I think I may have spelled Hinata's cousin Neji's name wrong in te previous chapters so I may have to go back and make that change but Im sure I got it right now but here is a new chapter! Remember to comment and review!
Neji has superb natural instincts and combined with his intelligence it did not take long to conclude his cousin Hinata had been lying to the clan about her living arrangements. It was obvious even before Kiba had confronted him unexpectedly, the conversation had only made him more secure in his hypothesis. For a while he had noticed Hinata going to and from her apartment building every now and again yet she was never carrying in any groceries or taking out the garbage and when Nenji's curiosity got the better of him he decided to observe his cousin more closely. He observed her habits for two weeks and found that she would never enter the apartment building for more than ten to fifteen minutes and much of that time she was chitchatting with residents before leaving and when he took a visit to her latest job the owner informed him they had not heard from Hinata since they had to let her go.
Being a family blemish Hinata had suggested to his uncle , Hiashi, that she could prove her worth by leaving the household and making it on her own. And at first she had been doing quite well so Neji had lost interest in waiting for her to fail and went on with his own goals. Then he took notice of her keeping closer company with Sasuke Uchiha. Sasuke was not known for his warm and welcoming demeanor so for him to be keeping such friendly company with such a pathetic girl as Hinata there must have been a reason. That is when the rumors of Sasuke health also arose and peaked his interest even further. Analyzing the situation he was the first to figure out that Sasuke must have been pregnant by Naruto Uzumaki. Neji had seen them leave the party together back in June and the symptoms Sasuke had been experiencing at school matched up to how far along he should have been if he and Naruto had conceived in June. This and the fact Neji had found out that his cousin had lost her job and most likely her apartment would explain why she was hanging around with the Uchiha. Sasuke's home is large and was one of the few places she could turn after her eviction. Returning home would have only shamed her further, the friends she does have she would feel a burden to and while she was in love with Naruto she could hardly speak to him leaving Sasuke as a last resort.
Neji had been calmly explaining this as he sat at the kitchen table with Sasuke and Naruto as Hinata served them tea. She didn't have much time to prepare for her cousins visit today since she was abruptly woken up by a panic ridded blond after Sasuke had told him of his new plan. She was wearing her kitten pajama shirt and shorts as she refilled he cousins tea cup with shaky hands. She would have felt a tiny bit better if Kiba was also here but there was not even enough time to call Kiba before Neji had arrived, right on time as usual. Naruto had been the one to open the door still wearing his pajamas that had the grape juice stain as he opened the door to see Neji's stern face and unhappy expression greeting him before Sasuke came back from the bathroom and asked them to sit.
Neji sipped his tea in silence and Hinata took a seat at the table with them, between Naruto and her cousin, waiting for who had something to say next. She was not completely surprised Neji had known all along that she had failed yet again because he had always been one of the smartest people she knew but it was out of character for him to have let her live this way for so long and not tell her father. Neji did detest her more than anyone in the village.
Sasuke thought this all over as he drank some of his own tea and spoke up," Neji, I have to ask. If you have known all of this time your cousin was living here in my families home why have you never said anything? If I had never asked you here today what did you plan to do? "
"Nothing, I planned to do nothing with the information I have acquired. As strange as that may seem to you I have a different view on the situation."
"And what would that be?" Naruto had been quite as Neji had told his story but hearing he would not tell his clan was both reassuring and confusing.
" Fate is something decided at birth. No matter what one does, people cannot escape their destiny. And even someone as weak as my cousin can not escape the path laid out before her by fate. She was unfit to be apart of the main branch so she was stripped of her position, she was too incompetent to survive on her own so she was evicted, which lead to her working for the roof over her head from an outsider and a pregnant teen. Not to mention that flea infested mutt she calls a boyfriend she has acquired. Fate has given her what she deserves. And as far as I can see she is worthless. The hole all three have dug for yourselves is enough punishment. Hinata was blessed to be apart of the Hyūga main house and it was a blessing she was never meant to have so fate has lead her here and I find it to be a fitting place for someone like her." he gave a devilish smirk," As the saying goes once a failure always a failure. You cant change that" Hinta slapped the cup of tea from her cousins hands sending it smashing against the wall, she had heard enough. Neji could insult her all he wanted but speaking ill of Naruto and Sasuke was crossing the line. If she was truly going to grow as a person confronting Neji was another obstacle she was going to have to get out of her path.
