Chapter Text
Even before the Akatsuki threat culminated in the Fourth Shinobi World War, the sociopolitical environment was changing around the Hidden Leaf. Naruto Uzumaki’s talk-no-jutsu left its mark long after he left on his training journey with Master Jiraya. In the aftermath of the Sound and Sand invasion and Sasuke Uchiha’s defection from the Hidden Leaf, the remaining Genin adjusted to a new normal…
- On Team Guy: Neji finally learned to be a human being. The only problem was that being a human came with having feelings, such as a newfound romantic attachment to his teammate. Tenten, for her part, observed the flustered and obvious Hyuga with a healthy mixture of amusement and curiosity. If he wanted to bring her an extra thermos of premium Hyuga tea before training, who was she to complain? It’s not like she expected him to ever make a move; he was way too repressed for that. She was safe from ever having to confront something she wasn’t quite ready to dissect yet while reaping all the perks of his simping.
- At the Hyuga Compound: Hiashi, having full remorse over the way his brother’s death impacted his nephew, finally put his foot down against his clan’s council. A combination of casualties from the invasion and too many stuffy elders dying of natural causes gave him unprecedented political power. He used his influence to stop branding future Branch House members, including his own daughter. He mentored his nephew and taught him techniques historically reserved for Main House members. Occasionally, he got so tired of maintaining the strict patriarchal façade that he glitched and acted a little too nicely, scaring everybody around him. And of course, when he picked up on his dear nephew’s affections for the talented weapons mistress, he had no choice but to meddle so that Neji could finally have the happy ending he deserved.
- Around the Village: Ino, Sakura, Hinata, and Tenten established a supportive friendship as kunoichi who had survived unprecedented violence during their Chunin Exams. Asuma and Kurenai dated, which Kakashi noticed right away while Guy was none the wiser. Shizune fended off hungry shinobi who really wanted to eat her pig, kept Tsunade away from the bottle as best she could, and tried to stave off the debt collectors when the Fifth Hokage’s ugly gambling habit reared its head.
***
In the month leading up to the Final Exams, Neji trained daily with Tenten. She was the only one fast enough and strong enough to keep up with him, especially once Lee was hospitalized. Her weapons techniques forced him to perfect his rotation, although he suffered plenty of stab wounds while developing it.
She too, was motivated to become a better kunoichi, especially after her defeat at the hands of Temari. Nevermind that she would later discover Temari was already a Chunin and had participated in the Chunin Exams as part of the Sand’s infiltration schemes. Tenten had a chip on her shoulder, and she would be damned if she lost in another match again.
Neji expected his match against Naruto to be a straightforward win. He wasn’t developing his techniques with Naruto in mind. He was mastering the Rotation and the Sixty-Four Palms to use against Sasuke Uchiha and Gaara. He knew Lord Hiashi would be watching, and he wanted the head of his clan to see just how feeble the divide between their houses were. No other clan member was as talented as he was. He had witnessed his uncle demonstrating these gatekept jutsu to Hanabi and dissected their mechanics himself. He would show them all.
Then, Naruto kicked his ass. Lord Hiashi bowed before him and begged for his forgiveness. And Neji couldn’t even emotionally process any of it before giant snakes hit the building and enemy ninja tried to take over the village.
When the village got rebuilt, the landscape changed. The Third Hokage was dead. Several Hyuga clan members were dead. Several Hyuga elders were dead. Hiashi had to put his clan duties on pause to attend the string of funerals that plagued his house.
On the day of the last burial, he looked around his family. Out of the original council of elders, only his father and his uncle remained. Half the compound was destroyed, forcing them to provide clan members with emergency provisions. They turned training dojos, meeting halls, and reception rooms into temporary living quarters.
Faced with all the chaos and perhaps spurred by the rebellious spirits of the younger generation, Hiashi put his foot down. He refused to brand Hinata and future Branch Members with the Caged Bird Seal. He began to mentor Neji, who was too brilliant to ignore. He told his stuffy old father to shove it (but in formal Hyuga terms, of course) when he protested.
None of these radical transformations were lost on the rest of the clan. For the first time in generations, something akin to hope had risen among them. Neji was the poster child of that hope, especially as he repaired his strained relationship with his uncle. And with that hope came the horrifying onset of his newfound humanity.
