Chapter 1: A Green-Eyed Hyuuga
A/N: I do not own Naruto. I, like many, am inspired by Dreaming of Sunshine. Have you read it yet? If not, drop what you're doing and start reading it. It's the best story on this site. Once you've finished, I'll probably have a couple more chapters up, so it's a win-win. Except you'll be comparing my drivels to Silver Queen's masterpiece, so maybe not… Oh well. Enjoy the story.
-o X o-
The cupboard door flew open, revealing a smirking four-year-old who was far too pleased with himself. "Found you!"
"Whoa, Neji-nii, how did you find me so fast?" I asked the slightly older boy innocently, knowing full well he was dirty, lying cheater. He wasn't really my brother, but we were close enough for me to use the affectionate honorific anyway. Our parents thought it was cute.
"You have to hide better than that, Tedashi kun. I found you in only six seconds this time," Neji said proudly, arms crossed over his chest.
Because you can already activate the Byakugan, you smug little twit, I thought to myself wryly, without any real malice. He must have turned it off right before opening the cabinet door so I didn't know he was using it. There's a reason no one likes playing Hide-and-Seek with a Hyuuga. Ah, the things I do for my clan.
"Alright, fine. My turn to look for you then," I replied, stifling a sigh. "Go hide, I'll count to twenty and then-"
"Neji, are you running around the house again?" A stern, masculine voice rang out from the living room and we froze. Another perk of a Hyuuga childhood. No troublemaking ever escapes a parent's notice. No wonder our whole clan is so uptight; we never get away with anything while we're young.
"Ah, um, y-yes Father," said Neji, his smug demeanor from a moment ago having completely evaporated. "B-but we didn't break anything! And we aren't really running, just hiding!"
Neji's father entered the kitchen and frowned down at us. Neji looked down at his toes in shame, while I remained curled up in the cabinet, peeking out from under the sink. "Were you playing Hide-and-Seek?" Hizashi asked in surprise. Neji kept his eyes down while he nodded, and when I looked at Hizashi-san, I could have sworn I saw the slightest trace of an amused smirk on his taciturn face.
"Yes, Father," Neji answered solemnly. "None of the other kids in the village wanted to play Hide-and-Seek with me because…" he shot me a quick look and changed tact, "for some strange reason. But Tedashi kun said he would play with me!" he finished, smiling nervously.
Hizashi sighed. "Some strange reason, indeed. How inexplicable. Next time, take it outside. No games in the house. Tedashi kun, it is time for you to return home. It is nearly time for supper, and your mother will be waiting for you. I heard you have a big day tomorrow." He tried to smile, but it was obviously strained.
"Yes, Hizashi san," I replied obediently, finally crawling out of the cabinet. I bowed to the brother of the clan head, waved good bye to Neji, and started walking towards my home on the outskirts of town.
Neji was my best friend in this life, I suppose. As impossible as it may seem, this wasn't my first life. As best as I could tell, it was only my second. I had died in my mid-twenties in my past life, and reincarnated in what I had once considered the fictional world of Naruto- and as a Hyuuga no less.
After the initial terror and confusion wore off, things were exciting. Who didn't want to be a ninja? And to be a clan ninja with a powerful doujutsu, even better. But having experienced just three years of this life, I now realize how reality can be harsher than it first appears.
Neji lived in a beautiful home adjacent to the clan head's estate, a perk of his family's relation to the main branch. The divide between main family and branch family was sharp, but his proximity to the heart of the clan grounds spoke of his family's prominence amongst the branch members. I had a long way to go to get to my house near the edge of the clan grounds. A slow, peaceful river bisected the land allotted to the Hyuuga, passing through the clan head's estate and continuing almost directly to my own house near the edge of our clan's lands. I began to follow it home.
The entire realm of the Hyuuga was meticulously manicured, and the walk home from Neji's house was idyllic. I watched the koi swim in circles in the gentle current, weaving in and out of view under the lily pads. Cattails spotted the banks of the river, swaying softly in the breeze. I took a deep breath, enjoying the beautiful landscape that resulted from the harmonious intersection of man and nature. Until, that is, the balance was interrupted by less harmonious humans.
"Look, it's Hanako's bastard," came a soft voice from the other side of the river. My hands clenched as I looked up and saw a father and mother walking with their young son. I didn't recognize any of them, though the boy looked to be only a few years older than me. "Stay away from that boy, okay, Takahiro?"
