The Blooming Lavender and the Shinning Sun
Preparations
It's here, it's finally here! Hyuuga Hinata ran excitedly through Konoha carrying a heavy paper bag filled with groceries. She was 16 years old now lived in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, and almost ran into people with her excitement blinding her eyes. 3 years has passed and Hinata has since been getting stronger and grown into such a pretty girl. Beautiful was more like it. She wore a light purple baggy jacket, moveable navy blue sweats, black unisex ninja sandals, and had beautifully long and shiny purple hair. It was true that her clothes did hide her features, but you could clearly see that she has grown in the past 3 years as well.
Today is the day Naruto-kun comes home! Hinata thought happily. Her pale cheeks tinted with a heavy shade of red. She had been waiting for this day to come for a long time, the day Uzumaki Naruto returns home from his 3-year journey. She abruptly stopped.
"Wh…What if I'm not ready yet…?" Hinata softly whispered. Hinata has been slowly gaining confidence over the years, and she's even challenged Hyuuga Neji, her cousin, to a few spars in taijustu training… But… Since she hasn't seen Naruto in a while, she was bound to faint again like she always did when she was little.
She sighed. Well, I guess I sort of knew this might happen… Maybe it won't be as bad…? Hinata squeezed the paper bag a little tighter. Yes… M-Maybe if I try hard enough, I won't faint as bad as I used to… Maybe just a little…?
Hinata gulped. She would try; she would try to change for Naruto.
"F-Father? Neji-niisan? I'm home." Hinata stammered as she stood patiently outside of the Hyuuga main branch's dining room. Hinata had just returned from purchasing more stock for the kitchen so the servants wouldn't have to do anymore hard work.
"Oh, Hinata-sama! You're home early." One of the servant girls exclaimed in surprise.
Hinata pushed back the door cloths as she entered. 3 servant girls were all dressed in aprons and chopping away at fresh vegetables to be eaten for tonight's dinner.
Hinata bowed respectfully towards them. "Was I not supposed to come until later? M-Maybe I should leave you to -"
"No, no! Hinata-sama you are fine! We thank you for getting us more groceries, but you didn't have to my lady." A servant said hastily.
Hinata blushed furiously. As far as she had knowledge of them, the servants here have always been kindhearted to her from the beginning. They welcomed her with open arms ever since her birth, and never had any sour thoughts about her. It was like they knew she would turn out to be a sweetheart instead of a cold cruel person.
"O-Oh my… You… You don't have to say that, I-I wanted to help…" Hinata squeaked as she held a hand up to her mouth shyly.
"Aww! Hinata-sama is soo caring!" They all swooned with glee, and immediately started to fawn over the Hyuuga heiress with many compliments.
Hinata blushed in embarrassment. She didn't like much attention at all because she would jump when the conversation pointed towards her. She was timid, shy, and quiet and liked it that way. She was a turtle and liked to take her time. Patience to her was everything, if you got to loud, she would hide back in her shell. And every one of her friends knew that… All except of one robust blonde.
Speaking of which, the young female chūnin pondered just what blonde was doing at this moment.
A blonde haired teenager grinned as he happily marched along a dirt path with glee. He wore an orange and black jumpsuit, black unisex ninja sandals, and a long black ninja headband tied tightly on his forehead. His blonde and unruly hair had grown longer over the years, if you knew the teenage male ever since he was small; his face was rough and much more chiseled of vigorous training, but his beautiful aqua marine blue eyes still looked childish and full of mischief. His name was Uzumaki Naruto, 17 years old, single, and was known to be hot-blooded and an annoying pain in the ass.
"C'mon Ero-sennin! We're going to be late going back home! I want to get there quick so I can see everyone again!" Naruto shouted at the man behind him.
The now impatient blonde was traveling with an old white haired man that was known as one of the Great Legendary Sannin. His name was Jiraiya and his specialties were peeking in on woman and summoning toads. He wore a more olden attire than his young apprentice Uzumaki Naruto, for since he was old, he lived by traditions from whence time he was born in. It was a pale dark green robes, a red vest, black unisex ninja sandals, a silver head plate with horns and black writings on it (it says oil and toad), and carried a traveling pack with a giant scroll on his back.
