Hey guys, I know this super late and kinda sucky, but I felt that I should put something out by my birthday for you guys.

I didn't really proofread, so let me know if my mistakes are too plentiful to bear.

~Kurenai Cakes


Chapter 7: LOSS

With Hinata

Hinata stared at her teammates, her best friends, her brothers.

"I'm sorry." Her words were laced with guilt and remorse. She hated what she was doing to them, but she didn't regret what she was doing for her sister. She couldn't, wouldn't.

Shino and Kiba look back at her, no visible trace of anger. They just wrap her in their arms, and she lets them.

"I'm sorry." She repeats.

They just hold her, and promise her that she'll always be family. She believes them, but it doesn't stop the feeling that she's lost them.

Hinata leaves her sensei's house. She decides to go back home, her hell, in hopes of finding and talking to Hanabi. The Sun had begun to rise (she'd spent the night curled up on Kurenai's couch with Kiba and Shino), an array of yellows, oranges and pinks mixing in the blue sky. She didn't have time to admire the beauty of the sun rising in the blue sky above, though, as she had to find her sister.

Hinata truly hoped that the younger girl had calmed down in their hours apart.

The Hyuga Compound

Hinata went to her bedroom only to find that there was no trace of Hanabi having been there. Turning around, Hinata decided that Hanabi would probably be in her own room at then. She walked down the hallway to her sister's room, and knocked on the closed door.

"Si-ster?" Hinata calls out, hoping her sister would be inside. The door opened and disheveled Hanabi appeared. The younger girl's eyes were rimmed red and puffy, dried tear streaks stained her face, her shoulder length brown hair was an uncombed nest, and her clothes (the same ones from yesterday, but at least Hinata couldn't judge as she was still wearing the kimono she'd been in the previous day) were rumpled.

"Si-ster is everything al-alright?" It was a stupid question. Of course everything wasn't alright. But Hinata couldn't think of anything else to say to her little sister.

Hanabi's only answer was a small scoff; she pulled back and tried to shut the door in Hinata's face. Hinata caught it though, "W-we have to talk."

"We have nothing to talk about Hinata"

"Han-Hanabi, please"

"You're going to die, Hinata. Even if you don't die, you'll be a shell of yourself. You'll still be dead on some level. You're going to leave me like Mom did. And you want me," she paused and choked back a strangled sob/ laugh. It was a mangled sound that ripped at Hinata's heart. "You want me to count the days until you die"

"Hanabi, I—" Hinata attempted to interrupt only for Hanabi to put up a hand, effectively silencing her.

"You tell me about her, how she loved us and held us. I was two, when she died… I don't rem-remember her like you do. I barely remember her. She's just a vague memory, a picture on my nightstand. " Hanabi paused and she looked straight into Hinata's eyes. The look in younger girl's eyes were vacant of any forgiveness. Only sadness and pain was reflected. A dam bursts and Hinata's eyes water, while Hanabi's stay the same, which only spurs Hinata to cry harder. Hanabi continued. "But you—I've always known you. You've taken care of me, held me, encouraged me, and loved me like she should have. You are my sister, my best friend, my mother. I love you, sister." A painful laugh resounds, and Hanabi smiles ruefully. "And now you want me to stand by your side as the sand in your hourglass runs out. You want me to watch you die. I can't. I won't… because it'd destroy me." Hinata's heart shattered, and took a step back from the door as if it was lava. "I don't want to see you again."

With that, Hanabi slammed the door in Hinata's face. For a while, Hinata stared at the closed door, praying and hoping that Hanabi would rethink her decision and come back out. When she didn't Hinata bit the inside of her bottom lip, nodding her head in defeat. She had no choice but to accept her sister's terms. Hinata walked back to her room. Her clothes were shed and she made her way to her private bathroom. She turned the shower on and let scalding hot water pelt her porcelain skin as she attempted to scrub away not only dirt, but guilt. One washed away easily, but the other remained. That didn't stop her from scrubbing the harder with the loofah. It hurt, but it kept her anchored. Sure she was crying, but she had yet to and didn't want to break down, not when she understood Hanabi's reasoning. (Sometimes she wished that she'd never grown close to Haruhi as her loss sometimes became unbearable.) But then as the water grew cold, the weight of Hanabi's words weighed down on her, and she slid to the floor and cried. Tears mixed with water, two liquids that are supposed to cleanse and purify. Yet the guilt remained.

Later that Day

The Hyuga Compound

With Yoshino Nara

Walking past the guards at the front gate of the Hyuga compound, Yoshino felt memories wash over her. She didn't understand what she was doing here. It didn't help dwelling on the past, on feeling like a complete and utter failure when she visited this place. She hated the feeling, and yet she was here at the Hyuga burial grounds. Apparently she wasn't alone.

A bowing figure sat in the garden in front of a headstone, one that said "Here Lies Haruhi Hyuga, a mother, wife, and friend". Yoshino wants to leave, but the girl's words struck a chord with her.

"Mo-mother, I am trying to do what's best. You said to protect her. I am doing the best I can." The girl's words are muffled by sobs and Yoshino's heart breaks.

This is Haruhi's daughter, her eldest by the looks of it. Hinata.

Flashback

Yoshino held her three month old son in her arms as she walked into the Hyuga complex, passed the guards who'd already had their orders to let her in without question. She'd rushed there, within reason as Shikamaru was precious cargo, as soon as she heard the news.

Haruhi had her baby! It wasn't every day that one's best friend had their first child. She smiled as she stepped into the bedroom where Haruhi, Hiashi, and the baby were.

