Chapter Text
One day, his world shattered beneath his feet, leaving him with an indescribable emptiness. Nothing would help make him feel any better, no matter how much he tried, no matter how much his loved ones attempted to cheer him up.
The prevailing belief held by the entire world was that the most formidable ninjas were alphas; resolute, powerful, and fearless. Though the occasional beta ninja existed, the hierarchy seemed fixed without any hopes of change. Then came the revelation: Neji, a member of a traditional clan, discovered he was an omega.
According to the stringent traditions of the Hyuga, omegas were relegated solely to the role of stay-at-home caregivers, solely tasked with raising pups. The pressure mounted as they would soon start trying to force him to find an alpha to make a family with, not caring about how skilled he was at his job, or what his desires were.
They would do their best to break him, but none could get close. His newly presented secondary gender caused him to refuse any and all company.
Devastated and with the urge to cry, he contemplated retreating from the world, seeking solace within the confines of his home. The irony struck hard—he had achieved the rank of Jounin through unwavering determination and hard work, only to be confronted by fate's capriciousness. It had once again decided to be a piece of shit to him, as if the universe was trying hard to play a foul joke on him.
His absence didn't go unnoticed by his team and, when Neji wasn't expecting it, they appeared at his doorstep to see what was going on, bringing fish soba and some sunflowers in an attempt to cheer him up. He’d learn later that they had already suspected his new identity as he admitted it in a whisper, not daring to look at the other three; all alphas, as he should've been.
“My dear student, there’s no need to feel any shame about being an omega,” Gai reassured with a soft smile decorating his face, placing a warm hand on his shoulder, but the brunet just kept his gaze fixed on the floor. “You’re already a splendid ninja, Neji! You'll just need to take scent blockers for your missions.”
Lee and Tenten stood by his side, not saying much in fear of upsetting him by accident– after all, not long had passed since Neji began to soften to the world, specifically to his team. Uncertain about how to interact with him, they were now grappling with the added complexity of what the brunet (and his clan) see as his newfound vulnerability.
“Have you seen an omega be a ninja, Gai? There's a reason they always stay at home,” Neji argued, crossing his arms against his chest, still not looking at his companions.
There was silence. The brunet could tell the room had grown tense just by the slightly sour smell surrounding him, though his friends were more nervous than anything else.
And then Gai spoke again, his voice sounding gentle and soft.
“... I used to know one, actually. Someone who taught me a lot of what I know, someone I admire with all of my heart,” he replied, and Neji looked at him with a combination of surprise and confusion in his gaze. “Maito Dai. My dad.”
His mentor had spoken about his dad with the team, yet he had always left that detail behind. Actually, Gai hadn't told them about Dai being an omega before. Neji’s not surprised that he’s not acknowledged much in the village’s history, in that case.
"We've got your back, Neji. Always have, always will!" Tenten chimed in with a warm smile, enveloping him in a careful hug. The rest of the team followed suit, and Neji couldn't deny the soothing effect their embraces always had on him. With the added reassurance of their alpha scents, Neji found himself releasing a sigh, choosing to remain in the comforting silence, reluctant to let go of the affectionate gesture.
“I– we will make sure nothing happens to you, rival!”
The brunet finally chuckled, noticing the slip from his friend in a heartbeat– rather than pointing it out, he leaned towards without saying a single word, knowing well that Lee would never let him fall outside of their usual sparring seasons.
His team would always be there for him, offering him a brief peace from his worries and concerns, at least while they were physically present by his side. The subtlest hint of a smile finally appeared on his face, and the four of them decided to share the food as an excuse to spend some time together..
Hiashi wasn’t happy with the outcome of his physical maturity, though Neji couldn't remember the last time he had seen his uncle smile in his eighteen years of life. That wasn’t going to change now that he was considered a family disappointment.
After his team left, the man had decided to pay him a visit, with a more evident frown on his face than the one the entire world was used to. Arms crossed against his chest, Hiashi invited himself to his home without asking, looking at his nephew with something akin to anger in his eyes.