He began to count the birds as he trained his Byakugan. Counting led to observing, and soon he was a little too cognizant of the way the males chirped in the spring as they sought mates. He was a little too invested in their romantic successes. It warmed his heart to watch a new pair fly off together, mated for life. He realized, with a mixture of trepidation and embarrassment, that he wanted what they had. Not just in terms of freedom to navigate the open skies, but in terms of a lifelong bond of loyalty and companionship.
And one day, while watching two sparrows build their nest together, Tenten’s image flashed across his mind. He recalled the way the sunlight glinted through her dark hair, the way her eyes sparkled when she admired the edges of her blades, and the way her smile made his stomach do little flips. Oh no. Oh no, no, no.
“Hey Neji,” she interrupted his musings. “You ready to go?”
They had been assigned a mission to retrieve more weapons from a smithy just outside the village walls. He blushed when she addressed her. Thankfully, she didn’t seem to notice. She was too distracted by the prospect of all the cool swords she would get to see and hopefully try out.
Good, he thought, let’s keep it that way. No use making a fool of himself. The Hyuga prodigy had a reputation to maintain, after all. And what was the point of upsetting their team dynamic? It’s not like she liked him back. No, he decided, he would just focus on his goals to become a stronger shinobi and figure out what Lord Hiashi wanted from him when his uncle offered to train him.
And if his eyes lingered on her or he packed an extra thermos of tea for Tenten when they sparred, so be it. That’s what good teammates did.
***
The thud-thud-thud of Neji’s palms striking a post broke the quiet over the main dojo. Sweat soaked through Neji’s training tunic, his breathing shallow but controlled. His Byakugan was active as he focused on the chakra pathways in his hands.
At the edge of the room sat Hiashi. He was the picture of traditional Hyūga authority: spine straight, hands resting on his knees, white eyes unreadable. He had been watching Neji strike the post for hours without moving a single muscle.
"Your form is losing its center on the eighty-second strike," Hiashi remarked. His voice was a flat, low monotone that echoed off the walls.
"Yes, Uncle," Neji exhaled, adjusting his stance and driving his palm forward again.
Hiashi slowly stood up. His long white robes glided over the floor as he approached. Neji deactivated his Byakugan, paused, and dropped his hands to his sides, bracing himself for a grueling, clinical correction of his technique.
Instead, Hiashi reached into his sleeve. He drew out a pristine silk handkerchief. With the same cold precision that he would use to strike a chakra point, Hiashi reached down and lightly, carefully dabbed beads of sweat off Neji’s forehead.
Neji froze. His eyes widened as he stared up at his uncle. His body locked up in sheer confusion.
"Uncle...?" Neji whispered, his voice cracking slightly.
Hiashi smoothly pulled the handkerchief back into his sleeve, his expression blank. "Sweat in the eyes clouds the vision, Neji. I am only making sure it doesn't ruin your focus."
"I... see," Neji muttered, his face turning a deep, embarrassed crimson. "Thank you."
Hiashi turned his back, staring at the blank shoji screen across the room. The silence stretched between them. Hiashi’s face remained a mask of gravity, but a tiny crinkle appeared near his eye.
"Furthermore," Hiashi deadpanned. "If you drip from your face during battle, the enemy might assume you are crying because your Gentle Fist is... too gentle."
Neji stared at his uncle’s back. He looked like he had just been hit by a Genjutsu.
"Uncle," Neji responded carefully. "Was that... a joke?"
Hiashi didn't turn around. The corner of his mouth twitched upward.
"It was an observation, Neji," Hiashi replied in his calm, unreadable monotone. "Strike the post again. Do not be too gentle."
Neji’s ears burned as he forced himself back into a fighting stance. He struck the wood with twice as much force as before, trying to erase the bizarre whiplash of his uncle’s behavior from his mind.
***
The morning mist was thick over the courtyard when Neji slipped out of his quarters, a sleek thermos clutched in his hand. He planned to arrive at Team Guy’s training field before Lee appeared and started screaming about youth.
He didn't make it past the main veranda.
"Neji." Hiashi had been waiting for him. His face was a mask of traditional gravity. He held a lacquer box in his hands.
Neji stopped, dropping into a formal bow. "Good morning, Uncle. I am departing for Team Guy’s endurance exercise."
"I am aware," Hiashi acknowledged. He offered his nephew the box. "Take this."
Neji blinked, looking at the box, then back at his uncle's unyielding expression. "Uncle... what is this?"
"It is a collection of premium sweet rice cakes," Hiashi explained calmly. "The kitchen prepared them this morning."
