Neji Hyūga/Synopsis

==Background==
Neji was born to Hizashi Hyûga, which placed him in a secondary branch of the clan. When the heir to the main branch, Hinata Hyûga, turned three years old, Neji's forehead was marked with the seal cursed by his uncle, Hiashi. Despite being still very young at that time, Neji's natural talent did not escape his father. Because of this, Hizashi resented the fact that he had the mark that doomed him to a life of bondage to the Main Branch when he should have been destined for great things. His anger manifested itself often, which prompted Hiashi to activate the seal he was also wearing, this inflicted great pain on him and attending traumatized Neji.
Soon after Neji received his seal, Hinata was kidnapped by ninjas from an enemy village. Hiashi managed to save her but the village denied all allegations against him and insisted that Hiashi's actions were a declaration of war. The only way to avoid hostilities was for Hiashi's body to be given to them as compensation. Hiashi was ready to do this to protect his village, but Hizashi being his twin brother insisted on taking his place. Neji was too small to understand the whole story and over the years he came to believe that his father had been forced to die for the main branch.
==Part I==
===Chunin Exams===
Neji was first introduced as the nihilist, as he constantly mentioned that fighting fate is useless. As a result, he regularly looked down on others, especially his younger cousin Hinata. In the preliminary matches, he was paired up against Hinata. After exchanging blows, Hinata seemed to defeat Neji, only for Neji to reveal that he had plugged up Hinata's chakra points, rendering her Gentle Fist useless. He also hit a chakra point close to one of Hinata's vitals moments beforehand, putting Hinata in a critical condition. However, Hinata refused to back down, insisting that Neji, not she, was fighting against what could not be changed. Neji was about to administer a killing blow when most of the Jōnin in attendance stepped in to save Hinata. Neji was pitted against Naruto Uzumaki in the first rounds of the finals. 
After a month of preparation, Naruto and Neji face each other. Naruto starts by using shadow clones to engage Neji, trying to overwhelm his taijutsu skills with sheer numbers. Neji's Byakugan is unable to tell the shadow clones from the real Naruto and for that reason Naruto is able to land some blows, but Neji deflects them with Revolving Heaven and eventually seals Naruto's chakra with Sixty-Four Palms. Neji declares Naruto a failure who is destined to lose to him, a genius. When Naruto is unwilling to believe him, Neji explains his father's death and the differences between the Hyūga's houses. Rather than convince Naruto that he is right, his words convince Naruto that Neji is wrong, as Naruto has personal experience with persevering despite others' expectations. 
Although his own chakra is cut off, Naruto has another source: the Nine-Tails'. Neji is surprised by it and, unaware of what it is, is startled by the chakra's ferocity. Naruto's speed and strength are heightened dramatically, allowing him to keep up with Neji. Neji uses Revolving Heaven to deflect a particularly powerful blow, flinging both him and Naruto apart. When the smoke clears, Naruto appears defeated and Neji, assuming he's won, begins boasting. As he talks, Naruto bursts from the ground beneath him, knocking him out with an uppercut to the chin. Realising that the Naruto he saw defeated was a shadow clone covering the hole the real Naruto was digging towards him, Neji scolds himself for being defeated by Naruto's signature ability. In response, Naruto reveals that clone techniques were once his worst ability. Before he's declared the winner, Naruto tells Neji to stop holding his natural genius back with trivial concerns about fate.
As Neji recovers, he is visited by his uncle, Hiashi, who was observing his match. Hoping to correct Neji's misconceptions, he explains the truth surrounding Neji's father's death: that Hizashi chose to die not in service to the main house as Neji has long thought, but because he wanted to protect Hiashi, his brother; in doing so, Hizashi selected his own fate. (In the anime, this is revealed to Neji in a letter written by his father before his death, Neji recognising his father's handwritting.) Neji does not believe the story since he's only hearing it now. Hiashi, having expected this and having no further proof, bows to Neji and begs his forgiveness for not telling him sooner. Neji is moved to tears by the gesture and bids Hiashi to stand, finally believing him. While watching the birds outside, Neji decides he'd like to choose his destiny just like his father did, and that he wants his destiny to be to never lose again. 
