Princess
At a distance Hinata Hyuuga was a delicate flower. At a distance she was the Hyuuga Heiress, as close to a Princess as Konoha would ever get. At a distance she was a fragile, demure little thing, her hands so small and dainty, her eyes so easy to shyly drop to her feet during conversation, her lilting voice so soft, all that was her so… feminine.
Close up it was a completely different thing entirely. Few people saw her close up, even her own father had never seen her close up, and her cousin loved her too dearly and fiercely to even see it no matter how close he got. But her little sister saw it. Her teacher saw it. Her teammate, Aburame Shino saw it. Kiba didn't see it. Just like with Neji he was close to her and loved her but it was too much, not to mention his personality. He was kind and well intention, of course, he just… wasn't good at seeing hidden things. Looking underneath the underneath, Kakashi Hatake would have said.
Up close Hinata Hyuuga was a cactus. Up close her bones had been broken again and again over the years but they had mended each time, up close her hands were lethal, the lightest touch, the briefest of taps, would bring death as easily as a noose around your neck, her eyes no matter where they went, her feet, the ceiling, to the left of your head, she still saw all, her soft, lilting voice calling out the names for her Clan's battle stances so firmly, all that was her was so… strong.
Femininity did not mean weakness.
Hinata was a sweet girl of course, as genuine and sincere as they came, goodhearted and forgiving almost to a fault. But she was a ninja. She was a Hyuuga. She was the Heiress. She may be unable to utter a sentence while chatting with a friend without stuttering but when fighting for her Village the words for her ninjutsu rolled off her tongue with ease. She may be shy and insecure but if you let that get in your way when fighting for your life you were a goner. Hinata was a survivor.
She would fight and she would grow stronger and she would become a Jounin. And when she became a Jounin her father would pass the mantle to her, letting her become the Clan Leader. She had to. When she had been young she had known that her father was seriously considering letting her little sister, Hanabi, become Clan Leader instead, and she had welcomed the idea, the free pass from responsibility, pressure, and she had been happy for Hanabi for not having to bear the Caged Bird Seal, ready to sacrifice herself for her sister, ready to abandon her freedom. But it didn't have to be like that. She realized that now. The Clan Leader called the shots, and if that was what she was in the future Hanabi would not have to bear the Seal because of her success. It didn't have to be like that. If Hinata were Clan Leader she could get rid of the Seals, not just save Hanabi, but Neji too, and all of the Branch Members.
And what would the Elders say about that? What would her father say? Screw what they said! To Hell with what they thought! She did not give a damn what the other Main Members thought. To Hell with them, and to Hell with slavery. Hinata was not going to stand by as she allowed the continued enslavement of her family.
At heart, Hinata had always been a cactus. A prickly, harmful cactus. And she was proud of it too. Because Princesses could be warriors as well. Hinata was living proof of that.
Short, I know, but whatever. Did you guys like it?