"Thank you, Uncle," Neji muttered, confused. "But I have already eaten."
"They are not for you," Hiashi stated smoothly. "They are for your teammate, Tenten. She requires sustenance in addition to the tea you plan to bring her. Especially if you wish to win her affections.”
Neji’s body went rigid. The thermos in his hand wobbled. A furious, pink flush rushed up his neck, coloring his ears and cheeks. "Uncle, I intend nothing of the sort—"
“It is alright,” Hiashi interrupted levelly. "Seeking a strong, talented partner to secure the future of our house is natural and honorable. Your progress, however, is too slow. If you do not properly court her by the end of this year, I will take it upon myself to invite her to this estate. Do not hesitate, Neji."
Neji blushed furiously. He snatched the lacquer box, turned on his heel, and vanished from the courtyard in a blur.
Hiashi watched the empty space his nephew had just occupied, his eyes turning up with microscopic folds. He was not meddling, he told himself. He was securing his nephew’s future and protecting Neji’s happiness.
***
The scent of sweet soy glaze and tea drifted over the terrace of the dango shop.
Ino, Sakura, Hinata, and Tenten sat around a table, their shinobi gear discarded in favor of casual linen kimonos. For the first time in months, the village felt peaceful. The rubble from the invasion was mostly cleared, and for an afternoon, they weren't survivors of a political crisis, they were just four teenagers sharing a plate of sticky rice dumplings.
"I’m just saying," Ino muttered, sliding a dango off its skewer with her teeth. "If Sasuke thinks he can just walk out on the village and not leave a single note explaining himself, he's got another thing coming when we drag him back."
"We will drag him back," Sakura agreed quietly, though her fingers tightly gripped her teacup. She forced a small smile, turning toward Tenten. "Anyway, how is Team Guy holding up? Is Lee back to full strength yet?"
"Oh yeah," Tenten sighed, shaking her head. "Honestly, he’s outpacing Guy-sensei at this point. Or maybe Guy-sensei is getting old, I don’t know..."
Hinata’s pale eyes softened. "What about… Brother Neji?"
"He seems to be doing a lot better actually," Tenten replied, leaning back against the wooden bench. "He says Lord Hiashi has been a good mentor for him… That reminds me, Hinata, I wanted to ask you something. Where do you guys buy your pasties?"
Hinata blinked. "Our... pastries?"
"Yeah," Tenten nodded, propping her chin on her hand. "Neji has been bringing me lavender-infused tea when we train. And last week, he handed me a lacquer box filled with sweet rice cakes. He muttered something about ‘nutritional optimization' and then looked like he wanted to jump off a cliff. But those rice cakes were incredible. What bakery do you buy them from?"
Hinata’s eyes widened. She paused as she processed the description.
"Lavender-infused tea... and sweet rice cakes in a lacquer box?" Hinata repeated.
"Yeah. The box had a gold crest on the lid," Tenten nodded.
Beside her, Ino’s eyes lit up. She set her skewer down, a wicked, knowing smirk spreading across her face. She kicked Sakura under the table. Sakura’s eyebrows shot up as she caught on, leaning forward.
"Tenten," Hinata spoke carefully, her voice dropping into a whisper. "The Hyūga clan doesn't buy pastries from the village. The lavender blend is... it is harvested from our private greenhouse. And the sweet rice cakes are prepared exclusively by the kitchen staff."
“Huh,” Tenten considered this. “I see.”
"Y-yes," Hinata nodded, her fingers nervously twiddling together. "Neji must have... he must have gone to the main kitchen to ask the head chef to prepare them for you."
Silence descended on the table.
Tenten stared blankly at her dango skewer, her brain replaying the image of Neji standing on the training field, blushing as he handed her a box and told her she needed glucose for her stamina.
"Oh my god," Ino squealed, slamming her hands onto the table. "He likes you!"
"Ino, shush!" Sakura hissed, though she was grinning from ear to ear.
Hinata smiled. "I think... I think that the rice cakes mean he wants you to be healthy, Tenten. My father always says that proper nutrition is... honorable."
“Honorable,” Tenten repeated thoughtfully. “Your family sure chooses their words carefully, Hinata. Neji told me they were for my thermal equilibrium."
"Tenten," Ino teased. "Nobody bakes high-end clan pastries for 'thermal equilibrium.' You know that, right?"
Hinata watched the brunette carefully. She seemed to be very deep in thought.