A/N: In a bout of writers block, this author can come up with some very twisted ideas. I decided to write a humour fiction that was a spinoff of Cinderella.
I also wasn't sure whether there were three stepsisters or only two...So I just chose two because I couldn't come up with another character to be a wicked stepsister. Besides, the Disney movie only shows two stepsisters, so HA! Walt Disney knows all!
Summary: A spinoff of Cinderella featuring Hinata as Cinderella, Naruto as The Prince, and a very twisted plot line based of the Disney movie Cinderella.
Hinaella
"Hinata!"
Hinata twitched at the sound of her wicked stepmothers screeching voice. What could she want now?
"Coming!" Hinata called. She trudged up the stairs in her bare feet, as her shoes had recently fallen apart the last time she had swept the floor, which was only an hour ago. Her tiny feet padded softly across the wooden floor. They were so delicate, it was a wonder how she didn't get splinters in them.
"What is it, stepmother?" Hinata asked cautiously and peeked into the room.
"We are in need of a hearty dinner." Tsunade said simply. "I would also like some tea, if you don't mind."
"Yes, stepmother." Hinata began to step out.
"Hinata!" Tsunade called again.
"Yes?"
"None of that garbage you call 'soup' either. My daughters and I are in need of something far finer than that."
"What would you like, stepmother?"
Tsunade pursed her lips. Then she looked back at Hinata. "I'll leave that for you to decide."
"Yes, stepmother." Hinata left the room. She began to pad down the stairs.
"Move over, slow poke!"
Hinata cried out in shock and almost fell down the stairs as Ino, the meanest stepsister, gave her a hard shove as she walked by.
Sakura, the vain stepsister, laughed her horrible snorting laugh at Hinata's terrified face.
"Don't screw up the food tonight, Hinata!" Ino snorted.
"I-I-I-I w-won't!" Hinata stuttered.
The two stepsisters walked off, laughing to themselves.
Hinata stumbled to her feet and went into her pitiful room where there was no bed to sleep on other than a hard wooden bench with a hopelessly thin blanket to keep her warm. She sat on it just then and began to cry.
"Meow?"
Hinata looked at the silver tabby in front of her.
"Meow?" It said again and leapt onto the bed and purred against her arm.
Hinata scratched the cat on the head. "Thank you, Shikamaru."
Shikamaru the cat purred against her arm.
"Now what do you think I should make for them?" Hinata asked the cat.
Shikamaru jumped off the bed and padded towards three very wonderful steaks that seemed to have come from nowhere.
"Shikamaru...did you get these for me?"
"Meow?" Shikamaru meowed.
"Thank you." Hinata picked the cat up and cuddled it for a moment. The cat purred in her ear. She put the cat down and began to prepare the steaks. It was then that she remembered the tea her stepmother had asked for and she began to prepare that as well, setting three small teacups on a tray.
Hinata pounded the meat with a tenderizer while she waited for the tea to brew. Once she had finished pounding out the steaks, she washed her hands in the basin, picked up the tray and began to walk up the stairs. When she had reached her stepmothers room, she balanced the tea tray on one hand like an expert and gently rapped on the door.
"I have your tea, stepmother." She announced.
"Enter." Tsunade's monotone voice stated.
Hinata opened the door and strolled in, setting the tea on the tray and filled one of the cups up with tea. She turned her head to see her two stepsisters approaching and filled their cups up as well.
Tsunade took a sip.
"Do you find it to your liking?" Hinata asked.
"Quite," Tsunade took another sip.
"Ew! It's disgusting!" Sakura announced, dropping the cup so that it shattered on the floor.
"Very yucky! It's all pulpy!" Ino whined, dropping her cup as well.
"Oh relax my daughters. You've never liked tea anyway." Tsunade muttered.
Hinata began to sweep up the pieces and mopped up the mess. "I will return with your dinners in about half an hour." She bowed and left the room.
"But I don't want to wait half an hour!" Ino whined. "I want food NOW!"
"SHUT UP! I'm hungrier than you are!" Sakura announced.
"Like HELL you are!"
Hinata smiled slightly at the bickering sisters. Shikamaru the cat met Hinata at the door. Hinata scratched his head as she walked by. She placed the steaks on the grill and proceeded to watch them, flipping them often so to not char them and cook them evenly. Hinata also steamed vegetables which she seasoned with a pinch of salt to remove the bitter taste many vegetables seemed to have, and some rice. When the steaks were done, she sliced them up in even pieces and placed them on three different plates. She added the vegetables, leaving a serving for herself, as well as a scoop of rice onto each plate. She kept a serving of rice for herself as well. She placed a variety of sauces onto a larger tray where the three plates were, as well as three pairs of chopsticks and began to walk up to the room where her stepfamily was waiting.
