A.N.: This is a love story between Shikamaru and Neji. Comments and criticism of all aspects of the story are very welcome. If, however, you believe boy/boy love is wrong somehow, or you just don't like the pairing, then in the words of the lovely Shikamaru, don't be troublesome, stop reading now.

Background: The story takes place a long time ago in a place far away, where the land is divided into two main factions: the North Country (which includes Konoha) and the South Country (which includes Suna and Sound). Historically, there has been bad blood between the two, and, although most of the inhabitants on both sides have never even met anyone of the other country, nevertheless they deeply distrust each other.

The North Country is home to the Hyuuga clan, the Uchiha clan, Gai, Kurenai, Rock Lee, Tenten, Shino, Sarutobi, and a few other minor characters.

Shikamaru, and all the other major players in Naruto, live in the South Country

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. (If I did, you would see a lot more Shika-Neji interaction, and a lot less of Sasuke's neverending quest for revenge).

###

Ch 1: Turning Seventeen

Almost certainly some of his ribs were cracked, and he had injured his shoulder as well. There were nasty gashes on his thigh and upper arm, and one on his back that he couldn't see, only feel.

He leaned his head back against the wall. He was exhausted, but he didn't dare to go to sleep. After what he had done, they would be looking for him.

He had no idea whose stables these were he was hiding in, or even what village this was. He only knew that he was far, far from home.

###

Only three short weeks ago, Hyuuga Neji had been thinking ahead to his seventeenth birthday.

He had plans. Big plans. The first thing was to win both his events at the upcoming tournament. Pain clenched his heart as he remembered that day and how happy and triumphant he had felt, how sure he was that everything was finally going to work out the way he wanted it.

###

Although he seemed outwardly cool, Neji's heart was pounding with excitement as he entered the tournament arena with his teammates Tenten and Lee. The arena halls were packed, bustling with competitors, spectators and officials.

They had been in lesser tournaments, involving their village and some of the neighboring ones, but this was the big show: the North Country Imperial Championship, held only every four years. Competitors came from all over the North Country, every village sending its finest teams of fighters.

"We're finally old enough!" Tenten declared, looking around excitedly with wide eyes.

"Remember our plan!" Lee admonished. They were supposed to look as weak and pathetic as possible, so that the other competitors would underestimate their strength and be caught off guard. As they made their way to the central room to find out when and who they would be fighting, Neji kept his head down so that his trademark pale eyes would not give away the fact that he was a member of the Hyuuga clan, the most powerful clan in the North Country.

They all had something to prove. Tenten wanted to show that women could be as good or better than male fighters. Lee – who had been miserably taunted for years because he could only do straight taijutsu and had no skills in subterfuge or weapons of any sort – wanted to show that he could be as good or better than more versatile fighters. And Neji, who outwardly would seem to have proven it all already – a noted prodigy, first in his class and unbeaten in tournaments, and of course a Hyuuga – inwardly burned with a desire he felt was even greater than that of his teammates. For although Neji was a Hyuuga, he did not come from the Main House family, through which leadership of the clan was passed down, but from a Branch family, which was supposed to protect and serve the Main House.

This would have been bad enough on its own, but what really rankled Neji was the fact that the Main House heir was his cousin Hinata – in Neji's opinion, a weak, simpering ninny who could barely be counted on to disable a fly. Indeed, she was not even competing in the tournament, much to her father's angry disappointment. It was a good thing her teammates (a pair of weird losers, in Neji's opinion) seemed to have infinite patience with her, Neji reflected, because he certainly did not.

For years he had watched, seething with resentment and contempt, as Hinata cringed and stumbled her way through her father's attempts to teach her the special moves known only to the Hyuuga Main House. Watched and memorized. On his own, in secret, training until he was so sore and exhausted he could hardly move, Neji had practiced and perfected the Hyuuga fighting style.

