Chapter 10

Neji sat inside the round, sunlit room. Despite all the open windows and the occasional casual breeze that flowed throughout the office, it was a hot and sticky day, and not even the indoors was comfortable. He sat still as he felt a drop of sweat trickle down the tip of his nose.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and a voluptuous woman walked steadily into the room.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Neji. I was just in a meeting." The Hokage said as she took a seat behind her desk. The Hyuga lowered his head.

"The country should always be your first priority." He replied.

"Indeed" The Hokage nodded. "In fact, I was just having a meeting about something very closely related to you." Neji frowned and waited. Did she mean…

"It was a hard decision, and a lot of the elders didn't like the idea of it. But it's been decided; we're sending people on a mission to assassinate Orochimaru."

Tsunade noticed the end of the Hyuga's lips turn slightly upwards as he nodded thankfully. It was a long time since she had seen him smile.

"Of course," she continued, "The actual mission will have to be while. I still have to make out a list of who will be on the team and how it will happen and such. Everything will have to be perfectly spot on."

"I understand" Neji replied.

"Good. Now, in the mean time, I would like you to go home and rest. I will inform you of any new updates." The Hyuuga nodded. He placed his mission report onto the Hokage's desk and stood up. He paused.

"How is Tenten?" He asked. Tsunade narrowed her eyes.

"More or less the same. Why don't you go visit her?"

The Hyuuga nodded and grunted in reply. As he left, however, he did not make his way towards the hospital, but towards the Hyuga village instead. There was something he needed to do first.

A maid blushed and bowed lowly as he made his way in the Branch Families' Courts. Neji had only been in the Branch courts a few times. The houses were smaller and simpler, but somehow, Neji liked it better this way. As he walked, he noticed there were no signs on the front of the houses, which made it impossible for him to tell who lived in which. He noted a bare footed and balding gardener working in the grass and walked over to him.

After telling the gardener his destination, the gardener stood up from his spot and started padding quickly and silently off the grass and onto the stone floor.

"Please follow me, Neji sama" he bowed.

The gardener brought Neji through the courts, turning abruptly into some corners. Along the way, Neji noticed other members of the Hyuga family; some of which he barely knew. Many of them had fled their houses in the hot weather for a walk in the gardens or to enjoy the outdoors. They looked curiously at the Hyuga prodigy as he followed the gardener. Finally, they stopped in front of a white house with a sandy colored roof.

"Hai." The gardener bowed, and took off as suddenly as he had stopped, leaving Neji alone at the gates of the mansion.

The house was smaller compared to the main courts' mansion, but it was still a beautiful one. Neji assumed this was what he had been looking for, and walked up the small stone steps which led to the front doors. He knocked once and waited.

A few seconds later, Neji heard quiet footsteps nearing. The door slid open and a young servant girl in clean, white linen stood there. At first, the girl frowned, not knowing what was happening. However, she stared into Neji's face, and it didn't take her long before she realized who she was looking at. Her eyes widened, and she clapped her hands to her mouth to hide a muffled squeak. Flustered, she whipped around and sprinted back into the house, leaving an amused and annoyed Neji standing in the doorway.

Neji peered into the house through the open door. The walls and furniture were mostly white, with soft shades of wooden brown in the details. The sun blazed through the open windows, making the house very bright and clean. A few minutes later, Neji heard an older woman's voice and a few footsteps from inside of the house.

"There's nothing to be afraid of, Yuki. You shouldn't have run off like that." He heard the woman say.

"I… I'm sorry, Hiromi sama." A younger girl replied.

A tall, beautiful woman also in white showed up at the door. She had long, sleek, dark hair, and the famed white pupils of the Hyuga family. In her arms, she carried a toddler, who dozed lazily on her shoulder. The servant girl, Neji assumed was called 'Yuki'. The name suited her well with her timid personality and pale, white skin. She stood half hidden behind the woman with her head lowered. Neji wondered if he really was that intimidating.

"Neji" The woman smiled when she saw him. "Do come in." Neji bowed at his aunt and followed her inside the house. She brought him into the living room.

