Disclaimer:I do not own Naruto or any of its respective characters. This fanfiction is for entertainment purposes only. (Mostly my amusement.) However, if I DID own Naruto, it would be called "Neji and Hinata: Byakugan Babies Galore!" That has a nice ring to it...
Author's Note:Okay, so here is the next part of Gifts. Hope everyone enjoys! Thank you all for being my wonderful, loyal readers! You're so awesome! Oh, and the events herein take place on the same day as Protocol from the Pink Love series. ::wink::
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Irreconcilable
The ANBU kunoichi stalked through the long corridors of the Hyuuga Main House. The hooked beak of her pristine white eagle mask angled downward in a menacing gesture that would easily stike terror in the heart of any prey unfortunate enough to capture her attention. The Hyuuga around her darted away, bowing as they beat their hasty retreat. She wasn't in the mood, so to speak. It was easy enough to guess from the sizzling blue chakra encircling her gloved fists, and the way her single indigo braid swung behind her back, like a whip ready to flog the first person who opened his mouth.
When the kunoichi reached the Leader's office she didn't even bother to knock or announce herself. She simply pushed past the one slacker guard, barging inside.
"Hiashi-sama!" The cutting edge in her voice was so sharp the Leader's white eyes bulged, before he slammed the accounting ledger shut, dismissing his assistant with a flick of the wrist. The young man scurried to gather his own papers before bowing deeply to both his Leader and the kunoichi.
"Haikko!" Was Hiashi's curt reply.
"What?" She hissed. "Not expecting me so soon?" She came to sit gracefully upon the once occupied chair facing Hiashi's desk. "Three days isn't long enough to have your wife sent off on some wild goose chase?"
"I would hardly call the assassination of Konoha's enemies a wild goose chase," he sneered.
"Oh," she crossed her legs. "So you admit it." Then, she relaxed back into the chair, flipping her braid over her shoulder. "Who did you bribe to get me sent on that mission?"
"Why are you so upset, Haikko? Three days is not so long." He leaned forward. "I was told it might take up to a month before your team caught up with those rogue ninja." His sly smirk only made her want to hit him more.
"How is my daughter?" Haikko, the Leader's wife and Lady of the Clan changed the subject, sweeping the mask away from her face in one smooth motion. Instantly, her diamond glare affixed to her husband's annoyed, yet approving white eyes.
"Just fine," he answered. "In fact, she's better than she has been in a long time." He leaned as far forward as the expansive desk would allow. "It seems you were right," he whispered in admittance. "She is quite taken with the Uchiha."
Haikko's sharp eyes narrowed further. "Which Uchiha?" She demanded.
Hiashi rolled his eyes. "Sasuke," he sighed. Looking back toward her, he found a sweet smile gracing her lips. She really was breathtaking, even while filthy, sweaty and exhausted from a mission. He chuckled lightly. He rather loved seeing her home from such danger. Perhaps one day she would listen to him and finally retire from the shinobi arts. "Why don't you ever smile like that for me?" He asked, watching as it spread across her face, daring even to glint within the depth of her all-seeing eyes.
"Because you don't deserve it," she fluttered long indigo lashes in his direction.
He cleared his throat. "Well," the Leader said, arranging his hair. She was staring at him now, watching with that half-smirk of hers. He'd always told her the expression was irritating, but truly... the predatory glee with which she beheld him was far from unwelcome. "I suppose you want to clean up," he leaned back slightly. "We'll have tea in an hour. How does that sound?"
"Actually," Haikko reached forward, grasping Hiashi's hand. "I was hoping for a spar."
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Hyuuga Hinata twisted her hair up into a firm bun, crowning her head. She slipped her obsidian comb into place, holding the silken strands while positioning the jeweled Uchiha crest just so. When she released her hold, the longest tresses of indigo fell free, framing her rounded face. The Heiress admired her reflection in the vanity mirror. She liked the new style. On the first day she was unsure if it would suit her, but the compliments she had recieved upon arrival at school had eased her nerves. And then she had seen Sasuke. The way he looked at her... The contentment he'd exuded had flattered her more than any words ever could.
