(Naruto and its characters do not belong to me, nor am I trying to make any money off of this fanfiction. This story contains mature themes, including sexual situations and violence.)

"There you are! We've been looking all over for you!"

"Come on, sensei is taking us to dinner tonight. He's already headed for the restaurant."

"I'm starving! Let's go!"

"Come on! You can look at the sky later. Keep staring at it like that and you might turn into the lazy type like Shikamaru."

"Yeah, it's not everyday we get to eat with each oth-- Um, are you… okay?"

"…Neji?"

"Is something wrong?"

"Hey, look at us. Tell us about it. Lee and I always listen, right?"

"Neji, say something."

"…This isn't funny."

"…What are you--"

"OH MY GOD!"

"Neji, no! Give it to me! DROP IT!"

"Take it from him!"

"I can't! STOP IT! Let go of it, Neji! Please!"

"Tenten, get help!"

"But--"

"GO!"

Broken Helix: part I: Crack

The tension in the air was thick in the waiting room. It was as if the sands of time had been caught by the neck of the hourglass, struggling to free themselves to get rid of the friction and the ache. Everyone else had been cleared out, told to go home and wait for news. But the medical staff knew better than to even attempt to move Gai. They hadn't so much as tried. As a result, there were two in the waiting room, because they feared that Gai might run into the emergency room if Kakashi wasn't there to keep him company.

"When they were younger, I always wondered if Neji and Tenten thought I paid too much attention to Lee and not them."

"Gai--"

"I wanted my students to be happy."

"Lee just needed more help with improve his skills. You didn't neglect the other two."

Gai was silent again, sitting back and staring at the ceiling.

"Ever since Neji made Jounin," Kakashi continued, "You and I have spent a lot of time with him. He knows we all care."

Gai gave a slight nod, and Kakashi thought it odd that he was the one doing the most talking for once. But that was soon to change….

"KAKASHI-SENSEI!" Naruto yelled, tearing through the hallway like a backdraft. "How is he!"

The young blonde smelled of sweat and earth. He had just arrived home from a mission, and had probably heard about what happened from one of his many friends. Kakashi thought there was a chance the news might reach him much later, since Sakura was inside the emergency room trying to help.

"Naruto, be quiet in the hospital," Kakashi said calmly.

Naruto was about to protest, but then he saw the look on Gai-sensei's face. The pure worry. Immediately the excited blonde deflated.

"I'm sorry…" he said, sitting down on Kakashi's other side. "I just heard…" he stopped, not wanting to make things worse. Honestly, he had heard it was bad. He heard how much blood there was….

After a more agonizing silence the doors to the emergency room opened. Tsunade stepped out, looking as calm as over. The only evidence that she had been working were the few strands of blonde hair out of place. Gai shot up immediately when he saw her, but she walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder, having him sit down as she sat next to him.

"As you may or may not have heard from Lee," Tsunade said, her voice soft, though still strong and calm, "is that Neji stabbed himself twice with his own kunai. He was going for his own heart on the third strike when Lee and Tenten restrained him."

"Himself…?" Naruto said, the word rushing from his lips before he realized it. "He wouldn't…."

"Naruto," Kakashi said in a warning voice.

"The good news," Tsunade continued with her hand on Gai's shoulder, "is that the wounds will heal without any problems."

Gai only nodded, as if this news was as important as a weather prediction.

"The better news is that his curse seal was not activated, and his state of mind has nothing to do with it."

Suddenly Gai let out a great breath, one that seemed as though he had been holding it in forever. He slumped down in his chair as the tension in the room melted away. Finally Kakashi understood. If Neji's curse seal had been activated, it would have meant permanent, irreversible brain damage. Gai didn't think for a moment that Tsunade couldn't heal the wounds to Neji's body. It was his mind that he was worried about, and rightfully so.

"The bad news," Tsunade whispered, and Gai glanced to her. "Lee and Tenten felt no presences and sensed no active jutsu. Aside from that, Neji is immune to most genjutsu and has far better detection for chakra and murderous intent than most. In other words, from what we can tell so far, he had a breakdown, Gai. The times we had him conscious, he didn't seem as though he was coming out of it."

Gai looked lost for a moment, as if the room had carried him off and then dropped him back in his seat.

"That can't be," he said, barely audible. "It must be something. Something physical."

Naruto was on the edge of his seat now, leaning closer and closer to the conversation. "Are you sure you checked everything, Granny?" he said, trying to smile, but unable to hide his anxiety. "Neji… he's so… strong-willed."

