Dinner is awkward. Again, Neji doesn't have much to add to the conversation. He's not supposed to be a shinobi, so he can't add his opinion on shinobi matters. He finds puppets creepy at best. And every time he brings up his own small interests, Kankurou doesn't have much to say about them either. They're pretty clearly incompatible, but Kankurou doesn't see that. Everyone else does, though.

They also notice the brief conversations between Neji and Gaara flow smoothly and comfortably. They're both quiet people who don't mind just listening, and Gaara seems interested in Neji's boring ass interests. They really hit it off. For them, it's an immediate friendship, for Temari, it's a yikes, and for Kankurou, it's a hell no.

Neji is invited over a lot more. It's definitely not the best idea if he wants to stay under the radar, but Suna is lonely. There's no Tenten, no Lee, no Gai...no Hinata. He's a sad bean. So he allows himself to make a new bestie...and a sort-of-friend he at least admires for his determination to get into his pants.

He and Gaara chill a lot, because they're both very chill, and eventually grow close enough to discuss deeper topics. Neji doesn't disclose too much, but he makes his opinion known about abusive ideals in family structures. Gaara, of course, shares his opinion. Gaara discloses a lot more. He has some things he needs to talk about, and his family is still too afraid of him to chat comfortably and Naruto won't visit Suna enough (what a dick). He even allows himself to cry in front of Neji. The trust he puts in him...Of course, all of Gaara's secrets are safe with Neji. He's not the gossiping type. Who would he tell anyway?

During this time, Kankurou is still trying, because why not? Get it, Kanky! He pops into Gaara's room every now and then, TOTALLY NOT SPYING, and asks Neji to come feel out (because "blind") his latest puppet. Neji usually agrees to. Kankurou is a nice person, so he at least tries to learn about his treasured creations. (He will not touch Karasu, though. Too spooky. Is that human hair or fur? Whatever it is, it sticks up everywhere. He cannot.) Despite these little moments, Kankurou is still jealous of Gaara's relationship with him.

But he tolerates it because it's Gaara, and they really do seem to be just friends.

Until they don't. It starts with Gaara asking Neji if he knows what the family looks like. Neji, of course, has to claim he doesn't. He even makes up what he would imagine they look like based on their voices. (Gaara is a Chad.) Gaara describes them all, but, running into a brick wall when all he can think to describe is colors, he offers to let Neji touch his face. Neji gets nervous because he just doesn't touch people. That's not a thing in his clan. He barely let his friends touch him. He's supposed to be blind, though, so he reaches out and touches Gaara's face. He manages to muster the courage to rest one hand on his cheek fully, then he pulls his hand away because it felt too intimate for him. Gaara doesn't understand Neji is just from a conservative clan. He just sees him pull away and blush. The Suna siblings once discussed the possibility Neji just isn't into men. Well, Gaara now thinks he's just not into Kankurou. Him, on the other hand...

Anyway, it changes the dynamic of their relationship. Really fast. Because Gaara isn't the socially subtle type. He either doesn't bring something up or he asks what he wants to know. He asks Neji if he likes him, and Neji...really just answers yes because Gaara's the kazekage (and Neji wants to stay in Suna) and he doesn't want to lose him as a friend to an awkward conversation. When things start moving in that direction, though, he realizes he really kind of does like him.

Gaara tries his hardest at the whole romance thing. He always wanted to feel loved, so he shows Neji that love. Neji fucking swoons for it. It makes him weak. Being told the aspects about his personality that are lovable? Amazing. Getting compliments whenever Gaara notices something about him that he finds attractive? The best. Being hugged when he talks about something that makes him feel vulnerable? The whole touch thing really isn't that bad. Yeah, he's in it to win it. He wants this relationship.

Gaara becomes his priority number one. Kankurou realizes that when Neji won't come with him as often anymore. He also notices they sit a lot closer than before. It's especially hard not to notice them FUCKING KISSING. Their first kiss. But Kankurou doesn't know that. Probably wouldn't care anyway. He interrupts them. And so the drama begins.

It becomes a whole thing about trust and brothers. Brothers aren't supposed to steal loved ones from brothers. Neji argues he can't be stolen because he is not owned. (It's a sore spot for him.) Gaara agrees with Neji, but he also doesn't want to ruin his family. It's a shit show.

When there's an assassination attempt on Gaara, it gets even worse. Because Neji, the blind non-ninja paint stirrer they know as "Sora" (It means sky. Where do birds escape the cage to? The sky. What do birds do? Soar.), uses a Hyuuga technique to deflect the attack he shouldn't have been able to see. (You don't think about your boyfriend's sand shield when there's a blade flying at him. You protect.) No one says a fucking word. Gaara is the one who silently pulls the bandages off of him to see he's a Hyuuga.

Kankurou is the one who breaks the silence. At first, he just accuses him of lying, but, then, he asks if Konoha sent him as a spy. Neji denies it, but Gaara shuts down his excuses. His trust has been betrayed. His heart hurts. Let there be war.

Neji's thrown in a literal dungeon, but he's a ninja, so...he breaks tf out. What defense do they have against a Hyuuga? Literally nothing. They've never dealt with them before. Where's the key? Oh, inside that asshole's pocket. Just gonna jab his tenketsu through these bars and NOW HE'S DOWN AND NEJI HAS THE KEY!

He sneaks up to Gaara's room, but Gaara knows he's coming. He's got a sand clone blocking Neji from getting too close. He's not silencing Neji, though. Maybe he just wants to hear the truth for once. Neji begs him to call off the battle that's coming. He tells him who he is and what his history is. He tells him about his fears, one of which is to have his seal activated again, which he believes will happen if he lets a Main House Hyuuga get close, especially since he started a whole war between Suna and Konoha. Everything lines up with the person Gaara already knows. It's just the reasons he is who he is. Maybe it's because he wanted to forgive him from the start, but he breaks pretty quickly.

Gaara calls off the battle. He sends a messenger out to barter for peace. They accept on one condition: Konoha wants its Hyuuga back. Obviously, Gaara isn't going to give up his heart, so he's like BRING IT ON THEN! Only in calm, cryptic Gaara fashion.

Konoha sends a small unit along with one Hyuuga to outline the terms of peace and the importance of returning the Hyuuga to Konoha. It's a diplomatic approach, until Gaara denies him for the umpteenth time and the Hyuuga demands to know where his fellow Hyuuga is. He wants to talk to him. Gaara refuses again. The Hyuuga forms a seal, but nothing happens.

HE ACTIVATED THE CAGED BIRD SEAL, but Neji was tucked safely inside a special puppet designed to prevent any activations, whether they be of explosive tags or seals. Yes, Kankurou is team Gaara and Neji. A family reunited by a common goal of protecting Suna's Hyuuga.