Sunflower

By Komorebi-chan

Disclaimer: I really don't own them. I'm poor, don't sue .

A/N: First of all, there's spoilers, but the main events that everyone who pays attention to Naruto know. Secondly, my writing isn't perfect, just don't flame so much and if you want to criticize, don't sound TOO harsh. Thirdly, this is 70% on Neji and Hinata and 30% on Rukia and Hinata, I've warned you. This is mostly a Naruto fic with a side of Bleach. Finally, to read this story, remember that Neji's name means screw.

ENJOY!

P.S If you're confused. Italics are the past. Normal lettering is the present.

Hinata added more chakra to her feet, trying to stabilise herself better in the downpour as she jumped from tree to tree. They had a few metres left before they would be in Konoha, but that was a few metres too far. Kiba lay on a battered up Akamaru, trying his best to stop any more internal bleeding.

"You can do it Kiba!" shouted Kurenai. "Hang on just a minute longer!" Kiba managed a weak grin. Shino paused for a moment and pointed.

Hinata sighed in relief. "We're home..." Kurenai nodded and turned to Akamaru.

"Take him to the hospital now!" Akamaru nodded and barked in response before running speedily on all four paws. Kurenai smiled knowing Kiba would have a chance to live. She turned to her two other students.

"Can I dismiss you here?" she asked. Hinata and Shino nodded in affirmative and she grinned, ruffling up their hair before adding chakra to her feet and jumping up onto the buildings to get home as quickly as possible. Shino gave Hinata a nod before he did the same. With not enough chakra to sustain her and knowing full well her home was on the other side of town, Hinata looked at her long walk home in trepidation.

"Hinata-sama."

Hinata turned around. "N-Neji-nii-san!" Neji was standing there with a slight smile and her favourite purple umbrella tucked to his side. Opening the umbrella, he lifted it over the both of them.

"Aburame-san told me you were low on chakra," Neji began, "I thought this might happen." Hinata smiled softly, reaching out to touch Neji's sleeve.

"Y-you're soaked!" she said in dismay.

He blushed slightly and turned away. "It would be a hindrance to take two umbrellas…"

"And a purple umbrella…" he seemed to not know what to say, "… is unbefitting for someone like me."

She frowned, "You didn't have to go that far! I-I have my r-raincoat." Neji frowned back and lifted a brow.

"In this storm? Not even a raincoat will fully protect you." Hinata couldn't argue. Her head was drenched and the water had managed to slip into her clothes. Shyly, she placed a small hand over the one holding the umbrella. This always happened. Neji seemed to understand her more than anyone and would come to her aid in a heartbeat. They had a relationship built up on years of trying to trust and understand. There was nothing sexual about it and yet their love for each other could be on par with that of a husband and wife.

It was complicated.

She had a speech disorder. He preferred to not speak at all. And yet they understood each other as if they had spilled out their hearts to each other and talked all day.

"Neji-nii-san?" He turned to look at her in curiosity.

"Thank you…" she murmured, "For t-today."

Neji turned away uncomfortably, "It is my fate as a branch member to serve you, Hinata-sama."

But that wasn't true. He wouldn't go all this way for Hanabi, and certainly not for their father. As always, she seemed to understand and beamed at him.

"W-we fought a lot of shinobi today," she told her cousin.

"Were they strong?" he inquired.

"They were… Kiba-kun got hurt too."

Neji's eyes softened, "I'm sure he's fine."

Hinata nodded vigorously, "M-me t-too! O-of course h-he will be!" It seemed as if she was reassuring herself though. So he changed the subject.

"I saw you training last week. You seem to have become stronger," he told her. She blushed.

"Y-you think s-so?" No one had seemed to notice, but Neji did and that made her so happy.

"Come and train with me some time," said Neji and she gasped because he was jounin and it was rare for him to train with her unless he was truly curious of her new abilities. He honestly believed she had become stronger.

"R-right!" she told him confidently, proudly. Not even the rain could stop her mood.

"Hyuuga Hinata, aged 27, you will now be sent to the Soul Society," ordered Kuchiki Rukia, her zanpakutou ready to come out and seal her. Hinata watched her wide-eyed.

