Disclaimer: the only thing that I own is my Neji-plushy… no wait I was too cheap to pay for it…
Hinata Made her way back to her room telling Neji this was something she had to do alone. He trusted her completely he didn't have the slightest doubt that she would not be able to handle the situation.
In her room she got on the clothes she usually wears on missions. After all this was a mission. She looked in the mirror. She wasn't trying to make herself look more presentable, she was trying to find her confidence. Hanabi was born stronger than Hinata. There was no telling who was the strongest at this point. Hinata had worked very hard to make sure she wasn't looked on as weak, but she had never expected to fight her own sister!
Still looking in the mirror she took a deep breath, she was hoping that it wouldn't have to come to a fight but somehow she highly doubted that. With one last glance she looked in the mirror. Her destination: Hanabi's private training facility.
When they were younger they were each given an area of the Hyuuga compound to do with as they wished. Hanabi, much to their fathers' pleasure asked for a training area, and Hinata much to her fathers chagrin asked for a garden. So Hiashi helped Hanabi build her training facility while Hinata's mother helped plant flowers, fruits and vegetables in her garden. That was about a month before their mother's death.
She stood outside the door of the little shed looking building and knocked on the door gently. She knew Hanabi was in there, she could since her Chakra, but she was ignoring Hinata, who she knew was outside the door.
"Hanabi-san, please open the door. I have something to discuss with you" Hinata said ever respectful to everyone she talked to.
Hanabi swung the door open with so much hatred in her eyes Hinata Almost flinched.
"What? You foolish girl!"
Ignoring the name calling, she calmly said
"I wanted you to be the first to know that I have decided on a husband"
Hanabi's face visibly got happier. You could almost see the glint in her eyes.
She smiled a wicked smile and said
"Come in nee-Chan"
Locking the door behind them, it had a sort of finality to it.
Hanabi could have easily just attacked but curiosity got the better of her. Also it would be best to know all of the details before killing the fool. She was proud of herself , she was already thinking like an heir!
"so… who?'
"Neji"
"My foolish sister actually made a good choice" Hanabi thought to herself.
"He would defiantly be the best choice for children seeing as he has the best byakugan in the family. Not to mention he's the Hyuuga genius".
"I see. Why did you want to tell me this first?"
"Hanabi I know we haven't exactly been the closet we could have been, we're so different. But I want to change that."
"Hinata you are more foolish than I thought! I have no need for stupid things such as family relationships. The only thing worth working for is power. We don't get along because you are so stupid, and because you are in my way. You want things all happy go lucky but that is not how the world is, there is only one number one and right now you are in my spot"
"What are you saying Hanabi?"
"I'm saying, I'm going to kill you dearest older sister."
"I see…" Hinata said sadly
"You surprise me. I thought you might. Have been a bit more astonished than what you are"
"Hanabi, if you do become heir…. What will you do?"
"What do you mean? I will rule the clan idiot!"
"What do you plan to do for the clan? How do you intend to make it better?"
"Its fine how it is… the Hyuugas are the most prestigious clans in Konoha"
"What do you plan to do to keep it that way Hanabi?" Hinata asked as she cocked her head to the side in question.
"I plan to make Hyuuga rules much stricter. Foolish things like flowers and shit that you enjoy are useless. This is why you are unfit. I will make it so that the only thing that Hyuugas will be able to do other than missions is train. And I will discard any defective trash as soon as it's born"
"By defective trash you mean…"
"Any Hyuuga born without byakugan."
"I see. This, Hanabi, is why you are unfit to run this clan, you call me foolish and idiotic but that aura seems to flow off you like a river. You do not know the true meaning of happiness, Hanabi, which is why I will die before I let you run this clan"
Hanabi laughed manically
"Fool, did you not listen at all? That was the plan from the beginning"
"I beg of you Hanabi do not underestimate me, it will be your down fall"
"I was born stronger than you will ever be! I have trained ruthlessly all my life! What makes you think you will be able to defeat me?"
