"Nera! Come in here!" Lord Hyuga was in the other room.
Today was the day. The children of Side Branches of the Hyuga Clan were to get the mark that restricts their Byakugan. The mark that signifies the difference between the Main Branch from the Side Branches.
The mark that could kill anyone from the Side Branches.
"Dad, I don't want the mark!"
"Nera, I don't care. We are from the Side Branch. You must have the mark placed upon you."
"Dad, I don't want it!"
"Nera-"
"They used that mark to kill Mom!"
Silence. That day came flooding back to them both.
"This isn't up for discussion." His eyes were pointed at the floor. "All members of the Side Branches must get the mark." Tears slowly filled the pupilless eyes. "The mark protects the Hyuga Clan, in case you or I are killed on our missions."
Nera looked up pleedingly in his father's eyes. "Dad, I'm scared..." Fear was evident in Nera's eyes.
Nera's father looked up. "Did you ever master that clone jutsu?" He wiped the tears from his face.
Nera looked confused. "Yeah, why?"
---
"Nera Hyuga, step forward!" Lord Hyuga called from the front of the room. The other three children already recieved their marks, and now was his turn.
Nera stepped forward, shaking in fear. He walked, mostly calmly, up to Lord Hyuga, and kneeled in front of him.
"Young Nera, take this mark upon your forehead, and serve the Hyuga Clan well." Lord Hyuga placed his index and middle fingers upon Nera's forehead. As chakra surged onto Nera's forehead, the curse mark formed, and the shadow clone puffed into smoke.
"Nera? Somiro, what is the meaning of this?" Lord Hyuga raged, disapointed and dishonored by the deception.
"Forgive me, Lord Hyuga. Nera could not receive the mark, not after what happened to his mother." Nera's father looked directly into Lord Hyuga's eyes, Byakugan active.
"Do you mean to challenge me, Somiro?" Lord Hyuga's Byakugan became active, veins surging, giving a hideous look to the anger on Lord Hyuga's face.
"If it will save my son, yes." Both men take an opening stance, preparing for battle.
---
Dad, please be ok! Nera was moving through the trees, jumping from branch to branch, hoping to leave Konoha far behind, but yet to reach the Village Gate.
"Nera Hyuga, stop!" Mishira, Nera's sister, is following close behind, with their cousin, Minashuke, from the Main Branch, following her.
Mishira?! She... She's Lord Hyuga's favorite! She'll destroy me! "No! I won't get that mark!
"Nera, it's more than that! You caused Father's death!"
Nera stopped, wide-eyed. Dad's... dead...? As the truth sank in, Mishira landed beside Nera, elbow rushing towards his neck, but he moved too quickly, and balanced himself atop his sister's closed fist. "They killed him like they killed Mom, didn't they?"
"Nera, no! Father and Lord Hyuga fought over you!" She threw him up and jumped towards him, her Byakugan closing in on his chakra points.
"They fought over me? They fought because of what they did to Mom!" Nera looked down, his Byakugan looking over his sister and cousin. Mishira has two years of training over me, plus another year at the Academy, and Minashuke is three years older than her...
As he thought, Nera noticed that Minashuke had disappeared, but with Byakugan... "There!" He threw with a kunai behind him and to the left, right at Minashuke. "Stop, please! I just want to go!"
Minashuke dodged the kunai easily, and lunged from a branch towards her younger cousin. "It doesn't matter! You and that disgusting Father of yours have disgraced the Hyugas!"
Nera snapped. He turned just as Minashuke landed, and plowed his elbow deep into her face, breaking her nose and jaw, as he used his other hand to draw a kunai and plant it just at her neck. "Never say that about my dad." He looked into her eyes, and the hate was evident. As she opens her mouth, smiling, about to taunt him, he shoves the kunai deep into her neck, and twists it. "I told you, never say that about my dad." He moves quickly, and removes the kunai, flash-stepping as blood gushes from his cousin's neck.
"Nera, what... What have you done?" Mishira stops in her tracks, unable to move.
"Exactly what you wanted to do to me, Sister." His voice rang out from behind her, made more disturbing by his lack of height. Two kunai met rush in front of her neck, a little blood trickling from the barely-punctured skin. "If I let you go, will you let me leave?"
"Not after what you did to Minashuke." A tear begins to fall down her cheek.
"I'm sorry Mishira. Tell Mom and Dad I love them." Nera's eyes begin to mist up.
"I will."
"I love you, Mishira." He drags the edges of the kunai across her throat, ripping deep into her jugular and wind pipe.
As he moves closer to the Village Wall, a disturbing truth spread over him. I'm the last one left, aside from Phoenix. Why is our family cursed?
