Hotaru: firefly.

She opened her eyes to see golden sunlight poured softly into her room.

"Mom?" she called sleepily.

A gentle hand reached hers; her mom's voice soothed her the next second. "Shhh. I'm here, baby."

She winced when she felt a sting on her forehead, putting her palm on it. "It hurts."

"I know." She felt her mom remove her small hand from her forehead before placing a kiss on it. "You'll feel better soon, I promise."

She looked at her mom, blinking a few times to erase remaining drowsiness. There were dark circles under those brown eyes as if she hadn't slept at all last night. "Mom? Are you alright?"

She was only five, probably still too young, but she could see her mom is sad and she didn't want to see that expression. She was used to see her mom smiling. "Yes, Hotaru. I'm fine and so are you."

Hotaru stared at her for a moment before rubbing her forehead again. "What did they do to me?" She remembered being in a dark room—a few people with eyes as white as hers surrounded her as they'd moved their hands just like what her mother would do before leaping to the air and unfurling her scrolls, launching loads of weapons towards her targets. Then it had turned to darkness and pain in her head, she couldn't even remember what had happened next and—

"You want to see?"

Hotaru stared at her mom in confusion. "See what?"

Her mom said nothing as she reached into a drawer next to their bed, pulling out a small mirror before handing it to her. She held the mirror and stared at her own reflection. She still looked the same, with the same white eyes and… What was that green mark on her forehead?

It looked a little weird, but not too bad either that she wasn't sure whether she liked it or not.

Still staring at the mirror and hoping she could understand, Hotaru asked. "What is this for?"

"I'll tell you when the time comes," her mother answered, taking the small mirror from her. "Don't worry, though. You'll always be fine."

Hotaru wanted to urge her mother to tell it now, she didn't want to wait, but her mother looked so tired that she didn't have a heart to argue with her right now.

But she had a request. "Mom…"

"Yes?"

"Can I get bangs like yours to cover this mark?"

"Mom."

Hotaru and her mother were facing the mirror, her mother sitting behind her to braid her long, brown hair. It was her second cousin, Bolt's birthday, and a large party was held in the compound. Hotaru was excited about wearing this pretty kimono her mom had bought for her last month from one of Konoha stores.

However, she was actually afraid to meet a few people from her family, the ones without any bandages or cloth around their foreheads. Especially since the night they'd placed the green mark on her forehead; the green mark she knew nothing about.

She had a feeling that whenever they looked at her, they intended to hurt her—even though most of them treated her well and always praised her late father in front of her.

"What is it, Sweetie?"

The seven-year-old girl took a deep breath. "How did Father look like?"

Her mother's expression didn't change. "You have seen his pictures."

"Yes, but…" She played with the sleeve of her kimono. "Was he handsome like in the pictures? Tall?"

Her mother smiled. "Yes."

Hotaru couldn't help giggling. "That's why you liked him."

The older woman chuckled lightly. "That's probably the twelfth reason. I loved him not only because of that." She finished braiding Hotaru's hair and looked at her on the mirror. "What do you know about your father so far?"

"My father, Hyuuga Neji was one of the most skilled ninja in our clan. You and Uncle Lee were his teammates. He was one of Konoha heroes that… died in the war before my birth." Hotaru said confidently, a sense of pride flashing in her white eyes. "I'm sure he was very strong and brave."

"He was," her mother said, "but there's something else you should know about him."

Hotaru blinked.

Her mother gripped her shoulders gently, silently telling her to stand up and turn around. Once she stood before her mother who remained in sitting position, her mother took both of her smaller hands in hers. The look in those brown eyes made her a bit uncomfortable.

"Hotaru," she started softly. "It's time to tell you everything I know."

Hotaru stared at her warily.

Her mother inhaled deeply and looked at anywhere but her. It made Hotaru nervous all of a sudden; it was rare to see her mother wearing that expression. "You know that your grandfather, Hyuuga Hizashi, was Hiashi-sama's twin brother. Right?"

"Yes," the little girl nodded. "What happened with Grandpa?"

"He was given the task to protect the clan's secret and all of the family members, especially Hiashi-sama."

"Why?" The Hyuuga girl asked confusedly. "Because Grandpa was strong?"

Something in those brown eyes darkened. "Your grandpa was indeed strong, but that wasn't the exact reason."

This was getting even more confusing.

"Hyuuga clan is divided into two, Main and Branch. Those you see wearing cloth around their foreheads are Branch members. Including your grandfather, your father… and you. And your children someday."

"So," Hotaru forced her brain to process what her mother was saying. "This green mark is only for… what, Branch members?"

"Yes." Her mother lowered her gaze, staring emptily at Hotaru's feet. "That means you have a duty… to protect Hyuuga clan. Just like what your grandpa and father did."

"But, Mom," Hotaru frowned, "we can protect our clan together, all of us. Why only the Branch?"

"It was…" her mother's sentence trailed off.

"It is?"

