His impressive reputation when he came from the branch family was inspiring to many, and Hiashi was moved enough to abolish the separation of main and branch families and gave all byakugan wielders a new curse mark that doesn't cause brain damage or enforce slavery.

Neji shone through and changed his clan, and he couldn't be happier with his accomplishments. He defied his fate and loved his clan now more than ever. He became passionate about teaching the next generation of Hyuga and soon started to consider getting married and starting a family as well.

When Hinata got pregnant with her first child, Neji was ecstatic and promised to teach the child as well. He helped the couple with preparing for their baby and did what he could with helping prego Hinata when she needed it.

Being a teacher and new uncle softened him up so much lol. He would do anything for his little bean. Little did he know that Hinata was going to have a second child, and that his joy would multiply tenfold when his niece was born. His heart almost exploded when he first saw Himawari, she was perfect the most perfect little baby he'd ever seen.

Neji was honored to have his nephew and niece named after him. Hinata said it was to pay her debt for all the trouble she caused Neji when he protected and trained her as kids and teens.

The kids love their uncle and make lots of memories with him and their happy little family. When the kids grow up Neji could step in and sort of fill in for Naruto when his kids felt neglected by their dad. He makes a great second father and if Neji has a kid too, they would be very close with their cousins as well, like second siblings.

Neji was a person Boruto trusted and came to for advice or to vent about his absent dad. Neji was completely understanding and never ratted Boruto out. Instead Neji would confront Naruto and scold him for not trying hard enough for being a part of his children's lives, often stressing Nar out and getting Neji kicked out. They always make up afterwards, though.

If Neji has a kid and if they're Boruto's age, they would definitely be rivals. Neji would teach and train both of them and chaos would ensue every training session.

Neji would be such a good father and husband. His memories of his father inspired him to be the best parent he could be. He's loved by most children in his clan, and his kid would brag about how great his dad is to their friends.

Neji's kid would be well disciplined but happy, Neji understood the importance of letting kids just be kids, and gave them plenty of freedom. Neji's partner sees eye to eye with him and is just a little less stern than their husband is with their kid.

I feel like I got off track but overall, Neji is a good, caring, fair, and sweet uncle. He's a good teacher and enjoys leading the next generation to a brighter future.

He's very supportive and helpful, and kids trust his advice and like hearing him tell his little stories. Lee and Tenten make for good-teacher helpers too. Kids look up to all three of them and they're all great role models <3

Neji and Hanabi would definitely be super competitive with each other. She's talented with taijutsu and ninjutsu as well, and is always the first to learn Neji's new jutsus and sometimes help him make new ones. She's also always around when Neji babysits Hinata's kids. She loves them and Neji's kid just as much as he does, of course.

Neji would love Boruto and Himawari equally, but treat them differently in some ways. Boruto is a rascal and gets treated like one, Hima is a princess and gets treated like one :)

Neji is the first to see Himawari use her byakugan. It was a surprise and made him proud and excited to train her when she grew up, if she wants to be trained.

Neji's kid would probably be a sweet little guy. For some reason I feel like they'd be kinda sneaky though. Kinda sussy. But overall charming and smart. They make his dad proud and they'd love fighting their stinky blond cousin. Their rivalry is so adorable. They'd probably take advantage of their dad's softness to get what they want though. They'd watch out for their other parent when that happens.

Hinata walks into Neji's living room, bringing tea on a tray for both of them. She looks across the room at her cousin sitting on the floor in front of the low table and pauses when she sees him holding an opened letter with a strange look on his face that she can't read. "Neji-niisan? What's wrong?" She walks across the room and sets the tray down, then takes a seat across from him, waiting for his response.

His eyes were still glued to the letter, perhaps he's received bad news. Hinata grew more concerned with the silence and decided to pour him his cup of tea and slide it towards him. He breaks his frozen state and sighs as he puts the letter down onto his lap to take the cup into his hands, "Thank you, Hinata. I've received a letter from the Taketori clan. I've only heard of them, I've been so busy and I haven't had the chance to meet them yet they're offering somebody from their clan for a political marriage to make an alliance between the Land of the Woods and the Land of Fire." He states with reluctance before drinking his beverage in thoughtful silence.

Hinata is taken by surprise with this information. Neji might get married? A political marriage between two countries and powerful clans? That sounds so romantic! She unwillingly blushes and fears that Neji would disapprove of her acting this way about the situation. This is a big deal, she thinks to herself, don't get in the way.

She's cautious not to get ahead of herself and thinks for a few moments before deciding on what to say, "What will you do? Will you consider it? Hanabi and I have been hoping that you'd find a partner soon, you know, we think you need one." She says meekly with her eyes avoiding his and continues, "Everyone can see the effects being clan leader has on you, especially with how you've worked so hard to change the Hyuga. We're proud of you but... aren't you lonely? Even your teammates miss you, don't you want somebody by your side?"

Neji smiles warmly at his younger cousins' concerns for him and crosses his arms over his chest. "I suppose a partner would be nice, depending on the partner, that is. If I'm to marry a stranger, well... both of our livelihoods would be at risk. A life forced to live with somebody I don't get along with sounds unbearable." Silence encases the pair as they both think about what could happen with this marriage.

