Neji thought heroes were overrated.
The clan called him a hero on a regular basis. They claimed that the bloodline had never been as strong as it was within his body. They said that his strength and wisdom had reestablished their place as one of the strongest and most respected families in Konoha.
They were wrong.
Neji didn't think that their newly flourishing and dare he say, content, family had anything to do with him. They had not been able to overcome years of bitterness because he was a hero. There had been many excellent jounin and anbu from both sides of the Hyuuga family already. It had nothing to do with swiftness of his strikes, or the scope of his vision.
It was because of her vision.
His, small, unassuming, and forgotten wife was the reason behind the newfound hope that the Hyuuga family held. She was the one who had spent months researching their history, trying to find a way to remove the curse seal without threatening the preservation of their bloodline. She was the one who shyly approached her cousin and asked him to marry her. She had known that the family would never recognize her, explained to him that they needed someone strong to follow. It had shocked him at first, because she was the strongest person he knew. He had told her so and she had just smiled.
Neji fell in love with that sad, wise smile almost immediately.
So they had married, and the clan had praised him for his wisdom and courage in combining the clans again. He had wanted to shout at them for their ignorance, but she had held his arm and smiled that damned knowing smile again. So he had acquiesced to her wishes, and nodded as empty congratulations and praises were thrown at him. They had acted as if this marriage was the greatest sacrifice that he had ever made.
They couldn't have been more wrong.
Neji knew that he didn't deserve Hinata. She was the smartest, gentlest, and kindest woman he had ever known. She had forgiven him for his foolish adolescent actions without a moment's thought. When he had stumbled into the village shell-shocked after his first anbu mission she had been the one to soothe him as he desperately tried to get the images of death out of head. She would still stop whatever she was doing and sit with him when he came back from a particularly difficult mission.
Contrary to what most of the clan thought, Neji's wedding day was the happiest day of his life.
Nobody knew that though. They were just grateful that the genius of their clan was in a position of power now. They assumed that Hinata would be ruler in name only, with Neji pulling all of the strings. In truth, it was Neji who was nothing more than a figure head. She was the one who forged new alliances and strengthened old ones. When the hokage requested a meeting with the clan heads it was she who did all the talking.
She was always greeted with respect at these meetings, and her suggestions were always listened to with care. Other rulers seemed to recognize the quiet strength and wisdom inside her small frame.
In fact the only ones who couldn't see the truth were the Hyuugas.
Because all they wanted was a hero.