Do I have to say it again? I don't own Naruto and never will (bummer)
This one's fairly long, but it covers a section of the manga/anime that is referred to in flashback. I guess it's the third main point of divergence between past (canon) and present in this story, the first being Obito's death/not-death and the second being at Kyuubi's attack, although I guess Fuu's birth is a point of divergence too.
Oh...About the excerpt: I was running over a baby names website (I look there for names that fit my story, as well as a translator for names like Fubuki and Natsuzemi) and I found out that Hinata, written with the right kanji, can mean sunflower as well as towards the sun/in the sun. I thought it fitted her quite well.
(Excerpt from Brother/Sister/Cousin/Friend: Analysis of the Konoha Twelve)
From Section 3, Chapter 2: The Sunflower
It was clear to many from early on that Hyuuga Hinata was enamoured with the sunny blonde son of the Juuyondaime Hokage. She all but worshiped the ground he walked on, and was probably the first and most secretive of the legion of female fans the aptly named boy collected over the years.
However, her relationship with the Juuyondaime's daughter, two years her junior, is surprisingly different. The two girls are well known for acting like sisters, complete with the occasional falling out. Hinata's younger sister Hanabi, three years younger than Juuyondaime's daughter, frequently joins the duo and they are known to be a very tight-knit trio.
This closeness apparently stems back to when Hinata was three and the Hokage's daughter was one, although most of the details surrounding the origins of the bond are classified and/or unknown by the general populace.
(End excerpt)
--ooo--
"Can I talk you into holding off on your ceremony until after this political circus is over? I know it's important to your family, but I need you and your brother helping me out with this diplomatic mess."
"I'm sure we can hold off for a few days at least. I was trying to find a way out of the sealing, anyway."
"You know, I can make it illegal to put a seal on anyone under the age of whatever."
"Even that wouldn't stop the elders. They'd protest and call it a ritual that goes back to before Konoha was formed."
"We're talking about children being branded like cattle. That seal originated as a prison guard's tool to keep inmates in line in Water Country, you know."
"I am trying my hardest to stop it happening, but unless we can find a way to remove it from the older ones it will do no good."
"How's your brother going on that, anyway?"
"He's found something, but it's only a slight lead. That cursed seal was our best lead so far, and then the papers of his namesake. Looks like we're not the first generation to try and remove the seal."
"Well, you've got a few more days at least. It must suck being the head of that family sometimes. It's all politics, traditions and old men with sticks up their asses."
"Says the man who is the head of Konoha."
"Touché."
--ooo--
"He's been so worked up ever since that Kumo delegation arrived." Kushina admitted to Haruka, "He and Kaemon-sama are up to their ears in formalities and paperwork, and they don't trust those diplomats as far as they could throw them. They even asked the old families to put off any celebrations, ceremonies and the like until this whole thing is over so that there can be maximum security around Konoha."
"Sounds like you and he need some adult time." Haruka commented.
"We've got a hyperactive three year old and a one year old who figured out how to get out of her cot last week." Kushina replied, "There won't be any adult time for us for a while."
"I'll take them tonight, if you want." Haruka offered, "It's not like I haven't babysat before, you know."
"Are you sure? They're not easy kids to look after."
Haruka smiled at the redhead and told her she'd come collect the kids after dinner.
--ooo--
"Ugh." Minato groaned, "No more. I'm begging you."
Kaemon shrugged and replied, "You're the Hokage. You have to do this."
"Kushina promised me something special for dinner, so I need to get home soon." the blonde Hokage complained, "Can't we finish this in the morning?"
"At least sign this one." Kaemon replied, shoving a paper under Minato's nose.
"An ANBU surveillance form?" Minato asked after skim reading the document, "What for?"
"The Kumo ninjas." Kaemon replied, "Didn't you ever listen in history lessons?"
"Eh?"
"They've tried to take the Byakugan before under the guise of treaties, so we need to be careful." Kaemon explained calmly, "It would be prudent to keep a watchful eye on them at all times."
Minato understood, and swiftly signed the form before summoning an ANBU to take the signed document to the ANBU headquarters.
--ooo--
Dinner at the Namikaze house was almost always a rambunctious affair. Naruto was not a tidy eater, preferring to throw his food around than eat it, and Minato wasn't averse to returning globs of rice and vegetables…with interest.
Watching the two boys in her life attack each other with bubble and squeak, Kushina sighed as she fed her daughter some pureed rice and said, "I hope you don't take after those two, Fubuki."
