Midsummer Afterglow: Hello I'm back with another short Naruto fanfic! Pairing is Neji and Hinata. For those who do not share my love for them, you don't have to read this but if you do then I truly hope you enjoy this, my take, on their stories!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto in any way, shape, or form. Though if I did, Itachi and Sakura would get togther at some point! ;) hehe
This story has just been re-edited and I hope the changes make it over all an easier and smoother read. :D
Makings of an Heiress
Hinata awoke to the sound of rain pelting the roof of her childhood home. It had been three days since her sixteenth birthday and now more than ever she knew her father, Hiashi, would be expecting her to make a decision as to what she planned to do about being the initial heiress of the Hyuuga clan.
The more she thought about it, the more she realized how unsuited she was for the position. Her younger sister, Hanabi, was truly the better choice. It was something she could no longer deny. Besides, her heart lay elsewhere. Her determination to grow strong had never faltered but her passion to become head of the Hyuuga clan one day, had.
Her entire life had been shaped so that when the day came she would be able to face her fate head on. Now that it was here though, the prospect of facing it was very low indeed. If Hanabi refused to take her place then the position would most likely go to someone from the closest of the branch families. Hinata could easily guess who it would pass to. Neji Hyuuga.
He was her cousin, related by blood, but yet she had never been close to him. In fact she had always watched him from afar hoping to be like him. To have the same daring confidence which shone is eyes. He made everything she struggled with seem so simple.
It hurt knowing that her father did not believe in her the way he believed in her sisters ever growing potential and because of his lack of confidence in her she felt that Neji was someone she needed to model herself after. If only she could shine the way he did.
Even though he was not born into the main family, he still stood out as the most talented coming of age shinobi in the Hyuuga family. His abilities trumped the other children's in the branch families and it was no doubt because he was someone who could be called gifted in every way.
Hinata sighed into the darkness of the room around her. The rain had begun falling faster and harder. The melodic sounds of each drop meeting with the roof over head, sent small shivers down her spine. It was like they were counting down the time she had remaining before she must face her father and inevitably be cast aside as she broke to him the truth residing in her heart.
The air in the room felt colder and her limbs felt cramped as they were still tucked tightly beneath the blanket covering her small form. Rising from her futon, she forced her muscles into action.
Slowly she made her way through the silent house to the sliding door which led outside. Hinata opened it a crack and stretched out her arm. The air outside was just as cold as it was inside, perhaps even more.
She pushed the sliding door aside and stepped out into the chill early morning. The sun seemed to be hiding within the gray clouds which covered the sky. The slates of the wooden porch beneath her bare feet felt smooth and a bit slippery from the moisture which had accumulated on them during the storm the previous night.
Walking cautiously to the front of the porch, Hinata stepped down carefully onto the wet gravel stone pathway which led from the main house into the gardens. Her simple white kimono was not enough to shelter her from the cold but she grit her teeth and focused on the pathway. She was not sure where she was going but she needed to prepare herself for what morning would bring.
Remembering how she had used to walk with her father in these same gardens when she was but a little girl learning the ways of the Hyuuga family. Back then, he introduced her proudly to the world of ninja's, the world of possibilities. Now, that world seemed as if it had faded along with the past.
Becoming a worthy ninja was all she ever wanted then, but as fate would have it, she had a more important role to fulfill. She remembered every seemingly endless training session and lesson in proper clan head etiquette that had been drilled into her head day after day. There were so many rules, so many expectations. One could hardly see himself achieving so much in so little time and yet she had done so...
At least she thought she had, but her father had thought differently.
He constantly referred to her progress as inadequate and slow. For so long she was told that she would never match up to those who were born gifted if she did not try harder, push herself further, and exceed her own self made limits. So time and time again she strove to do just this, if not for herself then for her father, who she wished more than anything, to look at her the way he looked at her cousin Neji or her sister Hanabi.
