**Continuity error, I wrote Sasuke lived with Naruto in an apartment. That idea came from Karamidori, fellow fanfic writer. BUT I forgot I changed it later on. Sasuke lives by himself. For reasons. My bad.

Also, I added this chapter so the last chapter's preview was wrong. D:

oOo

Day 8 Prompt: Fuubutsushi (Japanese)

"The memories of the season."

The Hyuga always received large shipments of pecans from Suna every autumn and immediately put the bushels into cold storage. They ate them all winter long, slowly chipping away at the supply. Usually, they lasted until the summer.

It marked the changing of the seasons for Hinata. She remembered being a little girl, sitting on the porch, while her mom skillfully cracked the shells, slipping out pretty perfect halves. Her mother used a tiny bit of chakra and her bare hands. She would smile while Hinata watched in awe.

When her mother passed, and it was just Hinata, she tried to do the same for Hanabi. But her bandaged fingers made the pecans too slippery. And, her hands would sweat. Her chakra would pulverize each nut into gritty, sharp dust, which would get stuck in her bandages and prick the broken skin. She would sit there and recall how she failed in training earlier that day and now she failed at this.

Hyuga Hinata, the clan embarrassment, unable to even shell pecans.

It felt like an indignity atop a whole mountain of them. Another slap on a bruised cheek. It never was about the pecans. Not really. But it just hammered home what she knew to be true. She could not do anything right.

Later, when everyone thought Hinata would be passed over for the position of Clan Head, an Auntie took her into the kitchens. She did not realize it, but they were evaluating her. If Hinata could not be their leader, what menial task would she succeed at instead? To the Hyuga, it was all or nothing. You were either at the top, or you were at the bottom. No in-between.

Her Auntie taught her then, how to use a nutcracker and reveal the sweetmeat. If the insides crumbled, no problem. They could fish the pieces out with a sharp pick. And then, they did something horrible. They placed the perfect halves with the crumbled ones in a cheesecloth and crushed them.

"We don't like the halves, Hinata-chan," the Auntie tutted when Hinata gasped. "Only the pieces can be for cooking."

Now as an adult, Hinata used her metal nutcracker and pick as she broke open the shells, listening to the clan children laugh while playing tag. In front of her rested three bowls. One, for the intact halves intended for Hanabi. The second, for the imperfect results. For she would take them to the kitchen later, and they would be useful. The third, for the shells and sharp dividing piece on the inside. Even those parts could be ground up for compost.

Everything had a purpose. No matter how inadequate it seemed at first blush.

"Stop that," Hinata murmured.

Hanabi, lying on the lacquered porch floor, jerked her finger out of her mouth. "I have a hangnail," she whined.

"I know. Don't bite it off, you'll make it bleed," Hinata argued as she had many times before.

Hanabi pressed her lips together mulishly. She picked at the loose skin with the fingers of her other hand instead. Hinata almost, almost rolled her eyes.

"Aha!" Hanabi exclaimed, only to gasp as the skin peeled too far and she, indeed, began to bleed.

"Tsk," Hinata sucked at her teeth. She handed her sister a paper napkin tucked under one of the bowls. "Here."

Hanabi wrapped her finger and once done, reached for the pecan halves. Hinata fended her off with the nutcracker.

"What? But those are mine!" Hanabi protested.

"Wash your hands," Hinata said.

With a loud, theatrical groan, Hanabi levered herself to standing and stomped inside the house. When she returned, Neji followed, a netted bag of tangerines in his grasp.

He graced Hinata with a smile and sat on her other side. Without a word he started peeling the fruit, depositing the rinds in the refuse bowl.

Hanabi accepted her tangerine slices. Deliberately, she continued to peel off the leftover pith, before slowly chewing only the pulp. Her eyes followed the children running nearby.

"Did you take them out of the Academy too early?" Hanabi asked. "If we're holding off on the…" Hanabi stuck her tongue out and wiggled it.

Neji snorted. "You have food in your mouth."

Hanabi stuffed a handful of pecan halves in said mouth and chewed with gusto.

Hinata sighed, never stopping her task. "I hope not. Oh, thank you." She slipped an orange slice between her teeth when Neji passed it to her.

"We have to be sure," Neji murmured. "If you're still having problems, then we have to hold off."

"Hmm," Hinata agreed. "I'm okay with having everyone wait. I don't mind running lessons with the matrons."

The Hyuga were known for being secretive and quirky. Keeping most of the clan sequestered would seem strange, but not suspicious. Well, maybe the Uchiha would find it suspicious. But the elders cared not what the arrogant Uchiha thought.

"Some of our operatives might be upset at having to stay grounded for longer than we anticipated," Hinata worried out loud.

"I'm sure they appreciate not undergoing an experimental procedure," Neji said. His eyes bore into the side of her face. "Like someone did."

Hinata handed him a pecan half. "Either you or me."

Neji chewed and stayed silent.

"Oh!" Hanabi exclaimed. "I heard about the Uchiha! The younger one. What's his name?"

"Sasuke," Hinata said.

Her expression changed not one bit, but Hanabi pressed into Hinata's space anyway.

"Yeah. Isn't his dad the clan head?"

"Yes."

Hanabi giggled. "How mad would Dad be if he found out you were talking to the Uchiha Clan Head's son?"

Neji shifted slightly.

Hinata poked his leg with her nutcracker. "Don't tell him."

Neji sighed very slightly through his nose.

"It would not be funny," Hinata argued.

Neji sucked at his teeth.

"Don't pout."

Hanabi lunged forward to grab another tangerine. "It would be hilarious."

Hinata sighed, finally resting her hands in her aproned lap. "I really was rather rude to him. I don't think he'll want to talk to me anymore."

Hanabi shook her head. "Impossible. Just apologize. He'll love you. Everyone loves you. In fact, he'll love you so much he'll want to marry you."

Hinata laughed. "How absurd!"

Neji shook his hand over the refuse bowl to rid himself of the pulverized tangerine now coating his fingers. Hinata gave him another napkin from her stack.

Suddenly, Hanabi froze, and her family stilled with her, casting about for threats. Hanabi shook her head to indicate everything was fine.

"No. No. Wait. What if Hinata married Sasuke? He'd have to be adopted, right? Since Hinata is going to be the next Clan Head."

Hinata choked on air. She covered her mouth with her sleeve as she coughed. "A-adopt!"

Neji slipped another napkin from underneath the bowl to hand it to Hinata. She dabbed at her watering eyes.

Hanabi laughed so hard, she drummed her heels against the wood as her legs flailed. Neji handed her an entire tangerine with all the white pith carefully peeled off to demonstrate how pleased he was with the joke.

"I will have words with the Uchiha if he dares look at you wrong, Hinata. But… it would be hilarious," Neji rumbled, an undertone of laughter suffusing his words.

Hinata put her tools in one of the bowls and slapped her cool hands over her burning cheeks.

oOo

Coming up: Now, Sasuke visits Iruka.