It was late one night when Neji started to think about what happened in the Chuunin Exams.
"No matter what you do, you cannot change who you are. You are a failure.
You will always be a failure. Nothing will change your destiny,"
Those were his very words during the Chuunin Exams. He had told her she was weak, that she wasn't meant to be a ninja. She was too kind, he'd said. And in a way, both of those things were true in her mind. Until Naruto said something different.
So, after Naruto butted into their match, after he'd shouted encouraging, 'meaningless' things to Hinata, she felt strong. This annoyed Neji. She shouldn't have even still been in the exams by this point. Nothing in his mind could have lead him to think that simple words from a simple person could motivate her beyond her limits. But then again, his own words had given her fear, uncertainty and most of all, pain.
She had never even wanted to join the Chuunin Exams, anyway. She didn't think she was good enough or even close enough to being as good as her Naruto. But she joined anyway, for her team. She never thought she'd have to fight her dreaded cousin. Not ever, never, not in a million years she could win against him. Her hopes absolutely dissolved once the screen flashed the names of her and Neji. She couldn't win, even she knew that.
But she fought anyway.
Not Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, Lee, even Shino, who supposedly had so much faith in her, thought she would ever get back up from all those vital hits. Neji was the most surprised in her. She shouldn't even be able to stand! But she did anyway.
FOR NARUTO.
This, now, at the time he was thinking of this, angered Neji. He didn't know why, he didn't care what she thought of Naruto, or what anyone thought for that matter, at the time of the Chuunin Exams. But over time, after Hiashi told him the truth about his father's death, Neji's hatred for Hinata the Main Branch started to fade away, as if it never
was. As his hatred faded away, something else filled the large gap it left. He didn't exactly know what it was, but he was determined to find out. But, he didn't know when he'd have the courage to confront his feelings, to even himself.
The next morning, he decided to take a stroll through the Hyuuga gardens.
The Hyuuga gardens were very well kept, and each day were tended to by the only person who cared to even think of them. But only Neji knew who it was. He wouldn't tell anyone why, or who it was for that matter. Hanabi had asked about it one day and Neji just stared at her as if she was asking him a question in a different language.
As Neji rounded the corner of a very nicely trimmed hedge, he might add, he heard some humming. It sounded like it was Hinata, but he wasn't entirely sure, so he activated his Byakugan to check. But as it turned out, it was just a maid that was hurriedly walking through the garden to get to the Branch member's part of the mansion, where Neji
had just come from. As he deactivated his Byakugan, he immidiatly noticed that deactivating it was a bad idea, as he turned and bumped right into Hanabi, who followed close behind the maid. He had noticed Hanabi when he had his Byakugan on, but didn't pay much attention, as to his main focus was finding out where the humming was coming from. He silently berrated himself for not paying closer attention.
"Ah, excuse me, Hanabi-sama," mumbled Neji after coming into collision with Hanabi.
"Oi, Neji-Nii, pay more attention to where you're going. I thought you were supposed to be the Hyuuga prodigy, the Hyuuga genius, ready for anything," Hanabi retorted. Neji really hated it when people started saying things like, 'aren't you supposed to be a genius?' or 'I thought you were smart, guess I was wrong' whenever he messed something up or did something wrong. He also still really hated Hanabi. He didn't know why, all of his other hatred for other Main Branch members had gone away. Maybe it was because Hanabi was a spoiled brat. Yeah, that sounded about right.
"Hnn. Well, have you seen Hinata-sama around lately?" Neji couldn't resist asking. It was the reason ran into her initially, in a way.
"Well, yeah. I don't see why you'd care, you never wanted anything to do with her before," Hanabi confronted him with one of the most evil things to say to him, he really, REALLY hated Hanabi. He made a mental note that she was at the top of his hatred list, next to Gai. Oh, how Gai embarrassed him.
"Yeah, well, that's in the past," he paused. "Well?"
"Well what?"
"Where is she?"
"Where is who?"
Ugh. He now moved her to the very TOP of his hate list.
"HINATA," Neji practically shouted. A shriek was audible from behind Hanabi. He looked behind Hanabi to see a very frightened looking Hinata. She probably appeared that way because he had just shouted her name. She was most likely thinking he was shouting at her for doing something wrong.
"Y-yes?" asked Hinata.
"Oh,… uh…," he felt his face heat up a bit.
"W-what do you n-need, Nii-san?"
(A/N)Oh, if he could only he could tell her what he needed, cough, cough.(A/N ovr)
"W-well, Hinata-sama, I was just, um," he just knew he sounded like the dumbest thing on the planet right now.
"Riiiiiight, not like this conversation isn't FASCINATING," Hanabi rolled her eyes as she breathed the words out,
"But I really gotta go. So long, guys." she walked past Neji and stopped. She whispered something only Neji could hear, and it was 'Good luck. You'll need it,'.
Oh crap. Did Hanabi think something weird about him she wasn't sharing?
"U-um, w-well, if you didn't n-need anything, I'll just, erm, b-be going, then. Good day, Nii-san," Hinata said as she walked in the direction Hanabi had gone.
'Well, that went well...' Neji had on a bored, annoyed expression on his face.
"Is there something wrong, Neji?" Neji practically jumped out of his skin at the sound of his uncle's booming, stern voice. Yet, he didn't show it.
