Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Seven Deadly Nins ❯ Pride: Neji ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

 

Seven Deadly Nins

By Niobe Jones

 

Pride

 

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We Hyuuga have been raised to feel pride. Pride in our Clan. Pride in our abilities. Pride in our destiny. However, for those in the Branch House, we were encouraged not to have pride in ourselves.

 

It made a certain amount of perverse sense. If you do not feel pride, you are less likely to rebel against a system that makes you a slave. If you do not feel pride, you are less likely to be forced to endure the pain of the curse seal. If you do not feel pride, you are less likely to die needlessly. If you did not possess pride, then you would not feel resentment.

 

I, obviously, did not learn this lesson well.

 

I was proud of what I have accomplished. I was proud of my Byakugan. I was proud of my skills.

 

I felt nothing but contempt for others. Especially the main house.

 

Strange how it took two overlooked individuals to change my outlook.

 

The first was one Uzumaki Naruto - the village idiot. He taught me that it wasn't pride that made people become stronger. He taught me the importance of precious people. He taught me that no one should be underestimated. He was the first to make me doubt myself and my fate. He was the first that made me re-evaluate several truths.

 

He beat my misplaced pride out of me and for that I am eternally grateful.

 

The second individual was one Haruno Sakura.

 

The pink-haired kunoichi from team seven. She was pathetically weak the first time I encountered her. She hadn't changed much the second time I noticed her - talking with my jounin sensei. She was still weak - but there was something different. Something I couldn't see with my Byakugan.

 

It intrigued me.

 

I observed her conversation with Lee and I felt my brow furrow. While I knew that Lee was good at Taijutsu, I also knew that he would be unable to test her abilities fully. I shifted against the tree I was leaning on into a more comfortable position to watch Haruno spar with Lee.

 

She wasn't completely terrible. But that was not saying much. Even Hinata-sama was better at taijutsu than this girl. But I could see something in her fluttering to get free.

 

It was as if her true potential were trapped within her body, like a bird batting itself against the bars of its cage.

 

I had weakness for releasing caged birds. I was one myself.

 

When she finished sparring with Lee, she flopped down on the ground panting. My teammate knelt down and patted her shoulder murmuring something to her. She gave him a weak smile before lowering her head to rest on her knees. Lee gave her shoulder a final squeeze before running away from the training grounds loudly proclaiming how he would run fifty laps around Konoha while he thought up a proper training regimen for his springtime flower.

 

I frowned again. I was the genius of our team. It would have been more appropriate for me to train her, not the chakra deficient Lee. I should be the one to set her free, not Lee.

 

Silently, I walked over to where she was sitting. She didn't even acknowledge my presence or indicate that she knew I was standing next to her. Either she didn't notice me or she was very good at hiding her reactions. I was betting on the former.

 

I cleared my throat and was amused to watch her shoulders twitch in alarm before she stifled the response. She looked up at me warily and I found myself pleased.

 

We stared at each other for several tense moments before she lost patience with the standoff.

 

“Is there something you wanted, Neji-san?” Her tone was properly polite, but I could sense the underlying acidity in them.

 

Interesting.

 

She knew how to play the propriety game. It was something I had been taught at an early age - to hide my contempt and anger under the veneer of civility. All Hyuuga were expected to become experts. It was another thing that Hinata had failed at.

 

I nodded. “I wondered what you and Lee were discussing.” I already knew, of course. But this would be a good test of her character.

 

I could see from her expression that she didn't believe me, but she answered anyway. “Lee-san is going to help me improve my taijutsu as well as my speed and stamina.”

 

“I see. And why choose him?”

 

“He's one of the best,” she stated, simply.

 

“But not THE best. And he will not be able to fully gauge or improve your skills,” I said derisively.

 

“Why do you say that? Is it because he isn't able to use chakra? You know he is a better shinobi without it than many are with it, right?” she asked, her eyes snapping with anger.

 

Her defense of my teammate was unsurprising and it also spoke of her character. “You are reading too much into my words, Haruno-san.”

 

“So explain what you mean, then.”

 

“I meant while he can help you improve those areas that you feel you lack, he will not be able to help you incorporate them with your other skills. Namely your ninjutsu and genjutsu. To do that you will need training with someone who is skilled in all aspects of the ninja arts. Not just taijutsu.” It bothered me to explain myself, but I knew that the only way to get what I wanted was to convince her to see my viewpoint. I wasn't about to spoon feed her though.