She had to wait patiently before her mother finally continued. "Hyuuga is one of the most powerful clans in Konoha. This clan has an important secret, Byakugan, which many enemies have wanted since long ago. Branch members are trusted to protect it."

Hotaru shook her head. "That's not the question, Mom. I don't understand why it has to be Branch members only. Everyone can always team up to protect the secret. Isn't this a bit unfair?"

Her mother lifted her head, and to her utter surprise, those brown eyes she had always admired were full of tears. "I'm sorry. I don't even know the answer."

Hotaru stood still, too shocked to move or say anything. Why was her mother crying?

"For now," her mother brushed away Hotaru's brown bangs and trailed her thumbs along the mark, "please become strong just like your father. Do what you have to do as a Hyuuga."

Hotaru's head was still full of questions, but she nodded and knelt down to hug her mother. She hated seeing her mother cry. "I will, Mommy. Please don't cry. I understand now."

Her mother was quiet for a minute before speaking again. "Your duty… is to protect Himawari."

"Hotaru."

The Hyuuga girl turned around to find her father's cousin, Hinata, with her daughter Himawari holding her hand. "Can you help me, Sweetie?"

Since her mother had told her about the truth of Hyuuga clan yesterday, Hotaru couldn't help feeling something she couldn't describe towards her aunt, no matter how sweet the woman was. Being the Hokage's wife, everyone had a great respect for her, not to mention she had a gentle heart that no one could deny. She was living outside the Hyuuga compound, but she often visited with new clothes or shoes for Hotaru, sometimes homemade dish for her mother also. Her mother was also good friends with the blue haired woman—Hotaru often found them planting flowers together in Hyuuga garden.

She felt something strange after her mother had told her that her father had once been her aunt's guardian.

"Yes, Aunt Hinata?"

"Are you going somewhere?" her aunt asked.

"No," she answered. Truth is, she was wandering around the compound without purpose—she was bored since her mother was on a mission.

Aunt Hinata smiled at her. "Then can you stay with Himawari for a while? I'm going to meet your uncle at Hokage office and Bolt is out playing with his friends."

Hotaru glanced at Himawari who smiled up at her. This was officially the first time she met Himawari after her mother had told her that her duty was to protect her younger second cousin. "Yes."

"Take care of her for me, okay Sweetie? I'll be back in an hour."

"Yes." Hotaru chose to ignore her own awareness that she only answered her aunt's questions with either yes or no.

"Good." Aunt Hinata leaned down to talk to her daughter. "Be good, Himawari. I won't take long."

Himawari nodded with a grin. "Okay, Mommy!"

The Hyuuga woman kissed her daughter's forehead and patted Hotaru's head affectionately before leaving. Hotaru watched her disappearing, before looking down at the little girl.

They didn't meet often since they lived in separated houses, but so far their relationship was fine. While she was seven, Himawari was almost four now. The blue haired girl was a sweet and curious girl, but Hotaru was obviously much quieter than her.

After knowing that she had a duty to protect the girl, Hotaru felt awkward somehow.

"Onee-chan?"

Hotaru blinked. "Yes?"

"Let's play together!"

"Playing what?"

"Hide and seek," the younger girl bounced up and down in excitement. "Nii-chan and I like it!"

Hotaru didn't actually like the idea of playing hide and seek in Hyuuga compound. The adults there were strict, never letting their children running around and making any noise, or in other word, making trouble. Himawari of course didn't know this fact, she lived with her parents and brother only. For a moment Hotaru envied her.

"Come on, Nee-chan," Himawari pulled at her sleeve.

Sighing, Hotaru decided to give up. At least this girl wasn't as loud as her brother. "Okay."

Himawari giggled and ran ahead, even before there was an agreement about who hid first. Hotaru shook her head and put her hands on her hips, counting to ten before starting to search for her cousin.

Unfortunately, it seemed that Himawari was good at hiding.

Hotaru had explored every place in the large Hyuuga compound that might be a good place to hide, but after minutes of searching she still couldn't find the younger girl. She sighed, making a mental note to finish her training on trying to use Byakugan as soon as possible to—

"I'm sorry, please forgive me!"

Hotaru stopped walking when she heard someone's pleading from the room to her left side. The hall was empty and quiet, allowing her to hear it clearly.

"Hayato-sama," the same person said again, "please forgive me!"

Curiosity forces Hotaru to peek through the half-opened sliding door. It was quite dark inside, but she could see someone on his knees, forehead pressed to the floor, in front of a middle-aged man whose hands were formed into a sign as if he was going to use a jutsu.

Hotaru's eyes widened.

"I swear, Hayato-sama," the man was trembling visibly. "I swear I wouldn't betray you like that. I'm your guardian. I wouldn't do anything to betray you or this clan. I didn't do it, please believe me."

Hotaru didn't recognize the standing man who of course is her own family, but she could see the way his face held no emotion. "You do understand your status in this clan, don't you?"

"Yes, I—no, please don't!"

Her heart stopped beating when seeing the next scene in front of her.

