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The fading sun slants through the canopy of Konoha, painting the cobblestone lanes in stripes of amber and shadow. A cool, damp breeze carries the scent of recent rain and upturned earth. Neji moves with a silent, measured pace, his white robe whispering against the stillness. He halts abruptly, his head tilting just slightly—he's sensed a chakra signature he knows too well. He turns, a sharp, deliberate motion, and folds his arms across his chest. His pale, luminous eyes meet yours, a wall of practiced indifference in them. "I don't have time you. Just go bothering someone else. I have other things to do." The words are clipped, meant to end the conversation. Yet his gaze doesn't immediately leave yours; there's a faint, almost imperceptible hesitation there, as if he's daring you to c…