Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Broken Glass
"You make me feel out of my element,
like I'm walking on broken glass,
like the tides pulling me in deeper,
making it harder to breathe."
--
Her father looked down sternly at her and Hinata - despite being a grown woman of twenty-one - felt as if she were twelve again. She wondered if the feeling would ever leave her. If her father would ever regard her as an equal and whether she would ever be able to consider herself equal to her father.
Her father was not cruel. Far from it. He was stern. Strict and quiet in a way that made him seem aloof and unapproachable. A man of cool marble. But Hinata knew he loved her. She knew she wasn't the daughter he had always wanted. She was timid and meek and despite acquiring impressive shinobi skills, she would never measure up to the type of shinobi that her father respected. Nonetheless, Hinata had faith in her father's love and concern for her. It was, after all, her mother's dying wish that he take care of little Hinata - to make sure no harm comes her way or Hanabi's.
Her mother had been a fragile woman like her. She looks like a porcelain doll - she was barely five feet tall and her skin was the color of milk and was as smooth as butter. Her hair - her greatest treasure - had been inky black and long unlike Hinata's short dark bluish locks.
Hinata, for her part, kept her hair short on purpose. She had grown it out once, foolishly thinking it would gain her the attention of Naruto-kun. It had - for a second. But no matter what she said or did or looked like, he would only see her as a friend and as a sister. His heart belonged to Sakura despite her consistent rejections.
"You understand your duties as the Hyuuga heiress." Her father's voice was not unkind. He spoke clearly with conviction and purpose.
"Hai." Hinata bowed obediently. She knew and understood her duties well: the Hyuuga Clan came first. For the benefit of the clan, no sacrifice or pain endured was too great. Not even a lifetime of marriage to a man she could barely recognize.
Her father looked at her for a second and a moment of softness appeared in his eyes - or at least, that is how Hinata saw it. She took advantage of the moment to ask what had been nagging her ever since she heard of the arrangement made.
"But why - he is considered a t-traitor to Konoha, is he n-not?" She asked timidly. Her phrasing was mild and was much kinder to the last surviving Uchiha than her own sister's words had been when she was informed of the wedding.
Something odd flickered between her father's eyes but it was gone before Hinata had any time to recognize it.
"For the Clan, Hinata." Her father replied vaguely. But before he left the room, he glanced back at her.
"It is a blood matter I'm afraid as well as a power matter. But none of that information will be of any use to you - it won't change the fact that you will marry the Uchiha. It will only further burden what is sure to be a strained marriage." He spat out the word 'Uchiha' as if he had spoken profanity.
With that her father left her alone. A blood and a power matter. Which could only mean that both Tsunade-sama as well as the Clan Elders were to gain from her marriage - or rather, alliance - with Uchiha Sasuke. Hinata twisted her mother's ring slowly around her middle finger, hoping it would give her mental strength in what she was sure would be difficult times.
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A/N: Well I'm in my 'element' with Sasuhina but I've never tried the whole "arranged marriage" plot before (though I've seen and read it several times - and it's been done well by so many writers here!). Hopefully this whole project won't turn out completely dreadful. Now this first chapter was a tad boring and even I'll admit that. But still, provide some feedback for me on what works, what doesn't and whether I should continue or not. Thanks for all your support!