Upload Date: 09/12/2022
Author's Note: After over a decade of not uploading anything new to this website I've finally hit a point in my life where I can start (and hopefully finish) a story! This story is AU in nature and so I've taken liberties with parts of canon that I like (and do not like). Historical setting. Mostly canon pairings.
Obligatory statement that these characters are not and will not be mine.
Chapter 1 – A Leap of Faith
The soft sunset dimmed the light in the hallway and the long shadows roamed across the aging wooden floor.
Muffled noises were coming from the door as Hinata stood anxiously, twisting her fingers against one another as she patiently waited outside of Lady Fifth's office. Truly there wasn't a more irritating endeavor, especially to one as anxious as she.
The door suddenly swung open, causing her to quietly jump in surprise as her father and Neji walked out, their faces equally stern.
"Father?"
He let out a painstakingly long sigh as he peered down at her warily. "I'm not aware what you said to convince her, but Lady Fifth is all but elated at sending you with Neji for the family trade assignment. As much as it pains me, I will allow you to accompany your cousin on this trip."
Hinata threw herself into her father's arms in an uncharacteristic show of emotion as her eyes filled with tears.
"Oh thank you so much-"
Hiashi gently pried his daughter off of his chest as he narrowed his eyes. "No, Hinata. This isn't a vacation. You must listen to everything Neji says and if this mission does not go well and does not end in a favorable outcome for our village, I will not have you leaving the village at your fancy again. Is that understood?"
She struggled to hold his gaze as she nodded, the budding excitement that was exploding within her hard to contain. "Yes father."
Hiashi turned to Neji, who had been blissfully silent for the entire exchange. "You will ensure her safety at all times. It's your duty as future branch leader to protect our heir."
"Of course. Lady Hinata will not leave my sight for the duration of our trip." Neji's response sounded rehearsed, but Hinata knew that the feeling behind them was true. If possible, Neji was even more overprotective of her than her father at times. She had complete utter faith in her cousin.
Hiashi sighed again, clearly defeated and disgruntled at how his daughter and Hokage had schemed against him to permit her leaving the village. He pinched the bridge of his nose, struggling to hide the warmth that Hinata's embrace had given him.
It did please him to see her so excited over something again. Perhaps it he was home more often, maybe she would've grown up normally instead of being so uncertain over everything. Her confidence had certainly taken a blow from his harsh words in the past.
Ignoring his own sentiments, he began to tread back home. "Well come along, both of you. We have much to discuss and Hinata, you must pack and be ready to depart with Neji tomorrow. Do not think you will travel in comfort either, so do not plan on taking your heavy dresses and whatnot…"
Tuning out most of her father's grumbling Hinata gripped Neji's hand and squeezed it in appreciation as she gave him a soft smile.
That evening Hinata, with the help of her handmaid, placed simple traveling distresses in her luggage while she packed just two more elegant dresses in a separate suitcase.
"Milady, are you sure you will be able to handle yourself?"
"These gowns are relatively simple to dress," Hinata answered, nodding her head to herself, but then paused looking at the elegant ones that were slightly more complex to put on.
Hirumi gave Hinata a knowing glance and giggled. "Well milady I sure hope so. I'm deathly afraid of the ocean."
Hinata laughed as she unpacked one of the elegant gowns in her luggage, exchanging it for a much simpler one.
Dinner that night was eventful. Much of the conversation around her were warnings from her father and elders, reminding her to stick close to her cousin Neji, to not get too close to any of the Mist townspeople (due to prejudices from the previous war), and to avoid Lord Mizukage if at all possible.
The warnings were some that she often heard the elders repeat previously to Neji. Hinata knew this already and so the warm dinner settled nicely in her belly as she nodded and smiled appropriately at her family's well-meaning advice while her mind wandered elsewhere, beyond the thick walls of the estate.
Neji took great care of letting her rest in the carriage, aiming to sit beside her to allow her a few more hours of comfort as they began the long trek outside of the Leaf Village.
But Lady Hinata was in no condition to rest as it was her first time outside the village in many years and despite Neji's warm intentions, sleep did not come to her.
It took several days to reach the port of the Land of Fire and they arrived just before sunrise six days after initially departing.
She had cautiously boarded the ship, already becoming accustomed to the slight swaying and she had ignored her cousins and Neji as she walked towards the front.
At long last there it was.
Hinata had remained attached herself to the railing of the ship the instant she'd hopped on and even now as the burning heat clawed down at her back, making beads of sweat roll down her face she didn't stop.
The birds flew against the bright sun, flapping their wings entirely too close to the sails of the ship as the captain steered it eastward. The weather had been good for their first day at sea so far and despite the severely hot weather caused by the late July summer, they were having an easy time navigating towards the Hidden Mist.
The temperatures were of no importance however, for there were a million things more captivating at the moment to the tame Hyuuga heiress than simply sweating her heart out.
The sea was probably the most beautiful thing she'd ever laid eyes on.
