The night was dark and empty, no stars or moon could be seen beyond the clouded, black sky. The wind was cool enough to chill the bones and the crickets singed like they do every night. Peace rests in the Hyuuga compound where not a soul dares to interrupt.

Hinata wandered in the tranquility of the Hyuuga complex, the shadows making her feel safe, the flowers cares comforting. Here, in the branch members garden, she felt belonging, and even if the garden and magnitude wasn't as impressive at the Main Houses' terrain, it held a humble beauty Hinata was intrigued with.

Sure, there were some that disliked her, but they were minority that heavily resented the main house—which included her cousin, she was certain. While in the main family, she knew almost everyone hated her, even Hanabi.

All because of a duty she didn't want in the first place, she could give it away to Hanabi if she wished, and she knew others wished that as well, but in the end, even though she wouldn't admit it to herself, it was her fear. Because if she is miserable and mistreated when she has power, she fathomed to think what would happen when she had none whatsoever.

She grabs her forehead as she thinks about it. The curse seal scared her beyond belief, especially when she had seen and witnessed first handedly the pain and abuses it has from the main family. Looking it from that perspective, she could somewhat understand her cousin but not fully, especially the distaste towards her.

Talking about Neji, it had been good not having him around for the past few days, as mean as that might have sounded, she just…didn't like having him around, which was rather difficult regarding that he is meant to be her guardian.

He was always better at things, and he certainly made sure that everyone took noticed and bashed it in her face. Or maybe he didn't and people just took notice to make her feel inferior. It wasn't jealousy or contempt just the pain and fear of humiliation. She cared for him but that didn't mean she had to like him, in the end they were just connected by blood. She just wished it wasn't like that, that she could turn to Neji and genuinely smile because she liked him and trusted him.

She spots someone was in the garden with her, breaking the illusion of peace. Hinata stood; someone was waiting, someone was silently staring at her. Hinata froze in her place in fear, slowly she activated her Byakugan..

"Neji-niisan?" She manages to choke out.

Out of all the things she expected to see in the eyes of her cousin; arrogance, annoyance, anger and hate. She could not have ever expected to see fear. Fear in the eyes of the fearless and feared.

This must certainly be a joke. She looks around and is almost expecting a branch member, or even Hanabi to be hidding in the bushes with a wide smirk on her face. The thought of being played for a fool again hurt. Hinata gains all her courage to speak up to him. "Neji-san, p-please answer me!"

"Whose Neji? Who are you calling? Who are you!? Stay back!" Yells the older Hyuuga, he begins to back off, his eyes never leaving her figure until he trips and falls harshly on the grass. Thud.

"Niisan!?" Hinata ran to her fallen cousin, only to have him pull her down with him and tackle her good, shifting their bodies so she was under him, his hand clasped over her lips to avoid any disturbances from his surroundings.

"Where am I? Why have I been brought here? You'd better only give me answers when I take my hand off or that scream will be your last one!" Hinata nods vigorously in apprehension and waits to calm down so Neji trusts her enough to speak. If this had been Neji she knew, the man would have known she was not brave enough to dare a scream.

"Talk!" Breaks the boy, this time his voice desperate and filled with angst, while his fingers pressing harder to her throat until it hurted. Hinata's hands move to grab his sides and try to push him off all to no avail.

"N-Neji-san! S-Stop! You're hurting me!"

"Answer me…" This time his voice was pleading. His hands slowly slide from her lips and Hinata has to take a few sharp breaths to control her gaping and sniffling. She wants to touch him, show him that she doesn't mean harm, but she opts not to. One single movement would bring her death faster before she could say 'Fox'.

What would Naruto had done?

"Neji—"

"Stop it!" Snapped the man.

"Please! Let me help you..." She tries again to calm the older, stronger boy on top of her, cautiously moving with her words and actions to not alert him- Any wrong action or word and hell was certain to break loose. "But p-please, stop h-hurting me..."

Her begging must have clicked something because he stopped at once.

"I want answers."

"I...I think I can give them to you..." Hinata whispered, her voice broken from the previous choking. "Ask me a-anything."

"Who are you?"

"Hinata Hyuuga." She answered, her name sounding alien to her tongue, something in her tone must have caught Neji's attention as he had another question quickly follow after.

"Do you know who I am?"

"Your name is Neji. Neji Hyuuga."

"I imagine we are acquainted given your last name and approached me when you identified me."

"Y-Yes. Cousins to be precise..."

Neji nodded ambiguously. "Where are we?"

"The Hyuuga complex, inside Konoha. Your home…Neji-san." The Branch family complex.

She spots the boy's eyes widen.

"I-This is my home? I don't remember-How? What happened to me?"

"I d-don't know...but...you're safe here."

She lead him through the branch family complex at his request, trying to be as quiet as possible. There was no need to make the anxious boy any more nervous and dangerous than he already was or to alarm any other Hyuuga members.

They stop in front of a door, where she stretches her fingers and touch the door, she remembered coming by many times in her youth. "Um...Your room s-should b-be here."

White walls, contrasting the dark wood of the furniture, and mixing with the white bed sheets of the single, lonely bed.

Now that she thought about it, she hadn't realized how much nostalgia this place brought her. Each side, each corner, each decoration described the remnants of a man that hadn't bothered to understand, a man that had hidden his emotions behind a locked room.

She wanted to understand, she truly did, but how could someone with so much difference attempt to find an interval? Whatever she loved, was outside the Hyuuga; Naruto, Shino, Kiba, Kurenai-sensei...her friends were scarce but they were more than enough to ensure her happiness, or at least cloud her away from bitter reality.

Neji looks dumfounded around the room, moving to the bureau where he had the photographs of his teammates; Tenten, Lee, and Gai-sensei. He looks through his family pictures; his mother, father and cousins.

"Why can't I remember?! Why!?"

He had gone mad. His break out intimidating his cousin to the point of considering running away. Hinata's eyes flutter to the doorway and back to him, her movements slowly guiding her to the exit when she stops at a sound, a slight infuriated whimper.

She turns on her heels and slowly walks over to her cousin, slowly and cautiously until he gives her consent to sit next to him, and her fingers sliding to his head and caress his hair, just like she knew it would calm him down when they were younger. It seems to work as he quickly leans against her, making it easier for her to caress his head.

"Neji-san….." She whispers but the boy didn't answer and she jolts at the touch of cold tears. It was so strange to see him cry, or to show any emotion at all. Everything was…so strange. She wraps an arm over his shoulder and holds him close. "I…I don't know why you can't remember anything…but I-I know someone who can help."

Tsunade would definitely know what was wrong with him, for now, she could do nothing without making much ruckus.

"But, we'll have to wait until tomorrow…"

"If it must be tomorrow,"