Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. The plot was mine, although it does contained a few characteristic that belong to the Naruto anime series.

REASONS

Hinata remembered the time when she was still an adolescence youth. She remembered exactly the first dialogue Neji spoken when they first met.

"Isn't she cute, Father?" Pray god, she had the most sleepless night that day.

Fluff like the word 'cute' is not actually something accustomed for her. Even her father never said them to her. She had head 'get up', 'harder', and many types of vocabularies she could gain knowledge of. Along the way, she obliquely understands the meaning of each term according to the sentences. On the contrary, 'cute', was something she never heard. Nevertheless, the way it sounded from the boy who is merely an age older then her, it was very pleasing and welcoming.

She bolded herself to stood beside her father again, pushing her shyness for a while. Somehow, she saw Neji glowed at the simple triumph of approaching her. Of course, their fathers did not realize it. It was a moment only child of age four and three to understand.

It was an instant attachment.

"Neji-niisan, will I ever grow up strong, like you?" she questioned herself inaudibly. "Hinata-sama?" alas, he heard. She jerked her head and hastily shook her head. "No…nothing." She heard him sighed. That is what she regretted most. She heard sighs and gasps too much that she understood it meant disappointment. Please not him too, he was where she been holding on for now!

Before she jumps into panic, she caught a glimpse of his famous mischievous smirk. Now, she could see he was mustering the best adult look he can, and failing miserably. She could not hide her giggles. "Hinata-samaaa!" he whined loud enough for a child to understand he was sulking. Thank goodness no grown-ups near or he would certainly have daggers of glares. Hinata shuddered when she was in the course of the thought. No one could glare the way a Hyuga could.

"Um… Neji-niisan, I think it's best if we skip this topic, ne?" she tried to swing the conversation other way, only to realize he was glowering at her impatiently in return. Seeing no response from the small girl, he huffed and angrily walked away. She ran after him, apologizing and calling his name meekly.

"And now it's lost, isn't it, Neji-niisan?" she thought sullenly. She could not complain either. Two important men in her life is fighting, hurting each other. Naruto the man she highly admired, like how any person would look up to a leader, and Neji, the person who gave her the sweetest moments in her childhood, the on who once kept telling her life is more then just pleasing everyone.

She wanted neither to be impaired. She caused all of this. Uncle Hizashi was dead. Because of her. The two figure clashing in the arena were hurting and livid. Because of her.

The words were replaying inside her throbbing head, as if an angry concerto of frustration was pushing her to the limit until she could no longer stand the pressure. She felt like fainting…

He lost. To a dead last, more so. However, the result did not bother him, neither the incident where his clan leader bowed to him a few minutes ago. It was the insight he got that made him pondered.


Hinata-sama…gomen…

"Neji-niisan!" she gasped. A big grin was pasted in his peach skin face. "Hinata-sama, I could shoot the kunais without even looking the board. Only using my Byakugan!" he stated happily. His face practically glowed.

Hinata was even more glowed. "How lucky you are, Neji-niisan. I can't even see tenketsus as good as you, but you can already see a board hidden among the trees." She smiled. Neji was happy. She was not even disappointed, he noted from the tone of her voice. Yokatta!

Hinata was happy whenever she saw him happy. He felt very important to her. In addition, that made him felt really, really, happy. Besides, he could not help but noticed how his father glances tenderly at them once in awhile. Hm… from the look of the situation, he wondered if she is going to be his bride in the future…

Neji's face ripened at the thought of it. He shooked his head furiously, as if the redness would disappear in the breeze if he did that. Hinata stared at him blinking cluelessly. Neji gave a strained smile towards her and she shrugged it off. If Neji did not want to tell, she would not force him to. As she walked beside him with a shy smile, he gazed at her with a pondering look.

Well…it was not that bad…maybe…maybe she would be a nice person to end up with…He lingered his eyes, viewing her full features. Then he imagined how she would look like when she grows up. Granted she was not as ethereal beauty or eye catching - he would not tolerate anyone eyeing his wife, he make sure of that - , her sweet and simplicity will always assure him that she understand him and guaranteed that she was a pleasant company.

Neji coughed on his mind contemplation of her adult physical traits…specifically whilst concentrated of parts only women have. Hinata touched his shoulder with an anxious look written in her face. Neji, in return, held her hand and continued towards the Hyuga mansion, his banana smile never left his face.

As they were chatting in the garden, Neji saw a flash of his reflection on the surface of the koi pond, just before a fish popped out. Immediately, his smiling chubby face turned depressed. Hinata noticed the obvious sadness. She cupped his chin with both her tiny palms and turned his head slowly to her. His eyes was directly at hers, a gesture of concern and 'no-telling-lies'.

Neji felt very sad. If Hinata felt sad, he would too.

