I am Hyuuga Hinata. I am the princess of the Hyuuga clan and it's heir.
He is Hyuuga Neji. He is a Branch Family member and my personal guard and slave.
He is cruel. Cruel, stoic, and cold. Everyone knows so, and everyone says so. His disdain for me is obvious and Kiba-kun has commented several times that Neji-nee-san looks like he wants to rip me to shreds.
But I know another, secret, side of him as well.
My father is a very cruel man. I know that it's because of me, that he's disappointed that I'm not as strong as I should be, and the knowledge that his behavior is my fault hurts more than any of the hits he deals me.
I am far weaker than any true Hyuuga, any true shinobi ever should be. It is said aloud only occasionally, but we all know that I am the weakest shinobi in the village. I am weak by shinobi standards, which means I am utterly pathetic and useless by Hyuuga standards. My father told me himself that if it weren't for how the clan would seem in the eyes of the village, he never would have assigned me a guard to begin with, since it would be in the clan's best interests for me to be dead.
The clan council did discuss killing me once.
We are the Hyuuga, the greatest clan in the village and possibly the world. Several clan members pointed out that we would seem weak if the strongest clan in the village was led by the weakest shinobi in the village. But Hanabi spoke against it, and since it's practically a guarantee that she'll be the next clan leader, the topic was dropped thank Kami.
My father is disappointed in me, and so shows his anger and disappointment by yelling at and hitting Hanabi and I. He uses the curse jutsu to paralyze Neji-nee-san and liquidize his brain cells to prevent him from helping us and guarding us like he's supposed to. Then he hits Neji-nee-san for not guarding us. When he isn't yelling at us or hurting us, Father simply ignores Hanabi and I.
Which is when Neji shows his secret side.
Even though he is six years older than Hanabi, and barely a year older than myself, Neji-nee-san is our dad. He has raised us and taken care of us the best he can. I don't know if he would do it even if he wasn't the guard and slave of us both, but I'm glad he's doing it now. Ever since I was maybe five, Neji-nee-san has always been my true father figure. He helps me, would read to me at night, and even now sooths me and chases away the nightmares of my dream world.
Neji, Hanabi, and I hide our father-daughters relationship from everyone, for because of his station in the clan, Neji would be killed if we were found out. Only Kiba-kun and Shino-kun know, and even though Kiba-kun doesn't like Neji-nee-san, neither would ever tell.
After a particularly harsh bout of disdain, I asked Neji-nee-san if he even actually liked me at all. He admitted yes, and when I nervously asked how much, Neji-nee-san looked me straight in the eyes and said sincerely,
"I love you like a father does his child."
And that made me very, very happy.
That's how I know that even though he must wear an expressionless mask, even though I am the weakest Hyuuga in history, even when around others Neji digs into his pit of all-too-real rage and throws contempt and insults at me, even when I am abused by Father, that even if the whole Hyuuga clan turns against me, Neji-nee-san will stay by my side.
Because I have seen his other, secret, true side.
And while I am not worthy of that honor being bestowed upon me, I am very, very glad it has been.
~The End~
