I do not own Naruto. This will be a chapter fic.
The Hyuga Clan is not all that they seem. Their stoic and regal facade hides a web of lies woven by master manipulators to disguise dark secrets. Escaping the gilded cage of their machinations requires Hinata to find her inner strength and a little help from one of the most misunderstood, underestimated, unpredictable ninja the village has ever seen. Naruto is desperate for a friend who is willing to look underneath the underneath, and see him for who he is. Together the two friends fight for control of their own destiny, the restoration of a broken Clan, and the very survivial of Shinobi.
CHAPTER 1
Hitomi wipes her face and looks in the mirror. The cold water has calmed some of the redness, but the puffiness around her eyes is still quite noticeable. It would be hard to disguise the fact that she spent the night crying into her pillow over the loss of her only friend. How could Kami be so cruel?
She slowly pulls her cloak over her kimono and bends to pick up the small bundle of blankets. They were intended to be a congratulatory gift for a new mother, hand knit with love for the much anticipated birth of her first child. Now, she sighs, they seem so pathetic. Even the warmest blanket wrapped tightly around a babe could never replace the embrace of a mother. Hitomi steps into her geta and begins her familiar walk to the Branch side of the compound.
She glowers inwardly at the irony of the drizzling sky. So cliche. Kami does seem to have the cruelest sense of humor. However she cannot help but feel like bright sunshine and chirping birds would seem nigh on sacrilege in the face of the grief that she feels.
Hesitantly, she knocks on the door, and it slides open to reveal a tired looking woman Hitomi recognizes as a wet nurse from the Branch side. She straightens instantly and bows while smoothly sliding out of the way when she sees Hitomi. "Honorable wife, please come in from the rain! Hizashi-san is, um, well..."
Hitomi quickly holds up a small hand to shush the babbling woman. "It's fine, Hiro-san. I'm just here to see the baby." She pulls the delicate blankets out from under her cloak and the woman nods in understanding. She takes Hitomi's wet garment and motions for her to follow along the short hallway.
Hitomi suppresses a shiver as she pads softly across the wooden floors behind the maid. Perhaps the blankets will be more purposeful than novelty after all. They pass Haya's room and Hitomi's gut clenches as a memory of the two of them giggling together when she had revealed she was with child washes over her. Now the doors were shut tightly, and had the maid not hinted at his presence earlier, Hitomi would not have known Hizashi was even there. She paused and placed her hand on the panel of the door, the heavy feeling of grief was nearly palpable through the walls, as if the life had been sucked out of the home with Haya's death.
A high pitched mewl snapped her head forward and Hitomi unconsciously gripped the blankets in her arm tighter. "Oh that child," the wet nurse huffed without malice. "I cannot seem to satisfy him! The instant I lay him down—" her complaint is cut off when the cries intensify and Hitomi finds herself briskly brushing past the maid and leaning over the small crib. Without hesitation she scoops up the baby and her world slows down as startled pale eyes blink up her.
"Neji," she whispers is awe, involuntarily bouncing on the balls of he feet. The baby hiccups and sniffles but settles quickly in her embrace. The wet nurse watches, a sad smile on her face. "He's well fed and I just changed him before you arrived. I think he just needs to be rocked a bit more," she murmurs. Hitomi doesn't even look up as she nods. "Leave him to me. Go rest yourself. I'll fetch you if we need you." The maid bows and silently shuffles off to her futon, grateful for the respite.
Hitomi bends to pick up a blanket from where she tossed it unceremoniously on the chair beside the crib. She adjusts the baby upright, so his cheek rests against her heart, and hers against his head. Her eyes close as she inhales his sweet scent, a unique smell all babies seem to possess. She muses that perhaps it is the odor of innocence itself. She sways side to side in cadence with her heartbeat, and feels the baby relax heavily in her arms. A tear slowly slides from her eye and drops onto the soft blanket. Hitomi wants to tell him how amazing his mama was. How excited she was to meet him. How much Hitomi admired her strength and quickness. She was always everything Hitomi was not, but Haya exuded a warmth that made it impossible to feel anything but camaraderie towards her only friend.
The two girls had each been chosen and married to the twin sons of the clan elder. Neither of them were shinobi, had never activated their Byakugan, never been trained to wield anything more deadly than cutlery knives. They were nothing more than breeding stock of elite rank. Hitomi was considered to be the more desirable match due to her lineage being more closely tied to the main house, and as such was given to Hiashi, the older son, and heir of the esteemed clan. But she had always felt the elders had been mistaken, for it was Haya who seemed the true pillar of strength. While Hitomi has suffered within her marriage, terrified of the cold Hiashi and unable to even speak without stuttering in his presence, it was clear that Hizashi had quickly fallen for his new bride. As time had passed and Hitomi had not produced an heir, she began to fear being branded and set aside. If it wasn't for Haya's faithful companionship, she was sure she would've thrown herself into the river by now. The woman was a saint. She should've been a mother. And now she was simply, gone.
