Author: Silver Star Dragon
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Pairings:
Main: Hinata/Gaara
Past: Hikaru/Hiashi, Mai/Mamoru
Secondary: Ino/Shino, Timoko/Genma
Rating: PG-13 (May go higher)
Timeline: Hinata is nearing her 19th birthday.
White Dove's Legacy
The Kuraku Compound was huge! Hinata had always thought that the Hyuga Compound was the largest, but it didn't hold a candle to this place. The Main House was made of stone and wood with white paint around the windows and trim around the roof. She could see flower gardens of many different flowers. The Compound was surrounding by a 10 foot tall wall with its gates guarded by 2 Lung dragons. Mai and her daughters had entered though Tukiyo and Hazuki were waiting for her.
"Uh, why don't you come on in? Whatca waiting on?" Hinata heard a male's voice, yet could not find the source.
"Hel-ello? Is so-ome-on-one the-ere?" Hazuki gave her a slightly amused look.
"Hinata, above you." Hinata looked up and noticed that the Lung dragons were not in the same position as before and were currently moving! The green dragon waved a clawed foot.
"Hi there, Lady Dove. I'm Dipper," He pointed a claw at the blue dragon on the other side of the gate that bowed its head, "That's Skipper. We're the Gate Guardians. A jutsu that works on statues. Normally, we wouldn't talk unless spoken to, but we thought we'd say hi." Hinata could feel more than a little shock. She was starting to feel dizzy.
"I think we broke her. Lady Dark Moon, uh help?" Skipper looked at Hazuki.
"Come on Hinata, why don't you lie down and when you feel up to it, you can look around." Hinata could only nod. Tukiyo took Hinata's hand and led her into the home. They went thru several hallways to come to a white door with a dove sitting on a knot. Tukiyo opened the door to a room colored in lavender and white. She led Hinata thru the first room into a second where a king size bed dressed in white and lavender sheets. She helped Hinata into the bed and removed her slippers for her before pulling a blanket off the foot of the bed.
"I-I fe-ell col-old." Hinata started to shake. With shock come the shakes. Tukiyo placed a hand on Hinata's arm. Hinata could feel chakra flowing into her. It was warm and yet there is something dark about it. Hinata felt herself falling into a deep sleep.
"Rest Hinata," the hand went away. "Sleep and be at peace."
Hazuki had remained with the dragons as Tukiyo led Hinata to her new room. She was quite angry at the Hyuga Clan. How dare they treat a member of the Kuraku Clan like dirt? How dare they kill a member! Hazuki's felt her jaw clench. The Hyuga dared because of their leader. Hiashi had abused his privilege of being a leader and a father. He should be protecting Hinata; she'd be the leader that he always wanted if he had protected her instead of beating the hell out of her.
"Dipper! Skipper! I have a name for you. Neji Hyuga. He is to be allowed to enter without many or any problems."
"Yes Dark Moon." Skipper resumed the guard position while Dipper lowered his head to speak again.
"Is there something else you want to tell us?"
"Hinata is to assume the position as the Clan's Dove." Dipper nodded. "There were attempts on Hinata's life in the Hyuga Household. I believe that it is the Hyuga Household that wants her dead."
"Then we will allow only the Hyuga Lord and Neji Hyuga to enter." Hazuki nodded. She looked at her home, her eyes glassed over.
"Momma's calling. There is a meeting."
Hisa Hyuga was pissed. Mustn't frown. Creates wrinkles. She smoothed her brown hair back and like a wave everything returned. She had everything in her grasp. Everything! Hinata was going to be sealed and made a servant to her and Hanabi, revenge that she always wanted, and it was taken from her by a simple piece of paper!
Flashback to after Hinata left for her room.
"If you do not return Hinata to this Clan, we will take her. The Contract between the Hyuga and Kuraku if breached, gives me the right to take her by force." Mai announced.