"He is very good at hiding his emotions," Kakashi said. "Maybe something was--"

"I would have seen it!" Gai said, but he looked doubtful and pained. "I should have seen it…."

Just then the doors to the emergency room opened. Sakura stepped out, her pink hair messy, sweat on her face. She looked at the small group solemnly.

"He's sleeping now, but I think it's okay to come in," she said.

Kakashi expected Naruto to bolt inside, but he didn't. Instead, they all waited patiently for Gai to enter and see his former student. Naruto was on the edge of his seat, but he only sat there.

"I'll be back tomorrow," Naruto smiled weakly. "I'm sure he'll be awake by then."

He caught Sakura's eyes for a moment, and he must have seen something there that said otherwise. His smile faded the instant he turned away. Before anyone else could lessen his hopes about his friend, he left the hospital.

Kakashi expected to wait a long time to see Gai again, but he was out not long after he entered the emergency room. Neji must not have awaken.

"Hinata, slow down!" Kiba yelled as he dashed after his teammate. He found he was having a good deal of trouble catching up to her, which was certainly not normal. "What's wrong?"

Hinata's long, dark hair whipped around her in the wind as she ran. She didn't register Kiba's words. She only wanted to get to the hospital.

Kiba felt another presence coming up from behind, and he turned to see Shino running with him.

"What's with her?" Kiba asked. "We just got home for that ridiculous mission! You'd think she'd want to--"

"Neji is in the hospital," Shino said calmly. "Shikamaru informed me that he tried to kill himself, and now is in a state of mental collapse."

Kiba fell silent, but continued to run. Hinata was already inside the medical building when they reached the doors.

"Family only," a stern voice snapped as they ran inside. "And no running in the hospital!"

"Tsunade-sama," Shino said in his deep, soothing voice. "How is Neji? We only just learned about his being here."

"He's alive," Tsunade said. "Or rather, he survived…."

"So it's true!" Kiba exclaimed. "No way. You don't really believe--"

"There were witnesses," Tsunade explained softly. "Lee and Tenten had to restrain him." She sighed, and they could tell that she didn't quite believe the situation herself. "Starting tomorrow, you two should start talking to him. He may not respond, but try anyway."

And with that, she walked away.

Hinata knocked on the door quietly and stood outside of the hospital room. She waited, and waited, not wanting to believe that she wouldn't get a response. She knocked a little louder, determined to hear his voice telling her to come in. But when she heard nothing, she sighed deeply, and finally opened the door.

She stopped in the doorway when she heard the beeping of the machines in the cold, dark room. There was a time when she had to listen to those same machines as she suffered in this same room, and she hated the sound now. She crept over to the bed and looked down at his face. So it was true. It wasn't some horrible mistake. Neji was there, his face as gentle as ever as he slept.

"Cousin Neji," she whispered, as she gently pulled the warm blanket over his chest. "Cousin Neji, please, just for a moment," she said a little louder as she gently shook him.

No response. Hinata wrung her hands nervously and stared at the machine monitoring his heart, as though to demand it whether or not Neji was okay. Of course there would be no answer for her, and she slowly sat in the chair next to his bed.

"Hinata," came a voice from the darkest corner of the room.

Hinata nearly jumped out of her seat. She had been so distracted that she didn't notice that someone else was there. Or rather, she sensed another presence, but probably mistook that presence for Neji. But now, she realized that Neji's life force was so weak, and had she not seen him she wouldn't know he was in the room at all.

"You know I don't want you alone with his boy," the gruff voice went on.

"Grandfather," Hinata said timidly, "I just wanted to know how he w--"

"This boy tried to kill you," the old man said as he stepped closer to her. "You would do well to remember that."

"N… Neji is different now, Grandfather," Hinata said softly, her eyes downcast. "He apologized years ago…."

"Apologized!" the old man laughed bitterly. "Apologized! Blood ran from your mouth for days, and it took months for your heart to recover. Yet you accept an apology! Child, your foolishness never ceases to amaze me. Why your father ever bothered to further your skills and not concentrate on your sister Hanabi is beyond me. And to make matters worse, he didn't have this trash executed for attempting to kill a head family member. If it were me I would have activated that seal on his forehead until his brain was rotten in his skull."

"No!" Hinata cried out before she could stop herself. She shrank for a moment under his gaze, but then slowly stood up from her chair. "Grandfather, he gave me his apology, his word, and would give his life as my protector. Please… please don't talk about Cousin Neji that way."

