Hello beloved readers! Thank you for your reviews to which I will answer right now!

Koen D: Hiashi loves Hinata very much, but that sadly won't make him a perfect father or man. I mean, you can love your children, want peace and still use terrible means to obtain something. Regarding Hinata's childhood, I wanted to title this chapter "So long childhood" but titles rarely fit on this website, sadly :( I hope you'll enjoy this chapter! As for Ryn, I can't tell you more, gotta keep some secrets ;)

busisibeko1: Hi! I won't tell you lire about Ryn, it's a secret ;) I wanted to take the time to settle my character before I dive into the plot. As for Hizashi's motives, you're more or less right. I hope you'll like this chapter!

Neiji loved the summer; the sun would shine through luxurious leaves, and he could enjoy its warmth on his skin. Nothing was better than playing in the courtyard with Hinata or listening to her harping and singing while he trained with ser Hakkio, the master-at-arms. But today was different from the usual summer days. Lady Cho's water had broken, and she was locked in her apartments with midwives and doctors to assist her during childbirth.

He would have preferred to wait outside instead of the corridor as to not hear the pained screams of his aunt, but he did not want to leave Hinata alone; Hiashi was walking up and down the corridor in silence, and Hinata was waiting, her back straight as a tower, for the end of the ordeal. He had no intention to leave her alone with no one to reassure her. Another pained scream echoed, and Hinata breathed deeply. She did her best to restrain her cries, but Neiji could see the small tears in the corners of her eyes. He put a hand on hers and she looked at him.

"It will be fine, he said. I'm sure it's normal. Lady Cho has many midwives with her, so everything will be fine. And she already had a baby, didn't she? Surely, she can have another."

Hinata nodded, and a smile appeared on her face as she squeezed his hand.

"You're right", she replied. "Mother is a great lady, a Hyūga and my birth was an easy one. Everything shall be fine. Perhaps the baby will be a mage if the Nine bless them!"

"A mage?" Hiashi suddenly repeated. "Why would you want your brother to be a mage?"

"Well, mages are blessed by the Nine themselves, they carry luck and are here to help mankind…" Hinata stuttered, squeezing Neiji's hand harder.

Neiji frowned. Why had his uncle reacted this way? Mages were rare beings, blessed by the Nine themselves, and have one for a child was both a blessing and a miracle!

"Hinata, the only humans blessed by the Nine are clans like ours. Magic runs through our veins. Mages are nothing but monsters who received their monstrous abilities from the One of Wrath to spread destruction and give him the power to corrupt men. Why do you think they're executed by the crown?"

Neiji flinched at his uncle's soft voice and felt his eyes widen because of the surprise. How could he say such a thing? Mages were not monsters! Anyway, the Hokage, the Daimyō's right hand, was a mage. So why hunt the other? It made no sense. Next to him, Hinata got up, her fists clenched.

"Father, you must be wrong! The mages were blessed by the Nine, otherwise, why would the eight others not stop the One of Wrath to create mages?" she replied vividly.

Hiashi frowned and towered them. Neiji felt his stomach clench as a chill ran down his spine. He instinctively got up and stood before Hinata.

"Hinata, you're my daughter and I love you, but don't speak to me like again or the consequences would be quite unpleasant. I'm sure you're just anxious, so I will forgive. Why don't you go outside with Neiji? Fresh air would surely help you."

She opened her mouth to reply something but Neiji intervened. How could his cousin not see her father's aura? How could she not see he was not exaggerating when he talked about unpleasant consequences?

"Of course, uncle, I will bring Hinata to the gardens. Fresh air will soothe her", he quickly replied.

Then, before Hinata could reply, he dragged her in the corridor and wind engulfed them as he brought her to his chambers as fast as he could. He quickly opened and closed the door before releasing his cousin's hand, whose widened eyes indicated her surprise. But annoyance quickly replaced surprise and she frowned.

"Why did you do this, Neiji? I have to explain to father that –"

"Couldn't you see he was mad?" he replied, cutting her off. He sighed, annoyed. Hinata was dreamy and she seemed to believe that her parents, whom she idealized, never got angry. "He was going to be angry at you, I took you here to protect you", he added.

"Father would never be mean with me…", she said, holding her skirts. "He's just worried for mother."

