“Great lesson today!” Gai beamed as his students were exhausted hanging off of the rails of the top of the Hokage’s tower. The three of them immediately clenched onto the rails as the entire building shook while you exited from the bottom door. The slam of the door was almost as loud as the huffs you were breathing out.

Neji’s jaw clenched as he watched you walk into the forest, he knew you were upset. No one knew that the two of you were together and you both wanted to keep it that way. Keep it away from your families for now.

Neji took a deep breath as he looked over at Gai. “Is today over?”

“Unless you all want to go again.” Gai laughed as he already started walking towards the steps knowing his students did not want to go again. He smirked when he turned back and saw Neji already left, he wasn’t positive the two of you were seeing each other but he did know that Neji felt very strongly for you. If you were allowed to be on a mission, Neji was overly protective, to the point where it sometimes harmed the mission’s objectives. Though you were the same age as the Hyuga prodigy and the others you weren’t allowed a team. You were forced to be an assistant really, an assistant to sensei’s whenever you were needed, however when Tsunade became Hokage you solely became her assistant.

You did everything she asked, followed her every order, and yet still you weren’t allowed to do your own thing, choose your own life. You understood her position as Hokage, you did. However you were just as strong as her, just as smart, just as powerful but yet you were relegated to be her assistant. She even left the village and they still chose her over you.

“Don’t even try to give me some proverb right now, Neji.” you groaned as you kicked a tree, sending it barreling down.

“I wasn’t going to.” he whispered as he approached you. He internally groaned as you knocked down another tree, even though he wanted to help he did know that you needed to get the punches out real quick. He watched as the water in the lake started to rise and form a whirlpool. “Y/n, what happened?”

“Nothing happened!” you yelled, “Nothing ever happens!” You fell against your newest tree as you sobbed and rubbed your temples. “I don’t understand it.”

Neji knew all too well how you were feeling. Though the Senju’s were less cruel than the Hyuga’s in their practices and rankings of family members, that didn’t mean that Tobirama’s side of the family didn’t experience discrimination from being the second branch of the family tree. Though Hashirama would never treat his brother badly and did everything in his power to not allow biases to happen, when he died he couldn’t control it.

“There is no reason for their distaste towards you, you know that.” Neji sighed as he leaned against the tree you were resting your head on, his hand gliding down your back as it rested on your hip. “Do you want to become Hokage?” he already knew the answer he just needed to remind you of the answer.

“No.” you sighed as you turned to look at him, “you know that.”

“I know, I just wanted to make sure you knew.” he smiled as his fingers picked out the debris of wood that had taken to your hair.

“I just want to choose my own life.” you sighed as you leaned into his touch, immediately feeling guilty for complaining about this to him. “I’m sorry I shouldn’t..”

“Don’t, y/n, I told you long ago to not hold back with me.” he whispered as his hands cupped both sides of your face and he rested his forehead against yours.

“You have it worse than I.” you whispered as you felt tears coming out of your eye. You hated how Neji was treated by the Hyuga clan. You hated the fact that even though he was undeniably stronger than the others, he was still treated as less than.

“If I were to break my arm while you suffered a slash on your hand,” he chuckled, “I would still expect you to acknowledge your pain in front of me, y/n.”

“I told you I didn’t want a proverb.” you laughed as you looked up at him.

“It’s not a proverb,” he sighed as he placed a soft gentle kiss on your forehead, “just the truth.”