” he said, raising his eyes to meet Itachi’s, “it would be an honor, Itachi-san.”

Itachi nodded in satisfaction. This way he could assure an encounter with Neji at least once a week. Perfect.

“The only condition, Neji-kun, is that no one can know about this. Let’s keep this just to ourselves. Do you agree with this?” The boy agreed. He knew it would be more easy this way, without have to explain anything to anybody. He could tell them that he was having practices at the academy or something and come to Itachi.

“Yes, Itachi-san.”

“Then its settled, Neji-kun.” Itachi offered his hand to Neji, who took it shyly. The Uchiha smiled, his move was working.

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Neji took a set of shurikens from his bag and throw them at the target. He was at the academy in the middle of a free time to train. At first he was alone in the training area, but then another boy came, Neji noticed over his shoulder.

Uchiha Sasuke.

The Hyuuga blinked looked so much like Itachi. This was actually the first time he had seen Sasuke this close up. The younger Uchiha walked near him and took the spot next to him in the lines for shuriken practice.

Sasuke held three kunais and threw. The first one hit near the center. The second one was about to miss completely, when Sasuke used his third kunai to hit the second. With that, the kunai changed its direction, and hit near the center too. The Uchiha boy narrowed his eyes at the kunais, and after a few moments his eyes landed on Neji.

“It’s not like I missed,” he defended. Neji blinked and nodded. “But its not good enough.”

“Its because of the speed.” said Neji. Sasuke looked at him with curiosity. “It’s easy, you use little force when you’re holding the kunai, then set the force at the moment of let it go. The kunai will have direction and speed.”

Neji took two kunais and did the same move that Sasuke did, hitting the center. The Uchiha looked at him with an estrange face.

“Something wrong?” asked Neji at Sasuke’s reaction. The dark haired boy shook his head and looked away.

“It’s nothing. You just remained me of something my brother said.” muttered the boy. Neji slapped himself mentally; he’d almost quoted Itachi with shuriken throwing lesson. “I’m Sasuke, Uchiha Sasuke, by the way.”

“Hyuuga Neji” the opal eyed boy smiled lightly. He was pretty sure Sasuke knew that he was a Hyuuga. After all, they had their characteristic eyes, contrary of the Uchihas’ that could hide their bloodline limit’s eyes.

“There is a girl in my class, Hyuuga Hinata. She is your relative, I assume, sister perhaps?” Sasuke stared to throw shurikens at the target. Neji did the same.

“Something like that, I guess.” Sasuke looked at him with a puzzled face. “She’s my cousin, to be exact.”

“I see.” Sasuke changed from shurikens to kunais. Neji was doing the same, and soon they were in a silent competition. They stared to run around the targets, jumping while throwing the weapons. They were in an unofficial display of their abilities.

By the time they ran out of weapons, both were on either side of the field, panting. Both looked at each other, and smiled.

“We should do this again,” suggested Sasuke.

“Yes, I think we should.” the Uchiha nodded and then his eyes caught something at the other side of the field.

“Niisan!” Sasuke waved his hand. Neji’s eyes automatically moved to that direction. Itachi has there, watching both of them, a tiny smile in his face. “I’ll see you later then!” Sasuke ran towards his brother. Neji just watched them both go. He picked up a kunai from the floor and throw it – he missed the center.

“Neji-niisan…” the boy felt something warm when he heard the girl’s voice. He looked at her. Hinata was standing there, looking almost defenseless. Neji mentally sighed. Since Hanabi’s birth, his cousin had been hiding herself in a shell. Neji couldn’t picture how to take her out before it was too late. “Its t- time to go, we are g-going to be late for dinner…”

“I’m coming, Hinata-sama.”

Neji walked with Hinata in silence, thinking about the current situation. Hanabi was just a baby – everybody was making to much fuss about her. He though about his strange relationship with Hinata, because sometimes he couldn’t forget that her father was the reason why he did not have his anymore. He could see Hinata as the only heiress, because she had never made him feel…caged.

Hinata was not as talented as Neji, that was true, but she could be a proper ninja. This entire situation was Hiashi’s fault, Neji thought. He ruined his own family, starting with his brother, then his nephew, and now his daughter.

Neji just did not like Hiashi.

The boy sighed heavily and tried to get rid of those troughs. He had to be more focused on other things, like his training with Itachi, for example.

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“We need to work on your moves at high speed. I saw you with my brother the other day; your moves were acceptable for an ordinary shinobi, but that’s not your case, Neji-kun. You need to be faster, not only jumping or running. Think about it, if you are using your Jyuuken, wouldn’t be better with more speed?” Itachi went straight to the point as always. The opal eyed boy just nodded; after all, his mentor was right.

Itachi was a very strict teacher, the first time they trained, Itachi had taught him a move with kunais, using multiple targets. Itachi had shown Neji for the first time the sharingan, and told the boy to do the move. Neji had fallen twice when he got upside down to throw the kunais. Both times he was assisted by Itachi; he felt very embarrassed for the mistake. At the third time he landed properly – he did not hit all the targets in the center trough, but after practicing the move for hours, he got it. When he did it right, Itachi let him drink water and rest.

Neji was sure this was going to be the same case. Itachi was going to make sure he increased his speed that very day, even if was just a little.

