Chapter Rating: G

Pairings:
Neji x Hina

My Reviewers:
Fukari:
I sincerely hope that this is fast enough for you, XD anyway, thanks for the lovely reviews. Doesn't really matter how many i get, as long as my work is appreciated by somebody. that's all that matters - and if I enjoy doing this, I'll keep on doing it until i get bored.
But who could ever get bored by they Hyuugas? Not I, I say. :D
pretty cherry: Oh gosh, this rivalry wouldn't be fair. Your writing skills are tons better than mine. :D i love your story. I'm glad mine gave you that push to continue it. YAY! and about our stories being similar at some level, you know what they say: great minds think alike. lol


VI
The Difference

Neji was gone by the time she woke up. Hinata vaguely remembers waking up sometime, just before dawn and seeing Neji come into the room, a towel wrapped around his midsection, He had opened the cupboard to look through the drawers and then straightened, turning to look at her. She was too sleepy to sit up.

"Ne, Neji-san," she croaked. She stopped talking for a moment, embarrassed by her voice.

She really needed water.

"Go back to sleep, Hinata-sama." He said.

She would have done just that then, if her throat wasn't so dry.

"H-hai…I…I'm just going to get water."

He stopped her, left the room and came back in less than a minute, holding out a glass.

As he had neared her, Hinata breathed him in. He smelt musky. Of man. And the body wash she had bought that smelt of oranges. Yet he didn't smell like oranges. He smelt…good. She drank the glass of water, handed it back to him and instantly dropped off back to sleep.

Hinata had lots of things to do today. The first thing she had done was go to her father's where she informed him that Neji was back. He said that he had already known; that Neji had been there earlier that morning. He expected her to be there that night with him, he'd already informed Neji. She had then dropped off some food at Souga's house, just as she had always done. But today she didn't have time to sit and talk to the old woman. The hospital had become more demanding of her, with Medical Nins in shortage due to many of them going away on missions. Plus she had grocery shopping to do.

Today was going to be hectic and it was going to wear her down, she could tell. Worrying about her husband was only going to slow her down even more, but she did it anyway. She was afraid, he had left again. So during her lunch break at the hospital, instead of eating, she made a visit to the Godaime.

"Hinata-chan! How nice to see you. Sit. Sit." She said, smiling at her old pupil.

Hinata had been an excellent student. What she lacked in what that stuffy family of hers deemed important, she made up for tenfold through her raw talent for healing. Teaching the child was a pleasure, since Hinata was so good and learnt so quickly.

Hinata did as she was told and sat down. Tsunade smiled inwardly to herself. Always so obedient. She thought.

"What brings you here, Hinata-chan. And on your lunch break too. You should be eating; being a medical Nin takes up a lot of chakra." Tsunade smiled.

"Sumimasen, Tsunade-sama. Demo, I…I was just wondering…wh-whether you have anything planned for Neji-san…"

Oh. So she's dropped the 'niisan' at last. Tsunade grinned.

"Of course I do. He is captain of one of the First Division ANBU Teams." Tsunade smiled.

"O-of course. Bu-but, I meant…I meant…anything that would req-require him to stay away for long…L-like last time…" Hinata whispered.

Tsunade felt guilt crash through her. Of course, Hinata didn't hold grudges. Hinata would have fleeting moments of anger and then she would ignore it, and think of all the things you did for her, to her, that would override the hurt you had caused her. Then she would be OK, honest-to-God OK with you, but not so much with what you did.

"I have to apologize for that one, Hinata. Neji was not supposed to go on that mission. I knew your wedding was only the day before. But your father had nominated Neji go even before that. The rest of the Elders agreed. I couldn't overrule them when it only made sense. The mission apparently required the best and so we sent the best…However, if it had been solely up to me, Neji would have stayed here with you. But Hiashi had put up a pretty good argument…eh…Hinata?"

Hinata's vision was swimming in and out of focus.

Otousan? Otousan? Nande? Why would he do something like that! Her mind screamed.

"H-hai, Tsunade-sama?" Hinata managed to blurt out.

