Snow
Chapter 1
[~ I had to be stronger for the ones I loved and protect them even if
they wouldn't do the same for me ~]
My mother seemed to be the only person who had cared for me when I failed to receive any attention from my father or any other member in the Hyuuga clan. As for any other family member who was in the clan, but wasn't a part of the main branch would work as servants for the leading family. Any other carrier of the byakugan who served me at such a young age would only look at me in disapproval or disappointment just as my father had done. The maids had treated me like the heiress I was but without sympathy or passion that all other families seemed to share. All I had ever known at that age seemed to be disappointment, weakness, and what it meant to be a nuisance.
My mother was my hero.
She was the light in my darkness.
She came across to me as someone I could never live without.
But as the saying goes all great things come to an end. I guessed the world won't be satisfied until it takes every single thing that seemed to provide sanity for me. It was in late December and my frail body was dragging itself down the outside corridor to the very end until I came upon my bedroom. I let myself collapse on the bed while my body ached with fresh bruises and a new numb feeling. Training seemed to get more and more intense and stressful for me but it gave my father more and more reasons to be disappointed seeing as how the Hyuuga future would be disgraced if his eldest daughter really did become the next heiress. I couldn't help but feel despair as I myself felt like I was getting nowhere and if possible was becoming weaker and weaker.
Just as I was about to break down into tears there was a soft knock at my door. A few moments of silence passed before I could bring myself to mutter a soft 'come in'. When the door had slid open it revealed my mother's figure. I would have smiled but my head was pounding from colliding with the ground to many times so instead I rolled over slightly so I could leave my mother some room to sit down. And that's exactly what she did, placing herself next to me and gently stroking my hair. I winced at but at her sudden moment but soon relaxed as she started talking to me.
"How was training today Hinata?" she would always ask me
"G-good I think I-I'm getting better Okaa-san" I would always lie back to her
"I'm seeing a lot of improvement on your form…I'm very proud" she told me and smiled
My mother's visits always calmed me down after long days. I mentally laughed at myself improvement? You must have missed the part where I hit the ground a bunch of times, Mommy.
I could do nothing but stare at her in that moment, taking in her beauty. I was glad I looked more like her then my father.
"Oh that reminds me! Your birthday is only a week away little one" she cheerfully reminded me
Any other six year old would be bouncing off the walls by now but I simply buried my face in the pillow and nodded slightly. I guess my response wasn't what my mother expected as she let out an exasperated sigh. She pulled me closer to her as I dismissed the sharp quick pain that ran through my body and looked up at her. She smiled and looked forward, out the window and into the starry-night sky. I swear her smile shined brighter than any other star. We sat on my bed letting the silence linger in the room as we took in the view my bedroom window gave off.
"So what bedtime story would you like to hear tonight?" she asked me not looking away from the window
I thought for a moment retracing through all the stories I could remember her telling me and suddenly I recalled the story of how my mother told me the story of how the princess had meet her prince charming in the land of snow.
"Snow story" I replied after a while
"Ahh I remember that one. Okay as you wish my little heiress" she told me
I tucked myself in under the covers and my eyes meet hers for what seemed like seconds as I laid on my side trembling from excitement waiting for my mother to start the story.
"Well once upon a time there lived a princess who had fallen in love with a prince of another land" she started off
I could re-tell her that whole story as I listened to how the princess's father didn't approve of their love because he was from enemy lands. So every night the princess would write to him planning on soon meeting each other and secretly getting married but the king soon found out about the notes and ordered for his daughter to be locked away at the farthest end of the land where it only snowed. Losing more and more hope on how she would never see the prince again someone had broken into the prison and freed the princess. After taking her far enough where the guards would never find them the man had revealed himself as the prince she wished to see. Soon finding out he had given up his throne to be with her they shared a kiss in the falling snowflakes and ran away together.
"Mommy do you think I'll ever see snow?" I questioned her
"Yes of course sweetie and I'm sure you will find your snow prince as well" she smiled kissing my forehead and leaving my room.
