#Hyuga clan members

[fullnightpeace]

[colorfulfoxengineer]

[chrimsonfoxdon]

Ok I got a hyuga theory for y’all:

What if when you marry into the main household, they remove the curse mark from you and your immediate family? It would explain why Hinata’s mom didn’t have the curse mark (tho to be fair I don’t think we ever see her eyes so she could have been an outsider, but I just get the feeling that marrying outside the clan wasn’t very common until Naruto and Hinata), and Ko could have been like her brother or something, so his curse mark was removed as well.

This would also make the elders/main household lowkey… extra bad cuz they could totally remove the curse mark at any time but choose not to. I feel like the fandom just kinda all agree that the curse mark is non reversible, unless it’s stated at some point that it is?? I don’t remember it though.

Or she and Ko (and maybe other members of the clan??) choose to use makeup or concealer to hide their curse mark?? Or maybe some kind of concealment jutsu???

[atoriv-art]

I really like your nejisasuneji fanart!I think the similarity between Neji and Sasuke in Naruto is worth exploring. Both of them come from the pupil aristocracy, and their strength is about the same (the early Byakugan and Sharingan are both very strong), and both of them are rebels. Regardless of whether it was fate or the system, both people failed in the end. Neji still failed to escape fate and became a scapegoat. Sasuke finally compromised to the old system and ran around in order to maintain the status quo. It is very appropriate to use one sentence to evaluate the two people: "Those who try to control their destiny end up being controlled by destiny."It will be interesting for the sasuneji two to help each other: Sasuke helps Neji reform the Hyuga clan and break the curse seal of the caged bird. At the same time, the reform of the Hyuga clan becomes the beginning of the reform of the old system of the ninja world. Neji, who is no longer controlled by the caged bird, becomes Sasuke's right-hand man.

yesssss this is what drew me to them! i find it very interesting they are both clan prodigies with Baggage and both come from prestigious clans no less. remember when the sharingan and byakugan were compared to each other and it meant anything ever that was FUN.

i particularly enjoy the idea of contrasting them because If I Wrote Naruto (said every naruto fan ever) this conflict of like. sasuke goes on to be the one who could Not bear to stay in konoha and then later turns against it, vs neji who stayed in konoha after being promised that things would change (and they didn't. funny that) would be something to be explored! especially after Both having been seen as Shitty, Angry Prodigies. but neji "calmed down" after being made promises that weren't kept and sasuke didn't let himself even consider falling for stuff like that (until the ending of naruto lmfao)

i'm a big fan of characters who contrast like that lol and i think the whole sharingan vs byakugan thing is a very fun backdrop to that. like dreams/illusions vs reality/truth? come on now.

people joke about it a lot i've seen, but literally if neji as a character were allowed to 1. exist in a meaningful way at all in shippuden lmfao 2. interact with sasuke, i do think it'd be an easy path for interesting interactions, because like. having to defend the village who's literally never helped you, against the guy who was also Never given any assistance or support growing up, AFTER the village made you countless promises that your life would get better when it literally did not? lol. lmao even

them teaming up is sincerely on the like top 5 best things that would happen If Naruto Made Any Sense to me to be honest i do think about it a lot.

[weepingnightmarenaruto]

The Hyuga clan stuff makes no sense.

Ko Hyuga is apparently a main branch member, but Hizashi, Hiashis twin brother and therefore the son of the former clan head, is not. You are telling me that the twin brother of current clan head and child of former clan head is not, but this random Hyuga is?

By the traditions explained in the manga of the main branch/side branch we get during the Chunnin exams either Hinata or Hanabi should be sealed, depending on which one of them becomes the next clan head. And since Hinata was basically disowned it would most likely be her. And this all also basically implies that the only people who are a part of the main branch are former clan head, current clan head and their heir (the next clan head). But apparantly not because Ko Hyuga.

The Hyuga clan just needed so much more focus and development to make this all make sense. And like I have seen people try and makes sense of this with explanations like Hiashi and Hizashi were twins or the treatment of men and women being different. And like this is interesting, but it’s just assumptions, nothing of this is actually established in the text and it doesn’t help with making sense of the whole situation since it’s not established canon. We don’t know what Kishimoto was thinking, and most likely he wasn’t. And like considering Kishimotos track record with the story it’s probably just unintentionally inconsistent like with most things in Naruto.

Sorry, for ranting. The Hyuga clan just derserved so much better and I think it’s one of the biggest examples of wasted potential in the manga. Like theres just so much potential for different plotlines and interesting characters and we just got nothing.

[everyneji]

What's your opinion on the Hyuga clan slavery aspect?

Well, I can't say I'm a fan, but I assume you're not so much asking if I think it's horrible but about the place it has in the narrative.

In text, the Hyūga system is only called a matter of 'main' and 'branch' families. This reflects many real life noble clans -- but in real life, cadet branches were not so rigidly restricted. If a bunch of people dropped dead, for example, a random cousin could end up inheriting a great deal of wealth and power, which we know is a no-go here:

What makes the Hyūga clan unique is that it's really more of a caste system. It's hereditary discrimination that sees them as inherently lesser because of the situation of their birth. Then we get into the slavery by the fact they are branded and are forced to assume a subservient role under threat of death or torture.

Why do they do this? That gets into more speculative territory. We have the generalized answer (people enjoy power and having a stratified social system allows them to better exploit that power in a way they feel creates 'order') and the in-text explanation from Hizashi:

Neji further explains to Naruto that the branch family are to "shield the main branch ... and never disobey them."

This comes down the real issue which is: the branch families may have always existed for reasons of clear inheritance, but the sealing practise (and the dominance of the main family it represents) can't be accepted at face value of 'protecting the family's techniques' -- and so we get into a chicken/egg thing about the function of oppression and the seal in the clan's hierarchy. In other words, what came first: the oppression, or the seal?

The sealing practise is illogical as we see it applied. After all, main family members become shinobi and go on missions without a protective detail of branch family members or a seal to protect their eyes. I discuss it more at length in this post here, but to sum my view up: I believe the branch family's duty is to take on the most dangerous or difficult work the village demands of their citizens so the clan can retain its honour, without risking people of the main family as often or as thoroughly.

So, in this more speculative territory that combines our real life explanation and the in-text explanation, the answer to "Why do they do this?" seems to be "Because the main family wants to feel powerful and important without doing any of the actual work, using the branch family as a prop and a resource."

Now, I wouldn't say their fears about their kekkei genkai being stolen aren't valid -- between them and the Uchiha, we see how desirable dōjutsu in particular are. This is where the second question of 'what came first' crops up again. Perhaps the seal started life as a genuine desire to protect their clan, but the whole 'brain melting' aspect make this suspicious. Neji's phrasing here is interesting:

You have to ask yourself, Does the the way the seal interact with their brain/eyes just naturally result in death and pain, but sealing the eyes on death was the only original purpose? Was it intended only as a killswitch (which could have a pragmatic purpose in wartime, if a battle was lost and an enemy nin was about to go for the eyes) and the torture was later discovered as a bonus perk? Was it developed for punishment and control and then they realized "Oh, the horrific brain frying can also kill if we push it far enough! Neat!" Were all of these applications discovered and/or developed together?

We don't know, but while in the first scenario you can see the seal existing outside a rigid oppressive structure, it only gets more telling from there. It's also telling that another person could ever even have the ability to activate or manipulate someone's seal.

My headcanon is that in the long warring eras before the villages were founded, the cadet branches were the vanguards of the Hyūga, and did the fighting while the main family hung back and handled things of a more political or financial nature -- like, Kishimoto doesn't really get into it, but there's a daimyō and a capital where he presumably lives and more going on in this world than just shinobi politics. We know that the warring countries hired shinobi clans to fight their wars for them, and that the Land of Fire was established as a political power well before the village:

Where were the Hyūga before the forming of Konoha? Who did they fight for? Who were their major enemies? How old is the sealing practise? We don't know any of this, but whatever the case, life was dangerous, and like most clans, they were likely either a militia or PMC. A lot of my theorized structure -- the idea of having 'forward forces' who are more expendable, accept orders without question, and who can conveniently have their most valuable secrets destroyed on death -- tracks with them being a militarized outfit.

Consider also that the kaiten is stated to be only taught to the heir of the clan. The idea that only the most important person in the clan would learn this incredibly useful defensive jutsu -- it suggests both that others are disposable, and that the clan head and heir need a panic button if an enemy ever did get too close. If it was purely about being a field ready combat technique, why keep it so secret? It's not like it's an incredible offensive power like the trigrams. The cadet branch and the kaiten are both shields, and that says a lot about how the primary concern of the Hyūga was not their clan head being some kind of ninja war god, but someone who stays protected.