She knocked on the door. "I have dinner," She announced.
"Enter." Tsunade murmured. Hinata entered and delivered the steak dinners.
"Took you long enough!" Sakura spat.
Hinata placed the plates in front of her stepfamily. Tsunade took one of the sauces, teriyaki, and poured it on her steak. The other girls began to eat right away.
"The steak is bland!" Ino protested.
"T-That's why I brought the sauces." Hinata explained. "We don't have any spices at the moment."
"You may go, Hinata." Tsunade shooed her out.
Hinata went back into her room and began to eat what remained of the food she had prepared. She hoped there would be some leftover steak after her stepfamily finished their dinner, but she was sure it was not meant to be.
"Hinata-chan." A soft voice said.
"Neji-kun!" Hinata cried. She abandoned her dinner and ran for the long haired boy sitting in the lone window of her miserable shack. "What are you doing here?"
"I heard about a Royal Ball that's going to be taking place at the palace tomorrow. I was wondering if you were going." Neji explained.
Hinata sighed. "Probably not. I wish I could though. I probably have so much work to do tomorrow. Laundry, dishes, sweeping, dusting, beat the rugs, clear the chimneys..."
"What if I helped you with that?" Neji asked.
"H-Huh?"
"I could do some of those small things outside where nobody could ever see." Neji suggested. "Heck, if you want to go, I'll feed the chickens and such for you."
"Meow." Shikamaru jumped up onto the windowsill.
"Hey, Shikamaru, how have you been?" Neji scratched the tabby on the head. Shikamaru purred happily.
"I-I don't know Neji..."
Neji shrugged. "Ah, well. Think about it. I'll come back tomorrow. Sorry for disturbing your dinner."
"It's fine."
"See you then." Neji turned and jogged off home. Hinata wished he wouldn't concern himself with her. They were cousins, but Neji had his own life. He had a fiancée who loved him very much, and yet he was still worried about her. Hinata didn't have any of that. If she could just find herself a husband, she could leave this wretched place and live her life.
But it was not meant to be.
Hinata's stepfamily never let her out of the house, let alone socialize with people her age. Thus, finding a husband was virtually impossible...
.xXx.
The next day, Hinata woke up to a list of chores she needed to do. She ate her breakfast of butter on bread after feeding her stepfamily and began the daily work. She walked outside only to find that Neji was already there.
"Hey, cousin!" He greeted.
"Neji, why are you here?" Hinata asked. "You should be with your fiancée!"
"She let me come." He said simply. "She wants to meet you, you know."
Hinata smiled. "That's very nice. But why are you here?"
"To help you with your work!" Neji told her.
"But even if you do help me, I still don't have a dress to go in."
Neji shook his head. "Don't worry about that. Tenten's got you covered."
"Oh, Neji...you care so much for me..." Hinata began to cry.
Neji patted the girl on the head. "Don't go getting all blubbery on me, you fool."
Hinata giggled.
"So, I am your slave for the day. What's first?"
"Um, feed the animals, give them water and such." Hinata said. "I'll start sweeping."
Neji began to work and Hinata began to sweep the floors. Twenty minutes in, Sakura and Ino began walking across the farmyard.
"Hmm...Who are you?" Ino asked looking up and down at Neji.
"My, you're yummy!" Sakura observed.
Neji threw flakes of hay into the feed buckets of the sheep.
"So who are you?" Ino asked, leaning right over Neji's shoulder.
"Will you stop breathing down my neck?" Neji asked.
"So he speaks!" Sakura squealed.
"What do you want?" Neji asked.
"What do YOU want?" Ino asked. "Why are you here?"
"I'm visiting my cousin." Neji said simply.
"Oh, you mean Hinata, right?" Ino asked.
"Don't bother with her. Spend some time with us!" Sakura chided.
"I'd rather not." Neji told them.
"Aw, why not? We could show you a good time..." Sakura played with a few strands of Neji's hair.
Neji lifted his hand to show off a glittering ring. "No."
Hinata giggled from inside the house. Sure men could wear wedding rings! Besides, Neji NEEDED to wear that ring. If he didn't, girls would still be swarming him like bees to honey. Ino and Sakura immediately backed away from Neji, looking very pissed. Oh yeah, smoke had just been inserted into the hive. The bees were leaving. Sakura and Ino ran back into the house.
