The was no time to think; no time to make a conscious decision. Her heart and body made the decision for her. The small timid ninja ran across the battlefield and leapt in front of her fallen comrades. She quickly shifted into the beginning stance of her ultimate defense move, preparing to use the last of her chakra to protect her friends. She knew that it may kill her, as her chakra was already depleted from healing those who had been brought to her earlier. Her place was not in battle; she was a medical nin, not a warrior. She pushed all this to the back of her mind as she focused on the taunting face of the enemy standing across the field. With her Byakugan focused, she could see the flare of chakra form in his body as a laugh passed through his lips. Though he pretended to be amused the warrior was actually annoyed that this insignificant tiny female was standing in between him and the accomplishment of his mission. She knew that he was, like so many before him, underestimating her abilities. So much the better, she thought to herself. I can use that to my advantage if I am to save them.

"I will only say this one time. Move out of the way and I will let you live." he stated, glaring at the tiny female standing defiantly in front of him.

"And I will tell you this one time. You will not lay another finger on my friends." she said softly, but firmly, as she began her offense. Now! she thought to herself. Before the ninja had a chance to realize her intentions, the small female launched towards him. While she usually used this technique as a defensive move, one adjustment of her stance and an influx of extra chakra shot the blades of chakra to her opponent before he could move. He was slashed deeply from the left side of his neck down to his right hip. He starred down at himself in open mouthed disbelief as his organs slowly spilled out of his abdomen. His last thought was the irony of losing his life to such an opponent after all the strong shin-obi he had annihilated in his career as a ninja.

"You little bitch," he moaned as he fell to the ground dead.

She watched to see if he moved, and after several minutes passed, she cautiously approached his body, wanting to confirm that he was indeed dead. She searched for signs of life and finding none, she sighed in relief. Suddenly, the strength left her body, and she sank to the ground with a smile on her face. I was finally able to rescue them instead of them having to save me! She thought to herself with pride, as the darkness embraced her.

BACK IN KOHONA:

The eagle masked AMBU member stood silently to attention before the Hokage. She had pulled them from their recon duty to receive new instructions. Though no sign of anxiety showed in his posture, Neji Hyuuga was highly surprised to have been summoned. The importance of their previous assignment had been top priority to the protection of the village. His team had been assigned to patrolling the forest surrounding the village, searching for any surprise attacks against the village itself. While the primary engagement was occurring on the eastern front, there was always the worry that the enemy would try to attack the village while most of the shin-obi were off fighting. Wondering what could have happened to cause the reassignment, he inwardly urged the Hokage to speak.

"As you know, based on the intelligence we had received, the main force of the enemy was to approach the village from the eastern front. Accordingly, most of our shin-obi squads were sent there, while the support squads and medical teams were sent to the west. One hour ago, we received an urgent missive from the leader of the support squad, requesting help. Our original information was false, the enemy attacked the western front. I have already dispatched messages to the battle commander, but I am afraid that they will not get there in time. Your unit is one of the strongest, and that is the reason I am reassigning you to go protect the medical team. While they are each strong ninja, their power resides in their medical expertise, not battle skills. Dismissed!" she barked out.

Hinata, Neji thought to himself with fear. His unit leapt out the window, and disappeared into the forest racing to the western front. He knew that Hinata had grow stronger, in fact, he had been training her himself. She was a strong shin-obi, but she was also no killer. In the past, she had been injured many times by her refusal to take a life. Tsunade had reassigned her to the medical team, where her gentle nature and finely tuned chakra control were best utilized. It had been years since she had been in a direct battle, and he feared for her life.

His heart ached as he thought of his gentle cousin. She was beautiful, with her long silky indigo hair that flowed to her waist, her eyes that shown like the moon, and her petite yet curvaceous figure. Yet it was her kindness and forgiving nature that had tipped the balance of his feelings for her into love. After the Chunnin Exams where he tried to kill her, Neji had been disgusted with himself and convinced that there could be no forgiveness for his actions. Locked in a world of self-loathing he had avoided his little cousin, while watching out for her from afar. He did not believe that he had the right to approach her or ask for her forgiveness, though he longed to many times. So he stayed in the background and observed her. The more he observed the more he realized that she was perfect.