She walked out of the bathroom, grabbing her pack as she passed by the bed. It was off to the Academy for her. Alone again, because Neji hadn't been seen outside the Branch House for the last three days. Unconciously, she reached down for her wrist, only to find no dangling charms. When she caught herself, her nails bit into the skin. She'd lost the bracelet somehow during the commotion of the disasterous dinner party. She had searched almost two days straight, hoping to find the priceless gift. But it was hopeless, gone forever. Hinata didn't know what she would tell him when he finally laid eyes on her again. There would be no bird seal charms, no pretty spiral shell. And in their place would be the Uchiha crest, framed by a simple obsidian comb.
She slipped her arms into the pack, passing her dresser and all the other gifts her precious niisan had given her. At least she still had these. She sighed. At least she still had the memories...
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"Sasuke-kun?" The Uchiha didn't look up. "Sasuke-kun?"
"Hey, teme!" A reaction; black eyes opening only slightly. "Sakura-chan is trying to talk to you!" Uzumaki Naruto punched his sometimes friend in the shoulder.
"Watch it!" Sasuke hissed. It was before first period, and the classroom was just beginning to fill with sleepy, angsty students.
"Yeah?" Naruto grinned, plopping into the empty desk beside him. "Answer Sakura-chan and I won't have to do it again."
The Uchiha glared at the blonde, before turning his wavering attention toward the shivering pink-haired girl. "What?" He demanded.
"I--I..." Sakura almost couldn't speak. Then, she saw his eye twitch in irritation. "I need to apologize," she blurted out, looking down at her sandaled feet. "For the things I said to Hinata-chan a while ago... and for all the trouble I've caused you, Sasuke-kun."
"Why bother? You know she doesn't give a damn." He snorted. "Neither do I, for that matter."
She peeled her gaze away from the floor, and back to his scathing indifference. "I was wrong, and I shouldn't have said those things. I just want to make amends," she said.
"You shouldn't say half the things that come out of your mouth, Sakura. Quit wasting my time. I'm not the one you should be apologizing to, anyway." The Uchiha stood from his desk, walking down the stairs to the front of the class.
"Wait, Sasuke-kun!"
"Stop calling me that," he answered, just as Hinata walked through the door.
Haruno Sakura scowled, grinding her teeth together. "Uchiha Sasuke!" He stopped walking, and everyone in the classroom turned toward her. "Don't you walk away! Turn around and listen for once in your life!" He whipped around, glaring blind hatred. Undeterred, Sakura bowed. "I apologize," she said as her hair cascaded over her shoulders. "I will no longer continue to persue after you... Sasuke."
The Uchiha's jaw dropped to the floor. Did she really just say that?
She straightened up again. "From now on, we are nothing more than fellow students, and if it is your desire that I never again speak to you..." Her expression didn't falter, didn't wane. "So be it. I will respect your request." Sasuke's eye twitched again.
The Haruno exhaled, as though a heavy, heavy weight were lifted. She walked quietly back to her desk and sat, shifting her focus toward some written assignment. It didn't really matter what it was. All her schoolwork was easy. What mattered was that she'd just formally accepted Sasuke's unavailability, as well as paved the way for something real with Shino. Her cheeks became hot again, and she glanced toward the back of the classroom. Was he watching her? Of course he was. When she turned back around, Hyuuga Hinata was waiting with a small, soft smile.
"Sakura-chan," the Heiress held out her arms. "Thank you," she said, wrapping herself around the other kunoichi. "And... c-congratulations," she whispered, white eyes darting up toward Shino. "Shino-kun has... been interested in you for a long time," she smiled.
Sakura also smiled, true and genuine. At first, it had been difficult to see Hinata wearing the Uchiha crest so openly. But after a couple of days, when it was clear that Shino wasn't going to disappear from her life as she had feared, she'd realized just how much better circumstances were. For everybody.