"Have a seat." She waved at a sofa as she took a seat on the one opposite to it. The servant girl had followed them, but she never lifted her head.

"Yuki, please go and fetch us something to drink." The servant girl blushed lightly again and quickly walked out of the room.

"Please forgive her. She's new, and she's very shy." Hiromi apologized. In her arms, the child started to stir. He lifted up his head and rubbed his eyes with his tiny hands.

"It's alright." Neji replied, studying his little cousin as he blinked around at the environment around him. "So… this is Hayao?" he asked, watching the toddler squirm about in his mother's arms.

"Yes, this is my son." Hiromi smiled gently. "He just turned 1 last month."

Neji watched in amazement as his cousin successfully escaped his mother's arms. He crawled around on the carpeted floor. His arms and legs were still very clumsy, but he slowly made his way towards Neji's side of the sofa. He stood up on his chubby, wobbly legs and held on to the sofa for support. He lifted his head and looked at Neji curiously with his huge, round, lavender eyes. Neji looked back at him, not knowing what kind of expression to give. Suddenly, the child smiled and giggled, showing the two front, and only teethes in his mouth.

Hiromi chuckled.

"My, Neji, you do have a thing with children. He usually cries when he meets strangers." Neji felt himself blush lightly.

Yuki entered the room again with a platter of cold tea and snacks. She carefully placed them onto the table in between them and went to stand in a corner of the room. Hiromi picked up a glass and sipped the tea politely.

"My husband talks about you a lot." She said, looking at him.

"Hn?" Neji replied. Hiromi nodded.

"In fact, he told me he's been expecting you"

Neji didn't know what to say.

"I… I'm sorry?" he said, looking down at his cousin again.

Neji had always liked Hiromi. She was his father's younger sister, and she had always been a very kind and gentle woman. He never expected he would be having such a conversation with her.

"I hope you understand that…" he started again, but his aunt stopped him.

"Neji, I've withdrawn myself from the politics of this family the day I married Matsuo." She said. "My job now is to be a supportive wife to my husband and a good mother. So please, don't be sorry. You have nothing to be sorry about." She smiled as she watched Hayao take a handful of Neji's robe and started chewing it.

"Hayao sama!" Yuki gasped in her corner. She quickly walked over and lifted the toddler. Hiromi laughed.

"Yuki, could you please take him to his room?" The servant girl nodded and carried the drooling baby out of the room. After the footsteps of the servant had disappeared, Hiromi turned back to Neji.

"Matsuo should be back soon." She said. "He's left for a small mission, but he should be back around now."

As if answering her call, the front door clicked followed by Matsuo's voice.

"I'm home." He called. Hiromi rose from her seat and disappeared to greet her husband.

"Welcome back, darling." Neji heard her say. "Actually, there's someone here to see you." Neji heard Matsuo's heavier footsteps as he appeared at the doorway of the living room.

"Neji." He heard Matsuo say lightly. There was no hint of anger or hate in his voice. Neji turned to look at his uncle. He still had a slightly purple eye from where he had punched him a few days ago. Matsuo removed his coat and handed it to his wife.

"Shall we go talk in my office?" He asked.

"No, I think we should talk here." Neji replied flatly. Hiromi and Matsuo glanced at one another.

"Very well. We shall talk here then." He agreed.

"I'll go and put these in you room…" Hiromi suggested as she reached for her husband's belongings, but this time, her nephew stopped her.

"No, I think you should listen to this as well."

"But Neji…" his aunt said.

"Please stay." Neji said again. Hiromi glanced at her husband, who nodded. They both sat down on the sofa opposite to Neji. They remained very quiet for a while. Finally, Matsuo spoke.

"I assume you've come to ask me some questions?" He said. Neji did not reply. Matsuo sighed heavily.

"Neji, I want you to know that I've always liked you, and I've always been very proud of having a nephew like you. In fact, my son, Hayao…"

"I don't want to hear your fancy talk." Neji grunted. Matsuo stopped.