 

“So what do you suggest I do? Find someone to teach me how to use all three at once?”

 

“Precisely,” I said with a slight incline of my head.

 

She narrowed her eyes. “You know, Neji-san, if I didn't know better I would say that you were offering to train me. But why would the Hyuuga Prodigy waste his time on a weakling like me? So that can't be it.”

 

“I am offering to train you.”

 

“What! Why?”

 

“I'm not quite sure,” I admitted. That was true. I wasn't sure exactly why my training her was so important. It just was. “Something about you has captured my interest.” That was a lie. I knew what had captured my interest. I just didn't feel like revealing it to her.

 

“Gee, thanks,” she muttered. “But I'm not sure about this.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“I don't get you, Neji-san. You almost kill Hinata just because she happens to be a part of the main house. Yet at the same time, I see you as having a skewed sort of honor.”

 

“I see.” Her frank honesty surprised me momentarily. This girl seemed to be a study in contrasts one moment raging the next calm.

 

“No, I don't think you do,” she disagreed, shaking her head. “I've seen people change and most of the time I can understand what caused it. I even know why Sasuke left, even though it hurts. But you I don't understand why you've changed. It doesn't make sense and you don't make sense.”

 

“And it is so important for things to `make sense?'”

 

“Yes.”

 

Such a simple answer. “I see. I propose a deal - quid pro quo if you will.” I knew what I had to do to get her cooperation and I was mildly surprised that I was willing to do it. I would have to meditate on this later.

 

“I'm listening.”

 

“Train with me for a month's time and I will tell you what caused me to become who I am.”

 

She looked at me assessingly before answering. “Deal. But on one condition.”

 

“Hmmmm?” I was pretty sure I knew what the condition would be.

 

“You also have to tell me the real reason why you wanted to train me.”

 

And I was correct. “I will consider it, Haruno-san,” I answered. I was unwilling to commit to this because I while I knew why she captured my interest I didn't know why it was so important that I be the one to free her potential from its cage.

 

“Oh and one more thing,” she continued. “Please call me Sakura. When someone says `Haruno-san' I start looking for one of my parents.”

 

I let a small smile cross my lips. “I will try, Sakura-san. I will see you tomorrow evening for your training.”

 

“Hey! Don't I get a say about when?” she asked angrily.

 

“No,” I said flatly, walking away from her to resume my training.

 

I could hear her bite off a curse behind me and I felt the whoosh of air as a stone sailed by my face.

 

“Remind me that we also need to work on improving your aim,” I taunted.

 

“Bastard!” she yelled, hurling another stone at me.

 

Sidestepping the projectile, I glanced over my shoulder to take in her outraged expression and smirked. “We will also need to work on teaching you how to stifle your reactions. Showing surprise and reacting to an enemy's taunts could get you killed.”

 

Sakura opened and closed her mouth in silent outrage. I could clearly see her processing my words as a myriad of emotions flickered behind her emerald eyes. She blinked, looking up at me. “I'll see you tomorrow, Neji-san.”

 

I smiled - she really was a study in contrasts.

 

---------

 

After only a month of my and Lee's training, I could see a definite improvement in her skills. She was training for three hours with Lee in the morning then studying with the Hokage for most of the day, finally wrapping up with three more hours of training with me.

 

True to my promise, I taught her how to meld all of her techniques together into one seamless style. I also would criticize her mercilessly, forcing her to keep a rein on her temper. I could tell it was difficult, however she was trying to school her emotions. She wasn't at my level of skill, of course. But she was beginning to show the potential that had beaten beneath her weak exterior.

 

Exactly one month after starting to teach Sakura, she confronted me. “It's time you held up your end of the bargain, Neji-san,” she said, after trying to hit me with an uppercut.

 

I dodged out of the way - I hadn't bothered to activate my Byakugan since we were still warming up. “So it is.”

 

She swung her leg at me which I easily caught and followed it up with a backhand. I avoided it, but was forced to release her leg to do so. She performed a few handsprings to get out of my range and looked at me. “So, are you going to tell me? Or are you going to welch on your promise.”

 

Her insult stung my pride. “I will tell you.” I relaxed my guard and motioned for her to join me under a wide oak tree.

 

She walked over and plopped down on the soft grass.

 

“Which question would you like answered first?” I asked politely after situating myself against the trunk.

 

“Why did you want to train me?” she replied promptly.

