Byakugan Bond

by DeathByConformity44

Neji and Hinata. They share a bond that no one else could ever understand. He resents her for something fate decided long ago. She wishes he would acknowledge her. Fate interferes and forges new bonds. Ignore the cousin thing.

1. Chapter 1

Byakugan Bond

I stiffled a yawn as I watched Rock Lee punch the target on the tree. He was so repetitive. Tenten had already fallen asleep beside me, snoring quietly. "Lee, what exactly are you trying to achieve?" I asked. Lee spoke as he continued to throw punches. "I am going to hit this tree two thousand times. If I cannot hit it two thousand times, I will kick it two thousand times. If I cannot kick it two thousand times, I will do two thousand push-ups. If I cannot-" "I know, Lee," I interrupted wearily. More of his self-imposed rules. I did not understand the point of them.

Tenten stirred, and sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Is Guy Sensei back yet?" she asked, voice slightly slurred. "No," I answered, spinning a kunai around my forefinger in boredom. If something entertaining didn't happen in the next two minutes, I would slit my throat.

"Hey Lee, cut that out," Tenten complained, straightening her mussed up hair. "No, Tenten. I'm sorry but I can't. If I can't do two thousand punches, I will have to kick it two thousands times. If I can't kick it two thousand times-" "Lee, instead, why don't you fight me?" I interrupted, trying to distract him and provide some of my own entertainment. Lee didn't stand a chance.

"That is a splendid idea," Lee smiled, ceasing his repititious actions. He turned to me, thrusting up one hand with his palm facing himself, putting the other behind his back in a familiar battle stance. I got to my feet, dusting myself briefly of the grass that clung to me, then got into my own stance, one palm facing him, the other to the side.

"Lee, you're only going to get hurt," Tenten chided. I gave her a scowl. "Let him do what he wants. I want to fight him, I am going to go insane if I have to sit around waiting for Guy Sensei any longer." "Fine," Tenten sighed, sitting back. I could tell that she wanted to see the fight. She always enjoyed watching us fight.

"Prepare to lose, Lee," I told him calmly, activating my Byuakugan. Lee smiled broadly. "I am detirmined now more than ever. I believe my detirmination will give me an edge." What a fool. He leapt forward, bringing his leg up into a round house kick, but I deflected it easily with my open hand. The match itself was over in a matter of moments. I only had to get within arms reach to hit his stomach to wind him, then punch his jaw to send him flying back. I had beaten him and my breathing hadn't even changed. I scowled unhappily, slumping on the grass. Now my fun was over. Perhaps I should have lengthened the match, let Lee think he was getting ahead, then spoil his confidence with a single blow.

"Neji, Lee, have you two been fighting again?" Guy asked, disaproving, as he entered the training feild. "Lee, come here. Let me get a look at you." Lee got to his feet, legs shaking. He wobbled slightly, dizzy as he stumbled forward to Guy Sensei. Guy examined Lee's jaw, then turned to me. "Neji, you should know better than practising on Lee. You know how overconfident he gets. Lee, your jaw is going to swell horribly. You shouldn't talk for a while. Tenten, Neji, go fetch some ice for his jaw."

"At least we'll get some silence for a while," Tenten grinned, as we walked. I didn't bother giving a reply. I spotted Naruto in the trees, throwing kunai at a target. I was about to look away, when I spotted a figure watching him also, sitting a fair distance away, using her Byakugan eyes to spy on him. Hinata. I ground my teeth together, then smiled. This could be fun.
"You go get the ice," I told Tenten. "I'll be back soon."

"Where are you going?" she asked, but it was too late. I'd already raced away, running through the trees. Hinata saw me coming, her eyes wide. I knew she would have run from me, if I hadn't been going straight towards her. I could easily outrun her anyway. I ran up the tree and made a perch a branch above her. "What are you doing, Hinata-chan?" I asked, giving her a smirk. "I swear I just saw you watching Naruto-kun. Rather, I know I saw you watching him; my eyes never lie."
Hinata flushed. "I-I was j-just sitting here. I w-was bored, so I thought...I thought I might see if Naruto-kun wanted...if he wanted some company," she said, stumbling over her words.

"Do you fancy Uzumaki Naruto?" I asked, feigning shock. "Honestly Hinata-chan, I thought you had better taste than that." She tried to deny it, but we both knew it was no use. My eyes could tell from her blush, the way her eyes widened in panic, the way her lip trembled.

I laughed spitefully at her, before folding my arms. "You are too predictable, Hinata. But I cannot simply fathom why, of all people, it would be Naruto. He's a fool."

"He's not a fool," she snapped, before flushing and covering her mouth, turning away. "Tell me, Hinata-chan. I could go on all day about the failures of Naruto, and something tells me you wouldn't like that."

"For one, he's a nice person, unlike you," she said, taking deep breaths to stop herself from going into a panic. "H-he doesn't make fun of...make fun of people just for fun."

"You're quite right. I am not a nice person," I said coolly, looking with my Byakugan as Naruto began to practise with shuriken. "In the ninja world, one cannot stop to be nice. It's a harsh world, Hinata. One that we both know you don't belong in."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she mumbled, turning her face away. I scowled, turning away also. I had the Byakugan, I had eyes in the back of my head, or at least, I could see through the back of my head at her. "Hinata-chan..." I began, before trailing off. What was I supposed to say? I'd only come to taunt her, but it wasn't much fun. Seeing her cower before me brought me no amusement, only made me sick with myself for being able to make her tremble in my presence. I bit my lip, scowling. "I'm sorry," I said grumpily after a while. "I should not mock you. It's an insult to even give one as low as you any kind of attention."

"Go," she whispered, her face buried in her arms. I turned in surprise. She was crying silently into her arms! I stared at her, wondering what to do. Should I comfort her? Of course not! That was stupid. She was being weak for crying. I unfolded my arms and left her, trying to run from the guilt of having made her cry. Hurting her was like kicking a kitten.
Why was I so weak? I shouldn't even care. She was just one of them, one of the Head Branch of the Hyuuga Clan. The heir nonetheless. I caught up with Tenten as she walked back to the training grounds, carrying the ice.

"You look angry, Neji-chan. Are you okay?" she asked, her eyes examining my face. What did she know? Her sight was nothing compared to mine. Who was she to judge the emotions of my face? I nearly groaned aloud. She was right though. I was angry. "I'm fine," I said shortly, turning my head away, walking with her. Stupid, foolish Hinata. What did she even see in Naruto?

It was dark when I finally got home, walking through the gates of the Hyuuga Compound. I looked up at the cresent moon for a moment, before gazing down at the ground, examining the pattern of the stones as I walked. I bumped into someone, and nearly fell onto the ground if he hadn't grabbed my wrist to stop me. I looked up in surprise, to see Neji. "Don't you use your eyes?" he scowled. I flinched, his tone harsh. He sighed. "We're going to be late, Hinata-san. It's your father's birthday today, I was sent to fetch you." That's right. It was January eighth today. Summer was ending.

"I appreciate it," I murmured, pulling my wrist away weakly. "I'll be on my way." I began to walk in the direction of the main Hyuuga meeting place, Neji following a step behind, his footsteps loud in my ears. I silently activated my Byakugan and looked slyly through the back of my head to see he was staring directly at me. I flushed, wondering if he could tell I was looking at him. I wasn't sure, but I didn't doubt it. Neji was highly skilled with the Byakugan.

"So, Hinata, are you going to tell me?" he asked. I frowned, biting my lip in worry. "Tell you what?" I asked, bewildered. He laughed at the sound of the tremble in my voice. "Naruto-san," he reminded me. "What is it about him that captures your attention?"

