Please see first chapter for disclaimer, etc.

Prompt: Death

Special Thanks: goes out to rao hyuga 18, DarkAnonymous324, Midnight Insomniac, naash, Ariasujm-chan, SnowCharms, Franoncrack, and Wroathe for your reviews! You all keep me so happy and inspired, and I appreciate you all so much!

Author's Note: This chapter was an admittedly difficult one to write. I've spent a very long time debating the contents of this particular prompt's storyline, wanting to take it on a different path than the obvious. The lovely Mama Jo helped inspire several parts of this story, and without her I doubt I could've done this. Once more, thank you all so much for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and alerting my story, and I hope you don't hate me too much for this prompt!

*~Death~*

Bright flashes of lightning flickered on the darkening horizon, followed moments later by distant rumbles of thunder. Neji sat quietly on the steps in front of the main house at the Hyuuga estate, watching the building storm.

All through the village, the haunting, meloncholy sounds of people in mourning echoed down the streets. The high walls around Neji muffled most of the sounds, but not all of them. His own home was predictably cold and silent, since his relatives mourned like they did everything else: quietly and privately.

He leaned his head against the railing post next to him, watching with tired pale eyes as the first drops of rain pattered into the courtyard before him. The wind whistled in, pressing into every nook and cranny it found - the only warm thing in the vicinity. Ironic how the Hyuuga lived in the Leaf Village, located in the heart of Fire Country, and yet it was as cold as a home in Snow Country.

Neji didn't look up as someone took a seat next to him; didn't even have to look to know who it was. "Hinata."

"Neji." His cousin smoothed her hands across her kimono, shying away when she reached the brace covering her left leg from ankle to knee. "H-How m-much longer d-do you think it will t-take? I-I mean ... f-for the village t-to heal?"

Halfheartedly, his shoulders lifted and dropped in a shrug. "I don't know," he answered honestly. "We didn't even really have a chance to recover from Pein's attack before the war started. And now ... we might never recover."

Hinata nodded once, solemnly. "I-I w-wanted t-to go t-to the memorial service," she whispered. "B-But Father wouldn't l-let me."

Now Neji glared out into the rain. "He wouldn't let any of us go." The Hyuuga had held a private memorial service within their walls for those in the family that had fallen during the war, but that was the extent of it. Both Neji and Hinata had asked Hiashi for permission to go to the village's joint memorial service to honor all that had fallen, but were immediately (and vehemently) denied. No reason was given.

For all intents and purposes, the Hyuuga had withdrawn behind their walls and not come out since they'd returned to Konoha. The only ones knowledgeable of the reasons were Lord Hiashi and the Elders, and they were all tight-lipped about it. Not even Hinata, the heiress, was privy to the details.

"Do you have any idea when we're going to be allowed outside again?" Neji finally voiced the question if for no other reason than to break the silence that had settled heavily between them.

"No." Hinata sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping as she exhaled. Her head bowed, midnight hair flowing over her shoulder to hide her face. "A-As always, only L-Lady Tsunade and Shizune are b-being allowed i-in." This time her fingers did slide down to her brace, closing over the metal cage almost regretfully. "I do not think that will continue much longer."

Neji knew what his cousin wasn't saying. She would never be able to be a kunoichi again, because even the best healer in the village was unable to repair the damage to Hinata's leg. "I haven't seen anyone outside of the family since we got back," he said. "Sometimes I think I can feel my sanity slipping. If I cannot go outside soon..." He trailed off.

Hinata nodded. "I-I kn-know what you m-mean." Reaching out, she tentatively touched his sleeve. "Y-You sh-should leave, n-no matter wh-what Father says."

"I will be stopped."

His cousin smiled, a hint of something almost devious in her eyes. "N-Not if you d-do not leave through the g-gate." She turned back to the rain, clasping her hands primly in her lap. "I-I will c-cover f-for your absence u-until you c-come back."

He wanted to jump on the offer immediately, without a second thought, but his sense of duty wouldn't let him. "If you're discovered, you'll get in trouble." Not as badly as he would, but still...

She shrugged. "What c-can b-be done? I am already c-confined t-to the house, and m-my leg prevents m-me from wandering freely even w-within these w-walls. G-Go, Neji. J-Just b-be careful."

The more cautious part of Neji thought that he should wait until dark to make his escape, but the logical side of him acknowledged the fact that it would do little good, since the people he wanted to go see would be in bed, asleep, at that hour. "All right. Thank you, Hinata."

Smiling serenely, she deliberately turned her head in the opposite direction. "For wh-what?" she asked innocently.