"The sake of two countries' potential alliance is the only reason I'd ever consider a marriage such as this. However, solely thinking about my own comfort is selfish, isn't it? I'll talk to the Hokage as soon as possible to evaluate our options. If there isn't a better way to make an ally of the Land of the Woods, I'll agree to the marriage." Neji finishes speaking and looks up at Hinata, noticing her suppress some form of joy.

The two continue chatting for the rest of the evening before saying their goodbyes and going their separate ways. Neji has trouble falling asleep that night. The next morning Neji finishes his duties as soon as possible and makes his way to the Hokage's office. Kakashi let him in right away and they exchange greetings before Neji presents him with the letter. Kakashi reads it and chuckles, finding this sudden offer amusing.

"Well, this is exciting, isn't it? Are you going to accept it?" Neji had to hide his slight annoyance as he responded, "That's what I'm here for. This is a matter of politics, after all. What do you think? Have there been any other ways to make an alliance proposed? Is a political marriage between two clans a good way to go about this?"

Kakashi hummed in thought and answered with some cheer, "Yep, political marriages are a solid way to unify two nations. It's been done pretty often throughout history. Are you interested in taking the offer up? I'm sure you could use a partner, especially now that you're leading the Hyuga and all."

Neji sighs as he notices a pattern from what people think about him, "Well, I guess the obvious choice is to accept. Thank you for your time, Hokage-sama." Kakashi rolled his eyes at the formal name, "No problem, Neji-kun, let me know if you need anything else. I'll contact the Kage in the Hidden Grass Village shortly. Take care now!" With that, their meeting has ended.

Neji left the office, and headed home to continue his day and eventually write a response to the Taketori. This was going to be one hell of a life changing decision. He met up with Hinata again that evening to write the letter. She was overjoyed and didn't care to hide it this time. Her merry state helped him ease his anxiety and look at the situation optimistically. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

Within a few days the Taketori received Neji's letter. Your country had already agreed to this marriage and you were informed of the news right away. You became more nervous and motivated than ever before and worked even harder to make sure you become a jounin, even though it wasn't required of you anymore. It was decided that the wedding would be held next spring, conveniently after the jounin exams.

The days flew by as you worked and trained, you were so full of hope and excitement you almost didn't feel like yourself. You were to start a new chapter in life the next spring, anything could happen! You hoped that you could become a jounin and be allowed to have a career in Konoha, preferably in teaching or medicine.

You were also super anxious about this whole thing. You've never even been to Konoha and were going to marry a complete stranger for politics. You had no idea what he was like, but you figured that if you didn't like your husband you could just keep your distance and distract yourself with work. How invigorating this all was....

∘°∘♡∘°∘ (y/n)'s pov ∘°∘♡∘°∘

You were sitting on your patio one cold morning in early winter, emptily gazing out at the dead, frost-covered garden that your grandmother used to take care of before she passed from heart disease about a month ago. You got over the ordeal relatively quickly, you knew that she passed peacefully in her sleep with her only regret being that she didn't get to live long enough to see you get married and have children.

Your single mother left when you were a baby, so you were raised by your grandparents and lived with them your whole life. The old couple raised you as their own, maybe even better than they raised your mother considering they became softer with age.

Seeing as to how you were almost 18, grandpa was already talking to his friends about potential marriage suitors for you. When grandma was on her death bed, she made him promise her that he'd make sure that you were married off to a good, well-off man. The pickings were slim in the Taketori so your grandpa, unbeknownst to you, was asking around about young men in other clans that the Taketori had connections with.

Grandma wanted you to be secure and have an easy life, and was worried that you might follow in your rebellious mother's footsteps, especially since you have some of her more worrisome quirks about you. You're mostly just quiet and blunt but you do have some of her "disrespectful, authority-questioning" traits. You personally didn't see them as a problem but you know how older folks get.

Now with grandma gone all of the household chores were up to you. You have a full time job as an herbalist for your clan, and grandpa was retired and mostly spent his days just painting, tinkering, fishing, and hanging out with his buddies, but he was unfortunately too traditional to participate in cleaning or cooking for himself, nonetheless for the both of you.

You're also a chunin but mostly only serve to guard the Taketori clan and make their herbal medicines and poisons to use in battle. You were also chosen to teach the younger generations of the Taketori about your clan's secret jutsus that you excelled in, but that would come later when you hopefully become a jounin, which was also expected of you. You're preparing for the exams as of now and are planning on taking them next spring, after you turn 18 later this winter.

Although your lifestyle is busy and a little lonely, you're used to it. You're proud of everything that you do by yourself, and rarely complain. You could feel like you're taking care of someone else while being independent and accomplishing quite a bit. You look at the situation from an angle that makes it seem better. You could never be too proud of yourself... or could you?

You're grateful for your relatively quiet life, especially after witnessing the effects of the 4th Shinobi War. You weren't allowed to partake in the war, and you were instead put in charge of staying behind and guarding the clan, as per usual. Your natural talent and knowledge of the clan's secrets was better off being preserved for the future of the clan and you knew that your role was important so you didn't mind being held back and staying out of the spotlight, you like it that way after all.

