(A/N: So far, these are some of the votes for a pairing!)
Kakahina: 1
Shikahina: 1
Itahina: 1
Sasuhina: 1
Naruhina: 2
Feel free to keep voting!
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Week Six
"Neji-nii, sit on my back.''
"Hinata-sama?!''
"C'mon, Neji-nii! You said you wanted to help!''
Akashi watches silently as the three-year-old heiress orders Neji to sit cross-legged on her lower-back as she does push-ups. Sweat glistens on her skin and the definition in her arms is beginning to show.
Akashi now understands why Hiashi-sama had requested that he observe Hinata-sama. Though she thought he didn't know, Hiashi knew of her late night disappearances.
There's no way her muscles developed like that overnight.
Neji carefully rests his full weight on Hinata.
"Hah, this is...nothing...'' She strains to lower herself down and scrunches her face when she pushes herself up. "See!'' Sweat drips off the tip of her nose and her body shakes under the strain.
Akashi expects her to give up. But fifty push-ups later, she finally buckles and lands in a heap, huffing.
She slowly climbs to her feet, shaking her arms out, and then begins to jog on the spot. "Are you coming, Neji-nii? I said we'd be meeting Naruto-kun now at the swings today.''
Neji glances over his shoulder and spots Hizashi who eyes his son and the heiress with a stoic expression.
"Otou-sama!'' The four-year-old shouts out, grinning. "Sorry, Hinata-sama. I'm going to train with my otou-sama now, tell Naruto I said hi!''
Neji jogs to meet his father who begins to walk towards the dojo. Tossing a smile over her shoulder, Hinata exits the compound and goes on her way.
Hiashi joins Akashi. "Your report then?'' he requests, arms folded.
Akashi smiles. "Hinata-sama is more than ready.''
-Line Break-
Hinata does two laps around a perimetre she mentally tracked before finally stopping by the playground. Naruto isn't there yet so she takes it on herself to do as many pull ups as it takes until he arrives.
Panting as he does with his signature goggles crooked on his forehead, Naruto skids to a halt in front of her. She drops from swingset bar and wipes her sweaty face with her sleeve. "Sorry I'm late, Hinata-chan!'' The Uzumaki huffs. "I was just getting you this.''
From his pocket he pulls out a small bag of chocolates and puts them in her small hands. Hinata blushes bright red.
"Thank you, Naruto-kun!'' She exclaims, feeling so hot steam might come out of her ears.
He grins broadly and holds two fingers up in a peace sign.
"Were you just training, Hinata-chan?'' he asks when the two sit on a bench to eat their snacks.
"Un!'' Hinata confirms, popping a piece of chocolate between her lips. "I'm the heiress of my clan and I want to protect them. They're my precious people.''
Naruto's eyes light up. "Ne, Hinata-chan!'' He clasps his hands together. "Let's train together, -ttebayo!'' He leaps up onto the bench, eyebrows furrowed in determination. "If I'm going to Hokage some day then I've got to be a strong ninja!''
Hinata smiles, almost wistfully. "You are,'' she insists wholeheartedly. "You will be.''
Naruto's eyes widen in awe and he can't help the grin that slides across his beaming face. Before he knows it, Hinata's face grows blurry in his vision and hot tears spill down his cheeks. Hinata flocks to him in a flurry, frantically wiping his eyes and asking what is wrong.
He snifles, grinning wider than before. "It's nothing, Hinata-chan, really. I just...no one has ever been so nice to me before. Besides the old man, you're the nicest person I've ever met.''
Hinata feels her eyes start to well. Although her heart is throbbing painfully hard from the kind words three-year-old Naruto blubbers, she doesn't want to hear that from him. 'Nice' isn't the correct word to use for her, someone who couldn't even protect him before.
"Naruto-kun!'' Her arms fling around his neck and from onlookers, the two look like lost idiots as they cry in the middle of the park- Naruto because he's finally found a friend and Hinata because she has much to get over until she can move forward.
Snotty-nosed and red-eyed, Hinata eventually pulls away from Naruto and ruffles his spiky hair.
"Naruto-kun, I promise I'll always be by your side,'' she vows. "I'll never leave you alone again.''
-Line Break-
Hinata arrives back to the compound with puffy eyes and dirty clothes. Though she belongs to a high nobility, she looks as if she has been raised in the slums.
The maids hurriedly bathe and give her fresh clothes before Hiashi sees her in such a gangly state. They ask her if she's been hurt but she swears her tears were only for mourning.
The maids wonder aloud who exactly was mourn-worthy but she keeps her lips sealed. She knows they won't appreciate it if she expresses her true thoughts.
Back at her bedroom, Hinata quietly and contently endulges in her Shinobi Anatomy book to pass the time. After spending most of the day with Naruto, Hinata can gladly say she's exhausted. And all the late nights have begun to catch up on her but tonight is the night she starts target practise with her secret stash of kunai and shuriken.
In the dark, her byakugan will be more than helpful.
"Hinata-sama.'' There's a soft knock at her door. "Your father wishes to see you.''
Closing her anatomy book, Hinata clambers to her feet. With gentle footsteps, she makes her way to her father's room where he is accompanied by Hizashi and Neji.
"Hiza-ji, you're here!''
She knows all about his hostility towards the main house and seeks to change that. When she inherits as clan leader, she will bring the branch and main families together no matter what it takes.
"Naruto-kun says hi back,'' Hinata tells Neji as she takes her seat beside her uncle. "Tou-sama, I'm almost finished Shinobi Anatomy. I didn't know you could block a person's senses with chakra!''
