Disclaimer: Obviously, I do not own 'Naruto'...otherwise I would not be writing fan fiction.

A/N: I was forced to remove this story from because of some technical problems, but it will soon be returned to it's full majesty.

This chapter has been slightly revised. A few afterthoughts have been added, as well as typos and spelling errors corrected.

Chapter One

The revered silence she had initiated was not for the sake of prayer. Hinata had long forsaken the old faith of her ancestors as it had become a ritualistic practice that she associated with the one thing she loathed. Instead, she now possessed the desire to prove to herself that she had worth beyond a mere name.

Her pale eyes were closed in complete concentration, meditating on the condition of her body and the environment around her. The matted sparring room smelled of worse things than blood, and the rough fabric dug into the clammy skin on her knees. As the search for solidarity was snatched away from her, Hinata opened her eyes to see the thief before her.

"Forfeit now, Annue," Hanabi taunted, the last word spoken with contempt rather than compassion. She finished her bemused statement with a gesture of insult, and crossed her arms in impatience.

"I will not," came her calm reply. Hinata could feel the anger brimming over, threatening the balance she had worked so hard to perfect. It soon filtered through, however unwarranted, and it was deafly empowering. Before Hanabi could resume her stance, Hinata had formed the seals and her pale eyes flashed brightly.

"Byakugan!" She ran at Hanabi before her younger sister could enact her own divine sight. Hanabi was forced to defend against Hinata's sudden attacks. They were forceful at first, but with each strike her strength and stamina diminished.

Point 34 - point 22 - point 17 - Her attacks followed a strategic sequence, injuring several of Hanabi's chakra holes. Such fluid motion became a dance of deadly incarnations. To any other eye, it was a blur of limbs and blood-streaked faces. Though Hiashi's expression remained unaltered as he watched from a corner of the room, he was taken aback by Hinata's ferocity.

The wave continued. Hinata had blocked out all exhaustion and pain from her mind for the sole purpose of defeating her opponent. She brought her right leg to Hanabi's left side which was blocked with an arm. Her left arm swung down from above Hanabi's head, which was thwarted as well. Both arms momentarily occupied, Hanabi's face twisted in horror as she witnessed Hinata's right hand coming at her chest.

"Ahh!" Hinata screamed, aiming straight for her sister's heart. However, her hand stopped just before it made contact with her chest. Both heaved as if oxygen had never entered their bodies before, sweat drenching their hair. Hinata rose her head slowly; eyes returning to their neutral countenance. Her thoughts thundered through what had nearly happened, and a chilling fear crept up her spine.

"That is the difference between you and me, Annue," she ventured, though her words were reserved and calm. Lowering her arm, Hinata had to fight her body not to completely collapse. "I forfeit." Hanabi still remained in a defensive position, her eyes quivering in astonishment.

Dragging her battered body from the training room, Hinata did not even glance at her father as she passed by. For she knew what would be there to greet her - the same empty sympathy she had seen all of her life.

She wandered mindlessly to her room, using the walls to support her unstable body. Bloody handprints were left in a trail behind her, as well as splatters on the cold stone floor. No thoughts visited Hinata's vacant mind, for her body was now riveted with the pain that her sudden boldness had filtered out.

Taking a step inside the door to her bedroom, Hinata collapsed to her knees. She felt a concerned arm wrap carefully around her shoulders. Without turning her head, she knew who it was – but not a person she was ready to face in her current state. A broken voice tried to whisper his name, but she began to cough up blood.

"Hinata!" Neji exclaimed, eyes widening in worry. He picked her up carefully, and placed her upon her bed. She was still coughing, so Neji found a piece of cloth to wipe the sanguine liquid from her lips. Hinata offered him a weak smile, using his arm to help her sit up.

"Another fight?" he futilely questioned, cursing his uncle in his mind. Though Hinata had become much stronger over the past years, he still worried for his cousin. The time of resentment had passed. After Hiashi had witnessed Neji's skills, he had been invited to reside with the head family. Neji knew, however, that it was so the head family could keep a better eye on him, rather than for Hinata's protection as they had clamed.

