Chapter 21

( Neji POV )

I am usually a morning person, so waking up at four in the morning is as easy as breathing for me. I would then go the dojo and start training the Gentle fist.

Then I will wash myself with cold water, because Aniki said that it has more advantage over hot water.

At the kitchen, I could see Hinata-sama making a bento lunch for Aniki. Ever since she read that book titled "The Way to a man's Heart", she had been, making bentos for Aniki every morning after training.

" One of the best ways to a man's heart, is through food."

I can't disagree with that. If a wife can cook delicious meals, her husband is a very lucky man.

Hinata-sama seemed to have the natural ability to make any food she makes delicious. I had tasted the cabbage soup she once made and I can say without any hesitation that, even the best restaurants in Konoha could never replicate the taste. Even uncle who is very picky with his food, praised Hinata-sama for her skills in cooking.

Aniki is very lucky to have such a good cook as Hinata-sama.

It has been two weeks since I entered the Academy and everyday was a blast, I don't want to brag but I seemed to excel in every activity the Academy had presented to us. Be it in academics, or in physical activities, I was always on top. But I will never be prideful, because Aniki told me that I must never be prideful. I must have confidence but I never must be overconfident.

Pride can lead people to their downfall.

After breakfast, I head to the compound gates where Tenten would be waiting for me. Tenten is a very interesting girl, in the Academy she is the only one who could compete for the rookie of the Year along side me. That is if she could do well in the academic portion.

But in the physical part of the academy's syllabus, she's a monster. She can throw five kunais in succession and hit a bullseye in every throw! Even me with the help of the Byakugan, I am never confident in doing the feats she could do.

The main thing that separates her from all the girls at the Academy is that, she has the drive and determination to be a great Kunoichi.

"Good morning Neji-kun!" She greeted me.

"Same to you Tenten-chan."

"Oh, Hinata-chan, good morning." She greeted Hinata-sama, who is carrying a bento box for Aniki.

"Same to you Tenten-chan." Hinata replied with a smile.

"You know you should call her Hinata-sama, she is the next Heir to the Hyuga clan." I said to Tenten, Hinata-sama will be a greatest clan head one day, I'm sure of it and she surely deserves the the title.

"It's okay Neji nii-san, I don't need any honorifics." Hinata said.

"See I told you she likes me to call her Hinata-chan." Tenten was grinning, as she moved closer to Hinata.

"So... what do you have inside the bento Hinata-chan?"

" Well there's Boiled rice, spicy yam cake and beef meatballs."

"Yum, I can already tell that it is going to be delicious." Tenten licked her lips, already tasting the meal in her mind. She had already tasted one of Hinata's divine delicacies and she swore that she had never eaten anything as tasty as what Hinata had made.

"So you're giving this to that blonde bastard?... again?"

"Tenten-chan, you must not call people with such rude nicknames."

"I can't help it you know, he is very annoying you know... say, Hinata-chan what did you even in that blonde bastard? He is rude, annoying, greedy, selfish and top it off he has a very scary face."

"Well... Not everyone is perfect, so I don't expect Naruto-kun to be one either. He can very rude, greedy or selfish sometimes but he has his reasons. I don't want him to perfect, I like the Naruto-kun who just the way he is. And even if he a bit intimidating to look at, he is a nice person on the inside."

Hinata said with such emotions, that Tenten was a felt a little guilty for doubting Hinata's for Aniki.

Love is soo wierd. I can occur between two birds of the same feather, or between two polar opposites. Hinata-sama and Aniki falls on the latter.

Their love is like the strong attraction between the opposite poles of a magnet. They are both complete opposites of each other.

Hinata-sama is kind, gentle, caring, humble and every qualities fitted to describe an angel. While Aniki is completely opposite.

Love is really complex...

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At one corner of the Hyuga compound, Naruto was listening to the conversation. He was very happy today, "Hinata-chan... I love you very much... Well let's get going then.

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" Well hello! my young Ninjas shall we head to Academy."

Aniki appeared out of nowhere startling everybody, his face had a bright smile. He was definitely on a good mood, let's just hope that it remains till the whole day.

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear before you." Tenten said with a tone of annoyance.

Usually, Aniki would retort back and then their argument would go on and on till me and Hiata-sama would stop them.

But today Aniki totally ignored Tenten and kept smiling... something is definitely wrong up.

