And... the last chapter of Close Knit Shinobi, to close things off. (I realize that the previous chapter left you guys hanging. :P) Special thanks, as always, to white noise and brine for the ideas, and Yahboobeh for the kick to finish this :P

Naruto and its characters do not belong to me.

Close Knit Shinobi

Chapter 7: Befitting a Prince

One disastrous mission with too much lipstick later, Team Gai finds itself back in Konoha, faces scrubbed clean of cosmetics. Lee, Gai and Tenten are still sending Neji wary glances in case he "sullies our precious lotus again," and it is with a sigh of relief that he slips back into his room at the Hyuuga compounds, finally alone once more.

Two mornings later, he discovers that all his clothes are missing.

Neji frowns. There can only be one culprit - Tenten, because he has yet to return her clothes. His choices now are reduced to wearing her clothes, none at all, or scavenge some unwanted robes from someone or other.

He isn't going to go nude, or wear Tenten's clothes, and it is to Neji's horror that the cleaning lady informs him that there are no spare robes to be found in the entire compound.

The very last option that Neji settles on is to knit himself something, so he settles down to do just that. He is the knitting prodigy of Konoha, after all.

Hours later, Neji emerges from his bedroom in the most regal robes (and crown) Konoha has ever seen.

Hiashi stops dead in his tracks when he catches sight of his nephew walking along the raised boardwalk around the main house buildings. Draped around Neji's shoulders is a set of intricate yukata-like robes, knitted with the finest ruby and ivory yarns. A dragon winds along the bottom edge of his robe and curls around his back to rear its head near Neji's collar, flanked by swirls and depictions of fire.

Hiashi stares. So does every other Hyuuga clansman that Neji passes on his way out of the compounds.

"Good morning, Hiashi-sama," Neji greets, bowing shallowly.

"Good morning, Neji," Hiashi sputters, his eyes still on Neji's new robes. He grabs the teacup hanging around his neck and takes a dignified sip of green tea to calm himself. He can't stop looking at the crown on Neji's head, however, knitted with silver yarn. "What is the meaning of this?"

"With all due respect, these are robes befitting of Konoha's knitting master," Neji responds, trying not to look too smug.

"Hizashi, I have failed you," Hiashi mutters. To Neji, he says, "You were such a promising young man. What happened?"

"I'm merely utilizing that promise to its full potential," Neji answers, glancing over his new robes to ensure that all his stray ends have been tucked in perfectly. "Have you seen my new workaround for the utility poles?"

Hiashi shakes his head mutely, so Neji waves towards the main gates of the Hyuuga compounds. They make their way towards the gates, and Neji throws them open with a flourish.

"I knitted capes for the utility poles," Neji announces. "There will be no more space for unsightly sweaters henceforth."

The utility poles all along the Hyuuga compounds have been completely covered with black-and-white blankets, and Hiashi nods in satisfaction. "Well done, Neji."

Neji smiles proudly - his speech is not over with yet, however. He reaches into a hidden pocket in the sleeve of his princely garments, and pulls out a knitted strap of sorts.

"I have also come up with a new invention: the tea-making utility belt," he explains, holding the belt out for Hiashi's scrutiny. "It is a complement to the teacup necklace. The holster on the left allows you to carry a thermos of hot water, while the pouch on the right enables easy storage of tea leaves of the highest quality."

Hiashi stares in utter amazement. "Is that-"

"With this utility belt, you'll be able to take your tea anywhere and everywhere," Neji pronounces.

The older Hyuuga shakes his head at the ingenuity of it all. "You are really a genius, Neji."

Neji accepts the compliment with all the grace of the future Hyuuga Neji-sama, Number One Knitting Prodigy of Konoha.

"I will have fifteen of these ready by tomorrow," he informs Hiashi. "Please spread the word among the elders."

Hiashi nods solemnly, and finally looks up from the utility belt, still awestruck. "If you have no use for this- That is, if I may be the first to test its functionality-"

"As my esteemed uncle, I'll be honored if you do," Neji informs him and bows. "In fact, I have a very special request to make."

Lee and Tenten gawk at Neji with no small amount of shock, when he steps onto Team Gai's training grounds, half a day late.

"What is that?" Tenten blurts, her gaze riveted onto Neji's princely robes. She is still wearing her scroll-dress, but Neji is sure that his own knitted garments look much more refined than hers do.

Neji smirks at her. "I'm wearing clothes that I deserve, Tenten. Return my belongings, if you will."

