[TWO WEEKS AGO: HINATA'S POV]

It's dark all around. I can't see anything; move anything.It's hard to breathe. I feel very weak and tried to scream as much as I can, but there is something stopping my voice from coming out."SHUT UP!" After those words were yelled, a painful hit clashed against my head, "Don't try anything funny... Or else." I'm scared... so very scared. I'm so scared my body freeze up.

Father... Mother... where are you? Help me... Please, help me...!!

I'm scared. I'm lonely. Please, don't leave me!

"Hinata!!" A woman shouted.

"H-huh...!?" A sudden jolt shook her body and her eyes snapped open. She looked around in fear and found a familiar face staring at her in concern.

Hinata's eyes began to well up and she began to cry intensely into the woman's warm embrace.

For a moment, the woman didn't dare to say anything and merely carresses the child's head in an effort to calm her down and easy her worry.

After a shortwhile, Hinata calmed down, though she still hugged the woman in seek of comfort.

"There, there, my little sunshine," she softly spoke, "Did you have a nightmare? You were tossing and turning in your sleep... Would you like to share it with me?"

"Y-yes, Mother," Hinata sniffed, "I-I had a nightmare... and it was dark, lonely, and painful. I tried screaming and calling for you and father... but nobody came."

Hinata's mother grimaced as a wave of guilt washed over her. She silently cursed herself and her clan's incompetence in protecting both her daughter and her brother-in-law one year ago.

That day was meant to be joyful day. That day was meant to be a day of peace to end the bloodshed between Konoha and Kumo. That day was meant to be Hinata's special day; her birthday.

And yet, Hinata was kidnapped. Her baby was hurt. Although Hiashi has disposed of the perpetrator in an act of defense, those crude savages from Kumogakure dared to demand for his head and threatened war if they did not comply. Then Hizashi...

She embraced Hinata closer once more and hugged her a bit tighter than before.

"I am very sorry, my child. Do not worry anymore, because we are here for you. We will never leave you, my little sunshine. You are safe here."

With those words of comfort Hinata cried a bit more in relief and accepted her mother's warm embrace.

They silently went back to bed and peacefully slept through the night.

"Again." A gruff voice sternly calls.

"Y-Yes, Father." Hinata meekly replied.

She sat on the ground and took a leaf put it on her forehead. She then concentrated as hard as she could to feel the chakra within her body and move them towards her forehead to hold the leaf in place.

It was not even ten seconds later that the leaves fell from her forehead and Hinata began panting and sweating as she she had done a marathon.

Hiashi furrowed his eyebrow, "Again."

Hinata weakly replied, "Y... yes... Father."

This time the leave did not even stick for more 5 seconds and Hinata suddenly collapsed, panting and sweating clearly out of energy.

Hiashi sighed and turned around, "By the next moon, you must be able to hold it for more than thirty minute. It is for your own good."

Hinata couldn't even reply out of tiredness.

Not long after, two men approach the father and daughter pair accompanied by a boy bringing a tray with folded towel and a glass of water.

"Lord Hiashi, splendid work in training Princess Hinata at such a young age," one of the man began, "Although it is hard, it is necessary for Young Lady Hinata to begin her trainings early to protect herself after last year's... incident."

Hiashi grimaced a little, but merely nodded, "What news have you brought me today?"

"Excuse my insolence, but the elders have sent me to request your audience for clarity on recent projects."

"I see... tell them I shall be ready by tomorrow noon," Hiashi curtly reply as we walked away.

Both men bowed, "It shall be done, Milord."

The boy helped Hinata sit and handed her the towel to wiped her sweat before handing her the water which she gratefully took to quench her thirst.

The second man noticed the two Children and said, "Ah, Lady Hinata, please do your best in your trainings." He continued, "After all, although it is a little early, Neji here managed to exceed our the clan's expectations in his trainings last year too when he was your age."

"If a branchling could do it, you will be able to do it better. We have high expectations of you, Lady Hinata," The first man commented. Then, he noticed a slight redness on the back of one of Hinata's palms and asked his partner, "What happened to her hand?"

The second man sighed, "A dumb branchling clumsily spilled some hot tea to her hand yesterday."

"The one brought in from few months ago?"

"Yes, it seems. There was a redish tint to his eyes," He continued.

"Tch. Disgusting crossbreed..." The first man the looked over towards the boy and turned around to follow the path their Lord took, "Let's return for now. Tend to Lady Hinata, Neji."

The five year old boy held an impassive face, "Yes, Master," he turned to the downed girl and politely offered, "Would you like some help standing up, Princess Hinata?"

Hinata, after regainin her strength to stand up, looked at Neji who kept watching her with eyes full of disdain despite his politeness.