The poor man groaned in pain, clutching his head and sprawling on the floor as if he was going to die. Tears streamed down his cheeks from those wide eyes, the lavender pupils becoming smaller as he screamed in agony, and his forehead—

The green mark on his forehead, similar to Hotaru's, was glowing angrily.

Hotaru put her own hands over her mouth to prevent any noise to come out. She couldn't believe it; she must've been dreaming now.

"That's what you get," the man called Hayato said in a tone that sounded so ruthless to Hotaru's ears, making her body cold all over. "You are a Branch member. You're supposed to protect our clan's secrets and protect us until you die. You cannot change it. I can even kill you if you betray us."

The writhing man clenched his jaw, but Hotaru heard his silent screams and it broke her heart in the most painful way, it was as if she could feel the pain—

Hotaru couldn't take it. With tears streaming down her face and hands clamped over her own mouth, she ran away in fear, shock, and anger; as if the cruel man was chasing her to do the same to her, to torture her and to—

"Nee-chan!"

Someone grabbed her hand, preventing her to run anymore. She turned around to see little Himawari staring at her in confusion. "Nee-chan? Why didn't you find me?"

With tearful eyes, Hotaru looked at her dumbfounded cousin, and that fear overwhelmed her: if the man named Hayato could torture his own guardian by activating the green mark, then Himawari could do it to her too.

Himawari could kill her too.

"Let go of me!" Hotaru pushed her cousin's hand away, making the little girl jump in shock.

"Nee-chan?" Himawari called fearfully, taking a step forward.

"Don't," Hotaru said, eyes wide and hands trembled, "don't get near me!"

She turned on her heels before running away as fast as she could, leaving the also-scared Himawari behind.

Hotaru buried her face into her pillow. She had no idea how long she'd been lying alone there; she had no energy left to cry anymore.

She had never felt this scared before.

She'd thought that green mark's purpose was just to distinguish Branch members from Main members. She had never thought the Main members could use it for the purpose of torturing. If an adult had seemed to feel so much pain from it, then how about her?

She was just a little girl.

The thought led her mind to even worse realization: her father must've experienced that painful torture in his life.

She had never known her father, but she loved him with all of her heart. People spoke about him in high respect, mentioning him as the village's hero, not forgetting him even after he'd died almost eight years ago. Her mother always said she still loved him, which was why she didn't want to marry someone. Hotaru also loved him, she visited his grave several times in a week. She liked observing his old pictures; she wanted to be as strong as him. It pierced her heart to think that her father had probably experienced that several times in his life.

Mom… she needed her mom now. Where was she?

"Hotaru?"

In an instant, Hotaru got up into sitting position and hugged her mother, who held her in confusion and stroked her head gently. "Hotaru, what happened?"

Hotaru couldn't speak clearly, but she managed to get her mother understand her words.

She hated making her mother feel sad and worried about her, but she didn't have anyone else, not even her father here.

Her mother needed a long silence.

"I'm sorry," she said finally, and Hotaru could only hate herself for making her mother feel like this. "I'm sorry for not telling you about this."

Hotaru sniffled. No, she didn't blame her mother; she blamed her own clan. "Why, Mom? How can they do this to their own family? What else did they do to Father?" Her eyes were apparently still able to leak more tears. "Why? It is unfair."

Her mother pulled away and wiped the girl's cheeks with both thumbs. "Listen to me." Hotaru bit her lips and stared back at her mother. "Your father was strong enough to bear this burden. You are his daughter. You have his blood in you. That means you are strong enough to face everything just like him."

"But Mom," Hotaru said, and she herself was aware of how sad it sounded, "why can't we change our fate?"

Her mother's eyes were wide in surprise. She was remembering something, Hotaru noticed.

Pressing their foreheads together, her mother whispered to her. "Forget about fate. World is full of injustices… all you have to do is become strong."

Even if she was too young to understand, Hotaru nodded.

For now, her mother was all she had in this world.

"Hotaru nee-chan!"

Hotaru was passing the gate to Hokage's office when she heard that familiar voice. Bolt.

The blond boy waved his hand and grinned broadly. Hotaru looked warily behind his shoulders to see if there was Himawari behind him, but she found no one. "Onee-chan! Are you going home from academy?"

She didn't know much about Bolt other than he was an energetic five-year-old boy with personalities like the young Seventh Hokage, his father. "Why?"

The boy pouted. "Why so rude, Nee-chan? Hey, I'm going to go to ramen shop with my daddy. Let's join us!"

Hotaru wasn't a big fan of ramen and she knew she won't be able to stand Bolt and his father for a long time. "No, thanks."

Bolt only shrugged. "It's okay," he said. Then as if remembering something, he jumped excitedly. "Onee-chan, now I know the story of your father!"

Hotaru frowned. "What?"

"Your father," Bolt stated, "he is my idol now! He died to protect my parents in the war! Wasn't he awesome?"

A/N: I made up the children's ages for the plot's sake.

It probably makes no sense that Hotaru is Himawari's guardian when the younger girl doesn't even own white eyes, but I'll explain it along with the meaning behind Hotaru's name.