"Thank you!" Neji said to the ring before kissing it.
Hinata started to laugh.
"What?" Neji asked. He began to fill up the water troughs from the pump and delivered bucket after bucket to the animals. Neji had grown up as a farm boy, and Hinata had grown up in a rich family. They were polar opposites and only got closer to each other when Hinata's father had died and left her to her stepmother's wrath.
Neji walked into the room. "Now what?" He asked. "I'll sweep the chimney for you if you need me to. Heck, I'll crawl into it if I have to."
Hinata giggled and held out a long pole. "This is all you'll need."
Neji twirled the pole a couple of times before tackling the chimney. He jammed the pole into the top of the chimney and jumped back as a huge waterfall of soot fell from it.
The work only took them half a day. Normally, it would've taken Hinata all day to get all the work done.
"Thank you, Neji." Hinata said honestly.
"You're welcome." Neji told her. "I'll come back with the dress. You're going to that ball if it's the last thing I make you do."
Hinata giggled.
Neji waved goodbye and jogged out of the house.
Hinata flopped down on her wooden bed and giggled as she stared at the ceiling, images of beautiful gowns, wonderful music, and figures dancing played through her mind. She stayed in her fantasy world until the sun began to set.
"HINATA!" Tsunade's voice broke her trance.
Hinata got off her bed and ran up the stairs to her stepmother's room. She knocked on the door.
"Enter."
Hinata walked in. Tsunade, Ino and Sakura were dressed in poufy dresses that did absolutely nothing to make them pretty. It just made them uglier.
"What did you need, stepmother?" Hinata asked.
"I would like to tell you that tonight your stepsisters and I are going to the Royal Ball. You of course, will not be going." Tsunade told her.
"Why not?" Hinata asked
"You have work to do, Hinata."
"I finished all my work, stepmother."
"Oh you have, have you?"
Hinata nodded.
"You've beaten the rugs?"
Hinata nodded.
"Swept the floors?"
Hinata nodded again.
"Cleared the chimney?"
Hinata nodded again, even though Neji had cleared the chimney.
"Hmm..." Tsunade stared at Hinata between her fingers. "You do not have anything appropriate to wear, do you?"
Hinata looked at the floor. "I...I have a friend helping me with that."
"Oh do you?"
Hinata nodded.
"Who is it?"
"My cousin, Neji."
Tsunade scoffed and flipped her wrist. "That useless farm boy?"
"He is not useless!" Hinata cried. "He's a good friend!"
"He's a waste of human life, that's what he is. No good peasants. They should kill all of them. They're nothing but burdens to society."
Hinata was on the verge of tears. "Neji's my friend! I won't have you insult him like that!"
"And what do you suppose you will do?"
"I won't cook your food anymore!"
Tsunade's eyes flashed. "You have no ties to anyone but that useless farm boy. And from what my daughters say, he's engaged. He has no room for you in his household! Besides, you have no husband yourself! No dignity!"
Hinata fought back her tears.
"Get out of my sight!"
Hinata ran from the room and down into her room where Neji was already waiting for her.
"Hinata! What happened?" Neji asked.
Hinata rushed into his arms and cried into his shoulder. "They insulted you, Neji!"
"I heard it."
"HINATA!" Tsunade's voice was louder. Her door opened, and there she stood. Neji glared at her.
"You! Get out of my house!" Tsunade roared.
Neji didn't move. He just shoved Hinata behind him.
Tsunade's eyes fell on a beautiful dress that lay on Hinata's bed. She immediately picked it up.
"Is this the dress you were talking about, Hinata?" Tsunade asked.
Neither Neji nor Hinata gave a response.
"Useless piece of junk." Tsunade threw it on the ground and kicked it a couple of times for good measure.
"Pass it here, mum!" Ino called.
Tsunade picked it up and threw it at Ino. Ino grabbed it with a squeal and began to tug on it.
"Hey! Let me have it!" Sakura cried, grabbing the skirt and giving it a hard pull. There was a sound of ripping fabric as the dress tore into pieces.
"Oops! Now I guess Hinata's not going to the ball!" Ino said in mock disappointment.
Neji literally growled in fury.
"And you, out!" Tsunade ordered.
"No!" Neji said simply.
Tsunade narrowed her eyes and took a few steps towards Neji.
"No?" She leered at him.
SMACK! Neji fell to the floor with a grunt.
"Don't your parents teach you manners?" Tsunade barked. Neji struggled to his feet, still stunned by the blow. A handprint was already forming on his cheek.
"Just go, Neji." Hinata told him. "Just go."
