Chapter Five: Breaking Through

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Two weeks later...

Kiba pinched the water out of his eyes, the shower head continuing to pour piping hot water over him as the tattooed young man basked in enjoying a nice, not rushed shower during his day off.

The mechanic treasured his days off of work as, more often than not, one of them would occur within the normal work week, and Kiba enjoyed being able to have a break in all the the days in a row that he would have to go in.

Today was no different, being a Wednesday, and Kiba had known since the night prior that he was going to use this mid-week day to relax and take it easy around the house.

"...maybe some laundry later...but after a huge lunch...I think I'll go out to get something for lunch...and then my shows; I have to catch up on my shows..." Kiba listed lazily to himself, loving the prospect of doing very little this day and basically only what absolutely needed to be done around the house and for himself.

Kiba sighed contently and picked up the shampoo bottle to begin lathering up his drenched hair, eager to wash away even the idea of being inside a filthy, noisy car shop from his mind and body, so he can begin the day practically a new man.

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Meanwhile, inside the long, posh board room located within the top floor of Hyuuga Enterprises Inc...

"There simply is not another way around it. We need to cut costs in R&D or we risk going over the budget for that department this quarter, and that's final!" one of the aged board members argued heatedly, causing a few other of the men to chime in a rebuttal of some sort at the same time.

Everyone was interested in adding his two cents in and being heard and making his statements about the immediate future of the company's assets...all but one man, the youngest man in the room.

Neji had his head resting against the back of the chair he was sitting in at the polished black table, his light-lavender eyes trailing listlessly along the peach-painted walls trimmed in decadent gold with splashes of dark maroon, all of that color and expense having long-since become droll to the Hyuuga heir.

The words Hyuuga Enterprises Inc were written in gold block letter across the main wall of the board room, Neji feeling like he had been staring at his own prestigious name forever.

All of the times before this, whenever Neji had looked up from his files and saw those golden letters, he had been filled with pride and the need to succeed in his uncle's eyes and with this company; to be seen as the powerful, in-control man...just like how he knew everyone wanted him to be.

Now, Neji could not help but gaze with disgust at those words, that last name, the colors of these walls and the smell of the too-clean furniture...all of it was making him not care anymore.

Maybe he had stopped caring a long time ago...

"What do you think, Neji? We haven't heard from you all day..." one of the chairmen prompted the young man sitting idly in his seat, Neji's hands folded on his lap as his posture was purposefully relaxed and indifferent of even being present in the room as he was.

Neji felt one singular feeling suddenly swell up inside of him.

Neji felt the indisputable need to be...

He swallowed down some spit before lowering his eyes to the many expectant stares that were now directed solely on him, his uncle being the most prominent as he sat at the head of the table and awaited for is nephew's input.

He needed to be free.

"What do I think?" Neji repeated the question, every word coming out faster and with more confidence than the one before it as Neji lifted his head from the back of the chair and slowly sat up straight, "...I think...that none of you really knows what you're doing. I think that this whole business is one, big sham...I think we've grown immensely while we let other smaller businesses suffer without doing anything about it!"

"Neji! That is enough! What the hell has gotten into you?" Neji's uncle and current CEO of the company roared right away, slamming a curled fist on the giant black table in front of them all, something that would have put Neji in his place right away...

But not this time.

And not ever again.

"No! I've only gotten started, uncle. I've always wanted to be an accountant. You knew this! But you never did anything about it, and why? Because of my name..." Neji declared with raging fire in his words, something he had never let escape him before now as the long-haired young man stood up from his chair and stared harshly at his glaring uncle, the other board members silent and wide-eyed at the whole exchange, "...well, I'm tired of doing something I hate for you...what I really think is that it's time I start doing things for myself."

"Neji! You can't do this. I will not allow it!" the CEO yelled at his nephew again, and this time, Neji laughed.

"Good day, gentlemen. It hasn't always been so bad working with some of you, but now...I got to go and live my life," Neji concluded his grand announcement, lowering his now happy gaze to the other chairmen in the room, before turning around in his spot and striding to the set of double doors, ignoring his uncle's continued rantings with a growing smile on his face.

Neji's heart raced, his smile seeming to spread across his cheeks forever, as he sprinted down the corridor of the building, chuckling at the many employee's gawking stares, as he rid himself of everything having to do with this corporation and his former title in life.

The younger Hyuuga did not, could not, stop running through down a few flights of steps before taking an elevator down the rest of the way to the ground floor which led him directly on the outer glass foyer of the building, the sunlight beckoning Neji further, singing to him louder, as it shone through the windows and glass doors all around.

Neji dodged around a few people that were standing about in the lovely, marble-floored foyer area before rushing passed the revolving doors so that he was finally standing outside and feeling the sun on his body and the scent of open, natural air in his nostrils.

Neji was out of breath but he let it fill his lungs in great quantities as the pale-eyed male tipped his head back so that he faced the sky, loving the brilliant blue touched with brush strokes of pure white that filled his vision and made him have to squint at such brightness and beauty.

Neji had music in his head and his heart on his sleeve as he spread his arms out to either of his sides, his smile big and inviting towards the new-day sky, as Neji stretched his fingers and closed his eyes and thanked God in his mind as if he was finally living for the first time, as if he was finally free for the first time.

Business people still walked along the sidewalk talking on their cell phones and commuting to their workplaces, but Neji paid them absolutely no mind as he took in his wonderful feeling for everything that it was worth.

Neji felt liberated, as if he could do anything and nothing posed to bounds to him any longer...

And he knew the one person he needed to share this with, the one person who had helped him do this...

Neji opened his eyes and lowered his arms, his chest heaving with a few, deep breaths of building excitement, before he quickly took off towards the direction of his car, pictures of daring, black eyes and a broad, joyous smile running through his mind and prompting his movements as he made to leave this area for good without so much as a second glance.

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