"Auntie." A younger Neji, around five, called out to his aunt as he ran over. In the deserts of Kon, you would find that there were three different types of residents. The first were the humans who had taken the area of the desert that originally belonged to the demons and made it into their own dwelling, Heartlight Fortress.

But then, there were some humans who tried to live their lives as they did before this 'war' on demons began. They were a small group of nomads who wandered the deserts. They would often make pilgrimages to the Oasis that held the Spirit Temple.

A human woman who looked like an older version of Hinata (especially since she was holding the small girl on her lap) looked over and asked, "Yes Neji, what is it?" Neji slowed down until he stopped in front of his aunt and uncle's tent, he then held out a decorated bucket. It was engraved with pictures of the Ichibi No Shukaku and the Gobi No Hokou. "My, what a rare find!" Neji smiled,

"Do you really think so?"

"I th-think it's pretty..." Little Hinata (three) said from her mother's lap. But then a monotone voice stated,

"I think it's junk." The three pearl-eyed individuals turned and saw a younger Pein. He looked just as cold and emotionless as he always had, but you have to understand that he had been through a lot. His father was a demon and his mother a human and the poor woman died during child-birth. His father tried his best but Pein was withdrawn from the world, focusing on his abilities of mind-reading and changing the natural elements around him.

"Now Pein," Hinata's mother began, "I think Neji's find is precious." She handed the bucket back to the small brunette. "You should keep it close to you." Neji smiled,

"Thanks Auntie." The group of desert nomads used to be quite bigger. But the desert was a cruel, harsh mistress who would take many into her unforgiving embrace. Neji's parents had met this fate by the hand of the deserts inhabitants: the monsters that would appear when the sun would start to go down.


Later that day, at the forbidden time, the group was packing up their belongings and preparing to move. That's what they would do: rest during the day, run and fight during the night.

"We have wolfos and stalchildren coming from the east," Hinata's father began, "So we will head west until they go back to the nesting grounds, understood?" Everyone agreed and then they were off.

The group walked on, trying to get as far ahead of the coming attack as possible. It wasn't until the full moon rose and a chilling howl filled the air that everyone began running.

"They're coming! The wolfos are – AAGGHH!" The rabid creatures claimed there first victim of the night, the sounds of screams and ripping flesh resounding through the area.

"Keep running!" Hinata's father called out to the rest of them. No one had to be told twice as they rushed through the sandy desert. But fate seemed to have more twists in store for them. A fierce wind rushed up through the desert, bringing whipping sand to scratch at their eyes and block their vision.

"Didn't you see the storm coming?" Hinata's mother yelled at her husband. He replied,

"I was too worried about the damn monsters to –" He was cut off by the noise of snapping clicks and growls. Gasps of unease and fear were prevalent even with the winds whipping around them as they found that they were surrounded by wolfos, their green eyes shining and mouths drooling, and stalchildren, blank eyes and fierce clawed hands. "We have no choice," Hinata's father began, getting into a fighting stance. "We have to fight our way out of this." Hinata's mother flinched before she gathered Neji, Pein, and Hinata together.

"Pein, do you remember the drill?" The orange-haired boy nodded and, without even blinking, a small hole had been dug in the ground. "Good now, in you go..." She carefully placed Hinata in first then Neji and then Pein. "Alright now. Pein, seal yourselves up and don't come out until the noises stop. Understood?" The three nodded before Pein sat down. Due to being a half-demon, he was able to work with the small amount of chakra that he had. He silently stared forward into space as a clear barrier surrounded the three children. Hinata's mother quickly covered it up with sand the best that she could and went to join her husband and the others.

The howling of the winds was unyielding but you could hear the sounds of conflict, struggle, growls... When the screams from the group began, Neji instinctively covered up Hinata's ears. Pein was indifferent, Hinata was sheltered, but Neji had to sit there and hear his family be slaughtered.


It was mere hours, but it felt like days, when the noise finally stopped. Pein dropped the barrier and they quickly dug themselves out before the sand crushed them.

They almost felt like going back inside.

Everyone, everything was gone. It was as if, amongst all the fighting, the winds had swept them all away without a trace. The only remnants that remained were various items and the red trails on the ground.

"Mother?" Hinata called out, walking around to see if she could see anyone, "Father? Where are you?" Neji was at a loss, everything had happened so fast, his mind was still trying to take in all that had happened. But Pein, being ever-tactful, stated,

"Well, if this isn't the greatest thing in the world? Stuck in the middle of nowhere with you two. I'll be surprised if I don't kill myself before we die of thirst."

"Would you stop?" Neji gritted out, "Hinata doesn't need to hear things like that!" Pen simply rolled those cold gray eyes and picked up what seemed to be a jug of water.