"What is it, Neji-niisan?" she prodded. Neji stared down at his reflection, his head bowed. "The seal on my forehead, Hinata-sama. The seal." Silence took over thickly, you would not see through it even if you had Byakugan. He continued, "Oto-san said, the seal is what differs me from you. He said that it would get in the way of me being a great shinobi. The most painful of all, he said you could hurt me using it. "In next to no time he finished the last sentence, Hinata repeated the earlier gesture, only to overcome the sudden giggles. Here in front of her, her cousin was looking at her with big, rounded watery eyes. How could she hurt such a cute Neji?

"Neji-niisan, I would never hurt you, an it would be a disgrace to use a trick like that." She sighed softly. Slowly she unwrapped the bandage that covered his seal. Overlooking that his forehead was naked to her eyes, his own were gleaming with hope, "Promise Hinata-sama? Never will?" He requested excitedly. Hinata nodded gently at his boyish excitement. "As long as you promise to protect me, ne, Neji-niisan?" she teased.

"Don't worry, Hinata-sama. I have made the same promise to Oto-san. A man will never go back from his words." He puffed proudly. "I am certain you won't. You are Neji-niisan after all." Although just a few mere words, Hinata's voice has an enchantment that make it sound so real.

Now, Neji believe he will.

A feathery kiss descended upon his forehead. Pale no longer, his skin look as if it was made from one hundred percent blood. Blushing frantically like a fool, he did not notice she went inside the manor, her skin rivaled to his. Inside his mind, he remembered to bandage his forehead. Sentimentally, he felt like he was not only covering the symbol, but also keeping the warmth of her lips with it, he hopes.

Hizashi had argued with him just to persuade him to sleep WITHOUT the bandages on. (Imagine a chibi Neji pouting and being a stubborn towards his loving and stern father)

"I'm sorry, Hinata-sama. You have kept yours… I didn't," he thought dolefully, closing his eyes in remorse.

EXTRA DRABBLE

Naruto was waiting for Iruka-sensei under a tree, on a swing, nearby the academy. He saw a small girl, probably around her age, carrying a lunchbox in he left hand while aftering a longhaired boy. Unfortunately, the boy was too far to actually hear he timid shouts. The girl sighed and noticed a boy with sun-streaked hair and waterfall blue eyes staring at her. She blushed, embarrassed that someone watched her failingly calling her cousin.

He flustered when he realized she saw that he saw her. Wait… that is confusing…whatever. He quickly acted as if he was ignoring the scene, looking at every way except her. He continued his Most Obvious and Bad Acting Effort of Ignoring Medal (MOABAEOM) act until he felt a gentle nudge at his left shoulder. He turned and saw her motioned him to take the lunchbox. Her face had a tinge of pink. He does not notice that, the author do. So does a chibi Neji with a shaking fist from another plane. Also a sweatdropping Hizashi from another plane.

"Uh…he?" he pointed dumbly towards where the boy from before had gone to in confusion. She just shooked her had and nudged him to take him. Not declining, he muttered a thanks when she suddenly nowhere in sight. Well, he was about to ask her name…

He shrugged it off, and continued opening the lunchbox. It was ramen, but being still young Naruto did not know what it was. He slurped hastily that the lunchbox looked brand new – meaning he wipe every single of it out - . The taste was slightly raw, like a childish cooking, a novice trying to learn how to cook. On the other hand, the taste stated that the 'chef' had actually make an effort doing it. Heck, even the dense Naruto could detected that tenderness in the cooking it filled him with just one bowl. The girl had put all her soul and being in making it. The boy did not know what he was missing.

A few kilometers away, inside a manor's kitchen, a small girl was molding dough. Her hands and face was covered with white powder as she attended to her cooking, firm to her goal to make a good ramen for her cousin.

"One Miso Ramen, please," he said to the Ichiraku Ramen stall owner. After the twelfth bowl, he paid the owner and walked away.

After that incident, he was crazy about ramen. Nonetheless, the first taste of ramen was the one his tongue could not forget and longing for. Not even hundreds of ramen he eaten form every different kind could gave him the feeling. Most of all, who was that girl?

Woohoo! I managed to finish this piece in a night. Not such a good fan fiction though… 

I was feeling as if Masashi Kishimoto-san was toying with the character of NejixHinaxNaru. Sometimes it seems Nejihina, sometimes it seem Naruhina.Shrugs well, it make the story even interesting.

Anyway, please review… I have made a small oneshot of KabuHina fan fiction but, it depends on how many reviews I got if you want me to upload it ;)

(Suddenly, two police with a handcuff came in)

Iocus: Wha…?

P1 : You are under arrest on the accusation of trying to bribe the readers.

Iocus! (Runs away in the nearest dimension)

P2 : STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!

Please no flames…..

If you're a Nejihina fan, go to my profile and click the link please!