Twenty Truths: Hyuuga Clan

One. The ancestors of the Hyuuga Clan believed that people were born for a reason: leading or serving.

Two. Hyuuga Kuran, the father of Hiashi and Hizashi, believed fully that those who were strong came first. If Hizashi were the stronger brother, he would have been born in Hiashi's place.

Three. Kuran applied the curse seal to his second son with no sorrow or regret. Hizashi's eyes had turned from bright to bitter the moment the last seal in a string of thirty had been activated. Hizashi and, later, Neji, would curse their ancestors for making the last seal in that cursed technique the Bird Seal.

Four. As children, Hiashi had the tendency to brood, so most considered Hizashi to be the 'cute' one. Hizashi suspected that Hiashi brooded solely for the purpose of preventing anyone from calling him cute.

Five. As men, Hizashi developed his brother's brooding. Both of them were sensible, strong and easy on the eye. The real difference between the two was disposition. Hiashi benefited from Fate. Hizashi suffered it.

Six. Hyuuga men were generally hunter-nin. Hyuuga women were generally medical ninja. Kuran's sons were no exception. Neither were Innen's daughters.

Seven. Hinata's mother, Aizu died when Hinata was two. Hinata took more after her mother than Hiashi would have liked. Aizu was fragile and hadn't been the daughter of Hyuuga Innen that Hiashi wanted to marry.

Eight. Marrying Hyuuga Sango was the only advantage Hizashi ever had over his older brother. With his wife in his arms, and the beautiful son they had created, Hizashi was able to live everyday in the Hyuuga Fate of Hatred with calm and peace.

Nine. When Hizashi died, he left both of them behind… but not for very long…

Ten. Hyuuga Hanabi and Hyuuga Neji were more closely related to each other than Neji and Hinata were. After Hizashi's death, their grandfathers, Hyuuga Kuran and Hyuuga Innen, forced Neji's mother, Sango, to become Hiashi's replacement wife.

Eleven. Hyuuga Sango died shortly after the birth of her daughter. Had the child been Hizashi's, she would have named the girl Akiri. She named the girl Hanabi and was sad in her last moments of life… sad she was unable to see her son from the husband she loved before she slipped away. Neji knew of his relatedness to Hanabi, but made no effort to expose Hanabi to that truth. If ever asked, Neji would state that he was an only child.

Twelve. When Hinata developed a talent that Hizashi recognized, Neji was placed in charge of Hanabi's training. He hated it when Hanabi called him Neji nii-san. Hanabi thought it was because her sister called him that.

Thirteen. As it was, Hyuuga Hanabi would be the first born to the Branch house that would live her life as a Main house member, because the head of the Main house wanted it so. It was far too late for Neji, but he would not begrudge that girl a chance. He could only hope that the Rokudaime kept the word he made all those years ago, that Neji's children would never know what it meant to be caged.

Fourteen. Hyuuga was the most inbred line in Konoha's arsenal of kekkei genkai. However there were strict rules on who could marry who. Main house women could marry Branch house men and remain Main house, but their children would become Branch. Branch house women could only have Branch house children and so Main house men never bothered with them. Branch house men could marry outside the clan, but Hinata-sama was the only woman who could marry outside of the clan and only for the advancement of her station.

Fifteen. Because of Hinata's rank, the only person she could marry outside her clan would be Hokage.

Sixteen. When Hinata married the Rokudaime, Hanabi became the official successor of the Hyuuga clan. Hinata and Neji both served as her advisors.

Seventeen. It was Hinata's gentle insistence that made the Rokudaime keep his promise to Neji. When Neji's wife gave birth to his daughters Hikaru and Hikari, Neji wept. For the rest of their lives, the only thing that would cover their brows' were forehead-protectors. From this joy, he would later name his sons Naoto and Hiura.

Eighteen. Hinata and Naruto's daughter, Uzumaki Hogosha, had her mother's talent and her father's will of father. Hanabi's son, Hyuuga Iyasu, would devise a system to protect the Byakugan that would keep all members of their clan equal.

Nineteen. There would be no sacrifice between Hogosha, Iyasu, Naoto, Hiura, Hikaru or Hikari, nor the generation of their clan who lived beneath the stars of the Hyuuga clan.

Twenty. Fate could not be forgotten – it would forever live on Neji's forehead and the forehead of his wife and many of their clansmen. But those five, those children from Hanabi, Neji and Hinata, would know what it meant to fly.

End

Author's Notes:

Hikaru and Hikari are two ways of describing light. – In every future fanfic I write these are the names of Neji's daughters. Naoto is also the name I use for Neji's son.

Iyasu means heal.

Hogosha means protector – This is a name that makes sense for Naruto to name his daughter. I always call Naruto's daughter with Hinata Hogosha.

Kuran means clan

Innen means fate