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A Fresh Start by niveaus

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Chapter notes: I don't like to start a new story with one still running, but I'm temporarily out of ideas for Bright Spots. And I've been thinking about this idea for a while. I hope you enjoy it!


Disclaimer: I don't own Neji or anything or one else from Naruto's world. This applies to all chapters.
Neji lay on a bed in one of the empty rooms in the central house of the main Hyuuga compound. He could hear fighting all round, but Hiashi had sent someone to tell Neji not to come out, and drained as he was from his fight with Naruto, Neji knew he would only be a nuisance if he tried to join the battle. Besides, he didn’t feel like fighting. He still couldn’t really believe he had lost to Naruto, but he was beginning to accept his defeat, and the sudden revelation about his father and uncle had left him with a lot to think about. He groaned and rolled over, trying to focus his thoughts. But they kept slipping away from him, becoming more vague every second, and soon a deep sleep of exhaustion absorbed him.



When he woke up he felt like he had slipped through into a new life during his sleep. He realised that Konoha must have won the battle since he was still alive, and the room around him appeared untouched. And like Konoha, he felt that he also had been through a huge struggle, and emerged successfully to face a sunny world. Many of his ideals and the rules he had lived by had died in the battle, but he felt better for it. He managed to smile a small smile, though to anyone who didn’t know him very well it would just have looked like a slight lessening of the tension in his face. He knew he owed Naruto a lot for the lesson he had taught him. But before he could take that lesson with him into his new world he had to atone for his sins in the previous one.

Neji got up and found his clothes, which had been hung in a cupboard on the other side of the room. After dressing he went back to his bed and sat down for a few minutes. He still felt weak after the previous day, but soon recovered enough to slide open the shoji sliding door and step out into the corridor of his uncle’s house. He made an effort to bow politely to another family member who was leaving with several scrolls. Neji deduced that he had probably been informing Hiashi-sama of the damage and making plans for repairs with him. Neji would have to present himself to Hiashi later that day and apologise for his conduct over the last few years. He felt like an idiot for presuming the worst of his own family members. ‘And I call myself a genius’ he thought.

But before Hiashi he had another apology to make. He reached the end of the corridor and knocked gently on the door to his left. A soft voice called out, asking him to come in. Neji slid open the door. There was a slight gasp of surprise from the centre of the room, but he continued to turn around and slide the door shut again without looking up.

“Neji-nii-san.”

Neji turned to face her. “Hinata-sama.”

She was sitting up in the middle of her large bed with a book lying beside her. She was wearing a white silk dressing gown and looked pale but not visibly injured.

“Are you alright, Hinata-sama? You weren’t involved in the fighting yesterday?”

“No, thank you Neji-nii-san. I – I fell ill while you were fighting Naruto-kun.” She looked away guiltily, and Neji realised she felt bad for bringing up her sickness. He felt a piercing stab of guilt. She was still suffering from his attacks in the preliminary matches, over a month later. And now she didn’t want to remind him of them in case it made him feel bad. ‘How could I have hurt such a person?’ he asked himself. He knelt and bowed his head to the floor.

“Hinata-sama, I am sorry. My conduct has been unforgivable.”

“Ne-Neji-nii-san please… don’t… it doesn’t” stuttered Hinata, interrupting.

“No Hinata-sama, please let me finish. I cannot blame myself entirely for misjudging the conduct of your father and therefore the main branch. I wish I had known the truth earlier, but…” he paused. “But I should never have taken out my anger on you. When I think… when I think how I hurt you for something I knew you had nothing to do with, and what I might have done if the jounin hadn’t stopped me… there is no excuse for my behaviour. However, I know you are incapable of holding a grudge against even someone who would have… would have killed you. So all I can do is hope that by this apology I will at least assure you of my regret for my actions. If possible I would like a second chance to be the cousin I should have been.”

“Neji-nii-san, please… please stand up. It wasn’t your fault, you warned me and I fought anyway… and I’m fine, really.”

Neji sighed. “Hinata-sama, you are too kind” and he meant it. “Can we start over then?”

