Day 1: Anniversary
Summary: She visited his grave whenever possible, but would always make sure to return one specific day each year; leaving flowers and softly whispered words of thanks.
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"It's good to see you again, nii-san."
Her voice was soft, barely carrying over a whisper as she rested the flowers by her cousin's grave, her fingers tracing over the characters engraved delicately into the stone. Her lips rested in a thin line, sadness etched in her bright eyes. Despite the years she had to process the loss, it had not become any easier for her Hinata accept. Her cousin; a man who had been so young and talented, so loved by his teammates, his friends, his family; was gone.
He was someone who had fought valiantly and shone so brightly in spite of the limitations placed upon him, refusing to let his life be hindered by the marking on his forehead. Yet years of training, of gradually growing closer to the family he had once despised, and gaining a brighter, happier outlook on life, were all taken from him, in a matter of seconds. For, even in attaining peace amongst the shinobi world and bringing an end to years of hatred and suffering; a long, sought after goal; the war had not been without loss. In every victory there was a price to pay, a sacrifice to be made.
The image was still stuck in Hinata's mind, each clear, precise detail wrenching at her heart. Neji standing over her, his face contorted in pain as the life and breath was ripped slowly away from his body. It was strange to think, that at another point not so long ago in their lives, he had fought her. There had been hatred in his eyes, and cruel, stinging words in his breath. His strikes carrying unrestrained strength, malicious intent of maiming her, maybe even killing her. Yet now he was laying down his life to defend her. Perhaps it was a testament to how much closer they had come, much like the tears that flowed freely from her face.
At the time, in the midst of war, she had only been able to mourn for so long. She had needed to stay strong and not let her emotions get the better of her. She pushed them down bitterly; those emotions, that kind, compassionate nature of hers that he had once been deemed a weakness by her family; she couldn't allow them to get the better of her now. Shinobi could not allow emotion to dictate or hinder their action. They had to remain unattached, cold and calculating. So, she carried on fighting, as it was all she had ever known. She keep fighting even though so much of her desire to live on had been lost.
Yet, when the day of his funeral came and his body could finally be laid rest, Hinata could not find within herself to shed a single tear. She had wanted nothing more than to cry, to show some semblance of emotion worthy of her cousin's life, encapsulating who he was and what he had meant to her. Yet all she could do was stare at his grave in silence, her eyes hollow and empty. She had been stripped of feeling, whether joy or sorrow.
There was nothing left.
It had been Naruto who had beside her on that day, something she had always longed for, but not under such circumstances. The boy who stood with her, normally so bright and cheerful, seemed similarly solemn. The smile that had been so free and guided her through even the darkest times in her life was lost. He knew that Neji, his friend, had died protecting him too.
In spite of the sorrow coursing through him, Naruto's presence managed to bring her comfort, without him needing to utter a single word. He simply held her hand, just as they had during the war, offering a warmth and strength that she could not convey through mere words. It was one that was unique. Purely and innately Naruto. She had been willing to sacrifice her life to protect him, much like Neji and to see him alive brought her a great deal of solace.
Slowly, over time, the feeling started to return to her.
As painful as the loss of Neji's life had been, Hinata knew she could not allow the grief to numb her completely. Neji had given his life so that she could carry on, as if it were one final, valiant act of redemption for all he felt he'd done wrong in the past. It was to understand the sacrifice his father had made for his friends, his comrades, all those years ago and know that, if placed under similar circumstances, he would have done the same within a heartbeat. In giving his life, she knew that Neji would want to see her smile, to cry, to laugh, and most importantly to live. She couldn't allow all he had sacrificed be in vain.
She visited his grave whenever possible, but would always make sure to return one specific day each year; leaving flowers and softly whispered words of thanks. For all he had sacrificed and given to protect her, even to his dying breath. Just as he had promised his father he would.
A caged bird that had finally found its wings, flying free of any earthly restraints.