Fuu continued to eat her rice, seemingly ignoring her brother and father, but once her mother's back was turned she managed to dump some of her dinner down the back of her father's shirt. He was closer to her highchair than Naruto was.
"Gah!" the Hokage yelped. He fingered the slimy mess that was sliding down under his collar and then glared at his daughter, only to be attacked by his son's mashed-potato-and-peas bomb. "Kushina!" he bawled, "They're ganging up on me!"
"Serves you right for encouraging them." Kushina replied as she turned back and saw the mess that was her husband, "I think, however, that we need to clean these two up. Haruka's coming to pick them up in half an hour."
Naruto stood up and peered at Fuu in her highchair.
"Nii-sa." she said, reaching out to him, "Nii-sa."
"Did she just say what I think she said?" Kushina asked.
"Nii-sa." Fuu repeated, tugging on the fingers Naruto held out to her.
"Dear kami, Fai was right." Minato declared, "She idolises her nii-san."
"Well, we'll discuss this later." Kushina replied, scooping her daughter up, "You deal with Naruto while I get our daughter tidied up."
"Why is Haruka babysitting them tonight, anyway?" Minato asked, scooping his rice and vegetable covered son up.
"That's a surprise." Kushina replied cheekily.
--ooo--
"Hinata, it's almost time for bed." Haruka said, peering into the playroom where her daughter was entertaining Juuyondaime's daughter.
Hinata nodded, but continued to play with the younger girl.
Haruka smiled, and retreated to prepare everything for when the two went to bed.
"Haruka-sama, have you seen Naruto and Neji?" Hotaru asked as the leader's wife passed her by, "I swore I left them in the other playroom, but they're not there now."
"Try the pond." Haruka suggested, "Naruto loves sitting by the pond and talking to his reflection. He really does hold conversations with himself, you know. Neji will be with him, I'm sure."
What they didn't realise was that Naruto wasn't talking to his reflection. He was talking to what he called "the other me": Kyuubi. No one ever took the time to look at Naruto's reflection and see that the whisker-like birthmarks on his face were more pronounced in his reflection at times like this, or that the reflection's eyes were like rubies rather than sapphires.
Hotaru went in search of her son and Juuyondaime's elder child, and missed by seconds the man who was slipping across the courtyard.
--ooo--
Hinata stood up, leaving Fuu playing with an old doll, and wandered over to a set of shelves to start putting toys away.
After putting all the other toys away, Hinata went to take the doll from Fuu since she was going to bed soon too.
As she reached out to take the doll from the pale child, someone grabbed her from behind.
Fuu proved what kind of lungs she possessed by shrieking at the top of her lungs at the sudden disappearance of Hinata from her sight. Something was wrong, her immature mind decided, because this girl never moved that fast.
In order to shut the tiny girl up, the would-be kidnapper used a jutsu that knocked her out. The jutsu wasn't meant to be used on anyone under the age of about five, but he was desperate.
"Did you hear that?" the kidnapper heard.
"Sounds like a little kid." someone else said, "It's coming from the playroom."
"Hinata-sama and Fubuki-sama are in there!"
"Let's go check it out."
The kidnapper took Hinata and fled, disappearing just as two Hyuuga branch house members entered the room and found Fuu unconscious.
--ooo--
(Excerpt from the journal of Hyuuga Hiashi in the third year of Sandaime Hokage's second leadership)
Hinata is shaken, but otherwise unharmed by the ordeal. She has taken to clinging to her branch house guards even more now, although few may blame her for being apprehensive about moving about alone.
Hizashi has moved on and left me behind. He gave his life in return for my own.
He has chosen his own fate and faced it with the courage of a true ninja. I only wish that I had the courage to face his son. Neji is quite clearly bitter at the loss of his father, and I fear that his bitterness shall fester and become hatred in the not too distant future. The mark upon his forehead does not aid my case, either.
I understand that Sandaime has done all he can to avoid this outcome, but I am all too aware of the machinations of the council. Danzo, particularly, cannot be trusted.
(End excerpt)
--ooo--
"How is Hinata?" Minato asked.
"Shaken, but otherwise unharmed." Hiashi replied, "I admit I am using this plot to my advantage, but I have declared that Neji won't be marked until Hinata has come of age because of this. If anything were to happen to her, he is the next in line for the leadership."
