To Be Strong

By Mithua

Chapter 1

The moonlight filtered into her bedroom and lighted the single photo in its frame, giving and even bluer glow to it. Her sister had always been the odd one in the family. Never truly seeming to fit in with the clan, despite how hard she tried. Hanabi had heard that she had been trying to change her destiny, trying not to follow the same cruel road she had walked down. The countless times she had been called weak, a failure. Hyuuga's weren't allowed to be either. She even had the nerve to grow her blue-black hair wavy rather than the typically set straight, jet-black Hyuuga hair. How dare she!

Hanabi narrowed her eyes from her position on the bed. Sitting up, she pushed her long hair back and walked towards the photo, picking it up. Her sister's sweet smiling face looked back at her, her pale eyes staring directly at her. Sighing again, she placed the photo down and fingered the small silver locket around her neck. If she were to open it, she'd see a similar woman looking at her. Hyuuga Tsukiko. Her mother. Hinata had taken after her. Her mother had been kind, and gentle, just like Hinata.

Hanabi on the other hand was like her father. She was strong. She was confident. She was born to be the leader of the clan. She clenched her fist a little, eyes narrowing again at the photo of her sister.


The sun rose over the horizon, lighting the skies over Konoha. It looked to be a beautiful day again, a warm day with a gentle breeze with the light fragrance of the spring flowers. All was peaceful.

Hanabi ducked as his hand came at her again. She considered herself lucky, that despite the disputes between the Main House and the Branch House, that he would agree to spar with her using the infamous 'Gentle Fist' style that the Hyuuga's were renowned for. She concentrated on her chakra and maintained the Byakugen. But her Neji-niisan was showing no mercy at all today as he managed to seal one of her tenketsu points on her shoulder. She was struggling to keep her Byakugen set. She swerved to avoid another attack but with his amazing speed, he managed to find an opening. And she was knocked to the ground.

Wincing, she let go of her hold on the Byakugen and clutched at her stomach. Seeing that she wouldn't be able to attack, Neji helped her up with a smile.

"You really are getting better Hanabi-sama. We'll work on your speed next time." He said as he helped her get up. She only nodded as he led her over to a log so that she could sit down. But feeling another presence, he turned around. Hinata stood there with a small smile on her face, holding a tray with two drinks.

"Ohayo!" She greeted as she walked towards the two. Neji nodded at her with a small smile. Hanabi looked off in another direction.

Hinata walked over to them and sat down on the ground. Neji had to smile a little more. Despite being the Head of the Hyuuga clan, Hinata still insisted on acting as she had before. She didn't specifically want the extra attention that came with being the Head. So she we serve drinks, sit on the dusty ground and wear the clothes she would normally wear, just as before. She definitely wasn't spoiled brat that he had thought of before.

She handed a drink to her Neji-niisan. He accepted it from her. She held the second drink out to Hanabi, but the youngest Hyuuga intended on behaving as if she didn't exist. Neji frowned a little, but Hinata kept the small smile on her face.

"Hanabi-chan, I brought a drink for you." Hinata spoke calmly, looking at her younger sister. She narrowed her eyes and swiftly moved her hand. However, Neji's quicker hand grasped her wrist, just as she was about to knock the glass over.

"Don't act so foolishly Hanabi-sama." Neji warned her. Narrowing her eyes, she swiped her hand from his grasp, and walked back towards the house.

Hinata sighed a little and set the glad back down on the tray. Neji looked down at her. She looked disappointed; her eyes watching the figure of her sister disappear back into the house.

"Arigato, Neji-niisan." She said quietly with a small smile to him. He only nodded. She picked up her tray and held it out for Neji to put his now empty glass on it.

"However, I would like to deal with her myself next time." She said quietly looking at him, a small polite smile on her face. Neji only nodded. Though it pained him to see the coldness Hanabi showed towards her older sister.

"As you wish, Hinata-sama."


It hadn't taken long for Hinata to find her younger sister, and she had come prepared with four single stemmed flowers. Hinata walked silently to the gravestone beside the one Hanabi stood before. She kissed the petal of the lily she held and put it down in front of her mother's gravestone. She held out a second lily silently to Hanabi. Hanabi had her hair covering one side of her face, so that Hinata could not see her. The two sisters stood silently for a long time, before Hanabi finally took the lily from Hinata's hand, kissing the petal and putting it down by her mother's grave.

They both stood silently for a while, thinking of their mother. Until Hinata kissed a second petal of the flower and laid it on her father's grave. Once again, she held the last flower out to her sister. However, Hanabi showed no sign of taking it this time. Hinata turned to look at her, tears were falling down her eyes and her fists were clenched tightly.

"Hanabi-chan…" Hinata started but the glare sent her way made her stop.

"I have no desire to put a flower on Otou-san's grave, and don't you dare make me Hinata." She said, her voice dangerously low. Hinata still held the flower out silently, looking at her younger sister. Hanabi turned to look at her with angry eyes. She knocked the flower out of Hinata's hand and stood on it, crumpling it. She turned to walk away.

"You have no right to be angry at Otou-san." Hinata said calmly, her eyes looking saddened at the crumpled flower. Hanabi stopped.

"Oh, I beg to differ dear sister. I have every right to be angry at him." Hanabi replied turning around. Hinata also turned around to face her, a sad look on her face. But then to Hanabi's shock, her face hardened. She had never seen her sister look like that.

"Grow up Hanabi." She said, her voice sounding stern. A breeze blew, blowing Hinata's wavy hair around her face. Hanabi gritted her teeth in anger. She remembered her father always saying that to Hinata whenever she started to cry after failing a particular jutsu or getting hurt when she was younger.

"How dare you…" Hanabi started. Hinata kept her same hardened gaze on her younger sister.

"How dare you say that to me Hinata! You have no idea what I've been through! Everyday I trained for Otou-san. I sweated, I bled, and I lived just so I could please Otou-san! He told me I'd be great one day! That I would lead the family to great success! That I would keep the secrets of the Byakugen! That it was my destiny, not yours to lead the clan! Then, just before he dies, he decides to lead this clan to it's downfall by leaving you as the Head! You! The weakest of our clan! You! Who barely knows any jutsu. Who has no strength to lead! Since your injuries from the Chuunin exam you've been weaker. Your body never healed properly!" Hanabi raised her voice, and she was clearly shouting at her older sister.

"Otou-san was a liar and a fool." She said in a low quiet voice.

Hinata again narrowed her eyes, giving her a dangerous look. She took steps towards her sister, until she was right in front of the smaller Hyuuga.

"You are the fool Hanabi. Though you may be the heiress to the clan right now, I can assure you right now, that you will never lead our clan." She said, her eyes looking cold. Hanabi glared at her older sister.

"You are weak. And though you have Byakugen, it seems like your anger at Otou-san has blinded you." With that, Hinata walked past her sister's still form.

"I am neither weak nor blind." Hanabi started but Hinata's hard look melded into a smile.

"Oh, I beg to differ dear sister." Was all she said as she walked past the younger Hyuuga. As she reached the gate, she stopped and turned her head to face her sister.

"If you truly believe that you are not weak Hanabi-chan, meet me at the training grounds at dusk." Hinata said.


Disclaimer: Characters don't belong to me.

A/N: I realise that Hinata and Hanabi may be a little out of character. But my justification for Hinata is that I believe that as she grows older (she's about 23 in this story) her confidence will increase, especially if she became Head. And as for Hanabi…well, I need her to act like this for the purpose of the story! v Anyway, if you have any comments, criticisms, questions or queries, please do let me know.

Terminology:

Tsukiko – moon child (or something along those lines)

Ohayo – good morning

Otou-san - father