Translations:
Jiyuu - Freedom, Tsubasa - Wing, Kyu - Nine

Theme Set Delta 1/5

1. Hurt

Naruto slammed into the corner wall and the edge dug between his shoulder blades. He locked his jaw and turned back to stare into the eyes of an enraged Hyuuga Neji.

"You were supposed to protect her!" Neji roared in the hallway of the ICU. "You were supposed to protect her!"

"I…I…" Naruto grinded his teeth together, there were no words he could say.

Sakura and Sasuke rounded the hallway to look in alarm at the Hyuuga who had Naruto by the cloth of his shirt. They hurried over to try to pull the other man off their teammate.

"How could you let her get hurt!" Neji demanded.

Naruto slashed his hand down in front of Sasuke and Sakura. "Don't!" He said sharply as they tried to touch Neji.

The Hyuuga shook him. "Answer me, Uzumaki!"

Naruto turned back to the angry, desperate man and gently cup his cheek. "I can't." He said softly. "I can't, Neji. I'm sorry. I let her get hurt. I let you down. I'm sorry."

Neji's jaw clenched tight and white eyes shone in the dim light. Naruto carefully wrapped his hands around the other man and tucked the pale face into his neck, so he could hide the pained expression from the world, and shot a hard look at his teammates so they backed off. Neji was frightened, Neji was crying, and it was his fault; but he'd be damned if the rest of the world were allowed to see it.

2. Freedom

"Chichiue." Jiyuu said stoically next to his father in the morning light. "What would you say if I told you I found something to protect; to die and live for?"

Neji turned his head towards his son calmly. "I would say that is a good thing."

"Even if the Hyuuga would not accept it?" Jiyuu asked desperately. "Even if it would not be considered appropriate? Even if others would shun, degrade, be repulsed by it?"

"Jiyuu." Neji replied, moving to touch his son's face and running his thumb over the cheek bone. "We named you that because how you live your life is up to you. Your mother and I have worked our best so we can offer you all the choices you can get. But ultimately, your fate if your own. It is up to you to decide what you would do with your life." He bent and kissed the clear, smooth skin of his son's forehead. "If what you found is worth everything you believe it is, then believe in it."

3. Chair

Neji went from unconsciousness to instant alertness. His last memory was walking into too quiet quarters and being hit in the back of the head before sinking into rapid oblivion. Now as his eyes opened he took in that he was tied firmly to a chair and as he tested his bounds, the knots were done well. His weapons were gone and his hands tied to the arms of the chair on each side.

His eyes flashed from one corner to another, blinking in confusion as he seemed to be in his own room. He pulled at his restraints once more but they did not loosen. He worked at the trappings and tried to slide a hand free. He looked down to realize he had been undressed and all he wore was his pants and his sleeveless undershirt. He narrowed his eyes, if this was another of Naruto's pranks…

The shoji doors slid open almost soundlessly and he jerked his head back up to stare menacingly at the visitor except to feel his face muscles become slack and his jaw sag open.

Hinata stood on the threshold of the doorway wearing nothing but a pair of indecent red panties which were held up by a bow on each side of her hip. On top was a matching sheer silk thin strap tank with a slit in the middle going all the way up from the bottom to the valley of her breasts, showing the large expanse of her smooth, flat stomach and the under curves of her chest. She leaned onto the side of the door and jutted out her hip, crossing her arms, which made her ample breasts thrust out more. Her hair was shimmering and flowed down over her shoulders like a stream, her lips were glossy with the same red as her outrageous outfit. Her cheeks were slightly flushed but her face was set into the determined expression that he had learned to take seriously.

He swallowed painfully through his suddenly dry throat and strained against his bindings. "Hi-Hinata-sama." He said hoarsely. "Wh-what?" He was incoherent.

Hinata seemed to brace herself mentally, pulling her shoulder back, stepping through the doorway, and closing the door behind her. "Naruto-kun said I should be straight forward, up front about it." She told him as her hips swayed with each approaching step and the silk top fluttering out behind her. "As clear as I could make it."

He pulled desperately at his restraints but they did not give. He wiggled his arms and legs which made the chair shake. He stopped, froze when she was in front of him and slid her legs up by his hip, straddling him. He made a low keening sound.

