AN: So… This is something that wrote itself while I've been in hospital the past seven/eight weeks. I apologize to anyone expecting updates for my other stories. But please let me know what you think of this.
I do not own Naruto.
Through These Eyes
Chapter One
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The sound of the door slamming ricocheted off of the walls and resonated throughout the small house, amplifying the intense atmosphere between the man and woman who'd come to consider it home.
The woman whose long hair cascade around her heart shaped face in a curtain of light rosette could barely acknowledge the man before her as he stood in all his regal baring, speaking words that continued to shatter her heart a piece at a time.
"I didn't mean for you to find out this way." He spoke quietly and to anyone who didn't know him, without apology.
But the woman before him did know him, better than anyone else, and she knew that his voice held sadness and regret. But she also knew that neither of those things could truly change the consequences of the decision he made for them.
He made his bed, now he must lie in it.
Without me.
"Why? Why did you do it?" She whispered brokenly, regarding him once more with his dark, silky hair brushed back over his shoulders which were swathed in an expensive kimono. She could hardly recognize the man she loved in the hard man that stood in her apartment.
A pained expression crossed his face almost making her regret asking the question but she had to know. She knew it might break her, but she needed to hear it, if only so it would make her stronger in the aftermath.
"I know you had a choice, you didn't need to heel to the pressure of your clan, so why? Why didn't you wait for me?"
The clan leader watched as the strong woman he loved crumbled in front of him, never looking away so he would remember exactly what he'd brought upon them. What he'd brought upon her. His heart was filled with pain and regret that he concealed using all of his training as clan leader. However, deep down he truly believed that this would be for the best.
So, putting on his most genuine expression, he spoke what she needed to hear.
"Mihana," he said in a tone that held all of his love and all of his loss.
"You're such a free spirit, always open and kind. I couldn't allow the clan to take that from you. And we both know they would have."
Mihana's eyes widened in shock then betrayal at what she was hearing. Didn't he realize she would have given up her freedom just to be with him. No matter what his clan expected she would have stood by his side because she loved him so much it hurt.
But that wasn't what hurt her the most.
He didn't believe in her.
He didn't believe she could withstand being the leader of his clan.
He believed she would break from the pressure and duty.
"No, your clan couldn't take that from me…" She said then paused to draw in a deep breath before exhaling, trying and failing to hold back tears that threatened to fall down her face. "Because you already have."
As her small frame shook and tears began to fall in earnest, her arms encircled her waist in an act of protection while she tried and failed to hold in the sobs that threatened to burst and unravel her very being.
The dark blue fabric of his kimono entered her vision as he took a step towards her and made to raise his arms to bring her into his familiar embrace but he was stopped by her words and the reality of their situation became clear to him.
"Don't." She whispered in a shattered voice that made him want to hold her once again and never let her go.
Because he did love her. By the Kami, with all of his heart he loved her.
"Please," She said, her voice still shaky in anguish at their broken relationship and fear of what would become of her if he continued. "Just leave, Hyuuga-sama."
But her words reminded him that it wasn't his place anymore.
And the truth of the matter was that he was no longer hers. He had a wife and would eventually have children. They could no longer be together.
Hiashi felt as though he was just struck with a gentle fist to the heart at the use of his title and it wasn't until then that he truly realized what he'd given up. Mihana was the only woman who saw him as he was. She was his confidant, his friend, his lover. She was his everything.
Dropping his arm and taking a step back he choked out, "Hai."
Turning, he made his way to the door and walked away.
Away from his hope, away from his future, away from the woman who'd become his home, and unknowingly, away from his family.
All the while the piercing sobs beyond the door echoed through his head, and the only comfort offered were his own hollowed words.
This is for the best.
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The following weeks Mihana returned to her normal routine, working at the hospital while avoiding as many well used places as possible, including the markets. This often-meant dining out or not eating at all, but to the rosette, this was a little price to pay in order to escape the pain of seeing her former lover with his wife.
The week after their separation, she'd gone to the market later than normal in an attempt to avoid him but was unfortunate enough to come across he and his wife and had to force herself to ignore the sensation of her heart being torn out of her chest and the burning behind her eyes.
Donning the facial expression she used on ANBU missions, she'd continued to go about buying her groceries before using the body flicker jutsu to return home where she proceeded to drop her bags at the entrance and allow her sorrow to consume her until she fainted.
Three days later, Mihana found herself standing in front of the Yondaime Hokage with an air of determination and a look of resolve that put even the recently wedded Namikaze a touch on edge.
"Mihana-neesan," Minato said to his friend in acknowledgment.
They'd both grown up together at one of the many war orphanages in Konoha and were close as children. And though every time he requested to see her for a mission she asked him to drop the 'neesan', he adamantly refused.
"Hokage-sama." Mihana replied formally, causing him to sit up straighter and slightly narrow his eyes in growing concern when she didn't respond to his usual informality and instead the use of his title.
"What can I do for you Mihana?" He said straight to the point.
He hadn't seen his sister figure much since the end of the war but whenever she'd been in his office she'd seemed normal if not happier than usual. So, he could only speculate that her current demeanor was the result of a recent change.
"I heard at the ANBU captains meeting today that you were looking for someone to establish an ANBU post close to the Land of Earth border and would like to put forth my own name for consideration."
Mihana could feel his assessing stare in the silence that engulfed the room following her statement and gave her own in return.
"Why?" He questioned.
