This is one of the one-shots I had on my Quizilla account and I've decided to post it here instead due to various reasons. I have made a few changes and done some editing. I hope that it is more than decently written. Please enjoy.
The prodigy of the Hyuuga Clan holds a dangerous secret. Something only known to the head of the clan, something he stumbled upon the night he father was killed. Hyuuga Neji found the true heir of the Byakugan hidden in farthest corner of the Hyuuga Clan's compound. Locked in what seemed to be an unused tool shed by containment sutras and seals. She sat in on a bed of pillows next to a large circular window with bars to prevent escape. Unaware of her presence he sat beneath the window and expressed his darkest secrets to the night sky.
"They murdered him so that Hinata-sama's father could live," he whispered darkly, ignorant of his silent companion. "I despise the main branch."
"Well that's not very nice, Neji-kun," her voice was as light and soft as a feather.
Neji jumped up and looked franticly around to find the ease dropper. "Who's there? Show yourself!"
A laugh as light as the air itself reached his ear, "Turn around, Neji-kun."
He whipped around to see, but found not what he expected. Her pale skin shone brightly in the luminescence of the moon, her dark chocolate brown hair tumbled in elegant curls down to her waist, and her pupil less lavender eyes smiled down at him in amusement. He could tell that she was just a few years older than himself, but her airy voice made her seem ancient. She wore a simple yukata and belt with a thick over robe to shield her from the wind.
"Who are you?" Neji asked, suddenly ashamed of all the things he'd unknowingly told her. "Why didn't you tell me you were there?"
"You never asked if I was here," she smiled at him in amusement. "My name is Hyuuga Hanachi, heir of the Byakugan."
"What do you mean 'Heir of the Byakugan'?" he arched an eyebrow trying to disguise his confusion.
"My Byakugan has no blind spots and I can see farther than the limits of the Country of Fire," Hanachi explained kindly. "My eyes are the perfect form of the Byakugan. I can even see the woman giving birth in Konoha Hospital. There has been a new addition the Hyuuga Clan. So precious, I think I will call her Hanabi."
"What makes you think they'll allow you to name her?" Neji asked annoyed by the girl's arrogance in her abilities.
"Where do you think you received your name?" she asked daring him to answer.
"My father, of course!" He glared at her intensely. "What kind of question is that?"
"A question you apparently don't know the answer to," Hanachi grinned wide as clever fox. "Did you ever wonder why there is only the main branch and the side branches of the Hyuuga Clan?"
For a moment there was nothing but silence and Hanachi took that as her leave to continue. "I am a direct descendant of the founder of the Hyuuga Clan. I am the Roots of the Hyuuga Family Tree. Every Hyuuga of the Roots is given the task of naming their generation of Hyuuga offspring. I chose your name and Hinata-chan's and when the newborn is brought to me later tomorrow night I shall announce her name as well."
"You're lying!" Neji glared accusingly.
Hanachi laughed softly, "If you think I'm lying come here tomorrow night and watch, but stay hidden or you might be punished by the head of the clan."
Neji meant to remark on her arrogance, but she slipped away from the window and left the younger boy by himself.
The next night young Neji went to prove her wrong, but when he arrived there was his uncle with a small child in his arms. The name 'Hanabi' drifted to him on the wind. Neji watched intently as Hanachi reached a hand, with the glow of purple chakra, out of her barred window and over the child's eyes. The secret ceremony ended quickly and his uncle bowed to Hanachi leaving immediately afterward. When his uncle had left with Hanabi, Hanachi looked directly to Neji's hiding spot. Her eyes smiled at him with triumph. She made a motion for him to come over and he obeyed. When he reached her he bowed his head to hide his embarrassment.
"Forgive me, Hanachi-dono," Neji spoke softly, his eyes glued to the ground. "I should not have doubted you."
Her laugh was cold, but for some reason it pulled the young Hyuuga into a sense of calm. "I forgive you, Neji-kun, but for your insolence you will pay."
"What do you mean?" He looked up at her attempting to hide his fear.
"You will find out the moment you become a shinobi," she whispered and disappeared from her window.
When Neji came the next night his uncle was seated outside the door and he could see Hinata seated inside with Hanachi next to the window. Her kimono was luxurious lavender with pale green vines shimmering on the collar and hem. Neji was star struck, but he knew he couldn't approach her tonight. He left with endless questions floating through his head, but when he returned the next night Hinata and Hiashi were there once again. For a full week Neji went to see Hanachi only to find her time occupied by Hinata. He went to her once more, but Hiashi was seated outside the door. Neji sighed in disappointment and as if carried by the wind, Hanachi turned to see him from behind her barred window. She grinned to him as Hinata walked through her door and he saw her lips move delicately as though whispering then she turned away. Although confused, Neji turned and left intent on trying to see her again tomorrow. As he laid down to sleep he reached out to snuff out the candle beside his futon, only to have in blown out by the wind and he eyes widened when her words drifted to him.
"When you become a shinobi."
~ 8 years later ~
Neji found himself staring at his Konoha hitae-ate. He was waiting for his uncle. Hiashi had called for him with the formality of congratulations. He was a shinobi having graduated from the academy the day before. The sliding door creaked and his uncle stepped into view.
"Come with me," was all he said and walked onto the garden path.
Grudgingly, Neji followed having forgotten about the path they walked. After a few moments a small house covered in containment sutras came into view and bittersweet nostalgia overcame Neji.
