[rahl]

The punishment paused, whether for good or just momentarily Neji didn't know. He let out a sigh of relief as his backside was spared further discipline. His uncle was drawing slow circles on his back, easing his tension a bit.

The pale-eyed youth did not trust himself to believe that the punishment was over. Even though his butt smarted painfully, Hiashi not said a word since he had started this ordeal. All along he had expected the man to lecture him, to give him a scolding as he meted out the the licking. The fact that the older man had been silent until now gave Neji the dread that his punishment was going to drag out longer.

"I-It's okay to cry Neji, it won't make you any less of a shinobi or a person." It surprised Neji that his uncle, Lord Hyuuga, would stutter. Maybe the man was not as strict and severe as he initially thought. But somehow it surprised him more that he would know what he was trying exactly not to do. Was he that obvious? Relaxing his grip on Hiashi's robes a little, Neji considered what his uncle was telling him.

It wouldn't be, after all, the first time Hiashi saw him cry. In fact, it seemed that most of the times he had broken down in tears Lord Hyuuga had been there. There was the time when his father had been "disciplined", then his funeral and finally after his defeat in the Chuunin exams. But his pride told him that he would be giving up too easily.

"I won't think any less of you..." Hiashi didn't waste any time continuing the spanking after saying this. Clenching his teeth again, Neji could feel his eyes burning, this time tears more closer to coming out than ever. No matter how many times he told himself he disliked the man, Neji couldn't lie to himself on the fact that he was constantly seeking his approval.

Somewhere in his subconscious he had made Hiashi a substitute for his father, whether because they looked so alike or because he didn't have many strong male role models, Neji didn't know. Even before he had know the truth about his father's demise, in the second part of the Chuunin exams, the young Genin had known that Lord Hyuuga was watching and had made use of Rotation Technique in full view of the audience. Maybe he had been striving to impress his father's brother even back then.

He wiped his eyes and stifled a hiccup, still trying to battle the urge to sob and plead forgiveness. He didn't know much more he would last, but he knew it wouldn't be much longer.