Broken Branches
(*)
"Scar it, give it a twisted branch - perfect trees don't exist. Nothing is perfect."
- Laurie Halse Anderson
(*)
Her father's pale hand weighed on her head. She looked up at him though her bangs, curious about what he had to say. Her tiny fingers reached up and twined into his. The pale and chocolaty skin-tones contrasted each other. "Papa?" She smiled. Her father let his hand slide from her short black hair. "Is everything all right?" His expression that morning spoke of many things. Reflected on the silver surface of the girl's vanity mirror was affection, of worry, and of hope. Compared to the usually blank slate of her father's expression, it was turmoil.
He nodded in affirmation. "Today we cut your hair for the last time." He touched her unblemished forehead gently, and then tapped her nose. He knew that his daughter would stay free, unless- but that would not happen. And if it did… he wasn't sure what he would do. He'd probably do anything, so that her skin would remain brown without any hints of green ink to taint it. Even betray his clan. He took the scissors from the table, and pulled a length of hair between his fingers. It was oil slick black, and curled slightly near the ends. The strands gleamed indigo-black as they fluttered through the air to the ground. Like feathers from the ends of clipped wings.
"Are you sure?" Neji knew she didn't really like all the expectations he set on her shoulders, they must be heavy as lead weights. She was only a little girl after all, but he wanted the best for her. He wanted for her to never need feel the pressure of the Main Family looming over. Never know the feeling of having her wings clipped and being dismissed, no matter how skilled she was. So until today, until she had proven herself and was safe, he had pushed her.
"I am. And it will not be an accident." He brushed the strands off of her shoulders with a damp towel. "Your opponent is Hisui. He is hotheaded, and prone to underestimating opponents. Play on his emotions, and when his rage overtakes his skill, efficiently remove him." She had been trained well, and as long as fairness was in play, she would triumph.
"Yes, father," replied the girl, the pearl in her eyes becoming steel. She shook her head, straying the last wayward strands, and followed her father out into the collective Hyuuga courtyard, which connected the two estates. The pale light of dawn stretched in tentative rays across the grassy grounds. A cobblestone path wound its way lazily into the horizon.
The girl followed close behind her father, watching as his long hair swayed with the breeze. A flower floated down from the trees above them. It was a white, red-rimmed cherry blossom. She watched it spin on the wind till it finally came to a stop. "This is from the Uchiha complex. We only have jacaranda on this side of the garden." Her father nodded at her remark, looking up to ascertain that indeed the flowers on the branches were purple.
"The wind blows powerfully this spring." It was true. The gusts pushed through the girl's bangs, and played with her skirt. "Perhaps a little girl in the Uchiha Complex is seeing our purple blossoms on the grounds as well." It was a flighty thing to say, but her father never said flighty or vague things. He was always precise, and when he could not be precise, he was silent.
"But Papa, there can't be a girl on Uchiha grounds," he whined. "There isn't anyone living there except Uchiha Sasuke!" Her father was rarely wrong, but there was only one Uchiha left alive, and he was the "Stained Right Hand" of the Hokage, right? Right? "Papaaaaaa!" She jumped, and grabbed his arm, hanging from it like a monkey as he effortlessly supported her weight.
"Isn't there?" Asked Neji, picking up the cherry blossom from the path and tucking it into a buttonhole on her cream colored robe. The girl touched the petals, meeting his conspiring glance with her own. She would investigate. She would find out for herself whether or not there was an Uchiha in the Leaf. Her father pretended not to see her scope the walls that led to the Uchiha compound, looking for a breach.
Neji straightened his robe out as the gathering Hyuuga family came into view, running his hands over the cloth and nodding as it obediently smoothed itself out. The girl mimicked her father, and fixed the flower slightly. She closed her eyes to breath in the scent of the garden. The moment of truth was upon them.
Neji and Hanabi bowed stiffly to each other. Each was reminded that with only a few minutes difference, this situation could be completely reversed. "My daughter, Haruhime." The girl stepped out from his shadow, her head tilted innocently. Her eyes were void of any of the anger or desperation most challengers had. She was her father's daughter, and she had learned that there was a time and place for her to express her emotions, and these times never involved the elders of the Main-Family.
Hanabi straightened from her shallow bow. "My Son. His name is Hisui." The introduction was useless, they already knew of each other. The two children bowed to each other. Hisui's bow was not true, it was hardly more than a nod. Haruhime brought her hands together in front of her and bowed at the waist. Her movements were slow and elegant. Neji smirked as her finesse dwarfed that of the Main-Families son. When she straightened, she smiled. It was genuine and warm as to the effect that Hisui blushed, and was forced to pause, dumbstruck.
When Hisui's blush had faded, his face bore a haughty smirk. He was three years older and over a head taller. His hair hung to his shoulders already. He didn't expect anything of her, certainly not a fight. One only had to look at her to see she was a Branch-Family weakling. Even if she was kind of cute the way her hands barely peeked from her sleeves... which was of course another disadvantage, as she would have restricted mobility.
She looked about a robust as a porcelain doll. Her skin was smooth and devoid of scars (he would soon change that), and her eyes large and doe like. Her limbs were thin, breakable, like an insect's, or a wading bird's. That was what the boy thought, anyway.
Haruhime, on the other hand was scanning his entire body for weaknesses. Dominant hand: right. Favors left leg, possible injury to ankle. Compensation in right shoulder, right hand chakra-control is thirty percent compromised. Chakra from left hand with have more force, less accuracy. Overconfidence. Her eyes closed… Break him… and opened. The gaze she directed at the boy sent a shiver down his spine, but his eyes were too busy mocking her short hair to notice whom the owner of said gaze was.
A ring was formed, and weapons were handed over. In this battle, only one's hands and chakra were to be utilized. The two children faced each other. "Begin!" ordered Hanabi. Hisui launched into action, activating his Byakugan and gentle fist simultaneously. Haruhime twitched out of the way, grabbing his wrist as it zoomed past her head, taking a hit from his other palm as sacrifice for the maneuver.
