We Stand, Unknown
Chapter 6
A/N: Once again the White Rabbit. (Ha, get it? Cause "I'm late! I'm late!" Yeah, kay, I'll just shut up now.)
Disclaimer: Kishimoto-sama owns near everything. I only take credit for Naiya.
Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to Your Hoshi for their lovely review. Thank you so much for your support!
...
"You did good today, Naiya-chan," Hinata said as the two turned a corner. A long, dead-end street stretched out before them, lit by a handful of gas lamps that hung from the top spikes of a large, imposing gate.
"Ah, thanks, Hina-chan," Naiya scratched the back of her head sheepishly, smiling. "But I was the one who let the flag get stolen."
Hinata giggled, pausing before the only break in the gate. Naiya looked past the small raven-haired girl, gazing into the shadowy depths of the Hyuuga compound. It seemed rather creepy, not really the nicest of places to grow up in, she thought.
"Thank you for walking me home, Naiya-chan."
"Eh? Oh, it was no problem, Hina-chan. It's the least I could do after you gave me some of that healing salve." Naiya brushed her hand over her arm. It was almost healed now, the burns no longer ailing her at all.
"Hinata, is that you?"
Hinata's eyes widened suddenly and she tensed, turning slowly to face the tall figure emerging from the shadows. He was dressed in elegant fabrics, draped across a slim, but strong build. He had the same, pupil-less eyes as Hinata and Naiya realized with a start that this man must be Hinata's father.
She quickly dropped into a bow, a blush spreading across her face. "H-hello, Hyuuga-san."
Hinata did the same, muttering a nearly-silent, "Hello, Father."
Hiashi, head of the Hyuuga line, studied Naiya for a moment with a blank expression, unnerving the girl. She was in quite a state, she knew; her hair was in disarray and lacerations still decorated her thin arms despite Hinata's best efforts.
"Hinata, who is this girl?" he asked. His voice was a deep monotone that sent shivers chasing themselves up Naiya's spine. He radiated enough to power to make even the rambunctious girl want to show him respect. She found herself slipping into Hinata's shy state.
"My name is Naiya, Hyuuga-san," she offered when Hinata stuttered herself into oblivion, fidgeting slightly.
Hiashi regarded her with a small bit of disinterest before turning back to his daughter, who seemed to be regaining the ability or speak. "She was just walking me home, father. She was my teammate in class today. She's quite impressive."
Naiya beamed at Hinata.
"What is your clan name, Naiya-san?"
"Eh?" Her eyes widened past their already protuberant state, making her look much more like a deer caught in the headlights than usual. "Ano, well," she floundered for a response. She could give Iruka's last name, she supposed. "Umino, Hyuuga-san."
"I was not aware that Iruka-san had any children."
"Ah, no!" This was not going well. She swallowed hard, lowering her voice. "I'm his niece, actually. Daughter to his sister."
Hiashi raised a thin, fine brow at her, the only change in countenance she'd seen from him since his arrival, before nodding. "I see."
Naiya flushed red, feeling suddenly overheated despite the cool night. She clasped her hands together behind her back, rocking slightly on her heels to alleviate some of the tension.
"Well, Naiya-san, my daughter seems to think highly of you," Hiashi said suddenly, startling the girl. She stopped her rocking and stood up straighter. "The Hyuuga household would be honored if you joined us for dinner tomorrow."
Naiya looked to Hinata for an answer, but the girl seemed just as stunned by her father's offer as she was. She gulped and nodded. "Thank you, Hyuuga-san. I would be honored."
He smiled at her, but it didn't reach his eyes.
...
Naiya waited until an hour before she was to leave for the Hyuuga compound to tell Iruka of the invitation. She assumed he would make a big deal out of it and he was already nervous at is was. His reaction could only make it worse, Naiya figured. She was right.
They were sitting in Iruka's room, Naiya on the floor between the man's legs, Iruka on the bed, brush in hand. She had just gotten out of the shower and, as was their usual routine these days, Iruka was aiding her in the brushing of her thick, dark tresses.
"I can't believe you didn't tell me!" he said, his voice just a tad too high, as he pulled the brush through her long hair. She winced, at both his tone and the pain caused from the brushing.
"I knew you'd make a big deal out of it," she said by way of explanation, shrugging.
"Of course I'm going to make a big deal out of it, Naiya. Hiashi Hyuuga is the head of his clan and being invited to dinner by him, personally, is an honor."