"Oh," I breathed, mind racing. "I...Didn't I already...Haven't I already given you some reasons?"

"Yes. You said he was nicer than me. But I am not satisfied. Naruto's kindness cannot be the only thing that attracts you." I flushed at the word 'attract'. I admired Naruto-kun greatly, yet I was unsure in my heart. If we were meant to be, wouldn't he feel the same way about me the way I did for him? He didn't even know how closely I watched him, how I shared his pain, and felt joy for his successes. He barely knew I even existed!

"Hinata," he chided, still waiting. "I don't know," I mumbled, bringing my fingers together and tapping them together, trying to distract myself. It was no use. Neji wasn't going to let up. "I suppose...he's quite good-looking," I blushed. I could see Neji smile to himself. "And he's so detirmined to be Hokage. He'd do anything for his dream."

Neji snorted. "He cannot change his destiny. Once a failure, always a failure. He cannot change."

You're wrong, I wanted to tell him, but I remained silent. "What is it? You looked like you wanted to say something," he pressed. I spun around in surprise. "How can you see my face through my head?" "I can't," he smirked. "I was bluffing. So, you do have something to say? What is it?"

"Nothing," I mumbled, turning around and measuring the distance to the meeting place mentally. The sooner I got there, the sooner I could avoid Neji's unceasing questions.

"Tell me, Hinata," he growled, grabbing my wrist. I stared at him. He seemed surprised at himself. "Our destiny is our own, Neji-kun," I told him quietly. "I believe Naruto. We don't have to accept a destiny we don't want." His lips pressed tightly together, his white eyes narrowing. He let go of my wrist. "Naruto is a fool. And only a fool could admire him." He marched ahead of me, leaving me alone. I wanted to curl up into a ball, his words cutting me deeply. My heart also ached for him. He was so bitter, full of hate for the Head Branch, who he still blamed for his father's death, yet I knew he held more hate for my father and I more than anyone. He blamed me in particular. If I hadn't been taken as a child, his father would not have been sacrificed, yet of course, Neji's father had been a willing sacrifice. There wasn't a day that I didn't thank Neji's father for his sacrifice, giving his life for my own, and the life of my father.

Did Neji even realise how much the guilt weighed on my shoulders?

I sat on top of the roof, overlooking the party. I wasn't in the mood to celebrate the birthday of the man who was the mirror image of my father, even years on. The birthday of my father, too. I held a slice of white cake on a napkin and bit into it, thinking of my father. What would he think of me? Would he be proud of me? Was I the man he pictured I would be when I was boy? My stomach churned, my throat developing a lump. I forced it down with another bite of cake. I should have been over him. His death had been many years ago, yet I still felt like a small child. His death could have been prevented. He had died willingly. He had taken himself away from me.

I grimaced, blinking quickly to get the tears out of my eyes, praying no Hyuuga below was looking closely at me.

"Neji-kun?" a voice called timidly. Without having to turn my head, I saw Hinata walking across the roof. She sat down beside me, looking down at her hands. "I hope you don't mind. I was wondering...It's your father's birthday, too...I was wondering...if I could celebrate it with you."

"You should be down there, celebrating your own father's birthday," I retorted, gesturing to the party with my chin. Hinata's cheeks turned a delicate shade of pink. "I hope he has many birthdays to come, but I've already wished him a happy birthday. I thought it was time to celebrate Hizashi-kun's. Everyone has forgotten him...except you."

"I will never forget," I vowed, glaring up at the large cresent moon. Hinata nodded, also staring up at it. I sighed softly and put down my piece of cake. I wasn't that hungry anymore. I was touched that Hinata cared, yet annoyed that she did. Why should she care? No one else did. Except me.

"Neji-kun?" she asked, in her quiet voice. I turned to her questioningly. She closed her eyes, giving me a small smile. "I think he'd be proud of you, you know. You're the best out of all the Hyuuga. I bet you could win a fight against my father. You're the prodigy of the Hyuuga."

My heart felt like it was being stabbed. "Thank you...Hinata-chan," I murmured. She gave me another smile, and looked back up at the moon, even the stars reflected in her white eyes. "Happy birthday, Hizashi-kun," she whispered.

Akamaru slept peacefully in my arms as I watched Kiba and Shino have an arm wrestle. Shino was excellent with his bugs, but when it came to pure strength, Kiba clearly outmatched him. When Shino lost for the millionth time, I gave him a sympathetic smile. "You're getting better Shino-kun. I can't even beat you, so I wouldn't even dream of beating Kiba-kun. You came close this time."
"As if he did," Kiba snorted. The sound of Kiba's voice made Akamaru twitch in his sleep, and I stroked his fur gently. Shino folded his arms, pretending not to care, which annoyed Kiba. Kiba was fond of rubbing things in. Shino was excellent at keeping a straight face, I rarely saw any emotion on any of the faces of the Aburame clan.

"I feel like some ramen," Kiba finally said, stretching. "I'm starved." Shino shook his head in agreement, so I followed them, jumping off of the cool balcony into the warm sun, setting off for the ramen bar. When we entered, I spotted a familiar orange clad boy with blue eyes. "Naruto-kun," I gasped, my heart pounding. Kiba and Shino took their seats, and I sat between them, using my Byakugan to observe Naruto. It appeared as if I were looking at my hands, but I was looking out of the side of my head and through Kiba. I knew Naruto loved ramen. Was he alone?

No. I nearly jumped with surprise when I spotted Neji sitting beside him, talking quickly in a low voice. His eyes looked up and spotted me. I flushed. Instantly, just by turning red, Neji could tell I'd been looking over. Why would I blush just by looking at a table? Neji's eyebrows drew together slightly, before he continued his quick conversation with Naruto, who was merely listening as he ate, eyes blank.

"I don't feel that hungry," I told Shino and Kiba. "I might go for a quick walk." I handed Akamaru to Kiba and headed out of the Ramen Bar, sure I could feel Neji's eyes following me. I walked down the street until I reached a bridge. I leaned on the railing, looking down at the river rushing by. What was Neji saying to Naruto? Was he telling Naruto how I felt? I began to chew my fingernails, my heart pounding. What if he did? What would I do? What would Naruto do?

"Sakura-chan told me that chewing your nails is bad for you," Naruto told me, approaching. I wanted to shriek and run as far as I could. Why would he be paying attention to me? Unless Neji told him? Naruto leaned on the railing beside me, looking down at his own hands. "I still chew my nails anyway," he grinned. I was stiff with fear. What had Neji told him? Naruto's face sobered and he gave me a glance. "I was talking to Neji before. He told me some stuff...about you."
My eyes filled with tears. I turned away so he wouldn't see them. I'd never been so embarressed. "He said that...you've liked me for ages," Naruto admitted. "But you were always too shy to say anything." "Naruto-kun, I'm sorry," I mumbled, voice breaking with emotion. The tears began to pour down my cheeks. In my imagination, I was brave when I told him how I felt. But I was just so embarressed and frightened. "I just wanted to tell you that...you're really pretty...but I'm kind of...interested in someone else," he told me. "Sakura-chan," I stated.
"Yeah, she's-wait, how do you know?"

I didn't answer. I turned to him, keeping my face bowed to hide my tears. "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. I really am." For watching him all the time. For wishing he was mine. For imagining that there was some chance in the world that I was worthy of him. "I h-have to go." I turned and began to walk away, into the training feilds, when someone ran after me.
"Hinata-chan," Neji called. He skidded to a halt in front of me. I tried to muster all the anger and hate I could to glare at him, but the only thing I could manage was a helpless stare. "I only tried to help," he told me. "I thought if I told him, he might be interested, too. I didn't know he liked someone else. Aren't you glad that he knows, at least? Give it time, the idea will grow on him."