The silence lingered in the air again as the darkness seemed to swallow me. My room seemed so much bigger after she left and the only source of light came from the stars twinkling in the inky night sky. As I drifted off to sleep I thought about the snow and what it must be like.
That morning I had awoke to servants panicking as they scurried up and down the hallway outside my door. I felt something defiantly wrong as I lifted myself out of bed and found my way out the bedroom. I walked into the foyer where every clan member was either gasping, crying, talking to other clan members or all three. I pushed past the small crowd of familiar faces that was gathered in front of my parent's room. As soon as I made it to the doorway it felt like I was just punched in the stomach. My mother's body was collapsed in her own puddle of blood that had painted the floor an ugly crimson color.
I screamed feeling the hot tears spill over. I tried to run forward but the branch members held me back. I kicked and struggled against their grasp on me but couldn't break free. Watching helplessly as my mother's body and the crowd slowly disappeared from my sight I was dragged back to my room where the maids made sure I stayed along with Neji and Hanabi. I couldn't do anything but sit and cry into my cousin's arms feeling useless as always.
~12 years later~
The alarm clock had ringed and I reached my hand out to silence the little contraption. I rose slowly letting the covers fall around me. I got up and out of bed making my way to the closet throwing on my usual gray khakis, fishnet tank top with my signature white and purple hooded jacket over it. Making my way down to the kitchen I had prepared breakfast and finished any morning chores I needed to get out the way. Just as I was pouring everyone's drinks Neji entered the room.
"Ohayou Neji-nii-san" I greeted him with a bow
"Ohayou Hinata-sama" he answered back before taking a place at the table to start eating
Soon afterwards Hanabi lazily walked into the kitchen and slowly ate her breakfast. I washed all the dishes but left father's untouched plate at the table like always. After a few minutes of drying each dish I put them away then meet Neji outside for some quick sparring.
"Keep your guard up and your stance balanced" he would always correct me
"H-Hai Neji-nii-san" I said doing so almost perfecting the move I have been working on for weeks only to land on my butt again
"you're getting better but if you would only hit that last move with more force you would land it perfectly but other than that I can see all the improvement" he told me lending me a hand to help me off the ground.
I gladly took it being lifted back to my feet Hanabi appeared at the doorway motioning for me to come over. I waved to Neji saying I would see him later and only got a nod in response as I hurried over to where Hanabi was standing.
"Father needs you to pick up some groceries for dinner" She informed me handing me the small shopping list
"H-Hai I shall be taking my leave now" I replied with a bow
Konoha streets were fairly busy with children running around, parents stopping in front of local shops and some elders admiring the food. A lot of them had greeted me as they passed by and I would always politely respond or give a quick bow as she gathered all the food my father had wanted. I had to admit I hated saying hi to these total strangers. I didn't know them but they seemed to know me and when I say that I don't mean by my name or who I was as a ninja but who I was with the last name Hyuuga. It made me sick to know these people only wanted to get close to me because of my social ranking.
Just as I was about to collapse from carrying all the groceries a certain blonde-haired shinobi ran up to me. Coming close to my face Naruto shouted my name and grabbed onto my shoulders smiling brightly. I felt my face heat up as I mustered up a 'hello' to him.
"Hinata-chan you'll never guess what happened" he almost screamed
"w-what is it N-Naruto-kun?" I asked as I felt my face grow darker by the minute
"We were accepted to a high rank mission and have to meet at granny Tsunade's office in the morning to get more information about it then we leave at nightfall" he told me smiling even wider if that was possible.
I didn't know what to think at that moment. A high class mission that I was chosen for? With Naruto as a teammate? I couldn't decide if this was a dream or a nightmare. What would my father say? Why would the Hokage recommend me for a mission let alone a high ranked one?
I said my good-bye to Naruto assuring him I would see him tomorrow. As I walked home I let the questions ponder through my head especially through dinner. I knew Neji and Hanabi could tell something was wrong but neither of them summoned up enough courage to ask what was bothering me. So as any other day I washed the dishes, then showered and got ready for bed. Nervous about to morning that was yet to come I drifted off into sleep.