"I warned you" Hinata said calmly as she stood to get into the traditional Hyuuga fighting stance.
Hanabi dropped down into her stance as well.
"Come" Hinata said sadly
Hanabi rushed at her full speed Hinata dodged her attacks easily and flawlessly. Yes dodging was easy but it would not win a fight.
Hinata while still dodging Hanabi's blows thought up a plan. Though she was not as skilled as Neji her fighting was very, very similar. Hinata had yet to win against Neji in a fight, but she remembers that she was defiantly no match in the traditional Hyuuga style. Focusing back to the fight, that she had only been half focusing on previously, she thought up a way to put distance between her and Hanabi. She had to win this battle quick; the flu was taking its toll and draining quite a bit of Chakra at a time.
Hanabi was getting frustrated. When had Hinata gotten this good at dodging attacks? True, the last time she had seen her fight was three years ago, but she didn't think Hinata would improve this much in that time. She had to come up with a strategy. Something she had thought she would never have to do when fighting Hinata. She noticed that Hinata was only blocking her attacks and not using the Hyuuga moves. She also noticed that her Chakra was draining quite quickly, "no doubt due to lack of training" she thought haughtily. So she decided that sticking with the Hyuuga moves were best. Besides the basic Jutsu taught at school that's all she knew anyway.
Hinata, in an attempt to put distance between them tried a front kick but missed. Side kick, roundhouse kick, back kicks, they were all missing. She didn't doubt Hanabi's skills so, she had not really intended for them to hit anyway
Was Hinata trying to make a fool of her? Why hadn't she tried any Jutsu? She was sticking with basics and it was pissing Hanabi off!
Hinata pulled out a kunai knife and threw it at Hinata. Hanabi blocked it effortlessly but what put her on guard was the fact that the Kunai had a thin string of Chakra attached to it. Was she using puppeteer's Jutsu? Surely she had not learned fighting styles other than Hyuuga. Right?
She watched as the kunai raised from the ground. Hinata smiled it had done exactly what she wanted it to do. Put Hinabi off guard long enough to put some range between them. Yes she did know a few puppet techniques but that would not work against a person who could clearly see the Chakra.
Hanabi watched as the kunai hit the ground after hovering for a few seconds, and smirked. Of course the weakling could not use those kinds of techniques. But why would she try if…
Hanabi turned around quickly it had to have been a trap. When she looked up again she saw that Hinata was a nice space away from her. Was she retreating? No, she has something. Hanabi refocused her byakugan. It was something that resembled a fan. It was about half the size of her and it was made of Chakra. Then she was about to attack just when Hinata made a shadow clone. Together with the shadow clone they swung the big fan at Hanabi and something resembling arrows came out, but as expected Hanabi was trained in dodging flying objects. She dodged them all flawlessly zigzagging through to make her way to Hinata. Hinata made the fan disappear and the two attacked Hanabi. When she kicked one it disappeared as expected. What wasn't expected, though was when she punched the other it disappeared as well. Just as the second one vanished Hinata miraculously appeared from under ground and used that moment to stop the flow of Hanabi's Chakra is her right arm. Hanabi took this as a chance to do the same for Hinata and spun around and hit Hinata in the leg with a Chakra laced hand, the only one she could use at the time.
Hinata did some hand signals and pumped some Chakra back into her leg. She clearly couldn't move as she could before, but she should not have been able to run at all. She was still at a disadvantage because Hanabi had more Chakra, thanks to the flu, and could run faster. But she also only had one working arm at the moment.
This last attack had to end it because this would take up the remainder of her Chakra. Coming close to Hanabi they fought using the basic Hyuuga moves. Hanabi was having a hard time attacking because of her immobile arm, and Hinata was having a hard time dodging due to her slowed leg. Eventually Hinata Hit Hanabi sending her flying quite a distance, giving her enough time to initiate the old, but still effective, move that she had created first. Praying to God that his work she yelled out
"Protection of the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms"
and started to create the barrier around her.