Being born to one of the wealthiest and admittedly standoffish noble families of Konoha had put her in quite a bind. She was forced to assume the role as dutiful heir to her family and retain knowledge and conversations with wealthy merchants who came to do business. Due to her father's influence, even those were few and far in between as he handled the majority of negotiations that her clan was responsible for conducting. That left her with entirely too much time to daydream and think of paradise beyond just the trees in her village.
And on her first day at sea, despite being famished from the long trip, she hadn't been able to step foot inside the ship as she'd been too preoccupied with focusing all of her sights on the eternally blue waters of the ocean.
Of course, she really wasn't supposed to be so close to the rail and it wasn't ladylike to put her feet up on the rails either, but she couldn't help it. The saltwater that splashed against the hull permeated her skin, the air filled her nostrils, and she let out a giggle as she looked down to see the waves crashing with each movement of the ship.
No, Hinata had never gotten the chance to see the sea and she was going to enjoy every minute of it on this trip. This was after all a leap of faith on her part and a show of trust that Lady Fifth had given her.
Drifting in the sky above, the flocks of birds, squawked loudly as she saw them headed towards the distant shoreline that she could hardly make out, even with her good eyes.
Recent turmoil and developments had caused her protective father to become even more busy at handling affairs. When Lady Fifth had suggested that the Hyuuga family collaborate in a treaty of luxury sea goods with the Hidden Mist, Hinata had been overjoyed and jumped at the chance to become involved, even if it was just in a supporting role.
Upon Lady Fifth's insistence, Hiashi was left with no choice, but to allow Lady Fifth to send Neji and Hinata towards this diplomatic endeavor.
And now here she was, far from the village and looking forward to visiting and savoring every new smell and memory for the next couple of days while negotiations took place.
"Lady Hinata!" Neji's loud voice caused her to turn to him as she heard his voice over the equally loud waves. He held one hand on his white hat as his long hair tussled against his face as he walked over to her.
It had been days since their voyage had begun, and while Hinata had tried her best to rest, she found herself awakening too early and sleeping far too late.
"You mustn't get so close to the rails." he scolded her as he gently grasped her hands and pulled her down into the floor again.
"But it's so beautiful, brother," she sighed, her voice barely above the rough wind, "I've never seen anything so blue."
An innocent lie of course, but she couldn't very well let her cousin know her inner thoughts.
She saw a half-smirk cross his lips before he shook his head and took her gloved hand. "We should begin conversations on how to handle negotiations for Konoha. We wouldn't want those Mist folk to think we can be swindled now, can we?"
"Brother, you're entirely too distrustful." She admonished gently, but humored his actions by heading into the captain's cabin where several other important members from Konoha were leaning over one another, peering at a piece of parchment that seemed to have all entranced.
"Do you think we should turn back? Reports like this can't be dismissed this easily."
"Certainly not, the ninja assigned from the entire western territory are upon this already. There should be no issues at least for the time being." The captain, assured, blowing out a large smoke ring as the others glanced at him warily.
Meanwhile Hinata looked at Neji, who cleared his throat, causing all to turn to look at them.
"What seems to be the problem here?"
"Sir Neji, Lady Hinata," Hoheto spoke up, his pale eyes showing an undertone of worry as he hastily handed the parchment to Neji, unfurling it for his kinsman. "I'm afraid we'll likely have to turn back."
"Turn back?" Hinata asked, her voice unusually loud as the rest of the men glanced in concern at each other.
"Lady Hinata, there's been a string of robberies by pirates near Kumo and Kiri authorities are advising us against traveling by sea at least along the western ports."
"Our business is in the capital of Kiri, which happens to be near the eastern ports." Hinata reiterated, the tightness in her chest causing her to grip her shawl with more force than necessary.
Neji sighed loudly as he gave the parchment back to Hoheto. "This causes quite a dilemma. Captain?"
"Yes, sir?"
"How quickly can you get us to Kiri?"
"With favorable weather, I don't think it should take longer than about five more days."
At this Neji turned to Hinata who wordlessly left the cabin as she stepped back outside to look at the bright ocean.
Neji stepped out moments later and rested his arm around her thin shoulders. "You know as well as I do that many things can change in five days. Uncle would never forgive me if something were to happen to you."
"Brother, you're assuming the worst. You heard the captain, the Kiri ninja are already on the hunt for pirates. I'm certain they'll find them and bring them to justice soon enough. Our trip should be unremarkable by those standards since we're headed to the eastern ports."
He squeezed her shoulder. "It sounds ludicrous Hinata, you must understand."
She glanced up at him as she felt tears brimming in her eyes. "Neji, please. I'm not suggesting us to be reckless, we'll take all the proper precautions and ensure our safety, but there shouldn't be cause for us to cancel this trip. Plus, you'll be here to protect me, will you not?"
At this Neji let out a soft chuckle as he squeezed her shoulder. "Of course, Hinata, but you must understand. Not all places in the world are as safe as our dear Konoha. I expect you to listen and obey all my instructions, agreed?"
"Of course!"
"We'll dock in the eastern ports near the capital, conclude our business as quickly as possible and return to Konoha at the earliest time. Nothing else, is that understood?"
