A/N: I know you were expecting to find the first chapter of the real story after that prologue about Naruto's parents, well...
Think Again! This is a second prologue, and I will tell you right now, there will probably be a third. The first three chapters are all prologues and are an arc in my story that deals with events before Naruto's birth, but be forewarned: there will be elements of these chapters that will come back as recurring themes, so don't dismiss them as idle fluff, though they are certainly fluffy ;). Without any further ado, I give you Prologue II, Hinata's Beginnings
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but I do own some Ramen, which I will be enjoying eating later.
Prologue II: Hinata's Beginnings
Two months later…
Inside the Hyuga complex, the clan head and his wife discuss the future of the clan.
"Hiashi-kun, why must that seal remain in use? You know it is just causing a divide between the main and branch family," asked Hotokegi Hyuga in her naturally soft and caring voice.
"Hoto-chan, we've been over this before. What would happen if a branch member were to die in the battlefield? The secrets of our Byakugan would be up for grabs to anyone, even our enemies. We cannot let this happen."
"But wouldn't the same thing happen if a main family member died in battle?"
"That would never happen! The main family is too strong for any of its members to die in battle where enemies can get to them!" yelled Hiashi, somewhat angry that his wife would imply that any main house member could possibly suffer that fate.
"How can you know that? There are always risks when ninjas go on missions. Anything can happen. There are some things even our Byakugan eyes cannot see, and there is a blind spot, as you well know."
"Shhh! We do not speak of that weakness, less the knowledge fall into enemy hands."
"But you have to admit, there are still certain risks involved with being a ninja. You never know what might happen out in the real world, away from family and clansmen."
"Very true, but this only speaks for the necessity of a seal on our weaker members."
"Not all of the branch members are weak. Your twin brother is certainly not weak, and I have no doubt that his new son, our nephew, Neji will be as strong as he is, if not stronger. So why do they need this seal? Clearly it is not for the protection of our kekkei-genkai."
"…"
"Plus there is the other aspect of the caged-bird seal. The part that allows main family members to hurt or even kill branch members if they want to."
"Please! You speak as if main family members are sadists who would kill their own clansmen for fun."
"Maybe not for fun, but for not doing what the main member wants them to do, perhaps? For speaking out against the use of the seal? For going against the wishes of the main family?"
"We must have a way to keep order. If we did not have that seal, there would be chaos. There would be anarchy. The branch house would revolt against us and in the ensuing feud our numbers would dwindle if not perish."
"You're justifying the use of the seal on a problem caused by the seal. The only reason the branch members would revolt is out of revenge for main family members using the seal on the family or friends of branch members. The seal was the cause of the problem, not the solution to it."
"It keeps them in line. It keeps this clan running smoothly, so that we can remain one of the most powerful clans in Konoha."
"But Hiashi-kun, it's driving us apart. The branch family hates the main family, and the main family feels superior to the branch family. The bitterness and tension between the two houses of the Hyuga clan is so thick that you can almost see it. This is not the way a clan, no a family, should be run. We should be loving our relatives, not hating and hurting them with a seal that makes us feel superior to them and only intensifies their hate for us. Why must we continue to use this seal that is poisoning our clan?"
"It's a tradition, and it's one that the Hyuga clan has followed for generations."
"Well it's a bad tradition, and sometimes, traditions need to change. The world is not as it once was, and the Hyuga clan will perish if it cannot learn to adapt to the new world in which we live."
"Even if it is a bad tradition, there is nothing we can do about it. The power lies in the hands of the elders, and they are nothing if not traditional. They would never allow the practice of using the seal to be abandoned just because you or I think it should be."
"But…"
"I'm sorry, my love, there is nothing we can do."
"But Hiashi-kun, I don't want…" and with this, Hotokegi started to cry openly. Seeing his wife in pain, Hiashi immediately held her in a warm and loving embrace, soothing away all the pain.
"What don't you want, my dear?" Hiashi asked, trying his best to comfort his wife.
"I don't want our child to grow up in a clan where she will be hated by half of its members because of an old tradition," Hotokegi finished, wiping the tears from her eyes and resting her head on Hiashi's shoulder.
At this, Hiashi stared at his wife. 'Can she really mean what I think she means?'
"Hoto-chan, does this mean…"
Hotokegi only nodded.
"You're…We're going to…I'm going to be…"
Again, Hotokegi only nodded.
With that, acting in a very un-Hiashi-like manner, he picked up his wife and spun her around. "An heir, an heir! I'm going to have an heir! We're going to have a child! I'm going to be a father! This is wonderful news, truly wonderful news! We must go tell the clan. The elders will want to know. Of course, my brother should also know, and my nephew, though he won't really understand yet. We should probably tell the Hokage too, and the rest of the clan heads, and…"
"Honey?" asked Hotokegi with one of the most beautiful looks Hiashi had ever seen.
"Yes, my Hoto-chan? Do you need anything? Anything you need, I'll get it. Are you hungry? Thirsty? Do you want some tea? Or a back massage? Maybe you need some rest, to conserve your energy? Or…"
"How about we start with you putting me down. I'm starting to get dizzy."
Hiashi suddenly realized that he had been spinning Hotokegi in the air this entire time, and so with a rare look of embarrassment, he gladly put his wife back on the floor.
"That's better. Now I think I'll go get some sleep. You should too, while you can, because you know we won't be able to as soon as the baby is born."
"You're probably right, Hoto-chan. Besides, I want you to keep our energy up while your pregnant with my new heir. Maybe you should go inactive as a ninja for a while."
"You want me to go inactive? Why should I go inactive as a ninja?"
"I want the baby to be safe."
"Safe? Why wouldn't the baby be safe?"
"Hoto-chan, you were the one talking about the dangers of the real world a minute ago and how anything can happen on a mission. Maybe it would be better if you focused on preparing for the arrival of the new baby instead of on a mission that could be handled by another, non-pregnant ninja."
"B-But Hiashi-kun, if I don't go on missions, people will think I am weak. They will think that becoming pregnant has made me lose some of my skills and training. I can't let that happen," replied Hotokegi in a somewhat shy and frightened voice.
Hiashi just looked at her. He hadn't heard his wife stutter in a long time.
'She must really be scared of losing her reputation as a formidable ninja,' thought Hiashi.
"Honey, I promise that as soon as the baby is born you can go back to doing missions and being a full time ninja."
"You promise?"
"I promise."
This seemed to be enough for Hotokegi, as the tears that had been forming dried up and her face looked far more content and happy than it had been.
"Besides, while you're taking a break from ninja-duty, you'll have more free time to do what you want, like cooking. I know you've been dying to get in the kitchen and cook something again, despite the fact that we have fully trained, and might I add hired, chefs to cater to your every whim," said Hiashi with a genuine smile on his face.
"True, but it always seems to taste so much better when I actually cook the food myself. I guess because I get the taste of the food and the joy of knowing that I did it myself."
"Not to mention the fact that you are a great cook, probably even better than those chefs we hire," added Hiashi, making his wife blush at the compliment.
"I still don't understand why you think it would be so dangerous for me to remain active. It's not like we're at war right now. I mean, we just finished the war with Iwagakure, thanks to the fourth."
Yes, but I only want the best for my new child and his mother…"
"Or her mother"
"Yes, or her mother. I don't want anything to happen to this new baby of ours."
"Oh come on, Hiashi-kun. What could possibly happen in the nine months I am pregnant with our child?"