Hey everyone, I know it's been a long time since I posted anything but life has been really rough on me. I won't go into detail but I hope you enjoy this chapter and I want to let you know that I have more coming soon. Thank you for your continued support. Take care of yourselves 3

The next morning caught Hinata in her living room. She was in deep thought about the aggressive message she was sent the night before. Obviously her presence at the Hyuga manor was ruffling some feathers, but she really didn't expect the backlash to happen this early. Nor did she expect that it would come in the form of kunai. She suspected that it must've been Hanabi since no one from the clan would be brave enough to attack the leader of the main house's daughter. Her younger sister's tenacity was understandable though, considering that her father could have been grooming her to be the heiress. At first she was going to stay firm on letting him know that she was only interested in training, but she felt drawn to a bigger cause. There was deep need to fix a place she once considered home. Division plagued her people. She had no issues with her sister, yet Hanabi was grown up to be her enemy and the girl stayed true to that. It was saddening but she wasn't going to allow her sister to push her away from her goal. Fear had conquered her many times before and she wasn't going to let it happen again. Therefore, she needed to send a message a clear message to Hanabi as well.

Without delay, she rose from her seat and immediately made her way over to the manor. When she arrived, she could feel her heart start to race. Her breathing felt labored and every step felt heavy, but there was no running away from this. She had to confront Hanabi.

When she got to her father's house, she quickly made her way to the training room. As she got closer, there was a small glimpse of Hanabi and her pace quickened. She opened the doors boldly and stepped in. The room fell silent at her presence, but her eyes were focused on her sister. "I got your message" she'd say as she pulled the kunai out of her pocket.

"And yet, here you are" Hanabi retorted.

Hinata sighed heavily, dropping the kunai on the floor. "Hanabi, this is ridiculous."

"Great then all you have to do is leave and never come back. You've done it once before, shouldn't be hard this time."

"Do you even know why I left in the first place?" Hinata asked angrily. "I was told that I couldn't love who I wanted to because that would mess with the purity of our bloodline. There were many rules I could live by but that was not going to be one of them."

Hanabi chuckled softly before bursting out with an obnoxiously loud laugh. It was highly uncomfortable for anyone that was hearing it. "Look at you now, divorced and pathetic. Crawling back to your family to get some kind of status. You should be ashamed to even show your face."

"That is where you're wrong little sister. I didn't crawl back here, I was asked to come back by our dear father" Hinata explained.

"What?" That was impossible! He despised Hinata. There many occasions where she'd heard him and the elders discussing her betrayal with disgust. "He would never do that."

Hinata shook her head at her sister's disbelief, "There is such a thing as forgiveness. Hana, there is no need for us to have this much animosity between us. We should be working together, training side by side."

"Oh no sister, I've hated you from the moment I realized just how weak you were. Every match we've had, I've beaten you. You were never a challenge for me. I always thought to myself, how could someone so weak be my sister?" she'd say mockingly. " Even at such a young age, it was clear that you were completely inferior to me. Furthermore, if I trained with you that would only lower me to your level."

Hinata felt a bit of anger surge through her at Hanabi's snooty attitude. This both annoyed and disappointed her. However, she kept her cool. "Suit yourself, but your little threats aren't enough to make me leave" she warned.

An evil grin formed on the young girl's face at her sister's words. "You do know they're going to make us fight right? It will be like old times. I'll have beaten you badly and everyone will continue to see how much better I am than you"she taunted. "I will take my place as the head of this clan Hinata, and there is no one that I will allow to get in my way."

"Such confidence from someone that hasn't fought me in years. Some would say it's quite careless to underestimate an opponent like that" goaded Hinata.

Hanabi was slightly rattled by Hinata's response. It was very unusual that her sister would mock her back like that. Surprisingly, Hinata seemed completely unruffled by her words. Something about that highly irritated her. Rage filled her body and in an instant she charged at her sister. Every strike intentional and aggressive.

Though the action caught her off guard, Hinata managed to get into the rhythm of the fight, blocking each and every attack her sister tried to land on her. She felt calm, almost relaxed. Her eyes caught every hit before it could land. Hanabi's attacks were predictable. The blows from both girls seemed to shake the dojo. The young girl sidestepped and aimed for Hinata's ribs but was immediately blocked. Hinata countered with an elbow to her sister's face, making the girl stumble back a bit.

