Fate's Game

Chapter I: The Die Are Cast

Summary: Neji wished it was a dream. Hinata prayed it was a nightmare. Tenten hoped it was a miracle. But it's fate's game, now, and he's playing for keeps.

Pairings: NejiTen, NaruHina

Rating: T, for some language and mature themes.

Disclaimer: Let this apply to all future chapters - I do not, and never shall own Naruto or the characters therein, however much I wish it were otherwise. Which is why this is called fanfiction. net.

Even through her thick jacket Hinata could feel cold radiating from the walls, and she shivered. Her eyes skimmed the chamber without really seeing the white walls, stark in their focused functionality, even as her father strode past her, his back ram-rod straight and his face frozen in an expression of aloof detachedness. He did not look at her.

Her icy hands clutched each other a little tighter in her lap.

Her cousin slid wordlessly into the seat beside her. His jaw was tight, his hands fisted. He did not look at her either. If he had, she could not have met his eyes.

White-eyed relatives filed wordlessly into the room. The young ones seemed oblivious, or bored. But the old ones--their proud faces told her that they knew exactly why they were there. Every so often a mother, standing with her teenage daughter, would glare at Hinata, as if to say, it should have been my daughter.

Gladly, Hinata thought bitterly. Anyone but me.

It was an honor, the Hyuuga in her said hollowly. And girls would kill to fill her shoes. But she held no illusions as to the reason why it was she who sat in the seat of honor; Hyuuga Hiashi had made that overwhelmingly clear, and the note she had received that morning was one she had anticipated for a long time. It read:

Hyuuga Hinata,

Your presence is formally requested at a meeting of the Hyuuga clan concerning your impending engagement to Hyuuga Neji this evening at 8:00.

There was no signature and no question in that message. Hinata had spent the greater part of the day preparing herself for the gathering, but already she could see that her preparation had been in vain. As the chamber filled she felt her chest growing tight and her pulse racing. She focused her gaze on her hands, clenched in her lap. They were shaking, and much to her chagrin, she seemed quite unable to stop them.

She felt the familiar burning in her eyes that foretold tears and squeezed her eyes shut to hold them back them. She had to be strong.

She suddenly felt an irrational urge to laugh. Strong. That was certainly something she'd never been, at least not in her father's eyes. Hinata was not stupid. She knew her father had long wished that his wife had borne him a son, a son like Neji who was talented and wise and everything a clan head should be. And she knew that it was politics that promised her to Neji. Married to her, Neji could legitimately assume Hiashi's position when the time came, and she would be where she belonged: dolled up on the sidelines, planning banquets and bearing children that would inherit Neji's strength and her obedience.

The tears threatened again, and again Hinata strove to push them back. It would do her no good to show weakness here. Not now. A lone tear slipped down her cheek and she hastily wiped it away.

Beside her, Neji focused his gaze on a point on the far wall. He could feel Hinata sitting tensely in her chair, could feel her distress and would have tried to comfort her, but did not trust himself to speak. It seemed almost like a dream, and so he ignored it, held his breath and his anger and hoped that he would wake up.

So when Hiashi stood to speak, Neji remained silent. His heart pounded, and he waited for the inevitable. The gathering was a formality. The reality was that the decision had been made when they were barely children. Hinata had been weak, and Hiashi had despised her weakness. He had cast about for the heir for which he longed, and he had spied Neji. The cards were dealt long before Neji or Hinata even knew the game.

And as Hiashi stood to address the countless eyes staring at him, Neji could almost hear the enormous celestial die crashing down about him, as it to say, "You never stood a chance."

His eyes drifted for a moment to his uncle, who seemed to have set aside any pretense of fatherly affection. His words echoed in the cold room and embedded themselves in Neji's mind.

Weak. Ill-suited. Unfit. Useless. Strength. Skill. Pure.

Pure.

Pure.

His eyes snapped back to the wall. He bit his tongue and tasted blood. The pain was enough to keep him from speaking out, which was just as well. He did not trust himself to speak.

And then it was over. The silence had dissolved into excited twitters, congratulations and glances. Hinata glanced at Neji as they rose to leave, as if meaning to say something, but the look on Neji's face stilled her thoughts. Instead she followed Neji silently to the door. They walked wordlessly to their respective rooms, both closing their doors softly behind them.

Yay!! Chapter One is up! It's short, I know, certainly shorter than I'd like. The chapters will get longer as it progresses. I'm trying really hard to get Ch. II in post-able shape. This is the first fic I've ever gotten up the nerve to post and had the time to finish, so constructive criticism is welcome and encouraged.

THERE IS...a special circle in hell reserved for those who flame without purpose, and most unfortunately, I can't immediately place people there. But hey, anything's welcome.