She walked home with a heavy heart, her mind spinning with guilt over her unintentional slip of the tongue to Sasuke. "How could she possibly make things right?" Each step toward the Hyuga compound felt heavier than the last, uncertainty gripping her chest.

As she neared the gates, she spotted Neji and Hanabi walking towards the compound. Neji's sharp, disapproving gaze immediately pinned her down, and she winced at the intensity of it. Hanabi, in contrast, bounded toward her with a smile, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "Nii-chan!"

Hinata managed a soft, wavering smile for her little sister, though she knew what was coming—the questions about Sasuke. When Hanabi was about to start her eager probing, Hinata quickly placed a hand over her mouth, whispering, "Let's get inside first, Hanabi. Then we'll talk."

Once the three Hyugas were inside, greeted by the ever-attentive staff, Neji wasted no time. He pulled both sisters aside, his grip firm on Hinata's arm. His usual calm demeanor was replaced by something fierce and unrelenting.

"Hinata-sama," Neji's voice was hard and biting, "why was that Uchiha with you?"

"Neji-nii, I—"

"I thought you were just friends, but now you're dating him?" His voice cracked slightly, a mix of disbelief and anger. His gaze, however, was a storm of emotions.

Hanabi tried to intervene, throwing playful air punches at Neji, as if to lighten the tension. "Come on, Nii-san, people date! Besides, Hinata-nee is with someone hot!" she chimed in with a cheeky grin.

Neji's eyes widened as he processed Hanabi's words. "You knew? So the whole village knows, but I'm the last to find out?" The hurt was evident in his voice, and it stung Hinata to hear it.

Hinata tried to calm him down, reaching for his arm, but Neji pulled away, his anger swelling. Without another word, he turned and stormed off toward his room, leaving Hanabi to mutter, "Dumb Niisan..." before casually walking away.

Her chest ached as she followed Neji. This wasn't how he was supposed to find out. She stood at his door, sensing the tension in the air. He sat on his bed, back rigid, eyes fixed on the wall, refusing to look at her.

Hinata stepped into the room, her feet feeling heavier with every step. "Niisan…" she started softly, her voice trembling, "do you remember when I was just a foolish girl, so desperate to protect someone I loved, and you… you stepped in front of me, giving up your own life for mine?"

Neji let out a low grunt, refusing to meet her eyes. "And now that same girl is with the Uchiha."

Hinata winced at his words, the bitterness cutting deep. But she stepped closer, her voice faltering as the memories of that day flooded back.

"Neji-nii… when you saved me that day, it wasn't comfort that washed over me. It was guilt. Crushing, unbearable guilt. I've carried it with me every single day. I thought about it every night, haunted by the sight of you lying there, covered in blood because of me. I was ready to die that day, but you took that choice from me."

Neji's breath hitched, his composure starting to crumble. His voice was rough when he spoke. "Hinata-sama, stop. You don't—"

But she interrupted him, her voice cracking with the weight of years of pent-up guilt. "No, Neji-nii, you don't understand. Every night since that battle, I've relived that moment. I see your lifeless body, I hear your voice telling me to live freely, and I can't. I took three years of your life, Neji! Three years that should have been yours as a shinobi, three years of your youth stolen because of my recklessness… how could I ever be free of that guilt?"

Neji's eyes glistened with unshed tears, though he still refused to look at her. She saw the way his chest heaved with unspoken pain, and her heart broke even more.

"I ran from it, Neji-nii," she continued, her voice barely above a whisper. "I ran from my nightmares, from the fear of losing the people I love because of my weakness. I thought I could never face it… until I met someone who carries the same burden."

Neji's resolve shattered at her words, tears filling his eyes though he fought to keep them from falling. "You could have told me, Hinata-sama. I was always here for you."

Hinata knelt down beside her bed, her trembling hands reaching for his. Neji flinched, trying to pull away, but Hinata held firm, pressing her head against his lap, her tears soaking through his robes.