Neji allowed himself a small chuckle before he slipped on his shoes and stepped out into the rain. "Byakugan!" The activation of his bloodlimit as he crossed the courtyard helped him see where the guards were posted, and in what direction they were looking. Now he just had to find the right place to jump the fence, and then he could be on his way...

Even with his Byakugan, it was difficult for him to find the least guarded place along the fence. Hiashi seemed to have prepared for his very scenario earlier ... but what he hadn't taken into consideration was his nephew's determination. Neji had never tried to sneak out of the compound before, but he most certainly planned to make the first time count.

Once Neji was finally on the other side of the wall, he relaxed a little. Since all the guards were Hyuuga, they were also required to stay inside the walls, which meant there were none patrolling outside. The storm kept most of the other Konoha residents in their homes, meaning there were fewer people on the streets to notice him. All he had to do was duck his head so his hair framed his face and keep his eyes lowered, and he was as anonymous as he could make himself without time to plan anything more elaborate.

Now that he was free, for the first time in months, Neji wasn't quite sure where he wanted to go first. He had several destinations in mind, but each seemed just as important as the next. Eventually, he decided he was overthinking it and let his feet carry him where they would.

Surprisingly, when he stopped he found himself at Rock Lee's front door. Neji hesitated for a moment, then sighed and lifted his hand to knock. Thunder cracked directly overhead, and he scowled, knocking again just to make sure the first hadn't been covered by the other sound.

No answer. Hmm. Even though Konoha was now officially in a time of peace, missions were still being assigned. It stood to reason that Lee would go, and Neji wouldn't know because there was no way to get word to him inside Hyuuga House.

He knocked one more time, just in case. When a minute passed with no answer, he turned to leave. His next destination was firm in his mind, but he wondered if there would be a point to it. If Lee was out on a mission, wouldn't it stand to reason that Tenten would be, too?

Sure enough, knocking on her door produced no answers, either. Neji sighed, wondering what had prompted him to pick such an inopportune time to sneak out of the house.

That left only one last place to visit. Neji trudged through the rain to the Memorial Stone, located in the center of Team Kakashi's old training grounds. He had the names there pre-war long memorized, but he knew it had grown since he'd returned to Konoha. He needed to see the exact number. Needed to see...

He blinked. Through the almost solid curtain of sheeting rain, he saw another figure sitting before the Stone. Neji almost turned and left, expecting it to be Kakashi, but his feet kept carrying him forward despite his mental orders to the contrary.

Tenten.

Neji stopped a few steps behind her, waiting for her to notice him, to acknowledge his presence. He didn't want to startle her by calling out to her, or touching her.

It took a while, but finally Tenten looked at him over her shoulder. "So the Hyuuga are finally letting people leave again." Her voice was tired and bitter, as cold as the rain pouring from the sky.

Stepping forward, he knelt next to her. "No," he contradicted softly. "I ... left of my own accord."

Her pale lips twitched slightly. "You sneaked out, in other words."

"An appropriate description," he agreed. Neither of them could hold on to their brief moment of levity, and Neji sighed as he looked away from her. "I'm sorry I wasn't at the memorial service. Both Hinata and I begged to be allowed to come, but ... Hiashi refused. None of us know why the compound is on lockdown, why none of us have been allowed to leave since we returned to Konoha. Hinata thinks even Lady Tsunade and Shizune will soon be turned away, as well."

Tenten nodded, though the motion seemed more habitual than sincere. "How is Hinata?"

"Lady Tsunade has done all she can. Even though she is an extraordinary medic, Hinata's leg will never function correctly again. Her life as a kunoichi is over. Even though she can walk, with the assistance of a brace, she will never be able to run again. The damage to the chakra network in her leg is ... extensive, as well." Neji sighed. "The Elders are questioning her right as an heiress now. They claim the next head of our clan should have no weakness. Hinata is considering renouncing her birthright before it can be ripped from her."

His teammate nodded again. "Perhaps the situation should be looked at from a different perspective: Hinata will no longer have to be torn between her duties to her family and her duties to her village as a kunoichi. Now she is free to be clan head with nothing standing her way."

Neji smiled. He'd forgotten how refreshing Tenten really was, how her perspectives on life and politics made everyone else's seem ... dull. "What have I missed?" Other than the memorial service.

"Lee is on a mission. Lady Tsunade is stepping down as Hokage in a few months, when she will hand over her responsibilities to Naruto. She will remain the full-time head of the hospital for the next year, but then she's handing everything over to Shizune and Sakura." Tenten stopped there, her glazed eyes remaining focused on the Memorial Stone.