She realized too late that that had been the wrong idea. His palm was molten metal on her stomach. Her insides heaved, and she swallowed thickly, pressing the bile in her throat back down. Luckily her opponent was still a bit worse off.
Hisui's head spun as his velocity was completely swung into the other direction. There was an ominously squishy sound as his body hit the ground. There was a pause, but Hisui snapped back up, only slightly less limber than moments before.
"Is that all you've got?" he taunted, his smirk back. Both were cursing silently. Hisui's hand wasn't channeling. She must have activated his chakra-points mid throw. Haruhime was fighting the urge to just lie down and wait for the nausea to fade. But her freedom was on the line here.
She wasn't quite sure what that meant, nor what was so important about the Caged-Bird Seal, but her father had made her promise to fight to incapacitation. Haruhime meant to. She straightened before Hisui; her fists already up in a defensive pose.
"Try saying that when you didn't just get up from being flat on your ass!" A round of gasps wend around the ring of stuffy Hyuuga. Many of them threw Neji scandalous looks. What kind of child was this man raising. The man simply shrugged, jerking his thumb at his wife.
Said wife hollered "Oh no she didn't!" The entire Hyuuga clan sighed collectively. The treaty is worth it. The treaty is worth it. The treaty is worth it.
The effect of Haruhime's words was instant. Hisui face reddened and his fists clenched with anger. Rage even. Whispers went around the clan as some of the more perceptive realized what was going on. "And I haven't seen you land a hit yet! Are you going to attack, or do I have to come get you."
The older Hyuuga boy ground his teeth, his rage building steadily as the tiny girl hurled insults at him. Had she no respect? No honor? He was part of the Main Hyuuga Clan! How could he have even begun to see her as cute? With a shout, he charged at her, his hands primed for gentle fist.
Haruhime knew that at the speed he was going, he would not be able to stop. She waited till he was inches away, and dodged. She stabbed three chakra-points on his back and watched dispassionately as he fell to the floor wobbling like gelatin. "You tried," she smiled, lifting him onto his feet and reactivating his body. He staggered, clutching her kimono. His head was bowed shamefully, but he knew when to accept defeat.
"Don't be so smug," he whispered. "We will have a rematch." She smirked, nodding. It had been a challenge to win against him, as compared to the others in their clan. She hoped he would get stronger, and eventually prove a worthy rival. Right now he was good. But he had underestimated her. When he didn't anymore they'd have a real fight
"Try to win." She spun, and skipped back to her father, the cream robe swishing. Then began the ritual to officially add her to the Main Family. It wasn't necessary, but Hyuuga, if nothing else were very traditional. She perfectly executed all the dances and ceremonies, the moves trained till they were ingrained directly into her muscles. Not a thought was required, so her eyes glazed over. All this served to do was give her expression and dance an elegantly dreamy quality. Slowly, the entire family dispersed.
Neji and Haruhime walked back towards the Branch House, with the purpose of visiting the other members who would be glad to hear of this news. A lavender clad blur launched itself into Haruhime's arms. It was a small female by the name of Hana. She had eyes that glimmered like moonstone, and an extremely delicate body, even for a Hyuuga. Her cropped hair was similar to Haruhime's, except for that the shine was a deep navy, instead of indigo or purple, and her bangs were a bit jagged, rather than perfectly straight.
"Haru! How did it go?" Haruhime found her hands being clasped in smaller and paler ones. She didn't usually approve of people abbreviating her name, but when it came to Hana... Huge honest eyes stared into hers, and she felt as her surprise melted into warmth and affection. She could deny this girl nothing.
"All is well," she replied. Hana nodded. Haruhime ruffled her cousin's hair, and let herself be pulled to the smaller girls room. Once there, they sat on the floor and told stories, using small china dolls as props. Hana lay with her head in Haruhime's lap, using her own tummy as a stage for the dolls. The lavender-eyed girl watched as the smaller girl nodded off in her lap. She let her back lean against the wall, and played with Hana's soft black hair.
She wondered if Hana would ever gain the right to let her hair grow long. Haruhime closed her eyes and imagined it. A silken curtain of shining black, framing lily-white skin, blossom pink lips and shining moonstone eyes.
After about an hour, the smaller girl opened her eyes, yawning softly. She looked up to see Haruhime staring off into space. Her pearly eyes glazed. She smiled, reaching out to touch a chocolaty cheek with her fingertips. But then, she seemed to realize something, and her face transformed from a lazy smile to a sad frown. "You're officially Main-Family now," Hana sighed. Haruhime tilted her head at the tone of her friend's voice. Why did Hana seem like she was holding back tears?
"So?" Her eyebrows creased, drawing towards the center of her forehead. She didn't understand. She didn't know who or what was upsetting Hana, or what she could do about it. But she did know, that above all things Hana should not be upset. "Hana, won't you tell me why this causes you pain?"
"You might not want… to see me. Since, you know..." She bit her lips in a nervous gesture, her eyes searching Haruhime's expression. Haruhime shook her head rapidly, denying that any such statement may ever be proven true. Hana was always welcome by her side. She pulled the smaller Hyuuga up and into her lap, holding her close. Hana buried her fists into a cream-colored robe. "You promise?" watery eyes demanded an answer.
Despite the fact that Haruhime hated to see Hana cry, the beauty of when she did was astounding. Hee eyes shone like moonstones already, but when wet by tears they became filled with iridescent brilliance. Rainbow colors played across her irises.
"Yeah. I promise." Hana nodded, believing her without a doubt. Haruhime had never broken any kind of promise she herself had made. Her word was her bond. They weren't papery or flimsy bonds either. Instead they were unbreakable, a chain without weak links. She would die before going back on her word.
