pay it forward (Naruto, Tsunade & Hyuga Neji)

[eoa]

Title: pay it forward
Fandom: Naruto
Pairing/Characters: Tsunade & Hyuga Neji
Rating: G
Content Notes: None.
Prompt: September 3rd, Senju Tobirama & Hyuga Neji with the title "Pay It Forward"

“You want my granduncle’s notes?” Tsunade, at last, replied to Neji’s request, the reason why he requested a private audience with the Godaime. “Fair enough, he did want them to be available for the public,” she sighed and stood up, motioning for him to follow her.

As he was led through the Hokage Tower into its depths, Neji said, “Hiashi-sama said that they used to be available to genin and above.” The question went unsaid, but wasn’t unheard.

The Godaime hummed. “They still are, in a way – quoted in secondary sources available to genin and above. But Sandaime-sama restricted them to chuunin, then jounin, and after Orochimaru’s defection made them unavailable unless personally requested for.”

Neji snickered, despite himself. The Hyuuga was no fan of the Sandaime, and Tsunade’s words only served to reinforce his belief. “I find it hard to believe that a man reputed to be so intelligent would’ve wanted to make public something supposedly that dangerous.”

“We are of the same belief, then.” Tsunade left it at that for the time being as they, at last, came to a stop two floors underground. She placed her hand on a seemingly random door, activating a seal array that almost rivalled the harsh lighting of the fluorescents above them, and opened the door. Having held it open for Neji, she closed the door to the musty archive-room, lit up by motion-actived seals.

As Neji perused the scrolls and titles on the packed shelves and gathered the information that they were in some sort of a repository for clan dealings, Tsunade continued in their conversation, “I haven’t read the notes in their entirety, though, and would rather not change the Sandaime’s decision until I am sure that whatever inspiration Orochimaru found in them wouldn’t be renewed and his abominations reverse-engineered.”

Neji nodded and left it at that. In the woman’s place, he would’ve done the same, after all; no need to appear as if one can’t make up one’s mind about something, especially when this was a case where there wasn’t any rush.

Easily enough, the Godaime found and opened a Mokuton-wood box, the wood noticeably oozing with chakra even to a non-sensor like Neji. As she sorted through the assortment of scrolls, letters and other paper paraphernalia, she asked the question Neji was surprised she hadn’t asked first, “Why are you interested in them, anyhow? I trust that you have a good reason, but I would appreciate being enlightened on it.”

“I think that the Nidaime’s findings about the nature of chakra could help me and my clan ground some of our theory on the Gentle Fist,” Neji summarised. Indeed, he’d said what he was searching for, but why he was searching for it was a matter Tsunade could piece as easily from those words as if he’d explained it to her outright. After all, most of his reputation stood on the fact that he was the Side Branch Hyuuga who reverse-engineered techniques unique to the Main Branch. And, as was the nature of reverse-engineering, innovation never strayed far from it, however small or great it might’ve been.

With a victorious look, Tsunade handed him a rather small notebook that was hidden at the bottom of the box. “I have only read the entries about medicine, so I have no idea what you shall find, but I hope it’ll help you, Neji-san.”

Neji nodded and took the notebook from Tsunade’s hands. She dismissed him, saying that she would stay in the archives for a bit longer.

“Don’t get lost!” she told him in lieu of a goodbye, good-humouredly. Then, she began reading the letters exchanged between her grandfather and granduncle, and let herself be transported to another time – one filled with blind, yet honest, hope.