The village…hidden in the leaves…
A familiar, raven haired young man looked out towards the village with cold, emotionless charcoal eyes. He still felt that annoying twinge in his chest. That twinge that was conceived when he realized that Naruto had a victory over him that he could do nothing about. Looking down at the people setting up and hanging up banners, his hair blew with the breeze. He had said he would stay in the Leaf, but only until he was able to fully recover and would be able to go out on his own again. After that happens, he would go back out and be alone.
What else was there for him in Konoha? What was here that was so important that he would have to stay here, with the rest of the villagers? The war was over, and he had nothing left to do that involved him with the village. He had said he would become Hokage, but he knew that that would be stopped before it could even happen.
He didn't care that anyone here resented him for everything he's done, or that most people were skeptical about him staying in the very village that he resolved to destroy. After learning that they had manipulated his brother Itachi into killing off the rest of their clan, he wanted to completely crush the Leaf village with the very eyes his brother once owned. But after he and his brother Itachi, though in Reanimation form, defeated Kabuto Yakushi he had changed his views about the village.
But even now with his views changed, he doubted anything about the village's opinions of him would change at all. He looked at his hand, wrapped in bandages, and thought about everything. With all he had done, there was no way the villagers would see him as anything more than a murderer who slaughtered for his own reasons.
Lowering his hand back to his side, he looked out at the busy villagers, several banners with the words, "Leaf Celebration! End of 4th Great Ninja War" written on them in festive colors and writing. He quickly turned his back towards it all, the setting sun, slowly taking refuge behind the darkening horizon.
There's nothing left for me here…
Elsewhere, the heiress to the Hyuga Clan sat in her room, looking at the sky from her window as she tried to let her mind wrap around all that had happened recently and tried to accept it all the way it was. But for some reason, she found herself unable to do so. She could deal with the war being over, and that some people had lost their lives in the process…but…she just couldn't accept what she saw…
The image…still fresh in her head, she could shake it from her mind no matter how hard she tried. She looked onto her bed at the neatly folded yukata lying there. She knew that as the next head of the Hyuga Family she was expected to be at the festival, but she couldn't bring herself to do so. At least, not in her current state of mind.
A knock was heard on her door, shaking her from her thoughts. "Yes?" she responded, unaware of the shakiness of her voice. "We've prepared the bath for you" a woman's voice answered, footsteps soon following after. Hinata looked back out the window, the heavy feeling inside her heart refusing to leave her alone.
Walking towards her bed she grabbed the yukata and left her room, walking towards the bathroom, refusing to say anything even when greeted by her fellow clan members. "Big Sister" Hanabi said, walking up to the heiress as looking up into her saddened eyes before her face was tainted with concerned, whatever she had been wanting to tell her having left her mind completely. "Yes Hanabi?" Hinata asked, and now in the manner that her little sister had become accustomed to over the years they've known each other.
"Big Sister, there's something wrong with you isn't it?" the young Hyuga clan member asked. Holding her yukata closely to her chest, she soon looked at Hanabi, her eyes telling the story of her heartbreak, yet refusing to let that tale be spoken from her own lips. "Hanabi, you should get ready for the festival…" Hinata said, walking past her younger sister. Approaching the bathroom, Hiashi Hyuga looked at his daughter with concern, something he had rarely ever done when it came to her.
"Hinata, you should walk with your head held high. As the heiress to our clan, it is your job to-…" Hinata looked up at her father, the look alone sufficient enough to stop the rest of his words from leaving his mouth. "Father…I need to get ready for the festival…" Hinata said, walking past her shocked father as she finally made it to the bathroom.
"It's about Naruto, isn't it?" a familiar voice asked, standing not too far from where Hinata stood. Bandages wrapped around his abdomen and right arm, the heiress' cousin stood there, waiting for the answer he knew was right. "Is this because of what you saw?" he asked.
Hinata slowly turned herself towards her older cousin, her head still hanging low and refusing to be lifted. "He made his choice…" she said, lifting her head the few inches it would allow her to as she met the eyes of Neji, standing there in somewhat of a healthy condition looking directly at her, the same analytical eyes he once had when they faced each other at the Chuunin Exams back then.
"And you're fine with this?" Neji asked her, silence being the only one to answer his question. "Back then, didn't you fight me for the sake of not looking weak in front of Naruto? Didn't you get involved in the battle between Naruto and the Akatsuki because you felt strongly about him?" he asked her, taking slow, small steps towards her. "I have to respect Naruto-kun's decision. Even if it wasn't me who he chose" she said, finally finding the strength to lift her head up just enough so Neji could see the tears forming at the corners of her eyes.
"I can't say I loved him, if I can't be happy for him even if I'm not the one making him smile" she said, Neji seeing how hard she had to go to fake a believable smile in front of him. But…perhaps it was something she knew would happen even when she chased after him. Watching her, seeing how she quickly turned her back and retreated into the bathroom, Neji sighed heavily.
Hinata…why do you allow yourself to be hurt like this…and still act like you're happy…