Chapter 4 : When he Dreamt, He Dreamt only of Her

A/N : I'm sorry I cannot help the fluff. I also do not love how the dream sequence was written but it will have to do for now. If it helps I was imagining it to be like the genjutsu dream sequence in Naruto: the last movie.


He was still, body completely unmoving. His breathing quiet and deep and the beeping of his heart monitors steady.

Tonight, Neji was truly asleep.

For the longest time, he never really slept well at night. He was a shinobi after all, and no self-respecting ninja slept with both eyes closed –figuratively speaking of course. They were trained to always be on guard even as they rest, never reaching that deep sleep where dreams and nightmares manifest. Although, honestly, Neji never really did have dreams nor nightmares. He was too logical for that sort of thing, in his mind it was more accurate to say that he remembered events in his sleep.

Needless to say, since he trained to become a ninja he never dreamt until that day Hinata got injured while she was preparing for Senbon Sparring.

It was dreadful, in his sleep, memories of him and Hinata swirled in his mind –scenes from their spars when they were mere children played back to back with their fight during the Chunin exams, this was topped off by the events from her current training with him that caused her to face plant on the ground from exhaustion. His harsh words and forceful blows playing over and over again. That was when he woke up, out of breath and drenched in sweat–he tried to stop his old self from attacking his cousin but he couldn't. The "bad memory" as he liked to call his nightmares had one theme, Hinata was hurting because of him.

From that day on when Neji dreamt, it was always of Hinata.

And as time passed his "memories" of her changed as did their relationship. Soon her quiet sobs turned into sweet laughter, the relentless attacks he gave her became soft encouraging touches, the fearful look she gives him turned into endearing smiles of admiration, the scowls in his young face became blushes he would hide when he knows she is looking. His nightmares became dreams that he never wanted to wake up from.

So tonight much like any other night he dreamt of her.


He was running as fast as he could.

He had never been more scared in his life.

He had tried to get there as soon as he saw her unmoving body on the ground. He cursed himself for not being fast enough to save her, not even fast enough to be the one to tend to her wounds.

He comes into the clearing, Byakugan activated, he was focused only on her limp body.

She was on the floor with Sakura healing her. As her chakra steadied, she stirred and when she opened her eyes, he was the first one she saw. She was safe and relief washed over Neji, no one else mattered at that moment there was only him and her.

As he looked intently at her, trying to convey with his eyes how happy he was to see her well, he realizes they were no longer in the battle field but the Hyuuga gardens. They were now seated on their favorite stone bench watching the stars after a whole evening of sparring.

They talked about how they feel about the war. She tells him she is scared but she will do her best for the village and to protect Naruto. He shakes off her last words, the one about Naruto, though he was both a friend and a comrade whom they owed the safety of the village from, his blood boils when she talks about that boy.

He took a deep breath and told himself, 'Come on Neji, it is now or never'.

"And I will do my best to protect you. Your safety is most important to me." he interrupted her.

She looked at him and smiled, "Thank you for being so dutiful Neji but I want us to fight as equals in this war. In the battle field, our duties as shinobi come first before our roles in the Hyuuga clan."

He sighed to himself at how vaguely that came out. He tries again.

"I have been caged all my life by my roles. In our clan, I am to protect the main house and to the shinobi world I am to protect the village first." He turns his body to face her completely and takes her hand into his. "We might die in this war and like my father, I will choose to die for the ones I love and you are at the top of that list, Hinata."

His words caused almost tears in her eyes, those pearl eyes that always gave away her emotions. She squeezes his hand tight. "I feel the same way Niisan. I am ready to fight and die in this war. If need be I will give my life for you and our comrades."

He shook his head. He wasn't getting his point across.

He took a deep breath.

"No Hinata, Im being selfish here, when it comes to it I will save you and only you because if you die I might as well die too." His tone a little bit forceful now.

Abruptly, she embraces him. "Niisan. I understand you completely. You are my pillar of strength in this house I cannot lose you."

At this point Neji was frustrated.

He was never a patient man. He grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to meet his gaze, his brows were furrowed from exasperation.

"Stop it Hinata, you are not listening to me!" He takes her right cheek with his left hand as he crushed his lips on hers. He had given her a kiss. Their first.

Hinata was stunned. In a span of two seconds she turned from pale to beet red until she finally fainted from shock.

He caught her in his arms and as he coaxed her awake, he realizes that they are no longer at the Hyuuga gardens but rather the tent they shared during the war.

He was sitting up, he laid her head on his lap as he whispered for her to wake up. She opened her eyes and smiled at him softly, that smile he knew she reserved just for him.

"The happiest time of my day is when I open my eyes and you are still here." She scooted down to the sleeping mat and motioned for him to lie beside her. He did as she pleased and she rested her head on his bare chest.

He tried to capture the moment from the softness of her skin on his to the scent of her hair. He kisses her on the head and she looks up to him, and when her pale eyes met his he told her "I will always be here for you, I will never leave you. I love you Hinata."

She buries her face on his chest again embracing him tight.


Sakura comes in and checks on Neji. She was happy because for the first time in the 6 months they been healing him, he slept through the night without any medication.


More A/N :

(1) This is actually my very first published story. Please let me know how I did. Thank you.

(2) To avoid confusion please note that Neji is experiencing Dissociative/Psychogenic Amnesia. A condition that causes a loss of some personal memories and autobiographical information but typically only for a brief time.

(3) Had to reupload this bunch of times. Damn that formatting.