This creates a divide between 'protecting the clan head' (i.e. the main family) and 'protecting the clan itself', despite some Hyūga main family members trying to link them:

Like, okay gramps, if protecting the Byakugan is so important, why don't all of you go get sealed right now?

It's interesting to consider that maybe once upon a time, everyone in the Hyūga family did have such a seal -- but regardless, the eventual evolution of its use to brand only part of the family tells us that it's about control. It's depressingly realistic to have a powerful social caste invent excuses to oppress another caste, and then when those of that lower caste become angry at this treatment, suddenly their resentment and potential for lashing out is also reason to need to control or suppress them.

Bringing this together, I would say my instinct is that the divide in 'main branch' and 'cadet branch' happened naturally to maintain the line of inheritance, but the oppressive caste system was a result of needing soldiers as vanguards while retaining a strong, protected core of the family. The seal was a wartime strategy to protect family secrets, but deliberately not given to every member of the family in order to reinforce the caste system and keep their soldiers in line -- that the Hyūga deliberately left themselves vulnerable as a whole just because that hierarchy of main family supremacy matters so much to them.

Neji, of course, challenges the main family's assumption of superiority: even Hiashi, who tells Hanabi "The Hyūga blood flows thicker in [Neji's] veins than anyone else's" is shocked by the great heights Neji has reached. Neji proves them wrong; Neji proves that the Hyūga family is weaker for the rigid hierarchy they have implemented.

It would have been nice to get some resolution for this clan beyond just "Don't worry, dead brother, Neji and Hinata are besties now 😊" -- in an ideal world there are reparations for the cadet members, but more realistically, I guess that Hiashi in his soft old age finally outlawed this practise and told everyone to deal with it and they were all riding high on Naruto TnJ peace juice post war so they were like "k."

I'll end this by saying that though we mostly all call it the 'Caged Bird seal', this isn't the name in the manga, only being using in any official respect in the anime. Saying it represents a 'caged bird' is Neji's view of it, and it's just so heartbreaking how he couches it in this poetic imagery. What can the caged bird do? It can't fly -- it can't break its bars -- but it can sing, sharing its pain with the world. This is, unsurprisingly, imagery you see a lot in writing by marginalized peoples. The bird sings until it can't anymore, or until it escapes (if escape from such oppressive social forces is even possible.)

Neji sees his treatment by the clan as an inevitability of fate, and fate is a cage, but I think once he came to feel more in control of his own destiny, he was likely able to more directly confront the real source of his pain. Or, at least, I think it makes for an interesting topic to write on ... the combination of 'the home as source of terror' and 'how do you reconcile your desire to be strong in the way of your family with your family's abusive treatment of you' and 'it's hard and demanding, to love the ones above you.' It's all interesting! I only wish the story of the Hyūga's internal oppression had a more concrete resolution.

Thank you for the question! ♥ I hope I answered the particular aspect you had in mind somewhere in this.

[erumai-maadu]

you know, i think tenten will also give them good luck charms for protection like how she gave her tsunade-sama one in sd.

she totally would, with her penchant for fortune telling, she’d handcraft three good luck/protection charms and give them to each of them.

I like to think she gives them to each of her team at different times.

Lee gets his first, after Tenten overhears him telling Gai-sensei about how he has almost lost hope in his dream to beat Neji.

“Perhaps just hard work isn’t enough,” he sobs to Gai-sensei as Tenten walks away, her heart heavy. She hands him a little good-luck charm at training the next day, a carved dragon, quietly telling him that he should never lose hope.

Neji may be a genius, but Lee is a genius of hard work, and she will protect his boundless hope until he achieves his dream. Perhaps it comes from a place of selfishness. After all, Tenten is no genius herself, and Lee’s hope is her hope too.

Or maybe it’s not selfishness, but relatability.

Whatever it is, Lee thanks her with a huge hug and many, many tears. Tenten protests loudly, but deep down, her heart swells.

He always keeps it in the hidden pocket of his jumpsuit, and never forgets to take the charm out before washing it. He shows it off with pride to everyone, much to Tenten's chagrin.

Gai-sensei receives his next, after both Tenten and Lee end up in the hospital after the Chunin Exams.

After Tenten is healed, she finds her sensei standing over a sleeping Lee, tears rolling down his face. He immediately puts on an act when Tenten walks in, but she knows what she saw, and it weighs on her.

The next day, when Gai-sensei pops into her physical therapy to check on her and offer some good old Gai-sensei encouragement (motivational shouting), Tenten pulls him aside. She hands him a small charm she’d made the previous night, a little wood turtle carved with the symbol for luck.

“Don’t worry sensei, the people you care about will always be okay!” She smiles brightly at him as she sets the charm in his hand. “It’s for protection—”

Gai-sensei’s thanks is also in the form of many, many tears and shouted declarations of his sweet lotus flower’s kindness and compassion. Tenten’s response, as usual, is loud and embarrassed protests, and a secret smile muffled in Gai-sensei’s broad shoulder as he hugs her tightly.

Gai keeps his charm in the safest pocket of his jounin vest, going as far as to ask Genma to give him a seal to make sure it never breaks or gets damaged. After all, his lotus gave it to him so he could protect her and her teammates, and he would rather die than let her down.

Neji is the last to receive his charm, after his fight with Naruto in the final round of the Chunin Exams. He sits in the hospital room and tells her about everything, his clan, his uncle apologizing to him, his restored faith in the future.

"I will change my clan," he insists to her. "I will better it, for all of the Hyuuga."

The next morning, through the rubble of a torn-apart and betrayed village, in the wake of the Sandaime Hokage's death, Tenten walks to the Hyuuga compound dressed in her mourning clothes and deposits a small carved phoenix charm in his hand.

"What's this for?" he asks, turning the charm over in his hand and studying it.

"Good fortune, protection." Unlike the rest of Team Gai, Tenten always keeps her stories to herself. For some reason, she finds the words tumbling out of her. "My mother used to make them for me. They were for protection and good luck."

Neji nods. He runs a thumb over the carved bird's wing. "Protecting what?"

"My hopes, my well-being, whatever it was she thought needed to be protected."

Neji finally looks up at her, understanding filtering through his gaze. Tenten turns around, ears burning. "Come on, let's go. They'll kill us if we're late to the funeral."

Neji stows his charm in the pockets of his clothes and jogs after her.

Several years later, when Lee surpasses everyone around him, his taijutsu a shining beacon of his hard work and dedication, he is ever aware of the wooden dragon in his pocket, the way his hope is a reflection of Tenten's. He vows to work harder, to prove to her that she can do it just like him.

He will protect her hope too.

On the battlefield facing down Madara Uchiha, Gai quickly moves the little turtle charm to the pocket over his heart. To protect the village, to protect his precious students, he can do anything.

"Eighth Gate of Death, release!"

As medics work to stabilize Neji in the emergency tents, they find a blood-soaked phoenix charm clutched in his hand.

His full recovery is nothing short of a miracle.

[mahoushojoe]

me: okay my naruto phase is over its done im long past it

also me: but what if....naruto au where sasuke and neji work together to secretly coup the konoha government

[hyugahell]

Hinata should totes have a sleepover at my place, i bring cinnamon rolls 🔥✨

Hinata: Oh um, I-I'm sorry. My father wouldn't allow me to have sleepovers at strangers homes. I'm barely allowed to go to any of my friend's for sleepovers as is..

[dark-konohagakure2]

hii, love your works, can I request a fic where Neji punishes his little cousin for rejecting him and noncons her, with a little breeding kink too, thank you :))

tw: incest, cousin/cousin, noncon, dysfunctional family dynamics, breeding, misogyny, light degradation, power imbalance

All characters depicted are 18+

Neji despises the main branch, not as much as he did in his boyhood, but resentment and loathing still remain deep within the genius' heart. There are exceptions of course, he doesn't hate Lady Hinata or her younger sister, and he certainly doesn't hate his other younger cousin from the main branch of the Hyuga.

Neji doesn't hate her, but she thinks the complete opposite is the case judging by how the male Hyuga treats her, he's incredibly condescending to the pampered Hyuga princess, treating her like she's a dumb child compared to his own genius intellect. Neji is also something of a control freak, correcting every little thing she does when she does something he deems as incorrect. Neji isn't trying to be mean, his idiotic little princess needs him, and in more ways than one.

Pressure for Neji to produce an heir has been mounting, despite him being from the side branch, he is the prodigy of the Hyuga clan, and whatever child he has will posses even greater potential than him, so Neji fathering a child would he beneficial for all involved, and Neji can only think of one suitable mother for his future children.