"It's not fancy talk, Neji. It's true. That's why I'm doing this. This is not only for me; it's for all of the branch family, especially you, Neji."

"What are you talking about?" Neji asked suspiciously.

"You see, Neji. You and I are very alike in many ways you may not even know. Did you know that I had a brother?" Neji glanced at Hiromi, and she nodded.

"However" Matsuo continued. "He's not alive anymore. Do you know why?" Neji remained silent. Matsuo folded his arms in front of his chest and laughed lightly through his nose.

"Does the name Hyuga Hayao ring any bells?"

So it wasn't coincidence Matsuo's son happened to have the same name as one of the characters from the most famous stories in the Hyuga clan.

Neji had learned of this from his father, who told it to him occasionally. It had happened many years ago, before Neji and Hinata were born. One of the main family's children had been diagnosed with a deadly heart disease which could not be cured. The only way to save the child was if someone gave up their own heart to replace the sick child's. Of course, that would also mean the death of the donor, which normally, would not have been accepted as a solution. Nevertheless, the main house family and Hyuga elders refused to give up. Every single person in the clan was tested, and results showed that only one person in the whole clan had the appropriate organ to give. It was 10 year old Hyuga Hayo, who was then a member of the branch house. The ending of this was calculable.

The older man saw the prodigy in front of him stiffen, and he almost smirked.

"So you have heard about it, haven't you?"

No answer. Matsuo took that as a yes.

"So you see, we are both very alike, Neji. We've both experienced watching our loved ones sacrifice themselves and die. But for what? For useless people like Hinata." He spat. Neji fumed.

"Hinata isn't useless." He frowned. Matsuo shook his head in a pitying way which extremely annoyed Neji.

"I see you've already been thoroughly brainwashed by those people." He sneered.

"Remember when I asked you why the Main house lets you live in their courts? Not because they have a soft spot for you, Neji. It's because you're strong. Too strong, they need to keep an eye on you, and bring you onto their side along with that." Neji glanced over at her aunt, who kept her eyes intensely locked onto the cream carpets on the floor. Her expression was hard to decipher. Was it sorrow on her face, or embarrassment?

"So you see, Neji." Matsuo's voice rose slightly in excitement.

"Together, we can overthrow the clan leaders. We can create a new clan; one which is free; one where all Hyugas are equal."

There was a long and awkward silence as Matsuo watched to see Neji's reaction; while the young man, on the other hand, remained as emotionless as always.

"So," Matsuo beamed. "Are you with me?"

Neji shifted his position and he, too, crossed his arms.

"One question." The prodigy said.

"How are you going to convince the other Hyugas to join you?" Matsuo chuckled in satisfaction.

"That won't be a problem, Neji. Once they know you and I are on the same side, no one would dare…"

"I know a better option." Neji smirked. "How about using the dirty money you've earned to bribe them?

Matsuo froze in the midst of drinking his tea. The color from his face was drained, and the previously satisfied smile he had wore on his face was immediately wiped off. He straightened his back and lifted his chin up slightly.

"I don't know what Hiashi has told you, but…"

"Don't try to act innocent." Neji shot back at him. "I have proof." He reached into his top and extracted a piece of paper.

"Does this look familiar to you?" He asked, holding out a stack of photographs in front of his uncle's face. Each of them was of Matsuo, walking, talking, laughing; doing business with enemies of Konoha.

"I… what…" Matsuo stammered. Neji turned to Hiromi.

"Missions, huh? Is that what he's been telling you? This bastard has been doing this" he threw the photographs onto the coffee table and they slid out, spreading themselves out clearly. Hiromi stared at the photographs, but remained silent.

"And Tenten…" Neji growled. He could feel himself heating up, his body vibrating slightly involuntarily. He gathered chakra into one single hand, and the chakra was so concentrated, it began to glow.

"I'm going to kill you…"

"NO!" Hiromi, who had remained relatively calm throughout the whole conversation, had suddenly thrown herself in between her nephew and her husband.