Hanabi struggeld shakily to her feet. She be damned if she let her weaker sister defeat her. The move she called out… Hanabi had heard of it before. It was supposedly some move that Hinata had created. She had dismissed it at the time thinking that 'if Hinata created it then it was not worth her time'. God did she wish she had reserched it now!
In blind rage Hanabi attacked. Running at Hinata full speed. She was thrown off. And cut up pretty badly she had lost consiousness as soon as she had hit the barrier Hinata had created. Hinata stopped her movements, and smiled. She had successfully defeated her sister without killing her! In her dream she had used one of her newest moves to kill her, so Hinata felt that if she used one of her old moves then maybe she would have a different fate, and she was right! Though Hanabi would probably be unconsious for a few days and quite possibly immobile for longer than that, she was not dead! And she did not ruin her abilty to fight permantly. This whole ordeal was simply to get Hanabi to respect her. Let Hanabi know that Hinata was not as weak as she had expected and she was going to become heir! It was her destiny, and one she happily accepts.
Hinata limped over to her sister. Defeating her had not been an easy feat Hinata was sore all over and the headache she had was no doubt due to the intensified flu. She bent down and with about the last of her strength she threw Hanabi over her shoulder and slowly made her way to the exit of the facility.
On her way back to the Hyuuga care facility she just so happened to see elder Goro. She bowed as best she could and threw him an all knowing wink and said
"Elder Goro, How's elder Soshi doing today?"
"He's fine!" the rage quite evident in his voice.
"I see, well this flu has certainly gotten the best of me so I'm going to take Hanabi to get treated and lay down, nice talking to you."
"hmph" he said as he stormed away to inform Soshi of their failed plan.
Hinata continued to limp to the care facility. Now that she though about it… why hadn't Neji just taken her to this one instead of the one in the middle of town? We'll it probably would be hard to explain the heir wearing a branch member's clothes. And even harder to explain why they had been together that early in the morning. Neji thinks of everything….
When they got to the care facility Hanabi was taken off of Hinata's shoulder and put into bed. Hinata sat next to her on a stool that was supplied for visitors. Tears started to roll down her eyes as she looked at her sister's mangled body. Why did it have to come to this? Then she heard mumbling and looked down at Hanabi surprised to see two identical eyes staring up at her.
She wiped the tears away and smiled
"You recovered quicker than I thought… then again, you are Hanabi the great"
"Flattery won't work Nee-Chan"
If Hinata was not as sane as she was, she would have thought that was a joke.
"Hanabi… I never wanted our relationship to be this bad…"
"I suppose it was my fault…"
Hinata looked down at her sister surprised. This surely was not her sister. The one bent on hate and power. The one that would never admit she was wrong. The one bent on becoming heir. The one that hated all things happy. This surely wasn't that Hanabi!
"Hanabi…"
"The reason I am the way I am is because I knew I could never be like you. I could never be as kind hearted as you, I could never be as happy as you. I could never be a better people person than you. Especially once you got over your shy phase."
"Hanabi I…"
"Let me finish nee-Chan sheesh!"
"gomen"
"So, I worked to be better than you physically. Every since we were little, father praised me on how much stronger I was than you. So I thought 'finally! I'm better at something than nee-san.' Bent on staying stronger than you, I lost myself. My vision became distorted and instead of just wanting to be stronger than you, I wanted to take your place. Erase your existence so that I would be the one praised for everything and you would not be there to take the lime light from me. But I never knew that, I'm not even physically stronger than you. You're better than me in all aspects and the one who needs to disappear is me…"
"Are you done, Hanabi?"
"Yes"
"Fine… then I can finally say that you're an idiot!"