"You dare threaten us?" Hisa snarled. "We are all here and you only have a few-"
"You are dealing with the Kuraku Clan, don't think foolishly." Mai looked at the Elders "If you think the Hokage will help you, think again. Oath breakers don't get much help from the Council. In truth I thought better of you. You, who hold tradition, close. I never thought you would make me remind you I can force you."
"You high-up bitch!" Hisa hissed. She could feel Hiashi's gaze on her, but was too angry to care.
"You are not in position to talk." Mai snapped.
"Enough!" Hiashi stood and turned to Hisa. "You have what you wanted Hisa. Your daughter is Heir. Hinata belongs to the Kuraku now."
"We are one of the founding Clans; we do not cater to her Clan."
"I am here as a messager for the 2 other founding Clans." Shibi Aburame said coming forward. The third, the Uchiha, was not present in such matters, nor did they care to represent him anyway.
"Since it is well known and documented the abuse that Hinata has suffered, we feel that she would be safer with her mother's family. Since she is a ninja of Konoha, we are enraged that you would treat her as such." Shibi's kikai beetles were making their buzzing noises loudly.
"She is weak! A pathetic little half-breed." Elder Yuuma snarled.
"So are you. You were in my mother's genin team. She told me your Byakugan is so weak it was like you were a tenth Hyuga." Yuuma actually flushed. "In fact, I do believe that Hinata's Byakugan is stronger than yours."
"So that's it, isn't it? You want the Byakugan. You're no better than an S-rank Missing-nin."
"That's not true and you know why. I have never liked the Byakugan. You know that. What does the Byakugan see? It sees everything. If Hinata sees everything, she will know everything. Now why, truly why would I want the Byakugan to show me something I already know?" Mai shook her head. "This is pointless. Lord Hiashi, you've already given me Hinata. You said that you would not brand her, promised it. In one month, Hanabi becomes your Heir. In two months, I will hold a ceremony and Hinata will become my daughter. She will become the Kuraku Dove and will hold all of Hikaru's holdings. She won't need anyone. Let's just leave it at that."
"Those holdings belong to the Hyuga Clan!" Hisa shouted.
"Wrong again. When Hikaru died, the certainty of those holdings becoming Hyuga holdings was shaken. When you gave Hinata up, those holdings become Hinata's." Hisa's rage was almost out-of-bounds. But when one of the daughters had spoken to Mai, she had informed them that it was time to leave. They had bided them a good day and left to collect Hinata.
Back to present
"I almost had that girl." Hisa paced her room with her daughter sitting on the bed. Hisa and Hiashi had never shared the same bed. He had always gone to her. Hikaru and Hiashi had shared the same bed. It stung her pride when she found that that he scrubbed himself raw after he left her bed. She had thought that after Hanabi was born, a full-blooded daughter that he would throw Hinata away and then she could have everything. But no, he merely stared at Hanabi and gave her a name.
"Mother, what about the ceremony? Can't we move it up?" Hanabi was referring to ceremony that would make her Heir. Even though her father had told the Clan that Hinata wasn't the Heir anymore, Hanabi still could not be considered Heir until the other Clans acknowledged it.
"Unfortately, your father will not change his mind. Must not make it look like we were hoping for this."
"So Hinata can still be considered Clan Heir. She's only good to us dead." Hanabi failed to notice her mother's face. The look that could only be considered thoughtful. A knock on the door startled the look away as Yuuma, Clan Elder and Hisa's father entered.
"That fool! Hikaru must have done something for him to refuse to brand that simpering bitch. And here I thought that I had thought of everything-"
"Well old man it appears different." Hisa sneered.
"Don't speak to your father in that tone of voice." Yuuma said, taken aback.
"What if Hinata weren't alive?" Hanabi asked suddenly. She didn't care if they fought, but she'd like a good punch or two.
"Then you would be heir no questions asked... ah" Yuuma's face lit up. "It seems that Hanabi has not only your good looks but your brains as well. If we kill Hinata in the first month, we will get the holdings and certainly the title. If we kill Hinata in 2 months-"
"The holdings become ours." Hisa chuckled. "And my dear husband... we will have to reunite him with his beloved Hikaru. Then the Hyuga Clan will be ours to purge out the useless and weak of every bloodline and rule the five ninja countries."