Finally, Neji allowed his own gaze to follow hers. His eyes drifted down the familiar names until he reached the new ones, the fresh carvings.

Akimichi Chouza. Aburame Shino. Inuzuka Tsume. So many Hyuuga names as well, though thankfully Hiashi, Hinata, and Hanabi were not included. There were many other names of shinobi and kunoichi he was not as familiar with, since he was not friends with any from those clans.

There was only one name left, the one he had been avoiding this whole time.

Maito Gai.

Neji had complained many times about his sensei's ridiculous methods, his love of "youth," and many other things that had annoyed him about the Blue Beast. But he still remembered the moment he found out that the namesake of Team Gai was gone... Everything had stopped, and the unshakeable feeling he'd always had deep inside him that Gai was indestructable was, at last, extinguished. The team had been rocked to its very core, all but shattered by the news.

He'd felt like he needed to be the strong one. He smothered his own mourning in favor of supporting a heartbroken Lee and a badly shaken Tenten. She had often shared his views of their sensei, but that also included their assumption that the man was oddly unkillable.

"How are you doing?" he asked quietly. More than anything else, he'd hated not being able to be with his teammates to grieve properly. Now that the war was over and they had time to mourn, he was locked within the walls of his family's estate, unable to contact Tenten and Lee and mourn with them. Neji knew from personal experience that mourning alone was the hardest thing in the world to do.

Tenten shrugged as she sucked in a deep, shaky breath. "I think Lee ... well, I think he got all his mourning done in one huge explosion, and now he's throwing himself into his work, wanting to remember Gai-sensei's 'youthfulness' and honor his memory."

Neji nodded once. "What about you?" he prompted again.

"I'm angry," she whispered. "I'm so angry, and ... I don't know how to get rid of it. I just keep getting angrier and angrier, and that makes me angry at myself, and ... that just keeps making the problem worse."

He remembered very well the anger of which she spoke. He'd carried his around for eight years, and even now occasionally struggled with it. "You know ... as shinobi we all know that life is fragile. Any mission could be our last, and this is especially true in times of war. This is why we have to embrace now, live our lives to the fullest."

A shadow of a smile flickered in her eyes and twitched at her lips. "Gai-sensei said that back in our genin days," she whispered. "He told us that our youth is something to be treasured. That ... that we should treasure the good and bad times with our friends, that once we find those steadfast bonds of friendship we should never let go."

"And that, even in death, we are remembered by those who love us most fondly, and should have no regrets when our time comes." Neji nodded slowly as he finished repeating his sensei's words from so long ago. "Even though I never really understood Gai-sensei and his 'passion for youth', I'll always remember him as a good teacher, a loyal friend, a great man, and a splendid shinobi."

Tenten nodded in agreement, and Neji had a feeling that the liquid streaming down her face wasn't just from the rain. "Me too," she whispered.

In silent and mutual agreement, they both stood. Neji took Tenten's hand and tucked it into the curve of his arm, slightly concerned by how cold her skin felt. "Come on," he said softly. "I'll walk you home. You should warm up and dry off before you get sick."

They walked in silence all the way to Tenten's apartment, only the rain and thunder providing sound for them. When they reached her door, she stood on her tiptoes and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. "Thank you, Neji," she whispered. "I'm glad you came."

He smiled slightly. "I am, as well." No matter the consequences he would suffer should someone find out he had left, he was glad he'd left the estate. He would do the same thing again in a heartbeat.

As he had when he left, Neji scanned the area with his Byakugan before vaulting the wall and hurrying across the courtyard to the main house. The hallway was empty when he entered, and he let out a soft breath as he closed the door behind him.

Neji made his way to the stairs as fast as he dared, grimacing as he realized he was dripping rainwater all over the place. As soon as he dried off and changed clothes, he'd have to come back downstairs and clean up.

"Neji."

He froze at the sound of his uncle's voice. Slowly turning, he looked up into the elder Hyuuga's mirroring pale eyes, years of rigid training preventing him from showing his anxiety and guilt. "Uncle." He bowed quickly.

Hiashi looked from Neji's clothes to the floor. "You're dripping water all over the entry," he said quietly.

That had been the last thing Neji expected his uncle to say. "Sir?"

"The Elders believe that keeping us all close will prevent us from losing any more members of our clan," Hiashi said, as if his earlier words had not been spoken. "We suffered many losses in the war. Then again, so did many other clans." He looked back up at Neji's face, his expression thoughtful. "For so long, we have lived our lives thinking we are superior, the better of all our fellow citizens of the Leaf. But are we, really?"

Neji tilted his head to the side, silently indicating his lack of understanding.