He saw Hinata nod. She was obviously very uncomfortable about his apology, but he had known she would try to lessen his guilt, and as proof of her good nature it made him feel all the more guilty. There was a silence as he stood up and continued to look at her pale, distressed face. Then he saw her begin to try and say something. She looked down.

“Neji-nii-san, please… just call me ‘Hinata’.”

“If you don’t mind, would you continue calling me ‘nii-san’? And I will try to live up to that name from now on.”

They were silent for a little, and Neji, sensing that Hinata was not going to offer unless prompted, pointed at a chair with a questioning look.

“Uh, yes, please Neji… Neji-nii-san.” He sat down about a metre from the end of her bed and they lapsed into silence again. Neji was looking around the room trying to think of something to say when he heard Hinata clear her throat and begin nervously:

“Neji-nii-san, what happened… what happened in the fight between you,” he saw her swallow, “between you and Naruto-kun? Is he okay?”

Neji smiled bitterly. “He was fine the last time I saw him, but I don’t know if he was involved in any fighting afterwards. Hinata, he… he beat me.” Neji had to force the words out, but they sounded much better to him now he had admitted it. As much as he hated to have lost to Naruto, he was grateful for the lesson he had learnt. Neji saw Hinata clap her hands to her mouth in surprise.

“Naruto-kun… he beat you?”

“He kept his word. And Hinata, I do not know his feelings for you, but I know he wasn’t fighting for himself alone. He did it partly to avenge you.”

Hinata had gone a little red, but that had to be an improvement on her previous paleness. She nodded slowly, but seemed to have stopped listening, and was staring into space. They sat in silence for some time, then Neji cleared his throat and stood up, returning his chair to the table by the wall.

“Hinata, I need to pay my respects to your father now. But please, think of me as a brother from now on. If you need me for anything I will be here.”

He saw Hinata nod slightly, then made a standing bow and left quickly, sliding the door as silently as he could.



He was beginning to feel very hungry, having not eaten much since well before his match the day before. But Neji was determined to finish his apologies before he began the day properly. He sighed again. This apology might not be as difficult, but his uncle was a much more difficult person than his cousin. He walked to the main room and knocked. Hiashi’s voice called out, inviting him to go in, and Neji did so, but this time he looked at Hiashi immediatedly, and continued to do so as he closed the door behind his back.

“Neji.”

“Yes, Hiashi-sama.” he replied.

“Have you recovered from yesterday?”

“Yes Hiashi-sama. I hope you were not injured in the battle.”

“Thank you Neji, I was not.” His uncle cleared his throat, and Neji sensed that the formalities were over. He cut in before Hiashi could continue and bowed:

“Hiashi-sama, I would like to apologise for my conduct. I have treated you and my other superiors with a grave lack of respect. I see how wrong I was to act in this way, and would like to ask forgiveness. I should have done so yesterday when you first told me the truth about my father’s death.”

“Neji, you should have been told the truth sooner, I must be held accountable for that. However, your apology is accepted. I hope our families can now put our differences behind us.”

“Thank you Hiashi-sama.” Hiashi seemed to have more to say, so Neji waited respectfully.

“Neji, whatever the misunderstandings have been, you made some fair points yesterday, and you also displayed incredible talent. I have discussed it with some of the other older family members, and we have agreed that our Hyuuga techniques should not be kept in the head family, but shared equally with the branch family. No one in the family at this moment is as worthy as you to gain all our knowledge, and if you would like I would be happy to train with you each morning, and teach you the secret techniques that you have not yet managed to discover alone.”

Neji sat in silence for a minute. He wanted the techniques, and he wanted to be equal with the head family. However, he didn’t want to be looked down upon and ‘granted’ knowledge as a special kindness. But as long as the knowledge was shared as amongst equals this was not an opportunity to be missed.

“Hiashi-sama, thank you very much. I would be honoured.”

“Good, I am glad.” Neji saw Hiashi relax and realised the interview was over, but Hiashi continued: “Have you eaten anything yet? I was about to have a light breakfast if you would like to join me.”

Neji also relaxed. He still had to be careful to continue being respectful, but at least the difficult part of the conversation was over. And it had gone better than he had expected.

“Thank you Hiashi-sama, I would.”
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