She felt small and insignificant under those eyes and, out of fear, decided to refuse the offer and chose to return to her room alone.

The Hyuuga compound was undoubtedly huge. After all, it took her about five minutes to walk from her room towards the main family's training ground.

However, while she was on her way back, Hinata saw an unpleasant view while passing by the branch family's training ground. A boy was getting beaten and insulted by a group of five other boys.

Out of worry and pity, she slowly approached the group, but decided to hide behind a nearby tree as fear took control of her. From there, she could hear all sorts of harsh insults thrown at the downed boy as he was beaten over and over again.

"Take this, you creepy hybrid!" One of the bully yelled before kicking the boy.

"Haha, 'hybrid'? Shouldn't it be 'crossbreed'?"

"Whatever, that's what I heard my dad call him."

"Well, I heard that he was born from a... 'hole'? A 'wore'? A 'whorl'? Whatever it was, it sounded stupid!"

"Yeah, you're stupid!" Another boy kicked the bullied kid.

Hinata didn't know what to do. She felt sorry at the scene in front of her, but she was too afraid to do anything.

However, before she could even think of doing anything else, one of the boy snuck behind her and pushed her to the ground.

She landed harshly on her bottom, but it was not enough to hurt her. However, when she opened her eyes, the bullies approached her and was about to surround her.

"Huh, who are you? Never seen you around here before," one of them noted.

"I found her was hiding behind this tree, you know!" one of the bully who pushed her proclaimed.

"Oh really? What were you doing then? Were you trying to help this weird guy?"

"Hahahaha! Are you his friend then?"

Hinata, aginst her fear, firmly said, "I, I think you should not do that... to fellow clan member..."

The bullies were silent, but then bursted in laughter, "Are you stupid? Him? A clan member??"

"Yeah! His eyes are different than ours! It looks a bit red, you know? None of our clan have eyes like that, you know!"

"Yeah! He doesn't even have a family. How do we even know he's one of us??"

The group of five-to-six-year-olds then menancingly surrounded her, "Well, since it looks like you're protecting this outsider... What we did to him, hehehe..." The bigger kid approach her and raised his fist, "...WE'LL DO THE SAME TO YOU!!"

Hinata closed her teary eyes and braced for impact in fear... but the pain never came.

"Now, now, weren't you bullying me just now? It's kind of rude to leave me on the ground while you mess around with other people." Another voice broke the silence.

"Y-You?!"

Hinata slowly opened her eyes and widened her eyea at her savior. The boy, who were previously on the ground, was now standing between her and the bully, taking the punched which was meant for her.

The bully were shocked, "H-how are still standing up?"

The boy merely yawned, "Oh please, your massage wasn't even that good anyway."

"M-Massage?! How dare you!!"

Distracted in their anger, the boy turned and looked back to meet her eyes. To her surprise, it was the same boy she had met yesterday -- the same boy that clumsily spilled the tea on her hand yesterday.

However, that wasn't the only surprise. Instead of seeing a face full of fear, full f determination, or even a smile, all she could see in his face was... genuine boredom.

He then whispered loud enough for her to hear, "Oi. Go home, will you?"

"It seems that you haven't learn your lesson, huh, weird creep!"

The bullied boy rolled his eyes, "Ugh, I swear to God your insults keep sounding dumber and dumber the more you repeat them. Can't you come up with better ones already?"

"THAT'S IT!!"

And with that, the boy sidestepped one of the boys' punch. The bully fell out of balance and the bullied kid immediately took off and ran away from the bullies.

"Adios!"

"Wha-- Hey! Get back here!!"

And so they took off leaving Hinata alone safe and sound.

At that moment, all Hinata could think about was, 'Who was that boy?' as she slowly made her way back to her home, with her cheeks warming up.

Author's Note:So, yea, another update. This is set two weeks ago, literally a day after Neo 'popped into existence'.

I don't really know how big is the "Compound", but I imagine it as a complex of housing like in Japan I guess. In this case, I kinda imagine the Hyuuga compound as a square or rectangular 'O' shaped complex with the garden or training ground for the 'main family' in the middle with the training ground for the branch family are on the outer circle.

So, yeah, Hinata's and her mom's room is somewhere on the 'middle circle' as away to mask their location for safety reasons, guarded by people living around the inner and outer circle. Think of it as a miniature of the Walls like in AoT except that its collection of houses in stead.

Meh, I won't bother you with tiny details yet, lol. If you want to know what 'Neo' (temporary name) Hyuuga look like think of Ishigami Yuu from Kaguya-sama: Love is War with a jet black and softer hair (the typical trademarked smooth hair of Hyuuga) with an typical Hyuuga eyes with a tint of redness in its color.

I also already have a name, but I'll reveal it in the story I guess and until then..

See ya next chapt, Capt!

:v /