Neiji felt his anger disappearing as soon as it as appeared when his cousin sat on the bed, eyes on the ground. She was trying to convince herself, not him. He walked towards her and sat by her side before opening his arms. She immediately cuddled against him, like they always did when she was sad. When he was unhappy, he would lay down on her knees and she would sing for him but today, he had to look after her. Poor Hinata! She was already lady Cho, and her father had gotten angry and told horrible lies about mages. He caressed her hair and she put her arms around his waist, hugging him as if he were her doll.

"I'm sure uncle Hiashi didn't want to speak like that. But he was still angry, and I didn't want you to be sad."

He felt her nod against him and suddenly heard her sniffing. He froze for an instant before leaning down but Hinata turned her head so he would not see her face. Neiji frowned and grabbed his cousin's chin to force her to look at him. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and her lower lip was shaking.

Neiji felt his entire body tense and his stomach twist violently as if he was about to throw up. He hated Hinata's tears. She was supposed to smile, sing, dance and encourage him when he was training and when he would participate in tourneys. She was not supposed to cry. Il hugged her again, keeping her against him so she would not see his clenched teeth and his eyebrows frowning. He wanted to kick something, but he did not know what, and his legs swung nervously.

There was a sudden knock on the door, and he looked up before biting his cheeks. Should he open? Or pretend no one was here so they could be left alone? He felt Hinata strengthen up and saw her wipe her tears. No. He would not open. He wanted to be left alone with Hinata. Even though they were too old for that, they would nap, and everything would be better once they would wake up. The One of the Woods gave beautiful dreams to worthy children, and Neiji was sure they were both good. A nap would be the best remedy.

"Miss Hinata, Neiji, I know you're both here", someone said through the door and Neiji jumped in surprise. He had forgotten someone was here.

He frowned, looked at Hinata and, resigned, opened the door. Ser Ko was standing in front of the entrance, a sadden look on his face. Hinata's soft footsteps signalled her approach and she stopped behind him, without any doubt her hands crossed on her belly to stop them from shaking. It was always the case when she was stopping herself from crying.

"May I come in?", he asked.

Neiji nodded and stepped aside, studying the knight's body language. Would he defend Hiashi's words about mages? If that was the case, Neiji would kick him out and would have him punished. He was not the heir of Pearlforest, but he was still Hiashi's nephew. Soldiers and servants obeyed him. Surely, he could punish Ko. But would his uncle allow it? He bit his lip. Most likely not, now that he thought about it – why would he if Ko were to defend his lies?

"Sit down. I'm going to explain something to you", the knight said.

Neiji glanced at Hinata and their eyes met. He nodded and her cousin complied and sat on the edge of the bed. He joined and wanted to giver her his hand to hold but Hinata's fists were firmly clenched on her skirt. He sighed internally; she was trying to hold back her tears and to look brave and strong. Why? She did not have to; he was here to protect her.

"Mages are not the product of the One of Wrath, about that you're both right. Nevertheless, they represent a threat, but not the kind you think of."

Neiji frowned. What was Ko implying? What threat could the mages possibly represent?

"Do you know how clans like ours became high lords? By being the strongest", the knight continued. "We were the strongest of the region and we defeated the Inuzukas and the Yamanakas, who became our bannermen. It's the same thing with the other regions and the other kingdoms. Kingdoms were built by the law of the strongest, do you understand?"

Neiji nodded and swallowed hard. He did want to think that the Hyūgas, who loved nothing more than their forests, had one day been power-hungry enough to fight and conquer the other clans. But it was the only explanation that made sense, now that he thought about it. No clan would submit to another without a good reason. Next to him, Hinata nodded, and she seemed to have somehow calmed down a bit. She had always been passioned by history and legends, after all.

"Some mages, like the Kage, are extremely powerful. What would happen if someone as powerful as the Hokage decided to take over Yggalë? The lords, as kind as they may be, hate the idea of losing their power. Therefore, they eliminate the potential threats…"

Neiji felt as if a bucket of cold water had been dropped on his head. Lords like his uncle and surely his father killed innocents just to keep their lordship? It was awful! They were monstrous, criminals with no honour, and they deserved to be dragged by the One of Wrath to his domain!

"It's horrible!" Hinata exclaimed.