"Yes, brother." Hinata smiled, nodding her head as she gave her cousin an appreciative embrace. "I cannot thank you enough."
He gave her a small pat on her back as he released her and adjusted his hat. "I'll head back inside and let the captain know. You mustn't lean so far over the railing. I would not appreciate the swim."
And Hinata laughed as he walked off with a small smile on his face.
The rest of the trip was surprisingly uneventful and their first order of business, after docking, was to begin dealing with the person in charge of the negotiations.
And so Hinata and Neji arrived at the Mizukage's palace where they were ushered into an office that had long, jungle like vines dangling from the windows. A thick fog was present outside and Hinata found herself beginning to sweat, despise the soft chill from the air.
The first lady of Kiri was stunningly beautiful. Her elegant, long red hair frayed ever so gently over her piercing green eyes as she flapped the thin paper fan between her fingers, eyeing Neji and Hinata curiously as she walked in.
While Kiri and Konoha were on a peace treaty, ratified merely ten years ago, she was clearly wary of having Hyuugas in her presence.
And of course, why wouldn't she be? The Mizukage was Lord Ao, famous in the war for leading his country to victory with the use of a stolen Hyuuga eye.
Over twenty years had passed since the war and still, she was surprised that a pair of Hyuuga children were willingly in her presence, and thus her distrust rose to the surface.
"You're interested in our luxury goods, are ya? Well, what does the noble Hyuuga family have to offer on Konoha's behalf?"
'We produce the world's finest silks and we have a handsome supply of medicine that our own Lady Fifth has produced. In exchange we'd like a supply of your precious jewels, pearls especially, and minerals for weapon-making." Neji explained.
"Silks and medicine in exchange for jewels and minerals hardly seem like an efficient trade." She started slowly, peering over the samples that the Hyuugas had brought.
"I assure you, milady, the medicines that Lady Fifth creates are renowned and well appropriate for storage even in Kiri's humid climate. The silks from my family are embroidered with extra care as I'm sure you've heard of our sight abilities that allow us to thread even the smallest pieces of material." Neji reiterated.
"Of course, but you must know that nobody produces jewelry like Kiri and such a trade must be handled delicately."
"We're prepared to leave you a very large supply of medicine in exchange for two crates of jewelry, courtesy of Lady Fifth. She understands that your land is in need of more favorable medical outcomes and she's confident that these will serve you well." Hinata spoke up, going over her words slowly as to not stumble in Lady Mei's powerful presence.
Lady Mei glanced curiously at Hinata and flapped her fan shut as she narrowed her eyes. "Is this because of the Haruno girl leaving?"
Hinata blinked. "Haruno…y-you mean Miss Sakura Haruno is here?"
Lady Mei pursed her lips as she stared at the two Hyuugas, her face impassive. "She's been here for a while. I assumed the additional medical supplies were because of her impending departure."
"We had no idea." Neji spoke slowly, carefully choosing his words. "Lady Fifth sent these supplies as symbol of her goodwill. It was her understanding that Miss Haruno wasn't going to come back to Konoha anytime soon. To be quite honest, we had no idea of Miss Haruno's whereabouts."
At this response Lady Mei seemed satisfied and a small smirk covered her face as she beamed. "Ah, well if Lady Fifth has sent supplies of goodwill, who am I to reject such a trade? Chojuro!"
At this a young man, about Hinata's age peered into the office and bowed. "Y-yes, milady?"
"Go ahead and organize two crates of our finest jewelry. I want a nice variety within them and organize one crate of sea minerals. Get Haku and Zabuza to assist with the transportation of the crates."
"Right away, milady."
Hinata and Neji bowed. "Thank you for your agreement, milady."
"Ah, well. Those silks you brought are my weakness after all," she mused, winking at Hinata and Neji. "Your eyes truly give birth to the best fabrics I've ever seen. I'm too greedy to let that fabric go to waste."
"We appreciate your remarks, Lady Mei. When do you anticipate that the supplies will be ready?"
"Should be ready by nightfall at the latest, lad. I've got my best men working on that. After that we'll both inspect the merchandise and perhaps, you'll even get a chance to sightsee before you get going." Lady Mei responded. "The Hidden Mist has wonderful shops that you can delight in for a bit."
"Very well. We thank you again for your business." Neji spoke, placing his hat on his head as he prepared to leave.
Hinata hesitated for an instant, "Lady Mei?"
"Yes, Lady Hinata?"
"Would you be so kind as to let us know where Miss Sakura is staying? We have not had the privilege of seeing her in a very long time and we would love to see her before she departs."
"Ah of course. Pardon me, I should've been clearer. Today is actually her last day at the Eastern Port clinic. She should still be working. I'll have a guard escort you both there."
In another distant part of the ocean a man stared into the distance, his hair fluttering in the wind, as the loud noises of his shipmates barely stood out against the waves.
"Captain."
The close voice of his crew member broke him apart from his daydreaming. "What is it?"
"It seems a ship is due to depart from Kiri with quite a large cargo of goods."
A smirk crossed his handsome face, blue eyes glinting in the sunset.
"That's good to hear."