"Naruto-kun here's your lunch." Hinata gave Aniki the bento lunch with a smile and he took it with a bright smile on his face.

"Thanks Hinata-chan."

"Hehe, it's nothing Naruto-kun...But I want you to be safe ok. Work hard but don't hurt yourself ok, also remember to share your lunch with Kuromaru, also remember to..."

Aniki gave an awkward laugh, when Hinata-sama said that he had to share his lunch with Kuromaru.

Amiki was a person who was very selfish ( Regarding Hinata.) It pains him to share the food she made for him to someone else, even if that someone else was Kuromaru.

At the Academy, we were all at the Academy's training ground and we were all jogging round it.

I was never a fan with being at the centre of attention, so instead of being at the front, I was at the the middle, jogging along side Tenten.

"Hey! I heard you can't do ninjutsu. That's so lame." I heard someone behind me talking I'll about some body.

I turned behind to see two kids making fun of someone, and that someone was a bit strange... His eyebrows were huge... Seriously they were huge!

"I know that, but if I work hard and push myself to the limits I know I can do it!" The boy with huge eyebrows exclaimed with determination.

"Hah! as if! just admit that you are a failure!"

"No I'm not a failure!"

"No I'm not a failure!" they mocked him.

"No I'm not!"

"Failure! Failure! Failure! Failure!..."

"Ahhhhhhh!!!" The boy with huge eyebrows screamed, covering his ears trying to prevent the insults to reach him.

" Look at that failure running away HAHAHA!" they laughed at the boy who had ran away.

After that, the boy did not came back in the classroom.

Now it was lunch time and Tenten and me were having lunch under the tree with a swing. My thoughts were occupied with concern about the boy with big eyebrows.

"Oi! Neji if you are not eating your lunch, I'm gonna eat it." Tenten said her chopsticks moved closer towards my lunch.

"Hey! Eat your own lunch!" I came back to and pushed Tenten's chopsticks away from my lunch.

"Geez, If you were not daydreaming, I wouldn't do it."

"Hey, Tenten do you know why that boy couldn't perform Ninjutsu?"

"You mean Lee? I heard that he has deformed chakra coils, and you know, the doctor said that he can never perform Ninjutsu."

That, was horrible! it was impossible to pass the graduation exams, without using chakra.

During the graduation exams, a student must perform three basic and important Ninjutsu; The Substitution, The Transformation and the Clone jutsu. Without flawlessly performing these Ninjutsu, The examiner incharged, must fail the student.

"Hey Neji, What's with that sad face?" Tenten interrupted my thoughts.

"I'm going to help that boy."

Now it was evening, and Aniki had already arrived to pick us.

"Yo! How was your day?" Aniki called us, we began to stroll towards our homes, me and Tenten were completely silent, while Aniki was walking infront of us and was rambling about he had to share his lunch with Kuromaru.

"You know I mean, if you had seen Kuromaru's face, the way he ate them you would have felt disgusted. Those are beef meatballs!!! Basically he's a cannibal. Hey why are you guy soo quiet back there..." Aniki turned back to see that me and Tenten were not there...

At another location...

"You think it's a good idea to leave than blonde bastard behind? You could have asked for his help."

I have already activated my Byakugan and was already searching Lee. "Well actually, it was a bad, very bad idea."

"Huh!!!!"

Aniki, if he was not infront of Hinata-sama, he is...Well, an asshole... 'Ignore all the useless shit call people, it they don't respect you.' That is what Aniki would say. I doubt he would even lift a finger to help us...

I quickly found Lee who was furiously kicking a tree trunk and we were hiding behind the bushes.

" Four thousand nine hundred and ninety five, four thousand nine hundred and ninety six." Lee took a long breath, " If I can do five thousand kicks I'll become the greatest Ninja the world had ever seen." He then resumed to kick the tree.

"Four thousand nine hundred and ninety seven, four thousand nine hundred and ninety eight, four thousand nine hundred and ninety nine..." Every kick he delivered, was accompanied with a grunt, he was obviously very tired.

Lee was about to deliver the final kick, but his legs gave up on him due to exhaustion and he fell face first to the ground... There was silence... we could hear sobs comming from Lee...

"I knew it! I can never be a ninja. I should have listened to them. I am nothing but a failure!!! A useless failure" Lee snapped. He was devastated, he knew that he could never perform Ninjutsu, still he believed that if he worked hard might have a chance, but he finally realised that it was impossible.

