Demons (Ch1)

Chapter 1: Shattered Glass

- X -

AN: Thanks to all those who favorited/followed my story! It's one of my first, and it truly makes me happy to see so many enjoying my story. Especially those who reviewed, this chapter is really all for you guys, supporting me as I write.

Thank you!

Disclaimer: I don't own the ramen-loving maniac known as Naruto. Nor do I own Neji Hyuuga, or any other character besides Unmei, as sad as it makes me.

- X -

"...'Cuz I'm only a crack, in this castle of glass, hardly anything-"

Neji prodded his cousin in the ribs, hissing, "Silence! What would your father say if he saw you singing in public?"

"He'd give me a few jyuken strikes in uncomfortable places. Or would you rather do that for me, Neji-kun?"

"When did you- Never mind. We have an image to keep, act like a Hyuuga."

Unmei sighed in resignation, stiffening her spine and striding forward with her head held high, the traditional white robes of the Hyuuga not touching the floor once as she swept past the clan compound's guards. They nodded briefly, receiving a quiet "Good morning" in return from the Hyuuga heiress.

The trip to the Academy's main entrance was rather uneventful, most pedestrians moving out of their way respectfully, recognizing the attire of the Hyuuga. Unmei, of course, had briefly waved and smiled at some of the passerby, letting those who seemed to be in more of a hurry pass, standing off to the side of the road during those short moments. Neji had immediately hissed and grabbed her sleeve, ushering her forward, mumbling something that sounded like "Hyuuga are respected; we don't let other people pass, they will think us weak."

"Or maybe they'll think that we are kind, and simply respect us more for it."

"Hn."

They walked, keeping a comfortable silence, Unmei fiddling with a senbon hidden in her sleeve, Neji walking stiffly with a cold, calculating gaze.

When they arrived, they took a place near the front of the crowd, with the other children. Unmei shyly hid halfway behind her cousin, gaze flashing around.

"Welcome to the Academy! From this day forward, you will all be training to become wonderful Shinobi, learning skills vital to the ninja lifestyle. Now, adults, if you would please leave. The classrooms unfortunately do not have enough space to hold all these people. I'm sure your children can tell you all about their day when they get home." A man with a scar across his nose kindly smiled, and the adults slowly wandered away, some more reluctant to leave their children.

The smiling man led them all into a rather crowded classroom, leaving Unmei desperately clinging onto Neji's sleeve, repeating to herself under her breath, "Must not get peasants' sweat on clothes, must not get peasants' sweat on clothes, must not get..."

Neji glanced down at the shivering mass of flesh and cloth that was formerly known as Unmei, and poked her shoulder awkwardly. Putting a bit of chakra into the strike, he sent a jolt of pain through her arm.

Unmei let out a small moan, loosening her grip on Neji's arm, causing said boy to stare at her, a bewildered expression on his face.

"Did you just-?"

Unmei blushed, slapping her cousin's arm. "You didn't hear anything."

"Oh, is my cousin a masochist, by any chance?"

"Shut it, Neji. Scar-face-sensei is talking."

His eyebrow arched upward at the nickname she had given to their sensei, but let it pass, as said sensei truly did begin speaking.

"As you can see, we will not be able to fit all the students into one classroom. The class will be split into thirds, one staying with me, Iruka, another going with Mizuki," The newly dubbed Iruka gestures toward Mizuki, "and the final third will be going with Kazuhiro. All students will be given a written test, and then split up accordingly. If you score a high grade, you may be able to skip a year in the Academy, or just be put in advanced classes. Scoring low, of course, will have the opposite effect. Understood?"

"Yes, Iruka-sensei!" The students dutifully replied, bringing a smile onto the man's face.

"Good. Now, Mizuki will be calling the names of those who will be going with him, and Kazuhiro will soon do the same. The remaining students whose names have not been called shall remain."

- X - Timeskip - X -

All the students who had left came back after the one-hour test. Many were sending around whispers of "too easy," "aww, I didn't get that one!" Neji had taken his place by Unmei's side, protecting her from the gazes of the other students. 'Hiashi-sama would kill me if his daughter were to get a perverted stalker on the first day of school.'

"Neji-kun, what are you doing?"

"You're not allowed to have fanboys, Unmei-chan."

Unmei glared at any male that came close, byakugan activated. Needless to say, none of the students won a staring contest with a Hyuuga.

To their annoyance, a loud cry of "YOSH!" broke their sacred silence. The speaker was a long-haired student with his hair in a braid, who was punching the air excitedly. "LET OUR FLAMES OF YOUTH EXPLODE!"

"...creep." Unmei muttered, earning a nod from Neji in return.

A few snickers went around, pitying the poor soul that was criticized by the Hyuuga.

"Alright, students, would you please quiet down?"

The entire class kept chatting, already disrespecting their sensei. Iruka, evidently angered, flashed through hand seals, enlarging his head and shouting, "SILENCE!"

"My ears are dying, Neji-kun... Must everyone be so loud?"

Neji simply silenced her with a glare, ignoring the whimpers from the heiress.

As the students were separated into their respective classes, Unmei clutched Neji's hand, hoping that they would be put into the same class. They had both completed the test, after all.