=== Konoha Crush ===
the anime, two Kumogakure ninja attempt to kidnap an unconscious Hinata during the confusion caused by the invasion of Konoha. The Hyūga Elder sends Neji, Tenten, and Kiba Inuzuka to rescue her. Once they catch up with them, Neji draws the Kumo-nin away while Tenten and Kiba escape with Hinata. He is able to defeat one, but is no match for Sekiei's abilities and can only keep him busy until Hiashi arrives to defeat him. 
Several days after the invasion is successfully repelled, Neji attends the Third Hokage's funeral.
===Sasuke Retrieval===
Neji was recruited as part of the-five person team to retrieve Sasuke Uchiha from the Sound Ninja Four. Neji was chosen to be the rear lookout in the single file line Shikamaru Nara organized. When during the course of the mission the team was captured by Kidōmaru's webbing, Neji was able to free them, and sent them after the remaining members of the Sound Four while he himself fought the Sound Ninja. Kidōmaru was able to analyze Neji's defenses and found the blind spot in the Byakugan, proving to be a dangerous enemy. Neji realized that Kidōmaru was far more powerful than he was, but was determined to never give up, as he wanted to show those who considered him a genius that their faith in him was correct and to prove that he no longer surrendered to fate. Neji was severely wounded when Kidōmaru managed to fire an arrow through his chest. However, he was able to keep it from hitting his heart by moving at the last moment and deflecting it with his chakra. He then was able to push his chakra through the webbing and injure Kidōmaru. Once he was stunned, Neji finished him off with a flurry of Gentle Fist style attacks. He then passed out from his own injuries and was rushed back to the village when help arrived.
=== Other Missions ===
Naruto and the members of Team Guy are sent to the Katabami Gold Mine to help deal with the Kurosuki Family. During their first confrontation with Raiga Kurosuki, Neji's Byakugan is nullified by Ranmaru's illusions. During their second confrontation, Neji is quickly knocked unconscious. Tenten attempts to revive him with the Curry of Life, but he has a low tolerance for spicy food and consuming it only knocks him out again. Later, Neji is put in charge of a team of Academy students to teach them survival skills. Very little of their exercise is seen, but Neji does teach his students how to use a watch as a compass. Naruto, Neji, and Tenten are sent by Tsunade to the Land of Birds to investigate reports of a ghost, Cursed Warrior, terrorizing the local population.
Neji leads the Star Guard Team on a mission to Hoshigakure. After they arrive, Neji instructs the team to follow the mission's original instructions to locate the star rather than get involved in the village's affairs. When the village's issues become increasingly difficult to ignore, Neji informs Naruto that he will deny knowing anything about what Naruto chooses to do in the villagers' defence. However, when they return to Konoha having failed to prevent the star's destruction, Neji takes responsibility for the failure, but since Naruto defeated the client, Akahoshi, during the ordeal, nobody's in a position to complain. During the objective, Neji and the rest of the Konoha 11 are charged with halting the schemes of Gennō. He uses his Byakugan during the mission to locate the explosives Gennō plants around Konoha, preventing the destruction of the Academy and the Hokage Rock.
Neji and Tenten are assigned to help Naruto recover Menma's missing memories. Neji suspects that Menma is an Otogakure-ninja, a suspicion that turns out to be true. Despite his background, Menma remains Naruto's ally throughout the mission and eventually sacrifices himself to save an innocent town from his former compatriots. Neji and the Konoha 11 are sent to help the Three Sand Siblings defeat the Four Celestial Symbols Men. Shikamaru, their team leader, assigns Neji, Hinata, and Shino Aburame to clear out the areas. After they get back to Konoha - in a scene that happens at the end of the Sasuke Recovery Mission in the manga - Neji trains with Hiashi. When Hinata serves them drinks, Neji recommends that she see Naruto off rather than tend to them, as he is about to leave Konoha for several years of training.