Hiashi nods his head at his eccentric daughter. She is turning out just as she should. All traces of that shy girl she once was is gone now.
"Hinata, starting from tomorrow on you will be training beneath me as the Hyuga heiress. I will raise you hard and long, you will not like it. But you will have to endure the pain.''
Hinata cocks her head. She doesn't recall this moment but then again, she hadn't met Naruto until she was five. The future is changing oh-so slightly.
"Hai, tou-sama!''
"I will teach you our clan's secret teachings. Don't let me down.''
Her eyes blazed brightly. "Hai, tou-sama!''
The corners of his lips twitch ever so carefully upwards and he dismisses them with a wave of his hand. Brimming with excitement, Neji weaves his fingers around his younger cousin's wrist and tugs her behind him. Hizashi rises and stares down at his elder twin.
"Neji is showing signs of being a prodigy.''
Hiashi doesn't miss a beat. "So is Hinata.''
-Line Break-
Hinata feels energised when she steps into the dojo behind her uncle and cousin. On her back is a black training suit which allows her to move around swiftly with ease.
Her father stands tall in the middle of the room and waits until she takes her place in front of him. He looks at her down his nose, not missing the determination laced onto her face.
She wants her father to see how much stronger she's become, though her three-year-old body has her at a disadvantage.
"Book smarts don't help in a real fight,'' Hiashi says. Hinata merely nods. She knows that for sure.
Hizashi and Neji sit themselves on their knees and study Hinata's confident movements as she slips into the Gentle Fist stance as if she's known it for years.
"Gentle Fist doesn't require brute strength,'' Hiashi explains as he slowly extends his hand outwards. "Even the slightest movement can cause severe damage to the vital organs, if used correctly.''
Hinata mimicks his movements, matching his pace as he slides across the floor using intricate footwork.
"The byakugan is essential. It gives us an advantage over the enemy. We will never be blinded.''
Abruptly, Hiashi's hand swings around and knocks Hinata across the room. Her arms come up fast to shield her body from damage, emitting chakra to her feet to steady her balance. Hizashi is shocked.
Convulsing slightly, Hinata drops to one knee and realises what her father has done, wincing.
"Feel that? That is what the enemy feels when you use Gentle Fist. Painful...isn't it?''
Hinata's arms are numb. This is barely a scrap of Hiashi's full power and even still, it hurts.
"Gentle Fist targets the chakra points in the body, as well as causes internal bleeding if you want it to. You can immobilise any enemy in seconds with the right mind.''
In a second, he's behind Hinata with a finger raised to hit her in the back. Just in the nick of time, Hinata manages to scramble away and take her stance like she had been taught.
The veins around her eyes protrude as she unveils her visual prowess.
Hiashi is impressed. "Come!''
Hinata races forwards, palm flipped upwards, and begins a series of attacks on her father which he swiftly redirects. She doesn't falter, each step forward she takes shaking the dojo.
Hinata kicks him in the leg the best she can with her three-year-old legs and stumbles slightly upon his retaliation.
"Your kick is weak.'' Her eyes visibly darken. "However your fists are very well developed.''
She lunges at him with all she's got. Fists flying and footwork to par, she gets Hiashi to use both hands for defense.
Panting after a long hour session, Hiashi calls a break. Sweat drips from her forehead but she swears she can still do more.
"Hinata,'' he says before she leaves for a break. "You are doing well.''
Neji meets her outside where she's taken a glass of water from a maid.
"Hinata-sama, you were great!'' he cooes, smiling widely.
Hinata, still trying to catch her breath, grins. "I've got be better than great, Neji-nii. I'm going to be powerful so I can protect my precious people.'' A triade of faces flashes before her eyes.
Not too long later, Hinata joins her father for more sparring. This time, her determination is stronger tham ever. With every palm that comes for her, Hinata takes it and smiles through the pain.
After all, it's all apart of her training regime.
Neji smiles contently at his cute cousin who purposely allows herself to be struck. He's admitted to it many times but he's more than happy to serve the heiress. She's cute and kind and fun. Kind of like an older sister, even though she is younger.
Hizashi gazes at his son and his fingers clench around the cloth on his knees. While Hinata proves to be more than able to become a fitting leader of the Hyuga, he can't help but seethe due to the fact Neji is deprived of the support he deserves to bring out his full potential.
His jaw clenches and his eyes harden as he watches the heiress taunt Hiashi. "Hit me harder, tou-sama! I can take it!''
In an instant, Hiashi steps in front of Hinata defensively and holds two fingers in front of him.
"Killing intent!''
An agonising pain explodes in Hizashi's head where the discrimitory curse mark is set, causing him to go rigid and clutch his head while groaning. He falls sideways to the floor, writhing, and his eyes roll into the back of his skull.
"Otou-sama!'' Neji clutches his father's sleeve quickly. "Otou-sama, what is it? What's wrong?''
Hinata knows what's next. She's heard it all before. Neji's eyes begin to well.
"You see, Neji-''
"Tou-sama, stop!''
Hiashi doesn't see it coming. Hinata's finger renders his arms helpless in a matter of moments as she hits all the right points using Gentle Fist. Immediately, Hizashi is released from the torture and he gets his breath back.
Hiashi is enraged. "Hinata-''
"I won't let you, tou-sama! Hiza-ji is apart of my precious people! I won't let you hurt him!''
He's frozen by his three-year-old's headstrong outburst and sighs through his nose. If that type of thinking is what'll make his daughter the leader he thinks she'll be, so be it.
"I will not apologise. You are my precious people, too, Hinata. And I will protect you.'' He shoots a look at his younger twin who slowly regains his senses. "No matter who or what.''
