Define Destiny

A/N: I just had so much trouble writing this chapter. I kept on fixing parts, adding stuff, taking away stuff. It was frustrating to say the least. I felt it would be easier updating now that summer had started but it seems the laziness has affected me too. To let you know, I promise that in time, more about Hikari's plans will be revealed. A reviewer wanted to know how long the story was going to be: to tell the truth, I really have no idea. I guess as long as it takes to wrap it all up. But you can put an estimate at 15-20 chapters or so.

Oh, and thanks for all the reviews! I really appreciate them and had to look back several times to get inspired. Well, I hope you at least enjoy this chapter just a bit. Remember to review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Hinata, or any other character.

Chapter 8

She knelt on a tatami mat, across from another upon which Hikari sat. There were several feet of space between them. She shifted on the mat, trying to get the feeling back into her left leg. The silence was unbearable. Hinata felt terribly uncomfortable under Hikari's gaze. The woman would just stare and stare at her.

"I have some news for you."

Her heart skipped a beat. She clasped her hands together on her lap, her grip on her fingers tight. She willed herself to calm down. It might not be bad news, she thought, though her instincts told her it was.

She opened her eyes and looked around, a small smile on her face. "Ready or not, here I come." she said softly. She caught sight of a shadow darting behind a screen door and stifled a giggle. Her cousin sure picked the most obvious hiding places.

She quickly, yet sneakily, made her way to the suspected door and pulled it open. Crouching down on the floor was Hyuga Neji. He muttered something under his breath before looking up at her with wide eyes. "You found me," he said incredulously, straightening. "You've gotten better."

"Really?"

"Yep!"

Her smile widened; she glad at hearing a compliment from her cousin. Neji began walking into the house but she took hold of his hand and tugged him in the opposite direction. He looked at her, an eyebrow raised. "We still have to find oji-sama." she said, still tugging him in the direction of the gardens.

He sighed and nodded, aware of the fact that she didn't want to go alone.

They rounded a corner and searched several hallways, occasionally glancing in the rooms. They had fun looking for her uncle, Neji's father. Exchanging jokes quietly, laughing, and thinking aloud about where he could be hiding.

Then it all came crashing down when they turned their umpteenth corner, onto the Hyuga gardens.

Hyuga Hizashi lay on the floor in a tremendous amount of pain while an angry looking Hikari towered over him. She was shouting incomprehensible words at him, her complexion flushed. The cloth usually wrapped around Hizashi's head had fluttered to the floor, leaving his forehead exposed. The cursed seal that marked him as a member of the branch family was glowing an ominous green.

"Otou-san!" shouted Neji, breaking into a run.

Hikari whirled around at his yell, a scowl appearing on her lips. Her eyes narrowed and she growled, "Come closer and you'll regret it, brat."

Neji kept on running, ignoring her, knowing she had caused his father's pain. Hikari furiously grabbed the back of Neji's shirt as he ran by and shoved him to the floor. He slid on the wood floor and hit a door rather loudly.

"Neji-nii-san!" Hinata called, tears flowing down her cheeks. She was frozen at the end of the hallway, terrified. She had never seen one of the Elders act this way. Hikari slowly turned to her and a fake smile replaced the scowl. "Hinata-chan, why don't you run along?" she said, as though nothing had happened. "You might get hurt playing around here."

She moved to the little girl, hoping to quiet her sobs. At this rate, a servant was sure to come to see what was causing such noise.

"Don't!" she pleaded. "Don't h-hurt Neji-nii-san and oji-sama anymore…" Her head hurt, she wanted to sleep and forget it all.

Hikari's eyes darkened at hearing the girl speak at her that way. She knelt down in front of her and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at her. "You have no right to speak to me like that." she hissed.

"Leave her alone!" shouted Neji, struggling to get up.

"You," she said. "Have no right either."

"Hikari, get your hands off of her!" was the sharp order that made her back away from Hinata. A very, very mad Hiashi stood a few feet away, flanked by the other Elders. Hinata scrambled up from the floor and threw herself against her father, burying her face in his clothes, breathing in the familiar scent.

"What have you done?" gasped one of the Elders. The man moved to the unconscious Hizashi and peered at him. The look on his face became grave. "If you had held the seal activated for a few more seconds, he would have died." He and two servants gathered up Hizashi and left, glancing at Hikari with disappointed looks at they did.

A woman, another Elder, tried to comfort a trembling Neji, telling him everything would be okay.

"You are a disgrace." spat Hiashi at Hikari. "You do not deserve the position you have been given. A person like you deserves to be in the Branch house."