"Oh. Good. You're back. Anyway, your lunch break is almost over. They'll be needing you at the hospital, I'm sure. And don't worry. Neji-kun won't have another mission like that for a long time." Tsunade said, smiling.

As Hinata did her job, she performed up to standard as usual, but her mind wasn't there. She worked mechanically and her much younger patients noticed the change.

"Hinata-san, what's wrong?" Kazanrai Okuare was a gruff little boy who lived to try Hinata's patience.

He never managed to do so, of course. Hinata seemed to have an infinite supply of patience. But today, seeing the usually happy, smiling medical Nin seemingly so upset and withdrawn, Okuare's game didn't have much reward in it. Hinata managed a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Is it about Neji-san?" Okuare inquired.

Hinata nearly jumped out of her skin. She looked at the little boy in front of her. He was always here. Almost all the time. Always a dozen scratches and almost always a broken something. Children these days. She could not remember being that perceptive when she was five.

"Iie, Okuare-kun." Hinata said, flipping the boy on his stomach so she could tend to the wounds on his back.

"You're a very bad liar, you know, Hinata-san." He said, his voice muffled by the pillow.

Hinata struggled with her grocery as she opened the door. Again, exhausted from her work at the hospital, Hinata wondered if this was normal. She kicked the door shut behind her and took off her sandals using her feet; stepping on the heel of one sandal and pulling out the foot within it and repeating the process. It was only after struggling with the other sandal for a few minutes and then freeing both feet from them, Hinata mentally smacked her forehead and realized she could have just set the grocery down for a moment on the floor.

She put things away. For a moment, she stood back and stared at her kitchen cupboards. They weren't as organised as she liked. The canned foods were with the non-canned foods…snacks were in random places around the kitchen. Hinata rolled up her sleeves and removed everything from every single cupboard and began the cleansing process of re-shelving everything by category. If Hinata had more time before dinner, she would have done it alphabetically.

Hinata bit her lip as she put on her kimono. Dinner with her father always required her to look her best, no matter what. He never said it, no, it was never a spoken rule. But to Hinata it was important. If she could hide behind a dazzling new kimono and an elaborate hairstyle, Hinata could live through the dinner.

Neji clenched and unclenched his fists. He wasn't listening. There was no need. He'd heard this speech a thousand times before. He was the only branch member present, sitting to the right of Hiashi. Hinata sat with the women, her cheeks were crimson and as she carefully sipped her tea, he could see her hands tremble.

He looked around him. There were only three other women present apart from Hinata. The wives of the men present. It was strange. Every man here was married. Yet only four women. The mortality rate of Hyuuga wives was impossibly low. The women were silent. Only the men spoke. Yet, their silence was unlike Hinata's. It was a bitter silence, laced with loathing and disgust. When their husbands addressed them, if ever, they would answer politely, as was required of a Hyuuga woman but there was always a tinge of insolence in their words. He wondered why the men didn't notice. But then again, they were so saturated with themselves that they probably thought the malice in their wives' voices was actually pure, unadulterated admiration.

He wondered if Hinata and him would end up like that. He hoped not. He couldn't see Hinata, his Hinata, becoming bitter. She wasn't the type. He'd have to be a pretty disgusting excuse of a human being to make Hinata change like that.

"…of course, it's different in Hinata's case."

That caught Neji's attention. The women were still as indifferent as ever but Hinata was blushing furiously, her hands clasped tightly on her lap. He didn't turn his head. He knew who was talking. Hyuuga Makoto, one of the older Hyuugas was going on and on about his wife's shortcomings.

"Disgrace, really. Hiashi-san, if my Kagami was that weak, I'd disown her."

Hiashi finally turned his head to look at Makoto.

"Then isn't Hinata lucky, Makoto-san, that I am her father and not you."

Makoto stammered for a moment before regaining his composure.

"It isn't becoming, for a Hyuuga to be so weak."

"Neither is it becoming, Makoto-san," Neji finally spoke up. "For a Hyuuga to be so rude."

"Insolence!" Makoto said after recovering from shock. "Hiashi! I demand you punish that boy!"

