||My Little Bird|| [Neji Hyuga x OC]

Chapter Three

The pounding of fist against wood knocked the Hyuga out of his deep thinking, along the usual annoying, encouraging shouts. Rock Lee was training with Gai Sensei again, as always, and Tenten and him had to watch. As always.

"Yes! Gai Sensei, when I grow up I wanna be like you!!" Rock Lee shouted gleefully, as his eyes glared with determination. "I'm doing this for you Gai Sensei!!"

Gai Sensei, wearing the same green spandex as Lee, cheered him on, tears in his eyes. "My student, you are so youthful and hardworking!!" He cried, holding back his arms that wanted to embrace his youthful student so. "I-I'm...SO PROUD!!!"

As Lee and Gai continued to act out their daily drama, Neji rolled his eyes. "Please, for once can't we have a normal training session, one without, I don't know...crying?" He scoffed, and Tenten sighed.

"Neji, we've lived through it so far. Better get used to it." Tenten sighed, crossing her arms and relaxing against the wooden training block behind her.

Neji scoffed, turning his head to look to the side with a glare. "I am pretty sure Sasuke and Shikamaru don't have to deal with this." As much as the rookie wanted to leave his team, he had a strong sense of loyalty.

"Well, man up." Tenten scoffed, as Lee and Gai Sensei practiced more Taijutsu. "We're in this team together, for a reason!"

"You two! Practiced what I showed you yesterday! We will show up Team 7!!" Gai suddenly roared, turning around and pointing a finger at the two. "I. WILL. SHOW. KAKASHI!!" His eyes burned, and he clenched his fist, for every time he thought about beating Kakashi...well his attention span had just dropped to zero. "Go on, my youthful students! Better than yesterday!!"He raised his fist, and Lee turned his attention to him, sweat dripping from his forehead.

"Aye, Gai Sensei!" The team responded, with as much enthusiasm as their Sensei had pressed upon them. They did as they were told; Rock Lee breaking wooden dummies, the splinter flying everywhere. Tenten using her weapon scrolls, giving a victorious shout and a smirk when all of her weapons hit their mark. Neji activating his Byakugan, his fingertips sparking with chakra as he refined his 64 Palms Jutsu. And Gai Sensei, taking a moment to step back and appreciate his team silently. He was really, truly, proud of them, youthful or not.

The moment lasted until a certain young Hyuga walked in on them, flanked by a boy with a puppy on his head and another boy with sunglasses, a large collar obscuring his face.

"N-neji-oneesan..." The Hyuga mumbled, and Neji instantly recognized it as Hinata, his cousin which he loathed so. He narrowed his eyes, sighing in slight irritation, before turning to her.

"What is it?" Neji said, his voice cold. Though his duty was to protect his Lady Hinata, he couldn't help but blame her for his father's death. He hated the Main Branch, using their own family members just for protection.

Hinata squeaked, looking down. She wasn't able to make eye contact with Neji since the day that Kira had stopped showing up, when they were younger. "T-The Hokage wanted all the t-teams to announce something..." She mumbled, and The dog boy, Kiba Inuzuka, shot Neji a warning look.

"Don't be scared of this guy, Hinata! If it really depends on it, he could get beaten in five seconds flat!" Kiba narrowed his eyes at Neji, who then activated his Byakugan.

"Is that a challenge?" Neji growled, through clenched teeth. Glad that Gai had told them to warm up, he could feel the blood pump through him. His Byakugan traced Kiba's chakra flow,a sort of cocky rage going into his head. "Destiny doesn't favor losers."

"You bet it is." Kiba bared his teeth, the puppy on his head barked at him. "Akamaru!" He growled, and the dog jumped to the floor,growling and barking at him. "Shut it with your destiny shit!" Hinata mumbled many signs to stop, even making a grab for Kiba's arm, but the quiet boy held her back, bugs crawling everywhere on her coat and immobilizing her legs.