He saw her sitting on the grass in the middle of a training ground. She was exhausted, and he felt tempted to go to her and help her. But something deep inside him whispered that she would not accept his help. She did not trust him, she got hurt by him badly and he did not expect her to forgive him. He knew he would not forgive something like that, so why should she forgive him?

He looked at her again, instead of sitting she was laying on the grass smiling to herself. She was tired but happy. As if she had accomplished something important, as if she was a winner and not the looser she really was. He felt like joining her, laying on the grass and smiling to her, but he feared she would not welcome his presence.

When her father told him that he would like Neji to observe and protect her, he took up his new duty with a sudden comeback of guilt. If he had been her protector form the beginning ,as it should have been, she would never have gotten hurt. She would never have suffered. He felt guilty of a lot of things, he still didn't apologize, and when she was in hospital after their fight he did not even make a step towards that part of town. He could remember after the time he almost died running after Sasuke, and everyday a fresh flower without a card was awaiting him. It only made him remember how he did not come when she was in the same hospital.

Now watching her smile and lay on the grass made him happy. When she was happy he felt happy as well. He wanted to go and ask what happened that made her feel so good, he wanted to share that moment with her.

He realized it was getting late, and that there was a specific reason why he came here. Not to admire her smile, but to tell her a message from her father.

He walked up to her, and she did not seem surprised to see him, as if she had noticed him a long time before he reveled himself. She sat back on the grass and he sat in a short distance from her.

"You're father invited guests for dinner Hianata, and I am to tell you that you should be on time. Lord Hiashi said it was very important you be dressed elegantly."

"Thank you Nissan for coming with this message. At what time will dinner start?" he kindly asked him.

"At seven p.m." He replied briefly.

"Good" she smiled warmly at him "So I still have around an hour before I have to go home" she leaned back and lay on the grass again. She was looking up at the sky, the clouds and she was lost in her own thoughts.

He did not know what to do. He felt that he should leave, but some part of him wanted to stay. He lay on the grass near her and began to look at the blue sky as well. He liked looking at the sky, the clouds, the birds, those were those rare moments when he felt free.

"Neji have you ever thought of how it would be nice to drift in the sky like a bird?" suddenly came a timid question.

"Sometimes" he replied.

"I think about it a lot of time, how it would be nice to just fly away from everything, Konoha, father, the clan." She told him. He looked at her with surprise, he could remember what Naruto had told him "Maybe she is suffering as much as you are!" and maybe she was… and it was his fault. Suddenly came a chance and he took it.

"I'm sorry Hinata-sama." He said, not giving into details what he was sorry about.

"It's ok Neji-nissan." She replied. After a short pause she began again "When I look at the sky and when I feel like flying everything seems so much better. I've been wondering do you still think you're a caged bird?"

He looked at her, she was laying on her side facing him.

"Yes I am, and I will always be. That is my destiny although I tried to fight it." He looked away from her and observed the nearby trees.

"I hope one day that feeling will change." She suddenly told him. "Maybe one day everything will be different."

He looked at her with interest. "What do you mean?"

"If I become leader of the clan I want to change the way things are…" she began "That is if I ever become leader of the clan… it is still probable that father will disinherit me… so that path might not be possible."

"I doubt that." He told her " He is a very traditional leader, he would not be the first to disinherit a heir for a younger sibling. It is uncommon in the clan, and you have traits your younger sister will never have."

"Do you think I would be a good leader?" she asked him. He looked at her.

"You are kind and gentile, you seek harmony and avoid conflict. A typical leader should take care of his clan, should be wise, and firm. You only lack the last trait, but you don't need it." He told her.

"Why do you think I don't need it?" she asked quietly.

"Because I will be there to make sure no one hurt you, and that no one threatens any of your decisions." They shared a long glaze. She smiled at him.

"Thank you Neji-nissan." She reached out her hand and gently held him. "You don't know how much it means to me." He smiled back at her, and he could help not to think that she was beautiful. He accepted her hand and took it into his. It was so small and gentile, the hands of a woman, a gentile flower, not a ninja. But with those hands she could rebuild the Hyuuga and his strong arm will always support her.

"You can always count on me Hinata-sama." He told her with a smile.

She smiled back and he could not help himself. He gently leaned over to her and gave her a short kiss. She looked at him with surprise not knowing what to do or how to react. And he took the opportunity again, she did not protest when he kissed her the second time, she just let him do it. He moved closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. He licked her lips asking her to let him enter her mouth and hesitantly she did.

Never in her wildest dream would she imagine him kissing her. She was innocent and all the matter connected with sex and love were unknown to her. Most girls in her age already had their first time, but not Hinata. It was even hard for her to admit to herself that this was her first kiss. And that this was the first boy that showed any interest in her.

When their tongues tangled together she felt a flash of warm come along her body. She hesitantly moved her hand to his neck and held into him. He broke the embrace and looked at her. He was smiling to her and she smiled back. He moved his hand over her face to move a tress of hair from her cheek. Suddenly he began to laugh, and he grabbed her and they hugged each other rolling over on the grass. She joined him willingly, feeling that all the barriers between them were suddenly not there. He landed on her still smiling, and he gently leaned and gave her once more kiss. Then he lay next to her, his hand on hers and both looked at the sky and felt happy with each other's presence.

The time to come home came soon, but being in Neji's company made Hinata feel safe. He was always her enemy and now he turned into someone totally different. A person who she did not fear anymore. A person she could trust.

