Hi! I'm not a huge fan of Hyuugacest, but I found this topic very interesting. I wanted to portray a somewhat realistic picture of what the clans do and did back then. I hope you all enjoy!
Disclaimer: If I did, effing Sasuke would be back by now.
"In the Shinobi world, duty was held above all else. Clans would intermarry with another, to keep kekkai genkai in their family, to keep the blood pure. And so it went on for generations and generations."
"They were the first of their generation. At the ripe age of twenty, Neji Hyuuga and Hinata Hyuuga, first cousins, were to be betrothed."
"And the rest of them knew, soon it would be their turn too."
When Hinata Hyuuga first envisioned her wedding, it was held at the Hyuuga complex, surrounded by her family and the Konoha Twelve, plus Sai, and the Lady Hokage, and Kurenai sensei, and Iruka sensei, and all of them all together. She would wear her traditional dress, and would be covered head-to-toe in jewels—merely for the sake of tradition. She would bow in front of her new husband, grinning widely from ear-to-ear. He'd run his fingers through his blond locks and whisper, "Yes," when asked to marry her.
That Sunday morning, her dream had come to an abrupt halt.
Her father, Hiashi, had called her and Neji to the room he held clan meetings. They were surrounded by various elders, all with the same lavender eyes and blank expressions.
"N-nissan, do you think we're in trouble?" Hinata had whispered to Neji, who walked in step beside her. Whilst her hands were shaking from nervousness, Neji appeared calm and serene, like the ocean before a tide.
"We're okay."
She thought for a split second she saw his eyebrows crease, but it quickly disappeared as they entered the room. They bowed, and sat down.
"Hinata, Neji, we have called this meeting to inform you of an important decision," Hiashi paused. He turned towards Hinata. "Hinata, you are clan head. You have a responsibility to take over this clan after I pass. You are the next in line. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
Her voice came out clearer and bolder than she had expected it. Hiashi looked slightly surprised as well, before rendering his face emotionless once more.
"That being said, it's your job to restore balance between the Head Family as well as the Branch Family. Unite them into one."
"Yes, father."
He turned towards Neji, clearing his throat. He looked slightly nervous, for reasons neither of them knew. "Neji, you are of the branch family. You are, my brother's son. You are patient, intelligent, cunning, and tactical. Of course, you will be responsible for assisting Hinata, in her endeavors as clan leader as well."
Neji bowed. "I understand."
"That being said," Hiashi continued. "You must protect her in every way. To connect the two families together again, certain things have to be done. And since you're young adults now-," He paused, and glanced at Neji then Hinata. "Do you two understand?"
Hinata looked towards Neji. Why was a whole meeting called for this? Neji knew of his duties, Hinata knew of hers. She knew that he would help her—after all, he was one of the best shinobi the Hyuuga clan had to offer. He was a Jonin, and smart, and everything he was supposed to be.
"If it's okay, with Hinata-sama, of course." It was Neji who spoke. He carefully looked at her, expectedly. There was something behind his lavender eyes—something Hinata knew even the Byakugan wouldn't be able to interpret. It wasn't pity, or anger—emotions she had seen in his eyes before. Instead, it was more like…
Concern.
"Of course I'm alright with Neji-nissan protecting me," Hinata said. She said a little louder, "But I can protect myself too, Father. There's a reason I've made Jonin. I'm ready to inherit the title of clan leader, whenever you are ready to give it up."
Her father was quiet for a moment, so Neji intercepted the silence with, "Hinata-sama. Your father, and the rest of the clan is suggesting, rather explaining, that it is my duty and yours, to become betrothed. To each other."
It took a while for this information to sink into Hinata's mind.
"B-betrothed? To Neji-nissan?"
Ino Yamanaka was a loud drunk. She knew it too. Perhaps she inherited it from her teacher, the Lady Hokage, or perhaps it was just in her nature—but after every mission, the Jonin and Yamanaka clan head would be seen with her drinking buddies, the Inuzuka boy and the Weapon Mistress, laughing loudly and swigging a bottle of sake.
"So, Kiba-kun-," she began, wrapping her arm around his neck. "How's Hinata?"
