[Neji's hum is contemplative. For all that they used to have separate rooms and residences altogether, he's never actively shut Lee out. There's always been that quiet understanding between them, but for Sasuke and Naruto there's a disconnect- a distance they don't know how to breach]

I understand.

[And he does, because for awhile, he had the same sort of relationship with Hinata. They were cousins that cared for one another, but that difference of birth drew distance between them, made it hard to casually speak to one another. It still happened to them sometimes, but she's less afraid to approach him now- or was.

They overcame that through Hinata's persistent kindness and years of training together]

It's something you should ask him about sometime, Naruto. Be honest, because he may not realize how you're taking his silence. It might just be that he wants time to himself and isn't actively trying to shut you out.

Or perhaps that is what he's doing, and it's a problem both of you need to sort out. In any case, nothing will change if it's not addressed in some fashion. Because if you try to force him out of solitude, you may meet with growing resistance. Or it could simply be that he's waiting for you, and all you need to do is ask.