Disclaimer: I own nothing but this Neji-torturing plot.

Poor Neji. I feel sorry for him. Oh well, I haven't tortured him in a fan fiction yet. Now it's his turn. D Basically, this is a side-story to 'Vows mean Nothing.'

Destiny

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I always knew life followed down the pathways of destiny. Once, I was naïve, believing we had a choice. Our choices are all laid out for us. I knew the outcome of the struggle and took pride in it. I knew the result of every occurrence. Or so I thought.

I knew Naruto had no chance of advancing to the final round of the Chuunin exams.

I predicted Lee would beat Gaara with his advanced Taijutsu.

I never thought I'd try to kill my favorite cousin.

I promised I would never forgive my uncle, or anyone from the Main House for that matter, for my father's sacrifice.

I foresaw I would be the best ninja in Konoha, undefeatable and proud.

I anticipated the Hokage would never be defeated.

I was certain I would never be wrong.

The Chuunin exams changed all that for me. Yet, I never gave up believing in destiny. Destiny still wove itself around our lives. Now, I realized destiny could be changed, and even I wouldn't know it. Our lives were all laid out for us, but we could choose our paths ourselves. Based on this, I reached several more conclusions:

Sasuke would quickly rise to Jonin status.

Team 7 would always stay friends, and become one of the most reliable teams there was.

I would never fail a mission.

Naruto was capable of defeating Sasuke in battle.

Shikamaru could never cry publicly.

Gaara would never protect us, only kill us.

Once again, I was wrong. This time, Sasuke changed everything by betraying us. He turned everything around. I knew this was not supposed to happen. Destiny had been reversed yet again.

I still held firm in my childlike belief in destiny, but I wasn't sure how it worked anymore. Maybe one specific thing could change destiny. That had to be the truth, right? I knew destiny existed, so that had to be the only explanation.

Sasuke could never kill Naruto.

I never suspected I'd see so many of my friends die before me.

Naruto would become Hokage.

Sakura would never lose all her emotion.

Sasuke would kill Itachi.

Yet, I was still wrong. I used to think destiny would play out in my favor. I was smug, arrogant, and would never admit to being wrong, all the way back when I was thirteen. Now, I'm 25, and I'll admit it. I was wrong.

I was wrong in my predictions, but not about destiny. Now, I know what destiny is all about. Destiny was against me, and always would be. I'm better off dead than to have all my friends around me continuing to get hurt.

If I had my way, I'd be married to my childhood love. Naruto would be Hokage, Sasuke would have killed Itachi, and life would be good. Destiny plotted against me.

Now, I have to pay the price. Now, I have a choice.

I could die and spare myself the agony, or I could live and spare my friends the agony. It's a difficult choice down a difficult path. Maybe this is what destiny wanted all along. I just played right into its trap.

I'm a fool. Death seems like such a nice option now, especially with this sharpened kunai in my hand. I don't think I'll take that option though. Instead of me dying first, I'll have to watch my friends and family die a million times over, all before my eyes.

Others have already suffered enough. My suffering has only just begun.

Like it? I hope I didn't torture Neji too much. Oh well.