'"Please, Neji!" Hiromi begged. From upstairs, Hayao had felt the commotion and started to cry. His wails travelled throughout the house.

"Don't do this! He's your uncle, my husband… He's Hayo's father for goodness sake! Please don't do this!" It pained Neji to see his aunt in such a state. Almost immediately, the glow in his hand faded away, and Neji lowered his arm. There was a frozen moment; the only noises which could be heard were Hayao's bailing and Hiromi's silent sobs. Neji sighed and turned to leave.

"This is your loss, not mine." Matsuo said calmly as Neji walked out of the sitting room. He stopped and gave his uncle one last glare, and continued his way. As he turned for the front door, he walked into Yuki, who seemed to have been eavesdropping by the door. She blushed violently as Neji frowned down at her.

As he made his way back to the main courts, Neji shook his head in amazement at just how good of a manipulator Hyuga Matsuo was. He really was a clever man, like Hiashi had warned him. He recalled back to the day he had overheard Matsuo and Hiashi's conversation, and he had burst in to punch his uncle in the eye when he had called a certain woman a certain name.

Note: Please refer to chapter 7 if you don't know what I'm talking about.

Flashback

"Hinata… marry… explain…" He breathed. Hiashi blinked at his brother-in-law lying on the floor, then at his nephew, then at the door Neji had literally torn down.

"Before I tell you anything Neji, I think we should find a place to put him," Hiashi glanced at the man sprawled across the floor,

"…and somewhere a bit more private… er… a room with a door at least." He now glanced at the gaping hole where the door had been standing.

"Sorry" Neji apologized. "Reflex." Hiashi managed to give him a chuckle before ordering two guards to take Matsuo away.

"Follow me." He then said, turning to Neji. Neji followed his uncle along corridor after corridor, finally, stopping at large room with an impressive looking wooden door. Hiashi entered it, and motioned for Neji to follow. He realized he was in his uncle's bedroom.

"Neji, tell me, what is the 142nd rule of the Hyuuga Clan's manuscript." Hiashi started. Neji closed his eyes and sighed; he knew this day would be coming sooner or later.

"I'm sorry I broke that rule." He said. Hiashi shook his head.

"I'm afraid sometime, 'sorry' just isn't good enough." Hiashi replied, massaging his temple. "Neji, you know you're like a son to me. I would never do anything to hurt you, but sometimes, you've just got to learn to protect yourself! You're a stubborn child, there's no doubt about that; but at least you weren't stupid! Now… what were you thinking, giving away your eye, just like that, without thinking of the consequences! It's not like you to act on an impulse!"

"She was dying. I couldn't just let her die." Neji replied.

There was a pause between them. Finally, Hiashi spoke.

"Neji, this isn't something even I can control right now. I can let you off, but that doesn't mean others won't take this as a chance to get what they want."

"What do you mean?" Neji asked, confused. Hiashi sighed tiredly in his chair, he was going through many things in his mind.

"Let me show you something." Hiashi suddenly stood up and quickly did a hand seal. A puff of smoke erupted between them and when it had faded, Hiashi held a file in his hand. He handed it over to the prodigy who opened it curiously and scanned the contents. They were photographs. He widened his eyes and looked up at his uncle. Each photograph showed Matsuo friendly with a missing nin or the government of an enemy country of Konoha. Hiashi nodded gravely.

"I started getting suspicious when I noticed Matsuo's grand spending. I started wondering where he had gotten the money from. So I sent people to spy on him, and got this." He gestured towards the stack of photographs in his nephew's hands.

"Something happened to Mtauso's brother when they were young, which caused him to hate the main family. He's been trying to overthrow us ever since." Neji could only stare at the photographs in front of him.

"You see, Neji this is his perfect chance" Neji froze. He could not believe that he, Hyuga Neji, had made a horrible and careless mistake. No, it was not a mistake; protecting Tenten was never a mistake. He was mad at the fact that he had not thought of this; that he had no plan. He had always been a schemer, someone who calculated exactly what was coming next. He hated being blind.