"No, I've never been so embarressed in my whole life," I cried, bringing my hands up to my face to hide the tears. Neji's hands reached out awkwardly to hold my shoulders. "I'm sorry, Hinata. I thought I could help."

My legs trembled, feeling like water. Neji's gripped me tighter, supporting me, keeping me upright. I sobbed harder, and he held me, his arms around me, letting me cry into his hard chest.

I burned with shame. I'd only tried to help her. I'd been touched that she wanted to share my father's birthday, and I'd wanted to apologise for making her cry, so I'd decided I'd get her the one person she wanted most; Naruto. But Naruto wasn't interested. I'd watched as Hinata began to cry, and I had asked Naruto what he'd said. When Naruto told me he'd turned her down, I'd pushed him into the river before running after her. I'd thought I'd seen the glimmer of interest in Naruto's eye, but I'd been wrong. I was rarely wrong.

Hinata trembled in my arms, and I held her tighter. I rested my chin on the top of her head, sharing her mortification. What had I done? I'd strangled the kitten this time. No, I'd thrown it into the fire. I took a deep breath, and noticed Hinata's sweet scent. It was very floral, not roses that I found so common, but the smell of other flowers, fresh and fragrant. I inhaled again. How pleasant. Instantly, I berated myself. Why was I thinking of the way she smelt? I should still be apologising! Hinata began to calm down, and eventually, she pulled away.
Her eyes were slightly red from crying, and the tip of her nose was pink. "I'm sorry," I repeated. She nodded, and began to walk away. "Will you be okay?" I asked, worried. She nodded numbly and continued to walk away. I gazed after her until she disappeared. I didn't follow her with my Byakugan. She deserved some privacy. I took a deep breath. My shirt smelt slightly of her, and it was damp from her tears. I stood there for a while, before shoving my hands in my pockets and walking slowly home.

When I got home, I had composed myself. I had cried myself out already, my eyes only just returning to normal. My heart throbbed painfully, but I tried to ignore it. Tried to pretend it didn't hurt. Neji had only tried to help, even though he'd ended up embarressing me, ended up proving that I was unworthy of Naruto. I was not brave or beautiful like Sakura Haruno. I was timid, frightened, little Hinata who no one was interested in. Naruto had his own life, and I simply was not a part of it, as much as I wanted to be. Did Neji think I was ungrateful for him trying to help? Or was he upset that it had gone wrong? After dinner, I decided to find him and apologise for crying into his shirt, for showing such blatant emotions.

I found Neji's bedroom from the outside, and used my Byakugan, to see if he was inside. The light was on, and I saw Neji standing there, taking off his shirt. I flushed, but I couldn't tear my eyes away. I watched as he brought his shirt to his face and inhaled, closing his eyes. The corners of his lips seemed to lift up the tiniest bit. Whatever was he thinking? What did his shirt smell of?

I tried to remember in the afternoon. He'd smelt of honey and musk, with the faintest aroma of smoke. I'd thought he had smelled wonderful, but I'd been rather involved in my breakdown.

Neji put his shirt on his bed, before beginning to unfasten his pants. I flushed, and as if Neji could hear the blood rush to my face, he turned to gaze out of the window, instantly spotting me. I gave a tiny squeak. He rolled his eyes and walked to the window, redoing up his pants. He threw open the window and leaned on the sill. "That's the problem with the Byakugan. There's no such thing as privacy," he sighed, eyes watching me intently. "What do you want, Hinata?"

"I came to...apologise," I blushed, gazing down at my toes. "Apologise? What for?" he asked, astounded. I looked up into his surprised face. "I embarressed myself in front of you, that was rather...inexcusable...I'm sorry that I cried like that. I'm not worthy of being a Hyuuga, I'm so...." I trailed off. Neji's face softened. "You don't need to apologise, that is my job. You cried because of something I did, and I'm very sorry. I shouldn't have told Naruto, it wasn't any of my business."

"No," I mumbled. "I'm glad you did. I needed to wake up to myself. I deluded myself into thinking that one day Naruto would like me, but I see now that it was futile."

I sighed and slumped on the sill. "I am not desirable. I was foolish for ever thinking I could be. I am a miserable excuse for a Hyuuga, Neji. I'm sorry."

He regarded me with his pure white eyes. "Hinata, don't ever think you are undesirable. You simply wasted effort on the wrong person. Naruto doesn't deserve someone like you. You're a Hyuuga, you're above him anyway." He brushed back my hair gently. "You don't need to apologise for anything. You're human. Being a Hyuuga doesn't mean you have to be anything else."

I flushed. "But-" "Please, I can't stand that word," he interrupted, smiling. "Let me put some clothes on, and we can go for a walk. That is, if you want to."

"Yes," I whispered. His smile broadened. "Don't go watching me dress, either. I'll know if you are."
I turned a bright red and walked away, sitting on a wooden bench, waiting. Couldn't I go a day without embarressing myself? Neji had been so kind. How could it have been that yesterday he had made me cry by teasing me, then today, he was consoling me? I didn't deserve that kindness, but I was glad for it.

I didn't have to wait long before Neji was standing before me. I got to my feet and we walked out of the Hyuuga compound, walking down the empty streets of Konoha. "Neji-kun, will I ever meet anyone who'll love me back?" I asked, my voice trembling in a way that I hated. Neji paused and kissed my forehead. "Hinata," he murmured. "There will always be people who love you. Your mother, your sister...your father. You are...a wonderful person. I am sure you'll find love in return someday. You just have to wait." He poked me in the forehead. "And keep your eyes open."

I blushed as he chuckled, then he became thoughtful, a grin spreading across his lips. "Why don't we pay Naruto a little visit? I do not believe pushing him into the river was punishment enough for turning you down, no matter how kindly he said it."

"You pushed him into the river?"
"What was I supposed to do to vent my frustration at my plans going astray? I certainly wasn't going to push in that elderly woman crossing the bridge, and Naruto was one of the reasons you were crying, so I thought 'why not?' So, Hinata, how do you feel about a little revenge?"
"We shouldn't," I told him, biting my lip. "Naruto was kind when he...he..." "Turned you down?" he finished. I nodded, my stomach wrenching, eyes prickling with more tears. Couldn't I ever stop crying? Neji put a finger under my chin and lifted my face, his white eyes staring into my own. "This is about honour, Hinata. You're a Hyuuga, how dare he turn down you for some pink-haired girl with an enormous forehead? You are by far more beautiful than her, smarter and more intelligent. Naruto is a fool for turning you down."

Before I could protest, he grabbed my hand and began to pull me along into a run, taking me to Naruto's apartment. We jumped onto the roof of a nearby building, and used our Byakugan eyes to see through the walls. Naruto was sitting at his kitchen table, several empty ramen cups around him, and was digging into another, face alight with happiness. "He sure likes his ramen, doesn't he?" Neji murmured, grinning darkly. "That is where we will strike."
"Neji, we shouldn't-"
"Hinata, I'm still angry at myself for telling Naruto, and I'm going to take my anger out on him. Are you seriously considering trying to stop me?" he questioned, face serious. I flinched, and shook my head. He gave an impatient sigh, and turned back to Naruto's apartment. He was now opening a tenth cup of ramen.