Hiashi's gaze was ever steely as he looked at Makoto.

"Whatever for, Makoto-san?"

"For being…for…his INSOLENCE!" Makoto spluttered out.

"Iie, Makoto-san. He was merely doing his duty as husband and protector of Hinata, defending her honour."

All the while, the other Hyuugas in the room had been shrinking back from the two men. Everyone that is, except Neji. He sat by Hiashi's side, inside, he laughed. He would have thought that the one person to bring Hiashi and him on the same side would be Hinata.

But then it was expected. Hinata could do strange things to people. Like making her father's cultured mask slip. Like making foolhardy Inuzukas learn how to speak before thinking. Like making a certain Aburame a little less unnerving to people. Like making Neji feel human again. Like making Neji feel needed again. Like making Neji feel.

"Why…you…You! You say so yourself! You say it all the time! You say it all the time that she's weak!" Makoto said, pointing a finger at the Hyuuga Head.

"When a father criticizes his daughter, he means for her to grow from it. When a man criticizes someone else's daughter, he should expect the father's blow." Hiashi said, once again calm.

Neji fought the unnerving desire to smirk at Makoto.

"H-hai. Gomen-nasai, Hiashi-san. Neji-san." He said, bowing his head to them both.

Neji quirked an eyebrow, expecting more.

"My wife, Makoto-san." He said.

Makoto turned a brighter red than Hinata as he turned to the woman.

"Gomen-nasai. Hinata-san."

Neji wondered if had stepped out of bounds with that one. He glanced at Hiashi. How very peculiar. Hiashi was trying to suppress a smirk himself.

"Th-that was embarrassing." Hinata whispered in the dark, as they walked back to their home.

"Hm?" Neji said, not paying attention.

The night's turn of events was deeply troubling him.

"You…you really should have just let him talk…Makoto-san is strange like that. He's a good a man though. I-I'm sure he didn't mean anything he said." Hinata whispered.

It was cold out, he realized. The bridge between winter and spring was always strange. Sometimes it would be warm and sometimes, like tonight, the sting of winter was evident in the wind.

"You know that's not true, Hinata-sama. He meant it." Neji said.

He had Hinata's body next to his own to keep him warm. He wondered if he was doing the same for her.

"H-hai…you're right Neji. He's right." She whispered.

He stopped walking and turned to her.

"Hinata-sama." He said to her, anger in his voice. Her eyes widened. "Don't ever say that again. I defended you not out of duty, Hinata-sama. But because I didn't believe a word he said. Remember that, Hinata-sama…"

"D-demo…Neji…Neji-san…Look at me!" She said, tears freely falling. "I have a weak heart. I-I'm not cut out for this! You know why they made us marry? So you could be head. Hundreds of years of tradition, broken! Broken, because of me! A Branch House member, the head of the clan. It's unheard of! But they did it anyway! They did it because they'd rather have you be head than a pathetic excuse for a kunoichi like me, rule over them."

She slapped a hand over her mouth after she had realized what she had just said. But Neji ignored it, he didn't much care. He knew she spoke the truth.

"It doesn't matter, Hinata sama." He said, removing the hand that covered her mouth.
He gently cupped her face in both hands. She tried to stutter out an apology then.

"It doesn't matter." He repeated. "If you had become clan head, you would've abolished tradition anyway, isn't that right, Hinata-sama? Either way, those hundreds of years of tradition would have been broken by you. This is just a slightly indirect way of doing it."

She thought for a moment and then nodded, placing her hands on his wrists. He thought she'd pull his hands away but she didn't.

"And what about your heart being weak?" He whispered.

He brought one of her hands over his chest so she could feel his heartbeat. He prayed that she'd think the fast pace at which it was beating was normal. He placed her other hand over her own heart.

"What's the difference between your heart and mine, Hinata-sama?"

Hinata listened for a moment, tilting her head to one side, seemingly confused by his question. Then answered.

"N-nothing…" She replied, unsure if this was the right thing to say. But she was honest.

She watched as Neji smiled down at her and at that moment, her answer instantly became a lie. The difference was that her heart was beating a hundred miles faster.