Though slightly stunned from the hit, Hanabi wasted no time in trying to strike again. She threw a leg but Hinata caught it and hit back with a hard blow to the chest, making Hanabi drop to the floor. The girl held her chest for a moment, knowing she definitely took some damage from that. However, she rose quickly, brushing off the hit to charge at her sister yet again. Hinata made the mistake of thinking that she was going to do the same move again and therefore went to block but Hanabi managed to fake her out, giving a swift kick to the side of her head. Hinata staggered, but also managed to shake it off. Hanabi charged at her yet again, her blows faster this time and little more challenging. She landed a couple strikes on Hinata, the last make the older drop to the floor this time. A bit of blood dripped from the girl's mouth as she looked up at Hanabi who seemed more than pleased with herself.

"See sister, I told you. Just like old times" the girl mocked, laughing evilly as she paced back and forth like a predator. Once again she charged at Hinata, this time trying to stomp at her while she was still on the ground. Every step caused the wood beneath them to creak. Hinata knew that if one of those hit her, it would be hard to get back up. She managed to quickly rolled off to the side, getting herself up off the floor. Hanabi charged again, launching a quick right to Hinata's chest. The girl stumbled back, hitting the wall hard. This time she coughed up a bit more blood. Her knees buckled but she wasn't going to quit.

"You don't look too good Hina" Hanabi taunted.

Hinata spat and charged at her sister this time. Her moves mirroring the aggression Hanabi gave her. Each hit was calculated, precise. She wasted no time. As she continued her numerous blows, she managed to land a hard hit to Hanabi's head. While the girl seemed stunned, she hit the other side. The young girl held her head for a moment, feeling slightly dizzy after those blows. In an instant Hinata spun, giving more momentum to the kick she gave to Hanabi's ribs while she was open.

The young girl stumbled back hold her side, as blood began to run down her mouth now. She looked to her sister, who though bloody, showed no form of weakness. Her intention was to keep attacking but her ribs wouldn't let her. This time Hinata lunged again, making it seem as though she was going to hit the girl's face. As a result when Hanabi went to block it, Hinata landed hard blow to the same area of the ribs, causing the girl to drop to the floor.

Hanabi was infuriated, she tried to get back up but it was impossible. Her body wouldn't allow it. She writhed in pain beneath her sister and every moment just made her more upset.

Hinata softened seeing her sister in that condition. She ran to the hallway calling out for a medic but when she turned back, she barely managed to dodge the kunai that was thrown at her. It sliced her cheek as it sailed passed. After the shock of realizing what Hanabi did, she looked to the girl who was staring daggers in her direction. The medics rushed in to Hanabi's aid and Hinata just watched as they carried her away. Their father soon stepped in, after he got word from the servants, glancing at Hanabi as she was being carried away. It was clear he was disappointed. Hanabi caught his reaction and immediately covered her face. She felt worthless because now after all the brutal training, Hinata may take her place.

"Well, I must say I'm impressed Hinata. I never expected I would see the day that you would finally defeat your sister." In fact, he was more than impressed that Hanabi seemed to have been humbled for the first time in years.

His words made Hinata's chest tighten, anger enveloped her for his lack of sympathy to his own child. "I'm not proud of what I did."

Hiashi's eyes widened slightly from confusion, "You should be. I will inform the elders of this fight. Well done my child."

Hinata looked to her father with disgust, "I never thought that when I finally heard your praise I would hate you so much." She was fuming. How could he not have at least went to see if she was ok? "What are we to you?" Tears welled up in her eyes as her frustration got the best of her. "She has been nothing but aggressive to me since I've been here and I don't blame her one bit. I blame you and your elders for what she's become. There were times I wanted to kill myself because you never approved of me but thanks to people outside of this stupid place, I learned to live without it. Now you've made your approval her life goal. There's nothing else inside of her but a hunger for power."

Hiashi sighed heavily, realizing what she was saying immediately. The only problem was that she was wrong. All he wanted was the best for them. He was letting down his wife once again but he had nothing to say for his actions. "In this world, power is important, especially when you're a woman. Why don't you all understand? I just want you two to be the best you can be at any cost."

