Flashbacks taken from manga chapters 80 and 103 (as can be found on www. narutofan . com (remove spaces)). I own neither the NarutoFan website nor the manga chapters.
Definitions taken from Webster's New World Dictionary and The New Webster's Library of Practical Information: Thesaurus. I own copies of those books, but I'm not Webster, and therefore don't own the rights to them. Not that I would want to own rights to a dictionary! Haha.
But the sad thing is, I don't own Naruto either. Or adorable widdle Hinata and Neji-chan. u.u
::---::---::
A bird in a cage, waiting for its chance to fly away. It waits, wanting the door to open. It waits, watching for someone to set it free. Too proud to call out, too proud to cry. The bird can only wait for the cage to open, waiting, as its longing turns to sadness turns to rage.
A bird in a cage, hating what makes it so different. Hating, laying blame. Blaming one who can't be blamed. Blaming one it sees flying free. Blaming one that lives in a cage smaller than its own.
A bird in a cage, eyes a white surely too pure to belong to a bird so dark with hatred. Eyes pure enough to see all. It sees how it has been betrayed by its kin. It sees the cage growing ever smaller around it. It sees all, yet understands nothing.
A bird in a cage, forever looking for the key.
If only he could understand.
::---::---::
Neji walked through the woods. Nobody kept him company--he was all alone. The way he liked it. Or perhaps just the way he was used to. He didn't know what he'd do if he wasn't alone.
Neji was looking for something. He didn't know what he was looking for, but he felt that it was just beyond his reach, just out of sight. Out of sight, but the Byakugan wouldn't help him find it.
Maybe training would clear his mind.
He fights his invisible opponent.
Close the holes, palm up, sweep, dodge left, feet shift, balance right...
He fights his invisible opponent.
Palm down, duck, spin, close the holes, shift balance, up and around, hands out...
Fighting his invisible opponent, he doesn't hear the rustle of the bush as someone walks through the clearing, doesn't hear the gasp as the intruder realizes who it is they have intruded upon.
But he doesn't need to hear. Because the Byakugan can see all.
Hinata-sama...
"That's not true... Neji-niisan. Because... I can see it... It's not me at all...
The person lost and suffering within the destiny of the Main and Branch Houses...
...is you."
The peace wasn't meant to last, was it? Neji runs. Ducking and weaving through the trees, vaulting over logs, ducking under branches. Running from the quiet, pleading call.
"N-Neji-niisan! Please wait!"
"That's not true... Neji-niisan. Because... I can see it... It's not me at all..."
He couldn't wait. He wanted his freedom!
"The person lost and suffering..."
So he wandered, running, just a little too far. One misstep in ground thought to be solid and he was sinking. Quicksand? Swamp?
"...within the destiny..."
Nobody was there. He had outrun Hinata, and he was going to die for it. Dying trapped beneath ground. Oozing sand up to his neck, past his mouth, choking, crawling its way up his body to swallow him whole. Going to die not even touching the air, not seeing the sky he had always dreamed of flying in...
"...of the Main and Branch Houses..."
A hand grasping his...
"...is you."
And he was free.
::---::---::
Free-dom: (n) 1 a being free; esp., a) independence b) civil or political liberty c) exemption from an obligation or discomfort, etc. d) being able to act, use, etc. freely e) ease of movement f) frankness 2 a right or privilege
SYN.--deliverance, exemption, independence, liberation, liberty, openness, privilege, right, unrestraint.
ANT.--bondage, constraint, servitude
::---::---::
Every caged bird knows what freedom is. It's a dream, something to live waiting for, something to die getting. Freedom is always just beyond their wingtips, just beyond the bars.
Every caged bird knows what freedom is. Freedom is unreachable.
Until someone lets them out of the cage.
A bird in a cage, forever looking for the key.
If only he could understand.
::---::---::
"Why?" Why did you save me?
"B-because... you would have died..."
"Why do you care?" Why did you save me?
"S-shouldn't I care?"
"Tell me why." Why did you save me?
"Because..."
Why did you save me?
"...that's..."
Tell me.
"...what's..."
Why?
"...right."
Because that's what's right?
"That's not true... Neji-niisan. Because... I can see it..."
Ha.
"It's not me at all..."
You don't understand, because you aren't in a cage.
"N-Neji-niisan? Is something wrong?"
"The person lost and suffering..."
"You don't understand, Hinata-sama."
"W-what?"
"...within the destiny of the Main and Branch Houses..."
"You can't understand, Hinata-sama."
"W-what do you mean?"
"...is you."
"THIS!" And hitai-ate is ripped from forehead, falls to the ground to be forgotten. And the bird in its cage sees the sunlight, but still is not free. "Tell me that you understand this!"
"But Neji-niisan, I--"
"Nobody can understand this!"
"Neji-niisan--"
"Nobody!"
"I KNOW THAT!"
Silence.
"Neji-niisan, I'm not trying to understand you."
Silence.
"I'm not."
Why?
"I'm trying to help you."
Why do you care?
"I... I'm trying to save you."
Why?!
"Why do you go against your destiny so much?"
"Because... I was called a loser."
Are you a loser too, Hinata-sama? Were you called a loser, like Naruto was? Like me?
"Pft...! Stop acting cool... You're not the only one that's special...!"
Naruto...
Hinata-sama...
Is that why you can save me?
"Thank you, Hinata-sama." He stands up and begins the long walk home.
"N-Neji-niisan?"
He stops.
"You do understand it, Hinata-sama."
"Me...?"
"Thank you." Thank you for saving me.
And he continues home. And when he gets there, he will understand too.
::---::---::
Maybe the caged birds were wrong, before. Maybe freedom is not so unreachable. Maybe they don't have to wait until someone opens the cage for them.
Maybe now they can set themselves free.
A bird in a cage, forever looking for the key.
If only he could understand that the key has been right beside him all along.