Hinata stood frozen in the hallway and listened silently through the wall, her father and her grandfather speaking in hushed tones in her parents' room. She wondered where her mother was. Hanabi was in her room, asleep. It was late and she herself had been unable to sleep. She wasn't supposed to be hearing this. Her breathe caught in her throat as she listened intently. She was almost afraid the painful pounding of her heart could be heard through the wall.

"Lord Elder," Hinata heard her father whisper. "I understand that you are unhappy with our clan's situation, but what has Konoha ever done to us?"

"Hiashi, I'm disappointed in you," the elder snapped. "As my son I expected more insight. The higher ups are fearful of us and always have been. Ever since Hizashi's death they've been weary of the rigid structure of our clan. Organization can be fatal when overlooked and they know this. Konoha is making itself our enemy and we deserve to be in a position of status. Our clan is noble and everyone is tired of being discarded for the Uchihas. You know this."

Hinata heard her father take in a long breathe and then hold it before speaking, sounding weary and cautious. "Then… what are we going to do?"
Hinata swallowed the painful lump forming in her throat. Never had she heard her father sound so lost, so inferior. She knew that her grandfather was an intimidating man, but this was different. This was frightening.

"We are going to make Konoha our own. I refuse to be oppressed like this."

"Father, that's-!"

Hinata turned and darted down the hallway, her head pulsing. She heard her father's bedroom door slide open just as she ducked down in the corner of the room next door, hiding in the shadows.

"Who's there?" Her father called.

She shivered. She heard a slight tap on the window above her and moved to peek outside discreetly, breath fogging up the glass while she squinted through the darkness. "N-neji-nii-san?" She stood on her knees and pushed the window open. "W-what are you doing outside?" she whispered.

"Hinata-sama," her older cousin said quietly, rising on his toes to look over her and into the room. "I was coming home late from a mission and planned on stopping in to see Uncle. The front door is locked, and I saw you crawling around. What are you doing?"

She glanced over her shoulder and watched the shadow creep closer on the wall opposite of the room she was hiding in, fluttering around the corner. She sucked in a sharp breath and scrambled to her feet, taking a quick dive into Neji and collapsing into the bushes with him. He grunted beneath her, flailing at her sudden jump. She sat up and clamped her hand over his mouth. "Ssh!" She pleaded. "S-something's going on and I th-think it's really bad." She heard her father shuffling into the room and stiffened, huddling back down in the underbrush and lying as still as possible.

Neji squeezed his eyes shut against the twigs that were poking him in the face, scowling at his cousin's antics but sighing in resignation, silently listening to his uncle call for her from inside. He watched the leaves as Hiashi stuck his head out the window in confusion and then retreated back inside, closing the window behind him. Hinata sat up again, hair sticking up in all directions, the ponytail she often wore to bed hanging lopsided on her head. He stared up at her blankly, face relaying just how unimpressed he really was. "What are you doing?" he asked flatly.

Hinata heaved a huge sigh and got to her feet, straightening out her nightgown and dusting off the clumps of dark soil that clung to her. She held her hand out to him, offering him help standing up. "C-can we go somewhere else to talk about it?"

Neji took her hand and pulled himself to his feet, patting himself off. "Like inside?"

"No, not inside!" Hinata wrung her hands anxiously and looked around the yard. "W-we can't stay here."

"Why not?" Neji looked around in confusion. "What's going on? Surely it can't be so serious that we cannot find haven in our own home."

"It is that serious, Neji-nii-san!" Hinata hissed pleadingly. She grabbed his hand and tugged on him. "P-please just follow me! If it's not that serious, then we can just come back, right?"

Neji frowned. He supposed she was right. The compound wasn't going anywhere, even if Hinata was acting delusional. "Fine," he conceded, letting her pull him away. "But then where are we going?"

"Somewhere where no one will find us," she whispered over her shoulder, tugging him toward the compound gates and into the street. She couldn't risk having anyone else hearing about this. At least not yet. This was something that she needed to think about first and discuss with Neji. Her clan was her responsibility after all.

She looked around frantically as they walked, Neji somewhat slow and irritated during the entire trip. She pulled him toward the village gates.

"We're not leaving Konoha to have a talk, Hinata-sama," Neji tugged his hand lose and crossed his arms, frowning at her, feet planted firmly where he stood. "Now tell me what's going on."

