Concrete Angel
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I do, I won't make Hina-chan suffer. I don't own Martina McBride's "Concrete Angel" either.
A/N: I was supposed to publish a multi-chapter fic of Naruto but it was too craptacular that I have to throw the manuscripts in the trash. And so I settled into a one-shot songfic. I guess it would be nice to listen to the song while reading this.
Date written: 051611
Eight year old Hyuuga Hinata was already up and about at the crack of dawn. The dainty little girl was cooking in the kitchen like it was the most natural thing for heiresses to do but the cooks and servants didn't mind her since they were used to seeing her there. She ignored her muscles that screamed in protest at her every movement. Last night's training with her father was rather too intense for her frail body to handle. But still, she was glad that her father didn't hold back on her. Besides, the ointments she made, although not that yet effective, were enough the ease the pain a little bit.
Minutes later, she wrapped her bento with pride and placed it inside her backpack. She wasn't given enough time to admire her work though for a servant told her that her father and her sister were waiting for her in the dining room. Ignoring the fast pace of her beating heart, she shuffled into the room and greeted them, her voice shaking and her words coming out in stutters. Hyuuga Hiashi frowned slightly at this but nonetheless motioned for her to sit. The three of them ate in uncomfortable – in Hinata's case – silence. She almost breathed out a big sigh of relief when she finally finished her meal. She bid her father farewell and walked silently towards the Academy, smiling softly as she was about to taste freedom, even if it was temporary.
-O-
Umino Iruka looked up from his lesson plan and smiled warmly at the shy girl who had just greeted him. Even if Hinata was part of a major clan, not to mention an heiress of that clan, she was polite and sweet. The jounin instructor had this impression that all members of major clans are stuck up jerks until she met her. She was also too shy and quiet, and thus she would not screech "Sasuke-kun" aloud because she was not like that and she didn't find the Uchiha attractive enough to make her fall for him. She was also a cheerful in her own way and he knew that her Clan was not the reason behind her shy smiles. It was another reason, another person.
"Good morning, Iruka-sensei!" a cheerful voice called out. He focused his eyes on the boy wearing his usual mischievous smile and he grinned back wryly. Speak of devil… Hinata's blush appeared in an instant and he had to bite back a chuckle. The way she was acting at that moment, blushing and fainting – he would have to send her to the infirmary – at Uzumaki Naruto, helped him think of her as a normal girl and not the Hyuuga heiress.
-O-
"I'm going to be the next Hokage. Believe it!"
Hinata smiled shyly and felt her cheeks warm ever so slightly. She played silently with her forefingers as she let her thoughts wander. Again. She had always admired Naruto, who seemed to be always grinning and could declare such a thing as being a Hokage with much conviction. Even if he was labelled as the dead last, she could see his determination oozing off from him that she would always stop herself from applauding like an idiot.
Just like him, she had a dream. She wanted to be strong and be acknowledged by her Clan. She wanted to be a great Hyuuga leader someday. These thoughts – intermingled with Naruto, of course – always comfort her whenever she would disappoint her father and herself. These thoughts give her strength to not back down.
She focused her attention back to Iruka as he began to demonstrate to them the necessary steps in making a shadow clone. One step at a time.
-O-
It took every ounce of etiquette and Hyuuga pride for Hiashi to not spit at his older daughter, the heiress, who was lying trembling and whimpering on the floor. He had been training her for years now and yet, she didn't show any sign of improvement. Hyuuga Neji, her cousin who happened to be in the Branch House, could do better than her. Heck, even Hyuuga Hanabi, his younger daughter, could even beat her!
"Useless," he hissed silently as he had given up from waiting for his pathetic daughter to pick herself off the ground. Without saying another word, not even an apology for the obvious hurt that he had inflicted on her body and on her confidence, he left the dojo with the quiet swishing of his robes.
From the floor, Hinata watched her father's retreating back as she feebly tried to pick herself up again. She now sobbed quietly as she felt herself panic when her limbs refused to cooperate. She could hear set of footsteps from outside and she fairly knew that whoever were walking in the hallways could hear her since the walls were thin. But no one bothered to help her. They deemed her as weak and it was frowned upon the Hyuuga Clan. The members of it were supposed to be prestigious and highly skilled, and not some mere human that doesn't have a backbone, so to speak.
She blinked through her tears, confused, as her eyesight began to blur and stay out of focus. The sounds around her seemed to be far away and a small part of her brain told her to close her eyes. She fought off the drowsiness that had tried to override her system but failed as she succumbed into the soothing darkness.
-O-
Konoha was finally peaceful after the chaos that Orochimaru and his underlings had unleashed on the village. They might have rejoiced over the victory but the Sandaime, who had fought the Snake Sannin, had died and the villagers couldn't bring themselves to feast over their success yet. They needed time to mourn.
Thirteen year old Neji slowly walked in the Hyuuga Cemetery, ignoring the freshly erected statues and tombstones. He proceeded on and finally spotted the statue that he was looking for under the bough of a maple tree at the east side of the Cemetery. Carefully studying its face, he noted how the sculptor had seen past through the happy façade and had uncovered the suffering turmoil in the deceased's soul. The statue was not smiling at him like it should be but was instead looking sadly at him. He had to look down as guilt slowly ate the corners of his heart and focused his attention to the tombstone. It was obviously not visited nor cleaned up for years now. For all he knew, he might even be the first one to visit ever since the funeral.
"Hinata-sama," he whispered as he traced her name engraved on the rock and remembered all the horrible things he had done to her. He had been so wrong about her and all he wanted to do at that moment was to rewind the time, now that he knew the truth behind his father's death, and set things right. She was not supposed to be the receiving end of his hatred and anger towards the Main House. The two of them were supposed to be friends. And even if he was not the one at fault, he could feel the anguish at her being dead at the young age of eight. She was supposed to be a twelve year old genin now. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I didn't help you feel comfortable when you were still here with us. I-I deeply regret it now, Hinata-sama."
He closed his eyes to prevent the tears from falling and immersed in the silence that wrapped around him. He could see her standing between her mother and his father not far away, smiling. Slowly, sighing as he knew that he had to do it, he opened his eyes.
Hinata was now gone, had been dead for four years actually, and he could only hope as he left the Cemetery that wherever she was now, she was happy and loved.
(silence)
Demon: (pukes)
Me: (frowns) This sounded better inside my head.
Demon: You shouldn't have written this, tono.
Temper: (bonks Demon's head with frying pan)
Me: (blinks owlishly at Demon and Temper)
Temper: (shrugs) Ey readers! I hope you'll review.
Me: Craptastically yours, kusachi-chan.