"Yeah!" She answered happily. "Seems like it!" She grinned big, and Hinata giggled. The Heiress bowed to her then, before excusing herself to her own seat nearer the bottom of the class. When she sat down, she noticed Sasuke talking to Iruka-sensei.
"Hey, Hinata-chan," Naruto tossed an eraser on her desk. "In case I never said anything before... you looked really nice at Ino's party." The Heiress' eyes widened. "Yeah, I was there for a while... um... you know... when we ah... well you thought... hehe... let's just forget about it, yeah?"
"S-S-Sure," she answered, not at all aware of what he was talking about. Then, Iruka-sensei called for attention, and the class settled into their seats.
"Sasuke has an announcment to make. Please, everyone quiet down."
Sasuke stood at the front of the class, eyes gliding over his friends and classmates. "It has been decided. The next Clan Gathering," he settled on Hinata, before glancing quickly at Sakura. "The Ball will be hosted by the Uchiha, next spring. Those of you who will be expected to attend have about six months to prepare. That's all," he said, then huffed by her desk in a whoosh of irritation, and Hinata wondered what had gotten to him this time.
"Alright, class," Iruka-sensei said. "As fun as all that sounds, it's time to get to work."
"Hai, sensei!" The students said, taking out their pens.
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"So," Sasuke listened to Akimichi Chouji and Nara Shikamaru as they lay out on the school lawn, while he sat perched in a tree. "You gonna ask her?"
The Nara growled. "No," he answered.
"Well, why the hell not?"
"She never wants to go with me."
"How many times have you asked her?"
Shikamaru turned his head, cheek pressed into the soft grass. His glare was hideous.
"Sorry, man! Jeez!" Chouji backed off. They both went back to staring at the clouds.
Sasuke smirked at the Nara's lack of charisma. If he wanted a girl like Ino, he'd better get with the program. Though the Uchiha wasn't too keen on the blonde, he did appreciate a hot-tempered girl, no matter how vain or shallow. Which brought him back to Sakura... He peered through the leaves, spying the Aburame cozying up to the Haruno. Why should he care? What did it matter to him that she was now with that bug-freak? Dammit! He still couldn't believe she'd had the gall to stand in front of everyone and dismiss him like that. He scowled. No matter what she said, it was a dismissal, no doubt about it. So, she thought she could just move on? Yeah, right...
"Hey, Hinata-chan!" Chouji waved a hand.
"Ah, hello, Chouji-kun. Shikamaru-kun," the Heiress greeted them with a smile. She sat down between them and they scooted over to make room.
"So," Shikamaru began, "how are things with Sasuke?"
"S-Sasuke-kun?" She stuttered. The Uchiha smiled a slow, sly smile. "W-Well, everything is fine, Shikamaru-kun." She started to blush, and the two boys grinned beside her.
"He ask you to the Clan Party yet?"
She lightly teased her bottom lip with her pure white teeth. "N-No. Not yet," she squeaked. The boys rolled their eyes, looking preturbed, but not shocked. Hinata's brow furrowed in worry. "Why? What's wrong?" She asked.
"Ah, it's nothing," the Nara brushed it off, but Chouji wasn't quite finished.
"You just came over from hanging with Shino and Sakura-chan, right?" He inquired. She nodded. "So, did he ask her to the Clan Party?"
Her eyes lit up, sparkling with some unseen light. "Oh, yes, yes!" She bounced up and down a few times. "It was wonderful..." She had a dreamy look on her face.
Chouji laughed, while Shikamaru smirked, angling his head back to stare at Sasuke, between the green leaves. The Uchiha frowned. How'd they know he was up there?
"I wonder what his escort gift was?" Shikamaru said, the smirk still in place. Sasuke glared down at him. Stupid Nara. Was he goading him on?
"Why not go see?" The Heiress asked. "Before she puts it away." Both boys exchanged a look, then sat up, before smacking her cheeks with two chaste kisses. Her face heated up so fast! Chouji and Shikamaru stood, walking toward the Aburame and his cherry blossom.