== Interlude ==
Konoha and Sunagakure hold a joint Chūnin Exam two years after Naruto's departure, which Team Guy once again enters. During the first exam, Neji, Lee, and Tenten are seated in different rooms and are tasked with getting a combined score of exactly 100 points on their written test despite their separation. Thinking it over, Neji comes up with the idea of producing vibrations on the walls to communicate to Tenten and Lee which questions to answer. After the initial testing period is over, they are given a bonus question: each team must unanimously select one of their members to disqualify from the rest of the exams. Team Guy selects nobody, which is the correct answer and which qualifies them for the next phase.
Those who pass the first test must reach the Demon Desert within three days in order to participate in the second exam. Team Guy successfully does so and they are given the same objective as they had in the exam several years ago: obtain a scroll from another team. They are early on caught in various genjutsu set by members of Team Shira, one of which causes them to wander into quicksand. Once Team Guy escapes and manages to track down Team Shira, they instead offer Team Shira assistance, helping them drive off another team. When asked why they would help, Neji explains that Shira is quite similar to Lee; Lee in fact finds himself so similar to Shira that he follows the attacking team out of anger, forcing Neji, Tenten, and Team Shira to go after him and rescue him.
Both teams get along well and, after Lee and Shira spar, the two teams agree to meet up during the finals. They later come across Team Ajisai and are immediately engaged in combat. Team Ajisai retreats shortly afterwards but are pursued by Team Guy, who believe they have the scroll they need. Their chase leads them to some old ruins, and during an ensuing fight Tenten and Ajisai fall through a collapsed floor. Neji recommends to Ajisai's teammates that they stop fighting in order to look for Tenten and Ajisai. The teammates agree, but leave to do so by themselves. Neji and Lee follow them despite this, coming to their aid when Team Komugi attacks them. Team Komugi is driven off and Teams Guy and Ajisai finally start working together. They eventually reunite with Tenten and Ajisai, who have become friends during their ordeal. The two teams part peacefully.
Team Guy gets caught in a sandstorm, from which they seek shelter in one of Tenten's protective domes. After the storm clears they come across Matsuri, who asks that they help Gaara. Team Guy rushes to the scene and finds that not only Gaara but also Fū - both of them jinchūriki - are having their tailed beasts extracted by Hōichi. While Lee and Fū's teammates distract Hōichi, Neji approaches Gaara and Fū to block their chakra points, halting the extraction. Hōichi's jutsu turns on him due to the severed connection and Neji, at Gaara's request, blocks his chakra points too, saving him. Gaara and Fū separately thank Neji for his help, with Fū even specially requesting he become her friend.
Team Guy is not able to acquire the scroll they need but it ends up not mattering: the Chūnin Exams are prematurely cancelled. The remaining participants have a report on their performance sent back to their villages, leaving their promotion up to their superiors. The Fifth Hokage promotes all of Team Guy to chūnin and then gives Neji an additional promotion to jōnin because of the assistance he gave to Gaara, the Kazekage.
==Part II==
===Kazekage Rescue===
Neji was the only member of the Konoha 11 to become a jounin. Tsunade sent Team Guy to help support Team Kakashi during the rescue of Gaara, who was now Kazekage of Sunagakure, and had been captured by the criminal organization the Akatsuki. On the way there, Team Guy is attacked by Akatsuki member Kisame Hoshigaki, who managed to trap Lee, Neji and Tenten with a Water Prison jutsu using Water clones, leaving the real Kisame to battle Guy. During that fight Guy opened the first six chakra gates to defeat Kisame. Lee and Tenten were saved by Neji who broke free from the Water Prison and saved the others.
