50. Kimono

A single Red Cord

It was tonight. Tonight when everything would change.

The sun started to slowly move over the horizon, coloring the sky in reds and blues and purples, sending a gentle quality throughout in its final moments of sunlight, almost as if to tell the world a glorious goodbye before its passing. Through the bars to her cell, Hinata could see it too, though it took a few moments for her white eyes to adjust to the light at all.

A white Kimono…a symbol of purity. Not so much in spiritual purity per se, but just for purity in general, like the simple color of the Hyugas' own eyes. Her obi was the same—ornate but frugal in the same breath, also the creamiest form of white.

Gentle pale hands brushed the cotton material—it was more of a yukata than a kimono, but at the same time the Hyuga clan didn't have time to spare good cloth on such a simple outfit—feeling the different marks from needles being sewn into it, adjusting, always adjusting the kimono for the different people who wore it. Constantly, constantly…adjusting…

But in the same breath, it always stayed the same.

The red cord that was tied to the obi was a mere cord of linen fabric; it wasn't very fancy, but it was very contrasting with the white of her outfit, and with the deep crimson hue that it had, Hinata was sure that to a normal person it would be almost blinding. She had no zori or tabi—just her bare feet touching the cool stone of the holding cell.

She wasn't surprised that it came to be where she would be the one wearing this kimono. Only those who were condemned—failures to the Clan itself, those of the Souke who would be brought under the Curse Seal of the Bunke—wore this kimono, and were brought to this Holding Cell in the forest behind the village to stay without food and very little water for three days before the Final Ceremony which would shackle them forever. For two hundred years nobody had taken this godforsaken path—none of the Souke dared to defy the Head of the Clan, in fear of taking part in this Ritual which would change their status from one of the Free to one of the Imprisoned, eternally moving through their life with shackles to their wrists and feet.

She was another that would go through this heresy.

But was she ashamed?

…No.

Would she commit the same Sin again, if given the chance? To defy her Father and give in to her own selfish wants?

…Yes.

It had been worth it, every second of it. Every embrace, every kiss, every moment they just sat together, enjoying each others' company. Everything just felt right—everything was right. No matter what anyone said, no matter what anyone believed.

She was supposed to be a good little girl of course, and marry a strong Hyuga man, just like all the others. Neji was the one exception to the unwritten rule; his unexpected engagement to Yamanaka Ino definitely shocked the Hyuga clan, but the risk of causing the most powerful Hyuga of his time to bail out on the Clan (or die because of the Curse Seal for said reason) was too high if Hiashi refused, so he had to break the rule just that once.

With Hanabi already dead, and Hinata the only choice to become the heir of the Clan, this sort of act was inexcusable.

But the truth was, Hinata didn't want to just lie down. She didn't want to just accept her 'Fate', and turn her back on the only thing that's given her happiness ever since…well, forever. Perhaps the twelve-year-old Hinata would have, but the eighteen-year-old Hyuga Hinata was not the spineless girl that she used to be—despite her soft-spoken nature and nervous habits.

And that night, with them both together, standing in the same room, looking into each others' eyes as if seeing each other for the first time…

Hinata shook her head, forcing the thoughts out. It was that that had got her in this situation in the first place, though she had a hunch that it had just sped the process up a bit, rather than just caused it altogether. Things were too well prepared for it to have not been planned for her in advance. The kimono was already made to her measurements by the time that she was called in to be told about the Punishment, and she was certain that they didn't have it magically fit you instantly. The Clan had been planning this for awhile—they just never got around to doing it yet.

And that was why it hurt all the worse for her. She felt her chest tighten, and the tears that threatened to fall down her cheeks had to be held back by all the will that she had. The sun would set soon, and then she would be brought out, only to meet the shackles that the rest of the Bunke had to deal with.

But her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at her door. Hinata stirred, ready to stand if the moment arose, dread welling up in her chest.

And another.

And yet another.

Why weren't they opening the door?

