Well this is a tad bit of a filler chapter meant to show their relationship as well as a bit of humor!
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or Naruto
"I have something for you Kagome-chan! Happy 11th Birthday!" Mimi gushed as she brought a gift out from behind her back.
"Ohayo, Mimi-san! Is it a gift?" Kagome asked excitedly as she took the carefully wrapped package from the woman. Shredding off the lavender wrapping paper Kagome stared at a picture frame. It was a photograph of a Matsuri (shrine festival). It was obvious that the subject of the picture was meant to be a small child who was holding a small plastic bag with a little goldfish in it proudly, displaying the prize to the camera. However in the background two bystanders seemed to stand out in the crowded background scene. The two people were unknowingly looking right in the camera's direction as they walked by.
She felt her eyes water as she instantly recognized a smiling face that was forever frozen in time.
Mama looked so young in the picture!
Kagome's blue eyes ate up the sight of her mother, taking note of her mother's trademark short hair that had slight waves in it and the woman's warm and kind chocolate brown eyes that seemed to be looking right at Kagome through the picture.
Kagome had been afraid that she had begun to forget her mothers' face after having not seen the woman in so very long...
Her Otousan was also very handsome in the photograph. He wore a standard dark navy jonin uniform complete with a forest green flack jacket. His forehead protector sat high on his brow and his hair was pulled back into a low ponytail at the nape of his neck making him look very regal in her opinion.
Neji-niisama had his hair color she realized as she inspected the photo closer.
Looking over her father's face and mentally envisioning her uncle, there was no denying that the two men were twins. But Kagome could see a few differences between this man and her uncle. Her father looked strict but he did not look unkind. There was something soft about his pale eyes and there was a thin, nearly unnoticeable smile on his lips as Mama pulled on his hand- probably trying to drag the man over to a booth.
Smiling grandly at her caretaker Kagome felt like crying in joy, "Thank you Mimi! Thank you!"
"It took me a long time to find a picture of them together." Mimi muttered bashfully as her ward hugged her waist tightly, "Sorry I couldn't find one of just the two of them."
The sweet moment was interrupted as the sound of a clock began to chime out the hour.
"Oh, no! I'm going to be late for my chores!" Kagome yelped as she handed the frame to Mimi.
"Hinata-sama!" Kagome cried in dismay as she nearly dropped the pan she had been scouring, "If your father catches you in the kitchens he'll be angry!"
"Ano, K-kagome-chan, t-today's your b-birthday right?" Hinata asked meekly as she held her hands behind her back.
"It is, Hinata-sama." Kagome admitted to the heiress
"I.. A-ano, I w-wanted t-to g-get you s-something…"
Not sure if it was truly alright to accept something from the heiress, Kagome took the tiny bag from her half-cousin.
"Thank you very much Hinata-sama!" she gave a bow as the heiress quickly retreated from the kitchen. Kagome stood there a moment staring at the small gift in her hand, the bag was very light so she didn't think she had to worry about it being expensive.
The sound of a soft 'tch' startled her out of her musing. Whipping her head up she saw her brother leaning against the doorframe a small frown on his face.
"Neji-nii?" Had he remembered it was her birthday? "Ano…" She had been about to tell him about the picture that Mimi had given her earlier that morning incase he might like to know what her mother looked like or to see their father.
"You must stay away from Hinata-sama." Neji stared disgustedly at the small gift in his sister's hands.
The expectant smile disappeared quickly.
"Nani?"
"She killed our Father, Kagome!" Neji declared lividly.
"What? She doesn't look like she could harm a fly…" Kagome was a bit frightened by his anger, clutching the small gift to her chest protectively.
"Our father is dead because she was kidnapped, don't you understand?" He hissed at her.
Flinching Kagome looked down, hurt by her sibling's harsh words, "Hai, Onii-sama…" Why did he have to get so angry at her? It wasn't her fault that Hinata-sama had seeked her out to give her a gift.
#
He felt somewhat dare he say, guilty, about yelling at Kagome like that. But he couldn't help it! Didn't Kagome know better than to associate with that weakling? It wouldn't bode well if Kagome picked up the other girl's pitiful traits.
Letting his ire subside as he continued on towards his team's meeting place. He hadn't known that today was his sister's birthday, he'd never bothered to ask that many questions about her. But tradition dictated that it was his duty to give her a birthday gift, only what should he get?
Neji couldn't believe he was about to do this but honor demanded it!
Walking up to his teammate TenTen he began his embarrassing request, "I need your help."
"Eh?" TenTen blushed furiously at her new teammate. This was the very first time he had initiated a conversation with her! She could only imagine what the handsome boy wanted her help with. Maybe he would say 'I need help choosing a new weapon, want to join me while I shop?' or maybe even 'Help me destroy all of my wretched fan girls. You are the only one for me!'. Her eyes glazed over as she fantasized, doing her best to contain the giddy grin that wanted to show on her face.
Kicking at the ground Neji fought hard to form the words in his mouth, "I need… help… finding my sister a birthday gift."
The girl blinked uncertain that she had heard such strange words from his mouth.
Wanting to make certain she had heard him correctly she repeated, "You want me to help you find a birthday gift? For your sister?"