"What!?" Hanabi's rage came back from Hinata's chuckling. Then the next thing she knew Hinata was hugging her and crying
"Hanabi-Chan no baka! I'm not better than you! I have never been better at you at anything! No one's better at anything than anyone else! I love you. No matter what, you are Hanabi. Sure it hurt my feelings to no end when I heard you and the elders plotting against me. I never wanted my own sister to hate me so much that she wanted me dead. But you're Hanabi! That's all the people who love you ever wanted you to be! Father, I'm sure praised you for being so focused on your goal. He would have praised you if you were not as good as you are and you wanted to be stronger. He just wants you strong, and I just want you happy. And if you weren't so bent on world domination you would have friends who want the same thing for you that I want."
Hanabi finally hesitantly hugged Hinata back. It was awkward at first but Hanabi eventually got used to the feeling.
"Thanks nee-chan"
"No problem, now get some rest you're going to be almost as sore as I am tomorrow."
"Don't you mean sorer? You're going to have to teach me some of those moves you used!"
"Promise you won't use them against me?"
"yeah"
"Then of course I'll teach you!"
"Nee-Chan I noticed that you're Chakra was draining pretty fast… why?"
"Oh, because I have the flu…"
"Damn and I still lost!"
"Hey! No cursing!"
"Sorry…"
Hinata eyes got this funny glistening look(similar to Lee's). And they began to water.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!"
'We're finally acting like sisters!"
"Yeah, yeah" Hinata rushed to her and hugged her again
"Hey! One hug a day!"
"Sorry… and you must be hurting…"
"hey… nee-Chan, how are we going to explain our state to father? Are you going to tell him I tried to kill you?"
"You tried to kill me? I thought we were just training."
Hinata threw a wink at Hanabi and left the room limping. Hanabi never knew what a cool big sister she had. And Hinata finally got the little sister she always wanted.
Neji was leaning on the outside of the door waiting for Hinata to come out.
"You know, only you could get Hanabi to love you in one day… you certainly are something else"
Hinata smiled and was about to collapse when Neji caught her and carried her to her room
"I guess we are going to have to wait until you are healed to spread the news to the family."
"Yeah I guess you're right…"
"Hey Neji, umm the c-cursed s-seal… i-if you had the chance t-to get it o-off would you?"
"Yes I would. No one wants to be controlled by force, Hinata"
"Oh okay, I was just wondering…"
"Rest"
"Hai"
Neji left the room. It had been quite a while since he had trained for a long period of time and since Hinata was sleeping this would be the perfect time.
It took Hinata a week to heal but with the disgusting medicine and the other disgusting medicine that she had been prescribed thanks to the match with Hanabi she was feeling much, much better and all the bruises she had completely disappeared.
She walked to Neji's room and knocked on the door. She had come to learn that he wakes up just as early as she did and she wanted to talk to him about telling the family.
Neji opened the door. He was shirtless and dripping with water and his hair was wet. He was simply gorgeous, talk about pleasant first sights! Hinata looked at him and blushed
"I-I could come back later."
Neji chuckled lightly at Hinata and gently tugged her in and closed the door behind her.
Neji was towel drying his hair when he asked
"What do you need?"
"I was feeling better and I was going to talk to you about announcing our engagement to father but I could come back later…"
"No, you stay"
"Okay"
"What about tomorrow?"
"We can do it tomorrow."
"Well, that's settled"
Neji went to the bathroom to get his brush so he could brush his hair. When he came back into the room he had his shirt on and was tugging at his hair with the brush
"Neji… can I do it?"
"Do what?"
"Brush your hair?"
Neji shrugged and sat on the floor between her legs (she was sitting on his bed) and handed her the brush
"She started brushing gently and after a while she started singing. Neji smiled this was really a heavenly moment. He didn't have to mess with his hair and he got to hear Hinata singing! He really hated combing his hair and thought seriously about cutting it every morning he heard Hinata say (cutting off her song)
"I really do love your hair."
Well, there goes any thoughts about cutting it. He would just have to suck it up and comb it everyday. It wasn't like he wasn't used to it. He just felt like he had better things to do with his time. Oh! Maybe Hinata would brush it every morning! They were going to be married after all…
When she finished brushing it, she rested her chin on top of his head truly content in the moment.
