Chapter Rating: PG-13 for language
Pairings: Neji x Hina / mentioned: Shika x Temari / Lee x Saku / Cho x Ino
AN: Glossary of most japanese words at the bottom.
My Reviewers:
Ru-chan: Thank you. It's my first attempt at this, and I really don't wanna mess up. nn
Marumaruyobi: oh thank you so much:D You made my day! Hope you like this chapter as well!
IV
Her Mother's Daughter
Neji did not come back that night, nor did he come the night after. Or the night after that. Or the night after that.
Every night, she made dinner. The night before had been no different, nor was it any different in the fact that Neji had not come back home. So, as per usual for the last few weeks, that day, Hinata wrapped up the dinner she had carefully prepared and made her way to the Inuzuka compound. Kiba of course, was away. So were his mother and sister. But his grandmother was there.
Inuzuka Souga was a stout woman with skin that seemed to be thick as leather. She had the same strange eyes that the Inuzuka clan was famous for. Laugh lines went deep on either side of her eyes and Inuzuka Souga's eyes twinkled with mirth at the sight of the young Hyuuga heir.
"Ohayou gozaimashita, Souga-baasan." Hinata smiled.
Souga nodded her reply and laughed merrily as Hinata bent down to plant two kisses on Souga's cheeks; one on each side.
Kiba was always freaked out by his grandmother. He often called her Baba-sama. Hinata would nervously tell him to stop, that it was inappropriate and mean. He would laugh at her and tell her that Souga enjoyed the pet name.
"So. What do we have here, Hina-chan?"
"Bitsu-ni, Souga-baasan…Just something I cooked last night."
Souga's strange eyes twinkled.
"Hai. Give it here, Hina-chan." Souga unwrapped the package and smiled.
"Ahh! Looks good, Hina-chan. If you get bored working at that wretched hospital, you could open a restaurant, ne?"
Souga despised the hospital. She never used to go, unless Kiba and his family would sedate her in some way and dragged her over there. But now, since Hinata was a medical Nin, she could take care of Souga in the peace of Souga's home.
Hinata giggled. She was so much more relaxed here. Souga had her own house in the Inuzuka compound. Being one of the oldest, she was the most revered and respected woman in the clan. As a result, the younger children feared her and she didn't often receive visitors. But Hinata enjoyed her stays with the old woman. She was the grandmother Hinata never had.
Souga ate the fish Hinata had made the night before happily. All of it was there. She had not touched the meals. She would not touch them unless she had someone to eat them with. Unless she had Neji to eat them with.
As a result, Hinata had begun to lose weight. She realized this a few days ago and had started making a separate meal for her to eat alone, along with the dinner she would cook for both Neji and her.
"Ne, Hina-chan, how's your Neji-kun doing?"
Hinata blushed at the question.
"Iie, Souga-baasan…He is not mine…"
Souga chuckled. Hinata blushed harder.
"Just answer the question, aiji."
"Ano…he's…Fine."
Hinata bowed her head. Tears falling.
"Ne, aiji, why the tears?"
"G-gomen-nasai, Obaasan…Demo…To tell you the truth, I don't know! I don't know how Neji-san is. I-hic- haven't heard from him since he left more than a month ago!"
Hinata broke down and Souga tactfully stopped eating the fish and patted Hinata on the back.
"You have not told anyone about the way you feel." Souga said. It was not a question.
Hinata sobbed, nodded and rubbed her eyes with her hands, feeling five years old again.
"W-we-we were jus-jus-jus-jus-" Hinata stopped speaking and angrily tried to get her tongue straight, tears flowing down her cheeks. "We were ju-just MARRIED. We-we-we were just MARRIED, O-obaasan! We-we-we did-didn't eve-even sp-spe-spe-hic!-spend the night together."
Hinata blushed furiously at this confession.
Souga's eyes widened.
"Saa…Sou ka…" was all Souga could say at the moment.
"D-do-doushite? Why did he have to go?" Hinata cried, her tone bordering whining.
Souga continued to rub Hinata's back.
"Don't cry, Hina-chan. It will be OK. He'll come back. No news is better than bad news, ne?"
Hinata nodded through her tears. After she had calmed a little, she placed her hands on her lap, hiccoughing slightly. Souga handed her some water which she whispered a quiet "Doumo arigatou gozaimashita…" to.
"Now go, Hina-chan. Your father is waiting for you."
Hinata's eyes widened.
"Kame! I forgot! Otousan!" She felt miserable as she kissed Souga on both cheeks and ran off, wanting to get ready before her meeting with her father.
The heavy kimono she wore protected her from the cold but it did not protect her from her father's icy glare.
"Neji has not yet come back."