Hinata stood, and stepped timidly towards the door. She couldn't see who was on the other side, but in her own anxiety she couldn't let herself sit down. Her heart was racing, her palms were sweaty, and she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

The sun was fully set, and the area was covered in a thick darkness. But despite the knocking—outside, she couldn't hear the procession. No murmuring, no nothing. She couldn't even hear the crickling flames of their torches in the night air. Something was wrong…What was going on? One hand on her heart, the other outstretched slightly, she took another step.

Then the knock became harder…one single motion like it was pounding on the thick material that kept her sealed in.

Hinata found her voice, but it was quiet, unsure…

"Yes?" she asked softly.

"She's still in here! Thank God!"

That was a girl's voice. But it sounded familiar. Really familiar. Hinata took another step closer, and put her ear against the metal/wood hybrid material of the door.

"Then let's get her out!" another female voice, this one more loud and pushy, was heard.

"Hold on!" The other voice hissed, "It's hard to undo the seal on this door. The Hyugas stuck a complex seal on it, but I think I can undo it."

"Well, we can't be standing around! They'll be here any minute!"

"Hold on, hold on!"

Hinata felt a wave of chakra come from the other side of the door—it was powerful, intense…but it was there for only a moment. As quickly as it came, it was gone, and then she felt the door start to give under even her slight weight against it.

Using her own quick footwork as a Ninja, she managed to prevent herself from slipping and falling on the ground, but instead landed in a low crouch in the doorway, her hair falling over her face. She stood and looked up, only to meet two pairs of female eyes, staring right at her.

Crystal blue and emerald green. The rest of their bodies were covered in black cloth, so that was the only way for her to tell the identities of her saviors.

But only by looking at their eyes, she could tell exactly who they were. And seeing them, her heart lifted, and her face must have glowed in the moonlight.

"Sakura-san, Ino-san!" Hinata's voice was maybe a bit louder than it should have been, but with the excitement in her tone, it was to be expected. But that moment of excitement was replaced almost instantly by one of confusion. Only the Hyuga clan knew of this Ceremony—and true, Hinata had been taken out of society a month before the Ceremony, and the entire Hyuga family had to stay inside the complex during that period—including Neji. There wasn't enough time to connect correspondence and plan an escape.

"How did you…?"

"After I couldn't see Neji-kun for a week, I decided to take matters into my own hands and use my own methods to figure out what the hell was going on," Ino said, "And then he told me everything. Then I told Sakura and Sakura and I both told Naruto."

"And we had to keep the idiot from charging the Hyuga Estate right then." Sakura added. "Anyway, we shouldn't be around here long. Who knows what kind of trouble Naruto's stirring at the estate right now, and we shouldn't be in the vicinity when it happens."

Naruto-kun's here! Hinata felt her face flush just like old times, and her stomach fill with butterflies, her own heart jumping up and down in giddy girl excitement—but at the same time her own breath caught, and it was hard to breathe at all. He came here for me…?

"Come on, Neji's meeting us in the end of the forest, to lead us through a shortcut to the village. I don't think any of us want to be anywhere near here when these Hyugas get a rude awakening."

"Rude awakening?"

"You were in captivity—as were the rest of the Hyuga clan…" Sakura said, "So you weren't there to see. But Naruto finally took Tsunade-sama's place."

"And won't these guys be surprised when they find that they have broken the very first rule that he passed." Ino adjusted her blond ponytail, which was sticking out through the black fabric that she wore—Hinata couldn't notice it at first, but a bit of it went through the hood and muffler, hanging down her back.

"What was the first rule?" Hinata asked.

"He made the Bunke curse Seal jutsu a forbidden Kinjutsu, and abolished all practices associated with it, including the Souke and Bunke separation."

Hinata smiled. For the first time in a long time, she really, truly smiled. She looked at Ino and Sakura, and then looked at her kimono. It was plain and white still, but somehow…it looked more old. More faded. And the red cord didn't even look quite so red anymore.

"When we get to the village…" Hinata said softly, "Let's burn this. This and the red cord that held the old ways together, to make way for the new."