Naiya rolled her eyes and picked up the brush from where Iruka had placed it on the bed. He had stood up a moment ago and was pacing now, making grand hand gestures as he spoke.
"The Hyuuga clan is one of the oldest in village. Older, even, than the Uchiha clan, though it is speculated that at some point they were the same clan..." He trailed off before shaking his head sharply. "Oh god, what are you going to wear?"
Naiya raised a brow. "I was just going to wear this," she said, motioning to herself. She wore her blue top with a black skirt that fell to mid-thigh, her white-obi, as always, tied around her middle. "Why does it matter what I wear? He saw me in my academy clothes and still invited me over."
She moved to stand in front of the mirror and finished brushing her hair. She considered her reflection for a moment before shrugging and using the two ribbons wrapped around the brush to tie her hair up into high pigtails. Her hair still swished around her shoulder blades. Maybe she should cut it?
"Naiya, are you even listening to me?"
She blinked a few times before glancing back at the brunet. "I'm sorry, what?"
He sighed. "You'll have to ask Hinata for a kimono. Yours is too tattered to be of much use." He moved to stand behind her, taking the brush once again. He undid the ribbons and let her hair fall back down into place. "I, at least, can fix your hair."
...
Naiya looked up at the huge wrought-iron fence that surrounded the Hyuuga compound as she made her way down the one way street, just as she had the previous night. Even in the fading light of day it was imposing, almost eerie. Beyond the black bars stood an even larger building, tall and grey with a surprisingly bright red-tiled roof that stretched out against the fading light of the sun.
"Come on in, Naiya-chan," Hinata said, smiling, as she opened the gate for the gimlet-eyed girl.
"Ah, thanks, Hina-chan," Naiya said distractedly, looking around her. The walk she stood on was the only part of the yard not covered in green. Tiny flowers poked up in a rainbow of colors, like a prism had been taken apart and scattered across the grass. "Pretty," she breathed.
"Hm?"
Naiya blushed and opened her mouth to speak before noticing Hinata's clothing. The tiny Hyuuga was clad in a rich purple kimono, decorated with tiny butterflies and flowers in shades of lilac and sakura-pink. The obi was a glimmering gold, pulled from the accents on the butterfly's wings, and the obi-jime was braided pink, tiny butterflies dangling from the ends.
"Wow, Hina-chan. You look so... pretty."
Now it was Hinata's turn to blush. "Th-thank you, Naiya-chan," she said, her stutter fading back into existence. "I'm sure you'll look beautiful, as well."
"Oh! Thanks for letting me borrow a kimono, by the way," Naiya said as Hinata finished leading the way to the door. She pushed slightly and it creaked open, sending the fading light of day to sprawl out on the gleaming hardwood floors. Naiya's breath caught.
"It's beautiful."
Directly opposite to the front door was a hallway made entirely of glass, past that was a classic garden, a bamboo fountain rocking back and forth over a small koi pond. It was lit by the same, ornate gas lamps from the gates outside, this time hung on poles dangling over the water. A pretty orange koi leapt out of the water, shimmering in the casted light.
"This way, Naiya-chan," Hinata prompted when Naiya made no move to follow her. She led the girl past the glass hallway and down a few more, each with one glass wall. Finally, they turned down a hallway lined only with doors, and continued down it until they came to a dead end.
Hinata pushed the screen of the last door aside and moved to allow Naiya to step in first, closing it firmly behind them. Surprisingly enough, Hinata's room wasn't near as grande as the rest of the house.
It was far neater than Naiya's room, but it was sparsely decorated by a four poster bed, a tall dresser pressed against one wall, and a desk with a few weapons and scrolls in various colors sitting atop it. The walls were painted a shade of purple so light, it was almost white. It reminded Naiya's of the Hyuuga's eyes.
Hinata looked around her room and smiled slightly, fondly before making her way over to the second screen in the room. She slid it open and stepped into, what appeared to be, a closet. It far larger than any closet Naiya had ever seen, though.
"I only wear traditional clothes at home," Hinata explained as she pulled a blue kimono from the depths of the closet. It was packed full of rich, lush fabrics of every color, hanging from rods or folded on shelves. A single, pure white kimono was set on a stand in the back, its long sleeves hung perfectly beside it.
"Here," she said as she emerged from the closet, cradling a kimono in her arms. She'd since returned the blue one and was now holding one in blood-red.
Naiya blinked at it for a few moments before blushing nearly as darkly as the fabric. "Ah, I don't actually know how to put one on..."