Kiba, although his face was already red from drinking, blushed, and pushed her away. "Oi, shut up, will ya Yamanaka? She's already in love with the freaking Town Hero. One who saved all of Konoha." Kiba angrily bit into a stick of dango. "If I were the hero, she'd be all over me."
Tenten snorted. "'Course, Inuzuka. Not even Hinata can resist the stench of dog." Ino and Tenten howled with laughter, clanking their drinks together.
Kiba growled. "What about you Tenten, huh? How's that crush on the Hyuuga prodigy going? I heard he made it into Anbu." He glugged down his drink.
Ino perked up. She loved hearing stories of the Hyuuga boy from a buzzed Tenten—the stories were always interesting, if not amusing. She had learned things about him—Ino had always assumed Neji was a cold-hearted, upright prodigy child, but according to Tenten, he was a tsundere cross-dresser who liked to role-play with Lee.
She shivered. She never knew the Hyuuga to be that way. She was hoping that Tenten was drunk, and didn't realize the connotation the word role-play suggested, and that she meant something entirely else. Even if the Hyuuga was like that, she expected the role play to be with someone better… not the green tight-wearing coconut head.
"Chh, yeah, he probably thinks he's a total badass now," Tenten rolled her eyes.
"A hot badass," Ino murmured.
"Yeah, a total hottie," continued Tenten, acknowledging Ino's statement. "I mean, if I had my way with him…"
"What would you do, Tenten?"
Ino spun around, seeing Neji enter the tiny end of the corner bar, eyebrow cocked on his god-like face of perfection.
Tenten flushed a deep shade of red. "N-Neji!" she stuttered, standing up, almost knocking over her drink.
"I know what I would do." Ino stood up, and walked over to the Hyuuga carefully. She tugged at the end of his sleeve, swooning. Her breath was in his ear. "I would steal your team, and you and me would go somewhere far away and do some training… alone."
He pushed her away. "Careful, Yamanaka," he glowered. The Yamanaka girl stood in front of him, swaying slightly from left-to-right. She stunk of alcohol, and dog. He looked over at the Inuzuka boy, who was scowling at him. They were supposed to be the head of their clans, yet they acted like drunken teenagers. Which they technically were. And what was he doing here again?
"What's wrong, Neji-kun?" Ino pouted. "You look a little tense."
Neji rolled his eyes. "Inuzuka," he called over Ino's shoulder. "Her flirting is tiring me. Can we switch places?"
Ino punched him—hard, Neji would like to add—in the shoulder in a way that was supposed to be girly and flirtatious. "You suck, Hyuuga."
He ignored her and made way for Tenten, grabbing her arm. "Tenten, I need to speak with you. Now."
Tenten looked flustered. "A-ah, okay, Neji."
He dragged her out of the bar, leaving an annoyed Ino and a pissed-off Kiba.
Ino sauntered over to Kiba, grabbing him by the collar of his jacket. "So, Inuzuka," she cooed in a low tone. "Just you and me, what are we supposed to do now?"
Once after a mission, Ino and Kiba had found themselves ridiculously intoxicated—they had played a drinking game, and since neither of them had a particularly high alcohol tolerance, they both quickly became drunk. When Ino awoke the next morning, she found herself entangled in bed-sheets and in Kiba's arms. This soon developed into occasional rendezvouses. Neither of them had emotions towards each other, rather their relationship was comrades that friendly flirted. Nothing more, nothing less. Until of course, they started sleeping with each other.
Kiba smirked wolfishly. "You that easy, Yamanaka?"
Ino returned his smirk with a teasing grin, and whispered in a low, seductive tone, "Try me."
"Neji, what is it?" Tenten crossed her arms over her chest. She had dealt with the Hyuuga boy's random actions for nearly ten years, and had learned how to approach it.
He had pulled her away from the bar and into a corner of the wood, near where they used to train while they were under Team Gai. "Tenten," he began. "Hinata-sama and I are betrothed."
Tenten couldn't remember what happened next—all she knew is she felt her stomach leap up into her throat and out onto the Hyuuga's shoes. And the rest of the world went black.
I hope ya'll enjoyed!:) Please review and subscribe!