Neji gave Hinata a sympathetic look and left.
Ino and Sakura tossed the remnants of the dress onto the floor of Hinata's bedroom after Tsunade had left the room. When the door closed and she was sure her stepfamily was gone, Hinata fell to her knees and began to sob over the dress. She hadn't even gotten the chance to wear it yet...
.xXx.
Hinata cried and cried. The sun set over the land, and night enveloped the tiny bedroom, hiding Hinata in her own perpetual darkness. The clock tower by the castle began to chime for nine o'clock: the hour at which the ball was to begin.
There was a tiny flicker of light outside Hinata's window. Hinata looked up at it. It flickered again. What could it be? It wasn't like a flame, or a candle...It was this faint white glow that flickered on and off like a firefly.
Hinata stood up, clutching the remnants of that beautiful dress that was now in tatters. She wasn't ready to let go of it yet. Hinata walked out of the door to her shack and began to follow the source of the light. It seemed to be coming from the pumpkin patch. She followed the tiny flicker, and she reached out to touch it.
"Hey watch it!"
Hinata jumped away and looked for the voice. It had sounded just like Neji.
The tiny flicker settled on a pumpkin vine.
"W-What are you?" Hinata asked the flicker.
"As if I know." The voice said.
"N-Neji? Is that you?" Hinata leaned in closer to the flicker and saw Neji's features on the tiny face of the flickering light.
"Yeah it's me." Neji said simply. "I think I've been turned into a fairy."
Hinata began to giggle.
"Hang on...let me try to get to normal size..." Neji's brow furrowed in concentration. "Humungo, wungo!
Nothing happened.
"Aw come on!"
Hinata laughed.
"Alakazam, I'm human sized!" Nothing happened. "Wishy washy waka!" Nothing.
"Oh you've got to be kidding me..." Neji muttered.
Hinata put her hand out towards Neji. Neji jumped on her hand. She could feel the tiny weight on her palm.
"So, why are you a fairy?" Hinata asked. "Do you have wings?"
"As far as I know..." Neji turned slightly as if to look over his shoulder. "As for why I'm a fairy... Let's just say I met your fairy godmother."
"I have a fairy godmother?"
"Apparently."
"Then why are you here instead of her?"
Neji sighed. "Because she apparently had something she needed to do so she showed up in my bedroom while I was trying to sleep, and turned me into a fairy and ordered me to come and help you."
"You mean..."
"Yes, she wanted you to get to the ball to 'meet with destiny' as she said." Neji sighed again. "But seriously, if she had somewhere to be, why did have the time to turn me into a fairy, and not go straight to you to help you."
Hinata giggled.
"I'm new to this whole 'fairy godparent' thing, but here goes nothing." Neji waved his tiny arms. "Squiggly wiggly wally!" Nothing.
"Maybe you need a wand?" Hinata suggested.
"Oh yeah sure. Where am I going to get one of those?" Neji crossed his arms.
Hinata leaned down and picked up a tiny twig and held it out for Neji. Neji took it and immediately dropped it.
"I'm puny now, Hinata. My muscle mass will not carry a twig anymore."
Hinata giggled.
"Meow..." Shikamaru jumped up onto the pumpkin.
"Shikamaru!" Neji jumped off Hinata's hand and onto Shikamaru's head. "Give me one of your whiskers, will you?"
"Meow..." Shikamaru meowed as Neji grabbed one of Shikamaru's whiskers.
"MREEEAAOW!" Shikamaru leapt into the air and booked it as Neji pulled out a whisker. Neji jumped off the cats head and tumbled a couple of times in the air.
"FLY, FLY, FLY, FLY, FLY!" Neji cried. He regained stability and actually succeeded in flying. His tiny wings buzzed gently in the silent air. He was waving the whisker like a whip.
"Let's try this again... HOCUS POCUS!" Neji flicked the whisker. Nothing happened. "ABRACADABRA!" Nothing happened.
"To the ball you must go, a dress you need to steal the show!" Neji flicked the whisker again. Nothing happened. "Oh come on, I did a chant!" Neji began glaring at the whisker in his hand. "WHY WON'T YOU WORK?"
"Maybe you're not saying the right words?" Hinata suggested.
"Maybe...wait what was that phrase that fairy said when she turned me into a fairy? Uh, jiggery pokery? No... Whippiti Whoppiti Woosh?" Neji's brow furrowed in concentration. "Uh, Bippiti-Boppiti-Boo?" The whisker lit up.
"HAHA!" Neji cried in triumph. "I WIN!"