Neji turned back to me. "You're too kind, Hinata. You can stay here and just watch." Before I could say anything, he threw a kunai one of Naruto's windows, shattering the glass. Naruto jumped in surprise, going to investigate. Neji jumped the distance over to the apartment, and let himself in from the balcony, picking the lock easily, as he could see into it with his white eyes. Naruto was still in his bedroom, poking his head out of the broken window, looking to see who could have thrown the kunai. I huddled in the shadows, though I knew his eyes wouldn't see me anyway.
I saw Neji quickly and quietly enter the kitchen, and spat into the newly opened cup of ramen. He then grabbed a second kunai and poked small holes in the bottoms of all the ramen cups Naruto had lined up to eat, so that when he poured in the hot water, it would leak. After that, I saw Neji undo his pants, his back to me so I couldn't see. I understood what he was doing though, and I wanted to shout at him, but I couldn't find my voice. Naruto began to walk back into the kitchen as Neji snuck back out, jumping back to me.
"You-you-!" I managed. Neji grinned. "I hope he likes the taste of piss in his kettle."

"That's unforgivable," I told him, voice trembling. He rolled his eyes. "Hinata, turning you down was unforgivable. I'm not letting him get away with that. You're being silly."

We watched as Naruto reached for his ramen, the one Neji had spat into and I closed my eyes as he brought the noodles to his lips. I heard Neji give an amused sound, so I knew Naruto was eating them. I couldn't bear to watch. Naruto reached for the kettle and poured the contaminated water into a second ramen cup, and let out a cry as the hot water leaked out of the cup into his lap. He poured water into another cup, and then another before he got suspicious. He checked all the cups and gave an angry cry. He sat there for a while, his arms folded before he got up and fetched a bowl, putting the dry ramen into it. He then poured in the hot water, licking his lips in anticipation.
I closed my eyes tightly. Please don't eat it, I begged silently. I wrapped my arms around my knees, wanting to cry. It wasn't nice, not at all. It wasn't fair.
Neji made an impatient sound, then I heard the smashing of glass. I opened my eyes as Neji jumped back to Naruto's balcony and let himself in. Naruto raced to his bathroom where the glass had been broken by another kunai, and Neji went into the kitchen, retrieved the ramen and the kettle, taking them out and dumping them over the balcony into a dumpster. Neji leapt back over, arms folded, lips twisted in annoyance.
"Neji-san?" I murmured, confused. "I wish you weren't so kind, Hinata," he grumbled, still not looking at me. I gazed at him in wonder. He'd seen how upset I was and had stopped Naruto from eating the ramen. "Thank you," I whispered. He simply shrugged and got to his feet. "Let's go back, it's getting late. Your parents might be getting worried."

I nodded, and followed him back to the Hyuuga compound.

How could Hinata be so kind-hearted? It was impossible to be so nice! She didn't have a mean bone in her body. I lay back in bed, thinking. I didn't like seeing her like that, holding herself tightly, unable to watch Naruto eating the disgusting ramen. I'd given in and stopped Naruto. My only satisfaction came from the fact Naruto's kettle had mysteriously disappeared along with a bowl of ramen and two of his windows were broken.

Of course, as much as Hinata's kindness annoyed me, I didn't want her any other way. It was...amazing, the way her eyes could implore silently at me, making me question myself. I rolled onto my stomach and buried my face in the pillow. She was impossible. She'd made me feel so ashamed for what I'd done, no matter how justified it was, just by the sad set to her lips. Stupid Hinata. No one else could make me feel so guilty for doing what I thought was right. Foolish Hinata.

She was so interesting. How could she be so kind? How could she make me feel so guilty? I was curious. What was it about her? Perhaps in the morning I would spend more time with her and unravel her secrets. Was she really so kind? Or was it an act? Surely no one could be so kind and gentle. Who could resist such a kind soul? I had been honest when I had said that Hinata was by far better than Sakura. What was worth seeing in Sakura that could not be found in Hinata? Kind, gentle, little Hinata. Everything I did upset her. Was she right when she had said that I wasn't kind? Yes. I wasn't kind at all...I had proven that by attacking Naruto in such a way. But then...I'd stopped. I'd taken back the ramen and the kettle. Wasn't I just a bit nice?
I sighed, unable to get comfortable. Being kind wouldn't get anyone anywhere. Being a ninja meant you had to be ruthless, failure could not be accepted. It was my destiny to be a shinobi. Why did Hinata insist on being a ninja? She had no talent at all for it. She trained endlessly, I knew, but she always did poorly on missions. She was too gentle to be a ninja.

I didn't like the idea of Hinata being a ninja. She would get hurt way too easily. I frowned. Could I convince her otherwise? No, she was stubborn when it came to being a ninja. I had to do something, she wasn't able to protect herself, and I had no faith in Kiba and Shino. They would put themselves before her, I knew. Most people did. I would have to look out for Hinata and keep her safe. I sighed. Since when did I even care? She could look after herself, right? I didn't have to get involved.

I walked with Shino, Akamaru and Kiba bounding ahead like always. Kurenai sensei was filing her nails as we walked. I noticed a particularly pretty flower and went over to smell it, not touching it. I was a little timid of doing such a thing. I didn't want to kill the flower by plucking it. Would it hurt to be a flower and be pulled from the ground? I had no idea, but just to be safe, I didn't pick them.

"Come on, Hinata," Kiba called, face impatient. I gave him a smile and began to jog to catch up, when I tripped over something. "Oof!" I cried, hitting the ground hard. I had scraped my hands. "Ow," I murmured, as they began to sting. I was sure I had some ointment somewhere....

"Do not move. Do not make a sound," a frightening voice warned. I looked up to see a tall nin from the Bird Village glaring down at me. I shrieked in fear, scrambling to get away, forgetting any warning. He quickly punched me in the face, splitting my lip. "Ow!" I cried out. The nin swore, as Kurenai, Shino, Akamaru and Kiba noticed that I was in trouble.

"Look, I don't want to cause any trouble," the nin said, producing a kunai and pressing it to my cheek. "I'm going to hurt your pretty friend if you don't give me money, right now."

Kurenai held up her hands. "Please, be reasonable. We don't have any money, just let go of Hinata." "Honestly, lady, I don't want to cause any trouble, but I really need some money. Just give me what you have and I won't hurt her. Hinata, right?"

"You leave me no choice then," Kurenai warned, performing a jutsu. "Kokuangyou no Jutsu - Bringer of Darkness!" As soon as the jutsu was cast, she was at my side, and pulled me away. The nin's eyes were blank, his hands outstretched. "Hey! Hey! I can't see! It's all black! I can see me, but what...? Help! Someone! Wait, that...Hey! Take this Genjutsu off me! Please! I won't trouble you any more!"

"I don't think so," Kurenai said coldly, helping me to my feet. She examined my scrapes and my lip, then turned back to the nin. "You can stay like that until someone decides to pity you." She led our team away until the shouting, blind nin was out of earshot. I trembled. I hadn't even been able to defend myself.

I chuckled at Lee's stupid joke with Tenten, when I saw a team walking past. I noticed it was Yuuhi Kurenai's team, meaning Hinata was there. Hinata was trailing behind, her feet dragging in the dirt. She seemed incredibly sad. I saw her lip was cut, and in an instant I was on my feet and jumped in front of her, grabbing her chin and activating my Byakugan to look at her better. Her lip was split, slightly swollen. There was the faintest of fading marks from a fist, something normal eyes were not able to see. I gritted my teeth. "Who hit you, Hinata?" I asked, touching the dried cut with my thumb. Her eyes pooled with tears. "No one. I tripped."
"Hinata, you should know better than anyone. My eyes never lie."
"It was an accident."
"You are lying to me."
"Neji, what is it?" Lee asked, standing beside me. His odd eyes regarded Hinata. "That looks like a painful cut, Hyuuga Hinata. How did that happen?"
"It was an accident," Hinata repeated, face full of shame. "Kiba," I barked, not bothering to turn my head to see him. I could use my eyes. The nin turned around, noticing Hinata wasn't following the group. "How did Hinata recieve this cut?" I demanded. He shrugged. "Some Bird nin held her hostage for money. She didn't listen to him and he punched her."