Faster than she could see, he struck her across the face. The sound bounced off of the walls and left complete silence in its wake. He hit her with such force that she stumbled into the bed next to her, and her eyes fell to Neji's face once more.

"Is it that fox demon boy, your unruly teammates, or the waste of flesh in that bed that have you forgetting your manners as a member of the head family!" the old man hissed at her.

"Grandfather…" Hinata said softly, not raising her head. Her long hair hid her face as she looked down at her hands, clenched into the blanket. "Why are you here?"

There was silence, and then the sound of footsteps, and finally, the slamming of the door as the old man left. It was as if the sting of his words gave power to his slap, and she found herself crying over her cousin's sleeping body. What had Grandfather been doing here? It frightened her to think about it.

And now she dreaded the fact that she would have to return home. Neji had a room in her father's household as well as an apartment elsewhere in the village. But it didn't matter where he was, she felt safer just knowing that he was wandering in the village somewhere… anywhere. And when he visited her father's extremely large home, a warmth swept over the place. Even the coldest in the family seemed to feel this warmth. Even her father felt it when Neji was around. But there were a few who seemed to fear that Neji could somehow tear down the very foundation with the force of his will. He had no fear of the seal carved into his forehead. So they felt no power over him.

But now, Cousin Neji wouldn't wake up. And the room felt so very cold.

Shikamaru and Chouji sat on the rooftop and watched the streets below. Chouji had a huge bag of potato chips for both of them to share.

"So, let's see if we have this straight," Chouji said as he stretched out his large body. "Lee and Tenten and Gai don't feel like training because their hearts aren't in it because Neji is in the hospital."

"Yep," Shikamaru yawned. "And because Gai doesn't feel like working, Kakashi doesn't have anything to do today because they were going to have one of their rival battles."

"And Sakura saw Kakashi being lazy and decided that she wanted to be lazy too, and she wants to keep checking up on Neji."

"And since Ino got the day off and Sakura doesn't feel like doing anything, Ino has been free all day."

"And Hinata is sad because Neji's in the hospital, so she went to go buy flowers to leave at the hospital so that Neji would know she was visiting when he woke up, but Ino wasn't there to make one of her special bouquets so Hinata decided to wait until tomorrow, and Kiba and Shino are worried about Hinata and don't feel like doing much today either."

"Wait… wait wait wait. What about Naruto? Damnit, now we have to start over…."

"We could make it really challenging by trying to include Sasuke," Chouji grinned.

"But he's never lazy," Shikamaru said. "He's probably training his butt off wherever he is. He messes up our whole equation that everyone is being as lazy as us today."

The two had a good laugh and then went to work staring at the clouds again. They were lying on the rooftop of some fancy restaurant this time. Lately they had taken to switching rooftops to see if it made any difference in their cloud viewing.

"So it looks like he'll survive?" a deep voice said. It drifted out from the window directly below them, which was odd since that floor of the restaurant was hardly ever used.

"Unfortunately," came the gruff voice of an older man. "I nearly killed him in the hospital. Had the urge to just end his life and make it look like an accident."

The other voice chuckled at this, and by now, Shikamaru and Chouji were both fully eavesdropping.

"You should have done it," the deep voice said. "He's bad for our clan. He's far too rebellious against the old ways. Hiashi is soft on him because it's his twin's son, but I don't think he realizes how dangerous Neji is to the head family."

Shikamaru and Chouji shot horrified looks at each other, but of course, they still tuned in.

"Well, Hinata came in to visit him, so I couldn't very well kill him," said the gruff voice. "I swear letting the boy into the family had a horrible impact on her."

"I wonder what made him snap like that?"

"Heh, I'm just sorry he didn't finish the job. But that's alright. He has inherited so much power from our clan, which actually works to our advantage now. We can't have someone with his power wandering the streets with mental instability."

"You don't mean-- But Hiashi would never allow us to kill his beloved nephew!"

"He must! It's for the good of the clan! We must protect the secrets of the Byakugan technique at all costs. Killing Neji and sealing the technique is necessary for the good of our futures. This has all been written! Hiashi knows it!"

"Hm. I would like to be there when the seal is activated. I've heard it's a slow and agonizing death. It's fitting for one such as him. Now, let us have our meal."

Shikamaru and Chouji sat frozen. They waited for the footsteps of the two men to disappear down the stairs before jumping up and leaping from rooftop to rooftop. They had to see Tsunade.

"I'm going to see Neji," Chouji said. "You tell Tsunade what we heard."

Chouji leapt off with determination in his eyes. He could never bare to see anyone hurt, and Shikamaru knew that he would be guarding Neji in that room as though his life depended on it.