Allowing her heart to remember her dearest friend, Hitomi held her nephew close, drawing her first bits of comfort from his warm weight in her arms since hearing yesterday of Haya's death. "I promise you Neji, you won't ever be alone." She whispered into his downy hair, and began softly humming a lullaby while rocking him in her arms.
She was unaware of his presence, until his sharp gasp had her spinning on her heels, clutching the babe instinctively. Her body froze as she locked eyes with Hizashi from where he loomed in the doorway. The look of pain that crossed his face when he recognized her squeezed her heart like a vice.
"I heard singing, and I thought, for a moment, that it was all a dream, that she was still..." the words strangled in his throat, and she saw him swallow hard.
Not daring to even breathe she remained still as he slowly moved towards her, hand tentatively outstretched. Hitomi couldn't tear her gaze away from the man as he gently laid trembling fingers on the baby's head. "Is he, is he alright?" Hizashi murmured, his eyes focused on Neji's peaceful face as Hitomi gently shifted the sleeping baby so that the waning light of the evening revealed his features.
She marveled at the striking resemblance between father and son. She had always been perplexed as to how Hiashi and Hizashi could be so identical and yet so different, the scowl on her husband's face only seeming to be occasionally exchanged for an even more arrogant expression. And now, the look of utter tenderness and fear on those same features in front of her was so alien and intriguing.
Understanding of those emotions dawned as she studied his face. "Do you want to hold him, Hizashi-san?" She asked quietly. Silver eyes flicked to hers as if just remembering she was there and his hand tensed. "I haven't, yet, um, well, ever, held such a small child," he mumbled. She gives him a gentle smile and gestures with her head to the rocking chair. After a few awkward moments of shifting blankets, Hitomi looks on with satisfaction as Hizashi settles his son in his arms. The child hardly even changes his breathing, as content as ever. The admiring father seems to have forgotten her already as his stares at his firstborn. Wiping away the tear trailing down her cheek, Hitomi quietly slips out of the room.
Out in the hallway, she had to lean against the wall with one hand pressed to her mouth and the other to her heart. Her chest constricts painfully with grief and, to her shame, envy at the beautiful scene of the adoring father cradling his son. I myself will never know such a love, and Haya's chance was taken from her before she could enjoy it.
Hitomi saw herself out, not wanting to disturb the tired wet nurse unnecessarily. She stood on the steps of her friend's home, breathing in the refreshing coolness of the air as she lingered under the eaves before setting out through the drizzle back to her own quarters. She pondered the future of the new father and son. Hizashi wouldn't be allowed to mourn for long. The Hyuga relied heavily on his skill and he frequently was sent away on missions for the village and the clan. Haya would have wanted Neji to know the constant comfort of a parental love. Hitomi could do that for her precious friend. She could never hope to replace the exuberant personality that was uniquely Haya, but Hitomi would pour every ounce of her love into this child for her sake.
Determination enhanced her steps and she quickly sprinted to her bed. She had to get some sleep, for she needed to be up early and return to her nephew.
Life went on. For how stubbornly the Hyuga clung to their precious traditions, they all too quickly left Haya's memory behind. It seemed only Hizashi shared her feelings, although he did not verbalize it. But she could tell, in the way he looks upon his son, Haya will never be forgotten to him.
Hitomi visits the child almost daily. She looks forward to seeing his smiles and hearing the sound of his infantile giggles as she tickles his toes. it is enough to make her heart melt. If Hizashi finds her frequent presence in his home uncomfortable, he does not say so nor try to prevent it. For herself, she prefers the hustle and bustle of the Branch side in general over the cold tranquility of the Main House proper. And Neji fills Hizashi's small dwelling with a warmth that Hitomi hasn't experienced since she herself was a child.
It is thus, how she once again finds herself packing her basket with herbs from her garden and quickly sliding into her geta to head over to the Branch quarters, when Hiashi's voice freezes her in her tracks.
"Going again, wife." It is not a question. "I would hate to find that any duties of the clan were being ignored in favor of frivolous trivialities." Hitomi has to bite her tongue and school the scowl from her features before turning to present the blank mask of emotion she had learned to show to her husband.
