Naruto Primer Lost Chapter: The Hyuugas

The Letter

Since Neji doesn't have a REAL family, we're just going to clump all the Hyuugas together as one giant odor. Meaning…Neji, Hiashi, Hinata and Hanabi!! HURRAY!!

One day, Hiashi was doing some cleaning of the attic. Then he stumbled across a letter that was apparently addressed to him… from Hizashi!!

He opened it up. Dear Hiashi, if you are reading this then I am probably dead. I know you will take it upon yourself to make sure my son remains happy—

"Oops." Said Hiashi.

So I have made a list of things he enjoys.

"Um…" Hiashi said tentatively. He wished he had found this letter ages ago. So he decided he had best start now in the process of making his nephew happy so he went through the house to find Neji sitting there. Knitting.

Hiashi cleared his throat a few times but Neji decided to just situate himself so Hiashi was in his blind angle. Hiashi knew this of course so he walked over to where Neji was sitting. Neji looked up. "What?" Neji said. "Do you want something?"

"I was taking my daughters out to…"

He looked at the letter.

"The Ground Round." He said.

"Okay." Said Neji, not caring.

"I want you to accompany us there." Hiashi said, though it sounded more like a command than a request.

Neji raised an eyebrow but he couldn't argue with Hiashi. So, even though he was EVER so reluctant to do so, he put his knitting away in the drawer and stood up, following Hiashi into the other room where Hinata and Hanabi were playing with dolls.

"Hinata, Hanabi, we're going to the Ground Round." Said Hiashi.

"Really?" said Hinata, springing up. But then she saw Neji standing there and her face fell.

"And Neji's coming with us." Hiashi finished.

"Oh…I see…" Hinata said, clearing her throat slightly.

"Um…" was all Hanabi had to say.

"Come, we're leaving now." Said Hiashi.

They all went outside EXTREMELY awkwardly. It's doubtful that any of these people were on good terms with each other so they didn't really walk near one another at any point.

Hiashi looked at the letter again as they passed the local pony riding corral.

Finally, he stopped and turned around.

"How about…we stop and ride some ponies?" said Hiashi. "After all, it's not really lunch time yet…"

"I love ponies!" said Hanabi.

"Wow, I've never been pony riding before!" said Hinata.

Hiashi knew that Neji was just too proud to admit that he wanted to ride the ponies too. So he forced them all into the corral. "Neji, why don't you ride the pony first?" Hiashi suggested.

"I don't want to." Neji said. "That is a childish activity. I am not a child."

"Very well," said Hiashi, figuring he'd just use some reverse psychology. "Then you have to watch Hinata and Hanabi have fun."

"What else is new?" Neji said, sitting down on a bench.

"This is certainly awkward." Hinata said, mostly to herself. But then she was hoisted up onto a pony by one of the people that ran the corral and then Hanabi was placed up next to her. The man walked around the corral holding onto the pony as Hiashi walked with them.

"Dad, why are we randomly going out to eat and riding ponies?" Hanabi asked.

"Do I need a reason to take my children out for the day?" Hiashi retorted.

"But why is Neji here?" Hanabi whispered.

"He's your cousin and my responsibility." Hiashi answered. Hanabi shrugged and went back to riding the pony. While both his daughter's backs were turned, Hiashi whipped out the letter again.

"A balloon…" he said.

"What was that, Dad?" Hinata asked.

"Nothing." Hiashi said as he put the letter back in his pocket.

When the pony ride was finally over, they went back over to where Neji was still sitting patiently. Though you KNOW it wasn't patient because inside of him all sorts of ill feelings towards his relatives were just festering.

"We're going to stop by the party shop on the way to the Ground Round." Hiashi said.

"Why?" asked Hanabi.

"I think we should all have a balloon." Hiashi replied.

"I like balloons." Said Hinata.

"Me too!" said Hanabi.

"Neji, do you like balloons?" Hiashi asked after a moment's pause in Neji's direction.

Neji crossed his arms. "Honestly, I hate balloons." He said.

Hiashi sighed. How could a boy have possibly changed that much in only nine year's time? But nonetheless, he knew that Neji actually DID want a balloon even though he tried to pretend as though he didn't. So they went to the party shop and Hiashi bought a balloon for Hinata, Hanabi and Neji each.

"Thanks dad!" said Hinata as she helped Hanabi tie the balloon string around her wrist. She also tied the string to HER balloon around her own wrist.

Hiashi was still holding Neji's balloon. "Take the balloon." Hiashi said.

"I don't want to have to carry a balloon around, especially if we're going into a restaurant." Neji said.

"Take the balloon before I am forced to do something drastic." Hiashi warned, getting that LOOK.

Neji didn't even want to know what this drastic thing would be so he took the balloon while glaring angrily at his evil uncle. Hiashi chose to ignore and took the three sunspots to the Ground Round.

Hinata felt it was a little strange that her father was being so nice. She thought it was even stranger that Neji was being forced to come along with them. In a way, she was a little sad that he had to come because this was one of the first times he father had done something like this and Neji had to be there to ruin the atmosphere. She hated herself for thinking that but she couldn't help it! It made her feel a little sad.

Hanabi was clueless. She liked food and was eating.

"All right, now we will get dessert." Hiashi said after everyone had finished eating. "Baseball caps filled with ice cream for all. Including you, Neji. And you WILL like it."

"I don't want any ice cream." Said Neji as he pushed away his food that he hadn't touched. He decided not to eat it just because his evil uncle had given it to him and refused to accept the 'charity'.

"I want a baseball cap filled with ice cream." Said Hanabi.

"You may have one." Said Hiashi. "And you will as well, Hinata. And Neji, so will you."

"Go ahead and order one but I'm NOT eating it." Neji said with a scoff.

Hiashi had half a mind to just end Neji's life right then and there for being so insolent, but his mission was to fulfill his dead brother's last request to keep his son happy…so he couldn't very well KILL him.

"Very well." Said Hiashi as he ordered only TWO baseball caps filled with ice cream. As his daughters ate and his nephew scoffed, Hiashi secretly looked at the letter and decided to finish reading it.

Of course, this letter is out of date to when Neji was only four. As he grows older, naturally his likes and dislikes will change. You may adjust your means of keeping him happy according to his needs and wants.

Hiashi frowned and wished he had read that part before he had gone and made himself look foolish.