Hinata was not sure if her father was telling her, or asking her or just using the sentence as some sort of introduction. So all she could do was nod.
"If he does, I expect him to continue your training, Hinata."
Hinata flinched at the 'if'. When. Hinata corrected her father in her mind.
"You seemed to have shown some improvement, particularly underneath his tutelage. I expect it to continue. While you have been stripped from your responsibilities as heir, I still expect you to be able to perform the basics." Hiashi said, standing.
Hinata remained in her kneeling position before her father.
Hiashi sighed. This was not the first time he had done so in disappointment. It broke Hinata's heart.
"You were never meant to be heir." He said. "You were not fit to be one."
Nothing that she had not heard before. Yet it still made her cringe.
"You do not have the heart for it, Hinata. No. You were never like me. Never like your sister. Never like Neji."
Hinata wanted to block out her father's voice but could not.
"No. Nothing like us. You have our eyes, Hinata. But you have Hinode's heart."
Hinata started.
Her father had never mentioned her mother before. At least, not to her.
"You even look like her. Same, soft smile. Same sweet face. No, Hinata. The moment I saw you, I knew. You are your mother's daughter."
Hinata took a peek up at her father but then quickly lowered her eyes. His expression had not changed since she entered. Not softened by a bit.
Hyuuga Hiashi sat back down and regarded his daughter.
"You will inform me if Neji comes back. That will be all."
"When." Hinata whispered.
"What?"
"When, Otousan. N-not 'if'."
With arms crossed in front of him, Hiashi closed his eyes and smiled.
"If you insist, Hinata. When he gets back."
She stood then, having been dismissed. But just before she left, she turned around and bowed low at the waist.
"Domo Arigatou Gozaimasu…chichue."
Hinata tried to smile at her friends, crowded all around her.
"Otanjoubi omedetou Hina-chan!"
Hinata blushed, not used to being the centre of attention like this.
"PRESENTS!" She heard Ino scream from somewhere behind her.
There was a flurry of ribbons and wrapping paper and boxes magically found their way on her lap. Hinata was getting some form of headache and she glanced over at the main table, where the main house members all sat, watching her. Her father had his eyes closed, a frown on his face. He was getting a headache as well.
"Ano…c-could we please…be a bit more quiet…" Hinata whispered.
Hiashi opened one eye. It was surprising how Hinata, had the ability to make all hear her, even when she whispered.
"But why Hina-chan!" They all asked in unison.
"B-be-because…" Hinata took a quick glance at her father.
He watched her, amusement twinkling in his eyes. Yes, she was definitely Hinobe's child.
She turned back to her guests.
"It would be better like that." She said lamely, blushing a beautiful shade of crimson.
Still, they listened and the noise level went down several notches.
Hinata was pleased. Her friends, all of them. Well, most of them. Were all present. It was surprising really, how much noise could come out of a handful of people. But when those people consisted of the likes of Kiba, Ino and Sakura, noise was what came to be expected. Ino was arguing with Chouji again, complaining that he was eating everything. Chouji completely ignored his wife. Lee was being overly emotional about Sakura's about-to-burst stomach and Sakura basked in it. How two emotionally unstable people could have found each other – and fallen in love at that – had always amazed Hinata.
Still, it wasn't complete. Temari was not present which made Shikamaru miserable. None of the sand trio were present. It had been a while since Hinata had seen the Kazekage and his puppet wielding older brother.
And of course, there was no Neji. More than a month now, and still no word from him.
Hinata walked home, Kiba and Shino on either side of her, helping her with her vast assortment of presents. Akamaru trotted ahead, happily scratching at the snow and sniffing here and there. Hinata opened the door for them and let them in.
Kiba and Shino looked around them. Everything in the house spoke of Hinata. There was no sign of a male influence in the house. Hinata dropped the keys onto the table near the door. The house was not small, certainly. It almost seemed too big for one person. Certainly too big for one Hinata. They went out of the small hallway leading from the entrance, left their shoes and entered the rest of the house, watching their step at the step that raised you to the living room.
To Kiba's keen nose, nothing of Neji was left. Nearly two months away and only having spent one night here; everything smelt of Hinata. It was as if she lived alone.
"Ano, Kiba-kun…please. Just leave them there. I'll arrange them later." Hinata whispered.
She turned on the lights and they were bathed in a soft, warm glow. Hinata loved light colours. The living room only spoke of her, from the simple yet elegant curtains that hung up at the windows to the sofas and armchairs right down to the centrepiece. Akamaru ran up to one of the armchairs and lay there, panting. He had grown. He now took up the entire armchair.
"Iie Hinata-chan. I'll help you arrange them." Kiba answered.
"A-arigatou, Kiba-kun." Hinata smiled.
