Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto.
Author's notes: I love Neji, but he is a jerk. Thoughts?
Malice
At nearly five years old, Neji considers himself infinitely smarter than his little three year old cousin Hinata. So it is no trouble at all to walk up to the girl one spring morning and pretend that his father is not dead, that they are still friends. It is all too easy to lure the dumb child away from the house.
Neji takes her to the largest tree on the family parkland, an old oak that some of his relatives had nailed scrap wood to in order to form a rough ladder and platform. He climbs carefully up and entices her after him, even helping her with the last rung. Then, when she is least expecting it, he scrambles back down, stranding her there.
Hinata is too scared to make the descent, and to Neji's eternal delight she bursts into tears. "Brother Neji! Help me! Please!"
"It's okay, Hinata," Neji lies smoothly, his high child's voice even. He holds out his arms reassuringly. "Just jump. I promise I'll catch you."
It is a testament to the girl's gullibility that she believes him, when a fool could see that he would be unable to catch her, even if he actually wished to; Girls grow faster than boys, after all, and she is nearly as big as he is! At the last moment, he moves out of the way, and she hits the dusty ground hard, twisting her small ankle.
Neji leaves her in the dirt.