Tsunade didn't ask for clarification of the situation. She didn't ask Shikamaru if he was sure about what he heard. While Shikamaru expected that he might have to do more convincing, she only leaned forward in her chair and appeared to be in thought.

"You aren't surprised?" Shikamaru asked.

"I am," she said. "But then when I think about some of the people in that clan who can't give up some of their elitist attitudes, I'm not."

"Why Neji?" Shikamaru sighed. "It's troublesome not being able to tell him this."

"There are many reasons," Tsunade said, sitting back. "Neji nearly killed Hinata years ago, and some people in the family think that he should have just laid down accepted defeat during that match so that the head family member could move on. Instead he beat her, and they do not want to admit that a branch family member has gained so much power. Next, Neji made Jounin long before any of his peers, including Hinata. He knows techniques that only the head family has been known to pass down, and his power is growing exponentially."

"Envy?" Shikamaru smirked.

"And a vast superiority complex, yes. They envy and fear Neji and the fact that he is so close to the head family. And to make matters worse, many of them are disgusted with the fact that he is friends with Naruto and supports Naruto's dream to become Hokage. They seem to think the two will come to destroy the clan one day. In reality, Neji simply doesn't want anyone to suffer what he suffered in the past with the family divisions."

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered. "So what are we going to do?"

"We will guard Neji," Tsunade said. "And I can talk to Hiashi. But beyond that, since we do not have names and faces, we can't do much. But do keep in mind, that even if you found out who said those things, we still couldn't do much. The Hyuuga can is very old, and has many rules that extend through its clan alone. For them to execute Neji would be fully justifiable by their old rules."

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Shikamaru exclaimed. "That's actually something they can do!"

"They could, if Hiashi would let them," she grinned. "I'm sure you understand I'm willing to do what it takes from letting the most dangerous powers and secrets of Konoha fall into enemy hands. Jounin who become this unstable must be dealt with in some manner."

"So what are you doing to do to Neji? An institution?"

"For now, I'm not going to do anything. You and his other friends will bring him back to his senses. I'll be waiting."

"Hey, Hinata," Naruto smiled as they approached each other near the ramen shop.

"H… hello, Naruto," Hinata said with a slight blush.

"How are you doing these days?" he asked, the sun shining brightly from his blonde hair. "I haven't seen you in a long time!"

Hinata felt herself blushing, and she tried to stop it from happening. This kind of thing always happened around Naruto. He had grown so handsome, and she had liked him for years. His eyes and smile were so bright, and he brought courage and hope to everyone. Even back when no one thought anything about him, Hinata had noticed him.

"I'm good," Hinata smiled. "Were you…" she glanced at the ramen shop.

"Oh yeah, quick meal, and then… actually I was going to go talk to Neji," he said, his face growing serious. I want to know who did that to him so I can kick their asses.

"So you don't think he… he wanted to die?" she asked softly.

"Of course not!" Naruto said, looking shocked. "Something must have happened to him. Lee and Tenten must have missed something… or not had all the information. There is no way Neji would do this!"

Hinata smiled. "I agree. Thank you, Naruto."

"Heh, no problem. So come eat with me. My treat!" He pulled out a fat frog wallet filled with money. "No excuses," he smiled.

"I was wondering if you two had a minute after you finish eating," someone said behind them.

"Hey Lee!" Naruto said, recognizing the voice before he turned around. But he and Hinata were shocked to see quite a few of their friends there. Gai and Kakashi were there as well.

"What's going on?" Naruto blinked.

"We've got a problem," Kakashi said. "Meet us at the lake when you're done here."

"Normally Gai and I wouldn't allow you guys to get worked up about something like this," Kakashi explained when everyone had made it to the lake. "But you're old enough now to make your own decisions and judgments, and this is an important matter regarding a comrade."

Kakashi looked to Shikamaru and Chouji, and they nodded and explained what they had heard. While Hinata listened, she looked around and saw that almost everyone important to her was sitting there on the grass. Lee, Tenten, and Gai from Neji's team. Her own teammates, Kiba and Shino. Ino, Chouji, and Shikamaru were there too. The only ones missing were Asuma-sensei, head of Shikamaru's team, and her own sensei, Kurenai. They were most likely on a mission. Also missing was Sakura, because she had volunteered to stay by Neji's side, and Sasuke, because he was currently missing.

"Damnit!" Naruto yelled once the details were all given. "I thought things had gotten better for him! Now his own clan is trying to kill him!"

"Naruto!" Ino interrupted, motioning to Hinata.