"I didn't want to burden you anymore, Neji-nii," she sobbed. "You traded everything for this foolish girl. How could I tell you that your sacrifice still haunts me? That I still see your blood, your lifeless eyes every night? But Sasuke... he understands. He carries his own guilt, his own darkness. He taught me that running from it will only tear me apart. He showed me how to accept it."

Neji's resolve broke, and with trembling hands, he gently placed them on Hinata's head. Hinata wept openly, her whole body shaking as years of bottled-up grief and guilt poured out of her.

For the first time in years, they let themselves be vulnerable, no longer shackled by pride or expectation. "What did that Uchiha do to make you cry like this?" Neji asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Hinata shook her head, guilt washing over her. "It wasn't him, nii-san. It was me. I said something… terrible. Something I can't take back."

Neji's heart ached at her words. He knew Hinata—gentle, kind, incapable of malice. The thought of her hurting anyone, let alone tearing through the emotional walls of an Uchiha, left him both startled and unnerved. His little cousin, it seemed, had more power than she realized.

A smirk played at the corners of his lips as he said, "Do you want me to go and whip his sorry ass for making you cry?"

To his relief, Hinata let out a soft chuckle. Her nii-san was trying, in his awkward, endearing way, to cheer her up. Standing, she wiped her tears and asked hesitantly, "But… how do I tell him I'm sorry?"

Neji rose to his feet, brushing the dust off his robes. "You don't have to," he said firmly. "If you ask me, it's better this way. But…" He paused, a mischievous glint in his eye. "I wouldn't have minded if you made the Uchiha cry like a little girl."

Hinata stared at him blankly, somewhere between disbelief and amusement. Neji rolled his eyes dramatically. Closing the distance between them, he softened his tone. "Listen, Hinata-sama. You don't need to apologize. He'll come back to you eventually."

As Neji turned to leave, Hinata called after him, "How do you know that, nii-san?"

He smirked, about to reply, when an attendant walked in briskly. "Neji-sama, Hinata-sama," he said with a bow. "Hiashi-sama requests your presence in his study immediately."

Neji and Hinata exchanged a startled glance. A sudden, unannounced meeting with Hiashi-sama was never a good sign. Together, they followed the attendant, their steps echoing down the quiet hallway.

Inside the study, Hanabi was already seated, her expression equal parts smug and alarmed. She leaned toward Hinata and mouthed, Otousan is in a foul mood.

Hinata winced. The thought of Hiashi's displeasure being directed at her made her stomach twist. But Neji, ever the pillar of reassurance, placed a hand on her shoulder as they entered.

Hiashi stood by the window, his arms crossed behind his back, gazing out at the lush gardens below—a place his late wife had cherished. His usual composure was betrayed by a vein throbbing on his forehead. The reason for his foul mood? The Uchiha ruckus that Neji and his accomplices—Hinata and Hanabi—had apparently orchestrated.

In the stillness of the room, Hiashi's voice finally broke the silence. It was cold, commanding, and unmistakably ominous.

"Would someone care to explain what I've been hearing about this… incident?"

"Otousan, I—"

"I what?" Hiashi's sharp tone sliced through Hinata's stammering.

"He said—"

"Uchiha said what?" Hiashi's patience was running thin.

Hinata glanced nervously at Neji, silently pleading with him to keep his mouth shut about her and Sasuke. Neji frowned, frustrated, as his mind scrambled for an excuse that didn't sound absurd. Hiashi, clearly catching on to their silent exchange, cleared his throat loudly, breaking their unspoken communication.

"Hiashi-sama, I—"

"Will you just say it, Neji?" Hiashi snapped, his gaze fixed on his nephew.

Before Neji could embarrass himself further, Hanabi, perched comfortably on the side, spoke up. "May I answer, Otousan?"

All eyes turned to the youngest Hyūga. There was something unnervingly confident about her smirk.

"And what, Hanabi, is the reason for all this ruckus?" Hiashi asked, raising an eyebrow.