"Soul Society?" she asked quietly.

"A place for the souls of the dead."

"Heaven?" Hinata compared.

"Not quite, but close enough. It just won't be all sunny and rainbows." Rukia was surprised. A normal soul would have questioned about the last part of the sentence. Most souls would be trying to comprehend the 'dead' part, but not her.

"Perfection is overrated," she murmured with a small smile. Again, Rukia was taken aback. Who was she to be so accepting?

"What's your name?" asked Hinata innocently. Rukia lowered her eyes. Should she tell this stranger?
"Rukia," she whispered, "Kuchiki Rukia."

Hinata grinned brightly, "Nice to meet you Kuchiki-san!" And Rukia felt a pang in her heart.

This girl was still young. She shouldn't have died.

"Jyuuken!" Hinata yelled as she thrust her palms towards Neji's chest. Neji managed to block, getting hit where his chakra pathway didn't reach. Breathing heavily from the blow, Neji managed a counterattack with a chakra-infused roundhouse kick to her side. Hinata gasped as she was forced to the ground, her eyes tearing up slightly. Getting back up, her steely resolve started up once more. Channelling chakra to her hands, twin lions began to form. She went for a punch. Neji's eyes widened. Quickly spinning on his heel to use his chakra barrier, he barely dodged it, but was thrown back to the wall. He disappeared. A clone.

"Jyuuken," someone whispered behind her. Hinata jumped before being thrown to the ground, she breathed in heavily. Neji appeared with a hand out and a smug smirk. She, on the other hand, was feeling disappointed.

"I-I'm sorry N-Neji-nii-san," she mumbled, "I didn't g-g-give you a v-very good fight."

He looked at her with an unidentifiable emotion.

"You're jyuuken needs work," he finally told her, "Your hits aren't powerful enough to deal great damage if you miss their chakra points. When you form the lions, you need to also be aware of your surroundings, and be able to see if I made a clone." She was silent and very disappointed in her progress.

"However," he continued, "Your stance is perfect. You chakra control is great and you're very good at conjuring up jutsu that even I was almost too slow to block." Hinata smiled at his words. So like her father. So unlike her father at the same time.

"N-Neji-nii-san, let's keep training," she boldly said with a happy grin.

"Hn."

"Will you miss your old life?" asked Rukia. Maybe she was depressed? Maybe she wanted to die and that was why she was so willing to go?

"No," Hinata replied, "I was very happy." Rukia frowned.

"Any family you'll be missing?"
"Of course!" said Hinata, "My husband, my children, my friends. If I wasn't fated to die now I wouldn't have wanted to." Hinata paused a bit at her own words. She giggled.

"What's so funny?" asked Rukia suspiciously. Hinata smiled slightly.

"I just sound like someone I was very close to."

"Your husband?"

Hinata's eyes seemed to glaze over as she shifted through her memories, "No. A cousin."

"You're an idiot, Hinata-sama," said Neji with an amused smile, but the smile held a slightly worried undertone.

Hinata blushed furiously, "I-I, why do you say t-that?"

"Jumping in to save Naruto, you could have been killed!" Neji had lost that smile he had. Every word seemed to increase his anger. By the time he had spat out the last word, he was livid. Hinata cowered under his gaze, but did not give in to him.

"T-that was my c-choice!" she argued back. Neji glared.

"Your family would mourn. Your friends would mourn. Naruto would never forgive himself. Think for a little!" he said, his control thrown out the window.

"I…I…" Hinata seemed to debate on what to say.

"I… I-it's my l-life, Neji-nii-san," she finally said, meeting his gaze determinedly.

Neji ran a hand through his brown locks and sighed, "When I was assigned to protect you, your life became my life too, Hinata-sama."
Hinata looked down at her feet guiltily, "I-I didn't t-think. S-sorry Neji-nii-san, I didn't think about F-Father."

Neji growled, "I'm not worried about your father. I was worried about you! Hinata, I'm…sorry for making you feel guilty." He sighed, "I don't want to protect you just because your father says so. I want to protect you because you're you." Hinata was silent. Her lower lip trembled and he thought she was going to cry. Slowly, a slight smile appeared and she grabbed her bag to empty out the contents. Thrusting an object into his hands, she began to skip away. It was a yellow umbrella.