"That's the reason why I want you to marry Tenten, Neji." Hiashi continued. "But Matsuo walked in on me filling out your marriage application form. I had to lie to him; I couldn't let him know about you and Tenten yet. That's why everyone thinks you're marrying Hinata." Neji clenched his fists. Why did everything have to happen at once?

"I want to talk to Matsuo" He told his uncle.

"Yes, perhaps you should. But be careful, Matsuo is a clever man; he will tell you what you want to hear."

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"I have news." The Tsunade said to each of the ninjas in front of her.

It had been a day since Neji had returned from his mission. After the 'visit' he had given his uncle, he had returned to his house for a quick shower and sleep; since he had not had any ever since he left for his mission. He seemed to be very tired and had fallen into a deep slumber; for the next thing he knew, he was awoken by a maid and it was 'next morning' already. The maid told him, while intently looking at the wooden floor and blushing a very dark shade of red due to his revealing torso, that the Tsunade had asked for him to be in her office in an hour.

When he arrived, Sakura, Lee and Shino were already at the Tsunade's office. Neji later found out that they had all volunteered straight away for the Orochimaru mission. Not long after Neji arrived, the Tsunade walked into the room as well, looking each of them over.

"Late again." She grumbled.

As if answering her call, Shikamaru knocked and strolled in casually at that point and yawned. He received a glare from the Hokage, and he returned it with an I'm-not-bothered hooded look. As Tsunade started talking, he stuffed his hands into his pocket and lolled his head towards one side of his shoulder.

"I have received some information from a very reliable source telling me that Orochimaru will be meeting Arisa at the Ouran Bridge 2 days from now at exactly 12 o' clock."

"Who is Arisa?" Lee asked. Neji had forgotten that Shikamaru and he were the only people who knew who Arisa was, as they had heard from 'T' during their mission.

"One of Orochimaru's favorites, apparently." Shikamaru yawned. Tsunade nodded.

"It is not clear why they are meeting, but it is believed to only be a small update on recent events." The Hokage started fumbling around her desk.

"Your mission will be to assassinate Orochimaru on the spot and return. I have arranged for Temari to meet up with you guys halfway. Ouran Bridge is near Suna, and it would be better if someone who is familiar with the geography is around." At this, Neji saw Shikamaru shift uncomfortably at his spot and blush a tiny tint of pink.

"I have asked the Kazekage to send us blueprints of the entire Suna and its surrounding villages. You should receive it in an hour or so." She turned to look at Shikamaru and Neji.

"Please make a plan, brief your fellow teammates, and send a copy of it to Temari. You will leave tonight. Understood?"

"Hai" They replied.

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Shikamaru and Neji sat inside a room with a single tiny window in the corner in the Hokage's tower. The rest of the team had gone home to get ready for tonight, leaving Shikamaru and Neji to scheme their flawless plan.

Right now, they were waiting for the blueprints to arrive. They sat in absolute silence. Neji didn't mind, and he was sure the trouble-phobic man next to him liked it as well. Therefore, he was surprised when he started speaking first.

"Seen Tenten lately?" he asked casually, both his legs rested on the table and hands behind his head.

"No." He replied.

"Tch." Shikamaru sniggered. "I thought you'd be seeing her everyday."

"It's not that easy when you have a certain medic nin watching your every move." Neji remarked.

"Ah. Aoki Ai, isn't that her name?" Shikamaru nodded. "Apparently nobody in the hospital likes her' Sakura wants to kill her."

"You can say that again"

"Well today is your lucky day, my man. I heard Ino say she's left." Neji stood up, violently knocking down his chair.

"Gone?" He asked.

"Yea." The shadow user yawned, ignoring the fact that Neji had just practically thrown his chair out the window.

"Forever?"

"No, just for a few days. She needs to go back to Suna for some supplies, apparently."

That was good enough for Neji.

Distant hurried footsteps could be heard. Somebody was running towards their room.

Sorry for the long wait. Next chapter will be up very soon. I can promise you that.

xholicx