"That way," she continued, gripping the back of the chair beyond his head, turning her face to align with his and breathed the words onto his lips, "there would be no mistakes about my intentions. And if you reject me, you reject me." She paused a hair breath away and gave a shaky smile, revealing her uncertainty for the first time. "But Naruto-kun said you'd be a fool to."

She flicked her tongue over his upper lip and he gasped at the wet contact. She leaned down and melded their mouths together: lips on lips, mouth on mouth, tongue on tongue. The heat scorched through his system and he pulled at the restrictive bindings, angrily he shot charka through his inner coils and out of his opening points, snapping the restraints and demolishing the chair.

"Hinata." He rasped standing up, she wrapped her legs around his waist and he gave a low moan, quickly carrying her over to his bed.

4. Shower

"Naruto-kun, I brought your-" Hinata called coming in from the entry, plastic bags in one hand, the other dangling a set of keys that was lent to her for running errands.

She cut off as she looked up to see Naruto standing down the hallway, walking out of the bathroom, dripping wet and naked, wide eyed with a half-astonished half-frightened look in her direction. She gaped. Water clung to his hair and body, sparkling in the sunset, skin glowing with hues of beige orange, hair shining a deeper shade of gold. A droplet fell from messy bangs down his nose, tickled past his neck, trailed along well defined chest and abdomen muscles-

She dropped the bags and slammed the door shut behind her as she left. Her cheeks burned, her face feverish, and her eyes shone.

Naruto woke the next morning smothered by a vengeful Neji delivering a stack of new towels.

5. Flower

We're fated.

"I saw you with the cutey last night." Mikizi said slyly, poking her in the ribs. "You guys were aw-full-y cozy."

Hinata flushed and tried to squirm out of her reach, shifting in the bench seat of the café. "It, it was nothing."

Mikizi giggled. "Nothing? I could have sworn he kissed you, and we couldn't even get close to you for the rest of the night. Every time we tried, you guys disappeared in the crowd!"

"There, there wasn't any space on the dance floor and I was looking for you guys." Hinata protested.

"Sure." Mikizi was not so naive. "In the end we just left a voice mail on your phone, good thing you got it." Hinata sunk low in her seat. "So did you get to know each other well?"

"He-I-no one can talk over the volume of the music." Hinata mumbled. "I might not ever see him again."

Mikizi hummed. It was the way things were when going to a dance club, but the man had been beautiful and she had hoped he would help Hinata come out of her shell. "Hrm, well, we'll just have to find you someone better." She smiled at the shy girl. "I'm going to the bathroom, be right back."

Hinata watched her friend disappear into the hallway of the small coffee shop and sighed. The man she had bumped into in front of the mall, and then at the club, had been gorgeous and charismatic, but also older and sophisticated. What would a man like that want with an insecure girl like her?

It had been a nice time out of place, other then those few words they hadn't spoken much to each other. He had simply held her close as the hours passed and had wordlessly given her a lift home in his car. His gaze had been tender as he opened the car door for her and pushed back a length of hair.

But she didn't even know his name. All she knew was that he was older, drove a very nice car, dressed maturely, and by appearances, a very successful businessman.

She sat up in her seat and swirled the soon in her coffee. It had been a nice experience, usually the opposite gender did not pay her much attention, she was too shy and quiet, and she liked fading into the background more than dressing flashy. The bell to the entrance rung, signaling another customer for the store and Hinata leaned back on the cushioned bench seat to stare out the window at the street.

She wondered absent mindedly how long Mikizi was going to take and heard approaching footsteps. She turned – and was met with a riot of vibrant colors, a mix of sweet and subtle scents; chicory, cosmos, foxglove, lilies, cypress, bellflowers mixed in a large bouquet. She reached around the wrap and pushed the flowers down, blinking into white, crystal eyes.

"Hello." He said, releasing the bouquet into her arms, sliding into the bench next to her.

"H-hello." She squeaked back, face flaming, hands scrunching the bouquet wrapping.

A warm arm wound around her waist, pulling her closer to the body of solid heat, and she hid her blushing face into the mix of colors. The sound of tapping footsteps which Hinata now knew had to be Mikizi returning, and they faltered a small distance away, when the owner spotted the image that awaited her back at the table.

"Hello." Mikizi's voice greeted friendly, sliding back into her seat.

A thumb traced soft circles on Hinata's hip and she squirmed, burying her face deeper into the bouquet. "Hello."