He hadn't even realised it was raining.

Running quickly towards her, he placed the now unfurled umbrella over their soaking heads. She looked up, wondering why she no longer felt the pitter patter of the rain, and muffled a slightly surprised 'Oh!' That was it. They kept walking, silently, peacefully.

"You're a real piece of work," Rukia grumbled, "You're so hard to figure out and I really hate not knowing."

Hinata smirked slightly, "How so?"

"You're not upset even though you have died, and yet you loved your old life…"

"Ah." But she didn't elaborate any further and that grated on Rukia's nerves. Plus, this was eating into her time with her brother. Onii-sama will not be happy…

She hadn't meant to say that out loud.

"You have a brother?" Hinata asked.

"I do." Rukia was suspicious. Did she know about her nobility status? Was this why Hinata was so calm? Was it that she was planning on making Rukia her hostage when she came to give Hinata her death sentence?

But that made no sense.

Hinata was a Hyuuga, from the main branch too. She did not need riches or jewels. She did not need her name to be known. That thought calmed Rukia immensely.

"—ike?" Rukia blinked, only catching the end of the lavender-eyed girl's sentence.

"Pardon?"

"What's he like?" she asked again. Rukia decided to indulge her.

"Cold," she decided, "His glares can silence enemies." Hinata felt a fond smile tug at her features.

"Calm. I…I've never seen him lose his composure." Except when it concerns me, she mentally added, but the other girl didn't need to know that. No need to go telling people's weaknesses. Hinata seemed to know what she was thinking though as her knowing smile widened.

"And?" urged Hinata.

"Kind," Rukia finally said. Something stirred in Hinata's heart and a wistful smile ended up on her face.

"You really need to hold onto those kind of people," she whispered, remembering a boy with long brown hair and eyes that could see through everything. Eyes that could see through her.

"N-Neji-nii-san!" she sang as she raced up to meet him. Neji smiled slightly and waved. He looked at her casual attire. A nice yellow sundress and a white wide brim hat, complimented by her white sandals and the gold bracelet he had given her for her birthday. She was positively glowing.

"Are you r-ready?" she asked brightly.

"Hn." Today was the day that Hinata would see her mother's grave. As the years wore on, the pain gradually left. Now she could look back fondly at the little memories she had of her and reminisce. A kind, smiling face patting her head. That same face teaching her how to braid. She would forever remember.

"I would like t-to get some flowers f-first," she told her companion. Neji nodded and directed her to Ino's shop. Ino greeted them happily.

"Hey there!" she called out as they entered, "Any flower you have in mind?" Hinata thought about saying the usual. Lilys. One of Hinata's favourites. But this was her favourite, not her mother's and today she wanted a change.

"W-what have you got?" she asked Ino timidly.

"What's the occasion?" asked Ino.

"It's for my mother." Ino nodded, suspecting that. She and Hinata had become good friends once Hinata kept coming in for more flowers.

"It really depends on what she likes. How about some asters? Baby's breath?" Hinata gulped slightly. She knew so little about her mother. Stricken, she turned to Neji.

"W-what do y-you think Neji-nii-san?" she quietly asked him. He considered it for a moment and again saw the bright yellow glow she emitted. Lady Hyuuga had definitely loved her daughter most in the world. Sending Lady Hyuuga a flower that resembled Hinata was the best choice.

"Sunflowers," he told her firmly. Ino's eyes widened a fraction at the fact the stoic genius had bothered answering, but she merely smiled straight after.

"Excellent choice," she complimented, "I can't believe I didn't think of that!"

"Hn." Ino left to pick a bunch from her garden and came back to wrap them. Flowers in hand, Hinata placed a few coins on the bench and waved goodbye. As soon as she was out the door, he turned to Ino and asked for one more sunflower. Stupefied, she had robotically taken one and ushered him away, refusing to collect his money. Sighing, he neatly chopped off the stem with his kunai and pinned the sunflower close to his heart. Proudly, chest just slightly puffed out, he made his way out to join Hinata.