"You are a girl." He stated uncomfortably, making a point to keep his eyes fixed on her, he would not look away from embarrassment! "Therefor you would have a more appropriate idea of what to give her."
She wasn't sure what to think, she had no idea that Neji had a sister!
"Yosh, what is the matter TenTen? You are not your youthful self today!" Lee asked as he bound into the clearing instantly noticing the shocked expression on his teammate's face.
Absentmindedly TenTen muttered, "He wants help finding his sister a birthday gift."
She missed the dark glare sent at her by her white-eyed teammate. He felt this was private information that their insane-spandex clad teammate and Sensei had no right to know!
"Gai-sensei! It's Neji's sister's birthday!" Lee declared to the older green clad man with excitement on his face.
The taller man gave a strange smile as he held his face in his hand giving a few nods, as though he was determining something very important.
"Yosh! Team, today's most splendid mission shall be one of the heart! We shall strive to find Neji's darling sibling a most youthful gift to celebrate the day of her birth!" Gai announced as he made a heart with his hands as he struck a wide stance pose.
"Ano, Neji-kun… How old is she?" Ten Ten asked as she tried to block out the chorus of "Gai-sensei!" "Lee!" in the background opting instead to focus on their 'mission' of the day.
"11." Neji stated as he too ignored the creepy student-teacher moment.
"For the last time Lee, I'm not going to buy that thing. Put. It. back." Neji scowled at the boy as he tried yet again to shove a monstrosity of a stuffed animal into the Hyuuga's arms.
"But it's so cute!" Lee whined before turning to Tenten for support, "Right Tenten?"
The girl could only give a queasy smile as she looked at Lee's gift suggestion. "Uh… I … Don't think this is an appropriate gift…"
A moss-green platypus was definitely not on the list of 'great birthday gifts'. Tenten was now beginning to fear what sort of gift she might ever receive from the taijutsu student for her own birthday…
Tucking a small wrapped box into his coat's pocket a few hours later, Neji's team had finally finished their 'mission'. Satisfied that he had found a suitable and affordable gift for his sister Neji parted from his teammates. Before he could be free of them completely, Gai-sensei stopped the young Hyuuga with a hand on his shoulder.
"Take this gift for your darling sister as well, Neji my young pupil! May she rise to the top through hard work and dedication!" The man handed Neji a long thin box.
"We'll stop for this evening, Kagome-san." Ko stated as he spotted Neji standing out in the hall.
"Hai, thank you Sensei!" Kagome bowed respectfully to her teacher as he dismissed her.
"Onii-sama! You are back from genin training already?" She didn't get to see him often now that he had graduated the ninja academy and had been placed on a genin team.
Quite used to her brother's silent ways, Kagome merely gave a small friendly smile as thanks for coming to escort her home- a very rare occurrence.
"Here, this is for your birthday." Neji said as he handed Kagome the two boxes before explaining, "The larger one is from Gai-sensei."
A pleased feeling rose in her chest, so her brother had not forgotten her birthday after all!
Inside the box was a pair of simple, non-reflective stub earrings. Instead of a normal little ball, there was the small simple outline of a flying bird. Perhaps a swallow or a swift, but that didn't matter much to Kagome who thought the earrings were very cute. She just hoped they would be considered simple enough that she would be allowed to wear them- as normally Hyuugas were not permitted to wear 'flashy' jewelry or have pierced ears.
Thankfully Kagome had been able to keep her own pierced ears when she had told a little white lie that it was a traditional custom of her mother's people to have pierced ears. She had gone on to say that they were a sign of a prosperous family and to let her ears seal up would be a sign of disrespect to her mother's family. She was grateful that the clan treated her Mother and her homelands (Tokyo) as a subject that was best respected rather than questioned.
However she had been told, by her Uncle, that she was not permitted to wear anything other than very simple-dull silver, tiny ball earrings. No gold, hoops, shiny silver, jewels, or any other sort would be tolerated. He had made it very clear she would be punished if she disobeyed these rules.
She would be sure to ask Ko-sensei tomorrow and if not, surely she could wear them within her own home!
Setting the tiny earring box aside Kagome opened the gift her brother had said was from his Jonin instructor, happy that her brother's teacher had been kind enough to even consider getting her a gift despite the fact she had never met the man.
"… Onii-sama?" Kagome scrunched her face up in confusion/horror as she pulled out a strangegreen garment, "What is this thing?"
Of course. He should have known. Shaking his head Neji regretted not taking the gift to the servant's kitchen and burning it in the large wood stove.
Standing quietly Neji spoke as he glared at the spandex, "Don't ever wear it. Get rid of it."
If only Kagome knew what he had gone through for her sake today. But Neji had to admit that he was pleased by the gift he had gotten. The earrings would serve well to remind him and perhaps others that Kagome was fated(in his mind) to be a bird free of the cage.
It's way shorter than the last chapter, I know!
Isn't that exactly the sort of nutty gift Gai-sensei would give anyone for their birthday?
Please leave a review to help motivate me as well as to tell me what it is that you like about this story!
Next chapter: Kagome finally débuts at the academy, what will happen?