If just once she could see those proud eyes focusing on her face, then everything would be alright.
Hinata stopped under a weeping willow which grew close to the entrance to the branch families homes. It seemed bent over with pain as if it was carrying a heavy burden by just trying to lift its branches high as other trees did, but to no avail.
A small smile graced her frosted lips. She wondered for a moment if this was how she appeared to those in her clan. Did they see her like this weeping willow, stuck forever trying to accomplish what it would never be able to? She knew somewhere inside this was so.
Hinata braced herself against the willows sturdy trunk and slumped to the ground. She could not be sure if tears were falling from her eyes because the rain made it impossible to tell. Her long indigo hair was plastered to the sides of her face and her kimono was soaked through. The dirt underneath her was staining the hem of her white robe but she was too emotionally tired to care.
She was running away again, that is why she had left the house wasn't it? It had all happened so fast, opening the sliding door and stepping out into the rain that she had not noticed that she did indeed know where she was going.
She had not been looking for a place to come to terms with her fate but instead looking for a place to hide from it. Perhaps if she was hidden so well they would never find her and she could forget about being strong when she had really no reason to be. The only strength she had left was strength enough to flee from everyone and everything. Flee from her prideful clan, from her stern father, from her graced sister, and gifted cousin, from all the eyes which bore into her heart.
Hinata had hardly noticed when she had first begun shivering when suddenly she saw two sandaled feet appear on the ground before her eyes. She held in her breath and her eyes widened. Who could possibly be awake at a time like this? Why was someone out here in this weather?
She was almost afraid to look up to see who it was. It was then that the person crouched down to meet her gaze with his similar one. Neji!
Hinata let out her breath and a surprised gasp escaped her lips. Those eyes which she had feared to look upon once more were assessing her with such genuine pity and tenderness that it stilled her racing heart.
She gulped nervously and gripped the bark of the tree tightly. Perhaps her run out into the rain had caused her to become delusional. Maybe this was all a dream. Neji had never looked at her so before. In fact, she could not remember the last time he had dared to look at her at all.
She felt small and insignificant under his gaze but she could not tear her eyes away from his face. He was just as soaked as she was and a single bead of water slid from his dark bangs down one of his pale cheeks.
Without thinking, she instantly reached out and halted its decent with the side of her index finger. Her finger, lingering motionlessly close to the side of his pursed lips gently slid across and over onto them.
All this time, his silence had unnerved her but the look in his eyes only continued to soften at her touch. She was positive now she was dreaming. There was no way possible Neji would allow such contact, especially by someone he had always deemed to be beneath him.
Neji took hold of her wrist gently then and as he intended to pull her up off the ground, Hinata indulged in the uncharacteristic act and stood when he did.
His hand was surprisingly warm, wrapped around her small wrist. He pulled her in the direction of his home and once they reached the empty porch, the light of dawn began to filter through the gloomy clouds.
The rain fell lighter on her skin now and though his back was turned as he was walking before her, his grip on her wrist told her that she was safe now. The tears which she had shed earlier, forgotten.
The two entered the still dark house and Hinata instantly felt the difference in temperature from the outside. Unlike her stuffy room where she slept, this one was warm and cozy. She felt more at home here than she had in her own house.
It was a strange feeling to be honest but a nice one. Somehow in this place she felt as if she was accepted. She had never known it could be possible that just being around Neji would change so much for her.
All this time she never dared to be near him unless she had to because she feared him. It was a fear born from the way her father and others in the clan had spoken about him. It was a fear that was nested in her because of the way he looked at others.
His eyes did not hold the same anger as her fathers did but more of a shallow emptiness; a void which had not been filled.
Perhaps it was this trait that made him appear unapproachable. But there was more in his eyes than just that void, there was something deeper there. Every time she happened to glance in his direction at a gathering or from across the gardens, Hinata was positive that a great confidence in his own abilities shone from within his violet white eyes.