The day after the tournament ended was Neji's seventeenth birthday. That was the day he would receive his inheritance. He would get his father's sword, the vaunted blade that Neji's father Hizashi had used to become one of the finest swordsmen in the land. It had hung in its case, unused, since Hizashi's death thirteen years ago. It was a thing of beauty, intricately forged by hand from layers upon layers of steel, so sharp it could cut a falling leaf cleanly in half.

And that was the day, he dared allow himself to hope, that they would finally have to acknowledge him. That was the day they would name him head of the Hyuuga Training and Fighting Corps, in line to become the future head of the Clan.

In the large, crowded central room, they received their assigned opponents and times. The events fell into two main classes: Taijutsu and Weapons. Lee was their Taijutsu specialist, Tenten the Weapons specialist, and Neji, the prodigy, was ranked highly in both, his weapon of choice being the sword. Glancing at the names of their opponents, Neji did not recognize any, but he didn't really care. He was certain he could beat anyone they paired him with.

As they headed down the hallway, they nearly collided with another team. "Watch where you're going," a dark-haired kid on the other team snapped at them. Neji turned his head in annoyance, then stopped short as he saw who had spoken. He did not recognize the kid, but he was an Uchiha, that much Neji could tell. He had the Uchiha looks and the trademark Uchiha fan on the back of his shirt. Maybe a younger brother or cousin of Uchiha Itachi. Neji felt his pulse quicken at the thought.

Uchiha Itachi was a legend – both good and bad. He had been the greatest prodigy the North Country had ever produced, winning tournaments at age seven, progressing to head of the Secret Forces by age eleven. He could beat even seasoned warriors in a matter of seconds, with very little effort on his part. But at age thirteen, there had been some terrible conflict with his family and he had broken with them and run off to join the Akatsuki, a notorious criminal organization. There were all sorts of rumors – some claimed he had killed some members of his family – but nobody knew the actual truth, the Uchihas being a fairly tight-lipped clan.

Neji had seen him fight once, shortly before Itachi left the village. Itachi was not particularly tall or imposing, although well-built. His opponent from the Wave Village towered over him. But Neji had never forgotten – indeed, it was indelibly branded on his memory – how Itachi had dominated the fight from beginning to end. His speed and skills were beyond anything Neji had ever seen; he was simply untouchable.

And something else Neji never forgot: the effect Itachi had on his opponent. Many fighters talked trash to their opponents during a battle, insulting and cursing them in loud voices. Itachi spoke in a low voice, so that it was impossible to hear what he was saying. But whatever he said badly rattled the Wave Country fighter, who subsequently made several stupid mistakes. And Neji, who like others in his clan was very good at observing face and body language, had seen with fascination that it was not anger or lack of skill that was causing this clumsiness, but panic. The Wave Country fighter was terrified of his younger, smaller opponent.

When he went before the clan elders the following day, if they asked him who his heroes were, Neji was prepared to name several past Hyuuga greats. To his friends, and even to himself, Neji would have said his only real hero was his father. But, as his father had died when he was only four, he had never actually seen Hizashi fight. And so, in his secret heart of hearts, the ideal he carried, the fighter he most admired and aspired to be like, was Uchiha Itachi.

Now, spotting this younger Uchiha, Neji felt like a tiger seeing red meat. If he beat this Uchiha, surely not even the clan elders could deny that Neji was the greatest fighter of his generation.

"Hey, you!" he called, the surging adrenaline making him forget his manners and their plan to lay low. "Who are you? What's your name?"

The Uchiha turned, giving him a cold, snooty look. Typical Uchiha, thinking they were better than anyone else, when everyone knew they were only an inferior offshoot of the Hyuugas."When you want to learn someone's name, you should give yours first," the Uchiha said.

Neji glared at him, but it was Lee who stepped up to introduce himself. "My name is Rock Lee, and I would like to fight you!"

"Neji, Lee, come on," Tenten called. "I think the first match is beginning!" Neji followed her, and they hurried up the steps to the viewing area of the arena. On the field, the Hokage was making a speech urging everyone to do their best and fight fairly. Gazing at the wide green expanse of the field, Neji felt again the electric anticipation of the battles to come.