Your daily staring at nothing and thinking session was interrupted by the sound of grandpa opening the backdoor to the patio and shutting it behind him before greeting you, "(Y/n), good morning. Are you busy?" He asks, noticing that you were lost in thought before he approached you. You've always found comfort in him being sensitive and reserved like you were. He never teased you for your withdrawn persona like others do which you're very grateful for.

"No, not really." You respond. He nods and takes a seat across from you at the small patio table. "Well, you remember my pal who owns a fishing supply shop? His son is only 8 years older than you, and he' s open to marriage as well...." You give him a certain look when he says "only 8 years older", and he chuckles as he continues, "Have you met his son? He's a charming, likeable man, you know. If he's seen you in public he's probably started a conversation with you."

You sigh and respond fairly quickly, "I know who you're talking about, and I'm not interested in him in that way. Besides, only 8 years older? You know I like them at least a decade older." Your grandfather snorts at your sarcasm and drops the subject, getting the hint, and starts talking about mundane things as you sit there with your face resting on your hand, silently waiting for him to get it all out.

"Oh, by the way, are you going with the clan to visit the Hyugas out in Konohagakure?" You briefly make eye contact with him as you consider his question, "I don't know. I've never been there before. Is going even worth it?" Grandpa's expression lightens up just a little more as he remembers something. He clears his throat and fixes his posture before speaking, "Have you heard of their new leader? The old head, Hiashi's nephew, you've heard of him, he took over leadership about 5 months or so ago. Apparently he's the talk of Konoha, and apparently he's your age." He said cautiously with a now serious expression, obviously trying to read your reaction.

Your cheeks flush, embarrassed by the idea of your grandpa trying to marry you off to the Hyuga clan head. Grandpa had a charming way of speaking and had a bad habit of getting what he wanted by persuasion. "Don't get any ideas about their clan head, grandpa. You'll just embarrass me." You look to the side with a slight pout and he responds smugly, "What's wrong with shooting your shot with the famous Hyuga prodigy? Grandma would be ecstatic if you married a man like him. I hear he's changed the clan a great deal and is now trying to get rid of their old curse mark and replace it with a new one. Our clan's going to establish a relationship between him and our head, and I myself want to go and see how they've changed."

You looked back up after confirming with your hands that your blush was indeed gone as you listened to your old man continue, "Our country is looking to form an alliance with the Land of Fire, did you know that? What if we offered your hand in a political marriage? Now wouldn't that be nice, (y/n)? The only other clan I'd trust to marry you off to is the Hyuga. I know that they would keep you safe. And if you lived there it would...." He carries on as you sink into your hectic thoughts.

After he finishes rambling about how great a political marriage would be, you take a few moments to answer, not knowing if you should act like you're against the idea or if you should push yourself to be honest. It sounded crazy, and burdensome, what would be expected of you? You don't want your own children, but maybe it would be better off that way for the two clans. But this was just an idea grandpa suddenly brought up, but if it does become a possibility....

You put your hands together in your lap and look down at your feet before muttering, "Okay. That sounds fine. Just don't say or do anything embarrassing." Your shy agreement puts a smile on his face and his previous expression changes to a light-hearted one, "I'll consult our clan leader and elders today and let you know what they have to say about it. Though if this does happen, you most likely won't get to know him before the marriage." You nod your head and the conversation ends there.

You both head inside and go on your separate ways, thoughts of the possibilities of what the future might hold for you occupying your mind while you worked, and grandpa was somewhere probably chatting with the clan elders. "The Hyuga prodigy... and now leader." You whisper to yourself as you grind dried herbs and plants into powder. Even as you packaged the herbal medicines, sealed them away in boxes, and handed them off to other clan members, you couldn't stop thinking about the things you've heard about him over the past half a year, whatever his name is.

He was really distracting you from making the special medicines and poisons exclusive to the Taketori, an important job that couldn't risk being messed up by daydreams. You became less flustered by the idea as the day went by, already imagining scenarios about the potential marriage even though it wasn't even going to happen for sure, yet. You hoped that nobody around you had noticed a change in your behavior, but nobody could read your shy yet stoic demeanor anyways. You were quiet and lost in thought like always, it was just another Tuesday for your coworkers.

Finally, the day passed and it was now early evening, you put everything away and packed up to go home, avoiding your coworkers/clan members as you made your way home. You walk in through the doorway with a "I'm home!" And realize that you can hear the sound of multiple voices coming from inside. Grandpa must have brought guests over, so you cautiously entered the living room, forcing yourself to greet the intruders in case they were talking about you.

"Oh, (y/n), we were just talking about you. Come, sit." Grandpa gestured to the empty space on the couch next to him. You tried to keep your internal panic from showing itself on your face as you realized that the Taketori clan leader and clan elders were in your house, talking about you with grandpa. Could it be..? You kept your head down as you made your way across the room and sat next to grandpa. All eyes were on you, and you hate that feeling. The clan leader smiled and greeted you before jovially asking you the question, "So, are you interested in a political marriage with the Hyuga?"