Timid and shy, she was also fiercely loyal, and very protective of the ones she loved. Though Hanabi was named heir instead of her, Hinata was the true heart of the clan. When an member was ill or injured, she was the one there to help. When a child was born, she was the one to coordinate the assistance with the meals and housework for the new parents. She remembered the birthdays and anniversaries of the clan, reminding her father to acknowledge those involved. She made it a point to encourage the younger ninja and help them become stronger. Though it was frowned apart, she quietly tended to each member of the branch family after they received the caged bird seal. Neji knew that the only time Hinata ever stood up to the council was to protest the continuing practice of sealing the branch members.

One summer night he followed her as she snuck out of the compound, and was surprised when she stopped at a small waterfall on the outskirts of the forest. He was about to announce his presence and insist that she return to the safety of the compound when he was silenced by her actions. She stripped off her clothes and folded them carefully, placing them in neat pile on top of a rock. In awe of her beauty, he watched as she gracefully stepped out onto the water and begin to weave the water around her body in a giant sphere. He was amazed to see her ability to manipulate chakra and realized for the first time that his cousin was truly gifted. Here with no one to make her nervous or taunt her about her lack of skill, she flowed through the Silent Fist katas with a smooth gracefulness that was perfection. In that moment, Neji realized two things about his cousin: while she was not physically strong, she possessed an incredible inner strength, and his love for her was engrained into every fiber of his being.

In shock, he waited for her to finish and followed her stealthily back to the compound. Once she was safely in her room, he retreated to his favorite training grounds to think about his discovery. He knew that his feelings for her were forbidden, they were first cousins. While the Hyuuga clan did intermarry, the marriages were closely monitored to assure that the offspring would be healthy. First cousins did not marry. After allowing himself to briefly dream about what marriage to Hinata would be like, he then forced the feelings down. He decided that the smart thing to do would be to continue in his present treatment of her. He would hold himself emotionally distant, and protect her as before. Resigned to his fate, he walked slowly back to his room.

He was pulled out of his thoughts as the team approached the coordinates they had been given. He stretched the limit of his eyes and was shocked by what he saw. Bodies littered the ground. Those still alive had very low chakra levels. He turned to his team.

"We have to hurry, they have fought off the first wave, I am not seeing many that are alive. If the new intelligence gathered is correct, we have a limited time to rescue the survivors." his team nodded silently as they arrived on the battlefield and searched for survivors. They fanned out and began collecting the survivors, carrying them carefully to the edge of the clearing. Neji searched desperately for Hinata's chakra sign, finally finding her in the middle of the battlefield. He raced to her, and sighed in relief as he gently lifted her into his arms. He searched her for injuries, and was shocked to find none besides a few cuts to her knuckles. Why is her chakra so low? He wondered to himself. She sighed and he looked down into her face as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Nej-j-ji?" she asked faintly.

"Do not talk, your chakra is dangerously low." Neji told her sternly.

"But I did it. Wanted you to know…the technique…I did it-t-t…" her voice trailed off as she passed out. Suddenly, the wounds he had discovered on the lead ninja's body made sense. Her chakra blades..he thought to himself in wonder. Even as he admired her accomplishment, his blood ran cold at the thought of her battling the enemy ninja. Her teammates lay several feet behind her, and he realized that she must have jumped in front of them to protect them from being killed. Just like her, he thought to himself. Always putting others before herself. He shook his head ruefully. As he carried her to the others, his second-in-command walked up to him with a progress report.

"We found 30 survivors total sir. Panda is ready to perform the transport summoning whenever you are ready." he bowed to his leader. He was shocked to hear a curse come from behind the eagle mask. In all the time that they had worked together, no matter how dire the situation, the man had never lost his cool. His leader handed the woman he was carrying to him, and he accepted her gently into his arms.

"Take her and go now. The next wave is approaching. I will hold them off. You and Panda take the survivors to the hospital. Go now, Rabbit." he ordered.

"But Neji- this is suicide!" the AMBU member protested.