"Just start picking up the food and water... Let's see how long we can make it out here." Neji narrowed his eyes but began to pick up what he could, using the bucket he had found to gather water from broken bottles.

"Neji!" Hinata ran back, "I can't find anyone! Wh-where did they g-go?" The brunette looked over at his cousin,

"Hinata..."

"They're dead." Pein dead-panned, wrapping up what little food they had in a satchel, "And we will be too if we don't get a move on!" He hefted the bag up onto his shoulder and began walking towards the direction they had come from.

"Where are you going?" Neji cried out.

"Back to the Oasis!" Pein cried back, not even returning a glance. Neji wanted to yell something to the half-demon but, when he looked at Hinata he figured that he had something else to tend to.

"Hinata-chan? Are you okay?"

"...", the girl was quiet. Neji sighed, trying to find the best words before he said,

"Hinata, about your Mother and Father... I'm so sorry." Hinata was quiet. But then her eyes welled up in tears before she started sobbing and crying. Neji reached out a hand to carry her but she just went on to follow Pein.


They kept to the rhythm that the adults had taught them: rest in the day, run by night. They would often have to hole up in their makeshift shelter because Hinata couldn't run that fast.

As if to add to their problems, the food was quickly diminishing. They had been wandering for around two and a half weeks. "I'm hungry. Is there enough for us to eat?" Neji silently relayed the question to Pein via eye contact. But when the half-demon looked into the satchel, he shook his head.

"Unless you want us to ration off a slice of bread not big enough for a mouse..." Hinata started to whine, to which Pein retorted to Neji,

"We could eat the weakest member of our little pack. Make good use of all of our resources." Hinata trembled but Neji blocked her with his hand, saying,

"Don't joke around like that." Pein rolled his eyes, walking on. Neji sighed in relief and was about to offer to carry Hinata on his back, when Pein's voice sent a chill through him.

"I wasn't joking."


Another week and the small trio had used up the last of their water. They were now trying to make a last ditch effort to get to the Oasis when Hinata whimpered, "I don't think I can go on anymore Neji..."

"Come on, Hinata," Neji tried to encourage her, "Only a few more steps." Yet, it was in vain. The small girl collapsed to the ground in over-exhaustion. "Hinata! Hinata, wake up!"

A sharp whistling filled the air, signaling the whipping winds that began to ravage the area. Pein growled,

"I told you we should have just eaten her!" The wind proved to be twice as fierce this time around and soon, Neji and Pein couldn't see two inches in front of their faces.

Was this it, Neji thought, is this how he was going to die?

Neji thought it really was it. Abruptly,

"Oh, you poor things." Neji looked up to see a man with long, black, spiky hair and smiling red eyes. He continued with a smile, "If you come with me, I'll make sure that you all will never suffer again." What else were they supposed to do? Stay there and die? Pein did his best to nod and, albeit hesitant, Neji did too.


Ichibi was enraptured by Neji's story, he was sitting there, waiting with baited breath, just to see the brunette taking a bite of coconut. "Wait, what about the story?" Neji swallowed his mouthful and smiled,

"Oh, so you are interested, Ichibi-sama!" Ichibi blushed and looked away, muttering,

"I was just wondering why the background noise stopped." Neji shook his head and, after swallowing some of the coconut milk, stated,

"Then I'll continue. After that, Madara treated us fine for a couple of weeks: Feeding us, taking care of us, making sure we were healthy. But something happened when those four witches came into the picture..."


"Children?" Madara chimed, as he walked into the dining room of his stone-hewn mansion. "Children, I'd like you to meet my friends the Bewitched Sisters." Madara was followed by a quartet of women. "Junme," The fiery-looking one in red, "Biyako," The gloomy-looking one in blue, "Ayame," The simple-looking one in green, "And Megumi.", was the authoratative one in purple.

"Good morning." The three children bowed. Ayame cooed,

"Oh! How cute~!" She turned to Biyako, rubbing her rounding tummy, "Will your babies be that cute~?" Biyako replied, her bore monotone almost painful to listen to,

"I don't know..." She gave a pointed glance towards Madara, "Will they?"

"Don't bother me with that now, woman." Madara scoffed before he smiled, "Enjoy your breakfasts children. We will just be talking in the other rooms." The adults then left and, when they were out of earshot, Madara asked, "So... Are they usable?" Megumi scoffed,

"I suppose the two boys...", then she added, "But the girl is absolutely useless!" Madara smirked,

"I wouldn't say completely useless...", his words taking on the tone they would when he found something he liked. When he lightly licked his lips, Biyako scoffed,

"You're sick in the mind..."

"Bite me~!" Madara chimed.


