Disclaimer: I do not own any recognizable thing from Naruto. I just like to take the characters out of the box and play with them awhile. I promise to put them back when I am done. Everything else, story-plot and some concepts are mine though, so don't steal them.

Summary: 'Gaara.' Shikamaru warned. 'She is one of the Fell. Regulation dictates her off limits.' The shadow shifter's gaze flickered to the figure lying broken on the stone steps before returning to his lords apathetic facade. Gaara turned to him, his sea-foam eyes flashing dangerously with the veins of lightening overhead. 'Fuck regulation. She's coming with us.'

Note: Comment for a Cookie? It is rated for language and minor violence. The lyrics below are written by Within Temptation, scroll down for the chapter beginning.

Thank You(s): I just want to thank (in no particular order) Leah, XxGaarasGirlXx, The Laughting Phoenix, XxRokairyxX, Atanih Manaka, Midnight blue08, and Renee8725 for reviewing last chapter! Reviews make me smile...

I loved everyones reactions to last chapter with the whole Haku thing and why Hinata was cast down. Thanks Again!!

Please Read A/N at end of Chapter!

The Promise:

On behalf of her love

She no longer sleeps

Life had no longer meaning

Nothing to make her stay

She sold her soul away

I held you tight to me

You slipped away

You promised to return to me

And I believed, I believed

After the night he died

I wept my tears until they dried

But the pain stayed the same

I didn't want him to die all in vain

I made a promise to revenge his soul in time

I'll make them bleed down at my feet

I held you tight to me

But you slipped away

You promised to return to me

And I believed

Sometimes I wonder

Could I have known about your true intentions?

As the pain stayed the same

I'm going to haunt them down all the way

I made a promise to revenge his soul in time

One by one they were surprised

I held you tight to me

But, you slipped away

You promised to return to me

And I believed

I held you tight to me

But, you slipped away

You promised to return to me

And I believed

Chapter Five:

'Hit'

'Dodge'

'Turn'

'Dodge'

'Lunge'

'Hit'

'Hit'

'Turn'

Repeat.

The crippling echo of skin connecting to wood was all he would allow himself to concentrate on. His mind blank of all emotion, opal eyes shining hollow in the failing sun of twilight.

'Lunge'

'Hit'

'Hit'

'HIT'

'HIT'

By now his palm had curled itself into a first, his taped knuckles pounding furiously into the training post. He could feel the blood running down his arms just as the tears managed to slip down his face in laconic trails.

'It wasn't suppose to be this way.'

'HIT'

'THWACK'

'HIT'

Flecks of wood peppered his face. The practice pole absorbed the splashes of crimson that were left behind with every strike.

'She was the only one I could trust apart from Father.'

'HIT'

'HIT'

He ignored the hairline fracture crawling across the middle section of the post.

'She lied to me.'

'HIT'

'She betrayed the Hyuuga.'

'THWACK'

'She betrayed father.'

'HIT'

'She betrayed me.'

The post exploded into a shower of splinters and blood stained chunks. Neji looked at the remnants of wood littering the Branch House practice field before gazing down at his hands. The raw flesh that stretched across his knuckles should have been screaming in pain; nerve endings flaming in protest at such cruel exposer and treatment.

The pain in his hands didn't phase him, but the pain in his heart...

That night, three days ago. The night he cradled his father's lifeless body to his chest, he promised vengeance. Those responsible would soon find themselves with Neji's hand around their throat, while their blood pooled at his feet. But it wasn't meant to be. His act of revenge would go unanswered.

'All because of her...'

FlashBack

The Main meeting room was packed. Bodies pressed up against one another allowing hardly space to breath, let alone sit. Hiashi looked over the throng of Hyuuga, both Main and Branch, with solemn eyes. He and the rest of the Main council comprised of 6 others sat upon a raised platform lining the North wall; Clan Head in the middle, the seat to his left occupied by Seiji, and the seats to his right...

Neji gazed curiously at Hinata's empty seat. Hanabi's absence was expected. The younger royal rarely attended meetings. Instead she often used the time to take advantage of an empty training field.

But Hinata...

As Heiress it was demanded, but as it stood, she was not there. In fact he had not laid eyes on her for nearly two days. The last time he had seen her, she didn't even speak to him. It was right after the Main Branch had removed his father's corpse from their living room floor. She came to him that night and held him as he wept. No words were spoken between them, only silent understanding. He cried himself to sleep in her embrace and woke up the next morning alone; a small pillow in place of her lap.

After that, Neji had locked himself away in his room, planning retribution. He knew Haku would protect their Lady with all his being while he grieved.

His mind was drawn back to the present at the sound of Seiji's cane tapping against the wooden floor in a demand for quiet attention. Hiashi turned to the Elder and nodded in thanks before facing his clan with a firm grimace. He stood and cleared his throat.

"The Hyuuga Clan has always been, and always will be. Our people witnessed dawns first light, just as we will witness the suns final set. We are a clan of loyalty, wisdom, understanding and unsurpassed strength. Today, I implore you to not let what happens this evening separate us, but instead bring us closer together for the good of the Clan." The mob of Angels erupted into a small hum of puzzled voices. Neji looked upon his Uncle in question.

'What is he talking about?'

