First interlude. It's weird and introspective and as a unique format that won't ever be used again, just like how the prologue is completely different from the rest. This is filler for the last chapter and shows a bit of Neji as a child.

"Child, be gentle as your honorable mother was."

She saw his tears for the first time. He laughed easily enough. He had many friends outside the compound. Never had she seen his tears before. The sky was cloudy with threatening rain. And, oh, how the coffin gleamed…

"…when one is spoken to, speak with grace and decorum, child. However, most of all, conceal that hidden laughter…"

She was being admonished again. Her father was admonishing her again. She did not mean to giggle at what her uncle had said, it had simply come out. Who in the world would think she was a boy anyway? She…could never be a boy anyway…

"And let it be known that you are my beloved daughter!"

She did not understand their jibes, their feelings…but she understood their expressions. Their gestures. They were laughing at her father, her most beloved papa. They should not dare such a thing. If only…

"Don't hide it, little one…allow your fool of a father to care for you, one who has not been allowed to be your father these past weeks…"

She remembered the pain of being forgotten. Ignored. She never wanted to sink into the background like one of those silly servants. Nor did she want to be a statue, forever glaring down her nose at all who would not tell her what was wrong with her father. She just wanted…

"…and she is your cousin, child, my elder brother's daughter."

She knew of confusion and wants. She knew to be silent when in a room with elders, and she knew that being her father's child meant something important…She knew a lot of things, but she never learned to get along. Not with another girl or another boy. Not with anyone. She only ever needed her papa…why would she want to meet a young girl? Never mind that she was quite young herself…

"A mission? Yes…it is another mission."

She wanted to protest, but she did not. How could she do such a burdensome thing? Her papa could not help it if he were so skilled a shinobi…

"…another one. I am sorry."

She wanted to scream, but she did not. Instead, she looked at him with a look of a child who had just been denied her greatest desire. Betrayed. Hurt. But what were these things in the face of her poor papa's face? He looked so tired these days…

"Forgive me, child. Forgive me…"

She wanted to cry, but she did not. She did not know how to describe the emotions that went through her just then. Glee. Happiness? Elation. What did she feel but such completion, the likes that of which a cold relative had never seen before? Her papa was a warm papa, she realized. The other children should be jealous that she had such a fine papa. However…he looked upon her with such anguish, it almost…made her afraid. But surely not, surely not…

"Child."

"Papa?"

"Child."

"Sorry, Papa."

"I am sorry, child. Not sorry."

"Yes. I am sorry." She tugged his sleeve again, giggling at his groan. "But I like your clothes, Papa. Very much. When will you be allowed to leave? Hiashi-sama will not look at me. He will not play. Hinata is always around her mother. I do not like gardening, but I like her cooking. It was…"

She did not notice how his body suddenly stilled, being too preoccupied with playing with his voluminous robes.

"I will not be returning home."

She looked up quickly. "The fall time festival is soon. I want new clothes. May I have yours?"

Hizashi set a hand down heavily on his daughter's head, rewarded with a happy smile when he rubbed it. "I am sorry, but this is not for you."

"I know. Hiashi-sama gave them to you."

Her hair, playfully mussed, hung in her eyes. Batting them away, she did not see his eyes briefly narrow. When she looked back up at him, she saw nothing amiss but the strange expression on his face.

"Papa, you look different."

"How, child?"

She smiled, and said, "You look funny, Papa. Your face...you look like you're off to do great battle. You're even wearing Uncle's clothing…is it armor? It must be!"

"Yes." He wore a wry look, but it came out as more of a grimace; she couldn't understand how very cynical he looked just then. "I am a great shinobi. It is only fitting that I am to participate in a great battle."

"But not a mission," she said, nodding.

"You," her father declared, "will become a great shinobi someday."

"I got it right then." She sounded oddly pleased. "It is not a mission."

"Child, this is one fate I cannot avoid."

She did not look too concerned. "It seems very important. It is not a mission, but did Sandaime-sama give it to you?"

"No," he whispered. "He did not."

"Then who did?" she whispered right back.

"A man…" he sighed, "whom I would do anything for."

"That does not sound like a great battle. Why would anyone let themselves be killed?"

His gaze sharpened. "Why do you say that?"

"Well," she mused, "is it not something out of a story? One riding off to battle and fooling the enemy into thinking he is who they think he is. When it is the time to strike, the true hero reveals himself and, together, the hero and his friend triumphs. Well, it wasn't written like that, but it was terrible. And difficult. I am improving. I am!"

"And where did you hear this…story."

"It's dull. And boring. This was the only story I understood from the scroll." She tugged his robes again, unheeding to his stare. "Can you at least stop at home? No one talks to me anymore…"

I wrote this by playing off of Neji's Chunnin Exams flashbacks. The beginning also revealed that Hizashi was often sent away on missions, which was one way the clan interfered with his relationship with Neji. There is a reason that Hiashi didn't want his brother to be around Neji, but it is a minor detail at this point of the fic. It will later become significant because it'll be the basis for Hiashi's attitude/treatment towards Neji. But at this point, that "reason" is still being hashed out in a development process; it may change and this author note may be rendered useless.

Otherwise, Neji did inadvertently find out about Hizashi's death before it actually occurred. She doesn't understand the implications; she's still a child. She will either remember this or not, but it won't have a great effect on her character. Neji's canon flashbacks will be manipulated slightly in this fic in order to achieve certain results in my female Neji's character.