"No this is our mission, Lee. Protect the medical team. Now go, protect what is precious to me, please." he added softly, but with a hint of steel in his voice.

"Neji…" starred at his leader as he realized what the request meant. Neji Hyuuga was asking him to save the woman he loved. And he was fully prepared to die to get her safely away from the enemy. He gave his leader one last look as he retreated to the others. Be careful my friend. And live! As they soared away on top of the giant owl he teammate had summoned, he prayed that his fellow shin-obi from the eastern front would arrive in time.

KONOHA HOSPITAL ONE WEEK LATER:

Neji leaned over Hinata and tenderly smoothed a lock of hair from her face. If anyone had walked into the room and seen the look on his face, his feelings could have no longer remained hidden. Only two people in the world knew of his love for Hinata. Himself and his teammate, Rock Lee. Most people perceived Lee as a talented individual, that was enthusiastic, and clueless. Neji knew better. After years on his team, he saw how Lee was able to sense what was behind a persons' words and actions. Where he relied on his eyes, Lee relied on his heart. And that heart was what led him to the discovery of Neji's feeling for Hinata. Though they never spoke of it, he knew that if he ever did need to talk about his feelings, Lee was there for him.

At the moment, he felt safe from prying eyes, since he had carefully scanned the room and hallway with his Byakagan. He knew that Hinata would stay in the chakra depleted coma for a few more days. He had listened in when Tsunade was talking with her father. He had come to check on her, and leave a single white lily to replace the one that was wilting in the vase by her bed. They were her favorites, and he brought this one from her garden. He did not want to risk arousing the suspicions of Ino, by getting her one from the flower shop. He sat down in the chair next to her bed, and took her hand.

"I know that you can hear me, but I do not believe that you will remember my words. For that I am thankful. To burden you with my feelings is not something I would ever do you. It is not your fault I love you. I need to say this out loud, though it is cheating to say it when you will never truly hear. I love you, and that will not change. Even in the next life I will love you. I loved you since the moment I saw you when you were peeking at me from behind your father. My hatred of the clan overtook me for a long while, and it led me to hurt you, but after you forgave me, the love I felt for you all those years ago rose up from where it was buried deep in my heart.

I would plead with you to never be brave again, to never sacrifice yourself to protect someone else, but I now that you would not listen. You scare me, you are so brave. And strong, so very strong. Your body may be fragile, but you have an inner strength that shames many of us, myself included. How I wish that I the right to stand by your side and earn your love. In my weaker moments, I dream of it. To look at you and see that love reflected back at me. To watch you grow round with my child, to grow old with you. But it is forbidden, and I refuse to burden you as I am. This love is my salvation. As long as you are safe in the world, I live content. Sleep, my darling, and heal. We all need you. The heart of the clan must be returned to us healthy and strong." He caressed her cheek and placed a tender kiss on her lips. Neji starred at her for a few more seconds and then vanished in a poof of smoke.

Haishi emerged from his hiding spot, and starred at the wall in shock. He was coming to visit Hinata when he felt Neji's chakra in her room. Some instinct urged his to hide his chakra, and he was astounded at what he had discovered. He walked into Hinata's room and sat down in the chair Neji had just occupied. He was deeply saddened by the whole situation. The one deep desire of his son and he could not fulfill it.

Yes, Neji was his son, not his brother's. He should be the rightful heir, not Hinata or Hanabi. His sin went deeper than the betrayal of his son. The two girls that where set above him were not even his children. Love, he thought to himself. Love is what set all this tangled mess into being. Both he and the girls' mother had been in loving relationships with other people when they were forced to marry. His twin brother had covered for him by marrying his lover and making his son legitimate. Neji's mother was not someone the council approved of, yet their love could not be denied.

After the marriage had taken place, Haishi had found out that his new bride was deeply in love with another man, a branch family member. They discussed the situation in secret, and decided that in the end they could not force themselves to be together. They made a pact- she would not reveal the truth, and he would acknowledge her children as his own. It was the only way that they would both be free to continue honoring the love they had for their partners. Four years into the marriage, Hinata came along, followed two years later by Hanabi. After all this time, of the four people that knew the truth, he was the only one still alive. Suddenly, the need to confess the mess he had made of everyone's lives became overwhelming. He understood why his son had spoken to Hinata, even knowing that she could not truly hear.