I bit my lip, but didn't respond beyond that. I tried to shake it off. I still had my adult mind. I should be able to brush off the insulting words, to be self-assured. But I couldn't. It hurt, to be seen and despised for something I had no power over. I wasn't sure if they intended for me to hear the comment or not. The Hyuuga were supposed to have more tact than that, even if the sentiment itself was widely considered justified. I lowered my head, and picked up my pace.
Most of the clan looked at me like I was dirty, something to be covered up and tucked away, safely hidden out of sight. It made me want to yell, to declare that I wasn't who they thought, that I was a normal kid born to wedded parents, only here by some fluke of nature. But I couldn't. To whom could say such a thing? My mother? She would think I'd lost my mind. And that would be the kindest response I got from anyone in my clan.
While most of the clan held barely concealed revulsion at the sight of me, Hizashi-san was one of the few exceptions, for which I was grateful. I wondered how much heat he got from the rest of the clan for doing so. In gratitude, I made sure to do whatever I could for Neji. If he wanted to play Hide-and-Seek and pretend like he wasn't using his recently activated Byakugan to find me, then so be it. I'd hide in the cupboard for him to find in record time.
I arrived home and slid open the front door. "Mother, I'm home," I announced while removing my shoes. A sweet aroma wafted through the entryway.
"Tedashi! How was playing with Neji?" my mom said cheerfully said from the kitchen.
"We played Hide-and-Seek. Neji won," I said simply.
I heard a snort from my mother as I entered the kitchen. "Well, someday you'll be able to find him just as fast, I'm sure."
My mother was an unusual woman among the Hyuuga. She certainly looked the part, with fair skin, dark brown hair that fell to the small of her back, and the distinctive pale lavender eyes. However, she had an enthusiasm and passion for life that just didn't fit in with the reserved attitude characteristic of our clan. Sometimes, it manifested into borderline rebellion. One time, it manifested into me.
She looked at me as I passed through the kitchen. I used to try to think of her as not my mother, because of the pain our family situation brought me. But it was impossible. She was one who cared for me, who kept me alive through infancy when I was completely dependent on her. But it was more than that. She loved me, like only a mother could. And on days like today, her motherly instinct kicked in, and somehow, she knew something was wrong despite my best efforts to appear completely casual.
"Tedashi, are you ok, honey? What happened?" she asked, abandoning the stove to give me her full attention. Of all the Hyuuga I'd seen, she was the only one who I'd seen could show compassion in her eyes. She did so now, and it broke my attempt at a stoic exterior. Emotion was considered weakness in our clan, especially amongst the males.
"Some people called me names on my way home again." I tried to keep my voice steady, but it creaked a bit anyway.
A torrent of emotions crossed my mother's face. Sadness, anger, and regret maybe?
"Come here, honey," she said softly, kneeling and drawing me into a hug. "They don't know anything. I… they don't know anything." Her voice broke a bit as she comforted me.
She held for me a for a minute longer, then took a deep breath and stood up. "Our clan is wrong about many things," she said, attending to the stove again. "And they are wrong about you." There was grit her voice. "They'll see someday. I promise you; they'll see."
I nodded, but didn't speak, deciding to wait at the table in silence.
"I'll talk to Hiashi sama about it tomorrow," my mother said, moving our meal from the various pans to two plates. "He will do something about it. But for now, just forget about them. We're having teriyaki chicken with rice and asparagus today, your favorite! You have a big day tomorrow, after all," she said, wearing the same strained smile that Hizashi had shown me earlier.
I nodded. No one had told me exactly what the 'big day' was yet, but it wasn't that hard to figure out. Tomorrow, I would be branded with the Cage Bird Seal, the fate of all branch family members. It's the reason most Hyuuga children walk around with bandages, bandanas, or other head wrappings, including Neji. Despite my knowledge of what was to come, I was resigned to my fate, so to speak. I could deal with some physical pain, and even though it was an awful practice, it was normal. I would be branded, but it would be the same brand as all the other branch family Hyuuga. In a perverse way, I wondered if it would lead to greater acceptance amongst my clan members, to see that I bore the same mark and burden as they did. I desperately wanted them to stop seeing me as other. Different. Outsider. Being branded was a price I was willing to pay for such a shift in perspective.
-o X o-
The next day, my mother accompanied me to the main branch compound, where a few Hyuuga clansmen standing guard at the door admitted us into the entry hall. At the end of the hall was a large, circular meeting room with a single wooden table in the center. The room was elegantly decorated, and the table itself was carved with intricate designs. Hiashi Hyuuga sat waiting for us, while an older Hyuuga man in medical attire stood behind him.