"Oh, no, Hiashi-sama, everything's fine," Neji managed to get out after a few deep breaths from the scare he had just a moment before.
"Well, we were just heading on to the training dojo. Would you like to join us?" Hiashi didn't sound a bit interested in having Neji in his dojo at the same time as Hinata. But he still asked, nonetheless.
"Actually, Hiashi-sama, I was just heading to train with my teamates," the last thing Neji needed was more Hanabi.
"Well, maybe next time," said Hiashi. He didn't look like he cared that Neji wasn't joining him and his daughters for their training that morning.
'right... next time...' thought Neji. Hiashi started to walk past Neji and stopped just where Hanabi had stopped.
"You should be more aware of your surroundings. I am quite disappointed in you with your display of lack of interest of the environment around you. Again, pay more attention," Hiashi ended their small 'meeting' on that stern note.
For the first time in a long time, he feared what Hiashi might punish him with. More training? A few chores? No, that wouldn't do it. He decided to stop thinking about it.
Later that day, Neji decided he might go for a walk in the park. He just might see Hinata, she seemed to like the park.
'Wait, what? Why would I care? Like Hanabi said,' he grimaced at the thought of Hanabi, 'I never wanted anything to do with Hinata before... but...' Neji was lost in his train of thought as he ran into Ino.
"Hey, you better watch where you're going, you could have made me drop these flowers!" Ino gestured at the box of vases filled with bouquets, then angrily looked back up at Neji.
"Oh, sorry Ino." Neji didn't sound like he even cared if even SHE fell from him bumping into her.
"Hm, well you better be. Or else you would've disappointed the customers that ordered these flowers!" Ino was looking very annoyed, overworked, and dirty, with gardening gloves and an apron on. Neji looked over at the bouquets. They were nicely put together, but he didn't care who actually ordered the flowers.
"Hinata-chan would have been very disapointed, you see, she loves flowers," Ino sounded like she was getting happier with where this conversation was going. She just loved teasing Neji about his little cousin.
"Well, if you're done staring, I'd like to get going. Good day, Neji," Ino slowly strode around him, and walked away.
As she walked off, he headed in his own direction. It was the training grounds. Since he couldn't find Hinata at the park, he might as well walk further, see if he catches her somewhere else.
As he got to the training grounds, looking rather disappointed, actually, he hadn't seen Hinata anywhere. When he got there, he noticed Lee and Gai with one of their huggy moments. He decided to leave then. BUT just before he could leave, Gai started screaming things about this youth crap and stuff like that at him. He tried to ignore him
and walk away, but he noticed some footsteps coming near him. He quickly dodged Lee's gigantic glomp by ducking, which therefore made Lee trip over him and sent him flying all floppily into a tree. (definitly an 'XD' moment if u ask me LOL XDDD )
After Neji cleverly got away from Gai and Lee with their youth ramblings, it was getting a bit dark. That was odd, because it was only 2 when he left. It should be at least 3:45 by now, unless mother nature had taken a turn for the worst. He noticed some clouds looked extra grey, so dull and dark even Shikamaru wouldn't be watching them.
It started showering about halfway back to the Hyuuga household, then a bit later, before he knew it, it was pouring. He spotted Hinata a ways in front of him, fast-walking to get inside, and most of all, dry. He also noticed that she was quite a bit soaked. If only he'd have been smart enough to bring an umbrella... he could have shared it with Hinata...
He walked a bit faster to get next to Hinata. He saw that a bit earlier, she had put her hood up. Now with his fully-drenched scalp, for once, he wished he had shorted hair. Or at least have a hood. He'd prefer the hood, though.
Once he finally caught up with Hinata, it was too late, she was already on her way in, but, she happened to notice him 'stalking' her, so, she decided to invite him in.
"Neji-nii-san, w-would you, um, l-like to c-come in?" she shivered a few times from being soaked.
"Ah, yes, please, Hinata-sama," Neji was also a bit cold from being wet.
Once they were inside, Hinata requested some blankets be brought for her and Neji and that the fireplace be turned on.
"S-so, how are you and y-your team doing, Ne- Neji-niisan?" Hinata had been wondering about Neji and how his own life was aside the hyuuga duties.
"Well, we have been going on missions," Neji involuntarily shivered just then, "but we haven't done anything too exciting," he finished after recovering from his shiver.
"Oh. We haven't done much either. J-just a few new techniques from Shino and his k-kikaichu bugs, but, nothing really sp-special fro-from me. Or K-kiba, that is," she finished off adding Kiba, she didn't want to sound a bit selfish for only talking about herself.
"Hn," Neji commented.
After a long awkward silence, Neji broke the silence.
"Well, Hinata-sama, have you done anything recently? Besides training or things like that,"
She shrugged her shoulders. Another long awkward silence was held then. Neji didn't like the awkward feeling, but decided not to do anything, since it was warm just where he was sitting, so he was going to stay.
After a while, Hinata got up and told Neji she was going to go prepare some tea. She was going to make the usual, he presumed, so he just nodded his head and left it at that.
After a few minutes, Hinata came back with a tray and tea cups with a kettle. She poured Neji some tea and handed it to him, then poured her own. Neji felt a bit weird, sitting there in front of the fireplace warming, and her working. It was like he was taking advantage of her. He decided to leave that thought alone, because being with
Hinata was all he really needed.