His long spiky white hair swayed as he sighed at his energetic apprentice. "Naruto, I'm not as young as I used to be 3-years ago, c'mon, let me rest for a bit."
You were never young to begin with ya pervy old sage… Naruto thought as he kept his snide remark to himself. He sighed as he gave up in defeat. "Fine, whatever. We'll go and see if there's a small village up ahead before we go back to Konoha."
"Great! I heard that there was a village that has great hot- I mean restaurants'!" Jiraiya's eyes twinkled with mischief as he scampered ahead of Naruto with newfound strength.
Naruto felt a vein pop on his head in anger. "YOU LECHER! YOU TRICKED ME!"
"You know what they say Naruto, all's far in love and war!" Jiraiya chided as he left Naruto, trailing dust clouds in his wake.
Naruto was brimming with anger. After all he had done for that sorry old geezer! And he tricks him with a sorry excuse for being tired?! The blonde wanted revenge. "COME BACK HERE ERO-SENNIN!" And the blonde charged after the white haired lecher with his face and fists boiling with anger.
It looks like Konoha and the Leaf would have to wait a little longer for their arrival…
Hair?
Check.
Teeth?
Check.
Eyes?
Check.
Clothes?
They're my usual clothes but, check.
Self-confidence?
No, I don't think so.
Hinata was looking at herself in the mirror in her room, looking over her flaws and perfecting them. Making herself more presentable when her love and longtime crush enters the village for the first time in 3 years. Her room was decorated with an odd yet beautiful blend of purple, and sky blue.
She sighed as she pinned and repined her hair. I-I don't think N-Naruto-kun would mind if I just went as myself… Hinata took the flower hairpin out from behind her head. B-But… But what if he likes the change…? Should I use it or shouldn't it…?
She didn't know. The lavender haired beauty sighed in defeat, went over to her bed, and laid flat on her back.
"Sometimes I wish I had more courage… Then, maybe, just maybe, Naruto-kun would finally acknowledge me…" Hinata sat up on her bed and gazed over at the beautifully gem embroidered picture frame on top of her dresser. Her eyes paled as she picked up the frame and squeezed at the sides. There was a woman with long shiny hair like Hinata's, and bore a striking resemblance to the heiress. The only difference was that her face was more angular and she wore red lipstick.
"Courage like you had…" Hinata smiled solemnly. She saw something wet suddenly drip on the woman's face. What…? Hinata set the picture back down and ran over to her mirror. She saw tears stream heavily down her eyes, and a light tint of pink shade her pale cheeks. She sniffed a few times, and then she crumbled to the ground on her knees.
"Why…?" She sobbed. "Why am I crying…? I don't want to cry, but… I am…" She wept quietly for a while until a knock rapped on her door gently.
"Hinata-sama? Are you okay?" A voice asked with concern.
Hinata jumped in surprise. She knew the distinctness of that voice; it was blunt and stern yet gentle and caring. "N-Neji-niisan?"
Neji quietly open her white shoji sliding door and stepped inside. Neji had grown up into quite the handsome young shinobi. He was only 2 years older than Hinata and was already at jōnin level. He wore a white and black robe, had black unisex sandals, and carried tan and black duffle bag when he went traveling. The only difference that could be seen since the past 3 years was he didn't have long clothes attached to the front of his head band and he was much, much nicer to Hinata than in his previous years.
"I heard you crying down the hall. I wanted to check on you." He said.
Hinata quickly wiped her watery streams away so she could compose herself. "You… You heard that huh? S-Sorry Neji-niisan, I just had…" She quickly looked around. "A bug in my eye."
Neji's eyes softened, but his voice was annoyed. "There are two things wrong with you logic. One, if one bug when in one eye, then that one eye should be crying tears. Two, you are a terrible liar."
