Love Pattern
Risako Matsuki

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Summary: Twins Hyuuga Hinata and Hanabi share the same face, the same voice, and the same love for a particular person. While Hyuuga Hanabi has happily found the love of her life, Hyuuga Hinata hides in the shadows, afraid to let her love for the same man to be known to her sister – and to him, Uzumaki Naruto. For the sake of her sister's happiness, Hinata has given up her own, and watches while the lovers blossom from dating, to a marriage proposal. One day, while shopping with Naruto one day for a wedding ring for Hanabi, a faulty rooftop construction site sparks a fatality, where Naruto is severely wounded. The trauma has caused him to lose his eyesight, and with his dreams shattered, he can only bear resentment towards Hinata, who had caused him this pain...

Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, own the concept, original story/plot, canon characters, etc. of Naruto/Naruto: Shippuuden. The images, animations and publishing all belong to creator Kishimoto Masashi, TV Tokyo and Shounen Jump!. The original story concept was done by a one-shot romance plot in a comic anthology.

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Second Pattern: Resentment

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They were born like two sides of the same coin. Yin and yang, white and black, left and right – identical yet different in every way, the Hyuuga twins were famous for their identical appearances, yet vastly different personalities. The Hyuuga clan is one of the oldest surviving families in Japanese history, and of course the next person entitled to inherit the title of Head for the Hyuuga family would ideally be Hanabi.

While both Hinata and Hanabi shared the exact same looks, height, voice, weight, and physical traits, if Hanabi was the light, then Hinata would be the shadow. Hanabi's cheerful and straightforward personality was her best points; fearless, confident, and naturally gifted in so many areas, she was an ideal leader to lead the clan to prosperity. While Hinata was shy, withdrawn, and easily nervous and anxious over little details, did poorly in her studies and wasn't that great of an athlete – she was discarded like an unwanted Hanafuda card after the player has called out, "Koi koi!" in a single, thoughtless match.

For so many years, Hinata had gauged the value of her life, wondering if her own existence was worth the trouble of others. However, one day someone changed that.

Uzumaki Naruto.

She met him when they were in middle school – they were in the same class, and both of them were socially isolated from the rest of their classmates; Hinata, for being the introverted shy girl that no one paid any attention towards, and Naruto the class idiot and prankster, who only gained attention for his jokes and crude humour; eventually she had developed a strong friendship with the blonde as a result. With Naruto as her sole reason to continue her life like a proper human being should, Hinata treasured Naruto greatly.

Until they entered high school, where both of the Hyuuga twins ended up in the same class as Naruto.

Having a charismatic charm and a friendly air, Hanabi instantly gained attention from her classmates. She joined the student council in hopes of improving her experience as the next Hyuuga heir, and there Hanabi met fellow Student Council member Uzumaki Naruto. Naruto, who had given up his old, joking ways and has decided to aim his hopes of succeeding in school to gain a steady future, was touched by the charisma and beauty Hanabi had possessed in the air around her, and eventually by their second year of high school, they were in love, and they were terribly so.

Hinata was crushed.

It's not fair. I met him first. He doesn't belong to Hanabi. Those thoughts ran through her head constantly, and the ugly, twisted feelings that Hinata felt ruined her self-confidence and happiness she had so painstakingly cultivated over the years. Feelings, which had been grown with the love for Naruto. After her high school graduation, Hinata entered into an art college with a good reputation, and had immersed herself in her program. Despite having completed two of her four years Bachelor's program, she was recruited to a minor art group where she had begun her own exhibitions and galleries for several small art museums.

It was a period of success, and work in which she drowned herself in to forget the terrible pain.

However, it wasn't until eleven months ago when Hanabi contacted her with big news. Turns out, that both her and Naruto who is attending the same university, are planning to get married before their third year starts. While Hanabi was attending university without any actual familial reasons to do so, Naruto was studying hard to pursue his future career as Konoha's Hokage.

The marriage was due for the spring – April, next month.

As for Hinata, she decided to take a break from her program, and after completing her second year she stayed back home in the Hyuuga residence, taking care of Hanabi who had returned home as well, and assisted in the plans for Hanabi's marriage. Naruto, whom she had not seen for nearly two years, came to visit Hanabi nearly every day from that point on. Unable to avoid confrontation with her former best friend, Hinata did the nest best thing she could come up with.

Support Hanabi and Naruto with all her might.

Over the two, short years that had passed, Hinata had learned something valuable.

And that was acting. Feigning happiness in front of the man you love isn't something that anyone can do. But she could.