 

I groaned under my breath. I should have guessed that would have been the one she would have wanted answered first. It was also the question I was the least certain of myself - even after several hours of meditation. The conclusions I had drawn were ones I didn't want to acknowledge and went deeper than I liked. To be honest, I was a little apprehensive and confused.

 

Noticing that she was watching me expectantly, I sighed. “It's because I wanted to set you free.” I decided to go with the least complicated answer.

 

“Huh? What?”

 

“Do not make me repeat myself,” I said wearily, leaning my head back against the trunk of the tree.

 

“Okay,” she said, drawing out the word.

 

She sounded confused, so I elaborated. “Your ability seemed to be trapped like a bird in cage. I wanted to set it, and you, free.”

 

A crimson stain spread across her cheeks. “That is awfully poetic.”

 

“You try training with Gai-sensei and Lee for over three years and see how your turn out,” I muttered.

 

Sakura snorted. “So am I free, yet?”

 

“No. The door is unlatched, but it hasn't opened yet.” I was purposefully talking in metaphors. It was less personal. I couldn't afford for this to become personal.

 

Even though I was pretty sure that is what I wanted.

 

The silence stretched out between us. I glanced over at her and saw her worrying at her lower lip. She was thinking about what I had said. Good.

 

She looked up and caught me regarding her. “What made you change, Neji.”

 

I noticed that she had dropped the honorific. I wasn't quite sure what to make of it, but I wasn't about to correct her. If she wanted the familiarity, then I wasn't going to argue.

 

Drawing another steadying breath, I closed my eyes. “I learned that everything I had based my hatred on was a lie.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I mean, I learned that my father chose to sacrifice himself for the brother he loved and not the main house that he hated. I learned that sometimes destiny can be overcome, but it means a lot of hard work and taking risks.” The admission hurt, but at the same time I felt better confiding in someone.

 

I felt her hand reach out to take mine. It was warm and callused from years of training. And I couldn't resist turning my hand so that I was holding hers as well.

 

We sat that way for a long time hand in hand.

 

It is a memory I will forever treasure.

 

----------

 

A year later, she felt ready to take the Chuunin exams again. This time with Akamichi and Yamanaka as her teammates.

 

She did well. Only losing to Gaara in the finals.

 

When the results were announced, she leapt up in the air in her excitement. I watched as well wishers surrounded the new Chuunin - Gaara, Temari, Sakura, and Kiba. I recalled six months prior when Lee, Shino and myself had passed. She had been one of the first to congratulate me.

 

I approached the group and managed to extricate her from them.

 

She looked up at me a triumphant smile on her face. “I did it, Neji! I'm a Chuunin”

 

I nodded and gave her shoulder a warm squeeze. “Congratulations. I'm proud of you,” I whispered, turning to walk away. “You're now set free.”

 

I didn't miss how her eyes widened at my words and I couldn't resist smirking. It felt good to know I could still get a reaction out of her. She hadn't quite mastered that aspect of her training.

 

As I left the stadium, I thought back to something Hinata-sama had told me. And I muttered the saying under my breath.

 

“If you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it was meant to be.”

 

I hoped that she would come back to me.

 

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Note:

Neji was one tricky bastard. He didn't want to talk to me and I had to promise all sorts of things to even get him out. I'm still not totally sure I nailed him - or Sakura for that matter - but I am proud of what I have accomplished.

 

Once again this is twice as long as the previous part. I still can't believe it! I don't write this much, like ever. I do my best to try to write at least 100 to 200 words a day. And I am going to stick to that until this is done. However if these things keep multiplying like this, it is going to mean that there is going to be more and more time between the updates. I already know that the sixth sin is going to be a LONG one.

 

Speaking of . . . Synopsis and Archchic get a cookie for figuring out that Pride was Neji. It really made the most sense to me.

 

Oh my god! I can't believe the number of people who have read and reviewed this story. It makes me all sorts of happy. My girlfriend was making fun of me because I would jump up every time I got the happy little notification that I had mail. It was really quite funny. I love you all!!! I'm not really sure how to do review replies - I think I did them right. But if you didn't get one, I'm sorry. Thank you, thank you, thank you for reviewing!

 

Story stats:

Word Count: 2500

Inspiration Music: Frou Frou - Let Go & Lynard Skynard - Freebird

Start date: 4/24/07

Finish date: 5/1/07 - at 11:55pm!

 

Up next: Lust - my favorite sin!