"Hey" Yoshino softly called when she entered the room and saw her best friend reclining in bed, a baby in her arms. Haruhi's pal skin was flushed and her eggplant colored hair was in a messy ponytail. Hiashi was sitting in a chair next to the bed, his eyes alit with wonder as he stared at the bundle in his wife's arms.

Looking up from their daughter, they smiled at her. It was the smile of new parents. Pride reflected in both Hyugas' pupil-less eyes and she couldn't help but be happy for them. She was about to congratulate them when a messenger arrived to tell Hiashi that he was on duty. (In the wake of the Kyubi attack many ninja were required to help with the clean-up, and even though it happened two months previously, clean-up was nowhere near being done). He quickly left his wife and newborn but not without kissing them both on their foreheads.

Haruhi's pale violet eyes sparkled with tears for a moment, but she quickly blinked them away with a smile. "Yoshino, come meet you're goddaughter."

Walking over to the new mother, baby duo, Yoshino smiled down at her friend.

Pale lavender eyes and a tuft of dark blue hair peaked from beneath a blanket.

"This is Hinata" Haruhi says.

At the sound of her name, baby Hinata scrunches her nose and lets out a small sneeze.

Shikamaru manages to pull away from his mother's shoulder and look at the other baby. He lets out a gurgle and cracked a smile.

End of Flashback

Seeing Hinata here makes her feel as if she'd failed in more ways than one. She couldn't remember what her goddaughter looked like (it's been a long time and she didn't realized she'd already seen her when Hinata spent the night with Shikamaru).

'Well there is no better time than the present" Yoshino thinks, as she moves toward the crying girl, but the girl's next words cut into the air like a knife.

"I should hate you. You left us here, alone. You just abandoned us, and I have to protect her on my own, and now she hates me." Hinata cries. "But I can' hate you. I-I wish you were here to tell me what to do."

The words, though directed at Haruhi strike Yoshino, make tears well up in her brown eyes. She continues to walk toward her goddaughter until she's behind her. Taking a hand, Yoshino reaches out and places it on the younger girl's shoulder.

Hinata turns around and her watery eyes widen as she stutters out a "M-Mrs. Nara?"

"Small world" Yoshino thinks as she stares at the girl her son had brought home a few days ago.

"Your mother was one of the best people that I've ever met, my best friend actually" Yoshino smiles. "You look just like her."

A godmother reunites with her goddaughter.

Stories are told. Laughter is shared. Tears are shed.

A bond begins to form.

:::

The Next Day

Hokage's office

With Hiashi

Pride has always guided him. It dictated that he stand back straight and appear confident in the face of any adversity. It dictated that he handle things on his own. Most of the time he could stare his problems into oblivion without much effort. He could frighten lesser men to submit to him and listen. He handled things on his own.

But now was not most times. He needed to help his daughter, to ensure that she would marry someone within the village, and live out her days until the sealing with as much peace as she could should sealing take a turn for the worst.

Shikaku Nara, Choza Akimichi, Shibi Aburame, Tsume Inuzuka, and for some odd reason Might Guy, Iruka Umino, Kakashi Hatake, Kurenai Yuhi and Inoichi Yamanaka (despite the former three having no children and the latter two having daughters) are sitting in Tsunade's office with him. The lady called them in, promising that they'd be able to help him help his daughter.

The office was silent as everyone managed to trickle in one by one. But when everyone was there Hiashi looked Tsunade cleared her throat, and nodded at him to speak. He stood from his seat, by the Hokage's desk facing his fellow Jonin and Chunin.

"We have called you here because my eldest daughter, Hinata has officially stepped down as heir and being of age, it was decided that she must be married."

"Hiashi, that's a shame, but what's that got to do with us?" Tsume questioned. "Surely you aren't suggesting one our children be good enough for an almighty Hyuga"

"Suitors from various villages will come here. Their sheer numbers will allow us to stave off a marriage for a few months as courting is a somewhat long process. Though beneficial, the process will eventually taper off and it will come time for her to marry." Hiashi explained. "Your sons and students, frankly Inoichi I don't understand why you're here, are all capable ninja and in that are valuable candidates to be her suitors. And ultimately I think it would be best for her to marry someone she knows, has fought beside, rather than a complete stranger."

"Why?" Shikaku questions, his eyes piercing into Hiashi's. The brown eyes are calculating, and for the first time in a long while, Hiashi feels the urge to cower underneath another man's scrutiny. But he doesn't, instead he holds Shikaku's gaze.

He couldn't exactly say. He didn't have faith in all of their secret keeping abilities as Tsunade did, so he settled with a vague answer. "My daughter's fate is looming under a deadline. She may not survive, and I'd rather her to be able to have some semblance of stability and happiness, one that will only be granted if she's not forced to share a life with someone she's never met or cared for in an unfamiliar land. I would like for you to consider allowing your child or convincing your student to court my daughter. If not to marry, just to add more numbers to the fray. It would allow me more time to find someone willing and able to marry her."

With that Hiashi bows low.

"Please I wouldn't have asked if this was not serious."

As he awaits their answer, he can't help but feel that the loss of his Hyuga pride never felt so good, especially if it meant helping his eldest daughter.


Okay that's all I have. I know that's its probably terrible (Some of the characters are no doubt OOC. I feel like I'm moving this too slow, but I don't wanna move the story to fast either if that makes any sense), but it's all I had. I also realize I was lacking some Shikahina action, but the Yoshino thing struck me and I wanted to create a new dynamic before adding Shika back into the equation.

Tell me what you think. Let me know if something doesn't make sense, and I'll edit it. If you don't like it, I'll rewrite it.

Thanks for reviewing, favoriting and putting this story on your alerts list.

Most of all thanks for reading

~Kurenai Cakes