Hinata turned and watched him, chewing at her lower lip. Panic started to swell in her chest. She looked around cautiously, trying to ensure that no one would overhear them. Granted it was around two in the morning, but one could never be too careful. She took a step toward him, cold toes curling into the dirt beneath her feet. "I-I could sleep... s-so I was sort of wandering around the house after using the restroom not too long ago...," a crisp breeze blew through and she wrapped her arms around herself, shivering. "I o-overheard father and grandfather t-talking." She gulped loudly.

Neji arched an eyebrow, arms falling from their rigid position and hanging limply at his sides. "Talking about what?" he pressed.

She glanced down at her feet and then looked back up at him again. "G-grandfather is unhappy with the village. H-he thinks we are being oppressed and w-wants our position acknowledged over the Uchihas."

Neji rolled his eyes and shifted his weight to one hip. "Grandfather is unhappy with everyone about everything. It's not that big a deal."

Hinata shook her head fervently. "N-neji-nii-san, y-you aren't understanding!" She looked at him sharply. "H-he's planning a rebellion, or at l-least something like it. Our entire clan is g-going to be forced out of Konoha if they do this! We have to do something!" Her teeth chattered loudly.

Neji blinked at her, mouth hanging open. He shook his head. "Uncle wouldn't let that happen, though, right? He's sacrificed a lot to maintain our clan's prosperity in Konoha. H-he wouldn't-"

"I know, but-" She interrupted him, mouth stretching into a shape that showed just how much inner turmoil she was trying to hold back. "H-he was there. I heard him. H-he didn't like it, but he was going to do it." She put her shoulders back, attempting to stand a little taller. "And I intend to stop it. Th-this is our clan. This is my clan. N-neji-nii-san, it's our duty to keep everyone safe. We need to think of something together, right?" She froze, waiting for his response.

Neji looked conflicted, eyes flickering over her face. His brow furrowed. "Hinata-sama, we need more to go off of, don't we? W-we can't just... well we can't just go against everyone who's raised us... everything we know. Do you have any idea where we're even going to start doing something like this?"

She watched him silently, lips clamped together in a white line. She needed him. She needed her guardian, her wise counselor, her older brother, and her childhood companion. She couldn't do it without him. She knew that, but she also knew that he wouldn't let her go alone. Neji worried about her too much. She was sure that he'd follow her, at least to make sure she was safe. She couldn't leave him there by himself. She knew he was strong, and she knew that if anything happened she wouldn't be able to protect him or help him. The least she could do was lure him away.

"I can," she said firmly, doing her best to cease the wavering of her voice. "I can go against my clan, if it means protecting my village... and-and you." She turned on her heel and marched toward the village gates. She needed some time to think. She needed time to plan. She had no idea what she was going to do, but she had to do it.

Neji watched Hinata's retreating back, mouth hanging open in surprise. That had no been what he was expecting. Meek and feeble Hinata turning her back to him. He supposed he should have been prepared for it to happen. It was bound to happen sometime anyway. She had grown into a capable young woman. Still... watching her turn from him was somewhat painful. It was as if she didn't need him anymore.

"W-wait," Neji called, hesitating for a moment. He heaved a sigh and stared at her silently while he watched her turn around. She looked sad and tired. He couldn't just let her walk away like that by herself. And damn it he knew that she knew it. "I'm coming too, Hinata-sama," he said, jogging after her. He saw the relief in her face and mentally kicked himself, her words haunting him. Their family was planning a coup. That seemed to be the gist of it.

Hinata waited for him to catch up and then continued to proceed silently, exiting the gates and walking aimlessly through the trees in the dark. "Where are we going?" he asked her.

"I don't know," she said quietly. "Just someplace where no one will find us. That's all we need right now. Th-then when we get there w-we can plan what to do..., right?" she cast an uncertain glance at him.

Neji heaved another sigh. Even though she was in charge, she still asked him for confirmation. "I suppose so," he answered softly.

Hinata bit deeper into her lower lip and tried to force away the sting that threatening tears brought to her eyes. "W-we can go t-to that cabin where we spent the n-night on training trips when we were younger," she offered, stopping and looking toward the familiar path that veered deeper into the darkness of the trees.