“You're an omega,” he said, almost spitting the last word with disgust, as if Neji could have controlled in some way what his secondary gender would be. A growl escaped from his uncle’s mouth as he saw him flinch, only stopping to continue his speech. “You know what that means in our clan.”
Neji didn't reply at first, looking at the ground instead of at the man. He knew that very well, even if he hated all the traditional customs the Hyuga had. Ignoring it all wouldn't make judgment disappear from people's hearts.
“I don't care. I'm a Jounin, Lord Hiashi. I can't let it all go to waste,” Neji exclaimed, gulping as he heard Hiashi growling at him once again, already angrier than when he had stepped into his home.
“It's for your safety, Neji! You can't be a ninja while having the weakest secondary gender of them all!” Hiashi replied, and his wrathful scent made the brunet flinch again by mere instinct. Omegas were sensitive to that kind of thing, more so when it came from an alpha. His uncle seemed to notice and tried to calm down, wanting him to pay full attention to his words instead of focusing on his terror. “I… Hizashi would've wanted you to stay safe, nephew. Please, listen to me for once.”
Of course he had to mention his dead father. Neji could tell Hiashi was running out of ideas to convince him to stay at home for the rest of his life, bound by fate to only take care of his future pups.
“Don't talk about what he would've wanted, Uncle. Just leave me alone,” he argued as he looked away, not willing to dignify the man with his gaze. For once, Hiashi listened to him, though Neji knew the nightmare of being an omega ninja in a traditional clan had just begun.
Neji did whatever his heart desired, not really paying attention to his uncle. He went to explain the whole situation to Tsunade as soon as possible, who gladly helped him by providing him with any scent and heat blocker he might've needed. It was still too early to start using them due to just having reached physical maturity, but it was good to have them for the near future.
With time and exhaustive training, Neji began to identify people solely by their characteristic scent. It was hard to describe, just like books said, but he just… knew it in his heart. Only one person he knew smelled exactly like lotus flowers, someone who would always try to surprise him with a warm embrace, chuckling in his ears.
In the past he would’ve growled in response, but Lee was just trying to make him laugh. He had always wanted to cheer him up, and it was more evident now that the brunet was officially an omega. Somehow Lee had softened up with him enough for it to be noticeable, just like his other teammates did… it was probably an alpha thing, or something like that. Odd.
Another difference from the past was that Neji would unconsciously allow him to hug him longer, and he would accept his challenges without a second thought… only to have that nice flowery scent close to his whole being, inhaling it enough so as to leave it lingering on his lungs. Lee was probably more affectionate with him due to his secondary gender, but the brunet couldn’t find it in himself to mind it either way. He liked the attention, though he would never admit it.
They would spar as usual, do their best without causing deep injuries to the other, wrestling playfully as if they were pups once again. Neither of them had actual younger siblings, after all, so it was enjoyed even more due to a missed experience of the past.
And then, after becoming exhausted and scratched by the earth, Lee would hug him once again, his strong arms keeping him safe through it all. That was his favorite part. Neji knew nothing could go wrong as long as his rival was by his side, protecting him, but he knew it probably was because his friend was an alpha.
He could defend himself, yes, but his omega instincts still made him hide in Lee’s chest, comforted by his strength and listening to his soothing heartbeats..
“Geez, Lee, I envy you! I want to hold a cute omega, too! Neji, do you want me to hug you?” Tenten teased, though something in how she spoke told the brunet that she wasn’t joking in her question. He rolled his eyes and huffed, simply returning to Lee’s embrace and ignoring the girl. “Aw…”
“He’s taller than me now. If you get taller, I might consider it,” Neji said, and he could feel his rival’s laugh by the movement of his body. Tenten huffed and probably crossed her arms in annoyance, and something told the Hyuga that he would need to prepare himself for an unpredictable weapon attack on their next spar.