After all, it's not so hard when you've decided to half-heartedly throw away old feelings that were buried long ago.

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Standing outside of the hospital room, pale eyes stared at the nameplate, before thin fingers touched the door handle. Hesitating for a full moment, Hinata was about to push it open, but decided against it, and instead, curled her fingers together, rapping the door crisply. She wasn't expecting an answer, so she was slightly surprised when a muffled sound came from within.

"...Who is it?"

His voice sounded tired and wary. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Hinata clenched her hands together, folding it over her heart. That action had become somewhat of a habit now. "It's... it's me. Hinata." Her hands touched the door handle, and she wrenched it open, but before she could take one more step inside, Naruto had slammed his fist against the metal support that was attached to the site of his cot, his face turned away.

"I..."

Hinata let go of the door handle, which sprung back into position, falling back slowly with a small creak. "N-Naruto... kun?"

Naruto shifted away from her, his back facing the bewildered Hyuuga. "I don't want to see you right now. I'm sorry."

Hinata's hands dropped to her sides. Restraining the urge to cry, she mere hung her head down. "I... I understand. I'm sorry, Naruto-kun."

She exited the room, closing the door silently behind her. Looking back up at the worried face of Hanabi, Hinata cracked a small smile. "He's awake at the moment. Do you want to see him?" Hinata asked gently, and Hanabi nodded wordlessly, brushing her shoulder-length hair nervously back. Watching her twin sister take hold of the reins this time, Hinata stepped back, allowing way for Hanabi to enter.

"Who is it this time?" Naruto's rough voice came. Hanabi stepped forwards, and took a deep breath before making her way over to Naruto's bedside, sitting down on a chair. "It's me, Hanabi. How're you doing today? Did the doctors say anything?"

"H-Hanabi?" Instantly Naruto turned towards her – or where he thought she was – the source of Hanabi's voice, and his fingers reached out, before it touched her cheek. "H-Hanabi, where were you? I... I..." Breaking down, he roughly enveloped her in a tight embrace, burying his eyes on her shoulder. Shocked, Hanabi blinked a little before wrapping her arms hesitantly around Naruto, smiling a little. "N-Naruto? Are you sure you're alright to hug me? Your wounds, they're still..." She was interrupted when he spoke, albeit his voice a little muffled.

"I just wanted to see you... that's all..." He murmured, and Hanabi relaxed, allowing his warmth seep over her.

"I... wanted to see you too..." Hanabi replied, her hands trailing upwards, resting on the nape of his neck. "I'm sorry about yesterday. When... when Hinata told me, I was too much in a shock..."

Naruto drew back at the mention of Hinata's name, and gazed at the blackness in his vision woefully. "About Hinata... I know she's your sister, Hanabi... and I know she had nothing to do with the accident but I..." Hanabi's eyes widened as Naruto began to stumble of his words, hands shaking. She didn't know what to do to quell this anxiety – anxiety that she had never experienced before.

"But I... I can't help but to hate her...! Because of her... because I took the fall for her... my eyes... I can't see anymore... I can't see you, Hanabi...!" Tears were falling again, staining his bed sheets and newly-bound bandages. Hanabi sat there, dumbfounded. This wasn't supposed to happened.

Something like this tragedy – it wasn't supposed to happen in Hyuuga Hanabi's fairytale life. Everything was supposed to be perfect, without stain – she was going to finish university with Naruto, and they will get married, have a family, lead the Hyuuga clan, become happy...

This was unknown to her. In Hyuuga Hanabi's book, there's no such thing as tragedy.

Outside of the hospital room, silently eavesdropping was Hyuuga Hinata. For her, she had known nothing but tragedy. Her life was filled with it – one came after another. Her failure as the older twin, unable to bear the family's crest and therefore was disqualified her position as a rightful Head member. And her failures at her studies – while she excelled in music, literature and the arts, the more strongly-favoured sciences and mathematics became her downfall, resulting in receiving resentment from the other Hyuuga clan members.

And then there was Naruto. Just when she thought she had something Hanabi didn't, Hanabi came and effortlessly took it all away from her.

Her love for Naruto will continue, unrequited, unheard, untouched, and perhaps, it will never grow.

Hinata sighed, her breaths cracked from crying hard without making a sound. With her back sliding against the wall she silently collapsed to a heap on the floor. She had heard it all.

Naruto will resent her.

And she will bear that resentment without objections, for she too, felt that yet again, she was the criminal behind every fallacy that came across her way.