"See ya later, Hinata-chan!" Chouji called back at her.
"Your just too cute," Shikamaru said. "Gonna be troublesome, aren't ya?" He snickered, eyes narrowed. "Sasuke had better be good to you."
She watched them saunter up to Shino, punching him lightly in the arm, while they teased Sakura in a similar manner to which they had teased her. Her face still hadn't cooled off yet, and it only burned redder after seeing the matching blush staining the Haruno's cheeks. She sighed deep, then shivered in the cool breeze.
"What... was that... about?" She wondered.
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Hyuuga Haikko dragged her Leader's limping body up the back stairwell leading to his double-suite. They'd gone at it hard. So hard, in fact, that the Hyuuga watching had placed quiet bets for or against them both. She tried not the laugh, but let loose a particularly irritating snicker. Hiashi glared at her.
"What are you laughing for!" He shouted. I never planned on that kind of work out!"
"Maybe we should spar more often, Hiashi-sama. You'll keep in better shape." She rubbed her lips together, brows raised in amusment. "Besides... you still beat me."
"Is that a fact?"
They reached the room, and Haikko pulled him inside, then shut and locked the door. "Hai," she answered, leading him to sit on the kingsized bed, ruffling the soft yet masculine comforter.
The Leader collapsed onto it. "Why do I feel like the one who got beat?" His lovely wife shrugged demurely, before slowly peeling off her ANBU vest. "Haikko?" He asked. "What are you doing?"
"Shhhh," she silenced him with a finger pressed to her own lips. "Why does it matter what I'm doing, Hiashi-sama?"
"It matters because..." She slipped out of her sandals, then unzipped the black undershirt, revealing her tightly bound... Oh, Gods! He couldn't think anymore...
"Haikko-chan," he rasped the honorific he hadn't used in at least three years. Sitting back up, the Leader let his eyes rove over his wife's gorgeous body. 'Built like a brick shit-house,' he'd heard the Inuzuka Leader once refer to his own wife. Yes. That about summed it up. He grinned as she sliced through the bindings with one of her razor-sharp kunai. Kunoichi sure were intriguing creatures.
Haikko giggled, settling her now naked form over him on the bed. "Because you've been such a good Leader while I was away," she cooed. Then her hot lips pressed onto his, and he remembered his wife, after long, sporadic months in her absence...
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"How are you feeling?" Neji's mother asked as she peeked into the small room he'd once occupied long ago, before she'd given him up to the Main House. Her son eased into a slouch on the floor. He'd been meditating for ten hours straight. He needed to get back on his feet and get some air. "Why don't you go take a walk," she suggesed. She hated him brooding like this.
He sighed, then raised his weary eyes toward hers. "I don't really feel like taking a walk, okaasan," he said.
"Do it anyway." This time it was an order, and she stepped fully into the room, swinging the door open. "Just a few minutes in the fresh air will do you a world of good. And if you want , I'll walk you through that meditation when you get back." She offered him a smile, but a frown was all she got in return. "Hyuuga Neji..."
"Fine!" He snapped, rising from the floor. As annoyed as she was by his lack of respect, she didn't hold it against him. Her poor son had so much less to look forward to recently. He'd recieved orders to return to the Main House today, and she wondered if he hadn't secretly hoped to be permanently demoted.
She stepped aside as he passed her, hoping with every beat of her heart that her son, her only child, would be able to do what was required of him. He had to let her go. Hinata-sama would literally be the death of him if he didn't.
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"Hinata-chan?" Shino held Sakura's hand, as he called the Hyuuga Heiress to a stop at the Academy gates. "Are you alone again today?"
The Heiress turned. "Hai," she answered, "niisan is still being... detained."
Shino looked at Sakura, silently asking. The pink-haired kunoichi smiled, darting her eyes toward Hinata. They would walk her home, back to the Hyuuga gates.
"Would you like some company?" He asked the Hyuuga.
