Disclaimer: From now on, for every fanfic that I do, the disclaimer is going to be on the first chapter. Only the first chapter. Got it? Once is enough.
oOo
The Gate
By: thundersister
Take me away-
Previous Chapter:
"You-" His accusation cut short when the stranger set his bow next to his hip and a sharp sound whizzed through the air. An arrow shot into his very neck.
The stranger disappeared.
"Hi-na-" His vision turned red, then faded to black.
-
Chapter 1
-
"Hinata-sama!" Neji shot up from his laying position on the floor. He huffed heavily as cold sweat trickled down the sides of his face, his breath taking form of a white cloud before disappearing into the air.
"Um…" a small voice sounded from his door.
He looked to see his younger cousin, his favorite, pushing backwards to the door, shakily clutching the tray of food in her hands.
"Ah," Neji's breathing evened," Hinata-sama, did I scare you?"
The bright-eyed Hyuuga calmed as well, timidly getting up to place the tray next to her cousin's futon. "A little." She smiled at him. "A bad dream?"
"Yes." Neji picked a hair tie from his wrist and bound his long tresses into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. He picked up his chopsticks and bowl and proceeded to eat.
Hinata watched him, unmoving. It irked him, having to be watched over by her.
'It should be the other way around,' Neji thought. He growled bitterly, "Aren't you tired of watching me, Hinata-sama? Am I so weak that I need your protection?"
The girl didn't look fazed in the slightest. Instead, she looked understanding. "You shouldn't let pride get the best of you, Neji-niisan. You are the only one in our clan who stood up to the Suna army and survived. That in itself is an honor."
Neji kept silent and continued eating.
-
Kick. Punch. Duck. Dodge. Kick. Punch. Duck. Dodge. The cycle repeats.
Neji could only watch in envy as Hinata relentlessly beat the bamboo dummy. His arms itched to do the same but were held back by the cocoons of bandages and wood boards encasing them.
"Hyaa! Keh! No mercy!" Hinata cried, pushing her palm into the area where the heart would be. A few seconds passed by with no incident. Then the dummy blasted across the dojo, its many broken parts drumming against the wall. She turned to Neji with a tired smile. "How was that?"
"Too slow." A voice spoke up from behind him. Neji turned around. It was his other cousin Hanabi. "You need to practice harder if you plan on even surviving the Suna Nin with a leg or two missing."
Hinata didn't say anything, her face remaining ever passive. But Neji saw the corners of her lips twitch down ever so slightly. Nothing escaped his mindful eye.
-
The two cousins walked along the dirt trail, wooden sandals crunching the ground. Sakura trees in full bloom grew in parallel rows as if framing the path. The wind blew and stray sakura petals contrasted against the black Hyuuga hair.
"Thank you, Neji-niisan," Hinata beamed at her older cousin," for helping me with the groceries."
"It's not a problem."
Hinata peeked inside one of her cloth bags. "Hm?" She stopped walking, put down one of her bags, and looked inside the other one.
"What's wrong?" Neji asked.
Hinata whimpered quietly. "I forgot the tofu."
Neji smiled. "It's ok. Just leave your bags and get it. I'll wait here."
"Okay! I'll be quick," Hinata said, dashing up to the other side of the hill.
-
It's been a while and still no sign of the Hyuuga heir. Neji, assuming that Hinata wasn't coming anytime soon, sat against one of the sakura trees, the grocery bags next to him.
A rustle sounded, coming from the direction Hinata didn't go to. Neji tensed.
"Neji," a female voice said from the bottom of the hill.
The prodigy's eyes widened. "Tenten…"
The girl smiled small, walking up towards him," It's been a while, eh, Neji…kun."
He stood, brushing the dirt off his hakama without taking his eyes off hers. "Yes, it has, Tenten-chan."
"So… uh, how's life?"
"It has its days."
"Ah, I see…" Tenten pursed her lips with nervousness, wringing her sweaty hands together. A pregnant pause lapsed between the two.
"So what are you really wanting to talk to me about, Tenten-chan," Neji questioned, eyes flashing with slight annoyance as he stressed the suffix sarcastically.
Beads of sweat formed on the sides of her head. "…I'm getting married next month."
"Oh, really? I'm so happy for you." Neji's face lit up, showing genuine happiness for his friend. "To who?"
Tenten, however, didn't look as joyous. "I don't have to get married…"
"What?" Neji was perplexed.
