We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.

-Plato

Yui Hyuga was certainly not your typical 3 year old. Perhaps it was her dark red hair that singled her out, or the speed of her development, or her unorthodox Gentle Fist style. Anywho, Yui Hyuga was just different.

To say the least, her parents were displeased. Haruka and Soma Hyuga were two respected members of the Branch House, known for their skill and loyalty to the main house. Having a child that was different reflected negatively on them, and they just couldn't have that. They planned to mold her out so that what was different would disappear.

"Yui, correct your form." her father commanded, frowning. Yui internally groaned but obeyed; they had been training for over 3 hours now. She copied the stance that her father demonstrated for her, straightening her sagging body.

"Start again." he commanded, observing as Yui restarted her training combo. Left palm, right palm, jab, rotational strike, sweep back. She stood panting after doing another 5 sets. Yui pouted, she bet that other kids her age didn't have to do training like this.

Soma sighed, satisfied with her training session. She was intelligent and flexible, but lacked power; he could fix that soon enough. "Father, I have a question." Yui asked, brushing her sweaty hair behind her ear. "If I was in real combat with an enemy and if he was faster than me, couldn't I follow with a downward swipe like this?" she asked, demonstrating with her right hand. "I think I would make a hit, even if he was faster."

Her father narrowed his eyes dangerously. "No." he said. "If he is faster or more flexible than you, then you must train to be faster and more flexible than him. Do not ask questions about attacks that don't follow the Gentle Fist. Dismissed."

Yui pouted, but left the room anyway.

As she took a bath, she considered her training. She was right. She would be able to land a hit, but she couldn't attack like that because it went against the Gentle Fist style.

She understood why her father was upset with her. No Hyuga fought like she did. When she sparred with people her age, she abandoned the "circle-fighting" concept of Gentle Fist and fought more instinctively. It just wasn't proper.

Still, the way she fought was the reason that she won most of her spars! When she was sparred, the other kids didn't expect the violent onslaught of attacks. She didn't have anything against Neji Hyuga, who had always beaten her soundly, but still! Yui groaned, dunking her hair in the water in frustration.

Her fighting techniques weren't the only reason why she was frustrated. She was so... limited in this clan! The only time that she went outside were for outdoor training in the courtyard. She had never run around and made any friends like the civilian kids she saw out the window.

She couldn't even decide what she wanted to do in life! Every day, her parents reminded her that her duty was to become a shinobi that would protect the Main House well. If she was to die, she would have to die in servitude to the Main House. It just wasn't fair!

Getting out of the bath, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Dark red hair, white eyes, pale skin. She lifted her fringe up, to reveal her forehead. 'Tomorrow, there will be a curse mark there...' she thought, fingers trailing over the smooth skin covering her head.

"I will not be your typical Hyuga." she stated firmly, her childish voice filled with resolve. "I will uphold my duties as a member of the Branch House, and protect the Main House. However, I shall choose my own path, and what I wish to fight for." she swore to herself.

Yui smiled to herself. She was going to escape the boundaries that had been placed upon her. She was going to escape the system.

Hello! This is an idea I came up with a while ago, and I've finally decided to turn it into a story. This is going to develop extremely quickly in the beginning, because I hate writing introductions. I'm not sure if this will work out, but be sure to R&R if you enjoy it!

~Lissa