But to Neji's shock, his airheaded cousin rejects him, him! The prodigy of their clan, a genius that many women in the village would kill to be with, and his very own family member has the audacity to reject him? Neji isn't happy at all. The Hyuga man will make his distaste for her rejection of his gracious offering of his seed very known, pinning her down right then and there with surprising strength.

"I didn't want to resort to this, little cousin, but it seems that all that time around the main branch has turned you into an ingrate. If you won't accept my gift, I'll just have to plant it inside of you myself."

Neji isn't the most brutish man, but he's still strong, able to hold her down with very little effort. He'd really prefer to properly breed her in his bed like the gentleman he is, but she lost that privilege the very moment she selfishly and thoughtlessly decided to decline his gracious offer, so instead Neji fucks her right there on the floor like the common whore she's behaving like.

Normally he wouldn't be so rough with his thrusts, but he's very cross with her, so Neji will forego any pretense of gentleness whatsoever, thrusting into her hole at a nearly breakneck pace that threatens to stretch her walls to their absolute limit. Neji will thrust into her at an angle that nearly guarantees that he'll get her pregnant, his cockhead kissing her cervix as Neji fucks her in a position that maximizes the depth of the penetration.

He doesn't want to make too much noise, he's already fucking her in a risky enough place as it is, and he isn't doing to debase himself by being caught fucking his spoiled brat of a cousin, so he'll keep his hand clamped over her mouth the entire time so as not to alert anyone that might be nearby. Neji himself doesn't make too much noise during the act, aside from a few quiet groans and venomous whispers into her ear, the only time his volume will rise significantly is when he's cumming inside of her, and with what his end goal is, Neji is going to be cumming in her a lot.

Neji is nothing if not precise and through, he won't settle for shooting just one puny rope of cum inside of her, he's going to leave her thoroughly saturated with his potent seed before he's finally done with her, and he's not going to let a single drop of his intelligence go to waste, even if he is shooting it into a stubborn bimbo's womb. When he finally is done Neji will be curt, leaving her with a tummy full of cum and a word of cousinly advice.

"You won't tell Lord Hiashi a word about this. In fact, nobody in the clan will believe you even if you do tell, and even if they did, they'll just think you're lucky to be impregnated by a prodigy like myself."

Neji knows that when it comes to the Hyuga clan, he's completely untouchable. The chances that anyone will believe the bratty princess of the clan over the genius Neji are slim to none, and even if the truth does get out, it's unlikely that anyone will receive blame besides her.

[team7-headquarter]

I can't take Naruto seriously sometimes because I have to laugh at some of the "omg this kid must be a genius" moments of the manga.

Most of the time it's so painfully clear those are just kids. Confused, desperate, traumatized to no end, scared. Kids that want to believe in a greater good to justify the violence they commit. Kids, just kids. They don't know who to trust, they get manipulated, they make me want to tear apart the adults in their lives and scream and cry an—

Shisui's solution to stop the Uchiha coup was to brainwash Fugaku and to be honest? Fugaku was not even half the problem. The problem was that the Uchiha prejudice had reached unparalleled levels, that the system was stepping on them and had been stepping on them since Hashirama was still alive. There's no way that the clan would have stayed quiet, even if Fugaku ordered them to not follow the plan.

Shisui was smart for his age but he was desperate and he was scared and he was, at the end of the day, just a teenager. That's why he got killed by Danzo. That's why he suicided and left the burden to Itachi to carry.

Itachi was a kid too. Fuck the genius title, it is complete bullshit in Naruto. He thought that the solution was to follow Hiruzen's plan because he was so traumatized by war, he would do literally anything to avoid it. But massacring his whole clan was any better? Didn't he kill innocent people all the same? Didn't he prolong the suffering of Konoha? Hiruzen had the audacity to say that Itachi was wise as a kage in his young age, which is stupid and shows what Hiruzen thinks a kage is and how they should think.

Shisui and Itachi were not geniuses. They were kids / teenagers who happened to be more ways to mold and turn into weapons. That they were smart doesn't mean they were adults.

Neji? He was strong, he was smart and mature. He was one of the best members of the Hyuga clan at 12 years old, a pattern shared with Shisui and Itachi. However, the Chuning Exams made it very clear that Neji was as lost and confused and hollow as the rest of those "geniuses". He was lied to. It's a tradition at this point: how much info do you think they are keeping away from you so that you behave like they want you to behave?

Kakashi? He said it himself that he was stupid for believing he was such a big deal, when in fact his attitude didn't help him save his teammates or properly train his students. The genius title only served to cause him pain. In the Naruto universe, people assume you are immune to emotions or being your age if you're a genius, it seems.

"This kid is a genius" and then the story proceeds to show them making a terrible decision that is not even theirs, it's the system playing with them.

Over and over and over again.

[venerawrites]

Hi~ Your writing is so so good, I can't believe I just found your blog now but I'm glad I did. I'd love to request if that's ok? A Neji x fem reader (if it's okay, Uchiha!reader, but I'm happy if not) where the Hyuga clan don't approve of their relationship, Hiashi threatens her to leave him and it kills her to do so. Angst but happy ending when Neji finds out and finds the reader again. I hope that's okay. Thank you again for your beautiful writing! ❤️❤️

author’s note: words cannot describe how hard I fell in love with this idea the second I’ve read it! (which is probably why it became so long, I just couldn't stop the story flowing heh, really sorry! x) For the purposes of this, I wrote f!reader as the sister of Sasuke and Itachi (hope that's okay). I really hope you enjoy and thank you so much for requesting! <3

warnings: angst with a happy ending + Neji is alive after the war (in this blog this is the only correct answer when it comes to Neji!)

The clock loudly struck midnight when you finally reached the doors to the gardens and pushed them open. Expertly navigating the maze of rose bushes, your bare feet hurriedly carried you toward the small house in the distance, the only safe space you could think of.

Your breath was rigid, your cheeks were flushed and your eyes stayed focused ahead, too scared to look back, in case that slowed you down. The muscles in your legs started to burn and begged you to stop for a rest, yet you couldn't afford even a second to spare.

You couldn't see him, but you knew he was near. One wrong step was all it took for him to catch up with you and you were not one to give up without a fight. Pushing the last bit of energy you had left, you squeezed the middle of your night dress in your fists, lifting it and making it easier to make longer strides.

You could see it clearly now - the smallest house of the Uchiha compound, used for newlyweds before the massacre, now standing lonely as your only hope to hide. It was so close, that your arms instinctively reached forward, eager to touch the wooden rail as a sign of reached safety.

Just seconds before you could do that, two strong arms circled your waist, lifting you up in the air and turning you around. You thrashed and kicked in the person's embrace, successfully bringing both of you down, yet he somehow found himself on top of you, quickly pinning your hands above your head.

"Looks like I won", the words came out smugly of his lips, his breathing calm and collected, almost like he hadn't been chasing you around the compound for the last fifteen minutes, "again."

You, on the other hand, were still trying to compose yourself, your lips forming an unhappy pout. He seemed to find your expression amusing, as he lifted himself into a seated position, his pale lavender eyes boring intensely into your black ones.

“You cheated”, you accused him, wiggling under his weight in an attempt to free yourself from his strong hold, “You used the Byakugan.”

Your movements stopped, your body feeling too tired to fight back. His grip also eased but did not disappear completely.

“A bold accusation”, the corners of his lips lifted in a small smirk, “and totally untrue.”

Neji finally let you go, plopping on the grass next to you, his eyelids closing at the feeling of the gentle night breeze that kissed his warm skin. You couldn't help but sneak a glance at him, admiring his almost ethereal beauty. The moonlight was shining upon him, creating the illusion that his face was glowing, while his long dark hair formed a large halo around his head. The bandage around his forehead was gone, his curse mark now a sign of pride and self-acceptance, rather than shame.

He looked like an angel. And for you, he certainly was one.

Growing up as the youngest remaining member of the Uchiha clan, your path in life was pre-determined to be filled with hate and pain. A lonely path, which you could only share with Sasuke, who was just a year older when the massacre happened. Witnessing the death of everyone you loved led you to form a shared belief that the only true purpose in life is to get revenge.

Your brother must have known it was wrong, even when he was obsessed with the idea of hunting Itachi down himself. Why else would he try to shield you from the life of a shinobi, forbidding you from attending the academy? Why would he try to stop you from leaving Konoha with him, throwing hateful words at you in an attempt to push you away? Why would he battle Itachi by himself, crying in your arms afterward, seeking comfort and forgiveness for his actions?

