A collection of one-shots about the secret lives of our favorite characters. I'll be writing one every day or every other day. If you have any requests for new characters to do, please input it into a review. I may or may not do the character depending on my feelings about the character. Leave suggestions, critiques, flames, etc in a review, and I'll reply when I have time to.

After years of fighting to the death with each other, they each thought they knew each other. But did they really? Everyone has their own secrets, and the Rookie 12 are no exceptions. Collection of one-shots. Dark. Mentions of cutting, rape, abuse, etc. Ratings may go up.

.:The Secrets Within:.

.:Neji: Perfection:.

The Hyuuga dinner hall was tightly packed and filled with small murmurs of chatter. The participants mainly included the Hyuuga main branch, a few branch members as bodyguards, and several special guests. I was one of the "bodyguards" for the main family. None of the branch members were allowed to sit, though. We had to stand behind our designated person and onlook the celebration. Ironically, I was bound by birth to protect my younger cousin, Hinata.

Hiashi stood up silently, signalling the commencing of the banquet. Almost instantaneously, the clamor died down. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being here on this special night." It was hard to spot his thankfulness with his typical Hyuuga facade, but I wasn't one to judge. "Today is the becoming-of-age for my eldest, beloved daughter, Hinata, the clan heiress. Today, she turns 13. Today, she becomes a woman. And more importantly, today, she becomes a true, proud kunoicji of the Hyuuga clan."

There was a chorus of light, polite applause. I stared at the back of Hinata's head. She was nervous-that much I can tell,-but somehow, her soft, abashed voice still echoed throughout the emoty Hyuuga corridors. "T-thank y-you, everyone. I hope t-to grow stronger a-and make my c-clan proud as the future clan l-leader." Her voice was firm and resolute and she completed voicing her thanks with minimal incoherent stuttering. I was dully impressed. Hiashi then spoke a few more words before the banquet resumed.

I hated this day. On this day, my hate for the Hyuuga main family members increased by ten-fold. I despised Hiashi's guts. More than that, I loathed Hinata's guts, even though she was an innocent bystander, a victim.

My name is Hyuuga Neji, and I am one of the many tormented branch members of the Hyuuga clan.

On this exact day ten years ago, the clan heiress, my cousin Hinata, was abducted by two Kumo-nins. They were killed by the clan leader, but Kumogakure saw this as a breech in the treaty between Konoha and Kumo, so they demanded for the life of Hiashi. My father died in his stead. It wasn't fair. The two twins were born minutes apart, but those few minutes were all that set them apart. One was destined for greatness and one was destined for a life of servitude.

It was all Hinata's fault, for being so weak and vulnerable. She was three. What could she have possibly done? Anything. She could have done anything to not have gotten caught. If I were in her place, I would never had gotten kidnapped. And where were you? Where were you when she was abducted? Where were you when she was sobbing and struggling fearfully inside a mesh, airtight bag? Where were you when your father died? I had no answer to the voice in my head, because I knew that it was true. It was entirely my fault that my father had to sacrifice himself for the sake of the clan. I couldn't blame anyoneelse. I was weak and helpless and useless. Most of all, I was imperfect.

"Neji..." Hiashi started soberly, almost comfortingly.

Neji was four at the time, but he still knew that something was wrong by his uncharacteristically sad tone of voice. Hiashi never paid him any heed on a regular day, moreover call him up directly.

"Hiashi-sama," he greeted, inwardly berating himself for nearly forgetting the title of respect. "Hinata is safe, sir. She's playing on the swings on the playground." Neji wished that he could join his sweet cousin. She was always alone, always getting picked on, but he knew he couldn't intervene, or else he would be yelled out. Recently, she seemed rather more fidgety than usual and avoided looking at him in the eye. Neji wondered if it was something he said.

"I know." After a moment, the clan leader added, "I have others watching her, like Kou, a perfectly able jounin, unlike yourself. You can't possibly expect that a four-year-old boy is the only protection I provide my daughter."

Neji looked down and gritted his teeth in humiliation. "No, sir," he mumbled. He knew that Hiashi's words were meant to show him how disposable he was. "So why did you call me here, then?"

There was a moment of strained silence. After a few minutes, Hiashi spoke up. "I fear that Hizashi has..." he drifted off.

"What happened to my father?" Neji yelled, not caring that he rudely interrupted the older man.

Surprising, he didn't chide Neji. Instead, Hiashi opened his mouth and spoke a few words. "I'm afraid that your father passed away..."

Neji's world came crashing down with those words.

I hated the main family. I hated the Hyuuga Main Family's Juinjutsu, trapping me like a bird in a cage.

A five-year-old Neji and other branch kids around his age stood in a single formation, heads high and backs straight. "You guys are probably wondering why I brought you here," Hoteto said. He was the "trainer" of sorts for younger branch members. Two main family members dragged in a man into the room. He looked hopeless in a way, and Neji could tell that he was a branch member, judging by the way his hitai-ate covered his forehead completely—the Hyuuga Souke no Juinjutsu.

"This pitiful man here refused to accompany his assigned main family member on a high-ranked mission. Anything you want to say to these kids?"

"Don't obey them like mindless slaves! You can sto—" Before he could further his sentence, Hoteto activated the seal, sending a pulse of electricity to the man's forehead. He writhed and screamed in agony before falling to the ground, his body still trembling in aftershock. The branch family present in the room on-looked with wide eyes eyes, unable to utter a sound.

"This is what happens when you disobey the main family. Don't worry; he's not dead. He just...won't feel very good for a long time. Did everyone see that clearly, or do I need to give you another demonstration?" A hungry, malicious grin was plastered on Hoteto's face.

Fear bubbled and churned inside Neji's stomach. The kids swiftly shook their heads to show a "negative."

"I can't hear you!" he singsonged.

"No, sir!" they shouted.

"I thought as much. You two," he pointed at two branch members, "carry this trash outside."

As they all left, Neji remained in the room. Was this what happened to his father? He didn't want to die for Hiashi, so the forced him—tortured him—until he would. They killed him.

Our futures were chosen for us before we were born. One can call it destiny. One can call it fate. I call it unfair. No matter how many infuriating hours I spend training, perfection is too far from my grasp. Oly with perfection—total power and domination—would be ablle to overpass the boundaries of "destiny" and "fate."

Some will think me foolish, but I believe that perfection will fuel my dreams.

My name is Hyuuga Neji, and my darkest secret—the secret that I want no one to know—is that I strive to be a God, and only then will I be free from the Hyuuga clan, from destiny, and from myself.

Poor Neji's going insane, talking to that voice inside his head xD. Btw, Hyuuga Kou is an actual character and was temporarily Hinata's concierge and bodyguard. Hyuuga Hoteto is a real character, too. See? I do my research. :3

POLL TIME! I'm planning to make a multi-chaptered sequel (or more) for this story. Basically, the sequel has an actual plot (with each team member finding out each other's secrets), action, character development (hopefully), and more. However, this only applies for ONE team, Team Seven as of now. If that sequel becomes successful, I might do another team. Vote via review or profile poll to pick the next team I should do for one of my sequels. Btw, special thanks to rockmusica426 for giving me some ideas for this. (:

Which team (besides Team Seven) should I do for my sequel after Team Seven?

1. Team Kurenai (Kiba, Hinata, Shino)

2. Team Gai (Rock Lee, Neji, Tenten)

3. Team Asuma (Ino, Shikamaru, Chouji)

Next Chapter: Maito Gai
Review Counter to Update: 20 (so three to go...)

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