Hanabi grinned mischievously and dropped the bomb: "They fought to see whose weenie was bigger, Papa."

The room froze.

Neji choked on his own spit, his face flushing a deep crimson, while Hinata stood motionless, her expression a perfect portrait of mortified silence. Hiashi, on the other hand, blinked twice, his mind struggling to process what his youngest daughter had just said.

"…Excuse me?" he finally managed, his voice dangerously calm. "You're telling me Neji and Uchiha Sasuke fought over—what?"

"Their junk, Papa," Hanabi repeated matter-of-factly, completely unbothered by the growing tension in the room. "The winner has the biggest willy. That's why they fought. Don't believe me? Ask niisan himself."

Hiashi turned to Neji, who had gone so red he might as well have been mistaken for a tomato. He stared firmly at the floor, unwilling to meet his uncle's piercing gaze.

Hiashi sighed deeply, rubbing his temples as though the sheer stupidity of the situation might give him a headache. "A brutal fight over something so utterly childish?"

"Is that childish, Otousan?" Hanabi interjected, wide-eyed with feigned innocence. "Boys take things like this very seriously. Even Ko-san told me you and uncle fought over who could catch the moon when you were young."

Hiashi froze mid-thought, mentally vowing to give Ko a lecture on not divulging embarrassing family tales to the younger generation. Still, he couldn't entirely dismiss the truth in her words. He had, after all, been foolish in his youth. But this? Neji and Uchiha Sasuke were adults—or at least they were supposed to be. By now, they should've learned the meaning of maturity.

Hiashi walked over to Neji, his disappointment palpable. "Neji," he said sternly, "I expected more from you. This level of immaturity is beneath you."

Both Neji and Hinata winced at Hiashi's statement. Neji, bowing his head low, muttered, "I'm sorry, Hiashi-sama."

With that, all three cousins turned to leave the room, eager to escape the oppressive awkwardness. Just as they reached the door, Hiashi cleared his throat again, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade.

"So… who won? Who has it bigger?"

The question hung in the air like an errant kunai.

Neji froze mid-step, his entire body stiffening. Hinata's mouth fell open in utter disbelief, while Hanabi, unable to resist, burst into laughter.

"What's so funny, Hanabi?" Hiashi asked, his tone as sharp as ever.

"Oh, nothing," Hanabi replied, smirking. "I was just wondering if all men are universally dumb."

Before Hiashi could reprimand her for her blatant disrespect, Hinata clamped a hand over her younger sister's mouth. Neji, his cheeks aflame, wasted no time grabbing Hanabi by the arm and practically dragging her out of the room.

As the door shut behind them, Hiashi sank back into his chair, rubbing his temples. His shoulders finally relaxed, and an unbidden chuckle escaped his lips.

Was his question really so inappropriate? Surely, it was natural to be curious about such things. After all, the Hyūga were known for their… excellence in many areas.

Hiashi's chuckle deepened as he allowed himself a brief moment of nostalgia. Thank the gods no one knew about his youthful squabble with his brother over the very same… measurements.

"Well," he muttered to himself with a sly grin, "at least the tradition continues."

Meanwhile, in another corner…

"You annoying little troll! I swear, one more word about me infront of Hiashi-sama, and I'll yank out every single one of those bratty little hairs!" Neji snapped, his Byakugan practically activating from sheer irritation.

Hanabi, leaning into her inner menace, smirked and fired back, "Oh, please, niisan. I've got a whole list of things to say. Behave, or I might just start reciting them alphabetically."

Neji was about two seconds away from transforming into a human tornado, but before he could, Hanabi stuck her tongue out, gave him the most dramatic hair flip imaginable, and darted away.

"Catch me if you can, Mr. 'I have a stick up my ass'!" she hollered, leaving Neji torn between chasing her and questioning his life choices.

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Holaaaaa My dear readerssss!!

Miss you all. 2024 cmng to an end. I wish I could complete this fanfic before the christmas ends.

Hows life? And more importantly Hows the chapter?

Love,

Elsaaa