Not Here – You're All Alone
By: K-promises-fall
This one is about Hinata and Neji. Enjoy.
OOO
Hinata collapsed to her knees with a thud, her breaths coming in ragged pants, her hands sore and red and swollen, her shirt soaked through with sweat underneath her oversized jacket.
She had improved; not by much, but an improvement was just that, improvement, and she smiled that she had managed to hit the tree all of 247 times with Jyuuken before the timer for 3 minutes went off.
She smiled weakly – an expression soon broken by haggard coughs that shook her ribs and made her throat scratchy and uncomfortable. Her hand instinctively went to cover her mouth and she pulled it back to find small beads of wetness trailing slowly down her open palm. She stared at her hand detachedly and wiped her lips with the sleeves of her other arm, staining it red. Not caring about the fresh stain on her jacket, she slowly pushed herself to stand on her shaky feet and turned towards the training ground entrance, only to find Neji standing there.
"N-ni-nii-san?" She winced at the stutter in her voice, still evident years after she had promised to improve.
"Hinata-sama," Neji's tone was the same as it had always been; Hyuuga cold. "Your father is worried, it's very late." Hinata took note of how she had failed yet again to reach home before dark and sighed, discontented.
Her knees shaking was the only warning before her legs gave out and she collapsed from exhaustion, coughing up blood harshly and clutching her chest in pain. Neji stepped forward and offered her his hand, which Hinata clutched and squeezed tightly until the coughs subsided.
Using Neji's hand for support she pulled herself to her feet only to stagger forward, surprised, into his arms. Neji's hand was placed gently above her heart, which stumbled out a few more beats in a desperate effort to continue life. Hinata's legs lost all feeling as Neji dropped to his knees in support of her fall. Neji laid her on the ground gently and Hinata looked at him with fright-filled eyes. "Ni-nii-san…?"
Neji only stared back in that unfeeling way of his as the light left her eyes. "Naruto is not here, cousin. You have no one to protect you this time. You are all alone."
The next day, news of Hinata's death spread throughout Konoha. It was confirmed that the cause of death was a heart failure due to past injuries. Hyuuga Neji only blinked when informed of her passing.
OOO
End
K: Just to make sure the objective of this mini-story is clear, Neji killed Hinata. This one is under 500 words.