"Wait," Neji asked as he and Pein were led down a hallway in the Spirit Temple. Madara and the Bewitched Sisters had wandered (broken) into the Spirit Temple and Madara had a plan to enact. "What are we doing here?"

"Why," Madara smiled, "Just for a visit like you nomads would do."

"But the Temple is a sacred place!" Hinata spoke up, "We aren't supposed to be inside!"

"Quiet down you useless girl!" Junme hissed, grabbing the girl's arm and dragging her along. They finally came to the door of a certain room. Madara took Hinata and handed the women a large jug of some mysterious substance.

"Will this even work?" Biyako asked.

"Of course it will, as long as you perform the steps right. I'll be right here if you need me!" The Bewitched sisters sighed before they dragged Neji and Pein into the room and shut the door.

"Neji!" Hinata cried out but was stopped Madara's smiling face and strong grip.

"Now now... Your cousin will be fine." He sat down on a stone bench and patted to his lap, "Come here and sit on Uncle Madara's lap for a while." Hinata shivered, knowing that something was off but she did as she did as she was told. "Yes... that's it." The dark-haired male chuckled, rubbing a hand down the small girl's side, "You're a pretty little girl, aren't you?"

"C-can I go now?" Hinata sniffled, "Please?" Madara frowned but he let the girl go,

"... Of course."


"Drink it!"

"No!"

In the room, Megumi was trying to force half of the mixture that they had been given down Neji's throat. While her sisters worked with the other boy. After a moment of initial disgust, Pein simply chugged the vile mixture down whereas Neji yelled and thrashed about. The mixture was thick and pulpy with remnants of strange plants, some kind of fleshy substance, and...

"I can't drink that, it has blood in it!" Neji shoved Megumi away.

"Oh, come on now! It's only demon blood, it will be fine!" Megumi yelled, finally stabbing a knife through the boy's hand. Neji howled out in pain, creating an opportunity for Megumi to shove the drink down.

When the ordeal was over, Both Pein and Neji felt like puking, but they were laid down on the stone tables in the room before the witches began chanting in some foreign language. Neji felt dizzy so he simply laid there, but he was still conscious enough to realize that something was happening. The paintings on the walls... They seemed to glow in an eerie mixture of red, blue, green and purple. The colors mixed and churned, grew and writhed as the chanting from the witches intensified until, finally, the glow rushed down and surrounded Neji and Pein.

Neji wanted to say something but he found he couldn't move. So he was forced to lay there as the dark energies surrounded him. And then, all went black; a pain akin to being thrown into searing flames and ripped apart by savage gales.


The room was quiet as Neji took another break to finish off more of the coconut. But Ichibi was speechless, and more than a little bit frightened. "They... made you drink..."

"Demon blood?" Neji finished for him. "Yes. That's how Madara and the Bewitched Sisters originally got their powers, by using the blood and the chakra of the demons they had slain." Neji took one more drink before he continued, "The main reason he used the same process on me and Pein is because he wanted to show the other humans that demons weren't the only ones with power. He wanted to make it so that they would start to think you guys as inferior, as well as the gods of Kon. That's why he forced me to use my powers to train in the ways of the wind, so the humans would have a god to look to and, in turn, have more a reason to follow Madara."

There was more quiet before Ichibi quietly spoke, "I... don't know what to say..." Sea-foam eyes looked up to meet with pearl ones, "... I'm so sorry..." Neji nodded but he silently moved closer to Ichibi as they looked at each other so intently.

There was a gasp from the young demon as Neji pressed their lips together, nothing to rough, just a soft movement. But it meant so much as Ichibi let out a soft moan, trying to open his lips to let the other edge the kiss furthur.

Neji took the invitation, still holding onto that gentleness that he had treated Ichibi with this whole ill-fated encounter. But, all too soon for Ichibi's taste, he pulled away. "Why did you..?"

"Shh..." Neji whispered, carefully wrapping his arms around Ichibi's smaller figure for a gentle embrace. Despite his current situation, Ichibi felt... almost at ease with this human here. Even though Neji's final statement made his heart break, along with the sparse tears that fell to his shoulder.

"Even though you're so sweet, Ichibi-sama, I can still taste the blood of all those years ago on my lips... Forgive me..."


A/N:

So there we have Neji's past. Yay, or not yay... Now here comes the part that I've been abhoring ever since I heard the news. Due to reasons that are out of my control, my internet is about to be turned off. I will still write this story, but I don't when I'll be able to post up new chapters. Gomen nasai! * runs off in shame *

Please, if you don't hate me rigth now, could you leave a review?

Next time on The Legend of Hoshi: Metronome of Time:

"Remind me... Why are we risking our lives in this wretched place again?"

Discovering the secrets behind the humans power... The Heartlight Training Complex!

-Tyranno's girl.