"Tradition wears a snowy beard, romance is always young." - John Greenleaf Whittier

Day 4:

Tradition

The Hyūga Clan were a house of secrets and carefully followed tradition. Tradition in the Hyūga scoffed at the mere idea of marrying someone you love or engage in a relationship with an outsider.

Hinata could not marry the one she loved, but she could learn to love a man she called husband. Even then, showcasing any form of affection in public was frowned upon. Even if Hinata somehow ever managed to convince Neji to so much as hold her hand, the Hyūga Elders would frown upon it.

Tradition also indicated that the Head of the family arrange a marriage and the basis of one lay purely in procreation, the perpetuation of a family line, or to form alliances. Emotional attachment was considered inconsistent and frivolous. The choice to remain single, especially when you belonged to the Main House, was considered a crime. Other than that, stating a preference was also considered improper but Hinata stubbornly remained detrimental.

She made no secret of the fact that her marriage to Neji was solely on the basis of a contract and she loved another still. Her only duty was to pop out heirs. She did not have to love her husband. In fact, her choice to remain in control of her feelings was actually met with approval. Feelings made a person weak and it was best to be devoid of them.

"There will be no second child," she whispered to Neji adamantly and he understood her fears. A second child meant that he or she would be branded with the very curse mark embossed upon Neji's own skin.

"There will be no new branding I believe for the same reason Hanabi's forehead is bare," Neji said. "The Family needs heirs. Someone in the Branch House will be named as protector. Your children will be born into the Main House."

"Ours," she corrected him.

"Ours," Neji agreed. It was easy to forget that his children would not share his destiny. It also felt odd to share something with Hinata, to talk about bringing a new life into this world together with a woman he had once hated.

"Ours," Neji repeated, tasting the word.

But it wasn't theirs.

When Hinata became with child, she witnessed a different side to her husband, one she could not have believed even existed. He, for once, was tender. His words were softer and no longer the harsh tone he always seemed to administer. He was also more caring. He started to devote more time to her and even if he didn't say it, she could tell that he was nervous.

It almost made her regret loving another. Almost. It was because of this very man that her life was as it is.

When the child was born, Neji could hear a crying in the distance. He was anxious to meet his wife and the newborn child, but tradition did not allow him in the same room as his wife during or in the aftermath of her labor.

Birthing was a private affair bestowed on women. It only allowed a hand-maiden and a midwife in attendance. The midwife was also a medical-nin so she was trusted to take care of the whole affair. The best births were considered to be those which made the least amount of fuss and noise.

But the silence seemed heavier than usual and Neji had a looming feeling of dread.

He decided to defy tradition as he made his way steadily towards her room, footsteps echoing along the corridor. Trembling fingers reached up to slide the shōji open, but they remained fixated there.

Something told him that if he pushed aside those doors, nothing would ever be the same.

He slid the door open.

The hand-maiden had already begun cleaning up. He saw the bamboo stick Hinata must have held between her teeth to keep herself from screaming in pain. It was almost in two and his sharp eyes did not miss the splinters on his wife's chin.

He saw how his wife looked just after she had given birth. Her hair was ruffled and there were remnants of pain on her face. When she saw who it was, she turned her head defiantly away, hiding her tear-strained face.

The midwife jumped up in shock at the noise of the door.

"N-Neji-sama… You… You can't be here!"

Neji once more had a foreboding feeling. She told him he couldn't be here but she should've been more aggressive. She was a seasoned midwife with her white hair indicating her experience in her field but even her tone was weak and tense as she tried to usher him away. Her white eyes were wider than usual and her face indicated that she feared punishment.

It made Neji wonder.

Neji looked around till his eyes fell on a cradle on the opposite side of the room. He started to make his way there. The midwife tried to object as she moved, but surprisingly, she was stopped by Hinata.

"Let him see the child," she said, her voice tired and hoarse but steady.

The midwife had no choice but to obey. She was a Branch Member, after all, and she was given a direct order by the heiress.

Neji looked down at the child and he wondered why he continued to feel a sense of impending doom instead of stunned affection. The child sniffed and breathed deeply, a new, innocent life. One which shouldn't be blamed for his parent's actions.

Neji felt the child's hair. They were a messy smock of blonde. There were whisker marks on his cheeks and Neji sighed. For the final confirmation, Neji gently nudged the child awake.

The child's eyes popped open as he looked at him, a most startling shade of blue. The child's eyes were not the pupil-less lavender, and neither were they white with a tinge of lilac. The child did not possess the Byakugan and might never will.

The child's eyes were a brightest shade of blue imaginable.

Neji sunk down on his knees. It was like he had almost expected it because he didn't say a word. It was like he had always known and in fact, he had known. It was no secret.

Just like him, Hinata had defied tradition. She had loved an outsider and had given birth to his child. And yet still, he did not hate her; he couldn't. Instead, he feared for his wife's safety and the inevitable wrath of the family.