The moon was red.
Hinata's eyes widened in panic as the God Tree's branches wrapped around her tired, broken body. She tried to thrash about, but to her horror, her limbs were quickly becoming cottoned in a thick, papery white cocoon.
The moon was so red. It seemed to smile in a way that was both benevolent and wicked.
Hinata called out to the one person who could stop this, save her, save them.
Naruto-kun.
The world faded to black.
She woke up to blinding sunlight filtering through the window. Hinata frowned and rubbed her eyes wearily.
"Nee-sama!" an impish voice yelled.
Her little sister's mischievous face loomed in her field of vision. Hinata groaned and pressed her hands to her ears.
"Nee-samaaaaa," Hanabi whined. "You're going to be late for your date with Naruto nii-san."
Hinata leapt out of bed with the speed of someone who had narrowly missed getting struck by lightning.
"Hanabi!" she scolded. "You should have woken me up earlier!"
Hanabi broke out into raucous laughter. "Just pulling your leg. It's only in the afternoon. You're fine."
She pouted at her little sister.
"You're way too easy to prank," Hanabi said. "I'm going to tell Naruto nii-san about it."
Hinata sighed. In the months since they'd begun dating, Hanabi had taken to Naruto like a moth to flame. Her gloomy, training-obsessed Hanabi had blossomed into a fireworks display under Naruto's influence. Her latent prankster was being unleashed on the world to devastating effect.
"What time is it, anyway?" Hinata asked.
"It's seven in the morning. Better get ready for breakfast, nee-sama," Hanabi said, before flouncing out of the room, her yellow ribbon accentuating her long dark hair.
Hinata scurried around her room like a chicken with its head cut off.
"Where is it, where is it?" she muttered darkly under her breath, as she turned her closet inside out.
Hanabi snickered as she held her sister's purple-and-white jacket behind her. What nee-sama didn't know wouldn't hurt her. Besides, how was Naruto nii-san going to be able to appreciate her beauty if she kept it hidden under such a boring jacket? If all went according to plan, nee-sama would be forced to attend her date with Naruto nii-san sans the jacket, Naruto nii-san's jaw would drop as he finally got a glimpse of nee-sama under a form-fitting mesh shirt, he would propose on the spot, and they would get married in two weeks, even though neither were even legal adults. Yes, Hanabi had planned this out thoroughly.
Someone behind her cleared his throat severely. Hanabi whirled around.
"Oh, Neji nii-san," she cried out with a touch of nervousness. "Funny seeing you here, huh? I thought you were with your team?"
Don't ruin the plan, don't ruin the plan, don't ruin the plan, Hanabi thought furiously.
He glared at her. "Hanabi-sama. What are you doing with Hinata-sama's jacket?"
"Oh, uh, you know, I was...um, worried that she might get heatstroke. I mean, it's ninety degrees outside, right? So that's why I took it. I mean, I'm only looking out for her health, and I know you do too, Neji nii-san!" She finished off her ramble with an incredibly unconvincing laugh.
He crossed his arms over his chest. "Give it back to her now, Hanabi-sama," he said.
"No, like I said, she could get heatstroke, and then she could wind up in the hospital – "
Neji simply ripped the jacket out of Hanabi's hands and marched over to Hinata.
"Hinata-sama, I believe you were looking for this," he said kindly. He shot a nasty glare at Hanabi over his shoulder. Hanabi stuck her tongue out at him.
Tch, what a spoilsport.
Yet, it did not escape her notice that Neji's concerned eyes followed nee-sama out of the compound and into the main street.
Hanabi smiled gleefully. Neji nii-san was worried about nee-sama's date. She could use this.
Neji was hunkered behind a bush, eyes boring into two heads – one sunshine-blonde, the other midnight-black. Hinata-sama and Naruto, sitting together on a park bench.
"So I take it you're going to spy on them?" Hanabi asked cheerfully, falling into step beside Neji.
Neji huffed. "I'm not spying. As Hinata-sama's older cousin, it's merely my duty to ensure that she is happy."
"Yeah...that means you're spying, Neji nii-san," she pointed out. "Look, I'm not blaming you. I also want a piece of the action. I mean, if nee-sama marries Naruto nii-san, he'll be a part of the Hyuuga clan. And I for one can't wait. I so want to start an inter-Hyuuga prank war with him."
Neji looked scandalized. He remembered all too well the horrific incident last week, an incident which he'd been trying to burn out of his brain to no avail.
It all happened when Naruto casually suggested to Hanabi that the Hyuuga's Gentle Fist taijutsu might be significantly improved if they all started wearing Guy-sensei and Lee's neon green monstrosities. In Naruto's defense, he sincerely believed that wearing breathable jumpsuits might truly be effective and did not mean for it to become a prank.
Unfortunately, Hanabi took his words quite seriously as a prank idea and decided that she would need a guinea pig to test the theory out. Said guinea pig was Neji.
He'd woken up one morning somehow dressed in the hideous thing. He had no idea how Hanabi had managed to dress him in the jumpsuit without waking him up, nor did he ever want to find out.
He shuddered in revulsion and almost subconsciously rose from his hiding place, only to be quickly and irritably yanked down by Hanabi.
"What are you doing?" she hissed, shushing him. "You're going to blow our cover." She tapped her finger against her lips in warning.
Neji frowned at her, then glanced towards their targets, his eyes softening immediately.
Hinata-sama was leaning her head against Naruto's shoulder, her posture relaxed and content.
He supposed he could tolerate a few inter-Hyuuga prank wars.
Naruto's smile made the whole summer. Naruto's smile was the whole summer.
Hinata's mind was quickly rising up from the blissful abyss.
The only memory she would have of the Infinite Tsukuyomi was Naruto's smile.
A/N: So I realized that I've never seen anyone write about whatever happened in Hinata's Infinite Tsukuyomi. I mean, I've seen stories where she talks about it, but not the dream itself. Naturally, as an NH fan, I wanted to write about it.
This story will be covering the post-War era up to the Last movie! Happy reading!