Itachi closed his eyes while thinking. he saw Neji and Sasuke in the academy. Neji’s speed was good, indeed, but not enough. No, if a bird wanted to fly high, it needed more speed. Itachi opened his eyes and encountered with those bight silver white ones he liked so much. They were staring back at him, waiting. The Uchiha moved.

“I’m going to attack you, Neji-kun,” he said, pulling some kunais from his bag. “Be ready.” and with that, he disappeared.

Neji activated his byakugan and stared to look for Itachi. Kunais from five different directions were coming at him. He was the target. He stared to jump, run and dodge – another training season with Itachi, no less.

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By the time Itachi decided to stop, Neji was exhausted. He had some minor wounds and he was covered in dust, but he had indeed reached an upgrade in his speed. He was going to be very sore in the morning, though.

The boy leaned against a tree, panting softly, while Itachi looked pretty normal. Neji lowered his eyes. No matter how many hours they train, Itachi always looked steady. The brunette boy sighed.

Itachi looked at Neji with a tiny smile. He walked near, him and before the boy could protest, he carried him on his back. Neji’s cheeks flushed. He placed his arms around Itachi’s neck and rested his head in the older boy’s shoulder.

“You told your guardians that you were going to be training until late, didn’t you?” asked Itachi.

“Yes.” replied Neji. Itachi smiled at him, looking over his shoulder.

“Then you are going to have dinner with me.” Neji smiled shyly and muttered words of gratitude for the offer.

Itachi took the empty streets and jumped some times to avoid being seen by the people in the Uchiha estates. Neji keep his eyes closed, not wanting to be known if someone saw them.

The older Uchiha cherished that day, because his parents were not in the house and Sasuke was also outside. He could be alone with Neji and not be bothered.

They reached the house after a few minutes, and the first Itachi suggested was to take a bath. Neji was covered with sweat and dirt so he agreed.

Itachi filled the bath tube with warm water and got inside. Neji was near the tube with a towel around his waist, watching timidly until Itachi mentioned for him to come. Neji left the towel aside and entered the tub, feeling the nice warm water.

The older boy took a soap bar. “Come here Neji,” the boy did so, “I’m going to help you a little so you don’t feel so sore tomorrow.” Neji nodded. Itachi used the soap to help massage the opal eyed boy. Neji was sitting between Itachi’s legs while said boy was massaging his shoulders, back and arms.

Itachi used one hand to put the boy closer to him, and the other to reach his thighs. With Itachi’s actions, all the exercise and the warm water, Neji was feeling sleepy; he rested his head against Itachi’s chest, blinking slowly.

The older moved his hand, reaching between the boy’s thighs. Neji shifted at the touch. Itachi moved him so now the boy was sitting on his leg. “Shhhh, it’s okay, Neji…” the younger boy was falling asleep. Itachi took the boy’s hand in his and guided it between them. Neji’s fingers were touching Itachi – the older boy moaned softly. The opal eyed boy was not sure what was happening; he was very tired and the only thing that kept him from sinking into the water was Itachi’s leg.

“Itachi-san?...” asked the boy in a whisper. Itachi let go of his little hand and hugged him.

“Shhhh, rest now…” the younger boy closed his eyes, staying in Itachi’s hold.

The older Uchiha looked at the object of his inspiration, asleep in his embrace; the green seal in his forehead was somehow delicate but still tainted him, making him a bird in cage with no lock but no exit.

“If the cage has no exit, you have to find another way to escape from it.” he said this more to himself. he was trapped in a cage with no exit too, but he already had a plan to escape from it. Since his little inspiration was in an alike situation, he was going to show him the way…

Itachi stood up with Neji in his arms. He wrapped the boy in towels and went to his room, leaving him on the futon. He smiled at the sight.

“Fragile, beautiful…mine”

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Neji was trembling; he didn’t understand why he could not remember any of those events until now – his head hurt, he held it with both hands, even considering that he was against Itachi’s chest.

The Akatsuki member looked at the brunette. The boy was clutching his head and shifted in his embrace, but Itachi did not let go of him.

‘So it did happen…but it seems that was not permanent, good.’ the older Uchiha looked over his shoulder. There was Kisame, waiting for him.

“Did you attacked the boy or something?” asked the shinobi, “I did not notice.”

“I did not.”

“Then why he—” before Kisame could finish Itachi interrupted him.

“My presence triggered his memory.” he simply said. He knew that Kisame had no idea what he was talking about, but at the moment it did not really matter to him. He returned his attention to brunette in his arms “Let’s go, Neji-kun.”

Itachi took Neji’s chin and made the boy look him in the eye. He activated his sharingan. Neji’s eyes got wide for a moment, then returned to normal, and closed slowly. Itachi carried the boy before he fell. Itachi turned around to face Kisame, the sword man smirked to himself. Itachi did not have to tell him that he was taking to boy, it was pretty clear.

“Since it seems that you are done, let’s get moving.” he said. Itachi nodded and walked beside him, but stopped, looking over his shoulder.

There, in the middle of the road, was his little brother.

“Itachi…” he said, clenching his teeth, “Give him back.”

“I’m afraid I can not do that, Otouto,” Itachi smirked “He’s mine.”

To be continued…

YES!! This chapter was been Beta-ed!!! gives hugs, cookies and lemonade to her beta Thank you, thank you!

And for everyone reading this story, thanks for your time Gives Neji plushies Comments and questions I’m at your service.