She looked away, then found her gaze drifting toward Sakura, and a little pang of envy streaked through her. "Ah, no... really I'm fine, Shino-kun."
Shino followed her eyes, and was instantly glad that Sakura had chosen not to wear his escort gift, just yet. "We were headed in that direction, so..." Sakura squeezed his hand, signaling that she would take over.
"Oh, come on, Hinata-chan!" The Haruno giggled, skipping up to her. "Let's catch up on our girl talk. It's been a while, right?"
"Yes, but--" Hinata was cut off.
"But, but, but! Are you worried about Shino?" Sakura glanced back at the bug-ninja. "He won't spill any of your secrets."
"S-S-Secrets? I don't have any s-s-secrets."
"Um-hmm," Sakura teased. "Like I believe that!"
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Uchiha Sasuke paced around his room. He hadn't thought of an escort gift. Shit! What was he going to get her? Hyuuga Hinata already had everything money could buy. It had to be meaningful and thoughtful. He'd racked his brain twice already thinking of the handkercheif and comb. What now? What would be an appropriate gift for his future wife? He'd never brought a date to any of the other Clan Gatherings, so the issue had never come up.
He sighed, leaning against his door, when he heard and felt the annoying rapping from the other side.
"Who is it?" Sasuke called.
"You've been in there all evening, otouto. Mother is beginning to fret." He heard his brother chuckle. "You'd better come out, before she finds her way in."
"Go away, aniki! I'm busy!" He shouted. Itachi... Why wouldn't he just mind his own damn business?
"Oh?" Another deep rumble of amusement. "You haven't thought of an escort gift, have you, otouto? Your poor little fiancee must be so upset."
Sasuke gritted his teeth, banging the back of his head against the door. "Shut up!"
"Sasuke, open the door." Reluctantly, the younger Uchiha did as his brother commanded. Itachi strode into the room, turning to face Sasuke only after settling himself onto the twin bed.
Sasuke growled. "Your screwing up my sheets," he huffed.
"Well," Itachi stretched his arms. "I was going to solve your problem for you, but if you don't want my help..."
"I didn't say that," Sasuke broke in. He sighed, scowling objectionably despite himself. "What..." He took a deep breath. Was he going to regret this? Probably. "What do you suggest?"
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Lady Hyuuga brushed her hands along the silk kimono, smoothing and fussing in turns. Such a bother, dressing up like this just because she was home. She sighed, longingly. She'd much prefer her ANBU uniform, but it would be inappropriate, after all. She was glad Hiashi-sama had taken her up on that spar, as well as their other activities. The Leader's wife smiled. It was good to be home. Hopefully, Hokage-sama would allow her to stay for a while.
Knock, knock, knock...
"You may enter," the Lady said. Matron slipped into the room, bowing low and stiff. "Is something the matter?" Haikko asked, worried by the woman's painful looking face. She found out soon enough, then found herself once again raging through the halls of the Main House.
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After three days cofinement in his mother's house, Hyuuga Neji was finally allowed to resume his duties. He slunk through the halls, a shadow of the ninja he'd once been. No one looked at him, no one spoke. It was as if he had died, and was now haunting the Hyuuga as a terrifying spectre.
Well, if that's how they wanted it...
The prodigy cast his deadliest glare toward one unsuspecting Hyuuga. "I'm not going anywhere, so you might as well get over it," he sneered. "Out of my way," he pushed the young man aside.
On the way to his new suite (the detesable room next to Hinata's) he stopped, hearing a not so quiet seething down the hall. Peeking around the corner, he noticed her-- and she noticed him. Shit! The Lady of the House was home!
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"Neji..." Haikko's voice echoed down the long hall, wrapping around the youth like a coiling snake.
Matron hurried after the Lady, desperate to hold back the floodgates of her unrelenting ire. "Please, Haikko-sama! Please, remember what I've told you!"