"We are all aware that two days ago The Branch House lost a great man." Hiashi looked down. "The Main House lost an Angel who would have gladly sacrificed his life in service. And I-," Hiashi paused before continuing quietly. "I lost a brother." Seiji stood seeing that Hiashi's resolve had weakened and as such, he would be unable to continue. The Elder placed a hand on Hiashi's shoulder before stepping up and taking the podium.

"Hizashi's memory will live on. So let us start our lament by offering those closest to him some peace of mind." Seiji lifted a time weathered hand, and motioned to the guard at the left entrance. The guard bowed before opening the door and beckoning in two more Branch guards dragging a third unknown party by bound wrists; their face hidden beneath a small cloth bag covering their head. The prisoner, a woman by noticeable reasons, was led to the center of the room, where she was forced to face the Council. Neji's sharp eyes watched as his Uncle's face turned away from the spectacle, as if ashamed.

"I give you," Seiji stated with a manic flame in his aged eye, "Hizashi's murdered."

A collective gasp followed by silence, enveloped the room as the black bag was pulled off to reveal the Hyuuga's own light of compassion, Hinata. A single cry from somewhere near the back of the procession cut through the stillness that had fallen upon the crowd. That was all it took to open the flood gates of hate that now poured forth from the mob in thunderous shouts and curses, literally making the walls quake. But in Neji's world it was still silent. His sorrow filled eyes roved over the apathetic Heiress standing in the center of the room. She wasn't cowering or shivering in fear like he would of thought her to be. In fact, she almost seemed amused with the situation. A throng of fevered Hyuuga's at her back, and a panel of Main Family before her; each face painted with the same look of disgust and well disguised drollery.

He couldn't believe it.

Hinata. His cousin. His friend. The one he confided in and whom confided in him. Memories of the past flashed behind his eyes.

'"I'll always protect you, Hinata." "P-Promise?" "Yup! I promise." "Even f-from a d-d-demon." "Weeelllll?" "N-Neji!" "Of course I would, you twerp! I promised didn't I?"'

'Killing a spider that had her whimpering in fear.'

'Wiping a smear of mud off her cheek.'

'Wrapping a cut on her hand after a kuni slipped.'

'Her hand woven through his, trying to get him to dance in the rain with her.' (He didn't)

'Watching her plant herbs with fiery determination.'

'Begging him to be her escort to Summer Solstice sparing her from having to sit next to the horribly foul smelling date her father had picked.'

'Her hand woven through his, trying to get him to dance under the stars with her.' (He did)

'Watching her walk proudly through her thriving garden.'

'Wrapping a cut on her finger after trying to pick a rose riddled with thrones.'

'Running his hand through those long indigo locks when she accidentally dozed off on his shoulder after a particularly hard training session.'

'Listening to her delicate sniffles outside her window after enduring another meeting with Hiashi and his ruthless pack of councilmen.'

'Looking up at her from the ground with pride in his eyes as she held the kuni to his throat in triumph.'

'Stealing a kiss from her sleeping form.'

'Her soft hands tracing small circles onto his back as he let his emotions sweep him away over the death of his father.'

His eyes burned into the back of her head, willing her to look at him.

'If I can just see her face...Just see her eyes telling me that this is all a lie; a nightmare that I need to awake from...'

Hinata slowly turned, as if hearing his silent plea. Their eyes met.

The heiress' face was blank the first few moments that they gazed at eachother. But then something changed in her veneer. Her aura grew fierce, spiteful. Her eyes frosted over and her lips began curling into a feral grin.

End of FlashBack

The memory of that chilling smirk, still made Neji's heart freeze and the blood in his veins turn to ice. He ran out of the meeting hall after that smile, all thoughts of vengeance replaced with a hollow pit. Every day since then, his waking moments were spent here, at the training fields; willing himself to an emotionless state where the death of his father, and the betrayal of Hinata couldn't reach him. He didn't even go to the Fall. Fearing that if he saw her one more time, his heart would scream in protest to forgive her; beg of the council to be merciful.

No, he didn't go. He refused to taint his father's memory as such.

The Fall went on without him. Hinata was cast down for the murder of his father. Neji now truly understood what it was to be alone. So here he remained secluded from the rest of Heaven realm and its people, destroying all the equipment the Branch House had to offer in the meantime. He would rather remain alone and aloof than ever allow himself to be in the position to feel helpless and naked again.

It wasn't as if people were avidly searching for him. Not even Haku had come in pursuit of the missing Hyuuga. Now that he thought about it, Haku's absence was rather disconcerting.

The Throne Angel shrugged it off. The Ice wielder was probably dealing with his own paralyzing loss at the moment and simply wanted to be left alone, not unlike himself.

Neji re-taped his hands and moved onto the next training post.

'Never again.' The Hyuuga prodigy promised himself taking perfect stance. 'Never again.'

'Hit'

'Dodge'

'Turn'

'Dodge'

'Lunge'

'Hit'

'Hit'

'Turn'

Repeat.

End of Chapter Five: The Promise:

A/N: Okay this chapter was really hard to write for some reason. There was just so much I wanted to project, and I think it came out awkward. The way I spaced it was on purpose. Almost to give you a visual to how chaotic and confused Neji's thoughts are...were...whatever. Oh well, defiantly not one of my best chapter's, but I think it still got the point across. Please tell me what you think.

Oh and Gaara and Co. will be back in the next chapter!