...
Naiya batted irritably at the tiny bell-charm that dangled slightly above her ear, just careful enough not to muss her hair. Iruka had twisted the top half of her long black tresses into an intricate up-do, pinned into place by a pair of chopsticks. Her bangs were also pulled back on one side with a beautiful silver comb. Unfortunately, it also had little silver bells that tinkled gently with each move the girl made, leading to her current irritability.
"Naiya-chan, are you okay?"
Naiya smiled as cheerfully as she could and gave the comb one last swat. "Ah, yeah. I'm fine... Thanks so much for this, by the way." She motioned to the ornate kimono she wore. "Really, it's so nice of you to have leant it to me."
"It looks good on you."
She flushed and spun slightly, watching her reflection dance along the glass wall. The red kimono was accented with silver, a black obi tied around her waist, knotted far more intricately than Naiya had ever seen one tied, something Hinata called the "butterfly knot." Over that was a silver obi-jime, two small bells dangling from the braided ribbon, to match the hair comb.
The two girls walked the rest of the way through the halls of the Hyuuga compound in silence. Hinata had explained to Naiya the dynamics of her family as she'd finished dressing her. Lucky for her, she'd only be dining with immediate family, so she wouldn't have to bother with memorizing the "hierarchy" of the Hyuuga line.
When Naiya question Hinata's wording of this, the girl only sighed and gave a small explanation of, "It's complicated." Then she changed the subject. This really only piqued Naiya's interest more, but she had kept her questions to herself. If she wanted to talk about it, Naiya figured, she would have.
"Your sister's name is Hanabi, right? Do I need to give her an honorific?"
Hinata looked thoughtful, pausing before a large door decorated with an intricate crest that spanned the length of the screen. "It would probably please my family if you called her Hanabi-san, but she is younger than you, so it's your decision." She bit her lip slightly. "It might be good if you called my father Hiashi-sama, though."
"Will do."
"Ready?"
Naiya swallowed before nodding. She wasn't really ready to be fed to the Hyuuga-sharks, but she could handle this. If she could take a smirking Uchiha prodigy throwing knives at her, she could handle an old, prissy man. "Yes, Hinata-san." she said, winking at the girl.
Hinata slid the door open and, once again, allowed Naiya to step in before her. The gimlet-eyed girl pulled the hem of the kimono up slightly, revealing the traditional sandals she wore, and stepped inside.
Hiashi Hyuuga sat before a low table, seated on a pillow at the head of it. He was once again garbed in rich fabric of varying shades of blue and his long, dark hair was tied back and out of the way. Seated at his side, facing the two girls as they stepped through the door, was Hanabi. She, too, was dressed in a kimono, painted with a spectrum of colors. Her eyes were sharp and her mouth was set into a thin line, like she was somehow displeased by Naiya's very presence.
Naiya bowed as gracefully as she could, looking around her through the curtain of thick hair that fell forward. It was large, rectangular room, lit only by lamps. It seemed to be a pattern here. The edges were blurred together with shadows and Naiya could sense that someone stood beyond where she could see. The table was already set with tea and a huge serving bowl sat on the raised dais in the middle, a ladle laid out next to it.
"Welcome," Hiashi said, motioning for the two girls to be seated. Naiya smiled demurely in return and folded her legs beneath herself, seated on a small velvety pillow beside Hinata. She was being characteristically quiet, her mouth sealed and her eyes downturned, though surprisingly sharp, as if she were in deep thought.
"Thank you again for inviting me, Hiashi-sama," the gimlet-eyed girl said quietly, bowing her head. "It was quite unexpected."
"You intrigued me," he said simply, turning his head slightly at the sound of the screen door sliding open behind the two girls.
Naiya swiveled her head back, just a tad too fast, knocking herself off balance. She threw out one arm to catch herself, falling gracelessly onto her palm. She scowled and looked up, meeting the eyes of another scowling face.
His eyes were the same pale shade of pearl as the rest of the Hyuuga's and his long glossy hair was tied back into a simple knot. He was beautiful in an effortless way, holding himself with a graceful air Naiya could never accomplish. She would have called him the most stunning thing she'd ever seen were it not for the scowl marring his perfect face, his pale lips twisted in disgust.
"H-hello, Neji-niisan," Hinata spluttered, as if Naiya's poor balance had somehow been her fault.