She had never gotten so good a look at them as she had a moment ago but as she had taken in the features of his face, she noticed just how beautiful he was. To say he was gifted was an understatement. The word did not justify the passion in his expressions, the graceful movements of his body when he fought, the searching courage held in his eyes.
Hinata suddenly found that a rush of heat had infiltrated her cheeks and she turned away from Neji to hide the fact.
She felt him place his hands upon the sides of her face, turning her back to his attention. "Hinata, you are the heiress of the Hyuuga family. Do not turn your face away from that fact."
Neji's words were simply whispers in the soft light of the morning but they pierced her heart nonetheless. What he said was true. Even here and now she was trying to avoid reality.
Dream world or not, she had to face him as an equal.
She was afraid to speak in case she failed to allow any words to escape her lips but mustering the courage she needed, her voice, no louder than his had been, filled the silent room. "I..I want to become the heiress I was meant to be."
Neji smiled at her words and Hinata felt an unknown strength pumping within her veins. Her whole body was flooded with newfound courage and resolution. Neji stepped closer to her, filling the small distance between them. Hinata, unwavering in her resolve, did not turn away from him but instead she squared her shoulders and lifted her eyes to meet his.
Suddenly without being told to, Hinata activated her Byakugan and the next moment, Neji had activated his as well. Reaching up to move several strands of hair away from his face, Hinata felt as if she was looking at Neji for the first time.
She had gazed at him countless times before, but this was the first time she was really seeing him.
He too had burdens he carried. For so long she knew nothing about him other than what people spoke of him.
Her heart raced at the idea that only centimeters apart, this man was just like her. He carried his own demons within him although he never showed signs of this on the surface.
That stoic and composed expression he always wore was nothing short of the one she wore to convince others and herself that she could change.
Neji's hand came up to rest on the back of her neck, his warmth flooding into her once more. His other hand cupped the side of her face and gently he drew her body against his own.
Her eyes closed and her Byakugan began to recede as she placed both her hands on his broad chest. Hinata smiled warmly and then his lips closed the last small space between their soaked bodies.
Their lips moved together first slowly then faster as their need became more eager to fulfill.
His lips were soft and sweet and altogether inviting. As his tongue slipped into her mouth and his grip on the back of her neck tightened she realized just how much he needed this.
Perhaps this dream was no more than a lustful escape created by her alone. Perhaps she would awake to find that it was nothing more than a young girl's fantasy toying with her mind, but either way, she would not let it end here. Her need was just as strong as his and she could not stop herself from giving in to passion.
Neji's hands slid down to her waist and she clutched the fabric of his shirt letting him know that she was prepared to go further. His tongue tasted every corner of her mouth and she in turn explored his forbidden one.
Caught up in the moment Neji pulled away and began to trial soft kisses down to her exposed neck. She sighed gratefully and murmured his name against his hair.
Hinata had never felt so free before. Her mind was clouded and her body was reeling with sensations she had never known existed until now.
The sleeves of her Kimono were falling from her shoulders and Neji took the opportunity to slide his tongue over her now bare shoulder. Hinata shivered in response to his ministrations and lifted her arms around his neck drawing herself closer inside his embrace.
His long ebony hair fell into her face and she could not resist her desire to run her hands through the silky strands, loosening them from their bunch at the middle of his back.
The couple began to move back towards the wall where Neji pushed up against Hinata roughly shoving her against it.
Hinata gasped in pain but had no time to settle on it as Neji's thigh was pressed dangerously up against the sheer fabric still covering her legs. From in between her legs she felt a warm tickling sensation which caused her heart to race even faster. Her breathing was raspy and she kept her eyes shut tight as Neji's hand settled upon one of her breasts.
He pulled down the fabric covering her chest and a cold chill centered on her now exposed chest and stomach. Hinata could not stop him, nor did she want to. The more his hands caressed her body the more she found herself unable to move.
