Mother's Day in a Sunny Place
A/N- Beta'd by UberChimerism.
Originally posted on Deviantart. It is set in an alternate universe, based on the Naruto Pilot Chapter, which I am creating an alternate universe in the Naruto Pilot chapter called "Another Destiny" which has Neji as the main character.
This story was created for Mother's Day a while back.
Within the Main House of the Hyūga compound, its twelve-year-old heiress, Hinata Hyūga, made her way to the kitchen. In her hand, she held a little present, for today was Mother's Day. Hinata felt particularly proud of this gift; it was simple, but heartfelt, and had been a team effort with herself, her sister Hanabi, and their cousin Neji. She was sure her mother would love it.
Hinata walked into the kitchen where, sure enough, her mother Hikari was fixing breakfast. With a smile as bright as the Sun itself, the Hyūga heiress gave her mother a warm hug. "Good morning, and Happy Mother's day!"
Unstartled, for the Byakugan had allowed her to see her daughter's arrival, Hikari returned the hug. "Good morning to you too, darling, and thank you. I see you have a little present for me."
Hinata beamed as she took her seat at the table. She couldn't wait to show her mother! But first, she had to wait for her sister and cousin.
Several minutes later, Hanabi and Neji Hyūga entered. As did Hinata, the two of them said their good mornings, although only Hanabi wished Hikari Happy Mother's Day. It wasn't that Neji harbored any particular grudge or resentment towards his aunt; it was simply that he felt out of place saying those words. Yes, Hikari was the closest thing he had had to a mother for as long as he could remember, but that didn't change the fact that she wasn't his mother. He had, however, contributed to his cousins' card, after some coaxing on Hinata's part, and felt that that was enough.
Sometime after Neji and Hanabi took their seats at the table, Hikari placed their breakfast— eggs sunny-side up with sunflower seeds, and some cinnamon buns for Hinata—on the table, before opening the card that Hinata had given her.
The front read 'Happy Mother's Day!', with a big smiley face drawn by Hanabi at the bottom. Inside were a few pressed flowers; the words 'Thank you for everything!" and the signatures of her daughters and nephew on the left page; and on the other page, a picture drawn by Hanabi which had herself, Hanabi, Hinata, and Neji holding hands and the sun shining down upon them at the top of the page.
Looking up, Hikari saw the beaming faces of her daughters, as well as the muted smile of her nephew. Ever since Hizashi and Yōrei had died during that nine-tailed fox's attack on Mount Oinari, she and Hiashi had gone against clan tradition and raised Neji alongside their daughters. I know my brother would have wanted this, Hiashi had said. It hadn't always been all sunshine and rainbows, especially with her father-in-law's tacit disapproval, but over the years, Hikari had come to love Neji like the son she never had.
She liked to think that maybe, he'd return that love.
Tears welling up, Hikari enveloped Neji in a warm hug, much to the branded Hyūga's surprise. He eventually returned the embrace, feeling tears well up in his own eyes. Past the lump in his throat and under the watchful eyes of his cousins, Neji finally said it, no longer caring about technical relations:
"Happy Mother's Day, Auntie."