Hinata laughed.
"Okay, so you need a new dress. Let's see here...Oh yes that'll do nicely...Bippiti-Boppiti-Boo!" Neji flicked the glowing whisker at Hinata. Sparkles shot from the whisker and enveloped Hinata. Next thing she knew, Hinata was standing in a beautiful dress, and a pair of glass slippers.
"Oh it's lovely! Thank you so much, Neji!" Hinata twirled a couple of times.
"You still need transportation. Help move this pumpkin to the front yard!" Neji ordered.
Hinata did as she was told. Neji buzzed after it and faced the orange pumpkin.
"Bippiti-Boppiti-Boo!" He ordered the pumpkin. The pumpkin transformed into a beautiful white carriage.
Hinata's wonder increased.
"Now, get me that cat and six mice. Alive if you don't mind."
Hinata came back a few minutes later with Shikamaru and six mice.
"Bippiti-Boppiti-Boo!" The mice transformed into six brilliantly white horses.
"And Shikamaru?" Hinata asked, setting the cat on the ground.
"Bippiti-Boppiti-Boo!" Neji flicked the whisker at Shikamaru and he transformed into a well-dressed coachman with a short stubby ponytail at the top of his head.
"Hey, you what's the big idea about pulling out one of my whiskers?" Shikamaru hissed at Neji. "I ought to eat you for that!"
"Sorry, Shikamaru! I'll make it up to you! I'll bring extra cat nip when I next come over."
Shikamaru smiled. "I like the sound of that." He turned to Hinata. "And you look lovely, Hinata." He opened the coach for her.
"Thank you, Shikamaru!" Hinata stepped into the coach.
Shikamaru closed the door.
Hinata grinned happily out at Neji. "Thank you so much, Neji!"
"You're welcome. You have fun!" Neji waved his tiny arm at her.
"I will!"
"Hyah!" Shikamaru snapped his whip to start the carriages movement.
"Bye!" Hinata called out to Neji.
Neji waved after Hinata. As the carriage disappeared off into the distance, an odd feeling of forgetting something crossed his mind.
"Aw shoot!" Neji cried. He began to fly after Hinata's carriage. "I forgot to tell her about the midnight deadline!"
.xXx.
"Do you see anyone you like, sire?" The princes raven haired companion asked.
"Sasuke, all of these women are...women!" The blonde haired prince stated. "What I search for is a maiden so fair, that when I see her, she takes my breath away."
"Good luck finding that, sire." Sasuke said with a smirk.
The blonde prince smirked back at him. "I will find my maiden. Even if I have to search the globe, I will find my maiden."
"Ah, but you do know that if you go too far, you'll fall right off, do you not?"
"Ah, yes. But for my maiden, I will fall off the earth twenty times over if it brings me to her."
"You really are an idiot, sire."
"And you, Sasuke, are a bastard."
The two boys chuckled for a moment. The blonde haired prince was known as Naruto. He was the eldest son of the king himself: the Hokage. Someday, Naruto was to take his place on the throne, but first he must find himself a suitable woman to marry.
The king himself had scoured the globe, contacting castle after castle to search for a princess whom his son could marry. Alas, none of the princesses, no matter how beautiful, caught the prince's interest.
"What I desire is a maiden. The fairest maiden in the land is what I seek!" Naruto had said to his father. "None of these princesses are fair! They may dress in fine clothes, but they lack true beauty of the heart."
The prince eventually went through every princess around the globe. Getting desperate, the king had organized this royal ball to see if any of the commoners caught the prince's interest. None of them had.
Until Hinata walked in.
Hinata walked in hesitantly, glancing around carefully, making sure not to trip over the hem of her dress. It was much better than she had dreamed it would be! The castle was the most beautiful place she had ever seen! The music was grand, and all the smiling faces around her lifted her spirits. She had to concentrate to remember what Neji had told her only moments before. He had caught up with her just as she stepped out of the carriage.
"Hinata!" He gasped. "There's one thing I forgot to tell you!"
"What is it?" Hinata asked.
"You have to leave by midnight! At the final stroke of midnight, the spell will break, and you will be left in rags."
"I understand." Hinata said.
"Good." Neji then proceeded to collapse in the nearby garden.
The prince meanwhile, stared at the beautiful maiden who had just walked in. Her dark hair shimmered in the faint light, and her wonderful blue dress flowed gently around her. Even from this distance, she radiated beauty. It was such a beauty that it put every other woman in the ball room to shame.
"She's something, eh Sasuke?" Naruto said softly.