"Welcome, Hanako san, Tedashi kun," Hiashi greeted us while standing from the table. We bowed in return. "Today, we will be administering the Caged Bird Seal to Tedashi kun. Tomo san," he gestured to the medic behind him, "will be assisting with the process. Are you ready to begin?"
My mother nodded, and taking my cue from her, I nodded as well.
"Very well. Tomo san, please take Tedashi to the prepared room. Hanako san, please enjoy a cup of tea with me as we wait. It ought not take too long."
"Thank you Hiashi sama. I appreciate having a moment of your time. In fact, there's something I wanted to discuss with you…"
I followed Tomo as another branch member bustled out of a side room carrying a tray of fresh tea. I took one last glance at my mother before Tomo closed a door behind us. "Come now, don't waste my time," he whispered gruffly now that we were beyond earshot. He seized my shoulder and started maneuvering me down a long hall.
"Do you know what the Cage Bird Seal is, boy?" he asked, to which I shook my head in the negative. No one had explained it to me in this life, at least. "Well. It's a seal that I will apply directly to your forehead. For most branch members, it ensures that if they are defeated in battle, their eyes and brain get liquidized to prevent enemy nations from stealing our doujutsu. But for brats like you, it also serves as an insurance policy. If you misbehave, or disrespect your betters, then Hiashi-sama will make you hurt. Do you understand, boy?"
I bit my lip and nodded.
"Good. And if you ever think about defecting, if a traitorous thought even slips through that little head of yours, then-" he made a sharp snap with his fingers, "you're gone. Your eyes turn to jelly and your brain to mush. Keep that in mind, boy. There are some who think it would be better to end you now, just to be safe. But the seal will keep you loyal enough, like an Inuzuka mutt on a leash."
I swallowed nervously, and nodded again. The seal didn't really work like that, right? That's not what I remember. And I was no expert in seals, but that sounded impossible, to trigger a seal with just a thought. Even so, the intimidating effect was not lost on me. "Tomo san, is-"
"Did I ask you a question, boy?" he asked sharply, giving my shoulder a firmer squeeze. I gasped and shook my head in the negative. "Then do not speak. Here we are."
The sealing chamber was a bare room with a stone floor and concrete walls. A table stood in the corner with some rolled up parchments and ink. A single scroll was extended on the floor, square shaped and about two feet in length, covered with an intricate circular sealing array that I couldn't even begin to understand.
"Strip off your clothes and lay down on the floor. Put your head in that circle on the scroll," ordered Tomo, pointing. I quickly obeyed. I felt the cold stone floor stick to my bare skin. "Now stay still. You are about to feel a little, heh, pressure."
I swallowed nervously. I knew this day would come; it was inevitable. I thought I knew what was coming, and as such, I had not felt much fear until this day. It was supposed to just be a seal. I had never considered what the process could entail. I had hazily envisioned that Hiashi would touch my forehead, or maybe stick a tag on me. I would feel some discomfort, and it would all be over. Now I knew better. Lying in the small, dark room, naked and vulnerable, with a doctor as cold as the floor beneath my skin as my only company… my body trembled. I tried to convince myself that it was just due to the cold.
Tomo finished whatever he was preparing at the table and turned to look at me. A nasty sneer shadowed his face, as if I was some repulsive filth that he had come across unexpectedly. His right hand glowed green with chakra, the middle of his palm shining with extra intensity.
"From this day forward, every time you look in the mirror, I want you to remember your place, boy," he muttered coldly. "Secret Arts: Caged Bird Seal Jutsu!"
With that shout, he dropped to a knee and slammed his palm against my forehead. The seal sent chakra hooks into my brain and eyes, and I wished Tomo had struck me with enough force to knock me out, as the worst pain I had known in two lifetimes swept through my head. I screamed. Tomo didn't flinch. I knew no more.
-o X o-
When I awoke, I was at home, in my own bed. I felt a dull prickly sensation in my head, but nothing like the excruciating pain of the initial sealing. I was thirsty.
"Mother?" I croaked, throat dry. I looked over and saw a glass of water on my nightstand, already prepared for me. I sat up slowly and drank. Movement was painful.
"Mother?" I called again, a bit stronger and more clearly. Still no answer. I wished she was here. I set the empty water glass back on the nightstand and closed my eyes again.
