Obligation. Did she think that was all this was? It was true that some part of Neji's motivation was due to clan-instituted duty, however that was only the smallest part of what drove him. Other motivators -- other needs, truly -- were far more self-imposed, far more internal, than the duty of Branch to Main.

If that were all, he would not have flung himself into the teeth of a deadly attack for her sake. There were other ways he might have interceded that would have spared his own life, but all had a possibility of failure. So he had chosen the one that he knew would succeed, no matter the consequences to himself -- not out of duty, not at all. He did not believe that the duty of the Branch required his life; that, still, he fought against.

But there was no need to share with Hinata everything he thought, particularly in regard to... that. It still sat unsettled and immediate in his mind. So instead, he said quietly, "It is not obligation that drives me, Hinata-sama. I offer this of my own free will." The cup was warm in his hands, against his fingertips as he lifted it. Pleasant. "But if your wishes would call for a different course of action, then naturally, I am at your service."