"Hn?" Sasuke looked at Naruto to see his mouth open slightly and his bright blue eyes wide in shock. He then looked at the girl he was staring at so intently. "Are you going to speak to her?"
Naruto could only watch her. She moved freely throughout the ballroom, talking casually with some of the other people in the room, laughing merrily.
"Earth to idiot, wake up!" Sasuke waved a hand in front of the prince's face.
Naruto snapped a look towards him. "What is it?"
"You've been staring at that girl long enough. Go talk to her, sire."
Naruto immediately began straightening his clothes and trying to tame his wild hair to no avail. He began to walk around in search of his maiden.
.xXx.
Hinata stood on the balcony, enjoying the fresh breeze that caressed her face and blew the loose strands of her hair and the skirt of the dress. She didn't know how long she stood there.
A hand suddenly touched her shoulder. She squealed in shock and whipped around only to see the most handsome face she had ever had the pleasure to look at. His face was boyish, yet strangely mature. His eyes were a deep shade of cerulean blue, and his hair was wild and messy: Like straw.
Hinata didn't have the slightest clue how to greet him. Luckily for her, he did. He scooped up her small hand in his, and brought it to his lips. Hinata blushed furiously.
"Good evening, fair maiden." He stood up again. "So glad you could come tonight."
Hinata continued to stare at the boy. He still held that one hand, but her other hand was snaking up her chest nervously.
"Would you tell me your name?"
"H-H-Hi-Hi-" Hinata's head spun and she could no longer support her weight. She felt herself falling and a strong pair of arms catching her before she hit the ground. This only made her head spin more.
Naruto stared down at the girl in his arms. Oh yeah. She had fainted. He lifted her up bridal style and carried her to a bench sitting by the wall on the balcony. He gently set her down on the bench where she lay with her eyes shut tight and her face redder than a tomato.
Naruto sat down on the remaining space. What a delicate thing she was... She looked so small and fragile, like a child, and yet she looked even more mature than most of the women he'd known all his life.
Her eyelids fluttered open, revealing a pair of lilac coloured eyes. They widened in shock at the sight of the prince sitting beside her.
"Oh!" She cried, jumping off the bench and standing back up again. They boy only smiled at her.
"I'm glad you're feeling better." He said.
Hinata watched as he stood up. He took a few steps towards her and held out his hand.
"Would you like to dance?" He asked.
Hinata opened her mouth to say 'yes', but found that her voice didn't work. Instead, she nodded, her cheeks flushing that adorable shade of pink.
The prince took the maiden into his arms and they danced as the silver moon rose above their heads...
.xXx.
BONG!
Hinata looked up at the sound.
BONG!
"Oh no, what time is it?" She gasped.
"It's midnight," The prince watched her adoringly.
BONG!
"I-I have to go!" Hinata pulled herself from the boy's arms and began to run.
"What? What do you mean?" he called after her.
"I'm sorry!" Hinata called.
BONG!
The prince tore after the maiden.
"Wait!" he called. The ballroom turned to watch as the maiden ran from the prince.
"I can't!" Hinata called after him.
BONG!
Hinata ran down the stairs, almost tripping as one of the glass slippers slipped off her feet. She looked back at it and was about to go and get it when she saw the boy chasing after her.
BONG!
"Wait!" The called after her.
Hinata ran for the carriage. Shikamaru opened it for her, looking frantic himself.
BONG!
"Please wait!" The boy called.
Shikamaru snapped the whip. The horses took off at a dead run.
"I still don't know your name!" He called.
BONG!
Hinata kicked off her other shoe. Without the other one, wearing the glass slipper was pointless.
BONG!
"Go Shikamaru!" Hinata called.
"I'm going as fast as I can!" Shikamaru called back.
BONG!
Hinata looked out the carriage window to see that the boy wasn't following her anymore.
BONG!
Only one more chime left... Hinata closed her eyes.
BONG! The chimes began to echo, signalling midnight with a rapturous melody.
"What a drag..." Shikamaru groaned as he began to turn back into a cat. The carriage dropped to the ground and turned back into a pumpkin, which smashed on the ground, revealing Hinata now covered in pumpkin guts and rags. Six little mice took off into the distance and Shikamaru came over to her with his tail in the air.
Hinata stood up and felt a tiny clink of glass on stone. She looked down to see that her glass slipper had somehow not disappeared when the clock struck twelve. Hinata picked up the slipper and ran for home, Shikamaru following her at breakneck speed.
.xXx.
Back at the castle, Naruto stood on the stairs holding the lone glass slipper, staring off into the distance where his maiden had disappeared. The slipper was the only thing that told him that the night hadn't been a dream.