"At the expense of us hating each other?!"

"N-no...I...I" he stammered. He was upset he couldn't explain himself. It seemed like everything he said was just digging a deeper hole for him. His head dropped in utter defeat.

"Why would you fill her head with the idea of her being leader and then ask me to take the position? Don't you think there's something wrong with doing that? I'm sick of this."

Hanabi laid in the clinic still fuming from the fight. She knew she made a mistake underestimating her sister but she didn't think the girl would've progressed so much. In all honesty, she assumed that she would have gotten worse after the marriage. It was all highly impressive but a huge threat to her goals. Her mind flashed back to the look on her father's face and that only served to make her more anxious. He always gave that face to Hinata after their fights but now the look was directed at her and that was infuriating. She'd proven herself so many times. Unlike Hinata, she didn't leave. She followed every rule and trained hard, but after that look she didn't know where she stood anymore. "Fuck" she muttered, wiping away a few tears. Suddenly there was a knock on the door but Hanabi didn't speak. She had expected the person to go away but then the door was opened a second later. A small old woman stepped into the room, smiling brightly at her as she closed the door. "Maiko" she'd say sadly, tearing up even more from the woman's presence. Maiko had been in Hanabi's life since she was a little girl. She was almost like a mother for the young girl and their bond was unbreakable.

"Oh come now Hana. Why are you sad?" the woman questioned as she made her way over to the Hyuga's side.

"I failed Maiko. He's going to give everything to her."

Maiko sighed softly, reaching out for Hanabi's hand. "Nothing is ever that easy in this clan. This is going to take some time and you are just going to have to keep showing that you are the perfect leader."

"But she's so good. I mean it's unbelievable. I've learned everything from Father and have almost surpassed him. She left and got better? This is insane" Hanabi said worriedly as she gripped the woman's hand.

"Hana, in this life you will always have to prove yourself. Yes she's a little better than you thought but she's back here for a reason. That tells me she must be lacking in something to bring herself back here" Maiko explained. "In fact, I would say you're lucky from what happened today because my dear you can learn from it. I've watched you go through hell to get this far and my little Hanabi will not quit. Don't let them take this away from you."

The Hyuga nodded, completely understanding Maiko's words. She was just going to have to train harder and show the elders she was the right choice.

Maiko smiled before leaning down to kiss Hanabi's head. "I have something to confess." The woman pulled out a small emblem with a symbol Hanabi had never seen before. It resembled the clan sign but with a line marked vertically through the symbol. "The branch house has grown weary. The talks of wanting to overthrow the main house have become more rampant. We take pride in this clan because we respect it just as much as the main house does but we're treated like we don't matter. For years, I've told you to treat others with kindness Hana and I really think you could change our fate."

Hanabi's eyes widened at what she was hearing. As Maiko spoke she let go of the woman's hand, "I don't know if I have the power to do this. That's high treason. I would be crucified for something like that."

"I understand your worry but think about it Hana. What has the main house done but made your life a living hell? You're not close to your father because he looks at you as a tool. Look how long you worked and proved yourself only for him to look to your sister because she appears more powerful. They're loyal to no one but themselves." Maiko pulled the bandage she had covering her forehead away, showing the seal that had been placed on her. "Hanabi you are like a daughter to me but I live in fear. They are keeping us prisoners with these seals all in the name of protection." The woman quickly covered up the seal again before taking Hanabi's hand into her own, "All I'm saying is when you become leader it's important to think of these issues. Come to the meetings, hear our complaints. Please."

Hanabi looked to Maiko with a pained expression. This was going against her moral code but she couldn't bear hearing that Maiko was suffering like this. For all the support she received from her, the least she could do was listen and see where she could help. The woman was right, the main house never did anything for her except turn family into enemies. Something had to be done. "I'll do it."

Hinata stormed out of the compound, still fuming after the conversation with her father. How could he be that oblivious about his children? She couldn't understand it. From the little she could remember about her mother, she was always loving and kind. Their union couldn't have been by choice. Either way, she figured what happened between Hanabi and herself was inevitable. One of them was going to no doubt end up in the clinic. It just happened to be Hanabi this time. Now that she thought about it, she really had to give herself credit. It had been years since they'd fought and she had always lost to Hanabi. The hard training was definitely paying off and she couldn't help but feel great.