Hana yawned, closing her eyes again. She didn't have to go to practice with father for another few hours, so Haruhime hummed a soft lullaby. The smaller girl nodded off, her fingers still twisted into the cream colored robe. Haruhime sighed, disentangling the sleeping girl from her clothes.
If there was a time to investigate the Uchiha, it was now. Despite the fact that cuddling with Hana would always be amongst her favorite activities, her curiosity was burning in her chest at an almost painful level. She slipped out of the window, simply because it was shorter than going down through the Branch Complex and across the courtyard. She landed in the yard, three stories lower. Her landing was solid and she grinned triumphantly, only to take one step forward and trip over a ladybug and fall flat on her face.
Haruhime pushed herself up from the grass, her face blushed beet red. She looked left and right, and once assured that no one had seen her, and would therefore die a terrible death, she ran across the yard and scaled the wall.
She reached the top of the structure, but yanked her hand back when something decided to stab holes in her skin. Barbed wire, she had been silly to expect no protection on the perimeter. Using the thick sleeves to protect herself, she grabbed the barbed wire and swing-flipped herself over the wall.
The Uchiha complex loomed over her. She scanned the grounds. The houses didn't look as abandoned as they should. It was generally tidy and well kept. It did however possess an intense lonesomeness, as abandoned homes are wont to do. A thin layer of dusty film seemed to lay over everything. She looked over to the garden where the cherry blossom trees bloomed. Haruhime's pale eyes honed onto a shape in the trees. It was white and pink, like the blossoms, but something seemed just slightly off.
"Byakugan," she whispered, wincing as the chakra veins around her eyes protested the sudden rush of chakra. After fighting her cousin, she was closer to her limits than she liked to be. But anyhow, there was definitely someone up there. A girl. She couldn't tell the age of the person from this distance, but she felt safe enough.
She jogged the winding way, trying not to make overmuch noise as she crunched over the gravel path. The cherry blossom trees were old, and had therefore grown tall as each year let the trees reach a little higher into the clouds. Peering up into the branches, Haruhime saw a girl about the same age as she was sitting on the lowest branch, only a few feet up.
They may have been the same age, but Haruhime was sure that the girl was at least twice as beautiful. She had pale skin like china, and pink cheeks and lips. Her eyes were almond-shaped and bore a piercing gray color that mimicked ash strewn over silver. Thick and gleaming indigo curls tumbled down to her shoulders. "You're almost as pretty as Hana," whispered the Hyuuga to herself in awe. But then she became serious again when she realized the girl was crying. She climbed up into the tree and the other girl stopped sobbing to stare at her in confusion.
Haruhime felt she could become teary too if the other girl kept crying. She didn't like to see pretty girls cry, and wanted to solve the problem as fast as possible. "What's wrong?" She asked the question softly, carefully. The branch creaked under their weight, but held.
The girl looked up at her, rubbing tear stained cheeks with her fists. "My village is gone," she murmured softly. She sniffed, rubbing her nose and eyes on her sleeve. It was wide and black, and the Uchiha sigil was stitched on the side. Her clothes hadn't made it to Konoha either, Haruhime realized. She wondered what had happened.
Haruhime gasped softly. She put her hand on the other girl's gently. "I'm sorry." Haruhime kept seeing the refugees flood into Konoha and knew that towns were being destroyed. But, she didn't know why. She didn't know why the other people in the town were complaining of hunger either. There was plenty of food in either Hyuuga household. It didn't make sense.
The girl shook her head. "I'll be fine, they take really good care of me here, at least I'm not starving anymore." Again with the mentions of hunger. Hunger Haruhime had never experienced herself. There must be a reason for it, obviously. But no one had told her.
But more importantly than that mystery, why had they left this girl here by herself. The complex looked deserted. "You're here all alone," she countered. Leaving her alone, to her own devices, whether there was food or not. That was just too lonely! Haruhime wouldn't stand for it, if there was anything she could do.
The girl shook her head. "Sasuke-san has to work right now." She rubbed her nose with her sleeve again. Thankfully it seemed her tears had run out for the most part. "It's not his fault," she sniffed. She looked away and at the complex, letting her hair fall in front of her face. Haru felt a pain in her chest at watching the other girl wallow in her sorrow.
"I'm Hyuuga Haruhime," she finally introduced herself, taking the girls hand to make she sure had the other's attention. The girl's head whipped around, her silvery eyes fixed on Haruhime. Her hand, instead of pulling away, tightened around Haruhime's. "What's your name?"
She bit her her lip before replying. "... Zokishisen Akira," she finally sighed.
(*)
Training with father wasn't so much training as celebrating. Instead of sparring and running themselves to exhaustion, they went out for ice-cream filled mochi.
When she met with Hisui at the academy, he spoke to her pleasantly, inquiring about her day, and after receiving "no trouble," as an answer, finished with another challenge to fight. Surprised at his politeness, and secretly itching to be his opponent again, she agreed.
As Hyuuga are wont to do, they walked the way to the Hyuuga complex's training ground in complete silence. Haruhime smiled faintly. She wouldn't mind Hisui as permanent company if his attitude remained as such. He had been unkind to her, but Haruhime was quite the opposite of quick to hold grudges, such was her personality. Besides he was very tall, and could probably reach high up things easily. She wouldn't mind using him for that.
Other Hyuuga appeared as they neared the complex, with the same destination in mind. They were of the main family, and they stalked up to Haruhime. She looked up at them, at least a head shorter. There were three of them. They were Hisui's brothers in the sense that they grew up in the same section of the complex as main branch children. In truth they were more like cousins. Children of Hanabi's younger sister, and his aunt, Hotaru. Except their leader. That was actually Hisui's older brother, Hakuto.
"Welcome to the Main-Family," were the words, but the message sent was "leave." They didn't seem happy to see her at all. She was equally unhappy to be in their presence. But they were stuck together now, so she bowed, trying to be civil, as she always had till then.
