And Life Goes On: A Hyuga Neji Story

Author's Note:

This chapter is the first of a Multi-Chap final instalment of my 'The Neji Story'. The first two in the trilogy can be found in my main collection, titled thus:

Part 01: Never Ends - COMPLETE - single chapter
Part 02: For The Child - COMPLETE - single chapter

You do not have to read the first two instalments to get the gist of the story, but it helps in understanding the characters.

And Life Goes On


Neji woke with a start, fists clenching into sheets, chest heaving, sweat thinly coating his pale body. Another nightmare, just another nightmare. The feel of Hiashi’s hands all over him, scraping, scratching, clawing. It always took him a few moments to clear his head of the memories.

Opening his eyes, Neji stared at the ceiling, centring his thoughts and calming his breathing. Slowly, the feel of his uncles hands began to fade and his heart rate slowed. He knew he wouldn’t sleep again tonight, so he sat up, wiping a hand over his face.

It had been nearly eight months since the last time Hiashi touched him, eight months since Ibiki effectively removed his uncle from the Hyuga family. For those past eight months, Hinata had been thrust into Family Rule and Neji stood at her side, offering his support. Life was beginning to return to normalcy, but he was still plagued by these nightmares.

He stood and padded softly to the window, quietly opening it to allow the night breeze to enter his room. A mere month after Hiashi’s arrest, Hinata and himself had moved into separate rooms, either side of Mikomi’s nursery.

The move had shocked the Family, but Hinata, now being Head of the Hyuga Clan, silenced all opposition. With the threat of her father no longer hanging over her, she had blossomed into a strong young woman and determined leader. Neji wished her well. Just yesterday, in fact, Naruto had plucked up the courage to ask her out.

The only sour point to the whole situation was Hanabi’s incarceration in the Psychiatric ward. According to Tsunade, while Hinata had been able to retain her ‘self’ throughout the years of abuse, Hanabi had imploded, somewhat, becoming almost completely dependent on her father and his abuse. It was the only thing she knew, the only thing she understood. So Tsunade and the medics were doing all they could to help her reassert reality.

He pressed his bare forehead to the cool glass and sighed. Hinata’s life was getting on track, Hanabi was finally receiving the treatment she needed and deserved. But him? Neji wasn’t sure what to do with himself. He spoke to a Psychiatrist once a fortnight, helped Hinata run the family – when she asked for it – and worked hard on those missions he was currently allowed to take. But really, other than training, meeting up with the other Shinobi of his generation and his occasional visits with Ibiki, there was nothing going on in his life. He had the freedom he had craved, but didn’t know what to do with it.

He felt a smile tug at his lips, as he thought of Ibiki. Over and above everything else, it was his visits with the older man that had grounded him and helped him through some of the more trying times. He wasn’t entirely sure what was going on there. A friendship, certainly, started by the trust Ibiki had given him, the trust and the belief and the support.

Whereas other Shinobi had shown pity, or even disgust when dealing with him before, during and just after the trial, Ibiki had simply been there. He offered his support and his silence. More than once, over the past six months, Neji had broken down in the privacy of Ibiki’s living room, the larger, older man keeping silent and holding him in strong arms until he calmed.

He never mentioned the breakdowns, for which Neji was grateful. In fact, he didn’t speak much. Sometimes, Neji would simply curl up on the ancient overstuffed sofa while Ibiki sat at his desk, reading reports, signing documents, both silent for hours on end. At first, Neji had been sure Ibiki would tire of him and the visits would end. But he hadn’t and they didn’t. Instead, they had become more and more frequent. He saw Ibiki at least twice a week.

That was part of the confusion, though. Sometimes there was a busyness to the silences and he would feel Ibiki looking at him. Neji had a feeling that the powerful, hidden feelings, developing in his own chest, were mirrored in Ibiki. But he had no idea of how to go about finding out if his wishful thinking was more than that.

Well. It didn’t matter for now. He had a mission to prepare for and an evening with Ibiki planned. For now, he would dress and spend time with his daughter before the duties of the day took him away.

* * * *

Hiashi Hyuga was wasting away in a cell all to himself in the Konoha High Security Gaol. Stripped of his name, his title and his lands, the once proud and noble Hyuga scratched a living in relative comfort, but in complete solitude.

Special seals set around the cell prohibited him the use of most of his Shinobi talents. Specially designed cuffs prohibited him the use of Taijutsu. His chakra was a well monitored and regulated thing. He was almost a prisoner inside his own body. The only thing left to him was his own Blood Line Ability – and even that was limited.

Neji visited Hiashi once a month – ostensibly to prove to himself that the man was no longer a danger to anyone, let alone Hinata or Mikomi. Hiashi always knew he was coming – a fifty-foot range of vision will do that for a person.

As he stepped lightly down the corridor, ignoring the hungry looks of the other inmates (he was often mistaken for a woman, it was something he learned to put up with,) Neji allowed the calm to settle over him. Hiashi was standing dead centre of his cell, hands folded in front of him, obviously awaiting his approach.

Stopping opposite him, Neji glanced once at the camera directly above him, monitoring the cell. For a moment, nothing was said, as he glanced at the tiny room. It was sparse – a bed, sink, toilet, desk with chair and a bookshelf. A half-written page – perhaps a letter – was lying on the desk, brush and ink carefully placed to on side. There was no mirror and little that could be fashioned into a weapon, even if Hiashi could hide such activities from the cameras.

Neji stirred, “Uncle. I hope you are well.”

