It was a cool night. The wind whistled through the trees softly. The sky was cloudless and the stars shone bright against the dark tapestry of the night. The moon hung high and full reflected in the eyes of Hinata.
With a soft sigh and a small smile, she looked down the hill she sat on to listen to the sounds of a party with friends still in full swing. The party was to celebrate another successful mission. A time for friends to get together and relax. Even Neji was smiling, she noted. With a little giggle at the thought of her beloved cousin, she watched as the shadows grew larger and faded away in the frosted windows as people danced. Young people allowed for one moment to be young.
What a beautiful night, Hinata thought to herself. For a rare moment, she felt the tension of life eased, her fears silenced. She felt such calmness. She settled back to lean against the lone tree, careful not to snag her yukata. For Hinata, it was such an honor to be able to wear her mother's yukata. She stroked the material on her arm as she studied the brilliance of the blue color; and with a finger she traced the outline of the white crane that peppered the dress.
"O mother, how I wish you were here. Sometimes I miss you so much. I wonder…," she whispered into the night air and sighed. Shaking her head to clear it of the self-pitying thoughts that were threatening, she leaned against her tree. There was no use thinking that way, she thought and frowned.
Although he could be strict, Father was doing what he thought was best for her. And she knew deep down he loved her. The relationship had improved between them as Hinata got older and began to show improvement in her ninjutsu and diplomatic skills.
While training, she would sometimes catch him watching her, a smile on his face. She would make him proud, she vowed. She would be a just, fair and compassionate Hyuuga leader. She would change things.
"Now stop thinking of those things," she chided herself. "This is a night of festivities, no business." And with that final, she let her mind drift on the wind. And her eyes lay fixed on the gaiety below. Just herself and the tree watching together.