"I… it's okay," Hinata said. "I understand. But… but it's true. There are people in the clan who don't like him. But… but to kill him…. I never thought…."

"This must have something to do with why he's the way he is now!" Lee said.

"We don't have any proof of that," Gai said.

"But sensei," Lee said, "Neji wouldn't--"

"That's right!" Naruto piped up. "He wouldn't try to kill himself!"

"We all know that," Gai said. "But we have to treat these as unrelated incidents until we have proof. Otherwise we could let something slip through the cracks."

"We have one option now," Shikamaru said. "We have to get him back to normal. That's one of the most important steps. Without that, there is always the chance that he really could be executed by his clan."

Everyone grew quiet. Hinata felt her heart drop to her stomach. She felt like she couldn't breathe. She felt helpless. But suddenly, Naruto stood up with a broad grin, filling her with courage with that simple look. He held out his hand to help her up.

"Ready to go?" he smiled. "We've gotta wake him up."

Sakura watched as Sai paced the foot of the hospital bed, staring at Neji. The young man could be so odd at times. He studied Neji with his cold, dark eyes for a long while as Sakura checked his progress.

"Why are you in here?" she asked finally.

"Curiosity," Sai muttered as he ran his fingers through his short black hair.

"What are you so curious about?"

"Why is he so special to people?" Sai asked. "Why make a bond with him?"

Sakura sighed softly. Explaining emotions and human interaction to Sai could get so tiring at times.

"It's different for different people," Sakura said.

"There must be something that people generally like that would make everyone so determined to save his life," Sai said, moving to the side of the bed.

"Well, I can't really answer that for you," Sakura responded. "Maybe you'll find out when you meet him. But really, Sai, you shouldn't find it odd that we'd want to save a comrade's life."

Sai's expression changed slightly as he looked at Neji's face, and Sakura turned to see what was so interesting. She nearly jumped back when she saw two shining white eyes staring back at her.

"Neji," Sakura smiled. "You're awake!"

But he gave no response. Sakura realized that he wasn't staring at her, but through her. When she moved his eyes didn't follow her. He didn't seem to acknowledge his surroundings at all. She waved a hand in front of his face a few times, but he took no notice.

"He's brain dead," Sai said. "How inconvenient."

"Sai! He isn't brain dead! He's just--"

Suddenly Sai pulled out a kunai and thrust it at Neji's throat. He stopped just before the blade could draw blood. Sakura could only sit there horrified.

"You see," Sai said, putting the kunai away after seeing no movement from Neji. "No response at all. Not even a trace of body memory to defend himself. He's brain dead. Time for you all to find another friend. This one doesn't work anymore."

"Sai," Sakura said moving toward him slowly. "If you ever, ever, EVER drawn a weapon on one of my friends again I'll--"

"Is he awake?" came a gentle voice as Hinata and Naruto entered the room.

Naruto shot Sai a dirty look when he noticed that Sakura was upset. He then turned to see that Neji's eyes were indeed open.

"He doesn't seem conscious, but he does seem awake," Sakura said.

Hinata looked into her cousin's white eyes. They were tinted slightly violet in the light of the room, and their usual deep gaze was missing. He looked as though he had died, and apparently Naruto saw the same thing, because he walked over to check Neji's pulse and breathing. At the same time that he did this, Hinata activated her Byakugan, the veins standing out around her eyes as she looked inside of her cousin's body. His chakra was flowing normally throughout, indicating no damage. He was alive and healthy, just lost in his own mind.

Sai wandered over and looked to their worried faces. He then reached toward the bed.

"What are you doing now?" Sakura asked in a threatening tone.

"Helping him to sit up," Sai said emotionlessly.

Naruto blinked for a moment, but then joined Sai in helping Neji to sit upright in the bed, leaning back on the pillows for support.

"Now he looks less dead," Sai said.

He did appear to just be relaxing now and Naruto grinned at Sai in approval.

Hinata leaned forward to brush strands of Neji's long hair from his face. Suddenly, she felt herself being drawn in. Naruto and Sakura gasped as Neji pulled Hinata into a hug, resting his cheek against the top of her head as though she were a giant teddy bear.

"C… cousin Neji?" Hinata squeaked.

Still, no response.

---To Be Continued---

(Hello! This is only my fourth fanfic, but it's my first time on this site! I'm big on plot, so please stick with me! Comments are greatly appreciated, and I read them all in detail! Also, I'd like to mention that Sai is part of the Naruto cast. He just hasn't appeared in the anime yet… only the manga.)