"Hyuuga Hinata," said Rukia, "I have a question." Hinata glanced up in curiosity and inclined her head to tell her she was listening.

"When I spoke of my brother…" she didn't know how to approach this subject, "It sounded like you lost someone like him." Hinata stared sullenly… and slowly nodded.

"Was that guy…" she began, "Was… he you cousin?" Hinata smiled slightly and nodded again. Rukia gave a sympathetic smile.

"You know, I once thought I had lost my brother," Rukia told her, "I thought he would die. The pain in my heart was almost unbearable. It must have been really hard for you."

Hinata nodded and then a bittersweet smile stretched across her face, "It gets better," she said, "If… if someone is willing to help." And her thoughts turned to a blonde knuckleheaded ninja. She felt that pang she had told herself to not feel. That pang that made her want to come back to the living.
"Kuchiki-san," started the indigo-haired girl, "Do you have a helper? A protector?"

Rukia first thought was a tough, brash substitute Shinigami.

"Yeah, but he's an orange-haired idiot," she told the girl. And the girl laughed. Hinata laughed and laughed until Rukia felt slightly offended.

"W-what's so bad about him?" she yelled defensively, "He may be an idiot, but he's really strong!" That only made the other girl laugh harder.

"S-sorry," she said, wiping the tears away, "We just have so much in common!"

And then she laughed again, and Rukia thought she could see everything completely different once she looked at it from a different angle. Her laugh was hysterical. Her tears weren't from joy. Rukia's heart broke. Sometimes she really hated her job.

She could hear the sound of a running waterfall. Creeping slightly, she tried her best not to disturb his training.

"No hello, Hinata-sama?" he asked amusedly. Hinata blushed at having been found.

"U-uh Father wants you in for tea s-soon," she said, careful to look the other way as he towelled himself off and put on a new change of clothes.

"Thank you, Hinata-sama," he told her as soon as he finished changing and motioned for her to sit when she took a peek.

"N-Neji-nii-san?" he gave her a noncommittal response, "I-I've been m-meaning t-to ask y-you. Well, I-I c-could h-have asked s-someone e-else, b-but s-since y-you're a-always s-so s-smart..."

"Hinata-sama?"

"Y-yes?" she squeaked, blushing a bright red.

"You're babbling."

"Oh…" she said in an embarrassed tone, "Do you think anyone will d-die in this war?"

Neji paused, "It's a war. There's bound to be casualties."

"B-but d-d-death?"

He sighed, "I can't make any promises that there won't be any." She nodded, her eyes downcast. She knew this. It just sounded so hard to accept that someone she knew could die.

"I'll p-protect N-Naruto-kun!" she told him fiercely, "I won't let him die!" Neji smirked and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You've done well, Hinata-sama." Hinata blushed at the praise and turned away.

"By the way, Hinata-sama, has he acted upon your confession?" he asked curiously.

"N-Neji-nii-san!" she said scandalously, gaping. Neji barked out a laugh and smiled gently.

"Well then, I better make sure you stay alive so you can protect him, right?" he told her teasingly. She pouted.

"I c-can take c-care of m-myself!" she said firmly.

"I know you can", he replied seriously, "But let me back you up. Promise me you won't die." He held out his pinky finger, something they did when they were toddlers and knew nothing about main branches and seals. She smiled at the old tradition.

"Of c-course Neji-nii-san," she told him, wrapping her pinky around his, "I d-definitely won't die!"

It was hours after that conversation that she realised he had not reciprocated that promise.

"This protector…" said Hinata, "Do you love him?" Rukia blushed and turned away.

"W-what kind of question is that?" she groused. Hinata giggled softly.

Rukia sighed, "I don't know. But there's a really pretty girl who deserves him way more than I do."

"Why?"

She pondered that question. "She's just been so devoted to him way before I came into the pictures. She sacrifices a lot for him."

"But you shouldn't give up!" argued Hinata, "Isn't it up to him to decide who he loves?" Rukia looked up, surprised at her answer.

"I suppose so."