"...Neji Hyuuga, and Unmei Hyuuga. Please exit with Kazuhiro-sensei for your class. Congrats to you, all of you listed have performed well enough to skip a grade. If you continue your excellent showing, then you may be able to be put into further advanced classes and graduate early, although that is frowned upon unless in a time of war."

Unmei followed their new sensei, dragging an irked Neji behind.

- X - Timeskip (I don't think I need to elaborate on Academy teachings) - X -

"That was... boring."

"Nothing's interesting to you, Unmei-chan."

"You are."

Neji sighed in resignation, knowing that he would lose whatever argument that started on this topic. They were walking back to the compound after a relatively dull day at the Academy. After all, today had been full of teachers babying the 'newbies,' giving the Hyuuga duo easier tasks to ease them into the advanced class, where the students were older by at least a year. Neji had been ready to slam his hands on the table and demand that Kazuhiro-sensei give them equal, or harder, tasks. Basic taijutsu? He must've forgotten that the Hyuuga specialized in the said area. Introduction to the concept of chakra? Idiots.

"Neji-nee, your face is scrunching up again. Angry?"

"Who wouldn't be, if the teachers won't take you seriously?"

"Point taken."

They walked the rest of the way to the compound in silence, the only sounds being the murmurs of pedestrians and the random bird chirping. Once there, they went their separate ways, Unmei to her father to tell about her day and later train, and Neji to his training grounds. After all, he had no one to talk to about his day besides Unmei, and she had gone.

He was alone. Just the way it had always been since his father's death.

- X -

"Neji-kun?"

Said boy glanced towards the source of the voice, irked by the sudden intrusion upon his privacy. "What is it, Unmei?"

"No -chan?" The girl teased, slight giggles escaping her mouth.

"... Shut it, Unmei-kouhai."

"Hey! I'm not that much younger than you!"

"Three years isn't a lot?"

"Age doesn't matter in the face of true love!" Unmei reached out, prodding Neji's cheek teasingly. "Stop being such a stuck-up jerk, nii-san."

He sputtered, slapping her hand away. "I am n-not a-"

"Bah! C'mon, I have something to show you! Why did you think I would suddenly barge into your room anyway?"

"Just to be horrible."

Unmei pouted, fake tears glistening down her face. "I never knew you thought so lowly of me. Oh, whatever, hurry up!" She raced off into the hallway, heading towards the garden.

"What did I ever do to deserve such a fate, Kami-sama?" Neji groaned, reluctantly rising up from his meditative position and heading after Unmei.

- X -

He walked in on the giggling girl when she had an aurora of green, blue, and purple chakra shimmering around her, lighting up the small expanse of flowering land that made the garden. The light soon calmed down, focusing itself into a snake-like shape that wrapped around one of Unmei's legs and all the way up her body to rest on a shoulder. It hissed slightly at Neji, inquisitively reaching out its nose to prod at his arm.

He stiffened at the contact. The chakra construct felt solid, unlike any chakra he had expelled from his body. "What is the meaning of this?"

"This snakey thing is Tsumi! She's a demon who decided to wander up here and possess something, and I just so happened to be born at the exact same time, so we kinda shared a body. She finally agreed to let me try to form my chakra into a shape so she could possess that instead, cuz you know, having a split mind feels weird sometimes." She scrunched up her face in disgust, stroking the snake's scales to calm down.

Neji let out a rattled breath. "And how long have you known that you hosted a demon?"

"Since I could form coherent thoughts."

"And you aren't afraid of having your body taken over and your consciousness shoved to the side like a discarded piece of trash?"

"No." Unmei's voice went oddly monotone, her eyes slightly changing into the same color as her glowing green-blue-purple chakra. "I am Tsumi's tool, a way for her to make things right. Balance must be maintained, no matter the cost." Her eyes went back to normal after she had spoken, her normal perkiness back.

Neji narrowed his eyes. Was that just the demon talking, or was it the cousin he had known for so long? It didn't seem like her. "Unmei... Are you alright?"

"Why would you ask that?" Her head tilted, and she blinked owlishly.

"Your eyes went weird for a while, and it didn't seem like you were talking." Did she remember what she said?

"Oh, that was me. Balance has to be kept; good always comes along with bad, and it's my- no, our job to keep things right."

"Our?"

"Tsumi and I."

His eyes narrowed. She already accepted the demon, so why couldn't he? They were known to be notorious, evil creatures, so why was Unmei so casually taking about it?

The glowing chakra shifted again, dissipating to return to the loose cloud it was before it had been a snake. A few seconds later, it disappeared, and if Neji hadn't known that it was there before, he'd have thought there was nothing wrong with Unmei. He tried turning on his byakugan; the chakra wasn't visible. "Did the dem- Tsumi return to your mind?"

"No. Her brand of magic replaced the chakra, and it can become invisible and intangible."

Neji sighed- he seemed to be doing that far more often- and rubbed his temples. Why was having a cousin so... troublesome?

- X -

AN: My, my. Is darling Neji-kun turning into a Nara? And who is Tsumi, exactly?