After a few months, Hinata had finally summoned up enough courage to ask him to help her train. He was surprised by this request. During the Chuunin exams, Hinata had been very close to dying because of him - even though he could not kill her without severe penalty. But had she so easily forgiven him? It took some time before Neji began to see her as a person, and not as a head family member. Now, they relied upon each other for their sanity.

A slight nod was all she replied. Neji frowned, looking to the ground. What was his uncle trying to prove, forcing his daughters to fight each other?

"I almost killed her..." It was barely a whisper, but Hinata's words brought his eyes back to her face. Her own eyes refused to meet his.

"But you didn't," came his calm reply, though his spirit was anything but. He knew that Hinata was capable of defeating her sister, but chose not to. During the years of his instruction of Hinata, something had finally broken inside of her that had brought out the skills Neji had known were there all along. Though she was nowhere near his own skill level, Hinata was a tough contender whenever they sparred.

"I wanted to." This admission brought a lonely tear down her pale cheek. Neji's brows fell in compassion. "I can't stay here anymore." He nodded, but did not offer a reply. Instead, he helped Hinata remove her jacket so he could clean her wounds. Most of her injuries were internal, but there was no way for him to call a medic without Hiashi's permission. And that was hard to come by.

Neji did the best he could, however, calling one of the servants to draw a hot bath for his cousin. She seemed much improved afterwards, though still needing help to move around. He also had some food sent to her room for the both of them. They ate in silence for a bit.

"Neji-kun," Hinata spoke solemnly, "You know I must leave." She set her half-eaten bowl of rice on the nightstand next to her.

"Then I will make the necessary preparations. We will leave as soon -"

"But you can't come with me!" she exclaimed. "Father couldn't care less if I left, but you..." The unspoken words where known to them both. Neji methodically removed his forehead protector to reveal the cursed seal forever etched on his forehead. Lowering his arms, he finally met Hinata's eyes.

"I am sworn to protect you."

"I would never hold you to a promise you were forced to make." Her eyes trembled slightly, but remained vigilant to his gaze. He smiled faintly and closed his own eyes.

"You misunderstand, Hinata. I choose to protect you."

"Neji-kun," her soft words were almost lost. "Arigatou."

Neji had left her to rest, but she could not calm her thoughts enough. Her eyes wandered about the shadowed room, each object bearing a memory that nearly brought her to tears. Many years she had endured the cruelty of her family. Well, perhaps not cruelty... she pondered. Rather, coldness, being all but disowned by my own family... Neji was the only family member - the only person whom she could truly be herself around, and not be ridiculed. Even her former teammates would patronize her at times; though they were probably unaware they did so. She did not begrudge them for it.

A smile now graced her lips, staring at the foremost picture on her nightstand. Kurenai had both hands on her shoulders, while Shino and Kiba stood on either side of her. A meek smile and flushed cheeks were forever painted on her face. It had been taken barely a month after the Genin graduation exam.

There were two other frames next to the one she now regarded. One was that of her family - both head and branch members. This was kept at her father's command. The other, though the smallest photo by far, held the most meaning to her. It had been a rare happy memory for her - the day that Naruto had finally become a Chuunin. A wide, giddy grin was imprinted upon his face, with a friendly arm slung around Hinata's neck. He looked in worse shape than she did now, but it was the unwavering determination in his eyes that she liked the most. This photo had been taken nearly two years ago when they were both fifteen.

She rarely saw him now. He was off on missions most of the time, but occasionally a short letter would fall into her hands via Sakura or her own sensei, Kurenai. His exuberance was obvious in his words, telling about the many places he had visited, or people he had met. But they always ended with a postscript specifically for her saying something like "Tell Hinata-san I miss her" or "Give this to Hinata for me." Enclosed had been a pressed flower, which she kept in the corner of the frame. The wonderful spicy scent had faded, but it was a memory that was severely guarded.

Though she wished a direct letter from him, Hinata knew that her father would not have it. She missed Naruto terribly, but it was very heartening to see his dreams come true. They both had worked hard to become stronger, but Naruto possessed a hidden spirit that Hinata could not understand. Such optimism spawned from grief and loneliness - but hadn't they both been through that?

And so her adoration grew as time passed, bringing intense feelings she could not comprehend. All she could do was acknowledge them.