Title: Fighting Fate

Author: Fyyrrose

Summary: Can you fight fate or it is a losing battle? Neji/Naruto/Hinata

Disclaimer: I do not own anything period.

Song: "I Begin to Wonder" by Danni Minogue

Notes: product of falling asleep to this song on repeat and from my beta deserting me for the weekend. It's highly OOC and the timeline is somewhere … out there. Just read to enjoy it.

Neji walked silently down the hall. His footsteps were silent, even while stepping on the creaky old floorboard. His training allowed his movements to be swift and silent. He stopped mid-step and listened to the faint noise. He tried to discover where it came from. His ears were tuned towards Hinata's room.

It was still in the twilight hours, and everyone should have been fast asleep. Including her. He wondered why she would still be awake at this ungodly hour. The only reason he was … he refused to go back down that line of thought. If he did, he'd need another cold shower. It seemed that the one he had before wasn't good enough.

He growled silently at his thoughts and stalked his way to her room. He slid open the door silently and peeked in. She always looked so at ease. He hated her for that inner peace. Then it must be nice to have all this free time to devote to the inner self.

Hinata turned and faced Neji. He glared coldly at his cousin. He would allow himself to divulge in this weakness. He wanted to snarl at her and chop off her head, but she wasn't worth the effort.

She moaned slightly in dream-like state. Hinata blushed in her sleep and Neji almost snorted in disgust. "Naruto-kun…"

He felt his blood rushed from his face. His eyes closed slightly as he sent daggers to her sleeping form. Even in sleep she dreamt about Him. It was disgusting. It was infuriating. He was frustrated.

He slid the door close and made his way back to his room. He had come back from a mission with his team and Naruto. It was a tiresome week. It was bad enough that he had to be partnered with Lee, but Naruto was worse. He actually felt sorry for Sasuke. Now Neji knew why Sasuke ran away. Had he been partnered with Naruto all this time he too would have ran away and joined the enemy as well.

Then again it must be nice to be able to anything you desired. Neji sat on this futon and sighed. His fate in life had already been drawn out and written to a T. His path in life was already drawn out for him, and it frustrated him. Fate was something you couldn't control.

He knew better. Sometimes, only sometimes, he wished that he was as ignorant as Lee or Naruto. Would it be better not knowing what was in store for the future? He knew he wouldn't be able to get any sleep soon, so he got up and went outside into the courtyard. The cool night air was refreshing upon his skin.

He stood on the hard ground, assuming his battle position. He felt his muscles tighten and relax under the movement. He felt all his stress and anxiety coil and come together ready for release.

He continued to move and flex his body until his limbs became tired. His mind had been clear and void of all thoughts. It was a relief to not have warring and nagging thoughts in the back of his mind.

The dark night skies were starting to clear signaling that Neji would only be getting a few hours of sleep. This bed was cold. He shivered as he willed the cold sheets for warm up from his body heat.

Cold showers were one thing, but sheets were meant to be warm. His eyes drifted shut and he dreamed of the week before….

Naruto and Lee were fighting over Sakura and which of her features was the best. Tenten stood there nodding her head or agreeing with what one of them was saying. I, on the other hand, stood off to the side and prayed for someone to come by and strike them dead.

How exactly were these two still alive? Both should have been killed several times over, but no they both remained alive and living enough to make my life a living hell. Why was fate being so cruel? Did it hate me, or was this some god's cosmic joke? Really, I get it now, so please kill them. Please, just end their miserable existence.

As long as they didn't bring me into their pointless discussions, it would be okay.

"Hey Neji," Naruto hollered, "Isn't Sakura's neck the best?"

"No, I told you, it's the mole on the left side of her fourth rib." Lee pointed out with just as much conviction.

"Actually, it's not a mole, it's a freckle." Tenten said timidly not knowing if she should be a part of the conversation.

Naruto cheered loudly, a little too loudly, and swung his arm around Tenten. "See, she's good. So, you like Sakura too, eh?"

Tenten stood frozen. Her mouth agape and the blood had rushed to her face. Lee stood puzzled. He thought for a moment before opening his mouth, "There's a difference between a freckle and a mole?"

A freckle is an increase in pigment in the basal layer of the epidermis, which is the top layer of skin. While a mole is a small cluster of melanocytes in the basal layer of the epidermis or in the top layers of the dermis, the second layer of skin.

I wasn't about to open my mouth and get dragged into the conversation.

"So, Neji, what's your favorite part about Sakura?" Naruto looked at me expecting an answer.

"Who is she again?" I couldn't remember what she looked like. "That's the blond one right?"

If looks could kill, I'd be in serious trouble. I shrugged my shoulders and started to walk off. Women were useless. Tenten did nothing but be a body in our group…and Hinata…I won't get started on her.

We had been sent out on a retrieval mission. All we had to do was pick up a package. I could have done it by myself. There was nothing to it. Since the recent attacks and high security, no one for a solo mission. Why Naruto was asked to come again … Something about learning and training. I forgot to listen.

Naruto and Lee's bantering back and forth gave me a headache. Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, I jinxed myself. A troop of enemies came flying down from the treetops.

We all assume our battle position. When they start attacking leaving all questions as to if they are friends or foes crystal clear. How many were there? Why were we targeted? Who wanted us dead? It seemed as if sending this many they wanted to make sure my team was dead.