After a few minutes of walking, she realized she'd brought herself right to her favorite place. It had been a while since she'd been there but the water still looked just as welcoming as before. As she drew closer to the bank, she quickly kicked off her shoes and dipped a foot in the water. The temperature was perfect. She was tempted to swim but even more so, she wanted to dance. Her eyes carefully scoped the area, making sure she was completely alone before stepping onto the surface. It wasn't long before she was gliding gracefully along the water, twirling, allowing herself to get completely lost in the movements. The stress of everything slowly dissipated. She could feel herself being rejuvenated through the power of dance.

Once the dance came to an end she heard someone start clapping. Her face turned a bright red as Sai slipped out of the shadows to greet her. "Oh my gosh, you scared me" she'd say shakily as she walked over to greet him. "How long have you been here?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I've only been here a few minutes, but I'm glad I didn't miss that beautiful dance."

Hinata rolled her eyes playfully as her face turned a deeper shade of red. Sometimes she wished he wasn't so honest when he spoke but then again hearing his compliments made her feel really good. "Thank you" she muttered, completely avoiding his face. It was then that she remembered their last meeting and immediately felt awkward. She didn't think they were going to run into each other anytime soon but she was happy it happened. "How have you been?"

"Pretty good, I was just coming out here to see what I could draw but then I saw you" he explained. In fact, he had started drawing when he saw her but there was no way he was going to admit that. "How are you? With the Hyugas and everything..." He couldn't help but reach out to gently brush the bruising that was developing on her face.

"Um, well I got into a fight with my sister today" she'd say, looking down this time. "It wasn't what I intended to happen but it happened. She attacked me and I had to defend myself." No matter how she said it, there was still some guilt there. "Then my father came in and he made the mistake of praising me after he looked at Hanabi with so much disappointment and I lost it. I just don't think he should encourage rage between the two of us."

"But doesn't that give you a better shot at being leader now?"

"Yeah, but somehow that isn't as important anymore. It's weird to me because I never cared about having those bonds. I just accepted things for the way they are, but then after the fight I realized something. It was that fixing the division between my father, Hanabi, and I is vital. Our bond is not only important for us, but rather to show how important unity is to the clan you know?" She could feel herself tearing up as she thought about it. "The elders fostered this sibling rivalry and my father just went along with it. Hanabi always beat me and therefore they made her the prodigy child but that never made me hate her. Even while I was exiled I never really hated the clan, I just hated the principles."

Sai took her into a hug when he saw a tear run down her cheek. "I get it" he whispered. He could feel her try to resist him but he held her firmly, drawing her into his warmth.

She soon relaxed into his touch, burying her face in his chest as more tears streamed down her face. "I'm sorry." It was all kind of embarrassing because when she told him of her plans, her confidence was high and now it seemed like the weight of the world was on her shoulders and things weren't looking as good.

"Hinata, I told you before, you never need to apologize for expressing how you feel. This is an extremely stressful situation but I think you're making the right moves for yourself." Sai lifted her chin, wiping away the tears she'd missed. "You're going to be okay."

Hinata teared up again, stepping away from him this time. "When I saw that look he gave Hanabi, I remembered how that killed me as a child and I know that drew an even bigger wedge between her and I. It just makes me wonder if it can ever be fixed."

"Of course it can. Broken bonds take time to heal" he explained. "I feel like you'll do it, I believe in you."

She turned to him this time, with a bright smile on her face even though tears were still staining her face. "Thank you."

"No problem" he'd say as she reached out to wipe her tears away again. "Now, how about we get something to eat?"Seeing her cry like this was too painful.

"That sounds amazing."

That evening the two went to their favorite place. Once again agreeing that the location was perfect. They were hidden enough away where they knew they wouldn't be disturbed. It was such a great escape. As the evening went by, they drank and ate merrily. Sai told her about all that what he was working on and she told him about her training. Their conversations were effortless and comfortable. It was definitely something Hinata needed since being at the manor made her very uneasy. The drinks flowed and before they knew it, night had fallen. Sai had the idea to visit a little festival that was happening nearby. They both bought tons of trinkets and had numerous conversations with different clerks. It was enjoyable time but the alcohol was really getting to them. "Hey, the gallery isn't far away. My apartment is right above it. You want to have some coffee or something?" he asked.