Though he was not her true father, Haishi knew that Hinata was special. She was a calm, loving person. Much like her father had been. She seemed to have the ability to know the secret needs of those around her. She always put others first, and did her best to take care of everyone she loved. While this made her an incredible human being, it did nothing to prove to the elders that she was strong enough to be heir. He had been hard on her growing up, trying to force her to be stronger. This was expected of him. To allow the heir to be soft and gentle was not acceptable to the clan. His resentment of her weakness was especially bitter to take when he constantly compared her abilities to those of his son. The boy was indeed a true genius of the Hyuuga clan.

"I am sorry Hinata, that I always treated you and your sister so coldly. It was not what I had promised your mother. And yet, I know that even now, if you discovered the truth behind my actions, you would forgive me. You are a wonderful woman. Though I can not ever acknowledge it to the clan, I am proud that you are called my daughter. If you had been my true daughter I would be doubly proud of you. As it is, we are in such a tangled web of lies that I can not honor my son, or release you from the expectations that have burdened you your whole life. Neji is correct; you have an incredible inner strength that puts us so-called 'strong' ninjas to shame. Who knows? If I had possessed one tenth of the emotional strength you have years ago, would we be stuck in this situation? If I had just stood up to the council and married Neji's mother despite the opposition, I could acknowledge him as my strong heir. And he could court you as he wants to. But due to my weakness, he will remain forever branch, and you and Hanabi were forced into a mould you were never suited for. Hanabi is free now, released by death, but you and Neji are still chained to this hateful fate. Forgive me please.!" Haishi lowered his head and wept softly into his hands. After a few minutes went by, he was shocked when he felt a small hand embrace his. He looked up to see Hinata gazing at him with tears rolling down her face.

"You heard us both didn't you?" he asked quietly.

"Yes. And I do forgive you. This explains so much. I never felt like I was the rightful heir. Now I know why." she said softly.

"I do love you and your sister, but you must realize that Neji has his rightful place as first in my heart. I am so sorry that you have to pay for my mistakes. It is so unfair." he stated bitterly.

"It is the rules of this clan that forced you into the decision that you made. We cannot even call ourselves a family when one half our members are in bondage. There is something that can be done about this. Neji must become the heir as he should have been." Hinata said firmly.

"Child you know that as long as you live, you remain the only legitimate candidate for heir. How can you change centuries of tradition?" he asked angrily.

"Obviously, I have to die." she told him calmly.

THE HYUUGA COMPOUND: TWO WEEKS LATER

Hinata lingered outside the door of Neji's room attempting to gather the courage to knock. What she was contemplating doing was the most selfish thing she had done in her entire life. But was she not owed this? Did she not deserve to spend one night in the arms of the man that she loved and who loved her? Yes, she loved Neji Hyuuga. Everyone thought that she was in love with Naruto. Especially after she had confessed to him after trying to save him from Pein during the invasion. They had talked secretly before he left, and he had helped her to see her true feelings. Naruto knew that she did not love him romatically. And he had proved it to her by kissing her. When he drew back from her, laughter had escaped him at the astonished look on her face. No sparks, she had realized in wonderment. None. She thought briefly of being offended that he was laughing at her, but as always, Naruto's laughter was infectious. She remembered what he had told her, that she was a special woman who would find happiness with the man that loved her as she deserved. They had hugged and parted, friends as always. She had never told anyone of this meeting, it was a private matter between her and Naruto.

Maybe I should have told Ino, she thought musingly to herself. Then she would have let everyone else in Kohona know and I would not have to tell Neji myself. I am afraid that he is going to think that I am coming to him out of pity or duty. He believes that his love would be a burden, silly man. She shook her head, wondering again how someone that was so intelligent could not see what was right in front of him. Of course, she did not have much room to talk. But no one every called ME a genius, she argued with herself. This argument was cut short when Neji opened his door and looked at her in polite inquiry.