If you could be described with one word, however, that would be stubborn. Which is why you never gave up on trying to train your jutsu techniques in secret from your brother, nor did you leave his side once he joined Orochimaru. Despite the creepy feeling of uneasiness and fear you felt during these years, you always stayed loyal to Sasuke and you shared a goal, even going as far as to fight his old comrades once they found you and tried to convince you to go back with them.

You were not nearly as strong as Sasuke, due to his overprotectiveness and attempts to stop you from developing your skills further, yet during your late teenage years you found your strength lied in your skill to manipulate, rather than your skill to throw punches.

Everyone wanted an Uchiha woman.

Maybe it was a sick dream or a competitive spirit that men had over who could capture the attention of the last pure-blood female wielder of the Sharingan. Or maybe they carried a false idea that by getting you, they would somehow manage to connect their clans to yours, thus contributing to a new generation of exceptionally gifted and skilful ninja.

Whatever the reason was, it was clearly not because any of them liked you or cared about you in the slightest. Half of them could not even remember your first name and the rest found your bloodline way more interesting than your personality.

But with your main goal being extracting information about Itachi, and later about Danzo, Obito, and Madara, you gladly entertained such illusions, charming them with your fake innocence and cunning methods of easing them into trusting you. Your increasing knowledge of using genjutsu has also made it easier for you to aid your brother, without the need to spill blood and physically get into a fight.

Something, which turned out to be extremely valuable, once you participated in the Fourth Ninja War.

"Hey...", Neji's voice brought you back to reality and you lifted your eyes to him, noting the slight crease of concern between his brows, "Are you feeling okay?"

You nodded your head, suddenly embarrassed by the fact he caught you zoning out while staring at him. Turning your body to the side, you laid your chin on one of your hands, while the other one reached out to brush a piece of hair that fell in the middle of his forehead.

"Yeah", you said quietly, giving him a small smile, "I am now."

He stared at you for a few seconds, trying to trace any signs of lying on your face, before his hand wrapper around yours and brought it from his forehead to his lips. A gentle kiss was laid on each of your knuckles and you suddenly felt your chest being filled with a pleasant warmth.

Kami, you could live a hundred lifetimes and you still wouldn't deserve this man!

The love that blossomed between you two was unexpected and powerful, sweeping both of you off your feet. What started as him reluctantly agreeing to help you and Sasuke settle back into the village's life after you were pardoned for your crimes, soon turned into a passionate love affair between both of you.

Sneaking out during the darkest hours of the night, communicating only with glances in public, and finding excuses to train in secluded places in the forest were now usual things for both. Sasuke realised long ago there was something going on between you two, especially after you refused his invitation to join him on his travels abroad and chose to stay by yourself in the large compound. Still, he never directly addressed it, happy that you found someone who was appreciating you for you, not for the last name you carried.

A few members of the Hyuuga clan also realised there was a reason for Neji's suddenly distant behaviour. Hinata, being the first to accidentally catch Neji sneaking past midnight out of his room and jumping over the neighbouring wall their family shared with the Uchiha property, was not really that shocked or surprised. She knew that her cousin has actually harboured some form of crush on you, after you selflessly protected him and Naruto during the war, and she was glad you returned his affection.

Hiashi, on the other hand, has also connected the dots and was far from happy. As the strongest young male of the clan, Neji was being groomed into one day taking over the position of the leader, something which both his daughters appeared too timid and weak to take over. His relationship with you, regardless if it was serious or not, was not only a risk to him, but to the whole Hyuga clan, who valued the purity of their family bloodline.

And while he never said anything to his nephew, he watched him through his window night after night, sneaking once the moon was high up the sky and coming back just minutes before sunrise. Something had to be done and it had to be done soon, before you became a bigger threat. Thankfully, Hiashi knew just how to deal with pests like you.

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"Are you coming tonight?", you murmured in his neck, your breath tickling the soft skin. The grip of his fingers tightened on your waist and you couldn't help but smirk after you felt his breath hitching, knowing well that if you looked up you would find a pink blush covering his cheeks.

Neji hummed, his lips trailing from your temple down to your cheek, landing a few light kisses while doing so. You squirmed at the ticklish feeling, a low chuckle leaving your lips. The man closed his eyes at the sound, which sounded like a music to his ears. He often imagined what it would be like to wake up to it, once you become his lawful wife. Would your children also carry such melodic and hypnotising voice? He really hoped so.

"When have I ever missed?", his brow lifted in question and your lips immediately stretched into a wide smile, before pressing themselves to his. He tasted sweet like honey and you found yourself getting lost in the feeling of his mouth moving against yours. Both of your heads tilted in the opposite directions at the same time, one of his palms gently cupping your jaw to keep your head steady.

After a minute, you both felt the need to inhale oxygen and pulled away from each other, the feeling of the lost of contact already making you whine.

"You are either going to be either my death or my paradise", his soft gaze landed on yours and he landed one more kiss to your mouth, before pressing his forehead to yours, "If I don't leave now, I will surely be caught. The majority of the elders wake up with the first rays of sunshine."

Knowing there was no point to argue or beg him to stay, you nodded your head, already feeling eager for the sun to go down so you can see your lover again. You wished you could proudly show your love to the world and claim him as yours, without having to hide and pretend. And while he has assured you before that he is ready to have your relationship public, you still felt insecure about how people and more importantly his family would react.

You may have been pardoned, but you were still considered an ex-criminal by the laws of the village. Many people were still cautious about you and Sasuke, raising the concern that inevitably you or the future generations of Uchiha would bring more trouble. Some of them tried to reason with the Hokage that it is best if you are forced to move outside the village. One of these people was also Hiashi, who also felt that due to the fact the Hyuga compound was neighbouring yours, they would have to more or less keep an eye on you, thus wasting valuable time and resources.

Given the obvious dislike of his uncle towards you and the fact that Neji was having enough stress in his preparation to become the next leader of the clan, you couldn't risk to taint his reputation or chances to finally rip he fruits of his years of suffering and hard work. So you kept insisting you meet in private, telling him you would be ready once a little bit more time passes.

"I love you", you whispered against his lips as your final goodbye, before stepping away and opening the door to the gardens. Neji's face visibly relaxed and he rubbed his nose against yours, his own little gesture of affection, which you knew carried twice as much feelings as any kiss.

"I love you, too", he replied, finally stepping outside and looking at the dark orange colour of the sky in the distance. He turned to you one last time, obviously wishing to steal just a few more seconds in your presence, "Get some rest. You haven't slept at all through the whole night."

You rolled your eyes and were about to reply that he had not slept at all as well, but the moment you opened your mouth, he was already walking towards the end wall you shared with the Hyuga. A small smile graced your lips while you watched him climb it, before disappearing on the other side. With his presence gone, the need for sleep caught up with you and you soon made your way towards your room, slipping under the warm blankets and into the world of dreams.

You were not sure for how long you were asleep for. Maybe it was an hour or maybe it was two, but what you knew was that it wasn't for long before you were forced awake by loud banging on your door. Your initial reaction was to ignore it - it was probably Naruto or Sakura, wishing to train with you or grab lunch. If you didn't answer after the first few minutes, they were bound to give up.

The banging, however, persisted and it became louder and louder the more you tried to ignore it. Letting a silent puff under your breath, you kicked your covers away and grabbed your dark blue house kimono from the chair next to you bed, before tightening it around your night gown. You lazily made your way towards the door, trying to rub away the sleep from your eyes.

You didn't had to try for long, since as soon you opened the door, you became wide awake and alert.

"Lord Hyuga?", what was supposed to be a greeting came out more as a question and the old man grumbled in response, his eyes travelling from your messy black locks down to your bare feet. You tried to fix your appearance a bit, pushing your hair back and putting on the first slippers you managed to locate, which happened to be Sasuke's.

"Uchiha", he said your last name with a sour expression on his face, "Can I come in?"

Realising you were yet to invite him in, you cleared your throat and nodded your head.

"Of course, please!", you moved to the side and Hiashi did not waste even a second before pushing past you and heading toward the first open door he saw, which happened to be the one of the living room. You closed the door, but not before you scanned the visible area in front of your house.

He seemed to have come alone. Weird.

“Can I get you anything, Lord Hyuga? Tea? Water?”, you tried to ignore the cold glare he was giving you, instead keeping your tone as polite as possible. The man shook his head, instead pointing toward the seat in front of him as a silent gesture for you to sit. Your eyes danced a few times between him and the chair before giving in at his request.

“You are a smart woman, which is why I’m going to cut straight to the point”, his posture straightened and his chest puffed a bit forward, an obvious way of him claiming the more dominant role in your dialogue, “I want you to leave Neji alone.”

