Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
It was in the middle of the night when his uncle had awoken him abruptly. Something important he had to show him, something he had to know to complete his training. They approached a heavily locked door, one that was banned from viewing unless the elders allowed it. Hiashi dangled a long set of keys, opening the door with ease.
They walked through the dark corridors with unsure feelings. Though he was still young at the ripe age of thirteen, Neji was finally of age to view what was behind the secret door that he so achingly wanted to explore. His white eyes wandered as he saw the clear shine of jars of glowing colors flicker in and out as his uncle stared at him grimly. Neji was a genius, despite not being part of the primary lineage of the Hyuuga family, his uncle groomed him as such.
"These jars," began his uncle Hiashi, "are the souls of our enemies." Neji's fingers gently pressed on one of the glass jars.
"I have heard those rumors uncle, it's strange to see something like this come true." Neji's eyes wandered from jar to jar. "It's been said that we use these as a way to torment our enemies, either torment the soul or the soul's loved ones."
Hiashi had already figured that his young nephew knew all this, but felt a deep tinge of hesitation. "War is a complicated matter, there are goals we strive for as a clan and for our allies. Any information that we can receive from our enemies can prove useful, even if we have to extract them through difficult means."
"This technique..."
"It is not a technique that we use often," interrupted Hiashi. "In fact, it's quite dangerous."
"What happens to these souls, once they are no longer of use," inquired Neji.
He could tell that his uncle never wanted to bring him down here, but his obligations to educate the future of the Hyuuga clan came first. Neji sat as he listened to Hiashi explain the processes of the technique and the consequences. In order to strain the soul, the body had to be weak and the user extracting had to have a high amount of stamina and on occasion, would have to switch off to another user. The soul itself, while contained in the jar, can retain a translucent version of its former form when taken out. While the soul is no longer considered human, they aged like one.
"...but when it finally passes, in theory the soul has no afterlife to go to."
The soul illuminated the room much brighter than they had before, as if they could hear the explanation the older Hyuuga gave to the younger. Even if they managed to gather their freedom, they could never join their beloved ones in the afterlife.
"Do you understand what I have shown you, the obligation I have placed upon you and the many clansmen in our family?" asked Hiashi.
Neji tried hard to ignore the flashing lights on his tired eyes.
"Yes uncle," he replied.
Stepping out the room, locking the door behind them, the souls continued to glimmer. Some had been there for a short while, some had been there longer, however all their emotions were the same as they all displayed their despair through the night.
Notes: I admit that BLEACH was an inspiration to this story, you'll probably see some more elements of it in the future. Reviews would be wonderful!