The Leader's wife loomed over him, and Neji stiffened, rigid like the look on her painted face. Her arm swung back, and he shut his eyes, preparing for the sting of her angry palm. Nothing happened. Neji pried one eye open, and was rocked by the back of her bejeweled hand.
"You forget who you are!" His Lady hissed. "You forget your place, young one!" Her glare was hot and dangerous, while his shivering hand rose to put pressure against his bruised cheek.
His teeth began to chatter at the sight of her. "My Lady... I..." She stalked forward, and he stepped back, matching her every step. Undeterred, the Lady forced him against a door. She reached forward, turning the knob until he fell backward into the room. From his position on the floor, he recognized his belongings. Then, he looked toward the door. Matron was standing at the threshold, while the Lady breezed around the sparsely furnished suite.
"How much is your life worth?" She asked.
"Pardon?" What kind of question was that? What kind of answer did she expect?
"Answer me," she said. She clutched onto a tress of deep indigo, running her fingers through.
"I-I don't know what to say, my Lady." He really didn't. There wasn't anything that could make up for his behavior, so he settled on a lame apology. "I am so sorry, Haikko-sama. I never meant to hurt her. I never did. Please, believe me."
"I believe your intentions were less than pure, Neji. However, I do know with how much devotion you serve my daughter." She twisted around to face him. "It was that devotion that caused you to reconsider your actions, yes?"
Neji swallowed, rising slowly from the floor. "Hai, my Lady. I-- I realized my mistake--"
"But not before the damage was done."
His head sunk low. "No, Haikko-sama. Not before the damage was done..."
Lady Hyuuga approached him, laying a hand over his shoulder. "Change is coming." She squeezed the shoulder until she saw his face twitch with the supressed pain. "Change is here. I hold your life in my hands, Hyuuga Neji. Do not forget that."
Then, the Leader's wife left his room to continue her awful rampage somewhere else. But, Matron stayed by the door, looking upset and relieved at the same time.
"Neji-san," the old woman said. "Haikko-sama loves you as though you were her own. Do not take her leniency lightly." Then, her white eyes grew fearful with worry. "She'll kill you if you do."
Matron closed the door, and Neji was glad they were both gone, because he couldn't stop trembling. Not at all...
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Hyuuga Hiashi sat down across from his wife at their usual little table in the garden. It was time for their evening tea, and he'd been looking forward to it all day.
"Haikko-chan," he smiled, pouring for her. He didn't serve often, so he was surprised when she didn't speak. He looked concerned. "What's wrong, Haikko?"
She continued to seethe across from him. "You are," her teeth clenched.
The Leader rolled his eyes. "What now, woman?"
"Did you think I wouldn't find out?"
"About what?" His eyebrows rose.
"Because you are my Leader, I will not say what I am thinking." Bastard, bastard, bastard... "But if you thought to keep me in the dark, you should know that will no longer be possible."
"And, why is that, Haikko-chan?" He poured his own cup, then settled in to await her answer.
"I am resigning my commission. Effective immediately," she hissed. Surprise flooded Hiashi's expression. "That's right, Hyuuga-sama. The Lady is back-- for good."
Hiashi pursed his lips together, struggling to conceal the smile that was so tauntingly close to the surface. "It's about time," he said. "And it only took a disaster to convince you."
The scowl on her face was mixed with hurt and confusion. "Why? Why wouldn't you tell me?"
He sighed, sensing his wife's frustration. "I didn't think you needed to know," he answered with a shrug. "Everything worked out," he reached forward, touching her hand. "And, I didn't want to upset you, Haikko-chan."
Haikko focused so hard on Hiashi's unrepentant mask, that she began to feel a dangerous rise in her chakra. "You didn't want me to get upset?" She stood from her chair, glaring down with purpose. "Hiashi-sama... I take my leave, before I say, or do something we'll both regret."
"Haikko!" The Leader called after his irate wife. She didn't answer, so Hiashi took his first sip of tea-- and found that he no longer cared for the taste.