Tenten is speechless. She narrows her eyes, and pulls a scroll from those secured to her hip. Neji catches it deftly - he knew she would admit defeat at the sight of his robes - no one has yet to scoff at his newest masterpiece.

"I've deposited your belongings in your apartment," he informs her as he pockets the scroll. It feels good having possession of his clothes again, even if his princely garments are all he wants to wear at the moment.

"About damn time," she grouses, frowning at him.

"There is something else I'd like to propose," Neji announces.

"Is it training?" Lee asks from his perch on a training stump, where he's already begun to knit an inspired suit for himself. (It's impossibly green, and Neji has to avert his gaze.)

"It will be part of training," Neji tells him, pleased with himself. "We will be doing so right in the middle of the market square."

"How is this training?" Tenten snaps, days later.

They're seated in a covered booth in the middle of Konoha's marketplace, and Neji and Lee are knitting furiously away. All around the booth, knitted masterpieces of all sorts are displayed, from tablecloths, to shawls, and even the teacup necklaces that the Hyuuga clan is now famous for.

Neji is still in his princely garb (he's made a few additional sets, each more ridiculously intricate than its predecessor), and Lee is now dressed in a knitted green suit with numerous knitted epaulettes on his shoulders. Both of them attract attention enough, and Tenten wants nothing more than to hide her face next to this insanity.

Already, several teacup-necklace-wearing, utility-belt-toting Hyuuga elders have come by to dispense tips and congratulate them on opening the very first Konoha-style knitting shop, much to Neji's discomfort (the elders look a little silly with their tea-related add-ons). Other than that, business has been brisk, in part due to the various old ladies who are intrigued by the royalty (that is one Hyuuga Neji) in their midst.

Neji does not disclose how he's set down pages upon pages of proposals and sales figures in front of the elders, and Lee and Tenten do not ask about it. He rolls his eyes when Tenten attempts to learn knitting with senbon, all over again.

"That's never going to work," he tells her with a disapproving shake of his head. "Your stitches are more likely to slip off with metal needles."

"So?" she challenges, narrowing her eyes. "I'd still be perfectly capable of defending myself in the middle of knitting."

"Suit yourself," Neji tells her. He's just glad that she isn't wearing that pair of knitted lace underwear he made for her not too long ago. Not that it wouldn't help attracting attention to their shop, but he is just not willing to have her parade herself in those... excuses of underwear. (And secretly, Neji is glad that he's the only man who's seen Tenten in those little bits of nothing.)

"Get cracking on your custom orders," Tenten tells him offhandedly, looking away with a sniff. "You aren't training hard enough."

Neji glowers at her (does a knitting prodigy really need training?) and Lee cheers loudly, highly enthused about all things colorful and yarn-like.

They are well on their way to do Konoha proud with every knit-two-together and purl-front-and-back, and Neji couldn't be more pleased about his accomplishments.

Perhaps Gai-sensei will join them one day, and they will be able to knit the largest, fluffiest blanket in all of Fire Country - a great achievement, indeed.

Hyuuga Hizashi watches Neji through the looking-glass pool of Heaven, smiling placidly at his wife. "I always knew our son would grow up to do great things," he remarks.

"He sure has," Neji's mother answers, a similar grin on her lips. Her fingers are deft, and together, the two of them form a simple, harmonizing melody with the click-click-clicks of their knitting needles. "Remember that tablecloth he made?"

"That tablecloth was a masterpiece. He descended from talent, after all," Hizashi informs his wife smugly from the other end of the blanket they're working on. "How long do you think it'll be until he gets Tenten knitting like he is?"

"Not long now," she answers, her graceful features alight with pride. "He'll be knitting their wedding clothes in no time."

"Just like those robes he has on right now," Hizashi agrees. "Very fitting of the young Lord Hyuuga."

"I bet he'd knit the underwear for their wedding night, too," Neji's mother chuckles, her cheeks flushed. "Just like you did."

"Ah, the good old days," Hizashi agrees, raising his eyebrows at his wife. She blushes, and as one, they stop knitting, to find some privacy away from the looking-glass pond.

A/N: And that's the final part of Close Knit Shinobi. The End. Finally! (Couldn't resist that dig at Young Lord Hyuuga - inspired by Giada Luna's You Must Believe in Spring ;) ) It ends off as NejiTen (though I initially had no plans to make it Neji/anyone).. because NejiTen comes out of my fingertips like water from a faucet. Or wine from a bottle. Or... other lewd things. lol.

And also because Hizashi totally was a knitting master. ;) It's all in the genes.