"Is it not the duty of the Clan Head to ensure the wellbeing of all the Hyuga? Even more so that of his only nephew who has been ill and requires the remedies only my herbs can provide?" She bows her head as she gestures meekly to her basket of greens. Hiashi eyes the parcel carelessly. A huff is the only acknowledgment she receives as he turns and walks into the main wing of the compound, no doubt to hole up in his office as usual. Hitomi has long since learned that portraying herself as timid and boring buys her more freedom from his scrutiny. Spinning on her heel, she rushes off.
Thankfully Neji is not life-threateningly ill, but still, she can hardly stand his pathetic whimpers as he slumps lethargically against her chest. He is getting so heavy these days. Hitomi has been by his side for the whole of the day and now even as the night steals across the sky, she has rarely set him down. With Hizashi being out of the village, she is the closest thing he has to a doting parent and she refuses to pass off the child to anyone else.
Running a hand across his face she sighs in relief to see that his fever appears to have finally broken, his cheeks returning to their cherubic pink hue from the red flush of earlier. Sinking deeper into the comfortable rocker in the corner of the nursery, Hitomi welcomes the sleep that settles over them both.
She is startled awake much later, unaware of what has roused her. Her hand grasps Neji's back but the baby is still blissfully asleep and breathing easily. The room is nearly black, and she almost jumps out of her skin when she notices the figure hovering over them. "It's just me," a deep voice rumbles from the man, and she instantly relaxes, thankful that he won't be able to see the flush of her cheeks.
"You're back early," she whispers over the child's head, "I didn't expect you until tomorrow."
"It is tomorrow," he chuckles softly and places a hand on Neji's back. His fingers brush against her own, and she forces herself not to flinch. Hizashi seems unaware of her flustered emotions and quietly asks, "Is something wrong with Neji?"
"Oh no! I mean, well, he had a fever, but he's fine now, and he was just sleeping so peacefully I didn't have the heart to move him, and um, I guess, I kind of fell asleep..." she trailed off, rolling her eyes at her own rambling. Her discomfort was cut short however, as Hizashi slid his hand over her own. His strong fingers squeezed hers and she caught her breath as he bent over her, bringing his eyes within view in the dim light.
"Thank you," his voice was husky and the words were simple, but the look on his face conveyed the depth of his emotions. He was thanking her for everything, her time, her herbs, her presence day in and day out, it was all laid out in his silver gaze, and she shivered at the honesty he allowed her to see. His hand slowly reached out and tucked a wayward strand of her midnight hair behind her ear, his fingers tracing the curve of her jaw before hesitantly pulling back. Hitomi unconsciously trailed after his touch, her heart crying out for the simple comfort, for the potential fulfillment it held.
She swallowed hard and mentally shook herself as she quickly stood and awkwardly placed Neji back in his crib. "It-it was nothing, my pleasure," barely whispers, keeping her back to Hizashi as she pressed a hand to her flaming cheek. Hitomi doesn't look back as she slips out of the room and heads for the door, intent on racing back to her bed before she makes a fool of herself any further.
As she reaches for her cloak, a large hand wraps around her wrist, the grip steady but not forceful. Hitomi's stomach flips. The skin of his hand is rough from life as a Shinobi, but the touch is gentle as it begins to slide upward. Goosebumps erupt across her arm as he continues up to her shoulder, tracing her collarbone lightly with his fingers, before placing his palm against her neck. She knows he can feel her pulse thrumming against his hand, and she dares herself to raise her eyes to his. Their gazes lock, and Hitomi cannot hide her feelings from him. She opens her soul to the scrutiny of his venerable stare, allowing him to see her as she had never revealed herself to anyone. Her vulnerability, her pain, but also her desire, and her trust are bared to him.
"I see you," he whispers and she can feel his breath on her lips. His hand glides up into her hair, weaving into her silky tresses. Hitomi closes her eyes when she feels his arm tighten around her waist and offers no resistance when he pulls her close. The kiss is soft, hesitant, and sets sparks alight through her body. This feels right, so terrifyingly right.
Throwing caution to the wind, for the first time in her pathetic life, Hitomi grasps fate with both her hands, and breaks it. She opens her mouth and is rewarded when his tongue moves smoothly over hers. Her fingers sink into his shirt and she cannot stop the small moan the escapes as she revels in the heat that is consuming her. Her body is alive.
The two break apart, panting, but Hizashi doesn't loosen his embrace. Hitomi cannot stop staring at his mouth, and runs a trembling thumb across his lower lip. He tilts his head to touch his forehead to her own. She waits, with mounting anticipation as he brushes their noses together.