"Did you need something Hinata-sama?" he asked.

"Yes. I need to talk to you." she told him without a trace of a stutter in her voice. Since Haishi had told her the truth, the emotional baggage of not being good enough had fallen from her, and with it the nervous stuttering. He raised an eyebrow, but backed up and let her enter his room. She walked over and sat down on his bed. Again he raised his eyebrow, but no other sign of curiosity crossed his face.

"Before Naruto the village this last time, he and I met secretly to talk about what had happened in the battle with Pein." she paused and glanced at his face. All traces of warmth had left his eyes, and he spoke.

"Hinata-sama, I do not see how this is of any concern to me." he stated coldly.

"Neji-kun please do not interrupt me, this will become clear in a few minutes." she said firmly. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the wall with a faintly annoyed look on his face.

"By all means, continue." he said.

"Naruto told me that he did not believe that I really loved him as anything more than a dear friend. We argued and to prove it to me, he kissed me." She paused in her story and attempted to gauge his reaction. Other that a slight stiffening of his posture he gave no other sign that it bothered him that she had been kissed by another man. If she had not heard every word of his confession in the hospital, she would have doubted that she was doing the right thing as this point.

"When he pulled back I was absolutely astonished. I did not feel anything. No spark, no fireworks, no urge to swoon, nothing. Actually, it just felt wrong somehow. He started laughing at the look on my face, and after a while, I started laughing too. He just has that effect on people. We talked a little longer and he left. I never told anybody, because I was embarrassed. I wasted so much time and energy on that "crush" and I felt stupid for being so blind about my own feelings." she saw the look of surprise on his face, and smiled to herself as she continued.

"After he left, I was heartbroken, but not because of Naruto. It was because I realized that I loved someone else. Someone that was totally out of reach in so many ways. Someone who was so much stronger than me, so far above what I could reach. And who ignored me unless forced to spend time with me. Someone who I thought hated me. I resigned myself to another one-sided relationship. When I compared my feelings for this person to what I thought if felt Naruto it was laughable. How I could have ever mistaken that for love I don't know. But the despair was achingly familiar. I never believed that I had even a small chance of earning this person's love. Until that day…" she let her sentence trail off. She was hoping that he would realize who she was talking about. It had taken a lot of courage to get this far. She looked across the room at him, but he still had that implacable look on his face. She switched her gaze to her lap and continued.

"You thought that I couldn't hear you, but I did. I was so happy, and yet I couldn't reply. I was still too tired, but I was awake. After you left, I realized that for all that you are a genius, you can be just as stupid as…." she was cut off as his lips crashed down on hers. She was shocked at the speed he had used to get across the room, but happy to have finally broken through his resolve. She let out a small moan, and reached up to wrap her arms around his neck, pushing her body against his. He continued to kiss her hungrily for several moments, before pulling away and burying his face in her neck, breathing hard.

"Hinata, we can't do this, no matter how much I want to." he panted. Damn his control! She thought to herself. Well, if this doesn't break it he do not deserve what I am trying to give him, she smiled slyly to herself.

"Neji, I am leaving on a mission tomorrow. After that what happened a few weeks ago, I know that there are no gaurantees of safety, and I want to be with you. Can you deny us this chance to be together when we don't know if we'll ever see each other again?" she cried. Even though she was saying it to manipulate him to go against his principles, she knew that they would not see each other after tomorrow. She began kissing every inch of him that she could reach out of desperation. Neji groaned and pushed her back onto his bed. He crawled over top of her and began kissing her again.

"Oh, Kami Hinata! I love you so much, you have no idea how many times I have dreamed of this…" his kisses trailed down her neck and she moaned as he reached a sensitive spot at the base.

"Neji!" she moaned louder as he sucked on the spot. He chuckled and then pulled back to untie the belt of her sleeping robe. His breathe caught in his throat as the robe fell away from her and she was revealed in all her naked glory. She turned her head to the side, a huge blush going from her face to the tops of her large breasts. Neji let a chuckle that was almost a moan, and slowly trailed one hand down her neck to cup her left breast in his big hand.