The boy, Neji, looked down at the smaller girl with a poorly concealed sneer. "Hinata-sama," he said with an underlying tone of something Naiya couldn't quite understand. It sounded like hatred, but who could hate Hinata, of all people? She was far to sweet.
Naiya frowned and leaned into Hinata as Neji went to take his seat. Hiashi had turned to speak with one of the attendants and so was distracted well enough for the girls not to be overheard speaking.
"Who is that?" she asked.
"Neji-niisan, my cousin," Hinata breathed, brushing at her already immaculate clothing. "He's part of that Hyuuga Hierarchy I mentioned earlier." Her voice was low, but she sounded disgusted with the words even so, spitting them out like acid.
"What do you mean?"
"It's complicated." She pursed her lips, her pale eyes wavering with unshed tears. "Complicated and horrid, a fate one can't escape. He's bound to me and this bloodline, whether he or I like it. All because he was born to the branch family and I to the main line."
Hinata left it at that, moving to sit straight, a picture of composure, though she dabbed her napkin against her eyes for a moment and her cheeks were flushed.
The Hyuuga compound appeared beautiful from the outside, Naiya thought, but its walls dripped with secrets, ghosts screaming the truth that no one wanted to hear. She tightened her grip on her sleeve and swallowed hard. What kind of place was she in?
The honored family lines of Konoha, the Hyuugas and the Uchihas, were filled with nothing but whispered scandals and disgrace; she was suddenly glad that she had nothing to do with them. As sweet as Hinata was, she would be relieved when this dinner came to an end. The elegance of the compound was lost to its horrors in her eyes, uglier than the fake smile Hiashi adorned when he addressed her.
"So, Naiya-san, tell me," he said, his fingers steepled under his chin. "If you are the daughter of Iruka-sensei's sister, why have you taken Umino as your family name and not your father's clan name?"
...
"I didn't like it there, Iruka," Naiya said, hours later. She was laying in her bed, the chunnin sitting with her. Her head was in his lap, black hair falling over his legs and onto the white of the bed sheets. "Why didn't you tell me?"
The dinner had ended on a sour note. Hiashi, apparently, had only invited the girl in order to gain information on her background. He had noticed a flaw in her story and his interest had been piqued. Naiya was then ceaselessly questioned on Mirror Country; what it was like in Summer, in Winter, their exports and imports, their Daimyos. She had managed to lie rather convincingly the whole time, but after the dinner was over Hinata's cousin, Neji, had pulled her aside.
"Tea?" he asked, his eyes full of disbelief. "Mirror Country's main export are gems and ore. I would assume someone who grew up there would know such a thing, especially the daughter of a worker, as you said." He grabbed her arm as she tried to turn and flee, knowing she was caught. "Who are you?" he hissed.
She pulled her arm forcefully from his grasp and scowled, forcing back tears. "If the Hokage doesn't question my story, I see no reason as to why you should."
With that, she had fled down the endless halls and outside, forgetting to return the kimono to Hinata in her haste. She'd shown up pink-faced and tear stained to Iruka's door. He made her tea and tucked her into bed after helping her take off the intricate layers of the formal dress, listening to her story.
"I didn't think you'd have to face it, Naiya," he said finally, patting her head soothingly. "You did your best, Aijou."
"But I just don't understand."
"It's best not to try. The workings of the major clans is never smooth and rarely crystal clear. We may not like it, but it's not our place to interfere. Neji-kun and Hinata-chan will work it out when she takes control of her family, Naiya, so don't worry."
Biting her lip, Naiya nodded and closed her eyes, pretending to sleep. After a few minutes, Iruka slid out from beneath her head, replacing his lap with a pillow, and left. She sat up a few seconds after the door closed and ran a hand through her hair, her mind working through the events of the night.
She was intrigued by the Hyuuga family, she had to admit, but it also scared her to think that all clans could be the same. Could her clan, wherever it was, be the same? Could she have come from the same sort of tainted line, her family soaked in bloodshed and drenched in secrets?
She shuddered at the thought.
...
A/N: Bah. You knew my updating couldn't last. But at least now I know what I'm doing for the Zabuza saga.
If I haven't already said it, get ready for a majorly bumpy ride. It may start the same as normal, but it will be anything but. There will even be candid appearances from future Team Hebi members. I figured if Karin could know Sasuke from somewhere, so could Suigetsu...
K/N: Yay! I'm back in the states and actually managed to beta the newest chapter within an hour of when it was written. I knew my lack of a sleeping schedule could be good for something.