Your eyes immodestly widened and your throat felt dry, squeezing around nothing. Your finger clutched the ends of your kimono belt, digging your nails into the soft fabric while your brain rapidly tried to come up with a response to his blunt words.

“Wh-what?”, you finally managed to let out the question, mixed with a nervous laugh, “I don’t know what you are talking about, Lord Hyuga.”

Were you supposed to admit to your affair? To deny it? Has Neji told him or did he somehow caught him in the act of sneaking? Many questions kept flooding inside your brain, the whole situation catching you completely off guard.

Hiashi clicked his tongue in annoyance, not appreciating the fake oblivion you were trying to sell him. “Typical Uchiha”, he thought to himself, before shaking his head.

“Your little tricks may work on my naive nephew, but I already have experience with the snakes from your clan”, he said harshly, looking you through narrowed eyes, “You are neither as cunning or sneaky as you think. I know you have been in a relationship with Neji for the past year and a half and I am here to tell you that whatever you have going on is ending tonight."

Losing your composure was something which almost never happened to you. Perhaps the years living among the biggest criminals in the world has hardened your personality and you knew how to keep yourself collected under pressure and threats.

But now, under his cold glare and harsh demand, you felt something inside of you snapped and your Sharingan involuntarily activated, the confused expression on your face now transformed into a serious one. You held his eyes and with a deep breath you relaxed the tight grip you had on your robe, laying your palms flatly on the table in front of you instead.

"Are you threatening me, Lord Hyuga?", your head tilted to the side, the dynamic between you clearly shifting, "Because last time I checked I have no reason to explain myself to you, let alone listen to your commands."

"Ah, there she is", he simpered, looking pleased with the fact he managed to provoke such a defensive reaction from you. Staring at your red eyes, he leaned forward, laying his own two hands opposite yours on the table.

"Maybe not", he shrugged his shoulders, "But I want you to think about my next question and give an honest answer."

A few seconds of silence followed, before he opened his mouth again:

"Do you believe, even for one second, that you would ever be good enough for Neji?"

The words hit your deeper than expected. Pressing your lips into a thin life, your whole body visibly tensed, the truth of his words suddenly hitting you like a ton of bricks.

Neji was a strong, hard-working and honest man, who had strong moral values and sense of loyalty. Did you deserve such a partner after everything you have done? No.

But you were not willing to give up on him either. You had no idea why fate made him fall in love with you, but you were not about to throw it away just because someone felt threatened by it.

Sensing that you won't reply to his question, Hiashi continued:

"You may have a few gifted exceptions such as Madara or your brothers, who all went down in a questionable path", he mused, "but the Hyuga remains being the strongest clan in Konoha. A position which we held and will continue holding due to our strong sense of community and the duty we feel to look after one another."

You couldn't help but raise your brow at his words and narrow your eyes.

"A duty which you did not feel toward the members of the branch family, including your own brother", you bit back, knowing where to hit so it hurts the most. Your verbal attack seemed to be successful, as his facial muscles hardened and his whole look became darker.

"There is no division in the family no more", he hissed through his gritted teeth, questioning how open Neji has been to you through the course of your relationship. You obviously had an insight of how the family used to work and while he felt he shouldn't hold that against his nephew, he couldn't help but feel betrayed by the fact the matter was discussed with an outsider.

"Not thanks to you", your tone matched his, "It is Neji who pushed for this change, it is him who will completely unite the Hyuga clan."

Hiashi chuckled dryly at your words, surprisingly nodding his head.

"And where is your role in this, you think?", pushing himself back into a straight position, he looked at you with humour in his pale eyes, maybe even a bit of pity, "A woman from a clan, famous for producing mentally unstable individuals, who either start wars or betray their village."

Your hands immediately tightened into fists, nails digging at the soft flesh of your palms. With a deep breath and teeth sinking deep inside your lower lip, you tried your best to control the rising rage inside your body.

"You don't know anything-"

"I know that even now you are barely holding back", he interrupted, his voice louder than before, "Do you think that we will not only let someone like you in the family, but also let them marry to the future leader of the clan? That we would risk having future heirs who possess the Sharingan, rather than the Byakugan?"

The sudden realisation of your potential future made you freeze. You never really though about children or how your future may look like, but it was now clear to you that Hiashi was, indeed, right.

As long as Sasuke found someone to settle with and produced heirs, your clan was bound to continue to exist and be restored. The Uchiha have powerful bloodline, which even when mixed with someone who is not part of the clan, overpowered the other genes. This why you knew that a few generations in the future, your family was about to be brough back to its original numbers prior to the massacre.

The Hyuga clan, however, could not risk their clan leader producing an Uchiha heir. While having pretty strong genes themselves, it was really a half-half chance what the child is going to be. Odds, which were not good enough, especially for a clan that valued purity so much.

The man stood up, making his way toward the door, while leaving you to think over his words.

"If you don't care about yourself and your reputation, which is damaged enough already anyway...", he stopped by the door, giving you one last look, "Then think about Neji. I may have no control over you, but I can promise you that he will not become the leader of the clan if you continue to pose a risk to our family, nor he will remain a member of it."

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The air felt colder than the previous night, dark clouds slowly floating and covering the bottom half of the moon. Leaning against the wooden railing of the main house's terrace, you starred up the sky, wondering what your life would be if you were born into a different lifestyle. With different parents, siblings and without the curse of hatred.

How easy life would be then... No rules, no regrets. Just freedom.

Soft fingers brushed your hair aside and you jumped at the feeling of someone standing behind you. Turning around you found Neji, who quickly retracted his hand once he noticed your jumpy reaction.

"My flower", he gently smiled at you, closing the distance and attempting to kiss your lips, but landing on your cheek instead after you turned your head last minute. Immediately furrowing his brows, he grabbed your face in his hands and turned it towards him, his eyes immediately noticing the lack of excitement that usually radiated from you every time you saw him.

"What's wrong?", the young man wasted no time enquiring, the bluntness of his words reminding you of that of his uncle. You tried to smile, but your heart did not allow you to fake your emotions before him. There was no point either way - Neji was excellent at reading people, especially you. Sometimes you felt he knew you better than you knew yourself.

"Walk with me", was all you replied, before stepping back and walking down the stairs. When you noticed he was not following, but remained in his place, you extended one of your hands toward him, "Please."

He stared at you unsure what he should do, but eventually he followed you, frowning when you retracted your hand before he could grab it. You walked in silence between the small houses forming the Uchiha compound, before he tried to quiz you again:

"Did I do something? Are you upset with me?"

You shook your head, your heart ripping apart inside of your ribcage at the thought that he was torturing himself with the idea that he had done something wrong. Your pain also increased knowing what were you about to do was going to crush both of your souls.

"Of course not", you denied, "I just... I really want to show you something."

Neji glanced at you again, not saying anything. One quality that you admired about him was his patience - he was not pushy or assertive, instead he always gave you space when he felt like you may need it. Just like he was doing now.

Reaching the end of the compound, you found yourself standing in front of small memorial temple, the Uchiha symbol, painted over the double doors, was now dusty and in places - completely missing.

"I haven't been here since I was a kid", you smiled sadly, going up the few steps and entering the small space with Neji following cautiously behind. He knew what the building was - his own clan had a very similar temple in their own compound, a way for the family members to seek guidance and comfort from their ancestors in times of great need. Unlike his, however, the Uchiha temple was dark, dusty and covered with webs - a sign that not only you haven't visited in a long time, but neither had Sasuke or any other person.

You made your way towards the middle, grabbing what was once a candle, but now was just a piece of melted white wax.

"I came here the day before me and Sasuke left the village", you said, your eyes moving up the large stone in the centre of the temple, where the names of all of the deceased Uchiha members prior the massacre were neatly written in a big list, "I asked for guidance, for some type of advice... yet I was met only with silence. Maybe this is why I found myself taking the wrong path."

Neji kneeled next to you, his hand finding yours and giving you an assuring squeeze of his fingers.

"Yet here you are", he calmly stated, his free hand wiping the dust away from the altar from where you picked the candle from, "You found yourself and you came back home. That is something that not everyone can do."

You let him hold you, his words of comfort making your eyes sting. Yet, you refused to cry, not wanting to scare him. Instead, you took a deep breath, before reaching to your dress pocket and getting out a new candle and a box of matches. You carefully placed it in the middle of the altar and lighten it.

You lifted your gaze towards the stone with names, the only one you recognized being the ones of your grandparents written right at the bottom. Your memories of them were somewhat lost in the fog of time, yet you tried your best to keep them alive in your mind, as well as the rest of your family.