I was filled with rage. No one could be allowed to hurt this little kitten! I wanted to punch something. "Where abouts?" I asked. "We were on the outskirts, near Hokage Mountain," Kiba replied. In a flash, I was gone, racing to Hokage Mountain.
"Neji! Neji!" someone shouted. Lee was one of the few people that could match my speed, in fact, Lee was faster. "What are you going to do?" he asked. I kept my eyes ahead, searching for the Bird Village headband. Bird Nin rarely ventured here, limiting the number of them, also, this nin would most likely be sporting injuries from whatever method Hinata's team used to release her, also the nin had been asking for money, so most likely would not be wearing decent clothing.

My eyes saw ahead, and I spotted a Bird nin stumbling around the trees, blind from a Genjutsu. Giving a furious roar, I brought my fist back and punched the nin as hard as I could, my speed lending me extra force. The nin was knocked out, and collapsed on the ground.

"Hyuuga Neji, please restrain yourself!" Lee cried, standing between the nin and I. I glared at him. "Get out of the way, Lee. This doesn't involve you."

"On the contrary, we are teammates. It involves me."

"Get out of my way, Lee. I do not wish to hurt you."
"Why are you going to hurt this nin? How can you prove this is the one who hurt Hinata? I agree that what that nin did was unforgivable, but Hinata is fine. It is just a little cut."

"Let me split his lip in return," I demanded. "A little cut for a little cut." Lee thought about this, then nodded, obviously pleased with himself. "That is a splendid idea." He stepped out of the way, giving me access. I gave him a forced smile, then turned to the nin, kneeling beside his head. I smashed his jaw. "That's for Hinata." I punched his nose. "That's for trying to rob Konoha." I hit his nose a second time. "And that one is for me."

"Neji, that was unjust," Lee complained as I stood up. "You said you were only going to punch him once." "I changed my mind," I shrugged, wiping the blood off my fist on my pants. "Come on, Lee. Tenten's probably worried about you."

"Tenten is the one with the crush on you," Lee pointed out as we ran back. I shrugged. "Her affections are misplaced."

"You do not like her in return? Not a tiny bit that way?"
"None whatsoever. We are just teammates."

"Then who do you have feelings for?" Lee asked, curious. I laughed at him. Did he honestly expect me to tell him? I didn't like anyone in that way. An image of Hinata floated into my mind. I shoved it away. Hinata? No way. The idea of it! I pictured myself hugging Hinata, then nearly laughed aloud at the impossiblity of it. Yet, the image remained. I rather liked the way my eyes calculated so well, and I could tell Hinata would fit perfectly in my arms. Was it such a stupid idea? I felt so protective of her. There was no way I could let her go on missions with her team now and not be worried half out of my mind. Could I like Hinata? I marvelled at these feelings. Had they always been there? I had only allowed myself to hate her, detest her, blame her, until making her cry had made me realise I didn't like it. I didn't like it when she cried.

"Lee," I called, slowing down to a walk. He slowed down beside me. "What is it, Neji-san?" "You love Sakura, right?"
"I would defend her with my life," Lee vowed. I nodded. "What is it about her that you like?" I pressed. Lee's eyes widened in surprise. "She's smart and funny. She's an excellent ninja."
"How do you know that you love her?"
"I am not sure." His eyes grew pained. "I did not like it when she cried. I vowed I would never fail her ever again. If she is happy, then I am happy."

"And...if she is sad, you are sad?"
Lee nodded, smiling. "Yes. That is exactly hows I feel."
"But she does not feel the same. How can you justify wanting to protect her?" I asked, listening closely. Lee became thoughtful. "I know she doesn't feel the same, but that doesn't matter. As long as she is alive, that is enough for me. I do not think that love is rational, Neji. I do not think I could simply stop loving her."

"Lee, I would like to be alone for a while. Would you mind telling Guy sensei that I am not feeling well?"

"Of course," Lee promised. He bounded off, and I walked slowly up the path to Hokage Mountain. I had never been in love before, but Lee had described it perfectly. I didn't like to see Hinata in pain. That was how I justified my actions. And she would definiately need protecting. It seemed impossible for her to remain safe. I leaned on the safety rail, looking out over Konoha. It was such a wonderful veiw, but it didn't seem as incredible as Hinata.

Without realising it, I'd activated my Byakugan and was searching for her. I hesitated, then continued my search. I saw her sitting on a balcony that her team usually hung out on, completely alone. She wasn't crying, but she was hugging her knees tightly, eyes staring blankly at the street below. My heart ached.

I sighed, overlooking the street. It had been clear that Neji had gone to hurt the nin that had punched me. My lip didn't hurt so much anymore, only when I smiled or grimaced, so I simply kept them still, which wasn't hard. I wasn't in the mood to smile or frown. I just wanted to be left alone.
"What are you thinking about, Hinata?" a familiar voice asked. I jumped in surprise, turning to see Neji crouched on the railing, watching me in his display of perfect balance. "Haven't I told you to keep your eyes open?" he teased, his eyes alight with a strange emotion. I spotted blood on his pants, so I turned back to the street, closing my eyes. "Neji-kun, why did you hurt him?" I asked.

Neji came over and stood beside me, face etched in disbelief. "You honestly have no idea? Hinata, I cannot stand back and let someone hurt you."

"Clan honour doesn't matter to me," I told him. "You didn't need to hurt him. It was my fault, I didn't listen." "Hinata, I don't want you to get hurt." "I've learnt my lesson. I'll pay more attention in future." "That's not what I meant," he murmured. We were quiet for a while, when he spoke.

"Hinata...Why don't you give up being a ninja? Get a new dream. What do you need to prove?"

"I need to prove...I can be strong."

"You are," he sighed. "You don't realise how strong you are."
"I am not strong."

"Yes you are," he smiled, eyes knowing. "It takes a strong person to make me feel so guilty all the time. That's how you're strong." Guilty? Whatever was he talking about? Like the time he had tried to sabotauge Naruto's ramen, but had stopped when he'd seen how upset I was?
Neji sighed and leaned on the railing, folding his arms, eyes closed. "How much do you want to be a ninja?" "It's all I've ever wanted." "Besides Naruto," he stated, with a strange smile. I made an agreeable noise, and sat down, looking at my hands.

"Father always wanted me to be…and it was a rather…nice dream, to picture myself as strong and powerful and have people respect me," I told him softly. "But you tell me that I'm too gentle. That being a ninja is not for me. I made a vow that I would be a great ninja and make our clan proud, and I don't go back on my word."

"I apologise, Hinata-chan. It was rude of me to mock your dream like that," he murmured, opening his eyes.
I waved him off and shrugged. "Don't apologise, Neji-nii-san. You were right."

"I wasn't right," he told me, eyes burning with a strange intensity. "I was completely wrong." He sighed and brushed back my hair from my eyes. "You are a Hyuuga. You are of the main branch. You have the potential to be a greater ninja than I. I want you to be safe. I don't want anything to happen to you like it did today." He touched my cut lip with a light finger. "I would like to train you, make you stronger, so that I don't have to worry so much about it happening again. I want to be satisfied that you can look after yourself."