Neji and his team arrived outside the Akatsuki headquarters a few moments before Team Kakashi, despite setting off a few days later. The squads find out that there is a barrier, and seals located in different locations that needed to be removed before they were allowed to enter. When the seals were removed, Team Guy had to battle a clone of themselves due to the trap laid out by the Akatsuki. Lee figured out that the clones did not tire, but lacked emotion and could not improve themselves. Neji and his team soon defeated the clones armed with this knowledge, and went back to help Team Kakashi, only to find Gaara dead. Lee and a group of others later witnessed Chiyo sacrifice her life to revive Gaara with a forbidden jutsu. Neji and his team returned to their village with Team Kakashi afterwards.
===The Fourth Great Shinobi War===
Neji participated in the Fourth Great Shinobi War, alongside Hinata, under Kitsuchi's Second Company. He and the rest of the company were dispatched to the location where the White Zetsu army was mobilizing, and after Kurotsuchi and Kitsuchi together unearthed the White Zetsu army division that was travelling beneath them, Neji and his team mates began to engage them in combat. He and Hinata fight together exceptionally well, with combo techniques. After taking down a lot of them, he nearly gets caught in a surprise attack by one of them, who he then blows off by using the body blow technique of the Gentle Fist. There were too many Zetsu and it was turning into attrition warfare, so Neji was getting tired from the constant appearance of enemies. In spite of this, he shrugged off any medical attention and just chose to rest on Akamaru's back.
On the second day, the fighting went on. He was confronted by a reanimated Kidōmaru, though he was a lot stronger since the last time they fought. First, he releases his team mates trapped by his webbing, then proceeds to easily defeat him. But this activates a seal that leaves him and the other members of the Sasuke Recovery Team (Kiba, Shikamaru, and Chōji) comatose and takes their souls away from their bodies. They are then forced to fight the reanimated Sound Four until the eventual death of their actual bodies. Shino tries his best to keep them alive while they find a way to free themselves from the barrier.
Within the barrier, the four shinobi are confronted by Kidōmaru, Tayuya, Sakon & Ukon, and Jirōbō, who are seeking revenge against them for their deaths. They seem to be gaining the upper hand at first, but realize that since they are reanimations, they won't be going down so easily. As time passes, their situation grows ever worse, until Shikamaru provokes them in order to get Naruto to sense their evil intentions and find the barrier.
Once Naruto finds the barrier, he begins to hammer away at it until it cracks, allowing Inoichi to rescue the four of them from the barrier and restore their souls back to their original bodies.
Now that Neji is back on the battlefield, he returns to battling the White Zetsu Army battallion until Naruto's Shadow Clone comes to finish off the remaining enemies.
After their battle is over, Neji and the rest of the Second Company are sent off to assist Naruto, B, Kakashi, and Guy in their battle against Madara, Obito, and a revived Ten-Tails. Once there, he, along with Hinata and his uncle, help protect Naruto from the attacks directed at him by the Ten-Tails, as a result of how crucial he is to the victory of the alliance in the war.
However, the attacks of the Ten-Tails prove to be too numerous, forcing Neji and Hiashi to move to protect the other shinobi in range of fire. Meanwhile, the Ten-Tails fires many wood projectile volleys at Naruto. Hinata tries to sacrifice herself to save Naruto, but Neji steps in to take the blow by himself, leaving him severely injured.
Naruto tries calling for a medic, but Neji resigns to his apparent death, and tells Naruto that his life is linked to many others, including Hinata's. When asked by Naruto why he would make such a sacrifice for him, Neji responded that it's because he called him a "genius" once. He then dies, finally knowing what it's like to willingly die for his friends, as his father once did. Upon his death, the Curse seal Jutsu of the Hyūga main family activates, sealing away his Byakugan.
After the war, his body is taken back to the Leaf Village, where he is given a proper burial.
Category:Synopsis