She flinched and looked down, her gaze on the floor. "I was out of place, I admit." she whispered. "I hope I can be forgiven."

Hiashi's look did not soften. "I cannot do that." He turned and began walking away, holding Hinata to his side. The young girl glanced back as they turned the corner and met Hikari's eyes. The woman was glaring at her darkly, the hatred in her eyes apparent, and a hint of jealously present too. A chill went down her spin and Hinata looked away, confused, and buried her face in her father's clothes again. She hoped Hikari wouldn't ever look at her like that.

Hinata was never left alone in Hikari's presence for several years following that incident, but as of late, the opposite kept on happening. Perhaps nobody bothered to stop this since she was older, though she found herself wishing things to be as they had been before.

Hikari let out a sigh, as if relaying the news really was that hard for her to do, as if she really felt bad for Hinata. She was sure the woman was laughing gleefully inside, the glint in her pale eyes only confirming that suspicion.

"It seems that I was not the only one to notice your unnatural behavior," she began, her eyes meeting Hinata's. "And the Elders met and discussed it." She paused, the corner of her mouth lifting the slightest bit.

"They have decided on an arranged marriage since it appears that you will not be able to lead properly without someone by your side." She was smirking full out by the end of the sentence.

Hinata found herself struggling to comprehend the words, her breathing slow, uncomfortably slow. "An a-arranged m-marriage?" she said weakly.

"Yes." The woman was having too much fun telling her this for it to be right.

"Seriously?"

"Yes!" she snapped, annoyed.

Hinata put her shaking hands over her mouth and closed her eyes, concentrating on taking deep breaths. How was that possible? Her father had warned her about the many changes that would occur but she was sure this was not one of them. The need to cry bubbled up in her but she stifled it with an inward scream. She refused to break down in front of Hikari.

Bringing her hands down to her lap, she asked, "Who is it with?" She dreaded the answer.

"They…have not decided yet." Hikari replied. "Though there are not many clans worthy of having this bloodline in Konoha."

What was she going to do? It felt so wrong to be told to agree to marry a stranger who she didn't know, someone who didn't know her. Her heart felt constricted in her chest as it was slowly shred, as she mentally ripped apart any fantasies she had of a future with a certain blonde-haired ninja.

"Why c-cannot I be given a chance?"

"Ah, a chance," Hikari shook her head slowly. "You have to be strong to get a chance. Are you sure you can handle it, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata nodded, not giving it a second thought. "A-Anything to avoid that,"

"Is it really that repulsive, an arranged marriage?" She let out a short, bitter laugh. "I guess it is. But it really isn't anybody else's fault, right?"

The dark haired girl took a shuddering breath and shook her head. "No." she whispered.

"They probably will not hold off on the arranged marriage. They believe it to be the best course of action. Would you be willing to wait and see?" offered Hikari. She was repulsed with herself for giving the girl hope. But it was quickly squashed as she gazed upon her, sure she would break.

"Hai…"

"Waiting means staying away from that Uzumaki boy."

Hinata flinched at his name, much to Hikari's chagrin. "Forget him. He's an obstacle in your future." Hikari advised, watching as the girl nodded; her heart was completely against it. "You can go now, Hinata-chan. Remember our little decision!" And the look in her eyes as she left only gave Hikari reassurance that the girl would be getting her arranged marriage in the end, and sooner than expected.

She wanted her path to power clear and Hinata was her obstacle in the future.

She intended to get rid of that obstacle.

&&&&&&&&&&&

Hinata walked out and away from the room, her head bowed. She felt as though her whole world was falling apart, nothing was the same. She made her way to her room and slipped inside just as it began to rain outside. The sky seemed to share her sorrow, unleashing it on the world.

Her room was dark and cool, comfortable for her. She slid off her shoes, dropping her kunai holster and pouch on the floor carelessly. She took off her jacket and placed it on the chair in front of her vanity. She sat down on her futon without bothering to turn on the lights, preferring the darkness.

"Are you planning on sensing me anytime soon?" questioned a voice.

Her reflex was to scream but she didn't get a chance to as a hand clamped down on her mouth, stopping the noise. "It's me, Hinata-chan," whispered the voice in her ear. "It's Naruto."

She instantly relaxed, leaning back against him. He removed his hand, muttering a soft "Sorry." She sighed and turned around, her eyes widening at their proximity. When had he gotten so tall?

"You look happy." he said, sarcasm in his tone. She frowned. "L-life hasn't exactly been easy."

