Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Spoiler Alert: Not for those who have not read past chapter 614.
Writer's comment: This short piece of writing purely came from my inspiration. Please feel free to give me constructive suggestions and criticisms about my writing styles or my grammar. English is not my first language so I'm not very confident about my writing.
Neji Hyuuga...
A born genius...
A caged bird...
A man with a sad destiny...
If only he was born into the Main Family, he could have blossomed. He could have had a much better life, being the heir of the prestigious Hyuuga clan, being a shinobi that could surpass any members of the clan.
But he was born into the Branch Family, in which he was doomed to be the guardian of the Head Family members, never allowed to make a decision for himself and with the curse mark on his forehead, his life was at their hands. Before he knew it, his father, sharing the same fate as him, lost his life protecting the clan.
He lost his own beloved father. He lost his hopes to be freed. All those important things were taken away from him. He had nothing left.
He was lonely and lost. He didn't know what was lying ahead of him, what was waiting for him in his life.
He blamed the Main Family. He blamed his cousin, who was the heiress of the clan, for her weakness. He considered everyone who is weak to be the reason for his suffering.
Until he met him...
A young boy who, with his words and strength, saved him from the dark. The boy pointed out how blindly he had assumed everything. The boy proved to him that his fate could be changed.
It was then that he opened his eyes. It was then that he decided he would live to protect those around him, his friends, his family, his clan and his village.
He became a changed man... He thought he could lead a happier life...
But perhaps the sad destiny would never let go of him.
Following the same path as his father's, he again protected a Head Family member and died. Just like that. So sudden. So fast. As if his death was already decided and he could never avoid it no matter what. He smiled peacefully at his last moment, seemingly accepted his fate.
But no, he didn't smile because he accepted his fate. He smiled because he could feel the curse mark on his forehead, the symbol of his controlled life, slowly being activated and fading away. He felt freedom, the only thing that he had desired for desperately in his life.
This was probably what his father had desired for back then, when he decided to sacrifice himself for the Head Family.
And he died not because he had to. He wanted to die protecting his friends, which made the freedom he gained from his death so meaningful.
And so beautiful...
Rest in peace, Neji...