They didn't seem to share the sentiment. They didn't bow back, or even nod. Instead they moved into her space, breathing her air. She cringed inwardly at the infraction of her well-maintained bubble. "How many more of your branch family is going to be moving in? I want to know so we can put plastic over the good furniture."
Haruhime's politeness didn't stand a snowballs chance in hell. Haruhime looked at them dispassionately, her expression blank. "I don't think any other branch members can make it in, unless that is... The quality of the Main-Family has been reduced to the point where anyone could defeat them?" Her lips slowly curved into a sickly sweet grin. "Well?"
The eldest of the three, who was called Hakuto, became red at the implication that he was of lesser power than some lowly branch member. "Why you! -" His sentence never got the chance to stutter to its end.
Haruhime's smiled fell like a leaf would fall from a tree when it could no longer serve its purpose. "Unless you have something important to say, which I highly doubt is the case, Hisui and I will be on our way, I have a challenge to attend to." As she cut him off, her expression expressed nothing but mild annoyance.
"You can't speak to me this way! I'm-"
"At the same level as me now. And, if his is going to be the way you conduct yourself in representation of our clan..." she yanked him to eye level by his collar. "Do the rest of us a favor and kill yourself." She released him, and walked on, followed closely by a nervous Hisui.
Hisui stopped when he stood beside her, his brow furrowed slightly. "That was risky," he commented, but they both knew what he really meant. "They're pissed now. They'll want revenge."
"I can handle them," replied Haruhime, her lips set in a thin line. Hisui could only see how her hands trembled with rage because of how close he was to her.
He wanted to tell get her to stop being so damn reckless. "All at once?" she had seen her fight, felt her punches. She was strong, but against three of them? He wasn't sure how much, I anything, she had been holding back.
When she didn't answer, he grabbed her by the shoulders and twisted her around, staring meaningfully into her pearly eyes. "I guess... I guess we will soon discover the answer to that question." She shrugged him off.
Hisui frowned. This girl was going to get herself in some serious shit. "I can not say that I understand your emo-"
"No! You can't!" She glared at him "And why are so friendly all of a sudden anyway, this morning you hated me. Like them." Hisui took an instinctive step back, feeling slightly endangered.
He didn't stutter with his reply, but his voice was far from steady "It's 'cause I realized I wanted you to prove that the branch family is as good as the main family," he murmured, wincing even as he said it.
"Why?"
Hisui shrugged, trying to feign confidence. Though he severely lacked just that. "Because there's a girl... I can't say if I like her yet but..." he paused again, fidgeting awkwardly.
Her gaze softened. "I believe you. Thanks." Her fists slackened.
There was a silence, which would necessitate a chainsaw to cut. Hisui and Haruhime both rocked oddly on the balls of their feet.
"So" began Hisui, rubbing his arm
"..." Replied Haruhime, mainlining her habitual silence as a response to being unsure, a trait borrowed from her father.
"We still get to fight, right?" Hisui's question cracked the silence, and Haruhime smirked. She began to walk again, this time with her posture relaxed. Hisui fought his grin in vain, his lips twitched upwards.
(*)
Hana curved her lips unhappily. Her hands clenched tightly around her pink haired doll. She had stitched herself, fancifully modeling it after Haru. There was an apple-green haired Hana among Haru's belongings to match. The Hyuuga girl closed her eyes, sighing sadly.
Her room, now missing half of its belongings, was frightfully large and cold with only her small presence to warm it. She knew Haru would come almost everyday to see her... but- "Even so," she whispered. "I hate it." Was it wrong of her to have wished for Haru to remain part of the Branch family? Of course it was. And it pained Hana to even think it. She felt a tear slide down her cheek and fall onto the dark skinned doll. She rubbed at it frantically so that the dolls painted smirk wouldn't smudge. "You're always crying Hana," she whispered to herself, rubbing her eyes.
A heavy knock at the door made the girl jump, her hands tightening around the doll. "W-who is i-it?" She watched the door with wide frightened eyes. The door opened slowly, and Hana relaxed. It was only Haru's papa. She was still worried though. She rarely spoke to Neji-san unless something was wrong with Haru. "Neji-san?" She bowed slightly, as tradition dictated she must. "What happened?"
Neji shook his head, sitting on the now bare mattress where purple sheets used to be. "The problem is not with Haruhime. It is with you, Hana." Hana's eyebrows knit together.
She shook her head, and hid behind her doll. She wanted to run... but then Haru's father would get in trouble with the Hyuuga elders. And she'd never see Haru again. That was the worst. "But they said it was still years before-"
"The Elders of the clan have decided." Neji's voice and posture we're heavy, pulling him down into remorse and humility he rarely showed. "Based on your pattern so far, they don't think you will ever manifest." Hana wanted to please the elders, but she just couldn't use chakra like Haru. She couldn't use chakra at all. No matter how hard she tried or how long she meditated "They think they failed. I am sorry."
Hana's arms tightened around the smirking doll.
"Follow me," sighed Neji, extending his hand to be held in a rare show of affection. His eyes were mournful, but the rest of his expression remained smooth. "It will be over before you even realize," he promised.
They both knew it was a lie. It was easier not to say anything.
(*)
Hisui sucked on his split knuckle. He grimaced at the metallic taste of his own blood, and winced when pain spiked up his calf. Haruhime didn't miss it, but didn't say anything as she herself was clutching her chest and trying to still the shaking in her knees. Her heart stuttered, trying to compensate for her confused chakra points.
"Draw?" She gasped, falling to floor, relieved. Hisui nodded, sitting down beside her. He tilted his head back, staring at the sky. Puffy white clouds drifted past, way out of their reach. Hisui lifted his hand anyway, closing his fist to catch only light.
Haruhime didn't want to go to the hospital. Hisui didn't seem to either, if the grim line of his lips was anything to go by. Thankfully Hana knew a few healing techniques that didn't need chakra to work. Almost all civilians knew the most basic healing by now. Especially with the all the treaties so very tenuous, and bandits so very common.