It looked like we were done for. I wasn't normally so dejected, but that's how many there were of them. We were all prepared to die, but not before taking as many of them out as we possibly could. We were all fighters, despite the lack of skills.

We fought and killed many of them, but when one died, there were two to replace them. It was tiresome and frustrating. They seemed as if they were clones of each other. When they fell, they didn't die but divide into two smaller entities of themselves. It was unnerving.

They came. They attacked. We slaughtered. Or at least we were trying to. Even I was weakened by the amount of energy used. I could see the chakra flowing through everyone. However, Naruto's flow seemed more powerful than ever. Instead of flowing the purplely color it normally was, it was bright red and growing in power and strength.

I made my way towards him. "Have you found the source yet?"

I looked into his eyes, which were now almost flame red. The whiskers on his face protruded more making him looked half wild. I couldn't see where they were coming from. No one would be able to.

I stood in fascination of the fox demon. It wasn't everyday that you got to see something so incredible right before your very eyes. I stood and watched as more fiery fox demons were created and destroyed.

More men attacked, and the more they attacked the stronger Naruto's chakra flowed. He looked back my way and gave a fanged smirk. The boy was having too much fun. Was I supposed to be afraid of Naruto now?

"Have you found it yet?"

I wasn't sure if that was a copy or the real thing asking me the question. I shook my head. No one could possibly find th—

"Hinata would have found it by now."

That one sentence. That one measurement said that I wasn't good enough. How I hated the boy in front of me in that moment. I lost my cool and attacked. I attacked everything in my line of sight leaving nothing behind.

I finally stopped when there was nothing left to destroy. No one came out of the forest to attack. I stood with my comrades panting; we tried to regain the needed oxygen.

Three ninjas from the sand village appeared seconds later. Were they friends of foes?

"Why do you only come when Lee's in trouble?" Naruto asked grinning like the Cheshire cat.

The child with the gourd on his back replied with nothing but a death glare.

Neji sat up and panted. Since that mission he had dreamt nothing but the demon. He was glad this time it was a memory and not something his mind created for his amusement. This time the sheets would need washing, but for a whole other reason.

How did Naruto get under his skin? Why did his body burn and desire him? He felt nothing for him, but his body responded in a completely different way.

Usually his dreams would have Naruto tied to the bed or side of a shack or outside in the playground, and Neji would cut off the flow of chakra. It was a sadistic situation, but in his dreams neither would be complaining.

Even thinking about his dreams got him bothered again. There had to be a way to stop the insanity. He couldn't take anymore. He wanted to find the fox and punish him for not coming around, but he knew that Naruto knew nothing of his fantasies.

It sucked when fated controlled the everyday dealings of life. Neji sighed in frustration. He almost wished for another mission, if only to get away. Then he already knew that Naruto would probably tag along. He didn't think he could handle it.

He growled at the mental images his mind was sending his body. He would love to teach the fox a lesson, but right now even he said he wasn't good enough. He needed more training. He needed to become better—no, the best. He was a genius. He shouldn't have to work this hard, but it was all because of one lousy comment.

It sparked something in Neji. Whether good or bad, he couldn't tell yet.

Neji walked out into the courtyard and stopped. There he was. What was he doing here? This was too soon. His mind was frantic, but his body remained calm. He hated how calm his body could be when it wanted to.

"Hurry up, Hinata, or we'll be late!"

Hinata mumbled some sort of excuse and dashed inside.

"If you're not out in thirty seconds I'll come in and drag you out!"

Hinata mumbled something, which Neji couldn't hear.

"I don't care; I'll drag you out naked if I have to!" Naruto turned around and walked further down the veranda and towards Neji. "Hey Neji!" Naruto smiled brightly.

Neji stood there. That smirk was from one of his dreams. He wanted to devour Naruto alive right now, but he managed to control himself…somehow. Instead of trusting his mouth he nodded his head.

"Where are you going with Hinata?"

Naruto smiled brightly and scratched the back of his head. "See, I won these free all you can eat ramen passes, but it's for two people only," Naruto explained, "And since I was around here, I came to see if someone wanted to come, and Hinata appeared first, so I asked her."

Neji's silver eyes did not reflect the anger and bitterness he was feeling. "I wasn't hungry." He replied before walking, more like arrogantly storming, off.

"Is he okay Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked walking beside him.

"Yeah. I think he's jealous that's all." Naruto grabbed a hold of Hinata's jacket and took off towards the ramen stand. "After all, he's missing out on all that delicious ramen!"

Neji stood in the shadows and watched as his obsession ran off with his cousin. "I won't stay second for much longer. I will find a way to get what I want." He stormed off to a quiet place to collect his thoughts.

When fate decides that second place is all you'll become, it's hard to fight back…but if you want it badly enough who says it's really that hard?

AN: blinks wow it seemed to go on forever. I wanted this to be a simple piece. I even managed to squeeze in a little Gaara/Lee/Sakura/Tenten … but then that's just sick…and most of them are one sided. Enjoy snickers Thanks to my beta for leaving me this weekend.

Oh and you KNOW I had to add in that one line! I couldn't resist…I think I wrote this for the one line -)

Beta: The line was AWESOME! Eh, but all the guys you've written have serious control issues, you know that? (yeah I know)