Autumns Grace

- I will not disappoint -
by Nelarun

Naruto belongs to Kisimoto Masashi

Blues and greens. Colours indicating calm and confidence, new life. It was a new painting in her father's study, a blue wren in the shrubs, one that had toured the library and the dining areas, meditation grotto and reception area. It was her favourite. A slight frown touched her brow when she realised that the sun was about to shift and cast both light and shadow over the silk painting. She would have to make sure it was moved before the sun ruined it. That would be a pity. Her fingers ran over the lilac stained, ivory bound fan in her hand and she traced the dragonfly that had been carved there. "Can you do it?" They were the first words spoken for nearly an hour. Her eyes snapped to her fathers and he saw the calm resolve in them before she bowed to him, her hands pressing daintily against the tatami flooring.

"I will not disappoint, chichiue."

Neji walked into the room as Hinata's maid finished layering her into the kimono, directing her to leave with a tilt of his chin before he picked up the obi and approached his cousin, wrapping it and binding an exquisite and complicated knot before he ran a comb through her hair, expertly pinning it and setting the comb in place as decoration before he lined her eyes. When he was finished she leaned forward, pressing her ear against his chest, allowing his steady heartbeat to still her nerves. "He'll kill me," she whispered. "Of that I have no doubt." Neji frowned. Her target was an ANBU Captain on the second year of his mandatory recovery period. At the end of the year he would begin training for ANBU again, but that didn't mean that he wasn't lethal, nor that he wasn't occasionally doing ANBU missions. "Please watch over Hanabi for me? Care for her as you have me?" her plea jolted him from his thoughts and he sighed.

"You need to ask?"

"No, but I did."

Instantly Neji moved back to kneel. "Hinata-sama, I swear to always watch over, protect and defend Hanabi." He could feel Hinata studying him, testing his worth before with the barest rustle of cloth she left the room.

oOo

Itachi had been watching the Hyuuga interact with the Aburame, Nara and the Akimichi when his father silently ordered him to join the other heirs. Shikamaru nodded politely to him and Itachi lifted an eyebrow. By rank the boys father was equal to the heads of the Noble Four, but his son was not equal to the heirs. The Nara pretended to not notice and Hinata smiled faintly at him in amusement, the two offering equal bows. "Hyuuga-dono."

"Uchiha-dono," her gaze was cool and calculating wondering why he was with the younger heirs when his age-mates were a few groups over. He heard raucous laughter and grimaced internally. Ah, that was why. They were quiet and less likely to startle a bad reaction out of him and extend his time off the field. At Hinata's acceptance of him they shifted and it was like he had always been there. Hinata was a gentle presence at his shoulder, someone he trusted to have his back, someone gentle who was unlikely to do him any harm. As though she was aware that his thoughts were on her, she turned to look at him. "I understand you are coming to the end of your rest cycle. Are you enjoying the regulars?"

Itachi looked down at her and she smiled politely. "I am. And I am."

"As verbose as ever," Shikamaru said and Ino elbowed him.

The group laughed and suddenly Itachi found himself drawn into discussion by the Yamanaka, the rest of the time passed quickly. "...Hinata bakes for her mentors whenever she's stressed."

"Creation is a valid way of dealing with stress," Hinata said gently. "Just because I am a good apprentice who remembers her mentors."

Ino rolled her eyes and Itachi saw Hinata's smile. "If you're lucky, she'll bake for you, sometime, Itachi."

"Unlikely," Hinata said.

"Do it next time Sasuke is being annoying," Ino said and immediately turned to Itachi. "Sasuke has been trying to get some of Hinata's baked goods since he started with the military police."

There was a devilish gleam in her eyes and he couldn't help but be drawn in. "I've heard that you dropped some off to the station."

"Some officers assisted me with work the week before Sasuke returned from Hishin. So I baked them some muffins, nothing special." Hinata said.

"They didn't even check to see if they were poisoned," Chouji pointed out.

"I believe they said something like 'If we die by Hinata's hand, what a way to go.' which is alarming." Ino rolled her eyes and Hinata hid a laugh behind her sleeve and Itachi's eyes were drawn back to her, drinking in her expression, the happy flush to her cheeks, the laugh lines around her eyes. Her mother appeared and Hinata turned away from the group with a small bow and fell into step with her mother, the two speaking softly as they following Hiashi from the room. Itachi's gaze following her every step.

There was a slight smile on his lips and a sharp edge to his gaze. He was going to enjoy this assignment.