"You are not a failure!!!" I came out of the bushes, he was not a failure, I know it, Aniki even said that if we work hard anything is possible. He survived for two years completely alone and had to face death every single day. But he did not give up, he never gives up because giving up does not exist in his dictionary. And if Aniki can do it, Even Lee can do it as well.

Lee looked at me, then dried his tears with his sleaves, "Neji-san, it's you. What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to tell you that you must never give up, even when the world is against you, you must never give up."

"But can't you see, I'm nothing but a failure! I can't even perform those simple Ninjutsu! How can I become a ninja?"

"I don't know how... But if you ever need help, I'll always be there."

"That also includes me." Tenten revealed herself.

"But why? Why you want to help me?"

"Let's just say that I want you to be my rival."

"What?"

I offered him my hand...

"Let's work hard together, I also want to be the greatest ninja not just in Konoha, I want to be the best in the elemental Nations."

"Neji-san..." Lee looked at my hand then grabbed it and pulled himself up. His began to water, " Thank you Neji-san! Thank you!"

"That's good and all but how do we even help him?" Tenten asked.

"You don't have to fear!!!" Someone declared and suddenly a weird man simply appeared before us.

"Because Might Guy is here!!!" The man was the very definition of wierd. He had a bowl cut hairstyle, with eyebrows that could rival Lee's, he wore a skin tight green jumpsuit that showed most of his body parts( He's definitely a pervert.), and had orange legs warmers.

Me and Tenten felt creeped out, while Lee was in awe at the sight.

"My dear Lee, I have observed you for the past few days and I can see that the fire of youth resides in you!!!" He declared pointing at Lee.

"W-What do you mean?" Lee innocently asked.

"You my friend, you are a person who never gives up, you almost did, but your friend here not only did he rekindle the flames, he have helped you to strengthen the flames of youth."

I should feel proud about that, but I didn't, really I didn't.

"You should be proud of being his rival."

You know what, I really felt that I made a grave mistake while telling him to be my rival.

"I will help you Lee, become my apprentice and I shall show you the power of youth!!! you will become the greatest if you let me nurture you flames of youth!"

" But how Sensei? I can't perform Ninjutsu!"

"Who said that you must perform Ninjutsu to become a Ninja?"

"What!!!!" we all exclaimed. How is that even possible.

"I am the Green beast of Konoha, the ninja who made his enemies tremble with only Taijutsu!"

This was unbelievable he was a ninja who uses only Taijutsu! The Green Beast of Konoha, the best Taijutsu fighter the village had ever produced.

"Guy-sensei, can I be as good as you?"

"Good as me? No! you will surpass me and I will make sure you will ! For the flames of youth shall never be extinguished!!! "

Guy-sensei then stretched out his arms, "So Lee, will you embrace the flames of youth."

Lee was never treated like this, people would mock him every time, putting him down, tell him that he was never going to be a ninja. Now he found not only a rival but also a teacher that would help him to become the greatest.

Lee leaped towards Guy-sensei and they both embraced eachother.

"Gai-sensei !"

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"Lee!"

.

.

.

That scene was suppose to be touching, but our eyes were burned with a sight that will haunt us for the rest of our lives.

In front of us, the scene suddenly changed to a cliff, and beyond that cliff was an ocean, and the sun was setting. And between that scene was the disturbing sight of a adult man and a young boy hugging each other, with years falling from their eyes. It was very disturbing. It was definitely a genjutsu

"KAI ! KAI ! KAI !..." I furiously tried to cancel the genjutsu, but was of no use! I tried to close my eyes but the scene was still there!!! What the Hell!!!

( Ten minutes later )

"Thank you Neji for rekindling the flames of youth inside Lee." Guy-sensei thanked me.

"Y-You're welcome I guess?"

"Neji-kun" Tenten called me. "Don't you think, that blonde bastard will be mad at you for not going home this late?"

It was already dark, and Aniki would be pissed if he caught me.

"Don't worry, I'll just sneak back into the compound and give some good excuses. Aniki will never find out!" I said with confidence.

"Really." We just heard a spine chilling voice behind us and I know whose it belongs to.

We all slowly turned to the direction of the voice and behold stood Aniki with that creepy smile on his face and his eyes shone brightly in the dimly lit forest.

"G-Good e-evening Aniki."