All the while, Shino was silent. Which wasn't anything new, but throughout the years, Kiba, as dense as he was, finally learnt how to read his quiet, insect infested friend.
"Please excuse me." She said, and disappeared into the bedroom for a moment, closing the door behind her.
"Ne, Shino, why so serious?" Kiba asked, haphazardly dropping the presents on one of the sofas.
Kiba could almost feel Shino's eyes narrow at him. This must be why Shino insisted on carrying the more fragile presents. Kiba shrugged.
"I wonder when Neji-san will be coming back." Shino said.
Kiba shrugged again.
"What? Him? Who cares about the teme."
Shino did not turn to look at him.
"Apparently, Hinata-san does."
Kiba wasn't listening. Shino sighed and watched as Kiba devoured an apple he had picked up from the fruit bowl on the counter dividing the kitchen from the rest of the house. Kiba took off his sweater and threw it on top of Hinata's birthday gifts.
"Yeah, well, it doesn't really matter. That guy just doesn't know how to die. He'll be back. At least, he had better." Kiba said, nonchalantly.
He landed in an armchair and put his feet up on the centre table.
"Hm?" Shino said, turning his attention back to Kiba.
"Nothing. Just, I don't trust him. Maybe he ran off. Heh. What a coward if you ask me. Leaving like that."
"He left because Godaime ordered him to. He was needed."
"And Hinata doesn't need him here? With her?" Kiba growled.
At this, Shino had no answer. Even if he did, he would not have had the chance to say it out loud as Hinata exited the bedroom, humming happily to herself.
"Really, you guys don't have to help…I'll do that later. I'll make some tea."
"Nah, Hinata, don't bother yourself. It's your birthday. Shino will make the tea." Kiba smiled.
Hinata turned to look at Shino. He glowered inwardly at Kiba but only nodded at Hinata. She smiled warmly up at him. He made his way to the kitchen, his Kikai telling him exactly where everything was.
"Arigatou, Shino-kun!" He heard her call out to him.
Kiba helped Hinata arrange the ornaments Hinata had gotten. Among them a porcelain tea set, plated gold here and there that she had gotten from her father. Her sister had bought her an ornamental fan which Hinata fanned out and placed on the back of the front door. Other trinkets included jewellery and a box made of jade. Hinata wasn't sure who had given her that. It was beautiful beyond words.
The rest were items of clothing, which Hinata scooped up in her arms to hang up in her closet. Kiba followed her into the bedroom, making her blush. He didn't seem to think anything of it and Hinata chose to ignore it. Kiba opened the closet and stood there for a while, in slight shock.
"Ano…his clothes are still in his apartment. He never got round to moving them here and I don't have the key." Hinata whispered, seeing the look on Kiba's face.
Kiba didn't say anything and helped Hinata fold her things away. By the end of it, there were only two gifts left, which Hinata had hastily rewrapped.
"What's that, Hina-chan?" He asked, pointing at the presents.
"Oh. Nothing. Just some presents from the girls." She said, blushing furiously and hastily putting them in the closet, in the uppermost shelves.
Kiba shrugged and left the bedroom with her.
They sat together, laughing and drinking tea. Kiba regretted having nominated the Aburame for the task of tea making. He was not as gifted as Hinata was in that area. His tea tasted terrible. But Hinata drank it anyway, smiling, trying her best not to gag. That night, when both men left, they wondered if Neji knew just how lucky he was to have the petite Hyuuga by his side. Each promised himself that if Neji ever hurt the girl he'd come to know as his precious little sister, he would personally break every bone in Neji's body.
Hinata locked the door. She wondered if she should still bother making dinner for two just as she always did. But tonight she was exhausted and it was too late anyway. She decided she'd make a small meal though, for Souga, who was probably expecting it.
Hinata retired that night, staring up at the ceiling and carefully sang to herself the lullaby her mother used to sing to her when she had trouble sleeping. As she drifted off to sleep, Hinata murmured her cousin's name and dreamed that he had come back and that he was perfectly fine and that they would be happy forever and ever.
Glossary:
Ohayou
gozaimashita - (v. formal) Good Morning
-Baasan - (honorific) Grandmother / Elderly woman
Baba - Old hag
Aiji - Beloved child
Ne (at the beggining of a sentence) - something equivelant to 'hey'
Ne (at the end of the sentence) - particle denoting a question, which is expected to be answered positively.
Obaasan - Grandmother / Elderly woman.
Saa - ah. or 'well...'
Sou ka - is that so.
Doushite - why
Chichue - father. Less formal than Otousan
teme - bastard
If i've missed out anything/made any mistakes, please feel free to correct me. Arigatou gozaimasu.