Minato couldn't think of a reason she would want to leave and they'd known each other since they were younger. Mihana had been eight when her parents died while he was six, but they had both been taken in by the orphanage around the same time. He remembers the week he arrived there, a few of the older kids had tried to bully him and Mihana had come charging in and straightened them out with her fists. From that day on, he'd followed her around like a lost puppy until she agreed to teach him. It had only taken him calling her 'Onee-san' one time and they'd become family.
"I'm pregnant." She said causing the Yondaime's eyes to widen in surprise before blurting out, "What? How? Who?"
"I really hope I don't have to explain to a recently married man how I ended up in this condition." She tried for a humorous tone but it only came out sounding sorrowful and broken causing Minato to observe her more keenly.
"Neesan…" He said concerned while she smiled and said in a similar tone, "Otouto…"
They both looked at each other fondly for a second, smiling softly in remembrance of their childhood.
"It wouldn't exactly be a safe environment to raise a child." Minato started only for her to immediately shut down his attempts at negation.
"It would be unsafe for me to raise a child anywhere with my reputation."
And it was true.
During the war both shinobi had made names for themselves. Her own may not be as well-known as the 'Yellow Flash' but it was renowned and feared enough to give her a sizable bounty and to threaten any of her children despite being clan-less.
"You're not exactly convincing me." Minato stated in a deadpanned voice.
"The fact that I'm a medic will contribute to both my cover and use at the out-post as well as my past experience in ANBU." She continued with more determination.
"And what about when you have the baby?" He asked knowing he'd already made the decision but didn't want her to go. To lose 'Konoha's dancing blade' would also be a great loss to the shinobi ranks. In both the General and ANBU factions, not many people have her experience in both.
"The town I'll stay in will probably already has a mid-wife who can help with the delivery, and I would only require two weeks' rest before my chakra will be fully functioning again." She rebutted.
"And what of the father?" The brief flash of pain across her eyes was all the fourth Hokage needed to give in to the resolved Kunoichi. All of her points were valid and this would essentially be beneficial to them. And Minato trusted her to make the right decisions for herself.
"Fine, but if we ever need you, you must return, no exceptions." He said to which she nodded gratefully while smiling.
"You also have to report monthly." He continued and seeing her still nodding said cheekily, "And I want to be the God father."
The comment got him a kunai sent towards his face which he caught by the handle on his finger and began to twirl around while smirking.
"Okay God daddy," Miyuki said with a cheeky grin. "But by the time she's born I expect her to have a God brother on the way."
She then made her way out of the room leaving the now blushing Hokage behind to think about his own future family.
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Haruno Sakura was born in a trading village near the borders of Fire and Grass named Morikawa. She came into the world a week early in late March when her namesake was in full bloom with a tuft of pink hair that confused the midwife as much as it caused relief in the mother and humoured her God father.
"She's so small." Minato said, his God daughter cradled safely in his arms as he sat beside the bed.
"Babies generally are." Mihana responded tiredly, lips quirked in a soft smile as she gazed lovingly at her daughter.
She was glad Minato had made it for the birth. When the contractions had started, she had feared she was going to have to go through it alone, but Minato had arrived using the Hiraishin, saying he had had a feeling and ran straight to the midwife after using a jutsu to make his hair look the same shade of brown as her own and his clothes look civilian and travel worn.
A small whimper caught her attention and she watched as Minato stood up to give Sakura back to her when he froze midway, eyes focused on his God daughter.
"Mihana… Her eyes…" He said slowly. His brain trying to process what he was seeing.
Crying in earnest now, the blonde quickly handed off the baby, before sitting back down and waiting patiently for his sister to explain.
And she did.
When Sakura had fallen asleep, Mihana told Minato everything. How she met Hiashi on the battle field and saved his life. How they started dating towards the end of the war and how he proposed to her before her mission, only for her to return two months later and find him wed to another.
Minato listened to every word she said and complete loathing filled him at the thought of the Hyuuga. Minato had attended his wedding as both the Hokage and a friend and even congratulated him. Now all he felt like doing was stabbing him in the face with a kunai.
"Was I selfish, Minato, for going through with this?" Mihana's sad voice broke him from his thoughts and Minato's heart broke a little at the sorrow held in it.
"I don't regret keeping her. I don't think, I would ever be able to regret having her. She's a little piece of him and me. And I love her so much. But when the clan finds out…"
Minato's heart clenched at the thought but he was the Hokage dammit and he would do what he could to make his God daughter's life as happy as possible.
"Don't worry about the Hyuuga clan, Oneesan," he said determinedly. "I'll take care of everything."
A tear slipped down her cheek when she smiled. "Thank you, Otouto."
A silence settled in the room, both lost in thoughts before Mihana broke it. "Now tell me, how is Kushina-chan these days?"
A bright smile came over his face as he spoke about his wife knowing the seals he put up would alert him to any unwanted listeners.
"I kept my promise neechan." He said seriously but with a mischievous look in his eye. "Sakura-chan will have a God brother to play with later this year."
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So I decided after (SPOILER alert)- (SPOILER alert)- (SPOILER alert) Naruto and Hinata had a kid that looked nothing like Hinata, that this scenario wasn't impossible. The Hyuuga obviously have weak genes. lol.
Anyways, what did you think? Please let me know.
After this, I'll start working on the next chapter of LWB again (which is already 1000 words.) I've also started editing Home (Sorry to all who have waited this long, and sorry again that it will take longer still).
