A/N: Hmm.. writing from the bath tub.. I may have to do this more often XDD P.S the song is "4 My People" by Missy Elliott.


Neji POV

Neji lay quietly in his bed, his mind racing as it went over the details of his last battle. Fighting Shinobu and the Uchiha had not been quite as he had imagined, he hadn't given the girl enough credit, she was indeed strong.

He had lost.

Now she lay in a deep sleep from the exhaustion in the nearby hospital bed, hair draped gently over her porcelain features. It was kind of odd, for lack of better terms, how she could take everything nerve grating and stereotypical about the Uchiha clan, from the smirk, scowl and "hn" to their facial features and onyx eyes, and make it beautiful.. inhuman.

"Hyuuga-sama!" One of the medical ninja called out, shaking him from his thoughts. Neji soon found himself focused on a quiet pair of voices outside of his room.

"Sorry, but.. could you leave us alone?"

"Aah.. yes."

"Ugh.. what do you want?" Neji groaned as he sat up, Shinobu had done a number on him, now whether he would later admit to it was another story.

"I came.. to tell you the truth of that day." Hiashi replied with a small frown.

"Truth?" What does he mean the truth.. I already know what happened.

"That time, I fully intended to die." He spoke after a moment of silence, breaking eye contact as Neji processed the new information.

"What? What are you talking about? That time, my father was killed to take your place!" Neji shouted.

"The results may appear that way.. but that is not the truth." Hiashi sighed.

"What.. after all these years." Neji whispered, looking to his knees.

"I'm telling you after all these years because I thought you'd believe me now.."


"There's no choice then, if my life will save the village.." Hiashi spoke solemnly, directly addressing the Hokage who simply 'hmm'd' in response.

"Hold on Hiashi.." One of the clan's elders spoke. "The advanced blood of the Hyuuga clan is a valuable trump card to this village. Protecting that has been the duty of the main family."

"But before that duty, if the village is drawn into a dangerous war." Hiashi reasoned.

"I know.." The elder spoke with a frown. "That's why the branch family exists. We will hand over Hizashi's body in place of yours."

"What?" Hiashi spun, facing the elder in shock.

"Hizashi has already agreed." The elder spoke.

"But what they want is the secrets of the Byakugan's abilities.. with Hizashi, once he's killed, that ability will be sealed. I don't see the Cloud country being satisfied with that!" Hiashi argued.

"Heh, that may be their true intention, but the demand from the Cloud was simple.. 'Hand over Hyuuga Hiashi's body'. If we act like we agree and hand over Hizashi's body, which is a duplicate of yours.. they won't be able to complain any further." The elder replied with a small smirk.

"But.."

"Hiashi, the time has come. Each generation has protected the Hyuuga blood in this way. You must have the heart to let go of even a sibling to protect that blood. That is the destiny of the main family, and that's the destiny of those born as Hyuuga." The elder spoke.

Hiashi growled inwardly, glaring at the floor while attempting to come up with a valid response.

"What happened to the always confident Hiashi-sama?" Hizashi smiled.

"This is vastly different from anything in the past, I can't so easily.." Hiashi was cut off from a hit to the head. "Guh, Hizashi.. you.."

"Please.. let me go."

"Y..you have Neji.. why for the main family.. do you choose death?" Hiashi questioned from the floor.

"That's incorrect. I have hated the main family.. honestly, I still do. That's why it's not for you as a member of the main family that I do this.. I want to die and save you as my brother. Doing that is the first time I have the freedom to choose." Hizashi explained quietly.

"I.."

"I have only shown my ugly side to Neji.. Yet here, I finally understand my own will. So please, tell this to Neji. That I am not being killed to protect the main family. I am being killed to protect Neji, my brother, my family, and the entire village. I am choosing death with my own will."

"Choosing death.. is freedom?"

"Brother, I wanted just once, to disobey the Hyuuga destiny. I wanted to choose my own destiny.. that is all."


"This is the whole truth.." Hiashi finished.