Haruhime stood, pulling Hisui up with her. She jerked her head to the side in a gesture bidding him to follow her. The Branch house was the destination that he saw himself being pulled towards. He usually wouldn't deign to set foot there, but he decided to make an exception. Especially because the closer they got to the house, the springier Haruhime's steps became.
"Hana-chan!" Called Haruhime, waving frantically. Hisui didn't know how that tiny pale yellow dot in the garden could ever be identified as a person, much less a specific one. But he was proved wrong as they went closer. That yellow spot became a girl with soil covered hands and knees. She was wearing pastel colored shorts and a blossom yellow t-shirt. A matching headband held her hair from her face, covering her forehead.
Hana smiled radiantly as she was pulled into a hug. "Haru?" The pale Hyuuga's eyes flitted over Hisui and Haruhime's battered forms, confusion and concern causing her to worry her lip with pearly white teeth. "Is everything okay?" Her eyes focused on bruises and cuts.
"Hmm?" Haruhime asked absently, her thoughts already having drifted off to other things. Her eyes suddenly refocused on Hana's perturbed expression. "Oh of course!" She exclaimed, smoothing Hana's worry out by stroking her soft black hair. She glared at Hisui over Hana's shoulder with an expression that screamed 'Back me up!'
Hisui nodded in frantic agreement, though Hana couldn't even see him. "We were just practicing. But if you could fix us up a bit... please?" He winced again as his ankle protested the walk through the garden.
Hana spun to face, him, smiling sweetly. "Let me just retrieve my kit, okay?" She clasped his hands within her own far smaller ones, staring into his eyes, before running off towards the house. Her hair fanned a sweet waft of some kind of flower scent past his face. For the second time that day, Hisui found himself blushing. Were all branch family members so... He didn't even know what to call it, but it irked him that they both had the ability to make his cheeks redden without his volition.
Hana sang as she wandered down the path to the large house. The birds mimicked her tunes and she paused politely, allowing them a space of silence to fill with their songs. When she sang, her voice was high and breathy. Her voice would hit high note, then tremble of into a whisper, as if she had run out of air to press through her lungs. Then it would rise again, soft and fluting.
A gust blew by and toppled one of Hana's carefully balanced flowerpots. Haruhime knelt and righted all the tiny containers, taking care not to upset all of the most delicate blooms they contained. "Has Hana accomplished all this herself?" Hisui's question was asked softly, almost in wonder. It was a huge expanse of soft flower beds and scattered tiny vegetable gardens.
Haruhime nodded. "She isn't going to be a ninja, so as you may imagine, she has a lot of free time. She is very good at cooking, gardening, creating clothing, and all such feminine things that I am completely unable to do. Honestly, I can barely boil water..." She drifted off, thinking happily of her cousin, and then she realized that the birds had stopped their tunes. It was silent. Far too silent. Her skin prickled with goose bumps and her stomach seemed to drop down from out of her.
Hisui sensed it too, and his eyes narrowed as he tried to hear. "Something is wrong," both whispered in unison. Haruhime took of first, half running, and half sliding-tumbling-razing down the hill towards the complex. Hisui dashed after her, but couldn't keep up.
The door banged open, Haruhime vanished instantly through. She was already far inside the building, but as Hisui passed through the doorway, he heard a soft despairing "Hana," and his stomach dropped through his chest and his heart jumped into his throat all at once. All from the imploring and desperate tone of Haruhime's voice. He didn't need to see what was going on to know that they needed help. He dashed out of the mostly empty house towards to courtyard where the Hyuuga's spent their afternoons. "NEJI-SAMA!"
(*)
Haruhime froze, her feet glued to the spot. What else was she to do? One step towards them, and they would dig their kunai into Hana's soft throat. She closed her eyes, digging her nails into the palms of her hands instead. "Please," she whispered. "Please let Hana go."
Haruhime's eyes opened and moved frantically around the entire room, she froze. Hana's headband was on the floor. Thin green markings almost made Haruhime's heart stop and tear itself to shreds in her chest.
"No, I don't think I will,"Hakuto sneered, digging his hands into Hana's hair. The pale girl whimpered softly, her wide eyes beginning to fill with brilliant tears. "I am simply through with taking insult from you insufferable, disgusting, useless, Branch-Family members!" Hakuto's eyes were wild; they were filled with anger and hate, which Haruhime couldn't see the origin of. But she could tell it was neither her nor Hana that had truly inspired this rage. It didn't matter. "Do you know what I learned from father the other day?"
The older Hyuuga boy's hands began to glow. Bluish light, spiking out into all directions like knives. He looked at his hands, as if surprised and pleased by the power within them. A twisted smile marred his face as he jerked roughly on short, raven hair. "All it takes-" he laughed, and it bordered on hysteria, rising into a giggle. "To end you little branchies for good-" He raised his glowing hand as if to deliver a blow, "Is a smack to the forehead." Haruhime moved.
Blue rushed forwards and collided with her forehead, and she winced as she felt Hana's forehead strike the back of her head. The blue died out, and there was a moment of tense silence, with Haruhime swaying unsteadily on her feet. Pain spiked through her skull and down her neck, like hot metal poured from her brain into her spine. The girl screamed, collapsing to her knees with her hands scratching the sides of her head as if she could make a hole to relieve pressure.
She heard her father's voice, but she couldn't understand the words anymore. All she could see was a wavering, whitish blue expanse. It became darker and darker, until finally, it went permanently black. She felt the floor hit her face, shooting even more pain through her cheekbone. She bit back a sob.
(*)
Haruhime bolted up in the hospital bed, hands tugging at the bandages that covered her eyes. When she failed to dislodge them, her panic calmed. Panic never helped. She sniffed the air. Antiseptic. She was in a hospital. She sank back into the fluffy pillows, mind rather blank. What now?
