I do not own Naruto.

Chapter 1

The Meeting

We'll go back before Neji was born.

Hizashi was running away from a group of ninjas while carrying his unconscious wife bridal style. She was 3 months pregnant so she couldn't protect herself. 'Don't worry, Natsumi. I will protect you,' Hizashi thought. He stopped and gently laid his wife down. "Kill them!" one of the ninjas shouts and they started to attack him. But since he was a Hyuga, the most powerful clan in Konoha, he easily defended himself and killed them. He then realized he was in a part of Konoha he didn't know. All he could see is the vast forest surrounding them. Suddenly, Natsumi coughed out blood. He quickly ran to her side and checked on her. 'Her position is not good. She needs medical help but I'm not a healing nin. She could die along with our child. What am I going to do?' he thought as he hits the ground with his fist. "Are you alright?" an angelic voice asks.

He looks up to see a young woman with her husband, looking at them with a worried look. The woman had long thick light blue hair that reaches until her thighs and sapphire blue eyes. She had beautiful fair skin that matched her delicate face and sculputural body. Her husband had golden hair and emerald green eyes. He also had fair skin that matched with his handsome face and well-built body. He could tell they were from Konoha with their hitai-ates around their necks. "I'm fine but my wife is not," he answers sadly as he looks at her. "She's pregnant right now." "Come with us," the man said. "Nani?" He looks up at them. "We can be able to help her at our house. It's nearby," the woman answers. "All right." He carried Natsumi bridal style and followed the 2 strangers.

He sees a mansion soon enough. 'It's almost bigger than the Hyuga house,' he thought in awe. They entered and Hizashi put Natsumi on the coma. The woman went to her side and put her hand over her chest and said, "Healing no jutsu." Her hand glowed blue. "Who are you?" Hizashi asks. "Gomen nasai. We forgot to introduce ourselves. I'm Akira and this is my wife, Karin. We are from the Kurome 'Meaning black-eyed' Clan," the man says. "The Kurome Clan? It's said that they have magical powers and all the bloodline limits with their own that has Byakugan and Sharingan mixed together," Hizashi says. "Hai, but only a few are chosen," Karin says. "You are a Hyuga..." Akira says. "Hai. My name is Hizashi and my wife, Natsumi." "What were you doing out here in the forest?" Karin asks. "We were chased by a group of ninjas." "You can stay here if you want. Your wife won't be waking up anytime soon," Akira says.

Hizashi agreed. For a month, he and Natsumi stayed there. They soon learned that Karin was also pregnant. Hizashi and Akira became like brothers as were Karin and Natsumi became like sisters. At the end of that month, Hizashi and Natsumi had to leave. "You're always to this house," Akira says. "Arigatou," Hizashi says and smiled at him and they left. We'll go forward to 3 years. "Otou-san, what are we doing here?" 3-year-old Neji asks. Hizashi and Neji were walking in the same forest where Hizashi was attacked 3 years ago. Natsumi had died soon after giving birth to Neji. "We are going to see the people who saved you before you were born," Hiyashi answers, smiling at him. "Are you nervous?" Neji shaked his head vigorously. "Good. Stay close to me." They continued to walk until they see the mansion. Neji was awed by the sight. They see someone coming. It was Akira. He caught sight of Hizashi.

"Hizashi, it's good to see you again. It's been 3 years," Akira says, smiling at him. "Hai, it has." "What happened to Natsumi?" He looks down. "She died." "Gomen nasai." He sees Neji and Neji was clutching on his father's lef, hiding himself more. "Who is this young man?" Akira asks. "This is my son, Neji." "It's nice to meet you, Neji. Watashi wa Kurome Akira desu." "It's nice to meet you, too, Kurome-dono," Neji says, a little nervous. Akira smiles and kneels down in front of him. "Don't call me that. You can call me Akira-san." Neji relaxed a little and smiled at him. "Hai, Akira-san." "Come. Karin would be glad to see you." Akira leads them into the mansion. They see Karin kneeling down and talking to someone but they can't see who. "Karin!" Akira calls. She stood up and faced them. The person she was talking to was a little girl and she quickly hid behing her.