"You'll make me strong?" I asked, hopeful. "I can be a ninja?"

He ran his thumb along my lip, frowning. "No, Hinata. I am going to teach you enough so you can defend yourself. That's all you need."

I gave him a broad smile. I could change that eventually. I flung my arms around his neck, catching him by surprise. "Thank you, Neji-kun," I murmured in his ear, closing my eyes, filled with hope. He squeezed me gently, pulling me closer.

I slyly inhaled her floral scent, before I let her go. Her whole face was alight with happiness, stunning me, so I was unable to speak. She simply dazzled when she smiled. Confidence was all she needed.
The first training session we had, Hinata brought breakfast for me. I wondered how she possibly knew that I had skipped breakfast (for the purpose of seeing her sooner), then figured she had just guessed. Either way, every morning before we went off on our teams, we trained and Hinata would bring something different for breakfast. I enjoyed our training sessions, and I could tell she enjoyed them just as much, though possibly not for the same reasons. I enjoyed being able to see her confidence grow, the way she blushed if she made a mistake, the way she'd tap her fingers together out of habit. It was remarkable. Why did she do that?

She was a complete mystery to me, a Hyuuga with eyes that could read a person like an open book. Was it because she too was a Hyuuga, therefore her book was written in another language? It would have to be a language I knew, though? Instinctively? We were of the same blood. How could she be such a mystery to me, the one person who should have known her better than anyone? It was too confusing, yet I continued to contemplate it. Hinata seemed to find that I could read her quite easily.

She certainly had the potential to become stronger than me, and she had proven that during our match in the preliminary exams on our way to becoming Chuunin. My win had been her failure. She had not become a Chuunin because of me. I had struggled at first with her during that match. She had pushed me when no one else had been able to for so long. The confidence I saw in Hinata was fleeting, showing itself only when we were sparring, yet whenever anyone trespassed upon our usual glade where we trained, Hinata shut down and became her shy self again, unable to show the world how beautiful and talented she was.
Contemplating Hinata's shyness made me realise that we were alike in the way that we were opposites. I was brave and willing to fight; Hinata was timid and gentle, wary of conflict. I had never thought myself shy before, but I could not help these tiny fears get the better of me, telling me that Hinata was watching me, judging me. What did she think of me? Did her feelings come at all close to matching mine? Could she possibly ever fall for me the way I had fallen for her?

How could I possibly tell her? My life revolved around her now. I wasn't happy unless she was happy. When she was sad, I found myself equally upset and would do anything to console her, make her feel better, not only for her sake, but for my own. Each day I saw her slowly grow, each day I saw her pain when she was in the presence of Naruto. I loathed him intensely, found myself plotting against him, still not satisfied that I had gotten my revenge, had not avenged Hinata completely. How could he not see the perfect being that Hinata was?

After a training session on one of our days off, Neji and I walked through the forest surrounding Konoha, admiring the native wildlife with our Byakugan eyes. I smiled down at the various specimens of flowers at our feet, naming them and describing their healing abilities to Neji. He found my knowlege of plant life fascinating, described it as extensive, yet I didn't think so.
"Anyone could know these things," I explained, giving him a bright smile. "I'm not special just because I happen to know them myself." "On the contrary, Hinata-chan, I don't know anyone other than you who makes so many salves and ointments from wildflowers and herbs. You are special to me." I flushed and bowed my head modestly. I pointed to my favourite flowers. "See those, Neji-kun? They are my favourite. They're beautiful, but if you boil the whole plant, it becomes a very nice antiseptic. It's also got a nice perfume, too, which I use to wash my hair."

Neji reached out and plucked one, noticing my flinch. He raised a brow in question, frowning. I gave him an apologetic smile. "I always wondered if flowers and plants feel pain. I try to do my best not to hurt them, just in case." I expected him to laugh, to tease me, but instead he grew thoughtful, before he smiled and tucked the flower behind my ear. "Interesting. I can't say I know the answer to that, but what I do know, is that your beauty clearly outshines that flower you adore. In fact, putting it beside your face like that...rather makes it look like some drab weed."

"Neji-kun, may I apologise?"
"For what?" he asked, surprised. I crossed my legs and tapped my fingers together habitually. "Do you remember that day...when I was...w-watching Naruto-kun? You always asked me what I found so fascinating about him...?" He nodded. "Well...I said it was because he was kind and you weren't. Can you forgive me for saying that? You're the nicest person I know, Neji-kun. You're always complimenting me, when I don't deserve it, and you're even helping me train. I still don't know how to thankyou properly, but Neji-kun, I'd like to tell you how very thankful I am. From the very depths of my heart. You're my best friend, Nej-kun."

My heart throbbed painfully. Best friend? So she didn't feel for me the way I felt for her, then? I gave her a smile, glad she didn't have her Byakugan activated at the moment, so she was unable to see how forced it was. "And you are my best friend, Hinata-chan," I told her solemnly. I'm sorry I always haven't been. But if you ever want me to be anything more, I am yours.

Hinata smiled her beautiful smile, the one that made me catch my breath as it made her look as if she were glowing from the inside. My heart was filled to burst with the love I felt for her. I was ready to tell her how I felt. I had to. I couldn't keep it in any longer-

"Neji-kun! Hey, Neji-kun! Oh, hey, Hinata-san," a familiar voice chirped, sounding rather heavy on the last part.

Hinata looked over Neji's broad shoulder at me and smiled timidly. "Hello, Tenten-san," she greeted me. Neji had been spending a lot of time with her over the last month or so. He used to hate her, but now, it was like she was his world. I hated Hinata then, and now I absoloutely detested her. She had taken my Neji from me.

"Neji-kun, Guy sensei sent me to get you. Lee's sick, so it'll just be you and me for our next misson. Won't that be great?" I smiled, trying to sound enthusiastic whilst forcing myself not to hurl the nearest rock at the girl Neji wouldn't turn away from. Hello, I wanted to shout, I'm here! Look at me, Neji! Forget that purple-haired freak and look at me!

"Poor Lee. He must be very upset," Neji murmured. "He is a big part of our team. Perhaps we should postpone our missions until he gets better." No way. He probably just wanted more time off so he could hang out with Hinata. He never hung out with Lee or I anymore. He'd totally neglected us. We never talked anymore, never did things outside of missions together.

"Lee will get over it. I'm dying to go on another mission, Neji. Just you and me, won't it be fun? A real challenge," I prompted. Neji still didn't take his eyes of Hinata, who either didn't notice the way he stared, or didn't mind. "Guy sensei would probably participate more, to accomodate for Lee's absence," Neji shrugged. "But I believe he would rather us postpone missions than leave a teammate behind. I will bring it up with him this afternoon."

"You don't have to do that. It'll be fun to do something without Lee for once. Just the two of us..." I trailed off helplessly. Nothing was going to change his mind. He would take any oppertunity to stay with Hinata. Why didn't he just give up being a ninja then? Hinata wasn't even fit to be a genin, there was no way she'd survive as a ninja, she may was well give up. Was Neji training her so she could be a real ninja? Was he blind to see that it was futile? She was a hopeless coward. She had no backbone. There was no way she could ever hope to make it as a ninja.

"Hinata-chan, would you like to keep walking?" Neji asked her softly, clearly ignoring me. I wasn't childish enough to say 'hmph!' as I spun angrily on my heel, stung that Neji cared more about Hinata than me. It wasn't fair. What did he see in her? Had he confided in Lee? Nobody would guess, but I knew Lee was closer to Neji than anyone, despite how often they got on each other's nerves and disagreed about everything.