Tenten tugged at his sleeve. "Where's Lee? Wasn't he right behind us?"

They made their way back and eventually found Lee in a practice room, thoroughly kicking the butt of the Uchiha while his disbelieving teammates looked on.

"You are not even the man I want to beat," Lee announced, adding insult to injury. "You are not the most powerful ninja here. That man is on my own team." Neji kept quiet. It was no secret how Lee felt. Still, he could not help being just the tiniest bit gratified.

The fight was interrupted by Gai sensei, arriving in his usual flamboyant manner to deliver a punch and an overly dramatic lecture to Lee, which left them both in tears. The Uchiha sulked while his teammates stared at Gai in total befuddlement. Neji and Tenten exchanged looks. They had seen this scene too many times to count.

As they followed Gai back to the arena, Neji raised an eyebrow at Lee. "What happened to our plan?"

"I wanted to test my strength," Lee said sheepishly, still nursing his head where Gai had smacked him.

Neji let it go. Lee was a hothead and could definitely be a little crazy at times, but he was a good guy and a solid teammate.

###

Wind swept through the open areas of the stable, stirring up the fine sandy dust that was everywhere. The night air on his bare skin had turned chilly, and the worn bit of stable blanket that was his only cover didn't offer much warmth. He cursed the South Country for being so cold when the sun went down. Wasn't it supposed to a desert country? It was certainly hellishly hot during the day.

He had spent the night running, traveling south – because they would be expecting him to head north. The deeper into South country he went, however, the more the cold fear grew that that had been a mistake. Not only was he getting further and further from his home, but the terrain was becoming increasingly bleaker; miles of open desert and rock without a single tree or shrub to offer cover.

Near dawn, he had felt both relief and dread when he saw buildings in the distance. There were no lights on in the closest one, and it looked too small to be a house, so he approached cautiously and peered inside. Although it was a strange oval shape, and made of a claylike substance rather than wood, the layout and smells told him it was a stable. Thankfully, there were no animals inside to make a ruckus and awaken whoever lived here.

###

He had won his early matches easily. Lee had gotten injured in the semifinal round and was out, as was the Uchiha kid. His final opponent was bigger, stronger and older, but Neji had the advantage in speed and skill. He knew he had the upper hand when his opponent began backing away, using evasive and defensive moves rather than attacking. Neji was a close range fighter, and his weapons were his hands.

The Hyuuga clan specialized in the Gentle Fist technique. It was a way of concentrating an immense amount of energy into the palm of the hand, with devastating results. The blows didn't look very hard, but if placed directly, they could paralyze muscles and even shut down organs. It was actually possible to kill someone this way, stopping their heart with a lethal blow to the chest. However, this was not allowed in the tournament; using deadly force would get a competitor disqualified and bring dishonor on their clan.

Having been pursued into a corner by Neji, his opponent decided to make one last stand. He turned to attack, but Neji was quicker. With lightning speed and force, he delivered a double handed blow. His opponent went down and stayed down.

He had won the Taijutsu competition, but Neji could not rest on his laurels. Already he was thinking ahead to the following day's sword competition. He was good with the sword, but not as good as he was in taijutsu. He had been practicing a new move, though, and he was eager to try it out.

The sword rounds began early the next morning. Lee was there on crutches to cheer on Neji and Tenten. Tenten got knocked out in the second round, losing to an older female fighter, but Neji made his way swiftly through the early rounds, winning his battles without too much trouble. He was even a little disappointed that he had not had to pull out his special move.

His final opponent was the previous winner and reigning local champion, Hayate Gekko. Coughing constantly, with dark circles under his eyes, Hayate looked ready to drop dead on the battlefield. But Neji knew that, no matter how unimpressive he might appear, Hayate was a skilled practitioner of the Crescent Moon technique, and a force to be reckoned with. At first, Hayate appeared to have the advantage. His acrobatic technique threw Neji off balance. Hayate's sword was everywhere, scoring point after point, no matter how much Neji parried and jabbed.