"Hizashi-san! It's good to see you," Karin says. "It's nice to see you, too," Hizashi says, smiling. "Who is this handsome young man?" Neji blushed. "He's my son, Neji. Neji, this is Kurome Karin. She was the one who healed your mother when you were inside of her." "Arigatou for saving my mother," Neji says, bowing. Hizashi spots the little girl behind Karin. "Karin, who is she?" Hizashi asks. "Her? She is my daughter, Akina 'It means Spring Flower'. Akina, introduce yourself." She stepped out shyly and Hizashi and Neji got a good look at her. She looked exactly like her mother except she had green eyes of her father and much more beautiful. Neji blushed when he saw her and felt his heart beat faster. "Watashi wa Kurome Akina desu. It's nice to meet you," Akina says, smiling at them. They noticed she was wearing a white lily on her hair.

"Nice to meet you, too, Akina. Watashi wa Hyuga Hizashi and this is my son, Neji," Hizashi says, smiling at her. "It's nice to meet you, Akina-chan," Neji says, blushing a bit. "Ne, ne, Neji-kun, do you want to play?" she asks excitingly. He looked up at his father, who nodded and said, "Hai." "Come with me." She took his hand and led him to her room. Neji was blushing a lot while their parents were smiling. She brought him to her room. "I want you to see something," she says as she opened her balcony door. There was the most beautiful garden anyone has ever seen. There were two animals there: a white tiger and a white wolf. They were still a few months old. They caught sight of Akina and ran to her. "Hey, guys. Meet my new friend, Neji-kun. Neji-kun, this is Shiroyuki, the tiger and Kuroyuki, the wolf." Kuroyuki looked at him and nudged his face. "Kuroyuki likes you," Akina says. They started to play like the children they are. It was night time soon after and their parents went to get them. They found them sleeping under a tree.

Akina was lying down on Neji's lap. They brought them inside and let them sleep beside each other in Akina's bed. Hizashi and Neji stayed there for a year. Akina and Neji were best friends and hardly ever apart. Soon, they had to leave so that they can go to the main house of the Hyugas. So Akina and Neji met the day before he had to leave. "Akina-chan, I want to give you something," Neji says. They were sitting down under a shade of an oak tree. "Nani?" He pulled out a silver necklace that has an emerald shaped into a primerose and a diamond in the middle. "It's beautiful," Akina says. "It belonged to my mother and I kept it with me after she died. I want you to keep it." "No, I can't." He pulled out her hand and put the necklace on it and closed her palm. "Keep it. Return it to me when I see you again." "If you're going to give me something precious, then I'll give you one, too," she says, as-a-matter-of-factly.

Neji looked at her confused. She took out the lily on her hair. He gasped. This is the first time he saw her take out her pin. He had always seen her wearing it. She took his hand and put the lily on it and covered it with his other hand. "This lily used to belong to my grandmother. Keep it for me until we meet again. Promise?" She held out her pinky finger. He put out his and connected them. "Promise. She smiled at him. "I want to give you one last thing, Akina-chan," he says, gently caressing her cheek. "Nani, Neji-kun?" He wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her closer. He slowly leans in and kissed her lightly on the lips. She was surprised. She just gave away her first kiss to her best friend. He breaks and looks at her shocked face. She covered her lips with one of her trembling hands and blushed very deeply. He then pulled her to a tight hug. "Akina-chan...I...love you...since the day we met. I hope that...you feel the same way," he whispers.

She hugged him back. "Neji-kun, I had always liked you ever since we became best friends." "Will you wait for me? Do you promise to never love anyone else?" he asks, breaking the hug and looking intently in her eyes. "Of course." "How can I be so sure?" She gave him a light kiss. "Is that proof enough?" He smiled and nooded. The next day, Hizashi and Neji were ready to leave. "Arigatou, Akira, for your hospitality," Hizashi says, smiling at him. "No problem." "Sayonara, Hizashi-san and Neji-kun," Akina says, smiling at them. "Sayonara, Akina," Hizashi says, smiling at her and patted her head. Neji didn't say anything. He just looked at Akina with sad eyes. Akina noticed this and hugged him. "Take care of my lily," she whispers which only he can hear. He nodded and they started to walk away. Neji looked back one last time to see Akina still waving them goodbye. He held the lily closer to him, hoping that he would see Akina again...