Her legs felt like they would collapse beneath her if Neji failed to hold her body pinned against the smooth wall.
A small moan escaped her lips when Hinata felt Neji's mouth close around one of her nipples. The moan coerced him into running his tongue up and over it once, and then as Hinata's current grip on his shoulder tightened, once more.
He turned his attention to her other breast then, continuing the motion and together their bodies slumped to the floor.
The daylight filtering through the room's windows was brighter and more prominent. Coming out of her sensual daze and realizing that what was occurring was definitely not a dream, Hinata took notice of this fact and instantly reached towards Neji, who at the moment was trailing kissing across her pale stomach.
He paused reluctantly when he felt her shifting beneath him and looked up.
Hinata smiled when she saw the disappointed frown appearing on his face when he too realized the sun had come out bringing with it the morning.
Neji, unwilling to move off the small girl just yet, settled with laying his head on her stomach. Neither was sure what to say although they both perfectly knew what they wanted to do.
Hinata spoke first, breaking the unbearable silence. "Neji, thank you."
The short and unexpected statement startled him and he looked up at Hinata. "For what Hinata?"
Hinata smiled at him and then looked up at the ceiling, knowing all too well that staring him directly in the face would only make her urge for his touch intensify.
"F..for coming to me. For t..this."
Neji lifted his body off of the timid girl and moved to lie beside her as she continued.
"Last night I was so sure that I was not ready to face my father or the clan and thanks to you, I now know that I am."
Neji grasped Hinata's hand, and the two turned their faces to gaze at one another. "You have always been ready Hinata. You only needed to stop doubting yourself in order to see that."
Hinata felt a warm heat rise to her cheeks as Neji said this. She was not embarrassed, merely happy to have been praised by him. She turned her attention back to the ceiling and sighed, a smile now gracing her swollen lips.
"I suppose I have been ready all along. I'm only sad I took so long to realize it."
Neji squeezed her hand in his and Hinata turned on her side to face him again. "All that matters now is that you have realized it before it was too late Hinata. Your weaknesses are your strengths and vice versa. Do not hide yourself from the judgments of others because even if you believed you were perfect, they would find some reason to put you down."
Hinata felt tears pricking the back of her eyes as Neji spoke but she dared not let them fall in front of him.
He was right. Just as she had seen with him, although everyone praised him and spoke of him as if he was perfect, Neji carried his own faults that he struggled with.
It did not matter who she was, as long as she was willing to carry on when others determined to make her fail, she was proving that she was worthy of being an heiress. After all is that not what her father was doing?
Carrying the entire weight of the clan was not easy and her father had made mistakes in his position so why should she not be able to as well?
All people learn from their mistakes. Making mistakes is what makes a person human. It is not something they can avoid unless they rid themselves of all emotion and feeling and if she had done that what would she have left?
In order to be the head of the clan she needed to be human enough to empathize with her people and yet she could also be strong for them when they needed her to be.
Hinata decided to let her tears fall and as she did so, Neji moved closer and wrapped his arms around her.
In the pre light of the early morning, she lay happily within his embrace and as the sounds of people in the clan awaking began to fill the emptiness of the outside Hinata listened intently with a great joy in both her heart and her mind.
Authors Note: Hello everyone! Midsummer Afterglow here! :D I have become recently very intrigued with the paring Hinata and Neji. I understand that not everyone agrees with it but that really does not bother me. Personally I adore Hinata's story in Naruto. They way she continues to blossom and better herself as a character is something I respect. This story came to me after re-watching Hinata fight Neji in the Chunin exams. Not many people would imagine Hinata finding solice and comfort in someone like Neji but it's that forbidden close relationship which to me makes the two of them so compatible. I hope you can all review if possible just so that I know how well or perhaps awful I am at writing fanfics. I am still pretty knew to it all so I would appreciate any type of feedback but please no flaming! Thanks and hope you enjoyed this one shot!