The rest of the day went pretty normal. She went and trained With Kiba and Shino and he went to train with Tenten and Lee. Both of them waiting anxiously for the next day
The next day finally came and they said they would do it about 10 o'clock and they would meet each other there. After Hinata picked out her favorite kimono and pulled her hair up in an elegant bun she made her way down to her father's study to see Neji already dressed in a Kimono as well.
"You look great Neji!"
"As do you Hinata, shall we go?"
Hinata nodded and followed after Neji. Neji knocked on the door and waited. After the heard Hiashi grant permission to come in Neji turned to Hinata and said
"Scared?"
"Just a little"
"Don't be. We will be together n matter what."
He pushed the door open and allowed Hinata to enter first. They both went in and sat down traditionally on the pillows set up for guests.
"What is it?" Hiashi asked in his normal harsh way
"I have come to get permission to marry your daughter, Hinata. We are well aware of the circumstances Hiashi-sama and we realize it may be inappropriate me being her protector but…"
"Enough" Hiashi said putting his hand up in a stop motion. As he put it down he said
"If I felt it was inappropriate I would have not put your name on that list. We will announce it to the family a week from now, dismissed."
Hinata was stunned but Neji was normal as ever he stood while Hinata sat in her seat like normal.
Hiashi looked at Hinata with a raised eyebrow and said
"I said dismissed"
Hinata came out of her daze and smiled at her father and before she knew what she was doing she ran and hugged him.
"Thank you so much father!"
To her surprised he hugged her back but his face was the same as ever
"Oh! I'm sorry father! I forgot myself! Please forgive me!"
He nodded and she ran to leave with Neji behind her she turned and looked at her father again and if she was not mistaken she seen a ghost of a smile. She turned to leave the room.
"That went better than I expected"
"Yes it did."
"Are you worried about announcing it to the family? I knew father would accept it but I'm worried about the rest of the family."
"They do not have a choice Hinata. I will marry you no matter what they say."
"Okay, just checking "
A week passed and Hinata was getting dressed for the formal meeting to announce her and Neji's marriage. The meeting would also decide when the marriage will take place.
In the Hyuuga auditorium the Branch members set in the balcony while the head family set in the seats on the floor. Hiashi, Neji and Hinata were sitting in front of the family. Hiashi spoke
"Hyuuga family I welcome you today! It is a joyous occasion in which I would like to announce the marriage of the future head of the family Hyuuga Hinata. Stand Hinata."
Hinata stood up in front of the family with a polite smile on her face.
"She was given the task of finding a man who will marry her and will, alongside her, run the family until the new heirs, their children, take their place. The man she has chosen to stand along side her in this journey is none other than the Hyuuga genius, Hyuuga Neji. Stand Neji"
"Yes Hyuuga Neji is part of the branch family but he will be treated like the head of the family that he is, anyone who objects, will be taken care of immediately! Now with that said the only problem left is to decide on the date on which this has taken place. It is customary that the man choose the date, Neji? Have you decided when the marriage is to take place?"
Neji nodded and said
"December 27"
"Then it is decided that the Heir Hyuuga Hinata will come into full power as the head of the family on her wedding day in one month on the 27th day of December! This meeting is adjourned, it is mandatory that you attend the banquet that takes place immediately after the last person leave the auditorium."
It was a tradition that the last person that leaves the auditorium is the Family head. So Hiash, Neji and Hinata stayed behind and waited. Hiashi turned to Hinata and said
"Congratulations Hinata. Because you and Neji are the future head of the family you will leave last today"
With that the he turned to leave Hinata looked at Neji teary eyed
"Neji…"
"Yea?"
"You chose my birthday…"
"I figured it would be best"
She hugged him tightly
"Thank you so much Neji! You are the best!"
He hugged her for a while and he said with a slight smile on his face
"Shall we go?"