" You know what Neji? While you keep repeating yourself, saying how unfit a person I am and such, I think your just suffering. You push your suffering onto me because I am weaker than you. You're always trying to become worthy of the main house, despite the fact you are born into the branch family. It is a complete waste of time! All my life I have been trying to win my fathers respect and look at what its gotten me, absolutely nothing!" Neji narrowed his eyes, "So tell me this, if fate really is decided at birth what is it fate has in plan for you Neji? Huh, tell me what golden path the universe has laid before your perfect feet that it hasn't before mine? A true Hyūga clan member."
Neji was enraged. Losing the stern expression for one more like a wild dog Neji lost control as he gripped Hinata by the collar of her shirt, raising her out of her chair as he stood as she flared her arms in distress. He started shaking her with as much force as he could as he screamed inaudible threats before Naruto jumped from the table, knocking it over in the process sending the rest of the cups crashing to the floor as he grabbed Neji around the throat. Neji dropped his cousin to the floor as he turned his raged to Naruto as Sasuke pulled Hinata back from the fight. Both of them were incredibly strong but Neji managed to strike Naruto down a number of times but the blond continued to get up each time his face was bashed in or his ribs felt on the verge of snapping.
Hinata could only watch in shock as she kept pleading with Neji to stop and try pulling him off of Naruto but he would just fling her out of the way and Sasuke could do nothing but stand back. Perhaps Naruto was right and this was a bad idea. No, it was a bad idea. Sasuke should have known better and now his house was being destroyed as glass flew everywhere as Neji and Naruto threw each other around the room and Hinata cried out for it to all stop. Sasuke had only wanted to protect Hinata, he loved her but being pregnant and irrational had lead to this. He had gotten to be stupider than Naruto who could at least fight to show his affection toward Hinata as Sasuke could only compress himself into a corner and hold onto his stomach.
Neji's noticeably long, dark brown hair had come lose and was messily sprawled over his bruised face and his blood was easily seen on his fair skin. As typical of the Hyūga clan in a battle the veins and arteries around his eyes had begun to protrude more prominently. He was out of breath but far better off than his opponent. He had given a gash over Naruto's right eyes and may have broke a bone or two.
They continued to fight, swinging punch after punch as Neji continued to talk once again, "THE WEAK WILL ALWAYS REMAIN WEAK! What about that cant you idiots accept? I mean look at you Naruto you have always been noting but a loser, always on the outside looking in. Yes, with time you have at least gotten somewhat into the community but I know you cant be blind to the stares of hatred you still get. The resentment of your existence and now look what you've done to Uchiha! THE THREE OF YOU ARE IN A USELESS FIGHT WITH FATE THAT YOUR NEVER GOING TO WIN! DON'T YOU GET THAT? You want to be Hokage, and Hinata thinks she can actually be something to this world. The two of you are hopeless and you, Naruto personally took down the only one of you who actually had any potential by knocking him up!"
Naruto didn't pay this any attention as he continued to try and fight. Neji was stronger than he was but he was unwilling to back down or let Neji leave with the mindset that his cousin and the man caring his children were anything less than the precious people they are. Looking through the steady stream of blood trickling from over his eye he saw the fear in Sasuke's eyes and Hinata as she tried again to help him as she stepped bare foot through a pile of glass as she clamped onto Neji's arm."STOP IT, STOP IT! IF YOU WANT TO FIGHT ANYONE FIGHT ME, FIGHT ME PLEASE! JUST LEAVE NARUTO ALONE, I LOVE HIM AND SASUKE TOO MUCH TO LET YOU DO THIS TO THEM ANY LONGER! I'LL DO WHATEVER YOU WANT JUST STOP!" Neji flung her off again with ease.
Naruto was done with all of this and found it in himself the extra strength he needed to overcome Neji's rage as he knocked Neji over the couch onto the floor where he didn't stop hitting until he was in to much pain to continue and Neji was gripping his nose, trying to stop the bleeding as his eye stared to swell. Naruto laid on his back as Hinata crawled over and laid her face flat on his stomach. She mumbled that she was sorry and he patted her back, it wasn't like this was the first fight he had ever been in or that it would be his last. He turned to Neji and complemented his fighting skills and told him that while he had said all this stuff about fate Naruto didn't believe Neji had accepted his own or Hinata's comment wouldn't have gotten under his skin so easily. Neji could only sigh.