"Maybe. But this is not why I brought you here", for the first time this evening you looked at him straight in the eyes, "I wanted to..."

The words died in your throat and Neji gave a gentle squeeze to your hand, a reassurance that you can take as long as you need to tell him whatever was on your mind.

"My flower, don't feel the need to-"

"I can't be with you anymore."

His hand suddenly withdrew as if your skin burned him and you desperately fought the instinct to reach out to him. He remained silent, studying your face with his brows furrowing more and more, till there was a deep crease between them.

"Y/N...", your name rolled out way too calmly for your liking, "Tell me what is going on."

Your face remained stoic, the fear of accidentally indicating even with the slightest twitch that you are lying paralyzing every muscle you had. Dragging your tongue across your dry lips, you took a deep breath, before repeating the same story you have been rehearsing for hours that day.

"My ancestors have showed me the truth", you stood up, gaze focused on the stone before you, "I have a duty towards the future generations to ensure the survival of my clan and my bloodline."

Your lover quickly followed your movements, but instead focused his attention on you. You heard him loudly gulp, before speaking:

"I assume the "truth" they have showed you does not involve me."

Neji has always been smart, often too smart for his own good. Which is why it didn't take him longer than few seconds to feel the direction in which you were trying to stir the conversation. You remained looking at one unspecific spot in front of you, still trying to contain the tears that threatened to spill any moment.

"With Sasuke gone, I am the one who is in charge of this clan", your back straightened more and more with each word, your body turning to face his, "It is my duty to ensure that the future leader will possess the Uchiha genes."

Something in his jaw worked and his eyes narrowed just a bit, a sign he was analysing something.

"Are you pregnant?"

A faint blush covered your cheeks at his question and you shook your head 'no'. You and Neji had been intimate a few times in the past, but you have always been careful.

"No, of course not!"

"Then why are you doing this?", his arms crossed in front of his chest, "Because you had a dream?"

The way he said it sounded almost mocking and you gave him a glare, suddenly feeling stupid after realizing how absurd it sounded. Maybe you should've come with a different story, about how you were going to travel with your brother or something.

"It was a guidance."

"Your ancestors didn't gave you a guidance when you needed it most and but suddenly they feel concerned if you future children are going to be Uchiha?"

His voice was getting lower, while his face remained serious, and you quickly understood that his patience was starting to run thin. Neji was an understanding man, but he was no fool - he knew when somebody was trying to lie to him, especially when that somebody was you.

"Perhaps the guidance comes when it is needed, not when it is sought."

"Don't lie to me!", his calm exterior cracked and he grabbed your hand, turning you toward him, "Everything was fine this morning and suddenly you feel like we are not good together anymore? All because of the idea of children, which we don't even have?"

"Does it not bother you?", your voice raised as well, "The idea that your successor may not be Hyuga? The idea that you would betray your clan?"

Neji remained silent and his hand slowly removed itself from you. A sudden wave of coldness hit you once his warm touch was gone. He studied your face, carefully examining each movement you made.

"Did anyone from my clan come to visit you?"

So he has put the pieces together. You should have expected this... It was now or never! You had one chance to execute your lie perfectly. C'mon, Y/N! You have been tricking men all your life, just calm your nerves, look into his eyes and... strike.

"We had fun time, Neji", a small apologetic smile danced on your lips and your hand reached to his crossed arms, laying on top of them, "But it is time to think about the future! And having fun is not enough for me to keep pretending anymore... The same way it was not enough for all these that tried before you."

The more you talked, the more distressed he started to appear. He was trying to hide it well, but the way he was biting the inside of his lips and the nervous twitch of his toes were enough for you to know how he really felt.

"You are lying...", it sounded like he tried to reassure himself, rather than confront you.

"I was", you shrugged your shoulders, "But not anymore. It is time to be honest with each other."

"You said you love me-"

"I said what I knew you needed to hear."

That triggered something in him and he looked at you with disgust, before stepping away from you. Turning his back, you could see him taking deep breaths in attempt to calm himself. You closed your eyes, unable to witness the pain you have caused him.

"The stuff they said about you...they are all true, aren't they?", his voice came out quiet and you almost missed it with the sound of the wind outside, "About how you tricked men, women and children, just to further the agenda of hatred you shared with your brother! How you used people's kindness only to stab them in the back once you no longer need them! How villages were burn and people were exiled, because they were foolish enough to trust you..."

You couldn't keep your tears anymore and you let out a loud sob, rubbing the sleeve of your top against your eyes. But unlike the usual comfort Neji provided in moments like this, the only thing he offered you was a glare mixed with disgust and anger.

"Why are you crying?", he rhetorically asked, scoffing at your behaviour, "Do you want me to feel bad for you? After you ripped my heart out and stomped on it just so you can have "fun time"?"

Choosing to move your eyes to your shoes instead, you watched your tears falling on the cold stone below. You always thought you knew what pain was having lost so much since such an early age... But what you felt at this moment was the most excruciating feeling you have ever experienced.

Shaking his head, Neji let out a sigh, before he closed the distance and wrapped one of his arms around your shoulder.

"Shit, I...", it was the first time you ever heard him swear and it surprised you, "You have no idea how much I hate you right now... and how much I hate myself for the fact I can't bear the sight of you being upset."

Your knees gave up under you and if it wasn't for Neji, holding you, you would've collapsed on the ground. Hearing him say he hate you was the final drop in the already overflowing pool of emotions you were feeling, but you couldn't be mad at him. You hated yourself too, probably more than he could ever do.

Staying intervened with each other, you tried to burn the feeling of his body against yours into your mind, so you had a bittersweet moment to cherish for the rest of your life. Because no matter what happened with you, Neji or even Hiashi, you knew that there was no going back.

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Weeks passed and Neji never came back, neither you saw him in public. You didn't even remember when he left on the day you ended your relationship, all you could remember was him carrying your tired body inside, before laying you down and leaving without another word.

Neji, however, saw you. Every morning when you were leaving your house for groceries. Every evening, when he was walking home with Lee and TenTen after training and he could see the outline of your silhouette walking around the house through your window.

The young Hyuga has always been somewhat reserved and cold, especially to people he didn't know. But since that day he started shutting everyone out - his teammates, his family, even his sensei. And no matter how hard they tried to reach out to him and find out what was going on, he refused to let anybody in, instead focusing all his energy in either doing solo missions or training.

The only person that could make sense of Neji's current state was Hiashi, who after a few weeks of watching his nephew push himself to the limit, decided it was time to have a talk with him.

"It is the Uchiha woman, isn't it?", he asked one day while watching over the compound with his hands clasped behind his back. He never even glanced at Neji, who looked at him with surprise, before pressing his lips into a thin line.

"I see", Hiashi said after the few seconds of silence, "They have this strange aura about them. It's almost like they are luring you in, trying to stray your attention away from what is really important... Her mother was the same."

The young man did not reply, instead eyed his uncle suspiciously. He waited for him to continue, but was met only with silence. After a while, he forced his gaze away and mimicked his position by moving his own arms behind him.

"I wouldn't know, uncle."

"Wouldn't you?"

It almost felt like time stopped and Neji held his breath. Hiashi continued to look ahead, appearing to all the other member of the family that passed by that he was just enjoying the peace of his own mind.

"That part of the wall that you kept climbing in order to sneak out is right under my window."

His nephew pressed his eyes closed and let out a small sigh. Did he feel disappointed because of the lack of care he was exercising? Yes. Was he surprised? No, not really. Hiashi seemed to have his way of knowing everything about the members of the clan - what were they doing, where were they, who were they with. Neji supposed this was one of his responsibilities as the clan leader.

"It is over, uncle", he said, feeling there is no point in lying or trying to come up with a story. The older man finally turned his attention to him, resting one of his hands on his shoulder.

"Then stop mourning over it", his finger gently squeezed Neji's shoulder, "She has made the right decision."

Hiashi offered the younger man a sympathetic smile, but in response he only received a blank stare. He could feel the muscles under his hand tense and he moved it away, feeling the hostile energy radiating from his nephew.

"How do you know it was her who made the decision?", Neji asked, his intuition already telling him the right answer.

For all the years he had the chance to observe his uncle, he has never seen him flustered. But now, as he was trying to convince him that he it was just a "guess", he noticed the red tips of his ears and the nervous twitch of his nose and he knew that for a fact he was right the first time.

A member of the Hyuga did indeed visit you.

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You whole life was built on dependency. A harsh realization, but true. First it was your brother, then it was Neji - there has always been someone who has acted as your safe place, someone you can rely on and be vulnerable in front of.