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Hinata sat down on her bed, leaning against one of the posts. Her hand rose to remove her obsidian comb, but was halted by gentle knocking on the door leading into Neji's room.
"H-Hai, niisan!"
On the other side of the door, Neji sighed. "May I come in, Hinata-sama?"
Her hand began to shake, sending tremors throughout her entire body. "Ah, s-s-sure, niisan. Come in."
He unlocked the door, then slipped into the room. His head was down, and he stared only at his own feet. He looked so worn down and sad, and the Heiress could only guess at what had happened to him in the Branch House.
"Niisan?" She asked, her concern for him bringing her across the room toward him. "Are you alright?"
She reached him, slidding her hands in his. Neji held them loosely, then stared at the Uchiha crest peeking from the top of her head.
The prodigy reached up, gently tugging her hair free, and those silken indigo locks unravled, falling back to frame her face. "Do not allow this thing to control you, Hinata-sama," he said. "Do not allow Sasuke to control you."
She lowered her head. "But I p-p-promised..." Hinata again reached for her missing bracelet, and was again struck with guilt.
Neji lifted her chin with a finger. "Don't worry about the bracelet," his eyes captured hers. "It was only a trinket, anyway. The real gift was..." My love... But he couldn't say that, could he? "Just forget about the bracelet."
"Hai. I'll d-do my best, niisan," she whispered.
Neji frowned, sensing that the time had finally come. "May I offer you one last gift, Hinata-sama?" She took a step back.
"W-What k-kind of gift?" She asked warily. He slid his hands around her face, pulling her back toward him. Her eyes widened, while her teeth began to chatter. What was he going to do? This was what had gotten them into trouble in the first place! "N-Neji-niisan!"
"It's more of a suggestion, really." She couldn't speak, so he continued with a smirk. "Grow out your hair," he breathed against her cheek, running his fingers through the lush tresses. "Like a real Hyuuga. Like the perfect Heiress that you are."
"Niisan..." Her eyes half-closed, and she watched him carefully.
"You don't have to keep your hair short anymore. You aren't lacking in anything, Hinata-sama, as evidenced by your betrothal. The least you can do is honor your Hyuuga heritage, even as you are joined with the Uchiha."
"What about my promise to Sasuke?" She asked. He shrugged, placing the comb between her palms.
"If you are determined to wear this thing, what am I to say? All I want is for you to grow out your hair. The rest is up to you."
The Heiress stared at the comb in her hands, as well as Neji's hands leaving hers. He backed off through the door separating their rooms, and they watched one another for a full two minutes before he spoke again.
"Good evening, Hinata-sama. I will be walking you to school again in the morning, so expect me early." He smirked. "And do be dressed this time, Hyuuga-hime." Neji accepted her blush as the final gift she would be able to give, and his gaze softened upon his Heiress.
"Um... of course," she answered, gripping her comb like a vice. Then, Neji shut the door, and they were seperated by far more that a pane of wood with a heavy metal lock.
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At school the next day, Hinata found a note in her desk, and another in her locker, and yet another between the pages of the book she'd been reading. Each note had a carefully written haiku, and as she read them all aloud to her friends in the cafeteria, a very familliar, very smooth voice joined her in the recitation...
"Lovely as the bright
Warm rays of Sunshine flowing
Down upon my face..."
"Spectacularly,
Smiling at me from your perch
In the trees above..."
"Hyuuga Hinata
Perfect kunoichi, my love
May I have this dance?"
Hinata gazed longingly at Sasuke as he took her trembling hands in his own, gently folding his escort gifts, before tucking them into her jacket pocket. He leaned toward her.
"So?" He asked.
"Sasuke-kun... that was the most thoughtful..." She sniffled. "Elegant and beautiful gift I have ever recieved."
"I'll take that as a yes, then." She blushed beautifully, and Sasuke was so enthralled that he was almost able to forget he hadn't been to one to write the poems. Almost. He didn't dwell on it, though. Itachi would tell him soon enough what the price would be-- and then he would think of a way out of it...
End