Neji looked toward the path and then back to her, looking over her uncertain features. He gently took her elbow and tugged her forward. "Alright," he said kindly. "Let's do that. Then we'll get some rest and try to figure this out, alright?"

She looked up at him and then nodded shortly, leading the way through the trees and finding the small rundown cabin at the end of the trail. It hadn't been lived in for years, and it had a leaky roof that no one ever got around to repairing. Not to mention the dust that had no doubt accumulated. She approached the door timidly and fiddled with the latch-lock for a moment before leaning into the heavy door and pressing it open. A blast of warm air hitting her in the face. She coughed, stepping inside, the dust on the floor sticking to her dew drenched feet. "It's... r-really humid in here," she whispered, the quiet atmosphere evoking the need to speak secretively.

"It's a good place to be for now." Neji stepped past her and shut the door behind them, locking it again. "We need to be quiet, so no one suspects that we're in here. We don't know how many shinobi come by here and it's not as if this place is unknown. Many people know about it." He wandered into the next room and pulled open the door to the overly neglected linen closet. "There are still blankets in here." He tugged one free and shook it out, a thin cloud of dust erupting into powder into the air. He looked over the cot and the empty space on the floor beside it. "Hinata-sama, please take the cot."

Hinata followed him and watched him unfold the thin blankets. "W-what about you? Where will you sleep?" she asked, leaning into the door frame.

He looked to her and then glanced at the floor. "Beside you," he answered plainly.

She frowned and looked over the thin narrow cot in the corner of the room. "A-are there enough blankets to cushion you on the floor?"

Neji furrowed his eyebrows and laid a hand on her head. "Hinata-sama, I'll be fine." He held a blanket out to her. "Now please. Get some rest."

She took the blanket hesitantly and then shuffled toward the cot, sitting down slowly, listening to it squeak in strain. She pulled the blanket around her and plopped over, feet curled into her, watching Neji lay down a few more blankets and then get comfortable on top of them.

After a moment of silence, she spoke up. "N-neji-nii-san," she called quietly.

"Yes, Hinata-sama?"

"Y-you don't think this is that serious, do you?" she asked, voice trembling.

After a long pause Neji shifted where he lay. "If I am honest, then no. I do not think this is serious. You have a tendency to be over emotional about things and have a history of making incompetent decisions."

Hinata curled further into herself, a pang of hurt hitting her heart.

"However," He continued. "I know that you are loyal to our clan. You take your responsibility seriously and you would never threaten to go against your father unless you believed that it was something you needed to do. So here I am, to help you get through whatever is it you're going through."

"I'm not-" she stopped. "N-nevermind." As long as he was with her, then it was okay. She'd figure everything else out herself if she had to, but if he was safe then she felt more at ease. "S-so... when we wake up... Y-you'll help me figure out what to do? I d-don't want our clan to fall apart...b-but I feel like that's what it's doing."

Neji listened silently, a dull sadness gradually enveloping him. He was afraid. Afraid that she was wrong and something had finally sent her to the brink. Afraid that she was right and their family was doomed to be a clan of traitorous outcasts. "Yes, Hinata-sama," he promised. "I'll help you figure out what to do. We'll figured it out together."

Hinata slid her hand out from beneath the blankets and reached for him. He hooked his forefinger through her pinkie and offered a reassuring smile. "It'll be okay. Just wait and see."

Hiashi turned away from the window and moved to return to his father who awaited him for further discussion, but a small sound caught his attention and he paused, listening intently. He held his breath, trying to hear what sounded like whispers. He looked back toward the window and peered through it, noticing a lingering cloud of condensation that had started fading away. It looked as if someone had been breathing there.

He caught something off in the distance and his eyes widened at the two familiar silhouettes retreating into the dark. No. It couldn't be.

He turned and made his way frantically down the hall, throwing open Hinata's bedroom door. His heart nearly stopped, looking over his daughter's empty bed. She had heard. She had heard. She had heard and he knew what she was planning on doing. He knew that she would do everything she could to stop it. If he was honest with himself, he wished that he had it in him to defy his father, but he knew that a majority of the clan felt the same way the elder did. As clan head he needed to keep as much of their family together as possible. Right?

But he had already lost his daughter. His nephew. He would get them back.

He moved into his room, his father looking up at him and meeting his serious gaze with his own. "Hinata and Neji know."