"Sire!"
Naruto didn't turn around as Sasuke tore towards him.
"Sire, what happened?"
Naruto continued to stare towards where his maiden had disappeared. "I lost her, Sasuke."
"Lost who?"
"My maiden... She was here... We danced... And then she ran... I didn't even find out her name..." Naruto looked towards his raven haired companion. "This is all that's left." Naruto showed the sparkling glass slipper.
"How on earth do they make slippers out of glass?" Sasuke cried in outrage. "There's no give! Think of the pain that girl's feet must be in right now!"
"Exactly." Naruto murmured. "There can be only one foot in this entire city that fits inside this slipper. We should scour the city with this slipper and have every maiden in the village try it on!" Naruto held the slipper up triumphantly. "Whoever the shoe fits is my maiden."
.xXx.
Hinata woke up the next day and began to make breakfast for her stepfamily. The night before had been a dream. An impossible dream. She ran her fingers across the smooth glass slipper, smiling to herself. She wondered how a slipper could be made from glass.
"Good morning!" Neji greeted from the window with a smile on his face.
"Neji! You're not a fairy anymore!" Hinata observed.
Neji shook his head. "As it turned out, I turned back into a human when the clock struck twelve last night." Neji reached behind his head and pulled a twig out of his hair. "Unfortunately, I was flying at the time, so I kind of fell from the sky and skidded a good ten feet across the ground."
Hinata giggled.
"Hey, is that..." Neji looked at the slipper Hinata was holding.
"It's one of the glass slippers you created!" Hinata turned it so it glinted in the light.
"You lost the other one, didn't you?"
Hinata nodded. "It fell off my foot when I was fleeing the castle."
Neji smirked. "The prince is looking for the owner of the slipper, you know."
"Huh?"
"Did you meet the prince last night?"
"Uh...maybe?" Hinata thought about the boy with the blonde hair and the dazzling blue eyes.
"They were at my house this morning. They got Tenten to try on the slipper." Neji shook his head. "Her feet are tiny, but it could not fit into that slipper."
"So you mean..."
Neji nodded. "The prince's attendant is going to every house in the city and getting every maiden to try on the slipper. Whoever the slipper fits will be taken to the prince immediately."
Hinata jumped up and down squealing with delight. "So, you mean, he's going to be coming over here eventually? And then I'm going to get to try on the slipper...and then..." Hinata trailed off. "I wonder if it still fits..." Hinata slid the glass slipper on her foot easily.
"They were made for you, Hinata." Neji told her.
Hinata slid it off. "Thank you so much for helping me last night Neji."
"You're welcome."
"Meow!" Shikamaru jumped up onto the windowsill and looked at Neji.
"Hello, Shikamaru." He reached over to pat the cat.
Shikamaru swatted his hand and hissed at him.
"Oh right!" Neji reached into his pocket and disappeared from the window. He came back through the door of her shack. He pulled herbs from his pocket, and crumbled it in his hands, letting the leaves drop on to the ground.
Shikamaru trotted over to it and began to roll in the herb, nibbling on a few pieces, purring happily.
"There you go, buddy! Like I promised."
Hinata giggled. "Cat nip?"
"Hey, I promised didn't I?" Neji crouched down and scratched the cats head. Shikamaru purred happily.
Neji stood back up again. "Well, I've got to head home. Keep your eyes open for the prince's attendant."
Hinata nodded.
Neji waved and jogged away.
.xXx.
It was another two days of waiting until the prince's attendant arrived at Hinata's house. Hinata saw them coming and greeted them at the door happily.
"Hello!" Hinata greeted with a wide smile.
"Hello," The raven haired boy greeted. "Could you gather all the young women that live in this house?"
Hinata nodded hesitantly. She let Sasuke, the prince's attendant, in and closed the door.
"HE'S HERE!" Sakura screeched. She ran down the stairs as fast as she could. Ino tore down after her. Tsunade followed at a calm walk.
"ME FIRST!" Sakura cried when Ino shoved her out of the way.
"NO WAY, FOREHEAD!" Ino cried.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY, INO PIG?"
"Now now, girls. You can both try on the slipper." Tsunade said.
Sakura plopped herself on the stool before Ino did, grinning mischievously. The raven haired boy stuck her toe in the glass slipper, and found that it was too wide and too long to fit.
"Let me see!" Sakura protested, grabbing the slipper and jamming her foot into the unforgiving glass. It didn't move an inch.