He felt happy, she did not hate him, she did not reject him, and moreover she accepted his company. That was all he had ever whished for.

After dinner Lord Hiashi asked Hinata to come to his office. He had asked her how did she like the guests and she said that they were nice. He kept asking her strange questions, as if testing her ability of assessing people and he seemed happy with her responses. Then he change the topic to Hinata's being the leader. And his words gave her no choice, he told her to prepare to get married with a person he would appoint. He told her also that she would not be a leader in the true sense of that word, and that her husband would make all the decisions.

She came back to her room in tears. She needed to get away, to run or hide. Instinct drove her to the branch part of the house. She knocked on his door but there was no answer so she just came in. He was not there yet, but she did not want to go back to her room.. She lay on his bed and soon her tears cuddled her to sleep.

He was coming back from his appointment with Lord Hyuuga feeling crushed down by the main house again. He would be married with someone he did not choose to marry. And his life had been decided upon for him. He came into his room and noticed a petite figure in his bed. He closed the door behind him, and pushed his back against it. He could not believe his eyes, she was in his room, in his bed. Her face still red of tears she had just cried. She came to him to seek help, to seek comfort!

He came up to her hesitating what to do, but her presence there made him feel good inside. He just did the only thing that came into his mind. He took off his clothes leaving only a t-shirt and boxers, and he lay down next to her. She turned to him immediately, and still being in her sleep she hugged him. He put his face into her hair, hugged her tightly, and went to sleep as well.

She woke up in the middle of the night feeling a strange warmth next to her. It was him. She gently turned over to look at him, and smiled when he pressed her harder against him instinctively in his sleep. This was the first time she could look at him from this kind of distance. And it was the first time she ever saw him sleeping. She lifted her hand and gently slipped several fingers into his silky hair. She gently touched his arm, smooth skin, but yet hard muscles under it. He looked so peaceful in his sleep, just as nice as in the afternoon when they were laying on the grass and laughing. He looked relaxed and happy, and now he was kind to her. She noticed a change in him some time ago, but that afternoon was the first time he made a step towards her. At first she thought he wanted them to be just friends, brother and sister, but the kisses he gave her signaled a different need. A need she had in herself as well. That's why she took the time observing him, gently tracing his skin with her fingertips, gently caressing his hair. During the day he would never allow it, but these stolen hours at night were now hers. She gently touched the symbol on his forehead. The symbol of his slavery to her. And she wished it was not there, she wished he would be with her not because she was a duty, not because she had the key to his cage… She hoped one day if she let him free, that one day he would come back to her. But she feared that like most wild birds caught in cages, he would never return once let go.

He moved under he touch, and soon opened his eyes. She smiled at him, playing with his hair. And he smiled back, he did not move away, or tell her to stop. He did the opposite, he came closer, and his eyes looked warmly at her. Then he kissed her again, and she responded to him. She wrapped her arms around him, and met his tongue in her lips. He held her tightly and pushed harder against him. She could feel him get big, she could feel his lust for her.

He put his hand on her head and pushed her head against his kissing even deeper. She liked it, she liked the feeling she felt when with him. She was safe with him, she was a woman with him, not a silly timid girl. She felt his fingertips on her tight and she shivered. He tortured her, touching her tights, playing with her gentile skin. She was waiting, but she did not know what for. The reason soon came into her mind when he put his hand on her panties and gently pressed his finger against her womanhood. She wanted him. She put her hand on his chest and silently demanded he took his shirt off. He complied with her wish, soon she could caress his skin without any obstacles. He removed his hand from her panties and grabbed her and moved her under him. She smiled feeling his weight on her, and kissed him. He make a smirk to her, and with one hand grabbed her breast. She made a loud moan feeling the pleasure. She arched her back to meet his body, and she could feel him, his length along the inner side of her tights. Soon it was not enough for him, he grabbed her top and took it off her, immediately putting his hand back on her breast. He leaned over and with his lips he began exploring her other breast. Playing with it, showing how much he liked it. And he did like it a lot, her breasts were huge and sensitive. Her reaction was overwhelming. She arched against him, demanding more. Soon his body did not let him continue his game, it had its needs and the pain in his member kept remind him of them. He left her breast and reached for her panties and slowly took it off her. She wanted to protest but the pleasure stopped her. She wanted more, she needed more. She cried in his ear when he put his hand there. And when he made his way thought her locks, and into her wetness. She made one more cry when he put three fingers into her, and played with her. His lips on hers, his hand on one breast, and the other hand in her. Soon she cried his name, soon she arched ever harder against him feeling a sudden explosion of something she never before experienced. He let her go and smiled at her. She clenched her arms around him. He gave her a moment to catch her breath and then he got up and took off the last piece of clothing separating them. She greeted him back with a smile full of fear. She did not know what would happen next and it was the first time she saw a man naked. It made her shiver in expectance and in fear at the same time. He gently lay his weight on her, letting her get used to him. He gently stroke he hair, whispering into her ear that he'll be gentile and that he would never hurt her. Then he reached one hand and put it on the tight, and gently forced her to open her legs for him, he moved closer to her. And soon he made him move into her, into her wetness. At first she was in shock, it hurt a bit, and the feeling was strange to her. But with ever move of his, with every touch, the fire in her body began to grow again. She scratched his back, she moved her hips against his, she whispered his name. And soon it was all over, both of them lacking breath, both of them exhausted. He smiled at her.

"That was some training, wasn't it?"

She laughed back. And put her face into his hair.