"Stay?" It is a question. A nod is the only answer she can manage.
That night Hitomi learns how love feels, how it tastes, and the power it wields. The desire that courses through her is intoxicating, his slow worship of her body awakens a side of her she has never dared release. Her walls crumble, she allows him to expose her body and soul, and he does not betray her trust. The deep affection coursing beneath the waves of passion are returned to her tenfold. She feels treasured, adored, beautiful. Laying in his arms, feeling his hot breath fan across the back of her neck as satisfied exhaustion pulls them both under, Hitomi knows, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she will always love this man.
She does not leave until just before dawn.
"Enter," Hiashi grunts at the knock to his office. He doesn't raise his head until he finishes his letter, leaving his wife to stand with head bowed while she awaits his attention. Hitomi does not shift, she does not twiddle her fingers, and she refuses to allow the red flush to creep further up her neck as she struggles to gain control of her emotions.
"Speak." Hitomi finally raises her head to see Hiashi sitting with a slightly annoyed look on his face. She has chosen her moment carefully, having heard from the gossip of the servants that the council has once again brought up the issue of an heir in the earlier council meeting. It has been three years since their marriage, and while he dutifully visited her chambers on a somewhat regular basis in the early days of their union, she knows that his attention has wandered in recent years, and she does not care, dreading the few conjugal visits she does endure with him. Hitomi long ago concluded that the asshole must be sterile, because she has noticed no string of bastards popping up in the Branch House. While her own ongoing affair with Hizashi is a desperately guarded secret, her husband does not see the need for such intense discretion. But she has found herself in a bit of a predicament now, and she must play her cards right.
Hitomi takes a breath to steady her nerves and calm the growing nausea in her gut.
"What is it wife?" Hiashi demand impatiently.
"I b-believe that, should M-My Lord wish to, it would be a favorable t-time for me to visit you, in your ch-chambers, tonight," the last was nearly squeaked out.
Hiashi raises a brow at the timid creature before him, scrutinizing her. "Why do say that? Speak up."
"I have b-been growing a certain herb, to aid in these kind of, um, well with the, um, matter of c-conception. I-I have been drinking the tea for the p-past week now...and...and..." Hitomi blushes hard and looks down, unable to finish her sentence and fervently hoping he will not question her story. Hiashi stares at her for heartbeat before grunting, "I see. Very well. Wait for me there."
Hitomi bows deeply and backs out of the room. She quickly slides the door shut behind her so he cannot see the smirk of her face.
Nearly nine months later, Hitomi gives birth to a tiny little girl with midnight colored fluff on her head the same color as her own. She is so pink and petite, the midwife muses that she must be quite early. Hitomi hears nothing and notices no one. She did not know her heart could contain so much love. Hiashi is unimpressed by the diminutive infant, and less so with the fact it is a female.
It is in the wee hours of the morning after everyone has left, that Hitomi senses his presence. She turns to the man who had given her so much, a daughter, a nephew she adores, and a love she never dared hope to experience. He sits down gently beside her and hesitates only a moment before burying his face in her shoulder.
"Kami, I was so scared, Hitomi. Are you sure you're alright?" She hums against his hair and smiles as she feels him exhale deeply, allowing the tension to ooze out of his body. He lifts he head and stares into her eyes, gently brushing wayward strands of hair behind her ear in a familiar gesture of tenderness.
"I love you," he says, pressing a kiss to her forehead. She blushes and places her hand over his heart. "I love you so much, Hizashi, I missed you."
It is not said to elicit guilt, they both know the limits of their relationship. But she wants him to know that it was him she was thinking of, his devotion that spurred her on through the long hours of labor, his love that never let her give up in the face of all the pain. Hizashi acknowledges her emotions without words, grasping her hand and kissing each fingertip one by one. She will never grow tired of the affection he showers upon her every chance he can get.
His gaze falls upon the small pile of fluffy blankets in her arms and Hitomi smiles at the way his silver orbs sparkle with anticipation. "What will you name her?" he asks, as Hitomi gently peels open the swaddling to allow him to admire their daughter. Her pride knows no bounds as she sees his eyes light up at the tiny princess in her arms. "Kami, she's beautiful, she looks just like you Hitomi," he breathes with awe as he traces a finger across the infant's cheek.
"Her name, is Hinata." Hitomi murmurs, forever carving this moment into her heart. "Hinata," Hizashi repeats, smiling at the feel of it. "Yes, she is perfect."