6. Regret

In the end it isn't Naruto who deals the killing blow.

"Sasuke, come back." Naruto coaxed and pleaded one more time.

The dark haired avenger, whom had wrecked his vengeance two months before, shook in compressed anger at the blonde in front of him. "Come back? To what?"

"Come back." Naruto pleaded as the rest of his squad mates who had come with him watched the interaction silently. "To Konoha. To Team 7. Kakashi-sensei and Sakura-chan are still waiting for you."

"I don't care about them!" He shouted. "It was never her I wanted waiting for me!"

Naruto blinked. "Sasuke…what do you mean?"

"It was you I wanted waiting for me!"

Naruto blinked because he does not know what to say. "Sasuke…what do you mean?"

"It was you, you idiot!" Sasuke roared, red faced and teeth snapping. "YOU! But you never got it, did you? You never understood! And now, now," dark black eyes flashing red focused on the hickey that Naruto unknowingly forgot to hide, "you're with him!"

Frustrated, shaking fingers pointed to the impassive, tall, pale, white-eyed man who did not react to the accusation.

"You were supposed to wait for me!" Sasuke screamed at the astonished blonde. "You were supposed to come after me. You were supposed to follow me. You weren't supposed to forget me!"

Naruto was speechless in the face of this tirade, which only made Sasuke angrier.

"YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO LOVE ME!"

"He did." Neji said calmly, and every face snapped to his direction, but white eyes stared back only at the furious avenger, ignoring pleading blue eyes which begged him not to reveal what had been confided. "He did love you. But then he moved on, because you weren't there, and you had to revive your clan, and he found some other people who loved him." He stared at the shocked, frozen man. "You lost your chance Uchiha."

7. Broken

He was terrified and nervous but one couldn't tell by looking at him. He pushed down the anxiety and tried to keep his erratic heartbeat normal. His face was impassive and body relaxed, though the lines of his eyes were tight and his shoulders were tense under the forced droop.

She turned from the counter with the tea tray and tried to give him a warm smile. "Sorry, Neji-niisan, I ran out of snacks,"

He blurted it out before he lost his courage. "Marry me."

Tray, china cups, and teapot smashed against the table top. "What? What did you just say?"

8. Candy

It trickles out of his foot locker and he stares disbelieving at the sight of the single golden ribbon wrapped bag. It is the size of his fist, blue in color, and in the shape of an egg with frills on top.

He has never received Valentine's Day chocolate before, and although unsigned, this is a most precious gift. Bright blue eyes are resolved to find the gift giver and tell them how much he appreciates the present.

Two various points behind him he does not see the bully Sasuke grow rigid and his jealously clear to the world as he stares from Naruto's happy face to the distasteful blue bag, and Neji is stiff in his corner, recognizing the familiar cloth and knowing the origin of the chocolate.

Two aloof, socially awkward boys watch angrily as the objects of their affection make contact for the first time.

9. Tree

It's still there, 20 years later, in the middle of Kami-knows-where, the centre of a forest they had gotten lost in and somehow found themselves again. The mark on the wood has lessened, years eroding the damage, but the claw marks are still clear on the bark and trunk.

This was where a great battle happened, a teacher lectured 15 years ago. This was the left over sign of one later known Great Legends.

This was where a genin took on a genin in a power fight fit for jounin, ANBU guards remarked 10 years ago. This was where Sand and Leaf clashed in volatile battle.

This was where Dad fought, a blue-eyed man whispered to his Hyuuga twin 5 years ago. This was where a maelstrom of power exploded to fight off invaders.

Dad fought here, Tsubasa thinks and kisses the uneven grooves gently. Dad fought here – and won. So she would not worry over her Hokage, because he was strong and determined and he had already won so many impressive battles even before she had been born. So Hyuuga Tsubasa will not worry and simply smiles as her brothers coming running, half frantic in search for her in the midnight forest, waiting for them in the tree where the beginnings of a legend began.

10. Jutsu

A moment, a seal, a burst of charka, the realization that she had not done the correct sequence they had laid out in their minds –

Hinata smashes too-gentle finger tips into the torso and spins her arms flowing in the air, her allies and enemies alike watch as charka lines swim into existence and she turns, twisting in a blue background, a shimmering tidal wave coming into existence behind her, and swallows the attacking battle lines in an unprecedented move.

. : tbc : .