With your sibling gone and your lover feeling nothing else other than hate towards you, you felt more alone than ever. Sure, you still had some friends visiting you, like Naruto or Ino, but nothing could fill the large gap you felt in your chest.

Every time you got tempted to tell the truth, you quickly reminded yourself that you did this for Neji's own good. You felt silly and stupid for even entertaining the idea that your romance could blossom into a marriage. Maybe you should've pushed him away the moment he told you that he doesn't "date" casually and he has serious intentions toward you, despite being together for only 6 months.

"I've known you for years", he said that day, "and 6 months are more than enough for me to know that there is no one else I want to spend my life with."

That was a year ago and you shouldn't know better. In a world build on old customs and traditions, where the only pursuit was power, there was no place for love.

7 weeks, 3 days and 13 hours have passed since you last saw the young Hyuga. You didn't want to count every passing minute, but it seemed your brain was automatically doing it for you as a reminder as to when have you committed the biggest mistake of your life.

You remained laying on your bed, eyes trained on a small black line on the wall. The memory of how it got there was fresh in your mind - you and Neji were making a list of all the places you wish to travel to one day, when you both started arguing if the Land of Water should be one of them. A verbal bickering soon turned into a tickling fight and you accidentally scratched your pen against the wall, leaving a mark on it. You were angry at him for making you leave such an ugly scratch on the white paint back then, but looking at it now you appreciated it as one of the few things that reminded you of him.

A loud knocking sounded around the house and you buried your head in your pillow.

"Not again, Naruto!", you groaned, your voice muffled in the soft material. The blonde has noticed you have been very cold and melancholic lately, thus making it its own personal mission to come and try to get you out of the house every single day. While you knew he had good intentions, you couldn't help but find his constant visits a bit annoying.

The knock sounded again and you huffed, standing up and throwing on yourself the first house robe you found laying nearby. Making your way downstairs the sound kept getting more persisting, as if the person on the other side was starting to lose their patience.

"Kami, Naruto, are you trying to break my door-", the words got stuck in your throat once you saw who was visiting you, "Neji?"

The man pushed his way past you, rubbing both his hands over his face. His usually perfect attire was wrinkly, his long hair was all over the place and the dark circles under his eyes hinted that he hasn't slept well for a while.

"You lied to me!", he exclaimed, the sudden loudness startling you, "You tried to sell me this stupid story of yours about your ancestors, and your guidance, and your future heirs... And it was so obvious you made it all on the spot! I can't believe I fell for all this nonsense!"

You remained quiet, not sure if he does expect any type of answer or explanation from you or if he just wanted to rant.

"Why did you not tell me he visited you?", he asked, turning towards you with angry eyes and you didn't need clarification about who "he" was. You didn't know how or when, but Neji must have found out about his uncle's visit to your house.

"Should I tell you every time someone drops at my house?", you wanted to light up the mood a bit, but given the annoyed glare the young man gave you, it seemed he did not appreciate your attempt for a joke. You let out a sigh, walking over to the living room:

"What difference would that have made?"

Neji followed you, letting a scoff at your words and crossing his arms.

"It would have given me the opportunity to tell you that you are absolutely out of your mind for listening to him", he argued, his voice cracking in the end. Never have you seen Neji so stressed and unable to control himself, and it did break your heart all over again to witness it.

"He just wants the best for you and the clan."

"If he did, he wouldn't have abolished the branch system so late", he countered straight away and you shut your mouth, knowing you can't argue with that point, "He is old and bitter man, who is so unhappy he tries to make everyone else unhappy."

The shock from his words must have been evident on your face, because Neji let out deep exhale, before crouching in front of you and taking your hands in his.

"I see you", his voice was now gentle and he looked into your eyes, "I don't care for your name or for your Sharigan, or for what you did in the past... I see the real you... and I love you."

The tears you have been fighting finally started sliding down your face and he got up from his position, cupping your cheeks and wiping them with his thumbs.

"I don't deserve... you", you hiccupped, resting your hands on top of his, "And I can allow for you to give up on the clan position because of me, I-"

"I don't care if I become a leader of the Hyuga or not", he interrupted you, eyes seeking yours, "I will give it up without a second thought if that means I can be with you."

"But if we have children-"

"I don't care about that, even if they had an additional third eye on the forehead and all of them were possessing the Sharingan", he assured you, caressing your now damp cheeks. After a second, he added:

"Okay, maybe I would care a little bit, but that is because it would freak me out if they have a third eye on their forehead."

A small laugh made its way past your lips and Neji smiled in return, wrapping his arms around you.

"I am sorry. I shouldn't have said the stuff I said about you."

"Don't be!", your face buried in his chest and you inhaled deeply the lavender smell you grew to love so much, "I should be the one apologizing, I... I just wanted to do what is the best for you. I wanted to protect you."

Neji whispered a quiet "I know" in your hair, while laying a few gentle kisses on top of your head. He kept you close to his body, relieved he finally had the opportunity to hold you again. If it wasn't for the sound of his heartbeat right next to your ear, you would have thought that all of this was just another one of your dreams.

"We are going to be okay", he mumbled, his hands rubbing your back up and down, "As long as we are together, we are going to be okay."

You hummed at his words, before moving your head and looking into his eyes. You have never noticed before, that despite despite the pale colour, there were still different shades of light blue, pink, purple and white in them. Almost like they were holding a small universe behind, you suddenly felt overwhelmed with all the love you felt for this man.

"I see you, Neji Hyuga", you repeated his earlier words, "and I love you."

[colorfulfoxengineer]

[comikadraws]

The Fall of the Senju

One thing I have noticed in the Naruto fandom (and also some official but non-canon material like the novels) is that the Senju are often made out to be some sort of ruling elite in Konoha. And while this belief has a certain hold... it also doesn't.

Let me explain.

When Obito explains the history of the Uchiha Clan, he explains how the Uchiha were gradually distanced from Konoha's politics, diminishing their political power. When he does so, he makes sure to mention that the Uchiha turned into "Senju's lackeys" to highlight the Senju Clan's superior position and control over the Uchiha Clan.

Sasuke then picks up this narrative and applies it to the rest of the village. He doesn't necessarily call them "lackeys" but considers them loyal to the clan that stands for the oppression of the Uchiha Clan.

And this is what bugs me. Because, as far as canon goes, the Senju Clan doesn't even exist at this point anymore. Why do I think so? Well...

Of course, Hashirama and Tobirama both held the position of Hokage while alive and their students (or, in the case of Tsunade, descendants) followed their footsteps. The problem is, that those are individuals who are members of Hashirama's family specifically. We never see the Senju Clan holding any political power as a whole.

But what am I even saying? We don't even ever see a Senju Clan in present-day Konoha. The only living Senju descendant we know of is Tsunade. And she doesn't appear to keep any contact with fellow Senjus. She doesn't even bear their name - For that compare Tsunade and Hashirama and how they are officially referred to in the databooks. Officially, she is considered Hashirama's granddaughter but not a Senju.

Another thing that naturally bothers me is how the Senju are said to be the only clan capable of rivaling the Uchiha in strength. They are both considered the strongest and equal in power.

Then why is the Uchiha Clan considered the sole #1? Even after the massacre, the title of "strongest clan in Konoha" is not awarded to the Senju but to the Hyuga.

For all their supposed influence and glory, the Senju clan has no presence within Konoha. This leaves us with three popular theories:

Kishimoto just randomly never introduced us to a living Senju, never showed us the power of the institution that is the Senju Clan, didn't give Tsunade and Nawaki any connection to their clan beyond their grandfather, and just randomly forgot that the Senju should be the strongest clan next to the Uchiha (or Kakashi and the Hyuga just conveniently forgot/ignored that).

The Senju met a tragic end, possibly due to an overrepresentation on the battlefield, leading to a high in casualties and the decimation of its members. But somehow, this remained unaddressed in the story.

The Senju Clan was dismantled or gradually fell apart as an institution but with their member unharmed.

The third one finds support in Hashirama's village-centric philosophy that seeks to "eliminate the framework of clans".

The Senju may have intentionally abandoned their clan unit in favor of integrating themselves with the rest of the village. They may have abandoned the Senju name in favor of adopting other clan names or even no names. Both of these would've been political moves.

By abandoning their clan unit, they'd also abandon their status as a founding clan. It could be considered a political withdrawal or a measure against corruption (which obviously failed in the case of the Hokages' immediate family and students but likely succeeded in the case of the regular Senju Clan members) to ensure that Senjus do not receive a preferential role in Konoha's politics.

