Title: Hinata is stubborn
Fandom: Naruto
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: none
Warnings: none
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Hyuuga Hinata is stubborn. Neji is surprised to discover this.
His cousin is an unassuming girl, too quiet, too shy and too nervous to stand in any spotlight, no matter how small. She ducks out of the centre of attention like a small skittish animal jumps to avoid fire when she can and she freezes the rest of the time. He had thought her weak.
He had never noticed the strength of character that flows through her like water in a calm river. Deep, seemingly immobile, so unobtrusive you forget its presence. But there. And there to stay.
Neji's watched Hinata after the Chuunin exams, where he almost killed her and she got up again and again.
He tried hating her, like he hates the rest of the Hyuuga Main house. But it's not easy to hate someone who stammers, blushes, smiles shyly and would apologize for existing if she got it in her head it'd have a chance of making him feel better.
He tried despising her for her behaviour unbecoming a Hyuuga. She's the heiress of the strongest clan in Konoha but she's not even capable of looking people in the eye and that's unacceptable. But he's seen her strength.
Hinata doesn't give up.
Neji is watching and this time, he sees.
Hinata doesn't give up and doesn't give in as much as she lets something run its course. She lets go. For a time.
She blushes and stammers and takes too long to speak up her mind and Hyuuga Hiashi is not a patient man. He will dismiss her, never realising his daughter hasn't refused but hasn't agreed either.
For her, the subject is not closed but her father doesn't pay attention. So Hinata bides her time, trains and her strength grows.
Now and again, Neji surprises himself by thinking she's choosing her fights. Before their match, she never really fought for her own sake. And he thinks, she rarely will again, now that she is sure of her own strength. Hinata's selfless that way. But for someone else's sake, a day will come she'll make a stand and she won't give up.
Rules and tradition have been the rock of the Hyuuga for generations. But Hinata's strength is like water and water erodes rock.
That's why Neji watches her. That's why he's decided to help her train. Neji doesn't believe so much in Fate anymore and he's started to trust in dreams.
Hinata saw him watching the birds fly by one day and she told him she wanted them free.
End.