"The Hyuuga are a proud clan. We always have been, and that has nearly been our downfall. However, maybe all we've been waiting for was one person to be brave enough to step out of the shadows of the past and embrace a new future, better fitted to the new Konoha in which we now live." Hiashi nodded once, as if he'd just realized something. "I heard your and Hinata's conversation. I know you left the estate earlier to visit your teammates."

So here it is. He braced himself, willing to accept whatever punishment his uncle wished to serve.

Hiashi arched one eyebrow. "Are you going to say nothing to defend yourself, nephew?"

"Sir?" Neji blinked in surprise.

"Most would try to make excuses, to rationalize what could quite easily be seen as a breaking of the rules. Are you not going to do the same, then?"

Neji straightened his shoulders. "No, Uncle. I know that many Hyuuga were lost in the war, and I mourn each and every one of them. But Team Gai has become my family as well, and we lost our sensei. My place during this time is as much at the side of Tenten and Lee as it is here."

For the first time that Neji could ever remember, Hiashi's harsh features softened. "I have told no one that you left. As of right now, only Hinata and I know. I plan to keep it that way." He sighed. "We are an old clan, set deeply in our old ways. But we cannot keep doing things the way we always have. It's time for change. Earlier this evening, I informed the Elders that Hinata will be taking over leadership of the clan tomorrow. I know she can change this family for the better."

The last Neji had heard, Hinata was being "encouraged" to give up her title as heiress and hand over future leadership to her younger sister. Had he missed that much in the time he'd been gone?

Hiashi met his nephew's eyes steadily. "She wants you to help her lead the clan. Should you agree, you will become the official voice of the branch part of our family."

"I don't know what to do."

Neji, Tenten, and Lee had met in their old training grounds to discuss the changes. Not long after Hinata became leader of the clan, she declared that all restrictions would be lifted. Hyuuga clan members could resume going on missions with their teams, and they would no longer be confined to the estate all day, every day.

She had also given Neji a week to think about her proposal before he gave her an answer. Five days had passed, and he was still unsure. Now that Lee was back from his mission, he wanted to meet with the remaining members of Team Gai to get their opinions.

"We're not Hyuuga," Tenten pointed out.

"No," Neji agreed. "But your opinions still matter very much to me. You are my teammates, and if I accept Hinata's offer, it is likely I will not be going on as many missions. I definitely will not make ANBU with you, if you both intend to apply."

Lee gazed thoughtfully at him. As always, he wore his green spandex, orange leg warmers, and dark hair in a bowl cut, making him very nearly the spitting image of their lost sensei. He was doing well in his quest to carry on Maito Gai's legacy. "I know your dream has been to improve things for your fellow branch members," he said at last. "I am honored that you asked for my opinion, and value it so highly. But, ultimately ... I think the decision should be yours." He glanced at Tenten, who nodded her agreement.

While he appreciated his team's support, and their confidence in his decision-making skills, Neji was a bit annoyed. He wasn't just asking for Lee and Tenten's opinions to keep them feeling left out. He was asking because he genuinely wanted their input. "Thank you, Lee. But I am serious: I want to know what the two of you think."

Tenten leaned forward a little, bracing her hands against the ground in front of her bent knees. "I know you've wanted something like this for a long time," she said softly. "While you are an irreplacable part of Team Gai ... I also think you should do this."

Sighing, Neji cast his eyes down. He had a feeling she'd say that. Part of him was glad she did, but still... "I feel like, no matter which decision I make, I am being selfish. If I choose to accept Hinata's offer, I will be abandoning Team Gai, which is equally as important to me. However, if I turn down the offer and continue the way things have always been, I feel like I will be abandoning my clan. This is one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make in my life, and..." To be honest, I feel like I'm buckling under the pressure. How can I possibly make a decision like this in just a week? Even if I had an entire lifetime, this is an impossible decision!

"Even though we have lost Gai-sensei, we are just as much Team Gai as we were before the war," Lee pointed out. "No matter what, we will always be Team Gai. I doubt you will always be occupied by your clan duties. Surely you will still get to go on missions, especially important ones that require your abilities. When that is the case, Tenten and I will still be here to complete the team." He nodded confidently. "I agree with our youthful flower. You should definitely accept Hinata's offer."

It was unanimous, then.

Leaning forward a little further, Tenten caught Neji's eyes. "Is this what you want?" she asked.

He nodded slowly. "Yes ... I think it is."

His teammates smiled, and he managed one in return. Now all he had to do was inform his cousin of his decision, then wait to hear what the Elders had to say about the situation.

Neji doubted their opinions would be as positive as his teammates'.

