[The smile fades - in fact, he flinches and emits a light noise - at the mention of "my death".
He takes a moment to look him in the eyes before he speaks. They did all manage to make it through alive... but should he tell him about what happened to Gai-Sensei? No... even with his new handicap, Gai-Sensei seems as lively as ever. So, in answer to his question-]
They are all well, Neji. And safe. [He speaks in a rougher and more sensitive tone than usual. And even though Neji asked to not know about what's happened back home, he does hope that the mention of safety manages to communicate that the war is now behind them. The war that took him away from them.]
no subject
He takes a moment to look him in the eyes before he speaks. They did all manage to make it through alive... but should he tell him about what happened to Gai-Sensei? No... even with his new handicap, Gai-Sensei seems as lively as ever. So, in answer to his question-]
They are all well, Neji. And safe. [He speaks in a rougher and more sensitive tone than usual. And even though Neji asked to not know about what's happened back home, he does hope that the mention of safety manages to communicate that the war is now behind them. The war that took him away from them.]