She heard the clicking of clipboards, and scribbling of pens if she strained her ears. She heard aunt Hanabi asking the doctors questions about her. Inquiring about her integrity as a Hyuuga. She was really asking whether Haruhime would still be able to use her Byakugan. "There's no way that much raw chakra could not leave any damage. We believe her Byakugan will be forfeit for the next few months." She swore silently.
"We expect a full physical recovery, though we do expect mid-range to severe psychological trauma. The other girl is not so lucky. Her central nervous-system has been heavily damaged, and we are afraid severe psychological trauma will surely be discovered when she awakes." The door to her room opened, and Haruhime pretended to be sleeping. "We expect her to regain only a minimal degree of sight and speech. But, her other senses have not been damaged."
Haruhime felt helpless. She would be fine, but... 'Hana. No.' Something had happened, but she could only recall white light that made her head hurt. She waited until the voices left and the door closed before whispering "Hana?"
"She's not here." She knew that voice? Her brain was foggy. She hoped her memory would recover along with her Byakugan. "It's me. Hisui." Oh. Hisui. The specifics were fuzzy. But definitely a friend. A rival. He would help protect Hana. Surely.
"Oh. Hello, Hisui." She pretended she hadn't lost any memories. It was best to hide weaknesses as well as one could. Even with friends. You never knew when a friend would stop being one.
Hisui spoke into the silence. "I saw Hana. She's okay." Haruhime drew a sigh of relief. But whoever had hurt them both could come back. She didn't want Hana to be anywhere in harms way.
She shook her head, scratching at the edges of the bandages around her eyes. "But she's not safe yet." Hisui's tense silence answered her question. She frowned. "Then we will have to make her safe. Come again after dark?" By then she hoped to remember everything.
"Of course." Hisui's hand touched hers, and she found she trusted him enough not to strike home on instinct. Besides, she needed something from him. If she couldn't remember soon, the best person to refresh her memory, barring her father, would be him.
She listened to him leave, and then surrendered to a blank sleep, void of dreams.
When she awoke it was night, though she could not tell, and there was a doll in her arms. tracing the features, she recognized Hana's lookalike. Her father had been here. She fingered the apple green yarn hair, and wished to rewind the past day and do them over. She wasn't sure what had happened, but surely there could have been a better outcome than this.
Hisui's footsteps as they heralded his return were soft enough she only heard them as he stood right by her. "We need to move Hana," she stated, wasting no time with pleasantries. She touched Hisui's cheeks to check what his response was. He had nodded.
"Where?" He asked as an afterthought. It was an important detail though. Escape, and/or kidnapping would be the simplest part. But going nuke as not even a gennin was suicide.
Haruhime frowned. She knew she usually thought of these things beforehand, but he brain was so muddled it barely functioned. She shrugged. "Away."
"She can't live in the wilds," Hisui countered. She wasn't in her right mind.
"We can buy a house," Haruhime realized. No one liked to live on the outskirts of villages anymore, it had become dangerous since the numbers of bandits had increased tenfold. She had heard this while walking among the civilians, which she was not often allowed to do. Her training schedule with father didn't permit her to roam about during the day, and the curfew kept her in at night. But she had heard people complaining about the danger and talking seriously about moving.
That said, It probably wouldn't cost too much, relatively to find one of the houses the villagers had abandoned out of fear of roving gangs of nuke-nin, bandits, and their garden's growing the faces screaming people. Haruhime could kill bandits without repercussion, and chop down trees with nary a thought. The trees wouldn't even bother Hana. She was blind. Haruhime would far rather be attacked by bandits than her own clan. "I need you to go find a nice one. Ask Hana what she would want. But don't tell her yet," Haruhime ordered softly, not wanting to alert a nurse.
Hisui's argument began halfway through her sentence but she kept on right over him. Houses weren't free. She had to know that houses cost money. Keeping them habitable would cost more. And Neji-sama would be forbidden to pay for it. "How could you possibly afford-" Even as he asked he resolved to give her any money he could give away without it hurting.
She sighed, seeming to consider, and waver. But soon new resolve dawned over her. "I'll talk to the Hokage," she announced softly, but in a voice that left no room for argument. Hisui didn't try to interrupt her anymore. He was quickly learning how stubborn she could be. "Once I get out of this damned hospital."
Hisui's nod felt reassuring against her fingertips. He shifted. She thought he might be frowning and was ready to defend her decision again when he said something completely different than what she had expected.
She felt him sigh. "Hana will want to see you." He took her hand from his cheek and squeezed it gently. "Don't forget to-"
She cut him off. "I won't." Haruhime was vehement. And Hisui believed her.
(*)
"It's not fair! Why should I have to visit that ex-branchie?" The young Hyuuga frowned, crossing his arms stubbornly. He didn't want to visit her. He didn't even want to remember she existed.
His mother gave him a withering look. "Because she's main family now. Show the proper respect." She turned her nose up at him in irritation and disappointment. "Hisui is not so childish. He spends ten minutes at least each day without a word of complaint." Again with the praise of his brother. The kid couldn't even win against a branch member. He didn't get why his parents planned to name him the heir instead of Hakuto. "You should try to emulate your younger brother, Hakuto."
"Ugh. She even chose a branchie's side over ours!" Haruhime stiffened. That was the voice. The voice of the one who had hurt Hana. The memories tumbled painfully through her mind, trying awkwardly to slot themselves into jagged wounds where the memories had once been torn away. The black in front of her eyes began to bleed red.
She wanted to hurt him. She really did. For no more reason than to watch him bleed. "Hyuuga loyalty should extend to the entire clan. It was three against one." She felt her way over her hospital cot, finding the rails and beyond it openness on one side and the wall on the other.
She swung herself over the railing into the openness. She landed on her feet, but wasn't ready for the pain of a needle ripping out of her wrist. That's what she assumed it was, anyway. "Whatever. I still think-"
Brown hands grabbed a tan collar. Despite bandages on her eyes and him trying to back-step away from her, she managed to catch hold of him in a wide grasp, clenching fingers around the first thing her fingers touched. "You," she hissed darkly.