A month later
Hinata was in her room singing and getting ready for her big day. Though it wouldn't exactly be a traditional Japanese wedding ceremony, due to the date chosen, it was going to be largely based on a traditional set up. She had on the most beautiful Kimono you will ever see made from the best silk tailored. It was the purest white possible. Her hair was pinned up in a style so elaborate it almost looked drawn. Her make up was light. Though in a traditional wedding faces were painted all white Hinata barely liked regular make up. So she didn't feel right having her face made up in such a way on her wedding day. She felt, that it made her look like a different person and she wanted to be all Hinata on her wedding day.
Hinata looked at her self in the mirror and was satisfied. She thought she looked the best she could possibly look.
The ceremony started. They bowed to each other. They were purified. Then they sipped the sake three time. Just as every one thought the ceremony was over Hinata walked to Neji much to everyone's surprise. Hinata took something out of the sleeve of her kimono and dipped her finger in the little cup. Neji watched curious and a little stunned she was doing this during their wedding; she traced his seal, it was uncovered for the ceremony, with the cold liquid and for a second the seal stung, not excruciating pain just the feeling you get when you first get a shot. Then she did a series of hand signals and pumped some Chakra into Neji's forehead. Neji was not able to move for about five seconds he stood there wide eyed and stunned. Then Hinata released his head and stumbled. The technique took a great deal of Chakra. Neji finally getting over his temporary paralyses caught Hinata before she fell. She regained her balance and smiled up at Neji and said.
"Now no one controls you."
The whole family was stunned. Had she just removed His seal? The elders were in an uproar and the branch members were ecstatic
Elder Soshi ran up to the alter to get a better look.
"This is an outrage! How did you release the seal? That technique was loss to us a hundred years ago!"
"It came to me in a dream. Of course I tested It out first"
"What did you do?!"
"It was quite simple really; you need the blood and the Chakra of someone who has the byakugan that does not have the seal."
"You have gone against the code of the Hyuuga family! It is unheard of! How dare you, remove the seal of this branch family member?!"
"Did you forget? As of today Neji is now the head of this family. He is not a branch family member. Not that it matters, I fully intend to remove the seal of every branch family member that wants it removed."
Elder Goro jumped for Hinata in an attempt to kill her but someone grabs his neck from behind and throws him to the ground
"You will not harm my wife."
Elder Goro attempted to use the seal but nothing happened.
"I removed it."
He stood up off the ground and yelled
"This is an outrage! Hiashi I demand that you do something about this scandalous woman you call a daughter!"
"It is no longer in my power to do anything. That 'scandalous woman' is now the head of the house hold" Hiashi said rising from his spot in the audience.
He finished by saying
"Goro, you are out of line. You have attempted to take the life of the head of the family, therefore, you are in her mercy; you will be sentenced to death if she so sees fit. Guards…"
Two Hyuuga's came and took Goro by the arms dragging him out of the room.
"Hinata, you…"
"Did you not want it removed? I can put it back if you want…"
"No! I mean no it's fine Hinata, thank you so much." He hugged her tightly then they heard "awwww"
Hinata turned to the Hyuuga family Branch and head and said
"Today starts a new beginning for the Hyuuga family! There will no longer be two separate houses! There is only one Hyuuga family! Tomorrow I will start to remove the cursed seals from the head of every member willing to have it taken away. And with my death so will die the knowledge of how to create the seal! All scrolls on how to make it will be destroyed"
Hinata was to become the greatest family head that the Hyuuga's have ever seen. They can only get stronger and she had the best man for the job by her side for a lifetime.
The End
A/N: sorry! I finished this a long time ago but I was too lazy to proofread it, and even when I did proofread I did a half job. Well that's the end of my story! I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Review and tell me what you thought of it! Also please tell me specifically what you though about the ending. I've always been really bad at two things: fight scenes and endings. I'm working on both well I love you guys and I hope you read any story that I put up In the future. I love getting reviews so even though the story is over feel free to review all the chapters no matter how old the story is! Thanx again for reading. Check out some of my other stories that are coming soon. Hopefully they will be better than this one.