"Why should I believe a story like that? It seems like a convenient excuse created by the main family! After all these years..!" Neji shouted angrily.

"I thought you would say that.. that's why I waited, and told you now."

"Bah.."

"I wanted to, not as a member of the main family, but as Hizashi's brother.. wanted to tell you my younger brother's final words." Hiashi said, closing his eyes before slowly lowering himself to the floor and bowing. "Believe me."

"Please.. raise your head." Neji spoke, looking yet again to his knees before letting the tears stream down his cheeks.

Father.. is a person's destiny a thing like a cloud flowing with an inescapable flow? Or can a person choose the flow he wishes? I still don't know the answer to this.. either way, the destination may be the same in the end. However, by choosing to live like the latter, a person can live and strive towards a goal and in this match I have finally understood that it's those who have that are truly strong.

..and father, I have but one goal. I want to become stronger.. enough to not lose to anyone.. that's how I feel now.

Neji smiled, looking over to Shinobu who still slept soundly in her cot before glancing out the window.

"Father.. the bird's are flying freely today. They look so happy."


Hokage POV

Genjutsu.. so the invasion has begun. The Hokage thought, turning to eye the Kazekage. This was his student.. and now they would fight. Life was paying him back for not taking this man out the first time. He would believe in his people, Konoha ninja were strong.. they have the will of fire. They would make it through this.


Neji POV

"Neji..." Shinobu groaned as she sat up.

"Hm..?" He replied, looking away from the window and the current match between Sasuke and Gaara.

"Why are you my friend..?" Shinobu asked after a moment's thought.

"Friend..? What do you mean?"

"Out of all the people in the village, you don't mind talking to me.. I consider you a friend.. but why?"

"You mean why do I talk to you?"

"Ya."

"It's simple.. you're interesting." Neji smirked, carefully watching her reactions, something seemed up.

"We're going to be invaded." She blurted out, eyeing him warily

"Wait.. what?" Neji asked, taken a back.

"Konoha is going to be invaded." Shinobu repeated, now intently staring at him.

"When, by who, where, who all knows?" Neji spoke quickly, shakily standing up from his cot.

"Sometime during Sasuke's fight or just after it, the Sound village and the Sand village and Hokage-sama and the anbu know.. that's it." She responded just as quickly, quickly grabbing gear and readying herself for another fight. A move he quickly copied.

"Have you given any form of warning to anyone out there now?" Neji spoke, still slightly alarmed that the chunin exams hadn't been cancelled all together.

"Hinata and Kiba both have some form of clue.. I told them to make sure they knew a quick way out of the arena in case of something because they spotted some of the anbu and neither of them are in any condition to fight." Shinobu explained, disregarding the medics who attempted to keep the two of them in the room as they both made their way to the competitor's balcony.

"How do you know this?" Neji asked, thankful the medics had healed them for the most part previously and he was able to keep up.

"Can I not explain now?" Shinobu asked after a moment earning a quick nod before the two found themselves leaning on shaking walls for support as a high pitched screech filled the air.

"Shit.. it's started. Change of plans, the other's are probably fighting or not in that area anymore. We should report to the people at the gates. They'll know where we should be." Shinobu gritted, moving at full speed to where she knew some of the guards were positioned. Neji could only follow and question how she had this information in the first place.

"Report! Giant serpents have appeared at the eastern leaf entrance! And approximately 100 sand nins have invaded the village!" A voice informed a group of ninja over a radio, Shinobu and Neji just managing to get close enough to hear as they reached the western gates.

"Alright, we need to send word to the commander of the east gate. Have all shinobi move out and assume their positions." A jonin ordered.

"Sir. Neji and I can go inform them at the eastern gate. We're fast enough." Shinobu offered quickly. Not only does that give us something to do now, it puts us at the heart of the battle.

"Good, take this and hurry. From there follow the commander's orders." The jonin ordered after a brief, hesitant glance.


Sakura POV

"Sakura.. just stay like that for a minute while I even the odds a little bit, alright?" Kakashi grinned, taking out a sound ninja as Sakura sat in her seat, covering her head.


