Heeeeere's chappy 1, a little short I know... but I'm working on that for chapter 2, don't worry.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. All rights go to Masashi Kishimoto
Chapter I: Little Town
Hyuuga Hinata woke up early, as usual, dressed up, prepared her family breakfast and headed towards the village's market for groceries shopping and if she was lucky, she could stop by at Ino's and buy some seeds for her garden.
She left the Hyuuga compound soon after tending her deceased mother's precious flowers.
The bluenette grabbed her basket and headed towards the market. Everything was already gleaming with life when she arrived, her ears were soon filled with the unven chattering coming from different people in different stalls.
"I want six eggs!" said a woman while trying to balance her baby boy in one arm, hold her basket in the other and tell her other five children to quiet down all at once.
"That's too expensive." said a bearded man while holding the biggest salmon she'd ever seen and pointing it towards the vendor. Hinata suppressed a giggle and continued her shopping.
Nothing seemed to change in little Konoha. The same people doing the same things day after day, year after year. The Hyuuga sighed, when would she be free of this vicious cycle that was her life?
"Miso...check, hondashi...check, seaweed and tofu...check!" she wiped her brow in relief, Hinata was finally done, after almost two hours of browsing and discussing prices with the vendors.
The shop's bell twinkled softly a sound Ino Yamanaka had grown used to, a customer had arrived. In this case, Hinata.
"Good morning Ino-san." said the Hyuuga, her voice as soft as a feather's touch.
"Hello, Hina-chan! What kind of seeds are you looking for today?" asked the blonde, cheerfully.
"I would like white *amaririsu seeds, please." the Yamanaka florist smiled and went inside to look for what her favorite costumer and best friend had asked for.
While she waited for Ino to return, Hinata decided to look around the shop for something to give her mother. It's been thirteen years since her passing. Even though Hiashi didn't admit it out loud, he missed Hikari greatly.
"Oi! Earth to Hinata!" Ino shook her hand in front of the Hyuuga's face.
"Hmm?" Hinata asked absently.
"You've been staring at the yellow *tsubaki for the past five minutes!" Hinata just gave a sad smile that Ino soon understood.
"Oh, if that's the case then you don't have to pay for them, take it as a courtesy from the shop." Hinata was about to politely refuse, but she remembered that it was rude to deny a gift from her etiquette lessons.
Hinata watched as Ino gently cut the tsubakis and transformed them into a beautiful bouquet, which she gladly accepted.
With bouquet, groceries and seeds in hands the young heiress headed towards the village's graveyard.
After a refreshing walk towards the graveyard, Hinata finally reached it. Konoha's graveyard was located on a hilltop, during the day the place was filled with color from the sakura trees and spider lilies that bloomed throughout the place, there were also the beautiful koi that swam in the pond under a huge sakura tree in the highest point of the hill.
Most people found no beauty in such place, for in their hearts there was only grief coming from here, where their dearest lay.
Hinata however enjoyed the solitude it provided and saw beauty wherever she went, guarding those things she treasured close to her, in her heart and memory.
The sun was high up in the bright blue sky that was filled with fluffy white clouds that made Hinata want to eat some cotton candy.
She walked some more until she reached the sunniest place in the graveyard, where her mother's grave was located.
It was made of marble and engraved with gold letters that said, "Beloved wife and mother", Hiashi had planned everything so that everything would be perfect for his wife's rest.
The petite Hyuuga kneeled in front of her mother's grave, removed the old flowers and weeds that ended up growing there and placed the fresh yellow tsubakis in the china vase that was placed beside the tombstone.
Hinata sighed, feeling relieved that she could finally be herself instead of putting up an act for her clan.
"Hello, mother, I have so much yet so little to tell you." she started, feeling the tears forming in her eyes.
"First of all I'm so tired of living this life, day after day going through the same routine, seeing the same people, doing the same things and even telling the same lies!" another sigh, this time, of frustration.
"I'm just...just tired of it all! I long for the life of the princesses you used to read to me when I was little with their beautiful kimonos waiting for prince charming to come save them with their hair gold as the sun and eyes blue as the sky."
She let a tear slip down her cheek not bothering to hold back her cry, Kami, she felt so vulnerable right now.
"Ah there you are, Hinata-san! Hiashi-sama is looking for you, you missed out on lunch and your etiquette lessons." said her cousin sternly.
That was odd, for Neji nii-san only cared about himself and his training in order to be the next successor of the Hyuuga bloodline. He knew it to be impossible for he was not part of the main branch family and bared the curse seal, but still tried fiercely.
Oh well, Hinata thought, maybe he changed back to the kind and loving cousin she once knew, before Hisashi's death changed everything.
"Just a minute, Neji nii-san!" said the lavender eyed girl to her cousin who just waited patiently for her to finish her prayers.
Hinata picked up her bags from the grass and walked as gracefully as she could muster towards her scary cousin, who offered to walk her home and carry her bags.
On their walk home they did not exchange a word nor a single glance. The Hyuuga heiress tried her very best to say something but as always her timid nature got in the way and she ended up saying nothing.
When they reached the Hyuuga compound, Hiashi and a few members of the council were waiting outside.
Neji seemed to be living a dream and he didn't even bother hiding it. Something was up and it was not for the better.
"Come Hinata, there are a few matter of utter importance that we must discuss."
Hinata entered the manor feeling suppressed by the tension in the air. They finally reached the drawing room of the main house.
"Please sit down." Said Izumi, one of the few females that was part of the Hyuuga council.
Oddly enough Neji sat down beside her and even smiled at her, something really was up.
"We are all gathered here in order to discuss an important matter, as we mentioned before." Hiashi said with regret marking his words.
"Hinata, my heir, you are to marry your cousin, Hyuuga Neji, as a decision of the council in order to keep our bloodline pure.
The room started to feel smaller and smaller as the seconds passed, Hinata was feeling suffocated and did the first thing that came to mind, she ran.