I knocked on Lee's front door and greeted his mother warmly. She led me to Lee's room and I quietly entered. He appeared asleep, until he coughed and reached for a glass of water on his bedside table. "Hey, Lee-kun," I smiled. "Tenten, what are you doing here?" he asked, rubbing his forehead. I imagined he had a rather bad headache.
"I thought I'd come visit...I wanted to ask you something," I said, sitting on the foot of his bed. I looked down at my hands sadly. "Lee...Did you and Neji ever talk about...well...Neji's lovelife?" "We have discussed Neji's interests, yes," Lee said carefully, his eyes trying to read me. "Lee, you're one of my best friends. We're team mates, aren't we?" I asked. He nodded. "Of course, Tenten. Why do you ask?" "Lee...you know I like Neji more than friends, don't you?" "Neji and I have speculated as much," Lee admitted. I nodded slowly, looking back at my hands. "Did he ever say...anything about who he might like?"

Lee tapped his chin with a finger thoughtfully. "He did ask me once, what it was like to be in love. I told him how it made me feel, and he seemed to agree with me, but he did not disclose with me who the special person was." "Did he ever...mention how he felt about...me?" I almost whispered, tears springing to my eyes, desperate to hear that he liked me, just a little bit.

"I'm sorry, Tenten, but Neji feels that you are just his friend and team mate. He said...he said..." Lee faltered. "Say it," I murmured. Lee wiped his runny nose with a tissue. "Neji-kun said that your affections are misplaced. That he did not like you the tiniest bit in that way."

"Oh." We sat there in silence for a while, before I stood up. "Thankyou, Lee." "I'm sorry, Tenten." "It's okay. Don't worry about it," I told him weakly, leaving. "See you." "Bye," he replied, looking as miserable as I felt.

I wasn't sure where I was going, I just let my feet wander. All I felt was resentment and jealousy of Hinata, as well as a sadness that Neji didn't like me in the slightest. I was nothing to him, really. I found myself sitting in a ramen bar, where Shikamaru, Choji, Ino, Sakura, Naruto and Kiba were hanging out, laughing over hot bowls of ramen. "Hey, Tenten," Naruto grinned. "I heard Fuzzy Brows is sick. How's he doing?" "Lee? Oh, he's a bit upset that he can't go on any missions, but he should be fine soon. Just a runny nose, coughing, headaches. Typical flu," I told him, trying to sound cheery. I stared at my fists on the table. What did Hinata have that I didn't? Was it because she was a Hyuuga, like Neji...? He had hated her, and it had changed so quickly.

"Tenten, are you feeling okay? You look upset," Ino pointed out. I gave her a trembly smile. "I'm fine." "You sure don't look it," Kiba snorted. Kiba was on Hinata's team, wasn't he? He was close friends with her, right? Did she talk to him about Neji?

"Kiba...you wouldn't happen to know why Neji and Hinata have been hanging out so much, do you?" I asked slowly. Kiba shrugged, as Akamaru popped his head out of Kiba's collar, nestled in the warmth of Kiba's chest. "Nah, Hinata doesn't talk about him much, but I figure they like each other. They hang out a lot, don't they?" "What does he see in her?" I burst out, instantly groaning. Sakura looked thoughtful. "She's really pretty, isn't she? She's really shy and quiet, but she's really smart. And she's a pretty good fighter, right? Even though she lost to Neji in the Preliminary Exams, she fought really well. I don't think I'd have beaten her without a decent struggle." "Yeah, but she sucks on ordinary ninja missions, doesn't she?" I pointed out. Kiba shrugged again. "Yeah, a bit. She's pretty underconfident of herself, but she trains harder than everyone. She's in the Head Branch of the Hyuuga Clan, she's even the heir, so she's gotta be pretty strong, she's just too kind." "But Neji hated Hinata and all of the Head Branch. Wasn't Hinata frightened of Neji?" I asked, desperate to reveal any reason that Neji and Hinata being together was impossible. "How can he like her now?"

"I don't know if they like each other that way," Naruto piped up nervously. "Because Hinata likes me, or at least she did. And Neji tried to get us together." "What?" Ino and Sakura exclaimed simultaneously. Naruto flinched. "He said she liked me for ages, but she was always too shy to say anything. He told me to ask her out, but I told her I wasn't interested. After that, Neji pushed me off the bridge. I had ramen coupons in my pocket and they got soaked."

I frowned. I felt that Hinata and Neji were too close for comfort. If I wanted Neji back, I'd have to do something about it. I couldn't just sit around and wish Neji liked me. I had to make him.

We sat on the roof, looking up at the night sky as we had on the night of our fathers' shared birthday. Hinata smiled to herself, her fingers gently brushing the white flower I'd put behind her ear. Every day I arrived with a new flower, always white, and always ones I'd bought from a flowershop, so at least if flowers felt pain, I wouldn't have been the one to inflict it. In fact, I thought it was a rather worthwhile death if you got to stay close to Hinata for a day. She appreciated my effort.

"Neji-kun, I t-think..." Hinata blushed and tapped her forefingers together, an action I knew distracted her, so she could blurt out her thoughts more easily. I gave her an encouraging smile. "You think...? Why so nervous, Hinata? You haven't stuttered over anything to me in...almost a week now." "I know," she winced. "I wanted t-to tell you...t-that...I..." She closed her eyes, her face becoming stressed, as if she was forcing it out. Her shoulders slumped, her face became miserable as she suddenly gave up. "I think I'm getting better at the Gentle Fist style."

"Oh," I said, disapointed that she had covered up what she had really been about to say. "Yes, you are, though you were good to begin with. It's just because you're more confident, that's the real difference."

"Neji-kun, you're the real difference," she whispered, flushing. I smiled, feeling warmth spread within me. I leaned my head close to hers, unsure of what I was about to do. She remained still, equally unsure, but her eyes seemed to tell me not to draw away. Timidly, shyly, I kissed her cheek. When she was upset, I was sometimes in the habit of kissing her forehead, so this was different, it was a confession of how I felt for her. Her cheek was soft and warm, mostly from the deep blush that stained her skin. I smiled broadly, pleased with myself, and happy that she hadn't pushed me away. Was it too much to do it again? Instead, I gently wrapped my arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer, lightly hugging her to me. She rested her head on my chest, snuggling into the warmth as we continued our stargazing.

I was not looking forward to this mission. I predicted we wouldn't be returning to Konoha until well after nightfall, so I wouldn't be able to see Hinata at all today. After holding her in my arms last night, they now seemed incredibly empty, the absence of her distracting me to the point of wanting to hug a tree just to fill the empty space. I had kissed the tip of her nose once as we bade each other goodnight. I could only hope Hinata could stay safe for a whole day, and prayed she was missing me as much as I missed her.

"Neji-kun, I have a question," Tenten said, running beside me, Guy sensei and Lee racing each other ahead. I raised my brow. "Yes?" "You see, if you ever got with Hinata, wouldn't it be hard for you? Because she'd be too shy to say 'no' to anything?" "If Hinata and I 'got together', Tenten, that would be none of your business," I said frostily. She shrugged moodily. "Yeah, well, I hope you don't. Just being friends with her sucks. You don't hangout with Lee or me anymore, and you don't pay much attention to our missions any more. It's like you don't care." "You're right, Tenten," I said in a hard voice, glaring at her. "I don't care about you."

Tenten's face flashed with hurt. I felt momentarily guilty, we had been close friends, but I could not tolerate her verbal abuse of Hinata, any derogatory comments at all. I didn't want anyone intruding on our relationship. It was ours, our little thing, private, that no one else was supposed to see.