Dark clouds accumulated over Neji's grave on the day of his funeral. Shadowed eyes watched as his coffin was placed in the soil. Hinata's lip trembled ever so slightly.

But she would be strong.

Neji wouldn't want it otherwise. She had already cried at night. She had cried a whole succession of nights. No more crying. A wet drop touched her nose and as she looked up she felt that one drop turn into thousands. Scrummaging in her bag, she took out a yellow umbrella—and paused. Opening the umbrella, she took one step towards the grave. Another small step. Ignoring the weird looks thrown at her, she slowly placed her umbrella over the headstone and herself. When it finally stopped raining, she pocketed her umbrella and walked home with her sullen sister. Passing the market, Hanabi stopped in her tracks to stare at the beautifully designed doll house. Hinata could barely hide her smile as she realised Hanabi was beginning to act her age. Deciding to indulge her, Hinata bought the doll house from the kind old woman and Hanabi played with it slightly roughly as they walked home.

A screw fell loose and rolled onto the uneven dirt-covered pathway.

Stopping to pick it up once it had stopped, she found tanned arms doing the same. She looked up. Bright blue eyes and sunny blonde hair stared at her in wonder. As if he was only seeing her for the first time.

"N-Naruto-kun!" she stuttered out, her pale cheeks turning pink.

"Hey Hinata," he greeted, "Sorry about not giving my condolences at the funeral." Hinata smiled slightly.

"N-no worries," she said softly, "They're only f-formalities." Naruto held out the screw for her to take and smiled back, slightly in a daze. And then he turned around robotically and began to walk home.

It would be a few years before Naruto realised he had fallen in love with her. It would take a few more months before they got married and had two children together.

It would take a few more years for her to realise that Neji was still playing matchmaker and looking out for her even though he was no longer there.

She gripped her screw firmly.

"I don't understand you," growled Rukia, "You'll be gone from this world forever. Why are you so calm about this?"

Hinata smiled softly, "I'm coming back to someone."

"Your cousin." It was more of a statement than a question.

Hinata nodded, "He was someone I shouldn't have ever let go." An unearthly silence filled them. She looked at the kunai scattered around her nervously. Rukia looked too and her wonder couldn't be concealed.

"Do you remember how you died?" asked Rukia. Hinata thought that was a good question. Did she? She scanned her surroundings for the first time since Rukia had arrived. She had been bound to this forest, her actual body had been taken away long ago. Something stirred in Hinata's head. A memory.

A clash… an ambush… a kunai… And then it all came back to her. Her team had been fighting an unexpected attack. She had been cornered from all sides with kunai being thrown from all directions. Then an unexpected attack from her blind spot. The blinding pain.

"Yes," answered Hinata. Rukia nodded and sighed. She had been prolonging it, but this was enough chitchat. Placing the end of her zanpakutou to her forehead. A white light engulfed the Byakugan user.

"I'm sorry," whispered Rukia regretfully.

And it was then that Hinata panicked.

She could no longer be with Naruto. She could no longer see Himawari or Boruto. She could no longer hang out with her friends.

What would happen to her Friday's, Girls' Day Out?

How would Naruto cope? Or her children now that they were motherless? Fear gripped her throat and she began to blindly claw at the light.

"Let me out," she cried, "Let me out!"

"Shhh, Hinata-sama, you'll be alright…" Hinata turned around and saw Neji watching her with a twinkle in his eyes. Not many remembered their past lives. But he did and after she had fully transitioned to soul society, he would make sure she did too.

"Neji-nii-san…" she trembled, tears beginning to pool out, "Neji-nii-san… you're back, you're back, you're back, you're back…" She continued to murmur those words quietly to herself as if she couldn't believe it. Neji sighed and pulled her towards him, her sobs wetting his Shinigami uniform.

"Come, Hinata-sama, let's go to your new home," he told her and held out his hand. She took it gratefully and beamed. Hinata was a patient woman. She would watch over her family and friends. And when their time came, she would be there to make sure they remembered. Eventually they would be together again. She didn't mind waiting. Not when she had someone there waiting with her.

A/N: I've learned to accept all the next gen names, but seriously, Sarada? Salad? What'll be next, tomato?

Thanks for reading!