Hakuto cried out in surprise, continuing to step backwards, but only managing to drag the smaller girl with him. "Mother!"
She drew her hand back, and it began to glow with chakra. "You will pay for what you did. If you won't end your own life, I suppose the responsibility falls to me."
Hisui dashed in from the hallway with four drinks balanced precariously in his arms. He had been at the vending machine for all of them only moments before. He let them fall to grab her hand, and two of the cans exploded is cool fizz around their feet. "Sister, stop."
She struggled against, Hisui, trying to hit him with her chakra-free hand. She didn't want to hurt Hisui. Only get him off her, dammit! He grabbed her other wrist and pressed her down to her knees. Haruhime struggled for all she was worth, but she couldn't see, and couldn't get out of the hold she was trapped in. She bit his arm and heard him hiss in pain. "Hisui, release me!"
His voice was strained. "I won't," he argued.
Haruhime suddenly started to cry, falling slack against Hisui's grip. "You're with them!" Hisui jumped. How could she think that he would do such a thing? He'd given her his reasons, didn't they seem honest enough. "You lied! Hisui! Why?" She must be losing her mind. He could understand if she was. Blinded. Lost. She must be, otherwise it hurt too much to think she might believe that of him. Not when he-
He felt a wave of chakra. "She's manifested the Byakugan!" He didn't know whose voice that was. It seemed to him that suddenly too many people were in the room. Nurses with crash carts and bandages at the ready. But he could see the marks on her cheeks where the veins extended down and knew it was true.
His mother was kneeling by him, touching Haruhime's face. "What?" He expression was concerned as she tried to negate the eye-jutsu it but could not. Something was wrong with Haruhime's chakra paths."How?" Hisui shook his head. And then realized late that no one would expect him to know. Still. He felt lame for not being able to answer.
A light haired doctor lifted up the chart and scanned over it quickly. "I don't know. Based on the charts she shouldn't even be able to see, much less-" Haruhime stared straight in the doctor's face. Or would have, if her eyes were uncovered. She could see though. The way she moved and seemed to stare meant she could see their chakra.
"Her chakra core is not supposed to be working at this intensity," Hisui's mother murmured, her Byakugan activated as well. Usually Hanabi's voice was calm and soothing, but now it worried. One of her Main-Family members was in danger.
A nurse took hold of Haruhime's arm for the first time. She stopped whispering softly to Hisui and began struggling anew. She screamed, pulling away from the nurse as if her hands were fire. "Sedate her. Ten cc's, drip it." A bag of liquid was hung from the pole thing, but there was no way to hook it up to Haruhime without her sitting still.
The nurse stared Hisui in the eye. It forced him to take his eyes away from the girl struggling to breath and crying against his shoulder. "Can you hold her still?"
"Yes ma'am," Hisui replied softly, he hugged Haruhime closer to him, keeping her from squirming. He pet her hair. Her murmurings her growing less and less coherent. She was babbling softly on nonexistent syllables, but it sounded like she was pleading.
For a moment she managed words as the needle approached her. She shied away, but Hisui was expecting it this time and held her still. "Hisui help, I can't see." She begged him softly in a voice that was too frightened for words. "Don't let them-" She jerked when the nurse taped the needle to her arm and drew back.
"It's okay." Hisui petted her hair. "It's okay." He promised. The veins from under the bandages receded, and he realized how wet the strips of cloth were with her tears. "It's okay."
(*)
Haruhime felt wrong when she woke up. She wanted Hisui to be there, but when she called his name, all she got in response was the soft chirping of crickets in the otherwise silent atmosphere. It must be night, with how cool and quiet it was. She touched her face to check for the bandages, fearing she'd truly lost her sight. There were round glass circles set in cool metal instead. Goggles. To block chakra flow of children with high reserves and low control. That wasn't her. But if they had put the goggles on her that must have been the case at some point while they were treating her. She tried to pull them off, but only succeeded in snapping the elastic, and making the darkness of her vision tinge red. She bit her lip to keep from making a noise, waited for the pain to abate, and then slowly tried to force her eyes open.
She could see, but everything was dimmer than usual, blurry, and glossed over with pale green. Besides the difference in her actual vision, she was used to having her Byakugan minimally activated at all times. Now it was completely gone. She tried to pull the goggles off again but couldn't. they were locked into place. She swore quietly, hoping this wouldn't be a permanent addition.
She opened the door carefully, looked down the hall, then re-closed the door to her hospital room. Taking a deep breath, she took a running start and launched herself out of the window. She didn't need a Byakugan to get to the Hokage tower.
(*)
The Hokage and the head of Black-Ops both raised their eyebrows at the small girl standing in front of the former's desk and making demands. "A house?" The Hokage was confused. What would a child want with a house. Her parents were supposed to be in charge of her. She shouldn't be in the Hokage's office requesting to officially purchase property.
She had an extreme sense of urgency though. And those goggles reminded him so badly of himself that he found himself wary to just toss her out and dismiss her as a silly little girl the way his wife would have urged him to. Though, he himself had definitely been a silly little boy. "I need one now, there isn't time."
Even so the Hokage sighed. He wanted to help her, really. But he'd never hear the end of it if he gave this girl valuable land in exchange for future revenue. "You understand that money nowadays is hard to come by?" Not to mention that the clans refused to cede even empty land on the premise of historical value, yet still expected to have a say in the distribution of the remaining parcels. Really all land should be used for farming to feed the land of fire. Especially that close to the village, where seeds still grew into plants and not monsters.
Haruhime shook her head, denying that the resources should just be given to her. "It's a loan. I'll pay it back with interest." She glared at him as though insulted by even the implication that she might accept handouts from the Hokage. "They used the Caged Bird Seal on Hana," she explained, in reply to the Hokage's questioning expression. "I want her away from here."