Halfway across the courtyard upon his return to the Hyuuga estate, Neji paused. Tilting his head to the side, he listened intently for any sort of sound coming from ... well, anywhere. Though the place had always been quiet, it had gradually regained its few vague whispers of sound since the remaining Hyuuga had gone back to their lives as usual.

But now everything was quiet again, hushed and still. As if waiting for ... something.

The reasons for the silence were no clearer inside the house. Neji crept through the downstairs portion of the house, expecting to encounter one of his relatives, a servent, anyone! But all the doors were closed, the halls empty. The walls echoed nothing but silence.

Neji started when a door opened just as he came alongside it. He spun to face the person exiting the door, blinking when he realized it was Hinata. Instinctively, his eyes drifted past his shorter cousin's shoulder, resting on the bed in the corner.

The covered bed in the corner...

Hinata lifted her tear-stained face to Neji's surprised one. For a long moment she stared at him silently; at last she turned away and gently closed the door behind her. "H-He t-told no one, s-save for m-me," she whispered. "It is why h-he was in s-such a hurry t-to place the leadership of the c-clan on my s-shoulders. Why ... why h-he was h-hoping you would be willing t-to help m-me."

All around him, the walls and ceilings and floors seemed to be tilting at odd angles. His knees felt weak, wobbly, as his head spun. "Uncle...?"

"He is gone."

For one horrible moment, Neji blinked and remembered another sheet-covered form from his childhood, the twin of the man who had at last reached the end of the life he had unwillingly accepted at the cost of his brother's life. He blinked again, and the weight of reality, of now, clenched his heart. "But ... how?"

"It h-has been c-coming for a long t-time," Hinata replied. "H-He h-has known s-since the end of the war. B-But h-he knew that h-he needed t-to do a few final things b-before the end." Her hand lifted, brushing against the door gently. "I-I w-was there f-for his last f-few moments," she whispered. Her other hand slipped into her pocket, then withdrew as a fist, which she extended toward him. "F-Father asked that I-I give you this, a-and t-tell you that your f-father w-wanted you t-to have it at the r-right t-time. And that this is the r-right t-time."

Neji held out his hand, allowing Hinata to drop the contents of her fist into his palm. When the cool weight met his skin, he pulled his hand back, staring at the ring resting in his gentle grip.

He remembered seeing that very ring hanging on a chain around his father's neck. As a little boy, Neji had been fascinated by it, always wanting to tilt the ring so the jewel resting in the setting flashed in the light.

"It was your mother's ring," Hizashi told him at last. "One day, you will place it on the finger of the woman that you love as much as I loved my Hiromi - your mother."

It had not been around Hizashi's neck the last time Neji saw him. He'd always wondered what had happened to it, but hadn't dared ask. Now he knew: his uncle had been keeping it, honoring his brother's wish that the ring be handed down to Neji at just the right moment.

Despite her tears, Hinata smiled. "Things a-are changing, N-Neji. They w-will continue t-to change, especially if y-you agree t-to help me. I h-hope you d-do."

He nodded, still unable to tear his gaze away from the ring. "I was coming to tell you," he whispered. "I accept the position."

A radiant expession overtook Hinata's face. "Th-Thank you, N-Neji." Reaching out, she closed Neji's fingers over the ring. "I shall g-go inform the E-Elders of what h-has happened," she said. "A-And while I am d-doing that, you should g-go k-keep the promise you m-made yourself a-at the b-beginning of the war." Turning, she walked away, her shoulders back, head high, steps confident despite her pronounced limp.

How did she know about that? Neji turned back to his hand, wondering how Hinata had found out that he had promised himself to confess to Tenten his feelings for her should they both survive the war.

He lifted his gaze to the closed door in front of him, reaching out with his free hand to press his palm against it. "Thank you, Uncle," he whispered. "For everything."

Maybe Gai had been right. Good people would always be remembered, and sometimes good things could be born from death.

*~The End~*

Author's Ending Notes: I agonized over this prompt for a very, very long time. I even considered replacing it with another, but in the end, I knew that would be cheating, and that I had to do something with this one. At the same time, I didn't want to follow the obvious route and kill off Neji or Tenten. So I decided to veer a little more toward canon, and think about what could possibly happen at the end of the war. I knew there would be losses, so I decided to weave that into the storyline. But that still didn't seem entirely right to me ... so I made the decision to add in Hiashi's death. Personally, I like to think that after the chuunin exams, relations between Hiashi and Neji have improved, and I wanted to portray that in this story before his death. I really hope you all aren't too upset with me, and thank you so much for reading!