"Indeed. Perfect." No one knew who spoke there. No one cared.
Mai and her five daughters all met up in Mai's office. Timoko was looking at a picture of Mai and her team from when she was genin. Hiashi Hyuga was the same as always. Neji often reminded her of him. The same smirk and the same hair. Timoko couldn't remember a time when Neji's father was still around. Probably because he never came around, regret that he couldn't protect his teammate and sister-in-law from death. Mai had changed. Her once golden hair was turning silver-white, though her blue eyes were timeless. Mamoru, their father and Mai's teammate had been born with blond hair and blue-gray eyes. Timoko often wondered what her father might have looked like now if he was still alive. Their sensei, Kenji had died some years back from a poison that the Hokage could not cure, but then he was getting up there in years.
"Timoko." The oldest turned to her mother. "You are still a Wolf of the ANBU."
"I have... a place I need to go. A man I..." She wasn't sure why, but she was uncertain. She didn't want to tell her mother about him. About the man she loved.
"I understand. Do you want the others to take notes for you during this meeting?" The five quintuplets were sitting quietly waiting.
"No, mother. Let's begin." Mai nodded.
"The first matter of business is Hikaru's death. Shibi wants to help find her killer." Mai looked over at her second oldest quintuplet. "Did you sense anything, Mitzuki?" The quintuplet in a black with pink cherry blossoms and a brown obi nodded.
"Hate, fear, anger, disgust, and something else. Something that reminded me of secrets that should be kept locked away. Something that I only feel around those who speak of Orochimaru or the nin-tailed Fox."
"Mother Hikaru's killer was there the whole time! Someone in that room knows the truth!" Yuzuki slammed her fist into the black cherry wood desk.
"I agree she'd have to have been. Problem is that, while they didn't like her, she was still their lady."
"And why her? Why just her? Why not Hinata as well?" Timoko asked thoughtfully.
"Hmmm... there is another factor in this we haven't covered." Tsukiko, the eldest quintuplet brought up. "If Hiashi dies between now and 1 month, Hinata is still Heir. Just because he disowned her to his Clan, doesn't mean he disowned her to Konoha. But, if Hinata dies between now and 2 months, Hyuga Clan gets her holdings, and she's no longer a factor in the line for the Hyuga title."
"You're right, good thinking Tsukiko. Question is who knows all of this besides us?"
"Her Clan, the Council, and the Hokage."
"3 too many." Timoko said leaning against the wall. "So how do we protect her?"
"Gaara. Hinata and Gaara are best friends." Hazuki blurted out. Timoko raised an eyebrow.
"The Kazekage?"
"Do we know any other Gaara?"
"Rather not." Mai looked between her oldest and her youngest.
"What are you 2 talking about?" Mai asked. Mummers of "yeah fill us in" filtered in from around the room.
"Hinata and Gaara are the best of friends. Gaara sometimes comes to Konoha on a little mission, one that Temari could handle, just to see how she's doing. Its going to get to him that Hinata's been disowned. When he gets here, we can explain the situation and maybe he'd be willing to throw in his 2 cents worth of help in for a friend. And," Hazuki added cheerfully, "Everyone knows that they hold candle for one another."
"Yes, I see your plan. Okay, tomorrow, when you can, Hazuki talk to Gaara. Meanwhile, the rest of us are going to help Hinata settle in and let her friends know that she's here. We need to find out what she enjoys and what she doesn't. We are going to make her stay here as pleasant as possible. Understand?" Everyone nodded. "Timoko you are excused from helping us if you do not want to on the account that you have a side interest."
"How did you..." Timoko had been so careful.
"Honey, I've seen the way Genma has looked at you. I see the way he looks at you now. It's alright. I want you, as I want everyone to be happy." Timoko smiled and nodded. She strapped on her mask and then vanished out a dark corner. Mai looked at her remaining daughters.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"