"I share your opinion, miss. But I want you to know that the lords Hiashi and Hizashi love you as much if not more than the clan. They'd never hurt you."

"What good does it make?", Neiji snarled. "The Mother Of All must be appalled, and the One of the Woods won't keep on blessing Yggalë if we kill people blessed by the Nine!"

"The Nine and the Mother Of All don't see time and life the way we do. We all go to the Gold Fields after our death and that's matter to them", Ko replied.

"But…", he stuttered.

"I'm not asking to abandon your beliefs. But you're both going to spend several years in Konoha, and it's very poorly looked upon to criticize the High Lords and the Daimyō. Promise me you'll be careful, please."

Neiji did not reply, his fists clenched. He may be only eleven years old, but he hated feeling powerless. His father was a murderer, and so was his uncle. Furious tears filled his eyes and he lowered his head, biting his lips. He would not let Ko see him like that. Only Hinata could witness his tears because only she could understand. Any other day, he would have welcomed his father's compassion, but it was not the case anymore. He would not allow this murderer to see him sad. He did not deserve it. His fists clenched harder. He hated him. Him, and Hiashi.

After some words of politeness, Ko left them, closing the door behind him. Hinata immediately took her against her as he had done earlier. He put his head on his cousin's laps who stroked his shoulder. He looked up at her and noticed she was seemingly looking at something he could not see.

"When I'll be Great Lay of Yggalë, you'll be my second in commands and we won't let mages be killed, alright?", she whispered.

He nodded, unable to talk. She smiled softly, having surely felt the movement of his head on her legs. She closed her eyes, breathed deeply, and her voice rose. Neiji closed his too. Nothing soothed him more than Hinata's voice. He felt a smile appear on his lips as he recognized the first words of the Hymn of the Nine, the song every child learnt by heart in honour of the Mother Of All's children.

The One of Wrath

In bad men's blood takes his bath.

The One of Embers

In every fire purrs.

The One of Seas

Knows the ocean's mysteries.

The One of Battles,

Watches over castles.

The One of Peace,

Makes unfair unjust war cease.

The One of Air

Carries the winds ev'rywhere.

The One of Woods

Hides under flowers-made hoods.

The One of Beasts

With mighty animals feasts.

The One of Power,

Can make ev'ry man cower.

Three years later.

Neiji forced his legs to keep going despite his body's cries for mercy; he had to finish this race, he was almost done. Pushing aside the flames consuming his lungs and his throat, he pushed his muscles harder and felt he was accelerating a bit more. And, finally, after what had seemed to be an eternity of pain, he reached the finish line. He stopped, skidding the way ser Hakkio had taught him, and he glanced at the old master-at-arms.

"Well done, young man. Get some water, and then we'll focus on swordsmanship", the old man said.

"Yes, ser Hakkio", Neiji replied, panting.

He fanned himself as he approached the barrel of freshwater waiting for him against a wall and plunged his head underwater before splashing his torso and drinking big gulps of water to extinguish the fire roaring in his muscles. Someone called out for him and Neiji turned around to see Hinata approaching him, clearly amused by his state. He had yet to get used to the numerous jewels announcing she was now older than twelve, and worse, to the soft tinkling following her. He too had jewels in his braid, but his were far from the thin gold chains and gems adorning Hinata's twin braids and the bracelets snaking around her arms.

"Hinata, what are you doing here?" he asked. "I thought you'd be at your lessons."

"I was, but mother summoned me; a messenger arrived from Konoha. We must all meet father in his office. Although I believe you might need to change beforehand", she added after a short pause, an amused smile on her face.

Neiji glanced at his clothes and nodded before following Hinata. He bided good day to the master-at-arms, who muttered something about resting far from children. Neiji smiled, amused; ser Hakkio could grumble as much as he wanted, everyone knew that deep down he loved the castle's children very much.

Hinata accompanied him to grab dry clothes and, while he was drying himself behind a screen, his cousin threw him some clothes. A white shirt, pearl grey pants and a doublet of the same colour. He quickly put them on, and they hastily left his chambers, fearing they might be disputed for being late. Neiji glanced at Hinata, a bit entertained by the situation; he knew she hated displeasing her mother in away way. He had learnt not to care; his aunt was far too loving to reproach him a few minutes of lateness, and he could not care less about his father and Hiashi's opinion even though, just like Hinata, he hid his repulsion.