Kiba had been on the verge of saying something all day. Finally, he had said it. "Hinata, what's going on between you and Neji? Are you together or what?" "I don't know," I murmured, red faced. He looked away. "What about Naruto? I thought you were crazy about him." "I'd rather b-be...with someone...t-that wants to be with m-me, too," I told him, wanting to die from embarassment.

"Oh," he said, still not looking at me.

I'd always thought that when Hinata realised that Naruto was never going to like her back, she would need someone to console her. Me. And that's when I'd tell her that I'd liked her the whole time. It was almost a movie ending. Girl gets dumped, is consoled by the best friend who had liked her since the beginning, but she's been too blind to see, and they get together. A fairy tale ending. Only, I'd never expected Neji to interefere. I hadn't counted anyone else, least of all him. I knew how frightened Hinata had been of him, I knew how much Neji had downright hated her. Loathed her. He'd even tried to kill her during their match in the Preliminary exams. Had she forgotten that?

I hadn't told anyone but Akamaru how I felt about Hinata. He adored Hinata, too. Now I felt cast aside. Used up. Empty. My plans gone to waste. Was I as pathetic as Hinata had been as she chased after Naruto, too scared to tell him how she felt? Now she was more confident. Not because of me, but because of Neji. I wasn't even sure I liked Hinata being braver. It made me feel even more useless. She didn't need me to protect her as much anymore. I couldn't be her hero.

I heard Hinata turn away. I peeked over my shoulder, saw her scoop Akamaru into her arms and carried him over to the ice-cream vendor across the street. She was so delicate looking, so small. She made me feel so protective. "You are not happy," Shino stated. I looked up to see him staring at me with his dark glasses. "Hmph," I retorted, folding my arms. "You are unhappy with Hinata choosing Hinata over yourself," Shino continued. "You're awfully blunt," I snapped. Shino barely moved, barely responded, only to give one of his stupid ideals. "Be straight to the point. That is the rule," he murmured. "Just go away," I mouthed, a lump in my throat preventing me from talking should my voice wobble and show how upset I was. Shino silently left and joined Hinata to buy icecream. I cleared my throat and walked over, not looking at anyone. "It's getting late. Akamaru and I should get home." Akamaru yipped and leapt into my arms, where I placed him on top of my head. "Bye, Kiba. Bye, Akamaru," Hinata bid us. "Yeah, later," I told my teammates.

I watched Kiba shove his hands in his pockets, shoulders hunched as he began to walk home. "Shino," I said quietly. Shino looked up at me. "Is Kiba alright?" I asked. Shino was silent for a moment. "Kiba will get over it," he said, his voice absoloute. I pressed my finger to my lip, feeling guilty. I was sure I had done something. I wanted to talk to Neji about it, but he was on a mission today, and wouldn't be back until late. It would have to wait until morning.

"Right, I feel there's some tension in our group," Guy sensei said, as we sat around a campfire, having dinner. I wasn't happy, we were camping out, our mission taking longer than usual. We wouldn't be back tonight, but tommorrow night. My displeasure at this was making Tenten disgruntled, and Lee was upset that Tenten and I weren't talking with one another.

"Neji, would you mind sharing your thoughts on this?" Guy sensei asked. I glared at the fire, jaw tight. "There is nothing to discuss, Guy sensei." "Okay, then. How about you, Tenten?"

I saw her shift in her spot. "Well...I don't feel Neji is participating to the best of his ability in our team," she told him. Guy sensei scratched his chin. "I see. Would you like to elaborate? We need to fix any problems in our team, so we can be an efficient, hardworking and incredibly good-looking team, to make Konoha proud."

"Puh," I snorted bitterly. Tenten wrinkled her nose. "Neji doesn't hang out with Lee or I anymore. He spends all his time with Hinata Hyuuga, and she's the reason he's so distracted and doesn't participate as much any more. I don't even know what he sees in her."
"Neji's got a girlfriend?" Guy sensei grinned. "Well, then his behaviour is perfectly understandable. You see, when a man and a woman love each other very much, their thoughts can't remain focused. That is the beauty and trouble with love. Your head isn't right, it's muddled and all over the place, both wonderful and frightening at the same time. Neji is going through a difficult time in his life, where he's trying to balance out his life, and come to terms with his new, exciting feelings."
I stared at Guy sensei, utterly disgusted. I could see Lee was hanging onto every word as usual, Tenten skeptical and looking slightly sick. "Guy sensei, I think you've said enough," I said frostily. "My private life is no one's business." I stood up and glared at Tenten. "And Hinata isn't my girlfriend." I strode angrily away, looking for some time alone to cool off. I found myself sitting in a tall tree, looking up at the stars, wondering if Hinata was looking at them too.

I woke up extra early, got dressed as quickly as I could, grabbed fruit instead of making breakfast and raced out of the door, desperate to see Neji again. I ran past his home, using my eyes to scan for him. He wasn't there, did that mean he was already awake, waiting for me? I gave a burst of speed and hurried to our usual meeting spot at the entrance of the Hyuuga Compound, where we'd walk together to our favourite training areas. He wasn't there, either. Had he gone on ahead without me? I hesitated, then ran along our usual path, my eyes constantly searching.

Around lunchtime, having searched the entire area, I gave up. Maybe he wasn't back yet from his mission. How long would it take?

It'd taken a while to convince Akamaru to stay behind, but there was no way I was going to do this in front of anyone. I peeked around the tree, then remembered Hinata had probably seen me coming a mile away. I strode forward, where she had her face buried into her knees. "Are you okay, Hinata?" I asked automatically. She jumped, looking up at me. "Oh, Kiba! I didn't see you there."

I went to sit opposite her, trying to appear relaxed to disguise my nerves. "Where's Akamaru?" Hinata asked. I shrugged. "I just wanted some time to myself for once." Since when did I ever need time alone from Akamaru? What a lame excuse. And I was starting to wish Akamaru was with me, because without him I was beginning to feel naked and vulnerable.

Hinata poked at the dirt with a twig, her eyes miserable. "Are you okay?" I asked again. She nodded. "I'm fine. I just hope Neji-kun and his team are okay. They're late from their mission." "Oh, right," I said, trying to bite back my bitterness. I should have thought it had something to do with Neji, after all, for once, they weren't together. "So...um...how serious are you about Neji?" I asked. Hinata flushed and looked away. "What do you mean, Kiba?" "You're not...his girlfriend are you?" "No," she said quickly, with a shaky giggle. I felt relief swell within me. Good.

"Hinata, I wanted to tell you something," I began nervously. "You know, for ages, you've always liked Naruto, but I always knew that he liked Sakura instead. I always thought that when you figured that out, I'd be there to make you feel better, and I'd bring you tissues and flowers everyday. I'd make you love me instead. I'd make you love me...as much as I love you."

Hinata's eyes widened in shock as I confessed, my own cheeks pink, but I was dead serious. I bit my lip. "Hinata...Don't you like me...just the tiniest bit in that way?"

"Kiba...I never knew...I'd never guess," she mumbled. I ran my fingers through my hair. "Now that you've got Neji...I feel like I'm losing you, even though it sounds lame. I just wanted you to know...that if you ever want me...y'know...I'm here." I stood up and staggered away. I might have imagined I heard her whisper 'thankyou'.

I arrived back just after dinner, and Hinata saw me through the walls. We met on top of the roof where we often stargazed. "The mission went a little longer than I thought," I told her, brushing back her hair from her face. She only hugged me silently, her shoulders shaking with relief and...tears?