Switched

That was the day fate cursed them.

One gray day, the sky overcast, Neji was called into the medical wing with this father. Unlike his father, who was very somber at the moment, Neji was bouncing around, a hyper smile on his six-year-old face.

"C'mon daddy! Let's go let's go let's go!" Neji called half a hallway ahead. His father gave a strained smile and followed.

--

In the medic room, everyone in the household was waiting.

"Neji-nii-san!" Hinata said happily, running up to her cousin to hug him. The two children Hyuugas were rarely allowed to see each other, so when they did they spent it cheerily. (I'm running out of synonyms for happy here)

Only after Hinata had returned to her father's side and Neji placed at the front of the room did the ceremony begin.

Hinata's father started to talk as he made his way up to where Neji was sitting. "Today we gather here to mark Hyuuga Neji of the branch clan with the seal mark as he has come of age. This marking will show the rank of this boy and where he stands in our clan. Now…" The man stood in front of Neji. "Stand." He commanded. Neji did so.

Through a series of hand symbols only known be him, Hinata's father, when finally finished, placed both palms on to Neji's forehead, one on top of the other.

Nothing happened for a moment, but then a shrill scream echoed around the room.

The scream belonged to Neji.

The man stepped back as Neji clutched his forehead and fell to his knees, still screaming. The six-year-old boy did not know how to deal with this pain. His head felt like it was about to split open. His screamed did not cease until nearly fifteen minutes later and his tears did not stop for weeks, but when the pain subsided to a dull throb, he stood.

Cheeks soaked, nose running, Neji looked fearfully around the room, not knowing why this was happening.

"Neji-nii-san!" Hinata said, trying t get through to her cousin, but was held back by her uncle, Neji's father. "I'm sorry Hinata. There's nothing you can do." He whispered.

Her father stood coldly before the innocent boy. "Go." Was all he said. Neji ran.

This time Hinata set free, chasing after her cousin onto the grounds.

"Neji-nii-san! Neji-nii-san!" Hinata cried. She had looked almost everywhere. She tried her last resort.

"Neji-kyu-to!" She called. (kyu-to: cute)

A loud stiff was heard. "I'm up here." He said coldly. Hinata followed the sound of his voice until she found him up the best climbing tree on the grounds.

"Neji-kyu-to…"

"Don't call me that!" He yelled. He jumped down to her level, their faces only inches apart. "This is all your fault! Now I can't be your friend!" He yelled in her ear.

Tears started to leak out of her eyes. "I didn't to anything." She said softly.

"You were born!" He shouted in her face. "Don't you get it? You're the Hyuuga heir, and you're nothing more but a weakling! I've always been stronger than you! I always will be! They day you're stronger than me I'll truly accept you as my equal.

"Now." He said. "For now, I'm stronger than you, so I'm better. But by rank, you are the superior, so…"

Without another word, he bent down on one knee and lowered his head. "I am now your servant and protector…Hinata-sama."

He pronounced the young girls title with such poison dripping from his words that she flinched.

"Neji-kyu-to…Neji-nii-san…Neji-dorei…while in the presence of others, you may call me Hinata-sama. But when we are alone together, please call me Hinata-kakusa, for that is how I truly see myself."

And then she was gone, her back to him, on her way back to her room.

A/N: Dorei means servant. Kakusa means worthless, faint, weak. (I'm not dissing Hinata, but don't worry if this sucked, its gets better later on.)