Author: New Dragon Rider

Title: Broken Twig

Plot idea is credited to Mistress Nika, characters aren't mine.

July 3, A year before the Kyuubi will attack Konoha

Dawn broke slowly over the Hyuga compound. Hyuga Nezuma, wife of branch member Hyuga Hizashi rose from her bed slowly, heavy with child. Her husband always left early to begin his training before anyone else. She smiled as she thought of him. She had been overjoyed to find out she was going to have a baby. This coming child was not such a joy to everyone else, though. Nezuma had seen Hiashi's, her husband's twin brother, jealous eyes. Hiashi's wife had yet to concieve, and he was furious that his younger brother had beaten him to something.

When Nezuma felt Hiashi's eyes jealously measuring her growing belly, she was afraid for her child. Hiashi had begun a campaign to try and impregnate his wife ever since he had learned of his sister-in-law's pregnancy. Nezuma couldn't help but feel badly for his wife, Kimini. She put these dark thoughts from her mind as she made her way towards her small room's door. Even as she approached her due date, she had to work. That was her concequence for marrying into the Hyuga branch family. Hiashi had been stringently against his brother marrying someone not in their clan, but somehow Hizashi had managed to convince his brother.

Hiashi's biggest concern was that because Nezuma did not possess the Byakugan herself, any children born to the couple would not either. Eventually, though, Hiashi gave in. After all, what did it matter if one of the branch children did not have the family's Kekkei Genkai? His dismissive attitude made Nezuma tremble with anger. This child, because of the identical genes her husband and his brother shared, would be as good, if not better, than any child Hiashi could father. Not have the Byakugan? Her child would be a genius. She could feel it.

By now, Nezuma was half-way across the courtyard to the gate seperating the main family from the branch family. Suddenly, Nezuma moaned, holding her swollen belly and pausing in her shuffle. She gasped as she felt water rush down her trembling legs and soak the hard ground below her sandaled feet. Her heart leapt in her chest. It was time. With this child-a son, for it must be-Hizashi could finally show his worth as a member of this family through his son.

She started to sigh happily, but then screamed as her insides seemed to twist inside of her. She began to feel faint, and sunk to the ground. Nezuma lay still in shock, oblivious to the blood with was now staining her formerly lavender tunic and spreading quickly-much too quickly-on the ground around her. A servant ran up in response to her cry.

"Hyuga-san!" He gasped. "Th-the blood! There is too much! We must get you to Konoha's Medical Center!" He began to pull the bleeding woman to her feet, but froze as a voice called out,

"Stop." Nezuma turned her head weakly towards the source of the noise. Her husband's older brother, mark-less forehead bare, was walking deliberately towards her.

"She will not be taken to the Medical Center." He ordered coldly. "If she is too weak to survive something like this, then she is not suitable to be a Hyuga."

"H-Hiashi..." Nezuma said weakly. "The...baby...please..." she whispered, begging.

"The child will survive." Hiashi intoned. He leaned closer to her, his mouth by her ear so that only she could hear him. "You, however, will not. I do not like it when my brother can claim an edge over me. He will not have more than me. I will be kind. His son will live. I am not heartless..." he murmered. "He will make a suitable nin for Konoha to use." He leaned away again, and said slowly. "Call a med-nin." As he strode away, a branch member ran out the gates to follow his orders.

Nezuma wavered in the arms of the servant. She had been wrong. The looks she had felt had been for her, not her son. Her immediate response was relief. Her son would live. Then she was afraid. There was nothing she, or her husband, could do against the clan head. She would die. She needed Hizashi...where was her husband? "Hizashi..." she called weakly, "Hizashi!"

"Find Hizashi!" the servant called. "And tell the med-nin when he comes that Nezuma is back in her room!" He began to pull her gently back the way she had come to her room.

&&&&

Hizashi was broken out of his meditations by the pounding beat of a person running quickly towards him. "Hizashi-san!" the man called. "Hizashi-san! You must come quickly! Nezuma...Nezuma is having the baby!" He called. Hizashi felt his face break out into a smile. His child. His child was being born! He burst out laughing. The man looked at him strangely. "Hizashi-san..." he said softly. "It is not a laughing matter. Something is wrong. There is too much blood. She...she could die."

Hizashi felt his heart freeze in his chest. Nezuma? Die? The words could not be true. He would not let them be! "Take me to her." He ordered. The man nodded, and ran off, Hizashi at his heels. As they passed the courtyard still red with Nezuma's blood, Hizashi shivered. 'Kami,' he thought. 'Please don't let her die!'

&&&&

"The child is the only concern." Hiashi murmered softly to the med-nin he met at the gate. "Do nothing to save the woman..." The med-nin blinked uncomfortably, but nodded. Follow orders. Always, always, follow orders on a mission. He bowed to the Hyuga head, then hurried to the side of the laboring woman.

&&&&

Within the hour, a baby boy was brought forth from Nezuma. Hizashi held his wife's hand as he first laid eyes on their son.

'Kami...' he thought. 'Please don't take her from me. I can't do this on my own. This child needs his mother. I need her. Please don't take her.' "Nezuma," he said softly. "We have a son."

Nezuma weakly lifted her head, eyes glowing with love as she beheld the squalling child. "Ne...ji..." she whispered. "Oh Hizashi...he's beautiful...so...perfect..."

"Shh, love, don't talk."

"You will...have to love him...for me." she continued, heedless of her husband's words.

Hizashi's eyes widened with fear. "No." he choked. "No...can't you do anything?" he asked the med-nin anxiously.

The healer shook his head. "I'm sorry, Hyuga-san, but there is nothing more I can do. She lost too much blood before I got here. And, your clan head, he refuses to let her be taken to Konoha's medical center..." the nin trailed off. Hizashi tightened the fist that wasn't holding Nezuma's angrily. Damn Hiashi for forcing him to keep Nezuma inside the compound! Didn't he care if Nezuma died?!

Agonized, he turned to his wife. "It will be alright, I promise..." his voice trailed off in horror as he realized that his beloved wife had already passed quietly beside him. Hizashi began to keen softly, and took her cooling hand in both of his and lifted it to his face. "Kami! Why?!" he shouted. "Kamikuso! Why her?! What did she ever do?!? Kuso..." His volume drained away with his energy. He suddenly felt very heavy, and very alone without his Nezuma. A sudden wail broke into his thoughts.

He turned to see the med-nin, offering him his newborn son. "Ne...ji..." Hizashi said softly. "Neji. My son. Our son." He reached out and held him. This child...all that was left of her. He gently touched the infant's scalp. The baby's hair was lighter than his own, more like Nezuma's. Neji blinked sleepily up at his father, revealing his pale lavender eyes. Hizashi held Neji up to his chest and began to cry.

A/N: Well, with only one review, no one was able to guess the title's significance. Maybe in a few more chapters. :)