"The last one owes the other a dessert", he said to defy his cousin and think of something else.

"Well-behaved ladies don't run in corridors", Hinata replied, hitting him lightly on the shoulder.

"Yet, they hit their defenceless cousin!", he falsely whined. "And you're not any other well-behaved lady. A Hyūga who doesn't run is far more shameful if you ask me!" he added, eyeing her.

She looked up at him, opened her mouth to reply, closed it, smiled and dashed away in the corridor like a gush of wind. Neiji shook her head and mimicked her. He loved the sensation feeling him as he ran; his field of vision was vastly reduced but he could feel the air dancing on his body, and he felt like the wind himself. Elusive, agile, fast. He slightly forced on his legs and easily bypassed his cousin's blurred silhouette. He stopped before his uncle's office and leaned against the wall, arms crossed on his torso, a slightly arrogant smile on his face as Hinata stopped before him less than a second later.

"Fortunately, my hair hasn't moved!", she sighed. "If had lost my hairstyle and my dessert, this day would have been a disaster!", she added. "And stop smiling, you're a squire, it's only natural that you'd be faster than me!"

"Let me enjoy my victory and my second dessert", he laughed.

She softly giggled before knocking on the door. A voice allowed them to come in and she immediately put on a dignified expression Neiji disliked compared to her natural smile. And yet, he enjoyed being the only one to whom she showed her true smile; it proved him that she loved him as much as he loved her, and that she trusted him.

Inside Hiashi's office, they found a white-haired stranger with a mask on the lower part of his face, who was wearing light armour and a sword at his hip. Neiji noticed that his father was late, but he was not surprised; the reunion would most likely start without him. Neiji bowed his head and Hinata offered a soft but impersonal smile which worked well with her body language. Welcoming but slightly on guard. Sometimes he wondered if he was not insane, analysing all of his cousin's expressions, but ser Ko had told him it was important to be able to read other people's face if one wished to become a capable fighter and that analysing Hinata's face, with whom he shared a strong bond, was a good training.

She offered this exact smile to her father since Hanabi's birth three years ago, hiding her cold wrath under the attitude of a well-behaved lady and perfect daughter. Hiashi seemed to have not noticed, for he still encouraged and indulged her, but it did not surprise Neiji. He had not spent enough time with his daughter to truly know her.

"Ser Kakashi, my eldest daughter, Hinata, and my nephew, Neiji", Hiashi said.

"My lady, young lord, I'm honoured to meet you."

"The honour is ours, ser", Hinata replied in a soft voice.

They sat side by side and Hanabi ran to her sister from their mother's laps and Hinata sat her on her own laps, keeping her against her and allowing her to play with her braids as the situation was being explained.

"Ser Kakashi comes from Konoha to share with us terrible news; the Daimyō is ill, and thus I must return to the capitol to take his place", Hiashi explained, but Neiji was not surprised. "Until I'm crowned, Hinata, Neiji, you will accompany me to Konoha and Yggalë will be under Cho's care. After my coronation, Hinata, you will return to Yggalë to take your place as Great Lady. Cho will join me with Hanabi, and we will stay in Konoha."

"Uncle, if I may… What of me?" Neiji asked, his stomach twisted unpleasantly. Would he be separated from Hinata?

"We'll see at the moment. Maybe you'll have a wife in Konoha of responsibilities in the kingdom."

He nodded, holding back a bitter reply. He did not care about the kingdom! He wanted to remain by Hinata's side, live in Yggalë and, should he get married, he would take his back to Yggalë. As the future right hand of the region's heir, he ought to live in Pearlforest. He looked at his cousin; her mask of worry for the Daimyō and decorum was perfect, and anyone unfamiliar with her true nature would never know she was faking. Hinata was not saddened by the Daimyō's health; she bore no ill for she bore no ill to anyone, but she did not feel anything for the Daimyō.

Some other uninteresting – at best – information was shared, his father's arrival briefly interrupting the discussion, before they were finally allowed to leave. He immediately followed Hinata, who took his arm for a stroll in the gardens, Hanabi on his shoulders. His cousin was the only person who understood him, and he was the only one understanding her. Yggalë would prosper for decades under their reign.