"Clever." Minato agreed, "However, you did kill the Kumo diplomat."
"Your ANBU saw me strike him only after he struck me." Hiashi replied, "They can't claim recompense for…"
"Hokage-sama," an ANBU cut in, appearing suddenly, "the Raikage has come to talk to you."
"Send him in." Minato said.
Hiashi went to leave.
"Stay." the Hokage said, "This concerns you too."
The Raikage breezed into the office, flanked by two of his own ANBU.
"Hokage-sama." he said, "You know why I am here."
"The death of your diplomat." Minato confirmed.
"I want the murderer's corpse." the Raikage said calmly, "A life for a life, as you might say."
"I'm afraid there's another matter at hand." Minato said, locking his fingers together, "Are you aware of what was happening at the time he was killed?"
The Raikage faked obliviousness, although he did know what was meant to have happened.
"Your diplomat broke into the Hyuuga compound, kidnapped the Hyuuga heir and attacked another young child." Minato said, "Forgive me if I am less than gracious right now, but that other child was my one year old daughter. He knocked her out with a jutsu that has a specific warning that it is not to be used on anyone under the age of five. My daughter is currently in the hospital, still unconscious, because of what your diplomat did. Hiashi did not attack the man until the diplomat attacked him after being tracked down. Hiashi would not have attacked the man without due provocation because his daughter's life would be at risk with any attack he made. A death caused by self defence or in defence of others does not constitute murder." He took a few deep breaths. "Do not demand the murderer's corpse, because there was no murder. You should be begging forgiveness for what your so-called diplomat did to my daughter and to Hinata. If you are not here to apologise for his actions and your own in sending him here, then do not speak to me at all."
The Raikage, unused to the usually genial Juuyondaime being so close to furious, quickly acknowledged what the man was saying and fled as swiftly as politeness allowed.
Minato returned to his usual calm and friendly state once the man was gone, turned to Hiashi and said, "And that, Hyuuga-sama, is how you deal with men like him at times like this."
--ooo--
Fuu awoke a week after the attack and recovered swiftly. The only remaining damage from the attack was that she was easily upset by sudden movements for a few weeks, but that soon passed.
Hinata and Fuu became remarkably close after the kidnapping attempt, and Obito and Hizashi were running a betting pool about how long it would be before they heard Fuu call Hinata "Nee-san" or something to that effect.
It took a few months, and Kakashi came out somewhat the richer to the surprise of many.
--ooo--
When Haruka announced, when Hinata was four, that she was pregnant again most were delighted.
Fuu wasn't so keen on the idea, although most assumed it was because of all the fuss they were making about the new baby.
When Hanabi was born not long after Hinata turned five and Fuu turned three, the real reason for her unhappiness became clear.
"Fuu-chan, you ok?" Naruto asked his little sister not long after Hanabi's birth, "Hinata-chan says you haven't been 'round lately."
"She don't need me there anymore." Fuu replied, "She's got a real sister now."
Rin, who just happened to be nearby, heard the admission and realised what Fuu was so upset about. She wasn't really that upset about the attention Hanabi was receiving from the adults: it was the fact that Hinata had a real sister now, and wouldn't need Fuu to stand in for one.
"If Hinata didn't need you," Naruto pointed out, "d'ya think she'd ask me what's up with you?"
That solved that problem in Naruto's eyes, and for Fuu, but Rin went and told the adults why Fuu had been so upset.
"I'd never have thought it was that." Mikoto said, "I guess these last two years Fuu has been like a little sister to the other kids. Poor thing. She must've felt she was being replaced in Hinata's world by her new sister."
"Well, there's a very easy solution to that problem." Tsume said, "We can do what I did with Hana after Kiba was born."
"What's that?" Hotaru asked.
"Get her involved. Make her realise that she's not being replaced by the new baby." Tsume explained, "If you're going to let Hinata help, let Fuu help too. Give them little tasks to do. Fuu's old enough for a bit of fetch and carry work. Ask her to grab a blanket or a toy for Hanabi. Let her hold Hanabi if you're there to watch her. We're all showering Hanabi with attention, and Fuu's probably going to feel left out once she starts playing with Hinata again. Just wait and see."
So how'd I do? Is it ok?
My favourite bit is the Namikaze dinner scene. That's kinda how I see them interacting. Naruto might be like his mum, but his dad ain't exactly the most mature person at times.
Later
Reviews liked, but not required