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Hinata sat silently, her untouched lunch box sitting upon her lap. She was waiting for Hanabi to come back from her visit, and she had decided to go ahead and eat lunch first, but couldn't find the will or the appetite to do so. However, her twin sister in question was coming into view – and Hinata couldn't help but to note that Hanabi's visit wasn't very prolonged or long.

"How was he?" Hinata asked quietly, and Hanabi shook her head. It was then Hinata noticed that her sister looked... frightened for once. "Hanabi-chan, what's wrong? Y-You're... you don't look too good. Did the doctor say anything about...?" Hinata's questions came to a trailing end when Hanabi collapsed to the floor upon her knees. Several other patients and visitors glanced at the Hyuuga twins at the scene.

"I... I can't do it, Hinata... I just can't...!" Hanabi's voice came, broken and shattered. Hinata crouched beside her sister, patting her back. "Hanabi, get a grip on yourself. What is it? What is it that you can't do?" Hinata softly asked, watching her sister slowly ease herself. Hanabi, whose face was filled with tears, shook her head sadly.

"I can't help him, Hinata. His eyes... they won't heal. He's going to stay blind forever. What am I supposed to do?! How am I supposed to comfort him? I don't know anything, and yet I... yet I..." Defeated by the urge to sob, Hanabi wept bitterly, clinging onto her sister's chest. "H-Hinata... I... I know this is so selfish of me... but I've always taken Naruto's love for granted... and now, I can't give anything in return to him..."

Hinata closed her eyes, her hands stroking Hanabi's hair. "No, you're wrong, Hanabi. You've given him your love, haven't you? You gave him happiness, through those years you've been together."

Hanabi sniffed a little, wiping her tears away with a weak chuckle. "Is that so? Maybe you see it that way."

There was nothing that came to mind to retort to that, in Hinata's mind.

"I know that... this is selfish of me to ask you this but... I want you to do me a favour."

Hinata's pale eyes traced Hanabi's.

"What is it?"

"Please. Help him recover in my place. I can't do it, after all. I kept telling myself that if I tried my best, then everything will work out, but... at this rate... I just... can't..." Hanabi enveloped her sister in an embrace. Hinata, who was about to decline, felt the unsecure shaking her sister's shoulders were suffering from, and sealed her mouth shut.

"Alright. I understand, Hanabi."

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"A-Are you sure you want to cut all that off?" The hairdresser asked doubtfully, scooping a fistful of the silky, violet-black locks in his hand. "I can see you've grown it out long for a long time, cutting it now will mean all of that hard work down the drain, you know."

"Yes, I'm sure. I want you to cut it exactly like this." Hinata handed the stylist Hanabi's photo. "Please layer the front bangs. At this point, I also want my hairline readjusted to my right side. Is that alright?"

The man took the photo, studying it closely. He stared back at her. "So you want your old hairstyle back? Well sure, but I'm telling you, your long hair's going to waste..."

"I don't mind." Hinata replied curtly, before seating herself down in the salon chair.

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It had been a week since then. Seven days of pure blackness. No colours, but black. Sometimes he could sense a faint lightness in certain areas when he was facing the sun directly, but otherwise he was left to fend for himself for seven days in total darkness.

And it frightened him.

He hardly ate, which made many of the nurses in his ward upset with his behaviour. Pessimistic and bitter, his friends who came to visit him could hardly believe that he was once the happy, go-lucky young man he was.

To tell the truth, he was surprised himself.

'Hanabi... I need Hanabi right now...' He thought tiredly, leaning back in his comforter. He knew he had hurt her indirectly when he told her of his resentment towards Hinata, who... who he had tried to save, in that spur of a moment...

She left him crippled. She was the last person he'll be able to save in his lifetime.

He wanted to save so many more people than just Hinata.

His thoughts were interrupted when the door was wrenched open. His senses back on alert, he waited stiffly to hear who it was. Hearing the door close again, light footsteps made their way towards him, and the sound of a person sitting down filled the gap of silence.

"Naruto, I heard you haven't been eating much lately." A soothing, concerned voice spoke aloud, and his heart raced.

"H-Hanabi?" His fingers reached out for her, and her cool fingers slipped around his palm, grasping them gently.

"Yes," Hinata answered carefully, her face wrenched in a heart-breaking smile. Tears slipped from her eyes, but she made no noise to indicate that she was crying.

"It's me, Hanabi."

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End of Second Pattern

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Author's Note: I just had to get this chapter out before I drive myself crazy, haha. Enjoy the double release!

- Risako Matsuki