It was time to break out the Kaiten.

The Kaiten was one of the special Hyuuga moves that Neji had mastered on his own. As far as he knew, he was the only Hyuuga under the age of 30 who was currently able to do it. In practice spars with Tenten, the weapons specialist had not been able to get a scratch on him. He had been waiting with impatient anticipation for the chance to use it in an actual battle.

Neji positioned himself. He pictured himself in perfect balance, yin and yang.

In the next minute he became a whirling, slashing dervish, spinning more quickly than the eye could follow. Hayate could not keep up under this onslaught. He leaped away, raising both arms to protect himself, as Neji's sword almost sliced his face. Neji pressed his advantage, and Hayate stumbled backward and fell. That was it. Neji tapped him on the forehead and chest with the tip of the sword, signifying the "killing strikes."

Hayate lay on the ground for a moment, looking stunned. Then he rose and bowed to Neji. Neji returned the bow, feeling almost lightheaded. It was over. He had done it. He had won both parts of the tournament. Not since Uchiha Itachi had anyone seen such a prodigy. There would be fame and glory and girls falling all over him, but Neji did not care about any of that.

He had proven that he deserved to lead the clan. He had proven himself worthy of his father's sword.

###

It was getting dark, the shadows lengthening. He had made it through the daylight hours without being seen or captured. For the first time he allowed himself a glimmer of hope. If the stables were unused, as they appeared to be, it might be possible for him to lay low here for a few days until his wounds healed.

He would need food, water and clothing. Under cover of the darkness, he decided he could risk moving around a little. He had always had excellent night vision, and for this he was thankful. Staying low to the ground, he scouted out the empty stable. He had almost given up hope when he hit treasure in one of the back stalls: a pail of brackish water and a wizened apple that was only half rotten. Hungrily, he devoured the good half. It was mealy and sour, but since he hadn't eaten in two days he didn't care. He took a few sips of the water, hoping it wouldn't kill him. Ideally, he knew, he should boil it, but he didn't dare risk anyone seeing the smoke from a fire. Disgusting as the water was, it was preferable to dying of dehydration in the desert.

###

The day following the tournament was his birthday. Too excited to sleep, he rose early, meditated, and bathed. Combing his hair, he looked at himself in the mirror. Was this the face of the future leader of the Hyuuga clan? True, he would he not be one of the Elders who actually controlled the clan, for many years. But he would be the designated heir, and in time, the leader of the fighting forces.

The elders were all assembled in the Main House when he arrived. Neji stepped in and bowed deeply to them.

"That was quite an impressive tournament showing," Hidoi, the oldest and most severe of the Main House elders, said. "Who taught you those moves?"

Neji felt a spark of nervousness, but he quickly fought it down. Why should the Main House have the right to dictate who could or could not learn the moves? "Nobody taught me, Hidoi-sama. I learned them on my own."

There was a surprised murmur among the assembled clan members. Were they angry that he was using Main House techniques, or impressed by his determination? Neji decided to play it cool, keeping silent, and humble.

"You are quite a skilled fighter. Probably one of the finest this clan has ever seen, and certainly surpassing all other Branch House fighters."

Neji bowed low again. "Thank you, Hidoi-sama." He kept his eyes downcast, to appear modest, but inside he was glowing at the praise. Finally, finally they were acknowledging him!

"As you know, Hyuuga Hinata will be of age next year. She is the Main House heir in line to take over the leadership of the clan Forces."

Neji stole a glance at Hiashi, who looked unhappy. He hoped this was a good sign. His uncle had no more respect for Hinata than Neji did. Neji had often heard him berating her for her utter failure as a shinobi, telling her her younger sister Hanabi could do a better job.

"Our clan traditions and lines of succession have served us well over the years. We are the oldest and greatest clan of the North Country..."

