According to this Naruto theory, Kishimoto wrote Neji as a potential Akatsuki member but dropped the ideas due to his similarities with Sasuke.

Sasuke Uchiha is by far one of the most powerful ninjas the world of Naruto has ever introduced. Although he began the series as a regular, if stronger than average, Genin, his journey transformed him ...

This article contains spoilers from the Naruto series. Kishimoto admires Sasuke ... Akatsuki member, by the looks of it, is none other than Hidan. Fans know Hidan to be a very unique ninja ...