Kiba POV

"Do you think Shinobu knew something?" Kiba wondered out loud as he followed Hinata to the academy. They'd go to the safe spot by the Hokage monument and protect the people there, it also lessened the chance of them getting into a serious fight that Kiba wouldn't be able to keep up with.

"It seems so now. We'll have to ask her when this is over.. I hope she and Shino-kun are alright." Hinata whispered, stopping for a brief moment to talk to Iruka-sensei before moving to the back of the group of children and walking near Hanabi.


Neji POV

"Ibiki-san. We're here with news from the western gate, or rather radio headsets so you can talk with their commander. He told us we were under your order." Neji spoke quickly handing over the headset.

"Normally I wouldn't be taking genin on front lines but we have no choice right now." Ibiki gestured to the giant snake which had already managed to take a large chunk of the border wall down

"We can keep up sir, just tell us where to go." Shinobu nodded, wishing she could just go to fight without asking for direction but she didn't want to get in anyone's way.

"Just try to keep the snake from getting further into Konoha or damaging the area. We've already evacuated this area so there are no civilians but not too far from here they are still evacuating." Ibiki ordered and within a moment Neji and Shinobu were off.

"Byakugan!"

"Sharingan!"

Neji observed, flanking Shinobu as she took one of the snakes head on, taking in the damage of the surrounding area along with the number of nearby enemies and allies.

"Katon! Goukakyuu no jutsu!" Shinobu shot out, burning a large majority of the snakes tail before flipping forwards and catching the burnt skin with a kunai and ripping it off.

"Ibiki-san! Do we have any medics out here?" Neji called out after noticing the injuries of their allies, quickly countering an attack from a sound ninja with kaiten before hitting a pressure point in the ninja's neck, rendering him unconscious.

"No, they're up defending the hospital and the people we weren't able to move." Ibiki responded, moving another injured ally to the top of a building which was relatively safer than where he had been lying.

"I brought some medical supplies!" Shinobu shouted, turning to look at Ibiki before crying out as she was hit into a nearby building.

"Not helpful if your unconscious, pipsqueak. Do us all a favor and stay alive." A chunin grinned, having used his own body to cushion the blow.

"Got it, sorry." Shinobu replied quickly helping him up before moving to Neji's side. "Where are the injured?"

"Don't include those who are dead or in critical condition, basics and simple supplies won't help them and you'll be wasting your time." Another jonin shouted before attacking a group of sand ninja.

"Tell me the critical patients first. I may be able to stabilize them long enough to send a group to the hospital." Shinobu growled, watching Neji as he quickly scanned the area again before gesturing for Shinobu to follow him.

"It'll be alright." Shinobu spoke softly, immediately going towards the large wounds to help stop them from bleeding out.

"Uchiha-san.." The man, no, boy whispered weakly.

"His heart stopped.. move to the next one." Neji spoke, looking for another injured person they could help.

"No!" Shinobu glaring at him before quickly returning her attention to the boy. "Chakra pulse." She growled, pushing chakra from her finger tips into the man's chest, successfully re-starting his heart as she moved back to bandaging and healing what she could. "Neji, move him with the chunin Ibiki put on the roof."

How did she learn that? Or where..?

"Got it." Neji nodded, quickly but carefully moving the unconscious man before returning to find Shinobu had already lined up more people for him to move.

"If we get them all in the same area we can send the ninja who aren't gravely injured but who can no longer fight to the hospital and to get potential back up." Shinobu spoke, pausing to tie her hair back.

"Even with back up, we can't handle this, we need you two fighting." Ibiki growled.

"Ninpou summoning watch tower demolish-er jutsu!" A voice laughed.

"T-this jutsu.. I-it's..!" Ibiki shouted, shielding his eyes from the debris.

"Long time no see.. eh, Ibiki? Geez, is your body the only thing that grew up! I just can't stand to watch you, eh!" The voice practically grinned.

"Jiraiya-sama.." Ibiki whispered, stunned.