"You were pretty sure of me, weren't you?" he said as he rubbed his thumb over her nipple. She moaned and arched into his hand.

"I was hoping…" she moaned louder, as he pinched her nipple lightly. He leaned down and licked her nipple while reaching over to roll the other nipple in between his fingers. She arched her entire back up, and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her.

"Oh Neji, please…." she begged. She knew basically what would happen, but no one had ever told her how good it would feel. She was overcome with the need to touch him as well, and she slid her hands down his back, scraping him gently with her nails. He stiffened against her and then stood up and starred down at her. He held eye contact with her as he stripped off his clothes and then knelt down beside the bed. He reached out and cupped her breast again, then pinched her nipple harder than before. She gave a small shriek and arched her back, silently begging for more.

Neji smirked and then leaned down to suckle her nipple while he trailed his hand sensuously down her stomach to the curls that covered her womanhood. He slid one finger down and circled her clit, then traced down and lightly stroked the outer lips of her pussy. She trapped his hand in between her thighs and let out a sobbing moan. He teased her slowly with his fingers, making her wetter, and then plunged two fingers into her pussy caressing deeply. She screamed and bit down on her lip, her legs falling apart and opening for him. Neji continued to plunge his fingers in and out of her while switching his mouth to her other nipple and sucking hard on it.

Hinata stiffened and then screamed out his name as waves of pleasure rippled through her. Neji moaned when he felt how tightly her pussy clamped down on his fingers. He climbed up on top of her and pushed his dick against the opening of her pussy. He stopped himself from thrusting in, giving her one last chance to stop what was happening.

"Hina are you sure?" he asked panting heavily. He was barely able to think, but for his Hime he would stop.

"Neji, oh Kami, Neji please!" she moaned as she yanked him down and plunged her tongue into his mouth. He wasted no time and thrust into her going deep. Hinata let out a small gasp and a few tears rolled down her face. He held still for a few minutes, letting her get used to the size of him. He was rather on the large size and she was so tight. Sweat bloomed over his body as he panted above her, resisting the urge to start pounding into her as his lust was demanding. Just about the time that his control was slipping, she moved against him gently. He groaned harshly and began thrusting into her.

She arched up against him, trying to match the rhythm of his thrusts, seeking even more pleasure. She scraped her nails over his upper arms and down his back, digging in when she reached his buttocks. He let out and shout of pleasure and all his control left him. He forgot that she was a virgin, forgot that they should be quiet, and just sank into the pleasure of pounding into her hot pussy. She wrapped her arms and legs around him and reached up to bit his neck. He growled at her and thrust in so deeply that he touched her cervix. She screamed his name and her pussy squeezed his dick so tightly that he came into her immediately. He jerked into her over and over again as she held him tightly.

Eventually, the spasms stopped and he fell off of her onto his back. Exhausted, he reached over and dragged her into his arms. They snuggled and kissed briefly before sleep overtook them. When dawn approached, they made slow tender love, and then she left to go get ready for her mission. She hesitated at the door, gazing intently at his face as if trying to memorize his features. For a long time after she left, he was bothered by the look of sorrow in her eyes.

KOHONA TWO WEEKS LATER

Neji was summoned to meet with Haishi. He felt a strong premonition of dread wash over him, but his face was it's usual blank mask as he entered the office. His uncle was sitting with his head down, and that is when Neji knew that his feelings were correct. Hinata's mission was only supposed to last for one week and she was now a week overdue.

"Hinata-sama?" he asked hesitantly. When Haishi just shook his head, Neji turned and punched a hole in the wall. He turned to leave, not wanting to break down in front of his uncle anymore than he already had.

"Neji wait- the council has decided that you should be the next heir. Though it's true that you are only a branch member, you are the strongest living Hyuuga." Haishi announced. Neji bowed to him and left quickly. He went to the waterfall where he had first realized he loved her and broke down crying. Did she know? He wondered to himself as he remembered that last lingering look she had given him. Oh Kami Hinata, how am I supposed to live without you? He collapsed to his knees and cried as he had not cried since the day his father died.