Hinata laughed nervously. She always knew she was a terrible, terrible lair and that Neji was very perceptive of a lot of things. But the way he could read her, it was like she showed her emotions so obviously. But she didn't do that…
Right…?
Neji peered past the now embarrassed heiress and his pale eyes rested on a picture frame sitting sternly on her dresser. The sunlight shined through her window, and made the picture shine brightly. He only saw a fraction of the woman's face, but he knew all too well of who that was.
"Do you miss her, Hinata-sama?" Neji asked cautiously.
Hinata's small sliver of happiness, washed away by a heavy typhoon of sadness and remorse. Her head hung as her beautiful pale eyes turned as hard as stone.
Neji nearly flinched as he saw her embarrassed face turn into a face with no emotion in a matter of seconds. He knew he was treading on dangerous grounds, but he just had to know.
"Yes…" She quietly said. "I do, very much."
Neji's face fell with sympathy written plainly as fresh as the morning. It's very unusual to see Hinata-sama feeling so sad… He sighed. I guess it is time… She will need it now than later…
"Hinata-sama, there was something that she left for you… If you want it…"
She immediately perked up with hope, and curiosity. "There is? But… I thought all of her things were-"
"They were," Neji interrupted her in midsentence, "but all except one that was meant for you to have."
Hinata tilted her head quizzically. "Me? But what about Hanabi-chan or Father?" Hanabi was Hinata's little sister. She looked more like their father than their mother, but the difference of her and their father was that Hanabi was kinder and gentler to Hinata. She just couldn't show it in front of their father. "Either one of them could've had the gift, not me."
"True," Neji agreed, "Hiashi-dono could have it, but she knew he wouldn't use it; and Hanabi doesn't know how to play it yet. But you, you do Hinata-sama. That's why…" Neji stuffed his hand in his right sleeve and brought out a silver flute. "She wanted you to have because you're the only one who knows how to play."
He handed Hinata the flute. But it wasn't an ordinary flute, it was a beautifully shiny flute engraved with sleek purple gems glittering in different places on it. Silver vines twist and turned wildly, making it dance right before your eyes. And right smack dab in the middle, was Hinata's name engraved in gold.
Hinata's eyes water and she suddenly burst into tears. She hugged the flute tenderly to her cheek, letting tears glisten on it to make it more beautiful. Her sobs soon turned into hiccups as she cried for a period of time. She only said one thing before she stopped.
"Thank you… Mom…"
Neji gazed at her with warm eyes as he bent down in front of her and handed her a handkerchief. "Hinata-sama, you know as well as I do that you must compose yourself in the Hyuuga household…"
Hinata wiped her tears slowly from her eyes, never dropping the flute in her small, dainty hands. "Y-Yes Neji-niisan…" She gratefully took the handkerchief out of his hand and gently wiped her eyes.
He sighed. "Are you going to see him?"
Hinata blinked then blushed a vibrant shade of red. "H-How did you kn-know!" She knew the answer but she wanted to hear his explanation.
He turned around and stepped on foot outside of her room. "You're an open book Hinata-sama, of course I would know. Maybe Hiashi-dono knows as well. I'm going out to meet Lee, TenTen, and Gai-sensei; we're planning to train for a while. You are welcome to come if you wish."
"N-No, no Neji-niisan! I-I don't want to interrupt your training. I-I have to go meet Kiba-kun and Shino-kun later. Th-Thank you for the offer though."
Neji turned his body slightly back towards her. "Very well." And with that, he disappeared behind the shoji sliding door without another word.
Hinata slumped on her knees even lower than before. She paled at the thought of her father knowing about her love affair for a certain blonde boy.
Wh-What if Father does know? What if he makes me not see Naruto-kun again…? Hinata shook her head to get rid of those bewitching thoughts. No, I mustn't think of those negative thoughts. I will have to trust my guidance and courage. Hinata turned her head back to look at her picture, and smiled. After all… You would have wanted me to…