Hidoi droned on for several minutes about the history and traditions of the clan, while Neji tuned out and mentally rehearsed his acceptance speech, only paying attention when he heard Hinata's name.

"Hyuuga Hinata is not…the strongest fighter."

Not the strongest fighter? Neji inwardly scoffed. She was weak and timid, totally ineffectual!

"Therefore, now that you are of age –"

This was it! The moment he had been waiting for his whole life! His heart sped up with elation and pride. The only sorrow he had was that his father was not here to see it. He ran through the protocol in his mind: keep your eyes down, bow, say you are not worthy…

"—you will become Lady Hinata's bodyguard and personal trainer. We feel that, given time…"

Neji did not hear any of the rest of Hidoi-sama's speech. His mind was reeling from those first words. Now he knew how a bird must feel when, in full flight, it smashed into a glass door. He was that bird now, broken, the breath knocked out of him, all his hopes and dreams gone.

Hinata's…bodyguard?

And personal trainer?

Babysit and train that useless, simpering weakling…to take the position that should rightfully be his!

His face burning, his hands clenched into fists, he waited for Hidoi-sama to finish . When the old man finally paused for breath, Neji stepped forward and bowed stiffly.

"Thank you," he said coldly, although thanking them was the farthest thing from his heart. But a Branch House member would be punished severely for insolence to the Main House. "Please excuse me, I must go train." He raised his head and looked around the room. Most of them were staring at him, looking taken aback, affronted, or perplexed. Hiashi had his eyes shut and looked like he was in pain.

He turned and left the room quickly, without looking back. Through the roiling rage, disappointment and humiliation in his mind, one clear thought emerged:

I am never going back into that room.

He ran a long time without having any clear idea of where he was going. Eventually, he ended up at the training grounds. He was a little surprised to see his teammates there, since they were still recovering from their injuries, but only a little. Like him, this was the place they felt most at home.

He thought he might forget the whole horrible day and lose himself in training. But as he approached, he got another, much more unpleasant surprise: Hinata's team was there as well.

"Neji!" Hinata looked flustered, as she always did when he appeared. "Ha-happy birthday, nii-san. Did…did you have your ceremony w-with the elders?"

"Yes. I did." His fury built as he stalked toward her. "Do you want to know what they said?"

Hinata looked as if she wanted to run away. One of her teammates, the tall one with sunglasses, stepped protectively in front of her. Neji's own teammates were staring at him in confusion.

"They told me," Neji addressed Hinata contemptuously, ignoring her teammate, "that I am to be your—" He almost choked on the words. "—your bodyguard and train you. So that you can eventually lead the clan."

Hinata's face went white and her mouth opened in shock. She looked terrified, of both Neji and the weight of this new responsibility.

"Since I must do it, why don't we start now? You are training, aren't you?"

"I…yes…"

Neji stepped into the center of the clearing. "Then let's do it."

Hinata's tall teammate once again moved to shield her with his body. Looking at Neji, he said coldly, "Leave her alone. I'll fight you."

"Is that what you do on missions?" Neji said scornfully. "Fight all her battles for her?"

"This isn't training. You're just looking for an excuse to-"

"No...wait." Somewhat tremulously, Hinata stepped forward. "I will do it."

Her other teammate, the short one, grabbed her arm. "Don't do it, Hinata. He's so cruel to you... you'll be torn to bits!"

"I should tell you," Neji said, staring at Hinata with hatred, "that I don't agree with this decision. You are not a good shinobi, and you will not be a good leader of the clan. You are too soft-hearted, too afraid of conflict. A shinobi must be willing to fight and mean it."

Hinata looked at him helplessly.

"You go along and agree with what everyone else wants, never standing up for yourself." He could see from her expression and the way her head drooped that his words were hitting home. "The heart of the matter is you have no self-confidence. You will never be a leader because if you do not believe in yourself, no one else will believe in you either."