Pink tinged his cheeks and he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Sorry, I meant to lighten the mood. I guess I suck."

She couldn't help a small smile at seeing him act so Naruto-ish. And she was painfully reminded of why she cared for him so much. It was the way nothing seemed to bring him down, the way he always had something to say even in a difficult situation. That was how she found herself crying in his arms, sobbing like a child.

He sat down on her futon, holding her in his arms, confused, unsure of what to do. She just cried, trying to accept her fate. Her tears stopped flowing shortly, leaving her feeling pathetic, her face pressed against his neck.

"What have they done to you?" he whispered, his worry evident.

"A lot." she answered.

Silence fell over them, broken occasionally by a small sniffle of hers.

"They told me everything," he said.

"A-and?"

"I'm sorry."

"For w-what?"

He shrugged, "For everything."

She shook her head, dismissing his concern. "W-why are you here?"

He turned red. "Um, I didn't think and rushed here to fix things but realized that getting involved would probably make it worse and decided, last minute, to just wait for you."

Her cheeks turned pink. He actually cared. That was a relief, in one way, and a burden. Then she remembered what Hikari had told her: "Waiting means staying away from that Uzumaki boy."

She moved away from him, no longer in his arms. "I-we can't. I'm s-sure they told you, how I-it's not-" she was at a loss for words but Naruto seemed to understand, considering the way his face fell.

"It's okay." he said, a sad look in his eyes. "It's for the best, right?"

Hinata forced herself to nod, despite the fact that she wanted to throw her arms around him.

He stood up, helping her stand along with him. He faced her and held out his hand. "You go on to success and so will I. Friends?"

She shook his hand firmly, wishing he would take back the words, wishing she could start again. But she couldn't and had to watch as the person she cared so much for, she'd even dare say loved, got farther away from her.

Naruto walked to the door and stepped out of her bedroom. He glanced back and shot her a crooked grin. At least he could cope, no matter how painful. Hinata didn't know how she was holding up a straight face.

"I—I'll see you tomorrow." Naruto was surprised by her saying that.

"You don't have to force it, Hinata-chan." he said softly.

She bit her lip and looked down. "I know."

Both of them gazed at each for some until Hinata broke the silence. "Good night, Naruto-kun." She reached out to the sliding door and started to close it. But never got it closed with Naruto's hand holding it open.

Hinata looked up at him and he stepped back into her room. He reached out and drew her towards him, embracing her a little awkwardly. She remained still, battling the emotions within her.

This wasn't supposed to happen.

She was supposed to stay away.

Naruto's cheek caressed her soft hair; he inhaled her sweet scent. He couldn't let her go. He didn't want to let her go. His other hand encircled her waist, pulling her closer. "I don't want to leave it like this."

She couldn't find the strength to pull away and sighed, "Me either." She wrapped her arms around his torso, returning the embrace.

Somehow, in a moment, his lips had met hers and she found herself kissing back with as much energy as him, feeling her worries melt away for the time being. Then it was over. Their good-bye ended, leaving her breathing heavily, face flushed. He rested his forehead against hers, just like he had done the first time, and whispered her name.

Then reality came crashing down far too fast.

The shoji door slid open and they jumped apart quickly. But it revealed only Neji, who was eyeing them with an amused expression. "You need to be quicker if you want to continue." he commented. Hinata became flustered, trying to give him excuses.

"Don't worry, my lips are sealed."

With that said, she shut up and let her cousin come in, willing to trust him. He walked into the room calmly as if he had not seen anything. He turned to face them, his amusement gone. "I heard what they plan."

Naruto scowled. "What now?"

"They are going to plan an arranged marriage for me," she whispered, unable to look at him.

"Marriage?"

She nodded. "I d-don't want it. I d-don't want to marry a stranger."

He faced Neji, "Isn't there a way to stop this? Tell her father or something!"

"Calm down, Uzumaki." he said. "We cannot do anything. These are the Hyuga Elders we are discussing. They do whatever they want and no one can do anything. Hiashi-sama is already trying to save his daughter."

"Lots of help you are, Hyuga." Naruto said sarcastically.

"You haven't let me finish." He glared at the blonde ninja, his patience running thin.

Naruto opened his mouth to retort but Hinata intervened, "G-go on, Neji-nii-san."

"We will bide our time and just pretend they haven't said anything. If Hinata is the perfect heiress, they will not interfere."

"And how will we manage not to screw up?"

A smirk appeared on Neji's face. "That's what we have the Rookie 9 and Team Gai for."