Hiashi sneered, the expression momentarily turning him ugly, “As well as can be expected, Nephew.”

Neji allowed himself a small smile, Hiashi had taken to calling him ‘Nephew’ since the hearing, refusing to acknowledge him by his true name; or even the pet-name ‘Boy’ as he had done for so long. It didn’t bother him, in fact, it allowed him to stay as objective as possible in their meetings.

He folded his hands neatly in the small of his back and held his head high.

“Hinata is doing well. She is in fact scheduled to have her first date with Naruto this evening.”

Hiashi’s temple twitched. The very thought of Hinata in any relationship, let alone a relationship with a no-name, no-clan, troublemaker such as Naruto, was anathema to one such as his uncle. Neji took a certain amount of pleasure in delivering the news.

“The Clan is prospering under her leadership. Some of the more archaic laws have been removed and she is prohibiting the use of arranged marriages, especially within the Clan itself. The younger generations love her.” He smiled, “She is doing well, Uncle.”

Hiashi snorted, “You delight in torturing me with this news, Nephew.”

He did. He filled Hiashi in with the Clan news every time he visited, specifically to see him twitch.

“Hanabi is making progress. Hopefully, soon, she will be released and can move on with her life.”

This news brought a particularly ugly sneer to Hiashi’s features. Hanabi had been his prize, his work of art. She had been so mentally under his control, that she had been willing to do anything and everything for him. To know that she was becoming her own woman again… Well, Neji could see it tore his uncle up inside.

“Do you people intend to take everything from me? My daughters, Hanabi – she was perfect. Like her sister could never be.” Hiashi shook his head, frowning angrily.

“Does it matter, Uncle? You are never going to leave this place. It was only a matter of time, before your hold loosened on the Clan.”

Hiashi turned unblinking, pale eyes on him and they stared at one another. Neji simply smiled, slowly, allowing Hiashi to recognise the truth of the statement. Abruptly, Hiashi turned away and gripped the back of the chair.


Neji closed his eyes briefly, breathing deeper. “Mikomi is beautiful. Strong, like her mother. Powerful, like her father. She will be... she will be so beautiful when she matures.”

He paused, “Be assured, Uncle. My daughter will never know you. She will never know of your tyranny, your deceit. She will grow up away from your touch, your influence.”

Hiashi turned to look at him and Neji continued, “Her Grandfather is dead to her. Hyuga Hiashi will never be mentioned, never be seen. Your photographs are gone from the Clan Home; your name is struck off the lists. To her, it will be as if Hyuga Hiashi never existed, at all.”

The chair creaked in protest under Hiashi’s grip.

“You say too much, Nephew. Leave me.”

The chair crashed against the bars with a thunderous clatter, but Neji didn’t move, didn’t twitch. He simply smiled at his uncle.

“And I am moving on, Uncle Hiashi.”

With a final smile, Neji turned and left his fuming uncle to the silence of his confinement.

* * * *

The mission was boring. It took no more than an hour to take and deliver a message to one of the outlying villages around Konoha. But the money was good and Neji could put it toward a small apartment for himself, away from Hyuga grounds, away from the memories.

He sighed as he slipped into his room, dropping his sandals in their customary place beside his door. He decided to shower and change before going to see Mikomi.

At eight months, she was already showing signs of intelligence, above average development for one so young. Though hardly surprising, given her parentage, it was also highly relieving – being so closely related had worried Hinata and himself, any child produced could have had any number of problems. Luckily, she was, for want of a better word, perfect. She continually astounded them with her progress.

Neji stepped into the shower and allowed the stream to wash over him, removing the sweat and dirt of the day, as well as mentally cleanse him of the brief visit with his uncle. While he took delight in annoying the man with his tidings of the Clan, every visit left him feeling dirty, sullied, and greasy in only a way he could understand – he had problems explaining it to anyone. Even Hinata – who refused to see her father – barely understood it.

But the showers helped.

He washed himself as hurriedly as he could, rinsed and then grabbed the shampoo he had started buying. With a rueful smile, he lathered his hair and rubbed at his scalp. He only bought this shampoo for one reason. It was scented, a particular scent. Coconut. One of Ibiki’s favourite scents. He always laughed at himself whenever he used it, knowing it was immature and stupid, but unable to stop for all that.

Carefully conditioning (coconut scented, a match for the shampoo) he allowed his mind to wonder, briefly. The scent always brought with it thoughts of Ibiki. Of his strong jaw, his stronger shoulders. The piercing stare and the silence that was forbidding to anyone but himself. The large square hands, gentle beyond anyone’s belief. The smell of him, the feel of him.

Rinsing his hair, Neji couldn’t help but wish the man would be a little more forward, let him know once and for all, whether he was interested. Turning the water off, he sighed, knowing Ibiki was probably holding back for his sake, waiting for him to be ready, be on his own terms. And after such an ordeal, who could blame him?

Ibiki was privy to everything that had happened, everything, so he probably didn’t want to scare him, or feel like he was pressuring him. Neji sighed again and glared at the tattoo on his forehead in the mirror.

That tattoo was a stark reminder that he couldn’t control everything in his life. Even though, now, it was a redundant tattoo only – Hinata had removed the Jutsu applied to it and banned the practice in the Clan, for now and forever. He turned his face away and grabbed a towel, ignoring both the look in his eyes and the many scars on his body. He could do something, if he truly wanted too.

Perhaps. Perhaps if he initiated something… Would Ibiki allow himself to break the self imposed embargo?

If nothing else, it was worth a try.

T.B.C.