"Nii-san, I – I –"

"I know that they have decided this for you. But you are not fit for it, and deep down, you do not even want it. Am I right?"

"N – no, I…I do want it. I –"

Neji had been struggling to keep his emotions in check, to stay cool and logical. But at these words a spark of rage flared. "Of course you think you want it! You are nothing but a spoiled brat of the Main House!"

"What?" Hinata gasped.

"Yes – given everything, worthy of nothing! Look at you. Right now you are doubting yourself. You are remembering your past weakness and you are afraid of what I will do to you." He took a step forward. "If you can't even stand up to a training spar, how will you do in the real world, against a real enemy? How will you defend the clan?"

Hinata's eyes filled with tears.

"Why don't you shut up?" the incensed voice of her teammate cut in.

Neji rounded on him. "This is a clan affair! Are you so low-class that you –"

"What about you? She's never done anything to you, and yet you constantly pick on her! You're very high and mighty, but I'd take her over a hundred of you any day. She has the kindest heart I've ever seen. Your heart is a block of ice." To Hinata, he said, "Don't doubt yourself. You're a Hyuuga just like him. You can beat him."

Hinata had turned bright red, gazing open mouthed at her teammate in a mixture of shock, embarrassment and adoration. She pressed her fingers together, and squeaked out his name, "S-Shino..."

So that's how it is, Neji thought in disgust.

Hinata squared her shoulders. There was a different look in her eyes now as she positioned herself in the Hyuuga fighting stance, mirroring Neji. "Defend yourself, nii-san," she said resolutely.

That was all Neji needed. He went after her with everything he had, all the moves that he had pulled out to win the tournament, striking her again and again with unerring precision. Hinata fought valiantly. She went down almost immediately, then struggled to her feet and continued. Neji focused on her arms, pinpointing muscle and nerve spots. He stepped back, ostensibly leaving her an opening. Hinata moved in; Neji heard her teammates' excited cry of, "Get him, Hinata!"

Hinata came at him with a combination move, a Hyuuga specialty. For a second he was impressed; he hadn't thought she knew that one. But it hardly mattered. He smirked at her as he brushed her hands aside. Hinata raised her arms again, more slowly this time, and he watched the gradual horrified realization dawn on her face.

Her muscles had become useless. Neji had paralyzed them with his Gentle Fist. She could still hit him, but there would be no force behind the blows.

Neji took a moment to savor her shock and chagrin, then he struck, backhanding her across the face and delivering a body blow that knocked her several feet away. Hinata lay on the ground looking dazed. Her lip was bleeding and she clutched her side.

"You see," Neji told her, ignoring her teammates' furious yells. "You cannot fight your destiny. You are weak, and nothing will change that. You are not –"

He broke off as Hinata struggled painfully to her feet and shuffled forward, taking her stance again.

"I can't be responsible for what happens to you," he warned her. He would not go easy on her, just because she was a girl, and a weakling, and a member of the Main House. A warrior was merciless. A shinobi fought to the death if necessary.

"I…I wanted to….change myself. This…is my…ninja way…"

Did she actually imagine herself a shinobi, fit to lead the greatest clan of the North Country? This time he hit her even harder, sending her flying. She landed hard, then crumpled in the dirt and lay still.

"You see, you cannot change yourself." He spit the words at her. "Any more than I can change the fact that the House that I was born into determines my fate."

He noticed that Hinata's sensei, Kurenai, had arrived and was looking on in angry concern. Another person who had coddled Hinata, making excuses for her weakness, saying they thought they saw something in her when there was clearly nothing.

"Do you want to call it?" he asked her contemptuously. "She has obviously—"

But, incredibly, Hinata was getting up again. Neji felt a cold sweat breaking over him. He had only intended to humiliate her and teach her a lesson, not seriously injure her.

