It took me a while to decide how to handle this scene, but I believe it is the best way. As always, Naruto belongs to Kishimoto.

Tenten glared at the red-roofed building in front of her, then as if realizing her anger was misplaced, snapped it to Neji instead. "This is stupid. You're being stupid."

"I've made my decision," Neji repeated, not wavering against her continued attempts to sway him.

"It's a stupid decision," she spat. "How long have you worked for this? All the risks? You're just going to let it be for nothing?"

"It's the right decision."

"You didn't do anything to her. It's not your fault. Don't waste this."

Neji smiled and headed for the administration building. "Tell Lee I'll come see him tomorrow."

Tenten meant well, but she didn't understand. She couldn't, not without having grown up in the clan. It was his fault. He understood that now, understood the consequences of his ambition. And it was time to set things right.

The halls were quiet, save for a few shinobi reporting in from missions. Neji headed straight for a simple, paper-filled desk where a young secretarial assistant sat working. Neji nodded to the young man before speaking. "I would like to speak with the Hokage. It concerns the chuunin exam."

"I'll see if he's available," the man said and left for the large office behind him. After a moment, he returned. "Hokage-sama will see you."

Neji thanked him and entered the Hokage's office. Sandaime was alone, a rarity in itself, and waited for the door to shut before offering him a withered smile. "What can I do for you, Neji?"

Neji clasped his hands behind his back and bowed. "Respectfully, I wish to withdraw from the chuunin exam."

There was an atmosphere around old shinobi leaders that younger generations had yet to learn. A sense of control that exuded from them, as if they had witnessed so much in their lives that absolutely nothing was capable of surprising them. Sandaime had mastered this technique. As if Neji had merely commented on the pleasant weather, Sandaime leaned back and watched him.

"You're a favorite to win, so why would you want to withdraw?"

Neji waited a moment, choosing his words carefully. "Recent events have made me realize that I am not ready to be a chuunin. I wish to withdraw and take the chance to mature for the next exam."

"Would this recent event be the accident at the preliminary matches?" Sandaime asked, his voice calm and steady.

"One of them, yes." Neji tried to remain as composed as the Hokage himself, but he was glad Sandaime wasn't a Hyuuga. The guilt was unfortunately obvious whenever Hinata was mentioned.

"And the others?"

"Clan matters, Hokage-sama," Neji answered diplomatically.

"Clan matters remain clan matters until they interfere with your duties to the village. The chuunin exam isn't simply for your promotion, it's a show of strength for the village, one that helps keep the peace." Sandaime leaned forward, resting his chin against his interlaced hands. "If you want me to accept your withdrawal, I want a better reason than clan matters."

Neji resisted, his mouth tightly closed. Hyuugas did not discuss clan matters—especially the seal—outside close friends or the clan, and that was a difficult rule to break.

"Neji, I have been Hokage for a very long time. I was there when your uncle was sent to Kumogakure. I know about Hyuuga matters, and anything you say will remain with me."

The instinct to remain silent struggled to keep its claws in Neji, but he slowly forced it back. Sandaime was right. If anyone knew the Hyuuga's secrets, it was the Hokage. "My grandfather forced Hinata to learn the seal because of me. I upset the balance of main and branch families, and he used the seal to restore it. I don't agree with him, but the fact is that my actions were the cause. I didn't mean for it to happen, but I never thought about the consequences of my actions beyond myself."

"So this is to punish yourself?" Sandaime asked.

Punishment? Neji looked down, unwilling to meet the old man's gaze. "Only partially, but that's not the full reason I'm asking to withdraw."

"And what is?"

Neji took a deep breath and forced his eyes up. He would face up to his decision. "A chuunin can be in charge of a team. A leader who must be able to think of everyone. I have always thought the way to protect someone is to be better than everyone else. I rushed forward as fast as I could, and never once looked to see what it would do to the people I was trying to protect. I'm not ready to be a chuunin. I need to learn to slow down and pay attention. I need to realize I can't— I shouldn't do everything by myself."

A flicker of a smile pulled at Sandaime's lips and for a moment a shrewd silence masked his face. "That is an apt examination of yourself, but just because you are in the chuunin exam doesn't mean you are made chuunin. If you participate, I would agree to not promote you and the village would still have its show."

He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing but air escaped. That wasn't what he had anticipated and none of his mental rehearsals had a prepared reply. It sounded reasonable, and yet the very thought twisted Neji's stomach and left his jaw clenched. "With all due respect, I still wish to withdraw."

"Why?" Sandaime pressed, his eyes narrowing like a dagger at Neji.

Neji straightened his back, vainly hoping the formality would lessen the emotion biting its way to the surface. Shame already claimed a place in his pale eyes. "I've been praised all my life for my skill, but because of this exam I've done nothing with that skill but make my sister suffer. I don't deserve . . . I don't want to be praised for that. Please, let me withdraw, and next time I will be the best and not at anyone's expense."

Sandaime relaxed back into his chair, a sly old smile beamed pride back at Neji. "I believe you will. You already understand something that shinobi far older than you sometimes never figured out: being the strongest doesn't necessarily make you a better shinobi. I'll grant your request and look forward to the next chuunin exam."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama." Neji bowed low and let all the relief flood him. Head still low, Neji took his leave of the Hokage and headed back out into the late afternoon sun.

It was the right thing to do. No matter what Tenten, Gai, or any of his family thought, there had to be a consequence for what had happened. It wasn't simply about being punished, though he felt he deserved it. Feeling guilty changed nothing, not even himself. He had to do something to change himself. And he had to face a consequence that affected him, not someone else. It was too easy to place the blame of Hinata's pain on their grandfather. It was Hyobe's fault for forcing her to use the seal; he was the one who compounded her suffering.

But that wasn't true. Hyobe's actions weren't right, but his words were. Neji was the one who ignored the rules of the clan. He still believed he was in the right—those skills would be used to protect the clan one day and he deserved the chance to learn them—but he thought the backlash to his actions would be on him alone. That was his mistake. That decision did affect the clan, and he should have anticipated that. He had to stop thinking he could be a shield and bear the pain for them all, for Hinata, because a shield could be a weapon too. Removing himself from the chuunin exam was both penance and choice. It was the consequence that he had to face and a goal to work towards. Strength not just for the sake of others, but considering them too. And he would dominate the next chuunin exam.

Neji walked along the outer wall of the compound, following the peaked roof of the main house barely visible from the street, and he smiled. His reasons were his own, but Neji couldn't help imagining how nice it would be to disappoint his grandfather. Hyobe was so looking forward to showing off Hyuuga superiority in front of the village; it was going to taste sweet taking that from him.