"By Jiraiya..! You mean, of the sannin?" Another chunin asked, panting from over exertion.

"Little chickadees! Open them small eyes of yours as wide as you can and take a really, really good look! Blessed be! It's the twilight zone of rampage! By Jiraiya, the ALIEN SAGE NINJA! All you snakes, frozen in your tracks but the glare of a frog!" Jiraiya spoke before his eyes narrowed towards the snakes.

Who is this idiot.

"And that's why I always studied Tsunade-sama's teachings.. out of the three sannin.. she's the sane one." Shinobu grumbled.

"Where's the sandaime?" Jiraiya asked after a moment.

"He's at the test arena.." Ibiki replied.

"I see.."

He seems to be taking things more serious now.. I wonder, why is that?


"Even if you defeat me here.. the leaf is crumbling as we speak. There are sand and sound ninja invading and there is nothing you can do."

"Don't underestimate them.. The shinobi of this village are strong.. they all have the will of fire."


"Hyuuga is the strongest in the leaf.. Do not forget that."


"Baika no jutsu!"


"My Body!"

"Is this the beginning of the hidden Leaf's Shadow Bind no Jutsu? Hidden Leaf's Shadow Neck Bind no Jutsu!"

"Shinranshin no Jutsu(Mind-Body switch)!"


"My body.. the poison gas.."

"Don't move. I'm sending my bugs to draw the poison out."

"Father.."


"Kuromaru, Go!"

"Aroof!"


"Neji..! That's the last of them, we need to get them to the hospital now. Jiraiya-sama is here, they don't need us."

"Alright, let's move."


"My existence will never be extinguished! It won't be extinguished! There is no way that I would let it disappear!..Do..Don't come any closer!"

"The pain of being alone.. is not an easy one to bear.. your feelings... why is it.. that I can understand your pain? But I.. already have many people who are important to me now. I won't let you hurt those people who are important to me... even if you try to kill them.. I will stop you."

"Why.. why do you go so far for other people's sake?"

"They saved me from the hell of being alone.. Shinobu.. Iruka..Kakashi.. Sasuke.. Sakura.. They acknowledged my existence.. that's why they're all important to me."


"The Leaf's shinobi are all protecting the village.. They all fight with their life! True strength is not in mastery of ninjutsu. I was never able to teach you.. When they are protecting something important. That's when a shinobi's true strength appears..."


A/N: .. now realizing I desperately need a beta. For those who put up with my lack of proof-reading and constant typo's I appreciate it. Before I post the sequel I will be editing all 50 chapters to fix things people have pointed out and I very much appreciate those people so thank you :D


Detached000: Well I appreciate you taking the time for reviewing this :D I'm glad you enjoyed reading AND noticed that Sasuke wasn't actually there for that, no one else seemed to notice :P


nuk1014: Well holy reviews, I love constructive criticism and anything I can learn from so no, thank you. The fact that you continue to review means you're reading which hopefully means there are also some good points to my story for you. I actually know that Teme means "you" but for the sake of English speaking people it was translated to "bastard" for the English Naruto so it would make sense to them. Probably should add that to my little dictionary. *looks back* Psyche? Stupid typo.. must fix... O.O Teuchi? AAH... I can't believe I've had that wrong for so long thanks for pointing that one out! Hopefully the wait between updates won't be tooooo long :P thanks for the reviews :D


Alpenwolf: Everyone indeed :D unfortunately there isn't time for reactions yet. But there will be :D Too bad Sasuke wasn't there for the reveal though O.o hehehe. Thanks for another review :D


Mistress Persephone: I'll try my best, thank you :D


OrionRedde: LE GASP O.o? Glad you liked the fight so much, they always make me nervous because I'm not much of an action writer. Naruto is kind of like a brother to her so it seemed to fit :D thank you so much!


GaarasMyBoyzz: Itachi will appear very soon actually :D Sooner than I had originally intended. OREOS FTW :DD Haha, glad you liked it. Thank you for the review :D