Tenten looked at him desperately," I don't have to go through with this," she choked out," After all these years; I know that you still love me. Neji, please! Just say the word, and I can cancel the whole wedding."
"No, you can't ditch your own wedding for me," Neji replied humbly, seemingly calm but motioning to grab the groceries and run.
As the Chinese girl and the Hyuuga boy talked, Hinata returned from the market. She spied the two so she ventured closer, hiding behind a tree as soon as she came into hearing range.
"Yes, I can, Neji. Don't push me away. I know you still love me too."
Neji grasped the bags and headed up the hill. "Go home, Tenten," he called out," Go home and marry your fiancé."
"I know about Hinata, Neji!" Tenten yelled.
The prodigy froze in his tracks. "What?"
"Don't lie to me, Neji," the Chinese girl whispered mournfully," I know that when your father died, he made you promise-"
"Don't say it." Neji growled, but her voice became louder with each word.
"-made you promise to love and serve the Main Family no matter how much they made you suffer. So you say you love Hinata when you really don-"
"I said, stop it."
"-you don't really love her, Neji! You can't love out of loyalty!"
"I said, shut up!"
Tenten stood frozen in fear, nowhere to turn but the glare of furious Byakugan eyes. Stuttering before she finally found the last assurance she needed to whisper again," …you can't love out of loyalty, Neji."
Neji stepped closer to her, his face inches from hers in intimidation. "Get this straight, Tenten-san," his breath fanned against her cheeks," I never loved you."
With that, the Hyuuga trudged off to the other side of the hill, leaving her to crumble. Half out of heartbreak. Half out of fear.
-
Hinata couldn't believe what she just heard. But that wasn't too surprising to her. Deep down, she knew all along. Neji loved her… out of obligation.
"That's not love…" Hinata murmured softly.
"Hinata-sama? What are you doing there?" Neji asked. There he found her, crouched behind the sakura tree and holding the tub of tofu.
"I, uh, nothing," Hinata blushed, embarrassed," I was thinking of going to the bathroom, but, um, I decided to hold it."
Neji seemed oblivious to what she was really thinking and so remained understanding. "Then let's head home as fast as we can."
"…Yes."
-
Tenten cried quietly. Drops of tears cascaded down her cheek and merged with the bath water lined up to her neck.
There was a knock on the door. "Tenten-sama? We have received a letter from Kankurou-dono in Suna about his marriage proposal. He would like an answer as soon as possible."
Tenten took a deep breath and ducked her head beneath the water. After a good minute, she rose up, all traces of crying gone and replaced with a composed façade. "Tell him, I do. I accept his marriage proposal."
"Right away, Tenten-sama."
-
The day flew pass and the confrontation with the Chinese girl had almost seemed forgotten. The rest of the family had retired into their own rooms for the night, leaving Hinata and Neji alone.
"Oyasumi nasai, Hinata-sama," Neji bowed, turning to go to his room.
"Neji."
Surprised at the absence of his usual suffix, he stopped. "Yes, Hinata?"
"…it's nothing." Neji pivoted to see her bowing. "Oyasumi nasai, Neji-niisan." The heir hastily scurried to her room and shut the door.
"…What was that about?"
-
The next morning, Neji woke to loud rumbling, shouting, and running. He covered his yawn, stretching out his other arm. Shrugging on a hakama, he slid the shoji door open.
The cluttering and pattering of servants running to and fro greeted Neji. Some were just panicking. Others were darting around with buckets of soapy red water.
"What's going on here?" Neji sighed, still somewhat sleepy.
No one acknowledged him. Except Hanabi.
"Neji-niisan, you're awake!" she cried, scampering up to him with tears in her eyes," It's awful! I don't know what happened! I asked everyone how it happened! No one knows!"
"Hanabi!" Neji tried to keep her still.
"I think it might be those Suna bastards! But Otou-san thinks it might be Uchi-"
"Hanabi!" Neji grabbed hold of his younger cousin's shoulders," You're not making any sense! What's going on?"
"The heir is missing!" She sobbed.
"What? I can't understand you!" This unclear situation was really grating on his last nerves."
"The heir!" Hanabi repeated, shrilling," Hinata-neesan's been kidnapped!"
-
End Chapter
oOo
AN: Yes, I know that the plot is rolling along quite slowly. But don't worry. I shall slowly but surely guide you through until Ino has arrived into the scene. (Which, hopefully, won't be too long from now.)
For those who aren't quite loving the NejiHina right now. No worries. It will all end very soon… Uh, I just gave it away now, didn't I?