" Ya know, I think I changed my own fate. When I was a kid I could have believed I was the trash the village always said I was and went ahead and killed myself or something along time again and got it all over with. To be unhappy forever seemed to be my destiny but I didn't want that to be the only thing life had to offer me. I wanted to be loved and be able to love someone back without thinking in the back of my mind it was all fake. I wanted to smile and not feel like my face was made of plaster that was cracking each time I did it. I want to be Hokage to help the village which is full of people I care about. And I think after a lot of sadness I've finally gotten to the point where everything is finally coming together. Even if its in a unconventional way of getting my best friend pregnant and all."
He stroked Hinata's back as she sniffled with her face still buried into his stained shirt. " Hinata has made it to that point too Neji. She left all of you who doubted her and found people that do nothing but see the possibilities of accomplishment she has. She is beautiful and while she continues to grown she brings all of us closer together. Ha-ha, we couldn't even survive a few days without her! She is so strong and loving and Sasuke and I would be nothing without her by our side. So if people like us can change destiny I'm sure a genius like you could too." Naruto flashed his famous smile as he wiped the blood from his face.
Neji sat up still holding his nose, " Inescapable fate or overcoming destiny. That seems to be a concept you and Hinata understand more than I am able to at this moment." He and Hinata's white eyes meet and for an unknown reason he smiled at her and she gave a small one back not sure why she did it. But doing so felt good, as if she had resolved a long standing issue.
Sasuke walked over and Neji stood and gave him an apology for the destruction to Sasuke's home as he promised he would cover the cost of the damages and as he helped Naruto to his feet gave his word to never lose a fight to the blond again. " I will send some money to you and if it is not enough just ask and I will send more. I should not have lost my temper, I am truly embarrassed for my actions. To put such strain on someone in your condition is unforgivable and in bad judgment on my part. And to go along with making amends I will also keep Hinata's secret. If she is to do me a single favor."
Hinata sat on the top of the overturned couch because of the glass embedded in her feet, "What would that favor be N-Neji-sama?"
"I would hope that in the future you are open to remedying our relationship." he said this as he gave a very low bow to her and she said yes as he made his exit from the house making her tear up as he waved good-bye "I hope to see you soon Hinata-chan. I shall work hard for your forgiveness."
Sasuke went into the bathroom and got a band-aid for Naruto's eye and a washcloth to clean his face," I'm sorry …you were right… inviting Neji over was a bad move. Even if he usually is calm it wasn't clear thinking to think something wouldn't anger him. Now the house is a wreck and the two of you got hurt."
"Sasuke come on don't get so down we all make mistakes and Hinata and I aren't too messed up. I'm just glad Neji had enough restraint not to hit you. We have come this far, I'd be heartbroken if something happened to the babies." Naruto rubbed Sasuke's stomach before putting the band-aid on and getting a better look at the mess. " Looks like we are gonna need Sakura's help to get this place cleaned up. Oh god, I'm not looking forward to making this call. You should check out Hinata's feet while I call her over, I guess I'll call Kiba over while I'm at it but he'll be pretty pissed too."
Naruto held Hinata up as he flipped the couch upright and sat her back down. The house phone had gotten a bit smashed so he went back to his bedroom to look for his cell as Sasuke sat next to Hinata. She had shards of glass sticking out all over the bottom of her feet as if she had stomped on a porcupine made of glass, her neck was bruised from where Neji had grabbed her and also on her arm from when he dropped her on the floor.
She moved her feet away from his hands and scooted closer and ran her fingers through his hair, "Sasuke-kun I think you plan wasn't that terrible. You were just trying to help me and you did. I thank you for that."
He took her hand from his head and placed it in her lap,"How in the world did I help? Naruto did all the fighting I just crouched in the corner even though I should have been the one to do something." He tapped on his stomach as he started to feel sick with guilt instead of morning sickness.
"No, no your wrong you have done so much for me! You gave me a home when I had nowhere to turn and now I have a chance to start over with Neji. Not to mention you pushed me to the point I told Naruto that I loved-no love him. I owe you so much Sasuke, you're a gift, something worth more than gold to me and I am lucky to have you. I love you more today than I have any day before." She rubbed his stomach in smooth, slow, circles and he felt his blood rush up to his cheeks at her touch. She told him how she too was glad the babies had not been harmed, they were a combination of her most cherished friends in the world and she could not wait for them to be born.
Sasuke didn't know if it was hormones or sexual tension but he felt the urge to kiss her. It was an inappropriate time to do so but he wanted to so badly when Hinata leaned in and pressed her lips against his. He could taste the tea they had drank on them before she leaned back and smiled. The kiss was short and friendly but it had been the best of his life as Naruto came back into the living room.