Sasuke took the slipper back and Ino sat down on the stool. Ino's feet were thin enough to fit into the slipper, but they were much too long.
Ino sighed in defeat when she failed to stuff her ankle into the heel of the shoe.
"Right, that will be all." Tsunade said.
The boy pointed at Hinata. "What about her?"
"Oh don't bother with her! She didn't even go to the ball!" Tsunade dismissed it.
"I-I would still like to try on the slipper, stepmother." Hinata's stomach flipped with butterflies as the raven haired boy watched her.
"Very well." Tsunade muttered.
The raven haired boy stepped forward, and Tsunade did an unforgiveable thing. She stuck her foot out and tripped Sasuke, causing the slipper to shatter into pieces on the floor.
"Oh well, too bad." Tsunade sighed, pressing her hand to her forehead.
Sasuke stared at the shards in horror. "My lord is going to kill me!" He cried.
"It's okay!" Hinata said softly. She reached into the bag she kept around her waist to hold her tools. "I have the other slipper." She pulled out the sparkling slipper.
Hinata's stepfamily stared at it in shock. The raven haired boy looked stunned. Still, he could tell it was the matching pair to the one that just broke.
He took it from Hinata and slid it onto her foot. The shoe fit perfectly. Sasuke stepped back.
"Fair maiden! We have found you!" he cried triumphantly.
"Hey! Wait a second! How do you know that was the other slipper?" Tsunade cried. "For all you know, it could be a fake!"
"There are no glass slippers in this world other than the pair that was on the maiden's feet at last night's ball. No shoemaker in this city has heard of slippers being made out of glass. Therefore, there is but one pair in this world. Seeing as she had the other one, as well as fits the shoe perfectly, she must be the maiden the prince met last night." Sasuke announced, offering Hinata his hand.
Hinata took it, smiling happily as he lifted her to his feet.
"Although, I didn't expect you to be a hand maid." Sasuke looked at her rags.
Hinata giggled.
"Come. We shall take you to the castle!" He began to lead her away.
"Meow!" Shikamaru trotted towards Hinata.
"Oh! Shikamaru!" Hinata lifted the cat into her arms. "Of course I wouldn't leave you behind!"
The cat purred.
"Good. He can help with the mouse problem we are currently having at the castle."
"Meow?" Hinata almost laughed at the look of horror on Shikamaru the cat's face.
"Will he get cat nip as a reward for every mouse he catches?" Hinata asked.
"Cat nip, and a tuna fish dinner." Sasuke agreed as he opened the carriage door for Hinata to step into.
Shikamaru purred in satisfaction.
"I'm sure he'll help then." Hinata laughed. She looked out the window to see her step family watching her with looks of fury on their faces.
"Good bye!" She called to them as the carriage started forward.
Hinata rode in the carriage with Shikamaru curled up on her lap. It was like a dream as she rode in the carriage.
"HINATA!"
Hinata looked out the window to see Neji chasing after the carriage.
"Neji!" Hinata called. "Thank you so much!"
"I'll see you again! Congratulations!" Neji fell back.
Hinata waved after him.
When she got to the castle, the prince was waiting at the top of the stairs. Sasuke helped her out. Shikamaru plodded along side her as she stepped into view. It seemed as if only the prince wasn't shocked by her attire. He stepped down the stairs and swooped her hand up to kiss it.
"Might I ask your name, fair maiden?" He looked into her lilac eyes.
Hinata was no longer nervous. "My name is Hinata."
.xXx.
Three days later, church bells rang out across the city. Hinata was no longer dressed in rags, but in beautiful gowns. Always walking by her side was her beloved cat, Shikamaru, and her new husband, the prince Naruto.
Neji had never been happier for her cousin. And the fact that he played a part in all this made him feel even happier.
And so they all lived happily ever after...Wait. Not everyone lived happily ever after.
"INO! YOU'RE BURNING IT!" Sakura screeched as the steak spewed smoke.
"OH SORRY, FOREHEAD!" Ino screeched back.
"GIRLS WILL YOU SHUT UP?" Tsunade roared.
Ever since Hinata moved out to live with the prince, the stepfamilies household had been nothing but chaos.
And so, minus the stepfamily, they all lived happily ever after.
THE END
Disclaimer: I claim no rights over the characters that appeared in the story, nor do I claim rights over the tale of Cinderella which this story was based upon. I do not claim rights over 'Bippiti-Boppiti-Boo' either. That appeared in the Disney movie.
I do however, claim rights over the casting, script, storyline, and twists :)
This has been a one-shot by SilverEyeShinobi.
