Title: Run, Neji, run
Rating: G
Pairing / characters: Hyuuga Neji
Word count: 290 words
Warnings: Sort of spoilerish for the first half of Naruto…
Summary: Neji has spent his whole life running
A/N: I loves Neji…
On a sidenote, I am once again, taking requests for Naruto and Bleach. So, readers, if you're out there…
(run, Neji, run)
From an early age, Neji had been called a genius. Most blessed with the gifts of the Hyuuga bloodline, he had been told to live on, and he was determined to do exactly that. It was, he believed, nothing less than his destiny, and something he could not escape from. His fight with Hinata-sama was predetermined, as was its eventual outcome. The only thing he hadn't counted on was his cousin's gentle, yet pointed comments on his own life.
At that point, Neji began to wonder if he was running from the truth, or the lies.
(run, Neji, run)
His fight with Naruto was also predetermined. Despite Neji's growing doubts, he believed his opponent was simply incapable of beating him – but again, he was proven wrong. By the time Naruto had told him he would change the ways of the Hyuuga, Neji's eyes had at last been opened to the truth. Once he had accused others of being blind, now he recognized that it was he who had been blind.
Only then did Neji realize he had been running from himself.
(run, Neji, run)
In the heat of battle, snap decisions had to be made concerning the opponents, taking into consideration their skill levels. Neji never stopped to consider that as a genin, he had no chance against one of Orochimaru's own shinobi, just as he never considered he wouldn't survive. Kidoumaru refused to acknowledge Neji's strengths, choosing instead to focus on his flaws. When Neji realized that he could die, he chose to believe he was going to live – not because he was a genius, but because he had to.
It came down to the point where Neji was running for his life.
Run, Neji, run.