Furthermore, this could've given other clans an incentive to accept former Senjus into their own families upon marriage. Kekkei Genkai or Hiden users would not marry out of the clan but instead, the outsider-Senjus would be guaranteed to marry in, keeping their clan-specific jutsus within the confines of their original clans or at least not hand them to another major clan.

Similarly, abandoning the Senju name may have been an incentive for Senju to marry non-Senju in order to adopt a prominent clan name.

All of this would've been a means to an end to strengthening relationships among clans via blood relationships.

This entire theory is highly speculative, of course, but it's the best I can come up with, given the Senju Clan's non-existing presence within the present-day ninja world.

[lemony-snickers]

@kingkonoha - ficti-gram for you!

to: @kingkonoha from: @akamikazae message: She was amongst one of my first moots- her blog is such a warm and welcoming space--she is a so kind, supportive and a wonderful writer. So happy lemony ficti-gram <33 characters: neji hyuga/fem!reader prompt: sweet & sour / homemade

Neji stares, quite obviously unsure what to make of the scene. His eyes slide away from yours, tracking a glob of something slimy-looking and orange as it drips sluggishly from the edge of the counter.

"Welcome... home?" You shouldn't be asking a question, but somehow you are.

There was a time when the embarrassment you feel burning its way through your body would have been the worst feeling you could imagine.

But you are not a child anymore. You have seen war and death. Have watched tragedy unfurl in your hands like the petals of a spring blossom.

So, you think, this should be nothing. An inconsequential blip across the map of your existence. Because all that you have survived was so much worse. You are stronger for it, you tell yourself

And yet, now, you wonder if perhaps this blip will be your undoing.

"I can explain," you say. But you can't. Who could?

It looks as if a sticky orange monster has exploded in your kitchen, its insides globbed onto every surface, every part of you. You wonder how you will ever get the stuff out of your hair without shearing it down to your scalp.

The thought makes you wince.

"What happened?" Neji's voice is smooth and calm, a still pond to all your frazzled, manic whitewater.

"I was baking," you say, wincing again when you add, "but I guess I did something wrong."

Neji hums in agreement, pale eyes scanning the scene, scutinizing each detail. You bite your lip, feel the prickle of tears behind your eyes.

You know you will never be the sort of wife the Hyuga clan accepts, even for a member of the branch family (though they claim all that heirarchical garbage has long since been put to rest, you see the way the elders still look down at your husband and you internally curse them for it).

You don't come from a prominent clan, you had no dowry to offer when the two of you wed. All outdated ideals and customs, you know that, but it still stings a little when members of the clan make cutting remarks under their breath or disguise their distaste with half-compliments.

So you know you will never be an ideal Hyuga bride.

But you had thought you could do this, at least. Thought you could manage to make Neji a proper meal. A hearty curry. Sweet rice cakes for dessert.

But somewhere along the way, something went utterly, totally, horrifically awry.

Neji takes a careful step into the kitchen, avoiding a patch of rice flour on the floor, and peers into the pan before you. He sniffs and you notice the way his mouth turns down minutely at the corners, his distaste evident even as he tries to hide it.

"I'm sorry," you whisper, and you hate that the sound is so small, so obviously teetering on the edge of a sob.

Neji looks at you evenly, but you dart your eyes to the side, avoiding his intense gaze. You love his eyes--love everything about him--but you can't look at him now, the shame of your failure too fresh.

Your husband inhales slowly through his nose and back out again, and you wait for him to scold you gently, as he has before when you push yourself too hard in your training or take to heart some snide remark from one of his clanspeople.

You are staring at the wall when you hear him move, cataloguing the exact pattern of the culinary travesty staining the carefully chosen wallpaper when you recognize the clink of a bowl, the scrape of chopsticks pulled from a drawner.

You whip around to find Neji gripping a piece of something vaguely bell pepper-shaped--though not, you grimace, bell pepper-colored--between his chopsticks.

"Neji, you don't have--"

He pops the object in his mouth and chews, slowly. Thoughtfully. You watch as a small muscle in his temple twitches, as if the Byakugan is about to activate.

"Mmm," he hums, the sound strained slightly.

You all but melt, the vision of your husband eating your terrible cooking just to make you feel better almost too much to handle.

"It's... sweet?" he says, another errant question that should be a statement. "And... sour, too, a little."

You bite back a laugh as Neji takes a second bite, disguising an obvious gagging sound with another exaggerated, "Mmm."

You feel the tears threaten again, but this time it isn't because of shame or embarrsment, it's from love. From knowing that even if you will never be a perfect wife, Neji is a perfect husband.

You walk across the room to place a kiss against his twitching temple, giggling a little, "Come on," you say, "let's go out for dinner tonight."

Neji sighs, visibly relieved, "Are you sure?"

You nod enthusiastically, tugging him toward the door. He hesitates, though, brow furrowing. "Perhaps," he says carefully, "you should shower first?"

Not really a question, either, because there's no doubt you shouldn't be in public covered in whatever sticky sweet rice curry monstrosity still clings to you. You smile, nodding, and head toward the bathroom, dragging a blushing Neji along behind you.

[nardo-headcanons]

Hi, I never get tired of saying how creative and talented you are ♡♡♡ I wanted to know if you would write about the Senju Clan. I know it's strange, since I haven't seen you writing anything like that and usually I don't see anything like that. I like the way you write, you're the best

Sigh. I have let this sit in my inbox way too long. I am so sorry. Thank you so much for your kind words, nonnie. I have some thoughts about the Hyuga as well, let me know if you would be interested in hearing that.

Also please note that I will change around some canon things and all of this is fanfiction/headcanon.

tagging some people i think will like reading this post: @narutobrainrotstuff , @the-real-sasuke-uchiha , @spookyphilosophertaco , @danceofthexdragons

cw for mention of genetics, racism, religion, genocide and human experiments

The Senju Clan

People

Compared to the Uchiha clan, who are phenotypically rather monotonous, the Senju clan had a very diverse population with a wider range of skin tones, eye and hair colors. There were generally very little restrictions when it came to marrying into the clan and becoming a part of it. The only traits most of the Senju shared were that of fine, straight hair whilst the Uchiha had thick and dark hair with curls not being uncommon.

The reason the Senju died out were two sides of the same coin - with many of the clan's members birthing less and less children, and those who did marrying outside of the clan to the point where there are many Konoha ninjas nowadays who are part Senju but may not even know it.

Traits and Abilities

The Senju were rather unspecified, wanting to hone their skills in all three fighting styles, though I like to think that Taijutsu was one they particularly excelled in. Once one's movements were fast enough to be evaded by the base sharingan (Mangekyou sharingan was, depending on the source material, either extremely rare or nonexistent), the Senju had an easier time fighting the Uchiha. Many of them became weapons and taijutsu specialists, making me think that Tenten might be part Senju and her idolization of Tsunade was a way to connect with her roots and get to know a fellow Senju.

Another skill of the Senju was wood style, which was a skill many Senju before Hashirama posessed, but they rarely ever utilized it in battle. Said ability was caused by a point mutation in the exome, prompting Orochimaru to later carry out experiment's on embryonic DNA to artificially induce said point mutation, killing dozens of newborns in the process.

Religion

While the Uchiha followed the way of Shintōism, most of the Senju were buddhists, like their distant relatives, the Uzumaki. Initially, the people living in the country of fire were engaging in both buddhist and shintōist practices, but with the continued rise of war between the shintō-believing Uchiha and the buddhist Senju, these two religions were more or less divided.

The Senju and the Uzumaki

The establishment of Uzushiogakure in the whirlpool country was received with mixed feelings from its inhabitants. Most Uzumaki, although practiced in the arts of combat, preferred their pacifistic lifestyle of teaching their ways on paper, and not on the battlefield. This instability made it easier for the hidden mist village to send colonialist forces, killing most of the Uzumaki in fear of their congenital abilities. And with the Senju living more and more decentralized and being too occupied with themselves, Uzushiogakure lacked the manpower compared to Kiri's extermination force.

The Senju's Legacy

Nowadays, after Konoha was founded, the Senju started living more and more decentralized, therefore there wasn't such a thing as the "Senju compound". The language of the Senju was adapted as Konoha's official language, causing the other hidden villages to adapt it as well. (You can read more about my thoughts on language in the Shinobi world here.)

There were shrines for both buddhist and shintō believers in the village, but once Hashirama became the first hokage, more and more citizens adapted the Senju's religion of buddhism, with the shintō believers dwindling in numbers. Tobirama's segregation policy did not help in the slightest; although the Uchiha, who believed in family unity and support, lived closely together, being redlined and pushed into the same profession felt patronizing. But even though the Senju as a clan is no more, their legacy continues on, in good ways, and in bad.