#verse 1a

~X~——; There was that slight human urge to offer suggestions to Gaara, like have you tried an ice pack? Yet Neji stayed quiet. He hated when others tried to suggest things for his own pain, while most of the time it came from a thoughtful and well meaning place, yet it always left him annoyed. Most of them time he had already tried what the others had suggested, or it was something so utterly stupid it borders on dangerous.

Other times it was the “we’ll have you tried yoga?” Yes Karen, he had tried yoga and like him and his doctors thought it aggravated the nerve damage and wasn’t a wise thing to continue.

“More important than taking care of my boss?” He joked lightly, trying to let Gaara know he didn’t mind being here, taking care of a man that had gone from an acquaintance, to his technical boss thanks to Naruto sending him here under the guise to improve village relationships and to be Gaaras personal Anbu from the leaf, (A mission to keep neji as far from his family’s elders as they could,) to a friend.

“There’s no where else I’d rather be.” The kind smile stayed on his face, a smile he reserved only to use when they were alone like this.

He's gonna make sure you keep your end of the deal, Neji. He didn't forget.

~X~——; Neji looked up from his book. He had been relaxing on his couch waiting for Boruto to wonder over after dinner.

“Ah, I did promise now didn’t I.” A small chucked came from him as he slid a book mark in place and got up stretching for a moment.

I think we need to change this.

~X~--; "Right. This is you we are talking about." He sighed shutting the door behind the other, locking it.

"Mmm sure." He rolled his eyes as he headed back to his living room.

"No, I just got home not too long ago." He tugged off the protective gear tossing it onto the kitchen table for the moment next to the mask.

Sighing he pulled out a cook book, flipping the pages looking for something, anything that peaked his interest.

He paused, landing on a cupcake recipe, yes this would do nicely.

Blueberry Cupcakes

Ingredients:

160g all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

115g unsalted butter, room temp

150g granulated sugar

2 large eggs, room temp

1 tsp vanilla extract

120ml whole milk

150g fresh or frozen blueberries (if using frozen, do not thaw)

1 tosp flour (to coat berries)

It was simple enough to him, he had everything he needed already laying around. So he set out gathering the ingredients, and baking supplies.

He clicked the oven on, wanting to make sure it was fully preheated for when the time came. Setting it to 170°c

Next came the purée. Into a small heated pot Neji added the blueberries, the skins cracking and bursting open as they heated up. He took a spoon, stirring it carefully. Once it was cooked down to the point he was sure would work he presses it through a sieve, leaving behind skins and seeds, setting aside the smooth, indigo liquid to cool. He would use it for the frosting later.

Next came the cupcake base, flour, baking powder, salt, mixed together with care, set aside before moving onto the wet ingredients.

Butter and sugar go next, beaten until fluffy and soft, the perfect consistency. Then he added in one egg, then the other, folding it into the mixture before adding in vanilla.

Then came adding in the dry mix in three careful parts, milk in between, until the batter is smooth like satin. If he moved too fast, or added in the wrong amount the texture would be off, while it would still taste the same in the end, Neji wanted these perfect.

Meanwhile the blueberries wait in their own bowl, he had dusted lightly in flour so they won’t sink in the batter mixture. If he added them as is, they’d sink to the bottom and the favor of them wouldn’t be evenly spread.

Carefully he folds them. Ensuring they sat evenly in the batter.

The batter was then added to a cupcake tin lined with silicone sleeves, placed in the oven to cook between 18-22 min.

While those cooked he moved onto the next part. The frosting.

Butter was beaten until it was soft, adding in the powdered sugar blending it making a tick mixture. The purée he had made first came next, adding it to the mixture, mixing most of it in causing a nice color contrast of white and indigo. He added a smidge of lemon and salt tasting it before humming, sharp, sweet, perfect. He set aside the left overs planning on using it later.

Making the ganache was something he wasn’t quite familiar with as some of the other steps, but it seemed to turn out okay. He had the white chocolate in one bowl, while he heated the cream up. Once it was heated enough he poured it over the white chocolate, watching it melt and mix together.

Finally everything was made and ready to be put together.

He took the icing and piped it onto each cupcake carefully, the mixture of white and indigo not only causing a lovely color contrast, but because he didn’t fully mix them together offering two distinct flavors that mixed together with each bite.

Once each cupcake was covered, he drizzled some of the purée over them, then he took a spoon drizzling the ganache over each cupcake. A few blueberries he hadn’t cooked in carefully placed upon each top.

There. Done. Finally.

He stood back, admiring his hard work.

“I hope they enjoy these.”

Slowly he stripped down to just his boxers, neatly folding and sitting his clothing aside. If he didn’t know for a fact that there was a chance that he’d be found, he would have fully stripped. It was a risk he wasn’t willing to take.

Full privacy was something he was used to not being able to get. Living with his clan, with their eyes. He wasn’t sure full privacy was even possible while still living with in those walls.

He shook the thought from his head as he carefully tied his hair into a braid. He had intended to fully submerge himself in the coolness the pool of water offered. Keeping his hair contained would just mean the less likely of it being a tangled mess when he was done.

Once he was satisfied, he headed for the pools edge. He didn’t bother to double check he was alone before he slipped in. He waded in up to his waist before dipping under, only to return to the surface to float on his back.

The part of the stream he had picked was peaceful. The waterfall cascading down into the decent sized swimming hole, that lead out into a small stream. The current between the waterfall and stream enough to keep the water fresh, but not so much that it would cause Neji to float down stream unless he wanted to.

He closed his eyes, resting comfortably in the water. The coolness of the fresh spring washing away any worries he had just moments before about life.

~X~——; “Oh, hello small one.”

He hadn’t expected such a small creature, let alone to be summoned by Hakai. He had been getting along quite well with the Inuzuka, even stuck up an unlikely friendship with the older man and even enjoyed spending what time he could away from his own clan and with Hakai.

“I’m right here little one.”