Hinata felt hesitant at first but she really wanted to get rid of some of the alcohol. "I'd love to" she replied, following close behind as he started in that direction. They only walked about ten minutes before they arrived at the place. Sai led her through the gallery and up to his apartment,opening the door for her. It was everything she expected an artists's place to look like. Drawings were scattered everywhere. It was a simple yet modern space which wasn't surprising either. As she looked around, her eyes caught a couple drawings that she swore resembled her but she didn't want to get too ahead of herself. "I'm so jealous of your knack for art. I wish I had a talent like this" she said, crouching down to examine a large a painting on the floor.

"What are you talking about? I've seen you dance" he retorted.

She couldn't help but blush at his comment, "Shush" she warned as she shuffled through some drawings. "That's just something that makes me...feel free." It was then that she came across yet another picture that looked like her. Her face became even more red as she looked at it but quickly hid it away before he could notice.

Sai turned the machine off and poured some coffee into two cups. He glanced over just in time to see the sketch she was looking at before she hid it away. "That's how I imagine you...that picture. This water nymph. The epitome of beauty and mystery at the same time" he explained. After preparing the coffee, he brought the two cups over, handing one to her.

Hinata was still blushing when he came over. She gingerly took the cup, still looking at him as she held it close to her chest. "Sai..."

He crouched down beside her, putting his cup down for a moment as he leaned in closer to her. "I love being around you Hinata" he whispered, leaning closer to place a soft kiss on her lips. The desire to kiss her had been burning within him for so long that seeing her here like this just made it impossible to resist. Seeing that she didn't resist him, he'd deepen the kiss, running a thumb along her cheek as he thoroughly enjoyed her lips. After a minute, he pulled away looking at her for a moment to see how she felt about this. "I hope I didn't complicate things too much. I'm sorry if I did."

The Hyuga touched her lips gently when he pulled away, shocked that she wasn't repulsed by the kiss. Did this mean she could actually accept someone else? Sai just made her feel comfortable. There was no rush with him. She hated to compare but he made her feel just as comfortable as she was with Sasuke. Somehow that was a relief because she really never thought she would find that again.

"Are you okay?" he asked nervously.

She nodded quickly, forgetting that she hadn't said anything. "Yeah, I...I loved it."

Sai lit up when he heard her and slowly moved in for another kiss. This time Hinata gave him a better welcome. A little more passion on her end to match him. Occasionally, there was be a bit of fear because she hadn't been in a situation like this is in a while. The fear of things escalating terrified her even more. The more they kissed the more excited they became. Her smaller frame seem to fit perfectly with his. Their hands were eagerly exploring each other with no shame. Sai lifted her easily and moved to the couch, laying her down with him. As they continued their heated exchange, Hinata felt a tinge of sadness. Of course she tried to stuff it down but she couldn't help it. "Stop" she whispered.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked worriedly, pulling himself off of her.

She sat up quickly, shaking her head in response to his question. As she caught her breath tears started pouring down her face.

"Hinata I-"

"No, I promise it's not you" she assured."This type of situation is just a little new for me. I just got overwhelmed."

"I understand" he'd say as he reached a hand over to wipe away her tears. Instantly, he rose to get the cups of coffee and made his way back to her, handing her cup over. "Perfect time to actually drink this now" he joked.

Hinata giggled softly when she took the cup. She took a few sips and relaxed more into the couch, thinking about what happened between them. The kiss was still very surprising to her. It went well despite the slight hiccup. As a matter of fact, she would definitely like to try again at some point.

The night continued on smoothly with more conversation. Sai explained some of his drawings and Hinata delighted in hearing his ideas. They both seemed fairly happy about the kiss but refused to mention it. After a couple hours went by Hinata finally realized it was getting really late. "I think I need to go. Training in the morning."

"I'll walk you home."

Hinata smiled before shaking her head, "No, I'll be fine. Thank you though. I had a good time tonight Sai" she'd say as she stood up. She was about to walk to the door but decided to give him another kiss before doing so. "We should do this again."

Sai's face became slightly red from the surprise kiss but he smiled anyway. "I would love to."

I hope you enjoyed it!