A scarred ninja

Being strangled

I stood in the hokages office slightly shocked of what he just told me. He gave me a mission for once the chunin exam was over. I will leave the leaf to find information on the akatsuki and I will not return unless told by a hokage. And no matter what happens I will go on this mission. He even made a note in my file about this mission. I'm guessing he saw the confusion on my face.

"Do not worry Tsukino everything it will become clear within time. You are dismissed." He said.

I nodded and bowed to him before heading to my apartment reading my book. That was until I felt a familiar blood lust. I went into an ally to see the Gaara kid. He quickly turned and glared at me.

"What are you up to?" I asked putting my book away.

"That's none of your business." He growled.

"Well considering you in this village and it my job to protect it it is my business and even more so if you're doing some to put this village in danger." I said with authority.

It probably wasn't the best idea to be picking a fight with a blood crazed boy who held the one tails in him. He just glared at me harder and I decided to leave him be considered it didn't seem like he was doing anything bad at this point in time. I began walking away but stopped for a second and looked back at the boy.

"Don't let yourself be controlled and if you're viewed as a monster don't become the monster people think you are. Take satisfaction in proving them wrong." I said before jumping away.

I then began my way back home. When I made it home I laid down on my couch and read my book.  However as I was reading I felt a rough hand wrap around my neck and that hand felt oh so familiar. I threw my book away and looked up to see an outline of a man and man that I though was dead. I tried screaming but nothing came out. I tried grabbing the hand around my neck but I couldn't touch it. Fear overtook took me and I began desperately thrashing around.

Someone broke into my house and when they did the hand and the man disappeared. I sat bolt up and began hyperventilating. I looked to my door to see Neji standing there with his byakugan activated and looking around. Tears began to spill from my eyes as I still couldn't breath. I must look so weak allowing my emotions to show like this. Neji walked up to me and looked slightly worried as he kneeled in front of me.

"Hey calm down and take deep breaths." He said kindly.

I couldn't calm myself down so Neji began taking me through it taking deep breaths with me and sure enough I began to breath normally and stop crying however it hurt when I breathed. Neji then looked at my neck and a slightly confused expression came to his face. He definitely wasn't acting like himself.

"Are you okay?" He asked meeting my gaze.

"Why do you care?" I said looking away from him feeling embarrassed.

"I don't know. But I think you need to go to the hospital." Neji said standing up.

"And why is that?" I asked.

"Because there's a bruise around your neck shaped like a hand and I saw someone strangling you." He said simply.

I looked at him confused how did he see someone strangling me when the person disappeared when he entered my house. I guess he saw the confusion on my face because he began to explain.

"I heard noises of a struggle when walking past this apartment building so I activated my byakugan to see what was happening. I saw a very weak chakra system the same of a human strangling you so I came it then the chakra just disappeared. But that's not the point you need to got to the hospital to get checked out." He said more firmly this time.

I reluctantly agreed to go so Neji walked with me there. I never would have thought Neji had a nice side.