"Give it up now," he told her, as she hobbled toward him, bruised and bleeding. "There is nothing left to prove. Even now, I can see, you are suffering under the weight of expectations that you cannot –"

"No, brother," Hinata panted, "you have it wrong." She wiped blood from her mouth. "I have the same Hyuuga eyes – I can see also. I can see that it is…you who is torn and suffering…from the systems of our clan. I am sorry for –"

The worst part was that she was not just taunting him. She really meant it. There was pity in her expression.

Neji felt a red rage wash over him, the way a dry stand of timber goes up in a flash forest fire. Forgetting that he had meant to end the fight, he charged at her, his arm outstretched to deliver the killing blow.

"STOP!"

Rock Lee's hand slammed into his chest, in the same instant that Kurenai grabbed his right arm and Shino his left, and Gai-sensei – where had he come from? – wrapped a strong arm around Neji's neck from behind.

Hinata stood staring at him, wide-eyed and trembling.

"Neji," Gai boomed, "I am very disappointed in this! You promised me you would never let your family problems get in the way of training."

Yes, he had said that. But that was when he still thought he had a chance of becoming head of the clan. "So why are all the jonins getting involved?" he said resentfully. "Just more protection for the Main House!"

Hinata opened her mouth to speak, but instead went dead white and toppled to the ground. Shino and Kurenai let go of Neji and leaped to her side.

"She's unconscious," Shino said urgently.

"He really meant to kill her," Kurenai said, staring daggers at Neji.

Neji felt a icy tendril of fear. "If you have so much time to glare at me, why don't you take care of her?" he snapped.

Gai also let go of Neji and bent over Hinata. Neji drew a deep breath, trying to calm down. A movement at the edge of the clearing caught his eye and he froze. Standing there was the very last person he wanted to see at this moment.

His uncle Hiashi. Hinata's father.

Neji turned and fled into the trees.

He spent the rest of the day hiding out in a remote area of the training grounds, formulating a plan. It was clear to him now that he must leave Konoha. It was not something he had ever expected to do. But it would be intolerable – and now, with what he had done to Hinata, impossible – for him to stay.

He would be leaving his home, which no longer felt like a home. Both his parents were dead, and he was sure Hiashi had no familial feelings for him after today. He would be leaving his clan – the people who had betrayed and humiliated him, the people who had sacrificed his father for the supposed good of the clan.

He would be leaving his teammates. He felt a little bad at that, because he was decidedly the strongest one on the team. It would be harder for them on missions without him there. But they would have to manage.

When it was completely dark and he could tell by the angle of the moon that it was close to midnight, he returned to the house, slipping in silently through a side door to pack the things he needed. He would leave that night, traveling light, taking nothing of value save for one thing: his father's sword.

But as he stealthily approached the room where his father's sword hung, he was disturbed to see that a light was on. He crept nearer, staying in the shadows, and peeked through the doorway. There was the small shrine with his father's picture; there was his father's sword hanging on the wall.

And there was his uncle Hiashi, kneeling in prayer before the shrine.

Neji jerked back, cursing to himself. Why was Hiashi here? Why now, of all times?

Hiashi bowed his head, speaking so low Neji had to strain to hear him. "Hizashi…forgive me…"

Neji wondered bitterly which transgression his uncle was thinking of. Sending Hizashi to his death? Passing over his son in favor of a totally unqualified member of the Main House? Or was he apologizing in advance for whatever terrible punishment was in store for Neji for his treatment of Hinata?

Whatever it was, Neji was not sticking around to find out. It grieved him that he would have to leave without his father's sword – but hadn't that been his whole life? Since he was four, he had made his way without his father's help and guidance. He had fought his own battles, learned the moves and techniques on his own. Perhaps it was fitting that now that he was legally an adult, he would go alone, taking nothing from the clan.

For the first time in his life, his fate was in his own hands.

###

A.N.: Whew… this came out longer than I expected! I know this was a lot of back story, and heavily drawn from canon, but that will change soon. I just needed to fill in his background. And I promise he and Shikamaru will meet very soon!

If you have any thoughts or feelings at all about the story, please leave a review! Getting feedback always inspires me to write more. :)