The Hokage sighed, pushing back blonde hair in a tired gesture. "It's not that simple-" He blinked. He must have have heard wrong. There was no way they had used that seal on a little girl. "What do you mean they used the-" He sighed even more heavily. That complicated things even further. "Oh."
She pulled at her hair in frustration. "You're the Hokage, make it that simple!" The Hokage could tell she rightly should be in a hospital. She was nearing a mental break, if she hadn't reached it already. It reminded him too closely of the frustration he had seen in one of his teammates.
He couldn't allow that piece of history to repeat itself. "I'll see what I can do," he promised solemnly. The girl nodded, and ran out the door. Sasuke, with the snap of the finger, sent an Black-Ops agent to follow her to make sure she arrived wherever she meant to go safely.
A hand touched a white clad shoulder, and he turned to face it. "Give her the house, and money for the upkeep besides," the owner of the hand suggested. Sasuke sat on the desk as if he owned it, looking down at Naruto superiorly.
Naruto's eyebrow twitched at the audacity, but he didn't say anything. He didn't want to give the bastard the satisfaction of knowing he'd ticked him off. "I don't want a girl that young to get into debt with the council," he argued in reply.
Sasuke shook his head. "She's a prodigy. You need her loyalty." It sounded so simple when he said it. But Naruto knew it was far from that, and would only get more complicated as time went by.
"I know. But it doesn't sit right," he gnawed his lip. Before he could bite the bullet and just go with Sasuke's advice, he had to make sure Sasuke's personal life wasn't affecting his judgement. "I know Hana-"
Then sharply, "Naruto." Sasuke predictably cut him off before things could register on an emotional level. Some things never changed.
He changed the subject. "How's Akira," he asked, clasping his hands and laying his chin over his knuckles.
Sasuke twisted his neck to observe the Hokage's expression critically. "...Fine," he murmured eventually.
Naruto nodded. He stood up He "Be nice to her. You of all people should understand-"
Sasuke pulled a hand through choppy black hair. "I do," in a way that sounded so much like he didn't care, that it conveyed how completely he did. Sasuke stood, and made for the window. Like all Black-Ops, he seemed to have an inborn hatred of doors.
Naruto called after him. "Call in the Hyuuga elders," he requested. He got an affirmative grunt in reply. Sasuke worked quickly, and within a few moments he had three beige clan Hyuuga elders sitting in his meeting room, looking as stuffy and affronted as usual. Naruto nodded. "Now if only I could get the guy to use the damn door."
Naruto put on his serious face. "Give her what she wants, or it's likely she'll go rogue. We can't afford to give future shinobi like her away at a time like this. Our military force is all that is keeping us all fed." He tried to keep his concern out of his voice. If he showed any weakness, they'd strong-arm him to their favor. He knew that couldn't in any way go well. In the short-term it might seem to be a solution, but eventually they would only lose Haruhime. He'd seen this before.
They still tried to argue with him. Of course. "But-" He cut them off quickly. There was no point in letting them talk.
He glared. He had to channel his anger for this one. Luckily he had plenty of indignation from the use of the damned seal "I'm overlooking an unnecessary activation of a Caged-Bird Seal," he corrected himself hastily. "I'm overlooking the existence of a Caged-Bird Seal, which I only allow on the basis that you need time to find an alternative." He lifted a finger when they began to protest. "You understand what actions I could take here?"
They nodded grimly. An Uchiha scale massacre was entirely within the Hokage's prerogative during the militia law these disastrous times had prompted. "Yes, Hokage," one of them bit out irritatedly and led the others out of the room.
He nodded. "Then let the girl do as she likes with Hana, a girl you have all claimed has only a recessive inheritance of Byakugan and is useless for even the protection main family members." He leaned back in his chair and watched them accept his verdict. "As long as Hana consents, of course." As much as he hated to threaten, he did love to win.
As soon as they had left Sasuke appeared, having been there the whole time. He tended to listen in. Sakura followed, having seen the Hyuuga leave, and slipped in around them. "The question remains, where do we find a house for them," she asked, already having been briefed. "You're not really going to let them-"
Sasuke waved off her worry. "Akira needs a companion."
Naruto grinned, not having expected this development at all. "Woo! Sasuke!"
Sasuke hadn't expected the hug at all, and seized together as soon as Naruto grabbed him. "Ugh. Grow up." He relaxed a bit when Sakura joined the hug, but after a few moments he pushed them both out of his personal space and stalked away.
(*)
The nurse was shocked when she opened the door to exit a patient's room and saw a little girl blocking her path. "Is Hana recovered?" The child asked almost angrily. It was Haruhime, eyes stilled bound with green goggles to stop her manifesting Byakugan.
The nurse sighed, looking at her clipboard. "As recovered as she's getting, dearie," she replied. The nurse figured she could stay a few minutes into her lunch break to ease the worry of a scared looking little girl, so she took the girls hand (she seemed to consider pulling away for a moment) and led her into the room.
She helped the child up onto the bedside of the patient. "Can she hear me?" asked the dark skinned girl, gently stroking a tiny pale hand. The nurse had to admit that physically Hyuuga Hana seemed ridiculously delicate. But if her reason for entering the hospital was as she had heard, she was incredibly lucky to still be alive.
The nurse nodded for her patient. "Yes. Decently enough now, and perfectly in a few days," she reassured. "But she can neither see nor speak," she apologized. She didn't say that it would probably be permanent. It wasn't her responsibility.
Even so the expression on the girl's face was heartbreaking. "Then how-!"
The nurse patted the girls hair. "Calm down." brown cheeks puffed out in irritation, laid over the despair already present. The nurse laughed weakly. "Tactile sign language, child. Hana has already picked up a good deal of it."
Her face twisted in confusion. "What?"
The nurse sat carefully on the hospital bed and began to get comfortable. "I'll teach you."
(*)