I don't know how long I slept, but when I awoke again, my mother was sitting at my bedside. She looked at me as I stirred awake.
"Tedashi, how are you feeling?" she asked softly.
"Better," I said simply. "I didn't… that was painful."
"I know," she replied, in the same soft voice. We sat in silence for a moment.
"Can I see a mirror?" I asked. She seemed to have expected this question, and drew a hand mirror for me out of a bag she had at her feet.
I studied my own reflection. My pale eyes were unmistakably Hyuuga, though they had a unique light green tint to them rather than the traditional lavender shade. My brown hair hung long and loose down my back in the popular style of my clan. In that respect, I looked much like my mother. But my skin was tanned, several shades darker than the characteristic pale skin of the Hyuuga. It was not so dark as to be out of place in Konoha in general, but it visibly differentiated me from most of my clan in particular. I focused on the newly applied seal. On the bright side, the light-green markings across my forehead weren't quite as prominent against my skin tone as it would be on a fairer skinned Hyuuga.
My mother let me examine the markings for a minute before she spoke up again. "Tedashi… I know you a smart boy. Smarter than you ought to be for your age. I'm going to explain some things to you, about who you are and why… why some people don't like you."
I nodded silently, keeping my eyes on my own reflection.
"When I was on a mission before you were born, I met a ninja from Kumo. I didn't know that at the time, he just seemed like a nice guy, and we… I was careless, and… well, he's your father. He asked me to come back to Kumo with him, but I refused and returned to the village. Word of what happened got out. We had just finished fighting a war against them, and hostilities are still widespread. What I did was considered a shameful act, especially among the Hyuuga clan. After all that happened in the war… Becoming pregnant while unmarried is shameful enough, but the fact that I was involved with a Kumo ninja... that made the whole ordeal especially foul in the eyes of the clan. That disgust has wrongfully been passed on to you."
I nodded. The green pupil-less eyes in the mirror narrowed slightly.
"So, if you are reviled, I just want you to know, it's not your fault. They are stupid to put that on you, to take out their lingering resentment from the last war on one of our own children. But some are foolish. Many are foolish, actually. You are a child of Konoha, and more than that, a Hyuuga. Someday, they will see that too."
I took a breath. "I see. I can take it," I said calmly. It struck me how mature a conversation this was for a three-year-old, but I guess ninja kids were expected to grow up a bit faster. "Besides, Hizashi san and Neji nii are still nice to me."
"Ah," she sighed, looking away. "Tedashi, that's another thing. Hizashi san is dead."
My eyes widened in shock and I dropped the mirror. "What? When?" I gasped... "How?" I added a half beat late.
"Earlier this week, some men from Kumo came to sign a peace treaty with Konoha. But it was all a ruse, and they attempted to kidnap Hinata sama in the night. Hiashi sama killed the kidnapper, and Kumo demanded his life in exchange. They wanted his Byakugan, and threatened another war if we didn't comply. But Hizashi san chose to die instead, because he has the seal that destroys the Byakugan upon death. So Kumo did not get what they wanted, but our clan is enraged all the more at them."
"I… how long was asleep?" I asked, mentally reeling from this new revelation. Other than my mother, Hizashi and Neji were the only two people who were overtly friendly towards me. Overtly for Hyuuga, at least.
Mother's eyes seemed to darken. "It has been six days since the seal was applied. I think Tomo-san may have been a little rough with the application."
I took a deep breath, and tears threatened the corners of my eyes. This was an event that I doubted I could change, but it still came as a surprise. I barely even saw Hinata sama, let alone interacted with her, so there was little direct action I could take. Even so, I expected to at least hear about the Kumo delegation coming to town. I could've walked around that night, tried calling for help, maybe get someone other than Hiashi to come rescue the Hyuuga clan heir. Maybe I could have saved Hizashi's life. But now it's too late.
"How is Neji nii?" I asked weakly.
"I think…" my mother began hesitantly, "I think that Neji san is… confused. Sad, and confused." I looked up at her questioningly. Regret and pain strained her voice, and it hurt me to listen. "He is in a lot of pain, and he doesn't really understand what happened. But some people have been whispering that we were connected with the plot. It's ridiculous, and I'm sure that Neji san will see the truth and get over it soon enough, once Hiashi sama talks to him. But you should give him some space for now."
"I see," I said with a deep breath, closing my eyes again, heart aching.
Neji did not get over it.