"Welcome, Neji-kun."
A voice floated to him as the wind blew through his hair and lightly kissed his skin. When he looked to Hiashi, he saw that the voice had not been heard by his uncle who continued to approach the pleasant looking home. Hiashi performed an unfamiliar jutsu when they reached the door and lightly touched the handle. For a moment the handle seemed to glow, but then returned to normal and Hiashi slid it open. Instead of entering, he stepped back and motioned for Neji to come forward. Just before Neji reached the door Hiashi stopped him.
"She has summoned you and you will treat her with more respect than you would for your own father," Hiashi's voice was stern and his Byakugan activated. "Do you understand, Neji?"
Neji scowled, "Perfectly."
He stepped inside and Hiashi closed the door behind him. There was no light except the moonlight streaming through the barred window.
"Good to see you again, Neji-kun," her voice was just as it had been so long ago. "Already twelve years old and the shinobi I knew you would be."
She seemed appear out of no where, but he knew she'd been there since before he arrived. Her kimono was silver with a glistening blue moon and her dark brown hair was longer than the last time he'd seen it, cascading over her shoulders and down her back. Hanachi looked straight at him with her pupil-less eyes reflecting the light of the moon. For some reason he saw her differently than he had back then. Her lips were full and her cheeks were lightly coated with pale rouge. He didn't know what to think of her now.
"I am pleased to see you, Hanachi-dono," Neji bowed low and remained a respectable distance from her.
She laughed softly and her eyes narrowed in amusement. As she spoke again Neji felt as though someone had traced his spine with a cube of ice.
"A long time ago you showed me great disrespect and now you will pay."
He looked up to her seat at the window only to find that she had disappeared.
"Turn around, Neji-kun," her voice seemed to come from everywhere.
With lightning speed he whipped around to find her standing behind him. Neji stood and found that she wasn't much taller than him despite being three years older him. Hanachi locked gazes with him and Neji found he was unable to move.
"You will be my eyes, Hyuuga Neji," she said gently though her lips never seemed to move. "Everyday after your training with Gai-san is finished you are to come here and I will teach you the way of Jyuuken (Gentle Fist)."
Not sure what to think of her sudden formality Neji nodded and tried to look away from her hypnotizing eyes, but failed miserably.
"I understand."
Everyday when Neji finished his missions or when Gai-sensei declared training had ended, he went to the sutra covered home in the farthest corner of the Hyuuga Compound. Hiashi let him in and left after closing the door behind him and everyday she was waiting for him in the same simple yukata he'd met her in. Each day she taught him a stance in the Jyuuken style which he practiced relentlessly while training with Gai-sensei or when free moment in time showed itself. After Hinata became a Genin, Neji found that the time he looked forward to spending with Hanachi was going to be cut short. Hiashi insisted that Hinata be trained with the exact care and attention that was given to Neji. Eventually Hiashi became irritated with Hinata's lack of progress and banned Neji from training with Hanachi. At night he would sneak to her sutra covered home and sit beneath her window. Talking in hushed tones so only she could hear. He didn't understand why he did this, but his confused feelings did not keep him from her. She would smile and laugh when he grudgingly relived training with Gai and Lee, but one day it was different. One day she cried.
"What's wrong, Hanachi-dono?" He stood from his seat on the ground beneath her window.
She shook her head and smiled sadly. "Do not trouble yourself with my misfortune, Neji-kun. Please continue your tale of Gai-san's antics."
"Tell me, Hanachi," Neji pleaded, he reached through bars and wiped a tear from his cheek.
Hanachi took his hand in hers and brushed her lips over his knuckles.
'She listens.' He thought as he walked back to his room. 'She cares. Hanachi doesn't deserve to be locked in that small place. I will set her free, I swear it.'
~ 3 years later ~
Sasuke disappeared and Neji was recruited to help find him but to no avail. Not long after Naruto went to train with the Sannin Jiraiya and Sakura was training under the new Hokage, Tsunade. Around the same time Hiashi had found that Neji was still in contact with Hanachi. Guards were placed around the house and Neji was forced to leave Hanachi to her lonely seat behind the barred window, but that was nearly two years ago. He was a Jounin now and for the first time in a long time in awhile he made his way to the sutra covered home of Hyuuga Hanachi. The guards proved to be no challenge and the sutras were easily removed. Quickly he stepped inside to find her at her staring out her barred window from her seat of cushions. As he approached her she stood to meet him, her eyes as hypnotic as ever.
"You should not have come, Neji-san," her formal tone surprising him. "I was meant to stay here. That is the fate of a Juin Jutsu. The fate of a caged bird."
"Don't say that," Neji scowled at the floor and then looked at her, determined to do what he'd come here to do. "Not long ago someone taught me that we can decide our own fate. I won't let you be locked in this cage any longer."
She smiled and he felt his heart stop. He knew now how he felt for her and control seemed to leave him. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him. She seemed so much smaller now, but that didn't matter. Putting one hand behind her head and the other on the small of her back, he leaned down and caught the lips that once grinned at him in a kiss of unrelenting passion. He loved her and he refused to let her suffer any longer. Just when he thought his control would return to him, Hanachi wrapped her arms around his neck and returned his passion. Finally he broke the kiss and pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Thank you," she whispered and he could feel the tears as they soaked into his clothes. "For setting me free."
Comments and reviews are greatly appreciated.